how it went

Our garage sale went wonderfully!! We had almost-constant traffic, met some new neighbors, sold almost $230 in stuff and have a lot more closet space now!! I was super-excited!! The leftovers are going to my friend's fundraiser rummage sale next weekend so if it helps them out, all the better!! I'm so thrilled to be rid of some of that stuff and now have spending money for my mother-daughter trip next weekend!! Woo-hoo!!

Yes, I am

Having a yard sale, that is. THIS Saturday. Too bad I haven't kept the stuff I've cleaned out for the past 6 months but, then again, I'm glad I haven't had to store it this long. I filled a big box this past weekend and have quite a lot more, plus some large furniture pieces and a TV so I figure...why not?? I'm selling bargain jewelry (NEW, priced $10 and less), water and snacks, too. So I figure for a few hours work, even $50 would be worth it. The leftovers go to charity.
So tonight I'll be making posters and pricing stuff. Woo-hoo!!

Happy Memorial Day

Made by our son, May 25, 2008 at 2.5 years old.

Wow

Seriously. 1,006 views to my profile. Yes, I view it occasionally but, OK, that's like 20 at the most. Who are these people???? And do they actually read the blog and not comment?? Bloggers have a name for those folks but I can't think of it. Basically like stalkers. Looking but not making themselves known. I leave comments on every blog I read. Maybe not every time but definitely frequently. So they know that "Proudgrits" or "roots & wings" is real and accounted for. Not just peeping in the windows. Weird. But it's funny cuz I stumble onto new blogs all the time and read profiles to find something in common and many of them have only a couple hundred views to their profile. You'd think I'm a heavy hitter yet I get very few comments. And, of course, that's mostly my public blog, but still. Who's out there...???

"Thank you, God...

..for things to see."
Indeed.
Andrew loves fly-flies (a.k.a. a "bugga-bugga") AND he loves to paint so this project at church hit the mark. He was the only boy of four during first service and they didn't even go outside to play. Aaaawwww. He came home and crashed nonetheless. I'm off to the grocery store. Don't wanna...but I've got a busy week ahead so I better get the fridge stocked before the craziness sets in.
Hope you enjoyed your weekend!!

Must be the weekend

So Friday is now pizza night. There's a joint right on Drew's route home from work and I love the idea of eating on paper plates and not dirtying up my kitchen with a meal before the weekend starts. So we did the pizza thing, Drew took Andrew to the park to ride his triycle for over an hour, then we all stayed up late watching TV and hanging out. Andrew spent a long time with his watercolor paints. After a while, they turned into fingerpaints but still, he had a great time. He really concentrates and he likes mixing the colors and dipping the brush in the water. He kept wanting a new color of paper but his favorite, both paint and paper, is definitely pink. Sorry, Drew. Heehee.


After the mess he made, he look a long bath. He loves pouring water.

Yes, we painted s'more after the bath. A washcloth wipe-down got all the paint off. Here's Andrew when I said, "Show me your yucky fingers!!"

So this morning, I grabbed a hat and my wallet and hit three garage sales in our neighborhood. To see what I got, visit my public blog. The link is at the top of the right sidebar.
After that, I came home and made breakfast for us and had a cup of coffee, then Sarah and I went shopping. The Dollar Tree, Old Navy, Sketchers and JCPenney. I behaved myself pretty well! Again, the details are on my public blog.
Then tonight, Drew and I got to go on a date!! God bless Sarah, Drew's sis'. She saves me on so many levels. Besides letting me tag along on what was really HER shopping trip, she watched--nay, took care of--Andrew for the five hours we spent at our friends' house. She even put him to bed!! Drew and I needed the time together, and out of the house. It was so nice to linger over dinner and just talk and laugh with another couple. Here we are before we headed out, me in my new Old Navy tee.

Such a nice weekend. What a weekend should be. Hope yours was great, too!

May Mosaic Madness

Look at what i made!!
This could be my new hobby.
Make your own at
BigHugeLabs
(look at me, I can do clickable links now!)

TGIF

OK, it's Friday so on a happier note, here's my freshly painted RED toes with a daisy. I've got new pink flip flops coming in the mail, thanks to Nan, who sent moolah for Mother's Day!! Summer is a'comin'!

Loooooong week

Today marks a week since the worst of the worst started. Can I just say that if I have to deal with any more bodily fluids, I think I'll put my head through a wall? I've about had it. My "bug" started a week ago and I finally got rid of it around Tuesday, to just have one semi-normal day before Andrew woke up puking on Thursday. Today he didn't quite make it to the potty on time--#2, of course. We've had to change our bed sheets and his bed sheets (and the mattress pads, of course) twice in the last week, not to mention all the towels and wash cloths that needed sanitizing. I'm washing the last offended blanket now. Good grief. But, hey, at least I had just purchased a big bottle of nicely scented laundry detergent!
God's grace has been so evident in the midst of it. Our spirits have been high and thankfully, we can still see the humor in it all. The tiny shred of humor. And things could've been ten times worse. I have a "boss" that doesn't harass me about calling ten minutes before start time to say, "Ugh, yeah, he threw up again. No can do." I have a SIL that brings me soup and changes a diaper or two. I have a husband who offers hugs and to unload and reload the dishwasher, both of which are about equally soothing. I have friends that offer to pick something up at the store or that bring cookies by, or that just offer a kind word of encouragement. Supportive family members, both by blood and not. And there's "Wow! Wow! Wubzi" to keep Andrew entertained long enough for me to actually sit down for a minute. So much to be grateful for.
Last night, I got to go "off duty" (or 'off doody,' if we're honest) to take a long, hot bath, paint my toe nails bright red and read in bed. Drew took care of Andrew so I could just do my thing and go to bed when I wanted. It was lovely.
And now the weekend is ahead. Not much to do, yippee!! I want to get out. Maybe get some coffee and browse a few stores. I'm thinking the three of us need the Fourth of July tees from Old Navy. I still have a Bed, Bath & Beyond gift card I haven't used and I believe they carry my favorite foot scrub and lotion. And there's Target, of course. Now I can justify a non-maternity clothing purchase! Can you say, "Bermuda shorts?"
So...I'm glad to see this week end, but despite all the yuckiness and the emotional roller coaster, I remember so many nice things about it, too. A lovely Mother's Day, watching Andrew meticulously water the bushes in the back yard, chasing butterflies and rabbits, UFC night with Drew, cards coming in the mail, a little rain, several long naps in a comfy bed, phone calls from friends, lots of pillow talk, playing trains, reading my favorite magazine...very nice.
Life is good. And God is good. All the time.

Sicky McSickerton

Goodness. Andrew had a very restless night--never could settle for long and was very, as we call it, "flippy." Tossed and turned and tossed s'more, never sleeping for longer than 45 min. at a time. Thankfully, Drew slept through it. Not me. I had a feeling he might be coming down with something and sure enough, first thing this a.m., he had a little "pukey time." I called my "boss" to tell her to be on alert that we might not be coming in to "work"--then he did a MAJOR pukey and I called and told her, "Yeah, we're staying home." So I chased him with a towel all morning and have let him just relax and watch TV and just now, he had another nice little...burst. On my shoulder and in my hair, no less. Freshly washed hair, of course. Good thing I hung on to a few junky t-shirts for just such an occasion.
My boss's kids have had a bug all week, but so have several others--all manner of sickness has been circulating. Plus I had that weird stomach thing. So...he's got somethin'. We'll be laying low. Lots of Noggin and napping. Hopefully it's just a 24-hour thing.
Have a mentioned that it's been a long week???
Here he is, chillin' like a villain.

Andrew and Thomas

Drew says we should name our next son Thomas after Andrew said it about 285 times at Wal-Mart last night as we looked at the Thomas stuff then let him hold the box and finally, hold the train itself in the car. He was squealing with excitement. He and Drew played with his new set for hours already and that's the first thing Andrew wanted to do when we got home from "work" today. He loves it!! Drew enjoys it, too. He said, "Hey, Andrew. Guess who always wanted a train set as a little boy and never got one?" Nothing like reliving your childhood (in a good way!) through your children. i may have to buy more for BOTH of them.
See his little smirk??

And here he is with his daddy. It's nice for them to have something to do together.

Andrew and Drew also spent some time in the yard this evening. Andrew looooooves to use the hose, mostly to water the weeds.


We have designated a spot to plant a tree or bush in memory of the baby that never was and bought a little angel (or fairy, actually) to place next to it. Just as a way to remember. Mother's Day, somewhat ironically, will always be the "anniversary" of our loss in my mind. Here's where it will go, with one of my favorite views behind it. I'm thinking maybe a grape vine or just some hardly aloe. I have a black thumb and the last thing I want is a dead plant. Here's where it will go.

And life goes on. It always does.

A blighted WHAT?

Hi, all. Our best guess (us and the midwife, that is) with this baby is that it was a "blighted ovum"--a fertilized egg that never developed into an embryo. And it seems that my body is about done purging it out, which is an odd relief. It's been a week since this all started and just today, we're finally saying, "OK, it's over." No baby this time.
I now have a stomach bug, to add insult to injury, but will probably feel much better tomorrow, all the way around.
We know God is in control of all this and nothing escapes His notice. This pregnancy, for whatever reason, wasn't "good" and we are at peace about that.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! I'm off to take a nap.
-Tab

Our Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there!!
Here's a synopsis of our day:
church with my folks
lunch here
gifts
dessert
And some pictures to prove it!





Details can be found at www.proudgrits.blogspot.com
And here's our more personal photos:
My mom wanted a picture of her and Andrew is their usual spot--playing on his bedroom floor. I thought this was so cute! He adores her. Ignore the unmade bed, OK? :)

Here's me and my precious son. He's almost 2 1/2 now, can you believe it??

This is the three of us. He's squirrly so it's hard to get a good shot.

This is the card he got for Nana. Nice signature, huh?

And here he is on the phone with my grandmother and aunt in Florida. He talked to Grandma, G.G. and Aunt Pam and, though he said all their names, had a hard time keeping them straight. So adorable!!

And here he is, totally zonked out with Drew this afternoon. He looks how I felt.

And lastly, I need to report that we're having major complications with my pregnancy and unless we get a miracle at the doctor's office tomorrow, it looks like we've lost this one. It's been a very trying week but we know that God is good, all the time. We'll let you know the final analysis. Pray for us.
Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day with your loved ones!!

Worrisome

So, yeah, this baby is already causing trouble! :)
I'm having a small issue with the pregnancy, nothing for sure yet, it's a wait-and-see. Just be praying that everything continues along perfectly and that God continues to grow and nourish my little sesame seed. And that potty training will not interfere too much with my rest!

Keeping our cool

When we went outside to play at 1:00pm and it was downright HOT, Andrew asked for the hose (he helps Drew water the back yard in the evenings) and I thought, "Hey, may as well just fill the pool!" He had a BLAST. Of course going down the slide was his favorite part but he also loved playing with the hose and splashing. It's a great way to wear him out and keep him occupied without ME overheating! And BTW, his suits are all at Nana's but we DID have his birthday suit, thank goodness.




I have a church women's leadership team meeting this evening so it'll be nice to see "the girls." They're "nominating" some new teammates so I'm excited to find out who they are--and excited to finally get out of the house in the evening! Woohoo!!

Pray for us

Andrew has a slight runny nose and that kind of cough that's not productive and seems kind of spontaneous, like a tickle in the throat. I can hear him right now. He's had some major "bawgers" (boogers) and picked his one nostril so bad, it bled. There's a lot of yuck going around and Lord have mercy, that is NOT what we need. We won't be insured until June and I don't want to deal with all of that!! Drew says he's got a scratchy throat, too. Uh-oh. I can't imagine how I WON'T "get" whatever they might have, what with kissing and sleeping with them both.
So pray they just have allergies (it has been windy)...yeesh, I hear him hacking again...and that God will protect us from anything worse. Good health for all!!
I called the midwife today with a teeny concern and she reassured me, but still. We're in a critical period of development so pray that God will continue to knit the baby together perfectly.
I'm "off" from work the rest of the week so at least we can lay low and relax. I'll be doing lots of extra hand-washing, too, and taking vitamin C. Can't hurt.
In other news, Andrew continues to "go pee pee on the potty" a couple times a day. Still pees in his diaper the rest of the time, of course, but he's Mr. Independent when he wants to be and is very proud of himself afterward. It's adorable, his little naked self perched on the toilet.
He's still coughing. I better see what's up. Poor fella.

You know you had a fun evening when...

...your living room ends up looking like THIS.

After weeding in the yard, doing bubbles and playing in the hose, we came inside and did Legos, coloring, stamping, play dough, computer, trains...and then were too tired to clean up after ourselves. It's the whole "it'll still be there in the morning" mentality: better to play and have fun than worrying about a neat living room, y'know? I can clean any time but my boy loves it when I actually sit and play with him. He knows he doesn't have your undivided attention unless you're sitting next to him, actually engaged in the activity at hand. If I go off to put laundry in the dryer, he'll come find me and say, "Mommy, sit," and yank me down next to him. Well, he was very happy to have me sitting with him because he would stop what he was doing and lean over to pat me on the leg and say, "Mommy sit." In two-year-old language: "Thanks for taking time out for me, Mom."
I found this as I was uploading the pictures. I just put a new picture of him as the computer wallpaper and he evidently took a picture of it. Probably thought, "Hey, cute kid. Cheese!" Heehee.

Weekend

On Saturday, Andrew got another big boy haircut, FINALLY. He HATED it. Loved playing with the trains beforehand, screamed the entire time she cut his hair, and was perfectly fine the instant he got out of the chair. Or fire engine, actually. Not a big haircut fan. Wearing the cape, getting his head sprayed with water, a strange woman with sharp scissors pointed at his head...can't blame him. But he looks good!!
Here's his "before:"

And here he is, hating it. Next time, we'll put in an Elmo video. Oops. At least she was fast!

And here's the "after." Now his ears stick out!! Sunday, we put gel in it and spiked it and it looked even better.

Afterward, we treated him to chicken stars and a milkshake to keep him occupied while I shopped the maternity section of Goodwill on half-price day. The store near my mom is AH-mazing. HUGE assortment, tons of great brands and all half price!! I paid no more than $3.50 per piece and got one pair of shorts and probably ten tops for $27. Most of them were from Target or Motherhood, so, hey. It works.
After Goodwill, we headed back to my folks' and met up with Brandon, Julie and Logan. The boys got to wade in the pool and swim some, too.

Andrew took a decent nap, giving me the chance to catch up everyone and then we all had burgers for dinner. They actually tasted good, which is a rarity these days for me. Andrew even got to go to the park but it was short-lived because he loves pulling the wagon back to their house.

So Sunday was the usual crazy day it always is. But things are looking up! Two more weeks of Financial Peace University and at least we'll have one less thing. I'll be done in the twos class after this month, too, so that'll be a nice break as well. We may even change our home group to more of a one-on-one thing, especially since I'll be starting up the moms' Bible study soon, too. But hopefully, we'll have a little more freedom with our weekends soon. We're thinking one thing: weekend road trip!! Before it gets too hot.
Then last night, I felt like I was coming down with something and have been feeling ooky today off and on. Hopefully it's a fluke and not what I have to look forward to for the next two months. My energy level is down, too. We all had a terrible night's sleep last night (the combo of me having a nightmare and Andrew's diaper leaking) so Andrew and I took a marathon nap after work today. Still, we're both a little cranky.
Drew did something amazing while I was at my folks: he cleared up our bedroom and master closet, setting aside my clothes to sort and hang, and threw out multiple garbage bags worth of stuff. It was that project that was so overwhelming, I never really started. What a huge blessing. I need to spend about an hour in there dealing with winter and maternity clothes and it'll be totally done, where it would have taken me...well, weeks. Drew's like, "It's so much easier to get stuff done when Andrew's not here." Reeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy????? Huh!! So that's a huge relief and it's so nice to be able to enjoy our bedroom again. Aaaahhh. My husband rocks.
So there ya go. Hope your weekend was terrific!!

crafting in the buff

I kept my clothes on to finally make some cards today, after Drew insisted I "take the day off." But Andrew wanted to join in, of course, after I, ah, well, yelled at him, actually...for prying off a button I'd just glued to a card. Oops. So I set him up his own crafting area next to me at the table and let him have his own sheet of paper to color on with colored pencils, plus his own glue and buttons, so he could "make something," too. Yes, I only gave him boring buttons but he didn't seem to care.


Later, he was back at the table to pry off the buttons he'd glued down (which was allowed, of course, unlike MY project) and...Oh, my!! He's naked!!

We're quasi-potty training so it's not unusual but, still. Too funny. My boy does hate clothes! And what a cute lil' dude he is, clothes or not!

Hope your Friday was as...uneventful?? :)

Mr. 29 Months Old

I can't believe Andrew is almost 2.5 years old. Wow. That's why ya gotta keep having babies--the time goes by waaaaaaaay too quickly. And I love babies!!!
This "Gazoobo" was put away for a while (I rotate toys) but we brought it back out the other night because #1, he seemed to be bored and we needed time to do our budget and #2, he loves keys. Sure enough, he played with it completely differently than he did several months ago and loved fitting the more complicated shapes in and opening the doors with the keys. I made a joke of, "Oh, that raccoon won't fit in the oval!!" and he loved it, so we had to do that over and over. He really concentrates--it's very serious work!!


THEN he got hold of the camera. Typically I would've confiscated and hid it but he was actually looking at the screen to take the picture and "framing" what he wanted so I was curious to see what he took! Here are some of the results, some of which of said budget meeting. Most of him.
Here's us tweaking our budget for May (five weeks, ouch! But we get paid three times, too). Thank you, Dave Ramsey!

Here's Drew in his office. Pretty good shot, eh?

And Andrew's legs.

He may need one of those kiddie cameras for Christmas. Maybe he'll be picture-obsesses like me. Heehee.
TGIF!!