Twittering

So, don't get mad at me if you, your sister, mother, brother, cousin, etc., do this, but I just don't get the whole Twitter thing. I mean, I'm doing good just to update my blog every few days. I can't imagine updating, oh I don't know ... every 30 minutes? I can just imagine what my Twitter would look like: 3 hours ago - making supper while screaming child lays at my feet because she is hungry; 2 hours ago - cleaning up supper while screaming child lays at my feet because she didn't like the food; 1 hour ago: cleaning up dog throw up on living room carpet. Riveting reading, huh? I mean, really, unless I am doing something super special like climbing Mt. Everest or starring in a leading female role opposite Matthew McConaughey (hey - we've all got our dreams), do you really care what I'm doing every hour of the day? Plus, who has the time to do all that updating? Sheesh!

She Makes Me Laugh!

As busy and stressed as I have been lately (this always happens at the end of the school year!) I have needed to laugh a little more! I can always count on Camryn to make me giggle! Here are a few things she did over the weekend.

1) Friday night we spent time with our friends Allen and Kelli. Kelli got patio furniture for her birthday, so we spent our night on the back porch, grilling kabobs, and watching the girls play in the back yard. Sooooo relaxing! Alyssa and Camryn were playing with bubbles on the porch while the adults talked. I heard Camryn telling me something about the bubbles and looked down just as she blew a huge bubble out of her mouth while she was talking. I said, "Camryn!! Did you put the bubbles in your mouth??" Of course she did.

2) This morning I walked by her as she was eating breakfast and heard her say, "No, no fingers! Don't you do that! Don't you hurt me" and then watched as she spanked her own fingers. I have no idea what she was doing. I just kept walking and laughed.

3) Yesterday, she was soooo proud of her new dress and headband. It was very funny to watch her walk up to people, hold the skirt on her dress out, and look up at people waiting for them to tell her how pretty she was. (I know that may sound a little bratty, but really, it wasn't brattiness - it was cute). She made $3 yesterday just from people at church who gave her money just because they thought she looked pretty!

Why I Haven't Blogged This Week

Endless hours of testing at work

A marathon meeting on Tuesday with a pushy parent advocate

A 2 year old who cried from 11:30 pm until 1:15 am Wednesday night

A phone call from an irate parent who yelled at me and then slammed the phone down

2 separate meetings in which the parents stood us up and then showed up 20 minutes after the meeting ended

A job opportunity that fell through

A set of someone else's keys I accidentally locked in an office

Sore muscles because I actually started exercising again this week

An early bedtime so I can get up at 5 am each morning to exercise

A situation I am really praying about

Emails and phone calls from friends that have not yet been returned (I feel really bad about this)

A child who has come home from daycare every day this week with a bucket full of sand in her hair

A child who has had a pretty rough cough since Monday

All equal one looooonnnngggg week!

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

My sister-in-law is very creative and planned our nephew Caleb's 3rd birthday party at Edventure in Columbia this weekend. I had never been there, so I didn't know what to expect. We all had a blast! We will definitely be taking a trip back this summer! Here are a few pictures from our fun morning at the party.

Camryn and the birthday boy

Playing with the crazy molding sand. Mommy wasn't too sure about it, but Camryn loved it!

Playing the giant game of Operation with Daddy

The future Doctor Burley checking out the x-rays
Mommy and her favorite girl
Shopping at the grocery store ... one of our favorite things at Edventure!
Getting some bread ... that's my girl - the Carb Queen!
Ridin' the John Deere Down on the farm with Daddy

The cute cousins "camping"

Our sweet nephew

Looking through the porthole on the S.S. Shrimpy ... how appropriate!
Cam was really good at this!!

Caleb, Camryn, and Brady - the musical cousins

Family pic from the day!

Kelli's Meatloaf

My friend Kelli makes a killer meatloaf. I first had it when Camryn was born, and Kelli made dinner for us. It has been my favorite meatloaf ever since. And, it is not a complicated recipe!


Meatloaf
2 lbs. ground beef (chuck)
1 can Hunts Meatloaf Sauce


Follow directions on meatloaf sauce can, which includes adding 2 eggs and a cup of breadcrumbs. Also add salt and pepper to taste. The only thing you will do differently is only use 1/2 the can of sauce in the meatloaf. Bake meatloaf according to temperature and time on the can.


Add a 1/2 cup of brown sugar (or more depending on your taste) to remainder of sauce. Mix together and put on top of meatloaf after you have removed it from the oven and drained some of the grease. Cook approximately 10 - 15 minutes more. Let the meatloaf cool before serving.

When mixing the meatloaf, use your hands. It's so much easier to get things blended that way. However, don't mix too much or the meatloaf will be tough.

Random Thoughts for a Tuesday

1) I have a serious case of spring fever. You know how when you were a student, you reached that point right before summer vacation where you just felt like you were done? Well, we still have almost 2 months left, and I'm already there.

2) Last week at this time, I was in Wilmington shopping and eating a yummy lunch at the Pilot House. (Insert big sigh here).

3) Last night we began a new bedtime for Camryn. Her bedtime has been 9:00 pm. I don't know when we started that or when we decided that was an acceptable bedtime for a 2 year old, but I've started to feel like that's really too late. I talked to a mom recently whose daughter is only a few months younger than Camryn, and she puts her little one to bed at 7:00 pm! We started an 8:30 bedtime last night .... which means she can no longer watch the Wonder Pets on Noggin before she goes to sleep, but the Backyardigans saved us.

4) I had an opportunity recently that I was excited about that now looks like it is going to fall through. I'm incredibly disappointed, but we had a very timely Bible study in our college group on Sunday about Abraham and his radical faith in God (even to the point of his willingness to sacrifice his son! Whoa! Really wrap your mind around that one and think about it for a minute!). I am trying to remember God knows the big picture and holds my future, so if opportunities fall through, He knows why and is still working things out for my good!

5) One of the girls in our college Sunday school class is studying abroad in Australia this semester. Our group decided to put a care package together for her. I took it to the post office this morning, and it cost $60 to ship that thing. I almost had a heart attack!

6) My friend, Kelli, and I have decided to attend a mom's group tonight at church that we haven't attended before. I KNOW I need this time with other mothers, but I am fighting with myself about going. I keep thinking, "Do I really need to commit to something else?" "Do I really need to keep Camryn out later on the SECOND night I am trying to start an earlier bedtime?" etc., etc., etc. I hate it when I fight with myself.

7) I read a post recently on a blog I read every now and then where the girl was considering making her blog private. It really made me start thinking. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where we live just based on the things I write about. Plus, based on the site meter, I know there are several people who visit the blog that I don't know, so it has just made me think. (By the way, if you read the blog and have never left a comment, it would be great to hear from you!)

8) Camryn used the word "actually" in the correct context last night. I almost died laughing at her. I'm proud she can do that, but when she looks at me and says, "Well, actually, Mommy ...." and then launches into a speech about her dolls, it cracks me up.

9) I have Gymbucks that I can't decide if I want to use or not! Isn't that crazy? Me not being able to shop at Gymboree? I sometimes think I keep that place in business. I've already given away about $50 dollars worth. If I decide not to use the rest, is anyone interested in having them?

10) I thought I had much more to say, but I guess that's it!

Vacation Part 2

Wednesday Cont ...

- After the aquarium we had a picnic lunch

- Drove the strip at Kure Beach

- Visited the Nature Center at Oak Island

Picnic on the beach near Kure Beach

Beach babe

Overlooking the water at the nature center on Oak Island

Daddy and his girl

Camryn loved sitting and looking at the water

Jason's vacation treat ... squeeze cheese!!

Thursday

-Back to Southport for our last day

-To the Trolley Stop for some awesome hotdogs

-Naps for everyone again

-Spent the afternoon on the deck overlooking the waterway, watching the boats go by

(Why is Blogger suddenly double-spacing everything I write?? Aggravating program!)

Eating our awesome hotdogs at the Trolley Stop

Walking out to watch the boats

Relaxing

Cool kid

Watching the boats from the gazebo

Hot & sweaty kid

Wish we could do this every day!!

Family Vacation 2008

We are home from our vacation and are so sad to be back to reality. We were just in heaven the whole time we were away. It was so nice to be somewhere, just the three of us, with nothing in particular to do. We stayed in Oak Island, NC, spent most of our time in Southport (that is where most of Dawson's Creek was filmed, so you have an idea of the atmosphere there), and took some small trips to Wilmington, Fort Fisher, and Kure Beach. We spent our days hanging out in local shops, eating at great local places, napping, lounging, and just enjoying being together. We would literally sit on the couch each night, look at each other and say, "So what would be fun to do tomorrow?" It was so nice not to have an agenda. Here are a few pictures from our week. I doubt I'll get them all on here today since there are so many I want to share!


Sunday:
- Drove 6 1/2 hours ... we were all crazy by the time we got there.
- Surprise! An awesome basket of goodies from the sweet lady who owns the condo where we stayed.
- Relaxed and hung out on the balcony overlooking the Intracostal Waterway.

Monday:
-Shopping in Southport
-Naps for everyone
-Relaxing at the condo and exploring the island

The pier at Southport

The view from our condo of the marina and IC Waterway ... so nice to look out at each day!

More view ...

Tuesday:
-Day trip to Wilmington
-Shopped on the Riverwalk
-Ate at the awesome Pilot House on the Cape Fear River for lunch
-Back to Southport for dinner at a place with all the locals

On the Riverwalk in Wilmington ... it was sooooo cold!

Daddy & Cam on the Riverwalk

Wednesday
-Took the ferry to Fort Fisher to visit the Aquarium
-Picnic lunch on the beach near Kure Beach
-More shopping in Southport
-Dinner on the IC Waterway at the Cape Fear Restaurant at Southport

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

Trying to find the quail

Camryn loved looking at the fish ... especially the sting rays!

Watching the fish

The girls at the aquarium

Looking at the whale skull

The purple frog Camryn HAD to have from the gift shop. Not a cuddly seahorse, not a cute penguin but the purple frog.

My cutie

Mommy & Camryn ... and the purple frog

OK ... that's enough for today. More to come later!

And Away We Go . . .

We are off ... on vacation to a quiet beach in NC ... just the three of us ... relaxing, hanging out on the beach, being lazy ... we have been looking forward to this week for such a looonngggg time!!! Hopefully, we are though with all the sickness! Don't call us, we'll call you! If we even turn our cell phones on! :)

The Past Few Days ...

My poor baby has been so sick. Here are the events of the past few days.


- Last week Camryn said her bottom hurt every time she pottied. Lots of crying. Phone call to doctor's office - possible UTI - need a urine sample.
- Tried to get not yet potty trained 2 year old to pee pee in a cup. Not happening.
- This past week, not as much complaining about bottom. Mommy thought things were getting better.
- Wednesday after school - 103 temperature. Phone call to doctor's office. Probably just a virus. Give it a few days.
- Thursday morning - she was shivering and her lips were a blueish tint. Said her back hurt. Fever back to 103. Going to the doctor.
- At the doctor's office fever up to 104.6. Doctor and nurse start hopping.
- Dose of Motrin, strep test (negative), pricked her finger for white blood cell count (at 23,000 - normal is 4 - 10,000), cath for a urine sample (Camryn screamed, Mommy cried), urine positive for an infection, shot of high powered antibiotic, chest xray for possible pneumonia.
- During the antibiotic shot, she whimpered. When the nurse came toward her with the bandaid afterwards she screamed bloody murder. My child has a bandaid phobia. The only humorous moment of the day.
- Back home alternating Tylenol & Motrin. Waited to hear back from chest xray because we were to be admitted to the hospital if it was pneumonia. We are also to be admitted if she started vomiting.
- Up from 2:00 - 3:45 am that night. No vomiting, chest xray negative, fever starts coming down.
- On Friday, doctor's office calls to say urinalysis was positive for a kidney infection. Started antibiotics.
- Had to go back in again this morning another cath and urine sample to make sure antibiotics are working because we're leaving for vacation tomorrow.
- Lots more screaming from Camryn. Mommy handled it better this time.
- Tentatively cleared for vacation. And, boy, do we need it now!

The Wrath of Camryn

Last night I was an eye witness to the first ever, all-out, full-blown, no holds bar Camryn temper tantrum. This little display was the culmination of a weekend of crying and melt downs over not getting her way, not having things "just so" ... you name it, she melted down over it. For example, I asked her on Saturday morning if she wanted oatmeal or grits. She said grits. When we sat down to eat, she pitched a fit because she wanted oatmeal. We played with her dollhouse, and she told me to sit the grandma in the chair. I did and that started a melt-down because I didn't place grandma two more degrees to the left like she felt I should have. After consultation with other mothers, they have assured me this is just a 2-year old thing. She's trying to become more independent, she's testing her boundaries, etc. But on to the tantrum ...

After she finished supper last night she asked for a cookie. While I was cleaning off her hands, Jason was playing with her. She swatted (playfully) at him, and we asked her not to do that. She did it again, and we told her not to hit. So, she smacked the side of her chair. I told her if she did that again I would not give her a cookie. She looked me straight in the eye and whapped the side of the chair. I took her out of her chair and told her she would not get a cookie. Then the theatrics began - there was some high stepping that would have made any step team proud, some arm flailing, some running in circles, and finally a big flop onto the floor. Wow. As a picked all 27 1/2 pounds of her dead weight off the floor, I couldn't help but snicker to myself (definitely not where she could see!) because I was thinking, "Did this kid really just have a tantrum?" She got a nice swat on the behind, and I carried her to her room for a time out.

And, the fun didn't stop there!!! After she was allowed out of her room she asked for a cookie again. I calmly told her no, and she flopped into the middle of the den floor and began wailing and failing. I looked at Jason and mouthed "Ignore her." So, we did. He continued playing the Wii. I finished the dishes, cleaned up around her, and sat on the couch to work on a grocery list. Within about 5 minutes she had stopped and asked me to read a book.

I was obviously angry, but I was also slightly humored at this whole "production." Did she really think that was going to get her the cookie? Did she really think she was going to win??? Just can't wait for our next show down!