Ten on... (this is just 10 whenever I get around to it!)

1)  We are having a "girls weekend"!  The boys went to Louisiana for the night and Lillian and I stayed home.  After naptime, we decided to do a little shopping.  After a stop for a Diet Dr. pepper at sonic for happy hour, we walked the streets of Tomball looking at antiques.  She was a wonderful little shopper, smiling at everyone along the way. She was totally arm candy!   I ended up wanting to try on some clothes and didn't take into account I wouldn't have anywhere to sit her down.  It was interesting trying on a shirt while holding a baby.  We ended the night with a salad from Zoe's, Guacamole from HEB, Blue Bell Magic Cookie Bar ice cream and a little sparkling water!  Girls Gone Wild, I tell ya!

2) 14 pools in our neighborhood and THIS is where Lincoln swims.  I love how he's got his whole arsenal set up out there.  That boy is prepared for the apocalypse!

3.  Am I the only one that spends half the day "cleaning the house" and then when you look around, nothing looks clean but you KNOW you were doing things?  I feel like I walk from room to room doing things to  clean and pick up and yet it never seems to show up. I'm "Aimless in The Woodlands".   How does one actually see results when cleaning?

4.  Last week I earned my Honorary Veterinary degree. My sister  joked that I DID go to Auburn, so I pretty much have a degree in animal medicine!   We have an 11 year old Maine Coon cat.  He's the sweetest cat alive.  However, we don't take cats to the vet.  He's indoor/outdoor and he moves at a sloth like pace everywhere he goes.  Last week we noticed something wasn't right with him and my friend Google and I started doing some investigating.  He wasn't eating, among other things.  After a bit of research, I learned the proper dosage of human Antibiotic that can safely be given to cats.  I then use the remainder of Jackson's antibiotic to self medicate my cat for his ailment.  Wouldn't you know he was better in 2 days!  I could hardly believe it myself.  What I DO believe is that cat's truly have 9 lives.  He's used at least 8 of his.  He's disappeared two or three times for extended periods.  He's been in altercations with other cats and he's been dosed with human antibiotics!  He should really be cautious with this last life of his!  

5.  Speaking of Jackson's antibiotic, Jackson had his tonsils and adenoids removed the last week of summer.  He'd had so many episodes of Strep throat since we moved here that it was time.  I didn't know what an intense surgery it would be!  It wasn't as easy as I had figured it to be.  He was in pain for several days.  Healing was 2 FULL weeks.  It's an outpatient procedure but recovery at home was dicey the first few days.  I'm glad we did it now and before school started but nobody likes to see your biggest baby hurting.  

6.  We had to invoke a little tough love this week.  We've been slowly moving Lillian to her own room but she was still waking up 2-3 times at night to eat.  I was starting to get crazy in my interrupted sleep schedule so I did some reading on "sleep training" methods.  The only one I saw working for us was the CIO.  It's the cry it out method.  Some Ferber guy came up with it and it's not real popular but it really works.  Well, this week we closed down the midnight buffet in the nursery.  We cancelled all future room service deliveries as well.  It was a LONG and grueling couple of hours the first night or two but last night THIS little angel slept the whole night through!  (And she did it the following night too, or at least I hope she did...I forgot to turn on the monitor! Oops!)

7)  You might have a couple of big brothers when you find yourself chewing on These things.

 Or you might live in Texas when your infant has her own pistol to play with!

8) Dad was here the week before school started!  We finally made it INSIDE the zoo.  If you're not following our zoo perils, you can catch up on them HERE.  I guess it's safe to say the fourth? time is the charm!

9)  This happened!  I walked into the living room and Jackson and his friend Matthew were simultaneously changing Lillian's diaper and entertaining her!  Unprompted!  This was a glorious parenting moment!  Now if I can only get them to clean their room!

10)  I love to look up a recipe using things I currently have in the house. The internet is fantastic for doing that!   I look around at the fruit/veggies that need to be used and check the freezer for meat to thaw.  That's how we ended up with dinner tonight.  I always have ground turkey and my fams favorite is meatloaf.  While PW's is good, it's not all that healthy but Jamie Eason's Monster Meatloaf is!  It's delicious!  Try it sometime!  I also had bananas that needed to be used, naturally.  I had also cooked a batch of quinoa to use this week.  I had strawberries that were cut and needed to be eaten or frozen.  I made THESE muffins for morning before school and they are good and SO moist.  I actually think I'll have another!    

This is how I feel lately, except I can't even one of those right most of the time.  Blogging has taken a serious back seat to the whole 3 kids thing!  I write so many in my head, they just don't make it to the computer.  I need a writers weekend away!  Could someone mention that to Jason, please!?!