Giving Thanks - Day 22 - Little Pros Academy

G and Ms. Pam (not pictured Ms. Jamie)

I cried the first day that I dropped G off to daycare.  For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a stay at home mom, but so far that hasn't been in the plans for us.  We are incredibly lucky to have found a five star daycare that we love and its just 2 minutes and 37 seconds from our house (if we get stopped at the light).  Yes, I timed it.  The teachers and staff are amazing and both boys are just thriving.  I had the privilege of helping with an appreciation lunch today, the least that I could do for all they do for us.  At this point I'm not sure that I could handle being a SAHM or do nearly as good of a job as their teachers are doing.  Maybe one day I'll be able to find out, but in the meantime, we are so thankful to have found Little Pros Academy.

Janis, PJ and Ebony.  Despite his demeanor in the picture he really does love his teachers, he just loves his mommy more.

Giving Thanks - Day 16: Revenge

 Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a TV junkie.  The TV is almost always on if only for background noise.  Since I work from home that equates to a lot of tv time.  I generally tune into any kind of police or lawyer drama I can gt my eyes on, but this season there are several new shows that I'm really enjoying.  My favorite new show is Revenge.  I think I like it because its different.  I won't bore you with the details, but I would really suggest that you watch.  It's a serial so you'll need to start from the beginning.  Hulu and ABC.com have full episodes.

My #1 fave!

The Good Wife continues to be my all time fave and is very steamy this season.

Two shows that have really surprised me are Grimm and Once Upon a Time.  They are very similar in so much as they take fairy tales and modernize them.  Grimm is more of a police drama where Once Upon a Time is a soap opera.  I started watching them last week and have really enjoyed the first few episodes.  I don't expect them to stay around very long, but I might be surprised.
 

 

 There are also two from the little network that could, CW.  Hart of Dixie and Ringer. Neither of these will likely be up for any Emmy Awards, but they keep me entertained and that's what TV is all about, right?  I especially like the hunky lawyer on Hart of Dixie played by Scott Porter who was also in Friday Night Lights and in a completely different and very hot role in The Good wife

What's your favorite?  And remember, we don't have cable so be kinder than my co-workers who are constantly teasing me with the details of Real Housewives and Extreme Couponing when they KNOW that I can't watch them!!! Love you guys!

Giving Thanks - Day 14: Silly Socks

 One of the best things about working from home is getting to where what you want, when you want.  That and getting to take naps at lunch.  Since NO ONE wants to see me in what I usually wear to work, here are a few shots of my usual footwear.  I love me some silly socks. 

A reward is offered for anyone that can locate the mates to these!

Giving Thanks: Day 13 - The Guenther Gang

Today I give thanks for The Guenther Gang that was officially formed 7 years ago today.  First there was Meg McGee, the fair haired girl who drove up and down my street when we were 15.  The memories we have shared are countless and priceless.

Fast forward a few years and along came John Guenther to steal her heart.  He married her despite the fact that he knew that I came along with the deal.  At first, I can't say that I approved 100% because no one would ever be good enough for my bestie, but over the years he has grown on me, as I hope I have on him.  He is a great husband, an amazing father and a wicked good dancer, especially when wearing a Star Trek costume :-)

In July 2006 came Anna Paige and I was instantly in love.  She is an amazing little girl that is the perfect mix of tom boy and princess.  The only one that I know that goes hunting for bugs and snakes while wearing a tutu and carrying a magic wand.

We were lucky enough (ha!) to be pregnant together in 2009.  We both blew up like balloons. The water in my ankles alone could have turned the sahara into a waterpark.  But, from our bloated bodies came some super cute chubby babies.  Lillian Grace was a whopping 10lbs and G weighed in at 9lbs 7oz.  Lily is a tad bit quieter than Anna, but has an infectious smile and her dads awesome dance moves (nakey, nakey!).

Let's not forget Punky.  The most patient pooch the world has ever known. 

Thank you guys for letting me continue to be a part of your lives.  We are so lucky to have you in ours!

Giving Thanks – Day 12: Fall

Today I am thankful for Fall. Mostly because it's my favorite time of the year, but also because today was the most beautiful Fall day I've seen in quite a while. Carolina blue skies, leaves at the height of color, a nice cool breeze and time to spend with my boys. What could be better than that?

Giving Thanks - Day 11: Fridays

Today I am thankful it's Friday. It's been one of the longest weeks of my life and I'm exhausted.  What's funny is that we haven't had too much going on in terms of the number of things, just the magnitude of it all.  I think maybe just the stress of the last few weeks with vacay, PJs party, having family in town, and mom's surgery caught up with me. We're good now, mom is on here way home, the house is still relatively clean and Ryan is interviewing like a fiend.  We have a low key weekend planned, weather is beautiful, and I have a 30% off Kohl's coupon that's calling my name!  We're good.

Believe it or not though, Friday is not my favorite day week.  I actually like Thursdays best. You're on the downhill slide and over the rough part of the week (usually for me) but the "oh crap, i told so and so that I would get that to them before the end of the week" panic hasn't set in yet.  PLUS on Thursdays I get to watch Revenge which is my favorite new show.  It actually comes on Wednesday nights, but I wait until it comes out through hulu since, for some reason the tuner in our HTPC won't seem to hold onto our ABC channel for very long.

This cartoon is for Ryan :-)

Giving Thanks - Day 9: Caffeinated Beverages

I would blame my addiction to coffee and Diet Mountain Dew on the fact that I have 2 under 3 years old, but we all know that I was downing ~2L of soda a day since I could drive myself to the convenience store to buy them.  I probably need to switch to decaf coffee like I have for my DMD. Yes, i know that is sacrilege, but in hopes of keeping my kidneys intact and quelling some pretty wicked headaches that I had been having it was a necessary evil.  I do really enjoy the flavor of it (it takes some getting used to if you switch from the full leaded version of MD).

Lately the caffeine of choice has definitely been coffee. I'm not a Starbucks nut like some people I know (yes, LG and JMKG, I AM talking about you).  It's not that its not yummy, it TOTALLY is, but I'm too cheap for to go there often.  I also can't tell the difference between most coffees. I can definitely tell BAD coffee, but when brewed right Folgers and Eight O'Clock are just fine by me, I just buy whatever is on sale (see Day 3) and then add some delicious creamers to it.  I especially love the holidays because of Pumpkin Pie Spice, Gingerbread Latte, Peppermint Mocha and Eggnog Latte.  Yes, in fact coffee IS a means to deliver flavored creamer. If you've tried a good flavor lately, please let me know!

P.S. I would be remiss if I didn't thank Carol Young Pitt for introducing me to the joy of iced coffee!!! MMMMM.

I know I mentioned a lot of brands today and that was done on my own accord with no compensation from any of them.  BUT if they or you wanted to send coupons for creamers or DMD I wouldn't turn it down!!!

Giving Thanks - Day 8: Moira Mach

Today I am thankful for Moira Mach.

Why today?  Today she is 40 & Fabulous!!!

 Technically she is my boss and if that's all she was that would be enough.  She is THE MOST amazing boss.  She listens without judgement, helps without me having to ask for it, will step in to fight the good fight on your behalf when you need her too and leave you alone if you ask her too.  She is a strong believer in and practices "praise in public, criticize in private" and when you goof up as much as I do, that's really important. She is not afraid to kick me in the @$$ when I need it but always does it in a way that does not leave a bitter taste in my mouth.  She has helped me grow so much personally and professionally over the last 3 1/2 years and is a big reason why I've stuck it out through some tough stretches at my current job.  (and there's no chance we're getting raises this year so this is 100% the truth!). In all honesty, I probably would have been fired 10x if she wasn't there to defend me and beg for another chance for me.

In addition to being a great boss, she is so much more...she is an incredible mom, an amazing photographer, TRUiST's head cheerleader, incredibly organized (makes me barf  so jealous she's so on top of things) and most importantly (to me) she is my friend.  As a working mom she completely understands the stress that I am under (as all working moms are) and is constantly checking up on me to make sure that I'm okay.  She is genuinely concerned and interested in me and my family and that means the world to me.

Happy Birthday MOIRA!!!

Giving Thanks – Day 7: Doctors

Today we are extremely thankful for doctors. First and foremost we are thankful for the doctors that's found, diagnosed and removed Mamommy's tumor. It was a very scary time for our family but in the end everything came out (pun intended) just fine. We are happy to report that there was no cancer and there is no reason not to think that mom will be with us for a long, long, long time.

We are also thankful for the great pediatricians we've been going to since G was born. We especially love Dr. Seidel who always makes us feel like great parents. She is the real deal.  She is not going to baby you as a parent. My favorite story about her was when we visited the practice for an orientation while I was pregnant with G, before we actually chose them.  Another parent asked about co-sleeping.  She went into a long diatribe about how it was a very common practice in most every country except for the US and she was supportive of parents' choice to raise their children as they saw fit.  And then she said, "but if you come to me complaining about how your kid isn't sleeping and how tired you are because your kid isn't sleeping, I'm going to tell you to put that baby in a crib so you can all get a good night's sleep".  Decision made! (as if MMG's recommendation wasn't enough). Today PJ had four shots plus a finger prick and he was none too happy about it. But we were also told not to worry about his wheezing (so long as he's in generally good spirtis, eating and sleepting, no fever, etc.) and that he was the picture of health otherwise!

Finally we are thankful for our very favorite doctor of all, Papa Mark. It's so nice to have your own personal physician on speed dial. He'll answer your questions, no matter how silly and no matter what time of the day or night. He hasn't even billed us for after hours calls (yet).     It's also nice that when you KNOW its pink eye he can just call in a Rx and you can get back to normal life without having to spend all day at urgent care (since inevitably the boys will get sick 5 minutes after the pediatric office closes for the weekend!) We don't get to see him nearly often enough we do get to talk to him pretty regularly. Unfortunately, we've had to make quite a few "business" calls to him lately for PJ's rashes, fevers and ear infections. Which is never a good thing. Regardless of the reason it's always good to talk to him.  FYI: We'd be happy to trade an airline ticket for his services!!

Giving Thanks - Day 6: Marbles Kids Museum

When GG was in town last March we went Marbles Kids Museum for the first time.  We immediately fell in love with it and knew it would be a regular part of our playtime.  It is GREAT for keeping the kids entertained, especially G, but its also such a great educational experience.  The huge plus is that  they are worn out when we get home.  On Porter's birthday weekend we took Aunt Tara and GG back.  Amazingly we were able to get Graham to go to several different areas and not just the "ball room" (Moneypalooza) We are so lucky to have such an amazing resource in our community.

Giving Thanks - Day 5: Porter James

Today my baby boy turns 1.  I cannot believe how fast the year has flown by.  PJ is the sweetest, smiliest baby you'll ever meet.  He has Ryan's even temper and ability to fall asleep in under 10 seconds. I'm not sure what he has of me yet, but we'll find out soon enough.  Happy Birthday PJ!

I've posted a few more pictures on Google+.  If you need an invite, let me know!

Giving Thanks - Day 4: Employment

Since this isn't a "public" blog , if you're reading this you likely know that Ryan lost his job a few weeks ago.  Having him home with me everyday has certainly not been all sunshine and rainbows, but it really does make me thankful to have a job.  This says A LOT since all I've ever wanted to do as long as I can remember is be a stay at home mom.

At this point I would be thankful for ANY job so that we can continue to pay our mortgage but I especially thankful for the particular job that I have. I attended a Jaycee project called "Finding Your Perfect Career" several years ago and what I learned there has really stuck with me.  The speaker said that to find your perfect career you have to mesh your talent with your passion.  And that is what I've managed to do.  I'm pretty good at configuring employee giving campaign, matching gift programs and volunteering programs and even though I work now for a for-profit company (which I never thought I would do) I can still say that I'm supporting my passion for helping the community.  I'm proud to say that the companies (and mostly the employees of the companies) that I manage have contributed nearly $47M dollars to the community this year so far.  I have little impact on the magnitude of that figure but I am proud of it (and it looks AWESOME on a resume!!).

I would be remiss if I didn't specifically  mention my incredible boss Moira. She should be given an award for putting up with me on a daily basis. Thanks Moira! (more tomorrow)

Since I'd like to STAY employed (at least for the foreseeable future), if you know of a company that needs some help facilitating their online giving or other philanthropic endeavors, send them my way.

Giving Thanks - Day 3: Coupons

$2.23 and I had no coupon for the milk or the Benadryl!

Anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes around me knows my love of gaming.  No, I don't have a gambling addiction.  No, I do not share Ryan's love of Xbox.  I'm talking about the coupon game.  This particular game does not waste hours of time involve hours on the couch, but rather hours of clipping and browsing and shopping.  It has been YEARS since I paid for toothpaste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce or pantiliners (sorry boys).  I wish I had kept track of my savings (note to self, add to todo list for 2012) since I had started using coupons back in college.  It has to be well into the 5 digits (before the decimal point) maybe even close to 6 after the billion packs of diapers I've bought over the past three years.  I looked for some old pics of my savings that I take when I have an especially good trip and couldn't find too many.  I have no idea how I did the one above at this point, but obviously there had to have been several moneymakers or else the total couldn't have been lower than the retail of the milk and benadryl.  If I keep up with the blog like I've been meaning to do, you'll see more tallies!!

$84.46 for $310 worth of groceries. Not my best percentage but I got some splurges (gotta have my tots), lots of meat/cheese/raspberries that didnt have coupons ($47 of total).

Giving Thanks - Day 2: Family

In addition to my 3 wonderful boys, I am blessed with an abundance of family.  Some of us share birth parents and others of us were separated at birth.

I am incredibly thankful and lucky that my parents live 2 miles away.
When I pick up the boys from daycare I have to turn right out of the parking lot to get to our house and left to get to "Mamommy" and "Dadaddy's" house.  If I DARE to turn right I will hear "NOOOO, go THAT way, no mommy gooooo THAAAAAT WAY"  from the backseat.

Divorce sucks, no doubt about it, but in my case it has blessed me with not one, but two sets of fabulous in-laws (and a bunch of brothers and sisters).

Grammie and PopPop live here in town and we get to spend time with them often. GG and Papa live in South Dakota and through the power of the internet we get to "see" them regularly too, although they're a little harder to hug that way and that makes us sad. 

I am the youngest of 7. My parents refer to us as "his, mine and ours" but the word "half" never preceeds brother or sister when I talk about my siblings.  Vann, Michael, David and Robin from my mom's first marriage along with Robert and William from my dad's first marriage plus their spouses and children made a "small" wedding an impossibility.

And then there is the family that doesn't float in the same gene pool.  I love the fact that my BFF Meg had to explain to her eldest daughter the difference between biological family and friends that are so close that you refer to them as family.  From the moment Anna was born I had a connection with her that was as close as any of my biological neices and nephews and that's because her mother knows too much about me  is my oldest, closest and dearest friend.  25 years ago (holy mother of God we're old) this weird really cool girl kept riding by my house on her new moped and i was so jealous and we took it from there.  We spent most every day of our junior and senior years of high school together, went to the same college for a couple of year, were the maid/matron of honor in each others weddings, have been there for the births of our children and the deaths of loved ones, through the good times and the bad.  The rest is history (and much should stay that way) but I wouldn't trade a minute of it for all the money in the world!

30 Days of Giving Thanks

Hat tip to my bff Meg for this idea.  I'm totally ripping it off, but immitation is the most sincere form of flattery right?  I can't say that October was the best month I've ever had, so now, more than ever, is the time to focus on the things that I'm truly thankful for.

First and foremost, I get to spend every day with the three cutest boys in the world.  They all make me laugh and smile everyday (not every minute of everyday, but at least once a day).  Graham constantly amazes me with the things he knows and says.  He is so smart!  PJ has the most infectious laugh you'll ever hear.  He is so observant and curious, he doesn't say much yet, but I bet when he does start he'll come out with some amazing things too.  And Ryan.  I'm not sure why God made me wait so long to find him, possibly to appreciate him all that much more.  He is the most amazing husband and father.  Some would say a saint for putting up with me and my crazy ways.  He supports me in everything that I do and I can never thank him enough.