Living The Simple Life

Back to the beginning

2011-01-02T22:28:00.004-06:00

Well where should I begin? I went to Nebraska in October to help my sister pack her house for a move to North Dakota. While I was there, I went to get my hair cut with my favorite hair stylist. I was telling her about my sewing obsession and desire to sell my work and she mentioned that she had a baby boutique business that she was no longer interested in running. She still had all kinds of supplies and products left and was interested in selling them. We scheduled a time to get together and go through everything. She named a price and I said yes. I came out as the proud new owner of Big Fat Baby. I've had so much fun setting the business up. I've done two craft shows so far and have more in the works. I bit off more than I can chew with designing a website so it's still a work in progress. I have so many ideas and plans and dreams. And it's great that Jody is so supportive with everything. Not every husband could handle the house looking like a fabric store exploded in it all the time.

Resolutions

2011-01-01T20:25:00.000-06:00

As the new year begins, I've made a few goals for myself:
1. Have family scripture study and family prayer every night.
2. Journal at least once a week.

I'm all about keeping it simple. I don't want to get myself too overwhelmed.

Projects

2010-09-20T18:31:00.005-05:00

I go through these cycles: sewing, scrapbooking, cooking, cleaning. I get stuck on one thing and go crazy with it. Lately I've been obsessed with sewing. It started when I saw a link on a friend's fb page for a tutorial on flower hair bows. Then my mom came down on vacation and we made not one, but two trips to the fabric store. That started me working on minky blankets and more hair bows. Then I caught a sale on flannel fabric at Hancock Fabrics which led to rag quilts. A fellow sewing friend and I like to compare projects. She got me started on personalized onesies and burp clothes. I now have fabric stacked all over our tiny living room and a sewing machine that takes cut half of our tiny table. I was thinking about selling on ebay or etsy, but now my friend and I are thinking about doing a craft show together. Here are some of my latest projects:

The decision

2010-08-13T11:48:00.001-05:00

Jody and I talked about it today and I think for now we are going to homeschool Paxton. I just feel like it would be throwing him to the wolves to put him in a situation where he doesn't have the skills to cope. We're going to try to be more involved in our local homeschool group and get Paxton involved in some other activities. I feel good about this decision and think it will be in his best interest for now.

Paxtons Appt #2

2010-08-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

We met with a team of 5 specialists. They did more testing and more questioning. Afterward we all met together and went over the results. They aren't sure what is going on with Paxton. They said he really is too young for an aspergers diagnosis. And it's difficult to tell whether his behaviors are because of his severe sensory issues, coping skills or something more. They said they will reevaulate him in a year and see how things have progressed. In the meantime they suggested behavior therapy and they gave me the number for an Autism Resource center where I can find out about activities in my area to work on social skills.

Now I'm torn about whether or not I should send him to school. I know at school he will have a good schedule and get the socialization he needs. He could also get his speech and behavior therapy and probably OT there. His case worker said I may be able to get him in for half days. But I don't think he will ride the bus so I'm looking at 2 hours of driving everyday to take him to and from school. And I worry about his being teased and made fun of. I've been really excited about getting things ready to homeschool him because he's so eager to learn. And then I wonder if I send him to school, should I go ahead and send Olivia too. But between school and gymnastics, I feel like I will never see her.

I'm just so overwhelmed right now. The homeschool intent letter has to be turned in by the 15th and school starts Thursday so I feel like I'm under the gun on making a decisiion. And of course Jody says whatever I think it best.

HOT!

2010-08-04T14:57:00.003-05:00

Dreams do come true

2010-07-27T22:06:00.002-05:00

For years I told Jody I wouldn’t marry him because he wasn’t LDS. For years I hoped and prayed that one day he would be baptized. He agreed to go to church with me and we finally got married. He has gone to church with me for the last 11 years. Yesterday my dream came true. Jody got baptized!

Patrick Shirley served a mission in our area and always regretted not getting Jody baptized. He talked with Jody about taking the plunge. We set the date for July 26th and said we would proceed unless Jody said otherwise. I tried not to get my hopes up before hand because Jody kept saying he might back out. Little did I know…

It was a small low-key baptism. The only people present were Patrick, 2 missionaries to serve as witnesses, me and the kids, and Sendai and two of her kids. It was surreal when Jody walked out in a white jumper. As I watched him walk down into the water, I had to hold back tears.

The gift he has given our family is invaluable. I didn’t think it was possible, but my love for him has grown yet again. I can’t wait for the day when our family will go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity.

Learning the ropes

2010-07-12T22:48:00.002-05:00

“During this ride, I wondered how other mothers with autistic kids dealt with it. Were they also lost in knowing how to get help? I couldn’t believe the red tape and the maze with no directions. What if I hadn’t started searching for help? What if no one ever told me there was help?”
-Jenny McCarthy, Louder Than Words

My biggest obstacle with getting Paxton help has been finding assistance. Everything I have learned about the system, I have learned on my own. You don’t get a pamphlet that says “hey your kid has a disability, here’s what to do next“. In fact, when I first mentioned my concerns about Paxton’s extreme sensitivities at his well child check-up, his normally thorough pediatrician blew me off. It was when I mentioned it to his early-childhood speech therapy caseworker, that someone finally shared the same concerns as I. She gave me the name of a pediatric OT who set Paxton up for testing which got the ball rolling for therapy. From there I had to ask questions about getting a diagnosis and an IEP for school. We’ve been waiting almost a year to get Paxton into a developmental center for an official diagnosis. A YEAR! That’s a year of unanswered questions and a year of time that could have been spent helping him. They say as many as 1 in 115 kids have autism. Why aren’t there more resources available to diagnosis and treat them? How many kids miss out on a critical time for therapy and services because their caregivers don’t know where to turn? Having a child with a disability has been an eye-opening process. There needs to be a better system in place to help these children get the help they so desperately need.

Not again

2010-07-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

There was another lizard and washing machine incident. This one was much smellier and much worse. It is an experience I do not wish to remember. I no longer look at little lizards running briskly by with fondness. I now want to run screaming in the opposite direction.

Ewwwwww

2010-06-29T22:10:00.002-05:00

I had grand plans of getting caught up on laundry today. I was switching clothes from the washer to the dryer when I checked the filter trap for the washer because sometimes little socks get stuck in there. I was suprised (to the say the least) to see a lizard in it. It looked just like some toy ones that the kids have so I thought I would poke it to be sure. It felt like a toy so I went to pick it up and the TAIL FELL OFF!! I threw it down and ran to wash my hand. It was so NASTY! I swear I want to cut off the fingers that touched it. FIL came down and took care of it for me. I decided to take the day off from laundry duty. Every time I look in the laundry room I have the urge to run and around and scream hysterically.

Happy Birthday, Jody!

2010-06-28T21:07:00.001-05:00

You made it another year! Happy 33rd birthday old man!

Earth shake!

2010-06-28T10:05:00.000-05:00

Saturday we were eating supper when there was a loud boom and the house shook. I jumped and looked at Jody. He said he thought is was from them fracking the oil well. I watched the 10 o'clock news last night and they reported that there was a 3.3 earthquake centered on Honey Hill Rd which is just a couple miles north of us. I woke Jody up all excited to tell him we had experienced our first earthquake. Then last night we were both awaken by another boom. I remember saying "was that another one" before I was even fully awake. Sure enough on the news this morning they said there was another 3.2 earthquake in the same area. How crazy is that?! Jody is ready to move. Apparently he can handle tornados but not earth shaking.

Happy 8th Birthday, Olivia!

2010-06-23T22:18:00.001-05:00

Eight years ago I held you in my arms for the first time. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. I love you so much. Happy Birthday baby girl!

Absent

2010-06-15T21:40:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I've been so absent lately. Part of my frustration is the super slow dial-up I have to deal with to get anything accomplished on the internet. We've also been incredibly busy. Once I get behind writing, it's overwhelming to get caught up.

I guess the biggest news is that we got Paxton's results back from the ADOS. His scoring indicates that he may be autistic and that we should seek further testing. I have always suspected Aspergers, but seeing it on paper was a bit overwhelming. We have an appt at the Dennis Developmental Center on August 5th and I am anxiously awaiting any information they can give me. Paxton was reevaluated at OT and passed the Fine Motor Skills with flying colors so his hours at OT have been reduced. They will reevaluated at the end of the summer to make sure he hasn't regressed at all.

I got a new car! I'd been shopping around for months because my van was on it's last leg. I did a ton of research and settled on a Nissan Versa Sedan. I figured it up and the car would pay for itself in what we saved on gas. Jody and I both felt really good about it. It's small but serves it's purpose for now.

We went on a 10 day trip to Nebraska with Sendai and her kids to visit my family. 2 adults, 7 kids and 3 puppies in a 12 passenger van makes for a fun vacation. We got back just in time to start the summer schedule of gymnastics and therapy. Olivia is now going to gym on Mon, Wed and Thurs from 9-1. And Paxton now has therapy on Mon and Wed right in the middle of when Olivia is at gym. It would mean a lot of running back and forth but thankfully my FIL is here to help out and can take Paxton to therapy for me.

Tomorrow Jody and I have reservations for the night at a hotel in Little Rock to celebrate our 10th anniversary. I can't believe we've been married 10 years! I feel so OLD! Sendai is going to watch the kids to we can have a night on the town. It will be nice to get away with just the two of us. I think this will only be the 3rd time since Olivia was born that we will spend the night alone without the kids.

The funniest commercial ever!

2010-06-03T19:55:00.000-05:00

New neighbor

2010-04-13T22:18:00.004-05:00

We live in the Fayetteville Shale area of central Arkansas. A big gas boom began several years ago and land owners all over the area leased their mineral rights in hopes that the gas companies would pump gas from their section and they would receive royalties. For years we watched as sections all around got wells put on them. I've jokingly stated that becoming a rich oil tycoon will be my only hope for a house addition and a decent car to drive. Well our time has come. There is a huge oil rig on the land that borders ours. It's been exciting watching the process as they formed the pad, hauled in load after load of gravel, did initial drilling and now as they erected the big rig. And we can't help but dream about the what ifs. Jody says we're going to feed the pig. I say we can feed the pig with his portion of the royalties and build a house addition with mine.

The view from our driveway. You can see the rig peeking out between the trees:

The view of the rig from our road:

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-08T21:56:00.005-06:00

I can't believe how much snow we have gotten this winter. The best thing about getting snow in Arkansas is it doesn't hang around long. You can enjoy it for a couple days and then it all melts away.

The worst thing about getting snow is that our driveway becomes impassable. We have to hike to the ILs to go anywhere which is a lot of fun in 8 inches of snow and ice.

The ultimate time waster

2010-01-16T20:40:00.004-06:00

I got this brilliant idea to start a 2000 piece puzzle Monday night. It seemed like a good idea at the time. When you're OCD like me, you do nothing but the puzzle until it is finished. I managed to keep the house from looking completely destroyed. I did enough dishes, laundry and cleaning to get by. Everyone is excited that I got the puzzle finished because they can use the table again. I wonder what project I should start next.

Got meat?

2010-01-14T20:05:00.000-06:00

While driving home from church last night, I was frightened when I noticed a big, black dog standing in the road as I passed by. The following conversation with Paxton ensued:

Paxton: If we hit a deer, do we get to have it?
Me: I guess.
Paxton: And then we can make chicken out of it. But not the antlers. We can just keep the antlers.

Paxton calls every kind of meat chicken. He has this funny wit about him. Lately he has been asking all kinds of questions. And when I answer the question, he replies with another question. It can be exhausting but it's neat to see a glimpse of how his little mind works.

Free kids

2010-01-09T22:01:00.002-06:00

Updates

2010-01-09T21:28:00.005-06:00

So many things have happened since I last posted. So many that I don't know where to start. I'll try to hit some of the highlights.

After fighting panic attacks daily, I finally conceded and went to see my doctor about getting back on anxiety medication. I wish I had had the strength to handle them on my own, but it came to the point where I couldn't function. The doctor prescribed me Paxil. The first week on it was horrible. I would not have made it through it without my sister Sendai. She even came and stayed with me one night to comfort me while I was adjusting to the medicine. I'm so glad I stuck with it. I am only taking half the dose that the doctor prescribed, but I am no longer fighting the panic attacks daily. You don't realize how much energy goes into trying not to freak out all the time until the burden is lifted from you.
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Jody had a bit of a tree cutting mishap. He decided to cut down a tree by the house unsupervised. Her forgot that Sendai and I consider ourselves professional tree removers after we cut down a tree in the front yard.

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We now have 8 chickens, 4 rabbits, 3 cows, 6 pigs in the pen and one in the freezer.
The rabbit shed (it has a plywood back on it now):

The chicken coop:
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We had one of the wettest years on record in 2009, and now 2010 is one of the coldest. The weather has been crazy. We normally get a week or two were the temps get down in the 20's. We have been in the teens for weeks and have been getting in the single digits for several days. If I wanted cold weather like this, I would move to Nebraska. I'm hoping we get at least one good snowfall out of the deal.
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Christmas was absolutely wonderful. The kids stayed at the IL's so we could put their new beds together for a surprise on Christmas morning. It was our first kid-free night since we had Olivia. We need more of those. The kids loved their presents and Jody spoiled me. We had our traditional crab supper at Sendai's house in the evening. I couldn't have asked for a better day.
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We went to Missouri to celebrate New Years with my dad's side of the family. It was a completely impromptu visit that Sendai and I planned when we found out mom and dad were going. Sendai and I got adjoining hotel rooms. We spent a lot of time at Uncle Mike's house. My parents and my Uncle Rick and Aunt Linda stayed with them. We had several meals together and spent lots of time talking and reminiscing. We got to see Papa and Lucille. And we got to do a little shopping. I had a wonderful time. I am so glad we decided to make the trip.
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I'm really torn about what to do with Paxton for school next year. I've been, reading and researching and asking lots of questions. This parenting gig is tough sometimes.

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My niece has convinced me to read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series. I am on book 4 and have surprisingly enjoyed the books, but man I have had some crazy dreams while I'm reading them.
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Olivia just had her second meet of the gymnastic season. Despite having a cold, she did a great job. Everyone was thrilled to see her round-off back-handspring during her floor routine. She's worked very hard to be able to do it. She fell off the beam 3 times and it didn't seem to phase her. She just hopped back on and continued her routine. She got 3rd place on bars, but she was most excited that her gym won 3rd place and they got a "big trophy".

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-10-11T19:19:00.003-05:00

30 here I come!

Here is my "I'm in denial that I'm turning 30" hair color. I love the purple. Sendai and I decided we should do this every decade.
Jody got me 5 lbs of snow crab legs for my birthday. I decided to be nice and share. We were surprised that Olivia wanted in on the action.

Let the countdown begin

2009-10-10T22:17:00.003-05:00

I have less than 2 hours left of being 29. I feel very sad about this. In honor of the big 3-0 Sendai and I had a girl's day out and dyed a chunk of our hair purple. Pictures to follow...

Pettiskirt

2009-10-09T19:45:00.004-05:00

Olivia is invited to a Rock Star themed birthday party tomorrow. The kids are suppose to dress up in rack star garb. I've been thinking about making a pettiskirt after a friend mentioned seeing them on vacation. I thought this was a good time to dust off my sewing machine and working on a new project. The pettiskirt turned out nice. There are some things I know now that will make the process a lot quicker next time, like the fact that a ruffler foot exists and will make gathering a breeze or that the chiffon they sale in town frays. I plan on ordering some nylon chiffon online and tweaking the pattern a bit the next time.

Rolling, rolling, rolling

2009-09-30T21:50:00.004-05:00

There are some great deals at Walgreens this week. I'm glad I checked out afullcup to get the scoop on great rolling scenarios. The kids had dental appointments in NLR so we hit 5 Walgreens on the way home. This is the loot:

I spent $37.71 oop and brought home $12.50 in RR. That means I have $25.21 into everything in the photo! I was running low on my supply for our flea market booth so this should really help out. We are going to NLR on Friday for Paxton's birthday so I may make the rounds again.

A sad day in Arkansas history

2009-09-28T18:43:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day to buy lottery tickets in Arkansas. They say how wonderful it will be to provide scholarships for students in Arkansas. I think that's a bunch of a bull. Just another way that the poor get poorer.

Ewwwww

2009-09-22T21:45:00.002-05:00

A couple of days ago there was an injured raccoon wandering around our yard. Jody was going to shoot it but couldn't find any .22 shells (that stock pile is real helpful when it's buried and unreachable in his shed). He was on his way out the door to run an errand so he said he would take care of it later. The raccoon was gone when he got back and long forgotten.

Fast forward to today. There was a smell. A smell like something died under the porch. Searching out death odors is not under my list of household responsibilities. As soon as Jody got in from work, I asked him to investigate.

Confirmed: dead raccoon under the porch.

GROSS!! He removed it and almost lost his lunch in the process. I love that man. And the next time he complains about changing a dirty diaper, it so isn't going to fly.

Bedazzled

2009-09-22T21:23:00.002-05:00

We have a rule in my family that you can get your ears pierced when you turn 7. My niece Soraya turned 7 earlier this month and planned on getting her ears pierced on her birthday. Olivia asked why she didn't get her ears pierced when she turned 7. I told her I never mentioned it to her because I figured she was too chicken to go through with it. The girl can be a bit of a drama queen. True to form, Olivia went with Soraya to get their ears pierced and Olivia chickened out.

Yesterday we watched the video of Soraya getting her ears pierced, and Olivia asked if she could get hers done. I told her yes but she really had to do it this time. We went to the store, Olivia picked out which earrings she wanted, and she got her ears pierced! Not even a peep out of her. She is so proud of them and told anyone who would listen that she got her ears pierced today.

Annual review

2009-09-21T16:38:00.004-05:00

It's 4:40 in the afternoon. I look around and I'm not sure what I've accomplished today. I spent way too much time this morning trying to figure out how to serge curves. I washed and dried a load of laundry. I fed the kids. I helped Olivia do her lessons. I took Paxton to Speech and Occupational Therapy and made a trip to the grocery store. Ok so I've done something today.

I guess lately I've been feeling a little guilty. Jody works 8-14 hours a day. He's a slave to the man. His job sucks but someone has to do it. My "job" is to take care of the house. It's primarily my responsibility as a stay at home mom to take care of the kids, clean, cook, etc. When I look at my house lately, I'm failing at my job. The place is a wreck. I know part of it is my fault. I get overwhelmed and/or frustrated and I quit or do the bare minimum. Let's face it, I could find a million other things to do rather than scrubbing toilets or washing windows. That would never fly in a workplace. I either need to find a new job or figure out a way to do a better job where I'm at.

So this is my goal: Be a better employee for my family. I'm going to clean the bathroom before there is a ring around the toilet and mop the floors before I stick to them. I'm going to be better organized and more effecient. And I'm going to teach my kids to clean up after themselves. Ok so that just may be wishful thinking, but a girl can dream.

Re: Dog bite

2009-08-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

I talked to SIL yesterday. She said they locked the dog in the gate around their backyard (they usually use the back door to go in and out of the house) and opened the side door (which I have never seen them use). My niece forgot and tried to go through the back door. So SIL had no remorse because the kids went where they weren't suppose to. I asked her if she was worried about her kids being around the dog because that's not a nip, that dog was after flesh. She said no. There's always that chance but she wasn't worried about it. I just hope she's right.

Dog bite

2009-08-29T22:55:00.002-05:00

MIL took Olivia to Jody's brother's house to swim. They have a little girl that's Olivia's age and a little boy that's 2. Olivia and her cousin were going in the house to change clothes. BIL and SIL have 3 chows. Olivia tried to get through the gate and one of the dogs was standing there. She tried to be friendly and walk by, and it bit her. Apparently she is the 5th person this dog has bitten. Poor girl is hurting and it doesn't help that she's a drama queen.

The part that really stinks is Olivia is already afraid of dogs. Now she's really going to freak out when one comes around her.

Random thoughts

2009-08-23T21:04:00.002-05:00

I've been slacking on my blogging. Having super slow internet and a crazy busy life doesn't help.

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Our flea market booth is doing awesome! Gathering up stuff to put in it and making trips to straighten it and stock it keeps me busy. It's a great way to make some extra money. I finally splurged and bought PhotoShop Elements 7.0 with some of my profits.

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Paxton has been seeing an OT twice a week for Sensory Integration Disorder. He hasn't been officially diagnosed (we are working on that) but the OT's evaluation shows that he demonstrates a defensive sensory system in the areas of auditory, vestibular, tactile and oral sensory processing. We are starting to see an improvement with therapy. I struggle with how to deal with some of his behaviors. Therapy has helped some and I'm hoping that once he has an official diagnosis I will have more resources to get answers to my questions. Mostly my heart hurts for him. I see that as he gets older, he acts different than other kids his age and that makes me sad for him. I want him to be accepted and loved. I want him to be strong and successful. I'm anxious for what the future holds for him.

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I finally, after putting it off for 10+ years, had my two wisdom teeth removed. It wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined it would be. The anticipation was by far the worst part. Thankfully I had Sendai here to help take care of me. And Xanax is a wonderful drug.

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We found out today they are putting an oil well on our section. What does this mean? We may get royalties, and I may actually have a way to afford the house addition I so desperately dream of. Of course Jody says we are going to stick the money in the bank. I rolled my eyes and told him he can put his portion in the bank. I have big plans for mine.

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I wish I didn't have to feel guilty about wanting another baby.

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We've started up year 3 of homeschooling. Olivia's reading improved a lot over the summer. She's getting better about doing her lessons without whining and crying the entire time. My friend that is a teacher is going to test her and see where she is at as far as skills for her age. I'm curious to see how she does.

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We gained some new pets today. We had one female rabbit for Olivia. Jody got a male and pregnant female rabbit from someone today. We put all three rabbits together and it very quickly was becoming a birds and the bees lesson so we had to seperate them. Olivia thought is was so funny that the rabbits were so excited to see each other that they were "fighting". Sounded like a good explanation to me.

I hate to say I told you so

2009-08-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

To Whom It May Concern:

Having grown up in Arkansas, I know how important it is to keep up with severe weather. My family relies on the local television stations to keep us apprised of what is going on when severe weather hits. We live in a rural area and since the switch to digital television we are unable to get a good digital signal even with an antenna 15 feet above our roofline, especially in stormy weather. We can also no longer rely on our emergency portable TV because it doesn’t pick up a digital signal.

On the night of August 4, 2009, strong wings, hail and rain awakened us. We turned on the television to see what was happening. The signal came in long enough for us to see that we were under a tornado warning. Then we lost the signal and the television went blank. At least with analog TV, we could still hear what was happening even if the picture went fuzzy. I called to warn my sister and her family that bad storms were approaching. Since the switch to digital, they can no longer get a signal even with a converter box and antenna. They were able to take shelter just as the storm hit.

It was so frustrating not being able to know what was going on. The media implores us to pay attention to severe weather bulletins, but no concessions have been made for those of us who cannot get a digital signal. I wonder how many other families in rural areas have the same problem.

Luckily both my sister’s family and my family made it through the storm unscathed; however, we both worry about the next time severe weather strikes. Is there not a way to broadcast an analog signal in times of emergency for those of us who were not considered when the switch to digital was made? I appeal to you to consider those of us who depend on you to keep our families safe. Consider ways to broadcast to those of us who cannot get a digital signal.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bradford

Sawyer

2009-08-08T20:54:00.000-05:00

Warning...rant ahead

2009-06-23T22:39:00.002-05:00

Who's idea was it to make all television stations go digital?! It had to be some congressman that lives in a big city with his fancy satellites and cable tv. The transition from analog to digital is a joke. There was no transition here. We could get analog stations. And even if it wasn't the best signal, you could see a fuzzy picture and hear what was happening. Now that all the channels are digital, we are lucky to pick up one station. If the signal gets interrupted at all, we get to watch morphed looking people flash and freeze across the screen and listen to an irritating scratching sound. And don't think we haven't attempted to get a better signal. We bought a fancy antenna and strapped it up 20 ft above the peak of our roof. Has it helped? Nope. All it has done is add to the frustration. I wonder what will happen when the next big weather system comes through. All of us that live in small town America won't be able to watch the weather and be prepared for what is coming. I wonder how many people will be injured because they can't access the information that could save their lives. And the most frustrating thing- there is nothing we can do about it. Arg!

The cake

2009-06-23T22:26:00.003-05:00

The best part of a birthday is making the cake. We went with a pig theme this year. Here is Olivia's cake from her party on Saturday:

And here are the pig cupcakes we made for gymnastics:

Happy 7th Birthday, Olivia!

2009-06-23T22:19:00.002-05:00

My baby girl turns 7 today. 7 years ago Jody and I became parents and our world changed forever. Happy birthday, Olivia Bug! I hope all your wishes and dreams come true.

Happy Anniversary

2009-06-10T20:43:00.000-05:00

Today is our 9th wedding anniversary. It's been nine years and my heart still skips a beat when I see Jody's truck coming down the driveway. I thank Heavenly Father everyday that we can be together. Here's to many, many more happy years together.

Ramblings

2009-05-13T21:28:00.003-05:00

I paid off my student loan!! It feels great to have it gone. One less bill to worry about. Now to get the mortgage paid off...
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We got a flea market booth. It's at the same place we had one way back when. We quit doing it after Paxton was born. I am on a mission to declutter the house. Jody has stuff stacked everywhere, the kids have too many toys, and baby clothes have been piling up. This is a great way to get rid out it. The booth is 10' by 13' and rent is $100 a month. It so fun going to stock the booth so we can see what has sold. I only wish it was closer. It's in Cabot which is a 30ish minute drive from here.
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It won't stop raining.
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Now that I've weaned Sawyer and I'm feeling more like myself, I'm trying to wean off zoloft. I've done a lot of reading and apparently zoloft is near impossible to quit taking. The withdrawals are horrible and long-lasting. But I want to be able to think again. I feel like my head is in a fog all the time and my memory is horrible. I've already decreased my dose from 75 mg to 50 mg. I feel my anxiety creeping up especially in the evenings. The zoloft has never really helped my anxiety. In fact, I wonder if it has contributed to it. I'm hoping to search out some more natural ways to deal with these feelings. I just pray I can make it through the withdrawals first.
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I cleaned the kids' room today and took out most the toys and a lot of the books. I'm tired of it looking like a disaster area in there. I told them they can get some back when they take care of what they have. We'll see how that goes.
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Why did I have to discover Chain Rxn on facebook. Because I need another game to waste time on.
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Friday I have an appt with Paxton's case worker to go over his evaluations and make a plan of action. She asked if he was going to preschool in the fall and I told her no. She asked why and I told her because I homeschool Olivia and plan to homeschool him. She was amazed. I think it's funny that someone would be amazed that I want to be responsible for my child's education. I feel like that's what I signed up for when I became a parent.
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We are going to Missouri this weekend. My cousin is having a fish fry and invited the whole family to come. Sendai and I have been talking about going on a trip up there anyway to visit Poppa so this couldn't come at a better time. Jody is excited about going too. He already has all his junking plans lined out.
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My dad is in the hospital. He has a bad cold and couldn't get his asthma under control. It's times like these that I hate being so far away. I hope he gets better quickly. They are suppose to come the fish fry this weekend.
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I've been working on learning how to solve a Rubik cube. Sometimes it makes my brain hurt. I've just being using a little keychain cube that my sister has. I asked for a full size one for mother's day but someone didn't get the message.
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I have to get up early tomorrow to take FIL to the doctor. He is seeing a sleep specialist. Hopefully between all the doctors he is seeing and the tests they are running, they will figure out what is causing his migraines.

Sawyer's appt

2009-04-24T20:26:00.001-05:00

I had another appt with the ped yesterday to discuss Sawyer's episodes. Just as the neuro suggested, he thinks that Sawyer is having a vagal nerve response. He has hard bowel movements that cause pain and witholding which causes more pain which is causing the vagal response. He checked him for fissures or other problems and everything checked out fine. The goal is to get his bms soft enough that Sawyer forgets about pooping and lets nature do it's thing. He switched him to Miralax. I'm to give it to him 2-3 times a day until he is going good, continue with it daily for 2-3 weeks and then try decreasing the dose and see how he does. I'm hoping this does the trick and lessons or eliminates the episodes.

Too much drama

2009-04-23T09:21:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon my sister and I were snoozing on the couch while the kids ran around and played. The phone rang around 3 and it was my FIL. He asked if I would come up to the house and I said sure. Then he started crying. I told Sendai to come with and we left the kids with Adriana. We got up there and he had a migraine so bad that he was whimpering and crying in pain. He was just seen at a headache clinic on Monday so we dug around to find the number and called them. FIL was in so much pain that he wanted me to just call an ambulance. I tried to hold off, but the clinic wasn't returning my call. Finally I said screw it and called for the ambulance. I thought about trying to drive him but I know he gets priority if he goes to the ER in the ambulance. While we waited for them to get there (which took forever) I called up to MIL's work to tell her to meet us at the hospital. Sendai was suppose to go get Soraya from the bus so she had to call the school and tell them the situation. She loaded up all the kids and went to meet the bus to pick her up. FIL's relatives heard the call on the scanner so his sister called to say she was calling his mom. A little while later FIL's brother showed up. After the ambulance got there and loaded him up, I followed them to hospital. When we got there, MIL and his mom, sister and cousin where already there waiting. They ended up doping FIL up with stadol, phenergan and benadryl. It knocked him out so I left to get home and feed the pigs. They had FIL discharged by 7.

My sister decided to stay the night so we didn't have to shuffle the kids around. This morning while she was waiting for the bus, she heard dogs barking and some weird noises. She decided to check on the pigs on the way back to the house. 2 large dogs jumped out of the pen as she was walking up. They had mauled all three pigs. She sent a note with Benjamin for me to hurry up to the pen and bring the phone. When I got there the pigs were laying in their house with chunks out of them and bleeding. We got in the pen and they didn't move. I had to track down FIL because he wasn't at home. He ran to the little restaurant in town to eat breakfast. He got home just as I was driving out to find him. He saw the pigs and said he would call his brother Earl to come shoot them. Earl came over and ended up only having to shoot 2 of them because one was up and eating. They sprayed it down with antibiotic and we hope she makes it.

Meanwhile Jody is out of town. Luckily he is coming back tonight. There has been way too much drama since he's been gone. Thankgoodness my sister is here or I would be a mess. I need a vacation.

Look who's walking!

2009-04-19T19:45:00.000-05:00

Finally, at seventeen and a half months, Sawyer has decided he can walk. He has to be the cutest little walker ever. He sticks his belly out and walks all stiff-legged. He looks like a little sumo baby. I'm so excited that's he' has *finally* met this milestone. And a little nervous. .Because after they learn to walk, they learn to run.

Tea Party!

2009-04-15T19:51:00.000-05:00

The kids and I decided to participate in the TEA Parties going on all over the US to protest the misuse of our tax dollars. We had a great time making posters and t-shirts. I think it was a great opportunity for the kids to see the citizens unite in a cause they believe in.

Hang in there

2009-04-05T19:59:00.002-05:00

This picture just cracks me up. Sendai's gang and my gang went to explore the creek that runs across our land. The kids had a great time splashing through the water and discovering new things. Sendai decided to help Benjamin hang from a branch over the tree. It was fun at first, but then he started to panic. Sendai is just outside the photo frame. She caught him before he fell in.

Life

2009-03-23T22:12:00.001-05:00

It all seems to be going by too fast. I have a picture of me during my first year of college on the kid’s dresser. I glanced at in the other day while putting the kids clothes away, and I was struck by how much younger I looked then. Those memories don’t seem so long ago. Can it really be 11 years? I watched a video of a young family just beginning- a tiny baby snuggled in a pink blanket and a new mother and father with big grins on their faces, not really aware of how much their world was about to change. I’ve been there. I did that. That innocence is gone. My children are growing up entirely too fast. Jody wants to be done with having babies. The thought of that phase of my life being over makes me want to curl up into a ball and cry. Having babies is what I’ve always dreamed of. What happens when it’s over? Before I know it, the kids will all be grown and I’ll wonder where that time went. It seems like it was just a few years ago when I left for college and found my place in world. Is there any way to slow the passage of time down? A way to enjoy every moment I have now before it slips away?

Sick kid

2009-03-22T19:31:00.002-05:00

Sawyer just got off a round of antibiotics and steroids on Monday. Wednesday night he started running a fever and ran one off and on until Friday night. The last two nights he has not slept well at all. Which means I didn't sleep well. Which means I'm tired and grumpy. Today I noticed Sawyer has a rash all over. So what is it? My first guess is roseola. But I don't think that would explain why he isn't sleeping well. Looks like we may be in for another trip to the ped tomorrow. For the third week in a row. Ugh.

Paxton

2009-03-18T19:27:00.000-05:00

Random thoughts

2009-03-15T22:07:00.002-05:00

A traded a sister from church dried beans for 50 pounds of rolled oats. I have nowhere to keep a 50 pound bag of oats so I vacuum sealed them into 15 gallon size bags. Well I also don't have anywhere to keep 15 gallon size bags of oats. I have managed to stash 11 of them around the kitchen and pantry. I have 4 left on the counter I need to figure out what to do with. I'm hoping MIL will take a few. Food storage is a great idea until you realize how much room it requires.
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I never realized how quiet three kids are until my sister and her three kids moved out of our house. It's been a major change of pespective.
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I watched a tummy tuck and boob job on Dr. 90210. I think I will stick with my baby pooch and saggy boobs.
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I am into bargain shopping full force again. Jody helped support my addiction by driving me to 5 different Walgreens all over central AR. Now that the weather is nice, I can turn my stock. I made $150 the last time I set up at the market. And I get to shop. It's the best of both worlds.
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I've been reading a lot of books lately. Maybe that means my depression is lifting. I've read The Nannie Diaries, 90 Minutes in Heaven, First Comes Love, the first 3 books of the Twilight series, and the first Harry Potter (I an rereading the entire series). My parents called tonight and they are sending more books down with my brother when he comes to visit this week. Now I have to balance reading with housework.
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I still haven't adjusted to the time change. I stay up too late and want to sleep in. Too bad the kids won't let me.
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I took Sawyer to the ped on Friday. He had an awful cough and started sounding rattley. He is on 4 days of antibiotics and steroids. I asked the ped about his "not seizures", and he said not to worry about them. I said but he cries after them like it hurts and the ped said he's fine. I've always been happy with this ped up until now, but to go from he might be having seizures to don't worry about, that bugs. We have my sister's ex-husband who is a doctor researching it now. Hopefully we get some answers.
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My sister and I have started playing Scrabble when we have free time. So far I am ahead 2-1. But who's counting? lol

Multi-tasking

2009-03-12T22:03:00.000-05:00

Meet #4

2009-03-08T21:47:00.004-05:00

Olivia had her fourth and final gymnastics meet of the competition season. She's been sick so she wasn't able to practice much the last two weeks. Regardless, she did great! She got 1st place on beam and 3rd place on floor, vault, and uneven bars. She got 3rd place all around. I'm so proud of her. She is such a good little gymnast.

Warming up:

Performing her beam routine:

Proudly wearing her medals:

Bargain Shopping

2009-03-05T22:27:00.002-06:00

I took a couple months off from doing major bargain shopping. I got behind on cutting coupons and the thought of getting caught up was overwhelming. I also had a lot going on with my sister and her kids living here. It's been too cold to set up at the market and turn items so I didn't have a lot of motivation. I've started back at it this week and I had forgotten how much fun it is. Saturday is suppose to be gorgeous and I bet the market will be crawling with people. I'm working on getting my inventory up so I can *hopefully* make lots of money.

Total after coupons and RR: $26

Received $12 RR

Total OOP: $14

Total savings: $86

Little Monkey

2009-03-05T22:19:00.003-06:00

The kids were in their room playing today when they started yelling for me. I ran in the room to see what was going on. Sawyer had managed to climb to the top of the bunkbed ladder. I got him down and took him to the livingroom. Not two minutes later, he was back to climbing. The kid still isn't walking but he can climb like a monkey. Soon nothing in the house will be safe.

A new addition

2009-02-15T21:26:00.003-06:00

I am a sucker for black labs. They are smart and great with kids. Someone dropped two off at the market, and the man set up next to us was trying to find them a home. Sendai wants a dog when she moves to the farm so she started tossing around the idea of getting one. Once I saw them, I wanted one too. Darn cute puppies. Of course all the kids really wanted them. We started to work on Jody. At some point he said the dog could be my Valentine's Day present since he didn't get me one. He's such the romantic. The rest is history. The dog on the left is mine. Her name is Jasmine. Sendai's dog is on the right and her name is Bella (pronounced bay-ya). So far they've figured out how to get out of their pen, made their way to the IL's house, and dug up part of my flower bed. But they sure are cute!

So what is it?

2009-02-11T14:09:00.000-06:00

We had the follow up with the neurologist today. After viewing the 6 or so episodes we got on video, he doesn't believe it is seizures. He's seen thousands of seizures and these just don't fit the mold. He said to call if they get worse but otherwise he's healthy. I'm relieved it's not epilepsy, but what is it then? I'm going to go back to his pediatrician and talk to him. There is a connection between the episodes and Sawyer's bowel movements. He doesn't always have a bm with the episodes, but I think he always has an episode with a bm. I wonder if maybe he has a fissure or something that is making it painful for him to poop and maybe that is causing the problems. I don't know. All I know is something isn't right.

The Country Life

2009-02-10T14:29:00.001-06:00

Diagnosis unknown

2009-02-02T18:27:00.000-06:00

It's been a long day. We didn't sleep well. Sawyer has a horrible cough and is wheezing and was restless. We left at 7:30. The clinic is 2 long hours away. Sawyer had the EEG. He was up early and we didn't let him sleep on the way there because they wanted him asleep for the study. He cried the saddest cries not because he was in pain, but because they were touching him and gluing electrodes all over his head. I was glad my sister was with me because Jody would not have been able to handle it. They did the test, we left and got a bite to eat and we headed back to meet with the neuro. The EEG was normal but by the descriptions of what is happening and the video of an episode I have my cellphone, he suspects it is complex partial seizures. He wants us to videotape some more episodes so he has "more ammunition" to work with. We are to go back next Wednesday with the videos and decide on a course of action. He gave us a prescription for a medicine in case he has a bad seizure that he doesn't come out of. If it is seizures, they will put him on topomax for at least two years. While we were there another ped heard Sawyer's cough and said it was worse than any of the patients she had seen today. I commented that he was wheezing and he's been on antibiotics for a week. She said he needed steroids so they wrote a script for that too. The two hour drive home seemed like it took forever. Sawyer slept the whole way. Poor thing. Now that we are home, I realize that he's running a low grade fever too. He looks sick. If he's not doing better in the morning, I'll probably make an appt with out reg ped. I can't imagine him being so sick after having a shot of roseffin (sp?) and being on oral antibiotics. I feel so bad for him being so sick after going through everything else today. Anyway, I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to give Sawyer a bath and try to get some of the goop out of his hair and then we will curl up in bed. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. They've really meant a lot to me.

A new place to call home

2009-01-28T13:47:00.002-06:00

My sister and her kids have been living with us since Christmas. They are planning to relocate here. Her temporary housing finally made it down from Iowa last week- a 54 year old trailer. The interior is in great shape. The exterior is a lovely pink and silver. I love it because it looks so hillbilly.

TIMBER!

2009-01-12T20:49:00.006-06:00

You have to be creative to find ways for entertainment when you live in the middle of nowhere. Our house is down in the woods, and if there are more than two vehicles here, parking is a nightmare. My sister and I decided to take down a tree so we can have a circle drive. All it took was a sawsall, a hatchet, a rope and a van. We managed to get the tree down without injuring anyone or anything. We rock!

Meet #2

2009-01-10T21:26:00.002-06:00

Olivia had her second meet today. She only had two practices since her last meet and I thought she did great. Her scores were:

Floor: 8.67 1st Place

Vault: 8.25 7th Place

Bars: 6.80 3rd Place

Beam: 8.05 4th Place

And she got 3rd Place for All-Around. Great job, Olivia!

2009-01-09T21:18:00.006-06:00

I took Sawyer to the ped today because he's been having some worrisome episodes. He starts making a weird nose with his lips, his head pulls back and his legs tense and curl up. He usually has about a dime size worth of poo after it's over. I originally thought it was because he was constipated and it hurt to poo. But the episodes are getting worse and his bms aren't hard anymore. It occured to me that he might be pooing because of the episode and not vice versa. I counted yesterday and he had at least 10 episodes. My mommy radar says something is not right.

The ped confirmed my suspicions and thinks it may be seizures. He is referring us to a pediatric neurologist. He wants Sawyer to have an EEG and we will go from there. They are suppose to call me with an appt date on Monday.

I'm trying not to freak out. It is what it is and we will deal with it. One of the scariest thing for me is the meds used to treat seizures. I've seen the side-effects they had on Anna. They are some strong stuff. Part of me wants to hold Sawyer and cry. Watching him have these episodes is heartbreaking. I know it has to be scary for him, and he is too young to understand what is happening. I am going to get him a priesthood blessing tomorrow. Hopefully there are some words of comfort in it. If you would pray for my sweet little baby boy I would greatly appreciate it.

A happy house

2008-12-29T21:05:00.001-06:00

One of the best things about the holidays is the post Christmas sales. Sendai and I picked up 2 gingerbread house kits at KMart for cheap. We had the kids make them for Family Home Evening. Our house had a bit of an issue with a broken roof but we worked it out with an icing patch job. The kids loved decorating the houses with the candy. Sawyer loved eating all the candy Nerds that fell on the floor. His middle name should have been Hoover.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T20:54:00.001-06:00

This is the first Christmas we have spent at home since having children. In the past, we have always gone to Nebraska. It was nice to not have the stress of traveling for the holidays. Luckily my sister and her family were able to join us. That made it a bit easier to not be so homesick. It was fun having the ILs come down to watch the kids open presents. They've never got to experience it before. The kids got thoroughly spoiled. I feel blessed that we were able to get them so many things. We made sure to include our family tradition of crab for Christmas supper. It was delicious! That is one tradition I hope we never give up.

Iceland

2008-12-16T20:34:00.002-06:00

That's not snow on the ground. It's ice. The temperature hasn't gotten about 27 the last two days. It sleeted off and on yesterday and for most of the night. Today was a stay inside and bake kind of day. It's crazy to think that on Friday and Saturday the high is suppose to be in the 60's.

Meet #1

2008-12-14T16:26:00.003-06:00

Olivia had her first gymnastics meet in Hot Springs on Friday. Paxton stayed with the ILs and the rest of made the two hour trip to the competition. Olivia was so nervous before the meet. She did really well. She got 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th place in 6 year old Level 3s. There were only 6 kids in her age level so I don't know how she got 7th place. They rushed the awards so I think they messed up somewhere. Olivia had a blast. She got a trophy and ribbons and two goody bags. And now she knows what she is working for at the gym.

Warming up:

On the beam:

Floor exercise:

Wii Time

2008-12-10T16:19:00.000-06:00

The kids sold some toys they no longer play with and used the money to buy two new wii games. They love for me to play the games while they cheer me on. One of the new games is Wonder World: Amusement Park. I have spent way to much time over the last week playing this game. You play games to earn tickets, use tickets to buy prizes and buy prizes to open up more of the park. I have won more tickets than I care to admit. But how can I resist my kids' cute faces when they ask me to play.

Oh and when we play, Sawyer thinks he has to be holding a remote. He swings it around like he is playing and occasionally chews on. I think I know what he needs for Christmas

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-05T21:52:00.000-06:00

You know me and how much I love finding a good deal. I called a local Christmas tree farm to see how much they were charging for their trees. They said all trees were $20 regardless of size. You betcha we jumped in the van and headed right over. It was freezing outside so we basically picked the first tree that looked halfway descent. It's not the purdiest thing you've ever seen. But it didn't break the bank, and it makes our home look like Christmas.

Words to live by

2008-12-03T20:34:00.002-06:00

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

Random thoughts

2008-12-01T21:44:00.002-06:00

Some of my family came for Thanksgiving. I had such a great time having them here. I got to show my mom all of my latest projects, and we had way too much fun shopping together. I can't wait for the day when they move back here permanently. Nebraska is just too far away. :(
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I got to call Poison Control today after Sawyer ate half a tube of lip gloss. I figured he would be ok, but I thought I should double check. They assured me he would be fine. I have a feeling I'm going to have my hands full with this little boy.
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I have had a headache for a week. My neck has been hurting and now the pain extends up into my forehead. I have tried heat, motrin, tylenol, and excedrine but nothing helps. I should probably go to the doctor. but that is another bill I don't want. And I'm afraid he is just going to prescribe me pills instead of getting down to the root of the problem. Is this what getting old feels like?
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My friend is due to have her baby anytime. I got to teach her a childbirth class last Sunday and I took maternity pictures of her on Tuesday. I may get to be her doula once she is in labor. She wants to see how helpful her husband is first.

I love anything to do with childbirth. I've been like this since I was a little girl. My sister and I used to check out all the pregnancy and childbirth books from the library and study everything in them. I went to college intending on being a nurse midwife, but I chickened out when I had cadavers my first semester. I still secretly think about going back to school to be an RN.
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The transmission in my van was whining really badly when I was out and about today. I should probably mention it to Jody. We were told a year and a half ago that the van needed a new transmission. It's amazing that it has lasted this long- the longer, the better. We plan on driving it into the ground. We're hoping it lasts quite a bit longer. We hate to spend a lot of money with the way the economy is these days.
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Speaking of the economy, I paid $1.46 a gallon for gas today. *doing the happy dance* I never thought it would be that cheap again.

Bargain Shopping

2008-12-01T20:20:00.002-06:00

The KMart in my area finally has double coupons this week. I did some research online and got my game plan ready last night. I loaded up the kids this morning and off we went to do some bargain shopping.

As I was walking into the store, there was a man selling subscriptions to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Jody has mentioned several times that we should order the paper since we usually buy one on Friday and Sunday. The man offered me two weeks worth of papers for free and a $30 KMart gift card if I signed up today. After two weeks, the paper will be $2.88 a week. That's about what we've been spending on papers every week anyway. He also gave me two copies of the Sunday paper which means more coupons for me!

After applying the $30 gift card, I got everything in the picture plus a Christmas dress for Olivia and a Crest Spin brush for Paxton for $35.04. Can you say what a deal?! We are going back to KMart on Thursday to get family pictures made. I wonder what other deals I can round up before now and then.

Country boy

2008-11-25T20:12:00.000-06:00

Free Dr. Pepper

2008-11-22T19:24:00.001-06:00

Don't forget to get your free Dr. Pepper tomorrow. I love free stuff.

Olivia Bug

2008-11-22T18:49:00.003-06:00

Milestone

2008-11-20T19:22:00.002-06:00

Sawyer pulled up to standing for the first time today. The camera was nearby so Jody snapped a picture. It won't be long, and Sawyer will be running around the house with Olivia and Paxton.

I Spy

2008-11-19T19:18:00.000-06:00

Jody's been deer hunting in the wrong part of the woods. He should have been sitting on the front porch.

For my mom

2008-11-13T17:19:00.002-06:00

I'm trying out a new quilt pattern my mom and I learned about this summer. She wanted to see the work in progress.

I am a Bette

2008-10-31T22:19:00.000-05:00

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Bette!

You are a Bette -- "I must be strong"

Bettes are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me

* Stand up for yourself... and me.

* Be confident, strong, and direct.

* Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.

* Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.

* Give me space to be alone.

* Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.

* I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.

* When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a Bette

* being independent and self-reliant

* being able to take charge and meet challenges head on

* being courageous, straightforward, and honest

* getting all the enjoyment I can out of life

* supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me

* upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a Bette

* overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to

* being restless and impatient with others' incompetence

* sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it

* never forgetting injuries or injustices

* putting too much pressure on myself

* getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

Bettes as Children Often

* are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit

* are sometimes loners

* seize control so they won't be controlled

* figure out others' weaknesses

* attack verbally or physically when provoked

* take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

Bettes as Parents

* are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted

* are sometimes overprotective

* can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Happy Birthday, Sawyer

2008-10-30T15:23:00.002-05:00

It's your first birthday today, Sawyer. How do you feel?

Growing up is hard to do.

Paranoid

2008-10-29T22:17:00.000-05:00

In Language Arts Olivia is learning about paragraphs. I gave her a list of three words and told her to write a paragraph about one of them. The list of words was baby, game or bed. This is what Olivia wrote:

If that isn't bad enough, Olivia came up and started rubbing my belly at the trunk or treat. Does she know something I don't?

Tag...I'm it.

2008-10-29T11:56:00.003-05:00

My friend Backy tagged me a few weeks ago. Oops! I guess I should check her blog more often.

3 JOYS
1. The great relationship I have with Jody
2. My children- they are all I ever dreamed of
3. Olivia rocking it in gymnastics

3 FEARS
1. Losing a loved one
2. Getting in a car accident
3. Heights

3 GOALS
1. Catch up on my scrapbooking
2. Work on my Masters
3. Grow a garden that actually produces food

3 CURRENT OBSESSIONS
1. Clipping coupons
2. Bargain shopping
3. Organizing this house

3 REGRETS
1. Leaving BYU. I have dreams all the time that I go back to finish my degree.
2. Not spending more time with my grandpa when I lived in Utah
3. Not protecting my sister when we were little

3 FACTS ABOUT ME
1. I was born in a truck. I'm a Ford girl!
2. I am 5 ft 3.5 inches. (And yes the .5 matters)
3. I am very pragmatic but horrible at making decisions.

I tag Sendai, Pa and crazy Sarah.

Random thoughts

2008-10-23T22:00:00.002-05:00

I splurged and bought a pretty shower curtain. I usually buy the cheap $1 liners from the dollar store. The one we had up was getting gross so I took it down. I could have sworn I got two the last time I bought one. I couldn't find it though. I ended up taping up a plastic pink table cloth for a shower curtain to tide us over until I made it to the store. How hillbilly is that! I decided to buy a fabric shower curtain so I can wash it and reuse it. While the kids and I were trying to decided which one to buy, Olivia had to point out the cheap liners. That's my girl. We settled on a green paisley shower curtain. Jody said it looks like a fabric that I would wear. It looks great in the bathroom. It matches my green walls perfectly. And it brings a smile to my face everytime I see it.
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MIL bought the kids a wii yesterday. I was secretly giddy with excitement over the purchase. Jody said I could get one for my birthday, but I was too cheap to buy one. I had been stalking craigslist hoping for a deal. So MIL bought the system. I bought an extra controller and a chicken shoot game. After we got home I realized we needed a component connector to hook the wii to the tv. The punk kid at Target told me the system came with one, but it didn't. I also bought a game for Paxton and a game for me. Olivia bought her own game since she was originally saving her money for the wii. This little game system has already taken a chunk out of our wallet. It's going to be a lot of fun. I plan on trying out my new game while the kids are in bed tonight.
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My older sister has put her house on the market in Nebraska and is planning to move here. They found a house that they are going to put a bid on. I cannot even express how happy this makes me. It's going to be so weird and wonderful to have some of my family so close. I'll have someone to shop with and clean with and cook with and celebrate birthdays and holidays with and call on when I'm sick or stressed or need help. I hope I'm not driving her crazy with all my incessant calls for updates on the packing/selling/buying situation.
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We had a skunk situation that deserves its own blog post. Our house is now referred to as Skunk Hollow. I have never burned so many candles in my life. Yet another perk of country living.
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The weather has finally cooled off. We are waiting on our electrician to come do some maintenance on our Hardy Wood Furnace before we fire it up. Since we are using the electric heat, we have been keeping the heat set at 66. Using the oven helps warm the house up so I've been trying to bake a lot. I love this time of year!

Becoming a boy

2008-10-23T20:43:00.014-05:00

Sawyer got his first hair cut today. Several people told me how cute "she" was lately so I knew it was time. I have to admit this milestone makes me sad. It means my baby isn't a baby anymore. He looks so different with his hair short. They grow up too fast.

Before:
After:

Super Saturday

2008-10-19T20:32:00.003-05:00

Olivia and I set up at the market on Saturday. It was the first time we set up without Jody. MIL watched the boys so Olivia and I had some quality time together. We loaded the van full with tables and stuff to sale. I sold some of the items I have bought for cheap bargain shopping: pads, air fresheners, cleaners, razors, diapers, etc. Olivia set up with toys. I made about $70 and Olivia made about $7, and we were only set up for about 2 hours. Not a bad day at all.

A wise man once said

2008-10-17T09:51:00.003-05:00

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn."

-Abraham Lincoln

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-10-11T22:33:00.003-05:00

Today I turn 29. How crazy is that?! We went to the market this morning where I found some good deals. We came home and loaded up FIL's goats to take to the goat auction.

Olivia wanted Jody to take her to get me chocolates (shhh! she doesn't know I know what she wants to get me for my birthday), but Jody couldn't take her because FIL got called into work so Jody had to take the goats to the auction for him. Olivia had a good cry about that. So instead she made me a "scrapbook" and gave me a card. MIL must have found the card for her. Olivia was so proud that she scratched out the 'Happy Mother's Day' on the inside of the card and wrote happy birthday. Paxton was disappointed that I only got one present. He was looking forward to helping me open them.

I took a two hour nap this afternoon. It was wonderful. We splurged and went to Wings to Go for supper and Sonic for dessert. The kids were very well behaved which is an added bonus.

So this is my last year as a twenty something. I swear it seems like just yesterday I was turning 18. 29 years old, married for 8+ years and the mother of three kids. I'm such a grown up now. I'm "getting old" as Olivia would say. And she hasn't even noticed all the grey hair I am starting to see in the mirror.

I wouldn't change a thing. This is the life I dreamed of as a kid. Ok, let's be honest. I wouldn't mind a bigger house and a tidier family, but that would just be an added bonus.

So here's to another year!

Poor baby

2008-10-10T18:12:00.002-05:00

We went to some yard sales today and ended up at a friend's house where they were having a yard sale. We stayed and chatted for awhile. When we were getting ready to leave, Paxton decided to run the opposite direction with Sawyer in the stroller. He flipped it over on the cement. I picked it up and Sawyer was bleeding like crazy. His face was scratched up and he busted his mouth open above his top front teeth. I called the ped and there wasn't really anything they can do for it. Poor things lip is all swollen and his face has a serious case of road rash.

This afternoon I took the kids to ride bikes. Sawyer was sitting on the ground playing with twigs and rocks. Paxton started messing with him and knocked him over backwards. I was about to lose it on Paxton at that point.

Jody came with a pair of channel locks to tighten the training wheels on Paxton's bike. He left them on the ground and Sawyer started playing with them. Wouldn't you know he knocked himself below the eye that wasn't all scratched up and left a bruise.

To make him feel better, Jody put Sawyer on Paxton's bike and rode him around. I told Jody to please not injure Sawyer because I don't think I could handle it. A few minutes later Sawyer's foot got caught in the rear tire, and he started crying.

I swear I need a bubble for this kid today.

Well child check-ups

2008-10-08T21:29:00.002-05:00

Sawyer and Paxton had well child check-ups today. The stats are:
Paxton-
weight 37 lbs
height 41.25 in
bp 98/60

Sawyer-
weight 20 lbs
height 27.75 in
head circ 18.5 in

Both boys are doing great. Sawyer got another DTaP shot. The ped suggested bringing him back in 2 months since he is "behind" on the immunization schedule. No kidding! I've started having pain in my boobs again and Sawyer has been nursing funny so I mentioned to the ped that I thought Sawyer might be getting thrush again. I really don't think he was treated long enough to get rid of it in the first place. He checked Sawyer's mouth and said it was clear and then gave me some spill about how yeast is naturally in our body so it might just be a fact of life for me. Whatever. Sawyer has a big white patch on his tongue again this evening and I have had more itching and burning as the day has progressed. I think we might try gentian violet and GSE pills tomorrow. I'm also doing research on probiotics. I want this stuff gone for good!

Forward

2008-10-06T19:09:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me this forward. Can I get an Amen?

One day a florist goes to a barber for a haircut. After the cut he asks about his bill and the barber replies, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The florist is pleased and leaves the shop.

When the barber goes to open his shop the next morning there is a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replies, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The cop is happy and leaves the shop.

The next morning when the barber goes to open up there is a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Later that day, a college professor comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replies, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The professor is very happy and leaves the shop.

The next morning when the barber opens his shop, there is a 'thank you' card and a dozen different books, such as 'How to Improve Your Business' and 'Becoming More Successful'.

Then, a Congressman comes in for a haircut, and when he goes to pay his bill the barber again replies, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The Congressman is very happy and leaves the shop.

The next morning when the barber goes to open up, there are a dozen congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the members of our Congress.

Vote carefully this year.

You've got to be kidding me!

2008-10-06T18:58:00.002-05:00

I heard about this story on talk radio.

The town is looking into the possibility of an English only resolution, to discourage people from speaking foreign languages in public.

Are you kidding me?! Are people really that narrow-minded? The mayor was right when he called himself a hillbilly.

Happy 4th Birthday, Paxton!

2008-10-02T18:42:00.004-05:00

My little boy is 4 today. What a blessing he is in our lives! He's such a shy little thing and didn't want anyone but family at his birthday party. He got toys and clothes and is happy as a clam to play with everything. I can't believe how much he has grown and changed over this last year. It seems like just yesterday he was learning how to walk and talk. I can't imagine my world without him. I love you baby boy. I hope you have a wonderful birthday.

Behold, the Quilt

2008-10-02T18:39:00.001-05:00

And after the mastitis…

2008-09-29T21:12:00.000-05:00

…comes thrush. I should have clued in when Sawyer started refusing his paci. He always uses his paci. The next day I noticed the big white spot on his tongue. Now this really is my worst fear nursing. The thought of treating yeast is overwhelming to me. I called my ob who prescribed 2 weeks of Diflucan and called the ped. nurse who called in a script for Nystatin. Sawyer finished up the Nystatin yesterday and I still have a couple days left of the Diflucan. For the first time since I started nursing, it doesn’t hurt to breastfeed. I figure that the yeast has probably been the problem for a long time and the antibiotics I was on for mastitis sent it into overdrive. I’ve washed clothes and bras and towels and toys and bottles and pacis like crazy hoping to get rid of the yeast. Do you know how impossible it is to wash everything that a 10 month old puts in his mouth?! I really hope it’s gone and we can continue on with a better nursing experience. It seems like I have had nothing but problems this time.

A Trip to the DMV

2008-09-17T21:10:00.000-05:00

I had to go to the DMV to register Jody’s new (used) truck. Like the true stay at home mom that I am, I toted all 3 kids with me. We no more than got our number and sat down when Paxton started doing the potty dance. There were only two people ahead of me so I didn’t want to miss my turn. I could see the bathroom from where I was sitting so I told Olivia to take him.

They were in the bathroom for a few minutes when Olivia pokes her head out and yells, “Mom, Paxton’s going poop!” This kid’s bowels have the worst timing. I told her to tell me when he was finished and I would come wipe his butt (motherhood is such a glorious job). Every once in a while she would poke her head out to give me updates.

Soon it was my turn to go to the counter. I was busy getting the title and license switched over while balancing Sawyer- who is trying to grab my pen and check book and anything else he can get his hand’s on- on my hip when I hear Olivia yell from around the corner “He’s done!” “Tell him he has to wait a few minutes, “ I say. A few minutes later she yells, “He’s getting mad!” Now I’m hearing snickers behind me from the other people waiting.
Unfortunately I had to have Jody sign some paperwork before I could register the car. So I grabbed my stack of papers and high tailed it to the bathroom. I got Paxton cleaned up and headed out the door. You couldn’t miss the chuckles as we walked out the door. We headed to Jody’s work so he could sign the paperwork. Then it was back to the DMV. That trip was a little less exciting.

What a cutie!

2008-09-13T17:15:00.002-05:00

Olivia's new passion is giving Sawyer a mohawk. Everytime I turn around, she's wetting his hair and spiking it up. He doesn't seem to mind too much.

Walgreens Deal #3

2008-09-13T17:12:00.003-05:00

Total: $30.14 and received $20 RR

Total Savings: $58.27

Walgreens Deal #2

2008-09-13T17:05:00.002-05:00

Total: $7.10 and Received $10 in RR
Total Savings: $17.70

Walgreens Deal #1

2008-09-12T17:10:00.003-05:00

Buy three Robitussin and get $10 RR back. Robitussin is on sale for $3.99. There are $3 coupons here.

Total: 2.97
Receive $10 RR back

I guess they were on to us. Now there is only a $1 coupon available.

Random thoughts

2008-09-08T12:23:00.002-05:00

I am anxiously awaiting the call that my quilt is ready. I can't wait to get it. I have to drive to Heber Springs to pick it up. The Wal-Mart there still has fabrics, unlike the ones around here. I need some fabric for a new quilt pattern I want to try. The only fabric store we have around here is Hancock Fabrics and the quilting fabrics are so darn expensive.
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I love listening to Rush Limbaugh these days. I like listening to Sean Hannity too but I don't catch his show as often.
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I am reading The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. That book is right up my alley. It's refreshing to know there are people out there that are cheaper than us.
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Sawyer's middle name should have been Hoover. He finds every little thing on the floor and puts it in his mouth.
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I tried watching a documentary about September 11th last night. I had to turn it off because I felt the beginnings of a panic attack. How sad is it that I can't even deal with reality without freaking out.
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My FIL took Monday and Tuesday off because he has vacation days to use. He's already gotten the kids twice today. And he takes Sawyer. How lucky am I?!
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I've been wanting to take an online photography class from ASU Beebe. I'm thinking about using some of the money I make from the consignment sale to pay for a class. Or I could buy the family a Wii. Decisions, decisions.

Defective parts

2008-09-07T19:54:00.002-05:00

Nursing has been such an ordeal this time around. I've dealt with pain that my ob and 3 lactation consultants could not pin-point, my supply has been decreasing on one side and, the most recent problem, bleeding, presumably from trauma due to Sawyer's rough nursing style.

Thursday I woke to find my right breast bruised looking with red streaks. Within a few hours I had a fever and chills. The dreaded mastitis. I called my Ob's nurse who consulted with the doctor and called in a prescription for antibiotics and the suggestion to pump for a few days to give my breast some time to heal.

I do not like pumping. I did just enough of it to have a little bit of a freezer supply of milk for an emergency. I never would have guessed that I have an over abundance of the lipase enzyme in my milk that causes the milk to have a nasty metallic flavor when thawed. I had to throw out my entire frozen supply. *sniff, sniff* From now on, I know to scald the milk before freezing to deactivate the enzyme.

I tried to give Sawyer some formula with no luck. He would not take it. I did manage to sneak an ounce or two in when I didn't pump enough milk. I'm proud to say that I managed to pump for three whole days. I think it's helped to build up the supply in my slacker boob and the bruising and streaking are gone. Now I have to remember to take my antibiotic four times a day until it runs out. And I will no longer take for granted whipping out a boob when it's time for Sawyer to eat. There is a lot of convenience in that.

Walgreens Deals

2008-09-07T19:27:00.004-05:00

Better late than never. This was for the end of August. Since life is starting to settle down into somewhat of a routine, I'm hoping to start doing more thorough postings of my deals.

Transaction #1

And a bag of gummy worms that the kids ate on the way home.

Total Cost: $3.40

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WAG Coupon Savings: $.50

WAG Advertised Savings: $14.96

MFG Coupon Savings: $24.74

Total Savings: $40.20

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Transaction #2

The flipflops were on sale for 75% off so I bought three pairs in Olivia's current size and 3 pairs in the next size. You can't beat .50 for flops.

Total Cost: $6.42

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WAG Coupon Savings: $2.00

WAG Advertised Savings: $18.29

MFG Coupon Savings: $10.00

Total Savings: $30.29

Back from hiatus

2008-09-02T22:07:00.003-05:00

Life got busy and before I knew it, I was way behind on my blog. Let’s see what all has happened since my last post:

*I got my hair cut and highlighted. I love it but I’m still not used to seeing myself with short hair.

*We came home from Nebraska.

*The day after we got home, we left to stay at cabins at Lobo Landing with my family and several family friends. We went swimming, went to the river, went to the lake, went to Wal-Mart and did a whole lot of nothing. It was nice!

*My mom and I took the quilt top I made in college to a lady that does machine quilting. I have been putting off getting it finished for way too long. I can’t wait to get it back. It’s going right onto my bed where I hope it keeps us warm for many, many years.

*My friend’s 11-year-old daughter stayed with us for a week. It was different having an older kid around. She left yesterday. It’s actually weird not having her around any more.

*Olivia got a scholarship to join the Gym Stars gymnastic team. She will be competing as a Level 3. She has gym from 4-8 on Tuesdays. That’s a long workout for a little kid but she seems to love it.

*We started Olivia’s 2nd year of homeschooling. We’ve added more subjects this year so it’s a lot more involved. I’m trying to find the rhythm of cleaning house, entertaining Sawyer and getting school taught. I am constantly amazed at how quickly Olivia picks things up.

*Sawyer has moved up to 6-9 month clothes, is scooting everywhere, and is working on getting several new teeth. The top two are so close do being through. *see photo* He has been so fussy today. I hope he gets a little relief and we all get some sleep tonight.

That's all I can think of for now. I have some Walgreens posts but that will have to wait until a time when Sawyer isn't attached to me.