I think this is a new record. I am psoting another post and it has been less then 3 months since my last post. Things have really warmed up here. It is great to finally be outside. The flowers are blooming and soon it will be time to plant a garden. We have been busy rearranging our house. The upstairs office is now down stairs in the "dining room" and the old office is now the guest room. Leonard's sisiter has come to live with us for the summer. She has an dietitics intership/job for the summer only a few minutes from our house. We had been meaning to make the switch for a while, so the little extra push of having a visitor for the summer helped us finally take the plunge and buy a real desk and some book shelfs. I would post a picture, but I have yet to purchase a new camera. Plus the room is still not quite complete. Leonard ans I are going shopping to night to look for some art work to hang on the walls. Hopefull sometime in the next month we will have accessorized the room a little more and have a camera to post a picture. So stay tuned!

Life in Fours

Four places I go to over and over: The YMCA, Lenny's bus stop, Church, grocery store (typically Kroger)- I don't really get out much.

Four people who email me regularly: Updates from a community website I belonged to when I lived in IN ( for the most part the posts are irrelevaent to me, but occassionally there will be an update from an acquintance or sometimes a good/interesting discussion about things like when and how should you teach your child about the 'special' parts of their bodies, advice on traveling with kids, disciplining your children, etc.), various stores (Home depot, Old Navy, gap, Circiut City, Walmart, Sam's Club, JcPennys- I am on way too many mailing lists), RS Enrichment Activity Schedule/ RS updates, .......? .......I do check my email everyday, but hardly ever email anyone-that would probably explain why the only email I usually recieve is mass email.

Four places I like to eat: Max and Erma's (great fancy salad), Outback Steakhouse ( best house salad), The Cheesecake Factory (delicious chicken enchilada platter and every kind of cheesecake you could think of) , Pizza Hut ( the best crust)

Four places I would like to be right now: At a spa getting the ultimate treatment-massages,facials, Georgia, Washington, bed and breakfast in Ireland with my husband

Four people I think will respond: Well, Shannon is the only one who has ever left a commet on my blog, so I will have to say Shannon, Shannon, Shannon, Shannon

Four TV Shows I watch all the time: I am currently totally addicted to the Gilmore Girls ( I never watched when it was on, but it now reruns on abcfamily m-f at 5pm-watching it like this I get to see a whole season in a month, rather then waiting a whole year, so do not bother me between 5-6 m-f, b/c I will ignore you), House on fox (currently it has been on a break due to American Idol, but it is coming back on a new night this Monday (rerun) and will have an alll new episode the next week), really don't watch much else, I will will occasionall catch a Dr.Phil or Oprah, or a crime show like Medium, W/O a Trace, Law and Order, Leonard and I had been watching Boston Legal (another show taking a break)

I tag Karen, Ily, Shannon (the only people the actually have a chance of seeing this blog)

I am trying to decide on a new camera. I have been without a camera for basically 7 months. I have a camera I have been using, but takes horrible pics inside and just okay pics outside. I am having a hard time deciding. I want something that I am going to be happy with, but do not want to overspend for my needs. Leonard would like a good zoom (at least 4x optical) and decent MP, but we are just going to be using it for the normal family stuff (vacations, birthdays, kids sports, holidays, etc..) Leonard does not want a Kodak, but Kodak seems to have lower priced cameras with similar specs. Maybe that is a bad sign. I don't know. Below are a few models that I have looked at. If anybody still checks my blog let me know what kind of camera you have and if you are happy with it.

Hey, if you help me decide on a new camera, maybe I will start posting more with all my great pictures taken with my new camera.

Olympus FE-310 Digital Camera
#048128
Model: FE-310
8MP
5x optical zoom
2.5" LCD


Kodak EasyShare Z1285 Digital Camera
#158331
Model: Z1285
12MP
5x optical zoom
2.7" LCD
64MB internal memory


Olympus Stylus 780 Digital Camera - Black
#974895
Model: 780
7.1 MP
5x optical zoom
2.5" HyperCrystal LCD


Canon SD850IS PowerShot Elph Digital Camera
#784822
Model: SD850IS
8MP
4x optical zoom
2.5" LCD


Canon PowerShot A720IS Digital Camera
#835880
Model: 2092B001
8MP
6x optical zoom
2.5" LCD


Canon PowerShot SX100IS Digital Camera
#835873
Model: 2091B001
8MP
10x optical zoom
2.5" LCD

Shannon I will get around to responding to your tag at some point, but I thought this little name thing was kind of interesting. According to the website there is only one Tamra Keenan in the USA-that would be me! The names seperate Tamra ranks around 13ooth in popularity as well as Keenan. So I guess both names are fairly unique and the combination is as unique as you can get. Although I have to admit I have googled myself and there is some famous international singer named Tamra Keenan that always pops up. So, there are more of me out there, but maybe not in the US.

HowManyOfMe.com

There is 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Just a quick update.

Lenny started Kindergarden about a month ago and is still enjoying it. He goes for a half day in the morning. We got him his own alarm clock to help him get up in the morning. He is really doing great with the new responsibility of getting himself up and dressed in the morning. Instead of being cranky or slow he is loving his new independence and is making things very easy for me. I gave my mom a horrible time growing up. I was the worst at getting up in the morning. She had to come in endless times to tell me to get up. Shaking, yelling, pulling covers off the bed, etc. Even once I was out of bed and in the shower it did not mean I was up. Far too frequently I would lean up against the shower wall to 'rest' for just a 'second'. If I was not out in a reasonable amout of time my mom would have to bang on the door to make sure I had not fallen a sleep in the shower. What I horrible child I was to put my mom through that trial day after day! So, I am very greatful for Lenny's ability to get up every morning without complaint and hope that the future holds more of the same.

Patrick started preschool. He only goes once a week on Tuesday mornings. He is really enjoying being able to say that he goes to school just like his big brother. The only problem is that he wishes he could go more often. A week seems like an eternity to him, especially with seeing Lenny go to school everyday.

My brother Kyle came home form his mission yesterday. I spoke with him for about a 1/2 hour. He was still just trying to make sense of the reality that he was actually home. He was released last night and then went out to dinner with the family. He plans to try to start working right away and get some plans together to start school somewhere in January. We are not going to go visit until Thanksgiving. So I still have another 2 months till I get to see him. I know my younger sister is way excited to have him home. She has been a little lonely being that last of five children to leave home. They should be able to keep each other company this Fall.

Jobs I've had

1. Law office receptionist
2. Clothing store asst. manager
3. Custodian
4. Grocery store clerk

Getaways - I'd like to do

1. Ireland
2. France
3. Carribean or Bahamas somewhere
4. A day at the spa-massage, facial, pedicure, hair the works

Movies I put on repeat

1. Notting Hill
2. When Harry Met Sally

Places I've lived

1. Carmicheal, CA
2. Newark, DE
3. Dalton, GA
4. Provo, UT
5. Milton, VT
6. Bloominton, IN
7. Dayton, OH

Places I've been on holidays

1. Bountiful, Utah Grandma's house skiing and snow mobiling-Christmas 1998
2. Atlanta, GA parent's house two trips to ER-pnuemonia for Lenny, false labor for me-Christmas 2000
3. Tampa Flordia in-law's house two more trips to ER-urinary infection for Patrick and possible digestion of some medication for Patrick and car crash resulting in the totaling of our car (not our fault)-Christmas 2002

Favorite foods

1. anything sweet-typically chocolate and cakey

First kiss location

High School parking lot before getting in the car after leaving the Homecoming dance.

My roommates and I once: There are lots of things that me and my roomates did but I am having a hard time coming up with one to share, So, inorder to ensure that this gets posted before Christmas I am pleading the 5th on this one.


Never in my life have I: left the continental United States, except for two or three times traveling less the an hour into Canada near VT and Niagara Falls.

High school was: a lot of fun and a huge trial. I had great friends, was involved in tons of activities, a steady boyfriend, well liked, voted homecoming princess my junior year. But also a time full of regret. Although I had great friends I also was very shy and lacked self confidence. There are plenty of times I wish I would have been stronger and stood up for what I felt/knew was right. I look back now and think that I was smarter than I gave myself credit for, but because others did not agree with me I let them make me feel like I was stupid and ignorant. I wish I would have had more confidence in myself to stand up my convictions and not worry about what others thought.

When I'm nervous: there is the possibility of a panic attack-well actually that usually only occurs more with worry. Usually if I am nervous I just get buterflies in my stomache, get quiet and possibily turn red.

My hair: brown and wavy with ugly little gray hairs starting to appear. I think I am still too young to be dealing with gray hair!

When I was 5: I was in Kindergarden at Downes Elementary in Newark, DE. We had a rotating station activity we were doing and I was waiting in line to finish my last station. I had been waiting a long time and was next. I did not want to loose my spot, so despite having to use the bathroom very very badly I choose to continue to wait. Just as it was my turn I could not hold it any longer and I pied my pants. I was sent to the nurses office where I was given a change of clothes to finish out my day. Despite it sounding embarassing I do not remember being that embarassed. I wonder if school nurses still keep changes of clothes in their offices?

When I turn my head left: I see my son, Lenny laying on the futon still half asleep.

I should be: packing for my trip tomorrow to upstate NY.

By this time next year: Lenny will be enjoying his first official summer vacation and I hope Leonard is enjoying his new position at work.

My favorite aunt is: Don't have one.

I have a hard time understanding: how Shannon does such a great job at keeping up with her blog and always has a picture to go a long with every story. That camera must be attached to her hip or small enough to fit in her pocket.

You know I like you if: I spent time with you.

My ideal breakfast is: low fat soy milk with Fiber One cereal and strawberries or blueberries. My indulgent breakfast would be buttermilk pancakes with real Vermont maple syrup, whip cream and some maple sausage or turkey bacon with a cup of OJ.

If you visit my hometown: I would not be able to show you around. I grew up in DE, but moved away when I was sixteen. I spent one year in Dalton, GA before heading off to college and then returned home to yet another new home in North Atlanta. So, I have not been back home to De in over 10 years and would be pretty much just as lost as you would be. I could probably get you to my old high school, my old house and onto the University of DE campus to explore, but it would all be by feel. Sorry I remember none of the street names. And I have only spent time in Atlanta to visit, so I could get you to my parents house and mall. And inbetween you would see lots of really nice new houses.

If you spend the night at my house: you will probably sleep on twin beds in my boys room while they camp out either in the toy room or with me. You will also spend the night being entertained by 3 and 5 year old boys who will want to show you all different kinds of things they can do, like hop on one foot, spin around, do a forward roll, count to 100, play a song on the piano. But the fun will not stop there. You will get a tour of their room, the toy room and get to see things like a pokemon collection, a free t-shirt earned from the library for reading lots of books, a new school backpack, fossils found in a rock in the backyard, operation game that Lenny got for his birthday, recently made lego creations, etc. Lenny and Patrick will want to share everything with you! You will tire out way before they do.

My favorite blonde is: Lenny and Patrick

The animal I would like to see flying besides birds: pigs

Last night I: stayed up later than usual cleaning to get ready for my parents that will arrive this evening.

A better name for me would be: Wonder Women! j/k I have know idea.

I've been told I look like: Mariah Carey (years ago in junior high) What do you think?

Lobster Dinner
Trip to the Harbor
PawSocks Game(RedSoxMinorLeague)

RI BEACH

Cousins

RHODE ISLAND VACATION

Okay-it has been a little over a week since my last post. But I am trying. Above are pictures of us picking out our Christmas tree and the boys at Halloween. I have been busy doing Christmas shopping and decorating the house. I asked Leonard last night if he thought it was possible to get all the presents bought, wrapped and mailed before the end of the first week of Decemeber. He laughed at my ambition and I know he is right that it probably will never happen. I am still trying really hard though to get as much done as I can. We are leaving in a week to go down to GA for an early Christmas visit and to see Shane graduate from college with a business degree. I am hoping to be able to bring with me presents for my parents and Megan and Shane to save on shipping. Shane has been going to school part-time while working for the past 4 years. I am sure him and his wife Megan are as proud and more excited then I am for him to finally be done. Now he just needs a job! He does already have a good job with UPS, but it is part time and not exactly the post college job he wants. He is in the process of interviewing with in UPS and hopes to possibly get into sales. His goal is have a new job by the end of the year.

It has been a fun and exhausting Thanksgiving weekend. I am proud to say that I am almost done my Christmas shopping. Two very early days in row out to the stores and I just have a few things left to get. The hardest gifts for me-sibling exchange gift and parents and in-laws. I have a possible idea for my parents and in-laws, for mine and Leonard's sibling exchange we are both pretty clueless.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My goal is to try to start blogging on a consistant basis. I think I feel like I need to post some great news or have pictures in order to post and it always seems really time consuming to sit down and post something. I am trying to change my outlook on posting, be more relaxed and try to post once a week. Even if it is just a sentence or two.

I have a new calling at church. I had been the senior primary music chorister over a year and a half. I was released several weeks ago and called to teach the sunbeams. Our sunbeam attendance varies from 4 to 10. When there are just 4 children it is pretty easy and fun. When there are 10 it can be chaos and a workout-especially during closing exercising. The sunbeams are ready to be done after three hours of church and asking them to sit still for 15 more minutes is next to impossible. There is poking, laughing, turning around in their seats, standing up, crawling under the seats, banging, kicking, laying on the floor, pretty much anything except sitting still and being quiet. But besides closing exercise it has been fun to do something new and to learn all about how the sunbeams little minds work. Some of their comments are priceless.
Speaking of little kids-the other day Lenny and Patrick found the tape measure in the garage and ended up bringing it inside to measure things. After measuring the room and Patrick's blankie, I measured how tall Patrick is. I told him to stand up tall as I measured. "36 inches tall, you are 3 feet tall." Patrick's reply putting a hand on each of his legs, "No 3 feet, I have 2 feet!"
It reminded me of Lenny's response several months ago to me measuring him and telling him he was a little bit taller than average. "Mom, who's Average?"

Lenny and I celebrated our birthdays last month. Lenny had a fun space themed party with sling shot rockets, a comet toss, moon rock fight, space ship pinata and way too many kids. We have neighborhood friends and church friends. Last year we just invited the neighbors. But this year Lenny had been invited to almost every kid in his class' party at church, I decided to return the favor and invite those that had invited him. When do not get to spent alot of time with kids from church because we have such great neighbor right out our front door. Lenny has been having a hard time at church, complaining he hates church and has no friends there (which is not true), but I thought inviting the kids from church would also give him the opportunity to spend more fun time with them and maybe help not be so negative about church. I realized though that having 18 kids at five year olds birthday party is not a good idea. Handing out cake was complete chaos and we did not have enough time or energy at the end to open presents. Next year we will definately go smaller.

More summer pictures. Leonard's company had a softball tournament this summer that was held at the minor league ball field in Dayton. It was really nice. Leonard got to play on a real ball field, we had the whole stadium to ourselves, free food and a few games for the kids to play. The kids had a blast.

It has been a really long time. I hope someone out there is still occasionally checking in. I thought I would post a few pictures from this summer. They opened up a new Children's Discovery Garden in Dayton this summer. It has all kinds of hands on things for the kids to do. One of their favorites, of course, is the stream/waterfall that you can play in. It is a little bit of a drive (25-30 minutes), but the best thing is it is free.

Since Shannon shared about Conner's experience at the dentist I thought I would share about Lenny's. In the past two years Leoanrd and I have spent approx. $2,000 on Lenny's teeth. Last years trip to the dentist revealed 8-10 cavities, which took 4 trips to the dentist to fix. They gave him 'sleepy juice', then had him sit in the waiting room for 15-20 minutes for it to kick in and then took him back for the work. Like Shannnon, I did not go back there with him, so I have no idea exactly how things went. But they always said he did great and Lenny never once complained about having to go back. I think that is because the 'sleepy juice' actuallly made him sleep, so I do not think he remembered what happened.
This year his trip to the dentist again revealed 8-10 cavities! We were not very happy to have to be going through this again. We switched dentists due to insurance issues, so this year was a whole new experience. There was no 'sleepy juice' this time and I got to go back with him. The first visit back we tried the laughing gas, which seemed to relax him and help. He got through it fine, but hated that his lip was numb. He refused to go outside all afternoon because he did not want anyone to see his funny numb lip. (I had him smile in the mirror to show him that his lip was numb and I think it freaked him out a little that one half of his face did not smile) The second time back to get more work done was not as easy. He did not want the gas because he said it made him feel like it was all a dream and did not like that feeling. Lenny also did not want to be numb again. I tried to explain that being numb for a few hours was going to be ALOT less painful then having the work done with no shots. He finally agreed and again did really well. Having to go back the third time, however, he was not so cooperative. He compalined the whole way to the dentist and when he got in the chair he would not open his mouth. With lots of coaxing and hand holding he still would not open his mouth. He was being so uncooperative that the dentist finally just gave in and said he was not going to fight with Lenny and that he had other patients to get to and left the room. I did not want to come back again! So with some more coaxing and help from a dental hygentists and a promise of a trip to the 'cookie store' ( a woman in our ward has her own little bakery a few blocks from the dentist) Lenny finally agreed he would open his mouth for the dentist. We got the dentist back in there and Lenny did well for the little q-tip with numbing gel and okay with the first shot, but clamped up again when the dentist tried to give him another shot. I tried to stay calm. I did not want to start yelling at Lenny at the dentist's office, but I was starting to get really frustrated. There was no way I was walking out of the office with a kid with a partially numb lip and no fixed tooth. After convincing Lenny that the shot would not hurt because he was already pretty numb, he opened up and the dentist was able to finish his job. So, for now his teeth are fixed, but I am not looking forward to next years visit.
Last week I saw a commercial for this new 'Agent Blue' Listerine product that you use before you brush your teeth to help you know where to brush. The blue mouth wash sticks to the plaque to help you know where to concentrate you brushing. I let Lenny brush his teeth alone the first time and then tried the blue mouth wash to se how well he did. His teeth were still all blue. So I then brushed his teeth and flossed. Then we tried the mouth wash to see if we got all the plaque. His teeth still turned blue! They were not as bad, but still after him brushing, then me brushing, then flossing his teeth I thought they would be clean! I brushed his teeth one more time then had him use normal mouth wash and assumed that HAD to be good enough. I did not dare use the blue mouth wash again and have it tell me that after all that brushing, flossing and rinsing that his teeth still were not clean. As a comparision I gave Patrick the blue mouth wash and his teeth were not nearly as blue as Lenny's and after the first brushing the blue was pretty much all gone. I guess Lenny just has difficult teeth to keep clean.

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. It was overcast here and rained on and off most of the day so we just hung out and home then went over to the neighbors late afternoon for a BBQ. Luckily last night an other neighbor invited everyone over for sparklers, so the kids got to see some fireworks.
Tia (my sisiter) came to visit last weekend and we went to Nashville to meet my mom and Kolayna for Time Out for Women Conference. It was alot of fun. We went out to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe, went to the conference, did some outlet shopping and made some cards and wooden signs.




I discovered a new water park to take the kids to. Our church playgroup leader plan an activity at the park. It is about 45 minutes away, so I would be going there often. But in the same place as the waterpark they have a small farm as well where the kids can feed goats and stuff. So, it makes for a good day trip.





I would type more but my brain is kind of empty right now. It is not that late but I feel exhausted and Leonard had off work today, so I keep thinking it is Sunday. I just feel out of sync. I should probably go get in bed.

I decided it was about time for my monthly post. Things have been busy here. I have been hard at work trying to finish my many projects.

I finally put up the last piece of chairrail in Lenny and Patricks room. Although it still needs to be painted. I finished the rest of the room last September. I was really falling behind on that project.

I finally planted flowers in one of my mulch beds on the left side of the house. I still need one big bush or a dwarf tree to put in the corner, but I am going to wait until next summer and see how my flowers fair. If some end up dying or not growing the way I want I might do a little redesigning, so i think I will hold off on the bush/tree till I get a better feel for how my garden will grow. The other mulch bed has some plants but I do not like what I planted. If the plants die they have a money back guarentee. So I am hoping they die so I can choose new plants.

I have also been trying to paint my front hallway, upstairs and upstairs hall. I finished most of it today, but there is still that one part in the stairway were the ceiling is really high that I can not reach. Plus, I was running out of paint. I am hoping Leonard can help me finish up the painting next week and that the almost completely end paint can holds enough paint to get the job done. I still have the upstairs doors to paint though. They are an off-white and I want them pure-white.

I am also working on a path/walk way next to my flower garden. There is a park about 20 minutes south of us that we sometimes meet friends at. Next to the park, in the woods, there is a stream. Everytime we go to the park I go down by the stream and hunt for medium to large flat stones that I lug back to my car to take home and add to my path. Everytime I come home with stones I feel like I am carrying 500 lbs in my trunk. But when I get home and put the stones down it looks like I brought home nothing. It is going to take a lot more trips to the park then anticipated to finish my path way.

My attempt at a vegetable this year seems to be having mediocre success. The carrots and the tomatoes never sprouts. We have big leafy yellow squash, zuchinni and green been plants and 3 tiny corn stalk sprouts(Lenny's vegetable choice). We still have yet to see if any vegetable will actually be produced. The garden been has been over run by some sort of clover/vine like/ground cover weed and seems to be situated above the world's largest ant hill/hole.

We took a trip to Atlanta for Memorial Day weekends. It was kind of last minute and we were worried about feeling rushed and not being able to really have to time to enjoy the trip. But we all had a great time. We got in Friday night around 9pm and took a dip in the hot tub before going to bed. I got a pedicure Saturday morning with Kolayna. Then we went boating on my parents boat. Kolayna's friend Brian came too and Shane and wife Megan met up with us later. I got to ski, we convinced both Lenny and Patrick to take rides on the tube and Lenny swam in the water alone with a life jacket on for the first time. Later that night we had pizza at my folks and Megan and Shane over to visit. Sunday we went to church, BBQed for dinner and just hung out. Monday morning my Dad, Leonard, Lenny and Shane played golf while I packed up and did some window shopping with my mom and Patrick. Then we met up with the boys at Megan and Shane's house, said our goodbyes and were on our way back home. We were home by 10:30 that night and then Tuesday it was back to things as normal.

Well, that is probably enough rambling for now. It is getting late and I should get to bed. I will try to write again sooner.