Back By Popular Demand.

Wait. Let me rephrase that.

Back by the demand of four people. 

Okay, fine. Three.

Having your child (who was a mere three years old at the time) start preschool, takes a lot out of a person. For me, it took away my desire to blog. And therefore, keep things a little more private. Besides, I figured the only people reading this were friends of mine on Facebook and keeping up with my life via status updates. 

As it turns out, people were checking in. And I'd offered them nothing new to read. 

Excuse me while I hang my head in shame.

I guess there were many things I could have written about. For example: our kitchen and dining room being revamped, my new nephew being born, Macy's first haircut, or me leaving her overnight for the first time ever to go to a Beth Moore conference in the big city an hour and a half away... and living to tell about it! 

But there were also things that happened in my life that I'm sure you would have been less than thrilled to read. And I'm gonna list them now, so you can read them and be less than thrilled. Proving my point. 

Ahem.

1. One summer afternoon, I won a staring contest with my dog. 

2. I complained about the humidity more than once one hundred times. I vowed to become friends with more people who own pools. 

3. Our huge pine tree got snapped in half from some damaging winds that came through our town.

4. I drank obscene amounts of sweet tea. And complained about the humidity again.

5. I found a shoebox in my closet full of high school memorabilia. The box contained a few cassette tapes from one-hit wonders back in the late '90s. I'm holding out hope that they will be on a new show on VH1. After all, I can't be the only one lying awake at night wringing my hands together and wondering what in tarnation ever happened to LFO and Marcy Playground.

So you see, I kinda did you a favor. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is, "I'm back!" I think.

Yeah, I am. Now I can't promise every entry will be heart-wrenching. I can't promise that I will post something interesting every single day. But if you are looking for something every single day, then head over to my new blog on Tuesday.

My sisters have starting doing this "365 Days of Gratefulness" thing and asked me to join in. At first, I said I'd have to wait until January 1st because I'm weird like that. And then I decided that if I did hop on the bandwagon, I would have to have a whole separate blog for it. It's part of my OCD to not let things get all conglomerated. Don't judge me. So anyway, I figured what better time to start than my birthday? That will also give you ample time to get me a present.

In closing, here is a video for those of you who enjoy going back to the past and laughing at yourself for ever listening to such silliness. Because, you see, this cassette single was one of the souvenirs I found in the shoebox. (Be sure to pause my music over there on the side before watching.) The lyrics make absolutely no sense whatsoever. 

You've really missed me, haven't you?!

[Edited to add: I was just informed that the lead singer of LFO passed away a few short weeks ago. What with my tv always being on Nick Jr., it's hard for me to stay on top of pop culture news. My hope is that you watch the video above and smile. And have this song stuck in your head for a couple days.]

Finding Macy.

When Macy was still very small, she took a huge interest in the movie Finding Nemo. Anytime she was upset, that movie would instantly calm her down. Nowadays, I have memorized the dialogue word for word. And it's still her all-time favorite.

A couple months ago, while Macy was giggling in the backseat to Dory's antics (yes, we even take it with us on the road!), the lesson in this movie hit me like a ton of bricks. You see, Nemo is a little fish who seems disabled with a gimpy fin to the outside world. However, he is capable of doing everything else the other fish can do - he just has to try harder... Despite his dad, Marlin, constantly saying, "You think you can do these things but you just can't, Nemo!" Time and time again, he proves how much strength he really does have. And he proves to Marlin that he can do these things when given the chance.

Today was Macy's first day of preschool. She is only 3 1/2 and she is still my baby. She will always be my baby. But as I hung up her backpack and lunchbox in her own little cubby, I decided that I don't want to be Marlin anymore. I don't want to hold my child back simply because I'm afraid she'll get hurt. She is going to grow up whether I want her to or not. And just because she needs some extra help doesn't mean she can't accomplish things other preschoolers can.

My girl is a fighter. And she is going to conquer the world...

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Some people claim to have it all. The best car. The best house. The best job. The best salary.

And while that may be important to them, I have far better than that. You see, I have the best mom.

My mom is my hero. One of my dearest friends.

She put herself through college when my sisters and I were young. I was in kindergarten when she started taking a few courses during the day, and a night-class or two during the week. She would drop us off at school, drive herself to college and back, pick us up from school that afternoon, run through McDonald's to grab us a Happy Meal, and take us with her to night-class. We would sit amongst the other college students in that classroom while we quietly ate our dinner and entertained ourselves. At the end of the night, my sweet mother, exhausted from the day, would walk out to her car with one of my sisters on each side of her, a heavy backpack thrown over her shoulder, and me in her arms.

Many times she could have quit. But she wanted better for our family. She kept going, kept fighting, until that summer day in 1992 when she walked across the stage at Morehead State University wearing her cap and gown. My dad cried tears of joy. My sisters and I clapped and shouted as she was handed her diploma. We were so proud of her.

I am still proud of this woman who gives so unselfishly. This woman who always did without so we didn't have to. This woman who tutored after teaching all day at school to earn extra money so she could afford to buy us our prom dresses. This woman who would snuggle with me late at night when I got home from a date and I just had to tell her all about it. This woman who stood on the other side of me and helped walk me down the aisle when my dad gave me away. This woman who cried with me when I miscarried my first child. This woman who came to clean my house while I was pregnant with my daughter, on bedrest and couldn't do it myself. This woman who was in the room with me when that very baby let out her first cries.

I can never thank this amazing woman for all the things she's done for me. For making me the person I am today, and for being such an inspiration in my life. But hopefully today, on her birthday, I can let her know just how much she means to me.

I love you, Mom. And I am so thankful that God chose you to be my mother...

Houston, We Had A Problem.

Our PC has been very sick. (Thus, the reason for lack of posts lately.) Even though we had anti-virus software, the poor thing would churn and wheeze every time it was used. In the end, the hard drive took it's last breath. I guess it was just it's time to go...

I grieved only a short time (thanks to Best Buy's 18 Months Same As Cash!), and I am now the proud owner of a MacBook. Merry Early Christmas to me! I'm still getting used to the simplicity that everyone raves about, and the fact that viruses are impossible to catch on these beauties, but this trackpad (i.e. no mouse!) is getting the best of me. Therefore, I am blaming it entirely for the new gray hairs that have taken root on my scalp.

That being said, you may have noticed the changes on this here blog. What with the standard-sized monitor on ye olde desktop computer, I wasn't able to see all the diamonds of different colors on the sides of my previous layout. And the first time I pulled up my blog on the new Mac, my eyes immediately began to hurt. So I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to all three of you who follow the blog and have widescreen monitors. I had no idea, and I really feel horrible for causing strain on your corneas. There. I feel better.

I guess one good thing about the PC's passing is the fact that I was forced to take up reading for a while instead of surfing the net. Many friends suggested reading The Twilight Series, and I declined for the simple fact that I'm not into vampires. However, it didn't take long for peer pressure to kick in, and lo, I fell into the trap. I read two chapters of Twilight and could not lay it down! I ended up finishing the book in less than 24 hours and had to immediately borrow the other three books in the series from a friend because MY GOODNESS, I HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH BELLA AND EDWARD!

I even had my dad babysit Macy one afternoon so a friend and I could catch the matinee of New Moon (the second book in the series that was made into a movie) at the local theater. Keep in mind, I hadn't been to the theater in at least five years! And now I am ashamed to admit that I am a groupie. (Go Team Edward! Even though Jacob has the best abs I've ever seen!)

Now that things are back to normal, I have been doing most of our Christmas shopping online. I try to stay away from the malls - not only because it takes as long to find a parking spot as it does to watch an episode of The Dr. Oz Show - but because their selection is limited or all picked through!

Case in point:

Saturday, I ventured out into the madness against my better judgement (in other news, our flu shots kicked in, so we can now behold the outdoors!) to get Macy some new shoes. She's in between sizes and every brand runs differently, so I felt more comfortable with her trying them on before making the purchase. After traipsing through six different stores, following behind numerous teenagers in love holding hands and walking very slowly (do they not know I'm in a hurry?!), I left disappointed. Every shoe I liked was either unavailable in her size, ridiculously priced, or covered in Disney princesses and/or some other sort of Bedazzlement. Call me crazy, but if I'm buying a pair of shoes that will be outgrown by Springtime, they better be able to be worn with most outfits.

On the way home, I stopped by a less-crowded mall that used to be quite popular but is now somewhat deserted. And there I found my diamond in the rough.... Sears. I also found tennis shoes and chocolate brown Ugg-ish looking boots in her size, very reasonably priced. With no embellishment, no character logo, and better yet - no lights that flash when she walks! Yay!

Now Christmas is sneaking up on us and I have one more present to buy. Luckily, I now have a working computer so I can shop merrily with Elf on in the background. Not to mention, I have a birthday present to wrap for my hubby, who turned 36 today!

Make it merry, y'all!

Oink!

Halloween is such a fun time for kids. Growing up, we made our own costumes. And on more than one occasion, we wore my dad's work clothes stuffed with king-sized pillows, painted beards on our faces with black eyeliner pencil, and went as "hobos". So I guess it stands to reason why my sister wouldn't email that picture to me when I asked...

Oh well.

However, the homemade costumes spared us the suffocation from the dreaded plastic face with a string going around the back of your head. You remember those? With a tiny hole cut out for the mouth? That you always tried to stick your tongue out of even though it hurt like the dickens?

So this past spring, I was watching a new cartoon with Macy. This particular cartoon was about a little girl pig who wears the color red all the time. She has red and white striped tights, a striped shirt, and a red jumper and hairbows. Her name was Olivia, and I thought she was just the cutest thing ever. Therefore, this year a new and unique costume was born. Macy was...

Olivia the Pig!

My mom made the jumper (without a pattern - what skills!), and I spent an entire day hot gluing red ribbon onto a turtleneck, making a nose (that she refused to wear!) out of a toilet paper roll, and ears and red hairbows to match. Lucky for me, Macy already had the red and white striped BabyLegs.

I think it paid off. Even though her ears started to flop before the sun had even set.

(Her sign says: "Rule of Life #24: If you're going to wear a pig costume on Halloween, you'd better get chocolate in return.")

Now we have Reese cups, suckers, Milk Duds, and Kit Kats o'plenty. Enough to last her until this time next year, I'd say.

And I'm refraining from digging into her bag of well-earned treats. Really. ;)

Because We Couldn't Be Outdone By Our Own Redneckiness.

This weekend, we finally decided to go back to our old house and get Macy's little playground. It didn't take us long to realize it wouldn't fit on the trailer very well.

It's a good thing we had some rope...

Between Moving Day and this, I think the Clampett's would be proud.

Oh MY At The Tasty!

I'm on a roll this week, my friends. Cooler temperatures have left a big craving for comfort food in our house. (Or maybe I'm the only who is craving comfort food, so that's what I fix for dinner, and everybody else just eats it. Yeah, that's it.)

Anyway.

Sunday afternoon I decided to be all domestic and fix homemade Broccoli Cheese soup, complete with crusty bread for dipping. And usually Chad isn't a big "soup person", but he had several bowls and I was ever so happy because of it. I guess I should also mention that Macy lapped it up like a dog herself, and she's not much on soup, either. So that night when I said my prayers, I smiled and thanked the Lord for my family's ability to actually enjoy my cooking.

Thankfully, Monday brought us a new recipe from my favorite Food Network star - Paula Deen. Surprisingly enough, this concoction didn't list butter as an ingredient, but whatever. It was still delicious.

It reminded me of a shepherd's pie. You know, veggies and beef cooked in the oven with mashed potatoes on top? And maybe a thin layer of parmesan cheese that gets all crunchy and yummy?

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

(Concentrate, Trish. Concentrate.)

Shew... Where was I?

Oh yeah... [shaking my head]

Except this recipe?!

It had TATER TOTS on top!

(Please hold your applause until the end. It gets better!)

For your dining pleasure, I have included the recipe:

"Tater Tot Casserole" (or "Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie")
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can English peas, drained (didn't know what English peas were, so I used Sweet Peas)
3 tablespoons browning sauce (again, didn't know what it was and neither did the elderly woman in the spice aisle at WalMart, so I left it out)
1 tablespoon garlic salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder instead)
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon sage
1 (32-ounce) package frozen tater tots

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.
2. In a large skillet, combine ground chuck, onion, and garlic; cook over medium-high heat until meat is browned and crumbles. Drain well.
3. In a large bowl, combine meat mixture, soups, corn, peas, browning sauce, garlic salt, red pepper, paprika, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and sage. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with tater tots. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned and bubbly.

I also happened to have 1/4 block of Velveeta left over from Sunday's soup, so I pinched it into pieces and added it before the tater tots. I mean, clearly, this casserole was missing a dairy!

And the finished product?

Scrumptilyumptious.

(By the way, that is a salad plate. You know... for portion control.)

[cough. roll eyes.]

Eat up, y'all! ;)

I'm Baaaaaack!

Wow. A whole month since my last post. It sure is hard to blog with no internet, folks.

You see, we MOVED! Same town, different house. And apparently the phone company was backed up and it took us longer than expected to have our phone and internet service transferred to our new location.

The transition went pretty smooth, except for the fact that everything was moved with multiple trips in an SUV, a pickup truck, and a metal trailer on a hitch. In the rain. With tarps. The only thing missing was Granny Clampett in a rocking chair.

But now that we're settled (for the most part), I will be back to my regular blogging schedule, whatever that may be. And our days are becoming easier around here, except for the fear of Swine Flu and Macy's pediatrician ordering us to be on Home Confinement for 1-2 weeks until it dies down. So she and I are staying hidden away from all the drama at the moment. After all, we've had enough excitement to last us a while...

Case in point: Our very first day in the new house went like this:

Woke up to more rain. Wondered where my toothbrush was. Noticed I needed to go to the bank before it closed. Decided to go before I found my toothbrush, considering I was only going through the drive-thru. Hit a squirrel on my way back home. Cried because my vehicle had slaughtered one of God's creatures. Arrived home and fed Macy breakfast. Chad goes to UK game. I unpack boxes while Macy plays in the empty ones, and try to get things settled. Put Macy in her crib to watch TV long enough to put a load of laundry in the washing machine. Hear her screaming through the monitor. Rush upstairs to check. Find her leg stuck in the crib rails. Pull and tug, afraid I'm gonna break her kneecap. Rush back down to the kitchen and return with a tub of butter. Slather up her leg to free it from the grip of the crib. Go to clean the butter off her, relieved that her leg isn't broken. Return to her room to find the tub of butter completely empty, and Ali licking his chops. Make a mental note to put the lid back on the butter if ever again in the same situation. Hope that if drinking out of the toilet doesn't kill my dog, then surely Country Crock won't take his life. Unpack some more. Eat lunch and dinner. Realize that Macy's bedtime is approaching, and go to run her bath. Notice that the light switches won't work upstairs. Glance over to see the front door and deadbolt unlocked. Panic! Lock them back and try the light switches again, only to find out they now work! Find it creepy and panic again! Call my Mom and Dad to come over immediately and help me go through the house in case someone uninvited is here in hiding. Cry. Let Mom and Dad in the house. Set the security alarm in case someone realizes they're here and I will know they escaped by the sound of the siren. Dad opens the door. Alarm goes off. I try to punch in codes left by the previous owner. Screen goes blank. I call my brother-in-law the police officer, from the darkness of the bathroom while I'm curled up in the floor, in tears. He sends the officer on duty to come and check the house for me. Officer arrives, we open the door, and the alarm goes off again. The nearby university hears our alarm and calls dispatch. The officer in our house is notified of our alarm via dispatch and tells them he's already here, but the codes won't work. I tell him about the switch box in the basement and we go to check it out, hoping to dismantle the system. Basement door is opened. Alarm goes off again. For the third time. Macy is now crying because of all the commotion. Ali is freaking out and poops in the basement. Calls are coming in for the officer, but he is trapped in our house! He calls dispatch and gets the cell phone number of the man who installed the security system. Man is located in town and is on his way to our rescue. Man arrives, door is opened, alarm goes off for the fourth time. Officer leaves once the the door is open and he knows we are taken care of, man goes to basement and manually shuts off alarm. Battery is dead, explaining the reason for the blank screen and useless codes. Man saves the day by replacing battery, and shows us how to use security alarm. Macy is bathed and put to bed. Finally. I fear our neighbors hate us already. Chad comes home and I tell him of all the events of the day, thankful he wasn't here to witness it because he would've been all flustered. We set the alarm, now knowing how to use it, and go to bed.

In the words of Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, "Welcome Home, Brammell Family! Welcome Home!"

Let Her Eat Cake.

Macy's 3rd birthday party had a Curious George theme. She's quite obsessed with that sweet little monkey!

So her cake? Well....

...was absolutely adorable and delicious!

She squealed with delight when she saw it...

...and after multiple attempts of digging in with a fork,

her slice ended up being dumped on her head.

A Riddle.

Actually, it's not a riddle at all. But "A Plain Ole Question" didn't seem catchy enough to be the title of a blog post, now did it?!

Anyway.

What do you get when you cross a toddler and a Chocolate Creme Oreo?


(I'll give you time to think about it...)


This!



However, I would like to mention that her dress is completely spotless, and for that, I am thankful.

Happy Birthday, Baby.

Three years ago today, on a hot Thursday morning, a scared Mommy was wheeled into a delivery room. She was waiting to meet her new baby, who was far too early to be born. But this Mommy knew a loving God, and also knew that He would watch over her baby and help her to grow.

At 8:04 am, this Mommy heard the cries of her tiny infant for the first time. She saw a nurse whisk her away to be cleaned and swaddled in a warm blanket. She saw a teary-eyed Daddy smile behind his mask. And she knew in that moment that life would never be the same.

An hour later, this Mommy was able to hold her fragile little darling for the very first time. She wept as she looked into the eyes of this new life in her arms. And she was overcome with love and admiration for her precious miracle.



Three years later, this baby has grown to be a warrior who is full of energy, love, mischief, and giggles. She has made our family complete, and we love her more than life itself.


Happy 3rd Birthday to Macy, my beloved. You will always be my little girl.

Snug As A Bug In A... Basket?

Wonder what's been keeping Macy occupied lately?

Books?

Cartoons?

Sidewalk chalk?

Playdates?

Nope...

As it turns out, the toddler is rather content sitting in front of her mirror in a laundry basket. Surrounded by a few of her favorite toys. And a measuring cup.

I even caught her doing the same thing this past Sunday morning in the church nursery. She was awfully quiet so I peeped around the corner to check on her. To my surprise, I found her sitting in a crate no bigger than a dishdrainer! She had simply dumped all the toys out, climbed in, folded her legs up, and talked to her reflection in their mirror.

Call me crazy, but I think we may have overspent on her birthday gifts this year...

A Sweet Surprise.

Here's the deal. My little girl has become very "plundery" lately, as my Grandma says. If I turn my back for more than three seconds, she's digging in the refrigerator or trying to climb my cabinets. I've caught her climbing end tables, knocking lamps over, chewing on phone cords, and running on the hearth.

Therefore, I have been forced to put her in the playpen if I have to do anything that takes longer than, say, making a sandwich.

So when I had to balance the checkbook online the other day, I returned to the living room to find this:

Love 'er to pieces.

I celebrated by taking a hot shower, since I didn't think I'd get one until she went to bed that night. And it turned out to be a lovely afternoon if I do say so myself!

Playing House. Again.

Macy's dollhouse has become one of our favorite toys to play with together. She and I do a lot of role-playing during the day, and often before bedtime. Usually we just make the dolls talk to one another, cook dinner, rock the "baby" before it's nap, etc.

But tonight I learned something new...

"Grandma" has a dirty little secret.

Here she is in the bed with "Daddy". SPOONING, NO LESS!

In my toddler's defense, she probably thought "Grandma" was "Mommy". After all, her real-life Mommy is turning gray!

After all this nonsense, Macy decided that "Sister" wasn't too big to be rocked to sleep.

Even if the rocking chair was too big to be rocking "Sister"!

Week In Review.

Or better yet, two weeks in review...

The summer season has brought along my favorite vegetable.... fried green tomatoes. Don't even say they're not a veggie - they totally are! I mean, after all, they're green! Maybe not so leafy, but they are green. And delicious. And that is why when I fixed some for dinner last week, Chad and I licked the plate clean. Which reminds me... carrot cake is also a vegetable.

In other news, Macy has recently found it thrilling to wake up at 2 am and talk to herself until I'm wide awake. If I had half the energy of this child, I wouldn't be able to stand myself. She never tires out. And I need an entire pot of coffee just to keep up with her.

It must be all the excitement of her first car date. With a younger man!

That's right. One of my dearest friends came over with her sweet son, and he and Macy had a blast. They play so well together, and obviously share their toys well, too! But once Macy started climbing into the backseat, this Mommy decided the date was over!

We've also been working on proper food etiquette, but I'm guessing "ravioli night" wasn't the best time to practice this skill. After all, look how embarrassed my child was when I tried to take her picture. This is when I opted to call it quits and take her directly to the tub.

I also got the same results with an orange Push-Up the other day. I was cleaning the kitchen after lunch, and decided that this particular sorbet novelty would be a breeze for my toddler to eat in a well-mannered fashion.

Wrong.

After wiping down the walls, couch, floor, and highchair, I've finally come to grips with the fact that any sort of melting treat is not appropriate when my back is turned. On the other hand, she did some nice finger-painting with the orange, runny, sugar-water. And Ali is ever so thankful that it dribbled down within his reach.

(I was too busy cleaning up the aftermath to see the great photo opportunity before me. Just use your imagination.)

Have a great week!

Cinderella.

This blog post made me smile today. Go ahead and take a peek!

My amazingly talented sister, Stacey, took these photos of us back in March. And I had to keep them hidden from Chad until Father's Day because they were his present! (In a lovely album, of course!)

If you want to see more and don't mind having teary eyes, a lump in your throat, or a runny nose, then click on this link: www.staceywoodsphotogalleries.com/darkroom/share and type "macy" in for the password. And for heaven's sake, don't forget to turn up your speakers! ;)

Enjoy!

Hodgepodge.

Yes, I know it's been over two weeks since I've posted. If you can believe it, I've gotten tired of hearing my own voice via "the blog". What? You're not buying that? Then allow me to get you caught up on all things from The Brammell House, and perhaps you will understand.

1. We put our house on the market. So in between getting it fixed up and ready to sell, I've been somewhat... oh, I don't know... EXHAUSTED! And all the paint fumes have made me unable to complete a sentence in my head, let alone type one out.

2. Last Sunday (the 28th), Chad and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. I meant to post that night and reminisce by sharing a wedding photo, but my scanner doesn't work and that made it impossible.

3. Macy spent the night with my mom and dad for the first time ever! And I lived to tell about how she made it without me (except for that one time she stayed with my in-laws when I was infected with Stomach Virus '08, and frankly, that overnight trip couldn't be helped. In fact, had it not been for the Phenergen knocking me out cold, I would've cried the whole night and hobbled nextdoor in my bathrobe to get her.)

4. Not only have I not written, but I have been too busy to even follow the blogs that I subscribe to. And without my daily dose of BooMama, I'm just not myself.

5. My computer went all funky and now I can't hear the music on my blog or see the videos I've posted. All I see is a white blob with a circle, triangle, and square in the upper left-hand corner. If you know how to fix this, please let me know. It's making me very upset!

6. In the world of reality TV and all things news-related, I am:
a.) devastated that Jon and Kate announced that they are getting a divorce.
b.) saddened at the death of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays.
c.) a little annoyed that MJ's death has gotten so much media attention to the point where Al Sharpton chimed in on E! with a Special Report that knocked me out of watching the Will Ferrell SNL Collection.

Now I think you're up-to-date. I will return once I think of something else to ramble about. Thank you and have a lovely day. :)

As It Turns Out, I'm A Bit Of A "Brand Snob".

This post of BooMama's literally made me laugh out loud. Not only that, but it got me to thinking...

Believe me, this house sees it's fair share of generic brands. Our medicine cabinet hosts a bottle of Equate brand ibuprofen as we speak. My refrigerator is stocked with a gallon of Great Value brand skim milk, cottage cheese, and sour cream. And even Macy drinks Parent's Choice brand "Pediatric Drink" every single morning. (Why oh why would I pay $11.99 for six bottles of Pediasure when I can get the same thing for $7.88?! I mean, really!)

So when taste or performance isn't affected, I will usually buy the generic brand. Who can afford not to in today's economy? But there are some brands that I am very loyal to. And here is my list:

Heinz ketchup
Maxwell House coffee
Green Giant canned veggies (for the hubby!)
Campbell's soups
Jif Peanut Butter
Hellman's mayo
Smucker's jams and jellies
Zesta saltines
Mrs. Butterworth's syrup
Crest toothpaste
Q-tips cotton swabs (learned this the hard way!)
Tide detergent
Downy fabric softener
Downy dryer sheets
Bounty paper towels
Charmin toilet tissue
Saran wrap (generic brands are a mess!)
Reynold's wrap tin foil (generic falls apart!)
Revlon "coffee bean" lipstick. (worn it forever!)
Huggies diapers
Huggies wipes (they're so thick!)
And let's just say I will never purchase any store brand of feminine hygiene products thankyouverymuch!

*Note - I will admit that last week, my local grocer was out of Maxwell House coffee (except for decaf), so I tried the Starbucks Breakfast Blend. I'm not gonna lie, it was delicious. But it's a little too pricey for such a small bag. Therefore, I will return to my faithful Maxwell House next time.

There. I feel much better since I got that off my chest.*

So what are some of your favorite brands?! Don't feel bad for sharing. You're in good company! ;)

Cartoons Schmartoons.

Alright people. I’ve had it with the cartoons. Sure, I found them quite entertaining as a youngster. And even in the recent past, I’ve been known to watch Olivia or Charlie and Lola with a big smile on my face. Yes, I know these animated thrill rides are aimed for the toddler and preschooler, not us Moms. But make them a little realistic, wouldja?!

Today, I rolled my eyes at the ever-lovable Mickey Mouse. Bless his heart. He tries to promote problem solving skills, counting, learning your colors, etc. But I shouted at the TV, “Mickey, you can’t attach a plane propeller with a glue stick! And you can’t get a hot air balloon out of the sky by weighing it down with a baby elephant! You moron!”

I did the same thing to The Wonder Pets. On every episode, that poor guinea pig, turtle, and duckling risk their lives to save an animal in distress. And as soon as the animal is rescued, the parents of that animal pop up out of nowhere and exclaim, “Thank you, Wonder Pets for saving my baby! I was so scared!” Well, Mama Dolphin, where were you five minutes ago when your baby was stuck in a fishing net? Huh?!

Just once, I would love to see the folks at Disney and Nickelodeon make a show for us parents. How about Dora and Boots using their map and backpack to take a stressed-out Mommy a bottle of nerve pills?! Or even a voucher for a free dinner? Or a nap?! I can hear it now…

Map: “You tell Dora to go to the pharmacy, run all the red lights in town, and knock on Mommy’s door! Say it with me: pharmacy, red lights, Mommy’s door!” and repeat it a few times for emphasis.

You think I’m joking. But in the words of Ming-Ming (the Wonder Pet duckling with a precious speech impediment), “This is sewious!”

And you thought the troll who lives under the bridge was grumpy… Obviously, he ain't got nothin' on me.

Pure Bliss.

Can you think of a better way to spend a hot afternoon?

Me neither.

Just Checking In.

Wow. I can't believe I haven't posted in over a week! Sorry. I can explain...

Macy got sick on Thursday with a fever, and I couldn't get her to eat or drink a thing. Her pediatrician suggested bloodwork, and also took a look at her in his office. We were sent home with an antibiotic and a diagnosis of tonsilitis.

By Friday morning, she couldn't keep the antibiotic down and was admitted to the hospital. We spent two long days getting IV fluids and nausea medication, and on Saturday, she was eating food for the first time in three days. I guess I should also mention that she drank two 20 oz. bottles of Gatorade and a 9 oz. bottle of apple juice as well! Before we left the hospital! Thirsty, are we?!

That afternoon, she was playing drums on the plastic basin (or what I refer to as the "puke bucket") in her bed! Her beloved doc walked in and said, "What an amazing transformation!" I just love him... he's so gentle, and so good with her!

On Sunday afternoon, my dear hubby bought me a bicycle. He attached Macy's little ride-along seat on the back and we rode around our neighborhood (and to my horror, got chased by a huge Saint Bernard!). But Macy enjoyed the wind in her face and had a blast! Every time I would stop, she would hit me on the back and yell, "GO! GO! GO!" That girl is not bothered by heat and sweat, I tell ya. I on the other hand, was huffin' and puffin' by the time we returned home.

Look at how cute she is in her little helmet and knee pads!


She's just darling... if I do say so myself!

"Not Me!" Monday...

This week, in an effort to rid my house of crumbs (and more importantly, ants), I did not take a Shop-Vac to my toddler’s clothing while she was still seated in her highchair. After every meal. And if I had done this, I wouldn’t have let it slip up in a conversation with my sister. And she wouldn’t have called me Monica Gellar, the obsessively tidy character from the TV show, Friends. I’m just sayin’. In my defense, I haven’t seen a single ant all week. That is, if I did in fact, vacuum my child…

[cough]

Furthermore, after my sweet cherub learned to take off her diaper and swing it around her head while waltzing around bare-butt in the living room, I did not try to outsmart her by putting her diaper on backwards in an attempt to hide the tabs from her busy hands. I didn’t. Honestly.

What?! How’d that picture get here?!

And for the record, I didn’t have only cucumbers and hummus for dinner one night this week. I guarantee it. But… say if I had, I wouldn’t have chased it with ice cream. Even if it was Weight Watchers ice cream.

Oh yeah, and when Macy woke up at 4am (ready to play!) one day this week, I most certainly did not stick her playpen in front of the TV, give her a few of her favorite toys and a sippy cup full of Pediasure, and turn on Noggin while I dozed on the couch for a bit. I mean, how incredibly lazy and irresponsible would I be?! No mother does that! Pfft...

Okay. I did it. Can you stand to be brutally honest?! Feel free to leave a comment here, or post on your own blog. If you post on your blog, be sure to grab the orange "Not Me! Monday" button up there so you can link it back to http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ - courtesy of MckMama. Enjoy letting it all out! :)

Our "Good Friday."

Not "Good Friday" in the sense of Friday before Easter, but Good Friday in the sense that yesterday provided us with a blessing. Now I really wanted to share this news as soon as I got home, but seeing that I wanted to tell my immediate family first instead of having them read it, I'm sure you understand.

Yesterday was Macy's annual cardiology check-up. (Which I must add that on Thursday, we had to get a chest x-ray for this visit, and I experienced Macy's first tantrum in the lobby of the imaging center while she flung herself onto the floor and refused to get up. Then she flopped around like a fish out of water for quite some time. It was lovely.)

So yesterday we received the fantastic news that the final hole in the bottom of Macy's heart has closed on it's own! She has a small leak around the patch that was used to repair the larger holes when she had her surgery, but that is common. In fact, that leak has been there since the surgery took place. We were also told that next year, Macy will only need to have an EKG in the office. And she will only need to have an ECHO and chest x-ray every two to three years!

God is so good to us! Our little miracle has come such a long way... *sniff*

American Idol Finale = Joy.

Alright. I guess I better share how excited I am about Kris Allen winning American Idol. Like you couldn't guess.

I'll be the first to admit, I was shocked when Danny Gokey got eliminated after the Top 3. He was obviously a crowd favorite, and I expected him to be in the finals with Adam. But America saw differently.

I have said in the past that Adam scared the dickens out of me. On more than one occasion, I thought I was going to have to hold my Bible up to the TV set to protect myself from harm in case he ventured into my living room like the Poltergeist. Maybe it was all the screaming on every. blasted. song. Oh, for the love of my ears! I hear it's called "falsetto," but to me, it sounded like nothing more than a cat being tortured.

Now I haven't always had a fear of The Screamer, but he lost my vote during Country Week when he butchered "Ring of Fire." I think it's safe to say that Johnny Cash looked down from Heaven and cried. But when he sang with KISS on Wednesday night, I felt dirty just watching it. I think I even got a bad case of the dry heaves during that performance. Actually, I was expecting him to come out with Aerosmith and sing "Dude Looks Like a Lady." It would've made much more sense, considering his love for nail polish and guyliner. (Coincidently, I've also said before that Adam reminded me of a spawn of Steven Tyler and Liza Minnelli. Surely... Nah, they couldn't have. Could they?!)

Anywho, it didn't take long to get tired of all the filler that AI puts us through. Enough with the awards for contestants we're still trying to forget even auditioned. (However, big kudos to judge, Kara DioGuardi, for showing up "Bikini Girl!") Enough with all the fog and lights and other useless garbage. And all the commercials. More than the Super Bowl, I kid you not!

In the end, I am forever grateful that the underdog came out victorious. This is someone I want being a role model to my child! So here is a video of Kris before AI fame, while he was a worship leader at his church.

I aim to please... Enjoy! But first, be sure to pause my music player over there on the left side. ;)

She Floats Like A Butterfly And Stings Like A Bee.

In my best Vince McMahon voice...

Ahem.

"Iiiiiiiinnn this corner, weighing in at 27 pounds and 6 ounces, from the great state of Kentucky.... Mmmmmmmaaaaacccy Bbbbbrrraaaaaammeelll!!!"

(And here is where you would play the theme to Rocky, and Macy would bounce around with her fists up close to her face.)


Yes, dear blog readers. We've had quite a battle this week. Last Friday, the mittens I ordered and had express shipped, arrived on my doorstep. I was nearly as excited as a kid on Christmas morning while I tore through the packing tape with our front door still wide open and the UPS man still in my front yard.

It was very toasty Friday afternoon, but alas, I dolled up my little girl in waterproof winter mittens. The smallest size available was a 2/4, and that is supposed to reach the elbow to prevent snow and slush from creeping into the wristband of unexpecting toddlers facing the winter elements. However, they're quite large on my darling, and reach her armpits.

She chewed them off in a matter of seconds, and I began to cry. Or scream. I don't remember which. So I called my mom and asked for her help yet again. And she came up with a fancy idea.

I took Macy and the mittens to our local shoe store and purchased a pair of shoestrings. Then we headed to my mom and dad's house. The sewing machine was ready to go when we arrived, and Mom came to our rescue.

She folded down the top of the mitten sleeve, made two button holes in each one, and turned the shoestring into a drawstring! Fabulous!

That night, Macy still managed to chew off the mittens. Houdini she is. But I was persistent in my double-knotting of the string, and she finally gave up. We are now on Night #4 of dry hands, and her thumbs look a million times better than they did a week ago.

(And here is where I would play "Eye of the Tiger" because I won the fight.)

I am currently seeking a patent on our "toddler-proof chewing mittens" in case you're interested.

Oh, I kid.

Now if I can only get her to stop pulling down her ponytails to chew on her hair...

Outsmarting A Toddler.

Just for the record, I have not cried in frustration at all during the past week. I have faced every dilemma with gusto. I have woken with a smile on my face after a peaceful night's rest. [cough] Yeah right.

In reality, I have found myself trying to think one step ahead of my toddler. We all know she's a hard chewer. Whether it be a stuffed animal, her bed, her hands, etc. - everything she touches will be devoured!

We found ourselves in a real pickle this weekend when we realized that she had chewed the blood out of her hands. That is correct. Her thumbs look like a woman's heel that shouldn't be wearing flip-flops. Dry, cracked, bleeding, sore. And I'll wait right here while you go throw up after reading those last two sentences. Seriously, go ahead. I don't mind waiting.

[insert elevator music]

[twiddle thumbs, check email, pee]

Now that you're back, imagine my delight when I thought I could recycle the mittens that I had used to keep her from jabbing her fingers up her nose, resulting in three weeks of nosebleeds. Why, that's perfect!

Not so fast. She couldn't get to her hands at first because of the mittens. So she sucked on her forearms. But now she has mastered removing the mittens with her teeth. She proved that she has the ability to chew off Band-Aids, gauze and medical tape. Splints are way too big. Finger cots are a choking hazard.

We even tried the special nail polish that is supposed to cure thumb sucking and nail biting. (It tastes like cayenne peppers when you lick it.) However, she powered through the eye-watering! She endured the hotness of the pepper extract and rewarded herself with a thumb!

Last night, my dear mother came to our house with her sewing kit. We attached both mittens to a string that she would wear under her pajamas (behind her back) to keep her from losing them in her sleep. What a fantastic idea! Nevertheless, I discovered my angel this morning with both mittens dangling from her sleeves. Sopping wet hands exposed. Lovely.

McGyver - 4
Mommy - 0

And that is how I found myself online this morning ordering a pair of waterproof mittens that reach all the way up to velcro at the elbows. Lucky for me, they were on sale since it's not "mitten weather."

Will they work? We shall see. Stay tuned for an update.

Still Praying.

Many of you may have noticed my little pink blog tag on the left-hand side of your screen that reads: "Pray for Kayleigh".

Kayleigh is a little miracle I learned about last fall - simply by stumbling upon the blog her parents started before her birth. She was born on June 23rd last year, 12 weeks early, weighing just 1 pound, 1 ounce. Kayleigh endured 248 procedures and seven major surgeries.

It is now with a heavy heart that I share the news of her passing.

The Doctors tv show taped a story about Kayleigh back in April, and it has been scheduled to air tomorrow. Check your local listings and be sure to tune in and watch their emotional journey.

To read more about the life of little Kayleigh, please go to: http://www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/. More importantly, please lift the Freeman family up in prayer any time you can.

Splish Splash.

This Spring is full of "firsts" for me. I'm desperately trying harder to let go of the little things and allow Macy to be a kid. Yes, I'm still having trouble letting her make a mess with food that has the tendency to stain her clothing, but I'm getting better. Really.

She had her very first ice cream cone the other night. And I left her shirt on! Without a bib! I'm assuming tons of prayers went up to the Lord on my behalf because I didn't even have a panic attack.


And another first for Macy was playing in her water table. It came attached to a sand table she got a couple Christmases ago. But since she couldn't stand up really well last year, we opted to keep it in the garage. 'Cause, you know, who wants water all over their kitchen floor? Not me.

However, this year....

Wouldja look how happy she is?! Within minutes, her dress was dripping wet and had to be wrung out. But it was totally worth it.

She even carried measuring cups full of water over to my peony bush to help it grow. Even if all the water spilled before she got there...

I love her to pieces. She's the best.

"Not Me! Monday" (Except It's Tuesday.)

Yeah, I'm a day late. So what. Please share what you didn't do lately and get it all off your chest. It'll be nice therapy. I promise.

***************************
Allergy season is here with a vengeance. It has not, however, made my toddler's nose so incredibly lubricated with "sniffles" that she feels the need to jamb her fingers up her nostril until it bleeds. (In her defense, she isn't cramming her fingers up there to "pick" anything. It's simply slick, which made her discover one day that her finger was a perfect fit.)

I did not call the doctor in a panic and ask for advice. Nor did I rush to the drugstore to purchase saline gel to lubricate her nose each night and prevent it from getting infected.

More importantly, I have not returned from the bathroom to find my sweet angel fingerpainting in blood on her highchair tray when two minutes prior she was happily eating a snack. And I have not stripped her down to a diaper (which she's learned to remove herself and walk around naked and pee on the floor), soaked her shirt in OxiClean and washed it immediately, while I secretly wished I had alcohol in my house that wasn't NyQuil so I could take a swig of it and feel much better. But, you know, we don't drink. So I had to compromise by devouring chocolate.

In my craziness of cleaning up blood for the third week, I have not gotten sick of changing her sheets every other day just to pre-soak blood stains from the night before. And I did not put mittens on her last night at bedtime to prevent a reoccurrence. Why, that would be three kinds of ridiculous right there! Only a psycho, desperate mom would do that. Nooooo.... not me!

For the record (off camera), she did not wonder what happened to her thumbs. She did not rub her hands together frantically while cursing me in her head. And I did not receive dirty looks. But on the bright side, at least she had a soft fleece tissue nearby in case her nose started to run...

Okay. I did it. Can you stand to be brutally honest?! Feel free to leave a comment here, or post on your own blog. If you post on your blog, be sure to grab the orange "Not Me! Monday" button up there so you can link it back to http://www.mycharmingkids.net/. After all, this is MckMama's blog carnival that we're riding! Enjoy letting it all out! :)

Thanks For The Reminder, Dear One...

The other night I was rocking Macy to sleep. From the time she was a four-pound infant, I have cradled her in my arms at bedtime and sang to her while I patted her bottom.

I guess I had forgotten the latter part of our routine on this particular night, because while I had my eyes closed I heard a slapping sound. Then I opened my eyes to see Macy reaching her arm back behind her while she slapped her own bottom with every ounce of energy she had. I chuckled as I realized what I had forgotten to do.

So as I took over and began patting her sweet little tushy, she grabbed her blankie, pulled it in close under her chin, smiled at me, and closed her eyes.

She is truly precious.

Nick's Nook.

Being the God-fearing woman I am, I had to let out a warning of truth to those of you coming over from the link on Tammy's post. I do not have the "blogging gift" she does, or the powerful words that inspire so many! So if you're used to her heartfelt messages that leave you in tears (as they often do for me!), then I will be a huge disappointment. Prepare to be underwhelmed, my friends!

I write my life stories of being a stay-at-home mom. I share the funny, sad, and praise-worthy things that happen on any given day at our house. My plan when I started this blog was to keep family informed of my daughter's growth and development. (What up, peeps?!) I never dreamed I would be connected via link to the fabulous writings of "THE" Tammy Nischan! :) This must be what it feels like to win an Oscar...

Anyhoo, feel free to contact me if you would like to donate to our "Nick's Nook" book drive! I'm so excited to get this project rolling! I have spent many an hour in a waiting room with my little one, and I'm sure other moms have, too. Hopefully the wait can seem a little shorter once these precious kiddos can climb up on their Mommy's lap and snuggle with a good book!

I look forward to hearing from you! Please leave your email address in the comments so we can get in touch! Have an amazing week!

So I Sat In My Thinking Chair... With My Handy-Dandy Notebook.

The other day as I was watching cartoons with Macy, something strange came to my attention. I couldn't help but wonder if anything like this ever happened to other moms. So I posted this observation on my Facebook page and got quite a few replies. Here are some of them:

"Trish thinks it's time for a date-night with the hubby! I know I need to get out of the house when Steve from "Blue's Clues" starts to look kinda cute."

You definitely need to get out of the house.
***
Come to Lexington and I'll watch Macy for you guys!!!!
***
Oh, I have been there! I think Barney is smokin' hot!
***
No way... Joe is much cuter than Steve! Personally, I like looking at the engineer on the Choo-Choo Soul video.
***
My reply- Thanks guys. Glad to know I'm not alone. And I know Handy Manny is animated, but dare I say "Muy caliente!" I do love a man with a good work ethic! And sorry... I'm not much on Joe's bushy eyebrows. You know how hair makes me gag.
***
Bwaahahaha!
***
Joe is much hotter than Steve. :-) Eyebrows can be plucked! Must also throw in an honorable mention to the Imagination Movers guys - cute in a grunge kind of way. You definitely need a date night with your own sweet hubby!
***
My reply again- I can see that honorable mention in Mover Dave. He reminds me of Sean Astin. But is it just me or does Mover Scott remind you of that girl off "Waterworld"?! You know, if she had a beard. Freaks me out! Don't worry though, I will never be so desperate as to secretly crush on Knitknots! :)
***
Oh girl, that's horrible!!!
***
Us mamas know it's all true, as horrible as it may be. I guess if you look at them long enough some beauty peeks through. (except for Knitknots....there's no hope for him) lol.

And that is why I fear the day when Mr. Rogers starts to look appealing... God bless my husband and his ability to take me out for dinner.

Our Easter Festivities. And Some More Rambling.

It just dawned on me that I hadn't yet posted our Easter festivities. Not that they're much different than anyone else's, but nonetheless... I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat just aching to see what we did on Sunday.

Without further ado:

Sunday morning started off with Nursery Duty at church. Considering this was my first Sunday to help in the nursery, I was pretty nervous. I mean, I know how to handle kids, but on Easter you usually have a bigger crowd than normal. And I was expecting 704 kids under the age of four to show up. Imagine my excitement when we had about 10-15. It was another Easter miracle in my opinion.

After church, Macy, hubby, and I headed to WalMart. I'm tellin' ya, the place was a ghosttown. I have never in my life experienced such a peaceful visit while grocery shopping.

My mom and dad had dinner at their house when we got back, and Macy dug into her 2nd Easter basket of the day. Of course, she had more fun playing with the plastic grass that accompanies most Easter baskets. So next year, we've decided on getting her a few bags of said grass and an empty refrigerator box. Those are really the only things she likes anyway.

Oh, I have to share the story about her dress! It is actually the same dress my eight year old niece wore in my wedding six years ago when she was my flower girl! I'm all sentimental like that, so I called my sister and asked if I could have it for the occasion. We ended up having to have it altered since it drug the floor and I was afraid Macy would crawl on it and rip it. Which she still did - as soon as we got to church that morning! So she had to waltz around the nursery wearing just her slip because I was afraid she would split the dress in two at the waist! (I don't sew. If you couldn't tell.) Luckily, my mom was able to fancy up a whipstitch like nobody's business, and the dress is as good as new.

Want to see a pic? Of course you do!

I'm also sharing a photo of Macy with my grandpa. I love the expression on his face like he's so excited to give her a hug. She totally ate it up!

Now completely off the subject... If Adam don't get kicked off American Idol, I'm going to pull my shoulders out of the sockets! I've spent the last month trying to figure out why the judges (and America, for that matter!) like him! All he does is scream! I think he belongs somewhere in the entertainment industry, don't get me wrong. But I think that's more in the area of Broadway where it's okay for guys to wear pancake makeup. Or opening up for a band on OzzFest. And I'm sorry, I'm sure he's a lovely person on the inside, but all the nail polish and guyliner and tight pants with chains give me the creeps. And I really can't respect a man who wears more makeup than I do and has his hair cut like Kate Gosselin. I'm just sayin'.

The End.

Remembering Why We Celebrate.

We all have special Easter memories, don't we? This morning, we may be reminded of hiding plastic eggs in our grandma's backyard, baking a bunny cake with our family, or attending the Sunrise Service at our church on Easter morning.

When I was a little girl, I remember watching Dolly Parton sing this song on an awards show. I was so touched by the words, even as a child. And I still get chills when I hear it, so I hope it touches you this morning in a special way.

Dolly Parton "He's Alive"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbRPWUHM80M

Another memory I have is going to see "The Passion of the Christ" at the theater with my hubby a few years ago. I remember sitting there crying so hard I could barely breathe, as I covered my eyes and shielded them from the truth. I had always read the Easter story, always "known" what happened and why, but it wasn't until I actually saw what Jesus went through that it "sunk in". That movie did an incredible job of showing us the pain that was endured - just for us. And if you would like to hear a song that ties it all together, then grab a box of tissues and click on the link below.

Brad Paisley & Sara Evans "New Again"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-r-M_dORk0

Have a safe and blessed Easter, everyone...

Update. And Some Random Thoughts.

Macy's teeth are as good as new! She had them fixed this morning! Hooray! Yippee! And Praise the Lord! :)

(Please pay no attention to the dingy sleeve in the above photo! We had just played outside in her sand table that is full of dry pinto beans - since I can't bear the mess of all the sand! *gasp* And apparently Sam's Club doesn't wash their beans before they bag them up to sell in bulk. Imagine that.)

Also, since Macy has begun to walk, she wants absolutely no help whatsoever in the "Mommy, please hold my hand" department. So I had to outsmart her with this fancy schmancy monkey backpack on a leash!


She actually picked this one out herself. The fact that she absolutely loves Curious George may have had something to do with it?! Now "Little Miss Independent" goes all over the place and has no idea that I'm not far behind. (Normally, I would be holding on to the leash, but for the sake of taking this picture, I had to compromise.) By the way, how cute is she with this little fella strapped on her back?!

Attention: American Idol Fans!!! Go to youtube and watch some videos of Anoop Desai singing with the UNC Clef Hangers! You will be a fan of his from here on out! I guarantee it. I actually converted my sister just this morning! And I'm usually not fans of anyone from UNC (Sorry Tarheel fans. Especially you, Chris! I love ya anyway!), but "Anoop-Dogg" is the exception. I hope he goes far in this competition, and I hope even more that Adam goes home tonight. He scares me.

Don't Even Ask.

Have you ever had one of those days that just started off wrong? Of course you have! That's the kind of day I'm having. Sweet mercy. Let's start from the top, shall we?!

I went to sleep on the couch around 1am because I was coughing so loudly that I feared I would wake everyone else. (Yeah, thank you Stupid Cold for wearing out your welcome!) So I sat the alarm on my cell phone as back-up for Chad's alarm clock. Or so I thought...

At 6:30, Chad's cell phone begins to ring and I assume it's my alarm going off. But I was wrong. It was one of Chad's friends that he usually rides to work with. And they normally leave town at 6:00.

That's right. We overslept.

I ran to wake Chad up, pack his lunch, fix him a hot breakfast (and by that I mean heat up a Pop-Tart), and let Ali out to pee. This should've been done an hour ago.

Normally I can go back to bed after he leaves for work, but this morning... YOU GUESSED IT. Macy is wide awake before 7:00. This is the moment I realize that today just might not be too pleasant.

I normally work out on Monday-Wednesday-Friday, but I was overly exhausted by noon. "Maybe I can get Macy to take a nap," I say to myself.

Nuh-uh. It ain't happenin'. So I awaken to the reality that is today and face the facts:

Macy has therapy this afternoon, then it will be time for her to eat, then I have errands to run, and then it will be too late for her to nap because if she falls asleep at 5:00, she'll wake up in an hour and be ready to play and then I'll be ready to pull my hair out and have a good cry and I just don't have time to cry! And so on and so forth.

I know! I'll fix myself a nice big pot of coffee! Mama needs caffeine. But first I'll make Macy's lunch...

Within minutes, she consumes an entire sandwich while I fix my coffee. And then I realized that every bite I gave her was gone almost immediately. I look over to see her squishing ham and bread like Play-Doh. It's all in her hair, all over her face, in her ears, etc. As I remove the tray to her highchair, I see that half of her lunch is smashed in her lap.

Taking a deep breath, I wet some paper towels and begin to scrub her hands and pick the remains of sandwich off her pants. The remains that haven't been smeared into the fabric, of course.

And where's that coffee I was making? Oh yeah, the first pot was so weak I could see through it. So I made a second pot. I grabbed the biggest mug I own and filled it to the top, added the perfect amount of fat free french vanilla creamer, and smiled. Hallelujah!

Then as I reached over to lay my stirring spoon on the countertop, my arm caught the edge of my coffee mug. The entire cup spilled onto the countertop, ran off into the floor, dribbled down in between the cabinet and the stove, and began to sink into the grout!

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!

As I began to tear up, my sister called and told me I must turn the TV over to Oprah. Apparently, the audience was filled with stressed out mothers. What perfect timing! So I pulled the stove out, used three dishtowels and some Clorox wipes to clean up the mess, fixed another cup of coffee, and opened up a box of Girl Scout cookies as I watched other stressed out moms vent to the entire country about how tired they were. (While my daughter was climbing all over me, grabbing my hair, and digging her toes into my thighs.)

My diet was going very well up until that point. Darn you, Thin Mints!

Isn't it amazing how the happenings of a regular day are magnified when you're tired?! But I do feel better after getting all this off my chest. And now I have to go be a good parent since I'm letting Noggin babysit my child long enough so I can write. (Thank you, Toot and Puddle!)

Don'tcha just love Mondays?!

My Sunshine.

Hey guys! I have a post today on Praise Baby's blog... click on this link to check it out! Feel free to leave a comment or link to that post on your own blog. Kleenex optional. ;)

The Good News Is... She Doesn't Have Cavities!

What a crazy week. Macy has had "The Crud" that is going around. Congestion, runny nose, terrible cough, and fever. We went to see her pediatrician last Friday and they did some bloodwork. The results came back normal by Monday, but she still wasn't acting like herself. So we went back to the doctor because she wasn't any better, but wasn't any worse. We started an antibiotic since her fever kept coming back and she was still puny.

That evening, after I had given her a bath and attempted to feed her dinner (she refused to eat anything), I was well into the jammie / medicine-giving routine. When I opened her mouth to give her some medicine, I noticed this:


How in the world did this happen?! And more importantly, when did this happen?! I mean, if this had happened before our doctor's appointment, don't you think we would've noticed it when he had a tongue depressor down her throat?

When infected with The Crud, Macy becomes very clingy, and she hadn't left my hip nearly all day - with the exception of me leaving the room for 30 seconds to grab a suitcase to pack in case her doc decided to admit her to the hospital. (I always like to be prepared since we've been flown four times before to a children's hospital three hours away from home. Without our bags packed. Great fun.)

Anyway.

Monday night left me shaking my head. Macy never ceases to amaze me.

So on Tuesday morning, I had to find a pediatric dentist ASAP! She wasn't eating or drinking a thing, and I didn't know if it was because she was still sick with The Crud, or if it was because her tooth was sensitive. I asked everyone I knew if they could recommend a dentist for us. And everyone told me about this dentist in Winchester, which is an hour and a half away from our house.

It didn't matter. I couldn't risk her teeth falling out! And I couldn't risk her being in pain! So I called the office, they lovingly agreed to see us that very day, and off we went.

The drive took a little longer than expected since Macy cried and snotted the whole time. I pulled onto the shoulder of the interstate with my emergency flashers on a total of five times on the way down - just to wipe her nose. It was at our last stop that I realized her sippy cup had leaked on her outfit the whole time, and now she and her carseat were soaking wet. Perhaps that's the reason she was irate? I'll never know for sure.

We arrived at the dentist's office and they got us right in. I was so relieved when they said her teeth could be fixed in the office! The entire morning I was imagining that she would have to be sedated, hooked up to a heart monitor, and given a strong dose of drugs. Sometimes my imagination gets the best of me, but I know that a heart defect comes into play when you have dental work done!

They advised us to wait a couple weeks until she gets over The Crud, and then they would make her as good as new. Not to mention, they said we're brushing her teeth quite well and she has no cavities! :)

[insert sigh of relief]

So I stopped at McD's on the way home and treated her to a Happy Meal. And I must say, I've never seen her inhale a cheeseburger quite as fast as she did.

Now that the antibiotics have kicked in, her fever has subsided, and her nose isn't quite as yucky, I feel that she's on the mend.

That being said, she's passed The Crud on to me. But I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't complain about being sick ever since I was infected with Stomach Virus '08. That right there is a sickness I'll never forget. And I'll take congestion, headache, a barky cough, and a sore throat over that any day.

Me vs. A Sticky Mess...

Wow. It seems like forever and a day since I've chatted with my bloggy friends.

[Translate: I haven't posted anything for y'all to read in quite some time.]

Get ready. You're gonna be so happy that you might just stand up and clap your hands. Or perhaps, raise your hands to the Heavens and shout some kind of praise.

Yesterday was a glorious day. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, it was a very beautiful 75 degrees here in KY. Macy and I had played outside, I pushed her in the swing, and even let Ali stretch his legs and run in the backyard for a while - until he started jumping on our neighbor and I had to put him back inside.

Well, there's only so long you can push a toddler in a swing without the two of you becoming bored to tears. So we opted to go inside for a popcicle.

And normally I would've stripped Macy down to a diaper, placed some sort of protective "splatter-guard" (aka - an old sheet) under her highchair, pulled her hair back, and taken a nerve pill. But I was feelin' all happy and decided to let her dig in right then and there.

With her clothes on! And no bib! And no sheet on the floor!

Yay me!

After two grape and orange popcicles, she was sticky all the way up to her elbows. And while popcicles don't stain as bad as say... a tomato-based sauce, I was so proud of myself that I called my sister to brag! (Hi, Stacey!) And she was equally impressed! I'm convinced she would've done a celebratory dance for me if she wasn't driving during rush hour traffic.

Here is a photo for your viewing pleasure. You're very welcome!



Disclaimer: Yes, she had been crying. She got mad when I wrapped the stick in a paper towel. So she won the fight... and got cold hands in the meantime. But at least she enjoyed herself. And I didn't do that bad either!

I'm Still Here! I promise!

You haven't given up on me, have you?! I do apologize (to all three of you who read this! haha!) that I haven't written in a while.

These past couple of weeks have been so busy. Macy's had therapies and other appointments, I've been trying to get things ready for a book drive, we lost a dear friend in a tragic accident, and my sister has flown in from Florida with her two adorable kids that I've been squeezing for four days. Add that all up and I'm hardly able to sit still long enough to write.

But I just wanted to post really quick to say that I'm still here! And I'll post more ramblings from my daily life very soon! Thanks for checking in!

Never Leave Your Partner Behind.

We watched it. And I cried.

Let me start off by saying, that on behalf of Growing Pains fans everywhere (those of us who watched the show back in the late 80’s – early 90’s), Mike Seaver has grown up.

I don’t know about y’all, but I have fond childhood memories of standing at the magazine rack at Ralph’s Supermarket (in my mauve Member’s Only jacket and jelly shoes!) flipping through the latest issues of Bop Magazine. I so desperately wanted to marry Kirk Cameron at the ripe old age of eight. My sisters and I shared a bedroom, and between all our posters of Kirk Cameron and New Kids on the Block, you couldn’t even see our walls! (Perhaps that was an attempt to cover up the wood paneling?) Good times though. Good times.

My point is, if you haven’t seen this movie, go watch it right now! I’d heard all the hoopla and quite frankly wasn’t interested in falling prey to the counseling session it was about to offer. But I must confess, it was so sweet!

Guys, if you read this… it’s the LITTLE THINGS we pay attention to! You don’t have to buy us a new car (only if you want!). You don’t have to buy us expensive jewelry. (Again, that’s entirely up to you. If it makes you feel better to buy us the “past present future” necklace from Kay Jewelers in the one-karat princess cut, then by all means, go ahead and make that purchase!) But it’s not completely necessary.

*Disclaimer: Stop reading if you don’t want to know what this movie is about.*

This guy did a "love dare" where he did simple things for his wife. He fixed her coffee, wrote her a sweet little note with some flowers, called her one day out of the blue to see if she needed anything, washed the dishes, made her dinner… you get the idea.

In the end, tears were pouring down my face. I told myself I wouldn’t cry, but there’s something about seeing Kirk Cameron bawl that will flat out bring you to your knees. And the great analogy about loving someone even though they reject you didn’t hurt either. Wow.

So your challenge for today (whether or not you wish to accept it) is to do something nice for your spouse just because you want to. Because the lesson here is to make your marriage "fireproof". And like they say in the movie, "Being fireproof doesn't mean a fire won't come, but that you will be strong enough to withstand it." After all, you "never leave your partner behind."

Ready… Set… GO!