Thursday, June 25, 2009

CVS Savings



So everyone knows how I can't stand to spend money. I seriously hate it. Also, I do lots of things to save money like grocery shop once a month, use coupons, etc. Well, I have been reading abot all the great deals you can get at CVS. I finally decided to try it. I was leary because I hate going o lots of different stores, etc, and it sort of seemed complicated, but today was my day to learn the ropes.

I got the above items all for $13! Well, really I spent $23 out of pocket, but I got $10 back in CVS bucks to use on my next trip. Without the sale and coupons I would have spent $41.26. I got the 3 sunscreens (expensive Aveeno too!) for $7, the mustard for $.50, and the Lifewaters for free. The milk was regular price, but we needed it and since I was already there I went ahead and got it.

I had 3 more items I wanted to get; deodorant, Thermacare heat wraps, and 5 SoyJoy granola bars, but they were out of those items. I would have gotten all of those for $.99. Next time I know to go earlier in teh week.

I already know some of the things I am going to get next week and I get to use my $10 CVS bucks, so I am hoping to get more sunscreen andstuff for under $5. If I can do this right then we will not be paying for things like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc, which will save us a lot on our already cheap grocery bill. Now if I can find te time to go to 3 different stores to get groceries then we would be saving even less. I doubt that will happen though, so at leatthis helps out some. I think I did pretty good for my first time, and after this I should be spending less than $5 a trip. Yea!

Friday, June 19, 2009

School's Out for the Summer

Ahhhh, how I love summer. Not so much the terrible heat and humidity, but I love the laid back relaxig part, for sure!

What have we done this summer? Swim. That's about it. What have we not done? Rushed around, doing a thousand things a day. Sigh... Love it!

This week we got to see Julie ad her kids. Yippee! We went to the jumping place where we had Avery's birthday party. Fun, fun. Then we ate lunch at a yummy new place in town. After that was the splash pad, but it got rained out, well more like lightninged out.

I took the kids to Barnes and Noble in Murfreesboro. Sam gets a free book each summer for participating in a reading program at school. After that we had appointments to get the boys'hair cut. We picked books and then I looked outside. it was super, super dark and I knew we needed to hurry before it started pouring rain. We ran up to the front to pay, and a lady stopped us and said, "We aren't checking out right now." I was like, "What?" She said we needed to go tothe back of the store. I told her we needed to go. She said we were in a tornado warning and everyone had to go to the back of the store. We went back and waited. No tornado came. We finally got to leave and we made t to the appointment just in time.

We went grocery shopping, and the kids were actually good. Thank goodness. going once a month is great, and saves a lot of money, but it takes a long time, and bringing kids is not ideal. Sam said, "Mommy, I don't know how you do this by yourself!" Sam helped a lot. It was nice. :)

Yesterday we went ot our favorite place in the summer. It's a wading pool that has sprayers and stuff. it's about 30 minutes away. AJ asked why we were going there when we have a pool in our backyard, and don't have to drive anywhere. I told him it didn't have cool sprayers and mushrooms. ;) We got there at 10:00 and stayed until 3:00. The kids loved every minute of it and never asked to go. Avery was splashing around like a frog. he is so comfortable in the water now. Yippee. We had some trouble with some of the other kids, who's parents were not watching them at all, but it was lots of fun. I probably had to yell at 3 kids, none of which were my own. Sometimes I really just don't understand some parents.

While we were there, Lindsay watched my kids while I went to the car for a phone call. It was my final interview for school. Yes, I finally decided to go back to school so I can become a real teacher with my own classroom. I am excited, but nervous. I researched a ton, and found a school that I think will be a great fit. It's more based on experience and competency than it is on classwork and stuff. I learn the things I need to, and then take a test, and I am done with that class. I can go as fast as I want, and don't have to wait for the semester to be over. I can just take the test and go on to the next course. All of my subbing experience goes in to play, so I am hoping I can test out of a lot of things quickly. In fact I am hoping to be all done in 18 months to 2 years. I like to just go in and get things done, so I won't be wasting my time, which is nice. So unless something happens with financial aid, I am a student, and start July 1st!

I also have a new job at church. I teach the girls ages 14 and 15. This week will be my first week teaching. I have never worked with the teenagers before, so this will be different. I hope they are nice to me. ;)

Oh, did I mention that Avery learned how to swim by himself a few days ago. He is doing great. No floats needed. He can swim both above and below water, float, and swim on his back. It's pretty cool. He looks so tiny in there swimming around like a fish. Thank goodness for shots! That was all the help he needed. He couldn't wear his water wings for several days after his shots, so he finally just learned to swim. Yippee!

Anyway, I guess that's it for now. Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.


The boys in the mushroom

Cute Avery

Avery in his goofy goggles

Swimming Sam

Shark Sam chasing the 3 litle kids

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The Kids

So, I thought I would make an all about kids post.

Today we had to get up EARLY (in the summer!) and take both boys to the doctor. Sam to see a dermatology specialist and Avery for his Kindergarten check up.

Let's start with Avery.

He's a tiny little boy, only 10th percentile for his age group. Everything is normal and he is right on track. He is doing everything he should and is doing great. He is sooooo ready for Kindergarten. We have been playing word games and he can totally spell and sound out most words. Now to put them all together and read. He LOVES learning and wants to really read soooo bad. He ASKS to practice everyday. it's cute. The other day I asked him to tell me some nursery rhymes. He probably told me 15 of them!!! I had no idea he knew and could remember perfectly that many. Wow! He was excited to go for his check up this morning because he knows that's one step closer to Kindergarten. He was even excited to get his shots! He didn't stay excited though! He had to get 5 shots in his arms today. The first one he was fine, didn't even flinch. The 2nd one he cried a little and wanted to be done. Then we turned him around to do the next 3. Those were the bad ones. He was really crying for them and the last one was apparently the most painful (she said that's why they save it for last) and he was yelling at that point. It was sad. Poor kid. He didn't move his arms after that for more than an hour. He did really good and was brave, but it really hurt him. She said the last one would probably cause swelling, be painful, and cause a fever for a couple days. Lovely. We promised him donuts afterwards if he was brave for his shot. So we went to Krispy kreme where the boys actually got donut sundes! Disgusting. It grossed me out. I couldn't believe they could eat that. YUCK! You should have seen Avery trying to eat it. He wouldn't move his arms so he was pretty much licking the ice cream like a dog. Finally by the end he managed to figure out how to use only his lower arm to get the spoon to his mouth. Pretty funny. This was a cool Krisy Kreme where it's all glass so you can see them making the donuts. They sat there and watched them make a whole batch. Anyway, by the time we got home he was moving his arms again and semed fine until the Motrin wore off. Hopefully tomorrow won't be bad. He is a cute, wild child. He is sooo smart and i love how willing he is to learn. Oh, here is a weird thing about him though. I go to the Y several times a week to do Zumba. He can't STAND the nursery there. He really hates going. He hasn't gone very much this year because I usually went while they were in school. Getting out of the habit was not a good thing for him. He has hated the last couple of weeks, and complains and complains. He cant even really tell me why he hates it so much. I think it is just too overwhelming for him. There are a MILLION kids in there, really, way too many, and the teachers aren't very nice at all, and one in particular has a really gruff voice, is loud, and seems mean, even though she isn't. He is not good with that type of person. I guess he is used to his quiet, soft-spoken mommy. Awww. Anyway, I tried taking him in there yesterday. He started crying before we even left the house!!! He's not done that since he was 3! We were walking in and he actually stopped dead in the doorway and would not enter the building. I don't understand why he hates it so much, but I felt bad for him. They were playing outside, Kinley was in there waiting for him, but he just did not want to go. I wasn't going to miss my class either. I ended up just taking him in my class with me. He sat in the corner with nothing to do, and just watched the whole time. I was SURE that would make him see that going to his class was a better idea. it didn't work! He MUCH prefered sitting there bored than going in his class. So I guess until he can move up to the next class that will be our plan for now, since neither of us are budging on our Y terms. :) I really don't mind. He didn't bother anyone at all, and if he wants to be bored than fine. I would rather him choose to be bored than force him to go somewhere he really can't stand, especially when it isn't hurting anything. It's weird though! he's quirky!

On to Sam. Sam's rash, including the butt part that I previusly mentioed came back last week. It went from bad to worse really quickly, and within 2 days he had the rash over his entire body, even his face again. I took him back to the ped. She just said it was his eczema and that maybe that would be how it manifested itself from now on. Ummmm, no. He can't go around every month with a butt he can barely sit on that bleeds and pusses! They had scheduled a dermatologist appt for him, but they couldn't get him in until July. Ummm, no. AJ pulled some strings, he has connections ya know :), and got him into another specialty dermatologist. We took him this morning. Apparenlty he still has staph, and it IS eczema, but it is infected eczema. So she gave him more antibiotics, another prescription cream, special bath soap, and some special lotion. We go back in a month and she will figure out a good course of treatment, I guess for the rest of his life. Sigh... I am still not quite sure about that diagnosis. I don't understand the rash all over his body thing, or the butt rash being eczema, but we will see, I suppose. He has had eczema his whole life and it is just now manifesting like THIS? Hmmm. ANyway, he also had to get a steroid shot. Those things HURT so I was worried, but he did just fine. Didn't even flinch. I guess getting allergy shots every week for the last 6 years really numbs you to shot pain.

Let's see, what else. Sam has so gotten an attitude lately. Argh! He is the biggest arguer. i wonder where he got that from? **roll yes here** Me, of course. I guess I deserve it. He also has really been antagonizing Avery, which anooys both Avery AND me. What's funny is that I always was amazed at how good their relationship was. They rarely fought at all. I thought it was the age difference, and the sweetness of my boys, but that has apparently ended. Sigh... I knew it would happen eventually, but why in the summer?!! I did talk to him about it today and hopefully we have worked out an arrangement to get this fixed and fast. he's always been so sweet and nice, so this is sort of surprising. i guess it had to happen at some point, that's what siblings do. Darn it. Anyway, he is loving summer. We swim just about every day which is his very favorite thing to do. He also tries hard to do nice things for me, and is constantly trying to help me out or do things to make my life easier. Sweet boy. I hope he stays that way. ;)

We really have great kids, and we are lucky to have them. Even though they bring us our challenges, especially with Sam's medical mysteries, we couldn't ask for better kids. Even Avery, who we consider our wild child, is calm and sweet compared to most other kids. We are just used to laid back, go with the flow Sam, so Avery is crazy compared to that! LOL. At church the other day Avery's teacher came in to the room we were in and she said, "Avery's not here today!" I was like, "Um, yeah, he should be!" Then she said, "He's just so GOOD and quiet, we never have to worry about him at all. I guess I just missed him." Which is srt of good and sort of bad. :) He is also the helpful one and is the one doing the right hing when asked, etc. Good, good boys. I love them.

Anyway, enough gushing about their sweetness. I am sure we all feel that way about our own kids, I just think mine are particularly sweet, for the most part, well except for Sam's attitude lately. ;)-

Here are some pics of them enjoying Krisy Kreme. Disclaimer*** Taken with my camera phone***.





P.S. Sorry for any typos. Something weird is happening and when I try and backspace and type soething else, it erases the letters in front of it, causing letters to be missing, etc. I am sure there are a lot of mistakes. Sorry!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Summer Beginnings

So the summer so far has been pretty lazy. Yea for lazy! It's so nice to just get to relax and go with the flow after the busiest month of May.

Basically we have been swimming every day, with a few things thrown in here and there. We totally love having a pool in our backyard. I have gone to the Y to do Zumba a few times, but I hurt my knee with all that twisting my first morning, so I have had to take it easy. Darn it. yesterday I felt dumb because I had to do everything low impact. I even had to stop early because it hurt so much. Darn knee!

Tuesday we were supposed to go see one of the cheap summer movies (our theater has kids movies for $2 and some other theaters in teh area have free movies). Anyway, we got all up and ready to go , and then I just happened to check which theater it was at, and I had it wrong! I thought it was the one here in town, which is 2 minutes away, but it was the one 35 minutes away. At that point we wouldn't have made it in time, so we went store hopping instead. I really need a new swimsuit, but I can't find a cute one, cheap enough anywhere. We spent the rest of the day in the pool.

Yesterday we went and played in the fountains at our Hospital. The kids loved it. After we left there, we had lunch, and then came home and jumped in our pool for 3 hours, until it started raining. We are definitely water dogs around here.

Today I had to take Sam to the doctor again. His rashy problem, yes the same one from a month ago, is back and hurting him. We are going to see a specialist on Tuesday. Thankfully it is cooler and rainy today, so they aren't missing the pool.

I have also been working hard trying to get Corporate sponsors for our Annual Golf Tournament. It is international this year, which is expensive, so we are trying to raise as much money as we can. I am definitely doing my part to help. I have contacted over 20 businesses this week.

A little while ago, I told the kids that I didn't feel like making dinner, and one of them needed to. :) Avery said, "I will!" he ran right into the kitchen and started pulling things out of the fridge! I said, "Avery, we are having chicken burritos". He said, "No we're not! We are having what I am making!" I asked him what we were having and he said pancakes and curly chips (Sun Chips). He had gotten the forzen pancakes out and was totally going to make dinner! It was too cute. i told him that I needed to make it tonight since I already had the chicken out, but maybe next time I will let him make what he wants. :) He doesn't really like the burrito so I will let him make himself a pancake to go along with the rice and beans. Weird, I know, but he will like it. Cute kid!

Ok, back to my dinner making, and back to my sponsorship forms to fill out. Happy summer!