I'm still here

I'm still here but Tripp was out of town this week (the WHOLE WEEK) and so I have learned what it would be like to be a single mom. I have the utmost respect for all you single moms! Whoa! You ladies rock!

I have lots of pics to upload and post including Mae's first horse ride (and not just a pony either), our little Asian mermaid, and sisters having fun!

Hopefully, I will get some new posts up soon!

My new blog!!!

Many thanks to Danielle for doing my blog redesign! It looks FABULOUS!!!

She says it was a birthday present to me BUT I am not sure what she means as I am not having a birthday this week. Instead, I have chosen to ignore the 20th.

As Bruce and company in Nemo say "DENIAL!!"

That's my story and I am sticking with it!

Welcome to the World

One of my very best friends had her second child, a girl, on Friday. Big brother and Mae are close in age and play together. Saturday my friend La and I went back to the hospital to see new baby R. Mae was allowed to join the "big girls" and had so much fun! We went shopping, saw the new baby and out to lunch. LaLa Fabulous (as the girls call her) was really sweet and agreed to eat at Mae's choice for lunch - McDonald's.

Mae was so good the entire day and the one drawback was that she is now VERY CERTAIN that she needs a new baby brother. We have instead promised her a trip to Disney World and a new swing set and accessories from Santa Claus. Of course, she promptly reminded me that we had also promised her a baby brother when she was 6. Now, as I remember, we did NOT promise her one but, rather, told her that she would need to be much bigger as in 6 before we had a new baby. I am not sure she is going to let us forget this one!

Perhaps if we got a pony instead??!!?!!

Mae meets Baby R
See Mommy, how I can wrap her up in her blanket?

Precious
One of our other friends met us at the hospital with her newest baby who is just 5 weeks old. Mae delighted in holding them both. This was not my idea and nearly had a coronary when Baby C was also placed (by his mother no less) in Mae's lap. But she did really well and the babies are really supported by pillows. Whew!
LaLa Fabulous, Mae and Baby R!!!

After seeing the babies, Mae asked me how the babies got in the Mommy's belly. So I slowly exhaled and answered "God sent them down from heaven". This worked as her next question was "Did they get to see my fish"

The fish

We got Mae a fish tank and fish to see if this would help her sleep in her "big girl" room by herself. Ever since we moved (over a year ago) she has been too scared to sleep by herself. I am going back and forth on disrupting Jane and her fabulous ability to sleep like a champ by putting her in Mae's room. Right now Jane is still in her crib. So, in the meantime, we decided to try fish. Well, this would have been a good thing but they all kicked the bucket in less than one week. We started with 10 and ended with 0.

Sigh...on to the next idea!

In rememberance, 7P's and a meme

First, I think I would be remiss if I did not say a short something about today,

September 11th.

No matter what you feel about the war or politics, we should always remember those that we lost not only on 09/11 but also all of those who have continued to fight for our freedom and to make our country safer. They have all made a huge sacrifice for us. Not only our men and women in military service but their families. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. May God keep you safe today and always, may you always have a sense of peace and comfort and may you come home safely to those who are waiting on you. My family is able to do what we do everyday because of you and for this we are truly grateful and humble.

Now, I have been tagged by Rony and Danielle for 2 different ditties so here goes on that!

Seven P's

PRINCESS - obvious!

POOP - Before I left my job as a nurse practitioner to teach, I was in gastroenterology and nutrition so I dealt with alot of POOP!

PURPOSE - I try to live everyday with a purpose

PEE - I HATE this word. This comes from my mother who would not allow us to say this word as children. Instead, we said "tee-tee". I still say this and get some pretty strange looks when I say to someone "I need to tee-tee"

PUNCTUAL - I hate being late! I have had to learn to give this up since the Primrose Princesses add 30-45 minutes to my "getting ready routine" in the am!

PEA (different from PEE) - I LOVE English peas!

PINK - I LOVE the color pink! Really good that I had two girls!

Random Meme by Danielle

Favorite movie(s) - Pretty in Pink, the Holiday (even if Jude Law slept with his nanny), Sliding Doors (a little known movie with Gwenyth Paltrow)

Last movie you saw - The Devil Wears Prada

Favorite TV show(s) - Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Dr 90210, Ugly Betty and yes, I will admit it, The Hills

The one show that you didn't want to end - Sex and the City & Designing Women

Do you have a favorite type of pen? - anything that is not ballpoint - I like gel ink

What do you struggle with - worrying about everything and remembering that I am not in control!

How many siblings do you have? - one

Her name is - Leigh Anne

You are the oldest/middle/youngest sibling - youngest - so Danielle I am giving up my younger status to claim you as my younger sister!

Pet's names - Elizabeth Belle "Bess" and Virginia Anne "Jenny

Favorite breakfast - Egg in a Basket - whole wheat bread with hole in center - put egg in and cook and then cover with slice of American cheese. Cook in skillet

Favorite salad - Asian

Favorite desert(s) - Key Lime Pie and anything with chocolate.

Favorite holiday - Christmas, Easter and Halloween

If you could do anything - adopt lots of orphans here and abroad OR help others do so!

The one living male and female celebrities you would meet - I'm not sure I want to meet any of them. Maybe Ellen Degeneres or Jennifer Anniston because they both seem to be more "real" and down to earth.

The one deceased celebrity you would meet - Florence Nightingale

Your birthday - 9-20

Favorite pie - Key Lime

Favorite pastry - chocolate pastry

Favorite Christmas song - I'm not going to just choose one. I like most of them!

Favorite soda - diet coke

What do you despise? - Being late and a snotty nose on a child

Most annoying thing people do - When people do not let you get off the elevator before they push their way onto it. PISSES ME OFF!!! Someone did this in the Denver airport knocking Mae nearly on her butt except that I had her hand and I read them the riot act except in a very sweet southern way!

What did you do last night - Went to a School of Nursing back to school party for students

Any tattoos? - No. Never. Hello?? Hepatitis B!!!

Pierced ears? - Yes. One hole in each ear.

Eye color - Blue

Black or brown accessories (shoes/bags) - Both.

Favorite color - Pink and green together or alone!

The walls in your bedroom are - Coffee with cream

You can't wait for this show to start this fall - Grey's Anatomy

If you could have one skill it would be - I would cook like a chef and be way more computer savvy!

New shoes, New shoes!!

The princesses and I went today (in between football games) to get them some new shoes. They are growing out of their sandals and needed some new school shoes!

Did I mention I am not ready for them to grow up!???!!!

Well, I got a taste of what the tween years will be like in our house. I walked over to the Keds to get them both a pair and was asking Mae if she wanted T-strap or laces and she promptly responded

"Mommy, those are for babies!"

So Mae got some pink, white and silver Merells that I approved. I am glad we found a pair that we agreed on as her first choice was a pair with rhinestones all over them. And while rhinestones can be a good thing they are not for school as their school has some specific rules on shoes.

And, Jane, got the T-strap Keds.

Sigh...I wonder if she will buck the Keds next year too?

Cool big girl shoes

And pom-pom socks like Mommy used to wear!

The "baby shoes"

1, 2, 3, 4........

Who ya gonna yell for?

Wait, Mommy, who ARE we gonna yell for?

The princesses have some team confusion.

Daddy went to Birmingham Southern but he is a BIG Auburn fan.

Mommy went to University of Alabama, graduated from nursing school at University of Alabama, Birmingham and now teaches at another school.

What is a princess to do??

Mae wears the colors of Alabama

Roll Tide Roll!

Jane wears an Auburn cheerleader outfit

War Eagle!

Mae sports a pom-pom that is black and gold - the colors of the Birmingham-Southern Panthers who after 70 years have a football team again this year.

Jane sports a pom-pom the colors of the Bulldogs where Mommy now teaches!

Hmmmmm...

Good thing we do not really support any one NFL team!

Middle name game

1) Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to you life for each letter of your middle name. If you don't have a middle name, use the middle name that you wish you had.

2) When tagged, you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name facts.

3) At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don't forget to leave a comment telling them that they're tagged and to read your blog.

Okay, I was tagged to do the middle name game by M&M's mommy.

So what's up with the state of Texas at the top you ask? Well, my middle name is "Austin" as in the city, Austin Powers, and most importantly my grandparents and my mom (it is their last name and her maiden name) and

MARY AUSTIN!!!

When I married, I chose to keep Austin instead of my maiden name because I knew one day I would have a daughter named Mary Austin and I wanted her to have part of my name.

A - Animal lover. So much so that until I was about 12 or 13 years old I wanted to be a vet. Then I learned that I would have the task of putting animals "down" and I am way too tender hearted to be able to handle that. Let's face it, I cry at certain commercials!

U - uniquely optimistic. I am definitely one of those "glass is half full" kind of people. I really feel that you make a choice everyday to be happy and I make that choice. Not saying that I am never sad or blue or whatever but I try not to dwell on the yucky things.

S - Sweet Southern girl who can be a bitch in sheep's clothing if you are not nice to me. See above. Can't you just be nice? And if you can't then look out! Also, being Southern DOES NOT make you an automatic racist and I am tired of being blamed for the sins of those before me. I have seen pictures of the race riots both in the past and present and it truly upsets me that someone would treat another human being that way. And my all time favorite show - Designing Women! Love Love Love it! My friends used to call me Charlene.

T - Theme. I am all about a "theme party"! I am very excited about the "princess and pirate" bash that will be held in November for the Primrose Princesses!

I - I hope that I am inspirational. I know I try to be. And all you have to do is look at my children and know that He is in control. If He was not then Mary Austin would not be here and THAT is not something I even want to imagine! Also, just look at our great country and the world for that matter. It is really beautiful! I just need to get over to the West Coast and see San Fran, Napa Valley, Oregon...

N - Not ready for my babies to grow up!

And not sure who to tag! I think everyone has doen this but if you have not then I tag you!

Popsicles

The other day I was changing from my work clothes into shorts and thinking how sweet the girls were being. I could hear them giggling together and it seemed like they were playing so well together. And they were but I should have known with a fright that, when Mae said "mommy, we got our Popsicles", all was not right. Alas, I did not have a Miss Clavell moment but rather said "okay, go outside on the deck to eat them and I will be right there".

But they did not go out on the deck and when I finished hanging up my clothes this is what I found:

Hmmm... They are not cold like Popsicles.
Nope, these are definitely NOT Popsicles!

What Jane and Daddy do every afternoon

Jane Harris loves to be "'side" with her Daddy. She comes by this honestly; Tripp's way to relax and unwind is to be outside in "his yard".

So this is what they do every afternoon.

First:

They check on Charlotte. She lives in our tomato plants and has grown very large. As long as she will eat her share of mosquitoes she is welcome to stay!

Second:

Jane let Tripp know where our "fur girls" have left their poops and he has the honor of scooping them up!

Oh no, here's another!
The yard is all clear!