La Vita E Bella- Life is Beautiful!

Delta Zeta is back!

2010-09-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Sooooooooooooooo looking forward to reuniting with some of my sorority sisters at Louisiana Tech Homecoming on October 16th! I am so excited that some of the girls have organized a Delta Zeta tailgate!

My best friend Janet and her big sis Darcie are coming to stay the night on Friday and then on Saturday we are heading to Ruston to tailgate with the girls and go to the game. I haven't seen most of these girls since I left Tech 13 years ago!

We got shirts made for the DZ Tailgate too! LOVE THEM!

Turning over a new leaf...

2010-09-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

I will blog more often.

I will. I will.

I will try. That's the best I can do.

So much has happened. 4th and 1st grades are officially underway! How did my babies get so big? Sydney is quite the little cheerleader- competitive cheer (a flyer- gasp!) for the Gym-Fit Spirit Youth All-Star squad in Marshall AND cheering on her beloved 3/4 and 5/6 Red Carthage Dawgs on Saturdays. Eat, sleep, cheer. It is her life! Caleb is a Weebelo Scout now... so big and I am so proud. This year Daddy has taken over the Cub Scouting responsibilities (while I'm running Syd to cheer). I think it is a good thing. They need their "boy" time and I can't teach Caleb to be a man. Phil has taken the reigns and I think it will be good for both of them.

School is going well for both kids. Sydney's biggest challenge is not talking. I'm not sure where she would get such a thing. I don't know anyone in our family who talks all the time??? She is doing great in her reading and math and really loves school. Such the social butterfly.

Caleb is a bit more complicated- new school this year- Baker-Koonce Intermediate. He loves it, but we are having some afternoon challenges with overstimulation and such. We are working with the doctor, teachers and OT figure some things out. We definitely have a plan and we hope within the next few weeks things will continue to improve. Progress reports were very good, we just need to continue to make things the best we can for him. I can say that the principal, counselors, and teachers at Baker-Koonce Intermediate ROCK. They are so on board with Caleb and doing what is BEST for him, not necessarily what is easiest for them. After banging my head against a proverbial Libby Elementary wall for the past 2 years this is such a breath of fresh air! Our first ARD at BK was last Friday and I was in awe of all these wonderful people and their genuine caring for my son and his well-being! I did my best to hold it together during the meeting, but I cried tears of joy afterward. He is going to be ok here. He is really going to be ok. Thank you God!

As we make changes for Caleb over the next few weeks (We have a detailed plan!) I will blog about them here. I think this is a new beginning for him and I am beyond excited.

First day of school:

(No, he wasn't happy about pictures!)

2010-09-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

Yep. Lots of this around. Myself included.

Well it's summer alright...

2010-07-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

And I am slacking again. But for good reason!

The kids and I just got back from a week at Nanny and Gampy's house (my parents). My sister and her family were in for the week so we went down to see them. All SEVEN kids had a GREAT time swimming, boating, and just being together. My sister and I have a great relationship and I am so happy to see that our kids love each other so much.

I will add pictures later (when I am on my computer). I have some really great ones...

We have a busy rest of summer planned. Along with weekly tumbling and cheer practice for Syd we have a trip planned to Grannie's (Phil and the kids) while I have a scrapbooking girl's weekend. Phil will spend a week in fire academy at the end of July and we will hopefully get to fit a quick RV trip in there somewhere before I return to my real job on August 16.

In other news...

Caleb is a Rollercoaster/Waterpark building madman. He recently got Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 and you should see the things he builds! Such an imagination!

Sydney has perfected the standing backhandspring and did roundoff-backhandspring combo with no spot last Thursday. At least 7 or 8 times. We are so proud! Her coach bought her (and two others that got it for the first time on the same day) a Coke after practice. Mom took her for ice cream too!

Stay tuned for Summer photos!! And details about this week's CVS trip where I spend $2.71 for two bags full of goodies!!!!

CVS Tally for today...

2010-06-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

I did not do as well as I hoped... for several reasons:

They were out of the Gillette Razor (grrrr....)
I can't find my Pantene coupons (grrrr....)
I don't have Hawaiian Tropic coupons...

Anyway. I hit CVS to pick up kid's prescriptions (Sydney has Strep throat!) and see what deals I could do this week. Here's what I got:

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid $1
Glade Air Freshener $1
Colgate Total Advanced $2.99
Dial Soap $2
CVS Ibuprofen Caplets $3.99
CVS Ibuprofen Liquid (for the sick girl) $4.49

-$.25 Dawn Coupn
-$1.00 Colgate Coupon
-$8.00 CVS ECB (from last week)
-$5.00 CVS ECB (from last week)

Total Paid = $1.27
Received: $2 ECB (from Colgate)
$3 ECB (from Ibuprofen)

I am going to try to go to another CVS yesterday and find that blasted razor and I need to find my pantene coupons. UGH!

I LOVE CVS!

2010-06-16T07:09:00.001-07:00

Do you do ECBs? If you don't then you should...

So what is an ECB? It is an "Extra Care Buck"... that is CVS lingo for a cash back coupon that you can spend on anything in their store... just like the good 'ole green stuff.

I used to be a big couponer and got busy and got away from it. I am glad to say I am back in the game. I always have at least $12-15 in coupons at the grocery store (I shop at HEB)... and that is great- I go about every 10 days so that is a $36-45 savings per month on stuff I would buy anyway. But that is not where you save money... it is CVS- but you have to know how to play it.

The first thing I do is print internet coupons. You can get most of the ones from the Newspapers online except for the Proctor & Gamble Brandsaver which comes out about once a month. Phil can usually snag that one for me from the office. I also subscribe to "All You"- it is a great magazine with lots of money saving tips and tons of coupons... I also like their fashion sections-- real clothes for real sized women (their models actually eat!) who the heck is a size 2 anyway??? But I digress...

I separate out my coupons and then when the CVS ad comes out on Sunday I either stop in and get one or browse online at www.CVS.com. I work to match my coupons with their sales for good deals... but the GREAT deals come when you can match coupons with the items they are offering ECBs on. So you buy the item, give the clerk a coupon, pay the difference and then get a coupon for the ECB amount back on your receipt. A lot of times I get things for free or MAKE money on the deal. Really? Yes, REALLY! When you can really do well is when you "roll" your ECBs... meaning use ECBs to pay for your purchase and then get just as many or more $ in ECBs back for next time. The only real investment should be your first purchase to get those first ECBs. Don't forget to be eligible for savings and ECBs at CVS you HAVE to have that ExtraCare Card!

Ok... let's talk proof here. Last week I went into CVS and I think I spent out of pocket $19 and some change. I got 2 spray on Coppertone sunscreen (price $8.97 each) and had 2 $2 off 1 coupons, plus they offered a $10 ECB when you bought two Coppertone sunscreen. So my price was 17.94 minus $4 in manufacturer's coupons = 13.94, and then I got $10 in ECB back. Total for two Coppertone sunscreen= $3.94! I also bought Panetene shampoo and conditioner on sale for $6.97 for 2- I had a manufacturer coupon for $2 off 2. I paid 4.97 out of pocket and then they were offering a $2 ECB when you buy two Pantene products. So overall on this trip I spent:
4.97 (2 Pantene)
13.94 (2 Coppertone Sunscreen)
------
18.91 + tax and got $12 in ECBs! Not bad!!

So this week's ad comes out and I went in to CVS yesterday... this is what I got:

2 Gillette Body/Hair Wash @ $4 each = $8
1 Gillette Fusion Pro Razor @ $9.97
2 pkgs of Silly Bracelets (shouldn't have taken Sydney!) @ $2.99 each = $5.98

I had the following coupons:
$4 off Gillette Fusion Pro Razor
Buy one Gillette Body Wash, get one Free ($4 value in this case)
$10 ECB (from Coppertone last week)
$2 ECB (from Pantene last week)

5 items subtotal $3.95
Tax $0.33
Total paid $4.28

and I got $13 in ECBs back!
$8 from the Gillette body wash ($4 each)
$5 from the razor

Not bad if I do say so myself!

I will continue to post my CVS and other deals (if I find any really good HEB deals) on my blog. I love saving money and building my stockpile!

Camping with the DZ's.

2010-06-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend!

Phil, the kids, and I arrived at Brushy Creek Park on Lake O'the Pines about 4pm on Friday afternoon... two stop and one flat tire later. But that is another story. We hauled the travel trailor and boat up for our weekend adventure. DZ sisters Janet and Jennifer and their families were to join us later that evening.

First Jennifer, seems there was some in-law/family confusion so they were not going to be able to camp with us. Jennifer and her handsome little boys visited on Friday evening and the whole family came out Saturday morning for a visit. It has been TOO long since I've seen Jen... shame on us- she only lives 45 minutes away!

Then, Janet- step-daughter Carly was sent to the nurse's office on the last day of school with a strange rash, what was suspected to be Fifth's disease. So her Mom took her to urgent care. After a long wait, the doctor said she should not be camping so she had to miss the trip. Janet and husband Byron arrived around 10:15pm with the older daughter, Katie.

Saturday morning it was time for some good 'ole lake fun! Sydney was in the lake before 9am! The kids (and adults) had a great day swimming, bike riding, and tubing. Katie got a little too much sun(burn) and was asleep by 9pm. I had to leave camp at 7:30pm to take Sydney to her dance recital in Marshall. She danced beautifully, but boy are we glad that is over! After returning we had a bowl of homemade ice cream (with sprinkles!) and hit the sack by midnight!

Sunday morning Sydney was in the lake again! We got up, ate breakfast and enjoyed the beautiful morning before beginning the packing up process.

We will definitely have to do the DZ campout again... wonder what other DZs we can get to come along??

Gone Camping... and other CRAZY thoughts.

2010-06-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Yay!

We are going camping with good friends this weekend. Been looking forward to it for quite some time! I will have a full report next week!

I had a CRAZY thought today... not sure how it will pan out so I won't say just yet what it is. I will tell you it involves this guy below, but in a new and different way:

Suprising huh? What can I say... it's a sickness.

Since I'm always thinking about Disney World...

2010-06-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a GREAT site I found to earn money for Disney. I usually cash out in Disney Dollars and let the kids spend them, however you can cash out in other ways- including paypal! My goal for December's trip is $100 in Disney Dollars.

It's not hard to use. I opened a new email account that I use JUST for Sunshine Rewards (my husband doesn't want all that stuff in our main email). I get on daily and do clicks, surveys, and paid sign ups!

If you want to become a member... use my link and I will get credit and you will be on your way to earning FREE CASH!

http://www.sunshinerewards.com/signup.php?r=7094

Wow... I am LAZY.

2010-06-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

It has certainly been a while since I updated this blog and SOOOOOOO much has happened.

Caleb and Sydney have completed the 2009-10 school year successfully. It is hard to believe that they will be 4th and 1st graders next year. Where in the WORLD has the time gone?!?

I am looking forward to summer break, just about a month left for me and I will be at home with my kids. I am thankful for this job and the time it allows me with my family.

We have so much going on in our house it is just crazy. Sydney recently started taking tumbling and cheerleading classes at Gym-Fit in Marshall. That keeps us on the road 2 night a week. She is now a member of the Gym-Fit USA Spirit All-Stars Cheerleading squad. This is really her "thing" and she loves every moment. Her skills are developing nicely, she recently finally got the backhandspring independently. I wouldn't say she has "mastered" it yet, but she is well on her way. She is also now a "flyer." Eeeek! That means she is the one being thrown around in the air... something that she loves and can't get enough of. I just hold my breathe and hope for the best. I have complete confidence in her skills and the expertise of her coaches- so it will all be ok. Right?

Caleb is now a Weebelo scout and I am so incredibly proud of him. He has earned his bobcat, wolf, and bear ranks and we will start working toward the Webelo rank this summer. Phil has really taken the Cub Scout thing by the reins and works with Caleb all the time. Caleb is growing and becoming quite the young man. (Little brag here: Caleb won 2nd in his Den in the Pinewood Derby this year- he won 3rd the year before... only 1st left for next year!)

Summer is really here... it is going to be a HOT one. Which means fire season and Phil on assignment... but hey... it's part of it. Phil did break down and buy me an alarm system for the house this week so that staying alone won't be quite so stressful on me. I am relieved!

So before it gets too hot and Phil is gone we are spending some time CAMPING. We spent a weekend in May at Martin Creek Lake State Park with the Cub Scouts and will be spending this weekend at Lake O'the Pines with my best friend and her family and a college friend and her crew. So looking forward to this one. The kids will have a ball... and so will the adults!

When I get a chance I will get some pictures up here!

At a podcasting workshop...

2009-10-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

and of course I am going to find SOME way to incorporate Disney. LOL. It's a sickness, I know. Anyway... we were playing with Microsoft Movie Maker functions and I had these 2 pictures from our trip last December...

On the countdown...

2009-09-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

So close, but so far away! Wohoo... we leave for Disney in 93 days. The kids are getting excited, I am past excited and I need to get planning!

We'll be there soon Mickey!

Coby TF-DVD7750... what a piece of junk.

2009-09-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a stickler for car seats... and seatbelts. Probably because I was saved by my seatbelt in an accident in 1989. I remember the days of crawling all over the car while we went down the road. I absolutely don't allow this. So the question is, how do you entertain your children and keep them still on the 3.5 hour trip to the Grandparent's or even better the 16 hour trip to Disney World. A DVD player- how else?

My parents bought us one for Christmas several years back and we had very few problems with it... until Caleb left it hanging by the cord outside the car door in June of 2008 (I didn't realize it) and I drove off and lost it somewhere between Carthage and Center. Ooooops.

We were heading to the Grandparent's for the 4th of July- so I bought a new one from Walmart- couldn't find the one we had previously so I got a Coby TF-DVD7750. Worked great for about 3 months when the cord went bad- it has one unit that plays the DVD and the 2nd screen is a "slave", attached by a 3 part cord- the video portion of the cord quit working. I called the company and sent them $12 to get a new cord. All is well in DVD land again right? Fast forward to July 2009, one year and one week after buying the unit- the kids and I are headed to my parent's house to see my sister and her family, we are 30 minutes out of Carthage and the stupid thing just stops working. I pull over take the DVD out, reload and then I get the message "wrong disk". Hasn't worked since. I looked it up on the internet- this thing is JUNK. I have read ONE good review and oh, 50 bad ones. We used this stupid thing a total of 10 times maybe and it is a PAPERWEIGHT. Junk pure Junk!!! Customer service? What do they say? "Clean it with a DVD cleaner and canned air." Did that. 10 or 15 times. Doesn't work. Oh, and they were rude on top of that.

So now, we are again in the market for a portable DVD player. I will be doing my research this time.

I will NEVER buy another COBY product. I recommend you don't either.

First Day of School...

2009-08-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that my babies are 8 and 5... in the 3rd grade and kindergarten. Where did the time go? They are so grown up. I am proud of myself, I did not cry at all today. I was strong- and it was TOUGH!

Sydney was up and dressed by 7am, Caleb was a bit tougher to get up, but once he was up and ready he was absolutely NOT interested in taking pictures (which is easy to see). I managed to get a few before Caleb just absolutely refused anymore. Sydney would have kept smiling. She really is such a ham. We got in the car and off we went. Since Caleb and Sydney's schools literally sit back to back we decided to walk Syd in and then walk Caleb to class. First off, Caleb is in 3rd grade and did not want to be walked in, he wanted to be dropped off. He was very unhappy about going through the Primary school to take Sydney to class. All the teachers remember him and all said "good morning Caleb," which was usually me with a grumble.
We got Sydney to her class and settled in. She was so happy to see a friend from her Pre-K class last year and she sat down to color. She waved goodbye and was off. Caleb was glad to finally get out of the Primary and over to his school. We passed his new Sp. Ed teacher in the hall and he actually talked to her... getting happier by the moment. We went into his new class. Several boys were really happy to see him- it is so great to see that he has made so many friends over the year. He took his seat next to friend Darren. I asked if I could take his picture. HIs response? "Moooommmmmm, we took pictures at home." Nonetheless I snapped a few anyway, much to his dismay.

After that Phil and I were out of there. It still seems so strange that they are so big. They were just babies the other day.

Both of them had great days at school, love their teachers, classes and everything. I think this is giong to be a great year. And we couldn't be more proud of both of them.

I'm all EARS...

2009-08-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

Sydney has talked about getting her ears pierced on and off for about a year. The last time we were visiting my parents my mom offered to take her to have her ears pierced. She freaked out. No, she wasn't ready and told us that she had to be six. I really haven't mentioned it to her since, and she has not mentioned it either.

Imagine my surprise when I picked the kids up from the sitter on Wednesday and Sydney told me first thing that she needed to have her ears pierced. The sitter said that she had been telling her the same thing all day and wasn't sure where it came from. We talked it over with her Daddy and it was decided that we would let her get them pierced.

So today after we attended Sydney's meet the teacher (Caleb's was yesterday evening), Caleb, Sydney and I headed to the mall in Longview to get her ears pierced at Claire's. To be honest, I thought she would chicken out. I had been trying to prepare her for the past couple of days that it will hurt for a few minutes- and tell her what to expect. When we got out of the car, all she asked was if she could bring her little stuffed kitty with her. We went into the mall and into Claire's- they were just finishing up piercing a teenage boys ears. She hopped up in the chair, picked out some adorable 14K earrings that are pink stones in a flower. When they put the first one in, she didn't even flinch! The second earring caused a slight grimace (becuase she knew what was coming). But there were no tears! Not a whimper. NOTHING. I couldn't believe it!

So now Sydney has pierced ears and she is SO proud- she tells everyone she sees!

Getting ready for school...

2009-08-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well...

We found out who Caleb's teacher is today. He has Ms. Asher... we don't know much about her, but so far I have heard good things. Meet the teacher is next Thursday, so we will find out soon enough!

We found out that Sydney has Mrs. Johnson a few weeks ago. A good friend of ours daughter had her for Kindergarten and loved her, so we know Syd will be in good hands.

The summer is drawing to a close... the kids will be back in school two weeks from today! I go back to work officially next Monday, although I have been working on and off for the past month or so... there is just so much to do in my new position!

More summer memories... it's almost over...

Thoughts/Memories of Summer

2009-08-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's August. After today I have one week left until I head back to work and 2 weeks until the kids are back in school. The summer has gone so incredibly fast and been so much fun. This is my first summer ever at home with my kids and I have really enjoyed it. I thank God every day for leading me to complete my Masters Degree which lead to this job at the college that I enjoy so much and allows me to spend so much time with my family.

Here are some memories of summer 2009...

Caleb at Cub Scout Day Camp

Cousin Ally and Sydney at my parent's house

Caleb, friends Wade and Jake, and Sydney at the beach on Dauphin Island, AL

Caleb (and Sydney) swimming in the backyard pool

It's almost time for Fall... school, pumpkins, football, and lots of new adventures!

Here we go...

2009-08-07T07:37:00.001-07:00

OK, so I'm jumping into the world of blogging.

Why would I do such a thing to myself??

Mainly because when I am scrapbooking I have trouble remembering what I wanted to say about certain events, so I thought I would put them here and then cut, paste, print... voila... instant journaling!

I also thought this would be a great way for the grandparents and relatives to keep up with the everyday life of our two kids. So here we go. WELCOME to our life!