Bitty and the Boy

Publix: 4/21 - 4/27 Beginner Scenario

2010-04-23T18:19:00.001-07:00

This week at Publix…

2 Toaster Strudel 6ct $1.24
- $1.00 off printable (no longer available) .49
- $0.55/2 off printable

2 Kelloggs cereal 11.2-16.5 oz $1.99
- $1.00/2 Frosted Mini Wheats printable 2.99

2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta $0.89
- $1.00/2 off printable .79

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers $1.19
-$0.40/1 off SS 3/28 .39

3 Windex 26oz $1.69
- $1.00/2 store coupon in the “Value in the Family” booklet
- $1.00/1 SS 4/11, 3/21 or printable 1.08

________
Total: 5.74

*Then submit for a SC Johnson $5 rebate for buying the Windex.

You essentially paid $0.74/ plus tax. (If you had all coupons that were available.)

CVS: 4/25 - 5/1 Beginner Scenario

2010-04-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

This Week at CVS…

Here are two scenarios that you can try. The first one uses a printable coupon. The second transaction uses a coupon that is supposed to be in the coupon insert this Sunday, April 25. (Remember: You do not always get all the coupons that are reported to be in the newspaper inserts. Each region. Sometimes each paper receive different coupons.)

Transaction #1:

Buy 1 Softsoap Body Wash 2.99
-$0.75 off Softsoap Nutri Serum Body Wash printable

Total OOP: 2.24

Get back $2 ECB (extra care bucks)

Feeling brave….

Transaction #2:

Buy 1 Intuition Razor OR Schick Quattro for Women Razor $8.99
-$4.00 off Schick Intution Razor or Refill SS 4/25
OR -$4.00 off Schick Quattro for Women Razor or Refill SS 4/25 $4.99
AND -$2 ECB from Transaction #1

Total OOP: $2.99

Get back $4 ECB to use for next week.

Welcome!

2010-04-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

Recent Trip to Publix

I want to welcome any women who are visiting here after the women's conference at New Canaan Baptist Church. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have in the comments.

A Bit About My Shopping Habits

2010-02-15T12:54:00.001-08:00

I am always asked how I handle gifts. I decided to take this opportunity to show you how I handle those budget busters...birthdays, special occasions, and Christmas!

Step 1:
First off, these are not unexpected expenses, so I plan for them. I have Gifts as a line item in my budget. Also, I have a line item for Christmas Savings. I actually keep the Christmas savings in two different places. Most of it goes into a savings account that holds the money for my short term savings (such as Christmas and Car Insurance/Tags etc.) But then a smaller amount gets put into an envelop in my wallet for times when I find good deals while I am out shopping.

Step 2:
Make a List. Check it Twice. Write down all the people you buy birthday/anniversary/other gifts for each year. Make another list for your Christmas shopping needs. Budget for each person's gift. Be realistic here. You don't want to under estimate and then not have the cash in your budget. Don't forget Mother's and Father's Day. Don't forget Easter/Valentine's Day/etc if you tend to get these presents for people. Add the amounts up and divide by 12. You should be saving MORE than this amount each month in your Gift/Christmas savings. Why more? Because we haven't even added in those more "unexpected" gifts. Such as baby showers, weddings, bat mitzvah, and if you have children the dreaded kid birthday parties. (We had two such parties on Saturday.) You can estimate. You can plan ahead. But there still needs to be some cushion in your Gifts budget.

Step 3:
Designate an area in your house for gifts. Whether it be a Gift Closet, Gift Shelf, Gift Area of Your Attic, or a Under Your Bed Gift Area. Designate it and use it to stash all the gifts that you are pre-buying. This is important. You want to be able to find the gifts you have bought and not have to run out and buy another gift at the last minute.

Step 4:
You are now armed. You have money. You have a list. Start shopping NOW. You heard me. Shop NOW. Why? Because it will save you time, money, and stress. If you find a great sale on something your mother would love? Buy it. Make sure you pay attention to your budget. Do not find a $200 purse on sale for $50 for your mom when the gift budget for her is $25. (Unless you can pull the $$ away for another gift. Just make sure you are not spending above your budget without a plan.)

Now, you may be skeptical of this way of shopping. You may be saying to me. "I don't want to get cheap gifts for my friends and family." "I don't want them to know I am skimping on their gift." "Cheap gifts will look ugly or will be shoddy." These statements are just not true. You are shopping smart and most importantly within your means. Let me show you an example.

Right now at JCPenney, you can get $10 off of a $10 purchase. To get the $10 off use the promo code TEN4YOU . There are lots of great things on clearance or at the outlet. You do have to pay shipping, so you won't get anything for free but tons of things will work out to be good deals.

I searched with several people in mind. I started out in the toys and didn't find much there that I was interested in. Then I checked the housewares. Finally, I looked at the jewelry. There are several people on my lists that would love jewelry, so I looked at the items thinking of them. I found a necklace and a bracelet that I thought would be perfect for one or two on my list. The necklace was marked down to $9.99 from $22. The bracelet was marked down to $6.99 from $18. This present is worth $40 regular retail, but with the sale and the coupon I paid less than $14 for both. These will make a great birthday present for a friend or for my sister-in-law. (Both of their birthdays are in August.)

Step 5:
Use the cash back websites. These days you can have your choice of different cash back sites. Ebates and Cashbaq are two of them. I recommend you choosing one to be your main one and then using another as a back up for stores that aren't on your main one. I use Ebates. I really like them. I have never had a problem getting my money. I have been using them for over 8 months and have been paid twice. My total cash back is almost $40 just for clicking through using the ebates site. There are minimum pay outs so check them to see which cash back site you want to use as your main one.

There are a variety of different way you can handle the money you get back. You can just add that money right back into your gift budget. OR You can have a savings envelop for that free money to save for a specific item for the family. OR You can use it to do something bigger like paying down your debt. OR You could put give it to your church or a special charity that is close to your heart. Whatever you do with it, it is always better to specify a place before it comes or you will find that it disappears before your eyes.

* Please note that the links to the Ebates and Cashbaq sites are referral links. If you sign up using these links, I will be given a referral credit.

Got Wii?

2009-12-15T06:17:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Playing Wii...it isn't just for the kids!

If you are in need of a Wii, check out this giveaway. If you aren't, check out her website. She posts great deals on natural items.

Kroger 12/13- 12/19

2009-12-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

6 boxes Green Giant Chopped Spinach

1 pkg Betty Crocker Warm Delights mini

2 pouches Idahoan Potatoes

2 cans Dole Pineapple Tidbits

Total Before Sales and Coupons: 22.94

Savings: 17.38

Total After Sales and Coupons: 5.56 (78% Savings)

I had coupons for everything I bought. I had printable coupons for everything. (I also used one e-coupon that had previously been saved to my KrogerPlus card.)

A New Store to Love

2009-12-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I have been adding a new store to my docket for that last three weeks. I started off slow with just a few items that were on sale to see how it works. You know what - I love this store. It is a near perfect experience every time I walk into the doors. The sales clerks are nice and never bat an eye at my coupons. The stockers are TREMENDOUSLY helpful. Each week, there has been something on my list not out on the shelves. Each time I inquired with an employee about the item. You know what happened - they were friendly, apologetic, and super nice. But the real kicker is this...they went to FIND the item for me. Gasp! This almost never happens at the SuperCenter that I shopped at before I started couponing. The store? Publix.

Here's another reason to love Publix.

8 boxes of Celestial Seasonings Green Tea (decaf)

3 boxes of Lipton tea

4 bags of Green Giant Steamers Broccoli/Cheese

2 bags of Green Giant Steamers Corn

2 boxes of Chungs Egg Rolls

1 box of Chungs Mini-Egg Rolls

3 pkgs of Musselman's Natural Apple Sauce

Total Before Sales and Coupons: 70.62

Savings (Sales and Coupons): 54.98

Total after Sales/Coupons: 15.64 ( 78% Savings)

I had coupons for all but one item in my cart. Some were printable. Some were from the Sunday paper. I am looking forward to learning more about how to get the best deals at Publix.

A Bit About My Bitty

2009-09-22T07:04:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of cute videos of my boys singing from Summer 2008. We were on our way home from Huntsville Int'l Airport's Airshow. We are actually watching the Blue Angels perform as we are driving out of the airport. The boys thought we needed music to go with the planes. I love how they try to harmonize.

(In these videos, Bitty is just over 2 years old. The Boy is just a tad over 5 years old.)

Enjoy.

PS. If you are not related to them, these might not be as good. :) But I am, and I crack up every time I watch them.

I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke

2009-09-18T19:42:00.001-07:00

(Sorry for the spacing issues. I am having trouble getting Blogger to do what I command.)

Have you joined mycokerewards.com yet?

You can collect points on different Coke products. A 20 oz bottle of Diet Coke is worth 3 points. A 12 pack of Sprite is worth 10 points. You get the drift.

Well, we have been collecting points for awhile. This week, I cashed in most of our points on two purchases. I never had to leave my house! Both will be delivered to my door in a week or less.

Here are the deals:

1) Free 8X11 Photobooks with leather cover from Snapfish.

Photobook Credit = 285 pts

4 Photobook Credits = 1140 pts

Snapfish was having a free shipping sale during the week of Labor Day. I began working on my photobooks. I did not finish even one by the end of the original sale. Luckily, Snapfish extended the offer for three days. I was able to complete two photobooks. My credits were for 20-page books. My books were 30-pages each. Here are the totals.

2 20-page photobooks	$49.98
2 Extra 10-pages	$19.90
Shipping/Handling	$ 9.98
Free Shipping	-$ 9.98
Photobook Credits	-$49.98
Total	$20.70 ($10.35/each)

I will keep the other two credits in my account for the next free shipping offer. Although, I think I will go ahead and make the other two photobooks now, so all I have to do is order them when the next free shipping code is released. I predict one will be released before Thanksgiving in preparation for Holiday shopping.

2) Nike Gift Codes

$50 Gift Code = 2000 pts

$25 Gift Code = 1000 pts

Totaling:

$75 Gift Codes = 3000 pts

I love my Nikes. I needed new running shoes. This seemed like a no-brainer for me.

Nike+ running shoes	$67.99
Nike socks (1 pair)	$ 6.99
Shipping	$8.00
Free Shipping*	-$8.00
Gift Codes	-$75.00
Tax	$9.00
Total l	$8.98

Nine bucks. For a great pair of Nike running shoes and socks! (Note: The shoes were $1.15, but I decided I saved enough on the shoes that I could afford to splurge on my favorite socks.)

*As with many other sites, you can register with Nike.com to have them remember your information or you can complete guest checkout. I registered mainly because I wanted my shopping cart saved just in case something prevented me from completing the process. Afterwards, I was thanked for my registering by an offer of free shipping on my next purchase.

Sunday Trip to CVS

2009-08-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I decided to do a quick trip to CVS because one of my coupons was expiring on Monday and I wanted to take advantage of the deal before it expired. Also, I should point out that I have a CVS card and so does my husband. We got two cards accidentally, but I have consulted several respectable bloggers and they say that the rule is one per person. So, I shop on both cards. The ECBs that print are specific to the card that earned them. Meaning...if my card earns an ECB, my card has to be the one to redeem the ECB.

Here are the Deals:
* Buy Renu Multipurpose Contact Solution Get $3 ECB. (Or you can buy a twin pack of the rewetting drops.)
* Buy Clairol Loving Care Hair Color Get $2 ECB Limit 1
* Buy Glade Fragrance Collection candles or reed diffusers Get $6.99 ECB (These are free after ECB) Limit 1

Here are the Transactions:

Transaction 1: My Card

1 Clairol Loving Care Natural Instincts hair color $4.99
1 Renu Multipurpose Contact Solution $7.99
1 Glade Fragrance Collection reed diffuser $6.99

Total: 19.97

Coupons:
- $4.00 off Clairol Natural Instincts hair color (found in the P&G newspaper insert on 8/2 EXPIRES 8/31)
-$2.00 Glade Fragrance Collection candles or reed diffusers
Total After Coupons: 13.97
- $10 ECB from Aveeno Deal I did on Friday
-$4 ECB (The cashier adjusted the ECB down to $3.97 because I forgot to put a filler item in my cart to make up the difference. Some cashiers do this and some do not.)

Total OOP: $0.00 plus tax. (I put the $1.28 in tax on the gift card that I have from transferring a prescription.)
Got $11.99 ECB ($6.99 ECB, $3 ECB, $2 ECB)

Transaction #2: My Husband's Card

1 Clairol Loving Care Natural Instincts hair color $4.99
1 Glade Fragrance Collection soy candle (10 oz) $6.99
1 Warhead Sour Spray candy $1.19 (The Boy has been begging to try this spray candy.)
Total: $13.17
Coupons:
-$4 Clairol Natural Instincts coupon from above
-$2 Glade Fragrance Collection coupon from above
Total After coupons: $7.17
-$6.99 ECB
Total OOP: $0.18 plus tax ( I put the $1.23 on the gift card. I still have $7.54 left on the gift card and I have had it since the beginning of the summer.)
Got $8.99 ECB ($6.99 ECB, $2 ECB)

Grand Totals for the Trip:

OOP: $2.51 on a gift card
ECB Spent: $20.99
ECB Received: $20.98

Lost a penny in ECBs. I don't think I am going to cry over it.

CVS: Super Aveeno Deal

2009-08-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

I admit when I started reading all the blogs about drug store shopping I was very confused. I read that people were getting free stuff. I wanted the free stuff, but I just didn't understand it. I have come to realize that I need to add stores slowly. I need to jump into one store at a time and learn their systems and their couponing rules. Then after I have a solid foothold into that store's way of shopping, only then can I move onto a different store. My first drug store was CVS. I love CVS. I love my cashier at CVS. She likes me. We get along. She knows that I will be using coupons & ECBs and doesn't look at me with disdain when my OOP is low.

My advice to people who don't shop CVS. Jump in. The only way to get the free stuff is to learn to roll those ECBs. [Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) are printed at the bottom of your receipt. They work just like cash except you don't get change back.] Here is how I get free stuff by rolling my ECBs.

Here is the deal: Get $10 ECB when you buy $25 worth of Aveeno products.

Here is the transaction:

2 Aveeno Positively Ageless Deep Cleansing Pads $8.99/each

1 Aveeno Positively Ageless Firming Lotion $8.99

Total: $26.97

- $5 off a $25 transaction (CVS coupon for taking ReadyFill survey)

- $10 off 3 any Aveeno Positively Ageless line

-$9.99 ECB from awhile ago not sure what from

-$1.98 ECB expiring on Tuesday

Total After coupons: $0.00

Get Back: $10 ECB

I spent $11.97 in ECB and got $10 back. I will still have enough ECBs that I won't have to pay for my deals next week or the next. Right now, I am carrying about $28 in ECBs, so losing the $1.97 in the rollover doesn't make me cry.

Do you shop at CVS? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Or does it just make your head hurt to think about?

Another Kroger Event

2009-08-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Only the cereal is from Kroger. I guess I forgot to take a picture of the waffles, milk, and Bounce bar. The rest is from a trip to Walgreens.

This shopping trip was several weeks ago; however, I still wanted to show you why I love Kroger. This particular event was the Buy 4 Save $4. Most of the items were Kelloggs products.

Here's what I got:

2 boxes Kellogg's Fruit Loops
5 boxes Kellogg's Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies
1 box Kellogg's Rice Krispies (largest box available on the Buy 4, Save$4 event)
4 boxes of Eggo Nutragrain Low Fat waffles
1 gallon of milk
1 small bag of Purina Dog Food (on sale $2.99)
1 bar Bounce 4month Fabric Softener bar

Now for the totals:

Total Before Sales and Coupons: 56.25

Total After Sales and Coupons: 17.16

Total Saved: 39.09 (69%)

How I did it? I had a Free Box of Rice Krispies coupon, so I wanted to get the most bang for my coupon and chose to get one of the big boxes. I had some other cereal coupons so I used those on the smaller boxes. I had a coupon for Purina dog food for $3.50. Kroger gives overage so that gave me $.51 to help pay for my milk.

I don't use the Rice Krispies for cereal. I use them to make Rice Krispies Treats for when I have to take a quick snack to Sunday School, a playdate, or other social activity. I like to use half Cocoa Krispies and half regular Rice Krispies. They look pretty and taste super yummy.

Edited to Add: I forgot to say that these purchases qualify for the Kellogg's Fuel for School rebate. So, I will be getting $10 back in the mail.

Kroger Mega Sale

2009-08-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last week and this week, Kroger is having their Mega Event. Kroger's Mega Event is simple. For every 10 participating items you buy $5 is deducted from your total at the end of the transaction. I love this event. This is the time I buy most of my cereal. This time I was also able to stock up on some other yummy staples of our house like GoGurt. My boys love that stuff. I also bought extra food that we don't eat often (like the Hamburger Helper and boxed potatoes). These will make great donations to the food drives that are sure to come up this fall.

Here is what I got.

8 boxes of YoPlait Go-Gurt

2 cans of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

2 cans of Pillsbury Grands Biscuits

2 pkgs of Betty Crocker Cookie Mix

2 bags of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters

5 boxes of Cheerios

5 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch

2 boxes of Golden Grahams

3 boxes of Hamburger Helper

7 boxes of Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes (i.e. AuGratin)

2 cans of Old ElPaso refried beans

Now for the totals.

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $98.70

Total After Sales and Coupons: $26.12

Total Savings: 72.58 (74%)

I spent less than $30 (including tax) and am well set with my cereal and yogurt needs for the foreseeable future. Plus, every item that I bought carries at least one Box Tops for Education on it. I counted my box tops and from just this one shopping trip my son's school will earn over $5.00 from the Box Tops program.

How did I do it? I used coupons for the items on the Mega Event sale. I did not buy a single item that did not have a coupon for it. I also did not buy anything that was not on the Mega Event. I bought 40 items, so $20 was taken off of my total at the end of the transaction. Kroger allows you to use paper coupons, internet printable coupons, and e-coupons. My Kroger also doubles all coupons $.50 and less. (Some areas double up to $.99. So check your local store!)

Coupon Conversations

2009-08-19T07:46:00.001-07:00

Last November, I started couponing. I saved our family about $40 - 50/month with just coupons. I thought I was something. :) Then I found many sites and blogs that helped me and that frankly made me nervous. Could I ever reach the point where I was paying nearly nothing for items my family needed? Beginning in January, I decided to really focus on figuring out how to manage all the different stores programs and reward systems. I started with CVS. After a few months, I realized...it is true, I may never pay for shampoo again.

Right now, I regularly shop at CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, and at times Target. I love shopping for the best deal. It takes time and space (to put everything until you need it), but it has saved us so much money.

I am going to post the best of my deals here so you can see how they work and how you too can never have to pay for shampoo again.

More Conversations...

2009-02-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

From The Boy's student teacher. The class decorated their white lunch bags for Valentine's Day yesterday.

Ms. Teacher to Be: What are you drawing?

The Boy: A machine.

Ms. Teacher to Be: What does the machine do?

The Boy: It sucks all the bad up. So everything is good. This is a robot. But he is a good robot cause everything is good now.

My son, the inventor. I pray that this will be his addition to our world. To suck all the bad away, so everything will be good. Out of the mouths of babes.

Conversations with a Kindergartener

2009-02-11T04:55:00.000-08:00

Jason takes The Boy to school each morning. The ride takes 7 minutes max. Their conversations are often hilarious. Here are two from Monday morning.

(Upon seeing something puddled on the side of the road.)

The Boy: "Hey, Daddy, somebody left their shirt on the side of the road. That's weird."

Daddy: "That wasn't a shirt. It was a dead cat."

The Boy: "I don't think so."

Daddy: "Buddy, I am positive. It was a dead cat."

The Boy: "Oh. That's too bad. It would have made a pretty shirt."

Moments Pass.

The Boy: "Is today my soccer day?"

Daddy: "Nope. Remember soccer starts on March 9. You still have a few weeks before you start playing again."

The Boy: "Whew. That's good. I need to start exercising."

Memory Lane is Sometimes a Roller Coaster

2009-01-15T05:32:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time, a group of friends and I went to Six Flags of Georgia. I bought this Sylvester mug as a souvenir --now it is filled with this morning's yummy coffee. I remember parts of the day as vividly as if they were happening now. I am sure that there are parts that I do not remember at all. Still, I love remembering, so this is one of my favorite mugs in my cupboard.

I wanted to share some memories of carefree days long past. Mostly so I can always remember that I had a great time that day. I had my first and last real roller coaster ride. Thanks Lisa for not letting me die. :) I enjoyed the Mine Train which seems to no longer be in operation. It was a mini-coaster that was really rickety as you would expect an old mine train to be. I loved it. I would have ridden it all day long, but my companions wanted to ride real rides. Did I ride the Mine Train with Laurie? I don't remember. I do remember I rode the Scream Machine with Lisa. She was gracious enough to sense real fear and not make too much fun of my fear at the moment. Suffice to say no one really wants me to be that scared. It is not pretty.

I don't remember the exact date. It was my freshman year at Auburn University. Laurie was a freshman at Oglethorpe University that year and we met her in Atlanta. It was one of the few road trips that we made in college. I hope to be able to teach my children that not only is college a time for study and learning, but is also a time have fun and enjoy carefree days with good friends. Those friends are still with me today even though we are miles apart.

Thank you Lisa-Laurie-John-Chris for making me go on my first roller coaster.

(and thank you for not making me go on another.)

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2009-01-14T07:31:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday. I am 33 years old. I love it. I had trouble turning 30, but every year after that hasn't been hard at all. I love the way my boys get excited when my birthday comes along. I may even make myself cupcakes to have at dinner. The Boy never understands not having cake on your birthday.

This morning the boys greeted me with the own versions of birthday greetings.

The Boy: After his daddy reminded him that it was my birthday, he said, "Oh, Mommy! Do you want to go to Jack's for your birthday? It is your birthday so they are open." (We live in a small town without a great variety of restaurants. Jack's has been the only thing on The Boy's brain since it began construction. He loves their chicken tenders and fries. Last week, the marquee informed us of the opening date--my birthday. He continued, "It is your birthday. So, you can choose where you want to eat. McDonald's. Burger King. JACK'S. Pick one. Anywhere you want."

Will it crush him if I tell him that I want to go to the equally new, but much more exciting Japanese restaurant that has opened its doors for us this month?

Bitty: I told him that today was my birthday. I said, "Give Mommy a birthday kiss." He did. "Give Mommy a Birthday Hug." He did. "Now say, 'Happy Birthday Mommy'" He said, "Now it is my Blue Power Ranger party!" His birthday is the next birthday in our family...but it isn't until April.

I love my life. I have the greatest husband ever. I have the best boys. They keep me on my toes all the time, but they also keep me laughing. Those two are the funniest children ever. I thank God that I have been blessed with so much.

Marathon Musings: I DID IT

2008-12-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

I started this post the day I finished the half-marathon in Memphis. As you might have suspected, I was too exhausted and too exhillerated to sit and write. Then, the holiday season came and went.....and still I did not write down the happenings of my first (but not last) half marathon. Better late than never, right. That really should be my motto.

----------------------------------------

I was nervous. As you may remember, I was having major asthma issues leading up to the race. I had a steroid shot and some more medications the week of the race. I was taking my nebulizer daily and my rescue inhaler regularly. People were trying to be supportive but I saw the worry in their eyes. I walked across the church building to my bible study class and had to use my inhaler two times when I got there. My parents were worried. I was worried. I had many people praying. I think that my mom was praying that they would cancel the race, though. I was determined. I knew that I could do it. I had trained. I had prayed. I was ready. But still nervous.

I want to tell you that it was COLD. I knew it would be cold. The weather channel said it was going to be cold. But it was REALLY COLD. It was still below 40 when I finished the race. I had my race clothes on. I situated myself in the last corral designated for all walkers. When we began the race, I realized that I would not be the last person across this finish line. I kept my eyes on the people in front of me. I was listening to my iPod. The nice iPod lady would tell me my progress every now and again. It was great. I realized though that while the iPod lady was sort of accurate when I was at home, she was not at all accurate when outside at the race. I need to calibrate it. So, I stopped paying attention to her mileage updates and her mph updates, but I paid attention to her time updates. They motivated.

I realized that while I did occasionally have to use my inhaler. (about 7 times.) I was breathing well. I was very thankful for that fact. Breathing helps when you attempt a feat such as a half marathon.

I finished. I finished under my stretch goal. I was hoping before my breathing problems to finish in 4hours. (After my breathing issues, I revised my goal to finishing.) I finished in 3:56:14. I was proud and I was tired.

The finish line was great. It really made it seem like an Olympic event coming into the stadium and running for a short distance. I got my medal and even took a picture with Elvis. It was fantastic. I only wish there had still been pizza at the After Race food area. We went for BBQ after I showered, so it was ok.

I am so proud of myself. I can't wait to do another one. Country Music Marathon 2009. Here I come!

Bitty Painting

2008-11-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

At breakfast this morning, Bitty looked at me and said, "Who painted me?" Hmmmm. "What do you mean?" I reply. I am not sure what he is asking. He points to his left arm (where his birthmark is located) and says, "Who painted me?" Who indeed. My answer. "God painted you." And AI have never seen a more beautiful painting. It is a wonder my heart doesn't burst with all the love I feel for this little guy.

Midweek Marathon Musings

2008-11-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

I did it! Today, I was able to walk the whole 13.1 miles. Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts. My asthma was well controlled during the entire run. My time was 4 hours and 10 minutes. It is just over 2 weeks until the race and I am starting to get more excited.

FYI: I finished my miles before 7AM this morning. I got up way too early, but it was worth it.

War Eagle Weekend Part 1

2008-11-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

Homecoming for the Auburn Tigers was a few weekends ago. We plan a trip with a group of college friends for this weekend each year. Now, there are seven of us with six children between us. We had a great time as usual. We always love spending time with old friends.

The Homewood Suites in Montgomery was our home base for the weekend. I recommend traveling this way when you have a group of friends and are traveling with children. We rented one 2 bedroom unit and a 1 bedroom unit. We had enough room to hang out and the kids had enough room to play.

Since Friday was a travel day, we decided on a nice family friendly place to eat - Chappy's Deli. They treated us so well and it is a bargain when you have kids in your group. There were 13 of us on Friday night including 6 kids between 18months and 5 years. Best thing is kids under 6 eat FREE with a paid adult meal. The food was wonderful and we saved enough that we didn't feel guilty having dessert. ( I had the cheesecake and it was so delicious. Jason raved about the red velvet cake.) Chappy's is such a great deli that we ate dinner there again on Saturday night.

Just an FYI the cheesecake was just as delicious on Saturday. :)

We said our good byes on Sunday. It was so much fun hanging out. Talking. Getting to watch as our kiddos played together. Next year. Same time. Same place.

MondayMarathon Musings

2008-11-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

Week 29

Last Week: couldn't breath

This week: 24

Miles Completed: 370 miles

Pounds Lost: Why should we even bother?

This week has found me trying to redo last week miles. I am still shaky in the breathing area, but am much better. All the prayers being said on my behalf are working. I have to wear a headband around my mouth in order to breathe, but if that allows me to reach this milestone, it is the least of my concerns.

Trick is how to finish my half-marathon practice run this week with Jason in New Orleans. I am best in the morning. So, I can get up early...around 2AM to get it done before getting The Boy ready for school. OR I can wait until after I drop him off. 2AM until 6:30AM. OR 8AM until noon. You would think that it would be an easy decision. However, it isn't easy to spend 4 hours on a treadmill while you are supposed to be caring for a 2 year old. I have to make the decision this afternoon, so I can get the kids and I in bed early.

Wish me luck! Pray for my breathing.

Marathon Update

2008-11-13T14:51:00.000-08:00

Just an FYI for those out there who are following. It is not possible to run, walk, or even crawl a half-marathon when you can not breathe. I did not get far today. I took 3 shots of emergency inhaler in the first hour of my run. I had to stop or die. :) On a related note, I went to the doctor this morning. I had a chest x-ray, got a steroid shot, and spent $100 on medicines to get me breathing again. Hopefully, I will have better luck tomorrow. Still, I think I will save the long run until next week. :)

War Eagle Weekend Part 2

2008-11-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

This weekend was homecoming for the Auburn Tigers. For a few years, this has been the weekend that a group of college friends get together to hang out and have a good time. There are seven of us now and between us we have six children. We have a good time and are slowly learning what works with these get-togethers.

We stayed in Montgomery instead of actually in Auburn. Mainly because you really can't afford to stay in Auburn on game weekends. Another good reason is because restaurants and such are less crowded. Plus, one of the families lives just outside Montgomery, so it makes it convenient for them to travel to and from our get-togethers rather easily. The rest of us stay at the Homewood Suites. We take up a 2 bedroom unit and a 1 bedroom unit.

We got to Auburn early to let the kids play and enjoy the benefit of the Alumni Association's food tent. There are big inflatables set up in front of the Coliseum for the home games. The kids love going from one to another of these. Best thing is that they are FREE. We walked up to the food tent. The kid's especially love this. The menu is hot dogs, bagged chips, and bagged cookies. They always have a variety of sodas and bottled water to choose from. On a sad note, this year kid's over 3 had to pay $5 to get in and guests had to pay $10. Luckily, we only have 2 kids that are over 3, so still $5 for a family of 4 to eat at the game is not too bad.

This year, we decided not to buy tickets beforehand. Only a couple of us really cared about going to the game and we figured we could find cheap tickets when we got there. The day we left, my mother in law gave us her tickets. We figured that the men could go while the ladies hung out with the kids. While we were eating a nice woman gave us 3 tickets, this was helpful because the two older boys by this time wanted to go to the game . So, we had nine people and five tickets. We decided to try and buy the other 4 tickets really cheap. Within minutes, two different people GAVE us two tickets. We got all nine tickets for FREE. This in nice because when the kids get tired of being at the game before half-time, you don't feel so bad about leaving. We stayed as long as the kids wanted without the guilt of wasting money on tickets. It was perfection.

Then we toured and hung out at the new student union. We went shopping at the AU Bookstore. It was a fun day. We parked in the perfect spot. We rode the transit bus to and from our cars, so traffic wasn't even too bad.

Here are a few things that I have learned.

1)Don't bring camp chairs because you won't want to lug them across campus (they never left our trunk.)

2) Don't bring a huge quilt. See above about lugging it around. Bring plastic tablecloths or something easily folded to a size that will go into a backpack.

3) Bring a Frisbee and a couple balls. (We remembered the balls, but not the Frisbee.)

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

Week 28

Last Week's Miles: 21
This Week's Miles: 24.1
Miles Completed: 363
Pounds Lost: 3

We are getting closer to the big event. I have my outfit ready. I have my iPod ready. I have everything ready. This week I will be doing a test run on Thursday. I will do 13.1 miles. I will let you know how it goes. There is one thing that I haven't figured out how to carry. I need to carry my asthma emergency inhaler. But where to carry it? I don't want to carry a fanny pack. I may have to change my jacket to one with a zipper pocket. I am sure that I will need my inhaler during the run.

7 Random Things About Me

2008-11-06T03:53:00.000-08:00

Lisa over at Books. Lists. Life. tagged me for a fun meme. It seems like a fun way for everyone to get to know me. So, here we go.

1) I plan our family's meals monthly. I do one big grocery shopping trip a month. It makes for a long day, around 4 hours. I have been doing this since The Boy was born. We usually eat lunch at the deli or the restaurant located in our store. We fill up one buggy, eat lunch, and then go back to fill up a second buggy. I like doing it this way, but my friends think I am crazy.

2) I love going to the movies. If Jason and I are given an entire date day, then we will probably choose to watch a matinee, eat lunch, watch a late matinee, get take-out back to the house, and enjoy the sounds of the childless house. In fact, this is exactly what we did a few weeks ago. We saw Eagle Eye, ate lunch at Five Guys , saw Fireproof, got Italian take-out and went home. Oh, yeah, we shopped at Target before the first movie and after lunch. We are just that wild and crazy.

3) I dislike wearing shoes and to some degree socks, but mostly shoes. I never wear shoes in my house. More often than not, I am barefoot.

4) I love cute socks. With cute goldfish. Or stripes. Or polka dots. I love to wear interesting socks. (I know. Weird. It is a contradiction to number 3.)

5) I watched soap operas all of my life through college. I have at one time or another watched close to 10 different soap operas. Since I graduated college, I haven't watched one. I don't miss them.

6) I met my husband and my best friends at boarding school. I am still very close to eight of my friends from those last two years of high school.

7) I do not pop my knuckles. I don't like it when other people try to pop my knuckles. It is disgusting.

So, while I try to find someone to tag for this meme, why don't y'all tell me something random about yourself?

Book Carnival Giveaway!

2008-11-05T05:48:00.000-08:00

Head on over to Books. Lists. Life. for a chance to win a $15 gift card to your favorite bookstore. I know you could use more books. No one ever has enough books.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T19:24:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine once said, "A good blogger posts about her kids' Halloween costume. A GREAT blogger thinks to take pictures early so she can share them ON Halloween." (OK, she said in on Friday.)

I guess that would make me what....a mediocre blogger since I am posting about their costumes with pictures, but three days late.

I can live with that.

This year both of my boys had very distinct feelings as to what costume they wanted. It was interesting to hear them tell me ages ago and to keep with it through the hub bub of the Halloween season. The Boy wanted to be Bumblebee. No, not A bumblebee. But Bumblebee the Transformer. He was so excited and loved his costume so much. It made it worth the fact that I had to buy the most expensive Transformer costume in town because the cheaper versions ran small.

Bitty wanted to be a Blue Power Ranger. This is funny. The Boy loves the Red Ranger. He has a Red Ranger costume. He has Red Ranger action figures (leftovers from his Uncle Bubba). We don't have a single Blue Ranger item in the house. We don't have the movies. We don't watch the shows. When they go to their NeeNee Ma and Papa's house, they watch Uncle Bubba's old Power Ranger movie. But this is not a common occurrence. So, while Power Ranger play is big in our house, it never involves the Blue one. So it gave me pause when he was specific in his wants. That is our Bitty though, he knows what he wants. He is almost never indecisive.

The jack-o-lanterns were designed by both Bitty and the Boy. We let the boys draw the faces on the pumpkins with crayons. Then, Jason and I carved the pumpkins according to the drawings. Jason let The Boy help with some of the less complicated, less sharp knife-work. Bitty watched and stabbed his pumpkin with a butter knife a few times. The Boy's pumpkin is on the left. (The Boy's pumpkin had an accident on the way home from the pumpkin patch. someone who loaded or unloaded it from the bus dropped it and it had a small crack that grew and grew until it caved. It was still very scary.) Bitty's is on the right.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-10-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

Week 26

Last Week's Miles: 23

This Week's Miles: 19

Miles Completed: 323

Pounds Lost: 3

You might remember that last week I found myself with a 12 mile day. It was hard. I am not going to lie to anyone. But I did it! I was sore- really sore- on into the next day, but it wasn't as bad as I had thought it might be. Turns out all this walking IS making a difference with my health and my body...even if it isn't impacting the scales much. I finished the 12 miles in plenty of time to make my goal of 5 hours...(really I finished in time to pretty much make my goal of 4.5hours). I know that it may be slower on THE DAY because of the logistics of everyone starting off together, but I am excited and can't wait until Dec.6 is here.

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

I love these precious skirts and shirts. You should check out the giveaway and her online store when it opens. She has wonderful designs.

You Can't Argue with The 5 Year Old

2008-10-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Who Ya Gonna Call? Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusting has been a popular game in our home for the last week or so. The boys just watched the movie and are now busting the ghosts that have apparently taken up residence in and around our house.

Today, the boys were outside playing Ghostbusters. They would ride around in the Gator and stop to bust some ghosts. This is a sampling of their conversation.

(Bitty got back into the Gator.)

The Boy: No, Bitty, we still have to bust the ghosts.

Bitty: (running over)

The Boy: We have to go to the hot dog shop. Hurry.

Bitty: Over Here!

The Boy: No, that is not where the ghost is.

Mommy: Can't the ghost be where he wants it just this once?

The Boy: No, the ghost is over here. Hurry. The hot dog shop!

Bitty: I like hot dogs.

Mommy: ( Really? You never eat them. Never in your whole life have I gotten you to even try a hot dog or anything resembling a hot dog.)

The Boy: We aren't going to eat hot dogs. There is a ghost.

Bitty: We no eat hot dogs?

The Boys: No. GHOST!!!!!!!!!

Boys: (running and making ghostbusting sounds.)

I love having boys. They are the best!

* I do apologize for those of you that now have the Ghostbuster theme song stuck in your head. Extra points to anyone who can name the artist who sings the theme song. No fair cheating with the internet.

The Greatness of Greg

2008-10-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Jase and I are very lucky. We have great families. Loving. Supportive. Wonderful families. Today I am going to tell of the greatness of my father in law, Greg. There are many things about him that are great. He is kind and generous. He always thinks of others before himself. He loves flowers, animals, and his family.

Let me tell you a story about this Great Man...

Yesterday, I called several automotive repair shops to find someone to repair my car's window. (The motor is broken.) My research found a shop that would do the repair for $580. It was expensive, but I booked an appointment. My mother in law and her mother came over for dinner last night. The repair came up in conversation. An hour after they left, Greg called me with an eBay item number. He had found the part we needed. Also, if we could wait until he returned from his trip to Florida*, then he could probably put it in for us. If we couldn't wait, then a service shop could install it for around $100. He has taken the time to use his expertise and saved our family somewhere between $430 and $530.

*His trip to Florida is also a testament to his greatness. He and my mother in law** are heading down to Destin to help my brother and sister in law with their new house. They are going down to help build a fence and help unpack.

** My mother in law is a pretty awesome person as well.

This is just an example. There could be hundreds told by his family. He is exceptional. He is a great man. I am grateful that this Great Man raised my husband to be a Great Man. I pray that my sons learn the lessons these Great Men are teaching them.

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-10-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

This gown is beautiful. I am entering for the little girls in my life who aren't my own. I don't think that Jason would appreciate it if I tried to put it on one of my boys.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Week 25

Last Week's Miles: 35
This Week's Miles: 23
Miles Completed: 300
Pounds Lost: 3

7 weeks until the BIG DAY. I am getting very excited. I have bought and put together the outfit that I will be wearing. Pink is apparently the color of choice this year. This week I have a HUGE day. This week my long run is 12 miles. I am a bit nervous, but also excited.

I need to accomplish a few things before my 7 weeks are gone, though.

1) I need to get out and do some outdoor walking. This isn't really easy with my schedule of getting up at 3:30 am. I am still trying to figure the outside stuff out.

2) I need to get going with my Nike+ Ipod features. I would like to use them on the day of the marathon, so I need to actually open the box.

3) I need to find an armband for my new Ipod nano. Apple launched its new generation right as we bought mine. So, I got the new one. Yippee. However, it is a bear to find accessories for it.

4) I am sure there are more...I just can't think of any.

If You Give a Bitty a Muffin,

2008-10-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

he might ask you for more. *

We had muffins for breakfast. My boys adore muffins. Their favorite is strawberry mini-muffins. They will easily both consume a dozen mini-muffins each. Most times we have to cut Bitty off. "More muffins, peas" he will say. After the twelfth or thirteenth muffin, I end up saying no. I sometimes wonder, how many muffins fit in a Bitty?

All this talk is making me hungry for my absolute favorite muffin...my grandma's 6-week raisin bran muffins. They are super yummy. Here is the recipe.

Grandma's 6-week Muffins

1 15oz box of raisin bran cereal

3 cups of sugar

5 cups of flour

5 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

4 beaten eggs

1 cup squeeze margarine

1 qt buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup raisins (optional)

Mix together dry ingredients. Add remaining items until well blended. My grandma would add an extra cup of raisins. Store in covered container in refrigerator. It will last up to six weeks. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put paper liners in muffin tins. Fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

*We love the If you give books by Laura Joffe Numeroff in our house.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-10-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Week 23

Last Week's Miles: 10

This Week's Miles: 19

Miles Completed: 265

Pounds Lost: 3

I was hit with a cold/exhaustion/flu-like illness at the end of this week. So, I took some days to recover. I am having a repeat of this training week to jump start me back into the groove. Less than two months to go. I am looking forward to the run. I can't wait until I have accomplished this goal. These last 23 weeks have changed my life and I am looking forward to reaching my goal -- My First Half-Marathon. I will be so proud to be able to say that I did it -- not that I am planning on doing it.

(Hooray for me....it is actually Monday.)

Lois Lane Goes to Savannah

2008-10-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Our dog-niece, Lois Lane, participated in Savannah's Wiener Dawg Races this weekend. She is pictured above being released by our sister-in-law (on far right). Lois shot out of the block and broke away from the pack. However, just mere feet from the finish line Lois decided to turn around and race back to the starting line. Maybe next year will be her year.

The four of us are going to plan to make the trek to Savannah next year for the race; because what could be funnier than nearly 200 dachshund running on a grass track.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-10-02T13:06:00.001-07:00

Week 22

Last Week's Miles: 23
This Week's Miles: 19
Miles Completed: 255
Pounds Lost: 3

Again it is not Monday. But a girl does what a girl can do. Well, last week went well. I had read the training schedule wrong so instead of 9 miles on Saturday; I only had to do 7 miles. It was like getting a Christmas present.

My body is changing so much, but the weight is not budging. My clothes fit differently. I can see the muscles in my butt and my legs changing. These are things that I feel good about; however, the numbers on the scale would also be a nice benefit. I am not complaining though. I want to be healthy. I am accomplishing that goal. All else is vanity and I can deal with that differently.

I find myself wishing the run was in November instead of December. I am finding that there are too many weeks left and I am not really focused on what schedule to follow for each week. (I have only 3 weeks left on my training schedule. I have to start repeating some or something.)

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-09-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Week 21

Last Week's Miles: 50 (last 3 weeks)
This Week's Miles: 25
Miles Completed: 232
Pounds Lost: 3

Ok. I realize today is Friday not Monday, but a girl has to catch up when she can. We have been busy these last few weeks. My grandmama passed away. We went on a long-weekend escape. Virtually everyone in the house has been sick at least once. Luckily, mine is a worn down feeling so I was able to continue my miles. I have a little over 2 months until my half marathon. We have booked our hotel. I have even booked our condo for my next half in April. I feel confident. I know that even if the race was held in 2 weeks that I could be ready.

I am getting up at 3am and 4 am (yes, AM) in order to get my long runs done in the morning. I don't do as well if I leave them to afternoon. I don't do them if I leave them to evening/night. So, I have been an early riser and getting over 5 miles done before sunrise.

Funniest Tidbit: When going on vacation, always remember your running shoes. My running shoes live upstairs in the room where my treadmill is located. I remembered all of my running/walking paraphernalia except the shoes. I did do my minimum number of miles/workout. In slippers. Yes, house shoes. I walked 3 miles at my minimum not allowed to go any slower speed. (This is my own benchmark.) Also, I did an hour on the elliptical and the bike for my extra workout for the week. You should not do that...EVER. My calves were on FIRE after the treadmill work. Always remember your shoes.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-08-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Week 17

Last Week's Miles: 21
This Week's Miles: 15
Miles Completed: 167
Pounds Lost: 3

Our house is in a chaotic state right now. The Boy is battling his first virus since starting school and has been running me ragged since Thursday. So, I am tired. My grandmama is not doing very well and probably will pass away in the next few days. I went to see her twice last week. (It is a 2hour drive or I would have been there more often.) Plus, this weekend we have super big spectacular Labor Day plans that are looking like they will have to be cancelled or postponed depending on when the events unfold. So, I am giving myself a reprieve on my training. My goal is to do 5 days and at least 3 miles each day. We shall see how the week goes.

Lights, Camera, Bitty!

2008-08-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

I enjoy saving electricity. It makes my power bill a little cheaper and it doesn't feel so wasteful. I try to do a good job of teaching the boys not to be wasteful as well. I am miserably failing when it comes to Bitty. You see he is now getting tall enough to turn the light switches on/off by himself. He adores turning the lights on. I really usually don't mind this because he is typically in the room in which this lights on/off thing is happening. Lately, though, he has become sneaky. His favorite two switches are the garage light and the outside floodlight. How am I suppose to know that they lights are on all day, I ask you? I have now become obsessed with checking these switches all day long.

Bitty is funny. He lights up the room when he dances and sings. He is shy when being recorded, though. Today, he was singing and dancing the "Hot Dog" song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I grabbed my camera and hit record. The video I got was a boy staring at me blankly. He only spoke once when he said, "No dance, my mommy." I am going to have to get a hidden camera to catch this child off guard.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-08-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

Week 16

Last Week's Miles: 16 (missed one day)
This Week's Miles: 21
Miles Completed: 146
Pounds Lost: 1

Four months. I have changed so much in the last four months. Jason and I were discussing my training for the week. I missed one day of training because I was called away to help a friend in need. Since it was the end of the week, I had no "extra" days where I could make it up. I told Jason, "Well, I am just happy that it was my short run day." Jason looked at me and said, "Aren't you proud that you consider 3 miles a short run day?" And I am. Four months ago, I would have never uttered that statement. Now, when Jason asks if I am going to just go down to 4 miles a day after my half is over, I get weird and shrug. Weird because I really can't see just doing 4 miles a day and really feeling like I am being active. I am already looking at April and considering signing up for my second half. The Country Music Marathon looks very enticing. I love Nashville and know just the place for my Friday night carb load. Demos' is my favorite. You should try it next time you are in Nashville. So, this week is a week of hope. I am not as tired as I thought I would be, but I do feel better than I thought I would.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-08-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

Week 15

Last Week's Miles: 17
This Week's Miles: 19
Miles Completed: 130
Pounds Lost: 0

I have decided that I can make the training easier if I do a breathing treatment the night before. Problem is that I never remember in time to do the nebulizer treatment before my bedtime. Saturday I found myself doing the treatment while on the treadmill. I used my son's dinosaur mask so that I didn't have to hold onto the apparatus. Believe me, I was a sight to see. Luckily, my husband didn't have access to a camera.

The Boy Goes to School

2008-08-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

The Boy is officially a member of the school age group. We dropped him off to his kindergarten classroom this morning. We can do this for 2 weeks and then we are relegated to dropping him off behind the school where he will have to navigate the halls himself. My mother's heart says he is too young to navigate those elementary school halls by himself; however, logically I know he will be able to do this like a pro.

Jason and I are going to have to figure out how to add school to our morning routine. Jason spends the early morning doing his MBA coursework and typically doesn't leave the house until 7:30am. I use the morning to do my half-marathon training. We will have to figure out a way to shift everything because Jason and The Boy will have to leave the house by 7:10-7:15am every morning and I will need to help get The Boy ready for school and breakfasted before then. Options include getting up at 4:00am, moving training to Bitty's afternoon nap time, or splitting ourselves into two or three people. (Everyone who has to get kids ready, yourself ready and be out the door early in the morning. You have my respect. This is all new to me.)

The Boy did great. After some initial morning nervousness, he walked into the classroom and followed his teachers instructions. The little girl beside him really liked his Power Ranger lunchbox so he has made a new friend.

I packed his lunch yesterday. He is having ham/cheese sandwich, string cheese, apple sauce, whales, and a granola bar. His snack today is apple sauce and string cheese. I am terrified that he will get hungry. I know it is irrational. The teacher lets him keep his water bottle at his seat, so he will be able to drink whenever he gets thirsty. For this I am very grateful.

Jason took a half day so we both picked The Boy up from school. He had a great day. He kept talking about how much fun he had. He didn't finish his lunch before lunchtime was over. I just told him he would have to learn to eat a little quicker. Our family celebrated this milestone by going to Dairy Queen for ice cream. Ice cream in a cup with sprinkles is his current favorite.

All in all it was a good day. I only cried a little which is probably due to the fact that I have been crying a ton in the last 2 weeks.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-08-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Last Week's Miles: 3*

This Week's Miles: 17

Miles Completed: 113

Pounds Lost: 0

Asthma has hit me early this year. Typically, in October, I have a serious control problem. I get sick and then the asthma flares up. This will send me to specialists who dispense 10 or so medications to knock the beast back into submission. I will then spend the winter taking a couple of medicines to control my attacks. This year I got sick a few weeks ago and it has started to flare up. I should just go to the doctor, but I don't want to go on so many medicines. I keep hoping the three I have will work. Everyday activities aren't a problem...just this marathon training seems to be straining my lungs. But I WILL persevere. I am woman....all that jazz.

This weeks training is going to be a repeat of week before last. 17 miles. Not bad. I can do it.

*Miles not added into total.

A Bit About Our Grandparents -The Great Ones

2008-08-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

We are lucky. Our boys have 4 grandparents and 5 great grandparents still around to spoil them. And spoiling them is what they do best. If you think grandparents know how to spoil little ones...well, they don't hold a candle to the great grandparents in our lives.

Here is a bit about Bitty and the Boy's Great Grandparents.

1) Cookin' MaMaw and Old PaPaw are wonderful to have around. There is always ice cream at their house. Often there is a donut stick or honey bun to go with the ice cream. My fondest memory is of the boys being given ice cream, donut sticks, a pop tart, and chips at almost 11am. Then, Papaw says, "They didn't eat much lunch. I don't know why they aren't eating." I wonder why they might not be hungry for lunch. Let me think on that for awhile. MaMaw always likes to keep a Guthrie's chicken bucket on hand for Bitty's hat. PaPaw is always keeping both boys busy with learning about chickens.

2) MaMaw the Black One and PaPaw Black One are also wonderful. The boys are spoiled with Krispy Kreme doughnuts over there. (Their names are Blackmon. Bitty started calling them the Black Ones just a week or so ago.) They also love playing in her yard and in the pond out front. MaMaw loves to take the boys to the Natural History Museum where there are dinosaurs to look at and caves to explore. PaPaw will talk to the boys about everything and anything.

3) Other Grandmama was christened such because my boys already have a Grandmama (my mom) and I call my grandmother Grandmama. So, obviously, she is the other one. She has Little Debbies to eat and Uncle Edwin to play with. Uncle Edwin likes to play jokes on people.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-07-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Week 13

Last Week's Miles: 17

This Week's Miles: 3ish (will not be adding these to the total)

Miles Completed: 113

Pounds Lost: 0

Due to illness this week has flopped. It is really hard to walk on a treadmill when you can't really breathe.

Great Pair of Giveaways

2008-07-22T06:31:00.001-07:00

There are two great giveaway that you should check out. Over at Books.Lists.Life, Lisa is giving away not one but TWO books. You have the opportunity to win either Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich or The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby. Go by and check it out.

The other giveaway is over at Sew What? She is giving away this great bag. I have one of her bags and I use it all the time. This is definitely not one to miss.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Week 12

Last Week's Miles: 15
This Week's Miles: 17
Miles Completed: 96
Pounds Lost: 0

This week our house got hit with summer colds. First it was me, then Bitty, and now The Boy is sniffling and running a fever. Jason has taken to wearing HazMat suits around the house. This being said I still did all but one of my miles. Way to go, Gina! I am proud of this development because I have been known to not exercise due to particularly bad paper cuts. I am pumped up about my dedication to this journey.

I Could Not, Would Not in a Boat...

2008-07-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite library books is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. Both of my boys love it. The Boy has taken to "reading" it to me one or two (or possibly ten thousand) times a day. He gets the gist of it with the pictures and his memory.

Now, Bitty has begun to also "read" this favorite book to us. This is Bitty's version of Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham.

"No like yucky ham."

"Sam Am Am"

"No like yucky ham" (repeat anywhere from twice to a gazillion times)

" Oh...I like yucky ham. Sam Am Am"

Quilt Giveaway

2008-07-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

Old Red Barn Co. is giving away an awesomely beautiful quilt. I can just say that I love it and hope that I will be snuggling with it this winter.

Head over there and enter. Then send the quilt to me if you win. Just kidding, unless you want to send it to me and then I will be perfectly willing to accept it.

Hilarity of Genetics

2008-07-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

Ask anyone who knows me in the real world and they will tell you that I lose things--more often than not it is my keys. I don't know what it is about my keys, but I have a hard time keeping track of them. This has caused me so much anxiety in my life and several Benjamin Franklins. I have had to have my car keys replaced for three different vehicles. I almost lost a job because I left my keys (one of which was a master key to a very large building) at a library, but they were found and my job was saved. At least 4 times a week, I search for at least five minutes for my keys. I know. I know. I should put them in the same place each time. What fun would that be?

The boys both love toy keys. I don't know why, but they do. So, I keep two sets in the car toy box. Yesterday, Bitty was so cute and so like his mommy. He was in the back searching for his keys. "Where my keys, mommy?" " I need my keys." "Keys, keeeeyyyssss, where are you my keys?" It was so sweet and funny. I didn't know losing your keys could be linked genetically. What you say it is a learned behavior? No, way. I don't believe it.

Seriously, do you know where your keys are this morning? I really don't.

Monday Marathon Musings

2008-07-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last Week's Miles: 14
This Week's Miles: 16
Miles Completed: 84
Pounds Lost: 0 (you have got to be joking me!!)

I am on Week 11 in my training with about twenty weeks left to go. I am allowing myself extra time than my training guide suggests. It is a twenty week program and I will have thirty-one weeks to get ready. I could start over from the beginning and still be fine. Which means that you all can join me. :)

I am having to get up pretty early to get my miles in before my husband goes to work and my kids are thrown at me. I did not make it today. I was still on the treadmill when my husband left for work. Bitty graciously slept late and The Boy was content with playing in the playroom while I finished the last half-mile. I suspect that I should get up 15minutes earlier for my 4mile days. What worries me is the 30minutes earlier for the 5mile days. And do I just not go to sleep on the 7mile days? My 7mile days are weeks ahead of me. So here is my new motto,
"I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow." -Scarlett O'Hara, Gone with the Wind (1939)

A bit about myself...

2008-07-07T04:46:00.001-07:00

Awhile ago, I read this book about running a marathon by Dawn Dais. Well, I hit the road running so to speak and I am on my way to walking a half-marathon. I have been training for 10weeks. This week I have finally begun to feel like I am training for a long distance event. This week I moved from walking a preappointed number of minutes to walking a defined distance. I did 6 miles over the weekend and I will do 11 miles more before the week is out. I am excited and pumped. Maybe now I will start actually losing some weight. My husband swears he can see a difference in my body whether or not there is a difference at the scale.

I am slowly getting my running/walking gear together. I recently went out and bought some good running shoes. My feet were hurting with my not-so-old New Balances. The friend who is running the half with me had raved about her Nikes and I decided to give them a try. I am in love with these shoes. They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. You can buy a package that allows you to put a sensor in your shoes and then connect an adaptor to your IPOD nano to get your running statistics. However, I only have a regular IPOD and haven't decided whether to purchase a nano just for my walking. At any rate I will never go back to New Balances, no matter what the price difference is between them.

Musings from Around Midnight

2008-06-29T05:26:00.000-07:00

We had a busy witching hour this morning. The Boy was up and could not get back sleep.

Important Information to the story...

a) Jason (my husband) and I have a deal. I get up with the boys at night during the week. He gets up with the boys on the weekend.

b) This was Sunday morning...most definitely a weekend.

c) Jason is a sneaky, sneaky man.

Back to the story.

The Boy came into our room at midnight. He was whining about something or other. I do not know exactly what he whined about this particular time because his Daddy fielded this instance. Normally, his whining stand-bys are thirsty, scared, had a bad dream, scared of his room, or it is just plain lonely in his room. His Daddy took him back to his room after some cuddling.

Fifteen minutes later, The Boy is back. This time he comes straight to me and tell me he had a bad dream. Since I know he has not been to sleep since the last time he was in my room, I doubt the bad dream angle of the story. Anyway, I look over and Jason is asleep. Here is when I should have just kicked him out of bed. But I am a good wife. So if he is asleep, I will take The Boy back to bed. I tucked him in real tight. As I was leaving, he stops me. "Mommy, there is something that tastes bad in my mouth. I can't sleep with it there." Hmmm. I got him some water and he drank it. This apparently helped the taste situation. He gets tucked in and I am headed back to bed. As I enter the room, Jason says, "that is the second time in 20 minutes that he has been in here." He was awake! I only got up to spare him from waking up. Not again.

Twenty minutes later, The Boy is back. Jason and I are both up and in gentle discussions with The Boy. After a long discussion on why he just can't go to sleep, Jason informs him that he gets ONE more tuck in tonight. Any more than that and he will have to get in bed and cover himself up (this is absolutely horrible for Our Boy.) Then my sneaky husband says, " Who do you want for your last tuck in?" Are you joking me?!? Of course, he is going to pick me. The Boy is a smart boy and is clearly not going to chose the parent who just doled out punishment. Sneaky man. The Boy is still trying to not have to go back to his bed and begins whining, "I am not tired. I can not sleep." I get up and reach out to hold his hand on our walk across the house. The Boy drops to the floor and starts whining, "I'm too tired to walk. I'm too sleepy." I have to use my Mommy voice to get him to get up and hold my hand. As we walk back to his room, I explain the irony of being too tired to walk 30seconds after being not sleepy enough to sleep. I tucked him in with extra kisses and a loving reminder that this was the last tuck in of the night. We finally all get some sleep.

This morning when I tell Jason that he was very sneaky. He looks all innocent and says, "What? How? I didn't do anything." Like I said...sneaky, sneaky man.

Addition to the story: The Boy's conversation with his Ma (Jason's mom).

Ma: Did you sleep well last night?
The Boy: Not really. I was up quite a bit.

Growing Pains for Mommy

2008-06-26T05:56:00.001-07:00

I love watching my boys grow up into wonderful people. Sometimes I look at them and wonder how they change some aspect of themselves so quickly, though. This is VBS week at our church. Which translates to long days for the boys. Yesterday was packed to the brim with fun. We spent the morning at VBS. Then we went to see Ma & Papa at the lake for lunch, boating, and a little swimming. At the last (and best) swimming area, my boy who is a bit afraid of deeper water (than the foot in the baby pool, I mean) took off his life jacket so he could go underwater looking for shells and rocks. I pondered who this boy was because just last week I couldn't go 3 feet away from him at the pool where he was protected by his cherished floaties. It brought a smile to my face to see his glee at rock/shell finding and to witness his progression in water proficiency.

After the lake, we went back to church for the VBS Family Night for a totally funtastic time. The church has rented some huge inflatables. One for little kids, the Titanic slide, and a ginormous obstacle course. My usually shy boy rushed away from me, found a couple friends, and never looked back. I watched as he ran from one inflatable to the other. He was never nervous. He never looked back. He played on them for over an hour and a half. I made him take a hot dog break and then he was back playing until they closed up shop.

I am so proud of The Boy and even more grateful for this morning when he came into my room crawled into my room and said, "Mommy, I want to cuddle up with you a little bit this morning." I want to cherish these "little boy" times because you never know when will be the last morning cuddle.

Young Love

2008-06-25T05:04:00.001-07:00

We have this little neighbor girl, Mary Grace. She is a stylish 6 year old. She loves to have fun and play, but the girl is stylin' while she does it. Because of this all the neighborhood and church boys are in love with her. I have heard at least 4 boys (under the age of 7) say they are "going to marry Mary Grace." Yesterday, I was telling someone about how fun Mary Grace was at VBS that morning. She ate her goldfish crackers and decorated her bagel (don't ask) with so much poise. So, I said, "Mary Grace is so..." I was about to say "graceful...or girly" when from the back seat The Boy says, "beautiful. Mary Grace is always soooo beautiful."

The Weekend of Birthdays

2008-06-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

We had two birthday parties to attend this weekend. They were full of tough obstacles for our shy 5 year old.

Party #1: Ashley and Brooke's Water Fun Party. They had a great water slide in the front yard, sprinklers, and baby pools. The Boy was nervous about all the gleeful girls. He only knew Ashley and she was in full birthday party swing by the time we got there. After hovering around us for almost an hour, he started getting more brave. He would run through the sprinkler as long as Bitty and he were the only ones near it. They played in the baby pool alone together. Finally, he started getting comfortable around the other kids. He climbed up the water slide and patiently told the boys and girls at the bottom to watch out. (He didn't want to slide into them. How polite!) He slid down and practically didn't come up for air...though he did come up for pizza and cake.

Party #2: Navaeh's party at Skate Odyssey. This party was full of the same problems as the first one. He was fine putting on the skates. He didn't mind falling. He is really a brave boy in some ways. He was fine rolling around on the carpet. He just didn't want to get onto the rink. I assumed it was because he was nervous about going fast or falling. Upon further conversation, I found out that he just didn't want to be out there with so many people. After missing out on the skate races and the "prize for all racers", I talked my son into going around with me. He really was fine. In fact, after the initial two or four laps, he wouldn't even hold my hand anymore.

If anyone out there has any suggestions to aid social anxiety at his age, please feel free to comment.

In stark contrast, Bitty would have gone on the water slide from minute one, except he really wants to be attached to the Boys hip. Bitty also wanted his own skates and then was furious when I skated without carrying him around with me. (Skating with a 2 year old on your hip is much harder than it sounds.)

The Fears of a Four Year Old

2008-04-11T00:20:00.000-07:00

The Boy
April 11, 2008 2:24am
4 years, 11 months

"Mommy, I had a bad dream."

"Can I tell you about it when we get back in there (his room)"

"It was when I was at school. And you had some bad stuff in your mouth. And you were gonna die. And there was pirate stuff all around 'cause we were pretending to be pirates. And Cindy tried to get you to spit the bad stuff out. And it was paper."

"oh baby. I am ok. I don't have bad stuff in my mouth."

"I know. It was just a bad dream."

My only question is....who is Cindy?

The Sibling Wars: Battle 1

2008-04-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Since the day we brought Bitty home from the hospital, The Boy has agitated him. It was common-place to hear someone say, "The Boy better watch out when Bitty gets bigger. He's going to haul off and smack him." Little by little Bitty has asserted himself.

Battle 1: March 2008

Bitty vs. The Boy

The Boy loves to dress up and pretend. On this day, he was Spiderman. He finds it amusing to have Bitty be a villain -- the Green Goblin that day. I will add here that Bitty doesn't really comprehend the pretending or the fact that there is a reason The Boy is jumping around screaming at him.

SpiderBoy found that he could make the Bitty Goblin holler if he ran up and yelled at him. Aunt Mae (aka Mommy) was in the kitchen cooking dinner. The Boy came into the kitchen crying loudly, "Bitty hit me with his hand." I looked at my precious Bitty hovering behind The Boy and said, "No hit." Then calmly explained to The Boy that scaring his brother like that was going to result in violence. "He will hit you if you do that to him," I said. Ten minutes later. The Boy is back crying even louder. "Bitty hit me with his (stuffed) monkey," The Boy cried. The somewhat amused Mommy looked at the boys and said, "Bitty, no hit." and "He will hit you with whatever he has in his hand if you do that to him again. This is your choice. Don't scare him and he will not hit you." Ten minutes later. The Boy is shrieking and holding his head as he wanders into the kitchen. "Mommy. Bitty hit me in the he- ad." (I love the way children say head with two syllables) I look up prepared to repeat the warnings to my children. What do I see? I see my ever so sweet 22month old coming around the corner with a baseball bat (albeit a plastic one). As I check The Boy's head for damage, I explain that this is just the thing that I warned him about earlier. There were no more incidents that night. The Boy had learned his lesson for the evening at least.

Winner: Bitty

The War Continues....

The Boy Made Me Cry

2008-04-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

In his almost 5 year old innocence, he was pretending -- it seems he pretends more than he doesn't. This morning he pretended that he was fat. Why? I don't know. While he was walking around pretending to be fat, he came up to me and said, "Not that it matters, but you are a little fat, aren't you? I love you anyway, but you ARE a LITTLE fat, right? I still love you. But you ARE fat, right?" I just started to cry. I couldn't help myself. There was no reasoning with my heart. I couldn't say no -- because I am overweight. I was just so sad for his innocence lost. It startled me. Not three months ago, he looked at me and said, "Mommy, you are not fat. You are beautiful." This happened as we were having a conversation about a little girl at school who is heavier. He called her fat as a descriptor for me to know which little girl she was. He said it as truthfully as when he said she had brown hair and was "really nice." I told him that it hurts people's feelings when they are called things like fat. I told him of the times that I was called fat when I was a little girl and how it had hurt my feelings. How did things change so quickly?

Bitty vs. Curious George

2008-02-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

My BittyBoy is such a strong willed little boy. At 21 months, he is all about possession. My Mommy. My Daddy. My Milk. My Juice. You can catch my drift. On Thursday, he and I went on an errand while The Boy was in school. In the car, I was listening to some talk radio and heard him in the backseat saying, "No, my ball. NO, MY BALL." Again. And again. Well, it took me about the tenth time of him repeating this to realize that he was by himself back there. I started wondering who had his ball. I moved my rearview mirron and saw him staring at his sippy cup. (His cup's top is Curious George holding a beach ball.) He told George, "No, my ball. NO, MY BALL." And tried to pry the beach ball from little George's plastic hands.

Needless to say, George did not give the Bitty his ball back.

I think I may be losing my mind

2007-10-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

OK. My husband has been on a business trip for 6 days now. I know that the stress of single parenting is taking its toll because this morning I believe I may be losing my mind. Last night, bath time was not the normal joy it usually is in our house. Both my boys were very tired. The Boy, my 4 year old, was acting sick. He wanted to lay down and watch his movie that he was promised. So, I got him out and dried him off. Not being able to leave my 18 month old, Bitty, in the tub; I sent the towel wrapped Boy into the living room to start the movie on his own. Bitty played for awhile by himself. Then he wanted to get out of the tub. I got him out and dried him off. Realizing that I had forgotten to unstop the drain, I resigned myself to cleaning the bathroom after the boys were in bed. So, I left the bathroom. The later events of the night are pretty irrelevant. Except to say that the boys got to bed and I forgot my chore of cleaning the bathroom and tub. Oops.

Skip to this morning. The house was full of chaos as it is everyday that I have to take The Boy to school. My husband does this easily on the way to work. I, however, have to get everyone ready and loaded into the car. He is never there in time for breakfast on days when Mommy has to drop him off. ( I would like to note here that it scares me next year when it is actual school and he will be counted tardy for my inability to perform the morning duties efficiently.) Back to the story at hand, we go into the bathroom for the morning vitamin and tooth brushing. What do I find? The bathtub full of water? The towels everywhere? The towels are everywhere, but the bathtub is strangely only partially filled with water. This is odd because now I remember that I forgot to clean up the bathroom & tub. Here's the real challenge. There is poop in the bathtub! What?!? When did that happen? Am I that clueless of a mother? I don't think so. I have decided that those tiny elves that refuse to clean my kitchen have begun to play cruel bathroom jokes on me.

Husband returns in 5 day.

Welcome.

2007-10-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

This is my first post to my new blog. This is only a test post. Look for more exciting posts later.