Tucker's Hideous Phase!

This, everybody, is Tucker. He loves: Batman, Superman, Sparky, and cowboys. He loves his boots, long sleeve shirts/jackets, and his flip flops. He loves to go to baseball and basket ball games with his Dad and said when he grows up he wants to play baseball. He loves to shove food in his mouth and eat pizza. He loves to beat up his big sister and his little buddies. He loves to "snuggle" and give kisses. This is my perfect angel; then he turned 3.

It's been down hill from there. Mouthy, physical, and angry. I'm not complaining about my handsome, blue eyed dude but some of the things he says and does are funny and naughty and I know I'll forget. So here it goes, in the words of Tucker:

* "When my Dad gets home he's gonna flick you."

* "I'm telling my Dad on you."

* "You eat mud."

* "You're a meanie."

* When he's mad at us he shoots us with his cowboy guns.

* He throws 60 min. fits about what he's wearing. HE'S A BOY! WHO CARES!

* He swears.

* He poops in the sand at the park.

* He beats up his friends and sweet Karen, our sitter.



Here's a story from my Mother's lips: Heidi drops tucker off to take a nap so she can take Tatum to dance....I'm watering flowers and let Tucker help....We come in...He says he won't wear a diaper...I say okay. He wants his jammies on...NO JAMMIES IN THE BAG...He says...I'm telling on you. I say...let's take a nap anyway...He says...I'm telling my mom you were mean to me...I tell him I love him...Then he says...I'm telling my mom you tackled me. I didn't tackle him...I was trying to tickle him. We go into the bedroom...he wants Grandpa's pillow...He won't lay on it though because he wants his jammies on...I try to tickle him....he says Don't touch me, I only like Grandpa... He says he wants on Tatum's bed....we get up there...He tells me I can't lay on the pillow...I say I can cause he isn't...he says....I'm telling my mom when she gets home you were mean to me...He took the pillow and pulled it way over by him....It took him an hour to get to sleep!

We sure love this little guy and are SO very anxious for this hideous phase to END!!

Complete and Total Desperation, My Hellish Ordeal!

If you've never experienced an adult ear infection consider yourself EXTREMELY lucky. I've proudly been ear infection free since childhood until last Sunday night. I'd felt loads of pressure in my ears and head all day Sunday so I popped a few Sudafed and dealt with it. Sunday night at 11:45 I was abruptly awoken with a RAGGING, THROBBING pain in my ear. After I'd taken 4 Ibuprofen (which is the max dose) and they had not worked, I searched the Internet for home remedies because it's 1 am and NO WHERE is open except the ER and I have too much pride to go there for a silly ear infection. The Internet proved very unhelpful, who has garlic juice, cinnamon oil, or Colloidal Silver? And I was in no condition to drive to Walmart, I'd just about cried all my make-up off and my hair was sticking up! So it's 2 in the morning and I decided to either: shoot myself or sew a bean bag that I could heat up to see if that works. The only random material I had was Batman so I quickly sew myself a hideously done batman bean bag and heat it up. It provided some relief and I think by then the drugs FINALLY decided to work a little. I'm was able to doze off until 5 when the pain came back in FULL force and once again I wanted to claw my ear off. I couldn't take more ibuprofen because it hadn't been 6 hours and I have nothing else, no aspirin, no acetaminophen, no percocet, nothing! So I'm up for the day sitting on the couch trying to remain in control because I've never experienced pain so intense and unrelenting before. An ear infection, how bad can it be right? I couldn't think and it's all I could do not to take the entire bottle of ibuprofen. Blink, blink, blink went my eyes so I didn't cry AGAIN for the hundredth time that night. I decided to get dressed so at 7 when the doctor's office opened I'd be there. Chris was a dear and got the rugrats up, dressed, and over to the sitters. At 6:58 I'm driving to the doctors. I tell the receptionist I need to be seen RIGHT NOW but she didn't have an appointment until 7:45, okay I'll sit here and wait. Don't cry, don't cry. Heaven must have finally been smiling on me because the Dr.'s asst. was right on time. She kept asking me questions and I could hardly answer, I think by this time I was delirious from the screaming pain and lack of sleep. My ear hurt more the I could begin to express. I was seated in a room and the Dr. came and tried to small talk. I tried not to be rude but QUIT TALKING TO ME AND GIVE ME SOME DRUGS! You have an ear infection he says, like I didn't know, and prescribes me an antibiotic. What about pain meds I insist. Oh, you'll be fine, just take some ibuprofen he dismissively responded. I could have punched him, obviously he's never and an ear infection! Again I'm trying not to cry and I'm emotionally and physically exhasuted. And wouldn't you know, Walgreens wasn't open for another very long 5 mins. When those doors opened I was the first in and practically ran people over to get to the pharmacy first. I got my prescription and went on my way to work. What was I thinking, like I'd be able to work all day. I lasted 2 hours.

So the pain was finally under control, not gone just under control, and I could function ok. I couldn't hear out of my right side and I had a deafening ringing in my ear but I could handle that. I rested all day Monday and Tuesday. And then Wednesday rolls around. The hell begins again. Our balance is in our ears, a VERY silly place to control balance I've decided. I wasn't surprised that Tuesday I was a little dizzy but when Wednesday hit dizzy doesn't fully describe it. I could hardly walk I was spinning so fast. Trying to be brave and un-baby I attempted to go to work. Two hours later I'm home begging my Mother to come and get my rugrats because I can't hold my head up. Thankfully she did! For the next TWO days I couldn't leave my bed, I couldn't even open my eyes because every time I did the room spun making me nauseous. I couldn't go to the bathroom, I couldn't eat, and I couldn't hold my head up or even move it. I desperately called the Dr. and as luck would have it he wasn't in on Thursday and I'd have to suffer another miserable day before I could be seen. Mean while my poor children are bouncing from house to house. There's absolutely no way I could've taken care of them, I couldn't even roll over in my bed. Our sweet neighbor came over and helped Chris give me a blessing which really helped me get a grip on my emotions. By Friday I got into the Dr. and I had acute labrynthitis, a fancy name for vertigo. I got another prescription for motion sickness and was told that it'd gradually go away over the next couple weeks. So over the next few days I was able to finally walk and function as long as I didn't look down or turn my head too fast. And now the dizziness is gone and my ear is almost normal.

Consider this a very personal invitation, if you EVER have an ear infection or get vertigo, or any other illness that takes you out of commission I expect a phone call. I will pick up your children and watch them for a week if that's how long it takes to function again. I have a whole new appreciation for children's ear infections. Never again will I get irritated from the crying, sleepless night my child had or get upset because I have to pay a copay at the doctors. I will be nothing but loving and patient and understanding because I've never ever, ever had such an intense, unrelenting, consuming pain like I did when I got a silly ear infection.

Canned Specimen...or Chicken

My new obsession is canning...seriously, canning? But it's so rewarding. I first canned pinto beans with my Granny and I HAD to do more; my Gran and I even went to a canning lesson at Shar's Kitchen. My good friend Crystal raves over her canned chicken, it's convenience and flavor. And of course I NEEDED some. So last Friday we spent 7, yes 7, hours trimming, canning, and waiting for 32 delicious jars of canned chicken to get pressure cooked.

We HAD to use gloves of course while trimming the yuckys off, who actually touches raw meat? Not Crystal or I! Then we stuffed the slimy chicken into jars which does't really look like chicken, more like a specimen from a lab, and then loaded Big Bertha, the pressure cooker, and impatiently awaited our chicken.


Here's the finished product, still looking like a specimen but it is so tasty! Look at all our jars! We're set for a few months and then we'll buy another 40 lbs. of chicken and get to work.

Party Hardy!

It's a Blingin' Bead Party!

March 13th from 7:30-???

Where?? My House. Call or e-mail for directions.

All you need to bring is: a friends, an Easter dress, and your wallet!

Come be creative and make some blingbling!

Come late, come early but the party will be all night!

Make necklaces, bracelets, ear rings, and watches for You, a little girlie, or for a friend.

Caution: this may become addicting!!

Clothing Combinations

In our house we have our favorite things to wear. Tucker loves to wear this brown, hideously ugly snow hat, no offense Jenni! It's actually quite funny the looks we get in the store. Next is his sweater. Now, it's quite handsome when he wears it with a white collared shirt and navy pants to church but he doesn't usually. He has to wear it EVERY week, hot or cold, clean or dirty. And the boots...need I say more! They ARE adorable though, especially when he doesn't tuck his pants into them.

Sweet Tatum loves this pink sweater that she obviously buttoned herself. She wants to wear it whether or not it matches and I'm a matching person and it always makes me nervous when their outfits don't "flow". And her ugly, orange night gown is also her favorite, I don't even know how many tears have been spilt because we can't find it; secretly I hate this night gown. She was lucky enough to get some new shoes which immediately became her new favorite but I don't think they quite go, but then what does with this combination of clothes?

Killer Find

You know those people who ALWAYS seem to find killer deals not matter where or when they go shopping? I am not one of those lucky people, I never have been. So you can imagine my sheer joy when I stumbled upon this not so darling but cute enough dress for Tater. It cost me $1.64, I couldn't believe my eyes. Score! I had to seriously look at the tag 2 or 3 times before I believed it, and even when I checked out I was surprised that it really was $1.64. Maybe my luck is turning, I hope!

Short Hair = Love...Usually

There's just something about short hair that we love. It's more sassy, more attitude, more us. Not that we try to be snobby but we just can't help it with our short, a-lined hair. We love that our short hair bounces and that we can get it so poofy. What we very much don't like is what it looks like when we wake up! It takes a lot of work to get the knots and frizz out of this! In the mornings when I'm unsuccessfully trying to brush this rats nest Tatum delcares "No more hair cuts!" but, as soon as her hair is smoothed and it bounces when she walks she admires herself in the mirror and once again decides that she loves her short tresses.