Cameron & Mommy's Old Friend

Awhile back my sister came to visit and she brought me an old friend of mine. I have no clue where she had him, but she brought me my old Snoopy dog that I use to play with when I was a child. Do you know how happy I was to see him? Ah, my long lost friend Snoopy had returned to his rightful owner....... ME or maybe I should say Cameron. Anyway, Cameron has a new friend and he loves him. He took him outside the other night when we went out and was running down the little hill in our backyard with Snoopy under his arm. I luckily got a picture of it and it was so cute to see. My sister said that she washed Snoopy up and he looks pretty good minus a few aged spots, but don't we all have aged spots (lol)? So, do your children have any old toys of yours that they now have adopted? I was just lucky that Snoopy was returned to me because before then Cameron didn't have any of my old toys except a table and chair that use to be my Moms, her sister, my sister, mine and now Cameron's. Gotta love old things.

A Mommy Made Tent is Lots of Fun

Seeing as though I have been sick and in the house all week long, I thought I would help Cameron have a little fun. So, yesterday afternoon shortly before lunch, I made him a tent over top of Daddy's chair. He had a blast!! You could hear him in his Mommy made tent just laughing and giggling. He thought he was such a big boy to have his own little tent and it entertained him for quite awhile. I peeked in on him a couple times and he was doodling on his doodle pro and just smiling and singing. He was just so happy.

Take a close look at this picture below. Do you notice anything about his outfit? Be sure to look closely? Well, if you haven't noticed it..... he is wearing a Handy Manny jammie shirt and Mickey Mouse jammie pants. Yep, we have a little boy that is an equal opportunity lover here. He had to have on one of each and there were definitely no if's ands or buts about it. Today he wanted to wear them again, but instead of the same jammies, we just reversed the outfit. He wore Mickey on top and Handy Manny on the bottom (lol). It was pretty funny. He has a mind of his own that is for sure and a cute on at that.

Look at that precious smile on his face. I don't even think he knew I was in "his" tent taking the picture until afterward of course.

Sick With Great Company

Well, I thought that I was going to escape the sickness that Cameron and DH had, but I didn't escape the nasty cold and have had it since last Friday. Do I feel any better at all? Nope, I have been on Z-Pak since Monday and a nasal spray and don't feel any better at all. My sinus pressure is so bad that no pain reliever is helping. I have tried Advil, Extra Strength Tylenol, Excedrin and nothing is even touching the pain. I have been on a steady diet of soups and noodles because my mouth and teeth hurt so bad that I can't even chew anything. This has to be the worst sinus infection that I have ever had. The pain is just awful and I even think that my face is a bit swollen. It is just all around not a good sinus infection AT ALL. I haven't had any kids in the house this weekend except for my little sweetheart. He has been keeping me company and giving me plenty of smiles to help make me feel better. He is such a sweetheart and I love him. I brought over his blankie to me yesterday along with his Blue's Clues dog and his lion and handed it over. As soon as I took it, he looked at me and said "Feel Better Mommy" It was just the cutest thing ever. So, even though I am sick, not feeling good at all, I still have this most precious boy that seems to make things all better just by being his sweet self. Gosh, I thank my Lord everyday for blessing me with my little miracle. He is indeed the best gift ever!!

Our trip to the Columbus Zoo

I may be sicker then a dog right now, but last week I promised Cameron that I would take him to the zoo. Shawn arranged to have the day off and it was in the mid 50's so it was pretty warm and we decided to take advantage of our zoo membership that my parents bought for us. So, after my doctor's appointment this morning we packed things up and off we went to the zoo. I bought Cameron this elephant shirt just for his trip to the zoo. He LOVES elephants and was thrilled to see so many of them today.

Here is Cameron and Shawn riding the carousel at the zoo. He loved it and you may not be able to tell in this picture, but he just got done blowing me a kiss. Every time he would see me, he would blow me a kiss. It was simply precious!!
Getting ready to start. He was quite anxious to get started and loved it as soon as they started going. To say the least....he didn't want to get off.
Isn't this the cutest baby monkey you have every seen? I just fell in love with his face. Gotta love all sorts of babies!!
I thought this was hilarious!! I saw this monkey just sitting there. He/She was all sprawled out and picking his nose. What a funny picture!!
This gorilla was getting ready for a nap, but he took time to give Cameron the stare down. It was cute to watch the two of them interact. Cameron loved him. He got down in his face at one point and said "Night Night". Cameron just had so much fun!!
Yep, one of Cameron's FAVORITE stops was the elephants. He LOVES LOVES LOVES elephants and was thrilled to see all of them. Of course he would have been content sitting around watching them all day long.

Here is a picture of Cameron and Mommy and baby elephant. Doesn't Cameron look too cute in his hat? It was still a bit breezy and cool so we thought it was still necessary for a hat especially since he just got over a cold about 2-3 weeks ago.

The only thing separating Cameron and this tiger was the glass. It was definitely an up front and close encounter. Once again Cameron just stood there looking at the BIG kitty!!

Here is the profile of Cameron watching the tiger. Isn't he close?!? He loved it, but it still made me a bit nervous. Gotta love how a Momma worries about her little one.

Well, that was our day at the Columbus Zoo. We will definitely be taking many more trips, but hopefully it will be a bit warmer next time. I did see some daffodils so at least we know that the warm weather is right around the corner - YAY!! Hope you enjoyed going to the Zoo with us : )

Feeling Icky

It has been a good weekend and a not so good weekend. We went to go visit my parents this weekend, but had to cut it short since I have been sick. Yep, I have a sore throat, stuffy/runny nose, cough and a headache. Yep, I have escaped it for quite some time especially since Cameron and Shawn have both had it, but I guess I couldn't escape the sickness any longer. I wanted to tell you that I have completed my master bathroom. I still need to add a frame around my mirror, but that is pretty much the only thing left to complete. If you are interested in seeing pictures of my new and improved bathroom then check out my other blog at Prims From Above. I am a primitive and antique decorator so if that isn't your taste then you might not be interested, but I must say that I worked hard to beautify it. I re-finished the bathroom cabinets myself to give them a primitive look, painted the walls a Bark Gray and then added my prim pretties to it. I made the jars myself..... they use to be pickle jars believe it or not and I added a prim label to it and VIOLA it gave it a whole new look. Well, I am off to relax for the evening and hopefully stop blowing this nose of mine. Gotta love it when it runs like a faucet, but then you try to blow it and it is tighter then a drum.......love it!! Perhaps Vicks VapoRub will be my best friend tonight : )

What a Sweet Blessing!

As some of you remember, I take care of other children in my home. I am so blessed that Cameron isn't a jealous little boy, but instead he embraces the idea. Cameron loves playing with kids.... big or small and I am so happy that he gets along with everyone!! He just has that personality where he gets along with everyone and well everyone in return loves him. The other day I was checking my e-mail and I noticed Cameron carrying in a booster seat to the family room. I was wondering what he was going to do with it because lately he has been climbing EVERYTHING. Well, I was surprised when he put it down at the feet of the little boy that I babysit. I grabbed my camera just so I could have it ready and this is what I ended up getting a picture of. He took the baby's sock off and was playing "This Little Piggie" with him. It was so cute and I wish I had a video of it too, but I didn't get the chance to get it and take a picture. The little boy was smiling and giggling and Cameron loved playing "This Little Piggie" with him. I guess he remembers us playing with his piggies. To hear him recite "This Little Piggie" was just precious and then see him go from toe to toe was priceless. Anyway, I had to share this sweet picture with all of you. I am indeed blessed with sweet moments like this all the time.

Cameron is such a sweet blessing!!

Wordless Wednesday

An Old Friend in Michigan

Yesterday I decided to send an e-mail to a gal in Michigan. This gal is the new Mommy to my kitty cat Simon. Well, I purchased Simon many many years ago when I was married to my first husband. I wanted a little kitty and when I went to meet this breeder, I fell in love with her kitty cats. Well, Simon was the one that came to me and made over me and I of course feel instantly in love with him. So, I bought him that evening and brought him home. My first husband I had not been getting along and I suppose that I was filling a void, but Simon and I became instant buddies. He was the most affectionate little guy that you have ever seen. He was just the sweetest and I loved him. He had definitely been through everything with me. He went through a divorce with me, a stupid move to Chicago to be with a man, a move back to Ohio to get away from that man and then a start of a new life. He was there with me for everything and I loved him for that. It was definitely a rough and bumpy road, but he was my little tagalong. Anyway, many many years later I met Shawn and we got married. Simon loved and adored him and I think he was so happy to have a little father figure in his life (lol). I know that sounds weird for a cat, but it was difficult for him since I had been through some rough relationships and he was very hesitant on trusting men. He loved Shawn. Anyway, to make a long story short......I became pregnant and found another home for Simon. He went to the state up north. Ohio States BIG rival, but I must say that they are the best and the sweetest people. I found a great home for him and they love him dearly. The nice thing is that his new Daddy has retired so Simon has someone with him at home all the time. I know he must love that. Here is a picture of him now and I received the picture yesterday. Sounds like he is doing well. Still fat and sassy and is very spoiled. Thank you Nancy for taking such great care of him. I guess it is a good thing that I found him a new home because Cameron is allergic to cats. I am hoping that someday he will grow out of that, but we will see.

I love you my sweet boy and miss you Simon!!

Not Me! Monday

Today is Monday and if you are real familiar with blogland then you know all about Not Me Monday which is hosted by Mckmama herself. Go ahead and check it out at My Charming Kids. So, it is now time to confess the things you absolutely DID NOT, WOULD NOT ever do during the past week. So, here goes nothing......

1) I DID NOT paint my whole master bathroom in just a few short hours, get done and think about what I could paint next. Who would do that? Don't most people get tired after painting one room?

2) I DID NOT re-finish a shelving unit on Sunday by painting it and then staining it. I would never have that much energy.

3) I DID NOT feed my son fishie crackers and fruit snacks for lunch so I could get my painting done before his nap and then work on another project. Who would do that to their child. Unfortunately me, that is who.

4) I DID NOT eat lentil soup with my son yesterday for lunch and then think to myself that my husband is TOTALLY going to hate me for eating this soup because it gives me gas (lol). I would never do that to my poor husband : ) AND he never eats bean burritos from Taco Bell and then laughs because it gives him gas. Oh No NEVER. Hmm, I guess we are even : )

5) I DID NOT have my husband back track 5 minutes down the road so we could go to Mickey D's to get me a Shamrock Shake. Um, I am so not obsessed with those things!!

6) I DID NOT and would never go a day without showering just because I was so into re-doing furniture yesterday. Ewww, that is just gross!

7) I DID NOT eat 4 glazed donuts yesterday - one right after the other and then debate on eating another. Ah, yeah I ended up eating another. Can't you tell that it is TOTALLY not that time of the month!?!

8) I DID NOT and WOULD NOT ever forget to wish my husband Happy Birthday. Uh yeah, it took me 20 minutes after we were up to remember his birthday!! What a bad wife I am.

So, what did you NOT do this past week. Go on and be honest and share!!

Spare Time & Relaxing

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I re-painted our master bathroom and re-painted and stained a bathroom cupboard that my FIL gave to me last Christmas. I love the cupboard, but after re-doing my bathroom cabinets I had to re-paint the bathroom a different color in order to make the cabinets look good and then after that I had to re-paint the cupboard in order to tie it all together. Geesh, don't you love it when one thing leads to another? I didn't anticipate all of this, but I wasn't going to keep it the way it was and then have certain things stand out like a sore thumb. Cameron allowed me to get so much done yesterday. He was literally THE BEST little boy that I have EVER seen. I put him in his pack n play to keep him away from the wet walls in the bathroom, turned on his little portable DVD player with Blue's Clues, gave him some juice and goldfish crackers and he must have sat there for an hour or longer. He was so so good, never cried or whined and it allowed me to get the bathroom pretty much all finished before lunch time. Once he went down for his nap I completed it and started on my cupboard. I am quite pleased with all of it and now I just need to add a few decorations here and there and it should be complete.

Today I am walking around like I am 30 months pregnant and can barely move, but it is worth having it all done and looking great! I decorate with antiques and primitives so in my words it looks "Prim Perfect". To see some of the other things I have re-done including my bathroom cupboard that my FIL gave me then check out my Prims from Above site. There are times I go to thrift stores, buy the ugliest looking things and re-finish them to give them a whole new prim look. It is fun, relaxing and it keeps me busy and I love it. If you head over to my primitives site then be sure to look for my cutting board that I re-did. I bought this thing for 50 cents at the thrift store and re-finished it. It looks great and it goes perfectly with my decorations. Well, I am off to see what else I can get into today. Hmmm, what can I decorate next? So, what do you do in your spare time to help you relax? Go ahead and leave me a comment and share what you do. I can't wait to hear about it.

Re-Decorating Is Keeping Me Busy

Well I am still here and haven't fallen off the earth yet. I have been so busy lately doing some re-decorating in our home. Unfortunately after I re-painted our cabinets in the master bathroom, they didn't quite match the purple paint. I was eventually going to paint the bathroom, but wasn't planning on doing that quite yet. Well, things changed rather quickly and the next thing you know.... I am painting my bathroom. I must say that it took on a totally new look and it looks great. Below is a sneak peek! I still need to decorate and finish a few other things, but at least the bathroom is finally painted. If you all like the color - you can find it at Wal-Mart and the name is Bark Gray. It is definitely a real pretty brown, but not a dark brown so that is always nice. I didn't want to feel like I was walking into a dark tunnel so this color was perfect for what I was looking for. Anyway, I have been keeping up with pretty much all of my blogs, but just remember that even though I don't leave a comment......doesn't necessarily mean that I haven't been keeping myself posted on what is happening around me in blogland. Hope you all are having a great weekend. I am off to shower before Cameron gets up from his nap.

~ BEFORE ~

~ AFTER ~

Warm Yesterday - Gone Today

Gotta love Ohio weather. If you all haven't had the chance to experience the greatness then you definitely should sometime. Yesterday it was 78 degrees outside and today it is in the 40's. Yep, you heard me correctly. I think that is why everyone is so sick. We go from warm weather to cold weather, from cold weather to warm weather and well the list goes on. Anyway, I know that this summer is indeed going to be a season of bumps, bruises, scrapes and lots of tears because we don't want to come inside. Yep, we even experienced a bit of crying yesterday evening. We took Cameron out to play and of course we had to come in because it was getting late and he had to get a bath. Well, Cameron threw one humdinger of a fit!! Oh boy......did he ever cry and throw a tantrum. I guess we are just getting ourselves prepared for summer time (lol). Anyway, here he is was playing last night. He had so much fun climbing the ladder all by himself and going down the slide all by himself. Oh- talk about a nervous Mommy!! Yep, I am there.

Not Me Monday

If you haven't joined in on the carnival of fun then you better hop on the boat now and check out what the fun is all about on MckMama's site "My Charming Kids". Trust me..... it is alot of fun and you will become totally addicted. Here are some of the things that I DID NOT do this past week.

1) I DID NOT get totally frustrated and blow off the handle at a Mom that DID NOT pick her daughter up until 7 pm Friday night.

2) I DID NOT call her husband's phone on purpose Saturday night to let him know what was going on since he is constantly traveling with his band and who knows whether or not he knows what she is doing. I would NEVER do that. I am just too nice.

3) I DID NOT increase her pay for being late during that phone call and remind her of what she owes me during the week because she neglects to pay the correct amount every week.

4) I DID NOT tell my son who was wearing a Buckeye Necklace late last night to stop playing with his nuts. Come on now....... we all know that I call "his" business his winkie.

5) I DID NOT promise my husband intimacy so I could get some paint for my bathroom cupboards. I would never do such a thing. Nope, not me!!

So, what did you NOT do this past week that you would like to share.

Babysitting Fiasco

Yesterday was a crazy day and a crazy night on top of that. Have I told you all that I babysit 2 other kids in the home in order to help bring in some extra money? Well, I only have one of the children on Friday which is a nice relief to say the least. Well, this little girls Mom called at 5:25 pm to tell me that she was running a "little" behind. I told her yesterday morning that we were planning on going to a basketball game for my DH's high school kids that he teaches so she was well aware that we needed to leave at exactly 5:30 or shortly after. I don't mind if these parents are a few minutes late. I know that work can sometimes keep you a little late, but 6:30 rolled around and her Mom was still not here to pick her up. At this time I was LIVID and I normally don't get all hot and bothered under the collar, but I was pretty upset. I called her Mom and asked her where she was and how long she might be and she told me that she was 15 minutes away. Well, her 15 minutes turned into 30 minutes and her Mom didn't show up until 7 pm. Uh yeah, her normal pickup time is 5:30 and to make it all better she dropped her off earlier then normal this morning. I guess it was a good thing that I was ready. I would've thought that she would've paid more because of her inconveniencing us, but get this......she didn't even pay me my normal pay!?! What the heck? I just get tired of being taken advantage of and then for us to miss the game when we already paid for tickets. Uh yeah, I wasn't too happy and my husband was even more distraught. Isn't a few minutes - like 10-15 minutes? I am going to make arrangements to make a few changes regarding their pay that they owe me and if they are late then of course they are going to have to pay the extra money. I guess some of these parents must just think we don't have a life and don't have plans to do anything even though I told her about it. It is just very irritating and to be quite honest...... it ticks me off. Well, I will have to keep you all posted on what they have to say when I make changes to the amount that they owe me. Part of me thinks that the one mother won't even care. Here is to hoping that next week is better.

Good News for Georgia

Well, if you haven't heard..... I am happy to report that According to the AP and several other sources, the Georgia bill that would severely limit IVF in Georgia is most likely dead as it was sent to a Senate sub-committee yesterday for further research. I originally heard about this on RESOLVE's site since I am a volunteer for them however I also heard about it through Courtney's site Praying For a Little One. WOW, you should see some of the comments that were left for her on her blog. Yep, I must admit that I was appalled by some of the comments that were left for her, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but we all know that they may not be the right opinions (lol). I just find it to be so rude that people can leave such rude comments on someones blog. If any of you care to take a look then you should check out Courtney's post from yesterday and the comments that some of the people left for her. WOW - I guess I have always been taught that if you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all. I personally don't mind debating about a topic, but for pete's sake people - you don't need to be rude about it.

I have said time and time again that I am a Christian and just because I went through IVF in order to get pregnant doesn't mean that I am any less of a Christian. I am a firm believer that God works through our doctors, BUT when it comes down to it...... God is the one that makes it all happen. God blessed us with our little boy and for that I am so very thankful.

I could go on about the whole Octo Mom story, but quite personally it isn't worth it. She is evidently going to continue on with her ridiculous ways no matter what people say or do. So, with that I will just leave it at that and leave you with a picture of my sweet little miracle from God. Have a blessed weekend all.

Georgia Residents Need to Take Action

Have you dealt with infertility? Do you know someone that has gone through infertility? Do you know the importance of helping others that are unable to have children and have been trying for years to get pregnant? Well, if you don't have the money to help others then here is an opportunity to help and it doesn't require you to hand out any money. Yep, you heard me correctly.

If you are a resident of Georgia then please take a moment to hop on over to www.resolve.org - The state of Georgia is currently trying to pass a bill that could very well end the practice of IVF in their state. Bill SB 169 would limit the number of embryos transferred during an IVF cycle, and ban the fertilization of any eggs in excess of the number allowed to be transferred. Even if more eggs are produced, they could not be fertilized and cryopreserved for future attempts at pregnancy. In patients under 40, physicians would be allowed to fertilize and transfer only two embryos, and in women over age 40, no more than three embryos. These limits do not meet ASRM guidelines on the number of embryos to transfer, and would affect patients access to care in Georgia. SB 169 would also eliminate any compensation for donor gametes, such as donor egg and donor sperm, severely limiting the number of available donors.

I am not a resident of Georgia, but if that bill came up here in Ohio then I would definitely have to make my voice heard. So, here is your opportunity. Check out www.Resolve.org and there is a place where you can click a link that will send a letter directly to the Georgia Senate Health & Human Services Committee. There will be a hearing on SB 169 on Thursday, March 5, at 9:00 AM in Room 450 of the State Capitol. At the hearing, the committee will hear testimony on the bill. RESOLVE will be testifying as will a number of physicians in Georgia. RESOLVE and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) oppose this bill. The hearing is open to the public and RESOLVE encourages you to attend the hearing.

Come on Georgia residents, make your voice heard and help make a difference to those men and women that are still longing to start a family. Help make their dreams come true and make a difference.

Blessings to you all.

My Cake Maker Baker

Cameron had been asking for cake the past couple nights so I decided to allow him to help me bake a cake. Yep, he has helped me before and he wanted to help again. He pushed his chair over to the counter, we washed his hands and we started mixing our cake. He helped me measure everything and pour it into the bowl and of course he helped me lick the beaters and the leftover batter from the bowl. Yep, I let my child eat the batter and it is so good. I remember me doing that with my Mom when I was younger and I want him to remember that too. Gotta love sweet memories with Mom - right?

Oh - if you are wondering it was yellow cake with Hershey's Chocolate fluffy icing and it is so tasty!! We had such a fun time and he has needed that especially since he has been sick. Doesn't cake make everyone feel better? Of course sprinkled with a little love from Mom : )