tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14644149137133101522024-03-05T19:42:58.403-05:00Shock Family CircusLife is a circus and we're just trying to tame the tigers.The Shockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16214714316221238703noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-15714541440033637702015-06-17T00:02:00.002-04:002015-06-17T09:15:23.213-04:00Wyatt is 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the annual tradition....<br />
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Wyatt celebrated at his school on his official birthday, with his pre-school friends and some TMNT cupcakes. Then he celebrated with his other friends on the weekend with some more TMNT themed fun.</div>
Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-60754225055213604182014-12-19T10:08:00.000-05:002014-12-19T10:08:27.477-05:00The Gingerbread ManThe story of the Gingerbread Man as told by Fletcher.<br />
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<br />groovesockethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193763711070289794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-39249150531718169292014-07-14T16:28:00.000-04:002014-07-14T16:33:23.776-04:00So....how have you been?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Howdy Y'all! Long time no talk. What's been going on?<br />
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Well, we are still loving living here in Austin. We definitely feel we made the best choice for the family. We will be in the same home for a little longer. We really love our neighborhood, so when it's time to look for our own home this will probably be the area we stay in. Would it be awesome to live in downtown Austin? Of course. However we are not spring chickens or party animals anymore, and most of the people that I trust to babysit my kids live up here in north Austin.<br />
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Atom is still loving his job. He doesn't have to ride his bike at the crack of dawn anymore, so now he is well rested too :)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/14153255502" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_4959.JPG by Jenn Shock, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_4959.JPG" height="266" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5534/14153255502_3e5118f7e6_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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He and Fletch have been busy building a lot of LEGO sets recently. We now have our LEGO Eiffel Tower back on display. </div>
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Fletch graduated from Pre-K at Harmony Hill in May. He had a lot of fun his last year of pre-school.<br />
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He made a lot of friends and learned so much. He is taking Kinder-ready classes at the same school this summer and he seems more than ready to head to Kinder in the fall. His school is one block away, so we will be walking to school together.<br />
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One big accomplishment for Fletch has been learning to ride his bike without training wheels. It started off with quite a bit of tears, but then he just took off. We have been trying to get more practice in.<br />
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Fletch turned 5 in June, and we celebrated with friends by having a pool party. We had a good time splashing around. Fletch has had swim lessons and he is on the verge of swimming without floats.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/14534736062" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_5000.JPG by Jenn Shock, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_5000.JPG" height="266" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/14534736062_558467cf9b_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Wyatt turned 2 in May. We celebrated with all his toddler pals at home with some Mickey Mouse treats. The boy loves him some Mickey Mouse.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/14006219177" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_4985.JPG by Jenn Shock, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_4985.JPG" height="266" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7422/14006219177_ff61f33b21_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It seems like once he turned 2 his vocabulary exploded. He loves to talk, to EVERYONE. He is a social butterfly. He had his first trip to the ER after falling off his chair and whacking his eyebrow on the way down. It was not a very big boo-boo, but all the blood had us a little freaked out. He has a tiny scar, but they say chicks dig scars right? He had all the nurses melting with his "Hi friends!" and those dimples.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/14377533914" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="First trip to the ER for this one. I am sure it won't be the last. by Jenn Shock, on Flickr"><img alt="First trip to the ER for this one. I am sure it won't be the last." height="400" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5504/14377533914_dafa074825_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Wyatt really seems to be a man's man. He loves tools and sports. He'll gladly give high fives and fist bumps upon request. He even loves to point out the beer aisle at the grocery store. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/14173644767" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="20140606_113136 by Jenn Shock, on Flickr"><img alt="20140606_113136" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2907/14173644767_c1ecb2c493_z.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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It is a lot of fun watching him grow. It's easy to see I have two different boys now, unlike when Wyatt was a baby and I was convinced someone photocopied Fletch. </div>
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I completely forgot to introduce the newest member of our family! Please give a warm welcome to our new pup Pepper. </div>
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We adopted our adorable mutt from the Austin Humane Society in April. A good friend of ours is a volunteer there and she was happy to help us find our new family pet. How could you say no to that face? She is about a year old, but still a puppy through and through. We did some obedience classes last month, but we are still training her. She's got a lot of love to give :) </div>
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I have been job hunting since May, but it seems like I won't be landing an art teacher job this year. I am a little disappointed, but I am throwing myself into the school system a different way. I am already a board member of the PTA at Fletch's school. Hopefully that will help me get my foot in the door and I will also get to be involved at Fletch's school. Even though I had planned on working, I am looking forward to some good one-on-one time with my lil' guy Wyatt.</div>
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I have been staying busy in the craft room, knitting and hanging with my favorite ladies, my mom's group. We recently took a weekend trip to the lake and had way too much fun. These women light up my life. They say it takes a village, and these people are my village. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/14474225194" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_8166332506694 by Jenn Shock, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8166332506694" height="400" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2904/14474225194_7f272f5698_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yeah, that's me in a bikini. I have lost about 20 pounds since February thanks to a friendly challenge and boot camp classes. I am feeling like a rock star, so I decided to challenge myself further by signing up for a sprint triathlon in September. </div>
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I hope your summer has been great so far! We still have a lot to look forward to around here. We'll be headed to the beach next month and Fletch has a few summer camps he is attending. Then Aunt Donna and Uncle Craig are coming for a visit during Labor Day weekend. We like to keep busy around here! (and we also love visitors)</div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-34300253275447992014-07-10T01:24:00.000-04:002014-07-10T01:24:04.977-04:00Fletch is Five<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Another year has flown by, and my pre-schooler has graduated and turned 5. He will be going to kinder this fall! Here is our time-honored traditional birthday video. I am still very fond of making these for the boys. I hope I can swing this till they are 18 :)<br />
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-69839924582251932492014-05-22T12:32:00.000-04:002014-05-22T12:33:48.253-04:00Wyatt's 2nd Year Birthday Video<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gd2BiuqIiVg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-10124443673946225022014-01-27T12:34:00.001-05:002014-07-07T12:36:53.822-04:00Better Late Than Never<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mommy was a total slacker and did not get Fletch's 4th birthday video done until recently. I had a file on my computer with all the pictures and video to use, and even picked the song. Somehow I lost track and this video did not get put on my list of tasks. I recently finished Wyatt's 365 book, so I figured while I was on a roll I better get Fletch's video done before his next birthday.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/85001041" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/85001041">Fletch is Four</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1752256">Jennifer Shock</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</center>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-64114159240855586672013-12-08T23:37:00.000-05:002013-12-12T14:36:30.086-05:002013 Christmas Letter Shock Family Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="goog_1803863969"></span><span id="goog_1803863970"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We officially moved to Austin on January 9th, and have been keeping Austin weird ever since. Our transition went smoothly, without any hiccups along the way. We are living in north Austin, tinkering on the edge of Round Rock. Our neighborhood and surrounding area has a lot to offer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jenn has been busy chasing after the boys and managing the household. There have also been a lot of creative endeavors underway. Jenn found an amazing mom’s group that is very active. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/10056825374_7df612c188_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/10056825374_7df612c188_b.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We all are happy to be settled in our new home in Austin. We have been exploring the area, especially all the great food and music. Even though we are up north, we still like to venture into the heart of Austin. Whenever anyone visits, we use it as an excuse to go check out something in town. We took Uncle Matthew and Uncle Chris to Barton Springs this summer, and we have introduced both grandparents to Torchy’s Tacos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Shocks - Atom, Jenn, Fletch & Wyatt</span></div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-6179479384160744662013-05-31T12:38:00.000-04:002013-05-31T12:38:14.212-04:00One year of Pre School: DONE! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Fletch has completed his first year of pre-school. However, he did not finish where he started. When Fletch started school we were still in Virginia, wondering if we would ever get to Texas. He started school at Good Shepherd with Mrs. Barron.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of school 9.10.12</td></tr>
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We really loved that school, but we always knew Austin was our goal! So once we got to Austin in January, we had to find Fletch a new school. We found a school very close to our home that had an opening for Tuesday and Thursday. Fletch had been going MWF. I had to take what I could get, so we enrolled him at Kids Day Out. </div>
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Fletch finished his school year with Mrs. Machaela's class on May 23rd, 2013. </div>
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Although he is going to miss a few friends, he will be starting at a new school in June. That's right, school is NOT out for summer! He will at least have the month of August off, but I want to keep his active mind engaged. And I'm not gonna lie, 4 hours to get stuff done isn't bad either. </div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-87577942032322461752013-05-16T14:43:00.000-04:002014-07-07T12:37:52.058-04:00Wabbit Season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjzh4ShrA6Vo2SprYgPHp7Z2Zs22tyA3Z6HRjjo6cVcYXlJMVbpQPC_ZHjhttfew1t7W3lw3QojKuHNrItSfvO3wV_rzV6Rh1_YGi_iQ11g95V71_DXQQBbmbWuKPuPS_3oNxsqVbDjwBaIC1xKP7OTBnJ1Cfz_MIWox9ZSuWg=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjzh4ShrA6Vo2SprYgPHp7Z2Zs22tyA3Z6HRjjo6cVcYXlJMVbpQPC_ZHjhttfew1t7W3lw3QojKuHNrItSfvO3wV_rzV6Rh1_YGi_iQ11g95V71_DXQQBbmbWuKPuPS_3oNxsqVbDjwBaIC1xKP7OTBnJ1Cfz_MIWox9ZSuWg=" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhSqXDrcJlpZlPqxW4rthPh0JVfzPdGx_m4TbZhNLKOV2tCIvMpzUh3bEUEGx4rlJBwShwLXxrt2IZ6aVqLo3Y_G-fC1fwkHqLBJO1d1mAJ4DsOxfDRUdVudGbZ-8XQUBJnVDhEOm0C92m9i0m8S4G8DcVpKAYow03Hrr6CujI=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhSqXDrcJlpZlPqxW4rthPh0JVfzPdGx_m4TbZhNLKOV2tCIvMpzUh3bEUEGx4rlJBwShwLXxrt2IZ6aVqLo3Y_G-fC1fwkHqLBJO1d1mAJ4DsOxfDRUdVudGbZ-8XQUBJnVDhEOm0C92m9i0m8S4G8DcVpKAYow03Hrr6CujI=" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
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Gotta get a pic of the kids in rabbit ears every Easter, right? The boys had two Easter egg hunts this year. One with our mom's group and one in our very own backyard! Now that we have one (a backyard), I think this will be a yearly thing. Wyatt was about as interested as Fletch was on his first egg hunt. Fletch however, had enough excitement for the both of them. Here are some of the best pics from both hunts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhiDK2otwyAIr3JLCTEGGqKm3v7H8DlokVWRdZ8H-Ta5awzljKAcnbdESGv-WUDagmdLOEMQtXM6sRu578t-LnO2enL6wE2zXQFHHB5c40NeTb3EbKAtU6argJTDAbvDAFlu7qnyYzuWw6QvesGVJWtxe3SzOVskDeBMHSd4Ow=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhiDK2otwyAIr3JLCTEGGqKm3v7H8DlokVWRdZ8H-Ta5awzljKAcnbdESGv-WUDagmdLOEMQtXM6sRu578t-LnO2enL6wE2zXQFHHB5c40NeTb3EbKAtU6argJTDAbvDAFlu7qnyYzuWw6QvesGVJWtxe3SzOVskDeBMHSd4Ow=" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiCBU0E7WMqNB4f5bnv6cAhyphenhyphenUYBKwFNmnwXMxVlrBnpkgpNMsFkVIQi-XanTKQtbM_i8KDZd4cNbqgOWK15JGi2_hCrzxZ9XaiFBEnXFU70vNwMgtehRbKz9arLZj5dW8VA9CFBwKoIHun10UIzwqTKdZIDiltlMDGD6svu9tE=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiCBU0E7WMqNB4f5bnv6cAhyphenhyphenUYBKwFNmnwXMxVlrBnpkgpNMsFkVIQi-XanTKQtbM_i8KDZd4cNbqgOWK15JGi2_hCrzxZ9XaiFBEnXFU70vNwMgtehRbKz9arLZj5dW8VA9CFBwKoIHun10UIzwqTKdZIDiltlMDGD6svu9tE=" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
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Wow...we really have not been keeping up with this little family blog of ours, have we? As bad as we have been, we cannot let one very important event go under the radar. Wyatt is one! That's right, we kept him alive for his first year. He's on his own now. Just kidding!<br />
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Here is Wyatt's first annual birthday video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/66340082" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/66340082">Wyatt's 1st Birthday</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1752256">Jennifer Shock</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Wyatt,</div>
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You are the perfect bookend to our family. We forgot all the wonder and amazement that came with a new bundle of baby boy, but we are so glad you are here to remind us. I love watching you grow and take new steps every day. We all love you more than you will ever know.</div>
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Mama, Daddy & Fletcher</div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-23729744143876101162013-03-04T17:33:00.001-05:002013-03-06T11:36:45.281-05:00The New Shock Abode<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well hello everyone! Long time no blog. What is our excuse this time you ask? Oh just moving half way across the country and unpacking hundreds of boxes, that's all.<br />
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We found a great house to rent in North Austin in the Brushy Creek area. It is very family friendly, with tons of parks and outdoorsy things to do. We live on a little cul-de-sac that is affectionally known as "The Cove." We officially moved in on the 9th of January. Here is a tour of the house with some before and after pics.<br />
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Let's start in the master bedroom...not so empty, but not so filled.<br />
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And now it has a real bed! We are going to ditch the awesome modern red bedding and go for something different. We are eventually going to paint the room grey too. It's a little weird having grey carpet and tan walls. We have a big empty corner that may house a cute loveseat or maybe even an exercise machine. Who knows!</div>
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Moving on to the family room which is attached to the kitchen...</div>
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Nice and empty before, but now we have a new blue couch and rug. We also resurrected the Shock baby corral! We had to go buy some of those foam tiles to line the floor, so Wyatt does not crack his tiny skull on the tile floor. We also plan on getting a TV that is bigger instead of the tiny one that we currently have. Baby steps...</div>
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We were borrowing the landlord's kitchen table, partly because he didn't have room for it, but mainly because we sold our old one in DC. However, it was a counter-height table. Combine that with a not-so-graceful 3 year old, and you get a dangerous situation. When I was getting a quote for health insurance, Fletch fell off the chair, right as the sales rep asked me when I needed it to be effective. I told him, "How about 5 minutes ago?"Luckily Fletch was okay, but after that we knew that table had to go. So we found a new kitchen table off of good ol' Craigslist for a steal. Now everyone can eat safely at the table again!</div>
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I have to admit I was a little frightened of the lack of cabinet and counter space, but it seems to work regardless. I don't even have to store things on top of my cabinets! We have a lot of shelf space in our laundry room for the random things that do not fit in the kitchen. And once Wyatt is done with bottles, I will have even more counter space. Woo!</div>
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Let's move on to the living room and dining room. Here they are in their empty toy-less glory (ok, maybe just a couple of toys):</div>
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Now I say dining room, because technically that is what I would like it to be one day. For now it is Fletch's demolition area.</div>
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We also need to fill up some of that shelf space! I plan on filling it with family pictures. I just need to start hunting for frames. The bottom two shelves will still hold all the boys toys, but I plan on getting more of those colorful bins to make it look a little less chaotic.</div>
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For the living room, we got some new red leather couches and a rug I absolutely adore:</div>
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We still need a lot more rugs! Our feet are still not used to the hardwood and tile floors. I am also going to make a custom valance for that solitary window in the living room. I signed up for a class on Craftsy! I will probably make some for the three skinny windows in our bedroom too. I also have to paint a picture of Wyatt to go along with our giant Fletch painting. I think we will hang all my family artwork in this room. So the drawing of Daddy and my custom pin-up Atom got for me will all go on the wall eventually.</div>
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Here is my work-in-progress entry wall. I want to get a family name sign to put in the blank space on top as well as repaint that tree. I don't really like the bar being on this wall either. We have a lower console table in the family room holding our tiny TV, but I think I will put that here instead. Where to put the bar is the question! </div>
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Alright, now let's head upstairs. As we go up, you can see my cross collection, otherwise known as the stairway to heaven.</div>
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First let's check out the empty 3rd room/guest room/craft room:</div>
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This is the biggest room upstairs, so it has the most jobs. Right now it's not in tip-top, picture worthy shape.</div>
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We are gonna keep the futon in bed-mode. Right now Atom and Fletch are building a LEGO set, so the card table is out and covered. I am in the process of projects which is why the futon is covered. </div>
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We took our old CD racks and turned them into storage shelfs for all my sewing notions and some of my craft stuff. (There is still tons in the closet).</div>
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I like having my fabric out so I can remember what I have, although technically not all my fabric is out.</div>
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So let's see the boys rooms!</div>
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Here is Wyatt's room empty:</div>
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And now it is a nursery :) I have to make some more art work for Wyatt. I was still in art school when Fletch was in my tummy, so he got a lot of artwork for his room. I'm also holding off on picking any kind of theme for Wyatt's room, because we may get some awesome bunk beds and have the boys room together. Once we know for sure, I'll start working on that.</div>
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Fletch's room is next. He has the room attached to the 3rd room through the jack and jill bathroom.</div>
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And here it is all filled up! We finally got him a little dresser (another Craigslist steal) so we can start teaching him to pull out his own clothes and get dressed. He still has his firetruck bed. We just need to get a hammock for all his stuffed animals that are currently living on the floor in the corner.</div>
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We set up our bookshelves in the upstairs hallway to hold all the board games and Atom's LEGO sets. We also moved all of the children's books out there too, otherwise they just turn into a huge mess in Fletch's room and eventually they will both be reading at night.</div>
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So that concludes our tour. We are settling in, but things are not finished by any means. We still need things here and there. There is art and pictures to be hung on the walls. We also are going to do a little painting. I have been doing a lot of DIY projects and have many more in the works. I will probably be blogging about those on <a href="http://chroniccatastrophe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my blog</a> though. </div>
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Luckily we have a great landlord who has given us liberty to improve some things. For example, I can't stand kitchen cabinets without hardware to grab on to. In this kitchen, they are absolutely necessary on some of the cabinets to avoid pinching fingers. So we added some knobs, and it is amazing how just that little thing improved our kitchen. Since we will be here a few years, we don't mind paying for a few things to make us happy.</div>
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Thanks to my new backyard, I have the opportunity to garden. Now that spring is upon us, that is where you will find me for the next few weeks. I have to get with the experts, (and by that I mean the internet) to make sure I do not kill my rose bushes or fruit trees. </div>
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Now that most of the major stuff is done around here, we have been venturing out. We went to the Kite Festival at Zilker park yesterday. The weekend before, we headed to Austin's ren-fest, Sherwood Forrest. I'll be back soon to share those experiences!</div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-19041422000811260162013-01-04T16:01:00.001-05:002013-01-04T16:01:24.610-05:002012 Year In Review<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*** FROM OUR HOLIDAY LETTER. SOME ITEMS ARE OUT OF DATE ***</span></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9987287453841418" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2012 has been a great year for this Shock family!</span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In January, Jenn received her Bachelors of Art degree, and graduated magna cum laude. She is officially licensed to teach art to the masses. However, she will not start teaching until Wyatt is a little older.</span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speaking of Wyatt, we welcomed our newest family member on May 14th. Wyatt Rhys (pronounced Reece) arrived right on time and has brought joy into this home from day one. Wyatt is an over achiever. His first two teeth arrived at five months and now this baby is trying to crawl! He is having fun trying all kinds of new foods too. No wonder he never sleeps! </span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fletch started preschool in September. He has been attending Good Shepherd Pre School and he loves it. We love to hear about all the fun things he does and what he learned that day. He has many best friends in his class. Fletch also enjoyed playing soccer in his soccer tots class. Running around is one of his specialties. </span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Atom has continued to work for Tetra Tech, but has been brushing up on his tech-savviness. He has taken some weekend classes to brush up on his Java programming skills. This will hopefully help him land a new job when we move to Austin.</span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s right...we are headed to Texas! Our condo has been sold and on the 21st, a giant moving truck is coming to take all of our stuff to Austin. We have been planning to move to Austin for years and it is hard to believe it is finally happening. We cannot wait to be closer to family and enjoy all the live music and culture Austin has to offer. It will be fun to explore Austin as a family. We hope to help keep Austin weird. </span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just like the song, we’ll be home for Christmas. We look forward to a big family gathering for the holidays. Wherever you end up this holiday season, we hope you are surrounded by the people you love most. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!</span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Love, </span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Shocks - Atom, Jenn, Fletch & Wyatt</span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">P.S. We hope to have lots of people visit us in Austin. </span></span></b>groovesockethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193763711070289794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-13703349158990847342013-01-02T16:09:00.000-05:002013-01-02T16:10:59.311-05:00On the Move<br />
We <a href="http://goo.gl/zrZZf" target="_blank">announced our move to Austin</a> early last month. With that came a job search for me and house hunting for the family. I'm happy to announce that we've found both - a new job and a new house. I started my job search at the beginning of December. After three weeks I had four job interviews and received two offers. I actually cancelled one of the interviews as my schedule wouldn't allow for it and I had already received the offers. I'll be working for the <a href="http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/" target="_blank">Texas Commission on Environmental Quality</a> as a web developer. It's the same job I've been doing for the past 13 years, just with a new employer in a different part of the country.<br />
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We are renting a four bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, two car garage, 2400+ sq ft <a href="http://goo.gl/OniGD" target="_blank">single family home</a> on a corner lot on a <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/T67bX" target="_blank">cul-de-sac</a> in the Round Rock suburb of North Austin. It's an awesome house. It's over a thousand square feet bigger than our condo in Virginia. We need the room as the family had outgrown the condo. The house has a fenced in backyard so the boys have a safe place to run around. There's also an outdoor fireplace and built in grill, so the adults can enjoy the backyard and we can entertain outside all year long. The garage is detached, which totally fascinates me but I don't know why. It'll be nice not having neighbors who share "common area". I'm planning on commuting by bike because public transportation in Austin isn't as robust as it is in DC, I need the exercise, and I want to maintain our single car family status. <br />
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In other good news, The Mortgage Debt Relief Act was extended through 2013 as part of the Fiscal Cliff legislation. That means we won't be taxed on the forgiven debt of our short sale. We were hoping to close by the end of 2012 so as to avoid the taxation, since we didn't know if the MDRA was going to get extended. We haven't closed yet due to circumstances out of our control, but with the extension, the pressure is off.<br />
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I was hoping to ride all this good fortune into a fantasy football championship, but that didn't happen. I have the highest winning percentage in my league over the last 5 seasons, I've been in the playoffs six straight years but have a 1-11 post season record. In the 12 years I've been playing in the league that I'm commissioner of, my best finish has been third place. :(groovesockethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193763711070289794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-45726290872985410122012-12-06T16:07:00.000-05:002012-12-07T12:39:08.337-05:00We are Texas boundThe Shock family is relocating to Austin, TX at the end of the month. We've been talking about making this move ever since we got married. At the time it was a dream, something we'd get serious about later. The timing wasn't right then either. As the years came and went, we got more serious about the idea. There were two things we wanted to get out of the way before we got into full blown "moving to another city" mode. We decided to have Jennifer finish her degree at Marymount. She graduated in December 2011 but was pregnant with Wyatt at the time, so we decided to have the baby in Virginia. Wyatt was born in May. After a couple of months getting into a two kid rhythm, we got serious about moving to Austin.<br />
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Why Austin? Well, Atom has lived in the DC metro area for 13 years and Jennifer for 10. It's time for a change. We want to get away from the uptight hustle-bustle of the DC metro area. Jennifer is from San Antonio, TX and most of her family is there, so we wanted to be closer to them. Our family of four has outgrown the condo we live in. The DC area has a high cost of living, consistently in the top 10. The cost of living in Austin is much lower. It helps that Texas is one of seven states without an income tax. In a mostly conservative Texas, Austin is liberal and progressive politically, socially and in culture, arts and music. We love Austin's friendly, accepting culture and want to help "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Austin_Weird" target="_blank">Keep Austin Weird</a>". It's the place we want to raise our family, live our lives and grow old together. It also helps that the city is the self-proclaimed "live music capital of the world".</div>
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We short sold our house in Virginia in September. The short sale process takes about three months. The moving truck is coming the weekend before Christmas. We'll stay with relatives in San Antonio until we find a single family house to rent. Atom is currently job hunting.<br />
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We've made lots of great friends and memories in DC. And they won't be forgotten. We welcome all friends and family to come visit often. The Shock Family Circus is taking the show on the road. We're excited to start a new chapter of our lives.</div>
groovesockethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193763711070289794noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-86870241364938839392012-10-27T18:03:00.001-04:002012-12-06T14:53:47.700-05:00Wild FlowerClick the link to hear the song "Wild Flower" that I recorded as a gift to Jennifer for our fifth anniversary: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/ashock/wild-flower?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=blogger&utm_content=http://soundcloud.com/ashock/wild-flower">Wild Flower</a>. The song was originally recorded by the Cult. Written by Billy Duffy and Ian Ashbury. Thanks to my friend <a href="http://www.soundzania.com/" target="_blank">Scott Flory</a> for producing, engineering and playing on the song and recording it at his SSounds studio.groovesockethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193763711070289794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-71025849661040633012012-09-20T13:59:00.000-04:002012-09-20T15:41:07.453-04:00They Grow So Fast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our boys will not stop growing. We are not too upset about it though. I know a lot of moms who are sad when they have to pack away clothes that are outgrown or when milestones have been reached. I on the other hand get really excited. To me it means that our boys are healthy and growing just like they should.<br />
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September is turning out to be a big month for milestones! Fletch started Pre-K on September 10th. We enrolled him at <a href="http://www.acswebnetworks.com/cotgsburke/preschool" target="_blank">Good Shepherd Preschool</a> and he is going three days a week (MWF) for three hours. </div>
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On day one, he was apprehensive. Fletch did not really want to go into class without me. Since I was with him on his meet-the-teacher day, I think he thought I would be coming along with him to class. He did not want to go into class, so his teacher Mrs. Barron let him know that he would be making play-dough that day. After the mention of the magical stuff that mama never lets him play with, he was sold. Away he went into the classroom for his first day of school. Mrs. Barron let us all know that the second day is usually the hardest since the kids figure out that they are in for the long haul. </div>
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She was right! The second day Fletch did not want me to go and he did not want to go to class. He told me he wanted to go to the potty instead. Now considering how much he fights us when we ask him to go sometimes, it says a lot that he would rather go potty than to class. I gave him lots of hugs and reassurance and Mrs. Barron told him he would be learning about faces that day. I started singing a Yo Gabba Gabba song about faces and he decided that he would like to stay and learn about them. Whew!</div>
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By day three, Fletch let me know in the car on the way to school that I need to take him to school and then I should go home. I asked him if it was okay to pick him up later. He agreed and said that I could pick him up and take him home so he can play with his toys. Since then he has been very excited to go to school each day. I made the mistake of showing him the snack I got for our assigned day, because once I showed him he couldn't wait to break into the bag and eat it. Luckily I was able to keep the class snack from being eaten beforehand. </div>
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He is in Mrs. Barron's Frog class. Each kiddo is assigned an animal. They have that animal sticker on the back of their chair, coat hook and lily pad so they know where to go. Fletch has been assigned as the monkey of the class! I could not think of a more appropriate animal for him. We love asking him about his day at school and about his new friends. </div>
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Wyatt had a couple of milestones of his own this month. Not only did he turn four months old this month, he decided to start rolling over from his back to his tummy. </div>
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Now I cannot get this kid to stay on his back! He is one rolly-polly baby. </div>
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His hands are constantly in his drooly little mouth too. At his four month appointment the doc looked in his mouth. He's not teething yet, but might be pre-teething. I remember Fletch was pretty drooly at this age as well.</div>
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Wyatt also got to watch his first Redskins game with Daddy and Fletch. He is well on his way to becoming a football fanatic. </div>
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Wyatt is now sixteen and a half pounds! He's in the 87th percentile for weight. He is wearing six-month pj's too. We are so thankful to have two happy, healthy growing boys!</div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-35490062836876169662012-09-09T00:32:00.000-04:002012-09-09T00:32:12.559-04:00Never before seen home movies and family photos<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Hj2nvrj5Mtk?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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Fletch has gotten really good at riding his bike. In this video he rides through a cone course that he set up himself and does some fancy maneuvering. I've uploaded some never before seen videos on the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/theshockz" target="_blank">family YouTube channel</a> taken on my phone over the past couple years. Over the next few weeks I'll be uploading lots of never before seen pics taken on my phone to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/" target="_blank">family Flickr page</a>. I've already started so take a look. Stay tuned!groovesockethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193763711070289794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-67472512249429759212012-08-30T11:24:00.000-04:002012-09-20T15:42:58.823-04:00Going the Distance...for Ice Cream!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I get tons of daily deal emails every day, sometimes it just gets ridiculous. We used to go a little crazy and buy them all the time, but now we choose to be more frugal. However, when I saw some really cheap tickets to Turkey Hill Experience, I figured we wouldn't be breaking the bank.<br />
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Turkey Hill is a Pennsylvania creamery. Down here in Virginia, we get their ice cream and their various iced teas. I have to say that both are pretty yummy. I am a sucker for ice cream and sweet tea. So when I saw the opportunity to go there and check it out, I said "Heck yeah!"<br />
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Turkey Hill is about a 2 hour drive from our place. We decided on last Sunday, and what do you know...it was raining! Apparently we need to take a road trip to the midwest, because everywhere we drive to, it rains. We could eliminate the drought in just a few road trips! Even with the rain, it was not too terrible of a drive. Once we got into Pennsylvania, I started seeing sunflowers everywhere, even at the rest stop.<br />
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When we pulled up to the place, I was surprised that it was not part of the actual Turkey Hill factory. The Turkey Hill Experience is in a big building, which is shared with other businesses. This did not deter our desire for ice cream. </div>
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Once inside, there was a lot of reading to do. There is a lot of history about the area and the creamery. There is no official tour, it is done at your own pace and in whatever order you want. In our case, it was done at the pace and choosing of our 3-year old. We tried some of their different beverages first. I was surprised that their tasting consisted of one employee pouring little cups from jugs in a mini-fridge behind her. I guess I was expecting something like they have at World of Coke. I tried the cherry-pomegranate black tea. YUM.</div>
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Then on to the most important part, ICE CREAM. They did not have every flavor available (BUMMER) but what they had was yummy. I tried the Philly Graham Slam on my first go round, then on the way out I had the chocolate chip cookie dough. I really enjoyed them both, but they don't put enough cookie dough in their version. I don't think anyone can beat Ben & Jerry's cookie dough ice cream. (*Mental note...see if Ben & Jerry's has a tour)</div>
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The rest of the tour was a lot less uneventful. They had these touch screen area where you can design your own ice cream flavor and name it. Mine is called French Monkey. It has chocolate, hazelnut and bananas. It reminds me of the banana Nutella crepes we had when we were in Paris.</div>
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What would have been incredible is if they could make this for you so you could actually try it. Maybe that's asking a lot, but it would be pretty sweet.</div>
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There were lots of other ice cream making related activities throughout the tour, including milking a fake cow. Fletch was probably confused that water was coming out of the cow and not milk. </div>
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It did not take us long to do the tour, which is why this place is really only good to do if you are already in the area. We had planned to hit up the train museum that was nearby, but we did not leave the house early enough. Since it was Sunday, all the Amish markets were closed too. It was raining the whole day, so that probably wouldn't have been all that fun anyway. It would also be a great place to stop if you were on a road trip through the area. So we basically spent 4 hours in the car for an ice cream run, but hey, we got out of the house on a rainy day.</div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-42603078103299145972012-08-21T10:20:00.003-04:002012-08-21T13:24:02.974-04:00Laying Down the Law<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been meaning to make Fletch a chore chart or "visual schedule" as they are now called for some time. I think his crazy 3-year old self needs some structure and visual cues of what he needs to get done each day. There are so many ideas out there on the interwebs, and I just could not make a decision on how I wanted to proceed.<br />
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We were at the big box toy store to replace Fletch's bubble gun, when I decided to check and see if they had chore charts. After finding an employee that actually knew where things were in the store, she directed me to the right place where I came across the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Magnetic-Responsibility/dp/B000NTZL7U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345557054&sr=8-1&keywords=melissa+and+doug+chore+chart" target="_blank">Melissa & Doug Chore Chart</a>. I am a sucker for a cute design, plus I knew this would save me a ton of time. I am a serious DIY-er, but now that I have a 3-month old in the house, time is a precious commodity.<br />
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So far so good...<br />
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There are other chore magnets included that aren't shown, but those are geared towards older children. I like that they included stuff for the little guys and the big guys, that way we can adapt as Fletch gets older. They also included 2 blank white magnets. I used one to include potty goals. </div>
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If Fletch gets all 7 magnets for the day, he gets a quarter to put in his piggy bank and we'll do something special. For instance, last Friday's special treat was a glow in the dark bath. </div>
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I had bought some glow-stick bracelets from the Target dollar section, not knowing what exactly I was going to do with them. On a whim, I remembered a Pinterest post. You just add a few to the bath tub and turn off the lights. Fletch thought they were totally awesome and played with them all night (and even took them to bed). They might have kept him up longer than I had liked, but oh well. We also purchased some glow in the dark bubbles, so that may be his treat for tonight.</div>
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In addition to needing some guided responsibilities...we really needed to reign in the TV time. I have been bad about letting him watch more than he should since Wyatt came into the picture (especially on those mornings when everyone was up way earlier than they should be). We would say "OK Fletch, this is your last show" and he would agree, but then of course later he would ask for another show, "Mommy...I want another show. This is my last show." </div>
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In order to limit our TV time, I have instituted TV Tokens! </div>
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(I know TVs haven't looked like that in a long time, but I'm a sucker for nostalgia)</div>
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I knew those canned juice top lids would come in handy eventually! I did a little doodle and laminated them, then stuck them on to the lids. Fletch gets 4 tokens per day. I explained that once he uses up his tokens, there will be no more shows for the day. He doesn't quite understand how to spread them out throughout the day, but he hasn't thrown any fits about running out of tokens...yet. It's very easy to just say "No more tokens, no more TV." Eventually he'll catch on, and will save some for later in the day. In any case, it makes things clear cut and eliminates me from being the bad guy. </div>
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So that's what's new with Fletch. He starts pre-school in 3 weeks! I can't believe it. I know he is going to have a blast and I know I am going to enjoy my 3 hours of time with just one kid. </div>
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As for Wyatt....this boy just hit his 3-month growth spurt and he JUST KEEPS GETTING BIGGER! I know that is what babies are supposed to do, but jeesh. </div>
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The boy is stretching out his 3-month clothes and we are about to put him in size 3 diapers! Wyatt even slept from 9 to 6am a couple of nights this week. That was AWESOME. Hopefully that continues :) </div>
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We are headed on an adventure this weekend, so stay tuned for some more family antics!</div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-31749220721089343112012-08-20T23:58:00.001-04:002012-08-22T11:23:12.612-04:00Old Man Sidney Had a Farm...E-I-E-I-O<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We spent my birthday weekend down on the farm! Atom's first cousin once removed, Sidney, invited us to his farm in Grantsville, MD. He and his wife Carolyn own a farm which is tucked away in the hillsides of Maryland, but very close to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It is very close to Cumberland which is right at the point where Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia meet.<br />
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We drove up Friday night after Atom got home. It never fails, whenever we jump in the car for a road trip, it rains! Luckily we arrived safe and sound (and in good time). We had no idea the beauty we would wake up to the next day since we traveled at night.<br />
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We were blessed with a gorgeous day. The air was crisp and cool and the sun was out all day. I was a little sad to find out we couldn't ride the horses, but we did get to see them up close and give them some head scratches.</div>
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The mare's name was Ginger and the stallion was Casanova. They are both rescue horses. If I were a horse, this would be the place I'd love to retire to. Heck, I'm not a horse and it's still a place I'd like to retire to.</div>
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Fletch and Sid took the tractor out for a spin. Fletch was a natural tractor driver. I think it comes from his hours of practice at home with his toy tractors. ;)</div>
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After a little down time, we went out into the garden to help Carolyn pick veggies from her amazing garden. Fletch had a good time digging for potatoes.</div>
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Carolyn was nice enough to send us home with lots of fresh veggies! We brought home tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, squash and zucchini. YUM!</div>
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Fletch could not ignore the giant mud puddle sitting by the side of the house. </div>
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Neither could Solace! I didn't get a picture of the dog wading through it because I was too concerned with trying to keep him from drinking the muddy water. Solace was in dog heaven. He wandered around the farm, but always managed to come back safely. </div>
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Wyatt was in charge of being the cute baby. He did a great job.</div>
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We had a yummy dinner that night and ate some of the veggies we picked earlier that day. You know we had a good time, when it only took Fletch 5 minutes to pass out at bedtime. It was a short weekend visit, but it was so nice to get away to such a beautiful place. </div>
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Since we drove up in the dark, we didn't know what we were missing. I had to snap a few pics on the way home!</div>
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Many thanks to Sid and Carolyn for showing us an amazing time at the farm! </div>
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Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-55044166909810263722012-07-12T16:51:00.004-04:002012-08-21T23:14:02.515-04:00Baby BooksBaby books....yeah, we've got them. Ask me if Fletch's is finished? Of course not, he's still my baby :) And what about Wyatt's? Ha ha ha ha! It's on my to-do list. I have the scrapbook to get it started, but have not put any pages in yet. YET!<br />
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I had been debating in my mind, what to put in these books and at what age to stop. I have decided to cap it off at 2 years old, otherwise it would end up being a pretty thick baby book if I kept going to 18. So since solving that part of my mental dilema, I had to start focusing on filling it up. I feel like I should at least finish Fletch's before I start Wyatt's. So I got cracking.<br />
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Since Fletch had two 1st Birthday celebrations, each one needed it's own page.<br />
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I also did a page for his first bike. I'm going to have to make a page for his big boy bike that he got for his birthday this year. Technically, he's 3 now and I was going to stop at 2, but there's no stopping me!</div>
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I also did a page for his first haircut!<br />
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Now that Costco is doing books in a 12x12 format, I just might make copies for the kids when they are older, that way I can still keep my hands on the originals. I am also planning on doing a yearly book for the whole family, keeping track of all the adventures and happenings of the year. Now I just have to decide if I want to back track to 2009 or just start with 2012!</div>
<br />Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-14285782266518363682012-07-03T14:25:00.001-04:002012-07-03T14:37:15.564-04:00Fletch riding his new bike<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HuBSFovNtYU?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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Fletch got a new bike for his birthday.groovesockethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193763711070289794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-71264980953248375522012-06-28T09:33:00.000-04:002012-07-03T14:36:57.389-04:003 Oh 3, it's the magic number!There is a 3-year old living in our house! How did this happen? I know 3 comes after 2, but how did it get here so fast?<br />
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It took having another tiny little baby to make us realize just how big Fletch really is and appreciate how far he's come. This past year Fletch has amazed us as he learned the alphabet, to count and the best one of all....use the potty! We now hear "Please" and "Thank You" and admire the way Fletch treats others. Fletch is an amazing big brother to Wyatt. He loves to give him hugs and kisses and asks to hold him all the time. He has made me feel less guilty about bringing another baby into the mix. </div>
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Having a 3 year old is not all puppy dogs and rainbows of course. We also have some serious break-downs and fits of toddler rage. Luckily those don't usually last very long and don't require a straight jacket or exorcism. I've caught myself repeating some of the same phrases I used to hear my mother say, especially "I feel like a broken record!" It's a good thing Fletch is so darn cute. It helps us forget what a turd he can be :) But he's our turd and a polished one at that ;) </div>
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Fletcher,</div>
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You changed our life for the better when you came into the world. You keep us laughing with your funny conversations and observations. You constantly show us that your mind is a sponge, sometimes even by repeating something we probably shouldn't have said around you. You scare the you-know-what out of us as you all of a sudden start climbing up the jungle gyms like you've always known how. As you grow up, you are teaching us that we have to let go. No matter what we will always be here to kiss your boo-boo and make sure you feel loved. We have lots of adventures ahead and we can't wait to see how you tackle them. We love you so so much!</div>
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Mama & Daddy</div>
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And what you've been waiting for...the annual birthday celebratory video:</div>
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<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/43929070" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/43929070">Fletch Turns 3</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1752256">Jennifer Shock</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</center>Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-52557473404982112802012-06-13T17:31:00.000-04:002012-07-03T14:29:33.099-04:00Our Family is CompleteIn case you haven't heard...we have a new baby! That's right, Wyatt Rhys Shock came into the world on May 14th, 2012, weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds 5 ounces. He was 21 1/4 inches long. We were not expecting such a big baby! It probably explains why I felt so much more this pregnancy, while he was in and coming out.<br />
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I started having contractions around 4:30pm on the 14th. I was just sitting on the couch reading when they hit. I had a few false alarms, but these were way more intense and continued to get even more so. Luckily Atom was home and done working for the day. We started calling in the cavalry to make sure Fletch and Solace were taken care of, dropped them off with the Tompkins (thanks again guys!) and then headed to the hospital. It was about 6:30 when I got checked in. I was at 3.5 cm with regular contractions, so I didn't get sent home this time! It took some time to get my epidural because everyone decided to have a baby at the same time. However, I still had a lot of sensation even with an epidural. I almost felt like it wasn't working, but apparently I was just progressing very quickly. At 10 pm I was at 5 cm, and when the nurse checked again at 11 I was at 10 cm! So it was time to push that baby out, and out he came at 11:32 pm. The first thing everyone said was, "That's a big baby!" Not only was he big, he also decided to come out with his arm and elbow pointed up and across his body. Lucky for me, I did not end up with any bodily injury from the delivery. However, I am glad to say I won't have to do that again!<br />
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Wyatt had a full head of hair just like his big brother (and he still does). That's not where the similarity ends! Wyatt looks exactly like Fletch did when he was born! Check out the resemblance:<br />
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Isn't that crazy? I get to watch Fletch grow up all over again! Lucky for us, Wyatt ended up with dimples too :) At 4 weeks, I'm starting to see a little difference in their appearance, but I won't be fully convinced I'm not suffering from deja vu for a few more months, when Wyatt will start looking more like himself. </div>
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We are slowly adjusting to life with a baby again. I forgot about all those sleepless nights! Mother Nature probably does something to your brain to help you forget. Breastfeeding is going much better this time around, and Wyatt is all-bewbs-all-the-time. I am betting on an 11 pound baby this Friday at his 1 month appointment. It is hard to get used to the notion that life revolves around a baby again. We have gotten cabin fever more than once.</div>
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Fletch has been an amazing big brother so far. </div>
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He is very sweet to Wyatt, constantly giving him kisses and saying "Hi baybeeeee." He does not like it when Wyatt cries and usually demands I do something immediately. Sometimes he won't let Daddy help Wyatt and demands Mommy does it. I hope they end up being the best of friends. If not, at least we have these days to fondly look back on.</div>
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A 365 project is already underway for Wyatt. I couldn't possibly not do one for him, considering how great Fletch's turned out to be. I will probably have a hard time handing over their book to them when the time comes. I also have some major digi-scrapping to do for both Fletch and Wyatt's baby books. I did get around to making Wyatt's birth announcement that I will frame and hang in his room, like I did for Fletch.<br />
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There it is...our family is complete :)</div>
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<br />Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464414913713310152.post-38585753800906456392012-05-15T17:13:00.001-04:002012-07-03T14:30:10.798-04:00big brother holding little brother<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/7205582252/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5321/7205582252_a5c02ed309.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/7205582252/">big brother holding little brother</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chronic-shock/">chronic-shock</a>.</span></div>Mrs Chronic-Shockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992938877601871600noreply@blogger.com0