The Monster

I am so excited! Wednesday I got my first property referral call! I have been to less than 10 local properties and someone has already sent a prospect to me. I was able to find some good options for her, so I think it is going to be great! Woo-Hoo!

Tuesday I got a call from a property asking if I would like contribute to the goodie bags for their resident pool party… Let’s see, would I like to get my card and some marketing materials in the hands of people who currently live in an apartment?... You bet cha! That was exciting! So, I am having some things made up. The first official Apartment Monster items :)

There have been several luncheons in the last few weeks and I have just thoroughly enjoyed myself! I have run into several people I knew several years ago and it has been a blast catching up. Funny thing – I ran into someone who worked for us about 7 years ago and she was so wrinkled! Her eyes and around her mouth – Yikes! I came home and got back on my Avon regime. It was very motivating to see her! Anyway, it is a total different experience this time, and I am so excited about doing my own thing, and that I have retrospect to look back on. I really feel so blessed to have that past experience to look back on and be able to see what was good, what wasn’t so good and to come up with new ways to do things. The industry has changed a lot also, so it is still a challenge. I am happy and having fun!

15 Weeks Already!

Yesterday, Major was 15 weeks old. WOW! It has flown by! And he is getting so big, and acting like he will be rolling over soon. I have tried to get him to sleep in his bed this week, and he officially hates his bed. I laid him down, after I thought he was asleep, last night and I swear, it wasn’t 2 minutes and he was screaming. That child can go from happy to full on crying hysterical in nothing flat. I love his room, though. It really ended up super cute!

Summer Days

Friday we went to Hawaiian Falls water park in the Colony. I had a great time, and I think the kids did too! Our next door neighbors, Kelly, Cole, Chase and Alyssa and me and the boys all have season passes. Me and the boys have been every week but two this summer and we always have a blast. Anyway, Saturday is one of our other neighbors birthday. Brendan turned 9! He is a great little guy, and my boys play well with him. His mom is pretty sick and they are going to be moving to Oklahoma before school starts. Kelly and I thought it would be a fun opportunity to make some memories before they move, and a fun way to celebrate his birthday. Here are pictures from this day.

Pittard Update

We have been so busy the last two weeks! I don’t even know where to start, so I will work my way backwards. Michael and Mavrick are with my mom and dad in San Antonio. They went down yesterday and will come back on Thursday evening. They saw the Alamo yesterday and are going to Sea World today. I miss them, but have talked to them a few times on the phone. They are having a blast! Which is well deserved because other than going to the water park every week, they have been pretty bored this summer! Monday, I wrestled with Major all day. He hasn’t been feeling well and when he lays down flat, his nose gets very stuffy. He finally fell asleep right beside me, but I had to lay him down about 10 times that day and he would sleep for about 10 minutes then wake up crying. He starts to whine every few minutes and I have to pat him back into sleep. He is doing much better today. He is just so happy, I can’t help but be. He is finding his hands and holding on to things, which is just miraculous to him. It is so fun to watch him!

We had a pretty normal weekend. I had a meeting early Saturday morning, and Mark worked with Brian. On Sunday, Mark got called into work for about eight hours and I took Mavrick to golf. Major stayed with mom and dad because he was already feeling bad. I was (am) so tired that I fell asleep in a chair at the golf course! How embarrassing for me!

What else? Oh, week before last, I quit my job. I feel really good about it. I waited until I did feel good about it. I have decided to go back to locating and have started a new company called Apartment Monster. Mark designed me a logo that is wonderful! My business cards have come in and I have been out to see a few properties and to a locator luncheon at a property. I had a blast! It was so nice being out in front of people again. I have the advantage of retrospect from being in the business before. I have the advantage of not being under huge pressure to HAVE to make money. And I have the advantage of having a husband who has his own job that he enjoys and we don’t have all of our eggs in one basket! This is going to be good – I believe it and I receive the success God has coming to me!

Friday before last, me, mom, Michael and Mavrick traveled to Nacogdoches to get a new dog. I had been looking at local SPCA sites and they all took me to http://www.petfinder.com/ I found a precious little Chihuahua-Terrier mix that was 2 months old and weighed about 4.5 lbs. Their adoption fee was $30! Some of the local DFW groups wanted up to $250 for adoption, so I figured that even after driving to Nacogdoches, I would still not spend $250! My mom drove us in her car, do we didn’t even have to spend money on gas! However, she had kennel cough and worms… both of which have cleared up.

Last Wednesday, we went to see my grandfather, “Pop-paw” and his wife “Mee-maw.” It was the first time that they had seen Major. It was a nice visit. They loved Major! Pop-paw even said “I think you can just leave him here with us.” It was so cute! He held Major just about the entire time we were there. Mom asked him if he wanted her to take Major and he said “well, I think I can do as good a job as you can.” It was nice to see them.
And finally, Mark… as many of you know, he had a vasectomy about a month ago. Well, he is still in some pain. It is pitiful sad! We have made a big joke out of all of it, but I do feel sorry for him. He saw the Dr last Thursday and was basically told that he has an enlarged prostate and needs to “work it out.” Umm, ok. He is in so much pain that he is afraid to “work it out!” I’ve told him that I am happy to help him and I am very willing to do my part. He told me I may need to find a boyfriend. Oh, please! Do I look like I have time for another man?

My Twin Cousin, Cooper

From Major -

Last weekend I got to see my cousin, Cooper. My mom says we are Twins. I got a good look at him, and I don’t think she is right. We were born 13 hours apart, and he looks bigger than me. But the big thing is, I don’t remember sharing my space with him for nine months. I will admit, we are both good looking guys, and if there was anyone I wanted to be my twin, I would choose him. But I think mom is wrong on this one. Oh well… at least they don’t dress us in the same clothes…yet!

The Other July Birthday

Sunday, we went to Christy and Brian’s house to celebrate Brian’s birthday, which was July 1st. We always have a good time over there. It is usually them (4), us (5), mom & dad (2), Brian’s parents (2), his aunt (1), and both sisters with their families (8). And Christy and Brian have a big nice house that we all feel way too comfortable in! I know it has to drive her crazy that sometimes we never leave. Like Sunday, we got over there about 3:00 and didn’t leave till after 8:00. That is 22 people! I can do it on the kids birthdays and New Years, but they do it a lot! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Uncle Brian! We are blessed to have in our lives!

Belly Sleeper

So, baby Major is a belly sleeper. I am a belly sleeper, so I shouldn’t be shocked by this. However, it goes against everything that all the Drs preach to us about putting the baby on his back and the whole SIDS thing. For the last 11 weeks, we have had this fight during nap time. He would literally sleep for 20 or 30 minutes and wake up. There was no way he would sooth himself back to sleep. I was holding him during his naps, so I was losing HOURS out of my days! And now you can so tell! My house has been totally neglected and is starting to show the neglect.

My mom told me a few weeks ago that he wouldn’t be a good sleeper until he could roll over by himself and sleep on his stomach. On Thursday afternoon, he fell asleep and I laid him on his blanket on the floor – on his stomach. He slept for a good two hours! I think that is the FIRST time that he has napped for that long without being on my chest! This is life changing my friends! Don’t get me wrong, it totally freaks me out. I lay him in his bassinette in the living room and check him about every five minutes, you know, looking at his back to make sure it is moving up and down. But I feel like I have found a new freedom! AND the Dr said at his last check up that the better he sleeps during the day, the better he will sleep at night. I am so excited! I am seeing the light at the end of this sleepless tunnel!

Happy 4th and Happy Birthday!

Uncle Bruce-

We hope you have had a wonderful birthday! Since we couldn’t be there, we asked the folks up in DC to set off some fireworks and kind of have a big hoopla for you. We hope you got to see it all! We miss you and want you to come home as soon as you think you can. We love you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Uncle Bruce! (Sorry the video is sideways!)

Our day was slow and enjoyable. The kids went to work at the church with Mark for a few hours and Major and I slept late, went to the grocery store, cleaned the kitchen and did laundry. We all went and ate dinner with mom and dad, then Major stayed with them when we went to see the fireworks show that Lake Cities had. It was pretty good and we missed all the traffic.

This is Major and Dad in their 4th of July outfits!

And finally, a pictue of my two little computer geeks, teaching baby brother how to be a computer geek too!