BIG NEWS....

It seems like we always have something going on.  Here is our pattern:

Get pregnant, have baby, then move.  If this is our pattern...we just moved...so...well...now....PYSCH!

 We're moving. AGAIN! Yes, we just moved home. Yes, we were building a house. Yes, we will have moved 3 times this year. We are becoming quite nomadic if you ask me.  I'm ok with that though, life is never boring and there is a new city to tackle. Where you ask is this super exciting new adventure going to take place????

WHATCH OUT MIDLAND, TEXAS THE POPINO'S ARE COMING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!
Please stay tuned for details. 

Timeline

Ok, so recently Facebook forced me into a timeline.  Now, at first I was resenting it but as I am up tonight (Mark fighting fever, just fed the butter bean) I got super curious and decided to take a stroll down memory lane...

First of all may I just say that I was a complete train wreck from ohhh 2005-2007?? Dang.  All I got to say.  There are people that I was friends with on FB that even after looking at their picture...I have absolutely no idea who the heck they are.  HA!  A lot of posts read..."had so much fun with you last night!" Hey, I know I've always been fun but I think I was having too much inappropriate fun.  Thank goodness those days have come and gone. Those years I'd like to put in my regret file and move on.

2008 got better. A LOT BETTER. After I cleaned up my act and started getting back on track with school...Mike decided that I was responsible enough to marry.  We got engaged, married, honeymooned, moved to CO, I student taught and graduated (finally).  That was a good good year and its been good ever since.

GAH, isn't change amazing?  Do you look at yourself 6-8 years ago and think that you're better off now? Going from a wild, irresponsible, party animal to a wife, mom, and all 'round bad A. I'd say, in my case YES!

I'm thankful for change and growth.  I'm thankful that as the years are passing and my "dark days" are trailing behind me even further.  I'm thankful for grace, forgiveness, and repentance. 

TIMELINE- thanks for giving me a little ego boost tonight.  You took me to a place a haven't revisited in a long time but something a about reliving that time in my life made me EXTRA EXTRA grateful for my life now! Man, change is so sweet.

Stay Positive- KPOP

Google

I google. I mean, everything.  If its on mind mind I hop the computer and write it in that infamous little bar.  I usually get an answer.  Google, I love you. You're full of information. Eat it, Bing.

Here are some things I have recently googled:

Does Kayne West have kids?

Is there really going to be a movie based on Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boi song?

How to bake zucchini

Cheerleading apparel jobs

Kidco baby gates

Where is the next season of the Real World going to be?

Jessica Simpson Weight Watchers

Fine motor skills toddlers

Bible study- Mckinney, Frisco, Allen

Paul Ryan

What are some of the things you've googled lately?

Heart felt shout out 2

This weeks heart felt shout out goes to Brandi Kaufmann.  Brandi Kaufmann and I have way more in common now then I'm sure she ever thought we would.  You, see Brandi didn't like me at first. At all.  She thought I was loud and obnoxious, which I am but I am also other things.  We were introduced by our friend Misty (a shout out for another week).  It took Mrs. Kaufmann to warm up to me.  When I got to know her I thought she had it all.  She was already married and had been for 4 years, she could cook, her house was clean, she had all her pictures organized on her computer, she had a big comfy bed, and her laundry was always hanging in their laundry room. She and her husband, Andrew, also known as Krusty, always had a project they were working on.  Texturing walls, building who knows what.  They also liked to have the latest technology.  We would be up for hours playing Dance Dance Revolution.  They had DVD'S that weren't even out in the theater yet and good cable.  While Brandi was pregnant with her first baby, Aiden, she got into making these fleece blankets that were tied in knots all the way around the edges.  She made one for my Molly girl.

 She is smart and so fun once you get to know her.  She's an excellent wife and mom.  She's a runner and a Sugarland lover.  She cares for other people.  She loves to watch tennis.  She has to "shake it off" when she's had too much to drink.  She has the longest leg you have ever seen.  She was one of my only friends to come visit me in Colorado.  She likes her hair to be dark in the winter and lighter it in the summer.  She always regrets getting her hair cut short. She cooks with deer meat and likes to pretend its cow.  She is trustworthy.  She is so easy to be friends with.  Don't you feel like you want to be her friend now too?

I met her when I was at a crossroads in my life.  I was failing classes and making poor decisions.  She encouraged me to be better...I envied her life!  I will forever be grateful for her friendship.  It has been so cool watching our friendship strengthen as I've gotten married and had kids.  I will always make time for her.  It's an unlikely friendship, but goodness, I'm so thankful for that Brandi Kaufmann!

Brandi, Krusty, Aiden, and Evan at Mark's birthday party a few weeks ago.

Bloom where you're planted

This is one piece of my own advice that I have actually followed. We've moved around a lot since we've been married and I have managed to walk away from every place with friends and something I miss about the area.  Let's take a stroll to Colorado.

Colorado will always be special to me because it is where we called home right after our Honeymoon. I had my first big girl job there. Mark was conceived and born in Grand Junction, Colorado.  What I miss: bible study and mops there, my crazy bunco girls, a little bit of the snow, the mountains, living less than a mile from a Chipolte (sad, I know), midget wrestling, Chili dog our Australian Shepherd (who we had to put down in CO because he started biting people), getting to see Mike ALL THE TIME, Moab, Utah, concerts, and nights in downtown.  All this to say, when we got transferred to Shreveport, I was not complaining.  I hated being so far from family, especially after Mark the shark was born. We moved to Shreveport in March of 2011.

I for real thought I had struck gold when we moved Shreveport and I am hesitant to admit when we were transferred back to Dallas I was almost sad.  I blossomed in Shreveport.  What I miss, the people, ugh, you know who you are.  I miss my friends there every day.  I had such a sweet group of mom friends and non-mom friends too! I miss Junior League, Gymboree, MOPS, Mother's Day Out at Broadmoor, Mike living so close to the office (without traveling), playdates, Pumpkin Shine on Line, the Boardwalk, the Casino's, Herby K's, the people Mike worked with, our babysitter, Bunco, our neighbors (in each neighborhood), our new house that we bought and then had to rent out 4 1/2 months later, Norris Ferry road, Cush's Market, Swim lessons, being 3 hours away from our parents.  There is nothing negative I have to say about Shreveport.  I loved everything about living there and sadly I still miss it.  Even though Mckinney is (hopefully) our permanent residency, Shreveport will always be considered my second home.

Mckinney, TEXAS! The #2 ranked place to live!  Ever since I went to college I had hopes that one day I'd be able to raise my family in the town I grew up in.  I couldn't ask for anything more. Seriously. I'm trying to "bloom" here as well.  I'm not in school, or home from college...I'm now living in the place I grew up as a wife and mom.  So even thought this place is so familiar to me, I am still in need of friends, activities, and groups to be a part of. One of the neatest things about being back is that I have gotten to reconnect with people that I went to elm/mid/high school with and friends I went to college with.  Another perk of living here is all the stuff to do! It's not "let's go to the mall", its "what mall should we go to?"...you get the picture. So many family things to do, so many churches, mops groups, bible studies, junior leagues, splash parks, places to shop and to eat.  How lucky do I feel that I am so close to anything I could ever ever need? Pretty lucky or should I say blessed?!  The best part about this living in Mac town is being right here with our families.  Our parents are going to get to have such a special relationship with our kids because we are right here.  Mike and I have already seen the benefits of this based on the amount of date nights we've gotten since we've been home.

I hope I'm planted for now
Bloom where you're planted.  You may not be in your ideal situation but there is good in all places.

Stay positive- KPOP

Asthma and Rambles

On Thursday night Mark could not  get settled, he had a horrible cough.  When he woke up Friday I noticed he was wheezing and taking short breaths.  If you've known me for any length of time you know how bad I've struggled with my asthma. Breathing treatments, countless inhalors, steroids, and trips to the hospital were very common in my childhood and it has been one of the fears I have for my own kids.  I took Mark to go see sweet Dr. Starnes, again. She gave him a breathing treatment and prescribed him some meds to help with his cough and his upper respitory gunk.  She told us to give him breathing treatments every 4 hours, well, by the time we got home he was wheezing AGAIN. Gave him a treatment and I didn't see any improvement and its not like you can tell a 2 year old to be still so they can breath.  I could wait to give him another treatment so I did...and still no improvement.  I got into panic mode and called the doctor who sent us to Children's Medical City Plano.  There he got yet another breathing treatment and steroids and the doctor told us we would probably stay overnight.  NIGHTMARE.  Mark took a nap with me in the hospital bed with him and slept for an hour.  They came in to check his breathing every 15 minutes.  When he woke up his chest and lungs were all clear and he was breathing like a little champion!  The doctor informed us they he most likely has allergy induced asthma and said that most kids grow out of it. Music to my ears. We got to go home too!  I HOPE HOPE HOPE he grows out of it. Little peach. I know you moms can totally relate when I say that it is pure torture seeing your child sick or in any kind of pain. Its awful but he's better now and is back to his maniac self.

We finally have a closing date on the new Popino family dwelling space. I am pee my pants excited!  I hope Mr. Popino is ready to let me shop for the new digs.  First item to be purchased, something super classy like a Coors Light sign for the entry way...and also a new fridge. September 14th please hurry because my mother just put a coaster under the coke I'm drinking. Special.

I made breakfast sandwiches on Saturday, we stalked the new house, and went to Mckinney trades day.  I haven't been in years but boy did we find some treasures!  Nothing purchased but I saw a few things I'd like to get for the game room, a kids sized picnic table, swoon. Mike and I got a date night last night and we shared it with our friends! We went to Cyclone Aniya's for some margs and fajitas then headed over to Dodies to watch the pre-season game.  We had a darn good time, it was a much needed night out!

Mike is headed to Midland this week, Mark's church camp is over and Mother's day out doesn't start until September 4th so we are free birds.  We will hit up the gym and hopefully schedule a few playdates...SOOO let me know if you want to hang, the forecast looks super appealing!

Stay positive- KPOP

Nap Time, Doctors visits/haircuts, and Randall

I look forward to nap time.  The time of day where I hopefully can put both kids to sleep at the same time (at least for an hour).  Usually during this time I tell myself that I'm going to do something super productive like clean, do laundry, or get dinner ready. This rarely happens. Depending on the amount of sleep I've gotten, I either...take a nap, look at Pinterest projects that I will never do, do some unnecessary snacking, Facebook, watch episodes of the Real World online (so Mike won't make fun of me for still watching it and being almost 30), and think about all the productive things I should be doing.  I love you nap time, even though I could make better use of you.

Mark Popino LOVES many things, such as waving to strangers, shoving his sisters paci in her mouth, dogs, swimming, cake, screaming contests (I always win, amateur).  There are two things Mark Popino hates...hair cuts and doctors offices. Witness exhibit a:

It is tragic every time we go get his little hair cut, that is always why I wait until he looks like Joe Dirt to go get it done.  Also, this morning we went to go see sweet Dr. Starnes for Mark's two year check-up. Um, no. I had to carry him back there and as soon as the doctor came in he picked up his shoes, pointed to the door and said "bye-bye" he wasn't having any of it.  All this to say, I hate making Mark do things that I know are best for him. Sweet little nugget will get to make those decisions someday.  But for now, I am happy to make them for him. My baby boy.

Lastly, I'd like to give a heart felt shout out to my friend Amelia "Randall" Freeman who I met my freshman year of college and we have been making bad decisions together since 2002.  Since we have moved back Randall (Amelia) and I have gotten to meet once a week for a girls lunch!  This typically includes mexican food and a skinny margarita!  We reminisce about old boyfriends, college parties, and regretful experiences...that we wouldn't trade for anything.  I've told told her that she's more like a sister than a friend.  We can fight and not talk for a while and still pick right back up like nothing ever happened. Aren't we grateful for people like that?  I can't wait to watch her become a wife and mother because she will rock at that just like she has done as a kindergarten teacher!  What am I going to do when you go back to work? I guess I'll have to sit at Chuy's and talk to myself!

Me and Amelia in the fall of 2008!  I must upload my college pics...then I'll have so much more to blog about.

Stay Positive- KPOP