Happy Anniversary to ME!
It has been three years since I joined Thirty-One gifts as a consultant. I had NO IDEA how my life would change as a result of that one decision.
I saw a Thirty-One booth at our county fair in the fall of 2008. I remember telling my husband that I would never “do” direct sales but if I did, those were the products I wanted to sell. It stayed on my mind for months and when I saw that a friend was selling, I asked her for a catalog and HAD TO HAVE the skirt purse (this was the OLD one with the ties which I never use anymore because I like the newer style better but I refuse to get rid of it!). I booked a party with her for April but couldn’t wait to get my purse so I ordered it for my birthday in March (easiest birthday present my husband ever got me!). At my party, I talked more than the hostess did and she said I should be a consultant. There was a special that month that allowed you to join for $25 and they took the balance out of your first commission check…what did I have to lose?
In the beginning my WHY was to earn enough money to be able to buy Thirty-One and other “fun” non-essential things without worrying about our budget or feeling guilty for spending money. When I realized that I could actually make pretty good money with Thirty-One, my WHY was expanded. I had always said that I wanted to be home with my girls in the afternoon by the time Hailey started middle school. It was a dream because I never thought it would actually be possible. I was able to go part-time at my job in the middle of Hailey’s third grade year (and I owe a lot to my boss for allowing me to do that!). Now my WHY is to continue to be able to spend more time with my family and continue on our path to being debt-free (happy to say we have NO credit cards!). My WHY is also to share this opportunity with other women to empower them to have control over their lives and their finances and to be able to achieve their dreams. I especially love helping those that are trying to find a way to stay at home with their babies. I remember sitting at my computer desk during my maternity leave searching online for a work-at-home opportunity that wasn’t a scam or a pyramid scheme. That was not in God’s plan for me at the time but His plan is always greater than our plan! As I look at my downline numbers now, I know without a doubt that I am exactly where He wants me to be and I thank Him for his many blessings!
Thirty-One is not MY business, it is my FAMILY’S business. My husband is a HOTtie (Husband of Thirty-One) and supports me 100% even when that means helping me put labels on catalogs in the middle of the night! My children of course carry Thirty-One wherever they go and my oldest especially loves to tell everyone about Thirty-One and will tell them what they need to buy! My girls help sort orders when they come in, they help stamp order forms, label catalogs, etc. It doesn’t hurt that they know that our upcoming trip to Disney is being paid for by Thirty-One Dream Rewards!
I can’t wait to see what the next 3 years have in store for me!
A Cupcake without Calories!
What better way to celebrate your birthday than with a Thirty-One cupcake coin purse! Leah got this for her birthday as well as an MP3 player which fits perfectly inside along with her ear buds!
Leahisms
(She just wants to be close to us!)
It was raining pretty hard when we went to get in the car this morning. Leah was carrying her umbrella in one hand and her blanket in the other. I overheard her saying to her blanket, “It’s okay blankie, I’ve got you, just hold on to me!”
On the way to pick up Hailey, Leah was singing “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”. I was talking to Ed at the time and she was finished by the time I got off the phone so I asked her if she could sing it again. She told me she could not because “they are all in the pond now”.
Hailey had art this afternoon and a friend had asked me to pick up some cake truffles for her at Shops at Steele Street so it was easy to pop in and grab those for her…or it should have been. I had to wait 10 minutes to buy the truffles which was a loooong ten minutes for Leah to see lots of stuff she wanted. She really, really wanted a watch with a pink plastic armband. I told her she would not have a watch until she could tell time. She went over to the table, picked up the watch and said, “It is 5:18.” She waited a few seconds and then picked it up and said, “It is still 5:18.” She then told me that she could “tell time now” and so she could get the watch. (and NO, I did NOT let her get the watch)
We had a new teacher start last week and she told me that when she introduced herself to Leah, Leah said, “I Leah Page, my mom Emily Page.” 
Speaking of the little cutie, she has crept into the office and is sitting on the floor beside me so I better go get her back in bed!
PS I ended up doing 20 more minutes of Wii Fit last night and did over an hour tonight. Woo hoo!
Deep Thoughts with Emily
When you haven’t blogged for a while, you want to come up with a really awesome post that will blow your readers away and remind them why they kept checking your blog even though you hadn’t posted anything in days. Sadly, I just don’t have it in me. I do have lots of random thoughts, though.
Some day (probably late July after our big fundraiser is over), I am going to go back in time so that I can post pictures of Hailey’s dance recital, both girls’ birthday parties, and our beach trip.
It is tradition in our house that we watch the video of the birthday girl’s “birth day”. As we were watching Hailey’s (she turned 6 on Friday), she said that that was the best time of her life because everyone was looking at her and no one else. How in the world do we teach this child that she does NOT have to be the center of attention all the time??
Wal-Mart is starting to stock school supplies. They have a whole wall of lunch boxes. Is it weird that I can’t wait to take Hailey to pick a new lunch box?
I made fun of Webkinz when they first came out. Hailey now owns two. I have a feeling this is the beginning of a pattern.
Hailey purchased her second Webkinz with money she got from her Aunt Jo Ellen and Uncle Scott. We found it at Limited Too because they are only one of 3 retailers in Crabtree that sell Webkinz. I had a glimpse of the clothes my child will want to wear very, very soon…it scared me.
Hailey has just started her second week of Camp Voyager through the YMCA. She loves it because she says all she has to do is play and eat!
The Lee County Schools Superintendent resigned today before a closed door School Board session regarding alleged immoral conduct…am I the only one who is really curious about that conduct?
The house I remember in little Washington had a banister halfway up the stairs followed by a wall. I used to sneak halfway down the stairs so that I could feel like I was closer to my parents but they couldn’t see me. I even have a picture of me sitting on the steps with my head back. I am wearing pajamas and an orange plastic bracelet and I am fast asleep. Ed just had me go in the hallway (at 9:44)…Leah was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and her back against the wall. She might have been hidden by the laundry basket if it wasn’t for the holes! When she heard me, she covered her face with her hands. I guess she thought if she couldn’t see me, I couldn’t see her. too cute.
I just heard a new/old McDonald’s commercial with the twoallbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheesepicklesonionsonasesameseedbun…it made me remember that I was SOOO proud when I was in middle school that I had that memorized and could say it super fast. What a dork.
Speaking of McDonald’s commercials…do you remember the one where the teacher was leading her class through the rain and they were all wearing yellow slickers and saying “quack, quack, waddle, waddle”? We had to cross the street to get to the beach on our vacation and we would walk single file and chant this. Apparently I am still a dork.
Our Marriage by the Numbers
0 – Number of times we kissed before we got engaged
1- Number of dates we went on before we got engaged
2 – Number of children we’ve brought into the world
3 – Number of pets we have
4 – Number of homes we have lived in
5 – Number of rooms in our first apartment
6 – Number of cars we have had
7 – Number of towns we spent the night in during our honeymoon
8 – Number of years we have lived in Sanford
9 – The total number of brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, and sisters-in-law we have
10 – Number of years we have been happily married!!!!!!!!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my wonderful husband…the man I want to be with for the rest of forever!
I’m a what?
Hailey’s school had a workday today so today became an unofficial “take your daughter to work day” for Ed. Today was disposition day at the courthouse so she was able to go with him to take care of some of his cases. Judge Murphy was very nice to her and even offered to let her sit in his chair. (She was just fine where she was thank-you-very-much.) Ed said she did a wonderful job in court and was very well behaved. (As a side-note, we have started a new positive reinforcement reward system that so far is working out very well).
They picked me up from work for an early lunch and we decided to go to Joe’s. Hailey made up a knock-knock joke on the way to Joe’s and when Brian came to take our order, I asked her if she wanted to tell him her joke. She was being uncharacteristically shy and so Brian asked if she would tell him before she left.
As we were leaving, Hailey remembered that she wanted to tell him her joke. We went to find him and she told him her joke:
Knock Knock
Who’s There?
Joe
Joe Who?
Sloppy Joe
Anyway, Brian and I have had a running joke for the past five years about whether or not the main character in “A Walk to Remember” dies or not (I say she does, he says I am a pessimist and she lived). After she told her joke, Brian told her he had something he wanted her to tell me when we got in the car. Of course, I knew he was telling her to tell me she lived.
Hailey giggled all the way to the car and couldn’t wait to get it. As soon as we got in, she asked if I was ready. Then she proceeded to tell me,
“You’re a llama!!!”
_________________________________________________
This reminds me of another funny moment from this past weekend. My in-laws and our friends Billy, Jenn, and Kelly were gracious enough to join us for a Saladmaster dinner so that we could earn a free wok (worth several hundred dollars I might add). Billy had work still to finish at the paper so he had to leave the dinner early. He was trying to make Hailey think he was leaving because she hurt his feelings which made Jenn exclaim, “Billy Liggett!”
Hailey looked at them both with a very surprised look and questioningly said, “Silly Niggett???”
Anyone up for a game of telephone?
No wonder I’m tired
Here are some of my accomplishments for today:
1. Successfully wrestled homemade bread dough out of the mixing bowl and into the large bowl the dough rises in (it was like glue today for some reason)…I really wish I had a video of me trying to get that dough from one bowl to the next. The last batch I made came out just as nice and neat as you please so I assumed this one would as well…yeah, I as late for work.
2. Made a Wal-Mart run for work (Among all the other little stuff I had to get, I purchased 40-something containers of yogurt, 17 water bottles with straps for our zoo trip and 10 glass candle holders for a mothers’ day project…l got some strange looks from people who got a glimpse of what was in my cart)
3. I did a lot of other stuff at work that you don’t care to hear about.
4. Put Leah in the car to go pick up Hailey, got Leah out of the car to go into Hailey’s school, put Leah back in the car to go to Hailey’s art class, got Leah out of the car at art class, put Leah back in the car to go home, got Leah out of the car at home. Thankfully my wonderful husband picked Hailey up from art so that I did not have to do another round of in and out.
5. Made a loaf of bread and a bunt pan full of cinnamon bread.
6. Made a chocolate pie with meringue.
7. Ironed on a rhinestone crown for a “hospital survival kit” for a baby shower tomorrow. Hot glued a beaded trim to the top of the bag. Turned our office inside out looking for the “It’s a Girl!” iron-on I purchased months ago for this bag.
8. Hot glued fringe on another tote bag.
Now I have to go clean the kitchen…blech.
Movie Mystery Solved
Ed rented “The Water Horse” last week. When it was time to turn in the movie, it was NOWHERE to be found. We looked for that movie for days. I knew Leah had to have hidden it because she was the last one I saw with it and she likes to hide things (remember the granola bar incident?). I tried tricking her into telling me where it was. I tried bribery. I told them no one would be in trouble as long as they just found the thing. Nothing worked.
We opened every drawer and cabinet. Furniture was moved and cushions and pillows were tossed. We looked places we thought there was NO WAY she could have gotten to. We were truly at a loss and thought we were going to have to purchase the stupid thing. Our main frustration was that if we had to buy a movie, why did it have to be that one? That is probably my least favorite movie I have seen in a year. I have no desire to watch it again and I did not want my kids watching it again.
Leah asked me on the way home yesterday if she could watch a movie. I asked her if she wanted to watch “The Water Horse.” Nope. *Sigh* It was worth a try.
This morning as I was getting ready, Leah came running into the bathroom and told me she found the movie. To be honest, I did not believe her at first…so imagine my surprise when I turned around and she was holding the movie in her hand.
She was SO excited. She jumped up and down, danced, and giggled. She was VERY proud of herself. I asked her to show me where she found it. She pointed to one of the shelves in the office. In our search, I sat down and looked at every single book on those shelves so it had to be behind the books. The little stinker.
I looked at Leah and said “Now Leah, who put that movie on the shelf?” Leah very excitedly grinned and raised her hand…and then thought better of it and quickly dropped her hand and said (with wide eyes), “I don’t know!”
When you are not having to pay a fortune to buy a movie you really did not like and absolutely did not want to own…you can actually laugh at that.
Cops and Robbers 2008
Conversation Lindsay had with one of our preschoolers who was pretending to rob a bank:
L: You know what happens when you rob a bank don’t you?
Child: Yeah, you get rich!!
L: You can’t spend the money or you’ll get caught and you will have to spend a long time in jail
Child: Not if you do it right!!
Wow.
Heartbroken
Hailey’s week did not start off well last week. We traded notes with her teacher and spent a lot of time talking to her about her behavior. She ended the week on a much better note and with her teacher starting to challenge her more, we were daring to hope that she would start listening more and talking less.
We had a good weekend. We went to Paint in the Park on Saturday and Hailey painted her granddaddy a picture for his birthday. She was on her best behavior at my parents’ house and even ate her dinner without complaints. Last night she did a great job of helping me clean and practiced her reading and second grade words without a problem.
When I arrived at the Y today, I found Hailey sitting in the office. Not a good sign. I asked her why she was there and Megan told me she had been hitting. I asked Hailey about this and she would not say a word to me. A lot of parents were coming in at this time and needed to get to the sign-out sheet where I was standing so I told her to go get her stuff and I stepped over to talk to Brenda.
Brenda informed me that Hailey was not the same Hailey that started at the Y. She said she was not listening to the counselors at all. They would tell her to do something and she would do the complete opposite. Not only did she hit a child on Friday, but she punched a child in the stomach multiple times in the bathroom today. WHAT??!!!
I told Brenda that Hailey had been getting in trouble in the classroom and that maybe she was trying so hard to follow the rules in class that by the time she made it to the Y, she was done with listening and following directions (please understand that I am not making excuses or saying this behavior is okay…just trying to understand where it is coming from). I promised Brenda that we would talk to Hailey and asked that she please tell the counselors to keep me informed about Hailey’s behavior.
It was all I could do to hold myself together in the car on the way to dance class. This is not how I have raised my child to behave and in no way do I find this behavior acceptable. I am at a point where I really don’t know what to do. Talking to her does not help. No punishment really seems to faze her.
I had a real struggle as to whether or not to let her go to dance. However, dance does require that she be quiet and follow directions and she obviously needs all the help she can get. Besides, her recital is in a few weeks and her teacher has worked hard. I did not feel it was fair to her teacher and the other children to have Hailey ill prepared for her part in the recital.
I am going to call our EAP and see if they have any resources in this area. I need to talk to a professional and I would like for Hailey to talk to a professional. Our family cannot continue to live with this roller coaster of behavior. Hailey can be the sweetest, most helpful, loving, caring, creative, and fun child…and then she can be defiant and mean.
If any of you have words of wisdom, I would love to hear them!
Chickens, Caterpillars, Cell Phones and Butterflies
Leah’s class was learning about birds this week so one of her teacher’s brought in 5 little chickens to show the kids. Julie had even put a wooden dowel through the cardboard box so that the chickens could roost. They were a big hit and they were certainly missed today! Leah thought it was very cool that there were real live chickens in her classroom. My grandmother raised chickens so I grew up around them and would get so excited when there were new “biddies”. These were a little older but still had a little down on their heads. They made very sweet chirping sounds. I missed hearing them today as I walked around the building.
Today’s fascination is caterpillars. Leah told me about seeing one crawling through the grass on the playground but he would not crawl in her hand. She later saw a baby caterpillar and she touched him but he “did not bite her” for which she was grateful!
Leah had a long talk with Lindsay on my cell phone as we drove to pick Hailey up from the Y. She gave her a running commentary of the drive home…”there is a yellow bus and it is at the school…that is a blue van and there is a blue car…that little boy’s mom is wearing a yellow shirt…” When Lindsay had to speak to someone who came in the office, Leah got very indignant and told me that “she won’t talk to me.” My favorite is when she holds the phone up to something and says “see?”…I can’t convince her that the people on the other end can’t see what she sees through the phone. I think the fact that I have picture caller-id confuses her!
As I type, she is strumming on Ed’s guitar and singing a made-up song about butterflies. She just told me she is going to sing “Edelweis”. How many 2 year olds do you know that love “The Sound of Music” and can sing the songs?
This is my favorite age.
P.s. The next post will be about the books!
Catching Up
I have failed miserably as a blog writer lately. Between family and work, life just simply got in the way. Here are some notes from the past week:
- I am not as young as I think I am. We went roller skating on Saturday. If you read my last post on roller skating, you know that I broke my elbow the last time I tried to skate. I have been wanting to try again for years and finally convinced Ed to go to Jelly Beans in Cary. I was very hesitant and so scared that I was going to lose my balance and break something. I was afraid to hold Hailey’s hand because I didn’t want her to knock me off balance. I had to take frequent breaks and finally my thighs were quivering so badly I had to give it up. I promised Ed it was out of my system and I will not be asking to go again. There – it is in writing. I hope he holds me to it. Getting out of bed on Sunday was a difficult task! Leah was too cute in her tiny skates. She tried her best but I am confidant we won’t be hearing her ask to go back anytime soon.
- Our next excursion was to Chuck E. Cheese. This was a first for me and I absolutely loved it. We had a great time and learned that I should never be allowed near a slot machine.
- Leah and I had to stay home Thursday and Friday because she had strep. She asked me one day where her daddy was and I told her he was at work. She told me that daddy got people out of jail because the big mean witch put them there and they missed their mommy and daddy.
- Leah also had her second UTI so she now has to go to UNC for testing to determine if she has urinary reflux. This will involve a catheter. I have had two children without epidurals and one catheter. I would choose childbirth any day. I wonder if they provide the mom with a sedative!
- I love Zelda (my GPS). I had to go to Raleigh yesterday to “defend” my budget proposal. I decided I wanted to eat at Zaxby’s for lunch since we do not have one in Sanford. Even though I grew up in Raleigh, learned to drive there, and go there often to visit our parents, I have no directional sense whatsoever and do not have confidence in my abilities to get from point A to point B without getting lost. Normally I would not venture off my main course, but I knew Zelda would get me from Zaxby’s to our state office in the “fastest time possible”. On the way home I realized I needed gas. I took an exit because of the “gas next right” sign. It was just my luck that there was not one of those signs that tells you which direction to go and for how many miles. Zelda to the rescue! I just clicked on the gas pump icon and she led me where I needed to go and got me back on the road with no problems.
- I got carded today. It was at Wal-Mart and they card everyone under 40, but it still felt great!
- Our book club discussed To Kill A Mockingbird tonight. If you have not read this book since middle school or high school, you should really read it again. It is a great book and even though it is set in the 30s, the messages still hold true.
- My sister, Jo Ellen (aka “Your Far Away Sister”) gave me a B&N gift card for my birthday. One of the things I got was a “Too Cool for School” box set that includes “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Pretty in Pink”, and “Some Kind of Wonderful”. I just need “Can’t Buy Me Love” and I am all set! I can’t wait to watch them this weekend!
- When I found out Leah had strep and had to be home, we went straight to the movie store and got “Freaky Friday” (the original, of course!), “Shaggy DA” (we watched the black and white version), and “Follow that Bird”. I’m sure I enjoyed them more than she did, but it was fun to revisit those old movies. We also had to get “Princess Diaries”. We have PD2 and Leah is obsessed. She will be 3 next month and she wants a “Princess Diaries” party.
- Hailey, Lindsay and I went shopping at the Kids Kloset consignment sale. We were really going to look for outdoor toys for the center but ended up looking for clothes for Hailey. Lindsay got to experience first hand how difficult Hailey is to clothe. She shot down almost everything we showed her. I was trying to get her excited about shorts or a short skirt for the summer. She finally agreed on 2 pink skirts and black gauchos (so cute). When she put on one of the skirts on Saturday, she told me it would be rude to wear it because it was too high above her knees. ARGH! She wanted to wear a white shirt and the only one she has is a tank top. She asked if she could wear a sweater over it because she did not want her arms to show. How many moms do you know that fight with their girls to wear shorts and tank tops??
- I’m sure there is plenty more, but for the two of you who have read this far, I promise to try and keep up a little better!
Mean Girls
I knew having girls and enduring the preteen and teenage years would be a challenge. I did not know, however, that some of the issues I thought would not come up for years would actually occur in Kindergarten. Kindergarten for me was all about building with blocks, “cooking” in the housekeeping center, sand and water play, journals, recess, and playing with my friends. I went to a K-12 school in Bath, NC and we had a grand total of 2 kindergarten classrooms. We were all friends and I never remember anyone being mean. I was the only child in my grade level with glasses until 4th grade. I was a prime candidate for mean remarks. I actually remember being kind of upset when the new girl with glasses started because I was no longer special. I did not encounter bullies or mean children until I moved to Raleigh in 5th grade.
The issue we are dealing with now is that Hailey does not want to wear shorts.
She says her legs are too fat.
Yes, you read that right, my KINDERGARTNER thinks her legs are too fat. She even grabbed her thigh and said to me, “Look at that. It’s so big.” According to her, she has been listening to older girls at the Y talk about fat and skinny after school. She has been looking at other girl’s legs and has decided hers are too big.
We have talked and talked and talked about this and I really don’t know what else to do. At a loss of what else to say, I finally told her she was going to be hot. She told me she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and the air would go down her armpits to her legs and cool off her legs.
I knew peer pressure started earlier these days, I just didn’t realize how much earlier.
Peek-a-Do!
No, That isn’t a typo – it is the name of the “salon for kids” in Durham. It is the place I trusted to cut Leah’s hair for the first time and to cut Hailey’s hair to what I consider a short length (but what other people would probably consider medium. When inches of your child’s long blond hair are on the floor, her hair is short.)
Leah was 2 1/2 when she got her first haircut. She hadn’t needed a cut before then and with those bouncy red curls, it was hard to bite the bullet and trust someone to go at those curls with scissors. At the time, we had been taking Hailey to get her hair cut at Mitchell’s in Cary because we had had some bad experiences at cheaper salons. Luckily my stylist gave me a break on the price if I was getting my hair cut at the same time. We tried to get Leah’s hair cut at Disney World when we were there in October but she freaked out. There was no way she was going to sit there and be calm and we did not want to traumatize her. I knew we were going to have to find a place that was experienced with children and first haircuts. I used citysearch to read reviews of salons in Raleigh, Durham, and Cary that catered to kids and we chose Peek-a-Do.
For Leah’s first haircut, we showed up and put our name on a list. There was a wait but we used the time to do a little shopping. We chose the first haircut package which was $25. It included a before and after picture, a lock of hair, and a special certificate. The cut alone was $19 and sentimental fool that I am, I was willing to pay the extra 6 bucks for the package. The chair was shaped like an old-timey jeep and ensured that Leah was very safe and could not fall out. A Dora DVD playing on the counter in front of her kept her attention focused away from what the stylist was doing to her hair. When she was all done, she got to pick out a hair ribbon and got to have silver glitter sprayed in her hair. She also got to pick out a prize from the prize box. Big sister got to play in the play area while she waited for Leah to be done. It was a wonderful experience and I couldn’t have been happier with the result.
click to enlarge
When Hailey finally convinced me last week that she wanted her hair cut short, I knew we had to go back to Peek-a-Do. We went the Saturday before Easter and braced ourselves for a long wait. Imagine our surprise to find 3 stylists and the receptionist just hanging out and talking. Apparently they were packed Thursday and Friday because everyone else was afraid it would be crowded on Saturday. Sometimes it pays to procrastinate! We had an absolute ball hanging out with the ladies there and they really put me at ease. Leah and Hailey got their hair cut at the same time and Ed and I just relaxed and joked around with the staff. Hailey’s hair looked GREAT and her stylist really took the time to listen to her and what she wanted her hair to look like.
I love this place and can’t imagine getting their hair cut at any other salon.
Details:
Peek-a-Do is located at the Renaissance Center at Southpoint on the corner of Fayetteville Rd. & Renaissance Parkway - 7011 Fayetteville Rd., Suite 106, Durham, NC
Phone: 919-544-5775
Kids:
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Haircut
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$19
|
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Add wash
|
$22
|
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Up-do/style
|
$19 and up
|
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Bang/over the ear trim
|
$9
|
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Buzz Cut
|
$10
|
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Manicure
|
$15
|
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Mother/daughter manicures
|
$28
|
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Ear piercing
|
$35
|
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Temporary tattoo
|
$3
|
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First cut package
(includes cut with digital before/after picture, lock of hair, and special certificate) |
$25
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Adults:
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Haircut (includes wash, dry, and style)
|
$28
|
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Up-do/style
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$25 and up
|
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Manicure
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$15
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The little green monster
We are having serious issues with jealousy in our house. I spent the last 10 days with Hailey and Leah and had to be very careful with dividing my affections and my attention. Here are some questions I got from Hailey this week:
“How come when you look at Leah you smile and when you look at me you make a face like this (she frowned)?” (ok, I probably do frown at her more than I do Leah but she WHINES and I HATE whining!)
(at a restaurant) “Why does Leah get to sit by you and I have to sit across from you?”
“Why do you love Leah more than you love me?” (too bad there is no way to prove you love both your kids the same)
“Why does Leah get all the hugs?” (and if you believe that, you are crazy)
“Did you do that with me when I was Leah’s age?” (Yes, only more because we just had you!)
“Why does Leah get a purple egg and I have a pink one?” (yeah, you just have to roll your eyes at that one)
Not to mention all the times she dissolved in tears because Leah had come to snuggle beside me first. Hailey would not think to do something until she saw Leah do it and then she would be offended at ME that she had not thought of it first.
I wanted to minimize the fighting and whining on Easter morning so I was very careful to buy duplicates of everything for their baskets. I bought two small dolls but they had different outfits – one was dressed as a duck and one as a bunny. I did this to minimize fighting over whose was whose. I asked Ed who should get what and he made a good point that the bunny would probably be the more popular one and Leah would not care if Hailey got it but Hailey would care if Leah got it. sigh. If only it was that easy. The bunny outfit had feet and the duck outfit did not. Hailey’s question? “How come you can see the toes on Leah’s doll but you can’t see them on mine?” argh!!! We can’t win!
We have talked to Hailey until we are blue in the face (Carolina blue, to be exact) but this is just something she is going to have to get over and grow out of.
Things I learned from my sister, Julie
Because of our age difference (I won’t say how many years so that I don’t get in trouble), I didn’t always have my oldest sister, Julie, around. When she was around, I was either pestering her (I would hide behind the furniture in the living room when she had dates over and annoy her) or she was mean to me (sorry, Julie…you were…you played hide and go seek with Jo Ellen and I and you did not seek…that is just plain mean).
When Ed passed the bar exam and was looking for a job, he decided to call the DA for the 11th district just to see if they had any openings because we loved Sanford, knew Julie and her family loved it, wanted to live in a small town, and wanted to be able to see Julie, Jimmy, and our nephew, Jay, often. We were thrilled to learn that there was in fact an opening in the Lee County DAs office and Ed got the job. I feel very fortunate to have lived in the same town as Julie for the past seven years. I have been able to watch her parenting style with her two boys and much of how Ed and I parent is based on what we learned from Julie and Jimmy. Here are some of my favorite things I have learned from Julie:
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Laugh – no matter what is broken, ruined, stained, or lost…find a way to laugh about it because in the grand scheme of life, it really doesn’t matter.
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You are never going to have enough money to have children…money isn’t important, family is.
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Don’t scrimp and buy cheap cat food or you will pay for it later.
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Pay attention when filling out your address on work-related orders or you might just come home to find huge boxes of prom stuff on your front porch.
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If your kids want to just eat Cheerios and milk for every meal…let them. They won’t do it forever.
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If your kids want to sleep in your bed now and then…let them. They are only little once.
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Don’t stress about potty training. They’ll get it on their own time.
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Every child is different and you have to relate to them differently because of their differences.
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If someone offers to buy something for you…let them.
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Help your children discover their passion and listen when they tell you they aren’t interested in an activity.
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Finding a good deal on a great purse is reason to celebrate.
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You should buy yourself a birthday present.
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Let your children make their own mistakes…they’ll learn.
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The adventures you have with your children are more important than the “stuff” you give them.
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Kids heal…don’t stress.
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Petri dishes are a cool way to keep your matching jewelry together.
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Instant mashed potatoes can taste better than the real thing – and they are a heck of a lot easier.
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You can never have too many earrings.
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When you are pregnant, no one, and I mean, no one, will take care of you like Wesley Tyler, CNM.
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If you aren’t the best cook…marry someone who is.
Haileyism
Hailey has two nasty bruises on her arm. I asked her if she knew where she got them. She looked at me very seriously and then said, “I have things written in my head and that might be written in the back.” She punctuated this remark by grabbing her head in both of her hands and twisting her head. Once she had successfully dislodged the memory from the back of her head, she gave me a 5 minute discourse on how she got one of the bruises. It involved sliding on the floor, a box, a somersault, and various other crazy things…but to be honest, I tuned out after the second minute.
During Hailey’s first week of kindergarten, she was having a hard time remembering her classmates names (actually, it was only the female names she had a problem with. Hailey never forgets a boys name!) I gave her several tips that I hoped would help her. The next day, I asked her if she remembered any of the girls names that she played with. She told me she could not remember. She even “taped it to her brain, but it fell off.”
Next time she should try duct tape.
All I hear is blah, blah, blah
Being a parent means a lot of different things. In our house, it means trying really hard not to laugh at our children a good percentage of the time. I think my kids are pretty darn funny…unfortunately, sometimes they say or do things that make me want to laugh…but I would prefer they not repeat the behavior in public or at school so I try hard not to laugh so as not to encourage the behavior.
The title of my blog comes from Hailey. There was a time not so long ago that if you were saying something she did not want to hear, she would say, “All I hear is blah, blah, blah.” I have no idea where she got this from but you have to admit that objectively, it is pretty funny. Not how you want your child to talk to you, but funny nonetheless. She quickly learned NOT to say that to us, but now I find myself saying it in my head when I am listening to something (or someone) I really don’t want to listen to.
I don’t have a baby anymore…
OK, so it has really been a while since I had a baby. Leah stopped drinking out of a bottle when she was 1, stopped sleeping in her crib when she was 2, and was completely potty trained shorty after she turned 2. Still, it really hit me tonight that Leah is a little girl, not even a toddler anymore. Hailey’s school had a workday today so Ed took her to my parents house in Raleigh for the day. Because of timing, it made more sense for Leah and I to have dinner together before Ed and Hailey got home. I had been at work since 7:30 and did not feel like going home and making anything so I asked Leah where she wanted to go to dinner. She chose “Dr. Andy’s” aka Andy’s Cheeseburgers. (She kept wanting to know where her “friend” Dr. Andy was. Our family was devastated when Dr. Andy from Sanford Peds moved to Tennessee. He was the best.)
Anyway, Leah and I walked hand in hand into the restaurant. She was super cute today in jeans, a denim jacket with pink snaps, a pink “what happens in preschool stays in preschool shirt” and pink plaid tennis shoes. She walked into Andy’s like she owned the place. She chose a booth and sat across the table from me. My baby sat by herself on the big bench. No highchair, no booster, no lap…just her and miles of bench.
What really got me though is that we had a conversation. I felt like I was talking to a 4 or 5 year old, not a child who will not even be 3 for 3 more months. She told me all about her day at school. I got basically a play by play of what she did, who she played with, what her teachers said, and what she ate. Leah likes to use phrases like “uh huh, sure can”, “how about that?” and “is that okay mommy?” She answers questions with full sentences and remembers to say please, thank you, and you’re welcome. She makes her thank yous so much more meaningful because she says what she is thanking you for…”thank you for letting me have ice cream mommy and daddy.”
I had just a few things I needed at Wal-Mart so we walked in together. No cart. No stroller. Just me and my little girl walking hand in hand. We did have a touchy moment when she laid down on the floor and said she was staying there. She was very tired. But all in all, it was a very pleasant experience.
I feel so blessed to have such wonderful, fun, caring, and crazy children. Every day is an adventure. It makes me sad sometimes (okay, rarely) that I will never have a baby again, but it is so cool to be able to go anywhere without worrying about the diaper bag, a place to change diapers, a private place to nurse, bottles, baby food, etc. Besides, when I need baby time, all I have to do is walk down the hall at work!
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble
We recently had our water cut off temporarily (along with many other Sanford residents I am told). I don’t know if it is related or if it is a coincidence but soon after this our plumbing went screwy. When we would run the washing machine or the dishwasher, the water would drain out into the tubs and the toilets. We would hear loud gurgling sounds and soap bubbles would appear…lots of soap bubbles. This made it very hard to…ummm…you know…flush. (A certain couple I know is once again saying “thank God we did not get that house” right now.) Anyway, we tried the liquid stuff for several days and that did not work so we had to have a plumber come out and snake the pipes. That may work long term or we might have a break down by the street. If that is the case, it will take a back hoe, taking down the fence, and LOTS of money to make the repair. The plumber suggested that we only use 1-ply toilet paper. If you read my post about favorite products, you know that I will not part with my Charmin. This is where my wonderful and wise mom came in with a head slapper. Why don’t we just buy the 1-ply stuff for the girls and the good stuff for us? Duh! What a great idea! They are the ones that use the most TP anyway.
If Miles ever visits my house, he better keep away from the Charmin!
Dreaming of Target
I think I have heard rumors about Target coming to town for the entire 7 years we have lived in Sanford. If they ever do open a store here, you can bet we will be faithful shoppers. We do most of our shopping in Sanford to support local businesses, but I can’t live without my Target trips. Both mine and Ed’s parents live in Raleigh so we are in Raleigh on the weekend several times a month. It is very hard to keep me away from Target if there is one within 5 miles. It really seems a crime to not stop in! Even Hailey will ask to go to Target. She doesn’t even care if we buy anything for her, there is just something about shopping there that puts us in a better mood (except for Ed…I’m sure he wouldn’t care if we never went to Target again.) Each of the girls got a puppet for $1. They were well worth the $2 to have them interacting with each other in a positive manner in the car. I was most excited with my $10 pajama set and $4 pajama bottoms. My two favorite pajama bottoms are absolutely disintegrating. My absolute favorties ones are from mine and Ed’s first Christmas 9 years ago and it will be a very sad day when I have to give them up…which will be soon.
The best thing about Target is that you can find furniture, decorative items, bedding, etc. that has the look of more expensive stores but is a lot cheaper. The quality certainly isn’t the same but when you live with two small children, two dogs, and a kitten, you just can’t justify the more expensive products.
Other reasons I love Target:
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My mom is lucky enough to live within minutes of two Target stores and she is always getting steals on children’s clothing.
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I was in a bind while in Greensboro at a conference and looked all over Four Seasons Mall and even Kohls for a pair of black dress shoes. I finally found a pair at Target that are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own and I wear them all the time…and they were much cheaper and cuter than the ones I saw in the mall.
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Besides Babies R Us, Target has one of the best selections of products to support breastfeeding moms and breastfed babies (or at least they did when I actually needed the products!)
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Target has a great selection of baby products, car seats, toys, children’s furniture and bedding, etc. It is truly a one-stop shop for busy parents.
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The $1 spot! I have gotten some really cool stuff from that section of Target and the inventory is always changing.
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The book selection is much larger than Wal Mart and you can always count on finding new releases, best sellers, book club selections, great children’s books, and unique books.
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The seasonal department is amazing. We always find great things in this department and if you can wait until the season or holiday is over, you can get great products for 75% (or more) off the original price. My mom always helps the center stock up on washable markers when they are put on clearance after school starts.
I could go on and on, but you get the point. I do like our new Super Wal-Mart but it just isn’t the same. And for pity’s sake, will someone PLEASE organize that place a little better? I had to buy a new vacuum for the center recently and it was like a scavenger hunt…there were vacuums on several different aisles, on the end caps, and even in the main aisle. How can you compare them when they are that spread apart? And do you have any idea how many different places they have storage bins? And who decided to put office supplies in the middle of the craft section??
