Sunday, May 31, 2009

She works hard for the money...









...so hard for it honey. Well, i didn't work hard FOR the money, but i sure worked hard to SPEND the money. Yesterday was supposed to be a nice, relaxing day off for me. Frank and I were supposed to do a number of different things, together. But what ended up happening was more than i could have expected. Across the street from my house is a Family Dollar store. As most of you know, they sell relatively cheap things, almost like a Dollar Tree, but they have a wide variety of name brand things like WalMart does. Well, that store apparently ran out on it's lease, and another store is going to take over. So what does that all mean, you ask? Well, it means that they were going to have a sale to get rid of stuff. This was all a rumor at first, as nobody at the store would admit there was going to be any such sale. So when i got up yesterday morning, there were about 50 cars and 150 people in the store waiting to buy things that were 75% off!! That's right, 75%! Frank, Mady and I walked over in the morning to see what all the hub-bub was all about, then we went to the bank and the farmer's market and such. On the way home, i decided that i had to go into the store and get at least something. So i walked over, and was greeted at the door by a man who said the line was an hour and a half long. Ok, i thought, i can wait that long for a really good deal. So in i went. Well, i found a bunch of stuff, and a box to put it all in, and i got in the back of the line, which was at the back of the store...litterally. Well, 2 hours later i had only moved about 15feet, as the computers had failed at the checkout, due to such a high volume. Wow, was this deal really worth it? I had called my mom when i first got in line and asked her if she needed anything, and she came over to look around, and i called my Aunt to see if she wanted anything while i was waiting in the line anyways. Well, my mom found some stuff, which i was going to get for her, and then she left for a while, thinking i would only be about an hour or so. Well, she came back about an hour later and i had only moved about 5 feet! So she went looking for more stuff, and i found a bigger box for everything. 2 more hours later, and now 2 boxes full of stuff, we were still in the same place in line. I had no idea it would be this bad, but 4 hours into it, i wasn't going anywhere. All of us together in line had starting talking, so it wasn't as bad as you would think. We were joking and laughing. And when someone in front of us would give up and just leave their stuff on the side, it was like vultures going after it! Needless to say, everyone had a ridiculous amount of stuff, which was why it was taking so veyr long at the registers. That, and they only had 2 registers and 4 people working. They totally didn't expect this many people, as they didn't advertise of anything. But seriously people, we're a small town, word of mouth is better than any advertisement you could ever get. There were people in that store from god only knows where, but somehow they heard about it and were there. The deals really were amazing. The longer we waited in line, and the more people that gave up their stuff, the more i would accumulate in my cart. Yes, that's right, my mom and i managed to snag a few carts to pile our loads of stuff into. 8 hours later, and i finally got checked out. My total was $62.11...that means i had $248.44 worth of stuff! And it was all good stuff too, from laundry detergent to dreft, cleaning products to sheets, window blinds to hair ties for Mady. I think i got it all. And they said that the place that's moving into this building will be having a similar sale when they get ready to move. I'll probably be there too, how can i pass up such a good deal?!
A view of my shopping cart
Some of my "goods"
Some of the people in front of me, and their mountains of stuff
The radio we had to open and set up to keep us sane, since there was no music and we were going CRAZY! LOL
The fat, scary man from out of town who tried to make the music die because he was cranky...some people in line yelled at him and set another radio up
The scary lady with the bi-polar dog. The dog isn't bi-polar, it's a rescue dog in training for bi-polar people. But i think this lady was bi-polar. She was barefoot, with one pant leg rolled up and the other dragging, and missing teeth!

Friday, May 29, 2009

A new step...

For my birthday last sunday, my darling husband got me a blender. Don't be shocked or concerned, it's what i wanted! Yes, i did say that, i really wanted it. I am going to start making my own baby food for Madylinn. I'm taking mattters into my own hands. I'm starting off small, just making fruits and veggies, and hopefully i'll get good enough at it that i'll be able to make some tasty dinners for her. I figure i can save AT LEAST $10 a week, and it will only increase the more she eats. I have to admit, it's not as easy as i thought it would be, but i'm only learning right now. I found a website with some wonderful step by step directions and some tasty sounding recipies, and i have some friends that make their own baby food, so hopefully i won't screw this up too too much. And worse comes to worse, i can always make fruity frozen drinks :)

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Time to keep the noise down...

Yup, you read that right. For the first time in, well, a very long time, we have to start keeping the noise down in the Grindstaff household. Yup, we are getting new neighbors. I saw them starting to move things in yesterday. From what i gather, it's a man and his young (like Mady's age young) son...but i see no wife of girlfriend or anything. No, i'm not looking for a new man, but it's weird to see a guy with custody of his son, and no mother or girlfriend or anything around. I'm just saying. They aren't moved in completely yet. I figure we have a few days, until they get all the stuff in the house and set up and all. Then, we have to try to be quiet. But with any luck, that won't be for long...as long as we get good news back on the house!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Our holiday weekend...

This holiday weekend was especially nice. Why, you may ask?! Well, not only was it my birthday (and by the way, thank you everyone, for your wishes...it was very appreciated), but it was also gorgeous outside (for the most part). We had lots of picinics to go to, so we were outside for most of the weekend. We did, however, manage to get Mady into the pool everyday. Here are some pictures of Mady swimming in the "big kid" pool...

Mady and Daddy resting
Playing with Daddy
Chilling with Pappy Frank
With Mommy
With Pappy Frank and Isabella

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Splish splash...

Yesterday, i inflated Madylinn's whale pool for her to go swimming, since it was 88 degrees outside. The ultimate outcome was wonderful, because Mady loved swimming...but getting to that outcome was an ordeal and a half.
I started out trying to blow the pool up myself, by mouth. I didn't anticipate how difficult that would be, and i most assuredly underestimated how big this pool really was. After about 10min, and a dizzy spell later, i realized that wasn't the way to go. Using my brain a bit on my day off, i tried my hardest to think what i could use to blow this pool up. We do have an air pump, but it's the smaller kind, and we keep it on the boat to inflate the tubes. So that was a no go, since i wasn't about to pack Mady up and drive all the way out to the boat. So i kept thinking, and thinking, and thinking. Then i had an idea...the bicycle tire pump. I know what you're thinking, but at the time it sounded like it was a great idea and it would really work! Well, we broke that out...and 30min later, we were only half way inflated, and i was just as ready as she was to jump into that pool! I was covered in sweat and really getting nowhere fast. Then, it came to me...take it to the gas station and use the air hose there and fill it up. BINGO! It actually worked. So, an hour after i started, i finally had the pool blown up and filled with water and ready to go. After lunch (so the water could warm up), and a quick nap, we were ready to go for a dip. She had a great time, and was in the pool for about 2 hours before she was tired of the sun and ready for another nap.

Her very first bikini
Eating her toys
Splish splashing away
Swimming
Finished swimming

Friday, May 22, 2009

Mady's day out...

Yesterday was such a beautiful day out, i decided to take Mady to the playground. It's especially nice because all of the bigger kids are in school, so it's usually just kinds unde the age of 5. Well, yesterday was extra special because there were no other kids there at all! We had the whole playground to ourselves! Mady loves the playground, so this was a great treat to be able to be on anything we wanted.
Here is Mady on the slide

Here is Mady in the bucket swing

Of course, after spending the day outside and being slathered in sunscreen, she needed a bath. After her bath, she was all about giving love to the camera. She gets very laughy around bed time, i'm not really sure why...we love it though
Showin some love

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Forever cast in...cement?

Yesterday morning, i decided to take my dog running with me. I don't take him every single day anymore, mostly because of rain and/or time restraints, but i try to take him a few times a week. Well, we went for our usual 4 mile sprint yesterday morning. We were coming across the bridge back into town, and i noticed the construction workers. Let me catch you up really quick. They are repaving the whole avenue (the street right off of the bridge), and they have the streets and the corners dug up. They are also putting new handicapped corners on every corner. Anyway, back to my disaster. So i had assumed (there's my first problem) that the workers were going from east to west, and hadn't gotten to the last corner yet. Boy, was i wrong. We were sprinting across the bridge like usual, and we were watching the workers on the corner across from us. There were no barrels, no cones, no fences, no nothing in front of us, so we didn't think twice about continuing to run. Well, something in my head told me to look down. I looked just in time to see me AND ecko charging into a corner of wet cement. My shoe and the dogs front legs were covered! And the workers just said "Ooohh, what are you doing?!"...to which i so kindly replied "If you would have put up a fence or a cone or something, this wouldn't have happened! What's wrong with you people?!" Needless to say, when we got home i had to scrub the dogs legs off and leave my shoes outside. I'm waiting for the cement to dry so i can chip it off. I take comfort in knowing that those "lovely" workers will have to re-pave that whole corner now because of me. Maybe they will not be so lazy next time.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

It's a slow news day...

Our days have been a bit uneventful lately, not that that's a bad thing. Saturday i had a baseball game, so Frank and Mady came out with me. It was really nice out, so it was fun. We went to the mall afterwards, and just walked around (yes, it's true, i didn't buy anything!). By the time we were on our way home, it was totally pouring down rain. Needless to say, our evening was spent at home.
Yesterday we took Dakota for a haircut. For those of you who aren't completely familiar with our life, dakota is our Toy Yorkie. He needed his hair cut really badly. And seriously, he came back half the dog he left as. I wanted him to have short hair for when the warm weather gets here. He is very sensative to heat and cold, so i try to adjust his hair length accordingly. I think he looks very handsome :)
Today we are going to go vote in our local election. Mady enjoys voting, mostly because she likes to look around inside the firehouse. Maybe she'll whisper who to vote for in my ear.

Friday, May 15, 2009

What is our world coming too?

First, we have the beating of a man in Shenendoah for no reason other than he was of a different race. Now we have the police taking matters into their own hands. Seriously people, where do we draw the line?!

http://bossip.com/112076/for-discussion-is-this-police-kick-in-the-head-to-gangster-acceptable/

Thursday, May 14, 2009

The big black out...

Yesterday, as you can tell by now, i didn't blog. Why you may ask? It wasn't because i was busy, it wasn't because i was lazy, it wasn't because i was tired. It was because we had no power. That's right, the whole town was blacked out until from early in the morning (before i even woke up) to around 11am. We had no heat (thank god we didn't need it), no hot water (only what was left in the furnace), no lights (i know, it was morning so what did we need them for), no tv, no nothing. We couldn't even eat a real breakfast! It made for a very long morning, let me tell you. If it would have been nicer outside, it wouldn't have been so bad because we could have taken Mady for a walk or something, but it wasn't that warm out. So we played with her inside, we read the paper, and we just hung out. It wasn't that bad, when i think about it. Sometimes i think we need more black outs, because sometimes we need something like that to force us to not turn on the tv, not blog, just lay on the floor and have fun.

More later, i'm off to have another "black out" day with Mady and Frank...hopefully!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Irritation, via the elderly...

Don't get me wrong, as the title of this post may lead you astray. I do NOT dislike old people in any way, in fact i think they are very cute in most cases. I do, however, find myself in situations where old people are a tad...just a tad...on the irritating side.

Example #1: I quite frequently take my dog running with me. He loves being outside, he loves running, and he loves me, so it works out nicely. We really only have 2 paths that we take when we go (as he knows these the best and it's better not to deviate from what he knows). Well, on our last few outings, we have come across this semi-elderly man with his dog, in the same place everyday. Now, when you come up on someone else with a dog off of the leash, you call your dog back to you and either put it on the leash until you are away from the other person, or you hold on to your dogs collar while the other person walks away with their dog. These options also apply when you come across someone withOUT a dog, but that's a whole other story. Well, this man does none of the above. He does nothing. He doesn't call his dog back, he doesn't make any attempt to even see where his dog is running off to. He doesn't bother to say "Don't worry, he/she's friendly" or "Sorry" or anything at all. He just keeps doing whatever it is that he's doing, and pays no attention to me at all. I find this horrible rude! I have to completely stop running, put Ecko on the leash and WALK until we are far enough away from this ignorant man and his dog, so as not to lure this dog into chasing us while we run or possibly even growling or biting us. Seriously buddy, what's your problem. I'm really thinking that if he continues his ignorance, i'm going to say something to him. How hard is it to make an effort?!

Example #2: Frank and I were on our way home from my double header baseball game on Saturday evening. We were driving past the WalMart, and it's a 4 lane road with passing on both sides. Well, we were driving at our normal speed, 60ish (which is everyone's normal speed by the way), and there was a little old man in a cady. We had passed him out a few miles back, and didn't think anything of it. He seemed to be in a racing mood...that, or he was angry at the world...because he was swerving at people and speeding to cut them off, and driving like a drunk fool. Well anyway, we were going down the hill passed the WalMart and Frank was in front of me. Out of nowhere, the old man starts speeding like a crazy person, and passes me. Now, when i say passes me, i don't mean doing like 63 compared to my 60 which would just pass me out enough. No. I mean he was doing 85, mashing the gas, and trying to blow me away and drive over Frank and the car that was by him. He is a nut job! Who does 85 to blow by someone? The worst part was, not 400meters ahead is the 35 zone, so he had to slam on his brakes as soon as he got in front of me. Talk about a waste of gas. I guess i shouldn't complain though, he has to be better than the oldies that do 20 on Trevorton Road, which is a 45, making me almost late for work quite frequently.

Monday, May 11, 2009

My weekend in review...

So my weekend started off on Friday with a weird experience. I was out running with my dog, and we were running along our favorite trail. Well, we reached the top of the one hill, and i have to put him back on the leash to go down the hill because we have to go out onto the burm of the road. Anyway. This is a truck/coal road, so there are normally coal trucks and pickup trucks and the like going up and down. Well, i was waiting till Ecko peed and then i was going to put his leash back on him, when this car pulls on to the coal road. It was an old man. At first i thought he was lost and just attmepting to turn around, or that maybe he was trying to turn into the Estates that were at the top of the hill and he just turned too early, but that was not the case. He pulled down farther like he was going to go down the road (mind you, he was in a cadillac, and this is a dirt road). Well, of course, i was just being me...and me, watching too much CSI and other crime shows, immediately thought the worst. "Was he going to dump a body?"..because it's always the old people who act all frail, and then when you turn away they are walking fine and dumping bodies all over the place! Well, i made Ecko stand there with me as i hid behind a boulder and watched the little old man get out of his car, pop his trunk, and remove 2 bags. To my dismay, they weren't body bags, but small garbage bags. This man was dumping his garbage! Don't people his age come from a time where you don't do that?! Last time i checked, the garbage man didn't pick up at random dirt roads where nobody lives. I was angry, disappointed, and a bit shocked. I honestly couldn't believe what i saw. And it's not like i could go yell at him, he might have a heart attack or something! So i just got the dog and left.

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My very first Mother's Day went fairly well, but was sadly like any other day...except that i got a card and flowers from Frank...i mean Mady. They were nice flowers, don't get me wrong...but where was my breakfast in bed, or just my breakfast in general?! Oh well. I'm just blessed to have the best baby ever. She makes being a first time mom an extremely easy job. I couldn't imagine my life without her. I love her more and more every day, and i love my new life as a mommy. I admit, i was very worried that i wouldn't make a good mommy (since i've never held/fed/changed/pretty much touched a baby EVER), but so far so good i would have to say. I may not do everything right, but i haven't messed up too bad just yet. And she seems to forgive me when i DO mess up. I know, i know...wait till she's a teenager, then i'll never do anything right.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Another day, another raindrop...

That's right, it rained again yesterday. Seriously now people, this is like 5 or 6 days in a row now. I am really sick of rain. Not only because it forces Mady and I to stay inside and do the same things over and over again, but because it cancels all my sporting events at work. I know what you're thinking, that's a good thing, i can come home early and spend time with my wonderful family. No, not so much. Well, yes, it does mean those things, but it also means that the games have to be rescheduled. And since there is only this week and next week to play games, and we already have a pretty full week next week...what does that mean you ask? Double headers at night, double headers on saturday, and games every single day of the week. I know!! Drive me crazy why don't you!

Mady has learned a new "tactic", but to my advantage, she only uses it on daddy. When he is feeding her dinner, and he starts going slower with the bites because he is distracted with the tv (i know, tell me about it...focus Frank focus), she used to whine. Now she's gotten smarter. She will whine AND bang her hand on the high chair, as if to say "Service, bartender, service!" It's quite funny. And she doesn't do it for me. Maybe that's because i don't watch tv when i feed her, i focus on her eating as fast or slow as she wants. Who knows for sure, all i know is that it is too funny to watch. What daddy daughter bonding.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

We have a winner...for now

Well, thanks to your many suggestions via text and email, we think we have found a solution...if only a temporary one. Last night, i put Mady in one of the size 3 diapers i bought at Sam's club, but put in the back of the closet because she doesn't fit in them yet. Despite the fact that the velcro straps on the diaper could practically wrap around her twice (ok, not really twice, but they do overlap completely past each other), and the fact that the butt sags down to her knees, and the fact that it's honest to god way too big for her, they worked! I know, i'm as surprised as you are. I guess it's because it has a higher absorbancy rate than the 2's. Either way, it's nice not to have to change the sheets this morning. Looks like she'll be in 2's during the day and 3's at night. Hey, whatever works i guess.

I am now looking for suggestions on good credit cards. We have one already, but i don't like it and i want to switch to a different one and cancel the one we have now. Why, you may ask?! Because we don't get anything from this card. We spend quite a bit of money on vacations every year (which is pretty much the only thing we put on the card). Other cards offer free miles per so many dollars (if we would have had that kind, we could fly directly TO alaska and back for FREE!), or other rewards. We, i mean i, am looking for a card that will give me miles per so many dollars. That way, in a few years, we could have 1/2 a vacation free...especially since air fare is so high anymore. So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Suggestions please...

So we're having a bit of a dilemma here at the Stiffie household. It's Mady. No, there's nothing wrong with her, it's just something that's happening. Her diaper is leaking at night. Not just a little leak either, it's like she isn't even wearing a diaper! It all started about a week ago when she started sleeping on her tummy. Now every morning i have to change her sheets and wash her off in the front. I know it's not because her diapers are too small, because she is in the size 2's and they are 12-18lbs, and she is only 14.5lbs. We even tried the Luvs (aka, "boy diapers"), and no luck. I'm thinking my only options are to either double diaper her at night (making her look like a snowman), or to find a different type of diaper? Any suggestions?

Monday, May 4, 2009

Time for a change...

So, our vaccuum took a major crap earlier this week, and we've been without one. Let me tell you, even though i absolutely hate hate hate to clean, i could barely stand my house! I really needed to vaccuum the floor. I think i had this feeling mainly because i didn't want to put Mady down on an unclean floor. I didn't want her covered in dog hair, dust, or my hair. So last night, Frank went to WalMart and bought the vaccuum that we were looking at. It's a Bissel powerforce, and it cleans like nothing else! I dont' know if it's because it's such a great vaccuum, or because it's new, but i love it. It's got one of those tornado things inside, so you can see the dirt spinning in circles. It's kinda gross, but really neat to watch at first. So needless to say, i have a new toy to play with. And, believe it or not, i DO vaccuum my house a few times a week (all because of Madylinn, not at all because i like to clean).

I'm also very sick of the rain. What happened to that warm weather that i so loved last weekend, and the weekend before that?! Not that it's freezing outside anymore, but i really just want it to be warm already! And it's supposed to rain all week long! What am i supposed to do with that? I can't take Mady out in the rain, and i think the both of us are getting cabin fever lately. She was spoiled those few days in the sun, being at the playground and on the swings and just outside in general.

Picture of the week...

Picture of the week...