Thank You!

Wow!  I actually have some readers on here!  Hopefully there are a few, and it's not just the same person checking my blog 15 times a day...  :)  Eric reminded me that I hadn't updated the blog in 10 days so here I am to post.  Please bear with me as I have some randoms thoughts going on...some people in the blog world call this "random ramblings" so that's what I'm going to do today.

1.  What an incredible tragedy to hear of the shootings at Fort Hood.  I'm no longer in the service, but it just hurt me so bad to imagine how the soldiers stationed at Ft. Hood are feeling right now.  It's one thing to be deployed overseas, to a war zone.  Everyone going overseas to any area, combat zone or not, has a certain level of fear.  It's not fair that soldiers should be fearful on our own soil; especially within the "safe" confines of a military installation.  It just breaks my heart when I think how I would feel if I was still stationed there...I would be so afraid to even leave the barracks, afraid to go to the PX, afraid to even go for a run.  It's so scary.  I was watching the memorial on tv today and just had a really uneasy feeling as I saw the old sites of Ft. Hood.  The memorial took place in front of the III Corps building.  The barracks I lived in were directly across the street from that building.  The flag they kept showing flying at half-staff was the flag I raised and lowered every day for 10 days back in 1998 at Thanksgiving time.  We used to run on the track in front of that building twice a week, and we ran to the location where the shootings took place every Friday.  How safe I felt back then!  All we can do now is pray for the soldiers and their families that have to continue living there and serving there in fear.

2.  I have an ever-growing to-do list.  It seems I can't ever cross anything off of it, but I continue adding new things.  I just looked at my calendar and I have seriously over scheduled myself for the holidays!  I try not to think about it and just take everything one day at a time...I leave for Baltimore in 13 days and that's such a short period of time to try to accomplish all I want to accomplish! 

3.  I have an ever-growing toddler!  I don't know how much she weighs or how tall she is, but judging by her attitude alone I can tell she's developing right on schedule...she's turned into a true screamer in the past couple of days.  She screams when she's angry, she screams when she's excited, she screams when she's tired, she screams when she's scared, she screams when she wants attention, she screams when she doesn't want attention.  I just can't win. 

4.  I'm trying to figure out how to parent a toddler :)  I bought the book "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers".  So far so good.  But I'm having a hard time finding the time to read the book...I'm sure it would be a lot more helpful if I was actually reading it!  I've gotten through the first 3 chapters and want to finish the book by the time I go to Baltimore (refer to #2).  I'm just really struggling with how to handle her in these new situations.  How do I handle her when she screams?  I don't want to giver her attention for it, because if it's attention she wants, then I'm "giving in" by paying attention.  But I don't want to just ignore it because that behavior is NOT OKAY!!!

5.  I don't enjoy cooking anymore AND my weight watchers membership expired.  These two things combined equals Sarah slipping back into her old ways :(  It's so hard for me to cook with the screaming toddler and I don't look forward to making a mess to clean up.  I've resorted to buying frozen meals (EEEK!) and eating a lot of tuna and lunchmeat (EEEK!)  (For those of you who know me, this is a HUGE deal, I used to LOVE to cook!)

6.  I want to get back into crocheting.  It's something I used to really enjoy.  I would just sit and make hats, or find a cute pattern online and get out some leftover yarn and make it...no big deal.  Now I have a half-finished afghan sitting in a basket in my bedroom that I started two years ago (sorry Eric!).  I haven't worked on it in about a year...well, I have gotten it out and done a row or two here and there, but nothing significant.  I found a pattern online for Yo Gabba Gabba dolls that I REALLY want to make for Maddie but I feel kind of guilty letting the blanket go unfinished before starting another project.  BLAH

7.  I've put off blogging about Maddie's first experience trick-or-treating so now I feel like it's too late.  Maybe one day soon I'll do it anyway...let me know what you think, should I post it or not?

8..  my mind is empty now :)  Well, not really empty, I have a lot going on in there but no words are coming to me to write.  I need to get the kitchen cleaned up (but I'll start by changing the tv channel off of Nick Jr. first) then fold two loads of laundry, straighten up the living room, clean the playroom and then get ready for bed.  Maybe I'll find time to crochet a row of the blanket and read a chapter of the book...we'll see.

thanks for reading!