All About Angie

11/28: Moving to WordPress

All About Angie is about to move to angie.dishmans.net ... hopefully in the next 24 hours it will be up and running!

11/28: Alive and Returned

I am currently alive and have returned from the Land of Fun. BUT, my parentals just came for a weekend visit and I wanted to spend time with them. And there is that little thing called housework which I have been trying to avoid, but I'm afraid that it's not going to be shirked. Also, the kids think they have missed me for some reason. Therefore, the official post is coming, but probably not before Thursday night (thus, my posting this at 6am). And there will probably be more than one. It was a full and happy time!

In order to keep your interest (and possibly tide you over until the post(s) occurs), here is proof of my existence in Mexico...



No photoshop needed. Except to shrink it. Peter takes gi-normous (but good) pictures!

Thanks for your patience!

11/15: The Newest Leif On The Family Tree

I have officially become an aunt for the second time this year. John Leif Dishman made his debut early this morning after hiding out for almost 2 weeks past his due date. No other details have been disclosed at this time. Check the homepage or David and Elizabeth's webpage for more information later!

Welcome to the (crazy) family, little Leif! We look forward to meeting you!

UPDATED: Now with picture!!


Very. Cute. And he has eyeballs. Always a good thing. Love ya, D&E&L!!!

11/10: FIVE!!

Five years ago today, after being on bedrest for 3+ weeks, my water broke and this is what I ended up with:



She was, by far, the most painful birth (no drugs for preemies!), but also the easiest (dialating over 4 weeks? Piece of cake!). She was born 6 weeks early and had a week and a half stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (it really seemed a lot longer than that), but you would never be able to guess that today. She is in the top percentages for her height and already has feet the same size as her 18-month-older sister (might be even a little bigger than Susanna's feet). She is a snazzy dresser. The more stripes, the better. She loves anything purple. To wear, to eat, whatever. Purple. And her current obsession is The Magic Schoolbus. Crazy about Ms. Frizzle, she is.

She reminds me of myself, in that she likes to have the last word and the last laugh. She is the first one to tease Daddy, saying "I looooove chocolate!!". If you know Mark at all, he despises such things and will tickle her until she recants. She recants only to call off the tickling, but quickly reclaims her choco-love proudly. That's my girl!


(And, for those with inquiring minds, her eyes ARE this blue.)

Lydia was born to be in charge. She is the child in our family most interested in giving orders (though her brother may closely rival her in the years to come). She is the one most interested in encouraging Luke to learn to use the potty. As I was walking down the hall just last week, I heard talking coming from the bathroom. Lydia was instructing Luke in the ways of the potty. "This is the flusher. You can only push it after you use the potty. NOT BEFORE! And don't put so much toilet paper in there..." That's when I intervened, derailing Lydia's momentary plan for world-domination. It sounds exaggerated. But don't be fooled.....

How I love that purply, take-charge girl! We had a rough beginning, but she is more than worth it!
Here's to you on your birthday, Lydia! Happy birthday!!

10/19: You know you're a crazy driver when...

all of the children in your backseat raise their arms in the air and yell, "WWHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" at the top of their lungs when you go around corners.

No kidding.

10/17: Grab Bag (of sorts)

Or, alternatively titled "I Can't Think Of An Appropriate Title".

1. My abundant and free-flowing thanks to whomever decided that Costco's Snack Bar should not take credit cards. It has saved me and my credit card bill (not to mention the size of my pants) from much heartache. So, to the Deciders of Costco Fate, I thank thee.

Conversely...

2. Whomever decided that Grape Jelly would make a tasty and tempting Jelly Belly flavor has serious delusional issues. I mean, "Blech!" ::shiver, shiver:: And why there is MORE THAN ENOUGH OF THIS "flavor" in the 4 pound jar is beyond my comprehension. I suppose they needed a way to get rid of the GJs. "Hey, let's fill up the 4 pounder with this stuff! No need to waste the Dr. Pepper and chocolate pudding flavors!" Ditto on the Wild Blackberry. Gag! On the happy side, I am getting used to Black Licorice. As there are plenty of them also!

3. Speaking of Costco, my daughter adamantly refuses to go there until Halloween is over. Why? Because of this freeeeeaaaaakkkkky wild nasty evil thing:

Gross, huh? The "head in a jar" moves and it talks and it's eyes light up. Pretty sick. The last time we went to Costco with Susanna, she would not walk within 3 aisles of it. 3 aisles!! When the "Spirit Ball" is detected (by Susanna), she falls down on the floor and it's difficult to carry her, because her legs are so long and she stiffens up. So I only go to The Big C when she's at school.

4. Now, Lenise, I will appease your curiosity....Where am I going? By myself. No children. No husband. Just me and my passport. (Or pasaporte.) Here is a big hint:


Yes, I'm going to visit our dear brother, Peter in Mexico City. I leave exactly one month from tomorrow for 5 fun-filled, Spanishly-challenging days of tootling around one of the largest cities in the world. Did I mention I'm going All. By. Myself? My dear husband insisted that I go because it's "my turn". MY TURN. HIS IDEA. Now....why do I need a passport to go to Mexico City? It's not required by the government until January 1, 2007, but that is a mere 2+ months away and we figure since certain people seem to like living there, that it would be worth it, as we plan on visiting certain people on a seemingly regular basis (or as we can afford it. Ha!).

So there it is. That's where I'm going. By myself.
::falls down in giggle fit::

10/13: Preparations

(I'm attempting a double-post here and on the Dishnet homepage)

Congratulate me!

I now have one of these:



Even better, I'm going to use it very soon!
::does happy dance::

Details later.....

10/12: A Dinosaur Is A Dangerous Thing

So I was helping Susanna with her homework when we were interrupted by Luke screaming and the sound of size 8.5 little boy tennis shoes running throughout the hardwood-floored house. I was in the process of opening my mouth to chastise the little booger when he ran right past me. And I saw the dinosaur.

Luke was holding the small plastic (and apparently, quite ferocious) dinosaur in his hand. He was holding it up to his back, running, and making eating noises with his mouth. From what I could tell, the dinosaur was eating my child.

When I called the dinosaur over to me, the dinosaur began to kiss me repeatedly up and down my arm. I kissed the dinosaur back. (Yes, on the mouth. It was not as gross as I thought it would be.) The dinosaur then began to chase and eat Luke again.

And all is right with the world.

10/10: And Many Happy Returns

There have been sooooo many posts I have been writing in my head the last week. Like the one about how I think school crossing guards are power-hungry tyrants whose highest goal in life is to confuse unsuspecting parents half to death by conveniently changing their minds (while such a parent is carrying out the honorable wishes of the crossing guard) about what such parents should be doing in the parking lot and then condemning them publicly for trying to abide by said crossing guards wishes. It is impossible to please such "guards". If you, dear reader, are a nice and happy crossing guard, then I applaud you. I'm sure you do fine work. The "guards" at the school I frequent are not so thrilled to be at work. You get the point, I'm sure. Moving on....

1. Last week was Fall Break. You know, sort of like Spring Break. Except in the Fall. A whole week of fun, to be sure. Mark also took the week off and we had big plans. Plans that involved a major cleaning job on the house and generalized tootling around town together. Well, it was partially successful. We did clean, though not as much as Mark would've liked (Is that really measureable? Probably not). And we tootled around. All around the town and then some. It was fun. And the week went by way too quickly. A rapid list of highlights included: haircuts for children (really short for the girls--really cute!), eating at restaurants (remind me someday to post about the Rainbow Squirrel, of course, it's probably only funny to me), going to the bookstore (or 2), riding bikes, a date with my husband (everybody say, "Oooo!) and lots of other stuff I will cover in the next sections....

2. Friday night, Mark and I went out on a date (isn't that what they call it?) to a super yummy steak restaurant called The Keg. And we took along some friends to help us celebrate (celebrate what, you ask? See #3). It was major fun to go to a restaurant where I did not have to cut up anyone else's food or endure numerous trips to the bathroom, each with a different child or the whining that sometimes accompanies such a food experience. Yay and yay again.

3. Now, the celebrating? It involved a birthday. Yes, it was mine. And it was one of the bigger-type ones. I forgive you for forgetting (if you did, but you probably didn't). I hauled in the best loot. Evah. Here, in photo-montage form is part of the haul....


(the gift part of this is the hand-held shower head that I instructed all 3 children to tell Grandma when she asked them, "What does Mommy want for her birthday?")
and

Yes, that label says "4 sugar-filled pounds of jelly belly goodness" (embellished a little). POUNDS!! Whoa!
and
many other wondermous things of which I didn't get a picture. The Oklahoma parentals were here (and braved OU-Texas gameday traffic for me--a game which sadly, by the way, ended poorly for the Sooners) and baked me a cake and even washed the dishes.

So, it was a great day. And Mark wasn't even phased by the fact that throughout the day everytime I saw him I said, "Did you know today is my birthday?" Just in case he forgot.

But he didn't.

One last picture....

Read More!

10/02: Laughs

From the Laffy Taffy wrapper....

What do you call a cow with a twitch?

Beef jerky!

There's plenty more where that came from....

What did the cabbage preacher say to his church?

Lettuce pray.
(Hee hee, snort)

And for a final thought, my favorite, courtesy of a previous LT wrapper--

Why do lobsters not have very many friends?

Because they are shellfish!

Get it? Shellfish! Ha!

More from my day later......