Gotta' love a bargain!

I've mentioned before that I love yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores. There was a festival downtown this weekend and a church had a flea market and craft show. I decided not to do the craft show because I don't have enough inventory right now, but I had to meet someone to drop off an order so of course we had to check out the flea market. It was very small and very crowded and we had J with us so it wasn't easy to get around. But the church had set up a booth and we spotted a power wheels four wheeler. R kind of kept walking, but of course I had to investigate and the price tag said $5! Those things sell for about $200. The way we work things is: I have the ideas and R helps me with the "technical" stuff. In this case, that included finding out whether it a) works b) has a battery and charger and c) can be fixed if it doesn't work. The guy told R that it came with not one but two batteries and the charger. We decided that for $5 we'd take a chance. R charged the first battery overnight and we tried it today. It works! R says it doesn't act fully charged and probably won't hold a charge for long but with the two batteries we may get a few hours out of it at a time. We took it for a spin around the block and J had a ball with it! SO worth the $5! Guess I should admit that he already has a smaller motorized 4 wheeler that he rides in the house that uncle B bought for him for Christmas and he has a motorized John Dee.re tractor for outside that we bought for his last birthday. What can I say, the boy loves his vehicles! LOL

Great day with my favorite boy

J and I had a great day yesterday! We did a little grocery shopping, went to play group, stopped in to drop some crafts off at "my" store and then went to McD.onalds for lunch. There were two Amish men in there and he said very loudly "look mama, there's a cowboy!" It was adorable, he was so excited. He ate very nicely so we went for frozen custard afterwards, so yummy. We each got a little cup and he sat so nicely in the booth and ate his all by himself. That is a big thing with him, he loves to do things "by myself." We have always asked him to help with things and he is so proud to help. After that we went to Wal.mart for the rest of our groceries, then stopped for gas and then a quick run in to the library to get a movie for daddy. Lots of places, such a busy day. Through it all he was in a great mood, listened well and stayed right with me in the grocery store. He has been asking to walk with me instead of riding in the cart so we gave it a try and he did great. I can't get over how quickly he is growing up, no remnants of baby to be seen. Which is fine with me because infancy is not my favorite stage. I love this age, watching him figure things out and learn and explore the world. Today was one of those days that you store in your heart and remember forever. I am so happy to be his mommy and I am so blessed to have this time with him.

Blog Junkie

I read a lot of blogs. Seriously, a lot of blogs. I only recently started my own and discovered the sheer joy of a blog reader! I used to visit each blog individually and check for updates and that took so much time. Plus it was disappointing when there was no update. Anyway, I got to thinking the other day about how varied the blogs I read are. I started breaking them into categories and I am truly all over the map. Here are some of the categories of blogs I read (I'm sure I've left some out) and a brief reason why I read them.

 *infertility: My husband and I battled infertility for over three years to have J. When we were in the trenches I was just discovering blogs. How I wish I had had the support of this community while in the midst of our struggle. It's so sad to read when someone gets a negative or has a miscarriage but what a joy to read when someone gets pregnant or delivers a baby.

*yard sale/thrifting: I love yard sales and thrifting! Because we are a one income family right now, money is tight and I love the challenge of finding bargains.

*couponing: same reason as above. I love me some bargains!

*parenting: I love reading ideas from other moms and finding activities for J and I.

*weight loss: I am trying to lose weight and get healthier so these sites are inspirational to me.

*moms of special needs children: I was a special education teacher and love reading about these kids. I taught autistic children for quite some time, so many of the blogs I read reflect that.

*crafts: I make and sell crafts to try and bring in some extra money so I love these sites to get ideas. Plus I just love being creative and making things for our own home.

*fashion: I am NOT into fashion but I enjoy seeing the outfits some people put together.

*money savers: I love blogs that give tips and recipes to make your own <fill in the blank> I currently make our laundry detergent and many household cleaners. They are much safer and much cheaper.

*cooking/baking: I love to cook and bake (and eat) and love looking at blogs with pictures for inspiration. I love trying new recipes.

*large families: Because my pregnancy was difficult, my doctor strongly advised me not to try to have any more children. J is my world and I am so thankful for him, but R and I had wanted at least two children. I love reading about large families.

*anxiety/depression: I battled ppd after having J and  have some relatively minor anxiety issues so I like reading about the coping mechanisms of others.

Those are the categories I can think of right now. I'm sure there are more, as well as the blogs I read that don't fit into a category. Told you I'm a blog junkie!

Hi, I'm Angela and I'm a fabricaholic ;-)

     First things first: after I made the appointment to have Dottie "scoped", the little stinker didn't cough at ALL friday night, saturday night or sunday night! She also only coughed a handful of times during the day and they were much "lighter" sounding. So I called the vet this morning and they said to finish up her meds (she's done tomorrow) and keep a close eye on her. So we're cautiously optimistic that she may not need the scope, at least for now. Praise God!

     Now on to the "real" news! As I mentioned in an earlier post, Walm.art is closing their fabric department. I originally thought that it was all of them but I spoke to two other stores and they are remaining open. Interesting. Anyway, we went to Walm.art yesterday to get a piece of fabric for the apron order I'm doing and the lady said that everything was going to be 75% off today. That is a huge discount! I asked her when it would go into effect and she said she thought it would be at midnight, but definitely by the morning. Right at that moment, a plan began to form in my little brain. As we were preparing for bed at around 11, I wasn't tired at all because I had stupidly had some chocolate chips on my ice cream for snack that afternoon. Caffeine really affects me! Anyway, since I was wide awake, I decided to call and see if the discount would indeed go through at midnight. The manager wasn't sure but she thought it would. I decided to take a chance and head over, especially since it would be SO much easier to go without J. Poor little guy gets so bored when mommy shops for material. R encouraged me to go (love him!) because, really, how often do you get a discount like that?

     Long story short(ish), I was there for 2 1/2 hours and got a ton of fabric at ridiculous prices! There were 3 store employees who had the same idea and we each had our carts overflowing with fabric. I tell you, I was nearly giddy with the sheer joy of it all! So at this very moment the back of my suv is packed with fabric. I need to somehow make space for it all before I bring it in. Bliss, pure bliss!

Next Step

     Well, Dottie is just not getting a whole lot better on the medicine so I called the vet yesterday to determine our next step. He gave us two options: try a cough suppressant or anesthetize her and scope her throat. My gut instinct is that this is not just a "simple" cough. It sounds to me like she is gagging on something; like there is something in her throat. So we scheduled the scope for next Wednesday. Poor girl, I hate to see her go through this and I'm just praying that I am wrong. But of course after I scheduled it, last night she didn't cough at all.

     I start working at the co-op store on Thursday. I am pretty excited about it; I'm hoping it will be a chance for me to get out and meet people. My mom will be watching J and I'm having some misgivings about that. Probably just my control issues so I'm trying to let it go. I just don't like being away from him. After battling infertility for over 3 years, I am so blessed to have him and love being with him. R says I will have to be sedated on J's first day of school. That just might not be an exaggeration.

Vet follow up and I bought more material :-)

     So we took Dottie to the vet yesterday. She had started coughing a bit less at night and was running around in the snow like crazy on Sunday so I had relaxed a bit beforehand. They took an x-ray and the vet thought there might be a tiny bit of bronchitis so he put her on an antibiotic and another med for inflammation. I still think there is something in her throat, as it sounds like she is gagging on something. He said if the meds don't help we'll have to bring her back in to be sedated and have her throat "scoped" to see if there might be a polyp or tumor in there. Really hoping the medicine works. Poor girl, she was so scared.
     So W.almart is eliminating their fabric departments in all their stores (Boo!) and all material is now 50% off. It started out at 20 or 30% off so it had been picked over pretty well already. But I needed a piece to make an apron for an order so we went last night. I thought we were just going to get the one piece but R said to look around and take advantage of the sale. Love him! So we ended up picking out a bunch of stuff. Not sure I mentioned that I sew and sell crafts? I do craft shows and have just recently put my things into a store. I will be working one day a week in exchange for my "rent" instead of paying it out. So now I'm stocked up again and I better get busy!

Dogs

     Our dalmatian mix has been coughing and I'm worried that something serious could be wrong. R is out of town for work right now and I don't want to take her to the vet by myself just in case "the decision" has to be made. Our vet only does vaccinations on saturdays so I made an appointment for monday. She's not in any pain or I would take her immediately. I am an animal lover and our pets are so very special to me. When we had to put our first dog to sleep, it nearly killed me to lose her. I literally laid in bed, not eating or drinking, for days. My husband was so worried about me. She was so special to me, literally a part of my heart and soul. After we lost her, I said no more dogs. That lasted about two months. We always had a dog growing up and the house just seemed empty without one. We decided to get two puppies so that they could keep each other company while we were working. We agreed that we would each choose one. I wanted a Brussells Griffon (the dog from As G.ood As It G.ets) or a pug. I knew it was meant to be when I found a mix of the two. Jackson was/is the perfect dog to help soothe my broken heart after the loss of my beloved Bear. R wanted a german shepherd but instead he picked out a dalmatian and blue heeler mix that he named Dottie. I'm sad to say that, for various reasons, I have not bonded with her like I have with my Jackson. Somehow I managed to pick a dog with my husband's personality and he chose one with mine. Perhaps that's why she gets on my nerves so bad? LOL Of course I love her but there just isn't the same kind of connection as I had with Bear and now have with Jack. I'm worried that if something happens to her (I realize it is inevitable at some point), I will have guilt over that in addition to the grief of losing her. I don't think I could live without pets in my life, I just wish that they could live longer. They give so much unconditional love that the loss of it is just devestating.

Mother Issues

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has issues with my mother. I love her very much, but sometimes she just crushes me emotionally. I won't spew out our whole family history here (you're welcome) but sometimes it just helps to get things out. I have often wondered if I'm overly sensitive and over-reacting to things, but my husband and friends agree that the things she says and does are very hurtful. When I was little, I distinctly remember bringing home an art project from school that I had worked so hard on and being so proud to show it to her. She looked it over and said "don't worry, we can fix it." She then proceeded to take it apart and redo it so it would be "better." Crush. Gee, is it any wonder that I am a perfectionist now?

I'm in the midst of another "issue" with her right now and I'm hurting. There is a lot of history that goes into explaining it and I'm just not up to typing it all tonight. Suffice it to say that I'm upset with her, but I'm more upset with myself because I continue to allow her to hurt me. I'm chasing something that I will never have, and aching for a healthy relationship with my mother. I know that people who have lost their mothers would give anything to be in my shoes and would gladly have an issue with their mothers just to have them back. I totally understand that and I am thankful to have her in my life but it hurts nonetheless. Guess I'm just feeling raw tonight.

No More Excuses

I haven't been to the gym in a long time. Like, a long time. I've been overweight my whole life and was pretty much in denial. I got sick quite often and my knees hurt constantly but I always blamed it on other things. I'd rationalize that I was a teacher, so I was constantly exposed to germs. I had a 3 wheeler accident in high school and messed up my knee so I'd attribute the pain to that. Maybe so, but it was also compounded by the extra weight. I also have PCOS, which makes it hard to lose weight and it was very difficult for me to get pregnant. I did not have an easy pregnancy, and I developed gestational diabetes. After having my son, I developed PPD and lost some weight because I was unable to eat. After overcoming the PPD, life settled into a routine and I started putting on more weight. In December of 2009 I finally had to admit that I wasn't healthy and had bloodwork done. I was diagnosed with type II diab.etes and I was terrified. My doctor said that it was possible to "shrink my way out of it," so I threw myself full force into losing weight. We joined the Y and bought a W.ii and I started eating healthier foods. I lost about 50 pounds by June and at my next doctors appointment she told me I was no longer considered diabet.ic! Because of the PCOS I will always be considered insu.lin resistant but I was so happy and proud of myself. We had a busy summer and I gradually stopped going to the gym. I continued eating pretty well and gave myself permission to "maintain" for awhile. Well, that stretched into a long time and soon the holidays were upon us. And we all know what that means. I started to feel the weight coming back, but swore I'd start up again after the holidays, definitely at the first of the year. Then I got my per.iod and gave myself until that was over. Yep, the same old drill. Well, it's now time to face the music. I have put about 8-9 pounds back on and that is unacceptable. I'm still 40 pounds lighter but I can feel a difference in my body. My knees had stopped hurting for the most part and now they are aching again. I am starting to slow down and I've been moodier. Could it be that I actually miss exercise? Crazy from someone like me, but it seems to be true. So, starting tonight I am recommitting to getting healthy. Back to the gym, no more excuses. Wish me luck!

Lonely (Alternate title: I'm pathetic)

We moved here (PA) from Virginia in April of 2009 to be closer to my family. I had terrible post partum depression after having my son and the place we lived was so remote that I felt utterly alone. We had very good friends and a wonderful church but they suddenly felt so very far away. I was terrified to be alone with my son, and yet petrified of taking him anywhere. I can see now, of course, that it was the PPD wreaking havoc with my mind and body but at the time I felt so very isolated. I have always wanted the Norman Rockwell type of family that is so close and loving. My family is just not that way. Of course that hasn't stopped me from striving for that. So while I was knee deep in the PPD I talked to my mother a lot and somehow convinced myself that I needed to be closer to her, for my sake and for my son as well. My husband was very against moving and said we could discuss it again in a year. He knew I was fighting the PPD and was still very hormonal. He also knows how my family is and can see them much more objectively than I can. I refused to give up though, and he has never been able to say no to me so we decided that we would "look into" moving. The hope of moving and suqsequent packing gave me something to look forward to and focus on and I started climbing out of the pit of PPD. Things fell into place and we ended up buying my aunt's house, which had been my grandparents' before that. It's the house my mother grew up in and our son took his first steps in the same house as his grandmother did. How's that for Rockwell-ish?
     Long story short(er), things have not been as picture perfect as I had hoped they would be. My mother hasn't changed. My parents adore J but they don't help out as much as I had thought they would. Part of that is admittedly my fault; I don't ask them to watch him unless I have a doctor or dentist appointment. I also became very self reliant in VA because I had no choice. I also have huge control issues that I won't get into right now. All of that leads (finally) to the point of this post: I am lonely. This area is very different from where we lived in VA. We have not made any friends here yet, which is the longest we have ever gone without having friends. I still talk to my "old" friends on the phone and on Facebook but I'm hoping to make some friends here that we can get together with. We have not found the right church for us, which also contributes to not having made any friends yet. People here just don't seem as friendly and I'm not sure exactly how to go about making friends as an adult. We've always made friends through our church or our jobs or with neighbors. I'm a stay-at-home mom and my husband works at a small business and doesn't have much in common with his few coworkers. I don't want to sound conceited (I'm truly not), but our neighbors are not the type of people we'd feel comfortable socializing with either. I take J to a children's center and play group sometimes and the other moms are either very standoffish or very "exclusive." I'm beginning to wonder if I'm giving off a bad vibe or if I appear unfriendly. I am shy, which I suppose could be seen as standoffishness. One of my New Years resolutions is to really make an effort to make friends and put myself out there. That's part of my reason for starting this blog and I hope to "meet" people through it. Maybe I'll resort to passing someone a note that says "Do you want to be my friend? Check Yes or No." Pathetic? Perhaps.