Wordless Wednesday- Poor Babies

It's a bad day to be a baby in our house...

Don't worry- Sprite can hold her own and will get her revenge!!!

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival: Winter '08 Edition

It's that time again... drum roll please...

The Winter '08 Edition of the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival is upon us. It's a circus of sorts, a hay day, a carnival (without the carnies, of course) so what are you waiting for? Let the fun begin! Head on over to Bloggy Giveaways for all the details!

For this edition of the Bloggy Giveaway I am giving away a Tastefully Simple gift basket containing Tastefully Simple Bountiful Beer Bread, Spinach and Herb Dip Mix, and Warm the Oven Savory Cheese Dip (a trio of my favorites). The basket comes complete with dish towel, mini cutting board and dip bowl!

Requirements~ Visit my website and browse through our products. Simply leave a comment here telling me what your favorite product is or what looks the yummiest. There is a method to my madness here, the winner just might find a little something extra in their basket-hint, hint! If you don't want to visit my website and would rather have the basket just the way it is- that is ok too. Just share one of your favorite winter memories instead.

Details ~ The giveaway will run through February 1, 2008 and the winner will be announced sometime on February 2, 2008. My 5 year-old son will randomly draw a number and the corresponding comment will win . You must have a U.S. mailing address. You don't have to be a blogger to win, just supply a valid e-mail address so I can contact you. No duplicate entries please, they will be deleted as will those that do not meet requirements (I'm a stickler for details and anal like that, sorry).

Oh ~ and if you just can’t wait, or if you don’t win but really want something…you are always welcome to stop by website!! We ship directly to your door now!

Thanks for stopping by. I invite you to stop by every now and then to say Hi and to see what is happening here in Sweet Home Alabama. I know I can't expect you to stay and visit now with all those other bloggy giveaways just waiting to be won ... so ya'll come back now, ya hear!

Not Again

Sprite had a nasty cold again and started weezing last week. Hubbie and I have been holding our breath every time she gets a cold, waiting to hear the weeze that we heard so many times with Sprout. We have been really lucky up until this point but recently Sprite has had two episodes of RAD, Respiratory Airways Disease, that have required steroids and I can't help but start panicking a little. I know there could be sooo many worse things and in the grand scheme of things we have been really lucky but that doesn't mean that it has been easy. It just breaks my heart to think that she too might have to go through what Sprout went through as a munchkin. It was heartbreaking and as parents we felt so helpless. Sprout started having breathing problems when he was nine months old and we spent the next year in and out of the hospital, enduring tests for Cystic Fibrosis, TB and other lung disorders, administering breathing treatments and steroids... I remember on more than one occasion rushing into the emergency room with him in my arms crying because he was struggling so hard just to get a breath, his chest contracting. Many times I would have to pull over 3-4 times on the way to give him albuterol. Once there, they would wisk him away and hook him up to all kinds of equipment. Then we would spend the next couple of days in the pediatric unit, enduring x-rays, blood work, IV's, back clapping and oxygen masks. Because he was just a baby he had to be in what looked like a jailed crib-it was so sad. The days following were filled with breathing treatments every 2 hours, steroids and one very grumpy and irritable little boy. The steroids that he had to take made him miserable and almost inconsolable. They do the same to Sprite! They also added some meat to my already meaty baby! Today Sprout's asthma is under control with the right combinations of medicine and we rarely have to use his inhaler. He was doing so well for a while that we tried taking him off of his medications but he recently had to go back on them. The winter is the toughest time for him as viral infections are his main trigger and all of the steroids he was on weakened his immune system so he catches everything! I guess the good news is that we have been through this before so we know what to do and what to watch for but I can't help hoping that it is just a rough winter and once spring comes we will all be healthy again and these days will be nothing but a distant memory.

Bag Lady

It appears I left one very important tidbit of information about myslef off of my 100 list, but alas, I confess; I've become a Bag Lady.

No, no, not this kind...

It's far worse...

You see, I have a slight obsession with bags, handbags, etc. and am a bit of a Vera Bradley whore. There I said it. I put it out there for all to see and judge!

But wait, it get's worse. Not only do I want one of every style and fabric but I want all of the accessories too, the wallets, the cell phone cases, the change purses... I even like to change my bag with the seasons, with my outfits, with my daughter's dirty diapers... The problem is that when I switch bags, I always forget something important. Like my wallet! On more than one occasion I have had to be escorted home by the military police because I left my ID and license behind. I have done this so many times in fact that my husband now has one of my ID's in his wallet just so we can get on base when I forget my wallet (notice I said when not if or in case). And once I went to a tattoo parlor (yes to get a tattoo) and forgot my wallet. As I was sitting there digging through my purse I managed to pull out a toy remote control, a pacifier, a set of teething rings, my daughter, a pair of baby socks and a sippy cup-but no wallet. Ok, so I didn't really pull my daughter out of my bag in a tattoo parlor-what kind of mother do you think I am? I just wanted to make sure you were paying attention. But I sure did look like one cool Mama pulling out all of these baby items in the middle of a tattoo parlor. I think I lost all my cool points with this one. Needless to say I walked out with no tattoo or pride left!

Ok, back to my bag obsession. Just to add fuel to the fire here, my friend Sarah at the Pitter Patter Boutique has added the cutest darn bags to her collection, called Frenchy Bags, and I think I am going to have to have one in each design. She made me this one to try out her pattern:

Isn't is purdy? It is so me. I told you I was a paisley girl!

What is a girl to do with such an obsession???? Get a job, perhaps? Sarah, are you hiring? I can't sew worth a damn but I have a knack for shameless promotion, don't ya think?

Wordless Wednesday- Arrr Matey!

Le Petite Artiste

Sprite just loves drawing, coloring, painting, etc. She is quite the little artiste and everything is her canvas- the walls, the doors, the couch, her clothes, the coffee table... In an attempt to save my house from her strokes of color, I have stocked up on washable markers/crayons and giant coloring books but lately she really enjoys sitting out in the driveway with her chalk and coloring the world. In fact, she enjoys it soooo much that she forgets that she is sitting on her knees and doesn't even realize that her legs have fallen asleep. When I pick her up she cries and her legs are stuck bent. Honestly, I find this simply adorable and just hold her, rubbing her legs until they come back to life and then she is down for more...

Pay no attention to the collection of nuts and bolts and pile of electrical equipment in the background of this next picture. We don't normally let Sprite play with Daddy's electric tools, especially when it is wet outside but how can anyone resist this face...

Maybe this picture will earn me a spot in the Mother of the Year competition!

Since we're in this "getting to know me" phase...
Here are a few more things that you may or may not have known about me...in no particular order.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Waitress
2. Snack Bar Girl ( at a golf course)
3. Program Manager
4. Executive Director

Four movies I've watched more than once
1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. The Princess Bride
3. Good Will Hunting
4. Top Gun

Four Places I have lived (you already know this one)
1. Oswego, NY
2. Fayetteville, NC
3. Manhattan, KS
4. Fort Rucker, AL

Four T.V. Shows that I watch
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Friday Night Lights
3. Project Runway
4. The Backyardigans

Four places I have been
1. Philadelphia, PA
2. Outer Banks, NC
3. Bogata, Colombia
4. Toronto, Canada

Four People who e-mail me (regularly)
1.Sarah
2. Amy
3. Michelle
4. Shannon

Four favorite foods:
1. Wallhalla pasta
2. Garlic/White Pizza (from Maggie Valley Pizzeria)
3. Anything with Broccoli
4. Italian Bread (from Bosco's or Garafalo's)

Four Favorite Beverages
1. Margarita
2. Baybreeze
3. Relax Riesling
4. Water with Lemon (just so you don't think I'm a lush!)

Four Places I would like to visit
1. Ireland
2. The remainder of the US
3. Australia
4. St. Lucia

Four friends I am tagging to do this
1. Sarah
2. Amy
3. Michelle
4. Melissa

Things you may not know about me:
1. I went deaf when I was a little girl
2. I can palm a basketball
3. Blue October is one of my favorite bands
4. I had a nose job

Things I am looking forward to in the coming month & Year
1. Ashlyn talking
2. Time with my hubby
3. Losing a few pounds
4. Finding out where we'll be headed to next

Peep Toads

Ok, ok so they are not really called peep toads but that is what I called them as a little girl. They are actually called Spring Peepers and are not even toads. Gasp! They are small tree frogs- but as a kid we always called them peep toads because they go, peep, peep, peep. If you click on the link you can listen to their sound and see why I love them so much. We lived in the country when I was a little girl and I loved falling asleep with my window open to the music of the peep toads-errr- I mean Spring Peepers. In case you were wondering, "Spring peepers are nocturnal frogs, so they are mostly heard but not seen. They are especially easy to hear due to their extremely loud mating call which gives them the name "peeper," (or peep toad!!!!!!) but it is often hard to pinpoint the source of the sound, especially when many are peeping at once." I never actually saw a peep toad- Spring Peeper- geez, but I knew they were there, in the marshy woods just beyond our old house. It was almost like they were magical little creatures letting us know that Spring had sprung after a long harsh winter. And for the record- they will always be peep toads to me!!!!

100 Things You Wanted to Know About Me but Were Afraid to Ask

As promised, here's my list of 100 things you always wanted to know about me but were afraid to ask. I am certainly not the most exciting person in the world but I have a few quirks-Enjoy!

1. I love the sound of peep toads. They helped me fall asleep when I was a little girl.
2. I love the feel of wind in my face. I love wind in general.
3. I love the sound of wind chimes but prefer the deeper tones to the higher ones.
4. I hate being hot. Mostly because I sweat easily.
5. I get bitchy when I am hot or hungry so it is best to keep me cool and full! :)
6. I grew up in Oswego, NY.
7. I married my high school sweetheart at age 19.
8. We’ve been married for 11 years!
9. I have only traveled outside of the US twice- to Canada and South America.
10. I want to travel more someday…Especially to Ireland.
11. Green is my favorite color! Blue comes in a close second.
12. I am an idealist. My husband is a realist. We balance eachother.
13. I love thunderstorms and have to stand by a window or door to watch them.
14. I remember driving to the lake with my dad once during a really bad hthunderstorm just to watch it.
15. I have huge feet…And really long toes.
16. Ok, so I have big hands too…You know wat they say about a girl with big hands, don't you? I don't either!
17. I have 8 tattoos. I don’t regret any of them. I may even get more.
18. I had a belly button ring before I had Austin. And again before I had Ashlyn. But no more!
19. I went skydiving when I was pregnant with Austin (but didn’t know it).
20. Austin was born 2 weeks late.
21. I went boating when I was 9 months pregnant with Ashlyn (I knew it this time).
22. I was hoping the lake would be a bit rough and bring on contractions because I did not want to go 2 weeks over again!
23. I only went a week over!
24. Being pregnant was hard for me-I threw up A LOT! And Toby was deployed for the first 5 months of both pregnancies!
25. I hate being nauseous…And dizzy!
26. I am afraid of the dark…And spiders…But not snakes-snakes don’t bother me.
27. One of my favorite vacations was to the Outer Banks with my sister…The other was to Bogotá, Colombia to visit my husband.
28. I love hand-made pottery.
29. I took pottery classes and even made a few pieces that I wasn’t embarrassed to display in my home.
30. I graduated from college with a 4.0 GPA.
31. Yes, I am an overachiever.
32. Warm chocolate chip cookies are one of my weaknesses…
33. French fries are the other.
34. I get very sad when my fast food french fries are gone. And even sadder when there are not any hiding in the bottom of the bag!
35. I am not a morning person.
36. I have come to need my cup of cream with a splash of coffee in the morning.
37. I wish I could sing or play music. Well, I guess I can but you wouldn’t want to be around me when I was doing it.
38. I played the violin when I was little and was terrible at it. Just ask my Gram.
39. I love inspirational quotes and books about leadership.
40. I could spend all day in a book store.
41. I crave salt and chocolate when I am PMSing. Corn chips and M&Ms together is one of my favorites PMS snacks.
42. I love happy endings.
43. I cry at sad movies…And when reading sad books.
44. The Notebook made me cry a river!
45. I don’t see things in black and white-I see a lot of gray.
46. I subscribe to Reader’s Digest, Fitness, Log Home Living, and Parents magazine. I’m a well rounded person. :)
47. I love the mountains. I want to build a log home some day-in the mountains of NC or NY.
48. I am a Cancer- moody, emotional, sensitive…
49. Pedicures are one of my guilty pleasures. Bubble bath’s are another, especially in a jet tub!
50. I love broccoli.
51. I hate the dark circles under my eyes- and always have! I have tried every cream and concealer under the sun-but nothing seems to work.
52. I had botox injections to treat hyperhidrosis-excessive underarm sweating (nice-huh?). It runs in my family.
53. I eat entirely too much ketchup (catsup) on my hotdogs but only 3 dots of mustard and have passed this crazy habit on to my son.
54. I am also a condiment junkie and have passed this onto my son.
55. I detest bugs. This loathing has increased since moving to AL but has always existed.
56. I have lived in Oswego, NY; Fayetteville, NC; Linden, NC; Manhattan, KS; and Fort Rucker, AL.
57. I dislike drinking from a glass without a straw, unless it’s a wine glass of course. I do not drink my wine with a straw! :)
58. I have to have a glass of water next to my bed at night.
59. I could eat peanut butter toast every day.
60. I get car sick. Reading, being hot or smelling exhaust makes it worse.
61. I wear flip flops all year long.
62. I like to watch HGTV and the Food Network.
63. I don’t like scary movies. I watched Nightmare on Elm Street when I was too young and it still haunts me.
64. Phones with cords annoy me; I much prefer cordless phones b/c I like to walk around when I am on the phone and walking around in a tight circle makes me dizzy, which I think I mentioned I hate.
65. Putting dirty dishes in the diswasher grosses me out, especially when people don’t rinse the dishes before leaving them in the sink.
66. I put way too many clothes in the washing machine. I have for years and my husband reminds me of this fact whenever he does laundry-which is rarely so I still overload it!
67. Having children has helped me appreciate the simple things in life that I missed as a child.
68. When I am a grandparent I hope to be half of what my Gram is.
69. I love trees and leaves! This stems from my childhood. I spent a lot of time in a giant Oak tree I called Oscar. I felt safe there!
70. My brother and I were born at exactly the same time of day, 11:21.
71. The end of my nose wiggles when I talk. Please don’t stare the next time we talk! :)
72. I sleep with 4 pillows- 2 under my head, 1 under my legs and 1 under my arm. If my husband falls asleep with one of my pillows, I yank it out from under him while he is sleeping!
73. I am addicted to Orbit gum and chapstick.
74. I can’t fall asleep if my feet are cold or my lips are chapped.
75. I can’t whistle or burp! I wonder if I would explode if I swallowed Alka Seltzer whole- you know, like a seagull!
76. I cannot drink beer without feeling like I’m going to explode (see above).
77. I prefer to be barefoot.
78. I love pajamas but can’t stand nightgowns. I also love to put my kids in pajamas.
79. I think donkeys are cute.
80. I don’t like sushi.
81. I love my dog but hate his hair- he sheds sooooo much!
82. I get really angry when computers don’t do what I want them too. I have been known to abuse a mouse or two-computer mouse that is.
83. I am an impulsive person.
84. I don’t like Pina Colada’s.
85. Or getting caught in the rain.
86. But love Margaritas (frozen or on the rocks with salt).
87. And walks on the beach (I couldn’t resist).
88. I brush my teeth in the shower. I know this is weird but I am a very messy tooth brusher and look like a dog foaming at the mouth. I am amazed by those who can brush their teeth while walking around the house.
89. I love a good fitting pair of jeans but have a hard time finding them.
90. Once after sneaking out of school with my boyfriend (now husband) and his friend, I called the school to get my best friend out and we all went to pick her up in my Mom’s minivan. I wore my mom’s winter hat and the guys were hiding in the back as we pulled up to the school. It was like our own version of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
91. I love food! It is very difficult for me to resist eating something if I want it, especially if someone is eating something that I want or I think looks good. As one might imagine, this makes dieting very challenging for me.
92. My first vehicle was a Dodge D-50. It was a stick shift and I didn’t know how to drive it when I bought it but Toby taught me how. The floorboards were so rusted I could have driven it like a Flinstone mobile.
93. I am a complete klutz. I cannot go into a store without knocking something off of a rack or shelf.
94. I have never been to Disney World.
95. I can’t read music.
96. I like paper towels and toilet paper to roll off the top.
97. I am either a shy extrovert or an outgoing introvert.
98. I hate wearing pantyhose and have even pulled them off in my office after a meeting.
99. Halloween is my favorite holiday and fall is my favorite season but I don't like Candy Corn.
100. I suffer from middle child syndrome.

If you made it to the end of the list- either you were really interested in getting to know me better or you lead a very boring life! Just Kidding! Thanks for hanging in there until the end.

The Pitter Patter Boutique

Did ya notice the new flashing banner on my side bar? Huh, huh, huh, did ya, did ya? Well, slap my head and call me silly; you must be as lost as a goose in a snowstorm! (i've been practicng my southern colloquialisms-whatcha think?) Well, let me give you a hint- it's looks something like this:



Did ya find it yet? Did ya, did ya? Good, now head on over there faster than a turpentined cat and check out my friend Sarah's new digs, The Pitter Patter Boutique, featuring "stylish and hip accessories for the Mom and Baby of today!" These items make perfect gifts for family members and/or friends expecting a new baby. Sarah is very talented and hand makes all of these beautiful products from nursing covers to boppy covers, to taggie security blankets to personalized family trees. I have been fortunate enough to receive quite a few beautiful gifts from my gal pal here and can speak first hand about the quality of her products. They are even finer than frog hair split four ways! ;) She was even recently featured on Popular Baby Products.

When Ashlyn was just knee high to a grasshopper she made me a nursing cover that was so pretty and stylish. It sure came in handy when Ashlyn and I were on a plane that was grounded on the tarmac for entirely way too long, let me tell you. She also made me a cute girly Boppy Cover. Now that Ashlyn is a little older and as wild as a junebug on a string she gave me matching car seat strap covers and a no-throw sippy cup holder in this fabric. I am such a paisley girl, can you tell?

I am so lucky to have such an awesome friend who tests out all of her new products on me! :) In fact, when I think about it, I just might be happier than a dog with two peters (good one-huh?). Keep those wheels a spinning Sarah!

Wordless Wednesday- Yee Haaaw

And You Thought I Forgot...

Do you remember my Celebrating 100 Post? Here's a little reminder-

Help a girl celebrate her 100th post, would ya? Tell your neighbors, tell your friends, tell your neighbor's friends! Typically, I think people limit responses to one per person but if you are crazy enough (uh-Sarah) to sit and type in 100 comments about 100 things you have without knowing what the prize is (it could be 100 rolls of toilet paper)- you have entirely way too much stuff and time on your hands!

Well, my friend Sarah at the Pitter Patter Boutique was crazy enough to sit and enter 100 comments about 100 things she has. Here are a few of my favorites:
*I have 100 comments to leave on Lisa's blog. You're gonna regret moderating these.
*I use 100 squares of toilet paper a day. Trust me people, the hubby and I had a contest. I know this for a fact.

*I have 100 more Boll Weevils to kill before leaving Enterprise.
*100 bottles of Bailey's on the wall :-).
*100 of Aspen's hairs that made it into my home.

God, I love this girl!

And as promised, Sarah received 100:

Rolls of Toilet paper!!!

I'm kidding!
She received Oscar Wilde's "The Worlds' Favourite 100 Quotes: and 100 Hershey Kisses (these were from my mother-in-law). I was trying to stick with the 100 theme and since I love quotes, I thought this was perfect. I was going to take a picture of her book and box of kisses but my camera is not working! I am not very happy about this. In fact, I am down right pissed! This is a fairly new camera and it was not cheap and going one day without taking a picture is like going a day without peeing- it just doesn't happen around here! GRRRR!

Anyway, as an added bonus, I will be posting 100 random bits of information about myself for your reading pleasure, so stay tuned...

Memories

Some of my favorite memories from our Christmas in NY:

Watching Sprout and his Grammy dance in the living room.
Making Gingerbread cookies on Christmas Eve.
Sprout and Grammy walking to JC Penny's to get slippers.
The whole family playing in the snow.
Sprout flying out of the tube as his Daddy pulled him around in circles.
Play-Doh, Play-Doh, and more Play-Doh.
Sprite sliding off of my Dad's belly over and over again.
Sprout and his Grampy watching Star Wars together.
Sprout and Bailey* playing tug of war-nose to nose.
Bailey melting every time my Hubba Bubba picked her up.
A black beauty in a Kitchen Aid box.
Grammy's Birthday Dinner (minus the cheeseake!) ;)

*Bailey is our Bully that lives with Grammy and Grampy now. We miss her lots and fall in love with her all over again every time we visit!

Wordless Wednesday-Snowbunnies

Happy New Year!

We're Baaa-aack!!

It feels like it has been a year since I have sat down at the computer to blog and read some of my faves. I feel so behind and have so much catching up to do! Speaking of catching up to do... Do you remember that challenge I started in October to walk 100 miles before the end of the year- well shoot, I was hoping that you forgot because I failed miserably!!!! I came to a screaching halt around 52 miles. I barely made it half way! I know you don't want to hear all of my excuses, but, but, but... remember when I came down with a nasty case of the flu or some sort of mutated stomach virus that lasted a week? That really set me back and then my husband came down with it and then each of the kids came down with it and I spent a month cleaning up vomit and washing sheets and spraying lysol on every surface trying to rid this house of the viscous germs that had invaded our home and bodies. We never quite recovered from this. Someone has been sick in this house since the beginning of November.

After the nasty stomach virus, Sprite came down with a really high fever (105) that lasted 3-4 days and landed us in the emergency room-twice. Then Sprout came down with a cold and sinus infection that set off his asthma and put us back into the routine of inhalers and steroids...Ugh! I seriously think we need to have our house checked for asbestos or mold-we are living on base so anything is possible. Then I got really busy with my Tastefully Simple business. I had 2 parties, 3 fairs, and 2 open houses in December, which I am not complaining about... but, but, but. Ok, ok enough with the excuses. I failed! Period. The end!

Now on to other news. We survived our 22 hour drive to NY to visit family for the holidays but it was exhausting. 4 days on the road for 6 days of visiting was just too much. While it was nice to see everyone, it was tough toting the kids around from house to house, each time disrupting their routines a little more. Sprite refused to sleep in her pack and play and ended up sleeping with us most nights which meant that the Hubba Bubba and I did not get much sleep because sleeping with Sprite is liking being in a WWF ring. Sprout was soooo good though! I couldn't believe it was my kid! He was so polite and played so well by himself. He had a blast at Grammy and Grampy's house and didn't want to leave. Sprite on the other hand, was her typical strong-willed, stubborn, screacher creature who aptly fit her nick name of Crabby Miss Crabby Patty! I know the whole trip was tough on her and she started coming down with something (again) while we were there but it made for a really tiring trip. By the end, we were so desperate to get home, back to our routines, that we ended up leaving at 6 o'clock at night and drove straight through the night to get home. By the time we got home the next afternoon, we all looked like this:

But alas, we were home! Ahh, I have never been so happy to see military housing before!

Home sweet home-at least for now!

Ok, I am done whining. I just needed to get all of that out before I move on to 2008!