I'm 29!!!

at dinner for my birthday. Arden sang to me all day.


I had a great bday this weekend with Matt, Arden, and Chelsea in Pigeon Forge. (photos to come). So far I am having a great day too.

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Getting in the Fall spirit

Candy Corn thief. snacking and looking out the window.

This weather has been awesome!!!! Arden and I just got back from our walk. We are planning a camping trip this weekend. Her 1st one. We are doing it in pigeon forge and doing dollywood and all the other good old kid fun things.

"Chuck E. Cheese scared me"

We went to Chuck E Cheese yesterday for Arden's playdate. Did I mention that we had 2playdates yesterday? 2 Playdates and a full day of work with no nap is the formula for meltdown to a 2 year old girl. Not a good idea, Mom. So she liked the games at CEC (I would say she likes things like the petting zoo better, she is not all that impressed with the games) but right before we were about to leave she saw Chuck E. on the stage and said " I want to go back to my shop, MA" When I asked her why she said that she said "Chuck E Cheese scared me right here (and pointed to her chest)" I laughed and took her back to the shop. He was on the stage. I can't imagine if he was walking around the restaurant.
So we also had playgroup at Andi's last night. Thank you Andi for letting us eat dinner with you. At the start Arden was just watching little mermaid being quiet and holding my arm. I could tell she was out of it. But everyone was walking around playing so i guess she decided to just do that too. Well, everything was "Mine" and she would push Addison or anyone else that tried to touch the toy that she had. Finally she found a tricycle--just like hers at home--that she wanted to ride. She did for a second but when I told her to get off and leave it alone she just went to pieces. She kept crying uncontrollable that " I want my bicycle." Even when I told her it is was Addison's--that made it worse. I spanked her for acting so ridiculous. Which I think scared some of the other kids. Sorry Amanda-Maddie's eyes were as big as saucers after I did that. She just kept on. The last straw was that she was playing with a toy and when Addi walked over she tried to yank it away and say "mine" and hit Addi on accident with the box. I was over it then. I just yanked her up and put her over my shoulder and said we were leaving. She cried but I didn't care. In the car on the way home I told her that we don't act that way. She didn't seem to care too much. I am not kidding-it was the worst she has ever acted in her whole life. I will take some blame for putting her through too long of a day because I had over-committed but still. By about 10min. in the car she was singing to herself so maybe she was just not in the mood to play? ???who knows.

Mudpie officially gets the AX!

It used to be my favorite restaurant!! We would call it "our" place because when we lived in Red Bank we would run down there on weeknights and thought we were cool because we were down town. There used to be this sweet little girl that made all the desserts daily. Well, those times are long gone. I have given it 3 tries since it went under new management about 6 months ago and I just can't do it. My signature black bean and corn salad is just nasty now. They pour so much vinegar in the black bean/pico topping that you should die from the oily sodium overload. It tastes terrible. I have tried to get it 3 times now and everytime it's bad. The sweet potatoe fries (my guilty pleasure) are cut thin now and too much like potatoe chips instead of real sweet potatoes. Desserts look like they are made fresh--this week--instead of daily. I tried something different last night hoping that we could keep it on the list because we love to eat outside with Arden. But it was no use. I ordered a plain chicken burrito and they couldn't make that right. There is no hope. One whole side of it tasted like feta. gag!! Then it was so plain there was not much of a taste---I could make a better burrito at home. Complete waste of money. I feel sad about it. I wish the old owner would come back and they would get rid of karioke (sp?) night and the Cuban menu. What the heck? It seems like the crowd is different too. Don't want to seem too discriminating so I won't mention how---just lots of fruit loop people that seem more crazy than cool!!
It's a sad day :( What is going to be "our" place now.

Since when did my name change?

Arden has stopped calling me mommy or momma and it is "MA". Just like some country hillbilly. She just told me "I need milk, ma" I have no idea where it came from but I am scared I am going to be stuck with it. Even when she wakes up in the middle of the night she will say "Where are you, Ma?" I feel like and old lady. ha. We have been trying to adjust to the new bed at our new house. I know this is something that we should have already mastered. Living with Grammy and Dandy and getting to sleep with them or us has just got to stop. As soon as we moved in Matt jumped on her bed and it broke. It was my brothers hand me down that I painted so it isn't really made for that. Well, I finally got another wood slat cut and replaced it last week. One of the things that Matt asked me to do was to try to master the bedtime routine...something we have never been strict about since we have never had to. Matt was out of town so I would flip on HGTV and let her lay down by me and she would fall asleep. It was just easy for me when he was gone 3-4 nights a week. But now she has to go to her bed upstairs and she was a little scared. We have never been on seperate floors. I have a video monitor that I bought for this house just because I was scared i wouldn't hear her. She is on other side of house and upstairs. To be built in 1920 --this house is insulated well. You can barely hear her cry downstairs. So, since Monday night I have been reading a book and rocking her and into her bed at bedtime. Monday night she woke up 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and then at 4:30 I woke up sitting in her rocking chair---I had feel asleep. I don't hold her. She just starts asking "where are you?" I pop my head in and that's that. Well, Tues night she must have woken up 20 times. I almost died. Do I really want another baby any time soon--this was a small window into what that was like. Last night she only woke up about 3 times and I slept on the pull out upstairs so I wasn't doing stair master at night. When she said "Where are you" I just yelled across the hall for her to lay down and go back to sleep. It worked. So not to jinx myself but maybe by the end of the week we could have this down pat. I just figured it prob was time for a set bedtime--even though it never really bothered us before. Plus, Matt wanted me to do it. So aren't a good wife for tackling this while he is out of town all week. He should be proud when he gets home.

sneaky girl

Isn't this the perfect face for a mischievous child. Arden was hiding under my desk. She hides and sneaks and snarls her nose all the time lately. It is a regular thing that she has to get a leg smack for saying something like" Mommy, you go away.""I'm going to DO IT MYSELF" or other mean things. She is fine after you correct her but she can be a meanie.
Matt and I went on a marriage retreat to Winshape at Berry College in Rome Georgia. It was started by Truet Cathy-founder of Chick-fil-a. It is an awesome place. We enjoyed it and learned alot and had lots of fun. We had a couple certified in couples therapy there to teach and we had free time too. We hiked about 6 miles on Saturday and enjoyed the company and good food. It was really a blessing and something we needed with all the financial and house stress we have had lately. It was perfect timing.

Time to myself

So, I just got back from the gym and am enjoying my cup of coffee in my quiet house. Matt and Arden are sleeping. Sampson is at my parents so no tick tick of little claws on hardwood. It is so wonderful! Matt cleaned up the kitchen last night so I am just on cloud 9. He must be trying to get me in a good mood for the Marriage Retreat we are going on with Church this weekend. Well, it is working. I am having a great week this week. I don't know why it is better than most weeks. Maybe I just have a better attitude--isn't that usually the case?

Oops that was short lived .I hear Arden crying for momma. HA

new attitude adjustments

Our girl has started to have a little attitude lately. She will yell for me to "do it" or something like that......which is usually followed by me popping her. Today she told me to stop hurting her because I was picking her up to change her diaper and she was fighting me. So I swatted her leg. She started "fake" crying from that so I started mocking her. She proceeded to smack my face and say " hush that up momma". It hurt. I tried not to give a big reaction but it hurt and she got a full on spank for that. Anyway, just lots of testing lately. Still funny and not grating on my nerves that much yet. Just grouchy sometimes. Oh, and she tattle tails on Sampson all the time. I will be folding laundry and hear her screaming "Mommy". Of course I yell back "what?" and she tells me that Sampi boy is won't "leave me alone" or "won't get down" from the couch. I know it is a preview to siblings. She is constantly saying "Mommy (in extreme whining tone) get Sampi Boy" I will have to send pic. He is less afraid of her now and tries to throw his toy at her to make her play. It is really hilarious to see them go at it fighting. I never thought I would see the day.

As for me-I am having a good week. Feel good and balanced. Must help that I have had counseling sessions from Shelly H. and Mom last week. ha.

window grids

So, I hated the grids when the first came in but since this is the second time we would have to send them back I decided I would live with them. Now they are growing on me and I am thinking they are actually the right size. I love the pattern it was just the size. They should all be in very soon. I only have half in now. Check them out.

newest obsession

So, my newest thing is trying to make the perfect cupcake. maybe I will reveal more about my motives later. I have finally got the right icing consistancy for my vanilla ones. It took about 4 tries. The strawberry ones were great first try out but the vanilla ones. (like in pic) took longer to get the icing right.

Bootcamp is back in full swing. Deb is feeling better so she is teaching again and we are all so happy that she is back--even though we were all saying how much we sucked this morning. When you haven't done pushups in a month or two and you have to do 60 it is hard. I also sprained my ankle. I am supposed to be training for a 1/2 marathon. Emphasis on "supposed to". I am about 2 weeks behind my training schedule and still trying hard to find a partner that can run at my time and that even wants to. We will just have to see.