My Friend

You guys, I meant to share the other day but I didn't so I am now. One of my very best BFFs has started a blog and it makes me laugh my butt off. I swear she reads my thoughts and puts them into words better than I could ever dream of compiling. Please, take a look and follow her. She's a genius. And if you're the kind of person who is kind of struggling, but not really, and you are stressed out about it she will make you feel better about yourself. She's in it a little deeper than Lena Dunham's character on Girls. And if you don't watch Girls then don't start. I am ashamed that I even mentioned it… anyway, 

 http://fannieflaggcool.blogspot.com

The Great Bread and Milk Scandal

I feel like I am the only person (other than those participating) who feels there is justification in going out and buying bread and milk before bad weather hits. For one reason, I buy bread and milk every other day or every two days. We go through it quickly and if I think it's going to snow or rain for the next 3 days, I will buy extra just so I don't have to leave my house to go get it. It just makes sense. My kids drink milk with their meals, if I'm binging I will eat an entire box of cereal in a day, and my kids practically live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. These two things are the staples on which we survive. I really don't have any other support for my argument. I just don't think it's so impractical and I become annoyed with the "everybody is out buying bread and milk before the big storm" posts. I even saw one that said "Went to the grocery store and I couldn't get bread OR milk, I guess everyone is getting ready for the big ice storm!" Well genius, you were there and trying to buy bread AND milk, why wouldn't anyone else. They may have been out and had been putting off going to the store, not unlike I do sometimes. 

That's all.

The Book of Eli

Last night at 7 pm I decided to go to Target. The boys were fighting and had been ALL day, so it just seemed logical. Having a Super Target 2 miles down the road is dangerous. But I went, and it was very relaxing just strolling around the store by myself looking at things. While I was digging around in the dollar bin I found this pack of blank books. 

I'm great at starting projects with the boys and not finishing them.  But you know what, they're boys.  And they are not going to care when they're grown that their baby books are partially done.  I probably will but we will cross that bridge when we get there.  

Eli and I started working on a little book about him.  First of all, he was incredibly upset that I had him write that he's 4 while he is obviously still 3. It doesn't matter that he will be 4 in two weeks to him. My bad.  It was easier for him to write, too. But, I thought it would just be fun to put together little things about him and maybe do it every year and see how things change.  These are the first two pages. He needed a break. It may take a whole year to do this.  

I plan on printing off pictures of things that whatever the page is about and letting him put stickers on it and color in it. He really has great handwriting for a(n) (almost) 4 year old. He knows what letters look like so if I tell him what to write he usually does it.  Sometimes I have to show him on another piece of paper what a certain letter looks like.  He was determined to have a page with Batman on it.  So here you go, folks.  This is the whole reason I am writing this post.

Eli is on the left and the devil Batman is on the right. Eli has just started drawing "bodies" on his people.  (The part that the arms and legs are coming off of.) The limbs use to come straight off of the head. 

I kind of wish I had grabbed a few more packs of these...

Where'd my waist go?

Since moving here, I have been hesitant about joining a gym. Mostly because after living on base for 3 years and not having to pay for exercising, I have a hard time justifying purchasing membership. Plus, I knew that the last couple months of 2013 we would be in AL and I would be paying for nothing. And then, I really didn't want to join at the beginning of the year to avoid the glares from faithful gym goers as a "resolution-er." 

So, here I am smack in the middle of January and I've done some crunches once this week. I'm not trying to get a bikini bod, I just want to fit into the jeans I was wearing before Thanksgiving. I read a statistic that on average people gain between 5 and 15 pounds during the holiday season. I am a testament that this was not made up. I texted a friend about a week ago to let her know that I was taking and writing down my measurements in hope that I would feel some sort of accountability to drop an inch off my waist and blog to you all how I did it. I might have expanded even more since then.

I start my days off great. I juice, eat a couple eggs. Then around 10 o'clock I'm all Cookie Monster hangry looking for anything I can get my hands on. A few nights ago I made a bunch of Auntie Anne's pretzels and the next day, ate a vast majority of them. With each one I was like, "Oh, I'm going to regret this." And that night, I looked 4 months pregnant- and not like "first pregnancy 4 months"… more like 4th or 5th time around 4 months pregnant. (If you have multiple children then you know what I'm talking about.)

There really is no point to this post today, just wanted to let you all in on what's been weighing me down…no pun intended. 

New Year, New Jewelry!

You guys, I cannot even explain how GORGEOUS the new items are for the 2014 Spring and Summer line. I JUST placed my own order.  The items will be available for viewing on the Stella&Dot website on January 13th.

I will send you everything you need for a successful catalog show. Just message me on Facebook and we will get your new year started with fun and FREE jewelry! 

And we rejoiced, for we never had to buy diapers again

It's been a very exciting week over here! Last Sunday afternoon Andrew decided he wanted to go peepee on the potty, and he did. He had been mentioning over the past couple of weeks every time he would get his diaper changed that his cousin Powell went peepee on the potty and I would tell them that he could too because he is a big boy too! 

I can't even begin to describe the change that I have seen in this child. He has always been the one to get into trouble for instigating fights with his brother, being the messy one, the stubborn one. We would say, "Drew, you're so bad!" Jokingly of course, but I think he began to believe it himself.  After he potties he gets to put a sticker on his chart and gets an M&M. But immediately after he goes, before getting off the toilet a look of sheer excitement and pride comes over this precious child's face and he reaches his sweet little arms out for the biggest hugs he's ever given. 

This little bit of praise he has been receiving shows me how LITTLE he was receiving it in other areas. I'm so afraid of what damage I could have done had I not noticed this. It scares me and breaks my heart.

He's a wild little BOY with so much energy, determination, and love. I'm so proud of what he's done in this week. He really did it all on his own, and you can see that each day he's just gotten better and better.  I thank God for this child, and for his brother too.  They're my sunshine. 

                Excuse the drool! :P

A little personal…Warning, TMI.

I don't encourage Daniel to read this blog. I don't tell him if I've posted anything new, 

and hopefully that will keep him from reading it. 

You see, I have no shame. He, however, does.

I was raised in a family that locked the car windows when someone farted. I don't know if Daniel's family ever discussed farts.

Anyway...

This weeks' events have worn my soul thin.

 I'll start from October when Daniel first went to SOS, I asked if I could have whatever money was left over from his per diem. Not to blow on myself, but buy some new curtains for our living room, a few new things to hang on the walls, and stain and knobs to go on our very outdated kitchen cabinets. Not that I thought I would be able to buy ALL off it, but I had my wish list. He said sure. He hates the curtains we have now (they were hanging in the house when we bought it) and he agrees that our cabinets are not overly appealing to the eye.

I was shocked that the amount he had left over from his school was so high. He didn't eat out a lot though and I know he probably didn't for a reason. He's such a good man.

Fast forward to now, we had a few unexpected things to pay for. Daniel got a new (used) truck back in December. In Oklahoma when you register a car for the first time, the price isn't determined by what you paid for the vehicle, but it's actual worth. So, we paid a lot more for the tag that we would have in Alabama since we paid a lot less than the truck's actual worth. You follow?

We also couldn't get our gas fireplace to ignite. Had to have a guy from the gas company come out and light it. 

And now, you'll get to know me better than you could have ever wanted to. Stop reading now.

On Friday afternoon around 12:30 I was in my room folding laundry (WHAT!) and I kept hearing my toilet gurgle. I went and checked and thought that maybe I had been washing too much laundry that morning and it had something to do with that. I don't know, I'm not a freaking plumber. 10 minutes later I here the water running in the toilet. Overflow. I can't get the valve to turn off and I call Daniel (being a super B, because I know deep down this is ALL his fault) and tell him its stuck. "Get a pair of pliers." Click. I hung up on him. I'm not stupid, but why didn't I think of that. This made me even more mad at him.

It worked. So I went to the boys bathroom and turned off their water just before it overflowed too. 

I went to my neighbors' house to see if they were having any plumbing issues, hoping maybe it was something to do with the cities' line and not just my own. 

It was just my own. When I walked back into the bathrooms, my tubs and shower were filled with…

dirty water. 

Daniel called a plumber, and they wouldn't be able to come until after hours which is more $$$.

What were we suppose to do? Not shower or poop all weekend? 

I then had a looming feeling in my stomach.

This was all my fault. 

I am a woman... and I flush way more stuff down the toilet than anyone else.

(Still there?)

Oh, I knew this was going to be embarrassing.

Please let there be a little Buzz Lightyear or anything, ANYTHING else stuck in our pipes.

After the plumber finished his job, which took a maximum 8 minutes, he and Daniel were sitting in the kitchen and I heard him quietly say,

"You might let your wife know that maybe she shouldn't be flushing her tampons down the toilets." 

So, now that all of my shame is gone, I can share this with you all. It doesn't even phase me. 

At first I was angry that all of my house money mostly spent, but now I'm just so thankful that we had it. Isn't that how it goes though? 

You get some money saved up and then your period ruins everything!