Happy Independence Day!

We had a great time tonight with tons of friends in our backyard.

We grilled. We ate.

Kids played on the swings, in the sand, on the slide, and loved the bounce house.

My kids were even wearing appropriate colors, but I got NO pictures of the actual party.

Because I was chasing this crazy kid around the entire time. I did get to nibble on my salmon finally after strapping him into his car and feeding him goldfish.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend!

Memory Lane

This is not an ode. I can't do an ode to Michael Jackson due to his extreme weirdness. However, his music certainly defines a part of my life. In kindergarten, I distinctively recall making construction paper "gloves" - one white side, one black, with the finger tips cute off - for our performance of "ABC".

He was responsible for the popularity of such phenomenons as red leather, parachute pants, collar length Jerry curls (that's the most official name I could find! Anthony said "black mullet" was not allowed), and mirrored aviator glasses (almost as cool as yours, Dave). I had a crush on many a scrawny white boy in school who worked the Michael Jackson do. I also might have performed a few "concerts" of his music in front of my mirror. Maybe. It was a long time ago so I can't be sure.

Some of my favorite songs from the King of Pop:

The Way You Make Me Feel
Man In The Mirror
Heal The World

Good stuff - I may need to revisit my elementary school memories in the form of a new running playlist this week...

Love For a Dad

I'm blessed to have many great fathers in my life.
Today I'd like to focus on my own dad.

I'm blessed to have a dad who gave and still gives everything he has.
One of my favorite memories of him is when he would say his nighttime prayers beside my bed while I was asleep. I consider myself a lucky girl to have awoken to such an image. Praying beside my babies' beds is a footstep I feel privileged to follow in.

Dad taught me that most everything can be fixed, from cars, to hearts, to lives.
It's all about knowing who to ask for help.

Today I count him as my friend, but he'll always be my Dad.
He urges me to reach for the sky, to push myself and be better. He reminds me of my blessings, loves my children, and councils with me often.
Dad has faith in me, but reminds me who I should have faith in.
Today I share my love for a Dad who is responsible for so much richness in my life.

Happy Fathers' Day!

One Year Old!

Anthony was just reminding me that at about this time one year ago I had finally given up the idea of a VBAC and told the doctor to take me to surgery. His words were more like, "Wow a year ago you were just about to get cut into!!"

Really, though, this was a great day for celebrating. I felt pretty nostalgic today as we celebrated Jack turning one. It's hard to imagine that only a year ago I was in Iowa City surrounded by flood waters, 4 days past my due date, with a move to North Carolina only a week away. I still can't believe I left my house there to go to the hospital and never saw it again. Crazy.

On to this cute boy...wow. If someone told me to make up a little boy I would never have come up with Jack. He is so cool. I'm sure years from now, that statement will read something like "he's so groovy", but for some reason that is one of the words that always comes to mind when I'm thinking about Jack. He's such a happy kid. He'll play by himself with the most random things forever. He loves to play chase with Addie and has the most contagious laugh. I'm lucky to often hear him laughing at Addie as we're out running errands in the car. It's so cute.

He's been cruising along furniture and walls for months. Then today he just crawled up to me, stood up, and took his first 3 steps over to the couch. That's just so Jack. About the time I think he's never going to do something, he just does it and catches right up. He ate only stage 2 babyfood for what seemed like forever. Then one day he decided to move on to goldfish, crackers, and pretzels. Just like that. So Jack.

His favorite things to play with right now: remote controls and car keys. I've invested good money in kid-safe, non-toxic, drool friendly versions of both. He wants nothing to do with any of them. Much to my dismay, Jack has no interest in movies. On occasion I might catch him looking up at the DVD player in the car, but that's just because he's strapped in and can't go anywhere. He can say mama, dada, nana (usually as a protest, not the actual name!) and he signs milk, more, and all done.

When we found out Jack would be joining our family, it was the most pleasant surprise - and that's just what he is. This past year has taught me to roll with the punches more than I would like, but when I start feeling like I can't be flexible any more I just look at Jack. He's Mr. Flexible and no doubt that's why he's so happy. Thanks for joining us Jack!

Oh, and as you can see I did not produce the cute sailboat cupcakes. I decided instead to take a swing at NieNie's Mud Cake Magnifique from Conversations With a Cupcake. I figure if I'm stretching my culinary muscles, it might as well taste good. So, I had my first go at mud cake, mousse, and ganache all in one take. It went well. The only thing missing was about 10 other people to enjoy this insanely rich cake that we couldn't even put a dent in.

For My Birthday...

I got my very own ode! I've read them, written them, but never been the subject and I thought it was pretty fun. Thanks Em!

Thanks of course to other well wishers...and Holly and Brent for a fabulous stash of goodies. On to 32...

You Can Tell a Lot About a Person...

Do you ever wonder what your email says about you? I do. I've gotten emails from the following today (and it's only 2 p.m.):

coupons.com
Deseret Book
Pottery Barn
Kate's Paperie
Cole Haan
Athleta
See's Candies
Gilt Group
The Iowa Children's Museum
FairTax.org
L.L. Bean
Travelocity

Here's a swing at a translation: I am a religious, politically aware mom who thinks about saving money while shopping, traveling, working out, and eating candy - all of this from the convenience of my computer. Hmmmm.

A Reason to Party

How crazy cute are these? I want to make them for Jack's birthday. We aren't planning a party (yet), he still has no real "friends" of his own, I have no clue how to work with fondant...BUT I really wish I could make these. They just glow with the personal satisfaction of creating something original. By the time I get around to learning how to make something like this, Jack will probably be old enough to want something truly hideous like a Spongebob cake.

Of course I found this while surfing for ideas for cakes I CAN make...none of which I really liked. If I could figure out a way to make these, I might even step up and throw a party. :)

Now to save Addie from OSO warping her mind...

I Can Almost Taste It

Spring is finally wrapping up here and today it is hitting 90. I'm sad for the heat, but hopeful my allergies will get better! I'm always happy for swimming weather too. We're spending every minute we can stand outside, enjoying homemade strawberry ice cream (thanks to Anthony & the farmer's market), and thinking about packing. I may do a box today just for kicks. :)

I Want to Go to There

swimming. fishing. crabbing. sunbathing. sailing. dunes. sand castle building. bucket filling. stroller racing. sea shell collecting. sand eating (babies only). kite flying. wild horses we never found. off-roading on the beach. cute shops. morning jogs along the water. morning jogs on the beach. much soreness the next day. beautiful lighthouses. the Wright Brothers museum. naps. seafood. rain. wind. sun. seagulls. sandpipers. dolphins. crabs. bears. crazy attempt at family photos. ahhhh...

let's do it again!

Outer Banks from Julie Berg on Vimeo.

Duck

Duck is where I've been for the past week. It's been so great, but so busy. I got a nap today...glanced at pictures...Anthony is off tomorrow...maybe on Tuesday I'll post my "Outer Banks" post. You'll want to go there. In fact, you'll probably feel like you were there...aside from the ocean breeze and the warm sand in your toes. I think tonight I'd rather chill and see what you've all been up to...maybe leave a comment or two. No promises. :)

Swimming in Statesville

The weather was so nice this weekend and Anthony was working in Statesville, so we took off to join him at his hotel and "swim". This swimming does not require that Anthony and I get into our suits - thank goodness since the water is still freezing! It just means that Addie gets into her suit, runs around the hotel, and sits on the edge of the pool with her feet in the water.

Here she is in her new suit:



Jack entertaining himself, as usual:



I had to post this one because Jack's face was so cute. He wasn't sad, but it looks like it from this picture:

Happy Mother's Day!

No words of wisdom here...just husband-is-working-super-dooper-go-mode today. I was able to absorb some great wisdom from the tidbits I heard at church that made me love my role as mother so much more and, as always, love and admire my own mother so much more. Here's my attempt at a Mother's Day self portrait after church!







Happy Mother's Day!

Nature or Nurture?

Anthony observed my views on this controversial question earlier this week as I sat Addie down at the table, put a pink bib on her, and served her lunch on a pink flamingo plate with pink milk in a pink cup with a pink straw.

Mooovie Time

I'm sure you've all noticed a pattern with me...long periods without blogging are generally followed by a video compilation of what we've been up to. Life's been busy lately!

We've been outside a lot enjoying the beautiful North Carolina spring here (allergies are out of control!!) This week was also Addie's spring party at school, so there are a few pictures of that. We caught one of her little boyfriend walking her from the playground inside for snacks. His dad told me that the night before he had included Addie in his bedtime prayer. How cute is that?


Julie's Babies from Julie Berg on Vimeo.

W.E.E. Days of Our Lives

One of the little boys in Addie's W.E.E. (Weekday Early Education) class has a thing for Addie. Apparently she wants nothing to do with Jackson, though he follows her around like a puppy dog. Her BFF, Emily Jane, is crazy about Jackson. Jackson wants nothing to do with Emily Jane. He only has eyes for Addie.

WHAT??? They are 2???

Yeah. Jackson wore one of his father's ties to school today just for Addie and she still dissed him when he tried to hug her this morning.

This takes the "art" of soap opera writing to an all new low - even your average two year old preschool class can carry out their standard plot.

Let Me Count The Ways

Ever since we really committed to moving to Texas, I've been taking in the North Carolina scenery just a little bit more. The abundant greenery, the flowering shrubs, beautiful white and pink dogwoods all over the place...great weather...

An image I've strangely seen multiple times passed me on the way home today.

One of these:


with one of these in the backseat:


Maybe I'll get lucky and get an actual photo before we leave. There is a baby blue one and a white one with a red stripe here in town. The "Safety Kid" in me of course thinks it's insane that anyone would ride around with their kid like that. However, I love that while the rest of the world is embracing the "responsible" green, eco-friendly mentality of strapping your helmet wearing kids into a tin can capable of being pummeled by a mere Honda Accord, someone is simply thinking for themselves. Agree? No. But, I do love the south and their attitude.

Easter Pictures - Better Late than Never?

Moving West

Big D, Little d

What begins with D?

Doctor needed in Dallas... d D d!

Yep. Big D. This picture is the view of downtown Dallas from Rockwall where a new (but somewhat familiar!) life awaits us in August. We are very excited!
Rockwall seems like a great place to live and work (I think that's Denton's slogan?) We're also thrilled to have easy access to all that Dallas has to offer.
Now I can start planning. I love to plan. Really. I'll be making
lists in no time, just for fun.

Tax Day Tea Party

Here's a picture of the kiddos at the Winston-Salem, NC Tax Day Tea Party. I wrote more about it at SavvyCitizen, but Addie had a blast waving her flag around. It was really fun, so if any of you have local events scheduled for tonight I definitely recommend it. Perfect picnic event!

I Will..Tomorrow

Really, I will send out my emails and sign off into privacy tomorrow. Really. Maybe Thursday. We'll see how the week goes...

In the meantime, I have enjoyed the much needed ability to spout off my thoughts on American politics here and decided to separate it from my personal blog. If you like the political discussions but find many of the political blogs to be overwhelming...come check out my little blog. I only post when I have the time and/or really have something on my mind. So, it's not new info all the time that makes you feel like you are way behind on the happenings of the world. And, I really do like hearing from all sides as long as people are friendly so since we're all friends here...

http://savvycitizen.blogspot.com

Stay tuned for invites to this blog in your mailbox. By the weekend, perhaps.

Dear Husband,

Just in case you walk into a house that looks like

(no, this is not my house)

when you get home this afternoon, accompanied by one of these

(Jack has cut 3 teeth this week and looks like he's working on 2 more...uggghh)

I just wanted to make you aware that it is 11 a.m. and we have already been running, the floors have been swept and mopped, the bathroom is clean, the kitchen is clean, the baby is sleeping, and I have my hair and makeup done. None of this may be evident at 5:30 p.m. when you walk through the door, so I just thought it should be documented this once.

Love,

Your (always-trying, ever-loving, usually-way-behind) Wife

Aquarium & Zoo

On Thursday we met our friends Holly and Clark down at the Houston Aquarium for lunch. We ate fish tacos in the restaurant surrounded by fish swimming around us. Addie thought it was so much fun that we decided not to bother paying for the exhibit afterward - she thought she'd already seen what we came to see. There is a lot to do at the Aquarium, so we will definitely be going back. Here are the kiddos in their strollers:



Then on Saturday we met Serena, Dave, and Maggie at the Zoo. It was 45 degrees and very windy. Despite the sunshine, we were all pretty chilly and wimpy, so we didn't last long! I did capture a few pictures though.

Here are the chilly kiddos:


Serena was such a good aunt to brush the nasty hairy goats with Addie. I stayed on the other side of the fence fighting the nose itching. I'm not a fan of animals and their smells. Thank goodness for Serena! :)

Family Ties

Cousins from Julie Berg on Vimeo.

S.M.R.T.

I set up my comments for approval before posting so that I could get email addresses from people before they were publicly posted in comments, only I thought they would be emailed to me. Sooo, just today I figured out that they were sitting in my dashboard waiting for attention. 46 of them.

S.M.R.T.

Crazy Good Food

Two of my sisters-in-law and I decided that we wanted to eat lunch at Pei Wei today. We must have wanted it bad because we were willing to do it with six children. Ages were 4, 3 1/2, 2 1/2, 1 1/2, 9 months, and 5 months. Let's just say, we got there at 12:40 and could not believe it was 2 o'clock when we finally got into the car. I ate most of my lunch after we got home from a to-go container. Oh well. it was good pad thai.



Addie is loving playing with her cousins. It's really fun to hear them talking back and forth now. They're even cute when they are up to something they shouldn't be doing. This morning it was really hard to lay down the law when Emma and Addie were having so much fun rolling Nana's "display" fruit down the stairs and laughing hysterically. Silly girls.

Nine Months Old!

Biker Girl

Addie was very excited when Anthony bought her a bike this past fall, but quickly decided she didn't like it when she realized we weren't just going to push her around on it forever. This month she tried it again and after many failed attempts at getting mom to push her, she learned how to pedal. Now all she ever wants to do is ride her bicycle. She doesn't say bike. Bicycle.

Here's a little clip of her skills:


Biker Girl from Julie Berg on Vimeo.

Fashion Backward

I realize I am not the most fashion forward person out there these days. The shoes I spend most of my time in are my Brooks Adrenaline running shoes that I simply repurchase every six months in a slightly different color. However, yesterday while I was splurging on yet another pair of black high heels and some preppy navy ballet slippers, I asked the sales lady what the hot shoe trend was this season. Silly me for asking. She pointed to these:



And these:



Well, I will definitely NOT be a hot momma this spring. I think I would cause injury to myself or others in the second pair. Maybe some of my friends out there can pull this off, but it's just not in my repertoire. I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed for running shoes, ballet flats and classic heels to return to center stage.

As Promised - Christmas "Rapper" Photos

See this post for explanation! My friend Jamie just posted these on Facebook today. Facebook is cooooool.

Seven Years

Married for 7 years
6 anniversaries spent apart
owned 5 cars
lived in 4 places
3 foreign vacations
blessed with 2 children
had (past tense) 1 dog

Just for fun, I dug up this picture of us the night we got engaged. The expression on Anthony's face was priceless.

The below picture captured the other 50% of emotions he was feeling that night (I hope).

We celebrated on Friday night by going out to a restaurant called Christopher's. There is a Christopher's restaurant here that is oddly very similar to the Christopher's that we went to the night we became engaged in College Station, Texas. We both remembered the one in College Station being better than the one here. Maybe we were just looking through rose colored glasses?

Privatization

No, I'm not talking about Social Security. This blog is going private in a few weeks. I've toyed with the idea for a while. My blog is set up so that the only way to get to it is by actually typing in the address or clicking on a link. I was fairly content with that form of privacy because it's allowed me to be "found" by so many friends just by clicking through from mutual friend blogs. I thought I'd put things to the test this weekend and see if I was really ducking all of the search engines out there and I failed the test.

FYI, not everyone will fail such a test. My blog specifically shows up on many "lists" out there because of the wide variety of topics I choose. Celebrity names, politicians (aren't those two same these days?), YouTube video, and other various random topics I cover have flagged my blog. It may be impossible for me to actually stick to simply talking about the exciting day to day routine of our life and I've already done the damage with my other posts. I've avoided going private because then it won't work with various readers (to my knowledge/experience - if anyone knows how, please tell me!)

So...I hope this will not lose my audience. Blogging is really fun for me as a stay at home mom. I love getting feedback. It's almost like conversation. :)

I've changed my comments setting so that all comments will be emailed to me prior to being posted here, so please send me your email address if you think I don't have it so that I can send you an invite. I'll just delete the comment so your address is not listed for all. If you are a friendly blog stalker who loves the unpredictability of my topics (holidays, potty training, politics, religion, etc.) just send me your email anyway! I hope I will hear from all of you!

Snow Day

A storm came through on Sunday night and turned our nice green lawn into a winter wonderland. The upside was that, unlike Iowa where it's cloudy and 10 degrees on such days, it was sunny and 30 degrees so we could actually go outside and play in it! So fun. The downside...our neighborhood has issues with anything that reaches the magnitude of storm. Not major storm. Not national disaster. Just regular storm. So at 2 a.m. I woke up to the power going out. It was 13 that night...not so great. So, before the fun in the snow began we had spent most of the morning huddled up reading books and playing in my bed to try to stay warm. Luckily, right as Addie and I were heading outside to clean off the car so we could leave our chilly home, the power came back on and all was well. Yay.

When we first went outside, Addie just walked around in the snow saying "This is tricky Mommy!" It was cute in her little voice...but I didn't catch it well on camera. Once she was used to the snow, she self entertained with a rice paddle and a baggie. The girl loves to fill things, empty them, and refill. Maybe we should have a yard full of sand!

We had a blast playing. We definitely overdressed though...I guess our Iowa winter gear is a little much for North Carolina. The snowman is still standing, but his face has melted off. Two whole days isn't bad for the south.




Snow! from Julie Berg on Vimeo.

Fancy Nancy Cupcake Party

For all you wanna be Super Moms out there (I'll admit, I wouldn't mind being one) here is a really cool way to throw your three year old daughter a birthday party. One of Addie's friends from church just turned three and her mother threw her a Fancy Nancy Cupcake Party. It was so cute.

When we got there, Addie had her own apron and chef's hat to put on. Then she joined the other girls who were decorating cupcakes. After singing "Happy Birthday" and happily devouring their "fancy" cupcakes, they made beaded necklaces (BIG beads...3 year olds here.) After that, they had a dress up relay. Oh yes. Super cute. There were two teams of little girls that had to race back and forth to baskets full of dress up clothes. The team that got everyone in their fancy dress up shoes, tutu skirt, and purse won. Then they all sat down while the hostess read Fancy Nancy.



The birthday girl opened her presents and then the party started to break up, but it was so much fun. She was sent home with a party favor bag (matching the apron, of course!) that contained a bracelet and a ring pop. Addie has been singing "Happy Birthday" ever since (this was last weekend) and at least once a day she asks me if we're going to have a birthday party for her. Maybe we'll be moved by then...somewhere...maybe she'll have friends by then...hmmm. Pressure.

Oh, and on the picture...that's the face I get when I say "smile" right now. Ugggh. Oh well...I guess it could be a frown or looking away which we've done plenty of.