Friday, April 30, 2010

I *heart* new parks.

One of my favorite things to do since Olivia was born is take her to the park. *OK, well, since last summer anyways* We live literally right down the road from a HUGE park. I love it there but it's always nice to find a new place to play. Today we went to a new park. It's a little further away from us, but only by 15 minutes. It's well worth the drive though. They have a fenced in part called the Blueberry Patch. It's got smaller playground equipment for toddlers and preschoolers. Swings and such. THE best part is that it's ALL fenced in. I no longer have to chase after my child when she goes near the parking lot or road. Olivia's favorite part was the huge sandbox. It's all under cover so you don't have to worry about the sun beating down on tender young skin. There are tons of trucks, rakes, shovels, etc in the box too. No need to bring your own! I'm in love. I have a feeling we'll be driving the extra 15 minutes to go there this summer.

Also, its got this gorgeous gazebo with lots of picnic tables to have lunch at. If only they had a little snack bar. I'd be in heaven. :) We took a bunch of pictures, but here are 2 of my favorite.

DSC_2217

DSC_2212
She was really excited about the sand

DSC_2247
My attempt of a Mummy and Olivia picture

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Five Question Friday

1. If you could, would you go back to high school?
Um, no. As simple as life was back then, I'm glad I'm a responsible adult who has a life that has meaning. I was also was teased a bit because of the type of crowd I hung out with. So, no. I'll take maturity over the simple life.

2. If a genie appeared and granted you two wishes, what would they be? (And, no saying "more wishes".)
1. I want to look like a Victoria's Secret model.
2. To have ample money to live VERY comfortably for the rest of my life.

3. What kids show do you secretly like?
When I first saw it, I nearly died and thought, 'Whomever thought this show up has got to be on acid!' Yes, I'm talking about Yo Gabba Gabba. I watch it every time it comes on with my daughter, even if she's not watching it.

4. What is your beverage of choice?
Hands down. Diet Pepsi. Especially if it's from a fountain. Sheetz is my favorite. LOL YES there IS differences.

5. What is something that you would change about yourself (or are working to change in yourself)?
I would love to lose some weight, but I'm not killing myself over it. I would also like to be able to spend more time with my hubby. We need to find a hobby or something. :P

Want to play along?

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

This and That

Something may or may have not happened last night. I guess I'll have to wait and find out. Hmmmmmmmmm.

In other news, I clipped all my coupons for the week and I did my very first Grocery Game. Although, it's going to take me a couple of weeks to build up my stash. I bought Band Aids (Dora, of course) for $.14, Capri Sun for $1.00, and 4 bags of pasta for $5.00. I like it because I only pick what I want and it shows what the BEST deals are. Even if its on sale, doesn't mean its the ROCK bottom price. I should buy multiple papers to get more coupons.

My eBay purchase came in the mail today. I bought a bottle of Little Sprout hair gel. I didn't even fix Olivia's hair today, just wet it, put some gel in and brushed it. It's looking much more like little girl hair than bedhead. :) I can't wait to put it up in some pigtails to see if it really holds up to the day of a toddler. I'll get back to you on that one.

My house looks like a tornado went through it. Why is it that I clean and it's messy as I'm cleaning it? This doesn't make sense. Oh wait... I have a 16 month old. Ding Ding.

I bought Olivia her first coloring book and crayons. She was saying "Dor Dor" the whole way home because its a Dora The Explorer book. She's so silly.

I haven't taken pictures in a couple of days. It's been cold and dreary around here. I hate this kind of weather. I can't wait til it gets nice and sunny out again. I prefer to take pictures outside than in.

Here is one I was messing around with in Picasa.

DSC_1971-1

Monday, April 26, 2010

Mommy and Me Monday #9

Mommy and Me Monday at Really, Are You Serious?
Hosted by Krystyn


I'm cheating a little. This past week was pretty crappy due to Olivia coming home with a cold, so she's been very cranky. No pictures. :( But, I do have one from the day we were traveling to NC. This was at the rest stop and I was fixing her hair so she would be a prettied up for Grandma. She wasn't happy. :P

DSC_1776

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Not Much

I haven't really had much to write about the past couple of days. To be honest, it's been a long week. Olivia has been obviously sick and her molars ARE.STILL.COMING.IN. (I swear, all of them are popped out, but its taking a seriously ridiculous time for them to come all the way out) She's been super clingy, whiny, and just overall a big handful.

Friday evening, my cousin came over to babysit for us to go out to dinner. Which only led to me having a breakdown about our marriage. Most people say the 1st year of marriage is the hardest. I call B.S. on that one. This past year as a new family, as been the hardest by FAR. I'm not going to get into the details, but Russ works shift work. He works 12 hour shifts, so when he's working I don't see him for sometimes 15 hours. I pretty much feel really lonely. My life revolves around his schedule and Olivia's schedule. It's just hard. That's all I'm going to say.

My cousin told me about this online site called The Grocery Game. I checked it out and they offer a 4 week trial, so I'm going to try it out. I'm always looking for ways of saving money. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with it and clip the coupons I need.

Friday, April 23, 2010

5 Question Friday




1. What was the first car you owned?
My first car was short lived, it was a 87' Chevy Blazer. I got it in the beginning of 2000 and it got stolen in August of the same year. It was beyond being able to repair, so I got an 94' Chevy Cavalier. I ran that thing until it basically died around 130K miles.

2. What song are you embarrassed to know the lyrics to?
Um. Erm. Who Let the Dogs Out? *blush*

3. Have you ever had stitches?
Yep. When I was 5, I was racing my brother down my grandma's road, which happened to be all dirt. I tripped and fell and broke open my knee. I'm still traumatized by having to go to the hospital and being held down by the orderlies.

The 2nd time was when I had Olivia. Yup. I didn't need to be held down this time because I had the wonderful epidural. :D

4. What was your first job?
I worked in the food area of K-Mart. They don't have them anymore, but it was a horrible job having to cook food and wait on old people. I only lasted 2 months before I quit.

5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
Ernie. He's just so friendly and he loves his rubber ducky. Burt is so mean to him sometimes. :P

Thursday, April 22, 2010

A Letter

Mom's with Sick Babies/Toddlers/Children,

This is just a kind note for the sake of my sanity. If you're baby/toddler/child shows any of these symptoms:

  • runny nose
  • coughing
  • sneezing
  • anything else that could be contagious
PLEASE PAH-LEASE keep your booger monster home, away from my healthy toddler. I'm sick and tired of having my daughter come down with the same snotty nose your child has. Thanks. That is all.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Monday, April 19, 2010

Day 5: Wedding Time!

The main reason we traveled to North Carolina was to attend a wedding. Let me give you a quick background. In 1993, my mum and dad got divorced. I was 11 years old, entering 6th grade. Shortly after my mum moved out, she had this guy living with her. To an 11 year old this was horrible. You don't want someone to replace your dad, you want your parents back together. His name is Dan. In 1996, my mum and Dan got married. I was in the wedding and I HATED every minute of it. I was 13, and I didn't like this guy who was taking the place of my dad. *BTW, I lived with my dad, so he was still very much in my life*

After a couple of years, I warmed up to this guy. We laughed a lot, and he was goofy just like the rest of my family (in a good way, of course). He was the one who taught me how to drive. He'd pick me up at my dad's house and we'd run errands or whatever every Wednesday night. The guy who tested me for my license asked if I was taught in Driver's Ed. Nope, just by my step-Dan. :) He became my second dad. In 2001, my mum and Dan moved all the way down to NC to be closer to my mum's sister.

Around the time of my wedding, my mum and Dan were going through some rough times and we're separated, but he still flew across the country to see me get married.

IMG_0844
Dan and I in Vegas for my wedding

Later that year (I think) they ended up getting divorced. It was actually harder than I thought it would be. Being an adult now going through another divorce. Even though he wasn't my biological father, he was just as much a dad to me than my real dad.

A few years ago, we went for a visit and he wanted us to meet his new girlfriend, Michelle. We all went to dinner and she was a really nice person. They got engaged and that is the reason we went to NC. Their wedding. :)

I can honestly say, I'm so happy that he's found someone that makes him happy. I feel so touched that he invited Russ and I to his wedding. He didn't have to... I am after all no longer related to him. He's been a big part of my life growing up and I wouldn't have missed it.

The wedding was beautiful as was the bride. I got teary eyed as usual. :)

DSC_2038
Pretty church

DSC_2055
Married!

DSC_2069
Mmmmm, cake.

DSC_2108
First Dance

DSC_2032
Russ and I all dressed up.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Day 3 and 4: Science Center/Chilling Out

Thursday we headed to a place called Greensboro Natural Science Center. It's an indoor museum of sorts with stuffed animals and bones. Olivia really wasn't impressed with all of that stuff. She mainly wanted to see all of the living animals. They have an outdoor area with lots of different animals. But first, we stopped by the indoor play area for children under 2. It was cute and of course Olivia loved it.

DSC_1874
Water table with Daddy

DSC_1878
Shopping...yet again.

DSC_1880
T-Rex that growled. She was wary.

DSC_1885
Monkey

DSC_1893
Mr. Tiger

DSC_1900
Wolf (He wasn't that close, it was taken with out extra zoom lens)

DSC_1902
Anteater (I've never seen one before... neat!)

DSC_1905
Wallabies

DSC_1907
Goat petting

DSC_1912
This shows how friendly Olivia is... she's with one of the keepers. LOL She's silly.

DSC_1919
Little Timmons (meerkats)

DSC_1930
Sharks

We had a lot of fun. I think we spent a good 2 hours there and for $18 (Olivia was free) it was well worth it. After we left, we stopped by Carvel for ice cream. I didn't bring the camera in, but it was Olivia's very first ice cream cone. We shared because the junior size was pretty big, so I knew she wouldn't be able to finish it alone.

Friday we kind of just hung out. Russ and my mum's husband, Stan went to a local brewery to take a tour. I took Olivia to my mum's work to let her say Hi to everybody. In the evening we stopped by my aunt's house to visit for a bit and we came home and ate Pizza Hut. Pretty low key day.

Mommy and Me Monday #8

Mommy and Me Monday at Really, Are You Serious?
Hosted by Krystyn


Since we were away on "vacation" this week, we went to a lot of different place for Olivia. This was taken at the Greensboro Natural Science Center. It was a really neat place and Olivia LOVED the animals. She wasn't impressed by the fossilized dinosaurs. :) I'll be posting a more detailed post about our day if you're interested.. come back later!

DSC_1882

I Got Mail!

shortmama

A couple of weeks ago, I got into a Spring Swap. I had much fun shopping for my swap partner April @ 2Slicks Good Times. I was away on vacation since Tuesday, so when I got home, I had a package waiting for me in the doorway! I got some super cute things and also some yummy things. Here are some pictures of the loot!

DSC_2123
The letter when I opened up the box. You can click it to make it bigger to read.

DSC_2124
The loot!

DSC_2125
Popcorn, cute popcorn boxes and cotton candy

DSC_2126
Flip flops, seeds, and stationary

DSC_2127
Cute mug and frozen popcicle makers

I loved doing this and I hope to do it again! Thank you so much for the awesome stuff, April! P.S. I <3 Target. There is one across the street from me and I swear I'm there at least 2 times a week. :)

Friday, April 16, 2010

Day 2: Children's Museum

On Wednesday, we headed over to the Greensboro Children's Museum. It was an overcast and chilly day, so we decided to do something indoors.

DSC_1806
Olivia in the Market

At only $6/person, this place was pretty fun for Olivia. It wasn't like our Children's Museum at home, it was more of a huge play area for little kids. Here is a list of the "exhibits" they have:

  • Market (complete with a play meat/deli/bakery)
  • Pizza shop
  • a 'tots' area for under 2
  • Stage with costumes and puppets
  • arts and crafts (was closed, so we didn't get to play)
  • dentist and baby nursery/doctors office
  • a house called "Nonnie's"
  • construction place with TONS of blocks to build stuff
  • camp ground
  • post office (with a real mail truck)
  • news room
  • real firetruck, police car, and NASCAR car
  • train
  • airplane
We spent a good 2 hours playing around with everything. Olivia loved it and even met some other toddlers her size. It was WELL worth the $18 we spent!

DSC_1811
Pushing OK around in the car in the Tot area

DSC_1815
In the nursery

DSC_1817
Nonnie's House

DSC_1829
Starring in a cooking show

DSC_1833
Delivering mail

DSC_1838
Firetruck

DSC_1846
In the back of a police car... bad bad

DSC_1849
Dentist office

DSC_1865
Building with blocks

DSC_1871
Train

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Day 1

After not getting much sleep, our alarm went off at 5:15am. O.M.G. I rolled out of bed and took a shower while Russ got dressed and packed the rest of the stuff into the car. We woke Olivia up around 6am, got her a sippy of milk, and left around 6:30am.
DSC_1758
The ride down wasn't too bad. Olivia fell asleep after about 45 minutes of driving in the morning. After she woke up, we stopped to change her diaper and give her a snack. Put on a DVD of Max and Ruby for her. We were half way there and stopped at a big rest stop with food and gas. I changed Olivia into her dress and changed her diaper. While standing in line for pizza, she peed ALL over me. I just changed her, so you can imagine how much pee she was holding! So.. I went and changed her again and we ate our pizza.
We went outside for her to run around and get some energy released. She pooped. WTF?!? 3 diaper changed in the span of 20 minutes. After that dipe change, we headed back on the road. I put on Dora for her this time, and after 15 minutes she fell asleep, right on schedule for her 12:00 nap.
DSC_1759

DSC_1761
West Virginia roadside

DSC_1776
Fixing OK's hair while at the NC Vistors Center

After Olivia woke up from her nap, we put on some Backyardigans for her and she was fine until we hit North Carolina. We stopped at the Welcome Center and let her run around a bit, but she was still pretty cranky about being cooped up in the car all day. We finally arrived at my mum's work around 2:30pm. So, the trip took us about 8.5 hours. Before we had Olivia, we usually made the trip in about 6.5hours. I wonder what holds us up now? :)
Related Posts with Thumbnails