Basement Woes! :(

The Hackleman's are trying to get in the Christmas spirit, but we are struggling this year because we can't get our basement repaired from the flood we had 8 weeks ago! It is dry but still in complete disaray! They SAY they will be here Monday to re-carpet and fix Todd's bathroom floor. So needless to say, I have a torn up basement, no way to get to my Christmas tree under the stairs, and no where to hide my presents! Going to try to re-organize this weekend and hopefull make some progress...because many of you may know, I do live with Mr. Christmas!!! So I better get my blog updated too!

When You're 2...There Is A Purpose?!?

Tonight Reed was into everything as usual. Todd is working this evening so it has been just me and Reed. These nights are special because it is just Reed and Mommy so we play and we eat things for supper that Daddy wouldn't want...like breakfast. So we had chocolate chip pancakes and scrambled eggs. Reed ate so good that he got to get a "suher" aka "sucker" before bathtime. I don't really mind him having them because he usually takes about 10 licks and then puts it down somewhere and leaves it and then I can through it away. Well, tonight I noticed where he laid it down and I went to run him some bathwater. While I was gone...I heard clattering in the kitchen. He was standing on a chair getting into the cabinet where I moved the Glad Press-n-seal (to avoid Reed from getting into it when it was in the drawer!)He had Press-n-seal strung out about 4 feet trying to tear it off. So I tore it off and was going to through it away when Reed runs and gets his sucker and grabs the end and starts wrapping it up. I let him have the rest and he wrapped all 4 feet very meticulously around the sucker and then said..."save ater, mom!" Obviously, I had done this for him a few times and we saved the sucker for later! What I now question is whether this was his intent all along or if this was an after thought to avoid getting in trouble?!? :)

Man of a Few More Words...

Reed's vocabulary and personality are ever developing!! He has expanded his need to have certain items on his clothing to his diapers. He will only wear the ones with Mack from Cars on them (which is every other pull-up in the pack) I'm having to lobby to get any other car character on him without a major meltdown!

I have also decided to pursue the new look of the Sooners mascot...Boomer the Horse...Wagons aren't fun, but horses are! I will turn him into a Sooner yet, just you wait!

As for his vocabulary...I wanted to write down some of the phrases that he is constantly telling us about. He is now talking in more syllables and a few word phrases. He is obsessed with balloons still and is highly concerned about the red balloon popping in the book Goodnight Moon. And finally...I get to be "Mommy"! He has always called me "Mom" and I didn't think I'd ever get to be "Mommy" but after he came home from Nana's I've been Mommy ever since.

Here are some of his phrases:
"Boon popped!"
"Boon high up sky"
"Reed jump high!"
"Prune's bone" (Truman's bone...)
"No, no Jack..."
"Dat, byebye to house"
"Dat, nighnigh house"
"Dalt bite Reed"

Stay tuned for more phrases!!

Where were the boys?

Well, with this fun girls weekend going on...the Hackleman boys had to find something to do...So Todd went to see the Tigers beat K-state and Reed went to Nana & Papa's to see the cows! He was very excited and so were they. He spent the whole weekend there and slept all night there without waking up for the first time! Yea Reed!! He talks non-stop about "Nan and Papa". Nana said he was Papa's boy all weekend and she was going to have to work on that! She is constantly amazed about how much he remembers about her house as he only gets to go there about once a month or so. Apparently though, he is a boy that likes for everything to have a place (except his toys at home!) He doesn't like Papa to were his farm boots in the house, he makes him leave them in the garage and hang his hat up on the hook every time. He also makes sure Nana has the rubberbands on the cabinet doors so that he can't get in them! If she leaves one undone...he tells her. She loves it!

Economic Stimulus

The Thompson girls did there part this weekend to stimulate the economy. Audrey, Mom and I spent the weekend together in Wichita shopping. We got a lot done and had a lot of fun! We went on a staycation...here in Wichita. We stayed in Old Town and shopped til we all dropped...not just Audrey! It was great to spend some time togehter and missed the snow thank goodness...because that would have dampened the Christmas spirit we had going on! Although we all missed the men in our lives young and old, there is something good for the soul hangin' with the powerful women you love the most. Especially when they are your mom and sister!

Growing Vocabulary!

Having a two year old is fascinating. Daily I am surprised by how much he learns and how much he is changing. He is starting to talk more and more and sometimes talkes in 3 and 4 word phrases. He loves animals! He saw a neighborhood cat in the yard last week and about chased it down the block before I could catch him...(Reed is getting faster and Mom is getting slower) He was not satisified about the whereabouts of the cat until I told him that the cat had gone to his house to eat his lunch. (It was lunch time and I was trying to get Reed to come in from playing to eat lunch at the time) Now everytime we go outside or we sit down to eat, Reed asks "dat? byebye, ouse? unch?" so, if he asks...Yes the Cat went ByeBye to his House to eat Lunch!

Trick or Treating!

We had a great time trick or treating this year! We were invited to join our good friends the Rockley's in their neighborhood of College Hill. Some of you may have seen on TV the neighborhood in this part of Wichita goes all out! They block off the street and decorate their houses with themes! It was so fun. We loaded the little ones in the wagon and off we went. Reed just took it all in! About the the fourth house, he was standing on the steps in the middle of the fake fog and smoke and big spiders where going up and down the side of the yard, he looked up at me and said "WOW!" then just looked down and off we went! I don't think he said another word the whole night. He figured out pretty quickly that you just have to look cute and hold up your bucket and nice ladies will put candy in it...and if you are cute enough and keep holding it there before your mommy makes you move it they will give you more! Can't wait for Christmas! What fun it is to be two!

It Must Be Genetic!

As hard as I have tried to turn my son in to a Sooner, the Tigers are winning out at this stage of his life! The other day he would not play ball without having his "Tige" hat on...Todd's hat...he couldn't even see the ball! His Daddy was so proud!

Pumpkin Paintin'

We have not gotten our carving done yet, but we did color on them and stick them with "Mr. Pumpkin Head" pieces! That will entertain a little boy for a least 2-3 minutes! Here are some of our masterpieces!

Readin' Books

Reed has FINALLY gotten interested in reading books, not only for me to read to him, but here is a video of him reading his FAVORITE...The Big Red Barn.

"Pump" Patch

Today after a horribly stressful OU/TEXAS game, we went to the Pumpkin Patch to get our Pumpkins for Halloween! I guess this has become a short lived tradition as this is the same weekend we went last year. I remember OU lost to Texas last year before we went also. I thought it might cheer me up to go, so we tried it again this year! I hope the losing to Texas part does not become a tradition as well!

We had a great time and got 3 "pumps" as Reed calls them in his one syllable language. The only words that have more than one syllable are "Melmo" aka Elmo and 'Ga-ma' aka Grandma Thompson.

I think Reed's favorite thing at the pumpkin patch was the slide, which I took him down right after we got there and went so fast the first time I slid off the end and landed backside first in a big sandy puddle of water! What a great way to continue the day!

We then played in the hayfort, fed animals, played on the swings and smaller slide, took a barrel ride and then rode with the "tract" out to the "pumps" Reed tried to lift all the "pumps" and only managed to shot put a few before we got a handle on him. He had a great time and so did we...can't wait until Halloween comes!

"Mom Bite Reed"

Our latest adventure at the Hackleman House involved a Norwex party at our friend Robin's house on Monday evening. We went over early to play with Nolan and our favorite babysitter Hannah (I think this might be Reed's first crush! He loves Hannah!) Anyway, about 6:55PM - the party started at 7:00PM, Reed helps himself to Robin's refridgerator! So, I am trying to get him out of there and figure out what he is saying so I bend over to hear him and lift him. He is standing directly in front of me under my chin and he is asking for a Diet Coke...well, like any good mother I said "No, we don't need Diet Coke right now". Well...this caused an IMMEDIATE reaction of jumping and head thrusting backward...straight into my two front teeth! I felt my tooth go into the top of his head and as I turn away and try not to say bad words, I think that his head must really hurt! This reaction was somewhat delayed, as if he couldn't believe it was happening...but yes, he was hurt and bleeding rather profusely all over Robin's kitchen...oh, and screaming! After Randa and I got the blood stopped and Robin gave him a Diet Coke, life was shaky..but livable. We stayed for the rest of the party and finally made it home only for Reed to tell his Dad..."Mom bite Reed!"

The bite proved to be worth it, because he got to sleep with Mom and Dad that night secondary to a very sore head!

Birthday Party Survivors!

We survived Reed turning 2!!! It was a really fun party. We had to have it in the garage because Todd aeriated the yard and it rained so it looked like we had "lots of dog poop" in our yard as my nephew so kindly put it!

The pinata was a hit! Reed loved the suckers as you can tell in the pictures. Reed loved his cake and he as asked for cake everyday since. He must be his father's son!

Reed really loved all his presents. The Little People Fun Park is great! It has a "vroom" (car) that goes down the roller coaster and Reed has put everything that rolls down the the track! He loves his monkey that Daddy got him and the medical set Grandma gave him. We have colored with the bathtub crayons everynight as well. Aunt Audrey, Reed can draw a mean "RRRRARRRAARR" (tiger)! Oh, and the view finder is fun, but still a little scary...he can figure out how it talks to him! Funny!

Or favorite might be "MelMO" Reed dances with it and claps...it is hilarious. He wanted to take all his presents to daycare this morning!

Birthday Balloons

Todd and I are having Reed's birthday party for family and friends on Saturday so we saved big presents for the party. So today we did birthday cupcakes and treat bags to daycare and when we got home, Daddy brought BALLOONS!!!! Or, in Reedspeak..."booons!!!" He was so excited. He had to hold on with one hand and eat with the other. We had to take them in his room and tie them on the closet door so he could see them until he fell asleep! All you need when you are 2 is birthday "boons!"

Dot Dogs, Mom!

Today was Reed's 2nd birthday! I can't believe that he is 2 years old already. Time flies when you are having fun and I am amazed everyday for his sure zest for life. He is a happy, ornery little boy! Not a baby any more, but a little boy. I was talking out loud tonight to him like I have always done his whole life, and I asked him what we should have for supper tonight, not really expecting an answer and he said "dot dogs, mom" However, I didn't quite understand so I said "what about the dogs?" He stomped and pointed at his tummy and said "dot dogs!" I don't think he meant that he was a HOT DOG, so I asked if that was what he wanted to eat. This produced BIG smiles and claps! So we had hot dogs and cake. It is only your birthday one time a year!

"Showerin"

Reed and I went to Lowe's the other day for Todd. We went by ourselves and Reed and Mommy had a talk about being good in there, for what ever reason he is a maniac in that store and I was unsure I'd be able to buy all the large items on Todd's list and contain the maniac!

However, Reed was exceptionally good, so he got to get a prize while we were there. He got his on watering can! He is very excited. However, he calls it a "shower" So now in addition to playing T-ball every night when we come home we also have to "shower" everything...but mostly plants and the spots that Todd has planted new grass in...just like Daddy! It is cute. I got some pictures on my phone, but I haven't been able to get them to upload yet. Hope to soon!

Sleepy time - night 3!

So the saga continues, with better success so far. This Momma relented last night after MUCH climbing out of the crib and putting back in and sitting on the floor in Reed's room. So at 3:00AM I let him in bed with me so I would not injury anyone today!

Tonight we removed the springs completely off the crib and set the mattress on the floor inside the crib frame. The crib is containing him to this point. Only about 15 minutes of crying tonight and sleep...we will see how long it lasts. Since contained I opted for no sitting on the floor! I'm to old for that business! Lets hope we make it through the whole night. Bed time is getting better I do believe.

Sleep Trials...and Tribulations....

I am sure many of you know all my stress with Reed and sleep his whole little life. This kid is a bad sleeper, and although I don't mind him sleeping with us that much, he was starting to just be an absolute BEAR to get to bed and to stay there no matter where he was. So after much discussion and some research Todd and I decided that we had to get him in his own bed and he had to stay. Reed doesn't know how to go to sleep by himself. He needs a lot of crutches, or has used a lot of crutches and now that he is older is really working the system, and this mommy is tired!

We are two nights into our new sleeping method, (which is really just common sense and a little tough love)and so far so good. Tonight was better than last night and I have high hopes that in two or three days we will be good to go.

Last night, he stayed in his crib if I was sitting in there. I tried not to touch him too much as me holding him is his biggest crutch. He was pretty steamed, but then he got so tired and pathetic that he stuck his little (well, not so little, we are talking about Reed)foot out of the slates in the crib for me to rub his foot. I just rubbed his big toe with my thumb and that was all he needed. Tonight there was minor foot rubbing but mostly sitting a little farther away and much less crying. But, boy does that kid try to stay awake! He might miss something you know!

Car Woes!

Well for those of you who have been following ALL the car woes I have had through out my life, you know that when it comes to vehicles, if I don't have bad luck I don't have any. And admittedly some of my many woes could have been avoided, some are just pure STINKING BAD LUCK!

Last month I was driving down K-15 highway, going the speed limit and thinking I was on time to see my next patient(for once)! When out of the wild blue yonder and across two lanes of traffic I see a vehicle driving very fast into the oncoming traffic! In other words right at the cars in the lane next to me! I think, oh dear this person must have had a heart attack or stroke to lose control like that. Just then his car strikes a one way street sign and the post and all come catapulting across one lane of traffic and it is headed at me like a javelin! I managed to veer right onto a cross-street but to be limited by an oncoming train so I could go no farther to the right, only to be hit by the sign on my front bumper. I did however, manage to avoid rear-ending the car in front of me that slammed on the brakes and getting rear-ended by the car behind me. Did I mention we were all going about 50 mph? Who says that I can't defensively drive and that you don't use physics in real life! I was all about judging speed, angles, trajectory, and space to limit the collision as much as possible. Thankfully no one was hurt, not even the driver of the other car. I still don't know what he was doing, but my car will soon be getting repaired for the $2000.00 worth of damage the one-way street sign inflicted.

TODAY!!! Oh, boy...I got my LOCKED car broken in to at a patient's home at 11AM today. Now, stupid that I left my purse, cell phone and GPS in the car, but I am not a pack mule and I don't take everything I own into every home. I hid my purse and GPS. Phone was in the purse along with my wallet, my valuable plastic cards, and Todd's and my passports were still in there from vacation. My car had no visible damage and apparently there is technology that allows people to copy your remote entry signal to gain access to your car! That is what the WPD think happened. So, I am recovering from nausea and heart failure and a day on the phone protecting my identity and bank accounts.

Just like Grandma's

Reed is very busy these days and one of his tasks is to put everything (but toys) back where they go or where he thinks things should go. He is a kid that thinks everything has a place...I hope this doesn't change about him, but I realize that it may just be his age and a phase, however Todd is a lot like this and I am not, so we can hope, right.

Well, this week I bought some oranges at the grocery store and Reed keeps trying to get them out of the refrigerator and telling me something I can't understand. I thought he thought they were balls and wanted to play with them...so we have had several episodes over the oranges, well today, he managed to get them out without me catching him and moved his chair over to the table to stand on so that he could put them in the basket on the table that currently holds the mail. When I took them out, to put them back he got out the apples to do the same...then it dawned on me. Grandma Thompson has a fruit bowl on her table and we were there on Tuesday, and duh mom. That's where the fruit goes! When I asked him, he just gave me the Reed/Todd head nod, like "of course! you crazy lady!"

What can I say...I gotta smart kiddo!

End of Summer!

Another Reed antic this weekend was when Todd took the pool down. It was sad, as we finally digested this as the end of the summer, which we love...but with fall brings football season and many ensuing arguements in the Hackleman house.

But...to Reed and the pool. We have an above ground pool for those that don't know and we took it down this week and are waiting for it to quite raining to dry out so we can store it. While waiting for this, Todd had the pool ladders sitting out by the shed and we were out playing in the yard with the dogs. Everyone is running around laughing and Truman and Reed are playing chase...all dog and child noises are normal. I turn my back to say something to Todd and hear a squeal and a bark only to find Reed standing at the top of the pool ladder peaking over the fence and jumping up and down because he can see the dog that he can normally only hear barking! He is ALL the WAY on the other side of the yard from me and I am terrified that he will go over the fence before I can get to him...it was a very long walk, but I made it and under much protest, got him down unharmed...time to go color the new gray hairs that surfaced this weekend!

Lazy weekend!

The Hackleman's took time this weekend to do NOTHING! Boy did we need it! Reed needed some Mommy time and Mommy needed some Reed time, so we got rid of our OU tickets and stayed home. We played outside on Saturday, went to the park, got REALLY dirty, came inside and Reed got into EVERYTHING and loved it...did I mention he might not live to see 2 years old? Either his mother will most willingly take him out of this world from pure frustration or he will do it himself from pure curiosity!

He is so inquisitive, or nosy...which ever you like that he wants to see what is going on everywhere all the time. So, I was making French toast on Saturday morning and he wanted to see, so I let him help me dunk the bread...that was really NEAT, he clapped with every piece. To do this, I let him stand on a chair...which now he thinks he can do anytime anywhere. He just moves the kitchen chair to what ever he wants!!!

Not So Relaxing Weekend...

Labor day weekend, has meant a weekend of work for the Hackleman house. I was on call for the first time this weekend at my new job, which I thought would be about 1 maybe two patients on Saturday that I could do in the morning and be finished, but it turns out my weekend has consisted of 2 admissions and 2 evaluations and 1 follow-up visit for tomorrow. I enjoy my patients and what I do, but after a continuing education weekend last weekend and then working all day yesterday, part of today and part of tomorrow I am already ready for next weekend and spending a some days with my boys! This week is going to be a BUSY one and then I am going to get tough about saying NO and taking on too many patients...No more than 6-7 in a day! I'm sticking too it, I am. I am.

We did have a good time at our friend Nolan's birthday party. Reed jumped in the bouncy thing, rode in the Arctic Cat jeep, fed the fish, ran all over their giant yard, whacked a pinata a few times with a bat! What more could a boy ask for? Oh, we ate ice cream and cake too!!

Reed and his new words!

As you can imagine, Reed's world is new and exciting everyday. He is almost two and quite the independent little man! He would like to wear a "ball" shirt EVERYDAY just like Daddy. He points to Daddy's shirt that has a ball on it somewhere (usually) and says "dad, ball" then points to his shirt and says "me, ball" and looks at me like I should have been smart enough to figure that out on my own!

Tonight we were obsessed with "poo chorts" aka pool shorts or swimming trunks. He wanted to where them to daycare this AM and then tonight he wanted to get in the pool even though it was only 70 degrees outside. Couldn't get him in when it was 98, but now that it is cool we are all about he "poo chorts"!

Great Vacation

Todd and I had a great trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico! We celebrated our 5th anniversary a week late by going on an all-inclusive trip. We had a great time doing NOTHING!!! We were so boring...we laid at the pool or the beach all day everyday for 5 days. We slept through the night without an almost two year old waking up or wedging his head, feet, or both into one or both of us! Big thanks to Nana and Papa Hackleman for keeping Reed for the week. I don't know who had more fun, us, Nana and Papa or Reed. We were all glad to be home to see each other, but Todd and I are missing the beach and the tropics just a little bit...Check out our slide show for our scenery pictures.

little behind on the blogging!

Geez! I guess we have been busy this month! I am a lot behind on the blogging. I'll try to do a run down of the last month in the days to come with pictures and all, but first I have to go to Mexico on my anniversary trip! Maybe I'll do some blogging in our down time while I'm sitting by the pool, drinking a fruity drink and catching some rays!!!

Weekend at Nana's!

Well, it is Monday night and we are all exhausted after a fun filled weekend at Nana and Papa Hackleman's. We got home last night about 7:30 and to our pleasant surprise it was 20 degrees warmer in Kansas than it was in Missouri when we left 3 1/2 hours earlier! We were really lucky while we were there, because while it was humid, it was only 79 degrees most of the weekend. We got to play outside a lot and Daddy got to go do some fishing with Papa and the Hackleman Twins! Reed and Mommy got some much needed Nana time as Reed got acquainted with Nana's house again. Reed will be staying there during my week of camp so it was good to go and spend some fun time. Mommy was extremely thankful that all of Nana's prettys survived Reed and his throwing talents. Reed impressed everyone with his T-ball abilities. Papa thinks we may have a left-handed Albert Puhols on our hands! We can only hope! ;) He did not impress anyone with his sleeping abilities. He is the worst traveler ever!! That kid does not sleep in a foreign place...at all! Todd and I were exhausted by Sunday! Poor Daddy drove us home while Reed slept the entire way and Mommy slept 2 hours! We were all glad to be home in our own beds last night, just sorry we had to leave them this morning!

Updated Pictures!

Our Boy is Getting Married!!!

No, no, don't worry we did not set Reed up in any kind of arranged marriage! I am talking about our "first" boy, Rickey! Some of you know him as Slick, some of you know him as Rickey Bobby!, but he was our first Derby Twin baseball player. He lived with us for 2 summers and is as much a part of this Hackleman family as any of us. We love him dearly and want to congratulate him and his new bride-to-be, Lacey! We are so excited for them and have the date on the calendar. We will be heading to Mississippi next June! Yea Rickey!!!

A Little Behind...

Jeez! I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since I wrote on here. I guess we have been busy!

Baseball is still going strong. Dan, our boy, is starting to see some more playing time and secondary to an injury of the other catcher he may get more than he planned. This is good as he was a red-shirt last year at UCSB and hasn't seen live pitching in a year so the repetition and at-bats are welcome. We have been to most of the Twins games, but if you have every been with an almost 2 year-old then you know that you don't "see" much of the game! I am exhausted when I come home from these and question my sanity for making the decision to go each and every time! I hear my mother coming out in me saying "Reed, you need to sit!". You know, I have heard this my whole life...you sit at ballgames, you don't run around. Well, we run around because I can't sit with REED! I feel like I played the game! On the bright side Reed has made some new friends. I am not the only crazy mother with a two year-old there. The coach's wife has one too, and she is 8 months pregnant! She wins the CRAZY award! The boys play really well together and have fun "playing baseball" on the side.

Work is getting busy for me and I am learning the art of saying NO. I know what you are all thinking. I should be good at this because I live with Reed and that is about all you say in a 24 hour period with him, but I am not so good at work...I am at home! :)

I have built my schedule up and actually am a little busier than I want to be, but that will cycle as I discharge and learn how to manage what I have and learn how to work with a new PTA...boy do I miss my dear friend and colleague Amy!

Todd is staying busy as well. He had a HUGE tournament for fastpitch girls softball the weekend before the fourth of July. 43 teams. That is his biggest ever. It went great, other than some extreme heat. We didn't see him for about 72 hours! Reed and I really miss him when he works weekends like that. We got some good family time in over the 4th though.

Baseball in Full Swing!

We have been playing a lot of baseball at our house and have lost many balls via storm drains in the street, dogs eating them, or Reed eating them! But, we hope to continue to get to play more this weekend.

We enjoyed a T-ball game of my nephews last week. Reed loved it, but soon found all the discarded seeds, crackers, and cigarettes more interesting than the game! Yucky!!! Thank goodness Grandma was there to help out. We had a great time and Connor and Caydan did so good. They both had some really good hits!

Today we picked up our Derby Twins player at the airport. His name is Dan Camou and he is a catcher from UC-Santa Barbara. He was greeted by a downpour of rain and was disappointed we weren't having any tornadic weather! He is a really nice kid and we look forward to getting to know him. He is most likely a keeper...he plays ball with Reed and the dogs! Should fit in nicely.

By the way...did you see my boy hitting that ball! This week he is batting mostly left and throwing right...sometimes he hits right, but he is much better and fluid from the left side. Look at that extension!

Not much new in the Hackleman World!

There is not much new in our world. We just keep on keeping on. We had a great weekend this last weekend. We spent Friday evening with our great friends at a fish fry. There was lots of food, fun, laughter, and kids! We had such a good time, we were out until the late hour of 10PM!! Todd and I laughed on the way home about how our lives have evolved...and we wouldn't want it any other way! We are so blessed.

We spent Saturday trying to get our pool ready for the summer!!! YIPPEE!! So as Todd and his friend Darren were laying it out we decided to have an impromptu BBQ. Lexy, the chicken was AWESOME!!! You should have stayed! Thanks to Lexy and our catch up talk..I also got the kitchen cleaned up! The BBQ was great fun as well, Kori (our babysitter and Darren's wife) came over with their kids. The kids played int he water while the pool was filling up, I didn't get pictures as I was fixing food, but it was picturesque watching Reed wave the hose around like a maniac! He was squirting everyone including himself, but couldn't quite figure out how the whole thing worked! It was a hoot!

Sunday we rested after church...which was a workout with Reed. Reed and I took a 2 hour nap on the couch and it was the sweetest thing ever! I love to snuggle and so does my baby, so I'll snuggle as much as he will let me. It was a great memory! We then "helped" Dad dig up some pampas grass, and played some T-ball. You should see Reed hit the ball! Fun stuff!

Monday Kori was sick, so Grandma came to the rescue since she was in town. Reed spent the day with Grandma Thompson, Aunt Audrey and the Pore boys! I got off work at 3:00 so I went over and played some baseball and some croquet before Reed and I headed home. Have I told anyone that I love my new job!

Derby Days and More

This weekend is Derby Days, the town's summer celebration. Today, Reed and I along with my friend Susan and her daughters went to the Carnival and the Kidfest! It was so much fun!!! Reed wrangled some ducks in the petting zoo. He was speedy! He caught the poor slow fellow at the back of the pack. We petted a "moo" or a donkey, a "moo" or a horse, and a "baby moo" or a calf! At least he was right about one of the three! All the birds were "ducks" and I guess he was at least in the right category! He kicked and screamed when our turn in the pen was over! We then went to the kids' tent and played in the "rice" box (like a sand box but with rice) Reed and Addie would have stayed there all day if we'd have let them. Our next stop was the carnival rides. Reed loved the carousel and didn't want to get off! We finished off the day with dinner with Grandma Thompson and Caydan and Connor at Talliano's. We came home and played in the sprinkler bug thing I bought Reed at Target! It has crazzzy arm things that wave around when water goes through them. Reed was a little afraid of it, but Connor and Caydan got him to go through it with them and then Reed wanted "ma go"...so Ma ran through the sprinkler and so did Grandma, but Ma had on her swimming suit, but Grandma did not!

Good Timing...Less Stress

Well, I have been at my new job for a full 7 days over a 2 week period, but so far it is great. There is some anxiety with learning a new culture, but it will be fine as soon as I learn the paperwork and all the rules. I did get to see 3 patients independently on Friday and everyone survived, me and them! It was a little rough, but I made it. The schedule is fabulous and it is a whole new kind of challenge. Not boring, like I thought it might be. The amount of stress that has been reduced from my life is amazing. I feel 20 pounds lighter! Makes life at my house much more pleasant.

Memorial Day Weekend - Thurs/Friday

When I started this long weekend (I took Thurs-Mon. off) I fully intended to blog daily about our great family weekend. Obviously, we were having so much fun that I didn't get it done! What can I say other than we just have had the best 4 days.

THURSDAY: I was off to clean house, take Jack to the vet, run Reed-proof errands and do some computer orientation that had to be done for work so Reed went to daycare. So, that evening we started our family time by eating at Applebee's and then going to PetCo to get Jack and Truman new collars and Truman a harness so that we can start our family walks again.

FRIDAY: We loaded up in the AM and went to the zoo. Poor Reed feel asleep on the way there so he got a quick 15 minute power nap in before we got going. After everyone got all awake and loaded off we went on our trek. We went to the farm part first. I don't know why this is so fun, when we see this stuff everyday, but the petting zoo is pretty neat for the little ones I guess. At the farm we say Jzheep, Moos, and Ducks (any large feathered creature) If Reed can't say the name of the animal then you get a point and a "see, see, see" until you acknowledge that you have seen it. The penguins weren't playing much so they were hard to see, so we went for the reptile house. Reed loved the swimming turtles and being able to walk along the step to see in all the windows. He pointed and said "see" in everyone but I can honestly say I don't think there was anything in a few of them. We skipped the jungle/rainforest and North America other than the bears and headed for Africa and the new Tiger Trek. Reed loved all of these animals even thought the hippos, lions, and rhinos were "taking naps". I think he liked the tigers the best. He was pretty infatuated with the "monks" too but he was so tired by then that he could hardly stand up. We took the wagon and the backpack/leash so that he could walk some in a semi-controlled state. I do not have the child that will calmly hold your hand and walk where you would like him to. I swore I would never get one of those leash things, but then I had Motor-Man Reed. He RUNS everywhere! He is lightening quick too...minus the leash he would have been in the middle of the Asian Forest! I think he walked about 8 miles and loved every minute of it. Todd and I thought surely that he would crash on the way home, but oh no...another 10 minute power nap and he was back at it. Finished off the day with a trip to Lowe's to get flowers/plants and then came home to work in the yard while Reed played in the sprinkler. He wasn't so excited about the sprinkler, but thought it was great to have Daddy squirt him with the hose and to have Daddy pour water from the watering can on him like a shower! We tried one more time to take a nap,but no luck! I think Reed was so glad to have both Mommy and Daddy home and playing that he was afraid to miss something. He finally crashed for the night at around 9PM...boy was Mommy tired...happy but tired.

Here are some pictures from our day!

Cruisin'

This is a video of Reed learning to drive at Grandma Thompson's. I don't think we quite have it down yet!

First Trip to the ER!

I knew we would eventually make it to the ER, but I figured it would be because Reed jumped off of something or sliced something or someone open, not because of allergies! Apparently Reed is extremely allergic to either peanut butter or grape jelly. He had a PB&J for supper, which he has had before without any excitement, and about 2 minutes after he licked all the PB & J off the bread he started crying and scratching his neck. He was frantic!! I thought something was biting him, so I ripped off his shirt to see hives EVERYWHERE!!! I grabbed him and the phone and called our family PA at home (also a close friend) he advised me to go to the ER, so off we went. Todd wasn't home from work yet, but he came up after us. Reed screamed the whole way and scratched!!! They were great about getting us in and back, however a few of the nurses were kind of rude, but mostly they were all really nice considering I had a RED, SPLOTCHY, SCREAMING, toddler.

Luckily he never had any breathing issues, they quickly (as quickly as you can with a toddler) got an IV line and then got him some medication. We had to stay for 2 more hours for observation, which Reed slept through most of it. He woke up for the last 20 minutes we were there and tried his darnedest to make a get away. He tried walking out himself, he tried getting Mommy to carry him, Daddy to carry him, but no luck! When the nurse shut the door ...he went ballistic. Todd thinks he is a smart kid to not like the hospital. We are finally home this evening and Reed is resting. He has no more rash or hives but we are to watch him for the next several hours and into tomorrow. It was serious enough that we brought home a script for an epi-pen for kids and a strong recommendation to see an allergist! Fun, fun, fun. I now get to start the fight for a referral...wonderful HMO's! It will be a fight well worth it to keep Reed safe and out of the ER! It was a scary thing! I am grateful that all is well and that we are resting easier tonight. I pray that we will have a blessed night and all get some rest!

Fun Clothes to Work!

I went and signed all the paperwork for my new job today over the lunch hour. All very boring stuff, except the dress code...Capris are okay to wear, walking shorts are okay to wear, jeans on Fridays, sandals in the office just not in the home! My of my what will I do! I am way excited to say the least. I hope I can enjoy some summer that is not all work this year!

My Baby's Gettin' Big!

Many of you have heard all about my sleep dramas or (lack of sleep) dramas with Reed. He hasn't been a good sleeper from Day 1. He was restless and colicky. He wanted to eat all night when nursing. Then we let him sleep with us out of survival for everyone to sleep, until I wasn't sleeping because the motion man was kicking me in the gut all night! I decided that 40 weeks of that from the inside was plenty, he didn't need to do it from the outside! So we got tough and cried it out, well, kinda tough...and it took several times. FINALLY, he has been consistently sleeping through the night in his own bed! I have still been rocking him to sleep after a story and a Baby Einstein video (only thing the kid will sit still for) but the last two nights he hasn't wanted to go to sleep with Mommy rocking, so I've put him in his bed and he would go to sleep like a big boy (only a little whining and whimpering) BUT, tonight...after our story, mid-video, he sat up with his blanket tucked up by his face in one hand, rubbed his eyes and said "Mo, (pointing to his room)" I asked if he wanted to go "night-night in his bed like a big boy?" He gave the ever so Todd like single head bob indicating an affirmative. So I picked him up, he laid his head on my shoulder, and I carried him to his room. Before, I laid him down he grabbed my neck and gave me a kiss! I about couldn't tell him good night for the tears in my throat! He curled up with his blanket and whimpered himself to sleep in about 30 seconds! What a big boy! Bittersweet to let the baby go, but Todd told me not to worry that he will probably be back tomorrow!

3 more days!

I have 3 more days at my current job. In many ways, I am sad to be leaving, but in many more ways I am excited to start the next phase of my life. I am looking forward to less responsibility and more time with my family. That smile of Reed's is all I need to see everyday to know that this is the best decision I could have made.

Blowin' Bubbles!

Tonight Reed and I had one of those special, make a memory moments! Reed loves to play outside, especially after we get home for the day! Today, he ran and got the bubble bucket and said 'mo (phew)' Phew is the blowing sound like when he blows on hot food. "mo" is as close as we get to "mommy" sometimes. It also means...Elmo, monkey, mow (like the grass), and mommy! So we sat down on the front steps and Mo phew bubbles! With each one, Reed would gasp like it was the best thing he had every seen, point and say "see, ball" or see, ba bable". He chased them, and tried to catch them! He was a little disgusted when they kept popping, but a new one would take its place and all was right in his world again. He has such wonder for the world! He was so stinkin' cute with those bubbles, I hated for it to end. I wanted to just bottle up that moment and keep it forever. This feeling is what I hope to have more of starting in about 3 days!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to not only my wonderful and amazing mom, but also to all the other ladies who have "mothered" me along the way. I know that you know who you are. I feel so blessed because not only have I had the influence of my mom but I have had the influence of several of her wonderful friends as well.

This post is about my mom, though. She is an amazing lady! We are a like in about as many ways as we are different. The thing I love most about my mom is that she is and always has been my mother but she has found the balance of also being my friend. I have always been able to tell her anything and everything. She often reacted like a mom to some of the things I told her, in a way I knew she didn't approve, but in a way that I still felt loved and felt I could tell her anything again. My mom always knows what to say, she always knows what I need to hear, even if it isn't what I want to hear...again she has a way to tell you so you know but aren't hurt. I admire my mother's strength and her quiet resilience. She's a sleeper, my mom. She is one tough cookie in a first grade teacher body! She seems quiet and reserved. She seems to not be one that would voice her say, but she will if it is necessary. It is a challenge to make her angry, but it can be done and it is something that you try not to do again. I hope I can be half the mother that my mother is. I fear that I don't have her patience, but it is something I work on everyday. I think that is the Thompson in me...I've learned a lot about my mom since becoming a mom myself and I received this poem in an email this week that I thought was fitting. I hope you enjoy it.

I love you Mom!! You Rock!!!

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her/him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom .

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!!

Boy are we ready for some fun in the sun around our house. This yucky rainy weather is making it really difficult to play outside without getting muddy or wet! I know that it is really fun for little boys, but it is not really fun for Mommy! Cabin fever isn't either! Reed so loves the outdoors. His most favorite places in the world are outside, in the bathtub, and sleeping in between Mommy and Daddy in our bed.

He is doing better sleeping in his bed, and the rule is no coming to snuggle before 6 AM! I am a sucker for some snuggles so we let him do it just before we are getting up. If I won't let him go outside, then he loves to watch out the window. We let him stand on a kitchen chair to see out the front window with one of us sitting near him. Last night after watching Daddy work outside and the view was over, Reed turned around on the chair, looked at me with a dare devil grin, looked at the ground then back at me. He proceeded to bend his knees and put his arms up in the air and say "I ump!" This means "watch out mom, I'm going to jump!" What do we have in store for us?

Spring Pictures!

Date Night!

My how life has changed for us in the last year and a half. I was supposed to take a continuing education course this weekend, which I bailed on since I am changing jobs. So, since Todd had a tournament this weekend we lined up Todd's parents to keep Reed for the weekend. Nana and Papa Hackleman don't get to see Reed enough as it is, let alone all by himself, so you can bet they weren't giving him up when I decided to bail on the course. This worked out well for me as I have about 5 file boxes of discharges to do. Needless to say, Todd and I worked all day and Reed played with Nana and Papa in Missouri! Boy, is it quiet at our house! Jack is a nervous wreck! She can't find her boy! I wasn't busy enough not to just miss the heck out of him, either. I know that he is having a GREAT time and getting spoiled rotten, though. That fact made it a little easier to enjoy a night out with my husband, thanks to the rain! It has been so long since we have taken a date night. We swear we are going to do it more everytime we have one too, but we never do it. That is one of the goals with this new job is to have more time together as a family so that we don't feel guilty getting a babysitter to have a date! The stress just seems to be lifting daily the closer this new job gets. I feel 1000 pounds lighter, even though I'm probably about 10 pounds heavier in reality! LOL! I think I'll sign off for the evening and enjoy the rest of the night with my wonderful husband!!!

Changes Are In The Wind!

Last week was very tumultous for me and my family. After many weeks, maybe even months of discussion and deliberation with not only Todd, my nearest and dearest friends but also the good Lord above I came to a very tough decision. On Wednesday I had a discussion with my friend and employer, Lynn regarding my departure from NovaCare. My last day there will be May 14th. That's right I did it! I gave my 30 day notice.

Many of you know that I have been there for nearly 9 years, it has been my first and only physical therapy job. My heart and soul has been with my job and clinic in Derby, but after this last year with the loss of my dad and never really finding a good balance between being a wife, mother, PT, and clinic manager Todd and I decided something had to give. I begin praying about it daily and talking it to death to anyone who would listen. It has been during this process that I really have missed my dad. He was great with this kind of advice. I tried very hard to remember every conversation that I had ever had with him about something of this magnitude. I just kept hearing him say to trust my gut, and to trust God to lead me in the right direction. The night before my final meeting with Total Home Care, I prayed for a passage to give me some insight into what path may life was to take. I was lead to the last chapter of Proverbs and the Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character. In my bible there was a devotion about a woman feeling conflicted about loving her career and conflicted when life brought changes to her work and her family. It was very uplifting and put things into perspective for me. It is in God's hands to help me find the balance that I seek. It made realize that I need to be thankful for the talents that he has given me to wear all the hats that I do. It also calmed my guilt that my focus can shift from career to family and that I am not a lesser woman for it. I have always wanted to have it ALL! Career, husband, children, church, activities, etc. I realized that I do, and I always have. I still will, it just won't be how I pictured or planned it. My dad told me once that it isn't mine to plan...and as usual he was right.

I am very excited to start my new endeavor as a Home Health PT. It will allow me to practice PT, be with my family and still provide for them emotionally and financially. I am so excited for our life to slow down and for us to have an improved focus!

Thanks to all who have listened and prayed for me and for our family. I appreciate it greatly as we embark on these new and changing times.

Dinner with KAY Friends

Tuesday night last week we (Reed and I) had dinner with some of my KAY friends. In attendance were Luke, Grace, Randa and Nolan, and Reed and myself. It was great to catch up with Luke after his basic training and hear about his new job. It was also wonderful to hear about Grace and her nearing end of her school journey. Oh, the young folks of KAY! It seems like only yesterday that Randa, Tim, Libby, and I were having dinner and getting together and sharing these times in our lives! It was fun to watch Nolan and Reed play in Cici's. Reed has such a little personality developing. He was imitating everything that Nolan was doing, it was so cute. Nolan as showing us how he could run, jump and then slide! Reed would toddle, reach, and plop! Then they would both clap and grin like they were the biggest, best thing ever...and don't you all know they are!

I am so grateful the wonderful friends and the wonderful memories I have of my youth, but I wouldn't trade this moment in my life for the world! Everyday I try to pick a moment to make a memory. So you can guess, my camera is out a lot, but there are a lot of moments that are feelings and thoughts that a camera could not capture, only the heart. I am sure that some of this sentimentality comes from losing my dad this year, but I truly believe as I know he did that things in life (and death) happen for a reason and I think maybe this is part of my lesson. Slow down, life is short, enjoy the moments that we have...I hope this sentimentality is not fleeting and I can focus on these thoughts for a long, long, time!

Easter Weekend Pictures!

I know that I am a little late in the posting of this but it has been a week! You can hear about that in a later post. But I wanted to get some pictures up of Reed and Easter weekend. Somehow I missed a picture of him in his Easter clothes, but we got lots of the egg hunting and egg coloring if that is what you want to call it! Enjoy the pictures and video!!!

March Madness...A Little Late!

These pictures are from several weeks ago when we were at my mom's and we stopped at the Burlington park to play! Reed found a "babbaball" and had a blast. He then deligently watched Mommy and Daddy's favorite teams in the NCAA tournament...I think he just used us for the popcorn! We had fun anyway! Enjoy the pictures!!

March Snow Storm

We were snowed in last weekend, but I didn't get any of our snow playing pictures put up. So here they are and some video too...Enjoy!

Fun Filled Weekend!

This weekend has been a lot of fun, but very exhausting! It is 8:20 PM on Sunday night and I am contemplating going to bed. I have much admiration for mothers with 4 or more children, for mothers with multiples, and for mothers with children less than 1 year apart! We had the pleasure of having the Pore boys at our house this weekend. It was tons of fun for everyone, but boy are we tired. If you don't know the Pores...they are my sister's 3 boys. They are ages 4, 4, and 9 months. Then, you add Reed at 18 months to the mix and you are BUSY!!!! My mom came up to help since Todd was working all weekend and with those 4 motors it was great to have another adult around! We were thankful that it was 75 degrees out yesterday so we could play outside. It was windy, but we didn't care. We went to the playground at the school by my house that Connor now calls "Reed's school" (everyone in our family has a school, you know, because my parents and his mom teach. They are in pre-K so they have a school too.) We eventually had to come home to eat lunch but it is a big playground and I think Reed ran about 6 miles from one end to the other. After lunch we played football and chase in our backyard until everyone was just too tired! We had to come in and rest for a while. Then it was time for supper. The little boys were pretty worn out because they stayed up late the night with all the excitement of being together a playing. So I stayed home with the little guys and grandma took the big boys to the "other park". We have a city park about 4 blocks the other direction from the school playground that we played at in the morning. Caydan and Connor had taken turns pulling the wagon earlier in the day and they wanted to take the wagon to the "other park". So off they went and from the reports it was really fun!!! They found a bridge and a little river! They even found a different way to come home! It was very exciting! Among other things we ate banana splits and chocolate chip pancakes, and then Cresten took his first steps to his Daddy when they came to pick them up! Reed played so hard with all those boys that he crashed for a 2 hour nap, literally 2 minutes after they left. He was down for the count by 7:40pm tonight! We look forward to all getting together again, but maybe next time I'll take a half day off work to recover! :) LOL...Just kidding! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Prayers for our dear friends and family

We have two prayer requests that we would like to lift up. One is our nephew Lance. He was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes last May and has been having challenges managing it. He most recently underwent an MRI to look for other things that could be causing some unexplained symptoms such as nausea, vomitting, dizziness and blacking out that they don't think are related to his diabetes. He is in the ER tonight for the 5th time in 6 weeks. He has also lost 27 pounds in the last 6 weeks. He is not a big guy, so he doesn't have 27 pounds to lose. Please pray for him and his family for strength to endure this process.

Our other prayer request is for your dear friend Lexy. She recently underwent surgery to remove a borderline tumor in ovary and fallopian tube. She had to have a major surgery to remove the mass, the ovary, tube, and some other tissue. She is at Kansas City at the KUMed center. She is up and moving around but is in a lot of pain per report from her sister. Lexy was our nanny for three months and really became a part of our family. There are more tests to run on her tissue to rule out further treatment so we pray that her surgery was curative and that she will not have to endure more.

We love you Lance and Lexy. We hope that you will get better soon! We can't wait to see you both again!

Snow, PT Students, and Basketball

What a week! I have been battling the computer to get my poor PT students midterm and final evaluation done despite computer errors. Speaking of computer errors...my office was without computers on Monday which meant no schedule or notes for patients. It was surprise treatment day! I am currently watching Mizzou try ot hold on to a win in the Sweet Sixteen. Sure hope OU can pull one out tomorrow as well.

We have also been trying to break Reed of getting up in the night and sleeping with Mommy and Daddy! I know the cardinal rule of parenting, don't let the kid sleep with you...but I am a rule breaker and when he was sick we could both sleep if he slept with me...we all know that Christy needs her sleep! Unfortunately, Reed takes after his Mommy in this area! So in the crying out phase (with a not so tough Mommy and a snoring Daddy) we are tired on this Thursday night!

I picked this week to attempt this for 2 reasons...one: my ribs are sore and two: I was planning on going to KC with my girlfriends Saturday and Sunday so I thought I'd get to sleep in...now we are talking snow that we may have to dig out of! :( I'm kind of bummed...but hey, Reed can finally where his snow boots if it does snow and the wind doesn't blow him over!

Cleaning Day!

Tomorrow is my favorite day of the month! The cleaning lady comes!!! Yeah!!! I love to come home to a clean house after work. There is nothing better! We are also getting family photos taken at church. Our first one ever done professionally. It has taken me 18 months to talk Todd into and I don't think he would have done it, if it wasn't free for the church directory! Oh well, I'll take what I can get. Reed will probably have some major injury at daycare tomorrow and have a big gash or something on his head! I guess it would be an acurate record of our life!!

Moving Outside!

It's official...Reed is moving outdoors! He loves, loves, loves it! I hope that this will never change for him. Todd and I both love to be outside so I hope that some of this love of nature is genetic. We have been so blessed with marvelous weather this weekend and into the first of this week. Reed cried this morning on the way to the babysitter because I wouldn't let him get in the wagon, but he got to run around outside this evening with Daddy and the dogs. We cooked out again and ate outside. Reed thinks this is really neat!! The only way I could control the angst about going inside this evening was to put him in his next favorite place the bathtub! He sure needed a visit there after his evening. I hope he sleeps good tonight, he should he played hard!

Thanks Lexy

Thanks to our good friend Lexy and her new job at Gap Kids, I spent a bundle on Reed today at the friends and family sale. Got lots of cute clothes though! It is hard to find little boys clothes that are cute, it seems that they get the shaft compared to little girls! Everything ends up looking the same! Not today, Reed will be stylin' this spring! Thanks Lexy! We love and miss you! Come see us again soon!

We LOVE to BE OUTSIDE!!!

What happened to the warm weather? Where oh where did it go? We are anxiously waiting its return. We had such a good weekend! Todd grilled for the first time this season on Friday after work. It was so nice that we even ate outside on the patio! We are going to have to invest in a booster seat for the patio, cuz Reed loved eating outdoors! We had lots of fun playing with the dogs too!

Saturday lended to another great day outside. Reed and Daddy played ball, worked in the yard, and in the shed. Mommy and Reed played chase outside and just plain got dirty! It was a blast! We got very little laundry done and less house cleaning but life is short, right?

Sunday brought the time change and a need to tire Reed out so he would go to bed!!! Especially after a two and half hour nap! So after Daddy went to work, Mommy and Reed took the wagon to the playground and played until we couldn't play anymore. We met some nice little boys that helped Reed go down the BIG slide and played a little tether ball with us. Reed thought that was the pretty neat! He'd hit the ball and then chase it around the pole! I bet he went around the pole 30 times! He'd get mad at me if I stopped the ball and tried to help him! It was so funny! I thought he'd get dizzy, but nope he'd just giggle and do it again!

Here is a video of Reed and Truman and the Battle of the Bone! Enjoy!

Spring Has Sprung?!?

Wow!!! 84 degrees and sun today. That is just what the Hackleman's ordered. Reed is FINALLY feeling better!!! All smiles and chattering incessantly! Boy, did we miss him! After work today we all got to go on a walk. Even Truman and Jack got to come. I don't know who was more excited, Reed to be in the wagon right next to the "dahgs!" or the "dahgs" to be outside in this beautiful weather. Todd and I are still battling the sinus stuff, but we are getting better everyday and the sun today sure was helpful! We are looking forward to the time change this weekend and lots more daylight. We might even fire up the BBQ!!

Thank Heavens for Grandmas, Mommys and Daddys that Stay Home with Sick Babies!

The Hacklemans are still battling the sickness! Reed had to come home from daycare on Thursday afternoon AGAIN and missed all day Friday. My WONDERFUL husband, sacrificed his precious days off to stay home with him, while Mommy worked crazy busy hours for the end of the month! Luckily Grandma Thompson came to everyone's rescue! After Reed's doctor's appointment and awareness of an eye, ear, and throat infection and 4 kinds of liquid medicine that he takes as well as his mother! (Yes, for those who know the story of a 2 y/o Christy, her Dad and the cough medicine...you know he is laughing his A$$ off up there in the wide blue yonder!) Grandma came to stay the weekend with us. She ended up staying until today, since Reed hadn't quite kicked it yet. So, we got yet another medicine!!! WOOO HOOO!! We have tried all the tricks that we have been told, and have concluded giving medicine to an 18 month old....STINKS!!!! I hope he is getting half, or even a quarter of it. It is definitely a 3 man job! The bright side is, I think we only have 2 more days. Is there not a way in this world to make it taste better? I don't blame the kid one bit. I don't think it smells better than it did 30 years ago when I was being force fed! I really think there might be a market in this for some up and coming pharmacist!

Anyway, the point of this post was to say how grateful we were to have Grandma come and stay! Because Reed needed his Mommy and Mommy needed her Mommy! Daddy just needed a break! The Hacklemans and Thompsons have had a rough few months and the phrase from our wedding vows keeps coming to my mind "in sickness and health" What a commitment it is to be there for everyone in sickness...at all or any levels, because the world doesn't stop for you like we'd like it to do. You have to find a way to keep on going. I've been blessed and (sometimes cursed) with the ability my parents gave to keep plugging away, but the curse comes in when you have to ask for help. It isn't an easy thing to do, for me it isn't anyway. I was raised to believe (the blessing) that I could do anything I set my mind to accomplish. I think that is true still to this day, but what I am learning slowly (the curse...slow learner that is...I think it might be stubbornness) is that most of the time I don't accomplish things by myself. I have an army of family of friends that support me and hold me up until I reach my goal. Sometimes I wait to late, until I've dug myself such a hole that I can't get out without a BIG lifeline! That's where my mom and my husband come in. They keep pulling on me to get out of this hole I'm in with work, illness (snot, snot, snot), Reed's illness, and maintaining my family order. I just need to ask and accept a little more help from time to time and accept that it takes us all doing our part (not just me) to make our home a happy place.

Sooo, after the first round (although most likely partial) dose of steroids, Reed was much more like his old cheerful self, getting into everything and talking up a storm. He went to sleep so late tonight, because he just didn't want to stop playing. When he finally gave up there was this wonderfully devilish grin on his face! I don't know if he just felt that much better, if he was high on all the drugs, or if Grandpa Thompson was whispering stories about his Mommy in his ear! I'd like to think it was either the first or the last, but if it is the last...Dad, you made your point and medicine taking could go much better tomorrow, please! :)

Reed's Words!

What a fun time this is for us to watch our beautiful boy grow and develop. He has really changed in the last weeks! He has come up with a lot of new words that are quasi-comprehensible and has really started to develop much more of personality and interact with his environment more. It is so fun!!! I don't know what we did for entertainment before we had him! So I thought for posterity I'd attempt to document some of the words that Reed is saying and their meanings.

Dak - Jack (our Border Collie)
Dog - Truman (our lab) - however, sometimes he recognizes dogs on TV now.
Dadda - Daddy
Down - Downstairs
Downters - Downstair
Teess - time to brush his teeth
Diders - Diapers
Banket - Blanket (HIS green and brown polkadotted blanket)
Dankyu -Thank you
Dink - Drink
Mil - Milk
Doobie - Movie
Yep - Yep (Guess who says this a lot!)
Nope - Nope (And this!)
See -See

If you can understand this, then you can speak "Reedspeak" as Todd calls it. We are still working on the ever important "mommy" and "boomer sooner!" Todd says he knows what's good for him, so he is holding out! We will see! We will see!

Hackleman's are on the Rebound!

What a good weekend we have had a home. The weekend started a little early for us, since Todd and I stayed home with Reed on Friday. I went in to work at 2:00PM - not bad for a Friday - I did see six patients in 3 hours though, so they got their money's worth. We then decided that Reed was recovered enough to make the trip to Kiowa for the SBHS basketball games. Mom, Audrey and I were to receive a plaque in Dad's honor in between the games. In true Christy fashion, we rolled in about 3 minutes before we were to go onto the court! We stayed and watched the boys' game. Reed wanted to play BABBBBALL soooo bad!!! He had a great time! He clapped when the boys came out and when they were playing on our end of the court. He really wanted to be on the court, but his mean ole mom wouldn't let him. After the game we changed into jammies and headed home. We missed out on the slumber (or lack of slumber) party at Grandma's with Aunt Audrey, Cresten, Caydan, and Connor. We will have to try that again when everyone is feeling better. Reed was so worn out from the BABBBBALL that he went to sleep before Hazelton (about 6 miles outside of Kiowa)! He took two naps on Saturday that were at least 2 hours long, and slept until 7:30 this morning! We only had 1 nap this afternoon for about 1 hour, but made it to bed by 7:45pm!! That is an early night for Reed on Sunday night! So, I have had some extra time that is much appreciated, and it was nice enough today that we all got to go outside and play ball with the dogs and drive the wagon around the yard!! Reed is getting better at throwing to Jack, and she is getting more patient about waiting for him to throw! Usually she takes it out of his hand and brings it to me or Todd with a disgusted look on her face! All in all, we enjoyed the sun and the semi-warmth. Spring keep on a coming!! We are READY!!

Sick and Tired? Tired and Sick? Just Sick? Or Just Tired?

These are the questions that I have asked myself today. Poor Reed is sick AGAIN!! We can not seem to get well around this house. Todd and I have been trading off staying home a day here and a day there for what seems like has been FOREVER!!! We have decided that WE NEED SPRING! The Hackleman's are outside people, and we are tired of being sick. We are sick of feeling tired, we are ready for the sun to shine all the time, the weather to be warm enough everyday to not wear a jacket and the days to be long enough to play outside after work! We are sure that will cure EVERYTHING that is is ailing us this week.

The challenges with this scenario are: It is still February, but WSU Baseball does start this month!! We can not seem to get home from work before 6:30PM!!! (I know with the economy downfall...I should be grateful that we both have jobs that are not in jeopardy...and I am, very grateful, but I am also selfish and would like to spend time with my family...in the daylight!!!) Last but not least, Reed can't seem to get healthy!!! We are staying home sick tomorrow after throwing up at daycare now 2 days in a row! Yeah, we are her favorite people right now! So Todd and I are playing tagteam parenting tomorrow. I have the morning shift and then pass the baton to Todd for the afternoon. Wish us luck!

Tired Hacklemans!

I think that everyone has the same sentiment this week...what a long one! It started for me last Thursday, I had the day off to work at home on some cleaning, laundry, etc. It was great to have the day to myself! Friday I joined my dear friends for Crop-a-ganza! We missed Randa as she was under the weather for most of the weekend. She is kind of our motivation and inspiration! None the less, Libby and I got quite a bit accomplished (I got 19 1/2 layouts or 39 pages completed). I broadened my horizons and even worked out of order! YIKES!!! Randa was so proud! I have to laugh, because I bet Randa was there about 1/3 of the time I was and probably did nearly as much as I did. My jabberjaws just seem to slow me down! :)

While I was at CAG, Reed played at Grandma Thompson's. I went to pick him up on Sunday and stayed through Monday for the re-scheduled KAY Unit Conference that the SBHS KAYS hosted. I was a speaker for the event along with some of my friends from camp. We had a good day. They did a great job with the confernce. Mr. Thompson would have been proud!

Todd had to work all weekend, but since it was 70 degrees got some time outdoors and alone...which I think he enjoyed.

We all got back to the grindstone on Tuesday and are looking forward to the weekend...nothing to do this one...not yet anyway!!!

Who need carpetfresh, when you have hazelnut coffee!

Reed "veggin" after daycare-only happens after being sick!

Reed, Mommy and Daddy have had a long last 4 days. Reed has had some kind of bug that lasted all weekend and into yesterday. Poor kiddo ran a temperature for 4 days straight and just wanted to lay on Mommy! For those of you that know Reed...this is HIGHLY UNUSUAL!!! Reed hardly stops to sleep, so to slow down for 4 days was a big red flag that he didn't feel good. He didn't even eat, and for the perpetual motion machine, that is even more unusual. The kid begs for food all the time when healthy. So, we rode out some high temperatures and some long nights with a little reassurance that Mommy was doing it right, from our dear friend Dr. Libby. It was rocky and test for Mommy and Daddy, but Todd and I made it through.

Yesterday, my awesome staff bailed me out so that I could come home in the afternoon and relieve Todd who did the morning shift. Reed was still feverish, getting his ornery back by afternoon when in the two moments he was off my lap and out of my sight for no more than 30 seconds he climbed on the kitchen table to try to reach the movies ontop of the china hutch (boy I'm glad we can't jump yet, I'm pretty sure that he will be swinging from the light fixtures, literally) and the next time he found an unopened container of coffee and got it open, aroma fresh seal and all and proceeded to sprinkle it, or throw it all over the kitchen and living room floor. Much to my surpise that wonderful small stays in your vaccuum for well, at least two days. It still smelled like fresh brewed coffee when I vaccuumed this evening!

Today, Todd kept him home this morning for a little while and took him to Kori's late. He did great, was tired when he got home, but still played pretty hard. I'm hoping for a good night's sleep!

T-5 days and counting until CAG!!!

I know only a select few of you know what CAG is. For those that don't know, CAG stands for Crop-A-Ganza. It is a scrapbooking weekend that is put on in Park City by one of the local Scrapbooking stores here in Wichita. They do about 2 a year and my girlfriends and I go to everyone. It is a blast. We stay up all night (or as late as we can!!!) we don't hardly shower or wear make-up. We hang out in our comfy jammies without our kids or husbands and talk, scrapbook, and talk somemore. It is one of the best weekends ever! I am only a year behind on Reed's book and I have many other potential projects started but not completed. My ultimate goals is to one day be caught up. If there ever is such a thing. I plan to spend my extra time this week getting ready to go. I just can't wait.

TGIF!!! - I am sooo old because....

I am so old because I am excited to stay home this weekend and do laundry, clean house, play with Reed, and maybe, just maybe get that January layout finished! Can it all happen? Probably not, but my intentions for the weekend will be good, very good. I've always been a big dreamer and often an overachiever so we will see what comes this weekend. Laundry and Reed are the priority so that is all that may get done. Let's just pray we won't all have cabin fever with this cold nasty weather coming! Hope everyone has a Happy Saturday!

Sweeping, Sweeping!

Reed taking his broom to the next room!

Sweepin', Sweepin', I'm Sweepin' Sam!


"Hey Mom, what do you got for me to sweep?"

Mommy's little helper!

For those of you that don't know, Reed loves to sweep. He has been fascinated with brooms of any kind, shape and size since he was big enough to find them. So for Christmas, Aunt Phoebe got him his very own broom! It has been hysterical to watch! Reed has always thrown or dropped food off his high chair, first to be funny, then to feed Jack, now I think he does it so he can sweep it up. (the little broom, actually sweeps pretty well!) The funny part is that the new broom has a name. It is "Sweepin' Sam!" He talks to you while you sweep! Reed loves it and jabbers right back! Thanks for helping us make a great memory, Aunt Phoebe!

Playing at the Park!

What a weekend! Reed and I started off by leaving Dad at home and heading to Kiowa Friday night after work. We rolled in to town about 7:45pm, which means that Reed took a late 1 hour nap in the car on the way down. So needless to say bedtime was a little later than usual since Grandma's house had lots of things to explore that Reed couldn't see or climb on last time he was there because he just wasn't big enough. It was like a NEW place! It was so exciting, Mom and I didn't know if he would give up to go to sleep!

We spent Saturday in Capron celebrating my Grandma Thompson's 88th birthday party. It was also a celebration of my great Aunt Eleanor's 75th birthday so lots of family and food! A traditional Schwerdtfeger gathering.

Before the birthday party was planned Todd and I had planned a much needed night out with our couple friends. So, after the party - I left Reed with Grandma and made a mad dash back to Derby to pick up Todd and head to the movie in Wichita. Who says the economy is bad...everyone in the tri-state area was at the Warren East on Saturday night! Thanks to some illeagal parking some sneaky ticket work we made it in to the Sold Out Gran Torino just in time. We had a fantastic time and enjoyed dinner afterward with our friends at Granite City. We are getting old though, I think we called it a night by midnight.

Today, I met Mom in Harper to pick up Reed. It was a beautiful day so we met at the city park and let Reed play for a while. He had the best time. I think it did us all some good to see the joy of simple things through the eyes of a child. I think we went down the slide 20 times and tried out every other piece of playground equipment at least once. That includes each one of the swings! Reed also found every piece of trash in the park that wasn't in the can! At first sight, the park looked really clean! Leave it to Reed!

Yeah for Lexy!!!

The tree is down, the tree is down, thank God Almighty, the tree is down.

Today I was fortunate enough to have the day off thanks to doctor's appointments for me and my babysitter (no kids for her today!) so Reed and I stayed home this morning and Lexy came early this afternoon to help me get the tree down while Reed napped. Then off I went to my appointment and to do some shopping for Todd's birthday! He will be the big 4-0 on Tuesday next week. He is so excited! ;) Overall, I would call today a success, home with my busy boy, 9ft Christmas tree down and put away, and a husband that finished the rest while I was gone! Can't beat that! Thanks, Lex for all your help!

New Year's Resolutions

I am not usually one to set New Year's Resolutions, but this year, after all that has gone on in the last few months feels like a good time to do just that. Like the true "orange" personality I am, I am doing it in the 2nd week in January instead of at the first of the year!

So, here goes: I resolve to...

• Focus on my relationship with God and increase my activity in my church.
• Spend more quality time with my family - not just my husband and son, but extended family as well, on both the Thompson and the Hackleman side.
• Leave work at work and serve it well while I am there, but when I am home serve it well without distractions from work.
• Re-connect with old friends
• Scrapbook a least 1 layout a month! (we'll see how this works out?)

Wish me luck!

BOOMER!!!....SOONER!!!!

Well, I am anxiously awaiting the big game on Thursday night. It is killing me that I can't be there. Instead Todd and I purchased a new hot water heater after the Big XII championship! We will all be enjoying warm showers this week instead!

Never, has the pressure been greater for my Sooners! I have 30 points riding on them which can clinch the Bowl-a-rama victory for me if they win. I need then to hang half a hundred on them by halftime and not give up a hundred in the meantime!

BOOMER......

SOONER......

Oh, and everyone knows the fight song has a second verse, right? :)

I know what 2009 will bring...an ornery toddler!!

Curious George, Batman, Turkey Lurkey, Grease Lightening! you name it, these are just a few of the names that we have called Reed this week. If you want some adventure, get your running shoes on and come on over to the Hackleman House! Don't turn your back though, cause you might miss something! We are just thankful that there aren't two of him. Even my sister, the mother of twins agreed! Gotta love him, he's just so stinking cute!

Glad to hear that Kalo's Grandma Betsy is out of the hospital! We now that is a true joy for everyone!

We are headed to Missouri for our last Christmas with the Hackleman's in the morning and then back home on Sunday. So I better get these pictures posted and get the last of my presents wrapped! :) Nothing like procrastination!