Opposites Attract

They say opposites attract... this is very evident in our marriage. Take this list of TV shows my dear hubby just LOVES to watch (for the moment anyhow)!

King of Cars (Chop, Chop! . . . "The Blue Genie!")
Dog the Bounty Hunter
Walker, Texas Ranger (I now know the theme song by heart...that's so sad!)
Inked
Hogan Knows Best (although he's losing interest in this)
Real World/Road Rules Challenge (Will those kids ever grow up and get a real job??)
Wrestling (oh, how I hate to admit that one!!)

Now my list...
20/20
Cold Case Files
City Confidential
American Justice
So You think You Can Dance
Dateline
Close to Home

Geoff swears I watch all those crime dramas to plot how to murder him. Of course I need him around to help parent Lexi. *wink :-) *

In all fairness, these are the shows we agree on:
Survivor
American Idol
House
Lost
CSI

Of course, we ONLY watch tv when all of our "homework" is done. And of course, I chose to blog this silliness because he's watching King of Cars right now... what else is there to do at 10:00??? I'll gladly turn this nonsense in for the opportunity to parent our child and be so worn out when she goes to bed that I'll turn in as soon as she is down for the night!

120 Days Down and Quilting!

Take a look at the counter. Today marks the 4th month of officially WAITING!! That's 120 days down, approximately 240 to go until referral (with the current timeline... but still hoping for a speed up). As much as I hate the waiting, I'll admit we ARE at least making some progress... Albeit SLOWLY!

Mom and I went to a quilting store today in St. Simons (The Stepping Stone) to pick out the fabric that will go in between the squares that she has been making and the pattern along on the sides. They had TONS of fabric!! You might ask how long it took to pick out 3 different fabrics??? Let's just say... about one hour per pattern! We must have touched every single bolt of fabric in the store! The words for today are, "Well, What do YOU think??" I wanted this work of art to be extra special for Lexi but also I wanted it to be extra special for my Mom. She is afterall putting in all the hours and hard work. Well, after hours of mixing and matching, and remixing and matching a nice lady came over to see what we were doing. Keep in mind this quilt store is in a fairly remote area and not on the beaten path so beside us, we only saw one other shopper. The other ladies were there quilting together. She comes over and asks us about the quilt. When we told her what a difficult time we were having, she offered up her friend who is the "color expert" of the group. Within 15 minutes this woman had us straight and ready to check out! Imagine that! I still wouldn't have it any other way though. I've got a great story to tell Lexi about her quilt and she'll know how much time and care her Grandmother took to make her the absolute PERFECT quilt. One of these days I'm going to make some pages for her Good Wishes book that tell about the making of the quilt and today's journey will certainly include the words "Well, What do YOU think??"


The green will be used to frame the squares, then the yellow will provide a border and the pink gingham will be used as a frame and piping. It's going to be so beautiful!

Happy Anniversary to us!!

Today is our 7th Wedding Anniversary! It's amazing how fast time flies. We didn't plan anything special for today. Geoff is cooking steaks on the grill but the reality is, we know that everyday is an anniversary and we love each other very much! We've been on this journey to have a child together for almost 4 years now. We've experienced many ups and downs along the way, however this has to be the most positive outlook we've had so far...even with the longer wait. By this time next year, we'll be celebrating the arrival of a little girl who has made us a family. How cool is that!!

Scrappin!

I signed up for a scrapbook class for last Friday. I figured it would give me something fun to do while Geoff was off taking a CPA Review class. It was fun and I did learn a thing or two. It takes me HOURS to make a layout. The girl teaching the class said it only took her about 20 minutes to think of this layout once she was given the materials. Ugh... will I ever reach that point??? Here's the results of my first class.



So once I arrived home, I decided to work some more. I made these two pages for Lexi's book. I guess you can see the middle name Jayne has stuck!



I'm all geared up for my visit with Samantha. I'll be flying to Atlanta on Wednesday. We are going to scrapbook until we drop! I can't wait! She expecting her first baby in early August so the two of us are going to make some pages that we can just add pictures to once our little ones arrive. Geoff is going to pick me up on Saturday, so in the meantime, he'll have plenty of time to STUDY!!

Pink Flamingo's!!

Last Thursday, I went into Savannah to do some shopping for a couple of babyshowers and for my June Fun in the Sun Secret Pal gift. Of course, I had to stop in Gymboree and see if the little outfit that I've been wanting for Lexi was on sale yet. Low and behold it was! Check this out!


I just totally fell in love with this little Flamingo outfit with the ruffly bloomers! There haven't been too many outfits that I couldn't pass up and this was one of them. However, I have learned that if you wait Gymboree WILL have a sale. So I've been waiting for about a month now... and now it's in Lexi's room! Geoff couldn't believe I liked the Flamingos. I threatened to pay some of Sara's friends when she was in High School to go next door and steal a "flock" of Flamingos from our neighbor. (Turns out it was just a fund raiser where you pay to get them removed from your lawn and then you pick whose house they go to next.) I approve of Flamingo's on clothing... just not on lawns.

I also bought her some more PJ's. Of course, I had to pick up the matching stuffed sheep so that she can cuddle it as you goes off to sleep! These will work for summer or even as a play outfit around the house. In our house, you can NEVER have too many PJ's. I think someone should pass a National Wear Your PJ's to Work Day. I love them that much!

Catching Up!

You know, you never know how tied to the Internet you are until it messes up. I have been wanting to post but something has been wrong with our Internet the last couple of days. So now I find myself with a lot of things to post so if you are a reader of our blog, beware!

I need to send a big hug to our secret Pal! We got a package in the mail on Friday. It was my secret pal gifts for May and June. The theme for May was something for a new mom and June is Fun in the sun. I have to say my SP just outdid herself this month! She sent my favorite Victoria's Secret scent, "Love Spell". It had the body scrub, mist, and lotion in a cute little carry bag. I was almost out of my Love Spell stash, so it was perfect timing!

And for Fun in the Sun, she picked out the most adorable little swimsuit with matching shoes, hair bow, and sunglasses. It's even from Gymboree which of course is Geoff's favorite baby store. She topped of an already super nice gift with a sand bucket full of baby sunscreens! What a wonderful treat! I hope our SP reads our blog so that she will certainly know how awesomely thoughtful I think she is! I can't wait to take Lexi to the beach for the first time in this cute little swimsuit!

Father's Day

Finding just the right "present" for Geoff in our situation was challenging. I wanted to do something but yet not too much. So on Saturday, I got the idea of making a scrapbook layout that I could put in our "Journey to Lexi" book. I used papers that Geoff had picked out for me for my birthday. He even had asked me to use one of the patterns for his wish page (it just didn't match his fabric!). So I decided to use it. I pittled around and found some suitable pictures and here it is! I love how it turned out. I also got him a shirt for Lexi that said, "Daddy's Girl" and a bib with "I love Daddy" on it. We went to church yesterday and then afterwards went to dinner with my family for my Dad. It was a nice day and it's so nice to think that next year on Father's Day, we may one of the lucky couples at church dedicating their baby to Christ.

Slow Summer Days...

I guess anyone who reads my blog can tell that I have too much time on my hands these days. I'm really trying to stay busy but still find myself feeling a bit lazy too. I rationalize that sleeping late is a luxury that I don't normally have... so why NOT sleep in. I'm sure I'll get past my lazy days of summer soon. I need to go to work and move my personal items to my new room (the computer lab!!) and do some planning for next year. But right now, that just seems like a big CHORE! This morning, I went and had my hair highlighted, had lunch with Geoff and then came home. I browsed through my cook books and settled on two new recipes to try and ran out to get everything I needed. Now after finishing dinner.... I have to say it was DELICIOUS!! We had Garlic Shrimp, lemon buttered new potatoes, toasted French bread and garden salad. Yum!!! Both of the recipes were from one of my Southern Living cookbooks. The Garlic shrimp was cooked in a sauce that was just delicious as a dipping sauce for the bread. This meal is a keeper! Geoff thinks he's got a gourmet wife and is loving every moment of me trying out new recipes. So wonder what's next??? We shall see!!

More Bibs!

This past Saturday, we got this cute bib in the mail from S. Allen in New Jersey. It's too cute! I love Winnie the Pooh!



And then yesterday, we got another one from the Cappello's, also from New Jersey! It's also adorable! You can never have too many bibs. We really appreciate everyone's kindness!

It's Raining... It's Pouring...

Tropical Storm Alberto has kept us wet all day! I have a love/hate relationship with rainy days. They make perfect stay in bed late days but then I have to deal with the dogs. Sables is a mud-puppy and gets soaking wet running through puddles every time she goes out. Patches on the other hand practically will "hold it" all day to avoid getting her feet wet! Talk about opposites!

So to deal with the rain, I've delighted my dear hubby by cooking for him. Getting lunch cooked is one of the few perks he gets from me being home in the summer! I cooked a regular lunch (Italian marinated chicken, lima beans, and stove top stuffing) but that motivated me to try something new for dinner. I searched on Allrecipes.com and found recipe for Chicken Marsala and Garlic Linguine. I was a bit worried trying two new recipes but it turned out really good. I doctored the linguine a little bit. The Chicken Marsala wasn't even close to being as good as Carrabas but we enjoyed it. Now I'm itching to find something else new to try! Any suggestions anyone??

First day of Summer Vacation!!

So today was my VERY FIRST WEEKDAY OF SUMMER VACATION... I still couldn't sleep as late as I would have liked. I had to get up and take poor little Sable to the vet. (For those of you with a week stomach... stop reading here!!) Last night she had ruptured an anal gland... not too comfortable I'm told. After some investigating on the internet, I figured out what was going on but they used the words... extremely painful, expensive, and DANGEROUS. So I made sure I took her in first thing this morning. She's fine. They put them on antibiotics for safety purposes. In reality dogs seem to know what is best for them. (We were mortified when she "scooted" on the concrete patio.) Poor baby.... She also has the beginnings of cataracts. At this point, you can't convince me that babies are more expensive than Sable. If it can happen to a dog... it will happen to her. She has canine epilepsy, eyes fixed, been "fixed", had knee problems, and now this. She has been our "baby" for almost 8 years now. Next week, we will celebrate our 7th anniversary. The next day Sable will be 8 years old. The day of our wedding, we came back to the house to change to leave for the honeymoon. The ONLY picture we took here was of us with Sable with Geoff in his tux and me in my wedding dress. It is still my favorite of all our wedding pictures. I guess this is evidence that we really DO need a baby to spoil.

On another note, the (probably) LAST piece of fabric for Lexi Jayne's Quilt is IN THE MAIL. Somehow, our sweet daughter sent a postcard to her dear Great Aunt Neaners and Uncle Charlie telling them that her quilt would not be complete without their fabric. (The end of May was our cut-off for fabric as Mom is anxious to finish the quilt). Lexi is already showing the family sense of humor as her post card was a picture of the University of Ga. knowing that her Uncle Charlie is an alumni of Ga. Tech. We got a call from Neaners today saying that the fabric was in the mail and turns out their little "Auggie Doggie" can relate to Sable's little problem. :)

With today being the first official day of my summer vacation... I still found myself bored after the vet visit. Poor Geoff.... poor, poor Geoff. He lives for the days of year round school. I checked the mail, weeded out the stupid stuff, and had questions about some of it (like the donation to the Humane Society... aren't our own vet bills proof enough of our caring for animals??) By the end of the week, he'll be begging for me go find a part time job!!

The latest in our "Waiting for Lexi Saga" is planning one more adult trip before she arrives. We are planning a trip to Vegas the week of Thanksgiving with my sister and her husband, John. Afterall, we won't be taking her there. It will give us one more thing to look forward to and if we're wise, we can use the stipend that I will be getting for extra training as our ticket there. We're going back to VEGAS BABY!!!

Postcards, bibs and Summer VACATION!!

Our DTC Yahoo Group has been doing a postcard exchange. Actually this is the 2nd one. I've enjoyed getting postcards from all over the place! Today we got one from Lisa and Brent from Virginia. It had the sweetest poem written on it so I decided to share.

Waiting

I haven't met you yet or seen your face

but in my heart you hold a place.

My hopes grow with each passing day,

even though you're miles away.

I know you're there waiting for me,

as I am here waiting to see,

the child God has sent from above,

to make me a mother

and share my love.

K. Cooper

What a sweet poem! Reading it, you can just tell that it was written by someone waiting for a baby and it certainly sums up how I feel!

We also got another surprise in the mailbox! It was a bib from Kim in the January DTC Yahoo Group. We do all kinds of things to help pass the time. We've recently begun a monthly swap. This month is bibs. Socks are next.... it's fun packaging and sending things out to others. Today, we got this cute bib for Lexi! It's just adorable but I don't think it will match her Thing One outfit (will anything???)

Tomorrow is my L*A*S*T day before my summer break!! I'm actually taking some training from Intel this week as my last week so I'll be popping in next week to clear out for the year and move my things to my new room. But at least I can do that on MY own time, WHEN I want! I soooo need a break!! The big question is "how long will it take for me to start driving Geoff crazy because I'm off and he's still working???". He gets a bit nervous when I'm off because I clean every square inch of the house, which means I file.... throw out stuff... and CLEAN OFF HIS DRESSER!! Then I make it worse by constantly reminding him of all the repairs that need to be done around the house. That said... I'm still not feeling sorry for him. Where's the trash bags and dust cloths???

Nursery "Doodie"

Who would have EVER thought that by me teaching Sunday School, I could get some "training" for our upcoming potty training experience with Lexi?? Not me!! I have this one little guy who just will not let a Sunday go by without me having a "doodie" experience. I'm beginning to dread going now! I'm sure changing your own child is TOTALLY easier to do. This morning I even started asking him right away if he needed to go potty. The thing is, this is the child who didn't want to get his hands dirty with paint to make a handprint poem for his mom on Mother's Day but yet he doesn't mind the dirty diaper! Ugh... it's just ... augh!!!

We got double duty with kids this morning. After Sunday School, we were asked to assist with His Kids. This is our church's version of worship service for kids 3 to 5th Grade. Well, after it was over, Geoff's comment was .... no wonder we want a girl! The boys in his group were very "active" to put it nicely! I had some of the same problems myself. It's hard for me being a teacher because the teacher in me wants to come out as soon as they begin acting out. The others in the church though are more likely to "coax" them into behaving. I just tell them straight up. Of course while we were in there, we were snagged to help out for the entire month of July. Are WE NUTS OR WHAT?????

Thing 1...

This is LJ's new outfit. I showed it to Wanda, but of course she was not very thrilled with the thought of her being Thing 1. This is going to be one spoiled girl. We have already been looking into different schools for her for later. Wanda wants her to go to elementary school here in the county, but we are not sure about after that. There are a couple of schools in Glennville that we might look at, or there is always Savannah. Some provide transportation from here, so that will be important. We have plenty of time to worry about that, so I will leave that for later. Saturday begins my classes for the CPA Exam. I will be traveling a lot, but in the end it will be worth it. I should have all of these tests completed by the end of the year.

Let's RETIRE May!

Is it Thursday already??? It's amazing to me how fast the "speed of life" can be at times and at others how it can just c.. r.. a.. w..l! The month of May has not been slow for me, not one bit! Now that June is here, I only hope that things will slow down. I haven't even had time to work on the Big "D" even after my advisor called and we simplified my study! I even now have ALL of the data I need to finish the thing!! But I do need to have some uninterrupted time to work on it. My sister called today to tell me that my niece is on the look out for a post of her wish "scrapbooked". I wish it was done but the reality is that I have PLENTY of time to get it done before Lexi comes and scrapbooking is on the list of things to do AFTER I get what I HAVE to do complete. Today I had so called "Train the Mentor" training in our county. Keeping in mind that I have spent the last year training teachers.... this training just totally stunk! We basically spent the morning reading from a manual that I could read on my own. Not only that, the material we were reading was all about best practices in teaching, which because I have proven to use these practices I was chosen to take the training. THIS is one of the reasons I think Education is in trouble in America. We WASTE so much time on training and talking about what should be done to the people who do it already. I'm supposed to redeliver my training (3 days worth) to Mentors of new teachers, who will then "mentor" a new teacher next year. Sooooo.... the big question is why do I need training to oversee someone that I have to train when they could be sitting in the training right now along side of me??? And the waste of money!!! I'll be paid to oversee the mentors. Does anyone see the absurdness of this besides me??

And while I'm complaining..... I will probably get "in trouble" because I did not return from lunch today. I had prior approval from one of the "head honchos" to attend a luncheon for my current supervisor. She is retiring this summer after over 30 years of awesome service. Well, when I arrived at training today and spoke to the "other honcho" she was mortified that I would not be there for every single second!! I mean, goodness knows I can't read the manual being read to us myself!! Well, lunch lasted longer and I just didn't go back. I had the feeling that honoring this woman that has done so much for our school system and for me personally was more important. There are times in our lives when we do have to "stop the speed of life" and look at what is important. This was one of them.

And I guess now that I've vented my frustrations, I step off my soap box and quietly wait for June 9th to come when I can spend some time catching up on things like the dissertation and driving my hubby crazy cleaning out every closet in the house yet AGAIN! (Quietly you say? Well, yes!! I pinky swear!... well maybe!!)