Thanksgiving/Black Friday

Thanksgiving was such a blast this year! Evelyn is finally old enough to be one of the clan and enjoyed every minute of it with the big kids this year. She particularly took a liking to the two girls, Paige and Renee. She followed Nay Nay around most of the time and the next morning was asking about Paige. It was heavenly!

Due to no nap at all Thanksgiving Day, Evelyn was a little on the crabby side come dinner time. We spent dinner in the dining room alone where it was quiet enough for her to concentrate on eating. During our solo dinner Evelyn glanced up at the table seeing a picture of Aunt Cheryl and Grandpa Eli. She got a huge grin and said, "Li" (Eli). We've educated her with stories and pictures of Grandpa to keep the memory going. But the truth is, I'm just not used to him not being here on Holidays and this sweet little memory brought me to tears. We dearly love and miss you, Grandpa.



**

This year was my first Black Friday EVER! I've been researching products, their original prices vs Black Friday prices, and even went the extra mile to craziness-studying store maps to know exactly where to go for my purchases. I was so excited I could barely sleep! The plan was leave at 3:30am, get there by 4am and stand like crazy people waiting by the stuff we wanted.

Around 10pm, while trying to sleep, I got several phone calls from Jared's cousin, Angie. I finally answered to her excitedly shouting, "Walmart opens at midnight!" Thank God she called! I immediately dialed my best friend and shopping buddy, Chelsea, to alert her that the plans had changed! We stayed up until 11pm and left for Walmart. Arriving at 11:30, we quickly found the first item on our list, the Shark steam mop. Since the crazier people were already there we had a feeling we weren't going to get close enough to them to get one. Fortunately, we made friends with 2 other girls and mapped out our game plan. At 12:01 the tape was cut and we were free to grab! Our attack went just as planned-the 1st girl pushed her way through to the mops and we all formed a line following her. She finally pushed to the front and just kept handing em back til we all had one! It was SO MUCH FUN! As soon as we had our mops, I directed Chelsea to push the cart while shouting, "RUN!!!!" We took off like crazy people, taking short cuts through the empty aisles. The Black Friday deals were all in the main aisles so this way we weren't stuck in the bumper to bumper traffic.

When we finally got to the second item we wanted Chelsea continued to push the cart through the main aisle while I ran back and forth, cutting through aisles to get the things we wanted. Finally, we went to the DVD section. Talk about madness! The DVD's were torn through and the stands they were on looked rough. All the DVD's were gone but there was one remaining on the floor close to a rack-Ice Age! The only movie I wanted! So we grabbed it! We made it out by 12:10 with all 5 items we came for!!

1) Shark Steam mop $36
2) Food processer $3
3) Ice Age $1.98
4) Rubbermaid 40-piece tupperware set $9
5) $4 jammies

After checking out immediately-there were no lines by this time-we headed to the car with smiles of victory. After putting everything in the trunk we decided to go back in for round 2. It was so much fun watching the crazy people running and arguing, spilling stuff as they ran around corners. We ended up looking around some more and I did find one more thing. A pop-up tent for Evelyn. I couldn't wait the next day so I ended up just giving it to her early and we played in it for hours! We made beds inside, brought our baby dolls, brushed each others hair, and once it was night we turned off all the lights in the house and snuggled up inside to read some books by flashlight before bed. It was great!

Here is Evelyn in the mouth of the tent.


And here's a side view-it's 7x4 feet!


I am definitely going to be an annual Black Friday shopper after this. I loved the madness!!

Santa

The past few days I've been noticing how in tune Evelyn is with her environment. The other night she was in bed and I walked past her room and sneezed. I was startled when she then yelled, "Mommy!" She recognizes my sneeze, Jared's cough, etc.

Then this morning Evelyn was dragging out all of the DVD cases (Fun!!). She of course brought the Finding Nemo case to me and began pointing out the characters. First, she recognized Dori, then Gill, and finally she found Nemo at the bottom of the page. I spotted Nemo's father, Marlin, and decided to ask and see if she recognizes the difference between Nemo and his father. She immediately answered, "Nemo Daddy". I was pretty impressed considering they're practically identical (minus Nemo's lucky fin).

**

I also wanted to share a story from over the weekend.

Saturday we visited a store where Santa was making an appearance. Evelyn's bottom lip immediately began quivering at the first sight of him. She was saying, "Gah-wee" (Scary). I asked her if she wanted to sit on his lap and she of course said no. So I thought I'd demonstrate by sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what I want for Christmas. This seemed to help a little bit but after he presented her with a candy cane everything went smoothly. She told him her name, Ehh-nin, and what she wanted for Christmas, candy, and how old she is, 2. She even gave him a hug on our way out. Overall, I think she did great! Definitely an improvement from her last run in with Kris Kringle....

Suh-salts

Evelyn's imagination and personality never cease to amaze me and at this age of 19 months she can only be described as a downright good time!

Tonight before bed the three of us were playing in the living room when Evelyn did a somersault. She then declared it was my turn, then Jared's, then hers, then mine, etc. So we created a waiting line and took turns watching each other do somersaults and applauding each others victory. When Jared and I were finally somersaulted out, Evelyn began recruiting new playmates. It went something like this.....

"Doh-uh. Suh-salt. Yayyy!" (her Dora doll)
"O-bot. Suh-salt. Yayyy!" (a snow globe that apparently resembles a robot)
"Monica. Suh-salt. Yayyy!" (her harmonica)

I could barely contain the hysterical laughter! If you were there I guarantee you would have felt the same.

A few months ago I would have rather run to the store or do errands and miscellaneous shopping trips on my own, but these days the more the merrier. Evelyn is great at walking alongside me, helping point stuff out (you wouldn't believe the eye on this kid!), and is so enthusiastic about helping and being a member of the clan. And as I stated earlier, she is seriously a blast to hang out with! I'm loving this stage and would be completely happy to stay like this forever :)

In other news, since Jared's obsessive sweating has finally ruined my gorgeous, white down comforter, we decided to get ourselves an early Christmas present and buy new bedding and a new wall hanging with our 30% off Kohls coupon and $40 in Kohls cash. After 4 hours, 2 returns, and several incompetent, frustrating employees, we finally scored this beautiful, modern bedspread and picture.

Weekend Project

I've been studying like a dog and am feeling very confident going into this next lecture test. Since I only go to school Monday through Thursday my weekend is almost here!

Friday will be spent cleaning the house and preparing tons of delicious Tasetfully Simple appetizers for my Purse Party. Then I'll hopefully nap with Ev and enjoy my Ladies Night Out!!!

Thankfully, our weekend isn't too busy which is perfect because I'm taking on a new project this weekend.

Teaching Evelyn to smile with a little less cheeeeeeese!

Two Cousins

Yesterday (Thursday) Evelyn and I headed to Montgomery to spend the day with Aunt Rachel, Uncle Sal, and cousin Sal Jr.

Evelyn and Sal were SO excited to see each other! They greeted each other with smiles and hugs and had such a great time playing together. It was so funny listening to the little conversations and giggles resulting from it. At one point, they were just chasing each other through the house in fits of hysterical, adorable laughter.

While we were there we walked a few blocks away to a park where the kids amazed us with their skills! Evelyn and Sal both successfully made it over the balance beam multiple times and went down the HUGE slide alone! They both even took a try at the jungle gym. And they got pretty high up there! I was amazed! Evelyn never seizes to amaze me at the park. It seems like each time we go there she gets more and more daring.

My favorite part of the night was watching the 2 cousins walk home hand in hand. They were inseparable!! Once we announced it was time to head home you would have thought it was the end of the world! Both kids made their bodies limp, collapsing to the floor. As I was putting on her jacket Evelyn struggled to get it off as Sal lay in the doorway, blocking our exit. It was pretty cute. Overall they had a great time which was proven by the mulch in their hair, dirt on their faces and Evelyn's pink pants which mysteriously turned black. Something about seeing two cousins together is just magical. They enjoy every minute with each other so much!

Playing Taxi.


Cutest pic EVER :)



Going to the park.


Dare devils!!

Christmas??

Today was my last day of school for the week! No school tomorrow for Veteran's Day so I have a four day weekend this weekend and next weekend for Thanksgiving. Nice!! I've decided that this year I'm going to make my first Black Friday shopping trip. I plan to head to Target first for my Shark Steam mop (originally $130, on sale for 49.99!) and hopefully score some good toys for Evelyn for Christmas.

Which brings me to the point of what in the heck I should get her! God knows the girl doesn't need anymore clothes and has so many toys I don't know what to do with them in this little house! So far on our list we have a Disney Princess tea party set, a children's digital camera, and a Crayola doodle art thing that I forgot the name of. I was also looking in to getting her a Fisher-Price Spark Art Eisal. If anyone has suggestions please post a comment!! Thanks!

Bad News :(

A great morning was turned into a horrible evening tonight.

After waking up at 6am, Evelyn and I did some laundry, I finished a little homework, we danced, and ate eggies and pancakes n even made a trip to the store!! I love my Monday mornings where I get a few more hours to spend with her.

But it all went downhill after a follow up appointment for Evelyn's cough. She was prescribed two medications-1 for the cough and 1 for the ear infection our Dr noticed in her right ear. And after this, we discussed the fact that Evelyn's left eye has been watery/boogery since birth. We've done massaging, eye drops, nasal sprays, etc and nothing has seemed to work. So today our Dr referred us to an eye surgeon and we have a pre-op appointment this Friday. Evelyn will have to be given anesthesia and put under the knife. It will be a short, out-patient surgery but what mother wouldn't be worried! I'm just so nervous they will OD her or she will be the one out of a million they mess up on. It's so nerve racking. I will definitely have to take a muscle relaxer before this appointment or I will be out of control. Jared will not be going with us because we can't afford for him to take the day off but I will have 2 very close girlfriends going with me. Please keep us in your prayers. I unfortunately inherited Grandma Jo's nerves so I will defiantly not be sleeping til it's over!!

On the up side, tonight I taught Evelyn to drive her cars up and down my back and legs. And I mean, she really hit the right spots! It felt great. Hey, I'm a mom. This is as close to the spa as I'll probably ever come! Don't judge me haha :)

Sunday Funday

This morning while building a fort we were greeted with a surprise visit from our great friend, Rob, who recently moved to North Carolina. Evelyn is his biggest fan!! For about 6months after he left she was calling everyone, even females, Rob. Too funny. During the visit she showed him fort and multiple other toys and tricks, but for the majority of the visit she was cozied up with her favorite Uncle, Rob :)

After parting with Rob, I threw together white chicken chilli in the crock pot for the first time. The rest of the afternoon was lazily spent on the couch. No notes, no housework. It was great! (But rare!) Come dinnertime I was worried I would have to prepare a second meal for Evelyn. But to my surprise she was a HUGE fan of the chilli and especially loved the cornbread. It was delicious and we have plenty left over for lunch tomorrow. Yum!!

Tonight I also got my run on for the first time in a few months. I was jogging strong during the Summer, my 1.5 mile route every night, but once school came I'm so tired after getting Evelyn to bed and doing some studying that I just haven't had it in me. I've been battling with weight loss since Evelyn was born. I go in shifts of great work out and exercise, to eating tons of junk food and being a bum. I've realized that my break in exercise is basically my mind set. Every time I've ever began an exercising regimen I usually give up. It's really not hard to keep it up but I guess I usually quit because I have every other time and figure it's coming regardless. I'm going to try my hardest to stick with it this time. I feel so much better and usually see results quickly. Pray for me to stay strong!!!

Stick-uhhs

What a morning!!

We got a recorded call from our Dr's office at the beginning of the week that said, "Friday." And hung up. So I assumed Evelyn had a wellness check up at our regular scheduled time, Friday at 10am. We ALWAYS schedule at 10am. So on our way, I called and asked what time our appointment was. They said, "Your appointment was at 9:15, you'll have to reschedule." I explained that my daughter was scheduled for a wellness check but has developed a barking cough. They said they were booked. Nice. So we turned around, and 15minutes later received a call that they would see us. So we again turned around (annoying!).

After waiting for 45minutes, we were seen by the Doctor. Evelyn is still weighing 24pounds and is still very advanced our Dr explained. Then it was time. We stripped her down and she was enjoying her naked freedom when the Nurse walked in. Duhn duhn duhn!!! I barely held her arms down and pow pow! Two shots. Evelyn screamed and began to cry until I held up 2 Dora band-aides to which she replied, "Ooh! Stick-uhhs!" with a giant smile. And that was it! She happily got dressed and trotted out to the waiting room to show Yaya her cool stickuhhs.

Our Dr informed us to begin using our nebulizer and humidifier again and if the coughing continued, to call them on Monday. On the way home I was wondering, "how am I going to pull of the neb treatments!?" Tonight I demonstrated how COOL! the nebulizer was and Evelyn wanted to try. After a few minutes she was disinterested. Then suddenly I got an idea!

That's right! A Dum Dum sucker stuck in the side of the nebulizer. Pretty clever if you ask me!

Icky

After Evelyn having a fever/diarrhea Sunday and Monday, Jared and I both woke up feeling icky yesterday. After school, Evelyn's daycare kept her two extra hours so Mommy could take a much needed nap. Thankfully, yesterday was also Jared's Grandpa's 94th Birthday Celebration! I decided to stay home and take advantage of a few hours alone while Jared and Ev enjoyed the festivities with family. I ended up taking another short nap while they were gone and was glad to see they returned home with chicken noodle soup and mashed potatoes for me :) After taking an Airborne pill*, I ended up sleeping for 20hours and not attending school this morning. I did contact my teachers to assure this was ok and they were more than happy to let me rest. And I was more than happy to hear from my A&P teacher that I still have an 82, a low B. Which can definitely be brought back up to an A. After resting all day (Evelyn did attend daycare), I am feeling 100% and am prepared to do tons of studying tonight.

As for Evelyn, she is clearly feeling 100% as well. She proved this by walking the entire 3 blocks to Jared's mom's office this afternoon. There, she proceeded to color tons of pictures and even took a few calls for the office! After a yummy dinner of pork chops, white rice, and broccoli/cauliflower/and carrots in cheese sauce, she enjoyed a very splashy bath. While in the bath, she layed on her stomach and swam, saying, "Swimmin. Fwoggie." Where does she learn these things? I don't ever recall seeing a swimming frog on any shows or anything with her. She just must be a natural genius!!

**If you haven't hear of Airborne pills, they're a new over the counter cold remedy. You fill a glass with 6oz of water, drop the Airborne in, and it dissolves similar to Alka Seltzer. I've used them once already this year when feeling a flu coming on and I swear by them. They totally help!! You should check them out. They're about $8 at CVS. Probably cheaper somewhere else, CVS is a rip!!! But it's worth it. They'll last.