We wish you a Merry Christmas... & its only September.

Christmas is my favorite holiday (besides my birthday, its a national holiday, in Canada:]), I love the food, shopping, the smells , the decorations, the EVERYTHING.

So of course I have started my shopping. I've only gotten a few things, Wal-Mart is bringing layaway back for a few months, so that's when I'll get his toys. Right now, He has a Paper James guitar.

& Some hot wheels for his stocking. Then the boring stuff, ya know, like the stuff he needs.

Socks, Underwear, Undershirts, & 1 Set of PJ's. I hope to have him pretty much done by the end of October maybe the beginning of November.

But I am so excited to decorate and for our "Merry Christmas" party. We had one last year so now its going to be something like a tradition i suppose :] We have Gumbo, Potato salad, Crunchy Bread and a little appietizer of some sorts.

I just can't wait :] 



Surving Pre-k

Well, hello stranger :]

I know, it’s been a while & I've really just been busy with working.

But on to what the title says, Surviving Pre-k.

It's been almost a month since he started and he LOVES it. He loves his teachers,

He loves his friends, he loves everything. Which doesn't surprise me; I loved school when I was kid, mainly because I was an only child and that's when I got the most interaction With other children my age.

Anyways, I'm getting off track. He goes to a pre-k at a Daycare. Its 100% by the lottery (as I think most are) & there are REAL teachers who actually went to college to become teachers which is why I was comfortable with it. It is the same daycare he was going to before Pre-K started. But now, I’m wishing I had done a little more research into a Pre-K instead of picking what was most convenient.

Pre-k doesn’t start until 8:30; the child cannot be dropped off before 8:15. This is fine, except that if you get there at 8:15 you’ll be sitting in the road. Not like a back road, but Ringgold road. This is not fun at all.

This morning in the Pre-K car riders line they let us know that we cannot pull in the

Parking lot until 8:15, this is going to be MADNESS, that I am not excited for (who would be?!). I usually get there around 8:00ish. We were told we could either park, in the 5 spaces they have available OR the restaurant across the street. Now it was my understanding that there were 60 kids in this particular Pre-K program. So tomorrow morning should be a very fun and interesting in the least.

This is just so aggravating that they think this new way will be "better". The director (I think that’s her title) has been doing this for 18 years, so why in the world are you changing it? Because I’m sure we are not the first group of parents to have sit in the road. Ugh, it just aggravates me even more while typing this.

I guess I’ll come back tomorrow and write down how the madness goes in the morning ;]



The Chattanooga Zoo.

We went to the Chattanooga Zoo with some friends. It was Kenneth's first time going (mine too, if I had been, it was so long ago I couldn't remember.) He LOVED it. Especially the monkeys and the snakes. For $8.00 it was pretty fun thing to do, going to see the animals. Even if most of were asleep.The Jaguar was the most fun! It got up walked around in circles and came to the window several times. It was exciting and terrifying at the exact same time! After we had walked around the entire Zoo, the boys went and rode on the carousel. Which I just knew Kenneth would be scared of, but surprisingly he wasn't. They had a blast and I am so glad they did! This was one of the last things to do before summer is over and school starts. So it was fun just to enjoy something, just to enjoy it.

Here are some pictures!



My sweetums' and I.


I always thought that Owls were nocturnal, evidently not, well at least not this one :]


I was also freaking out a little bit about the Peacocks and Turkeys roaming free, I just knew we were going to be attacked by a Killer Turkey.
These Gophers are sooo cute and quick!


AFLAC. Yes, I defiantly yelled Aflac when I saw these ducks. lol

They had some HUGE Fish in this pond.


Ya know, Just Monkeyin' around.

Well, his hearing is....

Just Fine :]



Dr. Chamberlain said most likely he has had some fluid in his ears, which impaired his hearing or he just plainly didn't respond. I think the way they did it there is WAY better then at the doctors office. But, either way I could not be more happy that my sweetums' can and there is NOTHING wrong with his hearing :]

Pre-K Blues.

Kenneth starts school September 6th. He'll go from 8:15-3:00 everyday. My baby is definatly not a baby anymore. I could have never imagined the day that he went to his first day of Pre-K. I think it makes me anxious because next year he will be at the primary school and I am just not ready for my lil man to be going to kindergarden next year. But thats a whole year away.

He has class with one of friends he has known the longest, they get along great.. Most of the time :] They also have a male teacher, which for them is AWESOME. Kenneth is going thru this phase right now where he  doesn't like to listen to me, if a male tells him the same exact thing that I did, he'll do it. I'm 100% shore Kenneth will love it, I just don't know if I will.

I must have forgot.....

that I have a blog :]

So whats been going on lately? Only Everything!

I guess Ill start with the stitches, yes stitches. He got his first two last Tuesday (8/9/2011). He was running at daycare and fell on a piece mulch that cut his eye pretty deep. So he got two stitches above his right eye.

Yesterday he got them taken out. I believe that my child is part Incredible Hulk. He began to come off of the table, while two nurses held him down. I felt so bad for him, but he is fine now and loves to tell anyone about how he got his boo boo, the "dokor", the scissors and balloon. It's a very choppy story, I've heard it once or twice.

While we were there, they re-did his hearing test. He failed again in both ears and we are going to Chattanooga Ear, Nose & Throat Monday morning. Hopefully the last two test have been flukes. I KNOW he can hear. But, I would say that I talk louder than most people do. Maybe that has something to do with me not noticing it sooner? I'm not sure but I still am hoping that his hearing is 100% fine. I will do another blog Monday after we get back talking about what all happens.

& Last, but not least I got a new car. Its a 2011 KIA Forte. My payments are not much more then they were are my old car (2005 Nissan Altima) and then insurance is CHEAPER! Which I think is crazy, But I'm very excited to have it and love it! Why did I get a new car? My Altima had high mileage and wasn't something that I could keep for a long time. I didn't have any warranty left on it. With all that I got with my Forte I am very pleased with it. Its 100% covered if anything happens to it.

It's just a "Local Reaction".

So, This past weekend was eventful. Friday night Kenneth was sitting on the back patio playing with his toys while my uncle was cutting the grass (he watches him when I work evenings). When I got home he said Kenneth has a few mosquito bites on his legs.

Now, I probably would not have cared. BUT, when Kenneth gets bit by ANY bug. It swells and gets hard, like a knot on where ever the bite is. I went in and checked on him and didn't see any on him. I figured they had just been red marks from playing/sitting.

Saturday morning, we get up and that poor baby's left leg is swollen. He has six bites on one leg and he has been scratching them in his sleep. He also has two on his right leg, one behind his ear, and on the backside of his left arm. As the day goes on his leg becomes more swollen and he refuses to leave them alone. I put After-Bite on them that morning and had been applying it generously all day.

Then the fun part, they begin to ooze clear fluids. Not just a little, but down his leg. So I called his doctor's office and wait for them call me back. She called me back and I told her what was going on and she said I was doing everything right and as long as he was eating and drinking fine. She just thought that he was having a local reaction since there was no fever.

He soaked in the tub for good hour soaking in a warm bath. When he got out I put calamine lotion on it to help dry them, and band-aided him up!

Today you can still see where the bites were at on his legs, you can't even tell there was one behind ear and arm.

Does anyone else have issues with bug bites like this? I think his was this bad because he had six on one leg in the same area.

This is gonna be a good life.... a good, good life.

SO, today I'm feeling all down and out. I'm tired from work, my feet feel like they are going to break in half. I'm just so sick and tired, of being sick and tired. I'm so tired because I work a full-time, barely making enough money job.

I want NEED to go to college. There are no "If's, and's, buts" about it. There are 3 problems though. I can't continue to work my current job and got to school full time. I can't quit my current job and just go to school. I'm also having a hard time trying to find a job that would allow me to work and go to school. I used to love my job and the people I work with. It's just to stressful and time consuming. By time consuming I mean I usually work 12-9. There's not much else you can do that morning.

I'm interested in getting my CNA, then going back and getting my ADN. There will always be a job for Nurses, so it seems like my best option. I'm just very stressed about everything in my life right now and I wish I wasn't. I really don't want to go to school online. I finished High School online and it's not easy, I don't care what anyone says. So, I'm just weighing all my options and needed to vent about them.

I want me and my child to have the best life we can. I'm just undecided and unsure of what my next plans are!

Kenneth Thomas.

There's my Kenneth! This is when we went to PCB last month. He LOVES the sand, hates the ocean. Like when I say HATE the ocean, I mean, run away like a serial killer kidnapper is trying to get you. He loves to swim in a swimming pool. He is my baby, who isn't a "baby" anymore. It makes me soo sad! I just can't believe how much he has grown and learns. He is so smart and hilarious (what four year old isn't?). I can remeber the day he was born just like it was yesterday, even though it wasn't.

This is when he was 8 days old. The pictures they took in the hospital, I didn't like and felt like they were over priced. So in all that new baby stuff they had coupons for pictures and Olan Mills offered a free package!

These were from his first Christmas, He was 6 months old. He was such a ham, still is. :]

They always say "they grow up so fast". When Kenneth was a baby I couldn't wait for him to be bigger and get to play with him and all that fun stuff. But looking at all these pictures just make me miss my sweet little guy who wanted to snuggle and love on me!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Kenneth's 4 year check-up

   Kenneth turned 4 on June 29th, today was his 4yr check-up. He's 3ft 3 ½inches tall and 35lbs. He's average for his weight and is 40% for his height. I'm barely 5 foot tall, so he gets his shortness from me :] He got 6 shots and I thought he was going to turn into the Hulk he got so mad about them, and screamed the entire time. He had his vision, hearing, and a dental exam. Everything went well except his hearing test, he failed it and we go back a month from today to get the hearing exam re-done. 

Kenneth has had issues with his ears since he was 2 months old. That's when he got his first ear infection. He had an ear infection every 4-6 weeks after that. He had tubes put in his ears shortly after he turned one. At 18 months I began to notice that he didn't say as much as another boy his age. Which, I know that your not suppose to compare your child to other children because they all go at different paces. But something just didn't seem "normal". At his 2 year check - up they asked how many words could he say. I could barley think of 15. They recomended Babies Can't Wait to help him catch up on his speach. We went, had a consultation and he reiceved their speech services untill he was 3. Babies Can't Wait then referred me to the RPS Special Education Pre-School, because they're services would be ending when Kenneth turned 3.

So this past year he has been going to Ringgold Primary School's Special Education Pre-School. He went twice a week and went for 4 hours each day. He LOVED school. I think mainly because they're were alot of new kids to play with. He graduated from Pre-School this past May. He's going to start Pre-K this fall and his speech services will contiue as long he is in Catoosa County and needs them.

I just wonder if hearing as always been a issue. Hopefully when we go next month he will pass and there won't be any further issues with it. If he doesn't pass we'll be going to see a Hearing Specialist.

Coupon Binder!

Originally when I started couponing I used a little photo album I got for $1. I needed something that I could fit in my purse and see what I had. It worked very well, until I really started couponing. I would recommend getting something like this if your only going to get the coupons you need out of the paper/online. So basically, GREAT for beginners!



    So now I have a binder.

This cost me 92¢ at walmart. Cheaper than the album! I originally bought my baseball card protectors at Office Depot for $3.39 a 10pk. They also have them at walmart I believe its a 40pk for $4.58ish. I also have dividers. The main reason for having a coupon binder is the organization.

So what do you need to start your binder?

-The Binder. You choose the size, I would get bigger rather than smaller because I need to buy a bigger one now!

-The Baseball Card Protectors. At least a 40pk.

-Dividers. The more, the better.

initially it will cost you around $10 to get started, but it'll be the best $10 you have ever spent!

FREEBIES!

So y'all know by now I coupon. But, getting things for 100% FREE is way better! Here are a few of the things I have gotten for free in the last couple of weeks!

Here I got some samples of some Always Pads & Tampax Tampons as well as 2 coupons for each of them. I also got a travel size Secret deodorant.

Here is a sample of Purex Complete w/Zout and a $1 off coupon.

& Here a package of 2 Goodnites Underwear with a coupon for $1.50.

Most of things I have requested haven't come in yet, but if you want free samples just go to the company website or their facebook page. Also, thunderfap.com has freebies as well!

Let's Coupon!

I LOVE to coupon. Probably too much. I can see a sale and remember a coupon from a month back that is about to expire and use it. I have a coupon binder. YES, I'm one of those! I'll probably do a post about it too. Anyways this particular trip was at Family Dollar AND the first time I got something for FREE! Both of those packs of Zyrtec's were free. They cost $6.00. I had an online coupon for $5.00 off. & a in-store coupon of a $1.00 off. So I got them for free! The suave deodorant was a quarter! The Dove deodorant + spray was $3.85. There was an in-store coupon for $1.00 off and there was a coupon in last Sundays paper. So it was $2.10 for both! The glade twin pack plug-in oil was on sale for $4.50 and I had an online coupon for $1.00 off. So they were $3.50, which you can't find them that cheap :] I paid a little over $5.00 before taxes for this stuff! I saved $16.00! AWESOMENESS!

Take care of your dog and your kid!

Okay, So I have neighbor and she has a little yip yap dog that is ALWAYS barking at something or someone. Which I can really get over, that's no big deal. But today she was outside with he son and that dog. So I get in my car, go to leave and that dog comes and attacks my car, while running around. While I'm getting to the end of my drive inch, by inch the dog is STILL chasing me! Really? & this whole time she's over there cleaning her car out. Finally, I begin to honk my horn and she decides to come get the dog. In my opinion, if she loved that dog at all she would have had it on a leash, or at least paid attention to what the dog was doing!

Also, I invited her, her son & husband to Kenneth's 4th birthday party. Her son is a year older then what Kenneth is and they seem to really get along. First, they were late. Which if you don't know me, that's very annoying to me. Then they get there and all the kids are playing. Great. But then her and her husband disappear. If all they other parents are there with their children, why weren't you? It just blows my mind. They also seem very closed-minded and judgemental people by their facebook statuses.

So there's my rant, haha :]

Bittersweet Birthday :]

Today was my sweet little man's birthday! I've been sad and excited at the same time. I can't believe that he is already 4! It just doesn't seem like there has been enough time for it to be his 4th birthday! anyone else ever feel like that? I also had a hard time with my 19th birthday. I feel SO old. Like I just turned 29 instead of 19. I was telling people that I probably would have a nervous breakdown when I turn 20, ha ha. It just doesn't seem real that I'm going to be 20 in years old. It just seems to unreal. I'm sure ill be over it soon. It just seems crazy now :]

My Rambling 16 & Pregnant Post.

I feel like this show is accurate in some ways and not so accurate in others. Most of the time I'm left feeling completely sorry for them, well not so much for them but there situation. I've been there done that. I wasn't 16 & Pregnant. I was 14 & Pregnant. Yeah, you read that right. 14.I Didn't know too much of what i doing, nor the person I thought I "loved". Long story short, I gave birth 5 days after my 15th birthday. I was a 15 year old single mom. I had become a mom before I could drive, get a job, or even go to the movie theater and see a rated R movie! It still kind of blows my mind at how young I really am sometimes. Anyways back on subject. Tonight's episode somewhat hit home. Just like Allie had nobody, I felt the same way. all teen moms ever get are dirty looks and stereotypical judgements. you might get lucky and someone takes "pitty" on you. but who the hell wants your pitty because the descions  i made lead me down this path. I truly believe EVERYTHING happens for a reason, you may not know in the beginning but you'll figure it out in the end.

To Coupon or Not to Coupon? That is the Question!

Coupon:a certificate or ticket entitling the holder to a specified right, as redemption for cash or gifts, reduced purchase price, etc.

What a fancy description for a paper in magazines and newspapers that saves you money. Do you coupon? I do, have been for a month or two (in full swing) and love it. What is there not to love about saving money? Recently I have made a few purchase that I am quite proud of :]
Family Dollar:
-I've got a Swiffer Wet Jet for $15 it retails $22.
-2 Tide Stain release in wash booster 15ct. for $2.25 retails $8. 1 Gillette Fusion razor for $4 retails $9. 1 Soft Scrub bleach cleanser & spray. B1G1 deal paid $3 for both, they retail $3 each. 2 Degree Fine Fragrance deodorants that came with free sprays. B1G1 deal paid $3.85 for both, the retail $3.85 each. Colgate Total toothpaste for 24¢ retails $2.00. Reduced for .98¢.

I Paid $13.33, this would have cost me $32.50 before coupons and sales. My savings were $19.17. Ahhh-Maaaa-Zinggg :] As well as this is the most I have ever saved in one shopping trip!
CVS:
1 Pantene relaxed & natural shampoo & 1 conditioner. They were on sale for 2/$6.97. I had $3 off of 2 coupon. So I paid 2/$3.97! I bought 1 pantene fragile to strong shampoo & 1 conditioner and got the same deal, as well as getting $2.00 in Extra Care Bucks! Also, I bought 1 herbal essences hyrdalicious shampoo & 1 conditioner, they were on sale for 2/$4.97. I had a coupon for $1/1, I used a coupon for each and got them 2/$2.97! To top it off I bough a 12pk. of cokes, they were on sale for 5/$13. I also had a coupon for $5 off a $10 or more purchase.

All together I paid $9.63. It would have cost me $22.63 before coupons. That's a savings on $13! Overall, I think I did pretty good in these two trips. The savings are great and extra money in my pocket, which who doesn't want a little more of? Hope you might try to start coupon'ing now, if you don't already!

Confessions Of a Megan

Hey! This is my first ever blog post. I don't even really know why I created this blog.  I guess I just want to write about whatever is going on in my life at that current time. So here we go :]