Yesterday’s post was supposed to be about our family vacation, but really it was pretty much all about William. However, I still have PLENTY to write about for William Wednesday. Imagine that? The king of mommy’s world for sure.
He seems to be at his prime speech-developing age. I’m sure bigger words and longer phrases still have a ways to go, but it seems like he picks up 1-2 new words every day. He loves to mimick practically anything Austin says or any sound he makes, so Austin has had a lot of fun with that over the past 2 weeks. He makes multiple laugh noises: hahaha, hohoho, hehehe, huhuhu and William repeats every one. He also likes to make random noises just to see what William can piece together.
William likes to repeat any word he hears us say if its something he feels he can say too. So we may say a complete sentence and he’ll just repeat a random word.
For instance:
William, that blue truck over there has bright lights huh?
Truck (careful…the TR sound can be misunderstood for an F sound at times)
He has picked up the following words in the last few weeks:
Mommy which is most commonly pronounced momMEEEEEEE
Truck
Hot dog
Water
Beach
Car
Cici
Yaya (these 2 have been used sparingly, but he’s got them I think)
Pop
Sock
Hat
Keys
Wow
I’m sure there are more that I’m missing, but these are words that have been repeated enough for me to remember. Most of them came up in the last week, he just soaks up everything he hears I think. We are being very careful with what we say around him (which became difficult as the California drivers held up to their stereotype)
He has also perfected the various parts of a face. He can point to eyes, nose, mouth, ear, hair, and head. Head is the funniest because he just smacks his hand on his forehead. I didn’t list those words above, but he has also learned those.
He’s learning the proper use and meaning for “hello” and “bye” too. He picks up his toy telephone and says hello, and whenever a song ends on the radio he claps and either says “all done” or “bye”. Yesterday he and daDAAAA met me for lunch and as they were leaving he stopped walking, looked in my direction and with the sweetest voice the world has ever heard he said “bye”. And he’s getting better with knowing if foods are truly “hot” or not.
While I want his speech to continue to develop, I’m really enjoying his version of words too. I love how he says water, elmo, hat and hot. Wawee is my favorite.
I can't remember if I wrote last week or only posted pictures, but when we watched the Texans at uncle brian's house Austin taught William to say 'go texans go' with fist punches in the air. Now anytime he sees football on tv he does it, and anytime he hears the word Texas or texans he does it. It sounds more like 'go mumble go' but that's ok we know what he means :)
In San diego he learned 'poo poo' thanks to me telling daddy what was on his diaper, and I think he grasps the meaning. Yesterday while I was at work he told Austin 'poo poo' on two different occasions and had dirty diapers both times. Next up: teaching him to change his own :)
Another first while I was at work: his first time out. He hit and bit daddy twice so he was put in time out. I was so proud of Austin for making that his discipline choice rather than spanking. We've never discussed spanking but I just think it sends a confusing message to a toddler: you can't hit, so to teach you I'll hit you. I can see where he may not get that. I'm sure the time out was hard on daddy though!!!
He and daddy developed lots of fun games. Daddy used William as weight for his biceps, he lifted Him up and bonked his head on the ceiling, and taught him to jump off the couch. That last one combined with the 3 pair of shorts on william's floor this morning tell me I'll have to work hard to undo some of daddy's influence though :) gotta keep my laundry boy in check!!!
I thought I noticed an increase in his overall confidence since Austin got back but I wasn't sure if I was imagining things. Then our friend Scott made a comment about how much of a difference he noticed. He sees William pretty often so he would notice. I know there are very specific and important roles that moms an dads separately play on a child's life, so while mommy is there for comfort and security maybe daddy brings confidence and self assurance. Lucky for William he has an amazing daddy who will be back in 3 more months.
- manda
Aug 31, 2011
Aug 30, 2011
Keep it classy San Diego
Aside from a few minor hiccups - forgetting my $100 Hertz rental car voucher, the San Diego Petting Zoo being a bust, and Rosco’s great nephew Mighty Mouse finding shelter in our hotel cupboards - our first official family vacation(vacation being at trip with a purpose other than visiting family) was perfect. I can’t imagine anything that could have made it better aside from more time!
William didn’t feel the need to nap on the flight there or home, but entertaining a toddler on the plane is MUCH easier with two people. He was very happy to just be there with us and behaved like an angel. We just wished we ALL could have napped. When we got to our hotel William instantly discovered the patio and for the next 4 days he chanted “outside, outside, outside” until someone opened the door for him. Good thing the weather there is manageable!!! Thursday we just unpacked, got settled, had dinner at Fuddruckers, and relaxed in our room. William really seemed to notice that we were in a new, special place and he soaked it all in. He loved being there! He stayed up late, slept in late, and barely napped the entire vacation – despite mommy’s best efforts.
Friday we spent the morning at the outlet mall on the Mexico border. Literally. We were trying to find new sandals for Austin and possibly new (bigger) elmo shoes for William, but apparently size 6 elmo shoes are a hot commodity. Of the 4 places we saw the shoes, none of them had size 6. We did find new shoes for Austin, but our shopping trip didn’t last too long as we didn’t really enjoy hearing more Spanish than English, and we didn’t really have any purpose to walk around a mall all day. After lunch and nap time we headed down to the beach. Unfortunately it was our only trip to the beach. See note above about more time needed. As we drove to the beach William enjoyed watching the “wawee” under the bridge, but when he thought we had passed all of the water he started crying “wawee wawee wawee” We tried explaining that there was more to come, but that was a lesson he needed to learn on his own I guess.
He was timid with the water, but he was very interested in exploring. He just wanted a little help. Austin went first and William was getting acclimated well until he got TOO wet(I wasn’t watching but I envision Austin and some dunking action) so then it was time for sand castle building. He had a blast throwing sand around (helping daddy dig, I mean) while Austin built a fort. We dug a hole behind the fort and filled it with water, which William splashed in until a big wave came and knocked the castle, myself, and William over. Good job watching mommy! After we salvaged our bags and things from the wreckage I took William into the water and we jumped over waves which he thought was hilarious. As a wave came I’d count to 3 then jump over it, and when we landed he’d say “pff pff pff” He really liked big waves – but my thighs sure didn’t!!! Jumping in sand and water while holding a 25 pound weight can wear your muscles out…in case you were looking for a new form of exercise. We played and played until it seemed like William was tired. And the proof: he didn’t cry “wawee” once as we walked away.
Austin’s buddy Rick is stationed in California now and by a joke that started on facebook we ended up arranging to see him for the weekend. Austin and Rick were stationed at Fort Hood together in their early army days, then reconnected here at Buckley for a few years, so they are old buddies. He drove down Friday after work and he came to Sea World and the zoo with us. Saturday was Sea World and William enjoyed it FAR more than I thought he would. I wasn’t really sure if he’d get it. But he did! When we first walked in there was a Sesame Street Bay at Play so we let him run around and play there for a little while. There were water sprayers which, naturally, were hilarious and there was a photo booth to take pictures with elmo and friends. We stood in line behind about 5 other families and William kept trying to cut in line, pointing at Elmo and shouting “elBOW”. When we got up there he touched Elmo’s hand, so I thought he was ok but when I set him in Elmo’s lap he was not happy. So I sat down and let him sit in my lap for the picture. Then as we walked away he all of a sudden realized Elmo wasn’t so bad and for the rest of the time at the Bay at Play he tried to escape back over to Elmo’s lap.
We tried to make it to the dolphin show but on our way there they announced it was full, so we headed to the 3:00 shamu show. When William saw the big tank full of bright blue water, though, I thought the next hour may be torturous. We got there at 2:30 to get good seats, and he spent the first 10 minutes screaming bloody murder for the wawee. We finally thought to distract him with his fisher price iPhone games and Rick bought him a bubble blower gun, so he calmed down and sort of forgot about the water. Until shamu came out. He was enthralled. He was laughing, screaming, pointing and smiling the entire time. During the 30 second break when they were switching whales he even did his baby sign language for “more”. He loved it! He clapped when it was over and he enjoyed the entire half hour show. We walked around looking at all the different animal exhibits before we thought we’d close out back at the sesame street park. That was until we realized that the crowd had nearly tripled and Austin and I both contemplated pummeling a woman who ran into William’s stroller. So, we called it a day and headed back to our hotel.
Sunday was zoo day which was the most anticipated day for me (hello, PANDA BEARS) but after Sea World’s excitement I wasn’t so sure the zoo could top it. We saw the monkeys first and there were 2 larger monkeys that were having a ball swinging in the trees and climbing the ropes. William got a kick out of that. He also liked the giraffes and looking at the water animals. He slept through the bears, tigers, and a lot of the other misc animals but Austin, Rick and I had fun. And whenever he was awake, he just kept pointing at the animals and talking. I just wish I knew what he was saying!
Sunday evening Austin and I tag-teamed who entertained William while the other lay in a comatose state on the couch. Two days of walking around parks in the heat had taken its toll on us and we had never wished for family nap time more. But William apparently had a relaxing 2 days in his stroller, so he was geared up for more suitcase pushing, sticker sticking, marker drawing, couch climbing, patio walking fun. He may have been entertained by those things the entire weekend if we’d let him! We took him to Benihana’s for dinner that night where we learned he likes shrimp (or likes to eat from chopsticks, who knows) and enjoys knife throwing chefs. Too bad he won’t be getting either one of those at home for the next 3 months. I do encourage him to eat foods I don’t like when we’re NOT at home, but I don’t plan to cook shrimp at the house. We’ll save that for daddy!
This may have been more of a play-by-play than anyone really cares to hear about, but I really wrote it for my own memory keeping sake. Eventually…someday…in the next 18 years…I would like to add this trip to William’s scrapbook and I want to remember all the fun details. But as I re-read this, I realize I didn’t even capture the fun. I didn’t capture the times we were driving down the freeway laughing hysterically as William mimicked Austin’s laughs or screamed mom-MEEEEEE or el-BOOWWWW or all other words pronounced like that. I didn’t capture the fun we had reading books or walking with William willingly holding each of our hands. He gained so much confidence and had the biggest grin when he had both of our hands in his. He was the king of the world. I didn’t, and can’t, capture the comfort I felt by being away from home, stress, and real-life with my two favorite people in the entire world. I used to want 4 kids, and if God were to bless me with 4 kids I know I’d be overflowing with thankfulness. But I learned this week that if God decided our family was complete with the birth of William, I’d be as richly blessed as a mom of 2 (or 4 or 19). I am so happy and in love with my family, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this life. It has its struggles, and in roughly 70 hours I’ll be right back in the thick of it. But our first family vacation brought me enough joy to overcome the next 95 days. I just might need to remind myself from time to time.
**pictures at a later date
- manda
William didn’t feel the need to nap on the flight there or home, but entertaining a toddler on the plane is MUCH easier with two people. He was very happy to just be there with us and behaved like an angel. We just wished we ALL could have napped. When we got to our hotel William instantly discovered the patio and for the next 4 days he chanted “outside, outside, outside” until someone opened the door for him. Good thing the weather there is manageable!!! Thursday we just unpacked, got settled, had dinner at Fuddruckers, and relaxed in our room. William really seemed to notice that we were in a new, special place and he soaked it all in. He loved being there! He stayed up late, slept in late, and barely napped the entire vacation – despite mommy’s best efforts.
Friday we spent the morning at the outlet mall on the Mexico border. Literally. We were trying to find new sandals for Austin and possibly new (bigger) elmo shoes for William, but apparently size 6 elmo shoes are a hot commodity. Of the 4 places we saw the shoes, none of them had size 6. We did find new shoes for Austin, but our shopping trip didn’t last too long as we didn’t really enjoy hearing more Spanish than English, and we didn’t really have any purpose to walk around a mall all day. After lunch and nap time we headed down to the beach. Unfortunately it was our only trip to the beach. See note above about more time needed. As we drove to the beach William enjoyed watching the “wawee” under the bridge, but when he thought we had passed all of the water he started crying “wawee wawee wawee” We tried explaining that there was more to come, but that was a lesson he needed to learn on his own I guess.
He was timid with the water, but he was very interested in exploring. He just wanted a little help. Austin went first and William was getting acclimated well until he got TOO wet(I wasn’t watching but I envision Austin and some dunking action) so then it was time for sand castle building. He had a blast throwing sand around (helping daddy dig, I mean) while Austin built a fort. We dug a hole behind the fort and filled it with water, which William splashed in until a big wave came and knocked the castle, myself, and William over. Good job watching mommy! After we salvaged our bags and things from the wreckage I took William into the water and we jumped over waves which he thought was hilarious. As a wave came I’d count to 3 then jump over it, and when we landed he’d say “pff pff pff” He really liked big waves – but my thighs sure didn’t!!! Jumping in sand and water while holding a 25 pound weight can wear your muscles out…in case you were looking for a new form of exercise. We played and played until it seemed like William was tired. And the proof: he didn’t cry “wawee” once as we walked away.
Austin’s buddy Rick is stationed in California now and by a joke that started on facebook we ended up arranging to see him for the weekend. Austin and Rick were stationed at Fort Hood together in their early army days, then reconnected here at Buckley for a few years, so they are old buddies. He drove down Friday after work and he came to Sea World and the zoo with us. Saturday was Sea World and William enjoyed it FAR more than I thought he would. I wasn’t really sure if he’d get it. But he did! When we first walked in there was a Sesame Street Bay at Play so we let him run around and play there for a little while. There were water sprayers which, naturally, were hilarious and there was a photo booth to take pictures with elmo and friends. We stood in line behind about 5 other families and William kept trying to cut in line, pointing at Elmo and shouting “elBOW”. When we got up there he touched Elmo’s hand, so I thought he was ok but when I set him in Elmo’s lap he was not happy. So I sat down and let him sit in my lap for the picture. Then as we walked away he all of a sudden realized Elmo wasn’t so bad and for the rest of the time at the Bay at Play he tried to escape back over to Elmo’s lap.
We tried to make it to the dolphin show but on our way there they announced it was full, so we headed to the 3:00 shamu show. When William saw the big tank full of bright blue water, though, I thought the next hour may be torturous. We got there at 2:30 to get good seats, and he spent the first 10 minutes screaming bloody murder for the wawee. We finally thought to distract him with his fisher price iPhone games and Rick bought him a bubble blower gun, so he calmed down and sort of forgot about the water. Until shamu came out. He was enthralled. He was laughing, screaming, pointing and smiling the entire time. During the 30 second break when they were switching whales he even did his baby sign language for “more”. He loved it! He clapped when it was over and he enjoyed the entire half hour show. We walked around looking at all the different animal exhibits before we thought we’d close out back at the sesame street park. That was until we realized that the crowd had nearly tripled and Austin and I both contemplated pummeling a woman who ran into William’s stroller. So, we called it a day and headed back to our hotel.
Sunday was zoo day which was the most anticipated day for me (hello, PANDA BEARS) but after Sea World’s excitement I wasn’t so sure the zoo could top it. We saw the monkeys first and there were 2 larger monkeys that were having a ball swinging in the trees and climbing the ropes. William got a kick out of that. He also liked the giraffes and looking at the water animals. He slept through the bears, tigers, and a lot of the other misc animals but Austin, Rick and I had fun. And whenever he was awake, he just kept pointing at the animals and talking. I just wish I knew what he was saying!
Sunday evening Austin and I tag-teamed who entertained William while the other lay in a comatose state on the couch. Two days of walking around parks in the heat had taken its toll on us and we had never wished for family nap time more. But William apparently had a relaxing 2 days in his stroller, so he was geared up for more suitcase pushing, sticker sticking, marker drawing, couch climbing, patio walking fun. He may have been entertained by those things the entire weekend if we’d let him! We took him to Benihana’s for dinner that night where we learned he likes shrimp (or likes to eat from chopsticks, who knows) and enjoys knife throwing chefs. Too bad he won’t be getting either one of those at home for the next 3 months. I do encourage him to eat foods I don’t like when we’re NOT at home, but I don’t plan to cook shrimp at the house. We’ll save that for daddy!
This may have been more of a play-by-play than anyone really cares to hear about, but I really wrote it for my own memory keeping sake. Eventually…someday…in the next 18 years…I would like to add this trip to William’s scrapbook and I want to remember all the fun details. But as I re-read this, I realize I didn’t even capture the fun. I didn’t capture the times we were driving down the freeway laughing hysterically as William mimicked Austin’s laughs or screamed mom-MEEEEEE or el-BOOWWWW or all other words pronounced like that. I didn’t capture the fun we had reading books or walking with William willingly holding each of our hands. He gained so much confidence and had the biggest grin when he had both of our hands in his. He was the king of the world. I didn’t, and can’t, capture the comfort I felt by being away from home, stress, and real-life with my two favorite people in the entire world. I used to want 4 kids, and if God were to bless me with 4 kids I know I’d be overflowing with thankfulness. But I learned this week that if God decided our family was complete with the birth of William, I’d be as richly blessed as a mom of 2 (or 4 or 19). I am so happy and in love with my family, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this life. It has its struggles, and in roughly 70 hours I’ll be right back in the thick of it. But our first family vacation brought me enough joy to overcome the next 95 days. I just might need to remind myself from time to time.
**pictures at a later date
- manda
Aug 26, 2011
San Diego
Hello from San Diego :) I'm laying in bed letting my hair air dry as Austin is taking his turn in the fitness center and William is fast asleep. I made a mental note to post on wednesday, then when it didn't happen I made a note to post Thursday. Oops.
We've been having a wonderful week, and like I said in my first post about R&R in 1,000 ways it still feels like Austin has never been gone. Sure, he has to ask where the swimmer diapers are, what william's eating schedule is, what all the apps on my phone are, and other questions which baffle me because they are second nature. But he still knows how to soothe William in a way no one else can. He still knows how to make me fall asleep in an instant with his back scratching skills. And our family still feels as cohesive as ever. I love that of all the things the army can take from us, it can't take that. That's ours.
We are settled in our San Diego home now. We got a Buick
Enclave as a rental car (Austin is still fighting strong for GM) and I enjoyed seeing our little piece of san Diego last night driving to dinner and the grocery store. I do have to admit the enclave drives the best of all the cars we drove.
Today I think we are going to check out the beach and the outlet mall. Could vacation be any better than that???
- manda
We've been having a wonderful week, and like I said in my first post about R&R in 1,000 ways it still feels like Austin has never been gone. Sure, he has to ask where the swimmer diapers are, what william's eating schedule is, what all the apps on my phone are, and other questions which baffle me because they are second nature. But he still knows how to soothe William in a way no one else can. He still knows how to make me fall asleep in an instant with his back scratching skills. And our family still feels as cohesive as ever. I love that of all the things the army can take from us, it can't take that. That's ours.
We are settled in our San Diego home now. We got a Buick
Enclave as a rental car (Austin is still fighting strong for GM) and I enjoyed seeing our little piece of san Diego last night driving to dinner and the grocery store. I do have to admit the enclave drives the best of all the cars we drove.
Today I think we are going to check out the beach and the outlet mall. Could vacation be any better than that???
- manda
Aug 22, 2011
Harder choice than I thought
Friday we did our test driving. Knowing I WASN'T buying a vehicle that day made it very stress free and enjoyable. I'm glad we made the choice to do it this way. Then in December when the stressful part comes, I already know what I want and have the numbers worked in my head.
We started at Mazda and we found throughout the day that the foreign cars just don't have enough space. If my argument for a third row is that I need it for when grandparents or uncles/aunts come to visit, I kind of need room for their luggage too. But, the Mazda and the Volvo are beautiful - they just weren't hard to let go. This also threw out the Tahoe as once I saw how beautiful it was I opened the rear liftgate and saw how I couldn't put anything in there.
Then we went to Ford where I think the master salesman, Steve, was at work. First thing I saw when we got out of the truck was a gorgeous maroon explorer which happened to have every option ford offers. Enter steve. He walked over as I was fumbling around with the rear seats and started showing off all of the features of the back of the truck. Then he took me to the front where he showed me the heavenly parts. I would love to tell you all of the things it can do, but I think I could own it for 5 years and STILL not know what all it can do. Toys, toys, toys. Flash flash flash. But, after our test drive and we left the dealership I realized I didn't pay a lick of attention to how it drove because on our short drive around the block Steve had me mesmerized by all the toys. So I knew another drive would have to happen if I was going to consider it. Later though.
Onto GMC. Going into the day I almost wanted to forego the entire process, assuming the Acadia was going to win. We listened as the salesperson (not nearly as enthusiastic I must note) showed us all the buttons and features and aspects of the Acadia. We politely listened as he basically taught us how to use our own truck. Meaning the interior is roughly the same as it was 4 years ago when we bought Austin's truck. Not to sound like a diva or spoiled or anything like that, but come on - what exactly has GM been doing while other manufacturers have been beefing up the glitz and glam? I didn't want to make a decision on a CAR based on toys though, seeing as the purpose of a car is to DRIVE so we took her for a spin. And she was smoooooth. Great ride. I loved my trailblazer, and this was even better. I couldn't get past the fact though that for the top of the line, her interior left much to be desired. We decided that if we want a GM we should try the Buick enclave because the interior is much more luxurious and for roughly the same price as the competition, I don't want to feel like I settled. The GMC is the same price as the ford and the Buick is a few thousand more - but when talking about a vehicle that coats more than my salary my first year out of college, $2500 isn't much if it means the car I really want. If it's what I want, that is. We didn't drive the Buick though because the salesperson said the drive will feel the same just quieter and more luxurious - and I think my imagination can handle that for now.
As we drove away I commented for maybe the tenth time that day that none of them had the power and capability of Austin's truck, which I've grown accustomed to. He suggested we try the durango, as dodge is the only one offering a v8. I was sure I'd hate it because I used to think they were so ugly, but I didn't know they had redesigned it. And it was not only beautiful but it had the power I was looking for. Steering, acceleration, and power were all what I wanted. But it's a dodge - are the rumors of crappy transmissions true? Do I want to find out first hand? And do I need the power and towing capabilities?
So there they were. My list of 9 had come down to the ageless debate between American manufacturers. What is most important? The power, the ride, or the ability to live in my car?
We went home and talked about the options for awhile. We went back and forth, but it didn't take long to eliminate the dodge. Too many rumors and what's the point of risking that just for a v8 that will burn more gas? So, great car - just not for me.
I was at a stand still between the enclave and explorer though. How could I choose? The enclave has the captains chairs in the middle row which was one of my initial interest points, it drives very comfortably and smoothly. And I think of all of my 9 choices I like the body of the enclave the best. But I still wanted to try the explorer again. So after dinner we went to a different dealership and found a salesperson a little less enthusiastic and in your face.
And we also found that ford DOES offer middle row captains chairs. I Was almost sold. Not quite though.
I wasn't even sold when our new dealer told us the explorer can read text messages and reply. I wasn't even sold when I found that Ford has improved leaps and bounds in the comfort of the ride and that it felt almost as good as the rest, very slight differences. It was when the dealer told me that it could give me a live play-by-play of all of my favorite sports teams.
As I grinned as big as Texas I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Austin sink his head, saying 'I can't believe I'm going to own a ford'.
The verdict is almost in. I want to read more reviews on the safety of each and owners' comments on each, but I think ford has it. How can one compete with sports scores? It'd be tough to beat. My number one priority was size, which eliminated 6. From there, dodge and GM have a lot of work to do.
It was fun to see them all and make a choice purely on what peaked my interest. Unlike my family I have no loyalty to the ford motor company, and unlike my husband I have no loyalty to GM. but I do know how much he loves me that he was even willing to let me buy a foreign car! I guess a ford may just have to suffice :) and when he's getting texans and Astros and aggie updates I don't think I'll hear him complaining!!!
- manda
We started at Mazda and we found throughout the day that the foreign cars just don't have enough space. If my argument for a third row is that I need it for when grandparents or uncles/aunts come to visit, I kind of need room for their luggage too. But, the Mazda and the Volvo are beautiful - they just weren't hard to let go. This also threw out the Tahoe as once I saw how beautiful it was I opened the rear liftgate and saw how I couldn't put anything in there.
Then we went to Ford where I think the master salesman, Steve, was at work. First thing I saw when we got out of the truck was a gorgeous maroon explorer which happened to have every option ford offers. Enter steve. He walked over as I was fumbling around with the rear seats and started showing off all of the features of the back of the truck. Then he took me to the front where he showed me the heavenly parts. I would love to tell you all of the things it can do, but I think I could own it for 5 years and STILL not know what all it can do. Toys, toys, toys. Flash flash flash. But, after our test drive and we left the dealership I realized I didn't pay a lick of attention to how it drove because on our short drive around the block Steve had me mesmerized by all the toys. So I knew another drive would have to happen if I was going to consider it. Later though.
Onto GMC. Going into the day I almost wanted to forego the entire process, assuming the Acadia was going to win. We listened as the salesperson (not nearly as enthusiastic I must note) showed us all the buttons and features and aspects of the Acadia. We politely listened as he basically taught us how to use our own truck. Meaning the interior is roughly the same as it was 4 years ago when we bought Austin's truck. Not to sound like a diva or spoiled or anything like that, but come on - what exactly has GM been doing while other manufacturers have been beefing up the glitz and glam? I didn't want to make a decision on a CAR based on toys though, seeing as the purpose of a car is to DRIVE so we took her for a spin. And she was smoooooth. Great ride. I loved my trailblazer, and this was even better. I couldn't get past the fact though that for the top of the line, her interior left much to be desired. We decided that if we want a GM we should try the Buick enclave because the interior is much more luxurious and for roughly the same price as the competition, I don't want to feel like I settled. The GMC is the same price as the ford and the Buick is a few thousand more - but when talking about a vehicle that coats more than my salary my first year out of college, $2500 isn't much if it means the car I really want. If it's what I want, that is. We didn't drive the Buick though because the salesperson said the drive will feel the same just quieter and more luxurious - and I think my imagination can handle that for now.
As we drove away I commented for maybe the tenth time that day that none of them had the power and capability of Austin's truck, which I've grown accustomed to. He suggested we try the durango, as dodge is the only one offering a v8. I was sure I'd hate it because I used to think they were so ugly, but I didn't know they had redesigned it. And it was not only beautiful but it had the power I was looking for. Steering, acceleration, and power were all what I wanted. But it's a dodge - are the rumors of crappy transmissions true? Do I want to find out first hand? And do I need the power and towing capabilities?
So there they were. My list of 9 had come down to the ageless debate between American manufacturers. What is most important? The power, the ride, or the ability to live in my car?
We went home and talked about the options for awhile. We went back and forth, but it didn't take long to eliminate the dodge. Too many rumors and what's the point of risking that just for a v8 that will burn more gas? So, great car - just not for me.
I was at a stand still between the enclave and explorer though. How could I choose? The enclave has the captains chairs in the middle row which was one of my initial interest points, it drives very comfortably and smoothly. And I think of all of my 9 choices I like the body of the enclave the best. But I still wanted to try the explorer again. So after dinner we went to a different dealership and found a salesperson a little less enthusiastic and in your face.
And we also found that ford DOES offer middle row captains chairs. I Was almost sold. Not quite though.
I wasn't even sold when our new dealer told us the explorer can read text messages and reply. I wasn't even sold when I found that Ford has improved leaps and bounds in the comfort of the ride and that it felt almost as good as the rest, very slight differences. It was when the dealer told me that it could give me a live play-by-play of all of my favorite sports teams.
As I grinned as big as Texas I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Austin sink his head, saying 'I can't believe I'm going to own a ford'.
The verdict is almost in. I want to read more reviews on the safety of each and owners' comments on each, but I think ford has it. How can one compete with sports scores? It'd be tough to beat. My number one priority was size, which eliminated 6. From there, dodge and GM have a lot of work to do.
It was fun to see them all and make a choice purely on what peaked my interest. Unlike my family I have no loyalty to the ford motor company, and unlike my husband I have no loyalty to GM. but I do know how much he loves me that he was even willing to let me buy a foreign car! I guess a ford may just have to suffice :) and when he's getting texans and Astros and aggie updates I don't think I'll hear him complaining!!!
- manda
Aug 18, 2011
A quick R&R update
It's funny how your mind can play such tricks on you. Before having William I must have been told a million times that you don't even remember the pain later. How can that be true? I decided they were all liars. But about a week after he was born I realized it was true! Sure, I remember that it hurt but I don't remember how bad, how it felt - it's like the pain wasn't real.
Less than 48 hours after Austin landed in Denver it already feels like he had never been gone. It feels like we've been in this routine this whole time.
Today we ran some errands, got passports, and got new clothes for my husband who has a 32 inch waist!!! Then we picked William up from school and I cooked chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes while I listened to the sweet, sweet sound of my boys playing together. We agreed it was the best chicken fried steak I've ever made, and I think the secret ingredient was their laughter.
It's been a wonderful 1.5 days and we really have just picked up right where we left off. All 3 of us.
But then there are moments when I'm quickly reminded - he's been gone, and unfortunately he'll go back. When we pulled into the driveway yesterday and I opened the garage door Austin immediately said, 'what's that?'. I looked around, not even sure what he was referring to, when I noticed william's train table that a coworker gave me. I feel like that train table has been in our garage for a long while, and it blows my mind that he's been gone that long. He hadn't ever seen it? He doesn't know where everything is, how we do our daily routine, and a table that I don't even notice instantly caught his eye. It's just crazy.
Then today we were at Zales asking about getting my Mothers day amethysts set into earrings and a necklace and the salesperson told us that their quarterly setting event would take place 'soon'. And 'soon' just happened to be September 2 at 10:00 which is one hour after Austin gets back on a plane.
So even though our family feels like it never missed a beat, there are subtle reminders everywhere meant to keep me aware of the fact that this is just our vacation. It is our wonderful gift from the army which I am SO thankful for, but we aren't done yet.
So for now I'll keep eaves dropping on Austin and William as they bond and play, I'll keep serving Austin blue bell in his recliner as I stare in amazement at his presence. I have looked forward to this for months, counted down for weeks, yet I had absolutely no idea how wonderful it would be.
Their faces say it all.
- manda
Less than 48 hours after Austin landed in Denver it already feels like he had never been gone. It feels like we've been in this routine this whole time.
Today we ran some errands, got passports, and got new clothes for my husband who has a 32 inch waist!!! Then we picked William up from school and I cooked chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes while I listened to the sweet, sweet sound of my boys playing together. We agreed it was the best chicken fried steak I've ever made, and I think the secret ingredient was their laughter.
It's been a wonderful 1.5 days and we really have just picked up right where we left off. All 3 of us.
But then there are moments when I'm quickly reminded - he's been gone, and unfortunately he'll go back. When we pulled into the driveway yesterday and I opened the garage door Austin immediately said, 'what's that?'. I looked around, not even sure what he was referring to, when I noticed william's train table that a coworker gave me. I feel like that train table has been in our garage for a long while, and it blows my mind that he's been gone that long. He hadn't ever seen it? He doesn't know where everything is, how we do our daily routine, and a table that I don't even notice instantly caught his eye. It's just crazy.
Then today we were at Zales asking about getting my Mothers day amethysts set into earrings and a necklace and the salesperson told us that their quarterly setting event would take place 'soon'. And 'soon' just happened to be September 2 at 10:00 which is one hour after Austin gets back on a plane.
So even though our family feels like it never missed a beat, there are subtle reminders everywhere meant to keep me aware of the fact that this is just our vacation. It is our wonderful gift from the army which I am SO thankful for, but we aren't done yet.
So for now I'll keep eaves dropping on Austin and William as they bond and play, I'll keep serving Austin blue bell in his recliner as I stare in amazement at his presence. I have looked forward to this for months, counted down for weeks, yet I had absolutely no idea how wonderful it would be.
Their faces say it all.
- manda
Aug 17, 2011
William Wednesday in the wee hours
I'm laying here awake at 3:30 am so, why not blog? Seems logical. Plus I'm pretty sure once my day gets going I won't think of it :) why am I awake at 3:30? Partially because sleeping in the guest bedroom is WAY too exciting for Reagan (who likes to walk all over my terribly sore lat muscles) and...um, hello my husband comes home today!!!!! How could I sleep?
So, william's week it is!
Two weekends ago William FINALLY started calling me mommy. I think he knew all along who 'mommy' was and probably how to say it, but until we were in a house with 20 people he hadn't needed to use a word to grab my attention. So, he now has one more way to break my steel trap discipline and make me melt - he just has to say mommy. I love it! At Costco Sunday he said it and Brian said 'after 8 months of everyone being sure you knew dada you finally wanna say mommy?' I guess he too had realized he never heard it.
I continued to work with him on his fear of dirty hands, and I'd say he has overcome it. He played in his sandbox for HOURS on Saturday and then Sunday when I said 'William are you ready for bath?' he laid his face in the sand and said 'night night' If only you could have seen the struggle I had chasing him from corner to corner of a 4x4 box!
On Saturday Corinne watched him for a few hours while I got some shopping done and I got this text message:
We are good. I did NOT get him addicted to strawberry lemonade, buy him a new elmo shirt, batman car, sippy cup, or his new favorite snack. Nope I didn't do those things. Oops, i told on myself.
So it was no wonder that when I walked through the front door he had NO care that I was home. Clearly Corinne is much cooler than mommy...but, does he call her name? No. But he says mommy! I'll take that :)
On Sunday when Brian and i were getting ready for our $400 trip to Costco (we walked in with a list of 8 things...) I thought our attachment to Elmo shoes had finally worn off. William took his elmos off as fast as I put them on! Then he sat patiently while I put his tennis shoes on. But when he heard Brian recanting the story for yaya in the truck he must have realized he didn't have Elmo on and started pointing at his feet saying 'Elmo Elmo elmo' - I guess the shoes aren't done yet :)
Monday morning after my 20 minute search for my truck keys I found them trapped inside william's ball popper. According to my mom I'm just lucky it wasn't the toilet!!! Agh boys!!!
Not only are the keys in there but the opening at the top is lodged with a ball that doesn't fit, so I had a fun time maneuvering the ball out to get my keys. Never a dull moment here!
Other than that we've just been getting ready for daddy and getting ready for football. He is just about ready to suit up - and he has NO idea who is going to pick him up from school today!!!!
- manda
So, william's week it is!
Two weekends ago William FINALLY started calling me mommy. I think he knew all along who 'mommy' was and probably how to say it, but until we were in a house with 20 people he hadn't needed to use a word to grab my attention. So, he now has one more way to break my steel trap discipline and make me melt - he just has to say mommy. I love it! At Costco Sunday he said it and Brian said 'after 8 months of everyone being sure you knew dada you finally wanna say mommy?' I guess he too had realized he never heard it.
I continued to work with him on his fear of dirty hands, and I'd say he has overcome it. He played in his sandbox for HOURS on Saturday and then Sunday when I said 'William are you ready for bath?' he laid his face in the sand and said 'night night' If only you could have seen the struggle I had chasing him from corner to corner of a 4x4 box!
On Saturday Corinne watched him for a few hours while I got some shopping done and I got this text message:
We are good. I did NOT get him addicted to strawberry lemonade, buy him a new elmo shirt, batman car, sippy cup, or his new favorite snack. Nope I didn't do those things. Oops, i told on myself.
So it was no wonder that when I walked through the front door he had NO care that I was home. Clearly Corinne is much cooler than mommy...but, does he call her name? No. But he says mommy! I'll take that :)
On Sunday when Brian and i were getting ready for our $400 trip to Costco (we walked in with a list of 8 things...) I thought our attachment to Elmo shoes had finally worn off. William took his elmos off as fast as I put them on! Then he sat patiently while I put his tennis shoes on. But when he heard Brian recanting the story for yaya in the truck he must have realized he didn't have Elmo on and started pointing at his feet saying 'Elmo Elmo elmo' - I guess the shoes aren't done yet :)
Monday morning after my 20 minute search for my truck keys I found them trapped inside william's ball popper. According to my mom I'm just lucky it wasn't the toilet!!! Agh boys!!!
Not only are the keys in there but the opening at the top is lodged with a ball that doesn't fit, so I had a fun time maneuvering the ball out to get my keys. Never a dull moment here!
Other than that we've just been getting ready for daddy and getting ready for football. He is just about ready to suit up - and he has NO idea who is going to pick him up from school today!!!!
- manda
Aug 16, 2011
I can hardly stand it!
Austin will be home SO SOON - sooner than expected actually. And even though I know I'll only put William to bed one more time by myself, and take him to School one more time by myself it still feels too long. Patience is not my strong suit.
Please pray for safety in the skies as he travels. He is out of Afghanistan but he isn't home, so keep praying!
But seeing as I thought I had 2 more nights to get groceries, do laundry, clean the house, change the sheets, and make it appear as though civilized people live in our home - I have a lot to do in one night :)
Ok so my home is civilized. But still, it just feels as if it needs to be free of dust, sand (no sandbox tonight William!) and flies...damn the flies.
So I am eagerly waiting for my workday to end so that I can run home and do all of these things while still trying to get enough sleep. We'll see!!!
Austin is ALMOST HOME. what a great thought :)
- manda
Please pray for safety in the skies as he travels. He is out of Afghanistan but he isn't home, so keep praying!
But seeing as I thought I had 2 more nights to get groceries, do laundry, clean the house, change the sheets, and make it appear as though civilized people live in our home - I have a lot to do in one night :)
Ok so my home is civilized. But still, it just feels as if it needs to be free of dust, sand (no sandbox tonight William!) and flies...damn the flies.
So I am eagerly waiting for my workday to end so that I can run home and do all of these things while still trying to get enough sleep. We'll see!!!
Austin is ALMOST HOME. what a great thought :)
- manda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)