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Monday, June 30, 2008
Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, N-nick, Nick, Nick
We made it to Orlando yesterday afternoon. We wanted to get to the hotel as close to check-in time as possible so we'd have a larger selection of free upgrades (a benefit of Phil's higher platinum level Priority Club membership). Of course, when we arrived at the hotel, nearly a half-hour early, we learned that our suite wouldn't be ready for us for at least another hour. We did get a decent upgrade, though.
Today was spent just hanging out at the hotel. We're staying at the Nickelodeon Family Suites, by the way. Phil got up and took the girls down to the pool this morning for some fun and swimming. Apparently, Katie hasn't lost anything she learned in her swimming lessons and was impressing Phil with how well she swims. He definitely sees how totally worth it the cost of her swimming lessons is, so we will be signing her up for more lessons when we get home from our vacation here.
While Phil and the girls were down at the pool (and I was relaxing by myself in our suite), Sarah participated in, and won, a tongue twister contest. The losers got orange "gak" dumped on their heads. As the winner, Sarah got slimed, instead. You should have seen how green her towels were when she came back to our suite.
After lunch, and a good, long nap on Katie's part, it was my turn to take the girls down to the pool. (Phil had to go pick my mother up from Ocala to join us.) I got to experience Katie's swimming ability first hand this time, and I was just as impressed as Phil was. By this time next summer, she'll be swimming like a little fish!
We stayed down at the pool until the thunder got too loud for my liking. Gotta love those Florida afternoon summer thunderstorms. Before we left the pool area, the girls got to take part in the daily mass sliming. Every afternoon at 4:45, the hotel has a mass sliming poolside. All of the children (and some adults) gather in front of a giant bucket filled with slime and wait for it to be dumped on them.
I did take photos of the mass sliming, but since I don't have any way to connect my camera to Phil's laptop computer here, you'll just have to wait until I get home to see what I'm talking about.
Today was spent just hanging out at the hotel. We're staying at the Nickelodeon Family Suites, by the way. Phil got up and took the girls down to the pool this morning for some fun and swimming. Apparently, Katie hasn't lost anything she learned in her swimming lessons and was impressing Phil with how well she swims. He definitely sees how totally worth it the cost of her swimming lessons is, so we will be signing her up for more lessons when we get home from our vacation here.
While Phil and the girls were down at the pool (and I was relaxing by myself in our suite), Sarah participated in, and won, a tongue twister contest. The losers got orange "gak" dumped on their heads. As the winner, Sarah got slimed, instead. You should have seen how green her towels were when she came back to our suite.
After lunch, and a good, long nap on Katie's part, it was my turn to take the girls down to the pool. (Phil had to go pick my mother up from Ocala to join us.) I got to experience Katie's swimming ability first hand this time, and I was just as impressed as Phil was. By this time next summer, she'll be swimming like a little fish!
We stayed down at the pool until the thunder got too loud for my liking. Gotta love those Florida afternoon summer thunderstorms. Before we left the pool area, the girls got to take part in the daily mass sliming. Every afternoon at 4:45, the hotel has a mass sliming poolside. All of the children (and some adults) gather in front of a giant bucket filled with slime and wait for it to be dumped on them.
I did take photos of the mass sliming, but since I don't have any way to connect my camera to Phil's laptop computer here, you'll just have to wait until I get home to see what I'm talking about.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Really Cool
I found a link to this website on my friend Andrea's blog. I think it's a fabulous project. Soles United collects used Crocs and recycles them into new Croc-style shoes and delivers them to people without shoes in impoverished countries. It's beneficial in more than one way; Not only do the poor people get shoes, but those worn out, treadless, non-biodegradable Crocs aren't going into our landfills.
Check out their site and see if there are any collection sites in your area. Then, be sure to recycle your Crocs!
Check out their site and see if there are any collection sites in your area. Then, be sure to recycle your Crocs!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
My New Toy
I promised photos, and now I'm delivering. Here are a few exterior shots of our new vehicle.
The dashboard...
Under the hood...
And now for the "bonus" features that we didn't need, but are cool to have. We wanted satellite radio, but as you can see in this photo, we also got the bonus features of direction and temperature displays.
The auto-stick is a pretty cool feature, too. We can switch from automatic to standard transmission if we want to.
One of Phil's favorite "bonus" features is the larger rims and tires. I could care less about that, but I think that nitrogen in the tires is pretty cool.
We also go the nine speaker stereo system, which came with this really cool feature.
Do you see it there? The rear speakers flip down when the hatch is open so you can use them for your tailgate parties. Isn't that so cool?!
Well, that's pretty much it. What do you think?
The dashboard...
Under the hood...
And now for the "bonus" features that we didn't need, but are cool to have. We wanted satellite radio, but as you can see in this photo, we also got the bonus features of direction and temperature displays.
The auto-stick is a pretty cool feature, too. We can switch from automatic to standard transmission if we want to.
One of Phil's favorite "bonus" features is the larger rims and tires. I could care less about that, but I think that nitrogen in the tires is pretty cool.
We also go the nine speaker stereo system, which came with this really cool feature.
Do you see it there? The rear speakers flip down when the hatch is open so you can use them for your tailgate parties. Isn't that so cool?!
Well, that's pretty much it. What do you think?
Friday, June 27, 2008
New Car
We finally got the new car. As you may recall, Phil and I went test driving last weekend, in the rain, and decided that we wanted the Jeep Patriot. We decided which features we wanted to get, and sent the information to our sales guy. He found the car we wanted and quoted Phil a great price.
This morning, Phil's dad came into town and went with Phil to go help negotiate the deal. I was disappointed that I couldn't go with them, but still excited about getting the new car. After a while, I called Phil to see where they were in the process.
That's when he gave me the bad news. The dealership tacked on a $600 cleaning fee at the last minute and wouldn't remove it. So, Phil and his dad walked out of the deal. That's when I started freaking out.
Now that the deal had fallen through, I had no clue what, if anything, Phil was going to come home with. This made me very nervous, to say the least. I was then completely out of the process.
Luckily, a few excruciating hours later, Phil called me to tell me that he had gotten us the exact same car we were looking at originally, but from a different dealership, and with way more options. It was also in the same color that I wanted.
I'll have to post a photo of my new ride tomorrow. There wasn't enough good sunlight to take a photo this evening.
This morning, Phil's dad came into town and went with Phil to go help negotiate the deal. I was disappointed that I couldn't go with them, but still excited about getting the new car. After a while, I called Phil to see where they were in the process.
That's when he gave me the bad news. The dealership tacked on a $600 cleaning fee at the last minute and wouldn't remove it. So, Phil and his dad walked out of the deal. That's when I started freaking out.
Now that the deal had fallen through, I had no clue what, if anything, Phil was going to come home with. This made me very nervous, to say the least. I was then completely out of the process.
Luckily, a few excruciating hours later, Phil called me to tell me that he had gotten us the exact same car we were looking at originally, but from a different dealership, and with way more options. It was also in the same color that I wanted.
I'll have to post a photo of my new ride tomorrow. There wasn't enough good sunlight to take a photo this evening.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
More Rain
It's raining again. What a surprise... NOT! The sun did not come out at all today. Unfortunately, I had to.
My mother wanted me to drive her somewhere this afternoon, but I really needed to get my house cleaned since my father-in-law is coming to town tomorrow morning. So, I made a deal with her that I would take her if she would help me clean when we got back. She agreed, but then abandoned me in my time of need.
So, now I am home, with little help (I do have the girls), and I'm really, really tired. The rainy day just makes me even more tired than normal because of the lack of sunshine. It's rather depressing, really.
Maybe I can catch a quick nap and then wake up energized. Do you think that's possible? I hope so.
My mother wanted me to drive her somewhere this afternoon, but I really needed to get my house cleaned since my father-in-law is coming to town tomorrow morning. So, I made a deal with her that I would take her if she would help me clean when we got back. She agreed, but then abandoned me in my time of need.
So, now I am home, with little help (I do have the girls), and I'm really, really tired. The rainy day just makes me even more tired than normal because of the lack of sunshine. It's rather depressing, really.
Maybe I can catch a quick nap and then wake up energized. Do you think that's possible? I hope so.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Rude Awakening
Sometime early this morning, Emily's alarm clock went off, and I was forced to listen to Radio Disney blasting across the hall. Eventually, Phil got up to get ready for work, and he turned the radio off. And so, I was once again sleeping peacefully in my comfy, cozy bed.
After a while, Phil came and kissed me goodbye, and went to put his shoes on to leave for work. All of a sudden, there was a loud banging on the front door. I was half asleep, but I heard Phil go answer the door. Then he came to get me.
There at my front door, at the ASS-CRACK of dawn, were two process servers waiting for my signature for some bullshit court papers from my ex's current wife. The bitch is trying to get the child support amount lowered yet again. Apparently, she can't handle the fact that she married a man who has financial obligations other than her. I'm sorry, but he had these obligations before he met you; he had these obligations when he married you; and he'll still have these obligations when you're gone.
After a while, Phil came and kissed me goodbye, and went to put his shoes on to leave for work. All of a sudden, there was a loud banging on the front door. I was half asleep, but I heard Phil go answer the door. Then he came to get me.
There at my front door, at the ASS-CRACK of dawn, were two process servers waiting for my signature for some bullshit court papers from my ex's current wife. The bitch is trying to get the child support amount lowered yet again. Apparently, she can't handle the fact that she married a man who has financial obligations other than her. I'm sorry, but he had these obligations before he met you; he had these obligations when he married you; and he'll still have these obligations when you're gone.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Good Books
A lot of people asked me if Emily was freaked out about getting her period. The answer is, "No, not at all." One of the reasons that getting her period wasn't that surprising for Emily, or Sarah for that matter, was because she was well educated on the matter.
So, for those of you who have young girls who haven't started going through puberty yet, here's what I did to prepare my girls for it. I got them a couple of great books to read. Then I told them that they could ask me about anything that they still had questions about.
Ready, Set, Grow! is a great book about puberty, specifically designed for younger girls. It gives easy to understand information about all of the changes a girl's body goes through during puberty.
The Care & Keeping of You is another wonderful book for girls. It teaches them all about how to care for their changing bodies. A lot of young girls are told all about getting breasts and periods, but other changes are often ignored. This books covers how to take care of things like body odor and acne, too.
There is also a companion book that goes along with The Care and Keeping of You called The Care and Keeping of Me. This book is a journal for girls to keep their thoughts and feelings about puberty related topics. I bought one of these for each of my girls, and I'll probably buy another one for Katie when she gets older, too.
Oh, and for those of you with boys, On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow! is the male version of Ready, Set, Grow!
So, for those of you who have young girls who haven't started going through puberty yet, here's what I did to prepare my girls for it. I got them a couple of great books to read. Then I told them that they could ask me about anything that they still had questions about.
Ready, Set, Grow! is a great book about puberty, specifically designed for younger girls. It gives easy to understand information about all of the changes a girl's body goes through during puberty.
The Care & Keeping of You is another wonderful book for girls. It teaches them all about how to care for their changing bodies. A lot of young girls are told all about getting breasts and periods, but other changes are often ignored. This books covers how to take care of things like body odor and acne, too.
There is also a companion book that goes along with The Care and Keeping of You called The Care and Keeping of Me. This book is a journal for girls to keep their thoughts and feelings about puberty related topics. I bought one of these for each of my girls, and I'll probably buy another one for Katie when she gets older, too.
Oh, and for those of you with boys, On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow! is the male version of Ready, Set, Grow!
Two Down
I only have one little girl left now. I should have known from the size of her boobs that it would happen soon, but I was really hoping it wouldn't. What am I talking about, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Emily got her period today.
Shocked? She's only ten. Okay, so she'll be eleven in a month and a half, but she's still young. Sarah only got her period a few months ago, and she's two years older. I was nearly fourteen when it happened for me. I'm starting to think there might be something to this "hormones in the milk" thing.
Do you think that if I switch Katie to organic milk now, I can push it back a couple of years for her?
Shocked? She's only ten. Okay, so she'll be eleven in a month and a half, but she's still young. Sarah only got her period a few months ago, and she's two years older. I was nearly fourteen when it happened for me. I'm starting to think there might be something to this "hormones in the milk" thing.
Do you think that if I switch Katie to organic milk now, I can push it back a couple of years for her?
Monday, June 23, 2008
You're Looking for What?
I just checked my recent keyword queries for my blog. Most of the search words that led people to my blog were pretty generic. But, one, in particular, stood out from the rest. Some one actually did a search for "beautiful girl pooping". Seriously?
I wonder if they ever found what they were looking for.
I wonder if they ever found what they were looking for.
The Information Age
Boy, do I love the internet these days! I can find just about any piece of information that I want with just the click of the mouse. I can track my orders, and I can track my husband.
Well, I'm not exactly tracking my husband, but I am tracking his flight. Phil had to drive a truck to Jacksonville today, and he's flying home this evening. Of course, his flight got delayed - he was originally supposed to arrive in Tampa at 6:30. His flight is now boarding, a fact I found by tracking his flight.
Once Phil's flight gets off the ground, I'll start gathering the girls together for our journey to the airport to pick him up. Without the internet, I could have been waiting around at the airport for another hour.
Well, I'm not exactly tracking my husband, but I am tracking his flight. Phil had to drive a truck to Jacksonville today, and he's flying home this evening. Of course, his flight got delayed - he was originally supposed to arrive in Tampa at 6:30. His flight is now boarding, a fact I found by tracking his flight.
Once Phil's flight gets off the ground, I'll start gathering the girls together for our journey to the airport to pick him up. Without the internet, I could have been waiting around at the airport for another hour.
RIP George
I woke up to the news this morning that one of my favorite comedian/actors has died. George Carlin was a funny and thought-provoking man. He had the balls to say the things that the rest of us were thinking.
Whenever I think about George Carlin, I always think about his role as Cardinal Ignatius Glick in the Kevin Smith movie Dogma. And of course, I think about Buddy Christ.
George, you will truly be missed.
Vacation Preparations
This morning I've been doing a little leg work in preparation for our vacation next week. We've been planning this for so long, it's hard to believe it's already almost here.
We have been planning on visiting the new Sea World water park, Aquatica, while we are in Orlando next week. I went to the Aquatica website this morning to check on ticket prices. We already have passes to Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, and Sea World, so I was trying to decide between just paying for one-day tickets or adding Aquatica on to our passes. Since the one-day tickets are nearly $40 per person, and it was only going to cost us an extra $10-$12 per month to add Aquatica onto our passes, I decided to just add it on. If we go to Aquatica at least two times during the next two years, we'll have saved a ton of money.
I also went ahead and ordered a new pair of Crocs for Katie this morning. She has her fuchsia pair that she wears with almost everything, but they don't go with her Independence Day dress, so I had to order her some that would. I decided to go with the Ruby Red Mary Janes for her. Of course, since we are leaving for vacation this weekend, I had to pay for expedited shipping to make sure they get here in time.
I still have to go shopping for some new shorts for myself, too. I've been putting it off for a while because I just hate shopping for myself. I know it has to be done, though, so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and just do it. Wish me luck.
We have been planning on visiting the new Sea World water park, Aquatica, while we are in Orlando next week. I went to the Aquatica website this morning to check on ticket prices. We already have passes to Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, and Sea World, so I was trying to decide between just paying for one-day tickets or adding Aquatica on to our passes. Since the one-day tickets are nearly $40 per person, and it was only going to cost us an extra $10-$12 per month to add Aquatica onto our passes, I decided to just add it on. If we go to Aquatica at least two times during the next two years, we'll have saved a ton of money.
I also went ahead and ordered a new pair of Crocs for Katie this morning. She has her fuchsia pair that she wears with almost everything, but they don't go with her Independence Day dress, so I had to order her some that would. I decided to go with the Ruby Red Mary Janes for her. Of course, since we are leaving for vacation this weekend, I had to pay for expedited shipping to make sure they get here in time.
I still have to go shopping for some new shorts for myself, too. I've been putting it off for a while because I just hate shopping for myself. I know it has to be done, though, so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and just do it. Wish me luck.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
New Lung
I just found out that my uncle had a lung transplant yesterday. Apparently, he's doing better than expected with it, and is no longer in ICU. Hopefully, the dumb-ass won't ruin this one with cigarettes like he did his original lungs.
Rain, Rain, Go Away
This weekend has been such a miserable, rainy, weekend. Phil and I were supposed to go test drive a bunch of SUVs yesterday, but because of the heavy downpour, we only got to test drive one. Luckily, we're pretty sure that it's the one that we're going to buy, so at least that's something.
We're probably going to get this Jeep Patriot. It's in our price range - it's actually on the lower end of it - and it gets pretty good gas mileage for an SUV.
I think we may need to purchase a new car seat for Katie if we get this SUV, though. The rear seat only has 51" of hip room. Katie's regular car seat in my car is only 17" wide, so that still leaves 17" on each side of her for the other girls. But, our spare car seat, the cheap one from Walmart, is wider across, which would leave less hip room for the older girls. I don't really want to spend another $200 on another car seat, but considering that Katie will use it until she's at least five or six years old, it's really not that much. I KNOW the spare won't last us that long.
Today was another soggy, rainy day. Though Phil didn't get to mow the lawn today, we was able to get a little bit of yard work done. Just before it rained, he ran outside and spread fertilizer all over the yard. We've had the stuff for a while, but it's the kind that you are supposed to spread just before it rains, and Phil kept missing his chance. So, even though our grass (the little that we have) is nearly up to Katie's knees, at least it's well fertilized.
Once the rain started to subside, the girls and I headed over to the out-laws' house for my father-out-law's birthday party. For those of you not familiar with the "out-law" term, it basically means "former in-law." Even though the rain caused us to be nearly a half-hour late arriving, everyone was happy to see us. It was a small party, so our arrival caused it to double in size.
At the party, I got to visit with my brother-out-law and his wife, who I hadn't seen in a few years. And, of course, Katie was her usual cute self for the captive audience. We all watched some video of the girls' weekend at Disney with their grandparents, too. Even though Katie and I were invited to stay for dinner, we had to decline and return home because Phil was making steak for us for dinner.
Thankfully, the rain had completely subsided for our drive home. Hopefully, it'll stay dry for a day or two this week. Katie, along with the dog and cat, are getting a little bit of cabin fever from having to stay indoors all of the time.
We're probably going to get this Jeep Patriot. It's in our price range - it's actually on the lower end of it - and it gets pretty good gas mileage for an SUV.
I think we may need to purchase a new car seat for Katie if we get this SUV, though. The rear seat only has 51" of hip room. Katie's regular car seat in my car is only 17" wide, so that still leaves 17" on each side of her for the other girls. But, our spare car seat, the cheap one from Walmart, is wider across, which would leave less hip room for the older girls. I don't really want to spend another $200 on another car seat, but considering that Katie will use it until she's at least five or six years old, it's really not that much. I KNOW the spare won't last us that long.
Today was another soggy, rainy day. Though Phil didn't get to mow the lawn today, we was able to get a little bit of yard work done. Just before it rained, he ran outside and spread fertilizer all over the yard. We've had the stuff for a while, but it's the kind that you are supposed to spread just before it rains, and Phil kept missing his chance. So, even though our grass (the little that we have) is nearly up to Katie's knees, at least it's well fertilized.
Once the rain started to subside, the girls and I headed over to the out-laws' house for my father-out-law's birthday party. For those of you not familiar with the "out-law" term, it basically means "former in-law." Even though the rain caused us to be nearly a half-hour late arriving, everyone was happy to see us. It was a small party, so our arrival caused it to double in size.
At the party, I got to visit with my brother-out-law and his wife, who I hadn't seen in a few years. And, of course, Katie was her usual cute self for the captive audience. We all watched some video of the girls' weekend at Disney with their grandparents, too. Even though Katie and I were invited to stay for dinner, we had to decline and return home because Phil was making steak for us for dinner.
Thankfully, the rain had completely subsided for our drive home. Hopefully, it'll stay dry for a day or two this week. Katie, along with the dog and cat, are getting a little bit of cabin fever from having to stay indoors all of the time.
Stone Temple Pilots
For those of you who didn't recognize the band that I purchased the concert tickets for from the photo, it's the Stone Temple Pilots. I saw them about 10.5 years ago, and it was one of the most amazing concerts I have ever been to. Phil has never seen them, which is why I went ahead and purchased the tickets.
I don't expect this show to be as great as the first, but I do hope it's worth the money. Phil and I don't attend too many concerts, so the ones that we do go to have to be extra special to make us want to attend.
I don't expect this show to be as great as the first, but I do hope it's worth the money. Phil and I don't attend too many concerts, so the ones that we do go to have to be extra special to make us want to attend.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Why Do I Feel Like This?
I feel sick right now. And it has nothing to do with any actual ailments that I may have. I feel sick because I just spent money on concert tickets. I hate spending money. I especially hate spending money on myself. I don't know why it makes me feel this way, but it does.
I guess somewhere in my mind, I have this fear that if I spend any money on myself, I'm going to regret it. Like if I spend $100 on concert tickets, we're all of a sudden not going to have enough money to eat for the next week. Even though I know we have plenty of money in the bank, I can't help feeling this way.
That's must be why I never buy myself new clothes and why I go six months between hair appointments.
Friday, June 20, 2008
eBay Disappointment
Because Katie's bedding pattern has been discontinued, I've been doing a bit of shopping on eBay for the items I still haven't been able to purchase. I made my most recent purchase a little over a week ago. I've been anxiously awaiting its arrival ever since then. This cute little pillow will be the perfect addition to Katie new bed and bedding.
This afternoon, I came home to find a package by my front door. I was so excited that it had finally arrived. The return address was that of the person I ordered the pillow from, so I knew that it had to be inside the package.
I rushed inside and ripped opened the package. But my pillow was not inside the package. No, inside the package was some little navy blue thing with a white sailboat on it. It was definitely not the cute little girlie pink pillow I ordered for Katie's room. It wasn't even something that would even come close to looking good in Katie's room.
Of course, I immediately emailed the seller to let her know that she had made a HUGE mistake and asked her to please fix it ASAP. I really hope that she didn't send my item to someone else. I just want my pillow. Is that too much to ask?
This afternoon, I came home to find a package by my front door. I was so excited that it had finally arrived. The return address was that of the person I ordered the pillow from, so I knew that it had to be inside the package.
I rushed inside and ripped opened the package. But my pillow was not inside the package. No, inside the package was some little navy blue thing with a white sailboat on it. It was definitely not the cute little girlie pink pillow I ordered for Katie's room. It wasn't even something that would even come close to looking good in Katie's room.
Of course, I immediately emailed the seller to let her know that she had made a HUGE mistake and asked her to please fix it ASAP. I really hope that she didn't send my item to someone else. I just want my pillow. Is that too much to ask?
Stupid People
So, I found this story on another blog, and it really made me mad. Why are some people so "sue happy"? People and their frivolous lawsuits cost the rest of so much money it's ridiculous.
This woman is claiming that the pink heart-shaped rhinestone from her Victoria Secret thong underwear snapped off and shot up and hit her in the eye. She's claiming that she suffered a corneal abrasion that was so bad, she had to miss two weeks of work and will affect her for the rest of her life.
I don't dispute that she was hit in the eye or that it caused a corneal abrasion. However, there is absolutely NO WAY that she would have had to miss two weeks of work because of it. And it is even more unlikely that she would have any kind of permanent damage from said corneal abrasion.
Now, I'm no eye doctor, but I have worked for several of them, and I have also suffered numerous corneal abrasions. Not once did I have to miss any work because of them. When I was in 10th grade, I BURNED my cornea with a curling iron, and even then I only had to miss two days of school. And the eyes heal so quickly, after three or four days, you couldn't even tell that anything had ever happened to my eye. And there is definitely no permanent damage.
This woman needs to get a life and drop this lawsuit. I'd hate for this crazy person to cause me to have to pay more than $25 for five pairs of panties because VS has to cover their losses.
This woman is claiming that the pink heart-shaped rhinestone from her Victoria Secret thong underwear snapped off and shot up and hit her in the eye. She's claiming that she suffered a corneal abrasion that was so bad, she had to miss two weeks of work and will affect her for the rest of her life.
I don't dispute that she was hit in the eye or that it caused a corneal abrasion. However, there is absolutely NO WAY that she would have had to miss two weeks of work because of it. And it is even more unlikely that she would have any kind of permanent damage from said corneal abrasion.
Now, I'm no eye doctor, but I have worked for several of them, and I have also suffered numerous corneal abrasions. Not once did I have to miss any work because of them. When I was in 10th grade, I BURNED my cornea with a curling iron, and even then I only had to miss two days of school. And the eyes heal so quickly, after three or four days, you couldn't even tell that anything had ever happened to my eye. And there is definitely no permanent damage.
This woman needs to get a life and drop this lawsuit. I'd hate for this crazy person to cause me to have to pay more than $25 for five pairs of panties because VS has to cover their losses.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Head Hurts
Really bad. Need sleep. Damn sinuses.
I got my hair done this afternoon. But, I'm in too much pain and I'm too tired to share with you today. Maybe tomorrow. Nighty-night.
I got my hair done this afternoon. But, I'm in too much pain and I'm too tired to share with you today. Maybe tomorrow. Nighty-night.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Emily's Turn
Guess who's in the bathroom vomiting right now?
Poor Emily. At least I can say I know how she feels. Hopefully, her illness will be as short-lived as mine was.
If you get a chance, please say a little prayer for us that this bug leaves our home immediately. Thanks.
Poor Emily. At least I can say I know how she feels. Hopefully, her illness will be as short-lived as mine was.
If you get a chance, please say a little prayer for us that this bug leaves our home immediately. Thanks.
Outside
Today, I finally made it out of the house for the first time in days. I had planned on going to have lunch with my father on Monday, but then I got sick and had to cancel. So, the girls and I made it up to him today.
After lunch with my father, I went and got Sarah all registered for her private violin lessons. I think this will be much better for Sarah than the camp she's currently attending. At the camp, the advanced class it too advanced for her, and the intermediate class is not advanced enough for her. With the private lessons, everything will be tailored to her individual needs, so she should get much more out of them.
After lunch with my father, I went and got Sarah all registered for her private violin lessons. I think this will be much better for Sarah than the camp she's currently attending. At the camp, the advanced class it too advanced for her, and the intermediate class is not advanced enough for her. With the private lessons, everything will be tailored to her individual needs, so she should get much more out of them.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Katie's Bed
Even though the "estimated delivery date" on the UPS tracking site was listed as "06/18/2008," Katie's bedding arrived a day early. Of course, since I'm a tracking nut, I knew this morning that it would arrive today because it was listed as "out for delivery" when I checked the site.
So, here are the pics I promised you of Katie's new bed with its new bedding.
Katie really seems to like her new bedding. But then again, she's a really happy child and she likes just about anything we give her.
Oh, and while we are on the subject of tracking sites, let me just tell you that the UPS tracking is FAR superior to the FedEx tracking. Maybe it's just because FedEx moves slower than UPS, but it really bugs me when I don't know EXACTLY where my package is. FedEx even listed that the next scheduled update would be on 6/15, but they didn't update until this morning! I just hope the package I'm waiting on actually arrives tomorrow as scheduled.
So, here are the pics I promised you of Katie's new bed with its new bedding.
Katie really seems to like her new bedding. But then again, she's a really happy child and she likes just about anything we give her.
Oh, and while we are on the subject of tracking sites, let me just tell you that the UPS tracking is FAR superior to the FedEx tracking. Maybe it's just because FedEx moves slower than UPS, but it really bugs me when I don't know EXACTLY where my package is. FedEx even listed that the next scheduled update would be on 6/15, but they didn't update until this morning! I just hope the package I'm waiting on actually arrives tomorrow as scheduled.
Happy Sounds
Can I just tell you how happy it makes me to hear Sarah practicing her violin in her bedroom? I love it! Even when the rest of the house is in chaos, it just makes me happy to hear her in there. It feels so right. It seems so traditional American family. Do you know what I mean? You know how in the old movies and television shows, when the father would come home from work, there would always be one kid who was practicing their instrument somewhere in the scene? That's what it feels like to me when I hear Sarah playing her violin. It's simply perfect.
Smarty Pants
She's halfway there!
When Sarah came home with a "C" on her report card for the 2nd quarter of the school year, I was very upset about it. I wasn't upset that she had earned a "C". I was upset that she really earned an "A" but because she had chosen not to turn a few assignments in, the zero grades dropped her down to a "C".
Yelling at her, and punishing her, and staying on top of her hadn't worked, so I had to try a new strategy. I told Sarah that I was finished worrying about her grades. Obviously, she was the only one who could make a difference, and so I was leaving it all up to her.
I did, however, give her an incentive - a reason for her to want to do well in school. I told her that if she made straight "A"s on her next four report cards - last two quarters of seventh grade and first two quarters of eighth grade - I would buy her a laptop computer.
So, Sarah's report card for the third quarter of seventh grade showed great improvement - she made straight "A"s. And this afternoon, her fourth quarter report card arrived in the mail. Take a look.
Yep. She's halfway there. Straight "A"s again! Way to go, Sarah!
When Sarah came home with a "C" on her report card for the 2nd quarter of the school year, I was very upset about it. I wasn't upset that she had earned a "C". I was upset that she really earned an "A" but because she had chosen not to turn a few assignments in, the zero grades dropped her down to a "C".
Yelling at her, and punishing her, and staying on top of her hadn't worked, so I had to try a new strategy. I told Sarah that I was finished worrying about her grades. Obviously, she was the only one who could make a difference, and so I was leaving it all up to her.
I did, however, give her an incentive - a reason for her to want to do well in school. I told her that if she made straight "A"s on her next four report cards - last two quarters of seventh grade and first two quarters of eighth grade - I would buy her a laptop computer.
So, Sarah's report card for the third quarter of seventh grade showed great improvement - she made straight "A"s. And this afternoon, her fourth quarter report card arrived in the mail. Take a look.
Yep. She's halfway there. Straight "A"s again! Way to go, Sarah!
Sisters
So, I had to go digging through my old photos to find a photo for another blog project, and I happened across an old photo of Sarah and Emily from Emily's first Christmas. The photo was actually taken after Christmas because I couldn't get the girls in to the studio before the holiday. Since I was already scanning another photo into my computer, I decided to scan this one, as well.
When I went scrolling through my photo files to find the photo, I found it right before the following photo. I thought, "Wow! What a difference a few years make!" When Emily was a baby, she had auburn hair. I thought I had a red-haired little girl. Little did I know she'd actually turn out to be a blond. And Sarah had the cutest little chubby cheeks, but not anymore!
The second photo was actually taken nearly three years ago, and of course, the girls have changed even more since (Hello, Boobs!), so I'll have to get a new photo of the two of them together to go along with these sometime in the near future.
So, take this as a reminder, ladies. Our little girls become young women before we even know it!
When I went scrolling through my photo files to find the photo, I found it right before the following photo. I thought, "Wow! What a difference a few years make!" When Emily was a baby, she had auburn hair. I thought I had a red-haired little girl. Little did I know she'd actually turn out to be a blond. And Sarah had the cutest little chubby cheeks, but not anymore!
The second photo was actually taken nearly three years ago, and of course, the girls have changed even more since (Hello, Boobs!), so I'll have to get a new photo of the two of them together to go along with these sometime in the near future.
So, take this as a reminder, ladies. Our little girls become young women before we even know it!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Big Girl
We've been talking about moving Katie to a toddler bed ever since she climbed out of her crib that one time. Well, last week, the bedding that matches her room finally came back into stock at Babies 'R Us, so I went ahead and ordered it. Then on Saturday, I drove all the way out to the big BRU in Tampa to buy Katie's toddler bed and nightstand. (The BRU in my town is only a "satellite store" and doesn't stock everything that the one in Tampa does.)
I put Katie's new nightstand together on Saturday night, and while I was napping on Sunday, Phil put her toddler bed together. Katie slept about half the night in her new bed, which was pretty good, in my opinion. She does seem to like it, too.
Then the miracle happened this afternoon. As you know, I've been pretty sick today. After Katie ate her lunch, she started asking to have her pacifier back, and I told her that she could only have it if she was going to take a nap. When I gave it to her, I told her to go get in her bed and take a nap. And she did! All by herself!
I honestly didn't think she would do it. A little while after I had told her to go lay down, I noticed that she wasn't in the room with me, so I asked Emily where Katie was. She told me that Katie was in her bed sleeping. I couldn't believe my ears, so I got up to go see for myself, and this is what I saw.
No, that is not the bedding that I ordered. That's the quilt that my aunt made for Katie before she was born. The bedding is due to arrive on Wednesday. I'll try to remember to take another photo to share once I get her bed all made up.
I put Katie's new nightstand together on Saturday night, and while I was napping on Sunday, Phil put her toddler bed together. Katie slept about half the night in her new bed, which was pretty good, in my opinion. She does seem to like it, too.
Then the miracle happened this afternoon. As you know, I've been pretty sick today. After Katie ate her lunch, she started asking to have her pacifier back, and I told her that she could only have it if she was going to take a nap. When I gave it to her, I told her to go get in her bed and take a nap. And she did! All by herself!
I honestly didn't think she would do it. A little while after I had told her to go lay down, I noticed that she wasn't in the room with me, so I asked Emily where Katie was. She told me that Katie was in her bed sleeping. I couldn't believe my ears, so I got up to go see for myself, and this is what I saw.
No, that is not the bedding that I ordered. That's the quilt that my aunt made for Katie before she was born. The bedding is due to arrive on Wednesday. I'll try to remember to take another photo to share once I get her bed all made up.
I'm Sick
I've felt like crap all day today. All morning, I felt like I was going to vomit at any moment, but I didn't. Then, this afternoon, I finally did. I can't eat anything, and luckily for me, my stomach isn't screaming to be fed. It must know better.
So, anyway, you'll all have you wait until tomorrow for me to say anything interesting or funny, or really, anything at all. I really do have stuff to blog about. I just can't stay upright for any length of time.
So, anyway, you'll all have you wait until tomorrow for me to say anything interesting or funny, or really, anything at all. I really do have stuff to blog about. I just can't stay upright for any length of time.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Fishy Version 2.0
Phil may be a great father to our children, but he's not a very good fish owner. Phil decided that there was no need to put the anti-chlorine stuff in the fish bowl when he changed Fishy's water. And not long afterward, Fishy was no more.
Katie, of course, knows nothing of death, but she does know that looking at a fish bowl with no fish in it is not fun. So, we went out and bought her a new Fishy this afternoon. And for now, all is right again in Katie's little world.
P.S. Julie, I will definitely be needing to get that fish tank from you soon. Anything to help avoid future fatalities.
Katie, of course, knows nothing of death, but she does know that looking at a fish bowl with no fish in it is not fun. So, we went out and bought her a new Fishy this afternoon. And for now, all is right again in Katie's little world.
P.S. Julie, I will definitely be needing to get that fish tank from you soon. Anything to help avoid future fatalities.
Happy Fathers Day
Happy Fathers Day to the best father a woman could ever hope to have for her children. I love you, Phil!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Cleaning House
Don't go getting all excited! I'm not cleaning my actual house. I'm am, however, reorganizing my blog elements. You know, those things over there ->->->
A few of my friends haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up with their blogs (Amy, Stacy, ahem!), so I didn't want to unintentionally lead any of my readers to blogs that are never updated. And another friend decided to make her blog private, so I didn't think I should send you there either. I added a couple of blogs I've been reading since the last time I edited my blog roll. Go check them out!
You may also notice that I got rid of my Meez. It just wasn't doing it for me anymore, so it had to go. I also plan to add some newer photos of my girls and myself sometime in the near future, so keep an eye out for them. Maybe we'll get some cute pics on our vacation in a couple of weeks.
A few of my friends haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up with their blogs (Amy, Stacy, ahem!), so I didn't want to unintentionally lead any of my readers to blogs that are never updated. And another friend decided to make her blog private, so I didn't think I should send you there either. I added a couple of blogs I've been reading since the last time I edited my blog roll. Go check them out!
You may also notice that I got rid of my Meez. It just wasn't doing it for me anymore, so it had to go. I also plan to add some newer photos of my girls and myself sometime in the near future, so keep an eye out for them. Maybe we'll get some cute pics on our vacation in a couple of weeks.
Break-In Update
The sheriff's deputy is here now. He said this is the fourth Ford truck in this neighborhood that he's taken a report on. He said they're all F-150s and F-250s. Obviously, someone is targeting the Ford trucks. They've all had their locks popped and destroyed. One of them was damaged a lot worse, and the thieves only got some loose change from the console.
The deputy is going to dust for fingerprints. Which ever prints are on all of the trucks must be the ones that belong to the thieves. I hope they catch the little bastards.
Edited to Add: My car, which was completely unlocked and easy to steal from, was not even touched. I wonder if they even checked it, or if they just concentrated on the Fords?
The deputy is going to dust for fingerprints. Which ever prints are on all of the trucks must be the ones that belong to the thieves. I hope they catch the little bastards.
Edited to Add: My car, which was completely unlocked and easy to steal from, was not even touched. I wonder if they even checked it, or if they just concentrated on the Fords?
Break-In
Phil's truck got broken into last night. The thieves didn't get anything because Phil didn't leave anything of any value in it. But, I called the sheriff's office to come take a report and dust for prints anyway, just in case.
Did I mention that the punk-ass kid next door broke into my house when he was "bored" two summers ago? Yeah. He did. And last summer, when we had no break-ins, his family wasn't living next door because the house was being foreclosed on. Now they're back, and my husband's truck gets broken into. Coincidence? I think not.
I should have sent that punk to jail when I had the chance.
Did I mention that the punk-ass kid next door broke into my house when he was "bored" two summers ago? Yeah. He did. And last summer, when we had no break-ins, his family wasn't living next door because the house was being foreclosed on. Now they're back, and my husband's truck gets broken into. Coincidence? I think not.
I should have sent that punk to jail when I had the chance.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Uh-Oh
This may be much harder than I thought it would be. Back before Katie got so sick, we were making good progress toward weening her from her pacifier. But when she was so sick and hard to comfort, we let her have her pacifier more often because she was so miserable. Ever since then, she's been very possessive about it.
This morning, we went to take Sarah to her orchestra camp, and Katie accidentally left her pacifier at home. So, for most of the car ride there and back, she was yelling for her pacifier. I kept telling her that she left it at home and that she couldn't have it until we got back.
Katie has a habit of stating who is home when we pull into the driveway. Like if she sees Phil's truck parked in the driveway, she'll yell, "Daddy's home!" Well, this morning when we pulled into the driveway, she yelled, "Pacifier's home!"
Then, when we went inside and she was able to locate her pacifier, she actually gave it a huge hug and cradled it like a baby for a few seconds before she put it into her mouth. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw her do that. It was so cute, yet so discouraging, all at the same time.
Yep. Breaking Katie's pacifier habit is definitely going to be harder than I thought.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Busy Day
Today was a busy day for me. First, I had to get Sarah to her orchestra camp by 8:00. Then I had to come home and get myself and the other children, including my nephew, Bradley, ready for the day. At 9:45, we all loaded into the car to go pick Sarah back up from camp. Then, off to the Hallmark store we went to pick out Fathers Day cards.
After we made our Fathers Day card selections, we went up to the front counter to pay for them. I opened up my purse to get my wallet out, only to find that I didn't have my wallet. Luckily, they took my check without me having to show them my driver license. I did, however, write the number down on the check for them since I have it memorized.
From there, we rushed over to my mother's house to pick her up for her cardiology appointment. Of course, we had to swing by my house on the way to the doctor's office to pick up my wallet, too. Mom's appointment was short and sweet - she only had an echocardiogram done. We'll get the results when she sees the cardiologist on Monday.
After we loaded back into the car, we made a quick stop at Super Target on the way home to look for a Fathers Day gift for Phil. While I didn't find what I was looking for, I did find some other cute things for Katie. I finally got her the Radio Flyer Fold-2-Go Tricycle that I've been wanting to get for her, AND I finally found a bicycle helmet that is small enough for her head, too.
Once we got home from Target, I went to work taking all of the plastic ties off of Katie's new trike so she could try it out. No sooner had I gotten the trike all set up, than it starts pouring rain outside. So, Katie will have to wait another day take her test drive.
After we made our Fathers Day card selections, we went up to the front counter to pay for them. I opened up my purse to get my wallet out, only to find that I didn't have my wallet. Luckily, they took my check without me having to show them my driver license. I did, however, write the number down on the check for them since I have it memorized.
From there, we rushed over to my mother's house to pick her up for her cardiology appointment. Of course, we had to swing by my house on the way to the doctor's office to pick up my wallet, too. Mom's appointment was short and sweet - she only had an echocardiogram done. We'll get the results when she sees the cardiologist on Monday.
After we loaded back into the car, we made a quick stop at Super Target on the way home to look for a Fathers Day gift for Phil. While I didn't find what I was looking for, I did find some other cute things for Katie. I finally got her the Radio Flyer Fold-2-Go Tricycle that I've been wanting to get for her, AND I finally found a bicycle helmet that is small enough for her head, too.
Once we got home from Target, I went to work taking all of the plastic ties off of Katie's new trike so she could try it out. No sooner had I gotten the trike all set up, than it starts pouring rain outside. So, Katie will have to wait another day take her test drive.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Car Safety
A friend from my moms group was telling the group about how her neighbor is only using a booster seat with a seat belt - not even a harness - for her 18 month old daughter. So, this sparked quite a bit of conversation about the current Florida Statutes governing child restraint requirements and safety belt laws.
So, I went in search of and found the current statutes to read them over. Some of it was better than expected, but some of it shocked the crap out of me. Under the law, every person in the vehicle must be restrained by either a child safety seat or a seat belt. However, this law does "not apply to ... a space within a truck body primarily intended for merchandise or property." WTF? You mean if I don't feel like strapping my kids in, I can just throw them in the back of my truck and it's all good? Wow!
Here's another shocker for you. Florida Statute 316.613 (3) states, "The failure to provide and use a child passenger restraint shall not be considered comparative negligence, nor shall such failure be admissible as evidence in the trial of any civil action with regard to negligence." Okay... So, putting your child's life at risk is not considered negligence? I wonder, then, what is considered negligence?
These laws definitely need to be reexamined and possibly made more specific. Maybe the neighbor thinks that using the booster seat is good enough under the law? It is "a crash-tested, federally approved restraint device" as required by law. However, in my opinion, it is not being "properly" used as required by law because it is not designed to be used by a child of that age and size. But, hey, at least she's not being "negligent," right?
So, I went in search of and found the current statutes to read them over. Some of it was better than expected, but some of it shocked the crap out of me. Under the law, every person in the vehicle must be restrained by either a child safety seat or a seat belt. However, this law does "not apply to ... a space within a truck body primarily intended for merchandise or property." WTF? You mean if I don't feel like strapping my kids in, I can just throw them in the back of my truck and it's all good? Wow!
Here's another shocker for you. Florida Statute 316.613 (3) states, "The failure to provide and use a child passenger restraint shall not be considered comparative negligence, nor shall such failure be admissible as evidence in the trial of any civil action with regard to negligence." Okay... So, putting your child's life at risk is not considered negligence? I wonder, then, what is considered negligence?
These laws definitely need to be reexamined and possibly made more specific. Maybe the neighbor thinks that using the booster seat is good enough under the law? It is "a crash-tested, federally approved restraint device" as required by law. However, in my opinion, it is not being "properly" used as required by law because it is not designed to be used by a child of that age and size. But, hey, at least she's not being "negligent," right?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sick Baby
Katie and Emily spent the night at my mother's house last night. This morning, my mother called me to let me know that Katie had started vomiting in the middle of the night and had continued to do so every 15-20 minutes. When I got to my mother's house, both she and Katie were napping, so I decided not to disturb them and went out to Babies 'R Us to do a little shopping.
As I finished up my shopping, Sarah, who I had dropped off at my mother's house when I went over there, called me to let me know that Katie was finally awake. So, I went back over to my mother's house. Katie was so pathetic. She wasn't in a bad mood, but she wasn't her normal bubbly self, either. She continued to vomit periodically while we were at my mother's house, though the time between vomit sessions grew longer and longer.
Eventually, my mother convinced Katie to lay down again and take a nap. She slept for a good long while - at least an hour - before I finally woke her up to take her home. When we got home, she laid down on Phil and continued her nap for another hour or so.
Well, when Katie woke up this time, she was a changed baby. She almost immediately started demanding food - she hadn't been able to eat all day. We were afraid that she would end up vomiting her food back up, so we gave her a banana to eat. After scarfing that down, she demanded more food, and received some cereal. Of course, when she saw that Emily and I were having beef stroganoff, she got down from her highchair and began demanding that Emily give her bites of her dinner.
After eating just about everything we have left in this house (I really need to go grocery shopping), Katie started in with her normal dancing and singing. She had a fun bubble bath, followed by some fun time with Daddy.
Katie's back in bed sleeping for the night now, and she's showed no signs of illness since before she went to sleep at my mother's house. We're pretty sure that means she 100% better already. Yay for short lived illnesses!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Pretty Toes
Sarah and I had a little one-on-one time this evening, so we decided to go get pedicures. I was in desperate need of one, and I thought Sarah would enjoy a little pampering herself. Which she did, of course. And while we were there, Sarah got her eyebrows waxed, too.
Look at those pretty toes. Yes, they're long, but I like them that way. They come in handy when I don't feel like bending over to pick something up. And even though they are expensive, I really like that Sarah got my feet. At least, I think she got my feet... I just noticed that her second toe isn't longer than her first. Will it grow to be longer? Or does she really not have my feet? Hmmm...
Look at those pretty toes. Yes, they're long, but I like them that way. They come in handy when I don't feel like bending over to pick something up. And even though they are expensive, I really like that Sarah got my feet. At least, I think she got my feet... I just noticed that her second toe isn't longer than her first. Will it grow to be longer? Or does she really not have my feet? Hmmm...
Bugs
As you may recall, Emily went to the Kennedy Space Center with her Girl Scout troop last Thursday and Friday. They had reservations for two different hotels for the two nights they were staying there because of the other plans they had for their trip. Apparently, everything at the first hotel was just fine. But the second hotel was a different story.
When they checked into the hotel, they just dropped their stuff off and headed out for some more fun. Since they stayed out past midnight, they didn't get a chance to really check out their hotel rooms until the middle of the night when they returned. When they did check things out, they found their rooms to be infested with cockroaches (German cockroaches, according to Emily) AND bed bugs!
So, just after 1:00 am, we received the phone calls that the troop was on their way home because they were not staying in those rooms. Since I had just taken my nighttime, knock-me-out medications at 11:30, I didn't know if it would be safe for me to drive, so Phil went to pick up Emily and my niece, Ashley, who is in the same troop, from their meeting place.
But, that is not the end of the story of bugs. Last night, I received a phone call from Emily's troop leader to inform me that one of the girls who had gone on the field trip had a head full of lice. Ugh! So, according to the troop leader, Emily did not travel in the same vehicle, stay in the same hotel room, or visit the Kennedy Space Center in the same group with the girl with the head lice. Of course, I'm not taking any chances, so I will be personally inspecting every square inch of Emily's head today. And since my niece is at my house again, I will be checking hers out, too. Fun, fun, fun!
When they checked into the hotel, they just dropped their stuff off and headed out for some more fun. Since they stayed out past midnight, they didn't get a chance to really check out their hotel rooms until the middle of the night when they returned. When they did check things out, they found their rooms to be infested with cockroaches (German cockroaches, according to Emily) AND bed bugs!
So, just after 1:00 am, we received the phone calls that the troop was on their way home because they were not staying in those rooms. Since I had just taken my nighttime, knock-me-out medications at 11:30, I didn't know if it would be safe for me to drive, so Phil went to pick up Emily and my niece, Ashley, who is in the same troop, from their meeting place.
But, that is not the end of the story of bugs. Last night, I received a phone call from Emily's troop leader to inform me that one of the girls who had gone on the field trip had a head full of lice. Ugh! So, according to the troop leader, Emily did not travel in the same vehicle, stay in the same hotel room, or visit the Kennedy Space Center in the same group with the girl with the head lice. Of course, I'm not taking any chances, so I will be personally inspecting every square inch of Emily's head today. And since my niece is at my house again, I will be checking hers out, too. Fun, fun, fun!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Pool Time
Well, we continued our yard sale today. And since Sarah & Emily spent last night with their grandparents, we didn't have them here to help out with Katie, so we had to bring her outside with us.
One way to keep Katie happy outside is to let her play in her little swimming pool. So, Phil got it all set up for her and I got Katie into her swimsuit.
Katie had a blast in the pool. The pool we have has an attachable slide that Katie loves to go down into the pool.
Katie decided that she wanted Maggie to go in the pool with her.
So, Phil picked Maggie up and put her in the pool with Katie. Well, apparently, Maggie doesn't like to be in cool swimming pool water, only warm bath water. So, she jumped out of the pool, and then went CRAZY! She took off running wild around the yard, only stopping to roll in the dirt for a few brief seconds before taking off again.
I really wish I'd had a video camera in my hands while she was acting this way. We couldn't stop laughing at how crazy she was acting, and neither Phil nor I were willing to move while Maggie was running around like that for fear that we would either step on her or trip over her.
After she had calmed down, I managed to get a few more photos of Maggie so I could share with you all just how dirty she got on her wild rampage.
No, Maggie's hair isn't gray. That's dirt!
One way to keep Katie happy outside is to let her play in her little swimming pool. So, Phil got it all set up for her and I got Katie into her swimsuit.
Katie had a blast in the pool. The pool we have has an attachable slide that Katie loves to go down into the pool.
Katie decided that she wanted Maggie to go in the pool with her.
So, Phil picked Maggie up and put her in the pool with Katie. Well, apparently, Maggie doesn't like to be in cool swimming pool water, only warm bath water. So, she jumped out of the pool, and then went CRAZY! She took off running wild around the yard, only stopping to roll in the dirt for a few brief seconds before taking off again.
I really wish I'd had a video camera in my hands while she was acting this way. We couldn't stop laughing at how crazy she was acting, and neither Phil nor I were willing to move while Maggie was running around like that for fear that we would either step on her or trip over her.
After she had calmed down, I managed to get a few more photos of Maggie so I could share with you all just how dirty she got on her wild rampage.
No, Maggie's hair isn't gray. That's dirt!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Shopping Etiquette 101
Some people seem to need a HUGE reminder to watch their children while they are shopping. This doesn't just apply to "real" stores, either, people. This applies to yard sales, too.
DON'T let your children just wander about touching and opening everything that catches their eyes! And especially keep them away from breakables!!! I can't stress this enough.
There was absolutely no reason for all fifty (okay it was more like 4 or 5) of your children to be opening up all of my board games that I had for sale. The outsides of the boxes make it pretty clear what is contained within, and there is no need to open them up and play with the insides.
There was definitely no need for your unruly children to knock over my tables, spilling out the contents of said games and breaking one of the set of china tea cups I had out for sale with the rest of the matching dinnerware set. I'm sorry, but your apologies just don't cut it. Do I need to instill a "You break it, you buy it" policy?
I'm sure you'll find out when you and your children get home with your new Operation game that you're missing several of the body parts. That's right - they fell out onto the ground when your kids knocked everything over. Do I care? Not one bit.
DON'T let your children just wander about touching and opening everything that catches their eyes! And especially keep them away from breakables!!! I can't stress this enough.
There was absolutely no reason for all fifty (okay it was more like 4 or 5) of your children to be opening up all of my board games that I had for sale. The outsides of the boxes make it pretty clear what is contained within, and there is no need to open them up and play with the insides.
There was definitely no need for your unruly children to knock over my tables, spilling out the contents of said games and breaking one of the set of china tea cups I had out for sale with the rest of the matching dinnerware set. I'm sorry, but your apologies just don't cut it. Do I need to instill a "You break it, you buy it" policy?
I'm sure you'll find out when you and your children get home with your new Operation game that you're missing several of the body parts. That's right - they fell out onto the ground when your kids knocked everything over. Do I care? Not one bit.
Buying & Selling
We continued our yard sale today and had a better turn out than last Saturday. We are still having trouble moving the higher priced "good stuff," though. It seems that most of these "garage sale people" are only interested in buying junk and trying to talk you down on the prices. If all they are buying is cheap junk, can you imagine what their homes must look like?
We have also been having fun with the foreigners who "conveniently" don't speak enough English to understand you when they are trying to convince you to sell them something for way less than what you are asking for it. Yes, we are willing to come down from $10 to $8, but that still doesn't mean you can have it for $5. Comprende?
Then I had a little old lady from Ecuador who I told that all of the clothes that I had in the plastic storage tubs were $.50 each, but insisted that I told her they were only $.10 each. Nothing in my yard sale was priced less than a quarter because I didn't want to deal with nickels and dimes when making change. Of course, she told me that she would be sending all of the clothing she was buying to poor people in Ecuador, so I decided to just go ahead and let her have the stuff for a dime a piece. So, she took 30 pieces and I took her $3. I'm such a sucker.
After we closed our yard sale for the day, I headed out to the mall with the girls to meet up with my ex-MIL. She took the girls to a couple of stores and bought them a few new outfits. They really were in desperate need of some new clothes, so it was well worth the time and energy it took from me.
After the girls were done squandering their inheritance, I let them go home with their grandmother, and Katie and I went down to Children's Place to see what they had on sale. Of course, everything they had was too cute. The swimsuits that I had previously gotten for Katie at 25% off, were on clearance for only $7.99 now. So, I got her two more. I also got her a couple more outfits with our garage sale profits, so now I think she may be set for the summer.
Of course, with all of the standing and walking I did today, my knees are now killing me. My back hurts, too, but not as much as my knees do. So, I'm off to take some drugs and go to sleep. Hopefully, the pain will go away soon so I can sleep peacefully.
We have also been having fun with the foreigners who "conveniently" don't speak enough English to understand you when they are trying to convince you to sell them something for way less than what you are asking for it. Yes, we are willing to come down from $10 to $8, but that still doesn't mean you can have it for $5. Comprende?
Then I had a little old lady from Ecuador who I told that all of the clothes that I had in the plastic storage tubs were $.50 each, but insisted that I told her they were only $.10 each. Nothing in my yard sale was priced less than a quarter because I didn't want to deal with nickels and dimes when making change. Of course, she told me that she would be sending all of the clothing she was buying to poor people in Ecuador, so I decided to just go ahead and let her have the stuff for a dime a piece. So, she took 30 pieces and I took her $3. I'm such a sucker.
After we closed our yard sale for the day, I headed out to the mall with the girls to meet up with my ex-MIL. She took the girls to a couple of stores and bought them a few new outfits. They really were in desperate need of some new clothes, so it was well worth the time and energy it took from me.
After the girls were done squandering their inheritance, I let them go home with their grandmother, and Katie and I went down to Children's Place to see what they had on sale. Of course, everything they had was too cute. The swimsuits that I had previously gotten for Katie at 25% off, were on clearance for only $7.99 now. So, I got her two more. I also got her a couple more outfits with our garage sale profits, so now I think she may be set for the summer.
Of course, with all of the standing and walking I did today, my knees are now killing me. My back hurts, too, but not as much as my knees do. So, I'm off to take some drugs and go to sleep. Hopefully, the pain will go away soon so I can sleep peacefully.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Fishy
Katie loves to visit the fish whenever we are in the pet section at Walmart. Since we went to Walmart today with my mother, Katie got to visit the fish there. And since Nana is crazy, she decided that Katie simply must have her very own fish. Nana also wanted to get Sarah and Emily each a fish, but since we were talking Betas, I put my foot down and said there was no way I was going to have three fish tanks in my house.
So, Katie is now the proud owner of a Beta fish named, what else, Fishy. Fishy is a lovely lavender and teal colored fish.
Fishy was hanging out near the surface of his bowl and not really moving around much when I took those photos of him, so I was a little bit worried that he wasn't feeling very well and might need to be replaced soon. He started getting a bit more active afterward, so he may not be as ill as I suspected.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to make it through the night. If Bella has anything to say about it, he might end up someone's midnight snack. Dear Lord, if that happens, please do not let me be the one to find any sort of remains in the morning.
So, Katie is now the proud owner of a Beta fish named, what else, Fishy. Fishy is a lovely lavender and teal colored fish.
Fishy was hanging out near the surface of his bowl and not really moving around much when I took those photos of him, so I was a little bit worried that he wasn't feeling very well and might need to be replaced soon. He started getting a bit more active afterward, so he may not be as ill as I suspected.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to make it through the night. If Bella has anything to say about it, he might end up someone's midnight snack. Dear Lord, if that happens, please do not let me be the one to find any sort of remains in the morning.
Swimming Lessons
Last Saturday, Katie's swim instructor had to cancel her lesson. Tonight, she had her make-up lesson. Even though it's been two weeks since her last lesson, Katie was amazing tonight. She remembered everything she has been taught so far, and started doing new things, too. And there were absolutely no tears! Not even a "I want Mommy" or "all done".
She really had fun tonight and was completely relaxed and willing to do everything that her instructor asked her to do. Her instructor and I were completely amazed with her. Phil came along with us, so he thinks that she was doing so well because he was there. Maybe, but I doubt it.
Here are some of the photos I took of her lesson tonight.
After tonight, I am ready to sign Katie up for more lessons. She is really learning so much, and as long as she keeps enjoying her lessons, there's no reason to stop now.
She really had fun tonight and was completely relaxed and willing to do everything that her instructor asked her to do. Her instructor and I were completely amazed with her. Phil came along with us, so he thinks that she was doing so well because he was there. Maybe, but I doubt it.
Here are some of the photos I took of her lesson tonight.
After tonight, I am ready to sign Katie up for more lessons. She is really learning so much, and as long as she keeps enjoying her lessons, there's no reason to stop now.
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