Catching up!

This week has been amazing--the weather is absolutely perfect (much better than the extremely hot high humidity we had been having!) Reagan and I have been out of doors most of the time--going to the park, having kite flying play dates with friends, working in the backyard--you name it! We even both splashed in the Elmo splash pad this morning!

We also had a chance to go to Walmart yesterday (yes, I gave up Walmart for a time to cut down on our expenses...and now I only go on average about once a month when we really need something and I do NOT want to drive 30 minutes to Target--this arrangement has been working really well for the whole family!) Specifically we were looking for a new kite for Reagan and clearance flowers for the backyard...and we found tons! They had lots of ground cover and a good bit of flowers on clearance for .50 to $1. If my mother in law is reading this, they have Joseph's Coat on clearance for $1 per container!!!

Today Reagan and I spent the morning figuring out where everything needs to go. Unfortunately it's going to require a second trip to Walmart because I ran out of potting soil (argh!!!)

Reagan and I also found flowers on our cucumber plants, little tiny flowers (GORGEOUS deep bluish-purple) on our green bean (or maybe they were peas??) plants and beginning buds on our zucchini plants...we should have a nice crop..IF the zucchinis don't take over EVERYTHING in sight! (They're already almost as tall as Reagan and about 4 times as wide as she is!)

On other notes, Reagan got to "climb" a tree yesterday--mostly I pushed her up on the branch. She LOVED sitting up there, enjoying the breeze and exploring the bugs, birds and leaves all around here. That's what being a kid is truly about :)

I think that's it for today...will post pictures tomorrow!!!

Silhouette Craft Cutter Giveaway

HURRY. DON'T WALK. RUN. NOW. GO!

HERE!

Thrifty Decor Chick is giving away a Silhouette Craft Cutter! There are so many amazing applications for this tool....vinyl cutting, scrap booking, making cards..you name it! And even if you don't win (although there are five chances for you to win!) she has some great package deals!

GO NOW!

Menu Plan Monday

Here is our menu for the week, and, as a bonus, I found an awesome site I wanted to share with everyone: Freeprintablegrocerylist.com! Click on THIS link to get a great downloadable menu planner with room to write your grocery needs! LOVE IT!

Monday:
Cereal
Wraps and refrigerator clean out items!
Grilled chili chicken with pasta, corn and tomatoes

Tuesday:
Eggs and Sausage
Tuna sandwiches and fruit
Senate Bean Soup and Farmhouse Honey Wheat Bread

Wednesday:
Sausage and Cereal
Leftovers
Italian Delight and vegetable

Thursday:
Toast and Eggs
Leftovers
Red Beans and Rice with Sausage, Salad

Friday:
Eggs, Toast, Sausage, Fruit--some combination (whatever needs to be eaten up)
Leftovers
Pizza or Pizza Rolls

Saturday:
Pancakes and Sausage
Leftovers from the week or sandwiches
Grill-steaks, potatoes, salad

Sunday:
Cereal
Roast, potatoes, carrots, green bean casserole; Dessert: Lemon Pie
Leftovers

Ten on Tuesday

My IRL friend, Jana, participates in Ten on Tuesday hosted by Roots and Rings. I've been reading her responses for a while now, so I thought I would give it a go!

1. If you could trade lives with another blogger for a day, who would it be and why?
Serena from the Farm Chicks. I LOVE her home, the area she lives in, and I would love to just hang around her family and friends all day getting ideas!

2. Do you prefer receiving handmade or store bought gifts? Be honest!
This is a toughie. I love homemade things but I also love vintage things (that are bought..but not at stores, usually), SO, I have to say I really like items that AREN'T store-bought. Like old pails, handmade topiaries, etc.


3. Would you rather camp or stay in a hotel?
Ok, it really depends on the bathroom situation. I need a NICE, CLEAN bathroom. If I have to take a shower with spiders or use a darkened toilet area, I'm NOT going to be happy. Then again, most hotel rooms are just covered with gross germs (hotel maids do NOT clean the rooms that well!). UGH. Ok, ok...so if I had to have a choice...I would choose camping.....WITH a camper.

4. What’s your favorite comfort food?
Anything my Granny cooks. Seriously. But especially Lemon Pie, fried chicken, HER mashed potatoes....AND her chicken pot pie. Oh gosh, my mouth is watering....

5. You’re having a really bad day at work. How do you unwind when you come home?
I stay at home all day so I really enjoy getting out and perusing the aisles at Target with a cup of coffee!

6. What’s your favorite chore?
Cooking :)

7. What got you interested in blogging?
My friend Jana's blog started my interest and I thought, how great...I get to share stories about Reagan, my thoughts..why not?

8. Are you currently reading a book? What is it?
The Well Trained Mind by Jessi Wise and Susan Wise Bauer--highly recommend!

9. Do you have a favorite artist?
As in painting? No. Music? Vivaldi!

10. Have you ever met someone famous?
Yes. Enough said.

Happy Father's Day

To a wonderful husband and father!

(And my Dad, Dad-in-Law and Paw-Paw too!)

Of Cakes and Men.....

Josh was sweet enough to order a birthday cake for my birthday last week. When he called and the baker asked if he wanted a half or full, he ordered the full--thinking it was the size of a regular birthday cake that you'd bake at home. No other information was forth-coming from the baker..like how many the cake fed or how much the cake cost. So Josh went to pick it up...and this ($44 later) is what I ended up with!

(And in case you're wondering why he chose a cake in blue and orange..they're Auburn University's colors--go Tigers!)

Blah,blah,blah,blah,blah...

This week has been less than exciting. Well, ok, it started out pretty exciting. Sunday we ended up at the hospital for labs and x-rays after Reagan scared us and her doctor half to death by refusing to get out of bed for the entire day (not her personality, or a three year old's personality, AT ALL). She also had a fever and was throwing up and sobbing over stomach pains.

The labs and x-rays came back ok..blood work was a little off, but she was sick...to be expected. By Monday she was feeling much better--just a little stomach pain, but now completely stuffed up, coughing and running a fever. The rest of the week continued in that vein with lots of sleepless nights, breathing treatments and the like. And finally, today, she was well enough to head to playgroup with her friends.

We broke our fast food rule this week week and had fast food--twice. We won't be having it again any time soon. But desperate times call for desperate measures...and I consider getting a little less than three hours of sleep desperate times.

In other important news, Reagan caught the world's largest beetle and we kept it for a day and a half. I'm telling you, this thing was huge. I'll post pictures as soon as I figure out how to get them off of my phone and onto here! We found him in our backyard (which makes me rethink spending time out there!) and I'm convinced a bird must have dropped him as we found him on his back. (When I told my friend that story, she said "Dropped him from where???? The Amazon!??!?!?")

At any rate, I'm happy to report that Daddy and Reagan let him go tonight while I was at the office. Daddy finally convinced Reagan that Mommy Beetle was looking for her baby. Reagan allowed him to be released upon the conditions that Daddy 1-waited for the rain to stop and 2-he was released in a nice patch of grass. Beetle bug apparently didn't care where he was released as he made a beeline for anywhere in the opposite direction of our home!

Quick Update

Reagan has been sick. I'm exhausted. Will blog more hopefully tomorrow!

Company Girl Friday

I haven't participated in Company Girl Friday, mainly because I've really been neglecting my blog in favor of Facebook....I miss blogging, so I'm back.

We've had such a busy week--celebrating my birthday on Wednesday and trying to get numerous projects done around the house (in between much complaining over the large amounts of rain--apparently we (in general) can never be satisfied with the weather.)
We've finally managed to plant all of our vegetables and flowers. They've already started popping up and I can't wait to taste the first produce from our garden. Better yet, I can't wait until we purchase our dream home and plant apple trees and blackberry bushes too!

This year we planted zucchini, sugar pumpkins, cucumbers, spaghetti squash, peas, green beans, lettuce, bell peppers, scallions and tomatoes. For flowers we planted a cutting garden mix of zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers and Ireland bells--such pretty little green flowers!

All in all, we've enjoyed a great week with lots of hard work thrown in, but that's part of what made it such a great week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

And, I'll leave you with this picture:

Evenings...

For the last few weeks our bedtime routine has included the following:

Mommy: Ok Reagan, it's time to go to sleep now.
Reagan: ONE MORE MINUTE! (She always asks for one more minute of cuddle time no matter how long we cuddle.)
Mommy: No. How about we sing a song instead?
Reagan: TWO SONGS, MOMMY!
Mommy: No. I said one. You choose.
Reagan: NO, Mommy! TWOOOOOOO!
Mommy: (sighing) OK, fine. Which two?
Reagan: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Jesus Loves the Little Children!
And we sing.

Tonight I embraced it as the tradition it is turning into, instead of one more thing that has to be done before she falls asleep.

Mommy: Ok Reagan, it's time to sleep now.
Reagan: ONE MORE MINUTE!
Mommy: How about we sing one song instead?
Reagan: NO! TWO, MOMMY!
Mommy: Ok, which two? (As though I don't know....)
Reagan: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Jesus Loves the Little Children!
And we sing.

I hope I get a million more nights like this.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.......I'm super-duper 29 now. ;)

Menu Plan Monday

Josh was sweet enough to take Reagan and head to the grocery store this weekend for me so I have our menu done and all the ingredients to make it!

Dinners:
Rump Roast with Pecan Cornbread Stuffing, vegetable
Chili Chicken Pasta with a cucumber salad
Senate Bean Soup and Bread
BBQ Chicken and Cornbread Salad
Grilled Chicken and Creamy Corn
Leftover Night

Lunches:
Leftovers or the following
Sandwiches with tuna or peanut butter
Ants on a log with fruit
Fish sticks and vegetables

Breakfasts:
Cheesy eggs and toast
Fruit and eggs
Pancakes and sausage
Breakfast hot pockets (if I get around to making them!)

Baby Fever Sucks!

There's just no nicer way to put it. We just started trying for number 2 this month. And it didn't happen. Which is fine, no big deal. I know some people have to try for years and years and I'm thankful we didn't have to do that for Reagan (and I pray we don't have to do that with #2). And I thought I would be ok with waiting, but now I'm realizing we should have started months ago because I'm looking at ultrasounds and really feeling some serious baby envy.

And it's not as though we're really ready to deal with the whole pregnancy fiasco (because a fiasco is exactly what it turns into with us), but we're ready to have another one. If that makes sense. ARGH! I think there's going to be a whole lot of "I'm so ready!" and "I'm SO NOT ready..what am I THINKING?!?!?" posts around here for the next few months. In the meantime I'll just keep reminding myself that at least I'm not throwing up blood and dealing with intense bouts of nausea at the moment!
--------------------
Oh and one more thing..I swear to you I AM SO SICK of all this natural childbirth talk. Let your body do what it needs to do. Your body knows what needs to happen. Have your baby at home. Doctors cause more problems. Embrace your femininity and orgasmic organic side by giving birth and letting your inner woman glisten with the dew of your labor.

GAG. ROLL EYES. THROW UP.

If I hear one more woman waxing poetically about the glory of childbirth I may go on a postal rampage. Sure women can give birth without hospitals. Sure our bodies are designed to give birth. But let's get serious. Doctors do NOT do more harm than good. The reason there are more maternal deaths and more complications and interventions at hospitals are because...say it with me people...HIGHER RISK PREGNANCIES AND DELIVERIES TAKE PLACE AT (where???) HOSPITALS!!!

Really, people? Really?

Are you honestly going to tell me that the reason there are less incidents of maternal and fetal death at home is because it's safer? It isn't. Healthy women opt to give birth at home. People who are dealing with complicated pregnancies and deliveries are going to give birth at a hospital with access to every life saving device possible.

So if you're one of those mamas who gave birth at home and reveled in your femininity and glory and the orgasmic experience of a contraction....great! Congratulations! But don't you DARE act like you're superior to me or my baby is in any way less perfect than your child is; because given the choice again, I'd still take every single life saving measure and medical intervention available...AGAIN. Because it saved my baby's life.

AND FORMULA IS NOT RAT POISON! ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Reaganisms!!

Last night I moved Reagan to our bed because she had thrown up earlier and I wanted to keep an eye on her. In the process of moving her, I woke her up..just barely. Still half asleep, she heard a train in the night and mumbled: Sometimes I hear a train and it wakes me up and then I say please, please, oh pretty please with a cherry on top, let me get some more rest!

************************************

We spent Memorial Day weekend with Josh's parents. One morning Reagan was in the kitchen with Grandma and Grandma was explaining how she doesn't really cook much. After the two of them prattled on for a while in this vein, Reagan looked up and said "So, Grandma, your kitchen is just for decoration then?"!!!

Really?????

To understand what I'm going to post, you really need to check out THIS article. Basically, a 25 year old college graduate has accumulated $97,000.00 in education debt with her mother as her co-signer on some of the loans. The article goes into detail and begs the question of whether it was the university's fault or the student's fault.

To be honest with you, I felt little sympathy for the mother and daughter. I mean, come on...$97,000.00 in debt? As the article goes on (and go on it does, for quite a while) I began to feel like perhaps the university SHOULD have taken on a more direct role in advising the student that perhaps she should reconsider taking on such a large debt.

Then I read this: She recently received a raise and now makes $22 an hour working for a photographer. It's the highest salary she's earned since graduating with an interdisciplinary degree in religious and women's studies.

Can you see where I'm having the problem??? An INTERDISCIPLINARY DEGREE IN RELIGIOUS AND WOMEN'S STUDIES?!?!??! Did she REALLY truly absolutely believe with a fluff degree like that, that she was going to get a job making enough to pay back a $97,000.00 loan without it being a huge burden?????

The world is full of very stupid people. This was not the fault of the university. It was 100% the fault of the student and her mother.

Hmm..

Why is it I'm having such trouble keeping up with blogging lately? Have I finally run out of things to ramble about, endlessly...? I'm sure that can't be the case.

So, today I'm going to ramble about the hardships of being a mother. Sometimes you feel like you're coasting along great (those times are rare indeed) and others you feel like you're slipping and sliding on ice and you have no idea what you're doing or even if what you ARE doing is working. Such is the case today.

Reagan, who should have been put down for a nap much earlier than she was, threw toys at and then scratched one of her friends in the face. This from my girl who has never been a hitter, biter, scratcher or any of the like. I was mortified. Clearly she was exhausted. But I couldn't just let it go...no, she had to get the full gamut of punishments...toys gone, time-outs endured and apologies administered. Princess castle? Gone. Rose Petal Cottage store? Gone. Ok. Let's be frank--my lovely tom-boy of a girl could have cared less about the princess castle being taken away. She was a little more hurt with her store getting taken away. But still...to just take her things away from her? Instead of feeling like I'm upholding the sword of justice and instilling in her the ideas and behavior that I KNOW she needs to be taught, I feel more like a bully ripping her toys away from her, resulting in sending her to future therapy sessions lamenting over the fact that she has attachment problems.

Somehow I think parenting in the 1950s might have been a tad bit easier. *Sigh*