Watering the Grass

Despite some setbacks (daycare fire, teacher changes) with potty training, I feel that we are progressing. Recently, we went to Brian and Jacque's (Rob's sister's) to celebrate the Bright family Christmas. They live in Murrells Inlet, SC and this is a 4 hour plus drive with a toddler. Between Jacksonville and Wilmington there are not many "potty" opportunities, so we erred when we stopped to let Seth "water the grass." After the first time, he did not want to stop and "potty," he wanted to stop and "water the grass." I saw where this was going and I had a flashback that Mrs. Lima Barnett (neighbor and friend of Rob's family) told at our rehearsal dinner about Rob "watering the flowers." Oh geez....luckily on our trip home, there was no mention of "watering the grass." There has been no more mention of it since we have returned home. During the time we are home, we are putting Seth in his big boy pants and he has only had one accident so far. He is actually saying, "I have to go to the potty"...and he is making tracks for the bathroom. This is a great accomplishment that we try to praise him for each time he is successful. If anyone is trying to potty train, I would say not to pressure your little one. Hopefully, the only pressure I will be applying will be not to "water the grass" too much.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Another year has gone by so quickly. We have just returned home from two wonderful family Christmas celebrations. We spent this past weekend in Murrells Inlet, SC at Brian and Jacque's (Rob's sis) for the Bright family Christmas. We enjoyed seeing Santa, eating cheese biscuits, touring Brookgreen Gardens, and spending time together. Tonight, we enjoyed Christmas with my family in Robersonville. Mumsie came over and was able to enjoy dinner and gifts with Mama, Daddy, us, and the Askews. I am so grateful for family time and for home time during the holidays. I hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful, stress-free holiday season. God bless everyone, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Slacker

Yes, I have been a slacker to my blog. It is so easy to go to Facebook and post a line or two there that I have not been posting here. I apologize to all my faithful readers.....ahem. Busyness has also gotten in the way of me posting here. Between the book fair and students turning in computers during the last two weeks of school before Christmas break has left me exhausted by the end of each day. Now, that is not to say that I haven't gotten on the computer, but I haven't taken the time to sit down and blog.

We have also been dealing with sickness...a couple of weeks ago, Seth developed a fever accompanied by an upset stomach, so we had to forego the Roberson Christmas this year. Of course with the up and down weather lately, we are still relying on his inhaler tremendously as well as his Zyrtec. Dr. Bramley was nice enough to give us some free samples at his well-child visit in an effort to "keep us out" of the office.

Christmas shopping has been somewhat stressful this year. I try to buy stuff throughout the year but this year it seemed I didn't do that as much, so I have had to try and sneak Christmas shopping in when I can. It's kind of tough when your weekends are so full.

So that is an update for now. I will continue with my Christmas post.

The Third Year

Our little boy is now 3 years old. Time really does kick into another gear when you have a kid. So many times, I wish that time would slow down because he is really growing up way too fast. Every day he continues to amaze us with his actions, his vocabulary, and his thought processes. The days are few when he will let me hold him in my lap. He is very busy and wants to put puzzles together, play with his cars, or ride his tricycle. We cherish every day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SETH!

10 Years

I know this is late and there is no excuse for it (see previous post ;-)). Rob and I recently celebrated our 10 year anniversary. We took a trip to Myrtle Beach and were able to eat at Carrabbas Italian Grill twice in one weekend (I know, we are crazy, but we love this place and are praying for one to come to Greenville!). Many things have happened in our 10 years together; I mean that is a long time! Rob put together a timeline of events that have taken place during those 10 years including, the Columbine shooting, Y2K, 9/11, the Iraq War, and Hurricane Katrina to name a few. On a personal level, we were tested in the summer of 2000 when Rob was laid off but then we were blessed when he began working for the state in 2001. We have moved 3 times in the past 10 years (all to places in Pitt County) and of course we were blessed with Seth in 2005. Rob is a wonderful blessing to me and we have overcome a lot together. I am glad that we have reached this milestone, and I am looking forward to the next 10. I love you babe!

FACEBOOK Craze

My name is Leigh and I am an addict to FACEBOOK. Yes, after much prodding and encouragement, I have entered the Facebook world. There are many people on it that I know and many I haven't talked to in years. It is very interesting and it has been a hindrance to my blogging. I must admit that the main reason I joined it is because I plan on using it as a tool to locate classmates for my 20th reunion. So far, it has been a great way of keeping up with folks I know.

ER

I received a call from Seth's daycare yesterday saying that he had hit his head and he was throwing up. It seemed like it took me an hour and a half to get back to Greenville. Rob picked Seth up and met me at the doctor. In the time between picking Seth up and getting him to the doctor's office, Seth threw up 6 times. He threw up once in the doctor's office. They sent us to the ER, because there was no knot, or bump visible on Seth's head. They even suggested that maybe he had a headache and a stomach virus, since he did not know what a headache was.

Note: No one at the daycare saw him fall, he did not cry out--he went up and told his teacher that he hit his head and then he laid down and threw up.

Does he look hurt or sick to you?

So we journey over to the emergency room. Upon arrival, I am checking us in and Seth throws up again. This is 8 times that he has gotten sick in a time span of about 2.5 hours. I think they sense the urgency of the situation at the ER and they whisk us back to triage. We get put in a room and we see a great team of doctors. They really know how to deal with toddlers. Meanwhile, Seth is not acting like he is hurt or sick at all. He is sitting on the bed, playing with his Leap Pad, messing with his sticker book, playing with his cars. The doctors order a CT scan. We head down the hall to get that done and are not successful because Seth will not lay still. SURPRISE, I know! So, the doctors come in and explain to us that they will have to put him into a strait-jacket kind of thing to restrain him while they do the CT scan. We have no problem with this--all we want is peace of mind at this point.

So, we try again. Seth looks like he is a wreck victim on a board with a neck brace. They even have to tape his head down. All the while, he is telling us he wants to get up. Rob and I were able to stay in there with him during the CT scan and his main doctor was awesome--telling Seth he was riding in a space ship. Seth did cry some, but in the end he was a champion and we heaped much praise on him when it was over. His doctor made him a SPACEMAN SETH sticker and he wore it like a badge of honor. He even wanted to wear it today! The CT Scan was normal. We were happy to get this news but we are still mystified as to what happened. The doctor said that he could have hit his head and it caused him to throw up like he did or he could have had a headache and it was a virus.

Seth has had a stomach virus before and he doesn't sit around and play with his Leap Pad or mess with his sticker book. He sits in Mommy's or Daddy's lap and seeks comfort. He wasn't doing that in that hospital room! I think he did hit his head and that is what caused the nausea. We appreciate all of the good treatment and the help we received at PCMH. Moreover, we are so grateful for the outcome.

Halloween Pictures

Happy Halloween from the Brights!

May your day be filled with tricks and treats! Be safe and Happy Halloween!

Works For Me Wednesday--Painters Tape

I got a little time to write a Works for Me Wednesday Post. This week, I decided to write about 3M Scotch Painters’ Tape. Yes, that lovely blue tape is a dear friend of mine. It allows me to post Seth’s artwork on my pantry when I have run out of refrigerator room. It is also very handy when it comes to childproofing a hotel room. I just slap a piece of tape over an outlet. Now, Seth is getting older and he is beginning to figure out he can remove the tape. But it has still been a lifesaver in my house.















It has been helpful at school as well. Since they painted at school this summer, we were not allowed to put anything on the wall that would take paint off. Waalah! Painters’ tape to the rescue! This is just a clever invention that can be used for many things—I wish it had been invented when I had all my teen idol posters in my room—it would’ve saved my mom a lot of stress!

3M Scotch Painters’ Tape is what works for me, and please be sure to visit our sponsor Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer to get more ideas from others that could work for you too!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Time to Blog?

It has been tough to find a minute to update lately. Last weekend, we journeyed to Salter Path, where we spent some time with our friends from Wisconsin, Ron and Beverly Flintrop. They come to NC twice a year--once in the fall and once in the spring--and they like to spend that time at the beach. It also happened to be the weekend of the Swansboro Mullet (the fish, not the hairstyle) Festival. We had planned to go to the Mullet Festival on Saturday, but it rained all day, so we worked in a trip to the aquarium, which Seth loved.

Sunday, before coming home, we were able to stop by the Mullet Festival to enjoy some music and to see Uncle Johnny, Aunt Nette, Katie, and Brent.

Fall Is Here!

How about this fall weather? I do like fall weather, but with it come a weather change and allergy problems. There are a lot of things I ENJOY about the fall--pumpkins, cider, trick or treating...Halloween is on the horizon.

We have had an interesting past few days. Seth's daycare caught fire on Tuesday night, so we have been having to make arrangements with the grandparents for childcare. I don't think it has bothered Seth and I know it hasn't bothered the grandparents! Today, he joined Mama Jane, Aunt Lesley, and Carson and Caitlyn on a trip to Briley's Pumpkin Patch.


We just received word tonight that our daycare has acquired temporary facilities across the street at the University Church of God. We will be grateful to get Seth back into his routine, but we are glad he got to spend time with his grandparents.

Texas Update

Reiko was able to call and leave me a message today. I called her this past weekend and was able to leave a message on her voicemail, which was better than last week when I got a recording about "Due to the hurricane...." She said they are still without power (over a week) but they are doing fine. She said that Steve was able to acquire a generator and that it had helped some. They are sleeping on the living room floor at night and leaving the windows open. I am sure it has been tough for them, especially without a television and air conditioning. Seth would be going bonkers if he couldn't watch his Garfield or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I guess that is when creativity is forced into the picture. I am asking anyone who reads this blog to continue to pray for them and here's hoping they will get power back soon.

How Was Your Day Today?

Rob (to Seth): Hey buddy, how was your day at school today?

Seth: I sat in time out today.

Preschool changes everything. You find out a lot more because your child has become a better communicator. His vocabulary is blossoming. S-C-A-R-Y!!

My Answering Machine

I have found a few minutes to do another Works for Me Wednesday. My answering machine is a wonderful thing. I work in a middle school library and teachers are asking me for things all of the time. I usually have some of these things at home, like old magazines, and I will forget to bring them for teachers to use. So, I call my answering machine at home to remind myself. Sometimes, I will remember that I need to send an email to someone when I am traveling to and from work. So that I won't forget it, I will just call and remind myself on my answering machine. This really does work for me! For other interesting ideas that really work stop by Rocks in My Dryer !

Texas Update

Reiko just called to let us know they were okay. She said that last night was rough and they stayed in a closet underneath their stairs for a while. She said transformers were exploding throughout their neighborhood last night. Winds got up to around 90 mph, they have debris all over their yard, and their neighbor's fence is down. She said that they were expecting wind and rain until late afternoon. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Thoughts and Prayers for my Yellow Roses

To anyone who reads my blog--please keep my friends Reiko and Steve Ingram in your prayers. They also have a 3 year old Noah. They live in Spring, TX and could be in Hurricane Ike's path. They had to evacuate 2.5 years ago with Hurricane Rita and chose to stay this time. I spoke with Reiko this afternoon and she said that they had filled up their vehicles and gotten many canned goods. She said that panic was setting in (not necessarily with them) and gas stations were closing down their pumps in a couple of hours. She said her biggest concern was losing power because Noah has asthma and he uses a nebulizer. I will try and post an update on them after the storm passes.

Watch Out for Those Old Lady Names Part II

WELL! I must say that the Atlantic Ocean has really hit the jackpot with tropical entities lately. Right now, a whole family of storms is having some kind of reunion out there. And here we sit in Eastern NC, sticking out like someone's nose on their face, teasing any storm that would approach the southeastern coast. Tropical Storm Hanna (as she is presently) is forecast to come through our state late Friday/early Saturday. According to reports, she will be a hurricane when she decides to visit NC. Hanna is an old lady name. It is a Biblical name that has become very popular with today's parents. It was, in fact, one of my choices if we had a girl. I still like the name Hanna. It is still an old lady name. I about dropped my teeth when I saw what the 'J' name was--Josephine! I could see disaster written all over that one--it ranks right up there with Bertha and Hazel! So, NC could be the target of three storms. IKE is out there in the middle of Hanna and Josephine. We are trying our best to get prepared--I bought more Pull-Ups tonight as well as some paper plates, cups, and bowls (hey, you never know when our water supply might be compromised!). I will try and visit the grocery store tomorrow before panic sets in. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Then a friend (Thanks Leigh C.!) sent me this:

Yes ma'am, those are some hurricane shoes--high heel flippers, if you will. I don't think I will run right out and grab me a pair of these, but I thought, you know someone will, to be different... I guess it is always good to find humor in all situations even if they could be potentially disasterous.

Noah Comes to Visit!

Noah and Reiko came to visit NC recently. We had a great time hanging out, even if only briefly. Reiko and I were able to help close Barnes and Noble one night as we caught up on our experiences with our toddlers as well as old times. The next day, Reiko, Noah, Seth, and I enjoyed a trip to Elm St. Park. Then Reiko and Noah came back to our house to enjoy supper from Cubbies and to watch Cars.

Weekend with the Williamses and the Wiggles!

Warning! This blog entry contains much alliteration. What a wonderful weekend with the Williamses and the Wiggles! Our excersion began on Friday as we picked Seth up from daycare to journey to the Wiggles concert. We had a wild time wiggling with the Wiggles, Captain Feathersword, Wags, Dorothy, Henry, and the Wiggly dancers. Here are a few pictures.




After the concert, we went to Brad and Vanessa Williams' , where we were able to chill out and enjoy ourselves. On Saturday, we journeyed to the Mortons' (Brad's sister and brother-in-law) where we got to visit Christy, Hunter, Cody, and Caitlyn. Rob and Seth enjoyed themselves on the trampoline. After the morning exercise, we enjoyed lunch at a favorite restaurant--Carrabas.










We said goodbye to Brad and Vanessa and headed west to spend some time with Matt and Patrice Williams. We had an awesome time even though it was short. Deac and Rya acted like they remembered us! We caught up while watching the Olympics and the race at Bristol (and Nemo and the Wiggles--sorry guys ;-) ). Patrice got to exercise her reading prowess with Seth (next time, we are going to work on his Spanish!). We attended church with Matt and Patrice on Sunday and got to enjoy lunch with them. We are looking forward to our next visit!

What a fun weekend, albeit tiring at the same time. It was great to be able to spend quality time with friends we don't get to see often. Patrice said it well, though. She said that communicating in the blog world helps and it doesn't seem like she misses so much in our lives because she keeps up by blogging. I agree with her--blogging does make your friends not seem so far away. I will have to start working on Brad and Vanessa to start a blog.

Yes, It's That Time of the Year AGAIN....

As I peruse the back to school bargains at Staples and Office Depot, the little girl in me yearns for a new backpack, cool pencils and pens, and colorful notebooks. The adult in me cringes at the thought of returning to a messy office, having to distribute stuff again, student orientation, and starting again. For me (and many others), this is one of the toughest times of the year. The other tough time is the end of school--the middle isn't so bad but getting there....

Today is my last day before returning to school. This is the beginning of my twelfth year. You would think I would be used to it by now, but I am not. I dread the beginning of school like I dread going to the dentist. The worst part is getting started again. Can you tell I am depressed?

Okay back to reality. It will not be that bad. I just have to get back into the routine. But that getting back, that's the worst part. I have said that already, yes. But it is the truth. Ask any educator.

I am not soliciting sympathy--I just want you to know that my blogging might decrease for a while at least until I get over the hump of beginning school. ENOUGH MOPING!

There are some things I am looking forward to--our school system is implementing a uniform policy this year. I can't wait to see how this will pan out. LABOR DAY! We have a new superintendent so that should be interesting as well. LABOR DAY! We have had some job changes in our school, so I am sure time will tell with those. It will be amazing as it has been every year to see how the kids have changed in two and a half months. Did I mention LABOR DAY?

It will be an adventure as it always is, I am sure.

Goodbye Poppy--The Final Chapter

Well, it is day 6 without a pacifier (poppy) AT ALL. I can't tell you he hasn't asked for it. :-) He asked for it last night and tonight he said, "Poppy is gone." So, it is still fresh in his memory. But I must say we are definitely on the high road when it comes to getting rid of it.

I have to take this opportunity to say congratulations Matt and Patrice on your news. God is great and he has a plan. Stay strong in your faith and we will pray for some peace. We love you guys and are very happy for you. :-)

Goodbye Poppy (Paci) Part 2

I snipped Seth's pacifier tip again yesterday, making it about a quarter of an inch above the handle base. When we gave it to him last night, he didn't say anything--he has been sleeping with it in his hand lately. He has not been putting it in his mouth much except just to chew on it. This morning when he woke up, I went in there and it was on the floor. I picked his "poppy" up and gave it back to him. Seth said, "Poppy is broke, it don't work." I told him, "I know it is broken, but you are a big boy and you don't need it. Don't you want to throw it away?" He said he did. So I lifted him out of his crib and he trotted over to the trash can and dropped it in there. I told him, "Okay, poppy is gone, you are a big boy now." Then I went to get him a treat for being a big boy.

Fast forward to tonight. I got his poppy out of the trashcan this afternoon and boiled it in case we had a weak moment. I am proud to report that we did not cave! He did ask for his poppy before he got into the crib and we reminded him that he threw it away. He said, "No, no, no, my poppy!" I told him again that he was a big boy and that he didn't need a poppy. He was still standing up in his crib and he started crying when we walked out of his room. Crying commenced. I got Rob to go out to the car to get his feathersword(from the Wiggles) because I had read it was helpful to replace a comfort object with something else. I walked in there and got him to lie down and I gave him his feathersword. He was still blubbering, but he did calm down and take his feathersword. I stood over him for a bit with my hand on his chest, shushing him. He eventually went to sleep.

Growing up is hard and I remember feeling this way when we switched him from his bottle to his sippy cup. It is bittersweet because I want him to grow up, but I want to hold on to that baby. I know I will feel like this many more times. We will see how it goes tomorrow night--at least one of my goals for the summer is almost accomplished--no more poppy/paci!

Don't Forget! Tax Free Weekend is here!

This is just a reminder that tax-free weekend is here in NC. Stores will be packed today with those of us scurrying to get deals on anything from school supplies to school uniforms. I have some Register Rewards at Walgreens that I need to spend and little man needs some new shoes, so I am off to see what I can accomplish. Good luck if you venture out!

Adventures in Triple Couponing at Harris Teeter

First of all, I don't usually grocery shop at Harris Teeter. I think it is a beautiful store, but I think and know they mark stuff up. I don't begrudge people who shop there--it has a tremendous selection of items! With it being a weekend of tripling coupons 99 cents and under, I figured I could find some good deals even at Harris Teeter. It did not disappoint.

I got all this stuff for $18.08. I know it does not look like a lot, but cleaning supplies are expensive. I saved $31.72 with coupons. I could have gotten more stuff, but my coupon stash is relatively new and I had already taken advantage of other deals elsewhere. Plus, Harris Teeter only allows you to use 20 coupons per transaction.

This couponing business is beneficial, but it is also hard work. I find it to be a challenge and I enjoy researching the deals knowing that the hard work will pay off, literally. It is also great to look at my receipt and know that I saved way more than I spent!

An Accomplished Summer

This is my first WFMW! Many of you know that I am a middle school librarian. I perform many tasks and I have a bad habit of beginning something and not returning to it for a while, especially if it is something I dread. One of my co-workers suggested to me to write down everything I accomplish in a day. I took this advice, and I have to say I felt very fulfilled at the days' end. It also motivated me to finish tasks that I started so that I could write it down. This summer, I have taken on this same mantra--I am writing down everything I do each day on my desk calendar--went to grocery store, bought birthday gift, folded clothes, listed things on ebay--then I can go back, see what I did this summer and feel very accomplished. I am a 'live by the list' person and if I don't write it down, I forget it so this really works for me! For more "Works For Me Wednesday" ideas, stop by Rocks in My Dryer !

Get Ready....to Wiggle!

We are planning to go see the Wiggles in a few weeks. We wanted to take Seth last year for his birthday, but they were here in the middle of the week, so it didn't work out very well. We are looking forward to seeing the Wiggles in person and are curious as to how Seth will act. When we took him to Piratefest in April, he acted kind of scared. I hope that he will not be scared so that he will be able to enjoy himself. I feel like he will get more out of it than if we had taken him last year. I am sure it will be a memorable experience!

Big Brother Time Again!

Yippee! It's time again to put a bunch of narcissistic people in a house to live together and let their lives be seen by the curious (ok, NOSY) public. This summer's crew includes a great grandfather who is also a retried marine, a Catholic teacher, a mixologist, a Hooter's waitress, and an annoying middle aged hair dresser. WooHoo--the fireworks are beginning. I am ashamed to say that reality TV is one of my guilty pleasures. :-)

Potty Training Anyone?

Goodbye Poppy (Pacifier)!

Well, we set out on this trek last weekend to get Seth to give up his "poppy" at naptime. It was a fight and after seeing the dentist last Monday, we knew we had to step up if we wanted to accomplish what we set out to do. I had read somewhere on the Internet that some moms had cut the tip off of their childrens' pacifiers and given the pacifer to their children that way. It was worth a shot. We figured if this doesn't work, we will try the SuperNanny approach with the "paci-fairy."

Last night, we gave Seth his "poppy" just as we normally do at bedtime. I had rounded up all the other poppies and stored them in a cabinet. He looked at it and looked at us. He stuck it in his mouth and pulled it out and said, "Poppy broken." It was so hard not to laugh at him, yet I felt sorry for him at the same time. He asked us to check the drawer where we usually keep the "poppies." I did and told him there were no more. So, he was left to sleep with his broken poppy. We checked him several times before we went to bed and he did not have it in his mouth--he did not cry out but once when he dropped it out of his crib. I dread to ask, "Can it be as simple as this, or are we living a pipe dream?"

I just went in to check him and the poppy is in his crib somewhere, but I didn't see it--it wasn't in his mouth. We are going to continue to tell him that he is a big boy and he doesn't need the poppy. Please be in prayer for us and for Seth to know that he doesn't need that soother to get to sleep!

The CVS Game

In my efforts to save money, I have invested some time in playing the CVS game this week. According to the pros who do this every week, it wasn't a very good week to earn ECB (Extra Care Bucks) and get deals at CVS. I studied their sales paper carefully and wrote down what I had to buy in order to get the best deals and get the Extra Care bucks. Here is my scenario:

Total spent on items above today: $79.15
Actual price of items above: $144.70
Amount I saved today with coupons, ECBs, & sales: $66.55
ECBs I received today: $18.98

In actuality today, I only spent $59.17 because I got $18.98 back in ECBs to spend on my next shopping trip. My goal is to do better next time. Presently, I am well stocked on some staple items for the next several months. This does work--you have to be willing to try new things and not be scared to buy generic items.

On another note, I spent a grand total of $0.54 on 23 two pocket folders and 200 pencils today at Staples. I am very proud of that deal!

Seth's First Trip to the Dentist

We did not build this trip up because Seth has been watching Finding Nemo and we didn't want him to associate the dentist on there with his dentist. In retrospect, I don't think it would have made any difference. Upon arriving, all these children were exiting the examination area with balloons. We took this to be a good sign because Seth loves balloons. We began to talk to him about the man who was going to "count" his teeth and then he could get a balloon. Our appointment was towards the end of the day, and we were one of the last patients to be seen. When they called Seth back, they took his picture; and of course he was a moving target. His main objective was to find out where the balloons were. We were led to an examination table--not a chair. Two dental hygienists greeted us and I SERIOUSLY asked, "Where are the straps?" They looked at me kind of funny--I knew Seth was not going to lie on this table and be still. Rob in the meantime was reminding Seth that he had to EARN his balloon by letting them count his teeth. The hygienists told me with smiles on their faces that they don't use the straps until the 2nd appointment. I was being serious. Seth lays on the table ready to earn his balloon. The dentist, Dr. Casey comes over and Seth proceeds to tell him he wants a balloon. Dr. Casey takes one of the rubber gloves and blows it up which Seth does not like. So, Seth is laying down and I take a leg and Rob takes a leg and Dr. Casey proceeds to count Seth's teeth. Seth screams the whole time, cries, and tries to thrash about. I have not heard him cry like this since we started making him "cry it out" when he was learning to sleep by himself. We assure him that everything will be alright. The dentist is not hurting him, but Seth doesn't know that he is not trying to. Dr. Casey tells us what we knew was coming--we have to get rid of the pacifier--ASAP. He says Seth's teeth look good, but we need to wean him off the pacifier. After Seth's teeth are cleaned and fluoride has been applied, Seth gets his balloon and whimpers a lot. I told Rob that I know why they put our appointment at the end of the day, but Dr. Casey and the hygienists assure me that this behavior is normal and they have seen much worse. I am just glad we don't have to go through that again for a while.

Great Website

This summer, I have made it my business to get more involved with couponing and bargain hunting. With the economy like it is and with the rising gas prices, I want to work to save money when it comes to my family, and we can do it living below our means! Through my plundering of websites and blogs on the internet, I have included some of my favorites on the left of this page. One of the newest ones I have stumbled across is:

Rocks in My Dryer

Be sure to check out this great blog. My favorite feature of this blog is Works for Me Wednesdays. Different bloggers submit tips, recipes, and ideas that work for them. Sometimes the WFMW are themed--recently they featured 5 ingredient recipes. Other times they may ask for organization tips. It's a great blog and I am glad to have stumbled across it.

Watch Out for Those Old Lady Names!

We have our first hurricane of the 2008 hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin. Her name is BERTHA. Another Bertha visited us here in Eastern NC back in July 1996. I remember this well because my family was evacuated from our beach house in the middle of our vacation. I don't ever think I have ever seen my family move that fast to beat the crowd off of the island. We were pulling out of the driveway of our beach cottage during a voluntary evacuation and the police department was coming down the street with an intercom announcing the evacuation. Bertha was one of the first real hurricanes that I remember. Upon arriving home, we had 2 days to prepare for this hurricane, but I remember the winds roaring and the rain beating down. That same year, we had another hurricane visit us--Hurricane Fran. Hurricane Fran was more destructive than Bertha. It caused very bad flooding problems and uprooted many trees in our area. That year was the year of the old lady named hurricanes. Whenever old lady names pop up for the yearly hurricane name lists, my awareness goes up because I know they could be doozies.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Tomorrow is the 4th of July. We wish everyone a safe and Happy 4th and remember what it means to celebrate our country's independence.

Happy 4th of July from the Brights!

Baby Borrowers

Did anyone catch Baby Borrowers last night on NBC? I think it was on at 9 p.m., so it was on during the same time as Supernanny :-( . Not good, but thank goodness for DVR. Anyways, the premise of Baby Borrowers is these couples give their baby up for 3 days to a couple of young people (all older than 18). These young couples have been interviewed prior to receiving these babies and many of them have said, "We are ready for children," "We feel we are ready for the next step in our relationship, and that is having a baby," "I want to have children while I am young." This task at hand is the newest form of birth control going. One member of the younger couples is responsible for going and working all day while the other stays home with the baby. If they are able to achieve this, they earn $100.00. It was a hoot to see the person come home from their job and the person staying home with the baby expected a break from the person who had come home from his/her job. Then, when the baby cried out at 3 a.m., the young couples would argue over who was going to get up with the baby. One girl got sick and decided that she could not take care of the baby so all the responsibility fell on her boyfriend's shoulders. All the while, the real parents are watching these things unfold on hidden cameras and at times they have to intervene. At the end of the show, the real parents go to retrieve their children and provide an evaluation to the young people. It is a real eye-opener for these young people--some of them are very self-centered and realize that they are not where they thought they were in their lives. They realize that they can't stop parenting if the baby gets sick and that they cannot always control what the baby does. I think this can be a good show--it was a bit humorous when one of the guys had to change a dirty diaper and he about gagged. I sat there and nodded my head a lot through it. In the upcoming weeks, young couples will have to care for toddlers, tweens, and teenagers. It should be very interesting.

Summer Job

Well, I have started my summer job--ebay. I have listed some items for my sister and myself to sell. We'll see how that goes. I am also working on decluttering this house to see what I can find to sell on ebay. It is fun to go to My Ebay and see if people are watching my items. So far this morning, I only have one watcher and no bids. I can always hope for a hot bidding war on those Disney Princess items that I listed for Lesley.

Back from the Beach

We returned yesterday from our family beach vacation. We had a blast. It is always interesting to see what is going on in other family members' lives. It was very neat looking at things through Seth's eyes. With his recent interest in Finding Nemo, he enjoyed communicating with the seagulls as he fed them, saying, "Mine, mine, mine..." This year the ocean was the ocean, not the muck-muck like last year. We had many luxuries at the beach cottage this year--a new one to us--the first new one in 9 years. We had a pool, a hot tub, and a media room with a movie screen. These were all wonderful amenities. The house was also on the 2nd row--not beachfront--and we had do use a public access to get to the beach, which was not a big deal. The views of the sound and the ocean were phenomenal. We usually spent time at the shore in the morning and tackled the pool in the afternoon. Seth had his "fish suit" which helped somewhat with his buoyancy and by the end of the week, he was holding on to the side of the pool and following it by himself. He did go under a few times, but it did not bother him much at all. I think we will be looking at swim school for him next year. We enjoyed playing progressive rummy as always--Papa Sr. should be so proud--Brent A. even got in on the action this year even though we only played a few hands. We will let you brave the entirety next year Brent A. As always, it is wonderful to go on vacation but it is nice to return home to your own bed.