Monday, June 30, 2008

We're Here

After 11 hours of driving yesterday and 1150 miles total, we are finally here in Charleston, South Carolina. An 11 hour car ride is almost as hard as a 14 hour flight to Asia. "Almost" being the operative word. We only made 2 unplanned stops. One because Reed just couldn't stop crying (he just needed to be held for awhile) and one for JR to go to the bathroom. JR did great, but the poor babies just wanted to get out of those carseats. When we pulled up to the guard house to enter Anita's neighborhood, Kyle was at his wits end. I have to admit it....I pulled a Britney. I jumped out and let Kyle ride in my lap the last few streets to their house. We promised the babies we wouldn't strap them back in those carseats for awhile, and they are loving having lots of laps to sit in. Anita's house is gorgeous, just what you would imagine a South Carolina home on the coast would look like. I'll post pictures later, I just wanted to let y'all know we were here.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Sweet Home Alabama

Day 1 of our road trip was quite successful. I'm writing to you tonight from Daphne, Alabama. Tomorrow it's another 8 or so hours of driving until we arrive in Charleston, South Carolina to spend the week with our friends from Beijing, Gary and Anita. Here are the highlights from today.
Here's my view of the car as we were pulling out of the garage at about 7:00 AM. Think we've got enough stuff?

I have no documentation of our drive through Louisiana, and if I did, it would only be pictures of road work and stand-still traffic. Houstonians, if you're tired of the traffic around The Woodlands or on the Katy Freeway, just take a drive through Louisiana, you'll start thinking Houston traffic is fabulous.

We stopped and had lunch in Mississippi. We kicked it old school style and ate sandwiches at the rest area. It actually worked out great since everybody needed to run around and stretch.




Of course the babies weren't running around, but they did need to stretch. So, we brought out to bouncy chairs so they could kick and rock for awhile.

And we wrapped up tonight here in Alabama with a trip to the standard vacation eatery, Cracker Barrel. As you can see JR kept himself busy, Kyle just wanted a nap, and Reed was playing his new favorite game, "when I get in a restaurant I'm going to scream at the top of my lungs and disturb everybody around me so Mommy and Daddy have to hold me the whole time we're there".











Friday, June 27, 2008

Baby Talk 7


Kyle(in red): Well, lookie here at what I found, Reed.
Reed: Well, well, well, if it isn't JR's favorite toy, Buzz Lightyear.
K: Yep, the same Buzz Lightyear that got to go to Africa when we had to stay home.
R: I heard Mommy say something about "leaving for vacation tomorrow". Do you think he'll get to go and we'll have to stay home again?


K: Not if we have anything to do with it.
R: Yeah, I'm with ya bro...So what do we do?
K: Just follow my lead...you'll catch on.


K: Take that Buzz! Arghhhh...
R: Let's see, ummm, I'll just give him a little push...
K: Out of my way, Reed...I'll take this one for the team!


K: Oh yeah, Buzz...You won't have me pinned for long! I've been eating my veggies!


K: EEE-YAH! Pile Driver! I'll show you 'to infinity and beyond'!


K: HOO-YAH! Pile driver with a leg bite..Who's your daddy now, Buzz? Huh? Huh, Space Ranger?!
R: KYLE, Hurry here comes Mommy and JR!


K: Um, Hi Mommy, We were just wondering if we were coming with you on vacation?
R: Oh, Yea! We sure are glad to hear that! We can't wait to go on vacation.


K: What's that JR? No, we've just been hanging out with Buzz...I really like him, I've just been up here holding his hand.
R: Yeah JR, he's really great, but as you can see I haven't touched him at all....Ummm...So, let's talk about this 'vacation thing'.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

That's MY baby!

Okay, so I'm forewarning you, I'm going to have to be the braggadocios mom here for a second. Monday was JR's last swim meet (we have the end of the season swimteam party tonight) and he did the best he has ever done. I was worried when he jumped in the water because that's exactly what he did, 'jumped in', he didn't 'dive in' like he usually does. But then he took off swimming like a man possessed. All of us in JR's cheering section were so excited you would have thought he had just scored the winning touch down in the Superbowl. Granny Sherry was jumping up and down screaming, Jason was screaming, "Go, JR! Good Job, JR!" and me, always ever so demure and understated in competitive situations was screaming, "JR! You're Winning! You're Beating Everybody...By A Lot! You're Beating Them All!" So much for "we just want you to try your hardest". It was so great to see JR doing something really well; I'm so used to watching him do karate moves during soccer games, or beating up the other kids who get to the ball before he does in t-ball. So without further ado, the winning picture of MY baby. As you can see, JR had already touched the wall and was just waiting for everybody else to finish the race. Woo-Hoo!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Back in the Pack

Guest Blogger of the Day: Hunter Ingersoll

It's been getting better for me here at the Ingersoll house; it was pretty touch and go there for awhile. Of course I've been through this before. Mommy loved me more than anything before JR was born. She and Daddy would even take me over to Granny Sherry's house to "babysit" me if they were going out because they felt bad that I had been at home all day alone. Then JR showed up. I knew he was coming because I would lay on Mommy's stomach and listen to him kick and jump. I thought we all were going to be one big happy family, and I did my best to take care of JR. See, look at me guarding him; I wasn't letting anybody get near OUR baby. But, Mommy didn't seem to want my help. She'd get mad when I would bark. She'd yell at me that I had woken up the baby. I tried to explain that I was just doing my job (I'm in charge of inside security; Harley's in charge of outside security), but she was still mad. Just as things were getting better, She and Daddy moved away to China and left me with Granny Sherry. My feelings were pretty hurt that they didn't take me, but Daddy said it was for the best that I stay with Granny. Living at Granny's house was fun. She gave me lots of treats and I got to have wet dog food along with the dry stuff Mommy and Daddy make me eat. But, Granny was all into physical fitness. She would make me get up and walk with her at 4 AM everyday. I kept trying to tell her I didn't want to go by hiding under the bed, but she insisted that I loved it, so off I went every morning. She also gave me a bath just about every weekend, and as handsome as I looked, I could have done without that too. I was really excited to move back in with Mommy and Daddy when they came back to Houston. Mommy never made me get up and walk, and she always let me sleep where I wanted in the bed. When she went on bedrest with the twins I was the perfect nurse. I layed with her 24 hours a day, and just to make sure she knew I was there with her, I always layed on her legs or stomach. But then the babies came home. She was even worse than she had been with JR. She kept yelling something about them being preemies, and she wouldn't let me anywhere near them or her. I think she thought some of my dog germs would get on her or something. Anyway, now that the babies are getting bigger, things are really getting better around here. She's started petting me again, and as even started calling me her "beautiful show Bichon" again. She's even letting me get near the babies...Check me out! Yep, looks like things are getting back to normal, thank goodness. I was about ready to pack my bags and go back to Granny Sherry's 4 AM walking regime!

Monday, June 23, 2008

7 Years Later

Saturday, June 23, 2001


Monday, June 23, 2008

Nothing says 'Happy Anniversary' better than a green snowcone!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Thanks for Ruining It for the Rest of Us!

I'm so angry at the "supermom" right now I can hardly see straight. As, you've probably heard some crazy woman had sextuplets and ran a marathon right after the babies turned one. Oh but it gets better, she also went into cardiac arrest and almost died after the delivery. She said she was lying in bed and couldn't imagine ever being able to run again. Are you kidding me? My babies are 5 months old and I have yet to dream of going out for a run. How are the rest of us non-supermoms supposed to live up to this? I was planning on milking this twin thing for as long as possible. I even had my standard answer I was going to give worked up, "I'd love to help with (fill in blank with anything somebody has asked me to volunteer at, work, or supervise) but it's just so hard to get out with the twins; having two of them really eats up all of my time." Now people can come back at me with, "Oh, I see...did you hear about the lady that ran a marathon who had sextuplets?"
The family was on the Today show and Meredith Viera asked her when she found time to run and she said something like...Oh, they're really good sleepers. We put them down at 7:00 and I go out and run for 2 hours... Well, that's just super. My babies (and yes, I have 4 less than you do, lady) don't go down until 9:00 or 9:30, and if I was to start running that would really cut into my So You Think You Can Dance watching time. So, thanks a lot Supermom. I'm sure you'll be getting your own reality show....and no, I will not be watching you. I'm stickin' with Jon and Kate. All Kate ever does is get her hair highlighted, go to the spa, and complain about how tired she is. Now those are standards I can live up to! Kate, YOU are MY supermom!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Fear Factor

Jason's company has started 9-80's (you work 80 hours in 9 days, so you get every other Friday off) So, to celebrate we loaded up the fam and went to the Children's Museum today (just how Jason had pictured his day off, I'm sure.) It was nice; JR enjoyed it...I guess I had built it up in my mind to be some big museum extravaganza since everybody kept telling me I HAD to take JR. They did have lots of things JR loves, that would be any exhibit where falling, rolling, or bouncing balls are involved. And he spent lots of time at those. But, there was one he stayed far, far away from. JR's nemesis. The thing he hates more than all others. The thing that strikes fear through my baby's heart...face painting. Yep, I said it. Face painting. We don't know what it is, but JR will avoid face painting at all costs. His face painting loathing all started back in China during Halloween. His school would let them wear their Halloween costumes and then they would have a party for them. So, to be nice, the teachers would paint their faces. The first year JR went to school he went as Clifford the Big Red Dog. So, they painted his face all red. I'm guessing if I was doing the painting I would have given him some whiskers and a black nose, but being that the Chinese have no idea who Clifford is, they probably thought painting him red was the best bet. And just so you get an idea of what I'm talking about here's a picture from that day. All was well for awhile that day, they went trick-or-treating as a class, put on a cute little show for the moms, and JR was his normal, happy, good-time guy self. It wasn't until we got home that the mass hysteria started. We got home and I'm not sure what his Ayi said to him, but I think the general gist was something like, "JR, you look cute, I love you, run away with me and I'll raise you as my own, and oh by the way, your face is all red." After that he went and looked in the mirror and completely freaked out. I had to not only wash his face, but I believe he demanded a full on bath. He talked about his red face for weeks; he just couldn't get it off his mind...and when I say "talked" I use that term quite loosely. As you all know JR didn't say much of anything until he was 3 so I think it went something like, "Baby Da Woo-Woo Hong Su Boo How" That would be English, Chinese, and JR's own made up language mixed together, which literally translated would be "JR big dog red bad." Ever since that day he hasn't gone anywhere near face painting. Every kid at the museum today had their face's painted, except JR. Jason and I even tease him about it. Well, say, "Look, JR, it's your favorite...face painting!" And he'll start saying, "No! No! No! I don't like it!" Yep, we all have our fears and phobias, and looks like JR's is here to stay...the dreadful art of....face painting!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Lounging by the Pool

So when people ask me how I spent the summer I'll be quick to reply, "Oh, I spent most of it beside the pool..." Sounds serene doesn't it? Yeah, not so much. Telling people I've spent the summer at the pool is, of course, all true. I've been at the pool everyday (except Sundays) since the first week of May. As I've said before, this swim team stuff is serious business, but glamorous it is not. Really, it's just plain hot. But not in a Paris Hilton, 'that's hot' kind of a way. I'm talking, Texas heat and humidity hot. Sure it's 10:00 in the morning and I'm sitting on a picnic bench in the shade, but as my mom would say, "It's H-O-T hot". Luckily, the 3 boys I load up and drag to swim team every morning don't seem to notice the heat; they think the pool is the most fabulous place in the world. JR comes down the stairs everyday at 7:00AM fully dressed in swimsuit, goggles, swim cap (which he calls his "headband") with towel in hand. The little boys love it too. Reed starts trying to jump out of his car carrier the second we get there. They're under the impression "swim team" is a place where ladies and teenage girls line up and take turns holding them. Every little expression, coo, or cry they let out is met with an immediate response. Our last swim meet was so hot one lady brought me a cup of ice and a bottle of water to cool off the babies. Not to be outdone, somebody else ran off and got them crushed ice from the snowcone machine. Oh yes, only the best for our Ingersoll boys. So I guess I'm the only one who's getting a little worn out from swim team. But, as long as the boys love it, that's all that matters....JR's even convinced he wins every race. With that said, I'll leave you with this....

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Baby Talk 6


Kyle: Look at me! Look at me! I'm growing my two bottom teeth...Reed doesn't have any teeth!


Reed: Yeah, but, Look at me! Look at me! I can roll all the way over and sit up on my stomach; Kyle just rolls onto his stomach and cries!


Kyle: Well, Look at me! Look at me! I can grab my feet and do leg stretches; Reed can't grab his feet!


Reed: So, Look at me! Look at me! I can suck my thumb!


Kyle: Oh yeah, Look at me! Look at me! I can suck a pacifier!

Mommy intervenes: Okay you two, find something that you both can do really well.

Both: Look at us! Look at us! We're going for pro status in talking people into holding us!

Monday, June 16, 2008

My 25th B-Day

I had a fun 25th birthday. Kelly and I went to the spa in the morning and we had a dinner party here at the house that night. There were 13 of us, and as you can see in the video below, I got out all my costumes for everybody to enjoy! It's just not a party without costumes!

Birthday Party

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day to My Daddy

Happy Father's Day to the nicest, sweetest, kindest daddy in the whole world...Mine! I love you, Daddy!

Happy Father's Day to Jason from the Babies

Hi Daddy, Mommy says that it is your day and we should tell you how much we like having you as our daddy. You do a really good job with us, but sometimes you let us cry more than Mommy does. We really like it when you are home to play with us, and thank you for always remembering to tell Mommy not to forget our diaper bag! We love you,
Kyle and Reed

Happy Father's Day to Jason from JR

Jason and JR

Daddy’s eyes are green and his hair is black. He loves to go hunting with me and he likes watching me going swimming, and he likes Spiderman a little bit. He likes watching adult shows like The American Idol. When Daddy goes to work he makes money. Daddy always smiles. I like Daddy to play hockey with me. Daddy loves Jan. Daddy likes to eat won ton soup and his favorite restaurant is Cafeteria Luby’s. Daddy is 15. I love Daddy because he is nice and he is a boy.

This Week in Birthdays

Happy Birthday today 6/15 to my cousin Lu-the best Easter party hostess and maker of strawberry jello salad in the world...yummmm


Friday, June 13, 2008

JR's First Swim Meet- By JR

I won first place, I beat 6 people. We played and I had two swims. I won a ribbon, it was blue. My friends should go do that. Granny Sherry came to watch me, and when I was done she went away. We swim for warm ups and I played with Evan. I dived in farther than anybody, like 5 feet. And my coach was happy about that I won first place. Evan and I had a Ring Pop and that's it and then I went home.

The next post has a slide show from the big event- it has music, so if you are at work turn your speakers down.

JR's First Swim Meet

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Yep, He's Mine

When I was around JR's age one of my parents said to the other, "What are we going to do for our anniversary?" It was at that moment that I started planning what WE were going to do for OUR anniversary. For years my parents had to spend their anniversary going to Astroworld, the zoo, iceskating, or any of the other fun things I had planned for US to do on OUR special day. To this day if you ask them what they're going to do for their anniversary they'll jokingly tell you their going to Astroworld or Pipe Organ Pizza. So yesterday I had to call my mom immediately and tell her, that, yes, JR is definitely my kid.
JR: "Mommy, I know what I want to get you for your birthday."
Me: "That's sweet JR. What is it?"
JR: "I think you want a trip to Schlitterbahn, and then the next day we can go to Fiesta Texas! Is that what you want for YOUR birthday?"
Me: "Oh, JR, I would love to do that for my birthday. That sounds like lots of fun."
JR: With a big smile...."I thought you'd want to do those things."

Yep, he's mine.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Recession? Have They Told Starbucks Yet?

If you’ve turned on the news lately then you’ve heard all the doom and gloom of this terrible recession we’re in…the recession that only King O. will be able to save us from. Now I’m with you on gas prices; I cringe every time we have to fill up. But a recession? Seems nobody told the throngs of people that were at the mall Saturday night. While Jason and JR were enjoying Kung Fu Panda, I pushed the babies around Memorial City Mall, and it was so packed, I actually felt crowded. This coming from somebody who lived in a city of 16 million people; I know what crowded is. Saturday night felt like a weekend trip to the Pearl Market in Beijing! That’s when I thought of all this recession talk, and started paying attention to people. Did they have packages? Were they just hanging out? Were they spending their Economic Stimulus Checks? The news keeps saying we’re all so desperate we’re going to spend our ESC on food. News media, you are absolutely right, every kid over four years old was walking around with a $5 smoothie, a Starbucks Mocha Frappe Frou-Frou, or a $3 Double Doozie Cookie. Not to fear, our children aren’t going hungry because every kid in the family would have their own…We wouldn’t want to risk somebody putting in a call to CPS if they saw a child having to actually…gasp…share! Don’t worry about the adults either; they all had their own $5 Jamba Juice, Cinnabon, or $6 Cold Stone Creamery ice cream. I guess the recession is hitting the Ingersoll family harder than the rest of the mall patrons. Jason and JR shared the $5 Kiddy Pack at the movies, while the family in line in front of them spent $45 (yes that’s 45 dollars) on concessions. So what’s the problem with having a treat every once in awhile you ask? Not one thing. I’m sure every kid in the family was celebrating a special day when I saw family after family with kids loaded down with stuffed animals from Build -A -Bear. I’m sure all the women I saw lined up at the register in the Coach store were picking out their birthday presents. I’m positive the teenagers loaded down with shopping bags from Abercrombie were just beating the shopping rush for their much need school clothes. All kidding aside, how people spend their money isn’t any of my business…just don’t complain about the economy while you're putting 2 Dooney and Bourke purses on hold . Then again…Actually, I’ll be happy to listen to you...if you give me a bite of your Cinnabon!

Monday, June 9, 2008

Baby Talk 5


Kyle: Saturday was finally warm enough for Mommy and Daddy to take us swimming.
Reed: We have to go watch JR swim everyday at swimteam practice, so I was excited to try it out myself.
K: Really? I'm way more interested in getting the other moms to hold me at swimteam than watching JR.

R: As you can see, I'm a natural swimmer. Daddy put me in, and my legs just started kicking.
K: Umm, Nooo. You kick your legs ALL the time. It wasn't like you were really trying to swim, you were just doing what you always do.
R: Maybe so, but you were just doing what you always do too...sitting in Mommy's arms.
K: I wouldn't be talking Mr. Have to be Held or I'll Cry Nonstop.


R: Anyway, let's take another look at me...SWIMMING


R: And another look at you....SITTING


K: Look, there I am on the right hand side...See, I can swim...I just prefer warm spa water treatments to the pool water that's all.


R: Well, we did both go for a floaty ride for a bit.
K: Okay, that was fun.
R: It was a fun day at the pool!

Sunday, June 8, 2008

JR's Movie Review

Jason and JR went to see Kung Fu Panda yesterday (I walked around the mall with the babies). So, here is JR's movie review...Take it away JR:
Well, I liked it and my friends have to go see it. Well, it was good they were Chinese. And those 2 tigers -one was a good one and one was a bad one. And Kung Fu Panda fighted them and they trained. Kung Fu Panda was the dragon warrior and it was so good. There was a rabbit that could do cool Chinese karate very good. They spoke English a lot, just a little bit of Chinese. A cricket could lift a very strong thing and there was a crane. And there was a tiger and a monkey. They could all do cool karate. And that’s actually about it. It’s really very long. Kung Fu Panda was my favorite.

This Week in Birthdays!

It's cousin birthday week! Happy Birthday to my cousins Sarah and Cole (for those of my readers that aren't family, Sarah is Cole's aunt). So Happy Birthday
Sarah-Today 6/8 (Sarah, I remember going to the hospital to see you when you were born.)
Cole-Saturday 6/14
And yes, Saturday I will be turning 25. It's amazing how Jason keeps getting older and I stay the same age, he's now more than 10 years older than me. He's so lucky to have such a cute, young wife! ;-)

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Baby Talk 4


Reed (on left): Hey Everybody! Kyle and I were just hanging out. Guess what? We got dedicated to the church last Sunday.
Kyle: We sure did, check out our picture from the big event!



R: Don't we all look so cute?
K: Well, Mommy,Daddy, and I look cute, but look at you...you spit up on yourself.
R: Well at least I didn't have to have a pacifier in my mouth in front of the whole church.
K: Whatever, dude, let's just show them what we got!



R: Look! We got little baby bibles.
K: And they even have our names on them.
R: Yep, now we can take them to church with us for our Sunday School lessons.
K: So now that we're "dedicated" does that mean we were "baptised"?


R: Agh! Oh my goodness! I can't believe you just asked that question! They totally went over that in Sunday School the other day.
K: Oh, are we like supposed to pay attention in Sunday School? Man, that's really hard to do; I mean, it's a whole room with old ladies and swings. Old ladies and swings mean one thing to me....nap time!


R: There, there big brother. Not to worry. I'll explain the whole thing to you.


R: You see, we're Baptist and Baptist believe that you need to make the decision on your own to be baptised. And we're still too little to make that decision for ourselves. So when we got dedicated, Mommy and Daddy said that they would bring us to church and do their best to teach us about God and Jesus.
K: Hummm, that's a lot of stuff to remember, maybe I shouldn't be taking so many naps during Sunday School.
R: Did you miss the part on praying? I guess I'll have to show you how to do that too.


R: So put your hands like this...
K: Like this?
R: Yeah, that's pretty good. And then you thank God for the things you have and then ask him for the things you need. Go ahead...try it.
K: Okay, Dear God, Thank you that I have Reed to snuggle with at night and could you please help him to cry softer cause sometimes it can hurt my ears. Amen


R: And let me give you a blessing, I have a feeling you're going to need it!