Halloween 2012

I have to hurry and share about our Halloween. Otherwise, it will be too close to Thanksgiving and Christmas to do so acceptably.

First, a few notes: October 2012 was my all time low of blog posts; I apologize. I really thought I'd do better. Also, I won't be writing a post about the Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family. But, I still recommend it! :) Here is the link to the schedule. If I see any good movies on, I'll post it in the 'I Love Lucy Jean' Facebook group. (Thanks Becca for reminding me!) I find that the countdown has historically been better than the actual 25 days schedule! And, finally, I realize that I need to change the name of this blog to include Olive, and change the photos - all in good time. :) I have had two suggestions on blog names too; oddly, the same title was suggested. I love it! (Thank you Nikki and Nicole!)

Anyway, on with the story - this Halloween was a lot of fun!

We carved pumpkins, which only lasted a day in the afternoon sun. They shriveled bad this year. We enjoyed them for a small while though. I always try to carve something a little challenging. This year, I chose Michael Myers. He is the "killer" from Halloween (1978), otherwise known as the best scary movie ever...with the best scary music ever. If you don't know who he is, shame on you.

My creepy Michael sat next to Olive's pumpkin that Aunt Honey carved for her. :)

On the other side of the steps, Lucy's Cinderella sat next to Heath's scary face. I carved Lucy's for her. She didn't do much, but cheer me on. It was appreciate though. :) Heath's looks kind of like a mean Ninja Turtle to me...

Halloween finally arrived; Olive and I took a trip to the Peru Daycare to trick-or-treat the campus with Lucy.

We weren't able to really get around town that much. But, we parked and strolled around for about half of a mile. Olive slept most of the time.

We ended the evening at home around 8:15 pm, after eating supper. We had three trick-or-treaters then. Lucy was sad that Halloween was over. She still asks to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Apparently, Charlie Brown's Christmas isn't quite as interesting, because she didn't sit still long enough to watch any of it! We'll keep trying...

Here comes Thanksgiving! :)

Second Child

Being a second child myself, I understand. You always have hand-me-downs - clothes, shoes, bows, toys. You don't have many pictures of yourself alone as a child. Or, you don't have many pictures of your childhood at all.

I'm on the left, obviously. Nikki was always much more put together than I was. I was a wreck of a dirty child. And, yes, I have both of my hands down my pants. This was a common thing. Lucy does it too! haha.

As the second child, even rules get handed down to you, although you haven't even had the chance to break them yet.

Your milestones are often compared to the older child. I apparently took longer to walk, talk, and potty train than my sister. She got all of the good stuff first - a new bike, her own telephone line, a television in her room.

You are probably thinking this is similar to the "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" episode of The Brady Bunch. Don't fret; it won't be. You see Jan Brady was the middle child. Something that I've only studied in school and watched on television. Although the second, I was also the youngest. That means along with the bad, you get some good.

You get to learn from your sister's mistakes and see your parent's reactions for punishment. Nikki's teenage rebellion years were coupled with my uneventful years in 6th and 7th grade, which automatically made her seem like "the trouble child."

And, I got all of the fun stuff a few years after hers had aged. I remember her pastel colored bike being two years old when I got my brand new, neon colored bike. She was pretty upset...although I paid for it when her and our friends made fun of me. I was the only kid in town with a Murray bike, everyone else had Huffy bikes.

On Nikki's birthday, I also got a present from my grandparents, probably the most unfair youngest child tradition of all.

I was also pretty spoiled rotten by our grandpa. :) I miss him so much.

The second child is something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. For the most part, Olive will get Lucy's hand-me-down clothes. I know that we will get her new items; however, we have totes and totes of baby clothes that Lucy wore just a few times. Olive will wear them. (Sorry future Olive reading this; it is financially the best decision. Perhaps all of the money we saved on baby clothes went to fabulous, family vacations or your college fund. Think of it that way. ;) ) 

Olive, no doubt, will have twice as many toys as Lucy. Since she will get to play with Lucy's (sometimes) and her own. She will of course get her own at Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, etc.

I vow to try my hardest at taking just as many pictures of Olive, writing just as many blogs about Olive, and filling out Olive's baby book as much. However, I understand with two children, it's going to be tough! I am going to try though...really.

I hope to give the girls equal presents, as to squash jealousy. However, Olive will not get presents on Lucy's birthday, or vice versa.

I really hope to make my girls' childhoods similar in parenting and spoiling. It is hard. Some things you just can't help. But, there are perks to each stage - oldest, youngest, or middle - at least in my opinion. I just want to focus on her as much, yet not neglect Lucy. It's a hard balance that I will undoubtedly discuss in the future. Stay tuned...

I wanted to leave you with this photo from Pinterest.com. It made me laugh...children of the 90s.

19 Week Update

How far along?
I am 19 weeks and 4 days (139 days to go); I am 49.3% through my pregnancy! Yay! Half way there!


Baby is the size of a...
large, heirloom tomato? She is 6 inches from head to rump and 8.5 oz (although at our appointment the ultrasound tech said she was 11 oz!). We could have a chubby baby on our hands again! :) Here is a picture of an heirloom tomato:

Symptoms:
Thank you for all of the concern about my hips. They haven't been bothering me as bad the last few nights (knock on wood). It must be an on-and-off thing for now. I hope it stays away! It is really painful! I feel really good otherwise. I had been sleeping pretty well too; however, last night wasn't very good. I dream like crazy! I just wish I could get some real rest. Also, I got up to go pee four times! No more water for me late in the evening.

I also made the mistake of eating some chocolate candy around 10 pm... :[ I knew that I shouldn't have. I had indigestion then for about an hour following. Blech.

I feel like I am getting to be way to big for only five months of pregnancy. I also feel like I waddle a bit. :{ Already.

Anything new?
There really isn't much, since I have been writing about the baby every post lately. :) The big thing was to find out that it was a girl! :) I am still very excited and love being able to imagine life four months from now. :) Is that enough smiley faces for you? I guess I'm happy and getting a little crazy with them...sorry. 

I wore my first pair of maternity pants last Friday. Ehh...I hate maternity pants. I really do. They are just so baggy looking around the crotch area, especially the khaki ones. I immediately went back to wearing my regular ones with belly bands. We will see how long I can do this. I think I was around 24 weeks with Lucy before I had to give in. Then again, my body was very different back then.

Oh, but I did get a few pairs of yoga capris from Motherhood. They are super comfy! :) 'A+' purchase!

New with Heath?
He has started calling the baby by name and telling people about the name. So, it looks like a name post may be sent out this week. :) I think we will be telling my blog readers, family, and friends; but, we will probably keep the name off of Facebook, for now at least. Many of my family members, who hate the name, don't think anyone would steal it. But, I don't want to chance it. (Paranoid!)

I think being able to call her by name makes it more real to Heath too. It is so nice being able to say, "when the girls get older," and phrases like that. When I say, "Girls," I immediately think of my mom. When she would yell at my sister and I as children, it was always that term.

"Girls! Get away from there!"
"Girls! Don't touch that!"
"Girls! Come inside!"

I try to think back to myself as a child and I never imagined having two girls, just like my family, growing up. :) Heath probably didn't imagine it either! haha. Last night, Lucy and I were laying in mine and Heath's bed. We were snuggling, along with her baby doll, Aurora, and her stuffed horse, Bonnie. He looked at us, smiled, and said, "What am I going to do with three girls?"

New with Lucy?
I wish that I could say that we were closer to achieving all of our goals before baby is born. 1) Get Lucy moved to her big girl room and have her stay in bed at night. 2) Get Lucy potty-trained. 3) Get rid of the binkie.

I think Lucy is getting used to her big girl room and doing a bit better at night. But, the binkie isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I know it needs to be gone at least a couple of months before the baby is using one in front of her. It is just tough. I don't think Heath and I are ready for that battle.  The potty-training was looking pretty promising there for a while. But, now she is lying to us about it. When we ask her if she has to go or if she did go, she says, "No."  It is totally obvious though! Still working on it...

We have her practice saying the baby's name. She is really good at pronouncing it. :) Ahh...I can't wait to see them interact. I hope it is a smooth and happy transition for Lucy - being the baby, to sharing the spotlight!

Anything else?
Not really...we are pretty boring these days. We continue to prep the house and financially prepare for the baby. But, it still seems like forever from now. I tell you though, once September hits, it'll be the first of the year before we know it! Maternity leave, football season, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, winter break...I cannot wait!


Have a great day!

"It hurt."

This is Lucy's arm. I bet you will never guess what happened there...

 - My Office telephone rings -

Blah, Blah, Blah, "This is Cori."

"Cori, this is K at DayCare." (That always makes me nervous!)

"Oh, hello!" I say all coy and stuff.

"I just wanted to call you and let you know that Lucy got bit today."

I admit; my first thought was, "by what?" But, it dawned on me quickly as I muttered, "Ohh..."

K continued, "We have a biter [in DayCare]. I put a cold cloth on it; but, it didn't break the skin. She just may have a bruise in the next couple of days."

I didn't really know what to say. I don't really remember where the conversation even went after that. We discussed Lucy's own demeanor and apparently she is a "pusher." To which Heath and I both agreed, if she shoved the girl after she was bit, then good for her! I certainly hope she sticks up for herself. :{

I just imagine poor Lucy staring at the girl in confusion, while she bit her arm. Then, slowly starting a silent, gasping cry. :( Poor girl. But, for the rest of the day, I tried to put it out of my mind. I mean, what was I going to do? say?

I know one thing, I wanted to know who did it. K didn't indicate who had. I knew that I would hold a personal grudge on said child...it was killing me.  I figured if I asked Lucy, she would tell me.

When I picked Lucy up at DayCare, I immediately went to her arms. I saw the same red, teeth shaped mark as you did above, with a little bit of swelling too. I said, "Well, someone small bit you." Lucy looked at me with a concerned face and said the name. I didn't understand her at first, until the other DayCare ladies told me who it was. Then, the name became clear to me. Ahhh....it was another little girl, just a bit older than Lucy. The ladies went on to tell me that the little girl bit two other kids that day too. I thought, hopefully her parents have been given some type of warning or something. That is a little out of hand! Three times? Three different children? That is a serious behavior issue.

All night, every time we said "arm" or "hurt." Lucy would say, "[So-and-So] bite me. It hurt."

It was pretty sad. These are the hardest parts of having a child in DayCare. I just want to protect Lucy every second of the day, at least until she's...um, let's say...18...haha. Or better yet, forever!

There really isn't much I can do. I know that the Director was concerned and knew that I'm the psycho mommy that she might want to call and warn. I guess that is kind of nice to know. I just hope Lucy doesn't start biting people now!

"Rough"

Sorry I haven't been around lately. I've been really busy again and really stressed out. Going to work after the holidays sucks - plain and simple.

Anyway, we have been getting back into the routine of things. Yesterday, I picked Lucy up from DayCare to experience another DayCare milestone. Wanna hear about it? It doesn't matter; because, I'm going to tell you anyway. It was far too frustrating.

I walk in to see Lucy dressed up in a cute little outfit. The provider and I start to talk about the outfit as I pull out my phone and snap a picture.

With a poofy hat on, I didn't notice anything different with Lucy. So, I peeled the clothing and headed to grab her coat. While getting Lucy ready to leave, the provider says, "Lucy has another little bruise on her forehead."

I brushed Lucy's bangs out of the way and see that she has a bruise right above her eyebrow; it still looked kind of red and a little swollen. My first thought is: "typical Lucy." She is constantly bumping her head on things. It happens at home all the time.

I waited to hear how she fell or ran into the doorway. Nope. The, the provider started to say something else. This time, she was choosing her word wisely. I could tell by all the stammering.

"She...well, they were...um, they...well,...they were being a little rough with her today."

My first thought was, "Who is they?"

My raised eyebrow of complete un-impressiveness must have made her continue on with her detail-lacking story.

"A lot of kids were in time-out today."

Okay...

While I finished buttoning up Lucy's coat and put her stocking cap on her, my mind was in a whirl. I could feel my face get hot with anger as I scanned the children in the room. Him...yep. I bet it was him. Or, maybe him.

At that moment two older children started to argue over some toys. One was maybe 6 or 7, definitely elementary school aged, and the other was 5. The five year old had walked up and snatched away the older child's toys. The older kid took them back. The five year old started whining. 

"Uhhhh......huh...huh...huh.....oooooo..."

I mean whiny-whining. Like, I wanted to put Lucy down, go over to him, grab him by the shoulders, tell him that he was 5 years old and to act like it...

I needed to exit and quickly.  

That probably sounds really awful to some of you children lovers out there. Sorry. I think I've addressed my total annoyance with misbehaved children.

I grabbed Lucy's bag, snarled at the children, held back something snarky to say, and muttered a "Bye."

As I walked across the parking lot I thought more and more about it. It really bugged me. I imagined poor little Lucy getting picked on. I looked at her and told her that I was sorry. I wished I could have been there for her. Violence is not the answer; but, at that moment, I hoped that she got a hit in too. I hoped that she did something really awful to them, like broke their toy or spit on them at lunch...something to at least make up for the hitting.

I wanted to ask DayCare who did it. Which kid? But, that would only end up with me strongly disliking the child....for, possibly, ever.

Now, I realize that those thoughts are irrational and unforgiving, especially for children. So, I apologize.

I just don't want Lucy to ever be picked on. I want to always be there for her, especially when she is too young to stick up for herself.

I immediately called Heath and vented. Why was she with those bigger children anyway? There wasn't a fight leading up to said bruise? Should we ask exactly what happened?

To be honest, maybe I shouldn't know. Again, maybe ignorance really is bliss. :[

Terrible 22 Months?

Lucy is taking this "terrible twos" thing to a whole new level.  Apparently she misunderstood and thought since she was 22 months this month, she should start with the "terrible twos."

When I told my daycare provider how Lucy was acting, she said, "She's too young for that." 

My thoughts exactly. Perhaps we are getting a jump start on this and it will be over sooner as well. :) 

The other morning I tried to get Lucy ready for daycare. She was a mess. If I tried to brush her hair, she batted my hand away. She wouldn't let me brush her teeth and kept yelling, "No!" Even putting her in the car seat was a struggle...literally.

I think Heath considered it to be a bad mix of inpatient, tired Cori and stubborn, tired Lucy.  I tried to tell him that she was just being testy, and perhaps she was a bit sleepy. That would help explain the extreme testiness.

He then got a taste of it that evening. Lucy was acting up at the dinner table. She was spitting water out and laughing. I told her, "No. Don't spit water." She laughed and continued. This went back and forth a few times, until I threatened to take the water away and ended up doing so. She thought that was hilarious and spit in my general direction.

Heath told Lucy to "tell Mommy sorry."

Her response? "No!"

This was followed by an eyebrow dip and a stern head shake. He insisted that she tell me sorry and she insisted on not doing so...I think he was finally starting to understand what I was talking about.

You see, Heath doesn't discipline Lucy much. He is completely wrapped around that little girl's finger. If she wants to eat bananas, pineapple, and peaches for supper, so be it. If she wants to sleep with us, while sleepily kicking Heath in the head and pulling my hair, so be it.

He'll see. Pretty soon, he'll see. I have a feeling the terrible twos have just only reared their ugly head. We have a year or more to go of unpredictable fits...in the grocery store, while putting her in the car seat, in restaurants...

I simply pray for patience. Please Lord give me more patience. Remind me to speak calmly and try to explain myself to her. I know she doesn't understand; but, it is good practice.

"I love you; but, you can't have that."
"I love you; but, you can't scream in the grocery store."
"I love you; but, you need to eat your ham first."

Please Lord give me the patience to not just turn the radio up when she is screaming in the car seat, after miles of pleading.

I feel like a bad mom admitting that I don't handle her fits well. I don't like raising my voice to her. I don't want her to think I just yell all the time. I try very hard to be cognizant of my own behavior during the fits. But, sometimes, I can feel the annoyance. Perhaps I need practice? Perhaps I will learn how to deal with these situations as time passes?

I usually do pretty good during the first five minutes or so. I just need to learn how to prolong that...

Heath does well at trying to avoid any melt downs by distracting her with toys or television. I kind of forget about the "distraction" option. I am worried though that it won't work some day or that she will become spoiled and not actually learn to behave in public.

How do or did you all handle the unavoidable terrible twos? Fits in the middle of a restaurant meal? The flopping on the floor, rolling around, crying tantrums?

As of now, when I feel frustration, instead of yelling I usually huff. "Ugh!" 

Unfortunately, when Lucy is frustrated, she has started huffing too. It only reiterates why I shouldn't raise my voice!

Parents

Let me just say that parents are funny. I say that, all while forgetting I'm a parent too now.

I often discuss my family and how much I love them. I talk about becoming a mother and how thankful I am to be blessed...etc. Never do my parents comment on those types of statements. I occasionally get a comment about how cute Lucy is or possibly a chuckle over something I mentioned. But, after yesterday's post, both had something to say. Apparently the joke about my jeans hit a chord.

My mom asks out of nowhere, "You were being sarcastic weren't you?"

"What?"

"You were being sarcastic about the jeans."

"What? Oh, ha ha; I was just kidding."

I didn't really think much more of it, until I received a text from my dad just half an hour later.

"I really don't see that much wrong with those jeans-?"

I couldn't do anything, but laugh. I was kidding mom and dad. Of all the things, that is what they both comment on.

Now, I will tell you why I was kidding about the topic though, and I'm sure all children say this. My parents put my sister and I in some pretty hilariously awesome outfits through the years.

I would like to enter this photo into evidence, as Exhibit A.

My grandma made these dresses for us, which is pretty cute. :) And, velvet was in back then. However, the bows were just over the top. Ha ha. I laugh because I got the sweet end of this deal. My shoulder bows are only about half the size as the one on my sister's head. It actually flops to one side, because it weighed so much!

Please know that there are a lot more photos where that one came from; but, I don't have time to show you my childhood albums. :)

Oh well, what can I do now? I guess I do what I have to do. I, now, must put Lucy in embarrassing clothing. I can blame it on the heredity cycle. :)

Shout out to my parents (because apparently that phrase grabs their attention) - the joking is all in fun. The eighties and nineties were horrible to anyone and everyone.

Cough, tight perms, cough, shoulder pads, cough, mini-mullets...hmm, I must be coming down with something. :)

I love you mom and dad. Although most of my childhood photos are embarassing or are of me in the background of Nikki's photos, haha, I loved my childhood just the same. :) It was a good time. Thank you.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Here Comes Santa Claus

This is going to a positive and exciting Christmas-themed rant. So, if you are one of those people who refuse to acknowledge Christmas until after Thanksgiving, you may want to exit your browser.

For those of you who are still here, thank you for sharing in my Christmas madness! :)  Is it just me or is Christmas somewhat intoxicating? It really is. The way I feel at Christmas time easily surpasses any other time of year. Even going to work I am jolly.  Haha.....okay, maybe not AT work; but, you get the point. Everyone becomes a little less selfish. You wish, and hope, and pray a little harder. You believe in miracles a little more. Faith in mankind is at its all time high. Time slows. Reflection of your life no longer involves your house, your income, or your weight. You are just thankful...

Which brings me to another point that we probably shouldn't bypass like that old, high school acquaintance that you pretend not to see - Thanksgiving. Being thankful is a good thing. We try to teach our children about it; so, why not practice what we preach?

I am so thankful for the life I've been given. I am truly blessed. Thank you to all of my friends, family, and four-legged friends and family for taking part in it! :)

Now...what started this Christmas rant? Why, Santa Claus ofcourse! He is coming to our town tonight!  We are taking Lucy. She is going to freak! And when I say "freak," I don't mean the way I would react to an encounter with the gorgeous Matthew Lawrence. I mean the type of "freak" reaction I would have to a real-life Michael Meyers (that's the Halloween killer to those of you who aren't up on your pop-culture - tsk, tsk).

I expect a reaction similar to this:

Yep. That is a little Cori, clutching onto what we can only assume is some type of candy bribe to stand by this creepy stranger. Imagine the confusion in that tiny, blonde, mushroom hair covered head of mine...

"Don't talk to strangers? Unless they have a beard covering their entire face, they wear red, and give you candy? Sit on his lap? Whaaa?"

Just a shout out to my parents - those jeans are awesome. Thank you.

I lied. I think Lucy's "freak out" will be much, much worse than this. I expect the picture to be with her eyes closed, face red, limbs flailing, and doing the stiff leg. What is the stiff leg you ask? Oh, you know - when a child doesn't want to sit down, they stiffen their legs, and are no longer able to bend at the waist. It's very board like...and frustrating as hell.

I won't be upset tonight for a few reasons. 1) I've had time to mentally prepare for said "freak out". I deal better when it isn't in the middle of DSW and she flops on the floor. 2) I totally freaked out too. I don't want to be a hypocrite. 3) The pictures we will take will be hilarious when she is older. 4) If the picture is good enough, it could be Christmas card material. 5) I didn't properly prepare her for Santa.

I told myself that I would show her pictures and tell her how awesome he is. I planned to even give her candy whenever I introduced the picture of Santa - some real positive conditioning. I failed. Santa snuck up on me, to tell you the truth! Before I knew it, he was making his way to town.

So, tonight officially marks the beginning of the "festivities" and I couldn't be more pee-pants excited! Bring on Santa, bring on the fit, bring on the pre-Christmas (otherwise known as Thanksgiving)...haha..., and bring on Christmas!

Happy Thursday everyone! Be thinking about us at around 5:30 pm tonight, when we see Santa! Yippee!

I Wear Lipstick Now

Are there ever times in your life, where you just take a moment to just step back for a second? To just halt your mind and look at where you are, what you are doing, and what got you here?

I do that a lot.

The other day, I was listening to music on my iPhone and had my entire library on shuffle. It ranges from Dolly Parton, to The Beatles, Motley Crue, JaRule, New Kids on the Block, Bruno Mars, and even to Alanis Morissette (to name just a few) - pretty much a ridiculous mix. Needless to say, I wasn't shocked when "I Need You Tonight" by Backstreet Boys came on. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. It had been a while since I've heard and listened to the song. It immediately took me back to a time when life was "simple".

I had just finished 7th grade and the summer had just begun.



First, let's all take a moment to appreciate that rockin' skort, with matching butterfly top. Then, I'm going to take a moment and be sad that I was once that blonde and am not any more. :( And, finally, I will close with some thoughts about how large my head/facial features seem in regard to my body. haha. Not my best moment...

Anyway, on with the story -

It was early in the morning and I was somehow already awake and around at 7:30. (It was probably because I had stayed up half the night before!) My parents had already left for work and my sister wasn't home. So, I did what any thirteen year old girl would do. I stuck a CD in the player and cranked it. At that particular time, I chose the Millennium CD by Backstreet Boys, (before they had the cool acronym, BSB). I think it was track number 5...

"Oooopen uuuup....your heart to me...mmmm....."

I remember folding clothes, cleaning up my room, belting out lyrics alongside Nick Carter. I of course was obsessed with a boy too.  Want to know who? This punk...

This was taken while we were in high school. Yes - I was blinking.

I know you probably don't believe it; but, I was crushing on Heath back when I was 13. We even "dated" or whatever that means at that age, for like three months.

What can I say? I guess we just couldn't keep away from each other and after love and marriage, God blessed us with this bundle of beautiful, sweet, awesomeness -

Anyway, I remember thinking how boring and lame my life was. I didn't have enough 'cool' clothes and I didn't live near any of my friends. I had to help with laundry and dishes. I had it rough...

Not!   <----- Was that reminiscent of the late 1990's enough for you? haha.

I didn't worry about my weight and think about every single piece of food I put in my mouth. I didn't stress about the house not being clean or unorganized. I wasn't thinking about how important it was to spend time with the family. Money wasn't even something I considered. I took sleeping-in for granted, as I did with all of my free time. I was too busy making a "Girls I Don't Like" list on my closet wall to worry about that stuff.

Isn't it crazy? Those days are long, long gone. I have "big people" problems now. Heck, I'm an adult, a wife, a mother.....I wear lipstick now. No more Bon-Bon lip gloss for this gal...

Changes happen too fast. If you blink, you'll miss them.

Serious Side-Note: I barely made it through writing this post because of the news coverage of the tornadoes. I have such a heavy heart. I complain about the stupidest things and there are people out there who are really hurting, aching, and unsure of how to go on. My heart sinks when I think about the Hamil family from Piedmont, OK. I am so very, very blessed. I just want to hug my family and never let go. Please, God bless those affected by these storms...

Lucy's First Egg Hunt

Last Saturday, Lucy had her first Easter Egg Hunt! :)  It was one of the community egg hunts and as I mentioned before, there were some pretty fun prizes.

I didn't get the chance to practice with Lucy at all. In fact, we just play with the plastic eggs at home; so, she didn't quite understand the hiding/looking for them. And, when she got to one and picked it up, she had no desire to look for more. She was happy playing with the first egg.

Oh well...I think she had lots of fun.

When we first got there, we all gathered in the building. All the children were running around,  playing like crazy.  A sweet little girl came up and gave Lucy a ball.

Lucy was in awe of all the children running around. She loves to watch children play. So, she just sat there, like that, until the hunt started.  They separated kids into two groups: 5 years and up and four years and under. Heath and I knew right away that Lucy would be lucky to get any eggs.

She did get some candy. The 'bigger' kids didn't seem to want that; they were too busy looking for eggs.


And, she found TWO eggs! :) 

I know what you all are thinking...I helped her out a lot. Just so you know that I didn't, here are some photos.

I did have to make her put it in the basket, to look for more.

All in all, she found two green eggs! :) Now, she just needs some ham.....haha....lame joke, I know. I sometimes just can't contain the corniness.

The eggs only had jelly beans inside, no big prizes. But, it didn't matter; we enjoyed watching Lucy. It was a great practice run for when the Easter Bunny comes this Sunday. :) I can't wait! We are dying eggs tonight!

HAPPY EASTER

EVERYONE!

"Back in My Day..."

Almost every time I use or see a home phone, I think of my nephew Alex.

Let me explain.

Alex is five years old. He is exposed to lots of technology and pop culture. Unfortunately, he doesn't understand 'the home phone.'

We were at my grandparent's house and they, of course, still have a home line. After dinner, we were all sitting around visiting, when the phone rang. The phone is super old school, so it sounded like an actual bell ringing. The thing is practically deafening for anyone within a few feet.

My grandpa got up and moved toward the phone. Alex ran over to it, pointed at it, and said, "Open this one."

We all laughed at his choice of words. He was used to his little, play cell phone that opened.

Throughout the conversation with the telemarketer, my grandpa had asked "What?" and "Could you repeat that?"

Alex insisted a 'bad signal' must be causing the issues (apparently not the 71 year old ear drum).

This all being said, I realized a few things: 1) I'm feeling old, and 2) Lucy is going to be the same way!

In my sadness, I decided to look back at a few things that I will appreciate for years to come, even if Lucy won't understand. These things may be gone, but they'll live on in my heart forever...

The Original Nintendo

An Innocent Britney Spears

TalkBoy (or a TalkGirl, in my case)

The Original Oregon Trail

  



Watch Rings

Polaroid Cameras

And, of course, Pluto...as our 9th planet

What do you miss, that is or will be long gone before your children can enjoy it?

I don't go by "Strawberry Shortcake" anymore...

...call me "Shorts" or just "Straws-B!"

Let me explain...

I was recently sent an article from my friend about how toys are changing, evolving, if you will. Girl toys are apparently becoming more sexy and flashy.  You can read the article too, here, on MSNBC, if you want.

I read it and these were my initial reactions: 1) Yes - I can see them somewhat updating the dolls. 2) Hmm...I don't really remember Tinkerbell dolls. 3) Why are Bratz Dollz not on here? Sorry - I may be off on the 'Z' placement, instead of 'S'. Stupid. Anyway...they're awful. And, 4) Strawberry Shortcake got a makeover? I'll have to google her!

I am apparently completely out of the girl toy loop! Where have I been? Take a look at some of these changes! Although they aren't all 'sexy' changes; I just had to investigate.

Strawberry Shortcake
When I played with her, she was petite and had an enormous head. She had semi-crazy, boy-hair, and big eyes. She was so out of proportion that she couldn't even play with Barbies...she was just too odd. This is what they have now!

When you say Strawberry Shortcake, I think of two things: Enormous head. Gone. The smell of strawberries. This is still TBD.

Polly Pocket
When I played with her, she could actually fit in your pocket! She was microscopic almost. Face details? Who needs a face, when you are that small and all you do is stand in little circles? All I knew was that she was blonde and occasionally wore a pink shirt and jeans. Period.

Is this a barbie? The face looks exactly the same. Again, why is Polly so big? I could NOT fit all of those things in my pocket. And, since when does Polly wear skirts? And, change clothes?

My Little Pony
Although they still sell the 'My Little Ponies' that I remember; they are making new ones too. The ones I remember were short and stocky. They looked young and little sheepish.

This is apparently 'My Little Pony Princess Celestia'...?  Why is she so lanky? Is it because she is a unicorn? Those are some pretty fancy 'shoes.'

Rainbow Brite
This was it; the one that put me over the edge. Rainbow Brite had yarn for hair. She had cloth legs and was unable to stand on her own. The only part of her that was hard was her head, which resulted in some major top-heaviness. She had these crazy hairs that stuck out the side of her ponytail; it made me feel even more connected to her. haha.

Who the heck is this impostor? I refuse to believe that she is really Rainbow. I refuse to believe that she is the Uncle Fester that went to the Bermuda Triangle, lost her memory, and showed up 10 years later. It simply isn't her.

At least I was comforted when I saw that Raggedy Ann was still her same old, hobo self. Whew! :)

As you can see, many changes have been made. I am not sure I am completely on board with the changes being 'sexier'. I do think that they are becoming flashier and the dolls appear to be wearing makeup or more of it. I always thought of these dolls as young. Now, it seems like they are all older...which makes me sad. Little girls should NOT be in any hurry to grow up. Hopefully, parents are relaying that message (as if that really works though, right?).

And, I realize that all toys have to change, "to keep up with the times", if you will. But, again, it makes me sad. I hope Lucy can stay grounded and cherish her youth for as long as possible. I guess I should start working on my spiel.

Which one shocked you the most? Have you seen any toys that have shockingly changed?

All photos were from Amazon.com.

Living for Tomorrow

I was holding Lucy earlier this week and started to daydream. I thought about that two-story Barbie house my dad built me when I was 8 years old. It was the most creative and crafty thing a young girl could imagine and even looking back on it today, I appreciate the time it took him. It had stained, wood floors, beige wallpaper with maroon hearts, a second-level patio, and tongue depressors cut in half for shingles. The master bedroom was fit for a Barbie queen! The light pink canopy bed, matching sofa and love seat were decoratively organized across from the patio door. My sister and I played with that house until all hours of the evening (probably ten o’clock or so, but as a child it seemed late!).

I then quickly listed, in my mind, all the wonderful toys that meant so much to me as a child: the pink Barbie Cadillac, my hunter-green convertible, dodge viper matchbox car, my pink Polly Pocket mansion with a swimming pool, and even my Murray bicycle. Ahhh…..childhood and the summer off of school! It makes me smile just thinking about it. I cannot wait until Lucy gets old enough to play with those toys.

Unfortunately, my dad threw my old, hand-made Barbie house out. I wasn’t present of course. However, I did win the fight to keep the pink Cadillac. It is a little worn, but I am sure Lucy won’t mind. I imagine my dad making Lucy her own Barbie house someday, one that’s as big as she is tall! :) We’ll see…

In the middle of all these wonderful thoughts of my childhood, I realized…I am living for tomorrow. Every day I go to work and imagine all the things that my future holds. I hope and sometimes pray for what tomorrow will hold for me and my family. Why? Why do I have such a hard time living in the now?

During work, all I can think about is the evening. During the week, all I can think about is the weekend. During the year, all I can think about is Christmas season…then it all starts over after the New Year.

So, I have decided to try to stop. I need to stop. Lucy is 3 months and 2 weeks old already! Whoa, I know. I am going to miss out on so much of her childhood if I keep dreaming about all the things we WILL do. I need to realize that I am living a dream! Through the entire nine months of my pregnancy I dreamt about the day I got to hold my little girl. Now, I am; I am living the very role that I played with my Barbies, just 16 years ago. The names have changed of course; I will never be a ‘Michelle,’ nor will Heath ever be a ‘Derek.’ But, the loving home is the same – minus the lovely patio. ;)

Today, May 20th, is just a very small portion of my life on this earth. But, I will try to remember it as a day that I worked to provide for my little family and spent the evening doing exactly what I wanted – spending it with family. Today is great and tomorrow, well, it’ll come soon enough.