It's the last day of the year, and you know what that means.... It's the last day to make donations that you can deduct from your 2008 taxes!! I know that none of you want to think about taxes on a day when you are most likely preparing to PAR-TAY all night long, but this will only take you a few minutes.
Here is a short list on my personal recommendations of places to donate your money:
American Cancer Society (via Relay for Life) - help fight the big "C".
All Children's Hospital and/or Children's Miracle Network - help God's precious children in need of medical care.
USO - please support our men and women in uniform who are away from their loved ones.
Now, I know you may think that you can't spare a dime in this economy, but even the smallest donation makes a difference. And if you were the one who needed help from one of these wonderful organizations, wouldn't you want people to donate?
I hope you all have a wonderful end of the year and a bright new year in the morning!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Resolution Rewind
At the beginning of the year, I, like many others, made a list of New Year's Resolutions. Twenty of them, in fact. My hope was that I could accomplish five to ten of them.
Let's see how I did. The ones in bold, I completed. The ones in italics, I attempted.
2008 New Year's Resolutions:
1. Get more organized. It's nearly impossible to get and stay organized when every single person in your house seems to be working against you.
2. Clean out closets. I totally did this. Not that you can tell now.
3. Get rid of unneeded stuff. I've been purging and purging like you wouldn't believe, but there is still just so much stuff that needs to go.
4. Win BAMs Blog contest. I did this one, too. Actually, it got down to two of us, and after a few months of waiting to see who would forget to blog, we decided to just call it a draw and split the winnings. Of course, no one ever paid up, so we haven't been able to split anything yet. (For what it's worth, I still haven't missed a day.)
5. Lose weight. Aim for 135. I tried. And I was doing pretty well for a couple of weeks, but then my new meds caught up to me and totally killed my metabolism.
6. Break Katie’s pacifier habit. The first attempt was unsuccessful, but the second attempt was surprisingly easy.
7. Drink more water. I'm still working on this one. Coke just tastes so darn good.
8. Try to clean more. I do clean more, actually. Just not a whole lot more. Especially since I get no recognition for what I do.
9. Don’t do crack. This one is always a piece of cake!
10. Remember to take iron pills more often. I tried, but at some point, they disappeared on me.
11. Organize recipes and get rid of bulky cookbooks. I did start this, but I'm still working on it. I need more help from Phil with this one.
12. Cook dinner more often. I was cooking dinner more often until Phil started working normal business hours and getting home in time to cook dinner for the family.
13. Get a family portrait taken. Sadly, though it has been talked about many, many times, there has been no progress made on this front. It's pretty much impossible to schedule an appointment when I never have a clue when my step-son is going to be around. His mother is VERY uncooperative and contantly changing our plans.
14. Take charge of recycling. Set up a recycling center. I started this; Phil destroyed it.
15. Organize refrigerator magnets. Just like the closets, I did this but you'd never guess it now.
16. Make “To Do” lists and try to stick to them. I did this for a while, but it didn't work out very well.
17. Stop buying stuff we don’t need just because it is “cute” or “neat.” This was surprisingly not that difficult.
18. Have children pick oranges and give them away to the needy. I tried this, but those darn kids and husband of mine don't like to share.
19. Get trees trimmed. I did quite a bit of this myself, but there is still a lot of work to do.
20. Take time for myself. Get out of the house by myself at least once a week. I wasn't doing very well with this one until I joined Mary Kay. Now, I get to leave my house all by myself at least once a week to attend a meeting. That counts, right? I do enjoy my meetings.
I think I did pretty well. I completed seven out of twenty, and attempted all but one of the rest. Plus, I did a lot of things that I am very proud of that weren't even on the list.
Let's see how I did. The ones in bold, I completed. The ones in italics, I attempted.
2008 New Year's Resolutions:
1. Get more organized. It's nearly impossible to get and stay organized when every single person in your house seems to be working against you.
2. Clean out closets. I totally did this. Not that you can tell now.
3. Get rid of unneeded stuff. I've been purging and purging like you wouldn't believe, but there is still just so much stuff that needs to go.
4. Win BAMs Blog contest. I did this one, too. Actually, it got down to two of us, and after a few months of waiting to see who would forget to blog, we decided to just call it a draw and split the winnings. Of course, no one ever paid up, so we haven't been able to split anything yet. (For what it's worth, I still haven't missed a day.)
5. Lose weight. Aim for 135. I tried. And I was doing pretty well for a couple of weeks, but then my new meds caught up to me and totally killed my metabolism.
6. Break Katie’s pacifier habit. The first attempt was unsuccessful, but the second attempt was surprisingly easy.
7. Drink more water. I'm still working on this one. Coke just tastes so darn good.
8. Try to clean more. I do clean more, actually. Just not a whole lot more. Especially since I get no recognition for what I do.
9. Don’t do crack. This one is always a piece of cake!
10. Remember to take iron pills more often. I tried, but at some point, they disappeared on me.
11. Organize recipes and get rid of bulky cookbooks. I did start this, but I'm still working on it. I need more help from Phil with this one.
12. Cook dinner more often. I was cooking dinner more often until Phil started working normal business hours and getting home in time to cook dinner for the family.
13. Get a family portrait taken. Sadly, though it has been talked about many, many times, there has been no progress made on this front. It's pretty much impossible to schedule an appointment when I never have a clue when my step-son is going to be around. His mother is VERY uncooperative and contantly changing our plans.
14. Take charge of recycling. Set up a recycling center. I started this; Phil destroyed it.
15. Organize refrigerator magnets. Just like the closets, I did this but you'd never guess it now.
16. Make “To Do” lists and try to stick to them. I did this for a while, but it didn't work out very well.
17. Stop buying stuff we don’t need just because it is “cute” or “neat.” This was surprisingly not that difficult.
18. Have children pick oranges and give them away to the needy. I tried this, but those darn kids and husband of mine don't like to share.
19. Get trees trimmed. I did quite a bit of this myself, but there is still a lot of work to do.
20. Take time for myself. Get out of the house by myself at least once a week. I wasn't doing very well with this one until I joined Mary Kay. Now, I get to leave my house all by myself at least once a week to attend a meeting. That counts, right? I do enjoy my meetings.
I think I did pretty well. I completed seven out of twenty, and attempted all but one of the rest. Plus, I did a lot of things that I am very proud of that weren't even on the list.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Already?
The end of the year is almost here, and I can hardly believe it. It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was making my 2008 resolutions. Then again, I can barely remember what they were, so it has to have been a while.
I'm really looking forward to the new year and all that it has in store for me and my family. There are definitely some changes to come for my family, and I am hoping that I will have a successful year business wise, too.
The past few days I've been preparing for the new year. Someone told me tonight that however you spend New Year's Day is how you'll spend the rest of the year. So, I need to have my house cleaned and organized by then (as much as is possible) so that it will stay that way in the new year. Hopefully, Phil will help me with this task.
By the way, if this post seems a bit "off," just blame it on my withdrawal suffering brain.
I'm really looking forward to the new year and all that it has in store for me and my family. There are definitely some changes to come for my family, and I am hoping that I will have a successful year business wise, too.
The past few days I've been preparing for the new year. Someone told me tonight that however you spend New Year's Day is how you'll spend the rest of the year. So, I need to have my house cleaned and organized by then (as much as is possible) so that it will stay that way in the new year. Hopefully, Phil will help me with this task.
By the way, if this post seems a bit "off," just blame it on my withdrawal suffering brain.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Withdrawal
For a number of reasons, I have decided to go off of one of my medications. Not only am I uncertain as to whether or not I needed to be on the medication in the first place, but it has also caused me to gain weight - a LOT of weight. There are also other reasons that I need to stop this medication.
The problem with quitting this medication is that the withdrawal symptoms are horrible. I get a headache, numb, tingling fingers, and nausea just from going more than one day without it. I told my doctor about this, and he suggested that I just take one capsule every other day for about a week before completely stopping.
Currently, I'm on day three of this new plan. I hadn't taken my meds yet when I saw my doctor on Friday, so I went ahead and skipped that day. I took another one yesterday, and nothing today. I didn't really have any symptoms on Friday, but today I am feeling them. It's not as bad as it would be if I hadn't taken anything yesterday, but it's still noticeable.
So, now I'm wondering, if I'm going to have withdrawal symptoms either way, should I keep going this route, with mild symptoms stretched out for a couple of weeks? Or should I just quit "cold turkey" and let the withdrawal symptoms hit me hard and fast?
The problem with quitting this medication is that the withdrawal symptoms are horrible. I get a headache, numb, tingling fingers, and nausea just from going more than one day without it. I told my doctor about this, and he suggested that I just take one capsule every other day for about a week before completely stopping.
Currently, I'm on day three of this new plan. I hadn't taken my meds yet when I saw my doctor on Friday, so I went ahead and skipped that day. I took another one yesterday, and nothing today. I didn't really have any symptoms on Friday, but today I am feeling them. It's not as bad as it would be if I hadn't taken anything yesterday, but it's still noticeable.
So, now I'm wondering, if I'm going to have withdrawal symptoms either way, should I keep going this route, with mild symptoms stretched out for a couple of weeks? Or should I just quit "cold turkey" and let the withdrawal symptoms hit me hard and fast?
Saturday, December 27, 2008
More Christmas
Our Christmas celebrating continued yesterday when we drove across the bay to visit with Phil's bio-dad. They usually don't do a very good job of picking gifts for our children, and then there was last year.
This year was much better though. They gave each of the older children $40 cash so they can spend it however they like, and they gave Katie an awesome little pink percussion set. The percussion set consisted of a drum with drumsticks, a tambourine, a set of maracas, and a harmonica. Katie was thrilled.
Today, we drove up to my mother and step-dad's house near Ocala. We didn't exchange any gifts there because we did that before Christmas so the girls could open them up on Christmas morning. We did, however, leave all three of the girls there.
With no girls in the house, I'm hoping to get a lot of cleaning and organizing done in the next couple of days. I need to conquer Katie's room, which shouldn't be too difficult, though it is impossible when she's around.
I'm also going to try to do something with Emily's room. That child is a total pack-rat. It's impossible to find anything in her room. I doubt she'll even miss anything that I get rid of since she can't find anything she's looking for anyway.
This year was much better though. They gave each of the older children $40 cash so they can spend it however they like, and they gave Katie an awesome little pink percussion set. The percussion set consisted of a drum with drumsticks, a tambourine, a set of maracas, and a harmonica. Katie was thrilled.
Today, we drove up to my mother and step-dad's house near Ocala. We didn't exchange any gifts there because we did that before Christmas so the girls could open them up on Christmas morning. We did, however, leave all three of the girls there.
With no girls in the house, I'm hoping to get a lot of cleaning and organizing done in the next couple of days. I need to conquer Katie's room, which shouldn't be too difficult, though it is impossible when she's around.
I'm also going to try to do something with Emily's room. That child is a total pack-rat. It's impossible to find anything in her room. I doubt she'll even miss anything that I get rid of since she can't find anything she's looking for anyway.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Christmas Rewind
My family had a rather nice Christmas. Much better than what I thought we'd have, too. My girls got lots of stuff that they just adore. Here are a few photos of the chaos that was Christmas morning.
Boy, was my living room trashed! Luckily, the girls helped me to get it all cleaned up pretty quickly.
Later in the day, we went to my cousin's house for our big Christmas get-together with my Dad's side of the family. The girls picked up a few more gifts there. I brought my camera with me, but I was too tired to remember to take anymore pictures while we were there.
On the way home, we drove through a neighborhood in town that is well known for their Christmas lights displays. Katie quite enjoyed that.
And, while Phil and I didn't exchange any gifts, we did give each other a little something special. (No, I don't mean that! Get your mind out of the gutter!)
All in all, it was a pleasant Christmas in my household. I hope you all had a very nice Christmas, too.
Boy, was my living room trashed! Luckily, the girls helped me to get it all cleaned up pretty quickly.
Later in the day, we went to my cousin's house for our big Christmas get-together with my Dad's side of the family. The girls picked up a few more gifts there. I brought my camera with me, but I was too tired to remember to take anymore pictures while we were there.
On the way home, we drove through a neighborhood in town that is well known for their Christmas lights displays. Katie quite enjoyed that.
And, while Phil and I didn't exchange any gifts, we did give each other a little something special. (No, I don't mean that! Get your mind out of the gutter!)
All in all, it was a pleasant Christmas in my household. I hope you all had a very nice Christmas, too.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve
Well, I came into a smidge of money, so I decided to go shopping for a couple of Christmas gifts for my girls today. To tell you the truth, I was a bit scared of what I might encounter when I headed out to the mall today. Amazingly, the mall was not at all crowded!
First, we found a great parking space right where we wanted to park. Then, the stores we went into were practically empty, and there was no line to wait for check-out. And, I only had to wait behind one person when we went to Chick-fil-A in the food court.
The funny thing about it was that even though the mall wasn't crowded, and there were plenty of parking spaces available in the lot, the traffic going in and out of the mall was still bad. Go figure!
So, here I am at nearly 11:00 at night, still wrapping Christmas presents. Ugh! If I wasn't such an OCD perfectionist, I could get Phil to help with the wrapping, or spend less time wrapping each gift myself. Either way, I'd save time. I'd go absolutely bat-shit crazy, but I'd save time!
Merry Christmas to you all!
First, we found a great parking space right where we wanted to park. Then, the stores we went into were practically empty, and there was no line to wait for check-out. And, I only had to wait behind one person when we went to Chick-fil-A in the food court.
The funny thing about it was that even though the mall wasn't crowded, and there were plenty of parking spaces available in the lot, the traffic going in and out of the mall was still bad. Go figure!
So, here I am at nearly 11:00 at night, still wrapping Christmas presents. Ugh! If I wasn't such an OCD perfectionist, I could get Phil to help with the wrapping, or spend less time wrapping each gift myself. Either way, I'd save time. I'd go absolutely bat-shit crazy, but I'd save time!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Declutterring
Why is it that any flat surface in my house seems to become a catch-all as soon as I turn my back? I know it wasn't all that long ago that I cleaned off my desk and organized everything on it, but it has recently become a total disaster area. I barely had room left on my desk for my mouse.
My dining table was the same way. I know it wasn't that long ago (okay, maybe since before Thanksgiving) that we ate there as a family, yet it was piled high with all sorts of stuff.
So, I spent the first half of the day cleaning off my desk, and the second half of the day cleaning off my dining table. Now, I have the room I need on my table to wrap the few Christmas gifts I need to wrap, and the room I need on my desk to conduct my daily business.
I'll just have to knock on wood that they stay this clean for at least a few weeks, if not longer. Luckily, since they are currently clean, I've got plenty of wood to knock on!
My dining table was the same way. I know it wasn't that long ago (okay, maybe since before Thanksgiving) that we ate there as a family, yet it was piled high with all sorts of stuff.
So, I spent the first half of the day cleaning off my desk, and the second half of the day cleaning off my dining table. Now, I have the room I need on my table to wrap the few Christmas gifts I need to wrap, and the room I need on my desk to conduct my daily business.
I'll just have to knock on wood that they stay this clean for at least a few weeks, if not longer. Luckily, since they are currently clean, I've got plenty of wood to knock on!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Naughty or Nice
I've been really busy today, and I really need to get to bed soon, so I'm just going to leave you with this cute little video.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A Visit with Santa (Times Two!)
This morning, my church had a little Christmas party for the children in the CCD classes. Toward the end of the party, the children were treated with a visit from Santa Claus. One of the elders of our church dresses up as Santa for the children every year. Since he knows most of the children, he calls them by name, which is really impressive to the innocent child.
Katie is still in her being shy around Santa phase. She was totally in awe of him, but timid about getting too close. She did eventually sit on his lap, but was very quiet about telling him what she wanted for Christmas.
After we left church, Phil had the great idea to go visit Santa and Mrs. Claus at the mall. I thought it was a bad idea because of it still being the weekend, but since Phil had agreed to be the one to stand in line while the rest of us went to get lunch, I agreed to do it.
Even though there was a very long line when we got there, it moved amazingly fast, and the girls and I just barely made it back to the line in time to see Santa. Once again, Katie was being a little shy, and was much more comfortable sitting on Mrs. Claus's lap. When Santa asked Katie what she wanted for Christmas, she replied, "Presents!"
Compare that to last year. Boy, has she grown!
Katie is still in her being shy around Santa phase. She was totally in awe of him, but timid about getting too close. She did eventually sit on his lap, but was very quiet about telling him what she wanted for Christmas.
After we left church, Phil had the great idea to go visit Santa and Mrs. Claus at the mall. I thought it was a bad idea because of it still being the weekend, but since Phil had agreed to be the one to stand in line while the rest of us went to get lunch, I agreed to do it.
Even though there was a very long line when we got there, it moved amazingly fast, and the girls and I just barely made it back to the line in time to see Santa. Once again, Katie was being a little shy, and was much more comfortable sitting on Mrs. Claus's lap. When Santa asked Katie what she wanted for Christmas, she replied, "Presents!"
Compare that to last year. Boy, has she grown!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Overwhelmed Underacheiver
I had so many plans for today. Maybe that was the problem. So much to do, with so little time, I couldn't figure out what to do first. Plus, I was really feeling rather "blah" today. So, I got absolutely nothing done this morning.
I had hoped to accomplish something this afternoon. Then Katie refused to take her nap. So, we fought about it for more than an hour before I finally gave in and laid down with her, in my bed, where I fell asleep, for a couple of hours.
Now the sun is down, and it's dinner time, and I'm still in my pajamas. Oh, well. There's always tomorrow. "After all, tomorrow is another day."
I had hoped to accomplish something this afternoon. Then Katie refused to take her nap. So, we fought about it for more than an hour before I finally gave in and laid down with her, in my bed, where I fell asleep, for a couple of hours.
Now the sun is down, and it's dinner time, and I'm still in my pajamas. Oh, well. There's always tomorrow. "After all, tomorrow is another day."
Friday, December 19, 2008
It's Her
Sadly, the remains found last week near the home of Caylee Anthony's grandparents were identified today as hers. This poor little girl had her young life taken from her most likely by her own mother.
My children have made me quite angry on many occasions, but I have never, ever wanted to hurt, much less kill, them. I just can't imagine what could drive a mother to do something so heinous to her own precious little girl.
Casey, I hope you get the death penalty and rot in Hell for what you've done!
My children have made me quite angry on many occasions, but I have never, ever wanted to hurt, much less kill, them. I just can't imagine what could drive a mother to do something so heinous to her own precious little girl.
Casey, I hope you get the death penalty and rot in Hell for what you've done!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Good Day
I had a good day today. Absolutely nothing went wrong, Katie was as sweet as can be, and I ended up making some money. I certainly didn't plan to have a day like this when I woke up this morning, it just sort of happened.
When I got out of bed this morning, I decided to go ahead and wash my face before leaving my bedroom. When I started cleaning my face, I decided that while I was at it, I'd go ahead and do a little microdermabrasion, too. Then I figured that I should do a little Satin Lips treatment while I was applying my eye cream, day solution, and moisturizer.
I was going to stop there, since I had no plans to go out, but then I decided to take Katie to McDonald's for breakfast, so I went ahead and put on my makeup. I also decided to pack up some of my Mary Kay gift sets, just in case I happened to meet someone who was interested in making a purchase.
After breakfast, I took Katie to get her hair cut. I decided to stop growing out the portion of her bangs that we'd been letting grow and just have them all blended back together. I'm not entirely happy with the way her hair turned out, but it still looks pretty good.
Since I had been promising Katie a trip to Target's Dollar Spot for being a big girl and sleeping in her own bed, our next stop was at our local Super Target. I found a bunch of cute stuff for all three girls' stockings in the Dollar Spot, so that worked out great. I also found some cute little silver baskets for a dollar that I can use for making gift sets for my Mary Kay business.
I also found a cute little Christmas costume for Maggie while we were in Super Target. Isn't she cute?!
After we left Super Target, Katie and I met Phil for lunch at Chick-fil-A. It was nice being bale to sit down for lunch together and chat about our days. And, of course, Katie got to love on her Daddy at bit, too.
From Chick-fil-A, Katie and I headed over to Costco to get some more Pull-Ups for her. (I'm hoping that once spring rolls around Katie will be ready to start potty training.) I also picked up a couple of Christmas gifts for Phil and my mother and step-father while we were at Costco. I forgot to get Katie any more Dinosaur Nuggets or apple juice, so I'll have to go back to Costco tomorrow or Saturday.
While we were waiting in the checkout line at Costco, I got a phone call from a lady that works with my father. She wanted to order some Mary Kay products from me and asked me to call her back when I got home. Unfortunately, I didn't have what she wanted in stock, so I'll have to order it for her.
Also, upon checking my email at home, I found yet another order from a friend of mine. I do have all of her order in stock, so I'll be able to give it to her when she comes over this Sunday afternoon.
Then this evening, I had to take Emily to her Girl Scouts meeting. I decided once again to pack up my Mary Kay gift sets and take them with me. The recreation center where Emily's GS meetings are held is a pretty busy place, so I thought there might be a chance of making a sale there.
Amazingly, I was right. I sold three gift sets tonight. Yay, me! Granted, I sold them to people who work at the recreation center who already know and love me, but I still sold them. Now I just need to learn how to talk to strangers as easily as I do to people I know.
When I got out of bed this morning, I decided to go ahead and wash my face before leaving my bedroom. When I started cleaning my face, I decided that while I was at it, I'd go ahead and do a little microdermabrasion, too. Then I figured that I should do a little Satin Lips treatment while I was applying my eye cream, day solution, and moisturizer.
I was going to stop there, since I had no plans to go out, but then I decided to take Katie to McDonald's for breakfast, so I went ahead and put on my makeup. I also decided to pack up some of my Mary Kay gift sets, just in case I happened to meet someone who was interested in making a purchase.
After breakfast, I took Katie to get her hair cut. I decided to stop growing out the portion of her bangs that we'd been letting grow and just have them all blended back together. I'm not entirely happy with the way her hair turned out, but it still looks pretty good.
Since I had been promising Katie a trip to Target's Dollar Spot for being a big girl and sleeping in her own bed, our next stop was at our local Super Target. I found a bunch of cute stuff for all three girls' stockings in the Dollar Spot, so that worked out great. I also found some cute little silver baskets for a dollar that I can use for making gift sets for my Mary Kay business.
I also found a cute little Christmas costume for Maggie while we were in Super Target. Isn't she cute?!
After we left Super Target, Katie and I met Phil for lunch at Chick-fil-A. It was nice being bale to sit down for lunch together and chat about our days. And, of course, Katie got to love on her Daddy at bit, too.
From Chick-fil-A, Katie and I headed over to Costco to get some more Pull-Ups for her. (I'm hoping that once spring rolls around Katie will be ready to start potty training.) I also picked up a couple of Christmas gifts for Phil and my mother and step-father while we were at Costco. I forgot to get Katie any more Dinosaur Nuggets or apple juice, so I'll have to go back to Costco tomorrow or Saturday.
While we were waiting in the checkout line at Costco, I got a phone call from a lady that works with my father. She wanted to order some Mary Kay products from me and asked me to call her back when I got home. Unfortunately, I didn't have what she wanted in stock, so I'll have to order it for her.
Also, upon checking my email at home, I found yet another order from a friend of mine. I do have all of her order in stock, so I'll be able to give it to her when she comes over this Sunday afternoon.
Then this evening, I had to take Emily to her Girl Scouts meeting. I decided once again to pack up my Mary Kay gift sets and take them with me. The recreation center where Emily's GS meetings are held is a pretty busy place, so I thought there might be a chance of making a sale there.
Amazingly, I was right. I sold three gift sets tonight. Yay, me! Granted, I sold them to people who work at the recreation center who already know and love me, but I still sold them. Now I just need to learn how to talk to strangers as easily as I do to people I know.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Big Girl
Phil and I have been struggling with a little issue for a while. The issue was that Katie was sleeping in our bed with us every night. She absolutely refused to sleep in her own bed.
Occasionally, Phil would get Katie to fall asleep in our bed and then move her into her own bed once she was asleep. However, this never lasted all night. At some point, Katie would always get out of her bed and come get in bed with us.
Obviously, the blame for this problem of ours was totally on us. Even though there were many nights that we were very uncomfortable due to little feet, knees or elbows poking into our backs, sides, and even faces, we really didn't mind sharing our bed with Katie very much. She is such a sweet and loving child that we just loved curling up with her.
Of course, we realized that we really did need to get her out of our bed at some point. She's only getting bigger every day, and we definitely didn't want to share our bed with her forever. We tried to make her sleep in her own bed a few weeks ago, but that attempt failed miserably because Phil couldn't stand to hear Katie crying.
However, we decided to try again yesterday. We told Katie all day long that she was going to be sleeping in her own bed that night, just to get her used to the idea. She was not very happy about the idea; in fact, she told us flat out that she was NOT going to be sleeping in her bed.
But we knew we had to stick to the plan. If we let her have her way, she would only be more convinced that she was the one in charge around here, which is NOT what we want. So, when the time came, we put her down in her own bed.
That's when it started. The screaming and crying and getting out of bed went on for at least an hour. Eventually, she must have realized that we were serious about making her sleep in her own bed, because she promised me she would stay in bed and go to sleep. Then she rolled over and closed her eyes.
She did end up crying one more time after I got into bed, and Phil had to go calm her down. Then around 3:30 this morning, she got up and came into our room, but when Phil took her back to her bed, she went right back to sleep and stayed there for the rest of the night.
This morning, Phil and I made such a big deal about what a big girl Katie was to sleep in her own bed last night. We want her to be proud of herself so she wants to sleep there every night. When she asked for a piece of chocolate this morning, I made sure to tell her that I was giving her the chocolate because she had been a big girl and slept in her own bed last night.
When I told Katie that she was going to be taking her nap in her own bed today, she was a bit resistant to the idea. She told me that she didn't want to take a nap. So, I told her she could stay up a little later, but that when the time came, she would be napping in her own bed.
When I laid her down in her bed for her nap, she told me that she wanted me to lay down with her. I told her that I couldn't fit in her little bed (it's a toddler bed) with her, and she just said okay, then rolled over and went to sleep.
And that's where she is right now. Napping like a big girl in her own bed. I'm so proud of her and so happy for Phil and me.
Occasionally, Phil would get Katie to fall asleep in our bed and then move her into her own bed once she was asleep. However, this never lasted all night. At some point, Katie would always get out of her bed and come get in bed with us.
Obviously, the blame for this problem of ours was totally on us. Even though there were many nights that we were very uncomfortable due to little feet, knees or elbows poking into our backs, sides, and even faces, we really didn't mind sharing our bed with Katie very much. She is such a sweet and loving child that we just loved curling up with her.
Of course, we realized that we really did need to get her out of our bed at some point. She's only getting bigger every day, and we definitely didn't want to share our bed with her forever. We tried to make her sleep in her own bed a few weeks ago, but that attempt failed miserably because Phil couldn't stand to hear Katie crying.
However, we decided to try again yesterday. We told Katie all day long that she was going to be sleeping in her own bed that night, just to get her used to the idea. She was not very happy about the idea; in fact, she told us flat out that she was NOT going to be sleeping in her bed.
But we knew we had to stick to the plan. If we let her have her way, she would only be more convinced that she was the one in charge around here, which is NOT what we want. So, when the time came, we put her down in her own bed.
That's when it started. The screaming and crying and getting out of bed went on for at least an hour. Eventually, she must have realized that we were serious about making her sleep in her own bed, because she promised me she would stay in bed and go to sleep. Then she rolled over and closed her eyes.
She did end up crying one more time after I got into bed, and Phil had to go calm her down. Then around 3:30 this morning, she got up and came into our room, but when Phil took her back to her bed, she went right back to sleep and stayed there for the rest of the night.
This morning, Phil and I made such a big deal about what a big girl Katie was to sleep in her own bed last night. We want her to be proud of herself so she wants to sleep there every night. When she asked for a piece of chocolate this morning, I made sure to tell her that I was giving her the chocolate because she had been a big girl and slept in her own bed last night.
When I told Katie that she was going to be taking her nap in her own bed today, she was a bit resistant to the idea. She told me that she didn't want to take a nap. So, I told her she could stay up a little later, but that when the time came, she would be napping in her own bed.
When I laid her down in her bed for her nap, she told me that she wanted me to lay down with her. I told her that I couldn't fit in her little bed (it's a toddler bed) with her, and she just said okay, then rolled over and went to sleep.
And that's where she is right now. Napping like a big girl in her own bed. I'm so proud of her and so happy for Phil and me.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Footprints
Sunday afternoon, Phil and I left the girls at home so we could go to Home Depot to buy some fence supplies so we can finally put up a fence on the side of our house that isn't fenced in. This is what we found when we came home.
Katie's toes and fingers are still red in spots.
So is my kitchen floor.
Katie's toes and fingers are still red in spots.
So is my kitchen floor.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Photo Meme
My friend, Heather, tagged me with this little photo meme. Here are the rules: Post the fourth photo in the fourth file in your Pictures file, and tell the story of it.
This photo is from my "07-2006" photo file, and was taken at Sarah's 11th birthday party. In the photo, she's posing with the fifty dollar bill that my mother gave her for her birthday.
BTW, this photo was taken shortly before Sarah started wearing contact lenses.
This photo is from my "07-2006" photo file, and was taken at Sarah's 11th birthday party. In the photo, she's posing with the fifty dollar bill that my mother gave her for her birthday.
BTW, this photo was taken shortly before Sarah started wearing contact lenses.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Not Good
My computer is having "issues." Somehow, some sort of virus has invaded my desk top computer, and I can't use it right now. I'm currently using Phil's lap top, but it's a pain in the butt because I don't have any of my favorites on it.
Hopefully, Phil will be able to get this virus off of my computer tonight, because I don't know what I'll do with no internet tomorrow while he's at work.
Hopefully, Phil will be able to get this virus off of my computer tonight, because I don't know what I'll do with no internet tomorrow while he's at work.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
All Done
I've been baking for the past few days. Those cookies took WAY longer to make than I had hoped. But I got all eight dozen of them finished, packaged, and ready to go in time for the big cookie exchange party at my friend Andrea's house tonight.
The party was a lot of fun. Andrea had this fun little food trivia game that we all played. And while I'm most definitely not a "foodie," I did get a few questions correct and I did have fun playing.
Of course, the best part of all was that we got to not only eat cookies at the party, but I came home with a dozen of each lady's cookies along with the recipes. With four kids in this house, though, the cookies will probably not last very long!
The party was a lot of fun. Andrea had this fun little food trivia game that we all played. And while I'm most definitely not a "foodie," I did get a few questions correct and I did have fun playing.
Of course, the best part of all was that we got to not only eat cookies at the party, but I came home with a dozen of each lady's cookies along with the recipes. With four kids in this house, though, the cookies will probably not last very long!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Reasons I Wish I Didn't Take So Many Meds
1. My meds cost a LOT of money, even with insurance.
2. My meds are making me gain weight. I REALLY don't like gaining weight.
3. I probably wouldn't have to call Poison Control quite so often if I didn't have so much medicine in my house.
Yeah. I had to call Poison Control AGAIN today. Katie got a hold of my Effexor XR that I was about to take when I stepped into the kitchen to get my drink. Thankfully, she didn't have any adverse effects from the little bit of the drug she may have ingested. At least we didn't have to go to the ER this time.
I swear this kid is going to be the death of me.
2. My meds are making me gain weight. I REALLY don't like gaining weight.
3. I probably wouldn't have to call Poison Control quite so often if I didn't have so much medicine in my house.
Yeah. I had to call Poison Control AGAIN today. Katie got a hold of my Effexor XR that I was about to take when I stepped into the kitchen to get my drink. Thankfully, she didn't have any adverse effects from the little bit of the drug she may have ingested. At least we didn't have to go to the ER this time.
I swear this kid is going to be the death of me.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Is It Her?
Phil just called me to let me know about this. The skeletal remains of a small child were found this morning near the neighborhood of Caylee and Casey Anthony. Whether or not it is the body of little Caylee Anthony has not yet been determined. Casey is going on trial soon for Caylee's murder.
On one hand, I hope that it's not Caylee, because I wouldn't ever wish for someone to be dead. But on the other hand, I hope that it is Caylee, because it would make the murder case against Casey so much stronger. The crazy bitch might even finally confess to Caylee's murder once they have absolute proof that she really is dead.
I hope they figure out if it's Caylee's body soon. And I hope her murderer gets the death penalty.
On one hand, I hope that it's not Caylee, because I wouldn't ever wish for someone to be dead. But on the other hand, I hope that it is Caylee, because it would make the murder case against Casey so much stronger. The crazy bitch might even finally confess to Caylee's murder once they have absolute proof that she really is dead.
I hope they figure out if it's Caylee's body soon. And I hope her murderer gets the death penalty.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas is Not About Presents
I know that most of my bloggy friends know that Christmas is NOT about presents. Christmas is about celebrating the miracle of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We give gifts on Christmas to symbolize the gifts that were brought to the Christ child, and we give gifts to show our friends and family that we love them.
This year, due to my deadbeat ex, we are struggling financially. We cannot afford to buy any gifts this year. At first, I was upset about this fact, especially since Katie is so excited about Christmas this year.
But in the past few weeks, I have started to think of this hardship as a huge blessing. Without presents, we have been able to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. There is also no stress about what to buy for whom or keeping within our budget. I've actually been stress-free this Christmas season, and I love it.
Of course, I found out this morning that my brother is mad at me because I'm not buying presents for his children. You see, I sent an email out to the people whose children I usually buy gifts for to let them know about my situation. I wanted them to know ahead of time that I could not get presents for their children this year. Even though I know that Christmas is about giving, not receiving, I didn't want other people who may not be as into this concept to get mad at me for letting them buy gifts for my children when I couldn't do the same for theirs. I wanted them to be aware of the situation and let them make their own decision about whether or not to give to my girls.
Apparently, my brother has a problem with this. I have no idea why, either. Is he really mad that I can't afford to buy gifts for his children? If that's the case, why can't he simply take the money he was going to spend on my FOUR children, and buy more gifts for his TWO children?
What would you do in this situation? If you had a close relative come to you and say, "I'm really sorry, but I can't afford to buy any Christmas presents this year, and that includes your children," what would you do or say? Would you get mad at them? Or would you have another reaction?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tagged
I've been tagged by Joanne from Right on Q for this fun little meme.
The rules are simple.
1. Show the icon on your blog.
2. Tag seven people to partake in the fun times.
3. List 10 random things about yourself.
So, here we go:
1. I watch too much TV.
2. I have really long toes.
3. I wish I had a bigger kitchen so I could bake more often.
4. I always get told that I look younger than I am, but I feel so old.
5. I love office supplies.
6. I think my cat loves me more than my children do.
7. I love teaching CCD more than I ever thought I would.
8. I'm shy, but once I get to know you, I don't hold back.
9. I love to dress my girls up like they're my own personal dolls.
10. My favorite color is pink, and it's not because of Mary Kay.
Now it's your turn. Since I don't feel like choosing seven people to pass this along to, I'm tagging the first seven people who comment on this post.
Cold House
I live in a cold house. My house in made of concrete blocks and is surrounded by trees, so it takes a very long time for it to warm up inside. While this is a great thing during the summer months, it drives me crazy during the winter months, which we haven't even technically gotten to yet.
While I was inside freezing my butt off today, it was a wonderful warmish day outside. When I took Katie and Maggie (the dog) outside for a walk a little while ago, it was 79 degrees outside. Do you want to know how warm it had gotten inside my house by that point? Only 74! And the only reason it was even that warm inside was because I had the heat set on my thermostat to not let it drop below that point.
I need a laptop computer so that I can go sit outside in the sun on warm days and still keep up with my online buddies.
While I was inside freezing my butt off today, it was a wonderful warmish day outside. When I took Katie and Maggie (the dog) outside for a walk a little while ago, it was 79 degrees outside. Do you want to know how warm it had gotten inside my house by that point? Only 74! And the only reason it was even that warm inside was because I had the heat set on my thermostat to not let it drop below that point.
I need a laptop computer so that I can go sit outside in the sun on warm days and still keep up with my online buddies.
Monday, December 8, 2008
What?
So, I'm trying to catch up on some blogs that I read since I have a little down time right now. Every time I read something that makes me laugh, Katie says, "What? What mommy?" She wants to know what's so funny, but how do you explain these things to a two year old? Seriously, I don't like having to explain this stuff to Phil, much less a toddler.
Candy Cane Cookies
Tracy P. over at The Journey is hosting a Cookie Exchange on her blog today. And since I've been busy baking (mostly preparing to bake) my favorite Christmas cookies lately, I decided to join her party.
If you read my post from yesterday, you already know a little bit about what is involved in my recipe. I don't know exactly where my recipe originates from, all I know is that I used to make these cookies with my grandmother when I was a little girl, and I always had fun doing so.
Here are the ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red food coloring
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candies
Here's what you do with your ingredients:
1. Cream shortening and margarine until fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar, egg, almond extract, vanilla extract, flour, and salt, and mix well.
3. Divide dough in half.
4. Add food coloring to one half and mix well.
After you've prepared your dough, it is best to chill it for a while in the fridge before continuing with the recipe. This is a great time to prepare your crushed peppermint if you need to.
5. On floured surface, roll a teaspoon of each dough into 4 1/2 in long ropes.
6. Twist ropes together and curve one end down (into cane shape).
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Mix sugar and crushed peppermint candies.
9. While cookies are warm, coat with candy/sugar mixture.
Please excuse the photo. It was the only one I had on my computer of the cookies. The cookies in the photo were made by Sarah and Emily when they were 9 and 7, and were made much larger than they were supposed to be.
I hope you enjoy my cookies. I think they are yummy and I hope you do, too.
If you read my post from yesterday, you already know a little bit about what is involved in my recipe. I don't know exactly where my recipe originates from, all I know is that I used to make these cookies with my grandmother when I was a little girl, and I always had fun doing so.
Here are the ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red food coloring
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candies
Here's what you do with your ingredients:
1. Cream shortening and margarine until fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar, egg, almond extract, vanilla extract, flour, and salt, and mix well.
3. Divide dough in half.
4. Add food coloring to one half and mix well.
After you've prepared your dough, it is best to chill it for a while in the fridge before continuing with the recipe. This is a great time to prepare your crushed peppermint if you need to.
5. On floured surface, roll a teaspoon of each dough into 4 1/2 in long ropes.
6. Twist ropes together and curve one end down (into cane shape).
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Mix sugar and crushed peppermint candies.
9. While cookies are warm, coat with candy/sugar mixture.
Please excuse the photo. It was the only one I had on my computer of the cookies. The cookies in the photo were made by Sarah and Emily when they were 9 and 7, and were made much larger than they were supposed to be.
I hope you enjoy my cookies. I think they are yummy and I hope you do, too.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Yesterday
Some of you may be wondering just why I was so tired yesterday. Did I not get enough sleep? No, I actually got about 9-10 hours of sleep. Was I doing hard physical labor all day (like shopping)? No, not that either. What I did yesterday was bake. Well, not so much baking as preparing to bake and cleaning up the mess.
I went to my friend Michelle's parents' house yesterday with the intention of baking the eight dozen cookies I need for my play group's annual cookie exchange next Saturday. Michelle's parents have a HUGE kitchen with tons of counter space, which is why I wanted to bake over there. Unfortunately, it took me so long to get the dough ready to make the cookies, that I only ended up baking one dozen, which I ended up leaving there to thank Michelle's parents for letting me use their kitchen.
I think the thing that took up most of my time was crushing up the peppermint candies into a fine powder. I usually use a food processor to grind up the mints, but I couldn't find all of the pieces to mine, and I didn't think to ask if Michelle's mom had one to use. So, I ended up double bagging the candies and pounding the crap out of them with a meat tenderizer. And, boy, are my arms sore today!
After baking my one dozen cookies (and a batch of ready-to-bake sugar cookies), I realized that it was getting pretty late, so I decided to close up shop and start cleaning the kitchen. I had made a HUGE mess, and it took me some time to get it all back to perfect.
So, to sum it all up, I worked in the kitchen, on my feet, ALL DAY LONG, and really didn't have much to show for it. Unless you count my sore feet, my out-of-whack back, and my whiny toddler (because she missed her nap). Okay, so I DO have my cookie dough, which is currently chillin' in my freezer, and I DO have my peppermint and sugar mixture ready to go.
All I have to do now is roll out my dough and form my cookies, bake them, top them, and package them for the party. I figure that if I bake one or two dozen cookies per day, I should be able to get them all ready to go by next Saturday night. Wish me luck!
P.S.
Tracy P. is hosting a Cookie Exchange on her blog tomorrow, so I will be posting my recipe on my blog tomorrow for that. Just in case you were wondering what all of the crushed peppermint was for.
I went to my friend Michelle's parents' house yesterday with the intention of baking the eight dozen cookies I need for my play group's annual cookie exchange next Saturday. Michelle's parents have a HUGE kitchen with tons of counter space, which is why I wanted to bake over there. Unfortunately, it took me so long to get the dough ready to make the cookies, that I only ended up baking one dozen, which I ended up leaving there to thank Michelle's parents for letting me use their kitchen.
I think the thing that took up most of my time was crushing up the peppermint candies into a fine powder. I usually use a food processor to grind up the mints, but I couldn't find all of the pieces to mine, and I didn't think to ask if Michelle's mom had one to use. So, I ended up double bagging the candies and pounding the crap out of them with a meat tenderizer. And, boy, are my arms sore today!
After baking my one dozen cookies (and a batch of ready-to-bake sugar cookies), I realized that it was getting pretty late, so I decided to close up shop and start cleaning the kitchen. I had made a HUGE mess, and it took me some time to get it all back to perfect.
So, to sum it all up, I worked in the kitchen, on my feet, ALL DAY LONG, and really didn't have much to show for it. Unless you count my sore feet, my out-of-whack back, and my whiny toddler (because she missed her nap). Okay, so I DO have my cookie dough, which is currently chillin' in my freezer, and I DO have my peppermint and sugar mixture ready to go.
All I have to do now is roll out my dough and form my cookies, bake them, top them, and package them for the party. I figure that if I bake one or two dozen cookies per day, I should be able to get them all ready to go by next Saturday night. Wish me luck!
P.S.
Tracy P. is hosting a Cookie Exchange on her blog tomorrow, so I will be posting my recipe on my blog tomorrow for that. Just in case you were wondering what all of the crushed peppermint was for.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Dear Readers,
I'm busy, and I'm tired, and I just don't have the time I need to be able to keep up with my own blog, let alone all of yours. I'm sorry. I promise to do better in the future. But it isn't going to happen tonight.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Break the Cycle
Have you noticed that little button over there on my side bar? The one that says "Pink Changing Lives" and shows a picture of a bag with the phrase "Beauty that Counts" on it? Well, if you haven't already, you should click on it and learn all about how Mary Kay helps women's causes all over the world.
One of the causes that Mary Kay is involved in is Break the Cycle. It's an organization dedicated to preventing domestic violence. Break the Cycle is trying to get a law passed that will require domestic violence education in high schools. Currently, only two states have this requirement.
Please click here to sign the online petition. Let's all help Break the Cycle of domestic violence against women.
One of the causes that Mary Kay is involved in is Break the Cycle. It's an organization dedicated to preventing domestic violence. Break the Cycle is trying to get a law passed that will require domestic violence education in high schools. Currently, only two states have this requirement.
Please click here to sign the online petition. Let's all help Break the Cycle of domestic violence against women.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Square
A strange thing happened to me tonight. While I was waiting outside of Emily's Girl Scout meeting, I was invited by a nice old lady to join her square dancing class. There was a man there whose partner was late, and he needed someone to fill in for her. I wanted to say, "No," but I really didn't have any reason to, so I went ahead and joined them.
I had no clue what I was doing, of course, and for a while there I felt a bit like a pin ball being bounced and twirled around without a clue where I would land. Thankfully, no one let me fall down. However, after about fifteen minutes of "dancing" with them, I actually started to get the hang of it. I even got some complicated little move down.
Here's the amazing part: Not only did I have fun doing it, but I got a pretty good workout during the process, too. If I didn't have other places to be on Thursday nights, I might have considered signing up for the class.
I had no clue what I was doing, of course, and for a while there I felt a bit like a pin ball being bounced and twirled around without a clue where I would land. Thankfully, no one let me fall down. However, after about fifteen minutes of "dancing" with them, I actually started to get the hang of it. I even got some complicated little move down.
Here's the amazing part: Not only did I have fun doing it, but I got a pretty good workout during the process, too. If I didn't have other places to be on Thursday nights, I might have considered signing up for the class.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
C-C-C-Cold
It's been really cold around these parts today. I hate it when it gets cold like this because all I want to do is stay in my warm bed all day. I just can't get myself motivated to do anything when I'm shivering.
So, I obviously have nothing new to blog about today. Maybe it will warm up by the weekend. Hopefully.
So, I obviously have nothing new to blog about today. Maybe it will warm up by the weekend. Hopefully.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Merry SITSmas!
Merry Christmas
May you all get that special gift you've been dreaming about.
And may I get that special Target gift card I've been dreaming about!
Make sure you head on over to SITS to check out their Merry SITSmas celebration.
Monday, December 1, 2008
SITSmas Preview
Tomorrow is the big Merry SITSmas celebration over at The Secret is in the Sauce, AKA SITS. All of the SITStas are going to post a holiday card on their blogs and then link the up over at SITS. And to top it all off, the SITS gals are going to be giving away one cool prize every hour!
But even better than that, is the HUGE Grand Prize that was just announced this afternoon. What is it? Only the best thing possible at this time of year... a $200 Target gift card! Oh, yeah!
So, make sure to check out the Merry SITSmas celebration tomorrow. You won't regret it.
But even better than that, is the HUGE Grand Prize that was just announced this afternoon. What is it? Only the best thing possible at this time of year... a $200 Target gift card! Oh, yeah!
So, make sure to check out the Merry SITSmas celebration tomorrow. You won't regret it.
Facebook Find
So, I guess I should start off by stating that I FINALLY jumped on the Facebook band wagon. Due to some gentle prodding from some friends, and the seemingly constant barrage of articles about the site, I decided to sign up.
I'm not one of those people who tries to rack up as many friends as possible, but I was interested to see who from my past was on Facebook, so I decided to look at the list of my high school classmates. That's when I found him.
A long time ago, I was this tiny little girl who liked to hang out with enormous football players. I never dated them; we were all just friends. One day, I got a class ring from one of those guys to wear while I was working so that people would think that I had a boyfriend and would stop hitting on me.
Somehow, I lost touch with the guy before I was able to give him back his ring. I've held onto it all of these years so I could give it back to him if I ever saw him again. And now, I've found him on Facebook. I sent him a message letting him know that I still have his ring, and hopefully, we can get together soon so I can give it back to him.
I'm not one of those people who tries to rack up as many friends as possible, but I was interested to see who from my past was on Facebook, so I decided to look at the list of my high school classmates. That's when I found him.
A long time ago, I was this tiny little girl who liked to hang out with enormous football players. I never dated them; we were all just friends. One day, I got a class ring from one of those guys to wear while I was working so that people would think that I had a boyfriend and would stop hitting on me.
Somehow, I lost touch with the guy before I was able to give him back his ring. I've held onto it all of these years so I could give it back to him if I ever saw him again. And now, I've found him on Facebook. I sent him a message letting him know that I still have his ring, and hopefully, we can get together soon so I can give it back to him.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Survivor
Tonight, I consider myself to be a survivor. What did I survive? I survived the drive to and from my step-son's home an hour's drive away without getting into a car accident.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't be much of a feat, but the drive tonight was not an easy one, to put it mildly. I will never understand why it is that when the wet stuff starts to fall from the sky, the people around here seem to lose all ability to operate a motor vehicle properly.
On the trip to Colin's home, we passed no less than a DOZEN car accidents. At one point there was accident upon accident upon accident, and as I drove past them, I watched another one occur in my rear-view mirror. Apparently, there was one accident, and when the rubber-necking started, people stopped paying attention to the road and started getting into accidents. This is exactly what I watched happen behind me.
On our drive back home, the traffic from those accidents was backed up as far as we could see before we eventually had to exit the interstate to make our way home. I guess I'm not only lucky that I wasn't in an accident, but also that I didn't get stuck in that traffic. We might have been there for quite a while.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't be much of a feat, but the drive tonight was not an easy one, to put it mildly. I will never understand why it is that when the wet stuff starts to fall from the sky, the people around here seem to lose all ability to operate a motor vehicle properly.
On the trip to Colin's home, we passed no less than a DOZEN car accidents. At one point there was accident upon accident upon accident, and as I drove past them, I watched another one occur in my rear-view mirror. Apparently, there was one accident, and when the rubber-necking started, people stopped paying attention to the road and started getting into accidents. This is exactly what I watched happen behind me.
On our drive back home, the traffic from those accidents was backed up as far as we could see before we eventually had to exit the interstate to make our way home. I guess I'm not only lucky that I wasn't in an accident, but also that I didn't get stuck in that traffic. We might have been there for quite a while.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
We decided to skip all of the Black Friday chaos this year, partly because we didn't want to spend any money, and partly because there usually isn't anything that we want to buy that is a great bargain.
Then I got an email from Home Depot on Thanksgiving morning with their Black Friday deals. Lo and behold, there it was. The one Black Friday deal I couldn't pass up. A 7.5' LED pre-lit faux Christmas tree, which is regularly $199, on sale for $49. I had to have it.
Phil and I had been discussing getting a fake tree for a few years, but we just couldn't find one that was nice enough for our tastes and also cheap enough for our budget. I knew that the tree in the ad would fit the bill for us. So, I told Phil that he would have to be at Home Depot at 6am on Friday morning to get it for me.
When he got there he saw the crowd swarming the pallet of trees in front of him, only to find it completely empty when he got to it. My cousin's husband was also there, and he and Phil decided to go look at the rest of the fake trees there. Amazingly, they found two more of the trees buried in a pile of boxes of other trees. Yep, Phil got the very last tree they had.
And here it is:
It's not finished being decorated, but it doesn't look half bad, does it? And because it has the LED lights on it, we won't have to use as much electricity to light it this year. Way to go green, huh?
Then I got an email from Home Depot on Thanksgiving morning with their Black Friday deals. Lo and behold, there it was. The one Black Friday deal I couldn't pass up. A 7.5' LED pre-lit faux Christmas tree, which is regularly $199, on sale for $49. I had to have it.
Phil and I had been discussing getting a fake tree for a few years, but we just couldn't find one that was nice enough for our tastes and also cheap enough for our budget. I knew that the tree in the ad would fit the bill for us. So, I told Phil that he would have to be at Home Depot at 6am on Friday morning to get it for me.
When he got there he saw the crowd swarming the pallet of trees in front of him, only to find it completely empty when he got to it. My cousin's husband was also there, and he and Phil decided to go look at the rest of the fake trees there. Amazingly, they found two more of the trees buried in a pile of boxes of other trees. Yep, Phil got the very last tree they had.
And here it is:
It's not finished being decorated, but it doesn't look half bad, does it? And because it has the LED lights on it, we won't have to use as much electricity to light it this year. Way to go green, huh?
For Emily
My good bloggy buddy, Queenie Jeannie, is having another cool give away, and the prize would make a great Christmas gift for Emily. They're really cute little coin pearl earrings, and Emily specifically asked for "dangly earrings" on her Christmas list. Let's all pray that I win these for her.
Friday, November 28, 2008
EDS Update
I talked to my cousin at Thanksgiving dinner yesterday about her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. While she didn't say exactly what type she has, from the list of the symptoms she told me she has, it seems that she has the Classical type of EDS. And though this is one of the types that includes the heart problems (mitral valve prolapse), my cousin said that she has not had any heart problems that are caused by the disorder (she did have a heart problem, but it was not related to her EDS).
Also, some of her symptoms that she showed me, I realized that I have, too, but never realized that they were symptoms of a disorder. Because of that, I am even more convinced that I have EDS, too. If Katie is diagnosed with it, I will be 100% sure about it. And I have also had my heart thoroughly checked out by a cardiologist (while I was in the hospital after delivering Katie), and have no problems at all with it.
So, the good news is that if Katie has EDS, it should be anything to worry about too much. We'll mostly just have to make sure she's extra careful if she participates in sports or gymnastics, since she'll be more at risk for joint injuries.
Also, some of her symptoms that she showed me, I realized that I have, too, but never realized that they were symptoms of a disorder. Because of that, I am even more convinced that I have EDS, too. If Katie is diagnosed with it, I will be 100% sure about it. And I have also had my heart thoroughly checked out by a cardiologist (while I was in the hospital after delivering Katie), and have no problems at all with it.
So, the good news is that if Katie has EDS, it should be anything to worry about too much. We'll mostly just have to make sure she's extra careful if she participates in sports or gymnastics, since she'll be more at risk for joint injuries.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Giving Thanks
On this Thanksgiving Day, I take time to reflect on the things in my life that I am thankful for.
For my husband, Phil, who has brought so much joy to my life;
For my beautiful daughters, Sarah, Emily, and Katie Grace, who give me such a great purpose in my life;
For my cat, Bella, who loves me and keeps my feet warm at night;
For the clothes on my back, the food in my belly, and the warm house I live in;
For my best friends, Ann and Michelle, who are the sisters my parents never gave me;
For my parents who are always there to help me out, and who believe in me;
For my church which gives me such a welcoming family to worship with;
For my good health, and the good health of my family;
For my friends, my family, and my good neighbors, who each enrich my life in their own special ways;
Thank you, Jesus, for all of these blessings, and for all of the wonderful blessings you still have in store for me. Amen.
For my husband, Phil, who has brought so much joy to my life;
For my beautiful daughters, Sarah, Emily, and Katie Grace, who give me such a great purpose in my life;
For my cat, Bella, who loves me and keeps my feet warm at night;
For the clothes on my back, the food in my belly, and the warm house I live in;
For my best friends, Ann and Michelle, who are the sisters my parents never gave me;
For my parents who are always there to help me out, and who believe in me;
For my church which gives me such a welcoming family to worship with;
For my good health, and the good health of my family;
For my friends, my family, and my good neighbors, who each enrich my life in their own special ways;
Thank you, Jesus, for all of these blessings, and for all of the wonderful blessings you still have in store for me. Amen.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
I learned a couple of things today. First, it is highly likely that Katie does indeed have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Why do I think this? Because I found out this morning that my cousin was diagnosed with it while she was in the military a few years ago. The fact that it is an inherited genetic disorder, and I have a close blood relative who has already been diagnosed with it, means I probably passed it on to her.
Second, the method used to test my cousin for the disorder is not something I am looking forward to having done to Katie. How did they test her for it? With a skin biopsy. They'll most likely cut a small piece of Katie's skin off to look at under a microscope. They may also do a blood test.
Not that I want to, but now I'm wondering if I should have myself and the other girls all tested, too.
Second, the method used to test my cousin for the disorder is not something I am looking forward to having done to Katie. How did they test her for it? With a skin biopsy. They'll most likely cut a small piece of Katie's skin off to look at under a microscope. They may also do a blood test.
Not that I want to, but now I'm wondering if I should have myself and the other girls all tested, too.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Katie
I mentioned yesterday that we took Katie to the neurologist. The reason we took her was because I have been worrying that her hand muscles were weak and that she might need occupational therapy to strengthen them. Our pediatrician said that we needed to start with an evaluation from a neurologist, so off we went.
After giving Katie a very thorough examination, the neurologist was very impressed with how advanced she is mentally, but said he was unimpressed with her lack of hand strength. He said that if I wasn't worried about it, he wouldn't send her for occupational therapy, but he was going to, just in case I'm right. He also said that because she is so advanced in every other way, having this little thing "wrong" with her might be the one thing that allows her to "be normal" and "blend into society." LOL!
The neurologist did find one thing that he was concerned about though. He noticed that Katie seems to have very elastic skin on her hands and arms, and that I do, too, though not as significant. He said that elastic skin, as well as weak muscles, are symptoms of a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. He wants us to take her to the the USF Genetics Department to have her tested for it.
So, once we get through the Thanksgiving festivities this week, I'll be calling to schedule Katie for more appointments to get this all figured out. Wish us luck!
After giving Katie a very thorough examination, the neurologist was very impressed with how advanced she is mentally, but said he was unimpressed with her lack of hand strength. He said that if I wasn't worried about it, he wouldn't send her for occupational therapy, but he was going to, just in case I'm right. He also said that because she is so advanced in every other way, having this little thing "wrong" with her might be the one thing that allows her to "be normal" and "blend into society." LOL!
The neurologist did find one thing that he was concerned about though. He noticed that Katie seems to have very elastic skin on her hands and arms, and that I do, too, though not as significant. He said that elastic skin, as well as weak muscles, are symptoms of a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. He wants us to take her to the the USF Genetics Department to have her tested for it.
So, once we get through the Thanksgiving festivities this week, I'll be calling to schedule Katie for more appointments to get this all figured out. Wish us luck!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Who Can I Sue?
This morning, Phil and I took Katie to see a neurologist about a developmental delay that she may have. I'll tell you more about that in another post, as I still have some research to do.
Anyhow, on our way to the neurologist's office, Phil spotted a billboard ad for a website that we found to be quite hilarious. The billboard pictured a man with a brief case in the middle of a fall (he was in the air and falling onto his back), with the name of the website scrawled across the bottom of the billboard. The name of this website? WhoCanISue.com. Seriously.
What is this world coming to when you have a website with a name like that and the billboard for it in a not-so-well-off neighborhood? It's like they're telling these people that there's no need to get a J-O-B; just find somebody to sue. That'll take care of all of your problems, won't it?
Anyhow, on our way to the neurologist's office, Phil spotted a billboard ad for a website that we found to be quite hilarious. The billboard pictured a man with a brief case in the middle of a fall (he was in the air and falling onto his back), with the name of the website scrawled across the bottom of the billboard. The name of this website? WhoCanISue.com. Seriously.
What is this world coming to when you have a website with a name like that and the billboard for it in a not-so-well-off neighborhood? It's like they're telling these people that there's no need to get a J-O-B; just find somebody to sue. That'll take care of all of your problems, won't it?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Power of Positive Thinking
Yesterday, I attended a Mary Kay "boot camp". It was basically an all day training seminar that covered several different subjects. While I found the entire day's lessons to be very inspiring, the first subject, "Attitude", was the most inspiring to me.
In this training session, we were not only told about the power of positive thinking, but the destructiveness of negative thinking. We were taught about how the word "No" is not really negative. "No" means that nothing changes. For example, if you ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar, and they tell you, "Yes," you now have more than what you did before. However, if they say, "No," you still have exactly what you had before. Your neighbor didn't take anything from you, so you haven't lost anything.
The point here, is that you shouldn't be afraid to ask someone for something for fear that they will say, "No." If they say, "No," that only means that nothing changes. But what if they say, "Yes?" You have then gained something, right?
After meeting with my sales director, I decided that to achieve what I want from my Mary Kay business, I really need to have some sort of inventory in stock so that I can deliver to my customers on the spot, instead of making them wait for their order to be shipped. The problem with this idea was that I have absolutely ZERO funds and ZERO available credit with which to purchase my start-up inventory.
So, I started going through my list of who I normally go to for help when I need it. Mom? No, she already helped as much as she could. Aunt? No, she's having her own financial troubles right now. Father-in-Law? He's already paying for my attorney fees to deal with my dead-beat ex-husband.
Then I thought about my Dad. I don't know why, but I've always been afraid to ask my Dad for anything. I've never asked him for anything, because I've always been afraid that he would say, "No." But then I thought about the lesson I had just learned in my training session. What if I asked him and he said, "No?" I wouldn't be any worse off than I already was, would I? So, what did I have to lose?
I decided to wait until today to ask my Dad for the help I needed. It wasn't because I was still afraid to ask him, but because I wanted to wait until after church. I wanted to have the chance to pray about it, not only at home, but also in the house of God.
The more I prayed about it, and the more I thought about it, the more positive I became about it. By the time I left church this afternoon, I was no longer thinking about "if" I got my inventory, but "when" I got my inventory. It was no longer a possibility for me; It was DEFINITELY going to happen.
When I called my Dad this afternoon, there was no fear left in me. I was just going to lay it all out there for him and ask for what I wanted. If he said, "No," then I was just going to find another way to make it happen. I had nothing to lose, and only good to gain.
My Dad said, "Yes." I will get my start-up inventory. I will have a successful Mary Kay business. I will pay my Dad back in no time. I will not let fear hold me back.
In this training session, we were not only told about the power of positive thinking, but the destructiveness of negative thinking. We were taught about how the word "No" is not really negative. "No" means that nothing changes. For example, if you ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar, and they tell you, "Yes," you now have more than what you did before. However, if they say, "No," you still have exactly what you had before. Your neighbor didn't take anything from you, so you haven't lost anything.
The point here, is that you shouldn't be afraid to ask someone for something for fear that they will say, "No." If they say, "No," that only means that nothing changes. But what if they say, "Yes?" You have then gained something, right?
After meeting with my sales director, I decided that to achieve what I want from my Mary Kay business, I really need to have some sort of inventory in stock so that I can deliver to my customers on the spot, instead of making them wait for their order to be shipped. The problem with this idea was that I have absolutely ZERO funds and ZERO available credit with which to purchase my start-up inventory.
So, I started going through my list of who I normally go to for help when I need it. Mom? No, she already helped as much as she could. Aunt? No, she's having her own financial troubles right now. Father-in-Law? He's already paying for my attorney fees to deal with my dead-beat ex-husband.
Then I thought about my Dad. I don't know why, but I've always been afraid to ask my Dad for anything. I've never asked him for anything, because I've always been afraid that he would say, "No." But then I thought about the lesson I had just learned in my training session. What if I asked him and he said, "No?" I wouldn't be any worse off than I already was, would I? So, what did I have to lose?
I decided to wait until today to ask my Dad for the help I needed. It wasn't because I was still afraid to ask him, but because I wanted to wait until after church. I wanted to have the chance to pray about it, not only at home, but also in the house of God.
The more I prayed about it, and the more I thought about it, the more positive I became about it. By the time I left church this afternoon, I was no longer thinking about "if" I got my inventory, but "when" I got my inventory. It was no longer a possibility for me; It was DEFINITELY going to happen.
When I called my Dad this afternoon, there was no fear left in me. I was just going to lay it all out there for him and ask for what I wanted. If he said, "No," then I was just going to find another way to make it happen. I had nothing to lose, and only good to gain.
My Dad said, "Yes." I will get my start-up inventory. I will have a successful Mary Kay business. I will pay my Dad back in no time. I will not let fear hold me back.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Twilight Movie Review
So, I was going to write a post about the Twilight movie. Of course, I decided to get caught up on reading some of the blogs I've been neglecting lately with my busy schedule first. That's when I came upon Queenie Jeannie's review of the movie. You can go here to read it. Go ahead, I'll wait for you to get back.
In case you didn't read the comments on her review, here's what I had to say:
So, yeah, that about sums it up. I didn't expect it to be exactly like the book. I'm not that stupid. However, the movie, on its own merits, was just plain BAD. Buy, hey, don't let that stop you from seeing it if you were planning on it. If they make enough money, they'll make a sequel which will hopefully be much better than this atrocity.
In case you didn't read the comments on her review, here's what I had to say:
"I totally agree with everything you said here! Jasper freaked me out! He reminded me of Edward Scissorhands. Robert Pattinson is NOT Edward at all! Period. And Rosalie is supposed to be incredibly beautiful and that girl who played her wasn't.even.close.
AND there were just some flat out CHEESY parts in the movie that made me want to vomit."
So, yeah, that about sums it up. I didn't expect it to be exactly like the book. I'm not that stupid. However, the movie, on its own merits, was just plain BAD. Buy, hey, don't let that stop you from seeing it if you were planning on it. If they make enough money, they'll make a sequel which will hopefully be much better than this atrocity.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Birthday Continued
We ended up going to The Spaghetti Warehouse for lunch with my dad this afternoon. It had been several years since Phil and I had been there, and I remembered having liked the chicken alfredo I had the last time we went. Unfortunately, it just wasn't up to par today. I don't know if they were just having an off-day or if they've changed their recipe and it's just not as good any more. It's probably better that it wasn't delicious, because I might have overeaten if it was.
After lunch, we headed home so that Katie could take her nap and I could get some papers together to take to my attorney. While Katie napped, I ran my errands. I got home just after the older girls got home from school.
I knew that Twilight was going to sell out fast tonight, I had already purchased our tickets a couple of days ago. And after experiencing a long waiting line when we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean III, I knew we needed to get to the theater well ahead of the show time to make sure we got good seats. So, I gathered up the girls, who were out in the neighborhood with their friends, so they could get ready to leave for the theater.
Do you remember that awful cake from my mother's wedding? Well, in addition to getting a full refund from the Publix store manager, my mother got him to give us a cake for my birthday, too. She brought it over before I ran my errands, but I didn't have time to eat any of it until after I got home. So, before we left for the theater, we had vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream icing for dessert. YUM!
We ended up bringing Sarah's friend Eryn with us since I was able to purchase another ticket for our showing online before we left. We picked up my friend, Michelle, who actually bought my ticket for my birthday, on our way to the theater, so it was a total girls' night for the five of us.
When we got to the theater, there was already a small line for our showing, but it wasn't bad because there was only about seven or eight people ahead of us. We took turns going to the concessions stand and ended up eating hot dogs and popcorn for dinner while we waited in line for the theater to open up. When it finally did, we got great seats, so it was totally worth it.
I'm very tired now after my long day, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear my thoughts on the movie.
BTW, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday today. Also, I'm sorry if it seems like I've been ignoring your blogs over the past few days. I've just been incredibly busy and I have barely had the time to keep up with my own blog. I promise I'll get caught back up with you very soon. Thanks for sticking with me!
After lunch, we headed home so that Katie could take her nap and I could get some papers together to take to my attorney. While Katie napped, I ran my errands. I got home just after the older girls got home from school.
I knew that Twilight was going to sell out fast tonight, I had already purchased our tickets a couple of days ago. And after experiencing a long waiting line when we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean III, I knew we needed to get to the theater well ahead of the show time to make sure we got good seats. So, I gathered up the girls, who were out in the neighborhood with their friends, so they could get ready to leave for the theater.
Do you remember that awful cake from my mother's wedding? Well, in addition to getting a full refund from the Publix store manager, my mother got him to give us a cake for my birthday, too. She brought it over before I ran my errands, but I didn't have time to eat any of it until after I got home. So, before we left for the theater, we had vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream icing for dessert. YUM!
We ended up bringing Sarah's friend Eryn with us since I was able to purchase another ticket for our showing online before we left. We picked up my friend, Michelle, who actually bought my ticket for my birthday, on our way to the theater, so it was a total girls' night for the five of us.
When we got to the theater, there was already a small line for our showing, but it wasn't bad because there was only about seven or eight people ahead of us. We took turns going to the concessions stand and ended up eating hot dogs and popcorn for dinner while we waited in line for the theater to open up. When it finally did, we got great seats, so it was totally worth it.
I'm very tired now after my long day, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear my thoughts on the movie.
BTW, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday today. Also, I'm sorry if it seems like I've been ignoring your blogs over the past few days. I've just been incredibly busy and I have barely had the time to keep up with my own blog. I promise I'll get caught back up with you very soon. Thanks for sticking with me!
Happy Birthday to Me
Well, I didn't wake up to an ice cold Coca-Cola like I had hoped, but that wasn't entirely Phil's fault. For some reason, I had trouble sleeping last night, and I was awake before he was. Maybe it was the thought of "35" looming over me that kept me from sleeping.
After Phil woke up, he promptly ran out and got my ice cold Coca-Cola and a box of Krispy Kreme donuts for me. Breakfast in bed was DELICIOUS!
After spending a little bit of time on the internet checking emails and blogs, I got to take a long, hot, bubble bath - a luxury that I rarely get since Katie is usually attached to me 24/7.
Now, I have to go get dressed for lunch with my dad. Hopefully, we won't be eating at McDonald's today. Of course, I really won't be too disappointed if we do since it's still McRib season.
After Phil woke up, he promptly ran out and got my ice cold Coca-Cola and a box of Krispy Kreme donuts for me. Breakfast in bed was DELICIOUS!
After spending a little bit of time on the internet checking emails and blogs, I got to take a long, hot, bubble bath - a luxury that I rarely get since Katie is usually attached to me 24/7.
Now, I have to go get dressed for lunch with my dad. Hopefully, we won't be eating at McDonald's today. Of course, I really won't be too disappointed if we do since it's still McRib season.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Long Day + No Caffeine = Headache
I had to get up early this morning so I could take my mother to her dermatologist appointment at 8:45.
Then she dragged me shopping all over the mall where I learned that it is impossible to keep track of both my mother and Katie at the same time.
Because we were at the mall, Katie missed her nap and was exceptionally whiny for the rest of the day.
I had to go to the girls' school this evening to have conferences with a couple of Emily's teachers.
I met Emily's geography teacher tonight, and I don't like her.
I'm going to sleep now to try to get rid of this headache before my birthday tomorrow.
If Phil really loves me, he'll have an ice cold Coca-Cola waiting for me when I wake up.
Then she dragged me shopping all over the mall where I learned that it is impossible to keep track of both my mother and Katie at the same time.
Because we were at the mall, Katie missed her nap and was exceptionally whiny for the rest of the day.
I had to go to the girls' school this evening to have conferences with a couple of Emily's teachers.
I met Emily's geography teacher tonight, and I don't like her.
I'm going to sleep now to try to get rid of this headache before my birthday tomorrow.
If Phil really loves me, he'll have an ice cold Coca-Cola waiting for me when I wake up.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
It's (Almost) Official
A few months ago, my friend, Julie, became a Mary Kay consultant and invited me to a party at her house. I was mildly interested in the products, but more interested in helping Julie start her business, so I scheduled at skin care class with her.
Julie told me that if I brought at least two guests with me to my skin care class, I would qualify for a great discount, and since I'm not one to pass up a great deal, I brought along my friend, Michelle, and my mother. At the skin care class, we all had a great time, and I was really impressed with the Mary Kay skin care products. I made a purchase that night and started using the products right away.
Michelle also bought some products that night and scheduled her own skin care class with Julie. I attended her skin care class about a week ago, and had a ton of fun again. At this point, I had been using the Mary Kay skin care products for about a month and a half, and I totally loved them. Every time I would talk up a product that I loved, Julie would point out to me that I could be doing that and earning money for myself.
That's when I decided to "bite the bullet" and join Mary Kay. I had been thinking about starting some sort of work-from-home-business in the future when Katie starts kindergarten, but I decided to stop waiting and just do it now. Besides, with the large commission percentage, even if I only buy stuff for myself and my girls, I'll be getting an amazing discount. And if people buy stuff from me? Even better.
My only obstacle was coming up with the money for the starter kit. Since we've been operating sans child support for the past several months, we've been struggling to just get by. And with Christmas on the horizon, there was just no possible way we could spare a dime to start my business venture, especially since I probably won't see any kind of profit for a couple of months at least.
Thankfully, my mother and step-father decided that they would give me the money I need for the starter kit for my birthday (and Christmas). Once I deposit it into the bank, I can officially sign on. By this time tomorrow, I will be an official Mary Kay Consultant. I'm so excited! I hope I do well. Please wish me luck!
Julie told me that if I brought at least two guests with me to my skin care class, I would qualify for a great discount, and since I'm not one to pass up a great deal, I brought along my friend, Michelle, and my mother. At the skin care class, we all had a great time, and I was really impressed with the Mary Kay skin care products. I made a purchase that night and started using the products right away.
Michelle also bought some products that night and scheduled her own skin care class with Julie. I attended her skin care class about a week ago, and had a ton of fun again. At this point, I had been using the Mary Kay skin care products for about a month and a half, and I totally loved them. Every time I would talk up a product that I loved, Julie would point out to me that I could be doing that and earning money for myself.
That's when I decided to "bite the bullet" and join Mary Kay. I had been thinking about starting some sort of work-from-home-business in the future when Katie starts kindergarten, but I decided to stop waiting and just do it now. Besides, with the large commission percentage, even if I only buy stuff for myself and my girls, I'll be getting an amazing discount. And if people buy stuff from me? Even better.
My only obstacle was coming up with the money for the starter kit. Since we've been operating sans child support for the past several months, we've been struggling to just get by. And with Christmas on the horizon, there was just no possible way we could spare a dime to start my business venture, especially since I probably won't see any kind of profit for a couple of months at least.
Thankfully, my mother and step-father decided that they would give me the money I need for the starter kit for my birthday (and Christmas). Once I deposit it into the bank, I can officially sign on. By this time tomorrow, I will be an official Mary Kay Consultant. I'm so excited! I hope I do well. Please wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Bright Spot in My Gray Day
As the coughing and gagging continued today, I received a little something that brings a little happy to my day. I have been bestowed with another blog award by What A Card.
The award is written in Portuguese.
The Snazzy Blog Award
This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.
I hereby pass this award along to:
1. Ashley.Unscripted
2. Jeanie's Happy World
3. K... Is Not Your Average Girl
4. Life as a Mom at 22
5. Lipstick at the Mailbox
6. The Scattered Mind of a Tattooed Minivan Mom
7. Tina Bug Time
8. Where Are My Angels?
Now go share the bloggy love!
The award is written in Portuguese.
The Snazzy Blog Award
This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.
I hereby pass this award along to:
1. Ashley.Unscripted
2. Jeanie's Happy World
3. K... Is Not Your Average Girl
4. Life as a Mom at 22
5. Lipstick at the Mailbox
6. The Scattered Mind of a Tattooed Minivan Mom
7. Tina Bug Time
8. Where Are My Angels?
Now go share the bloggy love!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sick, Sick, Sick, Sick
You may recall that I had to take Katie to the doctor on Thursday for her throat infection. Well, her cough kept getting worse over the weekend, and this morning she was so congested that she vomited up a bunch of phlegm that she had swallowed.
Then, Emily came to tell me that Sarah was sick and she didn't think she was going to school.
And did I mention that I haven't been feeling so hot myself?
So, I got on the phone and started making appointments for the three of us to see our doctors. My appointment was first.
I have an upper-respiratory infection. No surprise there - story of my life! I got some antibiotics and a decongestant.
After my appointment, I decided to call the girls' doctor back and see if they could get Emily in with Sarah and Katie. Emily has been complaining off and on about her throat hurting, so I figured that I might as well take her in, too, just in case.
After picking Emily up from school, we went to lunch at Chick-fil-A, and then headed to the pediatrician's office. Our regular doctor, Dr. Bob, is in Rome this week, so we saw one of the other doctors for the first time. We all really liked her a lot.
The verdict? They're all sick. (Duh!) Katie's throat infection has spread to her upper respiratory system, so she was given a different, stronger antibiotic. Emily has a nasty ear infection and a mild throat infection. Sarah was actually the least sick with nothing more than a mild throat infection.
The doctor left it up to me whether or not to give Sarah an antibiotic. Since the rest of us are taking them, I decided it would be best for Sarah to do so, as well. This way, we'll all be infection free at the same time and we won't keep passing this junk around to each other.
Hopefully, we'll all be feeling better by the weekend. Especially since my birthday is Friday AND Twilight comes to the theaters the same day.
Then, Emily came to tell me that Sarah was sick and she didn't think she was going to school.
And did I mention that I haven't been feeling so hot myself?
So, I got on the phone and started making appointments for the three of us to see our doctors. My appointment was first.
I have an upper-respiratory infection. No surprise there - story of my life! I got some antibiotics and a decongestant.
After my appointment, I decided to call the girls' doctor back and see if they could get Emily in with Sarah and Katie. Emily has been complaining off and on about her throat hurting, so I figured that I might as well take her in, too, just in case.
After picking Emily up from school, we went to lunch at Chick-fil-A, and then headed to the pediatrician's office. Our regular doctor, Dr. Bob, is in Rome this week, so we saw one of the other doctors for the first time. We all really liked her a lot.
The verdict? They're all sick. (Duh!) Katie's throat infection has spread to her upper respiratory system, so she was given a different, stronger antibiotic. Emily has a nasty ear infection and a mild throat infection. Sarah was actually the least sick with nothing more than a mild throat infection.
The doctor left it up to me whether or not to give Sarah an antibiotic. Since the rest of us are taking them, I decided it would be best for Sarah to do so, as well. This way, we'll all be infection free at the same time and we won't keep passing this junk around to each other.
Hopefully, we'll all be feeling better by the weekend. Especially since my birthday is Friday AND Twilight comes to the theaters the same day.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Woo-Hoo!
As I was driving home from church this morning, I scared the crap out of my daughters when I screamed, "Woo-hoo!" What could have possibly caused me to make such an exclamation? Only the one good thing to come out of this whole economic crisis.
That's right, people. Cheap gas has finally come to town!
That's right, people. Cheap gas has finally come to town!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Would You Rather
C, AKA Tattooed Minivan Mom, is hosting a little game of Would You Rather over on her blog. She asked her readers to submit some Would You Rather questions to her, and she has posted them, along with her answers, so that we can all play along.
So, here we go:
1. Would you rather eat a cockroach or a bull nut?
I'd rather not eat either one, but if I had to choose, I'd go with the cockroach, since with my life long love of hot dogs, I've probably already eaten a few of them already.
2. Would you rather not shower for a month or not brush your teeth for a month?
I'd definitely rather not brush my teeth. I think I'd get rather stinky and my hair would be all nasty and oily if I didn't shower for a month.
3. Would you rather have to have sex everyday for a year straight or go six months without it? Knowing you HAVE to do it everyday VS. the anticipation of what is to cum in 6 months.
Tough choice. I think going six months without sex would be the easier thing for both me and the old man.
4. Would you rather find true love or 1 million dollars?
I've already found true love, so all I need now is the million dollars.
5. Would you rather always have to say everything on your mind or never speak again?
It would probably keep me out of trouble if I could never speak again. Plus, I could still blog as much as I wanted.
6. Would you rather know it all or have it all?
If I choose "have it all," does that mean that I have to give up what I already know and become ignorant? I rather like being a genius (yes, it's official people), and I would hate to lose that.
7. Would you rather have extremely bad tourettes or uncontrollable orgasms?
If I had Tourette's, it would give me a really good excuse to go around yelling, "MOTHERFUCKER!!!" as much as I wanted to.
8. Would you rather skip Christmas for a year or skip your birthday for a year?
If I skip my birthday, do I still get older? I'll have to skip my birthday so as not to deprive my children of the joy of Christmas.
9. Would you rather be followed by a cloud of dust or a cloud of gnats?
A cloud of dust. Gnats are SO annoying and make way more noise than dust clouds.
10. Would you rather eat a toenail omelet or a hair sandwich?
Toenail omelet. I think I'd choke on the hair sandwich. Plus, if the toenail was ground up really finely, I'd probably not even notice it.
11. Would you rather lick the discharge from a cats eye or lick the dried spit from the corner of a teachers mouth?
Oh, that's just disgusting! I guess I'd have to choose the cat, since I really, really love my cat, and I can't think of a single teacher that I've ever wanted to put my tongue on.
12. Would you rather have dinner with the Obamas or go on a date with George Clooney?
George Clooney, for sure. I can't imagine that I would have anything in common with the Obamas. I certainly don't agree with their politics, and what else would we have to talk about?
13. Would you rather be paralyzed or blind?
Paralyzed. I want to be able to see my girls grow up, and see how beautiful they look on their wedding days. And I want to see my beautiful grandchildren one day.
14. Would you rather blog or sleep?
I'd like to choose both, but if I could only choose one, I'd have to choose sleep.
15. Would you rather take a cheese grater to your sunburned back, or pour alcohol in a new hole in your toe?
Alcohol on my toe. I could take the temporary pain of the alcohol, plus it would help keep my toe from getting infected.
16. Would you rather use the woods or a port-o-potty?
Considering that I've never been able to go in the woods, I'd have to choose the port-o-potty. Besides, that's what Purell was invented for.
Now, if you'd like to play along, too, just copy and paste these questions onto your blog, and replace my answers with your own answers. Then, go back to C's blog, and post a link to your post on her Mr. Linky.
So, here we go:
1. Would you rather eat a cockroach or a bull nut?
I'd rather not eat either one, but if I had to choose, I'd go with the cockroach, since with my life long love of hot dogs, I've probably already eaten a few of them already.
2. Would you rather not shower for a month or not brush your teeth for a month?
I'd definitely rather not brush my teeth. I think I'd get rather stinky and my hair would be all nasty and oily if I didn't shower for a month.
3. Would you rather have to have sex everyday for a year straight or go six months without it? Knowing you HAVE to do it everyday VS. the anticipation of what is to cum in 6 months.
Tough choice. I think going six months without sex would be the easier thing for both me and the old man.
4. Would you rather find true love or 1 million dollars?
I've already found true love, so all I need now is the million dollars.
5. Would you rather always have to say everything on your mind or never speak again?
It would probably keep me out of trouble if I could never speak again. Plus, I could still blog as much as I wanted.
6. Would you rather know it all or have it all?
If I choose "have it all," does that mean that I have to give up what I already know and become ignorant? I rather like being a genius (yes, it's official people), and I would hate to lose that.
7. Would you rather have extremely bad tourettes or uncontrollable orgasms?
If I had Tourette's, it would give me a really good excuse to go around yelling, "MOTHERFUCKER!!!" as much as I wanted to.
8. Would you rather skip Christmas for a year or skip your birthday for a year?
If I skip my birthday, do I still get older? I'll have to skip my birthday so as not to deprive my children of the joy of Christmas.
9. Would you rather be followed by a cloud of dust or a cloud of gnats?
A cloud of dust. Gnats are SO annoying and make way more noise than dust clouds.
10. Would you rather eat a toenail omelet or a hair sandwich?
Toenail omelet. I think I'd choke on the hair sandwich. Plus, if the toenail was ground up really finely, I'd probably not even notice it.
11. Would you rather lick the discharge from a cats eye or lick the dried spit from the corner of a teachers mouth?
Oh, that's just disgusting! I guess I'd have to choose the cat, since I really, really love my cat, and I can't think of a single teacher that I've ever wanted to put my tongue on.
12. Would you rather have dinner with the Obamas or go on a date with George Clooney?
George Clooney, for sure. I can't imagine that I would have anything in common with the Obamas. I certainly don't agree with their politics, and what else would we have to talk about?
13. Would you rather be paralyzed or blind?
Paralyzed. I want to be able to see my girls grow up, and see how beautiful they look on their wedding days. And I want to see my beautiful grandchildren one day.
14. Would you rather blog or sleep?
I'd like to choose both, but if I could only choose one, I'd have to choose sleep.
15. Would you rather take a cheese grater to your sunburned back, or pour alcohol in a new hole in your toe?
Alcohol on my toe. I could take the temporary pain of the alcohol, plus it would help keep my toe from getting infected.
16. Would you rather use the woods or a port-o-potty?
Considering that I've never been able to go in the woods, I'd have to choose the port-o-potty. Besides, that's what Purell was invented for.
Now, if you'd like to play along, too, just copy and paste these questions onto your blog, and replace my answers with your own answers. Then, go back to C's blog, and post a link to your post on her Mr. Linky.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
I WON! I WON! YAY, ME!
Some of you may recall my post from a week ago about a give away that Queenie Jeanie was having over at her blog for her very own cookbook. You know, that super convenient cookbook on CD?
Well, I just visited her blog, Jeannie's Happy World, to find out who the winners were (she picked three), and I won! She had her super-cute daughter, Bella, pull the three names from the bowl, and mine was the very first one she pulled out!
I'm NEVER this lucky. Maybe this means that my luck is finally changing. Maybe there will be a Christmas here after all. A girl can hope, can't she?
Some of you may recall my post from a week ago about a give away that Queenie Jeanie was having over at her blog for her very own cookbook. You know, that super convenient cookbook on CD?
Well, I just visited her blog, Jeannie's Happy World, to find out who the winners were (she picked three), and I won! She had her super-cute daughter, Bella, pull the three names from the bowl, and mine was the very first one she pulled out!
I'm NEVER this lucky. Maybe this means that my luck is finally changing. Maybe there will be a Christmas here after all. A girl can hope, can't she?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Katie Update
A little while after I gave Katie the cough medicine this morning, Emily said that Katie felt warm to her. So, I decided to take Katie's temperature. Everything was normal there, but I decided to give her the once-over to make sure she wasn't any sicker than she appeared to be.
When I lifted Katie's chin up so that I could feel her glands, I realized that there was no need to do so. Why? Because Katie's right gland was so swollen, it looked like she had gotten one of those rubber bouncy balls stuck in her throat!
As soon as her doctor's office opened, I called to get Katie an appointment. Sure enough, her throat was infected. Thankfully, it wasn't Strep (or not enough Strep to get a positive result with the rapid Strep test).
So, now Katie's got an antibiotic to take, and she should be feeling much better very soon. We're planning to take her Busch Gardens to see Jack Hanna on Saturday, so I hope she's feeling well by then.
When I lifted Katie's chin up so that I could feel her glands, I realized that there was no need to do so. Why? Because Katie's right gland was so swollen, it looked like she had gotten one of those rubber bouncy balls stuck in her throat!
As soon as her doctor's office opened, I called to get Katie an appointment. Sure enough, her throat was infected. Thankfully, it wasn't Strep (or not enough Strep to get a positive result with the rapid Strep test).
So, now Katie's got an antibiotic to take, and she should be feeling much better very soon. We're planning to take her Busch Gardens to see Jack Hanna on Saturday, so I hope she's feeling well by then.
Dear NBC,
YOU SUCK!!!
Just when I finally had Christian Slater back in my life on a regular basis, you go and rip him away from me. Why, oh, why must you torture me so?! Maybe if you didn't just cancel your shows all willy-nilly, they would have a chance to build a better following and your ratings would improve. Did you ever think of that, geniuses?!
I guess I'll be going to bed a little earlier on Monday nights now. I sure as hell am NOT going to be watching whatever craptacular show you put in that time slot.
Angrily Yours,
Melodie
Just when I finally had Christian Slater back in my life on a regular basis, you go and rip him away from me. Why, oh, why must you torture me so?! Maybe if you didn't just cancel your shows all willy-nilly, they would have a chance to build a better following and your ratings would improve. Did you ever think of that, geniuses?!
I guess I'll be going to bed a little earlier on Monday nights now. I sure as hell am NOT going to be watching whatever craptacular show you put in that time slot.
Angrily Yours,
Melodie
Early Morning Funny
It seems that Katie has a cold. She started coughing yesterday morning (so did I, for that matter), and it's only gotten worse. Her cough kept her up late and got her up early this morning, too.
So, when we got up this morning, I went to the medicine cabinet to see if we had anything for her cough. Luckily, we had some Pediasure cough medicine, and I gave her a dose of it. As I was putting the medicine away, Katie exclaimed, "I'm all better now!" LOL - If only it were truly that easy to make her feel better!
So, when we got up this morning, I went to the medicine cabinet to see if we had anything for her cough. Luckily, we had some Pediasure cough medicine, and I gave her a dose of it. As I was putting the medicine away, Katie exclaimed, "I'm all better now!" LOL - If only it were truly that easy to make her feel better!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Dear Daughters,
You are obviously unaware of how a garbage can works. Since you are so smart and sweet and completely obedient girls, I can only assume that you have no idea that this is NOT how a garbage can should be handled.
So, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. When the garbage reaches the top of the can, it is time to change the bag. It is NOT time to continue piling garbage up on top of the full can. Not only does this practice make it impossible to close the lid to the garbage can, but it makes it very difficult to change the bag in a neat and tidy manner.
Now that I have made you aware of how these things are supposed to work, please refrain from allowing the garbage to overflow like this ever again.
Sincerely,
Your Loving Mother
So, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. When the garbage reaches the top of the can, it is time to change the bag. It is NOT time to continue piling garbage up on top of the full can. Not only does this practice make it impossible to close the lid to the garbage can, but it makes it very difficult to change the bag in a neat and tidy manner.
Now that I have made you aware of how these things are supposed to work, please refrain from allowing the garbage to overflow like this ever again.
Sincerely,
Your Loving Mother
Absent-Minded
I'm making Katie her beloved Dinosaur Nuggets for lunch today. I was just sitting here at my computer reading emails when I suddenly panicked, thinking that I had forgotten to set the timer on my oven for the nuggets. So, I got up and went to the kitchen to check on it.
Well, I hadn't exactly forgotten to set the timer so much as I hadn't even put the nuggets into the oven in the first place! They definitely weren't going to overcook just sitting there on top of the stove, were they?
Well, I hadn't exactly forgotten to set the timer so much as I hadn't even put the nuggets into the oven in the first place! They definitely weren't going to overcook just sitting there on top of the stove, were they?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Busy, Busy, Busy
Sorry to post so late, but I have been a busy little bee today. In a very unhermitlike fashion (yes, I made that word up), I ventured out of the house today with Katie for a playdate at one of our local parks. It was nice to be out in the fresh air and to see some of our playgroup friends. Karen was there with her boys, and right after they left, we ran into Marta with her son and daughter.
Since there was no school today, the park was pretty crowded and we even ran into some of our non-playgroup friends.
Then, early this evening, Phil and I heard a crash come from Katie's room. There was no screaming or crying accompanying the crash, so I let Phil go investigate the noise on his own. Next thing I know, Phil is yelling for me to bring the camera. Katie had climbed up into her closet for the first time (can you believe it was only the first time?) to get some games down. The crash was Candyland and Perfection falling to the ground.
From the looks of Katie's closet, she's almost out of clean clothes to wear, so I guess I'll be doing her laundry tomorrow.
And finally, Katie was practicing cocking her eyebrow and making a face tonight. I couldn't get a very good shot of her doing it, so you'll just have to settle for this one.
Phil says that Katie's face reminds him of this face.
Since there was no school today, the park was pretty crowded and we even ran into some of our non-playgroup friends.
Then, early this evening, Phil and I heard a crash come from Katie's room. There was no screaming or crying accompanying the crash, so I let Phil go investigate the noise on his own. Next thing I know, Phil is yelling for me to bring the camera. Katie had climbed up into her closet for the first time (can you believe it was only the first time?) to get some games down. The crash was Candyland and Perfection falling to the ground.
From the looks of Katie's closet, she's almost out of clean clothes to wear, so I guess I'll be doing her laundry tomorrow.
And finally, Katie was practicing cocking her eyebrow and making a face tonight. I couldn't get a very good shot of her doing it, so you'll just have to settle for this one.
Phil says that Katie's face reminds him of this face.
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