Buddy's Boo-boo

Buddy is our almost 4 year old red pit bull. He was born 3 days before Marty and I were married, on Thanksgiving. When  Buddy was 5 weeks old we brought him home with us :)

He was just so tiny! What a little ball of joy!

Anyways, as he got older, he got bigger and stronger and tougher.

But he's still just his goofy self. When we leave him at home, we kennel him for his safety and the safety of our things. He has broken out a couple times and everything was fine except the kennel. We fixed the kennel. The last time he got out, he cut himself up and had blood all over, but amazingly enough, he was pretty much ok. A scrape on his face and cut his gums. He couldn't chew on raw hides for about a week either. So last weekend we left him in his kennel. He didn't get out but he cut himself a good one. To tell you the truth I didn't see it until almost bed time that night. It didn't look like it would be a problem. It's on his back, and he scratches.

Now it looks like this...

He keeps scratching it, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. It looks really gross in person. So he has a doctor appointment tomorrow morning so we can get it cleaned up. It just won't heal with him scratching it everyday. Yucky!

Poor Buddy :(

Kiddo's

I had the plan meeting with the Early On team! Mackenzie is 10 months behind with her speech, with the speech of an 11 month old. So, we will be taking her to speech therapy at one of the elementary schools here in town. Just around the corner so that will be good.

She will spend 1-2 hours each week at the therapy group, where she will get to meet some of her peers. That will be good, we don't know kids her age except 2 cousins who don't live close at all. They will also teach her baby sign language and incorporate words at the same time. It was explained to me that, "if she could talk, she would talk." So until she's able to talk, we will be using sign language, and once she begins talking, sign will go to the wayside. That works for me, any way of her communicating is better than nothing, she gets so frustrated sometimes. That should start either next week or the week after. I can't wait!

On the flip side, Cameron is one big, healthy boy. He had his 4 month check up last Thursday. He weighs 15 lbs, 8 oz and is 26.5 inches. He's going to be taller than his sister in no time. He's only 8 lbs lighter and 4 inches shorter than her now. Cameron also rolls from his back to his tummy and to his back again. He can lift up onto his elbows, not his hands yet. He can also get onto his knees, just not at the same times as his elbows. That will come with time, but I think it'll be sooner than Mackenzie did. We will see!

Happy learning and growing!!!

Speech Delay

Mackenzie has a speech delay. She does not talk. She will be 2 in November and she hardly even says Mama or Dada. All she does is grunt. When she gets frustrated she grunts even louder, and if you don't know what she wants and you try to figure it out but get it wrong, she breaks down and cries, and she doesn't like to stop crying.

Her doctor suggested that we get in touch with the intermediate school district for Allegan county. I did that and she has finally had a speech evaluation. During the evaluation, they checked all of the areas of development and payed special attention to her speech. She understands things she should at her age, she's emotionally where she should be, motor movement is great. Speech is not. To pass every part she needed to score 78 or higher. In the area of speech, she scored 69. She qualifies for the Michigan Early On program.

The Michigan Early On Program is like special education for infants and toddlers birth to 3 years old. They offer different things depending on the need of the child and family. They offer activities which are things we do day-to-day at home to help with speech or programs where Mackenzie can play and learn with others.They also offer supports which is help, resources, or information. Supports help our family become stronger and healthier and better able to help Mackenzie grow and learn. Finally, they offer services which are a specialized form of support from a trained professional who works with us to help us learn how to support the development of Mackenzie.

We will find out next Thursday what things we will be doing. Us and our Early On group will get together to decide on a plan for Mackenzie. The plan will tell us the activities, supports and services we will use, where they will be, when they will be, how often they will happen, who will do them, how long they will last, how the will be provided and when they will start and end. It is a very detailed plan, all to help Mackenzie with her speech delay.

We will be wishing her lots of luck and hope she starts talking soon!

Playing Catch-Up

Have you ever had a great friend, then life happened and you stopped talking to them and seeing them? Life has happened quite a bit for me. I had 4 really good friends through school and even after, then, like I said, life happens.

Holly was a best friend of mine. I spent a ton of time with her. I stayed at her house most weekends that I wasn't at my dads. We did everything together. She graduated a year before I did so she would pick me up in the morning, on her way home from work and take me to school my senior year, since she lived right down the road. She would also pick me up after school, and we would hang out and do whatever until my 10 p.m. school night curfew. On the weekends we would be with each other the entire time. When I graduated and got a job, we were both working, so we had less free time at the same time, but we were still really close. Then one day we just stopped talking. For 2 years. Then she seen me going for a walk with Marty and pulled over. That night, Marty went to work, and we didn't have kids, so I went and stayed with her til about 2 a.m. I was there all the time, again. I babysat her daughter for her so she could get a few hours of sleep everyday. When she quit her job, I stopped babysitting, and was going to school but we still spent a lot of time together. Then, around Christmas time, 2010, we lost touch again. I still haven't seen her or spoke to her. I'm sure we'll get together soon.

Amanda was my first friend that lasted the longest. We met when my mom was building the house I grew up in, I was 4. She lived across the street so of course, we were always playing and spending the night and everything. As we got older, the things we did changed and the people who were with us changed, but it was always Amanda and I. When I got my first job and had my own bills to pay, our schedules never matched up so we didn't see each other. We still see each other at special occasions; weddings, funerals, bachelorette parties, in home parties, etc. But not on a regular basis.

I met Teresa in middle school. We were friends from the very beginning. She used to come over in the mornings before school and get on the bus with me. She also stayed the weekends with me. As we got older, we spent weekends together and everything. She even moved in with me for a month. Yet again, when I got that first job, I was always working and we grew apart. We still see each other at weddings and parties and funerals, etc. but that's about it now.

Finally, Ashley. I met Ashley in middle and we never liked each other. Then sophomore year of high school we started talking and realized we really did like each other. She was always at my house. Then she started dating my brother and it was great. We were always hanging out together! For some reason, we just stopped talking. We didn't talk for a couple years. Then I seen her yesterday at my moms. She has moved in there for a while. I talked to her for a couple hours just catching up. It's so nice being able to catch up with someone who used to be your best friend. I'm supposed to see her again today and I really can't wait!

Discounts

As I am trying to grow my business, I am giving discounts up the wazoo!

When I started, I was giving away 10% to my hostesses...that was it. The more I do this, the more I say, "what's in it for her?" So now during the month of August everyone who orders get 10% off their order. That's pretty cool I think, but then, how am I going to book parties if all they have to do is order in August to get the hostess discount? So, through August my hostesses get 15% of the total party sales off their order. That could turn out to be quite a bit. Plus, I'm giving them a free gift if they hold their party on the original date! Look at all of that you could get! If you attend a party, and you bring a guest, you will get a free gift as well. Just for bringing another friend!

On top of all of that, if anyone places an order of $40 or more, get a free gift and right now, through September 15, it's a mini microdermabrasion set.

Also, I'm going to a flea market on Saturday to try and get some more business! I'm having a drawing!!! If your name is drawn (everyone's a winner in this drawing) :), you could get 10% off your order!!! But, there will be 3 grand prize winners. They will receive $10 off a purchase of $40 or more, plus a free gift.

That all sounds pretty good to me! I wish I could be my own customer :)

Good Time With Family and Friends

My birthday weekend was a great one. I had a lot of fun with family and friends!

Friday Mackenzie, Cameron and I spent most of the day with Marty's mom Shelly and step dad Jeff at their garage sale. I took my Mary Kay stuff to try and get new customers and get my name out to people. However, that turned out to be a bust. Anyone who showed any interest in any of it thought I was quitting Mary Kay and was selling stuff at a discounted price. They also all already had consultants. Boo. Although, we did make $18 for the entire weekend on kids clothes, maternity clothes and a baby bath! Friday evening the kids and I made it out to South Haven and had cheese burgers on the grill with dad, Carol, Courtney and Taylor. Danielle was still at band camp.

Saturday we all woke up early and had coffee cake for breakfast, which Mackenzie loved and wanted more all day. Courtney and I took Taylor, Mackenzie and Cameron down to the beach to later be joined by dad.

Later that day, Marty made his way out to South Haven! When he got there I got my birthday gifts since it was my birthday! Marty got me a nook color for my birthday, the only thing I asked for!

Finally, Marty and I got ready and headed back to Kalamazoo. We met up with April and Tim to go to dinner at Sushiya and get an ice cream cake for dessert from Cold Stone Creamery!

We all made it back to South Haven and shared my birthday cake and spent the evening with family.

Sunday we tried to get family pictures with me, Marty, Mackenzie and Cameron and also Cameron's 3 month pictures. The attempt failed miserably. Neither kid wanted to cooperate! However, we did get a couple with all 4 of us and ton of pictures of Mackenzie playing.

Overall, it turned out to be one of the best birthday weekends I could have asked for! Good food, family and friends, and the beach!