Like Mother, Like Daughter

So all good outfits must come to an end, and Mae needed a change. So I put her in this lovely little Bunny Hoodie that was mine when I was a baby. The best part, the zipper goes up the entire back, genius!

Fashionista

Mae rocks pink, red, and now thanks to my sister Krista, and "Janie and Jack," She rocks Sea Foam Green. Every little girl needs a beret.

A Little Bird Told Me

Mae loves her bouncy seat.(Who doesn't love a good butt massage.) She loves to play with the toys, she figured out quite quickly that they make noise and make the birdie spin. She plays so hard she even fell asleep mid play.

Winter Wonderland

One of the things I love about Arkansas is that it doesn't snow that much. (I used to love snow when I was a kid but find it to be a dangerous inconvenience as an adult. I think it correlates with my no longer having a snow suit.) Well much to my dismay we got snow on Christmas Eve.



It was nice to play with Max in the snow though. He wanted to build a snowman cause, "Once there was a snowman," is one of his favorite new songs. Unfortunately the snow was not building snow so it was more of a snow hump. He loved making snow angels.


He had a blast but all good things must come to an end.


We finished with a warm bubble bath using new bath paints sent by Grandma Larkin.


It was a very good day.

Christmas Siblings

Professional Chef

Cause she wasn't busy enough...



Thanks mom he loves it. He said, "Just like mamma's Olivia." (Referring to the Olivia apron my mom made me a few years ago.)He and Jeff are now making sugar cookies and Max keeps shouting, "Cookie Monster."

Pretty Pretty

As if the blessing dress weren't enough this year my mom has gone above and beyond once again. In my Christmas package was a new church bag. I'm just gonna let the pictures speak for themselves.

side one


side two



lining

Spotlight

I am instituting a new segment on my blog. After the success of "Things That Must Go," I have decided to try another running segment but one that is a bit happier. So each month I am going to spotlight a person in my life that is awesome and share why they rock. Read, enjoy, and come back to see if you are the next spotlight.

Michele My Belle

My sister in law Michele is amazing! I have always felt so blessed to have her as a sister. The first quality of Michele that becomes evident upon meeting her is her incredible kindness. She is genuinely warm and caring person. Michele is very soft spoken but when she does share it is always something wise and thoughtful. Michele got her bachelor's degree in Marriage Family Human Development from BYU, and it is pretty evident that she knows what she is doing because her children and insanely smart! Every year when I get the Christmas Letter I expect it to say that my niece Elizabeth has been accepted to Harvard at eight years old. At first I was worried that Michele and I wouldn't have much in common because she does crafts and I have never been good at that, but HOLY COW the women is so talented. Every year I am so blessed to get the coolest crafts from her. I get complimented on them from all my friends whenever they come over to my house. She makes me things I never knew I wanted but I now cherish and can't live without. Thank you Michele for being such a good sister. (I am dying to see what you sent this year, but I am being a good girl and have left them under the tree til Christmas.) The following is just a small example of her hard work.

Michele made these names for the kids this summer and they look super cute on their doors which face each other across the hall.



This was made for Max after he was born. It hangs in his room.



I like this better then any picture of the temple I have. It makes it my temple.



We each got a Christmas Ornament last year. I love the homemade ones the best.



This is my second favorite craft by Michele. It is a calender that has every one's birthdays and anniversary's each month. So I am always on top of things each year. She even sends us updates with each new family member.



My favorite is the fridge Nativity! I leave it up all year long. It is the only nativity we have and the only one I want.

I am so mean!

So I have been in primary for coming up on two years this winter. I love parts of it; the teaching, the simplified but deep gospel message, the wiggle songs. I hate parts of it; (well mostly just one part,) I hate the utter chaos of the Sharing Time hour. When all the kids get together it is ridiculous. Now I know these are kids, and quite is not possible, but screaming, kicking and rudeness is unacceptable from senior primary. These kids know how to behave in church, or do they? There are no lessons about how to behave given in church and the presidency never bothers to teach the kids about proper behavior so it must be left to the parents right? Well I guess it shouldn't surprise me that I caught one of my "wigglier" eleven year olds father playing basketball in the gym during Sunday School.



I skipped the intended lesson for my sharing time this summer and gave a lesson on reverence, not that it really helped much. Reverence is something that must be constantly reminded to these kids and I can't do it by myself. Some of the other teachers try to help but it needs to be a group effort between all teachers, leaders, and parents. Even other adults could set a better example in the halls. (To be fair to some of the parents I don't think they have any idea what their kids get away with in primary.)


So do I yell at every infraction every whisper, No. I don't want primary to be a jail cell, I think occasional whispers are okay, as are wiggles and the occasional slouch. (I am talking senior primary here.) What makes me say something is loud talking during a lesson or PRAYER, hitting, KICKING, and not singing when you know the words. Our song leader is awesome and should be shown more respect then she gets. If you don't like singing then sing quietly.

Okay so story time. So a few weeks ago I go on the class of girls below my class (age 10-12). Their teacher was gone and they were being disrespectful to the leaders giving the lesson. They were talking loudly and not paying attention at all to the lesson. One girl even lifted her leg up really high to kick one of my students, (no high kicks in a skirt please!) So I told them to stop talking and stop behaving like 5 year olds, (which total unexpected slam on our five year old class which is ironically really reverent and well behaved. Sorry Guys!) So I find out from their teacher last week that they spent more then ten min of class time talking about how mean and evil I am. (One boy stood up for me because I had had him in my own class for awhile and he was able to see that I can be sweet and loving and only want what's best for these kids.) How can they get anything out of a lesson if they are talking and can't hear it. How can they feel the Spirit if they are irreverently kicking and hitting. Am I perfect, NO, I have been known to talk in church, but I try. I strive to feel the Spirit when I can, and I have a respect for the Lord. I try to show my respect in HIS HOUSE at all times.

Things that Must Go IX

1. People and places that don't take cards: Seriously people it is 2009! Carnivals, movie theaters, and craft fairs take credit cards, so should you. Who has cash on them? I have to go drop off some cash at the salon tonight cause my stylist is an independent contractor.

2. People who pay with checks in a check out line: Seriously people it is 2009! Who carries a check book with them. It seems like I always get behind these slow pokes at Sam's Club, just when Max has gotten through all his samples and is ready to start yelling. I pay the occasional bill with a check, but all other transactions take place via debit card. I have heard the argument that some people use check books to help them keep track of purchases, but isn't that what receipts are for, and don't even get me started on the people who actually take the time to enter the transaction into their balance sheet!

3. Max: Between the whining, the stalled potty training, the hit or miss naps, and the endless touching and getting into things, this kid has got to go. Why does he have to touch everything. He is in a particularly naughty stage right now where he does things he knows he is not supposed to and then giggles when I yell at him. It seems like the cute moments are getting fewer and farther between.

4. Jacked up trucks and SUV's: Unless you live in on the top of a mountain you should not have one of these. It makes me so furious every time I see one. Everybody take a minute to think of what would happen if most other cars on the road get into a head on collision with one of these aholes, their engine will go right through the other cars windshield. As if driving wasn't dangerous enough. Really what are they getting from these jacked up cars other then the thrill of having to jump into and out of their cars. These vain selfish idiots need to go!

5. Christmas Dominance: I think everyone here knows where I stand on the whole Christmas issue, but what is particularly annoying me right now is the channels and stations that convert solely to Christmas Programming. I am talking to you ABC Family and 107.9 (and to a lesser extent Lifetime.)

Stop the Insanity!

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS A POTTY TRAINING VENT!

Arrrg! I cannot take any more potty training. I am going crazy here. When will it end? I feel like we have tried everything and nothing works. He started last spring showing an interest in the potty. It was going really well and I probably should have really run with it, but the pregnancy and the move really kept me from working it too hard. This summer he was almost there. I could leave him in his under ware and we would only have problems when he pooped. He would go on car trips with out accidents. Then about a month ago it seemed like he just gave up and decided to revert on everything. I have tried working on it, and I have tried letting it go. I have tried bribes and withholding his shows. I have tried the kid potty and the kiddie potty seat. We have sat down on the potty for hours and no poop. I am going crazy. It isn't about the money on diapers or that I feel he is behind, I am just sick and tired of changing that diaper! He is so big that it just looks ridicules when he comes up to me requesting a change. He also does this thing where he poops in stages! He will take out up to three clean dry diapers with one slow bowl movement. This has gone on for almost a year now and I am sick of it. Any secret weapons I haven't tried yet? And please no karma comments from my family.

The Kiddos

Max and Mae are really good kids. I am very blessed to be their mom. Mae is getting bigger and growing out of her newborn size clothes. Size one/two diapers are a good fit right now. She has more facial expression then any baby I have ever seen. She always has a look on her face. Often her brows are furrowed, which is super cute. She has been smiling a lot of late. Her whole face lights up. She wakes up one to two times a night to feed and then feeds every one and a half to two hours during the day.

Max is still obsessed with Rock Band and drumming. I am starting to think it is not a phase but will be with us for the long run. He has regressed with the potty training and I have decided to drop it until the first of the year. It has become to much of a stress for all of us. He has been previewing primary on Sundays, Super Cute. I can't believe he is going to be a Sunbeam. He loves preschool and throws a fit, pushing me out the door when I come to pick him up. I am surprised at how well he has adapted to having Mae around. He is really cute with her. Every night he tells us all to have good dreams about Peter Pan.

Feed My Sheep

So we sign up to feed the missionaries about once a month. I feel good about that it is what I am up for right now, and they usually get a full month of meals. I sometimes try to sign up for them on special days, i.e. October 20th- Krista's Birthday, or April Fools Day. Days that I can remember! But I am in no way set on this. The calender came around two weeks ago for the month of December and I saw that there were only like one or two days open, one of which was Christmas Eve. I saw it and thought okay, that will be nice, Give the holiday a churchy feel. We actually have had them over on Christmas Eve before, it was nice. So the Elders came up to us today and asked if we could feed them for lunch because there is another family who signed up after us. We told them that Jeff has to work Christmas Eve so that won't work. They were very gracious and said they would work it out with the other family. Okay. So they come back and ask if they could come early so they can go to the other families house after!!! Apparently this family is demanding to have them on Christmas Eve. It was evident that the poor Elders were just trying not to hurt any feelings. They left before we could tell them to just come another day. I am not going to fight to feed the missionaries, but I am not going to make them a really nice dinner if they are getting another. I don't care that much. I am a bit bugged by this other family, I signed up and made plans first, you snooze you lose, but whatever. I honestly have no idea who they are, (classy points to the missionaries for not telling us,) and I don't want to know, so don't tell me. Really people I am just trying to do some good service, which is hard in my ward, you really have to fight and search for opportunities to serve and help.

Less Weighty Things

Max is grateful for Rock Band, hot dogs, and "Claudy"
Mae is grateful for breast milk, pretty dresses, and fuzzy blankets
Jeff is grateful for High Definition, less lawn to mow, and the DVR
Emily is grateful for Mom's Day Out/ Preschool, her laptop, and jello sugar free Boston creme pie pudding cups.

Yes, we are grateful for all our blessings which are many, but I thought I would focus on some little things.

Stupidest Post Ever

Tithing Settlement last night. Our temple recommends expired last July and in August we went in for renewal. I signed mine in the wrong place and haven't dealt with it until last night. So I haven't been to the temple in the last 6 months. (sad, but I am fine with this.) Now a friend of mine had the bishopric over to her house a few months ago and she was all but chewed out for not going to the temple monthly and then for going to the Dallas Temple instead of the Oklahoma City Temple (Because our stake is crazy obsessive about going to our temple, because according to them the only reason to attend the temple at all is so that our attendance numbers are up therefore earning us our own temple. Screw personal edification or service for the dead, its about numbers people.) Now here's the thing that has been bothering me (and the part where most of you will roll your eyes and think this the stupidest post ever), why didn't the Bishop hold Jeff and I to the same standard as my friend. Are we such loser slackers that he's just happy we come to church? He told me to come back Sunday and we would resign it then. There is a ward temple trip this Saturday! He didn't even ask if we were planning on going. He just assumed we weren't and he was apparently fine with that! Maybe he didn't want to see us there. Crazy as this sounds I kinda want to be held to a higher standard. Maybe it would encourage me to do better. I do better when someone else holds me accountable, not just myself. My real guess is that the Bishop is tired of me, I am usually bugging him about something, like nursery gates, and he doesn't want to talk to me more then he has to. So I leave this thought with a song my sister, Krista made up that has become a theme song for me lately. Take the tune from the Primary song, "Genealogy, I Am Doing It." Mediocrity, I am doing it! Mediocracy!

Something tells me its all happening at the Zoo.

This last weekend we went down to Little Rock to attend my cousin Grace's wedding. We got a great deal at the Courtyard by Marriott that included the room, breakfast, and zoo tickets. Room was fine, super comfy mattress, the food was fine, and the zoo was fine. I consider myself a huge zoo fan, I've done San Diego, Omaha, and many others. The Little Rock Zoo was fine, it had some nice features but looks like it needs some TLC. The one thing that made it stand out was the carousel. It was amazing. Wooden and from the 1920's, it was very pretty and super fun. The horses didn't go up and down on poles but up and down on a track. I went with Max, but kinda wish I could have gone on a horse myself. The wedding reception was lovely. Grace looked like a queen in her white gown. It it always great to see my family in Little Rock, it is such a comfort to have them so close. Good Weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving

I had two lovely girls over at my house today while their mom was at work and I thought this project would be just the thing to keep them busy and amused. The turkeys are a bit over the top, but mostly they just give me a good chuckle for their ridiculousness.

Limits

I limit myself. This could possibly be my biggest problem in life. My life is pretty fantastic; I have a wonderful family, Jeff has a great job, everyone is healthy, my calling is not to taxing, my mother-in-law never gives me unwanted advice on how to raise my kids; life is really good. But everyone must have trials, and I give myself mine. Instead of pushing myself to serve and strive for perfection, I sit back and say, "I don't want to get in over my head." If this is all seeming a bit fuzzy, I'll share an example. I have always thought I could volunteer at a local retirement community, but then I think, "I don't have time," (yes, I do, I have lots of time)or I think "I don't want to catch a disease to bring home to my kids," (Kids get sick you can't avoid everything.) I have lots of lame limiting excuses. There was a position open on the city recreation committee and I really wanted to apply but was too scared to commit to possibly spending time away from home. (I was actually really close to doing this one, but then realized they probably wouldn't pick me cause I owe back POA dues on my new house.) Would it really hurt my family to be gone one night a week for a good cause? Wouldn't the Lord bless and strengthen my family if I did a good thing?
Teaching about the pioneers in primary I tend to think yeah, it was sucky hard physically, but at least it was a yes or no, do or die, decision to make. Things were so black and white. My testimony in Christ is the one strong thing I have, and I feel like I can say I would have crossed the plains. The big decisions seem to be the easiest ones for me. It is the everyday little decisions of how to use my time wisely and how to love and be kind, that are the killers for me.
This has all comes about because of a recent experience I have had. I was really being lazy with my primary calling and before Mae came I wasn't sure what I was going to do about juggling her and the class, and also finding a sub while I was on maternity leave. At times I wished they would just release me even though I really do still love Primary. I kept complaining that couldn't find a sub, but honestly I didn't really try. I feel pretty bad that I just dumped that on the presidency. After I felt better, I kept not going with the excuse that I didn't want her to catch anything, and what was I going to do with my class if I had to go nurse? I was complaining about this to everyone, (sounding pretty whining I am sure.)
One day my lovely visiting teacher came over and after I had complained to her, something in her message hit me, I honestly can't remember what exactly it was, but I realized that I was the one with the problem here, and it was up to me to fix it. Instead of waiting for the ward to change things to fit the way I wanted it, I needed to ask the Lord to help me solve the problems. So I prayed that Mae would not need to nurse during class time and for two weeks now, she hasn't. She has slept and been good. I also prayed that we wouldn't get sick, and aside from a small cold, we have been enjoying remarkable health. I know that neither of these are always going to last, but I have faith that The Lord has made it possible for me to teach my class because I found the correct way to ask for help. I also have faith that things will continue to work out someway in the future, as long as I work at it and stop limiting myself.
If I really want to follow Christ and gain eternal salvation I need to stop setting limits and push myself to do better. So this is my new goal,(a bit early for a resolution but hey, no limitations right?) I am not going to live in fear of the unknown anymore. I am going to have faith that if I am pursuing worthy things that The Lord will bless me and help things to work out.

Hmm... bet you all weren't expecting that. Thanks for sticking with it. I promise more light hearted fun with the next post as a reward for your fortitude.

Whaaaa? Really?

I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for my entire lifespan. Even longer if you consider that I come from some serious pioneer stock. I went to BYU, and feel like I have paid fairly good attention in church, for the most part. Now maybe it is because I have been in primary for the last 2 years, but I seem to have missed some stuff lately. The first item I missed was that you need to have a current temple recommend, or bishopric approval, to stand in a blessing circle. Okay, didn't have to do that with Max, but fair enough, I got no problem with this. Then today they called to ask Jeff to give the opening prayer in sacrament meeting, I asked if he could do the closing cause we've been a bit tardy lately. This would apparently cause a problem because you need a Melchizedek Priesthood Holder to say the opening prayer. Whaaaa? Really? Why? I get the whole priesthood saying the sacrament prayer, ordinance and all. But the opening prayer? Is Jeff's prayer more spiritual then mine? I really want to know? What about all of you? Have you heard anything new lately, or something you have just now learned? Is this all just my wacky Stake?

Well, at least there aren't popsicles sticking out of my mouth.

Max was invited to a birthday party for a girl in his Mom's Day Out class on Halloween. It was held at Fast Lane, a new arcade/bowling alley/ go cart, family fun arena. The party was a blast, tons of food, games, and they even had pony rides. (Was this a bit much for a 3 year olds party? Perhaps, but we did find out that her parents actually owned the place. Wouldn't you throw the party there if you owned it?) Any who, Max loved the pony ride, he was really cute and we got pictures. Unfortunately because Max was so small he needed me to escort him on the horse and I ended up in all the pictures. Uploading the pictures this week I noticed that I looked huge. Yes, I did have a baby 8 weeks ago, but really how long can I use that excuse. The picture looks like the before pictures on the weight loss commercials,(the pictures usually have a fat lady with a cute kid both eating Popsicles or cake or something,) in the commercial the house wife didn't realize how big she was until some shameful incident happened forcing her to reevaluate her life and drop 50-100 lbs. Well I am ready to go. I can't afford weight watchers until we sell our house and pay off debts, so it will have to be old fashioned self control and exercise. I am posting this as a way of holding myself accountable. That is really the most important part for me. I need accountability. If you see me at a relief society thing shoving a dessert into my cake hole, tell me to drop it! I need help, look at the picture, sure the hair is long and pretty, but I am so big now that it really doesn't hide anything. My ultimate goal is to be 130 by my 30th birthday. I have 2.5 years to make that happen, (I need to lose 50 lbs to get there.) I have been okay with the diet part, (super hard to start a diet right after Halloween) but I am happy to say I have started working out again. So occasionally look for fitness updates and goals. My goal this week is to continue to watch what I eat and workout for 30 min. Mon.-Fri. (I do plan to splurge a bit with wedding cake next Saturday at my cousins wedding.)

She Smiles

Lovely little Mae smiles now, and coos for her daddy. Her biggest smiles are reserved for when she has finished a meal. With closed eyes she slips into huge grins of satisfaction.

Things that Must Go VIII

#1. Springdale, Ar.: This city is a waste of space, it has nothing of use to me. It has badly designed and congested intersections. It is an eyesore along I-540 and is an extra 10 min. seperating us from Fayetteville. I wish it would just sink into the earth and that Rogers and Fayetteville would come together.

#2. People who do not vaccinate their kids: I recently found out that there are a few families in my ward that do not vaccinate their kids, and I am not talking about the swine or regular flu- I am talking TB/MMR! You are not just making a decision that effects you, you are making a decision that effects me! When you don't vaccinate your kids you can bring these diseases back into society. I get really mad when people do this because they are driven to fear by right wing/anti-government politicos who prey on the fears of people to strengthen their numbers. I don't always agree with the government, (in fact I don't agree with an awful lot of it,) but I really don't believe that it is so messed up yet, that they are trying to poison us. I will get my medical advice from the CDC and the WHO (doctors and scientists) before I get it from some crack pot political blog with an agenda.

#3. Dish Network Free Preview Selections: When I first got dish network service a few years ago we used to get a free weekend of movie channels every few months or so. The rest of the time we would get month long previews of good channels like Bravo, TCM, AMC, Animal Planet. A whole variety. Now for the last year plus there have been no movie channel weekends and only sport channel previews. Seriously only the Versus channel for 2 months. I realize that this is a free preview and therefore I don't really have the right to complain, but it was just really nice before.

#4. A 2 Hour Life: I am not a fan of breastfeeding. I do it first cause I want to give my daughter the nutrition she needs, and then cause I don't want to spend money on formula. But I don't feel bonded to my kids through breastfeeding. I find it uncomfortable at best, messy (I have so much excess milk I could feed and entire village), and I really hate having to pull over every two hours to feed. I hate that my life is sectioned out into two hours increments. It makes the day feel longer, and the nights shorter.

#5. The Mother's Lounge: On the same note as the last annoyance, I hate the mother's lounge. How can a church that actively promotes child rearing not provide an adequate space for the kids to be taken care of. Our chapel is about 4 years old and the design is typical for stake centers everywhere in the country. The lounge is smaller then my dinning room. For an area with lots of young families that means the mothers lounge is always packed. When I was nursing Max and we had 4 wards in there it was often standing room only. Some women went to their cars cause there was no where else to go. It also has such bad ventilation that it requires a space heater in winter, and fan in the summer. The lounge can only be accessed by the ladies bathroom so if you need your spouse or they need you, female messengers must be found and sent. Lastly on a smaller note the walls are depressingly bare, (as most of you know I am hugely fond of artwork.) and this is probably just my ward, but the light is always off. This last complaint is just for the ladies in my building. As if the place wasn't depressing enough, everyone always keeps the light off, I feel like a bad person waking up their babies or disturbing the peace if I turn it on.

Safari

I went on safari this weekend and bagged myself a giraffe and lion!

I am a rock. I am an island.

Between the baby, the folk's visit, and the cold I now have, I have been very isolated the last few weeks. This is mostly of my own doing, so I just wanted to post to all my friends that I do miss them and hope to be out and about again one day. I also haven't been in the mood to chat on the phone, so that is why I haven't called either- its not you its me. This should pass eventually so please wait for me to get some sleep and I'll be back soon.

How about some Max?

Mae sure has been getting a lot of post recently, and hey, this is Maxed Out, so I thought I'd give an update. Toilet training is taking a bit longer then expected. He does pretty well with peeing, but pooping in the potty is not happening. The really frustrating part is that he keeps saying, "I'm trying," in a really whiny voice. He says it all the time and about lots of things now, it has become his catch phrase. He really enjoys mom's day out and preschool this year. He always walks right into class and could really care less about my leaving or coming back. He comes home with lots of artwork and my fridge is covered. He is always very concerned about Mae's crying. He makes sure to tell us every time she starts to cry. Max has become a big fan of football. We watched the BYU Oklahoma last month and were yelling and cheering at the screen; Max thought this was great. He is now a big fan of the sport and calls out, "Get the ball, get the ball, get the ball." His grandpa brought him a football this weekend, and Max carried it around with everywhere he went. We took Max to the pumpkin patch, he loved it! It was really cold, but we bucked up and kept going cause he was just so happy. He rode the cow train and we all took a hay ride. It was a great time.

Blessed

Mae Maureen was given a name and a blessing by her father last Sunday morning. The blessing that Jeff gave was beautiful and touching. You can tell that her father and her Heavenly Father both love her very much. My parents drove (all 15 hours) into town for the occasion. My mother bonded with Mae, holding her the whole weekend long, and my father and Max bonded over football and Lowes trips. I think it was a special treat for Max to be visited by my dad since they have been talking on the phone so much recently. I have been very blessed to have loving family special make blessing outfits for my children. Both my children have been blessed in the same blanket that my mother's mother hand sewed for my blessing.
My grandmother (my father's mother)made a lovely suit for Max when he was born. My mother has been spending all her free time to hand sew and smock the pictured gown and bonnet. It looked amazing on her! She looked like royalty. We were all a bit worried that she might spit up on the dress, so my mom sewed the bib on the drive out, but the bib is so pretty I wouldn't want that spit up on either. Jeff was assisted in the blessing by my father, and our friends Nathan Messick and Ron Kilby. Mae was a doll and was quiet the whole time. I wish the same could be said for Max. He wasn't too loud, just loud enough to make me miss a few chunks of the blessing, but the Spirit was strong enough that I felt the parts I couldn't hear. It was such a lovely experience for the whole family.

Tipping is not a city in China

So I just read an article on tipping in a recession. Apparently more tip jars are showing up then before, and the author was complaining and saying that people should ignore the jars. The author did say that tipping was mandatory in restaurants and salons, and that we should feel ashamed for not tipping here, because their wages were lower due to expectant tipping. I haven't noticed the jars, and don't really care about them, I say hey if you want to tip, tip if you don't, then don't. I am not really offended by people asking. Tacky? a little, but I don't really care. What really gets me steamed is the idea that I have to pay for bad or even just normal waiting service at a restaurant. This has always made me mad, and put me at odds with friends who have waited tables. Here is my two cents: Gratuity is just that, a sign that I am grateful. If I think that you did an above average job bringing me my food (a better job then I could have done) then I will pay you a tip. Usually a 20-30% for a good job cause I am grateful. If you do an adequate job then I say, you did your job and I am not going to pay you any more for that. Now comes the counter argument about how wait staff are not held to the same minimum wage laws as everyone else. To this I say, "Oh Well, That was your choice!" You don't hear them complaining when they bring home two, three, or more times the minimum wage on a good night. To me people who wait are playing the lottery. They are betting that they will be rewarded for good service. I have spent many years in retail service, I have dealt with crappy customers and preformed exceptional service. But I never got more or less then my basic wage. I am not a risk taker so I never got tips for good service or shafted for bad service. Will I, one person, change an industry? No, but I just can't tip a person for an okay job. It's just a personal thing. (But don't worry too much, Jeff unusually pays the bill and caves to social expectation.) Feel free to argue with me in the comments or just tell me how evil I am, but there is my two cents.

I am also throwing in a recent picture of Max to make the post a bit happier.

Blue Too

Mae is getting bigger. She is now awake for up to 4 hours a day. One of which is after her 3:30 a.m. feeding. She gets the hiccups pretty much every time she eats which keeps her up and makes her sound like a squeak toy. She prefers to be held, even when napping. Mae's cheeks go on forever. When you kiss them you think your lips will just get incorporated right in. She totally hates her baths. She is just as cute as she looks.

Cause She Makes Pink Look So Good.

I have never been a huge fan of pink, but neither have I been a hater, I previously just disregarded the color that as a red head I had a difficult time wearing. But man, Mae makes Pink look good. My friends Samantha and Carrie threw me a baby shower last Tuesday night. It was a wonderful little party, good food, cute decorations and good company. And the gifts rocked! So much girly stuff. As you can see from the picture she received her first bow and baby doll. I don't know what it is about the doll, but it just melts my heart every time I see her holding it. So of course I give it to her all the time. I am in for a adorable and purse draining eighteen years.