My final post of the year...

☆。★。☆。★
。☆ 。☆。☆
★。＼｜／。★
Happy New Year!
★。／｜＼。★
...。☆。 。☆。
☆。 ★。 ☆

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy, healthy, safe and wonderful new year!

RIP 2010
(January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010)
You were a year of ups and downs.
Wonderful and yet sometimes troubled.
Maybe misunderstood.

Welcome 2011!!
May you bring many new and exciting adventures and opportunities to us.

Quick note...

POTTY TRAINING SUCKS!!

Why can't kids just be born knowing how to use the potty when they hit a certain age...you know, like chewing! Walking, crawling, talking, eating veggies...nothing was as hard as this!

Potty training, take 1...

We are in full swing now!
We've gone all day with just big girl undies on, except for a quick trip to WalMart (which we had to use a diaper for).
So far, we had 1 pee accident and 1 almost poop accident that we caught in progress (TMI, i know)
I think she is starting to understand that in her big girl undies, she can't just pee whenever she wants to...that's what the accidents are teaching her.
Plus, we bought her some Dora and SpongeBob big girl undies, so hopefully that will help her not want to pee in them even more.
I'm not so much worried about the poop part, i know that will take a while. But if we can get the pee part down, i'll be thrilled.
We are going hard core right now, since i have 4 days off.
I've heard that if you go hard core for 4 days, you can potty train your kid.
We'll see!

An update...

I know it's been a few days since i've posted, but this house has been under quarantine.
As i said previously, Mady was sick over the holidays.
Well, she started feeling better, but only because she passed her germs on to Frank and I!
We have been sick all week, and we're finally feeling human again.
So needless to say, it's been a long week for the Stiffies.

On a different note, i think we had a break through last night.
Mady went to sleep without her binky!
No fighting, no crying, nothing!
I couldn't find where it was, so i simply said to her "Big girls sleep without binkies. Do you want to be a big girl?" and she said "Yea!", so i said "Ok, then you need to sleep without your binky. Cna you do that?" and she (amazingly) said "Yea!" and fell right asleep!! It was amazing, wonderful and just what i wanted.
We were going to try to make the switch tomorrow night anyways, so this makes it much easier.
Now hopefully we can keep this up...especially when the new baby gets here.

Now, today we're getting some more big girl pull ups instead of diapers, and i think we're going to work pretty hard on potty training. Hopefully we can master that before the new baby gets here, and that's ANOTHER thing i don't have to worry about. That would be too good.

Post Christmas sugar rush...

So Christmas is over.
It was so hectic getting here.
All the prep work, all the wrapping, all the stressing.
And it came and went, and i feel like it was quicker than any other day.
But we had a wonderful time.
We opened way too many gifts.
We spent time with family.
We celebrated the REAL reason for the season.
Everytime i look at Madylinn, or my quickly expanding belly, or my family in general, i am reminded that i am truly belssed with more than i deserve. I may not have everything, material possession wise, but i have my share PLUS many other peoples shares when it comes to love and happiness and real blessing that matter.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas.
Pictures will follow soon.

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to get on here quick and wish everyone and their families a very Merry Christmas!
According to NORAD, Santa just left Pennsylvania and is on his way to Ohio next.
It was good to see him again, hehehe.
I'll have to tell Madylinn that he loved the cookies and beer we left him, and the reindeer loved the oats and carrots.
Now it's off to midnight mass, and then home to try to get a little bit of sleep before the big day tomorrow.
Mady's very excited for Santa to come.
She actually had a great time opening presents at Aunt Marian's house tonight. She actually OPENED them this year! lol.
Oh, and i'm sure she would want me to tell all of you to wish Jesus a Happy Birthday too!
We intend to sing to him tomorrow.
I think that's a really good tradition to start.
Remember the reason for the season.

A rough few days...

I know i haven't blogged since monday, but i've been a bit busy.
Monday night and Tuesday night i had basketball games, so i was working late.
I came home tuesday night to find that Mady was sick after dinner, but that she was fine after that, so i thought nothing of it. Sometimes she jams so much food into her mouth that she gags herself, so i thought that's what she did.
Well, yesterday morning Mady was very clingy and just wanted to snuggle and cuddle all morning. I should have known she wasn't feeling too well then, but not an hour after breakfast she was running around like a mad woman.
So i dropped her off at daycare while i went to work for a little bit, and i got a call at work that she was sick. So as soon as i could, i rushed out of work to go get her.
Well, to my surprise, when i got to daycare, she had eaten lunch and felt fine, and was in the middle of a loooonnnnngg nap.
So i took the opportunity to go home and bake some cookies without a pair of little hands reaching up and taking them off the counter.
When i went back to get her from daycare, she was fine. She was running and jumping all over the place. And she was fine all night too.
This morning, she is fine so far...but i made sure she only ate toast and a little bit of banana for breakfast, just in case.
Hopefully she won't be sick for the holidays...knocking on tons and tons of wood!

I wouldn't make a good elf...

There is no way that Santa would hire me to be an elf, so there goes my childhood dream!
Why, you may ask?
As many of you know, i'm pretty decent at wrapping gifts...at least the wrapping part.
But when it comes to using gift bags, i'm pretty much useless!
I'm not totally stupid, i know how to put things in bags. But it's the tissue paper i have an issue with.
I can never, never, NEVER get it to look right?!
Do you put some in the bottom of the bag?
Do you crinkle pieces on the top?
Do you fold it and try to spread it open nicely?
I just can't do it!
I always looks so messy.
And if it's not messy, there are big holes in the paper because i accidentally poked my fingers through it while trying to stuff it in the bag nicely and neatly.
Argh!
So for everyone that is getting a gift that requires a gift bag this year....I'm sorry in advance!

Santa is very busy...

So this morning after breakfast, Santa stopped by our house to do a little wrapping, and i thought i would be nice and join him. Boy, did he work me to the bone!
Frank and Mady played nicely downstairs, and even ran a few errands for me!! She has no idea that Santa was actually in our house! hehehe.
After 3 long hours, we finished wrapping all the presents. Now all they need are bows and we're good to go...but Santa said i could handle that part by myself.
After lunch, we decided it was time to tie up the loose Christmas ends...and by that i mean buy MORE things for me...umm, Santa...to wrap in the next few days. But on the bright side, we are totally, and i mean TOTALLY, done shopping now!!
And to top the evening off, Madylinn and I are about to cuddle up on the couch and watch Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She's never seen it before, so i'm not sure how it's going to go. There are really good kid parts, and some i think she's too young for...but there are no good Christmas movies on tv tonight!
C'mon CBS/ABC/NBC, get on that already. I mean, it IS less than a week till Christmas!!

Starting early...

I'm getting a jump start on New Years resolutions.
I know, i know, nobody ever follows through on them. I know i usually don't.
But this year is going to be different.
At least with this one.
I'm going to try to become a frugal shopper.
You know, clipping coupons and shopping sales and trying to get the best deals.
This isn't very easy with my hubby around. He is a very spoiled person. He only wants to name brand stuff, even though the generic tastes the exact same.
I have to hide things from him so he doesn't see it and not want to eat it. Sad, i know.
He's just going to have to learn!
But i'm starting off really good. Today i saved $8.50 on my groceries. But i didn't shop any sales. I think that part i'll have to really work on. That involves a LOT of planning ahead and shopping around. Right now, i'm happy with just clipping coupons and getting generic. But hey, it's a start...and you have to start somewhere!

Christmas traditions...

One of my favorite things to do with Mady at Christmas time is to track Santa with Norad. The past 2 years, she hasn't really gotten it since she was so little, but i think this year will be different. I think she will get it, as least a little bit.

Here is the address in case you want to track Santa too!
http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

Christmas updates...

Well, we finally got it done. We went this past weekend and got our Christmas tree. And i must say, this is one of our nicer trees...but definately not one of our smaller ones. But who wants a small tree anyways?!
The whole time we were at the tree farm, Madylinn was very excited and kept saying "Christmas tree?! Christmas tree?!" Apparently she wanted to bring them all home with us.

As for the shopping, thats a whole other story. I've been shopping quite a few times, and i never seem to get that much closer to being done! But i always manage to bring home a ton of stuff...weird. But we're very close to being done shopping. Hopefully this weekend will finish us off and we're not one of "those people" out on christmas eve, though i think that might be us. I also have to wrap everything. I think i'm just going to lock myself in the attic for 4 or 5 hours and do it all at once.

And our Christmas cards will *hopefully* be going out tomorrow, so keep your eyes open for them in the mail. I have to get to the post office for more stamps, but then they are off. They came out really cute, if i do say so myself.

Other than all of that, i think we are ready for the holidays. Mady keeps running around the house saying "Merry Kissmas" (it sounds just like that). She wants to eat off her Santa plate, she wants to track santa on the Norad Santa tracker, and of course she wants to eat "bossy" and birthday cake...1 out of 2 ain't bad, hehehe.

*sob sob* I am good *sob sob*

Wondering what the heck i'm talking about?

It's that wonderful time of year again...Santa pictures!

We were all set.

We talked up Santa big time.

How he brings presents to good kids.

How he loves milk and cookies.

How he is so nice.

How all the other kids are sitting on his lap, behaving.

She was all ready to go.

She was smiling, laughing, ready to sit on his lap.

Then, we got to his lap.

No such luck, fat man!

She would talk to him, but she was glued to me.

With the bribe of a lollipop and juice, she gave him a hug.

She said she loved him.

She said she was good.

Then she wanted down.

The picture...not real good.

It's a mix of being terrified and trying to smile for mommy.

Oh well.

It's a good story!

Thank you hunters...

Let me start by saying a big thank you to all the hunters out there. If it wasn't for you, i wouldn't have today off from work!

Today we went shopping again. Everytime i go Christmas shopping, i come home with tons and tons of bags, but i never seem to get closer to being done? How is that possible? And i've found that sometimes i can't find the perfect gift, let alone a good/special gift, for people when i'm looking for them. It's very frustrating!

Thank goodness for online shopping and sales sales sales!

The news is in...

Well, to start with, for those of you that don't already know...

It's a GIRL!!

I know, i know, i'm as shocked as you are! But it's true. God must have bigger and better plans for us than i thought. I always knew he was on my side for this whole "really big family" thing, hehehe.

But to be honest, i was a bit dissapointed at first. I was really wanting a boy. But now that i've had time to think about it, i'm very excited about having another baby girl.
It just means more pigtails...more prom dresses...another wedding...another daughter for daddy to walk down the isle...another 2 1/2 years of daddy sitting on the couch with a shotgun...matching outfits...Mady having a best friend for life...another best friend for mommy...the list goes on and on.

Now i just have to stop myself from buying all kinds of new cute clothes for the baby. She will already have Mady's clothes, which is enough to wear a new outfit everyday for her whole life practically. But she definately WILL need some new summer clothes, since she will be so small then and Mady was already 6+ months old by that time. And of course, i'm totally going to buy some matching outfits so they look so darn cute together!! They will hate it when they get older, but while they are young, i might as well have my fun while i can, hehehe.

Also, it's about that dreaded time where Frank and I have to start thinking about names. We have about 10-15 that we agree on already, but we can't agree on a favorite at all. Good thing we have 19 weeks to figure it out. We could always listen to Mady and name her SpongeBob.

Tomorrow, tomorrow...

This will be the last post i create before the big day. No, not THAT big day. But the next biggest day to that. The day we find out what our little easter eggie is!
In just a little over 12 hours, we'll know if our house will be female dominated or evened out 2 on 2.
I still haven't had a dream as to what this baby is like i did with Mady. I still don't really have an feeling what-so-ever what this baby is!
I guess we'll have to wait and see though.
But for those of you who will be lucky enough to see me at the Run for the Diamonds, you will be amung the first people to find out what eggie is. For the rest of you that are lucky enough to see me that day, you'll just have to ask. And for everyone else...you'll have to check back and see!

Take a guess, any guess...

Ok everyone, here it is...

Here is my Madylinn belly (first picture) compared to my Baby #2 belly (second picture)...



So what do you think? Boy or Girl?

My rant for the day...

It's all over the news lately, it's in the newspapers, it's on the internet...you can't seem to avoid it...and everyone has an opinion that they all voice freely. So let me jump on the bandwagon too.

Body scanners at the airports.

What is wrong with you people?! Seriously.
You want to be safe when you travel, right?
You don't want your plane highjacked at gunpoint, right?
You want to arrive at your destination safely, and not crash on the way, right?!
THEN LET THEM SCAN YOU FOR DANGEROUS THINGS!!
They dont see any private parts, they don't see your face, it's just an image of your body to see if you are hiding any weapons in any places that a regular pat down wouldn't catch.
What's the big deal?
If you want to scan my body, go right ahead. I know i sure don't want to be plane-jacked, and i have nothing to hide.
It's not an invasion of privacy by any means.
It's called a safety measure people. And if you don't like it, don't fly!
You let theml scan your luggage, and if they feel it necessary, they will go through it without your permission. I'm sure most people have a lot more personal things in their luggage than they do hidden in the "un-seen" areas.
I really just don't get what the big deal is, unless you have something to hide.
And the only time they go for the actual "pat-down" and groin/butt check is when you say "No" to a body scan. I think that's a little worse, don't you?
These people are just doing their job.
They are just trying to keep YOU safe while you fly.
And it's mostly the people that complain the most about a lack of security measures, a lack of safety, and the people who are running late for their flight.
Look, douche bag, if you don't get a body scan or pat down check like i do, i don't want you on my plane. I don't know what you are hiding. And crashing into the ocean doesn't sound like a good vacation to me.
So do me a favor, and stay the hell home if you don't like it!

Well kiss my blarney stone...

So every week during football season, Frank and I play football tickets and polls. I know, i know, it's illegal to gamble on sporting events...sue me, it's fun!
We play the regular bookie tickets, which i never win on, but Frank sometimes wins on.
We also play the football poll that my dad gets from one of his friends. It's just a local "pick the winners" game, with a points tie breaker.
Well, last week i won on the football poll! It was great, since i never win...and i mean never. Well, wouldn't you know it, i won again this week!!
This is unprecidented!
Un-heard of!!
I think i need to buy a lottery ticket.

Hair...

Hair is an ongoing debate in this house. Well, Mady's hair is at least.


Frank likes to wet it and comb it straight down, poker straight. Then when it dries, it gets all fly away on the ends and kinda resembles Farrah Fawcett's hair from the Charlie's Angel's movie.



I, on the other hand, like to put some mousse in her hair and scruntch it. It curls up very nicely, and it looks so cute! She is definately gonna have curly hair like her mommy. Frank says the mousse makes her hair look "dirty" and "messy". But he's a boy, what does he know!



Judge for yourself...messy or right?

Family night out...

Yesterday we decided we needed a family night out. So after Mady woke up from her nap, we all got dressed and made our way to the mall. We were pretty hungry, so we decided to go to Longhorn Steak house for dinner. Well, it's good we stopped in when we did! It was 5:30 when we got there and put our names on the list, and they told me it was an 80-90 minute wait at that point. So we took the caller thingy and went to Target to browse around for a while (pre-black friday shopping if you will). By the time we were done, it was almost time to go back. When we got back, it was still about a 10 minute wait, so we stood inside the first set of doors with a crowd of people. There were so many people there!! It was absolutely hysterical listening to some of the people bitch! There was a lady flipping out on the hostess because now it was up to a 140 minute wait, and the lady thought that was ridiculous. She stormed out, yelling at all the people waiting that they should leave too because she was there for 2 hours before she was even waited on at the desk. Really lady, 2 hours?! What did you think was going to happen. A really popular new restaurant comes to town, it's open a week, and you think you can drive up and get right in?! We felt so bad for the poor hostesses, they were taking a lot of crap from people, and it wasn't their fault. By the time we sat down to eat, it was about 715. Our waitress was really nice, and we got drinks and bread and an appetizer right away, because we knew it would take a while for our dinners to come out because of the crowd. Boy were we right! After the appetizer, it was a bit till our salads got there, and then it was even longer until our dinners came out. I was totally full before my meal even got there! And we didn't even get out of there until 901, so needless to say, Longhorn Steak House took up our whole night. But it was such good food, we both decided it was worth it, and we were glad we didn't give up and go somewhere else.

On another note, on the way there, i felt the baby kick (FINALLY)! This baby is slacking compared to Mady. Mady was kicking about 1 1/2 weeks earlier.

Already wondering...

I know we still have 2 weeks and 1 day until we find out what we're having, but i've already started to wonder on a daily basis. My curiosity is getting the best of me. With Mady, i had a dream about a week before we found out. In that dream, everyone was telling me what a beautiful GIRL we had, so i knew then and there it was a girl. I had a dream about 2 weeks ago that we had a boy, but he was already a week old and we didn't have a name for him yet! So i'm still waiting for that definitive dream...hopefully next week?!
And guessing doesn't help me at all. Old wives tales were mostly wrong with Mady, so who knows what they're like with this one. And i guess you can't judge based on how the pregnancies have been to date, since i know people who've had totally different pregnancies and they had the same gender.
But these pregnancies have been nothing but totally different. With Mady, i gained weight from day 1, with this baby i haven't gained a pound yet (well, maybe .3). With Mady i was never sick or anything, with this baby i was sick for 14 weeks and even now still on and off. With Mady all i craved were soft pretzels and mozz sticks, with this baby i want chocolate and ice cream. They couldn't be more different.
I guess we'll have to wait 2 more weeks to see.

I'd say it was a good day...

Yup, that's right. I'd say it was a good day today...a really good day.
I got up with Mady and got her dressed and eating breakfast.
I went to Farmer's market and got some yummy veggies.
I came home and got to go for a nice, long run ALL BY MYSELF!!!
I had a yummy lunch with my loves.
We dropped Mady off and went to a movie...an actual movie at a theater!
We went out to dinner ALONE.
We visited family.
We got some chocolate milkshakes on the way home.
Clocks get set back and i "hopefully" get an extra hour of sleep.
I'd say it was a good day.

Happy Halloween!!

One busy day...

Yesterday was one busy day for us. After church, we had a 2nd birthday party to go to. Parties are always big events for Madylinn. She played with the other kids, and with some of the adults too! She ate a good amount of food, and cake of course. And then Elmo showed up. I knew before the party that he was going to show up, and i knew it was going to be a bad idea. All the kids were scared of him! None of them wanted to even go near him, until our friend Joe started picking kids up and putting them on Elmo's lap. That wasn't the best of idea's, as all but 1 of the kids started screaming and flailing to get away. I guess it's a bigger kid thing. Maybe next year it'll work. I hope it goes more smoothly when we go to see Santa!

Then we came home and carved pumpkins. Frank and I each carved a big pumpkin while Mady played with her little one.

Here is Frank's pumpkin creation

Here is my pumpkin creation
And here is Mady's pumpkin creation
Here are our pumpkins on display

I also made good use of the oven for the ENTIRE DAY. I made homemade fruit roll ups. They actually came out really really good, they just took a while. They have no sugar, and are pretty much all fruit, so i don't feel bad letting Mady have one or two a day. I can't wait to make more!!

Hope for the future...

Here is my proof. I'll be able to show Mady these pictures in 30 years when she is a successful doctor, and say to her "I knew it right from the beginning!"

Taking blood pressure

Checking daddy's ears (careful, you might see all the way through!)

Having her own blood pressure taken

Listening to her heartbeat

Mady's first haircut...

All ready to get her hair cut

Happy hair cut baby

Snip snip snip

Getting her bangs trimmed while daddy holds her head still

The after shot...in a pony tail of course

Birthday pictures...

Her birthday sign

Opening presents
Loving her SpongeBob doll

Riding her bike

Some of the kids, playing under the pool table

The birthday cake
Blowing out her candles
Our family

Busy bee...,

I know it's been forever since i've posted, but i've been really busy.
Not only was it Bloomsburg Fair week, one of my favorite weeks of the whole year, but we've had lots of places to go and people to see. Parties to attend, and work to do.
And then this week, i've been busy trying to finish things up for Mady's birthday party tomorrow. And let me tell you, that's no easy feat!
I'm buying decorations, filling treat bags, putting together presents, ordering and buying food, and of course baking the cakes!
Baking the cakes, i thought, was going to be the hardest part. But surprisingly, they are coming out really nicely. I can't wait to show them off. Mady already loves them, so that's a good sign.
Stay tuned for pictures of the party, in case you can't join us!

It's Eggie time...

Here is our most recent picture of E.E. Frank thinks he/she looks like an alien. Maybe it's a bit true, but that's MY alien dam it!

This baby is going to be AS stubborn if not MORE so than Mady. He/She would not co-operate at all when it came to picture time. It was all belly, and we finally got a few straight on shots at the end. Not to mention that his/her hands were always, and i mean always, in front of his/her face. At least Mady gave us a few shots!

In any case, you can see his/her eyes, nose and mouth here. One arm is flailing in the air on top, while the other one is kinda under the head, sorta on the cheek. Both legs are tucked up, since he/she was lying on their belly a few seconds prior, and apparently that's the comfy thing to do.

So what do you think, does E.E. look more like a boy or a girl?!

Sleepover party!

Well, i knew the time had to come eventually. One day she was going to grow up and leave me. I guess it's inevitable!
Mady is going on her first sleepover tonight :(
She is staying at my mom's house because we have a wedding to go to today. We originally planned all this BEFORE i got pregnant, anticipating that we would be going out AFTER the reception as well. Guess that's not happening, lol.
But i must say, it will be nice to sleep in for once in 3 months.
And even though she's only around the block, i'm still going to be horribly sad and worried. Not because my mom hasn't watched a baby overnight in, oh, say, 27 years...but because sometimes Mady is a handful, and she won't be here when i wake up...and i won't be able to hear her breathing when i fall asleep. Ugh, i'm going to cry now.
It will be ok.
Other kids do it.
She'll be thrilled.
I will live.
Hopefully she'll be good, because i'm sure with 2 kids i'm going to want more sleepovers so i can stay sane...maybe

Mmmmm...Tuna?!?!

So usually i make dinner before i leave for work, so that way i know Mady is eating something healthy for dinner instead of just burgers/dogs/cheesesteaks/fries everyday. Well, i decided we were going to have Tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches for dinner. I didn't want to make it ahead of time, because that particular entree is not really good reheated...plus, i figured it was something Frank could handle and not burn. Well, he made dinner for himself and Mady, but there wasn't any left for me. This is where it gets weird. When i got home, i decided i wanted a tuna salad sandwich...a tuna salad sandwich!! I NEVER eat tuna! Well, not never, but very rarely. But man, was that good! I could have eaten 100 sandwiches and been happy. Weird.

Really?!

I may not be the smartest at everything.
I may not be the quickest at everything.
I may not be anywhere NEAR the best at everything.
But some people really just need to be smacked upside their heads!

You look so good...

I am starving, have i mentioned that yet?!
And i know what you're saying...Eat already then!
Easier said than done.
It happens at breakfast, it happens at dinner...lunch is about my only escape.
I make a normal plate of food, not too much, just right.
I eat MAYBE half.
I can't put another bite in my mouth without puking.
Frank yells at me to just puke already and i would be able to eat more.
Somehow that doesn't seem satisfying.
So i sit and stare at the food, wishing i could eat it because i'm practically starving.
But NO!

Surprise!!

A little birdie told me a secret...

I'm going to be a Big Sister!!

Happy and Mad...

Today was a mixed emotion kind of day.

On one hand, i'm really happy. Mady peed on her potty today!! Aunt Marian picked her up from daycare today, since daddy had to work late. Well, she must have been telling Aunt Marian how she had to pee, and that she wanted to sit on the potty...this is how it usually starts, but usually she's already peed in her diaper and it's just sitting on the potty for show. Well, apparently, she actually had to pee!! I'm so proud of her!! I hope she understands now what the potty is for and she does it again and again :)

On a mad note, a kid at daycare bit Mady in the arm today! She has a big red welt and a bite mark too :( All because she wouldn't share her toy. Tough crap kid, she didn't want to share with you!! Frank thinks i'm nuts, but i think that kids parents should appologize to us. I would appologize if it were Mady that did the biting. I would be so embarrased if it were Mady! And they sent a biting paper home with Mady...WITH MADY!! She was the poor victim in this whole thing. Oh well, i'm gonna teach her karate, lol.

Fantasy...

It's about that time. Fantasy football season is upon us again, and Frank and I are in a league again. We had our draft on Sunday, and if i have to say so myself, we came out with some really good teams. I'm excited for the season to start. Football is probably one of the best sports ever! My weekends couldn't get any better, let me tell you. High school football on Fridays, college football on Saturdays and NFL on SUndays. You gotta love it!

Not working, yet...

So Mady's sleep schedule is still all messed up. As you may remember, i was trying to put her to bed later so she would sleep in in the mornings. And that didn't go so well. So i decided to just give in and accept my fate, we've become an early rising family. Mady's new bedtime is now 815-830pm, and she's still waking up at 7-720am. I guess it's not ALL bad, as Frank and i can have a little bit of piece before bedtime, and i can get more done in the mornings when she is awake, since i can leave the house. Plus, it's not too hot, so Mady and I can go for a run early and beat the heat. And this way, she is taking her nap before she goes to daycare, so she can spend all her time playing there. This is also a good thing because it gives me some time to make dinner and pack her lunch without her being underfoot and yelling for me to play with her. I guess i have no choice BUT to give in!

A new routine...

So today is the first day of school where i work. This also means that i'm back to a regular schedule and not getting up early anymore. I guess someone forgot to tell Mady about that though. She's still waking up at 7am! Friday night, Saturday night and last night, i tried to keep Mady up pretty late so she would be very sleepy and she would sleep in in the morning and we could get back to a regular schedule. Well, that just didn't work. She was up late, and she was STILL up at 7am. So it looks like we're going to have to start a new routine around here. And earlier bedtime, this new "wonderful" (aka gag me) early wake up time, and a semi-early naptime too (since i leave for work right in the middle of what would be her new normal naptime). I'm not totally sure how this is going to work for EITHER of us, but i guess we'll find out soon enough. I think it might take a few days of tweeking to find what works for us...well, me...well, her...well, i think i need a few more hours of sleep!

A partially filled day...

Today was supposed to be a jam-packed day, but instead, it's turned into a relaxing day at home. After church this morning, where Mady was a huge wiggle butt, we had some time to relax before jetting off to our first activity of the afternoon...Keegan's birthday party. Keegan is Mady's future husband, i'm sure of it. They are too cute together! So we went to the party and had a great time. Mady played with Keegan, she practically took a bath in the sand (which we're still combing out of her hair AFTER her bath), and Keegan loved his gifts! We had some really yummy food too. We were supposed to leave there and go to our friend's Joe and Shannon's house for their son's birthday party, but Frank came down with a case of "girly-itis", better known as his usual Strep Throat (which he gets at least 2x a year). So after the party, we just came home so he could rest. I guess it worked out for the best because Mady desperately needed a bath (remember the sand?!), and then she was ready for a nap too. Guess we'll just have to meet Joe and Shannon a different night. Thank God Frank has his leftover full bottle of amoxocillan from his leg episode, or he would be in some serious pain with his throat right now.

11 of 11

Today is day 11 of 11 days. I know that number may seem irrelevant to most of you, but to me that number represents the last day of camp weeks!!!!! That means no more getting up when the sun comes up and getting home long after the sun goes down. That means no more Mady going to full day daycare. That means actually seeing Mady for more than 20 minutes a day. That means sleeping a normal amount of hours. That means not having to make dinner at 10pm for the next day.
I'M SO HAPPY!!!!!!!
It is now time for the happy dance

Another week...

And so begins another week of camps. Thank goodness it's the LAST week of camps. After working 6 of the last 7 days, needless to say, i haven't caught up on my sleep yet. This one little factoid is what is killing me today, already! I am ready for a nap, or to just go home, either one would be fine with me. But alas, it's only 2:23pm, and i'm here until 9pm tonight. Wa-freakin-who! Just watch for me on the golf cart, i'll be the one with her head down like she's looking at something, but in reality she's totally asleep!
I'm still looking for that fast forward button that i can hit and get me through this week really really fast. If anyone's got one, please lend it to me!

The slowest fast time...

Well, it's finally friday. This week has been very slow and kinda fast, all at the same time. The days feel like they drag while i'm here, but somehow the week seemed to almost speed by. Not that i'm complaining about time flying, especially not for these 2 weeks at least.
Mady has been in daycare all week (except for tuesday, which she happily spent with my mom...thanks mom). She has actually been having a good time. She a very social kid, so i know she would have fun. The only problems we seem to have are the leaving her in the morning ones. She doesn't like to see me go. I don't like to leave her. It's not a good situation. I cry.
Mady has been slowly getting used to this new early morning routine, which i'm not happy about AT ALL! Don't get me wrong, i don't like having to actually wake her up and deal with her cranky, i don't like the morning, self...but today she woke herself up before i even got up! This is going to turn into a problem, fast, i can just see it. After these 2 weeks are finally over, we are going to need to pull a few late nighters to get her back to her regular routine. Hopefully that won't take too many days/nights.
Work has been good. Stressful, but good. It's very hot and humid outside, so i've been having to work extra hard to keep everyone going through this weather. It's funny how people don't like to listen to you when you tell them they need to drink, drink, drink, drink, drink...the only time they listen is AFTER they've had a heat meltdown. Was i talking to myself people?! My kid listens better, and she's not even 2 yet!

Boredom...i mean chaos...day 1

So today was total chaos, and total boredom, all in one. Of course, my morning didn't go nearly as smoothly as i would have liked it to. I thought i had enough time to get everything done, but i was wrong. So after falling behind about 15min, i finally was on my way.
The hardest part about today was dropping Mady off at daycare. I know it was only for 7 1/2 hours, and that most people take their kids to daycare for that long, if not longer. But i'm not most people! She wasn't exactly thrilled to be there at first, but that could be that i had to wake her up over an hour earlier than usual...and that she was with people she hasn't seen in over three months...and that i left her there. But i definately think it was harder on me than it was on her. I cried half way to work! I'm so attached to her :(
Then, work was just crazy. Everything from not having things here, to my 1 ice machine breaking, to running around like an idiot for a few hours. I was tired. And to top it all off, my water girl was here all day for some reason. Mostly, i think, because her mother didn't want to have her around the house anymore. So what, i'm a babysitter now too?! This is not going to fly for very long.
And now, as the day winds down, i sit here in my room, alone. Not that i'm complaining, i'm just ready to go home and see my baby already.

The return of Thursday 13...

I know it's been quite a while since i've done a Thursday Thirteen, but hey, i get sidetracked a lot. But i'm going to make every attempt to bring it back! I think it might work, especially since i'm going back to work next week...which means i'll need to find things to occupy a few hours, hahaha.
So here it is, in no particular order, the return of Thursday Thirteen!

13 things to do on a rainy day:

13. Go grocery shopping. I know, that doesn't necessarily sound like fun, but you can get it out of the way, and get some yummy food to top it off!

12. Watch a movie. And in this house, as long as it's animated, it wins!

11. Watch tv. Not the best way to pass time, but sometimes it's very informative, or just plain funny, depending on what you watch.

10. Make play doh. This is fun for all ages.

9. Puddle jumping. Frank doesn't like this one, but he doesn't think his little princess should get too dirty.

8. Baking. This is a fun mommy/daughter activity. Just don't wonder where half of whatever you're making went!

7. Dance party! This is always a good time, just turn the music up loud and go crazy!

6. Tea party. This mostly only applies to little girls, sorry guys. GI Joe is too manly for imaginary tea and imaginary sandwichs.

5. Learning time. I love to take a rainy day and use it as an opportunity to help learn our ABCs and 123s.

4. Potty training. This is a tough one to teach/learn. But what better time to try than when you are stuck in the house?!

3. Picture party. Mady gets the old camera, i get the new one...let's just say, it's picture mania in here!

2. Homemade finger paints. This is a messy option, but it's so much fun.

1. Nap time. What better to do on a rainy day than to cuddle up on the couch and take a little group nap. I can't think of anything better!

Nothing new...

That's right people, there is nothing new going on here. Surprise, surprise! I'm anticipating that changing drastically starting next week though. Next week is the start of work for me, and that means Mady has to go back to daycare. I'm very nervous, scared, and just plain unhappy about the whole thing, but there's nothing i can do about it...so i have to suck it up and deal with it. Mady's vocabulary has been expanding in leaps and bounds, so i'm hoping that spending time at daycare will only help that fact. She will be moving up to the "toddler" room when she goes back, so she'll be in with kids 18months to 3 years. I'm also hoping that she doesn't pick up any bad habits, but i guess we'll have to take the good with the bad.

It's been ridiculously hot and humid during the week, so we try to spend a majority of our time inside the house. We do, however, go for a walk and a run everyday...which for Mady is a walk and a cool relaxing ride in the wind. Must be nice to be pushed all over the surrounding area, not having to do a darn thing, lol.

We're still working on potty training. It's actually a lot harder than i thought it was going to be, and i thought it was going to be pretty hard. Mady is good at telling me when she has to poop, but by the time she actually tells me, she's half way through it and we're too late. As for peeing, she hasn't figured out yet when she has to do that. I thought that was supposed to be the first thing they get?! But she loves to sit on the potty! She will happily take off her diaper and sit on the potty with her book, for like 15miutes! Now just DO something on there, hahaha.

How do i ever forget...

Today i spent the whole day out at the school for fall physicals. I always forget how much i dread today, until i'm actually there.
When i arrive at the school, i always go half an hour early, just because i know when i open the door to my room for the first time since the end of May, i'm going to be totally and completely pissed. It always looks like a bomb went off in there after summer break. Some of the coaches are totally inconsiderate, and they basically trash my room. So needless to say, it takes me time before hand and time afterwards to straighten up the mess they've made. This WILL stop, mark my words.
Then i have to deal with people all day long. Physicals are usually 930-2. You either have to get there at 9 to sign up at the front of the line, or you might as well sign your name up and leave because you won't get in until closer to 1. Every year it's the same, parents bitching because they have to wait their turn in line and it's "taking forever" and "it's so unorganized" and "this is ridiculous". Look people, you don't have to tell me! I've been there all day long, i know how long it's taking! Don't think for one second that just because you are bitching, i'm going to bump your kid to the front of the line. We're trying to go in order, but i'm not going to try to wrangle 60 kids and yell at them. Pay attention and you won't get bumped down the line! Arg!

Frizz central...

The humidity has been ridiculously high all week, which has become a hinderance to my daily exercise routine. I've been trying to do my Insanity every morning like usual, and then after Mady wakes up and eats breakfast and plays for a bit, we go for a run. I like to try to run anywhere from 5-10 miles at a time, but with the humidity i feel like i'm going to explode into a puddle on the side of the road! People that are driving by probably think i'm out of my mind, and then when they get close enough to get a good look at me, they KNOW i am out of my mind, since i look like i just stepped out of the shower fully clothed! I can't wait until this humidity breaks already.

Just when i thought the obsession was over...

...i'm sucked right back in! That's right folks, i'm talking about American Idol. After they added that talent-less loser Kara, i was mad. When they booted Paula, i was sad. When they added Ellen, i was thrilled. Then Ellen quit and so did Simon, and i was shocked. I thought my American Idol watching days were over. Not only is the talent half as good as it's been in the past, but every judge with any kind of talent is leaving! Then there was an announcement that Jennifer Lopez was going to replace Ellen, and of course i thought "What buisness does she have up there?!" She hasn't had a hit song since Jenny from the Block! Bad choice there, which only re-affirmed my decision of NOT watching Idol anymore...then this...the announcement to end all bad mouthing, and reverse any decision previously made. Idol is signing Steven Tyler to replace Simon!! That's right everyone, Steven Tyler...Mr Aerosmith himself!! I'm going to have to watch Idol for him alone! I love him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My soon-to-be amputee...

Well, it's Wednesday today.
It's been over a week since Frank started complaining about his legs and the infections.
It's been almost a week since i told him to go to the doctor's and get it checked out.
He finally went on Monday.
He got medicine.
It still doesn't feel better.
It actually feels worse.
He can barely walk.
We are on our way to the ER.
Why don't men listen in the first place?!

Woo hoo, Pennsylvania!!

A day at the Crayola Factory...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Its been a while...

It's been a while...since Frank and I went to a movie. I asked him, "When was the last time we went to a movie". No idea. I'm pretty sure it's been at least 9 months, if not more!
So, thanks to my mom and Gary, Frank and I got to go to a movie this afternoon! After we got out of church, we hung out for a bit, and then we bolted! While my mom distracted Mady, Frank and i ran out the front door. We jumped in the car and headed to Bloom. Our plan was to eat first, at Bennigan's, and then head to the afternoon matinee of Grown Ups.
Let me tell you how amazing the new theater is in Bloom. It's almost just like an Imax theater, with the wider seats that recline, and the larger leg room. And it's lit better in the aisles, and it's so much cleaner. Wow, i don't remember being this picky BEFORE i had Mady, hahaha.
The movie itself was really funny, and it had a great story behind it too. A double winner in our books.

Livin for the weekend...

So we spent the weekend camping and boating on the river. It was such a good time!

Friday night we drove down in the rain (what i thought was going to be a bad sign for the weekend to come). We rented a cabin at a cute little campsite, and it came with a dock for the boat. By the time Frank got home from work and we actually got on the road with the boat, when we got there it was time to eat dinner. I love cooking over a camp fire!

Saturday morning the guys all went golfing, so us girls and the kiddos went out on the boat and swam and floated and drove really fast, lol. After the guys got back and we had lunch, we spent the rest of the day on the boat, swinging on the rope swing, tubing, skiing, swimming...you know, just having fun. We went out after dinner too, for some night boating :)

Then Sunday, we packed up our stuff and spent the day on the boat before coming home.

All in all, it was a very fun weekend...despite the minor sunburn and the dozen bug bites, hehehe.

It's all about proximity...

Yesterday, we were invited to my best friend Sara's house to have dinner and play with her new baby Caleb. Of course, i'll take any chance i can to see that little cutie pie, and they love to have Mady over too, so it works out great!
Mady napped until about 15 minutes before we had to leave, so when she woke up, it was a bit of a rush to get out the door. I had to do her hair, so i thought i would kill 2 birds with 1 stone and give her some blueberries and juice while i did it. Well, she only managed about 6 blueberries and 3-4 sips of juice before i was done, but that was good enough to tide her over until we get there and had dinner. Well, we packed up the car and we were off.
We made it to about 10 minutes from their house, when we heard this noise coming from the backseat. It took us about 3 seconds to realize what it was...puke! Of course, Frank looks at me and says "What is going on", to which i yelled "Pull the car over!!". I must have been talking with my 3rd head, because he was like "Where should i pull over". Duh dear! "Right here!" I screamed. Thank goodness we were right by a smaller, less used road.
I unbuckled and jumped out of the car and opened the back door to see my poor kid strapped into her carseat, practically erupting blueberry puke. It was horrible, for both of us. I quickly unstrapped her and put her on the ground, but of course she was done puking already. I grabbed a plastic bag from the car and a towel, and i started taking her clothes off and cleaning her up. Frank got on the phone and called Sara and Jared and let them know we would be a bit late. We had to take the carseat out of the car and dump it upside down to get all the, ewww, chunks, out of it so we could sit her back in the seat.
I had Frank call his dad, who thank god only lives about 2 minutes from where we were at the time of the incident, and we drove over there. Thank goodness for that. They have a spare carseat that, thankfully, we borrowed, and they were nice enough to wash Mady's clothes and the carseat cover while we were out. We had to stop at KMart and buy Mady a whole new outfit, too!
Thankfully, Mady was fine after that one incident, and, knock on wood, she has been fine since. At least we were close to their house when everything went down, and not in the middle of nowhere. After i realized that Mady was ok, i'll admit it, i was pretty sad that my new car got the puke treatment so soon. I guess it's officially the family car now! Thank god for dark interior.

More ways to beat the heat...

Today we went to Oppenheimer waterpark in Sunbury. My friend Shannon had told us about it while we were on vacation. I never knew it was there! Imagine that, living so close all these years, and i never knew it was there! So Shannon and i made plans to meet there with the kids and play.

And get this, they provide you with a FREE LUNCH, yes i said free, for the kids AND the adults!! Yup, adults too! It's not super fancy, but it definately does the job. Today's lunch was a PB&J sandwich, a cup of peaches, a banana and a milk.

The waterpark itself was really fun. There was a bunch of sprinklers and things all built into the ground for the kids to play on and around. And surrounding the water portion were slides, swings and all kinds of playsets for the kids to play on when they don't want to be in the water. And right behind the building that is there is a basketball court and a big open part, so the older kids can play basketball/soccer or whatever they want. It's so nice! We are definately going back there a few times!

Beating the heat wave...

Fluency...

I've found lately that i am becoming more and more bilingual. What is my second language, you ask?! Baby-ese. And let me tell you that, yes indeed, it IS a language all of it's own.

I used to see and talk to my friends babies, and i never had any idea what they were saying. I would get, maybe, 1 or 2 out of every 15 words...and even those were wrong half the time. But their moms always knew what they were saying, clear as day. I always wondered what that would be like,and now i know.

It's as if i've emmersed myself into a different culture, and i'm slowly picking it up as i go. Now, when we're out somewhere, i can usually understand a good chunck of what Mady is saying while nobody else has half a clue. It kinda makes me feel special, in an odd kinda way, hahaha.

Update...

I feel like there has been a lot going on around here, but not much i can blog about. Most of what goes on in our daily lives is pretty much the same, day to day, and i'm sure it's no fun to read the same thing over and over again.

Last night i made homemade, edible playdough for Mady to play with. I don't give her the regular stuff because i know how she is with putting things in her mouth right away...i don't want her to be poisoned or anything. So i found a recipie online and decided to make it for her. I used Jell-O in it, so it smells and tastes pretty good...but it has a lot of salt in it, so now i know for next time to use less, hahaha.

Boredom...

I've spent the past 3 days at working at a wrestling tournament. I know what you're thinking, i shouldn't be working, it's the summer! But it was only a 3 day thing, and i kinda had no other choice. And since i was sitting in my room doing absolutely nothing for 3 whole days, you would think i would have blogged my head off...but no! I'm not really sure what i did all day to pass the time, but it somehow worked.
Monday i had Mady with me, as there was nobody to watch her. That made the day go pretty fast. We colored, played outside, ate lunch, colored some more, went for walks, played outside some more, then came home.
Tuesday and Wednesday we had guest babysitters (aka my mom and my dad) who did a wonderful job with Mady...which all of you who know her know, isn't an easy task. But we very much so appreciate it!

Another milestone...

Last night, we finally made the switch. We changed over Mady's bed from a crib to a big girl bed.

I was so scared she would fall out of bed over night, i was up half the night listening to the monitor to make sure she was ok. But thankfully, she made the whole night, sleeping soundly.

And when she woke up in the morning, she just got out of bed and starting playing until we got to her.

She loves her new bed :)

Welcome...

Happy Birthday!!

Caleb Andrew Yost

23 inches

8lbs 14oz

Straight out of cops...

So last night at the Stiffie house, you would have thought we were right smack dab in the middle of an episode of the show cops.
I was in the kitchen making a gallon of sweet tea, and Frank was in the living room playing with Mady. Out in the alley we heard a loud commotion. This is not out of the ordinary around here, the people in the alley always seem to be drinking/fighting/causing some kind of disturbance, but we usually just ignore it...well, actually, we watch from the window for a little bit, then we ignore it. Well, this time it wasn't just guys being stupid, there were girls too. There was extra loud screaming, and cursing, and girls yelling "Get the f*ck in the house...let him the h&ll alone" etc.
Well, Frank is staring out the back door at this point, more for the sake of making sure that any fights didn't end up landing on my new car. I'm still in the kitchen making tea, listening to everything thats going on. I yelled at Frank to come back from the door and not get involved (the last thing we need is our house and cars getting vandalized because we were being nosy or bossy). He turned around to talk to me and we hear loud screaming and screetching. By the time Frank turned back around, people were scattering and yelling and running. This made me extra curious, so i had to go to the window and see what was going on.
To my surprise, i see a guy laying on the ground, and he looked dead. I yelled to Frank "What happened to that guy?!", and of course he didn't know either, so i dropped what i was doing and ran outside. I normally wouldn't get involved in other peoples fights like this, but if something serious happened to this kid, i couldn't stand idly by and do nothing. By the time i got to the kid on the ground, the people that beat him up and all the others were scattering. At first, i DID think this guy was dead, but i finally found a pulse. You would have thought it was a raid on a bush party or something, the way they all piled into cars and sped away.
By the time this guy was concious again, he was very confused and yelling at everyone (apparently he was drunk or something, and had no idea what was going on or what happened). Around that same time, our neighbors from down the block had heard all the yelling and made their way up to see what was going on. The guy from the ground got up and starting freaking out and swinging at people, including our down the block neighbor. Apparently he had no idea we were just there to make sure he wasn't dead, not the people actually hurting him. The car full of kids that beat him up went flying by the front of the house doing probably 60mph, and someone called the cops (who just happened to be at Turkey Hill...i know!) In less than a minute there was 1 cop car after the kids that beat the guy up, and 3 cop cars in the alley with us. I'm telling you, this was one of the more eventful evenings we've had here in a while. After talking to all of us, they tried to calm the beat up guy down and he was having none of it, so they were forced to handcuff him, put him up against the cop car and everything...the whole 9 yards, like we were on Cops!!
And you all wonder why we are ready to move already!

Ocean Isle recap...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Last day...

Today is our last day at the beach. I am happy and sad, all at the same time. It's always nice to get away, but after 10 days with people, little things start to bug you.
The Internet here is wireless, and it's been very hit or miss. I could only manage to gets connection a few days, so that's why I haven't been keeping up...but believe me, I've tried.
Just about everyone in the house has been sick. It's making it's way through the families, and nobody is safe...ha ha ha. It isn't the worst sickness, but it's definately irritating. Mostly digestion issues, if you know what I mean.
Mady has been having a great time. Sincebeing around other kids this whole time, I can proudly say she now calls me mommy. She has also picked up the word "mine", and perfected her "no". She likes to run into the ocean and jump waves. She loves loves loves the pool, especially since she now knows how to use water wings. She loves swimming and kicking her legs by herself. We also took her to the Ripleys touch aquarium. She loved the fish and sharks. She even touched a huge horseshoe crab! And yesterday we took her to Myrtle Waves waterpark. They had a great kiddie area with lots of toys, and she loved the wave pool. I even took her on a waterslide! She laughed the whole way down.
We are going to spend today, our last day here, at the beach. We are also doing a group dinner out tonight at a fancier place. It's been tons of fun, but we are ready to come home.

Food, food, food...

Tonight we cooked dinner. We are all taking turns cooking a breakfast and a dinner, and the other nights we are eating out. It wasn't supposed to be our dinner night, but the original couples meal wasn't thawed out yet, so we stepped up, LOL. I made my chicken and broccoli Alfredo with cheesey bread. It came out pretty decent, but not nearly as good as it does when I'm at home. I guess that's because I'm not cooking for 20+people there. I made too much pasta, that's for sure. I never made that many boxes at once, so a little bit burnt and stuck to the bottom of the pot... Ooopsy!! We aren't making breakfast for a few more days, so I have time to prepare myself.

Beach time...

So today is our 4th day at the beach. We have been very busy doing nothing. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how nice THAT is. Mady is enjoying the beach much much more than last year. She is running into the water as far as we will let her. She is trying to jump the waves like the bigger kids, it's so cute! And we have a private pool at our house too, which she loves. We brought her a raft, which she doesn't want to use. She much prefers the arm floaties. She will wear them and jump right off my lap into the water... She is getting so brave.

A sleepy destination...

Today we made it to the beach. It was a long, sleepy trip, but we finally made it. We left last night at 10pm to meet our fellow traveleds at bass pro shop in Harrisburg. After a quick coffe/energy drink stop, we were off. Frank drove first, and he went half the way, fueled only by energy drinks and caffine. I managed to squeeze in a 30min nap in that first half. We made our first rest stop around 330am, and frank was done driving for a while and ready for a nap. I took over the reins and made it until breakfast break, which was almost all the way there. After a nauseating breakfast at the waffle house, frank took back over and we made it to the beach. We were supposed to be able to get in our room by 10, but when we got there it wasn't cleaned yet. After a lunch break and a lesurely walk around ocean isle on the beach, we finally... Ahem...broke in to our house, and I mean that litterally. We spent the good part of the afternoon in our private pool. After an at home dinner, we're off to get some ice cream...followed by kiddie bedtime and then adult swim.

Happy 4th...

Since we'll be at the beach tomorrow, i'm posting this today...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Daddy finally caved!!

Just call her "Pretty in Pink"

It's all mine...

Today is my birthday.
To some, it's just another day...to me, it means another year older.
Not that that is all that bad of a thing.
I'm not really all THAT old just yet.
But the days go by faster the older you get.
Oh well...here's to me!!

A step in the wrong direction??

So this morning i was painting my toe nails, and Mady was watching eagerly. Of course, i told her one day while she was napping i would paint her toe nails so she could match me. Frank, being the over-protective dad that he apparently is, jumps right in. "You can't do that!", to which i obviously asked what's wrong with it, i mean really, it's just nail polish. This is the comparison he makes so i can understand his point of view better. "It's like an older kid saying, It's only marijuana mom, i wont do anything worse!". Seriously?! He is comparing toenail polish with smoking marijuana!

One heck of a workout...

So this week I started the "max" part of the insanity workouts. All I can say is wow! The first 4 weeks weren't that that bad. They had their tough moments, but I could handle them and still manage to get a good run in. Then week 5 came up, and it was the rest week. It was a pretty good week, which consisted of lots of stretching and balance moves. And then...dum dum dum...week 6 happens. I'm only on day 2 and I am so sore! The workouts are twice as hard and twice as long. I am actually achy in my arms and legs. So much so that I haven't even run yet this week! I even took a nap with Mady today! I'm hoping that tomorrow will get better and I'll be able to get a run in.

Just call me the stain whisperer...

Yesterday was quite a day. Not only did we have a baby shower to go to, but i got to practice my new found stain fighting powers.

For breakfast, i made pancakes. Frank, of course, has to have chocolate chip pancakes...but for Mady and I, i make blueberry pancakes. Of course, Frank is a huge slacker when it comes to watching his daughter eat (he's too worried about stuffing his own face), so she ends up with blueberries all over, and of course, on her pants. But not to worry, i actually got it out!

Then, while we were at the baby shower, it was beautiful outside, so we spent some time out in the front yard. Well, Mady being Mady, she has to run as fast as she can. Well, needless to say, she takes a tumble onto the grass on her knees and gets a grass stain on her capris. Now that's 2 pairs of pants today that she's gotten dirty! Oy! Well, at least i got the grass stain out!

I feel a new sense of power. Stains beware, dirt steer clear...never fear, because the Stain Master is here!

Sara's shower cake...

Here it is people, you get the first look. This is the cake i made for my best friends babyshower. This is the first time i'm trying something like this, and it's the first time i ever used fondant, so it doesn't look EXACTLY like the picture in my head. But for a first time, it's not half bad!
First i made the fondant from scratch...

Then i baked the layers of the cake, and in between i put a thick layer or Cookies and Cream buttercream...

Then i iced the whole thing...

Then i made the "butt" for the top of the cake...

Then i made the legs and feet out of Rice Krispie treats..

Then i used the fondant to cover the butt...

Then i colored some of the fondant and used it to cover the legs and feet, and to make some toes...

The i put the butt and legs onto the layer cake. I also colored some more fondant and made a blanket that i put on top of the baby...

Then i cut some letters and some decorations out of the remaining fondant...

And after some finishing up and some touching up, here is the finished product!