Useless Poll Information

No telling why people wanted to know this, but in London they did a poll yesterday. In said poll it was found that "People called James or Elizabeth are perceived as likely to be the most successful, while Ryan and Sophie are seen as the most attractive." Don't know why, but it makes me smile. For complete article, here you go.

But when you read the rest of the list, it says Caroline is 2nd for success and first for least attractive. What does it mean? I am sitting at the airport and entertaining myself with useless information (Eric called to tip me off to said poll).

In case anyone was wondering I did indeed read both New Moon and Eclipse on Friday of last week. Great books - go and read them right now. The fourth and final is not coming out until August, so now I need to wait and see what happens to Edward and Isabella (neither name made the London study in case you were wondering).

I am off to the frozen tundra of the north - Minneapolis - to stand in a booth, smile and make nice with a tons of librarians. Jealous???

I Am Obsessed

I do this every so often. Get obsessed with a book, or a series, and let everything around me fall down while I pretend I am not the mother of five children with responsibilities like job, home and hearth. This is my new obsession. The Twilight Series.

I read Twilight right before we moved. I was on a trip, came back, and had to finish the book. I liked it, and would have read book two but it was in storage. Well then we moved, unpacked and I read Nineteen Minutes for book club next month (loved that as well). Before I jumped into our next book, Pillars of the Earth, I thought I would read New Moon, book number two.

I started yesterday. I got back from my run this am and read straight from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm. I am done. (it is Good Friday which is a holiday at work so I am not really playing hooky). To continue my obsession I am about to start Eclipse, the last book written in the series.

I found New Moon better than Twilight, so I hope Eclipse is even that much better. I have not been this obsessed since Harry Potter - I know why the series has been compared to Harry. All I know is it is good. What does is say the YA Fiction keeps my interest like this? I will save the analysis for another day - now I am off to read and ignore my responsibilities some more!

Flying High

Another day of spring break down. Eric had made arrangements with one of his work folks who owns a helicopter to take the scouts up for a ride. They were able to go up two by two and see the area from above. They all thought it was great fun.

The girls and I stopped by toward the end to see the helicopter take off and land - oh did I say it was taking off and landing in the church parking lot? It was really cool. Of course Sophie and Kelsey wanted a turn, so the nice pilot went up one more time with the two girls and me. I felt a little sick taking off, but it was neat to see things from up there. Here is Kelsey in action.

If you look closely you can see Ryan in the passenger seat.

The twins were PISSED that they did not get a chance. That was two days in a row - no Big and Rich for them and no helicopter. We pacified them with Wendy's for lunch. This was a picture Eric took of them basking in the wind from the helicopter - it was funny.

So, for a boring spring break where we were not doing anything, it has turned out no so bad for the kids. Today will be the boring day - but Ryan is leaving for a two day backpacking trip with the scouts so it will just be Eric and the girls till Saturday.

We Were Having Ourselves A Big and Rich Time

The concert rocked!! It was so fun. I think I embarrassed the kids because I was not acting very matronly - but hey it was a concert.

Ryan announced that he had never been to the rodeo - I am not sure how that happened even the babies have been to a concert at the rodeo. So, he wanted to see all the pre-concert rodeo events. Last night that was only bull riding - it was extreme bull riding. Not sure what makes it extreme, since it alwasy looks pretty extreme to me, but I am no cowboy.

They played all the good ones we wanted to hear, and it was just fun!!! I want to load them all on my ipod and listen all day. So, go and have yourself a Big and Rich Time!

Working From Home Is Great Except

for the summer and spring break. We are in the midst of spring break right now and the kids are making me a little nuts. Trying to work, and meet the the plethora of needs thrust upon me is more than I can take! We have had the two of the Jones girls here since Sunday night, which actually helps to keep Kelsey and Sophie entertained. They are hostages in our house - we don't want them to go, but alas they will be allowed to go back to Jonesville today.

The best news - a neighbor knew I wanted Big and Rich tickets for the rodeo, and had some extra in his office, and gave them to us. So Ryan, Kelsey Sophie and I are headed out for a Big and Rich time tonight at the rodeo. It is supposed to be raining which will make it interesting, but we are looking forward to fun.

Now off to prepare for a webinar...

First Time In Pool

Yes, that is right. For all those of you who have deserted Texas for colder climes, here you go.

Allie and Caroline swam today for the first time (not counting Kelsey and Sophie's unauthorized and punishable jump in). It was either 66 or 68 - you tell me if you can read the thermometer. They were cold, but they loved it.

Just thought I would share!

I Could NOT Help Myself

I was reading Sarah's blog and she had a readability test - something that would test what level of education is needed to understand your blog. She tested hers and it was elementary school. Now, for anyone who does not know Sarah she is getting her Ph.D in English, and is a fabulous and very entertaining writer. I want to be her when I grow up. I just had to google how you display Ph.D correctly. Enough said.

I tested this load of crap and my readability was Junior High School. While I try and avoid all things Junior High School, this was too good and I could not pass it up. Try it for yourself on your blog - it is worth a chuckle.

So does this make me smarter than Sarah? You be the judge.

Allie and Caroline Turn Seven

I can't believe my babies are seven! Time sure flies.

This year we had two cakes for their birthday - I would love to say we had them because I was making sure each of them had their own individual cake to booster their self esteem. It is really because I wanted chocolate and they wanted white. So, one of each.

I let Kelsey and Sophie frost them, and Allie and Caroline wanted to do sprinkles. Since it was their birthday, I told Kelsey to let them do the sprinkles. This is what we got.







A little cake to go with your sprinkles?

Eric was sure they would be disappointed with their presents - I think everyone should be impressed I had any since we were in the midst of moving and getting the old house on the market. Luckily, they are seven and when they ask for more I say no and that is that.

As I think about how much they add to our family, I realize we would not be complete without them.


Allie, the oldest of the two, is our little crazy girl. She is more dramatic than Kelsey, and crazy all the time. She is always running around, and wants to play soccer and basketball. She is always up for going outside to play with the older kids - and very aware when someone is getting something she is not. Sometimes I worry she is a little ADHD since she cannot sit at the table and get her homework done! But, then I remember Ryan being JUST LIKE THIS. So, we don't worry, just keep directing her back to the table. She is a snuggler, and she still loves her daddy best (meaning she can still get him to do anything she wants).



Caroline is the baby of the family, and boy can she work that. She is not quite as hyper as Allie - calmer in a way. She can buckle down and get things done, but still loves to be loud and run around. She has a little diva in her (not sure where that came from) and it comes out often. She wants to be a cheerleader, still, and I might have to give in and get her to tumbling. She loves to design clothes - and she is quick to give her opinions on other designs. She is always putting great outfits together (great to her that is).


They have both grown up so much this year. They are working on reading - still at the early stages, but making progress. They both love to write and color, and they LOVE it when Kelsey and Sophie play school with them. They make me laugh, you never know what will come out of their mouths.


So, Happy Birthday Babies!!!

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

In the new house.

This is the bathtub in my room. I love to bathe. The best part (besides the fact it is really big)

This is what you see while soaking in the tub. And this TV has dish network baby!!

I love the new entryway. The circular stairwell and the juliet balcony (I read the description in the MLS). I love the feel of it.

My new office. It has a door. No one is allowed in here - although my stapler has already disappeared.

I love my new closet. It is obscene. Ryan's room in the old house was smaller than this closet. I love that everything has a place. The only down side is still sharing with Eric, but I will get over it. This picture is only a part of the closet.

Then there is the outside. It has a great pool - not that we have had the chance to get in yet, but the folks there before left the tramp. The kids have used that for sure (even though I still have this strange phobia of them)

This is half the kitchen. I went back to get a picture of the other half, don't know why I did not take them at the same time, but it was dirty and I did not want to show everyone what slobs we are!

We still have not hung pictures, so more pictures of the house to come when we get it all done!

Has Hell Frozen Over?

I voted for Hillary today. I never thought I would utter those words. I am a little sick about it. But, it was a lesser of evils kind of thing. If I was not so dang busy with two houses, five kids, job, kids activities, etc. I would attend the caucus tonight because it would be interesting. You never know, but I don't think I will make it.

I have so much to get caught up on blog wise, and no time now. Just wanted to share the news. If the world does not seem to be spinning right, now you know why.

More Later.

Life in California

I am in Ca this week working. It is weird coming this far west. I am up at 3:30 am, ready to face the day. I am not really ready for bed at 6:00 pm, so I am getting tired. Just thought I would share.



I get home on Friday morning, after Eric closes on our new house. He will have to close without me - which means he will have to sign twice as much. Oh well, it could not be helped. We then take off for San Antonio to watch Kelsey perform for TMEA and head back that night. I then have the weekend to finish packing, and get ready to move early next week. It is going to get crazy at Chez Pearson.

Happy Day

Go Kelsey

Kelsey worked with a small group to create a project for History Fair. She had to do this as a class project. She had the best project in her class, and one of the best as judged from the History Dept at Willow Wood Junior High School.

So, she got to go to regions. For this opportunity, we needed to be up at the Woodlands at 8:00 am on a Saturday. She spent the morning being judged, answering questions, etc. She left at lunch and did not stay around for the judging.

Well she should have because she and her group won first place! So, now it is on to State. We will all get to go to Austin in May so she can compete there. Who would have thunk it? I am very proud of her!

AND - she did it on how women served during the Civil War and I am all about girl power!

I am off to the sunny state of California this week. I come back to go to Kelsey's choir conceert in San Antonio at TMEA, and then packing, packing and more packing - oh and some moving and upacking as well!

Have a great week.

For Good

Anyone who knows me knows I am a sentimental fool. Songs really get to me, and I can cry at the drop of a hat. Especially relationship stuff - imagine me at 16. Maybe I do owe my parents an apology...



But I digress. As has been stated we had Rachel here for the weekend. Before they moved we had the awesome opportunity to see Wicked with Rachel and Becky. It was great. I LOVE LOVE the music from the show.



When it became apparant that the Hansen's were really going to move and break our hearts, I told Sophie we should get a picture of she and Rachel and type out the words to this song, For Good, and make a collage. She looked at me like I had three heads (she looks at me that way a lot).



We did not do it. Fast forward to Sophie's birthday. Rachel got her a charm from James Avery for her bracelet, and then this pillowcase arrived. It is filled with pics of the two of them through the years - from the time they were three to present. Becky then typed out many of the words to For Good and put them on the side with the one big picture of the two of them.



What can I say, great minds think alike!! Or Becky is as sentimental as me. I will go with the former. Now we have this great keepsake of the two of them, and a tie in to Wicked. Some of the lyrics for those who don't know:

I’ve heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return…

…So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You’ll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend.

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
Because I knew you,
I have been changed for good.

Glinda and Elphaba

Sophie's Surprise

We had one last birthday surprise for Sophie. Jared Hansen was coming to town to do some stuff, and he and Becky decided to surprise Rachel and let her come with.

Well, the timing worked out that it was close to Sophie's birthday - what better present could she have?

When she came in Rachel was hiding in a box.

I told her I had one more present for her.

You can see by her reaction she was in shock and very surprised.

Those are real tears!

Now they have the weekend for fun and together time. It will be great to have Rachel around. Fun for everyone!!!

Where have you been Carrie Pearson?

OK so I have been busy. I have not even looked at any blogs - I just saw that I had been tagged - and as Sarah told me - I am the only one who has not done it. Do I have a great excuse? I was kidnaped and held for ransom? No, I am just doing the job of three or four people.

We decided to finally put an end to the add on or buy a new house debate. We decided in early January to try and find a house. There had been a house for sale in a neighborhood next to ours last fall, but it was off the market. Long story short we are going to buy said house, close on Feb 15th and then have ours ready to put on the market Feb 27th. Our new house has 5 bedrooms, 31/2 baths and a pool. Oh and a real office for me.

I have forgotten how much I hate buying a house - what a pain. We are doing it without a realtor which saved money, but that means I have been doing all the work!

Lets hope we are as luck and Heather and our house sells fast! We are repainting, recarpeting and switching out a few things. We just had the whole outside painted, powerwashed and cleaned up.

So, there you go. I have missed my mothers birthday, my daughters birthday and my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday to them. My Sophie girl is 11. More on that later. I am in Ohio where the wind chill is in the single digits. Not my idea of fun. I have work to do for a few days, then I am going home to the other task in front of me - pack the whole house!

More later including my tag - notes about my husband. Is there something I have not already said?

Finally

Allie lost her first tooth. She is hoping the tooth fairy remembers to come tonight....

The Problem With A Blog

Is now I have one more Christmas thing to clean up - I need a new banner and have not found time to make one. Since January is Sophie's birthday, it should be a Sophie banner, but I will have to work on that. I have a three hour flight tomorrow, so maybe then.

I am happy to report that all the rest of Christmas is picked up AND put in the garage. No small feat. Now, we are just working on the real life stuff...Homework, after school activities, church et all.

I did my supermom impression today (it does happen every so often) and got up at 4:30, ran 7 miles, made 5 lunches, got kids out the door, was showered dressed (hair and makeup done) AND had dinner in the crock pot by 8:15 am. It did wonders to make me feel empowered all morning, but now I am just tired. Is it bedtime yet?????

Christmas and New Years Recap

I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I have been checked out of life. It was great. We had a great Christmas, and a Happy New Year's Eve. Since Santa brought a wii, we have been wii-ing our hearts out. A few pics from the holidays. We played Twister on New Year's Eve, and I busted some pretty good Twister moves!! Michelle was SO jealous...

Now, back to life.

Do You Ever Feel

Like you are drowning in things to do and all you want to do is sit and watch TV? That would be me right now. I have a million, or maybe six, loads of laundry to do fold and put away, Christmas Cards to get out, a house that could be condemned, and I have not started wrapping or baking. The baking may or may not get done this year - although Allie asks me every day if we can make Santa's cookies today because ones from the store will not work.

So, I am going to avoid my desire to watch TV and buckle down. It sucks to be a grown up!

Why I Don't Live In a Cold Clime

I can't stand to be cold, and even worse is keeping up with all the stuff. I mean the hat, the gloves, the scarf, the coat, the boots etc etc. After three days there, lets just say I am happy to be back in sunny Texas - temp 81 today. I thought I would die waiting for the parking bus, out there in my wool pants, sweater, boots , coat, etc.

I am happy, happy, happy I don't have to venture to the airport again until January 11th when I will again go to the frozen tundra - Philly. Oh well, for now I am enjoying good weather and no aiports. See, I am not hard to please...

Now, I just need to get ready for Christmas - no easy task with five short days left. I am up to the task!