Everybody talks about the "terrible twos", but man...two has NOTHING on three. Not because three year olds are terribly bad (though sometimes they can be), but because three year olds don't stop talking. Like ever. This morning, Lizzy literally asked me 100 questions in a two minute span of time that I was sitting on the couch and nursing Becca. Actually, it was more like 300 questions in five minutes, but who has time to write down 300 questions?!
Here's a two-minute glimpse into the life of a three year old:
1. Can I climb up the side fridge to get a yogurt?
2. Can I have breakfast yet?
3. Why can't I climb on these plastic boxes?
4. What if my teacher says it's okay to climb on these plastic boxes? You said that it's important to be a good listener.
5. Can I have breakfast yet?
6. Can I have a puppy?
7. Why don't puppies pee on the toilet? I absolutely want to potty train a puppy.
8. Can I have breakfast yet?
9. Can we go to Dairy Queen?
10. What if I am really hungry?
11. What if you are really hungry?
12. What if Aunt Courtney comes over and she is really hungry?
13. Why does my dad have nipples?
14. Would you love to get my breakfast right now?
15. Why doesn't your head reach the ceiling?
16. Does dad have a baseball game tonight?
17. Why does his team wear green?
18. Can today be a special day?
19. Can I watch Christmas Wiggles?
20. Can I watch Pocahontas?
21. Can I watch Handy Manny?
22. Can I watch My Little Pony?
23. Can I have breakfast yet?
24. Can trees talk?
25. Then why does the Grandma tree on Pocahontas talk?
26. Can I marry my cousin Logan?
27. Can I marry my cousin Logan when I'm 21?
28. Today are we going to church?
29. Where are we going today?
30. Do I have swim lessons today?
31. Can I PLEASE have a blueberry yogurt?
32. Why do I have boogers?
33. Will my bottom get bigger like yours?
34. Can I ask for a scooter for my birthday?
35. Can I ask for a puppy for my birthday?
36. How many days are there until my birthday?
37. HOW COME BECCA GETS TO HAVE A BIRTHDAY BEFORE I DO?!!!!
38. Why don't you like oven pancakes?
39. Am I allergic to eggs?
40. Am I allergic to alligators?
41. Can I squirt water out of the fridge?
42. What if it's really hot out?
43. What if I clean it up?
44. What if it's an accident?
45. What if Leah {her imaginary friend} does it?
46. How old do I have to be to drink beard {beer}?
47. Can I eat dandelions?
48. Then why did Grandma Joyce say her dad made dandelion wine?
49. Why do children get energy when they are sleeping?
50. Would you really really love to get some breakfast for me?!
51. Why does Becca drink milk from your nipple and I drink milk from the fridge?
52. Why does my nose snort?
53. When can I wear my just-for-school shoes?
54. Is today a school day?
55. How many days until it is a school day?
56. Do I get to eat something at school?
57. Can Becca be three on her next birthday?
58. Why does Becca poop in her diaper?
59. Is she poopy now?
60. When will she be poopy again?
61. Can I have some frozen blueberries?
62. When are we going to buy a new car?
63. Can I ride bikes right now?
64. What if I put on shoes?
65. What if I put on a coat?
66. Can I have some exercise shorts that have underwear inside them?
67. Are we going to exercise today?
68. BUT HOW CAN I EXERCISE WITHOUT UNDERWEAR SHORTS?!
69. Can we go to Target?
70. Can we go to Wal-Mart?
71. Can we go to Taco Bell?
72. Can we go to the zoo? {We don't have a zoo}
73. Did Aunt Karla's puppies open their eyes yet?
74. WHEN am I going to have breakfast?
75. Can I have some coffee today?
76. When can I drink coffee?
77. When can Becca drink coffee?
78. Are Daddy's Normans coming over today? {Recently, some Mormon Missionaries have been coming over and talking with Justin}
79. How old do you have to be to drive a car?
80. How old do you have to be to wear make-up?
81. How old do you have to be to like naps?
82. Do I have to take a nap today?
83. AFTER my nap, can we go to the Wal-Mart with a little potty?
84. Can we climb Table Rock?
85. Can I spend the night at grandma and grandpa's house?
86. Can I spend the night at my cousins' house?
87. Can everyone we know spend the night at our house?
88. Can we adopt my friend Shila-Lucy? She doesn't have a family to take care of her.
89. Can we adopt a puppy who needs a family to take care of her?
90. Can I have sprinkles for breakfast?
91. Can we go to Oh Maybe {Old Navy} and get a balloon?
92. Where is heaven?
93. You are really old and have a big bottom. How old are you?
94. Can I toot on you?
95. Can I toot on your foot?
96. Can I toot on Becca's foot?
97. Can I have some breakfast yet?
98. Can I have popcorn for breakfast?
99. Would you please call me Elizabeth instead of Lizzy?
100. Why do people wear underwear?
Showing posts with label Funny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Funny. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
And then she yelled it.
Have you ever had one of those days that's so beyond ridiculous that you're waiting for someone to pop out from behind something and say, "Smile! You're on candid camera!" Yeah. That was today. It was ridiculous you guys. RIDICULOUS. I'm really not sure how such a perfect storm of things could all have managed to align specifically on today, but they did.
We'd planned to have a playdate with some friends today, but they were sick. So instead, I decided to run to the next town over to run some errands. As usual, we got out of the house later than I intended, because I set Becca down to grab something right before sticking her in her car seat...only she fell asleep on the floor.
So two hours later, we're finally on our way. As we're driving, I realize that it's 12:30 and I haven't fed Lizzy lunch. So, we swing into Sonic. I see a sign that says kids meals are $1.99 on Wednesdays. Perfect. I see another sign advertising an adult cheeseburger meal for $5. Great. I order the $5 cheeseburger meal and the kids meal.
"That'll be $11.62," she says. On a normal day, kids meals are like $3.20 or something, so this does not make sense in any way shape or form.
"Ummmm...aren't the kids meals $1.99? And my meal should be $5, right?"
"Yes ma'am. Please pull ahead." I'm no math genius, but I know that $5 + $1.99 does not equal $11.62. So, at the window, I say the same thing again--my meal is $5, and Lizzy's meal is $1.99 They close the window and call over three more people. A few minutes later, they open up the window.
"That'll be 10.18," she says.
"I'm sorry, but that still doesn't make any sense," I reply. The window shuts again. The employees talk again. Becca starts hysterically screaming because she's hungry. Lately, when she's hungry, it's like instant hysteria. No discernible warning signs. No fussing or slow melt so you have some warning that the feeding is going to have to happen soon. Just instantaneous, high pitched, hysterical shrieking. The window opens back up again.
"That'll be $9.18," she says.
Now. I still know that $5 and $1.99 don't equal $9.18. I'm not even sure where $9.18 came from. But at this point, Becca is screaming so loud that I can't even think straight, and it's not worth the extra $2.19 to sit and argue with Sonic for another 15 minutes, so I just pay, and we continue on. I hand Lizzy her hamburger, and we keep driving, me figuring that I'll feed Becca in the car before we head into our first stop, Wal-Mart.
Three minutes later, we get to Wal-Mart. Becca is now asleep. I go to get Lizzy out of the car, and discover that she has not eaten ANY of her hamburger. No. She's taken it apart, and shoved each individual piece (meat, bun, pickles) into some little compartment in the door. Amazing. I clean that up.
As I'm cleaning, I somehow pull the entire open diaper bag off the seat of the car, and the entire thing spills out under the car. So then, I'm laying on the ground in the middle of the Wal-Mart parking lot, trying to fish things out from under the car.
I finally collect everything. Becca's still asleep. I unbuckle Lizzy. I then find a plastic baggie of meatballs in her carseat. I have no idea when these meatballs are from. Only that I haven't made meatballs recently, nor do I remember giving Lizzy a bag of them. If I had to guess, I'd probably guess that they're from Easter at grandma and grandpa's house. But I didn't know that any came home with us, so I also have no idea how many came home with us. I say a quick prayer that Lizzy did NOT happen to decide to eat those instead of her hamburger.
We finally make it inside. Lizzy immediately says, "No mom, I don't have to go to the bathroom. I will tell you if I do." Great. We start shopping. About 3 minutes in, Lizzy says she has to go to the bathroom. We're in the back of the store, so we head to the bathrooms there. I unpack us all, leave the cart, and say a silent thank you for family bathrooms. Once we get inside, Lizzy cries and carries on because this bathroom has a little potty, but does not have a little sink. She wants to go to the bathroom at the front of the store instead. I say no. Lizzy then proceeds to sit on the potty and sing at the top of her lungs for 20 minutes before I finally make her get up so we can continue shopping. My allergies are driving me crazy, and I feel like I'm constantly rubbing under my nose. Oye vey.
Three minutes later, Becca wakes up. And she is pissed. And screaming. And hysterical. I re-direct our cart to the dressing rooms to feed her, but abandon that plan once I see a bench in the middle of the store. I park it there, whip out a blanket, and start feeding Becca. People stare as they walk by BIG TIME. One older lady full-on glares. I feel like that mom in the Luvs commercial {please tell me that y'all know the one}, and I seriously don't even care. I'm feeding my kid! I've got this under control! I'm super mom!
About two minutes into feeding Becca, Lizzy starts squirming. I know this squirm. It's the potty squirm. Sure enough, she screams, "I THINK I HAVE TO PEE!" Great. I tell her to hold it for a minute while Becca finishes nursing the first side, and then we head back to the bathroom. Becca's ticked because she's not done eating, so I'm carrying her while she's crying and flailing around, and trying to push the cart. People are still staring, and by now I'm kind of fuming.
And then. AND THEN. And then, we get to the bathroom, and I see that I have white powder ALL. OVER. ME. WHAT. THE. HECK?!? It's all over my face, under my nose. All over. And I have no idea what it is. A quick examination later, and I figure out that it's Becca's teething tablets. When the diaper bag fell out of the car, the lid to the teething tablets broke. I didn't realize it, and tossed the whole thing back into the diaper bag...the interior of which is now COVERED in fine white powder.
I also realize that people weren't staring/glaring at me because I was breastfeeding with a cover...they were staring at me because I WAS COVERED IN WHITE DUST and straight-up looked like a crazy druggie with all the white dust under my nose. I wish I'd thought to take a picture so that you all could understand just how crazytown I looked, but I didn't. Trust me though, I looked like a straight up druggie. I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up on People of Wal-Mart sometime in the near future. It was that absurd. So, I clean up. We finish up in the bathroom. I nurse Becca on the other side. No one stares. We continue shopping.
A little while later, Lizzy points to some nail polish and says, "Give me that NOW!"
I tell her that no, I won't be giving that to her, and that it is not okay for her to talk to me like that. She tells me that she's going to say a naughty word. We've just recently watched the Ramona & Beezus movie, and in the movie, Ramona says that she's going to say a naughty word, and then yells "GUTS!" Lizzy's done this several times since when she was frustrated, so I know what's coming. Sure enough, she says "GUTS!" Loudly.
And then she starts to rhyme.
"BUTTS!" she says loudly.
"Cuts!" she says happily. Great, if rhyming is the key to changing her mood, that's fine by me.
"BITS!" she says.
"PITS!"
And then. AND THEN she yelled it. Lizzy screamed, "TITS!"
I am 100% certain she's never head that particular word before. She was just rhyming. But of course, it happened that this would be the word she chooses to scream. And of course, she just so happens to scream it right as the same lady who previously glared at me {which I now know is because I looked like a druggie, nursing my kid while my face was covered in white dust, but she probably still thinks I AM a druggie} pushes her cart right on by.
She gasped. Loudly. It was awesome.
And then...any guesses what Lizzy said next?
"Mom? I have to go potty."
It was an awesome day.
And that's not even counting finally getting in line, and waiting for 20 minutes behind an old lady who wrote 10 different checks for what she was purchasing. Or the two more times we went to the bathroom while at Wal-Mart. Or the fact that both kids fell asleep in the car after leaving Wal-Mart, so I never got to run the other errands that I specifically drove to the next town to do (so basically, even though there's a Wal-Mart here, I drove to the next town over to visit their Wal-Mart just for kicks). Or the fact that I'm supposed to be working out right now, but instead I'm writing this in the car because of the car seat naps. Or the fact that Lizzy isn't wearing a pullup, and isn't potty trained for naps yet, so I'm sure that's going to be fun too.
Really, it was ridiculous. But also? Kind of funny. And I think {hope} that this is the stuff that I'll look back on someday, and laugh. Because REALLY. The day couldn't have been more ridiculous if I'd tried.
We'd planned to have a playdate with some friends today, but they were sick. So instead, I decided to run to the next town over to run some errands. As usual, we got out of the house later than I intended, because I set Becca down to grab something right before sticking her in her car seat...only she fell asleep on the floor.
So two hours later, we're finally on our way. As we're driving, I realize that it's 12:30 and I haven't fed Lizzy lunch. So, we swing into Sonic. I see a sign that says kids meals are $1.99 on Wednesdays. Perfect. I see another sign advertising an adult cheeseburger meal for $5. Great. I order the $5 cheeseburger meal and the kids meal.
"That'll be $11.62," she says. On a normal day, kids meals are like $3.20 or something, so this does not make sense in any way shape or form.
"Ummmm...aren't the kids meals $1.99? And my meal should be $5, right?"
"Yes ma'am. Please pull ahead." I'm no math genius, but I know that $5 + $1.99 does not equal $11.62. So, at the window, I say the same thing again--my meal is $5, and Lizzy's meal is $1.99 They close the window and call over three more people. A few minutes later, they open up the window.
"That'll be 10.18," she says.
"I'm sorry, but that still doesn't make any sense," I reply. The window shuts again. The employees talk again. Becca starts hysterically screaming because she's hungry. Lately, when she's hungry, it's like instant hysteria. No discernible warning signs. No fussing or slow melt so you have some warning that the feeding is going to have to happen soon. Just instantaneous, high pitched, hysterical shrieking. The window opens back up again.
"That'll be $9.18," she says.
Now. I still know that $5 and $1.99 don't equal $9.18. I'm not even sure where $9.18 came from. But at this point, Becca is screaming so loud that I can't even think straight, and it's not worth the extra $2.19 to sit and argue with Sonic for another 15 minutes, so I just pay, and we continue on. I hand Lizzy her hamburger, and we keep driving, me figuring that I'll feed Becca in the car before we head into our first stop, Wal-Mart.
Three minutes later, we get to Wal-Mart. Becca is now asleep. I go to get Lizzy out of the car, and discover that she has not eaten ANY of her hamburger. No. She's taken it apart, and shoved each individual piece (meat, bun, pickles) into some little compartment in the door. Amazing. I clean that up.
As I'm cleaning, I somehow pull the entire open diaper bag off the seat of the car, and the entire thing spills out under the car. So then, I'm laying on the ground in the middle of the Wal-Mart parking lot, trying to fish things out from under the car.
I finally collect everything. Becca's still asleep. I unbuckle Lizzy. I then find a plastic baggie of meatballs in her carseat. I have no idea when these meatballs are from. Only that I haven't made meatballs recently, nor do I remember giving Lizzy a bag of them. If I had to guess, I'd probably guess that they're from Easter at grandma and grandpa's house. But I didn't know that any came home with us, so I also have no idea how many came home with us. I say a quick prayer that Lizzy did NOT happen to decide to eat those instead of her hamburger.
We finally make it inside. Lizzy immediately says, "No mom, I don't have to go to the bathroom. I will tell you if I do." Great. We start shopping. About 3 minutes in, Lizzy says she has to go to the bathroom. We're in the back of the store, so we head to the bathrooms there. I unpack us all, leave the cart, and say a silent thank you for family bathrooms. Once we get inside, Lizzy cries and carries on because this bathroom has a little potty, but does not have a little sink. She wants to go to the bathroom at the front of the store instead. I say no. Lizzy then proceeds to sit on the potty and sing at the top of her lungs for 20 minutes before I finally make her get up so we can continue shopping. My allergies are driving me crazy, and I feel like I'm constantly rubbing under my nose. Oye vey.
Three minutes later, Becca wakes up. And she is pissed. And screaming. And hysterical. I re-direct our cart to the dressing rooms to feed her, but abandon that plan once I see a bench in the middle of the store. I park it there, whip out a blanket, and start feeding Becca. People stare as they walk by BIG TIME. One older lady full-on glares. I feel like that mom in the Luvs commercial {please tell me that y'all know the one}, and I seriously don't even care. I'm feeding my kid! I've got this under control! I'm super mom!
About two minutes into feeding Becca, Lizzy starts squirming. I know this squirm. It's the potty squirm. Sure enough, she screams, "I THINK I HAVE TO PEE!" Great. I tell her to hold it for a minute while Becca finishes nursing the first side, and then we head back to the bathroom. Becca's ticked because she's not done eating, so I'm carrying her while she's crying and flailing around, and trying to push the cart. People are still staring, and by now I'm kind of fuming.
And then. AND THEN. And then, we get to the bathroom, and I see that I have white powder ALL. OVER. ME. WHAT. THE. HECK?!? It's all over my face, under my nose. All over. And I have no idea what it is. A quick examination later, and I figure out that it's Becca's teething tablets. When the diaper bag fell out of the car, the lid to the teething tablets broke. I didn't realize it, and tossed the whole thing back into the diaper bag...the interior of which is now COVERED in fine white powder.
I also realize that people weren't staring/glaring at me because I was breastfeeding with a cover...they were staring at me because I WAS COVERED IN WHITE DUST and straight-up looked like a crazy druggie with all the white dust under my nose. I wish I'd thought to take a picture so that you all could understand just how crazytown I looked, but I didn't. Trust me though, I looked like a straight up druggie. I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up on People of Wal-Mart sometime in the near future. It was that absurd. So, I clean up. We finish up in the bathroom. I nurse Becca on the other side. No one stares. We continue shopping.
A little while later, Lizzy points to some nail polish and says, "Give me that NOW!"
I tell her that no, I won't be giving that to her, and that it is not okay for her to talk to me like that. She tells me that she's going to say a naughty word. We've just recently watched the Ramona & Beezus movie, and in the movie, Ramona says that she's going to say a naughty word, and then yells "GUTS!" Lizzy's done this several times since when she was frustrated, so I know what's coming. Sure enough, she says "GUTS!" Loudly.
And then she starts to rhyme.
"BUTTS!" she says loudly.
"Cuts!" she says happily. Great, if rhyming is the key to changing her mood, that's fine by me.
"BITS!" she says.
"PITS!"
And then. AND THEN she yelled it. Lizzy screamed, "TITS!"
I am 100% certain she's never head that particular word before. She was just rhyming. But of course, it happened that this would be the word she chooses to scream. And of course, she just so happens to scream it right as the same lady who previously glared at me {which I now know is because I looked like a druggie, nursing my kid while my face was covered in white dust, but she probably still thinks I AM a druggie} pushes her cart right on by.
She gasped. Loudly. It was awesome.
And then...any guesses what Lizzy said next?
"Mom? I have to go potty."
It was an awesome day.
And that's not even counting finally getting in line, and waiting for 20 minutes behind an old lady who wrote 10 different checks for what she was purchasing. Or the two more times we went to the bathroom while at Wal-Mart. Or the fact that both kids fell asleep in the car after leaving Wal-Mart, so I never got to run the other errands that I specifically drove to the next town to do (so basically, even though there's a Wal-Mart here, I drove to the next town over to visit their Wal-Mart just for kicks). Or the fact that I'm supposed to be working out right now, but instead I'm writing this in the car because of the car seat naps. Or the fact that Lizzy isn't wearing a pullup, and isn't potty trained for naps yet, so I'm sure that's going to be fun too.
Really, it was ridiculous. But also? Kind of funny. And I think {hope} that this is the stuff that I'll look back on someday, and laugh. Because REALLY. The day couldn't have been more ridiculous if I'd tried.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Lizzy: Making Target Customers Laugh since 2010.
Sweet Lizzy--This past Thursday, you turned THREE. I can hardly believe it. In some ways, it seems like just yesterday that you were born, and in other ways sometimes it feels like you must be at least five already! Lately, you've been saying and doing some of the most hilarious things, and I've been making an effort to write them down so that I won't forget. Here's just a few from this past month:
(in the Target bathroom)
Lizzy: I'm so cold. I want to take off my sweatshirt.
Me: Do you mean that you're warm?
L: That's what I said, Mom!
Me: Well, you may not take off your sweatshirt because it is winter. It's snowing outside, and you're only wearing a tank top under your sweatshirt.
L: THAT IS A SAD CHOICE YOU ARE MAKING.
(the lady in the stall next to us begins to laugh)
Me: I'm sorry you think that. In the summer, you may wear tank tops.
L: When I am older, I WILL SHOW MY ARMPITS IN THE WINTER. It will be my choice!
(Another lady begin laughing quietly)
Me: Yes, when you're older, you can make that choice.
L: And I will tell my children to wear tank tops in the winter.
Me: Oh really?
Lizzy sighs heavily, like I just don't have a clue, and then replies, "No mom! My children can not make that choice, 'cause then they would get cold and sick!"
(At this point, there were at least five ladies totally cracking up in the Target bathroom).
Lizzy: Mom, I decided last month not to get married. It is not my choice.
(five minutes later)
Lizzy: Actually. I decided to marry Leah's father next week if he has some time off work. He is a nice guy, but he will have to ask my Uncle Ryan first.
{Leah is Lizzy's imaginary friend, FYI}
Lizzy: I can't find my pink hairtie. The fairies took it to pink hairtie heaven!
(upon opening a present wrapped in a pullups box on Christmas)
Lizzy: How did you know that I have wanted Dora pullups FOR MY WHOLE LIFE?!
Lizzy: If I mess up my beautiful hair, that would be very dangerous to me. It is NOT OKAY.
(upon walking into the bedroom while I was changing)
Lizzy: Oh mom! I just love your new boobs! They are perfect and awesome!
Edited to add--I just realized that these photos make perfect sense to me
to go along with this birthday-ish post, but may not make one bit of sense to anyone else--
so, by way of explanation, we gave Lizzy swimming lessons, a new suit, and goggles for her birthday!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Lizzy-isms
Justin: Lizzy, wait inside please. I'm just going to warm up the car real quick.
Lizzy: Why?
Justin: Because it's been sitting all day.
Lizzy: DAD! NOOOOOOOOO!!!! The car does NOT have a bottom!
Lizzy: Mom, my foot tastes itchy.
Aunt Court: Can you tell me what itchy tastes like?
Lizzy: Like this, (high pitched voice) "ITCHY! ITCHY! ITCHY!"
Me: Lizzy, I need you to go to your room until you can stop screaming.
Lizzy: I cannot mother. Leah is sleeping.
Me: Who is Leah?
Lizzy: A friend. I cannot wake up people who are sleeping, you said.
(In the car, at a stoplight. The instant the light turned green.)
Lizzy: GO CARS! MOVE! THE LIGHT IS GREEN! WHAT'S YOUR DAMAGES? I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU AGAIN! MOVE IT!
Lizzy: What's a president?
Me: He's the person who is the boss of everything in this country.
Lizzy: But you are the boss of everything, Mom!
(Listening to the radio)
Lizzy: Mom, I don't like this song.
Me: Why not? I think it's a nice song.
Lizzy: But I sing it better. I want to listen to me sing instead.
Lizzy: I want to pray my special prayer.
Us: Okay, what's your special prayer?
Lizzy: Dear God, thank you for mating us and so much good girls. We love you Jesus, in Jesus' name, Amen.
(In church, Becca started to cry)
Lizzy: THE BABY IS CRYING! MOM'S BOOBS HURT NOW!
{And yes, I know that like half of this post is capitalized. It is the volume at which my child speaks.}
Lizzy: Why?
Justin: Because it's been sitting all day.
Lizzy: DAD! NOOOOOOOOO!!!! The car does NOT have a bottom!
Lizzy: Mom, my foot tastes itchy.
Aunt Court: Can you tell me what itchy tastes like?
Lizzy: Like this, (high pitched voice) "ITCHY! ITCHY! ITCHY!"
Me: Lizzy, I need you to go to your room until you can stop screaming.
Lizzy: I cannot mother. Leah is sleeping.
Me: Who is Leah?
Lizzy: A friend. I cannot wake up people who are sleeping, you said.
(In the car, at a stoplight. The instant the light turned green.)
Lizzy: GO CARS! MOVE! THE LIGHT IS GREEN! WHAT'S YOUR DAMAGES? I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU AGAIN! MOVE IT!
Lizzy: What's a president?
Me: He's the person who is the boss of everything in this country.
Lizzy: But you are the boss of everything, Mom!
(Listening to the radio)
Lizzy: Mom, I don't like this song.
Me: Why not? I think it's a nice song.
Lizzy: But I sing it better. I want to listen to me sing instead.
Lizzy: I want to pray my special prayer.
Us: Okay, what's your special prayer?
Lizzy: Dear God, thank you for mating us and so much good girls. We love you Jesus, in Jesus' name, Amen.
(In church, Becca started to cry)
Lizzy: THE BABY IS CRYING! MOM'S BOOBS HURT NOW!
{And yes, I know that like half of this post is capitalized. It is the volume at which my child speaks.}
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Isn't it ironic....dontcha think?
Well, that settles it.
OHSU was not bluffing--apparently, in Oregon, a hospital can send you to collections even if you've been making a payment every month, just because they've decided that it will take you too long to pay off your hospital balance.
We got a letter yesterday from the Oregon Department of Revenue that they now hold one of my three accounts from my skin cancer surgery at OHSU. I called to set up a payment plan yesterday. It's kind of funny, because their automated system basically says, "If your account is with traffic fines, press 1. If your account is with court fees, press 2. If your account is for jail fees, press 3. If your account is from OHSU, press 4." (You'll notice that there are no other hospitals on this list...)
Anyway, once I finally reached a person, I explained that we'd always paid on time every month, but that OHSU had turned it over because they decided it would take too long to pay off. I said "Here's what I can afford to pay each month. Our income varies, so on months when we can afford to pay more, I'll happily send it." The nice (sarcasm font) lady at the department of revenue told me that they don't really care what we can afford to pay, that my minimum payment each month is X. I asked her what would happen if we couldn't afford to pay X, and she said she can't tell me that until November 5th, when our first payment is due. She said that they don't have any sort of financial paperwork to fill out, and that they really don't care what your income and bills look like. You pay their minimum payment or you don't, and if you don't....well, I don't know because she wouldn't tell me.
She then proceeded to tell me that my account will probably be paid off much more quickly than I expect anyway, as they'll just withhold all of our tax returns until it is paid off.
I kind of wanted to scream at her. I know she's just doing her job. I know that technically, that's fair and that the doctors and hospitals deserve to be paid for their time. I know that's probably what we would have done with a tax return anyway. But can I just say that it sucks? Because it does. It sucks. It sucks that no one seems to care that there's a person or a family on the other end of the line...who is just trying to balance paying for this unexpected surgery with all their other obligations...not to mention just life. It sucks that the house refinance that we were so excited about probably closing on in November? Probably won't happen now because of this. The really ironic and funny thing about all this? If we were/are able to refinance in November as we were (and still are) hoping, the entire OHSU bill would have been paid off at that point anyway.
I feel a little like I'm living in an Alanis Morisette song.
It sucks that this is something that's heavy on my heart and mind lately, but I'm not even sure that I should blog about it because I'll probably get snarky anonymous comments about us and our money, and how maybe we shouldn't be having another baby if we're so poor, or maybe I shouldn't be buying leggings or mums (which, just for the record, I haven't) if we still have hospital debt. Or how maybe I should just get a job and shut up.
I don't know if I should blog about it because it will make family and friends worry about us...and really, I'm sure it'll be okay. It's just irritating. It just sucks. I'm just venting because we're trying to do the best that we can and to live on a budget and be fiscally responsible...all while watching people we know totally play the system and get rewarded for it. All while feeling like the people on the other end of the phone line do not care about us in the slightest. It's frustrating. And irritating. And I just want to stomp my feet and scream.
And then? There are times where all you can do is laugh. Like last night, when we were working on choosing songs for a Sunday service later in October, and we pulled up the Gospel reading for that particular Sunday. Anyone want to guess what the reading was? I'll tell you. Mark 10:23-31. The first sentence?
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard is it for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
And I know what that passage is all about, and I know what it really means and how it's often misinterpreted and misapplied, but seriously, after a day like I had yesterday...being so irritated and so stressed about all things money, how can you not just laugh when that comes across the table?
OHSU was not bluffing--apparently, in Oregon, a hospital can send you to collections even if you've been making a payment every month, just because they've decided that it will take you too long to pay off your hospital balance.
We got a letter yesterday from the Oregon Department of Revenue that they now hold one of my three accounts from my skin cancer surgery at OHSU. I called to set up a payment plan yesterday. It's kind of funny, because their automated system basically says, "If your account is with traffic fines, press 1. If your account is with court fees, press 2. If your account is for jail fees, press 3. If your account is from OHSU, press 4." (You'll notice that there are no other hospitals on this list...)
Anyway, once I finally reached a person, I explained that we'd always paid on time every month, but that OHSU had turned it over because they decided it would take too long to pay off. I said "Here's what I can afford to pay each month. Our income varies, so on months when we can afford to pay more, I'll happily send it." The nice (sarcasm font) lady at the department of revenue told me that they don't really care what we can afford to pay, that my minimum payment each month is X. I asked her what would happen if we couldn't afford to pay X, and she said she can't tell me that until November 5th, when our first payment is due. She said that they don't have any sort of financial paperwork to fill out, and that they really don't care what your income and bills look like. You pay their minimum payment or you don't, and if you don't....well, I don't know because she wouldn't tell me.
She then proceeded to tell me that my account will probably be paid off much more quickly than I expect anyway, as they'll just withhold all of our tax returns until it is paid off.
I kind of wanted to scream at her. I know she's just doing her job. I know that technically, that's fair and that the doctors and hospitals deserve to be paid for their time. I know that's probably what we would have done with a tax return anyway. But can I just say that it sucks? Because it does. It sucks. It sucks that no one seems to care that there's a person or a family on the other end of the line...who is just trying to balance paying for this unexpected surgery with all their other obligations...not to mention just life. It sucks that the house refinance that we were so excited about probably closing on in November? Probably won't happen now because of this. The really ironic and funny thing about all this? If we were/are able to refinance in November as we were (and still are) hoping, the entire OHSU bill would have been paid off at that point anyway.
I feel a little like I'm living in an Alanis Morisette song.
............................................................................................................................
It sucks that this is something that's heavy on my heart and mind lately, but I'm not even sure that I should blog about it because I'll probably get snarky anonymous comments about us and our money, and how maybe we shouldn't be having another baby if we're so poor, or maybe I shouldn't be buying leggings or mums (which, just for the record, I haven't) if we still have hospital debt. Or how maybe I should just get a job and shut up.
I don't know if I should blog about it because it will make family and friends worry about us...and really, I'm sure it'll be okay. It's just irritating. It just sucks. I'm just venting because we're trying to do the best that we can and to live on a budget and be fiscally responsible...all while watching people we know totally play the system and get rewarded for it. All while feeling like the people on the other end of the phone line do not care about us in the slightest. It's frustrating. And irritating. And I just want to stomp my feet and scream.
And then? There are times where all you can do is laugh. Like last night, when we were working on choosing songs for a Sunday service later in October, and we pulled up the Gospel reading for that particular Sunday. Anyone want to guess what the reading was? I'll tell you. Mark 10:23-31. The first sentence?
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard is it for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
And I know what that passage is all about, and I know what it really means and how it's often misinterpreted and misapplied, but seriously, after a day like I had yesterday...being so irritated and so stressed about all things money, how can you not just laugh when that comes across the table?
Monday, October 1, 2012
Monday Musings
{one}
So, I only have one pair of maternity jeans. They're actually a pair that I bought AFTER Lizzy was born, in a size smaller than I wore during my pregnancy with her to help bridge the gap while I still didn't fit into normal jeans. Anyway, they've fit this whole pregnancy, so they're what I've been wearing...but they're just starting to feel a little small and uncomfortable. But who wants to buy MORE maternity clothes at almost 34 weeks? With a clothing budget as Anyway, I was complaining to Justin about this on Sunday morning during my 'I don't have anything church appropriate to wear' rant, Justin responded, "Why don't you just buy a couple pairs of leggings to wear under dresses and with longer shirts and stuff?" It seriously cracked me up that J was advocating the whole leggings-as-pants thing....but sold.
{two}
I've not done a single bit of fall decorating this year...it is still in the 70's and 80's around here, so it doesn't really feel like fall yet. That said, I'm starting to really get antsy for mums, and yarn wreaths, and cozy warm blankets tossed over the couch. I feel a little conflicted about doing it--I've always had a hard time spending money on things like decor because they feel kind of frivilous to me when we're on a tight budget, like we always are. But on the other hand, even $20 on mums and a wreath form goes a long way towards making a house feel like a home...and surely we can find that somewhere in the budget.
{three}
So, Justin's brother Ryan is turning 30 this month. The boys decided that to celebrate, they wanted to do this burger challenge that a local restaurant has--basically, you have to eat 5.5 pounds of food and a drink in 45 minutes. The time limit used to be 35 minutes, but no one had been able to complete it, so they bumped it to 45 minutes. Only one guy has ever completed it. So, the boys went on Saturday...and if you've ever wondered what 5.5 pounds of food looks like, this is it:
{I didn't go to watch, but I think the breakdown went like this:
two pounds of burger, 1 pound of bacon,
1/2 pound of cheddar cheese, tomato,pickles,onion and lettuce,
mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup served on a grilled 10 inch sesame seed bun
along with 1 and 1/2 pounds of fries. Plus a drink}
Justin had been telling me for months that he could eat it no sweat...and while I'm pretty confident that I've seen him eat that much food before, he couldn't do it on Saturday. The only one that completed the challenge was Ryan...he ate it all, and in 34 minutes...which means that he now holds the record. Which means that I'm 100% sure that Justin is going to want to try and beat it someday ;)
{four}
So, I did end up calling my doctor about the vision stuff that I mentioned in my last pregnancy post. He decided that he wanted me to go in for an EKG, blood work, and a few other tests, and so that's how I spent my Thursday afternoon. They said that everything came back normal, except that my thyroid was a little borderline, so they'll re-test it this week and then go from there. Basically though, it just sounds like vision issues and being kind of dizzy are par for the course for me when I'm pregnant. What can ya do?
{five}
Lizzy has been getting up ridiculously early for the past week or so. Like 4am early. And I'm just not comfortable with her running around all through the house at 4am while we're sleeping. Sometimes, she'll crawl into bed with us, which doesn't phase Justin at all, but totally wakes me up, especially since she doesn't usually ever go back to sleep. I keep looking at those toddler alarm clocks you can buy that change colors when it's okay for the kid to get up and out of bed--does anyone have one? I'm not sure whether or not Lizzy would actually stay in her room until the clock changed colors, but I feel like it might be worth a shot!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Catching up.
{one}
We made some serious progress in deep cleaning the house this weekend, which is awesome and amazing, because the next FOUR Saturdays are booked up...which is crazy and surreal. We still have a huge amount to do pre-baby, but getting a good check of the general deep-cleaning out of the way is a huge relief. And it's kind of nice that I could actually invite people over to our house again--it really was so bad, that it was out of the question!
{two}
I have a dermatologist appointment this morning, I think to check on how the place where I had stitches on my stomach is holding up, and also to monitor a mole. Even though I don't think it's going to be a big deal, I have a hard time not getting super anxious any time I have a dermatologist appointment. I freaked most of the night last night about the appointment.
{three}
I did some housekeeping to the blog over the weekend--I cleaned up the sidebar a bit, and also revamped the pages in the header. Now, you can find all baby and infant related posts itemized in one central location, and also a master list of all book reviews. I'm also trying something new and opening up a limited number of sidebar ads via Passionfruit-- check it out if you're so inclined (and I promise you won't hear much more from me on the subject).
{four}
We went to a wedding over the weekend for a young couple that used to help with childcare for Mom's Group. Justin and I were cracking up because both the father/daughter dance and the mother/son dance were the exact same songs we used for our wedding. I don't think I've heard them at ANY wedding since then, so it was pretty funny to hear both in one wedding. We kept joking that we guessed we were supposed to be remembering our wedding that day ;)
{five}
I get to start Beth Moore's study of James with some of the ladies from Mom's Group this week, and I am so excited. SO. EXCITED. I have absolutely zero doubt that it'll be really good for me to really dig in to the Word in these last few weeks before having a baby...because I don't know about anyone else, but it is so easy for me to fall out of the habit of daily quiet time, and when I do, nothing good comes of it. Also? Totally crazy to think that I most likely won't finish the study with the group because I'll be off having a baby.
{six}
Last night, I had a conversation with Lizzy about dinner that went like this:Me: Lizzy, would you like a cheeseburger for dinner?
Lizzy: No mom!! I want a hang-a-burger with cheese, please.
If I would have told her that a hang-a-burger with cheese is the same thing as a cheeseburger, it would have resulted in a 37 minute tantrum. Sometimes, it's just easier to call it a hang-a-burger with cheese.
{seven}
I'm in a book slump. I haven't picked up a book that I was really, really excited about reading in too long. This is compounded by the fact that what I read before bed has recently been directly influencing some absolutely crazy pregnancy dreams, so I'm trying to limit myself to happy, inspirational fluff. But yeah...not excited about anything I've read lately. Any suggestions? Wednesday, August 29, 2012
5 Random Things
1. Last night, I had a bad night. I was trying to finish the recipe for homemade marinara for dinner, and followed the instructions to blend it all. Only, I learned the hard way that hot liquids in the blender = no bueno. Hot marinara exploded EVERYWHERE. All over me (so now I've got burns on my arms). All over the cabinets. It's probably even on the ceiling. I was so irritated, and definitely did NOT want pasta with marinara anymore. But of course, it's the last stretch until payday (J gets paid once a month, on the last day of the month) and we're trying to be good about sticking to the budget, so it wasn't as simple as just ordering a pizza. Luckily, Justin made grilled cheese. But seriously, it was a bad night.
2. My spiffy new phone came with a free trial of voicemail-to-text. Only, it is so terribly (hilariously) bad that I'm not sure why anyone would ever pay for it! Here's just a few examples:
Really...I'd almost rather let things go to voicemail now just to see what kind of crazy thing my voicemail-to-text is going to come up with next!
3. I feel like Lizzy has grown a whole bunch all of a sudden. On Sunday morning, she woke up screaming, and had a really hard day the rest of the day. We were like 'WHAT IS GOING ON?!' But since then, I've noticed that when we're out and about, suddenly she can reach the sinks in public bathrooms. She can get her own water from the faucet on the fridge. And her little bum is hanging out the bottom of her 3T shorts! Luckily, we have a few 4T pairs, and summer is almost over!
4. They found West Nile Virus in Southern Oregon. Of course, they announced it when I was COVERED with bites, and had been just down the road from where the infected mosquitoes were found. So, I pretty much spent the next few days convinced that I was going to be hospitalized with West Nile Virus...because if it was going to happen to anyone, it was going to happen to me. Really, the only advice they've given was to not be out around dusk...so my knee jerk reaction was to say that I'm not going to Justin's baseball games anymore at all, EVER. But, it's probably much more reasonable to just pack my Avon Skin So Soft and slather myself up (and maybe bring a long sleeve/pants to change into). I'm trying to be reasonable and not a hypochondriac here!
5. Has anybody out there tried any of the drugstore BB creams? I'm not a big makeup person, but I think I'd like to try one, because it sounds like they're a little more coverage than a tinted moisturizer, but a little less coverage (and effort, ha!) than foundation, powder, etc. I'm leaning towards the L'Oreal one because it doesn't have sunscreen in it (sunscreens tend to give me a chemical burn, though it sounds like the amount of sunscreen in the Maybelline one is minimal at best). Anyway, I'd love to hear from you if you've tried them!
2. My spiffy new phone came with a free trial of voicemail-to-text. Only, it is so terribly (hilariously) bad that I'm not sure why anyone would ever pay for it! Here's just a few examples:
My sister left a voicemail saying, "Hey Mere, it's your sister. Call me back!".
This is what voicemail-to-text came up with:
My sister-in-law Kelsey left a voicemail asking her if we'd already picked the songs for that Sunday's worship service, and if we had, she was wondering if I could email them to her:
Justin left a voicemail earlier this month asking what kind of ice cream I'd like:
Really...I'd almost rather let things go to voicemail now just to see what kind of crazy thing my voicemail-to-text is going to come up with next!
3. I feel like Lizzy has grown a whole bunch all of a sudden. On Sunday morning, she woke up screaming, and had a really hard day the rest of the day. We were like 'WHAT IS GOING ON?!' But since then, I've noticed that when we're out and about, suddenly she can reach the sinks in public bathrooms. She can get her own water from the faucet on the fridge. And her little bum is hanging out the bottom of her 3T shorts! Luckily, we have a few 4T pairs, and summer is almost over!
4. They found West Nile Virus in Southern Oregon. Of course, they announced it when I was COVERED with bites, and had been just down the road from where the infected mosquitoes were found. So, I pretty much spent the next few days convinced that I was going to be hospitalized with West Nile Virus...because if it was going to happen to anyone, it was going to happen to me. Really, the only advice they've given was to not be out around dusk...so my knee jerk reaction was to say that I'm not going to Justin's baseball games anymore at all, EVER. But, it's probably much more reasonable to just pack my Avon Skin So Soft and slather myself up (and maybe bring a long sleeve/pants to change into). I'm trying to be reasonable and not a hypochondriac here!
5. Has anybody out there tried any of the drugstore BB creams? I'm not a big makeup person, but I think I'd like to try one, because it sounds like they're a little more coverage than a tinted moisturizer, but a little less coverage (and effort, ha!) than foundation, powder, etc. I'm leaning towards the L'Oreal one because it doesn't have sunscreen in it (sunscreens tend to give me a chemical burn, though it sounds like the amount of sunscreen in the Maybelline one is minimal at best). Anyway, I'd love to hear from you if you've tried them!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
BQOTD: What time do you wake up?
Today's Burning Question of the Day is.......
What time do you wake up in the morning?
Today, I was awake by about 5:30am--Justin's second or third alarm of the morning? About 6am, when I finally got out of bed and Justin was running out the door, Justin said he was sorry for the alarms waking me up (he sleeps like the dead through any number of alarms, and I don't). I told him that it was okay--I was kind of happy to have an hour or so to myself before Lizzy woke up.
To which I promptly heard, "Mommy! I'm awake! It's okay for me to come out now!" (the latter part of which I believe is supposed to be a question, but is really just a statement, ha!) Of course. But, what can you do?
How about you? What time did you wake up this morning? What time do you normally get up?
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Snippets
-It's my birthday, whoop whoop! I really have no plans aside from pizza with the family later tonight (which I am crossing my fingers that Justin is able to attend), and getting my free birthday coffee from the local coffee place. No matter what, it's going to be a good day...or at least better than last year's no-good awful birthday where we all had the stomach flu!
-We've been busy lately. In the last week, Justin rarely got home from work before 7pm. If he did, he had baseball. And on top of that, in the last week we also squeezed in a memorial service, my brother's birthday, some swimming, some beer brewing, a newborn photo session, some blueberry picking, and lots more. I'm a little tired just thinking about it!
-Yesterday, after picking up a few things at Wal-Mart, I had the weirdest thing happen. As we were checking out, Lizzy told me that she had to go potty. We've been dealing with a major potty training regression with her since her cousin Lyla was born, so this was HUGE that she told me she needed to go. Awesome, and huge. Only? Wal-Mart told me that I was not allowed to take the cart full of things I'd just purchased into the bathroom. I get not taking unpaid merchandise in, but the stuff I'd just bought? What was I supposed to do with it? I'm sorry, but it's a terrible idea to leave a cart full of stuff I'd just paid for sitting unattended outside the bathroom where anyone could walk off with it. Luckily, we made it down the road to church for a pit stop, but honestly I was kind of hoping she'd pee on the the Wal-Mart floor.
- Justin and I still haven't actually sat down and had a names discussion about Baby #2. BUT, I think we are getting the impression that we are supposed to name her Rebecca? The weirdest thing happened this past week-- I had two separate dreams wherein I had a newborn named Rebecca. I hadn't told Justin about them yet....when the morning after the second dream I heard Justin accidentally call our daughter Rebecca instead of Lizzy. It was kind of bizarre! The only thing is that Justin's family was friends with another family in Washington that has both an Elizabeth and a Rebecca. Even though they're not a family we interact with all that frequently anymore....that would be a little weird. Also, there's an Elizabeth and a Rebecca (who are related) in my Mom's Group! How funny is that?! Either way, I don't think Rebecca was really on either of our "lists", but it just keeps popping up, ha!
-We've been busy lately. In the last week, Justin rarely got home from work before 7pm. If he did, he had baseball. And on top of that, in the last week we also squeezed in a memorial service, my brother's birthday, some swimming, some beer brewing, a newborn photo session, some blueberry picking, and lots more. I'm a little tired just thinking about it!
{Lizzy and I blueberry picking}
{I have no idea how this last photo horizontally flipped itself in my phone, but it did. I have no idea how long I walked around yesterday with two pairs of glasses on my head before I noticed.}
-Yesterday, after picking up a few things at Wal-Mart, I had the weirdest thing happen. As we were checking out, Lizzy told me that she had to go potty. We've been dealing with a major potty training regression with her since her cousin Lyla was born, so this was HUGE that she told me she needed to go. Awesome, and huge. Only? Wal-Mart told me that I was not allowed to take the cart full of things I'd just purchased into the bathroom. I get not taking unpaid merchandise in, but the stuff I'd just bought? What was I supposed to do with it? I'm sorry, but it's a terrible idea to leave a cart full of stuff I'd just paid for sitting unattended outside the bathroom where anyone could walk off with it. Luckily, we made it down the road to church for a pit stop, but honestly I was kind of hoping she'd pee on the the Wal-Mart floor.
- Justin and I still haven't actually sat down and had a names discussion about Baby #2. BUT, I think we are getting the impression that we are supposed to name her Rebecca? The weirdest thing happened this past week-- I had two separate dreams wherein I had a newborn named Rebecca. I hadn't told Justin about them yet....when the morning after the second dream I heard Justin accidentally call our daughter Rebecca instead of Lizzy. It was kind of bizarre! The only thing is that Justin's family was friends with another family in Washington that has both an Elizabeth and a Rebecca. Even though they're not a family we interact with all that frequently anymore....that would be a little weird. Also, there's an Elizabeth and a Rebecca (who are related) in my Mom's Group! How funny is that?! Either way, I don't think Rebecca was really on either of our "lists", but it just keeps popping up, ha!
Monday, August 6, 2012
For Steve
This past weekend, on the hottest day of the summer so far, my family piled into the middle school gymnasium to celebrate the life of my basketball coach of 8ish years, Steve. The gym was packed, which probably isn't that far out of the norm for anyone who coached for as long as Steve did. But Steve...he was anything but the norm.
I remember playing 4th grade YMCA basketball. I was 5'9" in 4th grade, so I was only inches away from the lowered hoop we played on, but also had no athletic ability whatsoever. I was super uncoordinated, and often fell for no reason at all (years later, Steve would joke that I was tripping over the lines on the floor). So, I think we were all surprised when my dad got this phone call from a man with extremely slurred speech who said, "Mike. I want your daughter." Once he explained that he wanted me on his tournament basketball team, between that and hearing Steve speak for the first time, I'm pretty sure that my dad thought it was a practical joke...but it wasn't, with Steve saying that he figured he could teach everything about basketball, except for being tall. And I was tall.
And he did teach me everything. He literally brought in a track to teach me how to run (sort of). He taught me the fun-DA-mentals (as he would say) of pass, dribble, shoot. He bought me my first pair of basketball shoes. He couldn't physically show us the game, but he brought in people who could, and the older girls showed the younger ones what to do and helped translate what he was saying until we could understand 'Steve-speak' for ourselves. From 4th grade on, basketball became my life, six days a week, year-round.
We played a lot, often with tournaments every weekend. Steve coached from his wheelchair parked at the corner of the court, using a headset and speaker box to call out plays, subs, and to often tell me to "USE! YOUR! LEGS! MEREDITH!" He taught us to give back by encouraging us to coach YMCA teams of younger kids or acting as referee when the younger girls had scrimmages.
My dad used to help fix things for Steve when they broke down--his wheelchair van, his speaker box, his motorized wheelchair, etc. So, I probably saw more often than most how often things went wrong for Steve, and I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been...but I never heard him complain. What I saw instead was his hilariously wicked sense of humor. For example, after a bout with Bell's Palsy once, he used to like to scare the bejeezus out of everyone by randomly pretending that he had it again. His daughter Meagan (who I have been thrilled to reconnect with via Mom's Group) told a story at his memorial service about him managing to escape from the van once while she quickly ran into Costco (after she'd asked him to wait in the van because she'd be right back), and wheeling behind her begging for sweets that he wasn't supposed to eat as a diabetic, and then loudly exclaiming, "I don't understand why you have to be so mean to a cripple!" and "Why won't you wait for me?!" to the horror of everyone else in Costco at the time, and to his delight. That was Steve. To say he had a bit of a mischievous streak may be the understatement of the century!
Faith, family, and school were important to Steve, and they always came first--no one was ever penalized for missing a game or practice for church or any other family reason. If you were doing badly in school, you didn't play. Steve knew everyone's parents, always, and had all their phone numbers memorized.
Looking back at newspaper articles about Steve, they are peppered with quotes like, "I'm probably a better teacher now... the chair will give you patience. And, of course, the Lord gives you what you need," and "I'd rather be in this chair, knowing Jesus and going to Heaven than bip bopping around like I used to and going straight to Hell." But unlike other coaches I've had throughout the years, I don't think he made any of the girls who weren't Christian feel uncomfortable either--he never demanded that we pray before games like others did. I remember knowing that his faith was important to him, but I also remember that his faith was separate from the game. In retrospect, he lived his life of faith as a lighthouse--making a sound only occasionally, but shining through his actions daily.
Shortly before Steve died, a Facebook page was created to keep everyone updated as he was in hospice. And literally hundreds of girls--many of whom I knew and many of whom I didn't--began to chime in about Steve. How he saw something in them when no one else did. How he believed in them. Taught them. Cared for them. How they knew that the AAU team in their city wouldn't have ever started if Steve hadn't been so instrumental in bringing girl's basketball to our city, and then the valley. All of these things that he was to me...he was that to literally hundreds of other girls as well.
I don't think I ever told Steve what an amazing influence he was in my life, or how much the opportunity of basketball meant to me...so thank you Steve, for everything. You are missed by so many who knew you, and I can only hope that even those who didn't know you are inspired by your amazing life.
{Steve, and his wife Joyce}
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Blast from the Past.
Yesterday, I came across this post on BlogHer about a blogger who got sued for using a photo that she didn't own on her blog. Even though she took it down as soon as requested, she still had to pay what sounds like some big bucks. Anyway, she mentioned that you're actually able to be sued, even if you've given a photo credit to the photo's proper owner (which obviously poses major issues with Pinterest, but I kind of feel like burying my head in the sand on that one for now). And that scared the ever living daylights out of me, and I got it through my head that I needed to go through every single 1250+ posts dating back to 2007 on this blog right there and THEN, or else I would surely get sued.
I tend to be black and white to a fault sometimes.
Anyway, I just about wanted to delete everything from 2007 and 2008 because probably 95% of it is complete garbage. But, they still tell the story of who I am now, so I largely refrained...aside from a few posts that just didn't make sense without the photos I was removing and/or could potentially hurt the feelings of others, and shouldn't really have been posted in the first place. I have to admit, going back through the archives was sometimes kind of cringe-worthy for me. There were lots of posts where I was a jerk. But there were also lots of posts where I was me, just as I am today. And? There were also some really hilarious ones, like that time where I got turkey guts in my eye, or when I looked like I'd been severely beaten after a garment rack fell on me.
Or this post, which I felt like perfectly summarized the hilarity and absurdity of being a new parent.
I also came across this photo of my niece Payton from 2008:
And I was SHOCKED at how much she looks like Lizzy to me, because I don't always think they look super similar now! I also laughed out loud, because I feel like this is a face my kiddo makes on the regular.
Sometimes it's fun to look back...even if it makes you cringe a little ;)
But anyway....I'm still just starting to get into 2010, and I'm having to remind myself that there *is* some gray area after all. For example, I doubt Old Navy is going to sue me for posting a photo off of their website and saying, "OMG I love this dress from Old Navy and want to buy it immediately!" Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm betting that's not as big of a deal as just pulling random images from Google Images.So, I'm still working on it.
I tend to be black and white to a fault sometimes.
Anyway, I just about wanted to delete everything from 2007 and 2008 because probably 95% of it is complete garbage. But, they still tell the story of who I am now, so I largely refrained...aside from a few posts that just didn't make sense without the photos I was removing and/or could potentially hurt the feelings of others, and shouldn't really have been posted in the first place. I have to admit, going back through the archives was sometimes kind of cringe-worthy for me. There were lots of posts where I was a jerk. But there were also lots of posts where I was me, just as I am today. And? There were also some really hilarious ones, like that time where I got turkey guts in my eye, or when I looked like I'd been severely beaten after a garment rack fell on me.
Or this post, which I felt like perfectly summarized the hilarity and absurdity of being a new parent.
I also came across this photo of my niece Payton from 2008:
And I was SHOCKED at how much she looks like Lizzy to me, because I don't always think they look super similar now! I also laughed out loud, because I feel like this is a face my kiddo makes on the regular.
Sometimes it's fun to look back...even if it makes you cringe a little ;)
But anyway....I'm still just starting to get into 2010, and I'm having to remind myself that there *is* some gray area after all. For example, I doubt Old Navy is going to sue me for posting a photo off of their website and saying, "OMG I love this dress from Old Navy and want to buy it immediately!" Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm betting that's not as big of a deal as just pulling random images from Google Images.So, I'm still working on it.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Crazier than Usual...
So, on Friday the dermatologist called to tell me that the spot that she removed was not melanoma. It was actually nothing at all, other than my awesome doctor being overly cautious. Thank God!
But with that said, this morning as I hopped out of the shower, I noticed another mole on the underside of one of my boobs. It's sort of two-colored, and I immediately found myself wondering 'Has it always been two colors? What if the dermatologist missed this one last time? I get my stitches out tomorrow...maybe I should bring it up. But it's just the nurse, not the doctor. I mean, I'm sure the doctor saw it. But what if she didn't? Has it always looked like this? I should ask Justin if it's always looked like this. But what if Justin hasn't been paying attention and what if my doctor hasn't been paying attention and what if it has changed and what if it's something bad? And what if since it's on my boob, it makes it so I can't breastfeed? Maybe I should wait a few months and watch it. My dermatologist is awesome, and I know she did a full check at my last appointment last week. I'm sure she didn't miss it. But I'm already going in tomorrow...maybe I should just bring it up? In case she did miss it? But I don't want to deal with any more stitches or anything else right not.'
Then, I noticed that where I got stung by a bee last week on my foot was all swollen again. And I found myself thinking, 'What if it wasn't a bee sting? What if it was a terrible, awful spider like a brown recluse, and what if my whole foot falls off? Or what if it was a scorpion? Do we have scorpions here in Oregon? Maybe I should Google about scorpions and make sure it isn't a scorpion. Or a spider. What if it's some terrible pregnancy condition? Should I bring it up at my OB appointment today? Oh my gosh, I have an OB appointment today. I can feel the baby kicking, but what if something's wrong? I don't know what would be wrong, but what if something is?! '
By then, I was starting to realize that I was majorly freaking out about...nothing, really. I could feel my chest tightening up with stress, and I KNEW I was stressing about silly stuff, but I couldn't get myself to stop freaking out.
And then? Because I couldn't get myself to stop freaking out, I started freaking out that my blood pressure would be too high at my OB appointment this morning.
I don't know if anybody else has ever experienced anything like this--anxiety and worry about small stuff that you simultaneously KNOW is small stuff, and also can't stop yourself from worrying about. But I do. And it's usually when I'm worried, stressed, or have anxiety about something else entirely.
When I think about it, I'm pretty sure it has to do with being shot in the back (a kid sniped me with a BB gun) at the park last week, and then waking up the next morning to the news of the shooting in Colorado. I think that, in and of itself, may have shaken me up more than I realized. Before the last few days, being randomly shot by a person I don't know hadn't even been a blip of worry on my radar. Now it is. And it's scary. Then, over the weekend, someone died in front of my brother after falling off a ladder. Justin told me last night that a guy he knows just recently drowned. Right now, I kind of feel like DEATH AND DANGER ARE EVERYWHERE AND NO PLACE IS SAFE.
Does that sound silly? Even I think it does in a way. In the logical part of my brain. At the very least, it's pretty sensational and dramatic. There's really no point to this post, friends....and I don't mean it to be a total debbie downer post either, because I can kind of see that this is a little bit hysterical from an outside point of view. I just feel a little crazier than usual today, and felt like getting it out of my head was better than keeping it in :)
But with that said, this morning as I hopped out of the shower, I noticed another mole on the underside of one of my boobs. It's sort of two-colored, and I immediately found myself wondering 'Has it always been two colors? What if the dermatologist missed this one last time? I get my stitches out tomorrow...maybe I should bring it up. But it's just the nurse, not the doctor. I mean, I'm sure the doctor saw it. But what if she didn't? Has it always looked like this? I should ask Justin if it's always looked like this. But what if Justin hasn't been paying attention and what if my doctor hasn't been paying attention and what if it has changed and what if it's something bad? And what if since it's on my boob, it makes it so I can't breastfeed? Maybe I should wait a few months and watch it. My dermatologist is awesome, and I know she did a full check at my last appointment last week. I'm sure she didn't miss it. But I'm already going in tomorrow...maybe I should just bring it up? In case she did miss it? But I don't want to deal with any more stitches or anything else right not.'
Then, I noticed that where I got stung by a bee last week on my foot was all swollen again. And I found myself thinking, 'What if it wasn't a bee sting? What if it was a terrible, awful spider like a brown recluse, and what if my whole foot falls off? Or what if it was a scorpion? Do we have scorpions here in Oregon? Maybe I should Google about scorpions and make sure it isn't a scorpion. Or a spider. What if it's some terrible pregnancy condition? Should I bring it up at my OB appointment today? Oh my gosh, I have an OB appointment today. I can feel the baby kicking, but what if something's wrong? I don't know what would be wrong, but what if something is?! '
By then, I was starting to realize that I was majorly freaking out about...nothing, really. I could feel my chest tightening up with stress, and I KNEW I was stressing about silly stuff, but I couldn't get myself to stop freaking out.
And then? Because I couldn't get myself to stop freaking out, I started freaking out that my blood pressure would be too high at my OB appointment this morning.
{which is really kind of humorous if you think about it}
I don't know if anybody else has ever experienced anything like this--anxiety and worry about small stuff that you simultaneously KNOW is small stuff, and also can't stop yourself from worrying about. But I do. And it's usually when I'm worried, stressed, or have anxiety about something else entirely.
When I think about it, I'm pretty sure it has to do with being shot in the back (a kid sniped me with a BB gun) at the park last week, and then waking up the next morning to the news of the shooting in Colorado. I think that, in and of itself, may have shaken me up more than I realized. Before the last few days, being randomly shot by a person I don't know hadn't even been a blip of worry on my radar. Now it is. And it's scary. Then, over the weekend, someone died in front of my brother after falling off a ladder. Justin told me last night that a guy he knows just recently drowned. Right now, I kind of feel like DEATH AND DANGER ARE EVERYWHERE AND NO PLACE IS SAFE.
Does that sound silly? Even I think it does in a way. In the logical part of my brain. At the very least, it's pretty sensational and dramatic. There's really no point to this post, friends....and I don't mean it to be a total debbie downer post either, because I can kind of see that this is a little bit hysterical from an outside point of view. I just feel a little crazier than usual today, and felt like getting it out of my head was better than keeping it in :)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Sometimes, you just need the wildflowers.
On Monday, I got stitches on my stomach. And they came with directions like "no swimming for 10 days" and "you're not allowed to pick up your daughter". They are big-time irritating, and much harder to forget about than the previous ones on my back.
Yesterday, we went with my mom to pick a few berries. I got stung by a bee in between my toes. It seems like such a small thing, but man ALIVE it hurts. And it's swollen, and itchy, and all I want to do is take some Benadryl (which is allowed by my doctor), but I can't do that until Justin gets home or else I'll fall asleep on the parenting job, ha!
Then, last night we had to leave Justin's baseball game again because Lizzy wasn't listening, and started hitting and kicking me. So, that was also fun, and by the end of the night I was definitely having a bit of a pity party.
I woke up in the same mood. Trudged to the living room to balance the checkbook, flipped on the light switch, and yet another light sparked and burnt out. Clearly, the morning was not planning to turn around on its own.
So, this morning while the coffee was brewing, I went outside and walked around the backyard for a few minutes...even though it looks like it might dump rain on my head any second. I drifted over to the bank of wildflowers, which I'm so glad that I planted this year. Sometimes, you just need to see the wildflowers, you know? They're a daily reminder for me of all that is a beautiful blessing...because I know there's lots of those beautiful blessings in my life...sometimes I just have to take the time to notice them.
Yesterday, we went with my mom to pick a few berries. I got stung by a bee in between my toes. It seems like such a small thing, but man ALIVE it hurts. And it's swollen, and itchy, and all I want to do is take some Benadryl (which is allowed by my doctor), but I can't do that until Justin gets home or else I'll fall asleep on the parenting job, ha!
Then, last night we had to leave Justin's baseball game again because Lizzy wasn't listening, and started hitting and kicking me. So, that was also fun, and by the end of the night I was definitely having a bit of a pity party.
I woke up in the same mood. Trudged to the living room to balance the checkbook, flipped on the light switch, and yet another light sparked and burnt out. Clearly, the morning was not planning to turn around on its own.
So, this morning while the coffee was brewing, I went outside and walked around the backyard for a few minutes...even though it looks like it might dump rain on my head any second. I drifted over to the bank of wildflowers, which I'm so glad that I planted this year. Sometimes, you just need to see the wildflowers, you know? They're a daily reminder for me of all that is a beautiful blessing...because I know there's lots of those beautiful blessings in my life...sometimes I just have to take the time to notice them.
To quote from Phil Robertson (of Duck Dynasty, which y'all NEED to watch if you don't):
"Nature. They need to get into that more. Look around. [See] what the Almighty created."
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
This morning....
-I'm thinking of the stuffed zucchini recipe that I made for dinner last night. I was inspired by this awesome recipe from Annie's Eats:
But I was running short on time and ingredients, and so I just combined ground beef, pasta sauce, and sprinkled a bit of parmesan cheese on top (and baked in a water bath). They were delicious. I think Justin ate 3 of them. So, I can't even imagine how much more delicious the Annie's Eats version would be!
-I'm nervous about my skin cancer follow-up appointment tomorrow afternoon, even though I don't have any reason to think that I should be.
-I'm beyond irritated with OHSU, who handled the skin cancer fiasco, and who also sent me a letter that we received yesterday saying that they'd be sending us to collections as of today for non-payment.
Only? According to my records and my bank account, we last made a payment on 6/11/12 over the phone...so I have no idea what this "non-payment" crap is about. Literally, every month since the procedure in January, there has been some sort of issue with OHSU, and I'm tired of spending time each month on the phone with them trying to explain how they've messed up...again. I've done my share of paying on medical bills in my life, and literally no one has handled it as poorly as OHSU.
-I'm excited about the raspberry freezer jam that I made yesterday. If you've ever wanted to make jam, you should check out this photo tutorial that I did last year, because it literally takes 30 minutes and is the easiest and best thing in the world. And there's no cooking or baking involved whatsoever.
-I'm loving this photo that Kaitlin snapped of Lizzy last Monday while we were all berry picking. I totally stole it off Facebook. Speaking of berry picking...I really probably should, you know, WASH the blueberries that we picked a week ago, and actually do something with them.
-I'm excited about this stack of books that I got at the library for $1, total. Love their fill-a-bag sales!
-I'm still laughing about the shirt that I got for Justin (bottom photo) on clearance for $3 for himwhile he and the other Justin tried their hand at making beer for the first time this past weekend. They've totally decided that their first batch of beer will be the BEST! BEER! EVER! (even if it doesn't turn out), just because they made it. I think they're probably right!
But I was running short on time and ingredients, and so I just combined ground beef, pasta sauce, and sprinkled a bit of parmesan cheese on top (and baked in a water bath). They were delicious. I think Justin ate 3 of them. So, I can't even imagine how much more delicious the Annie's Eats version would be!
-I'm nervous about my skin cancer follow-up appointment tomorrow afternoon, even though I don't have any reason to think that I should be.
-I'm beyond irritated with OHSU, who handled the skin cancer fiasco, and who also sent me a letter that we received yesterday saying that they'd be sending us to collections as of today for non-payment.
Only? According to my records and my bank account, we last made a payment on 6/11/12 over the phone...so I have no idea what this "non-payment" crap is about. Literally, every month since the procedure in January, there has been some sort of issue with OHSU, and I'm tired of spending time each month on the phone with them trying to explain how they've messed up...again. I've done my share of paying on medical bills in my life, and literally no one has handled it as poorly as OHSU.
-I'm excited about the raspberry freezer jam that I made yesterday. If you've ever wanted to make jam, you should check out this photo tutorial that I did last year, because it literally takes 30 minutes and is the easiest and best thing in the world. And there's no cooking or baking involved whatsoever.
-I'm loving this photo that Kaitlin snapped of Lizzy last Monday while we were all berry picking. I totally stole it off Facebook. Speaking of berry picking...I really probably should, you know, WASH the blueberries that we picked a week ago, and actually do something with them.
-I'm excited about this stack of books that I got at the library for $1, total. Love their fill-a-bag sales!
-I'm still laughing about the shirt that I got for Justin (bottom photo) on clearance for $3 for himwhile he and the other Justin tried their hand at making beer for the first time this past weekend. They've totally decided that their first batch of beer will be the BEST! BEER! EVER! (even if it doesn't turn out), just because they made it. I think they're probably right!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
A few random things...
{one}
Last night, I checked on Lizzy before we went to bed. She was happily sleeping while snuggling with a stack of books that she had tucked into bed with her. Attaway kiddo.
{two}
Slowly but surely, our grass is growing. Here's what it looked like a month ago (after we brought in dirt) and then what it looked like this morning. It seems like it is taking FOR-EVER for the grass to really get going, but I'm seriously looking forward to a month or so from now when it's actually useable. I can't believe that we've never had a backyard in all the time we've lived here! I'm also super excited that Ryan and Renee are giving us their swing set that their kids have outgrown. I think we'd like to build one eventually, but I'm so excited to have one for the time being--Lizzy will LOVE it. And I have a feeling that there will be many an afternoon this summer where I'll love being able to just say, "Lizzy, go play outside!"
('scuse the plywood--we had to take down a part of the fence to get the big machinery back there)
{three}
I think my Blackberry is on it's last legs again. It's started to do this thing where I randomly get an hourglass, a white screen, and then a flashing red light, and it cycles through that for hours until the phone finally dies. Then, sometimes I'm able to charge it, and assuming it actually charges fully instead of only half-way like it often does, sometimes it works like normal until the crazy cycle begins again. Coincidentally, this is exactly the same thing that happened to my previous Blackberry, which was then replaced with the one I have now. Needless to say, if I can help it, I don't think I'll be getting another Blackberry.
{four}
Our garden is in! I'm still on the fence about how it's going to do this year--a few things died right off the bat. A few things seem to be doing really well, like the tomatoes. The weather's been tricky--alternating between cold and rainy to 80+ degrees. So, we'll see.
{five}
I'm fairly certain that our house hasn't either been clean OR tidy in the last.....oh, about 15 weeks. I keep hoping that Justin/the cleaning fairy will just clean the entire house from top to bottom some weekend while I'm napping, but so far that has not happened, despite the fact that I kept dropping hints that it would be the most excellent Mother's Day present. So, it's probably time to buck up and do it...but it's just at that point where I feel like I could clean all day long and still not really make a difference, so it just doesn't feel worth it to even start, ha! Thursday, May 3, 2012
Book Review: You Have No Idea by Vanessa Williams & Helen Williams
From the back of the book: When Vanessa Williams was growing up, she had a plan: She'd go to college and major in musical theater; afterward she'd get her MFA from the Yale School of Drama, and then she would embark on a successful career on Broadway. But her life took a detour and she wound up the first black Miss America in September 1983 (an accomplishment that she never planned for or desired), only to be forced to resign ten months later due to a nude photo scandal-much to the shock of her mother, Helen, who had told her, "never pose nude for anyone". But Vanessa survived this setback, and many others to come, to enjoy a thirty-plus-year career as an award-winning singer and actress. Vanessa has been asked to write her memoir many times, but only now-in collaboration with her mother, Helen-is she ready to tell her story.
.................................................................................
Let me be straight up. I don't often read celebrity memoirs. Actually, I don't often read nonfiction in general. I don't have a lot of time to read nowadays, and when I do, I usually go where my heart is--fiction. However, when I joined BlogHer Book Club almost two years ago, I decided that it would be a good opportunity to reach out of my literary comfort zone, and so I planned to just say yes to any offer to read and review that came my way, because you never know when you'll stumble upon something that you might not have picked for yourself, but ended up loving.
You Have No Idea was definitely not a book that I would have picked for myself in the bookstore, but I thought it sounded interesting anyway, because let's face it, Vanessa Williams has had a pretty amazing, dramatic, and interesting life.
And here's the part where I'm not really sure how to continue on with the review. Because it wasn't a bad book--I finished it in one evening. It was FUNNY. The stories were entertaining, though they felt a bit gossipy at times. Vanessa Williams undoubtedly had an interesting life and accomplished some amazing things, and that was fun to read about. But honestly? It just isn't a book that jumps to the top of my mind when someone asks what the best book I've read recently is.
That said, it is kind of a fun, easy read, and there's a place for that sort of book too, even though my heart belongs to fiction. It was sort of a memoir/nonfiction equivalent to the standard beach read. I guess the bottom line is that it wasn't my favorite book I've read this year, but it also wasn't a bad book by any means, so you shouldn't discount it if it caught your eye!
But (to steal a line from Reading Rainbow), don't take my word for it! See what others have to say over on BlogHer Book Club, where you can even read an excerpt of Vanessa Williams talking about her nude photo scandal! But hurry, the excerpts don't seem to stay up for long!
Disclosure Statement: This was a paid review as part of BlogHer Book Club. As always, the thoughts are my own--I don't think I could lie about a book even if I wanted to!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday (Friday) Thoughts
{one}
Justin's home from work today, and I can hear him making oven pancakes with Lizzy for breakfast. It makes my heart happy hearing him tell her, "This is called cooking flour, now stir it together," and her responding, "I LOVE cooking flour! I'm a really good helper!"
{two}
I bought a hydrangea, and I'm super excited about it. Now, I just have to decide where to plant it! My instincts are to plant it on the front side of the house, but I'm second guessing that a little because don't they look kind of gross in the winter since they drop their leaves? Also, the tag says it's partial shade...but I thought hydrangeas could tolerate shade, but mostly prefer sun?
{three}
I finally got a real workout in yesterday, and man I'm sore today, but in such a good way. I did the tone/sculpt DVD from Turbofire--I don't know why it didn't occur to me to try it before. I still end up sweating my booty off, but without the seasick jumping around of regular Turbofire. Plus, it has a decent abs/core section, very little of which includes laying on your back...which is definitely a plus for me. I pretty much gave up ab exercises entirely during pregnancy last time, and I'd like to do more this time!
{four}
More Pinterest recipes this last week! I love Pinterest for trying out new recipes. There have admittedly been several which I did. not. like. at. all, but overall, it's an amazing resource. 
Source: thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com via Meredith on Pinterest
Mexican Stuffed Shells. These are awesome. The whole family loves them.
Mexican Stuffed Shells. These are awesome. The whole family loves them.
I took this Bacon, Cheddar, and Ranch loaf to at BBQ. It was gone before I really got any, but from the little bite I had, I think it was pretty darn good!
I took this Garlic Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Tomato to the same BBQ, and came home with almost all of it. It was definitely not a fan favorite, but I liked it. The dressing didn't give it a ton of overt-flavor and I left out the parsley, but I sort of liked that you could really TASTE the tomato and asparagus. Sometimes, I'm in the mood for simple food.
I also made this recipe that Kim @ Newlywoodwards posted last week. I had to make a few substitutions (we only had brown rice, and I used cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom), but I really liked it. I thought for sure that we'd have leftovers, since Justin isn't always a huge mushroom fan, but after a few rounds of "This is GOOD!", it was totally gone. I'm not usually a big fan of cream of _________ soups, but I thought this was really good. Next time I might try it with golden mushroom soup! It's a great comfort-food classic!
{five}
Yesterday, we were at Target, and Lizzy told me she wanted to go to the bathroom (which just about deserves a standing ovation in and of itself). We walked over, but we were there around lunch time, so naturally the bathrooms were closed for cleaning (I've never understood this, but hey, at least they are clean). Lizzy said, "That's okay mom, I hold it til Taco Bell." I wasn't really PLANNING to go to Taco Bell for lunch, but how could I resist after that?! Then while going to the bathroom at Taco Bell, Lizzy said, "We need to call dad to fix Target." Man, she cracks me up. I didn't really know that she understood what Justin did at work!
{six}
If this is your sort of thing, what are a few of your favorite worship songs? I feel like with the exception of some of the popular ones currently on the radio, I've been listening to most of the same ones for years.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Yesterday
Yesterday, while I was elbow deep in dishwater, Lizzy unlocked the front door and ran outside, despite my cries of "Lizzy! NO! YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"
A few hours later, the wind kicked up into high gear, and I dashed outside barefoot to grab a ball that we'd left outside before it blew away. Lizzy locked me out of the house, and would not come unlock the front door no matter how much I screamed. For some reason, Justin had also taken the garage door opener out of my car and not returned it. So, me and my bare feet were left outside...where it had now started raining...and I had the distinct privilege of trying to navigate the mud pit that is currently our backyard barefooted and in the rain.
I got inside, did the whole timeout thing, talked about how the DOOR IS NOW OFF LIMITS for Lizzy, etc. Justin got home, and I did a little happy dance, because the entire day had basically been what was described in the above two paragraphs.
And then after dinner, Justin went outside to fix something on his truck. Within minutes, I had taken away a popsicle after 3 warnings that it had to be eaten at the table instead of while dancing around, apparently pretending it was a magical wand. In the last occasion before I took it away, Lizzy tip toed over, stuck only her big toe in the living room, and then laughed. Actually, Lizzy ended up taking away the popsicle from herself at that point, as before I could reach her to take it away, she'd thrown the thing on the floor. So much for the floors I'd just mopped earlier.
Once she'd calmed down from that fiasco, I told her that it had been awhile, and she needed to go sit on the toilet. With the amount of tears and drama that ensued, you'd think I'd have just told her that her cat died. Lizzy finally calmed down and said she'd sit on the toilet...she went to grab a book, and peed on the rug instead...and then laughed. I am 100% certain that she did it on purpose. And I about lost it. I didn't know whether to scream or cry.
Thank God for Justin, who came inside at this point during my mental-breakdown and promptly took over by getting her into a bath. And then last night, I had dreams about the biggest darn margarita you ever did see. And it was glorious.
Here's hoping today goes more smoothly...
A few hours later, the wind kicked up into high gear, and I dashed outside barefoot to grab a ball that we'd left outside before it blew away. Lizzy locked me out of the house, and would not come unlock the front door no matter how much I screamed. For some reason, Justin had also taken the garage door opener out of my car and not returned it. So, me and my bare feet were left outside...where it had now started raining...and I had the distinct privilege of trying to navigate the mud pit that is currently our backyard barefooted and in the rain.
I got inside, did the whole timeout thing, talked about how the DOOR IS NOW OFF LIMITS for Lizzy, etc. Justin got home, and I did a little happy dance, because the entire day had basically been what was described in the above two paragraphs.
And then after dinner, Justin went outside to fix something on his truck. Within minutes, I had taken away a popsicle after 3 warnings that it had to be eaten at the table instead of while dancing around, apparently pretending it was a magical wand. In the last occasion before I took it away, Lizzy tip toed over, stuck only her big toe in the living room, and then laughed. Actually, Lizzy ended up taking away the popsicle from herself at that point, as before I could reach her to take it away, she'd thrown the thing on the floor. So much for the floors I'd just mopped earlier.
Once she'd calmed down from that fiasco, I told her that it had been awhile, and she needed to go sit on the toilet. With the amount of tears and drama that ensued, you'd think I'd have just told her that her cat died. Lizzy finally calmed down and said she'd sit on the toilet...she went to grab a book, and peed on the rug instead...and then laughed. I am 100% certain that she did it on purpose. And I about lost it. I didn't know whether to scream or cry.
Thank God for Justin, who came inside at this point during my mental-breakdown and promptly took over by getting her into a bath. And then last night, I had dreams about the biggest darn margarita you ever did see. And it was glorious.
Here's hoping today goes more smoothly...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
