Snowday

Since I am doing the SAHM thing and Fuller isn't in school, I didn't really pay attention to school and business closings due to the wintery mix last night. I was going about my day like normal when Esther called saying she didn't have to go to work today, could we party?

Our party turned into fun at the aquarium and lunch at our house. It was a good day. I took a few pictures, but they are still on the camera.

Unfortunately the day has turned sour... since it seems all of the members in our family have developed a cold. I'm glad we got out of the house today since we might be a few days before we feel up for it again.

The white stuff

Right now I am listening to the rain pitter patter outside, but earlier I was dazzled by big, chunky white flakes flying through the air and covering everything but the roads and sidewalks.

As quite a few regional bloggers have noted, snow in our area is a big event. The news is covering it with tag team field reporters located on various roadsides around the region. Kids get their 15 seconds of fame when some random reporter pulls out his/ her cue cards filed under "Snow in Chattanooga: Big event, as rare as Big Foot." These questions may be "Do you like snow?" "Think you will have school tomorrow?" or "What do you think about all this white stuff?"

I decided to head out to the store after Fuller went to bed so if the snow is still around in the morning (rumors are it will be icy) we can just bunker down and enjoy the "winter wonderland." I bought one of last gallons of milk on the shelf, not because I think we will be stuck in the house for days, but because Fuller is out.

I really don't mind winter so much when we have excitement like this. It breaks up the monotony of biting cold and bleak landscape. I think I could stand winter for another week. Then I might start staring out the window looking for the first signs of spring and wondering when I can break out the chacos.

Veggie Tales Movie

We took Fuller to see The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything this afternoon. It opened today and I figured Fuller might like to see it after his doctor's appointment. Heck, I wanted to see it.

Fuller enjoys Veggie Tales, ever since we introduced him to silly songs. We gave him some of the Veggie Tales DVDs at Easter and he asks them as much as he does Cars or Nemo.

The movie was a good kids movie, full of music and action. Some witty jokes for the parents to get, and a pretty simple plot line. There may have been some spoofs I am not too sure of because I haven't seen all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies or cared about the Golden Compass, but the movie held its own, even without my knowing about those things.

Fuller's behavior during the movie was excellent and mostly involved. Since he is three and used to mainly watching his movies in our living room, I was happy he sat still in the booster and chomped away on his popcorn. He told us when he had to go to the bathroom, so he gets extra points.

On of the best parts of the movie was the Rock Monster music video at the end. It was a great spoof on Rock Lobster and made me giggle.

It was a good family outing and I'm sure the movie will end up in our DVD library some day.

Happy Birthday Ben!

On Tuesday Fuller and I went to see Esther, Luke, and Ben.

When I mentioned the upcoming jaunt to Fuller ("Do you want to go see Luke?") Fuller wouldn't settle for anything until we were in the car and on our way. Damon said it made sense since Fuller and Luke hadn't seen each other since the car ride to the airport. It had been almost three weeks since they had hung out, so Fuller was ready to see his buddy.

Tuesday also happened to be Ben's birthday. Remember how we all waited breathlessly while Esther spent days and holidays in bed rest? His birthday was sooner than anticipated, and he had a cozy visit in the NICU, but Ben is home and happy with his family now.

We took Ben (and others) some store bought cupcakes to celebrate in a small way on his actual birthday. Fuller picked out the only Spider-Man cupcakes in the store and and he happily gave them to Esther when we arrived. Once we got into the blowing out of the candle, Fuller and Luke each got their own candles to blow out.

What amazed me was Fuller first blowing it out and then taking the candle out of the cupcake and licking the icing off. My amazement turned to horror as Fuller started eating the wax candle. And then I started laughing because Fuller spit it out and knew he had done something yucky.

Ben brother Luke spent quite some time singing the Happy Birthday song and plugging in everyone's names as they came to him. The kid knows birthdays.

We had a good time, even if it was a short visit. Happy Birthday Ben!

Wish granted

My little sister, the one who lives in Florida, was really hoping to see snow while she was here in Ohio. And we are all thrilled the coming of 2008 has fulfilled her wish.

I went to bed at 1 a.m. and it was just cold and windy. To wake up and find the white stuff hugging everything outside was magical. Fuller was thrilled but is content to be inside right now. We will dress him appropriately for some snowy fun later. After I have another cup of coffee.

How is your 2008 shaping up?

2007 was awesome

Fuller fell down the stairs twice today. And at dinner he got so worked up over something silly he tipped over his kiddie table, falling with it to the ground.

I am thankful I am ending 2007 without a trip to the ER for anyone in my family.

I just did a retrospective post on my personal blog, and I have to post here a similar statement: 2007 was awesome for our family.

When I quit my job in January life really turned around. I was able to focus, find a groove, and really got closer to Fuller and Damon in the process. I have tons of good family memories from 2007 from traveling to more moments just being together.

As for accomplishments, we did some more work on our house (the porch!) and Fuller is potty trained. Big accomplishments in my book.

Happy New Year everyone, see you in 2008 when we are making it great!

Christmas past

Tomorrow our extended family will dress in Vieja-approved clothing and attempt once again a family picture. This year we have a three month old little girl to add to the mix. Fuller is usually a pill an angel during the family photo shoot, so it should be interesting.

Fuller's first Christmas we tried several times (over two days) to get a family picture with a Happy Fuller and ended up with this:

When we attempted the same thing in December 2006, all the pictures feature Fuller sitting on his father's shoulders eating a cookie. Just so he would sit still and be quiet.

It's just another fun family tradition and we are all looking forward to it.

Fuller's letter to Santa

It has been stated before- we are not teaching Fuller about Santa. And as mentioned before, I grew up with a notion of a never real Santa, but somehow my parents sneaked in Santa-centric traditions into our Christmas celebrations.

One such tradition is the cookies and milk left by the Christmas tree. (Somewhere along the way we started leaving a beer instead of milk.) With the cookies and milk we also left some sort of letter, and the letter always had a reply on it the next morning.

All in the name of fun, but never of belief of the man with the bag.

This year we played along and gave the letter writing responsibilities to Fuller. He played along well and composed this fun correspondence:

Dear Santa,

You rogue! Borrowing a page from the Devil’s “greatest trick” and making people think you don’t exist was pure genius. We can only marvel at how completely you’ve fooled most of the world. In this modern era of Big Brother, it is truly amazing how anyone, let alone a morbidly obese senior-citizen with a penchant for dressing as a 16th century ponce, can retain such anonymity. Compound this with your annual obsessive compulsion for trespass and unbidden philanthropy and one could even consider you “the bon vivant of spectacle and daring.”

Finding ourselves once more the subjects of your good natured neurosis, we bid you a hardy “Merry Christmas” and wish you continued freedom from governmental oversight and judicial prosecution.

Love,

B. “Fuller” Crumley

BFC:dcc

(Signed, but not read)

and on behalf of:

Damon, Alicia, Austina, Nathaniel, Sarah-Ginny, and Genevieve

Fuller might have employed a ghost writer of some sort.

Merry Christmas

We have been having fun with my family here in cold, cold Ohio.

Fuller fell our first day here, so most of our pictures of him show him sporting this reminder of his face plant. He was playing with my mom's exercise ball, fell off of it, and skinned his nose perfectly on the carpet. And since we were heading upstairs to eat dinner, it made for a really fun dining experience.

Tomorrow is when we will have our Christmas dinner, so we can relax on Christmas morning opening presents for thirteen people. In 2004 we did something similar, eating our big meal a few days early to accommodate family travel. Christmas morning we enjoyed about four hours of opening gifts for 20 or so people. We don't anticipating it taking four hours this year, but we want to be leisurely and enjoy the gift giving (and receiving) experience. And yes, we open one gift at a time in our family.

If I don't get back until the last scrap of wrapping paper has been trashed, then I want to go ahead and extend a Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

And if I do find a few minutes to hang out here, just think of it like an extra Christmas gift!

Musical highlight

Christmas music has always been a big part of family traditions on my side of the family. We always made time to attend church concerts and often my parents would team up to organize local Lessons and Carols services at our various churches.

This made me smile this morning, since it gave me so much music in 3 minutes:

Season opener

Last night, as my dad was driving us from the Columbus Airport to Dayton, OH, Damon said, "The Christmas season has officially begun."

Me: "Whatever, I put up a Christmas corner!"

Damon: "Well I don't have to go to work, so it feels official now."

I guess by that reasoning, it makes sense. We cut the red ribbon on our Christmas season by flying Skybus to Ohio and are settling in for celebration and fun family time with my side of the family.

We are the first of the siblings to arrive, so Fuller has had some concentrated "Gampa Fred" and Vieja time. Tomorrow Aunt Stina arrives to give him even more attention. It might even be better than Christmas.

Tonight we decorate "Fuller's Tree," a small fake tree in the family room that will be covered with the non-delicate and plastic-y ornaments of Christmas past. Mom finished decorating the upstairs tree with red and gold adornments of various shapes, sizes, and textures.

Surrounded by remnants of snow and getting to sit beside the fire makes it really feel like the Christmas season has begun. And it makes me wrinkle my nose and smile.

Things I have spent entirely too much time pondering today

can I fashion a shipping box out of recycled pizza boxes?

should we buck tradition and have Fuller take Pooh Bear to Ohio instead of Curious George? (he seems more attached to the bear than the monkey.)

will Fuller ever cheer up?

why are the people at Wal-Mart rude?

why did I run out of packing tape on the very last package?

why does skybus lay out their boarding passes to take up more than one 8 1/2 by 11 piece of paper?

are zip up boots a silly choice to wear in the airport?

if I am wearing a brown coat, why am I wearing black gloves?

can I feed Fuller Christmas cookies for breakfast?

when should I schedule time to fix my hair today?

should we buy food on the flight? (answer: NO.)

will I be able to fit everything in two suitcases?

this blog entry.

Christmas part 1

This afternoon we had our home Christmas celebration. We ate a lunch of salmon and then spent some time talking to Fuller why we get presents. It wasn't very easy since his eye was on the prize- opening his presents- but eventually he seemed to understand the "Jesus is the reason we get presents" concept.

Damon and I prefer to make strides in helping Fuller understand the religious concept of Christmas instead of confusing him by insisting there is a white bearded toy delivery guy who is real. I grew up with the Santa figure in my life as a "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" kind of thing- we never thought he was real.

Bob said something funny the other day, something along the lines of "why should Santa get all the credit?" And while it was funny, it makes so much sense. Why can't I expect my son to thank me and know how hard his parents worked to make the presents part of Christmas possible? Besides, keeping up lies is too much work. I would prefer to start with the truth and later on explain the myth of Santa as woven through time and folklore. I enjoy a good Santa story (Miracle on 34th Street is one of my top favorite Christmas movies), but I know the truth.

Fuller opened his gifts today, gifts we brought back from Lake Martin. We made sure he knew who each gift was from. Cars and Spider-Man were big on the gift list from relatives, and he got an exciting amount of books (two about trains!).

While it was small, it was meaningful and I hope a great gateway for Fuller to truly understand what happens on December 25th.

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Sunday School starts again

Last week was our first Sunday School class since we abruptly quit last May. Today was our last Sunday School class of the year. We pick up again in January 2008.

We are thrilled to be teaching in the new space. The Sunday School rooms are warm and inviting. They still smell new from the fresh paint. The air is still filled with excitement as the halls are filled with students ready to learn and play. Today, as we arrived surrounded by snow flurries, we were very happy for the new central heat, since for many years past we have been using space heaters, coats, and gloves.

No shivering occurred while we cut out shapes and glued them to make angels.

Fuller's Sunday School experience is going to take some getting used to. He gets distracted by the toys and still prefers the free form play of the nursery. Last week he wouldn't color but this week he left class with two Christmas crafts- an angel and a sheep. I look forward to more Sundays like this, and thank Mrs. W for having the patience to teach Fuller at that time.

I think we are going to have a great Sunday School year in our new building. I'm so happy for the new space.

Making my list

We leave on Tuesday around 4 p.m for the Christmas trip to Ohio. I know I keep saying how much Fuller is looking forward to it, but I have to admit I am getting more and more excited as well. And as my excitement grows, so do my lists.

Tomorrow I have to start making strides toward organizing and packing. Since we are flying Skybus, we want to pack as lightly as possible. Fortunately my little sister and her family will be driving through Chattanooga on their way to Ohio, and they have offered to stop and pick up a few things like larger presents. So, I need a list of things to pack and a list of things to leave to be picked up by SG.

We have to pay $5 per bag for each of us. We plan on checking Fuller's car seat (but don't get charged for it) and I would prefer to keep our baggage to two suitcases and our carry-ons. The flight isn't very long (from Chattanooga to Columbus, direct) so I know we don't need a lot of inflight entertainment for Fuller. My notebook computer comes with me as carry-on, but we really won't need much else. (The flight is less than an hour.) So I need to make a of list of our carry-ons.

And then there are the various projects I need to complete before we leave. A list for that task grows each day, and I hate looking at it.

Making lists and checking them twice... I guess it is that time of year.

Plane jumping and number running

Thursday afternoon Damon IMed me with the idea to go to Finley Stadium and watch the Golden Knights do their practice jump for the game the next day. People were invited to walk on the football field, tour the stadium, and check out the games at First Tennessee Pavilion.

When Damon came home from work, he told Fuller we would go see some people jump out of an airplane. Fuller immediately launched into a monologue of some sort which included paragraphs about getting on a plane and going to Ohio. Since he has been asking everyday to go to Ohio, we were sorry to tell him this was a different plane and it had nothing to do with his ultimate dream of going to Ohio.

Watching the flares light up the sky and the men glide to the earth was as thrilling to Fuller as running around on Davenport field. He liked running on the numbers and tackling Daddy.

Since we didn't get tickets for the actual game, getting to go a day early was a lot of family fun.

We might not live in luxury homes, but we still have a ton of fun.

And the gifts just keep on coming

Back at Thanksgiving I was able to assist my mother-in-law with purchasing our family's gift. We received a membership to the Tennessee Aquarium. I have always wanted one of these, and was so happy she offered to get one for us.

Our new membership cards arrived last Saturday. Tuesday Fuller and I broke it in.

After Fuller's playdate with Luke was given a raincheck, Esther called and asked if we could get together on Tuesday morning since she didn't have to work. I immediately said, "Let's go to the aquarium!" Since Esther's family had a membership as well, it worked out for us to meet and bring along Heather and Jonas.

It took us about two and half hours to make it through both sections of the aquarium. I was the only one who had a camera, but the day was throughly documented.

While portions of the aquarium did give me some vertigo (looking through the thick glass can do that), we still enjoyed watching the kids run around exclaiming over the water life they saw. The penguin exhibit was fun and we even got to see some Santa Scuba Divers giving a presentation in the Secret Reef.

Fuller's favorite part was playing the touch tank of Sturgeons. He, Jonas, and Luke got sufficiently wet splashing while the Sturgeons ate their lunch.

I see this as the gift that keeps on giving. We can go as often as we like, for as long (or short) as we like. We can take friends with us and make it a real outing. Or just a quick trip inside when we visit Daddy for lunch.

Thanks Grandma Linda and Grandpa Albert! Fuller loves it!

This post sponsored by Border Billards, where you can find a pool table light to go with the pool table you might get for Christmas.

PSA: buy your batteries

My friend Deb posted on her blog about batteries and it reminded me of this one tidbit:

When I purchased Fuller's Smart Cycle, I failed to notice or check if the thing needed batteries. Damon was putting it together and got to the "insert size D batteries" and asked me if we had any.

It seemed like a classic parent/Christmas mistake. Getting all excited about a gift and then not being able to use it because of missing batteries.

After speaking ill of the guy who checked us out at Toys R Us (aren't they all supposed to ask if we need batteries?) I checked the battery drawer. We had all kinds of batteries but size D. So we had to steal the D batteries from the Roomba invisible walls.

Learn from us: see what toys/ electronics need batteries and have them on hand before giving your gifts!

I'm in trouble

When I put Fuller down for the evening it was with the promise that tomorrow his friend Luke would be coming to play. And later I got an email from Esther that Luke is ill and we will have to cancel the playdate.

I feel badly for Luke (and Esther!) but I am really feeling badly for Fuller. He will wake up tomorrow and ask when we can see Luke and I will have to break the bad news to him.

Fuller is starting to remember so much. He knows we are going to Ohio some time in the future and asks at least once a day if we are going to "Hi-o?" We had to resort to a calendar with Xs to cross off the days, but it isn't really sinking in.

Damon suggested that just like we give Fuller time outs based on his age (3 minutes) we should tell him about upcoming events in the same way (3 minutes before we leave).

I'm not looking foward to Monday.

Our Christmas Corner

I finally got a few items from the attic (and spent $3 at Wal-Mart) and made a little Christmas corner. I put three table top trees ($1 each at Wal-Mart) on our round table, draped some greenery over the easel, and used one strand of lights on the whole thing. I'll pile the presents under it tomorrow morning.

I think it looks great and Fuller enjoyed it while he was still up. Christmas in one corner works for us this year. When we get to my mom's house we will have the full on Christmas decorating experience.

Next year, we will have our own decorating experience complete with computerized lighting show. Or maybe just a wreath on the front door. I'm still undecided.

We might need to invest in some Cat 5 wire just to make this happen. Thanks for sponsoring this post, Norfolk Wire!

Closed

Yesterday Fuller was better after his attack of the stomach monkeys, so I dragged him around town as a reward. Well, probably not a reward so much (I'm such a funny mommy!), since he decided to become a little twit in each store. And he got worse in each store.

To help lighten his mood, I took him to McDonald's for lunch, with the promise of getting to play on the playground. But first he had to eat. When he finished (and the term "finished" is relative) we got up to go outside and the door was LOCKED. We have had some rain in past few days, but really it wasn't wet out there yesterday afternoon. Cold, yes. Wet? No.

Since it was the afternoon lunch rush I didn't feel like bugging a manager to unlock it, so we left with Fuller in full on disappointment mode.

Fortunately the memory of a 3 year old appears to be the equivalent of a gold fish and he was in a happier mood for the next and final store. (The toy from his happy meal helped keep him occupied.)

Fuller is an awesome kid and I am sorry he didn't get to play on the playground, but here is my confession: I'm kind of glad the playground was closed.

It was cold and while Fuller had his coat, I didn't. And I dreaded the moment I would have to leave with Fuller kicking and screaming, "Slide! Slide!" We were getting close to nap time, and I wanted to just get to the last store, turn in my prescriptions, and get home.

Fuller is an awesome kid and I know I will make it up to him somehow, someday. But sometimes, it ends up about what works for Mommy and yesterday I think the playground being closed was a little blessing.

Today we are homebound (Daddy took Mommy's car to work), so it can be all about Fuller. We don't have a playground in house but we do have trains and playdough.

Family time

Our first Sunday of Advent was a little adventure in parenting.

Since our church doesn't have Little Lambs during the advent season and Fuller is too old to go to nursery, he was in the service for the entire length. And surprisingly, he was very good. There was one outburst during Cal's prologue to the Lord's Supper, but other than that, on the way home we heaped praise onto Fuller for how good he was.

Recently we seem to have found ways to carve out more family time in unexpected ways. We had lunch with Damon at Greenlife, we got to tour the new expansion of the church building, and we just seem to stop and enjoy each other more lately, instead of mingling around the house in our own bubbles.

It's times like these I wish we could freeze. I guess I have to blog it instead.

Coffee maker

I asked for a new coffee maker at Mother's Day. I got it and recently it broke. Fortunately I don't have to look into newcoffee makers to find a replacement, I still have the small four cup coffee maker to use. And I did ask for a new ten cup coffee maker (for when we have company) for Christmas.

Fuller still likes to "help" me make my morning coffee by counting out the scoops or imitating the sound of the coffee grinder. It has become a highlight of my morning. When I can teach Fuller to actually make my coffee, then it will awesome.

Moving day

Damon spent the morning at our church helping with some of the final tasks in the expansion project. Our Sunday School/ Fellowship Hall/ Nursery wing has been under construction since May. Today volunteers from the church showed up to clean, help move our pastor into his office, hang cabinets, and hang other things like clocks, white boards, and bulletin boards.

I took Fuller over so I could capture a little bit in pixel form. I'm afraid the pictures don't really do the excitement justice. The new wing is beautiful and I know our church can't wait to get back into the Sunday School schedule.

Tomorrow there is an Open House during the Sunday School hour, with refreshments, crafts, and just getting to know the new space. We have so much more space now. We even have enough space to add a new Sunday School class- the 2s and 3s. That means Fuller gets to go to Sunday School while we teach in the 1st and 2nd grade class.

Our church is so blessed by the growth we have had and we are blessed to have the means to expand the church in this way. I can't wait to see the wonderful things God has planned for us.

Sleeping patterns, two

Thanks for the advice or the "been through that!" comments on Fuller's recent sleeping issue. I have to admit we are blessed that he still takes a three hour nap in the afternoon. (This varies based on travel.)

Fuller's bed time routine involves teeth brushing, one last potty trip, changing into a pull-up and PJs, singing a few songs, and prayer. Recently he has been asking for a story, so we read as well. When he snuggles into bed, he loves hugging on one of three stuffed animals- Big Bear, "baby" bear (aka Classic Pooh), and Curious George. I have heard of other kids wanting to take all kinds of assorted things to bed with them- books, precious toys, cufflinks, even an empty box. I've wondered if Fuller would take to something similar, like sleeping with his trains or cars.

Even if his slumber is delayed an hour or two, it really isn't the nightmare some parents have had getting their child to sleep through the night. And that is something that helps me sleep at night.

Lunch with Daddy

Half of my day was spent outside the home today. We had a thing at the bank, I had to go get a tetanus shot, and then we all went to lunch. By the time Fuller and I returned to the house, it was almost 2.

These kinds of days are rare and make me feel a bit off kilter. And it isn't like I hate leaving the house, but today's activities were postponed activities (except the shot) so it felt like it was all crammed in and getting in the way.

But the neat thing was the time we got to spend with Damon having lunch as a family. We took off over the river to the new Greenlife and ate lunch from the deli.

When people stop and have lunch together, sometimes I think it is even more special than going out for dinner. You might have projects piled up or tasks waiting for you when you get back to the office, but taking the middle of the day to sit down and eat with others is special. It gives you a solid break but sends a message you really want to spend time with that person. (Maybe someone should do some market research about the difference between lunch out and dinner out with friends or family.)

Our little family had a good time sitting outside on the deck at Greenlife, the sun was warm enough to keep us comfortable. But the company was even better.

Christmas conundrum

Two of our neighbors have put up their outdoor Christmas decorations and once again it leaves me wondering... should we even bother?

If the answer is yes, then I have some work to do tomorrow. If the answer is no, then cool.

When we travel for the holidays, the mood doesn't alway strike for me to set up the tree and decorate. And this year we are leaving earlier than in years past (and staying longer) so it really seems silly to drag it all out. But there is a pile of wrapped presents in the corner that look out of place without a tree all lit up for the season.

It is a conundrum.

Maybe I can find a compromise somehow. Any suggestions?

Happy Birthday Tia

Happy Birthday to Sarah-Ginny! She's my baby sister, Fuller's Tia, and now she is a great mommy to Genevieve.

Let's see, I'm 31 so that makes her 26. Pretty neat. She's in her late twenties now.

We get to see her and her little family for Christmas, so I'm very excited about that.

I am rambling now, but just because I am trying to think of an embarrassing story to tell. Something family friendly.

Well, there was the one time she did some mud wrestling with my other sister, Austina. It's not as sexy as it sounds, guys. My parents were digging a hole for a tree and it was full of water. Dirt, water, and two little girls who wanted to play. I think they were around 6 and 8. And it probably started as something small, sticking their fingers in the mud, and then it grew to something bigger, like full body immersion.

My baby sister is very special to me. And I love being her big sister and passing along my parenting advice in the terms of "we did this, so don't do it." Learn from our mistakes, kid.

Happy Birthday, Sarah-Ginny!

Pretty girl

I took Lively to the groomer yesterday since we want to have a family picture done sometime this week. And yes, a family picture includes the dogs.

We have been shearing Lively ourselves, in the comfort of Fuller's bathroom floor. It isn't an activity she really enjoys and with our limited skill and equipment, it tends to show in the results.

I took her to Petsmart this time, and I think they did a good enough job. I think I asked for too long of a cut, but at least it is all even and her face and paws are cleaned up. And there were two bows in her hair, but one fell out already. But I think she still looks darling. She's my first baby. And I want her to be taken care of, even with a little bit of pampering.

We are still here

We appear to be stuck in a holding pattern, existing on little more than being awake (and really I am not doing it that well). Next week we pack up the car and head to Alabama for a Thanksgiving by the lake. I made the mistake of telling Fuller we would be going to visit Grandpa Albert and Grandma Linda and now he keeps asking to go see them. (He still doesn't get the concept of "next week.")

We wake up, we eat and get dressed, we read, we play, we eat... and we nap. Somehow we make it to 6 o'clock and it is all down hill from there.

We'll get our mojo back... probably after my coffee tomorrow morning.

Early panic

Damon calmly told me last night, "Thanksgiving is next week."

And I uncalmy exlaimed, "What?!?!"

Then my head was cut off and I started running around in a manner befitting a chicken.

Well, not really. It's more like panic gripped my heart and induced confusion and terror.

Why does this happen every year? It is earlier this year, since the first of the month was a Thursday, but now I have even more days to curl into a whimpering ball at the difficulty of finding just the right thing for that one person. And be upset that I didn't go ahead and get that other thing when I knew it would be the right thing.

Vague much?

I'm also trying to figure out how to make the holidays less about stuff and more about love... love for God and his wonderful Gift, love for each other and just being together, love for the simple things. And I guess I thought if I got all the shopping and gift grabbing buying done early I could really concentrate on the real reason for the season.

I'm a bit ashamed of my panic last evening and how I immediately turned my thoughts to what I didn't do. It's time to figure out exactly what I can do. And maybe the vise of panic will loosen its grip.

When mom's away...

Damon and Fuller picked me up from the shuttle drop off around 1 a.m. on Monday morning. I was thrilled to see them, hug them, kiss them, and talk to them face to face.

When we got back to the house we all stayed up for a little while, waiting for Fuller to calm down before putting him back in bed. While we waited (and I fought falling asleep standing up) Damon filled me in on their adventures. Dinners at McDonald's, breakfast at Krystal, and some fun at Craven's House.

After Fuller was in bed, we headed to our own bed for needed shut eye. But Damon kept gushing about all the fun he and Fuller had, from reading to playing computer games.

I'm so glad to be home with my family and I am thrilled my guys had such a great time together without me. Yesterday was my day of rest, so today I turn over my swag bag to Fuller (there's some fun stuff in there) and start light- laundry, shopping, and cleaning. It might carry over through Friday, but I get to start today.

Happy Monday on Tuesday to me!

Oh what a night

Lots of fun for The Man in the Yellow Hat, Damon, a small Tiger, Uncle Peter (aka Calvin), and the rest of us. I know I have been behind in uploading flickr and whatnot, so I put up the pictures for now. I will title, tag, and whatnot everything tomorrow. (click the picture to go to flickr.)

Halloween is here

I have been non-stop since yesterday. I finished painting the porch (pictures later) and then started playing catch up with the stuff that fell to the wayside while I painted. Today I had a doctor's appointment and then off to mom's group.

I am trying to straighten the house before our Halloween visitors come by. Luke and his uncle Peter will be making the neighborhood Trick or Treat rounds with Damon and Fuller around 6:30 this evening. Esther, Peter's wife Janet, Ben and I will be relaxing at home, passing out the candy.

Last year I ended up passing out candy Fuller collected because we ran out of the stuff we bought. So I was pretty nervous buying candy this year. Will it be enough? Will I end up with too much? I figure if I have some left over I can just put it away to give as treats for our Sunday School class.

I have an important question to ask, but before that I think it is important to point out some links as to why I think it is ok to "do" Halloween.

Christians usually fall into one of four camps:
1) they don't do anything in October
2) they have a party at church, usually a celebration of Reformation Day or a Fall party
3) they have a Fall party at church one day and then go trick or treating on the 31st
4) they just go trick or treating.

Our family goes with option four for the fun of getting multiple chances to dress up and get candy. It ends up being completely secular to me. I grew up as a pastor's kid who trick or treated, but wasn't allowed to spend money on costumes. I like how we now make our costumes from thrifting or sewing for ourselves.

For me Halloween is candy and costumes. I don't do the ghosts, witches, or goblins when I decorate. I prefer a generic fall theme complete with candles.

I didn't plan on getting into this, but Rebecca started it. And I wanted to pass her post along because I know a lot of people who read here don't read her (but they should!). The first article she links to is a great read and it was this quote that reasonated with me:

The concept, as dramatized in Christian custom, is quite simple: on October 31, the demonic realm tries one last time to achieve victory, but is banished by the joy of the Kingdom.

Wondergirl posted a great letter her pastor wrote and is also worth a read.

And now for my important question: When your family passes out candy do you put it in the trick or treaters bags or do you let them take it from you?

Picture pages

My sister noticed I put four pictures up on Flickr and then they disappeared. The story behind that is I am behind on posting pictures (we have been busy and have pictures to prove it!) and when I started to upload them on Saturday, it interfered with the internet broadcast of the Auburn game. So I canceled the upload and didn't do anything until today.

I have more pictures to upload, and I need to title and tag the ones I did today.

Unfortunately, until I finish the front porch, you may just have to wait.

Busy and fun

Busy day today.

I have My Family Dinners this morning. While I am spending about 3 hours to myself preparing next month's meals, Damon will be working on Fuller's costume for the Fall Costume Party this afternoon. And Fuller will be doing his best to build the best block tower ever.

Then there is the fun of the party. Seeing other kids' costumes, playing games, hanging out with other adults and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. So much fun!

What does your Saturday hold for you?

My keys and I are not on speaking terms

It has been an "off" week for me. I blame my lack of scheduling at the beginning of the week. I couldn't remember what day it was today and when I finally decided it was Friday I was disappointed to learn it was actually Thursday.

My out of kilter body/ mind disconnect reached comedic proportions today when Fuller and I returned from a trip to the thrift store. I was going to unlock the back door and somehow my keys slipped from my fingers.

Within a nanosecond my keys fell in the space between the back door and our concrete block step. This space is about a quarter of an inch wide. No way could my hand fit in there to grab the keys. To make the ordeal even more fun, Fuller had to go potty.

(I got us into the house, but I'm not going to publicly share how.)

I tried a few different tools, but the what finally worked was using some wire to slide into the ring and carefully pull upward through the crack.

If my keys were my teenage son, they would be so grounded.

Taking care of family

This afternoon I went online and purchased the dogs' flea & tick medicine AND their heartworm medicine. I'm a little proud of myself because we are still keeping our promise to keep up with the dogs heartworm pills.

I don't really need healthcare management software for the dogs, I just have to stop being lazy and actually order the medicine. I was motivated this time because I knew I could get a good deal on PetCare RX. And since I went through both ebates and couponchief I was able to get a better deal.

Next time we take the dogs to the vet we can be honest and say we have been keeping up with their medicine!

Opening of the 2007 Fall Season

Last week we got organized and opened the 2007 Fall Season of Evenings Around the Fire Pit. We rearranged the patio furniture, Damon chopped/ spilt wood (I purchased a wood-splitting wedge for this purpose), marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers procurred, and we found the extra long cable so we could watch football outside.

I even bought telescoping roasting sticks for the marshmallows, to replace the dinky ones from last season. I think the marshmallows keep Fuller happier than if we had popcorn machines at his beck and call, since that is his favorite food.

Damon mentioned how we do this more often in Fall than in Spring. I decided it is because it gets darker earlier so we get to enjoy it with the boy more before he dissolved and must be whisked to bed. Also when the weather is cooler something awakens in our souls begging to sit around the dancing flames and absorbing smoke particles into every centimeter of our clothing and hair. Spring doesn't necessarily lend itself to this soul begging because the air is getting warmer and who wants to sit around a fire pit and be sweating?

Last Sunday we had some friends over to make s'mores and it was a fun time of fellowship and chocolate. Damon got to share his marshmallow roasting tips (constantly turn the marshmallow over the coals, not the flame) and we talked about everything from football to homeschooling.

I'm looking forward to see what other fun develops around the flames this Fall.

Tricks people play

The fun never stops around here.

Yesterday morning I was drinking my morning coffee when I felt something not liquid in my mouth. When I fished it out, it was part of a dead bug. I was so grossed out I couldn't bring myself to make another cup.

Later I finished loading the dishwasher and ran it. When it was finished I went to unload the dishes and realized on of the items on the top rack was an empty coke can. I giggled and wondered how much I needed that morning coffee if I was loading our recyclables into the dishwasher.

Later I told Damon about my morning. He was equally grossed out by the bug (though he also thinks coffee is gross as well) but laughed heartily when I told him about the coke can. Apparently he put the can in the dishwasher the night before to see if I noticed!

I still think I should have had more coffee.

Monday is great...

When you had a great weekend!

My sisters both came into town. Sarah-Ginny, Nat, and Genevieve drove up from Florida for Nat's cousin's wedding. Austina drove up to get some quality time with her favorite nephew and niece. So by association, I got to hang out with both my sisters.

We had a lovely brunch at IHOP with Fuller and Genvieve. Fuller received some gifts while Genevieve slept soundly. We all ate well and then went to Starbucks to get the nasty taste of of IHOP coffee out of our mouths.

It was fun to hang out with them and hard to see them go. I really wish they all lived closer, so we could get together more often. But we will have Christmas this year. We can all have a cuppa and giggle about Christmases past.

Trying to find the track

I have a schedule posted on our magnet board in the kitchen. My schedule for the day included running the roomba in both the living room and the kitchen. Mom's group was at 10 am. And I should have worked on priming the front porch some more. Also, dinner was to be the last of the Citrus Chicken.

Instead I went to Wal-Mart (our cupboards were bare, ya'll!), tried to comfort a child in pain, made an appointment with the doctor, took Fuller to the doctor, made Calzones, and spent 30 minutes in CVS waiting for two bottles of amoxicillen. And in the interest of disclosure, I did some online shopping for myself.

We have been back from our weekend away since Sunday night and just don't seem to be back on track. I caught an acute case of the lazies and crippling exhaustion after doing 10 loads of laundry on Monday. I might need drug rehabs for all the coffee I have drunk in the last three days. Fuller has been on and off ill since last Tuesday when he threw up and today he was in a lot of pain from an ear infection. And the state of the clutter in my house is making me want to throw everything into storage bins and ship them to an offsite location.

I'm hoping tomorrow I can wake up refreshed and knock out some items on today's list as well as tomorrow's.

Pachelbel Bedtime

Back to regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow. Until then, sleep well. Fuller is... and so soon will I.

Short week

This Thursday Fuller and I are packing up and heading down to Auburn to visit with my grandmother for a bit. Then Friday afternoon my inlaws will pick us up and take us to spend the rest of the weekend at the lake.

Since we are leaving on Thursday, I feel as though I have a three day work week and a lot to complete in just the three days.

But, in all the busyness, Fuller just goes with the flow.

His birthday is Friday, so we are trying to prepare him for all the upcoming stuff. We told him we would be visiting Grandma Great! And Albert! And Nick! You will be three! And we will see Linda! Vicki! Vivian! Olivia! And... the list goes on.

It is testament to his maturity that he now remembers the upcoming events in the waking hours of the day. Obviously stuff we told him on Sunday is sticking because the first words out of his mouth on Monday were, "We go Albert? We go Great? We go lake? Please?"

So now we work on the days of the week. Then he can learn the art of the countdown. The anticipation can be as exciting as actually packing and going.

What she needs is an "Are you there God, It's Me Margaret" but for superheroes

So says Damon as he watches tonights episode of Heroes.

Damon and I may pick at each other and not always jive with our own unique ways of doing things, but it is fun to sit and watch TV with him. He comes up with gems of editorial content and I laugh through most of the evenings we spend together.

It isn't for everyone, watching TV with Damon. A lot of people like to sit and watch the show, follow the plot line, or actually hear the dialogue. And some people might be offended by some of his observations or requests of the magic box. Example: on Saturday we were watching football and as Alabama was losing, Damon asked some unseen producer or cameraman to "Show me a crying child!" while laughing maniacally. Alabama losing was such a joy for him and delighting in other people's sadness made it even sweeter.

When watched the Auburn game and I told him I would be taping him the next time we watched a game. I just need a better way to get down his comments. Because they make me giggle and I think someone might find them funny as well.

Luke turns two

Luke turned two last Tuesday so we celebrated with his family on Monday evening. I remember when I got the voicemail from Esther announcing Luke's arrival. Hard to believe it was two years ago.

I'm glad for friends like the Wilhelms and I am excited for Luke and Fuller to be good buddies at this point in their lives. It tickles me to hear Fuller ask to play with Luke and get super excited when I tell him Luke will be coming here. And just the mere mention of Luke is enough to bribe Fuller to complete chores.

"Luke's coming over! Pick up your blocks!"

"Wanna go see Luke? Put away your cars!"

Both phrases are said in a sing song voice and all tasks are completed in under five minutes. Five happy, non-whiney minutes.

Happy Birthday to Luke!

Break over

I didn't mean to take the break from the blog.. but somehow I did.

We had a busy week of chores, a visit from my mom, a birthday party for Luke, a 4 a.m. puke fest for me, Mom's Group, a visit with a family friend, a My Family Dinners session, and an attempt at shoe shopping. I also used my hands this week to complete a crochet project and since I was using my crochet hook, I couldn't really type.

Right now we (Damon and I) are watching Auburn play Florida. It just started, so we are still maintaining some hope.

Memory Walk pictures

On Saturday I walked over 3 miles to help raise funds for the local Alzheimer's Association. I really enjoyed myself and the whole experience was a good one. There was one hiccup, I registered online and when I went to sign in, they didn't have the list of people who signed up online. Oh well. They believed me when I said I had raised over $100, which got me the free t-shirt.

My goal is $250. I have had $155 in donations (thank you!) so if you are inclined to donate, go ahead! I think I have through this week to finish raising funds.

The walk was very festive. It was my first time doing something like this, so I wasn't sure what to expect. There were lots of people and lots of organization. To warm up, the local Jazzercise folks did about 10 minutes of moving and stretching. There was plenty of swag from local sponsors, and door prizes (that I didn't win).

I love walking (no hoodia patch for me!) and the 3 miles was really nothing since I walk that often. I look forward to next year.

More pictures here.

A list a day

We have a busy week ahead of us, starting with a birthday party tomorrow evening and ending with another session at My Family Dinners on Saturday.

I feel as though I have hit a stride with keeping the home life organized and not too overwhelming. Of course whenever we start the bedroom/ bathroom remodel that could all change. I guess I am glad I am putting into place certain organizational skills for myself now so I can keep a sense of peace when the dust starts to fly.

I imagine even people in drug rehabs learn some skills to keep their inner peace. Mine happens to be keeping lists and realizing there are some things I can't control. (And I get more done when I wear an apron.)

I'm almost ready for tomorrow. I have to go make my list now.

Memory Walk today

Today is the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association. I leave in about ten minutes for registration at Coolidge Park.

I had to reduce my from $500 to $250 because I didn't get to spend as much time fund raising as I needed. But I still need money. If you want to donate, you are welcome to.

Thanks!

Lovely stuff

I came to the realization yesterday that I have hit my stride in finding the balance of being a stay at home mom. Yes, there is a balance which needs to be maintained even if I am not leaving the house everyday to go to "work." My work is my home life and it has made me a bit giddy to feel like I'm getting it done and not falling behind.

Yesterday was a really busy day and I was at the computer for less than an hour, which is a big deal for me. But I got so much done, for the house, for the family, and for me, so when I went to bed, I felt accomplished.

A few of my favorite things help me with getting it all done: my roomba, my weekly schedule/ chore list, and My Family Dinners. And in honor of my favorite things, I share this:

Lovely stuff.

Messy stash

I guess I should mention that with all the crafting going on, there hasn't been much crochet. My stuff got to be a mess and I got really discouraged with all the unfinished projects that I just put it all to the side and ignored it for a long while.

My sister-in-law nicely requested something from Aunt Alli for Olivia, but I have yet to produce anything for her mainly because I just get so frustrated. The baby hats never fit the first time (and Olivia is too big for a hat now) and I get bored making the blankets.

And now I have a new niece and I am stuck in a quandry. Do I make her a gift or just head out to the store and get a gund?

I guess what is really keeping me from moving on any of this is the organization part- my crochet stash and projects are a mess. Once I can get that dealt with, I can move on to actually creating something. Which is unfortunate since the first Knit Wits of the school year meets this Thursday. I guess I got to get in gear.

Inspiration

Damon rented an XBox game this week and he has been playing it off and on for a few days. Today I have been hearing snippets of the game and I have decided to incorporate the following phrases into my lexicon in order to advise my husband of my current abilities:

"I'm running out of health."

"I need more energy to do that."

"I need help!"

"I don't have enough power."

And in the category of things I never thought I would hear my husband say:

"It's gonna be a while, I need to kill this monster."

Holding pattern

Ever since I paid off my fees to our Library, I have been enjoying logging into the website, putting books on hold and just walking to our local branch to pick them up.

Except, that really only works when you remember what books you put on hold.

Last week I purchased The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner. That evening I got an email from the library that The Guy Not Taken was available for me to pick up at my local branch.

I am still waiting on Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver to be available for me to pick up. I had forgotten I put that on hold, but am glad I remembered because I was about to head to McKay's and look for it there.

Who does she look like?

Well, as pictures of the new baby niece are paraded to the world, the question of who she looks like has been brought up.

A non-relative said she looks "McFarland" which is my side of the family. My mom said she looks like Fuller. Evie's other grandmother said she looks like me.

So I spent some time tonight looking at old baby pictures of Fuller (awwwww!) and the new pictures of Evie. We don't have a lot of pictures from his first day and the ones we do have are at some odd angles, so it was difficult to really compare. Looking at the many pictures of them each sleeping I can see Fuller in there. But as you can see, I morphed them and it is still hard to tell.

I used the free trial of the Morpheus Photo-Morpher to make the animated gif. It is a new product from Zoombli and it was really easy to use to fool around with the pictures. I plan on using it again to make a morph of Fuller for his third birthday (which is a month from today).

First I tried to make the pictures as similar as possible- edited them to be the same size. And then I just uploaded the pictures to the photo morper. I changed the options of how long it took to morph and had it hold for 5 frames on the first photo and the second. It think it looks pretty neat.

So, check carefully and tell me if you see hints of Fuller when you look at Evie?

Labor Day without Labor

Hudson BBQ 8.1.07 050
Originally uploaded by osbo1954.

Our cool cave

Yesterday the Chattanooga temperature topped off at 105. I am scared to go outside due to the melting factor.

Yes we have air conditioning, but we don't want to run up a huge bill, so we try to take extra measures by pulling down all the shades. And this gives our house the look and feel of a dark, cool cave.

When I worked, I remember how chilly the building would be and the sweater I kept at my desk for days when it was just too cold. Some of my coworkers sat at their office desks with personal heaters or blankets to keep the chill away.

It is different being at home fulltime and the temperature is just one small thing to remind me of that. I prefer the cool darkness of our cave, because it is here that I get to play with Fuller and take care of our house. It is where I belong and feel comfortable. And it reminds me that this was a good choice.

Keeping promises

Tonight D and I spent time grooming the dogs. Lively got shaved, washed, shaved some more, and then her monthly flea treatment. Maple got a bath and her monthly flea treatment. They both received their monthly heartworm preventative, which I am glad to say we have remembered to give them every month since we took them to the vet in May.

Fuller is doing well with his jobs of taking care of the dogs too- he is feeding them everyday with less of our help. It makes me feel good to see him contributing to the family in this way.

I just can't wait until he is old enough to groom Lively himself.

Sometimes it makes them hyperactive

Fuller's rash faded in some areas and spread into others. When we got into the car this afternoon his nose looked normal, but by the time we reached the Atlanta bypass his nose resembled Rudolph's. Some redness faded to welts and bumps.

Somewhere during the trip Fuller started coughing and I have to admit the thought of his little throat being affected by the hives crossed my mind. I worried we would be in need of a portable oxygen concentrator or something after a hurried call to 911.

Instead a Sprite from McDonald's helped.

We got Benedryl at the local Rite Aid. I needed to know the dosage, so I stopped at the pharmacist's desk and opened with the phrase "I'm in from out of town..." and shoved Fuller in front of me so the pharmacist could take pity on us. We got the dosage and a free dropper. Score!

Now it is almost 9 p.m. and the Benedryl was administered at 7. Fuller has been bouncing off the walls. Nevermind the fact that he conked out in the stroller when we took an evening walk. I guess instead of helping him fall asleep in comfort, the medicine took the opposite affect and made him really happy to be here.

Maybe he will sleep through the night now, when he finally hits the hay.

Happy Birthday Esther!

Last night we dropped Fuller off at a friend's and went to Kanpai to celebrate Esther's birthday. It was a surprise and I think she was pretty surprised. And the food was very yummy, so in all it was a very fun evening.

Esther is a great friend and I have been enjoying hanging out with her more. Heather has started volleyball season, so getting to visit with her was a fun treat too. We might not see her again until January!

Good friends, good fun. What a great way to spend an evening.

Not my plan, 2

Damon and I were chatting last night and he pointed out another interesting part of how our day turned out on Tuesday.

Marylu invited us to dinner, but about 20 minutes before we left, the power in our house went out (it also went out in our neighbor's house, it wasn't just us). So if we had been at home, we wouldn't have been able to cook dinner until a while later. We got to hang out with friends and sit in an air conditioned house, eating and enjoying each other's company.

Also, God knew I didn't want to cook that night.

Today is the third Wednesday of the month

Grrrr.... I am so mad at myself right now. I completely forgot that today was our scheduled day for recycling curb side pick up. I thought it was next week... I checked the calendar and see the culprit is the first day of the month was Wednesday which makes today the third Wednesday of the month, therefore it is our day for pick up.

So I guess we will have an unplanned field trip to the recycling center tomorrow. We are overflowing with cans and cardboard, I can't keep up with it for another day, let alone a month.

Time to update my calendar to remind me of our recycling days.

Not my plan

When I woke up this morning, I knew there was one thing Fuller and I would be doing. But now, at the end of the day, I am just surprised at what we did do and how much fun we had.

I knew we would be showing off our roomba to another family who might want to join the iRobot cult. While we were there, the mom reminded me that story hour at a local church was starting, so we joined them for story time.

And then this afternoon we got an invitation to have dinner at Marylu's. She made manicotti for an army, so she invited several families over. It was good fun, we got to hang out with folks we don't normally hang out with, and she got some manual labor out of the guys (moving a bookcase).

If I might get philosophical about this for a moment, it reminds me how only God knows how our lives will turn out. I never thought that I would be 30, with only one child, and just now getting my feet wet at being a stay at home mom. But God knows the plans He has for us, and I have to trust that in the end it will all be for His glory and His will.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. " Jeremiah 29:11

Summer's over?

Today is the first day of school for kids in our county. It is difficult for me to wrap my head around because it seems that the summer just got started. Maybe it is just the heat talking, but really... where did summer go?

I guess I am ready for a change of pace. And if other families are being pushed into a routine bound by the school calendar, then this seems to be as good a time as any.

I have been trying to think more deliberately about intentional learning opportunities for Fuller. I want to be more focused on certain skills that come from coloring (a basis for writing and learning colors) and building (counting and patterns), since Fuller seems to be into that right now.

Since Fuller is only two, I don't think it is important that I design any formal curriculum, but I do plan on going back to the rule of six to help me shape our way.

New mixer

My mom is going to be in Georgia visiting my sister next weekend. I was going to go visit, but now I am not. Which means I have to wait just a little bit longer to get my new Kitchen Aid Mixer from her.

Kitchen Aid Mixers are made in Greenville, Ohio, near where she lives. They have a yearly sidewalk sale and she got my sisters, my grandmother, and me artesian mixers. And with the sale they were giving away some accessories. She got us a meat grinder!

My mom is always keeping our kitchens well stocked. She got us all our cookware set from Germany, and I love it dearly.

And I know I am going to love my mixer when it gets here.

Just keep watching

Damon and I just finished watching Saw III... Damon's mini review is that the movies are losing their edge. I was totally grossed out at the end. But I guess I am now eager to see Jigsaw IV to see how the life insurance no examissue gets resolved. Since it involves a kid, my heart is wrenched a little bit.

Still a loser!

I have been feeling pretty good about joining weight watchers two weeks ago. It has been really easy for me to track my eating habits using their points budgeting software. It allows me to watch what I eat and how much activity I participate in. And the good news is I keep losing weight!

I have a feeling though that I need to stop buying ice cream, even the low fat kind, because there are just some really weak moments in my days and it is just too easy to reach for it. If it isn't there, then I can't have it. Simple.

Just staying motivated. And watching the numbers go down really motivates me.

Happy Birthdy McMom

Today has been my mom's birthday! I called her around 9:30 and when I started singing "Happy Birthday" she said, "Oh I forgot!"

She forgot it was her birthday! She said she remembered yesterday but then this morning she just didn't think about it. I guess that is what happens when life is really busy and you just don't have time to think about getting another year older.

Tomorrow my dad leaves to move to Texas and start his new assignment. Mom is going to stay in Ohio until the house sells. Well, except for the month she will be in Flordia helping with the new grandbaby. (That is when the realtor earns her money and goes in to turn the a/c on before the house shows or something.)

Mom has been busy keeping the house clean, getting Daddy packed for his relocation, and getting a dead tree removed from their yard.

Happy Birthday Momma! I hope you don't forget it next year!

I called 911 tonight...

to report a brush/ grass fire!

Fuller and I went downtown to visit with Damon at work. We all had dinner together and then D was back to the grind stone. On the way back I took 27 South and at the split there were two instances of grass fires on the side of the road. They were getting a bit bigger... so I pulled over a safe distance from the fire, put on my hazards, and called 911.

The Chattanooga 911 operator (who answered Chattanooga Police) said thank you and "they" were already on their way. So I hung up and drove home, only to be passed by St. Elmo firetrucks speeding along with their lights and sirens going full blast.

I've never had to call 911 before (though I have called the police). I guess my garden of life just grew a bit more!

Homeschool for free

The school year has already begun for a lot of families. The back to school sales are winding down, with Halloween decorations taking shelf space from the scissors, glue, and loose leaf paper.

I was a little wistful of all the parents buying the notebooks and pens for their kids, knowing that it would be at least two years before the real formal need for those things begin. But the other day I while in Wal-Mart I picked up a set of wipe-off writing strips for use later in the year when we attempt writing skills. (At this moment we are working on building skills and patterns. Blocks are awesome teaching tools.)

We didn't bother going to this year's homeschool curriculum fair because I figure anything I need at this early of a stage I can get online. Probably for free.

Which leads me to this anouncement: there is now free core curriculum courses available for Kindergarten to grade 12 online at K12FreeHomeschool.org.

The founder of K12 is Mimi Rothschild Mandel, who I first had contact with when she left a comment on my Chattanooga blog. She is also the founder of Morning Star Academy and an author of several books on education. Since she is involved with this free home school program, I knew I had to give it a look.

The K12 Free Homeschool program works by combining online and offline resources (depending on the course) for through coverage of the subject. The curriculum is faith based and designed for all kinds of students who have the need or desire to be home schooled. You can get a good look at what they have to offer on their online home school program tour or see a sample lesson.

To off set costs of the curriculum, parents agree to participate in answering questions, completing surveys and offers from K12 Free Home Shool corporate sponsors. They have limited space available, so check them out soon.

Press Release:

K-12 Online Academy Launches and Offers Landmark Free Courses

Summary: K12FreeHomeschool.org, the first private k-12 online school with tuition-free core courses, is ready to open its’ doors this school year.

Keywords: ONLINE HOME SCHOOLING, HOME SCHOOL, HOME SCHOOLING, HOME SCHOOLING ACADEMY, LEARNING BY GRACE, HOME SCHOOL STUDENTS, HOME SCHOOL TEACHING, HOME SCHOOLING SOFTWARE, THE GRACE ACADEMY, THE JUBILEE ACADEMY, THE MORNINGSTAR ACADEMY, HOME SCHOOLING CURRICULUM, CHRISTIAN CURRICULUM, INTERNET SCHOOLING, CHRISTIAN ONLINE SCHOOLING, VIRTUAL SCHOOLS, FREE HOMESCHOOL, K-12 HOMESCHOOL, K-12 SCHOOL, K12FREEHOMESCHOOL.ORG

Philadelphia, PA –- This week’s release of K12FreeHomeschool.org represents the much anticipated opening of the first tuition-free online academy core curriculum for K-12 grade homeschoolers. The new, first-of-it’s-kind online model for Christian Homeschoolers is supported primarily by outside corporate, non-profit and educational funding instead of the traditional “paid tuition” model.

“Nothing like this has ever been done before,” says Mimi Rothschild, a veteran homeschooling parent and CEO of Learning By Grace, Inc., managers of K12FreeHomeschool.org. “Our mission is to deliver world-class educations to our students and give every family, no matter what their financial situation may be, a great opportunity at providing their children with a quality education.”

The launch comes at a time when many parents are tired of the failing public school system, but don’t have the money to send their children to a traditional private schools which, because of soaring tuition costs, are reserved for the wealthy.

“I understand that parents don’t want their children growing up in sub-standard and sometimes dangerous public schools. I also understand how much work homeschooling takes, I should know because I’m a homeschooling mom. K12 Free Home School takes the pressure of homeschooling off parents and is also incredibly affordable,” says Rothschild.

K12FreeHomeschool.org is nationally accredited and offers tuition-free courses, which include materials at little or no extra cost, and optional elective courses, which are offered at a 50 to 75 percent grant reduction.

K12FreeHomeschool.org also enables parents to customize their child’s education to best fit their child’s learning styles. This approach to education is a breath of fresh air when comparing it to public schools’ approach of one-size fits all curriculums. K12 students excel in the relaxed environment of their homeschool and have the ability to go at their own pace.

“It’s the 21st century and it’s time we starting using 21st century technology to benefit our children’s education. Each child learns in their own unique way, therefore each child should receive an education that caters to their needs. With the technology we have at our fingertips, there is no excuse for not giving each child in America an individualized world-class education,” says Rothschild.

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Monday to do

I am feeling a lot better this morning. I napped quite a bit yesterday, which lead to my being up late. But Damon and I watched Goodfellas, so it isn't like I didn't have anything to do.

I just sent Damon off to work in my car, so today will be a car free day. I try to do car free at least once a week. It forces me to stay home and deal with stuff here, and it saves some gas for our family.

Now, if I could just remember everything I have to do, that would be the first step to getting started. Maybe I should be like my friend Cass and list it all out:

Deal with kitchen cabinet
Call the Little Gym
Roomba LR and Kitchen
Organize my side of the bedroom
Have more coffee!

Hangover

I suffer from migraines. I haven't had many recently, but yesterday something didn't go right and set off the worst headache of my life. When you take medicine for a headache, there is usually a warning on the label to go to the hospital if it is the worst headache of your life.

I was seconds away from telling Damon he needed to take me to the hospital when relief came in the form of throwing up. It seems strange, but true. After I was sick, the pain dropped about two or three notches, allowing me to go to sleep.

And as one of my friends told me, today I have a migraine hangover. My left eye is twitching and I can feel what I call residual pain behind my eyes.

This really sucks because yesterday morning I had such a good time. Fuller and I went to see the Dragon Boat races. And in the early afternoon I went to a Tupperware party. So to have such a good time just washed away by so much pain, it seems unfair.

Lazy days

We have had a rather lazy week (except for a very busy Monday that just turned out that way). So today I took Fuller to see the Choo-Choo.

The month of August is nicely empty of schedules and "to-dos." Mom's group is on hiatus while families get their lives organized after the lazy days of summer. The movies at Hamilton Place are done. And my friend Esther has gone back to work for the school year (Walker County Schools starts today!).

I've been a bit selfish with my time lately, wanting to be a bit more alone or just hibernate in my house. When my friend Esther came over on Monday, I was glad for the company, but even more glad that I didn't have to leave the house for it. I don't know why, but I just want to be for a little while. And it looks like August is going to let me do that... unless we sign up for Kindermusik again.

Walk for movies

I have been watching a lot of movies lately (thanks to the Blockbuster All Access Pass) and in trade for the the time I sit on my butt, I have been walking to the Blockbuster down the street to return and check out the next movie.

The round trip walk is about 2.5 miles. I know this because of the google pedometer site. It lets me map out the route I took (and I don't have to stick to the streets) and then tells me about how far the route is.

For the heck of it, I mapped out the route I walked when I did newspaper delivery in Plattsburgh, NY. It says it is just over a mile, but I don't remember it that way. And when it snowed, it definitely didn't feel like just over a mile.

Anyway, the walking and joining Weight Watchers last Friday (online only) has already lost me 5 pounds. I guess I need to get more movies!

Celtic Salsa

One of the recent movies I have watched is Driving Lessons. It interested me because Rupert Grint (Ron from the Harry Potter films) is the lead, and the elderly woman he has a job with is Julie Walters. Julie plays Mrs. Weasley in the Harry Potter films.

I really like the Mrs. Weasley character in both the books and the films. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more Mrs. Weasley in the last film. She has such a big heart for all the children- even those who are not her own.

The dynamic of Rupert Grint and Julie Waters in Driving Lessons is not at all mother and son... it is a bit funny to see Ron holding back Mrs. Weasley's hair while she pukes. Julie Water's portrayal of an elderly actress is really amusing.

When Rupert (Ben) goes to the club in Edinburgh, the closed captioning tells the viewer that the music is "Celtic Salsa." I want to know where I can get a CD of Celtic Salsa. It was quite fun to listen to and see Rupert dance. A lot of the soundtrack is Sufjan Stevens, which gives the movie a homey feeling.

The only downside of the movie is Laura Linney. She seems to think that to have a British accent, you just speak quietly. She is also a bit creepy as the mother.

But that aside, I enjoyed the movie.

An HP day

Yesterday was a Harry Potter kind of day. I spent most of the day reading and took a break in the evening to go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with Damon.

I finished the book around 11:30 last night and I have to say, without giving anything away, I was impressed. Like so many others, I am sad that the story is over, but glad that when the time comes, Fuller will have all seven of the books to read.

Yes, I am a Harry Potter fan

I have never been one for Harry Potter mania. I don't stand in line for the books, I don't read them in one night, and I don't put a countdown counter on the sidebar of my blog. Yet for this book release I did two things: pre-paid for the book and got a babysitter so D and I can go to a Harry Potter party downtown.

I am planning on taking pictures and blogging about it for the Chattanooga blog, but at the same time it is a neat little date for Damon and me. We are going to the independent bookseller downtown, so the party might be a little more intimate than the possible mob scenes at B&N and BAM.

I don't plan on reading it all tonight and don't know if I will actually read any of it until Sunday afternoon, but I do look forward to seeing how the series ends. I'm a bit sad about it, but know that it is coming. Damon keeps trying to tell me spoilers, but I told him not to, I want to wait until I read it for myself.

And now, I am off to pick up the babysitter. I wonder if Fuller will even know we are gone?

I cried twice today

The baby tooth has been extracted and is currently in a blue box in my purse. I asked the dentist if I could have it, with the good intentions of posting a picture of it here. But when I actually saw the tooth, I got a bit squicked out and decided against it.

I will be keeping it so they can place it in Future President Fuller Crumley's Presidental Library. It will go in the wing called "He got to be President, despite his parents." The tooth will be placed next to Damon's Auburn Elvis costume.

The crying didn't take place in the dentist's office, but in Damon's office. I just felt a bit overwhelmed and strange with the new gaping hole in my mouth. (I was also grateful that the entire visit cost under $50, so there was no discussion about possilbe student loan consolidation to pay for the bill.)

In the afternoon I lounged on the couch while awash in Tylenol 3. Fuller was taking a nap and I was watching Bridge to Terabithia. Which is why I cried the second time.

I have read the book so many times that I knew what was coming (and yes, I cried when I read the book) but I still cried. Maybe the codeine in my system made me extra sensitive, but the tears were flowing.

Tomorrow I should be back on track, ready to do some laundry and keep on keeping on. All with a gaping hole in my mouth.

A toothy situation

Tomorrow I have to go to the dentist to have a tooth pulled. It is one of my remaining baby teeth (I have four) and it has to come out because there is a hole in it. When I have allergy or sinus attacks I get incredible toothaches, so no tooth there will be better than what I am currently going through.

I am not really excited about this for two reasons- the pain and the future.

The pain associated with having any dentistry done on my mouth just makes me want to pick up the phone and cancel my appointment. The numbing part really makes me nervous.

And the future plans for my mouth make me irritable because I just don't know what is going to happen. In two months I have to go back and they will tell me if I need a bridge for that part of my mouth. I might not need anything (cross your fingers!), so I might be worried for nothing.

But here it is, the night before the procedure and I am wishing to be anywhere (maybe a vacation home rental) but here right now. Let's just hope there isn't too much blood.

Schlepping has its rewards

My day included schlepping from store to store looking for shoes to wear to the wedding this weekend. Both Fuller and I needed shoes, but I would have preferred to do the shopping by myself. We covered a lot of real estate this afternoon- Kohl's, Goody's, Target, The Avenue, and finally Wal-Mart.

I got my shoes at The Avenue (Cloudwalkers!) and Fuller got his at Wal-Mart. I was a bit peeved at the lack of "dress" shoes for kids his size. Sneakers with Thomas the Tank Engine and Spider-Man are all over the place. But plain black lace-ups? Only at Wal-Mart apparently.

Oh wait, not just Wal-Mart. They did have some in Target, but none in his size. So frustrating.

The shoe thing was really bothering me. And knowing that I would have to take Fuller didn't help either. I spent some time online today, seeing if I could order some and have them shipped to my parent's, but I have had bad online shoe experience in the past and wanted to try shoes on.

Now that I have some cute black slides all ready for Saturday. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can now concentrate on the rest of life.

Hit the ground running

Monday morning after a trip and I already feel overwhelmed. Damon didn't sleep well last night, so he is still taking up space sleeping in the living room. I have a bunch of errands to run this morning and phone calls to return. Unpacking is on the list, but that seems so pointless since we are going to be packing up again to leave on Thursday for the wedding. (Maybe I should take a look at hamilton watches to help keep on schedule.)

Let's see how together I can keep myself.

Fuzzy brain

This morning I accompanied Austina, Fuller, Allison, and her kids to the Creative Discovery Museum. Then after they all got situated, I left them to their fun so I could have some alone time myself.

I got a pedicure, which is what I have decided to do at least once a month for a little pampering. Since we are going to the Lake tomorrow, I figured I should have pretty toes for walking around barefoot.

When I got home Damon remarked that he found uneaten edamame in the microwave and two toasted waffles in the toaster, now cold. I didn't tell him the edamame was from yesterday. I remarked that I have had a fuzzy brain and maybe I should get it checked. He replied that I should have it checked for needing a vacation!

Time to go get the Samsonite luggage out of the attic and start packing. We leave bright and early tomorrow, and apparently it isn't soon enough.

Visitors are fun

My sister arrived this afternoon. She is really here to visit with a friend who is here from France, and as a bonus she gets to hang out with Fuller and sleep on our Ikea chair bed.

I am glad that my sister likes to stay here when she visits. Since we don't have a luxury home, it is small and not that great for overnight visitors. So having at least one person stay with us, letting us practice our hospitality, is a nice treat. One day, when we do have a bigger home with proper guest rooms, we won't be out of practice on how to entertain in our home for multiple days.

Over half way there

The week began with the analogy that we are currently running an obstacle course.

We started with a playdate which would be similar to a tire run, keeping your balance watching many kids and holding uplifting conversation with people over the age of 2 while making it to the end without a fall or tears (there were tears when we left, but no injuries).

Then an afternoon appointment (with Fuller at another friend's house and no nap) which might be like a rope wall. It required several people to team together and make it over that beast.

When we all got together to ride the bus and then make a morning dentist appointment (Fuller at the office with daddy), it might be similar to an inflated obstacle slide, where it was not that hard and mainly fun. The worst part was the hour and half I had to wait to be seen by the dentist.

And finally, yesterday Mom's group convened in our back yard. The organization that required wasn't much- just a little balance beam exercise making it from point A to point B without disaster.

Yesterday, after the mom's left, I felt this genuine surge of relief like "over half way there!" But the lingering mode of exhaustion led me to tell Damon, "Man, I am tired." To which Damon replied, "Yeah, when are we going on vacation?"

Today it is a museum playdate with Luke (and his mommy) ending up at The Passage for lunch and water fun. And tomorrow I have all day to do domestic activities like laundry and vacuuming (so! much! fun!), before Cool Aunt Stina makes it to our house.

Almost done, the finish line is in sight. I guess right now, it might just be a test of endurance as we tread water for periods of time to get to our Sunday drive to Alabama. I know we will make it.

Police sighting

I got my Police CD a few weeks ago (it was released on June 5th). It is the 2 disc set and it came with a fun vintage poster that I had to quickly keep Fuller from messing with.

Fuller and I have been enjoying the music immensely. His favorite song is "De Doo Doo Doo De Da Da Da" probably because he can sing it really well. And then he looks at me and says, "ance, Mommy?" because he is ready to dance. When we are in the car listening to "Message in a Bottle" he says "ance, Mommy?" and I say, "Sure. Go ahead and dance." And then we move our heads and dance in our seats.

Such joy that little one.

As an aside, it's too bad that I missed The Police back on the 16th when they were playing Bonnaroo. Though to be honest, I don't think I would ever go to that festival because someone dies every year and it seems like such a mess. But here since I didn't go muck around in the dirt with the other roonies (or whatever Bonnaroo goers are called). And tickets to arena concerts are pretty prices. But thanks to the internet, I can see them here:

Playground playdate

We had a lovely playdate this morning. So many folks showed up to have fun with Jeanette and Ellis. I got to meet some other moms and kids from the neighborhood who came out of hiding to hang with the gang from Philly. We got some sprinkles of rain, but we just watched the kids run around getting sweaty and excited.

Fuller was extremely sad when we left at noon, but we had other things to do this afternoon! But it was a fun morning with new friends, good chatter, and fun picture opportunities.

Slow and steady wins the race

Friday's trip to Ikea was actually the start of a family obstacle course through the busyness of this week. From playdates with out of town friends, to appointments, to regularly scheduled programming... it is quite daunting to look at what is going on from minute to minute. It isn't that every second is scheduled, but it seems that we will go from one activity to getting ready for the next item on the agenda. And that doesn't even include the things I wish I could do this week like get a pedicure before Brian's American wedding reception.

Tomorrow has the lowest level of activity, which might be a good thing since it involves the dentist for me.

The highlight of the week will be Friday when Austina brings her birthday self down south to hang out with us and her friend Allison (who was at my house for lunch yesterday).

But the finish line is not too far off in the distance, with the sweet reward of 8 days at Lake Martin, with no schedule to even think about. We will make it.

That's Entertainment

Damon swiftly put together the new TV bench last night and then we got busy putting together a new home theater thingy. We decided that if we were upgrading our furniture, we had to keep it looking nice and the old stereo wasn't going to cut it. So, we used up store credit we had at Best Buy to get something with smaller speakers. It just happened to be a new DVD/ CD/ five speaker set up. And it is sweet.

Three years ago Damon told me he wanted an XBox. However at that time it was a bit out of our price range. Now, after the advent of newer technology, the XBox (plus two controllers and a game) is ours for a great price. And it is what drove me to wanting something more substantial to organize the technological entertainment in our home.

The trip to Ikea was really fun and setting up the furniture has been just as fun. And now we get to organize it all. More pictures here.

Roadtrip

Tomorrow my friend Esther and I will be roadtripping down to the ATL for some Ikea fun. The store's Summer Sale begins tomorrow and I plan on taking advantage of the 20% - 60% off on whatever. I have plans for a TV bench and a couple of dressers for Fuller.

It is all a part of my plan to get a bit more organized around here and make it look more like we are grown ups and not just out of college.

I don't know what the deal is about Ikea and why I find it so appealing, but I am giddy with excitement over getting to go there and shop. And I get to hang out with Esther and show her one of my favorite places to be.

Now, if only they would get an Ikea in Chattanooga.

Friendship by example

Last evening we spent partying down as best as parents of a two year old can. It was Greg's 32nd birthday (aka Luke's Daddy) and we gathered at his house for a BYOM grill fest and to get our cake on. (At least, that's what my friend Heather said. She was mainly there for the cake, I think.)

It was a lovely time visiting with friends, meeting new friends, and watching the kids play together. Fuller was a little possessive of Luke's playthings, as Fuller thinks they are his since we are over there so often. At one point Fuller had a new playmate by a headlock, trying to keep the younger one from some precious item that Fuller declared was his.

Swift discipline and an apology/ hug followed the headlock, but it showed me we have a long way to go on the sharing thing. And yes, I understand that he is two, but there are moments in my parenting cubicle (aka the world) that I seem to be focused in on the "right now" and unable to see the person Fuller will become.

I have hope though that Fuller will learn by gracious example. Seeing our friends share their home and friendship with us last night and in days past, gives me encouragement that it won't be just us that influence his life, but the people we surround our family with. And the Wilhelms are such a family that I am glad to call our friends.

(That and they have a minivan that Esther is going use to take me to Ikea on Friday.)

Self Portrait Sunday: Father's Day Family Picture

Here is our happy family sitting outside of Outback, waiting for a table. Damon's eyes are closed because we were facing the sun and just as I snapped the pic he said, "Man it's bright out here!" Then he got up to get his sunglasses out of the car and I never took a "better" picture.

It doesn't matter. It is still a fun picture.

Damon got his Father's Day present a few weeks ago. It is a portable hammock- the kind that folds up neatly into a bag, like the chairs that everyone has these days. It is very lightweight and comfortable. And Damon can move it around the yard to find the appropriate amount of shade to make his rest times cool.

He got it a few weeks ago because it was on sale at a very good price. And he was with me when I bought it, so why wait a few weeks?

At the end of the day, it was a good weekend. I look forward to more.

Self Portrait Sunday is a meme hosted by Cass of the excellent blog, Digi-Cass. A picture of yourself, taken by you, is the only item necessary to participate. (I just choose to add a little something extra.) Play along by posting a picture on your own blog and then leaving a link to it on today's SPS entry on Digi-Cass.

I picked the playground

I decided to go hang with the moms at the playground, even though I could have been by myself for a few hours. Except, I wouldn't have been alone long.

Apparently Fuller did not get into March of the Penguins and my guys left the theater early, getting home about 11 am. When they got home I wasn't here and D assumed I was napping. So they set up to play quietly. Apparently Fuller was wanting to watch a movie and D kept telling him no. Fuller back talked and got a spanking.

Damon was wondering why I hadn't woken up with all the fussing and crying (I can't sleep through crying), so when he went into the bedroom, he found out I wasn't there. So he started to look around and finally found a note I left them about going to the playground.

When I got home Fuller was taking a power nap- recharging before Damon left for work.

I really took today off from doing anything of substance. I spent the last two days cleaning the house and I was a bit tired. So I took an afternoon nap when Fuller took his. And now I am paying for it by being up so late. But I do feel like I had a relaxing day and am ready to go on to the next thing tomorrow. Or is that today?

Beerbread and fun

My Tastefully Simple party went really well. My goal was to have friends over, show off my house a little bit, and have fun. All three goals were met!

Last night I finally got to open the hostess pack and prepare all the dips and cheese balls for the tasting party. I was also supposed to prepare their signature beer bread and pound cake. I left that for today, when I had more time.

I had to go on a beer run since we don't drink beer here. (Just don't like the taste.) I was frustrated to find that the local quickie mart doesn't sell 12 ounce individual cans. Instead I had to buy a 24 ouncer, use half, and dump the rest. It wasn't until this evening that I realized I could have sent out an email to my neighborhood email list to see if I could have a beer. But then I started laughing at myself at how ridiculous that would have been and choked on my water.

"Dear Neighbors,
Anyone have an extra beer? I need one quick!"

The neat thing is that I probably would have received several emails from folks telling me that I could have their beer.

I've never hosted a party for this type of business, so I have no real idea how it works with dollars giving me credit for purchases and gifts and things. But if you wanted to order anything to help give me credits, let me know. I can tell you great things about their products (all natural, no preservatives, and yummy!) if you have any questions.

Disasters in housekeeping

~ Last week I spilled an entire gallon of Gatorade on my kitchen floor. Fuller was standing there and "uh-ohed" the entire time I was wiping it up. When I took the last paper towel off the roll he said, "Thank you Mommy!" and took the cardboard tube from my hands. Like I had planned the whole incident so that he would have a new toy to play with.

~A while ago I realized that the syrup bottle was on its side in the corner cabinet. I didn't realize until Saturday that the bottle had actually emptied half its contents onto the shelf. And I didn't get around to emptying the shelf and cleaning the sticky mess until today. I used paper boats to scoop up as much as I could, and then lots of hot water to wipe up the rest.

~ Damon never did get the sensor out of the Tinkle Toonz potty on Saturday. D and I figured out that if you turn the potty over and smack the bottom of the sensor (through the plastic) the music would stop.

This morning Fuller finally did something after about 4 hours of sitting on the potty (that is another entry in itself). So today, after I washed it out, I dried it very well. But instead the song kept playing and playing, even though the sensor was dry. So I flipped the chair over and gave it a whack. And with that whack, I brought Fuller's potty training to an abrupt stop.

I broke the potty. My slap on the chair split the bowl part and made it unusable for potty training purposes. Tomorrow morning I have to go buy a can of beer (for a recipe) and a new potty chair for Fuller.

Yeah, I got my stuff together. Let's party!

RSVP Nervous

I am scheduled to have my Tastefully Simple party this Tuesday evening. I sent out the 25 invitations last week (with Star Wars stamps!) from my hostess pack. I haven't really heard back much, except for a few regrets. Actually I know of two people who are coming for sure.

The other night Jannene (the Tastefully Simple rep) called to see how many to expect. I am hoping for at least 10 people. Tomorrow evening I get to make all the dips and beer bread to be prepared for the party.

Hosting one of these parties is a big step for me. I have to have my house clean, enough seating, proper lighting, and even a decent temperature in the room. I think I even have to clean the microwave. But mostly I wanted to just have some folks in my home (and a clean home) and have a good time. So, hopefully Tuesday night I will have 10 people here and have a good time. Wanna come?

Self Portrait Sunday on Tuesday: Family Portrait

I took this picture on Sunday, I cropped it on Monday, but forgot to post it. Oops!

I have been thinking about photography and what it is that I like to take pictures of. There is always Fuller (he's so darn cute!) and the places we visit and see. But, I want to make sure that our family is represented in the pictures that I take, so I want to try and take more family "portraits."

I don't know why, but I am not a fan of sitting for portraits at studios like JC Pennys and Sears. I think they don't really represent the family or speak to me as to who the person or family is. I like catching people in the moment. But I have to remember to turn the camera on myself once in a while.

No, it isn't a great picture, but we were tired. In a good way. This picture, it reminds me of the fun Sunday we had. Brunch at the Greens, worship with our church family, a good movie, and a fun church picnic at the playground. I took the picture at the end of the day, right before Fuller went to bed.

I hope we have more like it in the future.

Free movies

Today was the first day of the Regal Cinemas Family Film Festival. It means that on Tuesday and Wednesdays in June and July, here are free movies at the mall. There are always two movies- one rated G and one rated PG.

We took Fuller last year and he really enjoyed the experience. Then whenever Happy Feet was in theaters we took him to see that and he was quite the wiggle worm. So, I wasn't quite sure how he would do with the showing of Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-rabbit on the big screen. (The PG movie was Ant Bully.)

Well, he loved it. We got him a booster seat and he took over the Sprite we were supposed to share. We gave him popcorn in little amounts (I was afraid he would dump the large tub onto the floor) and he just enjoyed himself.

I think it helped that Fuller has seen that movie several times. But he still reacted in fun ways to certain parts and enjoyed himself.

We left early because a power blip made the films in the theater stop. They made an announcement that it would be a few minutes (after I had to go out to the lobby and tell the manager the film was stopped), but we decided to leave since Damon needed to go back to work.

Next week is March of the Penguins or How to Eat Fried Worms. I'm not sure if we will go to either of those, but I think we will be seeing several free movies this summer.

New month

I think I am glad that the month of May is over. We have had it pretty rough with quite a lot of problems in the home appliance arena. Here's the run down:

Refrigerator- replaced
Dishwasher- fixed
Washing machine- fixed, but down for two weeks
Lawnmower- replaced
Scooter- gone, but not forgotten
Car squeak- replaced brake pads

We were getting a bit depressed about it all, especially when it came to cost of some of these items. It made me really grateful for our tax refund this year. And I thought things were going to be a lot better and then this happened:

This is the remote control to our stereo. It is very important to the watching of movies and listening of music. The knob on the stereo is broken, so that when you want to change the volume, you have no choice but to make it louder. It doesn't matter what direction you turn the knob, the volume just goes up, up, up. Which is one of the main reasons the remote is important, because with the remote you can also turn the volume down.

I almost lost it when this remote broke. I knew it wasn't that big a deal and I probably could have fixed it, if one of the pieces hadn't disappeared. So, adding to our list:

Stereo remote- replaced with universal remote

Maybe for the month of June we should just live off the grid.

There is a reason they don't call me "Grillmaster"

Since it was just our little family for Memorial Day, I wanted to make a special meal, resembling something celebratory. Holidays call for special meals, right?

I bought steaks earlier in the week, corn on the cob, seasoned fries, and Sister Schubert's yeast rolls. And yesterday I consulted with my "simple cookbook" (aka my mom) to see exactly how to cook the corn, since I had never done it.

I marinated the steaks for a few hours and then turned on the grill to heat it up nice and hot.

Ya'll, no one ever taught me how to use a grill and quite frankly, I think I stink at it. The steaks were edible, but your mouth got a bit of a workout chewing. The corn was fine, because I did what my mom told me and a zapped them in the microwave before putting them on the grill. I totally forgot about the seasoned fries (Damon's favorite), so I put some Pringles on the table. And I didn't screw up the Sister Schubert's, so there is a point for me.

Maybe I tried too hard, but I think from now on, I might ask Damon to grill the meat and let me focus on the rest of the meal.

Self Portrait Sunday on Monday: End of the long weekend

An appropriate title for this would be "Don't forget your sunscreen." Good grief, I can't believe I did that. It still hurts now, and it is on both shoulders.

We have had a pretty quiet long weekend at home. We had two plans for this weekend, but both didn't happen, so instead we stayed here. Gas prices were the main reason that our plans didn't work out. But now that we are in the final hour of the long weekend, I am glad that we stayed home.

On Saturday our neighborhood had a yard sale and I took to the sidewalks checking out the wares. That is how I got my sunburn. Amazingly, Fuller didn't get burned. He was sitting in the jogging stroller, properly covered up, so he was spared the pain that I am in.

Damon got a few projects complete, including fixing the washing machine. Now we just have to put the laundry area back together and I can finish the laundry for another week.

And Fuller just had fun. He played in and around his kiddie pool, rode his bike, and ate a lot of cheese. We also noticed two new phrases in his vernacular: "See ya!" and "Why?"

So, a pretty low key weekend. I did go to the National Cemetery today, which you can read about here. Maybe we will have a low key week.

My son screams like a girl

Our laundry play date today was with Amelia, her Mommy and little brother. A fun fact about Amelia is that she was born on the same day as Fuller. After observing her today I kind of think of her as the female version of Fuller: she is very independent, tough and rough, and very loud.

Fuller and Amelia had a fun time together, showing off their vocals in a various shouting matches. And when I would hear a loud shriek I would immediately turn to scold Fuller, but have to stop because I couldn't tell if it was Fuller or Amelia.

And that is when I realized, my son screams like a girl.

It has made me giggle all day.

The laundry play date

Today Fuller is going to get something he has been wanting all week- a playmate. And I am going to get to accomplish a little bit of the laundry at the same time.

We are having a laundry play date!

Our washing machine is still broken. We decided to attempt fixing it. If this doesn't work we will probably replace it all together.

We had an appliance repairman come and diagnose the problem. Now we have the part and Damon will replace it this weekend.

In the meantime I have a growing pile of laundry.

I ran into a friend yesterday and when I told her of my plight she immediately offered for Fuller and me to go to her house to do laundry. (I have really nice friends, several people have offered for me to use their machines.)

So now we add to our list of play dates, the laundry play date. This will be fun!

Deals for dogs

Yesterday morning was very busy for us because we had to be in Ft. Oglethorpe by 7:30 to get the dogs to the vet. Both needed their shots and we were leaving Lively for a teeth cleaning.

We have a really awesome vet that we really respect and appreciate for his candidness. He really has the pet's interest in mind and our wallets. We had been rather lax in our administering of the dogs' heart worm medicine and instead of making both dogs take an expensive blood test, he prescribed Heartguard for both dogs, since it helps prevent and treat heart worms at the same time.

It was a rather costly vet visit, with both dogs getting their shots, Lively getting her teeth cleaned, plus the cost of her pain medicine and antibiotics due to some teeth getting pulled and infection. Let's put it this way (the vet did): she can't eat corn on the cob anymore. Poor baby.

We also had to buy the Heartgard, and we promised to be better about giving the dogs their monthly medicine. And I think it will help us be better about that task if we find the medicine cheaper than what the vet offers.

We already buy the dogs flea treatment online, which is much cheaper than the vet. Last night I did some poking around on the internet and found that I could get her pills for a little more than $10 less.

At the vet we had to pay $41.90 for one box of 6 Heartgard pills for Maple.And since we like to find better deals, if I use CouponChief.com I have a slew of options of coupons for pet supplies at different merchants.

My favorite is for PetRX, where I can get $15 off my order. And since Heartgard is a prescription medicine, PetRX will call the vet and verify the prescription for free.

We love our dogs and want them to be around for a while, so next month, ask me if we gave our dogs their medicine. The answer better be "yes!"

Self Portrait Sunday: the answer is a Happy Birthday greeting

Well, I wish I could show you the seven year old version of myself, but apparently the picture is buried somewhere and my mom can't put her hands on it. Maybe when my sister goes back she can find it. She has seen it recently but can't remember exactly where.

The picture from yesterday was an attempt to recreate a picture of me at Fat Man's Squeeze, a part the the Enchanted Trail in Rock City. (My mother-in-law got it right!)

Today is Rock City's 75th birthday and since I was hosting the Carnival of Cities over on my Chattanooga blog, I wanted to do something to tie-in with the birthday celebration.

I went by myself, so I had to be cameraman and on air personality at the same time. It was a lot of fun to walk through the "city" on my own, but I did get some stares while I was trying to tape my greeting.

It was a beautiful day to be at Rock City. The weather was clear and I honestly thought I could see seven states. I was able to take advantage of a special annual pass deal and purchased an annual pass for about a dollar more than regular admission. Of course, I took a few pictures as well, just to share with you.

The last time I was at Rock City was when I was a senior at Covenant and Spring Banquet was held there. Damon was my date and it was really fun to dance on the overlook with him. But yesterday, I have to admit I was very, very surprised to learn that across the street from the attraction a Starbucks has set up shop.

Yes, you read that right, a Starbucks on Lookout Mountain. I did go in an get an iced vanilla latte, but the high school baristas still have a bit to learn to make the experience enjoyable for the tourists (read: they were slow and not really up to speed on how to make the drinks).

Now that I have an annual pass and Fuller is still in the free zone we might be visiting there more often. And the Starbucks helps a little too.

Self Portrait Sunday: a teaser

While Damon and Fuller took their Sunday naps, I took a trip to another state and saw a tourist attraction. Technically I didn't take this picture, but it is a picture of me. I am not going to tell you where I am or what the heck I am doing.

Some people will know exactly what I am doing and where. But for those of you who don't, I will tell all tomorrow. Well, almost all. I might leave out a detail or two. Not on purpose, I just might forget.

Oh, and I hope my mom has found the picture of me doing almost exactly the same thing when I was seven. I was really cute then too.

If you have a self-portrait to share, then post it and head over to Digi-Cass and leave your link!

Last day tomorrow

Tomorrow is the last day of Sunday school at our church. Because of the construction that is currently going on, we have to end our year early. Not that anyone minds, since we really need the expansion to occur.

It has been an interesting experience teaching Sunday School. The kids are comfortable with us, enough that they come up to us and hug us, or chat with us on the playground. They like coloring and playing games, which is great to fill the time when we finish the lesson early.

The kids are really sharp with knowing their Bible stories. They are a credit to their parents who have read them the stories, prayed with them, and taught them who the true God is and how awesome a gift Jesus is. The children enjoy learning even more, or telling us the answers to the questions that we throw out at them.

We aren't sure if we will teach again next year, but I know that when the new building is open for business the classes will be full of children ready to learn and worship God. And that is a great thing.

World Famous Barbecue

When Damon asked where I wanted to eat my Mother's Day meal, I decided on Sticky Fingers. I don't know exactly why I wanted barbecue, but I did. We hadn't been there for a while, but knew that they would be friendly toward our family with toddler in tow.

People are very particular about their BBQ. Some want wet with different barbecue sauces, some want dry with rubs of spices and sugars . Some want pulled, some want ribs. Some want chicken, others want pork.

I like it all!

Since people are so particular about their BBQ, it is great that World Famous Barbecue is our there to help people decide how to get their barbecue.

You can search for barbecue restaurants by state (they have to have a website to be listed), which would help when you are away from your hometown favorites and are craving the 'cue.

I also like how you can suggest links to barbecue sites that might not be on their site.

Something my dad would like is the barbecue flavor links... links about wood chips, charcoal, and grilling planks.

World Famous Barbecue is a great reference tool for barbecue lovers everywhere. Whether you want to eat out or make your own, they have a relevant link to it all.

And now, I think I need some barbecue. Chicken. Yeah, that sounds good.

This is a sponsored post.

The lone rebel

Well, I knew when this picture got posted that regular readers would notice that we were at a laundromat and say, "What's up with that?"

Apparently the washing machine has decided to rebel and act like the preteen that it is. I mean, he is about 7 years old and in washing machine years that's like what, 10 or 12? I don't know, I just totally made that up.

Damon replaced the striker on the door so that it wouldn't open up during the wash cycle. But it seemed that the striker was actually the wrong part for that door. But! The door would still close, with a bit of effort, so we attempted a load of laundry.

That's when the washer really decided to act out- there was grinding and moaning, and eventually a burning rubber smell. Through a few stops and starts we got through the load. A day later and another load, the washer was ok, except for a sound that was kind of like a squeal but not really. A third load and the machine was acting just fine. Clean clothes and we were happy.

Then, on Monday, I went to do a load of laundry and the washer decided enough was enough. It would not respond to any of my pleading, poking, pounding, or pouting.

So, Tuesday I had to go to the laundromat. We had to do laundry, so I packed up the dirties, the suds, the portable DVD player, and Fuller and I had a little adventure at the laundromat. He loved the big dryers and it was a distraction for how yucky he was feeling.

It is a laundromat that Damon and I used before we got the washer, out in Flintstone where it is usually empty. That was a plus because Fuller could be loud and I could use as many washers as I needed.

I have no idea what Damon's plans are for dealing with the washer. It might need a good spanking. But in the mean time, Fuller and I had a little fun at the laundromat. Every kid should experience it once.

Hot and achy

For the third week in a row, I will be missing Mom's group. Fuller is still under the weather, curled up on the couch watching Sesame Street and hollering any time I touch him. I guess with the fever he has a bit of the aches too. I gave him his medicine this morning, but he protested the whole time. Poor little guy. He normally loves his medicine.

I woke up with a terrible crick in my neck, making every turn of my head to the right an effort of painful proportions. I took something and have a heating pad on it for now, but this is not a fun position.

Momma can barely move, Fuller is achy and hot.

Post Holiday Wrap up: Wallhog winner

What is Mother's Day? It's a day to honor our Mothers for the many years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds that they spend toiling for our benefit.

Mothers wake up and think about when their child is going to be up. Mothers wonder if today is the day their little angels will clean their plates or decide to exist on juice and popcorn. Mothers beg their children to change out of their Cars PJs and attempt to pull up their own pants. Mothers cuddle their children and sing them songs when they have temperatures of 101.

Well, at least I do.

And yesterday I was honored by drinking morning coffee from my coffee maker, getting a delicious nap, and eating a fun meal at Sticky Fingers. All the while being surrounded by my family- my husband who is an excellent father, and my son who has turned me into a mother.

My own mother has done many of the things that I described above. Since she has been a mother longer than me (she has 30 1/2 years to my 2 1/2) she added chauffeur, tour guide, life coach, and money lender to her resume. She still takes care of me, and helps me even more now that Fuller has turned her into a grandmother.

My Wallhogs sponsored contest came to an end on Friday and today my mother gave me her favorite entry. I asked Momma to judge the contest simply because I am honored to have her involved in our blog and because she has been a mother longer than me. I thought experience and seniority should be a requirement to judge that kind of a contest.

Stephanie, the commenter on that entry, was picked as the winner by my mom. Stephanie wrote about her own mother,

she overall is such a remarkable woman that everyday being around her is such a blessing.as far back as i can remember, she has always worked at least two jobs to be able to support me. she always wanted the best for me so when she was never home to spend time with me i knew it wasnt because she didnt care, but because she wanted to make sure i could get the best education at my private school.

Congratulations to Stephanie, and Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there. May you be honored by your children.

Squelching the rebellion

Last week we had to get a new fridge. Last month our front loading washer door flew open during the wash cycle. And then on Tuesday I was no longer capable of opening my dishwasher door without the assistance of Damon.

My friend Cass, a funny lady who has recently had her share of home appliance troubles, told me

"you never should have ponied up with the fridge. I've learned that when the appliances start making demands, you have to stand firm. Otherwise, one after another, they will balk. And then you will have to buy new everything."

It cracks me up to think of appliances conspiring with one another. But it would explain a lot. I have to admit that I was looking at the Mother's Day appliance sales with dread, thinking "We just bought a fridge, we can't buy a new dishwasher too!" And then my mind would wonder how a double drawer washer would look in our kitchen!

Thanks to the internet, keeping every single book that came with our appliances, and a very helpful appliance part warehouse, last night D told the washing machine and dishwasher who was boss. He was able to replace the striker on the washing machine so it won't fly open any more. And then he replaced handle contraption on the dishwasher.

I'm hoping the household appliances learned their lessons and won't start an uprising any time soon.

Self Portrait Sunday: A great weekend

This has been a great weekend, even though we didn't get to do what we wanted. We stayed home, completed some little projects (like making the fridge fit), and relaxed. In fact, I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time.

This self portrait is kind of an accidental family photo. You can see me in the reflection, with the camera up to my face. That is typical. And of course it is pointed at Fuller.

We were all waiting for the Armed Forces Day parade to start, which was a great way for us to start our weekend. Now, if only our week would be as awesome.

Thanks to DigiCass for setting up this meme.

Another new appliance

I need more people to come and visit me. My house is clean, ya'll. Clean. Clean, clean! As in, de-cluttered, vacuumed, and shiny. Anyone can feel free to drop in on us, I will not be ashamed.

The reason for this sudden bought of cleanliness is two-fold:

The first is the company we had Thursday night for dinner. Our friends the Eshees came and joined us for shishkabobs (with chicken and shrimp). It didn't matter that my arms broke out in hives from shelling the shrimp, we had a blast hanging out with them and cooing over their 6 month old, Mattie Jane. She is so pretty! And Fuller was very interested in the "Bay-bee!"

The second reason for the cleanliness is a bit of a lifestyle change. Fuller calls it an "e-bot," but you and I would call it Roomba.

The folks over at iRobot had a Mother's Day special going on and Damon has been reading up on Roombas and their recent improvements. So we decided that a portion of our tax rebate could be spent on the robot for our floor. (Unexpectedly we had to use another portion of our rebate on the new fridge.)

One of the improvements is how the Roomba works on pet hair. We have a pet that sheds, plus one human (me), so we were curious how well it would do. One of my friends had an earlier generation Roomba and one of her complaints was that it would leave the dog hair on the edge of the carpet. Well, we don't have that problem at all. It gets the pet hair and lots of other stuff too.

I call it this a lifestyle change because we have to keep our stuff- shoes, toys, clothes, tools- picked up and out of the way to run the Roomba. We decided that if we were going to buy one that we were going to make sure it gets used and maintained. So far we have used it eight times in the last four days. We even used it this morning to spot clean an area to make sure we got up the last of the glass from a glass Fuller broke. A plus is that the Roomba is really easy to clean.

Along with the chore buster, having a Roomba looks like it is really helping us out in wanting to keep clean. So, come on over!

Cameron Gulbransen Kids and Cars Safety Act of 2007

Yesterday a little boy died because his father left him in a car for over seven hours. This story breaks my heart because it is something that is totally preventable. I believe in my heart that this father didn't do this on purpose, but it is being reported that he had an alarm system that would alert him when there was movement inside the car, but he turned it off.

This morning I wrote about kids in cars and car safety over on my Parenting Sites blog. There are some resources and information on preventing these types of tragedies.

Also, I learned that there is legislation in the works, the Cameron Gulbransen Kids and Cars Safety Act of 2007, designed to make changes to cars that will aid parents in preventing accidents and deaths. Most importantly, I wanted to point out the petition you can sign. The link will take you to a form where you can send a letter to your Senators and Congressmen about the Cameron Gulbransen Kids and Cars Safety Act of 2007.

I encourage you to read the fact sheet and if you agree with the information, to sign the petition. And spread the word, because the more people who contact their representatives, the better.

P.S. My Parenting Sites entry has been dugg. Please digg along, if so inclined.

Happy to be here

Today I am happy to stay home and miss Mom's group. Today I am happy to clean the kitchen and the fridge. Today I am happy be waiting and waiting for the delivery man to come.

Today I get a new refrigerator.

Our old fridge is dying. It is barely cold and Fuller has no milk until we get a new fridge.

I ordered the fridge yesterday, for delivery this afternoon. But I got a call about 20 minutes ago from the delivery guy and since their morning delivery is close to here, they will probably be here before noon!

Every time we make a "big" purchase like this (new couch, new bed, roomba, new fridge), it makes me feel more and more like the 30 year old that I am. Maybe because with great power (or a tax refund to cover the purchase) comes great responsibility (like keeping it clean and well maintained), something I wouldn't have really thought about when I was 20.

If you are curious, the new fridge is this one. It has two things going for it- it is white, and fits the current space for a fridge, which runs a bit smaller than standard refrigerators.

Yippee! Household appliances give me such a thrill.

Chore buster

I have to admit that one of the hardest things about staying home is managing the house. It isn't something that I relished as a kid, so when my mom was trying to actually teach me about that stuff, I kind of rebelled.

Now I sit on my pretty Durapella couch and wonder why I still have a pile of socks on my coffee table and is there a single bone in my foot that isn't hurting from stepping on Fuller's blocks? And when folks pop in, I am constantly saying, "Sorry for the mess."

I would say that part of the problem is I am lazy, the other part is that I am disorganized, and the other part is could be that I don't want to do it all myself.

This is where Chore Buster comes in.

In its simplest form: Chore Buster is a website that allows you to set up a chore list and the people in your home available to do the chores. Then chore buster assigns chores to each person available.

Each chore is assigned a value and each person is also assigned a percentage of the chores. For example, Fuller can have a chore or two, but he won't get as many chores as me.

I signed up and started by adding Damon and Fuller. Then I added chores. When I added the chores, I was able to exlcude people from ever doing a chore. Like dinner- I don't want Damon or Fuller to fix dinner. When I went to save the chore, I got an error that I excluded everyone from doing the chore.

I forgot to add myself to the list!

So went back and added myself. I also set it to email me my list of chores for each day.

Setting up chores is easy because they have a lot of preset chores in their lists. You can also set what days the chore has to be complete on (clean bathroom every other day, for example). I also love that it has a section for "Daily chores." These are the tiny things like brushing teeth, taking vitamins, and rotating the compost that have to be done every day.

Once I added all my chores (I only added 5 chores) I went to view the chore list and as expected, I had the most chores. Damon and Fuller each had one chore a day. I then printed the chore list. I printed one week and it did put the daily chores at the top of the list, but they were only listed once. I guess I need to print out one day to use as a daily check list, which is fine. I don't mind printing out a list every day, if it helps in getting the work done.

Chore Buster also has community involvement, where you can see other chore lists (great way to get ideas) and a forum to ask questions and get feedback.

I know I have used Flylady in the past, but this time, I want to go this route, with a check list of items to just get done. We will see how it works.

If you are curious about Chore Buster, they have a demo area where you can check it out. And, if I know you in real life, feel free to pop in, I might have a clean house!

Still catching up

I finally updated all the Daily Fuller Fix pictures. I have noticed a trend lately that after I get back from a trip that is pretty camera heavy, I don't want to touch the camera for a while. I don't want anything to do with pictures or photoshop or whatever. I didn't mean to let it get so out of date, but I have caught up, so go gaze on my son's loveliness. (This one is one of my favorites.)

Would you take a dress off a mannequin?

This weekend is a Tennessee tax-free holiday. No sales tax on clothing and shoes and school supply type stuff. I decided to spend time doing a little shopping for myself and started looking for a dress to wear to the July wedding.

I'm exhausted from all the stores and crowds and my fussy two year old and have decided that it isn't out there ready for me to purchase yet. I am making it a bit hard on myself because I want to crochet a wrap and it is a specific color. There are plenty of items with this color in it, but they aren't all dresses or are the wrong size. For instance, there was a dress at Kohl's that would have been perfect (great style, perfect colors), except it was in the girl's department, where I haven't shopped since I was 10.

I found a dress I liked at Kohl's but the only size that fit me was currently being worn by a mannequin. I tried on the black version and it was stunning. But I was looking for brown and the mannequin looked great in it. I thought about and then chickened out from defrocking the plastic statue and left deciding that when I do find a dress, even if I have to pay sales, it won't matter because it will be the dress.

Of course, all of this won't matter if I keep telling myself I have to have a dress to match this wrap I am crocheting. Guess I better get busy.

Happy Birthday Damon!

We miss you!

Today is Mother's Day or I've become a pod person

While at the lake, my sister-in-law introduced me to the single serve coffee maker. Specifically, the Black and Decker Home Café machine. She used the premade pods, but there was also a My Pod maker, something that will allow me to make my own coffee pods with freshly ground coffee.

When I got home I told Damon that is what I wanted for Mother's Day.

I spent some time online looking around at different single serve coffee machines, and looking at different costs. Over on MyCoupons I found coupons for the actual pods, but nothing on a coffee maker. So I checked out their community section, their forums, and I found a few deals.

I like My Coupons, because they have the most coupons of any site I have seen before (10,296 to be exact). If I really focused on coupons, I could collect points on the site, based on my activity, and those points could translate into Visa Gift Cards!

However, this morning I went to Wal-Mart and guess what was in their clearance section, for only $35?

So the Home Café is now sitting in my kitchen, having brewed a few cups of decent coffee. I used some pre-made pods, and look forward to coming back home to make my own pods.

And today is my Mother's Day. Whoo-hoo!

Extended family fun

It has been fun watching Fuller interact with his cousins. He and Nick (who is 4) are hitting it off, running around and making lots of noise.

He isn't quite sure what to think about the new cousin, Olivia. She is only 3 months old and he recognizes her as "baby." He got a tad jealous this morning when I was holding her. He said, "No Mommy, no baby. No baby, no."

Then this evening, at dinner, I was holding Olivia again and he tried to climb into my lap. So I handed Olivia over to Albert and tried to pull Fuller into my lap for a cuddle. But he quickly got down and went over to Albert to try and sit in Albert's lap. So Albert handed Olivia over to Linda, and Fuller got to eat Albert's leftover french fries.

But he must be ok with Olivia on some level because on the way home from dinner, she started to cry from exhaustion. She didn't want to eat or be comforted by her paci. Her cries got louder and louder. Fuller was sitting to her left and started to talk to her in Fuller-babble, with the word "baby" thrown in often. Then he reached down and held her hand, while she drifted off for a short nap.

See this picture of my little sister? That bump is another cousin for Fuller. I can't wait to see how they play together and the things that Fuller can show him or her. Maybe he can teach the new cousin to share or color outside the lines.

Tomorrow Fuller and Nick will fight over toys, bump heads (again), and laugh even louder than today. In July they will splash in the lake and feed the ducks together. This weekend is just a taste of things to come, but it is so much fun to watch.

See you later, decorator

One of the fun things about visiting the lake is catching up on television shows that I can't watch at home. With their expanded cable I get to catch up on Bravo, HGTV, and TLC, which can be dangerous for someone who is living in her home while it is being renovated.

My sister-in-law and I had a fun morning watching the last two episodes of Top Design. I haven't seen any of the show until yesterday, but it was still easy to sit there and critique Matt and Carisa on their work. Because I know so much about design.

Sarcasm implied.

Vicki and I were both ok with Matt winning, but we did have practical problems with his design. Mainly the part where he has a 4 1/2 year old daughter and he put a $7000 desk in her room.

Yeah, I said that.

Seven thousand dollars.

For a four and half year old.

I also questioned Matt's storage issues. Where were they going to store her plastic objects of distraction that require AA or C batteries? Will the primary colors of her Leapfrog and curved, molded Dora the Explorer kitchen conflict with the Versailles hall of Mirrors theme her daddy picked out for her?

If I have a daughter and she asks for a "Princess" room, I am going to want to say no but will probably give in at some point. Then Gliddon can puke pink and purple all over the walls for layer one of the design plan.

I also plan on heading over to the Wallhogs website and seeing if they updated their kids room category to include princess items.

Wallhogs are these great prints on vinyl, glossy posters, or canvas prints. Personally, I am drawn to the reusable vinyl. You can shop their selection of ready made wallhogs, or you can upload your own images. (Something I really like is that they will work with artists/ photographers who want to sell their work through wallhogs.) Since I can upload my own image, I guess if I was doing a princess room I could create my own image and have them print it for me wallhog style.

The idea of a BIG print on the wall, something to serve as the focal point for a room, is really appealing. Wallhogs have lots of applications (Sunday school rooms, dorms, bars) and I think that one day one will be in our house (play room, maybe?).

I wish we had wallhogs when we did Fuller's room. Of course, we would have ended up with a 5 foot by 8 foot picture of Jordon-Hare Stadium, but still, it would have been huge and saved me a lot of painting. With prices under $100 for each wallhog, the savings would be immense as well.

Look for a wallhog in my future soon. And look for a contest to win your own wallhog here on this blog. I just need to finish some formulating on how to host my own Top Design contest.

Self Portrait Sunday: Family time

Happy Easter!

Damon told me earlier, "Good job on the Easter clothes. Not too gay and I didn't have to go get them." The gay comment refers to the outfit Fuller was going to wear, but since Damon doesn't have a similarly smocked outfit (with fire trucks), I opted for these semi-matching brown shirts. I am the accent color, with the blues and greens. And of course, I am wearing my rocking blue shoes.

Our day has been kind of long. We were in the nursery during the 8:30 service, then we had Sunday School, and then we went to half of the second church service. We didn't stay for the whole thing because Fuller was just a bit over zealous from all the stimulation. He sang gleefully during the service (he really got into the alleluias), but chattered loudly throughout the non-singing parts.

When we got up to leave, it was right after a baptism. Did I mention that we were sitting on the front row, on the side? I was gathering our belongings and Fuller marched up to Cal (the pastor) and said, "Bye!" several times. And as we marched down the aisle to door, Fuller hollered "Bye" to the rest of our church family. It was simultaneously embarrassing and hilarious. So much for sneaking out of church early.

I worked with Fuller all week to say "Happy Easter!" and "He is risen!" He doesn't really get it, but just like other things I try to teach him, I know repetition helps. And the great thing is that the more I tell Fuller about God, Jesus, and the miracle of the resurrection, the more I am reminded about the great gift I was given to be a child of God.

Our favorite family Easter song is "Morning Sun" by James Ward. I pray next year we sing it and Fuller's voice joins in with gusto and understanding.

Happy Easter, from Damon, Alli, & Fuller.

Egg-tabulous

Today we have an Easter egg hunt at the new playground. It is chilly outside, but the organizers have told us they will keep the kids running around to keep warm.

The families who attend are asked to bring a dozen candy filled eggs to go into hunt, so yesterday I bought the fixings for that. Plastic eggs and candy. Should be simple enough right? Well, the eggs were easy to find, but the candy was difficult. I didn't want to spend a lot of money (yes, I am cheap) but it was like the Easter candy aisle had already been emptied. I couldn't find jelly beans! How can you have Easter eggs without jelly beans?

I ended up with the item with the most sugar in it- sugar. Ok, not really. I actually ended up with those candy eggs made of sugar. They fit perfectly in the plastic eggs. But get this- there were only eleven of them in the bag. So one of our dozen eggs has two mini-Cadbury eggs in it. I guess that's our golden ticket.

Hope we stay warm!

A new favorite thing

Yesterday I was at home all day. And I made up for it today... out for groceries and then for Easter clothes. I went to Hamrick's and found a cute pair of pants and a shirt to wear to church on Sunday. We are keeping nursery for th 8:30 service, so I figured a dress wouldn't be a good idea.

Since I didn't get a new Easter dress for Sunday, I zeroed in on the shoe section to see if there was anything that caught my eye. Cass wanted a picture of something I like and this is something that I really like...

Before I show you the pictures I have to tell you that I have big feet that only got bigger when I got pregnant. After Fuller was born my feet did not go back to their pre-pregnancy size and now I have a hard time finding cute shoes that I like. When I tried these shoes on today, I almost cried because 1) they were cute and 2) they fit so well.

My Easter shoes:

Grounded

I had a few goals today, but the biggest was to not go anywhere.

It might seem odd, but it seems like Fuller and I have been out of the house a lot lately.There is so much to do in the house that I just had to tell myself that I wasn't allowed to leave today. It is almost like a grounded myself.

I did accomplish that goal of staying home all day. I actually accomplished a lot because tomorrow we were going to have a playdate here at the house, complete with an egg dying activity, but it had to be postponed. Fuller got a cold! Ug.

Fuller was doing his best Sneezy impersonation this morning and then after his nap he was congested and coughing. As a bonus he had snot dried on his cheeks and was clingy, irritable, and lethargic for a good while. Then suddenly he was running around acting normal, except for being stuffed up.

So, I guess staying at home all day was a good thing. I could have easily left to go to the store and buy dryer sheets, but I powered through and let our laundry dry without them.

I am proud of what I accomplished today (I even baked cookies!) and hope it is the beginning of a trend called "getting my act together." And if it isn't, at least I have a clean floor for a day and a cookie as a small reward.

Alli Popping into Frame

I forgot to mention that on Friday Fuller and I spent a long part of the day going to various locations so I could be filmed. It sounds a bit silly, but true. The results are over on my Chattanooga blog. Our friend Marylu did the filming, I did the popping, and Fuller sat in his stroller and giggled at us, doing his impression of a perfect angel.

Creeping Phlox

I've been doing a lot of complaining about the pollen lately. I still struggle with sinus pain, a coat of muck in my throat, and a voice that gets really bad by the end of the day. I take stuff to help the symptoms, but nothing has "cured" me of my allergy woes.

But I have to tell you that the pollen that causes my misery also helps change the season and turn my side yard into a spectacular bounty of purple and pink.

When we first moved into our house we didn't have a fence and there was grass up this hill to the sidewalk. I told Damon I didn't want to mow the hill or the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street. I wanted to plant a ground cover and I knew what it was, I just didn't know what the name was.

I did some research and found it was known as "creeping phlox." I had seen it in purple, pink, and white flowers. It climbed hills, draped their lovely blooms over rocks and stone walls, marrying mother nature to man-made objects in a beauty I knew I wanted in my yard.

This particular ground cover is in many yards in our neighborhood, but none of them have the amount of ground covered that we do. Damon ordered the root-bare plants from an online source and the first year they arrived while we were on vacation. We planted them as best as we could, but out of the 50 root bare plants, only one survived. That was seven years ago, and that plant now covers about 3 feet. We have split it and transplanted some of it to other areas, but it still thrives.

For five years we added creeping phlox to the street-side hill and now we are reaping the benefits of that hard work. We always ordered bare root plants, in a variety of color. When they arrive we plant them that day, no matter how cold or late in the day it is. We have no idea what the color arrangement is, because there are no blooms. I think we figured out based on the heartiness of the greenery which ones are purple and which are pink. Somehow we ended up with a lot of purple, which blooms first, and no white at all.

I told my friend Ang. that I would post these pictures for her, to go with her star magnolia and forsythia. Spring may be a difficult season for me, but as long as I have my garden of phlox, I think I can endure.

What is blooming in your yard?

Update: I found a "before" picture!

The wait is over

The grown up in me is totally being squashed down by the kid in me right now. I want to jump up and down, shrieking and laughing about the fact that I have a new couch! Thankfully I have a toddler who is willing to do that for me so the adult in me can take pictures.

The delivery was smooth, though they had to take the back feet off in order to get it in the door. The delivery guys were nice, chatted with Fuller, and the dogs were locked up in the bathroom. And then whoosh, the feet were back on the sofa, their paper was signed, and I am now sitting on my new couch.

Sometimes, being a grown up is pretty cool.

The waiting game

It is 3:31 and Ashley Furniture has 29 minutes left in their "delivery window" to get here with my couch. I am so excited that it is coming today.

We put our old loveseat, which has served us well, on the neighborhood/ church email lists and several people have called about it, with the first one coming this afternoon to pick it up. I am very excited about that as well.

And so I wait. And wait, and wait.

First playdate at the park

Luke slides all by himself!
Originally uploaded by CrumleyFamily.

Yellow isn't always my color

Damon just told me to stop talking because my voice is horrible. The air quality in Chattanooga is "unhealthy" and my white car looks yellow now, since it is covered in pollen.

Allergies have been my bane the last few weeks, but as the types of allergens shift so do my symptoms. And I don't think all the outside time the last few days have been so great either. So I am dealing with a throat coated in yuck and a voice that is irritating to hear.

But I will persevere, power through, and hopefully kick this out the window soon.

For non-exertion activities, today I finally finished uploading all the pictures of the playground build to Flickr. You should check them out, because it too is an activity that doesn't require a lot of exertion and won't affect your breathing.

What does the Fuller say?

Yesterday I replaced 2 dead batteries in his See and Say. He used to play with it all the time, as if he was in training for the slots in Vegas. At the time that the batteries went kaput, he was starting to tell me what a kitty said.

Recently Kindermusik has been quizzing the kids on what specific animals "say." A lot of the kids know that the cow goes "Moo," the dog goes "Ruff," and the mouse goes "Squeak." Fuller is an awesome copy cat, so he can typically fake it by repeating the sound after the rest of the class.

I don't know why he is animal sound delayed. I guess we just don't do a major focus on animals in our house.

College sports mascots? Check.
Popular Elvis songs? Double check.
Tackling drills and running patterns? Check, check, check.
Animal sounds? Not so much.

Maybe it is hereditary, this lack of proficiency in the art of animal sounds. When I was little I thought all animals said "Bow wow." My parents got me a See and Say and it quickly got me out of remedial animal sounds. So I figured I needed to replace the batteries and see if it could help Fuller with this particular milestone.

Within minutes of him playing with the molded plastic toy, Fuller was passing out dinner table pop quiz. He would "Moo" with the cow, "tweet" with the bird, and "meow" with the cat. And to top it off, this morning, he got a 100 percent on the second pop quiz I gave him.

Next week we go back to Kindermusik and I think this time of animal tutoring will pay off. Or Fuller will just stick his fingers in mouth and look at the ground. It doesn't matter, I know he knows.

You deserve a break today

Now that I am home I have the option of napping when Fuller naps. I don't like to do it that often, just because there are things to be done with out a small red head following me around, but today I get to take one. The Pressure in my head is killing me.

So why am I blogging right now? To kill time.

I hate going to bed when Fuller is still up. If I put him down for his nap and he is still singing, talking, or kicking the bed, then there is a chance he might pop out of bed soon after I shut my eyes. But I know my kid well enough that once he goes to sleep for his afternoon nap, he will be out for at least two hours. And I need that two hours today.

Having a pressurized head is one way to make me off my rocker. It just makes sense that I take a nap. That way I can't hurt anything. I don't even trust myself to do the laundry correctly.

I guess it has been 10 minutes of quiet from Fuller's room. My turn to get some shut eye.

I haven't done this since college

I somehow made it through three hours with three children ages 2, 1, and 10 weeks. The two year old was mine, the others were Luke and Ben who were our guests this evening while their Mommy and Daddy were on a date.

Fuller acted up a bit, not sure what was up with the baby in my arms and Luke playing with all the toys. Anything Luke had, Fuller wanted. But in the end it was all ok because Fuller enjoyed trying to boss little "Lu" around. And Luke, not knowing what was up just did it.

My nose is still running and my energy has gone kaput. Three kids... someday that will be my future, but it was nice to hand little Ben back to his mommy and see Luke toddle after his daddy.

Friendship is... carrying babies, hanging out, shopping, and bouncing

Today I figured out something that has been missing from my life- bouncy fun. You know those inflatable bouncy houses and obstacle course that little kids get to flail about in? I need more of those in my own life.

It has been such a fun, long day.

I knew Damon would be working on the porch all day long, so I opted to get out of the house for a bit. WTCI was holding their Family Fun Day and I thought it would be cool to take Fuller there and get his picture taken with Cookie Monster. And then I thought it would be even better to call my friend Esther and see if she and Luke could join us.

We took the plans up a notch when Esther said she wanted to go to the Jack and Jill consignment sale, where our friend Heather was going to be.

So we all piled into her minivan and headed out to meet Heather and Jonas.

This picture is of me, carrying Jonas in the Baby Bjorn (Heather's shoulders were hurting her), with Luke and Fuller in the double stroller. (Ben was in the Sungli on Esther.) It looks like we are in front of the bath section of the sale.

I didn't go home with anything from the sale, but I still had a ton of fun.

After a lunch at Heather's we took off for the Brainerd Crossroads for some Family Fun.

WTCI's sponsor's really went all out- there were two inflatable slides and lots of crafts, coloring, and the Walk Around Cookie Monster.

Fuller and Luke really liked the bouncy stuff. I got to help Fuller get to the top of one of the slides (proving that I need to do more cardio) and that is where I discovered that I really should have bounced more as a kid. It was kind of freeing and insane all at the same time. Fuller could have done it for hours.

Even if I didn't get into enough bounce houses as a kid, I think that today shows that we are doing something right as parents. I'm still keeping up with my friends, Fuller is learning social skills, and we are experiencing life beyond our pretty yellow fence.

Manic Friday

When Fuller got up this morning he was fussy, rotten, stuffy, and crying. When he drank, coughed, or tried to eat he cried. I figured it was a sinus infection or ear infection. And I knew that a trip to the doctor would be on our agenda today.

Fuller started to act better, but I still took him to the doctor. (I should have done this yesterday, ok? He actually had a fever yesterday when he woke up from his nap. I feel really badly about this.) Turns out he has a double ear infection. Ug.

I feel like crap too, but the cute 35.6 pound red head comes first. I took him to the pharmacy where he was chipper, happy, and loud. He told everyone "Hi!" and "Bye!" over and over again. All the while I just wanted to go to sleep.

The good news is that I think we are back into an appropriate schedule since we lost an hour last Sunday. Fuller was in bed by 8 pm tonight, which was preceeded by a manic episode of laughing manically and crying his eyes out. I just hope I don't get a 4:30 am wake up call like I did this morning from him. Mommy needs to get better too.

Of splinters, chores, and spring

I just had to remove a splinter from Fuller's hand. It looked like it had been there for a while, but it was pretty easy to remove. By "pretty easy" I mean that I had to practically sit on my son to even touch his hand. There were tears, but I don't think it has anything to do with the splinter, just a general fear of Mommy holding him still.

I think he got the splinter yesterday from some stray wood on the front porch. But then again, maybe he got it on Tuesday when he was getting a lesson in picking up sticks from Daddy.

We are about to up Fuller's chores from one (feeding the dogs) to two, where he gets to help pick up stray sticks from the yard before Daddy mows the lawn. Damon was working on teaching him Tuesday while I grilled the hamburgers for dinner.

The spring weather had me aching to fire up the grill, so I took a turn on the grill that Damon restored last summer. Then we ate outside, which was nice but Fuller was a tad distracted. He eventually ate his fries, but I was most impressed when he announced "all done!" something he doesn't normally communicate very well.

Today we are expected to get rain and the temperature has dropped some. It is a bit of an adjustment from the low 80s and high 70s we have had recently, but the weather people keep telling us we need rain, so I guess playing indoors isn't going to be awful. Also, rain will help with the seasonal allergy symptoms that Fuller and I are both dealing with.

I just hope that by the weekend we have our spring weather back.

Off kilter

Yesterday we were thrown off, Fuller didn't get an afternoon nap and was a mess by 7:30. It didn't help that I made him take a bath and get all his nails clipped, but still... he was a mess. And then he spent most of last night crying or shrieking in his sleep, so I don't think it was a restful night for him. Whenever he would go in there he would be fast asleep, so it wasn't like we really knew how to comfort him.

This morning he spent every 5 minutes sneezing and then asking for an "issue" for his "ose!" And since I woke up with a sore throat and a general malaise, I wonder what is going to get accomplished around here. Plus I lost my notebook (aka The Brain) so I am wandering around the house in circles. There is so much to do that I can wrap my head around it all- like a toddler looking at 31 flavors of ice cream, knowing he wants ice cream but overwhelmed at the choices. But my choices aren't as cool as 31 flavors of ice cream.

Fuller is a bit clingy today, which adds to my off kilter nature, but oh well. We will get through today, because tomorrow will get here and start off on a fresh day.

Twitter-pated

I'm fortunate to live in an old neighborhood that has lots of old trees and greenery. Today Fuller and I walked back to the house from the body shop (my car is getting the mirror back) and we saw so many birds in those trees and shrubs. Fuller loves to point them out (Brrr! Brrr!) and at one point he tried to chase one who was just pecking along the side of the road.

We also have a neighbor with ducks, chickens, and a rooster. Fuller got very distracted checking those birds out, but I could tell he was delighted. He wasn't as delighted when I had to strap him back into the stroller so we could get a move on.

Our bird feeder is empty, so in a little while we need to go back and fill it. Fuller figured out that when he looks out his window he can see the "brrrs eat" at the feeder. The other day, when the feeder still had seeds, we saw about five different birds eating.

I'm not good at identifying birds, but my friend Ang. over at Twitter-pated is. I'm thinking that with her help I will be able to identify some of the birds at the feeder and then I can get Fuller to tell them apart as well.

Recycling pays

Ever since the city of Chattanooga changed the recycling program to once a month curbside pick up, we have been hoarding our recyclables. I have been getting better about taking them out of the house, but still, it is quite the pile. I need to take a trip to the center to drop off the glass, since that is not part of the pickup program at all.

Fuller has been learning about sorting items- shapes of blocks, colors or blocks- and since he loves to play with the paper/ cardboard recycling, he has been "helping" with sorting that stuff too. Or at least putting it in bags. It is cute to watch.

Of course there is more to recycling than paper, plastic, metal, and glass. We have batteries piling up too.

Did you know that you can get paid for recycling items like ink cartridges and old cell phones? Through FundingFactory.com schools, churches, and communities can raise funds through recycling. According to the FAQ, you don't pay for the shipping and they accept most cell phone models. You can do it individually or as a group, but all the money goes where you designate it.

When the time where Fuller's education and fundraising collide, I am going to remember this for sure.

Art as a gift with love

Last week I finally mailed off half of the valentines that Fuller made before he got ill. I hope to mail out the rest of them this week. They include unique finger paintings that Fuller did a while back, with some tiny help from me.

In my Parenting Sites 411 today, I wrote about finding help with handwriting worksheets on line. At the end of the post I joked that Fuller will probably be typing before he masters his pencil grip. Even though it was a joke it could still come true.

I remember when PCs were new and how fun it was to make your own cards, print them out, and then give them with the same amount of love as a personal finger painting.

The internet has made making your own creations even easier. You can make printable birthday greeting cards where you can add your own photos and then email them, print them at home, or even order your own professionally printed cards. I like that there are lots of designs to choose from and customize (I think over 300).

If you sign up for a daily membership ($3.99) you can print out as many cards in 24 hours as you need. So, you could make all the birthday cards for your entire family, immediate and extended, for four bucks. As long as you don't run out of ink, that looks like a pretty good deal.

So, today after Kindermusik and errand running we have some more valentine's to complete. Can't wait!

Self Portrait Sunday: Just learn to take a compliment already

On Friday I left Fuller with a friend so that I could take the time to pamper myself a little bit. I needed a haircut and wanted to get my eyebrows waxed. Since Thursday I have the possibility of being on TV (Auburn Elvis lives), I wanted to look my best. Ok, I just didn't want my hair to choke me in my sleep any more. And the eyebrows... I just wanted to feel pretty.

The person who cut my hair was nice, but she didn't really take into account the curl in my hair and it ended up a bit shorter than I wanted it. It is difficult to pull back and keep out of my face. I have this complex where my hair has to be pulled back in order for me to feel comfortable. (My hair is very heavy.) And by the end of the day I am not that happy with it and it just gets yanked back.

This morning was the first time that I actually "fixed" it and it got me several compliments- one from Damon (which counts as 10 compliments in my book), and a few at church. Which is why I just need to get over it and say my hair looks fine.

I actually have three pictures to share today, which I took after lunch today (and reapplied my lipstick). As I said before I like my hair out of my face, so my sunglasses serve as a headband here. Focus on the hair- it's the best part of the pictures.

To see other Self Portrait Sunday pictures, check out the comments on today's entry! And add your own.

Furniture shopping is hard

Furniture shopping is hard. Or easy. It just depends on if you find what you want at the proper price. In our case we have found a few items that fit both criteria, but I guess we just want to make sure there isn't something better out there.

On Thursday I overcame my fear of going out with a toddler in the rain. Instead of the waffle making and finger painting, we ended up going to a few furniture stores. I really didn't see anything that jumped out at me.

The television is full of commercials for furniture sales. I can't escape them and every time I see one I think, "Oh, I should go there." But the thought of bundling Fuller in the carseat, dragging out the stroller again, trying to look past the sticker shock or being disappointed in the selection... let's just say that I would see those commercials and get overwhelmed.

I went to three more stores this morning and I have to say... to Lee, Don, and Jerry... you are all very nice people and yes you showed me some pieces that could work with our situation, but Jennifer over at Ashley Furniture will be getting our business later today. I decided that we just couldn't keep looking. Everything I saw was ok, but not as great as the first one we decided would be great.

I'm just relieved to come to this decision. I wish it was here now so I could stretch out and take a quick nap.

Changes in weather

Fuller and I have been out and about recently, mainly looking for that specific sofa that will add to our living room experience. I am exhausted and looking forward to staying in tomorrow since we are expecting some sort of "in like a lion" storm.

Can I just tell you how awesome the weather has been recently? I actually dressed Fuller in shorts yesterday and today. I wanted to wear my Chacos this morning but I am missing one of them, which means I really need to clean my bedroom.

If today hadn't been a junk swap at Mom's Group, Fuller and I would have walked there and back, soaking in as much sun and fresh air as possible.

Being outside has perked up all our attitudes and Fuller's disposition lately has been kind, courteous and fun. I just hope the bad weather doesn't affect his mood like it might mine. I plan on keeping him occupied with finger painting (he loves that) and cooking waffles. And I can't wait for the sun to come back out. By then, I better have found my other Chaco.

Yes, I forgot

I was so excited to wake up this morning with the expectation that Fuller and I will head out to some furniture stores to check out their couch offerings. I thought we could go to Ashley Furniture and then the mall to let him play in the play area for a bit.

And soon after Fuller was settled with his breakfast, I remembered that Monday is Kindermusik day! Man, I am so out of it. We didn't have it last week due to their winter break. One week off and I forget about it!

I need some budgeting software for my time management. Or at least I should remember to check my calendar on Sundays.

$450 and you can take a nap

I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day and she was shopping. While she was at the BX, chatting with me, she almost ran into a sofa. It was (as she described it), bigger than a love seat (which is what we have), leather, and a taupey color. Kind of like chocolate milk, I think she said. She said it was long enough to stretch out on and take a nap.

The price tag? $450. For a leather couch.

She looked closely at the tag and I was expecting to say it was something cheap like Powell Furniture, but apparently it has the Kathy Ireland name on it. (Doesn't she make KMart clothes?)

I don't really care about the brand name on my future sofa, but if it is leather, only $450, and a place Damon can take a nap? Well, I may have start doing some begging.

Lost and found

Fuller and I went out this morning with friends. I actually put on makeup and jewelry for this outing, making me feel a bit more complete than in recent days. I went to put on my necklace, a gift from Damon in memory of my Ireland trip, and I couldn't find it!

The necklace is a shamrock, not a celtic cross or anything religious, and it was the first piece of jewelry that Damon every gave me. How could I lose this? About 5 minutes before we had to leave I finally found it in a basket in the kitchen. I guess I need to clean those out.

Spring Evening of Family Fun

Yesterday the weather took on all the properties of a perfect spring day: sunny, warm but not hot, breezy, and the air was even smelling like a fabric softener sheet of some brand. The birds were chirping, cheeping, and singing.

And Fuller was pissy, angry, and defiant.

I am not sure what happened, but Fuller woke up from his afternoon nap with the same character description as Mr. Grumpypants. He was no joy to be around. I took him out to the backyard, but he would dissolve into an angry heap of frustration for reasons that still mystify me.

So I decided instead of chancing Fuller taking his anger out on the home furniture, a change of scenery was necessary and we took a trip to Coolidge Park. The perfect weather made it a very fun evening. And of course, there are pictures!

This is my favorite one, and since yesterday featured me and Fuller, I think you should see Fuller and his Daddy!

Fuller and Damon rode the carousel. Then Fuller rode his bike across the great lawn. And Fuller climbed almost all the fountain statues (with a little help from Damon). It was a great evening of family fun.

Self Portrait Sunday: a few days off

Well, obviously it isn't Sunday. But I didn't participate this week, even though I did have a picture to share. And then today, Tracy at Picture This did an excellent post about including Moms in the pictures with the kids and I figured I could post this and share my link with her.

This meme that Cass created is great because really, there are so few pictures of me because I am usually the one behind the camera. Sure, there are some pictures that I choose not to share, mainly because I feel I look awful in them. It's not like I think I need diet supplements or anything, I just need to dress better or actually put on make up.

I love this picture of Fuller and me. I snapped it a few Sundays ago, before the sickness began, and one of the reasons it is so good is because of a main feature on my camera that I love- the flip out LCD screen. Fuller loves to look at it, so he is usually looking at the camera when I have it turned toward him. And Fuller was climbing on my back, playing with my hair. It was a fun moment.

And of course, there is more than one picture in this series.

Visions of palm trees dancing in my head

This is the "Grow a vacation" that came in my SAHM kit from my ex-coworkers. And it is probably the only vacation I will be getting from this mess for a while. No Orlando Rental, no Bed and Breakfast in Vermont, no beach view from some island... instead a tiny rubber palm tree and a spec of sand. If I put them in a bowl of water, they will grow! How satisfying is that?

Ok, I exaggerate. Maybe I am going a bit nuts, but I think that was to be expected.

Fuller is still not up to par in the diaper department, but his attitude is awesome. He played nicely this afternoon, we took a walk... but I just don't think I can take him around other kids right now. I wouldn't want to pass along this nasty to any other families. It has been around our church enough recently.

Still in business, but looking for normal

I was hoping that the Crumley House of Spew and Poo would be closing shop soon, making way for the Crumley House of Healthy and Happy. Alas, Fuller is still using more diapers than the average two year old. He has been happy and independent for most of the day, but then there are these pockets of neediness and clingy behavior that show up. I recognize them as his way of finding comfort in an uncomfortable place- he gets some stomach cramps before a dirty diaper and just wants to cling to his mommy.

The laundry is still in motion. I decided to wash almost everything in the house, getting all towels, sheets, and blankets clean and rid of whatever bug could be hanging between the thread counts.

I have "dishpan hands" from all the hand washing and sanitizing from this week. No lotion in my arsenal seems to help right now. It will be great when I feel normal again. I may feel healthy, but maybe there is another shoe to drop sometime soon.

At least one of us is feeling normal- Damon is outside working on the front porch. That project stalled out the first time Fuller threw up on Damon (Tuesday night).

Veg out time

We have had a rough week here at the Crumley house. With Fuller's stomach monkeys and our constant rounds of laundry (the dryer wouldn't start earlier... it works now), there is nothing I really want to do but catch up on blogs and stare at the TV.

I'm having more fun with the blogs than the TV. All that I can watch right now is Miss Congeniality on TBS and then at 9 I plan on switching to NBC for Las Vegas. Recently we have been watching Las Vegas on Friday nights. I don't know why, but it is usually what we settle on. Maybe it is because we almost went there for our honeymoon instead of Florida. If we ever get tired of the high life here in Chattavegas we could always check into Las Vegas Real Estate and move to the desert. I know I would't mind.

I know, it seems pretty lame to be blogging about my TV choices right now. I feel as though my brain is a bit fried, even though there hasn't been too much mental stretching going on this week. Sick kids can take a lot out of you, especially brain cells.

Fuller had an upswing after his afternoon nap. He was constantly asking to eat, so we gave him some food, his attitude perked up and he kind of went a little nuts before going to bed at 8. Cross your fingers that he wakes up much better than this morning.

This has nothing to do with peanut butter

Fuller is still ill. He slept until 9 am this morning and about a half hour later he threw up. But he is still drinking fluids and has recently started asking to eat again, so maybe he is really on the mend. I don't know. He could have a fine afternoon and then dissolve into stomach cramps and misery right before bed. Then he could sleep all night, in the location of his choice (he did sleep in his bed last night), and then start this all over again tomorrow.

We don't eat Peter Pan peanut butter. There could have been some Great Value peanut butter in our cabinet, but since D bought JIF at Sam's last time, I really don't think that is the cause of our recent demons.

This should be over soon. There isn't much else to say.

I'm really tired, Damon is tired, Fuller is tired, the end.

Feeding the birds

Our new bird feeder has been getting some action lately and I was fortunate enough to get this picture the other day. We may have been stuck inside the past few days, but I can still see out the windows!

I got my email from Bird Watcher's Digest today and I learned some interesting things. First, February is National Bird Feeding Month. That's cool, it looks like we got our bird feeder just in time!

The second interesting thing I learned are some different ways to feed birds. It isn't all about seeds. Sometimes it is grape jelly or egg shells, cooked at 250 degrees.

Do you feed the birds in your back yard?

On the mend

Our celebration of Valentine's Day mainly consisted of teaching Fuller to aim for the vomit bowl when throwing up. Around 4 pm I was able to show Fuller what a champ I am at getting it all in the toilet or empty trash can.

Yes, Momma ain't happy. I was sick and Fuller was sick and Damon was just fine. He stayed home yesterday because he had a sore throat and congestion, but ended up playing nurse maid to me and Fuller. It was really sweet. It was also really nice to have someone give Fuller his 3 baths while I started the 10th load of laundry in 2 days.

I gave up counting how many times Fuller threw up, but I can suggest a nice present for me: carpet cleaning.

When my stomach finally calmed down around 1 am, I slept pretty well. I couldn't sleep past 7:45, but everyone else was certainly capable. Which is good, it means we got some rest.

This morning Fuller just languished on the couch and then we had to leave the house for a quick trip and he promptly fell asleep. He has had moments where he acts like pre-sick Fuller (he got really animated at the end of Finding Nemo), but it doesn't match up with my pre-sick moments. He gets excited and I just want to nap. He starts to feel woozy and I suddenly have the urge to fold laundry. I haven't finished folding the laundry because I end up cuddling with him for a while. That is really sweet.

I know that this too will pass, but right now I am counting the seconds until I can get a nap.

No chocolate for him

Today is National Hallmark Day, aka Valentine's Day. Currently it is snowing, which is not exciting, because it isn't sticking.

We had a rough afternoon and evening, and it spilled over to the night.

After Fuller's nap, he seemed to get a little worse. His diaper rash was really bothering him and every time he needed a new diaper he would cry and cry. After the diaper change and application of butt meds, he would cling to me for a good 10 to 15 minutes. I gave him three baths yesterday. Fuller also wore several of our t-shirts yesterday, because it was easier to change his diaper that way and then he was covered up completely. He looked really cute, even if he wasn't feeling well.

By the time D came home Fuller was acting normal, except not eating or drinking. Oh wait, that is pretty much normal.

Fuller hung out with us for a while but when Damon put Fuller to bed, Fuller promptly threw up.

So, into the tub for Fuller, another load of laundry for Alli. Fuller fell asleep on the couch, so we let him stay there the night. D slept out in the living room as well, but I didn't sleep so well with Fuller moaning and whatever else in the living room. Somehow I did fall asleep and we didn't get up until 7:45.

Right now, Fuller is enjoying his water and a viewing of Sesame Street. So far, he is acting fine, I just wonder if he will be able to keep it that way. No chocolate for him!

A rug beneath our feet

While my mom was here we went shopping for a new area rug in the living room. Since we live so close to Dalton (the carpet capital of the world), it isn't hard to find some quality flooring like carpet and area rugs in Chattanooga.

We had a rug in the living room but once we did our make over last March, the rug never really fit. It was obvious that it belonged in the dining room, where it looks a bit more formal. That rug is a sisal rug, a kind of material that is a little rough. Fuller has actually fallen a few times and skinned his forehead on that rug.

When mom and I were looking for the new rug we kept coming across more sisal rugs. They looked very nice but the common sentence that kept saying was "I don't want a rug where my son can skin his head."

We ended up with a very nice green plaid rug. It is soft and hides dirt pretty well.

If we really wanted to wait to get a rug (we didn't) my dad could have purchased us one in Afghanistan. Apparently the chapel where he was at first was lined from wall to wall with Persian rugs. And at the local bazar the mail department set up a booth at the bazaar so that the service men and women who purchased items could mail them home immediately.

If we lived in New York City, Scottsdale, or Los Angeles we could have gone to the NYC Carpet sale to check out the Tufenkian rugs. They are the distributer of Armenian and Tibetan area rugs, rugs made with ancient techniques and not child labor.

From the website, they look really pretty. If you register for the events you can save and additional 10% off.

My rug isn't Tufenkian, but it sure is pretty. And comfortable. Damon's napping on it right now.

Sick Day

We are having a sick day. Fuller slept in, which was nice, but then it turned out to not be nice when he covered his bed in vomit.

He hasn't thrown up since, but his diapers have been changed every half hour and has developed a diaper rash that seems pretty painful.

The thing is, even though he has symptoms of being sick, he doesn't act sick. He is still jumping around, laughing, playing with cars, and whatever else he does.

I tried to give him some chicken bullion in a sippy cup, and that resulted in making me laugh. The idea of a warm sippy cup kind of shocked him, and he threw the cup across the table. Then he picked it up again and tried to drink, but he thought it was a funny tasting, resulting in a lot of "blehs" and over reaction on his part.

I had plans for today, but being stuck at home has been pretty good as well. I just hope Fuller gets better soon. We now have to miss Mom's group again tomorrow. Oh well. It happens.

It's a kind of magic

It has been a magical day. Fuller and I went to kindermusik and then we headed out to hang with Esther. We all had to go shopping, so Ben stayed home with his Daddy, and we went and picked up Heather and Jonas. Then we three moms took our three little boys shopping. We had our shopping synergy and parenting skillz all in sync.

It was fun. Jonas is only two months and he prefers to be held, so one mom would hold him and the other moms would push the carts. It didn't matter who was with what kid, they were all cared for and we were shopping at the same time.

Holding Jonas and getting him to fall asleep during the shopping trip, it got my baby urge moving again. He and Ben (who is now 5 weeks old) are so little and precious. Their little feet and their little clothes and their little faces, it just sends pangs straight to my ovaries.

When we were at Wal-Mart, we bought a gift for my new niece Olivia, and passed all the cute little girl stuff. The shoes that look lik shooshoos soft leather baby shoes made me long for when Fuller was little and just wore his soft shoes and not the hard Nikes from the thrift store.

How cute are they? Luke now wears Fuller's soft sole shoes, since his tiny feet need protecting. And when Jonas gets older, he can wear them. And when Ben is ready for shoes, he can wear them. It is one of the fun things about having such great friends who are having babies at the same time.

And now, I am here, at Esther's, hanging out swapping mom stories and enjoying each other. Luke, Fuller, and Jonas are all napping and Ben is being held by Heather. It really is magical.

No drama before Momma has her coffee

When I was working I never got to watch morning news shows.

Now that I am at home, I could watch them, but I prefer for Fuller to watch Sesame Street. I can get my news from the internet.

Today Fuller was playing, not watching anything, so I thought I would switch to my old favorite, The Today Show. And now I know that it is a good thing I let Fuller was Sesame Street and I don't bother with the morning news anymore.

Campbell Brown was talking with some person about Anna Nicole's death and the upcoming paternity test that will determine who gets to raise Anna Nicole's daughter and in turn gets to control the little girl's half a billion dollar inheritance. They had a chart with pictures and all the possibilities out there.

I don't care about Anna Nicole. Sure I think it is sad that the baby will grow up without her mother, but really that drama is not what I want to watch in my morning news. And I really don't want to watch it before I have had my morning coffee.

So we turned off the TV and are listening to Johnny Cash instead. I can handle Folsom Prison Blues even before my coffee is ready.

That's amore

Valentine's Day is sneaking up on everyone. When people started saying Valentine's Day is "next week" my mind still put it off as something that was far off. But it is coming this Thursday!

D and I aren't doing gifts this year, but Fuller is going to send out some Valentine's (why we were finger painting yesterday). I just need to get my act together and put them in the mail.

But since D and I aren't doing gifts, I thought I would at least give him this:

The Candy Heart You Should Give Is:

To: Damon From: Alicia

Coffee with new friends

My mom called earlier to chat. In our conversation she mentioned that Daddy had called from somewhere in Afghanistan. He was visiting a base and met with a Catholic priest who is Romanian. Apparently this guy is a coffee afficiando, so Daddy had morning coffee with him and the Father's nephew, who is stationed at the same base.

This nephew that my dad was enjoying coffee with is a descendant of... guess.

Ok, that was a good one, but not right.

Try this on for size: Count Dracula. That's right. And the nephew has Dracula in his name, so my dad is in Afghanistan having coffee with Dracula.

What an interesting world.

Ring, ring

Earlier today I got a phone call.

It was a phone call from the one, the only Alec Baldwin. He said he was staring at me through the window, which was kind of freaky. But then he told me he liked my hair.

You know, I might now get flowers or even candy, but a phone call from Alec Baldwin is really something special.

Valentine's Day is a week away!

Surprise in the mailbox

Speaking of my sister, Fuller and I got a Valentine today from her.

It was funny because we were outside and the dogs started barking. I saw the mailtruck and the mail carrier stopping at the various mailboxes along the street. Fuller waved when he stopped at our house and he was very excited when I handed him the package.

Of course, Fuller doesn't always get the concept of packages and he pitched a little fit when I wanted to open it. I mean, it was addressed to both Fuller and me, I wanted to know what we got.

Inside the package was a shirt for Fuller and a pair of fuzzy Nick and Nora socks for me. But the icing on the cake were two pictures that she included.

Aren't we cute?

Sunny days, chasing the clouds away

Sunny days, chasing the clouds away
Originally uploaded by CrumleyFamily.

Distractions are the enemy

I've been trying to keep my blogging time to early in the morning, during Sesame Street, Fuller's nap time and after he has gone to bed. I haven't so great at keeping that policy, but I think it is something to strive for.

I tend to get distracted though, with all the other fun stuff on the internet. I have my online friends I love to chat with, I try to keep up with my google reader, and then there is the extra surfing that seems to creep in there every once in a while.

Seriously, the internet can be such a time suck. When my mom was here she laughed at me because I closed my laptop and loudly said, "I can't get sucked in!"

That's why I have to stay away from Cafe.com

It is too! much! fun!

Seriously, it so easy to get sucked in to all the games and possible chatting (that is something that I am not so comfortable with).

You do have to install something on your PC to play, but you have free access to all the games. Yes, I said free. If you want extra items and special online stuff, you do have to buy gold coins, but I am very happy with all the free games they have to offer. Personally I like Music Connect.

If you have some time to waste (and if you do, let me know how you did it) or if you find that you need a distraction from stress- check out cafe.com. Just remember that there is stuff to do in real life too. Like sort papers and put away the toys.