Freebies May 1 - May 31st

CVS sent me a new Everstrong Loreal Sulfate free fortifying system: samplers of shampoo, conditioner and overnight leave in conditioner. This is a great sample since I have to buy sulfate free shampoos and soaps due to my allergy to Sulfates.

Fabulous Foto Fridays

Suson Park last week. Julia caught her first Fish! wooohoooo

Naotional Infertility Awareness Week

If you or anyone you know has been touched by infertility, please watch this video.

What IF?.....

What IF? A Portrait of Infertility from Keiko Zoll on Vimeo.

Mehlville Baby Mania sale May 1, 2010

I made it official a few weeks back, I am a seller/vendor in the Mehlville High School MOMS Baby Mania sale. sites 29 - 32. Actually my sister and I are sharing 2 selling spaces.

Ahhhh, I have been organizing all of Julia's outgrown items to price, hang and fold. Now I have to work on what to price them at. I have been organizing the 2 and 3 (etc..) piece outfits on hangers along with coats and dresses, but most of the other clothes will be on tables and toys on the ground. I sure hope it does not rain! We will have awnings, but if is it windy, we are in trouble. I also have a foll of plastic to cover tables if it does decide to rain on us. The event is Rain or Shine!

I am not an organized person for the most part so I am paying for having just boxed up these outgrown items and put the toys in bags without some sort of sizing to each bag/box. Fun.

now to get to the pricing. I am so not ready to do this. I am not sure if I should do a poster with pricing chart or if I should go and price each piece. heck, I think the poster will have to due since I am running out of time. next year I'll be more organized for this sale.

I hope to make at least a few hundred dollars to help buy her next years wardrobe and toys. That is my goal.

I cried like a baby

Ok, I'll admit it here (and I still have not told hubby);

Today, when I was walking the dirty laundry downstairs, I smashed my fingers on my right hand against the door jam. I instantly cried a loud yelp and the tears started flowing. Hubby didn't hear my yelping wail because he was being a good husband and was upstairs vacuuming the first floor. LOL. I had tears streaming down my face and it caught the attention of our daughter, who was tagging behind me to help me change the laundry loads. She instantly kissed me on the hip in concern of my wailing. I stood there by the washer and just let the tears stream and gave a few more hardy yelps out again. It was relieving. My fingers hurt, but they are ok now. I just hate it when I do stupid stuff like that.

Sometimes I just keep these little things to myself. I am accident prone and gave up on looking for sympathy from others when I hurt myself. I was being the good wifey and doing the laundry, yet I get hurt on my way down there. Not fair so I felt it was a good relieving cry.

My Freebie Fridays roundup

I have surfed around for some fun My Friday Freebies so here they are:

http://www.childrensbooksforever.com/index.html

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Free-eBooks/379001668/?start=1&cds2Pid=29905

Happy Earth Day

My Earth Day will consist of going and buying vegetables to plant in my (not yet formed) garden. I will try and grow my own tomatoes, green and yellow peppers, cucumbers, carrots and lettuce. I want to make my own salads like I did a few years back. I gave up on gardening a few years back due to the rabbits and squirrels, but I will not let them stop me this year.

What is your Earth Day going to consist of?

Our Forever Family Day 4/16/10

Today, we celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Julia's coming into our family legally through the courts.

I know we won't talk to her tummy mommy today, but I hope she knows we are thinking of her. She gave us the light of our lives and I am so proud being a mommy after all those years of infertility and miscarriages, and seeing Hubby be the daddy I knew he had in him too.

Julia is 2.5 years old and acting like she is 6. LOL I love her sassy ways, she loves to boss the little boy around we are watching part time each week. She loves to interact with her older 4 year old friends like they were all born together on the same day. hehe

on 4/15/08, The owner of the agency flew down to st. louis to help watch his grandson while the social worker (his daughter) walked us through court for finalization. It was so nice to have the support. Jeff and I had both of our mothers there. They were so happy we invited them to share that special day.

Last year we celebrated at the local Fortels pizza den and This year, I bet we will end up there or at Dewey's pizza place. I'd love to take her to Great American Pizza CO, but there at not so many "little kids" activities for her age there. Instead, we have a new swing set that grandma bought we are putting up hopefully after dinner. Wish us luck on that.

Adoption is such a blessing for us. I can't wait to do it again and have another date for us to celebrate the meaning of how our family came together.

Julia, we love you. Hugs and Kisses

Perfect Moment Monday: Friends who "GET IT"

In the land of IF/adoption: these are my some of my close friends who really GET IT!

We have traveled so many roads together and I would do anything for them!



at one time or another, we all crossed paths in the local if support group and remain friends. The oldest children from the group are now going on 6.

diaper coupon clipping nearing an end?

I think my days in buying diapers are nearly over. (shhhhh, don't jinx me!). 1 pull up diaper = all day use. Sweet. Thanks to Juia's friends Abbie and Vanessa, Julia is now using the (adult) big girl potty with her dora potty insert seat. Ahhhhh, the benefits of older friends as roll models. :)

saving Parents As Teachers in Missouri

I sent this to Russ Carnahan, Clair McCaskill and Kit Bond, Jay Nixon,

I am writing you in hope that you have in progress, a fight against the funding cuts for Parents as Teachers in Missouri. Yesterday, a PAT rep visited our 2.5 yr old daughter, Julia, and told me that the funding cuts proposed has put them in a precarious position and have been told they CANNOT book anymore 3 - 5 yr old PAT evaluations of children. WHAT? Are you kidding me? This is hurting our children and the parents of PAT children by taking this educational opportunity away from us to prepare our children for school. So in a matter of 6 months my daughter, along with a huge number of Missouri children will no longer be able to gain the guidance of a PAT rep in our homes. Please stop this funding cut. I hope I can count on your support on this. We need your help in keeping this program for ALL ages for PAT available and not limiting it to 0-2.11 years of age.

march 28 - April 5 updates milestone and freebies

Julia has been having up and down days with potty training, but since last week (we went camping) she has been doing a great job. We took her potty chair camping with us and started a reward system of 1 m&m for peepee and 2 m&m's for #2. Well as of last night she got 2 m&m's for the first time. She really did go #2 on the potty all by herself. Today, as I sat in the living room, she brought me her potty chair insert and showed me her second successful 2 m&m potty trip. YES! She is getting this concept down.

Our friend Ms. Kelly had given us a Dora sticker poster for potty training so we started using that with today's successful trip for 2 m&m's! hehe She loves stickers and loves seeing her progress on the chart so I'll stick with that for a while.

Next shopping trip will consist of BIG GIRL underwear for Ms. Julia! I'll let her pick out the pack she loves. I can't wait. What a huge milestone for us. I need to buy more diapers as we are down to the last pack, but yet I don't want to buy more because if she is really potty trained in a week or maybe two weeks from now, We will be done with them! No more coupon cutting for huggies diapers then. AHHHHHH, that thought alone makes me smile a mile wide!

Freebies this past week.
-Uniball pen
-Stride gum (along with a nice coupon)
-two different packs of 2 diapers from Costco(hey, that helps me in not wanting to buy more diapers for her. Hahahaha).
-Free Kiwi magazine
-free sample of post it page tabs

OH MY GOSH.. She went potty on the big girl potty!

I wrote a paragraph in the previous post about Julia NOT potty training.. Well Guess What she did today.


Julia went peepee on the potty! I need 2 go buy stock in some dum-dum suckers and hit the dollar store 4 some great stickers. Thanks to Vanessa, Abbie, Keira and Harper ( Thanks to their mommies for showing Julia recently how their girls went on the big
girl potty!)

Now I need to take her shopping tonight to buy some big girl undies. WOOOOHOOO!

Good Monday morning.

Today the word on the street is Pollen. No, really, that is the word on the street on Sesame Street and let me tell you it is also in the air here at my house. I had to double up on meds already at 8:30 this morning because I could not stop sneezing. I do have the windows open and refuse, REFUSE I tell you, to close them and turn on the air. It is really not that warm for AC yet anyways and I can't stand being cooped up inside with two toddlers so I MUST open the windows. I have my prescription allegra and dosed a round of sudafed on top of that today already. Ahhhhh, SPRING is here. I do love Spring in so many ways it outweighs the allergies I have (as long as I keep a dose in me each day).

My tulips have about 40 leaves to them. I wonder if they will produce any budding flowers this year. I'll post pictures when I can see the bud stems if there will be any. Otherwise, next week I'll invest in my tomato, cucumber, lettuce seeds and maybe some strawberry plants and get them going. I am thinking St. Louis is not out of the freezing zone just yet so I might wait a week or two longer.

Julia told us the other night that she is ready to go camping! She even had her tinkerbell lantern in hand ready to go. I told her soon baby, soon. We have 7 camping trips planned already for the Spring, Summer (few of those) and Fall!

Ok, time to get back to tagging the buckets and buckets of clothes and toys of Julia's I will be selling in the Mehlville Baby Mania sale May 1st. My sister and I got 2 selling spaces and I can't wait to get everything in line to make some cold hard cash so I can buy her next years round of toys and clothes. Currently she is in a 3T shirts and pants, but the shirts are all getting too tight and the pants are getting too SHORT. She has very little of a butt to hold up the pants so the myselfbelt helps in that area.

Potty training is not happening. I really believe she was on track to train, then I took on a 14 month old a few days a week of sitting so I think that set her back. Regression is what I read it as and I agree, that is what she is doing. Hopefully that has plateaued and she will pick up the idea of the potty seat again now that she saw Abbie, Vanessa and Harper using the big girl potty last week.

There are so many things Julia is saying to us now and I need to run to the computer and write them here as soon as she says them or at least on paper to blog later. They are way too funny. Of course this sleepless brain of mine can't even remember one phrase from last night she kept cracking us up with. She says thins with such conviction and attitude now it is like she is acting. Maybe we have a future Hollywood movie star on our hands. (I can dream right?)

Federal Adoption Tax Credit extended and even increased for 2011!

I got an email that linked to a blog discussing this.

http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/



Joint Council is pleased to confirm that the Adoption Tax Credit (ATC), which was scheduled to expire in 2010, was extended for one-year (through December 31, 2011). The highlights of the ATC are;

* The maximum credit was increased from $12,150 to $13,170,
* The ATC is now retroactive to January 1, 2009. This represents a potential increase of $1,000 for adoptive families.
* The ATC was made refundable. If a family has no tax liability, the IRS will refund the amount due.

The extension of the ATC through 2011, was passed as part of the health care reform bill which was signed into law by President Obama on Monday, March 22, 2010. There was some concern that the ATC would be included in the reconciliation process, however we have confirmed that it is not part of reconciliation which means the ATC is law until December 31, 2011.

Joint Council along with many other advocates and adoptive families have long advocated for making the ATC permanent. We applaud Congress and the Obama administration for the extension and continue to call for a permanent tax credit.

The ATC is a critically important element in finding permanent families for children in the U.S. foster care system and the children of our world, who live without permanent parental care. The ATC makes adoption a viable option for many families who may otherwise be unable to afford to adopt. We again applaud the extension and improvements to the Adoption Tax Credit.

a day of change

Although I write this in the wee hours of St. Patrick's Day 2010, just few short hours ago we put our daughter to bed in her newly converted toddler bed from her original crib. Actually, truth be told, she fell asleep in our bed (like she does many a night during the week) and then I always put her in her own crib before I head to bed in the wee hours of each day (night owl I am).

I decided today at lunch time it was time to remove the side rail from Julia's crib and convert it into a toddler bed. Yes, I put a safety rail on that open side, don't fret. For the last few weeks we have been planting the idea of redecorating her room with her. Including getting a toddler bed for her. Well, I converted her crib instead. I wanted to tell her she is a big girl now and she can sleep in a big girl bed like mommy does. She loved the idea the last few days so I went with it today.

I know I am running the risk of her not sleeping through the night, but I am hoping and praying she stays asleep like she normally does any given night for 10-12 hours (even near 14 hours last night). Boy, I sure need to get some overnight diapers for her for those 14 hour nights. LOL She rarely wakes (I know, go ahead and say it... I just jinxed myself, right?) during the night. Fingers crossed that this long sleepy nights remain for her for a long many years to come. I really truly believe she gets these sleep filled nights from her birthmother. H admitted to me that both of her older children sleep very well. I sure hope that carries on here for a long time to come.

Change is happening in our lives with Julia so much lately. Milestones too many to keep up with. She become more versatile in her vocabulary each day, she is working on sharing with her new playmate each day. She loves to go for walks and rides in her wagon around the block. Loves the gym a few days a week and loves swimming.

Speaking of swimming, I had bought her a D.ora body swim flotation suit at a sale last summer, it fits now and helps her swim like a fish in the pool at the Ymca.

The I love you Daddio and Mommio are so frequent and unprompted nowaday. Today, I called daddio at work and she didn't get to talk to him. She asked to speak to him so I called him back and she just told him all kinds of things (many we couldn't understand because she was talking so fast). Then at the end of the conversation she said to him "Daddio, I love you". So sweet. When he got home tonight, he said when he hear the "daddio, i love you" it made him so proud of her and almost made him cry. I love it. She did that same thing to me a few weeks back.

During the day she often sings the abc song all the way through, now and she is working on 1-15. Surprisingly, the other day she counted backwards from 8 to 1. WOW. Way to go Julia!

I am working on some preschool functions for her to do during the day. She keeps me busy for sure, but I just don't want her or her playmate to be in the house all day long with this nice weather around us. I have a few outside activities for her to do now outside and I can't wait to introduce them to her.

to share or not to share

of course we, as mothers, have or will have this in their vocabulary soon. Sharing is not something that comes naturally for a little 2.5 year old. Julia has been in a really possessive mood lately with her toys, but who can blame her? This generally only happens when the little boy I watch part time is here. Hahaha. Poor B. He is innocent enough and just wants to learn and play with these toys. According to Julia, that is against her rules. I am learning to defuse the situation of Julia acting out on B before it happens. I try and ask her to please teach B how to use her toys so he can be a big boy like she is a big girl. She likes that idea and talked to him in a semi-authoritative voice when she does. I praise her when she is showing him how to do something and when she won't share, I try not to be negative towards her, instead saying that sharing is a big girl thing and she is a good girl when she shares.

I need to go get some of the younger baby toys out of the basement so he can have a few to play with. B is near 15 months old and I don't see that most of Julia's toys are age appropriate for him.

the beachnut lets grow email reminded me today that I need to help julia with sharing more and setting more of an example of sharing between us adults so she can pick that up from us to share with B.

just because she deserves the spotlight!

A post on another blog worthy to link to. Those that coupon will understand!

check out this post: http://www.coupongal.net/2010/03/did-that-really-just-happen.html

I just laugh out loud at those that roll their eyes behind me in line when I have my coupons. If they say something to their partner, child and or anyone else, I purposefully take my time getting my stuff up on the belt and then take my time putting all my coupons on the shelf / register for the cashier to scan. I know that is mean to an extent, but I am just sick and tired of being degraded for my hard work that saves me loads and loads of money while others are oblivious to the FREE or near FREE items I have in my basket! FREE PEOPLE FREE! I started couponing a few years back with the intent to cover my taxes on each invoice total. Today, I coupon to kill over 1/2 to 3/4 of my receipt total or even more! Shame on them for not using the system of coupons to save. NOT SHAME ON ME! I am one coupon crazy laid off mom!

2010 baby mania resale events, consignment sales, etc..

I'll try to do these in date order, but please be kind if they are just a little out of order. If you find a date of a sale you know of and I don't have it listed, Please Please email me at twogoots (at) yahoo (dot) com

HERE WE GO FOR 2010:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
KIDMANIA SALE

Saturday March 6, 2010
8 am - 12 pm
Edwardsville High school Illinois

http://www.edwardsvilleonline.com/jsc/Kidmania.htm

entry fee 3.00
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MOMMES and Dads
http://www.mommes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=1
This is the IL sale. I have yet to find the MO sale and will post it as soon as I can.

SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010 8am-12PM
AT GATEWAY CENTER,
1 GATEWAY DR.
COLLINSVILLE, IL
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Just Between Friends
Kids Consignment Sales Events

Serving you in Kirkwood/Arnold, Missouri
Spring 2010 Event Now Scheduled!
March 19th & 20th
Concordia Lutheran Church
505 S. Kirkwood Rd
Kirkwood, MO 63122
UPDATED DATES AND LOCATIONS BELOW:

ST. CHARLES
http://saintcharles.jbfsale.com/
The Spring/Summer St Charles Sale will be
March 26th & 27th
at Harvester Church of the Nazarene on McClay
http://saintcharles.jbfsale.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showevent&eventid=2006120511093921&siteid=2006112810183970

WEST COUNTY (chesterfield)
http://chesterfield.jbfsale.com/
May 15th & 16th, 2010
Maryville University Gymnasium
650 Maryville University Drive
Chesterfield, MO. 63141

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.storklady.net/Shoppers.htm
* Spring 2010 Registration NOW OPEN *
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER


SPRING-SUMMER 2010 SALE

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:
Thursday, April 1st - 9am - 7pm
Friday, April 2nd - 9am - 7pm
Saturday, April 3rd - 9am - 1pm
(Saturday only: 50% off most items)

LOCATION:
Former MACY'S Dept. Store
Crestwood Court mall
Use entrance and parking lot at northeast intersection of Watson Rd. & Sappington Rd.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://recycledkidstreasures.com/flyer.pdf
April 9th - 11th

go to the link and check out their page. They won't let me copy over their advertisement page. @@
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://3rkidssale.com/default.aspx


SPRING/SUMMER SALE 2010!!!
APRIL 9-11, 2010
RALLO PLAZA
1139 N. LINDBERGH BLVD
FLORISSANT, MO 63031
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:
FRIDAY, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
SATURDAY, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (50% off MOST ITEMS)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Greater St. Louis Mothers of Twins Club
RE-SELL-IT SALE
Re-Sell-It will be April 17, 2010 at Lindbergh High School.
Saturday April 17, 2010
Open to the Public 1-3 p.m.
($1 admission per person)
Where: Lindbergh High School
4900 South Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63126
GO HERE for the sales flyer: http://www.stlmotc.org/sale_flyer.pdf
PLEASE READ THEIR DETAILED ITEMS A SHOPPER CAN BRING IN OR NOT!!!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mehlville High School baby mania sale

http://www.mehlville-moms-club.org/articles/fundraisers/baby-mania.html

May 1st
8 am
at Mehlville High School parking lot.
3120 Lemay Ferry Road

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx