BOY, Oh BOY!!

I'm here! Sorry to leave you all hanging. Thanks for all your support too. My news last week was that I had gone in for an ultrasound and amnio. I am 21 weeks pg. and didn't want to tell anyone for the fear of what has happened in the past. I found out today all the tests come back negative. What a relief!!! I know that no matter we wouldn't have changed anything, however I like to be prepared. I need to be informed and I need to have my act together. BTW, we are having a boy. Mo informs me that the first name must have a R and G, the middle name must have begin with a L and both the first and middle name must equal 13 letters. Everyone understand that mathmatical equation....LOL SHe thinks it is a tradition, b/c it just so happens that Mo and B share R and G's in their first name, their middle names are L's and they do equal 13. However, it was all a coicidence. Now that I have to actually do this, it is HARD!! :D

My mind has been on the amnio results and with the hurrican victims this week. I heard tonight that my uncle's house is destroyed..underwater. :( I'm not too worried about his house, we just want to hear from him and my aunt. To all that have family in the areas...they are in my thoughts and prayers!!

Good Vibes Please

I have an appt. today. Please send me good vibes, if possible. If all goes well then I will update. If it doesn't, well you know me I'm not much on posting bad stuff...don't want to bring people down.

Greetings....

Welcome Home, Steph!! Congrats to Carrie on your engagement and sorry I missed you Stacie....my email was NOT working. Can't wait to catch up on all of your lives!!!

I am HOME!!!!

Yes ladies, I am home!! Please forgive me for my absence. With B being older this year and without kidney problems (knock on wood) we had a wonderful time visiting friends and family. I was sad to leave. However, I did miss all of you! So, as I sit and munch on dark chocolate M&M's I'll update you of my time away. Oh, to my PNW friends if you read this before I get back on the email loop (Tim didn't set up the laptop for emails) I will be back real soon. I have an appt. in the morning and several other places to go.

First off upon my return home I needed a day of mental relaxtion. After 6 weeks of parenting alone (KUDOS to single parents) and a cramped airline flight I needed it. Why is it that people find me to be the one to tell their entire life story to? I don't mind it if I know you, but complete strangers?? If they are not babbling they are trying to exchange seats (I'm all for exchanging the same seat...aisle for aisle, center for center, BUT my aisle for your center...oh heck no!) and if I say NO they get all mad with me. Then you have people with their children who fall asleep with their heads in my lap. When did I become their mothers?? My own are with daddy a few rows away...let me enjoy my peace and quiet!!!

Next...Holy Heck when did my husband take his bachelorhood seriously? Our house is a pigsty. No wonder I'm hiding!

So, onto our adventure.....We arrived the weekend of July 4th. We went the Nationals baseball game on the 4th. What a patriotic day to spend in D.C. My dad went away a few days later to a car show to show his 41' Buick and won a 1st Gold Award....WOOHOO!! Tim left as well to go back home, only after attending a few more games of his favorite team. We visited my Gram every other day, visited family, spent days with my best friend and her children, swam and ate crabs!!! My uncle owns a catering/deli/seafood type eatery. Let's just say I got my fill of seafood. I LOVE steamed blue crabs with Old Bay seasoning. My dad filled my requests with having crabs every Friday night. We went to Amish country (Lancaster) which is an annual day trip. Have to get my sausage sandwich, birch beer and handmade raspberry ice cream. Also went to the beach and met my friend, Laurie. Morgan was so excited to see the Atlantic Ocean. Bridget's toe touched it and she was done. We spent time in Ocean City, Rheoboth Beach and the outlets. My dad paid for a shopping spree for Morgan. I tried to sneak the money and leave it behind, but he became insulted. Tim saw the clothes and laughed. I think the clothes are adorable. Morgan will look like she arrived from Cape Cod...argyle sweaters with matching hats, vests with buttoned-down shirts and plaid jumpers. However, she made sure to have every outfit have a piece of demin. Did I ever tell you that Mo LOVES denim? Hmmm, an idea for a layout....LOL Plus, can use MoBe' Jeans for it! We did have an unexpected death in the family. My grandmother took it harder as she is the last member of her family. I also helped my dad, the bachelor, by cleaning his house top to bottom. His house his clean (better than my husband, the "bachelor"), but needed a Spring Cleaning.

My Gram also is going downhill. She has been on dialysis for almost 9 years. Most patients are on for 5 years. Either a transplant happens or death. She has had one kidney for 40+ years and it is now failing. I am so glad I was there to spend the time with her. As you may not know she helped my dad raise me from when I was a small girl. My dad was given full custody during a time when dads never got full custody. I am forever grateful for all that she has given me and the sacrifices she made to raise me. Thank goodness I could spend the time with her. She loved the time with the girls, hearing them laugh and play around in her room.

I loved seeing B with my dad too. When Mo was this age she was always so timid to be around him. By the time our trip was halfway over she had started coming around. I think the 6 weeks help, plus she sees Morgan so relaxed around him. She just makes it known that she is there and tells him she IS sitting on his lap. I better tell you all that I was a doofus and never took a picture until 4 weeks in. I know...stupid, stupid, stupid, especially for a scrapbooker. However, I was picture-taking out after our Disney trip. I did take some photos with a layout in mind after I realized I was so behind. I'm thinking of a July calendar layout with pictures on every square of something we did with the journaling underneath. When it gets completed....I don't know...LOL

Let's see my girls are growing up. B has so much hair and the humidity just made those curls pop. I also found out that she knows Daddy's name is Tim. My name...well that would be "Babe", for the simple fact my dear hubby calls me Babe. She has Tim's sense of humor too. She fell and I asked if she was alright and she said "I lived" and went about her business....LOL Oh, her favorite song that we HAD to listen to was "La Ti Da", aka Brown Eyed Girl!! She and Morgan know the words by heart, along with Mo's favorite...."If you Say Nothing at All" by Allison Krauss.

I'm sure there is so much more to tell you, but it is all jumbled right now and my husband keeps interrupting me. He is packing up some orders to send to retailers. Once we have our website up and running we can begin selling wholesale AND retail. Our web designer has been working on it since June, so we hope it will be up at the same time as our new line. I need to do some retail shopping too. Watch out Sharon....once I can get my hands on some SB money I can go shopping. Can you believe I bought hardly anything on my trip back home with ALL those coupons? AND hardly went to Starbucks? Could be that it was not in a convenient location, but boy did I get my share of Sweet Tea...MMMMMM MMMMM

I will update you tomorrow with more!!! ((((HUGS))))))

Ideas for later, in case I forget with my old age.....my husband's 6 weeks and my Aunt "Crazy" Mary.

Where am I?

Where am I? I have no clue. I am in a million and one places. We just got back from a vacation and wedding, cleaning my house, doing laundry and not only unpacking and getting my van detailed after a long car ride, but packing my bags again. Yes, I am leaving again. We just got back on the 19th and we are turning around and going to MD on the 2nd and not returning until the 13th of August. We were going to come back on the 21st, but I want to be back in time for the school BBQ so Mo can meet her teacher. Tim will be there for 6 days to see his beloved Expos...ooops Nationals and then heads home. So, my time has been washing the clothes that were worn on the last vacation and packing even more. For 6 weeks I will be visiting family, friends and getting Micheal's, ACMoore and Joanne coupons...WOOOHOOO!!! My dad gets two newspapers so I will be having 2 40-50% off coupons. I haven't bought supplies in awhile with our recent trips and airfares. However, I have no problems with buying one item at a discounted price. Plus, my dad will go shopping with me...LOL Needless to say my time is limited and I'm trying to not stress. Anyone else have plans for this summer?

So, if you haven't seen me anywhere or heard from me you know where I have been. I'd love to update more, since I have a lot to stay. Not only about our trip, but about that darn Tom Cruise interview on the Today Show. I caught that interview and that boy has my panties in a bunch. He is 100% idiot. Oh, and I would have loved to have bought a Team Aniston shirt while in the area last week....LOL I think Angelina Jolie and To Cruise should get married...LOL

Before I forget Steph you will be leaving for the States real soon (I remember seeing your ticker awhile back and noticing the timeline).....Good Luck, Safe Travels and hoping everything goes well for you!!! Welcome Home!!!

Frogs

Well, let me just start out by saying that we were away visiting Disneyland and San Diego the past 10 days. Then we had a wedding to attend in which Mo was the flower girl. Upon our return Mo went to pick up her beloved Beta (named Alpha) from our neighbor. Her daughter informed Mo that he was eaten by their cat. Mo said she was fine, but they insisted on buying her a new one. They also offered her a tadpole too. Heaven help us, Mo, my tomboy, chose the tadpole.

Anyone seen this movie? Frogs, 1972 with Sam Elliot. I dislike frogs. Cute to look at at aquariums and such, but I don't want them in my house. The movie is about malevolent frogs proliferate at a country residence (care of imdb). Totally grossed me out. One of those B 70's movies.

We also have tree frogs around here, b/c of the creek nearby. So, not only do I have a tadpole in my house, but frogs croaking up a storm in my backyard.

I told Mo that she could have it, but SHE had to care for it. I think it is great for her to watch the transformation of this creature, but still I'm getting creeped out. I know for a fact she will only talk of her tadpole when school restarts and never mention Disneyland or all her other adventures.

I'm home!

Sorry everyone! I am home, but have to catch up on emails, pick up the dogs and unpack. We were away on vacation from June 9th to yesterday the 19th. I will promise to update shortly. ;)

Boobies, my Friends!

Ever wander what your children will amount to when they grow up? It worries the dickens out of me.

I see Morgan who listens and hangs onto every word spoken to her. She knows the rules of our house. We had a talk this morning about how the she doesn't break any rules at school, but does at home. I told her I was going to be harder on her when she breaks the rules. Today, I'm on the phone with my dad (his 6oth b-day was yesterday and did not tell me he was going out of town..more worry!), then getting a glass of water and bringing the trash cans in. Guess Mo didn't hear me and when I walked into the living room there she is with her shoes on walking on the back of the couch. HELLO??? All I said was you can't watch Full House today. I asked do you understand why. She said yes and that was it...no temper tantrum, no argument. Only thing Morgan really does to irk anyone is talk A LOT. Not her fault though....parental curse. My father cursed me. I was a good kid that didn't get caught. ;) I did however talk and talk and talk. Tim says no wonder my dad doesn't talk and is quiet he could never get a word in edge wise. So, back to Morgan will she grow to resent being such a cautious child? Will she be a daredevil, b/c of it? Will she be like Tim's cousin and get a full ride to Stanford only to not graduate at the last minute to rebel?

Then we have Bridget...another parental curse, but this time Tim's fault. She has is wild nature and imagination. Morgan has the fear of God in her and Bridget laughs at the face of fear, either by climbing on things or by getting in trouble. Will she change or will she be our daughter that decides to take the hard path? You never know. You hope for the best, but things can change. A situation can change a person's attitude in a blink of an eye. I have too many friends or are dealing with that now. All I can do is show my support and love.

Some things that happened today....Bridget our only child breastfed is infactuated with "boobies". Morgan has no care about boobies. Is this because she was bottlefed? Bridget has to touch mine (and mind you she is weaned and weaned before she could talk) and tell them she loves them. As if they are not even a part of Momma. She says "HI, Boobies!", "Awwwww, boobies...my friends". She pats them and just can't get enough of her friends. I tell her to shoo and she laughs and runs away. Now will she be mad if she ends up flat chested? Will she want to have breast implants? Or will she have mammoth ones, b/c of her love for boobies??? Hmmmm I know I'm acting silly, but still you think of these things. Other things about B....she decided to create body art again with a lovely mustard yellow marker. Guess I should remember to take a picture this time. Not like the last time when we were about to leave for the Farmers Market. Everyone and their brother laughed at her and remembered the "good old days" of body art!!! Oh she surprised us by couting to 20. At Christmas she was saying the alphabet and counting to 10, now up to 20.

Morgan promised to never say "I hate you, mom". We heard a little boy in her class screaming at his mom and telling her how much he hated her and didn't want her for a mother. I think J is having a difficult time right now. He was the youngest of 3 boys. He was the youngest for 6 years and then the family had a surprise....a baby SISTER!!! He has a lot of feelings toward his mother right now. However, Morgan was shocked at his behavior and how is used the word hate. Wonder if she will remember her promise when she is 15?

Alright, time for Jeff Corwin. Will he be eating poop today or chaisng dangerous animals? Your guess is better than mine!

5 Questions for Sharon

I love seeing all the answers!!!! :D Sharon can't wait to read yours!!

1. If you could meet anyone and ask them one question... who would it be and what would you ask?
2. What if... you had one more day to spend with your husband? How would you spend it? (If this is too personal, I totally understand and can think of another one)
3. Scrapbooking: Pick one manufacturer for paper, one manufacturer for embellishments, one manufacturer for adhesive and one manufacturer for cutting tools for the rest of your life. Who would they be?
4. You have one night on stage. Choose one: actor, singer or musician. What do you perform?
5. Tom Cruise? Alien? Yes or No? Your proof.