Nov 17, 2010

Out of the Mouth of Babes....

Well... not really babes, just Olivia.

Two conversations tonight had me giggling inside... but not outside, because she was so serious.

The first one took place in the car...

Olivia: I'm broken.
Me: You're broken?
Olivia: Yeah
Me: Where are you broken?
Olivia: Right there (points to neck) on O's neck. It's broken.
Me: Oh, I'm so sorry.
Olivia: Fix it, Mommy.
Me: How does Mommy fix it?
Olivia: Put batteries in it.

:)

Next, when we got home, during a diaper change.

Olivia: Need medicine down there.
Me: You need medicine on your bottom?
Olivia: Yeah, I help.
Me: Okay, here. (I put a tiny drop of Desitin on her finger)
Olivia: O eat it?
Mommy: NO! Please don't ever eat it!
Olivia: On tacos?
Mommy: On tacos?
Olivia: Is it sour cream?

Hahahaha.

Love her dearly!

Sep 22, 2010

The Balloon Festival

One of the best things about living in Texas so far is the vast amount of things always taking place! Last weekend the Kleckner's and the Deibler's attended the Plano Balloon Festival. We poured sweat but it was great fun! Olivia loved the 'fire balloons' and is still asking about them. Her normal response is "They went up up and away!" And we can't forget the fried pickles drenched in Ranch dressing! YUM YUM!
I really never thought I'd leash my child, but she loves the 'packpack'. She walked the entire festival, no stroller needed! I was so proud of her!
Hmm.... attitude much? She was in the middle of throwing a fit, so I informed her I was going to take her picture. She yelled "No!" and I snapped it. :) This is a normal look we get.... quite often!

This was Olivia's first inflatable slide encounter. It took her awhile to climb up, but once she was up there, it was full steam ahead! I don't think she anticipated the quickness of her decent!

The two cousins sharing a bench at the balloon festival. This is about the only thing shared. Haha. They love each other, I'm sure, but fight continually. One usually provides a peace offering, but it is always the item that is NOT wanted.

Sorry for the low picture quality. I had to steal it from Facebook since my sister isn't too great at sharing pictures. :P My daughter is obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba or in her words 'Go Abba Abba". We watch in the car, we watch at home, we watch at Andrea's, we watch at Nana's. Anywhere there is a TV she is CERTAIN YGG must be on it! They are coming live in December to Frisco. And yes, we will be attending. Hahaha, hopefully they won't scare her!

Just a quick update of our lives! :)

Aug 31, 2010

Will she be a Texan?

This little girl is the light of my life. Yes, sometimes she is the darkness of my life too, but that is not the reason of this post. ;) She will be 28 months tomorrow and is maturing rapidly! Her vocabulary is constantly expanding. The things she says to me everyday are hysterical. Right now our favorite saying around the house is "shut the door" but Olivia's version is "shut tha doah" said with a true Texan accent. What the? We have only been here a month! But it is hilarious! And she loves to make other people laugh, so when she says it and someone laughs, she says it again and again and again.
She is not scared of much. Except bugs, on her terms. For instance, her little cousin has a bug puzzle. She would touch the spider puzzle piece and then run to the other room yelling, haha. She loves to watch rolly-pollies but won't touch them. If I want her to come inside for any reason I tell her 'the bite bugs are out' and she comes running. Anytime she has a bug bite, she calls it a bite bug and demands a 'bambaid'.
Of course she tests my patience. The other day I told her she was driving me nuts. She came over and opened my mouth looking for nuts. Then she was mad when I didn't have any nuts to give her. So, she drives me nuts for a short time until I just can't help but laugh. She hates wearing clothes. Anytime they get wet or dirty, they have to come off. And then when she is only wearing a diaper she will say "I wet" and then proceeds to take the diaper off. So really, she'd rather be naked. Which is okay with me... I think it is cute and she needs to air out every once in awhile! Haha.
It is amazing to ride in the car with Olivia now and carry on full-fledged conversations about things. Right now she is infatuated with the sun and moon. It usually goes like this:
Olivia: Where'd sun go?
Me: It is behind the clouds.
Olivia: Oh. Where'd moon go?
Me: Moon is night night. Why is the moon night night, Olivia?
Olivia: Sun out! Moon night night! Sun out!
And then it repeats for the moon being out and the sun being night night.

Lately, if she can't do something, it is 'no can do this' and then gets very frustrated when she continues to try. We are also starting chores in the house, hehe. I can't tell you the last time I gave the dog food. Anytime O sees the bowl is low or empty she goes to the container and gives her more food. Same with putting Kylie in and out of the crate. Once I taught her how to lock and unlock the crate it is always 'O do it, O do it!' And don't EVER forget that she is to ALWAYS 'shut tha doah'!

She is an amazing child. Growing, showing, caring, sharing, talking... and a beautiful 2 year old.

Aug 28, 2010

A Day in the Life of Meredith...

So school has started, which means busy mornings, busy days, and tired nights. I thought I'd give everyone an insight of our schedule on a 'normal' day.
5:45 - My alarm goes off.
6:00 - Finally roll out of bed and get ready.
6:40 - The coffee pot starts - it still makes me smile to smell the coffee. I think it reminds me of my grandfather... the coffee pot was always brewing so early in the mornings.
6:45 - Wake up Miss Priss. We then usually share a bowl of cereal.
7:00 - Try, with a fight of course, to get us out of the house all in one piece with all of our daily belongings.
7:20 - Arrive at daycare. Olivia puts her diapers away and then finds a seat at the table to eat her cereal. She usually chooses a seat near a smaller child so she can 'touch baby'.
7:30 - I arrive at school.
7:50 - 3:00 - Teach my little heart out, stare at blank faces, and laugh at the things kids say.
3:00-4:30 - Prepare for the next day.
4:40 - Pick up Miss Priss. She is so excited to see me and I plaster a smile on my face to see her. I am so tired by this point, but I also know her day is just beginning with me and I must make the most out of it.
4:45-6:45 - Play. Play. Play. Watch Yo Gabba Gabba. Eat dinner. Play. Play. Play.
6:45-7:30 - Bath, story time, prayer time, night night time!
Then of course all the daily chores begin and I try to roll into bed by 10pm.
So, if you took notes, haha, that is really only about 3 hours a day with my own child. How crazy is that?! Yet, she is finally liking daycare and is not crying when I drop her off. The daycare is also equipped with webcams, so for an extra fee each month I can watch her whenever I please. My mom and dad are also keeping daily tabs. It is great to see her interacting with other children and sleeping so soundly on a mat on the floor.

I have 19 students. All are completely different and diverse. I have only had one week with them, but can already tell who my problems are, who my lazies are, and who my 'average' students will be. We start off the year teaching place value which is not fun for anyone. Blah.

Olivia is doing very well. She amazes me everyday with her new words, actions, and independence. I wish the world was as friendly as she thinks. She will wave to anyone, play peek a boo with anyone, and will generally blow kisses to anyone. She also thinks if she is free from a shopping cart that the store becomes her own running field. She hates the cart but also doesn't like staying close to anyone. People tell me I was the same way... I beg to differ of course. ;) Her latest thing is eating people's noses. She will pretend to grab your nose and then put it in her mouth. She will also pretend chew it. Usually, if you ask for it back she will kindly take it out and put it back on your face. Until recently. Now she goes to the trash can and 'coughs it up'. :) Oh, my dear sweet child.

How am I doing? Oh... well, not as carefree as my daughter, unfortunately. I am still adjusting. The house is doing well, the boxes are unpacked, but it is very lonely at times. We have Andrea and Astoria over quite a bit or we are over there, but its still not the same. I miss my bff and the company he provided. I also miss my parents cooking us dinner and popping in to fix something around the house. When Olivia asks for Pops or Nana it breaks my heart. Yet, she will tell me "Nana Pops Okiehoma". Sigh. I know things will get better the more I surround myself with work and Texas atmosphere, but I am still a work in progress.

My camera has been broke since before I moved, so I don't have any pictures to share this time. I feel I have really missed out on a month of Olivia's life due to the camera issue. But the good news is, I bought a new one tonight and the battery is charging! :)

To leave with this.... a card my mother sent me.
"She Who Believes in Herself"
Trusting her instincts
was the hardest thing she ever did.
There was that wimpy little voice inside her,
cautioning her not to take the risk.
There were times along the way
When she was so scared she almost quit.

But she listened to the whisperings of her heart.

She pushed forth with faith-
Faith in her skills...
Faith in her work ethic...
And faith in her knowledge that she could succeed.

And she did!

In the end, trusting her heart
was the smartest thing she ever did!
-Suzy Toronto

Aug 3, 2010

The ABC's of Me!

Found this on my sister's blog, thought it would be something to do while I should be sleeping!


A- My AIR CONDITIONER is set on: 77. Although, this silly rent house is NOT keeping with the Texas heat and we are sitting at about 88 degrees during the day. UGH!

B- My BEDROOM theme is: not yet completed. :) My bed is huge tan microfiber and cherry wood.

C- The CAR in the driveway is: Chrysler Pacifica. The DVD player was the selling point!

D- My DESK looks: Hmm.... I don't have a desk, but my scrapbook table is my catch-all and it is a mess!

E- The EXACT time I wake up daily is: Currently about 9am (I love my daughter!) during the school year it will be about 6am.

F- The FIRST thing I wash in the shower is: my face.

G- My GARAGE is filled with: My rent house doesn't have a garage. :( It is converted into my room, so I guess my garage has a bed, nightstands, clothes, etc. :)

H- My HOUSE is: small but bursting with love.

I- If you peeked INSIDE my bedroom you'd see: an unmade bed, full laundry hamper, and a few unpacked boxes.

J- My favorite JUICE is: apple-cranberry.

K- The best part of my KITCHEN is: Oh gosh... don't get my started.

L- The LAST person who visited my home was: Nana... who is still here, thankfully! :)

M- The last piece of MAIL for me was: the gas bill.

N- My NEIGHBORS think I'm: Don't know them yet, but I'm sure they think I have a lot of STUFF!

O- If you OPENED my fridge you'd see: lots of juice and fruit.

P- My last house PARTY was: Yet to happen!

Q- A QUICK meal I like to fix is: Stir-fry

R- My favorite ROOM of the house is: My living room. I LOVE my couches!

S- The SHAMPOO brand I use is: Volumizing and Straightening

T- My largest TELEVISION is: a 42 inch that I saved up for! :)

U- UNDER my bed you will find: winter clothes in tubs. Yep.

V- The last time I VACUUMED was: Last weekend when I moved in.

W- Looking out my WINDOW I see: my car.

X- I wish I had X-TRA: SPACE!

Y- My YARD is: good sized with a nice shed and kid toys!

Z- ZZZZZZZ My bedtime is: anytime from 12-2am in the summer.. 10-11 during the school year.

Holy Changes, Batman!

So, yeah, I have been a bad blogger. And at this point, I can't promise anytime soon if I will get any better.

Within the past week Olivia and I have moved 208 miles. From Oklahoma City to Garland (Dallas) Texas. I am overwhelmed, sad, happy, emotional, lost, ecstatic, and very very tired.

We have been anticipating this move for quite some time and now it has officially happened.

I miss Oklahoma City terribly. I miss my home, I miss my friends, and I miss my familiarity.

I love Dallas. I love being close to my sister, I love starting over. I do NOT love the amount of money the move and Dallas have cost me! Hahaha

Olivia has done extremely well. Yet, Nana is still with us, so that is helping tremendously. I'm not sure what I expected from a 2 year old, but she has exceeded my expectations. She has kept her normal sleep routine, she is still taking naps, and she has been a great sport. Now only if she would share her toys with her 16-month old cousin. ;)

I am kind of at a loss about what to say. My camera is broke, but so am I. ;) So, I will post some house pictures and such when I can.

Until then, here is a couple over the past month or so.


May 9, 2010

Mother's Day - 2010




My daughter is my life. She is my backbone. She is my saving grace. She is my want when I don't want. She is my kleenex when I am sad. She is my hug when I'm aching. She is my kiss when I am angry. She is my partner in crime. She is my best friend. She is my reason for living.

I am her Mother. I am her nourish-er. I am her provider. I double as a Daddy. I am her pony. I am her ladder. I am her jungle-gym. I am her kleenex when she is sick. I am her smiley face when she is sad. I am her partner in crime.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Olivia!!

May 1, 2008 - 12:48pm - The world was blessed with a brand new baby girl. Her name is Olivia Rose and I am delighted and privileged to call her my own. She brings excitement to my life and fills any empty holes that may surface.

This was Olivia last year, at her first birthday party. She was not walking yet and certainly not talking. She was sweet, compliant, and a people pleaser.
This is Olivia Rose today. A beautiful, amazing, walking, talking, demanding, independent two-year-old. She is still the light of my life and still fills the holes that my surface in my life.
Here was the backyard the day of her party. The moonbounce was great success and I highly recommend it!
People of all ages enjoyed the moonbounce! :)

My talented sister made Olivia's birthday cake - Everything Elmo!

Olivia received many, many great presents including the princess dress-up shoe collection. She loves to wear them, but gets upset when they fall off.
We had a wonderful birthday party with friends and family! Olivia is so lucky to have all the friends and love she does....and so am I!

Apr 28, 2010

Can you guess what is coming?

Can you guess what is coming in just two short days? I can't believe it...

Mar 21, 2010

The Trouble with English Language

So, I am trying to teach my child to talk, right? But also, I am attempting to teach her to understand what she is saying and what people are saying to her, right?

So when I say rock... Should she go to her rocking chair or go outside to find a small pebble?

When I say you are making a mess while folding laundry.. it is only ideal that she grabs a towel and wipes her face.... because of course, Mom, when I make a mess, you wipe my face.

Or when I go to the fridge and say "Cheese"... she gives me a ginormous fake smile... lol.

It is going to be a challenge... lol.

:)

Mar 19, 2010

Random Pictures





Hi there...

Okay, okay, I know, I know. I'm sorry! I have just not had the motivation lately!

Some highlights:
- I passed my Texas State Certification tests. One step closer to being able to teach in Texas. Still extremely nervous, but getting really excited to be close to my sister.
- Olivia is becoming more and more verbal. We are still not saying many two word sentences, but here are a few: "Yay Mommy!", "Up please", "More please", "Baby night night".

- My little girl is recognizing more and more things and saying the names than I thought she knew. For instance, she looked in the fridge and said "Jello" and proceeded to take out a jello cup. The one was finding a school bus in a book and instantly saying "school bus".

- I attempted to try big girl panties for a day. Haha.. a day. Really, only the morning hours before we had peed through all of the panties. She would back up and say "wet wet" as she was tinkling all over the floor. lol

- Olivia started saying "owie" while peeing on Wednesday. She was also holding herself. So, I took her for in a possible UTI. They had to use a catheter on her because she wouldn't pee in the potty. That was by far the worst thing I have had done to her. I held her close and tried to sing to her through my own tears. And the sad part, they didn't get anything out after all. Nana amazingly got her to potty and then the test was negative. They think it could just be due to potty training. Maybe she knows she is not supposed to go in her diaper, so she tries to hold it? Either way, we have taken away bubble baths and backing away from the panties for a while.

- I am FINALLY divorced!!! It took 30 months, but it is done. I have mixed feelings about this, but am relieved to be done and finally say "ex husband". I still struggle with feeling I failed at my marriage and could have done more to make it work. But then again, I know I put up with so much and even if I did more, who knows if it would have worked out or only backfired?

- I will be in Texas for the next six weekends, except for one. Thankfully I am getting the chance to go without Olivia (its hard to adjust for just a two night trip) and two of the trips I am getting to fly.

- Work is going well. I can't believe April is almost here. State testing is coming up and of course all the drama/stress that occurs with it!

I will post some pictures next!

Feb 1, 2010

Oh gosh, Days 28, 29, 30, 31, 32..

First, let me explain.

I could not be a stay at home Mom. To the several stay at home Moms who follow my blog, props to you!!!!

Wednesday night the ice began to fall. Thursday, the snow fell all day long. We were also out of school on Thursday AND Friday. Those two days were manageable. Olivia was pretty happy to be in pajamas all day. Saturday and Sunday got a little trickier. I graciously had a friend who shoveled my steep driveway at least to get us out of the house. We went to Target and got dinner. YAY for outside! Then comes Monday. The snow is doable. The ice is not. There is at least 2-3" of ice beneath the 4-5" of snow. It is miserable and completely unsafe. Therefore, we were out of school again.

Oh.. let me remind everyone.. I am a teacher and Olivia attends a home daycare ran by a woman who has children who go to my school. Therefore, when school is out, her kids are home and daycare is closed.

So, today, I forced Cindy and TJ out of their house and we took the kiddos to the mall. We played with all the other "normal" stay at home Moms. Good day. Well.. guess what.

We are out tomorrow as well.

I just may go insane. I have not taken many pictures, but will get O bundled and out to the snow tomorrow.

Everyone pray for my sanity and Olivia's well being! Haha

Not dead, promise!!

I should be back later to post... but, I wanted to post and promote this giveaway that I have entered!

Jen is a super Momma of Micro-Preemie Twins. Her blog is very uplifting and you can definitely tell the love she has for daughters. Truly amazing!

I'm so excited about this Super Pot and Grill! I love the grill, so this would be awesome!!

Jan 27, 2010

Day 27...

Oh, the things to make your blood boil...

I called the vet today to see when my dog needed her shots... the conversation went like this..

Vet: Can I help you?
Me: Yes, I need to see when my dog's shots are due.
Vet: Okay. Can you give me your phone number?
Me: Sure. (insert phone number here)
Vet: Well, I don't have your number in the computer.
*I have been taking my dog's here since I was a CHILD*
Vet: Can I have your last name:
Me: Insert last name
Vet: Hmm... well, let me have your dog's name.
Me: Kylie
Vet: Oh, you must be Amy (insert my last name). Is the address SE 45th?
Me: Uhhh...
*Complete utter madness would now be entering my bloodstream*
Me: Well, no, actually that is my ex-husbands girlfriends name and that is their address.
Vet: (silence) I'm so sorry. Let me change Kylie's information.

GRRR.... We had another dog, Winston, that went to live with XH, so I'm sure the information got all screwed up. But, still, hearing HER name with MY last name. GoodLordHelpMe!

Jan 26, 2010

Jan 25, 2010

Day 25

I thought this would be the easiest way to catch up on Christmas pictures!

Jan 23, 2010

Day 22, 23, and probably 24...

"What, Mom? Don't all Mom's look like this when pushing their babies around?"
When given a wet wash cloth... all things get washed!
Do you see what I see?
There she is!!

Olivia seems to be feeling much better. We can still only see the point of one eye tooth, but the others are certainly there and ready to come through.

We are saying many words and now officially saying 'please' without signing it. She will repeat many things on command. Sometimes I wonder if she is behind in her speech or just doesn't really care to talk all that much...?

We are enjoying our weekend together and look forward to attending a birthday party tomorrow at Chuck E. Cheese.

Jan 20, 2010

Day 19 and 20...

Oohhhhhh the pain! You see... Olivia is 20 months old and this picture scares me. For the moment, all four of her canines are making their way through. It has been hell. She is miserable, cranky, and in so much pain. She was running a slight fever yesterday at daycare. It continued into the evening. Not to mention she was a bit constipated last night, so that did not help at all. About 7:30pm we went to her bedroom, I changed her diaper and put her in her crib. Normally, we rock, read two books, and pray. Not last night... I read a book to her while she was in her bed with her eyes half open and prayed over her tired little body. I didn't hear a peep more.

This morning I get ready to go to work (which I knew was a no-no) and woke her up about 7:15am. She was so hot. I picked her up, grabbed the thermometer, sat down on the couch (facing out, thankfully) where she proceeded to throw up any juice she had drank all night. Well, if you know me, I DO NOT do barf, for myself or anyone. And this was not any different. I was sick to my own stomach and couldn't hold her. I sat her on the floor while I cleaned up. She seemed far better off than I was! Needless to say, I didn't get her temp taken.

So, we are home today. And as I watch her dance around to Barney I knew she could have gone to daycare. But then when she is screaming, with fingers in her mouth, rubbing her eyes, and throwing a fit... I know she is miserable.

Now to the part that scares me.... if you look close you can see 2nd molars are not far behind... OY.

Sigh. The joys of Mommyhood.

Jan 18, 2010

Weekends are hard!

Day 16 and 17..

Weekends are hard to do a daily post. I'm much better during the week. This weekend, even though an extra day was added, went by way too fast. Olivia and I spent the entire weekend together. Friday night I did manage to leave her with a sitter for an hour (then she went to bed) so that I could go enjoy a game night with my friends. I have the best friends ever and am so grateful I am able to get out of the house and have some me time. It is great for late 20-something people to be able to sit around, play card games and eat an abnormal amount of chocolate and hot tamales. :)

Saturday, Sunday, and today it was just the two of us. And man, one of us almost died. Can you imagine which one it was? Hint... around 3pm today, Olivia was done with her 18 minute power nap and wanted to go outside. I did what an responsible Mom would... I put her shoes on her, her coat on, and opened the backdoor. Freeeeeee Spirit!! She LOVED it. She would check in about every 3 or 4 minutes or I would look out the windows. She just walked around the backyard, laughed at the dog, found her sprinkler in the shed, etc. I got at least 30 minutes of peacefulness. Now do you know which one of us almost died? It has been a long weekend. I praise all of you SAHMs... I don't know HOW you do it!!

I also believe her 'eye' teeth are coming in. She has been without these teeth now for far too long. And once again, it brings me back to the 'I'm so glad I don't have an infant anymore' time. She has been a MESS!

Tonight I was delighted to babysit TJ. We had yummy dinner, a great bath time, and fun times! Forget the GIANT blurry spot on the pictures....grrrr... I really thought it was just on the viewfinder until I uploaded and realized it was on the lens!

Have a great week!




Jan 16, 2010

When it rains... it pours...

Day 15 and 16...

So, my parents are out of town. They do this to me about every three months... leave for about a month to go galloping around the US. Well, usually, I survive. Things are calm. Things are not intense. I feed the four fish, I check the mail, I make sure their house is still standing. Well, today, it looks like this...



Oh, no... I am not doing early Spring cleaning for them. Trust me. Yet, Mom will probably start when she gets home! They had a pipe in their master bath that busted. It must have been running for QUITE.SOME.TIME. The neighbor noticed the water running down the street. It had already seeped through the foundation and was into the street. So, needless to say... it will look like this for a couple of days...



Olivia thought it was great to run around on Nana's carpet and 'jump' on the 'hills'. She was not too fond of the huge fans at first, but then decided it was fun to watch her hair fly around like mad.

So... Nana and Pops... enjoy your galloping Texas trip! No worries, I will hold down the fort! :)

Jan 14, 2010

Day 14 .... A woman can dream, right?

Enough said, right? A woman can dream... and this is my new dream. This ring. No man required, just a money donor. :)

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