Just One Of Those Days

This is just one of those series of events I need to document so I can have a good laugh one day.

spent 3 fun days in Atlanta with Garyn, Zach & Campbell
didn’t venture outside much because it rained non-stop
spent hours upon hours talking and laughing just like the good ‘ol roomie days
sad to leave the house at 2:45 p.m. to head to the airport
immediately starts pouring rain
can see maybe 3 car lengths in front of us
one side of Hwy. 85 is shut down from a wreck
our side of Hwy. 85 is a parking lot
hwy. 85 is flooded
a typical 30-45 minute drive takes 2 hours
say our goodbyes
4:30 p.m. flight is cancelled
on 8:30 p.m. flight
walk through terminal T
walk through terminal B
oh fun, an airport spa
get a pedicure
8:30 p.m. flight in cancelled
on 10:10 p.m. flight
walk through terminal A
cell phone battery dead
oh fun, a store for cell phone batteries
walk through terminal T…again
eat dinner
finally sit down at gate since it’s getting close…9:30 p.m.
odd guy sits in front of me and falls asleep with his head on his thigh
still no plane
odd guy answers phone and says “hang on, I don’t know where I am”
still no plane
odd guy tries to get ticket agent to tell girlfriend on phone that he’s at the airport
at 10:30 p.m. they say the plane is stuck on other side of airport
still no plane, but odd guy tries to check in with boarding pass anyway
odd guy is now labeled drunk guy as he stumbles over people
boarding begins at 11:00 p.m.
drunk guy escorted away from gate by security

board plane
woo-hoo, I have an entire row to myself
plane sits at gate for another hour
freezing cold and paranoid about swine flu, but I use the nasty airplane blanket anyway
10:10 p.m. flight finally takes off at midnight
all lights off on plane and time for quiet…so I think
on wi-fi plane and man behind me skypes overseas and speaks in loud, foreign language
no sleep

diverted flight pattern becomes tour over texas to avoid major storms
3-hour flight turns to 4-hour flight
finally land at 3:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. Atlanta time)
my Dad picks me up at airport (yes, Dad of the Year)
wait, where is the luggage
after waiting 30 minutes, told it didn’t make it on flight
get to bed at 3:45 a.m.
bag shows up at house 19 hours later

all worth it for time with a great friend

Purple, White, Purple, White!

If you went to one of those colleges whose paraphernalia is sold at random grocery stores…just because…then you won’t understand this post.

I loved my college years. I had a great time, learned a lot, met great people, etc, etc. But one thing that was not on the list (at the time) was going to crazy fun college football games. I’m pretty sure I can count the number of games I went to on one hand (all were during pledging), and I’m pretty sure my high school games were a little more exciting. Ouch.

But ACU’s football team has had this turnaround in recent years and is actually ranked #2 in their national conference. I’m no football expert, so I’m sure there’s some explanation regarding offensive-strategy-ball-moving or something. Whatever they did, they need to keep doing it!

Because we are the kind of Wildcat fans that we are, we braved the never-ending rain (it seriously rained 3 of the 4 quarters) and went to cheer on the team at the Dallas Cotton Bowl stadium last weekend. I almost cried with relief when we saw that there were seats under the overhang, so we were dry the whole game.

It was a bummer that the rain was so bad, because there weren’t many people there at all. We were finally hoping for that “big college football” experience. Oh well, it was still fun. And we won with an interception return for a touchdown during the first play of overtime (do I sound impressive or what)! Keep it up Wildcats!

Ummmmm?????

We headed to our first MOPS class of the year and both had a great time. As I went to pick Tate up from his class, I saw several of the adorable kid's family picture paintings airing out in the hallway. I was thinking to myself how cute, this will be a keeper for sure. Ummmmm...not sure what I'm supposed to think about this?

Isn't there someone missing?

The Latest News

It’s old news on Facebook, but I thought it was finally time to update the blog with the news of our upcoming arrival…

Baby Strz is due to be here April 22!

We are beyond excited at the thought of another little one. Today was the first sonogram, and seeing that little flicker of light flashing so strongly provided a great sense of relief.

I’m almost 9 weeks along and have tried to be as patient as possible as I waited for this morning’s appointment. The time quickly got here, and we quickly got to experience that awe and wonder of seeing a tiny life working so hard at growing inside me. Amazing.

So far, I can already tell a big difference this time. I guess it’s because I’m chasing around an energetic 2 year-old (almost 3!), so I’m much more tired and the time is going much faster. I’ve felt the usual grossness of early pregnancy, and shockingly, all of the pants are already much tighter.

Tate can tell you that there is a baby in Mommy’s tummy, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t quite know what that means. Or know how much his life will be changing in just a few more months. For now, we’re soaking up all of our time with just him.

But mainly, I want so badly to express my gratitude for this gift of new life and the future that it holds.

Tate's First Day of Preschool ~ 2009

Today was Tate’s first, first day of preschool. I’m assuming over the next 2 more years it won’t quite be as big of a deal. But for today, it was. And it was fun for us all.

He started at a church preschool that is about 5 minutes from our house (loving that!) and will go twice a week. We know several of the teachers and several friends that also go there, so it’s nice to see many familiar faces.

This morning we took the obligatory front porch pictures, and Tate was pretty excited to show off his backpack and new lunchbox. (I quickly reminded myself that we must paint that door black and plant some flowers.)

On Tuesday, he had a Meet The Teacher day where he was dropped off in the classroom while the parents had a meeting. He did great and didn’t seem bothered by me leaving. Well this morning was a little harder. I think all the commotion, excitement, pictures, and the fact that Mommy AND Daddy were leaving him caused him to get a little upset. So we did the super-fast goodbye. When I peaked in two minutes later, he had a giant car and was happy as could be.

I was a little teary, but that quickly went away as I strolled through the nice, quiet aisles of Target by myself. :)

His teacher said he did great. The only things I got out of him were that he ate his brownie (a special first day treat…probably the first and only thing he ate), played outside with a wagon?, talked about yellow, and sang. Sounds like a good day!

A Big Day

I’ve wanted tell everyone I see today, because I’m just that proud and happy, but Tate had what is hopefully his last session of physical therapy! It wasn’t an official discharge day, because he’ll go back in three months for a check-up. But if he keeps progressing like he has been, he’ll be done for good.

It is so hard to believe that it’s been almost two years of appointments, and what I would guess was about 150 different sessions total. Sometimes even three sessions a week -- from speech therapy, to occupational therapy, to physical therapy.

(saying good-bye to a very familiar parking garage)

It has been quite a journey and not a road I expected to go down when I came in with my 10-month-old and now leave with an almost 3-year-old. I laugh because at the time, I thought I’d take him in two or three times to learn a few exercises. Even though it was much longer than I assumed, I am strangely thankful for the experience.

I’m thankful for having the opportunity to see my little guy work so hard to achieve some things that are easily taken for granted. Seeing him stand up. Seeing him crawl. Seeing him cruise. Hearing him use a sentence. Seeing him draw a circle. Seeing him walk. Every parent remembers those moments, but when they’re long overdue and they’ve taken a lot of work to get there, it makes your heart swell in ways you can’t imagine.

I’m thankful for the special friends, both big and little, I have met along the way. There’s no way to describe the instant bond you have with the kids and parents sitting in that waiting room with you. The situations may be different, but the mutual respect and understanding is immediate. I’m confident that these will be people we are friends with for a very long time. And even in my joy today, I have the gut-wrenching reminder that some of the people I’ve met won’t have this kind of day anytime soon. For some of these kiddos, it will be a lifetime of appointments. I don’t understand it and have stopped trying to figure out why. I just hope and pray that the small victories keep their spirits up and there is joy for them during the journey.

I’m thankful for the absolutely amazing therapists that work so very hard day-after-day with these kids. They have so much skill and talent, while making the work seem so fun and easy. But I know from working with Tate at home, it’s not easy. They get the brunt of having to teach kids to do what is not coming natural to them. It’s not easy. And they do this work with enthusiasm, excitement, tough love, and compassion. I can’t tell you how many times, it was me during Tate’s session that was doing the crying. They have helped calm fears, and they have been some of Tate’s biggest cheerleaders. We’re going to bring in a token of our appreciation next week when they’re all there, but even that seems so small compared to the gratitude I feel.

And I’m thankful for the places this took me in my faith walk. I truly did learn a new kind of dependence on the Lord for peace. Early on, we didn’t know exactly if we were dealing with a short-term or long-term issue. It was a lot of wait and see. Who wants to wait and see when you’re worried something serious could be wrong with your child? But through that time, I’ve felt myself release that control that I wanted to hang on to so bad.

8:00 a.m. appointments have just been a regular part of our schedule. It will be odd not rushing out the door to get there on time. This chapter has been challenging, scary, frustrating, and yet so very special all at the same time. I hope to be able to remember all of the things I’ve learned and to be able to tell Tate all about it when he’s older. He has been a trooper and has worked so hard. I am proud beyond words.

Ms. Carolyn ~ Tate's Physical Therapist. She has been with us from day one. She is incredibly talented and has been an amazing support!

Ms. Teresa ~ Tate's Occupational Therapist. Tate loved Ms. Teresa, and I was so impressed with her skill and patience. (Back in April on his last appt. with her.)

Ms. Kendra ~ Tate's Speech Therapist for a very short period of time. My friend and major moral support the entire time!

Ms. Amy ~ She works on the business side of things, but early on Tate formed quite the crush on her. As he got older, he's become much more bashful in his affection, but she has been such a sweet friend.

Some history:
Good Report
He Walks!
The Long Version
Standing!
11 Months
Began at 10 Months

Happy Birthday Wade!

Wade is 34! I should’ve said 37, since one year he got my age wrong, and my Dad was the one to correct him. But I’ll be nice. Although, he is officially older than me now. :) And lately, Tate’s favorite song to sing is “Happy Birthday,” so this what I’ve heard pretty much all day. (The part at the end is him blowing out the candles.)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Birthday to the best partner in life I could ask for. You are my best friend. You make me laugh. You inspire me. And I love everything about you. I could only hope Tate will grow into the kind of man he is fortunate to call Daddy.

And to celebrate in true Strzinek fashion, we’re heading out for a cheap dinner date somewhere, only to be followed by the one-and-only Truluck’s chocolate cake for dessert. I can already taste it now. Yum!

So Many Firsts

Life has been busy and exciting for a certain little guy around here. A lot of firsts to experience:

First Circus

If you’ve been around Tate much, then you know he is a bundle of energy and doesn’t stop talking or moving much. So imagine the surprise when he sat completely still, quiet, and wide-eyed for the entire two hours of the circus. It was quite a sight to see.

My parents wanted to take all three of the grandkids to the circus a few weeks ago along with dinner at The Purple Cow. Shannon & I went along solely as chaperones. All three of them did great and seemed to have an absolute blast. Tate was mesmerized. And it’s no surprise that his favorite part was the motorcycles in the cage act. He loved it and really hasn’t stopped talking about it. Thanks Mimi & Grandpa for a great memory for us all!

PS: You can find more of these adorable custom-made dresses and baby burpies for sale at my sister’s online store Jelby’s.

First Ride on a Horse

A good friend had her 4th birthday party at a real working farm (chickens, donkeys, goats, roosters) recently. So part of the activities were horse rides. Tate was hesitant at first. Then he got excited about wearing the helmet. And finally, he saddled up. I’m not one to venture out much with wildlife, so I worked pretty hard at not putting my own fears on him. :) I was so proud of him for going for it. He loved it!

It was a fun evening. I really wish I had a before and after picture, because by the end of the night, Tate was covered head to toe in mud. Some things about boys I may never understand. Thanks Jaycie (Brad & Melissa) for providing a fun “first” for Tate!

First Big Boy Bed

The time finally came a few weeks ago, when I caught Tate just about climbing out of the crib. We didn’t want to risk an injury, so we made the switch to the big boy bed.

Tate is such a consistent sleeper that I didn’t want to mess up a good thing. We started with him just taking naps in the bed. The first few days were tricky. It took him 1 hour 15 minutes just to fall asleep that first day. But by the end of the week, he was sleeping in it full-time and completely back to his normal routines. And he hasn’t gotten out of the bed…yet.

He thinks he’s pretty big stuff in that bed and loves it. It still cracks me up how he burrows his head under all his animals when he sleeps. Yes there are several, and their official names are: Dog, Bunny, Penguin, Bear, and Other Bear. There’s still more decorating work to do on the room, but for now, I’m trying to keep it pretty empty to help resist the temptation to get out of bed and play.

First Underpants

Yep, potty training may be in our near future. Serenity now! For the longest time, Tate could’ve cared less about the potty. Well it seems almost overnight, he’s showing some signs of maybe being ready. Pretty much anytime I put him on potty, he’ll do some business. I (think???) that means he’s getting ready. I’m not going to push it too hard if it’s torture. But boy was he excited about getting his first Thomas underpants. “Yay underpants!” could be heard throughout the Target aisles. Since I’ve heard so many of my friend’s horror stories, I’m not sure if I’m near as excited about the whole ordeal. We’ll see how it goes?

Is it just me or is this little guy growing up right before my eyes? So many firsts and big moments in the life of a toddler. It makes me sad to see the baby things slowly fading away, but also so eager to see all of these new things starting.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

So Very Excited

Season 6 premiere tonight on a new network. Let's hope it's still just as **fierce.



**Oh how I wish I could walk around saying that word with all of the cool confidence that belongs with it. No, I say it and giggle. Coolness factor=not so much.

Friday, August 07, 2009

Tate's Swim Lessons

If you know much about my side of the family, then you know that the Enrights are some serious swimmers. My Dad, aunt, uncle, and cousins all grew up on competitive swimming teams. Wish I could say that Shannon & I continued on that tradition, but truth be told, I still hold my nose when I go underwater sometimes. (My Dad is probably choking right now in disbelief…sorry!)

Thankfully, Tate has been quite the water kid, He loves being in the water and doesn’t have much fear of the water. A scary combination. Because of that, I wanted to find some good swim lessons for him this year. My friend Paige recommended Mr. Caleb to us, and I was so pleased with how well it went.

Tate was the youngest of the 4 kids in his class, which probably helped provide some good peer pressure. He went for an hour a day for 5 days. Parents (and Mimis & Grandpas) only stayed to watch on the last day. The first couple of days when I dropped him off, he seemed a little apprehensive. But I was so proud with how brave he was. During my goodbye, his bottom lip would stick out a little in a sulk, but I’d ask him if he was ready to go and his “Yes” would sound like he wasn’t so sure, but he’ll do it anyway.

By the end of the week, he was having a blast. Kickboarding across the pool. Going under water. Jumping off the side and “superman swimming” several feet. Picking up rings at the bottom of the pool and pushing back up. And almost floating on his back.

And watching him sit patiently on the step while he waited for the other kids to have a turn was worth every penny in itself. I was so proud of him and so thankful my no-fear swimmer learned a few skills that will really help if an accident ever did happen.

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**And each day ended with a well-earned cookie for being brave, obeying the rules, and trying hard during swim lessons.

Way to go Tate!

**I’m choosing to forget the memory of the major tantrum on the last day at the bakery because he couldn’t have more cookies. Not quite the ending I envisioned for such a fun experience. But that’s life with a 2 year old.

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