Day two

On day one of Popeye being gone, I:
~ Finished all the laundry.
~ washed all the dishes.
~ shoved everything from the family room into the laundry room.
~ made a list of everything that I want to have done before Popeye gets home.
~ COOKED dinner (not that instant frozen dinner, either. Pork chops with mashed potatoes and salad)
~ installed towel bars in the main bathroom.
~ scraped the cottage cheese off the ceiling in the family room
~ cleaned up the cottage cheese off of EVERYTHING
~ pulled up the baseboards in the downstairs bathroom in preparation of floors and new baseboards
~ stripped the caulk from the shower
~ painted the vanity in the bathroom
~ threw away the futon that has gone the way of most battered furniture after many-a-movie nights with 5 kids.

On day two (you know, today), I (with some help from 2 of my girlies):
~ got kids off to school.
~ did a mini sign language class at Princess Monkey Eyes' school
~ primed the family room ceiling (one and a half gallons gone)
~ re-caulked the shower
~ re-spackled portions of the wall in the basement in preparation for the floors and trim
~ painted the bathroom
~ took Grand Duchess for her 12 month well check visit
~ painted the family room ceiling and primed the walls for painting tomorrow
~ cooked more dinner (even though Pizza Hut sounds SO tempting right now)

I have a lot accomplished already.  Thanks be to Princess Tiana for helping me make my list of priorities.  I'd be lost without it.  And thanks also be to The Cowgirl for coming and helping (and watching the kids while I went to the doctor).  I forsee some major pampering happening for these two ladies!  Without them I'd be going crazy!!!

Stay tuned for more updates.  I'd post pics but my camera is broken and I really don't have it in my budget to go buy another one yet.  Stupid budget.

Anyway.  Someday I'll post pics!  But for now, just know that my bathroom is starting to look so much warmer and inviting!

A little out of sorts

Popeye is gone.  I'm sad.
I made it home from Denver this afternoon with all the kiddos.
I pulled into the driveway.  It was covered in snow.  And not just a light dusting, either.  It was DEEP.
And I immediately started mumbling under my breath about my neighbors.  We've lived here for over 2 years and every time it snows, they start shovelling.  And they stop RIGHT at the property line.  If I have the opportunity to shovel before them, I make it a point to continue on up or down the sidewalk.  I'm cool like that.
I guess I was more torqued that the snow came up to the bottom of my door on my van and ALL my neighbors have clear driveways that have melted throughout the day.
Of course I left the kids in the van until I could shovel them some paths to the door.
Of course I finished the driveway by hand because I had the landfill bring me a dumpster for this weeks' fiasco and it was blocking in the plow. 
Of course I started the plow to get a nice clear path in front of the garage door (behind the dumpster) so I can get in and out of there without mishaps.
Of course the engine was cold so the exhaust from the plow was overpowering and now I stink - Royally.

I know I'm being petty.  I'm always a little overwhelmed the first day that Popeye's gone.  I just wish it didn't snow.  And I wish that it would STOP!  That's right, peeps.  It is STILL SNOWING.

Tomorrow will be better, won't it?  Please tell me it will.  Please say that I'll get tons done tomorrow.  Please reassure me that my children will be angels and not attempt to help me paint.  Or please just come and keep me company so that I don't kill my kids.

Thanks.
(Stupid snow.  Now I'm in a bad mood.)

Tuesday Tip!

I love my bed.  I love my bed even more now that there is a beautiful blanket and coverlet on it.  They're gorgeous.  My mom and dad recently downsized and they gave me this bedding set.  I love it.  And I'm thrilled that they thought of me when they needed to get rid of it!

Moving forward 6 months.

Popeye changed Grand Duchess' diaper!  Hooray!  No, that's not why I'm blogging today.  He's usually pretty good about taking the initiative to change her when she needs it.  And on this certain day, she needed it bad!
So he took her into our room and laid her down on my coverlet.  My beautiful, cream-colored coverlet.  My coverlet that I promised my mother would NOT get stained should she give it to me. 
Anyway.  He laid her down and proceeded to change her diaper (sans protection between her cute, chubby bum and my beautiful coverlet) and got orange poo on it.  Yes, her poo was orange as a result of feeding her carrots and sweet potatoes.  Lovely.
And then (seeing that I was starting to freak out about it) proceeded to wipe it up with some wipees.  And then I freaked some more, until I remembered a tip from my friend.  She told me that her son soils his clothes multiple times a day and she's found the trick to getting those stains out.
Soak them in dishwasher detergent - like Cascade or Electrosol (the powdered stuff, not the gel).  Now, I'm not entirely sure if I make a paste out of it or if I fill the sink with warm water and add the powder that way (but if I remember correctly, that's the way to do it - in the sink).  And then you can launder your clothes and the stain will come out.
I also found a website that says to hang your wet, laundered clothes outside in the sunshine and the UV rays will make the stain disappear.
I have yet to try either of these tips - but I'm giving them to you.  I know quite a few of you have wee ones on the way and all of you have to deal with poo on a regular basis.  So it's a tip we can all benefit from!

Oh I hope the stain comes out.  To my sisters, if Mom finds out about this, I know it's because one of you ratted me out and you will NOT get your Christmas present from me.  Mom doesn't read my blog.  And you better not tip her off to come read it, either.  Okay - PLEASE don't tip her off to come read it!  I'm still just so sick about it!

Anyway.  Um, yeah, that's all. Have a great day!

(Oh yeah, and Popeye has to go to Louisiana for the Navy this weekend.  He'll be gone for 2 weeks.  Let the playing begin!  You remember what I got done the last time he left for Seattle?  I had ripped out carpet, scraped ceilings, finished the bathroom, etc...  Well, this drill is no exception.  Big plans, I tell ya!  BIG plans!  More to come later as he is standing nearby and I don't want to spoil the surprise!)

Question:

Where is your breaking point?  What absolutely makes you tick so much that you feel if you "don't walk away NOW" that someone will get seriously hurt?

I'm just wondering if people are more patient than I am.

Tuesday Tip!

I'm squeezing this in just two hours before Wednesday.
I just got home from a most enjoyable date with Popeye.  We have a performing arts council here and every month they have performers come to town and perform for us.  Tonight we watched a group from Branson, MO performs hit songs from the sixties.
I was born in the seventies.  The late seventies, to be exact.  But I knew almost every single one of the songs that were sung. (Thanks Mom!)  It was a lot of fun. 
Here's a tip for you, though.
If you're wanting to go to a show that is interacting and is meant to get you on your feet, singing and dancing and having a grand time, go with people who want to do that with you.  If you want to just sit and enjoy the music, go with the kind of people who want to do that.
Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful time with Popeye.  We laughed and enjoyed ourselves very much.
But have you ever gotten together with your girlies and just let yourself go?  You don't care who's watching you because you're having fun being a complete fool.  You are acting like you did in high school and it's liberating.
Popeye kinda stifles that for me sometimes.  He wanted to sit there and I wanted to get up and dance.  So he did.  And I did.  And I heard the guy behind us say something to his wife about it, too.  But whatever.  We were together (sans kids) and that's all that matters.
I'm just sayin' if you're wanting to cut a rug, cut it with someone who's willing to cut it with you!
I can't wait for our next date.  Don't know when that will be, really (they're pretty scarce and I admire people who still date regularly *ahem, Julie*).  But I can tell you it won't be dancing.  Popeye just doesn't dance. 
(I still love you, Popeye!!!)

Voice your opinion!!!

I get to upgrade my phone.
Don't get me wrong, my Razr was serving me just fine - until Princess Monkey Eyes stepped on it and cracked the face.  Now it's a great, big, black blob.  I can't see my contacts.  I can't see who's beeping in.  I can't see texts from anyone.  I can't SEND texts to anyone.  I can't delete the texts that I DO receive because I can't remember which buttons to push.
I'm lucky to be able to call a select few people just because I can remember the order of the "J's" and I messed up calling my sister-in-law because I forgot I put another contact above her, using their last name instead of first.
Anyway.  It's frustrating.
But today in the mail I got a fun little pamphlet letting me know that I can upgrade my phone.
And with it being tax refund day (My FAVORITE day of the year), I can afford to buy myself a new phone.  Preferrably one with access to music as my iPod isn't working, either.
So - what do you like?  What DON'T you like?  Why do you like or not like them.  Do I go with a touch screen?  Another flip?  A slider?  There are so many out there, I know.  Palm Pre. Blackberry.  Droid.  Oh the options and I'm so darn clueless!!!
Seriously, I need help deciding and I have one week to figure it out!
Thanks in advance!!!
Oh yeah, and if it means anything, I'm on the Verizon network.

The big one!

Grand Duchess is ONE!!!
Can you believe it?
Time has gone SOOO fast, that I'm feeling a little out of sorts when thinking about it.
I'd post pictures of her little "party" (read: cake, ice cream and one present that we didn't bother wrapping), but I'm so tired so I won't.
I'll just do a little ditty on her and call it good.
Grand Duchess:
G - Giggly; her giggles make me laugh.
R - Rarely wakes up cranky; unlike her older brother.
A - Awesome appetite; hands down my best eater, ever.
N - Never talks back to her mother, in fact is a wonderful babbler.
D - Daddy's girl, hands down.

D - Dancing Queen; she's found her moves and she can shake it!
U - Uber cute; c'mon, you've seen her pics!
C - Combination of spunky and silly; Love it!
H - Has only one tooth poking out, but more are to come - which means more pain, my Dear.
E - Excites easily; really she does, and she's just so cute about it!
S - Sleeps SO WELL!!!  And always has since 6 weeks!
S - Special Spirit

I've never felt this connected to one of my children before.  Is it because it's a bittersweet moment, knowing that this is my last baby?  My last change of size 3 diapers.  My last time nursing.  My last time rocking her to sleep.  My last time feeding strained peas (which she loves).  My last chance at making/buying uber cute clothes that will only fit for a month or two... The list goes on.
I just know that this little girl holds a place in my heart unlike any other.  I love her dimple in her left cheek.  I love the way her eyes twinkle when she smiles.  I love her gummy grin when I walk in the room.  I love that I can do no wrong in her eyes; it gives me hope.  :D
Anyway.  Happy birthday sweetie!  I love you!