Ali's Blog

I Must Confess

2009-11-05T09:26:00.002-05:00

This week’s spin cycle is on parent confessions. My confession is about food and my son. I have been called a food Nazi. Why? You may ask. Because, I am very strict on my son’s diet. He did not have sugar until his first birthday and he probably only had sugar a few times between his first and second birthday. (And, that would be at other kid’s birthday parties)

When I pack my son’s lunch, I pack fruit and veggies every day. (It is up to Eli to eat them.) And, I pack NO snacks with lunch. (Unless you count yogurt) I figure, he is given snacks at school. No need for him to eat an extra snack over healthier lunch food.

When my son starting eating solid food up until about 18 months, he ate his veggies in every color of the rainbow. (Except broccoli but he ate other green veggies) By 18 months, the number of veggies he would eat dwindled and now at 2.5 years old, he eats corn only.

I offer veggies everyday to him and if he eats them great, and if he doesn’t, I know I will be serving him corn later in the week.

The obesity rate in kids scares me so I do not offer Eli sugar or saturated fats. Now that he is older, if he asks for a cookie or snack, I give it to him in moderation. I cringe when my in-laws visit because all my MIL wants to give Eli is crap and saturated fat. Does she think he will love her more for giving him things that mommy does not offer? I don’t know but I always have to watch her around him when it comes to food. I don’t understand what a 1 year old needs more butter on his bread than a 32 year old? (Maybe I should ask her.)

So, what is my confession? When I need Eli to cooperate quickly (getting ready for school when we wake up late), I offer him crap food. Nothing major. Maybe a couple of fruit snacks (not the whole package). Just enough to keep him still while I get him dressed!

Am I a hypocrite? I hope not. But, that is my mommy confession.

Random Thoughts Tuesday

2009-11-03T07:52:00.000-05:00

I have been following Random Thoughts Tuesday for a while but have yet to participate. I always have lots of random thoughts in my mind but never the time to write them down. I decided today, I would take five minutes out of my day and at least get a few thoughts down!

Does anyone else besides me wonder why Dora can’t afford to buy clothes that cover her belly? She is a mega super star. Can’t she afford clothes that fit?

Do people have any respect any more? We still had families (with toddler aged kids) trick or treating at 9:30pm. I had a huge sign on my door- “My baby is sleeping. Do not ring the door bell.” yet we had a few families (with adults) ringing the door bell for more candy. Shouldn’t there be a time at night where this stops so one can go to bed?

To my neighbor who gave my son while trick or treating information about her church, HOW DARE YOU! I have no interest in your church and NEVER will. Keep your religion at home and do NOT spread your beliefs to other people.

Speaking of Halloween: The lazy people that I see on Halloween really bother me. In my neighborhood, parents like to drive their kids from house to house. Instead of giving these kids candy, I would rather give them a fitness tip written on an index card. What are we teaching our kids? No wonder the obesity percentage is very high for children.

Speaking of lazy people: The parents of my neighborhood drive their kids to the bus stop. This is another pet peeve of mine. My neighborhood is not very big and there are three bus stops in my neighborhood but parents feel that their precious children’s feet are too good for walking. When Eli is old enough, I will be the mean mom that will REFUSE to drive him down the block to the bus stop. He will actually have to use his feet and walk!

Well, I wrote down more thoughts than I expected for my first Random Thoughts Tuesday. Visit Keely's place at The Un Mom for more random thoughts!

Halloween

2009-10-23T16:40:00.009-04:00

Jen's Spin Cycle this week is about Halloween. I thought I would showcase how adorable Eli has been for each Halloween.

Year 1: My Little Bear

Year 2: My Soccer Player

Year 3: (this year) My Hockey Player

Wow- does he grow fast!

Night Games

2009-10-23T16:00:00.001-04:00

For all of you who know me, I love FSU football. When we moved to GA and were living 6 hours away, I drove pregnant and by myself for 6 home games that year. I have had season tickets for years and go to as many games as I can!

When I was in college, I loved the night games. You would go to the game, the team would win, and then you would go directly to the bars to celebrate. This schedule works well when one is in college.

Now, that it is 10 years later, I am not so fond of the night games. Last night, FSU played UNC and the game started at 8pm. I am not one to miss a single second of the game but I was wondering how I would stay awake for this game. (I usually get ready for bed around 10pm!)

I managed to stay up for most of the game. I feel asleep for about 5 minutes and missed FSU scoring but I am paying for it today. I am tired.

So, the moral of the story is: Night games are great for those in college but horrible for adults who have full time jobs and a child to take care of.

Drink Up

2009-10-22T16:26:00.001-04:00

I recently had a much deserved massage and my massage therapist asked me how much water I drink a day. If you asked me this two years ago when I was nursing and as healthy as I could be, I would have replied 4 cups a day at least! But, I can’t say I eat or drink as well as I used to. I don’t like the taste of coffee and if I have more than one soda a day, I get the jitters. But, I do like to drink juice. Lots of yummy sugar filled juice and working from home, I have the opportunity to drink as much as I want!

Anyways, I responded to my massage therapist, I don’t drink as much as I should- about 2 cups a day. She told me that I should be drinking half my weight in ounces of water a day! So 120lbs = 60 ounces of water a day. That is a lot of water.

So, now I am on a mission to drink 60 ounces of water a day. In the month since I was told this information, I have succeeded twice. I thought I would succeed today but I am down 30 ounces and only a few hours left in my day.

I have been drinking about 30 ounces of water a day and I tell you- I feel great. It is much better than drinking that much juice a day. I hope to keep up my consumption of water each day.

Spin Cycle - Homemade Hot Fudge

2009-10-20T08:02:00.003-04:00

It has been ages since I added to Jen's spin cycle. But with the topic being recipes, I have no excuse. Here is a recipe for homemade hot fudge to top your favorite ice cream treat:

Ingredients:

3 squares of Bakers Chocolate (unsweetened)

3 tablespoons of butter

1 cup of sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk (1 small can)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

Melt chocolate and butter on medium heat in small sauce pan. When both are almost melted, slowly add milk and sugar alternating between each. Continue constantly stirring. Add vanilla. Stir until fudge thickens and sugar has dissolved. Fudge is even better the 2nd day reheated. Serve over ice cream and enjoy!

Why?

2009-10-12T07:27:00.005-04:00

I will take a break from the vacation posts for this small note about what is new in our household. Eli has started to question everything "Where is XXX? How much?" and his favorite is "Why?"

Here is how our conversation from breakfast went this morning.

Me: "Finish your cherrios."

Eli: "Why?"

Me: "Because it will make you big and strong."

Eli: "Why?"

Me: "Because it is healthy for you."

Eli: "Why?"

Me: "Because of the nutrients."

Eli: "Why?"

Me: "Because I said so."

Eli: "Why?"

Me: "Because I said so."

Eli: "Why?"

And it went on and on from there. I did not think the "Why" stage came until later but it is very cute. (at least for now)

In Guest Room Babysitter

2009-10-12T07:27:00.001-04:00

On our cruise, I tried to keep Eli to his regular routine. I know if Eli gets enough sleep and eats well that he is a true angel but if he does not get enough sleep and has too much sugar, the little devil side of him comes out.

Eli usually has a two hour nap during the day and then sleeps from 7:30pm – 6:45am at night. We were not able to give him a nap every day because of different activities going on so I was insistent that he needed to go to bed ON TIME!

Lowell and I were on vacation and we did not want to sit in our room from 7:30pm for the rest of the night so I hired a babysitter from the cruise line to watch Eli as he slept. The two nights that we hired a babysitter, I had the sitter come to the room after Eli had fallen asleep.

The first night of having a sitter a nice woman from China arrives. Unfortunately, Eli was not quite asleep when she arrived. She asked if she should feed him, give him a drink etc. I said no- just let him fall asleep and that he should be out soon. I then told her that once he has been out for 15 minutes, she can turn on the TV, use the book light I brought to read etc. She said thank you but she will just sit there as Eli slept. I again told her that he would not wake up once he has been out for a little while and please make herself comfortable and watch tv or read etc.

Lowell and I come back three hours later and Eli is asleep and the babysitter is sitting on the floor in the dark.

Now, I should describe the room to you. If you have been on a cruise before, you can imagine, the room is NOT big. In our room, you walk in and there is a small closet (picture a small pantry closet) on one side and the bathroom on the other side. There is a small desk next to the closet and then the pack n play and bed. There is NO room to walk. I will post a picture once they are uploaded.

So, we hired a babysitter the next night. This time I was able to meet her beforehand. She was helping us at the guest relations desk and told us she would be our sitter for the night. Again I encouraged her to bring a book, she could watch tv etc. I told her Eli would be sleeping the same time. She said thank you but she will just sit in the dark while he sleeps. And she did.

The babysitter gets paid $12 an hour so I think that is pretty decent for sitting in the dark while my son sleeps!

A Much Needed Vacation

2009-10-11T21:35:00.001-04:00

We finally got away. Last week, Lowell, Eli and I traveled with friends and their kids to the Bahamas on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It is always wonderful to get away but especially when you leave your cell phone and computer behind.

I work for a Fortune 500 company and work many hours. During the week, I usually work 9-10 hours a day and work a few hours over the weekend. It was nice to take this vacation and leave the work computer behind. But, the problem is that the work does not stop while I am away. It just grows.

I returned from vacation to approximately 150 e-mails that I needed to do something with. I am a project manager and manage multiple projects at a time. Unfortunately, I am back from vacation but will be working long hours this week to catch up on work missed.

The vacation though was wonderful. I hope to blog about it this week. I really did find time to relax which I needed. I loved keeping my mind away from work and everything else. I also treasured the time that I spent with my family.

Surviving the heat

2009-09-25T15:20:00.003-04:00

I was born in South Florida, lived in Florida for 30 years of my life, I love the heat.... at least I thought I did.

I have been living in Georgia for a couple of years now. The humidity is less where I live, the summers are mild and the winters are brutal (at least to a Floridian). Growing up, I always loved the hot weather and the summers. Unfortunately, I am not used to the heat anymore.

I went to Gainesville last weekend to see a football game with my husband and son. I am so happy that we had a link to go inside the air condition areas. After being outside for the first quarter, I was done and ready for the AC. I spent more than half the game indoors.

This weekend, I am at my alma mater in Tallahassee. Weather says for gametime tomorrow, it will be 90 degrees outside. I am not looking forward to that. Normally, I get to the game early, stay the entire game, enjoy the heat and now I am afraid that I will have to leave the game early due to the heat.

It is amazing how your body changes over just a couple of years.

New banner

2009-09-21T07:47:00.001-04:00

In celebration of football season, I have changed my banner picture. GO NOLES!

Cute saying from Eli

2009-09-21T07:35:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I took a couple of hours to myself and went grocery shopping. When I came home, Eli said to me "I am so happy to see you."

So sweet.

Missing Florida

2009-04-06T14:17:00.001-04:00

I am a south Floridian at heart. Born in Hollywood, Florida. Raised in Miramar, Fl and then Coral Springs, Florida. I left South Florida when I left for college in 1995 and have not been back except to visit.

I left South Florida for North Florida for college. (Go Noles!) I lived in Tallahassee for 11 years (minus 9 months for a job in Tampa where I was laid off in 2001). I got my undergraduate and masters degree from FSU and worked in Tallahassee for a few years.

Now, I live in North Georgia and have been here about 3 years. I miss Florida. I miss being near family and friends and I miss the weather. Today is April 6th, the middle of the day, and it is 46 degrees outside. Tomorrow, they predict snow flurries. The heat has been on in my house since mid October. I have worn shorts once in the past 6 months.

I can’t complain though. Even though my utilities bill is about 4 times the amount as in Florida, my house is double the size. You can get a lot more here for the money in real estate. I have met some great people here and had my beautiful little boy here.

Knowing my husband, we will never again be living in Florida but I will always be around to visit.

A Sense of Relief

2009-03-26T15:59:00.000-04:00

My company announced major layoffs today. It was announced on the local news, the Today show etc. This is how I found out about the layoffs- an instant message from a coworker telling me to “google” the story.

Looking at my calendar, my manager just scheduled 15 minutes with me for the afternoon. Fifteen minute meetings are not normal and under the circumstance, I began to panic. It was 9am when my panic began and I did not want to wait six hours to meet with my manager and find out my fate.

I sent her an instant message and said that I heard some rumors and if she had five free minutes to please call. Luckily I was on the phone with her a few minutes later and found out I was safe in this round of lay offs.

I feel so bad though. The rumor is 5,000 employees were laid off and some people from my division are gone. Jobs are being shipped overseas. It really makes me angry and upset that a company has to send jobs overseas. The US is struggling enough and this situation does not help.

But enough about politics. I hate talking about politics and have never liked government.

I feel relived that I still have a job but scared that it could be taken away from me at a moment’s notice.

Day 3: Epcot

2009-03-19T12:11:00.003-04:00

Today was our last day at the parks. Eli and I went to Epcot. I have not been to Epcot in years and was surprised to the amount of changes. Even Spaceship Earth had completely changed- and for the better.

We left the park after 11am so Eli could get a nap in before our flight home. Due to problems with our hotel room, we were given late checkout (3pm) for free. We finally get back to the room close to 1 and Eli naps. I felt bad that I had to wake him at 10 to 3 because of checkout.

We check out of the hotel and walk around the hotel for the next two hours until we can leave for the airport (and when Lowell was out of the conference).

We had a late flight so I was nervous about Eli but he was so well behaved. (It helped that I had a DVD and snacks prepared.) We finally got home after 10pm and we all crashed.

Even today, over a week later, we are still all trying to catch up from sleep.

Day 2: Animal Kingdom

2009-03-19T12:10:00.000-04:00

Today, Eli and I were on our own. Lowell was attending his conference and we were not meeting up with anyone. I decided to take Eli to Animal Kingdom thinking he would like the park. To me, Animal Kingdom was a glorified zoo. Yes, there are some attractions- the safari is neat and now they have a dino world with a few things but for the price of a one day ticket - $75 for non Florida residents, Animal Kingdom is not worth it.

Eli did enjoy looking at the animals but besides the safari and Dino ride (like Dumbo), I can’t think of any other rides we went on. I really wanted to see the Lion King and Nemo shows but one was 30 min long and the other 45 min long and I thought that was too long for Eli.

Luckily, today, a friend got me in the park so admission was free. Normally to park hop, you spend an additional $50! (rip off!) Eli and I took the bus to Hollywood Studies and went on the Great Movie Ride. I really wanted to go on the new Buzz Lightyear ride but the line was an hour long and it was close to naptime. So, Eli and I headed back to the hotel and I put him down for a nap.

I met some great friends who I have not seen in years for dinner and that was nice.

Day 1: The Magic Kingdom

2009-03-19T12:08:00.000-04:00

Our first full day in Orlando, we went to the Magic Kingdom. We were hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend for the day and also met up with another couple we knew for part of the day. They also had a little boy just a little younger than Eli and I was excited to meet their son for the first time and they were meeting Eli for the first time.

I was not sure what rides he would enjoy or be afraid of but he loved them all. I think his favorite ride was the Dumbo ride. "Up" and "Whee" were his favorite things to say on this ride.

I was not sure how Eli would do in the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean ride but he enjoyed them both. Because we were between hotels, we had no where to go back for Eli’s nap so Eli had another day without a nap!

Eli became really cranky by 4pm and I knew we had to leave soon. We left the park around 5:15pm. We drove to the new hotel and checked in and settled into our room. I had to call 5 times for them to deliver the crib but the crib finally made it. Eli was so overtired that he did not want to sleep but he finally settled down at 8pm.

First Evening in Orlando

2009-03-16T07:54:00.001-04:00

So, our experience at the airport was not very good but luckily Eli did great on the flight even though it was his normal nap time. After we arrived, we drove to our hotel. We were staying at a Best Western for one night and then transferring over to a Hilton for the remaining two nights.

We arrive at the hotel and relax. My brother, Josh, and his girlfriend, Elsa, were in Orlando this weekend and I was looking forward to spending time with them. Coincidentally, they were staying at the same hotel. We picked them up and went to dinner with them and also were meeting a few friends.

A couple of my friends joining us were meeting Eli for the first time. I knew he would be crabby so I felt bad that this would be their meeting of him. Sure enough, my no nap kid was cranky. He did not want to sit in his high chair. He did not want to eat. I had to hold him in my lap to keep him semi-happy. He was tired.

We got through dinner though. It was so nice to see everyone. One of my friends even drove in from Tampa to see us. It meant a lot to me. We got back to the hotel and crashed. We had to get up early in the morning for a fun filled day at Disney!

Atlanta Airport Experience

2009-03-16T07:49:00.002-04:00

Editor's note: This post was written a week ago. Due to lack of Internet at our hotel and catching up on work when I arrived back, it is getting posted now!

I was so excited about our trip to Orlando. Lowell had a conference to attend and I was taking advantage of that by taking a couple days off work and taking Eli to Walt Disney Word for the first time.

Traveling is always a stressful experience in our household. Lowell likes to get to the airport when the plane is boarding and I prefer to be there 2 hours before. Each experience of driving to the airport usually lends itself to a disagreement.

Well, we arrive at the Atlanta Airport and the stress continues. The one nice thing about this airport is that there is a separate stroller line and in busy times you can cut 1 hour worth of security. Lowell and I proceed through that lane and go to the special assistance section of security. Because Delta now charges to check in even the first bag, we only had carry on. Each of us had one suitcase and one computer bag. Then we also had the stroller and the car seat- a lot of stuff! We had about half our stuff on the belt when a guy puts his stuff in front of mine. "Hey", I say, "we were in line first." He yells back- you are taking too long. I begin to move his tray back behind my stuff and he elbows me in the neck and pushes me. First of all, I was shocked then angry. I yell out to TSA- this guy just pushed me. Finally, Lowell who was occupied with Eli realizes what was going on and yells “this guy just pushed me wife, can we get some help here?” Finally, TSA yells for security as the guy goes through. Security did nothing. Finally Lowell and I go through security and yell for a cop.

The cop comes over, asked what happened and did nothing! Absolutely nothing. I was shocked and appalled. I should have pretended to fall and then maybe something would have happened.

The guy who pushed me had two girls with him, one looked to be a young teenager and the other a toddler. I feel very sorry for them. Their father could use some anger management and TSA in Atlanta needs to learn to do there jobs!

Words

2009-02-27T07:29:00.000-05:00

Eli is now 21 months old and I can’t believe the progress he has made in talking. The pediatrician said between 20 and 24 months that his words would explode but I did not believe it until I saw it.

I taught Eli baby signs when he was younger. It helped us communicate since he was not talking. He learned please, thank you, milk, more, eat etc. Eli still uses those signs but has started to incorporate the words with them. He now says more and milk.

Some of Eli’s other words include: mama, dada, Wallace (the dog), Bruce (the other dog), juice (one of his favorites), ball, pootball (football), ball ball (basketball), puck, nana (banana), apple, duck, up.

And his new word yesterday was ketchup! Eli is also learning the different sounds animals make. His favorite is the sound a horse makes!

I am so proud of my little man.

Horray for Chili's

2009-02-26T21:42:00.002-05:00

Tonight, Lowell, Eli and I went to dinner at Chili’s. Lowell and I are trying to eat out less to save on some funds but I had a great coupon to Chili’s. I am a Buzz Agent (I share “buzz” with other people on different products) and I received a coupon to try a Guiltless Platter. We were pleasantly surprised by the menu and selection.

We found that Chili’s offers a good selection on their kid’s menu. I am very strict with Eli’s diet. Obesity is so common in kids these days that I have to be. Eli rarely eats chicken nuggets and even less frequently has french fries. I could probably count on one hand as many times as he has had each. Chili’s had grilled chicken on their menu which always gets a star in my book and they had a selection of sides including vegetables and milk is offered as a drink without an extra charge. Two thumbs up for their kid’s meal.

As for my meal, the Guiltless Platter selection was wonderful. I knew that Chili's offered a Guiltless Chicken platter but did not know that they offered a salmon and steak platter.

I ordered the Guiltless Salmon Platter. It was excellent. The salmon was very flavorful and I would order this dish again.

It was nice to have an enjoyable experience eating out where I feel we ate healthy!

There's No Place Like Home, Click 3 Times

2009-02-21T21:30:00.001-05:00

When I think of tornadoes, I think of the Wizard of Oz. I am a Floridan, there is no worry about tornadoes. Well, that ended a couple of years ago when my husband and I moved to Georgia.

I remember moving here and my dad who works in Atlanta on occasion said, there are tornadoes in GA. Of course, I think I will never need to worry about that and casually say- don’t worry, we have a basement to hide in.

Last week, I was upstairs playing with my son. I had just finished working for the day. I thought I heard a fire truck. Not a big deal but the odd thing was that the sirens did not stop. I wondered if the vehicle was in our neighborhood. Five minutes later, my husband yells out- the tornado sirens are on.

I scoped up Eli and brought him down to the basement and turned on the news in the one room in the basement which is finished- our gym. I turned on the space heater and waited for my husband to come downstairs. A couple minutes later I ran back upstairs to find Lowell on a work call. I thought it was pretty silly for him to be on the phone when the tornado sirens were blaring.

The news said there was potential for tornadoes in the area and the warning was for the next 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, Lowell comes down to join us in the basement. (sirens are still going) Finally, fifteen minutes later, the sirens stop and tornado warning is lifted and luckily everything was fine.

Being from Florida, I am not afraid of hurricanes. You get enough warning to evacuate and keep yourself safe but there is limited (30 min) warning with tornadoes. I find this scarier in nature but very happy we bought a house with a basement. It is at least a little safer.

Yay for me!

2009-02-03T13:38:00.001-05:00

I did it. I made it past 100 posts. For a while, I did not know if that would happen. I am proud of myself. I need to start writing again- at least once a week or so and I need to update the picture of Eli considering it is almost a year old!

Cost Cutting

2009-02-03T13:29:00.001-05:00

I have not written in my blog much lately. I have been working 50+ hours per week which will hopefully provide me with some job security since my company has been laying off left and right and myself and son have been sick on and off since November (will it ever warm up here?)

This week’s Spin Cycle is about Cost Cutting. Not only do I think that I have some expertise in this but also I owe a note to a friend (about a month late) about this topic so I figured no excuse – write in the blog and send the note to my friend!

Dear Jamie (name changed),

I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your e-mail about saving money, coupons etc. Work, as usual, has been rather busy. You ask about cutting coupons and saving money and I would like to tell you how I do this.

First things first- every Sunday Lowell and I receive the Sunday newspaper. It is delivered for $1.50 a week (instead of the $2.00 front page cost). We negotiated the rate down from $2.00. My purpose for getting the paper is not to read the news (that is what the internet is for) but to clip coupons and find sales. Here are some of the things I look for in the paper:

Grocery coupons – I clip anything we may use and have an organizer I store them in. (Last I saw, Target is selling the coupon organizer in their $1.00 bins.) When I go shopping for groceries, I know that store brand may be cheaper than name brand with a coupon and look for that.
Publix ad – In GA, Publix has a penny item. The coupon is always in Publix’s Sunday ad and is for a store brand product. (We have purchased Publix brand salad dressing, cereal, paper towels, coffee etc for a penny.) You have to spend $10 in Publix to get the penny item but of course that is not a problem. Lowell and I found that the cost of food at Publix is 20% - 50% more expensive than Walmart or Target so we only shop at Publix for the deals. In the Publix ad, there are a number of items that are two for one. If these are items that Lowell and I regularly use, we stock up. For instance, V8 Berry Blend Splash Juice which is our favorite was two for one last week and we bought 6 of them because we knew it was a good deal. We also buy our milk from Publix since it is hormone free. Other than the deals, milk and sometimes deli, we do all our other shopping at Walmart and Target. One last note about Publix, get to know the prices of items, when an item rings up incorrectly, you get the item for free (except alcohol). We tend to get one item for free per week.
Shopping ads – We look through all of the ads at stores to see what specials are happening this week. Petco regularly has the Science Diet dog food we feed our dogs at $8.00 off and we buy then.

If there is an item you know you are buying that week, try the internet for coupons. The contact lens solution we use is pretty expensive and I can usually print out a $1 or $2 off coupon from the website each time I need to buy it.

Going out to dinner – Lowell and I usually pick out our restaurants by coupons. You can find buy one/get one free coupons all the time through the mail. Also, we sign up for e-mail lists from restaurants we like to get additional coupons and have the Entertainment book which has lots of coupons.

Satellite TV- when we moved into our house, I shopped Comcast, Dish Network, and Direct TV to see where I would get the best rate. Dish Network won and gave us the best rate. After a year with Dish Network, our “special” rate ended and out bill went up. I called Dish and said if they wanted to keep us as a customer, they needed to lower their rate. After talking to a supervisor, we were given $20 off a month for 6 months. When the 6 months expired, I called Dish and said to keep us as a customer, they need to renew the $20 off a month for 6 months. They did and we are not even under contract.

XM radio - When I bought my car, it came with XM radio. Once the free membership expired, I was asked to renew. It was either $12 a month or $20 a month. I felt those rates were too high. The channels I liked had commercials and I just would not pay that much. I called XM and talked to a customer service person and said the service is not worth more than $5 a month and if they could get me to $5 a month I would even pay for a year in advance. The customer service agent went down to $5.85 a month.

Buying my car – Before buying my car, I did a lot of research. First I narrowed down which car I wanted by test driving a few different models. Once I decided on the car I wanted, a Honda Pilot, I looked up the invoice price on kbb.com (Kelly’s Blue Book). Finally, I e-mailed every Honda dealership in GA the same e-mail which basically stated the exact car I wanted with the accessories I wanted. I got quotes back from each dealership. I took the lowest price of the car and the lowest price of accessories (all below invoice price) and e-mailed the dealership closest to me to match the price. I said if they matched the price, I would be in that week to buy the car. And, they did. It was a no hassle deal, the nicest time buying a car ever because when I arrived at the dealership, I did not have to negotiate a price. Now, I don’t think I could have done that with an Acura (a more luxury car) but easily with a Honda. (and I love my car)

A couple of other notes I forgot – I buy in bulk for many items and we have a membership to BJs who not only sends coupons each week but also accepts coupons. Last week, we bought bulk toilet paper and used a coupon where we buy toilet paper, we get 4 things of toothpaste for free ($7.50) value plus $.50 off (coupon from the Sunday paper).

CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid all have a program where you receive money back for a product bought. (Whether it is mail in rebate or money back for next time in the store). Since these stores are much more expensive than Walmart or Target, I only do this when the savings is a lot (over 50% of the cost of the items).

I apologize if this e-mail is exhausting but please let me know if you have any questions.

Alison

First Day of School

2009-01-06T13:07:00.003-05:00

Today was Eli’s first day of school. I was nervous- did not sleep well last night. Eli slept fine!

I woke up this morning an hour before my alarm was supposed to go off. Went back to sleep and woke up at 6:20am (20 minutes before the alarm should go off). Got out of bed and got myself dressed. Then I heard Eli whine. (He whines when he wakes up.) I fed and dressed Eli and we were on our way to school.

It was pouring today. I know it is good luck if it rains on your wedding day but what about your first day of school?

We arrive at school and Eli eagerly walks to his classroom. We go inside and I talk to the teacher while Eli hangs onto my leg. I said goodbye to Eli and told him I would be back after lunch. He started crying and the teacher picked him up.

I left the room and peeked into the room two minutes later and he had already stopped crying. He was hanging onto the teacher but not crying. I consider that a great sign.

Lowell and I go to pick him up after lunch and Eli noticed Lowell and said “Da da” with a huge smile. One of Eli’s teachers said he did great and that he especially loved gym time.

Here is his report:

Ew Gross!

2009-01-05T14:37:00.001-05:00

Today Eli found a lady bug. When I was not watching, he picked up the lady bug and smushed it and then showed it to me.

My little boy!

Preschool Orientation

2009-01-05T14:36:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe my little one starts preschool tomorrow. Time flies. Yesterday he was an infant- today he is a toddler and ready for school. We are starting Eli 3 half days a week and he will move into full time by next year. I think he will have a great time once he gets through the first couple of weeks.

Today, was our orientation. It was not a formal orientation since most kids started back in September- just an informal session where we learn how to sign Eli in and out, use the security system and meet Eli’s teachers.

We walked into Eli’s classroom and met his teachers. He was clingy to me at first but when I started talking to his teacher, he started playing with a truck. He brought the truck to me to show me and then went and played. I think it is a good sign that he felt comfortable walking away from me to play.

It was interesting to see that there were 80% boys in his classroom. Only two girls total. Can’t believe he starts tomorrow.

That is disgusting!

2008-12-03T17:23:00.003-05:00

Eli- we do not poop in the shower!

That is disgusting!

I think these two sentences say it all!

What I have learned from my cousin who is 6 months older than me

2008-12-01T10:57:00.001-05:00

This week, I spent a lot of time with my cousin, Summer, who is almost 2 years old. She taught me the following things:

- How to open doors
- How to play chase
- How to yell and scream
- How to call my mommy, Ali

Thank you Summer for teaching me all of these wonderful things.

Love,
Eli

There is No Place Like Home

2008-11-30T15:04:00.001-05:00

South Florida is the place I still consider home. Even though I moved away in 1995. I still call my parent’s house home even though I now have a home where I am paying the mortgage.

This Thanksgiving, I was very excited to be going back home and spending over a week at home. I would have plenty of time with family and friends and get see family who I only see a couple times a year and see friends who I see even less.

I had planned out my trip day to day, whom I would see, what I would be doing. Looking forward to each and every day. But, sometimes when you make plans, you have no control of how they go.

Eli has flown several times and we have never had problems. I believe this trip was his sixth flight. This was the first flight were he cried. The entire descent on the plane, my sweet little boy cried. He would not take the milk I offered him or the cookies. He was in pain and I was in pain for him.

The second day I was in Florida, I had planned to see a friend who I have known since elementary school and meet her “new” baby. Well, her son is now a year old but new to me since I have not met him before. Eli was not breathing as well as he should be so off to the pediatrician we went. I was really impressed that as a “visitor” and first time patient, I was able to get into the office right away. (Maybe it was the panic in my voice that my son needed a breathing treatment.)

Sure enough, my sweet Eli had an ear infection (his first one) and asthma like symptoms which put him on the neubulizer for a few days. Needless to say, plans were cancelled.

A few days later, sickness strikes again. Eli has a severe allergic reaction to something. His eyes are swollen and look like he has pink makeup on. He has hives all over his body so we go back to the pediatrician.

At the office, I all of a sudden feel nauseous and can’t make it to the bathroom and throw up all over the checkup room. I was embarrassed but felt better. We leave with new medication for Eli and hopes that we will not be returning to the office.

A couple of days later, my brother in law goes to the hospital for what we think is an appendicitis. He is still there currently. I am hoping he is all right. I am hoping between now and when I leave to go back to the home I live in that everyone else will remain healthy.

Going Against the Rules

2008-11-22T08:53:00.004-05:00

I have been so busy with work that I have not been able to post here often. I hope it slows down soon so I can fill the web pages with all the accomplishments my little one is undertaking.

Today, though, when I write I am going against the rules. Why, you say? Well, I said that I would not write about my MIL on here. I wouldn't because it is a sore topic between my husband and I and he occasionally reads the blog.

MIL was on IM with husband and looking for flights to visit. She gave him two options of dates in January - a 6 day trip or 7 day trip. Hubby asked me which I preferred and I said the 6 day trip. Why? - he asked. Because it is shorter, I say and he laughs.

Hubby goes back and tell his mom that the 6 day trip is the preferance. A few minutes later, MIL books her flight and it is not for either the 6 or 7 day trip. It is for a 10 day trip. 10 DAYS!!!!! I don't know how I will survive that trip. I can't survive 7 days trips without my blood pressure coming out and numerous fights with hubby about MIL. 10 days of criticism, comments and questions - my blood pressure has already rised and the trip is not for a month and a half.

So, how does hubby feel about this? For once, he actually agrees with me. He actually told his mom that she will need to get a hotel because ten days is too long. It has been a long time since hubby and I have come to some type of agreement about his mom. Unfortunately, I know her and she will not book a hotel unless pressed and pressed so we will see what happens. If she stays here for 10 days, I may end up kicking her out of the house before the trip finishes.

How do you handle your overbearing MIL (or mom)? One who wants you to raise your child- her way. One who does not understand how things have changed since 30 years ago and one who has a comment and question about everything.

Tina

2008-11-10T09:03:00.002-05:00

When I think of Tina Turner, I never thought of her as one I would rush out to buy tickets for her concert. The Rolling Stones, maybe, Dave Matthews definitely but not Tina.

Now, my husband is a huge fan. Has been most of his life. And this you do not expect from the rap loving, techno loving person he is.

Anyways, back in May, they announced a Tina Turner concert here in Georgia for November. I asked Lowell is he would like a ticket to the concert as a Father’s Day gift and he said that would be great. We were able to buy tickets early since we had an AMEX card and got great expensive, floor seats.

Fast forward a few months to yesterday- concert day. We hire a babysitter and leave for the concert. I have not been to a concert in three years so was curious to see what t-shirt prices were like. I could not believe that when I entered the arena that a program alone was $30. T-shirts were $40. We were not planning on buying any souvenirs and did not in the end.
We get to our seats. Great seats. Probably 20 rows from the stage. We were disappointed though that the show started over 30 minutes late and that there were commercials before the show. We spent a lot of money on the tickets and did not want to see commercials.

The show was phenomenal. Tina looks great for her age and she really puts on a show. A moveable stage that moves her above the audience was amazing and her costume changes keep you interested.

Hubby had a good time as well although we were both exhausted from staying up way past our bedtime.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T07:50:00.001-04:00

My son and his friends were photographed by my talented friend in their Halloween costumes.

Enjoy

http://519photography.blogspot.com/2008/10/happy-halloween.html

Halloween

2008-10-28T08:59:00.002-04:00

In every relationship, there is one: a spender and a saver. My husband is the spender and I am the saver.

For Halloween last year, my son was only 5 months old. Most of my mommy friends were going all out on buying expensive, fancy Halloween costumes. I did not see the point. Eli will be wearing the costume for a few hours and then that’s it. I would rather put that money into Eli’s college fund then spend it on an expensive costume.

My husband and I were shopping a few weeks before Halloween and Lowell was ready to buy Eli a costume. I was fine with buying Eli one but wanted to find one on sale and not spend $30 on it. Lowell found this great bear costume on sale for 50% off at the Gap outlet.

What a great find. And the best part about it, we did end up getting use out of it. This costume was so warm that Eli wore it once a week in the winter months until he grew out of it. It was my favorite outfit to put on him.

Beginning words

2008-10-23T11:21:00.003-04:00

I have been a little nervous that Eli is almost 17 months old and is not talking much. He has his own language which is mostly "da" and "dis" for every word. He also has words for objects which are pretty standard. For example "dat' for ball and "ati" for Seminole.

Well, last night, he started saying "Ba" for ball. So now ball is "dat" and "ba". A good sign. And, Eli says "Da" for dog and I thought he said "duck" the other day. And unfortunately, one of his words is "gat" for gator.

I am hoping he comes up with a few more words before his 18 month appointment.

Now, Eli understands everything we say. It amazes me. I told him to turn around yesterday and he did. Eli also signs a lot. He signs no, yes, eat, more, please, and thank you.

I am still alive!

2008-10-22T08:17:00.001-04:00

I have not blogged in a long time. Plenty to talk about but I have been working a lot and have limited free time.

Cross your fingers that things will slow down and I will be back to blogging!

Fun at the Fair

2008-10-07T21:33:00.003-04:00

We went to the town fair yesterday. There are a number of little kid rides and Lowell said we should put Eli on one. I was trying to find a ride that we could go on with him but there were none. We found a fish ride where the fish goes around in a circle and goes up and down. We strapped Eli in and then went to the waiting area where we were still close enough for Eli to see us. He loved being on the ride.

The ride began. Eli loved it. He smiled and gave us game face every time he passed by. It was wonderful to watch him have so much fun.

I'm a Big Kid Now

2008-10-07T21:23:00.004-04:00

My husband was watching my son while I went out with a friend visiting for lunch. He called and said, "Eli just pooped on the potty." What? I am thinking. We don't own a small potty for Eli yet. We have not started potty training him, yet he pooped on the potty!

Eli makes a face when he poops. We call it his "poop face" and Lowell has said we should put him on the potty when he starts making the "face". Well, he did yesterday and Eli pooped on the potty.

So, he is probably one of the only kids that have pooped before peed on the potty.

Are we starting to potty train Eli? I am not ready yet. He is too young. But, I think I will invest in a potty so we have one at home.

I filled up my car with gas!!!!!

2008-10-03T06:48:00.002-04:00

Yay, I finally was able to fill my car with gas with no line. I paid $4.19 a gallon (ripped off!) but I can go buy groceries, pick up a friend who is coming in town etc.

On the news, they say the gas crisis is coming to an end. I wish I saw that here. A couple hours after I filled up, I passed the station I filled up at and they were out of gas again and that afternoon I did not pass by one station that had gas.

Hopefully, the media is correct and the situation is improving. Hopefully, gas prices will start to come down and not be $.50 a gallon above the average. My fingers are crossed.

Winter is almost here

2008-10-03T06:43:00.002-04:00

For the past week, we have had the air condition off! That is big in my household because my husband likes the house cold. As a native Floridian who loves hot weather, I am sad to see summer leave and winter appear.

Happy New Year

2008-09-30T23:02:00.000-04:00

To all of you who celebrate, have a happy and healthy New Year. L'Shana Tova

Monday's Gas Update

2008-09-29T12:56:00.000-04:00

I hate that I have to get in the car these days but I had a doctor’s appointment this morning so I had no choice. On the way to the office, I passed about 10 gas stations. Only 2 stations had gas - one priced at 3.73 a gallon and one at 4.29 a gallon for cheap stuff. By the time I left the appt, 30 min later, all of the stations were sold out.

Gas Crisis Update

2008-09-29T08:01:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately, things have not gotten any better- probably worse. Harder to find a station with gas and long lines at the pump. People are unable to go to work and delivery trucks are unable to bring in groceries. It is pretty scary and they say it will be like this for another two weeks.

Since I work from home, I can get away with minimal driving but this past weekend I drove to the airport, over an hour away and later this week I will be picking up a friend from either the airport or the train station which both locations are not close!

How ironic- the one week I need to put miles on my car is when I can't fill it with gas! Oh, how I miss my 4 cylinder Honda that got 30 miles to the gallon.

It's Good to be Home

2008-09-27T22:06:00.003-04:00

It is wonderful to see familiar faces, listen to familiar sounds etc. This past Saturday, I went to see my Seminoles play. My first game in the stands since I was pregnant. I got chills when the Marching Chiefs began pregame. I screamed when the defense was on the field and yelled out when my team scored and it was a wonderful game.

I miss going to see my Noles play and am so happy that I am going to at least two games this year.

Gas Crisis Update

2008-09-26T07:37:00.002-04:00

Well, we passed by the gas station that my husband got gas from the night before and it is completely empty. Then, we passed by our local warehouse store and they must have received gas because the line was wrapped around the parking lot multiple times. I can't imagine waiting in line that long.

The news says it may be up to mid to late October before things get back to normal. Really scary especially since I need to drive back and forth from the airport which is over an hour away 3 times before that. I don't think I will be able to avoid the gas lines now.

It is Mommy, not Ali!

2008-09-25T07:47:00.003-04:00

Eli does not say many words yet but the one word he says all the time is Dada! If we are upstairs and he hears my husband downstairs, he screams Dada.

Well, mama was his first word months ago but he has not said it in a long time. When my MIL was here a couple of months ago, she thought Eli was calling me Ali. But, I did not here it. Last night, Lowell told me that he though Eli was calling me Ali.

So, I guess he is calling me something and I will take what I can get.

Baby signs

2008-09-24T21:11:00.003-04:00

This blog is suppossed to be all about my experiences as a first time mom but there always seems to be other things to talk about like exposed breasts or gas crisis so I figured I should give you one post about Eli.

When Eli was an infant, I tried to teach him baby signs which he never really picked up. I finally gave up and stopped signing until months later when I saw all his little friends signing to their parents and then I started again.

Now, within a few weeks time frame, Eli can sign the following words: more (his favorite), eat, drink (milk), and his newest sign - please!

I am so proud.

More Gas Crisis

2008-09-24T21:00:00.003-04:00

I was able to fill my car last weekend which hopefully will last for a while but hubby did not believe there was a gas crisis. Did not believe it until today. We needed to pick up some supplies at Lowe's and we passed at least 10 gas stations. Not one had gas.

We took a different route home and there was one station with gas and the line was insane.

So, at 9pm, when I am usually starting to relax for bed, Lowell and I called multiple gas stations so he can go fill up before there is no gas in the city since he has less than a half a tank in the car. The station we passed earlier still had gas so Lowell is now waiting on line to fill up and did I mention that he will be paying $4.65 a gallon there. Is that price gouging or what????

On a funny one, one of the stations I called, the man could not hear me well because the connection was not good so at one point I am yelling "Do you have gas?" Felt like I was pulling a prank call from high school.

I hate being so dependent on gas

2008-09-24T09:34:00.001-04:00

It is so frustrating that we are so dependent on gas. We need gas for our cars, gas for our heating source and gas for our stoves. It has been about a week now where it is almost impossible to find gas for your car. I have never waited on line before. I usually try to fill up around ½ tank so when there is a line, I just fill up another time. But, last Sunday, I had no choice, it was either wait or no gas.

I live off a main road so there are plenty of gas stations around. But, for the past week, none of them have had gas. Luckily, with working from home, I do not drive a lot but you need gas to get to the grocery store, the doctor’s office, the essentials etc.

On the news, they talk about the one station that has received a shipment of gas and the hour long wait for you to get gas. When is relief coming? According to the news, it could still be another week or two.

They say, do not fill up unless you are running on fumes because everyone filling up when gas stations open up is part of the problem. But, it is hard not too- when your job, grocery store, etc is not around the corner, you need to make sure you have enough gas to last until our stations are refilled.

Where I live, gas is usually below the national average. But, for the last two weeks, we have been about 20 cents above the national average and according to cnn.com gas prices have been going down but not where we live.

It still frustrates me that government is not doing anything to help the situation. I disagree with drilling in Alaska. That will hurt the environment and only bring about 2%-3% more gas to the US. To me, it is not worth saving pennies. It frustrates me that government does not allow more efficient cars into this country. They have been made and available in Europe but our money hungry, oil investor government officials don’t want them here.

Boo!!!

2008-09-21T07:11:00.002-04:00

Now is the time of year where stores are displaying Halloween and Christmas decorations (which piss me off - it is September, I have no interest in seeing half a store of Christmas decorations and listening to those same songs that are so annoying!)

Lowell and I went to Lowe's with Eli. I was holding him as we entered the store and Lowe's had displayed a 4 foot tall witch which had her broom in a cauldron. As we approached the witch, she starting moving (stirring the cauldron), talking and cackling and her eyes glowed and moved.

Eli almost jumped out of my arms and had a mixed expression of gameface and I just sh't in my pants. Lowell and I were hysterical laughing at his expression. (nice of us!)

I have read that kids are not scared about monsters and stuff until age 3 but my 16 month old was petrified!

He is so adorable!

2008-09-21T07:07:00.003-04:00

Last night, I was able to get away from the house to go to a bar and watch the Seminoles play with a friend. I said goodbye to Eli, gave him a kiss and took my keys out of my purse. Eli went to the kitchen and took his lunchbox off the countertop and followed me to the garage door. He was ready to leave with me. I picked up Eli, gave him another kiss and then passed him to Lowell.

But, the experience was heart warming.

Thank you

2008-09-16T08:27:00.004-04:00

The 14 months of interrupted sleep was difficult.
Working at 6am and then again at 8pm to spend more time with you has been stressful.
Missing two seasons of FSU football home games has been odd.
But, spending every second with you has been wonderful.

Eli, these first 15.5 months have been amazing and the smallest things touch my heart. Yesterday, when we were at dinner and you took turns kissing myself and daddy, it melted my heart. Thank you for being such a wonderful and sweet little boy.

How I miss those curls!

2008-09-15T15:37:00.004-04:00

Eli went for his 4th haircut this past weekend. Yes, my 15 month old went for his 4th haircut. (And if my husband had had his way, it would have been 10th by now). Usually, the woman cuts his hair using scissors so when he is done in my husband's eyes he needs another haircut. But, this time Lowell asked for Eli to have a buzz cut so it would finally be as short as he likes it.

Well, it is short. I miss Eli's curls that I loved to play with and I think he looks like a completely different kid. (not my kid!) But, the good news is that I will not have to get his haircut next week. But, I like his hair longer. At least it will grow back, and probably quickly.

Enjoy some before and after pictures:

Before:

After:

Embarrassment! Spin, Spin, Spin

2008-09-12T11:16:00.004-04:00

This week's spin is about embarrassment. At first I thought, what would I write about? What do I want to divulge? Then, it came to me, a story I was just talking about last week....

I am a huge FSU Seminole fan. I am also an alumni. I have had season tickets basically since 1995. I have missed weddings for games. I have stayed in the stands cheering during hurricane like weather (odd, that we were playing the Miami Hurricanes that game). I bleed garnet and gold. Well, you get my point.

Anyways, I usually use the games as an opportunity to sun tan. Under my FSU gameday outfit, I usually sport some type of bathing suit. Once I enter the stands, my tank top comes off and it is time to tan. In a very exciting game, I was yelling as loud as I can for the defense and look down and my boob is outside of my bikini top exposed for the world to see. Even more embarrassing, the person I have season tickets with is a guy, good friend of mine. If he had noticed my exposed breast, he was nice enough not to say anything.

I covered myself. Put my tank top back on and never again wore a bikini top to a game.

All Da!

2008-09-11T13:27:00.002-04:00

Eli has been working on physical milestones in the past couple of months: walking, running, climbing etc. He has not been saying many words that are easy to understand but he babbles all the time.

His new word is Done. Now, when he finishes eating, he waves his hands and says "Da" for All Done. I need to capture it on video. It is very cute.

Pleading Words to my Son’s Second Molar

2008-09-09T10:23:00.000-04:00

Dear Molar,

It is great that you have blessed us with your precedence. It was wonderful to brush my son’s teeth last night and see one corner of you in his mouth. But, could you please finish coming through? Last night, Eli was awake (and I was awake) every two hours trying to deal with the pain of you coming through. It would be great if you could finish your way into this world.

I promise to take care of you and nag Eli to take care of you when he gets older. You will get a healthy amount of milk to keep you strong and be massaged by Eli’s toothbrush twice a day.

If I keep my promise to take care of you, will you promise to come through as quickly as possible?

Signed,
A Loving Mother

First game of the season

2008-09-08T09:07:00.002-04:00

Well, the first game of the season for FSU was last Saturday. Even though we were playing a true underdog, I was nervous. Half the team was out on suspension and a few people hurt. I would be seeing a bunch of new players I had not heard of on the field.

I was very pleasantly surprised. Bobby Bowden has been giving more responsibilities to Jimbo Fisher who will eventually take over the head coach job. For this past game, Jimbo selected the quarterbacks. I was pleased to see Ponder start, Richardson come in later, and then Weatherford. In my 13 years of watching FSU football, I highly ever see a 3 quarterback game.

Anyways, most of you who read my blog could care less about FSU football so I will not blog about the whole game but a 69-0 victory was amazing. (even if we were playing the underdog)

GO NOLES!

I am officially a GEEK!

2008-09-06T21:50:00.003-04:00

I am sitting here watching my NOLES play. Now, FSU was not on regular TV today so I hooked up my computer to the TV and am watching the game.

GO NOLES!

To be a child again

2008-09-06T08:02:00.006-04:00

We take Eli to this new indoor play gym. Reminds me of my days of working at Discovery Zone. He loves it and does not just stay in the toddler section. He is all over the place. Climbing, running, yelling- a true little boy. Enjoy these pictures showing how non baby like Eli is:

Impressions - Spin, Spin, Spin

2008-09-05T11:20:00.007-04:00

I love this week's Spin for Impressions. There is so much you can do with this. I will talk about First Impressions and how they have changed over the years.

When I went for my job interviews after college, first impressions were about how you looked, how you presented yourself, how you spoke, etc. Now, your first impression comes before you are even greeted by your interviewer.

I interview for my company and before I even meet my interviewee for the first time, I Google the person. You can learn a lot from Google. I usually stop at that point but I have talked to other people who interview and facebook and myspace and also very popular places to get a first impression of who you are going to interview. The web can teach you a lot about a person.

For example, when we sold our house in Florida, our first offer came back $25,000 less that what we wanted. (and this was when it was a seller's market). I googled the buyers and said if they were teachers, this may be what they can afford but if they were attorneys- no way were we marking down our price. Sure enough, the potential buyers were both attorneys. We counter offered and offered to pay some of the closing costs. SOLD! By googling our potential buyers, we were able to keep the price of our house what we wanted it to be.

Each time you post a picture on the web or write an article for the web, you have to think about who may be seeing it and how could that hurt you.

I HATE lazy people!

2008-09-02T14:55:00.005-04:00

Well I just want to complain for a bit. Americans are lazy. We go through the drive through instead of going inside, we take the elevator instead of the stairs to even go to the second floor and we park in the fire lane instead of a parking spot.

Today, I had two errands to run. I needed to bring something to the dry cleaners and mail out some FSU season tickets. Both errands can be run from the same shopping plaza. I parked at one end of the plaza, put Eli in his stroller and made my way to errand number 1: UPS.

I walk to the other side of the plaza and some women parked her car right by the door of UPS. (A parking spot was a few feet away literally and she decides to park in the fire lane.) Usually, I give people like this a much deserved dirty look and move on but today I decided to say something to her. I said "You know, you are in a fire lane and a spot is right there." (pointing to the spot that was so close I could virtually touch) She was a little flustered after my remark and said "Oh, I was just dropping something off."

We both walk into UPS. She tells the cashier she was just going to drop this off and the cashier tells her she needs to buy an envelope. She walks out of the store because she says she is not parked appropriately. (like it is difficult to move the car)

I took care of my shipment and walked to the other side of the plaza to do my second errand.

I can't stand lazy people. It is one thing to park your car by the Blockbuster video return window because you have a baby sitting in the car seat that you do not want to get out for a few seconds, another to park in a fire lane because you are too lazy to walk from a parking spot. And, just because you drive an overpriced car like a Lexus or BMW, does not make you better than a Honda driver.

And while I am in a complaining mood- Americans are rude. Get OFF your phone while you are paying for something at some store. I do not need to listen to what you are making for dinner tonight and I can get my stuff paid for quicker if you actually paid attention to what the cashier is telling you.

A Different Breed

2008-08-29T12:30:00.000-04:00

Editor’s note: This is the first post that if certain people I know see it, they may be upset. My apologies. I am not trying to upset anyone. I like everyone referenced in this note. I am just different.

I am involved with a mom’s group and being the only full time worker, I look at things differently than the other moms. An e-mail went out to the group about a good website to buy Halloween costumes from. There were great costumes on the site but expensive. The average cost of a costume was between $30 and $40 dollars. Last year during Halloween, Eli was 5 months old. He did not care what he wore. Lowell and I went to the Gap Outlet and bought a costume that was 50% off. I think we spent $15 dollars at the most.

This year, Eli will still not care what he is dressed up as. Lowell and I will probably go buy another costume when the sales start.

With Lowell and I being the only two income family in the group, we also seem to be the family who tries to save the most. We try to buy all of Eli’s clothes on sale, we don’t buy a new toy for him every week and for his birthday, we put money into Eli’s savings and gave him a small gift instead of buying a huge gift for him. (How many 1 year olds care what they get for their birthday?)

Who knows? Maybe the moms’ husbands make 6 figure incomes and money is no object. Maybe they do not have to worry about money. But, with the economy as bad as it is and I only see it getting worse for a while, I worry. I try to not overspend and try to save where I can.

Discipline

2008-08-28T13:06:00.004-04:00

Eli has always been the laid back, easy going kid who never got in trouble because he goes with the flow. Then, he started walking...

Before, if Eli did not get his way, he did not care and would just move on. Now, if he does not gets his way, he complains, cries, or hits the wall, floor, etc.

Today, Eli did not get his way and he bit me. Yes, bit me. I am as shocked as you are. I thought it would be years before I had to discipline him. But, today, Eli went into timeout for the first time. I sat him on the floor next to the wall and told him he was in timeout and we sat there for 60 seconds. Then, I let him go back and play.

I am still in shock.

A relevation

2008-08-27T11:16:00.002-04:00

I am currently reading "Toddler 411" and the book says that the terrible twos start at 15 months. Eli turned 15 months yesterday.... The terrible twos have begun.

15 months ago...

2008-08-26T11:53:00.010-04:00

15 months ago, my life changed forever. I became a mother. Eli, you were born at 11:43 am and you were so precious. I was in love.

A few months later, you gave me your first smile.

And, before I knew it, you were your own little person. You were my angel.

I blinked and your were already a year old.

Thank you for the most wonderful 15 months of my life. I love you.

The End of Summer is Near - Part 2

2008-08-25T21:46:00.004-04:00

When I lived in Florida, the end of summer was welcomed. No more sweat, perspiration, feeling of yuckiness. Now that I live in a place where it actually gets cold, I do not look forward to the end of summer. But, this past weekend, I got more evidence that the cold air is coming.

I have had asthma my entire life. Something I know how to take care or and something I live with. I usually don't even go to the doctor when my asthma attacks because I have all the medication I need at home. My asthma usually is worse in the colder months of the year.

Well, this past weekend, the second sign of colder months ahead appeared- my asthma. I had been having trouble breathing and was easily winded and my rescue inhaler was not giving me the extra air that I need to so I brought out my neubulizer and gave myself a breathing treatment. To this day, I am still on 3-4 treatments a day and hope that that number will decrease soon.

Unfortunately, last night, my son became sick. At first I thought it was the standard chest congestion, cold symptoms etc. But, this morning when I took him out of the crib, he was breathing very quickly and he was very warm. I gave him some Tylenol and called the pediatrician as soon as the office opened. We got an appointment and I took him in.

The pediatrician did not want to call it asthma but poor Eli and I are going through the same symptoms right now. They also gave Eli two breathing treatments at the office today. If was so painful for me. You have to hold a mask over his face for 10 minutes while he inhales the medicine. Eli screamed the entire time and I screamed inside that there was not more I could do for the little guy. Now, I have to give Eli breathing treatments at home for the next 10 days.

Before it was time for Eli's first breathing treatment at home, it was time for my treatment. Instead of using the adult mouthpiece, I put on the child's mask and showed Eli how mommy does her breathing treatment. At first Eli stayed clear away from me, then he walked over to me and tried to give me a kiss through the mask.

When it was time for Eli's treatment, he cried but not as violently. I think tomorrow, we may let Elmo wear the breathing treatment mask and see what Eli thinks.

I am sad that Eli may have asthma (even though the pediatrician will not say it). I am lucky that I know how to handle it since I have had it my entire life. I am just hoping that by nursing for Eli for 14 months that he has built the immunities to fight this disease. I will be fighting it with him.

Is the weekend over already?

2008-08-25T09:13:00.003-04:00

Now that we are done nursing, Eli is sleeping through the night. I put him down between 7:30pm and 8pm and he wakes up between 6:30am and 7am. It is wonderful. I am a morning person so I am awake by 7am without my 15 month old alarm clock.

But, here is where the problem comes- I am having trouble falling asleep. I try to turn in between 10pm and 11pm every night but I seem to lay there until sometimes 1:30am trying to fall asleep. I need to find some type of relaxing activity before bedtime. I usually read but I want to make it to the next chapter and end up reading later than anticipated. I could take a bath but with the drought going on here, I have been trying to conserve water. I could try exercising but that would mean cleaning the dust away from the equipment.

The easiest solution would be to create more hours in the day. Can any of you help with that?

A Free Meal is a Good Meal Even if you have to Send it Back Twice!!

2008-08-23T10:30:00.006-04:00

If I like a restaurant, I tend to join their e-mail club. The free appetizer, $5 off coupons add up.

Well last week, I got a free VIP dinner at Longhorn steakhouse which included two entrees and an appetizer. I called right away to make my reservation but the only time they had remaining was 9pm. That time would not work with Eli's schedule and we did not want to pay a babysitter to get a free meal.

I called back the restaurant and said we could not find a babysitter and time is too late for our son and was lucky to get an earlier reservation the next day!

We ordered buffalo wings as an appetizer and Lowell ordered a rack of ribs for his meal and I ordered the Fillet (something I would never order because it is so much more expensive than the rest of the menu). We ordered grilled chicken and veggies for Eli. (I am very happy when a restaurant has grilled chicken on the kids menu).

The appetizer was a little spicy for me but came out hot and had good flavor to it. Eli's food looked very appetising. Salad, bread etc was good. Then the main meals come out. The ribs were a portion size that even Lowell could not finish. My fillet looked delectable and then I cut into it. I ordered it medium and it came out still alive! It was rare. Not a big deal, we got a free dinner because the restaurant staff was in training, I sent it back.

Literally, it took 15 minutes for me to get my fillet back. I cut into it, it is still rare. Even the sides are still rare. I sent it back again. By the time I got the fillet back a second time, I was not hungry any more, and Lowell and Eli have long since finished eating. I did bite into the fillet because I wanted to try it and it was delicious. I boxed up the rest.

But, I can't complain. Our bill came out to be our $57 and it was all free. I expected to pay for Eli but they threw in his meal. I left a nice, big tip as a thank you.

Work- Diverse and Time Consuming

2008-08-22T12:38:00.001-04:00

I have several jobs:

Mom to a 15 month old
Wife
Project Manager for a large company
Planner for a mom’s group
Chauffeur for my little one

And I can think of many more but I will not bore you with all the details!

Let’s concentrate on my three biggest jobs.

Let’s start with my most fun and rewarding job – Mom. I am lucky, my son is laid back, sweet and fun to be around. (I am biased but it is true.) He is a joy to raise. My “mom” job begins between 6:30am and 7:00am and ends between 7:30pm and 8:00pm when Eli goes to bed for the night.

My second job is being a wife. And, yes it is a job. I have to make sure that my husband is not jealous of the time I spend being a mom.

My third job is being a project manager. This job takes around 45 hours a week. I am really lucky that with this job, my hours are flexible which make is much easier to be job #1 – a mom. I do work with a global team so my hours are not set in stone. One day, I can be on a conference call at 7am with India, a 9am call with the United Kingdom and a 5pm call with the west coast of the US. For this job, I have tasks which have to be completed within a certain timeframe. I manage budgets and timelines and have to facilitate status meetings and write status reports.

The nice thing about my job as a project manager is that I work 100% from home and with a flexible schedule, I am able to go between being a mom and a project manager throughout the day. We have not started Eli in preschool yet and am not until next year.

So, I take turns during the day playing Mom and PM and luckily my husband works from home as well so I get some extra help when needed. It is a lot to juggle but worth it so I can spend more time with Eli.

The End of Summer is Near

2008-08-22T07:44:00.006-04:00

Wow, is it the end of August already? Where does the time go?

From living in Florida for the first 30 years of my life, I expect summer to last basically year round, but it is not that way here in Georgia. The community which I live in has a community pool and it is only open 4 months out of the year. I used to think, we can extend that time and get extra usage of the pool.

The pool here is closing in a couple of weeks. And, I will miss it. I am usually out there 2-3 times a week and take Eli swimming. Whenever he swims, he either takes a longer nap or sleeps longer through the night. It is wonderful.

But, I went to the pool yesterday and the water was cold. It was warm enough to swim in but not the bath water temperature that a Floridian loves. I used to be upset that the pool was closing so soon because I could be missing valuable swimming time but I know that in reality, summer will be over in a couple of weeks and the water will be too cold for my liking.

Little Milestones

2008-08-21T08:11:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Eli had a playdate with his friends. We have not been to a playdate in a while due to vacation, family in town, and work conflicts. When we used to go to playdates, Eli would hover over me for the first 15 minutes and then he would feel comfortable playing without holding onto me with one hand.

Ever since he started walking, his whole personality has changed. He has had mini temper tantrums, been crankier than usual, and more independent.

When we arrived at the playdate, Eli found a push behind popper toy and he was all around the house. He could care less where mommy was.

We stayed at the playdate for 2 hours. Every so often, Eli would check in on me to make sure I was still there and even once he gave me game face.

It is amazing to see your child grow into his independence.

The joys of peanut butter

2008-08-18T08:49:00.003-04:00

I forgot how much I love peanut butter. Between the pregnancy and nursing, I have not had peanut butter in two years. I miss it. I bought myself some Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Edy's ice cream last night. I could have eaten the entire thing but I restrained myself. It was delicious. Today, for lunch, I will have a peanut butter sandwich. I have two years of no peanut butter eating to make up for.

And the winner is....

2008-08-15T11:45:00.002-04:00

Lowell and I finally made a decision about which preschool we will be sending Eli to starting in January and the winner is ... G.S. This school was very clean, all teachers have bachelor degrees, all are CPR, first aid and fire safety certified... and the list goes on and on. We like the curriculum, they even have P.E classes once a month ... and they DON'T pray.

I can't believe my little boy goes to school in 4.5 months.

We did it.

2008-08-14T08:22:00.003-04:00

Are you getting tired of the "I'm Weaning" posts? If so, you are in luck. This should be my last one. It has been over 72 hours since I nursed so we are officially done. What a wonderful, amazing experience that was. But, now I get my body back.

Now, if Eli could only learn to sleep through the night....

Blogger Contest

2008-08-13T09:21:00.005-04:00

Here is my first post about a blog contest. (A blog award, tag, chain post, and contest. I guess I am really getting into this blogging thing.)

Kirsten at My Life for the World to See is having contest. Thank you Jen for letting me know about this. If I win, I owe you a finder's fee!

To enter the contest, click the link above and follow the directions on her site.

The End of an Era – Almost

2008-08-11T08:13:00.001-04:00

Well, we are so close to ending nursing. I can now put Eli down for a nap and down for the night without nursing him.

Eli has never slept through the night. He usually wakes up once during the night and I nurse him for 5 minutes and he is out until morning. Now, is the time to break that habit. Eli woke up at 5:45am this morning crying. I let him cry for a few minutes and realized that the crying would not be stopping. So, I went downstairs and filled a sippy cup with milk. I took Eli out of the crib and tried to give him the milk. He screamed and tried to lift my shirt. I told him that we drink milk out of a cup.

Well needless to say, Eli screamed for over an hour and I tried every way to calm him down: holding him and rocking him, singing to him, a little Tylenol (I don’t normally drug my kid but he has a molar coming through and maybe that was the problem), changing his diaper, turning on the television. Nothing worked.

I woke up Lowell and asked for his help. He tried to give Eli some milk from the cup. He brought Eli in bed with us. Nothing worked.

Finally, I put Eli back in his crib and told him it was still time for “Night, Night”. He cried for about 15 more minutes and then went to sleep.

Any advice from other moms on how to break the middle of the night wakings and how to calm my son down without nursing?

The Weaning Process

2008-08-08T11:40:00.001-04:00

Now that we are finally done flying for a while, no excuses, time to wean Eli. I have such mixed emotions about it: happy that I get my body back, sad that I miss this snuggle time with Eli.

Last week, I tried putting Eli down for a nap without nursing him. It did not go over well. He did not want the sippy cup and screamed. I ended up nursing him. Since that day, I have had Lowell put Eli down for a nap. Armed with a book and sippy cup full of milk, Lowell was able to get Eli down with minimal crying.

Today was the first time I put Eli down for a nap without nursing. I read to Eli while he drank out of his sippy cup and then said goodnight and put him in his crib. He only cried for a minute and then was out.

My little boy is growing up.

The Weaning Process

2008-08-08T11:40:00.000-04:00

I WON!!!! My Acceptance Speech.

2008-08-08T11:16:00.001-04:00

I am very honored to accept this Brillante Weblog award. I want to thank all of my avid readers. I especially want to thank Jennifer for giving me this award. I would also like to thank my family for giving me things to write about.

As for passing this award along. Unfortunately, the only two people I have to give it to, already have one. Can you earn 2?

Preschool Assessment - P.S - far location

2008-08-07T13:17:00.003-04:00

Well, people have marvelled about this school. Even though it was further than I wanted to go, I needed to check it out.

I was very impressed. Director has been there 11 years. Most of the teachers have been there over 7 years. School was clean, activities were interesting and taught something. We walk into the classroom and the teacher greets Eli and plays with him while I talk to the director.

This is the only school that I liked better than G.S. but there is one problem and it is not a minor one. The kids say a prayer before they eat.

Now, I have only been looking at nonreligious facilities and this one is. The prayer does have G-d in it but not in a religious way. But, still I feel uncomfortable about it. Lowell and I don't pray before we eat and we both agree that we do not want to confuse Eli.

So, I am curious about how the two mothers I know who read my blog feel about this. I feel weird about it and now am really thinking that I will sign Eli up for G.S.

Preschool Assessment - P.S - closer location

2008-08-07T13:16:00.001-04:00

I have heard great things about this school but was very disappointed. The director was kind of snotty, did not give me much of a tour. I did not feel welcome there.

Another No!

Preschool Assessment - K.D.

2008-08-07T13:13:00.002-04:00

All I must say is I did not stay in this place very long- why?

The room was filthy. Mud and sand everywhere. Toys looked disgusting and it was 100 degrees in the room.

Very easy decision on this one - NO!

Within Chaos, There is a Sense of Calmness

2008-08-04T20:44:00.002-04:00

This past week, we have had my inlaws here visiting. Their schedules are completely different than ours so it has been a little chaotic at home. The time I look forward to most in the day is right before I put Eli to bed. We go upstairs and I put him in his pajamas. I brush his teeth and I wash his hands and his face. I read him a book and then I nurse him. Then, I put him to bed for the night.

I am in the process of weaning Eli. We are down to 1-2 nursings a day. By the next two weeks, we should be done with nursing. I will miss it, especially the night feeding, the one time of day when I get to relax. I am sure Eli will miss it as well. It is a nice cuddling time where he looks at me and smiles and puts his fingers to my lips so I can kiss them.

Tonight, I put Eli in his crib and said the same thing I say every night, “Good night, I love you. I will see you in the morning.” Eli smiled at me. A very sweet smile that everyone especially a mother could love.

More Hotel Snafus

2008-07-27T13:43:00.003-04:00

So, we were really excited that we were upgraded to this new room but the glory of it is all over. Yesterday, we were going to take Eli to the pool at 9am right when it opens. We would let him swim for an hour and then we would put him down for a nap after a bath.

We got Eli dressed in his swim diaper and bathing suit. We lathered him up with sun screen. We go down to the pool and it is locked. I asked the front desk when they would open the pool. The front desk said it would be at least another hour because they had to put chemicals in the pool.

1. Who puts chemicals in on a Sat? Probably the busiest day of the week.

2. Can you be smart enough to put up a sign that says pool opening up late? A simple sign would have saved me the hassle of wasting a swim diaper and putting sun screen on my son.

So, since we were not going to be able to wait an hour. We filled the bath tub up and let Eli splash for a while.

We left the room after Eli's nap and asked for it to be cleaned since the do not disturb sign had been up all morning. Front desk said - no problem. We come back a few hours later and room was never cleaned. I don't mind using the same towels more than once, I do that at home but it would have been nice if they would have taken the trash with all the dirty diapers!

People in NJ are just rude

2008-07-27T13:34:00.003-04:00

You hear the saying that people from the NE are rude and I did not believe it. After all, my parents are from NY and are wonderful. Well, we have been staying at a hotel in NJ and every time I try to get off the elevator, people try to run me over to get in. HELLO, PEOPLE- LET ME OFF FIRST!

People are also very strange here. We went to the rehearsal dinner for the bride and groom at a restaurant and some very drunk guy who reeked of cigarette smoke insisted that I take a dollar from him and put it in Eli's saving account.

Another Hotel Snafu

2008-07-25T16:26:00.006-04:00

We are in NJ for a wedding this weekend. We went to check into our hotel. I asked for a room in a quiet location since we have the baby with us and I am a light sleeper. We got our room key and went to our room. I open the door and some guy sitting in his tuxedo is sitting there watching tv. Whoops!

I went downstairs and said that there was someone already in my room. The front desk worker was so embarrassed that we were upgraded to a wonderful suite on the top floor.

Perfect! Now, Eli will have his own room and hopefully will sleep longer.

I don't mind the slight inconvenience in order to get double the sized room but I am really happy that when I opened the door that the guy was not naked!

Tiny Haircuts, Big Prices

2008-07-24T08:29:00.004-04:00

When I tell someone I am taking Eli, my 14 month old, for a haircut, they probably think- how exciting- his first haircut. Well, actually yesterday was his third haircut.

My kid's hair grows like it is on steroids. His hair was cut last on his birthday and two weeks later Lowell was ready to take him back in for another cut. Luckily, I could stall Lowell until now.

Eli's hair curls like mine did as a kid so as soon as Lowell sees a curl, he wants it cut off.

We have been to a store called "Halfpint Haircuts" twice now. It is a place where they specifically do haircuts for kids. They have TVs with cartoons on. Smaller chairs for the little ones etc. Smaller everything except for their prices. They charge $15 a haircut (if my memory is correct) for little kids haircuts! Now, maybe, I am not with the program but I thought that was high.

A friend of mine has been taking her 15 month old son to Supercuts and has had some great experiences there so we took Eli there for the first time yesterday. No baby chairs so Eli had to sit on my lap which was not a big deal. The lady was patient with him and did a pretty good job. Price -$12. $12 for a little kid haircut at Supercuts! I am definitely not with the program. I used to love my $5 haircut that my friend Sue would hook me up with!

Anyways, I will have to learn to live with the prices since in Lowell will insist that Eli needs another haircut by the weekend.

(Editor's note: I would have posted pictures but since Lowell decided to dress Eli in a silly Gator outfit I did not want to take any pictures. Will try to take some pictures today in a much nicer Seminole outfit.)

It's Frankenstein!

2008-07-23T07:47:00.004-04:00

Frankenstein is coming my way. Well, really it is Eli. Eli is officially walking now but he looks like he could be trying out for the role of Frankenstein the way he walks with his hands out trying to keep balance.

Eli could have walked for months now but I think he preferred to crawl because he was so fast doing it. Well, yesterday, any time Eli could get my attention, he would stand up and walk and smile and laugh. Now, he is walking more than crawling and not holding on.

Again, I am so proud.

What a big boy you are!!!

2008-07-22T08:10:00.010-04:00

Eli, show me what a big boy you are. Please stand up for mommy, so I can take your picture.

That's it. Come on, stand up so mommy can take your picture. No, Eli, you can't have the camera, stand up for mommy.

Eli, the camera is not a toy. You will break it if I give it to you. I just want one picture of you standing up.

Great job Eli.

I know you like that shirt but do you need to drool on it that much???

How do I know that my kid is not feeling well?

2008-07-21T14:12:00.003-04:00

How do I know that Eli is not feeling well?

1. He is cranky.
2. Sleep patterns are off
3. He is cranky!

Poor kid. He did end up catching hand, foot, and mouth disease. Luckily, it is nothing serious and time will easily cure him but I want my sweet little angel back.

Go Noles!!!!

2008-07-20T21:19:00.004-04:00

I must say- I am so excited. This week, I bought tickets for the FSU/GA Tech game in Atlanta in November and bought my flight for the FSU/Colorado game which is in Jacksonville in September.

I used to never miss a game. I have missed weddings for games. But, then Eli was born and I don't want to miss a minute with him so we watched games on TV instead of traveling to them.

I would love to go to more games in Tallahassee but I don't know if Eli could take the drive and flights to Tally are more expensive than going to Europe. But, this year, I am definitely going to two games so that is an improvement from last year!

I know my days of NEVER missing a home game are done but now I live closer to the away teams and I should be able to go to more of those games.

We are over a month away from football season but all I have to say is: GO NOLES!!!!!

Girls will be Girls

2008-07-18T08:29:00.004-04:00

A year ago, I was invited by a friend to join a Mommy’s group. It was wonderful. I barely knew anyone in my city since we had just moved here a few months before and I barely knew anyone living near me with children Eli’s age.

I loved my Mommy’s group. When I was on maternity leave, we got together for lunch, walks and playdates once or twice a week. When I went back to work, they accepted that I was a full time working mom and I was able to flex my work schedule to still meet up with the group once a week.

A year later, some things had changed behind the scenes that many of us were unaware of. Members were bitching and complaining to the group moderator about various things. We were told at a group meeting that the group was closing down because of it. The moderator said she has been cursed at, lied to etc and the group was not a positive influence in her life anymore.

It saddens me that it has come to this. If a member of the group did not like things going on, instead of cursing at the moderator- leave the group. Now a group which has been so good for myself and my son is closing down. This group has been such a big part of my life this past year and my closet friends here are from the group.

I know I will keep in touch with the people I became close to. I will not lose those friendships but I will probably lose touch with some of the acquaintances I have in the group.

A day after the group meeting, one of the moms from the group started a new Mommy’s group inviting the same people to join. Of course I will join. But, I am wondering, will we be going through the same thing a year later because “Girls will be Girls.”

As a good friend likes to say, “Can’t we all just get along?”

Oh, to hold a sick child

2008-07-17T11:19:00.003-04:00

Eli and I were playing last night as usual. We were driving his cars around the room, practicing walking etc. I picked him up to put him to sleep and noticed how hot he was. Now, I am not the type of mom to flip out anytime my son seems a little warm but he was hot! I took his temperature- 101.7. I don't think he has ever had a fever that high before.

I snuggled with him and put him in his crib. Eli fell asleep right away. I called the night nurse and was asked a series of questions. I was told to check on him every 4 hours. Check his breathing, look for swelling, look for any type of skin rash.

Lowell happened to be out grocery shopping while all of this was happening. When he came home, the dogs started barking as usual and Eli woke up. I took Eli into bed with me to try to calm him down. I figured if I needed to check on him every four hours, it would be easiest to have him sleep in between us. Unfortunately, sleep is something that no one had last night.

After a night of lots of crying and lots of cuddling, I took Eli to the doctor. The doctor checked his ears and his throat. His ears were fine but his throat was a little red but luckily not strep throat. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is going around in our playgroup so I need to be on the lookout for it. It starts with a fever and then a few days later, the blisters appear.

So, Eli is now happily drugged on Infant's Motrin and Infant's Tylenol. He fell asleep for his nap. I am back at work for now, until he wakes up.

Keep your fingers crossed for us that it is just a fever and not Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. Hopefully, my baby will be feeling better soon.

Preschool Assessment - A.A.

2008-07-16T12:44:00.003-04:00

A. A. - not to be confused with Alcoholics Anonymous!

This was the first school Lowell and I went to look at. Unfortunately, I should have written about the school as soon as we got home and not two weeks later. All, I remember was that I felt the school was all right. No complaints but I was not wowed like I was at G.S. I will need to go back and reassess this school.

Price - $105 a week including lunch.

Will return to this school and then reassess.

Preschool Assessment - G.S.

2008-07-16T12:12:00.004-04:00

Editor's note: Name of school is hidden

I love this school. Everything is brand new. Teachers have degrees. Everything is clean. It is hard to explain everything that I saw but I love this school.

I was happy to see that snacks were not cookies like I saw at other schools. Snacks were fruit and crackers.

I like how all teachers are CPR certified and continuing education is highly emphasized.

I like how everything in the school is brand new. (The school is only 1.5 years old.)

I like everything about the school except for the price. The price is highest from all the schools I have seen and it does not include lunch! Price for only two days a week is $121 a week. To me that is high, but maybe it is normal!

Preschool Assessment - D.P.

2008-07-16T11:50:00.006-04:00

Editor's note: Name is hidden so school cannot sue me for defamation.

Eli and I went to visit D.P. today. I was very excited about this school. Thought it would be in the final round. Boy, was I wrong.

First impression was great. Security to get into the building was good. Friendly, knowledgeable, face at the front desk. And, she even spoke English that I could understand. I asked my questions and received answers that I wanted to hear. Decent teacher to child ratio. Turnover rate was not bad. So far, so good.

Then, we went for the tour and it all went downhill from there. We walked into the Toddler room and it was 100 degrees inside. The teacher asked the person giving my tour if she could turn the air conditioning on. It was 10:30am and 90 degrees outside. These kids should have ac. Even I was hot in the room and I am always cold!. Strike 1!

Next, we walked outside to the playground. Some of the equipment looked great but there was one walk behind car which should have been thrown away years ago. Pieces of it were broken and it was filthy and just looked old! Strike 2!

Finally, we walked through another classroom. There were no kids in the room. But, there was a sippy cup full of milk in a crib. Can you say spoiled milk? Strike 3!

Price- Price does not matter with this place. We won't be going there.

Preschool Assessments - Introduction

2008-07-16T11:31:00.002-04:00

I am going to have Eli start preschool next January. Lowell and I are starting to look at schools. I will be posting some of my reviews online. These may not interest my readers, will probably be more for me, but you are more than welcome to read them.

I have been Tagged!

2008-07-14T11:45:00.002-04:00

I was officially tagged. My first blog version of chain mail. Thanks Jen!

All Things Eight (Because Eight is Always Enough)

Eight Things I'm Passionate About:
1. Eli- my sweet angel who is growing too quickly.
2. Lowell – I can’t believe that our ten year anniversary of being together is less than a month away.
3. Wallace and Bruce – What great furkids to have. They are sweet and loving and wonderful with Eli as well as so much fun to play with and two balls of energy.
4. My Family- I have such a wonderful relationship with my parents and siblings. I wish I lived closer to them and saw them more often.
5. My Friends – I have such wonderful friends. Thank you to all of you for always being there for me.
6. My Mommy Group – These are my closet Georgia friends who I have had such a wonderful time getting to know in this past year. We have all learned so much from each other and I have loved watching the babies grow into toddlers.
7. My Job- I am so grateful that I can work and still spend so much time with Eli. Thank you for letting me work from home and spend so much more time with my son then most full time working moms.
8. My Home – I love my new(ish) home. Plenty of room to grow into it. So cozy and nice. I love my yard and my view of the Mountain practically in my backyard.

Eight Things I Say Often:
1. "No. That’s dangerous." (Eli is getting into everything these days.)
2. "I love you. I will see you in the morning." (My nightly saying to Eli when I put him in the crib for the night.)
3. "Wallace, come get your peanut butter." (Wallace is on daily medicine now and he gets his pill in peanut butter.)
4. "Good morning (afternoon), this is Alison." (answering my business line)
5. "Let me repeat what you just said." (during business conference calls)
6. "No, that is Wallace and Bruce’s food." (again – towards Eli)
7. "Back in the house please." (To Wallace and Bruce)
8. "I have conference calls at this time and this time." (To Lowell, as we are planning our day and who is watching Eli when)

Eight Books I've Read Recently:
1. “Goodnight Moon” It counts, I read it a few times a week.
2. "Certain Girls" by Jennifer Weiner. I have read everything by her. She is my favorite.
3. "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Simpson. A cookbook about hiding vegetables in food. Great recipes.
4. Parenting magazines – Not a book but should count!
5. Parents magazines – Not to be confused with Parenting magazines
6. American Baby magazines- Do you see the trend here?
7. “Honeymoon” by James Patterson. I love everything by James Patterson.
8. “Sprite’s Keeper’s Blog” – Not a book but read everyday!

Eight Movies I've Watched Eight Times: (This should be "or more")
1. “The Notebook” – One of my favorites.
2. “Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum” – I love these films. Can’t watch them enough.
3. “Harry Potter” – I won’t list them all but I love all of them. Can’t wait to watch these with Eli one day.
4. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” – Still a classic.
5. “Aladdin” – My favorite Disney flick.
6. "Clueless" – Fun to watch.
7. “Varsity Blues” – Great football flick. Doesn’t hurt that they advertise FSU!
8. “Chicago” – Love to watch this one in surround sound!

Tag 8 People To Do This Meme:
I am skipping this one since there are only a few people who consistency read my blog!

Little Accomplishments

2008-07-10T20:46:00.005-04:00

Eli, I am so proud of you.

Today, you let go of the couch and walked to me. Then you let go of me and walked to the couch. Great job, little man.

Today, you also put the triangle into the shape sorter (with a little hint from mommy).

These accomplishments may seem small to some but they are big in my heart.

I am glad I looked

2008-07-10T13:00:00.003-04:00

I love my new(ish) car. A Honda Pilot, comfortable, safe, reliable. My only complaint is that it is a gas guzzler. Especially compared to my past very efficient cars.

Well, I am taking pride in this car and trying to keep it looking new. Very hard with a one year old and guests who do not kick off the dirt on their shoes before entering the car.

I decided to buy new “all season floor mats” to make cleaning the floor mats much easier. I found out that if I pick up the floor mats at the dealership, I save a $25.00 shipping charge.

There are two dealerships about equidistant from where I live: Honda Mall of Gerogia and Honda Carland. I was originally going to pick up the floor mats at Honda Carland because I thought I would be in the area soon, but then I realized, it may be easier to pick up the floor mats from Honda Mall of Georgia instead. Well, I am glad I changed locations, the cost went down by $25!

Who would know that two dealerships, not far away from each other, would have a different price for floor mats bought directly from a Honda site!