Missing

MISSING FOR ONE MONTH!

Have you seen this happy, healthy family?

They might not be easy to recognize as they are tired, high on medications, and probably covered in snot. Promises of sleep, a cough suppressant and a box of Puffs with lotion might work to lure them to you. If you do see them, talk slowly and with a soft comforting tone of voice. They are easy to irritate and have little patience left.

My daughter by another mother

Drake Softball Defeats Iowa State At Big Four Classic:
IOWA CITY, IOWA - The Drake softball team finished play at the Big Four Classic on Sunday (Sept. 27), with a 4-1 win over Iowa State.
Junior pitcher Jenna DeLong (Dalton Gardens, Idaho/Coeur d'Alene) went the distance from the mound and collected two hits for the Bulldogs, while freshman outfielder Sam West (Kearney, Mo./Kearney) also had two hits.
Drake closes the fall schedule hosting Missouri Western in a doubleheader Sunday (Oct. 4) set to begin at 12 p.m.

This is our "oldest daughter" Samantha West. How you might not know about her I cannot possibly imagine, as we have claimed her for the last 8(can you believe that Shelley!) years. She has a younger(almost 16!) equally fabulous, sister named Bailey. We love these girls, and their real parents, like we have known them for 80 years instead of 8. Can't imagine life without them.

Just thought I'd spread a little joy on this Monday morning.

My baby is growing up

This week Jane learned something very important.
This week Jane learned something that is universal in any language.
This week Jane learned something that she will use for the rest of her life.

This week Jane learned to give a "High Five"

Next week we are going to work on the fist bump.
Happy weekend,
Sarah

Birthday Boy!

The Boy in our house is having a birthday today!

Happy birthday to you....Happy birthday to you....

Happy birthday dear Andy....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

I sure do love you.
The Mayor

oh Momma...

If you are a germ-a-phobe this post is (NOT) for you!

Yesterday Andy, Kate, Jane and I went to a playground. While we were hard at play, Kate declares she needs to poop. I look around and see the choices of 1. Port-a-potty or 2. Behind a tree. After giving Kate her options she chose the "blue box."

It took one step inside, and Kate says, with the seriousness of a heart attack, "Oh momma, I don't think I can do this."

Take a moment to make your mental picture of what her 3 year old eyes saw.
Oh yeah, the lid was UP! Don't forget to incorporate that into your image.

So with the urge to throw up in my mouth AND the desire to build character/make this a teaching moment/be brave for my baby.....I urged her to just stay focused on the pooping. Don't let your imagination wander, I tell her. Just poop and get it done.

She did, we survived, and after bathing ourselves in hand sanitizer, we went back to enjoying the amazing day God had given us.

I firmly believe that God gave us thick skin on our butts for a reason.

Just another day in Crazytown...
Sarah

I have a BIG mouth and lots of friends....

This is a post about being misled, poor customer service, and buyer's remorse. If you aren't in the mood to hear me rant and rave....simply click on that white x in the red box at the upper right corner of your computer screen.

Still here? okay, settle in, it's about to get ugly.
I took Jane for her 1 year pictures today..please don't focus on the fact that she is 14 months old already. She has had a series of unfortunate events that have left imperfections on her otherwise perfect face. SO...not knowing how well her 'tude would be for pictures (have you met her?) I chose the closest discount portrait place in the area. I know, you are thinking "I thought Sarah was smarter than that! Isn't this her third kid?" try and stay focused, people.....
I was totally jazzed to find a young, fun, fellow mother, with personality(!) as the photographer. Everyone knows that it is a total crap shoot with these places. However, after the initial entry of my personal info into the computer the session went to H-e-double hockey sticks.

NUMBER 1: She answered the phone 3 times while we were taking pictures. Tell me one person that doesn't know that timing is of the essence when photographing a toddler. We wasted tons of good smiles during the calls.
NUMBER 2: I specifically told her I did not want a cheesy themey background that Walmart is famous for. What was the first background she put up(while I was chasing Jane and Kate around and not paying attention) but a %#*$ themed background. "I just want to try it....I think it will be cute!" she says. Which I reply by saying "okay, but if her best smiles are with this background I'm going to be upset."
Jane's precious smile is front and center of a faux cobblestone path with a rainbow palate of flowers lining the way......%$#@!!!!!
NUMBER 3: Last, but so totally not least....she quoted a price when I was choosing, told me a different price as she swiped my debit card, and when I told her I felt misled she flatly said "they've already been sent to the printer so it's too late now." @*$#!!!

I've already shot off an email to their customer service, posted it on this blog, and still can feel my heart rate rise when I think about it.
It's not really about the money. I would have spent this much any place I went...probably more. Besides, it's hard to have true buyer's remorse when the purchase was adorable pictures of my child.

She didn't say "I'm sorry."
That would have made all the difference.

"I'm sorry" for all the swearing with the symbol keys.
Sarah

The Politics of Elementary School

I just remembered a funny conversation Tess and I had on Friday after school. Something I have always done with her, and now I'm doing with Kate, is ask them to tell me 3 things they did that day. I have found that it inspires more conversation that just the closed-ended question of "Did you have a good day at school?" This is even how my teenage "daughters" across the street....that's a story for a whole separate post.....tell me about their day.

Last Friday was Student Council Elections at Hawthorne Elementary School. I had seen a few "vote for ____" campaign things in Tess's school bag throughout the week, but didn't realize the importance of the election to all the grades, even 2nd graders!

So I asked her who had won, and she named off the names of kids I didn't know...but then followed up with her commentary on how and why a particular person won. The best was that Spencer Stewart won the presidency because "he had the coolest posters, and got all the boys to vote for him........they didn't even listen to his speech!" When I asked what she remembered from his campaign speech she said "that he was honest, and trustworthy, and respectful....blah blah blah....everybody said those things."

Democracy at its best. The person with the coolest stuff, wins.

Have a great week!
Sarah

Music to my ears

Ever have a day when a song seems to speak to you?
I am blessed to be a part-time nurse and a full-time mom. I know I have more days off than many working women, and I thank God for that daily. Seriously, how do you ladies get anything done? However, even with the days off, I find myself pressed for time to do chores, get shopping done, etc. Today was one of those days. I didn't sleep well lastnight and was having a low tolerence Tuesday. Here is when music and my dear sweet baby Jane changed my day.

I was trying to mop the kitchen floor and Jane was in the way. AARRGH! "I just want to get this done, would you move it please?" Then I noticed that what she wanted was a drink out of my water bottle which was sitting up on the counter. To avoid the deluge of water, that usually spills out of her mouth when she takes too big of a drink, I put in a curvy "silly" straw that was on the counter beside it. Are you ready for the "Ah-ha" moment?

I sat on the kitchen floor and watched my daughter drink out of that silly straw for 10 minutes! She would watch the liquid come through the curves, take a drink, and then smile and laugh. For one fleeting minute I thought, "crap I totally need to get this floor done" and then....wait for it....

My Ipod started to play "A Lovely Day" by Bill Withers.
"Then I look at you... And the world's alright with me. Just one look at you...and I know it's gonna be...A lovely daaay!" Okay, God. I'll slow down and love this moment.

The next song on the shuffle....Alicia Keys...."Superwoman"
"I am Superwoman. Yes, I am...Yes, she is. Even when I'm a mess, I still put on a vest, with an "S" on my chest, oh yes, I'm a Superwoman."

Enough said.
Sarah

oh yeah, Kate also told me over breakfast that I'm "so 2000 and late"
(she's a little young for a Black Eyed Peas reference, don't you think?)

I'm writing this post to encourage you to go to my sister-in-law's blog (click on Haskamp Holla over on the right side of this blog page) and read her post from September 4th.
She is so stinkin' creative.
I want to be an aunt almost as much as she wants to be a mom.
So while they wait, we wait.
While they pray, we pray.
When they rejoice, WE WILL TOO!

Did I mention I will always have gum? (sorry for the Friends reference)
:) Sarah

8 things I love about Tess

8. She's kind of a big deal...people "know" her.

7. She reads at a 6th grade level, with the vocabulary, expression and dynamics of an adult.

6. She has patience with her sisters, even when they don't deserve it.

5. She has patience with her parents, even when we don't deserve it.

4. She knows how to tell if a snake is poisonous just by looking at it.

3. She's willing to get close enough to a snake to check if it is poisonous.

2. She has a beautiful smile and an amazing spirit. She's wise beyond her years.

1. She is so crazy smart that I sometimes worry she isn't my child.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane....

September 3, 2001 was a great day. Andy was at the fire station in Gladstone, and my mom, a friend, and I went to Santa Calagon Days (just spelling it how it sounds...sorry). I was 40 weeks pregnant with my first child and as large as Shamu. My cute little size 7 feet were swollen to a size 10 and I could only wear flip flops. I had a very restful nap that afternoon, went to a family bbq to celebrate Labor Day (irony at its best) and then went to bed for an amazing nights sleep.

At 5am I woke up pretty sure I had peed the bed. After a few cuss words ( I was so totally not going to change the sheets, but put a towel over it and go back to sleep! ha!) I woke up enough to realize what was going on. I showered, shaved my legs, CURLED my hair, put on make-up and settled in to watch the morning news. At 6a, I called my parents to tell them they might need substitute teachers for the day. I waited until 7a (didn't want to wake him!) to call Andy at Gladstone to tell him the news. Mind you, I was feeling great, excited about the day, totally jazzed that labor was so easy!

After I hung up with Andy I started getting my first contractions. Nothing bad, just noticable. By 7:30 I called Andy back because I was doubled over on the floor with contractions coming every 5-7 minutes. He was just getting in his truck in Gladstone and stayed on the phone with me to keep me from losing my mind! We broke a lot of traffic laws on the way to the hospital (it was rush hour) and had someone at NKCH waiting for us at the ER doors....a perk of having a paramedic husband with the ER nursing desk on his speed-dial!

We got to the hospital around 8:15, were in the room by 8:20 and had our beautiful Brogan Tess at 9:19. I can remember hearing the nurses say "we don't even have a chart put together yet!" as they were trying to take care of both of us.

September 3, 2001 was a great day.
September 4, 2001 was even better.
Happy 8th Birthday Tess. I love you more than anything.