This & That Thursday

** We've been making Audrey throw a "B" (pacifier) away for her (not accidental) bathroom accidents. Sunday, we threw away the last one. She didn't mind throwing these away, and has only asked for them once since. My picture taking skills weren't so great - I didn't even get the "B" in the picture. Oh well, this momma did not go digging in the trash in order to reshoot! We are B free!


** I've got Google Analytics monitoring the locations of my blog hits. (a little big brotherish, I know) This week, I got a couple of hits from Wasilla, Alaska. I think the Palins need to step out and admit to being fans of my site!

** These 2 little girls of mine fight over the same 2 things every single morning that we go to school. Their first fight is over who gets into the jeep first. Julia then Audrey, Audrey then Julia??? It's a battle that all too often ends in tears.

Their second fight of our commute happens as soon as the first fight is over... (it's about a 2 minute commute, things have to move fast to get alot of whining in) At the first sign of the church building they start shouting that they see it. Audrey shouts "I see preschool!" while Julia shouts "I see church!" They then proceed to argue about whether the building should be called preschool or church. Again, tears are not uncommon.

Did I mention that they argue over these same 2 things EVERY morning?? Well, they do.

** Here are some pics of the girls at preschool... err, church? church preschool? preschool church? prechurch, churchschool?? whatever. Here are some pictures from yesterday and today. :)

bring me a dream...

Audrey slept for nearly 3 hours this afternoon and was consequently not ready to go to bed at her regular bedtime. After an hour of her just being wide awake in her room whining, Matt and I brought her back in the living room and she hung out with us while we watched House. (love that show!)

After the show was over we tried once again to get her in the bed, but she came out several times. I picked her up and took her back to bed, but the 3rd time she got by me. I found her hopping quickly onto the couch. I guess she thought that beating me to the couch meant I wouldn't pick her right back up and drop her in the bed immediately?? Ok, well, it worked for about 15 seconds while I took a picture of what I consider absolute and utter cuteness.

These 3 items are what she is insisting on sleeping with tonight: a bear, a Bible, and a hat. The new comfort items didn't quite do the job; she's now zonked out in our room.

Let's talk Christmas!

It's almost that time of year... ok, no it isn't. However!!!!! I got a great coupon in the mail this week and decided to take advantage of it by heading to JCPenney's. When Audrey and I walked in the store the twinkly Christmas trees got our immediate attention and we immersed ourselves with our first glimpse of this year's 3month long Christmas season. Audrey's favorite Christmas decorations were these Mickey and Minnie singing toys.


I finally drug her away from the fun toys and we started searching for some deals. I'm pretty happy with my purchase! These will likely all be seen come Christmas morning. :)


I got 2 pairs flip flops, 1 pair girls pajamas, 6 pairs girls socks, and 5 pair girls briefs all for just $9.44 - Tax included! YAY!

I have even more reason to be thinking about Christmas this weekend. We finally pulled out a Christmas present from last year. I know, I know! I should just give my kids all their toys immediately, but I don't. We tend to spread some things throughout the year so voila "Merry Christmas girls from your Cousin Luke and Lindsay." Thanks again, Coplins! The girls have enjoyed decorating their little house! We started off using paintbrushes, gel paint, stickers and markers outside.

Later that afternoon it started to rain so we moved the project inside. Leave it to me to start a cardboard art project outside the first day in weeks (WEEKS!) that it actually rained! We had to rearrange Julia's room, but we've found a home for it. Her room feels cluttered now, but who cares??

Did anyone else notice this? Who's BliB?


I must say that I enjoyed decorating this myself! Matt helped some too. Plus, the best thing is that we still have plenty of more "house" to decorate! OH! Check out these picture frames Julia made for the inside. She actually made 4 of them.


As for how big it is?? It can easily hold me and both girls. Fun stuff! We've got it full of glow toys since it can get kind of dark in there.
Merry Christmas!

Football Friday

Last night, we went to the local high school football game. Audrey had never been to a game before, and Julia was 1 when she went, not in her memory for sure! After walking from the elementary school next door (I don't pay for parking) we joined the crowd and grabbed the first seats we came upon.


The girls enjoyed it much more than I expected. They loved seeing the girls in homecoming dresses, the colorfully dressed guard from the band (neon... lots of neon), and cheerleaders. My 2 also enjoyed playing with the camera.

The one thing they didn't enjoy???

this guy

The mascot came near us and held out his paw for the girls to shake. Poor little Audrey was literally shaking from fear, and Julia cowered in my arms. I completely expected this reaction.

Right after the pitiful looking Bear mascot walked off, the cheerleaders started throwing out stuff and Matt caught a football.

Much arguing occurred the rest of the night since (as I said) Matt caught A football...

We left at the start of the 4th quarter and headed back to the car but not before stopping to look in the windows of the elementary school. 10.5 months, just 10.5 months! We couldn't see anything but hallway, but Julia insisted she didn't want to go there. Some days she doesn't want to go. (I think b/c she knows she's got to get a shot beforehand) Other days she gets excited because she's going to ride the big school bus. The problem with that is that she isn't going to be riding the big bus to school. No way is that going to happen, but she definitely thinks it is.

My, my! I've gotten off topic.

We had alot of fun at the football game.

Dear Audrey Kate

Dear Audrey Kate,

Last night was such a sweet time for you and me. I was still awake when you came out of your room around 1:15 AM. You were wearing a long sleeved pink pajama shirt and bloomers. A "B" was in your mouth and your arms held a library book and our Tebow teddy bear. You looked as precious as can be!

I picked you up and held you tight knowing that holding a sweet drowsy child is quite possibly the greatest feeling in the world. Did I put you back in your bed? No way! We walked back to my bed and you were still and quiet while I brushed my teeth and checked on Julia. Then we snuggled and shut our eyes. Moments later, when I opened my eyes again you were staring right at me. A big grin lit your face and we started giggling. We talked about Daddy and you jumped up to wake him up. Thank goodness I stopped you. He probably wouldn't have appreciated being included in our 1:00 AM gigglefest.

We continued giggling and snuggling (you were stroking my cheek - awww... such a sweetie!) for a few more minutes, but before long we settled down and tried for sleep again. Minutes later, you busted out singing "Jesus Loves Me". This rendition was sweet and funny. You sang some of the words so softly, but others you emphasized.

Jesus loves ME this I know. FOR THE bible tells me SO...

You get the idea. Oh my goodness, child! I can't imagine you being any cuter and sweeter than you were right then. I'm typing this up and posting it so that I can remember it later. I wish you could stay this age forever, but at the same time I'm so excited to get to know the girl and young lady you are to become.

Mommy

This & That Thursday

* "Girls, let's clean up the living room." and then 10 minutes later... "Oh, thanks Audrey! I definitely wanted you to just take everything from the living room and throw it into your bedroom doorway. That's exactly what I meant!"


* Wondering about preschool lunches this week? How do hotdog bites, chocolate pudding, an oatmeal cream pie, and a nutty bar (2 sticks) sound? Or perhaps this lunch is more your taste... sour cream & onion chips, pringles, marshmallow krispies treat, and fruit snacks. Delicious and nutritious, huh?

* I've been exercising lately. Yay me! 4.5 times in the last 7 days to be exact. I'm counting Sundays workout as .5 b/c I just went and walked/biked pretty easily; I wasn't in the mood to actually sweat! I am ready to lose some weight! Plus, I want to be a good example to my girls. I rather enjoy taking Julia to the fitness room with me. She spends most of the time sitting on the equipment watching TV, but she exercises some too. Here she is on the treadmill (and watching herself in the mirror). She's also worked out on the elliptical.

suckers, schoolwork, and shopping

Hello, Hello Blogworld!

Don't the girls look sweet as they eat their free suckers? Thank you Winn Dixie cashier! Audrey's costume is from preschool. Their bible story was on Joseph, and they made a multicolored "coat" to go along with it. She insisted on wearing it into the grocery.


Recent schoolwork...
The "Jesus loves" papers are actually hats.


And now on to a topic that fills me with glee... seriously.
Let's play "Guess how much Valerie spent" - ok??
Here we go.

Store: CVS
Items purchased: 2 right guard deodorants, 1 schick hydro gel, 5 Sara Lee breads (1 pack hotdog buns, 1 pack hamburger buns, 1 white loaf, 2 honey wheat loaves)
Picture:


Total cost with tax??
$1.49 :)
Although, I did use $.99 in Extra Care Bucks (CVS "money") so it was more like a price of $2.48, still a great deal! The toiletries were free/money makers, and the bread was on sale for $.50 each. I couldn't pass up that bread. It looks as if we'll have to stuff some in the freezer AND enjoy some french toast soon! Yum!

Saturday's craft

Handprint flowers

Hurricane JuJu!

Since we've moved closer to the Gulf, I've started keeping a closer eye on weather.com's hurricane information. Hurricane Julia is out in the Atlantic! hahahaha! Our hurricane JuJu has been reaking havoc on our home for 4.5 years, but now she's offical. Hurricane Matthew is on the name list for this year too...

This got me thinking and googling...
Did you know that Hurricane Audrey was the first major hurricane of the 1957 Atlantic hurricane season? Audrey left 416 fatalities, most in eastern Texas and western Louisiana. While moving inland, Audrey spawned 23 tornadoes which killed two people and injured 14 others in Mississippi and Alabama. Audrey is ranked as the sixth deadliest hurricane to hit the United States mainland since accurate record-keeping began in 1900. No future hurricane caused as many fatalities in the United States until Katrina in 2005. (Wikipedia!)

Valerie is still on the hurricane rotation list... 2012 is my year.

Here and Here are where I was looking for hurricane name lists.

This & That Thursday

* I'm a little annoyed right now. I took some pics to share, but according to Windows Photo Viewer I "don't have permission to access" those files. Our computer was wiped clean this week and we're still having to fix some stuff. Ehh, I'll mention it to Matt tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be on the top of his To Do list. (note the sarcasm)

* Audrey's started talking at preschool. Apparently, as the shell has broken she's also started to get a little more comfortable with the idea of not following teacher's instructions. Nothing big, just "hmmm... maybe if I smile real sweetly I can get away with doing what I've just been asked not to do" stuff. Audrey got a sticker in her folder everyday this week (for good behavior), but I wouldn't be surprised if there's a sticker missing sometime soon.

* Hey Moms and Dads! If you send your kid to pre-k with a honeybun, poptart bites, and Kool-Aid for snack EVERYDAY, your child's teachers will talk about you. I'm no health nut, but seriously!

* I skipped down the hallway (literally) when I noticed that CVS would be giving me Matt's preferred deodorant free (with coupons) next week. Can you say "giddy"?

* I'm also uber excited that we'll get to have a nice family breakfast tomorrow morning and Saturday morning! 4.5 months ago we had these at least 5 days a week, after the move it got cut back to twice a week, and since pre-k began it's been just once a week!

* Last, but not least, I'd like to give you my opinion on something that tends to annoy me...
I understand that in the texting culture abbreviations are common. I'm ok with that. Occasionally, I participate in shorthand myself.

lol - laughing out loud
btw - by the way
brb - be right back
idk - I don't know

All of the above mentioned abbreviations can be used to shorten the time it would take to type out the full phrase. I get it. I do it too... errr, I do it 2. :)

Then there are the abbreviations that barely shorten the type time.
me 2 - me too

c u soon - see you soon

ok fine. whatever - Those abbreviations are a little annoying (especially from adults instead of teens) but I can live with it. But what really annoys me are the abbreviations that do NOT shorten the type time at all. SO since they save no typing time or space, in actuality they are not an abbreviation or a form of shorthand. They are just misspelled words.

n e wayz - anyways

Watz up wit dat?

You're Invited!

Every few days the girls decide to make birthday invitations for their friends. Julia's are the left pile and Audrey's the right. I guess I'll send these out in 5+ months?????

Happy Grandparent's Day

I'm so sorry that I'm a slacker and didn't get cards in the mail to you all! Here are the cards the girls made at preschool. Only 1 card was made per child. Those dag-blamed pre-k teachers should have made 4 per kid, but didn't! ;)

We love you!

Remembering the calm

I was close to tears tonight. They were right there swimming around; my eyesight got foggy and everything, but they didn't fall. I held them in.

It's amazing how quickly I can transport myself to a time passed. I was sitting here calmly looking at Facebook and was suddenly lurched into a memory of our old house... our home... Instead of sitting in this apartment, I could feel the memories of walking down the front path to our house. I could feel the brick as we sat outside waving at the schoolbus as it passed. I could hear the dogs (and squirrels) barking, the wind in the trees, and the sound of a bicycle and tricycle being ridden down the driveway. Gosh. Just typing that actually brought me to tears. No more of the close call I typed initially. The tears have sprung. Wow - there's even a physical ache in my chest... Am I the only one who tends to focus on yesterday? on what used to be? on what could have been?

Fortunately, I don't think I'll continue to wallow in pity tonight.

As I sat here "remembering" I searched the blog for old posts and fell upon this one. Breathing Easy should be bookmarked for me to read often. I focus on trivialities way too much!

My load is light and my struggles wonderfully few. Thank you, Lord!

A Bloody Mess!

Audrey's had 3 nosebleeds in the last 17 hours. :(

Nosebleed #1 was caused by her picking her nose. Gross?? Yes, but she's two. It happens. Of course, an injured nostril last night led to...

Nosebleed #2 happened during the night. Here's what she looked like when she got up. Sorry for the 1st photo! We've had computer problems this week. I wasn't able to rotate this picture the way I normally would, and I couldn't figure out a different way.

Nosebleed #3 happened in the car. (Sorry for the hang up, MOM!) The child was gushing blood everywhere and tissues alone weren't stopping it. I pulled over at a gas station, pulled her into the front seat, and put pressure on her nose. I think she kind of liked being cradled like a baby. She was getting smiley even with blood smeared all over her face! The blood stopped quickly once I got her head back. Just so you know, blood makes teeth look extremely brown and gross.

I better go now! I have some stain fighting to do during rest time... pillow cases, bed sheets, car seats - OH MY!

Audrey was crazy tired tonight. Instead of eating, she had bathroom "issues" during dinner and went to bed immediately afterwards. Of course, 2.5 hours later she woke up crying of hunger. Poor baby! I pulled out some graham crackers and grapes, and we snuggled for a few minutes while she ate. Bless it. I wish she'd stay this age forever...

Prayer time with Julia

Julia's Mission Friends teacher had them make a little prayer reminder to use this week. We've pulled the reminder for this specific missionary out a number of times at bedtime, but so far she has refused to pray for him! Whenever I bring it out, she turns away and tries to ignore me!

Each night, after the 4 of us read and pray, I always take Audrey into her room while Matt stays with Julia and prays with her (again). I think both Daddy and daughter enjoy this 1-on-1 time! Lately, the 2 of them have started counting her blessings. Literally, they're counting (listing) a certain number every night. Tonight they were up to 7.

Here is Julia's count of 7 blessings:
shrimp, paper plates, fish, umbrellas, walls, glue, and clothes

Of course! Those would be my top 7 too!

Our Happy Labor Day

Thank goodness it's a holiday! Three whole weeks working part-time has tuckered this momma out! ;)

We started our day by eating breakfast together and heading to the pool. Swimming was wonderful today. The weather was sunny and hot, but the water temp was nice and cool! Can you say "perfection"?




After lunch the girls went to rest, and I left to have fun CVSing. Check out my buy!

4 boxes cereal
1 gallon milk
2 packs Trident gum
1 schick razor
1 pack King size m&m's

Grand total: $1.92
My subtotal (pre tax) was only $.08 !!! AGHHHHH!!!! (that was my excited squeal - feel free to gleefully squeal with me)


We capped off our holiday by heading to the park for playtime and a picnic. The girls had lots of fun.

Ok, ok, I'll admit it. We had fun too.

Exciting Saturdays!

Today's an exciting day at the Bowman household!!! Well, not really, but I'm pretending that it is!

1) We have nowhere to go! A few short weeks ago this would have driven me crazy, but now that I actually have somewhere to go (Preschool) during the week I'm actually looking forward to this "do nothing" Saturday.

2) I tried my hand at a new dish this morning. We ate breakfast in Sunday School last week, and ever since I've been wanting to make Breakfast Casserole here. Since I had all the ingredients on hand I prepped it last night and baked it this morning. It was pretty tasty. The girls turned their noses up at it. Neither of them took a single bite.

Here's Audrey waiting for breakfast to be put on the table. She came and sat down 10 minutes before the food was ready.



3) Matt's really excited about Florida's first football game today so we decided to make him something special. Remember all the construction paper I cut up yesterday?? Well, we put more of it to use today. :)






15 is Tim Tebow's old number in case you were wondering.

For the record, I am not a Florida Gator fan. I'm a Tennessee Vols fan. Errrr.... "fan" might not be the correct word. In all actuality I don't really care about football. However, wearing orange and watching TN games on Saturdays makes me feel closer to all the family we have in the Volunteer state. I didn't even own an TN orange t-shirt until we moved away!

What I did today...

* Our family watched Camp Rock 2 tonight. It was cute (although not as good as the 1st). Seeing the girls dance around to the music was adorable.

* I also spent a few minutes today cutting up my kids school papers. What? Why? you may ask... Well, I needed the extra construction paper for future art projects of course. Glue (stick or liquid) + little bits of paper = entertainment for my kids. We even went ahead and used some of the paper bits this afternoon.


Don't worry. I'm not destroying everything that they make. I saved a handprint of Audrey's to put in her baby book. I probably would have saved the entire handprint paper if there wasn't a gross grammatical error on it.


* I made some awesome cornbread to go with dinner tonight. I think Matt thought they were too spicy, but I thought they were perfect. Odd, I'm usually the one who thinks things are too spicy... creamed corn, green peppers, banana peppers and a touch of jalepenos - OH MY! I'd put the recipe on here for you but measuring corn meal, flour, milk, etc. is just not in me.

* I got some free to me veggies this week. The youth had Subway Wednesday night for dinner. They polished off all the sandwiches, but as I cleaned up I noticed there were quite a few vegetables left over. Did I throw them away?? If you are unsure of the answer then you need to read my blog more often. NO!!!!!! Who can throw away perfectly good food?? I took the tray home. I froze some of the green peppers and banana peppers (remember the cornbread??) and I refrigerated pickles, tomato, jalepenos, and lettuce. Yummo! I've been having some delicious turkey sandwiches for lunch the last couple of days!

Let's talk ziploc...

Apparently I'm the only one that reuses ziplocs! Perhaps my peers aren't likely to reuse plastic storage bags, but I know that there are some Great Depression era folks that reuse those things... my Grandmother is one of them!

How do I wash those plastic bags? If I'm already handwashing some stuff then I'll handwash baggies too, but most of the time I turn them inside out and stretch them out on the top rack of the dishwasher. Occasionally, they'll have a hole punctured in them from the tongs of the dishwasher, but usually they hold up just fine. I wouldn't recommend reusing bags that have held meat, but if all it's held is dry cereal for the girls to munch on at the grocery then I definitely reuse that thing!

We had a fabulous meal last night. I NEVER buy fried chicken. It's so bad for your body! **But** I got 8 pieces for $2.99 yesterday (special price at Publix + $1 Deli coupon) and I grabbed it up. It was so bad for us, but it tasted so very good! (When I say we never eat it, I mean that we had to teach Audrey how to eat a drumstick.)Julia was excited while shopping with me.



This pic I took last night to showcase Julia's boo-boo. You still can't see the yellow/purplish color of it well, but it's there. She was walking with her eyes closed around the church Wednesday night and rammed right into the wall corner.


Since I had just taken a picture of big sis it's only fair that I take a picture of little sis too!