Livy's 2nd Play Date

Here are some pictures from our second play date.
First picture is Brayden, then Alivia's cousin Austin, Alena, Jack and Davin

More Alivia Stories

Rob and I were laying in bed yesterday morning listening to Alivia through the baby monitor. She was talking and growling as she usually does. Then we started hearing this really strange noise. I went into her room and she was laying on her back, holding the monitor and licking it. So I took it from her, and brought her into our room. Later that day, I laid her down for a nap, I went in there a few minutes later to check on her and she was playing with the monitor again, so before she strangeled herself with the cord, I decided that it was time to move the monitor across the room. As many of you know, this child is 7 months old and hasn't laughed yet. I got one chuckle out of her last night as I was acting like a complete maniac. It was really cute but I really hope I don't have to act like that every time I want her to laugh! I've discovered that when I became a mom I lost all my cool. I was in Walmart last week and I wanted to get Alivia a new Baby Einstein movie for Valentines Day. There was noone else in the aisle with us so I put the movie in the cart and said "Livy, don't look, it's a present for Valentines Day". When I looked up there was a woman standing there looking at me like I was retarded. It was pretty funny.

He's at it again...

I came home yesterday to find a note on my mailbox. I assumed it could only be from one person and I was right, it was from my crazy neighbor. As I mentioned in my previous post, we are in a homeowners association. None of us paid the dues last year because we were trying to figure everything out and the people that are running it have 5 kids so they're a little busy! Well the note yesterday said that we were 1 year and 30 days late on our 2004 dues and 30 days late on our 2005 dues and there was a lein on our house. Everyone on the street got the same note not just us. Let me just remind you that this crazy man is NOT IN OUR ASSOCIATION!!! So, my sane neighbor called a real estate person and she was told we all need to sign a note saying that we don't want Mr. Crazy to have anything to do with the association and that should take care of it legally, I'm sure we'll always have to deal with him but at least legally we'll be covered. I really just want to go down and knock on his door and tell him to GET A LIFE AND MIND HIS OWN BUSINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beth's first day at H&R Block

Rob and I went to do our taxes at H&R Block on monday night. We got there at 4:30 because Rob had to bowl at 6:30. We thought an hour and a half would be plenty of time. Little did we know that we would we working with Beth, I believe it was her first day working at H&R Block. Beth had on a tan blazer, blue polyester pants, man shoes and a man watch. It took her 2 1/2 hours to enter our forms into the computer. At many times during this we had to tell her where to enter certain things into the computer!! Rob had to leave there at 6:00 to go bowling so I was left there by myself. I finally left at 7:15. Before I left she wanted to have her manager review our return, she told us that we owed state $1,500. After the manager reviewed the return, we owed state $378. I was so frustrated by the time I left there. I couldn't believe it!! She was very sweet but I really didn't need her to read every box of every return out loud and ask us about every box on the computer screen. I think next year we will go back to turbo tax!!!

More Hats

As you can see, she really was not paying too much attention to me..she thinks I'm nuts, I don't know why!

Livy of a thousand hats!

I realize that I have too much free time, but this was lots of fun!!

Teeth and New Tricks

Alivia has 2 teeth now!! They're so cute! She also has a few new tricks, the first one is in the bathtub. We have a seat that sits in the bathtub and I usually fill the tub up so that it's right below her ears. Well now she will turn her head very slowly to the side and put half of her face under water with her eyes open! She will sit still for a minute and then lift her head up really quick. It's the funniest thing. Then she will do the other side of her face. She also loves to splash!! The second trick is while she is getting dressed. As if it's not hard enough to get a 6 month old baby dressed, now, when I put her shirt on she will grab a part of the inside of the sleeve and make a fist so that I can't get her arm through the shirt. She's a funny girl!

Daddy Time

I bowl on Thursday nights and every other Sunday night. Rob "babysits" while I am gone. He is so good with Alivia but I just never know what I will come home to! A few weeks ago, I came home after bowling and I went in to peek at her and see what state she was in! She was in her bed with the shirt that she wore all day, a bib, no pants and socks. Also in her bed were the wipes and a hanger!! All I can do is laugh and put her back together! Last weekend I worked for a few hours and when I came home she was wearing the outfit that her daddy bought her for xmas that he is very proud of. For Christmas, Rob bought his daughter a onesie that says "My dad can kick your dad's ass" and yes it says ASS!!! Not to mention that it is black! He wanted her to wear it on CHRISTMAS DAY!! I said absolutely not. He said, "well, then when can she wear it?" I said she could wear it some day when we were at home and not going anywhere! I hung it in the way back of her closet! Well, when I came home last weekend, she had that on, no pants and no socks. Last night I came home at 10 (now keep in mind her bedtime is at 8) Rob was asleep on the couch, the TV was a big blue screen and Alivia was in her swing, asleep, same clothes, one sock. So again, I just laugh to myself and get her ready for bed. I can only imagine what will happen when she is older and can walk and crawl and Rob watches her for the night!! She'll probably be asleep under the kitchen table or something! At least she is happy and unharmed when I get home!!

Livy's first play date

Last Saturday was Alivia's first play date at Alena's house. The top picture is of course Alivia then Amber & Brayden, then all 5 babies (Lexy, Alena, Jack, Alivia & Brayden). Then Kim & Lexy, then Jenny & Jack and then Rachel & Alena. We had lots of fun even though Alivia slept through most of it!

Stay away!!

A week and a half ago I got a call from my babysitter at 12:00 saying that Jacob (her son) just threw up all over the place and the kids needed to be picked up. I was with two new agents and couldn't get away. My wonderful sister who doesn't work saved the day and went to pick Alivia up from the babysitter. That evening the babysitter called and said Jacob needed to stay away from the kids for another day. Oh Great, So I called my sister and she agreeed to watch her for me. On thursday everything was back to normal. On Friday morning my cell phone rings at 7:30. This can't be good. It was the babysitter, she had been throwing up all morning! Oh great, so I call my sister AGAIN!! She, however, had to take my nephew to the doctor and wouldn't be able to watch Alivia. Oh Great-now what. So, I called my mother who was in route to work. She accepted immediatly!! On sunday night the babysitter was on the answering machine and I thought PLEASE PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO ME!! But, she was calling to let us know that everyone was better and she would see us on Monday. In the middle of the night Sunday, I threw up. Are you kidding me??? So, Monday I stayed home from work. Now today is thursday and Rob is at home sick. Ok, that's enough! I'm over it!!

The Cranks

So I'm sure you've all heard me talk about my neighbors usually I refer to them as "the crazies" We bought our house from them and they built a house two doors down from us-lucky us! The first day we looked at our house I asked her if I could use the bathroom, she said "why not, everyone else does" and she wasn't joking. Nice-huh! So we looked through the house and fell in love. We put a contract on it and later that night the contract was excepted. Not only were these people selling their house but they actually were the listing agent too-whatever. So when my agent was on the phone with "Mr. Crank" talking about the offer, "Mrs. Crank" was in the background screaming at him. My real estate agent couldn't believe it. So they accepted our offer and we had just bought ourselves a house! When we went to do the inspection on the house, Mrs. Crank told us to take our shoes off! The house had hard wood floors but whatever. We did it. I guess she had to leave to go somewhere while we were still there so she yelled outside "I need to leave and someone is blocking me in!!" We couldn't believe it, are you kidding me, we are buying your house and you are treating us this way? We figured she was upset about the great deal we got and was taking it out on us. So we moved in and everything was great. Mr. Crank seemed nice enough at the time. Boy were we wrong. We found out that Mr. Crank was extremely anal and had no life other than to pick on his neighbors. He was acting like a landlord running a trailor park or something. He wanted our trash cans placed in a certain place on the road and GOD FORBID if you didn't move your trash can THE MINUTE it was picked up by the trash company. Every tuesday was like a treasure hunt-he would actually move our trash can to our house!!!! Sometimes he would put it in the driveway, sometimes he would put in behind the house. A few times the trash can "mysteriously" disappeared and was no where to be found. I had to actually have the trash company bring another can to us. It was ridiculous. One day he threw a fit and tossed the trash can down our other neighbors hill. So by this point we knew that they were both NUTS!!!! It gets better, we live on a private street and we are in a homeowners association. Mr Crank was in charge of the association when we first lived there. Well one day he decided that he wasn't going to be in it anymore, withdrew all of the money from the account and gave us all our share, we picked another neighbor to be in charge of the account and the association. Well then Mr. Crank decided that he DID want to be in the assocation. We said NO WAY. Then he wanted full control back and we said NO. Then he came to our house and asked us if we would give him proof that everyone had paid the dues. HE WASN'T IN THE ASSOCIATION!! Then he sent us a bill for $800 saying that we owed it to him and if we didn't pay he would sue us. GO AHEAD YOU CRAZY BASTARD!! Well he never did. Last year they put a for sale sign in their yard-all of the neighbors were so excited. Then the sign came down, then the sign went back up, this went on for a few weeks. Was he just messing with us?? Who knows, but they still live there. I just drive past their house now and I don't even acknowledge them, I think this makes them even more mad. They need to get a life and stop meddling in everyone's business!

WHAT A COINCIDENCE!

Jenny and I have been best friends for, literally, all of my life. My birthday is October 15, 1979 and hers is October 17, 1978. Her mom and my mom were friends when I was born. We've been best friends ever since. Jenny has a 10 year old son, Anthony. In 2004, she decided that she was ready to have another child and I was ready to have my first child. We thought it would be so cool to be pregnant at the same time. In late October she called me and told me the good news-she was pregnant!! In late November I called her and told her my good news-I was pregnant!! What are the chances of that!! We spent the next several months comparing kicks, heart burns, cramps and pains. Her due date was July 18 and mine was August 7. We threw showers for each other and waited for the big day. We had no idea what a big day that would be!! On July 16, 2005 she called me at 5:30 in the morning to tell me that Jack was finally here! He had been born at 4:30. We talked for a few minutes and she said she would let me get back to sleep, however, I was sleeping. I had been having contractions for about an hour, sympathy labor? I told her I would be up to see her in a few hours. That didn't work out. I really was in labor. I called my mom and we went to the hospital. I still didn't believe it. There was no way we would have our babies on the same day!! Well, I was wrong. Alivia Marie was born at 5:57 pm-the same day!!!!! How weird. To top that off, my sister was also pregnant with her first child. She was due on December 2. (it's been a busy year!!) She had her son on December 6, 2005-this was also Jenny's son Anthony's 10th birthday. I couldn't have made this up!!

Adventure Club

The adventure club was named by Amanda, who ironically has never been to an adventure club outting!!! The adventure club is made up of several people who either work for AAA currently or used to work at AAA. We get together to have drinks, celebrate holidays or just hang out. We have been to six flags, floating, camping, skiing, pumpkin patches and many many bars. We now have a Jr adventure club! Made up of the members children. We try to celebrate birthdays, christmas, new babies, promotions and weddings. Anyone can be a member and we are always trying to pick up new members! These pictures are from our last get together

My Poor Puppies

Everyone keeps asking...How's the dog's? Do the dogs like being outside now? Well, here's the deal. This has to be the worst thing that has ever happened to me and the worst part is, I have noone to blame but myself. Everyone who knows me, knows that I have two beautiful and rowdy male german shepherds, Tiger and Zeus. I never really had a dog growing up. A few strays here and there but none that were ever a part of our family like Tiger and Zeus are to me. Tiger will be 6 years old on March 9, 2006. We got him from a breeder in Jonesburg, Mo. He was the cutest, fluffiest puppy I had ever seen and he was all mine. When he was 3 we decided to get him a brother, Zeus. We got him from a breeder in Desoto. He threw up all the way home in the car!! He grew up even faster than I remember Tiger growing up. Zeus will be 4 on June 22, 2006. In the early part of 2005 we found out that we were gonna have a baby and we decided that Tiger and Zeus were too big, too wild and too hairy to have around a baby, so we built them a huge pin outside complete with a doggie condo! I think they liked it pretty well, considering they were inside dogs up until this point of their life. There was only one problem, Zeus can get in and out of anywhere you put him. He has broken into and out of our house!! We got him fixed thinking this would help but it didn't! The neighbors were a little scared of them. How would you feel if two 100 pound dogs came running up to you!! What the neighbors didn't realize though is that they would never do anything to harm a human-dogs, however, were a different story. They were not nice to the neighbor dogs. Tiger had been to doggie jail before but he didn't learn his lesson, let's just say that Zeus never got caught! On December 8th, 2005, they got out again and took a spin around the neighborhood. We were awakened with a knock on the door from a policeman saying that someone had called because they had gotten out again. That evening we decided that we couldn't take the chance of them getting out and hurting someone so we needed to find them new homes. We decided to give them to the humane society to be put up for adoption. It was a very hard decision but we thought we were doing the right thing for them. A few days later I called the humane society up because I had found new homes for them, I was so excited. That was until the lady who answered the phone told me that Tiger and Zeus had been put to sleep. I was outraged!!!!!!!! I sent several emails to the director of the humane society and was told they were so beautiful and so good with people, but since they had aggression against other dogs-they couldn't be adopted out to the public. WOW!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE-Is all I kept thinking!!! It's been a few weeks now and everyday I think about them. All I know is, I will never own a dog again!!