Did I just have a flash back to the 1990's?

On my way home tonight, I drove down brentwood and was going to turn east onto Marshall. I looked over to my right at the 66 gas station and took a double look.. wait, a triple look. OOHHHHH MYYYYY GOOSSSHHHHH, Regular Unleaded Gas was priced at 1.19 a gallon. Yes. $1.19 per gallon. WOW. I was already turning onto Marshall so I had to go up the block and then turn around. I quickly got in line behind about 5 other cars that must have had the same exact reaction as I did. OMG. NO WAY WAS I GOING TO PASS UP THAT PRICE. I was near a 1/4 of a tank of gas and needed to stop in the morning before work so why not now. Yes, I had to wait in line, but everyone was so nice, no horns honking and lines out both sides of the gas station for all 4 pumps. SWEET. I scored a good buy. I filled up, bought a lottery ticket or two and then proceeded to recap my locking gas cap (got one when it was near 4.00 a gallon this past summer). I left out of there and proceeded home passing up 4 other gas stations. They were all priced between 1.25 and 1.29 a gallon. I felt as though I had just robbed the bank with such a bargain price at that 66 station.

I love me a bargain.

What is the price where you are?

I stopped to think back to 1986 when I first got my license and had to put my first amount of my hard earned babysitting money into my tank. I recall paying around .75 cents a gallon and cried at the outrageous price then. Never would I have thought that 3.50 was a bargain as it was this past summer. Hah When you started driving, what year was it and what was the price per gallon?

15 months later and I am loving every moment of it

Julia, you turned 15 months yesterday and let me say that you make me smile so many times each day. I have enjoyed this past few days with you over this Christmas week that I have been off work.

I loved watching you try to open a few of your wrapped gifts from Santa and a few from both sides of the family. I am sorry I messed up on trying to record your opening of Santa's gifts and the gifts from mommy and daddy. Dang it. Next time I'll make sure we take some still photos to cover the lack of mommy's memory to change out the memory card in the recorder. LOL

You warm my heart when you call my name. maaaammaaaaaa, you yell through the house looking for me. You do this to daddy about 90% more, but I know you are just a total daddy's girl right now. (I always say, "Julia, What am I? chopped liver" just after you call daaaaddaaaaaa through the house that 90% of the time, but I still love you 100%!

You love to get up on the couch and slip behind me if I am sitting forward. You grab my shoulder and pull me back to "lay" on you and squish you against the pillow back of the couch. You just crack up laughing when I do this. Then if I stop paying attention to you at that time, you will look around my shoulder at my face and just laugh really hard knowing I am going to squish you as soon as you move behind me again. Dang, I need to get daaaadaaaaa to record this for us to put on here for our viewing pleasure.

at least a few times a day you will come over to daddy or I and hand us a book to help you read. Your favorite books are Dr. Suuss's flap book, a kitten counting book, a Peter Rabbit flap book that shows colors. Goodnight Moon. When we read Goodnight moon to you, you love it when we make the SSHHHHHH sound when the old lady is whispering Huusshhhhhhhhhhh. You even started putting your finger up to your mouth for the sssshhhhhhh sound like we do. You also meow when you see the kitties and love to squeak when we say mouse. You also learned how to say "sox".

Tonight, I was reading a book to you about animals and you were trying so hard to repeat the word ALLIGATOR back to me after I would say it to you. Daddy agreed that you almost have it down pat.

Your favorite phrase is "What's dis" and then you point to the item you are interested in. Especially the strand of Christmas lights we have around the doorway to the kitchen. This is amazing that you are putting more than one word together.

You were playing with 3 toys and figured out how to carry all 3 at the same time. You stuck one of the toys under your arm and then carried the other two in your hands to get to the other room. That sure is building your multitasking and problem solving skills!

We have been really trying hard to get the "sharing toys" issue worked out. I know, you are a bit young, but you can't just walk up to your friends and cousins and take their toys. You can ask to share them first. LOL Oh this is going to be fun in the next few months to see how you and your cousin B do with your toy sharing. B is nearly 34 months old and has really shown you how to throw that temper out there if you don't get your way.

I promise you, this coming weekend we will go to the Magic House. I can't wait. I wish it were summer so we could go to the zoo. I know how interested you are in your animal books right now.

I love you and I can't wait to watch the next fun thing you pick up on.

wordless wednesdays - MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS

a quick video for you too....
enjoy

Is there really only 4 full shopping days until Christmas?

Ummmm, dang it, I need to get my shopping done. Are you done? If so, are you done wrapping? I have not even started wrapping yet.

I am 3/4 the way done shopping, but need to get DH something else (since he bought his own gift, rock band), and more barbie clothes for my niece and a gift for my MIL. I can't wait to get this done.

I might venture out this afternoon after DH wakes up. Yes, I said Wakes up at 12 pm NOON... I get to sleep in tomorrow (at least that is what I am telling DH tonight when I go to bed.) ha

Oh, I also want to buy a gift for Julia's birthmother. I think I am going to do a basket of lotions from Bath and Body works. I hope she likes the scents I get her. Don't know when we will see her, but I hope it is soon.

do you ever laugh at your kids when they are full of it?

Julia started twirling around and around while in the living room now. So much so that she gets dizzy and falls on her butt and then laughs. This Cracks me up. I wish I could catch it on video, but she does it when I am furthest (or farthest if you are grammar police) from my camera and she always stops when I do reach it and try to start the recording. Ha. I'll beat her to the punch eventually. I am not really laughing AT HER, but laughing in joy that she is learning things so quickly and having fun doing it.

We had to ask my sister and her family to watch their words. "Oh Sh*t" is a phrase we have thought we heard Julia saying in the last few days. Well, yes, she did say it clear as a bell the other night when DH was putting her in the car. Yikes. We really have to watch what we say now.

7 Teeth are in and the 4 molars are really making her drool gobs again.

I added her to my 2009 vision and dental benefits. Not much more per month so I thought it was worth it just in case. Blindness runs in her birthmothers family so we are being cautious.

I really want to go to the Zoo Wild Lights soon. We couldn't go last weekend due to the exposure to mono and strep. Thankfully no signs here of either icky sickness.

I am working on another letter to send to Julia's birthmother for her 15 month update (27th). Amazing how fast things are flying by since we have last talked and seen her birthmother. This brings on a new subject I want to talk about how contact can change in an open adoption.

We have come to realize that we can't control the amount of contact with have with Julia's birthmother. We accept that if we try to make contact with her, it might be months before we hear from her again. That is just how it works. Last we talked with her was right before J's birthday party. Even longer since we have seen her. We want her to see her, but if she is not ready or wants more time between contact, we just have to accept it to be on her time line. Yes, I get scared that we might not ever see her and J's birth siblings again, but I will never stop sending her letters. I'll send them to her home unless they come back as undeliverable. Then I will just send them to our agency and ask them to hold onto them until we talk to her or when she calls them. I want her to know we are here for her, but we don't want her to feel as though we are barging in on her life or trying to judge her. I will convey this in my next letter to her. I want her to feel that she can call us any day or night and we are glad to set up times to come see them and take them to the park or zoo. I know it might be uncomfortable for her, but she says it is great to see all of us when we do get together. I miss them.

wordless wednesdays

exposure to strep and mono and lott.ery numbers

Well, our daughter has been exposed to Strep and Mono. My 15 yr old niece has been diagnosed with both. This matters because our daughter is over at her house 5 days a week and my niece helps my sister with our daughter each afternoon when she gets home from high school. The poor girl (will call her L), had to go to the ER today due to being so swollen from the mono and strep. See, this is a new strain of strep. It starts out as a rosey red rash on the arms and upper body, then all symptoms turn into throat strep. Her face and inside throat were swollen today so they had to take her in and make sure it was not going to restrict her airway. She is feeling a little better, but is down and out for 10 days.

The timing of this is crazy. Luckily I have 1 vacation day available between now and xmas so I am on a vacation day tomorrow(well, today if you really want to watch the clock, hehe). Tuesday, DH is on his one day of being laid off jobs. (he starts back to work Wednesday). So if we need to keep her away from my sisters house because of my niece, I'll have to employ my Mother-In-Law to watch Julia. My MIL volunteered to help out so that works out so much better than me having to take off without pay.

Also a hard timing issue for my niece with end of semester exams coming up in a few weeks time.

I pray she gets well soon. luckily Julia and my niece have the same pediatrician so we know after a few days time of antibiotics for my niece, the contagious period should pass. I HOPE!

Ok, off to admire the xmas gift I bought dd tonight. Target was loaded with elmo live boxes! YEAH. I debated and debated about buying one, but after having matched 5 of the 6 numbers in the MO lott.ery this weekend (no, I didn't win millions, LOL) , you bet I bought her one. hehe..

edited to add:

I told DH this morning when he woke up that Elmo Live jumped in my cart before checking out at Target last night. He just gave me a chuckle. I am sure Julia will have a blast.

starting to get into the Christmas Spirit

Even with the death of a friend from cancer, even with DH' being in the middle of his job elimination, I have this little flame of Christmas Spirit rising up in me. FINALLY!

Today I attended a Party Lite candle party that my SIL hosted. I didn't think I would want to buy anything. Just not into buying those types of things lately with the money times uncertain with DH's job loss, BUT I found some very very nice items and even booked a party. After hearing the "credit" my SIL got from her party, YOU BET I BOOKED a party. She got nearly 450.00 in credit for items for herself. WOOOOZZZAAAA. The party I booked is in March so the catalog changes next month, but I will still love to get a few items for credit for hosting. So that brightened my day. Let me know if you want to order something.. hehe

I am 3/4 of the way done shopping. Now I am in a much better spirit of the season that I am doing wrapping this coming week. I'll try and do the rest of my shopping this week too.

We are going to try and do the Zoo Wild Light night tomorrow evening if the bad weather does not creep in too soon. We are members so ticket prices are nice and Julia is really into lights right now. She even walks up to the strands of lights DH put up in the kitchen doorway and points to them and says "What's dis", I say "light" and tell her what color they are. She then tries to repeat the color it is. TOO CUTE. I really think she will enjoy seeing the lights. Also there are many blocks in our local neighborhoods in south st. louis city that have decorated every house on these blocks. I MEAN EVERY HOUSE. If you are ever around Francis Park in the City at night in the Holiday season, please go up and down the blocks or Loran, Walsh, Delor, Itaska, murdoch, Devonshire, Lansdowne between Jamieson and Hampton blocks. Pretty cool. I don't do that much decorating because we were vandalized several years in a row. Just afraid to put nice items out still. ugh stupid kids. ok, enough about the hoosier kids in my area. LOL

LOL.. watching cheaters and let me tell you something, that program is to funny. WHat is even funnier, the commercials ... nothing but "adult" type products for ma.le en.hancements. Ha, what a mix of commercials and junk tv.

Surfing at 1:48 am is not good for me. The little sweet girl of mine will be up in another 5 hours. Yick. No sleep for me.

I need to get back on my weight watcher program. Gotta pick a new night of the week to go. Tuesday nights don't work for me anymore with volunteering for my local IAS group, DH's school every Tuesday night next semester and Wednesday nights won't work because I need to sign Julia up for evening swimming lessons and Wednesday nights are my only option right now.

Do you ever wonder how many people go without being able to celebrate the season? I can't do it now, but next year I will adopt one of the 100 neediest families and hopefully with the help of each side of my family be able to make a very special Christmas for some children. I am so thankful my parents made the best of the season with church and family so it is my turn to give back. I did drop my donation in the salvation army red kettle last week, I hope to do that a few more times before the season is over and I do give to the united way so I hope that helps many out there. I am so thankful for what we have. I am not a materialistic person, but I hate to think that even one child goes without a toy over the season.

Yikes again. The Weather 11 team is flashing winter storm watch for the greater st. louis/st. charles and into IL areas. Gotta go buy some rock salt for the sidewalks. Gotta get a new window scraper for the truck and my vehicle. I am sure the stores won't have milk and bread tomorrow. Will gas prices jump too?

I can't believe I have stitches appearing through my incision

I had emergency gall bladder removal (cholecystectomy) on January 31, 2008(It was snowing to beat the bandit that day too). My co-workers drove me to the emergency room at DesPeres hospital in W. County and in 3 hours time I was in surgery having my bad ignorant gall bladder taken out (3rd attack in 4 weeks time). I have an incision about 1 inch wide on my upper belly that apparently is tired of the stitches that should have dissolved many months ago. Now I have an inflamed area in that incision and I can feel a hard item in there... a stitch trying hard to work its way out. If this does not clear up and pop out on its own in the next few weeks, I'll have to go back and ask the doc to take it out. Shame of that is that I won't have the same insurance company so they will probably deny paying the doc visit invoice. Ha.

I am switching from Dh's health insurance to my company's h ins. But my company has not sent out our forms or electronic registration yet. Crazy. It is the middle of December and we don't have any information on what options we can choose from yet. Oh well. I just hope I don't get an infection raging while waiting for the new insurance to kick in.

DH is excited to start the new contracting job he has from the 17th of Dec until around the end of March. After that, I guess he will be at the SSA office applying for unemployment if he can't find a job by the end of March. I really hope this works out. Meantime, he just signed up for 6 hours of college courses for next semester. Looks like he will be able to do his 2 year degree finalization by end of Summer. Sweet.

oops.. the little one is awake. I bet she threw her binkie out of her crib. gotta go fetch it for her. LOL

Have a great weekend.

So happy West Hwy 40 project is opening Monday! (yes, we folk from st. louis call it hwy 40, not 64!! Gotta agree with JC on the radio with that one).

Sad a major winter weather system is going to arrive just in time for Monday morning traffic.

daddy's litte helper

cam you tell we are in trouble with a climber? She climbed from the floor to the barstool height chairs right onto the dining room table at my sisters the other day (she watches J full time). I am signing her up for a tumbling class at the ymca after the first of the year. She is an acrobat already.

I promise a picture soon of her pierced ears. She already lost an earring in the tub at my sisters (they love play time in the tub there) and so she has just a simple gold stud in there right now, but I'll change them back to the daisy flowers like she had at the beginning. She is not really bothered by them at all now.

Need to get to wrapping some Christmas presents and finish up my shopping next week.

Speaking of next week. Monday the 15th is Dh's last day at his job. His end date of employment from the buyout/merger comes to an end after working for that company after 18 years of service. He did agree and is signing an extension to work for them for another 3-4 months as a contractor though so that helps with the income. He still gets his full severance too! So between the severance and the federal tax refund we will greatly benefit (adoption tax credit applies this year! YEAH). SWEET. Sacking away at least a years worth of house payments with his severance though.

Ok, off to bed.

T, if you are reading this, I promise I'll call you on my lunch tomorrow.

We will miss you Natalie.. sorry cancer had to take you

our friend Natalie (see previous posts) passed away this morning from cancer.


tears.


I pray for her family to get through this all and especially her 3 young children. Healing for them will be a long process.


Natalie,

Thanks for keeping those smiles on my face through those rough days of infertility. Thanks for teaching me that mommyhood was possible.

Soaking up the Joys of Motherhood

Today, I fed Ms. Julia a bowl of Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal. She loved it so much that she decorated herself in it (I took off her shirt before, but forgot the pants could get so dirty too with oatmeal). I took her immediately to the bathtub after eating so wash off the leftover yummy oatmeal.

She loves her baths so this was not a problem getting her to take one in the middle of the day, instead of her every-other-night bath before bedtime routine. She played with her letters and stood up, looked at me with this face only a mother knows (i'm gonna poop face) then DROPPED THE MOTHERLOAD into the tub.

Yes, ladies and gents.... I have been officially christened with the POP in the Bathtub water episode. This is episode #1. I saw this look on her face as she stood up and then heard the plop plop of several gifts into the water. EWWWWWWWW. I grabbed her, yelled for DH to come get her (he was sleeping, LOL) and then I had to proceed in scrubbing the tub and all the toys that were in the tub. Let me say again...Ewwwwwww.... Ahhhh, the joys of motherhood/parenting.

Hey, I am really surprised this event of pooping in the bath tub has not happened before this. I think Julia was bothered that she didn't have a diaper on when she pooped. Ha. She got this so serious look and then looked down and realized it was going into the water instead of her diaper. Too funny. I laughed the whole time this transpired saying to myself and DH... "This is what parenting is all about, POOPING IN THE TUB while taking a bath". Crazy.

Today was not fun for me on the most part due to a nasty day of allergy attacks. I can't wait for my new health insurance to start Jan 1, 2009. I'll have coverage to go see an ENT and get my skin allergy tests done. FINALLY. I have not had insurance for this in over 10 years and never had skin tests done to find out what my allergies are. I can tell you some of them just by experience and how to treat or avoid them, but this testing will allow me the benefit of knowing what kind of treatment will help me from these such debilitating attacks I have ever so often. Attacks include sneezing at least 50 times in a 20 minute period, repeat this ever hour of the waking day. Being woke up out of sleep with huge sneezing fits. Not being able to catch my breath after these such attacks, I swear I have asthma, but never been tested for it. I can't wait for the good insurance to finally start up.

Reason I am getting new insurance is that DH's last day of work with his current employer(Displament / end of employment date was moved up from March 2009 to December 15, 2008) is December 15th so I must add him and Julia to my insurance at my company and Thankfully we have a great 3 tier program to select from. I so hope I can get a decent raise at my review that is to take place soon. (11 years with my company as of Dec 1st. ) Holding my breath on the raise though. Bahhhh

Visit with Dh's side of the family tomorrow with SANTA. We are going to Crestwood mall so I'll report back then to let you know how it all went.

I know there is another milestone for Julia, but I can't think of what it was I wanted to blog about. Ok, need to put a pen and paper by the bed incase I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of it.

Anyone play Bingo around here? Man, I miss going and am bugging to go soon. No, I don't like the smoke filled rooms of the hall they play in , but it is fun to get away for a few hours and relax playing.

p.s. thanks to my loving DH for doing the laundry and the dishes and cooking dinner! You ROCK!

tears are falling, I HATE CANCER

I just found out this morning that our friend Natalie has stopped her treatment battle against cancer. I was getting ready to head to swimming lessons and got the message about Natalie being put into hospice. I just broke down and cried. I can't believe it is coming to reality that she has stopped treatment and hospice is taking over her care.

It breaks my heart for her to suffer the pain she is in, her family to suffer and especially at the Holiday Season that is normally filled with joy and celebration.

Sadly enough, this time of the year brings sadness to my life in the anniversary date of my own dad's death from cancer too. December 15, 1995 is the day that he died in our living room in our house that I grew up in. He was 49 YOUNG years old. I prayed for the pain to go away for him and after nearly 2 weeks of intense hospice care in our home. He took his last breath around 12:45 pm. I was not at his side, but most of our family was. I regret not having taken that day to be at his side.

Cancer is so evil.

I pray for Natalie, I pray for her family(3 kids included) and friends. I dread that call that will tell us she passed, but yet I pray that she is not in pain so much. 39 ears old is WAY TOO YOUNG to be lost to cancer or ANY other disease.

December is way too busy, but I love it

Do you ever find that the month of December is always packed full with things to do that you accidentally overbook yourself for the same time and date for something?

Well, I swear it has not happened yet this December, but I keep dreaming it will. I fear forgetting to write something down on the calendar and missing such action packed fun events. Such as Wild Light Nights at the St. Louis Zoo, or Santa's Magical Kingdom at Jellystone Park in Eureka MO, and visiting Santa of course at Crestwood Mall. We have 2 holiday parties to go to, one candle party, Parents as Teachers come over next Tuesday, the shame of that is that we will miss Julia's cousins school musical :( Oh and the SHARE group is having their candle light memorial service this Saturday at the Angel of Hope garden in Blanchette Park in St. CHarles. We plan on being there as we do have a memorial brick. We bring a candle and one white flower (they say rose, I like carnations). This is the first one we are going to attend in all the 8 years of miscarriages we went through. I plan on bringing lots of tissues.

I have my work calendar written out, but my palm is dead so I had to find a pocket calendar to keep up with things. This brings me to my palm issue. My co-worker got a new Palm Centro. Hummmm, Looks like I might have to buy myself a new one though, not refurbished. LOL See, I get to buy myself a gift because Dh decided to buy his own. I am up for contract and with rebates I think I can get this for very little money. My kind of deal. Anyone have one of these? Or can recommend a phone they really like that has pda capabilities? I am with AT&T wireless. You?

Julia's newest milestone... She heard the phone ring at the sitters house (her aunt's) and looked at the phone and said "who's it?" as my sister was answering it. LOL Who's it? Who is it is just amazing to hear. She put words together. WOOOHOOOO!

words: what's this, book