Southern Sayin' Of The Month

I live for the light of a full moon. -me

Friday, September 25, 2009

How I Love Online Shopping...

Being trapped under a nursing baby for the past 5 months has afforded me the chance to discover many new online stores, much to my RedHead's dismay. I don't actually do a lot of purchasing (guilt about spending money when I don't have a job gets the best of me), but I do love to fill my online shopping cart with my wishlist of items. My new favorite site is www.horchow.com and what I'm loving right now is this . Maybe for Christmas...

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Daily Favs

These are my two favorite things today...

1. Feeling so proud of my Monkey as he swam by himself. This coming from the boy who stood at the door, face pressed to the glass screaming for me to save him on his first day of practice 2 months ago. Now he LOVES it and I'm so glad I bribed encouraged him to stick with it (costing me $1 a lesson without tears).


2. The Bug's fat baby feet! I could just kiss them all day long!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

"Simple Enough"

"This should be simple enough." These are often the words that go through my mind before a disaster...before I attempt a new recipe, a home improvement project, or as it was most recently, an outing with the children. We had a birthday party to attend, so the plan was to make a quick trip to the mall to get a gift. I had already picked out a cute dress online and was going to zip in and pick it up from the store and be back home in time for lunch. Now here's what really happened...

First, the skys darkened, the heavens opened up and it poured rain-- which is always fun (especially for a 3 year old boy who happens to LOVE puddles).

Then the Bug (who went on a hunger strike before we left home when it was convenient for me to nurse her) decides 5 minutes into our visit that she's now ready to eat. Soooo, I find the closest department store with a mother's room and I feed her.

Now, it wouldn't be any fun if my Monkey didn't decide to pitch his own little fit as he got a case of the "gimmes." But I quickly settled that by threatening to paint his back porch red calmly explaining to him that we were only shopping for the birthday gift.

45 minutes into the "quick trip" I had fed the Bug, put my Monkey in his place, and entered into the store to get the dress. Of course...they were out of her size. This was going well!

We spent the next hour going from store to store trying to find a gift we could afford, but was still cute. And as we went from store to store, we had a lovely friend join us. Enter the mall walker. Her route and our timing must have been in sync because she passed us 3 times. And when I say "passed," I mean walk right up on our heels before stomping around us only to cut back RIGHT in front of the stroller. (Excuse me, but the mall is for shopping...and I don't like being stalked by an enthusiastic senior who about plows me and my toddler over in her attempt to burn a few calories). I swear my patience grew 3 times that day because I succeeded in not speeding up the stroller as she cut back in and accidentally clipping her heels.

We did end up finding a beautiful little dress for a great deal, had pizza at the food court, and both babies fell asleep on the way home. See, it was simple enough.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Easily Obsessed

I am, by admission, someone who is easily obsessed. Sadly, it is often over material things, but I am also known to obsess over life issues (my career, my babes, my body, my health, and on and on) as well. Once an idea/desire/fear enters my mind, it often never leaves until I can somehow settle it. I'm just not the "let it go" kinda girl. Here's a few memories of my obsessions...(ok just 2 because I ended up being long winded...it's a southern thing).

*My engagement: This was an immature obsession. I dated the RedHead for 5 years (we started dating in high school) and come my sophomore year in college I began to obsess about when he would pop the question. I wasn't really concerned with the ring so much, just "when" we would be engaged. Now I can think back and say, "Ok, I was only 19...what was the rush?" However 5 years seems like an eternity when you're dating at that age. I would constantly set myself up for failure. EVERY holiday or special date I would suspect that this was going to be the day...and it wasn't. When I'd finally forced myself to quiet this obsession (I say quiet because I definitely didn't give it up, I just didn't talk his head off about it anymore) it happened! It was a big surprise! It was Easter Sunday (my junior year of college); we had been to church and were eating our Easter lunch when he gave me my "Easter basket" full of candy and down at the bottom was the ring box. Right there at the kitchen table in front of my mama he asked me to marry him. I will always think he is the most wonderful man for this act alone. My mama loves the RedHead like he is her own son and for him to allow her to witness his proposal was such a kind gift. ---Fast Forward: We were engaged a year and a half, married right before Christmas (the church was beautiful with the tree, poinsettias and wreaths!), and are now the proud parents of two babes!

*"THE" purse. For a long time I wanted a Louis Vuitton. When I say wanted, I really mean lusted after this purse. I am a purse whore, sad but true, and I know this is a character flaw. But I still wanted the purse. I spent many hours on the Internet looking at all of the styles, trying to figure out how I could afford one, what was I willing to give up to get this purse. I just knew I'd love it and it would go with everything! I finally picked out a style, the Trouville, and came up with a game plan to get it. I would get a credit card (with no interest for 12 months) and pay a monthly payment until it was paid off. Then the big day came! I was going to drive to a larger city the had a LV store in their mall and get my purse! Well, having researched every aspect concerning style, payment, etc...I happened to neglect one detail. I drove all the way to the mall, walked my happy self into that store, asked for the purse, and guess what...no purse! It was out of stock. Very anticlimactic. I promptly came home (very ill) and placed my order on ELuxury. It came about a week later and I have carried that purse like nobody's business. And I did pay it off with no interest. And I was right, it does go with everything! I know you thought this story might have been about a lesson learned, but sometimes a woman knows what she wants and she's right (even if it is just a purse).

Friday, September 11, 2009

I Remember...

I remember walking across campus...
I remember the cool weather of the mountains that September day...
I remember the whispers, the tears of strangers passing by...
I remember my confusion...
I remember sitting in the auditorium...
I remember my professor entering...
I remember his tears, the fear in his voice...
I remember leaving the class, going to the Student Union...
I remember calling my mother...
I remember seeing those terrible images on the television...
I remember the feeling in my gut, the sickness I felt knowing that this was real...

I remember many things, my list goes on. Snapshots are what I remember; my life that day was lived in snapshots. Here we are in 2009 and I still feel like I haven't processed what happened. I still remember everything in snapshots, not a fluid memory or recollection. I think I can only handle it in small pieces. Today, I want to say that I remember those who lost their lives, gave their lives, and lost loved ones that day (9/11/2001).

"O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!" Psalm 61: 1-4

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Lists

I have to admit, one of my favorite things in life are lists. I like to make a list of chores to do, errands to run, groceries to buy, people to call/email, projects to complete, wish lists, etc... I do write down many of my lists, but many of them exist only in my head (mostly because I think people will think I'm neurotic if they find my lists everywhere). Something about making a list is so comforting. I can tick things off, note my accomplishments, and see how my time was spent. When I was a teacher (I guess I really still am...I'm just on leave for a year) I made lists on a daily basis. I would jot them on the white board or on one of my MANY notepads (another obsession). But...I am trying, while I'm at home this year, to give up some of my lists.

I am trying to reduce my stress and live by what I feel like doing, not what is on the list. This is a HUGE challenge for me because as much as I hate it, part of me enjoys stress. Hmmm...not sure if "enjoys" is the right word, but I have a tendency to create stress in my life by taking on too much or as my husband has put it many many times, "taking everything too seriously." Once again, I have to praise my husband for supporting our family while I stay home this year. It is such a gift to be able to have this time with my children, and it is one job I know how to do without a list!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Life With a 3 Year Old

When you live with a 3 year old you will learn the following lessons:

~"Go Fish" is a complicated game in which said toddler gets to draw a card every time regardless of whether it is actually his turn or not.

~You will be called in to observe and compliment his poo on a daily basis.

~You will hear your own words thrown back at you and you will have not power to dispute them because you must admit that you say it all the time. "You need to follow the rules." (He will make up his own rules and insist that you follow them.) "Shhhh...just a minute please." (You may use while doing housework or while on the computer, but for a toddler works just as well as he watches cartoons.)

~He will recognize a beer or wine bottle and proclaim to anyone he meets that, "Daddy drinks beers, and Mommy drinks wines."

~(This one is more of a warning) If you give your child a nickname, such as Monkey, you better be prepared to deal with your child wanting anything and everything with a monkey on it. This goes for a favorite color as well...imagine my (and his) delight when I found an Orange shirt with a Monkey on it for his first day of Preschool!!

(same monkey is on his shirt...too cute!)

Wednesday, September 2, 2009



Things I've Learned While Nursing...

Two of the bloggers I enjoy reading have recently posted about nursing. I have to say that I am in complete agreement with these women. Although the Bug is my second child, she is the first one that I have nursed.
~sidenote~ My Monkey was born 9 weeks prematurely so we had quite a bit of feeding issues with him and I ended up pumping and bottle feeding for a long 8 months so he could have breastmilk.
In the short 4 months that she has been here and I've been nursing her, I have never had so many sideways glances, look-then-lookaways, and outright stares. I'm not sure what is so novel about the idea of breastfeeding, but people are always intrigued/confused/uncomfortable (just to name a few reactions) when I go to nurse her. Many of my friends have also breastfed their babies, but not one that I can remember would nurse in public. I made the decision that I wold feed my baby when she was hungry and I wasn't going to worry if we were at at restaurant, at the coffee shop, the pool, or wherever. Now, I'm just saying...if my baby is hungry, who are you to say she can't eat. Hell, most everyone eats in public at restaurants so get over it! I'm also very lucky to have the most supportive mother and husband who have always encouraged and supported my nursing. I just wanted to add my two cents on the subject.

On a lighter note; a few things I've learned while nursing:
1. Ain't no paci like a mama paci 'cause a mama paci got milk! (*thanks Coolio*) I spend the better part of some days serving as paci to the Bug.

2.Practically every shirt you have will be stretched out beyond recognition due to shoving a growing infant underneath them.

3. Your babe will grope you, pinch you, and pummel you all in efforts to get your boob to give them more milk! ...and it usually works.
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