Lying...is that like dying?...Is Jesus Chuckie cheese's...And the whole thing is confusing

Funny story...Alex was eating a snack before dinner and I came up from the basement and she told me someone ate one of her crackers. Well, considering there are only three humans that live in this house and one dog (and two of the three humans were in the basement) I was assuming she meant the pooch. I said, "Alex, did you give it to Cooper?" And she very seriously said, "No. He took it off my plate." Really? Hmmm. I say, "So Cooper got up ontop of the table with all of his paws and took the cracker off your plate?" Serious look, "Yup, I think he did" she says while nodding her head, eyes very wide. Well then I had to go on and on about lying and that we don't lie EVER (unless it's to not hurst someone's feelings which sorta confused her---shoulda left that part out) and that lying makes mommy sad, blah blah blah, on and on.

I explained that next time she tells a lie to mommy or anyone she will get an immediate time out and this was her one warning. Then she said, "But Mama! You SAID when we go up there (points up) with Chucky Cheezush and Geezush and Mary, not in time out."I have heard her refer to Jesus (aka Geezush) as Chuckie Cheezush before but it's like they have become a team now. If one is mentioned so is the other or one can fill in for the other--they are interchangeable. So anyway the whole conversation got very confusing for me and I'm assuming the three year old...were we talking about lying or dying? I couldn't figure it out. So I moved on, kissed her on the head and left it with, "It is important we always tell the truth". She gave me an approving nod.

[while they certaintly don't resemble one another, I can see the confusion with the name thing, right?]

Later I was telling the story to Tim and he said, "Actually Cooper has been known these days to take food off the table if the room is unattended so she probably wasn't lying." Good info...a deep confusing converstaion later and a few hours too late.

Can i get some BOOTS, puh-lease!!!

The search was on...we have tons of snow (for southern Indiana) and a layer of ice in between the layers of snow. My job requires me to go to many different types of homes, some in better shape than others, and some where I knew snow would be calf high and not a shovel in sight. So, I went to get my boots out. Suprise! It turns out I don't have any boots! Well, that's ok, I'll just go buy some...surely you can buy those types of things nearly anywhere. Turns out, not so much. FIrst stop, Biggs (aka the store i hate more than anything...target/walmart wanna be and not even close). Second stop, Kmart. I hate Kmart equally. [remember we live in the BFE and had to venture out during a level 3 emergency to get some boots...and snow/sledding clothes for the bean---def emergency type stuff, so the stores were limited by location and openness]. Anyway, back to kmart...The store where there are prices on nothing and the prices that are actually on items I have to take a double take because I'm just sure they don't really want that much for THAT! But, I did find some men's boots for 15 bucks even though they were a couple sizes too big...so what, who cares!? Turns out I did. After walking around the next morn in them in my kitchen and them sliding off my feet with every step I decided to return them. I would look elsewhere...my job requires me to venture out into actual towns and villages where people actually live and I thought I would pass a million stores with a million boots just waiting to be purchased and proudly placed on my feet thus providing my fee with a warm and cozy happiness. Turned out I was wrong...3.5 hours worth of treacherous driving AND WRONG! After stopping at Kohls, Meijers, Shoe Depot, Sears, Payless, TJ Maxx, and Target [disclaimer, this was a ghetto target so I do not hold Target responsible in anyway for my disappointment or dissatisfaction--I still heart Target Forever]...I was SOL. Let's remember that I was not after fashion, I was not looking to impress or have my feet steal the show or win awards or have anyone wonder where I got my stylish boots...I simply needed boot-type things to place on my feet to keep my lower extremities warm and dry for work and for sledding in my back yard...that's it. No luck. Turns out women only want sparkly-gold-razzle-dazzle-high-heeled-dangly-decorations-tassels-balls-pointy-toed-wedged-heels-tacky-pink-and-pukey-shiney-mirrored(that's right, mirrored)-COTTON(doesn't that defeat the purpose)-blue-and-furry-not-so-much-boots. Literally 3.5 hours later I was completely defeated. So defeated I almost went back to a previous store and bought wedged healted brown vinyl boots...I thought if nothing else they were the closest I'd found to keeping my feed dry, and perhaps they'd add a little flare to my scrubs. But I held out. I will add I did find some boots (worthy boots that actually were snow boots) but they were sixty plus dollars. Again, I wanted these to sled in and to work in...period. I do not hike in the mountains, nor doI ski/visit anywhere remotely worthy of expensive boots. So, after some self talk, I kept driving and went home---empty handed---defeated---a void in my heart. I should also add that in a few stores there were some boots I would have actually considered due to cheapness and not so hideous-ness but the only remaining sizes:2-5 aka miniature women sizes.

Alas, my friends, the day did not end all badly. I found four pairs online at dicks from the comfort of my own couch (after visiting a less than desireable page by typing in d i c k s followed by .com, thinking that was the site of the sporting goods store---uh...not so much---however, I did finally find my desired site). With free shipping both ways I ordered four pairs. I wasn't going to mess this up. Iwill return the undesireables. In less than a week I shall be an owner of cheap, yet decently attractive FUNCTIONAL boots. But, I did have to endure sledding for the second day in a row in my RAIN boots, which I might as well have put on a pair of socks and wraped them in garbage bags and then ventured out into the frozen tundra. Please dickssportinggoods.com don't fail me now...I'm waiting...anxiously for my non-trendy, yet still decent actual snow boots, that didn't cost a fortune. After all the heartache, I'm seriously considering moving to warmer non-snow climate. Every year this sounds better and better and after this debacle it's a serious possibility.

To be continued....

Some long overdue pics! At last!

Such long overdue photos indeed! Some go way back to the fall! The other little girl is Alex's best friend, Grace. They are too cute together, always hugging and holding hands. Occassionally you'll catch one of them telling the other that they love each other. Priceless.

Children's Museum fun. Actually this pic is at Wendy's patiently waiting for their oh so healthy kids meals with toy!

Playing grocery store

Mama and Alex craft time. Thanks Aunt Marla for the daisy kit!

Another interesting craft time with mom...homemade wands. I know they are a little jankie, but I was trying to be creative with the few 'crafty' things I have!

At Gracie's house...just being coppy cats.

Alex at Gracie's wondering why she doesn't have an entire collection of princess atire like Grace....

Way oldie! At Rough River, KY this summer

Park near our house

Before Alex's Christmas Musical (that was actually after Christmas due to weather)

They sang an angel song to the tune of Three Little Indians, and Santa Clause is Coming to Town. [I liked to imagine throughout the program what it might be like if adults were as impulsive as children in programs like these...(i.e. mean-muggin their neighbor while singing silent night, shouting out their lines as loud as possible, unexpectedly trying to hold the hand of your neighbor without their permission during song, Standing with your back to the audience while performing just because you felt like it.)
On a completely random note...
I am giving up text messaging...I'd like to say it's because I have some objection to the whole thing, the act of text messaging, but it's only because I KEEP going over my allowed texts (even with unlimited to in-network) and it's costing a pretty penny extra each month. I was/am addicted. It is going to be quite a hard thing to give up...contacting anyone at anytime with any random thought or questions without ACTUALLY having to speak to them or stop what I'm doing. But alas, tis for the betterment (i'm pretty sure that's not a word but I'm going with it anyway) of my family financially. I will be proof that you can survive without it. I hope.

Alex stuff......

Alex is quite the peanut these days. Her vocabulary is growing immensely and everyday she is telling me something new she's learned. She enjoys when I time her to do things (I remember this very fondly from when I was little myself)...however, Alex enjoys to tell you to stay at the number one until she is finished with whatever the task may be. And then she cheers that it only took her one second. Well, whatever motivates quick action I'm all for it.

It becomes clearer everyday that she also enjoys confined small spaces. She shows us this by sleeping in closets (insisting on it at my parents house), sleeping in her toy box, and more recently when she wakes up in the morning and T and I are still sleeping she will take her toys into her bathroom, shut the door and play in there for a LONG time. She does have her own room and a kid friendly room at that, and yet she chooses the bathroom.

She and I were watching some of the presidential celebrations on tv on Tuesday and I was telling her all about our new president and his girls, etc. Then she very seriously turned to me and asked if they live inside our tv. Hmmmm, that was a hard one to explain.

Hold tight...

So, I am a true blogging slacker. It's official. I promise to squeeze out some extra time somewhere in the day tomorrow (thurs) and post some new cute pics of the bean. I know you are all on the edge of your seat.



Good news---Alex requested I NOT pick her up when I arrived at her school today. She instead requested, "Go run mamma, and I'll play. Then we'll go home" Holy Hell! She is officially grown up. I am no longer needed. My job has become obsolete. Am I being laid off? At least when we got home it was the usual snuggly girl that wanted to be with me EVERYWHERE.

ie. I sit down to pee (sorry for the visual), she comes in, as you mothers know that privacy no longer exists once you take on mama role, and she pulls in her red stool and sits on it and reminds me of the rules to not lock the door, "Wememba the rules mama, DON'T lock the door, you don't wanna get in trouble". Then she says, "I'll just sit here and wait for you instead, that way you won't forget the rules." Awe, how sweet. :) {have i already blogged about the lack of privacy in the ladies room? Geez, i'm such a lazy blogger now that I don't even remember what I post. But you can see now, that I have ideas for blogs, many throughout the day....it's just rare they actually get posted :}

Until my next blog (hopefully tomorrow), good night.