SICK :(

It is Thursday and I am writing this blog from my bed! My throat was hurting yesterday when I got up, but I took some Excedrin and hit the road for work. I felt ok last night, just worn out. Sometime during the night, I took a turn for the worse. I didn't sleep well at all, my whole body is aching and feels like I worked out hard yesterday ( I didn't!) and I just could not get comfy. Around 6 I finally got out of bed and had Cedric check my temps, of course I was running a fever. I made a few emails for work then went back to bed and just woke up about 30 minutes ago at 10:00. Not sure what I have got, but I feel like CRAP. Elizabeth was sick earlier this week. She has been congested then over the weekend started running a fever. Took her to the doc on Monday and she has her first ear infection. Got her started on some anti-biotics and she is feeling a LOT better thank goodness. Hopefully I will start feeling better soon, I really don't want to have to go to the doc.

I have totally been neglecting the blog lately and I apologize. I have honestly just been swamped with work, kids, etc. I haven't blogged about so many things, Elizabeth's baptism, my birthday, etc. and I really just need to do a giant catch-up blog! Here are a few highlights:

* I turned 33 on Monday! I had a great birthday, other than Elizabeth being sick. Cedric took me to see the Charlotte Bobcats play the Indiana Pacers last week for my birthday, Tyler Hansbrough plays for them and he had an awesome game. He also gave me an awesome immersion blender that I have been wanting for a LONG time. It is much nicer than the one I would have bought for myself. My mom and dad took us all out to dinner Monday night to my favorite Japanese place, I had sushi and a Sapporo of course, so yummy! I got new Pa&la De^n red pots and pans and a matching red tea kettle that I have been lusting after for a very long time! I am not going to even open these items yet, we have no room for them here. I am starting to set aside things for when we get our "new house". Hopefully we will get to start building next spring, once Ceddy has finished his schooling and is back to work. I think it will be fun to have brand new stuff to use in the new house. Zach, Nicole and Jackson gave me a gift certificate for a spa pedicure and I am really looking forward to using it, my toes look awful and it is almost flip-flop weather! Aunt Janie and Aunt Freddie gave me a cool new UNC shirt that has "Hark the Sound" on it and some awesome Ni&e work-out capris. My Aunt Nonnie and then my aunt Rita and Uncle Mitchell gave me money which I will use as a splurge for something for myself! I also received lots of cards, phone calls, texts and fbook shout-outs. Thank you to everyone for making me feel so special :)

* I have been very busy learning how to "coupon". It is pretty amazing to me the things that you can get for cheap and even free if you are willing to take the time/effort to do it. I had no idea. What is also interesting to me is where I am finding all of these deals. They are found mostly at the drugstores, my two favorites being W8lgreens and C*S. I have always been very price conscious of things, and I just always assumed everything is always cheapest at the lovely Wal-M*&t. Never really even shopped at the drugstores, except I always get my photos at Walgre*ns. Not the case. I am finding that by shopping the weekly specials at drugstores and combining with coupons, that I can get some awesome items MUCH cheaper that at good ol' Wally World. Here is an example of a deal I got yesterday:

Bought a Biore face cleanser $7.99 and Biore nose strips $7.49 (you know the ones that pull your blackheads out---love em but they are so pricey!) Used a coupon for a free Biore cleanser when you buy the nose strips. That knocked my price down to $7.49 for both. Then Walg%eens had this deal. Receive $5 Register Rewards when you buy 2 Biore items. So I got $5 back to use on my next purchase. That means I spent $2.49 on these 2 items, or $1.25 each. Never found prices like that at Wally World! It is all about combining coupons with whatever weekly deals are going on to get the lowest price. It is also about stocking up on items when they are super cheap, that way you never have to pay full price for them. It is sort of a game to me and I love it!

Ok, writing this blog has worn me out, I am going to take some more Tylen*l and lay down.

More

Oh, I am writing this from Mom and Dad's house where I have been trying to work from today :) Packed up some stuff and headed over here early this morning when the power was shut off. Not a super productive day but I have managed to get a few things accomplished. I will be on the road in Asheville tomorrow, TGIF!

Thursday Tidbits

Its been a hell of a day, that is all I can say about today :)

Last night around midnight the wind came through our area like crazy. I swear I think it could even have been a tornado. We were watching TV (got in late after going to a Bobcats game) and heard crazy wind then a huge crash. A large tree fell across the side yard, taking down the chain link fence and pulling the power line down. We did not lose power because the power box was ripped off the side of the house and it stayed attach to the downed line! I called the power company this morning and they immediately came out due to the danger. They got the power turned off and made things safe for the electrician to come out and repair/replace? the box. Then after that is done, we have to have the power folks come back out to get things running again. Maybe we will have power by tonight, maybe not. Nuts. I am just glad the tree didn't crash through the house. Really the wind was the worst I have ever heard it. And the power guy said all the dead trees/branches we have on all the huge old trees are very dangerous so I don't know what we are going to do about that. Then when Cedric went to leave for school, the car wouldn't start and it doesn't appear to be the battery. So now we having 2 cars out of commission (my PT cruiser needs a new transmission and we were using Dad's Jeep which now won't start), which leaves us with the Element. Please keep it running! Thank goodness I do have the work car to drive when working or I don't know what we would do! When it rains it pours is all I can say :) Not trying to feel sorry for myself because I know there are so many out there who have it MUCH WORSE than we do. But this has been a day from heck!

My Babies

First Day of School for Elizabeth!

2 Weeks

Well, we have survived my first two weeks back at work. It has been tough on all of us to get back in the swing of things. Elizabeth seems to have adjusted pretty well to her 3 days a week at daycare. The first day she didn't sleep for a long stretch at all, but after that, I think she has been so tired that she can't help but sleep! On the days she goes to daycare, she is just exhausted. All she does when she gets home is sleep, which makes me kind of sad because I feel like I hardly get to spend any time with her on those days. Gabriel has had mixed feelings about returning to school. I think he likes seeing his friends but doesn't like having to be back on a schedule. He has gotten very spoiled while being at home with me. He has been doing what he wants, when he wants to do it...and this is just not possible at school. Things seem to go better when Cedric drops him off. Last week when I had to take him, he started crying when I woke him up. He begged me not to go to work and then he begged for me to take him with me to work. Then he sobbed when we got to school and I had to leave. He and the teacher watched me from the fence as I drove off. He was crying. Broke my heart. I didn't have to travel anywhere that day and I almost gave in and brought him home with me. But I knew if I did that, he would ask to do it all the time. Being a working mom just stinks sometimes. You are always torn. I enjoy my job and honestly don't mind it most days. The days go by pretty fast and I think what I do is very important. But it is hard dropping your kiddos off with someone all week long. You feel like you miss things and worry they won't love you as much as they did when you were home with them. I am thankful that I only work 4 days. Granted they are four long days, but I love having an extra day just to be at home hanging out together. But-- it is hard to be at home because I feel like there are so many things I need to be done (laundry, cleaning, paying bills, etc.) I have to make sure that I am spending quality time with the kiddos when we are together. There are just not enough hours in my day right now to get all the things that HAVE to be done completed, much less time to do things I just enjoy (such as reading, blogging, etc.). I wish I could clone myself! Ok, enough of this pity party :) Gaby is watching a movie and Elizabeth is asleep, I am going to do some more laundry!

Coupons Please!

I have recently decided to "get serious" about couponing! I have dabbled in this in the past but have decided to take it up to a whole other level. With rising gas prices and rising prices on everything else, there is no since in not getting in on some of the savings I have been hearing about from others. From reading online about it, the key seems to be to have multiples of the same coupon. So I am asking any of you that get the Sunday paper and do not use the coupons, please consider saving them for me! I am happy to pick them up or if you are by my house, please leave them for me on the porch! THANK YOU :)

GO HEELS

Let's beat those dookies tonight!

I am still alive and have survived my first week back in the "real world"...I have neglected blog, facebook, email, etc. just trying to get through the week. I promise to do a real update sometime in the next few days!