Updates

-The scanning of my brother's pictures for graduation is going much quicker. Came to find out I had like 10 versions of Internet Explorer running on the computer which was causing the slowdown. I am halfway done with the pile!
-called MAJOR home-improvement-store again. Talked to the manager. He said all I need to do is call Extended Protection Plan department and request a service call. When they show up I am supposed to just show them the credit card bill "proving" I purchased the EPP - simple right? WRONG!! I call up EPP, explain what I was told by the manager and they inform me that he is wrong. They tell me to then CALL BACK THE STORE. I tell them," NO, I'm sick of getting the run around by your company, how about you call the store and explain to them what needs to be done. I'm not going to do it. You can either help me or I want to talk to your manager." Miraculously she puts me on hold and when she comes back on the phone she tells me she has "Cindy" on the line to further assist me. "Cindy" then asks me the date of purchase, amount of purchase, and the store it was purchased at. I give her the info. and she then informs me someone will be calling me from the head office WITHIN 24 HOURS. I got a call back from them about 5 hours later telling me my request has been received at the head office but because they were already closed I should be hearing back from them by FRIDAY. We'll see where this goes from here. Sierra I'll email you if I need your expertise!!
* * * Update on Lowe's * * *
We got a call this morning at around 8:30 saying they had the receipt. It is being mailed to us. Isn't it amazing how fast that took compared to the 40 days they had originally told us. I guess every once in a while it pays to be a bitch.
-I got my hai rcut yesterday and I love it so far. I got about 3" lopped off. The last time I got it cut was before Logan was born. I'm going to try not to keep it in a ponytail all of the time like I have been.
-Tried the Melatonin the other night - didn't really notice a difference but then again I took it RIGHT before I went to bed. I'm trying it again tonight since it's now 12:15 AM and I'm wide awake.

Another First and He LOVED It!!

Tonight Logan got to experience another first.............the hot tub. It was a pretty decent day out - around 50 degrees. We had gone for a walk and Logan had laid down for a short nap. When he got up we decided today was the perfect day for him to try the hot tub. Mike was home so we figured why not? We changed Logan into his "Little Swimmer Diaper" and his swim trunks. Do you know how cute baby swim trunks are?? They are adorable!! We both got into our swim suits and headed outside. Mike got in first and I handed Logan to him. We had the jets turned on and Logan instantly began splashing around. He loved it! He just kept splashing, splashing, and splashing. As you can see in all the pics. he's not looking at the camera, he couldn't sit still that long. There were so many new things for him to check out.
After a couple of minutes Mike put him in the blow-up crab we bought him. It has little leg holes in it so that there is no way he can fall out of it. It also has a little reservoir area in the front so water can be in there. He didn't seem to enjoy it that much though - I think because he wasn't able to splash around like he could if one of us were holding him. Once we took him back out of it he just continued to splash again. Next time we go out there we'll take the video camera and hopefully capture some cute moments to put up here.

Does this make sense?

In December 2004 we bought a new washer, dryer, and stove from a MAJOR home-improvement-store. We decided to buy the Extended Protection Plan in case something went wrong with our new appliances. Well last November the stove was not heating up correctly. It was taking forever to cook things. So I called MAJOR home-improvement-store to have someone came out. They sent a guy out who replaced the heating element and said that was the problem. Well, it didn't fix it. I have been putting off calling MAJOR home-improvement-store to get the item fixed. Yesterday I decided to make some cookies. The recipe said to preheat oven to 350 degrees. The oven beeped to let me know that it was ready, I went to put the cookies in and the oven was up to 425!! (I had bought an oven thermometer) So I decided I had had enough so I called the Extended Protection Plan phone number of MAJOR home-improvement-store and told them I needed someone to come out to fix the damn thing again. They asked if I had the receipt from the purchase. I told them no. They then asked for my phone number - it didn't pull up any info. I then gave them both of our cell phone numbers - neither of those worked. The guy then proceeds to tell me that since I don't have a receipt and the phone numbers aren't working that they can't pull up the protection plan. So they have no proof that we bought one. I told him I had the credit card statement from them showing we purchased the plan. He said that's not enough. So I asked him what the hell I'm supposed to do. He told me I'll have to GO TO THE STORE where we bought the appliances, speak to the manager on duty, and have them research it. WHAT???? So I asked him, "why can't you pull it up on your computer system?" He said they just can't. I asked how long this will take (I would like the oven working properly by Easter since family will be coming) he said they will have to research it and pull up the receipt records and since it's been over a year it will take AT LEAST 40 DAYS!!!! OMG - I could just scream. In this day & age how can that possibly take that long?? Isn't everything put into their computer system?? I used to work at a bank and we would have customers come in who would need copies of bank statements from like 5 years ago and that would take a week AT THE MOST!!! So tomorrow I have to call the store where we purchased the appliances to see what kind of run-a-round they give me. Wish me luck!!

Our First Day to the Park

Today Mike stayed home to spend the day with me & Logan. I love these days because:
1. I get to spend time with my favorite guys
2. I have someone here to help with Logan
3. I can actually get housework done!!
We just happened to luck out today also because it was GORGEOUS out!! It was above 60 out so instead of staying inside we went out and enjoyed the day. We went for a nice, long walk this afternoon and then we went to the park. This was the first time Logan has been to the park so it was an experience for all of us. Since this is our first child we had to find a park that had baby swings (the kind he can't tumble out of) - it wasn't that easy. I think we drove by 2 parks before finding one that had them. There were quite a few little kids running around but none as young as Logan. We decided to first try out one of the little slides - he wanted NOTHING to do with that. As soon as we sat him down the lip came out and he started to whine. Ok, so we picked him up and took him over to the baby swing. Mike sat him in that and gave him a little push. Well the little guy rocked back in the swing and then was whipped forward, needless to say he hated it. He did one of those giant intakes of air and had this look on his face that said, "Why are you torturing me???" Strike two against Mike & I. After that little experience we went over to the bigger swings and Mike sat on it with Logan on his lap. At first he didn't seem to enjoy it but once we realized it was probably because the sun was RIGHT-IN-HIS-EYES and the wind was RIGHT-IN-HIS-FACE (remember, we're beginner's at this parenting thing) we turned him around and then things got better. I then took my turn to swing with him. I could hear him giggling and Mike said he had a big grin on his face. I think he liked the swing but there was one other bonus with the sun being behind us............our shadows.
For about the last two weeks Logan has noticed his shadow. He will watch it when we're on our walks, walking to the store, pretty much anytime we're outside. At first we didn't know what he was giggling about - but then we noticed he was just staring at the shadows. Everytime he does it it just reminds me of Peter Pan when he cuts his shadow off of his feet.
OK, back to the park. Once we were done swinging we walked over to the pond to see the ducks swimming around. Logan wasn't too thrilled with them, he was more intrigued watching the kids running around. By that time it was getting pretty windy so we decided to come back home. It was a really nice time and they have a nice walking path around the pond. Maybe Logan & I will go back soon to take a walk and try the swing out again.

Mom's Lasagna

Per Honor's request here is my Mom's lasagna recipe:
It's not your typical lasagna, there is no ricotta or cottage cheese in it. I hope you all enjoy it!!
THE BEST LASAGNA EVER!!
2 lbs. ground hamburger Velveeta Cheese
1 can tomato soup 1 small can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning garlic powder/salt to taste
10 lasagna noodles, cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger; drain off fat. Add soup, sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder/salt. You might need to add a little water if sauce is too thick. Heat until warm. Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray. Begin to layer ingredients: 4 lasagna noodles, sauce, cheese (usually 5-6 slices per layer); next 2 layers use 3 lasagna noodles. Cover with tin-foil; cook for 30 minutes. Remove tin-foil and cook an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes and enjoy!!
This recipe is SO simple to make but it is really the best lasagna, especially if you're not that fond of ricotta or cottage cheese!

I Finally Made It

Today I finally hit 10,000 on my blog! I feel so special. I first started this blog last August (right after Logan was born), but noone really started commenting until around December. I would like to thank my first blogging friends (Carrie, Honor, and Jenn) for all their advice, friendly comments, and snide remarks (mainly from Jenn). I am so glad I've gotten to know all sorts of new people over the last couple of months. Some of you visit regularly and some every once in awhile and I thank you for that! Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Oh, and the one who made my 10,000 hit was........................ RSS (which I think is hubby - I don't think anyone else gets the automatic update).

We Live A Boring Life :(

So yesterday was Mike's 28th birthday. We didn't really do anything too special - it's kind of hard to with an almost 8 month old. Logan & I went and met Mike for lunch, we brought him pizza. We also brought some rice krispie bars that I had made that morning (they're one of Mike's favorite desserts). Logan even ate some pizza - he made quite the mess! On our way home from visiting we stopped at Cold Stone and picked up a cookies n' cream ice cream cake.
Last night then I made my Mom's lasagna (the best EVER) and garlic toast for dinner. Logan even ate some of it - he loved it!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Tomorrow is Mike's birthday. He's going to be 28 - what an OLD MAN! Today Logan & I went and bought some gifts for him. We're going to go down to his job tomorrow for lunch. Then tomorrow night I'm planning on making him lasagna for dinner - hopefully it doesn't spill over like the meatloaf did!
I've been busy scanning in pictures tonight. My brother graduates in May so I'm scanning in pictures to make a CD to play at his party. This is going to be a long process. My Mom will be mailing out all of her pictures that she has of him (over 16 years worth NOT on digital). Each picture is taking about 2 minutes to scan in, accept, and save on the computer. Anyone have any suggestions as to how to make this process quicker? We're planning on putting it into a Powerpoint presentation and then setting it to music. It should turn out pretty neat. It's been fun going through all the pictures that I've taken of him. There are some pictures where Logan looks a lot like him. I'll try and get some of those posted up here.

What A Nice Day

Today it was absolutely gorgeous out!! Once again it was over 60 degrees out - that makes it two days in a row. Better write that down in the books, it doesn't happen too often in the Seattle area! Logan & I were able to get out for TWO walks today. He is starting to love going out in the stroller and now when we go out into the garage and he sees it, he starts to giggle and get all sorts of excited. Now if only Pooh Bear would behave we could take him with us on the walks.
Tonight we met Mike for dinner at Claim Jumper (I know I know, I said I would never go there again after the birthday incident but this was a different location - and we were going there with some of Mike's customers). We got there at around 5:30 and thankfully the wait was only about 5 minutes. Our waiter was GREAT! Logan was also GREAT - he sat in the high-chair for pretty much the whole time. He ate some crackers and had some of my mashed potatoes and Mike's mashed potatoe-cakes. The night went very smoothly but I do have one question for all of my blogging friends. Do all babies go through a shy stage? And how long does this last? Let me explain a little more:
Tonight when we got to the restaurant Logan was fine as long as Mike or I was holding him. When we got to the table though and Mike went to put him in the high-chair Logan began trying to crawl up Mike's arm. He calmed down after 5 minutes or so. He was then happy until Stephanie (one of Mike's customers) showed up. She started talking to him and telling him how cute he was, apparently though, he didn't like all of the attention. He again started reaching for Mike. He calmed down pretty quickly and was happy as long as noone other than Mike or I were paying attention to him. He does this all the time when we are visiting with friends - once they start paying attention to him he FREAKS OUT. Please tell me how long this might last!! I'm starting to worry because we will be going back to ND for about a month and if he acts like this the whole time I'M GOING TO FREAK OUT!! Not to mention the fact that my Mom & Dad will be completely heart-broken if he's like this towards them.

It's A Mean, Mean World!

Today Logan & I ran over to Everett. I had wanted to try to find Mike some birthday gifts (his b-day is on the 22nd), needed to return a swimsuit to Old Navy, and wanted to go to the mall. Best Buy didn't have what I wanted to get him, I found some stuff to buy at Old Navy (fournd some jeans there for only 10 bucks!!), and I found a new swimsuit. As we were strolling through the mall I decided to go into Borders and of course I found some books to buy for Logan (I love their bargain tables). I got into line behind three other women. A couple moments after I got in line a man also got into line. But instead of getting in line behind me, he stood in line beside me. I glanced over at him and he just kept staring ahead. It felt like he was trying to cut in line. The cashier finished ringing up the first customer, so the second one went up to the register. At that moment the lady in front of me got out of line so I was the next one who would be helped. The cashier finished with her customer and the man proceeded to walk up to the register!
I said, "I'm sorry, but I was next"
Him: "No, you were still shopping when I got in line"
Me: "No, I was in line behind a lady and she left the line. That's when you walked up. But I was already in line."
Him: screaming "YOU WERE NOT! I WAS IN LINE, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE HELL YOU ARE TRYING TO CUT"
Me: "Fine. Whatever. Go ahead. I'm not going to argue with you about something so stupid."
Him: still screaming "GOOD, BECAUSE I WAS HERE FIRST!!"
At that point the poor cashier rung him up (he yelled at her when she asked if he wanted to sign up for a FREE membership card). Once she was done helping him she helped me. She apologized to me and said she wished she had seen that I was in line first because she would have told him to wait. But I'm glad she hadn't because who know what he would have done. And of course I had to get one last comment in as he was walking to the door. I said, "It's not your fault some customers are so extrememly rude." He then turned around and tried to stare me down. For those of you that know me, it does not work! You do not want to get on my bad side. So I looked at him and smiled then proceeded to have small talk with the cashier. He stood at the door for about another 30 seconds and then finally left.
I cannot get over how rude some people are!! If I were the one who accidentally cut into line and someone pointed it out to me I would apologize and let them go ahead. I would not make so much of a scene that another cashier would have to come up to try to calm him down and make sure that he left the store.
Well, that was my day in a nutshell - how was yours?

Burn Down the House

So yesterday afternoon I had the best of intentions. I found a great new recipe to try. I took out some ground turkey and got it all mixed up before hand so that when Mike called to say he was on his way home I could pop it in the oven and it would almost be done by the time he got here. (That's what was supposed to happen)
I popped it in the oven when he called and everything was going fine. And then I heard a sizzling noise - no biggie I figured some of the juice was spilling. Then I heard it again, and again, and AGAIN. I figured I should probably go and take a look. I opened up the oven and a puff of smoke escaped. I closed the door, found a cookie sheet, and put it in the oven to catch the drippings. Well the stuff that was dripping was cheese and as soon as it hit the cookie sheet it instantly began to cook some more. I checked it again after about 5 minutes and this time when I opened the oven door I thought my contacts were going to permanently be burned onto my corneas. I grabbed the meatloaf and set it on the counter. I then opened the door back up and smoke billowed out - a blue haze encompassed the entire downstairs of our house. At that point I decided to put Logan up in his crib (I mean this is considered second-hand smoke too, right?) I opened up the front door, patio door, turned on the ceiling fan and turned on the fan above the stove. And then, of course, the smoke alarm started going off. This was not going well. I took the cookie sheet out of the oven (with lovely burnt black blobs of cheese) and ended up having to take some of the meatloaf out of the pan so that it would no longer overflow. Thank goodness dinner ended up turning out in the end. I made stuffing, corn and crescent rolls to go along with the meatloaf. The recipe is really tasty, but I would recomment putting it into two loaf pans.

Is this Normal??

I think I've mentioned it before but it is normal to have insomnia after having a child? Usually at least 2-3 times a week I go upstairs to go to bed, toss and turn for about 30 minutes, give up and come downstairs until I feel tired. Sometimes this doesn't happen until 3 or 4 AM. This has never really been a problem before. Before I had Logan I maybe had trouble falling asleep 2-3 times a YEAR.
Today I made the mistake of taking a nap after running over to Lynnwood and now as you can see it is 2 AM and I'm still awake! I am not sure what to do - I've tried a number of things and nothing works. I would love to take a sleeping aide but with a little one that's pretty much out of the question. Any tips???

Spring Is In the Air

Well now that the new carpet is in the house it is starting to feel like spring around here. I went out in the yard and saw all the new flowers starting to peek through the mulch. The hostas are starting to get new growth, the roses are getting new leaves, and the tulips are starting to peek through the ground. I had a successful trip to Molbak's the other day. I bought some outdoor and a couple new indoor plants. I finally got everything planted today. Hopefully everything will survive through the summer. The saleslady that helped me assured me that some of the plants I purchased will survive for years outside and should turn into some nice evergreens. I hate this stage of planting though - nothing is "filled in". Now it's a waiting game to get things to bloom and start spreading out.
I bought a Hibiscus for the first time. One of my aunt's has one and it's enormous - the flowers are so pretty when it's in bloom. I also purchased a fern today. It's a Dallas fern - I'm sure my Mom is laughing right now because I've always told her that I would NEVER buy a fern. They are growing everywhere out here in the Pacific NW and I didn't want one in my house. I don't know what to say, I'm weak. I walked into Fred Meyer today and looked at the plants and saw a really pretty fern - so I bought it. I also got some new hanging baskets, my old ones would drip if I overwatered (which I tend to do). These have a reservoir in the bottom and you are supposed to put the water in there. We'll see if it actually works.
I also got some rugs while I was at Freddie's today. I bought four all together. Two sage colored ones and two marroon ones. I think they look nice and they add a bit of color. As you can probably tell from the pictures our family room has a very rustic feel and all the color down there is neutral. The carpet that we got is a Friezes and the color is called Stonebridge. We were originally going to go with a Berber but because it is looped we were scared Pooh Bear would catch his nails on it and unravel it. The stuff is slowly getting put away and the goodwill pile is growing!

Out with the old - In with the new

The carpet layers have arrived & left- I'm so happy!! The new carpet looks great, but then again anything would have looked better than what we had. I can't believe how nice and cushy it is - it no longer hurts to sit on the floor. We are now in the process of moving everything back to it's spot and going through all of our crap. Hopefully we'll be taking a truckload to Goodwill. I've already gone through my books and found about 25 to get rid of.
I'm so glad this is over with - the guys didn't show up until around 3:30 yesterday and left a little after 10. The salesman had told us it would only take 3-4 hours for it all to be completed - wow was he wrong!! Poor Pooh Bear had to stay outside that whole time! But it's done & over with and now we have our nice, new carpet.

He Hit Me!

I'm happy to report that last night Logan only woke up once. Still no new teeth though. Why is it though that Logan decides to sleep through the night when Mike doesn't have to get up to go to work? I just know tonight Logan will be getting up 3 times again - because I will be the one getting up ALL 3 times!!
Ok now onto the title of this blog. Last night Logan woke up at around 1:30 - I went in fed him and put him back to bed. I was sleeping so nice & soundly and in the middle of some really messed up dreams, anyway I went to roll over and Mike HIT ME IN THE FACE!! He woke up and said he thought Logan was in the bed with us and was falling. WHAT?!? Logan hasn't slept in the bed with us since he was 2 weeks old! Thank goodness I was still half asleep since it didn't hurt and I have no bruising to report. Mike feels terrible for doing this and I hope this makes him feel worse - maybe I'll get something out of it. Oh wait, I alread am - the carpet layers are coming today!!