Do I hear an Echo?

I was upstairs. Chris was downstairs. Cailin was running back and forth between us. I was making a grocery list and needed to know if we had any frozen waffles in the deep freeze. I stand at the top of the steps and say "Honey... " and pause to wait for a response so I know that chris hears me. Cailin runs to the steps right next to me and hollers "Om-eyyyy, Om-eyyyy, bisssss (chris)". This was a week ago.
Today, I was cooking dinner and told cailin to go get daddy and tell him dinner is ready. She runs to the steps and yells "Omeyyyy, EEEAATTT"

How do you keep a straight face?

Cailin has been in the habit of kicking lately. Not when she is standing, but more when she is laying on the floor in front of me while I change her diaper. It hurts. For those of you who don't know, one of the first signs that you are pregnant is that your boobs hurt. They are just overly sensitive. When a size 6.5 little foot kicks you in the boob, or in the gut, it hurts. I have tried grabbing her leg and holding it sternly and telling her NO. I have tried telling her that it hurts, I have tried everything I can think of. Today, I told her there was a baby in my tummy and we needed to be easy. She still kicked. I asked her if I needed to spank her bottom for kicking me. She rolls over, points to her bottom and says "Ere'tis". Thanks. At least now I know what I am going to swat.
It was all I could do to not laugh. I could not however hide a smile. Anyone have a good idea how to put an end to this kind of thing?

Chop Chop

I cut my hair today. Well, I didn't cut it, I paid a nice lady named Cindi to cut my hair today! It seems as though i go through stages with my hair, I cut it short, let it grow long, sometimes perm it, then cut it short again. My hair was coming awefully close to reaching my bra strap. It was getting a bit hard to manage and hard to do much with it other than pull it up in a ponytail. I decided on friday that it was time for a change. I knew when I stopped in there was no chance I would have a new hairstyle by Christmas, but Shortly after would be close enough. I didn't get a perm this time. I didn't want to deal with the time that it would take as well as how long it would take to grow out and all that crap. Just not worth the hassle. I wanted something that was low maintenance. By low maintenance, i mean something that i can style with just a blow dryer and that is it. If i get all dolled up, I can use a curling iron and fancy it up, but mostly, nothing major to fix it.
It is now about an inch longer than my chin. It is still straight. Predominantly one length. There are some layers ONLY on the bottom, and not many of them either. I think i like it. The real test will be tomorrow when I wake and have to fix it on my own. Chris said he really likes it which means something because he normally has no opinion on matters such as how my hair is cut. Cailin isn't sure what to think. She keeps wanting me to sit on the floor so she can play with my hair in her fingers. She isn't used to it being short like this. I will take a picture tomorrow and add it so you can see.

Gentle Reminders

I have a humidifyer which I do not remember to fill on a regular basis. I try, but i just forget sometimes. Lately, I have had some gentle reminders. Cailin brings the empty tanks to me and says "more mommy". As I go in to fill the first one, she grabs the second and brings that one to me as well. It is really a big help!

Like a Kid Waiting for Santa

It is 430 in the morning. I can't sleep. Why you might ask? it is because I am so excited to pick up my pictures and get them on my quilt. If I get it to the quilter today, there is a good chance that I can get it back in time to mail it to Mom and get it there by Christmas. I might have to overnight it, but that is okay. I can't sleep. It is the same feeling that a small child has laying in bed anticipating santa's arrival with a bag full of goodies. How can anyone sleep?

Still Hope

Debbie called today. She told me that she was printing my pictures as we speak. They will be ready this afternoon!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I called the lady who is going to do the quilting. She said that if I drop off my quilt tomorrow, it will take three or four days to get it quilted!! That is awesome news. That means that there is still a small chance i can get it to mom for Christmas! I am so excited!

Wow things i have Learned

Splenda now makes a Brown sugar mix. I look forward to trying it.

I bought whole wheat flour. I am hoping to make my own bread in my bread machine and see if it is cheaper.

I learned you can substituet whole wheat for white flour for most stuff... If you are making cookies, mix 1/2 white flour, 1/2 whole wheat, otherwise, a wise source tells me that it will be rather cake like.

I'm a big girl now

Cailin has mastered putting on her own socks, Getting her legs into a pair of pants and getting the pants part the way pulled up. I think she could have gotten them all the way up if she didn't have another pair already on!!! She also managed to pull a swim diaper up over her regular diaper earlier this week. She seems to be mastering getting dressed all at one time. Good Job!

Today, I was sitting curled in a ball on the couch under a blanket. She grabbed the other end and tried to cover herself up saying "mine". She stood up, walked over to where I was sitting, pulled the blanket off of me to cover herself up.

Thursday night, Chris was trying to get Cailin into some pj's while I was downstairs showing Deana something. Cailin was at the top of the steps yelling "Momma, Momma, Mommmeeeeee". I go to the bottom of the steps and look up to see her with just a diaper on. As I looked up, she squeels and says "I nay-ned momma!!!" and then ran off!!!

It snowed yesterday. This was the first snow that Cailin really remembers. She mastered the word snow rather quickly. She has told everyone who calls about the snow! Today, it got up to 40 degrees. If i was feeling better, I would have taken her out to play in the snow. It is almost melted now. She stands at the window and has the following conversation:
Cailin: Daddy, Snow... Seeeeee
Chris: I see
Cailin: Air'd Go? Air Snow?
Chris: I don't know... where did the snow go?
Cailin: Ount no... Air'd go?
Chris: You tell me
Cailin: Ohhhh Nooooo bye bye snow

Customer Service

I am getting really tired of the company “Winks” that is supposed to be printing my pictures onto the material. They have had my pictures for over a month now. The estimated pick-up date on my ‘contract’ says 11/19-11/21. They are behind. They keep telling me they are out of transfer paper and the place they order it from was backordered. Then that company went out of business. Then they found another place, put in an order, then they were backordered as well… This was on-going. It was wasting my time. I am a BIG FAN of customer service and their’s SUCKED!!! You would think if someone puts in an order as large as I did, (it was 58 pictures, and approximately a $60 order), they would call and let you know the status of the order. If the stuff they needed was backordered, call and tell me. I would be more understanding if someone keeps me updated than if I am left hanging in the dark. They told me that it would take a week or two. It ended up over a month. Monday, we had an ice storm. They were closed which was understandable. I called Tuesday morning getting a little (VERY) irritated. They tell me that the transfer paper had an attempted delivery on Monday, but they were closed and could not receive it. They told me that it would be re-delivered on Tuesday, the day I was calling, and they would get them printed and would be ready by 3-4pm on Tuesday. I asked them if I could get a discount since it took so long and they couldn’t even call to let me know what was going on. They refused. I was in the hospital visiting grandma who just had surgery and was very confused and didn’t make it to winks on Tuesday. Tuesday night we were supposed to get more ice. It ended up missing us and hit Kansas City instead. When I stopped in around 11 on Wednesday, THEY STILL WEREN'T READY. They told me that the transfer paper got stuck in Kansas City in the snow storm the night before. IF they were attempted to be delivered in NEOSHO on Monday, why would they be all the way back in Kansas City on Tuesday. It didn't make sense. I have a feeling they were lying to me this whole time. I took my pictures and material and left. I was just pissed. There is no other way to put it.

I left there and was in tears because I had NO IDEA where I could go to get this done and still get mom’s quilt done for Christmas. I left there and went to the post office to buy a box to mail some scrubs in. I asked Tammy who works there if she knew of anywhere else to go. Winks told me there was no place else in Neosho. Tammy told me to check WXY or silhouette imaging. I went to WXY because I knew where it was. I was close to tears. I asked the lady if she knew of anywhere that I could go to get it done without taking another 2 weeks. She says “honey, hang on just a minute”, and gets on the phone.

Hey Debbie, it’s me. Do you heat transfer pictures onto shirts and stuff?
You have to use your shirts?
What if it is on a piece of material to go onto a quilt?
Okay.
I have a young lady here who is having trouble with a certain competitor and has nothing but troubles. It is for a Christmas present.
I will send her your way. Thanks
What’s that?
Yeah, I have 2 black shirts. I will put them to the side for you.
Okay, thanks a bunch
Bye

She hangs up and tells me where to go. Silhouette imaging is FOUR STORES away from Winks on the square in town. Four stores is NOT VERY FAR!! They are little stores. I offered to deliver the 2 black shirts for her and she says great, thanks. I go to this new store and Debbie is at her desk. When she gets off the phone, she asks me if I was the one who was making a quilt. I give her the shirts and she laughs. She asked me if my material was 100% cotton, or if it was a polyester blend. I wasn’t sure. She asked me If I needed the entire sheet, or if she could use a corner of it to test it with a picture. She took a small square as well as one of my pictures. She scanned the picture and printed it out and then pressed it onto the material. It took about 5-8 minutes. The picture was a little dark, but she told me that she would lighten them up so they would look better when printed. She even washed my material roughly with soap and water to make sure it was going to last. She asked how many pictures I had. I told her 58. After we were in agreement that she was going to do this, I remember to ask about cost. She said it was $4.50 a press, and 1 press per sheet. She played and found she could get about 10-12 pictures per page. Winks could get 4. She told me that since I had so many pictures, she could give me a discount and give them to me for 2.50 a sheet. This is going to be significantly less than Winks, and already much better service. She told me that she was going to try to get them done by Friday, but she promised it would be Monday at the very latest. I feel so much better about this already. Now I only hope that I can get the pictures sewn on Monday after I pick them up and then on Tuesday take it to the quilters. It just depends how long it will take the quilter to see if it will be done in time for Christmas. I can only hope so!!!!


Oh, and in case you were wondering, Debbie also told me that she was curious where winks was getting their transfer paper from because it isn't hard to come by at all... she just got 4 huge loads of it in the past 3 weeks.

Germs to Share

I am so pissed. My friend had a slumber party for her little girl on Friday to celebrate her 8th birthday. She asked me if I could come over and help her, and stay for the night. Sure. No problem. I don’t mind. Deana was staying over as well. I got there later than I was planning because I was helping MIL with Grandma. I got there as the girls were winding down some. There were 8 little ones. I had Cailin with me. Steff LOVES Cailin and wanted her to stay too. Again, no problem. Around 130, we were getting the girls settled down to sleep. Melody, Deana, and I were getting tired. Around 1:45 in the morning, a little girl, who lives down the street, wakes up, and PUKES all over the place. On herself, in her hair, on her blanket, on the soft child’s fold out couch of Steff’s that she was sleeping on, on the carpet. It was a mess. Her older sister was over as well. Deana starts cleaning up the carpet while melody gets the girl in the shower to clean her off. I talk to the older sister and get her phone number and call parents. Nothing like getting a phone call at 2 in the morning from a complete stranger about your daughter being sick. While on the phone, mom tells me that the older sister was sick and puking on Thursday all day, then mom and dad were sick on Friday and the little sister (the one who puked at the party) was complaining of a tummy ache earlier that day.

This is where I got ROYALLY PISSED!!!!!!!!!! IF your kids are sick, or just getting over the flu, DO NOT send them to a slumber party where there will be lots of little girls in close quarters. You just potentially infected everyone that was in the house that night. Melody felt embarrassed when she told each of the parents in the morning that their child was exposed to the flu. I was stressing Friday whether I should go or not because I was starting with a nasty cold and didn’t want to share with anyone and make them sick… especially this close to Christmas. I can’t believe someone would be so inconsiderate to send a sick child to a party.

Today, Sunday, both Melody and myself have been in bed all day. Melody did go to the dr and they did a flu test that was positive. I am sure that is what I have as well. I will call my OB in the morning and make sure I don't have to worry about the baby being sick from it.

We've had this conversation already!

Yesterday we put up our Christmas tree. We have an artificial tree with fiber optic lights. I love our tree. The main problem was crawling under the tree and under the tree skirt to turn the lights on and off. This year, we found a remote control for the tree. THIS WORKS GREAT!!!!

Cailin knows what remote controls are and loves them. The one for the tree is nice for her to work because it has only 2 buttons. On and Off. Yesterday, she learned that this clicker works the lights on the tree. She would push the on button and very excitedly say "Wooooooow". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?" (Translates to where did they go mommy? Where are the lights?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis". Then she pushed the off button. "Air'd go momma? Air'd go ight?". Then she would push the on buttone "Ere tis".

And so my day went... Occasionally she stopped to let me know her baby was nay-ned, but then back to the lights.

I'll treat this time

I normally don’t like to talk about politics, or government stuff, but today I need to vent. Seriously, our government has to do something to revamp our welfare system. I am tired of paying for slackers.

I am well aware that there are people who are on welfare that truly need it and are doing their best to get out of that situation. On the other hand, there are quite a few who I feel are taking advantage of the system. They say “why try to better ourselves? If we do, then we loose the free stuff that we get”. This makes me mad.

I know of a person who recently found she was pregnant. She and her husband have jobs that you see high school and college kids taking. Insurance and other benefits just aren’t offered. They chose not to have insurance. Now that they are pregnant, they have found that combined, they make too much money to qualify for medicade. Their solution: She is going to quit her job. That way their income will be low enough to qualify.

Why not try to get a better job? Why do I have to pay for the medical bills of people who don’t want to make any attempt to make it on their own? This is a perfect example of taking advantage of the government’s system. How is this fair to those of us who are working hard and paying our own bills, AND paying for insurance? How is this kind of program going to encourage anyone to better their situation? Why bother? Why work harder if I can get taken care of (insurance, food stamps, free child care) for not doing anything?

As you hear from many little kids, “It isn’t fair”… I guess now I know what my mom meant when she said, “Life isn’t fair”.

Another Cailin Quote

I had to use the restroom while out at a store last week. Cailin came into the stall with me. As I was pulling my pants back up, Cailin pats my leg and says "Good Job Momma, Good job".

Apparently I have been giving her quite a bit of praise and she has picked up on it!

New Vocabulary

Cailin learned a new word today. It comes out sounding like "neh-nid" This is the state that her dolls are in when they have no clothes on.

Thankful

Things I am thankful for:

Family that loves me
A husband and Daughter to make me smile
Jesus Christ
A home to keep me warm
A new baby growing in my tummy
Friends who have stayed in touch over the years and through the miles
New friends who make living far from family more bearable

An Early Christmas Present

On Thursday, we were still in Maryland. The entire time that i have been on this vacation, I have been paranoid that my wonderful monthly friend would show up at the most inopportune time. It was due 2 days after we arrived in FL. This anticipation was in the back of my mind as we went through EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. I did not want this friend to show up then and make me uncomfortable. By the second Thursday of our trip, my friend still did not arrive. I told Chris about it and we bought a home pregnancy test. I did not have good luck when i was pregnant with Cailin with tests that had lines only. I bought one of those tests that uses just words. Hard to mis-interpret those tests!!!

The result: PREGNANT!!!!!

We were hoping to be pregnant by Christmas and have a September baby. I would be able to work as pool manager all summer. Cailin would be two and a half years old, and it wouldn't be the middle of the summer. We are a month early. This baby that is now transforming on a daily basis in my tummy is due to be born on August 4th. This is very neat because my mom's birthday is this day as well.

This is an awesome early Christmas present. I feel so honored that God is going to trust me with another small life to raise and nurture and to teach to love Him.

I am worried:
We have a lot of cleaning out of our house, and rearranging of items in the next nine months.
Cailin is a wonderful Child. Is she going to feel slighted when there is another child in the house?
I feel like I have no time as it is. How am I going to have enough time to put towards a new baby and still give Cailin the love and attention that she needs?
How do you stretch the love you have and make sure no one is feeling slighted, and everyone is getting LOTS of attention that they need. When I say everyone, I mean Cailin, this new baby, Chris, my pets (Socksy, Rebel and Jesse James).

I am excited and nervous at the same time. I have nine months to get used to this idea and get everything ready.

Random Pictures

Cailin LOVES great grandma's kitty. Cailin just calls her "meow". (can you believe this is the shirt she wore on halloween last year?

Cailin LOVES to be just like Mommy and Daddy... She found my socks and put them on her feet... they were taller than knee-highs! We actually got a picture of her big smile!!! She is a very happy girl and SMILES all the time... until a camera comes out...

Cailin looks like a princess at Adrienne's wedding shower. She was watching the clouds in the sky.

Fashionably late

I realized that I have not posted pictures yet from Halloween. Cailin had a blast. She was a frog, or as she calls them, a BIBBIT! She loved being a bibbit. It took her 2 houses to catch on that when she knocked on a door, someone would open the door and put candy into her trick or treat bag. She didn't want anyone to help carry her bag, she didn't want anyone to carry her. She wanted to eat everything that night. (We are only 3-4 pieces shy of what we started with now). After we went trick or treating, we went to a safe kids fest put on by the fire and police departments. It was great. They had games, food, prizes. The games were fairly simple games. One was throw the ghost into the pumpkin. They took golf balls and covered with a white hankerchief. They had to stand on the appropriate line and throw them into a pumpkin bucket. Cailin took the ghosts one at a time, and walked up to the bucket and put the ghost in. NONE of the ghost stuck out of the pumpkin. she pushed it all down in there nice and need. Then she would walk back, get another, and do it again into the next buck, and the same for the third. Of course she won a prize for getting them all in. She got a temporary tattoo on her hand. She thought the first one was soo neat that she gave them her other hand for one as well.

Here are some pictures of my adorable little bibbit!

Oops, I did it again...

When I was working on my quilt, I decided to actually make sure my ribbon blocks were really squares. I might have shaved off just a touch on each one... Well, apparently that 'just a touch' was too much... I have enough room to add 5 more blocks on each side. My options are to either start from scratch and make 10 more blocks and NOT trim them and make sure they fit, or to make 5-20 more and just add that to what i have... It would mean more folds on the ribbon on one side of the quilt than on the first. Since I am trying so hard to finish this before I head out to FL and MD, I am opting for making only 15-20 more little blocks.

Today is the day...

Chris has the ONLY interview for a promotion! It is today at 10am Central time. PLEASE say a prayer for him. He has already talked to Dave, the guy that wants to hire him. This interview is with him and someone from HR. I think they are going to be negotiating pay. Chris thinks that they will be discussing pay. Chris says if he gets it, he would probably start on Dec 1... which is as soon as we get back from our trip... I am excited and nervous, and scared for him at this point in time!

My Tribute

To those who have served in our army, navy, air force and marines, THANK YOU! I do not care if you were on actived duty just during peace time, or if you served in a war; if you stayed here on US soil, or over seas. Regardless of where or when, you put my life before yours and I appreciate that. You are willing to sacrifice your life, and leave your families for periods of time to defend people whom you have never met. For that, I thank you! I am proud of each and every one of you and would love to shake your hand and tell you personally Thanks. You are not working in vane.

I'm a Quitter

I hate to say it, but I am going to stop my serious attempt on south Beach until I can do it more faithfully. With Holidays comming up, and traveling for 2 weeks, It is going to be UBER hard to say the least. I am going to start Right after Christmas. I am not saying that i am going to go all out and eat everything... I am going to eat in moderation and still kind of watch, but I will do this more faithfully come January 1.

Ewwww... Grosss

Tried the ricottoa creme 'dessert'... I think i am going to pass on dessert until i find something better... I had the chocolate ricotta... it was nasty. Don't bother with it... blah

Anxiety Sucks!

Chris called today at lunch time to tell me that he has an interview on Monday. He is the ONLY one with an interview. I asked him if it was an interview or a pay negotiation... He said that again it was mostly a formality and he wouldn't be surprised if they talk pay on Monday. Looks like we are getting closer and closer!!!

You applied didn't you?

Today Chris came home and told me that the CEO had him working on something in his office. While he was in there, CEO says "I think that job opening for Business Analyst would be perfect for you, you applied didn't ya?" with a smirk. CEO knows all that is going on in the company. Chris said that he thinks he has the job... he is just going to have to negotiate on the pay part of it. We are still waiting because Dave has been out of town this week so chris couldn't talk with him yet... I am so not good with waiting.

Got Milk?

Cailin's vocabulary is growing in leaps and bounds. Some of the things that she says cracks me up. Some makes me say "thank goodness we are at home with no one else around". Today was one of those days that I said that exact sentance. Her favorite things to say lately are "What's this, Air'd Go, Ereeet isss". Tonight, Cailin was taking a bath. She pointed to her boob and started asking "What's this?". I told her it was her boobie. She asked again and I told her it was her breast. She pinched it and says "Milk... my Milk"... she kept pointing and saying milk. I told her that her milk was in the frige... not in her. She kept it up, so I started to find something else for her to look at, think about and talk about.

It was all I could do to not laugh.

On a similar note, Cailin found a pile of lingerie that I have that I have not worn because it wasn't flattering, and just not something I would wear. I had it in a small pile in my room to get rid of. She decided to "dress" herself. She put her head through both legs of a black teddy, and then found a pair of my undies to put on her head. This is how she answered the door when Grandma came over.

Almost there

I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I have all of the pictures sorted and decided on. Today I printed them and I am taking a break as I type this from cutting them out. Tomorrow, I will take them to the silk screen place. I am getting there. I am hoping to take it to the quilter before I leave for our turkey day vacation.

Bad Timing...

I have decided that I have picked the absolute worst time to try to loose weight with a fairly strick diet... at least a fairly strict first 2 weeks... I did really well on Saturday and Sunday. The most that I "cheated" was i had 1/2 glass of pop on Sunday. I wasn't even hungry to eat lunch when I had the mid-morning and mid afternoon snacks... This wasn't going to be too bad... Then came monday. I had to do a Pampered Chef demonstration. NOTHING that was on the table was on the 'safe list'. I tried to crunch on the broccoli, but I was hungry and I was there later than planned... I caved. I had a piece of Lemon chicken ring as well as a piece of Garden Ranch Chicken. THEN... to top it off, I tried a piece of Jen's pumpkin cheesecake! It was delicious! I probably gained back anything that i might have lost in the past 2 days. Tuesday came and I was determined to get back on schedule. This was a challenge because I was in OK all day. Billie made a meat loaf and it looked really good... except that minor problem that it was made with Ritz cracker crumbbs. I left Cailin with Grandma and Great-Grandma and went to walmart to get stuff that would be better. I got some fake crab meat as well as a pot roast and some lima beans. I did good. I probably ate more fake crab meat than I should though. I passed on ice-cream, even when Cailin offered me a bite and said "MMMMmmm, tis good momma". Today was MOPS. I love going to MOPS. I forgot that we were going to have a "progressive breakfast" today. I said "no thank you" to the bagels and cream cheese, however, I couldn't pass on these little balls. I think they were a chesses, sausage, bisquick ball that Billie raught me to make. They were great! I also had a slice of pumpkin bread and fruit in yogurt. Is it really advisable to start changing eating habits around the holidays?

How's Your Sniffer?

I have decided that I want to start using some fresh herbs. They are expensive, so I got an herb pot and planted my own… I have parsley, basil, chives, mint, `cilantro, marjoram, and thyme. There are 3 in the top of the pot, and 1 each on the little cups off the side of the pot. I am Excited!!! I already have sprouts popping up!!! There was one minor flaw in this plan. I didn’t label what I planted where, so I guess I will have to sniff before I cut!!! Oops.

South Beach Day 1

I finally had a chance to go grocery shopping. Yesterday I spend quite a bit and a lot of it was on fresh produce. This means that today will officially be Day One to start the South Beach Diet. I know I shouldn’t think of it as a diet, but instead a new way of eating, and a healthier way of eating. It is hard.

Today, I woke up and got on the scale. It says 184. Not what I want to see, but I am hoping to change that starting today. Part of why I am 4 pounds more than normal is due to that wonderful monthly cycle that just ended for this month… I always seem to gain 3-4 pounds and then gradually loose it until the following month it happens again.

It is only 3 o’clock and I have to say that this is not going to be an easy first 2 weeks. Breakfast was good, but it took significantly longer to make the Cheesy Frittata than it would to pop a frozen waffle into the toaster. Luckily, I have enough that will last for 2 more days… and that includes some for Cailin for breakfast as well. I look forward to attempting an asparagus omelet later this week. This morning I had a mozzarella cheese stick for a snack after breakfast, and I wasn’t very hungry for lunch. Breakfast was late anyway. For an afternoon snack, I had a wedge of cheese (garlic and herb flavored) on some celery. Tonight we will have marinated London broil which sounds delicious and smells good so far with the marinade. We are also going to have South beach surprise mashed “Potatoes”. It is actually cauliflower. Billie suggested it. She said that it is no where close to potatoes, but it was good. I am also going to make a salad and then for dessert, I am going to try the almond ricotta crème. That part sounds delicious.

Before I go to bed, if I can find my tape measurer I am going to measure my sizes on arms, legs, and tummy area. I would like to see numbers on the scale go down as well as inches.

My hardest challenge today was when I was making lunch for Cailin. She had peanut butter and banana sandwich. She didn’t eat it all. A lot of times, I will eat what ever she doesn’t eat, and today, it is still sitting on the table. I hate throwing it away, so I am going to offer it to her as a snack when she wakes from a nap. She also had a small MICROSCOPIC sized Hershey bar from trick-or-treating. I sooo wanted a bite of it to snack, but I passed.

I am determined to do this. As well as loosing weight, another bonus is that I will be kind of forced to fix healthier meals for dinner for Chris. I will be cooking more on a regular basis and not fast fixes like fish sticks and mac and cheese with a can of green beans on the side or Macaroni and Cheese-burger… I am going to work on real meals… sides, a lot of chicken. I am going to attempt to eat some fish. We have lots of halibut in the freezer.

You've Been Promoted

Chris was worried about two weeks ago. There was a rumor heard that one person in his department of 5 people were going to get laid off. We were stressed to say the least. Tensions could be felt here at home and I hated that feeling.

Two days later, he came home and told me we needed to talk. I asked about what, but he wouldn't tell me until after dinner. I was terrified that he was going to tell me that he lost his job. I didn't think that there was a chance that he would... he is one of two that actually has a a BS degree. He has a few other qualifications that no one in the office has but someone needs for this area. I don't forsee him loosing his job. I tried to reassure him that even if he did, I am sure he would have NO TROUBLE at all finding another job... and even getting raise as well. He has been trying to get a raise since he has his BS, but his boss has been more pre-occupied with saving his department members' jobs instead. That is understandable, however, he could have at least told Chris.
The whole thing that Chris needed to talk to me about though was this. Dave is a manager for another division of the IT field. Dave went to Darren and got the okay ot offer a job to either Chris or Gary. Gary didn't want it because it would involve dealing with people more and he would rather deal with the machines. That leaves Chris. The job would be a IT Business Analyst. Quite a difference from IT help desk. I told chris that if he thought it would make him happy, then do it. He told me that this way, there would be room for promotions, as well as saving someone else in his department from loosing their job.
The following day, Chris goes to work and tells Dave that he is interested. Dave then goes to talk to HR, CEO, Chris's current boss among other people to get the ball rolling. HR tells dave that they have to post the job opening internally to basically cover their butt. The posting went out yesterday. The job requirements matched Chris's resume to a T. Even the specific IT degree that Chris has. The kicker to it... the job was posted on Thursday, and resume's have to be turned in no later than Monday. Dave has told Chris not to worry about this... it is just a formality that they have to go through.
Another bonus for this job position being offered to Chris... is SHOULD come with a substantial pay raise!! YAY.
I am so proud of Chris. He works hard. He puts his heart and soul into whatever he is doing, no matter if it is computer work, or reffing a soccer game, or building something here at the house. Sometimes it takes him a while to get started, or to get his plans laid out, but once they get started, he does great work. I am turely proud of him for all that he has accomplished. It is about time someone at the company recognizes all of his hard work and rewards him for it!!!!

Keep it Down

Today, Cailin and Natalie were in Cailin's room playing. I was using the carpet steamer and cleaning the hallway carpet and the bathroom carpet. Apparently i was too noisy because the girls slam the door closed. I opened the door for them again and they pushed me out and closed the door again. As soon as I finished, Cailin knocks on her door from the inside and says "knot knot momma. OUT!!". I was done, so they wanted the door to be open again.

Christmas Tree Skirt

I decided to try quilting a Christmas tree skirt. I have it all pieced together, but not layered and quilted. The hardest part of this quilt was drawing the shapes and cutting them out... and that wasn't even that hard. It took about 2 weeks to piece together... that is while working on my mom's quilt at the same time. Tomorrow i am going to go to the store and get the material to back this quilt and finish it up. The quilting pattern is going to be Christmas Tree's quilted using gold thread in the center of each triangle. I will take another picture of the final product when it is totally done. I think I am going to give this to my mom-in-law for a christmas present. We will be there for Thanksgiving, so I think I will give it to her early so she can use it this year.

Mind your Manners

Cailin is trying. She was pushing one of her toys around in the kitchen and when Socksy was in the way, she said "stuse me... stuse me..." I was impressed that she was using her manners... I guess I got excited too soon because the next thing I see/hear is "MMMoooooooove" as she pushes Socksy out of the way.

No Wonder!!!

No wonder Cailin has been uber cranky, clingy, fussy and needy lately. In the past 2.5 weeks, she has had an ear infection as well as cut three of her canine teeth. OUCH!!! Today while she was in the bath tub, she grabbed my finger and put it on the spot of the new tooth so i could feel it. Now we have just one more canine tooth and her 2 year molars and we will be DONE. I am so ready for her to end the teething business... I hate seeing her hurt like she does.

Weighing Down

I have gained a significant chunk of weight since I got married 5 years ago. I hate it. I have decided that I need to start eating healthier. I need to be more active, and just make better decisions for myself and my family.

I bought a bike about 2 months ago and I have been riding quite a bit. I aim for 3-5 miles a day 3-4 days a week. I also have a WONDERFUL bike trailer called a GO BUG by trek. This thing is amazing and well worth the cost. I managed to get one on e-bay for $350. The model that I got retails for around $500. Not a bad deal if you want my opinion. It doubles as a jogging stroller and holds 2 kids, and all of their gear. Cailin LOVES to ride her bike. I will take a picture later of her trying it out.

Yesterday I was at a wedding shower for one of Chris's cousins. She looked amazing. She said that she has lost 30 pounds using the south beach diet. She likes it because it isn't as restrictive as a lot of other diets. It teaches moderation, and a healthy lifestyle. I think i might give it a try. One of the biggest challenges that I have though is cooking something that is healthy for us, that chris will actually eat. He is the pickiest eater i have ever met!!! He doesn't like veggies. He wont eat tri-colored pasta because the red and green ones have spinach and tomato in them. YOU CAN"T EVEN TASTE IT!!!! He isn't big on trying new things. This will be a challenge.

I am starting at 180. I will keep posted on what I am doing and trying.

You're how old?

I turned 30 earlier this week. I heard so many people say "oh-my-gosh... are you upset? Wow, that is a major milestone". You know... i feel NO DIFFERENT than I did 3 days ago. I do not feel old. I am not going to have a mid-life crisis just because I am 30. I am more active now than I was 5 years ago. I feel great!!! My thought to my 30's.... Bring it on Baby!!!

I'm Trying

Chris is 32, I am 30. Cailin is 19.5 months old. After some discussion and prayer, we have decided to try to give Cailin a baby brother. I've been off of my birth control pills for about a month now. I am actually hoping to get pregnant in December and have an august or september baby. Another thing about it is that I am hoping to loose a little bit of weight before I do get pregnant... and then not gain too much while I am... That would be my goal.

I am excited too because my sister in law might be trying as well. I think it would be great to have someone to go through it with!!

Air Go?

This is Cailin's favorite question. Last night we went into the store. It was still bright and sunny, although the sun was setting. When we finished, it was dark outside. Cailin gets into her carseat and starts saying "aiiir go momma... air go"? This translates into Where did it go. I asked "Where did what go? what are you looking for sweetie... " She kept saying air go and pointing out the window. Finally, She said some more and was talking about the sky... she couldn't find the sky because it was dark outside. She loves looking at the clouds, at sunsets, and at the moon in the sky. She looks for airplanes, but we aren't near any airport, or in any flight paths... She looks though. Once in a while, she will see a hawk flying overhead and think it is an airplane.

Random Thought

I figured it out... I finally figured out why a majority of the states are banning same sex marriages. Other than the fact that it is morally and Biblically WRONG (See Romans 1), There is a major problem. Think back to the last wedding you went to... what is one of the last things the minister says.... "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride". How would they be pronounced... I now pronounce you wife and wife? Husband and husband... that sounds hilarious... you may now kiss your husband! HA... I crack myself up sometimes.

And this is what you get when I sit in a quiet house with kids sleeping and no radio or anything to let my mind think about... I get these things popping into my head!

No rest for the werry...

Well, what I thought was teething pain, wasn't. I feel horrible because apparently Cailin has had an ear infection since Thursday and I didn't realize it till Friday after the Dr office closed. We have to wait till Monday morning to get to the doctor. In the mean time, she is getting antibiotics from a cough she had as well as Tylenol and Motrin alternating every 3 hours. I found some 'all natural' ear drops to heal with ear pain. I am not sure if it is working on not.

I can't wait for Monday. I feel horrible that she is hurting as bad as she is. I wish i could wiggle my nose and make her feel better. Last night i tried to sleep in the guest room with her. She didn't sleep well in a strange bed. She was waking up every hour. When she did sleep, she had her foot in my ribcage or he head on my face so i didn't sleep at all either. It was not a good night. We slept till 1130 today, had pancakes with mango for brunch and she is napping again at 130. Fussy would be an under statement.

We are supposed to go on a trip to the pumpkin patch with MOPS tomorrow, but i am not sure if i can make it... depends what time we can go to the doctor and how she is feeling in general.

Teething sucks...

nuf said!

Yesterday, Cailin's nap was abbreviated to say the least. She only napped for about an hour. She woke up crying, and clingy. I thought she was just tired still, but she couldn't fall back asleep. Finally around 5, i thought maybe she was sore, so i gave her some Motrin. It helped... A LOT!!! LOVE THE MOTRIN!!! She woke again at 1130. I gave her some more medicine and gave her some love. She fell back asleep pretty fast. She woke again at 1, 2:230, and 4. Today, she woke at 815 and wanted to gnaw on frozen blueberries. She ate a waffle too... but she wanted to sit in my lap with her head on my shoulder and thumb in mouth all morning. I hate that my beautiful girl hurts so much. I wish I could make her feel better. Thankfully, we only have 6 more teeth to go. 2 bottom canine teeth as well as her 2 year molars.

I guess we are lucky. I know people who say their kids always got sick or something worse when they were teething. Cailin gets fussy, but normally Motrin, Tylenol or both will fix that problem... that is her only teething issue. I am glad... but still sad that she hurts so much.

On a roll

Well, since my first attempt at a quilt seemed to go well so far, i am going to try it again! I'm making another one. It is a tree skirt and the blocks are all triangles and diamonds. I'll take pictures later.

Just Shoot Me

Nest time I make any kind of major decision when I am sick... oiy... just shoot me. I need to have a disclaimer that anything that I might say or do when I am sick is null, void and can not be held against me.

When I am tired, and I mean really tired, I will get a head ache. Not one that a little Tylenol will fix either. It hurts the back of my head. I can't stand to have barrettes, or hair ties in my hair. Lights are too bright. I had one of these headaches around 9:00 Saturday night. Cailin was already asleep, and I was ready to go to sleep. It had rained, so my allergies were acting up as well. To make this wonderful headache even better, I also had a sinus headache on top of the tired headache. WONDERFUL! It was too late to take any kind of allergy medicine and still plan on sleeping that night.

The phone rings. It is the mom of a little girl that I used to babysit. I honestly think this woman is a little flaky, but that's just my non-professional, personal opinion. I can't put my finger on the exact thing, nor can I give any specific reason why I feel this person is flaky, I just do... This mom asks if I was working and if I was still babysitting and trying to start a day care. I told her that i was taking care of a little girl next door and that was about it. She asks if I am able to take care of her girl again just 2 days a week. The other days she is going to be going to pre-school. I tell her sure and then end the conversation so I can go to bed and get rid of my headache.

When I went to bed, I tossed and turned for over an hour trying to fall asleep. It just hurt so much. Since I was up with my head hurting, I was thinking about that dreaded call I just had before going to bed. What did I do? Why did I say I would do this again? I wasn't thrilled last time I did this... why try again? They left me with no notice. I felt stuck at my house because mom didn't like me going anywhere with the daughter. I couldn't even go to the library for story hour. Since I stopped taking care of the daughter, I had more freedom. Cailin and I (and sometimes her friend Natalie) have started going to a play group on Tuesday mornings. I have started going to MOPS at my church on every other Wednesday mornings. I go to lunch (with Cailin and Natalie) the 2nd Thursday of each month with the women's group at church. I enjoy this freedom. I can go be around adults. My daughter is around other kids her age and having a blast. I am not tied down to the house. Why oh why did I agree to do this again?

On Sunday, mom called again to set up days. I told her that I had commitments that I am not willing to give up. (MOPS, and Play group). I also told her that since she left me with no notice, I took another commitment with the Red Cross. I teach CPR/First Aid/AED all for layperson and for professional rescuers. I do not have a set schedule. I teach here and there when they need me. They have priority over babysitting. We agree that I will take the little girl on Thursday and Friday.

Well, Today is D-day. the girl showed up early and played quietly as my girl was still sleeping. About 30 minutes after she arrived, I asked if she would like breakfast. She tells me no. I let her know that we won't be eating till lunch time, so if she was hungry, she needed to eat now. She said no again and let me know she ate at home. I am not going to fix food when they are hungry... I am going to have a schedule, and try to stick with it... at least close to it. Anyway, 40 minutes later, Cailin wakes. I get her dressed and she eats a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. 10 minutes after we finish, the little girl lets me know that she is hungry and wants to eat breakfast. I'm sorry... breakfast time is over. I am not a short order cook... kitchen is closed.

Lunch time rolls around and she tells me she is hungry. I fox 'ole faithful' PB&J for all 3 girls. Cailin and Natalie scarf theirs down as well as each eat 1/3 of an apple. The other little girl (who is starving if you ask her) plays with her sandwich. She ate about 1/4 of it and told me she was done. She is four years old... she can eat more than 1/4 of a sandwich. She wanted to get down and play with the other 2 who had already finished eating. I made her sit and finish eating. Mom called to check and see how things were going and I shared about the breakfast 'issue'. She seemed annoyed that I didn't fix something for her daughter then and there. I did offer a snack of crackers which she passed up, so she couldn't have been too starving.

I called chris and told him that i just had a bad feeling about this in my gut and that i was sorry I agreed to take on watching this girl again. His response: I am not even sure why you said yes in the first place. I thought you were done trying that and especially with this one since you had so much trouble with them before.

WHY DIDN"T YOU TELL ME THIS BEFORE I AGREED? The only reason I said yes is because I didn't want chris to think i wasn't pulling my weight in trying to earn some $. He told me that I didn't ask his opinoin... he's right... I didn't. It's my own fault. I think after tomorrow, i am going to tell the mom that i had a meeting with the red cross and they need me a lot more than I was planning and i am not going to be able to take care of the little girl. She doesn't need to know that i am only teaching 4-5 days a week. Who knows... maybe mom will be annoyed enough at me for not feeding her kid when she demanded and just not come back!!! That would be a blessing!

Thanks... I think...

What do you do? Do you jump for joy that they have helped you? Do you remind them (AGAIN) that bras don't go into the dryer. Chris was so proud of himself for helping me with laundry last week. While I appreaciate his thought, sometimes, it is less work if he doesn't help on some things. Laundry is one of them. I can't tell you how many times I have gone over the fact that my bras and undies are made of different material than any of his clothes and they are not dryer friendly. They are kind of pricy, and if he wants to spend that kind of money on a more regular basis then keep drying them! If he would like to save some money, hang them up and let them air dry. Chris did laundry. This was something that he told me he would rather not ever do. His reasoning is that he can not fold clothes neatly. I tried to tell him that it comes with PRACTICE, but personally, i think it is an excuse to get out of doing it. The last time he helped, he 1. threw EVERYTHING, including bras and undies into the dryer. The clothes that were in the dryer were all work clothes. Instead of hanging them up to keep from getting wrinkled, they are thrown in a pile on the couch. This means that i either have to iron them, hang them up wrinkled, or throw them back into the dryer to tumble again to get the wrinkles out. Sometimes it would be easier if he would just let me do it on my own.

How do you handle something like this? Am I supposed to be grateful that he is 'helping'? Do I ask again about bras in the dryer? Do I remind him that it is harder to fold things when they are in a mound and I have to iron?

This is the down side of that wonderful thing called marriage. If this is truely the worst complaint that I have with my husband, than I am truely blessed! I think that I am lucky to have the husband that I do. I might complane, but in all honesty, I wouldn't trade him for a million bucks!!! He has been there for me more times than I can count... I wouldn't even trade him for a professional laundry person!!!

The worlds best Mom

This past August my mom turned 60. I have to say that she did so very gracefully. I think she is a beautiful person both in looks and in personality.

No one has to question if she is thinking something other than the words coming out of her mouth. My mom will tell you exactly what she thinks of things. I love this trait about her. I don't have to worry about her telling me that something looks nice on me because she doesn't want to hurt my feelings. If it is ugly, she tells me. A lot of times I bite my tongue for fear that I might upset someone. I need to learn to be like mom and just be honest. I think people will respect that even more.

My mom has had an amazing life so far. She might not realize it, but she has accomplished so much in the 60 years she has been around. She found my dad and got married. She was able to help build the very home that she lives in. Personally, I think that is amazing! She managed to have a successful stay-at-home business in a day care so that she could raise two wonderful (at least I think so) kids. My complete unbiased opinion is that she did a great job. I can't speak for Joe, but I know that she raised a confident daughter who is willing to look challenges in the eye and give it a fair shot. She has a daughter who wants to follow in her footsteps and have a successful daycare so she can stay home with her children. She has a daughter who wants to learn to make things (food and crafts) and to share with others... just like she did and still does. She has a daughter who lives halfway across the country and misses her dearly. She taught Joe and I to have values, to love God, to love life itself... not just our life, but any kind of life.... elderly, infants, wildlife... you name it. She taught me my colors, but also to have compassion. She tried to teach me to cook, sew and keep house (although those things are all things that I am still trying to accomplish). After raising us kids and getting us through college and married, Mom was able to work full time again at a bank and then at a daycare where she currently is. She has taken college classes and passed with flying colors even though she was stressed. She helped take care of her Mom during her final days and recently, she has taken on caring for her elderly father-in-law who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

While her birthday was approaching, I thought long and hard of what I could do to give her an appropriate birthday present. I didn't want to give her a picture frame, or another piece of jewelry. I wanted to get her something special. It isn't every day that you turn 60 and have all of these accomplishments behind you. I asked and asked for ideas, but found nothing. Mom told me that all she wanted was for her whole family to be together. We were. Mom, Dad, Pop, Joe and Erin all came to stay at my house. It was a great time. Cailin was old enough to respond to and interact with everyone so much more. We got to go to the zoo, mom got to visit with her sister, so many fun things. We had a cookout, got family pictures, and then cake and ice cream to celebrate. I still felt bad that I didn't have any kind of material gift... then it hit me. I am going to use my 'material' and make my first ever full sized quilt, and make a memory quilt for my mom. It is going to take 28 pictures and i am trying to collect pictures from her childhood till now. I want a picture of her wedding, my wedding, Joe's wedding, Cailin, Mom and her best friend miss rose, some of her brothers and sister, some of her mom.... The hardest part is collecting the pictures. As of right now, i have everything done EXCEPT getting the pictures silk screened and onto the quilt. I have worked for a total of 65 hours on it from cutting out the material, to making the blocks, to putting blocks into strips and strips into a quilt. Here are some pictures so far....

here is the material I picked out. The teal should match the living room, the blue the dining room... the navy has both the teal and blue in it...

Here were my PILES of material that I cut out. There were a total of 870 pieces of material for this thing!!!

These are the squares to make a ribbon looking border

My 9-patch blocks... don't pay attention to the lack of straight lines.

These are the blocks that photos will go on.

here is the body of the quilt before borders.

A close up of a coner. The hearts will be applique'd on the corners, and photos on the large white blocks.

Here is the final produck without pictures, or being quilted.

Midnight Madness

Why is it that when I am tired, my little munchkin decides to be a night owl? Last night I was POOPED. I was working on making one block of my latest project (will post on that later) and then I was going to bed. Just as the clock strikes midnight, well, maybe not actually STRIKE because they are all silent), Cailin wakes up and is crying. I go into her room and try to console her. It works for a few minutes. I put my head on her pillow and was singing quietly to her and rubbing her back. If i picked up my head, she would put it back on the pillow. After about 3 minutes of this, she decides she is done. She picks my head up and pushes me away from her bed. She starts telling me "Dooo" "Dooo". I am not sure how to translate it... it is either Don't, or Go. I haven't figured this part out yet. I tell her night night, give her a kiss and leave the room. Cailin cries hysterically. I give her about 3 minutes and when i realize she isn't going to stop, i go back in. She asks for "wawwles and duice". Okay. We go cook a waffle and i get her a cup of milk. She plays. The monkey goes into the stroller. Pooh bear pushes the stroller. She climbs into the rocker/recliner and rocks her baby. She loves on Socksybaby. The waffles are done and she begins to gnaw on one. I think she took a total of 2 bites. She drank about 1/2 of her juice. I told her that it was night night time and we were going to go back to bed. Mommy was tired. I warm the rest of her milk and take her to bed. She drank the rest of her milk and cried for a short time, but then was asleep in 5 minutes. I'm glad. Where did all this energy come from at MIDNIGHT!!!

Getting started

I have had several people tell me that I should start a blog. I have a tendancy to ramble about a lot of various things, so might as well put it all in one spot. So far, the hardest part has been trying to find a good name for it. I have friends who were able to incorporate their last names into it somehow, but I have one of those names that people look at it and say "Huh?" I wouldn't trade it though. I just celebrated my 5 year anniversary and I am very happy with my marriage. Chris has the ability to be sweet on occasion. He was on friday. Cailin spent the evening with Aunt Mel and Steffanie while Chris and I went to dinner at Outback and then played a round of putt putt. Chris is used to me just goofing around, so he was caught by surprise when I came awefully close to beating him!!! (and HE'S a GOLFER!)

Recently my whole family came to visit. not that they had a whole lot of choice in the matter. I bought Dad, Joe, and Chris tickets to the PGA championship round. Pop was able to come too. It was such a great time, but there are so many details that I think i will give that a post of it's own.

Now there is Cailin. My beautiful little girl. I can't say enough about her. Sometimes I think I say too much and I am sure that people are tired of hearing about her, but OH-WELL... If you don't want to hear, close your ears or don't come around me. She is such a HUGE part of my life and since we are home together all day every day, I have LOTS to share about her. She gets more than one post!! I have a feeling she will take up a lot of this blog, but I don't mind... do you? This little girl is truely amazing. She makes me laugh (alot), makes me cry, makes me have those tug at your heart proud moments, makes me feel so many things that I can't even put into words. To my Beautiful Cailin... I love you.