Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!

Posted on | Tuesday, April 26, 2011 | No Comments

Earlier this spring I was given some very disheartening news. My step-Dad was informed that the vacation time he had wanted for my wedding had been cancelled. In fact, all vacation time for the summer months has been cancelled for all employees. The construction company he works for had bid on several very expensive contracts, the result being a great deal of work for the crew. They needed everyone on board. Which means no one gets time off.


I'm not going to lie, I cried the first night after I found out. And then I got angry. I'm still a little angry, to be honest. I know it's in no way my Dad's fault, and I know that there is still a slim chance that he can make it to the wedding (Since it's on a Saturday he may end up working his maximum hours during the week and get the day off, or they may get rained out, or they may not need him that day). We won't know until a few days prior to the wedding, though. Which is frustrating at best.

I want my Dad there. I want him to be part of my wedding. After I move it's not going to be as easy to see either of my parents and I know that this is extremely important to both of them, and to me.

So I began to think of ways to have him still involved. A videographer, obviously. Skype, possibly. If he is not working I'm thinking using a cell phone on speaker so that he can hear the ceremony and verbally give me away (heck, I may even carry the phone with me down the aisle come to think of it). But I still wanted something. Something I could have with me that was special from him so that even if none of those things happen he is there there with me. A trinket or a necklace, something special.

I told him about my idea and he liked it.


And last Sunday he gave me a tiny box and said, "If I'm at your wedding or not I want you to wear this."


Marvin. I wanted to cry when I saw it. It's absolutely perfect. See, my Dad has a secret talent. He can do a spot-on imitation of Marvin the Martian. And I mean Spot. On.

When I was first starting to get to know him it was one of those things that would make me smile, even when I was in a hellacious I'm-thirteen-and-the-world-sucks kind of mood. We both love Marvin, and whenever I see a cartoon with the little fella in it I think of my Dad. The two are connected in my head now.


Like I said, it's perfect. He said that I didn't have to wear it where it will show, but truthfully I want to have it visible. I want to be able to see Marvin, because then I know my Dad is there in his heart, even if his body is stuck in Oklahoma.

I know you don't read this, but I love you Dad.

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Who do? Zhu zhu!

Posted on | Friday, April 1, 2011 | No Comments

Zhu Zhu Pets, that is.


I know I am about a year and a half behind the crazy toy fad, but Kael recently discovered these faux-hamsters and is absolutely bonkers for them. Over the moon. They're better than balloons or tank engines -- and in The World According To Kael those two things rate very high on The Best Things Ever List (right next to toaster waffles and Horton Hears A Who). He spent about two hours last night playing with these guys and then demanded that they snuggle up in bed with him.

I took a few short videos throughout the evening of him playing with his little hamster pals. There were some more adorable moments, but of course those happened after I stopped filming. It always seems to happen that way.








I think the last video is my most favorite. There's something about my kiddo saying, "It's a DUCKIE!!" and chasing after a robotic hamster with a squeaky plastic duck that makes a huge grin spread across my face.

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Baby, baby, baby, oooh!

Posted on | Wednesday, March 16, 2011 | No Comments

One of the particularly awesome things about coming back to Alabama is being able to see old friends again. Most of my friends from four (or more) years ago have moved on to bigger, better, and far different things -- as to be expected -- but there are a handful of people that I am thankful to say are still considered best friends. You know, the people that you can not see then for five years and within a matter of seconds of seeing each other it's like those years never happened.


Chelsea is one of those amazing friends. I haven't seen her since 2007 but within a matter of minutes we were catching up like nothing had happened. Both of our lives have changed in the best possible way; we're both Mommys to wonderful children (her daughter Layla is so freaking cute!), we've found awesome guys to spend our lives with, and we have both outgrown being die-hard goths.

Just don't tell our parents that last part.

Layla didn't entirely know what to make of me or Alex. We were cooing over her and within a matter of moments her face crumpled in the most adorable way ever. We weren't Mommy and therefore we had no reason to be cuddling her or telling her how pretty she was.

Although Alex did magically coerce Layla into playing with him after about half an hour. It was simple really, he took apart her play floor and played with a hair brush. Suddenly he was the best thing ever.

Note the piece of floor in her adorable baby hands. It was apparently the best chew toy ever.

I was sad to leave for the night, even though I am planning to come back and see her again before I fly back to Oklahoma. Although I realized the moment Alex and I got home that I had left my purse at her house. It was just an excuse to give her another hug, but don't tell anyone I told you that.

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Big things

Posted on | Tuesday, February 15, 2011 | 2 Comments



Kael received his second quarterly review from the developmental delay program last week. When he was placed in the program I met with the speech, occupational, and physical therapists as well as the director of the program to create a list of goals we wanted him to achieve this academic year. The list included Speech, Cognitive Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Gross Motor Skills, Social Interaction, and Basic Learning Skills. With his PDD-NOS we aren't sure if any of his delays or sensory issues are permanent yet, or if with the right therapy he will be able to go into normal school and adapt to a less controlled environment in the future.

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"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."

Posted on | Friday, February 11, 2011 | 1 Comment

Today has been busy. Incredibly busy. I went to Katy's house early in the morning and had my second trial run for hair and makeup (the initial attempt left me with a Victorian Era bouffant). We then drove across town to David's Bridal for the third time in a month to finalize and purchase my wedding dress. Before my appointment we spent an hour at DSW and I purchased my wedding shoes -- blue suede and fabulous. While wearing my future dress and feeling like a princess I had Katy model an array of bridesmaid dresses because I still couldn't 100% decide on a color. After about two hours I grudgingly switched back into my frumpy clothes and placed the order for my dress. It will be ready in April.

Then Katy and I went to Hobby Lobby and brainstormed centerpieces and decorations with much success before I finally high-tailed it home. And was subsequently greeted with bumper to bumper traffic. By the time Kael and I parked in front of my house I was exhausted and more than a little bit grumpy. It had been a great day, but a very long one.

As I was reaching to unlock the door my neighbor rushed outside and said I had received a package and ran into her house to get it for me.


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Eight hundred and ninety-seven

Posted on | Thursday, December 30, 2010 | No Comments

Pictures, that is. I originally had nearly a thousand on my camera so you can imagine how long it took to whittle it down to less than 150. Quite the accomplishment, if I do say so myself. Especially considering these pictures covered the span of an entire week. In Vegas. For Christmas. And you know how trigger happy I am with a camera.

I originally had intended to blog a few times while on vacation so that I wouldn't have the dilemna of sorting through nearly a thousand pictures, but since my laptop irregularly decides to shut itself off (and Alex pointedly forgot to bring his) blogging about our adventures in Las Vegas had to wait.

I am sure you are all dying to know after me week long absence.

I tried to size the pictures since they kept loading onto the blog with ridiculously huge diameters, but after the fourth try I stopped trying to fix them. Ugh. So, sorry for ginormous pictures. I hope you enjoy them regardless!

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Supagloo

Posted on | Tuesday, December 7, 2010 | 5 Comments

Alex is the best guy in the world.


No, really. He is.

I came home after having a busy day at work followed by a long overdue lunch date with Katy to find a small box next to my door marked 'FRAGILE'. The mailing address was from Alex. I remembered him mentioning he was going to mail something to me as an early Christmas present. Sort of. I came inside and inside the tiny box was this --

Not going to lie, I cried. "Superglue" and "Elephant" are very very special words for us.

Earlier in our relationship I became extremely ill and asked him if he was sure he wanted to be with someone that had as many medical problems as I do. I explained that my disease was permanent and that it wouldn't be easy to be with someone who was constantly sick and in pain like I am. It was his Get Out Of Jail Free Card, and I was terrified he would use it. Instead he said one of the sweetest and most endearing things I have ever heard, "God superglued us together, I'm not going anywhere."

Elephant has a sillier anecdote behind it. Every night Alex calls me when I am getting ready for bed and stays on the phone until I fall asleep. Sometimes he will read me a story (we had nearly a month of Edgar Allen), other times we will just talk until I doze off. One night as I was falling asleep he told me "I love you". For some bizarre reason I heard "Elephant". I was so confused by this that I roused myself enough to ask him, "Elephant what?" After that "elephant" became my code word for I love you. Because all great couples have secret code words.

Now our secret code words are like breathing. I tell him Elephant, and he says Superglue. The people around us may not know why those words are so important, but that's okay. We aren't saying them for other people to hear.

And as I looked down at my tiny ornament they were both in my hand. I cried, and then I laughed. I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures, because this is the reason I created our blog -- to share with friends and family how incredibly lucky and blessed Alex and I are to be superglued together.

If this is the only thing I get this year I will be happy.

Elephant, honey.

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About

Photobucket I was born and raised in California. I have also lived in Hungary, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and I will be moving again this summer. Kael is my incredibly awesome kiddo who is growing up far too quickly, and Alex is my fiance who makes me happier than should be legally allowed. I write about them a lot. I'm mildly obsessed with cooking and photography. I write about those things, too.

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