Yesterday I looked out the back door to find Brianna and Brian digging up wild onions. They had shovels out and were digging to the root of the onions. Then they started digging up worms. The times they share together are just precious. They have a very strong bond. He takes the time to show her things that I would never do. I mean come on, can you see me outside catching bugs?:) I took some pictures so you all could get a glimpse at what they do together.
Today Brianna and her class took a trip to Greer Community Ministries to sing for the senior citizens there. I'm very fortunate that my job is close by and flexible enough that I got to attend the "concert". Mrs. Kim, Brianna's teacher, told all about what the class does on a daily basis and what the children has learned so far. They started the program with the pledge and it was followed by their morning prayer. Hearing those little voices pray was just precious. They sang several songs; one about going to school and others about the alphabet and colors. My favorite was when they sang "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe". When it came to "9-10, the big fat hen" they all squawked like chickens that was cute. They ended the show with "He's Got The Whole World". That was really good, especially when they passed the world around and then held hands while singing. I was so glad I got to go. Here are a few pictures for those of you that missed out on the fun:
Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile, but I have been BUSY trying to clean my house. I held a PartyLite party at my house Saturday. I really wasn't expecting too much out of it. I have a small circle of friends. I knew Heather isn't into that kind of stuff, but my co-workers sure were. I took in about $530 in orders, which meant about $200 in free product for me. YIPPY! When it all came down to it, I got about $380 worth of PartyLite for $50. Now my problem is trying to find somewhere in my house to put all my beautiful things. Throwing the party is about all I did Saturday. Heck, it took me all week to clean up for it(all night Friday and all day Saturday, Really). Brian joked and said that's the cleanest our house has ever looked. And he's right. It sure is a good thing that I've got some great smelling candles, since my cleaning days are on hold for awhile. Brian worked today while Brianna & I visited my momma and made a quick run to see Macy. She is just too cute. I am now turning my attention toward Brianna's 5th Birthday party. She turns 5 May 8th and wants to have her party at Pump It Up. WOW, that place sure is expensive!!! But it covers 26 kids(if Brianna even knows 26 kids). She says she wants to have a Barbie Magic of the Pegasus themed party. But that will probably change by May. If any of you "Bloggers" out there have any ideas for the birthday party, I sure would appreciate the comments. Ya'll have a great week.
Although we really don't have the money right now, we are trying to make our house look like a home. We painted our living and dining room over a year ago, and that is as far as we got. I am not one for decorating so trying to hang stuff on the walls and that kind of stuff is just not for me. But I'm tired of living in a house where everything seems so "temporary". So yesterday Brian hung up some blinds and window treatments in the dining room and I hung some things up in the living room. I also went and picked out some new furniture. We are going to makeover our living room. We have had the furniture that is in there now for about 10 years. Let's just say it has seen its last days. But in getting the new furniture, we are going to have to rearrange and rewire some things. If anyone is looking for an entertainment stand, I have one. Let me know. I'm going today to look for curtains for the kitchen and Brian is going to try to hang up a new light fixture in the dining room. I'm so glad that we are finally doing stuff. This house needs some sprucing up.
If you could call it that......all of my mothers tests have came back negative for TB so far. But like I have mentioned in an earlier post, they are treating her for it anyway. Which means they also have to treat Brianna and Macy because they had close contact with my mother. The lady at the health department said that they are required by law to give the childrent under 5 preventative treatment in the form of an antibiotic. I spoke to Brianna's pediatrician today and she told me to do what the health department suggests and that the medicine (INH) they will be giving Brianna will be ok. So...Brianna will be getting this antibiotic twice a week, Tuesdays and Friday. A nurse from the health department will come out to administer it to her. Why do you ask, well let me tell you. Apparantly, in the past, patients have not taken their medication like they were suppose to. (After seeing what my mother is going thru, I totally understand why.) But what can I do. I feel like I have asked all the necessary questions and the pediatrician says its ok, so Brianna will be getting her first dose on Friday. In the meantime, my momma had her catscan yesterday. We are hoping that the spots on her lungs have improved. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. My daddy went back to work Monday after 4 weeks off for medical leave. He's doing pretty good so far. There is suppose to be an eclipse tonight, I will try to get a picture. I'm sure I will be up. I'm working on a "special" gift for little Ella's 1st Birthday party.
So to give you guys a quick update on my list of things I needed to do this weekend: I still have scrapbooking projects to complete, my bedroom to clean and Brianna's room to finish painting. Brianna has been a great help. She came into the living room this morning to say that she cleaned up her room and made her bed. Which she did, just as good as I could have. Then she helped me fold her laundry and put it away. We went to the late service at church then took a quick trip into Walmart to get blinds and I found a great deal on a crockpot in the clearance section. It was only $12. We picked up Granny afterward and headed for Woodruff Rd. to go to AC Moore. I am trying to find some way of organizing all my scrapbook stuff. I just have way too much. I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for there. But on my way out of the door I noticed huge clearance signs at Goodys so we headed in there. If any of you are looking for capri pants or clothes for the summer, I recommend you go there. They have nice capri's on sale. They are already on clearance plus you get to take 50% off that price. That cuts them down to $4-$7. Anyway, I bought 1 pair of dressy capris and 4 shirts for myself. I also picked up Brianna 6 shirts. My total cost was only $33. Like I said, you might want to go by there. After we got back from Greenville, Brianna took a nap and I cut out coupons for our grocery list. I went to Blooms and got $91 of groceries for $43. Anyway, tonight I will be finishing up the laundry. Tomorrow I have an eye doctor appointment and need to clean up my room. If I don't get the painting done, oh well, I will just try for it next weekend. Hope you all have a great week.
I am going to attempt to make the most out of these 3 days off. My first priority is getting this house cleaned up. I have neglected it all week and its a mess. I plan on tackling one room at a time. The kitchen and dining room are done. I plan on cleaning the bathroom and my bedroom Sunday. I also have a couple scrapbook projects I need to finish and laundry to do. I guess Monday, I will finish painting Brianna's room. We went to Vance's birthday party today at Pump It Up. Vance is a little boy Brianna went to school with at Inman. She had tons of fun and she enjoyed seeing her old classmates. After the party, she informed me that she wanted to have her birthday party there. We will just have to see.
Good thing Saturday was a lazy day; today sure wasn't. I got out of bed at 9 this morning and cleaned the livingroom and kitchen. Then Brian & I took Brianna to Chuck E. Cheese. We spent about 2 hours there but it was alot of fun. We came back home and I dropped Brian and Brianna off while I headed to Spartanburg to do some shopping. I went to the mall and to the toy store, then by the drug store and car wash. I came back by the house long enough to gather up my grocery list and coupons and headed to Blooms. The coupons paid off because I saved about $34. YIPPY! I have spent about an hour tonight making Valentines for Thursday. They turned out really cute. I will post the picture. I'm afraid this post will have to be short tonight as I still have laundry to wash and fold, clothes to lay out for work and school and lunches to be made. It is 8:50 right now, I would like to be in the bed by 10. Good night & ya'll have a good week.
Things around here have been pretty low keyed today. I came home for lunch Friday to a sick little girl. Brian had said that she was complaining of her ear hurting. I made her a good ole fashion home remedy (cornmeal placed in an old sock and heated up in the microwave). I had hoped that would keep the pain down until I could get back home from work that evening. When I walked in the house, she was laying on the couch with that sock still held up to her ear. I had a 6:50 appointment with the doctor. She has an ear infection. AGAIN! The doctor said on a scale of 1-10, her's is a 9. He said it couldn't really get much worse than that. He put some drops in her ear that numbed it and sent us home with a prescription for the drops and an antibiotic. You know, Brianna never got any ear infections when she was a baby. But it seems like this year, she is getting them like every couple months or so. Anyway, her ear seems to be feeling better today. She hasn't complained any; she may just be afraid that I will put those drops in her ear again. She didn't like that too much last night.
We got to see my momma today. Her doctor has told her that she can go out into the world now and not have to worry about infecting anybody. She will still have to keep taking medicines for the tuberculosis, however IF she was contagious before she won't be now. I still don't think she has TB. I hope they aren't wasting time thinking its that when the spots on her lungs could be caused from something else. I guess time will tell. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. As far as Brianna is concerned, she had to go for an Xray Tuesday. The Xrays looked fine. The doctor at the Health Department is suppose to call us this week to let us know about preventative medicine that Brianna may need to take since she may have been exposed to TB. I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW.............none of this has made any since. But I did speak to Brianna's pediatrician and she seemed to think that the Health Department is doing the right things. That made me feel a little bit better.
Brianna has been taking dance (tap & jazz) with StarMakers since September. StarMakers came to her old school every Tuesday afternoon to give lessons. Well, since she has now started a new school, she is now having to go to StarMakers for the lessons. She is now enrolled in a tap, jazz, ballet combo class that she will take every Thursday night. I was a little bit concerned because her recital is in May and I was worried that learning a new dance this late in the year might put her at a disadvantage. But after watching her Thursday night after just an hour, I don't think she will have any problem. She did just as good as the other little girls.
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Brianna was asked if she wanted to eat a "pig in a blanket". Her reply:
"No, I'm allergic to little weenies!"
****That was just way too funny not to post. Hope ya'll get a laugh out of it.****
Brianna was so excited this morning when I dropped her off at school. I called at 10:30 to see how she was, the director said that she was doing great and that she was just a talking. I picked her up, and her teacher told me how good Brianna did today and that it surprised her that Brianna could recognize words in a book. I'm so glad that it went well. I told Brianna that she could call Chandler tonight to tell him all about her new school.
$7 FOR PARKING, $36 FOR TICKETS, $26 FOR NOVELTIES:
BRIANNA'S FIRST TRIP TO THE CIRCUS--------PRICELESS.
So I woke up at 7:30 this morning. Not because I wanted to, but because that's what time Brianna got up. I thought that I would use this time to blog with ya'll for little bit to get you caught up on some things. You know I had mentioned in a previous post that we were looking for somewhere else to send Brianna for preschool. I looked at KidsWorld in Greer and in Lyman. That was a BIG NO!!!!! So I decided to call Memorial Methodist here in Greer. I had spoken to the director there months ago and at that time, she didn't have a spot for Brianna. I thought to myself, just call you never know. She got on the phone and went on and on about how much of a blessing this was for me to have called. She said that she just had a spot open up and that she had just told someone that she wished she had of gotten my number when I called months ago. She said that if it was meant to be, I would call again. So I did and it really was meant to be. I visited the school and really liked it. I took Brianna by there last Monday to see what she thought. She fell in love with the gym and was really excited to see the Science Center in her classroom. Plus we saw, Skylar, the little girl who lives across from our street there. She goes there after school. I do hope that it will work out. If it does, she can go there this summer. But we will just have to play that by ear.
So now we can get to my mother. We have been waiting for about 2 weeks to find out what is wrong with her. Her regular doctor thought that she might have Tuberculosis. As you all know, that is a contagious disease and not often heard about too much nowadays. Red flags immediately went up--- IS MY MOMMA GOING TO BE OK? DO I HAVE IT? AM I CONTAGIOUS? DOES BRIANNA HAVE IT? COULD OUR FAMILY IN NY HAVE IT? HAVE I INFECTED EVERYONE THAT I KNOW?. Things were really up in the air. She had to visit the health department for them to do some tests. They did a skin test that in 3 days didn't show up anything. They were still waiting on the results from the other test they were doing. In the meantime, we all were staying clear of my momma. That was a very hard thing to do. Here she is feeling so isolated and alone, when she needed someone the most. It really broke my heart. But I had to do what I thought was best for me and my family. Momma understood. After a week, the lady at the Health Department said that we needed to come in for a TB skin test as well. They just took a needle, pricked you just under the skin and squirted some TB under it. If you had a reaction to it, then that would mean that you have it. It was an easy test for us, but not so easy for Brianna, whom we had to hold down for them to administer the test. (I took her to Chucky Cheese to make up for it.) So anyway, we had to come back 3 days later to get the results. Our results are fine. At this time, TB is not showing up. My momma on the other hand is not so lucky. Though the doctor has gotten negative results from the 2 tests they have done, he believes that she does have TB based on her current health condition(low immune system, other problems that she is having that are consistent with TB patients), the xrays, and the catscan of her lungs. There are basically 2 types of TB. TB infection:You have only dormant TB germs in your body. This means the germs are sleeping, so they are not making you sick and cannot be passed to others. TB disease: You have active TB germs in your body that can make you and others around you very sick. At this time, it is unclear if my mom has the infection or the disease. It could take up to 12 weeks for them to know for sure, so they have put her on medicines to start clearing it up just in case. Either way, if we have come into CLOSE contact with her we have been exposed to the germ as well. We have to get another skin test done in 10 weeks, which means yet another visit to Chucky Cheese. Can't wait. In the meantime, we have been advised to continue living our lives. We don't have to isolate ourselves from momma. We can go to her house, she can come here. We are not contagious. So I don't have to worry about friends or co-workers, that sort of thing. Momma, she just can't come into contact with any new people in closed spaces and cough in their face basically. She is also going to have another catscan in February to see if the lesions on her lungs have improved. If not, she will be going to see a pulmonary specialist. So please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
We went to watch the Sesame Street show today with Beth and her 2 sons, Brandon & Ethan. The kids had a really good time. When we came out it was snowing so hard. We immediately decided to go to Krispy Kreme for coffee and donuts. We all enjoyed the treat except for Brianna who was disappointed that she didn't get a strawberry frosted donut.
After we got home, we met Brian up at PetSmart to buy more fish. She started out with 4, all but 1 has died. We thought we would try something other than guppies. Everyone says that guppies are hard to take care of. Plus Blue, the beta fish, has fuzz growing on it and its not looking good. This whole fish thing is hard. Anyway, Brianna picked out 3 more fish and a frog. We'll see how they do.
FOR CARSON: HERE IS A CLIP OF THE SHOW. WE WISH YOU COULD HAVE CAME.
Brianna enjoyed the snow today with her Daddy. She has been waiting on it for 2 days. I'm so glad that we got enough of it for her to play in. I had to work today, but Brian stayed home with her. They played and built snowmen, 5 to be precise. Maybe we'll have more before winter is over.
Prettier died yesterday. Ya'll should have seen Brianna. She could have won "Best Dramatic Performance Of The Year". She calmed down. But it definitely didn't help things when we woke up this morning to another dead fish. Brianna said that her fish is now someones pet in heaven.
Brian and I cleaned out the tank and he is not going to feed them as much. Maybe the other 2 guppies will survive:)
My momma came over to visit with Brianna today. While here she started coughing up blood. She called her doctor and was advised to go to the emergency room, which she did. The doctor there said that she had pneumonia and the xrays showed a spot on her lung which they believe to be from the pneumonia. She has to go back to the hospital tomorrow for a cat scan to be sure. Please keep her in your prayers.
I just don't know what to do.Brianna, as you know, goes to Inman First Baptist for child care. We live in Greer. It's about 27 miles there and back. At the last minute this summer, we decided to put Brianna in a 4yr old preschool that offered late stay. We were going to NY for vacation in 2 days, and school would have been started when we came back. So we had to decide quickly where we were going to send her. Heather told us about Inman and about how much Carson enjoyed it there. I was apprehensive because it was out of the way and not very convenient. She then offered to pick Brianna up from school and watch her at her house until Brian or I came to pick her up. And she did. And I am so very grateful for her. Brianna and Carson are just like brother and sister. And I love Heather like she is my sister. But now, Heather is having to send her little baby girl to the daycare as well. It would just be too much trouble and aggravation on Heather, I feel, to ask to her to continue picking up Brianna. For the past couple months, Brian and I have been picking her up. When I pick her up, I have to go on my lunch break to get her and then bring her back to my Grandmother's where she stays until Brian comes by to pick her up. When Brian picks her up, he is leaving work and hour early which means he has been working on weekends trying to make up the time. It is really just overwhelming. I am really considering moving her to another school in the Greer area. I have been tossing that idea around for about a month now. I really think its time. You just do not know the stress and aggravation involved for me. Imagine: Getting Brianna up and out the door by 7:20. Ride to Inman, drop her off, ride back to Greer for work at 8:15. Take lunch at 2 o'clock-ride back out to inman, back to Greer, drop Brianna off and get back to work by 3 o'clock. And on Brian's side of it. He would have to be at work by 6:30 at Lockheed at the Donaldson Center in Greenville, work through his lunch hour to leave work at 3:30, to take an hour drive from Greenville to Inman to pick Brianna up, and then back home to Greer. It's just too much. I have looked into KidsWorld. They already have 2 establishments. 1 in Lyman the other in Greer. However, they have just opened up a new place past the Target in Greer. They are enrolling. Its $100 a week, and breakfast, lunch, and snack is provided. Also, when Brianna does start into kindergarten, she can be picked up by the daycare van at the school and taken back to KidsWorld. Brian is a little apprehensive, seeing how this is the middle of the year, and she would be the "odd" one out. I don't think so. For one, she is 4. Also, since the center has just opened, all the kids are new and are just starting there. Another pro is that there is a chance that some of the children in her preschool may actually be in her kindergarten class, and she will already know someone. Plus, Brianna and Brian and I will already be accustomed to Kidsworld and how they operate, so that when Brianna actually enters Kindergarten and will need after school care, we will feel comfortable in her going there. I know, I am just rambling. But this has really been playing in my mind for a long time. I had to write it out, I think, just to make since of it all. If any of you have suggestions or comments, I will greatly appreciate them.
Heather, I wanted to tell you thank you for all that you have done for us and Brianna since August. You haven't said that you couldn't pick Brianna up, and I know that you don't mind it and you say its not any trouble. It's just that you have your hands full already picking up 2 kids everyday. I really don't want to add to your aggravation making you have 3. It would be hard to carry Ella and her things, plus helping Brianna and Carson with theirs, then loading them all into your car, strapping them in, listening to Ella cry, Carson & Brianna fuss with each other, all the way back to Greer. Then unload them all and wait for Brianna to get picked up. I know that you are Supermom and everything, but come on now!!!!!!
Probably the only downside to Brianna leaving Inman First, would be missing her little boyfriend Chandler.
It only took a week, but my house is finally looking like a house again, minus all the toys lying around. It's definitely an improvement from the beginning of the week. I have to make the dreaded return back to the DMV tomorrow. I have been out on vacation since December 21st, so it is definitely going to be an adjustment. Plus, they have changed our hours, making it a requirement that we are there at 8:15. Brianna has to go back to school as well. She has gotten so used to going to bed late and waking up late, I am definitely going to pay hell in the morning. Santa brought her an alarm clock, so maybe that will help get her up and going in the mornings. I'll let you know how it goes later. Ya'll have a good week.
For those of you that may not be aware, we have a cat. His name is Mr. Pickles. Brian gave him to me on our first anniversary. I just love him and he loves us too. Whenever we come back from vacation, he lays with us for days because he missed us so much. He cozied up with Brianna last night and again this morning.
13 THINGS I PLAN TO DO IN 2008
1. Get Well....I've been sick long enough:)
2. Unpack.....It's been 5 days already.
3. Turn 31....I'm not looking forward to it, but I guess it's better than the alternative.
4. Organize all my scrapbooking stuff....I keep accumulating more and more and have absolutely no where to put it.
5. Get the scrapbooks caught up....Still working on December 2006.
6. Go to Las Vegas....Planning on going in the spring hopefully.
7. Celebrate Brianna's 5th Birthday...She is growing up way too fast.
8. Celebrate Brian's 40th Birthday....I'm going to go all out for THIS party.
9. Update this blog on a regular basis...stay tuned.
10. Decorate our house....We have lived here for 8 years, it's time I start hanging stuff on the walls.
11. Consolidate bills and work really hard to get out of debt.
12. Strengthen the relationships that I have with family and friends.
13. Try to get pregnant....MAYBE!Brian and I aren't getting any younger, I guess we better start trying. Plus Brianna asks all the time for a baby sister.
"A New Year's Resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous."
Why is it that everyone makes these silly resolutions only to quit on them by the end of January? I think that if you are going to make one, you should stick to it. I have thought long and hard about what I feel that I should work on for 2008. There are many areas that I need to improve in; financially & professionally. However, the most important part of my life is here with my family--Brian & Brianna. It seems that often times, we just get caught up in the day to day aspects of life, forgetting about why we are here in the first place. Looking back on years past, it doesn't seem like Brian & I have been a part of each others life for almost 13 years now. But we have. Times have changed and we have changed. Especially since Brianna was born. We used to be husband and wife, now we are "Mommy" and "Daddy". It's like if we aren't talking about Brianna, we aren't talking at all. (For those of you with children, I am sure you can relate.) I love my husband, and he means everything to me. So with that, I am making this resolution:
In 2008 I plan on being a better wife to my husband. I will listen to him when he needs to talk. I will share all my thoughts and ideas with him. I will give him little pecks on his cheeks and tell him I love him everyday before he leaves to go to work. I will do things with him that he enjoys doing(NOT THAT, you dirty minded people). I will show him in all ways possible that HE is the most important person in my life, and that without him I would be lost.
SOME RESOLUTIONS ARE WORTH KEEPING.
So with the holidays finally over, I thought that I would change the template on my blog. Hope ya'll like it. Just to give you guys a quick update on what we've been up to since we got back home Monday morning. We got home at 2:30 a.m. but didn't go to sleep until 4:00. Santa had visited Brianna here in SC too, so she was too excited to go to bed. Can't blame her for that. Brian and I both spent Monday sick in bed while Brianna was at MyMy's. Tuesday, I managed to get in the shower and put some clothes on. I was invited to come eat dinner up at MaMa's; they were having the customary New Years Day meal of black eyed peas and collard greens. Yeah, it's not something I want to eat everyday, but its supposed to bring you luck and money in the new year. We will just have to see I guess. I also had to venture out to go grocery shopping. There was absolutely NOTHING here in the house to eat or drink. So I'm blogging this Wednesday morning so I must be feeling a little bit better, though I made a doctor's appointment for this afternoon anyway. I have been sick for almost a week now. Enough is enough.
