Fisher Price ...

Fisher Price has regained their status in my book once again. After the dollhouse problem on Christmas Eve (read the previous post) I was upset so I called them this morning. It turns out that there was a short time period when they did make the product with sound, but then stopped production on the version and just made the one that doesn't make sound. My model number is for the one that still made sound so actually shouldn't have been sold. To make it up to me that are going to send me a coupon for $37.00, the amount I paid for this one. So basically, I get my money back minus the shipping. WOOHOO!! What a way to start the day!

Christmas...

Christmas was wonderful, even if Lydia's dollhouse didn't make noise. She enjoyed it and the rest of her goodies. She received books, markers, notebook paper, jewelry, candy, a new toothbrush, dress up stuff, clothing, pajamas, pink stuffed horse, the dollhouse, and a baby stroller set. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff, but you get the idea - SPOILED. She would have been happy with just the mini M & Ms. She carried them around all morning. Enjoy the pictures.

Lydia was VERY excited about her new pajamas she got on Christmas Eve. Yes, she is wearing a diaper.

New stroller and baby doll set.

She enjoyed the stroller.

Her new stuffed pink pony.

Her dollhouse from Santa. (Read the previous post about Fisher Price before you purchse this.)

She did enjoy playing with it.

She kept trying to sit in the little rocking chair. Too funny!!!

Some of her new dress up stuff.

Lydia and I.

My beautiful family.

Curse Fisher Price...

Can you say irate? That's what I am. I spent a lot of money for a dollhouse and accessories for Lydia for Christmas back in August. The description said "Product Description:
Dollhouse play with a house that’s just right for girls. Chunky, figures and accessories, big rooms—and even fun sounds. Ding-dong! There’s a world of imaginative, nurturing play calling! Includes Mom, Dad,baby figure,kitchen unit with opening refrigerator and oven doors, toilet, table and two chairs.". Well, they lied. The doorbell doesn't ring, the telephone doesn't ring, and the stupid thing has no where for the batteries to even go. I mad first of all that they LIED!!! And I'm also upset that I waited until Christmas Eve to figure this out. I even have played with the stupid thing before (I had to test it out), and didn't discover this. Of course their offices are closed until after New Years, but you can bet your booty that I'll be calling first thing that morning and giving them a piece of my mind. Did I mention that I even bought it from the Fisher Price website?!? You think they could describe their toys correctly!! OK, I'm done venting. Thanks for listening. Until next time...

Christmas Eve...

It is finally Christmas Eve. I've got the house spotless - well close to it (I need to empty the trash). I can't wait for Christmas tomorrow. Lydia is at the age where she can actually open her presents and knows what she's getting. I can't wait to see her face tomorrow when she opens her gifts. We started a tradition last year of getting her a new pair of pajamas that she can open on Christmas Eve so she looks nice for pictures the next morning. This year I got some for Gail and I also. I am just so looking forward to it all. I hope you all are able to enjoy your holiday with family and good friends. I'll post tomorrow about how everything went. I have to get ready for "Santa to visit". Until next time...

Vacation, Here I Come...

I have five hours of work tomorrow and then I get to start my vacation. I can't wait. I got spoiled last week with 2 half days and an entire day off. My vacation is full of plans that I hope I'm able to keep. A good friend of mine is back from Washington and we have plans to get together a few times with other classmates. We have 3 Christmas gatherings planned as well as a New Years "party" planned. I guess I wouldn't call it a party because there will just be two other people coming. Anyway, I'm just ready for it to be here. What is everyone else doing for their vacations?

100 Things I've Done

Let's see....Things I’ve Done (RED)
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (When Lydia or the sitter's kids were sick.)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (A little boy didn't have enough money.)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (Still going.)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (My dog torn it up after I'd had it for 27 years. I still have my little dog, there just isn't any stuffing.)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the State Capital
75. Been fired from a job (I got fired from the Ice House because I told them I was going to teach summer school at my current job. Ice House didn't think I had time for both jobs.)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (When I worked in the SC nursing home a lady choked on a plastic spoon. It was kinda scary.)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Sonny Bono)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

My Heart is Sad...

My heart is sad for little Caylee Anthony. The 3 year old from Florida who has been missing since June. The CNN website has updated that the remains found on Thursday are her remains. Apparently they were found only half a mile from her home. The area was underwater this summer when authorities were searching. As her mother, how could you drive by or sleep in a house knowing that your baby (that you killed) is in a trash bag half a mile away? What a monster she must be!! I hope she rots in jail for the rest of her life if she did this. I feel for the family member who actually did care and love this beautiful little girl. At least it won't be one of those cases where a body is never found. I think in a way that would be harder to deal with. Rest in peace, Caylee - America's Christmas Angel.

Until next time...

Claudia Survived...

Claudia survived her procedure this morning. I went over on my plan time from school to visit her and see how things were going. She was VERY out of it, as to be expected. I guess she really freaked out because of the pain, IV, and thing on her foot to take her temperature. Darla said they had to give her morphine to calm her down. Her old tubes were really bad. There was a lot of "stuff" behind them that had to be sucked out with the vacuum thing.

Be Thinking...

Please be thinking about my niece, Claudia, today. She has had lots of problems with her ear tubes so today they are taking the old tubes out, cleaning out the infection behind them, and putting new tubes in. They are also going to take out her tonsils and adenoids as well. Poor little girl will probably feel like she's been hit by a truck.

What Happened?

I miss one day of school (six and a half hours to be exact) and I come back to a stack of papers to be grades that is six inches tall. Not joking at all - I just measured it. Although you can see that I waste time measuring the stack and writing this blog when I should be grading. Oh well. I have to go get my kids in 8 minutes - not enough time to start now. Guess my weekend will be full of grading.

Crazy Thursday...

Background Information:

My baby sitter's daughter got sent home from school on Tuesday with pink eye. Therefore, on Wednesday I had to use my back up sitter - my friend Courtney. When I got to Courtney's house Wednesday afternoon to pick Lydia up she told me that her daughter, Karlee, had been getting sick that day.

On To Today:

I took Lydia to the sitters as normal. I got about 5 miles away and she called me that her son had woke up with pink eye. (More background info: Lydia had pink eye a few week ago and putting those drops in her eyes was like trying to get blood from a turnip. It took Gail and I both to hold her down.) I didn't to deal with the eye drops again so my main concern was getting her picked up QUICKLY!!! I called Courtney not know that she had been up all night with two sick kids and was sick herself. So I quickly call my school and told them I needed a sub for the day. Lydia and I still had to make it to Kirksville to make lesson plans. On the trip Lydia got sick in the back seat - MILK - STINKY!!! We got into the school and changed her clothes, got plans made, and got home. I got an appointment for myself because my throat has been hurting for several weeks. While there I had to check Lydia out as well. We both got prescriptions and flu shots. Back to Kirksville for the meds and back home by 1:00. What a day off!! Hopefully tomorrow will be a normal day with no sickness and no emergency phone calls.

Until next time...

Sledding and Snow Pictures

Playing with the snow.

That is the little snowman that cousin Ashley made.

Riding on the sled at Grandma Mary's.

She loved the sled ride.



Daddy pulling the sled.

Weeeeee!!
Woops! She fell off.

She loved just walking around in the snow. Yeah for new snow boots.