We bought Abby a crate and attempted to crate train her a few months ago, for the rare times we needed to leave her in the house alone. I bought treats that she only got when we put her in the crate, but she’s so smart that when she would see me getting the treats she would go hide under my bed. Ever tried getting a 40something pound (solid muscle) dog out from under the bed? Not the best scenario. We tried putting her in the laundry room, but crate and laundry room had the same result. Severe separation anxiety that came with massive drooling (I mean puddles of drool), vomiting, etc. We could just smell the fear when we would walk back in the house. (Keep in mind the longest time frame that she’s been left  home alone is about 3 hours) Needless to say, the crate is now collecting dust and taking up space in the garage.

Gracie, our boxer that passed away a few years ago, always did better left out in the house than when she was in her crate, so we figured even though Abby is still a puppy, we’d try it out and see how it went. Starting off for just an hour at a time. She did really well, much better than being in her crate. As long as we made sure all the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms were closed, and anything that she might find chewable was out of reach, we felt pretty comfortable leaving her out. But you know, it’s amazing what dogs try to chew up. Especially when they are upset that you’ve left them alone longer than they think you should.

Monday I had to take Hannah to the doctor because for the third time in three months she’d gotten strep. It was too warm to take Abby with us and leave her in the car, so I put anything chewable on the kitchen table, in the middle of the table as to not be a temptation for Abby, gave her a treat, and headed out. We were gone a little longer than hoped since we had to run a few errands and wait for Hannah’s medicine. When I walked into the laundry room from the garage I saw a sheet of coupons that had been on the table, but somehow made its way under the door from the kitchen. I knew that was a bad sign. When I walked in the kitchen, there was a trail of paper leading through the kitchen, into the living room, where I found this….

Abby's mess

The kitchen table was almost totally cleaned off. She had even dragged Hannah’s back pack into the living room and managed to take our her binder and her school library book out of the almost zipped up back pack. The binder was completely torn up (thankfully I had a replacement), and the edges of the library book had been chewed. Zale and I had played the Phase 10 card game the night before, I think Abby was jealous that she couldn’t play too and decided she’d eat some the cards instead. What was really puzzling was the oranges that had been taken out of the fruit bowl and were scattered around. The bowl was in the middle of the table, and only a few had been disturbed. It took a few minutes for the girls and I to clean up the mess. I needed to sweep anyway. Boxers are so cute and have such lovable expressions and personalities, that it’s really hard to stay upset with them for long. She was quickly forgiven!

Fast forward to yesterday. Hannah missed school Monday and Tuesday, so she had lots of makeup work to do. We were sitting at the kitchen table sorting through the work when Abby started making her presence known. She really wanted to play and started nudging me with her muzzle and prancing around the kitchen. I gave her a couple of pats and told her to go lay down. That was not what she wanted to hear. She made a couple more laps around the kitchen and then got quiet. I didn’t look, but figured she went to the living room to lay down. So imagine my shock and surprise when all of a sudden she’s on the kitchen table. Maybe she thinks she’s a cat? I think she even surprised herself. My first thought was to get her off the table, my second thought was that I was very glad we invested in a 5 foot fence instead of 4 foot, and my third thought was, “Well, now I know how she got to the oranges”.

I finally hit paydirt at Nordstrom, and felt pretty good about at least getting no shipping and I thought, no tax, ordered the shoes, and sat back to wait for their arrival. Apparently there is now a Nordstrom in TN, so I was charged tax after all, but at least I didn’t have to spend gas money to get them. They arrived as scheduled, and in plenty of time for Christmas. Yay! Or so I thought. I opened the boxes to see what they looked like in person, but I was trying to be sneaky about it because the girls were around and I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. So, I didn’t take anything out of the boxes, just took a peek.

I passed them on to my Mother in law for her to wrap and put under her tree. A couple of days later she calls and says, “Please tell me you have a size 1o.5 Bella Ballerina shoe at your house!?” I was so confused because I knew that I had left everything in it’s original packaging and didn’t even take anything out of the boxes. I said, no, both pairs were in the bigger box. She said, well, we have a problem. Because there was only 1 shoe in one of the boxes. I felt a brief moment of panic. Because do you know what would happen if Reagan opened the box and there was only one shoe? Or maybe even worse, if Hannah were to get a pair and not Reagan? Meltdown of the century is what would have happened. I don’t even want to have that mental picture in my mind!! The nightmares I would have as a result would be terrifing! I’m so thankful my Mom in law looked deeper into the boxes than I did in time for us to fix it!!

So this morning I spent some time on the phone with Brenda, a very nice and helpful customer service agent with Nordstrom, trying to resolve the issue. Of course it couldn’t be as easy as them shipping me another shoe and being done with the whole thing. Of course they are out of that style and size store wide. She couldn’t have been nicer though and agreed to refund the money so I could find another pair somewhere else. I had a feeling this would be the case, so I had done more online searching this morning and found two stores with the right size. Different colors than what Hannah will get, but hopefully that won’t cause too much of a problem! At least it’s the same style!

And here’s where it  turns into a good thing, maybe. (Assuming they are delivered in time for Christmas!) Anytime I shop online I first go through Ebates to get cash back just for shopping through their site. I’ve only found a couple of websites that don’t use them. After Ebates I check two other coupon/promo code sites for more discounts. In this case I used www.retailmenot.com and found a 25% off coupon for the store I was using. So after everything, I ended up with a $50 pair of shoes for $37.50 plus no tax or shipping, and I’ll get 2% cash back through Ebates.  (I know 2% isn’t much, but different stores offer different percentages, some up to 20% cash back,and it all adds up) So maybe this was a blessing in disguise? Nah…I’d rather it have been done right the first time!

It’s a good day , even if I’m a bit zombified after only getting 3 hours of sleep.

As I take her outside I realize that Anthony didn’t park his car where we asked him to. So I go back inside, clean up Abby’s mess, find Anthony’s keys, and go back out to move his car. Did I mention I’m in my PJs and it’s 20 degrees outside? Ok, maybe 30 degrees. I go to move his car, turn it on, and am assaulted by the Bose stereo turned up as loud as it can possibly go.  So yep, between the cold and the busted ear drums, I’m awake now. GRR

But this year, part of the reason I made sure we did this was because Hannah had to miss her school field trip. I had made some plans weeks before I knew what day the field trip was going to be, that were going to require me to pick Hannah up from school early. But with the field trip going on, Hannah wouldn’t have been back at school in time. These weren’t plans that I could easily change and they involved other people, so I broke the news to Hannah that instead of her going on her field trip, I was going to keep her home with me. Immediate tears and heart break were the result. So as I scrambled for ideas to take away that hurt and stop feeling like the worst parent ever, I blurted out that I would make it up to her and we would go on two family fun day field trips instead. And I knew it had to be good!

Thankfully, one of the coupon sites I subscribe to sent me a 1/2 off deal for one of the local farms, Honeysickle Hill that has lots of fun for the kiddos along with a pumpkin patch. I can’t pass up a great deal and it seemed to be a good substitute for the field trip Hannah was missing at school.

Having fun at Honeysuckle Hill Farm

It's pumpkin patch time!!

Yes, Reagan is wearing her halloween costume. Her 2nd costume actually. Her first was this…

Reagan's 1st costume

which I thought was adorable. But she decided she’d rather be a mermaid like her sister….

Hannah the mermaid..and of course mermaids wear make up..don't they?

Woops..forgot to correct the red eyes.

The second family fun field trip was to the Zoo. We had been there before, but it’s been awhile. Other than a little complaining over tired feet and arguing over whose turn it was in the stroller, it was a great day. Here’s the girls on the Zoo’s Wild Animal Carousel.

I was finally able to buy a membership, so hopefully we can make it back and enjoy all the Zoo has to offer many times over the next 12 months!

I tried in vain to get a real family Christmas card this year. But two cancelled appointments and a camera malfunction later, I finally gave up. I did end up spending almost 2 hours (because I can be that slow and picky) on Shutterfly.com to do a custom card so I could get all the kids (and Abby) on a card.

Those two hours were worth it for the great deal I got!

Today wasn’t just about Christmas cards though. Every year (for the past several years), my Mother in Law picks a different color theme for Christmas. She has a white tree, so that makes it easy to do. If I can remember the years in order, these are the colors she’s used. Purple, Blue, Black/Silver/White (which was very elegant by the way), last year was Santa Claus theme, and this year is a pink or rose color. After Christmas is over she donates the decorations and ornaments to charity, which I think is an awesome thing to do. She buys the girls Christmas dresses to match the theme and it’s become a tradition to have their pictures made in those dresses. We usually get this done in October, but I was falling a bit behind this year.

I’ve had the appointment on the calender, knew it was coming, but was I really prepared? Of course not. It dawned on me yesterday that they don’t have dress shoes that fit anymore. So here Reagan and I go, before picking Hannah up from school, to shop for new shoes and socks, praying they fit Hannah since I don’t have time before the appointment to go back to the store. Thankfully I found something at the first store, and after Hannah wore them for a few minutes, she decided they fit ok.

Shortly after getting Hannah from school, we finally made it to JC Penny’s for their pictures, and I have to say my girls are little hams. But as soon as the posing is done, they are ready to go. My Mother In Law and I still have to pick out and order the pictures, which can take some time, so I promised the girls if they were good, we’d go see Santa when we were done (I’m not above bribing my kids if needed!).

20 minutes later we get to Santa’s workshop to discover Santa had just left to have dinner and feed his reindeer (at least that’s the story I told the girls), and wouldn’t be back for almost an hour. To pass the time we let the girls ride on Santa’s train, which had been moved to another part of the mall to make room for the hot tubs that have somehow been included in Santa’s workshop display. ‘Cause that makes a lot of sense! We grabbed a snack and got in line to wait our turn for the girls to see Santa. Now, I’ve not really made a big deal about Santa to the girls because I want them to know that the holiday is about celebrating Jesus’ birth, and not about Santa. But it’s hard to not get caught up in their excitement.

And I think going through the hoopla was worth it to see these smiling faces….

And No, they aren’t wearing makeup, just a little bit of gloss to match their dresses. Although if Hannah had her way, she’d be in full makeup. Now if I can just muster up enough energy tomorrow to put up the Christmas tree, we’ll be well on our way to getting in the Christmas Spirit!

Merry Early Christmas!

This morning I wasn’t so fortunate, but I got a decent nights sleep last night, so it was ok. Instead I got my coffee,  caught up on my e mails, balanced the checkbooks (personal and business), and did some laundry. Of course everything took a little longer than it’s supposed to, so it was after 9 before I finally got in the shower. And here’s where the day turned interesting. I glanced up as I was shampooing my hair to see this creepy, crawly, huge (ok, it was little, but at the time it seemed huge), bug that had at least 100 legs (ok, probably just twenty). It was long and light brown and moved at the speed of light (ok, not really, but it was fast!) and I had to stop myself from screeching like a little girl.

I reached up to try to bat it into the bathroom ’cause I didn’t want it coming into the shower, only to have it drop into the shower with me. Of course. So as I’ve got shampoo in my hair and not in a position to jump out of the shower, I end up trying to crawl up the wall of the shower instead, while kicking at the water trying to get the nasty little critter down the drain. I finally succeeded and my heart rate went back down to normal. But it was the fastest shower I had taken in awhile and I was so grateful to still have US Pest Protection’s number saved in my phone. Before I was fully dressed I was on the phone making an appointment for someone to come out and fix the issue. Thankfully they were able to come out this afternoon and will hopefully be coming back tomorrow to spray. I don’t like to share my shower!

A couple of hours later a good friend of mine came over with her two little boys. We’re having a great talk while wrangling the kiddos and I look at my watch and see that it’s almost time to pick up Hannah from school. So we finish up, say our good byes, and load our kids in the car. As I pull up to Hannah’s school I look at the clock again and realize I’m a little later than normal, so I’m expecting to see a huge line of cars…but no one is there. I glance at the clock again. For the 3rd time. And realize that it’s 12:48, not 1:48. Really?! I just did that, cut my visit an hour short because somehow, I blocked out the first numbers on the DIGITAL clock and only looked at the last two. The really sad thing, is that it’s the 2nd time I’ve done it this school year. Geez.

So back home Reagan and I go with her whining in the background that she doesn’t want to go home yet. We get home, I sort and scan the mail, grab a bite to eat for Reagan and I, then head back out again. Hannah comes out with a sticker on her shirt promoting Chick fil a. Today they were giving a portion of their sales back to her school. So off to Chick fil a we go. And Hannah doesn’t eat any of her kids meal.

After that, we headed to a great little store called Monogramming by Sheri, where I got some Christmas shopping done. Did I mention that we had Abby (our 5 month old boxer) in the car? I was smart enough to grab our food and shove it in my purse, but figured the drinks would be safe while we were shopping. I should have known better. We get back to the car a very short time later to discover that somehow Abby had put a hole in my cup and Coke Zero had filled up both sides of the cup holders. Awesome. So I get the cup out and dump what was left in it. During that brief time Abby goes straight for the holders and drinks the Coke Zero before I can grab the napkins to clean it up. Who knew she would like it? At least she was trying to clean up her mess!

Back home we go to meet the pest people, do Hannah’s homework, and then back out I went for a late meeting. Home again to get the kids ready and into bed. And of course, Reagan is still awake…. Here’s hoping I can get her to sleep before I pass out!

He has been so dilligent about it, no surprise there, that he has managed to keep his numbers in check without having to go on insulin. Yay!!

Of course the natural benefits that come with a healthier style of living is weight loss. I keep telling Zale to slow down so I can catch up (especially since I have more weight to lose than he does). But I’m very proud of him!! I’ve lost 15 pounds, which is great, and hopefully 15 pounds I won’t ever see again. I’m not really sure how much weight Zale has lost, but I do know he doesn’t have much left to lose!

Reagan:  I’m going to go with you.

Hannah:  REAGAN! Why do you always follow me?!

Reagan:  Because I love you!!!!

So at this point it’s about 3:00 on Saturday. I figured we’d put it in the garage until Zale could take a couple of days off work, or until next weekend. Boy was I wrong. By the time I got home (I was about 30 minutes behind Zale and the girls) he had 1/2 the living room furniture out of the room, vent covers up, and was ready to get started. We worked like crazy to get the carpet and padding pulled up (that was a great feeling, but nasty work), then the tack strips, and finally the missmatched wood in the entry way. We got a little of the flooring layed before crashing hard, then yesterday morning got up and going again. (Zale before me, as usual.)

Our goal was to get the living room, entry way, and hallway done yesterday. Then tackle the kitchen and laundry room another day. We’re leaving carpet in the bedrooms and hope to tile the bathrooms soon. With just three pieces left in the living room and one left in the entry way (hallway hasn’t been touched yet), Zale and I were exhausted and had to stop for the night. We had worked for almost 10 solid hours, only stopping for a quick bite to eat or bathroom break.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to get this done!!! It’s making a huge improvement in the look of the house. And I’m sure our allergies and sinus’ will thank us for not having that horribly nasty carpet in our house anymore!!! Here’s a few pics of the process…I didn’t think about before pics til the carpet was already out.

I’m looking forward to it being completely done and getting the house back in order! It already feels cleaner with the carpet gone, even with all the extra dust from putting in the floor! And an even better bonus, Reagan has been cleaning the floor this morning, I know one day there will be fights over her doing it, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts!