Weekend.

This is an awful picture with a terrible shadow but it shows a bit more about the bad dirt on our lot.  Basically we have two issues and I'll explain because a few of y'all were interested in what bad dirt is. Ha!  One, we hit groundwater meaning the dirt doesn't go any further down and we hit water.  Specifically where our fireplace on our covered porch is going to go (pic below).   That's one problem.  The other us that where they were digging the footers which support the whole house, we found areas that had bad dirt - meaning the dirt is not suitable to hold a structure.  Whether it's too sandy or has too many roots in it, it can't support a house.  

Therefore our options are to remove all the bad dirt (100 by 100 square plus 4-5 feet down = $40,000) or bang these long timbers into the ground in about 120 places until they hit good, supportive dirt and basically our house will sit on stilts.  Yes, we did our homework ahead of time but you can't see what's under ground until you dig around.  A typical boring is only 3-4" wide so it isn't indicative of what the whole site's dirt looks like.  It honestly is just a risk you take when you build anything.  So yeah it's a an expensive risk too which isn't included in our loan.  Not fun money to spend.  

For some reason blogger on my iPad isn't letting me scroll down to pictures but we had a good weekend. Went to chuys for dinner on Friday night and Molly Anne was soooo good, I was impressed.   Saturday she and I went to the mall and to do a few errands and saw one of our rental houses that we sold last year.  We also went cruising the neighborhood with princess Elsa, her sister and mama!  We were supposed to go out on Saturday night but kevin still has bronchitis and a sinus infection.  Sunday we went to breakfast and to the lot to look around.  After nap, Molly Anne and I went to Home Goods.  Hope y'all have a great week!

A few things

I don't have my act together today to do Five on Friday so here is what we've been up to this week!

First the weather has been in the 60's and 70's and has been amazing.  We have been outside every day after work!  This little one loves being outside running around and giggling at mills as he chases tennis balls!  

And of course she has to take a break to love on "Mulls" as she calls him!

Playing in the dirt.  Maybe she'll be a civil engineer like Mama and play in dirt?

Went over to our lot yesterday because they were digging footers.  I was there for an hour and about an hour after I left, they called to tell me they hit bad dirt.  So guess what I'm doing at lunch today?!  Going to figure that out.  In the below picture you can kind of see a square, that is our covered porch.  It's 21'x25'.  Big!  We will be out there constantly!

I brushed our boy yesterday and he was so soft and pretty.  Furminator!

Literally they are obsessed with each other.  It's so cute.  

And Mills is a saint and basically the best human ever.  He's not really a dog. ;)

Last night I hosted neighborhood bunco!

One thing I like about this bunco group is that everyone brings an appetizer and their drinks so it makes it really easy to host.  I just set out some glasses, napkins and call it good.  Also, it's fun because we all like to try new appetizers and get new ideas!  I made this Cheesy Holiday Bacon Crack that my friend Ashley suggested.  

And this happened...!  So yeah, it was good!

It's also fun because we don't even play bunco...we play Left Right Center with one's!  Don't get me wrong, I love playing bunco but left right center is dramatic and exciting at the end which makes for some entertainment watching girls get worked up over $21 (in our case last night)!  So funny!

This angel slept through it all.  I woke up this morning at 5:45am to Molly Anne on the monitor saying "Ducky Duck" "Duck Duck Duck Ducky Duck"  "Goose"  "Ducky Duckkkkk"  So yeah the last girls left at 12:15am so it was an early morning! ;)

But, today is FRIDAY! 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Bows Bows and more Bows!

Let's talk BOWS!  Molly Anne has worn a bow since the day she was born, because umm why not?!!  Now she wears it because her hair is all in her face if she doesn't have one!  Here's the scoop on her bows because I occasionally get asked where I get her bows and what size they are!

First, I got the bow holder from this etsy shop!  I think I may have ordered it from the hospital bed when I found out she was a girl!

 - Bows on the left ribbon are from random shops but the ones at the top are from here.  They're from a friend of a friend and I received them as a gift (a BOWque!) when Molly Anne was born!

 - Bows on the middle ribbon are all WeeOnes and the size is Mini!  I usually buy these from Swoozies or Shutterbugs!

 - Bows on the right are my very favorite because they're made by one of my besties, April!  Her shop is called The Tipsy Bunny and you also buy from her Instagram - @thetipsybunny  She also does custom orders and can basically create anything you want!  If you're local to Charlotte, she does porch pick up from her home!

As you can see, I took off the little baby ones that Molly Anne wore when she was itty bitty!  My favorite ones from then were these.  They didn't slip out and the clip was lined on both sides to protect her little noggin!  

None of these shops paid me to write this (yall know I don't do any of that stuff) but I just thought it would be fun to share all about Molly Anne's bows for those that care!

Raleigh

Yesterday I was in Raleigh for a few hours for work!  I left Charlotte around 6am and got to Raleigh at 9am and visited the site that I built a year ago.  I had to do a walk through with the DOT to get a letter of credit back from the bank.  Exciting stuff!

I got to drive through NC State's campus which is where I went to school back in the day.  East Village was a bar we always went to.  My Dad likes to tease that it was the only place I got an A+ in college.  Actually I also got an A+ in golf class but...!!  

The bell tower!

I got to stop by the shop where I get a bunch of Molly Anne's clothes - Shutterbugs Boutique!  

And I got to visit my friend Ashley!  She made us this wonderful lunch - salad (without chicken) and pizza!  Highly recommend making both!  

Ashley and I went to preschool together.  PRESCHOOL!  We've been friends for over 30 years!

I drove back to Charlotte just in time to get my Molly Anne!  It was a beautiful day to play outside yesterday and we will do the same today!  70 and sunny!

Molly Anne and her LL Bean Backpack!

Monday, Monday

Well, we've just had quite a weekend.  Poor Molly Anne was so sick.  Friday afternoon I talked to her doctor's office and they sent us to the Pediatric Urgent Care that evening because it was too late in the day to get a regular appointment.  Thanks to the online scheduling, we could make an appointment ahead of time which happened to be at 6pm.  They could not have been faster or more kind in there.  Turns out she had a double ear infection.  Of course she had just been checked 24 hours before at her 18 month well check.  That's how fast ears can change evidently.  

We got the amoxicillin in her that night and throughout the weekend.  She hadn't been at Becky's since Wednesday so you know how that is when both parents work...who takes care of the child?!  Yeah sooo it's been really thrilling at our household as we attempt to juggle it all!  Thankfully she is feeling better but still very congested.  It's probably been the most congested I've ever seen her.  She hasn't had a fever since Friday thankfully.  And of course, now Kevin has the crud.  Since Molly Anne was well enough to go to Ms. Becky's, we got her out of the house and I did too so we can stay away from Kevin!  It will be a true miracle if I don't get it.....!  Now we just need to get them both better!

Friday...Mills taking care of our baby!

The inauguration was on Friday!  We spent a lot of time watching Fox News this weekend.  No matter what side of the fence you're on, that was a big day for our country and I look forward to the next four/eight years.  As we say, "you don't have to like the man to like what he's going to do for our country."  I happen to think that none of us are perfect people and we have all said things we regret in our lifetime.  What I do know is that he has raised some amazing children.  I know that first hand from a friend of mine who has met and spent time with all of them, including President Trump and evidently they are all very genuine.  We have a new president, we are all Americans and we are lucky to live here!

So basically we did nothing all weekend.  I left the house a few times to pick up groceries, a few things at Target and got carryout dinner last night.  I just wanted my baby to be low key and get better!

She had a ball playing with all of her toys.  Baby duck was there for it all.  He even got some sauteed pringles!  ;)

Our lil queenie!

She learned how to put all of the shapes into this sorter!  

Mills of course was there every step of the way.  His face has gotten so much whiter since Molly Anne was born.  She is a big responsibility to ole Millsy!  He's only 4!

Nothing else much to report on.  We have a busy week that I will report in later on!  Chat later friends!

Five on Friday - Clara, MA Sick, Lilly Purchase

It's been quite a few days!  

1.  On Wednesday I was in Richmond for a work meeting and I got to scoot over and meet my cousin's new baby Clara!  My Aunt was in town from Florida so I got to see her as well and Clara's sister Amelia came home from school and I surprised her at the bus stop.  So fun and loved seeing everyone!  We have such a small family...I wish we all lived closer!

2.  I returned home to a congested and sick babydoll.  Yesterday we didn't go to music class and instead laid low at home.  Thankfully one of our babysitters was able to come over for a couple hours so I could do a couple things I had to get done.  Molly Anne already was scheduled for a 18 month well check yesterday afternoon so I had him check her.  She just had the usual cold/flu virus so time is all it will take to get better.  My child still has never had an ear infection.....let's not talk about it though.....  I'll update on her 18 month well visit another day.  

3.  Our Lilly things came this week!  My two dresses on the left, then shorts and pants for my Molly Anne!  She'll get to match her cousin in those pants...probably next year!

4.  One thing I had to do yesterday was decide if we were pushing the house back on our lot.  I met our builder out there to decide where our covered porch sits in relation to our neighbors covered porch so we have some privacy.  We also didn't want to be too far forward but we want a bigger back yard.  I think we found the happy medium by pushing back 4' and over 2' from where we originally had it placed.  They are supposed to dig footers and pour foundations over the next couple of weeks.  Ready to get this thing going!    

5.  A picture from her well visit yesterday which she wasn't very well for.  They still gave her the one shot that she was due for because it wouldn't amplify any of her current symptoms and it would be effective despite a fever and motrin in her system.  I was glad to just get it all done and now she doesn't have any shots until she is 4, except the flu shot each year!  She was actually a champ yesterday and barely cried this time.  Whew.  

That's all I've got for now.  Kathryn is with Molly Anne for a little bit this morning so I could work.  This weekend I plan to get my baby healthy!  Last night I felt like we were back in the infant stage, she was so congested!  Yuck!