Hash-tag Mess

Okay, so seriously, friends, if you're going to be a social butterfly on the interwebz, do it freaking right. I can't tell you how many friends and family I see on Facebook using hash-tags. I know I'm not the only one who gets super bugged out by this.

Example: 
" It is so cloudy and muggy today. #todaysucks #wantanewlife"

The status above would be completely appropriate for Twitter or Instagram where hash-tags have A PURPOSE and bring you to a whole new page to browse or in Twitter's case, you can only write so much before they cut you off.

 If you're using them on Facebook:

A) It is just showing you're probably too old for Twitter ( you might have no idea what Twitter is!) and you're trying to keep up with kids new lingo or whatever.
AKA: You're TRYING to be "cool" when in reality you look really stupid squishing a sentence together.

B) You really thought hash-tags had a purpose on your Facebook! Half the statuses you see on your news feed are using them! Look closer, frand, these people are most likely actually updating their Twitter and have their Facebook/Twitter account synced up with each other.
AKA: You're TRYING to be "cool" when in reality you look really stupid squishing a sentence together.

C) You know hash-tags aren't supposed to be on Facebook, but you're a rebel! Social networking is stupid! So you're going to use those hash-tags on Facebook and make fun of everyone from Twitter.
AKA: You're TRYING to be "cool" when in reality you look really stupid squishing a sentence together.

I guess all I can say is, be yourself. If being yourself is any of those options I guess I can deal, but seriously? Come on.

Best regards,
Tiffeny

Ch ch ch chaaaanges.

It's getting to be that time of the year again where I can lay down in my room with the lights off at 5PM and listen to the neighbors mow their lawn. Yes, Spring is in the air! And yeah, technically we have like, what? 5..6 days till it's actually Spring but the SUN is out and I don't think us Washingtonians can help ourselves. I went to go check the mail today, WITHOUT a sweatshirt! Showed off my arm skin like it was no body's business! I'm not sure why I'm so excited this year. I normally have no problem with winter and rain. It's part of the reason I love Washington so much. Maybe it's because Elizabeth's old enough this year to actually enjoy some of it. I know she did last year, but this year she can walk and plaaaaay and chase the cats and do whatever 1 year old's do...OUTSIDE! I think I just have cabin fever right now and listening to the neighbors fix up their lawn is getting to me.

Bean hates the sun in her eyes and insists on wearing her sunglasses whenever it's out now. Such a silly! 

I haven't done a craft to show you guys...I know I said I'd be doing more but I've been working on a painting I've been working on for the past 2 years and I think it's about time I actually finish it and hand it off to my older sister... as promised.

Anyways...we started to Ferber Bean last week.

FERBER METHOD: ( Googled.) 
Ferberization is a technique invented by Dr. Richard Ferber to solve infant sleep problems. It involves "baby-training" children to self-soothe by allowing the child to cry for a predetermined amount of time before receiving external comfort.

AKA: Crying it out, lol.

If you know me, this is a big step and super hard. Bean still nurses at night as a comfort suck. We no longer nurse to go to bed anymore. My whole family has been telling me "3 is the magic number! They will just go to bed and be fine after 3 days!" Well, it's been over a week for us and Elizabeth still cries for a good hour before falling asleep either standing or in a slumped up ball.

I don't really know where to go from here. I haven't read the actual book on the Ferber Method, only read some info online...so maybe I'm doing it wrong? Either way, she does eventually fall asleep and sleeps for a good 4 hours, on her own, in HER bed. It gives me all this time I'm not used to, at all. I thought her napping on her own was a miracle, but this..this is new and different. This is change.

This is Bean when I'm showering. Can you imagine her, left alone, in the dark? Poor girl has it so rough.

9PM UPDATE: 
I put Elizabeth to bed tonight and she literally stopped crying after 2 minutes! Woo! Now for myself to stop worrying and checking on her every 20 minutes. Ha ha ha. Hopefully writing and painting will help put my mind at ease.

GOOD NEWS: 
We found a home! It's on Camano, not as north as previously wanted but not far at all! It's an older home and needs some work, for sure, but everything is totally doable! There is even a peek-a-boo view of the water! 3 bedroom, 2 bath, finished basement area. Beautiful backyard. I'm really excited. More so just to move out of this dump we're currently in. Paperwork just needs to be finished and what not but our offer was accepted, etc! Closing date probably wont be till around May though, sadly. Hopefully April will go by quick!

The garage and front area. I'm not going overboard with the photos just in case something  happens and we don't get it.

Had to add one more picture of her. XD

House Hunting

If you guys didn't know, my Grandparent's have agreed to help buy a home for Frank and I. After what seemed years ( actually was only months) of trying to get a loan from the bank and looking at homes, we were denied and forced to stay in our not so healthy rental. I've been trying to contain my hope and excitement. I've been trying to keep good faith in the Lord as I know he will provide me with a good home for my family eventually. We have found 3 homes, fallen in love, only to be let down, as some one else has already put an offer on them. It's beyond frustrating as I've been looking at specific homes that have been on the market FOREVER, then just as we decide " Hey, this is it! Lets put an offer down!" someone swoops in before us and beats us to the chase; and it's not like we wait days, these people literally beat us by minutes. Where do they come from?? I really feel as if it's being done on purpose! It's not, but totally feels like it.

Currently, I have the rodent people here fixing up the rental a 5th time as we have RATS ( not mice!) in our ceiling and walls. You'd think since this particular home is made of concrete, it'd be hard for any rodents to get inside, but you'd be oh so wrong. On top of the unwanted guests, we have had a leak. For those of you who have never had a leak, it's not just clean rain water coming from the ceiling, it's a rust, dirt invested, liquid that drops every few hours. About a month ago it was so bad, it had actually leaked onto my computer monitor ( ruining it! Weeee!) and we had to rearrange and put a whole BUCKET down. Our landlords had someone come out and fix the roof, again about a month ago; without telling me he'd be using tar. I let the cats out. Came home from work to Mishka covered in tar and our carpet ruined as Frank let her in thinking it was just mud. After all of that, the leak is still leaking. :|  Not as bad, but freaking seriously?!

It's just been then huge emotional roller coaster and I have no way of stopping it.

So fun. 

Anyways. I know this sounds like a lot of bitching, so I'm going to try and think of something positive. 

BEAN! 

SURRPRRISSE! 

Ha ha. That girls face can make anyone with the crappiest of days, smile. 

Today she is 14 months old! It sounds so weird saying that. Maybe just cause I'm her Mama . She's so freaking cute, though. Everything she does seems like she does it with purpose now.. and she is SOOO weird ( which I love). 

Her new shenanigans include putting her 2 baby dolls to sleep. She literally puts them on her shoulder and walks with them, patting their backs. So girly. 

Puts my slippers and shoes on! I thought I was going to have to wait till she was at least 2 to watch her try my things on, but nope! 

She also, in the past couple days, has decided to really like laying on the floor. She likes rubbing her cheek on the kitchen floor and rolls around every where. It's hilarious to watch.

What's even more awesome, is I didn't even show her how to do any of that. She did it all by herself. 

She is so awesome. I'm glad I'm her Mama.