My Fabulous Frugal Finds--Part 2

A local charitable organization sells used children's clothes to raise money for their programs. All the clothes (matching outfits for younger sizes) are only $1.00!!!! No matter what!!!! It is so much fun to pick through and find some gems. Of course, sometimes I don't find much. But this time I scored big! I always look in the bigger sizes too and store them away for later.

Old Navy cat sweatshirt, Gap horse shirt, Eyeshadow for Girls hooded top with matching capris

Kelly's Kids flowered capri overalls, Kelly's Kids red striped leggings, Who knows about the blue top? Not the greatest find, but BFG just had to have it.

Little Lass hoodie with matching leggings, BT Kids pink sweater, and cheap easy-peasy St. Patrick's day attire

Whoo-hoo! Three Land's End soft cotton button up shirts! Perfect for jumpers since BFG hates turtlenecks. Tinkerbell PJ's

52 Weekends cowgirl style shirt with rhinestone snaps, Gap flower embroidered blue velvet jacket, and an Old Navy fancy corduroy skirt

Aaaaaah! All that plus two movies and a free toy for BFG for only $17.00! Ya' just can't beat that! Good times, good times.

Mama Said

My Fabulous Frugal Finds--Part 1

Check out this cool castle I found at the thrift store! It was only $3.99! And it's collapsible! I don't even know what it is for, but I knew BFG would love it. And she did. She's played Barbies with it (surprise, surprise), but I think it's perfect for My Little Ponies too.

I also found these gems at the thrift store. A really cool Cinderella board game and Uncle Wiggily board game for $1.99 each and they both had all their pieces! A Melissa and Doug magnetic calendar for $3.99. It is missing June. But for that price, we'll manage! And the grand finale at the thrift store was the pink poodle house slippers! They are from Build A Bear Workshop and are brand new! For only $1.29!!!! Yea! Perfect cheap replacement for the ones Rhett burned. BFG has LOVED them. She runs through the house saying, "Come on, poodles! Mama, these poodles are FAST!" And of course, one poodle is nice and kisses everyone and the other poodle is mean and bites our ankles.

Stay tuned for more of my finds,

Mama Said

Thanks for the Prayers

Thank you for the prayers, everyone! I told BFG about an hour ago about Milo. She took it really well and didn't even cry. I guess she's really getting to be a baby farm girl and is getting used to death being a part of the country life. I wish I was adjusting that well.

And I guess I'm not sick after all! Thanks for you prayers for that as well. I don't know if ya'll prayed me well or if I just had a PMS migraine instead of the virus. Oh, well! Praise the Lord either way. I was glad we got to go to BFG's Valentine party.

Mama Said

A Not-Sure-I-Can-Handle-Anymore Rough Week

This week has been a bad week for us. All of it could be much worse and we still praise the Lord for our many blessings. But I am praying the rest of the week is smooth.

First and foremost, our beloved Milo the Superkitty got hit by a car today. He died on impact. It was so, so awful! I didn't see it happen, but I saw him lying there right after. I had to shoo BFG off to my sisters and go get him out of the road. I think this ranks in first place of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I can't even describe how awful it was for me. I'll spare you the details. I just pray that the Lord doesn't take Rhett or BFG from me because I obviously cannot handle it. I've always wondered how I would be and if today is any indication, I would be uncontrollable and inconsolable.

We still haven't told BFG. We dread it so bad esp. after her reaction over the guinea hen. Please pray for us and for her. Milo was her cat and friend.

Other things that have happened this week:

• BFG's been sick and now I've got this crazy virus that consists of a migraine headache and high fever for 2-3 days and a low grade fever for several days to follow. I just now got it which means BFG has to miss her Valentine party at storyhour tomorrow.
• Rhett lost his wedding ring at work, but he did find it later when he drove back to look for it.
• Rhett's work met with them and told them they are looking for 5 volunteers to go to his company's plant in another state and if no one volunteers, they will force people to go.
• Then, Rhett's boss meets with him to tell him that the funding for the project Rhett has been working on has been cancelled for '09. Um, the project Rhett was hired to complete. Uh, the only project Rhett works on. We're just waiting to see what happens. We are a little nervous that would free him up to be moved to the other plant or worse.
• I got a letter today from the bank saying our debit card has been compromised in a National Breach or some crap. Yup, the one with our highest amount in it.
• And, finally, I found out that a guy I kind of dated and was really good friends with in my single years passed away 4 or 5 years ago by overdosing on horse tranquilizers. Very, very rough stuff. Again, I'll spare you the details.

Praying for a better second half of the week,

Mama Said

Not Me! Monday

I had a totally Not Me! weekend. It was so NOT bad that I can't even remember the rest of my week.

For starters, I did NOT send BFG off to my parents with her cousins to spend the night so we could have some peace while painting the foyer. I would NEVER do that because painting is SO much easier with your child running around helping. And, when I went to pick her up, BFG was NOT sick and had NOT been suffering from a fever and headache for two days. What kind of mother doesn't realize her child is sick for goodness sake!

And we did NOT prop her up with Tylenol and a bunch of movies the next day so we could finish painting. A sick child in my home ALWAYS get the equivalent of hospital care. Besides, that would mean that our one-day project did NOT turn into a two-day project because that has NOT happened with every project I've tackled in this house.

Oh, and how Rhett LOVES to paint! Taping and trimming are his absolute FAVORITE past times. Who wouldn't enjoy it? Especially those of us who have NOT been painting the inside of this old house for a year. And I have to say the second day of painting was NOT stressful at all. Rhett and I were NOT on each others nerves one little bit.

I absolutely did NOT, NO WAY position the ladder in a doorway and I did NOT climb up it full speed only to NOT hit my head on the top of the doorway. Come on! I'm an EXPERIENCED painter and would never do that. And it did NOT hurt at all. So, I did NOT burst into tears and I did NOT sob like a baby and I did NOT scream for Rhett to stop looking at me and leave me alone. And for the next 30 minutes, I did NOT start bawling and laughing a hysterical laugh every time I thought about it, which did NOT further prove to Rhett that he did NOT indeed marry a crazy woman. Oh, and I did NOT end up with a very sore lump on my head.

Now, our evening that followed was NOT ugly at all. Especially since both of us were NOT tired and NOT ill and I had totally NOT let BFG skip her nap that day. Oh, and we had eaten ALL day long and were NOT hungry in the least.

BFG did NOT spend 30 minutes screaming and bawling about wanting to sleep on the couch last night. She would NEVER throw a fit like that! And she would NEVER take her tantrum back and forth between us trying to get one of us to give. And I was NOT in the bath during this 30 minutes and was NOT interrupted at all. I did NOT scream at her that this was exactly why she had better not ever ask to skip her nap again either.

And when I got out of the bath, I did NOT whine to Rhett "Do you know what this (the tantrum) means? I'll never get her bath done!" And Rhett did NOT proceed to turn to BFG and say, "You can sleep on the couch if you take your bath." I did NOT stand there frozen in shock and anger because I had NOT been looking forward to a little time by myself to read the paper and watch Desperate Housewives. And I did NOT say "How could you do this to me?!?!" as if my very life was over. And BFG did NOT come to me and say, "Well, Daddy's the boss and he said I can sleep on the couch!" and skip happily away.

I did NOT handle the whole incident immaturely at all. I did NOT stomp my feet and did NOT slam a few doors. That would set such a horrible example to BFG which I NEVER do. Oh, and I was so NOT mad that I did NOT argue with Rhett when he tried to unload the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen. I was NOT irrational at all while screaming that he'd better not unload the dishwasher. I mean, what wife would scream at her husband not to help. That's insane.

By the way, I do NOT have PMS. Are you kidding me?
Mama Said

How Out of Shape Are You?

When your four-year-old tells you that she is checking to see if her tummy grew after each meal ‘cause she want to have a big belly just like Mama’s?

Not Me! Monday

Let's start with the small stuff:

• I absolutely did NOT let BFG go about two weeks without brushing her teeth. After all, I am much more responsible than that and her dental health is one of my top priorities.

• I did NOT put dirty knives that Rhett had "washed" back into the wood block because I was NOT scrambling like mad to get my house clean for a play date. Who would do that? And everyone who knows me knows that my house is the epitome of cleanliness and is ALWAYS prepared for any guests we might have esp. ones who are NOT coming over for the first time.

• I absolutely, sure-fire did NOT freeze in fear when BFG choked on a mint Lifesaver. Come on, I have had 5 years of Child CPR/First Aid Training and I know just what to do in ANY emergency. I would NEVER freeze while my mind is flipping through the pages of the first aid book trying to decide what to try first while BFG is screaming Mama! through the hole of the Lifesaver in her throat. And, of course, I did NOT consider throwing her down to the floor to do a finger-sweep of her mouth before trying anything else. That would be ridiculous. And Rhett did NOT come running after minutes of my paralysis ready to break her ribs if necessary to get out the Lifesaver. And my fear of him doing so did NOT spring me into action and cause me to start pounding on her back til she gagged up the candy. Seriously, I am well-trained for these situations and this scenario would NEVER happen in my home.

• Finally, Rhett and I did NOT go to Wal-Mart Saturday night for our date. That would be way too pathetic and besides, going to Wal-Mart with BFG is SO much more fun and SUCH a pleasure. And I did NOT, NO-WAY, NO-HOW walk around Wal-Mart passing gas because I'd eaten way too much dinner. Are you kidding me? That would be so rude. And so embarrassing especially when I did NOT realize one of my former students and her dad were following me around trying to figure out if it was really me or not. Oh, and she is so NOT 10 years old now and the whole experience did NOT make me feel incredibly old.

Have a fun Not Me! day,

Mama Said