I am out of practice writing, so until I get back into the swing of things....don't judge too hard.
Today I woke up at 6:30 and tried to force Lilly to sleep until 8 with my phone, daniel tiger, and then the Magic School bus. It didn't work, but I did doze for a while. Then it was breakfast time. She cried because she couldn't have Jelly Belly's or crackers for breakfast. But she ate all of her fried egg, except one bite. I bought strawberries and pureed them last week. She ate those on vanilla yogurt mixed with oatmeal too. I just ate oatmeal. Then she ate half a banana muffin, but pretended it was a duck first and had it quack around her table tray. I did the dishes. Then I wiped her off and let her down. She found an old snack cup filled with cheese crackers in the shape of ducks. She did NOT make them quack. Instead, she crushed them up piece by piece and spread the crumbs around the new to us arm chair we got.
Josh swept the crumbs up while I showered. (He got to sleep in today).
Lilly is also wearing two pairs of pants b/c she chose too. She would be wearing three shirts and two sets of socks too, but I stopped helping her. She wants to go outside and throw snowballs so bad!
Yesterday we went out into the snow and she couldn't believe that snow made BALLS! It's her first and favorite word. Appropriate, I see that now. We all practiced throwing snow balls at the tree in our yard. Lilly mostly threw hers into the snow bank. She tried making her own snow balls, but her hands are still too little.
I showed Lilly how to flap her elbows and walk funny and quack, like a duck. Now she does that all the time. She loves ducks and quacking.
And now you are caught up on my life.
I love Daniel Tiger. It is a cartoon PBS show based off of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, only all the characters are the kids from the make believe land. Daniel is like Mr. Rogers and wears sweaters. Red ones. That's his favorite color. It's a great show because they deal with emotions in an assertive and responsible manner. It sets a good example for the kids who watch it, and to the parents. The mom Tiger gets mad one day when Daniel and his friend, Prince Wednesday, bring sand in the house to make a beach. It shows the mom calming down and responding in an appropriate way. They also use short songs to teach the lesson. I sing them to Lilly later so she remembers. The big one right now is "Grownups Come Back!" because she gets sad when I leave her. The show gives adults and children tools to deal with life in a fun and memorable way.
I go to a Mom's group called Mothers' of Preschoolers or MOPS. I didn't feel like I fit in at first. There are a lot of different opinions on things like college and how necessary it is or is not, and other things. Not things on raising kids...all the mom's realize that that is not something to criticize or put down. I stuck to it because I learn a lot of tricks and tips for being a stay at home mom. Like, prepare snack cups in the morning so they are ready and she can grab them on her own later in the day. I don't do this yet, but I know it can be done. MOPS is held at a church and provides childcare for 2 hours. We have a speaker and then we do a craft. Last week was on assertive responses to our children to prevent unnessecary battles. I enjoyed it a lot because a lot of the talk I already learned and try (TRY) to apply to everyday life. It also showed me how to praise Lilly and what she does with out giving her a Good Girl complex. I worry the most about that. I don't want her to be a Good Girl. Good girls always say yes, good girls don't cause trouble, good girls smile even if they aren't happy, good girls are always happy. Etc. Lilly is free to say no, get angry, and be herself... of course there are consequences if her choice is not a great one, but she got to choose! and that's what is important.
My house. I did want to talk about that. I hear a lot that it's super cute and perfect for my family. I don't know why I don't feel that way. I mean, it is cute, but it's really really really small...somehow...despite the fact that with the basement, it's the largest place I've ever lived in. The backyard, now, that's the best. That was the tipping point. No neighbors behind us, large shade trees, patio, and it's all fenced in. I can NOT wait for summer! The light switches are what really get me. I think they were installed for a left handed person because they are all on the wrong side of doors (or not at all at the door and you have to walk through the dark kitchen, navigate baby chairs or knives to turn on the light). All of the molding on the walls is falling off too. That doesn't bother me very much. It's just visual, and not a utility. But it is happening.
Now I have to pay bills.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Sunday Afternoon
Well well well.
It sure has been a while. I do miss writing...I compose blog posts all the time in my mind. I just don't have internet access readily available. When I do, I'm usually spending the time paying bills or taking care of business. I have become good at solving problems with out the internet. This impresses me, because two or three years ago, I would have thought that impossible. I think it really helps living in my small town filled with an older demographic. All I need to do is ask an older adult who I should see about my question, and they give me the first time, history and if I'm lucky, the name of the business they own, of the person I need to see to solve my problem.
For example, I need to go see Bruce, on Stone south of 48th towards Jo's house, to get my picture framed. To get my laptop fixed, I went to NCATS, hidden in Baker College at NCRESA, to have an estimate. They could not fix it. But suggested I go see someone "Grand Rapidsy" to fix it.
In some ways I just love living in a small town. Life is so much simpler.
I name dropped my dad, and I got a lead on an apartment, and that afternoon, we put down a deposit and started moving in. That was in September. We now have things like a kitchen table, a couch, carpet, and some bookshelves. No TV or internet yet. Well....we have my parents old old old tv to hook the N64 up to, but we left our tv at their house so they can watch Survivor. I hung up a lot of my posters today. The bathroom is heavy death metal themed.
I remember when I moved into my apartment in Nashville, that had more than 3 rooms. Now I have two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen upstairs. In the basement I have a laundry room, a craft room, a second living room area, a storage cellar and a tool storage area with desk. We also have a beautiful fenced in backyard with a big maple, birch and walnut trees. A garage with workshop area in back and a storage shed. Our backyard faces an old parking lot and trees belonging to the old elementary school next door. Which still has a playground! I live right in the city and only have two neighbors! I love the house because it has been lived in by smart families who took care of it. There are nails and hooks and light switches in the right places. There are small things around that make it easier to live there. The whole place is wired for dsl, cable, and satalite. LOL! And we utilize none of it! You can even get cable in the garage!
Lilly likes it. Her toys are there. Ackbar is staying in the woods. He says he prefers to be a country cat than a city cat. Plus, Lilly stresses him out. We visit him on Wednesday's and Sundays.
Lilly is busy growing teeth, walking and running, and making people show her their bellies. Her favorite book is Peek-a-Who? and her favorite activity is going to stores and getting admired by old ladies and young ladies and all the men. Really, she likes to go outside and see what sort of water she can find to play in.
Ugh. My mom ran out of red wine and now I have to drink white. Bleh.
It sure has been a while. I do miss writing...I compose blog posts all the time in my mind. I just don't have internet access readily available. When I do, I'm usually spending the time paying bills or taking care of business. I have become good at solving problems with out the internet. This impresses me, because two or three years ago, I would have thought that impossible. I think it really helps living in my small town filled with an older demographic. All I need to do is ask an older adult who I should see about my question, and they give me the first time, history and if I'm lucky, the name of the business they own, of the person I need to see to solve my problem.
For example, I need to go see Bruce, on Stone south of 48th towards Jo's house, to get my picture framed. To get my laptop fixed, I went to NCATS, hidden in Baker College at NCRESA, to have an estimate. They could not fix it. But suggested I go see someone "Grand Rapidsy" to fix it.
In some ways I just love living in a small town. Life is so much simpler.
I name dropped my dad, and I got a lead on an apartment, and that afternoon, we put down a deposit and started moving in. That was in September. We now have things like a kitchen table, a couch, carpet, and some bookshelves. No TV or internet yet. Well....we have my parents old old old tv to hook the N64 up to, but we left our tv at their house so they can watch Survivor. I hung up a lot of my posters today. The bathroom is heavy death metal themed.
I remember when I moved into my apartment in Nashville, that had more than 3 rooms. Now I have two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen upstairs. In the basement I have a laundry room, a craft room, a second living room area, a storage cellar and a tool storage area with desk. We also have a beautiful fenced in backyard with a big maple, birch and walnut trees. A garage with workshop area in back and a storage shed. Our backyard faces an old parking lot and trees belonging to the old elementary school next door. Which still has a playground! I live right in the city and only have two neighbors! I love the house because it has been lived in by smart families who took care of it. There are nails and hooks and light switches in the right places. There are small things around that make it easier to live there. The whole place is wired for dsl, cable, and satalite. LOL! And we utilize none of it! You can even get cable in the garage!
Lilly likes it. Her toys are there. Ackbar is staying in the woods. He says he prefers to be a country cat than a city cat. Plus, Lilly stresses him out. We visit him on Wednesday's and Sundays.
Lilly is busy growing teeth, walking and running, and making people show her their bellies. Her favorite book is Peek-a-Who? and her favorite activity is going to stores and getting admired by old ladies and young ladies and all the men. Really, she likes to go outside and see what sort of water she can find to play in.
Ugh. My mom ran out of red wine and now I have to drink white. Bleh.
Friday, September 12, 2014
House Rules
I have found freedom! I rent my own house and now I can make all of the rules I want. So far, I've made one...keep the safety gate to the basement stairs closed even when Lilly is asleep. I'm finding it difficult to convince the other member of my house to agree to the rule.
But I'd rather have that than live by parents rules! For the past year, if I wasn't at my parents house, I was at Josh's parents' houses or at my friend's parents' house. It was like I was in high school all over again, only slightly better. There was much less concern over drugs, sex, and alcohol. Proper music was still banned though. And by proper, I mean music I like that sounds like terrible noise to parents. Like System of a Down and Gorillaz. A whole year of only listening to them in the car. Luckily, all said parents, have otherwise excellent taste in music...it just doesn't expand into rap. And Beck is included in the rap heading.
Our house is small and brick and has two bedrooms and a nice basement. It's not finished, but someone did live down there at some point, so it's cleaner than most basements. The biggest selling points was the workshop in the garage, the large all fenced in back yard with nice old beautiful shade trees. One is a walnut, one is a maple, and one is a birch. There is a small patio too. If you know me, you know I don't want neighbors and people up in my grill (business). But we also needed to live in town so that Josh can get to work no matter what the weather or car state. Well, to make up for that, the back of the house faces a grassy field that parents park in from 5pm to 8pm while their middle school sons practice football at the old elementary school. So no neighbors behind us and a large nice playground to walk to!
It's very strange though. I now live in town, on a well known road, and can walk to my friends' house and parents' houses. I can also walk to the library and the bank. And on an ambitious walk, I could also walk to Bill's and get donuts! I can walk to downtown easy. I probably could walk to Fremont lake too. Heh. I would walk from one end of Mount Pleasant to the other to go to a party, and MP is larger than Fremont. So, pretty much, I can walk anywhere. Not walmart. I wouldn't walk there.
So what adventures have we had? Well, first, there is a large dead branch hanging precariously from the maple tree. Josh doesn't like it up there, but it's too high to pull down. During the windy stormy day, we sat outside and watched the storm and wind blow across the field. Josh wouldn't let me sit under the maple tree, where I like to sit because of fear of that branch falling. So we sat under the birch tree. The next morning, I got up and looked out, and wouldn't you know, a giant, solid heavy 12 foot long branch fell out of the birch tree and landed directly on my chair. The other dangley branch did not fall, as hoped. I leaned the fallen branch up against the corner of the garage as a trophy/warning. It's to tell people to stay out, we may speak softly, but we carry large sticks. Also, for feng shui reasons, we needed something on that corner of the garage to block the bad chi flow.
Ackbar has not moved over yet, but he will when we are done. I hope he adjusts. Lilly is walking and getting into everything and being generally cute. She likes the new house, but she likes grandma's house more. But that's because her wagon is over here and the woods and the food balls in the garden. And Grandma and Opa too, of course!
But I'd rather have that than live by parents rules! For the past year, if I wasn't at my parents house, I was at Josh's parents' houses or at my friend's parents' house. It was like I was in high school all over again, only slightly better. There was much less concern over drugs, sex, and alcohol. Proper music was still banned though. And by proper, I mean music I like that sounds like terrible noise to parents. Like System of a Down and Gorillaz. A whole year of only listening to them in the car. Luckily, all said parents, have otherwise excellent taste in music...it just doesn't expand into rap. And Beck is included in the rap heading.
Our house is small and brick and has two bedrooms and a nice basement. It's not finished, but someone did live down there at some point, so it's cleaner than most basements. The biggest selling points was the workshop in the garage, the large all fenced in back yard with nice old beautiful shade trees. One is a walnut, one is a maple, and one is a birch. There is a small patio too. If you know me, you know I don't want neighbors and people up in my grill (business). But we also needed to live in town so that Josh can get to work no matter what the weather or car state. Well, to make up for that, the back of the house faces a grassy field that parents park in from 5pm to 8pm while their middle school sons practice football at the old elementary school. So no neighbors behind us and a large nice playground to walk to!
It's very strange though. I now live in town, on a well known road, and can walk to my friends' house and parents' houses. I can also walk to the library and the bank. And on an ambitious walk, I could also walk to Bill's and get donuts! I can walk to downtown easy. I probably could walk to Fremont lake too. Heh. I would walk from one end of Mount Pleasant to the other to go to a party, and MP is larger than Fremont. So, pretty much, I can walk anywhere. Not walmart. I wouldn't walk there.
So what adventures have we had? Well, first, there is a large dead branch hanging precariously from the maple tree. Josh doesn't like it up there, but it's too high to pull down. During the windy stormy day, we sat outside and watched the storm and wind blow across the field. Josh wouldn't let me sit under the maple tree, where I like to sit because of fear of that branch falling. So we sat under the birch tree. The next morning, I got up and looked out, and wouldn't you know, a giant, solid heavy 12 foot long branch fell out of the birch tree and landed directly on my chair. The other dangley branch did not fall, as hoped. I leaned the fallen branch up against the corner of the garage as a trophy/warning. It's to tell people to stay out, we may speak softly, but we carry large sticks. Also, for feng shui reasons, we needed something on that corner of the garage to block the bad chi flow.
Ackbar has not moved over yet, but he will when we are done. I hope he adjusts. Lilly is walking and getting into everything and being generally cute. She likes the new house, but she likes grandma's house more. But that's because her wagon is over here and the woods and the food balls in the garden. And Grandma and Opa too, of course!
Thursday, August 14, 2014
In Which Everything Goes Wrong and I Use My Brain
Today was another adventure in town. Turns out Town is always an adventure. And the last few times it has been very frustrating. They closed the road from Gerbers to Bills and it is very inconvenient to me. It separates the library and the bank from the grocery store, pharmacy and walmart. Instead of going straight through, I have to go through back roads with odd stop signs and lots of other confused drivers.
Compared to going from 100 Oaks Mall/Woman's Health Doctor's Office to Antioch in TN, it's nothing. There is in total 20 cars I interact with instead of 100. But one grows accustomed to a certain lifestyle of no cars, roads or traffic jams.
Today I wanted to get new glasses from Walmart, but they would not take my state provided insurance, so I did not get new glasses. Then I tried to get a hair cut there, but the wait was going to be 45 min, and I didn't want to wait with Lilly...so I got the times that my favorite haircutter is there. They don't make appointments. Her name is Stephanie and she gave me the best haircut ever.
Then we left walmart with out buying anything! Win! When we got to the car I remembered that I had to get two red peppers and a jar of apple cider vinegar for my mom to make pickles. So that meant another stop to Bills. (I had already come too far to go back into Walmart). At Bill's I tried to make small talk with Jess, the bagger girl. I don't think they actually want/have time for small talk. Next time I'll just stick to the weather. Or maybe I'll make up a ridiculous two sentence story to tell them. Maybe I'll fill my trunk with something FREAKY and then when I open it for them to put the groceries in, they will see it and have something to tell the other baggers. That's an idea.
Then it was to the Library and then home. And then I saw a yard sale (due to that stupid detour!) and decided to stop. It was right in town, by where my friends' grew up and near the high school track. The yard sale had some very nice furnature for sale. Antique like, so it was fairly priced and out of my budget. But they had a nice girls bike there I wanted and a vanity. Next time.
Lilly was in her stroller, and we walked back to the car, and I found out that it finally happened! I locked my keys in the car. I knew it was only a matter of time. My phone was also in the car. So I walked to my friend's parents house and went inside. No one was there. I accidently let a black panther out (one of their black panther-like twin cats) and had to get him back in. He rebelled by making his bones turn into jelly and almost slipped out of my hands. It was worse than carrying Lilly around. I bet it's the same one who jumped onto my shoulders while I was going to the bathroom there, and I was too pregnant to move or get him off. I had to call for help.
Then I found another yard sale. The lady there was using her iPhone, so I asked her to call me a tow truck. She said she didn't know any towing companies numbers and didn't know where a phone book was. As she was holding her small, portable, internet machine. It took a lot for me to be pleasant and work with her at that moment.
You see, this is another thing I knew would happen, is that I would also lock my phone in my car and I wouldn't know any numbers to call. Josh was asleep and so was his phone (he's working nights now!) and I don't know my parents cell numbers. And I thought to myself, who can I call? Who?
THE FREMONT POLICE IS WHO I CAN CALL!!
That's right. Memorizing that number has been one of the best uses of my brain in a long time. And I didn't even have to call 911. The officer was really nice and a police officer got to my car before I could even walk back! He got it open for me in less than 5 min. and I didn't have to pay a tow truck.
It was actually less stressful for me than remembering that I forgot the vegetables.
Compared to going from 100 Oaks Mall/Woman's Health Doctor's Office to Antioch in TN, it's nothing. There is in total 20 cars I interact with instead of 100. But one grows accustomed to a certain lifestyle of no cars, roads or traffic jams.
Today I wanted to get new glasses from Walmart, but they would not take my state provided insurance, so I did not get new glasses. Then I tried to get a hair cut there, but the wait was going to be 45 min, and I didn't want to wait with Lilly...so I got the times that my favorite haircutter is there. They don't make appointments. Her name is Stephanie and she gave me the best haircut ever.
Then we left walmart with out buying anything! Win! When we got to the car I remembered that I had to get two red peppers and a jar of apple cider vinegar for my mom to make pickles. So that meant another stop to Bills. (I had already come too far to go back into Walmart). At Bill's I tried to make small talk with Jess, the bagger girl. I don't think they actually want/have time for small talk. Next time I'll just stick to the weather. Or maybe I'll make up a ridiculous two sentence story to tell them. Maybe I'll fill my trunk with something FREAKY and then when I open it for them to put the groceries in, they will see it and have something to tell the other baggers. That's an idea.
Then it was to the Library and then home. And then I saw a yard sale (due to that stupid detour!) and decided to stop. It was right in town, by where my friends' grew up and near the high school track. The yard sale had some very nice furnature for sale. Antique like, so it was fairly priced and out of my budget. But they had a nice girls bike there I wanted and a vanity. Next time.
Lilly was in her stroller, and we walked back to the car, and I found out that it finally happened! I locked my keys in the car. I knew it was only a matter of time. My phone was also in the car. So I walked to my friend's parents house and went inside. No one was there. I accidently let a black panther out (one of their black panther-like twin cats) and had to get him back in. He rebelled by making his bones turn into jelly and almost slipped out of my hands. It was worse than carrying Lilly around. I bet it's the same one who jumped onto my shoulders while I was going to the bathroom there, and I was too pregnant to move or get him off. I had to call for help.
Then I found another yard sale. The lady there was using her iPhone, so I asked her to call me a tow truck. She said she didn't know any towing companies numbers and didn't know where a phone book was. As she was holding her small, portable, internet machine. It took a lot for me to be pleasant and work with her at that moment.
You see, this is another thing I knew would happen, is that I would also lock my phone in my car and I wouldn't know any numbers to call. Josh was asleep and so was his phone (he's working nights now!) and I don't know my parents cell numbers. And I thought to myself, who can I call? Who?
THE FREMONT POLICE IS WHO I CAN CALL!!
That's right. Memorizing that number has been one of the best uses of my brain in a long time. And I didn't even have to call 911. The officer was really nice and a police officer got to my car before I could even walk back! He got it open for me in less than 5 min. and I didn't have to pay a tow truck.
It was actually less stressful for me than remembering that I forgot the vegetables.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Adventures in Town
The Fremont, the Baby Food Capital of the World, hosted the Baby Food Festival yet again. It is a week in which downtown (or just Town) is closed off and all the locals go on vacation and all the out of towners come into town. There are rides and carnies, food, sidewalks sales and live music. One year Da Yoopers came and played. I just go their cassette tape free at a yard sale a few weeks ago.
This year we entered Lilly into the Baby Crawl. It's a race where babies crawl from one end of the stage to the other on a mat. I've never seen it before, but I had heard about it. It's adorable! So many crawling babies! Lilly did not crawl, she sat there and tried to tear up the tape that was holding the starting line down. I was so proud, she didn't cry and make me look like a horrible mom. That's all I asked for. The winners of the heats got a large stuffed Nesquic (chocolate milk) rabbit. All the entrants got a diaper bag (not an awesome one) filled with Gerber baby stuff. Most importantly to me, it had a Gerber baby bib in it. Those are the best bibs of all the bibs I've tried...until you reach the stage where you need the silicon ones that catch the food. Those are leveled up bibs.
There was a drawing from the names of all the babies and the winner got a life insurance policy for the baby. Lilly did not win that.
Then I met up with a friend who lives in town so she's a pro at the BFF (Baby Food Festival) and showed me where to go to get another, different, diaper bag full of baby food from Gerber, including another bib. Both Josh and I got a bag filled with the stuff. Best BFF experience ever.
Earlier in the week Lilly and I walked around at the Kids Expo, where all the kid related companies set up booths and gave out their swag. There were so many people and kids and strollers! Lilly missed her nap and her lunch, and she is such a blessing. She didnt' cry, she didn't get mad, she just sat there miserable, waiting for it to be over.
At the EMS booth, I asked them if they knew the number for the police. I've been thinking about this on and off for a while. You are only suppose to call 911 if it's an emergency and if it's not you need to call the police. But when you need to call the police, you usually don't have time to look it up on your phone, the yellow pages, the internet, wherever. The EMS guy told it to me (924-2100) and then said that I can just call 911 anyways. I was all, but it HAS to be an emergency. In Nashville they have billboards up (the good ones were in spanish) explaining what was an emergency and what wasn't and whatever you do, don't dial 911 unless it is. The EMS guy said that Newaygo County was probably not as busy as Nashville.
Well. That's something I hadn't thought of. I like to think I would have, eventually. I spent a lot of time in the car trying to figure out what to dial instead of 911.
Yesterday was Bill's Shop n' Save day again. I needed milk and meat for Josh's sandwiches. It was not as pleasant a trip as usual. First, as I was pulling up, I had to wait for a mom and her small daughter to cross the parking lot to go out to their car. They took their sweet time, but that's okay I said. Then I went in and got a cart. But it was the kind of cart where the green flap thing that Lilly sits on up front doesn't stay down. It's spring loaded to flip up and makes it nearly impossible to get Lilly into her cart seat alone. That was flustering and I forgot to sanitize the cart. Not a big deal, I just don't like messing up my routine. Step one is walk in and look to see who is working and choose which bagger and cashier I want to go to. I have two favorites and I try to stick to them to increase my chances of building a relationship. Step two is get a cart, put Lilly in it and sanitize it. Step Three is Groceries. So I was on step three, heading towards the donuts, and that same woman and daughter I had to wait to cross the parking lot some how got back INTO the store and I had to wait for them once again! Finally, I'm to the donuts, and I find the bag and a tissue grabber sheet. And this woman who is not old but older than me (60ish...this age hates to be called "older" even though that's what they are!) she comes up and is completely annoyed that I am in her way. Even though I was there first, I could tell by the way her hands were always right behind mine and how she was trying to get into all the donut doors I was already getting into that she was annoyed that I was there. I was inconvieniencing her! Shit. I was there first. I hate it when people do that to me. Why do people think it's okay to push me around? She is probably the Queen of Fremont.
Then guess what! I discovered that they did indeed hire new people at Bill's. The newest lady was working in the deli, where I get the meat for sandwiches. First, she didn't have the customer service training talk yet, and I had to wait a while for some other lady (her trainer) to see me and come tell the new lady that she could stop what she was doing to help me. I asked for one pound of tavern ham. So the lady had to spend a few minutes figuring out how to get her gloves on. Then spend some time figuring out how to open the sliding glass doors to the meat, and then talk to the trainer lady about which meat was the Tavern Ham. This is okay. New people are slow. So she grabs a stack of ham and puts it on the scale. It's half a pound almost exactly. She spends a minute figuring out how to press the scale buttons so the price comes up. Then she puts one more slice on the stack to bring it up to 0.57 lbs. Then she starts to pack it up, and the lady trainer her says that she thinks I asked for a whole pound of meat. I confirm that I did. So the new lady grabs two slices of ham...and nope, that's not enough. So she grabs two more slices. Nope. She man-handled every slice of ham of mine for the entire second half a pound! She had to go one to two slices at a time! UGH. That was not okay. That's not due to being new. That's due to being slow. (I know, I know, maybe she was nervous about taking forever and wasn't thinking clearly b/c she's new. I know.)
Then I grabbed Josh's favorite potato chips and left. The cashier lady was nice and the bagger was Nate. I don't know him. But I go to him every time. We discussed the weather as we walked out to the car. I'm trying to practice asking him a nice question that doesn't have to do with the weather for next time. It's hard and I usually chicken out because I'm shy and just mention the weather again. I'm thinking I'll ask "So, are you in school?" Or should I say college?
And that's my life.
This year we entered Lilly into the Baby Crawl. It's a race where babies crawl from one end of the stage to the other on a mat. I've never seen it before, but I had heard about it. It's adorable! So many crawling babies! Lilly did not crawl, she sat there and tried to tear up the tape that was holding the starting line down. I was so proud, she didn't cry and make me look like a horrible mom. That's all I asked for. The winners of the heats got a large stuffed Nesquic (chocolate milk) rabbit. All the entrants got a diaper bag (not an awesome one) filled with Gerber baby stuff. Most importantly to me, it had a Gerber baby bib in it. Those are the best bibs of all the bibs I've tried...until you reach the stage where you need the silicon ones that catch the food. Those are leveled up bibs.
There was a drawing from the names of all the babies and the winner got a life insurance policy for the baby. Lilly did not win that.
Then I met up with a friend who lives in town so she's a pro at the BFF (Baby Food Festival) and showed me where to go to get another, different, diaper bag full of baby food from Gerber, including another bib. Both Josh and I got a bag filled with the stuff. Best BFF experience ever.
Earlier in the week Lilly and I walked around at the Kids Expo, where all the kid related companies set up booths and gave out their swag. There were so many people and kids and strollers! Lilly missed her nap and her lunch, and she is such a blessing. She didnt' cry, she didn't get mad, she just sat there miserable, waiting for it to be over.
At the EMS booth, I asked them if they knew the number for the police. I've been thinking about this on and off for a while. You are only suppose to call 911 if it's an emergency and if it's not you need to call the police. But when you need to call the police, you usually don't have time to look it up on your phone, the yellow pages, the internet, wherever. The EMS guy told it to me (924-2100) and then said that I can just call 911 anyways. I was all, but it HAS to be an emergency. In Nashville they have billboards up (the good ones were in spanish) explaining what was an emergency and what wasn't and whatever you do, don't dial 911 unless it is. The EMS guy said that Newaygo County was probably not as busy as Nashville.
Well. That's something I hadn't thought of. I like to think I would have, eventually. I spent a lot of time in the car trying to figure out what to dial instead of 911.
Yesterday was Bill's Shop n' Save day again. I needed milk and meat for Josh's sandwiches. It was not as pleasant a trip as usual. First, as I was pulling up, I had to wait for a mom and her small daughter to cross the parking lot to go out to their car. They took their sweet time, but that's okay I said. Then I went in and got a cart. But it was the kind of cart where the green flap thing that Lilly sits on up front doesn't stay down. It's spring loaded to flip up and makes it nearly impossible to get Lilly into her cart seat alone. That was flustering and I forgot to sanitize the cart. Not a big deal, I just don't like messing up my routine. Step one is walk in and look to see who is working and choose which bagger and cashier I want to go to. I have two favorites and I try to stick to them to increase my chances of building a relationship. Step two is get a cart, put Lilly in it and sanitize it. Step Three is Groceries. So I was on step three, heading towards the donuts, and that same woman and daughter I had to wait to cross the parking lot some how got back INTO the store and I had to wait for them once again! Finally, I'm to the donuts, and I find the bag and a tissue grabber sheet. And this woman who is not old but older than me (60ish...this age hates to be called "older" even though that's what they are!) she comes up and is completely annoyed that I am in her way. Even though I was there first, I could tell by the way her hands were always right behind mine and how she was trying to get into all the donut doors I was already getting into that she was annoyed that I was there. I was inconvieniencing her! Shit. I was there first. I hate it when people do that to me. Why do people think it's okay to push me around? She is probably the Queen of Fremont.
Then guess what! I discovered that they did indeed hire new people at Bill's. The newest lady was working in the deli, where I get the meat for sandwiches. First, she didn't have the customer service training talk yet, and I had to wait a while for some other lady (her trainer) to see me and come tell the new lady that she could stop what she was doing to help me. I asked for one pound of tavern ham. So the lady had to spend a few minutes figuring out how to get her gloves on. Then spend some time figuring out how to open the sliding glass doors to the meat, and then talk to the trainer lady about which meat was the Tavern Ham. This is okay. New people are slow. So she grabs a stack of ham and puts it on the scale. It's half a pound almost exactly. She spends a minute figuring out how to press the scale buttons so the price comes up. Then she puts one more slice on the stack to bring it up to 0.57 lbs. Then she starts to pack it up, and the lady trainer her says that she thinks I asked for a whole pound of meat. I confirm that I did. So the new lady grabs two slices of ham...and nope, that's not enough. So she grabs two more slices. Nope. She man-handled every slice of ham of mine for the entire second half a pound! She had to go one to two slices at a time! UGH. That was not okay. That's not due to being new. That's due to being slow. (I know, I know, maybe she was nervous about taking forever and wasn't thinking clearly b/c she's new. I know.)
Then I grabbed Josh's favorite potato chips and left. The cashier lady was nice and the bagger was Nate. I don't know him. But I go to him every time. We discussed the weather as we walked out to the car. I'm trying to practice asking him a nice question that doesn't have to do with the weather for next time. It's hard and I usually chicken out because I'm shy and just mention the weather again. I'm thinking I'll ask "So, are you in school?" Or should I say college?
And that's my life.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
My Secret Passion
Back before I was married, but living in Nashville, I came home for Christmas break and I broke my ankle in a terrible sledding accident. There was not blood and carnage everywhere. I was on crutches for 4 months. I came home in the spring time still on crutches and had to go shopping at Bill's Shop'n'Save with my mom for wedding shower food.
It was a long and hard crutch around that store, so I decided to sit down and wait for my mom. I picked out a donut (either sprinkle or glazed), paid for it, and sat at the front of the store on a bench. An elderly grandmother type came and sat next to me. She also had a hard time walking around the store. I ate my donut and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. That moment of relaxing in the store eating a piece of heaven is one of those moments you notice and know you will remember forever.
That's when one of my brother's friends who worked there walked up and accused me of stealing the donut and called me a cripple. Per usual of his friends.
But, still, I did not forget that donut. I went on a secret quest throughout Nashvile for the next 5 years, looking for it's southern equivalent. About 7 months before Lilly was born and we moved, I discovered the closest I could get to a Bill's donut. It was in a store on a very busy street, Murfreesboro Pike, on my way to work and home. The unfortunate part was that they closed at 1pm. Which I found out after turning, in the rain, to go there, missing the drive and having to make not one but two left turns on a 6 lane road. In the rain. In case you haven't driven in the rain in the south, it's similar in danger levels and difficulty as driving in a snowstorm up here. It just is.
I never left home early enough to stop for donuts on the way to work.
So I moved home. Now I can have Bill's Donuts whenever I want. Except Fridays, when they sell out. And that one time when Carly promised me Bill's donuts when I visited, but Bill's was closed so they got Lofthouse Sugar Cookies from Walmart instead. A valiant effort, but not the same as those donuts.
They are made at night by a guy who's girlfriend I met at the Library. He has a 10 month old daughter and 3 year old son. They were also at the library. They are cake donuts and they are amazing. My favorites right now are the bear claws (I think they are called that). They are brown and flaky with donut flake and filled with apple and cinnamon. But not too much to be overwhelming, just enough filling that you know it's there. And then it's covered in delicious glaze. They are rectangular and the edges and corners get crispy, and then are covered in that glaze, making them extra crispy. I like to pull the edges off and eat those first. Then I like the sprinkle donuts because they are so colorful and pretty. Bill's does the sprinkles in colors to match the season, the current holiday, and to match the local high school colors. I usually choose the most colorful ones. I like it when there are two main colors with a third sprinkle color, sprinkled in (if you will). I like the light brown colored frosting for the sprinkled donuts. You can also choose white or black. The best donuts there of all of them are the sourdough ones. When they are cooked they split open on the top, like a banana bread. Then when they are covered in glaze extra glaze fills in the cracks and it hardens better. The regular glazed cake donuts get a little soggy b/c the glaze will soften and get sticky in the humidity.
My mom doesn't understand why I buy and eat so many donuts. That's a lot of extra calories. But I don't buy nutty bars or cheesy poofs or chocolate to eat. I just buy donuts once a week when I do my grocery shopping.
On a side note, when I went to Bill's on Friday, at 2 pm, I found out that that's when all of the oldest of the old people do their shopping. The store was FILLED with the elderly, pottering around, barely able to walk, with their clip boards and sale flyers. I chatted with a lady who was shucking corn to make white bean chili and wanted to put the fresh corn in it. It just looked so good. We discussed if 2 or 3 ears was enough. Then I talked to the youngest person there, who informed me that her granddaughter just turned one year old that day! And almost every single one of the people stops and talks to Lilly. It was a busy day and there was a lot of managers working at Bill's. In the back of the store I heard one guy saying he just hired 2 people and he was worried if it would work out or not. He was pretty excited about it. Then in line I heard two older gents discussing how they interviewed 4 people, three internal and one external, but no decisions were made yet. I guess Friday is when Bill's does their hiring. It's a good place to work b/c they have baggers still. People who bag your groceries and then carry them out to your car for you with special bagger carts. Lots of people who work there have worked there for 10+ years. I always get inline where this guy, Nate, works. I haven't gotten the courage up to talk to him yet, but I'm working on it. I tried this time, to ask about the lack of delicious donuts, but he was busy and grumpy, and the bagger girl, Jess, talked to me instead. She said she was disappointed too that they sold out b/c she eats them on her break. I think I will try to strike up a conversation with Jess next time too. She carries my groceries out to my car a lot, so I should have some chances to discuss more than the weather.
Oh, when I say it was a busy day, I think it was, not because there were a lot of people there, but because old people like a lot of extra help. Sending things back to the isles and getting the workers to grab what they really wanted to buy. Stuff like that. And of course, that sort of service and courtesy, is what gets them the customers.
It was a long and hard crutch around that store, so I decided to sit down and wait for my mom. I picked out a donut (either sprinkle or glazed), paid for it, and sat at the front of the store on a bench. An elderly grandmother type came and sat next to me. She also had a hard time walking around the store. I ate my donut and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. That moment of relaxing in the store eating a piece of heaven is one of those moments you notice and know you will remember forever.
That's when one of my brother's friends who worked there walked up and accused me of stealing the donut and called me a cripple. Per usual of his friends.
But, still, I did not forget that donut. I went on a secret quest throughout Nashvile for the next 5 years, looking for it's southern equivalent. About 7 months before Lilly was born and we moved, I discovered the closest I could get to a Bill's donut. It was in a store on a very busy street, Murfreesboro Pike, on my way to work and home. The unfortunate part was that they closed at 1pm. Which I found out after turning, in the rain, to go there, missing the drive and having to make not one but two left turns on a 6 lane road. In the rain. In case you haven't driven in the rain in the south, it's similar in danger levels and difficulty as driving in a snowstorm up here. It just is.
I never left home early enough to stop for donuts on the way to work.
So I moved home. Now I can have Bill's Donuts whenever I want. Except Fridays, when they sell out. And that one time when Carly promised me Bill's donuts when I visited, but Bill's was closed so they got Lofthouse Sugar Cookies from Walmart instead. A valiant effort, but not the same as those donuts.
They are made at night by a guy who's girlfriend I met at the Library. He has a 10 month old daughter and 3 year old son. They were also at the library. They are cake donuts and they are amazing. My favorites right now are the bear claws (I think they are called that). They are brown and flaky with donut flake and filled with apple and cinnamon. But not too much to be overwhelming, just enough filling that you know it's there. And then it's covered in delicious glaze. They are rectangular and the edges and corners get crispy, and then are covered in that glaze, making them extra crispy. I like to pull the edges off and eat those first. Then I like the sprinkle donuts because they are so colorful and pretty. Bill's does the sprinkles in colors to match the season, the current holiday, and to match the local high school colors. I usually choose the most colorful ones. I like it when there are two main colors with a third sprinkle color, sprinkled in (if you will). I like the light brown colored frosting for the sprinkled donuts. You can also choose white or black. The best donuts there of all of them are the sourdough ones. When they are cooked they split open on the top, like a banana bread. Then when they are covered in glaze extra glaze fills in the cracks and it hardens better. The regular glazed cake donuts get a little soggy b/c the glaze will soften and get sticky in the humidity.
My mom doesn't understand why I buy and eat so many donuts. That's a lot of extra calories. But I don't buy nutty bars or cheesy poofs or chocolate to eat. I just buy donuts once a week when I do my grocery shopping.
On a side note, when I went to Bill's on Friday, at 2 pm, I found out that that's when all of the oldest of the old people do their shopping. The store was FILLED with the elderly, pottering around, barely able to walk, with their clip boards and sale flyers. I chatted with a lady who was shucking corn to make white bean chili and wanted to put the fresh corn in it. It just looked so good. We discussed if 2 or 3 ears was enough. Then I talked to the youngest person there, who informed me that her granddaughter just turned one year old that day! And almost every single one of the people stops and talks to Lilly. It was a busy day and there was a lot of managers working at Bill's. In the back of the store I heard one guy saying he just hired 2 people and he was worried if it would work out or not. He was pretty excited about it. Then in line I heard two older gents discussing how they interviewed 4 people, three internal and one external, but no decisions were made yet. I guess Friday is when Bill's does their hiring. It's a good place to work b/c they have baggers still. People who bag your groceries and then carry them out to your car for you with special bagger carts. Lots of people who work there have worked there for 10+ years. I always get inline where this guy, Nate, works. I haven't gotten the courage up to talk to him yet, but I'm working on it. I tried this time, to ask about the lack of delicious donuts, but he was busy and grumpy, and the bagger girl, Jess, talked to me instead. She said she was disappointed too that they sold out b/c she eats them on her break. I think I will try to strike up a conversation with Jess next time too. She carries my groceries out to my car a lot, so I should have some chances to discuss more than the weather.
Oh, when I say it was a busy day, I think it was, not because there were a lot of people there, but because old people like a lot of extra help. Sending things back to the isles and getting the workers to grab what they really wanted to buy. Stuff like that. And of course, that sort of service and courtesy, is what gets them the customers.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Hairy Babies, Pets, and Bad Yard Art
On the way into town, there are things you look at. What do you look at when drive to work or town? How long have you been looking at these things? On my way to work in Nashville, I looked at the street sign that said "Edge-o-Lake Rd" just like that, and thought thoughts on it almost every day. I looked at the houses by the stop sign and judged them. I looked at the trees change in the treed part of the drive. It really was a pretty boring drive. Now, on the way to Fremont I get to look at the large statue of a fetus being held in a hand and a large sign next to it with anti-abortion bible words on it that is a whole paragraph long and I can't read it while driving by. Below it in the ground are crosses set out to spell ABORTION, and there is one cross for each child aborted every day or year or something. I used to know in high school. This year, they haven't weeded the crosses, so it's looking a little rough. There is also a beautiful feild of red poppies mixed with a purple flower, and a lot of amish buildings too, with their laundry hanging. But there is a new item, something for my parents to look at for the next 30 years. A large tree fell down a while back, right on the edge of the road, sort of in front of a house, if there was a house there. There is a fallen down barn and a burnt up mobile home (it just burnt up last month) and maybe a dilapitated house too. (it's not a pretty corner). But the tree broke about 10-15 ft up, and so there was a large 10-15 stump (Trunk?) left. That stump was carved in a large 10 ft coca-cola glass bottle and then painted to look like such. WHY?!?! WHY DO YOU WANT THAT IN YOUR YARD? I'd rather have the fetus in a hand.
Yesterday I brought Ackbar and Lilly to the vet where I discovered that my cat weighs one pound less than my baby. Despite the fact that Ackbar's figure has slimmed down and he has a nice kitty waist now, he somehow weighs more than ever at a large 16 lbs! It's all muscle weight, I'm sure. The trip was one of the hardest and most adventurous trips I've had to go on with a baby. I couldn't carry both in at the same time, so first I carried Ackbar in in his crate, then I went back out and grabbed my purse and the stroller. Lilly was asleep, so I didn't want to wake her and put her in the stroller. And then the stroller wheels were locked, and I was in too much of a hurry to unlock them, so I picked it up and carried the stroller in, like a giant nerd. Then I went back out to get Lilly. Next time, I'm just waking her up. Then we got into the room, and I realized I had left the paperwork in my other purse, and had to run back out to the car to get it.
The vet commented on how beautiful and handsome he is. She also commented on how beautiful Lilly is and how much hair she has. She tactfully didn't use the same compliments on Ackbar. But if she had, I would have said "That's how I like them, beautiful and hairy!" That's funny.
We spent the weekend at Grandma Colombini's house. She has a great dog named Chance, and he is a mini collie...a Shetland Sheep dog. He looks like a foot rest and has a lot of hair too. We realized that Chance and Lilly have a lot in common, number one being the first comment they both get when strangers see them is "Look at all that hair!"
Tomorrow we go see Don Benson play in the park in Fremont. He is a jewelry maker and folk musician! He and his wife make my favorite jewelry, I have a collection of it (they sell at Bliss Fest) and we've been listening to his cd for quite some time! I'm excited to see him sing the songs I know and I sing too. There's one about taking a bath together, there's one about where to send money (he actually sings teh PO box number, so you really can send him money) if you burn the cd, and there's one that goes "My dogma ate my karma".
Yesterday I brought Ackbar and Lilly to the vet where I discovered that my cat weighs one pound less than my baby. Despite the fact that Ackbar's figure has slimmed down and he has a nice kitty waist now, he somehow weighs more than ever at a large 16 lbs! It's all muscle weight, I'm sure. The trip was one of the hardest and most adventurous trips I've had to go on with a baby. I couldn't carry both in at the same time, so first I carried Ackbar in in his crate, then I went back out and grabbed my purse and the stroller. Lilly was asleep, so I didn't want to wake her and put her in the stroller. And then the stroller wheels were locked, and I was in too much of a hurry to unlock them, so I picked it up and carried the stroller in, like a giant nerd. Then I went back out to get Lilly. Next time, I'm just waking her up. Then we got into the room, and I realized I had left the paperwork in my other purse, and had to run back out to the car to get it.
The vet commented on how beautiful and handsome he is. She also commented on how beautiful Lilly is and how much hair she has. She tactfully didn't use the same compliments on Ackbar. But if she had, I would have said "That's how I like them, beautiful and hairy!" That's funny.
We spent the weekend at Grandma Colombini's house. She has a great dog named Chance, and he is a mini collie...a Shetland Sheep dog. He looks like a foot rest and has a lot of hair too. We realized that Chance and Lilly have a lot in common, number one being the first comment they both get when strangers see them is "Look at all that hair!"
Tomorrow we go see Don Benson play in the park in Fremont. He is a jewelry maker and folk musician! He and his wife make my favorite jewelry, I have a collection of it (they sell at Bliss Fest) and we've been listening to his cd for quite some time! I'm excited to see him sing the songs I know and I sing too. There's one about taking a bath together, there's one about where to send money (he actually sings teh PO box number, so you really can send him money) if you burn the cd, and there's one that goes "My dogma ate my karma".
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