The Lily Pad

Some parents like to train their children to do things like use the toilet, others like to train their kids to walk with them in crowds, and even some others might try to train their kids to do chores and be contributing members to society. Yeah, that's all good stuff, but I'm training my daughter to shop. It all began when she decided to be born in the late fall and it was cold and the only place we could go to walk around was the mall and we would walk around and around with her usually riding in the snuggly and we would talk about how we shouldn't cry in the shoe department at Dillards because then Daddy wouldn't buy us shoes or let Mommy shop for shoes. I would dance to whatever muzac was playing and we'd go to the women's lounge for lunch (haha). Chris has always given me heck about teaching her not to cry around new shoes or clothes because it actually worked. He would take her around and around and most times she would stop crying in the shoe departme...

Here are some pictures from our day in the snow in Maggie Valley, NC. This was on Sunday after I tried to kill myself on sticks of death. Madelyn getting all bundled up. Three girls on the swing She fell down and couldn't get up with her mittens on so off they came! She was so tired after playing outside! Tube World!

When Chris and I were first dating we went to Busch Gardens in VA where he wanted to ride the roller coasters and because I am a chicken but also needed to show that I could be fun I agreed to ride Apollo's Chariot. The roller coaster where a bird flew into Fabio's nose...yeah. So we stand in line and we're all snuggly and cute and I'm just so happy to be with him but the whole time my butt is in full clench mode as we get closer and closer to boarding the ride. Once we are on the ride I put a smile on my face and got ready for some fun...until the thing started moving. Once we started our ascent all I could say was "We're going to die. I want off. Do you think they'll stop it and let me off? No, really...I want off. Please make them stop it. I think we're going to die." Right now I feel like I'm on one of those roller coasters. After my nice long post of stresses the other day I found out that we're facing a deployment. Blech. I don't ...

Wow, I just read my post from last night and boy was that boring. Sorry. Now to bore you with my funk. I find that writing or talking about things usually help them stop bogging me down because then they aren't rolling around in my head. This past Sunday my uncle passed away. It wasn't unexpected but that doesn't really make it any easier and the hardest part for me has been facing mortality. My uncle was only a year older than my mom and my cousins and their children are without a father, without "paps". I just don't like it. It breaks my heart. Add to this mortality issue the fact that I am most likely moving to CA in ONE month and I'm just not liking the thought of leaving family. More importantly, I don't like having to take Madelyn away from them. She knows her family members now, she recognizes them and has different things at everyone house that she loves to do. It's sweet and precious and I just don't want that to end. Now facto...

I'm just not feeling the blogging love lately, I'm in a bit of a funk due to real life stresses and blogging just doesn't come naturally right now. Plus there isn't much blogworthy going on in my life right now...anybody want to send a little excitement my way? Oh I'm also not really feeling the commenting love either so please forgive any lame "that's awesome" comments I've left. It's just me trying to say "Hey! I read you, I like you! Please keep writing something so I can read about other peoples lives." OK, I know I just had a weekend with friends and snow and there's tons to blog there but I think I'll just share some pictures instead. Nevermind Blogger is stoopid. No pictures for you today so I have to give you some words. On Sunday we had snow and it was finally warmer than negative 30 bazillion degrees so I bundled Madelyn up and we went outside to play in the snow with the Wiggins clan. The girls had so much fun...

I am blogging from a cozy cabin in the mountains of North Carolina where there is a light snow dusting the ground, a fire in the fire place and I am getting ready to play a cooking game with a really good friend. Content pretty much covers how I am feeling. However, earlier today I was doing a controlled fall down the mountain on sticks of death. Death to my right knee and hip to be specific. Last time I skiied I was nervous and scared and I perfected the fall. I didn't get hurt, just a little stiff and it was all OK. Today I got cocky. I was turning while moving and thought I should just try to go for it. I did not perfect the fall. I fell and snow went all up the back of my coat and soaked my cuddle duds. So now I am nursing a sprained/twisted/banged up knee. Oh well. It's all good. Madelyn, Paige and Reese have had an absolute blast running around and playing and have done so well together and with all of the adults hanging out. It's so great to see them toge...

Turtle! Turtle!! and a little sweet potatoes on her shirt... You can't tell it by the picture but that is a wooden block that goes with her Noah's Ark and it's about a 1/4 of an inch thick...she holds so still when I put stuff on her head it cracks me up. I have to snap the picture fast because usually she's reaching up to grab and see what I've put on her head this time.

Haha Daddy! Gotcha! I know you thought I was gonna blog it, but I'm not...not yet anyway. I've been thinking lately that I might need to re-enter the workforce when we move. Not really for the money, but I like having some structure, a job, adults to talk to. I probably won't since when we move I'll be in CA and will HAVE to be tan and fit and right now trying to tan my fat butt would be a full time job and getting it fit? HA! I'd have to charge myself overtime. Plus I just know that I will be so busy having play-dates with Denise (fingers crossed) and Bonnie and all my new friends that I have yet to make that there just won't be time for things like a job. I just hope Chris will understand my scheduling conflicts. Anyway, in thinking about re-entering the workforce I have thought about my past jobs and what I enjoyed and what I was good at and a conversation with my sister made me think about that one time that I was a waitress. I enjoyed it, but it di...

I am pleased to announce that my daughter made it through 3 meals and 3 snacks today without having one single bite of macaroni and cheese. This is the first day that has happened in...um...I don't remember. Looking back I don't know where it all went wrong. She started out with cereal and then I did veggies and she LOVED her carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and the green veggies were OK, but not her favorite then we did fruits...and she didn't meet one she didn't love and then we added in some proteins and at some point she stopped eating the veggies and soon she stopped eating fruits! Seriously. What baby doesn't like sweet fruits? Mine didn't. All I could get her to eat was yogurt, mac n cheese and sometimes grilled cheese sandwiches. I tried EVERYTHING. Sneaking squash in with the macaroni...nope. One week she would eat chicken soup so I tried to sneak veggies in there...nope. The best trick was to hide sweet pototoes, squash, or fruits behind plain...

Today we said goodbye to Chris after a 2 week visit. It was supposed to have been yesterday but because he has the WORST luck with flights lately it was this morning which is just as well since his flight home was also delayed by about 36 hours. Like I said...not so lucky with the flying. One good thing is that I will actually have covers and room to roll over tonight. :) Since we are living in my Granny's house we are also sleeping in her full size bed...a bed that gets really full when you have 4 pillows, a down comforter, a teddy bear, 2 adults, and a toddler that joins in the fun around 3 in the morning. I think that's why they call it a full size bed. It's just big enough to get really full really fast. Madelyn and I have had a rough day missing daddy. She didn't sleep well last night due to the consumption of 30 gallons of sweet tea that her uncle Adam poured down her throat so she was tired, I was sad, and at around 1:30 I think we were both crying for Dad...