Our Ranch. Our Shenanigans. Our Life.

Pryce Frederick | 3rd Birthday Invitation Design

2012-02-10T16:03:00.000-06:00

My little buddy is growing up. And he's one little hell raiser.

Hopefully he doesn't accidentally catch anyone on fire tomorrow.

One can only hope.

7 Months with Kassidy

2012-02-06T09:24:00.000-06:00

Seven months old today. Make. her. stop.

If you look closely, you'll see two new shiny dentures. Yep, Kassidy grew too little bottom teeth this past month.

For for those of you lucky enough to be my Facebook friend, you already know how we found them.

There we are. Sitting on the bed. Harassing our baby. And by harassing, I mean letting her use us as a jungle gym and making her laugh uncontrollably. Even if you're not a baby person, a baby laughing is one of the cutest sounds you'll ever hear. Now go find a baby and tickle it.

Anyway, I'm having a grand ole time letting Kassidy gnaw on my fingers, until I realize that it hurts like hell.

Fast forward to me yelling "Ouch" and Brady thinking I am a wuss.

Until the same thing happened to him.

So we decide to do some investigative work. And what do you know, we discover two teeth.

And then we give ourselves a pat on the back for finding them and tell ourselves how we are awesome parents. We don't have self esteem issues in case you're wondering.

So if you are lucky enough to see the Kujawskis sometime in the near future, don't stick your finger in our baby's mouth. Cause she bites. And I can't promise you that I won't laugh.

Cats are yummy

2012-01-25T19:22:00.000-06:00

Sometimes Kassidy gets super excited about snuggling with her cat.

So she buries her head in Cricket and grabs at her ears.

And then she tries to eat her. Or lick her. Or whatever makes her happy.

And Cricket just lays there and takes it.

Note: No cats were harmed in the taking of these photos.

When donkeys get bored

2012-01-12T10:17:00.000-06:00

They do this.

Leon and Boone are the worst. We'll find half-eaten feed pans spread all over the pasture. I think they chase each other with the pans in their mouths.

Silly donkeys, feed pans hold food. They aren't food.

Kassidy Reese | 6 Month Photo Shoot

2012-01-09T09:47:00.001-06:00

I took advantage of the mediocre weather yesterday and snapped some pictures of Kassidy on her half birthday.

It was overcast but an abnormal 62 degrees outside — in January. Which allowed me to strip my little baby down into almost her birthday suit.

I also set my camera to manual for the first time. If you're a professional photographer, don't laugh at me. If you're not a professional photographer, be kinda impressed. It made me nervous, especially since babies can be smiling one minute and in tears the next, but I'm very happy with how these turned out.

And Daddy did a great job singing to her and getting her to smile and make funny faces. He is a wonderful assistant. And free. Thank goodness. Oh, and Massey helped some too.

All in all, I think these capture Kassidy's personality pretty dang well. A little toot. A curious little toot.

6 Months with Kassidy

2012-01-06T21:55:00.001-06:00

I'm sure you can look at the picture below and figure out Kassidy's newest trick.

Apparently she didn't want to enter 2012 without being able to sit up, so about three days before, she just decided she was done being a baby.

And it is fine by me if she stays at this stage for a while because I'm not ready to baby proof the house, and Massey is definitely not ready to have a sqealing baby crawling after her.

Besides eating anything we put in front of her, from prunes to pumpkin to squash to sweet potatoes, Kassidy is all about her jumparoo, her Mommy and Daddy, and her little fuzzy farm.

I only bought her two gifts for Christmas because her favorite thing to do is reach out her arms and pet Massey. Or the cats. Or the goats. Or the donkeys. You get the idea.

But no matter what, I can always make her smile and laugh when I sing to her, especially one of the greatest songs ever sung. By The Three Amigos. About a little buttercup.

Yes, that is our song. And she loves it. Even when I sing the words wrong.

And Brady can pretty much sing anything to her and she lights up.

Tough crowd I know.

Don't ever call a girl fat

2012-01-03T11:22:00.000-06:00

Even if she does this.

And then we end up having to pull up all the tile, cut out the rotten floor boards, replace the ruined insulation, and patch the hole in the bottom of the trailer.

Patch a hole you say? Yes, with duck tape.

The joy of living in a trailer house. When you fall through the floor, there is actually about two to three feet of empty space between you and the dirt.

And the hole in the plastic is caused by only one thing.

Cats. Yes, cats.

You think that's funny? Try waking up in the middle of the night to one of your outside cats jumping on your bed and staring at you in the dark. Not funny.

How did it get there? It crawled through the hole in the plastic, through the missing insulation and the rotten floor boards and the not-yet-replaced tile, and then decided to scare the crap out of you.

And that's the story of how I woke up to a cat on my stomach staring at me.

Smith Family | Christmas 2011 Card Designs

2011-12-20T09:39:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from the cool Kujawski family...

The not as cool Rabroker family...

And the extremely hard to get everyone to look at the camera Smith family...

And the fact that we got the above family picture with just a tripod and the auto-timer on my camera is amazing because most of the pictures looked like this.

Seeing this picture always makes me hum a little Robert Earl to myself.

And for anyone wondering, my brother is showing off his ring finger. Promise. There were kids present, so we kept it PG. What kind of family do you really think we are?

5 Months with Kassidy

2011-12-13T21:31:00.000-06:00

Well, Kassidy turned 5 months last week, but being the always-behind working mom that I am, I just now had some time to post her picture. Complete with her Christmas headband that I made. The headband making has now turned into an addiction, so don't judge me. Please.

What is she up to? Well, she can roll both ways, shriek like a crazy woman, laugh when Mommy and Daddy tickle her, and put away some veggies. And she is obsessed with Massey. And Massey tolerates her.

The girl does not know a stranger. At all. She flirts with everybody. At some point, we're going to have to sit her down and have the "stranger danger" talk. Probably more than once.

And while she has been sleeping through the night consistently since 9 weeks, we can now put her to bed without swaddling her, which is awesome, because I was never really good at swaddling her anyway.

She is at such a fun age to experience her very first Christmas, and loves Christmas lights. I can put her under the Christmas tree in the morning when I'm trying to get ready for work, and she will just stare and smile at the lights. The Christmas tree is such an awesome babysitter. And doesn't charge me.

Can't wait to take her to visit Santa next week. I'm thinking she will dig the long, white beard.

I take my Christmas music very seriously

2011-12-07T09:54:00.001-06:00

I love Christmas, and I love listening to Christmas music. I have literally been listening to the same Christmas playlist for years now. Years. And I never get tired of it.

So I wanted to share my favorite Christmas songs with you — I thought about just posting a Facebook status on this, but quickly realized I had too many opinions to fit into a little Facebook status. Me? Opinions? Who would have thought, right?

These are songs that I remember singing in the car with my brother and sister or songs that help me remember the true meaning of the season. And, I want to make sure you realize that the artist singing these songs is just as important to me as the song itself. Because there are like 10 gazillion versions of Christmas songs out there, but I am super picky about my favorite versions.

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem by The Judds. Love, love, love. It's the Judds singing about the place of Jesus' birth and the importance of Jesus in our lives as the "star". How could you not love this?
Happy Birthday Jesus by Alabama. Another song that reminds us of the true reason for the season. And it reminds me of being a little kid and singing a different Happy Birthday Jesus song in our Christmas children's program at church.
The Birth of the King by Clint Black. I don't think poor Clint gets enough credit sometimes, but I grew up listening to his Looking for Christmas album, and this song is very powerful. I couldn't find the full version on YouTube, so you will have to make do with this sample. Other songs to check out on this album include Slow as Christmas and Looking for Christmas.
There's a New Kid in Town by George Strait. It's George. Singing about baby Jesus. Need I say more? Only a sample, but you get the idea.

Are you seeing a pattern here? I like to go back to the country artists of the 80s and 90s for my Christmas music.

But his year, I was also on a quest to spice up my Christmas playlist. Even though I still love the songs and artists I mentioned above, my musical taste has changed and broadened so much in the past few years that I knew there had to be some cool new Christmas songs out there. So I searched and searched the WWW for Christmas songs sung by some of my favorite Texas country artists. No such luck. Seriously, when is Reckless, Micky, Stoney and Cody gonna make a Christmas album? I would buy it.

And then I stumbled upon this.

And even though most of the artists on the album are emerging, they all rock. And track #2 makes my heart happy every time I listen to it. This is totally my type of Christmas music. So Marca, I'm sharing this specifically with you, because you will also get all nerdy excited with me about this album, and about some Blue Christmas with Micky. Love this. Go download it now. Now.

I also found this.

A very ecletic mix of some newbies and oldies, but worth checking out the samples. I am partial to acoustic versions of songs. And I do love me some Willie and Ricky.

And finally, the power of Facebook has proven itself yet again. Thanks to some of my awesome Facebook friends sharing these links with other friends or talking about them, I have discovered the awesomeness that is Beta Radio (thanks Catherine) and The Civil Wars (thanks Shana). You can still download four Christmas songs from Beta Radio for free, but the free download of O Come O Come Emmanuel will now cost you 99 cents from The Civil Wars.

So, if you have any Christmas song or album recommendations for me, please share! I am always on the lookout. As I'm sure we all are.

And I was going to leave you with a picture of my beautiful Christmas tree, but my beautiful Christmas tree is still in its tree bag. In the living room. Just waiting for me and Brady to put it up. Sorry Christmas tree.

Two out of three ain't bad

2011-11-29T06:52:00.001-06:00

So, I've really gotten on this baby-headband-making kick. It's fun, fast and cheap. And, while I won't bore you with all the step-by-step directions of my latest creations (because there were literally like two steps for each headband), I will entertain you with beautiful pictures of Kassidy wearing them.

If you want to recreate any of the headbands below, here's what you do. Go to Hobby Lobby. Buy the headbands. Buy the embellishments. Go home. Wait until Kassidy takes a nap. Heat up your hot glue gun and get after it. The end.

And now this completes your introduction to Headband-Making 101.

And no, I did not make the Santa hat. This was Ruger's hat, but since Ruger is a hyper puppy with teeth, he tried to eat his hat. So Kendra gave it to Kassidy, and since she doesn't have any teeth, she did not try to eat it.

But she did try to blow raspberries on it.

I guess she likes Mommy's headbands better.

4 Months with Kassidy

2011-11-07T09:18:00.000-06:00

Miss Kassidy turned four months old yesterday, and my poor little girl has spent the last few days recovering from a fever, ear infection and RSV. But her happy and curious spirit helped her get over all this, and fast, because, well, she just wants to play!

I expected her to really hit a growth spurt this past month, but that didn't really happen. She's around 13 pounds now. But what did happen was even better. Her cute and bubbly personality really started to shine through, and she literally keeps us laughing all the time. Even when we're trying to put her to bed. Funny little girl.

In 18 years, she could easily be voted "Most Likely to Talk Your Head Off" or "Class Clown." Either way, I'll be one proud momma.

So check out Kassidy in all her glory and tell me if this doesn't put a smile on your face. Oh, and the camo hat is in honor of the opening weekend of deer season. She may be too young to hunt, but her Daddy and Papaw aren't.

Aggie cousins

2011-11-06T15:45:00.000-06:00

And there they are. Three of the cutest members of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2033.

I'm thinking they have the looks and the brains.

And, maybe, just maybe, the Ags may win a National Championship in 2033.

And I'll be rich so I will actually be able to afford to go to every game and the Championship bowl. And the girls will let me, Tiffany and Kendra hang out with them at the Chicken. But with inflation, a burger and Tijuana fries will cost $30, so it's a good thing I will be rich. I am married to a teacher. It. is. possible.

And we'll be the coolest moms. You know we will. Stop laughing.

Mia (11 months), Kassidy (3 months) and Teagan (7 months)

Gig'em.

Meet my doppelganger

2011-11-01T20:43:00.000-05:00

Back when I was a wee little girl circa the 1980s, the word doppelganger didn't exist. People would just say you looked like someone else.

For instance.

Friends: "You look like Punky Brewster."
Young me: "Really? Is that a good thing?"
Friends: "It's the freckles."
Young me: "Ok."

So I grew up most of my life hearing that I looked just like Punky Brewster.

Recently, I decided to look up Miss Punky to see what she had been up to lately. You know how you lose track of child stars and wonder if they stayed in the business, ended up in jail or started their own puppy factory? Well, I was curious if my look-a-like was now successful or not so much.

And what I discovered was that Punky Brewster had a pretty good life. Two beautiful daughters. Good husband. Successful career.

But somehow, the last 25 years had been way kinder to Punky than to me.

Maybe we looked alike in the 80s, but that's where it stopped.

Damn you Punky Brewster for looking hotter than me.

Punky in the '80s

Me in the '80s. Check out that attitude

Punky today

Me today

Who's your doppelganger? I wanna know! And if you comment, include a link to a picture of that person since I am awful at pop culture. I am. Really.

Mia Brooke | First Birthday Invitation Design

2011-10-28T15:42:00.000-05:00

Miss Mia turns one year old on November 1, and we plan on helping her celebrate in style. So when Tiff asked me if I'd design her first birthday invitation, I agreed.

And this is how we brought a little island style to the Big D.

Happy Birthday Mia!

DIY: Baby yellow braided scarf headband goes to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T07:11:00.000-05:00

Holy crap, I'm crafty. Who would have thought? Not me.

So just this week I decided to visit Etsy to check out all their cute, vintage baby headbands. This is when I realized where all the cute baby stuff resides — accessories, dresses, tights, jewelry. You name it. You can find it here.

But being the money-conscience person that I am, I just couldn't find it in me to spend any money on anything for Kassidy. I mean, the girl has enough clothes from Mia and Teagan to cover her little butt until she's 18.

And while most of you admit that your little girls cost you an arm and a leg, I have to sadly admit that I honestly have spent maybe $50 on her, with the most expensive clothing purchase being a $15.99 Dallas cowboys onsie because Brady just had to have it. Read had to have it.

Don't get me wrong. If I didn't already have access to used clothes, shoes and accessories, I could easily have the best dressed, and probably most expensively dressed, daughter out there, because after perusing Etsy, I also realized that my taste in baby clothes and accessories is pretty darn expensive. Vintage, couture, one-of-a-kind. Yeah, I could totally be a rich snob in another life.

But in this life I am a practical mom. And I don't like to waste things. And I like to try new things. So I was easily inspired to try to make my own one-of-a-kind baby headbands. Thanks Allison. Thanks Little Red Wagon Photography tutorial. And thanks Hobby Lobby. Two hours and $50 later, I was ready to give it a try. And by $50, I mean that I bought enough goodies to probably make 50 headbands. Yeah, I went crazy.

So, check out my first attempt at making my own headband for Kassidy. I even reused a blue, elastic band I already had but wasn't using because the cheap bow on it scratched her head. So I ripped it off and started fresh.

I made this headband because I needed something to match a dress from Mia that I wanted her to wear to the Pumpkin Patch in Franklin. So that is where I got my inspiration.

And, I should also note that the only reason I was even inspired to make my own headband is because it did not involve a second of sewing. Just hot gluing. Which I can handle.

Things you will need if you are a money-conscience mom like me and want to be crafty too:

Hot glue gun
Glue sticks
Scissors
Felt
Elastic ribbon
Fabric or in this case, an old scarf from my closet
Embellishments from Hobby Lobby
Wire cutters
Caribbean jerk seasoning
Ability to not cry when you hot glue yourself
Band-Aids for when you poke yourself with wire and bleed
A husband to watch the baby so you can focus

Even though I bought 10 types of fabric at Hobby Lobby, I didn't come home with anything yellow. Which is why I stole the yellow scarf from my closet. I cut it into thirds and braided it together.

I used the Caribbean jerk seasoning because the container was the perfect size circle I was looking for. So I placed it on the felt, traced out the circle, and cut it with scissors. Then I hot glued the braided yellow scarf on the felt.

Then I hot glued the entire yellow circle onto the elastic headband where the headband already came together. I cut a second piece of felt and hot glued it on the other side of the elastic ribbon so it would be soft on Kassidy's head.

I added some fun embellishments to the headband. In this case, some tulle with pearls and a ring of beads in the middle of the yellow braided scarf. The tulle with pearls came from the wedding aisle and the beads came from the flower stem aisle. And flower stems are wiry, which is how I poked myself and made myself bleed.

But my burnt and bleeding finger did not stop the pure joy I felt when I was finished!

And I think Kassidy liked it too. Because she was the cutest little pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch. And this money-conscience mom bought her a mini pumpkin for 50 cents. Yep, I'm a big spender.

Total cost of headband = less than 50 cents. And 30 minutes of my time. And a hurt finger.

Wow, the mini pumpkin cost more.

Tyler Liere | 5th Birthday Invitation Design

2011-10-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

What better way to celebrate a little boy's fifth birthday than with a huntin' party? Too bad I didn't get a picture of Kassidy in her camo onsie, but then again, you probably would have had a hard time spotting her in the photo.

Guess you'll just have to live vicariously through the birthday invitation. Can you find Tyler?

We go together like peas and carrots

2011-10-11T08:15:00.000-05:00

Whoever thinks a new dad has to have a son to play dress up, think again.

Brady and Kassidy seem to be doing just fine.

The camo look. I wonder if deer can see pink?

Go Lions!

We're working on her Whooping skills

Even little girls look cute in cowboy blue

3 Months with Kassidy

2011-10-10T08:40:00.001-05:00

Kassidy turned three months old this past Thursday.

And, in the last week, she was baptized, started daycare, made a boyfriend, learned to sleep 10.5 hours at night, and became a Hudini baby that can escape out of not one, but two swaddles.

And to celebrate the Ags upcoming move to the SEC for next year's football season, I thought this picture would be very appropriate.

Gig'em Ags. And Gig'em Kassidy.

Ku-Tip: The perfect use for your old yearbook

2011-09-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

Between the two of us, Brady and I have kept most of our high school yearbooks, and I'm the only one that even bought an Aggie yearbook.

And, from time to time, we like to pull out our high school yearbooks and laugh at ourselves and the people we know.

But I have never pulled out my Aggie yearbook to look through it. Except for the picture of me, I don't know 99% of the people in it. And it's too damn big anyway.

I mainly bought it to have it as a keepsake, so one day, I can pull it out and show my kids how dumb I looked as a senior at Texas A&M. Let's just say I'm glad I'm done with highlights.

So, the other day, I needed something about as thick as, oh, an Aggie yearbook.

I didn't even bother to dust it off.

And, it worked perfectly. And, Kassidy didn't even want to open it up to see the picture of her amazing mother. She just needed the extra height. My poor short baby.

2 Months with Kassidy

2011-09-21T11:24:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm two weeks late, but you get the idea. Kassidy turned two months old on Sept. 6, and I'm a bad mother.

So, in order to make sure I actually do a halfway decent job of keeping up with her monthly pictures, I've decided to just go simple. No extra pictures or funny captions. Sorry. I don't see how other moms do it! I have no time in the day, and I haven't even gone back to work yet! Guess I'm just not cool.

But don't worry all you Kassidy followers out there. I'll still try to post separately when she does something funny. Or nasty. Or both.

Exclusive must mean "I do"

2011-09-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

Five years ago today I married my baby's daddy. Sorry, it's fun to say that now that it's true.

But if it hadn't been for a technicality back in the summer of 2002, when I was a junior at Texas A&M and Brady was a wee little lad at the innocent age of 19, then we would have never had the opportunity to spend the last nine years together.

So thank you Brady for not really knowing what exclusive meant. And thank you for being such a caring husband, father and friend.

So enjoy a quick trip down memory lane. I wanted to post some embarrassing pictures, but decided that since we are now all adults and Brady is responsible for molding the youth of America, I better try to keep them at least PG.

If you want to see the embarrassing pictures, come visit me and Kassidy. I'll provide the wine.

Our five-month relationship that began in 2002
survived the first of many college ski trips.
Every year, at least one person hurt themselves, but it was never us.

Our first Chilifest together in 2003.
We have a love-hate relationship with Chilifest.

Halloween 2004.
Who's that Spartan in my teepee? It's me. It's me.

Popping the question at Lake Bryan in 2005.
He even remembered the camera.

Sept. 9, 2006. Brady missed my mouth and the cake fell down my chest.
I kid you not.

And then Dustin popped the champagne and almost hit his grandma with the cork.

And Brady had trouble finding the garter.
But he came through. Don't worry.

And a bunch of Aggies sawed Varsity's horns off.

And then we left on a jet plane to Zihuatanejo because that is
where they went in Shawshank Redemption.
But then I learned that the movie had really been filmed
in the Virgin Islands. Oh well.

Massey joined our little family in 2007. She was perfect from day one.

Just a day trip to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2008.
In our matching sunglasses.

Christmas 2009 with Phoenix and Pryce. We must have been naughty
that year because only the kiddos got gifts from Santa.

Getting in shape together in 2010 at the Blue Bell Fun Run.
Yes, Massey got ice cream too.

Our new little family of three arriving home from the hospital in July 2011.
I'm not wearing makeup and I had just given birth. Don't judge me.

Ku-Tip: Jenna's legen — wait for it — dary list for babies

2011-09-05T16:40:00.000-05:00

First, I apologize for neglecting my Friday Ku-Tips. I kinda haven't posted one in about eight Fridays. And now that I have absolutely no control over my free time, I've decided to just post my insightful tips whenever the heck I feel like it.

Second, I apologize that so many of my posts have been about a certain someone lately, but I have to admit, when all you do day in and day out is be a mom, well, talking about babies is about the only thing you have to share.

Finally, on to the reason for this post. Since I love helping people so much (no, I'm not being sarcastic), I wanted to share my most awesome necessities for babies. I got a few ideas from friends when I was pregnant, and wanted to return the favor. Plus, with so much unwanted advice out there (new moms and moms-to-be, you know what I'm talking about), you can choose to take what I say or leave it — no strings attached.

And, I should note that I am in no way endorsing any particular product over another. Just sharing a few toys that both Kassidy and I could not live without.

WubbaNub

Kendra got this for Kassidy from a little shop in our hometown. If you're from El Campo, Merle Norman carries them — thanks Stacie! I want to say they cost around $15.

Why I love this: When Kendra gave it to Kassidy, I thought it was very cute, but didn't realize how much she would actually like it. She was about a month old at the time, and would grab at the little giraffe from the moment we gave her the paci. Not only is it cute, but it's easy to keep up with because of the plush animal attached. And, the animal is the perfect size for small babies to start grabbing. Kassidy puts both hands around the giraffe's neck and puts a choke hold on it. It's pretty cute — I'm not gonna lie. Stacie is ordering the tabby kitten for us so I can send it with Kassidy to daycare. Brady says if he sees another baby with a kitten hanging out of its mouth, he knows that the baby stole it from Kassidy.

Pillow Pet

You can buy them online or just keep your eyes open at most local stores. I actually found Kassidy's pig on sale at Wal-Mart for $12.50.

Why I love this: Cause it's a pillow. It's a pet. It's a pillow pet. Okay, enough with the song. This all started when Brady and I first got home from the hospital and were trying out the 5 S's used to soothe babies. More on that below. Anyway, every time we would flip Kassidy to her side to soothe her, it worked, but our arms would get tired, so we got into the habit of just flipping her onto a pillow on our lap, and we could go about our business of watching TV. You know, the important things. And then I remembered about her pig, and started using that instead of our nice couch pillows. And it worked like a charm. And, Miss Piggy as we call her, can easily be thrown into the truck when we go to visit family. I'm planning on buying a second pillow pet to send with her to daycare. They will thank me for it.

Bob Revolution SE

Cheapest place to buy it was off Amazon because of no tax and free shipping. Plus, if you create an Amazon baby registry, you get 10% off. Yes, I know how to save every buck I can.

Why I love this: If you're wanting to invest in only one versatile stroller, then go with the Bob. Or maybe it's just because we live in the country, but the Bob is perfect for us. Great jogging stroller with suspension for those bumpy gravel roads. And the front wheel can lock into place when jogging or swivel when you're going for walks or trying to maneuver through crowded spaces. Just be sure to buy the infant car seat adapter so that your car seat can snap into place when the baby is still small. It's not the cheapest stroller out there, but definitely worth the investment, especially if you plan on having more babies.

Mini boombox for iPod

Bought this at Bed Bath and Beyond for $39.99, but I used a coupon, so with tax, it cost me right at $30. I can't find it at BB&B anymore, but looks like you can get it here too.

Why I love this: I was looking for something to keep in Kassidy's room that could play and charge an iPod without spending a fortune. Saw this in the BB&B sale circular and loved the small size and that it came in pink. Instead of investing in CDs or white noise machines, I can just buy what I'm looking for on iTunes, upload to the iPod, and done! Right now I have her white noise playlist just loop all night. Plus, as she grows, it can be her little boombox that she uses to play music in her room or take with her on vacation.

Summer Infant Video Monitor

I bought it off Amazon for around $130. Plus no tax and free shipping make for a great deal. Looks like it's gone up in price some, but still a good price.

Why I love this: I never realized the fascination with video monitors until I had my own. Maybe it's because we live in the country and actually go outside a pretty far distance from the house, but I like being able to see my baby instead of hear her (don't worry this monitor also has audio — I just don't use it that much). Being able to see her makes it easier for me to decide if I need to comfort her or just leave her alone because she is just transitioning from an active to a relaxed sleep state. But the best thing about this monitor is that it allows me to check on her at night from the comfort of my own bed without having to listen to every little sound she makes (something to think about if you're a light sleeper). I know about what time she should wake up to eat, so I just check my monitor to see if she's awake and hungry. But since I mute the audio all night long, I actually get some sleep. Because trust me, those little grunts and moans may be cute during the day, but at night, I need peace and quiet.

Summer Infant Comfort Bather

This was not the bath tub we had registered for at Target. We stumbled upon it at Toys R Us and decided to try it since it was only $25.

Why I love this: I never wanted one of those large plastic tubs, because the minute your baby can sit up, then he or she goes straight into the tub. Then you have this large plastic tub you have to store until the next kid. This tub is made of mesh and is more compact in size. Kassidy fit comfortably on it even when we were just giving her sponge baths. Now I keep it in the tub and let the tub fill up some with water. Since it's mesh, it keeps her warm on her back while I bathe her. And I can turn her on her side to easily wash her back and neck. And it folds up for easy travel. She has liked baths from day one, and I wonder if this little bather has anything to do with it.

Summer Infant SwaddleMe Swaddle Blanket

You can buy these most anywhere, but mine are from Target. They come in packs of two for around $18 and can be found in a variety of colors and styles.

Why I love this: Apparently Brady and I did not pass swaddle school, because little Miss Kassidy could break herself out of any blanket we swaddled her in, so we pulled out the big guns. These blankets are a must have! They are fool proof and make swaddling easy for anybody, and trust me, I couldn't swaddle to save my life. And, believe what the experts say. An unswaddled baby will wake itself up, so do yourself a favor, and just get into the habit of swaddling from the very beginning.

Diaper Genie II Elite

Again, these can be found most anywhere, like Target, Wal-Mart or Babies-R-Us. They cost about $30-$35.

Why I love this: If you're like us and don't want to walk outside to dispose of a diaper every time your baby has a massive poop diaper, then invest in the diaper genie. I like having one place in her room to dispose of all her diapers, and I don't have to worry if they don't get taken out for a week (or weeks in our case). I promise you — they do control the odor. If it wasn't for all the baby toys in our living room, I don't think anyone would even notice we had a baby when they came to visit.

Muchkin Formula Dispenser

You can find these anywhere and they are inexpensive.

Why I love this: If you feed formula, then you will need this handy device or something similar. I don't know why some of the reviewers say it leaks from one compartment to another because mine never has. Maybe it's just user error. Just use common sense and don't put it into your diaper bag upside down. I even use mine for her middle of the night and morning feedings and get the bottles ready as well. That way, when she wakes up in the middle of the night, all I have to do is pour and go instead of going into the kitchen and starting from scratch. We own two and swear by them.

Baby Einstein DVDs

Completely engrossed in her Baby Einstein.
Kassidy feels like she's at the movies in her vibrating chair.
Now she just needs popcorn.

You can find these at most local stores, such as Wal-Mart or Target, and they range in price from $10-$20. We happen to have the Baby Mozart DVD.

Why I love this: So this love of mine can be controversial because not all parents want their kids staring at a TV, but Baby Einstein is awesome. Kassidy absolutely loves it and I feel like it's the proper amount of stimulation and learning for a baby. It's a great feeling to be able to set your baby down for 30-40 minutes and know they are totally preoccupied and happy. This will be a lifesaver when I have to go back to work because it will keep her entertained while I am getting ready in the mornings. So, my personal philosophy is a little TV never hurt anybody, just like a little caffeine never hurt anybody either.

Baby Wise and Happiest Baby on the Block

I bought Baby Wise at Barnes and Noble for around $14 and Kendra lent me the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD, but I'm told you can view videos on YouTube for free.

Why I love this: I know there is a lot of information out there about babies, but I swear that these two are the basics every parent should know. I did not have the energy nor the desire to start trying to read up on everything when I was pregnant. That's just not my style. But both of these just fell into my lap and I'm so lucky I was introduced to them. So, read them, watch them, bookmark pages, and have your husband do the same. Take from them what you like and leave what you don't, but I promise that you will end up taking something from both of them that makes your life as a new parent that much easier. I probably subscribe to about 80%-90% of the philosophies of Baby Wise and believe there is truth to the 5 S's. Just ask Kassidy — she's a pretty happy baby, and Brady and I are pretty happy parents.

In Texas there is no grass

2011-08-31T20:18:00.002-05:00

No grass!
That's why I freed my ass.
And when I walk out my front door.
My animals are begging for more.

If you think I"m crazy and have no idea what tune these words should be sung to, watch this video here.

And I'm ashamed you don't like polka.

But then you'll get it. And maybe even chuckle.

Asses in the front yard

Woke up, opened the front door,
let Massey out, and saw this

No more fish in the lower pond. Well, no more lower pond

I hope you like the color brown

Absolutely no more grass

At least Massey still has her upper pond.
It's only gained 20 feet of shoreline

59 words.

Like mother, like daughter

2011-08-15T08:10:00.000-05:00

For those of you who know me and know me well (um, Anna, you better get this), these pictures need no explanation.

Crossing off my list

2011-08-12T08:33:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day. I turn 30.

I really don't feel old either. Just a little flabby. This baby weight can not come off fast enough. Which is why you get to look at an adorable picture of Kassidy instead of an adorable picture of me. I'm not really liking the camera right now. And since it's my blog, I don't have to post a picture of myself.

It's awesome being in charge.

And I really don't have too much to say about turning 30. I feel like I've done a lot in the last 30 years, and I'm kinda excited to see what is in store for the Kujawski family.

But I can tell you that of all the items I've crossed off my list, I'm most happy about crossing off number four.

I know it's cheesy people, and I know that I'm not normally cheesy, but becoming parents has been the coolest milestone for both me and Brady.

And next year, it is our goal to finally cross off number eight.

And that my friends, will be a close second.

183 words.

1 Month with Kassidy

2011-08-10T22:24:00.000-05:00

On August 6, the same day as her Uncle Dustin's birthday, Kassidy turned 1 month old. And according to her daddy, she could be buttered because of those rolls on her legs. Ha.

And why spend money on those onesie stickers when mommy can use Photoshop for free. Yep. I. love. Photoshop.

Nevermind. I forgot I had to buy Photoshop. Oh well, it's worth the investment.

Anyway, in order to capture Miss Kassidy's first month, I thought I'd use photos to tell the story of her loves, her likes and her dislikes. Here goes nothing.

Kassidy loves...

Sleeping, especially with her Daddy

Baths. And looking like a duck in her towel

Being held like a football. It puts her to sleep. Did I mention she likes to sleep?

Her Mommy. See, her outfit says so

Her Jerry. Thank you Aunt Kendra for her giraffe.
She puts choke holds on him

Being a big girl. Quit holding your head up Kassidy
like a 3 month old and trying to grow up way too fast

Her mat. And putting a choke hold on her rings too.
And then she cries when she gets bored

Smiling! Apparently Mommy and Daddy are funny,
but we already knew that

Kassidy tolerates...

Her puppy, especially when Massey licks the back of her head

Getting dressed up. She prefers onesies.
I guess she's a minimalist

Daddy doing funny things to her when she falls asleep.
One word — Karma

Kassidy doesn't give a damn about...

Birthdays. Not because she doesn't care her Daddy turned 28,
but because she is too young to enjoy the cake

Kassidy hates...

Headbands. They. Don't. Stay. On.

Outfits that don't fit. Notice her straps.
And headbands. Did I say headbands?

And I should also mention that she loves being outside. And riding in her Bob. And being licked by all her animals. But I have no pictures of her outside because it's too damn hot.

Kassidy just had to be born during one of the hottest summers on record. But that's okay because do you know what that means? Pool parties. Well, in our case, dirty pond parties.

Kassidy's Newborn Photo Shoot

2011-08-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

I took these pictures of Kassidy just one day shy of her 2-week birthday.

Here's how it went down.

I fed her so I'd have a happy baby. I kept her awake so I'd have a tired baby. I stripped her down to her birthday suit so I could take pictures of a naked baby.

Then I went outside. And Kassidy woke up. And she was no longer a happy, tired baby.

And poor Brady was in charge of posing her and trying to keep her happy while I snapped pictures as fast as I could. But Kassidy wanted to prove that she was not happy with me, so she peed on my scarf.

"Dang Kassidy!" as Pryce would say.

But, I wouldn't give up, and I think that these pictures speak for themselves. And I know that I will never, ever, ever, ever become a baby photographer. Ever.

Kassidy Photo Shoot
Location: Lazy K Ranch, Franklin, TX

My baby looks like what?

2011-07-27T13:38:00.000-05:00

Kassidy is three weeks old today. You know I pride myself on always being different, but I'm about to make the most cliche comment ever.

Time really does fly by. They weren't lying to me.

And, in three short weeks, I've been told that Kassidy looks like me. Then she morphs into Brady. Then she resembles Teagan. And, my new favorite — she looks just like my sister.

So, I thought I'd put together some baby pictures and have you tell me who you think she actually looks like. There is no wrong answer here guys. I just need help figuring out who gets the bragging rights.

So, here are pictures of my baby.

And, here are your three choices for the Kassidy look-a-like contest.

Ready. Set. Guess!

127 words.

Kassidy Reese | Birth Announcement Design

2011-07-23T12:31:00.000-05:00

I took this photo with Brady's help after Kassidy turned two weeks old. And she peed on all my awesome props. But that's okay, because I think my final design says it all.

Our little Texas angel in Daddy's guitar on a quilt my Grandma made. What could be cuter?

This is what happens when you don't leave the house

2011-07-20T07:27:00.000-05:00

This is delivered by the FedEx lady.

Our new GPS. Now we won't get lost in Franklin.

Then this is delivered by the UPS guy.

New flatscreen TV for the bedroom...for those early morning feedings.

And, finally, this is delivered by a second FedEx lady.

New binoculars so we can check out the deer on the back of our property.
And so I can make sure Brady is working.

Three packages in one day.

Stupid internet. You don't even have to leave the house anymore to spend money.

And you don't even have to wait until Christmas to see the excitement from your husband as each package arrives.

Happy early birthday Brady. I promised you a baby, but it looks like you got so much more.

82 words.

Baby Rambo

2011-07-14T13:15:00.000-05:00

Uncle Ray says that Kassidy looks like Rambo in these pics.

I think she looks like our little brown-eyed baby.

Chester vs. Kassidy

2011-07-13T11:34:00.000-05:00

Chester is 14 days old in this picture. Kassidy is only 3.

Chester can walk, run, jump and feed himself. Kassidy can eat, sleep, poop and pee.

Chester: 1, Kassidy: 0

But I like to think that Kassidy at least wins the cute award.

44 words.

Babies are like tornadoes...they come when you least expect them

2011-07-09T16:39:00.000-05:00

Just ask Miss Kassidy Reese. After hanging out in the baby pool with Pryce on July 4th, she decided she was tired of missing out on all the fun. See, another family member with FOMO already.

So, at 1:30 in the morning on July 6, I woke up to some serious pains. Gas? Maybe. Indigestion? Could be. But after poking poor Brady and telling him I couldn't get back to sleep, we decided to be good patients and do as our doctor had instructed.

So, for two hours, we sat on the couch, watched reruns on TV, counted my "pains," laughed at how much they hurt, caught two mice in our mouse traps, and decided we should try to drive into town just in case.

Brady was ready to go an hour earlier, but I held out because I didn't want to be that new mom that shows up at the hospital for no good reason. Finally, at 3:30 a.m., Brady looks at me and says, "I'm going to the hospital, and you better be coming with me."

"Sir, yes sir."

And, we loaded Massey in the back of the truck and left for College Station.

And, called poor Nicole on the way to let her know she'd be waking up to a black dog in her backyard.

We also decided that if this was just a false alarm, we'd enjoy a wonderful Whataburger breakfast before heading back to Franklin so that the trip into town seemed worthwhile. But, we never got our Whataburger breakfast.

Because after arriving at the hospital at 4:30 a.m. and being told I was already at 4 cm and progressing pretty dang fast, we heard the magic words, "Looks like you're having a baby today."

Well, sweet.

And, an epidural and a ton of laughs later (Brady and I were pretty good at entertaining my nurses), my doctor makes his appearance at 8:50 a.m., Brady moves into position to assist, I push as I'm told, and Kassidy arrives exactly 13 minutes later.

Peanut head. Check. Thank goodness for Mommy.

Daddy's eyelashes. Check. Thank goodness for Kassidy.

Crap load of dark hair. Check. We have absolutely no idea.

And, now, this beautiful little girl is ours. All 6 lbs., 11 oz. and 19.5 inches of her.

Baby mohawks are in

And, when we arrived home yesterday, this is what was waiting for us.

The goat house lost it's tin and sides and jumped two fences just to land near our pond

Apparently, babies really are like tornadoes, and the same day Kassidy came unexpectedly, a mini tornado unexpectantly visited our Lazy K ranch.

And, moved our goat house more than 100 yards, took our hammock for a wild ride, and destroyed some trees.

But, don't worry, Pryce's Little Tikes plastic slide was only moved 1 inch.

And, me, Brady and Kassidy were safe and sound in the hospital. Because if we had happened to be at home the evening of July 6 like we should have been, then there's a pretty good possibility that little Miss Kassidy would have been born at home.

Because I would have been scared shitless. And knowing our luck, Kassidy wouldn't have wanted to miss out on her first mini tornado.

519 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: How to make a fake baby

2011-07-01T07:54:00.000-05:00

Scenario: Your new video baby monitor arrives in the mail. You don't have a baby yet. You want to test out the monitor. What do you do?

Brainstorming: Stick a cat in the crib? Nope. Bad idea. Massey? No. Even worse. A bag of rice? Not real enough.

Solution: Wrap your favorite stuffed animal in a swaddle blanket and place it in the crib. Pros: About the size of a real baby. It looks cute. You get to practice your swaddling skills. Cons: It doesn't move. Or breathe. Or cry.

But it still looks cute. And we named it baby dog.

101 words.

And it only cost me $26

2011-06-29T08:45:00.000-05:00

Two cans of paint, eight new drawer pulls, and three weekends of back-breaking labor later, I am happy to be able to share my little project with Baby K.

This dresser was originally built by my grandpa, so Baby K will always have something that reminds her of her great-grandpa.

And, I repainted it all by myself. While I was 8 months pregnant.

Yes, I like to think I am awesome. At least that's what Brady keeps telling me.

79 words.

It's a baby!

2011-06-27T21:45:00.000-05:00

Goat. Cabrito. Kid. Whatever you want to call it.

It's a baby.

And, it beat Baby K by about 2.5 weeks.

Makes me wish I had the gestation of a goat. 20 weeks instead of 40 weeks. Yes, please.

39 words.

You know you're at a BFE baby shower if...

2011-06-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

Your diaper cake is in the shape of a tractor.

Your nephew runs around in nothing but a diaper.

Bandanas are part of your all-day outfit.

Afternoon naps are encouraged.

Muddy ponds are cool.

Wrestling your sister seems like a good idea at the time.

Wrestling everybody seems like a good idea at the time.

Plastic cups make the best toys.

You make slapping a broom look sexy.

Cheating is encouraged.

It's critical to maintain good form when running.

Sticking out your tongue = utmost concentration.

You receive a keg as a baby shower present from your awesome friend TJ.

You hang out with Drew Kennedy all afternoon.

Ladder golf becomes a spectator sport.

Every meal comes off the pit.

Reclining chairs = heaven.

Showing some skin may help your kickball strategy.

Dogs named Penny eat gophers.

Dogs named Massey pass out from too much fun.

Playing with balls keeps you entertained for hours.

Guys named Ben fall through your porch.

Drew spends half his time playing the guitar and the other half laughing at you and your crazy friends.

You fall "asleep" before midnight and wake up to this awesome signed guitar.

Staying up until 2 in the morning makes you feel young again.

Trying to do pushups with your niece in a baby carrier seems funny at the time.

Naming your niece Carlos and making fun of The Hangover seems even funnier at the time.

240 words.

Lazy K Baby Shower Invitations

2011-06-02T21:12:00.000-05:00

Brady and I like to have parties at the Lazy K, and we are always looking for an excuse, even if it's a baby shower.

And our baby showers are just as cool as us. Games. Adult beverages. Dogs. Dirty ponds.

And the list could go on and on.

Expecting Kassidy Photo Shoot

2011-05-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

These pictures were taken by my awesome husband, who laid in grass to try to get the angles I asked him to, put up with his bossy subject (Hi, me!) who was just trying to help him get some good pics, and even listened to me give him a quick 30-minute photography lesson.

The result. I don't think he will ever do this again.

But, enjoy our attempt to capture me at 31 weeks pregnant with our first child. Brady, is of course, the man behind the camera. And I, of course, applied my magic editing to them.

Disclaimer: No dogs were harmed in the taking of these photos. And, no dogs were staged. Massey put her paw on Baby K all by herself. Pinkie swear.

Kujawski Photo Shoot
Location: Lazy K Ranch, Franklin, TX

I want to know what you think too, so which picture is your favorite?

149 words.

The Promotion

2011-05-23T21:07:00.000-05:00

Our goat herder in training at only four weeks old.

This weekend Massey got promoted. From Head of Ranch Security to Chief Goat Herder. Well, technically she's still responsible for both jobs.

When Brady needed her most, she came through. The two of them spent an hour chasing goats around the pasture. Massey would cut them off. Brady would throw his loop. And miss. And then they would start all over.

Finally, out of sheer exhaustion, the goats surrendered. So Brady didn't have to rely on his roping skills to seal the deal. But, he did have to rely on Massey, and I have to say, we were both pleasantly surprised with her goat herding skills.

Her reward? A dip in the pond and the trimmings from our brisket. And, a long, long nap. I even let her snore.

Can you say spoiled?

129 words.

Carly & Eric In Love Photo Shoot

2011-05-21T15:36:00.000-05:00

Carly and Eric came out to Franklin one weekend so I could take some fun engagement pictures of them.

They were troopers. For two reasons. 1) Because it was about 110 degrees outside and 2) I was about 8 months pregnant. Which made it that much harder for me to lay in the grass or in awkward positions to take photos.

But I think that given the circumstances, they turned out pretty dang good.

Gonzalez Photo Shoot
Location: Lazy K Ranch, Franklin, TX

Advice from a Whataburger cashier

2011-05-19T11:45:00.000-05:00

Well, I should have listened. It's definitely true. The minute you get pregnant, everybody, and I mean everybody, feels it's his or her duty to offer you advice.

Some of it is helpful. Thank you Jessica. I will no longer drown my food in salt. I do not want to gain 100 pounds!

But, most of it isn't. And, it's one thing to receive advice from family or friends or coworkers, but I really wasn't prepared for the open advice I would get from complete strangers. COMPLETE, NAMELESS STRANGERS.

All I asked the Whataburger cashier for was a Whataburger and fries to share with my husband. Which I finally got, but only after having to nod my head and smile for 10 minutes as she shared her wisdom with me.

Like, to buy a girdle to keep all my junk in. Junk? I didn't think my junk was hanging out all that much.

Or to bathe in Epsom salt to relax. This made the most sense at the time.

But my absolute favorite was her suggestion to buy Carnation evaporated milk as formula because, as she put it, "my son grew up on that." Well, overly friendly Whataburger cashier, I think I'll stick with what my doctor tells me to do. And so far, the words Carnation, evaporated and milk have not come out of his mouth.

And, I don't expect them to.

233 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: How you know you're officially old

2011-05-06T07:54:00.000-05:00

This is how Brady and I feel when we watch Wheel of Fortune.
I think we're pretty good lookin'.

And, no, it's not because I need to be in bed by 10 p.m. Or don't like to go out on a work night.

It's not because I've traded vacations and spontaneity for daycare and routine.

It's not even because I've learned how to do my own taxes. Or manage my finances and take out home loans.

No, the reason I know that I've officially become old is because I make sure I am home every day in time to watch Wheel of Fortune. And, Brady and I sit on the couch together and competitively yell out guesses to the puzzles. And get mad at each other when we're not the one to guess the puzzle first.

Yep, once you start planning your evening around Wheel of Fortune, you've officially left your youth behind. Forever.

It starts at 6:30 if any of you are wondering. NBC. You're welcome.

148 words.

If you ain't first, you're last

2011-05-03T19:58:00.000-05:00

While my sister is skinny, I'm getting larger by the day.

Or at least second. Or in my case, fourth. Right behind my two sister-in-laws and my sister.

But, being the last to produce a kid on both sides of the family has its advantages.

I can practice on theirs and do the opposite with my own.
My sister can show me everything I actually need to register for. And everything I don't.
Free maternity and baby hand-me-downs save me money.
I can teach my nieces and nephews bad habits and it doesn't really affect me.
I totally learn what not to do.
I am owed tons and tons of free babysitting services that I plan to cash in on.
I have more time to save up for daycare and diapers.
The baby excitement has calmed down, which means less pressure in all things kid related.

But, with all the good things about being the last to reproduce, there are two obvious not-so-good things.

While everyone is trimmed down and skinny, I'm nice and round. And swollen. And puffy.

And, payback is always a bitch.

174 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: My cat thinks she's a dog

2011-04-29T06:31:00.000-05:00

Goose thinks she's a dog.

When Massey rides in the back of the truck, Goose does too.

When Massey herds our goats, Goose is right behind her.

If Massey is our Head of Ranch Security, then Goose is her Drover.

Poor Goose. I don't think anyone has ever told her she's just a cat. And, yes, I named my cat Goose.

Ku-Tip: Cats make awesome dogs. Or sidekicks to dogs. Or whatever use you can find for them. Gopher-eaters. Yep, cats make awesome gopher-eaters.

84 words.

You Know You're An Aggie If...

2011-04-27T19:32:00.001-05:00

...your bed wears maroon.

Thank you Mom and Grandma for my Fightin' Texas Aggie quilt. Whoop! Mom, even though it took you seven years since I graduated from college, you're still awesome.

And, this helps me to not feel so guilty about buying all those unnecessary T-shirts as a college student.

Whoop for buying 200 T-shirts. And whoop for spending my rent and grocery money on them. And whoop for my bed getting to wear those T-shirts years later.

It. was. so. worth. it.

84 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: Practice makes perfect

2011-04-15T12:14:00.000-05:00

In three short months, Baby K will be here! Which means we need to get in all the practice we can now.

Like, how to hold a baby. How to feed it. How to change it. How to make it sleep through the night (I wish).

Or, how to swaddle it with a sweatshirt. See picture below.

And, we can't forget that all babies should be placed on their backs to sleep, as demonstrated by Cricket below.

We've been trying really hard to make sure we practice every day. And Cricket is always sitting on the back porch waiting for us. Apparently, she doesn't mind helping.

Ku-Tip: Cats make good practice babies. Actually, they're even easier than babies, because when you're done with them, you can just throw them back outside. You can't do that with babies.

139 words.

There is one thing I like about Uncle Sam

2011-04-13T16:42:00.000-05:00

I cannot wait until you get to come home with me. I promise I will love you forever.

And that is when he puts money back into my wallet. Or my bank account. Since I don't actually carry a wallet because maternity leggings don't have pockets. Duh.

So, what is the first thing I am going to run out and buy? And, no, it's not a scoon.

A new laptop. But that's all I'm limiting myself to spend money on. The rest will be saved for Baby K. I've heard diapers are expensive. And now that gas has gone up, the cost to deliver the diapers to the store has increased.

So, maybe I'm not really ahead. Maybe, Uncle Sam is just giving me money back that I should have never let him take. And, now I will have to use it to pay for the same things in life that didn't cost this much a year ago. Or even six months ago.

Thank you Uncle Sam. I think.

151 words.

Sisters Say the Darndest Things: Vol. 2

2011-03-29T15:15:00.001-05:00

My sister says the darndest things. And she's a creeper.

A while back, my family was sitting around a table at the Horseshoe Cafe in Franklin, America, eating our yummy lunch and poking fun at one another.

The target this particular day was my sister, and she was an easy target because at this point in her life, she didn't have Internet or cable. Or more than two local channels that actually worked.

So, as usual, I was making fun of her.

"How the heck do you even know what's going on in the world?"

"I don't," she tells me in her matter-of-fact tone. "Hell, I didn't even know the cost of stamps had gone up!"

"Seriously?" We're all laughing pretty hard at this point.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" she yells back at me, laughing. "Try having ALL your mail returned!"

Poor Kendra. Two cents short. So her mail was returned. And by mail, I mean bills.

Fast forward to last week. Brady and I meet Mom, Kendra, Pryce and Teagan at Ozona to celebrate us finally knowing we're having a little girl.

How do I know Kendra's son is just like his momma? Because he says the darndest things too.

So, again, we're poking fun at Kendra. I really don't know why. But I say to her, "Whatever, your mom goes to college." And, I look over and smile lovingly at my mom, who is there. And, listening to all this.

And, Pryce, in his infinite 2-year-old wisdom, looks right at me and Brady and says very clearly, "No, my daddy goes to college."

Maybe it was only funny to us because we think Pryce hung the moon. Or maybe it was funny to us because Pryce was smart enough to come up with that comment. Or maybe it was funny to us because in his Uncle Brady's eyes, he has years to teach Pryce funny comments and your-momma jokes.

Or maybe, just maybe, it made me see that my sister did pass along at least one trait to her son — Pryce is a smart ass.

338 words.

What the heck is a scoon?

2011-03-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

Just ask Brady. He invented it. The word I mean. Not a scoon.

Last week we were driving home late from College Station.

A few miles before our turnoff on Hwy 46, we both notice this semi-large animal dragging another dead animal off the road.

"Holy cow! Did you see that?" I asked him. "That was a big-ass raccoon with an armadillo I think."

"Yeah, I did see that," Brady responded back. "That was one big-ass squirrel!"

"Squirrel? Seriously? You thought it was a squirrel."

"Ah, you know what I meant. That was one large scoon."

"Scoon? Seriously?" as I'm trying to keep my laughter to a minimum at this point.

"Ah, you know what I mean. A stupid raccoon. I'm tired. I'm ready to be home."

And that's how Brady added a new word to the English vocabulary.

I like to define a scoon as a rodent of medium size that is a cross between a squirrel and raccoon. Except that Brady and I can't agree if a scoon has the head of a raccoon and the body of a squirrel or vice versa.

So, I used my awesome Photoshop skills to create two scoons. And everyone better agree with me because I hate losing to Brady almost as much as he hates losing to me.

Scoon #1

Scoon #2

217 words.

The Waiting List

2011-03-14T09:10:00.000-05:00

This picture has nothing to do with this post.
Except that I want to show off my newest niece — Miss Teagan Jayne Rabroker.

Do any of you ever read my blog, scratch your head and ask yourself, "Why does Jenna live in the middle of nowhere?"

Don't lie. I'm sure some of you do.

Well, I'm about to give you at least one good reason.

It's the same reason that for the most part, I feel like I live a pretty stress-free life — well, outside of work at least. I try to be content with what I have. I try not to worry about the dumb stuff. I don't care about keeping up with the rest of the world. Brady and I just like to relax. And hang outside. And have friends over. And sing to the guitar. And drink on the back porch of the barn. And laugh at our animals.

Yep, it's a pretty good life.

But, seriously guys, I've got to share another awesome reason for living out in the country near a small town.

And, you mothers and expectant mothers out there will be totally jealous.

I called the daycare in Franklin back in January to see if I could get on the waiting list for my unborn child. This is exactly how the conversation happened.

Me: "Yes ma'am. I'd like to get on the waiting list for my baby."

Daycare girl: "Ma'am, how old is your child?"

Me: "Um. Um. Unborn? It won't be here until July 16."

Daycare girl: "Oh, well, you're a tad bit early. We just need six weeks to get a spot ready. Why don't you just come in and sign the paperwork once you're on maternity leave?"

Me: "Um. Um. So, there's not a waiting list I need to get on?"

Daycare girl: "Nope. We don't ever have to worry about waiting lists. And with your child starting daycare in September, we'll have already moved kids around for the new year. We'll have room for your baby. Or we'll make room."

Me: "Okay. Sounds good. See you in July!"

Yep, there are no waiting lists in Franklin. And finding a daycare for my baby took all but 3 minutes. And while you can laugh and say, "Ah, well, it's the only daycare in Franklin," — which it is, it's an awesome daycare. And it's right across from the high school. And it's cheap. And there are no waiting lists.

And it's another reason why I love living near small towns.

396 words.

30 Things To Do Before I'm 30

2011-03-09T09:12:00.002-06:00

On February 13, my sweet little Auder reminded me that it was my half birthday. What does that mean? That means that in less than six short months, I'll be turning the big 3-0. And it reminded me of the list I created 5 years ago. A list that contained 30 things I hoped to accomplish before I left my 20s behind forever.

I'd be lying if I told you that I completed everything on my list. I didn't. I didn't plan on it. But it's nice to know that I made a good dent in it — 11 crossed off so far. And it's nice to think that I still have plenty of time to enjoy crossing the other 19 off. Before I turn 35.

Hmmm...maybe I'll add 5 more goals to that list just because I can?

My Top 30 Things To Do Before I'm 30

Get married — 5 years this year!
Go parasailing
Get my master’s — 2005 baby.
Start a family — Barely checked this off in time. Kassidy Reese arrived on July 6. Read the full story.
Go on an Alaskan cruise
Visit all 50 states (23ish down!)
Buy land — Have you read my blog?
Build our dream home
Get a puppy — Duh.
Go whitewater rafting — Our first anniversary on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in Montana.
Run a marathon, triathlon or other race (4-6-08 — Big D Half Marathon; 2 hrs, 7 min, 11 sec — WHOOP!!)
Become an aunt — Thanks Phoenix, Pryce, Mia & Teagan.
Visit Switzerland
Go on annual trips with friends
Go to a drive-in movie theater — Finally! Check it out.
Ride in a hot air balloon
Visit every state park in Texas
Visit the Grand Canyon — North Rim in Summer 2010.
Go to a Hoelscher-Buxkemper reunion with Kendra and Ray — 2012 will be in Columbus. We can still make it!
Get a four-wheeler or 4X4 jeep — Did I mention a ton of jeep accessories?
Get my concealed handgun’s license (and become a better shot!)
Read the entire Bible
Visit Canada
Learn to make homemade jelly and jam
Learn to sew from Mom and Grandma
Watch an Aggie Game from a box seat
Build a barn — Done. In 2009. Thanks Daniel and Anthony!
Organize my family’s history
Visit all the major battle sites in Texas
Host a Smith-Wuthrich-Kujawski-Rabroker holiday gathering — Pretty sure we've all partied together for birthdays or baby showers or something. I'm counting it!

And, here's a few pictures to remind me of #11, because — well, because I miss being in shape. And if I look at these pictures enough, it will motivate me to train for another race after the baby's born. Or, at least think about training.

My awesome coaches/fans

In the zone

Brady took half credit for my medal

461 words.

My Baby is Half Baked!

2011-03-03T08:05:00.005-06:00

Four months apart and glowing (we'll blame the sun).
Teagan will be here March 7 and Baby K will arrive July 16.

Well, I've kept my pregnancy posts to a minimum, but I hit a milestone this week, and I thought, "Well, I'm gonna talk about it whether you want me to or not." So, please keep reading everyone. I promise it's still funny. Promise.

I am officially half-way done with this pregnancy! And, for the most part, it really hasn't been that bad. I've only yelled at Brady a few times, but he deserved it. Even his sister said so. Her exact words were, "Yeah, I'd punch him in the face." See, he deserved it.

And I know what you're all wondering right now, so I'll do my best to try to answer all your questions.

No, we still don't know what Baby K is. My doctor likes to wait until 23-24 weeks, meaning that we'll find out March 22. Finally! So, everyone, please put March 22 on your calendar. I know you want to. We sure do.

The baby's room is going to be decorated the same no matter what the baby decides to be. I mean, Brady's guitars do have to go somewhere. We drew straws, and the baby lost.

I may or may not have felt the baby move this past weekend. It was either the baby or gas, and since I've never been pregnant before, I'm not really good at telling the difference. If it was the baby, then it really likes John Wayne movies, especially The Searchers. This means I may have to let Brady add his favorite name back to our short list — John Wayne Kujawski.

I've gained 15 pounds. The scale is not my friend. And it's not because I've been fat and lazy. I walk, lift weights, fix fence, wrestle goats and still play tennis, and the numbers keep going up. And up. And up. I think this is a very cruel joke.

Massey doesn't know I'm pregnant. We've decided not to tell her. We'll just come home one day with this extra little person and say, "Surprise!"

So, there you go. 20 weeks down. 20 weeks to go. And July 16 will be here before we know it — just in time for Brady's birthday.

362 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: Why butt dialing is so much cooler than texting

2011-02-25T08:05:00.001-06:00

The culprit.

At least to Brady.

Apparently, Brady likes to butt dial people a lot. And, sadly, it's not even me that gets the most calls. It's his poor sister Tiffany. I'm sure by now when she sees a call from her little brother, she knows exactly how to handle the conversation. I imagine it going something like this:

Tiff: "Oh, I'm sorry Brady that you're having such a crappy day."

Tiff: "What! I don't believe you. You're so full of shit."

Tiff: "Well, next time tell that little wife of yours to please leave the seat up."

Okay, that makes me giggle.

Well, Brady took his butt dialing to a whole new level a few days ago when he called his dad — while he was teaching.

So Daniel got to enjoy a few minutes of listening to Brady teach his algebra class. I wonder if he yelled at any students that day?

And, if any of you know Brady, you know he really sucks at keeping up with his friends and family on the phone. In fact, I'm always on his case to call people. Always.

Well, now his butt is on his case too.

Ku-Tip: Butt dialing is way funnier than texting or calling. But if you don't want to participate in this form of communication, have no fear. There's this neat little feature on every phone that locks it so you don't have to worry about buttons being pushed. I'll have to fill Brady in on this little secret.

250 words.

Hear No Evil. See No Evil. Speak No Evil.

2011-02-21T12:25:00.000-06:00

I think this picture says it all.

7 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: How not to post on Craigslist

2011-02-18T08:05:00.002-06:00

This picture has absolutely NOTHING to do with this post. But I wanted to show off the awesome leather sign I made for our barn. In 2011. Only two years late.

How do you get motivated to clean out your office? Get pregnant. The baby has to live somewhere.

How do you quickly get rid of all the crap in your office? Post it on Craigslist. And be prepared. Be very prepared.

Be prepared to have 21 million phone calls in one hour. Note to self. Don't post my number next time.

Be prepared to have to call all the people back that missed out on your awesome deal. Note to self. Don't be so nice next time.

Be prepared to deliver. Note to self. We are way too nice.

And finally, be prepared to be stalked. Note to self. Don't be way too nice and don't post my number online.

And don't keep answering your cell phone when the buyer of your old computer keeps calling you for tech support (which was not part of my awesome Craigslist deal). Or asks me to pick her up and take her to get her medication. Seriously? What if I was a crazy person.

At least all my pain and suffering earned me $300. And an empty office. And a reality check.

Ku-Tip: Don't be too nice to people who contact you on Craigslist. If you're lucky, they will want to be your best friend. And keep calling you. Over. And over. And over.

Oh, and on a completely unrelated note. Brady is awesome. Brady is amazing. Brady is the smartest person I know. Yep, you all had to hear that because Brady was the only person to participate in my little musician contest. And he got them all right. Why? Because he's the smartest person I know. See, that could have been you.

281 words.

Name That Musician Contest!

2011-02-02T13:36:00.003-06:00

So, I found these old pictures of some Texas Country musicians that we went to see one night at good ole' Hurricane Harry's. Before they were mainstream. Before anybody else knew about them. Before they charged for their concerts (this concert was free if I remember correctly).

These pictures are like eight years old! I know, now I feel old myself.

But they remind me of a time when all I had to worry about was what to do on a Thursday night in Aggieland. Or if I wanted Whataburger or Taco C at 2:00 in the morning (I hope you don't even have to think twice on this one).

So, I thought I'd post for everyone's enjoyment.

And, now I have a challenge for you. First person to comment and name each musician correctly will win a prize.

What kind of prize, you ask? Bragging rights. And the sheer satisfaction of knowing that you are cooler than anyone else who reads my blog. And I will congratulate you for being the smartest person I know. Seriously — I will.

May the best groupie win!

184 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: Only in Texas

2011-01-28T08:30:00.001-06:00

This is not OSR, but it's the only road picture I had. Forgive me and just enjoy it.

Only in Texas will they lower the speed limit of a rural road just because drivers aren't driving fast enough.

Not because of children at play. Or too many cows crossing the road. Or for parades.

Apparently, I must be the only driver on OSR that drives over 60 when the posted speed limit is 70.

But now, we all have to drive 60.

Thanks slow drivers. You are my heroes.

Ku-Tip: In kindergarten we learned to follow directions. Adults should follow directions too. It makes life simpler.

88 words.

Seriously

2011-01-26T14:09:00.000-06:00

I called Kendra last night because I needed a huge favor. In the middle of our conversation, I hear a small little boy yell out at the top of his lungs, "YEAAAA!"

"What's he cheering for?" I asked.

"The State of the Union address is on," Kendra said.

"Why's he cheering for the State of the Union address?" I ask very confused.

"I don't know. Because he's weird."

Oh, politics through the eyes of a 2 year old.

But what would you expect from a kid that thinks that each time his Uncle Brady runs off the road and hits the shoulder bumps, it's a motorcycle.

And he yells out each time without hesitation "Motorcycle!"

Maybe he'll be a motorcycle-riding politician one day. Now wouldn't that just make his mommy and daddy proud.

133 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: The magic tool

2011-01-21T15:20:00.000-06:00

Summer 2009 was our last time in Colorado.

And I will always remember it for one very amusing reason.

Our truck would not start when it was time to leave.

Picture our Tundra loaded down with four people, two dogs, two bikes and enough crap to require a cargo net and straps to keep it from spilling out of the truck. Yeah, we were rockin' it.

And we could not figure out why our truck wouldn't start.

Dustin laughed and claimed it was because our truck couldn't handle the cold weather.

I blamed it on bad timing.

But every time we started to get worried, Brady would run and get his dad and it would start up just fine. So much for deciding not to misbehave when Mr. Fix It was watching.

So we pull out of Dustin's driveway and begin the long trip home. Next stop. Walsenburg. To stretch our legs and eat lunch in the park.

We drop Daniel, Jean Ann and the two puppies off at the park and drive to the convenience store to buy a bag of chips. And we turned off the truck. Not a good idea.

Apparently, it decided not to start up again. And the rest of our crew were eight blocks away without their cell phones.

So Brady and I start walking down the road in this unknown town to the park to tell them the bad news, and then four people and two dogs walk back the eight blocks to our finicky truck. I go inside to use the bathroom and am interrupted in line to "Hurry up and leave while it's working." Apparently, the truck started right up once Daniel and Jean Ann showed up.

So we jump back in the truck and get on the road with empty stomachs. And Daniel decides to read the owner's manual for fun.

Chapter 1: If your truck does not start, don't freak out. Check your anti-theft device and make sure the batteries aren't dead. If they are, just click the button and your truck will start. Duh!

Wow, whoever wrote this owner's manual was a genius. Apparently Brady's anti-theft device was low on batteries. But Daniel's wasn't. Which is why the truck always started for him as long as he was within 15 feet of our truck.

And we all commented on how cool Daniel was to have "the" magic tool in his pocket.

Ku-Tip: Always keep a magic tool in your pocket for a rainy day. You never know when you will have to use it. Or rely on your father-in-law for his.

426 words.

Blackmail From the Old School Vault: Vol. 2

2011-01-19T15:47:00.000-06:00

This picture was taken in 2006 at Miss Katelyn's graduation party. Whoop! What is wrong with this picture? Absolutely nothing. It is priceless. And reminds me of college. And Mexico. And the Corona Club. Oh, how I miss all these girls. And Acuña.

And, Anna, don't worry. It is not Katelyn's mom behind the camera. It is Brady. That is why you look so excited to see him.

68 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: If I had only known

2011-01-14T10:50:00.001-06:00

If I had only known that I would be pregnant at this very moment, there’s a few things I would not have done.

Bought mules. They buck me off and like to eat a lot.
Bought a tractor. It doesn’t buck me off but it came with a nice monthly payment.
Bought the new mower. I’m too uncoordinated to even drive it. And it wasn’t free either.

Are you seeing a pattern here?

Bought my awesome pair of skinny jeans. No, they were not on sale and I maybe got three months wear out of them.
Mentally prepared to run the Dallas Rock N’ Roll half marathon in March. Not gonna happen. Brady is glad it’s not gonna happen. I think he got me pregnant just so he wouldn’t have to run this race.
Promised the in-laws we’d go to Colorado this summer. I’ll be 8 months pregnant. My insurance is only good in BCS. Not going out of the state, let alone the area.
Finally discovered my most favorite wine. I’ll see you in nine months.

So, with all that said, there will be a Lazy K Estate Sale coming soon. We will be selling all of our goodies for double what we paid for them. I’m just joking. Triple.

Ku-Tip: Apparently babies are expensive. But don't tell that to our ranch, because if we don't buy things for it, it gets its feelings hurt.

243 words.

Shotgun!

2011-01-10T09:04:00.000-06:00

Did I ever tell you that my dog also has FOMO? Did you forget what that is? That's okay — here's a quick reminder.

This is how we spent our days off during the Christmas break.

Me driving the tractor since it is probably not safe for a pregnant lady to fall out of the bucket.

Brady riding in the bucket because it's okay if he falls out.

And, Massey? Yes, Massey has to ride in the bucket with Brady. She loves it. And she can't stand to be more than 12 inches away from us at any one time.

I think she was so excited to jump in the bucket that she loaded up before I even had time to lower the bucket all the way to the ground.

Silly puppy. Buckets are for humans. And their pets apparently.

139 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: How to catch a calf

2011-01-07T09:23:00.000-06:00

If you haven't caught on already, we do things a little differently here at Lazy K. Like, how we round up our crazy bovine.

So, my advice to you on this Friday is to tell you how to properly catch an animal. In this case, how to properly catch a Doodle.

Find your new rope that you got for Christmas
Make a nice, big loop
Hold the rope over your shoulder and don't use it
Go find Doodle and tell her to follow you
Doodle will follow you

The calf is now properly caught.

Ku-Tip: If you train your animals correctly, you won't have any use for ropes, pens, halters or horses. Of course, this means your animal is now considered a pet, and everyone will make fun of you.

135 words.

Sisters Say the Darndest Things: Vol. 1

2011-01-06T16:46:00.001-06:00

Sisters. Can't live with them. Can't live without them.

And, my own sister is of a rare breed. You see, she couldn't even brush her teeth when we were younger without asking for my help or advice. But, now that we're grown, I find that I go to her more and more for help. Like, how to have, care for and keep babies alive — she is on baby number two, so she must be doing something right. Right?

But what I love most about my sister is that she says the darndest things. Either really cute things that make you go, "Ah, you're so cute when you say that." Or really dumb things that make you slap your forehead. Or, better yet, really dirty things that make you accidentally spit water out of your nose.

And, yesterday was no different. We met up for a quick Chinese-food lunch. And, when two pregnant ladies get together to eat, you have four eyes, not just two, that are bigger than stomachs. So, we did what we thought made sense and ordered two appetizers with our meals.

Spring rolls to be exact. And, poor Kendra had never had a spring roll because according to her, "I don't eat that sushi shit."

I explained that spring rolls were like egg rolls, only they weren't fried.

"Sure," she said. "I'll try it."

So the spring rolls arrive and she gets this awful, nasty, disgusting look on her face. She picks the spring roll up with two fingers and stares at it.

"What the hell is this? I thought you said it was an egg roll!"

Apparently she had already forgotten I said it was NOT like an egg roll.

She takes a small bite. Like, a little nibble.

"This is disgusting. I can't do it. It looks like freakin' lettuce wrapped in a condom."

Yep, that's what she said. At a restaurant. In a loud voice.

And then I couldn't eat the spring rolls anymore.

330 words.

The Ultimate Shenanigan

2011-01-05T09:20:00.000-06:00

Yes, I have unintentionally neglected this blog. Hush it friends. I've been feeling like crap. But, I'm slowly starting to feel like myself again, and I promise not to let you all down anymore. I will not only keep posting weekly, but I promise to still tell of our Lazy K shenanigans with the same humor and poise that I have been using all along. Even if our lives are about to change forever.

You see, about 12 weeks ago, Brady snuck into my personal space.

The result. A little baby is on the way.

Bad Brady. How dare you take advantage of me?

How dare you give me an excuse to eat whatever I want and put on weight and you still love me?

And thanks for making sure it will be a nice 150 degrees outside when the baby will make it’s debut.

You’re such an awesome husband. And dad.

Hey, that has a nice ring to it.

And as long as it has your beautifully long eyelashes and my itty-bitty teeny-weeny peanut head, this whole labor thing may just be a breeze. And, it will come out lookin’ pretty cute too.

So, thank you for helping us both become parents. And, thank you Kendra for being so hard to surprise with the news.

Only my sister would unwrap a p-test that read “pregnant” on it and think it was a stick reaffirming that she was already pregnant. It took a few minutes for her to realize the stick was referring to me.

And, it took less than 20 seconds for Pryce to put the p-test in his mouth. Don’t worry. The cap was still on. What kind of family do you think we are?

Proof that he does put almost anything in his mouth, like my toothbrush.

See Kendra. If Pryce keeps that habit up, he may really have a baby in his belly.

304 words.

Rabroker Family | 2009 & 2010 Christmas Card Designs

2010-12-16T12:08:00.000-06:00

I always have fun designing Kendra's Christmas cards for two main reasons. 1) She doesn't give me any rules, so I can pretty much do what I want, and 2) Making fun of her family is not off limits.

This makes for some pretty interesting designs.

Check out 2009.

And my follow-up card this year.

You have to get pretty creative when your nephew decides he does not want his picture taken and all you have to work with is what you see above.

Mission accomplished.

Friday Ku-Tip: What are friends for?

2010-12-03T07:35:00.000-06:00

Reason #11: We made a snowman together

Last week I was lazy.

The week before I was preparing to be lazy.

But my awesome friend Tracy keeps reminding me that I have neglected to write a Friday Ku-Tip in two weeks.

Tracy, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. And here's ten reasons why you should.

I made sure you had an awesome time at my wedding. You know you still thank me for it.
I know where you live.
You threw Whataburger ketchup on Brady. And it busted all over him. And we laughed.
We've shared some special (and freezing cold) moments skiing in Colorado.
My grandma lives in Hallettsville.
I will talk you out of whatever you need me to. I will talk you into whatever you need me to.
I let you hold my goat.
I tried to make you a part of the family. You and Dustin didn't cooperate.
I believe everything you tell me.
I approve of your love of animals. I approve of your rabbit, your dog, your cat and your future chickens. I also approve of the baby goat I'm about to bring you next weekend. Well, only if you're lucky.

Ku-Tip: Don't neglect your blog, or your friend Tracy will harass you over Gmail chat for two weeks!

217 words.

FOMO

2010-11-25T14:30:00.001-06:00

My husband has FOMO. My brother-in-law has FOMO. My nephew has FOMO.

Most of the men in my life have FOMO.

Why? Because boys never grow up, and they always have this Fear Of Missing Out.

This was apparent to me once again this past weekend when the Aggies BTHO Nebraska. At Kyle Field. With a record crowd. It was awesome to say the least.

We were only able to be a part of the game from afar, listening to it on the radio.

And when the final seconds ticked away, a sea of maroon took the field, joined arms and yelled the Aggie War Hymn.

And Brady looks at me and says, "Back in my day, students didn't rush the field."

And I say, "I know babe, but times have changed. And at least we did it respectfully."

Then Brady makes an old man gruff.

And then Ray's cell phone rings. And it's Collin, his baby brother, yelling to him from Kyle Field.

"We're on the field! This is so awesome!"

And Brady doesn't skip a beat before saying, "Man, if I was with Collin, I'd so be on the field right now."

Hypocrite? Maybe. FOMO? Most definitely. Die-hard former student? Would an Aggie be anything else?

Happy Turkey Day. And BTHO tu!

214 words.

Sexy

2010-11-18T11:00:00.000-06:00

That's right. I got called sexy. By two of my coworkers.

One was a man. And one was a woman. So both sexes think I'm sexy.

I'm cool with that.

It must have been the new bangs. Cause that's the only thing I've changed in like, 10 years.

And, I'm still trying to get my sexy face down. My friends know I have issues with that. And if either of my coworkers had seen my attempt at a sexy face, they would have retracted their sexy statements.

Trust me. I would have.

92 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: If It Looks Like Flour, It's Not Flour

2010-11-12T07:51:00.000-06:00

I love my mother-in-law. She cracks us up. And she admits it.

And she loves to sabotage our healthy eating habits by baking yummy, 2,000-calorie sweets. And leaving them on the counter so we can't pass them up.

And we usually give in. Except in those very rare cases when a dog treat would taste better than her baking concoctions.

And, while 9 times out of 10, her treats are tasty, there is always that one time…

That one time that my sweet mother-in-law slaved away in my kitchen to make me, Brady and Daniel homemade cookies while we were outside sweating off our first-born kid working on the barn.

And everything seemed fine until she took her first batch out of the oven.

The perfectly rounded cookies had disappeared into a cookie sheet of runny mess.

Did the missing sock leprechaun move to my oven and destroy our cookies?

Nope. That would have been the obvious culprit.

What actually happened was that my mother-in-law did not realize that while flour and powdered sugar look alike, they do not make cookies bake alike. Or taste alike. Or do anything alike for that matter.

And our labeled canisters must not have helped either.

Ku-Tip: If it looks like flour and tastes like powdered sugar, it's powdered sugar.

216 words.

We're Legit

2010-11-08T08:46:00.000-06:00

This is all her Nana's fault

November 1, 2010. Remember it.

Why? Our lovely niece Mia Brooke Harlow came into this world. And, thanks to our tech-savvy bro-in-law, we received a play by play of the entire process.

And, just as exciting, we became official. We as in Lazy K Ranch. I waddled to the courthouse on Nov. 1, thanks to an eventful mule mishap two days earlier, to register our brand at the Robertson County courthouse.

So, we're now legit. Too legit to quit. And Lazy K Ranch is legit.

And, if anything wonders onto our ranch, we may officially brand it. Except Mia. She is too young for tattoos.

105 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: You can't take us anywhere

2010-11-05T07:30:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday I realized something. Brady and I should never be allowed out in public.

I came to this epiphany while we were enjoying the best BBQ in the Brazos Valley. We were surrounded by flat screens showing football game after football game. And, since neither of us actually wanted to watch some football (thanks Cowboys), it only made sense that we talk some football.

Talk football as in I ask Brady a lot of questions.

Like, if people knew tu would suck this year.

And, if people knew Baylor would be good this year.

And, why our offense couldn't get our act together when our defense finally showed up to play some ball.

And, how a team like Baylor could slowly build up their football team but the Aggies couldn't.

And, Brady explained to me that having a good offense goes hand in hand with having a good defense. Something about Baylor's offense dominating during their time on the field giving their defense time to rest up and dominate once they took the field. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Makes sense. But if this was true, then why couldn't the Aggie's offense score more points against Arkanas when our defense did their part.

"Our offense would drive down the field," Brady tells me, "But then we would just peter out."

Our eyes meet. We both get these big, goofy grins on our faces.

"Did you just say peter?" I ask.

Brady can barely get out a "Maybe" before we both burst into laughter.

And then our eyes start watering. And, it's not because of the jalapenos.

Ku-Tip: Don't say peter in public. It will always be funny no matter how old you are.

283 words.

What's My Name Again?

2010-11-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

Why this picture makes me laugh.

Cause Tinker's Striper (not stripper. Get your head out of the gutter) Guide Service got everyone's name correct except for my husband's.

Bardy Kujawski. It does have a nice ring to it.

But, they didn't stop there. Check this out to see a second version of the incorrect name calling. It's the fifth set of pictures from the top.

Poor Bardy.

67 words.

Blackmail From the Old School Vault: Vol. 1

2010-11-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

These old school pictures are from 2002. I spent the majority of my summer studying abroad in Mexico with eight of my closest classmates. How we survived I'll never know. I did a lot of stupid things in Mexico. These pictures prove it.

How I know these pics are old.

They were taken with a throw-away camera. Poor millennial generation. You don't even know what a throw-away camera is. You've always used digital cameras, or better yet, a phone that has a camera squeezed right inside of it.

Well, earlier this century, we didn't have those luxuries. We had to use throw-away cameras if we went on vacation and then walk five miles in the snow uphill and barefoot to take the film to Wal-Mart to get developed. Gasp. We did not get to enjoy the pictures instantly. And, I still had to spend an entire afternoon scanning each picture just so I could have an electronic version of it.
I had not been introduced to Photoshop yet. Heck, no one had been introduced to Photoshop yet. These pictures are in their raw, glorious form. Complete with fuzzy focusing and nice little red numbers that told you the date the pictures were taken. As if I'd ever want to forget when these pictures were taken.

This photo is awesome because we're making hair nets look sexy. And, there is absolutely no discrimination going on here. Only the girls had to wear hair nets. I mean, short hair can't contaminate produce. Only long, girly hair.

I spent a lot of pesos on souvenirs. I mean, how can you go to Mexico and not bring back a picture of a burro (which is framed and still hanging in my kitchen as we speak) or this monstrous sombrero (which came in handy when Brady needed a last minute quirky costume idea for Fish Camp). Yep, don't let me loose in a Mexican market. Or I will buy awesome things like this.

So I admitted doing a lot of stupid things in Mexico. One happened this night. The girls all decided to go salsa dancing at a local club not far from our dorm. We met up with some of the local college guys we had met earlier in the trip. Apparently in Mexico, you are unknowingly paired up with one dance partner for the night. I got left-footed Magee (far left). It was a joyous experience. Trust me. I wanted to go home. So I did. Alone in a Mexican cab. Stupid, I know. But, just look at him. What part of He. couldn't. dance. do you not understand?

Aggies in Mexico like to make everyone feel welcome. We like to make everyone an honorary Aggie. We like to show people how to Gig'em and Whoop. And we made everyone at this restaurant an Aggie for life. Even our poor roommate Maggie (far right). She made a good Aggie too. Just look at her form.

Why this picture is important. Because you have to focus in on my feet. My bandaged, held together by some purple dye and cloth, feet. I got attacked by a large cow with horns that was at least 9 feet tall and 5,000 pounds. Or maybe it was just a little calf that happened to trip me up with it's rope, causing me to scrape my feet in the dirty, rocky Mexican dirt. I got a tetanus shot in my butt in a Mexican hospital because of this calf. And my poor roommate Shawna had to duct tape plastic bags around my feet just so I could take a shower. And, I kept the X-rays and glued them in my scrapbook.

I like sombreros. And so do my friends. And after calling my mom from a pay phone in Mexico City a few nights before we returned to Texas, I had to think of a creative and inexpensive way for my mom and dad to find me in the Houston airport. So, the three amigos wore our over-sized sombreros on the flight home. And through customs. And through baggage claim. And my parents had no problem finding me. Remember, this was the 17th century, so there were no cell phones.

My dad really liked my sombrero. And he liked my double-taped luggage. Apparently, in the five weeks I had been gone, I bought a lot of souvenirs. Apparently, I should have brought bigger luggage. Cause I had to leave some American clothes behind in a Mexican hotel just so I could fit all my "can't live without" gifts in my bags. Why do you think I had to wear the sombrero at all times? My head was the only place it could fit.

793 words.

Cap'n Pryce & Scallywag Snook | Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T21:00:00.000-05:00

Who names their bird after the town they live in? My sister.

And who makes their son dress up in a pirate costume for Halloween even when he is crying his eyes out? My sister.

And who forgets all about being sad the minute there's a bird on his shoulder? Pryce.

Friday Ku-Tip: Just another day in Aggieland

2010-10-29T09:02:00.001-05:00

Yesterday some weird events happened on campus. Luckily, everything turned out okay. And while I'm not saying that this abnormal activity is anything to laugh about, I can't help but share some of the humerous events that happened because of the drama on campus.

I invented a new word. Spreadshit. Spreadshit? Spreadshit is what happens when you're thinking of the words spreadsheet and list. Spreadshit is what happens when you're on lock down in your office thinking about the armed suspect on campus and trying to multitask and have a conversation at the same time. Spreadshit. Add it to your vocabulary. It's kinda fun to say. Spreadshit.

I had to ask permission to go to the bathroom. I haven't asked permission to go to the bathroom in a million years. It was awkward. But I had to go. Thank goodness they let me.

My immediate family did not call, text, Facebook, moarse code or stone tablet me to see if I was okay. I called my sister to fill her in and tell her thanks for caring. Her response? "I don't get on the damn Internet." Point taken.

I called my dad to tell him and Mom what had happened and that I was safe. Dad said he had heard about the events on campus but got busy feeding cows and didn't worry to call me. His response? "I knew if that shooter ran into you that you'd show him a thing or two." Compliment? I think so. Thanks Dad.

I tried calling Brady five times to tell him I was okay. Brady never answered. Brady never called me to see if I was okay. Almost two hours later I finally made it home. Brady is washing the mower. Makes sense why he didn't answer his phone. I walk up to him and pretend to be mad and ask, "Did you even hear what happened today on campus?" And I proceed to tell him. And he smiles and says, "Jenna, you know I live in a bubble."

Apparently my entire family lives in a bubble. Note to self.

And, finally. I know the old excuse "My dog ate my homework" has been used for years. Even decades. Heck, possibly even centuries. But now I can legitimately use the excuse "But there was an armed suspect on campus."

Yep, that's the excuse I used yesterday when I got home at dark and couldn't see to work out. And that is the excuse I used when I laid on the couch and didn't feed the animals or cook supper.

And my sweet husband that lives in a bubble fed the animals without one little gripe.

Ku-Tip: Welcome to Aggieland. Please leave all plastic training rifles at home. Please.

456 words.

The Guard Dog That Wasn't

2010-10-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

Why living in the country is awesome:

Lots of space
Lots of stars
Lots of peace and quiet

Why living in the country isn't awesome:

Weird noises scare me
The dark scares me
Being home alone scares me

Brady thinks it's funny when I act like a scared little 2-year-old. Which is why I think it's funny when Brady acts like a scared little 2-year-old. Although he would never admit it.

One night in particular, Brady went out back to put Massey up for the night. She never barks. It's one of the reasons we choose to claim her. Except this night, she started barking at something in the dark.

Our wannabe guard dog playing dead as part of her attack method

Playing innocent is also part of her game

Protecting Brady from big bad monsters

If you haven't ever lived in the country, or haven't lived in the country in a while, you may not realize that when I say dark, I mean pitch black. No moonlight. No street lights. No stars. So now we all agree why this can be scary.

As soon as Massey started barking, Brady claims he heard a thundering noise.

Thud. Thump. Thud. Thump. Thud. Thump.

Are you scared yet? Well you should be.

Massey ran out in front of Brady into the dark, when all of a sudden, she came hauling ass back past him.

Guard dog reporting for duty, sir

Don't make me come over there and lick you to death

The thundering noise got closer.

Thud. Thump. Thud. Thump. Thud. Thump.

Brady is now running after our dog. Our supposedly guard dog. Our dog who is supposed to protect us and scare big bad monsters away. Yep, she tucked her tail between her legs and ran as fast as she could back into her pen. And Brady was right behind her.

I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey

See what I did to this Frisbee? Don't tempt me.

As soon as Brady shuts himself and the wannabe guard dog in the pen, a huge horse runs past. A dang horse. It wasn't a big bad monster. Just a horse.

This would have made more sense if we had owned a horse. But we didn't.

If a neighbor's horse decides the grass is greener on the other side, do you get to keep the horse? We couldn't find any laws pertaining to roaming horses. So, Brady delivered the horse back to our neighbors. Brady walking as calmly as he can while the horse chases him the whole way. Sometimes Brady having to run around in circles to keep the horse from running him over.

I think the horse thought this was fun.

Anyway, the horse found his hole in the fence and reluctantly went back home. Back home where the grass isn't always greener. And there are no wannabe guard dogs to pester. Or 24-year-old boys to scare. Cause I wasn't scared. But Brady was. His pounding heart and wide eyes told me so.

448 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: How to catch a peacock

2010-10-22T07:30:00.006-05:00

Last summer I found a peacock. Found as in I was driving to work down our dusty gravel road when a random peacock darted out in front of me and decided to waddle (do peacocks waddle?) down the middle of the road. It was like a peacock on parade. And it wouldn't get out of my way.

So during my 35-minute commute to work, I had nothing to do but dream up how I would catch this peacock and make it my pet and hug it and love it and call it George. Or Petey. Yep, Petey the peacock. I like the sound of that.

Since Brady was out of town for the week doing manual labor for his parents in Garden City, I figured this was the perfect opportunity to surprise him with our very own peacock upon his return. Surprised wouldn't even have captured his reaction appropriately, especially since Brady has always openly declared his complete hatred of owning any type of fowl. Ducks. Guineas. Chickens. And peacocks.

Ignoring his complete hatred for all things fowl, I decided I wanted to try to catch the peacock anyway, and relied on the power of Facebook and my Facebook friends for advice on how to actually achieve this.

I received a variety of suggestions in less than a few hours. My favorites included:

Using cheerios to lure it down the road into a pen
Chasing it with a fishing net and strategically making sure this net landed on the peacock
Enlisting the help of a full-length mirror to make the peacock think it had a friend it needed to follow
Using the full-length mirror to make the peacock think there were double the cheerios

Yep. I now had ideas. I was going to catch a peacock.

I called Brady to advise him of my plan. Without taking a breath, he told me I was not allowed to catch the peacock.

Then I hear some talking in the background. Brady laughs and gets back on the phone.

"Jenna," he says, "you're still not allowed to catch the peacock, but Deb's here, and she's supposedly an expert pheasant catcher. She says the key to catching any bird is to make sure you grab both its legs at the same time."

Thanks Deb. Great advice.

I never saw the peacock on my way home from work. I didn't see the peacock the next morning. I never saw the poor little lost peacock again. And, too bad. Cause it would have liked being my pet.

Ku-Tip: Never ask your friends for advice on how to catch a peacock. They'll tell you anything just to see if you'll embarrass yourself. Some will even offer to show up with a camera to capture the moment and call 911 if necessary.

465 words.

And the Pot Calls the Kettle Black

2010-10-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

The husband, cowboy and teacher

You already know that Brady hates getting into arguments with me because he feels I intentionally use "lawyer talk" on him to win. Well, I do like to win. But I don't intentionally do anything. It's just how I argue. I like to use points.

They're effective
They keep my thoughts organized
They annoy Brady

There, so sue me.

But, now there's a little bit of the pot calling the kettle black. Have you ever gotten into an argument with a husband who is not only a teacher, but a pretty darn good one at that?

This conversation actually happened yesterday while Brady was squinting to see what he was working on using his iPad.

Jenna: "Have you even worn your new glasses yet?"

Brady: "Nope."

Jenna: "Why not? Why did we spend money to get your eyes checked and buy glasses if you weren't going to wear them?"

Brady: "Because I see worse with them on. And I never even wanted to get my eyes checked. You made me."

Jenna: "You have to wear them for a while to get used to them. Will you please go get your glasses and wear them!"

Brady: "I'm not going out to the barn to get them. Maybe if you would be a little more constructive instead of just yelling at me than I would want to go get my glasses."

Jenna: "Fine, here's constructive for you. Will you please carry your glasses with you at all times so you can wear them when necessary?"

Brady: "Fine."

Constructive? Really?

Stay tuned for the next courtroom/classroom battle.

267 words.

Ran to the Chicken

2010-10-18T05:25:00.000-05:00

Saturday I ran to the Chicken. I did not run to the Chicken because of a drink special. Or because of half off Tijuana fries. Or because I wanted to grab the last set of dominoes from the bar. Nope. I ran to the Chicken because I paid to run to the Chicken. All 3.1 miles of it.

Fortunately for Brady, he decided to get really sick Friday night, so he did not have to run to the Chicken with me. Unfortunately for Massey, she had no choice.

Since this was a fun run with NO rules, everything but the kitchen sink was allowed. Dogs. Bikes. Rollerbladers. Two college guys on a tandem bike. College kids in costumes. Dogs in costumes. A chicken. You get the point.

I politely hung out in the back of the pack since I would be dragging my sidekick along. Bad idea. I have always known that both Brady and I are very competitive, but it seems we own a very competitive canine as well. Massey took off like the lead dog in an Iditarod race. Only there was no snow. Or scenic landscape. Just asphalt and bars.

What did I enjoy most about the race? I passed a lot of people. A lot. And most of them were younger than me. Take that college kids.

I dropped my stupid cell phone twice. Once, I'll forgive myself. Twice, I would have put myself in time out if I had the chance. Luckily, it still works. It looks like it just survived a cat fight, but it works.

I got hit on by a team of college guys wearing pink. I was wearing pink. They wanted me to join their "pink" team. Massey too. Too bad I was too fast for them.

Massey got lots of "Oh, how cute." "That's the best looking mutt I've ever seen." "She's doing so good." She also got several "nose" slaps as a sign of encouragement.

Brady even left the comfort of the truck (I was supposed to take him to the doctor as soon as the race was over) to cheer us on. Massey saw him and got sidetracked. Thanks Brady.

We sprinted across the finish line sometime around 27:30. That is my best guess since I forgot to wear a watch and since I started long after the gun went off.

We got cheated out of a prize since they didn't categorize humans with dogs as a separate group. In fact, I wasn't too excited how they categorized any of the groups. My group alone consisted of 25- to 39-year-olds. Seriously? You've got to be kidding me.

So, I finally ran to the Chicken. And I have a T-shirt to prove it. And, now I'm contemplating something I told myself I would never do again. I'm thinking about training for another half marathon in the spring. And making Brady do it with me.

I'm just too damn competitive for my own good. Thanks Massey for pushing (I mean pulling) me to do my best. And thanks Chicken for letting me run to you. I've had 10 years of great memories with you. Many Goodnight Irene nights. Sangritas. Ring dunkings. Aggie football wins. Aggie football losses.

And, now, my own Chicken Iditarod.

543 words.

Expecting Mia Photo Shoot

2010-10-08T09:13:00.003-05:00

I already know what you will think when you look through these pictures, so I'll beat you to it.

Yes, I took them.

Yes, they have been digitally post-processed. That's how I roll.

Yes, I will take your pictures.

No, I am not free. :)

I do not consider myself a professional, but I do consider myself pretty handy with the camera. I'll let you decide for yourself.

Harlow Photo Shoot
Location: Garden City, TX

75 words.

We're Expecting!

2010-09-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

...this to be delivered to our house this weekend.

...and this to come home with us sometime next week.

What were you expecting to see on here?

27 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: Let me direct you

2010-09-24T12:45:00.003-05:00

About five days ago my office phone started ringing. A lot. A lot more than usual. And with some of the most random questions.

"Yes, I'd like to make an appointment to spay my cat." Nope, not for me.

"I'd like to verify employment for {insert name other than people who actually work in the CEHD}." Never heard of them.

"I'd like to order a transcript." I don't handle transcripts.

"Yeah, uh, I need to book a racquetball court." This is not the Rec Center.

"Do you know when Texas A&M's homecoming is this fall?" We have homecoming?

I could go on and on, but I won't, because this post would never end.

I finally had enough gumption to ask one of the callers how they found my number.

Random Caller: "I Googled it."

"You Googled it?" I asked.

Random Caller: "Yes, when I Google Texas A&M University, this number appears."

Well crap. This is so wrong it's not even funny.

Sure enough, I went to Google and tried it myself, and this is exactly what appears.

Sorry, just got off the phone again. When will it end?

Ku-Tip: Memorize the university's main directory number. It comes in handy when you have to repeat it about 24 times a day.

210 words.

Expecting Pryce Photo Shoot

2010-09-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

This was one of my first attempts at photography.

All I had to work with was a tired and grumpy 9 1/2 month pregnant woman and an abandoned building.

I think I made the building look pretty good.

And Kendra too.

Never Eat Soggy Worms

2010-09-14T16:30:00.001-05:00

I knew my teachers taught me this for a very good reason when I was younger. And, I use this all the time when I'm trying to navigate where I'm going. But, I failed at cardinal directions (Yes, I had to Google cardinal) this past Saturday. And so did my brother, my husband and my dad.

We went to the Astros vs. Dodgers game at Minute Maid Park. We got to our seats just in time to see our military and heroes honored on the ninth anniversary of Sept. 11. I ate a lemon chill (Yum!). Dad ate ice cream in a cute little Astros cup. The Dodgers scored three runs in the top of the 4th. The Astros tied it up by the bottom of the 5th. Dad ran out of ice cream. The Astros ran out of time (I blame Dad — we played well every time he took a bite of his ice cream; when he ran out, we never scored again). We left the game.

And headed home. Or so we thought.

You see, Darrell lives near Brookshire, which is a small town WEST of Katy, WEST of Houston.

We thought we were heading WEST.

But then we see a sign for — wait for it. BEAUMONT!

Beaumont is not WEST. Beaumont is EAST!

We were actually only in Pasadena. Don't think we were crazy enough to actually end up in Beaumont before we realized we were going the wrong direction.

No, the honor of "Farthest Drive Out of the Way" definitely goes to my sister and her blonde pals, who — get this — had gone to Austin from College Station for the weekend. Instead of taking 290 E back home, they took 290 W, but — here's the clincher — they didn't realize it until they were in Junction, which is only 141.62 miles (according to MapQuest) WEST of Austin! Crazy girls.

Anyway, we turned around in Pasadena and continued our journey WEST. We enjoyed our extra 40-minute scenic drive. We enjoyed quoting South Park. We enjoyed blaming each other for going the wrong way.

We enjoyed wondering what would have happened IF we had ended up in Louisiana. The consensus — one girl, three guys and a casino. And, one very late night.

373 words.

Secrets to a Key-os-ki Marriage

2010-09-09T09:50:00.001-05:00

Pictured above: Newlyweds on 9/9/06.

Four years ago today, I became Mrs. Jenna Kujawski (Key-os-ki for those who are still curious). But don't worry, I answer to just about any form of the last name (or first), including, but not limited to, Ku-jaw-ski, Ku-jowl-ski, Ka-wa-sa-ki, Mrs. K, Jenna K, Mike Wazowski, Dirtclaude, Ninna, and Brock's favorite — Jenna-tell-ya. Yes, I go by a lot of different names.

And, in four years of marriage, I've also learned a lot about compromise. I've learned that men and women are wired completely differently, but that's okay, because it's both a mystery and a challenge to see how each day gives us new opportunities to find ways to cohabitate peacefully together.

So, I thought I'd do myself a favor and share all (well, all 20) of the secrets to our happy little marriage. Maybe if I write these down now I won't forget what actually works!

I wanted 12 barn cats. Brady wanted one. We have four. When Mouse dies, I don't think I'm allowed to replace her.
Brady never wanted Massey to be allowed inside. I wanted her to be allowed both inside and out. The black dog hairs throughout the house should tell you who won this one. But she is NOT allowed in the bed. I do have boundaries people.
I hate watching golf and other boring sports on TV. Brady hates watching anything on the CW. We watch crime shows instead.
Brady has questioned the purpose and need for every animal on our farm. But we're up to 23, so I must be convincing. Besides, when I catch him petting a donkey or holding a cat and say, "Ah, see, you do like them," he responds with, "No, they like me."
I wanted to assign specific chores to each of us. Brady wanted a free-for-all. Now I just nag Brady to help me with the chores.
When the Cowboys play the Colts, I wear blue and try to keep my mouth shut. I'm not very good at this.
If Brady starts dinner, I let him finish. No meddling.
I surprise Brady with a case of beer from time to time. Or a handle of Forty Creek. Or new underwear.
I don't let him win at anything. He doesn't let me win at anything. We like competition.
I argue in points. Brady hates it when I argue in points. He says I'm a) talking to him like a child, b) trying to use my lawyer-talk on him and c) trying to be condescending. I'm just trying to make a point (or three).
I don't iron.
Brady has a jeep. Enough said.
Brady hates it when I leave the milk out in between bowels of cereal. I hate it when he leaves the laundry in the dryer for days. Both of these things happened this week.
Brady has his own bathroom. I don't clean it. Neither does he.
I like the temperature on 78-79. Brady likes it on 74-75. We keep it on 76-77.
I like my toilet paper to roll from the top. Brady likes it to roll from the bottom. Brady doesn't usually replace the toilet paper.
I pay the bills. All of them. Brady doesn't even know all the accounts and passwords to access them. I keep a spreadsheet of them just in case. Brady doesn't know where that spreadsheet is.
Brady is a better gift wrapper than I am, so I let him do it.
When I'm cold, Brady gets up to either get me a blanket or turn down the temperature. I never even have to ask.
And, finally. I know every birthday and every anniversary on both sides of the family. I try to keep Brady up-to-date so he can look like the loving son/brother/uncle/friend/etc. Sometimes I do fall down on the job. I'm only human people.

655 words. Sorry.

Friday Ku-Tip: The anniversary gift

2010-08-27T17:10:00.002-05:00

Lazy K Ranch increased by three this past weekend. Brady and I are now the proud owners of two John mules and an orphan calf. Why, you ask? Because when you start running out of anniversary gift ideas, you turn to animals. No, not really. What really happened was that we had wanted some mules or horses that we could actually enjoy riding on our place, and my mom found these guys for us. So we spent last Saturday on the road to East Texas to bring them home.

How did Doodle come to be? Poor Doodle was born May 16, and my parents found her in the jaws of an angry donkey who thought that slinging her around was a fun way to spend his afternoons. They saved her (not so much the donkey) and nursed her back to health. And, since Mom knows that every year Brady and I try to have as many unique characters for our church's petting zoo, we agreed that Doodle should become our new pet.

Pictured above: My mule Smokey "McCoy" Kujawski who looks pretty handsome in orange.

Pictured above: Brady's mule Gibson "Scout" Kujawski. These two go together like peas and carrots.

Pictured above: Two things I've already learned about Smokey. He likes grass and his butt rubbed.

Pictured above: Doodle is the fastest bottle drinker ever. I think her record is less than 2 minutes. She does spill on herself though.

Ku-Tip: So I kinda lied. The mules are our 4th anniversary gift to each other. I even thought about how we could tie these guys to the traditional 4th anniversary gift of fruit or flowers. Are you ready for this? We had to drive through Tyler — the Rose Capital of Texas — to pick them up. Yep, I'm that creative. Don't hate. Just enjoy the mules.

237 words.

Aunt Ninna & Uncle BB

2010-08-27T01:02:00.001-05:00

Aunt Ninna takes a ton of pictures. And, to think, this isn't even my kid. I can only imagine what I will put my children through once they are born. Poor kids. Poor camera. And, poor Uncle BB. He hates picture-taking.

But, these pictures represent just how cool Aunt Ninna and Uncle BB really are. I mean, where else do you have a petting zoo at your fingertips? And, where else are you allowed to play in the dirt and run around like a crazy person? Only at our house. Oh, yeah, and don't forget that Pryce's favorite "surprise" is for me to let him eat whipped cream straight out of the can. Oh yes, it's true! There's nothing cuter than an 18-month-old looking up at you with his mouth wide open ready for his whipped cream. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Well, maybe except for Uncle BB and Massey on either side of him waiting for their whipped cream too.

I told you Aunt Ninna and Uncle BB were cool. Pryce told me so. And these pictures prove it.

Pictured above: Cheesin' it for the camera in hopes of tricking me into sharing my ice or popsicle. It always works too. Dang it.

Pictured above: What does Pryce like about the Snook Rodeo? He likes the dirt, the popsicles and the animals — in that order. Who wouldn't?

Pictured above: A goat with her head stuck means easy access for a curious kid.

Pictured above: This is what Pryce does when I ask him to help me feed. He grabs a bucket and fills it with "food" for the mules. Too bad the mules don't think dirt is edible.

Pictured above: Uncle BB took this awesome picture after Pryce tackled me and then ran away. I think he's up to something if you ask me.

Pictured above: When Pryce sees a "Meow Meow" it's all over after that.

Pictured above: Do I look scary to you? Because little goober runs straight to Uncle BB the minute I tell him I'm gonna get him. Ungrateful little whipped cream eater.

168 words.

Real or Wii?

2010-08-19T16:00:00.003-05:00

Brady and I play tennis a lot at the high school tennis courts in Franklin. No one is ever there, which means we can bring Massey to run around and be our ball dog. She's also not afraid to get hit by the ball — just ask Brady.

Every so often, some of the kids whose parents are running around the track get sidetracked from chasing each other up and down and bleachers and come to watch us play tennis. I don't know why, but they are always mesmerized by our skills.

Earlier this spring, these two young boys were watching us play, and were so excited about the game that they had enough gumption to ask us if they could use our rackets and hit the ball around for a while. Of course I said yes, since I love teachable moments, but they were too busy being boys and trying to peg each other with the ball to want to learn the "right" way to play tennis.

We finally got them on either side of the net and had them trying to nicely hit the ball to one another.

Me (trying to start a conversation): "Is this the first time you've ever played tennis?"

Boy #1 (actually working up a sweat): "Yes! And, it's so much fun."

Boy #2 (as serious as can be): "Well, does Wii tennis count? Cause we've both played Wii tennis."

Me (thinking, who is this kid?): "No, Wii tennis doesn't count."

Boy #1 (slamming the ball at his buddy): "Well, real tennis is way more fun than Wii tennis."

I just looked over at Brady, sighed and thought to myself, "Well of course real tennis is more fun than Wii tennis. Wii tennis isn't tennis! It's a video game!"

So today I make this promise. Never will my kids EVER compare real tennis to Wii tennis. Or ANY real sport to a Wii sport. EVER. Pinky swear.

322 words.

Friday Ku-Tip: Ode to my 20s

2010-08-14T00:07:00.002-05:00

Today is my 29th birthday, and given that in 365 days, I will leave my 20-somethings behind for good and enter a new 30s decade, I thought it would be nice to reminisce on what my 20s meant to me. Bear with me guys—I am getting older and overworked my brain just to remember what I wrote below. I'm sure I still forgot something important.

20 (2001-2002): Experienced New York City with Hesby and the crew; Studied abroad for five weeks in Mexico with some of my closest classmates; Met the man of my dreams because of that same study abroad trip

21 (2002-2003): Traveled with several friends to Taos, NM, for the first of many annual ski trips; Quit my job in the animal science department and took a new job at TWRI

22 (2003-2004): Dunked my Aggie ring at the Chicken in 2:08; Graduated from Texas A&M magna cum laude with my bachelor's

23 (2004-2005): Became a graduate assistant in AGED and drove a van to Mexico!

24 (2005-2006): Got engaged to the man of my dreams; Spent a week in Puerto Rico and visited the "other" side of the island; Won that same man a free rifle in the Big Lake Big Game Dinner/Raffle; Took my first job at the College of Education & Human Development; Graduated from Texas A&M with my master's

25 (2006-2007): Married the man I met when I was 20; Spent a week in Zihuatanejo for our honeymoon; Experienced Crested Butte for the first time; Got the best Valentine's Day gift—in the form of a $30 dog we named Massey; Bought 28 acres and moved to Franklin, America

26 (2007-2008): Spent a week in Montana for our first anniversary; Our niece Phoenix was born; Completed my first half marathon in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 11 seconds; Received a promotion at work

27 (2008-2009): Brady left construction and started teaching at Chilton; Our nephew Pryce was born and stole all our thunder; Experienced Puerto Rico yet again but this time Brady got to tag along; Built our much-anticipated barn with the help of Mr. Construction himself—Daniel W. Kujawski

28 (2009-2010): Brady got a teaching job closer to home at Franklin High School; Spent a week together in Nashville where we took advantage of Boot Country's "Buy 1, Get 2 Free" special; Lost 30 pounds and Brady lost 40 pounds; Took a road trip out west to experience the Grand Canyon

29 (2010-2011): We'll be greeted very soon by two more babies—our niece Mia and Pryce's baby sister/brother; And we have 365 more days to make new memories and reach new milestones

Ku-Tip: "Know that you are the perfect age. Each year is special and precious, for you shall only live it once. Be comfortable with growing older." Sappy I know, but then again, I have had two glasses of wine.

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Accessories. They’re Not Just For Girls Anymore

2010-08-10T00:12:00.001-05:00

So, Brady hates it when we're running errands in town, and I get sidetracked by something sparkly or trendy and just have to stop to browse. Yes, I'm a girl and I like accessories — specifically belts, earrings and cardigans.

But ladies, we're not alone. Men love shiny and trendy accessories too — they just don't want to admit it. Except now I have visual proof that Brady loves accessories, as well as proof on our credit card and proof from the hours and hours I've spent following Brady around the 4 Wheel Drive store to browse for manly accessories…

Pictured above: Accessories #1 & #2 — Smittybilt front bumper with driving lights so that our future children will be protected when Daddy takes them to daycare (that's the excuse Brady gave for needing the bumper)

Pictured above: Accessories #3 & #4 — 31" all-terrain tires and front-bumper D rings that match his back-bumper D rings that we'll eventually use to pull our kids around on a sled

Pictured above: Accessory #5 — 8,000 lb. winch that Brady promises he'll use to stretch our fence wire

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Friday Ku-Tip: Getting old?

2010-07-30T09:11:00.002-05:00

In 2008, my sweet Mom sent Brady and I our annual Christmas card. It was signed, "Love Mom and Jane."

Confused, I called Mom and asked, "Were you in a hurry? You forgot to sign Dad's name and instead signed yours twice!"

Mom laughed at her hurried mistake and we moved on.

Fast forward to Christmas 2009. Brady and I opened up our Christmas card only to see it signed again, "Love Mom and Jane."

I called Mom again, crying because I was laughing so hard.

I said, "Mom, either you're getting old or else you have a secret that you keep forgetting to tell me!"

We laughed again, and Mom pledged to not make the same mistake again this year.

So, for two years in a row, my Dad has not sent us a Christmas card. I hope he redeems himself in 2010.

Ku-Tip: If your Mom screws up once, it's a mistake. If your Mom screws up twice, she's getting old.

Love you Mom!

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We Lost Massey

2010-07-27T22:17:00.001-05:00

Back in January, Tiffany had this awesome idea to start a Family Fat2Fit Challenge. I won't lie, I was reluctant at first because I've never been one to see the pounds fly off on the scale, but I decided to give it a try.

We started our competition in January and weighed in each Friday via e-mail until Easter. Money and pride were on the line, and the sarcastic e-mails we sent to each other kept the competitive spirit alive. After 12 weeks, all six of us (me, Brady, Tiffany, Brock, Dustin and Jean Ann) had lost over 100 pounds!

Even though the competition ended in April (congrats Jean Ann for the win!), we've kept up the sarcastic Friday e-mails as a way to stay accountable and maintain our new weights. Some of us have even continued losing…

All this to say that as of this post, Brady has lost over 35 pounds and I've lost over 25 pounds. That's 60 pounds between the two of us! And, to think. Massey only weighs 55 pounds. So, together, we've lost Massey...and maybe throw in our smallest cat...

Pictured above: At a wedding January 2, one week before we started the competition

Pictured above: 60 pounds lighter at a July 16 wedding

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