Looking Into The Past!

Look at this picture! Allan & Sarah put this old picture on their photosite. Oh my gosh, this is Allan, Elizabeth & myself. We were cute kids once upon a time. Huh? I don't know what year this was taken. This picture was taken on the front porch of the house that me and my sisters grew up in. I loved that house! Wade, Sandy and the kids were down visiting us. Allan and Liz correct me if I'm wrong. If I had to guess, Liz looks to be about 2 or 3 years old. If that's right, I think that would make Allan around 5 years old and me 10 or 11 years old. We were little sun gods/goddess back then. It's too bad I'm not that dark anymore. What happened? tehe! I remember the kids loved for me to pull them around in my wagon. I would tie my wagon to our lawn mower and drive them around slowly (until we were out of view of the grown ups) on the property (10 acres).

Something I Haven't Told Many People

Okay, so here is something I haven't told many people about myself.

• Don't ask me why, but I would love to take a full guided tour of Italy & Greece. There's something about it that intrigues me. I can't speak Italian, but I love to watch documentaries about the countries. It's sick, I know, but I like to google them, look at pictures and day dream about it. What would it be like? How fantastic the scenery must be. My father, of course, would chime in and say nasty, filthy & "I don't know why you would want to go to some place like that?" Of course, this is why I haven't told many people this about myself. I have a movie "Under The Tuscan Sun" with Diane Lane and it seems to feed my hunger sometimes.
• I have an appreciation for Classical Instrumental Music, as you can tell by my new playlist. One of my favorite is Canon in D Major composed by Pachabel. You may not know this song from it's name, but you would know it if you heard it. Check it out on my playlist to the right. I don't have it on automatic play, so you'll have to press the play button. I love to hear all instruments play, but I guess I would have to say that the violin wins my heart every time. Before I got pregnant with Kaitlyn, I told Doug that I would love for our child to learn how to play the violin. This way, I could hear it's sweet melody anytime. Knowing my luck, Katie would hate the violin. However, we would like for her to try the piano. Doug and I have talked about going to a symphony, but we have never gone.

I've told you two things about me that I haven't told many people.
Tell me something about yourself.
What are your interests?
Your likes & dislikes?
I'll tell more at a later time.

We're Still At It

Potty Training Update
I have to say that yesterday's potty training was interesting. I left the diaper off of Katie all day including last night. After her nap time, I made her go outside and get some fresh air. I put a pair of vinyl panties on her. I kept trying to get her to go potty outside. I tried making it a big deal, but she wouldn't go potty. Finally, after trying and trying to get her to pee in the yard, she peed in the vinyl panties. I could tell because the way she was walking that it was full. I asked her if she peed. "Uh, huh" she replied. I told her that she should have taken her panties off and pee-peed in the yard. Then she decided to take her panties off. Doug couldn't get over what we were doing. He was all beside himself. "She doesn't need to go naked out in public" he said. I had a little section screened from the street to the side of the house for her to go to the bathroom. The screen was made of folding lawn chairs and her picnic table. I told Doug, if it would help to get her started on potty training that we needed to encourage her. He still couldn't get over me trying to get her to go potty outside.

This morning, she did not want to go to the potty. I told her that if she pee-pees in her panties that I will have to put baby diapers back on her. She got upset and decided to go with me to the bathroom and sit on the potty. She didn't do anything in the potty, but at least she went. She told me that she wanted to wear panties and not baby diapers. While I was putting on her panties, she said she wanted to be a big girl. Later she said that she wanted to give the babies her diapers. This is encouraging that is until she peed on the Living Room floor. What was aggravating is that I just got through trying to encourage her to go to the potty. She kept telling me no and that she didn't want to go to the potty. I made it a big deal that she got her panties and her favorite dress all wet. She said she was sorry and that she would be a good girl. I asked her if she needed to wear baby diapers. "No, I wear my big girl panties" she said. I made her help me wipe up the pee. Of course, this took time out of her play time, so she didn't like it too well. I hope this will help me get it in her head not to pee in her panties. In the over all day, she pee-peed in the potty three times. All the rest were in her panties. This is so aggravating! I told Doug tonight, she reminds me of a puppy that's not house broken. You don't know that she pee-peed on the floor until you walk in it. YUCK!

American Idol
I believe that was the worst performance I've heard from David Cook and Carly Smithson. Doug and I couldn't believe our ears. They have been our favorite this whole time, but that was awful. And what's so bad is the judges thought it was great. I'm sorry, maybe my hearing is a little off or something. Doug didn't even like it. Typical David Archuleta gave us another boring performance. His way of kicking it up a notch is singing louder.

Hell's Kitchen
Tonight's show made me feel a little better after wasting my time watching AI. I couldn't believe Cory actually thought nominating Jenn & Christina for personal reasons, and telling Chef Ramsey that they were for personal reasons, was a brilliant idea. How stupid. Doug and I both knew that Ramsey wouldn't tell either one of those women to leave Hell's Kitchen. Doug was expecting him to tell Cory to hit the road, but she did a great job with the rosotto. I figured Cory would be smart and nominate Sharon because her and Ramsey don't get a long and she's been making mistakes left and right. Nope, it had to be Ramsey to tell Sharon to leave.

CPSC Recall Notice

• Plush Insect Toys Recalled by Dollar Tree Stores Due to Choking Hazard - Link: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08243.html
• Children’s Board Book Sets Recalled By Dalmatian Press Due to Choking Hazard - Link: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08245.html
• Magnetic Dart Boards Recalled By Henry Gordy Int’l; Ingested Magnets Pose Aspiration and Intestinal Hazards - Link: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08244.html

I believe this entire blog has been negative. I'm sorry. Hopefully, I'll get an attitude adjustment tomorrow before I blog again.

Hope you have a good day!

Potty Training Update

Every other time I change Katie's diaper, I'll ask her if she wants to go potty in the big potty. Normally, she says "no thank you." Today, she said "ah, huh." I couldn't believe my ears. Well okay, let's go. I excepted it to be like all the other times, she'll sit on the potty and not do anything until 10 minutes later when she gets off the potty. This time I had a little surprise. She actually pee-peed in the potty. Yes! I did my potty dance and sang my potty song. I tried to build it up for all that it's worth. She even got excited! This is positive. Right? She told me that she was a big girl, so maybe she does listen to me. I asked her if she wanted to try the potty training thing and get to wear big girl panties. "Sure" she said. Alright! I got excited. So we washed our hands and headed for her pantie drawer. She picked out the "Little Mermaid" panties and was excited to put them on. She told me that "she not pee-pee or pooh-pee in her mermaid panties." I agreed with her and I made it out to be this big thing. About 30 minutes later, she came and got me. She said she had to go pee-pee. Yes! She has never done this before. I praised her again for coming and getting me to go to the potty. Of course, we didn't make it to the potty, but I told her that accidents happen. I reassured her that she might make it to the potty the next time and that it was good that she came and got me. The next few times, she had a fit when I came to get her to go to the potty. I'm talking about crying, her telling me no, and me having to drag her to the bathroom. Ugh! This is the part I hate about potty training. I tried the "shh, let's listen and hear the pee-pee" and "do you want a prize for pee-peeing in the potty?" She said that she wanted us to do the potty dance again. The problem is she wanted to do the potty dance without physically going to the potty. HELP! She was all for giving her diapers to babies because she's a big girl, she just doesn't want to go to the potty. Before her nap time, I put a pull-up on her. She didn't like that idea. She starting crying and getting upset again. I guess because it's so similar to a diaper, so I offered to put her mermaid panties on top of the pull-up. She seemed satisfied with it. If you sit back and look at the big picture, I would say that she wants to be a big girl. She is just having a difficult time learning how to be a big girl. I think too she just doesn't want to take time out to go do her business because it takes too much time away from playing. Of course, this is just an observation because she doesn't like to take naps either.

Spring Pictures

A few happy Spring pictures of Katie with the azaleas in our front yard. Katie said she wanted her picture made, but as soon as I get the camera out she wouldn't smile for me. I asked her if she would smell the flowers, but all she wanted to do was pull the blooms off of the bushes. I still have hope that she'll began to cooperate with the picture making again like when she was a baby. It was always so easy to take her picture when she was a baby. All I had to do was make a funny face and now Katie won't even look at me. More pictures are on the photosite.

Cotton Candy Ice Cream is Katie's new fav

Ryan and Kacy Rae with her baby, Austin, at Easter 2008

After church, Doug was hungry for Mexican food. We decided to go to our new favorite restaurant, Casa Fiesta. We both got the Burrito Supreme and it was so good. Katie discovered Spanish Rice and she really liked it. Doug fooled her by telling her that it was white beans. Yeah, yeah, I know. You're probably thinking we're crazy telling Katie that rice was really beans. Right? Well, she is such a picky eater that if it doesn't look appetizing or familiar, she won't eat it. Even then, she'll stick out her tongue to taste it and decide if she likes it or not. Later, she noticed an ice cream cone statue in front of an ice cream parlor. "I want some ice cream," she said. We went in and we asked her what kind of ice cream did she want. I knew that she would eat vanilla ice cream better than chocolate, but no she didn't want either one. She told me that she wanted pink ice cream. I asked her where there was pink ice cream and she pointed to the ice cream flavor, cotton candy. I asked her if she was sure that she wanted that flavor. We tried to entice her with some other flavors, but no she kept going back to the cotton candy. Okay, I got her a kids serving of cotton candy ice cream. Would you believe that she ate it all! Doug and I both were shocked. When she finished her ice cream, she got down and started picking out the next flavor she was going to get. She told us in the car, she ate pink ice cream today and the next time she wants to get yellow ice cream.

Doug had a movie to turn this evening, so I asked him to pick up "Alvin and The Chipmunks" if it was available. He is such a good man because out he came with the movie. We all went home and rested a little, watching "Alvin and The Chipmunks." It was a cute children's movie and Katie liked it so well that she wanted to watch it again. I think the chipmunks were just adorable. It almost wants you to get one for pet, just to cuddle up to. So deceiving!

Doug had to go to a Deacon's meeting, so Katie and I hit the yard. She is such a good helper. While I racked out the dead leaves, trimmed the bushes, pulled weeds & cut back the monkey grass, she was picking off the blooms from the azalea bushes. The back of her tricycle was full of blooms. Oh well, it kept her occupied. Don't get me wrong, I love English Ivy. I think it is very pretty and makes a great ground cover, but it will take over your place in a year. Ugh! I don't like it to get too thick in my flowerbeds because I'm afraid it will invite Satan's Hand Puppets to reside in it. Yuck! I would probably pee in my pants, if I saw a snake in my flowerbeds. I know a few years ago my neighbor saw one between our houses and I nearly had a come apart then. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. YUCK! Soon after Doug got back home, he helped me mulch up all the debris and threw the larger pieces into the woods. When we were winding things down, Katie got her garden gloves back on and had fun playing in dirt from one of my pots. Don't worry, I don't have any flowers planted in it yet. She had a blast until her gloves got wet and she didn't want them on any more. She decided she would go play in her sand box for a while. Doug went in the house to do some school work and I swept off the driveway. I thought it would be a good opportunity to get the garden rack and rack our gravels at the end of the driveway. As I was walking towards the house to get it, I noticed Katie took off her clothes and was still in the sand box. I went to go check on her, when I noticed that she also took off her diaper. Ugh! That child was buck naked and putting sand in her hair. I asked her why she took off her diaper. She told me it was because she was wet. I gave her the lecture about not taking off her diaper while she was in the sand box. Do ya think she cared at all? NO! She just knew that she was having a marvelous time. I thought I was going to have to hose her down outside before I took her inside for a bath, but the sand came off pretty easy. I grabbed a bath towel, wrapped her up and took her straight to the tub. She continued to tell me how much fun she had playing in the sand.

Oh, I've got to tell you this. I was looking through Target's sale paper today and what should I see. They are selling the Bare Escentuals Starter Makeup Kit for $49.99. I got online and I didn't see where they might sell the makeup individually. Them selling the kit is encouraging though. Maybe they might sell more of it in the future.

Sad News!

Prayer Request
I would like to ask you for special prayer for a family me and my sisters grew up with, The Wiggins. June called me this morning with terrible news that she heard from Susan. A lady that my sisters went to school with and grew up with, Gleida(?) Wiggins, died in a house fire early this morning. She was only 46 years old, I believe. Sandy, you might remember her. Her older brother was Craig "Baby" Wiggins. I don't know what caused the fire. Mike Howell's children were staying with Gleida. When the fire began, Gleida got the older children out of the house and she went back in to get the smaller children (both 7 years old). Gleida and the two 7 year olds didn't make it out of the house. June said that the house burnt up so quickly that they didn't have a chance. According to Susan, the house stairs burnt up before they could get out of the house. They found Gleida and the children's bodies right next to each other. Gleida had her hand on the one child and the other child was right behind her. Susan and I talked tonight about it because it was on the local news. Neither one of us can imagine what these families might be going through, nor do we want to. This is such a sad story and their community is so upset over the news. I know in my heart, they are in God's loving hands right now and are not in any pain. It is very hard to grasp this concept at a time like this, but it's the truth. Please keep the Wiggins, Howell and Green families in your thoughts and prayers.

Congratulations!

I would like to congratulate Whitney on her new Summer job with the Helen Keller Hospital. She will be working in the Pediatric/Nursery floor. I'm so excited for her. I wish you the best of luck.

I would like to congratulate Nicholas for getting a Rotary Award. I'm very proud of you.

I would also like to congratulate Sarah for making it into the Nursing Program. We wish you all the best of luck in the Nursing field.

I talked to Mom tonight and she was real tired. She said she was relieved that Susan went with her to the hospital because she didn't have her procedures done until around 1:00 this afternoon. She said that she would have been so bored having to wait around. She's glad that all of this is put behind her and is looking forward to tomorrow. Of course, she hasn't done much today after she got back from the hospital. I called her around 7:00 and Dad had just left to go home.

Prayer Request

I've been watching the news throughout the day because of all the storms. It sounds like our town got hit the worst. Trees up rooted and laying on houses and vehicles, roofs blown away, power outages and don't forget the big gas leak. It was all over the news. With trees down and other debris on the roads, police had to close down a long stretch of highway to get it cleaned up. Our Water Plant had to close down because of power outages, so they are encouraging people to take it easy with the water for the rest of the day. One church member had 2 trees on his house and 1 tree on his boat. Maryann said she show it and she would considered it a loss. I still haven't heard of any injuries, but lots of damage. One church opened up it's doors to help the victims with their loss.

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

Sarah and Allan tried my Baked Chicken Recipe last night. From what they reported, they liked it and wanted more recipes. Hold on kids because I've always got more. tehe! If you like Buffalo Style Hot Wings, you'll love this dip because it tastes just like it and you can control the heat yourself.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 (5 oz.) cans chicken, drained
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch dressing
3/4 cup red hot sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese, you decide how much
Frito Corn Chips, Scoops

• Beat cream cheese, ranch dressing, and red hot sauce
• Fold in shredded chicken
• Spread mixture into pie plate sprayed with Pam
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
• Add cheddar to top and bake an additional 10-15 minutes
• Serve hot with Frito scoops

1 pie plate full
35 minutes total - 5 minute preparation

Note: 3/4 cup of red hot sauce is pretty hot for me. I prefer a mild sauce, so I would call this measurement as being a medium heat. You can adjust the sauce to your taste. You can use any kind of chips and would probably taste good in a Hawaiian bread bowl for parties.

Nutrition Facts: Based on 1 pie plate full(so don't freak out as you read this)
Calories: 3155
Total Fat: 309.4g
Cholesterol: 693mg
Sodium: 8232mg
Dietary Fiber: 1.2g
Sugars: 12.3g

No Problems with Mom's Colon or Stomach

I just got an update on Mom's procedures. The technicians got a late start this morning, so she just got out. They only saw one polyp in her colon, but it looked benign and not a danger. Her stomach looks fine, no ulcer. So, the next question is "what caused her to loose blood." According to Mom, the nurse told her that there was blood in her stool sample. Last Tuesday, I remember a nurse taking a stool sample for some test. I didn't hear her say that there was blood in the stool, she just came in and said that Mom needed some blood. Anyway, the doctor that Susan talked to at the hospital said that if she continues to loose blood, the next step would be to do an X-ray of her small intestines to see if there is a problem there. The doctor said he would make these notes for Dr. Stewart's, at the rehab center, records. He went on to say that there are no signs of infection and it looks like the C-Def is gone. Thank you God! Sue said they'll wait around at the hospital to get Mom woke up before she'll head back over to the rehab center. Susan suspects that they'll probably go back around 4:00, just in time for Dad to get there. I told Susan to be careful because there are still some bad storms coming through Alabama.

NKOTB Are Coming Back!

Okay, so I've been hearing rumors that one of my favorite bands in the late 80's, early 90's are making a come back - NKOTB (New Kids On The Block). Yes, I was one of those Millie Vanilli, NKOTB, MC Hammer, Bobbie Brown, Vanilla Ice fans. Ah, the days! Well, I was flipping the channels this morning and flipped it over on The Today Show (NBC). Who should I see? NKOTB! Oh my gosh! They are doing it. They are making a come back and they still look good. According to The Today Show's hostess, they will have a premiere on their show May 16th. I couldn't get over how much Donnie looks just like his brother, Markie Mark. You may know him as Mark Wahlburg(?). Donnie is following in his brother's footsteps by going in the acting career. I don't know the name of the movie he is working on right now. So, for those of you who are old NKOTB fans, you might want to tune in or TiVo it.

I would like to recommend a children's book, "Gossamer" by Stephen Cosgrove. I got it from the Library and read it to Katie last night. It is a good morals story book about vanity. A beautiful Winter White Weasel knows that she's beautiful and she spends most of her time going around watching other creatures making sure that she continues to be the most beautiful creature in the land of Barely There. She soon learns a very good lesson on being vain and changes her life for the better. It's a sweet story.

We just had a storm come through here around 11:00. It rained real hard and it was very windy, but it didn't last long. Unfortunately, our power went out for a while. Katie couldn't understand that her movie went off and I couldn't get it back on. She kept telling me that her TV needed batteries to make it work. Most of the damage was just south of us around a shopping center. I've heard there was damage to Belk, Dairy Queen, Books-A-Million with the roof being blown off, lots of fallen trees and a huge gas leak at a near by gas station. I know three houses had one large oak tree fall on it, causing lots of damage. I haven't heard any reports of anyone injured because of it. I don't even know if the gas leak was caused by the storm. I had a few people call me to make sure Katie and I were alright. On the news, they are suspecting a little tornado might have developed to cause this damage, but it could have been straight line winds just as well.

Katie's new phrase: "Come here, I got to show you something." Today, she wanted me to stay in her room. She'd holler from her room, if she saw me in the hallway. "Come here Mom, I got to show you something." Okay, I went in her room and asked what it was she had to show me. She pointed to her Barbie Dolls lined up on her bed. She caught me in the hallway again and said it again. I went back in her room and she just got all shy and giggly. She just wanted me to hang out with her.

Dad and I visited Mom yesterday. Of course, she was a little scared about the procedure today. She seemed to be in pretty good spirits. She said her therapy went real well. She got to walk 20 feet again with the help of her walker. Dr. Adams came in right when Dad and I was about the leave for the day. He didn't say much that we didn't already know. Mom's still pain free and yesterday was the last day she took her antibiotics. They should be taking the pick line out of her arm soon. I know Dr. Barnes said that he wanted another MRI on Mom's back to make sure the infection is gone. So, I don't know if they'll wait until she has the MRI done before they take the pick out. It's 1:00 and I haven't heard anything yet about the results from Mom's procedures. Susan went with her today to the hospital. I just left a message on Sue's phone to find out what's going on. Dad told me not to call her, but let her call us. I tried to hold off, but I couldn't stand it. I'm hoping she'll let me know something soon.

Low Blood Count?

As you know, I visited Mom last night. She looked good, but was tired. While I was there, she was able to get her hair shampooed and styled by a hair dresser, this required a lot of getting up and down. In and out of her wheel chair. Her hair looked real nice when Heather, hair dresser, finished it. She ate most of her supper, but her appetite is still improving daily. Her nurse came in and told us that Mom's blood level was low and that they will be giving her 3 units of blood today. I guess I was stunned to hear this because I thought she said they were taking 3 viles for testing. Go figure! I didn't even ask why. I'm a good daughter. Am I not? I'm learning, so don't give up on me. Today, Maryann and I learned more as the day progressed. Mom's blood count was very low because her doctor decided to go ahead and give her 3 unit of blood. Dr. Stewart seems to think that the blood loss is from a possible stomach ulcer. To be on the safe side, she wants a colonoscopy and upper GI done on Mom. She is scheduled to do this on Friday, Lord willing. Mom wasn't too thrilled to find out this information. She was so hoping to be able to come home Friday. Apparently, Dr. Stewart told Mom awhile back that if she reached her goal that she might be able to come home this Friday. No such luck, but that's okay. Honestly, I don't think she is well enough to come home right now. She is just now getting to where she can barely stand up with assistance. She did get to walk a little yesterday and approximately 20 feet (according to Dad) today with a walker. Dr. Stewart said that as soon as Mom receives these 3 units of blood, she should start acting a little more refreshed and energetic than before. We've been kind of concerned with her being so tired, so maybe it's been because of the blood count being low. Who knows?

Dad and Ralph went to SC to get some dentures made for themselves. They got their new teeth today and Dad said that they fit just perfect. They wanted to stay an extra day in SC to make sure their teeth were going to work before they left to come home, but the rehab center had to call Dad. They told him about Mom's blood count being low and how they needed his consent for her to receive the blood and further tests on Friday. Of course, he was upset and the next thing we knew, he was home. I'm to meet him tomorrow and we are going to the rehab center together for Mom. We are so hoping that there won't be any big problems. Based on the past three-four months just when Mom is about to get out of the woods, there's another forest she has to over come. I know there are so many prayers being lifted for Mom, but I just ask you to please continue. Thanks!

Katie and I went with Maryann today to her doctor's appointment. They let Katie and myself go in the back and see Maryann's burns. Her left arm looks real good. It looks like she got a bad sun burn, but the right arm is still bad in some places (brown spots). She has some scar tissue, but hopefully Dr. Seidel will be able to help her with that problem. The waiting room in this doctor's office is pretty cool because there is a big salt water aquarium in the middle of it. Katie had a blast watching the fish swimming around. Right off the bat, we had to find Dory & Nemo. I have to say, it was a great babysitter because it entertained her for a long time. Honestly, I didn't think this day was going to happen because Katie woke up in a bad mood (around 6:30 crying). Ugh! I let her watch her cartoons while I finished getting ready because we had to be at Maryann's by 7:30 or at least I thought we did. I didn't know if Natalie was going to be able to have time to fix Maryann's hair and I wanted to be there in plenty of time. I had to force Katie's clothes on her body, pull her hair up in a pony tail (she is still crying) and push her out the door (still crying). I thought by the time we got to Maryann's that she would wake up and get in a better mood. Luckily, Maryann understood having been through it with three children. Right when it was time to leave for the doctor's appointment, Katie was finally getting in a good mood. I was trying to carry bags on my shoulder, open the door for Maryann & Katie. When the car door opened, barely catching Katie on the side of the head. Ugh! This wasn't going to be my day. I just put everything on the ground to grab Katie. I barely bumped her on the side of her head, but I'm sure it still hurt like heck. Poor baby. I finally got her calmed down enough to get her in the car. Of course, she tells me that she wants me to hold her. Ugh! She got to feeling better by the time we got to the doctor's office. Thank goodness! After the doctor's visit, we dropped Maryann off at the hospital for her whirlpool therapy. Bless her heart. She said this afternoon that they picked the skin up underneath her nails, where it's tender. She said she nearly lost it. WARNING FOR ALL OF YOU: When your skillet catches on fire, don't be brave because it's not worth it. Grab the Baking Soda, fire extinguisher, get out of the house or call the fire department. For goodness gracious, don't grab the skillet and head for the door. I consider Maryann a very strong woman, but this has really messed her up.

Katie has a new sentence or word (I guess). It doesn't matter if you're asking her a question or telling her to do something the response will be "I need two." Are you ready for your tubby? She'll say, "Yeah, I need two mermaids." Let's go to bed. Her response is "okay, I want two stories." Do you want a stuffed animal or doll to sleep with? Her response, "Uh, huh! I need two dolls." The magic number is TWO! She is also a miss mother. She'll ask you (out of the blue) if you are alright. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" "You get some medicine and feel better. Alright?" If you sneeze. She'll say, "You'll be alright, okay Mommy." If you tell her that you won't be alright, she'll want to argue with you. She'll say, "Yeah, you're alright." The more you argue, the louder she gets. Hard head! Where does she get it from?

Katie has really enjoyed the new TV in her room. We've started a very bad habit, but it seems so easy. She wants to watch movies in her room, while we watch our shows like "American Idol", "House", "Seinfield." If she doesn't like what we are watching, she'll ask if she can watch one of her movies in her bedroom. Of course, while she's back there, she'll want something to eat and drink. I can still bribe her with the TV, so she'll eat her supper. It works! Doug said when we give the girls the 31" and ready to put our 27" back in our bedroom, we'll have to look into getting Katie a small TV for her room. If we do this, I'm afraid we are going to have to set some ground rules. Right now since this is a temporary situation, there are no rules. If it seems to get carried away, I'll have to revisit the situation.

We had to go by the Library today to drop off some books and a "Strawberry Shortcake" video. I believe she got some good books this time and they had a "Barbie Fairytopia" movie to be checked out. When I showed it to Katie, she had a fit. As soon as we got home, she asked to watch it. She watched it twice today. Tonight, I read "Butterfly Kisses" to Katie. The book is based on Bob Carlisle's song "Butterfly Kisses." If you haven't read it, it's about a Daddy and his baby girl and what they mean to one another. I got teary eyed a couple of times while reading it to her. I might have to eventually buy this book for her to keep, so sweet.

Speaking of getting teary eyed. How about the American Idol results? I have to say, Ramiele hasn't shined in the past few weeks, not like she did in the beginning. I still think she is a good singer. I just felt so sorry for her. I guess because it's getting harder because we are slowly getting down to the wire. I think she'll do great after the AI tour. What about David Cook? They said it was because of high blood pressure, I hope he's alright. Doug was surprised that American Idol let Dolly Pardon sing that song. Personally, I thought it was a pretty song.

Doug TiVo'd "Hell's Kitchen" for me. We got to watch it tonight before "American Idol" started. Oh my gosh! I can already tell this is going to be a good season because you've got all kinds of people that think they are better then everyone else and at times better than Chef Ramsey. A 30 year guy came on with this 2 foot tall chef's hat. So funny! He said that he likes to wear it because he is 5'5" without the hat and if he looks taller than he'll be more intimidating to the other opponents. Gordon Ramsey chewed him up and spit him out, it was great. Do you think I have a weird sense of humor? Yeah, me too! tehe!

"No Country for Old Men"

"No Country for Old Men" is a terrible movie and I love Tommy Lee Jones. Maybe it's a man thing, but I was so disappointed at the end. Us ladies probably wouldn't like it as well as the guys. If you decide to watch it, be prepared to watch a lot of blood and gore. Sure, it kept you on your toes because you never know what was going to happen next, but there was no point. Doug of course, thought it was brilliant. What? I can't believe this movie received awards for best picture, etc. I told him ways that it would have been better. Will there be a sequel? If there is a sequel, I would hope that it would be better than the first movie. What's so bad is Doug bought this movie. He got it because someone told him that it was a real good movie. I don't think I would have wasted money to rent it.

Peggy had to go to town this morning, so she came by around 11:00 to pick up Katie for the day. Katie was so excited. She could still wear Alise's denium dress, so she wanted to wear it with a hair bow. She is getting to where she'll tell me if she wants a hair bow or piggy tails. After I got her dressed and hair fixed, she came in the Kitchen and asked us, Doug and I, if she looked pretty. She was playing with her hair when she asked if her hair was pretty. Doug and I giggled at her. She is such a priss! She jumped in her Grandma Peggy's car ready to go. I guess she is a lot like me when it comes to going. You say let's go and usually I ask when. Katie is always ready to go some where.

The satellite guy came out this afternoon and installed our new HD satellite and receiver. Doug is set for football season. Doug took off work today because the satellite being installed today. He is so excited! Right now, he is installing all the software. It's cute.

I'm going to be leaving her soon to visit Mom. I'm hoping she is having another good day. Then, I've got to stop by a few places before I get home tonight. Katie has three pairs of sandals for this Summer, but right now she needs tenny shoes. She is still wearing her size 7 tenny shoes and they are really too little for her. She hasn't complained about it, but I feel bad her wearing such small shoes. Right now, she needs a 7 1/2 size, but not all shoes come in a size 7 1/2. I'm hoping to find some tenny shoes in a size 8 on sale. Surely, she'll be able to wear them next Fall into Winter. Online at Baby Gap, they have a cute pair of jelly sandals. I would love to get her a pair of those as well. Their not too expensive either - $12.50. Have you ever seen the jelly sandals? I haven't noticed them until this year.

"Alvin and The Chipmunks" are coming out on DVD today. Best Buy has got a special on their Blu-Ray DVD in this movie. When you buy the movie, you'll get all three chipmunk stuffed animals. Doug wants me to check it out for Katie. Maybe they'll have one for her. I guess we'll see.

I'll give you an update on Mom's condition tonight. Stay tuned for all the latest . . . (tehe!)

The Lord's Prayer

You have got to watch this! Laura sent this to me and it is so precious, I had to post it.

Update on Mom
June called me as she was on her way home. She visited Mom after work tonight. She said that she thought Mom did real good today. She added that Mom sat up and talked with her the whole time. She ate all of her supper and told June how much she wants to come home. Dr. Stewart came in and talked with both Mom and June. Dr. Stewart has been concerned with Mom's eating. She had been instructing the nurses to give Mom some medicine that will boost her appetite. Well, it must be working if they have been giving it to her since she got back to the rehab because everyone has been reporting that she is eating more. Here I thought she was eating all of her meals because it tasted better than hospital food. Let's just hope there are NO SIDE EFFECTS! The last time, they tried something (medicine) to help her out, she had terrible side effects from it that nearing put Dad in the hospital. Any who, Mom asked Dr. Stewart when she might be able to go home. She answered by telling Mom that starting tomorrow, she will be walking (with assistance). Based on her first day, they are going to set a goal for her to reach. Dr. Stewart told them that her along with the other doctors and therapists will meet this Wednesday to discuss her progress. By that afternoon, Mom should know when she might be able to come home. Thursday will be the last day Mom will have to have the terrible antibiotics that are causing all of these awful side effects and practically draining her. Lord willing, she will be feeling much better and stronger after they get the pick line out of her arm.

Bro. Steve gave the sharing your wealth speech yesterday, which must be a big message directly at me because I'd been thinking about cleaning out my closets for about a week now. After having Katiebug, I never got to get back into my size 12 clothes again. So, I'm hanging it up and giving all of my best suits, dresses and shirts to the needy. Do you know how hard it is to give away your favorite outfits because you can't fit in them? I was sick because some of them are not very old and in such good condition, but I know there is someone out there that might need them for a new job or job interview. I've been holding on to them long enough and now I've come to grips that the weights not leaving today, maybe tomorrow. I have so much room in my closet now to put new clothes. Alright! I was able to fill up a garbage bag full. I'm trying to convince Doug to do the same thing. He and I both need to do a little clothes shopping. It's so easy for us to go shopping for Katie clothes, but it's so hard to find clothes to fit our awkward bodies and look nice. As most of you know, I hate stretch clothes. I've been waiting for this fad to go right out the window. I'm hoping by this next weekend, we'll see that it has done just that. I received a flier in the mail that Belk is having a Midnight Madness/Early Bird type sale starting Friday night. I told Doug about it and I think we'll take advantage of the situation. I've noticed Susan is wearing these baby doll type tops and I think they look good on her. She is no where near as big as I am, but I would like to try one on to see what it looks like. Since Kaitlyn, I've gotten out of the fashion savvy mode. Do ya have any advice for this big girl? What's the newest fashion that is tasteful of course? I've been seeing a little paisley here and there. You know a lot of fashion designers feel that paisley should be out and stay out. Is it out or in? Wish me luck!

Silly Katie

Yesterday, we got outside and did yard work. I cleaned out flower beds on one side of the yard (total of three beds). Doug mowed the back yard because the grass has gotten pretty thick back there and mulched up leaves left over from this past Fall/Winter. Katie got tired helping me out, so she decided to play in her sandbox. PaPa Millard and Grandma Peggy drove up later. They bought Katie some Easter baskets from Walmart that were on sale. She had a blast, as you can tell from the pictures! She got dress up stuff, doll, basketball, sidewalk chalk and etc. She loves all the things she got.

Tonight Katie wanted to try on her Strawberry Shortcake Sun Visor that PaPa Millard and Grandma Peggy got her yesterday. We were trying to teach her to yell "Roll Tide" from her mega phone. We got her to say, "Go Team Go!"

She was being so silly tonight with her visor and mega phone. Check out Doug's new toy in the background.

As you can tell from the picture above, Doug's TV came in last Friday. We spent all afternoon moving televisions around. Lucky Katie has the luxury of temporarily having a television in her room. We thought it would be best to move the TV, we are giving Whitney and Leslie for their apartment, into our room until they can get set up next Fall. I think it all worked out. That evening, Millard and Peggy came by. Millard helped Doug get the new TV on the frame that they built and bolted into our old entertainment center. I really didn't want to see what was going to happen to our entertainment center, so Peggy, Katie and I went to Hobby Lobby. I needed some pinking shears to cut the bandannas for Katie's flip-flops. It was Peggy and my job to keep Katie in her room, while Millard and Doug got the TV all fixed. We let Katie watch one of her new favorite movies,"Barbie in The Nutcracker" over and over in her room. We even had a party in her room. Katie liked that idea because she loves parties. I thought it would be a good idea to start on Katie's shoes, while we were sitting around in her room. Plus, Peggy wanted to see what they would look like. I finished both shoes before they left to go home and I think they turned out cute. At first, I didn't think I would need all that material, but I did end up using more than I first thought. Katie likes her flip flops, she just needs to learn that she doesn't have to pick her feet up so high in order to walk in them. Peggy and I had to laugh at her walking around in them.

I have to say after the men got the TV set up and everything was finished, it looks pretty daggum good. Doug and Millard did an excellent good. They should go into business (on the side) installing televisions with the Blu-Ray and Satellite connections. I didn't think I was going to like the new change there for a while because there were so many remotes you had to have. One each for the antenna channels, satellite, Blu-Ray & stereo. Ugh! Luckily, he got the antenna channels and satellite programmed to one remote, so that helps a little. The "Bee Movie" looks real good on a HD television. I think Doug is happy with his new toy. Now, if I can only have my storage building. Pleeease! Ya'll remember this - he said and I quote "You'll get your building in May." Okay, help me out by putting this on your calendar and reminding him that he's suppose to get me a building in May. If the month of June gets here without a building in our back yard for no other reason then he just didn't get around to it, you may not want to visit us for some time because all heck is going to hit the fan. Hopefully, it won't come to that.

Laura, I'm so glad to read on your blog that you didn't care for "Atonement" either. Normally, I can handle a movie bouncing around, but when it's 30 minutes on taking 1st & 2nd person's point of view on maybe 10 minutes of a specific event. Well, it leaves me rather bored. I wasn't so confused as I was ready to go on to the next event. I didn't like the ending at all. I didn't notice if this was a true story. If it was true then I could understand the ending, but boring. I felt like I wasted my time and effort watching it. I'm glad you liked the "The Other Bolelyn." Now, I'm excited to see it. Of course, it will probably be when it comes out on DVD because I don't know anyone who would watch it with me here. That's okay. I like to watch movies in comfort of my own home.

Thanks for the nice compliments on the videos I recently posted. I'm glad Alise liked "The Snow Day."

Tonight, I made one of my favorite meals, Italian chicken. Normally, I like to serve it with noodles, but I felt like scalloped potatoes and field peas. All I did was preheat my oven to 350 degrees. Take three skinless, boneless chicken breasts and coat them with Duke's brandname Mayonaise, roll them in Italian bread crumbs and set them in my stoneware baking dish. When the oven is preheated, I put the baking dish in for approximately 45 minutes or until I can poke a fork all the way in the chicken without any resistance. When the chicken is ready, I sprinkle fancy shredded Mozzarella cheese all over the tops of the breasts and put it back in the oven until the cheese is melted. As an added touch, I spread warm marinara (?) sauce on top of the chicken as I'm serving it on a plate. Oh, it's so good! It's the most tender and juicy chicken you'll ever put in your mouth. I promise!

Don't forget Tuesday, April 1st is the Season Premiere of "Hell's Kitchen," for those who want to watch it! I'm going to have it TiVo'd. Doug and I finally got to watch the finale of "The Apprentice Celebrity" last night and I can't believe that Piers won the crazy thing. I really wanted Trace Atkins to win, but oh well the money it still going to a good cause. I just don't like Piers' tactics on raising money - down and dirty. As you could tell in the end, he didn't make too many friends along the way.

Have a good Monday! Don't work too hard!

Storytelling Time with Katie 2008

I was washing dishes and listening to "Days of Our Lives," when I heard Katie talking. She was so cute, sitting in her chair with her little stack of books and reading to herself. She loves her books! Me catching her on video was a great success for me because if she sees you watching her read, she'll stop.

Our Big Snow Day - January 2008

I'm finally publishing the video of our big Southern Snow Day. Sorry, it too so long. Katie and I had a blast playing in it. We through snow balls at one another and built a snowman. Why is it when you hear your voice on a video, you hate the way it sounds? Oh well, enjoy!

I've got another movie I'd like to publish of Katie and her storytelling time. It's too cute!

Update On Mom

A quick update on Mom's condition. Dad and I visited her at the rehab center and she seemed glad to see us. She had rosy red cheeks and a smile on her face. She said that she just had a nice warm sponge bath and ready for bed time. They had her smelling real nice. She sat up in her bed and talked to Dad and I the whole time. She ate all of her supper: chicken salad sandwich with tomato and lettuce & ice cream. They are still giving her insulin shots when her blood sugar goes up, but it's nothing like it was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago. She gripped about the crazy therapy she's forced to do like music and psychological therapy. Personally, I thought today was a good day. She said they let her do some of her therapy outside today, I like that idea because I'm sure a person could go crazy looking at four walls all the time.

I guess I made it to Millard and Peggy's by 7:45 p.m. They had some supper waiting on me. It was so good: pork chops, corn, mac&cheese and blackeyed peas. Katie told me all the things they did this evening. Peggy and Millard said they took Katie outside for a little bit, but she soon told them that she wanted to go inside and watch her "Barbie the Nutcracker" movie. Peggy said she watched it twice while she stayed with them and wanted to watch it again, but Peggy told her that they were going to watch her show. I told Peggy that is what I have to do with her because she'll want to watch her favorite movies over and over. You would think she would get tired of it by now. Peggy and Millard got to see Katie dancing like a balleria while watching "Barbie the Nutcracker." I've got to try and video tape her dancing like a balleria because I know some of ya'll don't believe me. By the way, I fixed the Easter Egg Hunt video clip. So, if you couldn't see it earlier today, you should be able to see it now.

CPSC Recalls
Plush Rocker Toys Recalled By Tek Nek Toys Due to Fall Hazard - http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08233.html

Easter Egg Hunt 2008

Everyone was here to watch Katie hunt Easter Eggs. It was ashame that she was the only little kid to find them. We still had a good time watching her. Her and June made a game out of finding eggs, "who can get to the egg first?" Too cute!

Dancing With The Stars

We were watching "Dancing with the Stars" on television. All of the sudden, Katie jumped up and began trying to copy some of the dancers' moves. She was so cute dancing around the Living Room. Then, she asked me to get up and dance with her. I told Doug not to get me on video and I think he did pretty good video taping. She is such our little entertainer!