Dupree...the Toy Poodle

Well, it's official. We are getting the Toy Poodle. We have already named him Dupree. I'm not sure why we like that name for a dog, but we do. I'm probably crazy, and I'll probably look back on this moment and wonder why in the world I added a dog (a puppy for that matter) to the already long list of things I must accomplish in a day. It's like having a new baby, except not quiet as bad.

My Dad asked me if I had lost my mind. It's funny though, because he said the same thing last time I brought home my 10 week old puppy Rainey, who is now 5 years old. Rainey wasn't too hard to deal with though, because I was home most all of the time to house train him and stuff. The only difference between then and now is that I have a 17 month old baby.

Oh well, I am known for taking on too much. I like to prove a point. That I can handle anything that comes my way, when in reality...I'm probably gonna crack one day and you'll find me in a half way house crouched down in the fetal position and barking like a dog.

Nevertheless, we are picking up our little Dupree on Sunday seeing as me and the hubby are going on a road trip tomorrow for our anniversary. No kid, just the open road. If you don't hear from me for a while, we may have decided to not come back. Charleston here I come!!

Family Pet [Updated]

We may be getting a Toy Poodle. I know. That's a far cry from the Yorkie I've always wanted, but...it's cute. I don't know much about Poodles though, and I guess there are somethings that I should be concerned about, especially since I am getting him for Bree too. So here is a list of things that I found out about the Toy Poodle:

Pro's
- Intelligent
- Responsive and trainable
- Likes to be with people
- Perky and happy

Con's
- Can be snappy if not taught that the human is the "pack leader"
- They have to be clipped every six to eight weeks.
- They are prone to eye infections and ear infections

So, the only thing that I am worried about is the "snappiness". I have had several people warn me about Poodles and their snappiness, so I'm a little nervous about it all. Maybe the Poodles have been snappy because they weren't raised right, or they weren't disciplined. I don't know. I guess if it doesn't work out, there's always Craigs List =)

Wordless Wednesday

2 years & Counting...

I haven't figured it out. Marriage. It's a strange concept if you really think about it. Two different (sometimes same) people come together, join their complete opposite lives together, combining everything they've ever known and somehow making a chemical re-action that traditionally is supposed to keep them together until one or the other dies. Marriage is really a stupid thing to do if you really think about it, but on the other hand most of us were not created to live alone and marriage is what comes naturally.

J.R.R Tolkien wrote in a letter once that, "Nearly all marriages, even happy ones, are mistakes: in the sense that almost certainly (in a more perfect world, or even with a little more care in this very imperfect one) both partners might be found more suitable mates. But the real soul-mate is the one you are actually married to.

Sometimes I wonder if I married the right man. It's not that I am doubting our relationship or marriage, it's just that sometimes we seem so different and our families are so different...I can't even begin to imagine how in the world we ended up together.

Today is mine & Paul's 2 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe that it's already been two years. In some respects it feels like it's only been a few weeks, but in other respects it feels as though it's been a hundred years. We've had our ups and downs like most couples, but for the most part...we get along very well. I can't believe how different we are, yet how perfectly we go together. I never will forget the first moment I saw him, and every time I think of the moment...I smile. I knew then, nearly a whole year before we even began to date...that I was going to marry him. I believe in love at first site, because it happened to me. My whole world changed the moment I laid eyes on him, and little did I know...it would never be the same again.

I love him. He's my best friend, and we still have a long way to go, but it's only been two years compared to the lifetime that we will be together. Happy two year anniversary Paul! I love you!

My Woo Bee & Other Addictions

I was pretty sure that I didn't have an "addictive personality". Boy was I wrong.

Bottles, Barbies, and Boys is a blog that I read frequently. As part of Meme Monday, she asked us to participate in answering and admitting what our Woo Bee is.

Woo Bee: [wu-bee] noun; Something you are attached to for security reasons, or no reason at all.

I didn't have to think long about it, until I realized that my Woo Bee is a heating pad! I feel so old saying this, and admitting to it, but it's true. Three years ago I had a pretty bad wreck in which I was hit from behind by a truck. Along with a bottle of Demerol & muscle relaxers, the doctor also suggested I sleep on a heating pad. I haven't slept without my heating pad since! I take it with me when I sleep somewhere over night. I'm not sure if I have made this up in my head or not, but if I miss a night sleeping on it, I swear my back is in pain the next day.

It's sad to be 21 years old, and addicted to something like a heating pad.

My other addictions also include the internet.
I check Craigs List almost as much as I am on Facebook now. The thing is though, I only check the "pets" and "furniture" section of the website. You wouldn't believe some of ugly furniture people have. I can't believe they even think it's worth trying to get a couple of hundred bucks out of. I have seen everything from a wagon wheel kids bed, to a cigar indian! I'm not sure why I am so addicted to this website, other than the fact that I enjoy looking at people's crap. It's like a yard sale online! I love it!

Addictions aren't good things to have, especially since sititng in front of a computer screen too long can result in cancer or dementia. I guess I'm screwed. I have a true addiction to the internet, but more so for Facebook and more currently...Craigs List.

I just hope that my hubby can bare with me through all of this. I'll most likely grow out of the Craigs List addiction, but I'm not so sure about Facebook. My whole family is on Facebook. Oh the joys of technology.

Hi, You can Call Me Stupid

I bought my living room suit a little less than two years ago. I got a great deal on what I got: a loveseat, couch, coffee table, 2 side tables and 2 lamps all for just 1200 dollars. It may sound like a cheap set, but its not at all. It's a very nice, kid friendly couch and loveseat! My tables, though, had glass tops and wrought iron legs. This worked fine for the previous year or so, but now Bree can walk, and I knew that if I didn't something soon...I would have a brain dead child.

So...last week I put my tables on Craigs List. Yesterday, I sold them and delivered them. The problem? My living room is now lacking in tables and lamps. We went to a discount furniture store yesterday. They have expensive furniture that is 60 percent off. I thought, as well as my hubby, that a person could just walk in and come out with furniture. But that isn't true. They order the pieces of furniture that a person is interested in, and just like any other place...wait 3 to 4 weeks before it is delivered.

I'm kinda angry with myself for doing this. I don't like not having any tables or anything in the living room. Not at all. Oh well, I just you can just call me stupid for not thinking ahead.

Update on the Family Pet:
I've decided to hold off on getting a family pet. I couldn't justify spending 600 dollars on a dog, and what aided me in my decision is the p.o.s tax refund we're getting back. There are lots of other things that I could do with 600 dollars. Thanks, but no thanks.

...Tax Refund

We got shafted this year, I feel. Last year we got a pretty descent tax refund...this year, not so much. Evidently everyone's tax refunds are alot lower than usual. People depend on this thing to go on their Summer vacations with, buy cars, and buy things that in general they aren't able to buy. I am pretty sure that Mr. Obama has now screwed us over with this "stimulus package". If he really wanted to "stimulate" the economy, he would have put 1 million dollars into the pockets of every American 18 years of age and older. That would have changed lives. People would have bought houses, cars, shopped like there was no tomorrow. That made sense. House industry would be "stimulated". The car makers wouldn't need anymore bailout money, because their business would be "stimulated". Stores would experience a rise in sales. Instead, Obama is taking OUR money and giving it to who he wants to give it to.

I personally, am not going to be able to do the things that I wanted to do with my tax refund. Unfortunately, it's only going to be enough to get a few things done. I'm not even positive that it will be enough to put back for Summer vacation. I hope that it is, because I am going to the beach whether I have to walk there or not!

I read where Obama's approval rating dropped. Are you surprised by that? By the time all of this is over with, his approval rating will be lower than Bush's ever thought about being.

I don't usually get political, because I have had damn near death threats for things that I have said in the past, but when I filed my taxes yesterday and saw how much I was getting back...I was pretty upset. Next year, we probably won't even have tax refunds. It won't surprise me, because I was actually looking for that to happen this year. Oh well, he'll still have his group of idiot followers.

...A Family Pet

I have been searching religiously for a family pet. When Paul and I first got married, we went through four dogs in less than 6 months. We haven't had a dog now in over a year, and I think that we are now ready to have a family pet. I want to make sure that we get the right dog this time though, because in the past, we have not made very good decisions.

Dog number one came from the Greenville Humane Society. He was a mixed breed, we're thinking he had Schnauzer Terrier in him and Chow. We named him Bradley. He was a good dog for a few months, but began to become aggressive. Once he snapped at Paul, we had to take him back to the pound. That may sound inhumane, but I was pregnant and I wasn't going to have a dog like Bradley biting my baby because he was jealous.

Dogs two and three were two pekingese whom we rescued from a family who said they loved them, but when we got them their fur was all matted up and they very dirty. The male pekingese was very mean, and very aggressive. Growing up, we had a pekingese who was not mean or aggressive, unless she was provoked. This dog was mean just because he could be. We weren't really sure what to do with him. The female pekingese was sweet though, and just wanted to sit in your lap. We ended up having to take the male pekingese to Greenville Humane Society, because he not only bit Paul, but he also bit me. I know what you may be thinking...that we provoke these dogs to bite us, but that's not that case. We just had very bad luck with two dogs. We were very happy to just have the female pekingese, because she was very sweet, but one day when we came home...she was limping. We weren't sure what happened to her, but noticed that the limping turned to full paralysis in a matter of an hour or so. We took her to the vet, and they determined that she had slipped a disc (like most Pekingese do, because they are so long) and they would need to put her down. I've never had to leave a dog, knowing that I would never see it again and I cried for a full two days.

Dog number four came from the Greenville Humane Society also. He was a beagle, and by far the sweetest dog out of the four. We named him Hank, and we loved him so much. But when we moved into an apartment, he was definitely not happy. I don't blame him at all. He went from having a place to run around, to a tiny apartment where all he could do was lay around. By this time I was very pregnant. We lived on the third floor, and it was very hard for me to even take him out to pee and poop. I refused to take him back to the pound, because he had done absolutely nothing wrong. He just was not an apartment dog. So, I put an ad up on petfinder.com, and soon found a new home for him on a farm. I hope he is doing well today, as I am sure he is.

We haven't had a dog since Hank, but Bree loves dogs and we really want to get her one to grow up with. We have come across a family who is wanting to sell their Silky Terrier to us for 600 dollars (they paid 900 for her). To me, this is a very big decision, because in the past we have never paid more than a small adoption fee for a dog. The dog is absolutely beautiful, and it's pretty much what we are looking for. The only thing stopping me is the 600 dollars. As much bad luck as we have had with dogs in the past, I don't want to spend that money and then it not work out. I'm sure it will work out, but things happen. I believe that Bree would love to have her, and I know that I would too. The money would definitely come out of our tax refund, because we would never have that much money to spend at one time on something. This is a big decision for me. One part of me is saying "Go Ahead! You'll love her!" the other part of me is saying, "Think of all of the other things you could do with 600 dollars." I'm just not sure, and I don't know what to do. We are going to meet the dog this weekend, and I'm sure that will aid in my decision. I just hope it's the right one whatever it is.

The Phantom Scream...

They say that a person can know how addicted to their cell phone they are, when they hear it ring when it's not even ringing. It's called a "phantom ring". I myself have done this many times. I have even ran to my phone if I was in another room only to find that my phone was not ringing. Well, I have decided that there is such thing as a "phantom scream" too.

I'm not sure if it is Bree's age (or just something she is going through), but she has random outbursts that involves high pitched screaming, and the most annoying drawn out whine. I'm not sure that I can even take it anymore. She has never been a fussy child, so it's not something I should be used to by now. It's something she just started. I hear her screaming in my sleep, when I'm awake, and when I am trying to relax. It's not her screaming though, it's the "phantom scream".

I don't know how to get rid of it, and I pray to God that it's not permanent. I'm not sure that I could handle it if it were permanent. I hope that after she gets older and stops having these outburts...the phantom scream will disappear. I guess I can only pray.

Valentines Day

I always thought that Valentines Day was a pointless holiday. Even now that I am married, and am certain to have a Valentine...I still find it a very ridiculous holiday. It's not fair to the already insecure people, who are boyfriend/girlfriend-less, and are forced to scrounge up some friends who are single and find something to do that will outweigh the holiday. This usually means doing something illegal. On the other hand, there are the people who have a girlfriend/boyfriend husband/wife, and are under a great deal of pressure to get their special someone something over the top. After barely getting through Christmas, these people are very unsure of what exactly to do. Evidently, the type of flower that he buys for her is a symbolism. He doesn't want to send the wrong message, and what if it's something bad? He doesn't want to stay safe with roses, because then she takes that as meaning that he didn't put much thought into the flower situation. The men are going crazy, the girls are too expectant, and before they know it, they are in this huge whirlwind of "what to do". This completely sucks the fun out of Valentines Day.

For me, I could careless if we celebrate Valentines Day, but to prevent people from looking at us as though we are crazy...we do get each other a little bit of something. I bought Bree a little Valentines Day bear, and got Paul some "unmentionables" that I'll actually be wearing....but he will be enjoying. I don't find it necessary to make a big deal out of this holiday, but evidently others do. If you're one of those people, my hats off to you!

Tomorrow is Valentines Day though, so I must wish you a happy Valentines Day.

Wordless Wednesday

...Slides

In honor of this beautiful weather that South Carolina is currently having...Bree & I went out to play on the playground. Evidently Bree has the attention span of 10 seconds. After a few trips down the slide, she was completely and utterly bored with the whole situation. She didn't even fuss when I carried her inside. She loves being outside, but she finds play sets extremely boring. I know not to get her a swing set for her birthday.

I can't wait for Summer where our afternoons can be spent by the swimming pool. I can't believe that it's only February and we're already having 70 degree weather. Does that mean that the cold has passed? If so, we didn't have a very long Winter, which suits me just as well. I like flip flops, and I am a much happier person when the days are long and the sun is hot.

As long as the weather is this warm, and this perfect...I'm not complaining.

...The First Entry

I'm a stay at home Mom. There are alot of things that I experience in a day, that most people do not have the pleasure of experiencing. For example...poop.

I can always tell if my daughter is healthy if I see her supper in her poop the next day. Lima beans, lettuce...it all comes out looking as though she never ate it. It amazes me how sometimes she can smell up the entire room, and when I go to change her diaper, a dime sized turd will be sitting there in the center of her diaper where my mind had imagined a huge mess of squishy poop. How does something so small, make such an awful smell? I think that baby poop is one of the greatest mysteries of the world.

Life in my house is pretty interesting. It's not all about poop, but Bree's defecation has alot to do with it. Trying to bribe my husband into changing her diaper is a challenge. Most of the time he will flat out refuse to change her diaper. That's when I have to pull the guilt trip, because after I change 1,500 diapers in a single afternoon...I want a break! Nevertheless, having a 17 month old little girl makes our life everything but boring. My interesting life is the reason for this blog. I'm letting you into my life as a stay at home Mom.