Technical Help, Please!

I need assistance from someone (anyone!) who can help me fix the problem with my blog: What is going on with the right sidebar and how do I fix it? I don't know html, but I noticed the sidebar changed when I added my cluster map at the bottom of the page. Any suggestions? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?!!!

11 months...just plain crazy?

If I were my mom (which in this case I'm glad I'm not), right now, I would have two children under the age of one year, two children who were not twins but who were born 11 months apart. My parents, for some reason they have never revealed, delivered another child 11 months after the first one. This means that when the first child was 9 weeks old (if I'm doing my math right), the second one was conceived. (Well, the second one was actually conceived when the first child was 11 weeks old. You know how they count!) Still, 9 weeks! Can you imagine? I can just picture this conversation:

Person: "How old is your child?"
Mom: "She's 3 months old."
Person: "Ahh. How precious."
Mom: "And, I'm pregnant with my second one."
Person: "Really? Did you all plan this?" (That's the same question I have asked on multiple occasions.)
I can picture my mom answering, "No, we didn't plan this. What do you think we are? Stupid?"

No, Mom, you aren't stupid. Even if it was an accident, the baby is no accident. Babies are never an accident, no matter what the adults think.

If you hadn't figured it out already, I am Child #2, born 11 months and 2 weeks after my sister Kim. I started thinking about this situation recently because three days ago Elizabeth turned the age that Kim was when I was born. Wow! I CANNOT imagine having another child yet. For that matter, I can't even imagine being pregnant again! Mom and Dad, what were you thinking?!! OK, you probably weren't thinking that you would get pregnant again so soon after the first. Did you cry when you found out? I think I would have and am perfectly fine if you did the same thing (even though I was the baby in the womb). How long did it take you to get adjusted to the thought of having another one so soon after your firstborn arrived? I'm sure you became excited about it, but wow. How could you NOT be so overwhelmed at first? You didn't have much time to think about it, so maybe it seemed normal to you. Normal?!! What's normal about that? (That's me on the left in the first pic. I'm on the right in the next 3 pics.)

So, my sister Kim and I are the same age for 17 days. This always threw some people for a loop (and caused a lot of laughter from other people who were glad it didn't happen to them). We used to get asked all the time if we were twins. We didn't look very much alike. I was chubby and she was thin. We both had blond hair, though. Maybe that's what it was.

At times I wondered if I were adopted because of how people reacted when we told them we were eleven months apart. It seemed so odd, so strange, so bizarre to have two children--not twins--under one year of age. That didn't happen, so I deducted that I was adopted. They told me I wasn't.

I would not want to be in my mom's situation, having a 3-day-old baby with sweet Elizabeth running around. However, I am so glad that this "accident," this "mistake," happened to my mom and dad because I wouldn't be here if they had been careful. I'm on the left in the one below.





The Poe kids (Kara, Kellee, Kurt, Kim)

By the way, all four of us are only 6 years apart. That's another thing I cannot imagine.

Two weeks late

No, I'm not pregnant. This title refers to the fact that Shane and I were finally able to celebrate our four year anniversary last night, only two weeks late. On our anniversary, June 15, Shane was in Abilene for class, and I was driving from Galveston to Gatesville. This was the first year we didn't see each other on our anniversary and from the looks of things, it looks like it will be this way for the next two years while he is working toward his D.Min. That's all right. Next year, we're planning a trip somewhere, which will be fun, and doesn't that saying go, "Better late than never."?

We drove to Temple and had my favorite type of food, Italian, at a quaint restaurant downtown called Pignetti's. We, along with several older people who like to eat early, walked in the restaurant at 5:00. We ate so early out of practical reasons, not because that is when we typically eat: the movie started at 7:00 and Elizabeth was with some friends of ours (thanks Steve and Kathy!), and we didn't want to have to barge in on them too late to pick up our child.

We enjoyed our time together celebrating our marriage and spending some time sans Elizabeth. It's much more difficult to plan for a night out since having a child. We saw The Break-Up and laughed throughout because some of their fights were like our own. You're probably thinking, "What? They fight?" No, we don't really "fight" per se, we just "discuss." :) At least that's what my parents always told me when they were having a "discussion." We had a great time. Happy anniversary, honey. I love you.

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On a different note, last Saturday the Poe side of the family gathered together for a surprise birthday party for my grandfather Pops who turned 80. It's always fun to get together with all the cousins and our kids. Pops and Dorrie had two children (Aunt Jayne and Dad) and each of them had 4 children and now there are 7 great-grandchildren, one on the way, and many more to come, Lordwilling. All this because two people fell in love.

Houstonians

It's been 12 years since I graduated from high school. 12 years! It's hard to believe it's been that long. That's as long as I was in school from first grade through twelfth, years that seemed to go inordinately slow at the time but that I didn't want to go fast either. I guess being back in Houston makes me think about growing up--school and church, yes--but mostly my friends who I met through these places. We went to church on Wednesday night when I got in at Bammel CofC (the church I grew up in, also affiliated with the school I attended, Northland Christian). I don't get to go to church here very often since I married a preacher and usually have to go back so he can work. It was nice to see a lot of old friends and some new ones, too. I even got to see my 10th-and 11th-grade English teacher, Chris Norwood, one of my all-time favorite teachers who was partly responsible for my interest in literature and writing. He moved to Tennessee after I graduated and has recently returned back to Northland to teach. His daughter Katie was baptized that night after church, and they were really excited about that. Congratulations to you. I also saw the mother of a good friend of mine who died in a car wreck after my senior year in high school. I can't believe it's been 12 years since dear Ally died. She was a year older than me (my sister Kim's age) and had finished her freshman year at Baylor when she fell asleep at the wheel and passed away. The anniversary of her death is next week, and I always think about and pray for her family during this time. Her experiences at Baylor were all I really knew about Baylor until recently when my interest grew deeper. I wonder what she would be like if she were alive today. I miss her a great deal. I also saw little Mallory Leigh Mitchen who is all grown up now and just finished her first year at ACU. I used to push her around her stroller at Disney World and now she's at my alma mater. What a beautiful woman she has become, inside and out. I also saw my sort-of in-laws (the Reaves and the Shoemakers). I say they are my "sort-of-in-laws" because both of my sisters (and my brother, too, actually) married people from the church we grew up in. Shane is the odd one out here. It seems like we're all related in a weird sort of way. Bob (Derek's dad) played with Elizabeth while she climbed all over the pulpit in the chapel. And Laura, Tara, and Tina (Anthony's sisters and Mom) just oohed and aahed over Elizabeth like they wanted their own little niece to cherish. They're going to be two wonderful aunts (and mothers) someday. I also spoke with a dear mentor of mine, Bobby Stephen, whose wisdom, gentle spirit, and kind heart has made such an impact on my own. It's sweet to see old friends.

Thursday, Mom, Elizabeth, and I got to go hear my cousin Lisa speak to the 39ers at Memorial Church of Christ where my grandparents (and my aunt Jayne) are members. Lisa is an occupational therapist, and she told all about how seniors should take caution to prevent broken bones. The whole talk was very interesting. Too bad I only got to hear the first 30 minutes of it since Elizabeth was chattering very LOUDLY, and so we went into a separate room and played.

Dad got in from Washington this afternoon and took us to eat delicious Mexican food at Pappasito's. Yum!! We don't have that type of food in Gatesville (no offense to El Tapatio!). Elizabeth loves spending time with Nana and Teddy. The Astros are playing the White Sox this weekend. Hopefully, these games will go better for the Astros than the World Series did. Kellee and Anthony live in Chicago. I wonder if they're going to any of the games. If so, you'd better be cheering for the H-town team! :) We have another big day tomorrow, but I can't write it here yet because it's a surprise for someone. After that, Elizabeth and I are headed home to see Shane. Elizabeth has only seen him 2 days out of 15, and we are missing him as bad as he is missing us.

On a different note: My mom is leaving Northland Christian, the school she has taught at for over 20 years, to teach in public schools closer to home and for other reasons. Mom, they are going to miss you so much. It's the end of an era. You have been a wonderful Christian influence on hundreds of kids over all these years. Thanks for driving that 45 minutes twice a day for this long, especially when all of us 4 kids were attending there. You made HUGE sacrifices for us so that we could go there. I know I'm speaking for Kim, Kurt, and Kellee when I say this: We are so proud of you! We love you.

I end this note somewhat melancholy and nostalgic but always forward-looking and hopeful. Thank you, God, for the blessings of family. Have a wonderful evening blog-readers. Take some time to say thanks for those you love.

Kara

His left foot

Shane has this habit when he is/we are trying to go to sleep of tapping his left foot several times on the mattress. This may not seem like a big deal, but to someone who sleeps in the same bed with this tapping left foot, it can be rather annoying and sleep prohibitive. Since we don’t have one of those beds where if you put a glass of water on the corner of it it won’t spill (like they advertise on those silly commercials with the woman jumping on the bed in her lingerie), I typically ask him to stop or I cover my foot over his foot. He usually apologizes, we laugh, and then we go to sleep with (hopefully) no more bed tapping.

Around 10:30 tonight, long after Elizabeth had gone to sleep, I went in to check on my little girl as I always do. As I gazed down at her, I thought to myself, “She’s the most precious thing in the world.” Then, suddenly, as I stared down at her, her foot started tapping that same recognizable beat. I Immediately came out of my daydreaming about my wonderful daughter to be consciously aware of her foot tapping five times in a row, her left foot. I immediately had to call Shane to share this news with him.

Who knew that such a trait would be genetic? It’s funny how we pass on interesting quirks about ourselves to our children, ones we didn’t even know we had until we got married and had such qualities pointed out to us. May your quirks flourish as Shane has in future generations of children. Only time will tell which of my quirks she will inherit. Unfortunately, she has quite a few in the mix!

I’ve taken a lot of pictures of Elizabeth these past two weeks with Shane gone (he’s in Abilene for his D.Min). I even took video of her, which we haven't done in months, unfortunately. Here are some of the things she has been up to:

Sporting a Mohawk

Trying on a cowboy hat in Wal-Mart

Surfing on the high chair tray Strolling in our backyard with Uncle ZachKissin' Mama

Sweeping the kitchen floor

Have a happy day!

Writers and Readers

Finding time to write has been difficult over the last few weeks. I thought that I could/would post two to three times a week when I began this blog, but I’m doing well to have one post every couple of weeks. I want to be personal, thoughtful, creative, clever—characteristics that making writing fun to read--and enjoyable for the reader--but when I sit down to write, I don’t know what to say or how to say it. I stare at a blank screen thinking through what I want to say long before I start writing. I wonder who will read my words and what they will think. Will they merely scroll down and look for pictures, or will they read and reflect on the words as I do? Will they see the grammatical mistakes I make and think, “She’s a writing teacher?!!” Will they judge my writing and doubt my capabilities as a writer as I often do. Will they see me as a farce? What will my writing say about me to them? Will they really get what I’m trying to say? And who reads this anyway? What will they think? Who will leave comments? What will they say? These are some things—insecurities if you may—that I ponder as I sit down to write; they are the same things that keep me from writing. In spite of my fears, I feel I must write, for through writing I learn what I think. I can explore what my experiences might mean for me at any given moment. I can get my words down on paper. Later, I can read back through these posts and read the experiences in different ways. Writing allows me to chronicle my life, a life that is unique not because others haven’t shared similar experiences and feelings; but rather a life that is unique because it is mine. I have my own interpretations of my experiences; you may have your own. And it is this interaction between writer and reader that makes writing readable. It is why I read the texts of others, and it is why I hope mine is read.

Our little daredevil

Elizabeth is a climber. A few days ago, Shane caught her red-handed trying to thrust herself over the walls of her crib. He also caught her standing up in the seat of her rocking chair, holding on to the back of it, rocking back and forth. She has also climbed on top of a portable file cabinet, only to find herself stuck on top, not sure how to get back down. But the most surprising climb of all came last night...During bathtime, I turned to put something in the closet, and when I turned back around to the tub, Elizabeth was standing on the bathmat outside of the tub. She didn't cry or make a sound. The only thing giving her away was a big red mark on the center of her forehead. I'm not sure how she did it, but I couldn't believe it when she tried to get back into the tub. This girl is fearless. What's in our future? Broken bones? Hospital visits? World-class hiking? Maybe she can major in rock climbing. Today I also caught her in the same chair Shane caught her in, the same one he moved out of the living room so that she couldn't climb and hurt herself. I was able to snap some pics. Take a look at our little daredevil....OK. I am writing this AFTER I tried unsuccessfuly uploading these images. I'll try again later.
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Last week I got together with my college roomies from 1017 Washington. We met at Alison's house and had a great time. I hadn't seen these friends since my wedding (and not much then!), and we had a great time catching up, reminiscing, and talking about the future. Here are some pics from that day. I was going to write something more about the experience, but I have been trying to post on here all day long and have not been able to. Now, I am ready to be finished. Cheers.

Bye-Bye Miserable May!

Many of you know how much I love baseball. Well, actually, that's probably not completely true. Yes, I am a fan of the game, but moreso, I am an Astros fan. Growing up in Houston allowed me to watch them on a daily basis. I even remember when they almost made it to the World Series in 86. I was 10-years-old at the time, and I distinctly remember being at soccer practice one day during one of the games (for some odd reason soccer was scheduled during such an important moment--maybe it was a game. My memory fails me!). I wanted to keep up with the score and much to my delight, I was able to keep up with the game through the shouts and cheers of the prisoners who were watching the game inside the jail, which just happened to be located next to these playing fields. Kinda scary, now that I think about it.

Anyway, I have enjoyed following the Astros since I was a young girl. On a side note, being a fan of Bagwell and Biggio was one of the first things my husband says attracted him to me. What does that say?!!! Well, one thing I have learned in all these years of watching them is that the Astros forget what it means to WIN in the month of May. Perhaps May should be deleted from the baseball calendar. Or from the entire calendar all together. The Astros take that month off anyway, so why not just remove it? Or better yet, the team should just take a month's worth of vacation and refuse to play. They stink it up so bad anyway. Maybe then they could keep their winning record and not lose 16 out of 18 games in one month. Shane and I were able to see one of the FEW games the Astros won in the month of May at RFK Stadium in D.C. Cool.

I shouldn't be too skeptical. Last year they were worse off than this and they went to the World Series. Who knows what could happen now? But, Roger, oh Roger, I ask you this: Why couldn't you have signed sooner?!! Oh, how things would be different. NOT! Not even Roger Clemens can help the Astros during the month of May.

I am thankful that May has gone bye-bye.