Being a Parent

Parent:

POSITION :Mom, Mommy, Mama, MaDad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in anoften chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining,constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :None required unfortunately.On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditionallove, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Fall Festival

Last night was Chloe's Fall Festival at school (aka The Mulberry Bush). It was so adorable. I think it cost us a quarter to get in! :) She played all kinds of games--ring toss, pumpkin bowling, balloon pop, etc. I think she had a big time. She even got her face painted. Oh, right before we left, we did the cake walk....and actually WON! This morning Chloe was asking for a bite of her "party cake." She is so cute! Enjoy the pics. We are off to Birmingham this weekend for a Ford Meeting! Looking forward to a small break from reality! Happy Homecoming! Let's Go PEAY! :)

Chloe's Teacher Tiffany! Chloe calls her TP! :) It is very cute!

Paint and Icing!

Last night, Blake, Chloe, and I decided it would be fun to bake so cookies and decorate them (well, I really decided, but they were in non the less :))! Chloe had such a great time decorating with the sprinkles. We each took turns decorating a cookie...when it got to Chloe, she would say "Chloe's Turn." Oh, she is getting so big. Blake took our first video on my new camera. **I must warn you, I requested not to be shot in this video, so of course, he focused on me for most of the time. I could kill him. Not my finest moment :)** Enjoy the pictures and video! We also let Chloe finger paint her pumpkin that she got at Honeysuckle Hills. She really got into it as you can see in the pictures. In the end, the pumpkin was a beautiful shade of purple-brown! What a masterpiece! We are off to Alabama this weekend for a Ford trip! I'll check in when we get back!

Getting ready to ice her cookies :)

Daddy helping!

So pretty! :)

Definitely time for a bath!

I <3 Fall!!

I am absolutely in love with this time of year. I love wearing sweaters and fall coats and using my heated seats!!! This is my favorite season to dress Chloe too! Cute little jeans and boots! Ohhh, I go crazy! Also, so many fun events are going on--Hillbilly Ball, Football, Homecoming. We have a busy weekend coming up. I am sure I will have lots of great pictures to post at the top of next week.

Well, on to what is new with us! Right now, Chloe STILL has Strep Throat. For those of you that have been around her...don't be alarmed...she is not contagious. She does not have a fever at all. We went to the Doctor on Monday night and he said that her throat was still swollen along with her lymph nodes. I was hoping for ear infections because I knew that would be easily fixable and would totally explain why she has not been sleeping well. I guess having a sore throat doesn't make it easy to sleep either. Oh, plus, since she has been screaming when we put her to bed, that only makes matters worse!

Last Sunday, we had a cookout with the Abrams and the Hales. We wanted to get the kids together to play. Alec and Jack are so adorable. It makes me so happy that so many of my friends have kids Chloe's age...it is fun to watch them interact and grow together. Anyway, Ashley and Kevin bought a ton of meat (Chicken, Steak, and Shrimp) and Amelia and I provided sides and appetizers. It was great food and company.

PS--Chloe was obsessed with Jack's Thomas the Train Chair and Computer. She sat in it the entire time..she even took it outside with her when she went out to play.

Last night, to keep Chloe occupied, I busted out the Play Doh (did I spell that right?). Chloe had so much fun with it, and it kept her busy for a good 30 minutes....long enough for me to make dinner. The picture of her masterpiece is below! :) So creative.

Chloe and I ventured to Kroger the other day. We tend to go right after I get off work (around 5:30 or so) so she is not always in the best of moods...being that it is about dinner time. She seemed to be in good spirits so I let her push the kiddie cart. She loved it and was ready to smile really big when I wanted to take her picture. Because she was so good and did not cause any mass chaos with her cart, I bought her a big pumpkin cookie! She was so excited about the cookie at Kroger, but it was a bust once we got home. She tried to eat it, and I guess she decided it was too hard because she took one nibble and was done! Well, I enjoyed it at least!
Here is a picture just for fun. Brittnye got Chloe these tub tablets for her birthday. There are blue, yellow, and purple ones. We drop them in to color the water during bathtime. Chloe decided it would be fun to hold the blue tablet the entire time. Her fingers were blue for 2 days! You know I was thrilled! :) Okay, gotta get back to work! Enjoy the day!

Let's Go Peay!!!

Last night, Chloe and I went to Reining Red at Austin Peay. For those of you that don't know, our very own Uncle Scott (well, Chloe's Uncle Scott :)) is one of the coaches for the men's basketball team. The girls scrimmaged at 730 and then boys right afterwards. AP games are so fun, and Chloe and I (and Blake when he can get off work) definitely plan to attend as much as possible this year. The last few years have been hit or miss for us because Chloe was so small and we were always so tired at night from working and late nights with Miss Priss. Now, she is big enough to really get into and enjoy the games. We had a great time last night. We were able to see Ashley, Kevin and her friend Jack too! Jack is so adorable! I think they are destined to be boyfriend and girlfriend! My proof: when Jack went to sit with his Grandparents last night, Chloe leaned into my ear and said "Where did my Jack go?" So sweet! We are going to have a play date with Jack, Ashley, and Kevin on Sunday, so they will get to spend some more time together then! I love that so many of my friends...and now family have young children! It is funny how much your life can change in just a few short years!

Everyone have a great weekend :)

Surprise!

We have some great news to share...Chloe is going to have a COUSIN! I'm officially going to be an AUNT and blake is officially going to be an UNCLE! Casey and Scott are expecting Baby Combs May 1, 2009! We are so thankful and so excited for this news! Please pray for Casey and Scott during this journey! You can view their blog here! Boy or Girl...who knows? They will find out in a few short months! What a happy day :)

4th Tag

4th Tag

Ok heres the tag....Go to your picture folders, open the 4th folder and pick the 4th picture then post.

Here's mine.....

This is Chloe the day before her 2nd Birthday. She loves cupcakes! Yummy! Unfortunatly, I can't say that I made these...thanks Walmart Bakery! They have the best icing!

I tag Everyone :)

ZZZZZZZ.....

Okay, this is what my sweet child use to look like when she was sleeping.....

Not so much anymore. It has been World War III for the past week. I know she has been sick, but that is no longer an excuse. She is now better than ever. I can't get her to sleep at night. Last night, we fought (seriously, fought) for almost an 1 hour straight. She will stand in her crib and scream "Momma's Bed Downstairs." Let me be clear, I don't (generally) let Chloe sleep in our bed. Our bed is a FULL...I repeat....a FULL. There is no way 2 adults and a baby can sleep peacefully in our bed. I do, however, let her sit in my bed and watch Elmo right before she goes to bed. I guess that is the problem. So last night, after she had screamed for almost an hour, I finally went and sat by her crib. She looked at me for about 2 minutes, turned her head, and she was out.

The moral of this story. How do I get her to go to sleep willfully in her own bed????

Any Suggestions?

PLEASE??!!??

Should I put her in a big girl bed or maybe turn her crib into a day bed with the rail thing? I am at a loss...

The Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend...well, I guess two weekends ago...we went with my Small Group to Honeysuckle Hills in Coopertown. It was great. They have so much for kids to do there, and it's not too far away from Clarksville. They have hay rides, a petting zoo, a corn maze, a little train ride, jungle gyms, big slides, food, etc...Chloe had a great time. Below are a few pictures of the day. She is getting so big. I can't believe how independant she is. Oh, we had to do an outfit change in the middle of the day...it was SOOOO hot. I am glad I packed the extra outfit!

Corn Maze

Riding the Swing

Going down the Pipe Slide with Daddy

Kiddie Ride with Mommy (Yes, I squeezed myself in there with her!)
Say *Cheese*

Petting the Horsey...Chloe and Izzie weren't scared at all.
Picking out her baby pumpkin!!

Attempt at a Family Pick!

This past week, she had strep throat. That was pretty terrible. She was so sick and could not tell me what was wrong. Once we figured it out, she kept saying "Momma, my next hurts." It made me so sad, but it was so sweet. Enjoy the pics!

Feeling much better after having strep! So adorable!

One of her favorites...

My sweet little girl is in LOVE with Elmo. Really, obsessed would be a better word for it. The picture above is her watching her beloved Elmo in Grouchland. If your kids love Elmo, go get this movie. It was the best $6.00 I have ever spent at Target! She just hangs out and watches while I cook, clean, etc. Like Ms. Brittnye would say..."God Love It!!" Have a great weekend! :)

Thumbsucking Update

Okay, I really think this thumb sucking thing is going to be a struggle....I don't think I can kid myself. I have been telling Chloe for the past two days that her thumbs (both of them) have Boo-Boos on them. Hence the reason why she has band aids on both of them. Well, it was so adorable when I picked her up from school yesterday. Her teachers said that she has been showing everyone her Boo-Boos and saying that they hurt. How funny!!! She is so precious. Everyone I have talked to that has kids that suck their thumbs or they personally sucked their thumbs said that it takes YEARS to kick the habit. Oh great...looks like we are going to be in this fight for a while.

When I went into her room to check on her last night, she was sucking away on her new Dora Band aids that I bought her! Jeez! I really thought she would have sympathy for Dora and not suck on her...I guess I need to give it time!!

Lots going on...

(I love this picture...so I thought I would share it first!!!)

Well, as usual, I am terrible about updating this thing. A lot of things have gone on in the past few months--My 25th Birthday, Chloe's 2nd Birthday, Brittnye's Birthday, Natalie and Bryan's Wedding, etc. We laid kind of low for my 25th. Brittnye, Steven, Blake, and I went to Zanie's to see Jimmy Fallon for my Birthday. It was so fun. Jimmy Fallon was amazing. How you would see him on Saturday Night Live is how he is in person. He is very physical with his comedy.

Chloe's Birthday was great. We had a lady bug theme this year. I found her the most adorable smocked lady bug dress and the most precious lady bug shoes. Needless to say, she was ready for the party. We did red and black cupcakes, subway sandwiches, and juice boxes...we tried to keep it easy and stress free this year. Last year, Blake and Don grilled for everyone and it took up a lot of time for them to do that. Anyway, we also did a lady bug / bumble bee craft...it was a hit! All the kids, even the little ones, really enjoyed it. I also made a "Pin the Antenna on the Lady Bug" game. It was so precious. I don't have a pic of it to post (unfortunately), but I was really proud of my craftiness. We finished the afternoon with presents...Chloe is definitely not lacking in that department. She got so much great stuff to include tons of great fall clothes, books, movies, baby dolls, etc. Thanks to everyone who shared in this special day! We had so much fun!

This picture was taken the day before Chloe's actual birthday...we sent cupcakes to daycare for her class to celebrate. We had left over cupcakes so we celebrated again that night! She wanted me to clean her hands....She DOES NOT like to be dirty....AT ALL. Wonder where she gets that from? :)

For Brittnye's Birthday at the beginning of September, we all went to eat at the Depot in Springfield. Okay, I have lived in Clarksville my entire life, and I have never heard of this wonderful place. It is so quaint and small-town like...the food there is amazing. We will definitely be going back!

This past weekend, Blake, Chloe, and I traveled to Savannah, TN for Natalie and Bryan's Wedding. For those of you who don't know Natalie, she is my little sister in Chi Omega...and also one of my dearest friends! Her and Bryan were married this past Saturday in an outside wedding. The ceremony was held in the back yard of a beautiful Spanish style house. The reception was also in the back yard under a lit up tent. It was so pretty. They had good food, fireworks, sparklers, the whole nine. I was her Maid of Honor! We had a great time! We came home on Sunday morning very tired...so we just hung out at home and ate pizza with my Dad. We don't get to just lounge very often so it was a nice change of pace for us.

Take 1

Take 2

Oh, the other thing going on right now is that we are attempting to break Chloe of the terrible habit of thumb sucking. For those of you who did this when you were young, I know it is a very, very hard thing to break. We are struggling with this...Chloe LOVES her thumb. It is her comfort. I have tried lots of different things in the past--the stuff you paint on (actually two different brands of this) and putting band aids on her thumb. Neither of these things worked in the past. We are trying again though so any advice / suggestions would be very much appreciated! Chloe went to the Dentist yesterday for her 2 year old check up...the Dentist said she will DEFINITELY be a candidate for braces. That's fun to hear! I guess I need to start saving now!

Well, this weekend coming up, we are taking Chloe to Honeysuckle Hills. I am super pumped. They have lots of activities for kids to do--pumpkin patch, hay ride, pictures, petting zoo. I think Chloe is going to love it!

I promise to update this thing more often...I have been a slacker! Ya'll have a great week! :)