Next Please!

Well we are finally clear of pink eyes! From the onset of MC's to the end of mine, it took a solid 2 weeks to get rid of it! Luckily no one else got it. Therefore I am inclined to think that the dark cloud is just over my head...and no one else's. I am so stressed lately. Even my dentist asked me if I was stressed. How did he know? Hm. Maybe I found a therapist.

I feel the need to work a little extra this month since we are going on a couple of quick trips in the future. Trips = money. Plus we are on plumber #4 I think at the lake. We have gone through every plumber in Vicksburg now, and they just want to "look at it." One even wants to charge $300 to come "look at it" AGAIN in 2 weeks. We want it fixed...it's been looked at long enough. One plumber said that we would need a contractor to fix it - not a plumber. Another plumber never showed up. The last plumber was more concerned about fixing the ceiling than the actual pipes. FIX IT ALREADY! Then we found another leak in the kitchen as well as bee hives in the ceiling. Actual honeycombs. That's after they moved the mass amount of pine straw a.k.a. insulation.

Seriously. Bring on the next crisis. "Save me Tom Cruise...Save me Oprah Winfrey!"

Mati Claire has been wonderful since her eyes cleared up. She has watched The Andy Griffith Show, the movie Jungle Book, and has a new crush on Little Bear. She's working on her colors. Every color is either blue, ya-ya (yellow), or mink (pink). And she acknowledges that letters exist after G. She sort of hummed/said H-P this morning. Getting there. She is so "communicative" (is that the right word?). I love her answering me in an intelligent manner. I know that she understands what I say and she TELLS me what I need to know. It makes life so much easier...even though still demanding. Balkey still goes everywhere with us.

Oh, I also have a little thief on my hands. When I get her out of her buggy seat cover, these random items keep appearing. I apologize WalMart and Target. The little clepto is going to get me arrested one day! ;)

Mink Eyes

Hitting the cupcake pinata!

Playing with her "geen" whistle (she brought home about 15 whistles!)

I love this picture of Daddy and Daddy's Girl!

What a week! Trees stolen, no sleep, MC has conjunctivitis, then I woke up with it with this morning! I don't think I've slept all week. I couldn't make it to Tennessee to wish my niece, Kennedy, a happy 3rd birthday! She had a combination of "hoo-hoo" (Blue's Clues) and "boots" (Boots from Dora the Explorer) party. Mati Claire's eye was beginning to look much better, so we decided to attend our neighbor's 4th birthday party! Happy Birthday to the cupcake princess (JA)! We had some friends over Friday night to celebrate Tyanne's 30th birthday! It's always fun to have adult conversation now and then! And Matt's 32nd birthday is coming up! Happy Birthday to everyone!

This morning my eye was matted shut and red, and now MC's is looking worse than yesterday (draining again). I couldn't be brave and show up to church in my glasses...although the pharmacy may get to witness that later this week! These are pics from Saturday.

In Memory...

We were ROBBED tonight!!!! I felt silly calling the Sheriff's Department over it, but it was still an invasion and robbery of my property. Let me tell the whole story:

It's 8:30 pm. I'm watching Desperate Housewives from last night that I missed. I hear tires squeaking on the front driveway (but all tires squeak b/c of the stain). I figured Matt got off early or someone was turning around. Then I heard a really loud thud! I jumped off the couch to look out the window while I hear tires burning rubber out of my driveway! As I look out the window, I see this small white truck that looks like one my neighbors' down the road. So I figured it was one of the boys. But I'm still trying to comprehend why they are peeling out my driveway. Still questioning, I go out the front door. The truck then stops on the street in front of my neighbors' mailbox. The driver gets out, walks around, puts several garbage cans in the back of the truck, walks slowly back around to the drivers' side, gets in, sits in the street for a few seconds, and drives off casually. Hmmm... Still trying to comprehend... I think to myself maybe its my neighbors picking up their garbage cans...they do have a long driveway afterall. But the truck didn't pull into their driveway. While ALL of that was happening, I realized my favorite trees on my front porch were GONE! My big spiral heavy trees. Pots and all. All of this took place in about 2 minutes.

Then as my eyes are leaving the neighbor's yard, before I could turn around, I see this man walking down the street. 8:30 at night by himself. He was so close behind the truck that I thought they were together. So I started yelling at him. "Did you see that truck?" He proceeded to tell me that yes, he saw it. He sounded surprised when he learned of them stealing my trees...but yet he said he tried to get their tag. If he didn't know they had just stolen my trees and my neighbor's garbage cans, why was he trying to get their tag? So I asked him who he was. He wouldn't give me his name, but said he lived in the orange house on the corner down the road. Whatever. I was so mad, I went back inside the house.

Called Matt, called the police, called a hundred people to get my neighbor's phone number to see if his garbage cans were actually missing. Which they were. Called another neighbor to check on them. So I'm outside waiting on the cops to show up (feeling silly about calling over trees). I lock the front door and have a phone in each hand. I decide to see if the rest of the neighborhood was outside like myself (about half were). I get a little past my mailbox, and I hear a really weird "animal" sound coming from the woods across the street. I have lived in the country my entire life and I've never heard this sound before. It was changing noises...it began to sound like a person trying to imitate an animal of some kind. I yelled something and said the cops were on the way. Never heard it again. Weird. But scared me enough to stay inside the rest of the while.

Cop shows up like an hour later! My trees are probably on the other side of Mississippi now. They said they would start patroling this neighborhood now and would consider it a 'marked' street. I know it's silly to be upset over trees...but that guy was literally on my front porch. What if it had been worse? I can not imagine what it would be like to have your home burglarized by an intruder. You can imagine the thoughts that have run through my mind. Of course it's midnight and I still can't go to sleep.

Silly trees...that I watered EVERY day! That Mom and I spent days trying to re-pot. I spent weeks picking out the perfect pots. Even bought trimming shears specifically for those trees. My green thumb was on a breakthrough with those trees. Spent $ on those trees. Now there's no point in buying more to replace them. I'm very upset. I mean, does this mean I can't put holiday decorations out on the front porch for fear that someone will steal it???? That's insane! Seriously? Trees and garbage cans? Why? I'm not so sure that it was kids out for kicks.

At least the burglars didn't get IN the house. Praise God. That's the only peace I have right now.

Berry Carrie

It has been a great Mother's Day weekend! So far, the best ever! Here is a run-down of yesterday for me:

1. Woke up (Don't enjoy this...I could sleep all day)
2. Worked out at the gym (I actually enjoy this)
3. Played with MC (I enjoy this too)
4. Put MC down for a nap (I really enjoy this)
5. Grabbed some lunch (I enjoy it too much)
6. Laid out in the sun with my SIL (Hot outside, but still relaxing)
7. Stole a shower (I always enjoy this b/c its a rare occasion)
8. Hung out with SIL and MC (again, loved it)
9. Made tacos for dinner (Matt loves them)
10. Watched a chick-flick with Tyanne (great way to end a great day...with OREO balls!)

THEN I woke up to Shari's Berries: the most beautiful jumbo chocolate-covered strawberries! Pass that link to your husbands, gals! Did I tell you Matt has redeemed himself for everything he'll do this year that irritates me? Yes, I'll just remember this weekend when I get mad later!

Sorry people, I'm reveling in my own little piece of heaven right now. We had already eaten a few when I remembered to take a picture!

I saw a story on NBC Nightly News the other day and I was so excited to see it on the Bellsouth homepage again today. Did you know that stay-at-home moms would make around $130,000 a year if we were paid in money? Check out the Mom Salary calculator. Of course, to me, what we moms get in return is priceless!

22 months!

Already! 2 months til she's 2! She's 22 months today! She proved to me that she is a big girl by letting me use the real shower head to rinse her hair (that is usually a scary event). Then she let me use the electric toothbrush! We've been practicing for..oh lets say..just a year! (Not practicing actual brushing, but the electric spinning part.) Ha!

We have a new addition to our family! Welcome: Balkey! This is sad indeed, but here's a pic of MC and her new best friend:

Balkey made an appearance at Jack's BD Party and then at Belk's. So most of you have already met him. He goes EVERYWHERE with us. I can't blame her. She doesn't suck her thumb, has no blanket or favorite toy/animal, and no pacifier. She named him the other day and she talks to him! When he rolls away he gets a stern 'no, no, no'. What is a mother to do? When Balkey doesn't fit in the stroller and he bounces down the aisle at Kroger? Embarrassing. He may have to magically disappear one night along with his gang. That's a good Mother's Day gift to myself!!

If I don't get around to posting over the weekend, have a wonderful Mother's Day. I love you, Mom! My best present this week was when my little girl got excited about her mink shoes! (pink shoes). Ahhhh...yes, I must be doing something right ;)

If Only

I finally chopped my hair! You won't believe it til you see it! MC and I have almost matching haircuts. According to Matt, we are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Assuming I'm the latter. Hers may actually be longer than mine! I would post a pic, but I feel just flat out weird saying 'look at me!' I'll stick to her pictures saying 'look at her!'

MC has been HORRIBLE this past week (I say that in the most loving way that a mother knows)! ATTITUDE! TANTRUMS! And now all-of-a-sudden, has become Daddy's Girl!!!!! She wants absolutely nothing to do with me. A momentary relief for me. I just laugh at Matt...he's getting a taste of what I deal with everyday. We spent the weekend at the lake and MC got to ride in a boat for the first time. She never warmed up to the lifejacket and had this confused look on her face the entire time. It was a combination of 1) I'm going to throw up, 2) I'm scared to death, and 3) I might fall asleep. IF ONLY I had my camera then.

It SHOULD have been a better weekend, but it started out last Wednesday by almost ripping my toenail out during Pilates. Yes, leave it to me to find a way to physically hurt myself during a non-strenous activity. Stretching, literally...I look down...and there's blood on the floor.

Then the rain came while we're trying to enjoy the outdoors.

Then MC just won't stop screaming or throwing fits.

Then I haven't slept well the last few nights.

Then I forgot my hairdryer, so I was having several bad hairdays...with a bruised foot.

Then a REALLY loud bird outside our window almost got shot at 5:40 this morning. I thought it was the smoke alarm needing new batteries. IF ONLY I had a gun.

I know we aren't supposed to live by the 'what-if's' and the 'should haves'... I'm blaming it on the haircut. Maybe it took a few brain cells with it. Okay, I think I got all my frustrations out. Thanks for listening! Hope everyone (including me) has a better week!