VOTE

I want to encourage all of you out there to vote in this Presidential election. It's an important one for many reasons.

I was reading a friend's blog (Hurley Happenings-it's under Blogs I Read) and she posted an article from another man's blog as well as a video. Both have me stirred up, but in a good way. Like my friend, I want the nex President to be one who honors life and family. I hate to vote Republican just for the sake of doing so--for I feel not all Republicans share my views. I simply want everyone to have a chance at life, no matter what their mother's circumstances.
When I got pregnant at age 17 with Caitlin, I am sure I could have gotten an abortion. I wouldn't do it though. To me, taking away her life to make mine "easier" was not the least bit right. Hear me in that I'm not judging you if you are one who chose that path. I'm saying it wasn't a choice for me.
I've seen a bumper sticker around town that says something to the effect of "Isn't it amazing that those who are voting to legalize abortion have already been born?" So true.
When I first heard about Obama, I wanted to give him a fair shake. At the time, I didn't know what he stood for, but he seemed to be an open-minded man full of ideas on how to change things in the U.S. I'm all for change, but only the right kind. When I found out that he sees nothing wrong with killing innocent children--and then if the abortion fails, leaving the baby to die anyway--I wanted to throw up. Just the thought of that is horrid.
I don't care which candidate has a better talk or walk. I don't want someone in the White House that's going to be ok with murder--and that IS what abortion is-MURDER.
Here are the links to the video and blog post that have stirred all of this back up in me. Please--if you have the time---watch and read.
It's our country. We get a choice and a voice. Let's use them.
(click on links to view, and make sure your sound is on)

ONE NEWS NOW VIDEO

OBAMA'S PRO-ABORTION STANCE AND CHRISTIANS ENABLING HIM

AND, just in case you wanted to hear the candidates talk about abortion for yourself, here ya go:

OBAMA'S STANCE ON ABORTION

MCCAIN'S STANCE ON ABORTION

P.S. I've disabled comments on this post. My blog, my rules. I don't wish to debate these issues, and nothing/no one will change my mind. Much love.

Yup, It's Friday Fess Up Time Again

1. I did not accidentally sit down on Caroline's toddler potty insert (you know, the little cushy thing that makes it small enough for their hineys to fit?) in the wee hours of the morning--sit there for a minute and contemplate getting up to remove it, but thought better of it all and just pottied anyway. John didn't harrass me about it later and accuse me of being a lazy bum. I didn't agree then think to myself, "I may be lazy, but that toddler potty insert sure was comfy!"
Nope, not me.


2. I certainly did not embarrass John and myself by griping him out--in public--in front of all of the trainers at Gold's Gym while he was on the eliptical machine. I have way more class than that. After all, I am not a hothead--I can control my temper anytime.


3. The Behavior Jar didn't get put away due to the fact that a certain redheaded momma couldn't keep her grubby fingers out of the m&m's.

4. Caroline is NOT turning 2 in 3 days. Nope. Not happening. *deep sigh*


5. Caitlin does not think I'm a total "fashion dork." She doesn't pitch a hissy when I try to get her to coordinate her outfits appropriately. She most certainly doesn't get fitty when I tell her that a hot pink shirt doesn't go with a size-too small light pink pair of cargo capris and purple shoes.


6. I don't let Caroline fill up her baby "bobbles" (bottles) in the dog water bowl. I don't pick my battles.

It's Been Scheduled

After much waiting, debating, praying, and talking, John and I decided to go ahead and schedule an appointment with the ENT to have Christian's tonsils and adenoids removed. We did what our pediatrician asked us to do--we tried him on the 2 medications, and it hasn't been working very well. His tonsils are still huge. Yesterday, we discovered that he now has some blisters on them, so that was the deciding factor.
The surgery will be November 6th (next Thursday) sometime around 9am. When we go in for pre-op stuff next Wednesday, they will give us more details and an exact time. I'm not a bit worried about this, just anxious. I guess I'm ready for this to all be over so we can concentrate on more fun things. :)

On another note:
We didn't get feedback yet on the house showing last week. Our contract with the realtor is up this Friday, and I think we'll just either completely take it off the market or make it For Sale By Owner through the holidays. At least that way we can control who comes and looks when we have holiday things going on.

More later.

They've Found New Homes

Yes, it's true. This momma was FED UP with the 2 hamsters in this house. Last week, I decided to put them up on Craigslist. Much to my surprise, they both found homes in just a few days! Christian's hamster (Alex) was snatched up immediately, but it took longer for the more irritating one (Ruby) to be taken. She did, however, go to be with a college student on Sunday--THANK THE LORD!
I have had great sleep the past few nights. Ahhhh, nothing like pure silence--with no squeaky hamster wheel! :)

Fine.....Just Be Naked

I think it's odd and wonderful at the same time that small children want to be in their birthday suits.
When Caroline woke up from her nap today, she took her clothes off and found that she could undo the sides of her pull-up. She REFUSED to keep that darn thing on, so now she's naked.
She's now playing with a thousand Hotwheels cars in the living room floor--NAKED.
I call this a "pick your battles" moment. After all, when she finally gets too cold to function, she'll come around asking for a shirt and pants.
Until then....

2 Things On My Mind

1. I used to LOVE the cola drink called Surge. When I was in high school, you could find this fantistically green drink at any fountain drink stand in any gas station. For some reason, though, Coca-Cola pulled it from the market some years ago. The reason I was so crazy about it is that it made me jittery like no other drink. Misty, you think I'm an insane motormouth when I've had 1 Red Bull--just think about that x 100. It was awesome! :) Anyway, I recently looked it up on Ebay, thinking I could buy myself a 6 pack or possibly a 2 liter bottle. Sure enough, there was an auction for a 2 liter bottle--and it had FREE SHIPPING! Only problem was the auction price....it started at $1,000,000 for this lovely 2 liter bottle. Not kidding folks. Still wondering if John would let me go for it. :)

2. Ok, all of you wonderful female blog readers: you wax your eyebrows, right? I have been waxing my own for about a year now, and it's just not cutting it. Seriously, I need professional help in this area, and am totally willing to pay for it. My question: who is a good eyebrow waxer here in town that would know how to wrangle mine? Honestly, I think my eyebrows are so bad that I could pass for Groucho Marx's and Brooke Shields' love child. :) So any of you with a good eyebrow waxer, don't hesitate to comment and leave that valuable information for me.

Much love to you all!

Oops I Did It Again

Ok, really no "oops"--I was trying to be cute using play on words. :)
I ran my third 5K race today, and MAN was it ever cold outside! My time has definitely improved, and it's different running on a treadmill in a nice warm gym. Those paved roads with hills are a killer! This is the 1st one that John hasn't been able to run with me. I was so sad to do it by myself. Oh, and my ipod decided to freak out on me 15 minutes before the race started. It would NOT play a song to save its life., and it kept shutting off. I think I missed a recent update or something--arggg!!! So, to top off the fact that I was minus my race partner, I was also minus the running music.
My solution?
Run next to a woman about my same size, who seemed to have the same pace as me---and listen to her music that was turned up so loud in her earphones that I'm sure she's deaf by now. Even though I couldn't hear the words of her songs, they had a good running beat. :)
I know--I'm a sad, sad case. Ha!
I finished in 28 minutes and 18 seconds...the fastest time yet. I was SO glad to get it over with and be able to come home to a nice cup of coffee and 3 darling angel babies who have done nothing but play together sweetly....
Ok, that last part is an outright lie. They are currently all screaming at each other over some fake computer that they all want to play with.
Wahoo for Saturdays! :)

A Quick Note

Our house is showing for the 1st time in about 3 months today at 2:15pm. For some reason, I'm excited about this one, so just keep us in your thoughts. Thanks! :)

Super Short Friday Fess Ups

1. I did not happen to be trying on the adorable costume jewelry at Target and get a big, fat, orange, plastic ring stuck on my index finger. I certainly did not have to sit there and tug...and tug....and freak out....
There was no spit involved in the removing of the ring. Nuff said.


2. I am not obsessively cooking on my new Pampered Chef stoneware. It's no fun at all--and I haven't made about 6 cans of biscuits in the past week on it, just because I can.

Bad Behavior With The Behavior Jar

Just for the record, I used to HATE peanut m&m's.
Something happened to me when I bought that huge bag of them for Christian's behavior jar.
My "inner chocoholic" came out and my hand has been caught in the behavior jar more than once lately.
I admit that I have a problem.
I am now totally embarrassed.
Yikes.

The Behavior Jar

As promised, here is the explanation of the Behavior Jar.
I got the idea from a woman named Amy. Here's the link to her post if you want to read about it: http://regularwithhalfandhalfandrawsugar.blogspot.com/2008/09/return-of-m-jar.html

Anyway, the jist is that you use this idea if you want to mix up the discipline in your household. It really wears me thin to have to repeat myself 100 times, raise my voice, and threaten to whip out "Mr. Sad Spoon" when my 2 younger darlings aren't being...well...darlings. Caitlin is always good-seriously. She has rarely ever pushed me to the point of grouchiness. God gave me the easy one first, I'm convinced. :)
Christian, although he is a wonderful, fun, loving little boy, can be a complete handful and then some. He's the main one that gets the stern Momma Voice, and he has been reacting in a very non-socially acceptable way to correction lately. So, after seeing the Behavior Jar, I decided to give it a try.
Here is what the setup looks like:
When Christian says/does something to either a parent or a sister that is less than pleasing (to put it nicely), he has to put 1 m&m in the sad jar. When he does something good like pick up his toys, share with his sisters, or minds his manners, he gets to put 1 m&m in the happy jar. At the end of the day, if the happy jar has more m&m's in it than the sad jar, he gets to eat the ones in the happy jar, and the ones in the sad jar get dumped back in to the main jar. If there are more in the sad jar than in the happy jar, he has to dump both jars of m&m's back into the main jar. Clear as mud, right?
On Day 1, I found out very quickly that this method is a winner. The first time I had to instruct Christian to put an m&m in the sad jar, he had a complete meltdown--alligator tears, screaming, and all. He just couldn't stand to do it. Seriously, folks--he freaked out on me. From that 1st sad m&m, he has completely changed his tune. In fact, he did so good today that he had 6 m&m's to eat this evening before bed! He was so thrilled. I HIGHLY recommend this method for children his age (in the 3 to 5 range).
Apparently Caroline is still too young for it. In fact, she's just now getting the concept that Momma means business when I tell her no. She does, however, get an m&m each time she goes potty, or if she picks up toys like a good little helper. Of course I don't leave Caitlin out. She's too old for this game, but she does get to eat the same amount of m&m's as Christian at the end of the day--that is if all her homework is finished and the chores are taken care of without me nagging her.
It's been complete bliss in the Haskell household lately thanks to the Behavior Jar and some yummy m&m's---which I would know nothing about.

Pumpkin Patch

I know--2 posts in 1 day is a bit much, but this is my blog--my rules. :)
Don't miss the Friday Fess-Ups below, and PLEASE feel free to do your own fess-ups on your blog. I would love to read what you have not done this week. My friend, Sheridan, has already started doing it, and I totally get a kick out of reading hers. Just post a comment and let me know you did your own so I can visit your blog and read them, ok?
I got the idea from MCK Mama (My Charming Kids blog), and I laughed so hard reading hers that I just had to participate. She calls hers "Not Me Mondays," but again--my blog, my rules. haha
Ok, now on to the real reason for this post:
Christian's MDO class went to a pumpkin patch yesterday, and I got to tag along and help wrangle the cutey pies. Caroline had a blast wandering around with the big kids too. I got some cute pics that I wanted to share.

Trying to get this many 3 & 4 yr olds to be still for a pic was "fun" :)
Yes, he is always this cheesy for the camera
Ditto for Caroline
They got free small pumpkins just for coming to visit the patch
Caroline was extremely proud of hers

Friday Fess Ups

I did not have to strip Caroline down in the car yesterday while on my way to the pumkin patch with Christian's MDO class. She certainly did not warn me multiple times that she "had to go potty," and I didn't just write it off and tell her she could wait until we made it home. She most certainly didn't have poo from head to toe, and there was not a wipee bath involved. Ick. My car could not possibly smell like an outhouse right now.

When I bought the M&M's for the behavior jars (that's a whole post in itself to come), I certainly did not have an ulterior motive. They don't call my name from the jar at 2am.....or 4am.....or 10am.....nope.

My son did not spend the entire evening in a Captain America costume--and I didn't have to peel it off of his body at bedtime. He's not currently wearing it again.

I don't have to fight my kids back from the conveyer belt at the self-check stand in Wal-Mart. They haven't had the tendency to sneak things onto the belt...and I haven't accidentally scanned them while talking on the cell phone during check out. Nuh-uh. Not me.

I most certainly do not stand in front of the mirror while brushing my teeth and fret over the fact that one of my veneers on my front teeth is a darker color than the other one. That's just being rediculous and petty.

I don't ever ignore the alarm clock, get up late--thus making Caitlin get up late--and then tell her to hurry and get ready because I was trying to be kind and let her sleep in a bit. After all, she needs her sleep and I don't.

An Amazing Gift

My dad is the best--let's just throw that out there! :)
Today, he gave me something that is by far the best gift I've ever received.

Isn't it beautiful?? Ok, there's a story behind this mother's ring:
It belonged to my granny (his mother). She had 5 children, so naturally she needed 5 stones in her mother's ring. After she passed away, my parents got the ring and have held on to it until now. My dad went and had my childrens' birthstones, as well as mine and John's, put in the ring. Now it belongs to me! I see it as an honor to wear something so amazing.

Thank you SO MUCH Dad---it's truly beautiful, and I am very excited to be able to wear it! :)

Talk Time

I'm seriously having phone issues. No, Caroline didn't flush the cell. The power didn't go out either.
I'm talking about TALK TIME...you know, the time we as women devote to yakking it up with one another.
I'm having major issues with that.
When Caitlin was small, I didn't have anyone to call or chat with for long periods of time--except Mom and Dad. I worked full time and was either bad at making friends in the DFW area or just too lazy to do so. Probably the latter of the two.
When Christian was littler (I still consider him little, ok?), again I had only 1 friend to talk to--thanks Sheridan!--and she was 300 miles away and working full time herself. I was staying at home, and my life revolved around nap time and when I picked up Caitlin from school.
No need for long phone conversations then.
Now, I find myself completely and overwhelmingly blessed with friends and lots of them! Like me, the majority of them stay at home and have 2+ children. The totally understand the need a momma has to step away from it all and just "talk" for a while.
So what are my issues you ask?
Finding the time to talk, and being comfortable talking on the phone while my 2 smaller C's are running around like apes, flushing things down the potty, putting each other in headlocks, and throwing toys/food.
All I want is a decent conversation with another woman that doesn't have to take place while I'm bathing because that's the only free time I have anymore. I want to feel comfortable with talking while the kids are playing, but I also need to give them the attention they deserve.
How does one balance these things??
I had a friend tell me once (while on the phone, mind you) that she wants to teach her small children that Mommy needs her time to talk with friends, even if that means telling the friend on the other end of the line to "hold on a minute" while she disciplines the children and then picking up the conversation where they left off. Great idea and I totally agree, but mine don't really cooperate yet with that. Is there a training period involved with this?
*sigh*
I know "talk time" can wait. I also know that small children can't be allowed to totally run your life as a parent. There has to be a balance--a happy medium.
To all of my friends (and family):
I'm working on finding that balance. If I don't answer the phone or have to get off quickly, please don't assume it's because I don't want to talk. Gosh only knows I DEFINITELY want to talk! After all, what woman wouldn't feel completely blessed by wonderful friends---and by being needed by precious small children? :)

I'm working on it.
Promise.

*Gasp*

I made up my own recipe today! No, the world isn't coming to an end and pigs haven't flown yet. I just needed to feed my family without a waitress involved. :) Go check out the recipe on our blog, GREEN EGGS AND HAM RECIPE BLOG. If you try it, let me know what you think!

The Party, Farkle, and The Sky

Wow, this weekend (Monday being considered since it was a holiday) has been fast and furious. My grandma's birthday party was so much fun! There were a lot of relatives that came that I hadn't seen in years--as well as those close relatives that I haven't seen in almost a year. The food was YUM, the cake rocked (isn't that the most important part?!?), and the video of Grandma's life was very touching. I really hope she had a good time...I know the Haskell Rascals did! The only downside to all of this was that I forgot my camera's memory card so I couldn't take pictures. ACK! Fortunately my mom and grandma had me covered there. I'll just have to wait a few days to post any.
Ok, now on to Farkle. No, it's not a bad word--it's a game! :) Thanks to Carrie and Andrew for teaching us how to play. It's a dice game--similar to Yahtzee--that's easy, fun, and totally unpredictable. I decided to teach my mom, grandma, brother, and brother's girlfriend how to play. Of course I won...hahahahaha. No really--it was a very close call. If you ever want to learn how to play, Google it or call me and we'll get together!
And finally, on to the sky....
Caroline has had this obsession lately with the sky. She keeps asking to touch it--and we don't know why. When we get out of the car, she reaches her little hands straight up and begs to touch it. I always oblige and hold her as high as I can. Once she thinks she's touched it, she's good...that is until we go on the next car ride. Tonight on the way home from Grandma's house she said about 30 times, "Momma---I yanna (she means wanna) touch da sky!" How funny is that? Of course Caitlin has to break out in song..."I believe I can fly---I believe I can touch the sky---(isn't that from Space Jam?)." Ahhh, if life were as simple as our little ones think it is. :)

Waa Waa

I tell ya what--sinus issues are the WORST. I haven't suffered from allergies or sinus infections since moving back here from the DFW area. Something happened today, though, and I woke up with a horribly stuffy head, tons of ear pressure, and general feelings of bleh. I am acting like a total baby, I know--oh well. :)
Tomorrow is going to be packed with fun, and I can't wait! I'm just reeeeeeally hoping this head junk clears up overnight and I can carry on like nothing ever happened. We are having a big birthday bash (say that 3 times fast) for my wonderful grandma, so there will be tons of pictures to share, I promise you. I haven't seen this many relatives in years!
Ok, all---it's time for this tired and irritable momma to mosey on to bed. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Friday Fess Ups

I did not learn the hard way that embroidery scissors are not the best tools for every situation. Don't ask....

I didn't win a new purse on Ebay (if I had, then I'd be saying IT'S SO CUTE!).

Ebay did not send me a congratulatory email for having over 600 feedback--that means I've either bought or sold over 600 items on Ebay since becoming a member in 2004. They also did not include a printable certificate of my accomplishment to hang on the wall. I did not almost print it...

John and I don't sit here in the living room in the evening and chat with each other via our laptops. Come on now, that's just rediculous. We are not that weird.

I absolutely did not grab a pumpkin cream cheese muffin at Starbucks yesterday when I was there to JUST get a bag of decaf coffee beans. I also did not act like it was for the kids and then scarf the majority of it down in the car before they could ask for bites.

I am not still ignoring the dirty pottys around here. Definitely not the downstairs one.

Halloween Costume Sale---or Exchange?

Ok, I know this is post #2 for the day, but I had to get this one on here before I forget. Here's the deal---I LOVE Ebay, but I HATE having to take the time to list, package, collect $, and so on. So here's my proposed plan for last year's Halloween costumes:

I'd like to be able to just get a little bit of $ for them, but I'd be totally willing to have a costume exchange as well. Here is what I have, and if you are interested in exchanging with me (I'm wanting something in size 5T for Christian), let me know!
This is a goldfish costume in size 12-18 months from Babystyle.com. It was literally worn once and is in perfect condition. Comes with matching tights. I paid $35 (I know, I know) and I'm asking $10.


This is an AWESOME Buzz Lightyear costume from the Disney Store in size XXS--2/3. The back wing part lights up with the push of a button. Freshly handwashed and ready to go! I paid $35 (I know-spendy) and I'm asking $10. See a trend here? 10 is the lucky number! :)

And finally, I have 2 Incredibles costumes. One is a size 7/8 and one is a size 18mo-2T. They don't come w/masks (which are easy to get ahold of at a party store for cheap) so I am willing to give these away. I hate paying for incomplete outfits, and I suspect all moms are that way.

Ok, again---I'm totally interested in exchanging costumes, so leave me a comment and tell me what you think! If not, then I guess I'll be forced to Ebay them. Just wanted to save time and $$ for everyone involved. Thanks!

Answers

Ok, now that we are back from the pediatrician appointment, I can spill the beans on what we found out. Let's start with the visit to the ENT:

We had about a 20 minute visit with him (it was the quickest doctor appointment ever!), and he checked Christian over thoroughly. Although Christian's tonsils/adenoids were still swollen, they weren't anything like what we saw last Monday. The doctor asked about his strep/tonsilitis history, and we told him that Christian has been pretty healthy for about a year now--that is, until his whole Scarlet Fever episode last week. The doctor said that since he has only 1 documented case of strep in the past 12 months, that isn't enough to warrant immediate removal. He said that he prefers to see at least 4 documented strep cases in a child before rushing them in for surgery. We then discussed the snoring/gasping at night, and he said Christian definitely has sleep apnea. He explained that some doctors are becoming more aggressive in removal of tonsils for that very reason, and that in children with ADHD, it has a profound effect on their behavior when they get better sleep at night. Of course, Christian hasn't ever been diagnosed with ADHD, but he does suffer from "typical 4 year old orneriness" on a regular basis. :) John asked if Christian would ever grow out of the sleep apnea--like maybe down the line he would grow in to his tonsils and it all resolve itself without surgery. The doctor said that was possible.
Basically, he left the decision up to us. He gave us the pros and cons for removal, and he told us to go home, think about it, and get back to him in the future. John has never been "pro-removal," so just knowing that it's quite possible Christian will outgrow the sleep apnea was enough to put his mind at ease. I'll admit that I came out of the ENT's office a bit frustrated. I had gone in there with the expectation that he would say either "YES, let's take them out," or "No, he's fine. Let's leave him alone." I felt like the weight of that decision was resting on my shoulders now, and I didn't want to be the one to have to decide whether or not his sleep apnea is bad enough to warrant surgery. Knowing full well that we had a follow-up visit with the pediatrician this morning, we decided to just visit with him about it and go from there.

Ok, that brings us to the pediatrician visit this morning:

We actually saw the nurse practitioner again, and she is extremely nice. I informed her that we had sought a 2nd opinion and she was very supportive of that decision. In fact, she said that they send lots of patients to the ENT that we had chosen, and that his opinion was a valuable one in helping us make our decision. She checked Christian over again, and she did say his tonsils were still a bit swollen and irritated, but they weren't infected. As we were visiting, Christian had coughed a couple of times and was wiping his nose with his hand. She noticed that and asked if we had ever addressed his allergy issues. Well, no--we hadn't. Christian has been on Zyrtec and Claritin before, but neither seemed to do much good. The nurse practitioner made the decision to put him on a combination of Singular (it was originally marketed for asthma, but has found to be a better allergy med) and Zyrtec at bedtime, just to see if it makes a difference. She said he has the typical "allergy shiners" which are the dark circles under his eyes. When I told her that he always has those, she said that she thinks he suffers from severe allergies. That in and of itself could explain the swollen and irritated tonsils--all of the drainage coming down his throat and the stopped up nose could also be the cause of the breathing problems at night.
I was thrilled that now I possibly had answers to my questions. I don't ever want to have to put my child through unnecessary pain, and it was really bothering me that I might quite possibly have to make a decision like that--as informed a decision as it would be. Anyway, we will try the Singular/Zyrtec combo for a month and then get back to the nurse practitioner with the results.

Thank you ALL for your thoughts, prayers, and support during this crazy week of sickness and doctor appointments. Thank you also for loving on Christian--that means more to us than any of you will ever know!

Small Update

Just to let you all know, we did take Christian to the ENT this afternoon. I won't, however, be posting what we found out there until after we have his re-check tomorrow morning with the pediatrician. That way I can give you the full low-down and not have to write 2 separate posts. :)

Today Was The Day

Today, October 6, 2008 was the last day of our 6 month contract with the realtor. I had made plans to just tell her we'd pull this giant darling off the market and go nurse our wounds afterward. In my head, it was "just not God's will" to sell it right now, and as mad as it made me, I was becoming more comfortable with the idea of hanging around through the holidays. The very idea that I wouldn't have to clean like a madwoman every morning, straighten the couches and hide the toys before leaving for the grocery store, and being content with our situation was heavenly.
Had we not prayed enough?
What exactly happened here?
As most of you know, the house we had a contract on sold---to someone else (obviously, being as I'm not packing a Uhaul right now). It left me scratching my head and asking silly and unanswerable questions.
Have any of you looked at the economic sitation lately? It's totally discouraging to say the least. Any self-respecting homeowner would be totally ok with staying put for now and riding it out.
As for the Haskells?
Nah.
We are still waiting, still seeking, and still asking. Actually, He has a funny sense of humor in that we've found something else that has made our little house-hunting hearts flutter.
This brings me to why today is the day. It was a deciding day--we decided to finish out October with the realtor, and then if nothing happens by November 1st, we'll pull it off the market and be able to lounge in our underwear and leave dirty dishes on the counter for days again.
Who knows what's going to happen between now and November 1st?
Discouraged? NOPE. Encouraged? ABSOLUTELY.

Bragging Rights

Just so you know, the firefighters won the Battle of the Badges boxing matches last night. There were 11 fights and the score was 8 to 3. I'm trying to convince John to fight next year, so we'll see if he agrees.
GO FIREFIGHTERS!! :)

Wahoo For Saturday

I love Saturdays! Today is especially nice--I just opened all the windows to air out the house and lit a cinnamon candle for extra "fall effect." It's so blustery out there, and it's awesome!

Just a small update on Christian: we scheduled an appointment with an ENT for Oct. 7th (Tues), so let's all just hope and pray he can give us better insight into what we are actually dealing with here. Christian then goes back to the pediatrician on Oct. 8th to see if the steroids and Zyrtec have made a difference. I've noticed his tonsils have shrunk back a little, but that's not saying much being as they were so swollen that they were basically sitting on his tongue. John and I are not pro-removal, in that we believe the tonsils and adenoids are there for a reason and surgery should be the very last resort. BUT, we are open to all options, and if they need to come out so be it. I've heard story after story lately about what a huge difference it has made in the lives of other children suffering from the same swollen tonsils/adenoids. It's both encouraging and scary at the same time--no parent wants to see their child in pain or have to have surgery.

John and I are planning a date night tonight. I don't know how many have heard about this, but there is a boxing match at 7pm called Battle of the Badges. It's firefighters against police officers, and it's bound to be entertaining. A friend of ours that works for AFD and works out at the gym around the same time we do is fighting in this, so we thought we'd go out and show our support. All proceeds from the fight go to a fund for wounded/fallen firefighters and police officers and their families. Nothing like watching guys pummel each other in the name of a good cause! haha

October is shaping up to be a buuuuuuusy month for us. There are 3 parties in our near future, as well as the regular everyday humdrum. Ooooohhhh yeah--my darling little brother, Josh, is coming to visit this next weekend, along with a large group of other relatives. The occasion is my grandma's birthday party, and we couldn't be more excited! Watch for pics!

Everyone have a wonderful, spectacular, exciting weekend! I hear it's only supposed to get up to 65 deg. tomorrow---watch out, here comes fall!

Friday Fess Ups

I swear I am not a Targetaholic. I haven't been back since last Friday, and I certainly haven't tried to find an excuse every other day to go browse the amazing, wonderful, awesome clearance aisles. Ahhhhhh.....clearance aisles.....

I don't spend so much time on the computer that my thighs are red and semi-burned by the evening time from the hot laptop sitting on them.

I certainly didn't drive over 80 miles (and that's in town driving) in one day. After all, gas is way too expensive to be running that many errands and dropping off/picking up children from schools on the complete opposite side of town.
What's that? Did someone say Target clearance? Hmmm....must be hearing things.

My children most certainly have not had pancakes every morning this week for breakfast. I'm a health nut and wouldn't allow something like that.

I have not ignored the fact that the downstairs toilet is extremely dirty. Caroline didn't use too much toilet paper, thus leading to a backup in the potty. That doesn't explain the nice ring of yucky that's obvious each time you raise the lid. Bleh

My half of the closet is not color coordinated....and size/style arranged. It doesn't drive me absolutely bonkers that John's half looks like a tornado blew through. We are trying to sell this house---and we make sure to keep everything perfect at all times. No room for messiness here.

I am certainly not ignoring the large (and growing) pile of embroidery and sewing projects I have waiting for me on the sewing table. I am not feeling burned out a bit.

Ok, now I most certainly did not get grumpy and frustrated while trying to help Caitlin with her homework last night (the darn assignment made no sense whatsoever) and tell her to just wait until Daddy comes home to help her, being as he helped her do something very similar Monday night anyway. He's the expert in science after all.

Caroline IS NOT turning 2 in exactly 1 month. I haven't been putting off birthday party planning simply because I'm in denial about her actually being that old. Really, no denial here....

She Loves Pictures

Caroline Sunshine will pose for me anytime, anywhere, and in any way--such a ham!

Can you believe she will be 2 in a month?!? Yikes....

The Lost Video

I was searching through pictures on the computer tonight, when I stumbled upon this video I took of Christian and Caroline eating lunch. It's a hoot--Christian especially. It was taken on July 23rd of this year, and I can't believe how much they've changed in such a short time. Without further adieu....
(be sure to turn up the sound)