Good, Dean Fun

It was about time that the old crew hooked back up for some hilarity. The Dean's made their way down to VB last Saturday to spend the warm, sunny day with us.

We first went to lunch at the new, and only, Italian restaurant in VB. It just so happens that no one in the place is Italian, go figure!, and that, quite frankly, the service sucked. Brian received the brunt of the bad service, but not before he launched into Sussudio by Phil Collins. He maintains that he had been saying his order in his head over and over so that, when the time came, he'd be able to pronounce it correctly. He wanted something like the Sicilian Tortellini but, when he attempted to order it, it came out as the "Suss, Suss" before the waitress cut him off with the correct pronunciation. So, he had difficulty living that down.


Then she came and told him that they were out of tortellini and he attempted to order the Sausage Parmesan Pasta. The lady said, "Oh, the sub?" and he said, "No the pasta." She was confused and brought him a menu so that he could point to what he wanted. He did, but he ended up getting the sub anyway. When she brought out the sub, not the pasta, he mentioned that he had ordered the pasta and not the sub. She said, "Oh, well. The sub's cheaper. I'll just charge you for it instead of the pasta." So, the waitress was nice enough to charge us for the dish that Brian was served and not what he ordered. Now that's good business!


We then wrangled up the kids and headed for the park. Since William has such a bad attitude, we put him in jail on the slide. (Seriously, folks, the kid has the BEST disposition!)
He may look like he'd cut you but he's as sweet as he can be.
Willian and Jacob enjoyed swinging, running around and spending time with their dads. I was a little worried about Brian. We've had several run-ins with "other's peoples' kids" and Brian hasn't dealt with it well. Like the time we were at the playground at McDonald's. I hear Brian going, "Stop. Stop. Don't do that. Get away." I look over and he's talking to a little girl, who apparently is not letting Jacob go up the stairs. I then get the, "I f---ing hate other peoples' kids" rant. But not at this outing. He handled himself like a gentleman.

So, the outing was a success, the Dean's were great company...




...and I had the lyrics to Sussudio in my head for days.

There's this girl that's been on my mind All the time, Sussudio oh oh Now she don't even know my name But I think she likes me just the same, Sussudio oh oh

Oh if she called me I'd be there I'd come running anywhere She's all I need, all my life I feel so good if I just say the word Sussudio, just say the word Oh Sussudio

Now I know that I'm too young My love has just begun Sussudio oh oh Ooh give me a chance, give me a sign I'll show her anytime Sussudio oh oh

Ah, I've just got to have her, have her I've got to get closer but I don't know how She makes me nervous and makes me scared But I feel so good if I just say the word Sussudio just say the word Oh Sussudio, oh

Ah, she's all I need all of my life I feel so good if I just say the word Sussudio I just say the word Oh Sussudio I just say the word Oh Sussudio I'll say the word Sussudio oh oh oh Just say the word

A Decade

Something significant happened in the lives of Brian and me 10 years ago today. I'm not quite sure what that significant event was, but I have two ideas:

1. We met 10 years ago today.

2. We went on our 1st outing together 10 years ago today.

Either way, Brian and I have been together for 10 years to the day, and I'd like to revisit our how-we-met moment. Please allow me to indulge myself.

It was the Spring semester; the beginning of my senior year, January 1999. I was finishing my "must-have" classes with an Environmental Biology class. Science was not my strong subject and the class was not high on my list. Nevertheless, I was a good student, so I attended those first days with excitement that this was to be my last Spring semester as an undergrad.

You can imagine my HUGE disappointment when, after 2-3 classes, I realized that I was a senior surrounded by....wait....here it comes.....FRESHMEN!! Oh, the horror!! The class was freakin' huge and the majority of the occupants were only 18!! I was so disgusted by their immaturity, their lack of ideals and by how they appeared to be all of 15.

You can imagine my even HUGIER (not a word, I know) disappointment when the Biology professor announced on the 4th or 5th day of class that, to make it easier for her to identify students, she was going to make assigned seats. ASSIGNED SEATS??!!! Are you kidding me??!! I'm thinking, "This class just keeps getting better and better! Here I am, a senior, and I'm going to have an assigned seat like I'm 8th grade or something." There was one perk to the deal: the professor was going to allow each person to list on an index card, among other things, who we would not like to sit beside. In big letters I wrote: I DO NOT WANT TO BE SEATED NEXT TO A FRESHMAN!

Done. Now that that potential catastrophe was over, I decided to skip class on the 1st day of the assigned seating (that'll show 'em!)

Day 2 of assigned seating: I'm in Julie's car headed to class. She's driving and we stop at a campus convenient store for drinks. As we get back into the car, I notice this guy walking down the sidewalk towards the building. He notices me, too, and we smile. He's just the kind of guy that gets my attention: Hat pulled down low to cover the eyes. Cool, but not cocky. I immediately make a note of him. Julie parks in front of the building and we head inside. The guy is at the bottom of the stairs and he holds the door open for Julie and me. I say to him, "Thank you, sir." (Classy, I know.) He smiles and we all enter the building.

Since the class before ours is running late, a number of students in the Biology are sitting around outside of our classroom talking. I notice that this guy is sitting outside of the classroom, too, and I start to wonder if he's in my class. Anyway, Julie and I proceed to be our obnoxious, loud selves. I specifically remember us sitting on a table just yammering away about how assigned seats are for middle-schoolers and that it bordered on travesty that college students were being subjected to the arcane idea.

The class lets out and so it is time for us Environmental Biology students to make our way inside. Mind you, everyone else was present for the 1st day of assigned seating. So, everyone takes their places. In one last protest, I sit with Julie until the last student enters. I am in no hurry to meet my new seat and the people beside which I will be sitting for the rest of the semester.

I begrudgingly go inside and make my way to the seating chart. I see my name next to a "Brian" and attempt to locate this person and my seat from across the room. I can't, because it's a large class, so I just had to trudge in the direction of the seat that appeared to have my name on it.

As I approached my seat, I noticed that the guy that I had seen walking down the sidewalk and the guy that held the door open for me appeared to be the guy that I was seated beside. I stood by the guy and the empty seat and said, "Are you Brian?" He said, "Yeah, are you Suzanne?" I said, "Well, I go by 'Amanda', but, yeah."

So, I sat down, with butterflies in my stomach and proceeded to make small talk with this guy. He informs me that he noticed me the first day of class and that he thought I was attractive. He says that on the 1st day of the assigned seating, he looked around to see where I was sitting but he couldn't find me. He then tells me that after the class started and no one was seated beside him, he hoped that I was "Suzanne" and that I was just absent that day. I'm amused by this guy and his tellings and I am more and more attracted to him. Class starts and we begin to write notes back and forth, asking each other about ourselves.

Then he lays a whopper on me: HE'S A FRESHMAN!! I was appalled, disgusted and I felt betrayed by the professor. I specifically said "no freshman" and that's exactly what I got. I share my sentiment with him and I think this makes him like me even more. He won't admit it, but I know he's always been attracted to my feisty and opinionated side.

Throughout the semester, we made bets on tests. The bets consisted of the person scoring the lower grade taking the higher-grade-receiver to Schlotzsky's. I don't think I had lunch purchased for me that semester (did I mention that I suck at Science?) but I did enjoy every minute with this freshman. Maybe too much. After being warned several times to stop talking to Brian, I was, in the middle of class, told to move to a different seat (don't worry, it was just a row down)! How embarrassing!! Here I am supposed to be representing seniors everywhere, and I'm having to switch seats, while the class is stopped and everyone is watching, because I can't stop talking to him. Not one of my proudest moments.

Brian and I were engaged almost 1 1/2 later (June 9, 2000) on my 22nd birthday and married over 3 years later (June 15, 2002). We've both graduated with our undergraduate and graduate degrees (this feat taking longer for some than others), we've moved to freakin' Arkansas, had dogs, cats and a baby.We've put a dog down, lost a cat, survived law school. A LOT has transpired since January 25, 1999.

I feel truly lucky to have Brian as my husband. He is an amazing spouse, friend, father. He is sincere, intense, caring, humorous, fair, intelligent. He pulls his weight where our child is concerned, which makes me love him even more. I marvel at his insight, wit and sensitivity. Don't get me wrong, his logic, at times, can drive a wife to drink. It can be nearly impossible to argue, much less WIN an argument with him. But he's so understanding and kind that, once the dust has settled, he makes an attempt to right the wrong (even if the wrong was mine).

So, that's my story of the beginning of a decade with Brian. I got more than I bargained for with this freshman. Oh, and the story topper: When Brian and I were in the baggage claim area after returning from our honeymoon,who should we bump into but our Environmental Biology professor! Brian approached her and explained to her our story. She didn't seem to care too much, but it was certainly a memorable experience for us!

P-E-E-E-G

About the cutest thing I've seen and heard in a long time is my son recognizing and saying pig. On his own terms, of course, he will, when asked to identify the swine, put his lips together so tightly and form the "p" so deliberately. It takes a good 4-5 seconds for him to move from forming the "p" sound to actually saying the word. When he does, though, it's adorable. He says, "Peeeg."

My attempt to get this on video went something like this:

Me: "Dolly, what's this?" (while holding the pig)

Jacob: "Aaaarrrrgggghhh." (angry because I'm inhibiting his play)

Me: "Dolly. What is this?" (again, showing him the animal that he identified JUST before I turned on the camera)

Jacob: "Unhhhnnnnn." (anger rising)

Me: (while handing him the pig) "Dolly, what is this?"

Jacob: (takes the pig from my hand and throws it across the room)

Me: (turned the camera off)

So, I have no footage of him saying P-E-E-E-G. But he says it. And it makes me just want to squeeze him!!

Christmas '08

Has it really been almost a month since the last time I blogged?? Shame on me!! Well, I hope to make it up to you with this picture-filled blog.

We had a wonderful Christmas!! How lucky were we that we were able to stay home and have family come to us? A true Christmas miracle!

Our first Christmas visitors were Grandad and Grandpaula. They came bearing gifts of ball pits, books and curtains!! Yeah, just what we all wanted!!!


I've had make-shift curtains in my bedroom since we bought this house on July 27th 2007. What were my make-shift curtains? Two sheets, one purple, one white, nailed up over the window. Classy? Very. Now, I have very fancy curtains with an even fancier curtain rod! Wow, we're moving up in the world!

The Simpson's came into town next, all the way from N.C.

(If you had to guess, what do you thinks makes me chuckle about this picture?)
Aunt Sara and Cousin Macie hadn't seen Dolly since July. Macie and Dolly hit it off...probably because Macie is so darn fun to be around. Aunt Sara? Well, she's fun to be around, especially when she chases you around the yard or makes googly eyes at you at McDonald's, but Dolly didn't enjoy bath time with her. As the story goes, she put Dolly in the bathtub and he, angry, stood in the corner of the tub, his back turned towards her while his butt cheeks and fists clenched with every furious scream. Apparently, he wasn't thrilled about being pulled away from his toys...and the water was a wee bit cold. So, note to readers: don't let Aunt Sara give your kid a bath.

Oh, and you may not want Grammy to babysit while you go to a movie. I can't prove it, but I think she slipped Jacob some Red Bull in his sippy cup. The video is kinda hard to see but just watch the blue blob bouncing around and listen to the shrieks.



Grandmom and Grandpa weren't able to be with us this year; the 2nd time in my life that I've not been with my family (sniff, sniff). They did send gifts, which Dolly (and Jodie) loved! Here, you'll see that it was love at 1st sight with Rudolph, for Dolly and Jodie. Really, I had to keep an eye on Jodie to make sure she didn't get the stuffed reindeer.

And don't think that we've given up on Dolly's dreams of circus stardom. Watch the human-toddler-rocket:

Brian and I want to say thanks to everyone who sent us Christmas cards. Due to budgetary restraints, we didn't send out any this year, but we certainly enjoyed seeing all of you and your beautiful wee ones!!

So, that was our Christmas!! On to 2009!!

CatchUp...

...goes great on baked potatoes! (little known fact)

It’s time to play catch up, my friends. Let us go waaaaay back to Halloween, shall we?

Grammy and Grampy came into town to witness the arrival of the Blue-Mouth Lobster. While they were here, we made up 200 bags of candy for the trick-or-treaters. Once the night was over, we only had 7 bags left. That means we had 193 TRICK-OR-TREATERS!! Unheard of!!

They stayed for quite some time; my hunch is that they were trying to get in good with the kid. It worked!! They won him over. Thanks to Grammy and Grampy for the baby-sitting, early mornings with Jacob (shout out, again, to the ending of Daylight Savings time) and everything else that you did while you were here!!
Next, we have Grandmom. She came shortly after Grammy and Grampy, again, in my opinion, to get in good with the kid. And, again, it worked. Where Grammy and Grampy used strawberry lemonade from Chili’s, Grandmom used egg salad--neither of which Jacob gets on a regular basis. And so the spoiling begins. Thanks to Grandmom for the baby-sitting, the cooking (yum!) and making all the arrangements that had to be made in order to make the trek out here.

Whew! Now we’re up to the Lighting of the Ozarks. We hooked up with the Dean’s and Booher’s in Fayetteville to witness the glory that is the lights of the Fayetteville Square. Jacob enjoyed the parade, lights and revelry. Next we move to Thanksgiving. The Dean’s were nice enough, or should I say brave enough, to have us up for dinner. William and Jacob enjoyed playing with their matching carts outside, as the parents looked on. I remarked to Dean, “So, this is what our lives have been reduced to, huh? Watching our kids push a colorful, plastic cart in the road? Yet, I have no desire to be doing anything else but this. Funny how things change.” He muttered something sentimental and then I made fun of him for erroneously riding the short bus to school when he was a kid and he made fun of me for being fat as a kid. Relationship normalized. Status quo.


We had a great time--partly due to Christy’s great cooking!! The kids enjoyed her food, too.Well, William did. Jacob’s going through this I-only-eat-grilled-cheese and occasionally-I'll-eat-some-Cheerios phase. So, her amazing sweet potato casserole never entered his mouth. His loss!!

And we would be remiss if we didn't have our traditional Dean/Simpson pose-for-the-camera adventure.Then, we go next to the Simpson’s, us, one-by-one, getting sick for over a week. It started with Brian, then on to me, and then Jacob. I don’t care what you say about me, just because I'm an only child doesn't mean I don't know how to share.....welllll, ok, maybe the idea is to share things like toys and cookies...not illnesses (but they're myyyy toys and cookies!!). Anyway, Brian and I missed a day of work and Jacob missed a day of school. We’re all doing better now, finally. Thanks for asking!

Since being sick, we’ve attended the Fort Smith Christmas parade. Jacob LOVED the horses (did you read that, Aunt Jeanie? He loved them!!). Unfortunately, he's going to be too big to become a jockey. Maybe he can be a model for Jockey. Wait, that's underwear, right? Whoa...nix that!

Last night we went to the Creekmore Park lighting of the park, complete with train ride through the lights, hot chocolate and cookies. Alas, the line was waaaaaay too long for the train ride, so it will have to come at another time.

And, no, we didn't get to enjoy hot chocolate or cookies, either. It seems that they were technically free but the park was asking for donations for some crazy charity that gives Christmas presents to needy kids. Goofy idea (seriously, folks, just kidding).

Well, Brian nor I had any freakin' cash. We had about a billion dollars in pennies...but that's rude, right? So, no train, no hot chocolate, no cookies. Was it a loss? Not in the least. Jacob sure enjoyed climbing up and down (and up and down and up and down) the stairs of the slide with Brian. Not going down the slide, mind you. Just climbing the stairs that lead up to the slide and then climbing them back down again while trying to stay out of the way of approximately 2 million children who were actually wanting to slide down the slide. Novel idea, huh?

Now remember, he's only 15 months old, so he requires help maneuvering the stairs.
Brian agreed to take on this task while I stood in line. I think Brian enjoyed the time with his son, for as he returned to me in line, he asserted, “Other people's kids are *&%$-ing obnoxious!” Relax, I’m sure he wasn’t referring to your kids. Unless, of course, your kids are *&%$-ing obnoxious. Then you've got a real problem on your hands. I do know a good child therapist.....

So, that pretty sums up our past month and a half. Any questions?