I'm Blaming Cade...and My Mom

I am blaming them because I don't want to feel as stupid as I would if I accepted responsibility for my actions.

This past Friday I bought fruit at my local grocery store. It was containers of mixed fruit. Cade loves different fresh fruit and I despise having to cut it, etc. So, this works for both of us. However, within a day, it was looking pretty sad. I looked at the date and on both containers and it said USE BY 2-23-08. Hmmmm.... Last Friday was 2-23-08. So, the fruit that I bought, expired on the same day I bought it. Bummer. So, I dumped it. I figured it was my mistake for not looking at the date on the container when I bought it--and knowing that I should have looked since it is a very slow grocery store that probably doesn't sell a lot of anything much less fresh fruit.

So, today Mom, Cade, and I walked to the store I work in. The larger containers of the fruit medley Cade likes was on sale. Great! Grabbed a container of that, a red bell pepper (which Cade called an apple and demanded he hold), and a gallon of milk...we were ready to leave. I was putting the groceries on the belt to pay, Mom pointed to Cade who was biting into the red pepper like it really was an apple. Luckily he likes red peppers, but still...he was REALLY angry when we took it away so I could pay for it. He got ice cream on the way home, so he survived.

I made dinner tonight and pulled out the container of fruit to put some on Cade's plate. I just happen to look at the date on the top (no, I didn't look in the store) and noticed it said USE BY 2-26-08. Lovely. So the fruit I bought today, basically expired YESTERDAY! Why didn't I look? Here is where I am putting the blame...

• Cade is sick and is miserable...and making me unable to think properly.

• Mom should have reminded me (yes, I am a "grown-up" but I am still her daughter) to look at the date. In Mom's defense, she stuck with Cade and I all day--so her brain was also probably fried from the screams of a sick 18 month old. Thanks for hanging out with us, Mom!

So, there you go. Mom and Cade are to blame for my expired fruit purchase. I think this one I will take back tomorrow. It was my error partly, but it also should not have been on the shelf! Right?!

One.Word.Answers.

So, yet again, here I am celebrating my 100th post. For real this time. You can add it up.

I saw this on another blog and thought it was pretty cool...

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
For.
Each.
Question.

Not as easy as you might think.

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your significant other? Bath
3. Your hair? straight
4. Worst bad habit? Chocolate
5. Favorite food? PIZZA
6. Your favorite thing? shopping
7. Your dream last night? bizarre
8. Your favorite drink? dietcoke (I made it one word)
9. Your dream/goal? happiness
10.The room you're in? office
11. Your ex? thankfully
12. Your fear? alone
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? similar
14. Where were you last night? home
15. What you're not? loud
16. Muffins? warm
17. One of your wish list items? quiet
18. Where you grew up? AZ
19. The last thing you did? snuggle
20. What are you wearing? clothes
21. Your TV? Big
22. Your pets? none
23. Your computer? used
24. Your life? mine
25. Your mood? mediocre
26. Missing someone? Wisconsinians
27. Your car? Dirty
28. Something you're not wearing? retainer
29. Favorite Store? Kohl's
30. Your summer? Florida?
31. Love someone? Yes
32. When is the last time you laughed? minutes
33. Last time you cried? days

Please feel free to copy and paste into the comments--I would love to see how you respond!

My, What Good Manners You Have

At a family party last night, Jim's Grandma kept commenting on how neat Cade was while eating.

It was true...Cade was feeding himself with his fork--and really wasn't making a mess at all. Of course, he was eating strawberries, which he loves, and a cheese crisp, which isn't really messy...and he had some help from his Grandma--whose lap he was sitting on.

Just to set the record straight, Cade is NOT a neat eater most of the time. And dinner tonight proved that. You should never turn your back on a child armed with a fork and sweet potatoes...

This was Cade after he ate an ice cream cone on a walk we went on...no where near neat!

Luckily, this kid is washable--and seems to enjoy bath time!

100 Cans of Beans on the Shelf...

Sing it with me! 100 cans of beans..you take one down, pass it around...

Okay. I really didn't get 100 cans of beans. But, just to wow you all with my coupon prowess (which I totally attribute to Coupon Sense and my friend, Amy) here is a list of the 147 items I got last week for a total out of pocket cost of $56.31 (that is less than $0.40/item!)

(3) Boxes Fruity Cheerios
(3) Boxes Cheerios
(1) Boxes Multi grain Cheerios
(1) Boxes Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
(1) Boxes Frosted Cheerios
(2) Boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch
(4) Boxes Cookie Crisp
(2) Boxes Lucky Charms
(2) Boxes Golden Grahams
(6) Boxes Frozen Green Giant Vegetables
(12) Boxes Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
(6) Boxes Betty Crocker Potatoes
(6) Boxes Pop Secret Popcorn
(6) Pouches Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
(6) Cans Betty Crocker Frosting
(1) Betty Crocker Cake Mix
(12) Cans Del Monte Tomatoes
(24) Cans S&W Beans
(8) Bags Gum Flossers
(1) Gum Toothbrushes
(5) Crayola Kids Toothbrushes
(2) Boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars
(2) Marzetti’s Ranch Veggie Dip
(1) 4-pack of Tava
(2) Quaker Instant Oatmeal
(2) Boxes Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Cookies
(3) Boxes Nutrigrain Bars
(3) Bags of Chex Mix
(2) Quaker Original Oats
(3) Bottles of Snapple Tea
(1) Disney’s Cars Sippy Cup
(2) Banquet Frozen Entrees
(6) Boxes Rice-A-Roni
(4) Bottles Propel Water
(1) Bagged Lettuce
(1) Bag Chiquita Apple Slices

I saved over $336 which is a savings of 86%. I know people say that I am crazy (heck, I even say it) for buying so many boxes of cereal, etc. However, a lot of this food is going to food bank. Like the beans and the tomatoes, and the extra cereal. This promo really gave me a rush!

The first time I did the promo at my store, Jim, Cade, and I had walked over. Then, we shopped...and I bought 40 items. Jim and I had to take turns carrying Cade home on our shoulders since the stroller was packed full of groceries!

I am sure I bore most of you with my grocery shopping escapades, but I am a serious coupon addict.

Hello, my name is Courtney and I am a couponaholic.

Just to Entertain You

I need to write things down.

I think of things to blog about and then when I sit down to actually type, I can't remember any of them. Oh well.

Here are some funny things that have happened in the last week or so. Enjoy!

• Jim and I went to dinner on Tuesday. My parents baby-sat Cade. As we were walking out, I told Cade bye and love you! Cade turned to me with one finger in each nostril. That was my cue to leave!
• My intern at the pharmacy on Thursday told me that she "Should have shaken it weller." WHAT?
• My fortune cookie the other day said, "You take criticism as an opportunity to grow". Like hell I do. Right...
• I bought 19 boxes of cereal last week. I will have to post how much I spent/saved with a current promotion. You wouldn't even believe it!
• On Thursday, I dropped Cade off at my parents since I had to work all day. My dad hadn't left for work yet when we got there. He left shortly thereafter. Cade cried when he left. When I left, Cade couldn't be bothered to even wave. He was too busy with his waffle and his Nana. Hmph.
• I think Cade said "Manny" the other day. Meaning Handy Manny from the Disney Channel. Now he says Bopbops, Elpo, and Manny...but still NO MAMA! How am I not even as important as them?
• I usually let Cade sleep without pants on for naps. Just think it is more comfortable for him. So today after his nap, we came downstairs. He was walking around, still with no pants on. All of the sudden he walks up to me and hands me a diaper. I was trying to figure out where it came from since the basket of them is up to high for him to reach. Then I look again and realize it was the diaper he was wearing. He decided to take it off...and give it to me! Wasn't that sweet?

For those of you who can add...(I am apparently not one of them)

Okay...so I haven't reached my 100th post. Oh well.

I suppose most of you just took my word for it...but if you added up the numbers on the sidebar that links to the posts, you would see that I only have 95. So, we will celebrate #100 again in a few days. Thanks for not noticing, caring, or questioning me!

Yesterday we went to the Little Gym. When we got back, Jim asked how Cade did. I replied, "Well, Miss Monica said lets warm up by walking....Cade threw himself on the floor and screamed....Miss Monica said lets go explore...Cade threw himself on the floor and screamed...Miss Monica said lets put the balls away...Cade threw himself on the floor and screamed...ARE YOU SEEING A PATTERN?"

I couldn't figure it out. Cade loves the Little Gym, and usually has no problem doing what the group is doing. But, yesterday he was awful. He didn't want to do anything...I was horrified.

That, and you can't wear shoes in the gym...and it took me until halfway through the class to realize that my socks had a hole in them. A gigantic hole. That horrified me as well. Good thing we have a week to recover!

Happy 100

Well, according to my post counter, this is my 100th post.

Thanks a million to all of you (okay, all three of you) who read my blog regularly and keep coming back for more. I enjoy sharing my almost daily blogging.

Cade went for his hearing test today. It was at 7:00am. That is early! Not necessarily to be up, but to be up, dressed, out of the house--and to the office which was about 20 minutes (with no traffic which there was because it was a Monday morning) away. Needless to say, Cade slept to the last possible minute and then I left him in his PJs. Which he was happy about. He loves his Doodlebop jammies.

We got to the office and there was no one there yet. You should not have to be somewhere so early that the receptionists aren't even in yet. But, it was fine. We were seen at like 7:30. The audiologists were outstanding. Cade interacted with them really well. And he passed his hearing tests with flying colors.

Our next step is to have him evaluated for speech therapy. Again, just another precaution to make sure he is on track for everything. I swear he knows more words than he chooses to say--he understands a lot of what we say. Here is his current list of words:

• Bubbles
• shoes
• juice
• ball
• cheese
• baby
• up
• bopbops (Doodlebops)
• Pelpo (Elmo)

Not too bad. Apparently he just wanted to skip the easy ones like Mama, Dada, dog...and go straight for the harder words. I think he will be just fine. In fact, I have a feeling that his vocabulary is hiding behind a floodgate--and in a few months when he won't STOP talking, we will look back to these days with fond memories and longing.

I Have Been Busy

I feel like I haven't posted in forever.

You feel the same? Well, here is what has been happening...

Wednesday:

• My friends finally arrived Wednesday night. They were several hours late, but better late than never! Horrible weather getting out of Utah. So happy they came!
• Had Peter Piper Pizza...Jaime and Denin can't get it in Utah, so that is what they love to eat when they are here.

Thursday:

• Went to work at 8. Jaime brought me Valentine's Day Paradise Bakery cookies and a diet Coke for breakfast!
• Jim and I went to the memorial service for baby Brielle. The service was absolutely beautiful. It was very well attended and very well done. An amazing service for such a tragic event.
• After the service I had to go back to work. My boss was very nice and came in and worked a few hours so I could attend the memorial service.
• Worked until 8pm
• Had Old Chicago for dinner
• Drank with Jaime and played Rock Band until WAY past my bedtime. We did shots of 99 Bananas. Ughhh...

Friday:

• Grocery shopping with my mom...
• Had Peter Piper Pizza for lunch.
• Shopped with Jaime.
• Made enchiladas and fajitas for dinner.
• Drank with Jaime, played Rock Band, and watched Anchorman until WAY past my bedtime.

Saturday:

• Shopped with Jaime and Denin
• Had Peter Piper Pizza for lunch (are you sensing a theme?)
• Played Rock Band until they had to leave
• Cade and I hung out for the rest of the day.
• Miss Jaime and Denin already

Well, that is my last few days in a nutshell. I will take tonight and tomorrow to catch up on my missing sleep...well, I will catch up the best you can when you have a one-year-old!

Waiting...and Not So Patiently

My friend Jaime, and her husband are supposed to be in the air right now coming here.

But, they are being held up--don't know when they are getting out yet. Bummer. So to pass the time before my drinking buddy gets here, I thought I would post these pictures. I know I am biased, but isn't Cade one cute kid? Grandparents and aunts and uncles--don't worry...pictures will be coming in the mail shortly. Enjoy!

Dancing with the Angels

BRIELLE ALANA BOOTHBY

11-7-07 to 2-11-08

Please remember the Boothby family in your prayers as baby Brielle passed away today.

A Mother's Rebuttal

First, let me say, "We love you, Mom!"

I think my Mom was feeling a little upset by my post about milk, and my brother's post about green beans--and how we were both TORTURED as children. Here was her emailed response to both Josh and I...

Hi my children!
Do you know that I gag at the thought of all the times I made you mac and cheese. To this day, I dread the thought that I might have to make a batch to serve to Caden! And I pray that Brandon and Gabe never ask for it for their lunch when they visit~! Oh the sacrifices we parents have to make to ensure our children are strong and healthy.
Your loving mother

Apparently, making us macaroni and cheese was painful for my mother as she obviously detests it. That was the sacrifice she made. Forcing us to eat green beans and drink milk...that was the fun part!

And to set the record straight, I don't fault my parents for making me choke down the milk. I would make my kids do it, too. Milk. It does a body good (until you are 18 and away at college and there is NO one there to make you drink it...and it gets replaced by cheap beer)...pass it on.

OMG...LMAO, and other internet codes that I don't know that mean that was really funny!

I love my older brother.

How to describe him? Loving, supportive, laid back, strong, and maybe just a little sarcastic. Okay, maybe a LOT sarcastic. Just one more thing to love about him...except when I am on the receiving end of his sarcasm. Then it is only a little funny.

His intense hatred for green beans makes me laugh. And makes me one of the people who when serving green beans when he is around makes sure I offer him some. Wouldn't want him to feel left out! You must read his new blog...and his post about the green beans. Rage_Against_the_Green_Beans

His repulsion to green beans is rivaled only by my repulsion of milk. I can't stand the look of it, the smell of it, or the taste of it. And, my loving parents who didn't want my bones to break made me drink it every day growing up. YUCK! I would save my glass of milk for the very end of my meal--until I could put it off no longer and chug it. Inevitably I would gag. To try to help ease the torture, I would make my milk strawberry flavor. I don't know if it helped. Milk is milk whether it is chocolate, strawberry, dolce de leche..milk is milk. I am having convulsions right now just thinking about it!

I am glad Cade likes milk--and most days green beans. But, as a mother, I can't wait until I find the food that I deem is necessary enough to force him to eat!

Nyquil Time

I am sick. Surprise, surprise.

Yes, Cade was sick for weeks, so it is really not surprising that I am now. I am miserable. So before I drug myself to sleep with Walquil (okay, the Walgreen's brand isn't really called that, but it should be) I thought I would post about Cade's 18-month well check appointment today.

Cade weighs in at just over 27 pounds (but carry him for a while--I swear it is closer to 100) and is 33.5 inches tall! That puts him in the 75% for weight and 90% for height. He is right on track as far as development goes. He can run, throw a ball, kick a ball, and climb up stairs. He will "read" a book--and knows when it is upside down. He will scribble with crayons (for a few seconds before trying to eat them), sings songs, and blows kisses. He knows several words in sign language (his favorite is cookie) and understands A LOT of what we say. More than he lets on I am sure.

There are only two issues we have to deal with. One is cutting him off of his pacifier. That is a task for another day. When I can be home from work for several days--and when I am feeling much, much better. What a nightmare that will be. The other thing is his limited spoken vocabulary. Most babies Cade's age can say 10-20 words. Cade says juice, shoes, ball, up, and many animal sounds. But, he doesn't say Mommy or Daddy or doggy...things like that. So, as a precaution--we are sure everything is fine-- Cade will go and have his hearing tested. Better to get things checked out than ignore them.

Cade only had to get one shot today. Now he is done with vaccines until he is three years old! Yeah! He did great with it, but was very ready to go at the end of the appointment.

My Boss' Response

Remember the truffle?

I got a message from my pharmacy manager regarding the "present" we left for him yesterday.

He said that he has always been impressed coming into the pharmacy after I have worked. That it is always nice and clean. That there are never any problems. But, now I am slacking and I need to learn to pick up my CRAP!

Good response. I am just glad he thought it was funny. And that he didn't fire me.

Truffle Trouble

I love the pharmacy I work in.

We are a slower store with a steady customer base. Which means at Christmas we get a lot of goodies from our customers who like us and appreciate us. Things like yummy home baked breads, cookies, etc. One customer brought us a bag of chocolate truffles that were meltinyourmouthohmygoodness good. Not wanting everyone at work to find out what a pig I truly am, I had two of them and then told myself that they were off limits. The fact that I listened to myself is an amazing thing.

I worked this weekend. The intern who was working with me (who we stole from my husband's pharmacy) decided she needed some chocolate and pulled out the bag of truffles. I watched her to see if I could still refrain from eating one or if I was going to be overwhelmed by the sight of the heavenly chocolate. What Karen pulled out of the bag looked identical to DOG POOP! I laughed and laughed. That really helped me decide that I didn't need to eat one. Karen still ate one. A different one...one that looked more like a ball of chocolate and less like canine feces.

We left this piece of chocolate on a stool in the pharmacy for the staff to find tomorrow. We contemplated leaving a note with it. Things like, "Beware of Stool on Stool" and "Same Shit, Different Day" came to mind. But, in the end (no pun intended) we decided that no note was the best thing. Leaving it a mystery makes it perfect.

How to Get My Husband Excited

Okay. Get your mind out of the gutter.

I get random emails. You buy something once and you are on their email lists forever. I got an email from Ticketmaster advertising their upcoming events. I read through the email and I found out that the Doodlebops are coming in concert. I laughed. I called Jim at work and here is our conversation:

Me: Hey, guess who's coming in concert!
Him: Who?
Me: The Doodlebops! (snicker, snicker) Isn't that funny!
Him: We should go! (In a scarily excited voice)
Me: You want to see them?
Him: Well, I think Cade would love it.
Me: He is 18 months old...who would love it? You or him?
Him: When is it?
Me: Sunday the 17th.
Him: Shoot! I have to work! You could take him.
Me: I don't want to see the Doodlebops.
Him: Maybe next time.

Do you remember my very first post? I said that I thought Jim secretly really liked the Doodlebops. I think he is being less secretive and more obvious. I am still NOT going to that concert!

Here is a video of Jim's favorite part of the Doodlebops show. He will sing this song all day!