The sTate of Things

Which is crazier the weather or the forecaster? Though the people who believe them could also be pretty crazy too. Right now it is 61. Tomorrow they predict 40 and on Saturday 28 and snow and ice. Hmm. Being a North Carolinian, I'm used to this sort of thing. Honestly, if it does I HIGHLY doubt it will stick, the earth is just too warm. We had freezing temps last week and nice this one.

But what are the crazies doing? Speeding to the grocery store to buy milk and bread. Which I've NEVER understood. If you lose power what are you going to do with that milk? But it outside to freeze? Then how are you going to drink or use it. Come on people use your noodles. Go buy camping stoves or a kerosene heater and kerosene. Some easy to cook/ simple warm meals would also be wise.

Yes, I love NC. And the crazies that go with it, and the chance school will be closed on Monday or even delayed is a high one too. Snow in the forecast is always good for a laugh.

Brittaney's wedding is coming soon. So I figured I need to make a decision now. DO I try and find and buy Abby Sue's dress or do I make it. I've got it narrowed down to three patterns: Dress #1 option, Dress #2 Option, or Dress #3 option. The only problem is Abby Sue doesn't even crawl really, she is still army crawl. Do I want to spend all this time to make an adorable dress that won't even look right cause she'll be carried everywhere? If she could pull herself up then it would be worth it, but she can't even do that. It didn't help that while I was at Joann's the other day I found the perfect material, I wasn't even looking for it. It is no fair tempting me like that. I mean I don't even have a sewing machine to sew it (though I am borrowing a friend's for the time being. I had a baby present to make).

HELP. Please vote, I need help in making my decision.

Sunday my best friend broke. Yes, my very old pfaff broke. I was shocked. But I found the problem, so Sunday ended with hope. Monday was a day of waiting, my pfaff store was closed. Today Teagan and I dash off to Raleigh, only to receive horrible news. A repair isn't possible. My machine is so old they don't have the parts. Distract would have been an understatement to how I felt. Desperate, I call Joseph to see if he would let me buy the very last pfaff this store will ever have (they are closing out their machines). When he refuses to let me buy it, I hung up on him. I didn't want to let my emotions run wild and say something I wish I wouldn't have. So I drive home in tears.

Joseph's solution: buy another equally old machine on ebay or try and find the part and have them replace it.

Which solution is best? I don't know. Mine is a quick fix, and we won't have to worry about finding replacement parts for. Joseph's is longer to find, cheaper, but still uncertain as to how long that solution will last.

I promise to stop crying soon, maybe.

4/5th of the house was kept away for 4+ hours last night. Alex was too busy screaming to tell us why. Yep, 4+ hours all Alex did was cry and scream. We asked and asked, and tried to comfort him. But he was determined to ruin a nights rest for Joseph, Teagan and me. So I warned him, the very first fit he threw , he would be going to bed with a spanking. It didn't take very long, he says he doesn't like the Panda Puff cereal. Then the fit began, I was too cranky, grumpy and tired to care. Threw him in bed, 10 minutes later he was OUT! I finally was able to wake him up before noon.

So, who want's to join us for fried Alex for dinner tonight?

I caved in today. I let Alex play on the Wii. I usually don't let him play on the wii due to the fits that result from turning it off. But at a lost of what to do with him, I put in Mario Party. Alex and I trampled the other team, good feeling. I also felt great due to the fact when Joseph and I play this, he carries the weight of the team, always winning every single game (there was one I won, till he figured out how to shake the can like I did). Now I won almost all the minigames (confession they were the simple games)! And I also realized I don't suck at it like I always thought. I loved congratulation Alex for his dice rolls of one or his good played minigame (yes he lost all but one). He left filling like he'd won, and I want it to stay that way.

Tuesday is fully considered a very crazy day. And I'm glad it is over. The longest I sat down was to feed Abby Sue. The rest of the time I was running. Dash to clean the house, dash to run errands, dash to get some of the laundry ready to dry over at Grandma's (how I love that lady. Thanks again Grandma Betty). Then dash to run two errands that I just couldn't put off any longer (and I'm glad I did go, they had a sale and I got my bras for 50%). Then dash to switch laundry and then dash off to dinner with Joseph before his meeting. Dash home to dash the kids in pjs and off to bed. Dash in the shower to dash downstairs to sew. I'm so glad that dashing day is done. I'm getting tired just thinking about it.

Sad news from this day, Alex came down with some sort of bug. So he had to stay home from preschool on Wednesday and today. But it is now showing signs of ending.

Yesterday was a busy day full of cleaning. I don't even think I left the house. But all the bedrooms were completely dusted! No Mom is sad to see the dust bunnies gone. Today more of the same thing. Cleaning! I have been able to reorganize our 'Harry Potter suit.' Things are looking good. The family room is half recovered from tv stand shuffle we have been doing, now just have to clean up all the sewing mess everywhere. And then another week and have a clean house.

Abby Sue shows signs of crawling on her hands and knees and pulling herself up (yep she is very slow on this). But two teeth popped through earlier this week, so she now has 6! Though she is saying words, which is mind blowing. Done, did it (or something that sounds like it), muma, dada, no are just a few that she says that has meaning.

The first Tate Family Fun Days was this Saturday, and it was a hit! Kids were happy all the way to Charlotte (2.5 hour drive). And loved being at Ikea, at least for the first 2 hours. They were done and let me know for the last two (no it wasn't my fault. You shop with Joseph, and you'll understand). We ate lunch at their cafeteria (this was in the middle of those 4+hours we spent there). And finally left at like 3:30pm.

Then we traveled into Charlotte to the Trolley Museum, which unfortunately was closed. BUT we did ride the trolley. The kids loved it. We were lucky to bump into some locals, with two boys and a girl too, though a bit older than ours. They were able to tell us of a few cool places. So we got off the trolley at the Children's Library. This place is the coolest kids library I've ever seen. They have play areas, computers with learning video games, a movie corner that was playing "Cinderella" and a third floor that had nothing but computers and video games (that was over run by teens). They have a theater were they produce some plays. And a very special rule, all persons over 19 had to be accompanied by an adult. Outside the library was some stone pencils, typewriter buttons and rubber stamps, jumbo sized for playing on.

Across the track from the library was a building. This building has glass panels you can touch to turn on lights and make some chiming noises. Alex and Teagan had a blast running down the building pressing all the panels.

By this time it was 5pm, so we headed back to the car. We caught the light rails, trolley was about a 30 minutes more wait (trolley and light rails run on the same tracks). Got back to the van and after a few diaper changes and a dash to find a potty for Alex we were ready to head out. A few minutes down the road we were listening to snores from the two youngest! Dinner was a quick drive through at Cook Out, yummy burgers. And Alex promptly dropped the regular sized pink lemonade on the floor board. We got home a few minutes before 8! Kids were lovingly thrown in bed, and then Joseph and I braved the below freezing temps to clean out the van. We emptied the van and then vacuumed the dry area and pulled out the steam cleaner. I felt bad for our neighbors who had to hear this at 8:30pm, but it was an emergency.
By 9 we were done and had the seat back in the van and car seats buckled.

Joseph finished the day off by assembling his new tv stand, while I finished putting things away and began working on our Christmas thank you cards.

A great first Family Fun Day, can't wait till next month.

So I've told you recently I've changed my daily routine. And it has been extremely successful. Take last week, on top of my normal cleaning schedule I loaded more. I took down all of Christmas (I'm so sad and happy at the same time), put the house back in order (move the train table into the living room and out of Abby Sue's room) and cleaned all the upstair carpets! The frosting to this cake, it was done by Thursday afternoon. Which meant Lazy Friday! I finally put real clothes on at like 4pm.

Everyday by 3pm I have this enormous victorious feeling. I've accomplished much, and I like it.

Like everyone, we sat down as a family and made several goals. We each have two individual ones (except me, I'm still figuring them out). But we also came up with some family goals. One of which is better plan Saturdays. In doing that we will be taking making family fun weekends at least once a month. Some will be day-cations, others will be overnighter trips. But fun is a must. This way we can enjoy the beauty of the state and have a good time doing it. I'm so excited.