RushingAround Feed

Uncle Josh got a HAIRCUT

Steven Rushing — 2008-02-08T08:01:30-10:00

Okay, maybe only Steven and Märia will be interested in this one. Joshua, who loves his long lovely locks, and doesn't get his hair cut without threats, called us last night from a party with some swimteam friends. Seems they were all buzzing their heads to get ready for distric swim meet and he asked could he do it too. Russ and I were both shocked, and told him 'go for it' if he was sure.

Now I think he looks cute either way, but was getting ready for a group of threats to get a bit of his hair cut off soon. Guess I won't need to bother for quite a while.

Pam Albright

You know what I just realized?

Steven Rushing — 2008-02-07T18:15:16-10:00

In the next 17 days, there will be 1 day where both Steven and I are not working. That's how come we comment on each other's posts. FYI Dad, Steven's still got the Red Lobster gift certificates in his wallet from his birthday, we're working on it, someday we'll get a date.

What do you do with 8 bags of beans?

Steven Rushing — 2008-02-07T10:52:14-10:00

We qualified for WIC for 3 months while I was on maternity leave. It's about $130 worth of groceries a month and I was going to take it dang it. Despite what Steven thinks about government handouts. I actually really liked it. Milk is $4.79 a gallon (at the commissary) and we go though a lot of it, so to have someone else pay for it was nice. They also give out carrots, cheese, eggs, tuna, juice, cereal and evaporated milk. We used all of them.

The one thing we did not use was beans. I have no idea how to cook beans. And after 3 months we had 8 bags of beans that I had no idea what to do with. All they were doing was sitting on the shelf taking up room (that we really don't have).

So what did I end up doing with them? Putting a sheet down on the carpet, putting them in a really big rubbermaid container, throwing in cups and spoons and setting a toddler there to make a mess.

Bumbo Thief

Steven Rushing — 2008-02-07T10:52:14-10:00

Felicity has no toys. Seporah owns all the toys. Every single one of them. We've been tying to help Felicity ever since we were told she has reflux. When she's up right, she's significantly happier. But she gets bored in her swing and Steven and I get tired of holding her. So I decided to get a baby chair. There's 2 brands, Bumbo and Bebe. First I checked out Freecycle and Craig's List to no avail. So I shelled out the cash and bought one (it's funny I thought I wouldn't need to buy more baby equipment after the first one, yeah there goes that thought). Steven and I discussed the fact that we didn't want Seporah to break it because she was too big. Steven said that she would get stuck so there wasn't any worry after the first time.

We brought it home. Placed it on the floor and went to another room. Sure enough, Seporah gets in it and gets stuck. Good, we thought now she'll leave it alone. Yeah well we were wrong. She continues to get stuck and gets mad when Felicity gets into her chair.

Baby Seporah

Steven Rushing — 2008-02-06T15:13:05-10:00

So Seporah has got the baby concept down. She sees babies and calls them 'Baby.' She usually calls Felicity 'Baby.'

The above picture is in a frame at our house. She brought it to me and said "Baby." I said "Yes that is a baby, That's you when you were a baby. That's Baby Seporah." She looked at me like I was crazy to suggest that the baby was her, she shook her head no and then said, "Sorry."

Steven's Ruined Me for Life

Steven Rushing — 2008-02-05T20:08:28-10:00

For our 5 year anniversary he gave me chocolates from www.zchocolat.com Then he gave me some for Christmas this year. They're handmade French chocolates and the best chocolate I've ever tasted. He gets these promotional emails all the time and I see them and my mouth starts watering. I want them, but they're terribly expensive (and no I'm not kidding, when I found out my mouth dropped open). But if you're not broke and you need something to give your woman for Valentine's Day send her these.

If you are broke, blow up a whole bunch of red and pink balloons in her bedroom while she's asleep. Jeremy did this for Heather and their son Ethan. I was like ahh, would you believe Jeremy's a romantic?

In the Blanket Fort

Steven Rushing — 2008-02-02T17:57:03-10:00

Denial

Steven Rushing — 2008-02-01T18:02:57-10:00

So Felicity has reflux, I guessed it around 6 weeks but didn't want to say it out loud. Instead keeping it to myself, in denial, saying there wasn't anything wrong with her. I mean this is MY baby, not someone else's. I initially couldn't even say colicky until someone else said it, I just said fussy. And to say she has reflux means I have to do something about it. As much as I give out medications, the thought of giving my baby medicine on a daily basis isn't so cool. However reflux is fairly easy to treat and she'll outgrow it within 6-12months. So here is a list of diseases that I see in other people's babies on a daily basis that I should be thankful my own don't have (instead of whiny about a little reflux).
Diabetes
Cancer
Sickle Cell
Tracheolmalcia
Recurrent Ear Infections
Recurrent seizures
Being born prematurely with all the crap that goes with that
One of thousands of disorders and syndromes

And we wonder why the Gov't can't balance a budget

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-31T13:56:50-10:00

So I did our tax returns and we are getting a $6100 tax refund from the government. Woo Hoo! That is the best we have ever had, far beating last years $3400. And then I look through the documents, and something kinda weird pops out at me. We only paid $5500 in taxes. So um, how does that even begin to work? Basically having 2 kids is what did it. The government gives "child tax credit" for each of them, and with all our other deductions and credits we ended up getting crazy money back from the government in excess of what we paid.

Now I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. But this gift horse has trillions of dollars of debt that I am going to have to deal with and my children and their children will have to deal with. I don't even believe the government should have ANY right to my income and if I was single at this point, would simply not pay income tax and let the IRS do what it would. But that is no excuse for the government to be giving me a $5500 tax rebate PLUS a $600 welfare check. I mean, we have had a rough couple of months with Märia not working, but overall we pretty good for ourselves. If there has to be an ignorant income tax forced upon the backs of the American people, I want to share at least a little of the burden. And barring my sharing a little of the burden, I sure the heck don't want to jump up on the load and have others carrying me along with it!

The income tax is illegal and immoral. And it just doesn't make sense. The top 1% of American earners pay just over 50% of all income tax. The lower 50% of Americans pay .03% of the national income tax. That is simply unfair and makes zero sense. We should reward success, not penalize it. How can that be considered "equal treatment before the law"?

Here is a statistic that is TRUE that few people ever hear. If you abolish the income tax today, the US government will take in as much revenue as in 2001. That was just 7 years ago! That just shows how much our government has grown out of control. It shows how much spending has gotten out of control.

Abolish the income tax, and eliminate the IRS (as it would become unnecessary) and you have the same amount of income for the government that it took in 2003. Just 5 years ago.

Abolish the income tax. Abolish the IRS. Limit government. National DEfence.

Yeah yeah, I know I sound like a Paul pod. Whatever. Sometimes the crazies are right.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder.. and other nonsense that no one really believes

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-27T23:42:37-10:00

Well.. it's been quite a while since I've talked to all of my adoring fans.. so I figured I'd tell all of you why that is. Unfortunately.. I lost them all in the trunk of my car which looks like a toddler's toy room when left to her own devices. There is SOO much going on over here in my life and I guess I can go ahead and let you in on the first bead in the string of events which will eventually alter the entire way I live my life.

First, I am taking English.. and it's kicking my butt. I'm currently two weeks behind and I'm about to do my regular corner cutting to catch up.. This should be a very interesting two weeks coming up.

Second, Next weekend I am flying up to Oregon to meet up with the guys I've been playing video games with over the last 5 years. Some of which I went to highschool with, but most have been added in the meantime. They do this every year, but this will be the first (and probably the last) year I will ever be able to attend.

Okay.. well that's what I've been busy with kinda.. but this is the REAL secret. You all have to swear to keep it an absolute secret.. even though I know no one who bears the last name Rushing is capable of doing that. So this should shock no one :-). I'm asking Sarah to marry me. This decision and those ensuing afterwards has been an adventure I'd love to share with all of you, but it has to wait til the due time. I obviously can't tell all of you the way I intend to propose, as Sarah might read it, and it would ruin the surprise. But let me tell you about the first step in this adventure, and I will tell you about the finding the ring another time.. (after I've proposed, so I can show you pictures and such).

I am thrilled about this development and am eager to see how in the world I'm going to kickstart this life when I get back to Texas with my wife. Feel free to advise me on the whole furniture adventure..

:-( - getting all the things you need as a married couple.

Next episode:

Asking the Father's blessing

STAY TUNED!

Seporah wants to be like Mommy

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-26T15:43:58-10:00

Yeah, so Seporah knows exactly where eyeliner or mascara or whatever this stuph was (hey, im a guy!) goes. Amazingly enough she didn't get any IN her eye, and didn't even get too upset when I washed it out. For your entertainment. =)

Busy Busy

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-25T17:09:47-10:00

I hope you all will forgive me for how long it has been since I have updated. There is some news out there I guess, but it has been busy busy. So let me start telling what I have been busy with and what I have news about.

1. Two babies. Yeah, Märia catalogues their lives very well, and so you all know they are a handful. Enough about them. =)

2. Super Mario Galaxy. Ok, so I haven't actually played this game in about 2 weeks now, but for about 2-3 weeks I played quite a bit of Wii when this game first came out. I have absolutely no qualms about calling this the best Mario game ever. It has firm roots in the original 2D games but expands them into a totally new way. Gravity is constantly shifting so that you never know which way is up. The soundtrack is great! It takes full advantage of the Wii motion controls. If you own a Wii, and have ever liked Mario, you owe it to yourself to get this game.

3. Rokit Fuel. I have put an incredible amount of time into this new company from my good friend Spencer Taylor. The Albrights will remember him and his family from Thanksgiving 2004, when we invited them over to eat with us. He and his father are starting a cereal company and I have had a large hand in building and refining the webpage for it. Look for an official launch announcement here when the time comes.

4. Vudu. I have had my Vudu for about 7 weeks now, and although I love it, until yesterday I couldn't really recommend it. As of yesterday, the price dropped from $400 to $300 and now I feel it is worth the initial costs. The Vudu is essentially Blockbuster in a box. It allows for purchases and rentals of 5000 (and growing!) standard definition movies directly to the Vudu box, and also 70 (and growing!) high definition movies. Basically it is a convenience box. Just like a microwave doesn't do anything that the oven/stove doesn't do, the Vudu doesn't do anything that running down to Blockbuster wouldn't accomplish. But it is so darned convenient! I can sit in front of my TV with the WONDERFUL Vudu remote, and browse through 5000 movies, and press one button and start watching a movie for as little as $2. It also has TV now (12 shows, full seasons, although it will expand). The only real downfall is the studio mandated 30 day sales only on new releases. That means that when a DVD comes out in Walmart, you can purchase the movie (typically for $15-$20) directly to your Vudu box and own it forever. But you have to wait 30 days to rent it for $3. Anyways, I can now recommend it over at Vudu.com

Yeah, there is more than this, but I have been sitting here typing too long already, and Seporah wants something. Have fun, and until next time,

Steven

Proofread

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-24T15:50:59-10:00

I really should have person proofread business card before I spend the moneys on them.

Even More Random Stuff

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-24T11:13:48-10:00

-Herbal Essence in toddler eyes will make the toddler scream "EYES! EYES! EYES!" for 20 minutes.
-2 sick babies are even more fun than 1 sick baby.
-Baby diarrhea when squeezed out the leg and onto the couch stains the couch.
-When you haven't seen anything but Disney movies in a long time, Toy Story 2 will make you a little teary eyed.
-Washable markers wash out of clothes, Sharpie permanent markers do not.
-The board books with extras like magnets on them are actually more entertaining for adults than toddlers during church.
-Popcorn when mixed with water is really gross and no longer tasty.
-Lincoln Logs make excellent play swords.
-Stickers are the coolest thing sine sliced bread.
-A bag of fruit snacks will shut a toddler up for about 73 seconds, then they'll need another bag.
-Raisins are very difficult to get out of the carpet once they are ground in.
-You may have 10 pacifiers in the house, but when you really need one, you can't find 1 anywhere.
-"A cow goes 'MOOOOOO!' " is the first line of my toddler's favorite book that has unfortunately fallen apart.
-Board books are between $5-15 each, finding them used is a good thing.
-Toys break way too easily.
-The computer is the most expensive toy in the house and perhaps the most fun for a toddler.
-Before children, your topics for conversation include (but are not limited to) politics, the weather, work, real estate, movies, music, religion, entertainment, clothing and celebrity marriages and divorces.
-After children, your topics for conversation include (and ARE limited to) child#1 and child#2.

Goo Cookies

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-20T18:17:46-10:00

So we like to cook, a lot. For those of you that have known me, Märia, in my younger years that may seem crazy. I told Steven when we were married he better like cooking because I doubt I'd ever do it and for the first 4 years of our marriage, he was the chef. Then one day I decided to actually go for it. I now cook and we like to cook. So, we decided that we would make a recipes section.

The first recipe is fun to make with a toddler "No Bake Oatmeal Cookies." These are good because toddlers love cookies and you don't actually have to use the oven. Please be warned however, if you are cooking with a toddler, you will make a mess. It doesn't matter what you're making, the kitchen will be trashed. In the following pictures the kitchen was already trashed to begin with though. Felicity was asleep and Seporah needed attention, I was trying to clean, but it just wasn't working. Seporah needed Mommy. I said ok, let's cook!

First put 1 cup chocolate chips, 4 Tablespoons peanut butter, 3 cups oats, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.

Then put 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk, and 2 cups sugar in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute.

Combine the hot mixture with the oatmeal an chocolate chip mixture and stir well. Then drop by the spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool and harden. You may place in the fridge for faster hardening.

Seporah's Birthday Party

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-20T13:44:49-10:00

Um, Random Stuff

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-20T13:40:03-10:00

After being gone for 75 days, there was a congratulations letter from the Commanding General of the hospital, a box of toothpicks, 4 pennies and 3 VERY large white staples inside of a bubble wrap bag in my mailbox at work.

MADE IT!

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-17T20:30:02-10:00

Just as a FYI, I made it through my first 2 days back to work, it is now 8:30pm though and both girls are asleep. And I've worked 24 of the last 36 hours and spent the rest of the time pumping and taking care of 2 little munchkins, so I am going to sleep.

Wisdom Teeth and updates

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-13T09:15:51-10:00

Well recovery from wisdom teeth extraction, what can I say. It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Probably because I was so sleep deprived that anymore dings to the body was too much. I'll spare you the details, but my bottle of Vicodin is now empty (unfortunately) and I have a bruise on my face that makes it look like I should go to a woman's shelter (Steven's not too pleased about that).

Thankfully over the past week Felicity has been sleeping a little better. I've been getting 6-7 hours of broken sleep as apposed to 3-5 hours. She can still cry and scream quite well, although it has subsided a bit. I appreciate and like my children and husband significantly more when I don't feel like the walking dead. It's nice to be able to quietly admire their beautiful features, both physical and personality wise (maybe that's the vicodin haze I'm feeling).

For those of you that don't know, I am going to be an aunt again. Jeremy and Heather are expecting and it's going to be a....GIRL!!! I was actually pretty surprised, since as Jeremy puts it "I only have Manly Sperm." I better go, it's time to start our bedtime routine, sometime I'll have to tell you guys about that. Who knew I would have to start at 7pm to get everyone asleep by 9?

Seporah's Words

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-11T09:14:36-10:00

Well, I've been telling people Seporah has about 200-300 words, but I wasn't sure exactly how many. So we decided to write them down. This isn't quite all of them, but it's what we could think of. Apparently we were off on the count. Only about 100.

OBJECTS - box, ball, dog, duck, book, balloons, mommy, daddy, baby, Seporah, Felicity, shoes, tree, flower, moon, car, shirt, bottle, fish, bird, Jesus, Pooh (as in Winnie-the-Pooh), Roo (Pooh again), Avu (TV), crayon, sticker, paper, poop, bubbles, pool, swim, teeth, swing, bed, block, bowl

PHRASES - hi, bye, hello, please, thank you, you're welcome, sorry, let me out, it's all right, you're all right, here, no, yes, me, mine, here you go, side (as in outside), go, I see, yummy, owie, I know, all done, all gone, uh oh, it fell, jump, good morning, good night, stuck, what is this

FOOD - raisin, apple, banana, juice, milk, drink, pop-pop (popcorn), cereal, cheese, fries (as in french), rice, eggs (normally for omelets), pepper (she loves red bell peppers)

NUMBERS - 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 (although not always in that order)

LETTERS - a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,x,y,z (although not always in that order)

MISC - stinky, dirty, bath, cook, help, color, brush, hug, mmmmm (kiss), hot, really really hot (weally weally hot is quite cute =)

Webpage down att

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-11T09:13:46-10:00

All updates for the next 5-7 days will be on this static page. This is due to the Mac being in for service. Good news is that it is getting a brand new logic board (motherboard in mac-speak), power supply and display. All on Apple's dime. It has been acting really funky for a long time (sorry Pam, didn't act so great while you were here) but it has gotten worse and worse over the last 6 months really. Anyway, it seemed like it was due to some lowest-bidder capacitors that were crowning. So basically I get a brand new computer in my 3+ year old case. =) Gotta love Applecare.

Ladeda

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-08T05:56:48-10:00

So they tag teamed it last night. I slept from 10:30-12:30. The rest of the night, one of the two of them was screaming. Security came to talk to me it was so bad. I'm getting my wisdom teeth out this morning. I don't care that it will cost me $515.83. I don't care that it will be drug induced. I don't care that I will wake up with a very sore mouth. I am going to go to sleep for an hour and a half and not wake up to a screaming baby.

Happy Birthday Steven OR The Zoo was a Success

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-07T15:37:37-10:00

Meaning, everyone was happy. See, I have the pictures to prove it. Look again, yes indeed those are smiles.

You'd never believe she's the type of baby that could/would scream/cry for 6 hours straight, but it has happened on more than one occasion. However not today. It was Steven's 27th birthday and we were going to go do something. First Steven went to go donate blood (insert plug to encourage all who can to please donate blood). Then we went to the zoo.

As we were all kinda tired and didn't want to walk around so much, we skipped over most of the big animals and went straight for the petting zoo. Every single animal on 4 legs was a dog according to Seporah. The elephants were dogs, the llamas were dogs, the pigs were dogs, the goats were dogs and the miniature horse was a dog. Thankfully the fish were "shishes." We hung around there for 45 minutes and then went to the playground.

There's actually a pretty decent playground inside the zoo and it is always packed. There must have been 50 kids playing on it (and 30 or so exhausted adults sitting on the benches next to it). Anyway we were there in total about an hour and a half and we didn't get any tears, any crying, any screaming or any fits for the whole time. It was great.

If the Shoe Fits, Buy One in Every Color

Steven Rushing — 2008-01-04T13:07:06-10:00

They were cute
They were comfy
They were on clearance
They look like I can wipe baby spit up and dirt off easily
I had a gift certificate
I still don't like going out to buy real clothes, I've got about 18 more pounds for that
And they may not buy lasting happiness, but with a colicky baby I'll get my kicks where I can

In other fashion news: Seporah's known how to dress and undress herself for awhile (how do you think she ends up naked with poop all over her crib), but now she's really getting into it. She'll dress up in Mommy's clothes and Daddy's ties. Try to fit Felicity's socks on and put her own shirt on the bottom half of her. It's great and often very funny to watch, as long as her diaper stays on.

Things I Should Remember About My Girls When We're Older

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-31T20:06:03-10:00

When we're in the car and Felicity's crying and Seporah can't quite reach her, Seporah will reach over and pat Felicity's carseat and say "Iz awl rite" (It's all right).

When Seporah sees something she wants and I decide to give it to her, her response to tell me that she wants more than one is "2,3,5!"

I don't know if it'll stay that way, so I should write down that Felicity has fine bright red hair (I'm really hoping she'll stay a carrot top, don't know where it came from, Steven jokes it's a good thing the mailman is Hawaiian).

Whenever Seporah comes and sits with Felicity in her baby gym, Felicity stops crying and stays happy (if I could, I'd make Seporah stay there alllllll day).

Seporah has tried to share many things with Felicity including oranges, bread, gapes. candy and cow's milk. She usually tries to smush it into her mouth and Felicity scrunches up her face as if to say "Hey Big Sis, whatcha tryin to pull?"

Seporah hugs and kisses Felicity all the time now. I know you guys have heard the sound, but the kisses are adorable and sound like "mmmmwhaaa!"

We can't pass by a balloon without Seporah going absolutely crazy "BABOON! BABOON!" (even if she has one in her hand)

We can't take out the vacuum without Seporah going a different type of crazy "NO! NO! BYE! BYE! NO! NO! ALL DONE! ALL DONE!"

Whenever Felicity and Seporah are actually sleeping, it's sometimes hard to go to sleep because they're so cute (I have to think, ok time to sleep, both girls sleeping and if I don't sleep, I won't find them cute in a couple of hours).

Seporah's word for popcorn is "pop-pop."

When we yell really loud at Seporah because she's doing something she really, really shouldn't be doing, she makes the biggest frown ever, starts crying and hides behind the curtains in our bedroom (it's really sad and really cute and we don't yell that loud at her very often just when she really needs to stop RIGHT NOW, is that enough "reallys" in one really long run on sentence).

no bragging allowed

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-31T04:41:45-10:00

must not say anything good about felicity's crying or sleeping on blog, even as a footnote. it will come back to bite me. written at 4:42 am.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-29T15:38:44-10:00

So there's this lady at our church who's in her 20's and she gave a talk on Mother's Day. I was really impressed with this talk, maybe because she validated what I was feeling, running around chasing a toddler while having the pregnant morning sickness. I didn't know her name, but I really thought she'd be cool to hang out with. However she didn't have any kids and I've got Seporah, who's not easy to hang around with for women who have kids. Women who don't have kids, well Seporah's an excellent form of birth control, but anyways. I never even figured out her name since she works as a leader in the teenage women's group and I'm in the women's group.

Flash forward to now. I tell every pregnant lady I know about my doula and that she was great and terrific and the best and to hire her (www.laborofloveoahu.com). This lady has become pregnant, I haven't seen her in a couple of weeks and well I'm really tired as you can tell from previous postings. Last Sunday I decided I was going to talk to her so I go to young women's and ask for the skinny pregnant lady who spoke on Mother's Day. They give me her name and tell me she's been on bedrest. Oh, I'll have to give her a call. Putting it off, putting it off.

Today I actually pick up the phone to call her, maybe chat, I know bedrest bites, a lot. "Hi, you really don't know me, I'm Märia Rushing, I'm in your ward at church, I had a baby a few weeks ago, I loved my doula, wanted to tell all the pregnant ladies I know about her, yadayada (lots of rambling)" Her very tired, hesitant response, "Um...I just had my baby yesterday." "Oh sorry, I guess you don't need a doula." Um yeah, I was embarrassed.

New Year's Resolutions

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-29T12:18:16-10:00

Well I realize it's not the first, but I thought I'd tell everyone my resolutions now anyways. Steven says he won't be telling his, I don't even know what they are.

1. 20 pounds in 6 months-I've never had a weight New Year's Resolution before, but since it's the number 1 done (and I just had daughter number 2) I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon. I think most people say 6 months because that's when swimsuit season is. That's not the case with me; this is Hawaii, I actually went swimming on Christmas Eve. Actually seeing myself in a swimsuit was probably what really influenced this resolution.

2. I'm going to write at least 1 snail mail card a week-I love to get real mail, Seporah loves to get real mail (seriously, it's like a holiday for her) and I'm sure so does everyone else. So I thought I'd spread the love. I'll tell you what though, writing a thoughtful note to one person is a lot harder than writing cynical blog posts to a number of people. So if you get an early note and you're like, this is the stupidest letter I've ever read, please realize I should get better. If you would like to get snail mail and you don't think I have your address, please email it to us at steven.rushing@gmail.com .

3. Read the Sunday School Lesson before Sunday-Since I've had 2 girls my reading material consists of other mommy blogs, comments on this blog (which I really enjoy), directions to the carseat and the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block." ***see below*** I haven't even read my magazine's I've gotten in the mail or any of the books I've bought. The scriptures are there like every 4, 5, 6, 7 days and then I'm like, where do I read. Steven's 1 of 2 Sunday School teachers, so if I get him on board I should be able to finish at least the lesson by Saturday night at 11:59.

There you have it, my New Year's Resolutions, can I make it past January 31st? We'll see, I'd say this blog makes me somewhat accountable to them. However since I doubt very many people will remember their own resolutions past January 31st, I'm not all that worried about you guys remembering mine and quizzing me on them.

*** "The Happiest Baby on the Block", I only read 4 days ago. I have been applying it's principals and I can now stop Felicity's crying in less than a minute usually. Holy cow! This actually should have a post all to it's self, but I didn't want to jinx myself the first day. I never thought I'd read a how-to-get-your-baby-to-stop-crying book but I have and I am utterly shocked it actually works! She is also starting to understand the difference between night and day and she's actually sleeping at night. True she still gets up every 3 hours to eat, but she's going back to sleep.

Motherhood has it's Moments

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-27T17:24:42-10:00

For all the many, many difficult parts of being the mother to 2 difficult girls under the age of 2, there are some very wonderful, magical moments. A lot of the time they happen while on Mom and Dad's bed. Seporah wakes up and comes to snuggle with us. She tucks herself in (for about 2 seconds), we play peek-a-boo, pillow fight, rough house and get lots and lots of hugs and kisses. Felicity quietly eats, looks and tolerates being squeezed and smushed as her older sister hugs and kisses her. The 4 of us bask in the warmth of each other, ahhh, those are the moments I live for. When they're both unbelievable cute and adorable, yeah that's what makes baby screaming bearable. There ARE moments that look the way Hallmark cards sound.

Some of the Many Things Seporah has Eaten

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-26T10:11:40-10:00

toothpaste
kid's toothpaste
sunscreen
bar soap
shampoo
baby liquid soap
hand sanitizer
desitin
nystatin
deodurant
lanolin
tums
raw onion
raw garlic cloves
chapstick
mascara
lotion
face foundation
room scent makers
markers
glue
dead cockroach
bird poop
Diet Pepsi

This is what you get when your toddler can climb everything and even though you've put it out of her reach, she can still get to it. It's a really good thing all adult meds have child proof lids, she hasn't figured that one out yet. I'm not sure if I should toss the adult meds, I think I should and then I get a headache from her screaming because I took away the toothpaste she climbed onto the bathroom counter to get and well, I really need the tylenol.

You'd think I'd get better results from my parenting considering I'm a pediatric nurse and have seen many children hospitalized for eating something that really wasn't good for them. For example, there was this one 3 year old who ate grandma's meds and his heart rate was like 45 beats per minute and he was pretty lethargic (average is 70-110 and anything but lethargic for a 3 year old).

BTW I have poison control on speed dial in my cell phone.

And to All a Good Night!

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-24T05:44:01-10:00

I will second Märia's post about sleep. Here it is 5:30 and I am up with Felicity. We were both up last night until 10 with her, trying to satisfy whatever she was bellering about (Trusty's word, not mine =). Finally we decided that ONE of us was gonna have to get some sleep and so I got up with her and we hopped and swung and ate bottled breast milk until about 1115 when Felicity finally went to sleep. She was in her swing which was in the living room, and I didn't want to move it for fear of waking her up, so I went to sleep on the couch next to her swing. I slept until about 130 am when she woke up again. Well, I picked her up and took her to her mom and said "tag, your it". Thinking about it this morning with a clearer head and wider, less sleep filled eyes, I probably should have changed her first at a minimum, and perhaps could have warmed up another bottle, but I just wanted to sleep. So I gave the little one to her and am honestly not sure what Märia did or how many times she was up last night, but it was my turn again at 515 this morning. =) You know, it isn't easy typing with a baby in one's arms! But I am up to the task. Left leg is hopping up and down, left arm is falling asleep from the baby, and hands are a typing.

So um, yeah, Merry Christmas to you all! I have a renewed belief in the intrinsic value of sleep. We should transfer our monetary base to it or something. Call it the sleep standard! Ok, yeah, I know, that was an early morning bad political joke. =) Merry Christmas to all and to all a good (eyes closed sleep filled) night!

Last Night

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-23T01:11:11-10:00

Here's one example of a typical night
8:01 Place Seporah to bed after a 30 minute bedtime routine
8:05 I go to bed after brushing my teeth for an unacceptable 15 seconds and going to the the bathroom
8:06 Felicity wakes up, and I don't mean to eat, I mean she wakes up, completely 100%
10:15 Felicity goes to sleep after eating, being changed, being rocked, screaming because Mom put her down to try to sleep after not sleeping all day because her children can not nap at the same time, getting picked back up eating again, changed again, falling asleep for 3 minutes, waking back up and then falling sleep again.
12:23 Felicity wakes up again, change, eat, cry, scream, cry, scream, cry, cry (that one's mom's), screams (op, mom's again), eat, eat, eat
4:30 Felicity asleep
6:00 Felicity awake, eat, eat, eat, scream, please sleep, eat
6:25 felicity did sleep good
6:30 Dad home from work "she went to sleep 5 minutes ago, I don't care that she's on your side of the bed, if you wake her up, you're dead, I'm going to sleep." Dad goes to computer. Mom goes to sleep
7:15 Felicity wakes up, eats and Dad takes her, Mom goes to sleep
8:30 Felicity goes to sleep, Dad goes to sleep, Mom gets up. Seporah watching movie, Mom eats breakfast, checks email, plays with Seporah and stops 3 temper tantrums (and gives a couple spankings)
9:46 Mom fills bathtub and gets in with Seporah, Seporah mostly gets clean, Mom gets shampoo in hair
9:58 Felicity starts screaming, Mom gets soap off of hair, gets out of bathtub, feeds Felicity
10:05 Seporah gets out of bathtub, finds starburst from off of computer table, gets very sticky in about 3 seconds. Mom gets halfway dressed with Felicity screaming on floor. Gets Seporah unsticky and dressed. Seporah throws huge temper tantrum because she would rather be naked and kicks toys at Felicity's head (I should probably not admit how many times that's happened, CPS may come get me)
10:20 Seporah gets a very hard spanking and placed in crib for time out
10:23 Mom, Seporah and felicity all crying, that's it, Dad gets Felicity and Mom gets the couch. I'd say it's only 9 hours, 38 minutes until bedtime, but that's sure a lie.

BTW, I did not send out Christmas Cards.

And this post was written at 1:30 am the next night.

And last Monday I asked for 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I went to bed at 8pm, please don't wake me until midnight, there's milk in the fridge. Did I get to midnight, no, I got until 10:09. To be fair Steven was the one not asleep with the not asleep Felicity.

The Good Looking Mac Guy

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-22T09:00:38-10:00

Go here --> www.apple.com/getamac/

Post-Baby Clothes Shopping

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-20T16:38:07-10:00

When you first go clothes shopping after having a baby you should ALWAYS bring a friend. This friend will kindly and secretly rip out the size tags of all items you are trying on and repeatedly tell you how fabulous you look, "No Märia you don't look like you had a baby 5 1/2 weeks ago, in fact you look like you've never had a baby!" I didn't know this after I had Seporah and went shopping alone. I knew it this time around, but forgot it since the first incident occurred 2 years ago. Big Mistake.

3 hours, 8 stores, 8 dressing rooms, and a whole lotta clothes later, I have one shirt to show for the experience. And I didn't even have a child to blame it on, Steven had them... Well tomorrow is my 6 week check up and the treadmill is ready to be used. Now if only I had some exercise clothes to wear...

Hatched!

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-19T15:55:32-10:00

Hatched! The Big Push from Pregnancy to Motherhood by Sloane Tanen

If you are thinking of becoming pregnant, are pregnant, or have a child 2 years old or under, buy this book! It includes 80 pages of pictures with chicks and funny captions.

Baby Uggs: $85.00. Bugaboo Stroller $800.00. Knowing your child is better looking than your best friend's kid: Priceless

Goodnight Moon, hello Martini

Transitional Periods for Transitional People create Transcendental Thought and Throw up

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-18T19:56:32-10:00

Well.. Too all my adoring fans, I say hello once again. It has been quite a while since I have put my fingerprints on the webpage, and for that I apologize profusely. I am thrilled to be an Uncle the second time, and everyone should definitely buy diapers for Seporah's big #2 coming up a couple of weeks! That is.. for Felicity ;-). I imagine Steven is probably spending an expansive amount of time trying to make his oldest handle this aspect of her life on her own. Good luck, Brother!

Well.. it's my favorite month again, and it has brought me to a mild state of anxiety. I am currently taking Humanities 101 and this Art History course is really kicking my butt. Mostly because I'm doing all 8 weeks of it in one week, thanks to conflicting Liberty University and Uncle Sam's Misguided Children (USMC.. haha I made a funny) policy. USMC states that I can not get out of a class due to field activity if they were not made aware of the class before hand (aka.. if they didn't pay for it). Liberty University states that I can not drop a class after the first 10 days OF that class. Well.. I was in Yuma for the entirety of this class, and I only logged in once... to tell my instructor that I couldn't complete the course and needed to be dropped. So.. I didn't get dropped and I'm stuck with the idea that I have to finish the course and pay for it out of pocket.. and get credit for it. Or I can not finish the course, pay for it out of pocket, and not get credit for it. So I took a week of leave and did nothing but work on it full time, and have almost completed it now, and I will pay for it out of my GI Bill... and get credit for it!

Okay.. scary thought.. There is a girl in my life. I promise, I will NOT keep you posted. I drive Maria and Steven crazy with excessive amounts of this kind of information so I will spare all of you details. But.. it is kinda nice :-). I promise... You'd all like her.

Well.. I know what you're all thinking... How much longer until you are no longer a Misguided Child.. NEVER! I will always be a Misguided Child!! But I won't be Uncle Sam's anymore come April the 15th. Four more months, and my 5 year enlistment.. is over. *cues Angelic singing*

So what's next? No idea.. :-( I could stay in California over the summer and goto a Junior College, or I could go back to Texas for the Summer and stay with dad and goto Temple College. I could go straight from here to Lynchburg, Va where I have been accepted at Liberty University, and I have to give them an answer about that by March 1st. I could goto UMHB back in Temple, or Cal State here in California. I could goto Point Loma Nazarene College, or possibly Biola..

A very distant but APPEALING idea might be to go to college with Pete in Northern Arizona.. and I really do like this idea. We could be roomates again, and the college itself seems very appealing as a central ground between Texas, and California. I could travel back and forth easily and see those I care about in both directions. I don't know.. give me advice about college.. because I don't know anything :-(

I have so many decisions to make.. I just think I'm going to vomit due to stress sometimes.. lol

Keep me in your prayers.. and I promise you will be in mine.

Jas

Conclusion

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-18T14:40:37-10:00

I have come to an important conclusion. Seporah has come to the point where she is not allowed out in public with us. Public includes restaurants, movie theaters, anywhere with breakables, the commissary (at least not until we're absolutely starving), and anywhere with breakables (oh wait did I already say that?). Some might say this is harsh. However she'll get her justice. I'm sure in her own time (like when she's 13 years old) she will come to the conclusion that we will not be allowed out in public with her.

My Little Girl's All Grown Up

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-16T18:07:45-10:00

Would you believe my not quite 2 year old can peel an orange all by herself? I was going to peel it for her, but she demanded to do it. I didn't think she would have the dexterity to do it, but hey what do I know, I'm just the mom. She did a good job too, it was nice and neat and she split it down the middle and then ate it section by section.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-07T15:47:07-10:00

According to these pictures, we have 2 little angels. Yeah... right... We have 2 little devils is more like it.

Everyone's probably tired of me saying how active my babies are, but I have witnesses this time. Grandma Pam and Grandpa Russ. They have come for a visit (mostly to see Seporah and Felicity, Steven and I just come with the package). And I got an early Christmas present (probably the best present they could have come up with), family pictures. Last night, I could not fall asleep I was so worried about it, I was imagining all the havoc Seporah could wreak while Felicity screamed her head off. I wasn't far off.

Seporah's dress is older than she is. It's been hanging in the closet for when she was big enough (thanks Grandma Lynda). However, this did not impress her. Both her and Felicity found the dresses to be itchey and not made for tumbling. We tried to explain to them it wasn't time to run around and play, that it was time to sit still and smile to no avail. We thought about bribing them with french fries and cookies but Seporah's really not old enough for negotiating and we would have just had another temper tantrum. And Felicity, well I think they would have been a choking hazard. Instead there are raisins in all the pictures (or a stolen Christmas ornament off a Christmas tree) and a sleep induced Felicity.

But thanks to a 4'11" woman with too much coffee this morning and a surplus of patience (who really scared Steven), there ended up being some really cute shots. They even had a sign that said "We work on baby time, please be patient" (Insert plug for Sears Portrait Studios). We got 3 seconds of angels between the hour of devilness.

(we then paid for the few seconds when we got home and put Seporah down for her nap...she woke up with a crib full of poopies...she was laughing)

Which of These Things Did NOT Happen in the Last 24 Hours?

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-04T10:18:02-10:00

1. After a horrendous trip to the commissary, Seporah would not take a nap, leaving a tired Mommy to continue to be tired.
2. The $1500 water heater which was replaced 2 weeks before Felicity was born started tick tocking like a time bomb, making it so no one got a shower and we all smell like a mixture of sweat, breastmilk, urine, and mud.
3. A huge storm occurred last night, waking Seporah up 5 times screaming, leaving a tired Mommy and Daddy to be even more tired.
4. A tired, scared from the storm Seporah ripped her diaper to shreds to get attention, leaving the crib and nursery smelling nasty (at least there was no poopies).
5. I won $1000 off a radio show, since I'm now a stay-at-home-mom with all the time in the world to listen to radio shows and with nothing better to do.

(as a side note, the day before Steven went back to work we had this conversation):
Steven "You're ready to go back to work aren't you?"
Me "Yeah, how'd you know"
Steven "Because I'm ready, I need a break"

Chorus to the song "The Humour of the Situation" by Barenaked Ladies:
"Come on now, now
Come on now, now
Enjoy the humour of the situation
Come on now, now
Come on now, now
Enjoy the humour of the situation"

I Survived the Commissary...

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-03T14:58:08-10:00

...it was even worse than the day before Thanksgiving. It was the first time out of the house with 2 babies by myself. Holy Cow. At least I fed and changed Felicity before we started.

Somehow Seporah lost one of her shoes before we made it out of the car. I decided to ignore it, she wasn't even going to be touching the ground, just the shopping cart (some mommies would say that's bad enough, but desperate times call for desperate measures).

I always use to call my friend Felice SuperMommy because she would carry both her babies and the diaper bag around. Well I reached SuperMommy stage today by carrying about 50 pounds from the car to inside the commissary between Seporah, Felicity and the diaper bag. I then found the "cool" shopping cart, the one that looks like a car and put Seporah and the diaper bag inside of it and continued to carry Felicity in a sling. Down about 40 pounds, it was much easier to shop.

Then came the I want, I want, I want. By the time we had exited the store, I had opened and Seporah had eaten banana cookies, dehydrated minifruits, prunes, strawberry gum and another lady's in line's pretzels (God bless understanding older ladies in line who don't mind sharing their pretzels with a screaming toddler).

Due to the temper tantrums, I shopped as fast as I could. I only spent $52.96, that's a record for me. Felicity only cried a little bit in the VERY long line that took about 25 minutes. All I could think was it's Monday afternoon, why are all these people shopping, I picked now so I wouldn't have to mess with the line.

When we got to the car I realized Seporah had helped me steal the pack of strawberry gum. I thought about doing the right thing and going back inside and paying for it. But instead I put the girls in the car and decided to chew a piece myself as the girls whined in the backseat.

I Lost my Daughter in Waikiki

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-02T17:44:57-10:00

Some of you will remember these pictures from forever and ever ago. These are of the banyan tree in front of the Honolulu Zoo in Waikiki.

Well, we had a Ron Paul picnic right there about 20 feet from the tree this last Saturday. Seporah and I went, leaving Märia and Felicity at home to get some much needed rest.

We were all set up and most of us were there (about 7 guys although some more came later) when this park guide came up to us and told us we had to take our signs down. We had some signs hanging from the tent. He said they were against some park ordinance or something. We essentially said "Show us the ordinance" and sent him on his way. Well, all this time Seporah was playing with the helium Ron Paul balloons and running in the mud and generally doing what toddlers call "having a good time".

So the park rule enforcer guy comes back with the ordinance and a police officer. We all look at the ordinance and it is absolutely obvious that it is not meant to be applied to political signs. Basically the ordinance says that if you are going to put up "commercial advertisement" like signs or fliers and so forth, you have to go through the park and pay them so much money and so forth. This is obviously meant to make sure that Kapiolani Park (the place where the banyan tree and we were) got it's cut of any sponsorships of say concerts or such things. Basically it was meant to apply to Coke and Pepsi, not Ron Paul, if that makes sense.

So I think I am a half decent dad, honestly. I was looking up every 30 seconds or so to check on Seporah while I was reading the ordinance, but I looked down, and looked up, and she was gone! She had been playing over by the banyan tree and then she was gone! No big deal at first, I try to keep my nerves down. But by the time I had walked all the way around this tree and not seen her, I was totally scared. So we ALL scattered to look for her. 20 minutes or so passed of looking. I was on my way back to the picnic area after scouring the first 2 blocks of Waikiki when Seporah's ball comes rolling out of the banyan tree followed quickly by Seporah.

Now really, I walked all the way aournd this tree, but there must have been a blind spot where she had been. I was so so scared, but happy that she had never been in any danger or anything. Really, she never had even been more than 20 feet from the picnic site. =)

Oh yeah, and the police made us take down the signs. Oppressors!

Ensign Q&A

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-02T17:04:57-10:00

The Ensign is an monthly LDS adult magazine (there's also a teenager and children's magazine). Each month there's a Q&A section that anyone may write in and answer. Apparently one of the next magazine's questions is "I love and am grateful for my young children, but I sometimes get distracted or discouraged by the practical details of raising a family and struggle to remember what an important work it is. How can I better align gospel truths about family with my day-to-day actions and attitudes?" I don't think at the present moment I should write an answer for the question. It would be a long vent about young children right now. Tomorrow Steven is going back to work, so if I wrote it then it might be even longer.

So does anyone else have an answer? They are taking submissions until February 8, I'm hoping by that time I could have an acceptable one or at least one that they wouldn't send social services on me.

By Request...

Steven Rushing — 2007-12-02T05:57:26-10:00

The Return of Ron Paul Balloon Girl, Swingin', Chuck E Cheese and Decorating the Christmas Tree!

This is a longer video... 16 minutes, so find a comfy place to sit before you start! =)

Edit: Actually I ended up cutting it into 3 individual movies. Enjoy!

All Mommy wants for Christmas is a Silent Night...

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-27T16:21:49-10:00

...And Daddy would like a shepherd to watch his flock.

So our tree is up. Seporah did the bottom 2 feet. It was pretty cute, she would be all serious and meticulously put an ornament on a branch that already had 4 ornaments on it. Someone may have to redecorate the bottom 2 feet at 2 am when Seporah's not looking (hey, if I'm gonna be up anyways...).

Felicity went for her 2 week check on Monday, 8lbs 13oz and 20.5in. I guess that's pretty good, most babies lose 5-10% of their birth weight and gain it back at about the 2 week mark (Felicity lost 10.5%, she was at 7lbs 7oz at 3 days). So at 2 weeks most babies are at their birth weight. Felicity was up 9 oz, yeah!

So I know different people read this blog, I don't know everyone, but hey people visit from Brazil, Russia and China as well as all over Europe. I'm not sure why exactly, maybe they think we're funny Americans. I guess the competition isn't so tough since Seinfield and Friends retired. But anyways, if any pregnant women on the island of Oahu read this blog go here --> www.laborofloveoahu.com That's the website of my doula, Tammy Uva and she was great. What you have no idea what a doula is? Well you really need to go there then.

The Last 2 Weeks

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-23T08:54:59-10:00

By my estimates, between Seporah and Felicity, we are going through 20 diapers a day. Wow... We're certainly doing our part to fill up landfills. It almost makes me want to switch to cloth diapers...I said almost. It HAS made us run out and buy a potty for Seporah though. So far we've made it so she'll sit on the potty for 5 seconds without screaming. This is progress. And she gets a sticker for it.

In other news, I can eat 6 cookies a day and still lose weight. Literally, I have come to crave carbs and Cookie Corner cookies. Usually I don't eat a lot of carbs, but I've been starving for them the past 2 weeks. I'm just like yes! Helena Bonham Carter says breastfeeding is nature's liposuction and breast augmentation. And I didn't even say anything about the pudding and Halloween candy being consumed.

Well that pretty much covers the last 2 weeks, diapers and breastfeeding. Well I suppose I could throw in a little sleep deprivation and a lot of toddler tantrums, but if you're a parent you already know that. And if you're not a parent, well you really don't know what sleep deprivation or tantrums really are. You know both of those are used as torture methods some places.

I Forgot to Name my Candidate!

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-22T13:53:04-10:00

I can't believe I forgot! If you haven't read the previous post, scroll on down and read it before you read this...

Ok, so if you are still here, I take it you read the previous post. Having taken all of those arguments into consideration, and having changed my mind on all those policies, I had to search for a candidate that believed the way I have come to believe.

Vote Hillary!

(lots of sarcasm!!!)

Rethinking Ron Paul -OR- What the Huh Were We Thinking?

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-21T12:05:39-10:00

The cliché is that having children makes you rethink life. Well, as I have always said (and been called a racist or sexist because of it) clichés, generalizations and stereotypes exist for a reason. And the reason is that they are generally true. =) This cliché is definitely true, and Seporah and Felicity are making me rethink my political leanings.

So I thought I would start off with why Ron Paul isn't the right candidate for me, and then I would go on to who I am going with now...

1. Ron Paul is against all federal forms of gun control.

If guns were as cheap and easy to get as Ron Paul would like them to be, I would have probably already put a bullet in my head. That is definitely a strike against him.

2. Ron Paul is against the war in Iraq and wants to bring our troops home immediately.

Iraq is looking better and better. The pay is really great and I hear I can't take my kids!

3. Ron Paul is against illegal immigration. He would put up a big wall!

So um... Who would nanny my kids for 13 cents an hour and jump for joy at a $5 Christmas bonus if he deports all the Illegals? Bad idea!

4. Ron Paul if all about home schooling. He rejects allowing the government to determine what and how our children learn. He is also generally for ending the Department of Education as education is not a federal issue.

Come on! You're telling me Ron Paul wants to take away free government day care 9 months out of the year? I want schools to go year round, not go away!

5. Ron Paul wants to end the Federal Income Tax and eliminate the IRS completely. We made it as a nation for well over a hundred years without any income tax he says.

Hey! You can't take away my end of the year paycheck! I have a brand new dependent to claim! What did I have these kids for anyways?

6. Ron Paul is Pro-Life.

The more kids I have, the harder I think about this...

/sarcasm

Spaghetti Seporah and Balloon Girl

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-19T04:44:47-10:00

Babies, Toddlers, Books, Movies, Mario!

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-19T04:39:07-10:00

Well, life has been interesting. We are juggling Seporah and Felicity, watching movies, and playing Super Mario Brothers 3. Yeah, the one for the ORIGINAL Nintendo. Märia is playing the cow, and I am playing the diaper changer and toddler wrangler. Busy busy busy.

The movies we have seen in the last month... :

Meet the Robinsons - very good, a must see for parents and children alike.
Stardust - something of a modern fairy tale. Not modern as in set in the modern day, but modern as in not all fairys and dragons and wizards. It is a story with real meat; it has substance. As I have said before, I am far from a professional reviewer. =)
Hairspray - I actually didn't see it, but Märia laughed all the way through it. =)
My Super Ex-Girlfriend - Highly irreverent. Very very funny at parts, but the sexual humor went over the top at times.
Ratatouille - Best animated movie I have seen in a long long time. I don't know how the pulled off making a movie about rats and frenchmen that I liked, but they did! The rat wants to be a chef and he finds a talentless dish boy to help him do it. And everyone is Jewish =).
The Jane Austen Book Club - Another I didn't see. Märia made it 15 minutes into it, and turned it off. I'll take that as a "don't watch this film".

We are also watching Heroes, although we always seem to be a couple of weeks late. Well, not quite true. Märia always seems to be 2 weeks late, and I tend to be 1 week late. =) Not quite as good as Season 1, but not is all yet lost. The writer's strike will probably do it though.

So, what we've been reading. Well, this will actually just focus on what I've been reading. I just finished Invasive Procedure by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston. As far as I can tell (and I would know), this is OSC's first collaborative work. I know Aaron Johnston from his funny church articles on Nauvoo.com (an OSC domain). Basically he talks about all those things we don't talk about, like screaming babies in sacrament meeting and how we should all have little eject buttons in front of us to eject someone embarrassing themselves or us in fast and testimony meeting. So Invasive Procedure is a thriller about crazy radical genetic scientists who learn to create a virus that replaces bad cells with good cells. I am no professional reviewer, so just trust me when I say I enjoyed it. It is a good book if you are interested in genetic engineering and elite military teams that train constantly in biosuits so that they are ready to hit hot zones, kill the bad guys and neutralize viruses and other biohazards. Fun thriller, but nothing to spin your mind around.

So you want to turn your world upside down? Read The 5000 Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen. This book will totally change how you think of America and what we are here for, how we were founded and why. Full disclosure: Skousen was a mormon and taught at BYU for years and years as a religion and history teacher. Don't let that scare you away if you aren't mormon. This book has NOTHING to do with a religion in particular, and only a little bit to do with religion in general. It is about the founding of our nation. From the back cover:

The Five Thousand Year Leap tells of the 28 fundamental beliefs of the Founding Fathers which they said must be understood and perpetuated by every people who desired peace, prosperity, and freedom. These beliefs have made possible more progress in 200 years than was made previously in over 5,000 years.

These fundamental beliefs are shockingly unpolitically correct, but this book shows "political correctness" in its true light and history. It was a creation by communism. If you disagreed with the government, you were sent to reeducation camps until your thoughts were politically correct. But now, instead of using camps, we use tenure, shame, and other social pressures to brutalize people into ACTING politically correct regardless of what they know to be right. Funny how shame has fallen so out of favor with regards to children out of wedlock or divorced people (who deserve shame for making marriage so much harder on the rest of us) but we can shame a person for driving an SUV or praying publicly without worrying about the PC police. I completely rewatched all the debates after reading this book. And the choice is absolutely simple. We need a statesman who says he will get out of our way, not tells us what he will do for us. The 5000 Year Leap grounds your being in what government's real job is. It isn't to provide for us, or take care of us, or be the net to catch us. Ron Paul wants to get the Federal Government out of our business. I will write a long post on him later, but I am about to post some Seporah vids, and one has a Ron Paul reference, so I wanted to get that out there. Märia is still somewhat politically apathetic, but less so than she has been. =)Um, anything else? OH yeah, Super Mario Brothers 3. We will probably beat it tomorrow. Still just as fun over the last 2 weeks as it was 15 years ago. Luigi stinks! (Märia plays luigi) =)

Just an FYI

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-14T18:16:45-10:00

Hey, so Steven lost his cell phone about 4 weeks ago and apparently told no one because we keep getting calls asking why he isn't returning messages and that his mailbox is now full. Sorry to those who did not know. Don't feel bad if you weren't in the loop, no one was apparently.

Felicity First Day Video

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-13T08:42:40-10:00

6 minute video. About 20 seconds of breast feeding in there (no nipple). It is amazing to see the last minute, the difference in how Seporah treats Felicity, the best part! =)

Felicity Pictures and Story

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-12T16:57:44-10:00

Felicity Orion Rushing
November 10, 2007
10:47AM
8lbs 4oz
20inches

So we went in because they called us in, as with Seporah. Märia had done a 24 hour urine test, and it came back high in protein. Ugh, Pre-eclampsia again. But she wasn't nearly as sick as she was last time, so it wasn't too bad. They gave us the option of going with an elective cesarian section or inducing labor. Märia decided she wanted to have Felicity vaginally, so we went for the induction! Pitocin started at 5PM on the 9th.

17 hours later, Felicity was born vaginally. This is the first "good" picture taken of her. I took a cell phone picture first to update you guys on that other blog, so it was the first. Märia actually cut the cord and got to hold Felicity for her first 5 minutes of life. After that they took her away and put her under the light to clean her up, suction her out and check her reflexes and such.

Märia actually snapped this picture, probably 1-2 hours into Felicity's life. We were all really exhausted. Märia really amazed me. 4 hours after giving birth her color was back, she was breast feeding and energetic. I mentioned it and she said she was tired and just working on adrenaline. But she sure had me fooled! She really looked great just a few hours later. After her C-section with Seporah she was nearly dead for like 3 days.

Here is one with Märia and Felicity just 1-2 hours after her birth. Felicity went straight to eating and then straight to sleep for nearly 8 hours with only momentary lapses into wakefulness to ask for food.

And another...

We decided to bring Seporah up to meet Felicity at 6PM (7 hours into Felicity's life). She wasn't very happy. She immediately screamed and ran into the corner and hid under a chair. She only visited for like 25 minutes before we decided it was a bad idea. So Seporah and I went out for french fries and ice cream and played at a McDonalds play place for a couple of hours before I took her back to Miss Karen's to spend the night.

I have to tell this story though. After we came home, we put Felicity in a corner in her car seat. She was asleep. Then we brought Seporah home. Seporah was fine with Felicity as long as she was in the corner in her car seat, but as soon as she woke up and Märia got her to feed her, Seporah sprung into action. First, she screamed. Then she decided to take matters into her own hands. She picked up the biggest thing she could pick up (her tricycle) and then came running at Felicity to bash her into mush. Seriously. I was conflicted as to whether to stop her or grab a camera for this memorable moment, but I made the right choice and Felicity is still alive. =) 24 hours later, Seporah likes Felicity fine and when she walks by her, she pats her very gently on the head. =)

Looks like it will be today

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-09T12:00:07-10:00

So Märia is pre-eclamptic again so we will probably be having a baby today. We will post pictures and text on blog.stevenrushing.com to keep you updated. The reason for the change is because we can post there from our mobile phone. Once the baby is born and we are back home everything will be moved over to here and back to normal. Pray for Märia and Felicity and everything. Please refrain from calling, we will let you know when anything happens.

How to Start Your Own Private Eye Agency

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-06T14:53:03-10:00

I know that several of you at home have been feeling that your lives are simply not action filled like you always thought they would be. Well why not become your neighborhood/city private investigator? I mean someone has got to do it right? So here are all the ingredients required to do this:

A tree house... preferably centrally located in the center of your 1a school town.
Two mini notepads that can fit in your back pocket and a few pens.. This is for clue taking.
The complete series of the Hardee Boys.. This is ESSENTIAL! Try and have a little brother, that way this financial burden is not completely on you.
A partner/side-kick/little brother. Very convenient if it is a sibling, as when you need to compare clues you can just walk down the hallway.

Okay.. now just find some mystery to solve. A good one would be to wait til your dog disappears..

Okay, you are all ready, go have fun being a private eye!!

much love to memories and private jokes,
Jas

Lord, I am so Glad There's Only One of Them

Steven Rushing — 2007-11-06T14:11:10-10:00

So I read a lot of mommy blogs, they're fun. Sometimes the only options to motherhood are to laugh or to cry, those blogs help to keep me from crying 24/7. This is a video I found on one of the blogs, the triplets are actually 3 years old now. I thought I'd post it and rewatch in when Felicity's 6 weeks old and think "Good Lord, at least there's only one of them."

Just as a side note, I HATE it when people come up and touch Seporah. It's like hello, that's not yours, get your hands off. They started when she was just itty bitty and it still goes on today, not quite as much, but it still happens and I always want to smack them. So don't touch other people's babies or kids without asking, it's just plain rude.

Breakdown in America

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-29T09:18:45-10:00

Okay.. So I got to go back to Oceanside this last weekend, which was a good break from desert life and I enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time with some of the people who are close to my heart. So I was supposed to meet up with everyone at about 1 so we could all drive back together and be back here in Yuma by 6.. but the guys who took the van were two hours late, so I ended up waiting for them in the parking lot for about two hours before we finally got on the road to head back here. Now about half way between San Diego and Yuma, the van breaks down.. :-) So we sat on the side of the road for about an hour and a half waiting for theguys from Yuma to come retrieve us, and during the wait something odd happened. A state patrolman came up behind us and offered to 'PUSH' the van to the next gas station so we could wait in more safe and comfortable condtions. We give him the okay, and he put his grill to our back bumper and pushes us two maybe three miles to the next shell station. First of all, I'd like to state I've never ever heard of this happening before and am THRILLED that it did.. primarily because there happened to be Subway there :-), but also because the cars passing us were only about a foot away from the van and were going between 80 and 90. Secondly, I wonder if there are some legal liabilities if we had been hit while he pushed us.. or he accidently pushed us off the very steep embankment to our right. I imagine that there would be, which I think is why I have never heard of a policeman pushing a car to an advantageous position, rather than instantly calling a tow truck. I recently heard a story that happened on the east coast, with a doctor who witnessed a bar fight, and used a tracheotomy on the spot to save one of the combatants lives. Apparently one had crushed the other's windpipe (or something) with a pool stick. The Doctor reacted quickly, sterilized his steak knife and cut open his thoat using the head of his pen to hold the air way open. Twenty minutes later the ambulance finally arrives and those on the scene proclaimed he would have died had the doctor not acted. The man sued the doctor, not because of an infection, which there was none, but because the doctor had consumed a level of acohol, which might have put his life at risk. What in the world... who does this?! We in America need to embrace heroes like this.. men who go out of their way to help others, not stab them in the back just because we are able to. I'm kinda interested in what Maria thinks about that scenario (which I'm not sure is a real case, but I have no doubt that in America it could happen).

Well It was Bound to Happen One Day or Another

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-28T08:34:51-10:00

I went to pick up my daughter out of her crib this morning and as I opened the door I took a whiff. It smelled like poop...a lot. Occasionally it smells like poop in her room, but never this bad. And then I saw it, on the crib, on the wall, on the floor, on my baby girl, on her dollies, and on the noise maker. I am really glad Steven didn't go to work last night.

At the Pumpkin Patch

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-27T11:53:41-10:00

3 Weeks of Vacation

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-25T20:29:00-10:00

So Steven's suppose to get 3 weeks off when Felicity's born. All I can think about that is wow, that sounds like an awesome vacation, neither Steven or I will be working for 3 weeks. I know we'll have a newborn, but there's no way we can be more sleep deprived than we already are...or at least I hope not because that would be REALLY bad.

p.s. 3 more working days for mom, yeah!

Steven and Märia as Babies

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-23T07:03:40-10:00

Come on, were we not cute babies? That's how come Seporah came out so gorgeous and Felicity's bound to come out as a knock out.

Music Preferences

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-23T06:30:16-10:00

So I have tickets tonight for a Fountains of Wayne concert. Steven and I bought them last month when we found out they were going to come here. I don't know what I was thinking because there is no way I'm going to a rock concert at 36 1/2 weeks at 8 at night. I'm not even going to go to a orchestra concert with padded seats at 3 in the afternoon at this point.

Yeah, we really like music, a lot, it's playing 24/7 at our house. We have 6,690 songs on our iTunes playlist and the top 12 most played songs are all by the same artist-30 Seconds to Mars. I can listen to the one CD by them over and over and over again. This morning I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep (again). I got out of bed and decided to do some mindless surfing on the internet. Apparently the CD I have is the second CD, they actually have one before that one. All I could think was, why did I not know this?

Kids, yeah, they change your music. No concerts and no unimportant music knowledge stored in your brain. Unless you count the piece of knowledge that the 5th song on the Baby Einstein CD "On the Go" is the song playing during the race scene in Baby Einstein's "Numbers Nursery." Well at least I still know what I like and it's not all from the decade I was born in.

OK, We're Good for Another Year

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-22T15:06:44-10:00

There are many Manly things that Steven is quite good at:
1. Being a Daddy - there's this shirt that I found that says "Real Men Change Diapers," if that's true, Steven's as real as they get.
2. Being a Mr. Mom - the pictures showing the before and after carpet cleaning ought to be enough to prove that one
3. Anything with the Computer - I am so glad I don't have to pay to have someone fix the computer, I just say fix it

However, there's some Manly things that Steven's not so good at:
1. Plumbing - the kitchen sink has leaked the entire time we've lived here
2. Sports - He likes to play, but doesn't watch them on TV, which I am soooo glad for
3. Car Stuff - and that is what this post is actually going to be about

So I've been bugging Steven to do the car stuff for months, literally. You're suppose to have a safety inspection every year and the sticker on the car says it's been expired since April. Since the car needed registered this month, the safety inspection HAD to be done. It's one thing to drive the car illegally by having a safety inspection expired, you can claim ignorance due to being in the military and just really not knowing. It's another thing to drive the car illegally by having an expired registration, I think they can put you in jail for that one. And since we've been pulled over multiple times to get it fixed and our home association keeps putting notes on our windshield (why is it their business anyways), I figured it really better get done.

I had planned on having Steven fix everything sometime this month (I was anticipating Halloween, that would be October 31st, the last day possible), but I lost my driver's license sometime in the last 2 weeks (I think that Seporah threw it away) so I figured I might as well do it since I had to go to the DMV anyways. But first things first, must get the safety inspection because no one will give me anything without it done. I go to a place that looks like a junkyard, pay the $20 and say let's get it started. They check all the lights and everything and say sorry, we can't give you the sticker, you don't have a license plate on your front bumper. There's no place to put a license plate on my front bumper and I only have one anyways. Well you're just going to have to buy another set of plates and a bracket to hold it on, here's a temporary form you can use to get the license plates and thanks for the money. To the DMV I go, however, this was Saturday and it's not open, I have to go to another that's 30 miles away.

I stand in line to get a driver's license as mine is gone. Sorry ma'am, you can't get one since you lost it and such, you need to take a written test, but you can't take it here, you have to take it at the one that's closed today. Ok, well can I have a book to study Hawaii Laws. No ma'am, you have to buy them, they're sold at Borders or Barnes and Nobles. WHO ON EARTH HAS HEARD OF BUYING THE STATE LAW BOOKS? HELLO! THEY'RE SUPPOSE TO BE RIGHT THERE AT THE DMV. Fine whatever, here's $6 at Borders for the dumb book. But while I'm at the DMV, let's get the car re-registered and license plates, that'll be $158, Lord Almighty, you've got to be kidding me.

Now to the Dodge dealership to get a bracket so I can attach the license plate on the front and get a safety inspection. What do you mean parts and services are closed on Saturdays, what am I suppose to do? Back to safety inspection place, would you just sign it, look I've got 2 plates now, but they're closed. Sorry ma'am, you can go to an auto parts store down the road. To there, sorry ma'am you'll have to go to the dealership. ARGGG! Screw that, home I go.

Monday morning, to the commissary I go, we're down on food, pulled over again. Ma'am do you know you're safety inspection is expired. I better get this done today. Calling the dealership because I don't want to drive down there again. Calling the dealership again since they're not answering and it's 10:30am. calling again, and again, and again, and again, and again seven times total. Yes, I need a license plate bracket, hmm let me check, what's your model, year, VIN number. Why do you need my VIN number? Sometimes the models are different, I just wanted to check what yours was. Well why didn't you just ask for that first if you were going to look up my specific car anyways? OK, yes ma'am we have one in stock, it's $46.61 plus installation. WHAT? FOR A PIECE OF PLASTIC? And how much is installation. I don't know let me transfer you to Service....ring....ring....ring.....ring, no one's answering, screw this. STEVEN! make it so I can get the license plate on the front bumper without spending an arm and a leg.

Steven did fix it, it took $4, big screws and bolts and tiny fingers going in between the air intake holes. Good, back to safety inspection place. The guy looks at it and says "Could you have gotten the bolts any bigger?" Haha, just put the sticker on and leave me alone.

So the car's registered and has a safety inspection. I still don't have a driver's license, but after looking over the booklet and decided I didn't want to take a test, I've been out of school for too long, I'd fail it even I knew the stuff in the book. So I sent another check and various things to Washington to get me one. I'm expecting it in the next 5 weeks, I'm just hoping I don't get pulled over again. If anyone would like to take it to go get the oil changed, I would be very grateful. I'm sure we could work out a Manly exchange, like Steven'll fix your computer for you or change your kid's diaper.

1/2 Yuma, 1/3 Army blinkage, 1/6 self proclimation and finger pointing

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-21T13:31:49-10:00

Hello Hello.. I interrupt this message of parenthood with small insignficant details regarding the life of recently desert-ed, Jason Rushing.

I would like to note that there is a distinct - between Desert and the ED part of the word. This is so as not to confuse you with the idea I might have recently been broken up with, evicted, or left entirely by myself. Now you just have to wonder if I've been given a sweet, tasty treat or if I've been brought out to where there is lots of beach and lack of water. Those of you 'in the know' should easily figured out that the correct answer was actually the latter. I am currently in the Yuma Proving Grounds in the desert of Arizona. I am happily hiding away from my parent command for a month here testing out some new vehicles the Army will be using in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom 15-2. Unfortunately due to some kind of secrecy form I unwittingly signed during a medical exam earlier in my career, I can not discuss this any further.

To spend a mere second bringing you up to date I will cover July to October in a few sentences. Was late to work, and got threatened to lose my BAH. Went on vacation with Breanna and saw Ashley up in Wyoming.. stopped by and saw Julie on the way home. She's just as cute as ever. On the way there I ran the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge marathon.. and moaned and cried for days, in which Breanna made fun of me for. I went to the Rifle range and got kicked off because admin marines can't count... darn asvab waivers! Got slated to goto Yuma Sept 5th.. got canceled.. Went BACK to the rifle range and received my all time low score of Marksman, and then my date moved back to the 18th of October to goto Yuma. Was late again, they tried to take away my BAH and the CO told them where they could stick it.. and that he wished he had 20 marines like me.. OH yeah!! Then the next day was brought to Yuma and have been here ever since.

Let me tell you a story about the army guys here in yuma though, okay? :-) So I come into the tiny MWR we have here with 6 computers and a mediocre television with cable and start typing out an email on one of the computers. There is an army guy who has unplugged one of the "marine" computers and dragged the cable to the tv so he can hook up his laptop and play Lord of the Rings Online while watching tv. My SSgt sees this and goes over to yell at him only to find that he is the Company Commander of the army group here. So we lost this fight.. After about twenty minutes he comes back to put the cable back and I asked him why he didn't use the wireless router to play with his own computer.. I pointed at the wireless router being on one of the shelves. He informed me.. quite rudely.. that it wasn't working correctly and he had spent the morning trying to figure it out, but he didn't have the login information for roadrunner to be able to receive the correct domain information. I gave him what must have been a "you have no clue what you're talking about" look and hooked up the router. I then used his laptop and adjusted the settings to distribute ip address to any and all laptops who requested one (he had it set on static instead of dynamic). I pulled the cable and asked him to try and connect via wireless and see if it gave him a working ip address. He tried.. it worked.. and this is what he said...

get ready for this.. it's gonna be good..

"Ya, it's working!! That's what I like to call Joint Task Force!! You definately get the assist on this one" And puts his hand up to high-five me..

*blink* *blink*... joint task force?? the ASSIST??!!

Now I high-fived him because he's a company commander and the biggest geek I know.. more so for the first than the second.. for fear of making enemies. That's your boy, Steven :)

So ya.. I hope everyone is having a blast.. I miss you all terribly, and hope to see you soonish. and HECK no, I'm not going to Florida, Minnesota, or Okinawa for Christmas.. so don't ask!!

Jason Rushing
Supreme Jedi Emperor of the Klingon Nation, engaged to the Child-like Princess, vowed enemy of Gargamel.

(P.S. All spelling and grammar mistakes were added by steven to try and boost his branch of service's image by comparison.. )

Carpet Cleaning!

Steven Rushing — 2007-10-20T15:40:31-10:00

So today has been cleaning and chores day. I did the dishes this morning while Märia went out to take care of car registrations and such things... I will let her tell you that story, it isn't pretty. =) So when she got home we decided to clean our carpet for the first time ever. I mean, we had each spot cleaned it with the spray carpet cleaner several times, but we had never gone all out with a machine. So here are some fun before and after pictures! It really was amazing!