Happy Birthday to me!

I know what you're thinking! Oh My GOD! Did I miss Amanda's birthday? no, you didn't. I was in January. Suckiest month to have a birthday ever (ok, except for November and December). Anyhoo, for my birthday, aside from whisking me away for a romantic weekend, Brian bought me what he has dubbed my "most expensive birthday present to date". Which is encouraging because it implies that there might be future birthdays with even more elaborate gifts :-)
Anyway, you might be wondering what could possibly top my ski trip birthdays from 2 and 3 years ago, and my New York trip birthday from the year before that. And while this present isn't in the same league as the valentine's present of 2007, it is most definitely blog-worthy. In our circle of friends, and between family, we joke about how cheap Brian is. In fact some would say that Brian is so tight that he squeaks when he walks. But if you look back at past history, all joking aside, he's not as cheap as he would have you believe. This birthday he asked me what I wanted. I said a covered patio. After months of research, gathering estimates, and waiting for the time to be just right, I finally am getting my present.
The construction crew arrived on Tuesday and worked their butts off to build me a roof over my existing patio slab that matches the house exactly. They even opened up the side of the house to attach the patio to the 1st floor ceiling joists, set the posts in concrete, mirrored the roofline of the house, and matched the trim of our house. I'm thrilled with the progress so far. We have the basic structure built. All it needs now is shingles, paint, and the ceiling fan installed. We're getting the roof on the rest of the house replaced also.
The guys that did the work were amazing. I tried not to hover over them watching because I didn't want them to think I was doing it because I didn't trust them. But I kept sneaking peaks as they progressed purely because it was so interesting to watch. They did it seemingly from memory. Nobody busted out blueprints. These guys just knew what to do. I can't wait to see the final result. Whenever I drive or run past the back of the house now I admire it from the road and think about how much more interesting the back of the house looks now that it's there.
You can see pictures of the work-in-progress here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/keylimeypie/PatioConstruction

I probably should say a quick "thank you" to my dear friend Wassim, who so wisely told Brian that "Amanda deserves whatever she wants". Your cheque is in the mail ;-)

Idol Chatter

Ok, first things first, what the hell was Paula wearing? Sequins and fingerless leather long gloves? Seriously?

Ramielle's redition of Heart's "Alone": She missed quite a few of the high notes, though she sounded great on the lower notes. I think Carly would have done a much better job of that song. She's still a major fashion criminal, though.
Jason Castro's version of Sting's "How fragile we are" was ok. I liked it, but it wasn't awesome. I still find him to be a little forgettable.
Sayesha Mercado. Ok, I REALLY liked her performance this week. She sung the crap out of that song! Every note was perfect. That's what I was expecting out of her.
Chikezie I thought it was ok. Not earth shattering or anything. He seems a little awkward on the stage.
Brooke White delivered a pretty solid performance. She has a good voice, but it always sounds the same. No variance, really.
Michael Johns - Still a fan. I love Queen and I really liked his performance of it, except he missed a few of the higher notes, which I guess is becoming my pet peeve. I can forgive him for it because a) he's cute, b) he sang Queen, and c) most of the song was good. But if you're gonna sing a song with notes that high, make sure you can damn well hit them or go home!
Carly Smithson - I liked her performance of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse" a lot, except the end... that last note was a bit off. I was not a huge fan of her outfit.
David Archuleta - I'm so sure he's gonna win! He's so talented. Though this wasn't his best performance. I just think he's gonna get the teenage girl vote.
Christy Lee Cook - I hated her song choice. Poor girl just keep picking cheesy-ass songs. She deserves to go home.
David Cook - His rendition of Billy Jean was really interesting. It started off kinda wierd for me, but I got into it by the middle, and by the end I preferred it to the original. He's definitely the most original of all of them.

My top three this week in order of preference based purely on performance:
David Cook
Syesha Mercado
Michael Johns

Bottom three:
Christy Lee Cook
Ramiele Mulabay
Jason Castro

Welcome Aria Elizabeth!

We've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Trent's new "cousin", Aria. She was due on St. Patrick's day but decided that she wasn't ready for her debut just yet. This morning, Aria was born at 8:13 am and she's absolutely stunning.
Barbie and I went to visit this morning and saw her and her daddy in the nursery right when we walked in. Brian was so impressive in the way he handled her. Like he'd being doing that for years. I was tearing up just watching him with her. Grandma Liz was so excited to see us and so excited about her new grand-baby.
Michelle was looking great when we went in to see her. Very alert, good colour, smiling. We stayed for a couple of hours and all took turns holding Aria when Brian brought her in. Barbie and I couldn't stop staring at her, she's so pretty. Brian was cracking me up with his impressions of what might have been going through Aria's mind as she was dreaming in his arms. It was hard to tear ourselves away from them, but they need to get some rest. Barbie and I both fell in love with her the moment we held her. I can't wait to introduce Trent and Aria, and I can't wait till Barbie's little rug-rat joins the pack!
Fun times!
Pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/trent.bauman/CousinAriaElizabeth

Mid-week single parent update

My hat is off to those who take on the task of raising a kid alone, especially those who hold down a full-time job. Truly. Not to say that this week has been awful. Not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, Trent and I are doing great and he's being the perfect little gentleman. The main challenges I face are getting myself and Trent ready in the morning and getting out the door at a reasonable time. Usually, Brian and I trade off getting ready while the other takes care of Trent's needs. Trent and I have a pretty good system, though. I get up when Trent wakes up and we go and get a bottle. Trent feeds himself his bottle while I make myself a cup of tea and get him some rice cereal, which I mix half of my yogurt into. We sit together and listen to the Radio or watch the morning news while we eat, then I sit Trent on the bedroom floor in my line of vision from the bathroom with some toys and he plays while I get ready. Then I change Trent's clothes, gather all the stuff he needs for daycare, gather all my stuff, and we're out the door. In all, just over an hour from waking up to out the door. That's not so bad.
I have been able to make it to my Martial Arts class on Tuesday and will be able to tomorrow thanks to Aunt Barbie coming over to hang with Trent. On Tuesday they had a fun evening as Barbie kept him entertained with a puppet show, among other creative things.
Our evenings are pretty relaxing. This evening Trent and I went for a run, then we played and Trent chased the cats around the house laughing hysterically. He also took an interest in the fish, trying to grab them through the glass. Around 8:30 he got his bath and we played with the bath toys. And by 9pm he was sleeping like a little angel. Awwwh!
Today one of Trent's teachers gave him a present. It's a blue onesie that says "Ladies' Man" on it. Very appropriate for Trent because he is such a flirt! The ladies at daycare just love him. That makes me so happy.

Predictable incredulous blog

My problem is that I'm watching AI on the DVR, so I don't get the opportunity to vote. But I can still bitch about the results.

Well, my prediction on who will go home tonight didn't come true. Christy is safe this week. But my second and third choices were Jason Castro and Amanda Overmyer, respectively. I was hoping Amanda would stick around a couple more weeks just for the pure entertainment factor. I know my mum will be happy, she thought she was awful

I'm extremely surprised by Carley being in the bottom 3? really? REALLY, America? For shame!

American Idol

It's that time again. I'll admit it, I'm an AI addict. This season the judges are saying this group is the most talented ever, but I'm not sure I can agree with that when you consider Chris Daughtry and Melinda Dolittle and Cat McPhee in there, but there are a few Idols that do stand out for me. From the women, Carly Smithson is my top pick. That girl can really sing. And she has the most amazing blue eyes. I'm glad that the makeup dept. has changed her eyeshadow colour from that awful yellow/brown she puts on herself, though. It did nothing for her. She's looking hotter every week.

For the men, my top pick is David Archuleta. I have to admit that I have a mini crush on the guy. Something about him reminds me of Brian, though I can't quite put my finger on what it is. He's sooo frickin' cute because he's so humble and he completely blows me away with his voice.

David Cooke is my second choice for the men for singing He completely rocked out on Day Tripper, though I'm not sure what the weird tube on the microphone is. He started off as a bit of an uggo, but somehow he's gotten a bit more attractive. I guess that's what a good stylist will do for you. On looks alone, Michael Johns floats my boat, and I like his voice because he reminds me a bit of Michael Huchens from INXS, but I don't think he's gonna be the last man standing.

I like Brooke White because she's such a sweetheart. Kind of like the Melinda Doolittle of this season in "niceness" (though obviously her singing doesn't compare), but what the bloody hell was that she was wearing on Tuesday night?? that was fashion road kill if I've ever seen it.

Jason Castro is completely forgettable for me for some reason. I think he's a decent singer, but I just can't get into him at all. Maybe I just don't like his face. I agree with Randy regarding his performance of "Michelle". It was just alright.

I like Sayesha Marcado a lot. She's got a great voice and she's really cute, but I guess I was expecting a bigger sound from her. Something more Gloria Gaynor or Diana Ross or something. I was really surprised when she was in the bottom 3 last week and I don't think she deserved to be there over Jason. What's up with you America?

I like Chikezie. He's probably my 3rd choice in the men for pure talent. There's no question that he can sing. I didn't enjoy his performance on Tuesday night, though. It was a bit too "ho down" for me with the whole harmonica bit and the steel guitar.

Christy Lee Cook is, in my opinion, going home tomorrow night. She's probably the best looking contestant this season, and I do think she can sing, but the poor girl keeps choosing the wrong songs or maybe it's just the way she countries it up and the fact that I'm not a huge country fan. We'll see how this plays out.

Ramiele Malubay is a fashion disaster! What the hell was she wearing? Awful. In the past I've thought she was a good singer, but she is getting a little boring. Her performance on Tuesday was completely average for me. She tried to change the arrangement a bit, and I didn't hate it, but it didn't have me jumping up to dance in my living room. Though I have to be honest, The Beatles isn't really my cup of tea. I've never really connected with their songs.

Amanda Overmyer is somewhat unique because she has that raspy, gravelly, Bonnie Tyler/Rod Stewart kind of voice, but something about her performances bug me. She reminds me of a drunk aunt doing bad kareoke at a wedding whenever she performs. If you turned the sound off and just watched the visual, it's a bit embarrassing to be honest. It's just a good thing this is a singing competition.

So that's my Idol opinions for today. I'm sure I'll be blogging incredulously tomorrow when someone other than Christie Lee Cook, Jason Castro, or Amanda Overmeyer get booted off.

All by myself...

Well, technically I'm not all by myself, I have the cats and the boy with me, but my hubby has gone to a conference in California for the week so I am taking care of the family all by myself. We spent the weekend on quality family time. On Friday we went to Hill Country Pasta House for family date night. The food isn't all that great, but we like that it's out of the way and not too packed. It turns out that my old friend, Curtis, is bar tending there, so I caught him up on all the latest gossip and introduced him to my boys.
On Saturday Trent and I napped together on the couch, something I never do. It felt so great to take a nap! I need to do it more often. Saturday night Brian and I took Trent for a long walk in our neighbourhood while we enjoyed a beer and wine, and listened to country music on the iPod attachment on Trent's jogger. It may sound like a lame way to spend a Saturday evening for some, but we had so much fun together. I know I've said that I don't like country music, and that's still true to a degree, but I actually do enjoy listening to it when Brian sings to it, even though he's completely tone deaf, because it makes him happy. Country music reminds him of his dad and brother, and that makes it cool. So while you won't catch me ever listening to it on my own, I'm starting to open up to it a little more.
Today, after Brian left, Trent and I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and picked up a new shower caddy, a nutcracker, and some white sheets, then we went for a long run again. That makes 7 days in a row that I've worked out, which is totally unheard of, and I'm not doing it to meet any kind of weight loss goal, but rather, because it's been very convenient for me to be active this past week. During our run Trent passed out in his stroller which enabled me to take a quick shower before he woke up. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon playing in his room. Trent really loves the Beatrix Potter blocks that Daz and Mel sent him. He giggles so hard when I build him a tower with them and he pushes it over. The game we like to play is where I build the tower, and Trent knocks it over before I get he last block on! While Trent played I took some pictures of him.
Trent passed out pretty early this evening, and I'm hoping that doesn't mean that he's going to get up super early in the morning. Right now he and both the cats are sleeping next to me. It sounds like a great idea, so I think I will join them :-)

Scorcher

Today it feels like the middle of a Texas summer. Ok, not quite, maybe a summer in Spain. But it's HOT. Like 92 degrees hot!
Today Trent and I went for a long run in our neighbourhood. Well, wen I say Trent and I, I mean I ran and Trent pretty much slept. It was hard to keep going on the moderate hills we encountered, but I just talked to myself like a crazy person. I figured if anyone heard me they'd think I was talking to Trent. It worked. I ran the whole way. You might be wondering why Trent was home on a Friday... He had a couple of "blow outs" at daycare yesterday and they were concerned that he might have a stomach virus. So he was sent home and isn't allowed back until Monday. That's fine, though, because we get to spend the whole day doing fun stuff together! He hasn't had any stomach issues since arriving home yesterday afternoon, so today is pretty much just a play day for both of us.
Friday is also family date night. I so look forward to it! Hangin' with my boyz, sipping a 'rita or a wine, chillin' over some good food. Brian's going to a conference in California all next week, so Trent and I need to get our daddy time in as much as we can over the next two days.

Mixed Martial Arts - update

So I've been taking MMA twice a week for 2 weeks now. It's much different than Kung Fu because there are no forms to memorize. The entire class is spent working with a partner using a bag or a kick shield and doing drills. As we do the drills the instructors correct our form. The corrections are really cool because you really can tell the difference between how you were doing a kick, for example, and then how much harder you can kick with corrected form. My usual bag partner is the wife of one of the instructors. She's really good and has an awesome kick! Holding the bag for her is a good work out because I have to tighten my abs to absorb the impact. I bruised my index finger knuckle on my right hand in class on Tuesday during a punching drill. It swelled up massive and at first I thought I might have broken it. I just stuck it out in the class and continued with the drills, then iced it down when I got home. The swelling went down and left behind a nice green bruise. In addition to the bag drills we do a lot of core training to strengthen abs and upper body. I can actually tell that I'm getting stronger because when I went to the gym I had to add more weights to all the machines to get a good work out. I'm not sure if I'll stick with this particular school yet or not. I like the small classes, but I feel like I need to work toward some kind of goal so I can measure my progress. Not having belt levels to attain is a bit of an issue for me.

Birthday Boy!

Sunday was Brian's Birthday. He started off his weekend with a birthday gift basket from my parents, and a late night dinner with me and Trent at the Chinese place up the street from us. On Saturday the weather was beautiful and Brian got up early to play soccer. He played a fantastic game, and on the way home, took advantage of the convertable and felt the wind in his hair. Saturday afternoon we went to Costco for Brian's favourite lunch treat. A $1.50 foot long hot dog and coke! Best deal ever. We ran into a work friend and his kid at Costco and spent a few minutes catching up.
When we arrived home Bri's parents were here. We prepped for the evening's festivities and I picked up the cake at HEB.


The cake was awesome. It looked like a regular cake, but under the frosting was all cupcakes. Brian LOVES cupcakes so this was the perfect cake for him.
Our guests started arriving around 7pm and we had such a fun evening with the perfect amount of people. We grilled burgers, drank beer and wine, and some of us played hot potato on the trampoline. Nick and Kitty brought their new dog, Dexter. He's sooooo cute. My favourite picture of the night is this one---

Trent's getting the hang of this partying thing. He's practicing for kindergarten.

On Sunday, Brian's actual birthday, he slept late, opened presents, did some yard stuff with his dad, played indoor soccer, and then went to dinner at his favourite steak house. A perfect ending to a very fun birthday weekend.

Visit http://picasaweb.google.com/keylimeypie/BrianSBirthday02 to see more pictures from the evening.

Bite me!

On Saturday night we were hanging out with Trent, just listening to the radio and chillin' on the couch when Trent decided that daddy's finger would be a good thing to chew on. Brian was surprised when instead of soft gums he felt something sharp on his finger!

TRENT HAS A TOOTH!

It must be quite a relief for him because he wouldn't let us even look at his lower gums a few days ago, but now he's quite happy for us to stick our finger in his mouth and feel around for teeth. There's only one at the moment but you can tell the one next to it is ready to surface. How cute he's going to be with two teeth! The only bad thing is that we won't see his gummy smile for much longer.

Trent seems to be feeling better these days. There was a couple of weeks recently when he was just so fussy in the evenings and nothing we did would make him happy. After a visit to Nurse Grace, though, he's much happier. He got some meds and now he's back to being his usual sweet and funny self.