Compliments

Tonight we went to the Saturday evening Mass for church instead of the tomorrow morning one. They were supposed to have some sort of get together afterwards and I wanted to make friends. =)

Funny thing is, I got just as many compliments on the cuteness of this:

As I did on the cuteness of this:

(NO, not my toushie)  I bought the old-fashioned seamed pantyhose. I thought of my Memaw and how funny they were. I dig the 40′s clothing so much so it was a multi-purpose buy. (By the way, no Mom, my skirt’s not really that short, it’s just pulled up to show the seams.) Memaw used to tell me stories about how hot it would get when she was a school girl but they were required to wear skirts and panty hose. Since all the hose had seams back then, it was pretty obvious who wasn’t wearing them. So Memaw and all of her comrades would get a black magic marker and draw a line up the back of their legs to avoid the heat of wearing panty hose. =)

 A good story like that over a glass of sweet iced tea. Can you see why I miss home so much?

  I met a lot of nice older ladies at the church (or rather Caitlyn flirted with them all) and I’m kinda thinking of going back to the Saturday evening service just because I like the old ladies there so much. (especially considering I miss *my* old lady so much.) Also, Memaw’s out of the hopsital and safely at home as of yesterday afternoon. Mom’s playing her beckon call girl and Pepaw has successfully learned to make coffe all by himself.  It’s a day of sweet success for all.

=)

  Okay, this was too cute. 

  Derek was getting ready to go to work and came down the stairs… and apparently deserved a standing ovation for doing so. =)

She’s getting better at crawling but still hasn’t taken off yet. We usually can get her to scoot across the couch but she hasn’t realized  how to go fast yet. Darn I love my kid… =)

 Does anybody else watch “Flip That House”? Thank God for DVR’s because I’ve officially recorded every single episode that TLC has to offer. Just so you all know, as I watch it, I get ideas and compare them to  houses I’ve seen before. So by now, I’ve mentally “flipped” each of your houses. Poor Mom has dealt with the brunt of it as I’ve sent her email after email with floor plans, price ranges and sketches of each remodeled room in her house…. =)

For those of you who have seen the house next to my grandma’s house,(it’s where Dew and I will live when we move back to Texas) that’s my biggest project. I can’t wait to get the tile flying on it. The best part is, this summer I’ll get to help my inlaws on their house thus adding more experience to my resume. They have an old victorian style house they’ve been working on for a few years now. There’s this house down the street from them that’s a two-story victorian style brick hosue that someone painted all the brick a bright orange-yellow. Derek and I want to buy/flip it just for the main purpose of  sandblasting that darn yellow of the brick. It makes it look like a victorian style carnival house…. Any monetary backers? =)

Just look at these before and after pictures, how can anyone *not* want to do this for a living?

Before:

After:

It’s Fat Tuesday, so be happy and…well…fat.

 Eye of the Liger

Okay, it’s down to the final nine. I’ve officially popped the “150″ cherry and I’m weighing in at 159lbs.  I haven’t weighed that much since before I got married!!!  My weight loss progress has slowed quite a bit since I only lost one pound this week… However, we did have a few days of cheats. (it was Valentine’s day! I deserved a treat.. I don’t have to justify myself to you!)

   I signed on with a temp agency to see if I could get a couple hours of work here and there. I don’t yet know if I want a full time job because I really enjoy staying home with Caity. They found me a month long job working at   the county clerk’s office transcribing birth/death records and it paid 10 an hour starting next Tuesday. Not bad for only a month of work. I told them to give me 20 minutes to make daycare arrangements and I did so. When I called them back, my temp guy was in a meeting but his partner informed me they had already filled the position.

“Sorry,” she said. “We were on a time crunch and needed to fill the position. We couldn’t afford to wait.” You mean the whopping 20 minutes I took were costing you so much money??? The job didn’t even start until TUESDAY! !#$&^%”>!#$&;^%*!!!!!

 Okay, I got over it quickly. Derek hugged me and patted my wounded ego and made a suggestion that I just take the class to do home child care. I could stay at home with the baby and  make a couple hundred extra bucks a month even if I only had one extra kid here. Sounds ideal. I’ll be looking into it.

 By the way, the manuscript job I had originally looked into was posted by the temp agency so I couldn’t get more info on it until I signed up with them. They said they’re trying not to overwhelm the man who’s doing it so they’ve only sent him a few applicants a week. Apparently it’s a very popular position?

We just had all of Derek’s siblings (except Ally) come visit for the weekend. It’s hard trying to fit lots of people into a little tiny house but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love teasing and joking with all of them  any time of day. It’s nice to have other people around when Derek’s sleeping. Chels (Dew’s Sister) and I harp on each other all the time. It’s like having my own siblings here. Why won’t they move in again? They could all fit into our guest bedroom, no?

By the way, Memaw is doing *great*. She’s been doing physical therapy to get her new hip in working order and is in great spirits. Everytime I call her she’s all hopped up on drugs but still as mean as ever. =) I love her and miss her *SO* much. On a happier note, my mommy just called to tell me she’s finally bought her plane tickets to come and visit me in May! YAY!

Nothing else new to report. =)

Happy (early) Valentine’s Day!

There’s still some sweet potatoes left on her nose and cheeks, but I think it adds to the cuteness factor.

I finally got a call back from the church  and I have a meeting with them on Thursday to see what kind of volunteer work I can do. It’s perfect because  I can take the baby with me for whatever we’re doing.  Plus, thanks to Gamma, I typed in “transcriptionist” on a job search and found a really cool opportunity. Gamm was talking about a medical transcriptionist but apparently there’s somebody writing a book and wants someone to take dictation and transcribe their handwritten notes and work.  It’s only a couple hours a week and pretty flexible  (meaning Derek could watch the baby on his days off) but it’s paying 12 bucks an hour!

Since the slowest I’ve ever typed is 60wpm and that’s the standard prerequisite for this job, I think I can handle it. (my average is about 82wpm and all you geeks who type faster… back off!)

Anyhow, I interview for the transcriptionist job on Friday morning and should get more details then to see if it’s anything I’m interested in. Then, this weekend Dew’s siblings are coming to visit so I definitely won’t be bored. (for once)

Love to all!

For an old lady:

Must be doing something right….

I’ve been doing slim-fast for three weeks and I’ve lost 9 lbs total. Thanks to Kelly Marie, I actually got off my butt this morning and did my workout. Every little bit helps. I think the best well kept secret is www.slim-fast.com 

  I’ve found that they offer meal plans that “suggest” some of their products, but it’s not necessary and all their advice is free. They also made me feel very good by telling me my starting weight was their suggested goal for my height, but you know how women are… never satisfied. Must be thin. I don’t mind 90% of my body though. I love my upper area, love my lower are. It’s the darn middle that gets me angry.  Can I fund scientific research for a pill-style product that *only* shrinks your tummy?   I mean diet and exercise are okay I guess. I just want it handed to me on a sliver platter *bam* instant perfect midriff. Or even simpler, can I just have back that cute little stomach I had before I got pregnant? It’s been MIA for well over a year now.  What a shame. I was quite attatched to it… Fortunately, my husband is so loving of the way I am that I don’t have to worry what he thinks of my appearance at all. I’m almost embarrassed to say that the work I’m doing now is really only for my own insecurities.  Supposedly a month from tomorrow I will have reached my goal weight if things keep progressing the way they are. (and if I avoid any more devilish chili like I pigged out on at the Superbowl party… or maybe it was the jumo-sized banana split? Couldn’t have been the monstrous steak we had either.)

 Have I already posted the pics of the house and pics of Caity? Check out: http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j48/Life_by_us/

HOW?!??!

Out of this city of a jillion people, there are *2* jobs available on usajobs.com and I’ve called them both. I’m not qualified for either of them Derek and I want a couple hundred extra dollars each month and thought  I could do stay at home work, but the online”Make MILLIONS monthly!” are all scams. So I started looking for a full time job that paid alot but out of the whopping two, I don’t fit the qualifications. Why does it say no requirements if you have to have a bachelors degree in VA?

I just got back from Caitlyn’s eye Dr. appointment. I drove twenty five minutes in the snow and icy roads, sat 15 minutes in the waiting room, ten minutes in the exam room only to have the doctor walk in for litterally 48 seconds and leave. He said, “Oh, that looks really good. Let’s see your progress in a month.” He wrote “Progress is good” on the chart and walked out.  Drove for 40 minutes back home because of how icy it was and how poor the visibility is. Yuck.

 By the way, my Memaw fell and broke her hip…. She says she was bored and just wanted something to take up some of her free time. Next time I’m suggesting she rent a movie… Anyhow, she’s fine. She’s getting a titanium hip replacement tonight, thus achieving the first step toward her “Bionic Woman” dream. I think I’ll start referring to her as Bionicle. =) I was calling her to cheer her up and apparently listening to me is painful. So she hit the magic  painkiller button. After less than five minutes, she was snoring in my ear. I wish I had that magic button….

I love and miss you all.

PS, just so you all know, I was so worried about her when I first found out that I went into my tizzy. Do you know what I do when I’m really worried or nervous? Bake and reorganize. Our bookshelves are all completely rearranged by size order and Dew had a fresh apple crisp to share with his work partner last night. =)

Want your house cleaned and fresh baked goods?  No need to pay!  I’ll make a (well decorated) cardboard sign and stand on the corner “Will play Martha Stewart for bad news.”

Best video ever!…. GOSH!

Okay, I’m one of those obnoxious Mom’s who truly believes that her kid is the cutest kid in the world and takes pictures of everything her children do. Now that we’ve established this character trait, see my new videos! They’re dark because the kid wouldn’t let me turn on the light and record her at the same time. So I took these from my hiding place.

This one is Caity thinking she’s *invisible* behind the sheer curtains and teasing the dog.

And this is her holding the dog’s neck while the dog pulls her around.

As I said, sorry they’re dark but I tried!!!!

We’re going to Indiana tomorrow to celebrate the special occasion. (and by that, I mean the Superbowl)

Love to you all!

Our house (in the middle of the street)

http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j48/Life_by_us/Our%20House/

I took photos of the house and the dog. She wouldn’t leave me alone so I snapped a few of her hoping the flash woould throw her off gaurd. Apparently now she has photo fever…..

  Anyhow, I’ve not mentioned it because all the other diets have failed, but I’m on a new diet that’s actually working! Derek and I are doing Slim-Fast and I lost five pounds this week, he lost TEN!  Here’s the irritating part: I’ve been doing aerobic walking and he’s doing…. umm.. well nothing. *suck!* Stupid boy. Anyhow, I’ve got 10 more to go and he’s going for 30 more but at this rate we’ll both reach our goals at the same time.*grumbles*

I recently found my sisters on myspace.com as I have mentioned before but when I went to their pictures section, I found some photos I hadn’t seen in *forever*.  Have a peek at how cute they are. (okay, they’re actually 16 now, but this is how I’ll always remember them!)

Love you all, Superbowl next weekend! GO COLTS!
(I’m required to say that  now that I’m married into the family of Colts fanatics)

Beautiful song on a mundane day

I’m afraid I might have to let my Jedi Kitty go. (her real name is Apple but I didn’t think anyone would know who I was talking about) She’s going through some weird “baby envy”.  It’s strange that this is just now occurring even though we’ve had the baby for 8 months now… She’s never made a move to hurt the baby, never growled at the baby, never done anything physical against her… But this morning for the second time in a week I found she’d peed all over the baby’s toys in her  play pen in the living room. I know it was her and not the other kitty because they all usually gte locked up in the kennel at night, however last night I let Apple sleep in the bedroom with me. When Derek got home this morning he let her out  without putting her in the kennel. So it couldn’t have been Mariposa… *sighs* Apple’s(Jedi Kitty) my sweetie. She always sits on my lap no matter where in the house I am, and tries to even if I’m not sitting. 

I’ve washed the playpen with vinegar water and antibacterial spray and washed all of Caitlyn’s toys for the second time this week. Apple’s locked up in the kennel right now and Caity’s over there singing to her… Does anybody without a baby want the world’s cutest kitten? (comes with Jedi Skills!)

The clouds haven’t let up here since I got back from Texas. Not to mention it was overcast the whole time I was there too. *sighs* The sunshine is hiding from me and my spirit is taking a serious hit. When I was a kid I used to feel the warmth of the sun and imagine it was the warmth of God’s love and the wind was Him playing with me. I know it sounds childish but even now, I love a warm, breezy day for reasons other than the fact that it’s warm.

And breezy.I’ve actually drawn all the blinds and curtains closed and turned on every light in the house. Artificial sunshine is better than none. ^_^  Michy can I come live in Hawaii with you? *pouts* Claru gets to….

 It’s hard on days like these to keep your spirits high. Maybe that’s the Texas in me. I used to only have gloomy days on grey days in Texas and that meant once a month or less. =) See? This is what happens when you transplant a native Texas girl. My senses are all out of whack….

 Next weekend we’ll get to go to Indianapolis and visit the inlaws plus some old friends of mine I haven’t seen in years who live up there. It’s Superbowl weekend so I bet the city will be going crazy for the Indy Colts. It’s their first Suerbowl in  30 years. Who would’ve known Colts  trivia would begin to seep into my blood…? Stupid hubby.  I’ll be cheating on my home state and wearing a Colts jersey as well. After all, the name of the modern game is fitting in to be cool.

Love to you all!

PS< if you haven’t heard the band above, check them out!