And she's off

This morning was a complete 180 from what the past few days have been. Ariel was more than ready to go to school. That was a relief. She woke up, took her shower, ate her breakfast, played her dog's life game, then off to school we went. She looked so darn cute & big with her bookbag. I didnt get many pics.. there werent any other camera happy parents in there so I didnt want to embarrass her... but you can bet I'll get lots when she gets home! Here are the ones I got:

So proud and ready to go! This was right before we left the driveway.

And here is little miss in her classroom. Gosh she's cute! lol.

No tears were shed.. no freak outs... nothing. She was content as can be giving me & her sisters a hug & kiss & then going back to her thing. What a relief!

Clarity, however, did have a bit of a time once we left and got back in the van. "mama Air Air is not in her seat". I explained that Ariel was staying at school & we would see her this afternoon. With that tears came to Clarity's eyes, her arms crossed, and she looks down and says, "I miss my Air Air". I had to distract her or I was going to cry! She hasn't been easy since we've been home. She's bored. And whiney! Hopefully she'll get used to this adjustment soon or I may just go bald from pulling my hair out! I think she needs a nap.

Anyhow all went great getting Ariel to school. I can't wait to go pick her up & hear all about her day!

It's Flying By

naturally the last day with my pumpkin home all day... is going by in a flash. Soon it will be her bedtime. I swear I'm not going to get any sleep tonight. She's nervous, I'm nervous for her. I just keep hoping once we get there her nervousness will turn to excitment & she'll be a-okay having me leave. If she tears up, I'll have to be strong.. I can't show her that I'm nervous or that I just want to keep her home after all.. but I'm sure if it happens, I'll be having a major meltdown as soon as I make it to the van. I just keep telling her she's going to have so much fun that she won't have time to miss me. She'll be making new friends, making me things, & she'll have a ton to talk about when she gets home. And that I can't wait to hear all about it. Tomorrow Ariel will be my little kindergartener. I still can't believe it when I say it.

The girls & I ran to Burger King, had a quick lunch, then took off to walmart to grab a few things. I got miss Emmalyn a pink, princess walker. Now I know the pediatricians say it's best not to use them.. but right now, they can bite it. lol. We don't have stairs & she will always be supervised. I just have to have something to put this baby in where she can follow me around & play at the same time. She hates for me to be out of sight. Kind of hard when I have an entire house to clean kiddo. Maybe now, I can get things done without her hollering about being neglected. lol. The poor, pitiful baby. She cracks me up though... she's too darn cute. she's got this thing with sticking her tongue out.. all the time. And we definately have a mobile one on our hands... you can lay her in the floor and she is on the other side of the room in no time with her rolls & scoots. She's still not sitting up by herself.. she can but she slumps over rather quickly. It's okay.. I'm so not rushing anything. She's going to be in Ariel's shoes and starting her first day of Kindy before I know it!

oh lol I am going on a cruise to Nassau! Yeah I'm so sure! My phone rang and it was some automated man saying if I just answered a 10 question survery, I would recieve two all inclusive cruise boarding passes. Eh, why not? I'm sure there is some catch or some scam... but it only took three minutes so I did it. A cruise director or something is supposed to call me in 72 hours... I would so laugh if this were legit. A girl can dream!

Rain, Rain, Much Needed Rain!

I guess these are the remains of Fay coming down... and I am sooo glad! We have been so dry... and needed this badly for a while! Just as I'm sitting here typing up praises of this rain.. I check the weather bug. My stomach is in knots when I see the county Jesse is working in is under a tornado warning. It says very strong rotation has been associated with the storm and to take shelter now. I think I nearly threw up. I ran to the phone & called and he says it's okay looking where he's at but he heard the sirens going off & that they are about to hit the road to come home. Lord please just let him make it home safe, please! I couldnt believe they were out driving while tornado sirens were sounding. ugh. I could kill him! I'll wait until he gets through this door safe & sound though! As much as that man can drive me crazy, I'd be absolutely lost without him.

We took the girls out for a bit of fun during Jesse's three day weekend (he had Monday off cause his boss was in Virginia). We took them putt putt golfing in Maggie Valley on Sunday and then to the rec. center swimming yesterday. Both were quite an adventure. Emmalyn was good as gold during the golfing... just hung out in her carrier & watched us play. Thank God cause miss Clarity Grace was a MONSTER! She would run all over the green as one of us was trying to play, or go grab the golf ball after we had putted, or jump around and run ahead to the other holes... gah. We tried letting her play but she would rather roll the ball like a bowling ball towards the hole than to use a putter... so we let her play... her way. We got through it.. but it was a bit of a challenge. A funny one though!

The swimming looked fun. I sat in a chair holding Emmalyn while Jesse & the girls swam. They pretty much stayed in the big kiddie area (I think the deepest it got was 2 feet). Before we went I ran into Kmart and found a pair of floaties for Ariel, a swimming vest for Clarity, and the cutest inflatable boat for Emma Girl (even though she didnt use it.. it was on clearance and I figured we may use it later!). The girls had a blast. It was too funny though...Jesse was on one side of the pool letting Ariel and Clarity play. Well Clarity was in like one foot of water but since she had her vest on she was floating and I guess didn't realize she could just stand up. She spies Jesse on the other side and panic hits. she's trying to doggie paddle to him and ends up doing these rolls in the pool. Poor baby, I could tell she was freaking out and thinking she was going to drown. So Jesse rushes over to "save" her and helps her realize all she had to do was put her feet down and she could stand up. LOL. I was rolling. Next summer we definitely need to look into getting swimming lessons for the girls. I pray we're in a better place financially by then & we can do that. We can only pray!

Jesse's on the hunt for another job. This one treats him good and all but there's just a couple of issues we both have. 1. With him being out of town and having to leave so early on the mornings he is home, It's going to be hard if I go to work (and we are at that point where I HAVE to) working out care for the girls. 2. His boss Jeff is planning on moving an hour further away soon so Jesse wouldnt be able to catch a ride and an hour and a half trip to work one way... is so not going to happen. 3. Jesse hates this out of town stuff. He misses the girls & the girls miss him. Shoot.. I miss him. He's going to stay with this until he finds something else. But please say prayers that we both find something great that works for us soon. We need all the thoughts & prayers & good vibes we can get!

Miss Ariel starts school on Thursday. one more day left with my baby home... *sniff*. The anxiety for her is starting to set in. She'll break down into tears out of nowhere and say that she's really going to miss me when she goes. This is different for her & she's scared. I pray it all goes well for her. I also pray she doesnt cry when I take her in. If she does, I'm going to have a heck of a time keeping myself together!

Now that

I posted my little reflective post, it's time for me to post something upbeat & funny. I'm not sure how that's going to play out yet, though. Surely I have something zany or witty to say. Or then.. maybe not!

ooh I got it! However even though I sit here & giggle about it... you may not. It may just be one of those "you had to be there" things. I'm not sure. Anyhow.. on with the story...

Last night Jesse did his usual goodnight call (sucks to only get to talk to him for a few minutes once a day!). well he talked to me, then Ariel, then Clarity. Well as Clarity was saying her I love you, sweet dreams stuff... she stops & before she says goodbye tells her daddy he needs to talk to Emmalyn. So I get the phone and ask him if he wants me to put it up to her ear and of course he would never say no to that. So I do & I hear him start talking to her. Her head jerks over and looks at me with these huge eyes and her mouth wide open. Her face was priceless... like "what is going on?!". It isn't two seconds before she realizes, "hey that's my daddy". she had been quiet as a mouse the whole time me & the girls were on the phone... in fact she was drifting off to sleep. Not anymore! She started smiling and making all these noises.. kicking her feet.. squealing. I couldnt stop laughing! It took me a good while to settle her back down after we hung up.

Jesse is coming home this afternoon. He told me it may be early too.. so woohoo!! The girls & I have missed him lots this week. We'll be so glad when he comes through that door!

So I was on myspace

and I went & checked in on Steven Curtis Chapman's page. Somehow doing this made me go to his website and I can't believe it's been 3 months since his daughter, Maria, was killed. Even more of a reminder about how fast life passes by. I would have thought it has only been a couple of weeks. I'm sure it feels like an eternity for them, though. I'll be keeping them in my prayers, for sure.

It's hard not to get wrapped up in everyday life... housework, cooking, errands... but this is a reminder to me that everyday is a gift. I thank God for my babies and for all the time he's blessed me with them. I pray I have many, many more years & years with them but I'm going to do my best to love them and hug them and kiss them as if I won't.

Isn't it beautiful? Thank you Kristy!!

I could not ask for more

She cracks me up!

Nancy.. some of her blog entries are just gold. She had one up about commercials and what is hilarious (to me anyways) is the exact commercial that she wrote about (an eharmony one where the husband and wife look related)... I've had the same thoughts as I was watching it! Then I read her comments and Misty hit on another one of the other commericals that just gets on my nerves.. the lovely time in a bottle allergy medication one. Now what bothers me about that one is the girl says "They should put that in the ingredients... 2 hours you didnt have before". That just really gets on my nerves because an ingredient is something that makes up the medication. You having more time is not a part of it. That's more along the lines of the purpose section not the ingredients. But that's just my thinking. lol. So yeah I got a good laugh last night reading the musings of these girls. Cause they are so right on! And though I have never seen the fruit arrangement commercial nancy talked about... I sure had a giggle!

Isnt it Ironic?

How when you pay a company they can take that money right out of your bank account... but when you cancel... it takes forever to get that money back. I had to cancel the whole charter internet/phone deal. Another tech showed up unexpectedly today and he said he couldn't do it because he couldn't ground the cables. Whatever. I'm so over this. lol. So I just called and I will be getting a full refund, however they issue a check and it takes three weeks. Why can't they just put the money they took out right back in? Oh well. Charter sucks. Now I know. I did place an order for AT&T to come out and do the phone and internet thing. We will see how that goes. I'm not paying a penny in advance. Lesson learned.

Ariel's teacher & her assistant came over for the home visit today. They are both so sweet and I think this home visit thing is an awesome idea. Ariel is looking forward to going to school and is more at ease. I got my questions answered and I'm feeling better myself. She starts school August 28th.

Jesse is MIA this week. He left this morning & won't be coming home until Friday evening. I started missing him last night knowing he was leaving this morning. He misses us.. we miss him. It's not too bad when he only has to spend a couple of nights.. but when it's nearly a week.. I realize he does more around here than I give him credit for!

Visitation Night

Well we visited Ariel's classroom this afternoon... and honestly I dont know how she's going to find it! I'll have to ask her teacher this when she comes over for the home visit tomorrow. The school is pretty big and the kindergarten/first grade wing is way in the back. But I'm sure Emiley will walk Ariel to her class since they will be just a few doors down from eachother. That makes me feel better. Hopefully Ariel isn't as geographically challenged as her mother! Ariel flip flops on how she feels about going to school. Some days she's excited & can't wait... others she says she'll miss me and she's not ready. She'll be fine. I'm worried about ME. Where have the past five and a half years gone?! I still can't believe next week I'll have a kindergartener. Seems so surreal.

I am fuming with Charter..which is who I am scheduled to get my phone and internet with tomorrow. My installation date was Aug. 19th between 5-7 pm. About 20 minutes before we leave to go to Ariel's open house... a charter tech pulls up. He says he's here to hook up my phone. I asked if he was here to do the internet too and that they didnt even tell me he was coming.. that I wasnt scheduled for anything until tomorrow & they were supposed to do both. He said his work order only had him scheduled for doing the phone and that if he did the phone and another tech did the internet, I'd have to pay two installation charges. Um. no. I already paid them $110 and haven't gotten anything installed yet! So he calls his dispatch and explains the situation.. that I'm leaving & I was supposed to have everything done tomorrow... and they tell him my account is now on hold. So who knows when I'll get it. I love how my installation date is on hold when it hasn't even gotten here yet. I sent them an email stating how unhappy I am. I hope to hear back! ugh! Aggrivating.

Well I better get to work cleaning and getting ready for that home visit with Ms. Wilson tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes! Oh you know that office I've been saying for months that I needed to organize? It's clean! I spent ALL day on it yesterday. Shredding papers, unpacking boxes, clearing the 'catch all' room out. I can't believe it's done. And NO help from my husband. Well I guess he did help.. he kept the kids out of my hair & let me get it done.. my way. And I got a massage as a thank you for doing it alone.. soooo... he redeemed himself. lol.

Still no word

from Walmart but I'm assuming since I signed papers & got sent out for a drug test... I'm hired. My drug test didnt get sent away until Monday.. so I'm going to call Walmart by next Monday if I hadnt heard from them by then.

Jesse is in Spartanburg until Saturday evening. I hate having him gone. I hate even more that I am *ahem* jealous... Did I just say that? I believe I did! They are great to him.. I'm glad. They pay for him to eat out... he gets put up in a Marriot (because the boss' sister works for them.. he gets the guys great rooms). Jesse gets to soak it up kid free in a jacuzzi. He says he gets so homesick though and misses the girls like crazy. I believe him. I can't go a day without my girls even though some days I feel a trip to a padded room would be enough to make me happy! lol. But we miss him.. lots & lots!

I'm going to feed the girls some dinner & then I might go over and see Lisa and Stevie. She had the baby today at 2:57 pm. He weighed... 10 lbs 8 oz!! Big Boy!! But all is well and I'm looking foward to meeting him. I'll post more in a bit.. dinner is cooking.

The poor girls

all have colds. Clarity started having a runny nose and stuff the night before last, Ariel started yesterday morning, and miss emmalyn... she woke up with it. Yuck. Colds during the summer.. boo! My throat feels a little off but so far so good.

I got a call last night from the Hampton Inn wanting me to go in for a second interview.. which during my first one the manager said if I got that I was pretty much hired.. but I'm not going. I had an interview at walmart friday and they are waiting on my drug test (which I know I passed). They are going to start me in the old store which maybe takes me eight minutes to get there and move me to the new store when it opens oct. 1st (which is literally 2 miles from me). So woohoo! I'll be working third shift so I shouldnt have to find a sitter for the girls and they are starting me only a dollar less than the hotel so walmart is the way I'm going. While I would have loved the $29 at any HIlton owned hotel perk... I would have been spending close to $100 a week in gas and then another $100 a week easy on a sitter.. so... doesnt make much sense! I'm just glad God brought something even better through for me.

Jesse said he was sooo homesick leaving from Wednesday until Friday. But get this. They put him up in a sweet Marriot hotel (his boss' sister works for the Marriot so she gets the nice perk and lets Jeff put the guys up cheap). Jesse got to relax in a hot tub, watch the new Indiana Jones movie on pay per view, his boss treated him to Outback Steakhouse and other great dinners & breakfast. Suuuurrree you were homesick! lmao. No I know he misses us like crazy. I guess rooming with guys just isnt as nice as being in this hectic house with your wife & kiddos. Jesse did bring me home the shampoo, conditioner & lotion the hotel provided. He knows I love Bath & Body Works so when he saw that's what the hotel used.. he brought it back for me. aww. Gotta love him.

Well Emma girl is fussing. I think she has a present for me. lol. I'll try to get on here more and update. I've really been slacking badly in my blog. I hate that.

Nerves!

So today I got for a job interview at the Hampton Inn in Biltmore Square in Asheville. I am so blessed nervous.. it's been 2004 since I've last had an interview and that was a casual Pizza Hut interview where Darryl didn't honestly care what I had to say... I guess I had the look of a waitress... he started me the next day. lmao. If only I could get that lucky tonight. But I have a feeling they have a lot of interviews lined up so I'm going to have to stand out somehow. I havent wanted something this bad in a while. I did make a boo boo and told them I wanted the 3 pm - 11 pm shift. I've since changed my mind. I'll take the 7 am- 3 pm one. I thought about it and with 3-11 I'd be going to work before Ariel got home from school and coming home way after bedtime. That's not gonna fly. I gotta see my babies! So I'm thinking I'll see if Patrick wants to stay here and keep Clarity during the day.. she loves him.. and I think he can handle her. And I'll pay someone to keep Emmalyn. That's a nerve wracking thing right there. I'm trying to find someone close to the hotel... just in case. Maybe things will fall into place. I pray so. I HAVE to help start bringing in an income. My time at home is long past over. So we'll see. I went to walmart and bought a dress and a cute pair of shoes for the interview. Did I mention how nervous I am?!

I guess we shall see what God has in store for us. Jesse is out of town.. spending the night in Spartanburg. I was fine with this yesterday. Thought "whatever"... but for some reason as me & the girls were out shopping for my interview outfit.. it hit me and I wanted to bawl. I miss him. More than I thought. I dont know how military wives do it. I'd be a downright mess.

My parents bless their hearts are driving all the way back over.. even though they just left yesterday.. so I can go to this interview. Makes me want it even more. I will be totally bummed if I dont get it and they wasted time & gas & energy. I'll be totally bummed anyways.. but that would add to it!

I not D.D!!

I admit as much as I love my girls.. sometimes I get great joy over aggrivating the crap out of them! I know that's mean.. but they do it to me... so we're even. Just a few minutes ago I was singing a song called "I know a girl named D.D". For those of you who don't know the story behind D.D that's just the initials for dirt dobber. It's something Jesse called her the other day when she was filthy and needed a bath. So I'm singing my song and Claire is getting madder by the second. "stttoopp! Dont sing that song! I not D.D! I'm ity" I really should stop. Do I? No. lol. "ooohhh stttooopp! I not D.D!!" I stop because I can see this might possibly lead to a meltdown if I don't. She huffs away " I not talking to zhu" The way she says "you" cracks me up. It has like a z sound at the beginning. cute. So yeah I'm done irritating my baby. Pretty sad that was like the most fun I've had all day. I need to get out more.

Emmalyn had to get her shots today. awww. She did excellent. I mean yeah she cried.. but as soon as I scooped her up all was fine in Emma land. The whole waiting game getting back there was not fun. Our appointment was at 1:55. I was warned that they were short handed and the wait would be a while. So we wait. And wait. and wait some more. Finally I ask someone what time it was. When she said it was going on 4 pm I got up and politely asked the receptionist if there was a guesstimate time for us getting back there. Appearently we had been forgotten because within like a minute we were back there. They were slammed.. it was so busy.. and being short handed never helps. I wish I had asked before I waited that long though... Ariel & Clarity were bored to tears & hard to keep happy. But once we got back there we were in & out. Wham bam thank you m'aam. Miss Emmalyn is as happy as can be sitting here "talking" to me while I'm on the computer. You wouldnt know she had her shots. so yay!

Mom, dad & Patrick came over and have gone back home. My dad has an MRI scheduled for September 3rd I believe so if you all could say some prayers, we'd appreciate it. I wish it was sooner.. that seems so far away! Hopefully they'll be coming back for a visit before then though. The girls miss them lots after they leave.