tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61772891216193295632024-02-07T13:39:39.221-05:00The Harward HelperBRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-48598108263060229912010-01-02T21:06:00.004-05:002010-01-02T21:23:07.488-05:002010... Happy New Year!I realize it's been months since my last entry. As good of intentions that I have with this blog, it seems to fall by the wayside. I am still around, and we are doing well. I do hope 2010 is a MUCH better year than 2009 was, though.<br /><br />Let's start the new year with some resolutions. I have a few.<br /><br />1. Not spend so much money eating out... make meals at home and take them to work. Try not to spend money on things that aren't absolutely necessary.<br /><br />2. Get more scrapbooking and crafting done. Like the blog, I always have the best of intentions to get some pages or projects done when the little guy goes to bed. But by the end of the day, I am too beat to get out my crafting stuff. I just need to find the energy somewhere and get to it!<br /><br />3. Get some exercise. You would think that would mean going to the gym and all that. But I'm actually going to cancel my Y membership since I never go. I have a perfectly nice neighborhood to walk around, some exercise and yoga DVDs, and space in my living room to work out. And I'll be saving $38/month. Which will in turn go directly to my recently upped car insurance premium. Another story for another time.<br /><br />4. Hopefully get pregnant sometime this year. Again, another post altogether.<br /><br />5. Spend more quality time with my little guy. Whether it be lining up cars, play doh at the kitchen table, reading books, coloring or watching a show, I just want to enjoy him and the wonderful little 3 year old guy that he has become. He is so entertaining and I don't know where he comes up with half of what he says.<br /><br />6. Read a lot more.<br /><br />Those are just a few of the things I hope to accomplish and stick to this year. So far, so good. Hope everyone had a great holiday season and that you all are looking forward to 2010 as much as I am.BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-88473544616121870062009-05-08T16:35:00.005-04:002009-05-08T16:44:26.787-04:00Weekend, finally! And Mother's Day.Happy early Mother's Day to all of my readers, wherever the two of you are. :) Only kidding. Hope everyone has a great weekend and that you are all much appreciated as mothers. It's not an easy job, but it's a good one!<br /><br />Has this been the longest week ever, or is it just me? I am ready to get started with my weekend. I am going to clean the house (shocker), take little man to get his hair cut, hopefully get mine cut too, and do some scrapbooking. I'm really into that lately. This is the best store ever for scrapbooking stuff galore...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yQwdCF_s12buSxlM8kNXq70VVlKwmr2-0dfAHtokbk3jyQMvnXwBMwRi71PSXXE9dhqFb0NoVbcazKWBGWKWpQNq9R-JSo13PGonQIMI3nBKuuCwwnW_LH30trTUpSdXgGC7tIyJOrI/s1600-h/logo.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 189px; height: 92px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yQwdCF_s12buSxlM8kNXq70VVlKwmr2-0dfAHtokbk3jyQMvnXwBMwRi71PSXXE9dhqFb0NoVbcazKWBGWKWpQNq9R-JSo13PGonQIMI3nBKuuCwwnW_LH30trTUpSdXgGC7tIyJOrI/s320/logo.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333555960180160706" /></a><br /><br />I am so lucky that we have the only Archiver's store in NC about 10 minutes away from my house. I am sure my husband and my checkbook don't think it's so lucky, but they both like me to be happy, so there you go.<br /><br />I have some cute pictures of my little guy to show everyone, so maybe one day I'll get around to putting them on the blog or Facebook. Have a good one everybody!BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-57478975065387140692009-04-14T20:58:00.005-04:002009-04-14T21:11:37.203-04:00Happy Easter!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_v3m3aEdxINbQ1Nk2VqAti9hWWaRcl8weRUXNwQwqdhsLITCYV444WDq9APZTe2Hi9-4OxOlm0z8kBy43q4N_xNVBLAmu7J0NIRspeY2W32D2ECM_3TWQK9kO5bMIsWfrSnLoK17wzs/s1600-h/Easter+4-12-09+edited+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_v3m3aEdxINbQ1Nk2VqAti9hWWaRcl8weRUXNwQwqdhsLITCYV444WDq9APZTe2Hi9-4OxOlm0z8kBy43q4N_xNVBLAmu7J0NIRspeY2W32D2ECM_3TWQK9kO5bMIsWfrSnLoK17wzs/s320/Easter+4-12-09+edited+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324716734592700754" /></a><br /><br />Hope everyone had a good one. We sure did. My family came into town on Thursday afternoon and we had lots of quality time. Little man loves Grammy and Auntie and of course, they spoil him rotten. The Easter Bunny's visit looked more like Christmas!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sjpdtUU8CcH0ZmA0kB-g8ojjapXTuVCj-J2D2XxkAQ9Mc0ASvtGW1r-8VbAddEGvEPZBuMCBb43rSygjydsdpu8xUIRcZIQfuEyMM2MnIsuyDaFM8bVNvGiwZ9PJ2YfzK5bku4FBz4E/s1600-h/Easter+4-12-09+056.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sjpdtUU8CcH0ZmA0kB-g8ojjapXTuVCj-J2D2XxkAQ9Mc0ASvtGW1r-8VbAddEGvEPZBuMCBb43rSygjydsdpu8xUIRcZIQfuEyMM2MnIsuyDaFM8bVNvGiwZ9PJ2YfzK5bku4FBz4E/s320/Easter+4-12-09+056.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324717383759761538" /></a><br /><br />We shopped a lot of the weekend, and ate good food, both at home and out. We visited husband's mom in Rocky Mount on Easter Sunday. We also went to church, tried a different Catholic church in Raleigh - St. Raphael's. We really liked it, though we had to stand in the back because they were super crowded. All the Catholics come out for Christmas and Easter. Including yours truly. I must work at getting to church more, especially for the little man's sake. Speaking of little man, he is learning to do the sign of the cross... SO cute.<br /><br />I am slammed at work and unfortunately came home early today with a stomach bug. Hope I can get in there tomorrow and catch up. I'm way to busy for this crap. Later y'all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscNW8E9sZzQ3KqOuilwbO0RZOyYARTAgeDcfm_PHpv4WbkF7Wb9GjcEDysGVnRgFSZdZysWArX7rTWKoKkO3mgXyZk5gDgqPkqBF77aJI-qCoCELY_Q5T3QnY08Vm0P5oin0-_F4m6Ug/s1600-h/Easter+4-12-09+edited+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscNW8E9sZzQ3KqOuilwbO0RZOyYARTAgeDcfm_PHpv4WbkF7Wb9GjcEDysGVnRgFSZdZysWArX7rTWKoKkO3mgXyZk5gDgqPkqBF77aJI-qCoCELY_Q5T3QnY08Vm0P5oin0-_F4m6Ug/s320/Easter+4-12-09+edited+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324718998159185858" /></a>BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-1986481458611268322009-03-30T22:51:00.002-04:002009-03-30T23:03:05.028-04:00Mellow Mushroom!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2pgXu_n8EhgUnzRtORbe1JhQsa8U4Bmnar_LLPD6xct6cWj-5jxYMIcPkMkSZMJuzT0Lp37JQeKoLSQghYhDjwZRtXLuSt-UxTzJAAIHJ2QOEMFs-oh2KWyWgPecKwTHnVIyA2OQSeA/s1600-h/dummy_320x240.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2pgXu_n8EhgUnzRtORbe1JhQsa8U4Bmnar_LLPD6xct6cWj-5jxYMIcPkMkSZMJuzT0Lp37JQeKoLSQghYhDjwZRtXLuSt-UxTzJAAIHJ2QOEMFs-oh2KWyWgPecKwTHnVIyA2OQSeA/s320/dummy_320x240.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319182041838823106" /></a><br /><br />Why are we so excited about a pizza restaurant, you ask? Because it's so freaking good!! And it's right up the street from us in Wake Forest! We don't have to go downtown Raleigh anymore to enjoy Mellow Mush. When we found out it was coming to town, we swore that we would go on opening night. Husband took the night off work and everything. It was excellent, they really had their stuff together. I was a little worried going on opening night, seeing as they haven't had time to work out the kinks and all, but it was great. Service and food were great, we had to wait a few minutes but they got it in there pretty quickly.<br /><br />Just got done paying bills (ugh) and getting ready to go to bed. Can you believe it's already almost April?BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-65206247184351769542009-03-28T21:55:00.003-04:002009-03-28T22:32:29.368-04:00What's the "Harward Helper"?In addition to being a catchy title for our blog, the term "Harward Helper" actually has a story behind it. For those who don't know him, my husband is quite the comedian. I can hold my own as far as being funny, but he is pretty hilarious. With that being said, he's also a bit more relaxed than I am in general. Said husband was also a fan of wrestling growing up, you know, WWE and all that. One day, I happened to get a little worked up concerning some housework or something that needed to get done pretty quickly. Apparently while explaining to husband what needed to be done, I got a little flustered and frustrated and started to hold my hands out in front of me, shaking them as I spoke. I probably said something to the effect of "Please. Please help me." Complete with voice sounding like I'm close to tears. Hopefully you get the picture. <br /><br />Anyway, during my pleading for help, the comedian starts acting like he's announcing a wrestling match and says this: <br /><br />"Watch out folks, she's coming out with the Harward Helper! Oh man, she takes him down with the Harward Helper! He's out! The Harward Helper strikes again!"<br /><br />Needless to say, I started laughing and the Harward Helper was born. I reserve it for special occasions, like when I really need help. And then husband knows I really mean it. Sometimes I only do it with one hand. This means the task or whatever is going on doesn't quite warrant the original Harward Helper, but I need a little more than just my words to back up my request for help.<br /><br />So there you go, that's how the Harward Helper got its name. Funny, right?!<br /><br />Oh, I went to Target again today. I think I have a problem. Actually, I had to return a drawer organizer that I bought yesterday because it didn't work with our silverware, so I did have a reason to go. And I bought more groceries, other stuff we needed for the week. Of course, I had to get a decaf skim iced mocha from Starbucks to drink while walking around. Some things are necessary, ok?BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-79559325177099120272009-03-27T21:38:00.003-04:002009-03-27T22:00:39.961-04:00Now, I will profess my love for Target.I made my weekly trip to Target today and reaffirmed the fact that I do indeed love that store.<br /><br />"My" Target is a Super Target, which means you can get groceries there, as well as all of the other useless yet necessary items you can buy at a regular Target. I've even started getting my prescriptions there, I love it that much.<br /><br />First and foremost, I got these today.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuI8rZRkeB8AiCDbzEaIqFo-YxVDhkijvNekUKzuLMmlKy4iRh4OHG1-2AHXAKOqmI9AKp0C8f08YYB49L7bjLez5ajpqYuPaJHxd8Dt21QtglaVdoK10F4bi_NaMGGatikKzR3-9WXM/s1600-h/51SmRxE3NLL__AA260_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuI8rZRkeB8AiCDbzEaIqFo-YxVDhkijvNekUKzuLMmlKy4iRh4OHG1-2AHXAKOqmI9AKp0C8f08YYB49L7bjLez5ajpqYuPaJHxd8Dt21QtglaVdoK10F4bi_NaMGGatikKzR3-9WXM/s320/51SmRxE3NLL__AA260_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318049089320170850" /></a><br /><br />How cute are they, right?! Then I got a black track jacket because I liked the red one I bought last week so much. I'd put a picture of it on here but I can't find one on the website. They also make the best cami/tanks there too, I think it's under the Merona label. Anyway, they fit really good and don't have that lame shelf bra inside them. It might work for some, but for me it's a joke.<br /><br />So after I got all of this fun stuff that I didn't need, I set out to get some of the grocery items I actually went in there for. All this in under an hour!<br /><br />Hope everyone has some big plans for the weekend. I don't, but I'm kind of glad about that. Enjoy the rain and see y'all next week. I do believe I'm on a roll or something!BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-35922981344907058692009-03-23T21:51:00.003-04:002009-03-23T22:22:50.085-04:002009 so far...In one word, sucks.<br /><br />Let me list all of the fun and exciting things that have been going on in the Harward's lives since January 1, 2009.<br /><br />1. The Mr. crunched his front bumper in a parking garage on New Year's Eve. Morning, mind you. No alcohol was involved. I realize this happened on the last day of 2008, but I count it as the start of our series of unfortunate events.<br /><br />2. Yours truly gets speeding ticket #2 in less than 6 months. I had never had a speeding ticket in my life till last August, and then here comes another one. I didn't even look at it this time, just stuffed it in my purse and went about my business.<br /><br />3. On the coldest weekend this year, on a sunny Saturday morning (January 17th to be exact), a pipe in our neighbor's town home bursts and floods our half bath, coat closet and half of our living room. Little man and I were at Target and Home Depot for about 2 hours, came home about 12:30 PM and heard water running outside our neighbor's house. I thought maybe she left her faucet dripping outside... wrong. We walk into our house and see about 1" of water, which little man runs right through without a clue. Long story short, it could have been a lot worse, but it was a real pain in the ass. It took about a month to get everything fixed. Or so we thought...<br /><br />4. Little man falls between the coffee table and the couch at the end of February and breaks his collarbone. Are you kidding me? I've never even broken anything, but my 2 year old has. He is fine and his "bone", as he likes to say, is healing nicely. And he wore a little sling for about a week before he was just to busy to bother with it anymore.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7-zbHZ12ez_5vNSmcQK9kur7jOd-I16jDDFZsmHTU5Tj5wTxzmKHWvW0vkLNTVe3j882rBk2DUTyUdsHgG30fY8ZvDBZ1ULIS1nKw9asrG_AWkMEt99ekqPq7_e6xaROEznJpTXyrhU/s1600-h/craigslist+march09+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7-zbHZ12ez_5vNSmcQK9kur7jOd-I16jDDFZsmHTU5Tj5wTxzmKHWvW0vkLNTVe3j882rBk2DUTyUdsHgG30fY8ZvDBZ1ULIS1nKw9asrG_AWkMEt99ekqPq7_e6xaROEznJpTXyrhU/s200/craigslist+march09+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316570987237164594" /></a><br /><br />5. A few weeks ago, my mother-in-law went to the emergency room and they then admitted her to ICU, where she has remained for almost 3 weeks. I won't go into all the details, but she is improving. She also has a long way to go, so all thoughts and prayers are appreciated.<br /><br />6. Yeah, you know how we thought everything from the Flood of '09 was fixed? Well, in order to replace the hardwood floors in our entryway and half bathroom, the workers had to take out the toilet. At one point it was in our front yard, which I thought was pretty funny, but I digress. Apparently the builder hadn't installed the toilet properly when our place was built, so these guys supposedly "fixed" it. I look at the bathroom floor yesterday and notice that both sides of the floor at the base of the toilet are wet. Looks like they have been wet for a while, and we hadn't noticed. Great. Calls to the fix-it guy have not yet been returned, which makes me even more happy!<br /><br />Life is not all bad though. We have our health and a roof over our head, and our sweet baby boy has turned into a mischievous 2.5 year old who talks a lot. Non-stop, in fact. He has his moments, but is the best little guy we could ask for. <br /><br />Ok, I'm watching "Milk" so let me get back to that. Hope to update more than once every 6-8 months. :) Don't give up on me, readers!BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-27843248568121832192009-03-17T21:50:00.002-04:002009-03-17T21:55:39.821-04:00Thinking about reviving the old blog...Can you believe it?! How long has it been, like 8 months or something ridiculous like that? My, how things have changed. I've been thinking about my former readers (all three of you) lately and feel like I need to get the old blog moving again.<br /><br />So, I'm afraid this is just a teaser since my laptop battery is going dead and I'm too lazy to get up and plug it in. Look for more posts in the near future, finally. Hope y'all are surviving in this wonderful economy.BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-69364445979722892832008-07-28T12:24:00.002-04:002008-07-28T12:43:37.070-04:00Oh, how time flies!Hello all. I can't believe it's been so long since I've written a blog. A LOT has been going on in the last two months. My mind has been wrapped up around everything so tight I feel like my head will burst sometimes. It hasn't yet, thank goodness, but I still feel that it might.<br /><br />Where to start? First thing, our townhome is on the market. As in to sell. Probably not the best time to try to sell, but we have found a "house" house that we just love and hope we might live in one day. We thought we had a potential buyer already for our townhome, so we started looking at homes with gay abandon. Alas, the buyer didn't work out. So, on to the market we go. It's only been on 3 days, so no nibbles yet, but we'll see what happens. Say a little prayer to St. Joseph for us.<br /><br />Second, in order to better afford our potential new home, I've made us a budget for the first time in both of our lives. We started out good in July, and then proceeded to blow it close to the end of the month. I don't know what we do wrong. Actually, I do know, we like to buy things we don't really need! How fun is that?! Here's hoping August will be a better month for us.<br /><br />Third, our little guy has been talking up a storm! I can't believe he will be 2 years old next month. Talk about time flying. He is currently obsessed with big trucks, tractors, school buses, and calling for mama repeatedly throughout the day. He is saying so many new words now and is becoming a little re-peat, so husband and I have to watch what we say a little more carefully now. We've already had a few slip-ups and re-peats... nobody's perfect, I guess. He is also growing like a weed and is getting to be so tall. His hair grows faster than anyone I've ever seen. And he has inherited his mom's long legs, I believe. We are in trouble when the weather gets cold, for I am sure all of last year's pants are high-waters by now. An excuse to shop? No problem!<br /><br />I hope to post some new pictures soon of us and the little guy. Just wanted to give you all a quick update of the goings on as of late. Enjoy the rest of the summer as it flies by!BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-64574165464623207402008-06-17T13:22:00.002-04:002008-06-17T13:29:46.743-04:00Marital Test<center><table width="300px" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px #000000 solid; color: #000000;background-color: #ffffff;"><tr><td><img src="http://www.magatsu.net/maritaltest/wife.jpg" width="72"height="72"></td><td><p style="text-align: center;"><font size="+3">3</font></p><p style="text-align: center;">As a 1930s wife, I am<br/><strong><font size="+2">Very Poor (Failure)</font></strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><small><a href="http://www.magatsu.net/maritaltest/">Take the test!</a></small></p></td></tr></table></center><br /><br />I thought this was amusing. Note the "very poor" score I received... whoopsie! Good thing I'm not a wife in the 1930s. Although I'm sure husband would greatly appreciate it if I were.<br /><br />One day in the near future I'll make another post in my blog, for those of you who have been wondering. There's been a lot going on these days. I'll be sure to fill y'all in soon.BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-3773260001711782222008-05-29T16:41:00.005-04:002008-05-29T19:40:06.767-04:008 Things About Me<div>Per a friend, I have been requested to list some of these 8 things about me. I enjoy these survey/list thingies, so here goes. I'm supposed to tag people to participate and put it in their blog after I finish mine, but I'm not. Just do it if you want. Later, peeps.</div><br /><div> </div><div><strong>8 things I want to do before I die</strong></div><div>Have another baby</div><div>Go on an Alaskan cruise (Royal Caribbean, natch)</div><div>Go on a European vacation (England, Italy, France)</div><div>Visit and tour vineyards in California</div><div>Watch my children (hopefully) graduate from college</div><div>Learn how to quilt and also crochet</div>Visit Canada<br /><div> </div>Live at the beach<br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>8 things I am passionate about</strong></div><div>My husband</div><div>My son<br /></div>My work<div>Animal rights/cruelty to animals</div><div>Being honest</div><div>The right of marriage for ALL people</div><div>A clean house</div><div>Sleep</div><div><br /></div><div><div> </div><div><strong>8 common phrases heard in my house</strong></div><div>"I love you."</div><div>"We don't hit."</div><div>"No, Lucy!" (see below)</div><div>"No, Brother!" (see below)</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVDVDg8s0ugRQMc9N8TgVe9y6RMOc9ZdNDOxCXeWNuP5hCHTE1zxdxlxDyxSlPm0k23-zgJUjgGr0G7ih4IX-nWOXTG1P-ES4D3JA6IlNezfmGLZRBRw_gjIYlsnR5vXsgw0_eOBiNRU/s320/DSC00907.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205945989602446466" /></div><div>"It's your night." (to walk the dogs)<br /></div><div>"Do you want any wine tonight?"</div><div>"How was your day?"</div><div>"Any good shows on tonight?"</div><br /><div> </div><div><strong>8 recently read books</strong></div><div>Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?</div><div>Pat The Bunny</div><div>That's Not My Truck</div><div>That's Not My Pony</div><div>Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?</div><div>Goodnight Moon</div><div>Spot's First Walk</div><div>Spot's First Easter</div><div>(hey, it said recently read books... didn't specify grown-up or kids)</div><br /><div> </div><div><strong>8 songs on my iPod</strong></div><div>Valerie - Amy Winehouse</div><div>Shoop - Salt 'n Pepa</div><div>It's Your Love - Tim McGraw and Faith Hill</div><div>You Make My Dreams Come True - Hall & Oates</div><div>Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees</div><div>We Didn't Start The Fire - Billy Joel</div><div>You're So Vain - Carly Simon</div><div>Home - Michael Buble</div><br /><div> </div><div><strong>8 random things about me</strong></div><div>I have a tatoo.</div><div>I'm going to get another one.</div><div>I've never had chili on a hot dog.</div><div>I love 80s movies and music.</div><div>I've been to Nebraska twice.</div><div>I like to scrapbook but I'm way behind with it.</div><div>I'm afraid of heights, but not roller coasters. Go figure.</div><div>I got to meet Hillary Clinton.</div></div>BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-41031097349664854672008-05-27T20:09:00.009-04:002008-05-28T09:23:30.291-04:00Great long weekendWell, 2/3 of it was, anyway. Friday night was quite productive. Picked up little guy at daycare after work, and we went directly to the grocery store. Came home and I got little guy his dinner, then we went directly upstairs to do our chores. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205233703636143154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio3XmuEEj-ssnTmzD_XlfR9WPpXQnQZGdzSRw4nuvCL6acZB_8nlB3mGxN_mi1HopUks2seZ_XAKP45RPk0TxUO-L5HIl8Ue9XvgN9-vRXKn-XnUtb9CWeuTHCUvOhcZN7KYwT6wQc7g/s320/Memorial+Day+Weekend+5-23-08+to+5-24-08+002.jpg" border="0" /> <div><div><div><div><div>I figured since husband had to work late, maybe I could get some of my weekend cleaning done early. I HATE to clean bathrooms so I wanted to get it out of the way. I managed to clean one bathroom upstairs while son played quietly by himself (ahhhhhh). Then, while little guy was in the tub having a ball, I took that time to clean the master bathroom. Yes, that's where he bathes, I don't leave him unattended. I also started some of the laundry that's been piling up for almost 2 weeks.<br /><br />Saturday started off great. Got my hair did (cut and highlight) and it was just lovely. Went by husband's work and picked up my little man, then we went home for lunch. After getting him down for his nap, I made myself some lunch then attempted to complete my cleaning... vacuuming and dusting. Little man woke up before I started vacuuming, and since that's not his favorite thing in the world, I set him up a station on the couch. This is a new thing for us, as we've never really paid much attention to the TV before. I got him, his nuk, and a blanket, and got him settled on the couch with some Noggin on the TV. Little Bill, to be precise. It was a success! He LOVED it. Thank God for Bill Cosby. It worked so well as a distraction for me to vacuum the downstairs, that I was able to turn it on in our bedroom and get everything done upstairs too! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205233939859344450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_grxZh9WWIEvGUTcbcc7ePxbSKmNS32HZgZ3mNZWiJf1L1cJu6JYPCqep2c1_tcEdB1keCmQiCLWkW9-7ab8ERaO_rwnxvFeZ3IfKYSUWmYHT5b3f2AE1WWEAQUP5sTqXktuvJoTPQw/s320/Memorial+Day+Weekend+5-23-08+to+5-24-08+014.jpg" border="0" />The best part of the day came next. Husband came home from work early (about 3 PM) and we set out on an adventure to Pullen Park, near downtown Raleigh. It was so much fun, for all of us. And we got some great pictures, as you will see. There are playgrounds, an antique carousel, a train that rides around the park, pond and paddle boats, and walking trails. I had never been there so it was all new to me, as it was to little man. He enjoyed the swings very much, as well as the carousel. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205234111658036306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsZdFotos6Z_L5lGU3JLydMWqLkXXX5Px6FqKkvNhhRJehJQTsO5uXVmrTYEs0BXCIUugPbGDPDOriTjjzmwKSex97sViFJsn-2YKyk8bDh1GePDxnH33Lx11UNN6AKyybJU4rxEa5Gw/s320/Memorial+Day+Weekend+5-23-08+to+5-24-08+035.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205234575514504306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZj-8XWP1Z8JVLAjDMv4QlXu9PHbATThvolV7IB22-EhICEcckXRLwlyM9bXwGGnHpBdKeNYghRE7dMs3uNwIWkqAb2USxG-A7ywbb6NCa4F-xrhohlrs8HXfjAMdWNti-mTe7-2J1W8/s320/Memorial+Day+Weekend+5-23-08+to+5-24-08+110.jpg" border="0" />For me, the train was frightening. That thing was rickety as hell, and turned corners pretty damn fast to be a "kids" ride. And, no seatbelts. Score. Not to worry, husband had a good hold on little guy, while I sat behind with my purse, the camera bag, and the diaper bag. Remember the days when we traveled light, pre-children? We spent about two hours at the park, and then went to Fresh Market to get some fun stuff for dinner. We made it home about 7 PM (little guy's usual bedtime), so it was a quick dinner and off to bed for him. Husband and I enjoyed a nice dinner and wine, and finally watched 27 Dresses that he had rented for me about 2 weeks ago. I love, love, LOVED that movie!! So cute and funny. The Bennie and the Jets scene was classic.<br /><br />Sunday was pretty good too. Woke up late, about 9 AM, and watched CBS Sunday Morning while eating a homemade sausage/egg/cheese on an english muffin. Husband is an excellent cook. And I love CBS Sunday Morning, it reminds me of my dad. When I stayed with him on weekends growing up, we watched it every Sunday. After breakfast, I cleaned up the kitchen while the guys went upstairs for internet time and reading some books. I joined them to put away laundry, but amazingly still had more to wash. Does it multiply? It must.<br /><br />The remainder of Sunday was consumed with lunch, more laundry, nap (for little guy), and baths all around. Daddy and little man put on their matching skateboard shop t-shirts. We went to a cookout in the late afternoon at some friends house, and a bunch of our other pals were there too, so it was lots of fun. They have a great yard, there were other kids to play with, and there was good food too. We stayed till little man cracked, then it was home and off to bed, with mom shortly behind him. Daddy stayed at the cookout to go out with friends afterwards... must be nice, right? :)<br /><br />I was SO looking forward to a productive Monday off. I love long weekends. I had shopping to do, and some organizing to do at home. We slept so late (9:30 AM!) and had already planned to go out to breakfast. Unfortunately, a short while after I woke up, I started to feel so sick and nauseated. I thought maybe I needed to eat, but that didn't help much. We purposely chose a restaurant near the mall to eat breakfast because I wanted to use some Yankee Candle coupons and browse around. I love me some Yankee Candle. Anyway, we're at the mall after breakfast not 10 minutes, and I told husband I had to go home. You know any woman is sick when they have to leave the mall voluntarily after being there only 10 minutes. The rest of the day for me was spent on the couch, trying my best not to vomit while keeping my son entertained. How much does it suck to be sick and try to take care of a toddler? I ask you. I missed a family cookout, husband took baby without me. It was actually kind of nice to have the quiet and take a late afternoon nap, which I desperately needed. They got home about 7:30 PM, and after putting little guy to bed, we watched The Flock with Richard Gere. It was decent, albeit disturbing.<br /><br />So, that was our long Memorial Day weekend. Like I said, most of it was great, but I could have done without the nausea and sharp stomach pains on Monday. And no, I'm not pregnant, much to my mother's dismay. Hope everyone had a great weekend!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205234347881237602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXLKx_U-JIDzeigv7P_Vk6TK8JjAr8q3wAqkjwNynAvIt1uI6kbwcdxBactBqeeO7st90TBngMhSIr1Ttej3PbA-wLcYNdnuHp5f6VORLDw6MYYNU4iEdR5l4W3ddnhb23eRCDB5sIqs/s320/Memorial+Day+Weekend+5-23-08+to+5-24-08+098.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div>BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177289121619329563.post-72689774084856518622008-05-21T21:41:00.007-04:002008-05-21T22:48:12.529-04:00It's always something...This is what my husband and I like to say to each other, at least once a week, if not once every couple of days. Today was no exception. The day was decent at first. Had a bit of a late start, but that's not unusual for me. Those who know me best know that mornings aren't my strong suit. Did a little traveling for work today, up the road to Oxford and Louisburg. I get back to the office about 2:30 and get to work writing up some files.<br /><br />Then daycare calls.<br /><br />Most of you parents know the daycare call. Before you pick up the phone, you get a little pit in your stomach, wondering what the person on the other end is going to tell you about your child. It could be minor, like a case of the sniffles. Or it could be major, like your little guy has just thrown up everywhere. Again, those who know me best know that I don't do vomit. But I digress.<br /><br />This time, they inform me that little guy has fallen down and bitten his tongue, bled a little bit, but that stopped. And, oh, by the way, his left front tooth is a little loose now.<br /><br />Great. A 20 month old with a loose tooth? I didn't expect this for another 4 to 5 years.<br /><br />Our little guy doesn't have his sea legs all the time just yet. Especially after just waking up from a nap, like he had this afternoon. Apparently, one of little guy's teachers thought he was nice and steady after getting him up. She turns away, he takes a step and falls down. No one knows exactly what he hit his mouth and chin on, because they didn't see him fall. Now, I understand that accidents do happen, especially when dealing with little guys and gals. Lord knows, I've had a few myself with him, but we're not talking about me here. I was just most upset at the fact that my little guy fell down, got hurt, and now has a loose tooth. It's not his fault he was still sleepy, and left to fend for himself in the great big world they call the Toddler Room.<br /><br />Needless to say, I was not happy about any part of the situation. After hanging up with daycare, I called my husband and expressed my frustrations to him in the form of tears and senseless ramblings. Being the good husband he is, he offered to call our dentist to see what we should do, or could do, about little guy's slightly loose tooth. Thankfully, our dentist said that it should tighten up on its own, which was a relief.<br /><br />So he's ok, a little grumpy when I picked him up today, but wouldn't you be? Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for all of us.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203025673834171410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWvsvOBpEJhUEfWIo8DJTN7vLveYyXF3hKhL5mw30mn2J9jp5BitXE188EkhCctWDoU4ogFM-KcgnKxVs7MVJhPy_HkXQuZ2e8h2AONKWZZSwpC_9Qwqy5Yz3l9m1Ql0mvnFwSVqilp4/s320/Grant+May+2008+5-11-08+016.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>Our little guy, pre-loose tooth. Note the scab above his left eye, thanks to another daycare accident. Not as bad, but that's another story.</p>BRHarwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791102433216178187noreply@blogger.com