Disney World Highlights...

Disney World...  So here is Wilkins at the airport getting ready to head to the most magical place on earth!!  I think she knew this was where she was going because she started acting WILD and I couldn't do anything.  I was sitting there with a fake smile on my face, gritting my teeth, thinking to myself if all these people weren't watching you I would spank your legs!!!!  Funny thing is I think Wilkins knows that we are in places like that she can get away with anything because really what parent is going to spank their kid or reprimand them the way they do at home when you are surrounded by dozens of people?!  Nobody!       Instead of boring you all with the day to day happenings here in Disney World I am just going to give you a few highlights that might make you smile, laugh out loud, or think to yourself "that is so me"!  Then I am going to post a few pictures but definitely not all of them and if I can figure out how to I am going to post a video of Wilkins and then a hilarious video of LeAnne and Haley!!  So here goes the highlights...

We got here Wednesday afternoon and Aunt Maronica provided a lot of toys and presents for all of our kids...oh yeaaaa!!  You will get to see the giant Mickey Mouse I get to go home with...we already have to tote a little Mickey Mouse everywhere we go that we got at Walmart when Wilkins was only 13 or 14mths old.  Then we hit Downtown Disney or should I say the Middlebrooks' took over Downtown Disney...all 13 of us met up with Uncle Chris, Aunt Lora, Aunt Maronica, Uncle Kevin, Kelsey, and Avery...oh yeah over half of the entire Middlebrooks' family (34 of us all together).

Thursday we at breakfast with Lilo & Stitch along with Mickey and Pluto at the Polynesian restaurant where we all got "laid" which ended up being a pretty big joke for a while!  Then off to the Magic Kingdom where I am almost positive Bradley was regretting the fact he married into this family!  LeAnne, Haley, and myself joined in the Move It, Shake It Parade with our kids...too funny!  I am pretty sure there is footage of us looking absolutely retarded!!!  After a while of this I took Wilkins and Addy back to the room to relax before we went to Mickey's Backyard BBQ...

I put Wilkins and Addy in the bathtub and about 5 minutes Addy says..."Wilkins pooped in the bath tub".  I go in there and sure enough she did and Addy just continued to sit there!!  Wilkins on the other hand acted like there was something on fire because she jumped out quick.  I set both of them out and while I am cleaning it out I hear Addy again..."Aunt B, Wilkins pooped again".  Ok I didn't put a diaper on here because I was planning on putting her back in so that I could wash her hair and actually use soap to clean her instead of "poopy" waterh!  So first night here Wilkins was up from 230am until 5am (who knows exactly why even though I have my opinions) and first afternoon she manages to poop in the bathtub and the floor so that I could not forget what mothers are really for!!  LOL  

Then off to the Backyard BBQ which turned out to be pretty good food and a lot of dancing for the kids!

Back to the Magic Kingdom so the kids could watch the Spectro Magic Parade which leads me into the next highlight:  Logan manages to get both of his shoes off while watching and we didn't even realize it until we got a pretty good ways.  So mom and Bradley went on the search for theses missing shoes and to our amazement they did.  The shoes had managed to be kicked around a lot but at least we found them.

The bad part was having to load up on a bus with a bunch of sleeping kids, having to hold them while trying to close your stroller while most people just look at you with pity and rarely ask if they can help!!

Here are some pictures of the first day or so...

Definitely more highlights and pictures to come!!     

TWO MORE DAYS!!!!

SO I AM IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE I AM SUPER EXCITED THAT I ONLY HAVE TWO MORE DAYS OF WORK AND THEN IT'S DISNEY WORLD!!!! 

We won't mention the fact that I still have to pack for me and Wilkins (which we all know packing for a girl is RIDICULOUS).  Got to have hairbows, jewelry, shoes for every outfit, etc....(pulling my hair out just thinking about it!!).  We won't mention that I haven't had the best of luck this past week...my tv just quit working (who knows but I ain't got time to worry about it) so I have been sitting in Wilkins' little chair at her little table watching the playoffs (I am sure I look like the Jolly Green Giant)!  On Saturday or maybe it was Friday (I don't remember), my car wouldn't start when I went to leave for work because I guess I left Wilkins' dvd player plugged in or something so I was late of course!!  Bad start to my day...gets me all off track!  Now to top it all off I am SICK!  Can you believe it...I sound like a man, have a runny nose, itchy throat, and now I sound like a commercial for some cold & allergy medicine so I am gonna shut up about that!! 

That is just what I feel like venting about...I still have a few more things not really going in the right direction but I am gonna do what my employee told me yesterday...SMILE.  I am gonna try to believe that everything will work out even though that is hard for me to do.  So three days from right now I will be in Florida beginning a wonderful vacation...I sure can't wait to see Wilkins when she sees Mickey!!  Oh my goodness...I just realized this time next week Wilkins will be 2!!  Crazy!  My how the time has flown by...

Insightful Man...

I thought that I was pretty good at hiding my personal struggles and frustrations at work.  The average person probably wouldn't pick up on it but one of my employees literally brought tears to my eyes just with a few words.  From what I understand he used to be a preacher and now works as a host part time.  He is always a very pleasant person, very warm, welcoming, and affectionate, kind of like a grandfather.  He is very soft spoken but people listen to what he has to say.  He reminds me a lot of Bro David Jones...he never meets a stranger, very mild mannered, and even the young college kids are drawn to him.  He calls me "kiddo" and pretty much everyone else.  Technically, I am not suppose to allow him to call me that but in his eyes I am a kiddo and because I was raised to respect my elders I allow it.

So at about 8pm (12 hours after I arrived at work), he was leaving but made it a point to come back in the kitchen to tell me bye.  He says to me "keep smiling kiddo", which is what he always says so I didn't think much of it and he started to walk away.  But then he stopped and came back and this is the words he spoke to me:  "Promise me you will keep smiling" so I smiled and shook my head yes.  "I know you are my boss and I shouldn't say this but I look in your eyes and tell you carry a lot on your shoulders.  I am not sure what you are carrying but it is a heavy burden but I can tell you are a very strong person so you just keep your head up, stay strong, and keep smiling it will get better."  I couldn't even respond but it touched my heart because the tears began to well up in my eyes.  I know he knew how much those words touched me because he just squeezed my elbow, smiled, and walked away.

It is very rare that someone can say something so simple and kind for no reason at all, much less something that will touch my heart in such a way that brings me to tears.  I guess I am not as good as I thought I was about leaving my personal problems at the door when I go to work.  I wonder if I just keep smiling the load that I am carrying will start falling off even if it is only a little bit at a time...?

Playoffs and more...

Some people like football, basketball, and baseball and so do I but my favorite sport to watch is hockey!  If you know me you know that I am a HUGE Predators fan...I have a Preds jacket, toboggan, pajamas, jersey, shirts, hoodies, and more.  My screen saver on my computer is the Preds along with the background screen on my cell phone.  So any hockey fans out there know that we are in the playoffs in the first round against the Blackhawks.  So that is what I am doing right now...well, technically it is the first intermission because I can't be blogging while the game is going on, I might miss something!  GO PREDATORS!!

Now...Wilkins!  This kid is driving me nuts!  Everything, including me, is a jungle gym in her eyes!!  I try to fold clothes and she is climbing on my back.  I am standing still and she is climbing up my legs.  I am downstairs and I hear her (in her room upstairs) yelling "hep (help), hep, momma hep".  So I track upstairs, which I try to do only when necessary because it absolutely kills me to, to find my child standing in the sink of her little kitchen set.  She is trying to get her baseball cap down and has already gotten down her cowgirl had along with her umbrella.  Then of course comes the heels.  She can walk better in heels than I can.  She walked down the stairs with them on , across the slippery hardwood, and then kept running back and forth on the hardwood because of the clickety clack!!  Let me just say I have my hands full with this little princess!

Getting ready for Disney...

So 8 days from right now I will be in Florida!!  YeAAAA!  If only I were already there I wouldn't be so stressed about getting there!!  I have been doing as much as I can to get ready for this trip.  I know...who packs 9 days before you leave for vacation??  ME!!  I am trying to pack what I can and make a list of everything else that I need to buy...$$$$!  I have some of the craziest hours coming up to work and have very little time to get our stuff ready.  Not only am I packing for Wilkins and myself, but I am also packing for Addy too.  I am very picky and detailed whereas LeAnne just throws a bunch of stuff together!!  So since Addy is staying in my room (the girls...me, Wilkins, & Addy), I am packing her clothes to make sure she has matching shoes and hairbows!!

Anyway, after today I only have Thursday off to finish up everything.  Before that I work 5am-4pm tomorrow and 10am-9pm Wednesday.  Then Thursday I have to finish getting everything because on Friday I work 10am-8pm, Saturday 8am-10pm, Sunday 7am-6pm, Monday & Tuesday 5am-4pm, and then Wednesday (12:45pm flight) 5am-10am!!  Oh my goodness!!  To see it in black and white I am really starting to stress...I don't know if it is even possible to get all this done!  I wanted to start getting ready because I didn't want to forget anything but I don't think I realized it would make me lose my mind!!! 

Pray for me and everyone around me because I am sure I am going to be extremely irritable...

Boogers and poop...what more could a mother ask for?

This morning I am pulled from my sound sleep, before my alarm clock goes off at 4:15am, by the sound of Wilkins whining.  When I get in her room she is saying "mommy, nose, nose"! 

I would have to have the child who can't stand to have a runny or stopped up nose!  I am not joking when I say she is OCD about her nose.  She is the only child I know that actually wants you to use the little blue booger sucker and definitely the only child I know that will fall asleep while you are sucking out all the snot!!

Don't most kids just let the snot run down into their mouth...?  Oh no, not mine!  She doesn't care where we are, who's around, or what we are doing!  If her nose is bothering her she will rub it on your pants, your shirt, a blanket, the carpet, couch, etc...!  And forgive me for thinking that there is a time and a place to whip out that little blue booger sucker and it sure ain't at the mall or a restaurant!  I ain't about to carry that nasty thing in my purse so she better learn real quick how to blow her nose or dig it out herself (jk...that is gross)!  I know, I know...mean mommy!  Oh well, I bet you wouldn't do it either!

So that was before work...now about 30 minutes after I pick up Wilkins, who is in one of the boy's t-shirts b/c her and Addy decided they needed a spa treatment (played in the mud), from Yaya's house she comes to me while I am sitting on the couch and says uh-oh.  So I look at her and her diaper is hangin half way off and she STINKS!!  I grab the fresh wipes out of my purse, tell her to lay down, and attempt to get her diaper off.  Much to my dismay, she cooperated however, the poop did not because is just started falling out of her diaper!! Since becoming a mother I have done a lot of things I never thought I would and picking poop up off the floor is definitely one of them!!  YUK!  Unfortunately, I didn't have a diaper handy so I told Wilkins to lie still while I run upstairs to get a diaper...didn't happen!  What mother actually thinks their 2 year old is going to lie still with no diaper on...seriously?  I was completely out of breath b/c I literally ran, taking two steps at a time, up and down the stairs only to find Wilkins with her butt up in the air!  I have no idea what she was doing and I wished I had a camera handy b/c it was too funny.  She was on her feet, bent over, with her head touching the floor, and each hand was on one foot...definitely a full moon!  lol!!  Crazy kid! 

Very tiresome/adventurous day...so much to do in the next 10 days to get to Disney World!!  Everyone pray I don't lose my mind working 9 of those days while also trying to shop, pack, clean, wash clothes, and don't forget suck out boogers!!  I feel the stress coming on...I feel sorry for everyone that I am going to be around for the next 10 days b/c I might just bite your head off if things don't start heading in the right direction!

Good night everyone!

Disney countdown...

One of Wilkins' outfits that Haley and mom made...

It is a reversible wrapback...it is lime green with Minnie on one side and zebra print with a "W" embroidered in lime green.  It is really cute!!

Here is a picture of Logan's pirate outfit and Addy's Daisy wrapback...

There will be more outfits to post!

So while they are sewing (something I don't enjoy), I am laying out all of the outfits for Wilkins and Addy making sure they have matching hairbows, jewelry, shoes, etc...

12 days and counting...

Lazy Days...

So I am nearing the end of my 2 days off which really is about a day off considering the work schedule.  My sleep has been completely messed up b/c I worked until almost midnight Sun.  In fact I think I was up until about 2am then of course Wilkins slept until about 10am.  Here is the bad part when she took her nap so did I which was about 3pm so then I stayed up until about 3am this morning.  So now I am only hoping I can go to sleep at a decent time tonight because 5am will be here before I know it.
So anyone reading this should definitely check out http://www.themiddlebrooksmob.blogspot.com/ .   If you are not clear on what this is then let me just explain it to you...the Middlebrooks' family!  DUH!  Just wait until they all figure out how to use it, I am sure it is going to get interesting and maybe even a little mean!!  I got to thinking about the name of it and realized I should have went with the Meddlin' Middlebrooks!!  LOL  just kidding.
Anyway, I thought this would be a good idea because we all have stuff to say, right?!  I really enjoy blogging and I know my goofy family will love it and will be telling all kind of good stuff!  I new that I could count on Kyle to be the first one to post but I am sure the rest are right behind him!!  If only I could find away to do those tabs at the top of the page so we could break it down a little by pictures, memebers, etc...
Oh well, I got a couple of hours left of this day and since Wilkins and I have barely gotten out of our pjs the today and yesterday I better get busy!  I got a lot of cleaning to do, clothes to wash, and who knows what else...

WOO HOO...!!

I walked in the door from work at 1130pm to Wilkins...she had a big ol' smile on her face, yelled "mommy", ran up to me and put her arms around my legs!!!  It can't get much better than that!!  I know...what is she doing up that late anyway?!  When I am working these crazy hours I think she just wants to see me before she goes to sleep because 30 minutes later she was bringing me her "bic" and saying "night night".  So she is now sound asleep and hopefully for the whole night.  Last night she woke up 130am wound up tighter than a banjo string!  She was already asleep when I got home so she was super excited at 130am to see her mommy!  I tried to put her in bed with me but she was having none of that...she just kept grabbing my face and jabberring!  I think that she was trying to tell me all about her adventurous day but who can really tell what a two year old is saying!!  I finally put her back in her bed at about 4am and I have know idea what time she went back to sleep.  It was really hard to finish out my shift today because it was my 7th day in a row but luckily 5 of the 7 days I worked with another manager whom I absolutely love!!  He is probably one of my closest friends.  He is someone that I can talk to, laugh with, and just have a nice relaxing shift with.  All I can say is thank goodness for him and I got to see his family tonight...I used to hang out with him, his wife, and kids alot but now it seems like I don't ever have time.  I do miss the good ol' days but I wouldn't trade in my little munchkin for anything!  They have been such a big part of my life and seeing their three boys makes me realize how fast time flies because they are growing like little weeds!!
Another reason for the "Woo hoo" is I am off the next two days but the best part of that is my gm is off the two days after that!  You know what that means...I only have to see him for a little bit on Fri, Sat, and Sun!  Then after that I don't have to see him again until I get back from vacation which is May 8th!!!  YIPEE! YIPEE!  I don't despise him, I just don't think he sees any flaws in himself.  He comes across as very arrogant, almost like a bully.  I think that he enjoys trying to intimidate people.  He and I had a little run in on Friday and of course he tells me that he has no issues with me whatsoever!  He thinks that I am awesome in everything that I do but for some reason I have issues with him.  After getting no where I finally just took all responsibility for the non existant relationship.  It was just easier to say "you're right, I'm wrong" even if I didn't believe it!  It is over and done with now until the next time but I don't even care because I am going to DISNEY WORLD in about 2 weeks...

I got nothing...

Well, I have started two new posts in the last three days but haven't finished any because my eyes start drooping from lack of sleep!  By the time I got back to them I just wasn't in the same frame of mind as I was at the time I started them so I decided not to finish them!!  Let's hope that I get this one finished considering that I really have nothing to blog about.  I mean the last three days for me has consisted of working, eating, changing diapers, and sleeping. 
As I sit here and type, I can look around and see that the floors need to be vaccuumed, clothes need to be folded and put away, tables need to be dusted, bathroom needs to be cleaned, toys picked up, etc...but yet I still decide against it.  I just want to sit here, do this and nothing more.  Maybe if I close my eyes and wish really hard this everyday stuff will all get done without me actually getting up off the couch!!  HINT HINT...Haley or LeAnne??!!  Joking...I am to anal about how stuff is done for either one of them!!  Maybe if I just cross my arms and bop my head like "Jeannie" or wiggle my nose like "Samantha" it will be taken care of!  Flip, if I could do that I would just wish for tons of money, hire a maid, pay off all mine and my families bills, and head to Disney World!!! 
As a matter of fact, I am heading to Disney World in a couple of weeks bills and all will be waiting when I get back though!!  But for 7 days I will be enjoying the most magical place on earth and can't wait!  I have about decided that me, LeAnne, and Haley look more forward to this trip than our on kids.  I don't know that I will ever see everything...it just feels like there is never enough time!!  Anyway, this year we are actually going to get to go to Mickey's Backyard BBQ which has been booked every other time so we are pretty excited about that!  Amy called the other day to find out the dates when we are going so now I think that Kyle, Amy, Emily, and Blake are going to be there the same time again this year!!  I know that Disney World and Mickey can't wait to have a big mixture of Cardin's, Pritchett's, and Middlebrooks' roaming around their parks!!  Maybe this year I will get some good pictures of Kyle and Haley out there dancing to the Move It, Shake It Parade with the kids...stay tuned because I will definitely be posting them if I do!!!! 
Oh well, enough rambling about all the nothingness tonight...
Night, night! Don't let the bed bugs bite!!

My, my how time flies??

This time two years ago I had so many emotions going through my mind not to mention about 25lbs heavier too.  Obviously, Wilkins was definitely not planned but something I would never change.  At this time two years ago I was absolutely miserable.  I had already been on bed rest for a little over a month so I had a lot of time on my hands to think.  Am I ready for this?  Can I do this alone?  Will I be a good mother?  Why did this happen?  How will I explain why she has no father?  Will she understand?  What is she going to miss out on because she has no father?  Will I be enough for her? 
All these questions going through my head just intensified all the feelings I was having.  The funny thing is once she was placed in my arms and I heard that cry I realized that we will take it day by day, walking hand in hand, figuring it out together.  I am not saying that I don't have any fears, questions, or anxiety about tomorrow because I do.  I just know that for today I am going to enjoy it for what it is.  I am going to be grateful that she happened to me whether planned or not, whether alone or not.  God chose me to be this little girl's mother and for that I will live each day trying to be the best mother she could have.  And when the day arrives that she asks about the lack of a father I know God will guide me through this hard conversation.  He will help me explain things in a way that will not make her feel less loved.  So as the years pass by this is the conversation I worry about more and more.
I don't feel sorry for myself because I am raising Wilkins alone or sorry for her.  We are the lucky ones to have each other.  I feel sorry for him.  He is the one missing out on one amazing little girl.  He is the one who missed out on her first bottle, first smile, first tooth, first birthday, first steps, first words, and so many more firsts.  One day he might want to be a part of her life but that will be her choice because he walked away.  He no longer has that choice. 
Wilkins is going to grow up to be an amazing person with a big attitude and heart.  I am a better person because of this amazing child that was given to me by God almost two years ago...

Monday, Monday...

I worked way to hard today for a Monday!  I am on a 7 day stretch right now that started today and tomorrow with a 10am-9pm shift and then 5 closing shifts!  That is the price I pay for taking off Easter weekend to absolutely wear myself out.  I am actually off for a weekend and not one moment's peace do I actually get.  As usual I was constantly on the go...and I have an empty gas tank to prove it!  I put $40 in my tank on Saturday morning on the way to Trenton only for my gas light to come on last night on my way home from Walmart!!!  I can't imagine how I could be out of gas already...I drove from Murfreesboro to Trenton then to Chattanooga, back to Murfreesboro all on Saturday.
Then of course I drive to Smyrna to church then back to Murfreesboro to torture myself with a "much needed" trip to Walmart!  I don't know if I am the only one that goes to Walmart for a couple of specific things and ends up with a bunch of junk!  I should only ever spend about $20-$30 there but normally when I check out it pops up to $60-$70. 
I also think that putting Wilkins' hair up in pigtails makes her wild!!  I don't know if her hair is pulled to tight or if she is just enjoying being home after a full week of running around but she has been bouncing off the walls!  She has been laughing, walking on her knees, rolling around on the floor, and her new favorite word is "medicine"!  She has been playing so hard the last couple of days and running around on concrete but not sleeping well.  So I thought that maybe her legs and feet might be bothering her especially if she is anything like me.  I asked her if she wanted some medicine so now she runs to the kitchen saying "medicine"!  I don't think it is a good thing that a 2yr old already knows that word!!!  lol
Well, Monday is done, my feet hurt, my eyes are drooping, my words are turning into rambling, my bed is calling, Tuesday is just around the corner...nighty night everyone!!

Happy Easter!!

I had to wake Wilkins up on Easter Sunday but once she saw her basket on her little table she was wide awake!  I really enjoy going to church on Easter Sunday because I get to see a lot of the people I grew up with and their children.  It was a beautiful day for an egg hunt and Wilkins actually got the concept pretty quick.  Although as soon as she found the basketball egg she was done.  She picked it up and threw it.  Funny thing is she is still carrying that thing around today.  Here are some pictures from Easter...

Wilkins all dressed up for church but not very happy about it...but doesn't she look beautiful?!  My granny made her dress...

Family pictures...

Wilkins and Caden Stone...he says Wilkins is his girlfriend!!  They are so cute and they just so happened to match too...

The egg hunt...Wilkins aka Lil' Miss Hollywood in her shades!  She always has to wear her sunglasses. 

Wilkins with Travis Owens and his son Mason...

Hope your Easter was as much fun as mine...