"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"

Last night Howie, Gabi, and I went out on a date. First we went to our favorite restaurant- Carrabba's YUM! Then we went to GEVA to see "A Christmas Story". It was AMAZING! Oh how I remember the days when I thought that the perfect Christmas present would make the world right. For me, it was a Cabbage Patch Kid.

We had front row seats, which was really cool. I LOVED watching Gabi as she took in every bit of it. She was mesmerized. At the end she declared that she "really liked it, especially that bully".

So Much to be THANKFUL for

Thanksgiving. THANKSgiving. ThanksGIVING. I have sooooo much to be thankful for. I am aware of this every day. I am blessed. I wish all of YOU, my readers, lurkers, and stalkers a very BLESSED Thanksgiving as well.

In other news......

Ellie has a new look.....

isn't that hysterical? She does it all the time.

She also has a new trick.........

I'm a LOSER!

Actually, THE BIGGEST LOSER to be precise.

We had a contest at work. The person to lose the most weight, percentage wise was declared the winner.

I lost 6% and WON!

I almost feel like I was cheating, because I am also on WW. I won $129.00!! Just enough to cover my weekly WW costs!

It feels so good to have some control over my weight. Ever since college, I have struggled with this up down up down roller coaster. It's maddening. I'm in a good place right now. Hope I stay here for a LONG LONG time!

"You just wait...."

Oh how I remember hearing those words which were usually followed by something like "God is going to give you a child JUST LIKE YOU."

Fast forward several years.

(Clearly, I lived with a fortune teller.)

It seems that Miss Gabi is having an extremely hard time learning when it's appropriate to talk and when she needs to zip it. Did I mention that EVERY year my report card comments would read something like this...."Teri is a bright student however, she talks too much." Each semester, each year throughout Elementary school, my report cards would have some type of variation of that comment.

Enter September 2008. My sweet daughter is having a very hard time controlling her "Gab"bing at school. Her teacher uses a visual warning system. The children start on green everyday and then are asked to move their cards to yellow, orange, and red (in that order) throughout the day if the behavior continues. They can also work their way back up to green.

We take it very seriously when she comes home on any color other than green. Lately, she has had too many yellow days- and even an orange here and there. She always reports that it's because she has been talking.

I called my Mom for some advice. Asked her what she did to help me. You know what she did? She LAUGHED. Yup. That's right. Laughed a satisfying hearty bellow.

Gabi is also way too smart for me. Here is how tonight's conversation went.

Mommy: Gabi, I'm really disappointed that you are on yellow for the second day in a row.

Gabi: Mommy, I just don't know what I would ever do without you. You are so beautiful and I just love you so much.

Mommy: Thank you Gabi, I love you too that's why I want you to be responsible and make good choices.

Gabi: Mommy, I really can't imagine what I would ever do without you. I would never even kiss anybody ever again.

Mommy: (Quietly smiled to myself as I thought....You just wait....)

EEeek- Brilliant or "Lucky"?

Is she brilliant? Is she trying to tell me how smart she is by RIPPING the first letter of her name off of my laptop? Is this some kind of secret infant communication she's sending my way?

Hah! If only!!!

As you can see, SOMEHOW when Ellie was sitting on my lap and I made the FOOLISH mistake of turning my head away for a split second she managed to deface my keyboard!

Anyone know how to fix this? It doesn't pop back on like a regular keyboard key. UGH!!

Mama Maaama

One week ago today- Monday November 10, 2008 my baby started saying her first word- "Mama"!!! That's right- NOT Dada!!! :)

She also sprouted her 7th tooth today, right on cue with her buddy Cullen. It's freakish how in sync those two are! :0

Process a WHAT?

OMG! Last night Gabi was telling me that she needed to do "re-surch". She said that meant you had to look things up to learn more about them. She then said "Mom it's all a Prostitution." At which point I nearly ran over a mailbox and said "It's a WHAT?" She says once again a "Prostitution, you know a Process-a-tution" (which she says reallllly sllooowly and enunciates each letter as if I'm the dumbest person on the planet for not knowing what she was saying to me. OY!!!!!!!!

Gabism of the Day

"Why can't this whole world just be pink?"

She asked THE Question

THE question that I had been dreading..... while we were driving......



Gabi: Mommy, is Vicky getting a baby?



Mommy: She is having a baby, not getting one. Most tummy Mommy's raise the babies that they deliver.



Gabi: So some tummy Mommies keep their babies and some don't?



Mommy: Yuppers. You and Ellie were very special because your Tummy Mommies asked us to take care of you and be your forever Mommy and Daddy.



Gabi: They don't want the babies so they give them away? Cole didn't want me?

Mommy: (Choking) No honey, it's just the opposite. She LOVED you SO much and she knew she couldn't take care of you, so she asked us to love you forever and always. She LOVES you!

Gabi: I think there is a bird on your shoulder. (Apparently, it wasn't as monumental a question for me, as it was for her. lol)

Here are some pics of Gabi and I being silly. She kept coming up with ideas for new pics---clearly she was STALLING before bed! LOL

Talking Politics with a Five Year Old

Summer 2008:

Gabi: (After seeing a political commercial) Mommy, I want John McCain to be our next President.

Mommy: Why is that?

Gabi: Cause he's prettier.

October 2008:

Mommy: So do you still want John McCain for President?

Gabi: No, I changed up my mind. I want I'Rock Obama.

Mommy: What made you change your mind, did you see something on tv that made you like his views better. Was it during a debate or something? (I enjoy talking to her like she's 40, lol)

Gabi: No, I just like brown people.

Mommy: Well honey, we don't determine our next president based on skin color. etc, etc...

Gabi: No Mommy, I just like brown people best so that's why I want him to win.

Mommy: Honey we need to choose based on what they believe in, not based on what color they are. We must not judge people by the color of their skin.

Gabi: (in her 40 year old voice) Mommy, everybody does it.

-What?? Is this really coming from the mouth of a child that can't tie her own shoes???

November 2008:

Mommy: So, who do you want for President this week?

Gabi: I told you, I want I'Rock Obamba.

Mommy: Well I was wondering if maybe you had changed your mind again.

Gabi: Nope. You know why I want I'Rock Obama?

Mommy: No honey I don't really even have a clue.

Gabi: Cause he Rocks, he's I'Rock Obama and he's a Rock Star!!!

Halloween 2008

Make a Smilebox scrapbook