Are we there yet…

Two years ago, I never would have dreamed that gas could be up to $4 a gallon. Yes it’s true, in just 28 short years, I have watched prices soar. Heck, I can remember when gas was .86 a gallon, a stamp was .25, and you could buy a movie ticket for $3. Not the case anymore. Times are a changin’…

Mary Reese, when you were 8 months old:

A stamp cost .42

a gallon of gas $3.93 (it cost your daddy $75 to fill up the tank of his Jeep)

a gallon of milk $3.59

a dozen large eggs $3.49

whole wheat bread $2.99

all purpose flour $3.59

size 3 Pampers diapers (60 ct) $16.99

20 oz bottle of water $1.49

2 liter bottle of Coke: $1.89

12 pack of Coke: $5.49

candy bar .79

pack of gum .99

movie ticket $8.00 

My advice–start saving now MR, life is expensive! However, the best things in life won’t cost you penny. Surround yourself with life’s freebies: laughter, love for family and friends, a relationship with Christ, and being outdoors. These things will lead you to more wealth than all of the riches in the world.

Few things in life make me happier than family, porch time, and grilling. Thankfully, this is how we spent our Memorial Day weekend. On Saturday, Big Daddy and Gran-C made their monthly trip to Charlottesville. After enjoying lunch at Christians Pizza on the downtown mall, we headed back to the house where we spent the afternoon relaxing on the porch, giving the girls wagon rids around the yard, playing horseshoes, grilling hamburgers and hotdogs, and enjoying homemade ice cream, cookies, and blondies.

Its all fun and games…

until someone gets hurt. (Hendley 15 months)

On Sunday, we went to Wintergreen Resort to a Blues and Brews festival. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the views along the mountain roads were spectacular! Hendley and Mary Reese had a ball dancing and playing in the grass. Later that afternoon, we headed back to the house for more porch time, visiting, and grilling. Thanks to Julie and Bill, we topped our meal off with one of the juiciest watermelons I have had in a long time.

Big Daddy and Gran-C hit the road about 9:30 Monday morning, but not before hitting up the Tavern for some eggs, pancakes, hash-browns, and sausage. They left town with a full belly and car…Julie and Hendley are riding back with them to visit for the week. I’m always sad to see my parents go, but it is comforting to know that I will see them in less than 2 weeks from now; let the countdown begin!!!

Thank you Big Daddy and Gran C for my Memorial Day outfit

Happy 8th Month Birthday, Mary Reese!

Friday’s have always been my favorite day of the week and this Friday was no exception. Our day started off with a cousin playdate. Hendley and Mary Reese had so much fun being outdoors and playing tug of war with a Baaa Baaa Lamb. Although Hendley won the majority of the battles, she always offered up a condolence kiss to her younger cousin. These two are going to be a handful in the coming months!

Later that afternoon, G picked up Mary Reese for a daddy/daughter datenight on the downtown mall. Having the house to myself, I was able to get a lot done. In just two short hours, I managed to clean, bake three dozen cookies, and run to the mall for a quick shopping trip! Tomorrow is sure to be just as fun! Big Daddy are Gran C are due to arrive around lunch.

A few months back, my sister posted a picture of Hendley with a head full of bows. Like MR, Hendley didn’t have a lot of hair, but Julie was bound and determined to make a bow head of little Love Light. Not long after, Hendley started growing hair…

Hendley (Love Light)- 8 months

Here is my attempt to call the Hair Fairies…

Mary Reese- 4 days shy of 8 months

Besides modeling hairbows, MR has also been busy perfecting her latest trick. After yesterday’s gardening disaster, I went upstairs to check on MR. This is how I found her. As you can see, she was pretty impressed with herself.

Needless to say, G spent an hour last night lowering the mattress so sweet MR could not escape.

Our backyard is in full bloom right now. Don’t ask me what kind of flowers there are; all I know is that they are the type that cost no money. Intent on picking some fresh flowers for the house, Sadie and I headed outside with some gardening gloves, shears, and a basket. Oh and an apron. Ok, so it was my cooking apron and not an authentic gardening one, but every respectable gardener needs an apron, right?!

As Sadie rolled in the grass, I clipped away, moving from bush to bush. I was just about to call it quits when I heard the sound of bees…a lot of bees. Now I’m known for exaggerating– I’ll be the first to admit it. But I am not exaggerating when I say that there were at least 30 bees. Ok maybe 20 5, but they were the big ones and they were headed straight for me. Dropping my basket, I tore into the house, leaving poor Sadie outside to fend for herself.

Sweet Sadie was no match for the bees. I’m not sure how many times she got stung, but I heard her yelp several times before making it to the back door. I felt horrible. Before I could retrieve some Benadryl for her, I heard all kinds of commotion coming from my elderly neighbors house. Fearing that the bees had gotten Mrs. Jones, I ran to the front of the house and nearly scaled the fence to get to her.

There she was, with a hose in one hand and a broom in another, screaming at the top of her lungs. Now before you start invisioning a little old helpless lady, thik again. Mrs. Jones is 86 years old and tough as nails. She still drives, mows her grass, and walks to many of the UVA events. Mrs. J got the best of the bees. Ranting and raving, she scooped up the soaking wet dog and headed indoors. I headed indoors too; taking off my apron and vowing to leave the gardening to P Allen Smith.

MR slept through the whole ordeal,

played…and then begged to go to the mall.

She changed her mind as soon as we stepped foot in Belk. We left and called it a day.

I’m sure the nice people at Kroger have a big wanted poster out for me right now…the picture shows a frazzled and disoriented mom, a screaming baby, and a deserted cart full of groceries.

Yep; our shopping experience was not so pleasant today. Chalk it up to teething, a developmental spurt, or just plain retaliation for dragging her to the store. Whatever the reason, MR pitched her biggest fit yet– right there in the middle of Kroger for everyone to see. I was horrified.

Serves me right. Before becoming a mom, I used to scowl at parents for having no control over their kids. Now, there I was standing in the dairy section with my own child kicking and screaming and there was nothing I could do to stop it. What a helpless feeling. I tried giving her my car keys, my cell phone, even her passy. With each attempt, MR cried louder and louder. Finally, I made the call…I had to abandon my cart of groceries.

Four hours, two stroller rides, and a pack of graham crackers later, MR and I made our second trip to the grocery store. This time, we headed to a different grocery store–just in case the folks at Kroger recognized us from our previous shopping trip. MR must like paying higher prices for groceries because she had a ball in Harris Teeter. She did perfect in the store and we were able to get all of groceries in record time.

All was well until we got home. After unpacking all of the groceries, I realized that MR’s pink poodle was nowhere to be found. I searched high and low for her blankie before coming to the realization that pink poodle was somewhere in the Harris Teeter shopping center. Needless to say, MR and I hoped back in the car and headed to the grocery store for the third time in five hours. We searched the store isle by isle; then spoke to the manager…still no pink poodle. Just as I was giving up, the manager came running up to me with pink poodle in hand. Apparently a clerk had found her in the parking lot.

Exhausted and ready to call it a day, MR, pink poodle, and I headed home. MR fell asleep on the way cluthcing pink poodle for dear life. G and Big Daddy are sure to have a fit when they find out that I let her snuggle with something that had been laying in a dirty parking lot. Regardless, MR is getting some much needed rest, pink poodle is safe, and I’m finally free to enjoy some quiet time on the porch…

Almost as crazy as the events of the day is that even after making three separate trips to the grocery store, I still managed to forget a few of the things on my list!

Update 8:10 p.m. Garrett and MR just returned from the peditrician and MR’s throat is sore and inflamed from Hand-Foot-and-Mouth (hence her fussiness). She told us to make a magic mouthwash to soothe her throat– a mixture of maalox and children’s benadryl. So, it looks like we’re headed back to the grocery store once again! 

Sidenote: MR weighed in at a whopping 21 pounds, one week before her 8 month birthday!!!