12 months later

NyCee decided that she wanted to celebrate her birthday early. She began celebrating at 1:58a.m. Of course, that was not going to work for me, so around 2:35 she went back to sleep. The party commenced later that afternoon.

Before birthday cake, --- Clean, happy, playful


While everyone was singing, "Happy Birthday"--- Bored, confused, eyeing the cake.


Eating birthday cake, --- Concentrating, trying to stuff as much as possible into her mouth.


After birthday cake, --- Excited, on a sugar high, "More please."

It is hard to believe that on this day one year ago, I went to the doctor for my normal weekly check up and gave birth 12 hours later. Goodness, time does fly. I love you NyCee! Happy 1st Birthday!

How much farther?

NyCee, of her own accord and without prompting, decided to climb the stairs. She crawled from the family room, over to the stair case and up the two stairs to the landing area.

After making it that far and up one stair, she turned around to see where her father was. She cried out to him and he came and stood behind her thinking that she would continue to climb the stairs to me.

That didn't happen. Instead, she laid down on the step and began yawning.

If climbing three stairs took that much out of her, I don't know what she is going to do when she has to start walking around and not being carried by me.

Unfortunate Mis-hap

So today, I was out running errands and needed to go to the bank. It was approximately 5:30p. I pull up to the ATM in preparation to deposit the check that I had. Well, Bank of America has these fancy new ATM's that you can make a deposit without the envelope. I have used them before. They are pretty cool. Your receipt shows the image of the check you deposited. So I am not new to the machine or how it works.

I pull up to the drive thru ATM, insert my card, select deposit check and when the slot opened, I inserted my check. I paused, only to discover that the machine captured my check. It tried to spit it out several times but it got stuck in the machine. I could see it so I grabed a paperclip and tried to get it out. (I know what you are thinking. Why did she have a paperclip in the car? Was it for such a time as this?) Moving on, the machine thought that I was doing something naughty to it and closed the little door on my check. So I retrieved my card and pulled off discouraged. I parked the truck and went inside to the branch and explained what happened. I was advised what to do so that the check will be credited to my account. It will take about 3-5 business days but no big deal.

The irony to the story is that I used the drive up ATM because I thought the bank was closed due to the time I attempted the transaction. I forgot that it was Friday and most banks stay open until 6:00p.m.

100.5

100.5 was NyCee temperature at 2:08a.
100.5 is still her temperature at 10:45a

At 2:35a NyCee spewed vomit all over the floor, ottoman, and clean clothes on the ottoman. This is why clothes should be put up immediately after leaving the dryer. Moving on.

2:45a- After being cleaned up and donned with fresh jammies, NyCee decided to laugh, wave bye-bye and play.

2:50a-play time was over and she began whining and crying.

3:00a-she decides to start playing again.

3:10a-she winds down and finally falls to sleep.

4:00a--Mommy is wide awake from cleaning vomit, changing jammies, waving bye-bye, and trying to put her daughter to sleep.

6:25a-NyCee wakes up crying so I retrieve her out of her bed and rock her back to sleep in the chair.

9:20a--NyCee wakes up crying. Burning up from fever. She has a doctor's appointment at 1:45p

If I were the gambling type, I would try to figure out how I could play these numbers in lottery to win $300 million. That way, I could pay someone to be up in the middle of the night while I get some sleep.

1159p-EDT Sunday--5 exams due. This is going to be a long week.

UPDATE:
145p- Dr's appt. Bi-lateral ear infections. The dr. prescribed the normal pink amoxicillin.

7:08- Still cranky and whiny.

THE CAUSE:
8:45p-A pamper full of poopie makes NyCee feel all better.

Oh, how stupid!

I cooked shrimp scampi and if you have ever had shrimp scampi then you know that the sauce looks alot like melted margarine. So after eating dinner, I was cleaning the kitchen and poured the sauce into what I thought was the trash bag.

The next morning, I lifted the bag out of the trash bin in preparation for disposal only to find that scampi sauce was in the bottom of the can and not the trash bag. Immediately, I took the entire trash can out to the dumpster. As I was hurling it into the bin, I thought to myself, "Self. Why didn't you just remove the trash bag and wash out the trash can?" Myself answered, "Because that would have been the most logical choice."

That actually happened about two weeks ago. Why am I telling this story now? Because I am still without a trash can and have been to a Kmart, Walmart, or Target I don't know how many times. But each time, I walk out with everything but a trash can.

Look how much she has grown

NyCee has really taken a liking to the camera. (She gets that from her granddad Fred). Recently, she has mastered the art of waving "Bye-Bye" on command. Whenever she hears "bye-bye", she opens and closes her fist as most baby's do. But she gets the flight attendant smile and wave from me.

She is truly a techno-baby. She is not even one year old and has already mastered the concept of talking on a cellular phone.

Whenever I see her do something new I am so amazed. I watched her just stand by herself without holding on to the couch or chair for support.

It's hard to believe that she will be one year old on the 20th. If she is anything like her cousins in Minnesota, I am sure that her antics will keep us laughing.

Back in Business

Yesterday, I went to BestBuy to have my digital camera repaired. Well, they politely told me that I have a credit and that I need to go select a new camera. I thought, "OK, I am glad that it broke before the warranty expired." Well, I walked back to the camera selection and picked out a new shiny toy for myself. It was $10.00 more than the original camera but it has such cool features.

The main feature is that the date will print on the pictures. My last camera was designed to only print the date with their picture printer and their memory card. (It was an Olympus brand). Oh convenient was that. This one is a Fuji and they make reliable products. I use to buy the disposable cameras made by them. Hopefully, NyCee will perform grand stunts now that the camera is working again and not become camera shy.

Camera Catastrophe

Did you notice in this blog there are no pictures of my reunion with my huband and child after nine days of separation? That is because the camera malfunctioned. Okay, so it is just flat-out broken. While talking to Lewis one night, he told me that it was not working but of course I thought that it was due to operator error. However, I tried last night and sure enough, it doesn't work. I can't even view the pictures stored on the memory disk. I am so disappointed. I do not have any pictures of Lewis and NyCee's father-daughter adventure. Bummer!

But on a happy note, I am glad they are back. I missed my little one dearly. She seems to have grown while they were gone. I am going to BestBuy today where Lewis purchased the camera to exchange it. I am glad that Lewis bought the extended warranty plan. Stay tuned for more updates regarding this camera situation.

I feel like my cousin Cari who has the worst trouble with camera's. She left one on a plane, dropped one at the park, had one stolen--my gosh. While I only had one incident, it was during a major event.

Mismatched

So this morning, I get up and begin to follow my morning routine. I wash my face; brush my teeth, pop in the contact lenses. In preparation to shave my legs, I get out the razor, pop on the new blade, run the water in the sink basin, and begin looking around for my shaving gel. I stood for a couple of minutes pondering where it could be. I looked in the shower, under the sink, in the linen closet but no shower gel was to be found. Again, I paused and re-visited all the places that I just looked.

So now, I am in a dilemma. I said to myself, "Self." Myself said, "Yeah what's up? Do I:
A} shave with soap, like when I was a kid and didn't know that shower gel existed,
B} forgo shaving my legs again and continue to walk around like a hairy beast, or
C} use something called "Beard Buster" that I found in my husband's cabinet?"

You guessed it! I chose "C." Men's shaving gel smells so strong. The manufacturer really should make a brand with a unisex scent for cases like this when a wife runs out of shaving gel and needs to use her husband's.

But is worked wonderfully and my legs are as smooth as silk. Fancy that!

"Chew, Chew. That's all I do."

Is it possible that NyCee could chew on her chew toys that I bought? No, apparently it is not. She will chew on a shoe string, the cord to my camera, or anything that she can find.


Her eyes are what gets me. Just look how innocent she looks as if it is perfectly okay to chew on the cord to my camera.

"Look Everyone. No Hands!"

Lewis finally captured a photo of NyCee standing without holding onto something. How cute is this?

She reminds me of the old Karate films as if she is taking a defensive stand. Just like a girl. She waits until she is alone with her dad to do this grand gesture so he gets all the glory of helping her stand alone. Mothers never get any credit.

What's the point?

So today, I was out and about running errands. It was a beautiful day so I had the windows down enjoying the fresh air. I needed to run into Staples and so I pulled in, jumped out of the car, and walked into the building.

After purchasing the needed items, I left the store and returned to the car. As I approached, I realized that I left all four windows down, yet the doors were locked. Out of habit, I hit the remote on my keys ring to lock the doors. Honestly, what is the point of locking the car doors when all of the windows are down? I never cease to amaze myself with these ridiculous antics.

Survived!

I have managed to survive a full 48 hours without my daughter clingy to me. And she has managed to survive a full 48 hours without me around. I haven't figured out yet if that is good or bad.

Lewis calls me several times a day to update me on their day. I have a couple of concerns with respect to naptime and lunchtime. But they seem to be doing quiet well. For whatever reason, he is not letting her take her nap around 12:00p as normal. They were out running errands yesterday and she did not have lunch or a nap until 4:30p.m. Why? Lewis' response was, "Me and my little road dog (NyCee) were out and about. The time just escaped me." Oh well, so she didn't have a nap. At least he is feeding her vegetables and not Chick-fil-a.

Too Quiet

NyCee is with Lewis tonight enjoying his favorite past time. You guessed it! Bowling. When I came home from work it was so quiet. Eerily quiet actually. Most women would jump at a chance like this. No husband or child to look after. Tonight, it's all about me. Well, the only problem is this is the first of many nights like this one. NyCee is with Lewis for the next 10 days. 10 whole days will pass before I see my little girl again.

What am I going to do for the next 10 days? Homework. Lots and Lots of homework. No party over here! I am approaching the 8th week of the 11 week semester. I miss them terribly but really need this time alone. Does that make me a bad mom and wife?

I nearly cried when they boarded the plane. But I was strong and kept my composure. I am sure they are having a blast.

P.S. So that everyone can stay abreast of NyCee's antics, including me, I taught Lewis how to use the digital camera and send me the pictures via email.

Bedtime Games

By now, one would think that NyCee has her bedtime routine down to a science. After dinner about 5:30 or 6:00p.m. she plays for about a couple of hours to release any remaining pinned up energy. At 8:00 or 8:30p.m she gets her bath and I let her play in the tub for a few more minutes to use up any energy that she did not use during play time. Then she gets a warm bottle of milk and she is off to sleeptown around 9:15p.m.

Why is that when she gets out of the tub she has more energy than before she went in? Isn't a warm bath suppose to calm her down and prepare her for sleepy town? Instead, she decides to play peek-a-boo 20 times.

And her father does not help the situation by encouraging her to play. Honestly, some days, I think I have two kids!

And then there were 4....

In 31 days, my little girl will be one year old. Can you believe how quickly the time has passed? She is constantly showing signs of how much she is growing and maturing. Notice here she has her two teeth on the top and she just loves to show them off.

Ever since she has starting cutting those teeth, she will not eat her baby food anymore. I told Lewis that once the jars she has are gone, we will just feed her table food. I think she is getting use to the idea of teeth because she has not tried to bite anyone. I am just glad that I started to wean her before those came in. The bottom ones hurt when she bit me. I can't imagine how painful it would have been if all four were involved when she clamped down.

A New Year; A New Vocabulary

Everyday my busy little blessing becomes, well--more busy. I cannot turn my back for 1 second. I am constantly saying, "NyCee come to mommy". "NyCee no-no". NyCee don't touch." "NyCee come back here." Or I am reciting some variation of the above phrases. Last night, I was unpacking a box and left the room to put something in the bathroom. I came back and she had removed the top from her baby wipes and began playing with them.

When I said, "NyCee, please stop it. Why are you playing with the wipes and how did you open that container?" She replied,

Yep, just as she always does. She smiles and laughs when she knows she is not suppose to be doing something. I am beginning to think that she really knows what she is doing behind that Chester grin. Since the beginning of the year, I feel like all I say is, "NyCee stop!" Are there any other words in the English language that I can use?

"Is this the right end?"

Somehow, I get the feeling that NyCee does not understand that she is putting the thermometer in the wrong end to check her temperature.

All buckled up and ready to go!

Lewis doesn't like to travel with NyCee's stroller as he has deemed it cumbersome, annoying, and bulky. Usually, whenever we are out, he just carries her. However, in preparation for their trip, I told him that it would be too much to try and carry her through the airport along with a diaper bag and travel bag. So he asked for the baby pouch so that he could carry her and have his hands free.

He got his wish!

How incredibly cute are they? I am still nervous about putting them on a plane without me. But from the looks of things, they will be just fine!

Gleeful Garbage Picker

Have you ever seen anyone so excited to pick through trash?


First, it was the drawers. Then, the cabinets. Now, the garbage can. Where will it end?

Fully-Rested

Last night, I enjoyed 8 full hours of uninterrupted sleep. I was so excited this morning that before I started my exams, I enjoyed a big breakfast: 2 strips of bacon, 1 pancake, and 1 egg. What happened you ask?

Well, my daughter enjoyed nearly 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep. No, I did not give her anything to aid in the process. I just took the advice of many supporters. After her bath, I gave her a bottle of milk. Instead of letting her fall completely asleep as I watched Supernanny, when she dosed off, I immediately laid her in the bed. She fussed for a few moments but went right to sleep. I am so proud of her. I should have her weaned by the end of the week.

The Tables Have Turned

Well, NyCee is approaching 11 months and it is time to start the process of weaning her off of breast milk. On average, she has been awesome with adjustments. She can be a little stubborn with some things but she's 10 months old, how stubborn am I really going to let her be? For the most part, it is involving snack time. She may want a butter cookie but I am feeding her fruit. Or she wants me to pick her up and I have decided that she needs to play with her toys. But the last few nights, it has truly been a battle of the wills. (My cousin is experiencing the same thing with a couple of her little ones.)

Normally, NyCee gets a warm bath and I nurse her to sleep. Well, last week when I was away on business she was with Lewis and he told me that she went to sleep just fine without nursing. He just gave her a bottle and she was out like a light. Wouldn't it be nice if she did the same with me? The past couple of nights have been brutal. Normally, if she wakes up, then I just give her a boobie and she goes back to sleep. Well, I have been trying not to do that. I even brought a bottle of water with the formula on the side up to the bedroom to avoid going downstairs to make the bottle. She pushes that away, turns her head, and starts nuzzling and pulling on my shirt.

I use to brag about how even as an infant she slept through the night. Now that she is getting older, getting her to sleep through the night is more challenging. Honestly, look at me. Do I look like I can take much more?

This was me at 2:30am. I finally got her to sleep but this is torture on me. Maybe she should just nurse until she goes to college. That way, I can return to getting peaceful nights of slumber.

Unpreparedness

Of all the qualities and gifts that I could have inherited from my mother, I inherited her gift of procrastination. I have a 12 page paper titled, "How U.S. Foreign Policy Impacts A Start-up Foreign Business Venture" due by 11:59p.m. on Sunday. If you just said, "What is she talking about?" to yourself, imagine how I felt when I downloaded the information from my professor. I have known about this paper for two weeks, yet I chose to wait until the night before it is due to start drafting it.

It took nearly 7 hours but I finished. Thankfully, Lewis was home to watch my little tater tot or I don't know how I would have completed the assignment. Also, I have been taking Benadryl for my cold. It's shocking that I am still awake. I have been popping those pills like gummy bears.

I voted against emailing the paper tonight as I need to proof-read it again to make sure that it makes sense. When will I ever learn to not put off until tomorrow what I can accomplish today?

Another Awesome 30 Minute Meal

I am really getting the hang of this. Tonight's menu: Chicken Stir-Fry on a bed of rice with Texas style garlic toast.
I cut up my chicken breasts, cooked them up in a pan with vegetable oil. Put a pot of water on to boil (with a chicken bouillon cube for flavor) to cook the rice. After the chicken was done, I cooked the vegetables, added the chicken back to the pan for heating and seasoning the vegetables. While all that was going on, I popped my Texas style garlic toast in the oven and TA-DAH:

I am loving my cookbooks. The recipes seem complex sometimes but when I start the process it is easy. It sounds a lot harder than it really is. Plus, I have found that once I get the hang of it, I am on a roll.

3:58 a.m.

And this is why, I do not let her go to bed at 8:00p.m. Last night, I was so beat because I have been battling a cold for a few days, that I let her go to sleep earlier than usual. Normally, she gets her bath around 8:30p.m. and then goes down for the night between 9:00-9:30p.m. But last night, I let her take her bath earlier and as a result she pooped out around 8:15p.m.

But at 3:58a.m., she was wide awake and bushy tailed. She wanted to play and sing and dance around the bed. Honestly, I can't blame her because that is nearly 8 hours of sleep. Had I not been in a drug induced state, I probably would have been awake to at that hour too.

I was scheduled to fly to Phoenix, AZ this morning but my flight was cancelled due to the weather conditions in Georgia. Around 6:30 am, she went back to sleep after I fed her breakfast. Breakfast at 6:00a.m! That is crazy!

She will not go to bed at 8:00p.m. again until she understands the phrase, "Do not get out of that bed for any reason other than Jesus' return. I don't care if you are not sleepy. Count sheep, pray, sing, meditate but do not get out of the bed." When she understands that, then she can go to bed at 8:00p.m. because I can not be up like that in the middle of the night. It was just brutal.

"And who is going to clean this up?"

As usual, instead of playing with her toys, she decided to remove my underwear from the drawer and throw them on the floor.

When I posed the question, "And who do you think is going to clean this up young lady?" She looked at me with puppy dog eyes and actually tried to put the underwear back in the drawer. I was so surprised and I watched in amazement.

Two problems:
1. The underwear are not folded, but she is only 10 months old, and
2. She felt the need to put everything in the drawer, including Shelby one of her dolls.

"Help! I need somebody to rescue me!"

NyCee's latest antic is as follows:

She goes to sleep in my arms or on my lap. I walk her upstairs and lay her in the bed. 10 minutes later, she is standing in her crib crying and screaming like a banshee. I try to ignore her in hopes that she will just lie down and go back to sleep. Yeah right! I cave in and retrieve her from the bed, putting her where? In my bed of course.
Can someone please call SuperNanny to rescue me?

A Day in the Valley of the Sun--Phoenix, AZ

Today, I was able to play dress up and fly to Phoenix for a job interview. It actually felt good to wake up, put on make up, don a fancy suit, and a new pair of shoes that I bought last year and have been wanting to wear. (Normally, it's sweat pants, a tee shirt, and a pair of slip on shoes.)

After the interview, I had lunch with friends and flew home. And people wonder why I miss being a flight attendant.

I took my camera but forgot to take a picture while I was there. Lewis took this one when I arrived home. I clean up very nicely when I put my mind to it.

Tuesday's Tidbit

It is time to stop nursing your 10 month old daughter when, she rolls over, lifts your shirt, grabs your breast, places the nipple in her mouth, and begins suckling. Subsequently, as a display of satisfaction, she releases bodily gases from any orifice that will allow, rolls back over and continues sleeping.

My work here is done!

And she finally got me, 10 months later!

After a serious diaper blowout, I gave NyCee a bath. As usual, she played for a while and then I washed her up. I follow the same routine. I wrapped her in the towel, walked to the bedroom, and as I prepared to lay her down on the bed, I felt a warm, wet, sensation down my side. I looked at her and she just smiled.

She has gotten my side of the bed several times but never on me. Oh well, that was my welcome to motherhood.

A Little Taste of Home

Whenever I go home to Detroit, there are four MUST have items:

1) Wings Chinese food,
2) A corned beef sandwich,(this is a heart attack on a bun)
3) Bettermade potato chips, and
4) A Faygo Fruit punch.


Lewis surprised me with number 4. He says, he really does not understand the big deal that I make out of wanting these items. Bettermade and Faygo are hometown favorites. They are only produced in Detroit. There is nothing better than the Bettermade-Faygo combination. My family cuts open a bag of Bettermade Plain Potato chips, sprinkles on a few shots of Frank's hot sauce, pours a glass of Faygo soda, and we are in heaven.

Bobbing for Toys

This is why you never leave a child alone in the tub. Of her own accord, NyCee decided to try and pick up a toy with her teeth as her hands were preoccupied.

(Note: I did not leave the room to get the camera. She had been doing that for a couple of days so I decided to take the camera into the bathroom in the hopes of capturing a photo of the action. It worked!)

A Partially Finished Product

Today was nearly 70 degrees and a perfect day to complete my landscaping project. After breakfast, I put on my gloves and completed my project. Of course, this is just one side and I have two sides plus an area around a tree to finish but I think it turned out nice. Please be gentle when criticizing as I do not have a green thumb.

I did learn a couple of useful lessons:
1. After cleaning the area, you must place the edger rocks in position prior to laying the decorative rocks, and
2. White rocks, like white shoes, are a definite No-No! I tried to add a different color to the rocks to tone it down but it just looks like dirty snow.

Oh well, I tried.

"Goodbye Emma, we wish you well."

Lewis and I made a decision that we will sell one of our cars. I know that most people are saying,"It's about time!" Actually, we were planning to sell the Ford Explorer to Lewis' friend, but she changed her mind. So I decided that I will sell the Altima and drive the Explorer. The Altima is newer and will net us more of a profit. Plus, it is cheaper to insure the Explorer because I can just have liability coverage.

Emma, the Altima, was a cute little car. It had all the bells and whistles (except leather seats) and was a 5 speed manual transmission. My little sister Camille was with me when I bought the car and she exclaimed, "Somebody needs to pay you minimum wage to drive this car. That is too much to have to shift gears. Just get a regular car that goes forward for you." I laughed. There were times when I recalled that statement sitting in traffic.

I named the car Emma because that was the name I had picked out for Taylor. Yet, Lewis said, it sounded old fashioned, thus is why she is named Taylor. Lewis has already picked out our new vehicle. It is the Toyota Sequoia. I told him that I am not buying a new car until after graduation and I buy my new house. Then, I will buy the truck. Emma, served me well for the 8 months that I had her. I trust that she will be just as good to her new owner.

Future Olympic Gymnast

I don't know how she managed to crawl under the tray table, but I give her performance a 9.8.

A pretty & tasty 30 minute meal

Last week, I made Shrimp Scampi with Texas Toast and well let's just say the toast was definitely done. But this time around, I created a tasty as well as pretty 30 minute meal. Tonight's menu: Buffalo Chicken Breast on a bed of spring mix greens with ranch dressing and loaded smashed potatoes.

I do not like bacon bits so why I put them in the potatoes is beyond me. I was just following the recipe. Everything turned out great. There are even leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Remember, a great pretty, tasty, meal is never more than 30 minutes away. I definitely enjoyed it.

Weekend in Wetumpka, AL

As you know, NyCee is quite the little traveler. This weekend she traveled by car to Wetumpka, AL to visit our paternal grandparents. I often tease my Granddad Ollie that black people move FROM Alabama not TO Alabama.

Nonetheless, we packed up the Avalanche and headed west. The drive was quite pleasant. It was a beautiful day on Saturday--nearly 70 degrees and the sun shone brightly in the sky.

Wetumpka is a quaint little city about 10 miles outside of Montgomery. It reminds me of Port Huron, MI. NyCee slept nearly the entire way thanks to a little help from my pal Benadryl. (She is taking the Benadryl for her running nose but it really knocks her out.) When we arrived that morning, waiting for us were Bar-b-Que ribs, baked beans, mac and cheese, with sweet tea. And don't think anything came from a box. No way! Mrs. Martha makes everything from scratch.



We really had a good time. We laughed and talked. It was very relaxing. On Sunday, we attended church and then had lunch at the Olive Garden. Torrential rain fell as we headed home that evening. It took a little longer because of the rain. I was a little Chatty Cathy so the time passed quickly.

I promised that we would come back and visit soon. And as long as Mrs. Martha will cook me a meal, I am there with knife and fork in hand.

Less than 30 minute meal

One part of my New Year's resolution is to live a healthier lifestyle. I have begun working out again (30 minutes a day) and learning to cook healthier meals. (Okay, really I want to lose the 30 pounds that I gained when I was pregnant with Taylor.) But I do believe that Lewis and I need to live a healthier lifestyle with respect to diet and exercise.

For Christmas, I received three (3) Rachael Ray cookbooks that I have been putting to use. Tonight, I made Shrimp Scampi. It was so simple. I bought the frozen Shrimp Scampi, boiled the pasta, made a piece of Texas toast (I left it in the broiler just a little too long), and added parsley as a garnish. Oh, let's not forget the low-fat Parmesan cheese.


YUM-O!

The little girl and her daddy's shoe

There once was a girl who played with a shoe,

She tried other toys but they just wouldn't do.

She has a walker,

a bouncer,

books and other things.

Yet, she's most content playing with her father's shoe string.

Cookie Monster

NyCee and I had to run a few errands today. Because I had not combed her hair, I put a hat on her so that we could leave the house. I go out looking like utter trash but I do not feel it necessary to subject my daughter to that lifestyle. She looked so adorable and she left her hat alone while we were in the house and I was packing up to get ready to leave.

One of the errands was to the beauty supply store to purchase the detangling spray needed to comb her hair. While in the store, she decided to take off her hat and expose to the world the fact that her mother was lazy. Thankfully, she was such a good girl in the store that she did not draw attention to us.

When we returned home, I decided to reward her good behavior with a cookie. (During a diaper change, I had the forethought to take off her shirt.) As oppose to feeding it to her, I put her in her high chair and let her have at it. (The high chair was a gift from her grandparents for Christmas.) I quickly learned that was not a good idea.

She had cookie in her hair, on her hands, all on the tray table, and on her nose. It was a mess. But the positive to this is that she obviously enjoyed it.

I am glad that I took her shirt off before allowing her to have a cookie.

So I'm landscaping now

The front of my house is just UGLY. Lewis and I decided last year that we would pull up all the pine straw and put down rocks around the entire house.

Well, it was a lot harder than I thought. I had no idea the amount of work involved with landscaping. HGTV is so misleading. They make it look simple. Lewis had to show me how to use the back hoe to dig up the weeds before I could lay the rocks down. I was only able to complete one section. That took nearly two hours and 4 bags of rocks. When Lewis came out to check on me, we decided that the white rocks are too bright.

We will buy a lighter color to blend in with the white to soften the look. I also thought about edging the grass with decorative rocks. In March, I will plant a couple of flowers to give the house curb appeal. As for the back, let's just see how the front turns out before we make any plans to tackle that.