May I Have A Moment...

To brag?  I had a parent teacher conference with Aubs' teacher Mr. T. Yesterday.  Yes, that is what the kids call him and yes, I giggle a little every time Aubs' says his name.  For the record he does not have a mohawk or gold chains.  He had asked us to come in on the report card.  Aubs received straight As.  I am so proud of her.  Mr. T. also let us know that they have designated his class as the enrichment group. Aubs also had better scores on all of the early year testing than the rest of the class. He showed us her Dolch test from the beginning of the year a second grader at the beginning of the year. A second grader on the first day of school at level should be 170 out of 220, Aubs knew them all.  Mr. T. said that we may want to frame it.  She is doing very well this year and our main objective was to come up with a plan to keep her engaged.  I love that her teacher understands and is so willing to work with her.  She is obsessed with Show and Tell, so he came up with a plan for her to read Harry Potter and then give a presentation. She is super excited about this.  Thanks for letting me have a moment to be a proud mama.

Aubrey's Spooky Story

Haunted Fair

By Aubrey Barrieau

One stormy night the Haunted Fair opened. Real monsters would go there.  It's really spooky.Some kids thought that it was a regular fair.  They met Dracula. One kid said "Hey, I like your costume." Dracula said "Thanks!". Then they met Frankenstein and his wife. They were very nice. Mrs. Frankenstein said that they should go back home.  The kids said "Thanks for the tip.". Then they met the Wolfman. He was howling like crazy! He said "Spooky Halloween!". One kid said that they should go on a ride.  They went on a ferris wheel with some witches.  The witches started to fly off the ferris wheel.  They did a spell on the kids. When the ride was over they met Zombies.  A Zombie said "Stay back for dinner." and they did! The Zombies ate their brains.

12

Twelve years ago I awoke to a phone call.  The type of phone call no one wants to receive. That was when I found out that we had lost Patrick.  Goodness, twelve years later and the thought of that phone call still reduces me to tears.  I hope I never have to wake up that way again. 

The anniversary is a little different for me than for the rest of my CPM family.  I had just moved to Orlando and had been here for a little over a week.  The twelfth was my first day at my new job.  I debated whether or not to call in, but I figured that trying to explain the intricacies of my family and their very large network of non-blood relations and how while there was no blood link or papers listing Patrick as my family member, I knew in my heart it was as if I had lost my brother. So, I decided to put on my bravest face and start my new job in a toy store.  I am sure that Patrick would have wanted it that way, even though my employee ID card shows a red and puffy face. I still have it as a reminder of that day twelve years ago.  The reason this date holds such significance other than the obvious anniversary, is that the job I started at FAO Schwarz, was the day that lead me to my current Florida Family.  This is my network of non-blood relations, that have gotten me through my best days and my worst.  As I started my new job I met Carly, Shawn, and many others in my first weeks there.  As time went on I also met Jenny and Josh. It seems improbable that the day that changed my life would not only have a sad anniversary, but also one that brings me such joy.  If I had not gone in on that day, I may never have met Shawn.  How disappointed Patrick would have been with me. 

I know he was not ready to say goodbye to me.  He told me so as I wiped the tears away, from both of our eyes.  I am fortunate that I had a proper good bye.  Well, as proper a good bye as one can have while trying to console a seventeen year old boy, promising that we will see each other again. I told him that it may not be soon, and that it may be for longer than we could have imagined but I promised I would see him again.  If I had known what would happen about ten days later, would I have changed what I said?  The answer isn't that simple.  If I knew for sure that it brought him comfort in those last moments, I would.  If those words were what made him know it was okay to go, I don't think I would have been able to say them knowing that.  He has helped shape the person I am today and he will forever be in my heart.  I imagine him smiling the biggest as Aubs and Riley started their friendship, I know how it made Molly and I feel.

Life Lessons From Glee

Aubs absolutely loves Glee.  Like begging and throwing a tantrum because I won't let her watch it love. I don't think the show is appropriate for her, but she loves the music. I usually download my favorites from iTunes for her and we listen to them in the car.  If one of the musical numbers is especially fun I will let her watch that.  As we drive around listening to Glee, I have taken it upon myself to impart some wisdom to Aubs, some from Glee some from my musical background. Here they are:

-You should never be ashamed to sing at the top of your voice.
- Bursting into/always having a song for a situation is a Morgan family trait.  Helen calls it the Jukebox in our head.  I am just giving Aubs a better repertoire. 
- A good song can totally turn a bad mood into a better one.
- Jazz hands make everything even better.

First Day Back

I seem to have taken the summer off blogging. I have had a great summer with Aubs. I love the opportunities working retail has allowed me with Aubs during the summer. I get a few mornings a week, as well as my days off. Since my days off are not the weekend, we are able to do things that most locals avoid on weekends during the summers, since the crowds are less during the week.
Aubs starts second grade today. She seems pleased with her teacher, Shawn is ecstatic about her placement. He really hit it off with the teacher, I am sure it doesn't hurt that they share an Alma Mater. We think it is going to be a great year for her. She had a bit of a rough morning ,although I believe that can be attributed to the hourly wake ups last night. A: "Is it time for the first day of school yet?" Me: "No, four hours, go back to sleep." She starts school with four less teeth. Her little toothless grin has glimpses of 6 month old Aubs with only her bottom teeth. I know she is much older now, but she hasn't changed all that much.

Road Trip Redux

Giant Things:
Peach (GA)
Peanut (GA)
Olympic Torch (GA)
Stack of Chairs (TN/IN/or KY) It was getting late)

Lost Teeth: 1
If we are not careful it may be two. Aubs has a very loose tooth. She has lost so many lately she cannot use anything but her molars to eat as it is. When Cille saw Aubs' loose tooth, she excitedly asked "Is the tooth fairy coming to Newnan?" At that point it was questionable, but after some jumps on the love sac and Monkey Joe's the tooth came out at Red Robin.

Fairy Visits: 1

Miles: 1100+

Family History Mysteries solved: 1
We brought some pictures and things to show Cille. She and Shawn's grandfather share a family name. We thought it was strange but funny at first. Over time a few bits of info here and there have made us believe that it may be more than a coincidence. It looks like Cille's Grandmother was Shawn's Poppy's Aunt. She has asked that I put the whole thing down in writing so eventually I will write down everything. It is almost to crazy to believe. I always say that Lakeside is responsible for bringing my family together, I never dreamed that it would also reunite my husband with his long lost family.

Airports: 4 or 5
Our scariest experience though was coming up on Atlanta. The runway is at a point where the road turns but as you come up on the airport you can not tell. I thought the plane might be landing on top of my car.

Service Indicator Lights: 1
I hadn't realized the Camry has a light that turns on when you need an oil change. I have only had it for two months so I thought I had more time, but with all the road tripping we have been doing I guess I needed one sooner. Luckily I had time today to get it done.

I have enough time to get a bonus day in Ohio and a visit with Helen, Michael, Brian, and I finally get to meet Carter.

Muppets

Aubs is watching Muppets Take Manhattan. I loved this movie in a child. So much so that on my actual wedding day I walked around singing "Somebody's Getting Married". I have been such a bad blogger lately I thought I would share.

It Has Been A While

I have been a horrible blogger lately. I am finally feeling like, everything is caught back up.
I took the girl to SeaWorld today. I tell people down here that SeaWorld is my Disney. I worked at the Ohio park during my summers in college. I have truly excellent memories of my time there and it is excellent to share them with Aubs as we make our way through the park. Of course many things have changed since that time but there is just enough the same to share with her. It was busy out there today but we managed to get to everything we wanted to see, plus a few extras.

Aubs has been enjoying her straight A reward of a theme park a week. We have passes to SeaWorld and Universal, and have been giving them quite a work out so far. The Harry Potter section is so amazing that it will get a blog post all to itself once I get a chance to take out the good camera. I need to have someone to child swap with b/c I cannot take it on the ride.

My Smart Girl

Aubs has received the Principal's Award for straight A's (O's) this year. We also got her standardized test scores and she did amazingly well. She is at a 6.6 grade level for Comprehension, a 3.5 grade level for Math, and a 2.5 grade level for environment
(Social Science). I am so very proud of my little munchkin, I just wanted to brag a bit.

Frugal Shopping Attempt

Today I used my many coupon blogs and coupon binder and set out for some fantastic finds.

Here is what I ended up with:
CVS
2 boxes Extra Large Bandaids $4.49 ea with - $0.50 coupon x 2 $3.00 Extra care bucks off next purchase Final price $2.50 each
1 Lash Stiletto Mascara $8.49 Extra Care Card savings of $1.70 this unfortunately caused me to miss the ECB for $2.00
1 Lady Speedstick W/Stainguard* $2.99 $2.00 ECB
Green Bag Tag: $0.99 This will take $1 off every 4th purchase.
Total $19.51 with $5.00 off my next purchase.
Savings: 3.20
Walgreens
2 Zyrtec 30 caps $18.99ea 2-$4.00 coupons $10.00 Register Rewards.
2 Starbucks Frappuccinos 2/$5 2 $1.00 mfr coupons, 1 $1.00 store coupon.
1 snapple green tea (I was thirsty)
2 bottles Gillete body wash 4.49 1 BOGO coupon (4.49) 4.50 Register Rewards
Total:
40.96 with $14.50 off future purchase
Savings $21.47

Not Me Monday!

Not Me! Monday is a blog carnival created by MckMama. If you want to see what everyone else didn't do this week head on over. This was so much fun last week, I definitely didn't think I would do it again this week, but alas here I am.

I did not run out of windshield wiper fluid during love bug season. Even if I did do something like that it definitely wouldn't be the day after I mentioned to my husband, "The way I have been using this washer fluid I have a day's left at most".

If I did something like that I would not decide that my safety was more important than my pride and stick my arm out the door and spray the Windex I keep in the cab of the truck on the windshield before driving away.

If that had worked better than anything else I had ever used to rid my car of love bug guts, I would never consider going to buy a gallon of Windex and just filling the truck with that. Luckily my frugalista side won out there since we had two gallons of Rain-x bug remover in the garage.

Thank Goodness

That my week has gotten better. Monday was a bit of a rough start. I have gotten back on track with my healthy eating. I wasn't doing that bad food wise but those silly new flavors of Mountain Dew were really calling to me. So, I went back to cutting out the soda. Speaking of healthy eating, Shawn hit the 20lb mark for his weight loss. I am so proud of him. He has been working so hard to re-learn his eating habits and institute a work-out plan.

Not Me Monday!

Not Me! Monday is a blog carnival created by MckMama.I have never played along with MckMama
but this week, I had to. If you want to see what everyone else didn't do this week head on over.

I would most certainly not put the detergent in the washer, start it up, close the lid, and walk away.
If I did do something like that I would definitely discover it immediately not 1 hour later when I go to change the clothes to the dryer and notice that there is still a light load sitting in the pile. I was sure I had already washed them or at the very least imagined putting the detergent in the washer. I definitely did not open the washer to find only the Purex sheet in the bottom. Nope, not me!

My Evening

Can only be described as perfect.  After a rough start Aubs and I ended up having a lovely time.  We managed to hunt for blackberries, there are a few patches around the neighborhood, including our backyard.  We took a walk around the block that ended with Aubs running screaming through the rainstorm.  We played SuperMario Wii and had a picnic on the living room floor.  We finished the night off with chapters 1 & 2 of "The Magician's Nephew", the first of the Chronicles of Narnia. We discussed that Aubs will eventually read some of the book to me but for now I am doing the reading.  It reminds me of when she was small and had to curl up in my lap for stories.  Now she sits next to me with her head on my shoulder. We even managed to get her into bed 30 minutes early.

I Really Hope

That our new arena lives up to the hype.  This is a pretty big event to test things out with. I actually love the "old" arena. It is always clean and they handle large events quite well considering the venue is literally just off the expressway.  You would think the traffic would be much worse than it is.  Having grown up in Cleveland, AKA the home of venues used until they are nearly condemned, makes me very thankful that we have a nice venue in the first place. As long as you don't look at the ceiling during the event you would never know that our arena is a little older. I just hope they find a valuable use for our old arena since it is still a very nice building.
I am very excited for the new location, since we will finally have a big city arena.  Our current venue cannot hold the larger concert tours.  I have gone to Tampa more than once to see a band whose tour wouldn't fit in Orlando. The current arena only holds 17.5K people.  This would also explain why when I went to the San Antonio Arena, I thought I might pass out from the height.  Even the Skyboxes at the Orlando Arena, that run along the top, are not as high as we sat for the Spurs game.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: 4 Letter Words

Me: Where is my f'in soda? (I was running late and abbreviated the word so Aubs wouldn't hear me swear)

Aubs: What is an event soda?

Me: What?

Aubs: An event soda?

Me: That was mommy trying the wrong way to not use bad words so please don't repeat that.

Aubs: But I said event.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: Geneology

Aubs: Mommy, am I from all over the world?

Me: No, you are from Florida. Your ancestors are from all over the world.

Aubs: What is an ancestor?

Me: They are your family members that lived before you. Some of them lived a very long time ago.

Aubs: What about my anbrothers?

Books

I just went through my goodreads list.  I have read at least 18 books so far this year.  Those are just the new books I have read, I didn't count the ones I have read before. Does anyone have any recommendations for me?  I just finished the Sookie Stackhouse series and can't wait for next Tuesday when the new one comes out.

March 25

This was my photo a day for 3/25/10.  I was wearing hearts to celebrate Carly and Robb.  They tied the knot in San Francisco.  I am so happy for them.  Aubs' two Godparents both married their longtime loves in March this year.  She is one lucky girl to have Jake and Carly in her life.

The alternate title for this photo is "How freakin' ridiculously difficult taking a self portrait with a 50mm lens can be."

Missions

I am on a mission to catch up on my posting.

Since it is going to rain today I am also on a mission to get some work in on Carter's blanket.  It is only 2 years late.

I was on a mission to make Sun Tea, but the clouds and impending rain have nixed that idea.

I have already completed the taking out of the trash and the cleaning out the bathroom drawer mission.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: Frugality

Me: We need to pick up chicken at the store.

Aubs: I want pasta, you said we were having pasta.

Me: Yes, we are having pasta but chicken is on sale for a very good price so we should stock up.

Aubs: Oh, I see then we save money and paper.

Me: Money, yes, paper I am not really sure about.

Aubs: Well, they print money on paper so if we are saving money, we are not using the paper so we are saving paper and trees.

Another Open Letter

Dear Mall Patrons,
Yes, I drive a pick up truck. Yes, I understand I have no cover over the bed. No, that does not mean that my truck can be used as your garbage can.
Thank you.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: Time Out Edition

Me: Aubs, you need to go to your room, lay on your bed, and chill out a bit.
Aubs:  AUUuuuuuhhh.

A Few Minutes Later:
Me: Aubs, are you ready to come out?
Aubs: No, I am still chilling.
Me: Did you just say you are still chilling?
Aubs: Yes.

This Explains A Lot

I just read this article on Orlando Sentinel.  It explains why even though I have been taking vitamins with extra iron, I look like I may have been punched in the eyes.  Also why the sneezes seem to be going around our house at an alarming rate.  At least I know they are not caused by oncoming colds.  I had better stock up on Zyrtec and Benadryl.  We keep both in the house because if one of us gets really bad the Benadryl is much faster.

Conversations with my 7 Year Old: Coin Toss

Aubs: Do you want to be Heads or Toes?
Me: Heads or Toes?
Aubs: Yes, or I guess you could say house.

Sunday

I am enjoying a rare second Sunday off in a row.  Working retail weekend days are hard enough to come by let alone two in a row.  Our plans are up in the air for right now, I am hoping for a trip to the bookstore and some Cold Stone. I will probably decorate for Easter/Spring since I haven't done that yet.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: Foliage Edition

We have had a bit of rain and everything is starting to grow again.  While we were walking in the door the other day Aubs had a couple of observations for me.

Aubrey: Mommy, Do you want to see my favorite weed? This one and this one.

Me: Did you just say weed?

Aubrey: Yes, Daddy calls them weeds but I call them flowers.

A Little Behind

I  missed a couple days.  Sunday, I just decided to hang out with the family. We all had some cuddle time on the couch and a family favorite for dinner.  Yesterday, I started my new position at work and had dance class.  By the time I came home I was so tired I went straight to bed.  It has been a great but tiring couple of days.  I have more training today so this week may be a little light as I take in all the information given to me.

Luck O' The Irish

On St. Patrick's day I interviewed for a promotion within the company where I work.  The next day I was notified that I received the promotion.   I am so very excited for this new adventure.  A while back I had set a goal of hoping to be considered for a promotion by March.  I never dreamed I would actually get it on my first try.

Technically 3/19/10

I am still awake so I have decided this post counts for 3/19.  My blog, my rules.  Tonight was Carly's Girl's Night Out.  We had an absolute blast.  The only thing missing was Jenny.  Tonight would have been perfect if she had been here. I will have another post later today (3/20).  I still seem to be operating on the very random half Florida half Hawaii time.  Hopefully I will right myself this week.

Tooth Fairy: Visit 2

Aubs finally lost her second bottom tooth.  It has been loose since the last one fell out but didn't seem to want to budge.  The Tooth Fairy visited last night.  Aubs was a bit upset this morning that she didn't leave a trail of sparkles or any other evidence.

Sleep

I slept for a wonderful 13 hours last night.  I feel quite rested and hope that should make up for the time difference.  I also took a nap before that.  Today I am a little keyed up this morning.  I have something going on this afternoon that I would ask for happy thoughts my way.  I can't really say what it is now, but hope to soon.  Well off to iron.  Here is another Hawaii picture, my and the kiddos feet.

Home Sweet Home

I arrived back home this morning. Shawn and I went to the mall and just spent a little time together before going and springing Aubs from school a little early.  It has been a nice afternoon.  I unpacked my suitcase into the laundry and have already washed both loads.  I have also had a bit of a nap, and will be heading back to sleep soon.  Here is a picture of the sunset my last night.

One Goal Down And One Missed Day

I missed blogging yesterday.  We spent the day going to church and then on a driving tour of the Island.  We were in the car for about 6 hours not including stops. I am not going to let that discourage me though, I hope to still hit a total of 365 for the year, I already have a few extra posts.  I got some amazing pictures and was able to attain my goal of wearing a bikini on the beach. We went to Lanikai.  It was beautiful.  I didn't swim the water was a bit cold.  This was the first vacation in a long time that I didn't need to buy extra clothing or dig out all my winter wear.  Even Ohio in the summer can be a bit cold for me.

Dear Jake,

Today is your wedding day.  I cannot believe you were the chubby little guy that use to fall asleep in my arms.  I am so amazed at the man you have become.  I know you will be an amazing husband to Jamie. I am so excited for the two of you to start your lives together, even if it is starting on opposite sides of the country.  She seems like the perfect addition to the family.
Aubrey loves you so much, I couldn't have picked a better Godfather for her. To watch her face when she talks about you, is amazing. We all love you so much and are excited to welcome Jamie into the family.

Love always and forever,
Missy

Finally Arrived/Why Am I Awake?

It is about 4:40 local time.  I cannot seem to sleep anymore today.  I am hoping at some point I may nap in the car.  Either that or ingest a ton of Starbucks.  There is actually one around the corner from here, I can walk. 
I had started writing a minute to minute update of my day yesterday, travelling cross country can be interesting.  Then my whole day went to hell as I was stuck in the Denver airport for 4 hours.  That meant I missed my connection to Hawaii out of San Francisco. They moved me to another plane and luckily the plane they moved me to became my connecting flight, otherwise I would have missed another flight. I finally made it around 9:30 PM local time.  By the time I finally went to bed I had been up for 23 hours, with only a 20 minute nap on the plane.
On the upside I got to see two great movies on the planes.  Up In The Air was on the first flight and The Blind Side was on the second.  The Blind Side was an amazing movie.  I think the entire plane was watching. My plan B yesterday had been to possible see Jenny last night if I got stuck.  I actually ended up so sad because that didn't work out and I miss her.  Hopefully soon I will be able to make it to San Francisco, it looks like a fun city.

On My Way

I have packed, unpacked, and repacked my computer/camera bag and rolling suitcase at least three times.  I have given myself a tropical pedicure. I have bought the perfect dress and bikini for a vacation on the beach.  I have counted down the days, hours, and minutes until it was time to go.  I am leaving for my first vacation in seven years without my baby in tow and I already miss her.  I am convinced I will feel like I am forgetting something for the entire run through four airports tomorrow. I am excited though because as much as I will miss my baby, I will have my mama there with me.  I will have three of her four sisters, and my cousin Gwenn.  It will be a Girl's weekend of epic proportions. I have been pretty homesick for family lately and I will have family in a big way starting tomorrow night.  I can't freakin' wait.

TOMORROW!

I leave for Hawaii in the morning.  I cannot believe it is already here.  I have covered everything I needed to do.  I have done next week's work laundry and even had time to back up my photos.  I will try to keep up with my daily posting while I am gone. I do realize that even though I set the goal, sometimes you have to adjust. I have recently realized how goal setting can really effect my day to day.  As if I wasn't wound up enough today, I found out I may be much closer to one of my goals than I thought. I will share more when I can, but please send happy thoughts my way. Today was an amazing day for me, and I just hope that the next days will continue on this path.

Change Of Plans

I am nixing my run today. I woke up with my allergies acting up.  It is really hard to run when you can barely breathe. Because of my SVT I cannot take something to clear up my head quickly and then run. Cold medicine is usually okay by itself but if I also run or excercise I usually end up with my heart beating at 200 BPM. Not fun. So this morning I will be resting.

2 Days. GAH!!!

I leave for Hawaii in two days.  I am off to bed early tonight.  I managed to get through my to do list but have come up with a few things to cram in before Thursday. My next two days looks something like this:
Tuesday:
Wake-Up (Well rested I hope)
 Run, I am hoping for 3 miles. The weather should be perfect for an outdoor run.
Get ready for work.
Leave early enough to drop the water bill off and possibly a stop at Walmart or Target for travel size items.
Work from 4 to 11:30
 Sleep

Wednesday:
Wake up at 7
Work 9:30 to 5
Come home and start the night before a trip flight of the bumblebee.
Check in for flight.
Laundry, I want to wash all my work clothes so I don't have to worry about it when I get home.
Pack computer/camera bag.
Double/triple check suitcase.
Shower, dry and flat iron hair so that the iron is cool enough to travel in AM.
Hopefully I will get to bed sometime before midnight. We are leaving for the airport at around 6 am Thursday.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: TV edition

Aubs: Can you Tivo the "________" on Disney/Nickelodeon?
Me: We will see.
Aubs: It is on at 10/9 Central.
Me And Shawn: Both make the face that if we look at eachother again we will both start laughing.

Praying

This is Aubs praying for her baby cousins.  Will you join her?  Micah is struggling a bit and has been moved to a more specialized hospital. He has been intubated. Zechariah is still at the hospital where he was born.  Their mama is looking into getting Zechariah transferred as well since it can be stressful on twins to be separated. Please pray for the boys, Bob, and Jodi.  Can you also pray for my Mom and Dad? They went through their baby being transferred 32 + years ago, I imagine watching your child go through a situation where you felt helpless yourselves can be pretty stressful. They won't ask for it for themselves but they could really use lifted up.

Coupon Queen

Today I had to go and get laundry detergent or I couldn't finish my to do list.  I had BOGO coupons for Purex Laundry detergent.  Walgreens had them on sale also BOGO so you could get 3 bottles for the price of one.  Of course when I went they were sold out.  I found some other good deals and only spent about $40 at the three stores I visited this morning.  I thought I would list it out if anyone else is interested in trying this.

Walgreens
1 Schick Women's Quattro $8.99 Plus $3.00 Register Reward (off next purchase) Plus $4 off coupon. Final Price $1.99
2 Purex 3-1 sheets $4.50 each Plus $1.00 RR plus BOGO coupon Final Price $3.50 for 2
Total $9.49 plus $4 off next purchase Final price $5.49 Total Savings $15.48

Walmart
2 Purex liquid detergent $5 each plus BOGO Coupon
Total $5 Total Savings $5

Publix (I bought a few other things here too)
2 Zephyr Hills 3 liter bottles $1 each Normally $1.29
2 Jars Bertolli Pasta Sauce $ 2.69 each BOGO plus $0.60/1 (2) coupon Final Price $1.49/2
2 Boxes Publix brand Pasta $1.15 each
2 Chobani Greek Yogurt $1.20 each
2 Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies  $2.39 each plus 50% off plus $0.35/1 (2) coupon Final Price $1.68/2
1 Fructis Shampoo $2.89 sale price $0.60 off regular price plus $1 off coupon Final Price $1.89
1 package sirloin tip steaks on sale for $3.49lb Final Price $3.22
1 Danimals smoothies $2.00 sale price $0.49 off regular price plus $1 coupon Final Price $1
2 Quaker True Delights $2.99 each BOGO plus $0.75 off each (2) Final Price $1.49/2
1 Maple Grove Farms balsamic vinaigrette $2.49
2 Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Variety Pack $2.99 Each BOGO plus $0.75/2 coupon Final Price $2.24 Each
2 Quaker Chewy Granola Bars 90 calorie Oatmeal Raisin $2.99 Each BOGO plus $0.75/2 coupon Final Price $2.24 Each
2 boxes Quaker Instant Oatmeal $3.99 each BOGO plus $1 off/1 (2) Final Price $1.99/2
My total was $26.43 with a savings of $29.30

I suspect we will not need to buy breakfast food or laundry detergent for a few weeks at least.

Welcome To The World

Bob and Jodi welcomed twin boys to the world this morning. Congratulations guys.  We love you and miss you all.

Counting Blessings

Yesterday I was a little whiny in my post.  I am going a different direction today.

I am sitting here drinking my New Orleans Chicory coffee.  (This stuff is delicious) I was thinking about how it came to be that I love this coffee and how bad things can turn into some of your most amazing blessings. I read a blog post a while back about how you should be thankful for things that your just may not feel thankful about.

When I started my dance class a few years ago there was another dance Mom starting back to tap.  She had taken as a small girl but hadn't put her tap shoes on in years. She is now a part of our Florida Family.  Dawn and her family moved here after Hurricane Katrina. They had lived in New Orleans before the storm. I know that the storm was terrible and the things that happened were atrocious, but I am thankful.

I haven't spoken to my brother in 2 years and 5 months. I miss him terribly and just want to hear his voice.  Today he and his wife Jodi will welcome their twins into the world. I am fully prepared that I may never see these babies except in pictures.  I hope that is not the case, I love being an Auntie. Even though I may never meet them and the situation makes me sad, I am thankful.  My brother will become a Daddy today, that is something he has wanted for as long as I can remember. Babies Morgan your Aunt Missy loves you and hopes to see you someday.

Overwhelmed

I spent most of yesterday feeling clumsy and overwhelmed.  Everything I tried to do on my list took three times as long as it should have.  I started feeling like I would never get everything done and make it to the airport next week.  Yes, I realize it is over a week away. I kept focusing on the only having one other day off before I left.  Finally this morning I was able to think while driving into work.  (1 hr 20 mins because of weather) I realized I didn't have to get it all done in one day.  I could take little pieces and finish them over the next few days.  I also realized I don't start until 4 pm on three of these days so that will open up a lot of time for stuff to get done.

Just in case the blogging, Bible reading, and everything else isn't enough, I also decided to participate in a Photo-A-Day for March.  I am posting these on Facebook, if I get desparate I may use one over here as a daily post.  I also decided to stretch my Bible deadline to my Birthday.

Epic To Do List

I leave for Hawaii in 10 days (9 if you don't count today) I need to count today though because the to dos are numerous. Tomorrow if enough progress is made on the list I will downgrade the number of days to only include through next Wednesday.  I leave so early on Thursday it doesn't count. I am going to be packing today because my only other day off between now and then is Friday and I want to have time for any errands that pop up.

- Pack suitcase I need to add chargers and possibly pick up a slightly larger suitcase.
- Practice pack carry-on (I have 4 books to take, a camera, laptop, and ipod some of which I will need between now and then. Wednesday
- Mail ebay items
- Make Carmen's Pineapple Dessert, this should help put me in the Hawaii mindframe.
- Read (I need to remember to take time for relaxing)
- Couponing, I finally found a site that takes some of the work out for me. I still need to cut and sort though. 2/28 to 3/6
- Edit photos Friday
- Wash Laundry (Monday Finished Tuesday)
- Dry and Fold Laundry (Tuesday)
- Clean Kitchen
- Clean family room Friday
- Clean my room
- Iron work uniforms (1 Monday, 2 Tuesday)
- Dance Class
- Lay out Aubs clothes 3/2 to 3/5 Aubs did her own for 3/2 and 3/3
- Wash laundry (Friday)
- Dry and fold laundry (Friday)
- Iron work uniforms (Friday)
- Lay our Aubs clothes 3/8 to 3/12
- Confirm delivery of eBay items
- Go through donation bags and see if board shorts are in there Not there.  GRRRR.
- Run 3 times Wednesday 1.8 miles
- Couponing week 3/8 to 3/13

On a side note I am sitting in a pair of jeans that used to be my favorite before Aubs was born.  I haven't worn them since, they used to be able to be buttoned but I could not sit in them.  Yay!

How One Can Tell It Is Spring Break/Bike Week

Today is the official start of Bike Week.  It is also the unofficial start of Spring Break.  What many people don't realize is that Spring Break in Florida is actually about 8 weeks long. The different parts of the country take their breaks at different times.  The heaviest two weeks are the ones surrounding Easter.  Today I saw many tell tale signs of these weeks starting today.  I thought I would share a few.

- Entire softball teams wandering through the mall where I work.  Many colleges come to Central Florida for spring training.
- A motorcycle parked in the snake* looking bicycle corral.
- A drunk Asian tourist giggling at herself and waving at herself on the entry security screen at the grocery store.
- A group of bikers and friends stopped on the side of the road discussing directions.  The friends then climbed into their minivan to follow the bikes.
- Many people out in shorts and flip flops even though the temperatures are supposed to drop into the 40s this evening.  Since they are coming to Florida it must be warm and sensible clothes should be left at home.

* The BBC always starts hissing and yelling "SNAKE! SSSSSSS! SNAKE!" when we are out shopping at the mall when he sees these.

Definitely a Full Moon

We called the fact that it must be a full moon about halfway through the day today.  My drive home was definitely a full moon kind of drive.  There were random traffic jams throughout.  I spent the last half of the day panicking about the safety of my Hawaii cousins.  It was hard being at work because we were cut off from all media and just heard bits and pieces from customers. I am glad it turned out to be minor and that they are all safe.  I am finally home now and Shawn cooked a lovely dinner of comfort food.  Grandpa's pepperoni is definitely just what the doctor ordered.

Down To The Wire : I love

I am running a bit late tonight.  I thought I would do another I love list.

- I love impromptu dinners with good friends.
- I love the look of my eyebrows after trying threading for the first time.  It was a bit painful but unlike waxing I do not look like a neanderthal.
- I love my sweetie.
- I love my job.
- I love shopping with my CarCar.
- I love that my old Barbie collection is apparently a treasure to someone else.
- I love eBay.

Haircut

Today I went and got a haircut.  My mama has requested a picture so here it is.  Aubs was the lovely photographer.  I realized while I was trying on a dress today that my haircut is nearly identical to the one I had for my high school graduation.  I have a hard enough time getting people to believe I am thirty-two. I am pretty sure my cute and adorable haircut, chopped another year or two off of how old people think I am.

UPDATE: I think I found a new hairdresser.  I had to wash my hair again, I was having a reaction to the stuff they used at the salon, and I was able to replicate the look.  I have only had two other hairdressers that could do that for me.  One was my roomate and one is my cousin.  Neither of them are in this state. 

I'm Up.

I am up way ahead of schedule today.  I had a late night at work and was thinking of sleeping in a bit.  Now I am thinking of going for a run and packing up Aubs things for school.

I am also posting a picture of Joshua at his lesson the other day.  He has come so far, it is exciting to watch.

I'm An Idiot Award

When I worked at SeaWorld we fondly referred to the waiver you had to sign to get security to pop your lock as the "I'm An Idiot Waiver". Today I nominate myself for a similar award.  I got out of bed this morning all excited for the greek yogurt I bought yesterday.  Only to discover this morning that I had left it on the counter in the bag with the coffee I also bought.

Laundry Confessions

Today I am playing catch up on our chores.  Aubs and I stayed with friends this weekend so I did not do the laundry like I should have.  The laundry pile is ridiculous.  It takes up my whole hallway. The cold snap doesn't help since winter clothes are twice as big as summer clothes. We fold all the laundry as it comes out of the dryer.  That is quite an accomplishment for us, we used to just put the clean clothes in baskets unfolded. That may sound like gloating so since laundry will be taking up most of my day I thought I would do some laundry confessions:
- If something comes out of the dryer inside out, I fold it that way.  Aubs called me out on this the other day and I told her that if she wants her clothes all rightside out then she should put it into the laundry that way.
- I won't fold underwear.  I just stack it in the baskets.
- If I know I am wearing a sweater to work, I will just iron the cuffs and collar of my work shirts.

I Am Either...

...Incredibly brave or ridiculously stupid.  Just before the above picture was taken the following question came out of my mouth "Jenn, can you hang upside down in the silks and can I lay on the ground underneath?" After a moment of looking at me like I had lost my mind, Jenn said yes.  I think the results are amazing. The instructor liked the shot so much she asked if I could come do more.  I worked out a trade for a tissue lesson.

Updated.  The picture has been added.

Good Intentions

We had planned on going to SeaWorld today with some friends. It was a beautiful day with highs in the low 70s. Aubs apparently had other plans, ones that included being sassy and disobedient. Needless to say Aubs and I stayed home while the others went to SeaWorld. I stuck to my guns and didn't give in, even though it was my idea to go to SeaWorld in the first place. Oh well, life lessons can be hard to take/teach. On and up note we have steak and mashed potatoes on the menu this evening. I enjoyed them last weekend and decided to have them again.

Laid Back Four Day Weekend

Today was day one of four that I have off. I am excited for this and will be hanging with Aubs, Dawn, and Joshua for the weekend. Aubs and I kicked it off with a trip to Michael's and lunch at Panera. It has been a pretty great day, I hope this continues over the weekend. I am going to try to keep the weekend posts short and sweet so that I can focus on the girl.

Lenten Commitment Update

I made it through all of Genesis. It conveniently made up the first 30 pages of my Bible. I had quite a few AHA! moments when reading. I did think that many of the chapters read like a family tree. I wonder if that is why people used to put their family trees in the front of their Bibles. That may have been because it was the one book everyone had. So far so good. I hope I can keep this commitment as well as I have my others I made for the year.

Can You Give Up Laziness For Lent?

I was pondering this idea during my morning work out.  Facebook was full of questions/prayer requests for various friends and their Lenten choices.  Soda, coffee, caffeine, chocolate, and sugar in general were all things people were considering. These seem to me to possibly fall under the category of gluttony.  Is it a requirement that your Lenten sacrifice be one of the Cardinal Sins? As such shouldn't we be shying away from these items on a daily basis? I know we are all sinners and that is why Jesus died for us. I believe giving up laziness would fall under sloth.  If my theory is correct. Exercising seems to help put me in a place of communing with God.

I think it is time to work on The Thirty Project #29. I think in addition to giving up laziness, I will also try to add to my life by using the time frame of Lent to read the Bible cover to cover. I have 695 pages in my pink Bible so that works out to about 17 1/2 pages a day. UPDATE: Since I will be including Sundays as reading days it will really be 15 pages a day. Sorry, I didn't even think that Sundays weren't included in the 40 days.

Just Call Me...

...Tropical Destination Girl. Not only do I get to go to Hawaii in 3 weeks and 2 days, but who is counting?  I just found out that we get to go on Shawn's company's cruise. To Cozumel. For Free! GAH! I have never been on a cruise so Aubs and I are super stoked. (I am totally using this word in preparation for Hawaii.)

Monday Marathon

On the Mondays that I work they  seem to be the longest days ever.  I usually work from around 9 or 10 to 6 or 7. Today I start at 11 and work until 6, it is a nice short shift.  I also have my tap classes on Mondays so the day can be very, very long as I usually don't get home until almost 10pm. Today knowing I didn't have to be awake for another hour I still jumped out of bed and decided to meet the day.  I have already folded laundry, put another load in the dryer, loaded and ran the dishwasher, packed Aubs' lunch, reunited her backpack and contents, and snuggled with Aubs and Shawn.  Today will be great, albeit long.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We have spent a low key weekend filled with shopping, Nascar, and love.  Aubs and I went out yesterday and found the perfect dress for Hawaii.  We also had a lovely lunch at Pollo Tropical.  I had to work today but was lucky enough to have the early shift so I was out at five. Shawn is camped out on the couch watching the second race of the weekend. I hope everyone has as nice of a weekend as we have.

Double Names

In the past couple days I have had to clarify which person we were talking about.  In our family we have multiple occurances of double names.  We have enough Michaels that they now each have a nickname.  I do believe however that outside of Ireland we are one of the few families that have to clarify which Maureen.  I am also pretty sure that we may be one of the few in the world that has to clarify which Helen.  I love you my extra special doubled-up name ladies!

600

Today is my 600th post.  Last time I hit a milestone post I waited for something fun.  Since my goal is to post every day this year, I don't have that luxury.  I have not missed a day this year and have even had a few days with multiple posts.  Things are great here, I started the day with some yoga so that may be responsible for my happy attitude.  I am feeling more in shape already and have blogged everyday, I am doing great on my New Year's goals and am thrilled about it.

Up And At 'Em

Today I got up with Aubs, I supervised lunch packing, and watched her get her breakfast.  She is so self sufficient now it is amazing.  I was thinking about going back to bed after she left since I don't have to be at work until later.  I have already done my work out, had my coffee, and tried on my new bathing suits.  I set a goal to wear a bikini in Hawaii, so that has helped fuel my workouts even when I don't want to do them.  I had a great evening shopping with Molly and Riley yesterday. I got the bathing suit tops at the Victoria Secret outlet for $4 each.  I have bottoms in a range of colors so I just needed bikini tops instead of the tankinis I have worn for the past few years.

Breaking Up (30 Project Related)

I am officially trying to break up with bottled water. Our water here tastes so awful that even after being filtered it is barely palatable.  So because of that I am taking a baby step and switching to the 2.5 gallon or larger bottles that I can recycle.  Shawn's company gave out fabulous Nalgene type bottles at the convention.  They have screw tops and hold about 1.5x the amount as a regular bottle of water.  I have been drinking 2-4 of these a day as I try to lay off of soda and caffeine.  Is it bad that I count it as a bonus that they match my handbag?

I haven't posted a 30 project update in a while, I am still plugging away at my list though.  I plan to post an update when I return from Hawaii, since that trip will be major parts of completing list items.

Grocery Shopping

Last week I discovered the magic of Aldi.  I went back again this week and stocked up on produce.  Between the produce and meat prices at Aldi and using the coupons at the other stores, I think that I will be able to get all the house groceries for under $50 a week.  At Aldi this week I bought a pineapple, pint of grape tomatoes, 3 beefsteak tomatoes, 1 seedless cucumber, 2 green peppers, 1 pineapple, 1 container strawberries, 1 box cheese crackers, 1 bag pretzels, 2 bags baby carrots, 1 container laundry detergent, and 1 pack of sponges.  I spent $27.  I was pretty excited.

I Concede

Today I bought Aubs SpongeBob valentines.  She wanted Jonas Brothers ones because they are boys so the boys should like them, and which girl doesn't like the Jonas Brothers. This was after she wanted Scooby Doo for the boys and Hannah Montana for the girls.  She was very put out when I told her she could only have one box.  I hope she likes them since it may have actually caused me pain to purchase them.  She and Shawn will watch the DVD's over and over and laugh every time at the same jokes.  I usually roll my eyes.

Not So Super Bowl

If you ask Aubs the super bowl is not so super.  We had some friends over who are a bit over zealous in their love of the Saints. On the super long touchdown run in the fourth quarter, they went a little crazy.  They scared Aubs so badly she was shaking.  My poor baby may never want to watch football again.

Yoga

This morning Aubs and I did some yoga to start our day.  I wish I could get it together enough to start every day like this.  I feel so calm and refreshed.  Aubs also straightened up her stuff in the family room.  We also folded some laundry and washed some more.  I hope it continues to be a productive day before work, Aubs will be hanging out with Shawn this evening.

100

Aubs has to do a 100 days of school project.  We chose 100 paw print stamps.  I can't believe we are this far into the school year already.  It is flying by this year. Well off to stamp.

I Love

- The I just finished a hard work out and have that I can conquer the world feeling.
- The fact that I will be buying a ticket to Hawaii this afternoon.
- The fact that I tear up when I think about being there for Jake's wedding. My lovely grown boy cousins have a new special place in my heart since the stuff with my brother. They cannot imagine what they mean to me and my girl. Annie is pretty darn great, too!
- It is barely noon and I have worked out, cleaned the kitchen, done most of the laundry (hurry up an wait game for the dryer/washer to finish), straightened the family room, planned a dinner menu, and planned my grocery shopping trip.
- I have a few weeks of shorter work weeks so I get more quality time with my family.
- I have already had a textversation with Jenny and am looking forward to some quality phone time later in the day.

Wordless Wednesday: Cousins

Still Feeling Icky

I still feel like crap.  Enough that I even stayed home from work today.  Since I am my father's daughter you can all figure out how easy that was for me to do. I am beginning to get a bit stir crazy though, Shawn took Aubs to day care after school so I could rest. I am pretty bored but have no energy to do anything. Thankfully there is a Law & Order: SVU marathon on TNT.  Has anyone watched White Collar?  The previews make it look intriguing.

Sick Fueled Shopping

I turn into two things when I shop while ill.  My father and a little old Latin woman.  Today I went to the store to pick up something for dinner and a box of cold medicine.  I came home with the following:
- Cold Medicine
- Guava & Cheese Pastries
- Pan Sabao (Puerto Rican Sweet Bread) to be put on the sandwich press with butter.
- Green Tea Gingerale
- Taquitos
- Sour Cream
- 4 tubs Chobani Greek Yogurt.  They added new flavors I was eager to try.
- Mexican Coca-Cola.  It is sweetened with sugar instead of HCFS.
- Chocolate Chip Cookies from the bakery
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 loaf of bread for Aubs lunches
- 1 box cheese nips

Sick Day

I was concerned that I would miss my post for today because I feel like crap.  Then I thought I would just post sick day and no post.  I realized that was actually a post, so here it is for today.  Hopefully I will have a more chipper post tomorrow. Goodnight.

Work Out

Today my workout is going on the family blog.  That is because Aubs and I did a Pilates/yoga workout this morning.  She did a great job.  She was so cute doing pilates in her jammies.

To Do List 1/28/10

We have been keeping up on the clean house so the to-do list is more maintenance. I am also planning on picking one storage/cluttered place each day off and getting it organized.

- Clean ducky bathroom
- Clean master bathroom
- Sort laundry
- Wash & dry laundry
- Fold & put away laundry
- Work out
- Organize pantry
- Sock basket


I ended up not going to the grocery store, Shawn brought home subs and we had movie night.  It was nice and relaxing.

Lesson Learned

Not much happened today.  I have been moving around like Ozzy Osbourne.  I may have over done my run yesterday.  I felt so great while I was out I just kept going and pushing harder.  I ran most of the mile and a half, with a couple of walking breaks.  I don't think I have run that much on my first time out.  I will usually start with a brisk walk and a few intervals of jogging.  Yesterday I did the opposite, walking to cross streets and a quick walk at about half way. I can tell you exactly which muscles in my legs are used for tap dancing and those that are not, mostly because they don't hurt.  My lower legs feel amazing.  I also learned that throwing some yoga instead of regular stretching at the end will also cause some upper body muscles to yell at me.  Once again I am coming in at the end of my day but it is still done.  Night all.

Productive Day

Shawn and I have the morning off together. We have been super productive this morning. Shawn ran an errand, fixed/finished installing the dishwasher (Hallelujah!), and did the taxes.  I handed him the glue, brought him a q-tip for the dishwasher, and observed (read the w-2, and did some adding on the calculator) the tax filing process. I believe my helper skills are definitely why we got it all done. The funny thing about the dishwasher is that we finally got into a good routine with washing the dishes by hand, so we have no dishes to test out the washer.

*The picture is Shawn on the ice slide at ICE!

Late Blogging Again

I am a bit late again tonight but that is because I made a January 26 resolution.  I feel like I have been wasting too much time on the computer, so I have banned myself from turning it on until Aubs is in bed. She told me that I could use it when she is not here so that I don't have to only blog/facebook late at night.  She is so funny.  An unfortunate consequence of this decision was that she felt very guilty that homework took her so long and we did not get the extra cuddle time we were planning.  I hope this will serve as a lesson to her as well to do things a little faster.  She has no trouble with the work and when she buckles down can finish her entire week in 45 minutes however she complains, moans, and drops/needs to sharpen pencils quite a bit.

I Just

Got out of bed to do a post.  I realized I hadn't posted today and jumped out of bed.  Shawn is not very happy with me right now, I think he was almost asleep. I didn't want to break my resolution while still in January.

Horrible Mother Alert

I sometimes think I am a horrible mother.  I usually get this feeling as I start to giggle after my child falls.  I really try not to laugh, but I think it is a Morgan defense mechanism. Today Aubs lept fell off the couch.  She landed on her belly with her feet still on the couch. It was very difficult as I was trying to scold her for being a monkey, feeling bad because she was hurting, and stifling a giggle.
Case in point check here and then here.

I Miss

The lady that calls me Miss.

To Do List

Monday's to do list worked out so well for me I thought I would do it again.

- Take out trash
- Tidy living room
- Tidy family room
- Vacuum above rooms
- Tidy kitchen
- Swiffer kitchen Out of Swiffer mopped instead
- Bathroom counters
- Bathroom mirrors
- Swiffer bathrooms Out of Swiffer mopped instead
- Autum and Tony's photos
- Post items to ebay
- Pay Bills
- Sort laundry
- Wash & dry laundry
- Fold and put away laundry
- Iron 2 work uniforms

4ish update: Aubs and I are far enough ahead that we laid out her uniforms for next week.  Her homework is done. I also switched out the bar decorations for Valentines day.

Thank You Note

A while back we bought Aubs fill in the blank thank you notes.  Today when I got home there was one on my laptop. I opened it up and found the following:
Dear Mommy,
Thanks for the
best birth
day ever!
It's really cool.
Thanks Again!
From your loving
doghter
Aubs

It made my heart sing.  This time it was more like In My Daughter's Eyes or something similarly sappy.

My Daddy

My poor Daddy slipped on the ice yesterday and broke his leg.  Could you please keep him in your prayers? If you have a minute to spare a few for my mama would be great too.  My daddy is being a bit stubborn.  He wants to drive himself places.   That wouldn't be bad except it is his right foot.  I just hate being so far away when these things happen. 

Pantry Busting Dinners Night Two

We had baked chicken legs, steamed frozen broccoli, and au gratin potatoes.  I will use the leftover chicken later in the week to make tostada pizza.  Last night we had chicken nicoise with pasta.  Aubs loved it and thinks we should make it for our friends. 
Here is the rest of the week:
Wednesday: Fend for yourself night. I work late so Shawn and Aubs are on their own
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner. Bread*
Friday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, I froze half of the sauce from last week.
Saturday: Tostada Pizza with refried black beans*

* Items I had to purchase at the store.

I had Aubs rinse her plate this evening.  She asked if she could wash the dishes.  I got her a step stool and dried for her.  Is it wrong that the Hallelujah Chorus was running through my head?

Truthful To Do List

I cleaned the house before Aubs' party on Saturday. However, I was running out of time and cut a few corners.  By cut a few corners I mean I put a few items or baskets and bins in the back room and my closet.  Today I plan on putting everything back together.  I am going to post my to-do list.  I realize that this makes me more accountable.

- Dishes
- Put Aubs dress up back in her closet
- Distribute folded laundry to owner's dressers. 2pm update 4 baskets sorted Aubs' done
- Pull donation bags out to garage.
- Put decoration bins into my closet.
- Wash/dry weekend laundry. One in washer waiting for dryer, 1 in dryer 1 completed
- Fold and put away laundry. 3 loads folded and sorted
- Straighten my closet.
- Lay out Aubs' school clothes for the week.
- Make Dinner.
- Plan menu for the week. I want to do a pantry clean out with minimal shopping.
- Plan grocery list.
- Iron work uniforms.

PS Did I mention I am going to Hawaii!!!?

Update: I even went to the grocery store.  I spent $19 and saved $14. That was all I needed to round out the week, including lunches.

7

Dear Aubrey,
Today you turn seven.  I cannot believe how much you have grown.  You are my amazing girl and you bring so much joy to your daddy and me.  This year has been another big year for you.  You started first grade at a new school.  You also started tap dance classes, you are doing amazingly well. We enjoyed another trip to Boston this year.  You had so much fun learning about the city and all the wonderful places we went. Your reading level is still quite high, and you cannot put books down.  We danced in another recital together.  Your Grandpa B. married Christine this year.  You ladies have such a wonderful relationship, I can't wait to watch it grow. 
You had a slumber party with your cousins for your birthday. Kiera and Kait had a blast at your movie themed party.  I hope you did too.

Love always,
Missy

Conversations With My 6 Year Old: Final Edition

On Dinner:
A: This bread is really delicious.
M: Yes, it is.  It was only $2.
A: Wow, that was a good deal.

On Her Birthday:
M: Do you know which famous person shares your birthday?
A: No, who?
M: Michelle Obama.
A: OOOH.  Put it on Facebook.

On Iguanas Falling Out Of Trees
A: Does Tio Joe have a Facebook?
M: Yes.
A: You have to tell him to watch the video.

On Religion
A: Do you know who killed Jesus?
M: Yes, do you?
A: No, but I know it wasn't Black-eye Jack.  That is what Steven at school said.

While Playing Lego Indiana Jones with Shawn
A: Over here Jonsie, I found something.
M & S: snickering

The picture has nothing to do with the post, but she saw it and wanted me to put up this one.  We miss our Jakey.

A Couple of Letters

Dear Highway Authority,
I would really appreciate it if in the future your construction plans were better coordinated.  There are three main ways out of our part of town. The two of these that head north both have major delay ridden construction. The side roads that can sometimes be used also have construction on them.  I am not sure whose bright idea this was but my clutch foot is getting a very good workout.

Dear Clothing manufacturers,
Just because people wear small sizes does not mean they are not curvy.  I would really love if someone could design a pair of jeans that is generous for my bottom but does not leave a 2 inch gap at the waist.  Please, anyone?

Dear Florida House Designers,
Since it is a well known fact that you cannot put a basement in Central Florida, don't you think that some storage would be nice?  I am just glad we have an uninhabited room for storage.  Yes, I know that two car garages are standard on our homes but they are not temperature controlled.  Some built in shelves would be lovely.

Can you tell what a great day I have had?  I was able to find a few tops so that was nice.  The drive home from the mall was relatively miserable and time consuming. I have been straightening the house and needed to put away the Christmas bins.  They are very unhappily stacked in our back room.  Thanks internet for letting me vent.

Party Prep

Most of my day today should be spent on party prep.  However I just had to check out H&M's website and now I am going shopping.  They have the trendiest kids clothes around. So I am off to find a new outfit for Aubs and I for her party Saturday. I will post pictures later.

Four Day Weekend

Today is my last day of work before a four day weekend.  I am excited for the time off the holiday season was a bit exhausting.  This weekend will be all about Aubs.  Not that most days are not all about Aubs, but this is her birthday weekend.  I cannot believe my girl will be seven. Tomorrow I will complete Operation: Put The House Back Together just in time to decorate for Saturday's party.  We are also sending a special birthday snack to school.  Aubs is very excited because tomorrow is her lunch with the teacher day.  She used her reward dollars to pay for lunch with Ms. S. They share a birthday weekend so I am sure they will have tons to discuss tomorrow.  We will be having Aubs first slumber party tomorrow, that is if everyone is feeling better.  It may be the three of us camped out on the sofa bed in front of the TV but it sure will be fun.
Yesterday was a big day for my Aunt Martha and my cousin Annemarie.  Aunt Martha celebrated her 6 year anniversary of her kidney transplant. Annie got her learner's permit.

Feeling Prayerful

Today my heart is heavy for our Haitian friends.  Many people know that Central Florida has an amazing Latin community, but we also have a large Haitian population.  The local Catholic church offers services in English, Spanish, and French. Please remember these people in your prayers today.

Also, and this one is so hard for me to write but I know that every voice can help, please pray for my brother's wife and babies.  They are worried the babies are going to try to make an early arrival. Please pray for peace and calmness for my brother and his wife and for healthy babies.  Thanks.

Catching Up

I had forgotten how exhausting working retail during the holiday season can be.  Now that I have recovered from my cold I am slowly catching up.  I let a lot slide during the holidays and am happy to feel more on top of things.  Today I caught up on the coupons.  It took a couple hours since I had let myself get behind in November.  Yikes. Tomorrow before work will probably be laundry catch up day, although we have not let that get too bad this year.  Probably because we are limited in cold weather clothing and have needed it all repeatedly over the last two weeks.

Off To Tap

After an overly filling dinner of sphaghetti I am hoping I don't puke.  Maybe it is practice for carb loading before the 1/2 marathon.  Either way dinner was excellent and I am looking forward to resuming tap after our holiday break.

*This was the photo for 12/9/09.

Whole Bunch Of Nothing

Not too much going on tonight.  We did have Ice Cream night.  Walmart has all sorts of great little one serving cups for $1.  Aubs had Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia and I had a GV Peanut Butter Cup.  It was actually quite yummy. I was at Walmart to pick up the rest of the items needed to make my Mom/Grandpa A's spaghetti.  With all this cold weather I have been craving some homemade meatballs and sauce.  It is also great because it will cover my lunches for a day or two and usually a second dinner.  If you have never tried a panini style meatball sub then you are definitely missing out.

Aubs birthday is coming up a week from today so hopefully I will have some more exciting blog fodder for you.

No Snow.

We didn't get any snow in our neighborhood.  Aubs was so upset she started crying and said "They lied to me."  We had a nice conversation about the inexact science of meteorology.  I also explained that the temperature was 32 and it was raining and theoretically it should be snowing. It is however still raining with very low temperatures. I am a little concerned with my drive home tonight.  Hopefully it will dry out before then and not turn to ice tonight.  Thank goodness for good tires and learning to drive in Ohio.  Our local news was so worried (needed ratings) that they actually had a segment last night about driving in icy conditions.

The picture is of Shawn and Aubs at ICE! It is our Floridian way of experiencing some winter fun.

Nearly missed today.

Whew.  I would feel bad if I didn't post this early in the year.  Today I finished up Autum and Tony's engagement shots.  She wanted fall leaves so we had to wait for a good cold snap to change the colors.