Keeping Up with the Rices

I really hate myself for being such a piss poor blogger. I had wonderful intentions the first couple of years with this blog and did a 'fair' job I guess on updating it....the truth is, it's mostly for me, since no one else ever reads it---alas I have fallen short. Since my last post, there have been many developments in our lives. Most newsworth would be that we are expecting a little boy in early spring!!!! We are very blessed with this, and are all very excited. It's not our first rodeo so to speak, so we know what to expect, but even so many changes will be upon our family!

Baby Rice is by FAR the most active of all the rice babies---it's like he hasn't stopped moving, shaking, dancing, whatever it is he is doing--! since I felt him for the first time. If I am hungry, he is VERY active, I think he is getting us prepared for the FOOD NOW days. I am almost 25 weeks along, and up until just this week, haven't had much to report. However, it seems as though I have 'popped' as they say. The belly is very much out there, and simple things like putting socks and shoes on are a little more tricky.....and will be even more in a couple more months.

I gained a LOT of weight with both Tatum and Dalton. What is a lot? Try 86 pounds with her and 65 with him....yup, I gained a 7th and 5th grader respectively. This was NOT good. I have been more determined this time to make sure this isn't repeated. The first trimester had ups and downs; yes, I felt nauseous sometimes, and yes there was some rushing to the bathroom. So far the 2nd trimester has been better with the pukes.

I continue to be AMAZED when this little guy moves all over! It is such a miracle.

Tatum and Dalton are rocking along quite nicely. Doing wonderfully in school, and just all around great kids, we are very lucky (we do, have a part in this luck, since kids don't raise themselves, and let's face it, we all know MANY kids probably who are miserable to be around). They are both excited to see baby Rice in spring. They like to feel him move and talk to him.

Dan is, OF COURSE, wonderful. He is so supportive, and although it probably makes most women want to gag with a spoon, he does SO much all the time, without ever complaining. Yes, I know I am very lucky.

Work is still going strong. I am still at the CoxHealth Foundation. I have had full intentions of returning to work after the baby comes, but I have decided to not make any decisions 100% at this time. I am easily the most OCD control freak I know, and I want to have everything down to a T marked off my list and always be set and ready for every little curve life brings. I think after almost 10 years of running and gunning at an insane pace, without any time off of work EVER hardly, I might need to slow down and bit and smell the roses. With that said, I am not a stay at home mom 100% of the time. Ideally, I would love to work part-time. These are things I need to think about, pray about, and trust that the best for our family will happen in it's own good time. (Easier said then done for this OCD chick).

In the mean time, I am trying to peck away at my 'baby needs' list. Wow, I know everyone says it but you do forget that you need the essentials and I had long ago given away all my baby stuff. Where is that wealthy friend who just had a baby and wants to 'give' me stuff for free!!!!

That is all for now....and I am promising myself to get back to blogging more regularly!

Welcome back Kotter.....

It's been a long time since I have posted. I really don't have much of an excuse...I guess just an extremely busy summer, and frankly I got lazy on blogging. So much is going on. At press time, I really can't talk about the biggest things that are on our horizon, but I will say that it is exciting! One thing that is for sure is that we are staying in Springfield. Yes, this has been the big stressor the past few months. Dan was offered a really great position in KC, and after MUCH, and I mean much going back and forth, we have decided to stay put.

I know that there are many things in life, changes, decisions we make, etc. that are not easy and this was one of them. The idea of a new, fun city with more opportunities for our careers, shopping (eh hem), etc. was a huge draw for us. But like most things, there were some very strong pros and cons, and in the end, with other changes happening in our lives currently, we decided to stay put. The 'business' side of all of this, (that I won't get into), was really intense, so we are glad to have this major decision, well, decided and over. Sadly, Dan still needs to call and 'break up' with an amazing company that really really wanted him in KC!

A busy summer of work for Dan and I, and the kids had a BLAST in the crosstraining program this year for summer school. It is a religious based program through South Haven Baptist Church and both Tatum and Dalton had an amazing summer there. We did get to jet off to Florida just in time to catch 5 glorious days on the beach and not get one rain storm! (August is Florida's wettest month and just to roll the dice, it rained 3 days straight before we got there and then right after we left!) Back home, and ready to start 3rd grade and Kindergarten respectively.....!

Though I do not want to spill the beans quite yet on some of the fun stuff coming up for us, I will say in all good time we will share. In the mean time, enough of this hot hot summer and bring on some fall weather---I want to wear my new Hudson jeans and plant mums!!!!

Happy Anniversary

Nine years ago (yesterday) I married the most amazing person I have ever known. We had a wonderful wedding almost 350 people to be exact, and it was so much fun. We hopped into Dan's parents 1979 red corvette and met up with friends for a night cap. Then we headed off to STL and then to London. I remember being so hungry when we landed in the early morning hours and eating some chicken thing (it was gross). I am convinced if I had to eat what the British eat daily, I would lose all the weight I need!

It helped our travel around London that Dan had lived there a few years before, and pretty much knew his way. We toured the Tower of London, The Globe Theatre, saw Les Mis on the West End and Matt Damon, Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix in a shot play called "This is Our Youth." These were all great, but the huge score was standing in line to get tickets to "The Phantom of the Opera." Okay, so we were just starting out, had a very limited budget and this was going to be one of our 'big spends' of the trip. Dan walks in to buy tickets. I waited outside and just SO happened to be standing by a very rice Russian couple who were West End regulars and had double booked the show that night with "Cats." Interstingly Cats ended around that time for good and ever. They asked if I was wanting tickets...I said yes, they said well we would sell you ours for 20 pounds TOTAL. For both. I looked at the tickets and they were 3rd ROW CENTER. I grabbed them, paid them, thanked them then ran into Her Majesty's Theatre and told Dan GET A REFUND NOW! Graciously they refunded him his 175 pounds (almost $225 American) and I re-told him my story.

I can remember it like yesterday. And sometimes it feels like it was so long ago! The main point of this story is that I am so happy and we have such a good life together with our sweet babies. I am truly a lucky girl.

Hold me close young Tony Danza??

I laugh EVERY time I think of this Friends episode, where Phoebe is talking about her favorite Elton John song...you know, the 'one about that guy from Who's the Boss. You know 'Hold me close young Tony Danza...." of course that episode along with the one where they are moving the couch up the stairs, "PIVOT...PIVOT!!!" Ross yells, or the one where Joey puts on Phoebe's maternity pants for Thanksgiving and calls them his 'turkey eatin' pants....okay, so that just leads me to actually SEEING ELTON in concert this past weekend! And even crazier?? In SPRINGFIELD MO!!!! Our night started out at dinner at Bruno's with friends Lucas and Cindy. Dan had swordfish and I had a light pasta with jumbo shrimp in a vodka red sauce. Cindy had the seafood special and Lucas the clazone. Some cab and we were set for the show!!! What amazing seats. Lucas and Cindy's parents really hooked us up! Elton went on a little after 8 p.m. and played for 2.5 hours straight (ahahaha) okay that was bad, I said Elton and straight in the same sentence. HE WAS AMAZING. I couldn't stop singing and it was just a once in a lifetime thing. I kept thinking in two weeks he will be at the royal wedding in London! We had fun, got home late and let our new favorite babysitter finally go home! Unfortunately by Sunday night the little ones had pretty intense sniffles and both had their vicks humidifiers going at full blast. Along with my new 17 inch screen HP laptop I got this weekend, I have re-done our study downstairs, pics to follow soon. Just picked up the new chair I think will match nicely.

Toof-fairy

It's a rite of passage for all kids, losing their teeth. Some take it better than others for sure. I remember wiggling teeth with my tongue, as I am sure most of us do. I lost teeth late, not any until 2nd grade, I remember vividly being quite distraught because the giant tooth on my first grade classroom's wall was filled with all the names of student's who had lost teeth, and my name wasn't on there. Fast forward 25 years and my little Tatum was dealing with her own tooth issues. First of all, she lost her little bottom teeth several months ago, and in November we could tell her other top tooth was getting loose....but then it just didn't come out. What DID happen was it started to stick out and it looked kinda silly. We took her to the dentist and he gave her 2 weeks to get it AND it's next door neighbor (other front tooth) out....

Monday night she and Dalton were upstairs and I hear wailing. Dalton was standing next to her wide-eyes and she was leaning over the sink. In the midst of 'playing silly' he had popped her in the mouth and out came said tooth. She was moderately traumatized and Dalton just kept saying "I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!!"

Well everyone KNOWS that when you lose a tooth, that the tooth fairy comes to visit you. UNFORTUNATELY, the 'tooth fairy' went to get change out of the bowl and realized that it had been raided and stashed in two piggies banks....so here was a broke tooth fairy that had to steal back some change out of the piggy bank to deliver $2 in dimes to a very excited little girl. What cna I say, I was desperate!

Today is the day we go back to the dentist, and here is hoping that it goes well and the Toof Fairy will be better prepared tonight.

White House/Black Market

I am a bargain shopper. I actually feel like I have really accomplished something when I find a great deal. Like the little designer dress I found at a resale shop for $8, or the brand new Limited Too jeans I picked up for Tatum at Children's Orchard for $7.....these things make me feel thrifty and like I found treasures on the cheap. However, when I walk into White House/Black Market (though not often), my brain flip flops and something crazy happens to me. I LOVE everything about that store. I love the clothes, the materials, the shoes are amazing, the jewelry....oh holy night, it's just too much for my little brain to handle. Yesterday, in fact I went in specifically to look for a clearance only dress for my upcoming event. I dutifully walked straight to the back and tried not to make eye contact with the insanely expensive new items in the front of the store. I picked up a pair of cool light gray jeans, a skirt and a couple dresses. The jeans fit, the skirt was too big and they didn't have a smaller size, and the dresses fit, but weren't appropriate for this event,..... then they started on me. Here try this dress, it matches these shoes and this belt.... oh and these earrings....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I needed a calculater just to add up how much that glorious outfit would cost. I felt bad b/c the little sales girl looked disappointed that I wouldn't try it on...."come on, you might really like it." Yes, I KNOW I will, have you seen how much all this crap costs?????? At least I am a clean dressing room tryer on-er....I hung everything up, grabbed my cute clearance priced jeans, used my WH/BM 5% discount card, AND my $10 birthday coupon they sent me and I left spending very little money.....good job me. I am however, going to try to copy that outfit for cheaper somewhere else!

Dish it out.....

When I was a little girl, my mom and grandma tell stories of how I would 'help' bake cookies and ever so Not slyly steal chocolate chips when I thought no one was looking. I have great memories of baking sugar cookies around the holidays, and no one can forget the blueberry pie making spree I went on in 8th grade after learning how to perfect the best crust in home ec. It really wasn't though, until the past few years that I have begun this love affair with cooking. Yes, I still enjoy baking, but for me it's the unique and gourment ingredients that I really love. Nothing is more fun to me than watching Food Network and Paula Dean or Bobby Flay, or Big Bites with Guy, or barefoot Contessa (even though she is totally snobbish and weird) and THEN trying to remember all the ingredients and making the dish myself....I LOVE IT!

Cooking is like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get. It takes many years to learn 'tricks' and I am NO WHERE near a chef,,,but I hope to get closer to that someday. Tonight is homemade chicken parmesan, pasta, spinach gorgonzola and maybe something lemony for dessert. The other thing that is important to me is healthy cooking. Sure everyone wants cheese on a burger,,,,duh.....but my challenge to myself is preparing tasty, inexpensive (if possible) meals that everyone (including the kids) love. It can get tricky, but it is possible. I was at Target today picking up some needed items and I thought "I will just go over and LOOK at the cooking supplies" I stood there for far too long and one of the employees asked if I was working on a registry...hahahahaha....no but maybe I will register for my 9th anniversary in April! And I also think I am the last person on earth that does NOT have a kitchenaid mixer....hint hint.....!!!

This happened.

The reason I want to post this is that I want to be able to remember all the details of this one day many years from now, because I am quite certain that it wouldn't/couldn't ever happen again. Also, this post isn't exactly 'politically correct' I guess, but it is my blog and I can say whatever I want. It's hard enough for me because I am very funny and I have to turn my filter on a lot so that my humor doesn't come out wrong. But there is nothing quite like what happened a few weeks ago when I was returning back to work after a mid-morning meeting. This is where my politically correctness goes down the drain.

I have always had a fascination with midgets. I KNOW they are people, I am not saying that, but it's just....well, I stare at them. I can't help it. And so you have to know that first off. They also make me nervous, I HAVE no idea why, but it's true. Back to my story.

So there I sit at another very long stop light and I just happen to glance over through my passenger side window and I see the (I am not kidding here)...absolute largest van I think I have ever seen in my life. I thought...WHOA.....what in the world is in that thing? Then it happened. After processing this giant van, I will admit I expected to see a huge big truck driver looking man piloting such a beast on the road.

Nope. I saw the smallest little person I had ever seen. I could see the tops of his wee little shoes sticking up from the seat and then WORST of all, he grabbed a can of coke and then tipped back to drink it. OF COURSE my eyes must have been huge...what can I say? My mind was racing....how could he drive this thing? Is this legal? Safe? Does he wear a seatbelt? How does he look to change lanes!?

I guess I must have stared a bit too long. The light turned green, the guy behind me laid on the horn for me to GO, and the little person in the big van flipped me the tiny bird and sped off.

I have told numerous people this story, I even announced it to some just minutes after I walked back into work completely astonished.

Today I miss my dad

I know that it's been 16 years,,,but today I miss my dad. I want to talk to him. I want to tell him that I need him. That I think about him all the time. I want to ask him questions about life...I don't want to be harshly judged...I just want to talk to him. I so crave and hurt for his opinion and I have had many years to 'heal' but sometimes I just want to be the little girl that still had her dad. This post is NOT about feeling sorry for myself. I know that things happen for reasons that hopefully one day I will know. But I can not say that sometimes I wish to ask my dad about what he thinks. God gives me my dreams with him occasionaly. My heart hurts because I wonder so often what he would think; I want his opinon, I need his advice. This pain never goes away. I trust in God that all things happen for a reason, and I know that my Dad was taken when I was 15, my brother was 13 and my mom was so young...for a reason...but at times I just wish I had him here. Tonight I am sad. My heart hurts. Because I rejoice that my dad is in a good place....but tonight I miss you dad. I wish you were here so that I could share my worries and my happiness with you. I will always have you in my heart.