Bittersweet

This is how I am feeling right now when I am looking at my blog and attempts to keep a daily record.  I loved looking through what I DID post on here and remembering those times, but I think about how much we have done SINCE then and how MUCH is not posted, and I need to catch up!! BUT, then that means that I was doing what I needed to be doing and that is taking care of my kiddos.

Now that it seems that I have some time on my hands, I am going to do just that...update, and now that I have my handy dandy Blackberry...I can also update as it is going on!!!

Oh how I have some very important things to say and to add!!!!!

Cloth Diapering

As many of you all know, or might not know, I decided to cloth diaper from last 2 and started doing it in July of this year (2010). I had always wanted to cloth diaper every since my oldest (12yo) was a baby, but I never received the support that I needed from whom I thought would have my back. So I put it off. I dabbled with it with my 2nd to oldest (10yo) and once again decided not to do it.

Well 12 years later and I am and I will never look back. I remember one day I stripped my diapers and needed to go and get some detergent that I had heard about and wanted to use (another post). Well anyways, I put it off and ended up going and getting the detergent. Well when I went to the place and buying the detergent and they had only 2 diapers that fit my girls, so I bought those. I was determined not to use disposables every again.

Anyways, I have been looking for other diapers trying to find which ones I really like. I initially went with Babyland because a fellow mommie used those and it seemed fairly easy. So I ordered my set of 30 off of eBay and went to town. I have purchased the old fashion kind, the one my mom used on me and my sister, and I have used those as inserts.

I have been also looking at different brands and their designs. To me, if it jumps out at me the better for me. Well I ran across a company called RagaBabe and let me tell you I love the sharpness of the new diaper coming out. I love the white with the different colored snaps and some of the designs. While they might be a little pricer for the initial cover, I feel that in the log run, it will save me even more time and money because it is just the insert that is being changed and washed, because you can use the diaper cover over and over as long as they are not soiled.

They are having a give away right now and you should go and check it out!! Go to their website www.ragababe.com and check them out. They are not selling yet, but always good to pre-shop, huh?

You can also enter to win a RagaBabe Organic '2-Step diaper. For details go to, http://www.facebook.com/pages/RagaBabe/127158910630142#!/topic.php?uid=127158910630142&topic=274.

~Susan~

Mallorie

I was taken pictures of the loot that I had purchased off of Craigslist and had to take these pictures of my lil Mamu, Moose, Magoo, Ms. Poose (s/l goose only with a "P", MMMK (triple M then K), Malamu, Malibu, and so on..... I just love how she is smiling now for the camera more and more. I love her little curly locks and her sweet innocence. She is my tender heart. Whenever I am, or anyone for that fact, is feeling sad and such..she will come up and kiss you and hug you. She is worse than my little shadow. I can go no where without her and believe me she lets whoever has her know that she just loves her Momma and wants her, but she will go off away from me when she knows that I am in sight of her.

It is amazing how much joy she has brought to this family and how her little personality fits in with the rest of us.

Sometimes I am sad to think about how much her father is missing by choosing not to be in her life. I cannot imagine what it is like to know that you have a child, a daughter, your only daughter, only child out there and you CHOOSE to not be apart of her life. I really pray that one day he realizes this before it is too late, but until then...I will eat her up as much as I can.

I love you Mallorie......

Mum (as you say it)

$5.00 Craigslist Loot

Okay.....I am so happy and proud of my recent acquisition from Craigslist. I was searching in the Free Section, the Baby section for a highchair for Mamu, Activities section, and finally ending up going to the Arts and Craft's section because sometimes you can find some pretty good deals.

Well..I saw this ad for a Art Supplies for $5.00 and of course I had to call and see where they were located because sometimes it is a good deal on Craigslist, but not for you depending on where you are located in reference to where the item(s) is located. So when I called and she gave me the address and I MapQuest it and saw it was not far from me at all.. I asked if it was too late (6:30) and told her I was on my way.

So we get there in under 10 minutes and when I went to the door and she stacked all of these containers up and I said, "Just want to make sure...$5.00 for all?" She said, "Yes." I told her thank you because with my children we go through this stuff so much. She said thank you and the boys (my two and one of hers) brought them to the van.

We came home and started going through everything. It was like Christmas in November. They had stamps, rolling stamps, markers that were stamps, and stamp pads. They had pens and more pens. They had colored pencils. Crayons galore. Markers, regular. Pencils. Glue. Water colors. Notecards. Highlighters (Zachary too a pink one and Courtney a green one, even though she can only use yellow at school).

They had 2 cute pends that had a little fuzzy head on it with sunglasses on and it says. "Be cool! Call 9-1-1 only for Emergencies!"

So needless to say..I have not found my highchair YET, but I did come across something that was so worth more than $5.00!!!!!

Austin's 2009 AHFSH Soccer Team

This is Austin's soccer team from this past season. We had our last game this past Sautrday, November 7, 2009. I can honestly say that this is the BEST team we have EVER participated in. The parents were so supporting and the boys and girl were such a joy to watch and see them interact. They just got out there and played, which was a fresh of breath air. We will definitely be playing with this league over and over again.

Maing my momma proud

Not sure what the bathroom has for me, but Austin just came out to me, while sitting here at my desk, asking where is "the white long thing that goes in the bathroom while making hand gestures from small to long (to illustrate what he was talking about). I told him that it is right here, but the bathroom needs to be mopped.

I cannot believe it...the master of mass destruction. The one who goes and mixes and does all kind of things that (at least my mind does not or has not) only his mind has come up with.

Let me go find the blue Pine Sol (smells really good) or may just good ole bleach because we have been sick for the past month with various things or another...and mop the bathroom (my mop bucket the background and this was not staged!!!) I have to jump on this while I can!!!!

Mallorie asleep

The other day I just completely passed out (as I have been doing a lot lately, especially with this little girl inside of me). When I went to sleep it was me, my favorite pillow, my body pillow, my other body pillow (Mallorie), and three regular size pillows with one of my favorite quilts, so off to bed I went.

I woke up in a panic and had to get Mallorie back on the bed...ahhh back to sleep. Then I felt her getting off the bed, so back on the bed I had to get her.

Well, I woke up and in a panic was not even the word to describe how I was feeling. I woke up to hearing a little girl outside talking (or screaming and incoherent speech that they do at 18 months). I jumped up and looked outside...okay back gate is closed, so she is not outside...the back door does not completely close unless you close it yourself and the other littles do not always, if ever, completely close it, so Mallorie can open it just with a push open. So I was very excited that she had not gotten in the backyard (it was the neighbors 18-month-old granddaughter who was making the conversation).

I looked on the side of my bed..no Mallorie..on the floor in the my room..in the hallway..in the boy's room..in Courtney's room...in the kitchen...in the laundry room..in the living room...in the bathroom...in the closet....in the boy's closet....NOPE NO MALLORIE anywhere. I am freaking out at this point!! The front door is locked, so she could not have gotten out the front door.

I went into the dining room to get to the living room because she had to be in there...she was no where else. well as I walked around the table..there she is...hanging off the chair with her legs dangling. I wish I would have thought to get the camera, but I was worried about her falling off and hitting her head, so I gently moved her from the chair to the pillow on the floor where she continued to sleep.

Let me tell you, if I can survive everything that she has to give me and then her and her little sister, I will be eternally happy!!!! Especially since Mallorie and her little sister will be either 21 or 22 months apart!!!!!