"Quality Of Life" - B.I.

Recently, a person I know that is moving my way informed me of their choice of city they were looking to move to.  Because our brief conversation was through texts, it was hard to decipher how the verbiage was to be taken.  So, I questioned her a little on why that particular city and she expressed that it was close to her hubby's work and she was tired of the hour commutes and wanted, "Quality of Life".

So through texting, I took that as, she wanted her hubby home as soon as the 5 o'clock bell rang to spend more time together.  Absolutely nothing wrong with this, if this in fact was what she meant.

Just last week, I had the opportunity to be in the said city to view decorating ideas w/in two homes.  This particular city is where High Society lives.  It's a place where people want to be seen for their money, cars, wardrobe and high end lifestyles.  It's a beautiful city, don't get me wrong, but it got me thinking on what "Quality of Life" meant to me and my family.

For the past week, I've been taking note of my surroundings and asking myself, "is this Quality Living for my family?".  Here is what I learned about OUR Quality of Life....

1: I love that my daughters preschool is on the outskirts of the city and has farm animals on the property.  She gets to learn about gardens & planting potatoes, she goes for horse rides and when she comes home and wants to "play school", you know she has amazing teachers!  Inside the city, she wouldn't have the same opportunities.

2: Knowing that at 9:30 at night I have a children's urgent care just down the road that doesn't charge you an emergency room visit fee and they contact your regular pediatrician to tell them what is going on.  I need ease and comfort at late hours and living in the city wouldn't give me that.

3: I love that I can hit Target just down the road and shop with other "normal" families like myself.  In the city, let's face it, you get the weirdos.

4: My community and their love of keeping things old school.  I love passing horses, cows, goats etc... as I drive my kids to school.  Pointing things out like that is so much fun!  Not to mention, it makes my drive less stressful! 

5: I love how quiet it is out in my neck of the woods.  I can actually sit outside at night under the stars and actually see them!  I don't hear freeway traffic nor planes overhead coming in for a landing.

6: I love that my family has a huge yard to play in and a cul-de-sac next door to ride bikes in.

7: I love that the school district I live in is smaller.  My kids have MANY more opportunities than other over crowded districts.  We are also treated better and are given more help with our son, he's not a number out here, he has a name...and believe me when I say EVERYONE knows him!  I know he's looked after during the day, it's a good, calm feeling.

8: I love that I have 2 parks w/in walking distant.

9. When my hubby and I go out, we have high end shopping and restaurants w/in 10 minutes of our home.  If you visit, we'll treat you, just ask those who've been lucky to stay with us!  We don't necessarily have to travel into the city if we don't want to to get the same affect.

10: No matter where I live, my family makes up OUR, "Quality of Life".

This is just what I took note of this past week, I'm sure if you gave me a month, my list would be a hundred times bigger.  Now, I'm not telling this person I know that her decision is wrong, I'm not saying that at all.  I don't wish to talk her out of her decision nor do I wish to rule her life once she's here.  She just got me thinking about what, "Quality of Life" really meant to me and my family so to B.I., I thank you.

PS- Some of you may know who I'm talking about, and I don't know if she reads my blog or not, but if you talk to her, you can let her know that I wish her family nothing but "Quality of Life" and this posting isn't bashing her, nor her decisions....It was just a moment in life that got me thinking and a realized, I know I found my "Quality of Life":) and I hope she finds hers too!

LAST CHANCE!!!!!

FYI....

If you or someone you love needs maternity clothes, my link to the right will be ending this Saturday, Oct. 2nd.  I've been horrible at updating it as many of the clothes have sold.  If you or someone you know needs/wants maternity clothes, send them to look around and if there is anything they see they'd like, leave me a comment on THIS posting.  Hurry, the donation truck will be showing up before noon on THIS Saturday!

A dagger through my heart...

Today I went to get a few fall essentials for the short season that we do have at my local GAP.  Their new Bleeker Collection is to die for!  I put together the above outfit for my adorable 4yo whom I'd like to assume is a little fashionista in her own right.  However, as I was super stoked about the adorable outfit I put together she looks down at the stinkin' cute ballet flats and then pushes the skirt away and says, "mommy, I don't like black".  OH HOW MY HEART BLED TO HEAR THOSE WORDS.....  If you know me, I LOVE to wear black and I am drawn to this color for all kinds of things, even roses!

On my way home, I realized I finally have to admit to myself that my 4yo is learning to be her own person and her fashion sense isn't what mine is.  She is drawn to all things purple, pink and sparkly iron-ons of butterflies and flowers.  Maybe my taste is a little too sophisticated for her?  Maybe she doesn't realize that when mom offers to pay, you learn to like what she's picked out?  Maybe, just maybe, she'll learn to like my style?  I did realize one good thing about all this though, I do have one more girl and she is obsessed with me, just ask Mr. D so maybe she'll let me dress her when she's an opinionated 4yo!?!?!?  There is hope on the horizon again!

It's Perfect!!!

I am in LOVE people!  I had a few moments to myself so I started to browse online for fun and I ran into this gorgeous number that is absolutely perfect!

When I saw this bag, I got so excited I actually peed a little bit!  I am borderline saying I actually NEED this bag.  Who wouldn't want to kiss this bag every single day?!?!?  It's to die for!  Thank you Sir Ralph Lauren (like how I knighted him myself??) for your amazing vision that screams, "HEATHER, COME HITHER!".

Now for a Reality Check....It's $3495.00.  Yes, it's beyond crazy expensive and I'm thinking my tummy tuck will come before I ever get this amazing gift.

A girl can dream though right?  I'm petting it and hugging it and kissing it in my head right now....

My Monday Gripe....

This past Friday I was invited to a darling Card Party (super fun, if you want to know how it was done let me know and I'll give you details on how to host your own!).  As I was driving through the unfamiliar neighborhood to the hosts home, I passed by an incredible home that was already decked out for Halloween.  It actually lit my spark and I was looking forward to Monday morning so I could hit Hobby Lobby because according to their ad, fall decorations were on sale 40-50% off!  I got the two older kidlets off to school and put the pedal to the metal to make sure I got there before all of the decorations were picked over.  I definitely got there while there was still some good selections so I found some funky yard signs and ghosts to hang etc... And here is where my Monday Gripe comes in...

I'm super excited about my yard decorations as I stand in the huge line (Hobby Lobby by me is infamous for only having one register open, so obnoxious!).  The woman in front of me has her cart filled with something from every section of Hobby Lobby and she noticed that two of her frames weren't perfect so she leaves to go change them out.  We all waited...and waited...and waited.  The woman returns with not only more picture frames but scrapbooking supplies!  This means, on everyone else's time, she went shopping for more items!!!  Wow, that was a new one for me and am surprised I kept my tongue quiet.

Now, finally my turn, I load my stuff up on the counter and the woman starts ringing my decorations up.  She gives me the total and I asked her if she had given me the discount.  She looks at the store ad and tells me my items weren't part of the sale.  What do you mean they aren't part of the sale?!?!  She showed me the ad like I was the stupid one and we argued back and forth on what the ad meant.  I finally gave in because all of us were already annoyed about the woman who left the line to shop more and told her I'd come again another day then. 

When I got home, I looked the ad back up and I KNOW I am right.  So, out of curiosity, I called the store and asked about the items I was going to purchase and you know what they said?  YEP!  My items were part of the sale.  I told the gentleman what had just happened and naturally he apologized but refused to put my items on hold so I could come back. 

Hobby Lobby is now on my black list.  And that is my Monday Gripe.

Dear Ms. Excess,

Dear Ms. Excess,

I am writing to you today to let you know that your presence is no longer wanted.  We have had many arguments each passing day and Shaun T., Billy Blanks and Lindsay Brin will back me up by saying, it's time we cut you off.  I have put in many sweat sessions at 6:00am, yes, as in-before the damn birds start chirping or the sun has made it's pinkish streak across the sky, but you are too powerful for me to take on any longer.  After much deliberation (well, not so much on MY side), the green light to go ahead has popped on and I'm driving over you for good.  I bid you farewell Ms. Excess as it is time the knife comes out to kill you of a slow & bloody death.  You will not be missed, you ugly, wretched scar, because you have done nothing but cause me misery.  Good bye muffin, hello flat as a pancake!

Regards,

Heather

The Beast is Free!!!

Remember when Baby R was born with the nasty Hip Displaysia issue??

She went from the, Kicker Pavlik Harness that despite the 98% success rate her hips somehow healed out of socket so she had to endure the Operating Room and moved on to...

The Spica Cast!  This was a nightmare when she had such horrible muscle spasms and literally screamed every 90 seconds ALL NIGHT LONG (NOT an exaggeration!!).  Those nasty muscle spasms ended up popping one of her hips back out of the socket so she had to go back to, guess where...  The O.R.!

She was then fitted with the fantastic red cast which she wore the longest.  Despite having to lay on her back for months (Do we need to revisit the helmet??  Let me know if you don't remember.) we did find some activities she could do...

Rody has had a lot of miles put on his old bones between all 3 of my kiddos!  He's been a good toy.  However, the day did come when Baby R did indeed have to face the O.R once again...

And she was fitted for a smaller Spica cast-only to the knees this time (and the stupid hospital finally restocked the pink casting material, yeah!!!).  It was a good day when I got to see her legs wiggle again.  Her legs were SO purple though, I was worried about her circulation but found out that coloring is normal as long as her feet felt normal temperature.  The purple legs faded away with time along with all the yucky, flaky dead skin.  But alas, despite the casts 95% success rate her dang left hip began to loosen up after the pink cast came off so she was fitted for....

The Cruiser Brace.  Which by far, out of all the devices she's worn, this was the easiest, just bulky and obnoxious to travel with is all.

This is the stock photo off the companies website.  I never took a pic of Baby R while she was in this but you see what she would have looked like minus the standing, she's almost 2 and new to using her legs.  This device claims to have a 89% success rate so we'll see...

So on to the AWESOME update...She's a Free Bird!  Just this past week we had yet another x-ray done which had shown her stubborn left hip FINALLY fall into normal range.  Her Orthopedist was pleased enough to say she was ready to try healing on her own.  So, between now and December, if her hips don't move and continue to stay put then she'll stay out of the brace.  However, with Hip Displaysia there is always a possibility her hips could stop forming and growing with her so she will be watched until at least the age of 8.  It's already been a long road with her, but I know we aren't officially out of the woods yet.

It's a little strange putting her to bed at night not having to strap her into anything or calling my babysitters to come over 15 minutes early just to learn how to properly put her all together.  I hope and pray that as severe as a case she was, Mother Nature will finally take over and do what she was supposed to do the first time- merge the hips into the sockets and keep them there to grow normally!

FYI-Baby R's nickname is "Beast" and for good reason, she's a handful but we love her!  Also, did someone count how many times I used the word, "despite"?  I'm sure it was like, eleventy.

Poll Closed

I've been dealing with sickies at my house so I've been a wee bit slow at the bloggin'.  I see my poll closed and everyone generously said they still wanted to hear my rantings.  Or, if you want to stay anonymous raise your hand if you were lying, come on, don't be shy, it's ok because I can't see you stinker!

Anyhoo, I'll keep things up for now I guess so keep me on your blog rolls, I'll be coming back up around!