Fun with Photobooth

Ok, this blog is really more about the pictures. Chuck's work laptop has Photobooth, and we've been having way too much fun with it. It's nice to get a break from the normal camera and just play around. Whoever thought of Photobooth was a genius! Anyhow, I'm gonna stop talking and show you what I mean...




[The one pic I managed to get Chance to sit still for...]





And the crowning achievement, made by Chuck:

The Lego Era

Well, it's finally here. The moment Chuck has looked forward to since the day we were married (and probably before)~ he has a son with which to play legos! Of course, there was a funny story there, which I'm sure he'll mind that I share. ;) A few months after we were married, Chuck asked if he could buy some legos. He already had a great collection, but I was not aware of how much these little plastic toys cost, so I said, "Sure, knock yourself out." The next night I asked him, "Did you get your legos today?" He said he did. So I asked how much he spent...and he said "50 dollars." "FIFTY DOLLARS?!?!?!" was my usual soft spoken reply (haha). Then the clincher... "Each." He had bought two packages of these little toys that should be made of gold, or at least silver, in my opinion! Ahh, so his love affair with legos goes way back, as you can imagine. So I told him he'd have to wait until he had a son who wanted to play with them before he could buy more. Well, maybe I didn't say that, but it seems that we somehow arrived at that agreement. Anyways...

Here we are, 7 years later, and the time has come. This tightwad will have to learn to embrace the lego culture. Charlie LOVES legos. He's been playing with the megablocks since he was a year old, but now, it's finally happened. He's graduated to the little ones. The little expensive ones. And the fact that this is something he and Chuck totally bond doing, means it's really time for me to accept that legos will be a part of our life...and budget.

And I don't know if this is related to the lego bonding that's been taking place, but Charlie has recently decided Daddy is way cooler than Mommy. Just a minute ago, as we asked him who he wanted to put him to bed, he said "Daddy is my first (choice)." There you have it. While Daddy has always been more fun, Charlie still always wanted Mommy's attention...and Mommy to put him to bed. Chuck would always gloat because he'd get to relax while I had to put Charlie to bed night after night. So the tables have turned, maybe I should enjoy it. I knew it would happen, and I'm happy it has. But I do feel a bit dethroned. I guess it's just the next little step in letting go...



Charlie missing Daddy while he's at work.

Oh, and if you happen to be buying Charlie a birthday gift soon (he'll be three next week), you know what could help out our budget. ;)

In other news, since my last blog, we realized that Chance was sleeping a lot because he was sick. He ran a fever for two and a half days. At one point I took his temperature between ibuprofen doses and it was 104.5! (I got a different thermometer, so that's in Fahrenheit. I still can't fix my fancy one...) I called the dr, they said if he had no other symptoms, then don't worry. Easy for them to say. Anyhow, his fever finally broke Sunday, and he seemed to be over it. The Sunday (last) night, he hardly slept, and kept waking up with a piercing, "I'm in pain," cry. I nearly took him to the doctor, but as soon as I allowed him to stay awake, he was no longer fussy. No fever, no other symptoms, no idea why the crying. I would think ear infection, but he has tubes now, and he has no fever. Teething? He's not fussy during the day.... I'm at a loss. So he was happy all day, but here we are again, and he's already waking up, 3 hours into his night.

So, today, running on 4 hours of sleep, I backed the minivan out of our driveway on way to the grocery store, plumb over our rock wall enclosing our flower beds. So I messed up the body under the sliding door on one side. At least I got to get out some aggression hammering on the base of it, trying to get it to work again. Nearly every accident I've caused has been in reverse. I guess that should tell me something...

Worms and Planes

We were blessed with a beautiful day today, and went adventuring outside. Chance found an airplane in the sky (and was a little scared of it).



Charlie found a worm, much to his delight.

I realized today how strikingly like me Charlie really is. First, I pulled out some Chex Mix to snack on, and Charlie wanted to sample. He soon decided he only liked the chex, which were my favorite too. Finally I conceded the bag over to him, knowing I wouldn't win this battle.

Later, as I was loading the dishwasher, Charlie told me he wanted to help. So I handed him some dirty silverware and showed him where to put them. He quickly decided he didn't want to help, because "that get my hands dirty." I had to laugh, because that's why I've always hated doing dishes...and cooking!

Chance has been quite the sleeper lately. Remember how I said I can't seem to get their schedules together? Well, now they both go to bed around 9:30 or 10, and wake up about 8:30. Except today, Chance slept from 9:30-10:45! So I let him skip his morning nap, and he took a 4 hour afternoon nap! Sheesh! I hope it's just growing, not sickness...Either way, I'm gonna let the boy get all the sleep he needs!

More Stories

I thought of a few more stories to record:

1. This morning Charlie told me, for no apparent reason, "You just a girl, Mommy." Hmmm...

2. This morning as I put clothes in the dryer, usually Charlie notices and comes to help. I don't know if it's because of that or what, but this morning Chance came over and started putting them in the dryer with me. No instruction necessary, no helping on my part, he just knew what to do. He amazes me so much with how he picks up on things.

3. Yesterday, as soon as Charlie got in the car to come home (from Austin), as always he wanted to know when he could go to Alex and Zach's house. Alex and Zach are brothers, who are his closest friends. In fact, he calls them, "Charlie's dudes." Anyhow, I told him that they might still be sick. He told me, "Yes (as opposed to "No"), they are all better now." Then I tried to call and no one answered, so I told him they're not home. "Yes, they home!" he replied. Later Charlie said, "Alex crying for me, Mommy."

I thought that was funny, but then I called again, and Holly (Alex and Zach's mom) told me Alex had just said "When we get home (from the store) Charlie will be waiting for me on our front porch." Those boys are on the same wave length, I guess. :)

4. I told Charlie this morning that we're going to Costco with Alex and Zach. He told me we couldn't because Daddy is working there. I think I've mentioned this before, but Charlie thinks Daddy works at Costco because we meet Chuck there for lunch all the time.

A Delightful Return to Monotony

I haven't taken many pictures lately, so here's one more from the ice storm.

Things have been great here, just nothing exciting enough to blog about. However, a few Charlie stories have been waiting in the wings. And Chance has learned a few more things...

~Charlie's becoming more and more verbal. This makes me more and more afraid of what he's going to say when we're out in public... He recently spent a couple of days with Big Daddy and Nana (my dad and stepmom). They told me that he told Nana she needed to take her glasses off because it made her look like a grandma. Nana took that as looking "old," and removed them immediately!

~Also while there, Charlie doesn't get spoiled at all, really! So yesterday morning as he was lounging in their bed, watching his cartoons, and eating the breakfast Nana had cooked him (and brought him to eat in bed), my dad enters the room and turns on the light. Charlie got on to him, saying, "Big Daddy, you interrupt me!"

~Charlie's latest clever scheme: As we're eating lunch at a restaurant, of course he finds the gumball machines. I now know how people make money off those things...kids like Charlie beg the parents/grandparents. Anyways, as a reward for eating lunch he gets 2 quarters. So he gets gum and a ball. He then wants more...so he tells me, "I think Chance want a ball, Mommy." Suddenly, Chance can communicate to Charlie in a way no one else can! He's been using Chance as an excuse for a lot of things lately!

~Chance has picked up a few more new tricks. He points his pointer finger now, although not usually at anything. He truly understands waving, and just moves his fingers in the "gimme" gesture. He has learned how to get down from high places. He lays on his tummy and pushes himself backwards, although he usually aims the wrong way. It's really fun to watch!

~This weekend Chance came into the room with a spoon in hand and yogurt all over himself. (He's really wanting to master the spoon, although he's a long ways off still). I tried to figure out how he got into the yogurt, then I realized, he's just tall enough now, that if he stretches his little fingers on the counter tops, he can pull things down. The yogurt and spoon had been sitting out on the kitchen table. All that to say, my childproofing just went up a notch. He's very curious and into everything!

~Today (also at the restaurant) Chance picked up a straw and tried to put it in my drink. I was impressed at how he understood to that. So I told him how I wished he knew how to drink through a straw so I could've shared my drink with him (I know, not sanitary...). Anyhow, I decided to let him give it a try, and whaddaya know?! The boy can drink through a straw now!

Both boys are at such a great stage right now. Charlie is less defiant, Chance is more independent. This is really getting fun! What a blessing they are to me!

What's Your Thought Life Like?

Ok, I didn't write this one, Sarah Hoover Martin did. If you don't know her, she's 1/2 of the band "Lady Jane Grey" with her husband David. I could say so much more, but here, just read her blog... It's great!

Sarah's Blog

My Hero

Our water is on again!! Praise the Lord!! And thanks to Chuck, who stuck it out, in this freezing cold and drizzle, with a hairdryer pointed at our water pipes. Two days without water was enough to make me a little more grateful for that which I usually take for granted. And gives me a tiny glimpse of why the children of Israel were complaining in the wilderness...

Ahh, way to go, Chuck. To celebrate, I'm gonna go take a much needed shower!

Winter Blast 2007

Ok, this is so much fun it should be illegal! Between jumping on the beds in the house because we can't play much outside, to having my own walk through the neighborhood, meeting neighbors and taking pictures...this is way too cool! The "Winter Blast" is so fun. Even if we still don't have water! I think we're going to take showers at our neighbor's house soon... And Chuck even entrusted his fancy camera to me to take "good" photos, thanks, Honey!

So, we have about a million pics, and our favorites are up on flickr...http://flickr.com/photos/thethiers or just click on one of the pics below if you wanna see'em:





Some of our favorite nature pics:

A wonderful sight for those of us who suffer from Cedar pollen allergies: The pollen is frozen! And my nose is clear, I can breathe!!


Cold Cactus...


Chuck got this one of a frozen flower.

And finally, bed jumping:

If It's Snowing in San Antonio, then you know what else could happen...

Ha!!

You can see this pic at http://community.woai.com/photos/jensweather/picture1226024.aspx

All Snowed In and Loving It!!

Ok, well maybe "snowed in" is a bit of a stretch. Sleet, ice, and a little bit of snow is more like it. But Chuck has been home from work since 2 pm yesterday...although he is working from home. Still, it's awesome to have him here! The water is out, so that's not fun, but I'm just thankful we have power. If that goes out, we're in deep trouble. It's in the upper 20s right now! And we have lots of trees entwined around the power lines in our neighborhood, so I've got my fingers crossed.


Ice/Sleet/Snow on the ground


Icicles on the icicles


Ice on the Screen


Ice on the window with no screen


Ice on the window and the screen!

Chuck and I keep staring out our windows in wonder, but our boys seem to be oblivious. I don't think they realize how rare an occasion this is! The snow is just starting, and should continue thru tomorrow morning! Once it really accumulates, we'll go exploring outside. So more pics to come, of course! San Antonio hasn't gotten more than an inch of snow at a time since 1986, when it got 13.5 inches!! I don't know if we'll even get an inch this time either, but it's still fun...

Hope you're staying warm today, even in Texas!! :)

PS In response to my last blog, I guess I was wrong, it can snow in South Central Texas, and I can use my nose again!! Yay!!!

Dancey Chancey

Quick updates...

Chance really dances now! He received a little guitar for Christmas, and soon after, he began to stand up, press its buttons and bounce up and down. Our first dance move. He quickly added his second step...He can stomp his foot in rhythm while bouncing up and down. It's adorable!



Chance, showing off his newfound climbing abilities. It was great until he pushed off from the entertainment center, doing a flip onto the floor...

And Chance has cut one of the four (!) back molars that he has coming in. He's biting and gnawing on everything...I have the wounds to prove it! He's like a little puppy! Seriously, I have caught him on a few occasions this week, pulling his own sock off, and chewing on it!

Oh, and I chickened out on the potty training thing with Charlie (see my previous blog). A friend told me about how lots of boys aren't trained until they're 4 or so. Charlie's turning 3 in a couple of weeks. So, I'll wait longer...to see if he decides he is ready. He's also becoming more compliant most of the time, and not really throwing fits anymore...So I figured, why exasperate him? I think we'll just enjoy this time without throwing in new challenges. And hopefully he'll decide soon that he wants to go potty all the time. Now I see why this is such a big deal...

It's a rainy day, and just turned cold...my favorite! It was 70 yesterday and the high in 2 days will be 40! They're saying maybe some snow or ice...yeah, right, this is (South Central) Texas! But maybe this will kill all that evil cedar pollen (see 2nd to last post)! It'd be nice to be able to use my nose again! I haven't been able to breathe through my nose since last Friday. My throat keeps sending me notices that it needs a raise if it has to do all the work alone.

Anyhow, today we'll spend our first lazy Saturday in what seems like months, cuddled up, drinking hot chocolate, watching movies, playing with the boys and just enjoy the indoor life. I hope you get to enjoy the same.



Charlie showing off the hot chocolate he's drinking in the fancy cup...

Hurricane Charlie to hit at 3:30 pm Today at the Thiers'

Ya know, when the biggest diapers don't fit anymore, it might be time to potty train. And when you can retrieve your own diapers and wipes, and assist in the changing process, it might be time to potty train.

~So, this is it, we're taking the plunge. Charlie's been using the potty for a year now, but still has no interest in doing it full time. I've heard from veteran potty trainers that I should just wait until he decides he wants to. And I've waited. But I don't think I can wait any longer. I've been telling Charlie for weeks that we were going to start using the potty and wearing big boy underwear soon. And now we're here. I just got him back from Austin, and I tell him, "Hey bud, tomorrow's the big day! Starting in the morning, no more diapers, you're just going to use the potty all day, ok?! And you get to wear big boy underwear. What do you think about that?" His response is classic: "I think that not a good idea, Mommy."

~Tonight as we sit down to eat, I asked Charlie if he wanted to pray. He said "No." So I said, "Ok, Daddy will pray, let's hold hands." He continues twirling his spaghetti noodles on the fork, and says, "No, just y'all (did he just say y'all!!?!!) pray, Charlie eat!"

~He is literally bouncing off the walls as I type this. He keeps running the loop from the living/dining room/kitchen. Thanks, Nana, for giving him ice cream for lunch! Ha! He's already unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper, then waded it back up, threw it in the toilet (as I'm chasing him, telling him not to do it) and flushed the toilet. I had to fish all the wet paper out to stop it from backing up. Having him home reminds me why I never get the house clean when he's around. Since he was gone Monday through today, I got so much done, even cleaned out the car, reorganized the office, filed 3 months of paperwork, etc, etc. And I'm thinking, "Oh this is great, we'll get lots of fun time together because my chores are done." Not quite...I get to follow Hurricane Charlie around the house and pick up his mess.

~Well, now he's bugging me to play the Bob the Builder online game (www.BobTheBuilder.com). He rocks at the little memory card games! He's better than I am, seriously! I always knew I had a bad memory, but wow! My kid's already smarter than me!

Cedar birds?

Ya know, people actually travel down south for winter to escape the brutal cold of "up North." They're called "Snow Birds." But what about us Southerners that need to escape the brutal cedar pollen?! I think those of us who suffer from the Cedar Fever should be called Cedar birds and fly somewhere that doesn't have a great cedar population!

For anyone who doesn't know the Texas Hill Country terrain, we have these great smelling weed-like trees called cedars. Some people think you can turn these bushy weeds into true trees by trimming their frizzy limbs on the bottom half. I've even been known to try it myself a time or two. And in this almost desert-like climate, it's nice to have a tree that is drought and disease resistant. And hey, they grow fast and keep our hillsides looking beautiful and green, what more could you ask for?

However, there's a hitch. Sure, you may have survived the main 3 seasons (hot, hotter, and hottest) in this Central Texas area, but can you survive the one cool season we have?! It doesn't get too terribly cold, it doesn't snow. But what's much more debilitating is the cedar pollen! That's right! The one season that is actually decent here in the scenic hill country, you get to experience a full-on attack to your sinuses by those cute little cedars.

Oh, and they are sooo deceptive. In fact, just last Friday, it was so beautiful outside, I just had to take my boys for a walk. We'd been cooped up in the house for too long. It was a beautiful adventure, walking through this quasi-country neighborhood, spotting the deer, dogs, horses, etc. But sometimes things are just too good to be true. By that evening, all three of us had runny noses, and soon the sinus pressure and drainage made it hard to sleep. Since that day, my head has felt like it's been hit by a freight train with every move. So, off I go to the pharmacy, and taking as much medication as I possibly can without overdosing. It all helps enough to the point that I don't want to go play on the interstate anymore, but not enough to allow me to be back to my old self, chasing toddlers and cleaning house. And in these times I make a note that when I get to Heaven, I would really like to know why God created these cedars. Was it really necessary to have them reproduce through pollen? Why not just let them drop acorns like all the good little trees? Even pine cones would've been alright. Ahhh, I guess that will have to wait for now. Until then, I just look out my windows longingly, like a kid who has detention at recess, wishing I could be out enjoying this gorgeous day.

In the meantime, Charlie is with Nana and Big Daddy, giving me a chance to rest and hopefully get over the crude we affectionately call Cedar Fever. I did manage to have a little fun today, and got some shots of Chance in the tub. The light was reflecting off the of the faucet, so it was fun taking shots without the flash (in low light, as Chuck would call it). Enjoy, and may you never contract the Cedar Fever!

Little Things

Here are a few of the little things that have happened around the Thier house lately...

1. Charlie played with our fancy digital thermometer and changed it to where it only reads in celsius now. I cannot figure out how to get it back to farenheit. Anyone know what's a good temp, and what's fever in celsius?!

2. Chance is getting worse about wanting to play with the computer, phone, TV remote, and gets angry when he's told no. Lately, he comes up and presses buttons on the keyboard and makes the computer do wierd things. Like right now, everything is in large print and I don't know how to get it back to normal.

3. Charlie has been frustrated with Chance because Chance has found the buttons on the television and is always turning it off or changing the channel in the middle of Charlie's show.

4. Chance just dismantled my wallet...again! I've gotten to the point that I actually don't fight him on it, if it means I get five minutes to concentrate on the task at hand.

5. Sleeping has been a bit difficult for the boys. Charlie's been acting up earlier in the day than usual, so he's been sent to bed earlier for the last 2 days for naptime. He cries and says, "I no wanna go night night." So I tell him he has to lay in bed and rest...of course, he's asleep soon after.

6. Chance has this internal clock that tells him 7 AM is time to wake up. It is so hard to get him reprogrammed. And because he gets up so early, he also has started wanting to go to bed for the night at 5:30 or 6! I have been trying to keep him up, but he gets so fussy... So last night, I let him take a 3 hour nap from 5:45-9 pm, then I let both boys stay up as long as they possibly could! I think they both went down around 10:30 or 11. So this morning Chance treated me by sleeping until 7:45. I guess that helps a little ;)

7. Today as I told Charlie it was time for a nap, he said he wanted to go "Bye Bye" instead. I guess this cold rainy weather that made me happy to be snuggled up inside, has been driving him stir crazy. Granted we've only been home a couple of days. Anyhow, it's sunny today, so Charlie may get his wish soon. Although we may compromise with having him just play on the porch in the new playhouse Santa brought...

8. Charlie has told me a couple of times that "You not strong, Mommy. Charlie strong and Daddy strong."

9. Every time I light my scented candle, Charlie tries (and often succeeds) to blow it out. Then he started saying, "I blow candle out, we can eat now." I couldn't figure out what that meant. Finally, he explained, "It birthday candle. I blow it out and we eat now! Yay!" And just now as he looked at Chance's birthday candle, he told me it was his for his birthday, and that it says "Happy Birthday Charlie There." He's just a little bit excited about his birthday, can you tell? He's been wanting a birthday party for about 9 months now!

Overall, it's really great to be home, and we've had some fun times this week as well. I guess I just wanted to record these, so I will remember what life was like with 2 boys under 3 years old!

Chance's Birthday and Our Road Trip

Chance had a great first birthday, even sandwiched in between Christmas and New Years! He started the morning with Mom and Brother singing Happy Birthday, with a cinnamon roll complete with a candle! Then he devoured 3 whole cinnamon rolls. As you can see above, this made him very happy.

Then we went to Austin that evening for a little party at his grandparents'. He loved eating his cake, for sure!





Then we headed out to SE Texas. Unfortunately, mine and Chuck's batteries were low on our cameras, so we didn't get many pictures! :(


We had a good visit with a dear friend of mine, Aliceson, and her precious family! She looked beautiful, and she's 37 weeks pregnant!







We also had fireworks with the kids, and Charlie loved it!



And lastly, we had a late Christmas with my mom and brother...





Whew, what a weekend! Poor Chance, though. We returned home, just in time to get him to the doctor and found out his back molars are coming in. Plus he was given 2 immunizations, so he's not a happy camper! If it's not ear infections, it's something else...

So Thankful for My Husband

[I was a little hesitant to post this because it is so personal, but if it could give someone encouragement, then it's worth making myself vulnerable...]



Ya know, parenting changes you in so many ways. For me, it's made me so much more thankful for my husband.

For those who know me, you probably know my story. As a high schooler, I wasn't very smart when it came to choosing guys to date. I let my emotions rule, and never took a step back to analyze what kind of guy I really needed. Finally I got angry with God at the standards I felt that He was calling me to have, because it ruled out just about every possible guy I knew. And God Almighty, in His grace, showed me that I needed to surrender my choice of a date/husband to Him, to lean on Him and let Him teach me about this area of my life. Imagine that, my Creator knew the best design for me?! Then He patiently led me to understand that dating was much more serious than I thought, and that even the God of the Universe cared about this decision for my life. So, as I slowly (and not always faithfully) learned to follow Him, God introduced me to Chuck. We were friends for a couple of years, and God taught me so much during that time about what to look for in a guy. Then, in His perfect timing, God led me to date Chuck...At this point we knew each other so well, we were really ready to marry, so within 6 weeks I was wearing a ring, and within 6 months we were married. I was in awe that entire time, that I was with a man who I thought was really out of my league. He was so upright, had such great moral character. My track record before him was not nearly so good. He truly loved God and had a compassion for others. He was a giver, loyal and faithful, wise in many ways, he cared for his family, served people, etc. His was a rare breed. Sure, I knew other guys like him, but he was so perfect for me, such a great complement. And I was so grateful to God for giving me someone I would've never found by myself.

Take that feeling and multiply it times infinity the day Charlie entered my life. I suddenly realized yet again how important it was that I had a husband who was so solid. I had a man who was now a father to my son. My son, who would need a great man to look up to. Had I chosen my own way in high school, I probably would've ended up a single mom, or my son's father would've been less than responsible toward his child. My choice of a date/husband affected more than me, it affected my future children. I wish I would've realized that before I entered middle school! I wish I'd been wise enough to think that far ahead. And only by God's grace, did I end up with the man of my dreams!! And I could tell my son, "I have a great father for you! He will love you, and he will be faithful to care for us, and he is a great man that I hope you will imitate." Even if my boys get every one of Chuck's weaknesses, they would still make me so proud!! I'm so thankful that they have a great father, all because the God of the Universe cared about who I married, and blessed me beyond all I could imagine.

The moral of the story: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6.