Let me explain...

About the post yesterday, "I have lurkers..." I have a tracker on my blog but I have no way to tell who visits, except by leaving a comment. If you leave a comment great! The tracking program I use lets you know how many raw hits you have, as well as, how many unique hits you have. Basically the same person can click on my blog 70 times a day, but I will only have one unique hit. I am getting about 20 - 30 unique hits a day and even more raw hits. I have pictures of my kids up and some other personal information up so I kind of want to make sure that there are no pervs visiting. I know it sounds weird, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. So, if you have never left a comment, please leave one, besides that I'd like to visit your blog too. Have a great day!

I have lurkers...

I have noticed lately that I have some lurkers. When I come to my site, I have 4 - 6 guests, but I might get one comment. Why is that? I would like to go visit others blogs too and if I do visit yours all ready, I have probably commented. Leave me a comment so I can stop by your blogs too. It is only polite you know! I hope everyone has a great night! I am going home finally!

Would you or not?

Every year our church goes to this women's retreat that is a huge district thing about 2 hours from my home church. I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to go last year with a wonderful group of women from my church. This year, due to hotel accommodation issues and a few other reasons, my church will not be attending. They are, however, going to New York for 3 days and I have the chance to go. We will be doing some witnessing amongst other things including going to see The Lion King on Broadway, which I would love to see so I would really like to go. This would give me a wonderful chance to get out of the house and feel refreshed upon returning home. I almost didn't go last year because Callee was so young and I had never left Mike with the kids overnight let alone 2 nights. I ended up going, everyone lived and I had a wonderful time. I was set on going this year and then we found out they weren't going, but they were going to New York and I could do that if I chose. I have to make this decision rather quickly, but the dilemma is the dates they are going are April 10, 11, & 12. Taylor's birthday is April 13. Do I go because I will be back for her birthday or am I selfish because that is the weekend of her birthday? I don't know what to do because I really want to go but I wouldn't be resentful if I didn't go. I just don't want to have regrets either way.

What do you think? Go fellowship and witness with other Christian women or stay home because it is my baby's birthday weekend?

I'm off to the Ohio State game in the morning so have a great weekend and I'll post on Monday!

Wonderful Contest

Does your blog need a pick me up? Over at There's a frog in my soup, she is giving away a new blog designed especially for you. I personally would love to have a new design, but am stuck with the current blah one I have now, so of course I entered. Also, if you would like to see what she can/has done head over to My 3 wisemans. I like Shana's new design so obviously she does do a good job. More updates from the weekend later.

Quick Post

I still have this stupid headache, but other than that, today is going pretty well, as did last night.

• Taylor's chart seems to be working out well for us.
• Callee still isn't feeling well, but she is beautiful.
• I didn't sleep much last night thanks to the monkey, but I'm okay with that.
• It is Friday.
• My friend from Pittsburgh is coming in.
• I woke up in a much better mood.
• I think the edge from PMS has worn off.
• I am now going to lunch.

I think I just need to learn how to control the hormones around that time of the month. I get really depressed, super irritated, and basically hate my life. It didn't help this month that the kids have not been their usual lovable selves and I have this dumb headache that apparently is never going to go away! Have a great weekend. I leave you with some pictures. Check out chunky monkey's face do you think she was a little scared?

One going on puberty!

Here is the dilemma. After reading Life with Hannah and Lily I realize I am not alone. Callee has a horrible disposition sometimes (I think she'll start her period any minute) and other times, she is the happiest most cuddly baby around (I indulge this). You would think her zodiac sign is Gemini, but it's not. I love the child to death, but she is starting to wear my patience too thin. I feel horrible because every night I can't stop watching the clock thinking, "Is it bedtime yet?" I am not trying to wish her life away, but I wish for bedtime every. single. day!

Let me give you a little background information. Taylor was such a happy baby all the time. She rarely cried, never through all out tantrums, and in the event she had a minor melt down, you could calmly talk to her. She was a very rational person from a very young age. She talked extremely early and could comprehend what you were telling her. Even today she says many things that makes you ask her, "How old are you," to which she happily replies, "3!" I am not trying to compare my children, but you have to understand where I am coming from instead of saying "It's just her age." It's not just her age, Taylor must have never been 15 months if it's her age. It's her I think! What am I going to do with a 15 month old who, when throwing a fit, will hit, kick, throw something (including herself) and fall out all over. I do time outs with her and she gets up and is fine for a little while and then the saga continues.

Like I said, I am not trying to compare these two, but Callee has always been very unpleasant. Maybe it was the way she was brought into the world, but she literally screamed for 9 1/2 months. I loved her then as I do now, but all too often I would think, "Please just shut up. I can't take it anymore." I hated feeling this way and I hate that I am starting to feel like she is once again defeating me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a "lay down and take it" kind of person, so why am I letting a 15 month old kick my butt?

I am asking for any one's advice. If you read and just don't comment if you have something to give, please let me know. I would appreciate it. By the way, notice the photo above? How old is she 15? And below is Dr. Evil, but she is happy here!

Here is Taylor with her goofy smile:

The day the world changed!

Okay so everyone knows what today is. It is the day (well 6 years ago) that the world changed. Everyone from my generation will be saying, I remember exactly where I was when I got the news, much like my mom does about the JFK assassination. Well, I remember where I was, begging my nephew who had just turned one to go back to sleep! My nephews first birthday was exactly two weeks prior and I watched him for my sister while she worked. Unfortunately, I worked afternoons and he had gotten up particularly early that morning so I was begging him to please take a nap. I had him almost all the way asleep and my cell phone rang, it was my sister from work, I wanted to kill her. She asked what we were doing and I told her, she asked me to get up and turn on the tv. I did like she wanted me to and there was the second plane hitting! I couldn't believe it. I remember holding my nephew rocking him and crying. I couldn't believe it. That is when I started hating Bush and I haven't quit yet. But, oh well I voted so I can be upset he is still in office. Well, before I make any enemies, let me stop there.

Callee is feeling much better today and her fever finally broke as she was up screaming at 2:30 this morning. I got no sleep, I hate my job, and I can't find a way to give my two weeks notice. I am actually afraid to do it. What am I going to do and why can't I stand up to this man? Ahhhhh....I want to scream!

A Scrappers Game

Last night I took the girls to their first baseball game. Mike wasn't overly excited because he wasn't able to go with work and all. We had fun, we didn't get to stay the whole time because it didn't start until 7 and Callee is usually in bed by 8:30, but we did have fun. Amazingly, Callee lasted until a little after 9 which is great for her. Taylor seemed to enjoy the game, but was more interested in the socializing instead. Her friends Riley, Abbey and Alyssa were there so she bounced around from row to row. I should tell you we went with a bunch of people from our church so we had 4 rows of seats! I don't normally just let her roam around. I was really impressed with her socializing because usually she wants to just sit right next to me the whole time and gets very shy and quiet. This was a huge step!

I wanted to share the pictures Judy sent me from our church picnic the other day. She did not send me the one of Callee with cake all over her face, but she did send me 3 cute ones. Here they are: This is Taylor trying to be as messy as Callee was. It didn't quite work, but what a face she

is making.

This is Shelley blowing Alyssa's bubbles and Taylor enjoying them. The bubbles were Alyssa's auction "prize." There is the crazy puffed out lips face on Taylor again. I don't know where she got this or what she is doing!

This is Callee with her monkey "prize" from the auction. She would not look at the camera for anything! Look at how much she resembles her prize. Maybe it is just me but she looks so much like a monkey! I think she is beautiful, so no one take that as I'm being mean to her. I have always thought monkey's were cute, I just never thought I'd give birth to one! Have a great weekend, more on Monday!

Rough Night

Last night was a very rough night. It started out really good. The girls were being really well behaved and playing nicely and I was getting some cleaning done. I swept out the couches, which definitely needed done and then I headed in to the bedrooms. I decided I would change the sheets first because they needed done desperately bad. I then started running the sweeper in my room and accidentally swept up a sock...oops! No big deal, right? Yeah right it's me we're talking about. The sweeper started smoking and gave off this horrible odor. I got the sock out but the sweeper is now broke. Great, add that to the list of things we now need.I feel like this turtle. Complacent in a big, big world!

Then, I was giving the girls a bath after dinner and was done washing them so they were playing, innocent enough, right? Not so! I was sitting on the floor watching them play and Callee went under the water. We all know how fast I can get off the ground and she was under the water for a few seconds. It scared the crap out of me. I got her out of the tub and ready for bed. On to the third thing.

I light candles all the time. We have consistently told Taylor you don't touch them, lit or unlit. She claimed to understand so we left them on the table, where Callee couldn't get them. Last night, Taylor decided she wanted to blow it out and pulled it towards her. She then remembered she wasn't allowed to touch them so she came to ask me if she could blow it out, in the meantime, Callee pulled it off the table, burning herself and getting candle wax on my carpet and kitchen floor (the least of my worries) and she has a little blister on her finger now.

After all this, I put them both to bed and really wanted a stiff drink, but decided against it. Instead I watched Army Wives and then went to bed. Hopefully tonight will be better.

Isn't she lovely?

I was doing a little research (bored at work again) because I have no idea what Callee's name means. I just named her that because I like the name. When thinking of names while I was pregnant, I researched all of the ones I liked, but for some reason never thought to look up Callee and see what it meant. Before I knew it she was here and had no name. We decided on Callee because all I went through it was only right for me to name her, right? I absolutely loved (and still do) the name Callee. It has such a sunny ring to it. I looked her name up yesterday and it means "beautiful" or "lovely". Not a bad choice considering I had no idea what it meant. So I was talking to my mom about it yesterday because Callee had a very fussy, unhappy day. She is either getting more teeth or she is growing and just wasn't happy. I made the very mean comment of "There is nothing lovely about that scream. I wish she'd just stop. I don't know what's wrong with her except she's tired and I can't put her to bed right now." I really need to stop and count my blessings. 13 months ago I thought this child wasn't going to make it. I would have paid good money to hear that scream if she wasn't with me so why do I get so impatient with the crying. I know it gets on other people's nerves too, but it's supposed to, she is not their baby. She is mine and I should value the time, happy or upset, that I have with her. Now let's just see if I can put those words into practice next time she is just plain unhappy, which will probably be tonight.

I took some pictures of Callee last night because Josh had taken Taylor to the park to play. I was trying to get a little bit of cleaning done and this is the beautiful face that came waddling out of her bedroom toward me, I had to share this with Terry and Sandy cuz they are the ones who bought it for her. I began to crack up, which is good because I wasn't in the most pleasant mood due to the incessant screaming, and then she started laughing. Of course she didn't have a clue what I was laughing about, but I guess what they say is true, laughter and smiling are contagious. Here is wishing many smiles and plenty of laughter to you and yours. By the way, does anybody even read this or am I talking to myself? Leave me a comment if you do cuz I all ready know what goes on day to day. Here is one more of Ms. Lovely!

The Picture

The picture up above of the two little girls hugging says, "Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable." - Anon

Too bad not everybody does live by this, huh?

I had to steal this from another blog so shhh...don't tell!