Remember us??

Well good grief! Life has kept us so busy, I keep forgetting about this blog!! I'm so sorry!! Well time for a quick catch up!

- I'm still the social media manager at the fire department, but I'm also the photographer, Rehab member and Community Education member. I get to go to our local schools in our district every fall and teach second graders about fire safety! I absolutely love it!

- Phil is still at his job, although they are getting a new CEO and President. Things are already so much better and less stressful for him and the other employees.

-Makayla is now 12 and in 7th grade! I know, what?! She still loves mermaids and unicorns and is just a social butterfly! She's really enjoying junior high and has some great teachers! She is still in Girl Scouts and went on her first overnight camp in the woods in Oct. and had a ball. I can't remember if I told you all, but Makayla was diagnosed with ADHD several years ago. She is doing well in school and we are so happy! She had been on meds up until this last year, and she says she was started to feel weird on it, so she stopped taking it and her grades have been great!

- Jackson is 8 and in third grade! His favorite things are Mario and Luigi, Minecraft and wishing for a PlayStation for Christmas. (I think I heard that Santa got that already! 😉) Jackson was also diagnosed several years ago with ADHD, but was also diagnosed with autism this past year. However, he is still his sweet self and is working hard on making and keeping friends (typical trait of HFA). He is such a funny kid and loves to tell jokes and make people laugh!!

My brother and sister in law had another baby, a beautiful girl named Cora in July of 2016, so she's 2 1/2 now. My nephew will be 6 in January! I can't believe how big they aren't both getting!!

My parents are doing well! However, their house did flood in Hurricane Harvey in Aug/Sept 2017. It was pretty devastating. There was 5-6 ft of water in their house for over 2 weeks straight. They just moved back recently, but have had to stay upstairs until all the repairs and appliances can be installed. It has been a very stressful year, but we do see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Our family also adopted a new kitten back in Aug 2018. She is a beautiful calico princess. She keeps us all on our toes!

One really sad update is that my precious Memaw passed away in Sept 2016. She was 93. She is still missed deeply but know she's with our Heavenly father.

I think that's all for now! I promise I'll try to be better at this!!

           Mistletoe Makayla and Jingle Jack
                           December 2018

No, we didn't fall off the face of the Earth...

Well hello friends!
Yes, it's been... a while. Sorry! We've been dealing with, you know, life in general. Makayla just turned 10 and Jackson just turned 6. I know right! When did THAT happen?! They are both doing great and they definitely keep life interesting! Right now Makayla loves Barbie, American Girl, My Little Pony, Monster High and being a Girl Scout. Jackson is all about Minecraft, Lego's, Scooby Doo and Minions.

As for me, I just recently got a new job! I still work at my church in the nursery, because hello, I still love babies! But now I'm the Social Media Liason and photographer for a Fire Department here in Katy! I'm so excited! It is so much fun! I'm also going to be joining the REHAB team which goes on calls and provides first aid to the firefighters and victims of the fire. How awesome is that?
I still have my photography business and I'm gearing up for Bluebonnet season. As you can imagine, that's a big deal in Texas!
So that's us in a nut shell for now! I'll try to be better about posting!

When the laughter dies

I'm in shock. Usually when you hear the news that a celebrity has passed away, you shake your head and say things like, "what a shame". Yes, people are sad, mostly the family and close friends. But this time it's different. This time, it hit close to home, even though I didn't personally know Robin Williams, he and I shared something. Depression. It's an ugly word and no one likes to talk about it, there is still such a stigma about that word. When I heard the news, I cried. Cried people, over a man I had never met, but respected immensely. Someone who never failed to make me laugh. It's still hard to explain why it would hit me so hard, but then I read on another person's blog about triggers. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. I have been struggling with depression for over 10 yrs. I've been on and off anti depressants for years, but finally after the birth of my first child, I was able to get off them for several years. When Jackson was born, I was extremely happy, but soon after he was having medical issues and then I lost my job and just felt hopeless. I knew it was time. Other than my kids, nothing made me smile anymore. I was grumpy and grouchy all the time and I knew I had to do something. So I went back on my "happy pill" and honestly, it's the best decision I ever made. I am able to keep my emotions in check and not blow up over little things.
The things that strikes me the most about his passing is everyone's reaction. He made you feel like you knew him. So many people have said the same thing, like it was a friend that had passed. I am praying for his loved ones during this difficult time as they will never understand why, like so many of us. Depression lies. It tells you things that aren't true, like, maybe the world would be better off without you. And, who is it really going to affect anyway. I only hope that in some way Robin knew how much he was adored by millions and that just watching one of his movies or his stand up could totally change your mood.
Rest in peace sweet Robin.

Tech Savvy

Hi friends! 
Today I want to talk technology! I consider myself somewhat tech savvy, meaning I know maybe a tiny bit more than the average person about computers, phones etc. Not by any means a "genius" by Apple's terms, but I usually get calls from my parents or friends about needing to know how to do this or that with their gadgets. I especially love cell phones and all their wonderfulness.. is that even a word, well even if it isn't, I am making it one! Lol! I LOVE cell phones and the sheer magnitude of all they can do! It just amazes me that just a mere 10 years ago.. pressing a button on  your phone and asking it a question and having it respond was not even something on the radar. The thing that has really blown my mind are the Apps! Millions and millions of the most random, helpful, silly, fun apps are just waiting for you with just a quick search. I've decided to compile a Top Ten list of my favorite apps! I would love your feedback and please let me know what your favorite apps are! Here we go:


1. Angry Birds ( No explanation needed right?!)


2. Hey Tell (a cool voicemail/text app where no typing is needed!)


3. My Days (a very useful for tracking your time of the month)


4. Movies by Flixter (awesome movie app)


5. Gas Buddy (Gives you a list of the cheapest stations near you)


6. Cozi Organizer (lets you link the calendar to other mobile devices!)


7. Group Me (a mass text messaging app)


8. Out of Milk (grocery list organizer that lets you email list to others)


9. HAR (a real estate app that lets you search for houses etc)


10. Spotify (awesome music app!)


So there you have it! My favorites apps (so far) that I pretty much use on a daily basis! Now it's your turn! Let me know your favorites!

Love is all you need?

I have a confession to make and it might upset some of you.. but for some of you parents, you might understand completely where I am coming from. I'll let you be the judge. 
Let me preface this by saying, I really do love my children more than words can say. I would do anything for them. Some days though.. this sentiment goes right out the window. Makayla is 5 1/2 and Jackson is almost 2, however these are not particularly fun ages. Makayla is in a defiant stage and likes to challenge almost every word that comes out of our mouths. She so desperately wants to be in charge of everything that she often just does things without asking and of course ends up in trouble. One example is that she wakes up before my alarm and instead of coming to my room like I've told her to do a million times, she will go into the kitchen and start eating whatever she can get her hands on. Now, if I could get her to make her own breakfast, this wouldn't be a problem, but she likes to go for the "off-limits" stuff. I like the kids to have milk in the morning, but she will go and get herself a big glass of juice, which again, she knows I don't like. When I ask her why she did it instead of asking me, she says, "Because I wanted it". UGH! It's like her personal mantra right now!! This doesn't just apply to food, it often applies to clothes, getting out too many toys, playing too rough with her brother etc. Here is where my confession comes in.. I always love Makayla, but sometimes I do not like her. Luckily, this feeling doesn't last long, just when I am super frustrated. 


Jackson is another story. He isn't defiant, but he's in a whiny stage. When he doesn't get his way, he whines. How can something so cute make a noise that obnoxious?! He loves to explore, which i don't mind, but when he gets into something I don't want him to and I redirect him, he just starts throwing a fit. He will stomp his feet or fall to the ground and starts whining and crying. Lucky for us, he doesn't do this that often, but when he does, it is definitely nerve-racking! 


Have you experience these moments with your children? Let me know one thing your child does that just makes you crazy!

A work in progress....

Hello friends! I have some exciting news.. well, exciting for me I guess.. you probably will just snicker. I am working on something and for me, it's a pretty big deal. For all you that know me personally, you know that I am a huge coddler (sp?). Because we waited 4 years to have my son, our daughter was our sole pride and joy for those 4 years and it would be somewhat of an understatement to say that child was spoiled. Now we didn't just give her everything she ever wanted, but since she was the only grandchild and our only child, she was, let's say, "well loved". Ha! I really didn't become aware until recently how much of a coddler I was. I always thought I was the disciplinarian! (Which I really can be, when the situation calls for it) But now that my daughter is 5 and understands manipulation tactics, she has been working hard on Mommy and I am now realizing how much I used to give in to her. Unfortunately for Makayla, she has been hearing "No" a lot more now. 
Here is an example of what happened recently...


So we have a formal living/dining room that we basically turned into a playroom for Makayla. Since she had so many toys that were little and what were considered choking hazards, we made her keep her toys in there since Jackson's "area" was in our den. Well a couple of weeks ago, she apparently had some sort of episode and decided to be a human tornado and dumped all her toys from the toy box all over the floor in BOTH rooms. It seriously looked like some toy hoarder lived here. Well in the past, I would have gone in there and cleaned it up for her, but this time I refused. It was just too big of a mess and she needed to learn a lesson. So we told her that she could not have ANY of her friends over until she cleaned those rooms. Well, needless to say, it took a couple of weeks, but today she finally went in there and started cleaning. Now, I know what you are going to say. Why didn't you make her do it the day she dumped it all out. Well, honestly, she wouldn't have learned anything new. She knows she has to clean up, but if she did it right away, she wouldn't have learned that Mommy and Daddy meant business. She has been begging to have some of her friends come over, but we keep telling her no, not until those rooms are clean. She has now learned that Mommy and Daddy, but especially Mommy, are not just going to give in any more. 
So today, without me saying anything at all, she announced she was going to clean the rooms up and that I would be SO proud of her. Well, she was right. I am one proud Momma right now. She has been in there for a little over an hour, cleaning and organizing! I even gave her a bag and told her she could decide herself which toys she wanted to donate and which ones to keep. Every once in a while, she takes a little break, but then diligently goes back and works some more. 
It probably won't get finished today and more than likely I will have to go in there and help a little. (Yes, it was that bad), but I am so proud of her that she is learning to do things herself! Yeah for progress on both our parts!!

What happens when you blink

Since's it has been several months, there has been a lot that has happened! First off, we went on our annual Beach Trip with the family! We went down to Galveston and stayed in a BEAUTIFUL beach house that belongs to a family friend. It was a much needed vacation and we had a great time! 

Right after we got home, it was time for Makayla to start Kindergarten! This was met with much excitement, anxiety (mostly on my part) and a little sadness. Makayla was very excited to start back and see her friends, but Mommy was taking this new transition a little harder. I can't believe she is in Kindergarten already! It seems just like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital! 

So far though, she has loved it and loves all the new things she is learning! It is already early Oct. and she is starting to read all by herself!!! We are so proud of her!!

Jackson is also growing bigger by the minute! He is always on the go and has endless energy! It's exhausting! Lol! He is learning new words and loves to play with his big sister! 

Now we are getting geared up for Halloween! Makayla is going to be a fairy with a dress that glows in the dark! She is very excited about this! We still aren't set on Jackson's costume so I will keep you updated!

I've become a "real" parent now!

For all you late twenty and early to mid thirty year olds, do you remember back in the day when a sign of how cool you were was just how big your CD carrier was? Although I love music, I was never much of a CD person. I just loved listening to all the different radio stations and it really wasn't until I got into college that I started to slowly expand my CD collection. This was only due to the fact that I had a boyfriend (now my husband) who was constantly burning me CD's of all the songs we liked. Even now, if you rummage through all my CD's, I probably still have less than 50. But you must be wondering what in the world this has to do with parenthood? Well, I did something today that was a first. I completely unloaded my CD carrier, carefully picked a handful of CD's I still actually like, then loaded it back up with.... wait for it.... KID'S DVD's! Now that we have a DVD player in the car, it is a great luxury and Makayla is constantly wanting me to play movies. I didn't want them to always be plugged into a tv, so I only kept maybe 3 DVD's in the car. Well, we have gone through those DVD's over and over again and Mommy really can't handle hearing, "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don't know why she swallowed a fly, perhaps she'll die...", one more time! So just to have an arsenal of choices, I have loaded up my carrier with tons of DVD's. Never in a million years when I bought that carrier did I ever think I would be using it as a parenting tool... 
I did, however, buy a smaller, more compact CD case and the handful of CD's I still listen to will fit nicely in there. I just feel like I have come to a turning point, even though I have been a mother for well over 5 years now. The things I once treasured as a single adult have slowly been ignored or turned into useful parenting tools. Another example is my CD/DVD burner on my computer. I was so excited to get this with dreams of making all these crazy cool things, but now I mostly use it to burn children's CD's! Lol! I don't mind at all, but it's just funny how much your perspectives change when you become a parent. 


So I need to bid farewell to the following:


Paula Abdul- Spellbound  circa 1991
the Cranberries- No Need to Argue  circa 1994
Matthew Sweet- 100% fun  circa 1995
Counting Crows- Recovering the Satellites  circa1996
Real McCoy- Another Night  circa 1995
Spice Girls- Spice  circa 1996
Tribute to the Notorious B.I.G.- circa 1997
Soundtrack to Romeo + Juliet- circa 1996
Adam Sandler- they're all gonna laugh at you  circa 1993
matchbox 20- yourself or someone like you  circa 1996
Alanis Morissette- jagged little pill  circa 1995


(these are not all of them, but the ones I literally laughed out load when I saw them)


We had a good run and had some good times, but I'm just not that into you anymore... 

Summer Craziness!!

Well, we just finished up our week at VBS! What a great time we all had! Makayla absolutely LOVES VBS and I hope that stays with her for a long time. Jackson is still a little young, but getting out of the house and going to a room with lots of new toys is still lots of fun to a 16 mon. old!! 

Just a couple of new developments for you all...
Makayla lost both of her top front teeth and she already had the two teeth next to her bottom teeth gone for a while now, so she has a super cute smile! Our perfect little jack-o-lantern! She also just started a Gymnastics class and is loving that as well! She came home and promptly showed off her new skills of doing a cartwheel and doing a bridge! Yeah!

Jackson is doing well and growing so big! I finally caved this past week and took him for his first big boy haircut!! He had the most beautiful curls, but his hair was just getting crazy out of control and now he looks like a little boy instead of a baby. Sniff... He also has 12 teeth!! Seriously, he looks so much older than he is with that mouth full of teeth! And boy does he have the appetite to go with them too!! He must be going through a growth spurt because he is constantly hungry! It doesn't matter if we have just fed him lunch or dinner, if he sees one of us with food, he comes right over and starts whining for some!! Lol! I foresee his teenage years of eating us out of house and home!

I also started working again! Yeah! I work at my church in the Nursery! I LOVE it! It is a flexible schedule that is wonderful and I can take the kids with me whenever I want! We also just purchased our first car, a mini-van for me! A Honda Odysessy that I just LOVE!!! It has so much room and the kids love it as well!!

Other than that, I am just busy keeping the kids entertained for the summer! I hope you all are doing well! Talk to you soon!

This and That

Good grief! It's been a while and I'm sure you are getting tired of hearing me apologize about my absences! I swear I have a good reason!! Since Makayla has been out of school, life at the Graf House has been CRAZY! Trying to keep a 5 yr. old and a 15 month old AT THE SAME TIME has been a very tough challenge. She is an outdoors girls and wants to be out there all the time, no matter how hot. It's like she is immune to the weather. We've had NO rain (except for a day or 2) and it has been well into the upper 90's and low 100's, but does Makayla care? No! Well of course I can't take Jackson out there in weather like that for very long.. so it's been interesting trying to think of things they will both enjoy. 


I am slowly but surely getting our schedule under control and finding some time for myself. I have several things I want to post about, so if you can bear with me and have faith, I will return with some fun stories!


Thanks everyone!! Hope you are having a good summer so far!!

Yes, I would like the child with a side of surgery...

Well.. I bet you all just thought I vanished from the face of the earth now didn't ya? Sorry about that.. these last few months have been crazy.. but isn't that what I always say?! Lol! Makayla's birthday was in early Feb. and we had so much going on.. then just 3 very short weeks later, it was time for Jackson's birthday. Wait, let me rephrase, Jackson's FIRST birthday!!!! My big boy is now 1 yrs. old!! We had a wonderful party at our house with some close family and friends and it was so much fun to see Jackson get that cake all over his face! I can now say, the boy LOVES his cake! Ha! 


But I bet you are wondering.. so what's with the surgery talk? Well, back in 2006, I had to have an emergency c-section to welcome my sweet little girl into the world. A mere 4 weeks later, I had to have emergency surgery again to have my gall bladder removed. That was tons of fun let me tell ya. But I got through it and knew that when the time came to have another baby, I would most likely have another c-section. So I made my peace with that and prepared myself. What I was NOT prepared for however, was that a year later, my c-section scar (internal) would decide to rip open again and leave me with a hernia. This is also known as an incisional hernia. About a week after Jackson's birthday, I noticed a little lump underneath my skin, but honestly didn't think much of it at the time. But a week later that little lump decided to expand to the size of a softball. I was officially freaked out! I went to the Dr. who explained what it was, but informed me that surgery was needed ASAP! Eek! So 4 days later, I was on the operating table, getting yet another abdominal surgery. If you are keeping count, that makes 4 surgeries in just 5 years. 
The surgeon said afterwards that once he got inside, the hernia was a lot bigger than he thought.. he used the word "massive", which did nothing to settle my anxiety. But I did fine and spent the night in the hospital and went home the next day. That was 2 weeks ago. 
These last 2 weeks have been excruciating, not only from the pain, but also for the fact that I could not pick up Jackson AT ALL. Not from the crib, nothing! So my mom and MIL had to help me out, which I am SOOO thankful for!! But I recently went back for my post-op and the Dr. cleared me to pick up Jackson again and that was one of the best feelings ever! Very slowly the pain has let up and I am finally not in pain or feeling achy almost every minute. Every once in a while, I get a sore feeling, but it doesn't last long thank goodness! I think I am finally over the hurdle! I am thankful to have the hernia fixed, but I will be even more glad if I don't have to see the inside of another operating room again!!! 

My Beautiful Kiddos!

Hey friends! 

Sorry it's been a while, we are just settling back into our daily routine from Christmas break. Right after the New Year, we had the chance to have professional pictures taken of the kids, and I jumped on it! I have been wanting to do this for a while, but wanted to wait until Jackson could really sit up on his own as I didn't want just pictures of him only on his back. I am in LOVE with this pictures and they are just too good to keep to myself! So please enjoy our beautiful pictures, courtesy of Micleah Cherry Photography! 

    

Texas Sky!

Here is my Texas Sky picture from Friday! 

Just beautiful! 

New Baby!

Bet I got you to do a double take on that one huh?? No, we are NOT having a baby.. but since Jackson got his tubes last week, it's like we have a whole new baby! He was one happy kid before, but now.. whoa! He's like 10 times as happy! He is just hilarious! It is crazy that a small plastic  tube can make such a big difference! He is crawling around like crazy and pulling up on EVERYTHING! He would love to try and walk, but is still too wobbly for that. We are excited that he is no longer in pain and will be healthy for Christmas! Yeah! 


Me, on the other hand, not so much. I have gotten ANOTHER bad sinus infection and my right ear is very messed up and not draining the fluid that has been in there for weeks now. My Dr. has me on some more heavy duty antibiotics and a steroid nose spray, so hopefully that will take care of the problem. I am very tired of these sinus/ear infections. We are praying that 2011 is a medical drama-free year for us! 


Since it's so close to Christmas, I probably won't post again until after Sat. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! 

Oops!

I guess I should have remember to link back to my friend's site who is doing the whole Texas Sky Edition! Doh! Kirsten, I am so sorry! 


http://www.stillhatepickles.com/

Texas Sky ~ First Edition!

My friend and neighbor and fellow blogger is doing a great series on our beautiful Texas sky and all she has to offer. She has been taking 1 or more pictures every day and posting it on her blog. She has asked that us bloggers try and take some pics as well and then link back to her blog! Yeah!! So, without further ado.. here is my first post and some recent pictures I've taken in the last couple of weeks of our beautiful, ever-changing Texas sky. 

Set for Tube City~Dec. 14th!

Hey friends,

Some of you have heard that Jackson has been having a lot of ear infections lately. 4 to be exact, since Sept and he’s been on 4  rounds of antibiotics and nothing has helped. My Ped. recommend that he get tubes, so we met with our ENT today. They had to do some tests to check him out and here is what they found:

~His eardrums are not moving at all (apparently they are supposed to move)

~He has some minor hearing loss in both ears (from all the fluid in there from his current infection)

~The fluid in his ear is very cloudy/yellow and it’s pretty nasty in there

So the Dr. said tubes are definitely necessary and we need to do it as soon as possible. The surgery will last about 15 min. and they have to put Jackson under general anesthesia. We will then be in the post-op room for a couple of hours and then we will get to go home. He will have the tubes in for a year, and we will go in every 4-5 months for the Dr. to check on them. They usually take out the adenoids when they put in tubes, but he said Jackson was too small for him to do that now. As Jackson grows and gets bigger, so will his ears and the tubes may possible fall out in about a year, which is fine. However, there is a small chance that even with tubes, he may continue to have ear infections. If he keeps getting them, then he will have to have an additional set of tubes put in next year and then at that time, they will take out his adenoids. But if he doesn’t have any more infections, then that’s fine and the Dr. will just keep checking on him.

Sigh. So it’s just a lot to take in, but I know this will help him and he will start to feel better almost immediately. The surgery has been schedule for next Tues., Dec. 14^th at 6:30am. (We have to get there at 5:30am!! Yikes!!) A few weeks after the surgery, we will go back to the Dr. and they will retest his hearing and they said his hearing should be back to normal.

Please keep my little guy in your prayers and us too, as this is very nerve-racking. I just worry so much about my children and as parents we want nothing more than for them to be healthy and happy! Thank you all for the support, love and prayers! We are very hopeful that 2011 will be a year of less Dr. visits and no more medical drama!

Sick and Sicker..

There is a virus that lives in our house. It's like a family member now.. always around and we can't get rid of it! Count to date:

Number of Ear Infections: 3 for Jackson/1 for me

Stomach bug: 3- Phil, Makayla and I

Sinus junk: 4- We've all had it

And this is just since September people! Seriously! We've cleaned the house and disinfected, but we keep getting sick! It's so annoying! I have a bad sinus infection right now and I have to be on heavy antibiotics for a full 14 days! That's half a month!! And poor Jackson, our Pediatrician says if he gets another ear infection after this round of meds, he will definitely have to get tubes! :-( I am so ready for us to be well, and well at the same time!!! 

There are just no words...

Sorry if I have been MIA... this has been one of the hardest weeks I've had in a while. But that is nothing compared to what my best friend Traci and her family has had to deal with. 
Let me start from the beginning. 5 years ago, Traci's mom passed away leaving Traci, her sister and their dad to grieve such a terrible loss. I've known their family since I was 4 and it was just so devastating to lose such a wonderful person. To save more grief and keep things private for the family's sake, I will not divulge the whole story. Their dad took the loss very hard, as she was the absolute love of his life. I have very rarely seen a couple that still acted like newlyweds whenever I saw them together. They set such a great example of how couples, I think wants to be like. 
Again, for privacy reasons, I will not go into how everything came to be, but Traci's dad passed away last week as well. I don't even know how to begin to describe what this week has been like. It has been just awful. How do you comfort someone who has lost both parents? I have tried my best to do anything I could to help them, be there for them etc. but I just end up feeling so helpless. I just want to take away their pain and hurt and make things all better, but I can't. My only hope is that in time God will heal their pain and sorrow. 
Please keep them in your prayers as no one should have to endure what that family has had to go through. 

To market we will go!

Hello friends! Just a quick update to my last post.. I ended up going to the Dr. and getting diagnosed with Bronchitis and an ear infection! Yuck! But I got on some good meds and I'm feeling much better, but the cough is lingering...boo. 


On a better note though, I have some exciting news!! Since starting my own business and starting to really promote it, I have been thinking of ways to get my name out there. I know my old school does an annual Holiday Market in the fall and I decided to call and find out how I can be a vendor. Lucky for me, they had 1 spot left inside the main building, so I signed up right away! Whohoo!! I quickly realized that I would be a small duck in a big pond being that this is my first market to attend. Most of the others, I'm sure have done this many times before. I began thinking of all the things I've seen at the various markets I've attended and how professional the booths looked. So I found a really cute and very cheap, fabric desktop business card holder and ordered that. It should arrive in the next week or so. I also realized I needed some sort of banner to put on my tablecloth covering my table. I ended up making a cute one on Vistaprint and it was so inexpensive! It should also arrive in the next week!! Yeah! So I am progressively getting everything ready to go! 


Also, I have expanded my ideas on my picture blocks. I have decided that I will do some college-themed blocks as well as sorority-themed ones! I already have someone who wants a sorority one for her daughter! What is so great about this product is the endless possibilities! I can do just about any theme! If you couldn't tell already, I am just so excited about all this! I love being crafty and of course getting paid for that is a bonus too! :-) 


I will post some pictures of all my various pieces that I will be displaying at the market once I get them all finished.. just consider it your sneak peek! 

Ugh.

For the last 3 weeks, our house has been under attack. Under germ warfare if you will. Makayla has had a very bad cough, then I caught the cough. Then Jackson started having a runny nose and sounded so bad. He was running just a slight fever, but then 2 days later, his fever shot up to 103 in the middle of the day. We called our Ped. who advised that we take him to a local Pediatric Urgent Care Center. Yikes! The Dr. said he had a double ear infection!! My poor baby! So he is on some good meds right now and is slowly on the mend. Unfortunately for me though, I have been getting worse. I have had a severe headache for about 3 days now and my cough has gotten a lot worse. In addition to starting to lose my voice, my ears are starting to hurt and now I am starting to run a fever! UGH! I am so tired of feeling like crud!! I had taken some expired Amoxicillin this morning to try and nip this in the bud.. and it did make me feel better for most of this morning, but I guess it's time to go see my Dr. Again, ugh. Sorry to be so cranky and complain, but I HATE getting sick. I know it could be a lot worse, but I hate feeling so run down, but barely ok enough to get up and do the things I have to do, i.e.- take care of my kids, get myself ready, etc. 


Well, if by tomorrow I am still feeling like this, I guess I will surrender and go see the Dr. 

Somewhere I never thought I'd be...

As many of you know, I was diagnosed with Chronic ITP, shortly after our son was born. Luckily though, the condition is not so serious that I have to be on medicine and I do not have to have my spleen removed. (A common treatment in the more severe cases.) I have to go to my Hematologist every 6 months or so to get my platelet levels checked to make sure the condition isn't getting any worse. Just last week, I had an appointment and what occurred next was something Phil and I never thought we would have to be thinking about. 

Before I get into what exactly that is, I just want to make it absolutely clear that I love my children with all my heart. I would do ANYTHING for them, they are my absolute heart and soul and the sole purpose I was put on this earth. 

With that being said, Phil and I had discussed the issue of being done with having children or in several years, possibly trying for another one. If we never had another child, we most certainly would be perfectly content. We just didn't want to completely rule out the possibility. 

In talking to my Hematologist about this, he has advised that Phil and I don't have another baby. He says it will really affect my health since my platelets are low to begin with, and during pregnancy your platelets significantly drop anyway. He said I would have to either get on steroids or have bi-monthly IVIG treatments starting at about 5 months of pregnancy, which are $15,000 each!! Yikes! So basically he said we need to take very serious precautions about getting pregnant. I am on birth control, but every birth control is only 99% effective and honestly I have had friends who got pregnant while on birth control. 

Phil and I first talked about me getting a hysterectomy, but decided that was just too drastic. We then decided that Phil getting a vasectomy would be a better choice. But because I don't want to completely rule out the possibility of a future pregnancy, we may get his "swimmers" frozen first. Even though we probably won't decide to have another baby, I just hate the thought of the door being slammed shut. 

I never in a million years ever thought we would be at this point in our life. Researching Urologists and places that freeze sperm. 

At the corner of Crazy and Psychotic!

I just had the most bizarre interaction with my neighbor tonight. Let me take you back to the beginning. Shortly after Phil and I moved in, our neighbors to the right of us moved and a single guy moved in. My dad helped this guy, since my dad knew his dad. This guy is very nice, but was hardly ever home, which really didn't bother us. But then about a year ago, we started noticing this guy with a big truck that would come and park in the driveway and would stay all night, then leave the next morning. So we figured out that our single friend got himself a roommate. No big deal. The guy never introduced himself or anything, even if we were outside when he came home, just a nod of the head every once in a while. Fast forward to today. I went outside to get our trashcans and he pulls up, gets out and immediately comes over to where I am. He introduces himself (I will call him John for privacy purposes) and says he has his 2 kids (ages 4 & 9) visiting him for 2 weeks. So without him actually telling me, I gather he is divorced. He asks if his 4 yr. old can use our swing, I tell him yes although it is really a baby swing, but he was more than welcome to try it. We say our goodbyes and go into our houses. 
Here's where the real craziness kicks in.....


So after Makayla's nap, I told her we could go outside and play in the sprinkler. She ate dinner and we headed out about 7:30. She had been playing for only 20 min. or so, when a black car pulls into my neighbors driveway and a woman gets out. Of course my daughter who knows NO strangers, calls out to her, "Hey look, I'm playing in the sprinkler!" So the woman comes over and introduces herself as Mary. (Name changed for reason stated above.) At the time she came over, I happened to be talking to my mom on the phone, so the lady just starts talking to Makayla. Next thing I know, the lady puts down her purse, puts her arms around Makayla and they go running through the sprinkler together. I quickly hang up with my mom and the lady then tells me, "Well you know John's kids are here visiting, let me go get them!!!" And she runs off towards the neighbors house. At this point, I am thinking, Ok.. this is getting kinda weird. So she brings out the little girl (age 9) and Makayla and her start talking and playing in the driveway. Mary comes over to me, but no sooner had she sat down that John brings out the little boy (age 4). He tells me that the boy had just woken from a nap. Then out of no where, this is the conversation that Mary and John had RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!! 


Mary: Well.. should we do this?
John: Sure. 
Mary: Hi (insert little boy's name), I'm Mary. Nice to meet you!!
(Little boy doesn't respond)
John: Well he's hungry, so I need to take him in to eat. 
Mary: How about I take him in?? Saying to the boy, Come on honey, let's go in. (She holds her arms out to him, but he just hides his face into his dad's shoulder) 
John: He's just tired and hungry, let me take him in.
Mary: Well, see, you're not giving me a chance.


John at this point just turns around and takes the boy inside. Mary sits next to me and this was our conversation. 


Mary: See.. that's just different parenting right there. 
Me: (Just nods my head)
Mary: Yeah I got me an 18 and 13 yr. old and see John still lets his kids sleep in the bed with him. So when he told me his kids were coming to visit, I told him I guess I wouldn't see him until they were gone. When he asked me why, I said, how is there gonna be enough room for us and the kids in your bed? 
Me: Oh. (At this point, I make the assumption they are bf/gf even though they never introduced themselves this way.)


At this point, John comes back out and says that they need to go in and eat, and I tell Makayla we need to go in as well. She comes over and I make a dress out of her beach towel and she walked back to John, Mary and the little girl and wants them to look at her dress. Mary then scoops her up in her arms and carries her back to me. (I was gathering our stuff up) Then Mary says, Nice to meet you and then gives me this gigantic hug!!! AHHH! Seriously, I thought I was on Candid Camera and someone was gonna jump out with a camera any second and scream, "Gotcha!!!" So I politely say goodbye and as we are walking up our driveway, Mary turns and says, "Hey, what time do your kids get up? I'm just wondering!" Knowing where this was going I said, "Well about 6:30-7:00" She says, "Oh wow, that's way too early for me!" So we say goodbye again and we walked inside. 


Yeah, I'll give you a minute to process that and play it all out in your head. 
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Do I have a sign on my forehead that says, Welcome freaks?! They must have been on drugs right? Or drunk?? Who in the heck introduces their gf to their son for the FIRST time in front of their neighbor, whom them just met themselves for the first time that day???? WHO!??! 


Also, why do I need to know who sleeps in what beds, etc?!


I seriously feel like I am in the Twilight Zone!! After telling my mom the story, she pointed out something. She said, "Well you know why she wanted to know what time you get up right? I bet you anything that John has to work, so Mary is gonna be staying with the kids! She is going to want to hang out with you constantly for the next 2 weeks!" Oh heck no!! I got enough drama of my own than to take on some crazy neighbors!! 


Ok, I feel better that I have gotten that all out. Now it's your turn!! Leave a comment and tell me some bizarre, outrageous story that has happened to you! 

Countdown to School!

Hi all! Well I'm sure most of you are aware that school is just around the corner! (Next week for some of you!) Makayla's school however, doesn't start until Sept. 7th! Which is a blessing and a curse at the same time. Let me explain...
It's been great having all this time to spend with Makayla, but at the same time, with a small baby in the house, it's hard some days to give her all the attention she needs/wants. Some days, Jackson is wonderful and content swinging or playing in his jungle gym, but other days he wants to be held constantly and that's when it gets hard to juggle having 2 kids. I know at school she will have so much fun playing with other children and getting to do projects etc. and will get the attention she so desires. So while I am enjoying my time with her, I am definitely ready for school to start as well! 


Other than that, I am still trying to cope with the hurt I feel from getting let go from my job. I still have connections at the school and was told recently that they have hired 2 brand new, FULL TIME aides. This is after they gave me the BS excuse that they didn't have it in the budget to keep any aides. Of course, these 2 new people have their degrees and teaching certificates, and it blows me away that being that educated, they would take an aide job for probably very little pay. What also hurts is the fact that they just weren't honest with me. If they wanted someone with a teaching certificate, then at least tell me that! Even though I don't have one, at least I have no one else to blame but myself for that! They could have just as easily said they needed people with a little more experience and a cert. for the position and honestly I would have respected that. I have absolutely NO respect for people who lie about something to try and spare my feelings, especially when you know I have friends there and will hear the truth eventually! 


It also makes me sad that I went to this school when I was young and it seems to just be going down the drain. They have way too much turn-over with the Head of School position so they can't ever get a good solid foundation because every couple of years they have someone new who has a different way they want to run things. I really hope that they can get someone in there who wants to stay for the long haul and really wants what is best for the kids and teachers alike. 


Ok, enough of that or else I will start to cry. I am determined to try and see what God has in store for me and what he is trying to tell me. Hello God, it's me, Sharon. I'm listening......

Oops!

So I just checked this blog and realized that I had not written anything on here for over a month! Yikes!! Sorry friends!! Life this summer has been crazy!! Summer school, swim lessons, VBS and then there was the constant rain that kept us indoors for the better part of July!

Summer however, is slowly coming to a close. Makayla has just about 3 weeks left before school starts, and I for one, am really excited! Ha! I love her to death, but this summer has been brutal! With a new brother in the house, it's been very hard to entertain her or give her one on one attention and she has definitely been feeling it. Makayla loves school and they will be able to keep her busy much more than I can at this point. Next summer will be better when Jackson will be 16 months old and we will probably be able to get out and do more things.

As for now, I promise to update more frequently than I have been! Thanks for being patient!!