Stop the Whistling!

I can’t concentrate on anything today. I feel like I am rolling around in a fog. Today is the third morning in a row following a bad night’s sleep. Sunday night Smug-Baby fell asleep about 10pm and all was well until about midnight. It was when Smug-Hub was snoring that she first woke. It was when I gently pulled on his ear to wake him enough to put on his CPAP mask and he yelled “WHAT??” at me that she woke up fully and was totally ready to play. Smug-Hub realized that this was most likely his fault and took her into the living room, which lasted about 4 seconds until she wanted to come back into the bedroom. From then until 3:15, he slept while she played and rolled around the bed, nursing on and off and finally fell asleep with about 75 minutes left before the alarm made me get up and go to work.

I ended up having an unexpectedly free day and was able to get the house cleaning done and laundry done. I also made menus and a grocery list and clipped a ton of coupons. I made a nice dinner and spent lots of quality time playing and the floor with a sweet baby girl! Notice, that I didn’t mention a nap anywhere in there. I meant to, really, it just didn’t happen. So, Monday night, Smug-Baby slept like a champ! Smug-Hub wore his mask all night! Should have been a good night right? Well, the mask is new and he doesn’t quite have all the settings right so that it fits correctly, and all night the mask whistled. A high pitched whistle that sets your teeth on edge people! I do remember having to pull my tightly gripping fingers away from his throat at one point, so I was not handling the noise well. Smug-Baby slept right through it! Goody for her L

Tuesday, I took Smug-Baby, Smug-Niece AND one of my nephews (really should come up with a good name for him…) with me to both CVS and Kroger while I did my shopping and used my coupons. It took several hours and I had Smug-Baby in the back carrier and Smug-Niece in the cart and my nephew walking along side the cart pointing out all the things that he really wished he could have, and all the things that he has always wanted. By the time I headed for checkout both babies were letting me know that they had had enough! They fell asleep almost as soon as I got them in the car. I took all my purchases home and then went to pick up Smug-Grandma and took her to the store to get a new computer. I hated doing that because she looks to me to help her make the right decision and I know nothing about current computer specs and what is a good deal or anything! I worked in the IT department for 4 years about 6 years ago and I think that she feels like that makes me an expert in all things technological, but it doesn’t. I know that I can figure some stuff out for her, but not everything and I am terrified that I am going to mess stuff up or lose her files or whatever and she is simply going to kill me! Anyway, we spent a good hour or more at the store before I was finally able to take Smug-Niece home to her mama.

After the babies got some Binky’s it was off again, back to Smug-Grandma’s to set up the new computer. It took forever and it was after 6pm when I finally got home. Smug-Baby was in major need of cup filling but was so tired from not having a good nap that everything made her cranky! I finally just did her bath early and she was asleep by 8pm. I had some food and cleaned up the kitchen and spoke with my husband about the plans for today for a few minutes and then I was in bed by 9. Finally, I thought, tonight is the night! I will finally get some good, restful sleep!!

Smug-Hub is off today, so I think that he thought that entitled him to his Friday/Saturday respite from coming to bed “early” (11:30 is not early to me, but whatever!) so, Smug-Baby started rolling around restlessly about 12:30. Not too bad, just on and off and not settling down but it meant that I was awake. She nursed some, but her little fingers kept pinching me or trying to bend my fingernails backward, so not really soundly asleep either. This went on for a while, and about 2:30, Smug-Hub came to bed. Then the whistling began again and the restless baby rolled around some more and then the alarm went off.

I dragged myself into the shower, thinking that at least the hot water would relax all the tension in my neck and shoulders and make the start of my long day a little better. I turned on the shower and the water pressure wasn’t quite right and then suddenly, the shower head started sending forth this loud, high-pitched whine (not unlike the CPAP whistle I had been listening to for the last 2 hours). This has happened a few times before and always goes away after a few seconds. I adjusted the water temperature to see if that would help and while I did get various pitch levels, the whine didn’t go away. It stayed on throughout my whole (now hurried) shower. It was horrible and I was really concerned that it would wake the baby. I got out, feeling tenser and more stressed than when I got in. I finished getting ready for work and got out the door. On the drive into the office, I was wondering why my face felt funny. I realized that I had forgotten to put on moisturizer which when led to the realization that I hadn’t put on any make up. I did remember to brush my hair, so I guess that is a good thing.

Lord, help me through today, which is going to be spent at the pool (weather and baby attitudes permitting), so that should be fun and I plan to spend some time in the hot tub. Perhaps the jets can work out some of these aches. Provided there isn’t any odd whistling going on!

Couponing Results!!

So, I have been out shopping and am very pleased with my results! I took 3 coupons into CVS and printed another from the machine inside the door. I needed to get eyeliner, mouthwash, allergy medication, shampoo and (because I had a coupon) a toothbrush. It broke down like this:

Pantene - Full price $6.97, Sale Buy one Get one - so $3.49 each and earns $2.00 in extra bucks.

Crest Pro Health Rinse (mouthwash) - Full price $7.49, sale price $4.50, $2.00 coupon and $2.50 in extra bucks.

Oral B Toothbrush - Full price $6.89, sale price $6.00, $2.00 coupon and $3.00 in extra bucks.

Revlon Eye Pencil - full price $10.99, not on sale, but coupon worth $3.00 and earned $4.00 in extra bucks.

Allegra - Full price $15.79, not on sale, but had a coupon for $2.00 off and Smug-Hub really, really needed it!!!

OK, so I would have spent $55.10 if I had paid full price for everything.

I would have spent $44.25 had I just bought them at the sale price.

I saved another $9.00 with the coupons and earned $11.50 in extra bucks and lets face it, that is like cash in hand! So I saved a total of $31.35 after taxes!! Its like paying $23.75 for $55.10 worth of products! I'd say that is worth the 90 minutes I spent cutting coupons and compiling my list!!

As for Kroger, I will not break down each item, cause, well, I don't have that kind of time!! However, I didn't purchase anything that wasn't on sale and my total was $99.78 before the plus card or the few coupons. I walked out having only paid $60.19!!! That is a savings of over $39.00!!! That is a combination of sale prices, eCoupons loaded on my plus card and paper coupons!!

That doesn't even include the fuel points - 146 so far this month and that will translate to $0.10 off each gallon of gas the next time I fill up!

So, what did I come home with???

Here is $100 worth of groceries!

The eggs were free!

 While I am trying to limit dairy, Smug-Hub isn't, so these are for him and since they don't expire until late September, he's got time to enjoy them!

Cheerios are kind of a guilty pleasure for me and Smug-Baby likes them too!

Good for washing all those cloth diapers

Sorry SPM, we still use paper towels, although we use the cloth towels too, so we are getting better!!

Smug-Hub loves to have yogurt and fruit or toast with breakfast, so this will last us a week!

Now that we are grilling out more with the summer-like weather, these will get put to great use right away!!

Again, not for me! OK, maybe just a little for me :) 

This is one of those big expense items that I just hate, but this was regularly priced at $10.99, on sale for $7.50 and I had a $2.00 coupon! Can't beat it!

Got one for me at CVS, so I got one for Smug-Hub too! I'm nice like that!

I didn't have coupons for the produce, but everything was on sale!

I did have a coupon for these mushrooms and I plan on eating them reallly soon cause I love mushrooms!!

All these frozen veggies! There are $1.00 each, but I had a couple of coupons worth $0.40 off two bags and that coupon doubled, so I thought it was a good deal!

All in all, it was a productive shopping trip, except for Smug-Baby getting hungry toward the end and pulling at the front of my shirt to let me know she needed the Binky's! I have enough food to make some nice, healthy meals this week and a few household items to have on hand when needed.

While I didn't get a huge rush at checkout like the extreme coupon people, I am pretty pleased with myself!

Coupons

Last weekend Smug-Hub and I came across the show Extreme Couponing and became entranced!! Smug-Hub got very excited and told me that I needed to start doing what these people were doing to get free groceries and household items.

Most of the people on the show buy huge quantities of items and spend 30-60 hours each week working on their shopping list and compiling their coupons. Well, I don't have that kind of time nor the inclination to fill up the garage with 400 bottles of Tide!!

Not to mention, that most of the items that I see coupons for (and see these people buying) are for junk food items! I don't want to eat a ton of prepackaged crap just because it was $0.12!! (although, it does make me a bit bitter when I spend $6.00 on some green peppers for God's sake!!!)

However, my grocery store sends me coupons that are customized to my shopping habits and include produce items and yet I have often let them expire! I should be using them! They are for products that I generally buy anyway, so it is like throwing away money when I don't use the coupons!

Also, If I could use coupons and discounts to create a "stockpile" of things like shampoo, dish washing liquid, laundry soap and the like and not have those high cost items be a drain on our budget, then shouldn't I make the effort to do that too?

So this week, I bought a news paper and I got on Coupon Mom's website to see her free list of deals and made a list of things that I have coupons for and worked to create the weekly menu around those food items. I also printed a list of items that are on sale and I have coupons for at CVS, so I can get started collecting some of those household items that tend to put a strain on the monthly grocery bill when they become a "need" item.

I haven't yet figured out how much I will actually spend, or the dollars saved, but I will do that before I head to the stores tomorrow after work, just to make sure that I'm not overdoing it.

I am excited to be taking a proactive role in saving where I can without compromising my family's goal to eat healthy. Perhaps my couponing will allow us to purchase those more expensive, healthy items without shuddering at the price, because we are saving on other items.

Wish me luck and if you have any thoughts, tips, ideas, etc. PLEASE pass it along!!!

April 6, 1923 - June 1, 2011

I am without any Grandparents. Richard Braithwaite "Dick" Knisely passed away, quietly with his family around him a little after 3am on Wednesday June 1. He was 88 years old. He was the head of his family. He was the pillar of strength for us all. I loved him deeply.

When my first Grandmother died I hurt so much. I couldn't imagine going through that pain three more times. I have dealt with the pain of loss as each of them passed on to whatever lays beyond this world and I kept thinking that it would get easier; that I would get used to losing people I love. It doesn't get easier.

KNISELY Richard "Dick" Braithwaite Richard "Dick" Braithwaite Knisely, 88, died June 1st, 2011 in Roanoke, Virginia. He was born to the late Richard C. and Florence Knisely, April 6, 1923, in Toledo, Ohio. After graduating from Scott High School in 1942 he worked as a merchant marine on the Great Lakes. Believing his duty lie in defending his country he soon enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. For three years he bravely served in World War II as a B-24 ball turret gunner, completing fifty-two missions. Upon returning to Toledo he married his cherished bride, Suzanne Compton. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts, and a Master's degree in Education from the University of Toledo. He had a long and distinguished career with the Toledo Public School System as a teacher and head football coach at his alma mater Scott High, then at Bowsher High School where he was a teacher and head basketball coach. He finished his career as the Director of Transportation for the Toledo Public Schools. Richard was a husband, brother, and father to four children. In 1978 he retired to Pomona Park, Florida with his wife of sixty-four years. He and his wife enjoyed nearly three decades at their lake house, creating treasured memories for their children and grandchildren. Surviving to embrace his memory are three of his four children, daughters, Linda (Daryl) Henry, Kyle Knisely, and son, David (Sharron) Knisely; his grandchildren, Michelle Terrell, Kurt Henry, Ryan (Chris) Michalski, Ashleigh (Cory) Lutz, Kelsey Shumate, Emily (Corey Thayer) and Abbey Knisely, and five great grandchildren, Nicole Clark, Cyrus Terrell, Will Fisher, Mary Michalski, and Molly Lutz. He is preceded in death by his parents; his son, Ricky Knisely; his brother, Wade Knisely; his wife, Suzanne Knisely, and his grandson, Matthew Hammer Knisely. Richard will be remembered by those who loved him as an award winning fisherman with a jovial spirit and witty humor who was always eager to entertain.

Published in Toledo Blade on June 5, 2011

 

 

The following is a poem that I have always found myself thinking of when I lose someone important to me. I know that I will adjust, I will find a place in my soul for this new permanent ache, but I will never not feel his loss or the loss of those who left me before him.

 

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

By: W.H. Auden

Rest in Peace Gramps knowing that you were loved and you leave behind an amazing family who all strive to make you proud. I love you.

iPhone Pictures

I have gotten into the habit of sending Smug-Hub pictures of Smug-Baby throughout the day while he is at work. It gives him insight into our day as well as giving him something to show around to his co-workers!

Sometimes I feel badly when I send him one of us doing something fun, like playing at the pool because I feel like he will be sad that he is missing something fun. So I try to send him pictures when she is not having fun too, so he gets the whole picture :)

Here is a sampling of the shots that I have captured over the last few days along with their caption that I sent to Smug-Hub when I texted them to him. Enjoy!

She walked herself all the way down the house from the garage. She can hear the dog in Foley's backyard!!

Feeling the grass on her toes and bare butt!!

Hi Daddy! We are going for a walk!

I let all the water out of the tub daddy!

Mom! Fill it back up for me!!!

Good Morning Daddy, have a good day at work!!

Dog! Dog!

I'm driving mommy home!

Pool water and pretzels, life doesn't get better! Miss you!

One tired girl!!

Swimming Suit Shopping

Today Smug-Sister and I have been discussing swim suits and how we are both in desperate need of a new one. I am currently using my maternity suit, but it is way too big on me since 1) I am no longer pregnant and 2) ...no... just that one reason!! It is also starting to show signs of wear, like when you hold it up to the light, you can see the thin patches. Which, by the way, is strange considering I only wore it twice while I was pregnant, maybe 3-4 times last summer and so far only 3-4 times this year. I guess they just aren't made to last!

Anyway, she was looking at this one and while it is really cute, it is $55 and back ordered until July. Who wants to wait until July for a new suit?? There is this one that she likes OK and it is also $55, but available now. So, order the one you really like and wait months to receive it, or order the one that you can get shipped out to you right now that you don't love...

I want to try some on before I buy, so I really really don't want to order one and wait until July for it and then hate it, but the thought of trying to go swim suit shopping is daunting for two reasons, 1) I will have a toddler with me, who will undoubtedly run away from the dressing room while I am struggling to get into/out of a suit that is horribly unflattering and I will have to chase her around the store half naked and will, of course, run into an ex-boyfriend or ex-friend!! and 2) it is hard on the ole' self esteem to try on suits that are tight and show off all the weight that one still needs to lose...

So, tomorrow, if I can get some decent sleep tonight, I may venture out and test the swim suit waters... maybe not.

Back Packin'

Most days, when I finally get home after all my jobs, errands, tasks, and to do's, a whole new list of stuff that needs to be done awaits me. Smug-Baby has been sharing her mama all day with Smug-Niece, with the grocery store, with the cell phone, with the car, whatever and all she wants is some concentrated time to play with me.

Some days I throw out my to-do list and crawl around on the floor with her, playing airplane, chasing her, tickling her, reading to her, anything that she feels like. There is lots of catch up nursing and running around the house involved and it is great!

However, there are a lot of days where stuff just has to get done. There isn't anymore clean underwear, all the dishes in the house are dirty and starting to attract teeny tiny ants, or we are simply hungry for a real dinner instead of chips eaten over the sink and followed by a glass of water you really aren't sure how long it has been sitting there. It is those days that Smug-Baby finds herself in the back-pack and getting a birds eye view to all the things her mama is trying to do. She is normally happy for a time, but gets irritated if the scenery doesn't change often enough (like say I am chopping potatoes, she gets real bored with that real quick!!)

The other day, I had taken Smug-Baby out of the carrier as she was just done with it, and let her play while I attempted to corral the mess in the kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that it was quiet, too quiet and had been too quiet for some time. I came into the living room and saw what she was up to. I ran for camera!!

Mr. Bear has become a favorite toy lately and she carries him around the house in her arms.

She carefully aims...

Just a little bit more...

He is in! He is settled! He is ready for a ride!

Now, she begins her part...

Carefully inserting first one arm...

And then the other. Just like mommy does.

Whoa! This is not working!

What am I doing wrong?!?!?

With a little help from an unseen (mommy) hand, she is in position!

Here, she is walking around the living room. I am holding the back end of back-pack off the floor so she can walk around. She would then stop, pull Mr. Bear out of the pack, hug him tightly (something I always do when pulling her out of the pack), then put him back in and repeat the whole procedure.

We walked Mr. Bear all over the house that night, stopping and starting 50-60 times easy before she was tired and began to whine. Then, I asked her if she was ready for a bath. She took off down the hall and banged at the closed bathroom door until I caught up with her! The ants had free reign of the kitchen while I took the time to enjoy this sweet moment in my baby's life with her. I did conquer them later after I put a happy, clean, sweet smelling baby to bed for the night!

God, I love my life sometimes!!