Tuesday, August 30, 2011

15 Months and Counting

Yesterday Addie was 15 months old - I don't have all of the stats just yet but for those interested she now:

Weighs around 23.6 pounds (she loves standing on the scale and watching it light up with numbers)... that will change my dear girl!

Stands around 2.5 feet tall

Loves - Elmo, going outside, and Pooh Bear (if you say any of those words she freaks out if you don't produce them in rapid fashion), climbing into the fridge and sitting on the bottom shelf, baths or water sprinklers, slides and climbing toys, watching TV on Daddy's lap, carrying purses around the house, playing on a computer keyboard

Says with Recognition (pointing) - Elmo, Pooh, puppy, Mama, Dada, ZsaZsa (PaPaw's dog who recently passed away), MaMaw, PaPaw, Poppy, Gigi, Andie, Monkey, Pizza (her current favorite), More, Up, Down, No, Outside, Bee

Says without Recognizing always - Cracker, Duckie, Paige (Pay), Done

She's growin' up pretty quickly and entering the "fun" phase - we took her to the water splashpark this past weekend and she was braver than some of the older kids running through the sprays.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

I got your crazy

I posted a blog similar to this one back when I was 8 months preggers here and I must confess, I really thought that would be the end of the "crazy."  Or so I thought.  Addie-cat is gonna be 15 months next week... and me, well, I still have a few, some, ok, more than my fair share of "crazy" moments still.

Truth be told, I hate it.  Absolutely hate how I feel out of control sometimes.  How I have the patience of a toddler in the midst of their terrible 2's some days.  How I can get worked up and actually angry over something as simple as a decision my poor husband made that he thought would make me happy but obviously didn't.

I blamed it on the hormones for a long time.  Probably longer than I should have.  In all reality it probably is a combination of a few things - some lingering hormone imbalances, a lot more stress in my life, a ton more responsibility in my life, and less sleep than I'd rather.

But it doesn't really matter.  God's pretty clear on this one - "Be thankful in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes 5:18)

Thankful when I come home to a pile of dirty clothes, dishes, and dog hair everywhere....yeah, not so much.
Thankful when Addie reaches out to pat my hair with hands full of spaghetti sauce...cute, but thankful?
Thankful when bills outnumber the advertisements in my mailbox.... uhm....

So I started looking online - not sure what I was looking for, but I came across 30 Day Challenge to Wives   Being one that can't resist a challenge I'm going to try to do it - Maybe I'll conquer my "crazy" moments once and for all and return to nice, happy, calm, fun-loving, energetic, thoughtful Crystal of  old.... gosh, looking at that list, I sure thought well of myself back then ;-)

"Call me crazy?  I gots your crazy!"

just hopefully not for long

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

M.I.A.

Monday afternoon began like every other afternoon - headed home from work, hung out with Addie, and even got to see Lee since he was off.  Started to cook dinner, had an ADHD moment and forgot half of the ingredients that I needed for dinner. Sent Lee to the store and heard him drive up in the driveway.  Mustered up the courage to let him know that I had also forgotten 2 other things that we needed and that he was going to have to return to the store.  Listened to Lee laugh at me for forgetting things and remind me to speak now or forever hold my piece because he was NOT going back to the store a 3rd time.

And then, it happened. Right there on my cutting board.  Amidst the lettuce, cilantro, and onions I was patiently dicing for taco night.  The tip of my left thumb went MIA.  Well, not MIA actually.  Just missing from hand.  I knew where it was, could see it laying there on my knife.  Just no longer attached to my finger. So i guess MFF would be more appropriate.


I'm gonna miss that tip, she was a good one.

Friday, August 12, 2011

A Poor Idea...

I was reading online this morning and heard mention in a few comments of  something ridiculous happening in DC (other than Congress, budgets, and debt talks).  I searched for awhile and found this article over here.

Wow.  That's about all I have to say on that.  Wonder how those poor firefighters think about the city putting them into a firefight of a whole other kind?  Wonder how the police officers feel about the city basically saying that they are not doing a good enough job and can be replaced by big shiny fire trucks who, if they should see something, will simply call the police.

How is that different than a city-paid neighborhood watch program?  Bet if they kept the firefighters actually fighting fire and not sitting in trucks watching for crime, they might be able to afford more cadets to go through the academy to actually do some police work!

My guess is that it will last until some hoodlum either pranks the fire trucks, or ends up injuring a fire fighter... then the community will make some noise about the ridiculousness of this.  Everyone seems to like fire fighters.... so do I , I just happen to like them fighting fires and taking care of accidents with medic... not patrolling the streets with fire extinguishers.

Just like I love my police officers, patrolling the streets with more than a water gun.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Married to the Badge

Lee's been a police officer for more than 3 years now so I have to say that there are few times now that I actually sit back and think about life as a police wife being different.  It's the new "normal" so I forget at times that it is so different than what a lot of my friend's lives are like.

For the most part, regardless of job, most of them physically see their spouses on a daily basis.  And awake too!  Their phones ring with an unknown number and their first thought is annoyance at a sales call, not anxiety that something has gone wrong.  They are usually able to answer the question, "so, what does your husband do?" without having to pause and wait for 1) a barrage of complaints of the person's last interaction with a police officer, 2) a story about the person's friend's encounter with a police officer, or 3) a look of pity and comments either berating the police, or how horrible it must be to be saddled with one.  Sure, sleep is hard to come by, there are some long and lonely nights, and hearing your husband's profession constantly mocked and dragged through the mud is no fun.  And then, there are some odd things about being married to a cop - places you just "can't" go, difficulty being in crowds, learning to live with an always on edge/high alert husband...

Yep, those are most of the things that people think about or talk about when the topic of being married to a cop comes up.  Mostly negative, not a whole lot of hope, and a lot of awkward conversations (as if I don't have enough ease pouncing right into awkwardness already!)

But today I wanted to bring up of the positives.  Call it false hope, ignorance is bliss, or what have you, there are actually a lot of positives about being married to a cop:

- Random days off in the middle of the week - he may not be home for Saturday nights but he can hit up a movie with you on a Tuesday afternoon at matinee prices

- More time with his kids - Lee gets to see Addie 3 or 4 hours every morning and often gets full days off to spend with her - not many high powered execs in their glass walls can say that

- Who wouldn't want to know the current or projected status of every single license plate that passes you while you drive in the car?  "That tag's expired, that one is past it's 30 days, that one doesn't look right..."

- Pride - every cop I pass makes me think of my husband, I feel so proud of him and the job these guys and gals do everyday.  Plus, there are few things hotter than getting to see your man come home each night in full uniform.

- Husband is off in the mornings so he can pull food out of the freezer, finish the laundry, and grab last minute things at the store that you forgot to do before leaving for work (when you're as ADD as I am, this is quite convenient!)

- Their instinctual reach for the blue lights when they see someone driving crazily is kinda funny as you're driving along in your personal truck on your way to church

- It's slightly amusing when you joke with them that you're gonna punch them if they don't stop "x", and without missing a beat they reply with all of the citations and misdemeanors you could be charged with

- Lastly, there is the old adage - I can feel safe at night cause I sleep with a cop :-)

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Another Try

I've been "dark" from the blogging world for quite some time now. Not that I haven't been checking up on my favorite bloggers, or paying attention to twitter and facebook feeds. I've just been trying to rethink and focus this blog.

I know, this ADHD-er just said "focus" HA! Anyways, from here on out I will be making some changes and updates to the blog. At the suggestion of some friends I'll be adding some cooking info, some couponing stuff (yes Shara, I may even include a groupon link or two ;-) ). Lastly, I plan to start to incorporate some of my current life point of view as a police wife. Lee suggested it earlier in the year as a cathartic way to help make police life more approachable to other gals and apparently it took me more than 6 months to decide that was a pretty good idea!

Lee's been really busy at work lately and had a part in a high-profile call here in Charlotte last Friday.

More on that later in the week.