Yesterday was a very rough day for me and I was so thankful for my sweet little girl who manages to make me smile- not matter what is going on around us. In the morning, while we were getting ready, Hailey was watching something or another on PBS...and Chuck E. Cheese is smart enough to sponsor their shows, so Hailey after she saw Chuck E. Cheese, she started talking about wanting to go to Chuck E. Cheese. I told her we couldn't go there because I didn't have any money. (no one has enough money to go there! That place has a 50 dollar cover charge!) Hailey looked right at me and said, "Momma, if you need money and have a mortgage, you can trade it for cash"! She caught me completely off guard with that one!

Later in the afternoon, she was pitching a fit because I wouldn't stop at a gas station to get her a snack and drink. (she wasn't starving! I packed a snack and drink from the house...) and I told her, "Hailey, if you yell at me one more time, I will take the snack I have for you, throw it out the window and feed it to the birds". Hailey didn't skip a beat and said, "The birds are all south for the winter. They won't be back until the spring". I couldn't argue with that one! Maybe we should cut back on the educational programing....It shouldn't be this complicated to reason with a four year old!!

Christmas...

A couple of weeks ago, Hailey got a Tinkerbell dress up box, and when we got home and she put it on, the first thing she did was try to fly. This scene made me think of Wilbur when he tried to spin a web. After a couple of failed attempts at flying, Hailey told me all she needed was a little bit of pixie dust. So, that is the only thing she wants for Christmas...I don't think I am getting her any for two reasons: 1. I don't want her to to be really sad when she realizes that pixie dust won't help her fly. 2. I don't want to vacuum pixie dust up for weeks. So now I am trying to get Hailey to think of anything else that she wants for Christmas, but she says that is the only thing she wants! I am a little worried that no matter what I do she will be disappointed this Christmas!

It's been a while...

I haven't posted in a while. I have been drowning in my own life lately. I am sure all the other moms that read this can relate to that.

Yesterday, I decided that the propensity to be drama queens is something that is naturally instilled in little girls. I took Hailey to get her Christmas pictures made. On the way there, she told me, "Mom, I have been thinking." (I always cautiously ask her what...there never is any telling what that girl is thinking) "I am not going to be able to smile today for the pictures because my heart is broken". I tried not to laugh, because broken hearts aren't really that funny....and I asked her why and Hailey said, "I am hungry because my daddy forgot to feed me breakfast". at this point, I coudln't help but laugh.....

Broken heart or not, Hailey's pictures turned out really cute. I can't wait to send them!

Don't be silly...

Hailey and I always have interesting conversations over dinner. Last night, she was telling me about the "new friends her class got". I said, "That's neat. Where did they come from?" Evidently, a girl named Ashley (who is "not as nice as Liz Morgan") and a boy named Jaumari? (who "lookeed a little brown") Hailey looked at me like I was crazy, shook her head and said, "Don't be silly. They came from their moms and dads."

Sometimes Bribing Backfires....

Tonight was the dreaded monthly grocery shopping trip at wal-mart. On the way, Hailey said, "momma, please can we go to bojangles?" I was glad she wanted that so badly, because I didn't lay out anything to cook for dinner and I never feel like cooking and cleaning up for dinner after buying all the groceries and putting them away....Anyway, while we were eating, Hailey started talking about her birthday, and telling me that she was ready for her next birhtday, so she wanted to change her birthday to October. I told her she would have to talk to God about that, because he was the ones that decided birtdays- not mommys. Hailey sat there quietly for about forty-five seconds (for those of you that know Hailey, you know I was fixing to start checking her vitals) and then looked at me and said, "Ok. I talked to him and he said that was a great idea."....

After the interesting conversation and deliciously fattening dinner, Hailey and I headed to Walmart. Somewhere in the middle of the Wal-mart trip, Hailey started acting like a little heathen so, I told her that if she sat down and did not say another word during the rest of the shopping trip (aiming high there), I would let her buy the Hannah Montana soundtrack. To my complete surprise, Hailey did that...and I ended up having to follow through on my bribe! So far, I have listened to the hoedown throwdown three times, the Climb twice and the Best of Both Worlds once...and that was only on the ride from Wal-mart to the house!! I wonder how long it will take for the cd to get scratched?

missing my baby...

my daughter is very stubborn...i am still not sure where she gets that.... and she does everything in her own time and her own way. she did not start walking until well after the "normal age for walking" our pediatrician at the time said they wanted to test her for developmental delays...which was a total joke, because she could carry on conversations, knew and appropriately used about 15 words in sign language, and had excellent motor skills. she just didn't want to walk. she could crawl anywhere she wanted to go, and i guess that was fine with her. i spent weeks worrying and pushing her to walk....and finally, one day, she just did it...and never crawled again...

same thing with potty training. her first preschool had a rule that you had to be completely potty trained by your third birthday...hailey wasn't. she would use the bathroom at home and refuse at school. then she stopped going all together. then, she started holding it while at school and having accidents as soon as she got in the car. then, she went completely back to using her pull-ups. thankfully, the daycare didn't kick her out, but i got fussed at a lot....i begged hailey, i put her in time out, i gave her stickers for using the bathroom, i spanked her, i took aways her dresses (ok, i was getting beyond desperate at this point) i even bribed her to by saying we could go to chuckie cheese if she would use the potty. nothing worked. hailey would just say, no thanks, i don't want to go to the potty. finally, i called mom, in tears, for advice. mom said don't say a word to her about it. let it go. change her and act like you don't care. i did this for about a month. finally, the week before school started (two weeks before she turned four!) hailey said, "mom, put panties on me". i did...and she hasn't had an accident since!!!

anyhow, all this to say, i feel like i (and probably other moms, too) spend a lot of time waiting for their kids to reach the next milestone. eating food, getting teeth, talking, crawling, walking, potty training.....and now, hailey's done all that, and she's a "big girl" and i would love to just rock my baby again. i was holding her saturday evening while we were watching mickey mouse club house (blah) and i started rubbing her back and she said, "mom, you can't do that. i am not a baby anymore."

Third time's the charm?

Well, I decided to start blogging again....I say again, because this is my third attempt at a blog. I started on xanga, which was fun for several years....That fizzled out when everyone else stopped updating their xanga and reading my updates. Next, I tried the photo a day blog....that was an epic failure...i am pretty sure i lasted a grand total of 13 days. i usually stop blogging because i am freaking busy, and run out of time and energy to post by the end of the day, and sometimes, it seems i only take the time and energy to post when i am angry or sad...and that's not the best idea...but i decided to start blogging again, because a lot of moms i know have started blogging, and it seems like it would be fun to "talk to adults"....even if we are talking via blog posts at whatever random hour of the middle of the night we are up for feedings, or in my case, blood sugar checking...it also makes for a good place to seek advice, encouragement or to share funny/cute stories about our kids....and also, i might vent when i need to, but i am going to try to balance the venting posts with nice, happy posts. so...here goes nothing and wish me luck :)