It must be love

Why else would I go to Walmart at 4:30 this morning? Last year was my first time to hit the Black Friday sales. Kim is such a bad influence on me, still. She and I made a full morning of it last year. This year, it was just me. There are 3 stores I want to go to: Michael's, Walmart & JC Penney. Ronnie has to work today so that makes it a bit difficult to manage the shopping with Paige.

Michael's opened yesterday 6pm to 9pm. I did my shopping then. Paige stayed home with Ronnie & I went to Michael's. I got more scrapbooking stuff. Everything I got was 50% off, plus my coupon for an additional 20% off my entire purchase. I did pretty good.

Walmart had a Kitchenaid stand mixer for $130 starting at 5am today. Ronnie has wanted one for years. Literally for years. We've just never been able to afford the $250 price tag for a mixer. For $130 he can have it as an early Christmas gift. Mainly since it's the only gift he'll be getting this year. I got there at 4:30. People were already grabbing the smaller items and throwing them in their buggy. There was no way for me to get a buggy through the crowds. I grabbed the 2nd to last Kitchenaid, made my way to the back to get a gallon of milk, then checked out. I was home and back in bed by 5:25! I was able to walk through the checkout. Everyone was still arguing over the $88 Barbie Jeeps. That place was an absolute madhouse!

JC Penney has some good sales tomorrow and some nice coupoons in the paper today. If I go, I will wait and go tomorrow. There's some nice boots half price, and some not too thick sweaters for only $9. That's my kind of shopping!

Who else braved the Black Friday crowds? What good bargains did you get? I'm off to get more caffeine.

Our Thanksgiving menu

I know a lot of people expect us to have this huge, elaborate menu since Ronnie is a chef. We could. But, we really don't want to. My family is all getting together at Uncle Little Erie's new house to have a huge meal together. Just your usual Thanksgiving meal: ham, turkey, dressing, gravy, green bean casserole, gumbo. You know, traditional stuff.

We started our own tradition last year: Thanksgiving at our house. We invite over some friends, let the kids run wild, & have a meal. Last year was more traditional: turkey, duck, green bean casserole. This year? This year we wanted to do something a little different.

Our menu:
BBQ Chicken
Meatloaf burgers
Hot dogs (with chili, sauerkraut, relish, onions, the works!)
Mac & Cheese (Kraft)
Baked beans (Bushs)
Green bean casserole (gotta have it!)
Brownies (Betty Crocker)

That's right, we're grilling out for Thanksgiving. Something small and simple. Between now & the end of the year I won't see a whole lot of Ronnie. This is his busiest season. I knew that when I married him. Instead of killing himself making a huge meal for us, we decided to go easy & fun instead. It may be one of his last days to sit back & chill.

Too much Trading Spaces?

I'm not much for reality TV. Trading Spaces, Top Chef & Project Runway are about as far as I go. But I really like those shows. I DVR 'edTrading Spaces last Saturday and sat down Sunday to watch. Paige curled up on the couch next to me with her doll and a book. After about 30 minutes she asked to go see Aunt Wii.

Off she went next door. She curled up in Aunt Wii's chair with her to snuggle. All of a sudden I hear huge amounts of laughter. Paige had gotten up in the chair, looked around and announced, "Your house is really beautiful. I really like what you did with the lights."

As long as she doesn't start telling Daddy to pack his knives and go, I think we're safe.

Paige's first movie

We went to see Madagascar 2 yesterday. We told Paige we had a surprise for her & got her in the car. When we got to the movie theater there was a huge stand up for the movie. She immediately ran to it and started talking about her animals. She loves Madagascar 1, so we thought this would be a great movie for her first one.

We got our popcorn & found seats. Paige kept watching the commercials on the screen asking where her animals were. The theater slowly filled up with parents & kids. By the time the movie started, there was no empty seats left.

I wish I could say that from the first moment she was mesmerized. I think Ronnie and I were both hoping for this. It didn't happen. She sat through the previews asking where her animals were and wanting to hold the popcorn. When the movie finally started she was staring at the screen. About 45 minutes into the movie, she had to potty. Just past an hour into it she was so fidgety and walking around our 3 seats that we had to leave. This child who will sit through an entire showing of Madagascar or Cars at home, couldn't sit through it at the movie theater.

Paige talks about seeing her animals and says she liked the movie. I guess when it hits DVD we'll pick it up and watch it at home. Ronnie and I were both really looking forward to this, and were a bit disappointed. We'll get over it.

Now for my Walle disclaimer. I did think the movie was beautifully done. I love Pixar. And I LOVE Mickey Mouse. Disney is the best in my book. The movie had a good morale to it. I just think it was a bit boring to sit and watch. Especially for kids. When it got to a part I thought was good, I told Ronnie we could just start it there for Paige. Then it would get dull again. I could see why she lost interest in it. I was just looking for more from this movie. I had big expectations going in. I have HUGE expectations for Toy Story 3. I really hope I'm not disappointed. And the fact that I have to wait until 2010 just makes it worse!

Walle

Are we the only ones out there who were bored by this movie? I was super excited for it to come out. Pixar was doing a movie about robots. In space. How cool! Ronnie and I were both so ready to see it. We almost took Paige to the movies to see this one. But, at the time we didn't think she would have sat still for the entire thing. We were right.

Like most Disney movies, I pre-purchased this one at the Disney Store. I picked up our copy this week. We were going to save it for Christmas, but after the few days Paige had we thought she could use a pick me up. We got her early from daycare yesterday, popped popcorn, made lemonade, and turned the lights off. By 10 minutes into it, Paige was fidgeting. By 20 minutes she was asking to go play with her toys. We turned it off.

After Paige went to bed we tried to finish it. Ronnie dozed on the couch while I read a book. Neither one of us could get into this one. For us, it's Pixar's first flop. Now, Toy Story 3 better be good!

My title is too long

I wanted to call this blog: "A recently potty trained 2 year old who hates to poop on the potty has explosive diarrhea. What fun!" I just thought that was too long to put up there.

Paige's fever turned into explosive diarrhea yesterday. My headache went away, but is back today. There's a nasty stomach bug going around and we were lucky enough to get it. Yeah us. I must say she's been really good with the bug. She would run to the potty when she needed to go. Much screaming, crying & begging would commence once she was on there. Paige was pretty vocal too! :) We only lost one pair of panties in the whole sickness. Not too bad. There was no way I was cleaning those. They just went straight in the trash, and Paige went in the shower for a cleanoff.

The bug now needs to make it's way around the house. Ronnie and I aren't feeling so good today. Paige? She's doing great and is back at daycare today. The fever broke yesterday morning and she's doing fine. I don't think she's contagious anymore. That's one thing I'm very diligent about. If anyone is contagious they do not go to work or school. I'm sitting on the couch now.

What a day!

I woke up with a headache. I took a couple of Tylenol and started wishing it away. Yeah right. Paige woke up feel kinda punky. No fever, just not herself. Usually she wakes up at warp 5 and doesn't slow down. This morning she just wanted to be held & snuggled. She mostly gets herself dressed these days, with a little help from us. This morning she just laid on the bed and let me dress her. All the time asking for Daddy who was getting dressed himself.

I left work early with a migraine that just wouldn't stop. I wanted to leave before my eyes got too sensitive to light and I couldn't drive. Came straight home, crawled into bed & stayed there. I had my bottle of esgic close by. (It's a migraine medicine.) One didn't do the trick, so I popped a second one. I slept for a couple of hours & started feeling a bit more human. Or at least like I wouldn't rip anyone's head off for breathing too loud. The ice pick being slammed into my head was reduced down to a small hammer.

Ronnie came home around 3 with Paige. Daycare had called. My little girl had a temp of 102 & just wasn't feeling like herself. She gladly snuggled with Mommy on the couch. I kept a constant stream of Diego and Dora going to keep her happy. Paige, the child who doesn't like medicine, actually asked for some. That's how I know she doesn't feel well! She says nothing hurts. And aside from the feeling sluggish, she's acting just fine.

Ronnie had to work tonight, and Aunt Wii had church, so it was just me and Paige. With my headache and her fever. What a combination. She's tucked nicely into bed. I'm about to head there myself, along with my bottle of esgic. Paige will be staying home from daycare tomorrow. Hopefully she'll feel better, and so will I.

What is a friend?

So many people think friends are only people you see in person. I have some of those. We chat on the phone, send text messages, and go out for drinks. They are great people to have around, even those that live in other states. We're all so busy with work & families that it's hard to make time to see each other as often as we should. That goes for all of us. I'm as guilty as the next person.

I also have some friends who are online. These friends fill a much needed void. When Paige was born I joined a group of ladies who also had children in January, 2006. Some friendships have endured the 3 years since I first met them. There's Beth who I actually got to meet in person. We visited her unnamed town for a music fest. We were able to let our kids play together while we got to sit and chat. Then there's Caroline. We've never met in person, although I'm tempted to crash her vacation to Vegas next year. But that's another blog. I have a few other online friends. We chat through instant messenger mostly.

A friend isn't someone you have to see in your regular everyday life. Your online friends are just as important and are lots of fun. It's just a different type of fun than girls night out. So, to all my friends, email, online & real life, thanks for being there. I'm sure I'll be chatting with all of you soon. That was me sending the naughty text earlier. Shhh! Don't tell Santa.

And the crafts go to...

Comment number 4: Sara.

Thank you to everyone who left a comment. I do hope that some new readers will stick around for a bit.

Sara, please email me at scifimama @ gmail. com with your name & shipping address. Also, let me know if you have girls, boys, & the age of the child that would probably do the craft project with you. I have several projects that I could send and would like to send something age appropriate. I do have several that would make great Christmas gifts for teachers, so keep that in mind!

Yeah, we're cool like that

Over the past almost 3 years several family members have threatened to give us a child size drum set for Paige. We always answer the same way "Why? We already have an adult one." Well, here's the proof.

My child is a pint size musician. And a chick drummer at that! She and Unc were having a blast.

The video is a bit dark, since the room is rather bat cave-like.





I hope you enjoy Paige's first performance on the drums as much as we did.

My first give away

As you've probably figured out, I'm a rather crafty person. I enjoy doing arts & crafts projects with Paige. It's always so much fun! Many people tell me they don't do this with their kids because they just don't know where to start. They don't know what their kids will like & don't want to invest a lot of money in things that may never get used. I completely understand. So, in the interest of encouraging more crafty kids & parents, I'm giving away art & craft supplies.

My give away will include most things you need to get started:

• popsicle sticks
• glue
• pom pom balls
• goggly eyes
• pipe cleaners
• foam sheets
• felt sheets
• stickers
• construction paper
• 1 complete craft project kit

All you'll need to add is the imagination. If you don't have any, I can email you links to get started. (Those are bookmarked on my home computer & I'm at work. SHHHH!)

To enter just leave a comment. I'll pick a random number & that comment will win. If you blog, please refer your readers. If they say you sent them, you will receive the same thing. The deadline to enter is Sunday afternoon. I'll post the winner Sunday evening.

Do you Twitter?

I Twitter. Do you Twitter? I love to Twitter. No idea what I'm talking about? That's OK.

Twitter is micro-blogging. You have 140 spaces to tell the world what you're doing & what you're thinking. I find it a great way to keep in touch with friends across the country. None of whom I've actually met in person. You can have little conversations, say what's going on in your world, what you're thinking, all in 140 characters.

Twitter is very addicting. Caroline introduced me to Twitter quite a while ago. A think her Geeky Brother introduced her to it. You can follow people, and others follow you. You see what's going on with them.

It only takes a second or two to pop on, post something and go about your day. It's a great stress reliever at work. Need a couple of minutes of non-accounting to clear your brain? Post a Twitter.

If you decide to check it out, my Twitter name is SciFiMama. Go figure.

Cards for the Troops

One of my clients at work, JB, is an active duty soldier. He owns a business in Texas, is stationed in Oklahoma, and has been sent to Iraq. I wanted to do something special for him and the others in his unit for Christmas. I organized my office & daycare to do cards & needed items for JB and his unit.

Of course he can't tell me any exact numbers. I wouldn't want him to compromise the safety of anyone over there. He was able to give me estimates. I needed to provide cards for 200 troops. Only about 50 if I wanted to take care of his direct platoon, but about 200 for the unit. These are soldiers who have been away from home for about 9 months already. They aren't even sure when they'll be back home. But it definitely won't be in time for Christmas.

I surpassed my goal of 200 cards. We also have enough items for everyone in his unit to get 1 thing, and for extras to be passed out to the other platoons. When I say items I mean everything from toothbrushes, to snack foods. Things that they have a hard time getting over there in Iraq.

My hope is that this lets them know that we haven't forgotten them over here. That we do appreciate everything they're doing for us. And that we know how hard it must be for them and their families. Last month 9 of their soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash. (This was reported on CNN, so JB could tell me.) JB says their morale is down in the dumps. And as the holidays approach it gets even worse. I really hope this gives them a little happy.

"Where's my cous cous?"

This is how Paige greeted dinner this evening. Everyone has their favorite meals. Hers is is grilled tilapia, cous cous & green beans. Mommy wasn't in a cous cous kind of mood, so I made macaroni & cheese instead. I should have known better.

After Paige finished off her first tilapia filet I had to entice her to eat the mac & cheese before she could have more fish. She ate 2 1/2 filets! We could have this every night and she would be happy.

I'm going to guess this isn't the typical 2 year old's favorite meal. What's your kids favorites?

My bread machine

We were walking through the grocery store Saturday when I mentioned I sometimes wish I had a bread machine. I like different breads, and they're usually so expensive in the store. Ronnie looked hurt and reminded me that I married a bread machine. We bought bread making ingredients and I put him to work.

Flour & yeast.


Rolling out the dough.



Letting the dough rise.



Adding the cheese to the herbs before forming.



The finished product. I couldn't wait. I had to have a slice before I remembered I needed to take a picture.


His breads turned out pretty well. I will definitely be putting this bread machine to use later on. It won't just sit on a shelf in the kitchen!

What a weekend!

I guess it started Friday night. Ronnie was giving Paige a bath while I was in the bedroom gathering up jammies & things. I could hear them singing their ABC's. It was the cutest thing ever to hear. Paige had gorged herself on take out Chinese & was in a great mood.

Saturday was one of those wonder fall days. The temp here was in the high 70's and it was gorgeous. We rode bikes, played soccer, and spent a lot of time on the swings. Paige and I had a nice morning of Christmas shopping that ended with her getting a chocolate chip cookie at the mall & a ride on the carousel. She didn't even complain when we went grocery shopping! Just helped pick items for the week.

Today is a treat for us. Paige asked Aunt Wii if she could go to church this morning. Aunt Wii quickly picked out an outfit & told me to get her dressed. Paige has been wanting to play with her friends and her boyfriend Jude attends Aunt Wii's church. I think this is her main reason for going. I've been wrapping gifts, picking up the house here and there. Ronnie is brewing beer at the moment.

This has been such a nice, relaxing weekend. It's the kind of weekend I wish we could have more of. It's been lazy breakfasts of bacon & biscuits, Saturday morning cartoons, and just plain having fun. I hope everyone one else has had a weekend exactly like ours.

The bear

Last month Beth had a bear giveaway. I was a lucky winner. I spent almost a week picking out the fabric, a green sparkly felt. Paige's bear arrived yesterday.

"What is it, Mommy?"


"IT'S MY BEAR!!"



And just a few minutes later:


Paige had no idea that a bear was on it's way. I didn't tell her so it could be a full surprise. Her bear has replaced Pappy by her pillow at night. I had to pry him out of her hands to take her to daycare this morning. She drags him around by the ear or the neck.

Beth, thank you. The bear is a huge success here.

Catch up

It's been a while. All I can say is I'm sorry. Life just kind of caught up with me, then ran me over like I was standing still. We had a great time Friday night. Our little Bob the Builder family was a success. I think we were cute!


The weekend was spent at the Peter Anderson Festival. My parents set up a booth each year in front of the Mason Lodge. Space for the festival is highly competitive. Luckily, Mom has an "in" with the Lodge, a couple of my uncles are members. I spent both days helping Mom in her booth, and Ronnie spent the time entertaining Paige. Sometimes by herself, sometimes with Mark & Measha's children Mia, Miku & Merick. Here's Paige with Mia & Merick.



Saturday we indulged in something that is truly unique to Ocean Springs. We had Tato-Nut donuts. These donuts are made with potato flour & put Krispy Kreme to shame with how light & fluffy they are. It's almost like biting into air they are so fluffy. I'll have a Krispy Kreme when I can't get a Tato-Nut, but it just doesn't compare. If you ever get the chance to try one, you definitely should! It was so nice to be out there for the weekend. Most of my family stopped by the booth at some point. I got to spend time visiting with family and catching up on what's going on with their lives.


Saturday night we had an amazing dinner with friends Mark & Measha. Ronnie cooked a huge buffet of food. There was no way to eat it all. While Paige played with Miku and Merick we adults indulged in some good cheese & beer. Mark & Measha had a booth set up right next to Tato-Nut! How lucky!! Mark does hand turned wood. Measha is my favorite soap distributor. She hand makes all of her soaps using only natural, organic products. If you can't make it out to her, stop by her site. The children's foaming soap is great, Paige swears by it. I love her bar soaps. I'm currently using the Carribbean Bay soap, it smells so good. And for a really nice treat, try her organic orange scrub. I do admit to never having ordered from the website. When I need a reorder, I just call. It does pay to know the owner who makes the soaps! Also, think outside the box when looking at her site. She makes these great sled style soap holders. They make a very unique business card holder.

Sunday night when we got home was a whirlwind of unloading the van & getting Paige to bed. Monday & Wednesday I had tests in advanced auditing, so that meant lots of studying. Tuesday was election day, and like most of America I was glued to the TV for results most of the night. Ronnie's already said his candidate didn't win. Well, mine didn't either. He & I actually voted the same way this time. Neither candidate agreed with me on my big issues, so I voted for the strong military that usually comes with a Republican candidate. My full support is also behind Obama. The majority have spoken & he has been elected.

And I almost forgot some exciting news! Marc & Wendy's 2nd son, Jeff is home. Ronnie called me at work Tuesday to let me know Jeff had just shown up. He's currently stationed in Texas. We weren't expecting him home so it was a great surprise. He'll be here for 2 weeks. Paige is completely taken with Jeff again. Wendy's brother Rich came in town today. He and his family live up in New Jersey. It's almost like a small family reunion. Now if only Marc & Wendy's oldest son Matthew could come home from Guam with his wife Amanda and son Xander.

I think that's a catch up of what's been going on and why I've been a bit too busy to blog lately. I promise to try to do better.

My two cents. Clink.. Clink..

Ronnie needs to get something off his chest.

I'm not trying to start a debate or knock anyone else's views here. This is to just say my piece and move on with my life. I'm not happy with the election, not saying that I wanted the other guy either. My pick dropped out of the race during the primaries. I congratulate President Elect Obama. Well done. America has spoken and now lets get down to business.

Between the two, I had more in common with McCain. So that's where I voted. End of story. I hope that everyone else did the same. That is what makes America what it is. Freedom of choice. It is no hidden secret that I do not like Mr. Obama's views on most topics. I don't like a lot of the things he has said. But, this his how the system works and I support the system. I hope he proves me wrong in my belief that he needed more experience for this job, I really do. I am not excited, nor happy about this election. Please understand that I would have felt the same way had McCain won. This is not bashing time. I want change as much as the next person, I just wish that we all could agree on a president, parties withstanding. Wouldn't that be cool. Both parties agreeing and choosing one.

People often say that in order to complain you have to vote. I think that some only vote in order to complain. I vote because it is my right as a citizen to vote.

I wish Mr. Obama the best of luck, and if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.

Ronnie Anthony Elvis Toncrey Jr.

Go Vote!!!

Today is election day! Go out and vote. Pick your candidate, grab a book & comfy shoes & head to the polling place. This election is expecting to be one of the largest turnouts in history, at least for Alabama.

You may feel your vote for president doesn't count if you don't live in Florida or Ohio. And I feel ya on that one. I'm not really sure my vote counts. But, there are lots of other elections going on today as well. We're voting on the county license commissioner, and on other local officials, as well as some state ammendments. I know that my vote will count on those issues.

In honor of election day, some restaurants are offering freebies to people who vote:

• Starbucks will give a free regular coffee to all who vote.
• Krispy Kreme is making star shaped glazed donut with red, white & blue sprinkles. You'll need to show your "I Voted" sticker to get this one.
• Shane's Rib Shack is giving away their American Value Meal: 3 chicken tenders, fries & a drink.
• Ben & Jerry's is giving away a free scoop from 5pm to 8pm.

These should not be the only reason you vote, but it could be a nice way to cap off standing in line at the polls.

Remember, if you don't vote, you can't complain for the next 4 years. I know several of you who don't plan on voting. I will be happy to remind you of this when you start complaining about the president in about 6 months. Hopefully if I remind you of this enough, you'll vote next time.