Hey Guy, The Blog

WellsFest

2009-09-26T22:46:00.000-05:00

Jackson Zoo w/Helen & Harrison

2009-08-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

Belhaven Street Fair

2009-08-15T22:48:00.000-05:00

What I'm Reading

2009-07-30T21:22:00.004-05:00

John Rosemond's 'Making the Terrible Twos Teriffic." Practical advice for novice parents!
Dr. Karp's unorthodox philosophy about speaking Toddler-ese to toddlers. Interesting.
Classic late 90s Greg Isles which I have been meaning to read!
Leil Lowndes's little book is a quick read and very practical.

Kirkwood Fire House

2009-07-20T20:55:00.000-05:00

We've spent two nights strolling downtown Kirkwood Missouri and the fire house has a great little tool - a remote controlled vehicle with a microphone - for relating to kids. It's Sparky the Fire Dog. Courtney was enthralled. My hat is off to Kirkwood for promoting such a family atmosphere. You can walk from snow cone stand to tamale house to sit-down restaurant to ice cream stand while watching the Amtrak train go by.

Trip to St. Louis

2009-07-20T20:46:00.004-05:00

Courtney really loved spending time with Aunt and Jen and Uncle Breck, but she adored their dogs Elvis and Kramer. She woke up in the morning asking for those crazy dogs!

St. Louis Zoo

2009-07-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Today was zoo morning as we got up early and took Courtney to the zoo. Aunt Jen's mother Mrs. N. joined us. Above is Breck, Mama Lyn, Mrs. N. and Jen with Courtney. The zoo is FREE there. You do have to pay $11 per car to park but admission is free. That explained the huge crowd there which was arriving just as we were leaving during the lunch hour. We were so glad we went early. It's a remarkable zoo and my favorite thing was the penguin exhibit.
Close encounter with a giraffe.

It was actually about 82 degrees if you can believe that. That is why we all wore shorts but I dressed Courtney in pants and a long sleeved t-shirt. I know, when Mom's cold you have to wear a jacket, but she was comfortable!

Going OUt for Ice Cream

2009-07-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

Poor sheltered child has never in her life been taken out for ice cream. She has had it at her birthday, and maybe at other children's birthdays, but we took her out and got her some vanilla with sprinkles on top! And yes, the sugar did keep her awake a bit longer than was necessary!

The Magic House

2009-07-18T20:50:00.005-05:00

Today Mama Lyn, Courtney and I visited The Magic House, St. Louis's museum for children. There were a lot of activities even for kids as young as Kitten. Above is the duck pond with moving water.
Above is the sandbox with moon sand.The aquarium. She asked where Nemo was.
And here she is clearly delighted to be driving a car. Give me about 14 more years to adjust to this image.

Driving to St. Louis

2009-07-17T21:07:00.001-05:00

Driving to St. Louis today with Courtney and Mama Lyn, to visit Uncle Breck and Aunt Jen. Guess who behaved like an angel on the trip? She kept herself occupied with books and toys, and we only had to use the DVD player on the last 45 minutes of the 8 hour trip.

At Uncle 'Duck" Dan's House

2009-07-10T22:52:00.000-05:00

Independence Day

2009-07-04T23:20:00.001-05:00

We went to a great picnic today in connection with my 20th high school reunion, and one of my classmates is married to a great photographer who snapped these photos of Courtney. Link to Oana Hogrefe Photography.

Itsy Bitsy Spider Song

2009-06-07T23:07:00.002-05:00

She has recently taken up quite a number of songs, this is one of the songs she likes best.

That's Enough

2009-05-31T23:00:00.001-05:00

We happened to capture on video the first time Courtney said "that's enough," and we laughed so now she says it a lot more often. Here it is.

Pensacola Beach Trip

2009-05-28T23:54:00.001-05:00

This week we've been lucky enough to get away for a couple of days of R&R in Pensacola Beach. Here's shots of our room at the Hilton and our view.

First Owie

2009-05-26T18:00:00.002-05:00

Today Courtney fell on the concrete and got her first skinned knee. She took it well and did not even cry; she just got up and kept going!

Milestone in the House

2009-05-20T23:52:00.000-05:00

Todd reached...ahem...a certain age today. This was about as low key as I could get on such an occasion! The neighbors were impressed. Much thanks to stealthy Russell for helping me pull it off!

Destin

2009-05-12T23:50:00.002-05:00

In Destin for work. Sweet friend Rebekah has joined me on the trip since Todd was unable to attend. Here with coworkers Eden and Wendy and on the right is Bekah.

Its Hand Foot Mouth Y'all

2009-05-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

Todd has stayed home all week from work with our Kitten because she's got Hand Foot Mouth disease, which causes little discomfort but is very contagious. She's got pimply blisters on her feet, buttocks, legs and arms. Here's a couple of shots. She has enjoyed having her dad to herself all week. Apparently adults don't contract HFM because everyone has this disease as a kid and develops immunity. Therefore no adults who have come in contact with her have been affected.

Who Does She Look like? 18-month edition

2009-05-06T23:09:00.004-05:00

Top left and bottom right are both Courtney, age 18 months.

Being 18 Months Old Part 2

2009-05-06T23:08:00.001-05:00

Here's a cute photo of Todd around 18 months old, too.

Being 18 Months Old

2009-05-06T23:01:00.004-05:00

The occasion of Courtney turning 18 months old gives me a good excuse to post one of my favorite photos of me and my mother with our cat, Fluffy. I am 18 months old and my mother would be about 25. I am sure my mother is telling me to be 'soft and sweet' with the kitty because Fluffy obviously is about to bolt because I'm around! Mom, please let everyone know in the comments section if I am right :-)

La-La-La-La, That's Elmo's Song

2009-04-21T08:19:00.003-05:00

Courtney likes to sing lots of songs. She sings the Elmo song, the ABC song, Twinkle, Twinkle, and the Wheels on the Bus song. Here's a clip of the Elmo song for you.

Play Date

2009-04-15T22:17:00.004-05:00

Today Courtney had a play date with Hadley and Wyn, who live in Jacksonville. Their mommies got to visit, too, and it was great to catch up with Jill! After an hour at the park the girls were completely worn out! The upper photo is Courtney in the playground tunnel with Wyn in the background. Below is Hadley, age 21 mos, with Courtney.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

Today Courtney learned to do lots of new things. Pop taught her how to dye eggs different colors.
Then Pop hid the eggs and taught Courtney how to find them.
Then she watched Pop and Daddy fly a butterfly kite, which she found delightful!

Easter Dress

2009-04-11T22:04:00.001-05:00

Mama Lyn and I took photos today of Courtney in her green Easter dress, since we knew we would not have a lot of time on Easter Sunday for a photo session. She even consented to wear bunny ears.

How to Remove a Childs Toy From a Toilet

2009-04-04T22:00:00.008-05:00

Determine that toilet no longer works due to toy being flushed. Try plunging. After determining plunging is not working, continue to plunge in order to drain water from the toilet. Turn off water at the wall.
Unscrew bolts and pop toilet off the floor. Unscrew and remove toilet tank. Attempt to discern where the toy is in the toilet with a plumber's snake. Determine that this plumber's snake is meant for outdoor pipes, not a toilet. Toy still stuck.
Brainstorm other things to use to stick into the toilet to try to shove the toy out. Give up and take toilet into the back yard.
Run garden hose into one end of toilet to see if water will flush toy out. (This is very entertaining for toddlers.)
As a last ditch effort before dragging toilet to the street and buying a new one, get a much smaller pipe snake and thread it through the toilet.
Toy pops out! Give a fist bump. Toddler joins in with a 'yay.'
Start over again!

Fascination

2009-03-30T22:35:00.003-05:00

Lately Courtney has been fascinated with buckles. I have been reluctant to teach her to unbuckle because then she would be able to get out of her high chair, the grocery store cart, etc., etc. She has figured out how to get one buckled, but luckily she must not have the coordination to get it unbuckled. Here she is trying to buckle the high chair buckle. This can keep her occupied for 15 minutes.
She is also fascinated with puppets, including a duck and a tiger and a frog puppet we have here. She also several times a day removes her socks and puts them on her hands, just because she can.

Cut-ney & Silliness

2009-03-26T22:42:00.001-05:00

Courtney has started to know when she is acting silly. We get some enjoyment out of watching her put two suckies in her mouth, for example. She has just started saying her own name - she says it "Cut-ney." She is also stringing together some three or four word sentences like "go see Rufus" "Cut-ney eat peas" and "Where frog go?"

Island Party

2009-03-20T21:54:00.000-05:00

Tonight here at the convention we had an island-themed party with a steel drum band. Here's a photo above of Todd and me, and below me with my coworkers Eden & Wendy.

Point Clear Spring Break

2009-03-19T21:44:00.001-05:00

I am in Point Clear Alabama this weekend at the Grand Hotel for work. I am in charge of a convention here with more than 400 attendees, so this is one of the most intense weeks of my year. I'm here March 17-22 and I'm really not available to be anyone's mother this week. Luckily, this is Spring Break in Mississippi and my schoolteacher mother has the week off, so she is keeping Courtney at her house for us. I asked her to bring Courtney and make the 2 hour trip Wednesday to come down here and spend 24 hours enjoying the Grand Hotel. I was not able to spend much time with the two of them, but getting to see them both was fun. The convention photographer snapped these photos of us for me.

What I Was Doing Ten Years Ago Today

2009-03-13T07:00:00.005-05:00

Today is our tenth anniversary - we were married March 13, 1999. Excuse me while I'm mushy for a second: I love you, Toddly, and here's to many more years!
Wow - how young we look! So can you BELIEVE there was no digital photography back in 1999? (I'm sure it existed, but at least my wedding photographer didn't do it and I didn't know anyone else in Jackson who did.) I don't have any of these wedding photos on disk in good quality because they were taken using film. I happen to have these photos you see on this post because a few years ago, I laid the actual photos on my scanner and scanned them in. Since we have instant photos these days, it's just hard to imagine how we lived without a digital camera. Also, in 1999, I did not even own a mobile phone. Ten years ago, Todd and I threw some things in a 'wedding time capsule' and we looked at them the other day, and under "trends for 1999" I had literally written down "E-COMMERCE" as if it was some here-today, gone-tomorrow kind of thing.
Okay so let me ID everyone here. Todd and I are in the middle. In the green dresses: Julie, Beverly, Stacey, Kim, Laura and Diane. In the black tuxedoes, Breck, Ben, Tony, Dan, Bruce, my dad, Mike, Kevin, Scott, Sandon and Allen. Wow, that was before Todd even met Jake!

Obsessed with Clothes at 16 months?

2009-03-12T20:55:00.003-05:00

Okay this can't be happening: she's obsessed with clothes at 16 months. Courtney wants to spend interminable minutes struggling with clothing...wearing pants on over her head, stepping into the necks of shirts and struggling to walk. This can keep her occupied for 20 or 30 minutes during which she is whining in frustration....then when she has accomplished dressed status, she stands up and says Yay! Here's pics of her putting on some extra pants tonight. Additionally, she wants to wear my clothes. I take off a shirt or pair of pants in my closet, and she puts them on over her head. Also she wants to 'help' with the laundry, putting on smelly clothes and parading around the house.

ABC Song

2009-03-08T07:14:00.000-05:00

We thought this was cute - she ends the song with W, X, TUV!

Easter Pics

2009-03-07T09:47:00.004-06:00

This morning we went to our neighbor's house - Lisa Patti Photography - and had some Easter photographs taken of Courtney with baby chicks and baby bunnies. Then we came home and I took a few of her in her cute dress. The temp was 80 degrees today and I wore shorts for the first time this year. Here's some cute ones of Courtney in a cute spring dress. I brought out last year's basket and eggs for her to play with.

Teething

2009-03-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

We are teething this week and keeping Mommy up for several hours each night! Show off those pearly whites! These are the 6 that she already has and she is working on 4 more in the back.

First Haircut

2009-02-21T13:54:00.002-06:00

We took a little off the back this morning! Courtney had her first haircut because it had been looking like Shag City. We're growing out the front bangs so alas, those will continue to hang in her eyes. But she behaved like a little lady at the barber shop!

Mini-Wheats Half Size

2009-02-15T19:11:00.006-06:00

I am obsessed with this product - Kelloggs Frosted Mini Wheats Half Size in honey nut flavor. Click here for web site. And I am a mini-wheat hater from way back. For one thing I have never liked their ad campaigns - including the current one where a mini-wheat grows legs and arms and talks to kids. Also I have always thought they looked gross and I have never been tempted to try them.

So I'm changing my tune. Yum. These are the perfect size for a toddler to eat, now that she has a few strategically placed teeth. And I find myself stealing these out of her snack-trap! Mama Lyn found them at Wal-Mart - I have not seen these at the regular grocery store. These little wheats are really tiny - 1/2 inch or so - and tasty. The calories are about the same as my beloved Fiber One Caramel Delight and still have a respectable 6 grams of fiber per serving (compared to 9 grams for Fiber One Caramel Delight). By the way Fiber One has their own shredded wheat with 8 grams of fiber in that, but it's not TINY and CUTE and flavored with honey and nut.

She's a Dancing Machine...

2009-02-15T19:00:00.001-06:00

watch her get down.

Aunt Margaret & Uncle Ralph

2009-02-15T12:55:00.005-06:00

Today Aunt Margaret & Uncle Ralph were in town from Florida and came to see us and Courtney. I cooked a pot roast and we had a big Sunday dinner. Also, Kim and Charles came over from Monroe, La, and Mike came from Natchez.
Above, Mike, Courtney and Todd

Cupcake Adventure

2009-02-13T17:29:00.000-06:00

This was the day care's Valentine Party.

Courtney, Cookie & Elmo

2009-02-08T22:11:00.002-06:00

Courtney likes Cookie Monster and Elmo. We didn't start watching Sesame Street until seven days ago when I taped it and we watched an episode together, but she has had a stuffed Elmo, Elmo books, and an Elmo shirt, and at least one Sesame Street toy, so she is familiar with the characters.

CC and the Barstool

2009-02-04T21:34:00.002-06:00

Courtney is fascinated by the barstools and is always dragging them all over the dining room and hunching down underneath them. The other day I threw a blanket over the chair seat and made a 'fort!' She was really proud of that.

Learning to Use the Spoon(s)

2009-02-04T21:25:00.002-06:00

Here's a cute photo of Courtney learning to use the spoon. I believe this is yogurt she's eating.

Google Reader

2009-02-04T21:01:00.002-06:00

In praise of Google Reader, I have to post about it. It's an app that you use with your google account, and it enables you to keep up with updated blogs and other web sites. If there's a new post on any of the blogs you're following, it shows them. Just an easy way to keep up with other blogs and web sites without having to visit each of them daily. Check it out - add http://heyguytheblog.blogspot.com to your Google Reader (www.google.com/reader)!

Courtney Wearing My Shoes

2009-01-25T10:32:00.002-06:00

Recently Courtney has reveled in walking in my shoes or her father's shoes. Here's video of her putting the shoes in the right place and stepping in.

Bow Battle

2009-01-24T13:56:00.001-06:00

Courtney has never had a haircut, and her bangs are hanging in her eyes. Every morning I pull back her hair with a bow and she pulls it right back out. So I found an old huge obnoxious bow I used to wear in the 90s and I put it in my hair one morning. Then I said to Courtney, 'Mommy wears a bow in her hair, and Courtney wears a bow in her hair.' It worked for a little while before she pulled it out again. So now I try this every morning, putting one in my hair. I'm hoping she will leave it in for longer periods of time each day. (Edited to add photograph of this monstrous bow from the 90s!)

Courtney & Reilly Cat

2009-01-24T10:33:00.000-06:00

Courtney loves the live cats at the house as much as her stuffed cats (all named Meow). Here's Courtney interacting with the one live cat that doesn't run away - Reilly. Reilly is our 10-year old orange tabby and he's got a laid back philosophy about life. Babies don't seem to bother him as you'll see...

Bottle Battle Ends

2009-01-16T19:45:00.002-06:00

Today the Battle of the Bottle has officially ended, after about 16 days. We decided on Jan. 1 to begin phasing out the bottle, and it was tough on Courtney. I had been advised by the pediatrician at Courtney's 12-month appointment to make sure Courtney was completely off bottles by the time she was 15 months old, but I put it off for more than a month because of the holidays. She was getting such constant attention from visiting family members, plus our schedule was disrupted by traveling, so I admit I wussed out. But I decided New Year's Day to start the process. For the first 4 days we only offered sippy cups full of milk, and she completely refused them, going so far as to throw them on the floor. During the same time, she was drinking lots of juice and water out of these same cups - she just did not want to drink milk from them. On the 5th day, I broke down and gave her a morning bottle because I was starting to feel sorry for her. For the next 8 days or so she only had a bottle in the morning and sometimes at night. One day she and I went to Babies R Us and picked out some special "milk cups," which didn't help at first. So during these 16 days she went through the following: she would point to the bottles on the countertop and cry (I put them away after that); she would walk around and whine; she continued to throw the cups on the floor; she started pulling her own hair in frustration and saying "ow," which really broke my heart; on about day 10 she agreed to drink milk from the milk cup for the first time; and then by day 16 (today) she was taking the milk cup with no problems at all. It has not been very fun for us, and I don't think it was fun for her, but it's over. Until the next battle. Whew.

Biloxi Trip

2009-01-08T20:47:00.003-06:00

We're in Biloxi for a meeting for my work. (I just found the memory card with these photos on it and wanted to post before it's too late!) Here are the 4 of us couples together at Hard Rock Cafe Biloxi (never thought I'd say that). Robb, Fran, Pax, Jennifer, Hermine, Bill, me and Todd. We also ate at Mary Mahoneys and I took the photo below of the view of the Beau Rivage hotel from the restaurant. We are enjoying the Beau Rivage hotel room and especially the suite upgrade I got at no charge.

Mamaw and Pawpaws Visit

2009-01-03T20:50:00.002-06:00

Here's a picture of Courtney's latest trick. I had taken out the ladder while she was down for a nap, and I forgot to pack it up. Next thing I knew, she had found it. Note that she put her best purse over her shoulder for the trip up the ladder. I won't include the first photo I took - the one of her standing on the top step of the ladder - because I don't want to be reported to child services :-)
Here's Courtney with Mamaw and Pawpaw this weekend. She developed "armitis" again this weekend and did not want to be put down!

Our Girl Returns

2009-01-01T22:14:00.003-06:00

Mama Lyn and Courtney have had a vacation together this week. Courtney went home with her and stayed for a few days, and they have had a grand time. I went today to Hattiesburg to pick her up, and it was fun to see the look on her face when I walked in! But it wasn't a few minutes longer before she said "Daddy?" I told her Daddy was at home, and that Courtney was going to get in the car with Mommy and go home too. We are glad to have her home, and thankful that Mama Lyn enjoys keeping her sometimes so we can have dinner out and sleep til 8:30 a.m! Thanks Mama Lyn!
Courtney's favorite things to do with Daddy: sit in his lap and play the piano with him, be tossed in the air or turned end over end, picture flash cards, the chasing game, count to three, sing the 'happy and you know it' song, and play peekaboo.

What I've Been Reading

2009-01-01T22:01:00.003-06:00

On Audiobook: A Wrinkle in Time by L'Engele. Unabridged and read by the author. Great young adults book.
In Hardback: The Likeness by Tana French. Gripping. French does conversations like no one else. Satisfying ending.

Seven Pounds

2008-12-29T21:57:00.000-06:00

Courtney is at Mama Lyn's house so Todd and I got to go to dinner and a movie tonight. We saw 'Seven Pounds' on the strength of the Will Smith name alone - we knew absolutely nothing about the film and boy were we glad. Figuring out the plot was a lot of fun. I highly recommend this film - we really enjoyed it.

My Family Christmas Part 2

2008-12-27T22:07:00.000-06:00

This is part of Christmas photo-taking. My brother Breck and his wife Jen came after Christmas to our house to celebrate, and here is a photo of all of us taken with the trusty tripod. Unfortunately I don't have pics of My Family Christmas, Part 1, in Asheville. In all the childoproofing, baby-chasing-dog, wrapping-paper-shredding, I forgot to pose a group shot of my father and stepmother with us.

Christmas

2008-12-25T10:40:00.003-06:00

Christmas Eve in front of the fireplace.
Courtney Christmas morning, enjoying her new toys.

Trip Home - 13 Hours

2008-12-23T22:38:00.001-06:00

Not on anyone's top ten list of things to do - drive 13 hours with a 1-year-old. We did it on the 23rd coming home from Asheville to Jackson. Hour one was the worst - I-40 goes through a mountain pass and Curtain Climber got carsick, depositing her breakfast all over herself, the carseat and the car. Mommy felt a bit sick herself after that. I crawled into the back seat to clean her up and help her - we couldn't stop right away because through the pass there are no exits, so we kept going to Sevierville, TN, and stopped there at the trusty McDonald's playland (our 2nd visit there this trip alone). We changed her clothes and our attitudes and kept going. One of Todd's best ideas EVER is tossing a roll of paper towels into the back seat on any car trip. You just don't think about the multitude of ways those can be used until you really need them. Courtney was fussy but watched Baby Einstein and we all sang songs (went through the kids song CD twice!) to keep her calmed down. But truly, she couldn't have behaved any better if she had had a halo. After 10 hours of riding, we spent an hour in Meridian at the Chik Fil A play land (by the way they have diaper changing stations in the mens room there - they have won a lifelong fan in me!) and by then it was her bedtime, and she slept the final couple of hours home. We left Asheville at 8 a.m. Mississippi time and got home 8:45 p.m. Mississippi time, so it was more than 12.5 hours.

It's Cold Here in Asheville!

2008-12-21T11:53:00.003-06:00

The temperature is in the 30's here in Asheville, but the whipping wind makes it feel like much colder. Today Courtney, Todd and Grandaddy took a 10 minute walk and that was enough! Here they are bundled up.

Playplace

2008-12-20T14:00:00.001-06:00

I am going to rant here. We have never been so thankful for a McDonald's Playplace as we were today on our trip. We stopped there for an hour and let Courtney blow off steam before getting back on the road. She and we had never played at a McDonald's playground before, and they are great. They're indoors and have a variety of things for all ages. But here's my rant. Todd took her into the bathroom to change her diaper and they don't have diaper changing facilities in the mens' rooms at McDonalds! What? So I had to take her into the ladies room for a diaper change. I mean you might expect it at other restaurants but at McDonalds, come on! That really jangled my chain. Here she is enjoying the Playplace.

On the Road

2008-12-20T11:49:00.001-06:00

We have spent the better part of a day traveling to Asheville, N.C. to see my father and stepmother. Courtney has been a surprisingly peaceful travel companion! We spent the night Friday in Ft. Payne, AL, and the rest of the way on Saturday.

Counting

2008-12-18T20:31:00.000-06:00

Courtney thinks it's fun when we count to three. We do it a lot of course - on the count of three remove her shirt over your head - on the count of three pick her up - etc. So often she'll say "one" and want us to say two and three....and she sometimes joins in on the three. Here's video.

The Bigscreen

2008-12-14T18:20:00.001-06:00

Santa came to our house early this year and brought this big screen, which makes Todd really really happy. Paco also helped Santa out by making the slot in our entertainment cabinet bigger so it would fit. (Courtney loves the box this thing came in!)

Todds Family Christmas

2008-12-13T22:08:00.001-06:00

Tonight Todd's sister Kim, her husband Charles, and Todds father Mike, came over and we celebrated Christmas with them. Kim was in town showing her dogs at a dog show, so it worked out that everyone could be here at the same time. Here's Courtney playing with Pop (and she can say 'Pop'), and below, Todd and Charles and Mike and Courtney. I just realized I did not get Kim in a single photo - sorry Kim!

Christmas Photo Session Gone Awry

2008-12-07T22:35:00.001-06:00

Mama Lyn and I tried to take Christmas photos of Courtney today, but did not get anything special. So I'll use some photos from earlier in November for the holiday cards. Here's the best that I got. She was extremely interested in the Christmas lights, and I was allowing her to play with them only because of the photos, but that was a disaster because she stepped on a light bulb and broke it and the sole of her foot bled through her stockings. So lesson learned!

Courtney and the Fun Birthday

2008-11-30T17:00:00.003-06:00

I am late posting these fun birthday videos from 11.8 . . . enjoy.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T22:28:00.004-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Brookhaven at the home of Todd's aunt Dolores. Here is Courtney tormenting Charles by touching him as Mike looks on.
Courtney really liked Todd's cousin Kern and sat in his lap a lot.
Todd's cousin Kensy has a downtown loft apartment in Brookhaven and she gave us a private tour. The apartment is on the Brookhaven Tour of Homes so we were thrilled to get a sneak preview. Pictured in Kensy's kitchen are Kensy's mom Jody, Kensy, Kensy's grandmother Dolores, me and Todd's cousin Kay. This is the only group photo we took all day and it being Thanksgiving I really should have taken more photos. I should note that Dolores spent days cooking and preparing for us and we owe her a debt of gratitude for the love she put into the meal and hospitality.

Planting Pansies

2008-11-26T21:00:00.003-06:00

I took a 1/2 day from work today (it's the day before Thanksgiving and the day care was closed 1/2 day) and took advantage of the daylight hours to 'play outside' and plant some pansies. My potted plants were looking terrible - most had been killed in the recent freeze - so I had bought some red and white pansies. Mama Lyn was here and she took photos of Courtney helping me with the spade. Remarkably she has stopped putting everything in her mouth so I didn't have to worry about her eating dirt, this time. As for the above, that's Kitten chasing some bubbles, or 'buh-buhs' as she calls them.

Courtney Discovered the T.P. Roll

2008-11-23T22:42:00.000-06:00

So I walk into the bathroom and she has discovered the t.p. roll. She had to climb up onto the magazine basket to reach the roll, and she had unrolled all the paper from it. She kept telling me "up" - she was proud she had climbed up on the basket to get there.

Groupie @ Fondren Unwrapped

2008-11-20T22:15:00.002-06:00

Little one screaming while an unnamed teenage band plays in the background (at left) - she really liked the music and crowds at the Fondren Unwrapped event tonight. I was doing something earlier in the evening, and I met Courtney, Todd and Carl at the Fondren event, which is like a big street fair with lots of music, free food, and tons of sidewalking crowds. When I got there I dressed her in my jacket from the car because the temperature was plunging and she was wearing only a sleeper. Later I found her heavy jacket in the stroller bottom...don't know why Todd didn't mention he brought one...he just let me dress her in my too-big hoodie. :-) So anyway back to her liking the crowds - she is always saying 'hey' to strangers and waving. It's hard not to look at and talk to a little baby who is speaking to you. So for me, it's like going to the store with a pint-sized Lauren Conrad. :-)

Southern Miss Blackout Game

2008-11-15T21:56:00.000-06:00

Today was the Southern Miss blackout game at The Rock, and it was the last home game of the season. There is a new end zone balcony area where anyone can walk, so I ventured there and took these end zone shots. Southern Miss won convincingly!
Julie and me wearing our 'black out' attire. Todd and Jimmy were also there, but there's not a good picture of it. But they were similarly decked out.
After the game Todd and I went onto the field, which I haven't done in years. We wanted to touch the artificial turf, and watch the band's postgame show (pictured).

The Lil Chair

2008-11-09T21:41:00.003-06:00

Since Courtney was always climbing into her car seat and sitting down, we decided to find a baby-sized chair. This one is surprisingly sturdy and even if she falls out of it, she's not falling far. She likes to sit and watch out the window (below), while reading a book (above) and even watches Dancing With the Stars in it (while clapping to the music).

Kitten's First Birthday!

2008-11-08T22:25:00.006-06:00

Today was Courtney Kitten's first birthday. She was sick with a bad cold and had to go to the doctor in the morning, but after sleeping most of the day she was able to enjoy her party with all her grandparents and several aunts/uncles. Above, she is wearing her favorite shirt with a cat on it. She will carry this shirt around saying 'cat, cat' so we had an orange and black themed cat party. Also above, she was playing with balloons -her first time to have a balloon - and her hair was sticking straight up.
This is the cat cake I made for her. The eyes are jordan almonds and the whiskers and mouth are licorice. I had intended for it to look MUCH better than this, but that's how it turned out. I also made cupcakes.
Here's Courtney eating her cupcake. She had never had cake before, so it was new to her. She got icing stuck to her hand and tried to shake it off. Eventually she got the hang of it and ate the cupcake successfully.
Here's Courtney enjoying the new swing she received as a present. Todd finished our back yard deck just in time for the party and also installed chains so we could hang Courtney's swing on the deck. She loved it!
Here's the whole birthday party group in the picture - the only person not looking at the camera is the birthday girl. Front row from left is Mike (with sun over his face), Todd, me, Courtney, Lyn, and Breck (standing). Back row is Charles, Kim, Harold, Mary Lou, Ron, Jimmie, Jen. Thanks to all for coming from so far away for the party! Lyn came from Hattiesburg, Mike came from Natchez, Kim/Charles came from Monroe, La., Mary Lou and Harold came from New Orleans, Breck/Jen came from St. Louis and Ron/Jimmie came from Asheville. That's a combined 20 hours of travel time each way!

CC's First Halloween

2008-10-31T22:07:00.001-05:00

Today Courtney woke up with a terrible eye infection which we assume is the dreaded 'pink eye.' The doctor called in prescription eye drops and said she would continue to be contagious for 24 hours after beginning the eye drops. So that blew some of our Halloween plans out of the water. I had taken a vacation day to help out at the day care's Harvest Festival, but we did not get to go to that because of the contagiousness. Todd and I had volunteered to help at the neighborhood Halloween Bash at our neighbors' house, but she only came for a short time (with Mama Lyn) and stayed in the stroller most of the time. We couldn't let her get close to other kids so were trying to be cautious. However, she looked cute in her kittycat costume and really enjoyed wearing it! The photo above is of her in the antique dresser - which is our storage place for diapers. Sometime Friday she discovered how to open the dresser door and climb up on top of the diapers. She was quite proud of herself.
If you zoom in on those photos you can probably see that her left eye is red and swollen. Although she was irritable on Friday, her overall mood was good. Here she is standing at the Halloween Bash. As for the candy, she did not get any, although I did let her have a treat - a 100 calorie pack of Chips Ahoy, which she inhaled.

No Fail Quiche

2008-10-29T20:18:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged about my no fail quiche before, but I just did a search of past posts and apparently I haven't. Whenever I'm stumped for dinner, I make a quiche. I keep frozen pie crust on hand at all times for this. Tonight, I decided to make one with some leftover cooked shrimp and a bell pepper. Here's the recipe.
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup of something with fat in it - either mayo, reduced fat mayo, or sour cream or reduced fat sour cream
3/4 cup whatever cheese you have on hand, shredded
whatever vegetable you have, chopped
whatever meat you have, optional

Cook your pie crust in the oven alone for 7 minutes. While it bakes, beat your eggs with a whisk. Add salt, milk, your fat ingredient and shredded cheese. Whisk. Stir in chopped veggie and meat. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set. Easy.

CC and the Bath Water

2008-10-29T19:49:00.001-05:00

A certain little someone at our house loves to take a bath. Here's a short video of her enjoying tub time.

Mockingbird Play

2008-10-25T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight we saw the play, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Jackson's New Stage Theatre, and we both really enjoyed it. We have both read the book (me within the last year) and a lot of the dialogue was straight from the book. It was very moving and thought-provoking.

Jackson Zoo

2008-10-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

Mama Lyn and I took Courtney to the Jackson Zoo today. Truthfully she was more interested in eating cheerios and drinking from her sippy cup than looking at animals. But those darn monkeys caught her attention. I tried to keep going past the monkeys because of my sharp disdain for them, but those are one of the only things she focused on!
Here's a bear...
Here's a zebra.
And here's Mama Lyn and Courtney at the end. Special note - Todd visited the Jackson Zoo when he was almost exactly a year old. We have photos of both of his parents and him on the trip (they lived in Brookhaven at the time so it was an hour's drive). I'll try to scan those in.

Jalissa Left Today

2008-10-24T13:25:00.001-05:00

Jake and Melissa left today to resume their world tour and eventually land back at home in Sydney Australia. I was at work today but Todd and Mary Lou and Harold took them to the airport. Above, Jake, Melissa and Todd.
Mary Lou, Melissa and Jake.
Melissa and Courtney. Courtney got her first trip to the airport today, seeing them off.

Oh So Spoiled

2008-10-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

Curtain Climber got used to being picked up 24/7 this week with Jalissa and MoMo and PoPo here for an entire week. She also did not go to day care, so wasn't on a strict routine. This is her 'pick me up' request to Jake, who took this photo. We have enjoyed having the Australia crew here in town, as well as the Westbank crew. Courtney misses them a lot!
Here's Courtney with Jake and Meow.
Melissa, Jake and Courtney.

Courtney Saying Hey!

2008-10-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

I just thought this little video was cute! Mary Lou took this video I believe in our back yard.

Walking in Memphis

2008-10-18T21:13:00.000-05:00

Today we visited Graceland, Elvis's home, in Memphis. It costs about $30 and comes complete with an audio tour. Pictured above - me, Bill, Hermine, Tommy and Rita.
We also visited the Memphis Zoo - the entrance is guarded by these animal sentinels (above) who were charmingly dressed for Halloween.
An 8-day old baby giraffe was romping with its parent at the zoo. We also saw white tigers, giant pandas and other impressive exhibits. Lots of kids were there - it made me want to take Courtney to a zoo.
Tonight at dinner at Spindini in downtown Memphis, my friend Bill pulled out his Elvis glasses and sideburns for effect. I had to snap a pic.

Cue the Duck Bedlam

2008-10-18T13:00:00.001-05:00

The mob scene today at the Memphis Peabody, where they release the ducks at 11 a.m. each day with all the fanfare of a movie premiere, complete with red carpet, emcee and flash photography.

Memphis Trip

2008-10-17T22:59:00.002-05:00

I am in Memphis for work with about 30 others - we are having a great time. The only regret I have is that Jalissa is in Jackson, staying at our house. (You may remember Todd's brother Jake and his wife Melissa - they live in Sydney Australia.) We haven't seen them in about a year and of course I have to be out of town when they are in the states. They arrived Friday (today) after I had already left for Memphis. So Todd stayed home with our houseguests.
My room at the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis.

Tonight's dinner group at Blues City Cafe. They served us 6 different meat entrees (each), no kidding.
I could not resist taking a picture of Bill's blue suede shoes he wore tonight.

All You Can Eat Buffet

2008-10-16T18:59:00.001-05:00

Baby's version of an all-you-can-eat buffet: Grab the bag of Cheerios. Shake bag vigorously. Enjoy the buffet.

I've Been Tagged

2008-10-15T22:02:00.003-05:00

Blogtag. See the rules in the attached graphic. I was tagged by LOK of The Zoo, so the rules say I have to share random facts about myself, then tag others. First here are the tags. Then the facts.
Crump Connection
Davis Diary
Jalissa Olivier
Mader Family News
Woman About Town
Arr-Jay's Little Red Blog N Rouge
Everything & Nothing
1. One of my first jobs was actually driving to different towns and buying Coca Cola products for quality control purposes. We mailed the two-liters back to Coke headquarters.
2. I've visited Switzerland - my favorite town was Bern - and also took a day trip to France and Germany. When I return to Europe one day, I'd like to visit Normandy, where my paternal grandfather stormed the beach in 1944.
3. My favorite wine is pinot grigio, and my favorite wine store is Chan's in Destin, Fla.
4. I am inordinately afraid of having Courtney make an outburst in public. Ridiculously so. Like there is no way I could expect a baby to act any other way. However, I had an acquaintance who when she was asked 'smoking or non' at a restaurant, always said 'no children,' so I think about her and it makes me afraid of bothering people.
5. My favorite TV show is Project Runway, and the finale aired tonight. I taped it and haven't watched it yet. I will after I post this.
6. I know what happens when you press 'control, alt, down-arrow' on your computer at the same time. And how to return back again. (Try it.) I was taught this by my infant who was banging on the keyboard. And after an hour of web research, I was able to fix it.
7. My first dog Scuffer was a white and brown mutt with soft ears. My first cat was Pattycake, a white longhair, and I used to wheel her around in a baby stroller.

Mississippi State Fair

2008-10-12T21:52:00.004-05:00

Todd and Mike took Courtney to the Mississippi State Fair today - the last day it was open. I politely declined to attend this year. Luckily Courtney didn't eat any fair food and did not get sick. That may be the last year that will be true. So Courtney and her father rode several rides and walked through the petting zoo (which reportedly had a camel, goats and llamas). Mike took several photos so here they are. Todd showing Courtney a ride and Todd and Courtney on the giant slide. She also rode the mystery machine kiddie ferris wheel and the carousel. Reportedly she giggled and loved all the rides except the rocking boat.

Our Good Eater

2008-10-12T21:04:00.001-05:00

She has started eating with a spoon in her hand. She will scoop in the bowl with the spoon, but doesn't often get food on it. I can feed her with a second spoon, but she wants to palm one. Typical eating for a day is: Cheerios or other pickup for breakfast, cut up carrots or peas, plus cut up peaches, grapes or apples for lunch, then some spoon-fed veggie mixed with cereal plus some more pick-ups like cheese or a fruit for dinner. So far she has not refused any food I've offered her!

Waterbug

2008-10-09T22:17:00.001-05:00

She does not seem to mind the water at all - here she is putting her head under the faucet!

The Mommy Box

2008-10-07T21:01:00.002-05:00

Today I created a Mommy Box for the trunk of my car....containing essentials that heretofore I have often needed but been without. Waterproof cloth to sit on, sunscreen, first aid kit, wipes, extra diapers, bactine and bandages, tissues, etc.

Sprinkler System

2008-10-05T20:43:00.002-05:00

Tonight when Todd was watering the potted plants, Courtney was so curious about the spray nozzle....she squealed with delight as she ran through the spray, putting her hands into it, and literally pulling the nozzle and aiming it toward her face and head. For those of you up north, relax, it was 85 degrees in Jackson this afternoon!

Courtney the Mimic

2008-10-05T20:37:00.003-05:00

We will have to start watching our language around here - we have a little parrot at our house. This weekend she picked up the words 'hello' and 'flower.' The language isn't crystal clear, but I can tell what she's trying to say. This afternoon there were some neighborhood kids on their bikes and we were in the front yard, and she kept looking at them and saying 'Hello' - sounded more like 'heh-wo.' Here's some video of her trying to say 'flower.'

View from My Lounge Chair Today

2008-09-27T15:50:00.001-05:00

The temperature is in the mid 80s so it's good beach weather. I took a 40 minute walk on the beach today and the sand was pleasant to walk on.

We are at the Beach

2008-09-25T23:45:00.002-05:00

This weekend I am at the Alabama beach with (back) Jennifer, Barbara (front) Stacey, Beverly, me, Bev, Diane, Laura. We plan to shop and relax! Here's the view from my room at sunset.

Courtney and 'Meow'

2008-09-25T08:10:00.002-05:00

Courtney has started calling her stuffed cat 'Meow.' Here's video.

Southern Miss Tailgating

2008-09-20T23:52:00.003-05:00

Today was Southern Miss vs. Marshall at The Rock so we tailgated with Jimmy, Julie, Russell, Kim, Laura, Tara, and more. As soon as the game started it began raining, and steadily rained until the game's end. We had our ponchos, luckily, but it was still not the ideal football watching weather. And we lost the game. Here's some photos of the tailgating tent and Courtney's cheerleader outfit. The top kept riding up and her tummy kept showing.......so we decided she looked just like the 'real' cheerleaders at the game.

Shelling Peas

2008-09-13T23:58:00.001-05:00

My mother was kind enough to teach me how to shell peas today! We took Courtney to the farmers market in town, bought some crowder peas, and shelled and cooked them. I can't believe I never learned before how to make them myself!

Picnic Lunch

2008-09-07T22:20:00.004-05:00

We packed a picnic lunch today and strolled down to the playground of the school in our neighborhood. We took Rufus and Courtney and everyone behaved beautifully. The last time we went to the park and let Rufus off leash, he took off like a shot and we had to chase him a couple of blocks. This time he actually obeyed commands. Here's Todd and Courtney snacking on sandwiches, pears and chips (in Courtney's case, whole wheat bread and Cheerios).

The Swings

2008-09-06T22:12:00.002-05:00

Today we took Courtney to Sophie and Nelson's playground at a church less than .1 mile from our house - an easy stroll. The church was deserted on a Saturday so we don't think anyone minded. You can find two terrific blogs from Sophie's mom (Mader Family News) and Nelson's mom (Crump Connection) in the links on the right of this page. At any rate, Courtney loves the swings and squeals with delight when she's swinging. Here's an action shot.

Increasing Vocabulary

2008-09-04T22:26:00.002-05:00

Today CC said mama in the appropriate context! I'm thrilled because she had said dada for weeks and I was getting jealous. She can now say:
Dada
Mama
Bath
Cat
Baby
Bye-Bye

She is also starting to mimic our actions, which is really fun to watch.

Peekaboo!

2008-08-31T16:11:00.002-05:00

Courtney loves peekaboo and has just figured out that she can 'hide,' too! Todd got it on tape this morning. For more Courtney videos, go to youtube and search for user 'kris10phil.'