Samantha has a gun...

I've remained sick all weekend long. We've spent every evening at home, and I have had a loaded potato soup from Fatz for supper every night this weekend. I think if I cough one more time, my head is going to split wide open. It's aggravating. I did, however, manage to shoot my first gun this weekend.

Yesterday we went up to Paul's Dad's house to get the oil changed in our cars (we hadn't changed them since December), and Paul decided that he wanted to teach me how to shoot a gun. I'm not like against guns or anything, but I don't like them either. They scare me, and not because they kill people, but because more accidents happens with guns than the on purpose stuff. Nevertheless, I had my specifications of what I wanted to shoot. I wanted to shoot a 22, because I knew my Dad had one, and I knew it was easy to handle. I wish that I had stuck a couple of ear plugs in my ears, because I still can't hear right. I didn't hit the target once, but I at least know that I can, in fact, shoot a gun. I think Paul was kind of turned on by the fact that his woman was holding and aiming a gun. Although, he did make fun of me. The first time I shot the gun, I was leaned back like I was doing the limbo or something. After I saw the picture of how ridiculous I looked, I definitely fixed my posture.
I wish I had felt better. I probably would have shot more, and actually enjoyed it. Oh well, maybe when I'm not coughing up a lung and working at keeping snot from pouring out of my nose. How was everyone's weekend? I hope it was more eventful than mine.

Sick in May

I have never, in my whole entire life, ever suffered with allergies. That all changed this past Spring. I hardly ever get sick after the month of November, and here I am...sick, only a few days away from June. I am not happy about it, and I am hoping that it's my allergies. Although, my symptoms sound alot like the Swine Flu without the fever (which can sometimes be absent). Swine Flu symptoms also sound like your regular Rhinovirus too. So, I don't know what to believe. Should I go to the doctor, or just tough it out? I don't know, but I am pretty sure that this all just my allergies. I hope. I'm going to take a hot shower, and then nap. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :D

A Pain in My Back...

I called in a prescription for my birth control on Tuesday morning. It had run out of refills & needed my Doctor's approval to renew. I don't understand why there is a limit on birth control refills. It's birth control. It's not painkillers or anything. Nevertheless, I figured I was going to have to miss one day of the pill, but felt confident that I would get it on Wednesday and I could take 2. After Wednesday passed, and my prescription STILL was not ready, I got pissed. Not only was I going to miss one day, but I was going to miss 2 and possibly a third. I was thankful that my prescription wasn't some pill that my life was dependent upon, because if that was the case, I'd be dead!

This morning I called my Doctor, because they were the slackers in this case. They had failed to call my pharmacy to authorize the refill. Of course, nowadays you can't talk to anyone on the phone. You have to talk to a machine. This gets really annoying when you just want to get to the bottom of something. So, I left a message on the Doc's machine:

Yes, this is Samantha [last name], and I am calling to see if there is a problem with my prescription. I called to have it filled on Tuesday, and it is now Thursday. If there is some kind of a problem, please call me and let me know. I am going three days without this stuff now. I would appreciate it if I could have it today, and again, if there is a problem...call me!

I was trying to be nice, but I was highly pissed. I decided that I would give the doctor and the pharmacy until 2 o'clock to have my prescription ready, or else someone was going to wish they had stayed home from work today. Someone was going to get chewed out. At 12:30, I called to check on my prescription, and to my surprise, it was ready. I was thrilled, and went to pick it up. Once I got the prescription in the car, I checked the refills and it's only valid for one more refill. It's past due time for me to go to the OBGYN, but why does that have to affect the refills on my birth control?? I guess it's just another way to suck money out of population. I don't even have health insurance. I am paying full price for my prescription. Give me a break people!

On top of all of this aggravation, I woke up with this horrible pain in my back. I must have slept wrong or perhaps I somehow punched myself in the back in the middle of the night. I'm not sure, but I know that it hurts. I am currently contemplating dragging my heating pad into the living room and veging out on the couch for the rest of the night, but I'm not sure that Bree will allow that. She's figured out how to climb up on the bar. She is keeping me busy.

What Day Is it?

Three day weekends always mess me up as far as knowing what day it is. This morning my Mom called to see if I was bringing Bree to "Toddler Time" at Chick-Fil-A. I had completely forgotten that it was Wednesday! I'm not sure what day I thought it was, but I sure didn't know it was Wednesday. Oh well, they were making butterflies today during "Toddler Time". I don't think that Bree is quiet old enough to do something like that.

I probably wouldn't have felt like going anyway. It has been very humid over the course of the past few days, which in return, has made my allergies flare up. I was miserable yesterday. My face felt like someone had just punched it. My cheekbones and eye sockets were throbbing, my head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton, and one nostril of my nose was stuffy while the other was runny. When I woke up this morning, I thought that I felt better. But then I got out of bed, and realized I was just as miserable as I was yesterday. My head is still pounding, and my nose is half runny, half stuffy. I don't feel like I've been punched in the face yet, but I'm assuming it's only a matter of time. I hope this is just allergies, and not one of those horrible 7 day colds, or, God forbid, the Swine Flu.

On another note, I thought that Pyrex dishes were shatter proof? I was baking chicken in the oven last night, when all of the sudden I heard this awful banging/exploding noise. I knew that it came from the oven, but I didn't know what or why it made that sound. I walked to the oven. Hesitant. I didn't know if there were going to be flames when I opened the oven, and I sure didn't want there to be flames that shoot out and catch the whole apartment complex on fire. Yes, I know. I've seen way too many movies. Anyway, I decided that if there were flames in the oven, there would probably be smoke coming from the stove top. No smoke, no flames, just a shattered Pyrex dish and chunks of glass in the bottom of the oven.
It was almost as though the sides had just decided to fall off, because the 3 large chicken breasts still sat neatly on a sheet of glass (the bottom of the dish). Thank God the food wasn't ruined. There wasn't any glass embedded into the chicken. My dear, sweet husband came home and cleaned it all up for me (since my allergies were kicking my butt), and we ate a late supper.

What's Bree doing these days? Well, besides completely tearing up the house when ever she is awake, she is also talking a good bit. She had not stopped calling her Daddy, "Daddy" and begun calling him "Paul" which will be what she hears me call him. I guess that I am going to have to start calling Paul, "Daddy" so that Bree will stop calling him "Paul". She can also say, "bad", "nah", "juice", "banana", "diaper", and a bunch of other words I have yet to make out yet. She likes food a little too much, but you couldn't tell it by looking at her. She is so skinny, and tall. I didn't get a picky eater, but she is picky about which sippy cup she uses. I bought her a purple one for Christmas. She hates it. She wants nothing to do with it. My Mom got her this free little Juicy Juice sippy cup that I can barely take from her long enough to put more juice in it. Anyway, she's climbing all over everything. Coffee table, dining room table, couch, anything she can get her legs on...she climbs on. Even out of the bath tub!My life seems to be getting crazier and crazier, the older Bree gets. I know that as she gets older, it'll get even more crazier, but probably in a lot of ways...easier. We're having fun though, and that's what matters most to me. Oh & by the way, thanks to you who commented on my last post. You convinced me even more to just say "no"...to the people trying to control our lives.


P.S: Paul got a new job!!

My Memorial Day Weekend.

Holidays for us, always seem to get screwed up. Whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, or Memorial Day...Paul and I always seemed to get dragged around by our ears, being forced to go from one place to the next. Yesterday, we decided that we are done with that. After being more or less forced to leave a friend's cookout, to go to another (family member) house, Paul was pretty upset. We are just going to have to start putting our foot down, and gain control of our lives instead of letting someone else do it. Before we left our friend's cookout, we did manage to eat, because the place we were being forced to go to afterwards was serving lasagna. Who eats lasagna on Memorial Day? Hamburgers, hot dogs, steak...that's Memorial Day/cookout food. Not lasagna. Oh well. It was an okay holiday weekend for the most part. Definitely not the best I've ever had.


Me & Paul

Happy Memorial Day

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day. Thanks to all of the men and women who have served our country in order to protect our freedom and our lives. My brother will be joining the Marines after his 18th birthday in August, and it's people like him who deserve this day in remembrance. People who want to serve and protect. I pray that you all stay safe, drink responsibly, and enjoy your time with your family and friends.

50 bucks...

Last night we went to Freedom Weekend Aloft. We really only went, because one of our favorite guitarists (& singer) was performing (Corey Smith). We got my Mom to keep Bree, and headed out to the concert. You wouldn't believe how the expenses began to add up. 5 dollars for parking. 20 dollars for Paul and I both to get in. 10 dollars for Paul and I both to get one beer (they charge a dollar for the identification wrist band), and then Paul...without my knowing, went back and got more drinks for himself and one of our friends. So, by the end of the night...we ended up spending 50 dollars! Once I realized this, I nearly pooped in my pants. That's too much money to spend at one, concert, event. To me anyway.


I have been told though, that as long as I had fun, which I did, not to regret how much money was spent. And Paul and I did have lots of fun. It was great being able to act 21 again, instead of like an old married couple with a kid. Plus, that was the best concert I have ever been to! I've seen Corey Smith 3 times in concert now, and the third was pretty awesome. I'm not sure if it was because it was outside in amphitheater, or just because we weren't in a bar room like the previous two times. But it was great, and I did have a lot of fun.

Anyway, I can't believe I actually got a Saturday blog in. The only reason being is that Paul fell asleep on the couch, and Bree is still asleep from her nap. I was trying to get them up and out the door, and instead...they're sleeping hard as rock. I'll give them 30 more minutes then I'm breaking out the bullhorn!

Freedom Weekend Aloft...

Ahhh, it's Friday. I'm not sure what all we have planned for the weekend, but I do know that we are going to see Corey Smith in concert tonight. That's exciting. Every Memorial Day weekend Greenville County puts on a 3 day event called, Freedom Weekend Aloft. I can't remember the last time I went, but decided that we would go this year. They have everything for Hot Air Balloons (which cost 175.00 per person to ride in), shops, food, rides, and concerts. It is rather expensive to get in (10 dollars a person), but BiLO is selling advanced tickets at 7 dollars a person. Bree, of course, gets in free. I must take advantage of "kids under 3 free", because it's going to start getting more expensive to go out. I still have a year and a half to enjoy it.

I hope you all have a pretty awesome Memorial Day weekend. What do you have planned?

"And Your 2009 American Idol is....KRIS ALLEN!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, tears ran down my cheeks, and I raised my hands to heaven to thank God for letting Kris Allen win American Idol. I know. I did dramatize it all a bit, but you have absolutely NO IDEA how excited, relieved, and ecstatic I was! Everyone thought that Adam "had it in the bag" (that phrase was beginning to get on my nerves), and I must admit...by the way everyone talked...I thought that maybe he "had it in the bag" too. I had prepared myself for that let-down, and even the few seconds up until Ryan Seacrest said Kris Allen's name, I said out loud, "Adam is gonna win." Boy, I've never been more happy to be wrong in all of my life. My Twitter read: "Now all of you Adam Lambert fans can deflate your ego, because KRIS ALLEN WON!"

I was afraid that the neighbors were going to call 911, and that I was going to wake Bree up with that loud scream I let out. Evidently, the neighbors weren't worried, and Bree sleeps like a rock. I know that the judges worked really hard at trying to set Adam up to win, but when it all comes down to the audience choosing the winner...we chose the one who would be the best fit in the music industry. I can't see myself enjoying a song on the radio sung by Adam Lambert, but I can see myself listening to a Kris Allen song on the radio, over and over again. That's how American Idol voters need to vote. Not on who looks the best, or has the coolest clothes, but on whether or not you can hear them on the radio. Whether or not you will spend money on their album. Those types of things. Adam Lambert belongs on Broadway in tights. Kris Allen belongs on the radio, with albums, and concerts.

So, yes, I was very happy with the outcome of American Idol, but now I am wondering what we will watch on Tuesday & Wednesday nights? Do I seriously have to wait until January for another season of American Idol? What do we generally watch during the Summer? I guess I'll have to figure that one out.

Did your pick for American Idol win & how do you feel about the winner?

Happy Wednesday...

As you can see, I've given Apple Juice & Milk a new look for the Summer! I'm still working on a few things, but I hope you enjoy it. If you tried to leave a comment earlier, and weren't able...I have fixed that problem, so now you can leave a comment :D

Well, tonight is the season finale of American Idol. I can't believe it's come down to Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. I definitely voted 250 times last night for Kris Allen. I'm not really sure who could win this competition. I think that it could really go either way, because I'm not sure that either one of them are better than the other. I am hoping Kris win's, but that's a given. We'll see tonight. I remember watching the Season 2 finale when it was down to Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. I just knew Clay was going to win, and when Ryan Seacrest announced Ruben Studdard as the Season 2 American Idol winner...I screamed and then I cried. Thank God, I've matured a bit since then.

These days, Bree is climbing onto anything she can get to. Dining room table, coffee table, couch, etc... Yesterday while she was in the bath tub, I was in her bedroom putting some clothes up in her closet (don't have a heart attack, her bathroom is connected to her bedroom). All of the sudden, Bree rounds the corner, butt naked and wet. Somehow, she had crawled out of the bathtub. I still have yet to figure out how she got out of the tub without getting hurt. I knew then, that I was in for it. She knows that she can get anywhere now by climbing. Just the other night, she pulled down the dishwasher door, climbed onto it, and was attempting to climb onto the counter. GO GO GADGET LEGS!!!

This morning was Toddler Time at Chick-Fil-A. I thought that I would take Bree, and sit back while I enjoyed a cup of coffee. Well, that didn't happen. I ended up spending most of my time making sure Bree didn't put Play-Doh in her mouth. But she had alot of fun, because when we got home and I made her a peanut butter and banana sandwich...she barely got through half of it when I looked over and saw that she had fallen asleep. Toddler Time at Chick-Fil-A must've been very stimulating to her. She went down for her nap a whole hour early!


Happy Hump Day, and remember that the weekend is only 2 short days away!

Revamping the Blog

As you may have noticed, I have changed the blog around a bit. I am still not completely finished with it, but thought that I would take a break from the computer for a while. My eye balls are burning!! By tomorrow, I should have everything look brand new!

Coupon Savings Monday!

Evidently Monday has been deemed grocery day in my household, and since I have begun using coupons to save money on my grocery bill...Monday at Apple Juice and Milk will now also be deemed, Coupon Savings Monday!.

BiLo
The best deals that one can find at BiLo is their "buy 1 get 1 free" items. Thankfully, their Carolina Pride bacon was buy 1 get 1 free again this week. It's my favorite brand of bacon, so of course, I was very excited. I also had a coupon for 55 cents off of any flavor of Mentos gum. Their Mentos gum was on sale "buy one get one free" also. Here's a look at what I saved:
- -Carolina Pride Thick Sliced Bacon: was 6.98 before savings, with bonus card I saved 3.50.
- -Mentos Gum: was 2.70 before savings, with bonus card & the .55 coupon I saved 1.36, thus getting 2 packs of gum free!!!

CVS Pharmacy
I added CVS to the list today. I eat Kashi cereal religiously, and they had it on sale 2 for 5 dollars. I also had a coupon for a 1.50 off of any 2 boxes of Kashi Cereal. Here it is broken down:
- -Kashi Autumn Wheat & Heart to Heart: was on sale for 2.50 a piece (2 for 5 dollars) With 1.50 off coupon it totaled up to 3.50. For 2 boxes of Kashi Cereal!!! I saved 4.68!!

Wal-Mart
I always end up spending a bit more in Wal-Mart mainly because I can get everything else I need for groceries. I have managed to cut my Wal Mart grocery bill from 60, sometimes 70 dollars to 30 sometimes 40 dollars. That is a savings of 20 dollars!! I won't list everything that I got at Wal-Mart, but I will list the things that I got really good deals on!
--Breyers 'Sweet & Dreamy" Icecream: was 2.25 & I had a coupon for .75 off. Therefore I only paid 1.50 for a carton of Breyers Ice Cream!!
- -Wheat Thin Crackers: was 2.00 and I had a coupon for a dollar off, therefore only paying 1.00.
- -Kraft Deli Deluxe Cheese: was on sale for 2.38, and I had a coupon for a dollar off, therefore only paying 1.38 which was cheaper than any Wal-Mart brand of cheese I could have gotten.
- -Scott Toilet Paper: was 2.68 & I had a coupon for a dollar off, therefore getting 4 rolls of toilet paper for 1.68!!
- -Kashi Waffles: was 2.44 and I had a coupon for 1.50 off, therefore paying .94 on a box of waffles!!

Tonight I am going to Ingles & to print off a few more coupons. I'll let you know the outcome of those savings.

Total Savings: 16.89

It's all Junk...

I was craving a pizza and movie night for the hubby and I last night. We hadn't had a Friday night where we could just sit at home in quiet a while, so I was definitely going to take advantage of it. So, around 7:30 we went and picked up our pizza and rented "The Yes Man". I hadn't had pizza in so long, my mouth was practically over flowing with drool. It smelled so good. Pizza is one of those foods that I could eat every day of my life and never get sick of it. When we got home, I made my plate and poured me a glass of Pepsi. That was my first mistake.

Nearly five years ago, I made the decision to drink strictly, that good ol' H2O. It is probably the best decision I have ever made in my life, but on the occasion that I want a soft drink, I always get sick. I didn't even have a whole glass of Pepsi. It wasn't much at all actually, but the impact it had on my body was nearly unbearable. My stomach felt like was about to explode, and I could feel the headache I usually get when I have a soft drink begin. After eating the pizza (which was the most fattening & greasiest thing I had in two weeks), I felt horrible. I just knew that I had ruined our night.

I made myself a cup of water, and it wasn't too long after I began drinking it...I started to feel better. I guess the water settled my stomach, and pushed the headache away. It was then that I began to wonder how in the world people can drink soft drinks and eat fattening food like pizza all of the time? The first best thing that I ever did for myself was switch to drinking nothing but water. The second best thing that I ever did for myself, was switching over to whole wheat bread, and healthier food. I'm not sure how I lived before doing those two things.

They Stole my T.V Channel

Last Friday, I discovered that Soap Net had disappeared from my line of channels on my television. I refrained from screaming, and calling up the cable company to cuss them out. I, instead, remained patient for a week, hoping that somehow at sometime, Soap Net would reappear on my television. It has yet to come back.

So, instead of having my daily dose of "One Tree Hill" and "The O.C" (don't be hatin'), I have been having to watch "Wife Swap", because, let's face it, there is CRAP on television during the weekdays. Not that "Wife Swap" is prime entertainment either.

I cherish those two or three hours I get each afternoon while Bree is down for her nap. I usually have my lunch, clean the house, and then sit down and enjoy my Soap Net. I have been robbed of these luxuries. I don't know what to do now that my t.v schedule has been changed. Do I pop in a movie instead of trying to find something worth watching on television? Do I stare aimlessly at my computer screen, bored out of my mind, until five o'clock? I realize that I could do something smart, like read a book, but I prefer to read at night before bed time. Not in the middle of the freakin' day.

I guess I will have to call Charter on Monday, and find out why they took Soap Net away from me. I may even accuse them of theft. Hmph...

Bathing Suits...

Bree and I put on our bathing suits today, and went to the pool. The sun wasn't as warm as I had hoped, but it was comfortable outside. The pool water was too cold to get into, which was unfortunate, because that's what Bree wanted to do. I wish that her attention span lasted a wee bit longer though, because we were only out there for 15 minutes before she was bored. She became attached to my spray bottle of tanning oil, and she also enjoyed dragging my pool bag all over the patio. I didn't sit down once, and more or less chased her all over the place making sure she wouldn't jump into the pool. Oh well, at least she had fun. I can't wait for the water to get warmer so that we can actually get into the pool.

I Broke My Camera

Mother's Day did not begin well at all. I was in a bad mood, but I can blame it on Paul. I decided that I wanted to wear my denim jacket over my dress instead of a cream colored cardigan that I have. To Paul, this meant that he didn't have to dress up (or look descent), because my ensemble included "blue jeans" (even if it was in a jacket). So, he pulls on a pair of blue jeans and yellow (it was faded) polo, and says that he's ready for church. I asked him why he wouldn't dress up, and he said that he didn't want to look stupid all dressed up and me not dressed up at all. Anyway, to make a long story short, I got pissed at Paul because he wouldn't even try to put on his khaki slacks and a button up shirt. He didn't even have to wear a tie, but I wanted him to look at least half way descent.

After lunch, we wanted to take family pictures. I went ahead and walked outside with Bree and waited for everyone else to come out. As I waited, I got the bright idea to put my camera on the back of my Dad's car & try to take a picture of myself on my car's hood. I set the self timer or 10 seconds, put the camera down, and took my pose. Suddenly, a gust of wind broke through, and pushed my camera off of the back of the car and crashed down onto the cement drive way. I uttered several cuss words as I picked it up to make sure it was okay. It wasn't okay. It was screwed. I tried my best to hold myself together. I fought back tears. I fought back screams. I fought back kicking, and destroying everything in my path. I went calmly to Paul. I told him that I broke my camera, and that it was not fixable. I told him that we need to go to Target, and I am going to buy another camera. A disposable one? No. Not a disposable one. A digital camera. We got in the car, drove 10 minutes down the road to Target and marched into the store like we were on a mission to destroy Earth. The man working in the electronics had a hearing problem, and kept leaning into me and saying, "I'm sorry, I have a hearing problem..." Why would you put someone with a hearing problem in the electronics department, where they are going to be asked questions? Anyway, I walked out of Target with a Fujifilm 10.0 mega pixel camera. I was happy again.

Here are a few samples of the beautiful pictures it took of my beautiful family:

Today was grocery day. I was really frustrated with my coupons, because I felt like I didn't have many and that there weren't any really great sales going on. I thought for sure I'd spend a lot of money on a whole lot of nothing. Boy was I wrong. When I got to Wal Mart, I bought 50 dollars worth of groceries for 30! Check out my really good deals:
- -Bagelfuls: They were on sale for 1.88, I had a coupon for a dollar off...therefore, I paid 88 cents for them.
- -Kraft Salad Dressing: They were on sale for 1.58. I had 2 coupons, one for a dollar off & one for 1.50 off. I bought two bottles and paid 8 cents for one, and 58 cents for the other.
- -Kashi Blueberry Waffles: They were on sale for 2.44. I had a coupon for 1.50 off. I paid .94 cents for a box of Kashi Waffles.
- -Velveeta Shells & Cheese: They were on sale for 1.50. I had a coupon for 1.00 off. I paid .50 cents for a box of Velveet Shells & Cheese

Those are just a few examples of the EXCELLENT deals I got today. I officially cut my grocery bill in half, and got more groceries than I would have had I paid 60 bucks.

I hope everyone's Mother Day was great, and if you have any questions about the coupon shopping, don't hesitate to ask!

Everybody's Working for the Weekend...

It's Friday. Finally. My day didn't start out too well. Evidently a bill collector wants me to payl 1,050 dollars on a hospital trip that I took directly after a wreck that I had that was completely not my fault. I was 7 months pregnant with Bree, and wanted to make sure everything with her was okay. The unfortunate thing was that the guy who hit me had the same car insurance as I had. Allstate didn't want to pay out, and instead kept trying to get me to pay the bills for the ambulance ride, and hospital visit. I had to take the case to an attorney, and we just settled the case in February. I hadn't heard from the bill collector in over a year, and then suddenly they started contacting me again after we had settled the case. Evidently they think that settlement check I got from my attorney was supposed to go toward that hospital bill. Um, no? I don't understand why we have had nothing but trouble from this car accident. It was clearly the other guy's fault, but for some reason...the insurance company would like to blame me. It's just frustrating. I'm not rich. Go bug the hell out of some rich family who spends 1,050 dollars on a pair of jeans every week.

Anyway...on a completely different note, Sunday is Mother's Day (oh crap, you forgot didn't you?). I hope that every Mother reading this has a very Happy Mother's Day! Sit back and take a load off! Enjoy your day. This is my second Mother's Day, and I plan on enjoying it =)

It's Thursday...

In today's blog you will find me discuss these topics:
American Idol
Busted diapers
The Weekend

American Idol
It seems as though my American Idol predictions were correct, although, I was very surprised to see Kris safe. I figured Allison was on her last straw, but she is very talented and I don't think that she will have any issues getting a record deal. The next Kelly Clarkson? Maybe. As far Adam, I'm never going to vote for him & I hope he's out next week. I doubt it, but hey, a girl can dream. It's hard to believe that Idol has almost ended another season. It's also hard to believe that I have been watching since Season 2. I'm not sure if that's something to be proud of or not. Hmm...

Pampers
I would like to know what that gooey, sticky, clumpy stuff is that comes out of diapers. I call it a busted diaper, and it is the messiest of all messes to get cleaned up. This morning, when I went to get Bree out of bed, her diaper had busted. This gooey, gunk was all over her tummy, on her legs, stuck to her onsie...EVERYWHERE! What is this stuff, and where does it come from??

The Weekend
This weekend is, of course, Mother's Day. So, Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mother's. I guess I should include myself in that equation, although, I find that sometimes, I feel too young or undeserving to be a Mother. I don't feel as though I deserve a Mother's Day, because my Mother has done a whole lot more to deserve a Mother's Day than I have. Nevertheless, I guess that technically, I am a Mother so...Happy Mother's Day to me too.

On Saturday, I am taking pictures for Chick Fil A's 4th Annual Character Carnival. I've taken pictures every year that we've been doing this thing. I am developing my portfolio. Some people at church have started their own photography business. I've seen their pictures, and they aren't that great. I can do better. That has motivated me to get my own photog business started. I just need to invest in a bigger, better camera. All I have now is my little 8.0 Mega Pixel Kodak. I do take pretty good pictures with that thing though.

Tomorrow, Paul has to work, although, he's not going to get paid for it. It's all part of this new thing his boss decided to do. Everyone has to come to work on Friday, but they aren't going to get paid for it. Somehow, I think that's illegal. Nevertheless, we've been on a job hunt. We definitely need your prayers, and God's intervention, because it is getting pretty discouraging (and scary).

Who's Getting the Idol boot tonight?

or


Why? At this point, all of the finalists are pretty awesome. I really do not like Adam Lambert at all, but I don't think that I am lucky enough for him to go home. Kris and Allison have both been in the bottom 3 more than Adam (once) and Danny (never). I am really pulling for Danny to win this thing, but I can't help but think that the judges are setting Adam up to win. Hopefully America won't let this happen though. He can sing, but so can Danny.

I voted for Danny like a million times last night, as well as Allison and Kris. Adam has never received one of my votes. I must admit though, this season of Idol has been one of the best in quiet a while...possibly since Season Two. But, America isn't known to vote for the right people. For instance, Fantasia Barrino, Taylor Hicks, Barack Obama, Rubben Studdard. Maybe they'll get it right this year.

Please, ignore my American Idol nerdism...but, tell me who you think may win or get the boot tonight?

Since I've Been Gone...

Sunday Morning Boredom
This is how Bree copes with boredom...

The Hair: Sunday/Monday
We've had Mercy now for a little over 10 years. She is a Pekingese, and if you have ever seen what a Pekingese's coat looks like...it's thick and heavy. Well, I had promised my Mom that I would cut Mercy's hair this weekend as well as Rainey (my dog whom I left my Parent's house after I got married, because my Dad was so attached to him). Anyway, Sunday afternoon, after dinner, I began to cut Mercy's hair. It took me 2 hours to get her shaved! You wouldn't believe the hair that was left afterwards. I could have insulated a whole house with the leftovers.


Coupons, Crooked Boss & Raggedy Anne
Monday I went grocery shopping and would have saved about 10 dollars on my grocery bill, with a whole lot more food than we usually get, had I not been a complete and utter idiot and spent 8 dollars on 3 boxes of Golden Grahams. Here's what happened: Bloom had their General Mills cereal, but one get one free. I had a coupon for a dollar off when I buy three General Mills Cereal boxes. I picked up 3 boxes of cereal, and headed to the register. I didn't have my "Breeze" card on me, and therefore, instead of getting all 3 boxes for 3 dollars, I spent 8. I beat myself up over that for hours. I was so mad at myself.

Paul called me at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon to tell me that he could start working his 5 days again, BUT he wouldn't get paid for the fifth day. Well, that sucks because not only is he working but not getting paid, but now he can't work his side jobs where he was making up for the money lost. We went over to his Dad's house last night to get help on updating his resume. His Dad is great with words, and definitely transformed Paul's Resume into something professional and...beautiful if I do say so myself.

Before we left, Bree found her Great Aunt's old Raggedy Anne Doll. Paul's Dad said that Bree could keep it, but when I got it home...I realized that Raggedy Anne's clothes were stinky, dirty, and possibly stained yellow with smoke. I need to clean both the doll and her clothes, but I don't want to ruin her anymore that she already is. I took of the doll's clothes today, filled up the bathroom sink with cold water and soap, and let it soak. But how do I clean the doll, and get the smell out of it? If you have any ideas...please let me know. Bree loves this doll, so I want it to be clean for her.

So...that's what went on this weekend for me. I live a busy life on the weekends as you can tell. How was your weekend?

The House Wife...

I chose the option of staying at home with Bree and becoming a house wife nearly two years ago. I wouldn't have it any other way, but sometimes cleaning up the same things, from the same spots...gets kind of old.

For instance, the hubby's socks from the previous day of work. They are usually strewn out on the living room, in front of the love seat. His shoes, they are always either in the door way of our bedroom, or in the middle of the living room. They aren't just sitting there side by side, or off to the side. Nope, they always looks as though he just walked right out of them! If I were to trip on one of them in the door way, I'd trip on the other too, because they are spaced just right that it would be possible to trip on both of them.

Paul's side of the bed is the same way. His shorts always look like they just fell off of him, his shirt laying next to them, more socks and boxers, sometimes a towel, and the remote control. All of this on a 2 foot wide path between the bed and the wall. I don't really understand it, and sometimes I dread even making the bed for this very reason. Why is the remote control on the floor? He has a bedside table. Is it really that much easier to throw the remote on the floor rather than just lay it on the bedside table?

Then there are Bree's little messes everywhere. Spoons, and sippy cups are found in her little "sit-n-push" car's hide away under the little plastic seat. Baby dolls in the bathroom, old shoes that I have kept of hers in the living room, blocks in the kitchen floor, diapers that she pulled from the diaper hanger strewn all over her bedroom...

Why don't house wives get paid?