Shopping -- fail.

This week's attempts so far have been sad, very sad. I don't want to post in the details so sad. Boils down to this... I left CVS without any new ECBs even though I knew what I wanted to buy... And without the paper towels I went there specifically for... Matthew left after having his bottom popped not once but TWICE for running away from me and knocking things off the shelves (he's too big for him and Mark's seat to be in the shopping cart, those things are small)... Mark screamed nearly the whole time ... love the "help" from complete strangers.... I did end up leaving with a pack of pens and free baby food....

But tell me this...

If you shop (With or Without coupons/planning/folders/binders/envelopes/whatever) with your kids, HOW DO YOU DO IT??? AND ARE YOU STILL SANE???

Please really, leave me comments...

Cha-Ching at Publix

After getting our double coupon paper today I was able to go through the coupons during Mark's nap. I decided I'd try to tackle one store tonight. Since they have a penny deal (more on that in a bit) that's only good Sundays and Mondays... AND as it was pouring down rain and expecting to rain tomorrow, I didn't want to drag the boys out in the rain for deals. I'm not that bad,.... yet. hehe.

Anyhow, I did two separate purchases since I had two of the penny coupons. Basically if you buy over a ten dollar purchase, then you get the decided upon item for a penny. Each week it's a different item. Sometimes it's a 2 liter soda or a 64 oz juice.... this week it was salad dressings. So I was able to get two salad dressings for a penny each. That alone is hysterical to me. A penny each. Amazing.

Okay, then the sale deals...
Lets start with cereal. (Select) General Mills cereals were on sale BOGO (buy one get one) and I had 2 coupons for $1 off 3. Sooo, I got 6 boxes for the price of 3 boxes, with 2 dollars off that! $9.97 OOP (out of pocket) for 6 boxes of cereal.
Lysol was a pretty nice deal too... Spray was on sale for 3.99, 2.30 off the regular price and I had 2 1.00 off coupons. And the wipes were on sale BOGO and I had a .50 coupon (which gets doubled)... So I got two sprays, and two wipes all for $11.97. Normal price would have been $22.26
Okay yogurt and bar deal:
I had a .70 cents off 2 Nature Valley Trail Mix bars coupon. Not a great coupon, but not bad either on bars that we regularly give to Matthew, so I got both boxes. Then there was an add for $1 off Yo plait if you bought Nature Valley Trail Mix! Yogurt is a staple here, so that made for a good deal, AND I had a .50 cents coupon off 32 oz of Yo plait (doubled) so that was a great deal ! I paid $6.79 for what regularly would have been 9.27... I find a discount on things we'd buy any how really really rewarding!
I got an olive oil at half price since it was BOGO, same for a cake box mix... if I had coupons for either I would have gotten more, but I couldn't find coupons and I knew they were both things that we will use, so it was just nice to get those things on mega sale.
I had a $1 off 2 Mueller pasta noodles, so I got two of those and they were BOGO, LOVE IT!

All in all I spent 30.61 OOP
Saved 42.04

AMAZING. Amazing.

(let me tell you how stocked up on cereal we are currently, but it's a really nice feeling.)

What went down at CVS today!

Here's what I went in the store armed and ready for:

Post Cereal sale: 3 boxes for $10 with $5ECB. I had $1 off coupon for 2... so I ended up with 3 boxes for $4 WHAT?! save $6.00 (good cereal, not crappy store brand versions of what I really want but REAL yummy cereal)
Dawn: sale: 2/$2 with 1ECB. I had $.25 off... so save 1.25
Head and Shoulders: price 4.99 with $2ECB. I had coupon for BOGO. So I bought 2, and got 2 $2ECB meaning I bought 2 for $.99. I say again, what?!
Colgate I had .75 coupoun, sale was 3.49 with $2ECB so 1=.74, saving 2.75 (I'm stocking up on colgate, the last two times now!)
CVS pantiliners: sale .89 with .89ECB = even

I spent 15.32, saved 22.85

How is that not magic?!

I then bought 3 $1.49 two packs of baby food with some ECB! Hello free babyfood.
At the end of the day I was 15.32 OOP, and still have 7.89 in ECB for next week's deals (or more baby food) YAY!

Happy 4th!

Happy Birthday, Daddy. Happy Independence Day, America! Today is my dad's birthday as well as the Nation's freedom day. Dad always said that the fireworks were really for him. Here are some of my favorite Red White and Blue pictures over the past few years.

me, Dad, Kris, Mom (November 05)

Kris and Dad (March 06)

Matthew (July 4th '06)

Mommy, Matthew and Daddy (June 23-07)

Grandpa and Matthew (July 07)

Matthew (July 08)

Matthew and Mark (June 09)

God Bless America.

Matthew's birthday pictures

save more than you spend

Okay I LIKE this a LOT.

Now did I end up with World Changing Savings... no.... but! I saved more than I spent! And to me, this is flat awesome.

I spent 5.60 and saved 6.29

I bought four things. All four things were on my list. I didn't browse or wander.

I have BBQ sauce and Mustard I didn't even "buy" and then a mayo and a miracle whip that last month I would have paid full price for but this month bought one on a BOGO deal so I spent half and then also got a dollar off and the other I also had a coupon for!

My first CVS score!

I had two Colgate toothpaste coupons, one I printed off was 1.00 and one in the paper was .75. I would have liked two 1.00 coupons, but it only let me print off one per computer. So fortuantely I found one that I had still from the paper. (Something weird to me, keeping all these old inserts-- I've got three weeks worth now, that's okay though, I know I need to, who knows what will be on sale next week)

Thanks to this site here, I'm told they are running a 2/5.00 deal with 2.00 in ECB (extra care bucks) so after that it's 2/3.00 And with the coupons, you're taking off even more... so we're looking at less than 60 cents a tube.

WELL... somehow, don't know how. (Don't get the "how" at all) I ended up with TWO $2.00 ECB.

So I spent 3.52 for two tubes of toothpaste and then GOT 4.00 in return. I was paid .48 for purchasing the toothpaste. What?! I'm flabbergasted.


I also have two things I'm planning on getting tomorrow at Publix. They are having a BOGO on both French's Mustard and Kraft BBQ sauce. With my coupons, on one I should be MAKING .15 and on the other I should be making .5..... I know this doesn't seem like a ton of money here. I mean, we're not yet up to a whole dollar in these three items (the toothpaste, the sauce or mustard) but that's MONEY I'm GETTING to "buy" these items. I do NOT get it. Do not. DO NOT. At all. Understand this. BUT I'm going to keep doing it.

My second real "couponing adventure" resulted in a high thumbs up!

I know my efforts are going slowly... but so far my savings IS greater than my spendings (on resources) so as long as that continues, be prepared to continue to hear about my couponing!


((((I know I need to post pictures of Matthew's birthday party... I'll do that on here, just need the time to do it! Since Mark is sleeping in the office these days, I can't get to my picture computer whenever I want to)))

misunderstanding about crying...

Okay, sooooo here's the conversation that Matthew and I had this morning:

Me: "Matthew, I'm going to take a shower while Markie is still sleeping okay?"
Him: "Okay. You can take the shower"
Me: Okay, you come get me if Markie cries okay?
Him: I get you.
Me: Okay, but only if he is crying. I'll be right back, I'll just be in the shower and I'll be right here okay?
Him: Okay Momma.

Okay. This was all being said after I'd already gotten the water running, checked on Mark about 5 times, stacked extra pillows up around him 'just in case' and finally got into the shower.

My hair wasn't even completely wet yet.........

and Matthew comes in
Him: "Momma, Markie's crying."
Me: What? Are you sure? I just checked him? Is he crying?
Him: Yah, he's crying. I wake him up.

*big fat sigh*
*turn off water*
*get out of shower*
*go get Mark*

Matthew is three today

I can not believe my Matthew is three years old today. I can not believe it. He cracks me up... we talked about it all day yesterday and today
I went into his room, singing "Happy Birthday"
he smiled and said "what's a birthday momma?"
I said "today! It's your birthday!"
and he goes "What?!?! it is?!??"

LOL He cracks me up so much. He's wearing his special "Birthday Boy" Shirt. I love him so much. I love watch him grow and learn and bloom.

Thank you God for giving me this sweet life to have and hold and love.

(more) Pictures: Red, White, Blue

While I'm updating... we got the boys' pictures taken this week. Anyone know where my babies have gone? Here's a small sampling of the 70 plus pictures that were taken. I love that Matthew's birthday falls so close to the 4th of July, my dad's birthday; our nations birthday... It's a great excuse for me to dress him (and now them) up in Red White and Blue colors.

VBS recap

Two weeks ago was Summit's VBS and I love being a part of it. I worked with pre-K music. It was interesting to have Matthew come to my class for twenty minutes each day and send him on his way as if he wasn't part of my flesh, just another kiddo going on to the next "center." He did exceptionally well. I love doing the music. I just love it. I love planting these small seeds for the kids to take with them. All in all over the week we had over 300 present and around 20 children accept Christ as their Lord and Savoir! Amen! Since I'd finally gotten my camera uploaded I thought I'd share some favorites from the week.

When you walked in my classroom, this is what you saw: The Music Notes Track.

Matthew playing the "shaker" in my class!

Matthew with his teacher outside (they are looking for bugs)

Matthew on the Boomerang Express!

Oh yah, and Markie had a wagon wheel !
He was not opposed to trying this new food. LOL

coupon learning curve...

Okay, so I learned a couple different lessons today.

If the Coupon Goddess says she bought fruit loops, you better have a coupon that is for fruit loops. I guess I thought that ANY Kellogg's cereal would be fine. And my coupon was NOT for fruit loops. SOOO my deal was not as good as expected. And since that was the case, I only did the free milk one time instead of twice. BUT that's okay. Lessons learned. All in all, I spent $5.82 today and got 3 boxes of cereal and a free gal of milk AND I didn't browse around for other things. Even though I sort of freaked out when I entered the cereal aisle and saw I messed up, I really did okay. I stuck to my plan, called Jamie and we did math over the phone (GOLLLLY THE MATH!) and decided even though it wasn't as expected, it still was a nice savings. So we've got three boxes of frosted mini wheats on a shelf where yesterday there were none for still about half the cost!

My first real couponing adventure!

Earlier in the week, I am pleased to report a savings of $15.10 at Kroger on baby food, spray and wash, frozen chicken, crescent rolls. ... all things we needed. I wrote a list, stuck to the list and did really well for my first real coupon armed list shopping.

And I'm armed and dangerous folks again... Armed with coupons that is. Tomorrow I am on a mission. I've got a road map (small circle of which stores I'm hitting first and why/what I'm after... and oh yes, I made a rough draft and then re-wrote it)...

On my list tomorrow is Party City with a 10 dollars off coupon! (Thank you MK!) Matthew's party is next weekend and I am ready to get some deals.

and

Target for cereal and free milk ! *ending tomorrow Target is doing a buy three Kellogg's cereal and get a free gallon of milk deal* (Armed with coupons that I got off ebay for a dollar... If I'm doing my math right (Oh Geeez, the math that is involved in coupons, ohhhh me....), here's the savings on this one that I will hope to be confirming tomorrow:

3 boxes of Kellogg's cereal = 5.97 retail
with 3 $1.00/1 coupons = 2.97 OOP

So if I do it twice, I'll only have 2 $1.00 coupons and have to pay full price on one box. I only have five coupons. Ooops. It's okay. I'm learning. The second order will be $3.96 OOP with a total of $6.93 OOP.

I paid $1.00 already for the ebay coupons... so I'm at 7.93 OOP on this purchase.

And in return I'm getting 6 boxes of cereal and 2 gallons of milk. What?!?! Retail that up and it would have cost double. If milk is $1.99/gal, we're looking at $15.92 (is that right?!?!?!) Do I think that my dollar for getting those coupons on ebay will be well spent??? I sure do! I called Target earlier this week to make sure the deal was still going on THROUGH Saturday and I was told yes. Please let this work!

--- the true test will be when I come back tomorrow and report how this actually went! LOL

A huge mega big enormous thank you to Melanie for inspiring me to dive head first into this world. I can't WAIT to see where it will take us. (First stop is a small stockpiling in cereal!)

More on Coupons...

So far, I've gotten the Sunday paper and pulled out the coupon section from it. Have I opened it up? nope... haha! I feel like a mouse in a circle maze just running round and round without anywhere to go. There's so much to do and I am not sure exactly how to proceed.

Things I've also done this weekend: I called my regular store and got my address info updated so I'll be now getting their store mailer in the mail. Interesting that I'd never thought to do that before, but it was a suggestion on the grocery game site so I nodded along and opened my phone and called Kroger customer service.

Also that being said, I did sign up on the grocery game site. For $1.00 you get to try the site for four weeks. Not bad at all huh?! So I signed up Saturday I think. This morning I went through the different lists and printed off things I think would be helpful. I have a two lists of deals and I'm hoping I have the coupons for the things I see that would be good savings to us... it may take a couple weeks of compiling coupons before I can really get underway .... as before now, I'd always (Mel, I'm so sorry!) thrown out (GASP!) coupon booklets that I'd cut coupons from and thought I didn't "need" anymore. ACK! This I'm learning is no no no. Save those booklets. You don't know what will be on sale next week or next week or the next week... Got that figured out now.

What I thought about coupons have so changed drastically lately. What I used to think was so easy... look through the insert, cut out what you'd like to save $0.50 on, use that and save your 50 cents is SOOOO not the best way to use the coupons.

I'm sitting here amazed at The Coupon Goddess's most recent "purchase" including 3 free gallons of milk. HUH!? Go here to see her amazingness.

The wide wide world of couponing...

A few weeks ago I found a blog site that has me HOOKED... I am in love with this site and check my dashboard DAILY to see if she's posted. Her name is Mel, she's The Coupon Goddess... more on her in a moment, but BECAUSE OF HER... TODAY...

I had my first "lesson" in couponing today... I met with a friend (let's just call her R until I can ask permission about using her name on here) to show me her system. She even "dumpster dived" for me before meeting with me and gave me half her treasures. I am floored at her savings. She pulled out two receipts from her purse then and there to show me what she'd already done TODAY in savings. And true to my new LOVE-finding blog, just as The Coupon Goddess says in her postings, sometimes you do really well, sometimes you just aren't satisfied... Case and point: at one store R did really well. Over 50 dollars "purchased" but she paid 12. The other store she didn't do as well. I'm still FLOORED over it all.

Side note: There is a lot of math... I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooo not a math person. This will become an interesting endeavour.

R showed me her "filing" system of folders by dates in a tub that she says she actually does take into the stores. I'm sitting at her kitchen table, holding Mark on my lap, my eyes wide as saucers trying to soak all this in... we sat at the table, her talking me through a ton of stuff while she separated papers into piles from her earlier "diving".

We talked about "freebies" and "nearly free" and how she doesn't pay for toothpaste unless it's under $0.30 . Again with my eyes wide. I was like "huh?!" She said... "really." We talked about $0.25 bags of candy. Free razors, free pounds of rice, $0.49 cleaning supplies... things I so pay full price on... (I bought a BULK box of toothpaste at Sams thinking I'd saved so much because if you do the math, it's way cheaper to buy them in bulk and will last me so much longer, and she buys them for less than 30 cents!) ... and we talked Extra Care Bucks from CVS and "fliping them" and "money makers" for things you might not even use but end up with the store PAYING YOU to buy them. WHAT?!?! (anyone else think I'm trippin' here?!)

She asked me where I shopped and we talked locations for a bit, what's good, what's bad, where she wont go and why... A LOT to soak into one day... We talked about this grocery game site and how it works and we moved from her table to her desk and browsed websites for a bit showing me what's what. I think at that point, I was getting a little overwhelmed, Mark was getting fussy, Matthew was beyond beyond beyond tired (with a full day of VBS prior to heading to R's house), so I did quick diaper changes for the boys and left with my stack of coupons, two printed off sheets of information, a legal pad page of notes on dos, don'ts, and hows... and my poor brain trying to grasp it all... and my eagerness to get going pounding!!

I will say this...

I'm READY to save money!
IF I can figure this out, ANYONE can... so let's see.

AND THANK YOU R for your time today! Let's hope I don't waste it!

.... You can count on there being more to come about all this....

8X8

Holly tagged me...

8 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO:
-Tonight: Braves game, alone time no kids and nachos (prejournalled)
-the day when Matthew "tries" food.
-Matthew's birthday at the end of this month.
-Being back in MO with family and friends at the end of July
-Jamie and my birthday celebrations at the end of the summer-- we're going somewhere! Don't know where yet. (need to still book it!)
-when Mark can start "talking" ...he's working hard on the babbles currently: bah bah bah ah bah bah mmm bah.
-Being involved in kids choir again.
-our new Pastor coming

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY:
-busy day for me yesterday, set up VBS stuff: cutting decorations, painting, taping, stapling, all that...
-after going to morning service
-which I drove to in my own car
-sang a solo during service
-stopped at subway coming home
-had 5 hours at the church without my boys while setting up.
-journalled every bite of my day
-kissed all the men in my house (even Moses)

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO:
-Go back and forth to MO when ever I wanted to.
-Go to my best friend's house without kids and do best friend stuff, whenever I wanted...
-Go shopping by myself
-Take a bath without hearing anyone crying or needing something on the other side of the door.
-have a little girl.
-Talk to my Themly again.
-find a cure for the most horrible thing on the planet, Cancer.
-drive a way cooler, newer car.

8 SHOWS I WATCH:
(do I even watch 8 shows?)
-So you think you can dance! LOVE IT
-Wheel of Fortune (Matthew loves the letters show)
-Biggest Loser (OMG, I'm obsessed and hysterical when that show is on)
-Charmed
-Friends
-Extreme Home Makeover
-Can I put things like: Dora? Mickey Mouse Clubhouse? Diego? Handy Manny? Curious George? Because I do watch all those too. LOL


8 FAVORITE FOODS:
Cheese.
Cereal
More cereal.
Pasta-- white, red, it don't matter
Fried food.
White chocolate
Potatoes
yah, more cereal

8 PLACES I'VE TRAVELLED:
-Toronto
-France
-England
-Scottlan
-Ireland
-Hawaii
-NYC
-Yosemite Park

8 PLACES I'D LIKE TO TRAVEL:
-Italy
-Japan
-more France
-San Fran
-Australia
-Missouri
-any beaches
-more Italy

8 PEOPLE I TAGGED
Nic
Marsha
Jess S
Laelia
Jen
AmiLoo
Becka
Amanda

trip highlights

Here are some photos from our recent MO trip. It will be another two months since we see our family back there again. I love the time we get to spend for weeks on end though. I am so blessed by my husband's willingness to let me be gone so long for weeks at a time. In July I'll be gone on my (our--the boys and me) own for two weeks and then Jamie will join us for another full week on vacation after being gone two weeks already. Until then, I'll be working out and working the weight watchers, so I can fit into my suit come vacation week. Anyhow, here's the pics:

Grandpa and Matthew hanging the flag out

Aunt Nic and Markie Mark


Aunt Kris with sleeping Mark.
(she was really good at putting that kid to sleep!)

Miss Megan and Mark

Mommy and Mark (I took this myself, not bad, huh?)

Grandpa and Matthew
(Doesn't he look like he's considering getting into trouble!?)

Markie and the big bear

Grammy with both her boys back in GA.

Thank you so much for driving back with me mom. I love you.

Home sweet home

For those who knew we were gone... we made it home safely. The normal 10ish hours took over 11, 12 with the time change but we did really well. Definitely a better trip than some we've had all cooped up tight in the car. I'll be posting pictures soon.
(And yes, I know it's 1am)

I'd just like to say this... as it's already June as far as the computer is concerned, even though I haven't slept yet...

WHERE did May go?!

Mark is five months old now and Matthew is turning THREE this month!? How did this happen!?

... I'd also just like to add, if you have a young child and think to yourself, "eh, ____ normally gets up to eat around X time. Maybe I'll just stay up until after that feeding..." DON'T do it. Go to bed... I have been thinking Mark should wake up "any time now" since 11... it's 1... You know as soon as I go down the hall and lay my head on that soft pillow and close my extremely heavy eyes, THAT will be when he wakes up, and not a moment before. bah. (*singing in my head: should I stay or should I go?*)

Praise the Lord!!!

With Marsha's permission:

OH MY GOSH!

I'm totally jumping up and down in my chair! A true gift has been given and I'm so wanting to yell from the highest mountain top...

Marsha, one of Jamie's cousins is pregnant. She's waited so so long for this day. After 6 years and the adoption of three beautiful children from two different countries, she's just been given amazing news... I can not believe it! Can not believe the news! Praise Jesus!

You can go here to see the BEST Pregnancy announcement ever.

Washington Farms: take two...

Okay, if you haven't gone berry picking you really really should before the season is over! It's so much fun. If you aren't in the area, find a strawberry farm near you. The berries are so good and there is something about picking them yourself! We had a total blast both times. Matthew really enjoyed it and he even picks them well ~ (Thanks to Special Agent Oso, he knew just how to "twist and pull" looking only for the red ones!)

What Mark did while we picked berries...
After berry picking, we went to the park... please note the shoes! It was Mark's second time in the swing but his first day wearing shoes! He looks so cute in the swing. I was telling a friend yesterday that now that he can swing, I'm involved again at the park, instead of just sitting on the benches holding him. Yay!

not a Gator, a Matthew

Matthew just came and told me good night. It goes like this:

Him: I need to tell mommy.
Me: Okay, come tell me.
Him: Okay, goodnight mommy.
Me: Goodnight, darling.
Him: I need to go tell daddy.
Me: Okay, go tell daddy.
Him: Okay, night night, see you later.
Me: (chuckling) Okay, see you later-Gator.
Him: See you later MATTHEW.
Me: Oh. See you later Matthew.
Him: Night Mommy. (and scampers off for daddy.)

Wha??!

So a VERY last minute impromptu "Hey we should all go to the movies tonight" happened with some of the ladies in my Sunday School class... Eight mommas trotted off to the movies at 9pm leaving the daddies at home with the babies. Since I'd already been out this morning for WW meeting and yard sale-ing AND the oil changed, THIS was a big deal for me! I opened the door just now after being dropped off and all is quiet on the western front. ... shhhh.... listen.... (pause) (looking around) Nothing! Jamie is sleeping in our bed, Matthew's door is closed, no noise from the monitor, Mark is (I'm assuming) in the office, since that door is also pulled closed. What shall I do with myself? HA! I'm going to sleep! Night! (I love my husband~!!~ Thank you babe!)

strawberries

Wednesday we went to a strawberry farm and picked a bucket's worth of berries. It was a blast. I'd never been strawberry picking before, and honestly, I wasn't doing all that much of the picking. Matthew really enjoyed picking them. He did really well. We went with friends Emily and birthday girl Morgan and Aunt Kiki. We just had a good time talking, picking and eating the berries. (well, everyone else ate the berries, because you know Matthew didn't eat one. ha.) Here's some shots from our day. The one above is what Mark did while we were there.

Kayleigh's in Heaven

My heart is broken. My soul is aching...

As I sit here watching my oldest playing, knowing that my youngest is asleep in the bed, I am yearning to run and scoop them both up and hug them so tight and love them forever and kiss them repeatedly. A momma today no longer has her daughter... Kayleigh went home to Jesus last night. I never have met this family, but I have been following along in their incredible journey. Oh God, I just ache for them. If you haven't yet visited their blog, go and read their story. Join me in prayer for them, with them... If you'd feel compelled, donate on their site.... I can't stop crying. It just doesn't seem fair. We're not promised fairness though, I know that. And I know God's plan is perfect and complete. I know that my own baby is up there in Heaven and I long to meet him or her someday. I know that God knew him or her before my womb was opened and He still knows him or her after it was closed... I ache sometimes wondering what he or she would have been like... However, I can't fathom though what it is like to have held that baby, seen her grow for nearly a year and have to say goodbye. Kayleigh shares Matthew's birthday, two years later, and that is just tugging at my heartstrings. So many emotions are going through my mind, my soul, my body and I've never met this family, I wish I could. I wish I could hug Aimee and hold her and comfort her. I am sitting here shaking my head.



The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.


"Though my heart is torn... I will Praise You in this Storm."

all you need is a flower...

Matthew: Momma, what's wrong with your hair?
Me: Nothing baby.
Him: No, why's it like that, that way?
Me: What baby, it's just down.
Him: No it's like that.
Me: Matthew, it's just down today is all.
Him: Ohhhhhh.

(pause)

Him: It just needs a flower.
Me: Huh? A flower?
Him: You just need a flower for your hair and make it better. You be pretty with a flower.

(melt)

happy

So....

My dad said that my blog lately has been depressing. Well... life is just hard sometimes and I love this outlet to really just vent when the need arises.

I do acknowledge that I've been a little more venty lately...and apologize to all my faithful readers.

In really silly Matthew news, here are a couple funnies for you:


1. Yesterday I had left the house before Matthew woke up. The night before J's parents came over after Matthew had gone down for the night. I'm told that Matthew was getting a diaper changed after he'd woken up when his Poppa poked his head in the door. Instead of "HI POPPA!" Matthew responded with "NO POPPA! I'm getting a change!" Ooops. I didn't realize that my near 3 year old needed privacy. LOL

2. Matthew ate a brownie today. Pretty surprising. Not that he needs to be eating sweets but given his normal list of food options, brownie wasn't on them. I tried to get him to take a bite... he wanted to just lick the top. It was so funny to watch him react to the bit of brownie he tasted, like wait a minute, what am I refusing...

I'll try to post more upbeat postings. Sorry for all the negativity.

reality

Oh so I'm sitting here wallowing in self ridiculousness, and I check my dashboard and read words to break m heart. I now have new tears streaming down my face. If you haven't yet gone to read Kayleigh's story, go there now. Watch the video that was posted today and let God speak to you with the casting crowns song... I claimed that song as my own when I was grieving the loss we suffered with the miscarriage. I can't imagine the pain and heartache and grieving this family is enduring. Please pray for her family. Please pray for her healing, in this world or in Heaven.

UGH

SO annoyed.

I took a shower this morning while Mark was crying just because I knew I had to.
I spent ten minutes packing up a bag with cheerios, milk, banana, diapers, crayons, and put the baby in his seat and found Matthew's and my shoes.
I ushered my crying toddler out the door because we turned off the tv before his show was over.
I then spent another 5-10 minutes putting them in the car (Matthew has to climb up himself these days, hold me) and swapping out the single stroller for the double one.
Ten minutes to drive to my meeting.
5-10 minutes to unload us and set up the stroller and load up the stroller and walk inside.
I spent ten minutes of hell there. That was all I could take. Between Matthew "needing" a sticker (name tag) and then sticking it on the cup and it ripping when he tried to pull it off and wanting a new one and being hungry but not wanting his cheerios AND all the while, Mark wasn't content in his seat so I was holding him and he was eating letters, that didn't last 30 seconds and then I was standing up bouncing him trying to get him to sleep. If Matthew would have just SAT there and been STILL (HA!) then I could have gotten Mark to sleep with minimal distraction. But nooooooooo. Everything has to be the end of the flippin world. *sigh* I left for the second time recently in tears. This time I started crying before I even got outside. *sigh* I just can't do this. I keep being told " you did it when Matthew was little " and yes. I did. But seriously... I didn't have a toddler to satisfy all the while. *double sigh* I feel so upset. I am throwing money away by not being able to stay at the meetings and I hate being such a distraction.
Add insult to the fact that on the way to the car Matthew was screaming at me "I can stop the fussing, I can stop the fussingh. Get happy mommy!" Great. Makes me feel so good. *sigh*
5-10 minutes to get us all back into the car, me fighting yet again to fit the stroller in the trunk. (Doing so with your hair blowing in your face and crying are NOT recommended).
Ten minutes to drive back home.

Wow. Wonderful usage of like an hour huh?

OH and... to make the time even more movie-esk, I broke my shoe walking into the meeting. *groan* today is not going to be my day.

Time for Kate?

Whew. Wheeeeeeeeew. What a handful of days we've had.

In just the last four days (and in no particular order)

I've had a cat puke on my pillow THREE nights in a row. Seriously.
I've had a small child screaming at every time to eat.
I've had a bigger small child break out in butt rash. (The worst) (He spent 45 minutes in a bath tonight "just because" and then after we were drying off and he goes: "OH NO! What happened to my fingers?!" hehe
I've had a doctor visit for the smaller child. (always difficult)
(Last week we did a doctor visit for him and a vet visit for the cat.)
More cat puke on the floor. Come on.
Cranky news from a loved one about really awful things at work.
My best friend has piles of upsetting things happening to her all at the same time.
Oh, Saturday I was up a pound (I know that's more than four days past, but oh well) This is of course besides the normal: loads of laundry, dishwasher running every day, my face breaking out, the desire to do something about it and so seriously NO time without something in my hands (okay now I could, since the big one is in bed and the little one asleep in the swing, but my time is limited)... When I sat down here I had just started my 5th load (yes, fifth) of laundry for today. I had two already washed yesterday does that count? and I loaded and started the dishwasher... these things just don't stop or let up at all. I picked up the toys and filled my water bottle, I'm ready to do my work out. The house is mostly quiet (aside from the previously mentioned appliances running). I have a LONG list of things I'd like to do before Saturday morning... paint my toe nails, shave, find something incredible to wear (did I mention I have plans Saturday? I didn't... well, I have plans Saturday! I am going to be out all day with a friend and I'm so pumped about it, but I have no time to get ready for it!) After sending this, I plan on doing my work out and then turning the pages of a book I've been working on for near a month now until Mark wakes up to eat again. At that time I'll pray that we can accomplish the task without one or both of us crying and waking up Matthew. Then it will be bed for us. Where's the time for Kate? Where has it gone? ... ha! It up and left with motherhood that's for sure. Mostly I don't mind it though. I love my boys. I sometimes just miss 'me time.' Yesterday Jamie suggested that I take a bath at one such sleeping interval. I wasted that time and poof! it was gone with no bath.

So far today, for those wondering, Mark has really been better. (I think, I hope!) He hasn't one time all out screamed while eating... CRIED a lot, but not the pain kind of screaming. I'm hoping this means we're on the right path finally. I'm sitting three feet from him currently and he's just so beautiful. I hate knowing that he's been in pain. Each feeding time today was bad, but it wasn't horrific as the past weeks have been. Hopefully tomorrow will go even more smoothly. Please please please.

Okay, off to shred it before anyone wakes up and needs me!

up the meds

We ended up back AT the doctor's office. The doc we saw last week was of course off today and the doc there didn't want to up the dosage without seeing Mark first, so we went. I sent Matthew off to a friend's house (thank you!) and Mark and I went distraction-free to the doc again. She said the same things I've been hearing "He's so sweet, he's so content" Yah. Sure. You come over when it's time to eat and then tell me what you think. She checked him over head to toe and determined she agrees and it is probably reflux or worse, silent reflux. We have a referral to see an ENT doc to get his tongue tie dealt with. It will be on my list to call next week. She also wants him to come back for an assesment and weight check next week. Works out since he had an appt already for the 4 month check up and shots.

ALSO-- SCORE!!!! The called our ins last week and argued with them and got us a credit for the amount paid last week! I was near estatic when the receptionist said we didn't have a copay. I stood there looking stupid I'm sure. haha.

Anyhow, LOTS of screaming today. LOTS of it. But hopefully with the meds kicking in we'll see some improvement tomorrow.

Night.