K-mart Krazy

The other day we were at my moms house and we decided to go to K-mart. Just one of those spur of the moment things. We don't have a clean k-mart around here so I thought it would be nice to go look around.

Well, it was not the greatest experience. Their buggies sucked! Madie wouldn't sit it the front or back of it without saying "it hurt!" Maybe she knew if she kept on the we would let her out of the buggy. So we did, under the condition that she would stay where we could see her...yea right. She went off on a spree and I had to grab her and found the nearest bench and sat her in timeout. It was the moment of quietness that I needed.

As I looked over to where my darling obedient daughter was sitting in her timeout, an older lady had perched herself next to my baby and begins talking and touching. I look over and tell her that she is in time out. The lady just looks at me, as if to ignore, and continues to talk and touch Madie. She was reluctant, because she knows that she is not supposed to talk when she is in timeout (she doesn't quite understand the no talking to strangers thing).

Needless to say, the time out was cut short ( they usually only last 30 seconds to 1 minute anyway). My mom went and scooped her up and said "We're headed to the toys, take your time." When I caught up with them, my mom said "that lady gave me the creeps." I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought she was weird.

I'm obsessive about keeping Madie in my sight when we are out....you never know what crazy is just around the corner.

Too Close...To A Close Call!

Memorial Day we went to a friends house to swim and cook out for lunch. We were gathering things up and loading the car to leave about 8:45am. Hubby was helping to load the car, I was gathering last minute things and Madie was running around the house ready to "go car."

We made it out of the door around 8:50am. We had plenty of time to get there, swim and have lunch before we had to head back home for Madie's nap time.

Madie had a great time swimming. It was the first time that she had been to a pool to swim when she could walk. She didn't start walking until October and last year she spent all of her time in the pool on all fours. She wore her arm floaties and had a great time. Lunch was good too. But then it was time to head home.

We get home and this is where the "too close to a close call happens." I walk inside the kitchen and see that the eye on our stove in on high. We have a flat top stove, so I could see the bright red color of the eye turning on when I walked in. I ran over to the stove and turned in off. I was thinking to myself, how in the world did this happen. I ran out to the garage where hubby was getting Madie out of the car and asked him if he remembered turning on the eye to the stove. He did not and I asked him if he would come and feel the intense heat of our microwave over the stove and check the cabinets to make sure there was no damage. While doing this, I picked Madie up so that she would not touch her hand on anything that could be hot. As we were talking, she reaches down toward the nob on the stove and says "turn." I froze....I couldn't believe it. Hubby and I just looked at each other. It was Madie who turned on the stove that remained on for about 5 hours!

We could have lost everything. Our house could have gone up in flames. God was watching over us. I don't want this to ever happen again....it was way too close to a close call!

Swimming Pool Fiasco

This Memorial Day weekend was jammed packed and will take several bog entries to share all of my stories from the weekend. But I must first share about the swimming pool fiasco that I experienced.

I had decided that I was going to go and get Madie an inflatable swimming pool and knew exactly what I wanted. I went and got one on Sunday morning and then while Madie and I were gone to a birthday party that afternoon I was going to have hubby blow it up so that it would be ready the next day. I received a message on the way home from hubby that there was a hole in the one that I had bought. So, I thought that I would just go by the place that I bought it (Wal-mart, where else), and get another pool and return the damaged one later. Evidently, everyone else in the Birmingham Metro area decided that they wanted this little pool too, because after 6 different Wal-marts and God only knows how much gas, I still did not find a replacement for the one that I wanted. So, I went to Target and got a back up. It was not exactly what I wanted, but I thought that it would do and Madie would have a good time with it. It had a little slide and sprayed water....very cute, but not what I wanted.

We filled the pool up while Madie was taking her nap and waited patiently until she awoke to see her reaction of her new pool. We were out there maybe 10 minutes and realized that this pool had a slow leak and water started pouring out of it and left the pool with only about 4 inches of water. So much for a fun pool time. I was so disappointed after I couldn't find the one that I wanted and to have my back-up pool have a hole in it to.

I'll keep a look out for the pool that I want but be aware of the bad swimming pool karma that plagues me.

Sweet & Sassy Saturday

My Lovebug's first real haircut---it even made me feel like a princess! Watch out Suri Cruise, I think my baby has the cutest "do" now!!!

Passing on the Pass and This Too Shall Pass

Yesterday when Madie woke up from her nap, she was trying to talk to me and I couldn't understand a word she said. So, I told her to throw her pacifier (she calls it a pass) away so I could understand her. She said "okay" and preceded to get up and head to the diaper pale to throw it away. I asked her if she had rather put it back in her bed or throw it away and she chose to throw it away. I couldn't believe it.....but knew for sure that she had no idea what she had just done and the consequences it would have ...until bedtime. She only uses her "pass" at nap time and bedtime. So, knowing what I know about my daughter, I got her "pass" washed it without her knowing (the diaper champ was never turned so it never entered the dirty diaper zone) and put it in a basket in her room where she would never find it.

When bedtime came, she did great! Yes, she asked for "pass" but hubby and I both reminded her that she had thrown it away. A night without pass----I can't believe it!

So, morning comes and about 5:30am I hear Madie calling for me. "Momma, mere!" louder and louder it gets. Hubby goes in to check on her and she pitches a fit for me. So, I go get her and put her in the bed with me---15 minutes later she starts throwing up and does so every 15-20 minutes until 9:45am, when I leave to take her to the Dr. to find out what's wrong with her. On the way to the Dr. she decided she wants to eat goldfish and drink juice and is looking as if she is starting to feel better---I head to the Dr. anyway---just in case.

Turns out she has a stomach bug----great---another one! But, this time it is supposed to be one of those "short-lived" ones.

When I went to put Madie down for the nap this afternoon--I could tell that she did not feel well and she began to ask for "pass." I reminded her again that she had thrown it away and that it was all gone and she started to cry and say "Momma, I need pass," in the most pitiful way and began to cry the kind of cry that creates big elephant tears. It broke my heart.

I hate to admit it----I caved---I was not strong---I failed her as a parent---She's in the bed right now sucking away on her "pass" as I sit her writing this blog. Maybe I can get her to throw it away again----and maybe my timing will be a little better.

Could It Be?

Could it be?

Could it be that the IRS which is an acronym for the Internal Revenue Service, could actually be an acronym for the I'm Rude Syndrome?

I had the unfortunate pleasure of having to make a phone call to the IRS ( you decide which one it stands for) yesterday. It seems that when we got our letter stating how much $ we would get from the stimulus package---which, like George Bush or not---its non-taxable money in your pocket--Thank you President Bush. Anyway, they forgot to recognize Madie as a dependent. I thought that $300 was worth the call. Not only to make sure that Madie was recognized as a person--but to also see if we qualified for the extra $300.

It turn out it was an error on there part and we do indeed qualify for the additional $300. When I made the call it was 27 minutes before I got a live person on the phone. Then, once I had someone on the phone I think I got the rudest person on the planet. She was so upset and sounded so bothered that I had called to inquire about our stimulus benefit. I could tell that she might not be having the best day so I tried to cheer her up by being very pleasant and telling her how much I appreciate her help---only to get a response like "it's my job!" She also let me know that she would be glad when this year was over and that she would be writing her congressman and asking him to never allow another stimulus program (i.e. create more work for her).

After 15 minutes on the phone with her I was about to die because of her negativity and ranting. All I wanted to know is if I should be getting an extra $300, which she thought was a ridiculous reason for calling. Anyway, at the end of our conversion I told her thank you for her help and told her to have a good day. She replied with a sarcastic "Oh, I will."

I got off the phone feeling depressed and guilty. Shouldn't I have been happy because of their error. All I could do was worry that this woman that I spoke with was so disgruntled that she would flag our tax return because of my phone call and have us audited.

I prayed for her last night.....Mrs. Tidwell...wherever you are....I hope you find some sunshine.

Boogie Babble

Okay, so Madie and I were in the car this evening and I hear her talking in the back. I ask her what she needs and I think she is saying "baby" and then after looking in the rear view mirror and seeing her eyeing something on her finger I realize she is saying "boogie". I ask her if she has a boogie and she says yes and is trying to hand it to me from the back seat. I'm driving so I can't just turn around and get it and its not like it is something big like a sippy cup that we hand back and forth all the time. So, I ask her to wait until I can make it to the stop sign and then I would get it from her. She says to me clear as day, "okay." So I'm thinking, this is great---she's going to hold onto it until I can stop and turn around and get it from her and put it in one of the napkins that I have stored in the console for times such as this---I usually use them when I spill my drink-- but today I was glad that I had them to dispose of a boogie.

So I stop at the stop sign, turn around and ask Madie to hand me her boogie. She tells me that its "all gone." I said "all gone, where is it?" She tells me again that its "all gone." I said in a stern voice ( I could hardly believe I was saying it ), Madie where is your boogie? In the sweetest voice she looks at me, points to her mouth and says "In dare." How gross! My child says she ate a boogie!

When Hubby got home I told him the story and he asked Madie if she ate a boogie---she just said "car." I hope that I find that boogie somewhere stuck to the seat in the car and that she really didn't eat it.

Smarties & Hambug Heaven....What Joy!

Today Madie and I went out to run some errands. We have a birthday party to go to tomorrow and I had put off getting a gift. She is not to the age yet that she understands that we are buying a gift (usually a toy--in this case it was her favorite--a dress up dress with wings and a wand) for someone else. Anyway, after I convinced her that it was not her toy and that we would go find a bag of Smarties (I can get her to do anything for them) she was a little angel.

I decided that we would go and grab some lunch before we went home so that I could put her down for her nap as soon as we got in and asked her if she wanted to go to Hamburger Heaven. She said "OOOOooooo, Hambug Heaven!" So we get to the order line and the girl asked us what we want and Madie shouts out "Grilled Cheese" so I told the girl 2 grilled cheeses--we got the kids meal with an extra grilled cheese...you get a free ice cream --yum yum!

I decided to try letting Madie sit in a booster chair. I have never attempted it on an outing by myself. She is often times just too hard to wrangle and try to eat at the same time. But she did great. Even asked for a napkin to wipe her hands. After we ate our grilled cheese and shared our ice cream, we headed home. Not a very eventful or even out of the ordinary day...but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

My little girl is growing up right before my very eyes. Where's my tissue?

Thanks Mom!

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I know you are a loyal reader and I just wanted you to know how much I love and respect you. Thank you for all you have done, sacrificed, shared and taught me. Being a mother myself now, I can identify with your protectiveness growing up and am so thankful for it. Thank you for taking the time to spend with me when I was young. Thank you for the rides to the ballgames, practice and birthday parties I thought were so important to attend. Thank you for staying up with me when I was sick. Thank you for always having a home cooked meal ready for us to eat as a family and thanks for the love you have always given me. Thanks for always making me feel special. And thanks for always having a listening ear.

Thank you for all the things I have never thanked you for.....the things you do because you are my mom----thank you!

I hope you had a wonderful day.....you deserve it.

Happy Mother's Day!

Love you!

Toe-riffic!

Today my little lovebug let me paint her toe nails for the first time. I was touching up mine and she pointed to herself and said "me," so I asked her if she wanted me to paint her toe nails and she said "yes." She sat so still and waited for them to dry. What a moment...I had to share it.

Two Year Observations

My little lovebug turned two last Friday. I can hardly believe it. We had to celebrate her birthday the weekend before because my brother was getting married last Friday and it would have been too much to try to have the party that weekend and be in the wedding.

The wedding was so sweet. I am so happy that my brother found someone to share his life with. I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to happen for him. But it did, and I think the one he waited for was well worth the wait. I wish them all the happiness in the world.

Back to Madie turning two. Now, when you ask her how old she is she says "Two" and holds up 5 fingers. It is so cute. I am amazed at how much she changes from day to day and how much she learns and displays. She is truly the love of my life---not that hubby is not the love of my life too--but in a different way.

Looking back on the past two years, I think about how much my life has changed and how much more full my life is. Having Madie has honestly "completed" me and she makes me so happy.

Here is a little list of how my life has changed in the past two years--In no particular order of importance--just observations of reminiscing.

1. I am now a stay at home mom---no fighting US 280 traffic every morning.
2. I used to use my rear view mirror to see what was behind me while driving. Now I use it to see what Madie is doing.
3. I didn't know who the doodlebops or backyardigans were or what noggin was.
4. I could take a bath without an audience.
5. Never had bought a box of goldfish.
6. Listened to the radio while driving. Now I listen to whatever movie is playing the the DVD player. Usually Finding Nemo, Shrek III or Bee Movie.
7. Never knew my heart had so much love to give to such a tiny person.
8. Never thought about every decision I made and how it would affect someone else.
9. Never had toys stashed in every available corner in my house.
10. Never thought I would enjoy changing a diaper. It's not so bad...I don't mind at all.
11. Never knew my heart would melt when I heard " I Luvs you, Momma."

That is just a few ways that my life has changed in the past two years and I wouldn't change a minute of it.

Cinco de Mayo With My Little Bambino

There has been so much going on lately. My dad's surgery, my brother's wedding, Madie's birthday, and all of the other day to day things has had me a little over whelmed. I think that things are going to begin to slow down and I can get back on my schedule. I have been slacking on my postings. I intend to get up to date soon and give more details of the past two weeks when I have more time.

But today....I didn't realize it was Cinco de mayo until 3:00pm when I turned the TV to Ellen to see who was her guest for the day and right before I turned it to Noggin because Little Bill was on and Madie loves her some Little Bill. Anyway, when I realized it was the 5th of May I got this overwhelming desire to eat a Fajita steak quesadila. So, my little bambino and I called Hubby and told him we would bring him home something but the girls were going out for some mexican. We headed to the closest restaurant---got belly up to the table, pigged out on nachos and salsa and had a great time talking about bouncing, princesses and the bee movie.

What a great time!