Happy Leak Day!

NO, that's not a typo. This morning, Scott was explaining to Will about leap year and why today was special. Will, said, "Oh, so it's Leak Day!" Here's hoping today's leak day is your best ever...

Fun with magna doodle.







New haircut!!

February 28: 8 Month Update

Eight months? Are you kidding me? I was at the hospital last week, last week, in labor, wasn't I? Not sleeping through the night and changing a bazillion diapers (oh right, that was last week). Ugh. That's another thing I hate/love - seeing my kids grow up so darn fast. With Will it lasted such a long time, we've been in hyper-drive ever since. What gives?

Enough reminiscing, let's talk about Clare Bear. This month she's learned to scoot backwards while sitting and on her belly. Hee-larious. She might crawl, she might not. We're not real good at that crawling thing here at Casa Whitaker.



But, at least she loves to bounce! The Johnny Jump-Up (a favorite for Will) is so popular, she's starting to master getting it going so she hits the side of the doors. Now I know why there's a bumper around the edge. She just holds on the straps and goes crazy. I shot some video the other day. Maybe I'll figure out how to add video to the blog. Take it to a whole other level. Maybe.



Eating is...going. She loves to nurse, obviously by her NINETEEN pound chubby bunny arms and legs. Cereal and baby food - notsomuch. She's a social baby, this one. There's just soooo much to take in here - like a brother standing on a sister or a sister whacking a brother/s on the head with a book/doll/toy/remote or a mom with her head about to spin off. So much to see. Who needs to eat?

Sleeping is not bad. She hits the sack at 7 and wakes up between 4:45 and 6. If we're lucky I can nurse her and she'll go back to sleep for another couple of hours. Somedays that's a big IF. Eh - sleep, so overrated.

She's really just a love bunny and gets, like, a thousand kisses a day. I'm so glad we stepped aboard the God-plan on this one, went off the deep end and had a fourth. What would our life be like without Clare Bear? Makes me want to have another one. Ok, ok, don't freak out. The key word there was "want." We'll see. I still have to convince Scott :-)

Happy 8th month pretty girl!

Top Ten: Things I Love about Texas

In honor of our great state's birthday on Sunday, March 2, I decided to pay her a compliment. Hey, I say, "TEXAS, what's not to love?"

THINGS / PLACES I LOVE IN TEXAS

1. We really are the "Friendly State", except of course when you're on I-35, going northbound through downtown traffic at rush hour. People are so nasty. But, other than that 3-hour window, you've got it made.

2. Tex-Mex & BBQ. When Scott and I were living in Iowa and Indiana doing "missionary" work, we missed this stuff like crazy. We would come back to the Lone Star State and stuff ourselves full - to the gills, people. There was this place in Indiana "Carlos & Charlies" that was supposed to be Tex-Mex. HA. Does that even sound remotely Tex-Mex? To be authentic there must be at least one Spanish word, i.e. "Dos, Migas, Tres, CHUY's". You get the point.

3. Austin / Hill Country. Yes, it is enemy territory and living behind the Orange Curtain is a challenge, but we manage. It's warm enough to wear shorts in December and we see snow on TV. My kinda place to live. We just bypass that little state college downtown and we do alright. Plus, the flowers along the highways during spring are just breathtaking. Thank you Lady Bird.

4. The accent. People actually understand (and appreciate) that southern drawl. I have a barrel of stories about how folks misunderstood me when we lived in Indiana, but my two favorites are this: After ordering an ICED TEA, the waitress brought me an ASTI SPUMANTE. Yeah, no lie. And, even funnier was when I asked the checker at the grocery store for a bag of ICE (keep in mind this may sound like a#* when said with a Texas drawl). I thought she was going to knock herself unconscious on the cash register. It took a manager and me spelling the word to get the goods. Sheez.

5. The State Capitol. I'm a sucker for good history. When your mom is a Texas History teacher you don't really have a choice. She and I (ok, mostly SHE) know the capitol like the back of our hands. Chocked full of good stories, a little controversy and lots of history - this place rocks.

6. BLUE BELL. Did you know the two brothers that own it are Aggies? Of course they are. Only an Aggie can come up with something that good. After going into early labor with Clare after visiting Brenham, I have half a mind to think that's what put me in labor to begin with. Banana Split, two scoops, please.

7. Palo Duro Canyon. If you've never made it past the Red River and ventured to the Panhandle (yes, it's flat, but at least you can see the sunset!) you're missing out. For those that don't know, I'm a Panhandle Girl and NO, West Texas is not the same thing as the Panhandle. It's a little known secret up there, great for hiking, seeing awesome sunsets and enjoying the outdoor musical, TEXAS.

8. A&M v. t.u. showdown which is now BACK TO TURKEY DAY!!! It was always fun giving t-sips an upset stomach after a nice Thanksgiving Day meal. Here's hoping Coach Sherman can deliver come November.

9. Schlitterbahn. Say that fast 5 times. You just did it, didn't you?? Voted the #1 water park for, like, a decade, this place puts 6 Flags to shame. We plan on taking the kids this summer. It's our incentive to lose some weight and find a swimsuit that covers up my hips from 4 kids. Right, that'll happen.

10. That we can fly our flag at the same height as the U.S. flag. Petty, I know. But what other state can say that? I think it's pretty cool. Who's for electing our own President since the choices are SO great and becoming a Republic again?? No takers?

BONUS: What State Governor served two unconsecutive terms and has two pictures in the Capitol rotunda? If you google it, you're cheating!!!

So, go enjoy some fun festivities this weekend as we say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEXAS!!

Questions

Who knew our 6- and 4-year-old could have such thought-pondering questions? Cases in point:

"Mom, are you going to vote for Obama?"

We've gotten a couple of mailers and a handful of calls asking us to vote for your brother's sister's cousin twice-removed here lately. And, I guess Will heard Scott and I talking. I think Scott heard it said best the other night on one of the news channels. John McCain was asked if he thought that Obama or Clinton would make a good president. His response went something like this...Did he think they would work hard, fight passionately and do what they think is best for the country...Yes. But, (and that's a big BUT) the Republicans and the Democrats have philosophical differences in what's best for this country. And, that's where the distinction lies. So, how do you sum that up for a 6-year-old???

And, equally difficult were John Paul's questions. Yes, that's plural. They came out rapid fire. I kind of felt like Uncle Buck.

"Are you gonna die? Am I? When? Where do we go? Is Jesus there? Is he nice? Is Daddy there? Is Poppy there? What's he doing? How do I get there?" I think there were some more, but those are the highlights. One of my parenting magazines once encouraged parents to just answer the question at face value and not go into too much detail. If you don't answer the question the way your kids want, they'll keep asking. I guess John Paul was looking for different answers...

All this talk of politics and dying has gotten me thinking. What kind of world will our kids inherit? What kind of shape are we leaving it in for them? Am I really prepared for the responsibility of parenthood? Are we the kind of parents we need to be? Today, are we a better version of ourselves than yesterday?

Um, Hello, God? I'm waiting for your answers...

Weekend Wrap-up

Friday night Scott and I enjoyed dinner with friends up in Georgetown. The boys camped out at Uncle Daniel and Aunt Amanda's (again) and had a blazing good time. Y'all rock. They keep asking when they can go back and spend some quality time with them and XBox 360. Dad watched the girls and he got to see some Anna-Laura attitude. Gee, she's so independent and we have NO idea what family member she's learning that from - any guesses?

Saturday, Scott headed south to a friend's farm near San Antonio to spend some time with the guys. He got back today (Praise God). The kids really were great. In fact, I made dinner on Saturday night and they kept telling me what a good cook I was. If you ever need a pick-me-up, you can do one of two things: 1) cook your kids homemade baked chicken nuggets or 2) take a stroll through Wal-Mart at 3am with make-up on. Either way, you're a winner.

Sorry I've been remiss in posting this adorable picture of the cutest nephew in the world, Master Alex. He's 3 weeks and already over 7 lbs. Doesn't take long, does it?



Clare is on the mend - YAHOO!!
Will gets his new cast NEXT Tuesday - YAHOO!!
I get my hair cut on Tuesday - big changes in store!!

Having Sick Kids Stinks, Really

Well, here I sit at my computer. It's 11:49pm and Clare still isn't asleep. For the past 2 weeks she's had nastiness in her system and just can't seem to flush it out. Seriously? The amount of diapers I've changed (3 in the last 30 minutes which is part of the reason she's still awake) would fill a small landfill. Ugh. I hate this. This is the part of parenthood they don't show on the Gerber commercials. It stinks. There, I said it. I hate it. Yes, that's a word we shouldn't use mommy, my kids would say. But, I'm saying it. I hate when my kids are sick, especially when they're too little to tell you what's wrong. So, for all you parents that have been where we are, I know you feel me. For those that are just beginning, be thankful there's now a vaccine for Rotavirus. For those that aren't there yet, don't read this post :-)

Top Ten: Cutest Things My Kids Said This Week

Yes, I realize I barely made it under the wire today. I've got a mountain of work to do (the paying kind, not "free-bono" as my Dad says). But, I need a break. The kids are nestled all snug in their beds. Amazingly, not one child has come out for a potty break, drink of water, last kiss or another excuse to "see what mom's doing." And, Scott is working late, again. Sigh. His new assistant starts on Monday - BIG HOORAY FOR EMILY - to replace Dawn. That word..replace...seems so grossly inadequate. Dawn died suddenly last October and the void she left in the office and more importantly, in our hearts, is still there. Perhaps a better way to say that is, following in Dawn's footsteps... Dawn, we miss ya. Lots.

Okay, so back to my top four (next week you'll get 10). Sorry for digressing. Sometimes somebody's just on your mind, you know? Let's get to the list, shall we? For you parents out there, everything our children do is adorable, right? Well, the tantrums aren't adorable when they're happening. But I once heard a saying that when we look back on our life the things that made us laugh, will make us cry and those that made us cry, will make us laugh. Here's to some laughs and tears:

CUTEST THINGS MY KIDS SAID THIS WEEK

1. "Mom, I'm getting pretty good at being good." -Humble Will, age 6. On the way home from school everyday, I ask Will the same question, "Did you make good choices today?" He always answers yes, even if he didn't. But, this is what he said last Friday and I almost drove off the road.

2. "I'm happy now!" -John Paul after throwing a monster fit because he got the white cup instead of "bluish-greenish." I know, I really should be a better mom.

3. "Ah blah, ah blah" -Clare learning consonants! She's already brilliant at 7 months. You can hardly stand it, right? The kids have made this a game and at any given moment, 2-3 of them are saying this with her. I suspect she'll be talking in another month or so...

4. "Be hoit." -Anna-Laura. I should explain. She has this pair of pajamas (thanks Nana!) that say "Little Girl, Big Heart." Scott started this little bedtime ritual and it's become quite comical. He shouts out, "Little Girl" and she replies "Be hoit." Ah, a Texas accent already.

Part of my Lenten pledge to God was to practice patience, especially with the kids. I'm doing ok, but certainly not great. The other day, I was sitting on the couch nursing Clare and got a little freaked out. The house was completely quiet and all 4 kids were not drugged. Anna-Laura was quietly reading a book, John Paul was playing trains and Will was reading. And, in that moment I just wanted to freeze time. To tell God to just stop the world. I just know that in a milli-second I'm going to look again and the house really will be quiet. Here's to chaos. Here's to kids. Here's to life in the HOV lane. I'll be hanging out at home with nothing to do soon enough.

Texas Trivia

Sorry I'm not more creative today. Clare isn't her normal, smiley self these days. For about a week, her tummy has had a nasty virus infestation. Yes, it's as yucky as it sounds. We're hoping it gets better. Sleeping through the night would be nice...for all of us. So here goes...

1. Where in Texas do you live or have you lived?
Perryton (born), Dumas, Amarillo, College Station (aka "The Holy Land"), Austin and P-flugerville (now)

2. When friends or relatives come to visit, what Texas tourist destination do you take them to?
The State Capitol, without a doubt

3. Best view or scenery in Texas?
the drive to Fredericksburg

4. Do you use the word "y'all"?
Wouldn't be a Texan if I didn't

5. Do you speak Spanish?
no habla espanol, does "Chuy's" count?

6. Do you own a truck?
sore subject at our house, Scott traded it in for the van :-)

7. Roughly how many snakes have you encountered?
a few grass snakes and lots of dead rattlers, emphasis on DEAD

8. Have you ever been sprayed by a skunk?
Heavens no

9. Have you ever run over an armadillo?
Sadly, yes

10. Longhorns or Aggies?
Do you even need to ask? GIG'EM!!!

11. Have you ever been to a Dallas Cowboys game?
Yes, Colts vs. Cowboys in Indy (my Papa trucked up tons of stairs for that game - it was fun, except for the yahoos behind us)

12. Do you prefer the Spurs, Mavs or Rockets?
old school Spurs, I'm a fan of Doc Rivers and David Robinson

13. Roger Clemens or Nolan Ryan?
not that I watch bball, but I'm gonna go with Nolan on this one, he's substance-free

14. Who has the best breakfast tacos?
Scott

15. Sonic or What-A-Burger?
See #10, Vanilla Dr. Pepper please...

16. What's your favorite BBQ restaurant?
Saltlick and Rudy's - it's a tie

17. What's your favorite Mexican food restaurant?
yes

18. Have you ever drank Shiner beer?
yes, me not like

19. Have you ever chewed or dipped tobacco?
are you kidding?

20. Have you ever been to a rodeo?
Lots, but my favs were as a kid in my dad's hometown of Pecos

21. Do you own a cowboy hat?
my old straw hat, now we use it for "Texas Days" at the kids' school

22. Have you ever ridden a mechanical bull?
Uh, no

23. Have you ever ridden a horse?
Yes, would love to do it more often

24. Have you ever been swimming in a river or creek?
Yes, the Rio Grande and Guadalupe

25. Do you have a favorite Texas river?
Rio Grande, brings back great memories of Camp Elkhorn...we rode those rapids and it was awesome

26. Have you ever been to Schlitterbahn?
Yes, now that's some serious water fun.

27. Were you baptised in a river or creek?
Nope, a church, 3 actually :-)

28. How many "Texas snows" have you witnessed?
Growing up in the Panhandle, then Iowa and Indiana? More than my fair share.

29. Have you ever been in the State Capital building?
See #2, my mom was a Texas state history teacher. You don't even want to know what all we've seen. Bet you can't say you visited Stephen F. Austin's grave on his birthday, now can you?

30. Willie Nelson or George Strait?
George, see last week's Top 10!

31. Best site to see in Austin?
Depends on what you want to see. Weird, take a stroll on Guadalupe. Historical, State Capitol. Scenic, drive on Loop 360. Unconstitutional, the t.u. campus.

32. Best site to see in Dallas?
Reunion Arena - that's where Scott proposed!

33. Best site to see in Houston?
They have one?

34. Best site to see in San Antonio?
Alamo and the Crockett & Menger Hotels right next door

35. Which is the worst Texas city to drive in?
They're ALL lousy, but since we live here in Austin, it's definitely the worst. But, I hear that Amarillo's I-40 is wide open!

36. Do you know all the words to "The Eyes of Texas"?
No, I don't fraternize with the enemy. Only the t-sips know those words.

37. Did you ever attend an event in the Astrodome?
Yes (as my college roommate corrected me!!) - to see George at the Houston Rodeo! How could I forget that? See what pregnancy does to your brain!

38. Did you see firsthand, the Space Shuttle Columbia break apart over Texas in 2003?
Saw it on the news as we were moving from Indiana to Texas.

39. Have you ever been to Dealey Plaza - site of President Kennedy's assassination in Dallas?
Yes, weird feeling

40. Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone or was it a conspiracy?
Conspiracy

Date Night! Sleepover!

My folks had us all down (us and Uncle Daniel and Aunt Amanda) for a fantabulous Valentine's Dinner. The best part? They had a chef, Hallie, come in, cook dinner, serve AND clean up. Ok, actually, that was the second best part. The best part was they kept 3 kids and we took home Clare. What a deal! And, the cannoli was delish. Scott and I headed back home and enjoyed a nice QUIET evening. We don't get those often. Thanks Mom and Dad. We hear they had quite a party at 0530 the next day. But, Nana cooked her world-famous pancakes, so the natives came home very happy.

Happy Valentine's Day. Again!

Daniel not loving the appetizers with onions...



The kids eating them like there was no tomorrow...

Snapshot: Sesame Street!

Sunny days, chasin' the clouds away...can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Why, yes, I can! It was our annual pilgrimage to the Frank Erwin Center, the fifth in fact, to see "Sesame Street Live." It never ceases to amaze me just how mesmorizing this cast of characters can be. Oh, and the kids enjoyed it, too. As usual, an awesome morning.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Before there was Hallmark, there was a real St. Valentine, did you know? The long and short of it is this. Catholic priest. Married couples in private. Emperor Claudius found out and imprisoned him. Valentine made the mistake of trying to convert Claudius. Off with the head on February 14. There are a few Valentine legends, one being he penned a note to the jailer's daughter (whose sight he restored) and signed it "Your Valentine"...thus the beginning of valentine cards. Who knew?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Top Ten: Best Dates with Scott

In honor of St. Valentine's Day this week, it seems appropriate to remember my ten best dates with Scott. Now, while the rest of the world thinks it's a Hallmark holiday, I beg to differ. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. That's tomorrow's post.

Here's to TEN GREAT DATES with my hubby!

BEST DATES WITH SCOTT...in chronological order

1. Duncan Dining Hall. I know, it doesn't sound too glamourous eating lunch in the hustle and bustle of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets dining hall. But, this one was our very first. A blind date, in fact. And, well, it turned out pretty well, don't you think? I'll give a shout out to Roderick and John who witnessed it. Lessons learned on this date? Scott has gorgeous blue eyes. Pizza and salad are not great first date foods. Listen to your roommate, go on the date and don't chicken out.

2. Chi Omega Biker Ball. Remember the date, honey? Ok, he probably doesn't, but this was what Date #1 led to. I needed a date, he wanted a t-shirt. After the party, we headed back to my dorm room, drank Clearly Canadians (we were so rebellious) and talked until 3am. I think I fell in love that night :-)

3. New Year's Eve with George Strait. The evening before the "big" game (A&M vs. somebody in the Cotton Bowl), we went to the George Strait concert. What a fun night. Again, up until who knows when talking. This is a theme, isn't it? Three years later, Scott proposed in the same spot. Ahhh.

4. San Anton. This was the true test. Scott met my dad. Dad says Scott shook his hand so hard it almost fell off. He passed the test. Whew. We ate mouth-watering Tex-Mex on the Riverwalk and had great conversation. I think we "officially" decided to start dating that weekend. All I remember is that he had on a cowboy hat and Wranglers and he looked quite dashing. Ok, well he had on more than that...

5. Scavenger Hunt. This was during summer school and Scott sent me on a hunt through campus. He even came up with some clever clues. The Chi Omega house, Sully, Albritton Tower (there was even a Vanilla DP from Sonic there!!) - great fun.

6. Kyle Field 50-yard line. My sophomore year, Scott had me get all dressed up, had a friend pick me up from the sorority house, blindfold me and drive me around until I was completely lost. When the blindfold came off, I was staring straight at Scott standing on the 50-yard-line of Kyle Field. OMG. Hey, we're Texans. This is football. And, the guy I was completely head over heels for was there. Does it get any better? We enjoyed some Olive Garden, toasted to a great date and even ran a few plays. HA, like I know how to do that. It was just amazing to be in a place that we both loved so much. Looking up in those stands realizing that in a few short days, they would be full of screaming fans. But, for a moment, we had it all to ourselves. Of all the dates, this ranks as #1. I've never forgotten it.

7. Bridges of Madison County. Ever see that movie with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood? Well, when we lived in Iowa, we were a stone's throw from there. So, for Scott's birthday, we packed the picnic basket and headed to Madison County. We saw some pretty amazing covered bridges, visited all the "sites" from the movie and even hung out at the red light just for kicks and grins.

8. Piazza Navona, Italy. You knew I'd eventually get there. On our last trip in 2003, we wandered over there, camped out at a table and made friends with the waiter. I think we were there for at least 4 hours. Italians know how to enjoy a meal. Americans could learn a thing or two from them. Why do you think the country motto is, "The good life"?

9. Anniversary #10. This one was a few months after "the" surgery, so we stayed close to home. We ventured to San Antonio and to the Riverwalk. But, we stopped in for Mass at a beautiful Basilica. It was a quiet little peace of Heaven that we don't often experience. Afterwards, we took a few moments to look around. The artwork was just stunning. We stumbled upon the priest and began chatting. He found out it was our tenth anniversary and offered to give us a blessing. Just when I thought Scott couldn't surprise me anymore, he holds out a beautiful ring and asks the priest to bless it. Hey, I'm not a crier...but this did it. It was an anniversary band that he and my Uncle Dee (an incredibly talented jeweler and owner of Carriage Casting in El Paso) designed. This one doubles for #1.



10. Spurs Basketball game. Last spring, when I was 5 months prego with Clare, we headed to San Antonio for the game. Now, this wasn't any ordinary date. Scott does it right (see #6). We had front row parking, awesome seats that overlooked the court, our own waiter and real chairs. Yes, I vaguely remember something about a basketball game???

Babe, I LOVE YOU!!!

Date Night, et. al

Yes, amidst the craziness we have had a few of these. I mean, how do you think we stay sane? It's taken us two weeks to watch the latest trilogy, and no, I'm not talking about Star Wars. Here's a hint..."I'm gonna make him an offer that he can't refuse." Yep, we hunkered down and watched all three Godfather movies. Classic. But, I guess that's what puts two of the three on the Top 100 list, right? Plus, it gave us a good excuse to watch even more movies about Italy. We have a slight addiction problem with that country. What's not to love???

We also found some time for a little Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in Singin' in the Rain. Next to Casablanca, I think this is my new favorite. I'm still humming the tune, "Good mornin', good mornin', we've gabbed the whole night through. Good mornin', good mornin' to you!"

And for the et. al...I got this joke from a friend this morning and it really cracked me up. I've heard it before, but for some reason this morning it hit the funny bone.

JOKE OF THE DAY
Three aspiring student psychiatrists from various colleges were
Attending their first class on emotional extremes.

"Just to establish some parameters," said the professor to the student
From the University of Houston, "What is the opposite of joy?"
"Sadness," replied the student.

"And the opposite of depression?" the professor asked of the young lady
From Rice University.
"Elation," said she.

"And you sir," he said to the young man from Texas A&M,
"How about the opposite of woe?"

The Aggie replied, "Sir, I believe that would be giddy-up."

PARTING SHOTS
They were taken this weekend...enjoy!

Snapshots: Garden!

The kids were beside themselves with glee when Scott came home this evening. They raced outside to witness a garden that needed planting...and plant they did. Well, at least 5 minutes or so until I yelled out that dinner was ready and they all abandoned Scott. Hey, at least we tried. We may live in the 'burbs, but gosh darn it, our kids are going to understand and appreciate agriculture. Mom, Dad, aren't you proud? Our agriculture degrees are paying off in our little 6x6 plot here in Pa-flugerville. Oh, notice the shorts the kids are wearing? Yep, "winter" here in Texas is really cold, 65!

Clare eating grass. After one handful, she decided it wasn't as good as it looks.



Good shot of Will's cast - told ya there wasn't much room left to sign!



Anna-Laura just looked so serious in this one that I couldn't help but smile when taking it.



Well, they lasted through the onions, then everybody bailed on 'ol Dad. He was left to plant the carrots, lettuce, spinach and beets.

Godspeed Auntie

Last night, Vera ("Auntie" to family members), my paternal grandmother's sister, died. She and my Granny Mary had many similarities, notably their strong will and their nickname, Auntie. It's the end of an era, so to speak. My dad and his siblings have said their final farewell to the last aunt. Proof that our time here really is gone in a blink. Godspeed Auntie...

Granny Mary (Auntie's sister) with Anna-Laura

The Rockstar

Ok, why didn't anybody tell me I was getting so chatty? Sheez. The lack of cute pictures of our kids are greatly lacking. Shame on me.



Here's Will, aka "1B Rockstar". Scott took him to get the cast on Thursday morning and by the time I picked up him up from school, his cast was completely covered in names. Really, that's got to be the best part about breaking your arm. All the kids are trying to figure out how he did it so they can share the spotlight. It was so cute his first day back, all the kids gathered around him like he just won the lottery. He just smiled and showed off his new accessory.

Getting the cast (yes, it's red, not maroon - Will says it's the closest he could get)



Hot tubbing with a classmate and his sister who broke her arm 2 weeks ago!!

Theology on Tap

On Tuesday evening, Scott and I were invited to speak to a really cool group, Theology on Tap. It's a young group of Catholics (21-35, so Scott and I just slid under the mat on this one) that discuss various aspects of Christianity. Our topic? "Are Men and Women Really Created Equal?"

To be honest, this was a tough topic for Scott and I. We turned to scripture, four passages to be exact, and reflected on our life experiences during the past 11 years as a married couple. It really gave us an opportunity to talk...about us...something that doesn't happen often. Our conversations usually center around kids' poop, kids' schedules and kids' eating habits. So, this was a refreshing break from all that. To give you the cliff notes on the speech, we talked about the differences in the definition of equality from a secular and spiritual sense. Our bottom-line charge was, "Who cares if we're equal?" As in marriage, sometimes you make the deposits and sometimes you make the withdrawals. But, ultimately, we're in this together. God gives us all a different cross to bear. So, while your neighbor's might look lighter, God has hand-crafted it for them. Don't ever doubt his intentions.

All in all, it was a great "date night." Good food. Good fellowship. Good times. We'll have to do that again sometime.

Tomorrow we'll have pictures of THE CAST. Exciting times here in Whitakerland...

Top Ten: Best Things About Lent

Even though we still have the Christmas lights in the garage (hey, at least they're off the house), Lent is officially here. I have the black ashy forehead to prove it. As I sit here drinking my Dr. Pepper (no, that I did NOT give up this year), I was racking my brain trying to think of a good top ten for this week. So many choices, you know? Like, "10 things we've learned from the ER" or "10 things I didn't think I'd be doing this week" or "10 reasons why Clare won't sleep"...but after our date night last night, I felt like a Lenten top ten was only logical. More on date night in tomorrow's post. I know, the suspense is killing you. Hang with me.

Drumroll, please...

BEST THINGS ABOUT LENT

1. It ain't just a Catholic thing. Growing up Protestant, I always looked forward to Easter, primarily because of the chocolate bunny my Great Gan-Gan always bought me. It wasn't until I was a freshman in college that I started to become intrigued as to this whole Lenten thing that everybody else seemd to get, but me. It's an opportunity to really reflect and prepare your soul for the Easter Tridium.

2. We spend more time together as a family. I know, some of you are saying, "Are you sure you need more family time?" Well, yes, I do. We go to Mass more, make eating dinner together every night a priority and do more family prayer.

3. Stations of the Cross! Because of the kids and bedtimes, this isn't something we get to do every Friday, but we do our best to make one. For those that have never heard of this, we essentially go through the 14 stations of the cross, reading a brief reflection on each and reminding ourselves of the pain and suffering Jesus endured to free us from sin. It's powerful stuff.

4. A good excuse to eat fish. Hey, for a red-meat lover like me, fish once a week is probably a good thing.

5. I get to focus on my bad habits. Ok, so initially that doesn't sound like it should make the top ten "best" things about Lent, now does it? Well, we all need a swift kick in the hiney to drop some bad habits. This is my chance. Lent is about prayer, fasting and almsgiving which is why we Catholics try to "give up" or "do more" during this season, in hopes that it will become a lifelong habit. So, the guy at work that gives up beer for Lent and then heads to the bar after Easter Mass probably hasn't gotten this memo. And, in an effort to provide accountability...here are my Lenten pledges: 1) no eating out...not even a Vanilla Dr. Pepper during Happy Hour; 2) practice patience with my children by using my "inside voice"; and 3) practice patience with others by loving them, not judging them. I'll give you a full report on March 23 :-)

6. The ashes!! Man, if I had a quarter for every person in the last 12 years that's said, "Hey, you've got something on your forehead." Really? What I love most about them isn't the attention, but what the priest says when he makes the sign of the cross on your forehead, "From dust you were created and to dust you shall return." Proof that we all come in, and get out, of this world the same (even though the secular media says differently).

7. That it's the one holiday that hasn't been completely ruined by Target, Wal-Mart and the neighborhood pharmacy. I mean, you don't see crucified Jesus ornaments in the dollar bin, do you? For once, this liturgical season hasn't been gobbled up by commercialism. It seems like they're all too busy with the Easter Bunny and that's fine by me. I'll take these 40 days of quiet and enjoy them.

8. That I spend more time in prayer. I once had a priest tell me (after I told him that I just never seemed to have enough time to pray) this: Pray like a mom, not like a nun. I suppose I had gotten it in my head that in order to be a good mom, I needed to be on my knees alot more. Well, the truth is I spend more time in prayer than I think. And, it's not all eloquent prayers, but it's the real stuff I'm dealing with, day-in and day-out with the kids. And it works. Lent just reminds me that I need to stop being such a Type A, control freak and let the big man do His thing.

9. That you have the opportunity to spread the Word of God. As St. Francis of Assisi once said: "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words." Amen, brother.

10. That Easter seems so much more meaningful after the 40 days. It's almost like Paul Harvey's "the rest of the story." Amid the cute Easter dresses, bunny baskets and lilies, I'm reminded of the great joy on Easter Sunday. It's like New Year's Day for Christians, isn't it? A new start. And, we all need one of those every once in a while...

It's all fun and games...until somebody breaks an arm

UPDATED: See below for the story of how it happened - sorry to leave out the details!!

Well, with 4 kids it was bound to happen. I just didn't think it would happen to Mr. Responsible, Always-Plays-By-The-Rules Will. Yep, yesterday at 12:30 my phone rings, and it's the school nurse. Very calmly, she says, "Kathryn, I have Will here in the office and I think he may have broken his arm." Amazingly, I didn't panic and I believe that is proof there are miracles.

Scott picked him up from school and headed to the ER. At first we thought it might be a buckle fracture, or even a sprain. But, when Scott saw the x-rays it was the real deal. So real, in fact, that the doctors re-set his bone. BIG OUCH. Fortunately, they gave him some "virgin margarita in a stick" and he doesn't remember a thing. Thank God I wasn't there, surely I would've passed out with the "crack" to put it back in place. There is a "Praise God" in this story. My college roommate, who lives here, married a fantastic guy, who also happens to be an ER doctor. Who happened to be working yesterday. Who happened to be at the hospital where Scott took Will. That's a lot of "who happeneds", don't you think? Likely due to the many Hail Mary's I said after hanging up the phone with the nurse. Or, at least I like to think so.

So, we're now the proud owners of a sling, and on Thursday, a cast. Will's hoping it's a maroon one (for his beloved Aggies, of course). But, if not, he has a plan (see first paragraph of the post) and has settled on blue as choice #2 - for the Cowboys. We will have pictures soon. The smiling kind, not the ones before the ER visit. We wouldn't do that to you.

Scott and I were just talking last night that days like yesterday are proof that life really can change in a heartbeat, a heartbeat. One minute, we're checking email, another minute the phone rings and your heart stops, just for a moment, and then you remember that life does go on. Will's a trooper and we're sure this "moment" will go down in the books as a fun "do you remember when..." kind of story. Today, we are thankful...

And, if you're wondering how it all happened...The kids were playing tag on the playground. If you got to the bottom of the slide, you were tagged and put on one of the girls' teams. Will would have none of that, so halfway down the slide, he jumped off and landed on his arm. There you have it, the rest of the story.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's to the ER We Go...

Those of you who know us well, know the Whitaker family is no stranger to the ER. Amazingly, as many times as we've been (this marked visit #7 in 4 years) we still haven't seen Dr. Carter, shoot, at this point we'd settle for Luca. Oh well, I digress...

Anna-Laura RUNS everywhere she goes, and I do mean everywhere. This morning, she was high-tailing it around the coffee table and BAM! Teeth through the bottom lip. This wasn't a through-and-through like our last visit (#6), "just a puncture wound" says the ER doc. So, we basically paid $50 for a guy to tell us to let her eat ice cream. Blue Bell anyone?

In other less dramatic, but equally exciting news, the boys had their first golf lessons this morning! My dad hosted them at his neighborhood's country club and they had a ball. Pun intended. You should see John Paul's drive. Man, that kid is gonna be dangerous. Will's chip shot was impressive. And, Mom even learned what a "sweet spot" is in golf. And here I was thinking it had something to do with Amy's Ice Cream.





Picture from this afternoon's birthday party at Connor's. This was just after the rocket launch, which, according to the boys was, "Totally wicked!" Yes, we've seen The Incredibles way too many times.

He's here! He's here!

That's right, Cory and Jennifer became parents today!!! Alexander Bryant was born this morning at 8:48am, 5 lbs. 10 oz. and 18 inches. He's a Bostonian now, but he will be a Texan in just a few months!

Mom and Dad sound a little tired, but VERY proud. And, I have no doubt there's one proud Poppy Byrant in heaven today...