She's Here!

She's here in Fort Worth.
In bed at the moment, probably.

After a long delay with her flight from New Jersey to Dallas/Fort Worth, Rosie finally arrived at 9:00 p.m. last night. Her flight was supposed to arrive at 7:02 p.m. Two hours at the airport by myself was a boring experience, but she is well worth the wait. (Plus, it is karma getting back at me for making Lindsey wait for 45 minutes when we picked her up at the airport - we were waiting for her at the wrong gate - Oops!)

Anyway, Rosie came off the plane with another au pair named Marcella who is super sweet and bubbly. I helped both of them get their bags and waited with Marcella until she was able to find her family. Oh, and Marcella is going to be an au pair for a family in Dallas. She has FOUR kids! One 5 year old and 3-year-old TRIPLETS! Can you freakin' imagine?! The whole family was there to greet her with a sign and balloons. The kids must have been exhausted, but it was super sweet. Poor Rosie just got me, but she'll be indoctrinated into the entire Berend Family in good time!

We met Chuck at Chili's for a late dinner and then went home to have one glass of champagne in honor of Champagne Thursday. It was lovely. I'll post more later!

Luke's Question for Me

Have I mentioned that about two weeks ago, Luke sat with me on the couch and asked, "Mom, do you want to buy NutriSystem?"

I quickly looked over at the TV to see if a NutriSystem commercial was on, but no such luck. Although there must have been a NutriSystem commercial on at some point.

I smiled and asked, "Do you think I need to buy NutriSystem?"

Luke answered, "If you want to lose weight you could buy NutriSystem."

Me, "Do you think I need to lose weight?"

I asked the age-old question that all men dread their entire lives, but there were no men there to tell him to turn around and run the other way when a woman asks that question. Instead, he took it in stride. He placed his hands on either side of my waist as if measuring me. He cocked his head to the side, shrugged his shoulders and said, "If you want to."

I laughed. What a great answer! I responded, "Well done, Luke! I don't think I'm going to buy it just yet though because I don't think the food looks very good."

He began to debate the quality of the food, but I cut off the conversation there. Unfortunately, the fact remains that my son asked me if I wanted to buy NutriSystem. That's gotta say something, right?

Rosie

Rosie arrives in TEXAS today!!!

After she leaves New York!

Misplaced Items

You just never know where you're going to find things at my house.

A toy in the toilet:

(George also put Lindsey's phone in the toilet last Thursday - a bit of a freak-out moment for me.)

An old sippy cup in the spice cabinet:


(Can you see it?)

I've also found car keys inside my tennis shoes.

You just never know.

Movie Quote 67

Okay, yes it's another movie quote, but there is more to this than usual. Chuck and I have a bet.

You may not know this, but you could probably guess it based on my blog, but Chuck and I regularly quote movies back and forth to each other. It's not like a competition or anything - more like when a quote from a movie fits the conversation. For example, Chuck was driving me around last night and had to take me back to my car that was parked outside the sushi restaurant where we had dinner. When I was finally ready to go home, I got in the car and said, "Take me to . . ." and we both finished, "The Volcano!" (instead of saying "Take me to my car.") Yes, we're total dorks. Yes, we're "retarded for each other", as my friend Roger describes it. But, we both love the movie Joe Versus the Volcano and that is one of the quotes from the movie.

So, when I said the following movie quote which consists of a single word, and Chuck didn't get it, I was appalled that he didn't know this. I insisted that most people would totally get this, especially after I told him the movie that it came from. He, on the other hand, disagreed with my statement that most people would be able to identify this movie quote. So, please settle our bet so that one of us (Chuck) can pay off the other (Theresa).

Here it is, Movie Quote 67: Ditto.

Updates

We dropped Lindsey at the airport Friday afternoon. Lindsey and I both cried a little. It was really hard to see her go. The weirdest part of it all was that it didn't seem real until we were truly at the airport. It feels the same way with Rosie. She officially arrives in the United States today and will spend her first night in our house this Thursday. I can't really conceive of the magnitude of this change in our household, but we're getting ready for it as best we can. I'm looking forward to calling Rosie this evening to check on her and make sure she got to New Jersey (for training) okay.

In the midst of all this, I'm super busy at work. Luckily, my mom is taking care of the kids this week, with the help of some of my nieces and nephews in Houston. The kids are having a blast.

Nothing much else to report so here are some pictures of my precious babies for you and me to enjoy.

Movie Quote 66

Sad days at the house. I take Lindsey to the airport tomorrow. I'm so busy with everything these days that there has been no time to post. Hope you all will forgive me. I know you can't get through your day without me.

Here's a movie quote for you. It's a pretty funny movie.

Auntie Vera?!

Okay, I'll admit it isn't a very good or extensive quote. But it cracks me up every time I watch this movie. Here's a hint. It is an 80s movie with a huge 80s star - who happens to be a star still.

Still don't know? Well, you know I'll reveal the answer in a couple days if no one gets it.

18-19 Months

Whoa- ho-ho! Busy day. All I've got is a picture of my little butterball after his 18 month checkup (on his 19 month birthday). He's 90% in weight. He weights 30 pounds and a typical 18-month old weighs 23 pounds.

Precious-but heavy!

Change

Saturday was Lindsey's going away party. It was a nice evening full of friends and all our various babysitters. It took George a little while to get comfortable with it because he would not believe that we weren't going anywhere since all his babysitters showed up. Our life is about to change in a big way at our house. We are very sad to be losing Lindsey but we are very excited to welcome Rosie to our home. The kids keep talking about it too.

Unfortunately, we are going to have a bit of a gap in child care because Lindsey's last day is tomorrow, and I didn't plan ahead well enough. My mom has generously agreed to watch the kids next week (Rosie gets here next Thursday), but I didn't anticipate that Lindsey's last day would be the day she arrived in the U.S. for training as opposed to the day she got to our house. Just an oversight on my part. You live and learn, I guess. So, looks like I'll be taking some unexpected vacation days in which I work from home. It will all work out just fine . . . I hope.

Hope you all had a great weekend. Oh, by the way, I ran into a fellow blogger this weekend at the store. We had never met before. That was a first for me. I recognized her sweet daughter sitting in a Target shopping cart. (Target is my favorite place to shop). We both recognized each other from the blogs. How weird is that? Her blog is called "Hi. I'm New In Town". You can check it out by clicking here. Her daughter is beautiful. I just love her hair!

Text

Start groaning now.

I seriously can't make this stuff up.

No Family Bed

Luke came down with the same fever and sore throat Evie had earlier in the week. When I got home last night he was lounging around with a high fever. We put him to bed with some Motrin, but at 4:00 a.m. the Motrin wore off and he showed up beside my bed. He was burning up again -- 102.5 degrees. We gave him some more Motrin and I offered to let him sleep with us. He readily climbed up on the bed and made himself comfortable by splaying sideways on top of the covers in the bottom third of the bed. I crawled in with one leg bent up toward my body and the other leg hanging off the side of the bed so that I could accommodate Luke's sleeping position.

After 10 seconds of quiet, I said, "Luke, why don't you crawl up here and sleep between us?"

Luke, "No. I want to be on the soft blanket."

The pathetic sound in his voice got me and I was silent for another 5 seconds before I said, "Okay, we're going to have to do something different."

Luke shifted ever so slightly and I extended the one leg a fraction of an inch.

I waited another 5 seconds and then sighed.

Chuck lifted up on his elbows and I sat up too. Luke looked at us from the bottom of the bed. Chuck said, "Luke, why don't you get between us and get under the covers?"

Luke paused a second, then said emphatically, "Okay. But if you guys toot I'm going to be very mad."

We both chuckled and I said, "Luke. We're not going to toot and you don't have to put your head under the covers."

Luke whined, "But I want to be on the soft blanket."

Me, "Okay." Luke crawled up toward me and rested his body half on my chest and half in the middle of the bed. Chuck rolled over and went to sleep after he gave me something to cover Luke up with (since Luke refused to crawl under the covers). For the next 40 minutes Luke and I shifted back and forth while I listened to him breath the heavy fever breathing. Finally, I started to doze when I heard him whisper something. I jolted awake, "What?!" He whispered it again, and more calmly I said, "What?" He spoke clearly and said without any hint of illness or pathetic-ness in his voice, "That's what airbenders do on Avatar."

I squinted my evil eyes in the dark at him and said, "Oh, no way. We are not talking about Avatar. Go. To. Sleep."

Sleeping with Luke is not my favorite thing to do. I think this is only the second time it has ever happened. I have no idea how people work out a family bed. I don't think I would ever get any sleep or else I'd end up kicking my children while we all slept together. I'm clearly not ready to open my queen size bed to the brood of three children that we so dearly adore.

His Talent

Luke loves soccer, but I believe his talents lie elsewhere. Luke took a dance class at camp this week and learned to salsa dance. I seriously think this is where his talent is.

There was only one other person in his class - a girl named Anne. I think it worked out perfectly. They both had the dance memorized and did the whole thing without any prompting from their teacher. I'm beyond proud!!!

Issues I Need to Address

1. Luke pees without guiding. I'm trying to tiptoe around this situation, but there's no good way of doing it. What I mean is that he refuses to hold his twig when he is peeing in the toilet.

2. He also does not close the door when he is peeing - neither does Evie.

Last night, after dinner, Chuck and I were sitting at the dining room table visiting when I heard Luke rush into the bathroom, doing the pee-pee dance. Then the toilet lid clanked as he threw it up so he could pee. As I heard what sounded like a stream of water from fire hose start hitting the water in the toilet, I shouted, "Luke? Are you holding your penis?"

Luke responded as he continued peeing, "Mom. Sometimes nothing bad happens when I don't hold it."

I groaned, rolled my eyes at Chuck and muttered, "Yeah. And other times he pees all over the toilet and the floor."

Chuck rested his head in his hands on the dinning room table and in a defeated voice said, "This is definitely a conversation I never thought we'd have with our children."

I shrugged my shoulders. I'm well past surprised.

10 Things You Don't Know

I had this genius idea to post "10 Things You Don't Know About Me" but then I realized that there is no way I could come up with 3 things, much less 10 because I blurt out everything about myself and what I'm thinking without any filter. Those of you who know me, can verify this fact - and seriously, who really reads this who doesn't know me, right?

So, I changed my mind and decided to go with "10 Things You Don't Know About Chuck." Oh, and I'm certain he'll truly appreciate me sharing this on the internet. If not, then this is just a way for me to force him into the internet world (kicking and screaming). So, here you go:

1. Chuck was in a bike wreck in college that almost tore his ear completely off. It was so bad he doesn't even remember what happened after the wreck. If you ask him to show you the scars, he probably won't oblige, but I'll gladly point them out.

2. Chuck was skinny-skinny until he turned 5 years old which is when he started wearing "husky" pants. What a cutie pie he must've been.

3. Chuck had an eraser-head haircut when I met him. Yeah . . . um . . . that didn't last.

4. Chuck insists that we must have a bottle of Jagermeister in the freezer at all times. I can't remember the last time he ever had a drink of Jagermeister at the house or anywhere else.

5. Chuck thinks better with a dry erase marker in his hand (just like the way Tom Cruise's character in A Few Good Men thinks better with a bat in his hand).

6. Chuck's favorite kind of beer is "free beer". Okay, you may have known that one.

7. Chuck used to be a nail bitter but quit cold turkey when he got his first job out of college.

8. Chuck drank just one beer on his 21st birthday.

9. Chuck does not like to carry anything in his pockets or anywhere else on his body. But, I'm not sure he counts his phone since it seems to be permanently attached to his hand.

10. Chuck likes to brag about how much he can bench press. It's usually stated as, "You know . . . I can bench press you." Then he gives a little wink and nod, and lifts his eyebrows. I usually just shake my head, roll my eyes, and say, "I know, I know."

Champagne Thursday with a Twist

He really likes it and gets really pissed off when you won't give him more (even though all he got in the first place was the drips out of my empty glass).

Here he is licking the inside of the glass.
This went on for quite awhile.

Movie Quote 65

Movie quote for the weekend.

Same old same old . . . people need killing.

And from the same movie:

Happy endings are stories that haven't finished yet.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the day:
How do snails reproduce?

MAMA SNAIL

BABY SNAIL

You can find out by clicking here.

And may I just say, "Wow."

P.S. These are pictures of snails in my backyard.
(taken with my iPhone)

Impressive, right?

Mac Daddy

George is my little flirt. He can win over multiple women in a matter of hours.



Just look at those eyes. Hopefully he'll lose the sippy cup (and the ladies hat) by the time he's actually ready to start making the moves on women.

True Love

Mmmm.

Coffee.

Coffee.

Coffee.

Coffee.

Oh, how I love thee.

Movie Quote 64

House is empty. Missing my babies, but too busy to cry over it. So busy at work this week. So you just get a movie quote today. Enjoy!

You got me out here draggin' your heavy ass through the burnin' desert with your dreadlocks stickin' out the back of my parachute.

Weekend fun

I completely failed to take pictures most of the weekend, although we stayed fairly busy. Lindsey's sister Teresa is visiting and they have been hitting the town. Unfortunately for them, we dragged them to the bowling alley Saturday night and forced them to endure family-style entertainment. I'm sure they were ready to hit the bars afterward.

Here are just a few pictures from our night at the bowling alley.

Where Chuck pretends to eat Evie and she has no clue.

Where Luke decides to smell the used sock bin.

Where the trouble makers pose for a picture and still can't
manage to look at the camera and smile at the same time.
After 10 pictures, I gave up.

Where Lindsey and Teresa document their bowling experience.

Where Lindsey observes the scoreboard and realizes
she is getting her ass kicked in bowling.

Where we observe the winner of both bowling games kicking ass.

The oldest two are on their way to Arkansas to spend the week with Chuck's parents. It's going to be very quiet at our house!

Morning Ritual

Every morning I wake up with George and after I shower, I sit down at my dressing table and put on my make up and dry my hair. He sits in my lap most mornings and does this with me. This morning he took over the ritual by himself. Here's a video

Favorite Words

George's favorites words


Lindey (Lindsey)
No (No)
Mee (Milk)
Uh-o (Uh ho)

Luke's Favorite Word


Dammit!

Evie's Favorite Words


"I've got to go pee pee!"

Auntie Theresa is Proud!

You guys have to check this out! This is a video of my niece Amber singing in a school concert in England. I am sooooo impressed!

Click here to see her on YouTube!