Monday, December 29, 2008

Dentist thy name is Satan

Yet another dentist appointment. 2 goals. Put on a permanent crown and extract a precarious wisdom tooth. The former wasn't fun... the latter sucked a big one. As I was laying there with her standing (oh yeah, standing for good leverage) over me, I was thinking... am I really letting someone rip a tooth from my person.

As it turns out, yes I was.

So now I sit with a mouth full of gauze and a dull ache watching some mindless television. I hope this heals soon. If you find it in your heart to throw a prayer my way, I would be ever so grateful.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

About me... again...

I've been a little absent lately... sorry about that. It's not that I am busy... well, Adam did get a Wii and we have spent some quality time whooping up on each other... but really, I haven't been around because I just haven't been in a great mood. I was really bummed about dad and Stacie not being able to make it out... and it snowballed from there. I am a little on edge these days and that's not how I like to be. Anywho... just a slightly vague reason on why I haven't been around!

In the meantime I will post this about me, which I stole from my friend Mandi's blog.

A is for age: 30. I don't want to talk about it.

B is for burger of choice: mushrooms, caramelized onions and swiss cheese

C is for the car I drive: Jeep Grand Cherokee... which I love however it does not have heat so I am not thrilled with it right now.

D is for your dog's name: Riley the Wonderbeagle (Riley for short). I suspect he is wondering what happened to his nice quiet life.

E is for essential item you use every day: Computer or ipod... I use them daily.

F is for favorite TV show at the moment: The Big Bang Theory... smart writing, good acting and eerily reminds me of hubby.

G is for favorite game: Texas Hold'em. Haven't played in quite sometime but I enjoy the game.

H is for home state: Texas!

I is for instruments you play: Not musically inclined... in any way, shape or form.

J is for favorite juice: Apple... it was my first word.

K is for whose bum you'd like to kick: at the moment... no one.

L is for last restaurant at which you ate: Nola's... a great bistro in Frederick.

M is for your favorite muppet: Baby Gonzo!

N is for number of piercings: 6, 5 in ears (although one might be closed ;~) and one belly button (yes, I kept it through the pregnancy!)

O is for overnight hospital stays: does an overnight in the ER count? If so, 4... that's my best guess.

P is for people you were with today: Adam, Chase, MIL, FIL and Adam's grandma

Q is for what you do with your quiet time: check e-mail, watch a little TV, work on crafts/projects, play the Wii with hubby

R is for biggest regret: not doing a mother/daughter spa weekend with mom

S is for status: married

T is for time you woke up today: 7:45... woken by my human alarm clock

U is for what you consider unique about yourself: I wear my mother's wedding set

V is for vegetable you love: Spinach

W is for worst habit: I am with Mandi... procrastinating

X is for x-rays you've had: at least 4... probably way more than that

Y is for yummy food you ate today: Italian prosciutto eggs benedict at Nola's... very yummy but a little too much hollandaise sauce ;~) Oh and leftover potato and ham soup that hubby made from scratch!

Z is for zodiac: Virgo but that stuff is a bunch of whooey.

If you copy and repost, let me know so I can be sure to check it out!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas


I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Unfortunately...

my dad and Stacie won't be visiting for Christmas this year. Dad broke... nee shattered his ankle yesterday. He is going in for surgery today in order to repair it... complete with pins and metal. On so many levels this is sucky news. Please pray for him and Stacie.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Church Shopping

I am going to start by saying if I could move all of Bay Area Community Church to Hagerstown... I would. I miss Bay Area so much.

I miss the fellowship. I had been attending for about 14 years and I made some great friends there... I had history and I knew people.

I miss the physical structure. It was our new debt free building. It was large but yet remained simple and to the point.

I miss the feeling of belonging. Adam volunteered with the Bay Cafe (making coffee) and with Crossroads (doing the V part of AV). I was a nursery volunteer (with the exception of the year Chase was born ;~) We had places to serve.

Most of all, I miss Greg, the senior pastor. I had a connection with him that I will always treasure. He married my mom and step dad, he married Adam and I and he presided over my mother's funeral. Life altering moments and he was there. I also miss his sermons. Each and everyone got to me. He has the knack of knowing just what to say and how to say it. He was funny, entertaining, knowledgeable and poignant. It takes a lot to keep my attention and he always had it. I miss being fed by his sermons.

Have I gotten the point across that I miss my old church?

That being said, Adam and I have been on the hunt for a new church. Now with the background info you just learned... you can imagine I have pretty high standards. I struggle with each church... is it a good church and I am just not giving it a fair shake because of my prejudice or am I right to hold a church to this standard?

A couple of the churches have been nice... we just haven't felt the connection. I am not sure if that happens on the first or second try but I imagine it's a little like meeting the person you eventually marry. The moment I saw Adam I thought he was adorable and I got butterflies... I didn't know then that we would eventually be married but there was a spark. I think that is what should happen when I am in the right church.... I don't know if we will end up attending but there is a spark. Am I right to wait for that or is it an impossibility and I am shortchanging the church?

We have been to one church where we left knowing that we most definitely would not be back. I am not one for writing off anything quickly but almost as soon as we entered, I knew it wouldn't be the place for us. Unfriendly nursery staff, windowless nursery rooms, (IMO) an unhealthy attachment to Joel Osteen, a 'rock band' worship team with songs that were impossible to sing along to, a woman giving the sermon who had many anecdotes about her children but frightfully little scripture... and even more terrifying, a warped view on the difference between DNA and social issues. I digress... I hesitate speaking ill of a church but I was more than a little frightened.

So our search continues.

One of the most frustrating things about searching is the childcare. I won't leave Chase in a nursery when I don't know the people watching him, what the standards and rules are and what the atmosphere is like. So that means Adam and I have to keep an active 1 year old still for at least a solid hour. As you can imagine that doesn't happen very often. Usually I end up leaving the service and hanging out in the nursery... not a bad deal if you want to know more about the childcare. However, on one such occasion we were in the nursery/toddler room there was a 10 month old, Chase (1 year old), a 2 year old, a 5 year old and a 7 year old. I tried to do a little digging as to why there were so many different ages and the woman who was 'in charge' had to ask her daughter (14 years old)... who didn't understand what she was asking (in the daughters defense the mother was not being clear)... so really it was the 'who's on first' conversation of church childcare... and I never got my answer. The only thing I did find out... not one of the kids were related to each other, which would have made at least a little sense. In addition, I found a small bead (probably from a child's broken bracelet) on the floor. I am sure it was innocent enough but this is also a piece of plastic that could cause my inquisitive child to stop breathing and die.

Again, I am comparing these nurseries with Bay Area's nursery... and Bay Area's nursery was phenomenal. There were always at least 2 adults in each room... and on top of that at least 1 -2 helpers (teenagers). They followed Maryland code for the ratio of children to adults; 3:1 for babies and toddlers and 5:1 for 2's and up... usually far exceeding the ratio. There were sign in sheets, corresponding numbered bracelets, an 'in charge' person overseeing the whole Sunday morning operation... and my favorite, a numbering system that would discreetly let you know when your child was inconsolable and you were needed. Anyone that knows Chase knows that was necessary for us.

So these 'rinky dink' childcare operations scare me a little.

Anyway, I think I am just venting here. I know we will eventually find the place for us... it's just way more difficult than I thought. I never really worried about this before... I ended up at Bay Area because that is where my mom started going... this is my first church hunt as an adult ;~) Look at me grow!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Christmas Party

Tonight was our Christmas Party... 16 adults and 8 children! It was mayhem from the time we stepped in the door (20 minutes late... sorry again about that guys!)

Our big goal was to get a group picture of the kids...


This is the best picture from the photo shoot! From left to right... Anna, Jenna, Adam, Adrianna, Sadie, Chase, Laura and Jack (barely making it in the picture!)


Chase opening his present from Laura. What a difference a year makes... it's so much fun to see him so interactive... I can't wait until Christmas morning!


The fam!


We had lots of fun... good food, great friends and lots of toys! However, by the end of the night Chase was ready to go... I have a feeling he will sleep very soundly tonight!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Thursday, December 18, 2008

I am such an idgit

I want to make a public apology... I assumed the writer of artofthecoupon.com was a guy when in fact she is a girl! I am really really sorry! As I wrote to her... what's the old adage... to assume makes an a$$ out of you and me! Lesson learned ;~)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Nail on the head

I came across this poem on artofthecoupon.com. In all complete honesty, I could not believe how right on the nose this guy got it! Enjoy!




College graduation was approaching fast
And I heard the mantra, get a job at last
But, alas, jobs were few and far between
The hours were long and the pay was lean
And so, in a flash, the answer came to me
Can’t get a job… get an advanced degree




My family was supportive, with encouragement a plenty
But when it came to tuition, there was not one more penny
No problem there, the dream needn’t fade
Aunt Sallie Mae came to my aid
With nary a thought, I signed on the line
What was I thinking, I was out of my mind




I never thought to ask and they didn’t say
Just how much I would one day have to pay
So here I am, diplomma and all
Including a loan payment sure to be my downfall
The bill’s two thousand a month, my choices are few
Get a Big Firm Job- its the thing to do




But wait, there’s a problem that I never expected
Working sixty hours a week, my family neglected
Selling my soul to pay off this debt
Suddenly doesn’t seem like a very great bet
I want a job that I actually like
But I can’t tell Sallie Mae, go take a hike




Still got the payments, what are my choices
Plus, the country falls into a financial crisis
Banks get handed money, left and right
Meanwhile, I cut spending, my budget is tight
And as I pay and I pay, with nary a shout
But I can’t help thinking, where’s my bail out




We’re living back at home with mom and dad
At almost thirty, that seems a little sad
But paying our debt is the responsible thing
We don’t want our credit to have a big ding
Some day when the payments are finally gone
We’ll get to buy a home, and finally move on



Saturday, December 13, 2008

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Phew...

We made it through the night! He slept 12 solid hours... no waking... no sickness... no throwing up!

YAY!

He's been acting normal today and we've had no signs of sickness. I have to think that whatever he had was due to something he ate and not a viral thing. He never even had a fever!

All I have to say is THANK GOD! I mean if it happened again, I would have dealt with it but man am I glad that's over! Ick.

Oh and update on the ongoing family drama... M (mom's sister) actually called me on Thanksgiving to say hi and wish me a happy holiday. I guess I was wrong in this post (gasp, I know... it happens once in a great while). She plans on visiting sometime in January. We'll see how it goes! And I wrote David back and kept it very light and happy. I really didn't feel the need to be anything other than that... at least right now. Who knows what the future holds... maybe one day I will be able to ask him why her and not me? For now, I am just enjoying the holiday!

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

I'll spare you the gory details

but I now know what it's like to take care of a sick child. Not the sniffles or an occasional cough... not even the respiratory infection we have already dealt with... no, we are talking about the full on sick.

Now when Chase was a baby he would spit up... that was his 'thing'... and it was funny and annoying. This... this was not spit up. We have entered the world of vomiting... and it sucks. He threw up... not once, not twice, not 3 times... 4 separate times in 3.5 hours. I have never seen terror in his eyes like I did when he was in the middle of it... not even when he busted his lip. I wanted so bad to make it stop but all I could do was hold him and try to sooth him. It makes me shudder to even think about it.

Needless to say we are on a strictly bland diet with teaspoon fulls of Pedialyte. I am hoping and praying that he sleeps through the night without getting sick and wakes up good as new tomorrow... please pray with me ;~)

Monday, December 08, 2008

Writers Block

I am not sure why but I am having a hard time writing a post these days. It's not for lack of events and information...

I could talk about going to see the NY City Rockettes in Baltimore thanks to my best friend C...

I could talk about the boys "cutting down" our Christmas tree while the women watched the young one (and what Christmas tree cutting adventure would be complete without this picture?)...

I could talk about our attempt to see the Antietam Battlefield lit up with candles but as we watched the line of cars snake around for 3 miles we gave up and went home...

I could talk about baking sugar cookies with my hubby and what a great time we had and the terrific results...

I could talk about this phase that Chase seems to be going through (hopefully short) where he gets angry and cries so easily that I think my hair might fallout because the headaches are so bad...

I could probably spend hours talking about the perils of being sick and a stay at home mom to an ACTIVE 1 year old...

but for some reason nothing really ever materializes... so you are left with a slightly disguised bullet point post. Sorry about that. I hope the holiday spirit has hit you all!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Livestrong Challenge

My dad is going to take the Livestrong Challenge... biking for 100 miles!

He has joined Team Fatcyclist... which was started by one of his favorite bloggers Elden Nelson.

Please check out my dad's site for the reasoning behind accepting the challenge and please please please, if you feel led, donate to his cause. Dad will be matching the total donation amount... and Google has agreed to match the total donation (up to $3,000) as well so really any donation is actually tripled! I am so very proud of my dad for doing this... please check him out and show your support!

Monday, December 01, 2008

Shaggy

  • It is long and wild.
  • Every morning it is heading in a different direction.
  • It can be tamed with some water but 10 minutes under a winter hat ruins it.
  • Pigtails have formed on either side of your neck but the middle remains short.
  • It has probably led people to mistakenly think you are a girl.
  • It is fine but thick.
  • It is the hair you were born with.

I cannot bring myself to cut it. I will be holding off as long as possible. It's just another reminder of what a big boy you are.