Today I went for blood work at the hospital. Monday I’m having carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand. I hope it won’t be as bad as the right hand was. I’m thinking that since I know what to expect this time will be a breeze! Well, as breezy as surgery can get. My surgery is early in the day so I can come home and crash out for the rest of the day. This weekend will be a whirlwind of cooking and cleaning and painting to get ready for the week. Jon’s taking off work Mon-Thursday to take care of me (and paint! I’m the trim girl, he’s the roller man). I’m so excited too because Lisa is coming to visit on Thursday night! It will be so great to see her again. Sunday night will be my last night sleeping with an arm brace. Woohoo!
Bless Your Heart
Living out loud in the Carolinas
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Mom to 3 pups 🐾
Lover of all things sparkly🪩 Ally 🌈
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CSP had to work early this morning, but he took the time to leave this for me in my medicine cabinet.
He also got me some tulips. I love tulips and I carried them at our wedding. 
They are purple (like the ones my bridesmaids carried) but they photograph kind of pinky.
Jon’s truck came in today so we spent our Valentine’s evening at Carmax picking up his truck. We’ll go out for a nice dinner on Saturday to celebrate what I hope will be our last Valentine’s day before we’re parents! -
See this picture? See the face on Joey? The one that says “I can so take pictures better than you, you mere mortal, so give. me. that. camera!” I have taken far too many pictures like this because every time he sees my camera that’s the pose he makes. As much as I love my nephew Joey, and I do love this boy- so much I have to grit my teeth to keep from eating him alive- I can’t stand it when he grabs my camera. He loves to take pictures so that’s why I got him & Jacob their own Fisher Price camera for Christmas. But I suppose the lure of the Canon is too much for a toddler and he goes after mine. And now I have no zoom. So, I would like to upgrade my camera before going to pick up my baby. Susan has recommended upgrading and she takes amazing photos so I’m inclined to take her advice. As she says “It’s the best money we’ve ever spent. Well, except for our rotisserie oven.” Naturally.
Anyone have any suggestions? Brands or cameras to stay away from? Good places to find great deals on 2 gig memory cards? -
Friday night Jon was watching a Godsmack dvd and I noticed that the lead singer has a little star tattooed on his cheek.
Ooh, wouldn’t that be cute? Like 3 little stars tattooed up by my eye?
Hmmm.
But tattooing your face really requires that you commit to a lifestyle that I’m just not cut out for. I guess I’m just not punk rock.
You’re punk squishy.My boy CSP & I went through the Jack in the Box drive through yesterday for some milkshakes. The JITB guy handed me a stack of napkins, 2 straws, AND a milkshake at once. I tried to grab it but the milkshake flew out of our hands and exploded on the ground. I stared at JITB guy all wide eyed while CSP just laughed and said “This is why you shouldn’t be allowed out of the house, my little T-Rex.”
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This morning I attended a Pampered Chef party at my next door neighbor’s house. That’s her daughter E above modeling the PC kid’s apron and hat. She took her job seriously. I really like my neighbor C so I knew it would be a fun time, but it was even more fun because my sister and nephews came and so did Susan and Olivia. All the kids played in C’s ginormous playroom upstairs while the party went on. The kids got along famously. Joey has started calling me Gigi instead of Shanny lately. Gigi is my mom. Jacob did the same thing when he was Joey’s age. I think it’s because both my mom and I have blonde hair. Anyway, halfway through the party Joey comes and stands on the stairs and yells GIGI! and got no response. Well, would you turn if someone yelled Barbara and your name is Jennifer? So he let out a super loud GIGIIIIIIII! and that’s when I remembered oh! that’s me! We got some weird looks from the party goers since I’d just introduced myself as Shannon, but what can you do?! I took plenty of pictures of the kids and you can see them here. -
I went to a James Taylor concert many, many moons ago and he said “Welcome to North Carolina- the land of red dirt and dead cars.” Well, you can add Iron Monkey to the list. Iron Monkey is Jon’s Camry. Jon’s driven nothing but Toyota Camry’s for a million years and has never had a problem. Back in 2001 when a Cadillac hit me and totaled my car I was forced to buy a new one and that’s when Jorge, my Rav4 entered our lives. We were just about to leave the dealership when Jon asked what they’d charge him for that there Camry. It’s a 2002- not that old- just a lemon. And for the last few months it’s been stalling when slowing down from speeds over 50. But not all the time. Not when we took it to Toyota and showed them and paid $300 twice for them to fix something that they couldn’t find. So CSP’s been driving Jorge to work since we moved and I’ve been stuck with IM. I’ve been pretty lucky up til a couple weeks ago when IM died on the off ramp going to my mom’s. He wouldn’t start for a good 15 minutes. Then today on the way home from the dentist he died at a stop light and a kind man pushed me off the road where I sat for a half hour til IM would start up again. I drove him straight to the car wash/ inspection place (used a coupon from that book I worked so hard to get) and got him super clean and inspected. Then I went home and hopped on Carmax.com to find CSP a new ride. He’s been needing a truck so I searched until I found a good deal on a basic Chevy truck. I called Carmax and told them I was coming in for an appraisal and could they put in a transfer for a truck from their Winston store. She told me to come in first then they’d do the transfer. No problem. Sara & the boys wanted to go so we piled in and headed down to the dealership. Of course by the time we got there the truck I wanted had been sold. But while they were appraising Iron Monkey we found another truck and put in for the transfer on that one. It’s coming from Memphis and should be here in a couple weeks.
The boys played in the play room (kudos to Carmax for including this awesome playroom for parents!) while we waited. I got a good trade in value for IM and CSP can’t wait to be a truck driver. I just can’t wait to get my Jorge back! -
At the urging of my sister I went ahead and joined an online local mom’s group. I’ve already met one adoptive mom (from yesterday’s play date) and have chatted with and learned from many more adoptive moms. The bio moms aren’t too bad either ;) So one of the moms is selling Citipass books for her child’s PTA. I wanted one and we made arrangements to meet at the mall’s play area at 9:30 this morning. I got there and realized I couldn’t remember her real name, just her screen name. So I walked up to the play area and asked the moms inside if any of them were from my mom’s group.
Are you Shannon?
Yes.
You just missed her! She went that way. You can probably catch her if you hurry. Her son was acting up.
Oh no! Thanks. What’s her name?
I don’t know. All I know is her screen name.
Me too! Well, what’s she wearing?
I don’t remember. But she has brown hair and is pushing a stroller.*Let me just tell you that it was before the mall opened and the mall was teaming with mall walkers. And I’d say roughly half were moms with brown hair and strollers.
Ok thanks!
And off I ran, or rather limped quickly as my sprained ACL in my right knee is still healing. Let me set the scene. I was wearing a lavendar outfit comprised of crop pants and v neck long sleeved top and light blue Crocs. I am not a runner. I am aware that I need to get in shape. And I was hot. And when I get hot I turn red. After passing a few stores I spotted a woman with longish brown hair and a blue stroller. So I picked up the pace and decided to call out to her. But what? All I knew was “lilmomma” her screen name. So I figured I’d just yell my own name and hopefully she’d hear it and think hey I was supposed to meet a Shannon.
Shannon!! Shannon!!
OMG I’m yelling my own name in a mall. All I got was a few odd looks from the shop keepers opening up for the day. I tried yelling Ma’am! But then every woman within 50 feet of me EXCEPT HER turned around. I thought of asking the freakishly fast power walkers to tell her to wait for me when they caught up with her but then realized that was seriously stalkerish.
Luckily she slowed up a bit at a couple of points and the crowd thinned a bit once we’d covered half the lap around the mall. So I broke out into the following screaming refrain:Shannon!!
Ma’am!!
Lilmomma!!Over and over I yelled this, like some bizarre window shopper with Tourettes. She looked over her shoulder in my direction from time to time but apparently didn’t see me waving my arms. Then a group of people passed in front of her and I was finally able to get within 20 feet or so. I yelled Ma’am!! one more time and she finally turned around and looked at me.
I’m Shannon! Please stop!
“Oh hey!,” She said and we made our way to some benches where I collapsed in a sweaty, huffing & puffing, Easter egg colored heap. “I thought someone was following me!”
Really? Cause you could have turned around at oh, mile 8 and saved me a heart attack! I bought my book and we chatted for a while before walking back the way we came to our cars.There better be some damn good coupons in this book.
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Today we had a play date at my sister’s house. We met up with a mom who adopted her son from Guatemala. He’s 2 years old and just as cute as can be. He got along great with my nephews and his mom showed us all her pictures from their trip to Guatemala. You can see pictures I took today here. -
I had dinner at my Mom’s last night along with a handful of neighbors & family. Morgan (my 16 yr old sister) and her new boyfriend were there and tried on the hat I just finished knitting for Olivia. I hope O’s head grew cause I think I made the hat a wee bit too big!
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Bless Your Heart 