Happy Birthday- USA!!

4th, originally uploaded by amydell.

There's nothing like a two year old- and fireworks!! The 'ewwss' and 'ahhhh's'-- adorable!!

I explained to Brooke (on the way over to the private nature preserve we watched fireworks at) that we were going to "celebrate the "birthday" of the United States!" and that we were going to see "lights in the sky" as part of the celebration. She thought about this- got a huge grin on her face and promptly replied- "BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!"-- which, in essence- IS a birthday to a two year old I guess.

After we arrived there- we set up our chairs and settled in for a delightful display of fireworks that not only lit up the beach immediately in front of us- (the Hilton had a fireworks show for their guests) but we could also see shows going on as far as we could see down the beach. It was wonderful! The babies loved it- and kept saying "MORE, MORE" and "MAS!!, MAS" , "Again" and "Ewwwww, SPARKLES!" This has certainly been a great trip for us- and the kiddos are having a great time here in Destin. Who would have known that they would be such a joy to travel with? I get the assurance that they are okay- and taken care of- and plenty of family to watch out for them when my eyes wander away for a minute or I "need" to grab another glass of wine or a beer! ;) I can’t ever remember having this much fun on a vacation. I also can’t remember a time when I felt more patriotic. It's been wonderful- and I'm thankful for the people who are in Iraq- fighting for my right to enjoy this holiday with my family. HAPPY 4th!

Terrible Two's

CIMG8161, originally uploaded by amydell.

It's impossible to tell you all just how bad she's been lately- This was taken right after a crying fit- before we spent our day taking them to the zoo and to Chic-fillet. Hmmm.. something is wrong here-- the harder we try- the harder she makes it on us.

How Nice to Be Southern!

So, there they were- after drinking my morning coffe and sauntering to my mailbox still in my pajamas- I peered in and there they sat!! Beautiful paper, beautiful handwriting, addressed lovingly with the name that I've adopted with marriage-- "Mrs. Amydell Beardshall" and "Mrs. Beardshall"- how lovely and wonderful! And I thought- "How nice to be Southern!" These notes of 'Thanks' made every second of work and preparation- worth the effort! Rarely do I get the attention of such notes, so when I do receive them- I cherish them! They contained such nuggets of love as "... we were all happy and delighted guests!", "I enjoyed every minute of my stay" and "I have never seen such attention to detail and I loved it all." -- My mother made me this way! I must confess- Southern women aren't just born Southern- we're bred. I've often felt that etiquette and adoration shown to people that provide enjoyment for me is of the utmost importance. I absolutely love, love, love to entertain- but find that people rarely return the favor. In days past- people would meet for lavish or simple - lovingly prepared dinners and parties- as a part of their social engagement calendars. No internet- no phone-- letters and correspondence were their method of exchange, giving them something to look forward to outside of slopping the hogs and weeding the garden. It was seen as a mode of entertainment before the "tonight show" and Nintendo. How Delightful it must have been to just sit on the front porch after supper- with a glass of iced tea and chat about the neighborhood or the state of the Union. I often think I was born at the wrong time- (barring the necessity of central air and heat) It was more genteel and certainly more fussy. I like that. I LIKE spending time to entertain my friends and family- who am I without them? I putter and primp in preparation for my next feast, I crave the conversations of the evening under candle light and good wine. I am here to please and pamper you, for without you, I am not happy. So thank YOU- for those notes of 'Thanks"- they made my day- they might have even made my year! I'm off to write a couple of my own now with fresh thoughts of appreciation on my pen!

My 'room with a view'

CIMG8101, originally uploaded by amydell.

Clearly-(for those of you that know us)- the last 14 mos have been the hardest financially of our married life. The small things- like this view from our library/office window make things a little more tollerable, make me a little more 'willing' to hang on and pray that our other house sells soon! There is a book that I read in college by Forster, that I'll always remember- the opening passage says "Any nook does for me, but it does seem hard that you shouldn't have a view." It reminds me a lot of a saying my mother used to use a lot when I was little (and frequently now, even though I'm grown) "Bloom where you're planted". I love making this home, my own.

Check it out and let me know what you thought of it. Its a free read. ENJOY! Let me know about your 'views', today. :)

You might think I'm cute- but THINK AGAIN!

So- this past Sunday- we took the kiddos to this local place called Lupe Tortillas. It's supposed to be "the kid place" to take small chillens and eat some good grub. (and it IS) for people with children who are not demon spawn! Holy Jesus!! I have NEVER seen TWO, two year olds be as bad as our two were. They RAN across the parking lot to the sand box- where the "parent stadium" is set up- and happily joined three hundred other blonde haired, blue eyed, white kids whose parents were partaking in various libations (from the stadium) and screaming demands to "stop dumping sand down his pants" and "stop kicking the little girl in the eyeballs!" I SWEAR I have NEVER seen that many kids in my life that looked just like mine do! It was worrisome, at best- because I could never seem to get both of them in my "mommy view" before the other ran in the opposite direction. Oh- how I 'love' them being two. 15 mins after we let them loose in the sand pit- we were called to our table- where we 'promptly' wrangled the kids (after my being BIT on the shoulder by Bryce, because I was taking him from "MY sandcox") -- and after navigating the small, seperate rooms of the place- could not find DH- I returned to the deck- and found that he had given up the table we were waiting for and had let Brooke return to her sand dream. UGH! Instead of EATING-- Grrrrrrrrr.... So- I went back in- put us back on the list and demanded that we were GOING to have a meal AT THIS PLACE- and the kids WERE going to behave... (1st bad mistake!) They WHALED all the way in from the box-O-fun and layed on the floor screaming until we started shoving chips in them. They started to calm down a little bit after the found and tore apart every crayola on the table. By this point- the poor wait staff were DONE with us- and the young, childless couple sitting at the table next to us- vowed in a loud whisper NEVER to procreate! (yeah, Good idea!) FINALLY - the food came- and some order was restored as Bryce climbed from the back of my chair (after trying to escape and run free in the eatery) and sat on the "REEEEEEDDDDDDDD" chair you see here. He ate like a champ- colored (with his partially chewed crayons) and basically turned into the angel that I gave birth to. We caught this pic- right after he settled a bit, and Brooke pee'd on my leg. Caviat: ALL I HAD IN THE CAR (because I'm twin mother of the year, was swimmers-- we had NO PULLUPS left!) (are swimmers supposed to be used as every day diapers? because apparently- they arent- they wick away water and let it SEEP through the diaper- because thats what this one did!) Are two year olds supposed to be in public? I dont think mine are supposed to leave my house. I know I cant keep them locked in the house FOREVER- but after this past weekends experience- I dont think we'll be eating in public with them again until they are at least 14!!!! Hey Lupe Tortillas- THANKS for tryin! I hope the waitress enjoys that fat tip I left her! She EARNED it!

Some Days Are Better Than Others!

fussy guss, originally uploaded by amydell.

Nuff Said! ;)

Memorial to today

CIMG7843 Originally uploaded by amydell.

10 things I loved about this morning-with you- my love bugs: 1.) Watching you both get jiggy on some DMB 2.) Watching you both 'hop on pop' repeatedly 3.) Listening to you squeal in delight as we pointed out your boo-bah's and tickled you. 4.) The smell of daddy's pancakes and syrup on your breath when I sauntered into the kitchen at 0930. 5.) Your sticky fingers on and up my nose- while you tried to push my nose up and oink at me. 6.) Waking up next to you in your bed and seeing you stare out the window in amazement- and whisper "agua-outside" over and over. 7.) Seeing how tired you get when you need a nap- but can’t seem to budge from the playground equipment. 8.) Listening to you run through the downstairs- from upstairs, and knowing how lucky I am to hear that sound. 9.) Hearing you say "pretty girl" to me when I put your hair in a pony tail and seeing your delight as I affirm that "yes- you are the prettiest girl, in the whole wide world!" 10.) Carrying you up for a nap, while you sleep on my shoulder. You are my reason for getting up most mornings. The small things are much bigger now that you are with us. War, crime, violence, immigration, taxes, income, preservatives, Sugar, Whole wheat bread, cursing, clothing, vehicles, gas prices, neighbors, neighborhoods, friends- they all take on new meanings for me because I know that you must live in, around, with and for some of these things. It's my job to make all of these things the best I can for you both. But how do I achieve Motherhood Martyrdom- and make you independent, loving, wonderful, non-codependent people?

The Beauty of Brooke's "Bling"

CIMG7937 Originally uploaded by amydell.

What is it about jewelry that makes every girls heart go pitter patter? Even at TWO my munchkin has an affinity for picking out the prettiest and shiniest pieces in my jewelry box. There are plenty of places to pick up some cool bling in Houston- some of my favorites include 'Wish', Nordstroms and Neiman Marcus. Here is what is making my heart pitter patter this month- maybe i'll find a way to swing it and grab one of these? Or these? (Because you know, my dears, that bling is much more than jewlry! ;) Oh- to be two again and happy with plastic and shiny beads! They are much cheaper- and made me just as happy at that point!

Geeky but Cool!

Okay- my DH just sent me this URL for a neat new doowacky thing: Check it out! http://tinyurl.com/o7eru

Thanks Daddy!

Our 2 year old kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Hermann Park- More importantly, the train! They cannot walk past without saying "Choooooo Choooooo!" and "Thomas!"-- It costs a family of four TEN dollars (GASP!) to ride around the park for the three minute ride. It's almost unspeakable! I know that there is a ton of upkeep that must have to be done to keep these trains running- but it still seems pricy! This past week- when I was walking (alone) to the water pad (ACROSS the park) from the zoo parking lot-I had two babies- (Did I mention they are two?) a cooler on wheels (thank you Jesus for rolling coolers!) and various bags, backpacks and toys that "had" to be brought along for their enjoyment-(which they never used.) :-) "So there I was,-IN THE CONGO" and moving at an alarmingly slow pace- to get past the parking lot without one of them getting squashed by a passing vehicle and I decided to put Brooke on the rolling cooler. Yep- you guessed it- she fell off-! IN FRONT of the train! - NOT The tracks, but the ticket house-- I knew better-- but the GASPS and hushed whispers that I got-while slothing by were the most shaming I've gotten in recent history. (I'm totally expecting the "mother of the year" award this weekend, next to my pancakes in bed, which I won’t be holding my breath for!) So- I promised her we would ride the train later if she just stopped sobbing of front of the angry mob. This is her ---> with her "better judgment" daddy, safe and not riding on any ice chests. Thank you, Daddy- for the $$ train ride and for helping me get them to their birthday party- relatively unscathed.

My First Beater :)

CIMG7895 Originally uploaded by amydell.

When I was 3, I remember vividly- my mother bringing me into the kitchen and letting me help her make something chocolate- (Bryce was helping me make pudding, here) I think it was brownies or fudge- I can't remember. I was wearing a navy blue dress with white polka dots. I'll look for the picture. It was precious! I, much like Bryce here, had chocolate from head to toe- and was licking it off of a large spoon. It was delightful! I remember spending a lot of time with my mom in the kitchen. I hope B&B will do the same. Making cookies for school, pancakes on a Sunday morning with daddy, mac N' cheese- PB&J sammiches. All part of my childhood-all part of theirs too.

And Then it Happened

CIMG7755
Originally uploaded by amydell.

You turned Two-
-- I will never be the same.

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Lemon Herb Chicken

CIMG7839
Originally uploaded by amydell.

So- Bill called home last Friday night at 7:45 and said "I'm on my way, and I'm hungry!"-- Whats new? Anyhow- I had planned to grill chicken for dinner and grabbed three chx breasts out of the freezer- thawed and cut some fresh Texas Genovieve Basil and quartered some fresh lemons. Covered the chx in penzeys Florida Pepper spice and wrapped in Tin- Oh, dont forget a quick spray of Lemon Pam- to keep everything from sticking! It was fantastic! AND- doesnt everything taste better when it's from your own garden? (Everything but the yard bird that is!)

Dios Bendice a los mexicanos que permanecen en México

Ahhhhhh.. you knew it would happen. I have to share my opinions on today’s "day w/o an immigrant" situation. It is several things, in my opinion: 1) Unorganized 2) a slap in the face to employers 3) A good example of people only hurting themselves. This being said- I want to tread lightly- because I, myself employ a full time-Hispanic nanny/helper in my home. She, for all intents and purposes- helps me raise my children. She allows me to continue to work and be a productive member of the workforce. Unlike some of the articles I've read recently- she is not "cheap" labor, nor is she an illegal. She's a Texas-born, U.S. citizen who has two Texas-born grown boys. (one married to an illegal-living here illegally) We pay her well- (over 20K a year) and she deserves every penny! Our first nanny was white. My Lawn guy? White. So we're the exception- not the rule, for employing illegal immigrants. So, when you ask me "how did ""a day w/o an immigrant" go in Houston, for you?" It hasn't made much of a difference. (Although- its only 11:30-as I write this-- the day is only half over!) I walked outside with the kids and a cup of coffee this morning- and as I watched them play in the yard- I heard Garbage trucks drive by (Hmm.. garbage p/u wasn’t "halted" as expected?) I could hear people speaking Spanish in my neighbors backyard- and working going on- (They are putting in a new brick pathway), My other neighbors were getting their lawn cut by a "troop" of trailer pulling-lawn cutting extraordinaire’s- and much as I expected, life goes on! I dont happen to be one of the people who think that our economy would come to a standstill- if we chose to round everyone that is not a U.S. citizen up- and ship em out. But out of the other side of my mouth- I think that they provide a stream of income into our economy that actually helps boost our spending and buoys our per capita income, allowing us as Americans to spend less money on say- building our homes and more money on labor to help us "keep" our home. Where does the money go when we pay people to keep our homes, cut our lawns and take care of our children? Straight back into the U.S. economy? Not always- it's also bolstering the Mexican "economy" as well. People are able to send money back to their families and support them in ways that they can’t if they remain in Mexico. This is an issue for me as well- Is this right? I don’t know- but the flip side is paying an American worker- (more you can be sure) and them spending all of those dollars here in the U.S. , on housing, clothing, food, etc. I had a real "eye-opener" when I was on bed rest with the babies at Memorial Herrman Memorial City- I was there for 31 days- and I saw things the "average" American probably doesn't see much of. For one- I saw a CONSTANT influx of illegal immigrants being checked into anti-partum (that’s the "don’t have the baby yet" wing-) and getting free treatment. These girls and their boyfriends, spouses etc, were being checked in and refusing to speak ANY English- and demanding free health care (never having had ANY prenatal care) as well as free delivery of their "anchor" babies- which as most of us know- makes their children U.S. citizens. This is WRONG, Wrong, wrong on so many levels. The cost of this indigent care is in the BILLIONS- and DRAINS our businesses and schools (hospitals, schools, healthcare clinics) of dollars they might otherwise be spending on U.S. born- "Aunt Clara" who cant afford health care. Illegal aliens have cost billions of taxpayer-funded dollars for medical services. Dozens of hospitals in Texas, New Mexico Arizona, and California, have been forced to close or face bankruptcy because of federally-mandated programs requiring free emergency room services to illegal aliens. Who pays for this ultimately? We do- the U.S. Tax payer. We absorb the wear and tear on our schools and hospitals and feed the welfare recipients. We feed the children who's mama's continue to utilize the WIC programs. They are not thrown out on the curb as most people will tell you- the numbers don’t lie. Now before I get flamed by all of my dear readers or inundated with feedback (which-by the way, I love- so please post your replies!) I must say that I realize that Mexico still needs to overcome many structural problems as it tries to modernize its economy. They MUST raise their living standards. Some of it's real ongoing economic problems include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution (top 20% of income earners account for 55% of income), as well as immigration (mass exodus of a real segment of the economy that could help their economy immensely-by keeping their pesos in Mexico!) How do we solve the problem? I don’t know entirely- but the issues and drain that illegal's impose on our economy far outweigh the rewards. I feel like illegal’s are standing in our streets, wrapped in their Mexican flags and screaming while they bite the hand that feeds them. It’s all kind of absurd!