Mum's the Word

Happy Birthday Carly!

It's still a work in progress, but it got me started. We bought mums yesterday! They are a little cheaper at Fads-N-Frames than at the Farmer's Market. But hay stacks were cheaper at the Farmer's Mkt. I just love the croton plant too! It's so pretty! Someone tell me how to keep all this stuff alive now! I usually don't decorate for Fall/Halloween because I'm already planning Christmas decorations! :) F&F and Hobby Lobby have all their Christmas stuff out already! This year has flown by!

Here's my other latest project: framing the dozens of pictures I've got laying around the house! I took this one to Neblett's yesterday and I thought it turned out great! It's sitting in the play-pen for now so someone won't knock it over and break it! Vanessa Diel took this pic.

These are the Beaux & Belles' outfits I ordered a few weeks ago. Just adorable! If anyone wants to order from them, let me know! I can give you the website for the lady my sister knows (B&B doesn't have an official website so you have to order through trunk shows). Clothes get me in a good mood! Shopping is the best therapy!

Itsy Bitsy Baptist

Check out my little yellow M&M spider! I knocked his web down once and it was back up the next day. Weird, never seen one like that. But he likes our front yard. MC wore her Itsy Bitsy Baptist bib yesterday! so cute.

It has taken me 15 months, but I can finally admit that MC looks like me! Mini-Carrie! Maybe it's the haircut...not sure. I'm feeling better with each new day. Yesterday I was over the hair and just a really ticked off mother hen. Today, I'm not even sure if I should deliver that letter. I wrote a letter to the pastor of FBC, basically stating what happened, how mad I am, and warning him that I was writing a Letter-to-the-Editor of the Clinton News. I still feel like someone should be punished for this. And if no one will confess, then I feel like everyone should be punished by public humiliation. Thought about letting it go, but it could have been something worse and if so, how could I let that go? That would be like standing up for some things and not standing up for others. My problem now is their reaction and attitude towards the whole thing. Just denying it, saying 'oh-well, we didn't do it.' I never got a sincere apology. If they did, I was too distraught to hear it. This is not getting pushed under the rug. So I will deliver the letters and be done with it.

I'm trying not to think about it and move forward! So we're going to buy some new fall decorations today! Carly and I went shopping Saturday and we got some of the most adorable children's outfits! I needed that! :) MC has discovered her new "chair" on the stairs (above picture). She'll sit there for hours...just sitting.

Footnotes

Let me clarify a few things since I've had a few questions. Mati Claire has a cow-lick in the front, a widow's peak, and TWO crowns in the back. I didn't know what a crown was until she was born: it's the center almost bald spot where the "swirl" begins and its the direction that the hair grows. MC has 2 of them. Several barbers have said they have never even seen a person with 2 crowns. So her hair grows in several different directions--primarily forward. The widow's peak "center" part has always been longer than the rest of her "bangs" since the day she was born. You may not be able to see the difference in the pictures I posted, but you can tell from the pictures taken today that there is a straight line across her forehead.

As we all know, Mati Claire's hair stuck straight up off her head until just recently. The LONGER it gets the more it WEIGHS it down. So when someone CUTS my child's hair, it has the possibility of sticking back up. After months of letting it grow out.

And anyone who actually had bangs (maybe in the 80's?) knows that letting them grow out is difficult. I'm back to square 1. There are pieces that fall out of her barrette that didn't yesterday. And I could almost get it behind her ear yesterday. I know it will grow back and its just hair. But when you have MC's hair, its not JUST HAIR.

Whoever the Director answers to (a State Board for Daycare's???) called to get my story and he said he will investigate. Don't know if that will actually happen. I have my suspicions. When I said "how could another child do this".......I meant that a child could NOT have done this. We asked them repeatedly if gum or play-dough was a factor, and they assured us it wasn't. According to the director, she is "baffled by this incident" and has full trust in her employees. We told her that one of her trusted employees is LYING! And I will let everyone who walks in Kroger Pharmacy know it.

I felt like I needed to clarify a few things and just let everyone know how extremely mad...livid...outraged...hurt...I am. Sorry to take it out on everyone!

MADNESS!

I am so upset right now that I can barely think straight. I am pulling Mati Claire out of Mother's Day Out at First Baptist after today. Does anyone see a change here in these pictures besides me?




The one on the left is from before, and the right is from today:










I believe I missed her first haircut. I couldn't even think of what to say when I picked her up. I just wanted someone to say "Yes I did it and I'm sorry." But no! The teachers say they didn't do it. How could another child do that? If so, it's negligence (sp?) . If they only knew the heartache this has caused. After hours of crying and a few phone calls to and from the Director, we are pulling her out. This is after all, the third "incident" we've had. I was still left wondering if she was even in the right class to begin with, then they sent me a bill stating I had not paid when I did, and now this.



I am BEGINNING to calm down a little. Matt has reassured me that it's just hair and it will grow back (not before Christmas pictures I'm sure). By the way it barely fits into her bows now. She was not physically harmed and that's the most important thing. The only thing that makes this whole ordeal okay for the moment is this sweet smile staring back at me right now.
Before:


Today

First Molars

Oh teeth. Teeth teeth teeth teeth. Teeth will be the death of me. Then they fall out in years to come. Why after so much turmoil? I hate teething! Needless to say, Mati Claire has her 1 year molars. And the holes for a few canines. I had to call my sister (the dental hygienist) AGAIN to find out AGAIN how many teeth there are...and how much longer WE had to suffer through this. Poor MC has been so miserable for the past 2 weeks. She seems to be doing better this week! She's in a better mood the past few days and just LOVES playing outside with the gorgeous weather. She woke up this morning repeatedly saying "ah-side" "ah-side".

I've been reminding myself that I should not fret over these kind of things (teething and eating issues) when there are people around me with much bigger problems. Every morning Matt comes home and tells me his latest ER story. This past week shocked me when he told me Dr. Estess was a patient. (I don't think that's violating HIPAA since all of Clinton knows.) It puts things in perspective and we're praying for him and his family. He's on the good road to recovery at the present time. Then Bodie, my 4 year old date on several occasions, had a ruptured eardrum. His mother called me in tears and said she was on the way to the ER and hoped Matt could help him. He's fine now thank goodness. As a mother, I just felt lucky and truly blessed. Here I am complaining of MC's allergies and a runny nose. I could have been rushing to the ER in the middle of the night with a screaming baby.

Sorry no new pictures to post. MC keeps me so busy that I haven't had time to even pick up my camera! Looking forward to an interesting weekend! :)

For You

I never post twice in 1 day...but this just called for a big "shout-out" to Rachel, Todd, and Allyson. Ya'll are the sweetest people ever! Okay, I've definitely been hanging out with 21 year old's if I just used the word "shout-out"...hahaha. I'm not a florist but I tried. Thank you!

Social Butterfly

Mati Claire has been quite the socialite this past weekend. She has been so fussy for the past 2 weeks and I'm assuming bored out of her mind, then company comes over, and she TOTALLY changes her attitude and happily mingles with everyone!

She sort of got a "bad report" from Mother's Day Out Friday. They said she was "unhappy 80% of the time." But of course when company arrived that night she couldn't be happier! We set up some friends/co-workers on a blind date Friday night. We made it a double date so it wouldn't be too awkward for them. I think it went well....it's still in the air right now. Nice dinner at Cozymel's in Ridgeland and we hit the movies "My Best Friend's Girl." Funny movie. Needless to say I wasn't worried about MC b/c I left her in the hands of Nana, Rachel, Aunt Miranda, and some other college students.

Saturday, MC and I took a trip to Vicksburg to visit Sara and to check out her trunk show for Just Ducky children's clothes. SO cute! MC got to play with Addison while I browsed through adorable clothes and caught up with Sara. We came home to Miranda's 21st birthday party! She stared out the window while everyone was outside by the pool. Good food and good friends so of course we had a good time! I came down with a migraine but nothing that a little Maxalt can't fix. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling up to a girl's night out to the movies. Maybe next time.

Hey Mom, check out my newly re-potted trees!

Fun Weekend

Our FIRST craft! Mother's Day Out sent me home with this project even though they are too young to really participate. So MC ate the Cheerios while I glued them. She ate the Crayons while I colored. And she ate the paper while I cut it. I held it up to her when we were done, and she belted out in approval while grinning ear to ear. She was so proud of it. Now if we can only keep it in one piece until Friday. I'm looking forward to more homework! Last Friday while MC was at school, I realized it was the FIRST day in over 14 months that I was HOME ALONE! Usually I leave the house when we have a babysitter. I found myself trying to be quiet while loading the dishwasher because I kept thinking she was taking a nap. I found myself looking down by my feet afraid I was going to step on her. I found myself watching television tuned into my shows instead of Sprout. I was SO blown away by all this that I didn't know what to do!

Friday night, Matt and I got somewhat of a 'date-night' with James and Laura's Rehearsal Dinner. I love having adult conversations with other mothers. They let me know I'm not going crazy. Saturday was the big wedding! Lovely. Just beautiful and windy! It was so wonderful to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. I hope Laura doesn't mind, but I had to post a pic. Her dress is gorgeous! The wedding was so sweet.

Every now and then, I come across a YouTube clip that catches my attention. This one came across me at work the other day and most people have probably seen it already (I think I even got it later in a mass email), but it still makes me smile. Even though I get plenty of it around here this little boy is so funny I have to share it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbSieU8wcFQ

Featuring

Check out some of MC's 1 year pics at Vanessa Diel's Blog. They turned out so precious. I wish she could post them all but there are a few on her latest entry (mixed in with some other clients). I'm surprised they turned out as well as they did because MC was so hot and miserable all day. It just shows you what a GREAT photographer Vanessa is.

Obviously...

we have a new layout. Like it? I also found a new playlist (finally) so it plays in random or you can click on a song. Pretty random songs too...i'm still working on it. It's too late to do more. My friend Robyn told me about Paolo Nutini and Jack Johnson like a year ago, and I'm just catching on.

Congratulations Robyn and Bo! I hope everything goes smoothly over the next 9 months!

First Day of School

We were all so proud yesterday. Mati Claire had her first day of "school" (according to me), but Matt says its just "daycare." Unfortunately I had to work, so Matt got her up, fed her breakfast, gave her a bath, got her dressed (with a bow in her hair I might add), packed her up in the car, and got her to Mother's Day Out (on time I might add). And then I made him take pictures of her. Miranda got to pick her up. So I missed everything!

I have a feeling that she might be in the wrong class. She came home and was CRAWLING! She totally skipped that part 8 months ago. She has never really crawled...until yesterday. Then she was in a "jumperoo" thingy when Miranda picked her up. #1: she's too heavy for that and #2: isn't she too old for that??? Luckily, I am taking her next week so I will have some questions for the new teachers. Gosh, I'm already "that mom." We were looking forward to playing with Jack but they aren't in the same classroom. :( I wasn't there so I could be misunderstanding the whole situation. We'll see next week.

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY, MIRANDA!!!! Thank you for babysitting all weekend! MC appreciates it too! MC is 14 months old now!

Home Sweet Home

We finally made it home from St. Louis at 2:30 this morning! We thought if we left around MC's bedtime that she would sleep for the entire drive. What were we thinking??? We came home in sweet weather and woke up this morning to Hurricane Gustav!

We have some new friends that are a blast to hang out with! They are 3 weeks older than MC and their names are Colin and Jocelyn. They are such adorable twins! We loved St. Louis! We went apple-picking for the first time at Eckert's Farm. We saw the Gateway Arch and we took a tram ride to the top. I highly recommend the St. Louis Zoo. The hippo alone was worth the trip! All the kids were troopers and had a great weekend! Thank you to all the Hennon's for sharing their beautiful home and Labor Day weekend with us. I posted a few pics of our adventures!