Reason #420 Why I Love My Husband

His response to my facebook shout out looking for a part time job:

"No part time for you! You already have a great job...how about if anyone needs electrical give me a call and let my wife stay safe and sound with my little one :( "

Rowan's Santa Claus List

What is Santa bringing your wee ones?

29 Again...

Getting older sucks, but almost worth it when I came home to these cute pictures :)

Yes, the hubs and I chat on facebook..

Ann
just having hard time figuring out why your so hot to trot for a frumpy housewife lol

Barney
your looking great baby....your doing a great job and you seem more happy with your self....which is a turn on

Ann
oh, lol

Barney
your not frumpy lol

Ann
HAHAHA i live in pj pants lol

Barney
you got nice jubblies! lol

Ann
HAHAHA

well that's one thing I guess haha

Barney
you are so in trouble later


Ann
oh goodness

lol

A fun little scarf for me....

I found the pattern for this on the Berroco website and I fell in love!!! I had to have one, so I started last night and didn't stop until it was done :)

Pardon the absent makeup face.

About 2 years ago now, my husband and I got into a huge fight.


I shouldn't say fight, the more accurate description is that he misbehaved, and I was furious.

I'm not going to go into the specifics, but would only say that I most definitely used his behavior to con (oh yes con) him into allowing me to get a kitten.

Rowan was 1 1/2 years old and I had hit the "need a baby fix" stage hardcore... I kinda sorta enjoyed sleeping though, so a kitten was most definitely a wiser choice.

I dragged child and forlorn husband to the local shelter, and after agonizing over the gazzillion adorable little kitten faces staring out at me, I selected a quiet black 5 month old kitten that had found her way into the shelter after her 80 year old cat loving owner had lost her home and moved into a elderly facility. (how could you resist that story??? poor cat!!)

So we brought her home, we dubbed her Miss Grafton and I coddled her cute little fuzzy kitten cuteness all night.

The next day was horrid.

Miss Grafton had the shelter flu.

She had mucus pouring out of every available sinus exit there was.... she was lethargic....wouldn't eat or drink... didn't move. There were days I came home from work and she was still in the spot I left her in.. with a puddle of mucusy drool beneath her face.... her eyes closed....

There were vet visits, hundreds of dollars spent... chest exrays, bloody kitty noses, forced feedings and waterings, dark thick antibiotics in a syringe that I had to order and have delivered via a special veterinarian pharmacist hundreds of miles away....

2 months of care and worry.

By the skin of her teeth she lived..... she only weighed 3 pounds when all was said and done..... she was skin and bones and brittle.

Now Miss Grafton is a fierce domineering warrior. She is aloof... in charge, imperial to behold and far too important to spend her time cajoling with humans.

She'll spend 30 minutes tormenting a mouse before she kills it...

She will rip the face off any other cat that enters her territory. Her life is spent outdoors... until it gets to cold at which point she comes inside to sleep curled up somewhere. If she is disturbed from her slumber a cruel vicious scowl will follow.

But.........

At night, in the dark, after my babes are both sound asleep and I lay in my bed quietly reading in the glow of my book worm book light, Miss Grafton jumps up onto my bed. She very silently and stealthily makes her way to my stomach....and her tiny little purr motor ignites.... she'll brush her smooth black cheek up against mine....and jam her head into my waiting hand demanding some petty love.

Eventually she'll curl up in the crevice of my neck and shoulder and purr in my ear until she falls asleep.

She remembers..... she remembers that I saved her life.


But shhhhhhh, don't tell any of the other humans.

Worldess Wednesday

A little Hatty

A friend of mine facebooked me this weekend about how she loved a flower I had crocheted and requested one attached to a hat.... She was always such a lovely woman that I offered to whip one out for her... and then because I liked it so much.. one for myself... and a matching one for Miss Rowan too of course. :)

I is growed up Mama

I is growed up Mama.

These are common words out of Rowan's mouth lately. She's obsessed with growing up and being able to do things "grown ups" do... but more importantly she wants big boobies, because what 3 1/2 year doesn't want big boobies?

(some times I wonder if I'm raising a stripper)

But the truth of the matter is, she is growing up. And as much as I feel I should say "I hate it!".... I don't.

I love my new little independent girl.

For starters, she doesn't constantly need my attention. She's perfectly fine going off upstairs by herself, watching a bit of TV and playing with her toys. This allows me to actually do stuff... like work out and clean... its blissful!

Her vocabulary has also soared the last month or so.... she puts out some pretty deep thoughts like "Mama, when you wanna do stuff, you gotta stuff", "Daddy has to work to buy lots of Popsicles", and "Your job is to take care of me and do laundry."


She has lessened up on her tantrums and instead chooses to use words to tell me how she feels... I still hear a lot of "I'm MAD" but its a lot better than screaming and fist throwing.

She's very into the world around her. We've developed a new little game called "Tell me a story" in which I explain how things work from where Santa Claus lives to how her stomach digests food and creates poop....all very fascinating topics no doubt!

She is very animated... her facial expressions are hysterical... She makes funny remarks and follows them up with dramatic face movements that constantly have me rolling on the floor laughing... She's going to be a character no doubt.

She LOVES talking and will pretty much tell anyone she passes exactly what's flitting through her mind in that moment. The other day she attacked a very elderly old man at the grocery store with a story about her Aunt coming for a visit. And then the mother with the baby in the carriage after him, and then shortly thereafter the check out lady. And I'm sure you all read the funny story about church last week.... I'm still giggling about that one.

Overall my baby girl has turned in to one funny, crazy and lovable little kid..... and it's soooooo much fun!

Wordless Wednesday

Did I ever tell you my Grampa is a Plumber?

The little bugger is home :)

Joyfully playfully and excitedly spending the day playing with the new addition to casa full house. :)




And this is Margaret the stray dove, enjoying our 70 degree November heat wave outside on the porch :)

Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord

Miss Rowan has turned into quite the little chatter box lately. In fact the other day at the grocery store she stopped every stranger we passed to tell them her life story.

Today at church was no exception. At the beginning of every service, the Pastor brings up all the children before they head off to Sunday school and has a "Talk with the Children" sermon. He preaches a child's version of the day's regular sermon and allows them to ask questions and lead a cute little prayer.

Today Rowan was the only child there.... so she hopped and skipped up the aisle with the Sunday school teacher and sat down on the stairs ready to "listen".

But that's not what happened. Our pastor strapped on a tool belt and began discussing Habitat for Humanity and how Jesus wants us to help others.

He asked Rowan why a person would wear a tool belt.

Now for those that don't know, my hubs is an electrician, so a tool belt is the norm in this household. So Rowan had a lot of information to offer in regards to tool belts....

She told him that you wear them work...

Here the pastor begins to agree and wants to continue on...

Ro has others plans....."and my daddy wears one, with Rodger (his apprentice) and they work on wires, and fix lights.... "

The pastor tries to continue on about how Jesus helped others...

Rowan stops him mid sentence by telling him about helping.."My mama helps me brush my teach, and she puts me to bed and reads me a book and sings songs... and she helps me make butterflies, and butterflies fly like this" (flaps arms)

The banter went on for at least 5 minutes during which time the congregation is laughing hysterically, I'm flushed red and giggling... my hubs is hanging is head in his hand and trying not to laugh.

Finally the pastor just laughs, and says, "I think its time to button this up." Queue more laughter from the crowd... and Miss Rowan flashes a big grin, waves at us down the aisle, and heads on out for her Sunday school lesson.

Well, she probably didn't learn much, but she certainly put a smile on every single one of our church family's faces today.

Reason # 185 Why I Love My Husband

His Facebook status last night, "thank you Annabelle for all that you do!"


(apparently the hubs is being particulary endearing this month)

Reason # 1 million why I love My Husband

Setting the scene: We lay in our bed, it's dark and quiet and we can hear my daughter talking to her dolly and slowly falling asleep in her room just across the hall. I've just climbed out of the shower after a particularly hard and long run. My hubs snuggles up to me, holding my hand. He leans over to me.... and whispers...

"I'm proud of you"

Wordless Wednesday

30 pounds!

I have one stubborn pound that won't come off, so technically I'm at a 29 lb weight loss. I recently went from running 3 miles a day to bumping up to 5 or 6 so I think I'm gaining in muscle again.

Either way I'm pretty excited to have lost so much.

In 2 weeks I'm running in a 10k in Portsmouth with the hubs who has also been running.

We're both pretty excited!

Reason # 503 Why I love My Husband

For being angry because apparently our recyleables should be more organized. Trash shouldn't be messy.

Trick or Treat!

>
Trick or treat was super fun this year! well sort of... Rowan was a bit whiney and was pretty much terrified of any house that had Halloweene decorations, but with gentle nudges we were able to convince her to go up with us.

One house had a small green plastic witch figure outside, and Rowan was quite horrified by it, once she finally mustered he courage to knock on the door the statue came to life and started cackling at her... She pretty much lost her shit and went leaping into Daddy's arms screaming...

We of course laughed.


She dressed up as Hannah Montana... so of course Barney and I mimicked her costume... I was Hannah's Bff Lily and Barney was Billy Ray Cyrus (new hair style, not the mullet).

I got to put him in a wig... it was fricken hillarious!