My Weekend WrapUp

This weekend we had the pleasure of attending a private screening for the new Disney movie Secret of the Wings. Earlier this year my baby sister got Moo completely hooked on all things Tinkerbell and fairies. So, it was no surprise that every time the commercial for Secret of the Wings came on, she would ask me a gazillion times "can we go see that?" She had started to sound a skipping cd.

Anyways, when I got the invite, I knew she was going to be beyond stoked. I have to admit that I have never been a huge fan of Tinkerbell. However, this is Disney's best fairies movie yet. I found myself really watching the movie and not just staring at the screen.

Secret of the Wings is story of love, mystery and adventure that investigates the bonds of sisterhood and friendship. I don't want to give away too many details but this is a must-see family movie. You'll laugh and be on the edge of your seats with the little ones. I highly recommend you pick this up from your nearest Walmart or Target when it comes out on the 23rd of this month.

Sunday was wet and cold. We had gotten a good shower the night before. So, we didn't make it to church. Wet weather seems to make colds come on for the little ones. However, I still got a little word in with my devotions and watching a little Joel Olsteen.

I made some awesome cube beef steaks with rice and brown gravy. All in all, it shaped out to be a pretty good weekend.


Disclaimer: I was given a private screening of Secret of the Wings. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

My Weekend WrapUp

So, my weekend wrap up has moved to Tuesday since I'll be linking up for Mind Right Monday on OK Dani for a while.  Anyways, nothing too interesting to report.  This weekend Fall officially set in.  Friday was warm but that night it got significantly cooler.  Then around 1 AM Saturday morning I got up to get a drink of water and it was raining cats and dogs and still chilly.

The Mr said it rained for a good bit and started back around 7:30 again.  I wouldn't know because the kids and I slept in until after 10 AM!!  That was great because my kids have been notorious for waiting up at the crack of dawn like they're going to work or something.  I guess all that rain really helped to soothe them and keep them in Dreamland.  It did drizzle off and on a little bit.

I decided to dub Saturday as my thorough cleaning day.  We couldn't really go anywhere because the weather was awful.  So, I steam cleaned the couches, mattresses and the floors.  I put up new curtains in the living room and kitchen, washed all the dishes, washed and folded clothes, etc.  I was in full blown cleaning mode.  The Mr helped out by tackling the bathroom.

Sunday we didn't make it to church because we slept in again.  Plus, I had a bit of a scratchy throat and wasn't sure if I was coming down with a cold or what.  JJ also had a bit of a runny nose.  So again we opted to skip going out in the chilly, wet weather.  

However, something wonderful did come about from us staying inside all weekend though.  JJ finally started walking by himself!!  Talk about being a proud mommy.  I was starting to get worried about him not walking on his own but I've been praying on it and God answered my prayers.

Now that he can get around, he's already starting to get into everything.  He's climbing on any and every chair in sight and swiping things off the coffee tables.  I was trying to put clothes in the dryer the other day and as fast I could put them in, he was taking them out and throwing them on the floor.  Hopefully, he'll get the hang of being my laundry helper.  It'll take a little practice.

What was your weekend like?

My Weekend WrapUp

BAM!  It's October!  Can you all believe it?  I sort of can because the calendar says so, but a part of me still feeling like where did this year go?  I haven't a clue but I'm not complaining.  The fall is one of my favorite times of the year.  

I have my birthday, Moo's birthday, the Mr's Birthday, my sister's birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to.  Not to mention the upcoming Presidential Election.  And I'm even more excited this year because it's my baby sister's first year being able to vote!!!  Knowing my mom she'll probably be capturing the whole moment in photos.  Anyways, how was everyone's weekend?

This weekend was a special weekend for me and my husband.  We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on Sunday!!  We kept it low-key.  I'm happy to report that he really liked his gift.  It was comic book related.  We're really big on Marvel and DC over here.

I got to sleep in until almost 11 AM.  That was a great gift itself because I needed that rest after having had a rough night with JJ.  He also got me a lovely red clutch wallet.  I love it because it matches my favorite red purse from Aldo's.  I had a matching red wallet to go with the purse already put thanks to all my store cards, receipts and just plain old usage it had a few tears in lining.  My money was starting to do disappearing acts. So, it was time for a new wallet.

Can't believe I almost forgot, but I did get an early anniversary present from the Mr.  Remember, that post I did a while back on wanting an iPhone?  Well, looks like I'll be leaving Team Droid in a few days to join Team iPhone!!  I love my EVO, but I'm super excited to see what all the hype is about with these iPhones.  We decided to get the 4S since I heard that 5 has some kinks to get worked out like the screen bleeds and some of the apps malfunction.  Either way, I can't wait for that baby to get delivered.  (Yea, iPhones stay sold out around these parts.)

Overall, it was a great day.  The best part was just being with my family and celebrating the commitment my husband and I made to each other before God, the minister and our witnesses. (We eloped for the newbies.)    I was glad the kids celebrated with us.  Moo asked a lot of questions about why we exchanged gifts and I had the chance to explain to her the whole significance of anniversaries and marriage.  I tried to put it in a way she would understand.  I think she got it but if not she'll see us celebrate our wedding anniversary for years to come and get it when she's older.

A Scarf for Moo

I also did a lot of crocheting over the weekend.  I had been giving some thought to starting up a little Etsy shop or something similar on my own.  I know I don't talk about it much here on the blog, but I really like to craft.  Crocheting, cross-stitching and all that jazz is right now my alley.  It's relaxing, helps me focus and it's really good exercise for your hand.

After much thought, I decided to give it a shot.  What's to lose really?  Plus, how many scarves and blankets do Moo and JJ need?  I can't possibly keep everything I make.   And on top of that I've been thinking about trying to find a way to incorporate more charity work or opportunities into YUMMommy.  So, I'd love to take a portion of my profits to maybe sponsor a child for Christmas this year and then with future profits look into getting the ball rolling on converting YUMMommy into a nonprofit.

I'm still working on building up inventory and getting pictures ready to upload but here's a look at the banner for my shop and I've set up a Facebook page. 

https://www.etsy.com/shops/MoosCloset

Anything interesting happen to you this weekend?

My Weekend WrapUp

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone had a good weekend.  Our weekend was kind of long.  Friday, the Mr thought it would be a good idea to get some more grilling time in before it gets cold cold out.  Well, we went to clean the old charcoal out of the grill and the entire bottom of the grill fell out!

Of course, that meant he had to go hunt another grill.  Thankfully, he didn't have to drive all over town to find one. The Mr is able to find a new grill that was similar to the one we had had before.  So, we're putting it together only to find out one of the legs wouldn't stay on.  By this time, two hours have gone by and we're just ready to eat already.  So, we rig one of the legs from the old broken grill onto the new one.

Saturday, I decided to take the kids to the library.  We hadn't been in a while and Moo had been asking me to go non-stop during the week.  The kids have a blast at the library.  They play at the computer center, look at some books and picked out some books from the name your own price book sale.

We're barely home an hour when the Mr is changing JJ's diaper and notices something is wrong with his right eye.  It's all red and both the lower and upper lids are swollen.  We check him out some more to see that he has rash all over his stomach and sides.  Of course, he hasn't eaten anything that he can't have.  So, I start to freak out a bit.

We load up and head to the nearest hospital which isn't our usual hospital.  But I figured it was important to just go to the closest place we could because hey when it comes to an eye, a hand or a foot or your heart or your head you don't really want to take any chances.  And he was scratching like a mad man.  So, I just wanted to get him comfortable fast and find out what had caused this certain flare-up.

Well, we regret not going to our usual hospital because we spent hours in the waiting room and almost an hour in the back before a doctor came in.  During all this time the swelling went down a little but his neck and face had started to become covered in a red rash which one of the nurses witnessed.   Moo was not enjoying being confined and not being able to roam freely.  Then she got frustrated because she got hungry and ended up spilling almost half a bag of NERD candies on the floor.

And of course, I was getting pissed because I was seeing people get carted off for x-rays that came in after we did.  Also, the paramedics brought in this teen on a stretcher who looked fairly unconscious.  His mom and her husband arrived and come to find out he was unconscious alright because he was high as a kite.  And the whole time we're waiting to get placed in our room, she's in the waiting room screaming at him asking him can he see or hear her.  Her husband says not even two words the entire time they're there. So, I'm thinking he might have been the step-dad.

Anyways, she proceeds to get on her phone and call her sister to give a blow by blow of how her son is sitting in a wheelchair higher than a bird.  And she's not even trying to talk about this in  a discreet voice but is talking so loud people in the waiting area across from us have stopped talking to now stare in their direction.  I'm not sure if I would have wanted to reveal to 25-30 people that my son was so high he couldn't even remember his own name.

Long story short, when we went to the hospital it was still daylight outside-maybe 6 PM.  We left the hospital at midnight!  Never again will we be using this hospital.  When the doctor did come in it was the quickest exam ever. So, we're off to see the peds this week for a follow up because he still has the rash covering his stomach and sides.

Being that I was beyond tired from our long day on Saturday, I didn't get up in time to make it to church.  I was a little bummed out because I really, really enjoy our new church.  But JJ and I did get to catch up on our sleep.  Moo can keep going off little or sleep. I don't know how that girl's body does it.

I'm really glad that today has been non-eventful to say the least.  The rest of this week, I'm hoping to focus on my upcoming wedding anniversary.  It's in six days!!

Was your weekend as eventful and tiresome as ours?

My Weekend WrapUp

Happy Monday!!  The weekend is officially over and the kids are back in school.  Hope everyone a great weekend.  I'm glad to be back blogging.  I've missed you all dearly!  I'm slowly but surely making a dent in the posts that have piled up in my Google Reader.

Anyways, this weekend was one of the busiest and most fun that we've had these last few weeks.  My cousin and one of my good friends tied the knot this weekend.  I was one of the bridesmaids.  I had a ball.  Starting with Friday night at the rehearsal.  

I got to meet the other bridesmaids and ended up making a few new friends.  I saw some of my other family members that I hadn't seen ages because we all have our own families and are spread out.  One of our cousins even flew in from Texas to serve as a groomsmen.  I thought that was really sweet!  The bishop who officiated the ceremony was hilarious!

I enjoy ministers who can let their guard down and be human.  And my uncle catered the rehearsal dinner since it was his son that was getting married to my friend.  Let me tell you guys, he can throw down in the kitchen!  My uncle never disappoints when he cooks.  We had two different types of herb chicken, pasta salad, a fruit salad, rolls, cakes and more.  It was delish!

Saturday was the big day.  Everyone was super excited.  The other bridesmaids and I enjoyed the luxury of having our makeup done by a professional makeup artist!  Talking about getting pampered.  I had false eyelashes for the first time and loved them!  I had never tried them before because I have long lashes and usually just add some mascara to give them a fuller and thicker look, but I think I'm hooked.

My beautiful mommy and I.  Don't mind the glue gun.

I loved my makeup and will be calling on her again.  I loved our dresses.  The coral color complimented everyone's skin color.  What we didn't love were how uncomfortable our shoes were.  But beauty is pain right?  Anyways, the wedding was simply beautiful and we all teared up during the ceremony.

Don't we look gorgeous?!

The reception was a blast.  We had some laughs, danced till our feet hurt and enjoyed a lovely dinner.  It was just great watching as both families came together and really bonded.  I'm looking forward to bigger and better family gatherings in the future.  I always thought of the bride as family and now she really is family!  Amazing how God works!

Yesterday, I missed church because I was beyond tired from all my dancing and celebrating.  We slept in for the first time in ages.  The Mr decided to treat us for dinner and grilled some hot dogs and his famous Ranch burgers!  The burgers were was sooooo good.  His Ranch burgers are favorite with my side of the family.  Any time we come down for cookouts they're always trying to talk him into making them.

There was another highlight to our weekend too.  I found out my younger sister and her husband are expecting again!  We're all super excited about this blessing.  We loss my niece this past February and are overjoyed that God has given them a second chance and parenting.  I know that they're both a little worried and scared this time around considering all that happened with Baby Hayden, but I know God has a plan in this.  I can't wait to find out if I'm going to have another niece or a nephew.  Maybe both!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

My Weekend WrapUp

This weekend I got to spend time with my husband because he was off.  We didn't venture out because all of a sudden the weather went from being hot on Thursday and warm on Friday to freezing cold Saturday morning.  I kept thinking it would warm up enough to take Moo to the park but it never did.  And Sunday it was just as cold.

However, my husband bundled her up and took her outside to kick around her ball for a little bit in the front yard.  Their playtime was interrupted by our arguing neighbors!!  I can't tell you all how freaking happy we will be when we finally move the hell out of this place.  I get so tired of hearing my neighbors argue and slam stuff around.  It's like if you're not happy then somebody needs to move out.

I did get a break from putting the kids to sleep.  I was glad about that because I was pooped.  I've been working on a freelance project, guest blogging and other stuff.  It felt nice to have a little down time by myself.  I also wasn't as present on Twitter and Facebook.  It felt good to detach a little bit from the virtual world. 

I got to make progress on my kindle reading list.  And Sunday, I was able to work on my coupon matchups.

What did you do this weekend?

My Weekend WrapUp

So, it's been a while since I've done a weekend wrap-up.  I kinda miss it and think I'll be bringing this feature back.  Anyways, this weekend was particularly interesting.    Saturday, I got sleep in late because Moo didn't get up extra early like she usually does.  And my husband had the day off.  So, we got to hang out and watch tv together.

That same afternoon Moo and I went out for a little mommy and me time.  We were suppose to go to the store to pick up some beef broth for gravy but ended up with a lot more in our cart.  Thankfully, though it was all stuff we needed with the exception of the candy.  I've been working really hard on not spending money carelessly.  I've been doing some freelance blogging for this UK site called ccMyself.com and have been trying to save the money from that gig.

I'm desperately trying to take a family vacation next year.  My husband and I haven't been on a vacation together since we started dating.  I've been on several with my family but he seems to always be working when we go.  So, he's agreed to not take his vacation time until like May or early June and I want to do a cruise or a road trip.  I know you're thinking I'm nuts doing a road trip with two kids.

But the fact of matter is that Moo will be three and JJ will be one.  It's time to start making memories that include the house, Grandma's house or anybody else's house.  I'd like to start taking them to places like Disney World, the Martin Luther King, Jr Monument and more.  I want to expose them to different cultures and environments.

Sunday, I got late and didn't make it to church. I've finally found a church that is a good fit for us to go to up here when I don't head back home to go to my home church.  And I didn't go out to get my Sunday paper so I missed out on my coupons. Maybe, I can hit the recycling center and see if they still have some Sunday papers they haven't shredded up and started recycling yet.  Also, Sunday, I found out that YUMMommy was a finalist in Charlotte's Most Valuable Blogger Contest hosted by CBS Radio. (Vote if you haven't already. Please and thank you!!)

  

Next weekend I'll be attending my great cousin's wedding.  Looking forward to it because I'll get to see some of my distant family that I don't get to see on a regular basis.  Plus, my mommy is coming up since the wedding is going to be here and it'll be good for her to get out of the house a little bit too.

And heads up, I'm working on doing a College Supplies Scholarship for next fall.  I'll be releasing more details this week.  Also, in the process of working on turning Young Urban Modern Mommies into a foundation/registered nonprofit. I'm researching the best way to go about it and brainstorming about the programs and services I want to offer.  As always thanks for all of your support.  And I love your comments!!  Keep them coming!!

What A Weekend!

What a weekend we've had. Friday I got hit by an elderly driver and ended up in preterm labor.  My contractions started out being 20 minutes apart to being 2 to 4 minutes apart!!  I was really freaking out because I wasn't sure if JJ's lungs and heart and other organs would be developed enough for him to be ok being delivered this early if they couldn't get the contractions stopped.

This was like my pregnancy nightmare come true!!  I received some steroids and it didn't work as well as the doctors would have liked so I was given something a little bit stronger.  Of course, I'm freaking out and now my blood pressure is pretty high. On top of that they have to give me what seemed like a million bags of fluid.

I was so not looking forward to getting that IV because I HATE needles with a passion!!  I ended up getting stuck quite a few times that night and was not a happy camper.  I just wanted to go home but I knew that if I did my water would break and then I'd be up a huge creek.  Thankfully, they kept me pretty much out of it on Saturday with pain drugs and finally got my contractions under control enough that I could go home for Easter.

I think everybody could see how miserable I was.  However, I was under strict instructions to come back if my contractions were coming five at a time within 60 minutes.  I spent the rest of Saturday in a drug induced trance.  However, Sunday once the drugs had worn off the pain really set in . My entire body was sore!!

Thank goodness for my mom and baby sister to help me with Moo and getting up and down.  Later on Sunday afternoon my feet and legs started swelling like balloons. I could actually feel the swelling happening and my contractions started back but it was less than five within 60 minutes.

Today, I'm pretty much still sore and I woke sick and vomiting. I haven't had morning sickness in a while.  I am just thinking that I need to avoid cars for the duration of my pregnancy.  Honestly, I'm hoping to feel better by the end of the week because that's when my Moo comes back and I can't be this sore and trying to keep up with her once the hubby leaves for work.

And thank you to everyone who kept us in prayer and showed concern..  Some of you have truly become really great friends to me and I appreciate your kindness.  Let's keep our fingers crossed that my little man will stay put for at least another 2 weeks!!

My Weekend WrapUp

Let me just say that I had the most awesome weekend!!  Saturday, I got to hang out with my brother and my two younger sisters.  It felt good to get together again-just us siblings plus Moo- and have fun.  We started with a meet up at my sister and brother in-law's apartment in Rock Hill.  Let me tell you that it took these people so long to get dressed.

I had called them like three hours earlier to make sure they were going to be ready to walk out the door since we were coming back across the border to Charlotte to head to the mall.  Well, I arrive after noon and they are still in night clothes and just finished eating breakfast.  Craziness.  But it was ok.  While I waited on everyone to get dressed I enjoyed my second adult beverage in like almost three years!!!  It felt good to have a little drink.

I'm not an everyday drinker.  I usually drink for Christmas and New Years.  And of course, Jay doesn't drink at all.  He watched drinking and drugs pretty much destroy his own family and it did destroy his childhood.  So, he's very much against drinking and can't stand it when I have those two drinks.  It's like he's scared I'll turn into I'm going to turn into his mom or something.  Therefore, I do try to respect his wishes.

Anyways, off we headed to mall in my honda civic.  What started off as a hunt for some Ralph Lauren polos quickly turned into Moo wanting to run around the store touching and knocking over everything in her path.  My brother came up with the grand idea of letting her out of her stroller.  And she did good at first until we had to go upstairs to the Disney store. 

Then it turned kind of ugly.  Right off the bat she discovered the container of bouncy balls.  Off she took across the store and started tossing the balls everywhere.  And one poor man made the mistake in walking in her crossfire and she actually gave his leg a pretty healthy shove in an attempt to move him out of her shooting path.  I was slightly embarrassed, but the older man was quite sport and said that it was ok.

Him and his wife were obviously shopping for their grandkids.  So, I guess they understood how kids are about toys.  And to my good fortune all the other shoppers and the staff seemed to not notice Moo's running around the store like a chicken with her head cut off.  However, my youngest sister did not seem to understand that Moo is only one and a half or that toy stores drive kids wild.  She acted like she was utterly embarrassed.  Needless to say that I was getting a little frustrated with her snobbiness, especially since she's been complaining about how she doesn't get to see Moo anymore since I moved out.

And it was her idea to come to the Disney store.  She has this crazy obssession with Tinker Bell.  Seeing my frustration, my brother decided it was time to head to the food court for some lunch and call this trip a quit.  Well, lunch did not help my sister's attitude.  In fact she started acting more snobbish and it was just towards me for some odd reason.  She put everybody's trash in the trashcan because she was sitting right next to it, but when I passed her my McDonald's bag she refused to touch it.

I was little heated because I wanted to know what the hell her problem was.  I've been keeping some of her biggest secrets and here she was acting stank!!  However, I remembered that she's a teenager.  This is how they do I reassured myself.  And I wasn't going to let her funky mood rain on my parade of spending the day with my siblings. We loaded up and headed back to Rock Hill to let my brother pick up his car and drop off my other sister.

Then Moo and I followed my  brother back down to our hometown.  I had already called my mom that morning and told her what time we would be coming in.  However, that did not stop her from spending all day at this cookout.  I was mad that she wasn't home when I got there.  I had changed my plans to come home and help her with some paperwork and she wasn't even there.  Finally almost an hour later she showed up and immediately started in on why I wasn't spending the night.

Thankfully, she eventually stopped nagging me and let me finish up everything.  Then it was off again to head back home in the dark of night.  It was after 11PM when I loaded up the car with Moo, her highchair and the playpen we had left at my mom's house.  For a minute I thought about staying but Moo and my niece had already had their meltdown for the night and my mom had turned the middle room into a storage room.  I didn't feel like waiting up for her to move things around so that we could sleep in there.  So, I decided to drive back home.

Moo's loud cry signaled that she was not to pleased with my decision.  She cried for all of thirty whole mintutes with two breaks.  I felt a little bad because I don't even like to hear her cry but I just wanted so badly to be back in the comforts of my own place and with Jay.  After all he had been such a good sport when I told him that I was ditching our family trip to the zoo to hang out with my family and go help my mom with her paperwork.  I felt more than a little guilty for bailing out on him like I did.

What should have been an hour and ten minute ride quickly turned into an almost two hour ride.  (1)-Animals kept running across the road and I ended driving below the speed limit in case I had to slam on brakes.  I'm talking about going 35 in a 55.  I love animals and could never bare to hit one.  (2)-About halfway through the trip I was starting to wonder if I was lost because we were driving down this long never ending road full of nothing but corn fields and trees.  No houses in site.  (3)-I'd never driven this road in the dark since my move a month ago and I had to pull over twice to make sure I was going the right way.  There weren't very many signs and absolutely no street lights!!  Thank goodness for SmartPhones with GPS and Mapquest!!!

Anyways, Moo and I made it back home to Jay in one piece.  Although, Moo woke up fifteen minutes before we got there and starte her wailing again.  But I discovered when we got in the house that she soaked and thus her crying was justified.  I had forgotten to check her diaper before we left my mom's.  I had assumed that since I had changed while we were there that she hadn't gone again.  I had forgotten that my baby sister had given her some soda and water plenty of water.

Sunday, I decided to sleep in.  Moo, Jay and I snuggled under the covers until 10.  Then Moo got up and headed into her room to watch Nick Jr. I'm glad that she's at the age where she can sit and watch tv without me having to be there constantly supervising her.  But to be safe I placed her in her crib and went back to snuggle with Jay.  Thankfully, she lasted in her crib almost an hour before she sounded her boycott alarm and Jay sensing my tiredness went in to take her out.

The rest of the day I spent hunting down wedding venues and just catching up on my shows.  All in all my weekend was awesome despite my sister's attitude at the mall, my late drive home and tiredness.  I'm learning that happiness is what you make it.  It's one of those emotions that you can control and I've decided that instead of taking things too personal or letting my frustration ruin my mood, I get over it quickly and move on.  I pray about the situations I can't change and leave it at the alter for God to work out.

I got to spend time with my family, go back home and visit with my mom and niece and made it back to my new home and my fiance in one piece.  I couldn't have asked for anything better.

My Weekend WrapUp

Well, I didn't get much wedding planning done this weekend like I'd hoped to. Instead, I spent Saturday riding back to my home town for a surprise 21st birthday party for my little brother.  I feel so old because it seems like it took forever for him to turn 21 and he's about to graduate from college with his bachelor degree.  Anyways, he really enjoyed his party and the rest of the family was totally surprised when we walked in.  They had no idea we were coming.

I'm really glad that I went because I was in seafood heaven.  I mean we had crab legs, fried shrimp, fried fish, corn on the cob and spuds.  There was no shortage of sugar either between the cheesecake, cupcakes and the Paula Dean Flaky Butter Cake that I had on the way down.  We just had a really lovely time celebrating such a wonderful event.

It felt good to be back home and hanging out with my family.  It's been almost a month since I've moved and about three weeks since I was last home to visit.  They really enjoyed seeing Moo and how much she's grown.  Yes, it's amazing how much people change in so little time.  My niece looked so much more grown up and she's reading on her now!!!  Shocker because she just started kindergarten only two weeks ago.

I'm glad that some of the tension between my mom and I has eased.  I still don't think that she's 100% ok with my choice to be back with Jay, but she's learning to accept that it is what it is.  This is my life and I'm living it the best way I know how to live it for me and my family.  I can't keep trying to please everybody else because I only end up not pleasing myself and I'm tired of putting myself last.

Sunday was just a very laid back day.  I still haven't located a church for us to attend up here.  I feel kind of bad because  I really enjoy going to church and I want to make sure that Moo is developing spiritually as well.  So, I will certainly be scouting out a few places.  I'm actually leaning towards joining the church across from the college I went to.  I really enjoyed the services when I was staying on campus. 

The congregation is very nice and the pastor seemed very friendly and knew all his members personally even though there's like 200 of them not including all the kids.  Now that's true dedication right there.  I'm sure that I know 200 people personally but imagine if all those 200 people had kids and some even have grandkids and great grandkids.  It's crazy, but goes to show that not all preachers are in it for the money.  It's nice to see that preachers are taking the time to connect with their flock.

I'm hoping that this church will be the right fit for us.  If it isn't then I guess we'll just keep trying until we find the right one.

Simple Sunday Twitter Hop

It's Sunday and the weekend is coming to an official end.  :(  It's been such a wonderful weekend, but I'll save the details for my Weekend WrapUp post.  Anyways, I was going through my list of blogs I'm following and stumbled across the Simple Sunday Twitter Hop on Between the Lines.

So, drop on by and link up.  It's a great opportunity to meet some new friends via Twitter and make some connections.  Happy Sunday everybody!!! 

Blog Hopping Saturday

Well, good people the weekend is officially here!!!!  Hooray, hooray, hooray!!  This weekend I will be busy wedding planning.  I have to sketch out a rough design for the invitations and finish up the programs.  I know it's a little early to be working on programs considering I still have ten months and some change to go before the big day but I want all the small stuff out of the way.

I've watched enough Bridezilla and other wedding shows to know that letting small stuff drag out until the end will catch up with you in the end.  And the sooner I get the small stuff taken care of the sooner I can move on to dealing with the big stuff like finding a dress maker and caterer.  So, here's to hoping that I will have a successful planning weekend.  And while I'm planning, I've decided to take a little time out for some blog hopping.

My first stop of the morning was Just Married with Coupons to join in her Saturday Stalk for Savings.  You can join us to by visiting her site and checking out all the rules for the blog hop.

My second stop was over at Between the Lines for their Spotlight Saturday Blog Hop.  Be sure to swing by there and link up your blog as well as another blog you would like to spotlight.

My Weekend WrapUp

It's official, I'm getting married!!!!  Jay and I finally set a date (and a backup date) and have started wedding planning.  This year has been one of many changes for sure.  I've been a single mom, lost several loved ones, made new friends and more.  Life for me and Moo has been anything but dull.  And I'm looking forward to my happy ending.

So, the top picture looks better than the picture my phone would take but I absolutely love my ring.  It's by Helzberg Diamonds.  14k white gold with 2.50 carats of diamonds.  The center diamond is a princess cut surrounded by tampered baguettes and then there are two rows of round diamonds running along each side.  Doesn't it look like a present with a bow on top?

Anyways, Saturday we decided to jump start the wedding plans by heading out to look at bridesmaids dresses, tuxes and even a dress for me to wear at the reception.  Jay was a little sad that I wouldn't let him pick out my wedding dress. While I'm not all about tradition when it comes to weddings him not knowing exactly what my dress looks like is one of the traditions that I am going to keep.  Besides I've asked for his feedback as far what he likes and doesn't like and have sketched out my dream dress.  Now the hunt begins for a dress maker who can bring this vision to life.

I'm kind of worried about my sketch to too many people because I don't want anyone stealing my one of a kind idea.  I really want this design to just be worn by me.  However, as a fashion merchandising student I've learned that there really isn't any such thing as one of a kind anymore when it comes to fashion.  Designers recycle and try to put new spins on old ideas all the time.  So, I'm going to do my research and enlist the help of my fashion contacts to find a dress maker who won't duplicate my dress for another bride in the future.

Another concern that I had about my dresss was cost, but since Jay has agreed to foot the cost for the ceremony, reception and my dress I can relax a little bit.  I'll be in charge of decor, catering and entertainment.  And since I design stationary, I've already created our Save the Dates and wedding program.  Still waiting on some inspiration for the invitations.   The invitations have to be absolutely fab.  I want ribbon, bling, glitz and glamour.

Starting to sound like an episode of Platinum Weddings. I am just bursting with excitement that the big day is finally coming.  I've been waiting years for this and it's finally happening.  I've even gone ahead and started registering all the different stores.  But enough about the wedding.  There will be more details to come as the Big Day draws near.

Sunday was just a really relaxing day of sleeping in, watching a little Joel Olsteem and a taking a drive to Larinburg.  It felt good to have a lazy Sunday with my little family.  And Jay even cooked. My week has gotten off to a great start and I hope that you all as great of a weekend as I did.  Be blessed this week!

My Weekend WrapUp

This weekend Jay dubbed me Moesha Stewart. LOL.  I've been told on more than one occasion that I look like singer and actress Brandy Norwood and of course my love of crafting and remodeling things like Martha Stewart  is just crazy.  Seriously, since moving into our new place I've made curtains for the kitchen and curtains for Moo's bedroom.  Saturday and Sunday, I decided to attack the eye sour of a coffee table that Jay got from who knows where by giving it a coat of shiny black spray paint.  I have to admit that I thought one can of paint would have did the job, but of course it didn't.

So, I ended up running out of paint on Saturday afternoon.  And then it started storming bad.  So of course I wasn't about to drag Moo out into all that horrible weather for a can of paint.  And to make matters worse the table got rained on because I couldn't get it back up on the porch after Jay left for work.  Thankfully, the rain didn't wash any of the paint away.  And after a few hours in the hot afternoon heat, the table was ready for it's second can of paint yesterday.

Moo and I headed off to the store and when we returned it was painting time!!  Now, Saturday Moo sat so good in her cute little lawn chair on the porch and watched as I sprayed the table.  So, I figured that since she had done so well on Saturday, she would do well Sunday.  Not the case.  She kept trying to climb up the porch steps and wonder off on me.  Sadly, I had to banish her back to the house with Jay.

She did not appreciate that and stood in front of the screen door crying the entire time.  I felt bad but what could I do?  I had to finish painting the table and I couldn't let her get hurt playing on the steps or chance her running off into the road or an ant pile.  Luckily for her it didn't take long before my can of spray paint ran out and I had to join her in the house.  This time I had learned my lesson and had Jay help me lift the table back on the porch before the ran started up again.

Also, I'm on the hunt for a new church.  We're going to be going to my home church on the weekends that Jay has off but I would still like attend church here on the weekends that he has to work.  I feel like having a God a part of our life is going to help strengthen our relationship.  Not to mention since Jay has turned his life over to Christ, he needs to work on establishing his bond with the Lord.  It's easy to get caught up in old habits and having a pastor and church family here can help keep us on track.

Hope that you guys really enjoyed your weekends as well.  And don't forget to check out the great sales my sponsors have going on.

My Weekend WrapUp

Let me just start off by saying that Tax Free Weekend has nothing to do with giving parents a discount on school supplies.  In fact, I'm convinced that Tax Free Weekend is just a ploy to get people to spend more money than they usually would on any given weekend, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas time. After a week of being cooped up in the house with a very busy Moo who had a wide range of tantrums each day, I was dying for some time out on the Queen City.  So, we decided to head out to one of the local malls.

I should have known what craziness lay ahead when Jay almost rammed us into the back of this white car in front of us at the light.  He swore that he had the situation under control and that he saw the car there.  And of course, my question to him was if you saw the car in front us why would you speed up and then slam on breaks like it came out of thin air.  I think that at times his mind gets distracted from his driving.  Thankfully, we made it to the mall parking lot in one piece.

However, we did not find a close parking spot to any of the main entrances.  That was to be expected though. So, I wasn't too disappointed.  Although, I was keeping my fingers crossed that we would find something a little bit close and we did.  Lugging a baby in almost 97 degree weather is no joke.  The sun was beaming very bright making it feel like it was almost twice as hot as it really was.  I broke a sweat just loading Moo into her Jeep stroller.

Once inside the mall, I was in utter shock at the wall to wall people.  And I'm not talking about kids or teenagers.  I'm talking about grown people shopping for themselves.  It was like a circus.  I've worked in two of the malls here in the Queen City-three years at SouthPark and almost one year at Carolina Place- and never has seen it get that bad during Tax Free Weekend.  I mean I could barely push Moo's stroller without almost running over somebody or their foot or the back of their heels.

So, after a quick stop at the Sprint booth to check the new Sprint Evo, Jay and I decided to call it a wrap and jump ship.  It wasn't worth the headache of trying to move around and navigate the heavy crowds.  Instead we decided to hunt down the closest WalMart, buy some grilling supplies and head back home to grill out.  Well, the first WalMart we came to was in The Aboretum.  Of course, I remembered that they have this awesome upscale pet shop called PetLand and decided I wanted to make a stop and see it.

After all I had fallen in love with my first Yorkshire Terrior there.  And since we're only planning to camp out in this duplex for six months or until we find our dream home, I decided to check out their puppy selection.  Now Moo isn't really a fan of dogs.  Therefore, I wasn't really expecting her to enjoy the visit, but to my surprise she had a blast.  She and Jay became quite taken with the parakets.  He wants one for Christmas or whenever we move out of this place.

I think they kind of grew on me too because I agreed to get it when we move.  Maybe it'll be an anniversary present or something.  Plus don't get bigger than a cell phone (Palm Treo).  What Moo wasn't too keen on at the pet shop were the snakes and lizards.  She wasn't even remotely interested in looking at them.  I was relieved because I don't have to worry about being one of those kids who wants the crazy pet snake.

About 45 minutes later we finally made it the WalMart and were disappointed to find that they didn't have the grill that we wanted or a meat section. Off we headed back into the heat to Food Lion down the street.  So, stocked up with steaks, hamburger meat for the Ranch burgers, cole slaw and buns as well as lighter fluid and matches, I agreed to head back to the house and prep the food while Jay headed to the other WalMart and got a grill.

Well, clearly a year of no grilling has made Jay's normally good grilling skills a little bit rusty because he could not get the grill to get hot enough to cook the burgers.  Luckily, I'm a true grilling master and was able to get the fire blazing.  However, in the process I almost burned myself.  Thank goodness for quick hands.  We had a delicious feast that night and I fell into lovely food induced slumber.

Sunday was a lazy day for us.  We sleep in a little bit-me, Jay and Moo- all squeezed inside Jay's twin sized bed.  (Moo and I are used to sleeping in a king sized bed, but it was too big for the master bedroom here.)  Yes, Moo and I co-sleep still.  However, she does have her own beautiful cherry oak sleigh crib that she refuses to sleep in.  Jay tried to get her to sleep in it Saturday night and she had a major melt down and he took her out.  Neither of us are pro letting kids cry it out when it comes to things like that.  Now if she has a tantrum that's another matter.

It's not really crying it out but allowing to calm down.  We've learned that screaming tantrums with Moo only get worst if you try to calm her down.  She usually stops crying after a minute or two if we let her be for a while.  Personally, I think she's embarking on her terrible twos at the ripe age of one and a half.  Therefore, when she turns two she should be half way done with the mood swings and crying fits.

Overall, we had a great weekend being fully moved into our new place now.  She's adjusted to the fact that she doesn't get to see Grandma on a daily basis.  And I'm excited to make more connections and get more involved in some mommy and me activities with other youngs moms.  Plus, being around other toddlers will help Moo to continue to build her social skills.  Hope that you all had a great weekend.

Don't forget to check out my Yo Gabba Gabba! Prize Pack Giveaway.  It ends this Friday.

My Weekend WrapUp

Wow, this weekend was a long one for sure. Saturday was Moving Day!!!  Yes, Moo and I are back in the city-the Queen City that is.  I'm very excited because she was born here and I love it here.  Feels like I'm finally home again.  Anyways, I never knew that we had so much stuff.  It's amazing how many belonging Moo has aquired and she's not even two yet!!  There will be some serious cutting back.

Thankfully, I didn't have to do any of the actual physical moving. That job went to my lovely fiance, Jay.  (Thanks babe.)  He was such a gentleman about not wanting me to lift anything.  All I had to do was supervise and pack.  And he's always been that way.  He even unloaded everything once we got to our new spot.

I have to tell you guys that moving is overwhelming. Just seeing all those boxes and storage containers that had to be unpacked made me a little dizzy.  I mean we had boxes in the living room, the kitchen and the bedrooms.  The living room was just a mess and we couldn't even sit in it the first day. It took me all night just to get the sofas cleared off.  And then it stormed for a while and I decided to call it a wrap.

Sunday was a little better in that we finally made some progress in getting most of the boxes unpacked.  Wow, Moo has a ton of clothes.  Everything from Faded Glory to Kenneth Cole and Calvin Klien.  Her clothes filled up the entire walk-in closet in her room!!  Talk about a wardrobe to die for.  I am really going to cut back on buying her clothes.  Not sure what to tell people to get her this year for her birthday or Christmas since she is not in need of toys or clothes anymore. 

Hmmm....maybe we can do shoes and books instead?  We did take a break from cleaning and putting once we got the Master Bedroom somewhat cleared and the bookshelf put together.  Unfortunately, the Time Warner Cable people did not come out like they were suppose to install our cable and internet.  I was certainly bummed and a little pissed off because I have important things to do like chatting with you guys and work.

I guess you could say that my weekend carried over into Monday starting with a nice trip to the beauty salon.   It felt good to have an hour of Me Time and get pampered.  My hair certainly thanking me for it too. I had been neglecting it since my last hair cut.  And speaking of hair cuts, I can't believe my hair has already grown back.  I thought it would have stayed short for a while, but I guess not.  I got it trimmed up a little bit so that it wouldn't be as long.  And i think that I have found a new hair stylist.

The young lady who styled my new do was amazing.  She was polite and friendly.  She kept me me talking but didn't get too personal.  And she is amazing at what she does.  As she told me, she's a creator when it comes to hair.  I am certainly looking forward to my appointment with her the end of the month.

I also, went to visit with my family on Monday.  My mom was not too pleased that I was moving and seemed even more distant towards me.  She wouldn't stay in the same room with me for more than five minutes.  I know that she does not agree with my moving to put my family back together, but this is my life and I have to live it.  I love Jay even after everything that we have been through.  I played just as big of a part in our relationship failure last year as he did.

But you forgive, heal and move forward.  I'm not like these other young couples who are giving up so easily today.  In the words of J.Lo "Stay together, it's the new trend."

My Weekend WrapUp

This weekend has been a great one.  It's my last weekend home with my family since Moo and I move into our new place this upcoming Friday.  I'm a little sad to be going and am thinking about postponing the move for another week or two.  Although, I am very eager to be in my own space and have some peace and quiet, I have gotten used to being surrounded my family. Thankfully, I'll only be an hour and a few minutes away.

Anyways, this weekend I got a chance to have some bonding time with my younger brother at Myrtle Beach!!  It was a blast.  Friday night we got the party started with a nice dinner of barbeque ribs, yellow rice and green beans cooked by my brother of course.  Yes, his three older sisters have trained him well and he is indeed a wonderful cook thanks to us.  He's going to make some lucky young lady a very fine husband one day.

Saturday, we lounged around for a little bit before finally  deciding to hit up the beach.  It's been a while since I've been to actual beach front, but seeing all the sites-the water parks, Ripley's Believe It or Not and the hotels-caused a flood of old memories.  This was a memorable trip because it was Moo's first time at the beach!!!!!  I was super excited. I was worried a little bit that she might not like the water.  And with the temperature well above 93 degrees, I worried that the heat would cause her excema to flare up.

But I worried for nothing because she enjoyed herself to the fullest.  She loved the water!!  It was a bit cold at first for her but as we walked with our feet in the waves, she began to giggle and kick up her little feet. I will forever remember the cute little smiles that she kept beaming up at me as played in the sand and dug up seashells.  We didn't find any whole or really nice ones to put in her scrapbook. 

Her favorite part by far was the washing off at the shower. She loves water and didn't want to leave.  She actually threw a huge fit.  And we probably would have stayed if I didn't have to get her a new outfit because she got sand all over the one she wore.  So, it was off to KMart where I got a super cute outfit for under $5.00.  Then it was off to lunch at McDonald's her favorite place to eat.

I was totally tired and worn out by the time we got back to the apartment. So, to bed we headed. And this morning we slept in until 9 and then eat breakfast and enjoyed afternoon of WeTV. I love my Bridezilla and My Fair Wedding!!  And now I'm back home packing getting ready for my move, feeling slightly refreshed.

Hope you all had a blessed weekend as well.

My Weekend WrapUp

It's Sunday and my weekend is officially coming to a close sadly.  Aside from the rain and thunderstorms, I had an enjoyable weekend.  Saturday started with a visit to the office, but thankfully I wasn't there for too long.  Then it was off to Rockingham, NC to shop, shop and shop.  I found some really great buys.  We went to Lowe's and I purchased Moo her very own lawn chair to sit in.  It was just her size too and came in this beautiful watermelon color.

When I saw it, I knew instantly that she would love it.  And I was right. She pulled that chair all over the store and had a meltdown when I finally made her turn it loose and put it in the buggy.  She was scuffing up the floors.  Plus, that awful screeching noise was getting on my nerves.  Not to mention, I think she was getting tired of pulling it, but was too stubborn to just admit defeat. LOL.

After, discovering that something had bitten her on the elbow, we decided to call it a wrap at Lowe's and hightailed it to Big Lot's.  Now, I love Big Lot's!!  I'm a huge bargain shopper.  I like to get the most bang for my buck.  Being a single mom, I have to watch how much money I spend.  You never know when something is going to pop up.  And even though Jay is very helpful and involved in our lives, he lives 2 hours away and can't always get money to us quick enough.

So, I like to be prepared with a stash of my own.  Anyways, I've been posting on Facebook for two months now about my search for a more affordable sewing machine.  I can't afford the $400 sewing machine that I want.  But I was stoked when I came across the Pixie by Singer for only $30!!  Take about a steal.  Singers are like the top brand of sewing machines.

And since, I already know that I'm getting my dream sewing machine for Christmas, the Pixie will do until then.  Not to mention I will still be using the Pixie for smaller projects like making pillow cases and change purses. Yes, I'm one of those crafty people.  I'm a creative type and love expressing myself through my work.  Not to mention, I'm trying to build a brand.

My next great find was at Taco Bell. They have these great $2 Meal Deals that come with an entree, chips and a drink.  Totally awesome.  Who says you can't eat out for cheap?  And the great thing about Taco Bell is their Beefy 5-Layer Burrito.  It's so yummy and I get full off of one every time. So, it's not like I have to order anything else to go with it.  But it was nice having it on the $2 Meal Deals menu.

This morning Moo and I slept in a bit later than we usually do.  Perhaps that's because we went to bed late, but it felt really good.  I got up and decided to use the new blender to make a coconut smoothie.  Bad idea because I ended up smashing my finger with the hammer trying to crack the coconut and then the coconut bounced and landed super hard on the same finger. Ouch!!!! 

I will be sticking to berries for future smoothies.  But I wanted to try something a little bit more healthy for breakfast.  (BTW if any of you have any great smoothie recipes be sure to share them!!)  They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and they're right.  Even though I'm not a breakfast person, I still function better when I have a smoothie or a piece of fruit in my tummy.  I'm way less moody.

I managed to accomplish getting Moo's hair done without any major meltdowns.  She's part Black, part Native American and part Italian.  So, she has really fine curly hair that is characteristic of mixed children.  Everybody says she looks Mexican or Native American.   Anyways, we have trouble with keeping it styled because it's not your traditional Black person hair. So, braids only last a max of two days and then it's time to redo.

And that's when the problems start because she does not like anybody touching her hair.  Not to mention the curls make it hard to comb.  Combing from the root to the ends only causes tangles.  So, I have to start in the middle and comb to the ends then move up until I reach the roots.  And I've been searching for great products that will work for her hair type.  I do use grease on it because that's just a must in a Black home.

But her hair and scalp seem to suck it up so quickly.  So, I'm in search of a cream moisturizer that I can use in between greasings.  Too much grease can clog pores and eventually just cakes up.  But luckily, I've discovered that doing her hair in her bath is easier because she's distracted with her toys and splashing in the water.

Church went great. Our new pastor is getting better and warming up more to us.  I'm still waiting to see how he will interact with the children though.  That is key for me as a parent.  But I think he has great potential to stay around for a year or two.  And he actually brought one of his three children to church!!  We were beginning to wonder if we would ever see any of them.  Still waiting to see the other two though.  It's like celebrity baby watching. LOL

Well, I hope that everyone else has had an enjoyable weekend and will have a great work week. Be blessed!

My Weekend WrapUp

I'm back!!!!!!  I've had a wonderful and trying four day weekend.  I never thought I'd be kind of happy to see the weekend come to end, but I was.  My four day weekend started on Friday and it wasn't all that bad.  I got to do some shopping with my mother, baby sister, niece and Moo in Rockingham, NC.  I was a little sad that we had to return our lovely rental car though.

We had a 2010 fully loaded Jeep Liberty.  It was an eye catching shade of gold with glimmers of silver, rims and huge head lights.  The interior was all black.  It had Sirius XM radio, a cd player, a very spacious trunk (perfect for hauling diaper bags and other mommy stuff) and a roomy backseat.  For a whole ten days, we were in Car Heaven.  I think I fell in love just a little bit.  And while I knew our time together was limited, I couldn't help getting attached.

Oh let me just add that I love the new HP Photo Printing Stations they've put in WalMart.  Instead of waiting hours for pictures to process, you can upload as many photos as you want and have them printed or burned to a disc in as little as 5 minutes!!!  Awesome.  And greatest thing is that prints only cost $0.28!!  You can put all your pictures on a cd for under $3.00 and print from home if you like.  You can create party and wedding invitations, birth announcements, calendars and much more on those things.

That is certainly my newest obsession.  I've already tried it out twice in one week.  As soon as I rack up another batch of pictures, I'm heading back for my third session.  I know it sounds a little crazy, but I enjoy being up on the latest technology.  And I'm one of those people who has like a million pictures in my phone or digital camera.  So, now I don't have to get them all developed.  I can pick the ones I want to get made and put the others on a cd that can be mailed to family or friends and uploaded to my computer.  The cds are a great way to keep pictures too because computers crash all the time and in case of a fire or emergency I keep them in a box that  I can pick up and take.

Saturday was a lazy day for me and the fam.  I helped my mom weed through her wardrobe and get rid of some of her older pieces.  I'm talking about stuff she's had since I was a baby.  We're slowly but surely trying to move her up in time in terms of fashion and technology.  She's getting there a little bit though.  But I was actually proud of her for getting rid of over five bags worth of stuff.  I know this seems like a lot, but trust me she still has more that she could part with.  However, for now we'll take any small victory that we can get.

Later that afternoon it was discovered that we had left our steaks for the 4th in trunk of the car.  Needless to say the heat had cooked them and we had throw them out along with some other stuff we had gotten.  Let's just say we learned our lesson about shopping and grocery shopping.  Your mind forgets that you've gone grocery shopping when you start to buy clothes, shoes and stuff.  Luckily though, I had steaks in the freezer from my last trip to the grocery store.

Now, Sunday we got a new pastor.  And let me just say oh boy is he tall!  I'm talking Shaq tall people.  He's relatively young, but I can already tell that he is one of those by the book, drill sergeant types.  I'm not so sure how long he'll be with us.  I think that he will certainly whip our loose ends into shape, but I'd like to see him work on becoming a little bit more warm and cordial.  I take my faith seriously and if there's a disconnect then I have no problems moving on.  But I'll give him a month to really get a feel for how he is.

I was also in charge of our firework show!!  I love fireworks too.  I know that I should probably to be over the excitement of such things, but I'm not.  I enjoy all things celebration related, especially fireworks.  We put on quite the show for our neighbors and the passerbys.  One of my sister's friends even stopped by and burned Sparklers with us.  Moo chose to watch from the safety of the car with my mom and niece.  They love the lights, but can't stand the sound. LOL.

On Monday, let's just say we were all a little stir crazy.  Day four was just  a little more weekend than we could handle.  Plus, the heat was blazing and not helping any of our moods.  My mom and I kind of got into a slight disagreement in which she said some hurtful things.  I just kind of listened and didn't reply.  I've learned from my childhood years that it's pretty much useless to answer to anything she says when she's in her moods.  It only makes her rant and rave more.  So, upset and pissed as hell, I took off for a walk to clear my mind.

I don't know what I was thinking because halfway to downtown, I felt like passing out.  Pushing a stroller in jeans and heavy sneakers under a 98 degree sun is no joke.  I could have had a heat stroke but at the time it seemed worth it.  I feel like I haven't been a burden on my mother at all.  Out of all of her children, I'm always the one she can turn to for help whether it be financially, babysitting or whatever.  So, of course I've written a little bit about my nasty split from a year ago that left me a little down on my luck, but I have to say that I haven't been taking advantage of my situation to bum off my family.

Yet, at times my mom tries to make me feel that way.  I have to constantly remind her that I pull my weight around the house and then some.  It is only then that she tries to apologize and come off her high horse, but of course her words have been said and my spirit broken.  So, I'm looking forward to moving later on this year.  I've found a nice place an hour away and it's currently getting the last remodeling touches put on it.

I can't express how trying it's been to adjust to being back home.  I thought it was going to be great because my mom is a single mom and I'm a single mom.  I figured we'd bond more and she said she would feel more comfortable with me staying with her instead of living by myself with a baby.  I quickly started to question whether she was really being truthfully.  It felt like a part of her was hoping that I'd decline her offer and maybe I should have.  But I'll take this as a lesson learned.

I'm getting back to my independence and my freedom!!  Glad that this chapter of my life is coming to close and that a new one is on the horizon.  Hope that you all had a blessed weekend and will have an even more blessed week!!!  Oh, congrats to Future Mama!!!  She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this weekend!!!

My Weekend WrapUp

Well, let me just say that I for one was very much looking forward to this weekend.  For the last ten days, I had been watching my niece and younger sister for mom while she was away on business.  That was a total of three kids(including my Moo)-two of which were very busy and while the other is slightly boy crazed at the moment.  Add the fact that none of them can get a long for more than five minutes and you can tell that I had a very trying ten days.

Saturday, I came up with the grand idea to whip my mom's house into shape. She is somewhat of a hoarder but refuses to admit it.  I keep telling her the first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem.  However, in her mind her excessive need to buy or pick up stuff off the curb when she doesn't really need it or have space it is not a problem. LOL.  So, anyways, I thought it would be a good idea to get rid of small stuff that she wouldn't notice.

We started with socks. Yes, socks!  She had this huge green clothes basket full of every kind of sock you could imagine.  I'm talking about white socks, black socks, blue socks, green socks, Santa socks, Dora socks, etc.  Well, I thought we were making could progress on matching up the socks, throwing away the ones with holes or that were too worn to wash back white.  Out of nowhere my younger sister decides that only after 30 minutes of matching she's ready to take a break for Facebook.

I was like you haven't even matched a good five pairs of socks.  Her 30 minutes of matching was mostly spent complaining and texting.  I tell you the kids today are not looking very promising on the domestic front.  I could not convince her to keep matching socks.  I could have put my foot down, but it was not worth it. I finished matching the socks in less than 15 minutes more and bagged up the rest.  Then it was on the kitchen and so on.  We end up getting rid of a total of three trashbags worth of stuff that I'm sure my mom will not notice is gone.

Also, this weekend it was extremely hot, but that did not stop us from grilling out Saturday when Moo's father dropped by for his bi-weekly visit.  It was kind of fun until he started turning into the annoying five year old that he can sometimes be.  Like seriously, he knows that I can stand to be poked in my side, pinched or tickled along with a few other things that get under my skin.  Finally, I had had enough and he left.  I was a little sad that for all the progress and change he talks about having made, ditching his five year old alter ego is not one of them.

Sunday morning when I woke I had an extra pep in my step.  I was just hours away from being freed from babysitting duty.  Thank you Lord! I did some final cleaning that got so good that I completely lost track of time and was late to airport to pick up my mom.  Thankfully, it wasn't entirely my fault. We would have been kinda on time had her plane not landed a whole 30 minutes early.  But she got a surprise when my younger brother joined us.

We decided that to welcome her back home we would head out to eat. Now, having spoken to my brother earlier that day we had decided that we were going to eat at CiCi's.  So, I was a little shocked when he asked my mom where wanted to eat as if we hadn't already agreed on a place.  It wasn't that we didn't want our mom to have a choice, but him being a college student and my being a single mom put us on a tight budget.  And my mom does not have tight budget taste.  And sure enough she picked one of the most expensive buffet restaurants to eat at on a Sunday afternoon-The Thunderbird.

When I was younger we used to eat there at least once a month until money got really tight.  And they weren't super expensive and the food was actually good. But Sunday our dining experience there was a HOT mess to say the least.  Let's start with the fact that they charge you almost $5 for kids under 3 to eat.  I'm not saying that my child isn't worth $5 but let's be real she's not going to eat $5 worth of food and she was sick.  So, we tried to explain to the lady running the register that Moo wasn't eating and she got an attitude saying that they have to charge for anyone who comes through the door.  WTH?!!

Then on top of that it was $9.22 for adults to eat.  Let me tell that this place is no Golden Carrel by a long shot.  They have one tiny little hot bar and a salad bar the size of a water well. This was strike two and should have been our cue to flee but we knew she was looking forward to eating there again and we wanted oblige her. Not to mention it was a good 98 degrees outside.  So, heading back out into the heat in search of another place to eat was not an option with a sick child.  Yes, we forked out $50 bucks to eat! 

My wallet is still in shell shock.  Strike three was when we had to search high and low for a clean table to eat at. Like really you're charging almost $10 to eat here and you can even clean your tables in a timely manner so that incoming customers have a place to seat?  After being passed by several hostess, one lady was nice enough to point us to a big and CLEAN table in the back. 

The fourth strike came when we learned that only sweet tea and water came with our meals.  You had to be pay extra for soda.  At that point  I was just fed up.  Now you're putting restrictions on my drink choices I thought quietly.  Strike number five was when we realized that we were being watched like a hawk by our serving staff.  Seriously, they assigned people to stand over the tables and watch you eat. I guess they want to make sure that people don't sneak food out, but watching me like you're an overseer and I'm a slave is not the way to do it. 

The restaurant was cramped and strike six was that the air didn't work.  So, I paid almost $10 for some food that was loaded in grease and butter and pretty much flavorless only to not be able to enjoy out because one I'm being stared down and two I can't eat well when I'm hot.  Our experience was horrible!!!  So, horrible that we ended up cutting our meal short and leaving but not before we got my money back for Moo. She did not eat and I was not going to let somebody keep my hard earned money.

You would think that my Sunday would have ended there. Nope, a visit to the emergency room with Moo was on the menu too.  She was past by sick.  Her fever was up to 103 and she wouldn't eat or drink.  Not to mention she was feeling a little sluggish. I was very worried and had her father meet us at the ER.  The diagnosis was that she had a middle ear infection.  My poor baby.  She had been suffering for who knows how long.

I can certainly say this weekend was not the best.  It had its share of ups but mostly downs.  Here's to hoping this week will be better.