at the pottery shop "pinting poppery"

her finished masterpiece. Gotta say, I was inpressed with her ability to not mix them all on top of each other!

Before the dance recital....apparently did not want her picture taken.

Wearing my hat.

It has been such a wonderful weekend.

Yesterday we went to town in the morning and we to target and hit up a bunch of garage sales. A girl I know from high school was selling a brand new barbie motorized jeep car (they sell for around 300 in stores) she had 70 on it and some mexican women were looking at it and asked if she would take fifty...they were taking a very long time to make up their mind and she knew I was looking at it so she told me i could have it! I was so excited. Vaughn has one of these she rides at the sitters but i have been wanting to get one for so long but haven't been able to afford it. She said her daughter only rode it a couple times around the yard and then decided she didn't like it. she didn't have the charger with her so she's going to call me and i will get that in the next couple days. Vaughn was so excited, you should have seen her.
We went to Gabi's dance recital last night and we were so proud of her. she did great and looked just adorable. It makes me excited for when Vaughn can do those things. She didn't take her eyes off those dancers and was dancing right along with them!


Today we took a long morning nap and then headed into the pottery shop. I have been talking about it for a long time with Vaughn and she obviously had no idea what "painting pottery" means but on the way in she kept saying "pinting poppery!" and she did GREAT when we got there. She managed to stay focused and entertained with the painting for 45 minutes which was just enough time to paint her butterfly trinket box. I could spend days in one of those shops. She was so nervous about getting the glaze on her but loosened up after a little while. I was SO proud of her. We get to pick it up in a week. A great experience and great memories!

This afternoon she is taking another great nap in her bed. she's loving that bed and sleeps much better on it and I have been able to bake a pineapple upside down cake, get lunch packed for tomorrow and get two more coats of paint on her dresser I am working on. My goal was to get her room done by tonight but the painting is taking longer since its in the garage which leaves me only nap times to do it. I think tomorrow night will be my last coat. I am excited to get that done and stuff on the walls around here. My nails have been ruined in the process of the dresser, but its worth it and Im super pleased with the color.

* side note* Vaughn has this weird fear going on. Not sure if its the fact that she can hear the neighbors and they aren't not exactly the most loving household or if its the fact that she see's the men working outside so much or what. But this past week she will drop EVERYTHING at the drop of a hat and just scream and run over to me and cry and say "scary". Breaks my heart. If I am doing my own thing and then start talking to her she gets so scared and runs to me and screams and screams like she's seen a ghost. I have NO idea where this strange fear is coming from but it makes me sad.

What a glorious long weekend we had! We were able to stop in Iowa City at my favorite local restuarant for lunch and sit outside and watch the people and bask in the beauty of iowa city. After my tests at the hospital we headed south to grandpa's farm in southern il. Its my favorite place on Earth. the pictures hopefully show our trip in the wonderment that it was and it was so much fun seeing all of the family and my cousin who i miss terribly and her rudy, they were down from arizona for a last visit before they have their little baby in November. We left the farm on sunday and went to rudy's family's in the quad cities. We had a blast there as well. Swimming on sunday and taking it easy that night, then monday we got up and headed to the zoo. Rudy let me sleep in until 9:30 on Monday and I couldnt have asked for a better thing! The zoo was perfect size for little ones and we had a really good time. Rudy's neice kaysha and her husband and his daughter went with us (actually we met them there) but they just have a blast together. Like my sister I have a ton of pics and had to pick and choose so enjoy....

its saturday....hallelujah. Its been a BUSY but FUN day. My bff asked me if I wanted to go garage saling and of course, I did! Rudy stayed here with Vaughn knowing she would need a nap and she hates getting in and out of the car...
We got some good stuff, clothes, toys...lots of puzzles, a piano for V, a shelf for me...and we found a super nice rug flying down the empty street so we jumped out and got it. Turns out its a super cute black and white outdoors rug that will be perfect for my patio. My parents called shortly after to let me know they got me a patio set so I am all set to go when the siding gets done and cleaned up.

We then decided to get lunch at the hy-vee deli, hit the dollar store and then get our nails done. After that i picked up Vaughnie and we are now hanigng out and playing with her new toys.

Im pooped! Got some laundry to put away and cleaning to do and then get ready for my overnight in Iowa City tomorrow. I am just now starting to get nervous. I think I thought when i scheduled my apt nearly 4 weeks out that I would be better by then and no need to go...unfortunatly that has not been the case. My foot is more swollen today than it has been thus far and I am ready to find out whats wrong.
I am excited to get a hotel and hang out and have some time to read a book and relax....but stinks that I have to spend part of my weekend away from V. i hate that!! hopefully I can get home failry early Monday and pick her up.
My new summer hours start this week for work so we'll test them out and see hwo it goes. Im working 7-3:30 5 days a week. Will be nice to get an extra hour with her!

Not a whole lot else to say.....have a great weekend!

"crap"

So, after two hours of sleep last night I was a little out of it. I woke up and tripped and rammed by toe into the bedframe and yelled "CRAAAAP!" not two seconds later a little small voice says "craap, craap, mama" I tried to ignore it hoping she would forget it and while in the shower I could hear her sitting on the floor playing and eating grapes and saying "oooh craaap"I was laughing so hard and at the same time was kicking myself for saying that around her. I am usually very very very careful about not saying things like that around her...and now I know why....she's a quick learner apparently. Luckily, I havent heard her say it since. OOPPS

Somedays you just feel like throwing in the towel....or pouring a box of macaroni over your head....today was one of those days.

Vaughnie was up til 5 am....crying...all...night....long....screaming. I cried right along with her. i just felt helpless and horrible for her. No one seems to know whats causing her pain. Took her to the doctor today, and talked to the surgery center....some think its her molars...some are just not sure why she is so upset. Tonight.. She cried so hard she literally gave up and passed out on me. We got home, attempted dinner (see above photo), took a much needed bath and as you will see her blanket was behind her when she decided to wear the box of macaroni as a hat. (I didnt even intend for her to eat this..it was going to be my dinner but she wanted some so I put it on her tray and washed up some dishes....only to find this when i turned around..) So needless to say the blanket needed to be washed as well. this fact upset her so much that she cried so hard for so long without stop that her body was just limp...i was carrying her and rubbing her back trying to calm her down and eventually she just passed out. fell asleep on me....at like 6 oclock! i tried waking her up but the poor girl was just beat. I took her up to bed and she hasnt moved since. I just desperatly want her to feel better. I desperatly need a good sleep and we both need a vacation.

Because I promised....

Uncle Greg...YOU ROCK! You are brilliant and amazing and wonderful.

Now you owe me ;)

a little wobbly

Vaughn is doing a little rough still after her surgery on tuesday. i assumed by this point that she would be back to normal. There is a lady at work whose grandaughter had the same surgery on the same day has become a completely different child. she is 16 mo old and had never walked...an hour after her surgery she took off and walked across the room and started talking for the first itme later that night. Vaughn on the other had seems to have forgotten how to walk. She is VERY wobbly and sometimes will stop and its like she forgets how....her movements are very slow and she has to think very hard about picking up one foot. its so strange. other things like her grasping skills seem less than they were as well. I called the doctor this evening when her sitter said she was very concerened about it as Vaughn has been acting strange there and doesnt walk much there either. We will see what they say. It worries me. I am hoping that she was just overcompensating for the balance issue before and now is readjusting but i dont know.
Vaughn has also started hitting. alot. apparently this is an issue at daycare. she has only done it at home once...last night and was the sweetest most gentle loving baby ive ever seen tonight...super cuddly and sweet. but at daycare its a different story. im not sure if she's experimenting or if she is just frustrated that she's had so many changes lately..with surgery, going to a new sitter twice last week and then back to her regular one, not feeling well.... im not sure whats causing it. im hoping its a phase that gets fixed soon.
I am ready to go to the doctor in Iowa city. I dont know what is going on but I hurt. all over. im feeling like i might have artheritis or osteoperosis or sometihng. I just hurt. all over, all the time. Mornigns are the worst, i can hardly put one foot in front of the other. my foot is so swollen by the end of the day that its all puffed out around the brace i wear. gross. definelty not attractive. im just tired of feeling like crap and ready for them to fix whatevers going on. hopefully its something simple and not something like either of the above that will be a sure life long battle with pain. grrr. if im this big of a mess at 25...whats 30 gonna be like? yikes!

glorious weekend

It has been a great weekend and I am sorry to see it end. the weather has been just beautiful.
Saturday started early with a trip to waukee for the city wide garage sales and I banked. Found a table for 2.50, lots of new toys for V, lots and lots of clothes for her, etc. We picked up rudy around 9 and headed to the downtown farmers market. Can I tell you how amazing I find the farmers market? Seriously.... I started going to them in NC they had one on the board walk every wedensday evening and saturday morning and ever since then, they are trully the best thing for my mood. I called it soul cleansing. the crowd is so calm and cheery (and ya'll know I hate crowds.) and the animals are so well behaved and the fresh air and great food and beautiful crafts....if you havent been...you must. I try to go at least every other saturday but would love to go more often. This saturday was opening day so it was packed...It may be an understatement to say there was seemingly close to 5,000 people there. bands...just perfect.
After that we went to my parents to grill for matthews birthday and hang out. Sadly my parents chose not to participate in this get together but it was nice to hang out with the siblings and show matthew that we were all excited for his birthday. 21 is such a right of passage....from then on, no other birthdays change things.....except 25 when your car insurance goes down. I cannot believe he is 21. Rudy and I took him to the casino for the horse races and then some slots. We all broke even except for Rudy who won like 230 dollars. It was fun. I thought maybe matt would go all out but he was really reponsible.

Today I was just as great. Got up and cleaned some, V took a long nap and I was able to get a bunch of laundry done. I also was able to paint this chair I bought her at a garage sale a few weeks ago. It was white and black with a hawkeye cushion on it. Cute, but not what I wanted....so i kept the cushion and painted it "strawberry patch". I will post pics. Its adorable. V saw it drying on the patio and was very excited. Hope she loves it. We ran to target to get some necessities and a brace for my ankle and then headed to steuart to watch Rudy's baseball game. He was such a proud daddy to have his little cheerleader in the bleachers. And cheer she did. We practiced on the way there and she kept SCREAMING Catch it! and Goooo Daddy! and Yay! and WOW! It was funny. She clapped for both teams and the people in the stands were watching her cheering more than the game. He showed her off to all his teamates afterwards. What a proud daddy. We got home and played and now V is in bed....fun fun weekend. i am sad to see it go. I have a final tonight and then one tomorrow or tuesday night (cant decide when i want to take it.) V's surgery is on Tuesday and we have decided to speak to her pediatrician tomorrow about the adenoids being removed. Im just not feeling it as necessary. I know they are specialists but... he didnt even look in her nose/mouth...how would he know that they need removed?

Busy week ahead. Ill post pics soon. left my camera at my parents.

PS Tuesday night is the FINALE of BIGGEST LOSER....any bets on who's gonna take it? Im saying Helen or Tara.

past few days recap...

we went to red lobster (tradition) to celebrate matt's bday early because we thought my parents would be away for his actual bday. turns out they arent.

she's a veggie fanatic...what can I say?

"2-1" the big time!

me and v at red lobster

rudy teaching v to golf with her new set.


Its been a crazy last couple days. We went to red lobster for matts bday thinking my parents were not going to be here for his bday on saturday. turns out they will be here ....in the evening, which we already made plans to take him to the casino...so i guess its good we went last night.

came home and realized the landlord ripped my internet line outside. 250 to get it rehooked up and then company wouldnt even fix it because he said its 250 each time they have to replace the wires so with the siding being redone he wasnt goign to do it. im pretty mad. he did a "temp" fix....but cant even hook me up via inside because the idiot landlord didnt replace the phone wires which are fried. its rediculous and frankl im beyond sick of it. im sick of him letting my kitchen flood all ngiht because he didnt know "what he was supposed to do." didnt his mom teach him not to yank on wires that he didnt know where they go? idiot. I cannot believe (for liabiltiy sake) he has left woodplanks with giant nails sticking up all over the yard....ALL OVER...from the siding. there are sooo many kids in this neighborhood that tromp through the yards and its soo dangerous. Ive almost stepped on nails sticking straight up and i know where they are...ill take pics tomorrow and post them. obnoxious.

anyways, tomorrow is opening day of the famrers market and ive been looking for to it for EVER....but my foot is excrutiating today and idont know if i can handle all the walking in the streets....
its also city wide garage sales in waukee...definetly gonna hit those up!