The Flu...Really???

Lexi was diagnosed at the after hours clinic last night with Type A Influenza. They did the nose swab test. But I must say it was either a weak strand or my prayers are firin' on all cylinders these days because she has been her totally regular, fever free, happy, playful, antagonizing sister self all day. Not one single symptom of the flu remains in her body. Thank you Jesus! The doctor called today to check on her and I mentioned how maybe I shouldn't have called off the party after all because she's totally fine, but he said, "The flu is the flu, symptoms or no symptoms. She still has the flu and she's still contagious." Yeah yeah yeah, I know, but now we have to wait two whole weeks to have a party and Granny is searching for airline tickets trying decide if she wants to come back in 2 weeks to be here for our prima ballerina debut! And I will have two more weeks to be obsessive compulsive and sleepless over my party planning details.

Tutu Sick!

Well, tomorrow was scheduled to be TUTU fun! We had planned a ballerina party with handmade tutus, a ballet lesson from a REAL ballerina, and all sorts of fun to boot. But this afternoon as I was out birthday shopping, my mom called to tell my that Lexi was feeling warm so she took her temperature and it was almost 103! I came home and we decided to take her to an after hour's pediatric clinic. Turns out, she has the flu! My mom and grandmother had even flown in from TX for the party. Tutu bad! I had to call all the party guests and cancel the shindig. We will reschedule, but not sure when. It's all up to the ballet teacher. But as I was calling the girls in her class to let them know, they ALL had the same thing. They all started running 102-103 fever today. So this was her first sick visit to the doctor in over a year and WOW what a doozie! When she gets sick, she gets sick! And I was just saying at dinner last night, "Wow, we always get sick around Feb/March and none of us got it this year." I should have known better.

My Birthday Girls

Three years ago today, I was praying feverishly, "Lord, PLEASE intervene here! They can share secrets, they can share clothes, they can share a room, but PLEASE don't make them share a birthday!!!" And the Lord, in his infinite wisdom (and a sense of humor) allowed my sweet Ashton to come 37 minutes after midnight, thus separating their birthdays by 2 years and 37 minutes! Yes, apparently July 4th produces 'sparks' in more ways than one, you do the math! Today was Lexi's 5th birthday and tomorrow, my little Ashton girl will be 3. I should also mention that today was my mom's birthday. Happy birthday Granny!!! And Ashton's new thing...every time she hears the word "birthday" she says, "cupcake? My cupcake?" She must have said it 20 times today! Because everywhere we went, Lexi announced that she was five today! On a sidenote, we went to Build a Bear today...GENIUS...why didn't I think of that? Such a freakin' gold mine, and yet so stinkin' cute all at the same time. But back to my girls...they are both so precious, so unique, so different, and yet so similar.

Oh, and can I just say, this is the THIRD year in a row that we have moved into a new house right before the birthdays??? And the year before that, I was giving birth! I'm praying for no more major life changes during next year's birthday season. And my birthday is in 3 weeks, if you care. Not that I want to get older. I had my first hot flash today. Don't laugh. I told you those pills bring out the crazy in me! I love birthdays, even if we never have $$$ for gifts! In fact, I didn't even give Lexi a present today, come to think of it. And she didn't even ask for a present. She just enjoyed the cupcakes and being treated like a Queen all day! (Don't worry, she'll get plenty of presents on Saturday at her party!)

Lexi, I am so proud of the little lady you have become. You ooze confidence these days. I love to see you stand up for your friends when they are being picked on. I love to watch you nurture you baby sister (when you're not trying to kill each other). You have the most amazing memory of anyone I've ever known, which totally comes back to bite me in the booty every now and then! Your creativity amazes me. Your songs of praise to Jesus that you make up off the top of your heard make my heart melt and are a joyful noise to His ear I know! You are such a daddy's girl, which makes it all the more special to me when you actually WANT my attention. And you are destined to be one heck of a Fightin' Texas Aggie one of these days!!! I love it that you love everything Aggie as much as I do. Well, all most as much as I do.

Ashton, my other sweet princess, you are certainly our walking talking miracle baby. You overcame so much in the womb just to be here, I know without a doubt that God has AMAZING plans in store for you girl! You are so cuddly and snuggly and I look forward to seeing your sweet little face every morning as we cozy up together before starting our day. You show such compassion for your friends and family. You are so funny, yet so serious all at the same time. You are so stubborn and hard headed and independent, yet I know God designed you that way in order to achieve His purpose in you. I like to call you my umbellical cord baby because you're always attached to me, no matter where we go, or how many things I'm trying to carry, you always find your way into my arms or are clinging on to my leg. You have the sweetest little voice and it's so fun to hear real words come out of those itty bitty lips.

I love you girls! Happy birthday my sweet princesses!

Goodye, Nascar Roots!

Oh, seriously, my high dollar blond hair has been embedded with these annoying dark brown roots for weeks now! And today, (I'm singing my best Britney Spears imitation...) Baby Bye Bye Bye! Bye Bye! How glorious it will be to get rid of these dark roots. I call them my "nascar roots". And you can read into that however you wish. While I get my dark hair washed away and return to the color, let's face it, that God REALLY wanted me to be, Cary will be buying us a new vacuum cleaner. Hallelujah! We did our research, and did you know that the best vacuum for under $100, according to consumer reports, is the Hoover Tempo Widepath. But what I "love" about consumer reports, and I'm being very sarcastic, is that they make these products so popular that when you want to buy one, GOOD LUCK, or else it's just so obsolete that no place sells them, which is the case with this vacuum cleaner. I have finally tracked one down on the other side of Orlando, in a vacuum specialty store, which happens to be near to where my hair girl is. So all will be well in the Heavenlies after today...the vanishing of my nascar roots and CLEAN FLOORS!!!!

Time Out

I have not had a minute to spare to blog and I really don't have a minute to spare right now, but I'm doing it anyways. I have had so much on my plate this week at work, and with moving (YES we're STILL moving), and planning the girls' birthday party, and getting ready for Easter, and I could go on and on. We've had late nights and early mornings every day for the last 2 weeks and I don't see an end in sight. I'm so worn out and ready for things to slow down. So sorry to be a boring blogger these days. I promise to get back to it when things return to normal, whatever normal is. In the meantime, if you have a Texas Aggie in FL withdraw, you can just transfer your well wishes to my Fightin' Texas Aggie Basketball team as they play in some March Madness...the men AND the Big 12 Champ Ladies...WHOOP! In all of my busyness, I will still make time to cheer on my team! Don't doubt that for a second. I'm never too busy for my Ags!

But until I have more bloggity time, I'll have to take a time out. Priorities I guess. (Aggie basketball trumps blogging!)

So Apparently I'm Pregnant and My 4 Yr Old Needs Alcohol???

HA! Made ya look! Boy if that title doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. Yes, you read that right, but it's NOT true! I took Lexi to school on Friday and the teacher down the hall asked me how I was feeling "these days". "Um, fine, just tired," was my reply. I meant TIRED FROM MOVING, not tired from pregnancy. Little did I know...Lexi has apparently been telling everyone at school, teachers included, that she's going to have a baby sister in her house soon. Her teacher informed me of this on Friday. I said, "Well, that's funny, because I actually just started taking the pill a few weeks ago!" The scary thing about all of this is that this sweet little girl of mine is eerily prophetic at times! But as of now, I don't believe I am pregnant, nor do I have the desire to be pregnant. (Actually, I like being pregnant, it's the actual raising of the child that makes me want to use birth control!!!)

And now, for the other "hot topic" of the week...ALCOHOL! Also, straight from the mouth of a 4 yr old..."Mommy, I need some alcohol!" "Huh??? Wha??? What did you say???" I asked. "I SAID I need alcohol!" That is what Lexi said to me last week. It certainly made me ponder REAL QUICK...oh no, has she heard me say that...what kind of shows are on Disney these days...HOW IN THE HECK DOES SHE KNOW WHAT THAT IS??? So I finally asked her, "Honey, what is alcohol?" "You know, those little purple things you give me to make me feel better, like medicine." Think think think think, retrieve retrieve, retrieve, what is she talking about??? Finally, it came to me! "TYLENOL, you mean TYLENOL! Yes, of course! Tylenol. Shew!" She had taken a Tylenol chewable a few days before. Tylenol/Alcohol...I guess they sound similar!

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

Did ya miss me??? Well, we're about 75% moved. The inside of the old house is just about done, but it's the outside toys and garage that need some attention. I boycotted that project! That is not my domain. Can I just tell you what awesome friends we have? Let's start with my friend who lent me her trailer for the entire week. And today they lent us their OTHER trailer so we had two trailers workin' it! And then I had two other friends that came to my house today and just went to town on anything that still needed to be done. We had that place cleared out in no time. And then someone else watched my kids this morning and again tonight so we could finish up. I'm so blessed to be among such awesome friends! Oh, but my poor dear children. They're SO tired and have been such troopers all week. We have worn them ragged. Every night has been a late night and every morning has been an early morning. No one has napped. They're exhausted!

So moving one room at a time, nice and slow, is good, but moving is still moving. It is what it is! Yes, it's been nice to unpack along the way, but I've also been so busy every day with the events of the move, that I've managed to completely neglect the day to day chores that keep me sane, such as staying caught up on the laundry, cleaning my floors, grocery shopping, did I mention the laundry??? And I wish I could say there is not one single unpacked box in my house, but that is not the case. Until yesterday, we did manage to stay caught up and unpacked as we went along. But today was like a free for all...JUST THROW IT IN A BOX and put it somewhere! So I am feeling a bit grumpy right this second as my floors are filled with, well, let's call it what it is, shall we...DIRT, and my laundry is overflowing out of the laundry room, and there are about 30 boxes full of "just throw it in a box" kind of stuff placed randomly around the house, oh and someone pooped in the tub tonight (I mentioned how tired they are right???) so I must go rinse the gallon of bleach out of my tub that's been sitting there for the last hour.

And the internet guy must have misunderstood, "Please put the DSL line in that last bedroom, for "Please put the DSL line in the kitchen." ???? It only works in the kitchen, where there's nowhere to sit, and my achey legs and feet are about to give out. I hate moving. Of course it's all worth it in the end and I'm SO happy to be here, but the process is killer.

Are you suffering from withdrawals?

Has my lack of recent blog posting caused some of you to have 'Texas Aggies in FL' withdrawal? Okay, if so you need to get a life! I'm sort of kidding. A friend emailed me today and said, "PLEASE put SOMETHING on your blog, anything." Okay, so here goes something. Well, we've been gradually moving little by little, taking a few loads over each day. It's been nice and fairly smooth. The girls are loving it! Mommy is in PARADISE! And the pets are making an easy transition as well. My bubble bath last night lasted for over an hour! I don't have Internet at the new house yet. So I won't be back online officially till Friday. I just made a quick stop at the old house just now to potty and check email. Simultaneously! I know, too much info! Cary is an absolute mad man when it comes to packing. I've never seen him move so fast! And I'm a great unpacker, so we have a nice little system going. He packs at the old house while I unpack at the new house. And when he makes a delivery of more boxes, he picks up the empty ones that I've unpacked from and uses them to pack more! We're a great team!

Okay, so hang in there a few more days. I promise to be a better blogger come the weekend!

Did you know Internet is capitalized??? I just did a spell check and that was the only option. Who knew! Proper noun I guess?

And I Cried (Joyfully)...

Today was the big day!!!! We finally got our keys to our new house. Can you feel the earth trembling as I do a gargantuan happy dance? I woke up at 3 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep because I was SO stressed out about the move and dreading all the hard work ahead...I'M KIDDING! KIDDING KIDDING KIDDING!!! There is no stress here, just total anxiety. The good kind. No, actually I couldn't sleep because I was so excited and anxious and well, confession, I told you birth control pills make me loopy. I don't sleep well when I'm on the pill, but pile a big exciting move on top of that, and well, you get a woman who appears to have an espresso IV hooked up to her at all times. I can't eat. I can't sleep. I'm about ready to pop with excitement. So do you get the picture? I'm just a little excited. But today, Cary and the girls went to pick up a trailer loaned to us for the week from some VERY nice and helpful friends. And I stayed behind to mop the floors in my brand new house. Does this surprise you? I used a half gallon of bleach. And wowsers, it took me an hour and a half to mop that bad boy! I'm sore! Did I mention I could park my current kitchen into my brand new master bathroom??? Beautiful floors... A whippin to clean! But a workout nonetheless. I'm thinkin' that counts as an hour and a half of cardio my friends so bring on the milkshake! (No, really, Cary is making me a milkshake RIGHT NOW! It's like a milkshake buffet, the blender is overflowing!) He's so dreamy. But while I was alone in my new home, making sweet love to the clean bleached floors, listening to the smoke detectors chirp for new batteries (and it was music to my ears), I just had me a cryin' moment. I did! Tears of joy, I tell you! Sweet Jesus, tears of joy! One of those good, deep, hard, from the belly cries. The pictures don't do that place justice. You'll see, all you locals and tourists, I mean friends who visit DisneyWorld. It's gorgeous. And I can't get over the fact that I get to live there! And bathe there. And mop there! Well, I shouldn't be surprised. I AM, after all, the daughter of a king. Not just any king...THE king! Which I do believe makes me a royal heir. And every princess needs her castle! Can I get an "Amen"?

Oh and here are some funny things Lexi said today at our new house. I'm not makin' these up!
1. Look, Mom, everything works!
2. (In reference to the bathtub) Can we go swimming in that pool later?
3. (There's a park about a block away) Can we go to the park now? (5 min later) Can we go to the park now? (5 min later) Can we go to the park now? (5 min later) Can we go to the park now? etc etc etc...

Alright, well, Cary just informed me that there is Cappuccino in the milkshake. Just what I needed.

Spending $$$

So I don't know why I feel like writing about this, but maybe it will be therapeutic. Cary and I do not have credit cards. Therefore, we pay cash or use our debit card for EVERYTHING. Which means, when we spend, it comes DIRECTLY out of our account. Yes, process that for a second. There's NO wiggle room! There's no supplementing our income with credit cards like what many Americans do. Well, we had some money saved up, plus a little extra from mom, to spend on our new house. And it's been really fun buying new things that I've wanted for a LONG TIME but didn't want to spend $$$ on. Like bedspreads for example. Today, we bought the girls a very nice new dresser and chester drawer set, plus two mattresses for our guest room (not the cheap flat ones), which as you can imagine, added up quickly. I still want to hyperventilate when I think of how much I spent. And even though I'm still under budget, it made me physically nauseous to spend that much $$$ in one day. To the point that Cary had to bring me home because I was so irritable and anxious and wanting to vomit. Is that crazy? And these were things we not only needed, but had the money to buy but it still made me sick. I'm almost certain that is not normal female behavior. I'm still suffering from extravagant spending-itis. So much so, that I'm having ramen noodles for dinner to help ease the pain off my checking account. Am I crazy? Does anyone else ever feel this way when you spend a large amount of money all at once? This will keep me up tonight obsessively counting every penny I've spent and figuring out how much I can still spend. I told Cary today, "I know credit cards are so bad and it's good that we don't use them, but somehow it seems to feel better when you put something on a credit card rather than on your debit card. Isn't that backwards? Shouldn't it feel better to know that you payed cash for something and that you own it outright?"

Okay I thought spilling my guts about this would make me feel better. But it hasn't. Quick! Make me feel better. Someone! Anyone!

Livin' La Vida Loca (Did I spell that right???)

If only I could dance like Ricky Martin. What a crazy week...el weeko=el loco. Okay, so I took French in high school, not Spanish. Obviously. And what Texan (or Floridian) needs to know French? But on to our crazy week. Well, let's see. I will spare you further details on the sewage issue. It's fixed. Sort of. Still can't flush the master bath toilet when the washing machine is running. But that's how our crazy week started. It's been a great week, just nutty busy. We get our keys on Saturday and ask me how many boxes I've packed. Go ahead. "Heather, how many boxes have you packed?" Zero. Zilch. Nada. Call me crazy, but I don't feel that I need to pack. You see, I'm SO excited about this move, that I really will just run around like the Tasmanian devil when the time comes and it will just all be done before anyone can even blink. Uh huh. Don't believe me? Just wait. Tuesday I had an awesome surprise of A NIGHT OFF. Long story, but Cary was supposed to have a meeting that night at the church. Our pastor told him that day to NOT come to the meeting, but instead to stay home and take care of the girls and give me the night off while I had dinner with HIS wife. Yeah, he's WAY cool like that. We had planned to meet for dinner, but I was going to take the girls with me since Cary had a meeting. So he got out of his meeting and I got to have the night off. We ate at Brio, which they do have in TX, I know there's one in Southlake. It was AWESOME! And then we did a little shopping. And when I got home, Cary had done all the laundry for me. Wasn't that so sweet???!!! Oh and I also went back on birth control pills Tuesday. Don't ask. Long story. But watch out. They make me LOONEY! Mwa ha ha haaaaa! (That was my evil/crazy woman laugh.) Did I do it right Kim?

Wednesday, after picking Lexi up from school, we went to the park in our town, where there's a lake and sand and a huge playground and splash pad. It's awesome! Except for the gators. Okay, so I've never actually seen one there, but rumor is that there are plenty hiding out somewhere. And people swim there. Is that crazy? We went with our friend, Kristi, and her kiddos. They had a great time and we stayed for several hours. The weather was unbelievable! We had deep philosophical discussions (heeheee) and solved the world's problems. I'm being totally sarcastic by the way. Then I brushed the sand out of the girls' schliztes and we went to church. I really did. When I changed Ashton's diaper, I think a pound of sand fell out.

Today, Cary took the girls to a place about 2 hours away to check out a place for Junior Camp this summer. Which left me with 12 hours of whatever I wanted to do! I actually went to work for a few hours and then after a church event tonight, went to Target with a friend and walked down every freakin isle...because we could. It was wonderful. No one was throwing a fit on the floor (except for me when I saw my total at the register) and no one was pushing my cart into the shelves and no one was screaming for an icee. And then we went to sonic to get some bacon. I'm really not kidding. Well, I didn't eat bacon because I don't eat pork. But my friend wanted bacon. And now here I am! Typing. While the kitty cat lays across my arms purring. Have you ever typed with a cat holding down your arms? Picture that.

Oh and I started work this week, so I've been spending a little time each day at the office just learning stuff. It's been so fun! I love to work!!!

And tomorrow, well, more work, and babysitting, and oh, maybe I'll pack a few things. Have I mentioned how excited I am about moving????

And now you know all about our week. Our crazy week!

Wordless Wednesday-click on picture for FULL effect

Could it be???

Could our house really be mad at us for moving out? First, the sewage problem last night. Since the plumber came, we suddenly now have a leak in the roof right outside of our bedroom. And the dishwasher just broke too. It's all just a tad bit strange if you ask me. Now, I know a HOUSE cannot really be mad at someone, but that ol' devil is trying his darndest to steal my joy, either that or God is just giving me that final peace of mind that we are doing the right thing by moving. Not that I needed any more peace of mind. And the devil ain't gonna steal my joy!

How Many More Days????

Okay, have I mentioned how ready I am to move? Just a few times? As I'm typing, sewage water is coming up in my shower because the washing machine is running. And this is not the first time. I guess it's sewage water. It smells like tide and poop mixed together. I guess we'll be going to the laundrymat tomorrow to finish the laundry. Oh, the joys of an old house! We've had plumbers come out in the past. They've done all they can do. It's just a rickety old house with rickety old plumbing! You just have to abide by the rules of this house...don't flush the toilet if the washing machine or dishwasher is running...don't flush the toilet if someone is in the shower...don't bathe while the washing machine or dishwasher is running...don't expect hot water in the master bath(ever)...keep the plunger handy at all times because you'll need it after every 10 flushes or so...BEFORE it rains, go ahead and pull the carpet back in the front room to avoid mildew.

I just have to laugh. To avoid more tears. How many more days???

2 hours later...an update...so now the water is coming out from under our toilets. Which means nasty sewage wet towels in my bathrooms, which can't be washed in the washing machine right now since I can't use the washing machine. Sigh. I guess we also should use the toilets sparingly tonight until we can get a plumber out here in the morning to clean out the lines AGAIN. I'm guessing this needs to be done at this house every 4-6 months it seems.

Old houses are loverly! I'm smiling. I really am.

So, since I started my new job today...

I guess I can tell you all about it now that it's like REALLY official. Or at least I guess it's official. Since I did work today. I am very excited about this opportunity. I have always worked full time or part time until we moved here to FL. And even then, I taught a writing class one day a week for the first few months for the homeschool children at my church. So I guess that's still considered part time work. But since May, I haven't been working. Let me rephrase that. I haven't been on a payroll. And I quickly realized that I am one of those women that is just a happier wife and mother when I have something to divert my attention, even if it is just a few hours a week. I love to work. I love having adult interaction. I love the time away to be "Me" and not the immitation June Cleaver, a very very bad immitation, I might add. Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom, but I do not feel it's my life's ambition or my calling to fulfill the rest of my days. Some women are designed for that. I am not. God wires us all differently.

So all that said...back in September as I was quickly becoming discontent by not working outside of the home whatsoever, so I began to pray, "Lord, it is my desire to work part time. If this is your desire for me, then you just send the perfect job my way." And then I proceeded to give him my list of criteria. Because although He is the God of the universe, he does have time to listen to even our pettiest requests. I wanted a job that was technology related, I didn't really want to go back into the field of education just yet. I wanted a job that would not require me to put my children in child care because that would defeat the purpose of being a stay at home mom AS WELL AS eat up my whole pay check, and I didn't want a job that would take me away from our family time (evenings and weekends). Oh, and I also threw in a specific salary that would allow us to get into a bigger, newer home. Now, to us humans, that would seem like an impossible list. I even asked myself repeatedly, "Does this job exist???" But nevertheless, I made my requests known and left it at that, feeling a deep sense of peace that God would either find me the perfect job or He would take away my desire to work outside of the home.

Months went by. All the while, I never once searched for a job because I didn't want to take things into my own hands. I knew God had it under control. The only person that really knew of my desire to work part time was my husband. A few weeks ago, he came home from work in the middle of the day and asked if I'd be interested in a job at the church. I quickly replied, "Tell me more." He said that the pastor and head elder had discussed the possibility of me coming on board as the Director of Communications. This would be a new position. My primary jobs would be taking care of the weekly bulletin and updating and maintaining our new church website. I would also be responsible for creating any other forms of media such as flyers, brochures, mail outs and such for special events or for church ministries. (So let's see, criteria #1, technology related...check!) He went on to say I would probably need to spend between 15-20 hours a week on the job, but I could work in the office when I need to, like on the days that the girls are at school or on Fridays when he's off and can take care of them, and I can also work from home, like late at night when the kids are in bed. (So let's see, criteria #2 and 3, not having to pay for child care and not being away from my family too much...check). Then he told me what my salary would be, and it was the EXACT amount I had asked the Lord for in order to budget for a new house. Not a penny more. Not a penny less. (So let's see, criteria #4, salary enough to get house...check!)

And it even gets better than that. The fact that my place of work is an awesome environment where I will be surrounded by wonderful people is just an absolute plus! And not only that, but my work gets to glorify the Lord in a totally direct way! I get to use my skills and talents to bring people to the local church, which in turn brings them closer to the Lord. I just don't think it could get any better than that. I am SO excited! It's such a huge blessing from the Lord. And I pray that I will completely honor Him with every finished product, with every time I answer the church telephone, with every person I greet as they walk through the door, with every request that is made of me, and with every relationship that is built within that body of Christ.

There IS a shoe God!

I have searched the world high and low for the last month for a pair of brown sandals for Lexi. Because it's sandal weather here...EVERY DAY...but I'm not a fan of white sandals, even when they're "legal". They just bring me back to a time when I had hair as high as the Heavens (with wings), sportin' my izod shirts, Member's Only jacket, and tight fitting WHITE denim shorts, remember white denim? With white sandals. Ugh, that's painful. But back to the real drama here. THE SANDAL SEARCH! I've been to every Target this side of the Mississippi and on the other side of the Mississippi. Okay, not EVERY Target, but it sure felt like it. I've been to Old Navy, Gymboree, I've been to 4 StrideRite stores, I've been to the Children's Place, I've been to Ross, TJ Maxx, Dillard's, Macy's, Nordstrom's, I've been to lots of Payless stores. Oh, I've even been to Walmart baby! When I say Momma has searched high and low, I MEAN IT! I even spent TWO HOURS OF MY LIFE online last night googling "children's sandals", "toddler's sandals", "girls sandals", "brown children's sandals", "brown toddler's sandals", "things kids wear on their feet"!!!! At one point, I typed in "to brow san" and google replied, "Did you mean Toddler's brown sandals?" "Why, yes, I did, how did you know!" Okay, that was a joke. Cause Google is smart like that. Yeah. Okay, but DO YOU GET THE IDEA? I've been a Momma on a mission I tell you! And it's not that I'm picky. I just want a PLAIN BROWN SANDAL! Is that too much to ask? One night, I even prayed that those little elf shoemakers would visit my home and put my baby together some brown sandals while we slept. The real challenge is that Lexi is no longer in toddler sizes, but she's not in "big girl's sizes" yet either. She measured a 12.5 at StrideRite. Most brown sandals come in toddler sizes up to size 11 (like the one's we've been buying at Target the last 2 years) or they start in a size 1 (big girl's size). So if your child wears anything between an 11.5-13.5, FORGET IT! I guess they're supposed to go bare foot.

BUT...can you hear the hallellujah chorus??? Today, I made a trip to the Gymboree outlet store in Orlando, off of I-Drive, and low and behold. I found my baby some shoes! Granted, I had already looked at 3 other Gymboree stores in the last month! But today the shoe Gods were smiling down on me. I guess they were tired of seeing my baby's toes hanging over the edge of her old sandals. Bless her heart. And I must say, it was tempting, very tempting, to not buy them in the next 3 sizes, you know, just for safe keepings.