THE DOG AGAIN

Stockings in the Stovesand house have always been fun on Christmas. You never know what you are going to find. Will it be lotion, gum, toothpaste, a hammock, socks who knows? Well this year I was so elated to find stamps. Not just any old stamps stamps with pictures of my moms dog. Not only do I get to hear about her dog non stop now my mail will have a mention of Milo as well.

Oh yes and when I say elated I am being sarcastic.

PB&J

I love sandwiches any kind veggie sandwiches, meat sandwiches, paninis, fancy sandwiches with weird schmear and plane Jane sandwiches like turkey NO MAYO PLEASE (mayo reminds me of rotting flesh it gross's me out big time)!!!!!

That being said I would have to say the PB&J is my favorite. My reasoning is easy:

1.) cheap

2.) easy clean up

3.) peanut butter lasts forever unlike turkey that goes bad in a week

4.) tastes yummy

5.) you can jazz it up with honey, almond butter, or any other kind of

nut butter

6.) nostalgia: pb&j with a glass of milk reminds me of simpler times you

know when you were 5 or 6 playing outside in the sprinkler.

HOME SWEET HOME

Well the Christmas Holiday is over and I am home yeah me!!! However, I wanted to share some of the great Holiday news with my fellow bloggers:

1.) Molly left for China

2.) Billy's grandma felt me up (long story for those of you that want to hear it)

3.) saw the grandparents in STL

4.) got a hair cut

5.) went to Christmas mass and guarded the baby box with my life .... no touching remember...I do not want the Christmas flu

6.) got to see 6 months worth of dirty laundry from my brother that lives in Chicago (he wrapped it all up in a fish box and duck taped it .... did you know he is 29 and still brings his dirty laundry home)

7.) Got in a Christmas day fight with my mom

8.) Got kick ass Christmas gifts from the Hubby

9.) Did not give kick ass Christmas gifts to the Hubby (we usually do not give gifts but this year I gave him an umbrella .... times are tough people)

10.) Saw my friend Alicia and her cute kids!!!!!

11.) Milo took a chunk out of my cat

12.) Saw my cousin Brian's kids and watched my cousin Anna shamelessly talk them out of a dog

So Merry Christmas Peeps (even though it is over) and have a happy New Year hope every ones Christmas was eventful as mine!!!

DID YOU KNOW

Did you know when you are 7 months preggers you are not to work out you are to sit on the couch and eat Bonn bons. At least that is what all the ladies keep telling my mom!!! I guess if you want toxemia or preaclampsia or a baby with high cholesterol that is a good idea. Come on ladies I am not running twenty miles I am walking for 40 minutes or doing the elliptical or the StairMaster.....PLEASE OH PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS TO YOURSELF ESPECIALLY THE STUPID ONES.

I think all pregnant (healthy ones, if your doc says rest you need to rest) ladies should get exercises you know walking, swimming, ridding a bike or something. You need to be strong when the baby decides it is ready to come out of the "baby box." You know it is not just going to slide out of there you are going to have to work at it!!!

P.s.

Gabbie Reese even had her own pregnancy work out video when she was preggers

ROUND TWO

Well it is off to Muffy's house we go (that is what my mom wants to be called instead of grandma).

I will keep you posted about the fun and exciting adventures of Christmas at the Stovesands.

By the way Muffy VanderBear is what came up when I typed in Muffy.

Merry Merry!!!!

GIFT GIVING

Do not get me wrong I love gifts gimme gimme gimme. Honestly thought I really only like getting them from my immediate family (mom dad brothers husband and if my brothers do not get me one i relay do not care either). I get embarrassed when I get gifts from friends (you know not close friends but just friends) I even get embarrassed when my in-laws give me gifts.

That being said my family's gift giving I think is perfect cousins do not give gifts to each other (if we did i would be broke there are to many of us), aunts and uncles do not give gifts to nieces and nephews and nieces and nephews do not give gifts to aunts and uncles (again we would be broke to many of us). My brothers and I go in with each other and give combo gifts. My brothers and I also go in with each other and buy our mom and dads gifts. However, I just heard a different story from a person that will remain nameless we will call her shopper.

Shopper goes Christmas shopping every year (you are like yes Bernadette so does everyone else...no this girl shops I mean like 5 a.m. shopping after Thanksgiving). At first I thought she was crazy however now I know why, she has to buy for her family and her husbands family (shopper make your husband do his family at least one year so he knows how much of a pain it is..... i make billy do his family with a hint here and there otherwise he is responsible for them...However I think he pawns it off on his sisters go figure). Her husbands family gives gifts to everyone: aunts, uncles, nieces nephews grandparents and so on and so on!!! Now that is a lot of gifts!!!!! So to Shopper I say maybe you should just nix that house on Christmas day and go skiing because you could probably take a trip like that if you did not spend all the money on Christmas presents!!!! However, Shopper is too nice to do that, she will continue to be a good wife, mom and daughter-in-law unlike me who would go skiing!!!!!

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME

You can feel it coming: the sting the puffiness and then in 24 hours the full blown out fever blister!!!! Yeah!!! I love fever blisters especially since they come at the best time you know right before Christmas.

One year my mother in law told me about this chap stick called Herpacin and she said if I used it every day I would not get a fever blister. So I did and you know what, about 11 months later I did not get a fever blister on my lip I got one on my nose, even better!!!!

So for you peeps out there carrying the herpes virus on your lip just let nature run its course or get some valtrex that shit is awesome!!!

COMMUNICATION

What if you went to visit your financial advisor and said "I just came into some money and I need some help investing it." If the advisor said I only do this and that and that is your only choice no discussion this is my policy. Nothing against the advisor however after doing research you may not use him because you have some idea's also that you would like to discuss.

That being said: why not the same for your Doctor. For example I would like the following for labor and delivery.
1.) no epidural
2.) no pitocin
3.) iv only if medically necessary
4.) intermittent fetal monitoring (not a big ass strap around my big ass belly that keeps me bound to the bed i may need to walk or p and you are for sure not putting a catheter in me i would rather have my baby in the woods)

Now these items are up for discussion I am not set on them and I am sure there are good reasons for using them. However, I do want options and I do want a decision made because we discussed it, not because "that is the way you do it and and that is the way it will always be done." I did not know I lived in the 1930's and I had no voice.

So for all you obgyn's out there when a women first comes to you and says she has a baby in her "baby box" the first thing you should tell her is your policy and the things you are not willing to negotiate on so she knows before she is in her 3rd trimester. By the way ladies 3rd trimester is to late to switch docs.....well maybe not to late but very hard to do (i know i am trying to do it now). Oh yeah and if your patient tells you she is going to do the "Bradley Method" in week 16 and then in week 28 you tell her you will not be able to comply with the practices of the Bradley method, that is not fair either you should of told her at week 16 when she informed you...............OR WERE YOU EVEN LISTENING BECAUSE YOU RUN PATIENTS IN AND OUT OF YOUR OFFICE LIKE THEY ARE CATTLE!!!!!

PEDESTRIAN

Now do not get me wrong I do not come from a city that has massive transit nor do people walk to work. Howeve,r when they walk I know pedestrians have the right away especialy when the cross says walk.

So why then is it so hard for the drivers of Enterprise to realize that pedestrians have the right away. These drivers do not even look they just drive (and by the way I am not hard to miss right now).

So just a reminder be careful and mindful of the pedestrian be happy they are walking and not laying on their lazy ass or burning up fuel in their car. Oh yes beware of the "jay-walker" because they do not follow the rules so I do not feel sorry for them they better look both ways.

AMERICAN

Well it looks as if the American Automobile industry is going to get the money they need to stay a float. Now do not get me wrong I do not like to see money given away maybe bankruptcy would be the best thing for them. However, it would not be the best thing for the United States. If they do not get the money so many people would loose their jobs I could not even begin to count. So many other business would have to file bankruptcy themselves because of the auto manufactures (think how much money they owe other business from advertising to parts to distribution)......did you know 1 out of every 3 jobs is effected by the automobile industry!!!!!

So that being said remember folks the next time you buy an automobile think American first I am not saying you have to, just give them a chance, just test drive one. My husband has had his expedition for 5 years now and we plan to keep it another 5 more it will have any where from 150,000 miles to 190,000 miles on it hen we trade it in and I am sure someone will be able to use it after us!!!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT

I did not hear the "speech" from the horse's mouth however, I did hear what Fox news said as well as CNBC. Obama and his announcement for the largest infrastructure expansion since the 50's. I hate tax's but I love infrastructure. I love that it makes everything so much more efficient and not to mention when roads are nice and smooth (and two to three lanes) it makes such a better trip, when you are in the car for 10 hours. The only thing I ask Obama, is please oh please let some of the development come to the southeast. If anyone needs nice roads it is us. Not to mention if you put a major interstate through Enterprise that would be awesome!!!!!! I do not care if it brings every trucker in the world through our town (they would get along fine with the red necks here) because it would also bring jobs and moo la and I like moo la!!!

So Obama if you do not mind please make sure the infrastructure comes to Enterprise AL and while you are at it could make the city put in side walks it makes it really hard to run or walk here with out side walks. Not to mention side walks would encourage exercises and maybe our city would not be so fat!!!!

THIRD SECRET FACT

These secret facts about myself are getting very difficult, this actually might be my last one because I can not think of any. OK here is a secret fact: I am not putting up a Christmas tree again this year. Why, because I am lazy and I do not want to take it down and I do not want to fight with my husband about lights. I will put one up eventually However, what is the point when you go home and your mom puts one up ...I can just look at her tree...plus there are no presents under our tree Billy and I do not get each other gifts because I am picky and mean and he does not want me to spend money (UNLESS IT IS ON ELECTRONICS AND I HATE ELECTRONICS to many wires and other annoying stuff).

So the secret no Christmas tree in the Haskins house....bah humbug!!!

SECOND SECRET FACT

So I asked my mom what is a fact about me that no one knows. HMMM she said actually you can be a really nice person sometimes (I guess the majority of the time I am not a nice person who knew?).

She said the last time I was home (not Turkey Holiday I was really mean that trip home however I have my reasons), she was referring to my baby shower. Well, I said to her it is easy to be nice when you do not have negative people around (a certain person was away on business).

So fact number two I am a really nice person who knew?????

p.s.

the picture of Mother Teresa is a complete joke I know I am no Mother Teresa so I just want to stop all the comments right there.

SEVEN FACTS

So my cousin Anna wants me to post a fact a day (total of seven). These facts are things that people do not know about me. Well, that is tough because one I am very vocal about everything so I am sure most people know a lot about me and two, if it is a secret and I have not told you, I am sure it is a secret for a reason. So seven facts here I go.

Secretly I would love to live in Manhattan and work at Barneys and be a professional shopper. You know shop for all the rich people. I would pick out shoes, fur coats, handbags and all kids of crap while getting my shopping fix with out spending any money. I choose Barneys because they are little more "with it" when it comes to fashion than other traditional upscale department stores. Why, then am I in E town well 1.) cost of living in Manhattan 2.) all the democrats 3.) i am a wimp 4.) tax's 5.) did I mention cost of living. Just kidding about the Democrats I really do not care I just like to make a jab at the liberals.

By the way Barneys also has kick ass window displays during Christmas, above is a Christmas window.

UGG'S

When UGGs first came out.... I said to myself those are so stupid, people only like them because famous people ware them with skirts. However, I went home one weekend and only brought my tennis shoes and needed something else (when i run my shoes get really wet from sweat and then in the winter the sweat either freezes or keeps my feet really cold). So went to Dillard's and bought some UGGS and then fell in love with the warm, comfy, soft shoes. I highly recommend these lovely shoes they keep feet warm and comfortable.... If you do invest in a pair there are a hole bunch on sale at Nordstrom and I am sure in March there will be a bunch more on sale... These are the new slippers I purchased for myself do not tell anyone but I ware them as shoes also.....

CRAPPY FRIG

When I was in STL I bought my first frig. It was not a fancy frig it was the cheapest frig at home depot. However, I did not have one problem with this trusty cheap frig.

Now I have a fancy frig and it sucks and the company that made it sucks!!!! Why, it is -47 in the freezer and it is constantly running (so my power bill is high). I call GE and they tell me I am out of warranty...Fine I do not care I will pay to have it fixed just tell me someone who can fix it....Oh they can not help me I am out of warranty (and no one in my area services GE monogram the company that used to service it no longer comes to Enterprise)!!!!! Well guess what GE you lost a customer I will never by a GE product again. My next house will have Viking and Sub Zero (or better yet the cheapest appliances at home depot) no wonder your stock sucks and your company is about to go under your customer service is deplorable and you do not have repeat buyers!!!!!! DUH!!!!

MY NEW FAMILY

My moms family does a calender every year. Therefor they need pictures from everyone to be in the calender.

My aunt Shelia sent an email out about month ago (give or take) and said I need picks by Nov. 27. OK, I said I will get them. On Nov 27 I could not take the picture for the following reasons.

1.) I lost my camera

2.) mom bought her camera in Mexico from a little kid off the street therefore no usb cord (and nov 27 is turkey day so i could not go by one)

3.) not everyone was home

So I emailed Shelia and she gave me an extension. The next day we were all going to the movies at 12:55 therefor I made an announcement at 11:45 we will take the picture before lunch. Is that OK with everyone? No one said no so I kept it at that time. 11:30 no Stovesands 11:45 only me billy mom and randi..... So I said forget it I do not care. 12:15 Paul shows up so I decided to take the picture with my new family Randi (dans girlfriend), Billy, mom, Milo, Paul and me.

By the way if any of my family members are reading my blog....My mom said she did not care if she was in the calender or not so please yell at her or even better put a big nose on her picture she will hate that.