Makenzy's Mama!

Yesterday after my Mom picked Makenzy up from school she called me and this was our conversation:

Me: What did you make at school today, sweetie?
Kenzy: Oh, well, Mama I need to call you back - I've got some business I need to take care of!
Me: (laughing) well first tell me what you did at school today.
Kenzy: (Sternly) Tiffany, what did I just say? I have to do some business then I'll call you back!

She never would tell me what "business" she had to take care of!

Makenzy was laying her head on my lap the other night, and my belly was touching the back of her head. Well, Karly was kicking pretty hard and kicked Kenzy in the head. Makenzy sat up, looked at me really funny, pulled my shirt up and said (while staring at my stomach):

"You kicked me Karly, that's not being a nice girl" and then smacked my stomach!

Sisterly love - it's starting before they ever even meet each other!

I was putting Makenzy in the car this morning to take her to Preschool - this was our conversation:

Makenzy: Mommy, do you have purple heels on?
Me: I sure do, baby
Makenzy: (pats my arm and says) You are so cool!

I couldn't stop laughing! I'll have to keep these "cool" purple heels for when she's a teenager....maybe if I put them on then she'll still think I'm cool! :)

Monday, the 14th was Makenzy birthday and first day of preschool (see pictures on facebook)! I took the whole day off work to enjoy her birthday/first day of school (read as: to not sit at work and cry all day)

We got to school at 8:45am and I walked her to the door, she gave me a hug and kiss and told me she loved me. She grabbed her teachers hand and walked right into the school. I waited about 10 minutes (read: drove around the block a few times in my car and cried), and then went to spy on her through the one way mirror looking into her classroom. She did not shed one single tear all day! I was so proud of her. I on the other hand.......okay, let's not go there!

Tuesday - I pulled up to the school, the teacher opened the backseat door to get Makenzy out and Kenz quickly exclaimed "Bye Mommy, time for me to go to school - love you!" I breathed a deep sigh of relief. Today was going to be another great day! I thought about her all day long while I was at work; wondering what she was doing, if she was making friends, if she was being shy, if she was listening to the teacher, etc. My Mom called me around 11:58 after she had picked Makenzy up from school. She said "Kenzy has cried from the time you dropped her off until the time I just picked her up" I said "SHUT UP!" then my Mother grounded me for a week with no tv. She said "No, I'm serious!" but she was FINE when I dropped her off. I watched her walk into the building tear free with a smile on her face! So I said "Well, let me talk to her" she got on the phone and in a sudden split second melt down she began to cry and say "I need you Mama, I don't want to go to school anymore" oh dear sweet baby Jesus is all I could think. I thought we were home free! I thought she loved school so much that certainly she would skip straight to the third grade at 4 years old! She wanted me to meet them for lunch, but I wasn't able to leave work then. So, I had my Mom bring her up to see me. When they got here Makenzy kissed me a million times and kept telling me how much she loved me. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were glossy and her voice was raspy. She reall did CRY for a full 3 hours (all the while, still painting 3 pictures and making a paper sheep)!

Wednesday - she woke up at 7am and the first words muttered out of her mouth were "I don't want to go to school today". Dangitt - here we go again! She cried off and on for 2 hours before we had to leave to take her to school. She was so upset and determined not to go that she even refused to eat breakfast! I wanted to just say "Okay, you don't have to go" but I knew that would not be doing her any favors. We came to an agreement that I would walk her into school and in return she would not cry. Well, we walk into school, get to her class and she performs a death grip onto my jeans. "Mama, I need you - Mama, don't leave me" My heart was breaking into a million pieces and I wanted to just hold my baby girl run out of school and never take her back! I stayed composed, kissed her on her cheek and told her I loved her. I stood up and walked right out not being able to look back at her, even though I wanted to! I called the secretary around 9:30 and she said that Makenzy had stopped crying hard, but was still a little sobby. I felt a little better, but still felt like crap! My Mom got there around 11:30 and spyed on the class through the one way mirror. She called and said that Makenzy was doing great and even tattled on a little boy for moving in his chair (we are working on the whole tattling issue). She called me after school and let me talk to Makenzy. She got on the phone and said "Mama, I had a great day!" YAY - only half a day of trauma is better than a whole day!

Last night she was VERY happy to hear that she was done with school for the week! We'll see what Monday brings, but I am praying for a cry-free week!

Makenzy is starting pre-school on September 14th which happens to be her birthday as well. When I told her that she is starting school on her birthday, she looked at me and said "That's not really fair!" Oh, my dear sweet baby girl!

So, today I went to pay her September tuition and the Administrative Assistant showed me Makenzy's class, the playground and gave me instructions on where to drop her off and pick her up. As she was talking about bringing her the first day - I started to well up with tears (which is what I am doing now as I type this out)! It was obvious - she even called me out on it...

If I cry just talking about it - the first day is going to be brutal! I hope I don't sob in front of all her classmates. I would hate for her to be the weird girl who's Mom cries like a psycho!

Note to self: don't forget to wear waterproof mascara on September 14th!

As I'm sure everyone that reads this knows by now that we are expecting another baby! We are so excited to be adding to our family. Baby Maraca (this is the name that Makenzy has given the baby) is due March 3rd. Although at my ultrasound last week the baby measured a week behind - so they may change my due date to March 9th.

Makenzy is doing great! She amazes us everyday by how smart and witty she is. She's growing up too fast - it's hard to believe she will be 3 years old in a little over a month. She is starting pre-school at the beginning of September 3 half days a week, and she is so excited.

David will also be starting school again in the fall! He will be starting Mortuary School in September. Since he already has a Bachelor's degree - he will only have to do a year long program at Cincinnati Mortuary College. He will go to school all day and then work all evening and weekends most likely. Needless to say - we will probably not see a whole lot of each other. I know it will be tough, but we will get through it!

So far this summer we have been to Tennessee and Chicago - and just booked our Disney vacation with my parents for October. Makenzy doesn't seem to mind to travel (even long trips in the car) so hopefully next year we can show her other parts of the country.

So, when I started blogging over a year ago, I told David that I had started a blog. He proceeded to tell me how it was the stupidest thing he had ever heard of. I wanted to lash out and say "you're stupid nah nah nah nah-nah", but I didn't. Instead I smiled and probably just said something like "Okay, dear" and then rolled my eyes when he didn't see me.

Last night we were eating dinner out on the sun porch, and we were both playing with our new found love "blackberry". He looks up at me and says - "you haven't updated your blog in a while".

WHAT! I wanted to pounce on him right then and there and kiss his cheeks off! My heart sank, it melted all over my bowl of watermelon! What was once a stupid thing I did as a hobby was now something that he was obviously curious or interested in.

I love it when he acts interested in the things that make me happy. Now maybe, just a big fat maybe he will take interest in my love for photography and buy me that camera I've been drooling over for the past year! :) I won't hold my breath - I think the chance of pigs flying are a once in a lifetime event.

I love you babe, with all my heart! :) :violin music playing softly in the background:

I just realized that my one year anniversary of blogging was May 9th! I totally blew it! I will post something worth reading tomorrow......I am leaving work now!

I was trying to wake Makenzy up and she was still really sleepy. In order for her to fully wake up she demands that I lay next to her "for just a minute" every morning. So we were laying on the bed sharing the same pillow and looking at each other chatting about what the day was going to be like. I heard her belly growl and I said:

Me: "What in the world was that"
Makenzy: "that was my belly"
Me: "What did your belly just say"
Makenzy: "It said I need to go back to sleep"

Oh, my dear sweet girl! She gives me such joy - and a really good laugh!

Makenzy and I were outside one day last week. She laid down on the front step - and I thought it was the perfect time to start snapping away! I love how these turned out!

I usually consider myself more of a leader than a follower. But, today I am choosing to follow Sarah and Chris in this Karma and Mystery Gift Extravaganza!

Here is the offer: I hereby pledge to make something for the first 5 persons who respond to AND agree to the conditions of this blog/offer. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. What you get is what you get. It could be a papermache statue of me, or a haiku, or a doll made of toothpicks. Or something that you have always yearned for in your secret heart but didn't even know until I gave it to you. Or something else.

What I create will be just for you. One of a kind!

It’ll be done this year (2009).

I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be.

Unless you live near me, it will be something that needs to be mailed, so you’d have to be willing to provide a viable address.

In return, all you need to do is post this text into a blog, bulletin or e-mail of your own and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your note under these same conditions. IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if you do not post your own blog/bulletin/e-mail to pay this forward.

Anyone?

This is me in the beautiful Riviera Maya (Adventura Spa Palace) on our honeymoon in May 2005.

Today, it is cold, rainy, windy, and just plain gross outside. I have had a migraine all day and feel sort of nauseous.

I saw this picture today and really wish I was laying on that beach with David and Makenzy! Not doing anything - but just relaxing in the warm sun spending time together.

This is me and my nephew Mason. This picture was taken in December of 2005 (thanks to photoshop it looks like it was taken in the seventies).


Not too much has changed since then. He still has those beautiful green eyes and I still have that lovely double chin.

We have always been more like brother/sister rather than nephew/aunt. he definitely has a special place in my heart - and that will never change.

Mason's favorite thing to do is go fishing. He fishes from around 11am until they kick him out when the lake closes. Last week while fishing I'm sure he never expected to earn the title "hero".

An elderly man across the lake had a heart attack, fell into the lake and didn't come back up. (Mason didn't know he had a heart attack - he just saw him fall in and not come back up) So, he ran over to where the man fell in and without hesitation jumped into deep waters to save him. He pulled him back to land and called for help. The man lived thanks to a 17 year old boy who decided to go fishing that day.

I am so proud of Mason. He could have just sat there and waited for someone else to step up. But instead he reacted immediately! His 17 years on earth hasn't always been flowers and butterflies - but I know that God has a great plan for his life. I can't wait to see what that plan is!

This won't make sense to many of you - but I will end this post by saying: YEOW!


(YEOW is a "masonism" - maybe I'll explain it here someday?)

Makenzy, David and I were playing with her doctor kit. She doesn't turn into a "real" doctor until she puts her "doctor glasses" on.


I thought it would be a great photo op - so I got out my trusty camera.....this is what happened when I told her she was not allowed to touch the camera:







And then it proceeded to get worse when I told her no for a second time....








All of these were taken within a minute!


One thing is for sure - my little princess has the saddest cry face I've ever seen, and it breaks my heart every time I see it!

I just got Makenzy off to bed and now I am making a new dessert for a carry in at work tomorrow. I thought I would share the recipe. (The recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman here):

Dump Cake:

Ingredients:
1 can cherry pie filling (24 oz)
1 can crushed pineapple (24 oz)
1 box yellow or white cake mix
1 stick of margarine (cut into 8 equal pads)
1/2 stick of butter (cut into 4 equal pads)
Whipped cream

Directions:
Dump cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple into 9X13 baking dish. Stir together.

Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top of the fruit. Slice margarine and butter and distribute evenly over the surface of the cake mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. spoon into bowls and put a dollop of whipped cream on top. (You can even whip your own cream if that tickles your fancy!)

~Tiff

Random things I am thankful for:

1. Of course - my precious baby girl! I can't even remember what life was like before she changed my world. In fact - I don't want to remember.....I love my life just how it is.

2. My wonderful husband - he loves me unconditionally and busts his butt every day to provide for our family.

3. Department stores with multiple bathrooms located throughout. (ex. One in the front of the store and one in the back)

4. When my newspaper delivery lady throws my Saturday and Sunday paper in the driveway and not in the street or in the next door neighbors yard.

5. Red lights - some of my best conversations with Makenzy are while we are sitting at a red light talking about things around us.

6. Diet Coke - it's what gets me through the afternoon!

So this morning I busted my butt and my hand on the front porch while taking Bentley out to go potty this morning.

I was trying to wake Makenzy up (which is like trying to wake the dead) - so I said: "Look Makenzy, mommy busted her but on the ice and hurt her hand."

She sat straight up (from a dead sleep) looked at my "boo boo", laid back down, closed her eyes and said "well, don't touch it then." I cracked up. I said "I didn't touch it" and then she said "Well, have David look at it then."

She has been calling him David instead of Daddy for a while now, but it is getting really bad - so we are trying to correct her on it all the time.

Anyway - just thought her insights into my scraped hand was hilarious and just had to share.

When she finally woke up - she kissed it and said "ALL BETTER"!

So, last week was just aweful!

Monday (the 12th) I was doing Makenzy's hair (as I am walking out the door for work and to take her to her Mamaw's house) and spotted some crawly creatures! Yep - Makenzy had lice! YUCK - I was completely freaked out. I have never had lice in my entire life. And yes - she gave them to me! They must have hatched (shuddering as I type that) Sunday night while we were sleeping. I only had one, but I pulled a good 20+ live ones from Makenzy's head and even more nits. How could I have not noticed the eggs? I wash and blow dry her hair every night and brush and fix it every morining. I now check her head every morning and every night (trying not to give her a complex about it). I never want to go through that again. And I hated having to put Makenzy through all of that! but most of all - was furious that my two year old thought she had "spidas" in her hair. Is it bad that I actually felt anger toward "Tasha" (you'll find out more about her in a few paragraphs) for beating up my princess and then giving her lice? (I have since directed my anger toward Tasha's hillbilly mother and Flip N Twist Gymnastics)

So - the only place she could have gotten these "bugs" was from gymnastics. She hadn't been in the church nursery and is not around any other kids that she could've contracted them from. So, I call the gym to give them a heads up and let them know so that they should notify the other kids in her class. Well, the Director of the gym was obnoxiously defensive and rude the second I said "My daughter......lice.....had to have gotten them at gymnastics....).

At one point in the conversation the Director actually said "What are you going to do when she gets lice from school - keep her at home for the rest of her life?" That's when my redneck Burton side (read: Dad) came out of me - she shows up from time to time (I should get a name for this alter-ego of mine - Beyonce has one!) I replied (very redneckishly - is that a word?) "Thanks for your interst in my parenting ability, but my daughter is not in school, she is only two years old and should not be having to deal with this". That was followed by - a very sarcastic "Well, where is your daughter during the day since you work?" At that point "Roxie" (that will be my alter ego name - it was my grandmother's (Dad's mom) name and she was one fiesty mama-jama) wanted to put my/her hand through the phone and choke her to death. I told her that it was non of her business where my child was while I was at work - but that she was the only child in both residences.

Not once did I accuse the gym - in fact I kept saying that I thought she got them from the little girl (a.k.a Tasha) in her class that got her in a head lock and scratched Makenzy's face the week before. That was the only head to head contact that Makenzy had with any kids. Anyway - to make this long story short, we have pulled her from the gym and are starting a new gym in February. I would have been willing to switch Makenzy to a "Tasha-less" class - but after the way I was treated by the Director, I refuse to send my child to a place that doesn't care about her. I wanted to start her at the new gym initially, but it is much more pricey. I am willing to spend the extra cash in order to deal with nice coaches that care about the welfare of my child!

So - the critters were pretty much gone by Wednesday. Thursday her Mamaw called me and said that Makenzy woke up from her nap with a 101 fever. So, Friday I took her to the pedi and she has an ear infection. Last week was just not her week!

She's finally starting to feel better - only a few more days on antibiotics and she should be good as new.

FUNNY STORY:

Me and Makenzy were playing with her Backyardigans memory game. She turned over the one with the character Tasha's picture on it and said "Look Mama - there's mean ol' Tasha, she gave me buggies" After I could catch my breath from laughing so hard I said "you are right sweetie, she sure did"

-Now everytime she turns over the "Tasha" cards she always says "There's mean ol' Tasha"

This week has been much better - I'm hoping it stays that way!


Note: Dad: I was not directly calling you a redneck (you were in your younger years - but now you're a pretty classy guy)! But - you can't deny that your family is from Hazard Kentucky and that is pretty redneck. Now that I think about it - Mom might be a little more redneck than you when she gets mad! :) She wanted to go to gymnastics and confront Tasha's mom about the lice - I had to hold her back! LOL

Dante received his angel wings at 8:33am this morning. I am praying that the Lord will give Jo and Tony (his mom and dad) peace and strength during this difficult time.

He was such an amazing, beautiful, and strong little boy!