Momma's Mercy

Sorry so long...

2010-09-28T18:14:00.002-04:00

A lot has happened since...oh I don't know June! Ha! Well, I may not have time to catch you all up, but I did want to say; on our way home from school yesterday we spotted pieces of a climbing play gym in someone's trash. We made the loop and stopped to double check that it was ok for us to claim it. No one answered though they were clearly home. Since it was taken apart and very dirty, and it was obviously in the trash spot, we loaded it into the trunk. Turns out it is a Step 2 Kangaroo Climber priced about $100 regularly! Yahoo! Now that is a find.

We are enjoying having hubs working from home. M is doing tremendously in school! Still have to learn to tie our own shoes...but that girl LOVES math. W is growing like a weed and is soon to start potty training. My how the time flies! We have recently enjoyed a visit from the Young parents and a vacation at the beach with the entire FOO of Hallquist's and their offspring! Looking forward to some immediate family relaxation and interaction time. On that note...I'll bid farewell.

Check out the link of mine and M's find: http://fleetfarm.com/catalog/product_detail/lawn-garden/outdoor-play/swing-sets/step-2-naturally-playful-kangaroo-climber?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=shopping%2Bsearch&utm_campaign=google%2Bproduct%20search

Home Alone

2010-07-09T20:57:00.002-04:00

It is rare that I am ever home alone. EXTREMELY rare. Other moms and dads know this feeling...and I'd venture to guess moms even more than dads. Now let me clarify. I am not alone. My barely 2 year old son is upstairs in his crib trying to fall asleep, but my 5 yr old daughter is on a special date to the planetarium with her dad, so I have this sweet quiet moment of "me" time till they get home.

I hooked up my ipod ready to let her rip so that I could use the "me" music for motivation to straighten the den, playroom, and maybe make it to the dishes and laundry. I sense I'll head for that next, but while I have the brief moments to myself, I thought I'd update my blog and enjoy my music.

When it's just me I tend to gravitate to Death Cab for Cutie or Coldplay. When I was alone in the car picking up the kids (to and from the grandparents house) I found all these old CD's and just laughed and enjoyed The Cure, Tori Amos, Bob Marley...among others. Funny. I really dig some Martin Sexton too thanks to my hubs and our friends Jeff and Charay from Nola.

I'll give the super quick version of what's going on these days. The summer is truckin along rather quickly. I didn't prep for the summer like I did last year planning summer camps and vbs', trips, and such. We have been to a vbs locally and another at our church next week. We have not done a single summer camp, but we had planned to learn to swim...then M broke her wrist. She got the case off after 4 weeks this past Wednesday. She was dressed entirely as wonder woman. I mean from Head to Toe! Wig to boots. It was awesome.

The kids bdays came and went. We went to Birmingham and interacted with the inlaws and cousins. We watched fireworks. I have red hair now. Had it done June 20 something. I like it. It fades quickly but I like it...and so does my hubs. We enjoyed a night of Modern worship as a precursor for what's to come at church. LOVED it. One of my closest friend's sons was hit by a car, but thank the Lord he lived. Hashing through the mess of life right now with her. Praying alot.

Watched one of my best friends go through divorce, custody battles, and it still goes on. I thanked God a lot and prayed even more for my hubs today as he has to be enjoying his job...his dream of working for himself coming true. And the added perk of it being in a field related to his hobby and life long interest. Thank you God.

We had family photos made! They were awesome and I think worth every penny for the professional photographer...Jana Candler. Thanks girl! Gearing up for the joint Bday party/Gabba fest next weekend! It should be something amazing! Also gearing up for cousin camp. Only one cousin joining us for the week this year, but hopefully as the kids get older this can be a tradition that they all look forward to! We have kept busy with Dr's appts and trips out of town. After cousin camp it my settle down a bit, but then we only have a month to prep for school and our eldest going to K5...Yikes!

Gonna go get into cleaning mode and knock this out so that our Saturday can be a sweet family time free from house hold duties.

Lord, continue to walk close by us...or rather that we would walk right alongside you!

Waaaaaa!

2010-06-23T16:10:00.002-04:00

W dropped his Muno, second favorite Yo Gabba Gabba character in Walmart while we were shopping. We retraced all of our steps never to be found again. He was a LOST TOY and hopefully found a decent home. But my little buddies birthday is in a week and we were hoping to complete his little plush toy set. Has anyone else seen the prices of these silly guys! Yikes! If my little man didn't love them so, I'd sell ours! To replace Muno the minimum price I found was $45! We never had Toodee, so we wanted to get her. We'll see about that. I did find a woman who handmade Muno and he looks awesome, so we may be able to get him that way. Having said all that, you can't even find party supplies for all that! I'll have to make them all I guess! Here's hopin!

Always Ask

2010-06-17T15:36:00.002-04:00

I've been out to the couponing loop for a little while now. Really since the move. It requires more organization than I can usually muster if other things in my life are out of whack. But I have every intention of climbing back into coupon world here by the end of the month. So, having said that, we have been shopping mostly at ALDI. It's my go to place when a) even with the coupon it's still cheaper there or b) I don't even have time to think of coupons.

We are trying to make our lives, across the board, a little bit healthier. I'm not obsessed with organic this and that; cage free, grain fed... I appreciate it, but find that it can generally blow my budget out of the waters quickly! Still, we are trying to deal mostly with the large amounts of sodium that we and the kids are taking in and trying to help them make better choices with snack time and meal time. Tired of every version of cured processed meat that we can find. So, we are gradually weeding out those things and thanks to aunt Minnah, we are going to do a little deceptively delicious. I'll be working on purees momentarily.

All this to say...there were some staples that we needed from the whole foods nearby and I was also aware of their current "fill the grill" deal that included tons of hamburger, hotdogs, and ribs for just $20. So we were headed there to get that and any of the vegetables that ALDI does not carry. I lucked out in that they had lactaid on sale which made it regular price of anywhere else. So we got 2 of those. We did the fill the grill which saved us $7! I decided to ask before I got started cause I'm always getting really great coupons from Earthfare and we were going to have to make an extra trip to get those free items...but they have just started honoring those coupons that I have been receiving via email! Hooray! So, I received 6 free ears of corn, 2 free pork chops, and $2 off per lb. ribeyes...which looked incredible and will be a very exciting addition to our father's day celebration! I was so excited about my tons of savings from competitor coupons that made my trip equal in price to that of ALDI except that I got 5 meats, 2 specialty soaps for m, tons of veggies, and types of meal and flour, and the list goes on.

It's hard to save money at the whole foods store usually...certainly not in the way you can at Publix, but because I asked I was able to save at least $25 today using competitor coupons! Yay! On to the purees...

Took One for Team Mom

2010-06-07T22:50:00.002-04:00

Today...

The Sun rose too early!
W was up before M!
I knew he had a dental appt at 9am a good ways away.
I knew a Dunkin Donuts was right across the street from the dentist.
So, little miss broken wrist got to choose breakfast and naturally chose Donuts.
So we throw ourselves together in a hurry...
3 people dressed.
No shower for me.
wash my face, brush my teeth, basic makeup and last night's outfit
diapers, wipes, blankets, sippy cups, xrays, purse
To DD...running late but that's ok.
W didn't eat much.
Neither did M.
Pack it up and make it to dentist in plenty of time.
Put M's temporary cast back on before play time.
She's pouting again.
W hates the dental experience.
We try the frozen yogurt...thinking yogurt is different then ice cream so his lactose issue may be ok.
NOT OK.
We have to run home to get my phone which had been left behind, as I remember hearing that sound in the middle of the night of it falling off and under the bed. Forgot to retrieve it!
Supposed to be waiting on a call about the ortho for the cast.
Leave kids in car, in drive.
Retrieve the phone.
Sure enough...missed the call.
returned call and they tell me my appt is in 15 min. clear across town again!
We take the interstate, but let them know we'll be running about 5 min. late.
On the way, W looses his breakfast and the 2 spoonfuls of frozen yogurt all over himself.
We keep driving.
M sweetly soothes him...without touching him mind you cause she is grossed out.
We get to the parking lot, leave the car running so the air will stay on while we strip him down and dress him again.
Both kids are ready to go in, as am I, so I close the doors and go to open the driver door to turn off the car, but it's locked...with the car running! SERIOUSLY?
It took very little thought for me to grab up everything and the kids and head in for our appt.
I checked in at the desk, call J.
Thankfully, he didn't hassle me about it (he had no idea what had already gone on that day).
The woman informs me that I have to fill out paper work...even though M is already in the system.
Takes me a year to fill out the top form as I'm trying to keep W away from the doors the open automatically.
He was behaving pretty well actually...he's just almost 2.
He manages to slowly run into an old man with a wheelchair. Very slowly. And I caught it all in the middle as it was occuring.

The man completely ignores me as I apologize and check to see if he is ok. He doesn't even acknowledge me. Then he says to the front desk ladies that he has a sharp pain in his knee from where the wheelchair hit him and that in his day people disciplined their children!
Oh the things that I could have said! Like do you have kids? Were you the one taking them to their appts when they broke their limbs? Did you have to fill out 8 pages of paper work before they would even see you? Did you clean up the puke off of your children after their dental visit and before the casting and just before you locked the keys in your car while it was still running?! Thank goodness in my day there are cars and cell phones and moms that let stuff like this roll off their heavy laden shoulders so that they can confidently and with conviction raise their children.

Yes, I said 8 pages of paperwork. After I was 4 or 5 pages in, the woman rearranges what I have left saying that if I would just fill out the last 2 pages, they could get M back!
Really?! Could we have tackled that first! But she was nice and encouraging and said she could tell I was a good mom and that I was doing a good job.
Finally, we are back in the casting room.
M picks bright pink...of course.
W plays drums with the traditional round sitting stools for the dr.s and two long paper towel rolls he found in the trash!
After chasing his fast self down the hall a few times, I decide this is an acceptable activity.
J unlocks the car and gives my key to the front desk ladies.
We leave!
Get in the car.
Let M pick our free movie redbox...Alvin and the Chipmunks
and head home to eat.
We eat...nap (hallelujah)
I then use tons of left overs to make some pretty great stuffed bell peppers.
I'm in my pjs at this point, but m has asked to go to the cupcake cafe.
I get everyone ready again.
We get there and the cafe is closed.
Plan B...walmart has way cheaper cupcakes and Brobee shirts and Princess PJ's.
As we arrive we see the neighbors outside catching fireflies.
We share a cupcake with John Lake and M enjoys catching bugs with him.
Me and Kelly have easy conversation and J gets to meet the Sheriff her hubs.
So, a new relationship has begun to bud.
Everyone is asleep. Clean. No fussing with the cast.
And I have a new Mom story to tell about the day the man accused me of being a bad mother and have undisciplined kids.
Ironically, W was so good after all that! Ahhhhh.
Breathe out and breath in!
Goodnight and Happy Bday Grandma Katie!

Been a Whirlwind!

2010-06-07T22:21:00.002-04:00

It's been a whirlwind couple of days! Well...I suppose if I were honest, I'd say more than a couple of days! Been a whirlwind couple of weeks!

Quick rundown has me recounting going out of town in the middle of the night with my mother to see my sister and her fam. Doing the Hallquist Furniture Exchange Program thing again. Thank goodness for it. I hauled a ton of furniture and reinherited some of it for a small amount. Thanks mom and mer and Geoff! Rain, a hotel stay outside of ATL. Luckily, my mom was late enough that I didn't entirely miss Uncle Patrick's visit! He is a bit like Santa...cause it is a bit like Christmas when he comes with presents and lots of food! Unfortunately, while I was gone the entire family came down with a fantastic cold that hubs is still getting over! Praise the Lord, that I didn't catch it when I got back! Must have missed the contagious period somehow.

You can imagine the state of the house when I returned with all of them being sick and having a guest. So, I've been desperately trying to squeeze major house keeping into the pretty full schedule that was last week. We were also blessed to find out that my local BF was awarded custody of her daughter after a bit of a battle! That being exciting meant that I had another child all week! The girls played really well together though...only got on each other's nerves a little.

Had our friends over, 3 boys, a mom, and a dad. Me and the mom got to it on the sewing machine while the dad wrangled the kids. Excellent birth control I might add keeping up with 6 kids 5 and under! We knocked out some fantastic chiffon panels for the modern night of worship. We had rehearsal Tues. for that, rehearsal for 4th of July stuff Wednesday, Thursday was a free night and J, the kids and I did the Mice on Main hunt and spent a little time mingling in the Thursday Night Alive crowd. We found all the mice...one was particularly tricky! But M had tons of fun.

W recovered from a weekend of illness and lack of sleep (dad had some trouble getting them to actually nap). We still haven't repaired his bed from that weekend I was gone as he apparently was jumping up and down in it and entirely busted the bottom out! Pack and Play is working marvelously. He has been pretty delightful. He's testing but often practices obedience which catches me off guard. He get rewarded for that behavior!

Saturday I was to appear as Snow White-like Princess for a mission outreach. That a.m. J had to run to ATL for a trade show where he was to meet some clients. The kids and I went to the park outside M's new school. No one else was there. No big deal, but seriously, keeping up with W who's now almost 2 is tricky enough. I'm quite thankful, really, that M is pretty much big enough to do most things by herself. Not the monkey bars apparently. She and I had practiced a few times and I had stood ready as she let herself drop off the bars. Well, she tried it herself when I was clear across the playground chasing W down a rock ledge. I hear her say rather calmly, "Ummm. Mom? A little help here please?" I let her know that I'm coming but I think she can handle the drop. No way I'd have made it on time. She held on as long as she could and says she just slipped off the bar. And fell on her bottom catching herself with her hands. She starts screaming! And says "I broke my arm!"

I'm all calm and reassuring. I don't think you broke it. Can you move this? Can you wiggle this? Your o.k. Shhh...the neighbors are coming out and watching. You're o.k. And seriously some passers by really stopped and watched the whole ordeal not that they came to help or anything. So we calm down and take some Motrin. We are going to wait till the drama passes and reassess. She wasn't herself, but I've seen her carry something pretty far, so we continued to wait the rest of the day. I had to get a back up for Snow White-Like Princess (Thanks B!), and J didn't get home till 7 that night.

M woke me up Sunday morn at 6 am! She must be feeling bad. She tells me its worse and it does look pretty swollen. So I skip church and prep to deal with the broken arm before rehearsal for the modern night of worship at 4. Unfortunately urgent care doesn't open till 1 on Sundays cause of the southern bible belt thing. We waited this long and avoided the whole ER thing...we could wait a bit longer. So we did. And we did the urgent care thing. They remembered M from the head injury/staple thing! The Dr. was awesome reminded my of my working days at Hales Pediatrics! They let her take home a real xray that was a discard cause they had to redo it. They cut off the name, but they said it's for her dr. kit. The Dr. said she felt certain M would be a dr. one day! I would be thrilled.

Temporary cast was a total drag and the sling! M was a mope the whole night. Bless it! It was real plaster and very heavy. Plus her med had worn off. But the night of modern worship was AWESOME! Loved it! And she made it through. Picked Moes for dinner of course and is now milking it for all it's worth! We've had cookies and cupcakes, popsicles! You name it! Xray revealed a nice break on one of her arm bones...close enough to the wrist that they call it a broken wrist. Which the Whirlwind had stopped then, but today was one of those mom days for the books!

Down the Commode...

2010-05-12T23:42:00.002-04:00

Well, Lily has gone on the porcelain express. That didn't take long. I believe I googled the situation a few days too late. I was a little concerned when he/she was hangin near the bottom all the time. Apparently, Lily was constipated and thus lost buoyancy. Always was a greedy little gal when it came to the food. I'll be prepping for a water change and tank cleaning tomorrow. Just what I need to be worried about with the in laws coming tomorrow afternoon and a spa party on Friday night. Eventually we'll have to get her friend, Philly, a new buddy so they can join in the fraternal bond of tank hood.

On a side note, my shoulder and neck pain is back. A few visits to the Chiro helped, but I don't have the cash flow those guys would like for me to sign the plan! Ha! Will be doing further research for other options to remedy my issues. Oh the joys of getting older.

Had a wonderful time enjoying M's Music and Missions performance/presentation tonight. I do think my favorite part may have been the procession in while playing kazoos! Pop would have been proud!

Busyness

2010-05-11T20:30:00.002-04:00

Busyness is one of my least favorite things. Don't get me wrong...I understand the idol hands make idol hearts thing, but I don't like to feel like my time is not my own. I have been trying to maintain balance though my scale seems to try and tip in the direction of busyness now and again. So, pray with and for me as I attempt to do God's bidding, fulfill my duties with and for my family, maintain a business of my own, and find time for sanity and Gini maintenance.

Today was Tuesday with M. One of our last, sadly, and I had to spend it almost entirely dragging her from store to store in search of spa and rockstar supplies. I had to use the easy time...the time w/o W for collecting party supplies for my next 2 parties. This spa party is going to be awesome and not too expensive. I managed to find supplies for 9 foot baths at the dollar tree. I gathered up numerous favors at Wilson 5 and 10 and the dollar tree. Such neat ideas really.

Of course, M and I went to Moe's! It's her favorite! She also purchased a mouse costume at Wilsons. So she wasn't entirely bored. We rented where the wild things are...which I don't really recommend for any kid. The material was all too grown up and depressing if you ask me, not to mention that it sort of encouraged animalistic behavior in children w/o and resolution to the issues portrayed. M barely watched it and though I thought the costuming and such was fantastic, I found myself struggling to pay any attention.

We had a New Orleans supper, and played together, cleaned together, and the kids are in bed. Time enough for me to blog, write up a letter for a friend, work on some business related administrative stuff and sew up some shoulder heat packs for the party! At least with all this spa stuff, the downstairs smells very soothing and relaxing!

Much Needed Update

2010-05-04T20:22:00.002-04:00

I've been a blog slacker for some time now. I do wish I were better equipped for posting cool pics and what not. At this time though, there are still some boxes that haven't been unpacked and I have no idea where my ancient digital camera is and its connectors that make me capable to post pictures here. (My husband would be rolling his eyes at this moment...surely thinking of 8 million other ways to post a picture that I am completely unaware of). Still, it is what it is.

We have moved in to this lovely house...mostly. I'm very annoyed that I may be like Elastigirl on the Incredibles calling my hubs at work three years later to celebrate finally unpacking the last box. There is still an entire room that, although it is no longer empty, it is a useless space except for storing stuff we haven't dealt with yet. There is furniture to be had via the Hallquist furniture exchange program (something my hubs gave name to years ago), but that will require a trip and a u haul. So plans must be made and money as well.

We have already had numbers of visitors and plan on more to come here soon. Mom and Dad, Aunt Minnah and Cuzin C. My brother and his fam are to come this weekend if we all stay well. And my brother in law is to come at the end of the month! We have had dinner guests on 2 occasions, and I am trying desperately to get the place in some semblance of order so that I don't feel like the world's worst hostess while I force myself out of my little bubble and do a bit of entertaining. The thing with entertaining is that I am no great house keeper. If I could afford one, I'm sure I'd hire a live in house keeper. When I take a day off from everything else just to get work done around the house, I'm busy ALL DAY and I usually don't even make it to the shower or out of my pj's...and the house will still look like I've barely touched it. I haven't figured out if this is just some weird curse I have, or that I'm just a terribly unorganized slightly ADD individual, or what...So inviting guests over terrifies me, cause they really should see my house the way I imagine it in my head. The way I hope it will be one day!

Now all of us with 2 preschool kids (or more) understand that this "one day" means when the kids are grown and even possibly out of the house! Still, I'm allowing God to stretch me in this way!

What else...I have dubbed Tuesday "Tuesdays with Mercy" because this is a day when W is in school for a good portion of the day and I get to just be with her. I have treasured these days more than I can put into words...and she has too. Last week I asked her what things can mom and dad do that really let her know we love her. I was just asking her about her love language. She said basically gifts and physical touch. This has already helped me to connect with her a little better! And today was such a great mommy and me day! And we hardly did anything of significance.

We had a scare with her best friend being taken without permission for 10 days from her mother. Long story that probably needs to remain basic at this point, but it really allowed M and I to learn more about prayer...and the results of a life lived without concern for God. Hard lessons for a 4 year old. But none to avoid as this is a special child we have been keeping for 2 days a week all year.

On my front, personally, I'm loving what God is doing in my heart regarding worship! This has always been a fantastic love of mine, but it has gotten stamped and stifled on various occasions, the most recent being injuries inflicted by "Christians" and church members. In obedience, I have begun to get involved again in a local existing church through the music ministry. Those of you that know me, understand that this is the easiest way for me as music is an essential language to my heart and mouth. So, I'm singing in the choir, and out front on occasion...and just throwing it down at God's feet. LOVING it! But more than that the intellectual and theological (philosophical) fire that really gets me going is welling up. With the introduction of a new service...I'm in my element. So many things that I have studied and even experienced before...and longed for since. It will be fun and challenging just to be involved in the creativity and conversation surrounding this new thing.

I'm sure there is more, but this post it long enough if you ask me.

Still unpacking

2010-04-06T21:11:00.002-04:00

Been an interesting time these last few weeks. Trying to unpack and keep to businesses running. Started home schooling. Went without air conditioning for a number of days. Now we have our first house guest!

Aunt Minnah and cousin (baby) C came to visit! We've been having so much fun teaching the 2 little ones about sharing. Cousin C has gotten an eye and earful of each of my kids! They are loud. W seems to be understanding more and more! Which means he knows what he should do...so the limit pushing has begun. I need to say that I think he's doing quite well! Been fun to hear him talk lately too! He just all of a sudden started piecing together strings of many words into sentences! The first sentence that I recognized obviously was "I don't wanna get in the car!" Every word! And it has taken off from there. It is so nice when your child can verbalize what they need or what is frustrating them! Here's to many more sentences to come!

M is having a little bit of issues adjusting. She loves home school in some ways and misses the surrounding of lots of other children as well. She thinks Mrs. Crown is the best teacher EVER! Funny. It goes rather quickly and I'm looking forward to our trip to the planetarium on Friday night.

We are still constantly trying to find things that are temporarily missing! I assume the few boxes that have remained untouched must house most of these items. We are also laughing at the bare rooms. We enjoy the simplicity of it, but will eventually need some furniture pieces here and there. Ah the space! We have really enjoyed the outside backyard! We do have a bit of bugs, but seem to be managing it ok...except for M who literally covered every inch of her body or skin with some type of clothing just to be sure that a bee or flying insect didn't sting her! Funny. Ah the pics are on hubs phone but that would certainly be worth a post! Can't wait to be settled! But even these things take time...

Off to enjoy my sister's visit. Will post more later...and work on some pics hopefully.

The Post You've all been waiting for I'm sure...

2010-03-26T18:52:00.004-04:00

Just kidding. I'm sure that you weren't all waiting on pins and needles for my next post! Haha! Still...we have officially moved. Are we free of the old house yet...no. We have got a bit of cleaning and work to do before we turn in the keys early next week, but today we got a truck to get the last of the things moved to the new house.

LOVE the new house. So spacious! Love the quirkiness of older homes. So many built ins we don't really need drawers or book shelves! I love the smaller fenced yard. Plenty of space for the kids, but fenced securely enough that I don't have to be a nervous nelly when they are in the back yard. Love the fire place! Nice ambiance! One room is almost entirely empty cause we have no furniture for it. Ah the possibilities!

But in the midst of it all...just before the move we were sick...and I mean really sick, for 4-5 weeks. Pneumonia, stomach flu, norovirus, multiple ear infections for various family members... It's a miracle we got moved at all. It was very Katrina esque the way we had to throw stuff in boxes and into the back of a truck all basically in the same day. The only difference was that we got to come back for the rest later.

If it's going to happen, it will happen to us and thus W broke out in hives all over monday and tuesday...either a dog or chocolate. So now we get to fork it out for the allergist after all. Today, while we were moving and at a friends house, M fell off a ladder to a bunk bed and hit her head on a chair! One staple later, we thank God for urgent care cause it was fast and much less expensive than the ER! To top it all off, Jason is having some pain that we think my be a hernia! Lord, thank you for giving us relaxed and easy spirits! Cause even now I am slightly amused at the timing of it all! And yet He has seen us through and we will surely laugh and marvel at all of this even more later!

On an I LOVE THIS HOUSE note...I used the dishwasher the first night I got here! I moved dirty dishes! haha! I have since used it 3-4 other times and am loving the ease and less time consumption of it all! Yay for the fire place, the dishwasher, the backyard, the built ins, the dining room, J's office downstairs, and the multiple bathrooms! Funny though that I have the same exact oven and stove as my mother in law, and my cookie sheet didn't quite fit! So now we have acquired one just a bit smaller and have made 3 dozen cookies so far! Be glad to get this place organized and everything in it's place!

As if that weren't enough, in my PartyMe Princess Biz I debuted 2 new princesses in consecutive weekends, which means I had to do multiple fittings and sewing to complete each costume on time. And a singing telegram this weekend as well! Yay for business, but I definitely should have taken a couple of weeks off for the move.

Coolest thing...

2010-03-15T14:53:00.002-04:00

I just found the coolest educational toy at Goodwill! For $3 I purchased a set of Boomwhackers that came with a carrying/xylophone case, the octave tube cap, and the set of mallets. When I looked online, these items were all to be purchased separately and equaled a total of $62.94 w/o tax! This is perfect for teaching music to a little girl who seems very interested in reading music notes and rest at the moment! What a find!

You Won't Believe

2010-03-12T22:57:00.002-05:00

Well, if we are going to get it...I mean, not only did I have the norovirus 2 weeks ago on the weekend my kids were at their grandparents (you know when I was supposed to be having "me" time!), the following weekend we were all to go to my hubs parents. W and I had to stay behind.

I went to the Dr. that Tuesday, W was in the Dr's office that Thursday, got a fever that night. Ended up going back to the Dr. Sunday. He was diagnosed with bronchitis, and a bad L ear infection. M and her dad went to the grandparent's in AL for the visit. W and I had to stay behind. They were monitoring him for pneumonia. By the time M and her dad got back from being out of town, she was starting to sound pretty bad. Her cough moving down into her chest and her ear "itching" as she often puts it. Tuesday we were in the Dr.'s office again with M. Ear infection. Omnicef...same as her brother. They listened to W's chest and checked his ear. Still pretty bad as ears go. Chest sounding clear.

W had a rough day on Wednesday. Thought all the bad diapers were from the Omnicef...that can be pretty rough on their systems. Good thing I didn't send him to school or Mom to Mom child care. Turns out he had a 24 hour stomach bug. And it turns out we all got it! Hit me and J within about 1 hour of eachother. I suddenly felt dizzy and weak...and later the usual 24 hour bug symptoms unfolded. Not the best time to have one bathroom, but it worked out. J and I had to spend the night up and down and the day laying mostly in the bed. The kids were great! And lucky for M she hasn't caught that bug. J and I seem to be coming out of it! Whew! But with so much to do between the princess parties tomorrow and next weekend, and the packing for the move that is supposed to be happening next week. This should get interesting! I hope we can avoid any further sickness! Yikes!

Went for W's Thursday recheck and his ear is still pretty bad...probably caught the stomach thing at monday's dr. visit. And they have scheduled him for another follow up this thursday! I'm tired of visiting the Dr! Sheesh!

Staying Behind

2010-03-05T19:24:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm mostly better. I have residual stomach discomfort and a lot of sinus stuff, but I'd say I'm almost back to my old self. W, however, is sick again. I took him to the Dr. yesterday with the explanation that I figured I was about a day or two early, but that our plan was to go out of town. I was right. I was just about a day earlier than I would have normally gone. Last night, he started the fever, and just by looking in his eyes you could tell he didn't feel well. So, W and I stayed home from our trip.

I am glad that M got to go. She, too, was a little puny, but nothing compared to W. I sent her with a bag of meds just in case. Hopefully, it'll be no big deal. So, we are here. I was also hoping to get a ton done today, as hubs and M were to roll out 9:30 or 10ish. But at 11 I was just getting them out the door. All the cleaning I'd hoped to accomplish during w's morning nap was left out when w's nap got left out. After they left, I had to quickly throw myself together (which wasn't pretty) and throw together some of the errands I needed to get done by around noon. On my way to the errands, I got a last minute phone call that I was needed after all to keep the extra child (which I normally do on Fridays anyway). Detour to the school to pick her up and take her on my errands. Then to get W's meds and some food and home. W slept a bit in the car thank heavens, because he completely avoided his afternoon nap. Thus, I now have him down to sleep for the night before 7:30pm. He's coughing it up, so I know he isn't sleeping yet. Poor guy.

Actually, I just went in and checked on him as it got quiet. He is sound asleep and breathing. His cough sounds pretty bad actually, and so I'll be keeping an extra close eye on him. Hoping to see some progress in the next day or two. As for me, maybe now, I'll have the chance to finish the cleaning I was only able to just touch on earlier today and then watch a movie I rented! Hmm... Sounds good to me.

I just wish he were feeling better, cause a mother son weekend could be so fun especially as the weather is getting nicer. Just not sure with his being sick that the weather is nice enough. The wind can really cut ya right now! Miss my family already. Enjoy a bit of a break though, since my last weekend break was cut short due to some weird flu bug!

Out a while

2010-03-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

Been out a while. I didn't forget about the crock potting, ladies, but sometimes life smacks you on your bottom and you gotta take a minute to get it together before you can pick yourself back up again.

Today I'm picking myself back up. Almost fully recovered from some strange stomach bug...I won't go into detail for the g rating on this family friendly site--haha! But let's just say that my kids were with my parents for a long weekend, but I was stuck flat on my back in the bed from sat afternoon till just today. I ran necessary errands, but I wasn't really there! There were points when I really just wanted someone to take me to the hospital and hook me up to an iv and just give me a shot so I could sleep it off. Ah...but today I'm just about out of the fog that encompassed most of my "me time".

So no crockpotting till after my new trip that will roll out on Friday morning I think. I'm just going to focus on piecing my house back together after my being out of commission for so long. I'm going to go and enjoy choir tonight, and I'm going to spend time with my hubs a bit. And tomorrow I'm going to interview a new contract worker for the princess and the frog role. I'm going to clean and pack for our trip. I'm just thankful to be getting back to my old self!

Me time

2010-02-27T08:10:00.002-05:00

In Mom to Mom, a support group/bible study for mothers, I was asked what do I do for myself on a regular basis. I really didn't know. I laughed and said I go grocery shopping. Now, I was at least half serious, cause all of ya'll know that I do love to do it when it involves the game of couponing and bargain hunting. But it does usually come with at least one child, so it can be a decent amount of work anyway. So then I said, Mom to Mom. That is my one thing I do for myself (and my family truthfully). As I thought some more about this question, I realized that choir also falls in that category...except it is just for me and my emotional / spiritual health.

But, as you read my blog, you will see that my kids are with my parents for the weekend! I haven't had a break like this in sooo long. So, after getting the all clear from hubs I have been working on some "me" things. Yesterday, I had my hair done for the first time in probably 9 months or more! It looks awesome! I had someone come and clean my house. I have a ton of laundry to finish and fold, but most of the dirty work is done. I tried to quit the gym yesterday (haha this is a reference to the episode when they attempt to quit the gym). I have been having a lot of joint / back pain and thus find it regularly hard to go--not to mention that this gym has no childcare which makes going 10 times harder. I was unsuccessful! In fact, I have a free visit with one of their personal trainers who specializes in injuries! That should be interesting.

This is not a bad thing, and truly is something that I can do for myself...just need to find time to go! Maybe he'll help me figure out ways to reduce the pain and what not! And today I'm headed for a massage (that will hopefully also help with the pain). Later today I'm sure to get that pedicure that I have gift certificate for! J wined and dined me a bit, as we went to a fun swanky little joint in downtown Greer for dinner, BIN 112. Those of you who live in this area...the atmosphere and pricing AND food of course are perfect for any date night when you want to take it just one step further than Texas Roadhouse or Ruby Tuesdays! Your getting the royal treatment, but the prices aren't over the top. LOVE it!

Of to the massage...wonder what else my day will hold...oh yeah, probably finding boxes, paper, and packing them.

Scratch That!

2010-02-25T10:37:00.002-05:00

Well, today was going to be barbeque chicken for buns...but it turns out the kids are going to meet up with their Nani and Pop today instead of tomorrow, so that means that I'll either be eating on the road by myself, or having a date with my hubs. Either way, that is a no CrockPot ordeal.

Speaking of a day off! It looks like I'll be getting several, and that's just in time! Yesterday was the worst it's been in a long time. W was unbelievable. Hubs thinks he's been acting this way in part because he's super mommy-centric right now. Maybe there's something to it, but there is definitely something else. My only real guess is that he is teething and my other real guess is that he has been reacting to something we are feeding or exposing him to, and/or the shots.

His aunt says the Cuzin C is like bringing home an evil twin after her shots for upwards of 7 days! Yikes! I'd forgotten. We were so careful about splitting up shots and such. Now we are playing a bit of catch up to get him into school. Thinking about taking him to the allergist regardless of the astronomical price of those visits! Time will tell.

There was that moment (several of them actually) late afternoon / early evening, where all he was doing was flopping around like a fish and cry/screaming! When he would use words, I would try to accommodate, but even then he'd get mad about it. Nothing I was doing was right. So after several time outs for unacceptable behavior and the color of my skin turning red and blood pressure rising on my end, I just put him in his bed and pulled the door to. It's a safe place, I can only barely hear him screaming and I can get dinner made and pay attention to my other child who was very obviously vying for my attention in between his shenanigans!

When hubs came home I gave him the very basics..."Your son is in his bed. Believe me that was better than the alternative. Maybe you should go in there, cause clearly I'm not cutting it right now." That was it. So he did go in there and distract w. Oh to be a dad once in a while!

Thank goodness for Choir last night, cause M and I headed to church. Both of us were in brighter spirits just to be getting to make music! And be with people our own age that aren't screaming incessantly. He managed to sleep through the night again for the first time in days, though M appeared in our room twice last night drug seeking! Haha! first she says that her leg and ankle hurt (which is quite likely she's not usually a seeker), so I found some tylenol and sent her back to her bed. Then just as I dozed off she appeared right in front of my face asking for cough medicine. I sent her back to bed and reminded her that you actually have to be coughing alot to receive this med. Haha! I think that middle of the night interruption was more based on habit after being woken up in the mid nite by her brother for several days in a row.

Ah to sleep through the night with no interruptions AND to sleep in if I want, and take a nap if/when I want! It'll be short lived for sure, but I can't wait. Much thanks to mom and dad for this needed break!

A Day Off

2010-02-24T15:35:00.002-05:00

Oh how I need a day off in a bad way. But this is really about my CrockPotting. Wednesdays are very full. I rush to get out the door for Bible Study in the morning so I don't really have time to do dinner prep. Not to mention, that Wednesday night I have choir rehearsal, so my lackadaisical pace is squeezed not allowing for much dinner time. So, Wednesday is leftover night.

Seeing as my husband wasn't a big fan of either meals I prepared in the pot so far, I'll be making him chicken wings that are simply heated and broiled in the oven, and the rest of us will be eating leftovers. Back to the grindstone tomorrow. 2 recipes on deck for tomorrow. Barbeque chicken for buns and a side. So, I'll be taking the day off from actual cooking. More tomorrow I'm sure.

Laugh Out Loud

2010-02-23T07:55:00.002-05:00

I titled my blog "Laugh Out Loud" because my original idea for it's title was so funny that I literally laughed aloud on the way to the computer! I was going to title it "Domestic Diva" but if you could see the state of my house after all the work I did yesterday, You, like my husband would surely have to ask, "so what did you do all day?"

Now women, you know that this question is like the no-no of all no-no's! And my husband has been made quite aware of this on numerous occasions over the last 8 years, yet yesterday, he dared to ask it. I want you all to be amazed that I didn't explode and go into a rant about all the wonderful things I do all the time that go entirely unnoticed. I simply said what do you mean. After careful conversation I realized he literally thought that the 2 dishes left in the drying rack were the only dishes he thought that I'd done. And we got a small laugh about it.

The house is pretty much a mess...I was going to list it as being in shambles, but that wouldn't be sooo accurate. It has certainly been worse. Actually what I did yesterday, hopefully, will go mostly unnoticed. I did the pre-spring cleaning sort through of everything in the kids room, and most everything in the play room. Anything they never play with or have outgrown went into trash bags. You understand that if it does go unnoticed, then I did my job. They obviously didn't notice cause they don't play with it and don't even remember that they own one of those whatever they ares. PLUS, if I were to engage the child in this activity (which we have been known to do from time to time) one of two things will happen. He/she will flip out over every thing and swear up and down that they will start playing with it or that it really is supposed to fit that way. OR sometimes, and this always catches me by surprise, she'll get overzealous and start putting things she does actually like in the going away pile!

On a side note, my eldest child has actually confessed to having nightmares that I forced her to give her blankie away to goodwill! Yikes! Though I find that terrifically amusing, i also see how it is a bit sad. Believe me I reassured her, that her favorite things would never go away except with her choosing. Then I assured her that if there ever came a time when she was finished with her blankie that mommy would still be keeping it for her because it is sooooo special.

I didn't intend to blog so long this a.m. My main point in getting on here was to encourage those of you who may feel overwhelmed or stuck in the mess that is known as your house. I don't remember where I heard it, but years ago I heard this message and it has stuck with me. When you are overwhelmed with you housework, put your household helpers to work. What the person meant by household helpers, were the dishwasher, the washing machine, dryer, crockpot...you name it. If it can be done by a machine...get that machine going. So, this a.m., my eldest is off to school, my youngest is still asleep due to a terrific tummy ache that kept all of us up a good bit last night. And though I'm blogging, my household helpers are up and running. If I had a dishwasher I assure you it'd be running. My washer is going. My oven has been used already, my coffee has been made, my dinner is in the crockpot...

Even with a cranky boy and a dr. visit on schedule for this afternoon, I will have a productive day. I'm determined.

I was right.

2010-02-22T19:52:00.002-05:00

Well, the dinner was made and was delicious...the clean-up was so easy, I will easily cook the chicken overnight. M didn't like the lasagna either, but she tried 3 bites and even decided to try a tomato and some lettuce dipped in ranch. She ended up eating a pizza. AND w spit out the lasagna first, but then decided he liked it after all. He called it pizza soup! Cute. Plenty for leftover night and freezer. yahoo!

CrockPot Day #1

2010-02-22T14:42:00.003-05:00

I almost didn't start this today, cause I had hoped to do a different recipe first, but hadn't managed to CrockPot the whole chicken in order to use the pulled chicken in various recipes. But since this is all I planned for my next 2 weeks worth of menus, I had to try something else.

Helen's Lasagna recipe from the Fix it and Forget it book. I have done this before, so I know that it is soooo very delicious. This will mostly stand alone and will likely feed us twice and still have half or so to freeze! yahoo! By alone, I mean I won't have to cook anything else, unless you count the toasting of the Texas Toast garlic bread that I purchased multiples of when it was on sale for 67 cents. I will include a salad as well and maybe I will cook or let M help me cook some cookies. Also bought for cents.

Tonight after I transfer the remaining lasagna into the fridge and freezer (used a liner for minimal cleanup), I'll crock pot the chicken overnight. Then I can de-bone it in the morning. This lasagna, though I know it is good, is a stretch, cause my hubs is not a big fan of red sauces of all kinds. As for mess making and cleaning up...not too bad. I will say, I'm not sure it was any easier getting this meal ready, than cooking on the stove and such. Actually, since you start with hamburger meat, you have to brown it with onion and garlic first. I ended up with 3 large dishes to clean. Which I did immediately since that is the easiest time to get it done. The trick with the CrockPot is not that all recipes are less hassle then other types of cooking, but rather that you get that part of your day done earlier. You aren't having to time things out just so, and such. And, maybe normal just before supper cooking time is not so great for my kids...they seem to need constant attention which translates into constant interruption and dinner that gets pushed later and later. Now that time can turn into mommy and me time! And dinner will be on the table when hubs gets home AND I will be calm and relaxed instead of rushing about trying to get it all done!

Maybe that's what's most important.

Irony!

2010-02-21T16:26:00.002-05:00

Ah, it's that time of year again. Seems like it's always that time of year! Just about spring cleaning time, and I have done 2 things over the last little bit to get ready. Friday, I sorted through all of M's clothing, current and next size up, to make sure that they all fit, that we didn't have 8 gazillion of the same things, and that each item either did have a match or needs to be found a match.

I have at least 1 whole garbage bag full of things that need a new home either consigned, given away to another, or goodwilled. That was all I could get done in the allotted amount of time. More of that to come I'm sure. I began W's clothes too. Made it through his current clothes, but not the spring/summer apparel.

Today, as it is flip flop weather, the whole family spend time outside playing on the swingset, with the new hula hoop, with a ball, cleaning up the 10 tons of litter that people throw out of their cars, and J filling in the well some more. Gonna need more dirt/gravel/clay for that one!
This is where the irony comes in. I NEVER clean up the litter that flies into our yard from the busy street! It didn't really take long even though there was alot because we all worked together. When we were all said and done, we came inside to wash off and have a nap. As I was washing my hands in the kitchen sink and looking out the kitchen window, there is a brown bag blowing across the street and into our yard. Good grief!

Next day of flip flop weather, we are going to borrow a rake and pick up and pile up sticks! What are your next spring cleaning plans?

On a side note, thank you Aunt K for the toothbrush rug tool! I'm excited about using it! Will have to get through the busyness of the next little bit till I can be appropriately set up to delve into that project.

On another note, I was shocked to see the bill on my last reciept from grocery shopping. As it is now known, I will be CrockPotting for awhile and have been working on my menus. So I tried to work with what meats were on sale and things I already have. But then I realized that I actually prepared for 2 weeks worth of menus, so I said an appropriate, "Phew!" and remembered that I'm right on target budget wise. Anyone else notice that alot of Aldi's prices went up a bit...new packaging as well, so I assume that is to be related.

30 Recipes of CrockPot Madness

2010-02-19T08:04:00.004-05:00

Ahhh...nothing like knowing that dinner is basically already made as you are running your errands, doing your chores, playing with your kids. If you saw my post from earlier this week, there was quite a "mom" day there where in, literally, one of the best parts of the day was knowing that dinner was made! And as most CrockPot dinners go, there was plenty left over for another day and another lunch for me.

After that day and glorious realization, the very happy comments from my hubs who thought it was phenomenol, I decided I needed to do that more often! So I'm going to challenge myself to this task. Just 30 Crock pot recipes...that's all. Not too long, but of course you must know it'd be silly to CrockPot EVERYDAY as I would have more leftovers than I knew what to do with. I still may! Also, hubs has declared Friday, Fruity Friday and we are going to eat meals based primarily around fruit. So, unless I find a crockpot/fruit recipe (and there are some), my goal is to choose 3 main dish recipes a week and then 3-4 side or dessert dishes to go with it. This will require 2 crockpots, or likely I will just slow cook one in my large, deep casserole dish. Don't forget, there are those lovely liners you can put in the crockpot before you get to cooking to make the clean up sooo much easier.

My first 6 days worth of recipes will be as follows:

1.Meatloaf w/ potatoes with
2.Greenbean bacon bake

3. Poor Man's Steak (smothered-esque)

4. Roast w/ potatoes and mushrooms

5. BBQ Chicken for buns w/
6. Mac and Cheese

7. Lasagna

8. Sesame Ribs w/
9. Candied Sweet Potatoes

10. Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole

Still looking for a few more complimentary food recipes to go with some of the main dishes, but this should set me for the first 2 weeks. Today will be shopping day and then I shall begin shortly after that. I'll keep you posted!

Whew! Menu planning is alot of work, and just so you know, I chose recipes based on the meat that is on sale this week. Since this is enough to feed us for at least 2 weeks I won't have to buy meat again for at least that long! Now to match the menu to the grocery list! Yikes!

If I don't get to some of these, we'll try them the next week.

Another Induction into Motherhood

2010-02-15T20:28:00.002-05:00

Ah, every woman who has been a mother for any length of time has had one of these days...

The usual can't seem to get anything done due to the constant demands and interruptions, began. No big deal...I can roll with it. Morning nap time is a perfect time for that. Since I just got my sewing machines fixed, I pulled one out and some almost finished outfits from my Grandma, Katie, and decided to get at least one project from the pile done...then a shower.

Of course, I did it exactly wrong and had to redo it, so the short project took longer than I had hoped, but I still had time for the shower. However, I didn't have time to fix my hair like I had hoped (with my new set of rollers). Got M, came home, ate, played with kids, then it was nap time.
I lay W down for his nap as he was bringing me his blankie and saying "sleepy", "rockery" (which means he wants to rock and/or rock and read. M and I were to lay in my bed. She was on absolute nap today due to her sassy, stinky attitude, which I was sure was due to exhaustion as she had tossed and coughed all night. We both slept. I slept a little and she slept alot.

I woke her early enough so that she would be ready for bed at a decent hour and let her watch a bit of a movie while we waited for W to wake up. When 4:45 arrived we decided to wake him up only to find him covered in throw up! Poor guy had coughed himself into a frenzy I suppose. Only thing is, he didn't fuss about it...And then he slept! Sheesh!

So of course I get him in the bath and strip down the bed and put it in the wash. But, as it would happen, he proceeds to poop in the bath as well. Good grief! Funny that hubs would call in the midst of this. Of course I didn't take the call as I had my hands full enough. When I called him back he wondered what I was up to that I couldn't take his call! Haha!

If I could say one good thing...at least I had chosen earlier in the day to crock pot dinner, so we still had nice hot dinner when he got home. The house was a total wreck, but food was on the table. Thankfully, I was able to get all the dishes done after supper, so I was able to see the bottom of the sink when I woke up!

Unfortunately my induction wasn't over yet. When I got laundry out after finishing the dishes, I found out that hubs had put crayons in his pocket! Luckily it hadn't escaped the confines of his pocket, but it did ruin those pants. When putting the kids to bed, as you can imagine, I fell sound asleep! I NEVER do that! Hubs woke me up when he was going to bed at 11 something...I couldn't believe I had slept so long! Oh well. I missed him and the whole night, but he said that was ok cause he was able to get lots of work done. We'll try again today.

I wonder how bedtime will go during lenten season when I give up naps! Hmmm...

What to do, What to do...

2010-02-14T19:18:00.003-05:00

I think we may be rounding the corner of this ridiculous illness. Whatever in the world it was...some type of sinus thing. Not ears thank goodness. M is at the stage where she coughs incessantly and if I hear myself or hubs say "cover your mouth" one more time I may need to check myself into the asylum. W seems to be finally beating the fever. Our thermometer has all of a sudden given out, so I can't be sure, but if he still has a fever when the meds wear off it is very low grade. This is a huge leap forward from what we've been dealing with consistently for the last 6-7 days. I can't really imagine fever for that many days. One day of fever really wears me out! Now he gets (and we get) to experience the residual side effects of a hefty antibiotic! Only 8 more days of that! haha!

On another note, we usually bathe the kids every other day if they haven't had excessive outdoor play or mud puddle episodes. Well, tonight would have been our night off, except that M decided to douse herself in vicks (not a bad idea with the cough) only it was a bit much and good portion actually ended up in her hair. And certainly you can't bathe one without bathing the other. W LOVES bathtime. So that is where they are now.

And yet another note, I was trying to clean the kitchen and cook. And though I'm not extremely short, I'm not really tall either, so their are many things out of reach to me in my own kitchen. This is not a fact I'm real thrilled with, but I don't seem to have many choices. I had a simple step stool that was specifically mine for the kitchen, but being that it was a kitchen necessity, it got very dirty. This item drove hubs crazy. He constantly tripped over it and thought it was unsanitary (which it likely was), so he threw it out in the yard to (supposedly) hose it off and clean it. Then proceeded to "accidentally" run over it. That long story to say that it is no more. I do have a step ladder that is a pain to get out, but is at least useful. I was trying to avoid getting it out, but also trying to reach things too high for me. I managed to drop a rather large and heavy duty pot lid on my head (handle down) and now I have a decent headache.

Now that's a SNOW!

2010-02-12T19:41:00.002-05:00

Well, momentarily we are receiving an actual decent snow! If we weren't all sick I'd be entirely more excited about the possibilities and snow men that tomorrow will surely hold. I believe W will miss most of these festivities if his health doesn't improve significantly by the morning.

Actually, he is being delightful right now. Seems to be feeling at least a bit better. He has been so pitiful it'd break a mommas heart. Sitting around with weak eyes and congestion like crazy. Not to mention the constant fever. It would go down a bit with meds, but we would have to alternate them to get it to go down significantly. Then when they wore off, his fever would shoot back up.

Today was no different. Seemed lethargic and only wanting mommy. So we called the Dr. got new medicine and had to get out in the freezing weather to go the pharmacy and get this medicine. Since we were headed that direction I went ahead and kept going to Spartenburg to pick up my 2 sewing machine that were in the shop. Yay! Soooo glad to have my machines functioning again. Since December they have been out of commission.

W didn't eat any lunch, so I couldn't give him his new medicine. I finally convinced him to have some yogurt and gave him the medicine with that. He had a long nap and then ate a pretty decent supper, so I gave him his other dose with that meal. I'm hoping this helps him turn the corner tonight. I'm ready to see my little boy again.

J went grocery shopping! I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that, but I couldn't have been more thankful as I certainly didn't want to do it in the snow with 2 sick kids! So no coupons and $50 later, he got everything on my list! Oh well for the $50...I guess we'll call that a convenience fee.

On the W front, we found him using the plunger and trying to plunge the toilet. Funny and disgusting all at once. Also, the kid dropped his blanket down a very precarious space between M's mattresses and the actual footboard of her bed. In his zest to retrieve it, he fell there himself and got wedged sideways. Lucky for him m and I keep a close eye on him and were able to fish him out rather quickly with only a tiny scratch on his face. Now if we could just keep him from climbing onto her bed in the first place...

...Time passes...Cookies were made (from scratch)...kids were put to bed...more snow has fallen

I just put a sweet fever free baby boy to bed! Hallelujah. So sweet to get to pray over your sleeping children. The blanket of snow here is pretty awesome and still falling quite a bit. Can't wait to see what it looks like in the a.m. Wonder about how the well will hold up. We had it filled in again on Tuesday...but it's been sinking a little since then. The snow won't help any. We certainly won't be getting anywhere near it. Well, time to enjoy the cookies I made and try not to fall asleep too early.

400th post!

2010-02-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

This is my 400th post. didn't want that to go by without at least acknowledging it...
Now on with my post...

I have blue ink ALL over my hands. Actually, I have blue ink all on the inside of my purse which is how it got all over my hands. How did I manage this you ask? Obviously a pen lost it's top and ink inside my purse without my noticing.

This a.m. has been a doozie. W is still sick and feverish. But M is fine. Congested, but able to go to school. Sort of. My car will be needing minor attention today, so the question was how do I make sure she gets picked up from school. Our ride to school is also sick with fever, so I'll be taking her this a.m. So I call the only other back up I have to see if she can pick M up from school. Straight to voicemail. So I text...no response. We get m ready for school, but don't leave till we know how to make this work. On top of that, I'm to provide a sweet snack for the party that is tomorrow...but they want the sweet snack today! Hmmm...

Back up plan finally texts to say she can pick M up. So I throw on clothes. Look terrible, but no big deal. Chances are we'll be late to school. As I get just 2 blocks down the road the gas light comes on. Sheesh! So I have to stop for gas. I try the debit card...twice in the freezing weather with lots of wind. It doesn't work. I forgot...we had to order new ones because someone stole our number when J was out of town. So, luckily I have cash in my purse and thus run in and get a pre paid amount. Since we are already sooooo late, we just head next door to the store, get a store bought v-day cake. Now we are really late!

Finally we get to school with the cake...but I forgot to tell them someone else is picking M up from school. Guess I'll have to call! When I got home I had to clean out the massive mess in my car due to lots of kids and errands...and food, in the freezing windy weather! Yuck. But, M has made it to school and has a ride. My car has made it to the shop, and W and I are warm and cozy in our house...resting. Hope I have time to do all the dishes that are taking over my kitchen!

TTFN!

Sickness Be Gone!

2010-02-09T21:04:00.002-05:00

Well, I just rocked a precious little one to bed upright so that he could finally fall asleep without being reawakened with a coughing fit. He was soooo tired! Of course the only time we could get to the Dr. was smack in the middle of what should be naptime. My goal then was to skip it and put him down early, but due to his illness, that was basically impossible. I would venture to say that by the time we made it home after the Dr. and the pharmacy, it was about 4:15? And it took him all of 30 seconds to pass out in my arms in the rocking chair. I let him rest for an hour. He woke himself up though with a coughing spell.

Like last night, he ate almost nothing. At least he's been eating during the day. So adorable though! He will straight up tell you what he does or doesn't want! Do you want some Green Beans(which he normally loves)? "No." "Waker" (supposed to be Water and pronounced the same except for the middle consonant). So he gets water. He did eat a bunch of orange and a bit of hot dog and crackers.

I won't blog long cause I'm anticipating a LOOONG night with the coughing spells and medicine that only lasts about 4 hours at a time.

M stayed home today too as her congestion was backing up into her eyes. I had originally scheduled a well visit for today to catch W up on his shots. That didn't happen and then on top of that we got to pay our outstanding bill and double the meds! 2 meds for each! Thank you Lord, though, for blessing us with the ability to pay it and the blessing that is is available to aid our children in their recovery. Hard to complain about having access to medical help when there are so many in the world that don't.

I am hoping and thinking that it is actually true that M will be able to go to school tomorrow. I'm hoping that hubs doesn't get any sicker, as he too appears to have this raging illness. I'm resigning myself to the fact that I will most likely not be able to prepare made from scratch cupcakes for M's V-day party on Thursday. I'll have to hit the store on the way to pick her up from school tomorrow. In addition, I have no idea if all this will even work out cause I have to have my car worked on tomorrow at some point. Hoping to get all of the "Hallquist" clan together at Mom and Dad's for Valentine's Day.

We'll have to celebrate our super romantic V-day getaway later...

Say a prayer for the sickness bug to be gone. Poor M has been sick with various types of illnesses for 3 weeks! W's been dealing with congestion for about as long and is cutting teeth on top of that. He had a pretty decent fever today of 101.6 after the Motrin! He was pretty pitiful today. I'm hoping he starts to recover quickly. Gotta get well so we can catch him up on some shots in order to enroll him in PDO (Parent's Day Out) once a week. He and I both could benefit from this. Eighteen/ Nineteen months is the age when the separation anxiety really sets in! Well add to that the fact that he has always been a bit of a Momma's Boy and you have a scene from Family Guy! Just hope the whole transition doesn't keep him sick all the time too. Oh the give and take of it all! Off to bed.

Crazy Times at Home

2010-02-06T22:21:00.003-05:00

Well if it's gonna happen around here, seems like it will, and right now!

M is still having tummy issues, her brother seems to be teething and is amazingly cranky. On top of that he has taken to skipping his nap every other day. M doesn't want to eat much and I don't blame her, but she's doing well considering. I had a touch of it myself today but have taken it very easy and haven't eaten much. We shall see.

I woke up and my back was tight and tired...bet it has something to do with the fact that W is OBSESSED with me right now. I'd be flattered if I wasn't annoyed and didn't actually already know that 19 months is a very strong time for separation anxiety. When Auntie B came over the other day to take M to school, he seemed to think that I might be going with her somewhere (as is the case on occasion), and he started fussing, repeating "mama" over and over, and started pushing B. It was amusing. I still am experiencing headaches on a fairly daily basis. I also suspect some nightly teeth clenching...which would explain alot of things. The question is what's with the tension?

I think next week will slow things down a bit. I was blessed by a visit from B to watch the kids for a little during the day so that hubs and I could run errands gathering things to make this place more efficient and livable. I had lots of plans. Unfortunately, my plans were drastically altered when we went out to the car and noticed that the old well had caved in about 10 feet! Yikes! So off to the landlord's house we went...who knows when we'll fix that! We are due for another big rain Tues!

But we did manage to get to Target and find a fantastic buy for a replacement coverlet for our bed! We couldn't be more thrilled! The to lunch at Wild Ace in downtown Greer, and then home again to our lovely children. Best part? Auntie B had been the good cleaning fairy! I just love her! Not to worry, we compensated her for her generosity even though she would never require it! I'm seriously considering asking her over at least 2 times a month to help remedy the mess problem.

Funny moment came when she walked into the joint bedroom and found it trashed...not 10 minutes after she had cleaned it. M was to blame of course, but B couldn't believe that M had managed to undo her closet, dressup, drawers, and bed all in that short amount of time! I had to laugh and say, see...it's not that I'm a terrible housekeeper... On a side note, M redeemed herself in cleaning all of the mess up with very little help or prompting. She was rather proud of herself, as was I.

In addition to nothing going quite how I had planned today, we found out that we could now join the club of other Rosebowl attendees in that our de*bit card number had been stolen and used by someone multiple times at various CVS's in another state. Lucky for us the company flagged the card for suspicious charges. I wonder what tipped them off...the fact that someone was spending $50 at a time at CVS! You know I never do! Ha! So now we are cash only for everything till we remedy that situation on Monday.

So let's recap. Wake with headache and back pain...early! M still having tummy aches. W teething and all that comes with that. Someone using out card and therefore deactivating it for the entire weekend and longer. The well falling in, resulting in a rearranging of the errands we were going to run. Me ending up with M's stomach thing. The good things were; I got to spend time alone with my hubs however short it seemed, my house was lovingly clean when I got home, I got to rest (even though it was due to tummy ache), even though we didn't get to run all the errand's I'd hoped we did find an awesome deal at Target on a clearance coverlet and matching bedskirt and shams! So the goods and the bads level out a bit, but do leave us pondering what to do about this living situation that certainly doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Another Day in the Life...

2010-02-04T13:52:00.002-05:00

What is it with Murphy's law? All the 15 minute increments in the day and as soon as I'm in the shower the doorbell rings! I knew this would happen. Yard men were coming some time today...no time frame given. Well, a girl's gotta get clean! Sheesh!

At least the yard trimming and such has now been accomplished! I swear for that cost we could have bought the tools and done it ourselves, but it is done and I didn't break a sweat! Since I was once again home bound all morning, I buckled down to clean. This is one of the necessities that housemom/wife just has to get over and succumb to its reality. I do indeed clean all the time. Not that the house is ever clean...fully!

But I got realistic and looked at the minimal amount of time I actually had to get anything done and decided to work one room at a time. Generally. So it was the kitchen. I had done a good bit of work in there yesterday, so I thought it might be easier to make a dent that actually appeared as if I'd done some kind of work. And I did. I finally organized and took care of nitty gritty things that I've been putting off in there. Still not fully clean as you can imagine! One or two more naptimes should do it.

W was so adorable today! I was going to have him skip that morning nap this a.m. as he had slept till 7 this morn, and then get my 2 and the friend that stays with us 2 afternoons a week down for an early nap this afternoon. But little man was saying "nap" and "sleepy" and trying to climb into his bed. I decided I'd better take the hint and put him down. It IS easier to get things done without any little person underfoot. But an hour goes by fast...

Veggie Tales, then naptime up on the docket. I definitely feel a nap in the works for me as well. And I got a package today! From my grandma Katie! she's cleaning out her sewing room and sent all the cutie things in the sizes of my children! I few things for me to finish with buttons and what now, but M is very excited. She's already put one on!

Then the tea party. M's home center now includes a working coffee maker (kids that uses water). So, the 3 kids sat down at the princess table from Uncle John, Aunt Connie, and Cuz B, and ate little debbie's and coffee "water" in their tea party set from one of hubs relatives. I think Gammy and Pawpaw, but I don't remember! She was so excited that this was her first REAL tea party. We will definitely have to do this again, with our tea hats!

Though I intended to actually try to fix my hair today, the yard men threw off the plan! I searched for the faithful Noodle hat and couldn't find it! I laughed off the thought that my hubs may just have discarded it so I'd get the hint, and threw this hair into yet another pony tail! Sheesh. I gotta figure out what to do about that.

I think I may finally get to take my sewing machines to the shop tomorrow! Can hardly wait to get them back! So much to do!

BTW, God has really amazed me and taught me alot about myself this week! Praise to Him for answering some very serious and constant prayers! And for those who faithfully prayed alongside me!

Keepin it Real

2010-02-03T16:02:00.003-05:00

This is a post of somewhat random things that pop into my head from time to time. Don't try to make sense of them or overanalyze...I'm just trying to be honest and keepin it real.

I sang today...something other than The Little Mermaid. I actually thought it was pretty good. We are certainly our worst critics, but considering the round and round that I went through to choose, purchase, and practice these songs, I was kind of proud. I was a little anxious about it, mostly because I didn't want my inadequacies to get in the way of what God wanted to say/wanted us to hear. What a silly concern really...I could hardly get in the way of God's plan.

Sometimes I forget WHO God is. I forget that He isn't like me. Though Jesus was more like me, I forget that they (the trinity) were altogether "other"! And when I try to humanize them (unintentionally) it seems I limit them. I'm trying to be more aware of this and to avoid it in the future.

I have been having fairly consistent early morning wake up calls from my kids. Usually somewhere between 6-6:30 a.m. This is not early to some of you I realize, but it is an hour or more early for me. I know that it is because we moved the kids into the same room and the littlest wakes the older one up and then there is no turning back...but I'm a morning person, so other than being much tireder these days, I don't really mind. It does mean their dad is waking up earlier too, cause there is entirely too much activity going on for him to bear sleeping through it. Bet he's wishing he could find those ear plugs he misplaced.

On that note, I am a ton tireder than I am used to being and I am a little concerned. I know part of it is the lacksidazical way I have been exercising lately...not enough consistency. I am curious if I'm having iron issues, which is something I have battled more than once in my life. I really LOVE to sleep...and if not sleep, lay quietly in my bed with the covers pulled up around me. If I were in college, I would do exactly that...alot, but I'm a mom and a business owner and I don't have time for all that. I don't have time to get a lot of things done around here, so sleeping and lounging around isn't really a luxury I can afford on a regular basis. I wonder if I just need a break (little vacation for myself or with hubs--sans kids), or something else...life change. Who knows. But some thing I ponder none the less.

BTW, I didn't know that tireder was an actual word, but it doesn't appear to need spell check. Hmm. It really is true that you learn something new everyday.

I don't like my hair as of late. It's long...and though that's not my favorite hair do, I don't mind it so much. I think maybe I just need a reshaping? I just can't seem to do anything with it. In other words I wear alot of pony tails. Worst case scenario is the ball cap...and i seem to be wearing that far more often than I would like. My fave ball cap is blue and says Noodle on it (something about golf) which I stole from my hubs years ago and never returned. I have just about decided that this is the stage of life that I will likely refer to in years to come as the Noodle years. I wear my hair long due to my profession or business. It makes certain characters altogether easier if I use my own hair, but it makes wig wearing easier as well. Hard to conceal and contain that short hair.

My house is a wreck! Ever since I moved the kids into the same room the house went through the remodeling sort of upheaval and I have yet to entirely right the whole situation. Even after several trips to Goodwill. I seriously contemplated hiring a made for a few visits or months.

I miss my FOO (Family of Origin). Haven't seen them in a while. I'm not a real miss you when your / I'm gone kind of person, but I think I'm gearing up for a visit. Just gotta make sure my car is in good enough shape to go. I'm starting to get annoyed with the car actually. One morning the volume button was struggling to function. Today it was all I could do to get the children's CD out of the player. I did manage to retrieve it, but am not even thinking about putting something else in there. I don't think I really want to press my luck. Maybe I'll try it with one of my favorite ones, so that if it doesn't get permanently stuck, I will at least like what I have to listen to all the time.

All the randomness I can handle for now. I have to wake the kids so they'll go back to bed later. Bed time is the trickiest part of joint bedrooms.

Stormy Weather

2010-02-01T07:26:00.003-05:00

Ice storms that is...yes we had some snow but it wasn't much fun for the kids as everything sort of melted together and made most any kind of play impossible. We did some exploration, some swinging, some stomping through the ice and into mud puddles...but not really any pics. We did take pics last night when the kids had a wild dance fest! Funny actually! I don't think I've seen M exercise so much in one sitting... Maybe she's ready for dance class after all.

I ran to CVS since it's across the street. I had some really great coupons that expired yesterday, so I wanted to get the deals, and get out of the house since we've been iced in all weekend. Here is the run down.

Starting with $3 ECB's...

Transaction 1:

Men's Dove Body Wash--out of pocket: $1.57
ECB's : $5.49

Transaction 2:

Men's Dove Body Wash
Colgate Max Fresh
---out of pocket: $1.50
ECB's: $7.49

Transaction 3:
2 packs of huggies
(used $4/20 CVS coupon but forgot ECB's)
out of pocket: $13.96
ECB's: $5

Transaction 4:
4 Ragu
2 Skippy pnut
out of pocket: .52 cents
ECB's (still have $5 from when I forgot to use it earlier) and $3 = $8

Transaction 5:
1 12 pack coke
4 febreeze fab refreshers
3 2 liters
out of pocket: $7.98
ECB's $10

Total visit spending:$25.53
Total Value: $98.29
ECB's: $10!

New Favorite Things!

2010-01-28T16:42:00.003-05:00

One of my new favorite things to do these days is buy groceries! Multiple reasons actually! You know me and my love for hunting the bargain. Well, with southern savers, this girl is now hooked on the oh so great deals of Publix and CVS! The couponing is going fast and easily. Something that once frustrated the heck out of me and took forever, is now easy and only takes about an hour or maybe just a smidge more of the entire week! Perfect to do during morning nap!

Today that is what I did. I prepped for Publix and CVS while M was at school and W was sleeping. I had already done the computer portion. checked the things I wanted and printed the coupons I needed that I didn't already have. yesterday, M and I sat down and cut out the computer printed coupons. She enjoyed the cutting and doing big girl things with Mom and she didn't even realize she was helping me!

So, during nap today, I organized. I looked up the coupons I'd need for the trip and cut them out, organizing them in an envelope with my list. I did this for both stores and put them in my purse. Since W had such a marvelous nap, we were going to make these runs together! This should be interesting and certainly aborted at anytime depending on children's behavior.

They were great! Thank goodness for carts that look like cars, buckles in the carts that look like cars, free cookies and balloons, a short list and a store I'm now familiar with to navigate rather quickly!

So here is the run down...

Publix: spent $25.54 (including tax)
saved $43.07

Aldi was out next stop...there are some things my kids will only eat from Aldi! Heaven forbid we ever move to a place that doesn't have one! So we stopped there and thankfully their prices are always incredible!

CVS: spent $13.54
saved $32.22
Extra Bucks for next time $3

Tons of freebies today too! Two 32 oz Gatorades--free, 7 bars of soap--free, TONS of stuff for less than $.75!

Great run today! definitely doing CVS next week as well for some freebies and ECBs on diapers!

Can't top the Diblets!

2010-01-26T16:51:00.002-05:00

Well, no stories to top the Diblets today! sorry. Kids are fun aren't they?!

I have a brief moment here, so I thought I'd post. I've been up to all kinds of things. Mostly trying to get my home in order. Guess I got a jump on spring cleaning, throwing out, rearranging and what not. I started by moving the kids to the same room. This has been a bit tricky. But the room looks great! I lucked out finding some wall art stickers on clearance a walmart; a set that will coordinate with the existing color of wall (which is an odd teal color) for M and another set also on clearance for W! They are both thrilled.

After trying several different furniture arrangements, I was finally able to settle on one that is pretty great if I do say so myself. I even moved the curtains from W's old room right onto the window next to his bed in the joint room and it worked perfectly...except that I hung the valance upside down and with a staple gun at that, so it's permanent! The rocking chair fits in there, which both kids are thrilled about. M has a more grown up rock and roll theme going on in there. She didn't get her real stage with curtains and a microphone like she hoped, but maybe one day! And W gets Thomas the train! What could be better.

The playroom / eating space is still in the works, although that has been my main focus of late as the rest of the house appears to have been hit by the misplaced toy bomb. Today and tonight, it is my goal to find a place for all the toys (even if that means the consignment shop or goodwill for some of them)! Before I could have that room also house the eating space, I needed a rug to protect the carpet since our kids are horrifyingly messy and we only rent this house! I headed out to Old Time Pottery today with both kids. M had the day off for rest and recoup as she's not feeling 100%. I was hoping to get a big rug for about $40 or so. I was thrilled to find them having a huge sale for $32.99. Then I stumble upon a bin of 5 x 8 striped rugs for $10! Now don't set anything even remotely hot on this as I am certain this rug is made from recycled plastic bags or something and will melt into unrecognizability (not that I'm speaking from experience...first year of marriage in a tiny seminary apt.), but hey! the thing is $10 fits the requirement as food catcher for young kids AND as if it were definitely meant to be...the stripes are the exact color of the decorative items already in there! yeah baby!

So I tote home 2 kids, a large yellow plastic laundry type bin to hold stuffed animals and such, a large fabric remnant, a new funky broom and dustpan, and this huge rug! How I managed it was amusing, but more importantly successful! We came home and ate leftover pizza. Both kids decided to boycott nap for some odd reason (possibly the medicine?)...at least W finally gave up the ghost. I was able to stick M in my bed with a movie and get some of the actual rearranging done in that room, and now I wait till hubs gets home to move the table. Maybe, just maybe I'll have room for a dishwasher now in the kitchen! M has made it clear that she feels the kitchen needs a rug. I'm afraid that J (being ever so slightly clumsy and no small thing) is not a big fan of rugs however, as he finds himself stumbling over them quite often. That may be up for discussion when everything else finds a home.

Hmmm...and when do we think that will be? Not this week. There's just no way.

The Diblets

2010-01-25T13:12:00.002-05:00

You are now entering the realm of the Diblets.

The Diblets are tazmanian devil horse farmer cowgirls that paint the sky. They paint sun, clouds, and rainbows, but never rain because Diblets are scared of rain. They are nice and rather than make a big mess like your typical Tazmanian devil, they clean up messes! I have also been informed that they place people into trees in their beautiful nice forest with rainbows, waffles, and something else lovely and odd that I can no longer remember.

One Diblet sister wears an irridescent pink cowboy hat, flipflops, a shirt and leggings, and carries with her a foam sword. The other Diblet sister wears bat ears, a black tutu with gold glitter on it. a bathing suit bottom, a pink top that is dirty with various types of stains, and carries her pointer which is actually the arm off a doll she got for Christmas (guess which twisted Diblet sister is mine?!).

This is the land that our house has entered since having picked up M and her friend from school! Such imagination!

Mermaid Magic

2010-01-24T20:28:00.002-05:00

And the singing telegram was a huge hit! I love being the mermaid! She looks so magical and sings such fantastic songs, and everyone loves her! Singing Telegrams are pretty great too, cause I make a little money, I'm forced to put my make up on that day, and they are quick so I can be back with my most favorite people in the world...my family.

The joint bedroom transformation is almost complete. There is a lot of organization that still needs to happen over all in the house. Most of the toys do not yet have a designated space in the playroom...so they are everywhere! I may tackle that some tonight if my working weekend exhaustion doesn't catch up with me. I'm so ready for organization and flow in this house...hmmm...sounds very chi or feng shui.

The children adjustment to their joint room is going pretty well. Bedtime is the trickiest, but we also took the paci away from the little man this weekend, so that's not really helping. Still, I can not tell you how much I LOVE having my house back. I can move around freely making noise and having a light on, and not have to worry about waking the little one. I even actually have more time to clean! That comment would make one think that I was excited because I love to clean...this is not the case, however I do detest the mess...so I suppose you can't really have one without the other. Unless you have an Alice (as in the Brady Bunch). That is my dream for a day in the future.

Off to put the other babe to bed...then maybe some organizing or sleeping. I haven't quite decided.

Tiny Tink

2010-01-24T08:51:00.002-05:00

Well, I had a pixie party yesterday. It was really great! Me in a pixie fairy costume is a bit tricky. Sure makes me feel old and in need of a redo at the gym! Haha! Still it was a great party! The girls were fantastic! The games and crafts were awesome! Such fun and delight. And I even got to tinker and received a tip! I was able to take that tip and take my bff out to my fave Mexican restaurant for a girls night.

I am slipping back into my workout routine again this week now that things have settled down a bit at home. That should help my confidence level when wearing such tiny costumes haha! Now off to prepare a fun big breakfast now that all of my family is under one roof.

Wish I had the WHOLE day off, but I do have to be a mermaid later to sing for a little girl's fifth bday! Fun! Until later...

Waiting

2010-01-22T16:19:00.002-05:00

The waiting game is no fun, but what i literally just realized is that waiting often signifies anticipation. The only real alternative to that is waiting with anxiety, and I'm not the anxious type. God has led my family through so much where in all we really had to look and depend was on Him, that there really isn't anxiety left. He's got this!

So, I'm waiting...literally...on children to wake up. On a husband to arrive at the airport after being gone for a week. I'm waiting to see if my personal business is profitable. I'm waiting to save enough to buy a house. I'm waiting to see what's going to happen next in our life. And as I wait, I choose to see it as waiting with the excitement that anticipation brings.

I am waiting for the kids to wake up because when they do they are going to be well rested and ready to see their dad. I'm waiting to pick up my husband, and I can't wait to kiss that face whether he has shaved or not! I am excited to see how God pieces together the puzzle of our life over the next year to reveal more of his orchestration and plan.

I wait not impatiently but eagerly.

in over my head!

2010-01-21T20:52:00.002-05:00

I am posting when I ought to be cleaning. You married gals know that there are few things that husbands like more than a clean home. If that isn't true for yours, then you are lucky. Well, if I had a video cam that would allow you to peek into our home right now, it would remind you of an episode of the show Clean Sweep. It's not quite Hoarders material, but it looks like we moved in and then took all the boxes, opened them, and then dumped them out all over the floor in all rooms except the bathroom, and the kids room. The kitchen's not so bad...

All the dishes are clean, all the laundry is clean and swallowing the couch whole. I have redone the kids room and have to tackle the organization of all the other kids things that are all over the rest of the house. Our room will never be clean until we get the storage unit because of all the business stuff that is collecting in the vacant space of our room. The kitchen just needs a little elbow grease.

But...M is still awake because W is having a little bit of trouble adjusting to being moved into her room. And Thursday is the only time I care a thing about television...what to do. And J gets home tomorrow night. This could get interesting. On top of all that, I have two parties this weekend for the business.

Ah the Holidays...

2009-12-24T21:20:00.002-05:00

Well, the holidays are in full swing now...I officially rolled out of bed after a late night with the girls and decided I'd better go to the Dr. Before we get out of town and there is nothing else I can do about it. My right tonsil was swollen and hurting and making me not want to eat or swallow. Tonsillitis no big surprise. So after waiting it out in the Dr's office this a.m., finally gtting to the end of my balance and having to shell out a wad for prescriptions, I was able to get home and dress the kids so I could run my 2 remaining errands.

Final preps for the fondue fest tonight which was mediocre at best... The house is nice and clean except for the dishes from the feast and our room which is only slightly messy. The kids are packed even though the grown up aren't. I didn't get to fix my hair, or pick a decent out fit, but I got my make up on and a festive Christmas green shirt to go with my blue jeans before the guest arrived...thank goodness she was late as usual. The kids were in bed a good hour late or more. And "Santa" is too tired to think about what is about to come next! Sheesh!

We learned a few things tonight...M learned to obey, and not to play with sharp objects. (so glad I didn't see her stab herself in the eye with a fondue fork). J and I both were certain-at least for a second-that we were headed to the ER for Christmas Eve. Maybe fondue will be a nicer tradition carried on when the kids are older. Easier is better on nights like this. We learned that cell phones are fantastic for keeping families together even when we're apart. I felt connected after receiving a pic of my niece in her Christmas PJ's and my nephew in another part of the country, in his nice Christmas outfit. So then we were able to send a pic of M and J partaking of fondue...a family tradition from my family of origin. Also, we got a message that my bro in law was firing up the big green egg for their special dinner just as we were firing up our fondue pot.
Now to make it through the rest of the night with the royally sore throat and hopefully not too late a night.

Here goes...

Got Paid

2009-12-22T08:02:00.002-05:00

I didn't think the day would come, but yesterday I went to Walmart and they paid me 2 cents to take a product home! Granted I only bought one thing...but I was next door to Walmart for wig perusing (for my party character business). So since I was there, and had the coupon, I decided to swing in and pick up the free fabric softener. I was going to peak down the book aisle to see if they had the last of the Twilight series anyway. They didn't have the book, so I just got the fab softener. At 1.98 and a coupon for $2 off, they actually gave me 2 pennies and I walked out with the fab softener as well. Too bad I only had one coupon or I would have gotten 3 of these.

I did really well yesterday at Target as well. Got some free swiss miss hot cocoa and gave it to a friend (cause I already have 2). Got DelMonte canned green beans (our most used veggies in this house) for 25 cents a piece, and a Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure movie DVD/Blu Ray for $5!

Today I'm off to make a 5 yr old's day by surprising her in costume at her school with cupcakes! Off to the races.

Inching Ever Closer

2009-12-18T12:46:00.003-05:00

Well I haven't blogged in a while. Not because I haven't had things going on, but mainly because nothing seemed to want to be written about. I'll explain...stories from my days and weeks come to mind in very storylike form sometimes. It is those that I blog about. If I make a list (like the last post) it's because the narrative form is lost for the time being. So, that's where I am. Still...

I am inching every closer to my 400th post! I should definitely use that as an excuse to throw a party...when it actually occurs that is.

Since the last post I have been to Disney World and Epcot, gotten to see one of my best friends from college, terribly missed one of my other best friends from college, driven to see my parents, flown in an airplane, read 3 of the Twilight books, very nearly completed my Christmas preparations with some last minute gift changing on the part of my 4 year old, past the 100,000 mile mark on my car (yikes!), had my 8th anniversary, and other fairly ordinary things.

I got to do a twins party this past weekend and that involved 2 of the princesses of their choice! Things didn't go as I'd hoped. J was supposed to be able to photograph the event for me since it was kind of a special deal, but we could find anyone to watch the kids at the last second since our usual plan b person was hospitalized for kidney stones. So he didn't get to photograph it, AND for the first time ever...I forgot the goody bags at home! So, to make up for it, I'm making pics and autographing them and slipping them in the mail with their goody bags to each child. That'll cost me...yuck, but I'm happy to oblige if it satisfies the customer. In spite of it not going precisely the way I would've liked, the mom was so ecstatic that she wrote me a raving review email that I will have to use on my site as a testimonial.

I have a singing telegram at a school on Tuesday (that should be quite fun). Tonight, though, I have a hot date with my hot husband! We are celebrating 8 years! It has been delightful...not perfect (we've been through a lot for sure), but compared to many stories of those around me, being married to him is rather easy. We will be spending the night in the swankiest hotel in the area and dining at High Cotton. I thought it a great excuse to buy a new dress (dress? what's that?!). Of course me in my ingenious plan was up till all hours trying to figure out my sister's sewing machine since mine are broken right now. It was an odd length that was very chic, but out of place for my height...would've made me look shorter and as he is 6'3" I don't need to look shorter, so I planned to hem it. In the end, I hand sewed it. Not ideal, but will work for this occasion. So, tonight I will don a classic, chic, red satin dress, some seriously high stilettos, huge earrings (I think...), but I have yet to figure out what to do with my hair.

Christmas has worked itself out as almost everything does (don't know why we worry about little stuff...God clothes and feeds the flowers and the birds, how much more will He take care of us). M wanted a violet incredibles costume from Santa. I ordered one online day after thanksgiving and got scammed apparently. Wasn't going to pay $60 to get one here by Christmas, so I had to improvise. We had a Mr. Incredible costume with a broken zipper from Goodwill, but the muscles would never do. It was too big and we needed to fix the zipper problem, so I asked her if I could scale it down and redo it so that it would be more "violet". That got a raving response. So we decided that Santa could bring her the wig and boots to go with the costume. ( I already had the wig put away). I actually had a hard time finding the boots and started to worry just a bit. Found the perfect ones the a.m. at Walmart on the way home from dropping her off to school! Yahoo!

Now all I have left to deal with for Christmas is anything that involves pictures. Haven't gotten to those yet...again it'll work itself out.

A Day I don't wanna repeat...

2009-11-30T20:06:00.002-05:00

Today was quite a day. I knew it would be. I'm gonna list it fairly plainly as I have little emotion left and don't wish to "say" too much.

#1 on the list today was to attend a funeral...of a friend...who was young...and died unexpectedly/suddenly/tragically...at her own hands

So, I got up before my alarm with a start to my 4 year old asking me to start the music over in her room cause she'd had a bad dream and was scared.
2. turned the music and light on and went back to bed waiting for my alarm
3. Alarm didn't go off...even though I attempted to set it last night.
4. No problem, wasn't late...got up and made coffee and grits
5. Went to M's room and helped her to get ready.
6. Had argument with her over what she was going to have for breakfast (since I'd already fixed grits)
7. She asked me why I was being so bossy! Haha, just cause I made her eat the grits.
8. Saw her off and got her brother up
9. Cleaned his room
10. Got him dressed
11. Packed his bags since he was staying with a friend while I attended services
12. Cleaned the kitchen a bit
13. Ate some breakfast (fed the boy)
14. put on a movie for the boy and jumped in the shower
15. let hubs pick my dress for the day
16. make up, jewelry, hair (chose not to dry it and fix it to save time and since it was raining)
17. loaded up boy and bags in the rain and headed to friend who was watching W
18. dropped him off realized i'd forgotten the snacks and juice for his bag...oh well
19. ended up in the parking lot almost simultaneously with my mom, dad, and my husband
20. Went into the packed church
21. Had to potty
22. Tried not to think too much about the words of the songs that were being played on the piano
23. Hugged the neck of the best friend of the one who has gone on (vowed to exchange numbers...hope that really happens)
24. Cried...alot. Couldn't sing cause I couldn't read the words on the screen cause of my seating arrangement.
25. Went to graveside...in the rain (couldn't hear a thing but saw a bit).
26. Don't think anyone should have to go through that ever!
27. Saw someone put aside their own pain for just a moment in order to comfort someone who had personally injured them in the past
28. Can't believe it happened...still. doesn't seem very real.
29. Wandered around a bit aimlessly.
30. Went with hubs to love on the husband a minute and assure him of our support
31. went to get W...who fell asleep on the way home.
32. Dropped him off with hubs at home
33. Went to get M who was disappointed she had to leave
34. Got ready for naptime.
35. Got annoyed at M for continuously trying to evade naptime by calling me to her room again and again
36. Finally got to lay down. had some trouble actually sleeping though I am still exhausted
37. Slept...off and on.
38. heard a mouse in my room...ugh. then I really couldn't sleep
39. called hubs to bring a mouse trap home on his way home from work
40. M woke up
41. we talked a lot
42. almost dinner time, so I went to wake up W
43. We was standing in his crib quietly (been that way for who knows how long)
44. Started on dinner...since i didn't get to do publix run today (boo) I had to improvise
45. Parmesian encrusted tilapia, sweet potatoes, spinach
46. Took forever with kids under foot, but pretty quick and easy otherwise.
47. Not too bad as thrown together as it was.
48. rinsed dishes
49. M helped with 2 chores
50. bathtime
51. W poops in the bath
52. M hasn't bathed yet but has to get out
53. drain bath
54. clean bath
55. refill bath (sans toys as they now have to be washed)
56. wash M
57. do numerous things to get her ready for bed.
58. write blog
59. glass of wine
60. go to bed!

Success

2009-11-23T15:49:00.002-05:00

I finally went to the grocery store and had HUGE success. Yesterday I went to Publix and spent $50.03. This should have been more like $47 something, but it wasn't until I got home to show off the receipt that I noticed that the gal rang up one item 3 times when I only purchased 2 of them. I don't know if I can go back and fix this or not. So it should have been $47.00, but I saved a little more than $85! Now that's nearly 70% or so. AND I didn't get weird stuff. I got very practical items across the board. Cleaning supplies, toiletries, groceries, meat, even the newspaper! It was awesome. Now this trip was a bit of an exception as I had several FREE item coupons from joining the baby club. Also, that same club sent me coupons for $1 off meat, dairy, and produce items (store coupons) that I was able to stack with manufacturers. I had 2 rain check items from the week before that allowed me to get free napkins and less than half price detergent (which I was entirely out of).

It was awesome. Then pair that with the trip to do the Huggies deal at CVS and I also came home with 2 papers, 2 packs of huggies, a huge pack of wipes, and 4 Halloween items on 90% off that cost me $16 and I got back 5 Extra Bucks! My total budget for ALL the groceries was to $75 and I spent $66 and some change. I did good.

Today's great deal was the nearly free Christmas photo cards I ordered. 50 for $3.19.

I am anxious for the holidays and getting to see lots of family, but there is plenty to do here before I go. This was supposed to be cleaning day, but I have gone at it only half heartedly...so probably tomorrow will be cleaning day as well. We have tons of packing to do, one car that needs brakes before the trip, and some Christmas decorations to put up before we go.

Thankfully, I have a few weeks off before the next big party. And it will be a doozie! Twins with 2 princesses! It should be awesome! The last 2 weekends have included 2 parties each, this last one being a HUGE Hannah Banana Rockstar Extravaganza. As fun as it was, I worked every spare moment last week and I'll be glad for the break!

Now off to clean and cook one of my hubs favorite meals; meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and tea

A Productive Yesterday

2009-11-13T08:54:00.004-05:00

Up bright and early with a serious attack plan for the Publix deals. Never really went at it with such avengance before. I clipped and organized, printed, and listed till 11 or so the night before. The real success came in the fact that they actually had almost everything on my list. They no longer had any free napkins. We don't usually use napkins, but if they are free, I'm sure we would. They don't carry the Smart Balance sour cream either which really sweetened the butter deal...but I needed butter, so I went ahead and got some.

Then in the check out I find out that the Taylor's Publix doesn't take Food Lion coupons cause they are too far away to be considered a competitor. Oh well, so I lost another $1.50 in coupons. Still, when all was said and done, I spent $70 and saved $83. That's more than 50%! Was hoping to do better than that, but then I realized I am still working on that stock pile.

I also did really well at CVS! Not as good as I could have done, but I didn't have the 5$ coupon that I needed. Still I got a gift set for J's Christmas and an anniversary present. A little goody for myself, 2 things of sensitive toothpaste, and hair color. I spent a $25 gift card and then used the extra bucks to pay for the 2nd transaction and then got $9 Extra Bucks back! Awesome!

On top of it all I'm having a ridiculous girl's night out tonight. Though I'm not into and have never watched or read any of the Twilight things... I've been invited to a twilight ball tonight. I'm going if for no other reason than to finally knock the dust of my little black "cocktail" dress. What girl doesn't enjoy getting dressed up now and again.

Then 2 parties tomorrow for the business! Getting ready for that should stay interesting. Most everything is done except one final craft. One busy weekend, sure wish I could squeeze in a date with my hubs...we shall see.

Parenting 101

2009-11-03T12:45:00.004-05:00

While at the library today, I had one of those moments that I knew would visit me eventually. I was watching my littlest (16month old) encounter another young boy (probably around 2). The boy was obviously annoyed at my little one. He was scowling and advancing toward him. No big deal. It's always interesting to watch their interactions. See how they both handle it.

So other kids pushes my little one. No big deal...W stumbles a bit but manages to keep his footing. All is fine. No need to intervene. Then kid advances further and pushes even harder. W catches air before he actually falls. At one point not one bit of his body is touching the ground. I look around for a moving mom. A mom that looks the least bit interested in what is happening. I see nothing so I say calmly but firmly, "No, no. We do not hit." And then I pick W up and move on to looking at books in the vicinity.

Then missing mom comes on the scene and I over hear here saying to the boy, "What's the matter". So I turn to look at him. He is still standing in the same spot with a big pout on his face. This doesn't bother me at all. Many children pout when they are scolded even if it is something they need to hear. Truthfully adults do the same thing. I tell the mom, he just pushed my son down and I told him that we don't hit (plenty of other parents around that witnessed the whole scene). The mother scoops him up and hugs him and he starts to cry.

She cuts me the look and tells me that in the future to leave the parenting to her. To which I replied that I was sorry, but I looked for a parent and as there was none, I felt something needed to be said as he deliberately pushed my son with no invocation. She said, well I was right there and was headed this way. To which I replied, Well I did look around for the parent, and didn't find one.

Now I'm annoyed for several reasons. I'm annoyed that it didn't seem to matter that her son was acting out...more it mattered that I said something to him when she wasn't present. I'm also annoyed that I employed gentle instruction and that was somehow perceived as inappropriate. I would much rather have had the discipline coming from the mom, but I couldn't find her when the time called for her instruction. Obviously I didn't lay a hand on the child, but is it now inappropriate to explain to a child that it's not ok to push? Sheesh. I know I muddle the line, because I tend to surround myself with people who discipline in the same manner as I do, so I don't mind when others correct my children. They are great learning times for both the kids and the moms!

How off am I on this? Opinions? Clearly I offended someone...that wasn't my intention. Was there a better way. Maybe not going to the library with both kids when my brain is still in a very serious flu fog!

...it pours

2009-11-02T11:22:00.002-05:00

I have no idea where I accidentally ended the "when it rains story", but I think I had just said we had a major car overhaul. Torque converter, transmission, and all kinds of things all around that...you can imagine how that set us back. Still better than getting a new car.

So, we spent an extra day with Cuz in Highpoint, NC. Long night as we were all in the same room and W was in the middle of cutting his 2 top molars. We all woke up several times an hour from about 12:30 am--5:30am. The best part of the week came as mom had to drive us back to SC and decided to stay a bit to help out, at least till our car was ready.

She cooked and cleaned and watched kids, and this was fantastic! This allowed me to participate in things I wouldn't have otherwise been able to. I got to attend a field trip to the apple farm with M. I made a "Princess Ella" appearance at M's fall festival. I went to Mom to Mom but didn't have to put W in the nursery exposing him to more fall germs. No matter, somehow, by Thursday night I was growing VERY ill. No energy, lots of congestion, a complete inability to think coherently. Took W to the Dr. and I went too. I guess I ended up with a URI diagnosis and just a "keep a watch on him" for W. I was feeling a bit better on Friday, but I'm afraid I tried to do too much.

Friday night I took M to Payless to take advantage of the 50% off entire purchase coupon thanks to Southern Savers and ultimately Oprah. I got 2 pair and she got 2 pair and we spent $35! Now that's what I'm talking about! I also managed to get 6 pair of grippy socks at Children's place and used a coupon and ended up paying about $8 and some change! Awesome! But, I was dragging after all that.

Saturday, I literally slept almost the whole day! I tried to get up and help, feeling guilty for not pitching in. But I gave up. Just a little bit up and about and I was out of energy. Thankfully, J stepped in full force. I never ask him to take over, but I'm glad he was willing in this case. Turns out I had fever all day. Sunday was only a bit better. Less fever. A little more out of bed time, but still alot of laying around and going to bed early. By Sunday morn, M was definitely coming down with it too...whatever it really is. She had fever in the early morning hours today as well. So, she is home today, and we are awaiting the Dr.'s phone call.

Luckily, it seems W and hubs have managed to avoid the sickness this time around. Hope that lasts. I seem to be coming out of the fog just a bit today. Still a bit loopy, but definitely fever free.

I attempted to CVS yesterday, but lets just say this is not for someone who is severely ill. I'll try again another day.

When it rains...

2009-10-31T08:40:00.003-04:00

I'm checking in after quite a week! In Mom to Mom this week we went around the room stating our best moments and worst moments. Not that I'm a pessimist (actually I'm the opposite), but I started with the worst...cause that's how my week started.

On this past Sunday, on the way home from NC, our transmission went out...in a big way. Not just the trans, but all these other things all around it. We were very close to an exit, so they towed us to Cracker Barrel. Luckily, we were only about 30-40 minutes past where my brother lives, so they rescued us. M thought it was pretty great cause she got to spend an extra day with her beloved cousin.

Oops I accidentally published this post by clicking the wrong button. I'll be finishing the story momentarily!

Standing my ground

2009-10-21T21:13:00.002-04:00

So I went to this Southern Savers Extreme Couponing 101 class last night. I know I mentioned this. The head hauncho was saying that if you zone out in the 5-10 minutes during check out then you are doing yourself a great disservice cause a lot of mistakes happen at the register. Now, I do know this is true, but I'm a little bit timid when it comes to correcting other people's mistakes. You really don't wanna hack off the cashier as you will likely run into them again and again if you intend on continuing to shop at that grocery store.

Having said all that, let me recount my latest shopping experience.

#1 Mistake was HAVING to go to the store. Cause then I was buying my food that I had to have right then on their terms...thus paying a great deal more than I would if I were waiting for the deal. But alas, Mom to mom was in need of last minute breakfast items, so I went early this morning. I was going to purchase two bags of mini bagels, some cream cheese, and a package of cutlery so that I could provide a knife for the cream cheese. Oh and an additional carton of juice...my fave Pineapple Orange Banana! So I found the best deals on all of these and then noticed "peelies" on the bags of bagels. One said buy a loaf of bread and get this bag of bagels free. Well, the bread was cheaper than buying the bag of bagels alone, so this way I'm paying less than I would if I had just bought the bagels, but i'm also getting a loaf of bread. I can live with that since i HAD to have the bagels anyway. (Of course I would never pay anywhere near $2 and something for a loaf of bread!) Then the other coupon said buy a bag of bagels and get $2 off a pumpkin. Cool. Again, I was buying that bag of bagels regardless.

We don't have a pumpkin yet even though this is seriously one of M's favorite holidays. We just haven't been able to make it to the pumpkin patch to take advantage of all that between illnesses and injuries this season. So I roll over to the pumpkins and I see a medium sized Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin with a sign that says $1.99! Perfect. Not too tiny, Not too big...AND I can use the insides to make delicious concoctions. AND MOST OF ALL, the coupon makes it -1 cent. so I gain a cent. Awesome.

Well we ring it all up and I scan my bonus card knocking a good deal off my purchases then I use my coupons and it knocks more off, but then I see it! The price that the pumpkin rang up on the computer is listed at $2.99. That's a dollar more than the sign where I picked it out. So I point this out kindly to the cashier and she says, well that is before the coupon. Now it's .99cents. I say yes, but the pumpkin is supposed to be ringing up at a dollar less so that it is free after the coupon. She says to me that I'm still getting a good deal with the coupons. And I say, yes, but if the pumpkin is supposed to be $1.99, then I would like to pay only that and not the extra dollar. She appears a great deal annoyed and calls for a price check. 6 employees come for this price check!

Oh Geez Louise! So, not trying to be trouble, I have now gotten the woman behind me in the line in on this. She is now clarifying to the employees that I am due an extra dollar as the price listed should be ringing up at $1.99 instead of $2.99. Turns out, in a sense, I am right. The pumpkin label from last week's sale was still listed because they forgot to take it down. So, in the end, I got my free pumpkin...and I suppose I got my feet wet for reclaiming the dollars that are rightfully mine! Score one more for the coupon crazies!

All in all, I left the store having spent $10 for $18 or $19 worth of stuff, so for a trip that I HAD to make with no pre-planning, that's not bad! BTW, this was Bilo not the beloved Publix.

Mac Truck

2009-10-21T15:02:00.002-04:00

Well, one can only go so long at full speed before there engine gets run down. I think that is most likely where I am right now. Hope that's all that is making me feel so sluggish anyway! The house was so quiet just moments ago cause of the naps, but I swear that W can hear the clicking of the keyboard or something because he always wakes up! Still, he will stay in there a bit while he is at least happy.

He has been extremely cranky lately and my mother's intuition (which is likely skewed by my own feelings at this point) tells me that something is wrong. Let's hope I'm off on that one. MOST likely he is just cutting teeth. I believe he's a good bit overdue for 2 or 3 anyway. He is very mommy-centric right now, which I would think I am supposed to love and eat it up, but truthfully it gets old.

I won't wish it away...not for anything in the world, cause I'm certain it will disappear soooo quickly, but the demands being ever constant get rather cumbersome with a 16 month old hanging off one hip! I think I managed to get mostly all of the resewing projects done for M and even added an extra one in. So the other night I was able to finish up about 10 pieces of clothing for her and 2 for myself. I believe I only have about one or two more for her. Then on to W! Got to throw him together some really cute things before the cold sets in for good.

Went to a huge couponing seminar/workshop thing last night. I waffled a good bit on whether or not to go. I mean the point of couponing is to save money and I was going to spend $10 to learn more about it. I felt like I knew most of it. I decided that I needed to get my behind out of the little world that can consume me, and step out and be sociable. (This didn't used to be so difficult!) And it wasn't really difficult, just with all that is forever on my plate I don't want to do something else before I've finished what's in front of me. J said I'd be glad I went cause even though I think I know it all, there will be some nugget that will make it worth it.

He was right of course. I learned 2 nuggets. The most exciting one was about B1G1 sales in the drugstore! Apparently the way the items ring up is different than at a grocer, making a bogo at the drug store a much better deal! Never new that! Then there was the nugget that freed me from coupon hell (excuse my french if that bothers you). I was spending/wasting (you decide) about 3 nights a week working with coupons! yuck. I would much rather be sewing, working out, spending time with my hubs! Well, now I know the quickest and easiest way to organize my coupons that takes little to no time at all! Seriously! File the whole insert after you have written the date at the top. Don't cut those coupons! Then when you read the Southern Savers list you know where to look in your file. AFTER you make your list, cut the coupon and your ready to roll!

Aha moment for me there! Well, there is always more to tell, but for now I will have to go get the baby who is now very aware that I'm right outside his room and awake.

Hoping to Make It

2009-10-18T21:14:00.002-04:00

Hoping to make it to North Carolina this week. We were scheduled to go 2 weeks ago, but we have really been through it around here. We saw a Dr. 4 times in 9 days and had to other incidents that we chose to skip the Doctor for.

Poor W got his finger smashed in a door and now the entire nail was bleeding and is black. And yesterday he decided to climb the back of his high chair which is nice solid wood and it fell over on him. He luckily only got his other finger caught and injured. It may actually be broken but it is just the tip and he is using it...so what could they do for it anyway. It's nice and purple as well but not on the finger nail, on the tip.

Unfortunately he is in the climbing stage! Just waiting for him to attempt to climb out of his crib! He is also in the talking stage. I guess since he has mastered walking and is pretty good at running and dancing, he is now working on his verbal skills. He has been talking up a blue streak lately! He says "basketball", attempts to say "soccer ball", his sister's name; he said, "pants" cookie, water, puffs, wiggles, peepee, shoe, soup, ...and mostly anything he wants to repeat! So fun!

I have been sewing a good bit as well. I went Goodwill shopping on Dollar day again. I was at a loss as it has turned quite cold here and I realized I didn't have much by way of long sleeve for my 4 year old. I bought up a little less that $20 worth of clothes (so about 19 items), and have been resizing the ones that were too big. Now this may sound like a pain to some, but once you've done it once...IT IS SO EASY! Seriously. I resized a sweat shirt with a shooting star and the word "wish" on it (with sparkles of course) in 20 minutes! For real! Then it took me maybe an hour tops to resize a Tinkerbell hoodie from the Disney store. It was more complicated because it was a different shape, and I had to replace a pocket and put on the arm bands and bottom band. Still this is one of M's favorites! I also found a yellow turtleneck in her size, a red turtleneck, a very rocker chick long sleeve T in her size, a BT Kids pink sweater with a tiny hole I will patch tonight, a dress that's long sleeved in her size, and the list goes on.

I know I owe you guys pics, but my camera has been out of batteries. I haven't finished the shirt to pants conversion yet. My machine is actually in need of repair. Thank goodness for my serger. It's been carrying the load lately. I did convert an adult turtleneck into a child's long sleeved T in creme color. I converted another sparkly gold adult turtleneck into a very sassy dress! Very cute. Did another adult to child conversion of a navy turtleneck and still have a charcoal gray one to do if I think she needs it. Fun for me and for her and inexpensive for the family! Must do pics! I will work on it. So much to do so little time.

The Goods

2009-10-13T08:04:00.003-04:00

Been triple couponing again this week as Bloom did another sale. The savings were right at about 50%...obviously that is over all. There were things that I needed that I bought at regular price (or at least sale without a coupon), so between triple coupons and regular prices, the money I spent was the same as the money that I saved.

I made a CVS run today as my hubs was craving Coke products (not my favorite thing at all), but CVS had a deal that made them 4/$10. So we stocked up. I was disappointed because one item that I wanted was going to make me $3 extra, but they were already out, so I had to settle for the similar product that was only going to make me $1 extra in the end. Oh well. Over all I spent $18.50 and saved $30.00 AND got back $10 in ECB for the next visit. I'd say that went well.

Thank You Sis!

2009-10-06T21:18:00.003-04:00

A BIG shout out to my sister in Auburn for helping me to fix my silly blog! And mom too. No more random color mixing! And yes, there is certainly much more to say here.

I have been couponing again...til 1 am in the morning again! There just aren't enough waking hours sometimes. I just about missed the triple coupons at BLOOM which ended tuesday I certainly wasn't expecting it as I just did this about 2 weeks ago! A friend on Facebook informed me and so I spent the rest of the night sewing and couponing to get ready for an early morning run to the store. Much success ensued. I was and possibly still am a little bit confused on the actual specifications of using coupons in the triple coupon scenario and I will hopefully get clarification tomorrow. I spent $18.73 and saved $36.05.! That's not bad! This time I didn't get coupon crazy and buy things I wouldn't normally. I got a lot of rice, juice, bathroom tissue, spaghetti sauce...so I gelt even better about my $18 purchases.

But my week has been much more full than even that! Monday, I took W to the dr. for a recheck of his ears...which were clear! But Tuesday after my Bloom run, I picked M up from school and she was out of sorts. Apparently she had taken quite a fall in the gym about 30 minutes prior to schools end. She was running full force and ran into a boy. Bonk heads and then fell backwards and hit her head on the gym floor. Once the screaming subsided, the teacher said she kind of got back to playing, but no too long after she started to deteriorate.

On the way home she was droopy trying to fall asleep. I called the dr. He said she could sleep but just wake her up after about an hour. She did not want any lunch. So she laid down to sleep, but then she started throwing up. This is when mama knew we'd most likely be on our way to the ER. And the Dr. said go...so we went.

Of course the minute we arrive at the ER she is her old self again...for the most part. Funny, entertaining everyone, happy, excited about this new adventure. She stuttered a little over the word "flower" at one point. And not much later, stumbled over an entire sentence...that is a little scary as she is extremely clear and articulate verbally. But the dr. said that is very normal for a good joggle of the brain. He felt like "her cognitive skills are amazing!" So after a long day of blood pressure taking, pulse taking, heart listening, hospital gowns and gatorade, we were able to go home. Lots of special treatment of course. Happy meal on the way home and then dinner right after that!

The next day we tell her teachers to keep an eye on her. She was fine. Chose to have quiet time rather than actually sleep during nap time. But...after that she felt really warm. 102.9! sheesh. So we call the Dr. We called the ER. They say it is not likely to be related to her head injury, so we schedule an appt for first thing in the morning. And hey, she has Strep! Which she most likely got from the ER! So we have now been to the Dr or ER 3 times this week! So we have been taking care of our patient for the rest of the week. Very high temps have subsided and we are now fever free. Runny noses on both counts of the kids, so we had to miss Cuz's bday! So sad. We had so been looking forward to it! Still I guess we now have something to do for fall break in 2 weeks.

Here's hoping that next week is much more calm! I've done and redone so much laundry that I'm surprised the machine still works! Trying to keep the germs to a minimum.

Among other things...

2009-10-05T07:51:00.002-04:00

I have been up till 1 am the past two nights (or mornings I should say). Partially due to a late cup of coffee and a thousand and one things I'm attempting to squeeze into my life.

Among other things, I have managed to resize one adult turtleneck into M's size! Cream so it can go with and under MANY things. It was quite simple actually! I cut down 3 adult turtle necks actually the same night. Another one I made into a dress which looks pretty awesome actually and the last one will just be a shirt, but it's not quite finished yet. Almost. I was going to take pics and then realized 2 things. The batteries in the camera were dead and I don't have anymore batteries in the stock pile.
I will take some pics though...eventually.

Among other things, I've been faithfully clipping coupons still in preparation for another try at the grocery game. Got 2 of each coupon for the past 4 weeks. Still have to sort the ones from this week though. Not sure if this is going to really hook me cause ALDI is just easier and I always know I'm getting the best price! I keep saying, if I can get stuff for basically free, then I suppose that would be better and thus worth it.

Among other things, we decorated for Halloween last night. We don't do this. The whole evil scene is not something we encourage. In fact, it makes me rightfully nervous. So, hubs and I talked it over...since M was really wanting to decorate, and we decided that if we could do it where in all the "creatures" looked cartoony and happy...not scary even a little, then we would let M decorate. Obviously we didn't go overboard on those decorations either. We went to the dollar store for this extravaganza. We bought a cartoony totem pole type door hanging with all sorts of Halloweeny characters. We got two inflatable cutesy ghosts and some "spider webbing" and a biggish spider. That's it. The ghosts are hung in the tree with colorful ribbon, the door hanging is on the door after a little redrawing and fashioning of the witches face cause even the cartoon character in this instance looked a little mean. Not anymore! A sharpy and some pseudo googly eyes did the trick! We spread the spider webs in the front bushes and used pipe cleaners to attach the spider to the white post out front.

We don't believe in Halloween and celebrating evil...but we do believe in making something good out of something that may have originally been intended for bad. We believe in play and imagination...dressing up, etc.

Among other things, we may have found a resting place for awhile as far as churches go. This could be a long paragraph, but I will keep it short. 2 years ago we were severely injured by a local church. We haven't recovered...may never fully. So we have wandered around trying to reconcile the situation. M has been going to school (much by accident--though I don't really believe in accidents) at Duncan Christian Academy. We love it and love that our child is talking more about God and asking questions...singing songs, learning Bible verses weekly. They had DCA day at the church there.

We get that they are just trying to "hook" the parents a bit by bringing the into the church to present the gospel. And truthfully they did an excellent job! I much prefer a going out approach, but we went understanding this concept cause we both grew up in Baptist churches. They honored our very deserving teachers. They featured the children singing. They had some very well done music with a choir that packed out the loft! I wasn't thrilled that it was generally done to tracks, but this is a rather small church. The gospel presentation was well done. I was annoyed at first by the phraseology. The church phrases that lost people would absolutely never understand without explanation. But I won't complain because the pastor did explain the phrases he used; one by one. The thing that struck me most about the church is that it had LIFE! the people were glad to be there and seemed to genuinely be worshiping God! Hallelujah!

So, who knows what it's like every week...but we finally found something that we are excited to try again. Who would've ever thought it would be a "first baptist church". At least in some respects, we know the drill! Ha ha!

Among other things, I exploded two hard boiled eggs in the microwave yesterday! Lesson learned! Not a centimeter of the microwave was left untouched! Shew! What a mess, what a smell, and what a clean up!

Deconstruct Reconstruct

2009-10-01T08:01:00.002-04:00

I'm in the middle of all kinds of unusual sewing projects. If you know me personally you know several things. 1. I am decently frugal. Out of necessity I do my best to save money. 2. I love to take something old and make it new somehow. This gives me a great sense of accomplishment and I generally have enough patience to deconstruct. 3. I like the idea of recycling...not sending something to Goodwill that hasn't already been there before. (Get what I'm saying?)

Why buy something brand new that I can get at goodwill, or create from something I got from goodwill. We obviously have enough stuff (unwanted or otherwise) floating around in this world. So, it's part frugality and part responsibility that I shop second hand most of the time. Having said that, on come the projects.

And I will have to post pics before and after of these projects cause even I am curious. I purchase an adorable sweater/pull over type shirt from the children's place via Goodwill on the $1 day. I also found a striped turtleneck with the exact color blue in the adult portion also for $1. So I picked it up, knowing that it'd be close, but I could most likely create pants out of the turtle neck to go with the shirt. I am right. I have measured out the pattern onto the shirt and its striped pattern and it will just fit. Sadly this will be the last year and can get pants out of a shirt for my little girl...but I still have a little boy! If I have enough shirt fabric left over, I will also make an applique to go on the shirt...as inspired by two friends new to sewing!

I also bought some cream colored adult turtlenecks at that same $1 sale for M because she was in need of that color for several pieces. Trying to stretch her clothes a little further, I am making or remaking bottoms or tops to put together with pieces we already have. Then I'll have outfits for fall and winter, instead of going out and buying already put together new outfits. I am going to take the adult shirts and resize them down to make the sizes we need, and I'm going to attept a knit jacket much like those selling at Target in the girl's section. I love to throw out a pattern and do it myself. That's the way my brain works. So good luck to me in finding time and energy to plow through these projects as the cold sets in!

Also have a few things planned for the little man as I found a handful of baby boy ties at goodwill 3/$1! I intend on using dress shirts or even short sleeved dress shirts put in the back to goodwill pile by my hubs to piece together some long sleeved t-shirts that appear to have a dress shirt underneath and a tie on top...this will be sewn down for safety reason however so it won't get caught. We shall see how this all goes! Excited to get started and plow away at these project. Now to find the time to do so!

Coupon Crazy

2009-09-28T09:34:00.002-04:00

I have found that over the past week I have been thinking in status updates and blogger entries. It is weird for sure, but if I had enough time I'd just sit down and post it. But life doesn't stop for deep thoughts.

I am relearning things about coupons and think I may share the Coupon Craziness here. You see, I love a bargain (a concept my 4 yr old asked me to explain). But we are watching a pennies as close or maybe even closer than ever right now, so I even have to beware of the Coupon Frenzy. Bloom just had triple coupons (still going on through Tuesday although I dare not set foot in the store again!) This is when I really noticed Coupon Craziness and was able to save myself to some degree. I scoured through all my coupons that were at least .50 up to .75 (cause lets face it...there are no .99 cent coupons). And then I went to the store...twice. I got some great deals and saved nearly 75%. What I discovered was this...even though I talked myself out of lots of things, I still bought things that I didn't really need. Will I use them? Sure, but do I NEED them...No.

Also, I still overpaid on some things even with the triple coupons. Let me explain. Lets take for example that I bought Soft Soap body wash. I usually just use a bar of soap. Now I think it was around $4 originally and I got $2.25 off. So that's more than half off. But I could have bought 3 bars of soap for around the same price...so which is better? Truthfully, when done right I could have done a drugstore deal that would have made it basically free...eventually.

And lets talk about basically free. The drugstore deals...they can be incredible! And you really can get things for pennies on the dollar...eventually. You see these items involve coupons AND rebate or Register Rewards. So you are fronting most of the money...and then you get rewarded. Now if you have the money to front...this is the way to go. Just don't forget to use those reward dollars before they expire. Or don't forget to send in for you Rebates! Then you get to wait for the rebate before it feels like you actually did a good thing as far as bargains go. It's a little confusing and a bit of a hassle if you ask me, but I think if I can save enough cash from my initial couponing (and not go overboard just cause I have a coupon for the item) I may use that money to start the drugstore ball rolling.

Once you front the money for enough items (that you need and that will produce a number of rewards) then you can use the rewards to buy the new items that will then produce new rewards...you see how this could be a great never ending cycle. Still I'm not sure I'm ready for this level of thriftiness yet.

Then there is the issue of prices. Well, so Publix has a store coupon for $3 off diapers and I have a manufacturers coupon for another $1 off. So I could get the diapers for $4 off...their price. You see. it's still not as good a deal as if I went to Aldi and bought their diapers which work fine at this stage in the baby game. So If I went overboard on Couponing I'd think...well I got this name brand for a great deal! But I don't NEED that brand...and thus I would be overspending.

I think to make the coupon craze better I'm going to sort through my coupons and order them from needs to would love to have at the right price and throw out the rest that I truly never should buy. Maybe not throw out, but separate into a totally different box...only to be used if it ends up being free.

So much to keep up with. I think that's why I gave this up a while ago. Trading time for money...which is what you do I guess if all you have is time!

Under Construction

2009-09-21T11:02:00.001-04:00

Clearly I am busy playing with this silly blog. Getting ready for my favorite season. Realize what I did here, but don't know how to undo it/fix it. So, it'll look like this till I get some expert advice or at least some more time!

The Things I Love

2009-09-21T10:32:00.003-04:00

Ahhh...It is 10:30 a.m. The house is quiet cause Baby is sleeping. Sister is at school for a little while longer. I feel so satisfied, maybe content is a better word. There is little angst in the pit of my stomach over expected guests coming to my home or an upcoming party that I need to get organized or do some buying for.

I actually have some time, though it is a small amount, to get somethings done. Hence the blogging. I also feel contented cause I just did some couponing and loved it! I have gotten away from this due to the lack of time and the simplification of going to ALDI. Clearly ALDI is still my favorite. Lowest prices no coupons required! And its clean and I know the people who work there. Love it! Still, as the economy is such, I am needing to find even more savings on some things. Thus, I am going to start grocery gaming. Since I have tried this before, I am able to be better prepared when I do start. I know that I do not need a list to every store. I now know in which stores I will shop. One grocery store and one drug store...maybe a Walmart list, although I do not really enjoy Walmart shopping.

I have now saved up to sets of two weeks worth of Sunday coupons, so only 4 more weeks to go till I have pretty much all of them on the list. I actually got one extra set of coupons so that I could use those now as needed. And I was able to do that this morning.

I went to Publix. I love Publix! It is easy to shop there and you get alot of help from the employees. However, I never shop there because I feel like it is the priciest of supermarkets. But, there are some things that we need in our house due to allergies that only Publix carries. So about once a week (every Monday) I take W to Publix. He loves it cause he gets a free balloon. Lately they have had store coupons that I have been able to combine with manufacturers coupons and get really good deals on. And of course there's the 1 cent coupon that is only good on Sunday and Monday. So I have gotten those extra items as well. I got 3 reusable shopping bags with coupons and the great thing is they aren't just some boring bag...they are halloween inspired! One is Frankenstein, one has a magic wand on it, and the other is plain black! M is going to flip over the spooky one.

Today I ended up getting 11 items for $11.35! I saved a total of $10.42 (so almost 50%)! It was like shopping at the dollar store except I got name brand things like Progresso soups, Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls, and ground beef to name a few! Not bad for just getting my feet wet again. So get to combining those coupons cause last week's mystery item was Cheerios (a large box) and this week's was coffee (which I needed anyway)! Hooray for savings! We all just might make it through this economic recession after all!

Slow to Upload

2009-09-10T15:07:00.003-04:00

When there is a dry spell in my blogging, it is traditionally for one of two reasons...the first being that I'm just bored with it and feel somewhat apathetic with little to say. The second being that I am overwhelmed with things to say and so full with the life that is currently presented me that I haven't an inkling of time to spare for the blog.

The latter would be true in this case.

I will blog a bit and hopefully do some pics in the next little bit!

Life has been full. Full good or full bad you say? I say, "Yes". Seriously, don't know when I've had so much tugging at my head and my heart! Too much to detail here, but I have enjoyed it all none the less. When God places stuff in my life that could be dubbed as difficult to accept, I now know (through experience...lots of experience) that I can accept it through faith knowing that the other side of it all is going to be freaking awesome! I don't always like the way things in my life go...but I know that eventually I'm gonna love where God has taken me.

So, we are in the middle of major life change all around us. A few things have changed in our own lives, but a lot of things have changed in the lives of those around us! Of course, when you live and operate in community the way God intended, then you know that the shifts in the lives of others greatly affects your own life! So, we have been given the chance to minister in community and I'm thrilled! To show another the depth of God's love for us! What could be better?

On our family front, M has started school. We went back and forth over school and finally placed her in an inbetween class that teaches K5. I had my reservations about her maturity level and motor skills...and turns out I was right. Talked with her teacher today, and they now have an opening in the K4 class that they didn't have when I was trying to sign M up. M tried it out today and felt better about it. More confident of her skill level and such. She's working very hard on writing and making letters and numbers. Her motorskills have always been a good bit behind her intelligence level. She's not behind by any means. Most likely right on as far as 4 yr olds go, but her brain comprehension is beyond that of her age. Then there is her maturity level. Well, she is 4. right on. Need I say more. (The teacher didn't seem to think that mattered since she said she has many 5 yr olds that act like 4 yr olds!) Still, I'm glad my concerns were accurate and valid, and that they now have a spot for her in a more appropriate place. I'll just be most glad when she finally gets settled in one routine...So far we haven't settled into a routine with home and school.

W is a mess. The most beautiful boy I've ever seen and I can see how this is going to be trouble. He is a bruiser, no doubt, with a soft spot for his mama! He is mean as a snake when he wants to be, and rough and tumble unless mama's close enough to pick him up and love on him when he gets a boo boo. Hopefully he'll get some social interaction being in the nursery while I'm in Mom to Mom. He's still a HUGE eater! It still blows me away! He is really into climbing, although not out of his crib...at least not yet. He is trying to say all kinds of words. A good bit into repetition. He is finally enjoying seeing and hearing books more than eating them (most of the time). And He LoVES his dadda! so cute.

I am trying to find comfort in routine as well...hoping for that more in the next week or so. My party business is going pretty well. It goes in spurts. Lots of parties. No parties. Bookings for 2 months out and last minute things. I love it though. The last party I did was fantastic! I snuck in the house (with the mom's permission of course), stood in the foyer and started singing a call to the animals type princess thing! They were mesmerized! The little girls just wanted to sit around and talk shop. Where is so-and-so? What color is the castle? What do my shoes look like? The questions are by far my favorite party of doing these parties! My days are pretty full helping others, with a little bit of sewing for M thrown in there. It'll settle down a bit soon, I'm sure, but I have to say that I'm really enjoying sewing!

Mostly, I'm doing clothing redesign/repurposing. We are watching every penny, as are most people in these economic times, and I decided instead of going out and blowing the wad on buying outfits for back to school, I'd take inventory of the things she does have and turn them into working outfits for fall. It's been a fun journey and I can't wait to post pics! Well, time to sew before the sleeping children awake!

I just can't stop looking...

2009-08-20T22:16:00.003-04:00

There is a saying that my daughter will utter from time to time...something about someone or thing being so beautiful I just can't stop looking at it. Well, I am posting this blog to send you to my sister's blog, because my new niece is just soooo beautiful! I would also like to plug my husband at this point as he took these photos. His hobby has turned into quite a thing and I'm so proud of him! Check out the pics of baby C at minnahpeels

Favorite Things

2009-08-11T07:43:00.003-04:00

I woke up this morning with the song, "Favorite Things" stuck in my head. You know, the one from Sound of Music. I don't actually know if that's the title, but it would seem somewhat logical and obvious if it were. That having said (this latter phrase attributed to one my many educators), it immediately put me in a good mood when my mind fully wrapped around the words.

I was making coffee in my over the top coffee making that I think is both annoying (cause it is so overpriced) and absolutely transcendent (cause it makes the perfect cup of coffee with no fuss and in less than 3 minutes)! I began thinking of how coffee is one of my favorite things...and thus the list goes on.

I have so many little favorite things in life...

Coffee (lets certainly start there)
Spell check (because the coffee hadn't kicked in and I had a momentary lapse in how to spell "certainly")
my children!
the curls on W's head
the cheeks on M's face
my husband and the way I know him sooooo well
my SIL's cakes
my mom's gravy
sewing!
my best friend Brooke (what would I do without her!)
my best friend across the continent Alyson (no one knows me like she)
Kidz Bop (lets face it, it's the only way I get to hear anything other than Wiggles or the ABC's!)
sales (if you know me, you know I'm very particular about frugality)
God (of course! and I realize He is in the wrong place on this list--no particular order here)
--how do people get through life without Him!
seeing my expressions in the faces of my kids
hearing my son jabbering (like right now instead of saying flower, he signs "tree" and says Wowowower!)

Of course this post could go on forever, but the point is to not let the day get away from you without stopping to remember, to focus on the good things, the "favorite" things. I know this sounds all touchy feely and not very spiritual, but I beg to differ. God intended that the life that he gives us to be abundant...and so many of us forget to even stop and notice that indeed, this IS the day that the Lord has made! Sometimes, the days are rough with stress and such, but God has given you a day of abundance. Don't forget to notice. Take a moment to be still even if it is a very short moment in between sips of you favorite coffe.

My life is full of uncertainties right now. I've been here before...this frustrating place of waiting and unknowing, so I could wake up each morning with angst and disappointment. But I choose to focus on the blessings and abundance that God has allowed me in the midst of the uncertainties. It's a daily renewing of the mind...something He reminds us about in Romans.

Today

2009-07-22T19:44:00.002-04:00

Today M:

woke up with a bad cough
lounged around watching movies
didn't eat much breakfast
played on her computer
told me she had to pee as we got to the end of our driveway on our way to the mall
went inside to pee and got back in the car...again
ate very little chicken noodle soup at panera
ate her whole bag of chips
bossed her brother in the wagon
got annoyed with her brother in the wagon
had extreme difficulty in the stride rite
couldn't concentrate likely due to over crowding, lots of superfluous noise, and tiredness
almost got pulled up and out of said shoe store with no purchase of shoes
didn't get the cookie she so badly wanted due to behavior in shoe store
still got to play in the mall playground
got to wear her very funky new tennis shoes out of the store
wasn't too difficult to round up when it was time to leave the playground
ate another bag of chips because she was still hungry
got scared of the rain on the way home
played with her umbrella in the house
had quiet time but chose not to sleep thus forfeiting vbs option tonight
disobeyed quiet time rules by hollering, opening door, coming out of rm, then arguing bout it all
watched some movies while mom made sup
had a snack then asked for more
didn't get more cause she needed to save room for supper
walked up to the supper table and said, "ewww yuck!" after seeing her supper
managed to scarf down the one g. bean, one bite of ham, and actually liked the potatoes
chose to have hotdogs and more potatoes
decided she didn't want them after all, after her dad got them for her
had to eat some anyway...but wasn't happy about it
got in trouble various times before and after supper for driving her brother crazy and disobeying
got in trouble for arguing
got feisty with her mom and that was the last straw
had to go to bed VERY early
was "sad" about it
screamed, "no! I'm gonna fight you!"
chickened out on the fighting when her dad and mom said come on and fight then
has been sound asleep since 7:30pm

Today W:

ate cereal and grits for b'fast
watched baby einstein
had a morning nap
woke up grumpy from his morning nap
went to the mall anyway
ate well at panera; bread, turkey, crackers, juice
spilled M's water all over the wagon, himself, her, and his fresh clean blankie
threw up some lunch in the shoe store
wasn't happy at all while in the shoe store
rather enjoyed playing at the play ground
made car sounds at the car on the playground
was really tired on the rainy ride home
enjoyed being under the umbrella with mom (laughed)
went down easily for his afternoon nap
slept through the doorbell and the woman wanting to buy our swingset
woke up happy from his afternoon nap
ate cheerios for a snack and watched whatever M was watching while mom cooked supper
spilled more cheerios on the floor than he ate
decided to start trying out the walking legs and did better than ever before
was excited to see his daddy
didn't like supper either!
didn't want ham, or g. beans. Loved the potatoes as well, and bread, and bananas, and water
played with daddy in a box while M was going to bed
is still crying over going to bed but will hopefully be asleep soon

Today I:
was tired when I woke up
had some coffee and cereal
shared my cereal with W
checked email and facebook
put w down for nap
took a shower and fixed my hair
talked to B on the phone
woke W up to go the mall
dealt with children throughout the drama of the mall
at least i had my fave salad for lunch
was tired when naptime came
just dozed off when M started being loud
got up and instructed her
laid back down and warmed up
got up at the sound of the doorbell
was surprised by woman requesting to buy our swingset
took her name and number on a napkin
texted J
laid down again but couldn't sleep at that point
had a snack with too many calories
looked on the computer till baby woke
got M and W up
got them a snack and started in on supper
noticed her voice was hoarse and raspy...must be the scratchy throat setting in
thought some hot coffee might help
swept the kitchen...again
wiped down the counters, table, stove
continued the laundry
was also excited to see daddy home
fed children supper
ate some supper
took care of disobedient, angry child
laid with her till she fell asleep
found her baby crying it out in his room
rocked her baby, but still had to leave him to cry
couldn't stand to hear him crying so had to blog on the computer to distract her from the sound
still hears him crying (what is the deal)
wishes he would sleep soon so she can actually work out tonight
would love to sew after she works out if it's not too late

On a Roll...

2009-06-28T23:33:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to relay my excitement over here on my blog as July is roll out month for my new PartyMe Princess business! The site is not perfected yet, but it is well on its way! Pics to be added next and a calendar as well as some other details. So keep checking back and be sure to look for our add in the back party time section of the July 2009 Upstate Parent Magazine!

www.PartyMePrincess.com

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2009-06-23T17:22:00.002-04:00

Truthfully, I don't feel like this was a terrible horrible...day, but to most I suppose it would be. I wanted to do something nice for my nearly 4 yr old girl. So I decide if I can play child swap with my friend B, I'll take M and her friend to the free family movie festival. That is of course, provided that friend "B" could trade her daughter for my son, cause I'm sure that W wouldn't fare well in a movie. So we are making the swap and running a little late for the movie, but no big deal. As friend is pulling away I realize that I had laid my keys in her car...so I try to flag her down but she doesn't see me. so I try to call, but she had left in such a hurry that her phone was at home.

When she finally got home she had to drive the keys back to me, but by then my free movie option was out! The girls were very upset...so we chose something else to do, but ended up at a McDonalds (not my choice mind you) that happened to have a very large playground! They enjoyed it and I ate something that I'm bettin was a good two times the amount of calories that I was supposed to have for a meal! Then we went to Wilsons! Now for those of you around these parts that needs no explanantion, but I will say it is a five and dime. So much tiny random cheap stuff the girls thought it was the best thing ever. My main focus there was 2 fold. Find dog related birthday stuff for W's first bday celebration...nothing. And to collect things to create a violet costume for M (that's Violet Incredible "Parr"). I found plenty of stuff along those lines but didn't realize that I needed orange felt for that too! We also got distracted and found an astronaut helmet, one for Cuz and M, and a pirate eye patch which she has long asked for.

Then girls came home to swim! and they had a ball. They even cooperated when it was time to leave to take Friend home and swap children again. Then came the even worse part. Seems like everythime I am going to get my kids weird things happen. Not long ago it was the hit and run in my front yard that took out the traffic light sign. Then it was this huge storm that came out of nowhere and caused me to have to dodge tree branches. This time as I'm at a red light...stopped. The 18 wheeler in front of me starts to roll back. No big deal. I understand they do this and I don't ride bumpers. But he continues to move closer and closer to my car. At this point I am laying on my horn! I mean seriously. And put my car in reverse anticipating trying to get out of this guys way...but I (unlike him) have to check to see if I'm going to hit anyone. And then he hits me. This is almost simultaneous to me realizing that I have some space to back up cause I'm not sure if he's going to keep coming or not. Then the light turns green. And I'm thinking that he is going to pull over, and he doesn't.

Bad has now turned to worst. I am dialing 911 and instinctively putting my car in drive to chase him down (honking all the while). Finally about 3-4 lights down (all the while on the phone with a dispatcher), I get his attention and he pulls over. He is irritated and clearly doesn't want to file a report. Well, he didn't seem extremely trustworthy and I like to do things by the book so we have filed. Thankfully everyone was ok and the air bag didn't deploy so that I could chase him down. I mean that would have been even worse if he had hit and run for real. Let me tell you it is hard to pull over an 18 wheeler without police lights. All in all it is working out ok. We have to take some digital pics and get 2 estimates, but everyone has been pretty nice considering.

Was gonna take M to vacation bible school tonight...and still might, but she fell asleep inside her Rose Petal Cottage while she was playing. Late naps were a result of all the chaos of the day. I'm looking forward to going to sleep so that I can try again tomorrow!

Using What You Have...and other things

2009-06-20T21:14:00.003-04:00

Tonight, after catching up on one of my fave blogs, I was encouraged to play raid the pantry, raid the freezer. In the spirit of using what I already had, I had put away in the freezer a casserole gone array in the hopes of getting a second chance. See there is this dish we like to call Texas Hash that I used to have to eat all the time and desperately didn't like it. Well, I'm a grown up now and though that I'd get the recipe from my grandma and try it. So I tried it awhile back but only after it was supposed to be finished cooking did I discover that the rice was supposed to either have been pre-cooked or of the minute/instant variety. So I had this dish that was deliciously flavored with hard rice bits in it. So sad. I froze it and decided I'd thaw it later in a pot of hot beef broth and hope it not only cooked the rice but also made a pretty decent soap of sorts.

Today was that day. I had left over cornbread from the red beans and rice I made. I had sticky white rice that was leftover from the chinese we had eaten earlier. So I pulled out the beef broth and thawed out the existing casserole. I put in the rice and it smelled fantastic! I was the only one brave enough to try it initially. And it was awesome! It was the consistency of gumbo over rice...soupy but chunky...almost stew like. And it tasted great with a nice spicy kick at the end. So I tell this to my hubs and his interest is peaked. He tries a little first and then decides to fix it up the way he does with chili! Fantastic he says! It's like the best chili I've ever had! Haha!

So I feel I have succeeded on two counts or maybe three...not wasting and therefore saving money. Getting my hubs to eat leftovers! And getting a compliment out of it all at the same time!

Now onto the other things...we have been at wits end with mosquitos here. You'd think we'd know a thing or two about all this in that we previously lived in New Orleans, but alas. Nothing we have been doing has worked for very long. Until now! J tried as a last ditch effort to rid our usable outdoor areas of the pest by going to the CVS across the street and getting the only 2 boxes of moth balls they had. He tossed them all around the outside and smelled foul afterwards! But we have been very nearly mosquito free at our door and getting into our cars! It is hard for us to believe. We both had very little faith. And supposedly after the first rain it is really supposed to kick in. So we shall see.

And onto a 4 yr olds discussion in the bathtub...I'm bathing the kids together and I'm cleaning W's essential areas when M says that his private look weird. I say well remember boys and girls have different privates. She said yes but his look weird. I say well his are on the outside and hers are on the inside and then she interrupts me saying, "But what is it called?" And I say it does have a name. it's (the p word which i'll refrain from spelling out lest I get strange lerchers). To which she basically acts as though she hasn't really heard me (and I'm a little relieved) and said I call it a wootie. I'm just guessing that's how you would spell that. Oh! I say, now understanding that she doesn't care about technical terms...I say, hmmm, well I guess sometimes we call it a wee wee. To which she replied, I'll just call it a wootie. But we're not supposed to talk about that. I say, well, you can talk about it with mommy, just not when we are out or at the dinner table. the bathtub is the perfect place to talk about that kind of stuff if you need to.

Oh the entertainment value of kids!

Birthdays

2009-06-19T21:54:00.002-04:00

My kids bdays are creeping up on me. I have had so many things on my plate that it is a good thing that I put things away for presents all year! Otherwise I'd be in bigger trouble than I already am. We'll be having multiple parties as usual. We technically already had M's bday bash at Monkey Joes with her school friends. She's the youngest of the bunch and had been attending there's all year. So the big shindig is out of the way.

However, for M's first bday we had 2 huge blowouts! And for W, poor 2nd born...I have barely thought about it. I decided that the Hallquist side of the family's celebration will be themed with dogs. Dogs are seriously one of W's favorite things! I don't know why. We don't own one, but not only does he sign the sign for dog, but he says "Gog" and makes barking sounds. So we'll have a dog cake and probably plates and such. But this will not be quite the same ordeal as was M's first bday party. The we'll have anoher celebration for both M and W when we visit the Young side of the family in July. You see my kids bdays are 6 days apart. W will be 1 and M will be 4!

As for presents...what do you get a 1 year old. Most of my facebook suggestions say not to get him much. just have good family fun and take lots of pics. I like that. I actually do have lots of things put away for him...but they are not quite age appropriate yet. I have an immaculate rug that has roads and a town on it for car play when he gets bigger. I have tons of those cardboard bricks for building...again when he is bigger...there is more, but just not ready for those yet.

For M, I have one main thing that I got in a yard sale before Christmas. It is a Fisher Price FP3 player. It is for kids and is downloadable with headphones. I also have a Transparent Man that I got at the Goodwill Clearance Center for $1.09/lb. He is missing some of his parts, but I don't think that really matters at this age. She is just so interested at whats on the inside of her body.

Should be interesting to see what else I come up with. I do want to get W a little tikes hammer, cause he loves his but it has a short and only works part of the time. And I am looking to get M one of the MLP's she's been asking for since before Christmas.

Also get to schedule and accomplish their yearly pics! So much to add to my plate!

Anticipation

2009-06-16T15:06:00.002-04:00

I have entitled my post thus because I am living in anticipation of July. June has been crunch month in so many ways. As for summertime activities, we have been filled with June time things and not so much for July. As for PartyMe Princess roll out dates...they are happening the first of July, if not the very tail end of June. Not to mention my baby turns 1 on June 30th! And my first born will be 4, 6 days later! Sheesh!

I anticipate that July will be, in a lot of ways, a more laid back and relaxed month. Some things are very much under way as far as an ad for my business. The costumes are done (for the most part), the pics have been taken, the website should be up and running in another week or two...and then I wait. For phone calls and parties to book. And the truly busy work of this business will be over and I can move into the maintenance phase.

Of course I will still have to manage the thing with actual visits, calendar updates, LLC paperwork and a separate bank account, taxes...But the due dates and crunch time things will be minimal and for that I will be glad.

On the home front, baby boy still has his adorable curls! Couldn't bear to cut them yet. M is in VBS this week and for whatever reason she says she doesn't like it and just wants to go home to her mommy. Think that may have more to do with being out of school and trying to reattach the umbilical chord. Poor little lost girl... Still she's doing well all things considered. Looking forward to a visit from our cuz and Nani!

Fine in 2009 is going well! Don't know if I've lost much weight, but I have definitely lost inches and that counts for more if you ask me. I feel better about my appearance and that is what matters most...not to mention I'm definitely on the road to better health! I mean I hadn't excercised regularly since high school! My mental health is taking a summer dip as I'm trying to juggle the attention of 2 children 24/7 and a side business start up in addition. Think things will ease up as school approaches and the business moves to a steady, maintenance phase. We shall see.

Summer is Upon Us

2009-06-01T21:00:00.002-04:00

I know it's not officially summer, but you wouldn't know that in my house! Today we played in the sprinkler. It was extra hot and there seemed an extra supply of mosquitos and ants in our yard! I stayed in my pj's all day. That's right, you read that correctly...even while playing outside! I have more to do than I can possibly imagine. Even when breaking it up into smaller sections, I still can't seem to get things done.

A great deal of the latter problem has to do with my nearly 4 yr old "M" who seems to be absolutely beside herself with cluelessness at not being able to go to school. It's like she's lost and doesn't have any idea what to do, so she wants my constant attention. This was cute for just shy of 3 days...I want you to hold me. But I don't just want you...as an excuse for not napping or wanting to nap. It's not just me though. Sometimes she says I want my daddy, where is my daddy? And twice today she has said that she wanted her brother.

Good thing Fairy Princess Dance Camp is next week! Hope they still have openings as I haven't signed her up yet. Then, 4th week in June is beach vacation, and the week following that is Backyardigans Camp in North Carolina. At some point in July we will likely make a trip to play with Gammy and Pawpaw and Cousin B in Alabama. Then in early Aug. M will go to an orientation camp at her new Montessori school! Probably the summer will go by faster than it seems at the moment.

W is nearly a year and in desperate need of a hair cut. He is cruisin all over the place and jabbering up a storm. He's not quite brave enough to take that first step, but he seems to be very near giving it a try. He doesn't sign much but seems to fully understand the use of the sign "get down?" when he wants to roam free. He is a chunk. Very easily into 24 month clothes and he's not quite a year.

I am on my way to being fine in 2009. I said it was the year for it and i have not shyed away from making that happen. I signed up at a gym and have been working out nearly everyday for about a month. I've lost at least 5 pounds so far. Hard to say as I don't own a scale. I have signed up for the summer at a tanning salon. Now I have mixed feelings about this, but for this year I'm letting it go. It has allowed me to build some relationships and minister in ways I never would have. I pray God continues to cultivate those relationships and allows me somehow to be a light to those I have met and am in constant contact with.

Speaking of relationships, I'm loving my best friend on this side of the country, B. Nice to have a friend nearby to relate to.

Things are moving along with both of hubs and my new businesses. My new business involves Princess Party Hosting and Appearances. I've gathered up almost all of the costume materials and wigs. In fact, I made an appearance this past weekend as the Under the Sea Princess at a Grand Opening. You can see the pics on facebook! I'm working with a gal to advertise in the upstate parent mag for July so I've got some pics to make rather quickly. But first, we have a yard sale this weekend! Saturday at 8am. So I've got to get prepared for that. It's nice really cause even though it's a lot of work, the result is much like a good Clean Spring Cleaning! Can't wait for this month to be over though and it has only just begun! So much to do and not enough time! So forgive me if I do not post much till after July 6th or so!

What would she buy?

2009-04-29T19:30:00.002-04:00

So M decided that she wanted to do some chores to earn stickers that would eventually allow her to choose a privilege or something. I asked her what it was she was working toward and her reply is...
She want to buy a lemon. A yellow lemon that is squishy, rubbery, and squeaks. She estimates that it will cost $6. I have no idea where she will find said lemon and got no real answer to the question of why she wanted the lemon, but that is precisely what she wants.

First she said that she was going to put it in her dress up box, but when I explained that it wasn't dress up, she decided to put it in her rose petal cottage. Then she said, actually she would keep it in her bed, cause that way she could squeak it first thing after awakening. O.K. Can't blame a girl for knowing what she wants.

The Whole Story

2009-04-28T14:22:00.002-04:00

Went to Walmart to buy a pj pattern and a bunch of inexpensive pj type fabric. It's funny how they outgrow everything all at once...so we are searching and sorting and widdling our choices down. You know, 3 1/2yr olds want every princess, tinker bell, hannah montana fabric out there and they are pricier cause of their name...so we pick a dora on sale, and a cheeta girl on sale, some nice stretch knit pink with whales on it, hot pink with polka dots, and pink camo...these are cute and more affordable. right when we are finally ready to do the cutting, M has to go to the bathroom...clear across the store. No surprise.

Needless to say, I had of course asked her not long before that if she needed to go and she had said no. we left the fabric on the table and told the cutting lady we'd be back to have them cut. then we had to dump the bottled water and pattern at the check out line so we could wheel the cart in the bathroom as it had W in it as well. I send M to potty by herself as W and I wait just outside the stall. M isn't going potty. so I go in there to help. Meanwhile 2 or 3 other women come in. M is all nervous that the potty will "flush under my bottom!" Well the sign clearly said that you would have to push the button to flush it. I tried to assure her of this but she wasn't buying it. I tell her she doesn't have a choice, if she has to go, then she has to go on this potty. Well...she stiffens up and starts a temper tantrum! I tell her I'll help her and start to lift her onto the potty and she arches her back just about falling half dressed on a public restroom floor!

At this point my blood pressure is going up so I tell her that if she doesn't go on the potty I guess she'll just have to tee tee on the floor (thinking of course that this sounds awful and repulsive, so the other choice would be a better one). Apparently, she thought the floor in this case was much better cause as I walk out of the stall and give her a minute to think about it, I notice she's stopped crying and it's quiet. So I peek back in the stall and see her squatting down on the floor peeing!!!

I call out her name and she stops--obviously! i jerk up her pants and tell her we are going home! I tell her that she knows better than that...and of course she just screams the whole way out and to the car and half the way home. I lecture her despite in my mind I'm telling myself that lecturing is not the best way to go in this case. I suppose I'm doing it more for my benefit than hers. I make her go straight in to the potty, change close (cause I don't know how she could have avoiding getting t-t on herself) and off to nap. No playing.

Of course I didn't get the fabric, the pattern, or the other groceries that I needed. I do suppose that I'll have to plan something else for sup since i needed some things from the store to complete my original menu. ahhhhhhhhhh well. j says i'll laugh about it in 20 yrs and I suppose he's right.

Hiatus

2009-04-22T09:26:00.002-04:00

You know how life gets so full that you begin to let things go? well that is this blog. And truthfully, I don't think of it as a bad thing. I am sorry that I haven't posted more, more often this month...but I'm so grateful for the blessings that I have been enjoying. I believe I actually started a post that I never finished for being interrupted that was just a simple list of all the things I was cultivating in my life right now. I will post some of those things here.

I suppose this post is about priorities. About not having enough time in your day to get it all done. Having to chose what gets done and in which order.

We have been cultivating relationships this month. First with J's family, then with mine, then with our pseudo family here in G'ville and with eachother. We had a lovely visit with the Bham family. Easter egg hunts, playtime with Cousin B, lots of good food. Then we made a quick trip to NC to see my FOO (Family of Origin). Always love playing with Cuz and spending time with Nani and Pop. Got a good bit of simple sewing projects done. Didn't get much sleep though!

We missed out family friends here Aunt B and R Piecie. Lots of playing and sharing of germs left us fighting pink eye, sinus infection, and finally just a good solid case of hay fever/allergies. We are enjoying our last bit of school and getting ready for dance recital. Tomorrow we will enjoy a visit from our other "Aunt" Aly from Cali! Can't wait! And then off to Aunt Minnahs for the Auburn City Fest.

After our last traveling car sickness incident, we will be bringing some dramamine! And making sure to leave when the kids are sleepy! What a day that was. So we have a lot on our plate right now.

J is turning 30 next week (and so is aunt al). W will be an official 10 month old next week and has a dr. visit. He is full of curls, has a louder scream than his sis ever did and can army crawl like a mad man. His temper will be something of force to reckon with. Think we may have to start implementing time out in his little bed to help curb his reactions. He gets up on those knees to crawl sometimes, but he hasn't go the hang of that yet. He eats an unbelievable amount most days! It really is jaw-dropping! And he makes the prettiest pics ever! Will be sure to post some on his 10 month date!

Been enjoying my husband in new ways lately and I am just so thankful that life and marriage is so great even after nearly 8 years and 2 kids! Hope it only gets better!

So if you don't hear from me for awhile, know that it's for cultivating the best things in my life. And who wouldn't want that?

Been a Long Time...Shouldn't have left you

2009-04-05T21:37:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time...been busy with trips to see family. Had wonderful time. More on that later.

Right now I send this out as a matter of some URGENCY. A call for prayer for my friends and professor Jimmy and Reita Dukes.

We got the text early this morning from a friend still in New Orleans, that they were critically wounded in a pedestrian/car accident the night before. They were crossing the street in front of the seminary and were hit. As of now, they are in desperate need of prayer. He having extensive broken bones and some neck injury, and she having had brain trauma. He seems to be stable now but will require more surgery. She has had surgery and is scheduled for more but is unresponsive at this time. It will be a few days before they really know to what degree her injuries will affect her. It is touch and go for Reita at the time. Please be in prayer for them both...especially for Reita. And also for the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary family as they are in shock and grieving.

Do this for me...

2009-03-19T10:40:00.002-04:00

I've been meaning to do this for awhile. PLEASE...if you read my blog and I do not have a link to your blog or webpage in my list of links, PLEASE leave me a comment with that link so that I can update it. I'm serious, unless of course you don't want me or anyone else to read your page (then why have one). PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do this for me.

Another M story

2009-03-17T22:01:00.002-04:00

M was pretending that her two round inflatable chairs that go with her rose petal cottage were drums and she was making a beat. Then you could see her brain working and she tells hubs and I to wait wait...come here. She was going to play her guitar for us. And off she runs in a hurry.

So we wait and she returns with her ping pong paddle. She props it up as if to play it in a guitar like fashion only exactly backwards and resting half under her strumming arm and resting on that same hip. She sticks that hip out adequately and shakes it mildly as she strums along to her rockin' version of the ABC's.

Hubs and I, in good parent fashion clap along and wave our hands up in the air like we're at a concert. W gets into it too showing off his new clapping talent. When she's all done she bows and says, "Thank you. I'm only here for one night." and the waves and walks away.

J and I look at eachother and smile and later discuss how in the world she would even know that people actually do say that. My only thought is that they may have said it in the Barbie Diamond Castle movie. But we've only rented it twice and it's been awhile. We just got a laugh out of that one.

Uncle Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T21:44:00.004-04:00

M is a little confused about the whole St. Patrick's Day thing. I tried to tell her about wearing green and such (didn't really even remember why?). Told her about the pinching thing and such. Later she says to me,
"I don't want to go to Uncle Patrick's party cause I don't have anything green to wear and I'll get pinched!"

I had no idea what she was talking about till I realized that she was talking about how she didn't want to participate in the St. Patrick's day tradition of wearing green. She was really having trouble grasping that this was a holiday not some function that we were attending. Still I thought it was cute that she linked it to her uncle somehow and then was worried about wearing green and getting pinched.

Never fear, we had plenty of green on and we had a grand time going to the library, having a playdate with Reese, making sugar cookies with green sprinkles, and taking a green bath tonight! Would love to show the pics I have of that, but not really internet appropriate, so I'll post a crop of one of the pics.

It was such a nice day after so many very rainy days, that we had some time outside as well. W enjoyed the swing in spite of his new teeth pushing through.

And just so you can see what I was up to yesterday on the oh so rainy day, I'll post a pic of the million dish marathon. Don't worry folks, the dishes in this photo are clean! There was not a dirty dish in the house for at least 30 minutes! haha! And yes I have to was them all by hand.
As M, has had some rough days in school lately, I'm proud to say that she has been extremely well behaved these last several days which is one of the reasons I was able to stay at it with the dishes till every last utensil was washed!

Stride Wrong

2009-03-17T21:12:00.003-04:00

My local bff, we'll call her "B", has been handing me down a bunch of clothes, toys, and shoes lately and I'm thrilled. But some of them just weren't very cute. I don't complain, though cause most of the shoes were Stride Rite brand anyway and I always try to get M several pairs of these as they are better comfort fit shoes for kids.

In the not so distant past, M was having an issue of always falling down...sometimes even when standing still, so I thought maybe some good shoes would help. I hit a consignment sale several weeks ago and got 1 pair of nice leather closed toe sandals, 1 very nice pair of th*ong type sandals with a butterfly decorations on them, 1 pair of mary jane type tennis shoes with Mermaid decorations and panels for "air conditioning", and a pair of sandals that can be worn in or out of the water. I figured that I was set with those, all of which were stride rite brand with the exception of the water shoe. They do, however, carry similar types of water shoes at stride rite.

The day after I got those shoes, I got a stride rite coupon in the mail! hahahahaha! I just had to laugh. So I passed the coupon on to my SIL since those are hard to come by. Then B starts cleaning out (early spring cleaning) and she finds all these shoes in M's size and gives them to me. There are a cute pair of target sandals (pink with butterflies), an ugly pair of stride rite mary jane tennis shoes that are covered in dirt and a bit of paint. Then today she finds 2 pairs of winter boots (hope we're still in that size when fall hits), a pair of pink hiking boots (perfect if we pick up camping as we are hoping to do), and another pair of stride rite sandals. They are a little plain and kind of dirty, but I think with a bit of cleaning they'll be quite nice and kind of traditional.

(will post the pic of them after they are cleaned up later)

So, I got to thinking about how to improve the initial pair of dirty "play shoes" as B said. I thought to myself, M would never choose these shoes even for playing. How can I improve them? As my mom said, I could try anything cause they couldn't get much worse. So, on my day off last thursday I took a stroll through Hobby Lobby (right by my house) to get ideas. And I had lots of ideas. I finally landed on the idea of silver glitter and sequins. Silver can mix and match with lots of things and M loves sparkle!

First I had to clean them, so I googled it and wikihow suggested cleaning them with toothpaste. M and I made a day of it (note this is actually a Montessori activity). We got out a towel, a huge bowl of warm water, some toothpaste, and an old toothbrush. It worked and we had a good time doing it. In fact, after I cleaned them I almost didn't want to decorate them.

(See the clean one next to the dirty one? That was my delayed thought to do a before and after pic but it works)

But I'm glad I did cause after I used flip flop glue to adhere a double layer of glitter and strategically placed sequins, M can not wait to wear these to school!

Who am I?

2009-03-12T12:43:00.003-04:00

I am me, Gini.
I am mom to M...to W...to children to come, biological or otherwise.
I am wife to hubs.
I am housekeeper, though not always a very good one.
I am cook and getting better.
I am Christ follower...I dare not judge myself on this.
I am friend to many all around the globe and special friend to one nearby and one cross country.
I am surrogate mom to any cousin or friend of M or W's who happens to be in my care. I love most children like they were mine all along.
I am creative. When my mind isn't too cluttered with the everyday, it is teaming with ideas!
I am musical and dare I say talented. I love to sing, but mostly in worship to my King.
I am learning...sooooo many things. Sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, princessing.
I am moving forward. I am not sitting still. No matter how mundane the days are, I am moving forward with purpose. Sometimes I'm crafting. Sometimes I'm resting. Most times I'm trying to be a reflection of God to those around me.
I am intellectual, though I don't use the depths of it most of the time.
I am hungry...to be more. More musical. I want to sing more. To learn more guitar. To sew more for my children. I want to travel. I want to see so many things. I want to laugh more. I want to cry more. I want to cuddle my children more. I want to see more of my husband's dreams come true. I want more abundant life.
I am satisfied...mostly. with life...where we are, where we are going, what we have, what we don't.
I am dancing with my head back and my eyes closed to the music on my ipod...while doing the dishes.
I am attempting to harmonize to songs I don't know, at the top of my lungs...while cleaning the house.
I am excited about spring.
I am still enjoying the nip in the air though.
I am gonna be something great, even if very few people ever realize it. A great mom, a great wife, a great Gini. A great many things.
I am a skeptic.
I am an optimist...always.
I am a woman.
I am different.

I was once told I am intriguing.
Years ago I told my husband that I am bossy and have high expectations.

I am fascinated by medical shows.
I am no good at keeping up with people at a distance...sorry.
I am working on it...and getting better at it bit by bit.

I am wondering what God is up to in my life and family.
I am excited about it whatever it is.
I am out of shape and discontented with that.
I am tired alot, but not discouraged about it as interrupted nights mean precious babies are a part of my life.
See...I told you I am an optimist!

I am about to finish this post.
I am typing and eating lunch at the same time on my favorite day of the week. My day off.
I am listening and thoroughly enjoying listening to Death Cab for Cutie on my ipod.
I am not wearing make up, but at least my hair is fixed.
I am wearing jeans, a black long sleeved tee, my hubs old jacket (one of my faves), and house slippers that are like red fuzzy flip flops.
I am about to eat some fresh pineapple.
I am signing off now.

Grumpalump

2009-03-10T19:12:00.003-04:00

Today started off so nice. We had previous plans to spend some time with our friends, outside, washing cars. Tuesdays are get a dozen donuts for 5.99 at DD, so we took the bit of our cash that we had left and headed there. The really nice lady behind the counter let us substitute one donut for a strawberry frosted one (M's favorite). Then we headed to the post office.

I have put off going to the post office for awhile because for some reason that is one place where my children NEVER behave the way I need them too. Today was no exception. M was sooo good all morning but just found it impossible to listen and obey in that post office. Thank goodness for all the nice people that helped us. Now, we will be thrilled to hear when our friend Caleb gets his little happy. Shout out to my dear friend Kerrie. Wish I were near you and your family!

The post office is directly across from the library, so of course we chose to make a stop in. We hadn't planned on being gone long. I didn't even bring a baby bag of any kind...no diaper, nothing. So we went in with the understanding that we couldn't get much since we wouldn't be able to carry it. We came out with 10 movies and 4 books. M waited in the room where they were having storytime (I didn't even know about this but ran into a friend who informed me). I proceeded to take W and the stack of items to the car. I dropped them all in the parking lot. Thankfully someone helped me pick them up. I paid a tiny fine and then took the fam to the potty just in time for storytime.

M doesn't always do well in these, so it was going to be iffy and then on top of that it truly was W's naptime. They both did really well. It helped that one of M's school mates was there as well.

We got home in time to give W a bottle and put him to bed. I expected him to sleep for hours. that just wasn't the case. We had enough time to make lunch and eat it. M watched one of her videos from the library. Then W woke up. I put him to watching a baby einstein in his exersaucer and got ready quickly to head over to a friends. Got M ready quickly. Packed her bag and W's. Then W had left me a present in his diaper so I remedied that. Finally we were headed to Reese's house.

We have to pass the Doc on the way which jogs my memory that I was supposed to go in for W's shot only visit and M can't go back to school till she has proof of immunizations. I drop M off at Reese's and head back to the Dr just in time to see them unlock their doors. When I go in the line is long, but I'm relieved (in a weird way) to find that 3 or 4 of those in line are just drug reps. Then the first on the list can't be seen cause they don't take that insurance. So it's looking better all the time. This is a good thing since there is the one waiting room with stagnant, warm air (a breeding ground for all the germs that are surely floating around). It's too warm actually.

We wait. And wait. W poops again. There is no changing table in the bathroom there so I'm thinking surely I'll be called back soon. After an hour and 15 minutes of waiting I ask if they knwo when I'm going to be seen? they have no idea. They seem perturbed because I didn't set an appt. But it wasn't because I didn't ask. I was specifically told by Dr. and nurse to not set one. Just come in one afternoon, not friday, and get a quick shot. Apparently the nurse is out sick. They didn't inform me of that till I was very frustrated after an hour and a half.

They called me up at least 4 times. First, the bill we owed. quite a decent sum since we had been in and out all of January just about. We had recieved a bill for half the amount she quoted and were scheduled to pay it on bill pay next week, but they said she wouldn't send my chart back till I paid at least half. I have to text J to get approval. Both of us annoyed, agree we have to pay it. So we pay it so we can deal with the shots. Second, they call me up to see what W's date of birth is (which notoriously means they can't find his chart). Third, they want to know what shot he needs. I tell them I would know if they could inform me which shots he recieved at his last visit. They don't tell me and decide they'll figure it out. Fourth, they tell me he doesn't need any shots. I tell them that he only recieved 2 last visit and he is usually due for 3. In addition, the nurse told me to come in. They tell me that I should come back a day when the usual nurse is in and maybe she'll know what to give!

Now at this point I'm VERY perturbed. But I'm so calm and nice...I say I have been here an hour and a half. I do not want to come back another day. I'd like to figure it out and get it over with so that at least I'd have done something other than wait for the last hour and a half. This seems to annoy her and she says something about them being backed up anyway and me not having an appt. I tell her, it was not my choosing to do it this way. The nurse specifically instructed me to handle it this way. Well, she says, there is no way the nurse would have known she wasn't going to be here today as she called in sick. Again, not my problem. They double check. No W doesn't need another shot. Fine. But I still need M's shot record. I warned them of this when I first checked in and i was instructed to wait till after W's visit. That didn't work out.

After watching 6 drug reps come and go and waiting for now more than an hour and a half...I'm not seen but at least I got a shot record so M can go to school tomorrow. W missed his nap entirely as he was supposed to get one while waiting at the doc, so he is out cold already. AND thank goodness for friends who watch your kids at the last minute and for leftovers!

Next, we deal with the onslaught of ants in the bedroom. This is the worst place for ant season...and apparently it has begun!

Snow Day!

2009-03-03T19:50:00.010-05:00

I was really skeptical when they were predicting snow for Sunday. I mean really. We usually get one good snow a season and the season had basically come and gone with no sign of it...save for a few flurries on two occasions. Still, for the three year old in me and the three year old in my house, I secretly hoped that the weather man might actually be accurate this time. But Sunday we awoke to wet, sloshy rain, just the same as the day before, and the day before that! Disappointed and not surprised, I went about my chores with steadfastness. I don't remember quite what the deal was with the baby boy, but we had to pay him a good bit more attention than usual, yet M was still very well behaved (with the exception of skipping her nap, a habit that seems to be a daily occurrence for the moment). I chose to reward her by allowing her a Daddy Daughter Date Night to Moe's. With a bogo coupon of course! [on a side note that $8 excursion served for 4 meals with no problem!]

Just after I chose to miss the meeting I had hoped to attend with my local group "Slightly North of Mainstream" the snow began to fall! I was immediately relieved that I hadn't attempted to get myself and W out in that on our way to Anderson.

It fell, and fell, and fell with what appeared to be no end in site. I don't remember ever experiencing an actual snow storm and thus had no real life application for the term. Like the flash of lightening that split across the flake filled sky, I suddenly realized that snow storm was a totally seperate term. Then came the thunder that quickly solidified the thought. The storm part, that of the thunder and lightening came and went rather quickly, a fact that left M grateful.

She then spent the moment before bedtime, sitting in her room with the curtains pulled back and the lights off so she could better visualize the snow! I have to say, it was awe inspiring.

The next day, she burst into our room declaring that she looked out the window and though she didn't expect it, the snow was still there even though the sun was shining very brightly. We decided that a warm breakfast and then several layers of clothes would be perfect for winter play preparations.

During W's nap, we hit the snow hard. The best snow piles in the front...something about the type of grass that seems to make the snow seem deeper. Unfortunately, the snow in the front was all powder and no play.

Not to mention, those cars that were out seemed to be having trouble on the ice and I for one didn't want to be in the yard when they slid off the road into our yard.

So we found the snow that was getting the most sun. The little bit that it was melting made it better suitable for building a snowman. And that's what we did.

We both made snow angels...sort of, as the layer of ice in the snow made it harder to see the indention. We threw snow balls. We marveled at the icicles. M played with the ice puddles that she imagined to be not quite ready for ice skating. She took a stick and hacked away at the ice in one of these puddles. Then after we were thoroughly soaked, we went inside.

We shredded the wet layers of clothes and discarded them into the dryer. She couldn't warm up fast enough, so she opted for a warm bath and that seemed to do the trick. Then she put on her clothes straight from the dryer and had chicken noodle soup for lunch. And truly as fast as the snow came in, it melted away in the same fashion.

We giggled at our snowman today as he lay face down on the ground, toppled over as if someone had given him a push from behind.

Apparently I missed his 5 month pic as well

2009-03-02T22:38:00.004-05:00

How cute is he anyway?! This is at the Children's Museum in North Carolina. I'm not sure exactly when it is, but given the location of it in my pic files and his appearance, I'm almost certain these pics were intended to be his official 5 month pics. Fairly certain these were taken in December.

More Catching up with W

2009-03-02T22:21:00.002-05:00

And this is W eating puffs and feeding them to himself. We aren't sure they like him very much, but he sure likes them! Oh...and he is about 7 months and about 2 weeks in this pic! Notice the short sleeves. It was at least 70 degrees that day!

This is mommy wearing W in the hip position in her homemade pouch sling. He and she rather enjoy this carry. He is early 7 months in this pic and yes it is another 70 something degree day in February! We went to the zoo for his first trip with two other moms and their little ones.

I believe this is W's 7 months birthday and he was very "into" his tongue for a few day there. So here he is showing it off in all its glory!

Catching up with W

2009-03-02T22:12:00.002-05:00

This is W at 6 months and 1 week. Gammy and Pawpaw came for our belated Christmas visit! He was loving his presents from Aunt Sue, and Gammy and Pawpaw! So here he is at 6 months!

W at 8 months!

2009-03-02T21:43:00.005-05:00

Well, I finally figured out how to post pics on this computer after a short tutorial from my hubs.
That requires me to first do the post on W's progress as he has now reached 8 months! What?! How fast did that go by?! He is a Young through and through. He loves to babble and clearly knows the meaning of dada and mama. He says baba all the time but hasn't connected it to mean hello or goodbye. He does seem to wave sometimes when he sees someone new or for the first time in a while. He reaches for me and J when he wants to be picked up. This is new as of this week. He has 2 teeth. The second of which seems to have come fully forth on the 1st of March...also the day of his first snow. He only went out there for maybe 1 minute at the most and wasn't really sure what to think but he was hip slung in the pouch and then wrapped under my lovely sweater wrap that SIL Shelby got for me 2 Christmases ago. Little did she know that it would be super handy when baby wearing in the cold.

He sits fairly well on his own, though appears to be too busy to sit still for any length of time. He LOVES to roll...and in true father-like form rolls all over the place. He has recently gotten into some seriously off-limit things much to our surprise. As ready as I am to see him crawl, I'm still glad that he doesn't. Although, we are working with him on getting the hang of it cause he tries with all his might. He love stuffed animals. Not sure what it is about them, but they can usually make him giggle. His favorite movie is Baby Wordsworth (baby einstein). He has signed deliberately 3 things. First he signed "more" the second to last week in February. Then the following week he signed "eat" and "milk". I'm not yet convinced that he understands fully what he's doing, but he watches us and then mimmicks us.

Last Dr. visit he weighed in at 19 lbs and 6 1/2 ounces. So our weight concerns are a thing of the past! He has adorable curls that come out if he gets sweaty or if it happens to be humid. Sometimes he randomly gets tickled and laughs when we change his diaper (we haven't figured this out yet). His alltime favorite baby food is Cinnamon Raisin Granola! This is followed closely by carrots, and green beans. He is pretty good at feeding himself, although he works to hold his own cup. He's still trying to figure out how to tilt it to get the liquid to the top.

He is going to love walking when he gets it, cause he LOVES to hold your hands and walk around or dance (which is about the cutest thing I've ever seen)! He is in the process of sleep training and doing pretty well actually. He still wakes and fusses a little bit in the middle of the night, but most of the time he soothes himself back to sleep relatively quickly. I had to comfort him just once last night and that wasn't for long, and I put him back in his crib awake and never heard another peep. So, his mom is looking forward to the soon to be full nights of sleep!

Mercy Blurb

2009-03-02T21:14:00.003-05:00

Setting: Just now. In her room. She's in my lap with her blankie. We are in the rocking chair. The lullabies are playing on her music player. The lights are off and the guardian angel night light is on. We are talking and rocking.

Mercy: Mom. Mom you are frustrating me with your talking too much. It's making me wound up.
Me: (inside-hahahahahaha!) Oh sorry. You are so right. I'll be quiet.

Mercy: (starts talking about something else)
Me: Shhh...if mommy has to be quiet, you need to be quiet too. It's time to rest.
Mercy: (after a little bit of quiet listening to the lullabies) Mom, I have to tell you something.
Me: OK
Mercy: Sometimes at school, Maddie puts her hand over my mouth and tells me I can't talk to her. that's not very nice.
Me: What are you saying to her? are you being mean?
Mercy: No. She's not being nice.
Me: Well, maybe you are talking too much.
Mercy: Yeah. That's what she says. You remember how this very night you were talking too much? It's just like that.
Me: Well, remember how you said I was frustrating you when I was talking so much. Well maybe you are frustrating her.
Mercy: Yeah.
Me: She probably shouldn't put her hand on your mouth. But maybe you shouldn't talk quite so much. (me thinking this conversation and my little lecture are about to warrant a repeat of the previous events with my talking so much becoming frustrating).

Domestic and Yet Not So...

2009-02-28T09:40:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling rather domestic today. Last night after we put the kids to bed, I took apart the whole chicken that I had crockpot cooked all day till the meat fell off the bones. I bagged it up in 5 different parts. 3 bags of bite size pieces to use in various recipes, and 2 separate bags for each b*reast (sorry you have to break up words like these so as to avoid certain kinds of lurkers on your site). All that for 99 cents a pound which in today's economy is a pretty good price. Man I loved finding it for 49 or 59 cents a pound not too long ago. Then of course I kept the chicken stock to use in my made from scratch potato soup I'll be making later today. I was contemplating boiling the bones, but I didn't know if that was even a good idea seeing as I had already crockpotted it. Gonna look into that for future projects.

I then stayed up way to late watching 20/20 and making a menu for the next two weeks worth, so that today when I take my entire family and our cash envelope to the grocery store, I can buy only exactly what I need...no more and no less. We've decided to do this as a joint venture that way Jason can calculate as we go. I'm determined to be very strict with our grocery budget as I'm still trying to stick to our $50-$60 a week thing even though the price of groceries has gone up considerably. Also, I'm going to try to catch the box sale again...haven't done that for quite a while.

So, we are getting low on groceries cause it's time to go to the store today, but I wanted to make b'fast for the family this a.m. We had some muffin mix and it had a recipe on back for making the muffins into strawberry and almond creme muffins. I had all the ingrediants (so I thought) so I thought this might be a nice alternative to something rather plain. Had to use PET evaporated milk cause we are out of milk. No problem. called for Almond extract. Which I pulled out only to find it empty. ugh. so I try banana extract instead. So now we are to have Strawberry Banana creme muffins. Still sounds good. But something went array. And by the time they had been removed 2-3 times, they were almost burned on top and rather mushy on the inside...not to mention they were stuck to the muffin baking cups. So disappointing! So J and M make a quick run to Mc D's and ask for the unadvertised special. They came home with 5 bfast sandwiches for $5. Not bad. Not good for you, but hey...it worked in a pinch. After having made a huge mess in the dishes and the floor, and managing to burn my arm (which I haven't done in sooo long). I'm still managing to feel a little domestic.

On a totally different note, I am sleep training Wyatt now. He's no longer sick. It is obvious he doesn't need a night time feeding anymore. It seems he just wants me to be near him for 2 hours or so at night. Well, this mama needs her sleep, so he will learn to soothe himself. Which he's not too bad at in the first place. We just complete night 2 and it's going very well if I do say so. More on that to come.

And I haven't posted pics cause I haven't figured out how on my hubs computer.

More from Mercy

2009-02-25T14:40:00.003-05:00

I over heard Mercy "reading" the words on her conversation hearts after dance class. It went like this, "To Mercy From Ms. Lindsey (her dance teacher) who shows us our dance so we can have fun in dance class. Here's a snack you can have at your home. I love you. Goodnight. I love you." then to herself, "Isn't that sweet?!"

Now keep in mind while she was reading the one or two word phrases on the hearts, she is using her finger to scan the words as if actually reading. Back and forth and back and forth with her pointer finger as if with no problem at all, every word of what she verbalized truly was printed on those hearts. So funny and so cute.

Just the other day, she, of her own volition, decided to play with W. She brought him toys that she thought he might like and of course instructed him how to use them. She coddled him as even grown ups do with babies. It was very sweet. So I encouraged that behavior saying, "you are such a great big sister!"
to which she replied, "Yes, I know. I bet you wish you had me for a very long time!"
with raised eyebrows, from surprise and hilariousness, I replied. "Oh yes! I do wish that everyday!"

She never fails to bring entertainment of the highest degree.

Crazy Times...

2009-02-14T21:25:00.002-05:00

Been dealing with a sick girl all week. Not too bad really, but the fever wouldn't go away till 4th day of antibiotic! Baby boy is not quite himself either but doesn't appear to be sick. Best I can tell his tooth is about to punch through and that is probably the underlying deal there. Long nights though! We have weaned him too, which I like and dislike. Of course, the freedom to eat Moes with my family this valentine was nice, but I really set out to make it all the way through winter in the hopes of reaching the year mark. I had so much difficulty with supply (not sure if it was so much me and him). That boy can eat! it is unreal!

It got to the point that I was nursing 2-3 times a day but not for very long and still supplementing. He seemed entirely more interested in the bottle seeing as he could down that alot quicker. It was more about me than him, so I just said...oh well. Try again with the next one. Not going to beat myself up about it.

My dad's been ill and my mom scratched her eye while working in the yard during this glorious week of weather! I got an unexpected monetary gift and was able to designated it for the cloth diapering system that I'm purchasing from a friend. Yeah! I even registered for the knitting and book discussion group at the library. I ordered the book. Received it on the 9th and have finished reading it. Now to get the knitting supplies...

Gotta clean some more before it gets too late. And need to get in bed rather soon as W's nights have been pretty eventful and I need all the sleep I can get.

P.S. the reason I haven't posted any pics lately is that I'm finally using my hubs new computer and I have no idea how to do the photo stuff on it yet. When I figure it out, I'll have a hayday updating my blog.

Strange...and other stuff

2009-02-05T11:19:00.002-05:00

I was just thinking STRANGE cause I share my ipod with my hubs and I put it on shuffle and some heavy metal thing is the first song in the fray! So not me! So I'm trying to have a me morning cause its thursday and my babies are in other people's care...just didn't fit. Oh well. I did sneak out to Dunkin Donuts with a coupon for a free donut with purchase of a coffee. Then off to the library to pick up some movies for myself and for M.

Good selection today. I was thrilled to find The Hungry Catepillar and other Stories DVD there. If you haven't seen this, you should. It is all Eric Carle and the Music is fantastic. M loves it! I also picked up some YOGA video. Thinking that I need to do a good bit more stretching in my daily routine, I thought I'd get some ideas here. haha! wonder if I'll crack the case open? We'll see.

Just got a bday invite for M that happens to be this weekend. Need to RSVP. But, that doesn't leave much time for planning, that's when I'm thankful for my prize box in my closet. When I find a good gift for an incredible price, I buy it and stash it away. I have just the thing for this little girl and it's already been purchased! Hallelujah.

Need to go clean and fix my hair. Guess I should, but I'm enjoying the doing of nothing. Going to babywearing tonight. Wish my Mei Tai was done, but I don't think I'll have time to finish it before I go. Plus I really need more fabric than I originally picked up. phooie.

Gonna file our taxes soon and hoping for a refund (most likely since we had a kid this past year). Wonder what we'll do with it. I have a list of things I'd love to do with it, but who knows. Most of it involves going to some type of Doctor. Our insurance (though we are thankful to have some) isn't very good. My hubs informs me that there are tons of people in the same situation as us. Sad though. Such hard times. I long for days when our budget can breathe a little, but I am so thankful that we went the debt free way, cause we don't have to deal with a lot of the problems that others are now having to deal with.

Well, nuff said. Gotta go be a housekeeper for a while.

This time next year...

2009-01-26T22:00:00.002-05:00

Just realized that this time next year I'll be signing my little girl up for Kindergarten! Crazy!

On the Mend...

2009-01-25T20:31:00.004-05:00

Hallelujah, me and my family are finally on the mend. The pressure on me ear has finally subsided after 2 weeks. I still haven't regained all hearing, but I wait on that with great anticipation. My littlest, W, is still coughing a good bit which breaks my heart. This was his first real illness. But I must say I'm actually thrilled that he is doing so much coughing cause it seems to be very productive. I'll be fully relieved when he ups his appetite again. Hubs never got fully sick. Though he still has the sniffles, and a great deal of snoring, he seems to be managing to avoid the full blown whatever it was. My girl, M, is still doing Mucinex Cold at night, but she too avoid the full fury of this monster illness. That's a big yippee from me!

If it weren't for a small visit from my mom, I may have lost my sanity in the midst of the last 2 weeks. Not only have we been too sick to do much of anything, it has been too cold to get out. I even got to go and have a massage on Friday just before mom headed back to N.C. Used my Christmas gift card! It was just what the Dr. ordered. I recommend April from Massage Envy on Pelham (for all those of you that are in town). Which I could afford to sign up for the membership! Ha!

I am going to turn in early as W has been an early riser as of late. But I will soon post his 6 month pics and some fun ones from a princess party M attended Saturday.

Another One Bites the Dust...

2009-01-18T20:32:00.002-05:00

Well, not really, but apparently whatever this is has now spread to my little man, W. I had to cart him off to the Dr. today and we really dodged a bullet doing so, cause I was going to try and wait. Good thing we didn't cause even after his meds this afternoon...tonight he didn't want his bottle in much the same fashion that M didn't want hers whenever she had an ear infection. ugh. here's hoping we'll all be better soon.

Still sick

2009-01-17T17:01:00.002-05:00

Well, on thursday I began to feel a bit better, so I figured I was on the upswing. Unfortunately, by supper time that night my left ear was completely clogged and I could barely hear out of it. Then when I attempted to sleep I couldn't for the pressure and the ringing that had ensued. At that point I was admittedly desperate. I looked up on the internet, natural remedies for ear infections (i was assuming that I had one). I remembered my midwife saying something about garlic in your ear. Sure enough I found the info I needed, but didn't have any fresh garlic. It did say that you could substitute onion and get basically the same results.

Here I am at 12:30 in the morning, cutting an onion and taking a tiny piece, wrapping it in tissue and stuffing it in my ear! ha! you know you're desperate when... And actually it did help take the pressure off which remedied most of the ringing. It wasn't my favorite sleepy time smell though.

So I went to the Dr. on Friday to report both a sinus and ear infection. Medicine (3 to be exact) which I filled at a new small town pharmacy (which I love and is now my fave). And sure enough I wake up this morning with pink eye! REALLY! Anything else? Haha. So, i get yet another medicine and am resigned to washing my hands like I'm OCD so as not to spread any of this to my kids or hubs.

Still can't hear much, but I don't hurt. I feel like I'm in another world, but that's not surprising. Hoping to feel better by Sunday night/Monday morning. Next post will be Wyatt's visit! What a big boy!

Score One for FINE

2009-01-14T21:21:00.002-05:00

So 2009 is the year of FINE. I haven't even begun to exercise seeing as I have come down with some dreadful cold/sore throat...but, I did do something for myself today. I used my $25 walmart gift card to buy some new, attractive pajamas. I thought it was about time I traipsed around the house in something other than mismatched old t-shirts and yoga pants. I'm surprised my hubs still finds me attractive. So, tonight I got two pajamas...one sleep shirt type thing that is red and silky (nothing over the top I assure you as I'm as much into comfort as the next gal), and one top and pant combo made of some other ultra soft fabric.

I'm actually wearing the combo now and loving it. Still donning the cozy socks my SIL got me for Christmas though...they don't really match but what's a girl to do on a cold winter's night?!

I feel I'm headed one step in the right direction. I always though my sis had the best pj's...fun and flirty, but not over the top...and not some old t-shirt and yoga pant combo. Givin it my best go.

out sick

2009-01-13T18:30:00.002-05:00

well, it seems i'm out sick again! I don't usually get sick this many times in one season. I don't think it's going to be as bad as my last bout with whatever, but I hate when I can't give 100% to my family. Still, my 3 yr old is the best at being considerate when someone doesn't feel well. She doesn't understand, however, that illness doesn't just go away in a few minutes or after one nap. I think little W's body may be fighting it as well, cause he slept a lot today. I'm double dosing my vitamins and doing 1500mg of Vitamin C. That should help us both. gotta get to the store to do the honey/cinnamon thing that is said to help shorten such illnesses. ran out of honey. loving my hot tea too.

Sad to say, i went to alot of trouble to make cream of asparagus soup and was disappointed at the outcome. Not sure what to do with it either. Not sure I want to eat it all...no way could i. so i forfeited on dinner tonight, and having leftovers while hubs and M are out for daddy daughter date night. W decided that an entire jar of carrots and an entire jar of pears would make a splendid sup. The boy can eat, i'll say that! Now he's enjoy Baby MacDonald video while I write and eat. I'll be knodding off early tonight again...for sure. Will write more, when things get better. Actually, will probably update after W's appt. on Thursday.

New Years Resolutions?

2009-01-10T20:41:00.005-05:00

I used to make these and then I stopped. I'll tell you why...my life, no matter how perfectly I attempt to plan it, seems to elude normalcy and any type of plan seems to go another way. I know why. God is in control, not me...I get that. Just funny how He continues to remind me. Constantly. Just yesterday someone commented that "Katrina" had really messed everything up for us. And I totally understood what that person was saying...and certainly there was probably a time when I looked at it that way. But I'm over it. I'm past that. I get that there are numerous pretty hefty events (and some small ones too) that have changed the course of our lives. So I chose to respond saying that I don't like to look at it as messing up our lives, but turning our lives in a different direction. I mean, if all that hadn't happened, whose to say all the good things would have happened. I like who I am today and who I am becoming, and all of that is due in part to all that I have been through. Battles with nature, motherhood, depression, job loss, health issues, the church...it has all changed my perspective. For better or worse, who is to say? I like to think better.

All that to say maybe I will try a New Years Mantra this year instead. I had a friend in New Orleans who did this. I believe the year of 2004 was the year of more. Well for me, 2009 is the year of FINE! Now interpret that as you may, and there is no spiritual significance. I simply think that I've been fighting the motherhood frump long enough. Recent pictures posted from my yesteryear on facebook indicate that I think I was smokin' hot in college (though I probably didn't think so at the time). I think I can look pretty good now...when I have the time and energy to give it a try. BUT for my own sake, my husbands sake, and the sake of any other person who has to look at me, it is time to do it up right.

I would like to bring back the blonde. For simply money and upkeep I have gone gradually more brown over the years. Girls, I'm just a blonde...Not in the intelligence sense, but in the coloring sense. I think from seeing pics that it better suits me. Now don't get me wrong, I won't blow the wad trying to get my hair did...I'll still get J to dye it for me, but as I go blonder if it doesn't come out quite right, I believe I'll work it into the budget to have a few visits to my gal Alyssa. Besides...she only charges $55 for a cut, color, and style! That's as cheap as you can get for a real salon!

Though I have lost pretty much all of the recent baby weight...thanks to the holidays I still have some of my first baby's weight...I'd love to lose about 20 pounds. Really its less about weight as it is about my shape. You gals no that things change when you have kids. Well, I'd like to lose some flab and gain some muscle tone. Not to mention stamina and strength. Taking care of kids isn't easy and its extremely exhausting, but I think it is even more so if you are out of shape. So...on with that. Not exactly sure how to work in all the exercise yet, but I did get an exercise ball that I will begin working with after the inlaw visit is all wrapped up.

Been cooking up a storm in the kitchen...from scratch. Lots of fresh veggies...very little fat and VERY little sodium. J is predisposed to high blood pressure and has been experiencing some as of late. We are certain it is due to stress and weight, but we are drastically reducing the amount of salt we all eat. Trying new recipes may be raising my blood pressure though, cause its a lot of work and half the time we don't even like the outcome! But so far there are two dishes we have REALLY liked and are very low sodium. So in changing eating habits for him, I am actually eating better too. And he has lost 10 lbs in the last month! That's great for him and me...less snoring!

so now you have something to hold me too...2009 is the year of FINE! (and wine) haha! couldn't help myself. I really thought of saying 2009 the year to wine and dine but that will be the year we finally get entirely out of debt!

Phew!

2009-01-09T15:48:00.002-05:00

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act just issued a statement today that allows for the consigning and resale...to continue without having to test for the lead levels and such! Hallelujah, let thrift continue on! Seriously was really worried about this! Bring on the kids consignment sales my spirits are lifted!

"Some of you were aware and have expressed some concern of the new law called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It is a law that would require lead testing in all children's clothing and items 12 years and under. Originally we thought that in the terms of the law that it would include resale and consignment shops. As of today there was a press release issued that we are not required to test items to be sold."

This was in an email I received from one of my fave consignment sales!

Best Christmas Gift!

2009-01-02T22:36:00.001-05:00

This gift is one that is so delicate and perfect! So longed for and prayed for and cried over and dreamed about. This is the best Christmas gift that I've heard of in a long time. Go to my sister's blog to hear more.

Day After Christmas Syndrome

2008-12-27T20:13:00.002-05:00

No surprise, but M had a day after Christmas that beat any behavior I've ever seen out of her. I kept my cool for the most part though. I tried to remember a lot of my Love and Logic things that I learned and calmly responded to her utter disrespect and rudeness with quiet words such as, "uh oh. I'm so sorry you made that choice (or you chose to behave that way). " Then I'd dole out the consequence. Bless her heart, on the day after Christmas I had to take away the entire Rose Petal Cottage and all its accessories. She was to have to do 3 chores to earn it all back, but she didn't want to, so we waited until she realized she might like to do a chore after all...much later that night.

In fact, she lost her privilege with that early in the day and it go worse! In fact, her new phrase when she is in that mood is (said with enthusiasm much like you would see in one of these princess movies she enjoys), "Never!" For example:

me: "Uh oh. I'm sorry you made that choice. That will be three minutes on the naughty spot. go on now and I'll set the timer.
m: No! I won't!
me: M. You need to get up and sit on the naughty spot now or mommy will have to get mr. sad spoon.
m: "Never!"
me: (out comes mr. sad spoon)
m: "I won't do it!"
me: carrying my almost 40 lb, 3 1/2 yr old to the spot while she is flailing.
m: She sits...kicks and has a fit, but remains there none the less.

when the time is up we typically say our apologies and briefly run through the choices that lead to the consequence. We didn't get very far with it all this time cause mr. nasty reared his ugly head again. And thus it was time for bed...with no supper mind you, but we had given her the option to make the right choice and she did not.

After taking her to her room and laying her in her bed twice and turning off the light...shutting the door all the way (listening to her tantrum) twice...hubs heard her talking out loud to herself about what the right choices would be. Then she pulled herself together, opened her door and came to me and said, "I got it together. I'm sorry that I acted so ugly. Can I please not go to bed? (mind you it is only about 5:30 or 6)"

me: "you'll have to go talk to your daddy about that.
m to her daddy:"I'm sorry for disrespectful. I got it together now. Can I please not go to bed yet? That's the right thing to say. I talked about it in my room and that's the right choices."

OF COURSE we let her say her sorries and gave her forgiveness and kisses and love. She was able to stay up a bit more for supper and some short Arthur movies that she got for Christmas. But she, herself, decided that she was tired. So last night, for the first time ever...we had both kids in bed before 8 pm. That is unheard of around here. Well, it was pretty close to that tonight as well, but she was much better behaved.

So behaved was my little girl that she did her 2 remaining chores to earn her house back. She was sweet almost all day, so I let her skip quiet time and we (just she and I) went to walmart, aldi, and starbucks. I even bought her some purple flowers she wanted (mums) cause they were 1/2 off of $5. We returned a toy that we got two of, took the cash from the return to buy some groceries for J for when we are out of town next week. We went to Starbuck cause I had a coupon for a free drink and just enough on a gift card to get M an apple juice and a sour cream donut. The whole escapade cost me a grand total of $0! Fantastic!

Bah-Humbug

2008-12-19T08:54:00.002-05:00

When you have to wake M up...she tends to be a little on the grumpy side. And that's what I got to deal with all morning. I took her to school today so hubs could get to work early (so he could sneak away to her Christmas Program at 10:30). She is decked from head to toe (minus the pink dora crocs that she insisted on wearing) in Christmas attire...but no Christmas music folks! As we were on our way to school I thought it'd be fun to hear some children's Christmas music that my SIL gave us. Boy was I wrong. She crabbed at me cause it wasn't Backyardigans. Then she says, "I don't like Christmas!" To which I replied..."That's o.k. I'll just give your presents to other children who love Christmas."
"I like presents...i just don't like Christmas."
"well," i say, "that's sad cause children that don't like Christmas don't have any need for presents."
Then I hear her quietly say, "I really do love Christmas"
"Mommy loves Christmas cause that was Jesus' birthday!"

In the same car ride she randomly says, "I wish I had a real pony. A real pony of my very own with wings that was a pegasus!"
"Really! if u did would you pick mommy up for a ride cause i've never done that before?"
"yes, but you would have to hold on tight...to his wings."

and this discussion about the best way to ride a pegasus continues on...

Happy Anniversary

2008-12-18T20:55:00.002-05:00

This goes out to itsamomthing. I believe its their anniversary today...AND I didn't actually post on my anniversary which was Monday the 15th, so it goes out to me and my hubs as well.

7 years has gone by mighty fast...i was tempted to say without a hitch, but that wouldn't be very true. I mean for heaven's sake! We moved every year of our marriage for the first 3 or 4 years, then came Katrina, after which multiple more moves occurred. Just before that lovely natural disaster came even lovelier M! She was but a mere 6 weeks at the time of our evacuation! Man was her nursery adorable! Actually our whole seminary apartment was pretty awesome...all decorated the way we wanted it. (All 706 sq. ft. of it!)

We've been through a lot and I have to say I wouldn't have rather been through any of it with any other person! I still think he's funny, hunky, adorable, sweet, kind, se*xy, and manly. He has come a long way, as have I I'm sure. He is so much more considerate and conscientious with me and the kids. He takes care of us. I love that. And I just wanna say that I can't wait for many more years to come.