New Year's Resolutions 2010

New Year's Resolutions according to a three year old:

"Probably...to eat more McDonald's," spoken very matter of factly.

When asked on New Year's Eve what her New Year's Resolutions were, she responded with the above. Of course, I first explained to her the definition of New Year's Resolutions by describing some of my own resolutions for the new year.

If You Give a Moose Daddy's Shoes

The True Meaning of Christmas

This afternoon, while dressed up in purple fairy wings, Annabelle said the following to me:

"Mommy, I have good news for you. You are have a baby. And you will name him Jesus."

(Pause).

"You are Mary."

I guess maybe she is starting to understand the true meaning of Christmas! I was getting a little worried after all the presents she received from family this Christmas. Unfortunately, the emphasis of Christmas has become the quantity of presents instead of the true meaning.

For those parenting young children during this era, we have a long battle ahead to teach our children that "things" are not important at all.

Get your drink on!

Annabelle is preparing for the new year already! Last night, as we were requesting that she try and tee tee one last time before bedtime, she responded as follows:

"I on't to get my apple juice on!"

Neither of us could stop laughing because all we could think of were "Get your groove on," and "Get your drink on."

And in all honesty, we have no clue where she learned that phrase! She just wanted to drink her bedtime allowance of apple juice.

My Favorite Christmas Card

A Blessing on Your Home

When Jesus is the carpenter,
a home is safe and strong.
It's built with care and happiness,
it's filled with love and song.
His joy is found in every room,
peace whispers through the halls.
And He gently blesses everyone
who lives within its walls.

With a Christmas prayer
that Jesus the carpenter
will bless your home,
and that Jesus the Savior
will love you and keep you safe
always.

Love,

Uncle Loyd & Aunt Mable
Christmas 2009

Joy to the World!

I LOVE this picture of Annabelle even though it isn't the best quality because it was taken with hubby's blackberry phone. We were at the Christmas Eve children's service at Alpharetta United Methodist Church. Annabelle has gone to this service every Christmas Eve since she was only 2 months old.

This church is rather special to all of us because hubby grew up going to this church with Nonnie and Papa Leon, and hubby and I got married at this church back in July 2000. So, it is special for us to visit with Nonnie every year.

During this service, Annabelle wanted to hold the hymnal. It looks like she was singing in this picture, but I believe she was actually just running her little mouth about something. But, I adored watching her hold the hymnal as she watched the service.

Just another precious memory!

Dear Internet Service Provider,

I should strike that first word with something a little more obscene, but my sweet and innocent child may read this one day, so I will refrain (today at least).

Next time you decide to cancel my DSL service completely (after I have only requested that the phone line be disconnected TWO WEEKS AGO), please find a week when I am a little busier and hubby is out of town 5 days (instead of just 3)! Oh wait, I'm not sure I could have gotten any busier.

Whether I decide to continue working is between me, hubby and my employer, so it is not necessary for you to add unneeded stress in an already busy time of year. Do you not realize that people need internet at home to continue working?

Unfortunately, my plans of baking cookies and cakes with my daughter this week to celebrate Christmas were completely obliterated since you felt the need to disconnect my internet Monday afternoon, just hours before I was planning on completing a project for a client that I should have returned to them by Tuesday. I even spent an afternoon driving to the office (toddler in tow) to pick up an overnight package that a client sent on Friday so that I would have in my hands by Monday. Why do I think you won't reimburse the client for those overnight charges?

But, instead of completing the project Monday night from home, I had to find a babysitter (last minute) for Wednesday so I could complete the work for the client in a somewhat "timely" (if you consider two days late "timely") manner since hubby was out of town and I could not drive to the office at night to complete the client work. And, Thursday was tied up with said babysitter because I already had a much needed work meeting scheduled. So, that leaves me with only 2 of the 5 work days as a true stay-at-home, spend time with my daughter, mom.

And, another 3-4 hours (minimum) total was tied up on the phone with you all week trying to fix YOUR mistake, and as of 6:45 p.m. on Friday, I was told, "It won't be until Monday." Monday! Monday! That is completely unacceptable! Why do I think I won't even have an internet connection by Monday?

You better not even dare charge me for those days that I didn't have internet. Oh, but you will, and I will spend another 3-4 hours on the phone to save $8.86. You don't know me, do you?!?! I will save my $8.86 on principal alone!!!

By the way, we will in most probability be moving within the next 12 months, and I can assure you we will go with your competitor (who I already cannot stand). But right now, I can stand your company the least! I would make the change now, but I don't want to deal with changing my satellite provider at this time too since they correct problems timely, and they don't put me on hold forever. Too bad their satellite service is a little too pricey, and the only other option with them is to bundle services with you!

So, where am I blogging at now? The office AGAIN because I have more work to complete that I am not able to do from home. Just ANOTHER day away from my daughter during such a special time of year.

Perhaps you should have your customer service representatives change their greeting. "My goal is to make sure you are 100% satisfied with the service you receive from me today?" REALLY?!?! I can remember speaking with 12 different people...I stopped writing down names after awhile. And, I can assure you that not ONE of them satisfied me 10%, much less 100%!!! It was all I could do to not cut them off in mid-sentence to tell them to not even give me that garbage of a line!

Did I mention that I requested to speak with a Customer Service Manager at 12:17 p.m. on Friday, and I was told that one would call me back within 2 hours? Do you think I ever heard from your Customer Service Manager? Here is a tip on managing people because you apparently need quite a few tips. Everything flows from the top down! Now I know why your customer service representatives are so very incompetent.

Oh, and STOP asking for my call back number "in case we get disconnected" if you aren't REALLY going to call me back if we get "disconnected." I guess you really just want that number for your own purposes in case I forget to pay my bill or something.

Perhaps you should consult with Chick-fil-A, "It is my pleasure," or Publix, "Where Shopping is a Pleasure," regarding A+++ customer service! Because right now, you have a looooonnnnnng way to go!

Our Little Elf

Our little elf visited with Santa for the very first time this Christmas season. Annalee (and her Mommy and Daddy) was so kind enough to invite us over to greet Santa at their neighborhood clubhouse.

It was great! No long, mall lines, cookies, cake balls and cocoa. And, arts and crafts for the little ones after the Santa greeting.

Before we left for Annalee's house, Annabelle insisted on taking her "pimp" hat (as we like to call it), princess halo and "hooker" belt. The "hooker" belt came to live with us compliments of Grandmama and Granddaddy. I'm not sure where they acquired it, but she loves that thing, and she can even fasten it herself. She wanted to bring these things "to show Annalee."

Well, within minutes after we arrived, she wanted the belt, and she was quick to fasten it, all by herself. Hubby said she looked like a "little elf" with the silver belt fastened around her green Christmas dress. He was right!

When it was time to leave to visit Santa, Annabelle did not want to take it off. Instead, "I want to show Santa." Okay! And, in all honesty, I didn't really care if she wore that belt to show Santa. It just adds a little more spice to the memory!

Unfortunately, she did decide to remove the belt (on her own) while we were waiting in line to visit Santa. I am not sure what made her change her mind, but I sort of wish she had kept that ugly hooker belt on for at least one picture. Again, it is all about the memories!

The visit with Santa 2009 went a lot like this:

Here the girls are waiting in line for Santa.

Annalee sat with Santa first. She was quick to climb into his lap, she talked with him awhile, and she even gave Santa a hug before leaving. Doesn't Annalee look beautiful with Santa? Annalee's Mommy said she picked that beautiful dress out all by herself! And, she let her Mommy curl her hair. I love it!

Annabelle, on the other hand, was just enough interested in Santa to take his offering (candy).

But, she was not too thrilled about sitting in Santa's lap! Mommy and Beebo had to take our seat first. Poor Santa! Then, I was able to place Annabelle on Santa's other knee. Notice that she's holding tightly onto my hand. I had no idea of her facial expression until I looked through these pictures. This picture cracks me up! And, does she not look like my little twin in this picture? I normally don't see the resemblance, but I see it in this picture. She is mine after all!

And, then, she finally gave in to Mommy's request for her to smile pretty for Daddy. At this point, I am no longer sitting in Santa's lap. I am kneeling on the floor next to Santa. Isn't that a gorgeous Annabelle smile?

And, after cookies, cake balls and cocoa, it was time for arts and crafts! I'm not sure when this started, but I noticed while Annabelle was working on her crafts this afternoon that she sticks her tongue out, just slightly. I think it helps her concentrate. I was able to capture one picture of this. Too cute!

And, while waiting on Annalee to pick out her prizes using tickets she had won for various games during the arts and crafts session, Annabelle decided to take it upon herself to just sit down and relax in the middle of the room.

Here are the girls with their Christmas tree cookies from Santa. Annabelle devoured hers, all the way down to the stick, in no time!

On the way home, Annabelle remembered that she had forgotten to bring her picture that she had painted for Santa Claus a few weeks ago while Daddy decorated the house with lights. She had painted pictures of the things she wanted for Christmas including an airplane, car, dinosaur and monster. Don't ask! I don't have a clue where she thought up those things. Nor is she going to get them! Her list changes daily. This year, when Santa asked, she told Santa she wanted "baby dolls." Really? Seriously? Again? He asked if she had any particular baby doll in mind. She didn't because they are all pretty much the same to her.

And, a big thanks goes out to Annalee, her Mommy and Daddy and brothers for a fun filled afternoon and evening. As always, thank you for opening up your hearts and home!

The Birds and the Bees

I didn't think these questions would start at such a young age! This evening, while staying with Annabelle until she fell asleep (as usual), we had the following conversation (after we had just previously discussed where the baby's head, feet and tummy were inside of my tummy).

Annabelle: Mommy, how does dat baby get out?

Mommy: (Pause)

Mommy: We'll talk about that tomorrow Annabelle. You need to go to sleep.

Annabelle: I tank it climbs out. It then walks onto your tummy, then onto your arm, fingers and hand!

I decided later I should have just told her, "God helps the baby get out of Mommy's tummy." But, I'm afraid that answered would have been followed by "Why?" or "How?"

Last week, my mom asked if Annabelle had yet asked how the baby was going to come out. I told her that she hadn't, and I really didn't suspect that she would. My mom mentioned that Annabelle had just asked her that week why she had a belly button. Her little mind is apparently running a mile a minute (maybe faster)!

Naptime

After my mom, Annabelle and I finished a very busy and long day of Christmas and grocery shopping (from 1:30 p.m. until 6:15 p.m.), we climbed into the car at Costco to head for home. As soon as Annabelle realized we were probably finished shopping for the evening, she asked the following.

Annabelle: Mommy, why did God and Jesus decide it was naptime?

Since Annabelle no longer naps, she refers to all bedtimes as "naptime." And, once it is dark outside, she realizes that a "naptime" is in her near future as much as she likes to fight it.

Mommy: Because we all need to rest each day.

Annabelle: I don't like seeping [sleeping]! [with a whimper and rub of the eye]

I am so excited!

While shopping at Publix this evening, Annabelle randomly chimed in with the following:

Annabelle: I am so excited! (She had a huge smile on her face, and she really said it with a lot of excitement in her voice).

Mommy: Why sweetheart?

Annabelle: Because we're going to have a baby soon!


If only she'll stay that excited in a few short months. That sweet voice and excitement was a big step in preparing me for the birth of this second child. In all honesty, it has taken me awhile to even begin accepting the timing of Beebo. Six more months would have been ideal in my eyes. But, I know God timed Beebo perfectly.

A Night in Bethlehem

This evening our church held a special event for the children titled, A Night in Bethlehem. They had shops for the children to use their pretend money to make crafts. They also had a petting zoo. And, of course, Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph were there in the manger as well. Quite a fun event, and I am glad we made it. Just wish we had stopped by earlier when it started.

Highlights of "A Night in Bethlehem:"

1. Annabelle got to make a Shepherd's Walk, aka her "hiking stick." She also made sure to tell us that it was also called a "walking stick." She loves to pick up sticks and "hike, hike, hike" with them. So, hubby made sure that we found this craft first and foremost! Here she is with her pride and joy! It may quickly become an outside toy only as she is slowly finding other uses for it in the house, such as a broom stick.

2. She was so meticulous with putting the beads on the leather string to tie on her hiking stick. I loved watching her. I think she put every bead on that string herself! And, I loved watching her Daddy help her. He was so patient and sweet to her. That in itself was a moment worth savoring forever!

3. The petting zoo had goats, sheep, a donkey, chickens and rabbits. Annabelle was not interested in petting the larger goats, but she didn't mind the sheep, Pygmy goats, chickens and rabbits. She didn't want to hold the chickens, but she got in the cage with them. This next picture isn't the best, but as I took it, she said, "He kissed me!" and proceeded to wipe off the sheep's kiss.


4. She also rolled some dough to make bread, colored a dreidel, made a small jar of dry tea with her own measurements of spices added, and created her own bulla craft by hubby's cell phone light which can be used as a necklace or ornament for our Christmas tree.

5. Overall, she had a blast! And, she's already asked me, "Mommy, can we go again next time?"

Motor Mouth

My Daddy nicknamed me Motor Mouth at a very early age. And, now, my daughter is falling in my footsteps. She was a late talker, but now, she will NOT shut up, ever! Apparently, she was just observing at an early age.

It is scary how much we are alike. I think she looks like her Daddy, but she's got my personality through and through. And, there are two specific things I wish she had not inherited from me.

1. She is NOT a morning person unless she has gotten sufficient sleep the night before. Sufficient meaning 12 hours. Keep in mind that my child no longer naps nor does she go down or into her room for quiet time during the day. This habit is mainly annoying to me because two people who are not morning persons really butt heads in the morning. That is why we both have a much better day when Mommy wakes up early enough to get a shower, makeup applied and clothes on, down to the shoes, with enough time to check my e-mail or complete a simple chore all before Annabelle wakes up. Of course, keep in mind that I hate mornings, so that is a very difficult task for me to accomplish.

2. She is anal retentive which probably means she is going to have the personality of a perfectionist in a few short years. Enough said? No? Well, if you are a perfectionist, then you completely understand without any additional words. If you aren't, life can be very difficult for the perfectionist, A type personality, and most of it you bring on yourself with your anal retentive ways. But, try changing it! It isn't going to happen! But, those who aren't perfectionists cannot understand it. So, for the sake of her own sanity and happiness, I really hope those anal retentive ways change. Not to mention, one perfectionist (aka control freak) in one household is enough! We are so going to butt heads in a few years. Oh, wait, we already do!

So, I went off on another tangent, big surprise!

This evening, it took 2 hours and 15 minutes to get Annabelle down for the evening. I left the room when she was snoring at 10:15 p.m. Will someone please explain how I am going to get two kids down in a few short months? And, I don't want to hear, "let 'em cry!" Not to say I won't change my tune. If you've read my blog, you know I let Annabelle "cry it out" at 18 months because I couldn't take any more, but her "cry it out" session only took 5 minutes at that point. Somehow though, since naptimes were done away with completely (back in July), we have digressed to Mommy rocking Annabelle to sleep every evening or at a minimum, Mommy staying in the room with Annabelle until Annabelle falls asleep in her crib. Perhaps that is why I always feel behind on everything!

So, what was her problem this evening? Do you remember that Disney commercial from many years ago? The one were the kids were leaving for Disney World the next day. She was "too excited to sleep!" Of course, those weren't her words, but she's especially excited about Thanksgiving at Granny's and visiting Santa with Annalee because that is pretty much all I heard about for an entire hour.

"Daddy normally stands up to eat at Ganny's. You normally sit down Mommy."

"Does Ganny have two tables? I don't tank she does. Where is everyone going to sit? Where are all the ittle kids going to sit? I tank Nonnie has two tables at her house. We should have Tanksgiving at our house. We have more room."

We do? We have more room than Granny? God love her!

"Is Annalee's Mommy going to be dare? Where are we going to park? I hope we don't park far away and have to walk a wheely long way."

"I want to weed some of Annalee's books. I tank her has books. I remember her has books. And, I want to pay dress up and put on slippers."

"I tank Annalee is going to sit in Santa's lap, but I don't on't to sit in Santa's lap. Will you get the candy from Santa for me? I tank Santa's going to take my book and hide it."

She has a little tiny book that came with her Waterbabies for Christmas last year. We were reading it today, and it had pictures of about 5 baby dolls in it. She decided that is what she wanted for Christmas, and she told me that she wanted to take it to show it to Santa. Oh bother! Where am I going to find baby dolls that look like those? And, not to mention, the child has enough baby dolls! So many, that she was NOT getting one from us this year. Sad, I know, but she only plays with three of the baby dolls she got for Christmas last year, and two of them were the Waterbaby twins we got her for Christmas. The other one is the one she got from Granny. Have I mentioned that she got 7 baby dolls for Christmas last year?!?! Seven folks! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!!! Stop the violence, please?!?! Oh, and those weren't her first baby dolls by any means. I think I have suddenly decided to pray for a boy!

"I've had a wheely long day Mommy."

Really? Then why aren't you asleep yet?

And, believe me, there was much, much more. I just cannot remember it all! Perhaps next time I should record it all with a voice recorder.

Busy Working

Part of me doesn't want to post this, but it is pretty funny and alarming. But mostly, it shows that I am human!

Here is a comment Annabelle made to hubby this evening while she was moving her packings for Nonnie's house (which grew even larger today) away from the front door and into her little rocking chair. Her Daddy had just asked her to move them there, and he was instructing her in regards to the job at hand.

"I'm busy working! Don't bother me!"

Hmmm...wonder who she got that from? Considering hubby doesn't "work" at home, and the work he does around the house is typically after Annabelle has gone to bed...oh, perhaps I should think before I speak!

Packing for Nonnie's House

Annabelle spent the weekend with my parents so that hubby and I could work on purging the amount of junk and papers we have acquired during our 9 years of marriage to make room for the new baby. We are basically turning our current "office" which is technically a third bedroom into Annabelle's big girl room.

Originally, Annabelle was supposed to spend Friday night with my parents and Saturday night with her Nonnie. Nonnie already had plans to keep Annabelle's cousins, Adam and Molly, on Saturday night, so Annabelle was especially excited.

Unfortunately, Molly turned up sick, and Uncle Matt and Aunt Meredith were kind enough to call us to let us know. I try to keep our distance from germs whenever possible, but especially since I've been pregnant since I seem to catch anything that walks. And, I absolutely refuse to get the swine flu or flu shot!

So, we opted for Annabelle to just spend another night with my parents.

It sounded like she didn't put up too much of a fuss about it, and she even told me that she didn't spend the night with Nonnie because "Ma-wee was sick."

But, she has not forgotten the promise to visit Nonnie again soon. All I heard all day was, "Are we going to Nonnie's house?" "When are we going to Nonnie's house?"

This evening, she proceeded to pack for Nonnie's house even though hubby and I both told her that it would be awhile before we visited Nonnie again. But, it didn't stop her for putting her belongings at the door to take with us to Nonnie's house. "I take this to Nonnie's house," she'd say. "Let me go put it by da door."

After I got her down for the evening, I walked into the living room and looked down next to the front door to find this: her deflated Garfield balloon that she got on her 3rd birthday, her "Ganny" baby doll given to her from Granny for Christmas 2008, painted hand prints and footprints from when she was 7 months old, a Tetris handheld game, a metal heart box full of candy and her most recent tracings and cut outs of her hand prints.

I couldn't help but smile and laugh. It is the little things that make you smile the most, and unfortunately, it is the little things that we too often forget.

19 weeks

19 weeks today and counting!

I'd count backwards to gain a little more preparation time if it didn't mean I'd have to suffer through that dreaded morning sickness again. Now you all know why I was feeling my weakest in an earlier post back in September! Morning sickness and illness struck me all at once, and with a vengeance! Of course, I think most of you have already heard our news or suspected it by my very large and continuously growing tummy.

And, since hubby and I both work our best under pressure, we have the challenge to turn an already tight 1,100 sq ft home into living and toddler playing quarters all before April 10th, 2010. Then, the next challenge is to find a larger home to accommodate our growing family. But, wait, we probably should consider getting this one marketable and sold first!

All before April 10th, 2010 (4 weeks prior if we're smart)!

I guess that is still easier and a lot less stressful than building a shed. Yep! Hubby built a rather large shed to house our junk while I was pregnant with Annabelle.

Speaking of stress, do you all know my part-time profession? Do you know when your taxes are due every year? And, now, do you know my due date? Great timing, huh?!?!

The big sister to-be is very, very excited! She named the baby in utero "Beebo," and she came up with that name all by herself. Annabelle was named "Cashew" until birth, but we just couldn't think of a name for this one until we asked Annabelle one day. She responded immediately with "Beebo!" We're pretty sure she got the name from Sandra Boynton's The Belly Button Book.

And, just for the record, once again, we are not planning to find out the sex. Mostly because it annoys all of you! So, you'll (hopefully) have to wait until late March or April to find out if we're having another girl or a "Junior" as hubby likes to tease me!

So maybe tomorrow I'll post a picture or two of my growing belly in the really cute shirt I bought last weekend. The one that hubby responded (in all seriousness) with, "Do you have the fake belly on?" Yes, he didn't realize that my belly had gotten quite so big! He better be glad that I don't take offense to weight gain while I'm pregnant! That is unless you tell me the weight gain is in my behind! Ahem! Mother!

Like a Mommy

"I look pity, like a mommy!"

Translation: "I look pretty, like a mommy!"

There is nothing like having a 3 year old around to boost your self esteem! Annabelle stated the above as she looked at herself in the mirror after she had her dress on for church this morning. I overheard the conversation with her Daddy while I was finishing my own last touches in the bathroom.

Oddly enough, I can probably count on one hand, maybe two, the number of times that Annabelle has actually seen her Mommy dressed up in a dress. I normally wear jeans or pants.

Kitty Cat Chef

Why does my lovely daughter feel the need to fill the cats' food bowl with water over and over and over again after she's been told not to do so and that they do not like water mixed with their food?

"It looks gooooood like dat," she says, seconds after she's emptied their water bowl into their food bowl.

Maybe I should feed her that for dinner since it looks so "gooooood."

The Clothes

God blessed me with a little girl, and as a result, a huge dent in my pocketbook!

The clothes for little girls are absolutely adorable! Of course, I pay no attention to the boy clothes because, right now, I don't have to. And, well, they don't seem all that cute either.

I've never been the best dressed in town. And, frankly, I don't have much of a sense of style (for myself that is). Mostly because I can never find anything that fits me properly in my size (either too long, too big or both)! And, I'm too darn cheap to spend a lot of money on clothes for myself. Now, my daughter is a different story!

One trip to Gymboree, and I've spent the year's budget! You've got the dresses, the leggings (in the winter), the tights, the socks and the cutest matching barrettes and hair bows! How can you not blow your budget?

And, Annabelle is learning very quickly. I am afraid of the mess of a little girl we are going to have on our hands in 7+ years! Shopping with her today was a challenge. The girl has got an opinion. Does anyone know who she got that from? If you ask her if she likes something, she will tell you, and it doesn't take her long to decide.

While in Gymboree redeeming my Gymbucks for the least possible amount of money, Annabelle found three bracelets at $9.95 each, two sets of barrettes (one with butterflies and the other with flowers) at $7.00 for the set of two and approximately 10 pairs of big girl panties that we needed to buy (according to her) at $3.49 each!

"We need to buy dese Mommy," she would say.

Then, "Dese are pity!" Translation: These are pretty!

She walked away with nothing that she wanted to buy because her taste is NOT located on the sales rack.

As we walked out of the mall, she felt the need to touch everything in her sight that she could reach. Again, not sure who she gets that from! We passed some very big girl (teenage) belts that Annabelle thought were "pity." I hope her tastes in belts changes in a few years or we're going to have to watch the boys. That dimple is already going to get her in enough trouble!

Perhaps I should pray that my next child is a boy!

P.S. I have apparently always been known to touch everything in a store just in passing. I know I do it, and I even touch things I'm not even looking at just to feel them. Sometimes I think I do it subconsciously. Hubby noticed this himself very early on in our relationship. So, now you know who she gets it from! I'm afraid I cannot deny this child. She has my personality inside and out except she may be a tad bit more outgoing than me.

Random Thoughts

Because I know you all really care about the following!

1. Country music soothes my soul.

Whenever I am feeling unmotivated, overwhelmed, sad, lonely or even just plain happy, country music lifts my spirit. That probably doesn't make any sense whatsoever either. I mean, have you listened to the lyrics to most country songs? Depressing, right? But, regardless, it keeps me going and on some days, I need my country music to motivate me to clean, empty the dishwasher, declutter, etc.

Honestly, I think country music has always soothed my soul. I remember listening to country music in my room during those boy troubled teenage years and sometimes just crying to the lyrics, but, it still lifted my spirits!


2. Knoxville, Tennessee - Those were some of the best days of my life! I didn't realize it then, but I sure do miss Knoxville now.

It was great to literally have to drive an agonizing 15 minutes across town to meet with friends. It takes me that long to go to the grocery story only 2 miles away now!

The commute to work for both of us was just as awesome! We worked less than 5 miles away, and it took 15 minutes at the very max. I would often come home to our very tiny one bedroom apartment for lunch. Hmmm. Very tiny living quarters. Seems to be a recurring theme for us. One day, maybe one day!

The view from our apartment was breathtaking! Mountains in the distance, and the price was even right for this outstanding view. Too bad we didn't sit outside and enjoy it more.

We had so much more time for each other then. And, I know, a child changes the dynamics of everything, but even before Annabelle was born and we reentered our "old" life in Hotlanta, life seemed to move 20 X's faster.

And, we made some lasting friendships. Some of our Knoxville friends were very quick to invite us into their home and lives. Thank you Chris and Vonda! It took awhile to get to know others, but we still made some great friends. Just wish we had time to make more while we were there.

And, I'll never forget football! Go Vols! I miss those relaxing days of nothing to do but attend a football game for free. Well, sort of for free. Hubby's tickets were free. My spousal tickets were $100 for the entire season.


3. Work (for pay) is overrated, and I'm about ready to call it quits completely, forever, or at least until my children are all grown up!

I mean, seriously, why am I working anyhow? So the government can take everything from my retirement accounts when social security runs out? It is hardly worth working to save to retire early only to have some slacker or over spender take it later (through the divine intervention of the government). I'm going to go spend more time with my daughter who is growing up way too fast!

To Hell in a Handbasket

Fortunately, hubby has traveled for business very little this year. And, I say "fortunately" because the misfortune that comes with him traveling is always fun!

He left last night around 7:00 p.m. to catch an 8:55 p.m. flight.

The following resulted today (in this order):

1. I was a little chilly this morning (even though the temperature in the house was 68 degrees, and I never go above 68 degrees in the fall/winter). So, I decided to crank up the heat just a bit for the first time this fall. And to my surprise, it blew only cool air. The furnace never did kick on. The best part...the fan would NEVER turn off by itself, no matter what I did. I even changed the setting to cool, and the air conditioner kicked on, but after I turned the air conditioner off, the fan continued to run. You probably think I'm crazy, but we've had this problem several times before. The last time was a week before Annabelle was born back in October 2006. Poor child came home from the hospital to space heaters because our heat was not working. Turns out it was a faulty part on the unit which was replaced for free because of past issues with that same part with other people. Fortunately, the part replaced in 2006 has an extended five-year warranty on that part. Have I mentioned that this happened another time (maybe two times) before the year Annabelle was born? Yep! That's right! So, I'm hoping for warm weather because we have no heat, and the space heaters are packed away neatly in the shed.

2. I realized late morning/early afternoon that a bib I had left on the washer to dry before we went camping this past weekend was still wet. No, wait, it was completely soaked! And, the threshold between the office and "laundry room" (aka closet) was wet and warped. And, the drum in the washer was filled slightly with water. Just as a visual, we have a front loader.

3. Annabelle learned to break a circuit (if that is what you call it). She basically learned how to use her bathroom stool to open the door to the circuits in the hallway (which is still really high off the ground in the hallway, mind you, even with a stool) and flip the switch to an "off" position. It took me forever to figure out why the washing machine wouldn't work when I tried to run it at 11:00 this evening.

So, as for the fortunately, my parents came to my rescue! And on their 46th anniversary to top it off! Thank you, thank you, thank you Mother and Daddy! What would I do without you guys?

My Dad helped remove the doors to the laundry room and unscrew the threshold. And, once we determined that the water hadn't leaked underneath the washing machine and had more than likely just leaked internally (which he thinks he can help hubby fix with a $50 part) and as a result leaked on the bib which then just leaked the excess on the floor, he held the flashlight so I could clean all of the dirt, grime and mold out of the inside of the seal at the door. Gross, huh? Yes, pretty disgusting! Especially when you didn't realize until just recently that your washing machine was housing such nastiness. If you have a front loader, be sure and clean inside that seal on a regular basis or you too will have the same problem in 8 years! Holy cow we're getting old! I cannot believe we've lived in this house for 8 years! Well, I guess a year and a half don't technically count since we lived in TN while hubby got his Master's degree.

As for the furnace, my Dad just recommended I flip the circuit since the fan wouldn't cut off on its own.

And, that, my friends, resulted in a new lesson for Annabelle. Flipping the circuit breakers! What do you think I thought when my washing machine wouldn't start this evening after I spent at least an hour cleaning the darn thing this afternoon? Too bad Annabelle wasn't awake. She probably could have resolved the issue on her own immediately by flipping the circuit back to the "on" position.

So, hubby is no longer allowed to go out of town without me! Because apparently, major appliances break and water leaks are inevitable when he travels.

Last October, when he was out of town on business, my kitchen sink decided to leak quite extensively. I had quite a mess on my hands in the cabinet under the sink, and I never could figure out the problem. We didn't figure out until Christmas that our Corian sink somehow had a huge crack until the huge crack showed its ugly behind!

So, I'm off to bed and praying that nothing else breaks tomorrow!

Be careful what you say

Because little ears are listening, but most of all, they are understanding, even at the ripe young age of almost three in just a few short weeks.

And, a child's self-esteem apparently develops at an early age too.

Yesterday evening, we attended a Sunday School BBQ. Very shortly after we arrived, Annabelle spotted a little girl very close to her age and height, but probably a tad bit older and taller. The little girl was running towards the picnic tables (probably to find her parents). Well, Annabelle took off after her. As soon as she reached her, she patted her on the arm to let her know that she was there.

The little girl paid her absolutely no attention, and she took off in another direction. Annabelle once again followed her. I think at that point (a) the little girl was too quick and Annabelle lost sight of her or (b) Annabelle was distracted by something else or (c) we called her over to discuss eating dinner.

I never did see her try to play with that little girl again though. But, on the way home, I had the following conversation with hubby.

Mommy: (Repeated a version of the same story above laughing as I talked about it). She wanted to play with that little girl, but the little girl wanted nothing to do with her. She didn't want to play with Annabelle.

Annabelle: Who didn't want to pay with me Mommy?

Apparently, the expression in her voice when she asked that question was enough to break hubby's heart. He looked at me with such sadness. Then, I had to tell my sweet daughter a white lie because I realized then that I had hurt her feelings with my comment.

Mommy: I wasn't talking about you sweetheart.

Hopefully I've learned my lesson! She picks up on just about everything I or anyone else says!

When is she going to learn not to tell me "my heiny is tiny, your heiny is BIG Mommy!"

By the way, is "heiny" a real word? I cannot find the spelling anywhere!

The Office

I took Annabelle to the office with me this morning to drop off a tax return that I spent all night finishing up for the 9/15 deadline! Lovely!

As a side note, I am STILL trying to figure out why some people are still employed in this economy. And, I've wondered many times why they keep me around for the 0-5 hours I work every week when they've actually had to let other people go due to lack of work.

Well, now I know! A tax return that should have literally taken me 3 hours max from start to finish ended up requiring 14.15 hours of my time (beginning the work Sunday at 1:20 p.m.). The tax return was not finished until 2:00 a.m. this morning (deadline day)! Nothing was clean, and like I said, I am still trying to figure out why some people are still employed in this economy!

And, this big of a return should never have waited until the weekend before the deadline! Again, this was no fault of mine. I have been waiting on the financials from this employee since a month ago.

And, just for the record, it did take me only 3 hours from where the financials should have been when I first received the work from this employee. So, it isn't me! I'm not that slow! Why would anyone leave $14,000 in Miscellaneous Expense for a check written to "Cash" and not question it? Sheesh!

So, once again, I digressed. Now for the story I logged into blogspot to blog about.

While we were walking from the parking deck towards my office building, Annabelle was once again enthralled by my very tall office building. I don't blame her. If you are familiar with the Atlanta area, then you are probably familiar with the King and Queen buildings. I used to always want to work in those fancy, tall buildings. I don't know why, maybe because they seemed impressive like you worked for someone really important. Well, I got my wish, but by the time I got my wish, I didn't really care any more. You see, working is more of a hassle now because it adds to my stress level and my life seems to completely fall apart during tax deadlines. I ask myself often, "Is it really worth the additional cash?" And in all honesty, it isn't the cash, it is the security, just knowing that if something tragic were to happen, I would hopefully at least have a rather part-time job, if not full-time job to pay the bills.

So, all that being said, as we were making our way down the walkway, Annabelle had the following to say.

"When I'm a Mommy" *pause* "and have babies" *pause* "I want to work in an office too."

Really? So, she thinks working in an office is fun.


Dear Annabelle,

I hope you'll learn that you should become independent and take care of yourself. I hope you'll do your best to never depend on anyone else, financially that is. And, that is besides your husband, if you do choose to stay home. Hopefully you'll still have that freedom and choice when you have babies of your own. I'm doubtful these days though as our freedoms seem to be taken away one by one and no one even notices.

I do hope that you will have the opportunity to watch your babies grow every day. I hope that you'll take the time to enjoy your children (if you do decide to have children of your own).

I wish I knew what the future held for you. I hope you'll always follow your heart. But, I hope you will learn that some things are just not that important. I am still trying to figure that one out!

I am very thankful that I have been fortunate enough to stay home with you. There isn't a day that goes by when I'm at the office that I don't question myself, "Is this really worth it?" I feel that many precious moments with you are lost because of those tax deadlines. And, sometimes, it is simply because I don't have the patience with you that I normally would have because of the stress and lack of sleep.

I don't think it is possible to be "great" at many things. I've always tried to be "great" at everything I've done. But, as a mommy, I realize how difficult that is now. There are just too many things to strive to be "great" at when you are a Mommy.

I hope and pray that you'll be happy in life no matter what road you take.

Love you forever and always sweet girl!

Mommy

Cookie Cake 2009

Annabelle is already planning for her 3rd birthday party. She found a picture of her Great American Cookie Cake from her 2nd birthday party, and she said, "I want a cow dis year."

Her cookie cake in 2008 had a huge horse head. And, believe me, I did NOT pick it out! That is a story in itself. I tried to persuade her then to choose the one with the cute teddy bear or even the Piglet one since she was Piglet for Halloween last year.

Oh no! She wanted the huge horse head! And, I'm trying to encourage her to make choices at an early age, so it wouldn't have been right for me to take her to choose the cookie cake to only make the decision myself. Of course, I probably shouldn't have tried to persuade her otherwise either. Maybe I'll learn a thing or two before the next child comes along!

Do you think I'm thrilled about the cow? All I can say is that means more icing, and that my friends is a good thing! Ditto on the horse head! That may be the only good thing though. Well, besides the joy that horse cookie cake has brought to my sweet girl over the past year just in looking at pictures alone, not to mention the joy she had when she first saw it. I guess that makes it all worth it!

On second thought, is the Great American Cookie Company still in business? If not, I don't know what we're going to do! I am definitely not making a cow cookie cake!

Relapse

I don't think I can take any more. I remind God of that every evening, and this past weekend, I really thought He thought, "Boy, you are right! You cannot take any more! Let me make you better, quickly."

Well, apparently, I was wrong!

I feel a relapse coming on, but this time, the congestion feels worse. Not good! I have seen my most vulnerable and weakest side these past three weeks. I used to think I was a pretty strong woman. Heck, I had that sweet child of mine naturally, no meds! And, yes hubby, I will always have bragging rights on that one and I will always remind you and her, but especially you because you didn't think I could do it!

But, honestly, motherhood has been the most humbling experience. I honestly thought I could do anything I wanted until I had Annabelle. Cocky? Yes, I probably was. Too bad I didn't realize it then! But now, right now, I feel my weakest! Motherhood is not my expertise, and homemaking, well, we won't even go there on that one.

I'll just keep praying, but in the mean time, I'm sure He'll keep hitting me with his best shots. And, I mean absolutely no disrespect with that comment. We all know (or at least tell ourselves), the Lord will never give you anything you cannot handle.

And, as my grandmother, Mama Gordon, used to always say, "This too shall pass and be replaced by something much worse!"

Okay, so I don't think I ever heard her say that, but my mom says she did. She was a very optimistic person in my eyes, so I have a hard time believing she really did say that.

Anyhow, this is to hoping that my sweet child will actually sleep through the night tonight! I swear she's woken up almost every night for the past week between 2 and 3 a.m. And, she always insists that I rock her awhile. Then, "a ittle bit more" when I stop to lay her down. Maybe her waking at 8:53 p.m. this evening was her one time for the evening!

Good night everyone!

The Analyzer

Over the past week, I've really noticed a difference in Annabelle developmentally. She has become quite analytical, and she really seems to analyze things before she responds. The things she comes up with and says has really cracked me up.

Yesterday, hubby and Annabelle had the following conversation after Annabelle shut herself into her bedroom.

Hubby: Please do not shut your door.

Annabelle: Why?

Hubby: Because I need to know where you are at all times.

Annabelle: You didn't know where I was when you were at the office today.

She's a pretty smart cookie if you ask me! But, of course, I am her mother.

I don't think hubby is too fond of her always asking "why" when he tells her to do something. He thinks she should just always just do it without asking. I'm not sure he was quite pleased with her response yesterday either, although, he did laugh about it.

Granted, I do agree that after she's questioned her authority and been given a reason from her authority, "because I said so!" is quite an appropriate response (from her parents at least) to her second questioning of authority. You know, that one line phrase our parents always said that we swore we'd never use.

I do welcome her questioning though. I want her to question her teachers, employers and especially politicians one day. I don't want her to just "listen" to what everyone tells her because they are "supposed" to be knowledgeable. I want her to always respect people, but I hope she'll question everything she hears until she knows for a fact that it is the truth. And, based on the above conversation, she is progressing just fine!

Life

Life has a way of knocking you down flat sometimes. I guess that is just God's way of saying, "Slow down!!! Those things that you fret over daily are just not that important."

I feel like I'm still recovering from my illness from last week. We are all still coughing. Annabelle a little less than the two adults in the family. And, I'm still very, very weak. But somehow, I've managed to work 5 hours total this week at night on major deadline tax returns. It is amazing how much I've accomplished just working from 8:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. or so every night, and I haven't had to even go into the office. It occurred to me just how much I procrastinate on these things! Now if I could only find time to finish my own tax return before the October 15th deadline! Just like the cobbler's kids have no shoes, the CPA's family has no tax return!

Annabelle never seizes to crack me up though. Hubby taught her how to cough into her arm to not spread the germs. Not sure why hubby explaining it to her clicked, but it did. I've only been trying to teach her that since her very first cold! And, she'll tell me, "Daddy showed me to cough into my arm." She's so very proud of herself too!

And, sometimes when I'm at home and in my pajamas, I'll pull my shirt over my mouth and cough into my pajama shirt. Probably not real sanitary, I know, but I only do it at home in my pajamas. Just seems a little easier for some odd reason.

Well, if Annabelle is nearby, she'll say, "No, no! Cough into your arm like dis!" Then, when I obey her command, she'll say, "Tank you, tank you!"

Sicklings

We've been a family of sicklings over the past week, and frankly, life has really stunk (to put it nicely)! I am NOT a big fan of putting my daughter in front of the television for even 30 minutes, but Annabelle and I have watched a lot of cartoons over the last week. So much that she seems to get bored and asks to watch t.v. See what t.v. does to your kids people? It makes them bored, very, very bored.

Just learned that the lovely swine flu is widespread in only two states, Alaska and Georgia. Yes, you read it right, Georgia! Why? Why does it have to be widespread in the state I live in?

Have I mentioned that I absolutely despise germs and it ticks me off beyond all when you bring your children around my child while they are still sick or have been sick in the last 24 hours? It makes me quite livid, so people, please respect others and keep your sick children home or tell others if your child has been sick before getting together. You never know what other people are going through, and some people just cannot afford to get sick from their own sick child when it can be helped.

Work deadlines for both hubby and myself is hanging over our shoulders now! And, for me, these are major deadlines with money consequences for my clients if the work is not completed on time. Not to mention, I am a full-time, stay-at-home mom and work a part-time schedule (for pay), so if I miss that one day of work, it is very hard to catch up!

So, I digressed, I know, but if you don't already, please respect others!

Fortunately, I don't believe any of us had the swine flu. Although, Annabelle and I did wear masks when we visited the doctor's office last Tuesday. Again, out of respect for the other patients, nurses and doctors. Why? Because the sign (as we entered the doctor's office) specifically said if you have a fever and cough or fever and sore throat, please wear a mask. Forget that every other kid was hacking around us, and they weren't wearing masks! And, I know they had to have had a fever or why else would their parents have brought them? We looked pretty silly, but everyone stayed clear of us!

The best part of recovering from this awful illness is my sweet girl. We've all had a terrible cough that just won't go away. And, whenever I cough crazy, Annabelle walks over, hugs my leg and says, "It's alright sweet Mommy, it's alright."

She's such a sweetheart! I love that sweet voice despite those lovely germs she spreads my way.

Have I mentioned I hate germs? And, have I mentioned that I HATE when parents bring their sick children around my otherwise very healthy child? If not, I should have. Keep the peace with your friends and family people! Stay home when your child is sick!!!

P.S. Thank you, thank you, thank you Grandmama and Granddaddy for bringing me vegetable soup and corn muffins last week to soothe the pain! It was a blessing well received, and honestly, I don't think I would have made it through the week without those nutrients. You are definitely God sent parents! I love you both bunches!!!

If only the hubby would cook something besides carryout when he's actually feeling well and I'm not! Oh well! You cannot teach an old dog new tricks, and I do appreciate all of his help emptying the dishwasher and cleaning the dishes pretty much all week. Thanks hubby! I couldn't have made it without you (and my vegetable soup of course)!

And, most of all, thank you hubby for NOT suggesting anything to eat last week! Your "get-well" foods are always the "please puke" foods. For example, would you like a Beef-n-Cheddar (when you already feel like vomiting)? How about suggesting Campbell's chicken noodle soup next time? Still love you though!

Lonely Lunch

I forgot how lonely lunches used to be while I was working. I would always speed through my lunches to get back to work to stay current with my chargeable hours.

When you work in a professional service environment, chargeable hours are everything! Your entire life seems to revolve around chargeable hours and budgets. How many hours do I have to work this week in order to meet my budget? I'm behind 20 hours for the month, how many days and hours do I have to work to catch up? I have to charge what?!?! 210 hours this month! Chargeable! That doesn't include non-chargeable work?!?!

The workload (fortunately and unfortunately) was never the question! Just the number of hours in the day and the number of hours of my life I was willing to give up for a paycheck and promotion.

But, the stress level is drastically reduced for me while working a part-time schedule. But, the lunches are still lonely!

Annabelle spent the day with Nonnie today while I worked. I missed that sweet girl today! She's my love and my everything. Lunches are never lonely with Annabelle! Sometimes a little busy and stressful, but never lonely! I'll take the busy and stressful any day. I don't like those lonely lunches.

Braves win!

Atlanta Braves 8
Washington Nationals 1

We attended the Braves game this evening with some of hubby's fellow coworkers. We've taken Annabelle since she was a baby in 2007, and she's always loved it!

This year though, I think she enjoyed the train ride the most. We opted to ride Marta because we didn't want to fight the crowd for a parking space. It took a lot longer than it normally would have, had we just driven, but it was worth the excitement on that sweet girl's face. And, she even got to ride on a Marta bus too! Yet another first for Annabelle!

And, she loved doing the tomahawk chop! When we weren't doing it, she would turn to one of us and say, "I want to do 'dat' again." As she said, "dat," she motioned her version of the tomahawk chop.

Man, just wish I had a Flip Digital Camcorder!

And, she even took her own turn to decide which hat the picture of some random fan was under after the three hats went crazy on the television screen and moved all over the place. If your a Braves fan, in the past, they used to show a picture of a ball instead of the random fan. She picked #2! I think #3 was actually the correct hat though.

And, here is that sweet girl with her Daddy! No pictures of Mommy and daughter as they aren't so cute. Mommy needs a new do, and it takes pictures for Mommy to realize just how rugged she looks!

We had a blast at the Braves game! And, if you haven't noticed, Annabelle is sporting a Boston Red Sox uniform. Her Nana Janet and Papa Bill gave it to her a few years ago. It is alright though, we weren't playing Boston, and I don't think anyone really knew the difference. We're still Braves fans through and through (and maybe Boston Red Sox fans second)! Sorry Nana Janet and Papa Bill! You haven't sold us on those Red Sox yet!

We left the Braves game around 9:45 p.m. just after the seventh inning stretch. We arrived home to pack Annabelle's clothes around 10:45 p.m. Then, it was off to Nonnie's for Annabelle to spend the night! I thought for sure that Annabelle would have fallen asleep in the car on the way. Nope! Not my sweet child! She would miss too much! Instead, we arrived around 11:45 p.m. with a wide-eyed little girl. I did fortunately convince her to make the bedtime routine very short with no books and three or four songs total. So, I fortunately made it home shortly before 1:00 a.m.

Dear Annabelle,

I love you, but you wear me out!

Love,

Mommy

I need a hug

Last night, I went to check on Annabelle before calling it a night. I love to watch her sleep!

Unfortunately, she can be such a light sleeper that she wakes up as soon as I even open the door to her room. The distant light in the hall seems to bother her. Wonder who she gets that from?

Well, last night, I needed to see my sweet girl, so I opened the door and slowly tip toed in. I was peeking down at her, she opened her eyes, looked at me, rolled over and then started whimpering ever so slightly. I decided to exit immediately and swiftly!

Not so quickly she thought! "Sing me a song," she whimpered. So, I sat down and sang her ABC's to her. This is one of her nighttime songs. She even sang along with me, bless her heart! It actually brought tears to my eyes.

So, I finished singing, told her I loved her, and closed the door behind me. Whimpering again!

I entered again and walked over to her crib. Her arms were outreached towards me and she said, "I need a hug." My heart melted! We exchanged hugs, and I began to leave, and this time, she was okay with me leaving, and I left with a happy heart.

When I came back to our bedroom, hubby said, "Are you crazy?"

Yes, a little! I'll chance her waking for another hour just to watch her sleep!

Cinnamon Rolls

We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast this past Saturday as a special treat. Annabelle enjoyed one cinnamon roll, but she didn't seem overly enthralled in them. She wanted no more, only one!

But, on Sunday morning I asked her, "Annabelle, what would you like for breakfast this morning?"

"A cinna-nen roll," she replied instantly without any hesitation.

I told her, "Sweetheart, we ate them all yesterday. There aren't any cinnamon rolls left."

You would have thought that I snapped at her in pure meanness for nothing! Her bottom lip rolled over her top lip, her mouth began to quiver, and then she buried her head into my arm and started crying. She was fighting back those tears! Where does a two year old learn to try and hold back tears?

She finally calmed down, and I promised her that we'd buy her some more cinnamon rolls. Then, as her Daddy was walking out the door later that afternoon to make a quick trip to the grocery store, she stated to him, "Get some cinna-nen rolls Daddy."

Be Creative @ Your Library

If your toddler "read" 10 books this summer, he/she could earn a board book at the local Dekalb County Public Library, compliments of Target. They also had this program last year, but we were so busy vacationing that I forgot to redeem the list of books read for her board book by the deadline.

This year, however, she earned her "Doggies" board book by Sandra Boynton! You cannot beat a Sandra Boynton book. Those have been my favorite to read to her since she was born. And, fortunately, we did not yet have the "Doggies" book. We did have the "ABC" Sandra Boynton book that the librarian originally offered.

Apparently, most parents are not as anal as I am. I wrote down a total of 21 books that we've read in the past month and a half. Of course, that doesn't count the twenty times that we probably read almost each and every book. Okay, I'm over exaggerating a little bit, but you get the picture. The librarian said, "Oh, wow," when she saw the long list and "Nice handwriting by the way." Yes, I write much like a typewriter.

Of course our trip to the library to redeem her board book AND read books consisted of Annabelle running around, whispering and then talking rather loudly, pulling books off the shelves, beginning to read four books, but yet, only completing one all the way through because she was so busy running from one table and/or chair at the library to another.

Fortunately, I am able to somewhat control her at this age (at the library) as she's only supposed to pull two books off the shelf at a time. She'll pull more, but together, we replace the one she doesn't want any more so that all times she only has two. It wasn't this easy a year ago!!! She didn't understand two books only then.

So, above, is a picture of Annabelle this evening in her brand new pajamas that I've put off her wearing all summer because I wanted to get a picture of her in them before they got really dirty (now that summer is almost over) with her new Sandra Boynton book.

And, is this not the cutest little bottom?

Make 'em talk

For a few months (or more), Annabelle loves to animate her toys. It all started with her Sarah Lynn and Margaret bendable Little People that Grandmama and Granddaddy gave her for her 2nd birthday, and now, she has also moved on to making those itty bitty tiny hard animals talk.

It is her favorite thing to do, and she especially loves the company. She is always telling me to "Make em talk Mommy! Make em talk!"

And, frankly, I do get a little tired of "making em talk." I'd prefer to listen to her "make em talk" as she's got quite an imagination, and they are quite polite when they do interact with each other. That makes my heart smile!

Well, yesterday, after eating our weekly lunch at Captain D's with Grandmama and Granddaddy, I suggested that we all go to the Dollar Tree to look around. I was in search for some of those yellow cleaning gloves. I've been telling Annabelle for awhile now that we needed to get her own pair so she could help me clean. She's been sharing with me! And, to say the least, that is always very interesting.

So, off we go, to the Dollar Tree. And, I didn't make her sit in the buggy because she enjoys the Dollar Tree as much as I do.

It didn't take long before she found a basket of her own to dump her very own purchases, or so she thought! It was a battle I didn't want to fight. The battle where I tell her not to touch or remove anything from the shelves. And, she was having fun and learning at the same time. I thought, we can place everything back when we leave.

Keep in mind, I probably sound a lot more patient than I really was, but my feelings inside were such that I wanted to pull my hair out because she had gathered 20-30 items from all over the store, and the one basket she originally had carried then turned into two baskets. One for her to carry, and then she requested that I carry the other basket she found to stuff junk into.

Finally, it was nearing time to go, so I told her that she could pick out one thing to buy. But, only one thing.

She's always been such a little negotiator. Her response to me was, "Two things." I told her, "Nope, one thing." "No, two things," she said until she finally realized she wasn't going to win this battle.

Then, she'd find two things she liked, and she would say, "I take dis one, and Grandmama can take dis one to her house." Pretty smart for a two year old!

So, she continued her hunt, and I told her it was time to put everything back and that she needed to stay with Grandmama and make a decision while Mommy placed everything (okay, almost everything) back in its proper location.

As I turned the corner after replacing the last item, she came running down the aisle to me with a small package of tiny bath toys in hand. She said, "Mommy! Mommy! We can make em talk!"

My thoughts out loud to Grandmama went something like this, "Lovely! Yes, we can make em talk alright. Just something else to make talk!" I tried to persuade her to buy the cute magnets she had originally found or even the small plastic dinosaurs because I thought those tiny bath toys weren't all that cute, and they were a waste of money.

Boy was I wrong! Now, I am sorry that I even tried to persuade her otherwise. Maybe one day I'll learn to stay out of her business. But, she has had the most fun with those six, tiny, colorful bath toys. And, they really are quite cute!

As we were checking out at that counter at the Dollar Tree, I even gave her a lesson on saving. I told her, "Now here is your dollar. You can either take the money home and put it in your piggy bank, or you can trade it for those toys." Obviously, she opted for the toys. But, she soon forgot that she had spent her dollar and told me later after we picked up a penny on the ground to put in her piggy bank that she would put that penny in her piggy bank "with my paper money." Paper money! Those were her words!

I couldn't help but smile last night after she went to bed just remembering the excitement in her sweet little voice as she ran to me with those bath toys in hand to tell me, "Mommy! We can make em talk!"

So, what is a story without a picture?!?!

Dear Annabelle,

I hope you will always find the simple joys in the little things! You really help me to open my eyes and see the fun in the small things.

You have such an imagination (even though it drives me a little crazy on some days). If you don't have actual toys to "make em talk," you use grapes and even your fingers at the dinner table to act as a Mommy, Daddy, baby, puppy dog, you name it (and I'm not even joking)! We don't typically allow toys at the dinner table, but with an imagination like yours, you don't even need toys!

Keep those imagination genes from your Daddy flowing sweet girl!

I love you!

Mommy

Where's Daddy?

Here is a conversation I had with Annabelle during breakfast this morning:

Annabelle: Mommy, where's Daddy?

Mommy: He's at work sweetheart.

Annabelle: To make me some money?

Insert snicker from Mommy. And, then, she continued before I could answer her.

Annabelle: To put in my piggy bank.

Mommy: Um, no, not exactly.


She's a girl after my own heart! She wants her Daddy to make money for her to put in her piggy bank! That's my girl!

Although, honestly, I do believe in working for my own money and not "spreading the wealth." I think we are going to need to talk in a few years before she slides down the wrong political path, but she's right on target with my methodology for saving!

Another year older

Sort of a bland title, I know. But, I'm not feeling so creative tonight. Just a little sleepy with a headache beginning to pound, but I wanted to blog quickly about my day, my birthday.

I woke Annabelle up this morning and asked her, "Do you know whose birthday it is today?" She just giggled and smiled. Then she said, "I want to eat cake on Ganny's porch."

We had told Annabelle this past weekend that we would be visiting Granny soon to celebrate her 75th birthday. Annabelle immediately asked then if she could have cake. And, she mentioned wanting to eat cake on Granny's screened in porch. She loves sitting on that screened in porch. I don't blame her at all! I love screened in porches too.

She finally understood that it was my birthday, but she never would wish me a happy birthday until her Daddy asked her to do so on my ride home this evening from Grandmama and Granddaddy's house.

I spent the day with Grandmama and Granddaddy, and we had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Simply Southern near Freehome, Georgia. An hour from my parent's house. Yes, that is right, an hour from my parent's house! But, those old folks have always driven miles for a good meal, so I come by it honestly.

Granddaddy said, "You could have had lunch paid for anywhere and you picked Simply Southern?" Yes, that is right! Because good ole southern cooking is my favorite!

We enjoyed fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes, yummy squash casserole, mac and cheese and to die for, donut tasting corn fritters! Along with banana pudding with vanilla wafers for dessert. Annabelle enjoyed gummy worms, Jello and chocolate pudding for dessert. She loved the gummy worms!

And, what is a birthday without taking blackmail pictures of Grandmama undergoing her physical therapy for her broken shoulder and arm! And, a little shopping for toilet paper and a tie for hubby. Life still goes on!

Thank you Grandmama and Granddaddy for a very happy birthday!


Then, this evening, I came home to these!

Because my sweet husband does listen to me every once in awhile. I've always told him in the past, "Please do not buy me flowers. They are a waste of money, and they just die anyway." Well, I felt that way until I became a Mother and realized how beautiful flowers really can be (if they are purchased for a reasonable price, you know, less than $10). I wouldn't even mind if he had picked them off the side of the road (except that is probably illegal). This past Mother's Day, I actually longed for a simple bouquet of flowers, but I didn't get any because of my above statement to him in the past. But, then, I finally spoke up, and I got that beautiful bouquet for my birthday!

But, I think he picked those particular flowers with Annabelle in mind! If you don't know, Annabelle's favorite colors are pink and purple. Just ask her, she'll tell you.

Mommy: What are your favorite colors Annabelle?

Annabelle: Pink and purple!

And, if you look closely at the picture, you'll see Charlie Brown stickers stuck to the vase. Annabelle stuck them on there during dinner tonight because that is her new favorite thing to do. Stick stickers everywhere that they aren't supposed to go including hardwood floors and kitchen door windows.

Her Daddy asked her to stop because we were eating dinner, and he began to remove the stickers until Annabelle cried. Her response to him:

Annabelle: Day say Happy Birthday!

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful birthday! I love you all bunches! And, Annabelle, if I had a birthday cake, I would have shared it with you! (Wink, wink to Grandmama and Hubby).

And now she's awake and crying (at 10:45 p.m.) to apparently wish me Happy Birthday again! Whew! She was back to sleep without me even nearing her room. Did I mention that she actually slept in until 9:00 this morning after going to bed at 8:30 p.m. last night? I accused hubby of persuading her to sleep in for my birthday. I'll take it!

Inchworm (or Stick)?

Look what we found in the backyard this afternoon?

I tried to encourage Annabelle to take him to the backyard where we found him so he could rejoin his family. She didn't agree, and she dumped the little booger on a tree root in the front yard.

She liked him at first, but then she complained that he was hurting her!

And, he was quite amazing. When he became scared, he would stand completely still with his head and body in the air and feet attached to Annabelle's arm. He looked exactly like a tiny stick!

I actually had found him hanging from her hair while she was swinging in the backyard, and when I first saw him, I thought he was a tiny piece of something that had fallen from the tree. I even left him there for a few minutes until I realized that he was an inchworm.

Learning is experiencing the daily wonders of life (including inch worms)!

Washing Mommy's 4Runner

After church this morning (and yea, we finally went to church again!), we decided to work outside in the front yard (back yard if I got that far). Hubby was to wash my car for my birthday, and I was to pick the vines growing in our front yard. Annabelle was to help as she wanted, but mostly, we expected her to play with her car, lawn mower and sandbox.

She was not at all interested in my duties. I don't blame her! I was all excited to work in the front yard until I remembered just how hard and exhausting it is to clean up the yard from weeds, vines and sticks!

Instead, she was very interested in helping her Daddy wash Mommy's car. And, I have to give him credit, he was very, very patient!!! At first, her job was to scrub the tires with a scrub brush. I'm surprised he gave her the scrub brush because I noticed a few times she almost attempted to scrub the paint off my car with that scrub brush!

Then, she learned to use the garden hose with a sprayer attached to spray the soap off of the car. She eventually decided that everything needed to be sprayed, including me with camera in hand! She thought it was so funny, and she just giggled. But, she later proceeded to spray her Daddy's entire truck even though he wasn't going to wash his truck today.

Her Daddy also showed her how to scrub the windows and the car with the rag. He wasn't too excited about helping her scrub the windows because he had to hold a very wet Annabelle! Earlier in the car cleaning fun, she requested to be sprayed while standing by the tire.

Those are some of my favorite pictures of our day's fun (even though there are some more good ones)! This was the very first time she has washed a vehicle!

Day Trip to Stone Mountain

We took a day trip to Stone Mountain today since we have an annual pass, and we must get our money's worth! I am still trying to figure out why normal people visit Stone Mountain in the heat of July in hot lanta. It was packed, and we were lucky to find a place to park right next to the bridge. We had already promised Annabelle that we would feed the geese.

We took a hike through the woods first, and we showed Annabelle where she had climbed on the tree stumps left sitting in the woods as stools when she was much younger. She said, "I did?!?!" Then, "I want to do dat again!" However, she was more interested in climbing on the rocks (Picture 1).

It wasn't long before she was too tired to walk, and she asked her Daddy if she could ride on his shoulders. They reached out for each other (Picture 2). Then, she spotted a hole near the bottom of a tree. She told her Daddy, "Dat is where Pooh bear keeps his honey." In Picture 3, she is explaining to her Daddy where Pooh bear keeps his honey.

We came to a trail end and realized we had to turn around. Annabelle became a little worried. She said, "Oh no!" She was honestly a little frightened because she thought we had become lost in the woods. When she spotted the parking lot ahead, she told her Daddy, "I can walk now. It isn't too far."

She enjoyed feeding the ducks, and the geese were non-existent today. Thank goodness! Those geese are obnoxious. They never give the ducks a chance. My favorite picture of the day is the center picture. Hubby is handing Annabelle some bread to feed the ducks. Unfortunately, the template I created does not allow the full picture to show, so it doesn't look the best on this template. So, here is the full shot! Isn't this sweet?

She is still working on her throw. She's got a ways to go! Picture 8 explains it all! Since the bread she threw didn't quite make it to the ducks, I taught her to pick up the scraps to throw it again since we had run out of bread.

And, at the very end, she ventured to the water's edge because two little girls (without bread) scared the geese away and played in the water. I told her to be careful to not get her shoes wet, and she then told me that she wanted to take her shoes off and play in the water. It was about time to go, so I convinced her otherwise. I told her that she wouldn't like it without shoes because it was like stepping in the sand at the beach. It wasn't just an excuse because I know she wouldn't have liked it without her Crocs on. I did fail to tell her that her Crocs were in the car. Maybe next time!

Peachtree Road Race 2009

The 4th of July has become yet another holiday for a traditional picture. But, since Annabelle came into our lives, I think every holiday has its own traditional photo shoot.

On July 4th, 2008, hubby ran the Peachtree Road Race for the first time ever. It is a 10K, and I believe he was inspired to run it because his father had once run it. He ran it again this year, and yet again, he completed the 10K successfully! I am so proud of him! I don't think I could ever do it (even though I threatened to run it with him in 2009).

Well, since he leaves for the Peachtree Road Race before my eyes are ready for the daylight, we have to save any pictures for after the race. (I know, lovely for him, right? But, he still looks handsome in the pictures). And, I have the cutest picture from July 4th, 2008 with Annabelle sitting in hubby's lap looking at him as if she is so proud of her Daddy that the tradition MUST go on! Unfortunately, she was not as cooperative as she was in 2008, so I was lucky to get this picture. She was just not interested in sitting in her Daddy's lap and instead wanted to run around the yard as fast as her little two year old legs would carry her.

So, here is my favorite of the July 4th traditional picture (using more Photoshop editing techniques).

And, here is the original (as I know some people don't like the old antiqued look).

Congratulations hubby on a job well done! I am so very proud of you! I hope you'll be able to run it for the next 40 years (since this was the Peachtree Road Race's 40th anniversary)!

Interesting facts: Hubby finished the Peachtree Road Race 2009 in 1:16:09 compared to 1:23:54 in 2008. And, he ran the race in his father's memory in 2008 and 2009. He altered his running number with the following: "FOR CLK." CLK is his father's initials.

It happens sometimes

We visited a great park in Norcross, Georgia (near hubby's office) this afternoon. They just revamped the park in the past few months, and it now has all the new, cool playground equipment.

Before we played, we had our usual picnic, PB&J sandwiches, grapes and cucumbers. While eating, Annabelle decided that she needed to go tee tee, so hubby volunteered to take her to the car for her to use her frog potty. She went with him willingly for a change!

Apparently, this is the conversation she had with her Daddy when they got to the car.

Annabelle: I tee teed in my panties a little bit. It happens sometimes.

Fortunately (and unfortunately), they hear everything we say as adults (whether they are listening with their eyes or not). Whenever she has a slight accident in her big girl panties, I will say, "That's okay, that happens sometimes."

The Little Robin

Annabelle, as usual, wasn't listening to me again this evening as she attempted to hike her leg to climb into the bath tub. I said, "Annabelle, don't climb into the bath tub. Annabelle. Annabelle! Stop!"

Since she wasn't listening, I pulled her aside and told her that "we need to have a talk." Of course, her eyes traveled all over the room in her attempt to not look me in the eyes because she cannot stand to look me in the eyes when she's in trouble. Following is the gist of our conversation.

Me: I've talked to you about how you need to listen to your Mommy and Daddy when they are talking to you. Mommy and Daddy asks you to stop doing things sometimes because Mommy and Daddy both know if something could possibly hurt you. We don't want you to fall and break an arm or bust your head open. Do you remember the story that I've told you?

So, I started to recite the poem.

Me: There was a little...

And, I became stumped. I couldn't remember what kind of bird it was.

Annabelle: Robin!

Yes, my dear sweet child refreshed my memory! And, I didn't even ask her to help me. Do you suspect she's heard that rhyme a time or two?

It reminds me of a story my mom has always told about when I was little and had one of those automatic glass doors close on me after she had apparently already warned me to stay away from the door. And, honestly, I remember that door closing on me (I think). I believe it was at the Richway which is now the Target right by our current house. Apparently, the door closed on me, and I turned to my mom and said, "The little robin Mommy? The little robin?"

Annie Get Your Gun

Annabelle found a water gun just laying around while we were celebrating the 4th of July at the Curtis' lake house on Lake Lanier. I don't know whose it was as there were a few dozen kids running around, but I let her play with it until someone claimed it. And, no one ever did (at least while she was playing with it).

She loved it! It ran out of water very quickly, so I convinced her that her Daddy would surely run inside or to the lake to fill it up if she asked him. I also encouraged her to shoot some water at her Daddy to entice him.

And then, it was Cousin Adam's turn! I captured a great shot of him...as he was shooting my DSLR camera. Perhaps next time I should turn the camera? But, if I had, I wouldn't have captured this awesome picture of him in action.