Southern By Grace

Capt. William O'Keefe

2006-09-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

Capt. William O'Keefe
Originally uploaded by sthrngrace.

Five years ago today, Captain William O'Keefe of the New York Fire Department went to work. His alarm probably went off early, maybe he went for a quick run, or maybe he simply ate breakfast, kissed his daughters and wife "good bye" and left for work. But I am quite certain he never realized it was to be the last time such mundane things were to happen.

It was like most any other day--the sun rose, the sky was blue, the birds were singing in the park... Unbeknownst to any American, though, the horrific plan radical terrorists had been plotting for years was finally to come to fruition.

Below is a tribute that I have blatantly borrowed from the "Fallen Brothers" website. http://www.fallenbrothers.com/community/printthread.php?t=652

Wednesday, September 26, 2001
By FRANK DONNELLY
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER

The little things mattered most to William S. O'Keefe.

Running at sunup along the beach at Sea Isle City on the Jersey Shore with his daughters, Tara and Kaitlin. Working out a folk or rock tune on his acoustic guitar. Doting on his two beagles, Lucy and Desi.

Promoted to captain in the city Fire Department in May, the 48-year-old Eltingville resident lost his life responding to the World Trade Center terrorist attack on Sept. 11.

"He was a wonderful person, a completely devoted father and husband," said his sister-in-law, Barbara Weimar. "And a very brave firefighter."

A lifelong Staten Islander, Mr. O'Keefe was appointed to the Fire Department in April 1979. He worked his way through the ranks, spending 15 years at Engine Co. 224 in Brooklyn and seven years at Engine Co. 154 in Travis.

Following his promotion to captain, he was assigned to Division 15 in Brooklyn.

"He was very proud of the promotion," said Ms. Weimar. "His family was very proud."

Dedicated to his wife, the former Ginny Sheehan, and his daughters, Mr. O'Keefe relished the family's annual summer treks to the Jersey Shore. They recently returned in July from Sea Isle City, where he would rise at dawn to run along the boardwalk.

Mr. O'Keefe also enjoyed watching his girls' track meets. Tara, 19, and Kaitlin, 16, have both run for St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School. Mr. O'Keefe was an avid runner himself, participating in a number of long-distance events and firefighters' races.

He enjoyed golfing, and loved playing the guitar. Handy with a hammer and saw, Mr. O'Keefe also liked renovating his home.

His family said he had a terrific sense of humor, joking and keeping the mood light. "He was a very funny and amusing guy," Ms. Weimar said. "We all loved him."

Mr. O'Keefe was born in Tottenville and moved to Great Kills with his family as a 5-year-old. He settled in Eltingville in 1982 following his marriage.

A graduate of Tottenville High School, Mr. O'Keefe earned his bachelor's degree from the former Richmond College in St. George.

He was a parishioner of St. Clare's R.C. Church, Great Kills.

In addition to his wife, Ginny, and his daughters, Tara and Kaitlin, surviving are his father, John, and three brothers, Robert, John and Timothy.

I am privledged to have the honor of setting up this memorial post on this day. None of our fellow citizens, taken in such an egregious manner should be forgotten, but the heroes of that day; the members of the community whose lives were lost in an attempt to save others, hold a special place of honor.

Thank you for your sacrifice. May God bless and keep you, the family of Captain William O'Keefe.

See ya later, Blogger...

2006-08-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

Jaime n Nick hike
Originally uploaded by sthrngrace.

The time has come to say good-bye. See ya...ciao...adios...hasta la vista, baby. You get the picture.

I finally got tired of battling blogger every time I wanted to post--regardless of length or content.

So...'Ive moved over to www.sthrnbygrace.wordpress.com

Y'all stop by some time, ya hear? :)

Sherlock Grace

2006-08-11T22:36:00.000-05:00

I used to smoke. I was among the population who thought their sense of taste and smell was never affected by the fact they smoked. But I'm here to tell you how misguided I was. :) There is a smell in my house that only I can smell. NO ONE else in my house can smell it. The neighbors can't smell it (unless they're just being polite). My mom can't smell it (and she's never smoked). But this smell is driving me NUTS. When I wake up at night, I smell it. When I come out of my bedroom I smell it. When I first walk in the house, it overwhelms my senses. It is not a pleasant smell. I am getting headaches from this smell! It kind of smells like when you leave damp clothes in the washer overnight. But there's nothing there. It's a cross between mildewy and moldy. I've taken everything out from under the sink. I've gotten down on my hands and knees and personally smelled under my refrigerator. I've sniffed around the washer. I've sniffed the dishwasher. I've sniffed the drain. I'm completely obsessed with finding the reason for this odor. All I need is my little cape, hat, and pipe and you ,might confuse me with Sherlock Holmes. *wink* I CAN NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THIS ODOR AND I'M GOING NUTS. Tomorrow I am going to solve this mystery if it's the last thing I do. Wish me luck... and wish my family patience and understanding. :)

Saying "Thanks"

2006-08-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

I'm not really a political person. I won't generally discuss my views. Not because I don't want to argue, but just because they're mine. And I like it like that. So, don't think I'm implying anything in one way or another by posting this. "It is what it is." Kristine? Shaun? Everyone? Are you cringing yet? LOL I cringed when I typed it, but that statement sums up what. this. is. It's not a political thumping. It's not a pro-war shout out. It's not an anti-war slam. It's not anything more than wanting to share with you something that you can do that is...nice. If you go to the web site http://www.letssaythanks.com/ you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. This isn't about whether you think the war in Iraq is right or not. It's not about whether you like President Bush or think he did the right thing. It IS about supporting our troops and making sure they know, no matter the circumstances, that you support THEM--as human beings doing a job they volunteered to do. And it's about thanking them...and letting them know that it's not only their families & friends who think about them and pray for them and hope they come home alive and well. It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? I sent mine, now you send one too! And here's the link to a sister-site: http://www.give2thetroops.org/

Firsts & Lasts

2006-08-09T18:55:00.000-05:00

Here we have the TaterTots on their very first official first day of school as a group--

(taken on my first day back to work after the Lil Guy was born)

And here they are today--Their very first official First Day of School with all of them as students!

(taken today *sob*)

I guess I did something right. Lil Guy walked into class today like he had done it a thousand times. He hugged and kissed me, reminded me to "pick him up later", gave me a high-five and turned around to go join the other 4 yr olds in his class.

I waved and blew a kiss to a retreating backside. His teacher smiled indulgently and reassured me this child she'd only met the night before was in "good hands" and that he would "be fine". She's not a mother. She is clueless. But I left him in her care anyway.

No, this wasn't the first time I'd done this, but it was the last. My baby is no longer a baby yet he will remain so for the rest of his life. I'm not much of a gusher or sentimental "fool" but this hit me hard. Lil Guy is great. And I'll be fine...

(PS: And if they screw him up, I'm gonna hurt someone!)

Exhausted.

2006-08-09T05:59:00.000-05:00

I got lots to say and no time in which to say it. Today is the first day of school and I have three kids and myself to get ready and out of here within a shorter-than-humanly-possible time. I am wasting 10 minutes drinking coffee and blogging! Running on 4.5 hours of sleep. LONG day ahead. Details and hopefully a picture of the FIRST time ALL THREE of my boys GO TO SCHOOL. YIKES! ...off to the races again :)

100 Blogs Old!

2006-08-07T19:21:00.000-05:00

Welp, THIS is the actual 100th post. Yippee! Yahoo! Aah-Oooga! C'mon in! We've got... Party Hats! Party Horns! Balloons! Cake! Punch! Musical Chairs! Pin the Tail on the ~~Gracie~~ Donkey! (whoops!) C'mon! You can dance! For inspiration! (I know you know that one, Cheeky!!) http://factsofgrace.blogspot.com/ Check 'em out! ;)

Facts of Grace

2006-08-06T13:20:00.000-05:00

Okay...this is it...Part ONE! http://factsofgrace.blogspot.com/ Better hurry up and race over there if you want the answers to some of the questions that keep you up at night! Shoo! Git! Scat! *wink*

Busy Busy Busy

2006-08-04T06:43:00.000-05:00

How do women who work outside the home all the time do it? I don't get it. I feel like all I ever do is play "catch-up" and that sucks. I'm the kinda girl who likes to bust booty to get things done then have some relaxation time and kick back and enjoy the day/evening/night/weekend. I can't seem to get that last part anymore. There is always one-more-thing-to-do. Then I fall asleep. Even when I had a newborn baby I didn't feel this busy. Maybe it was because at least then, I could guarantee myself at 20 minutes or so to "rest" every few hours while I was nursing. LOL All I know is that I'm not particularly happy with this busyness. And I'm the only one who can change it. **Edit: My FIL is only 73--NOT 75! Heaven forbid I age him before his time!! Yikes.** This weekend (Sat), the family is giving my FIL a birthday party. He'll be 75. He's an interesting man, but I don't know him well. He was born into a sharecropper's family. Joined the Army when he was 17, fought in Korea, came home, got married, worked for a yam farmer, managed to raise 6 children, buy land, a house, a new (used) car every 3 years, and retire with some comfort. His health is declining with age, but he can still give my MIL hell if he decides to! LOL I'm married to #4 in the line-up/ #2 Son. He's always been friendly in a standoffish type way. He's typical of his generation, I suppose. I'm a woman, so unless he needs something from me, he isn't going to engage me in conversation. Women weren't to be educated on the "ways of the world" in a manner that was worthy of debate or intelligent conversation in his day. They were only good for sex, having babies, raising babies, and cooking-n-cleaning. If you wanted to discuss world politics, the weather, or anything of substance, you did it with your male counterparts--not wife, your friends' wives, and by all means, not your sons' wives. *shrug* We'll go, celebrate his birth, eat way too much food, "enjoy" the company of ALL. THE. SIBLINGS. AND. THEIR. CHILDREN. and come home and hopefully pass out. :) This is also the last weekend before school starts. I need to hem pants, finish buying school supples (for my kids) and finish Lil Guy's "nap blanket". Yep, doesn't look like things will be slowing down anytime soon...! How long til Thanksgiving break?

23 Skidoo

2006-08-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

23 skidoo (sometimes 23 skiddoo) is an American slang phrase popularized in the early Twentieth Century (first appearing before World War I and becoming popular in the Roaring Twenties). It generally refers to leaving quickly. And that means I'm going to try to be brief and get this done quickly! I had my first full night of sleep last night. Let me tell ya...that was GREAT! I have no guarantees about tonight or any other nights, and I can't tell you what was so different about last night, but it felt good to sleep straight through the night (and only get up to pee once)! School! School! School! Here is my latest list of requests. As the acting Admissions Coordinator, I'm getting to know a whole different side of people; Up close and personal, ya might say... Number 1: Please, people, do your local school Admissions Coordinator a HUGE favor--register before the week before school starts. P L E A S E. Number 2: If the door to the Admissions Office is locked. Take a hint. Come back tomorrow during the hours posted on the outside of the door. Just because there is a frazzled looking woman standing in there talking on the phone is no reason to continuously bang on the door and look in the window while shouting through the sound-proof (mostly) glass telling her that you're here to register your child. K? Thanks. Number 3: If there happens to be a cute lil basket with peppermints in it on the corner of the desk, feel free to take ONE. Really. Other people might enjoy having one too. :) Number 4: If you walk into an office and you see someone is on the phone, there are several people waiting to be helped, and the person on the phone happens to be the person you need to see, please refrain from shoving the person standing in front of the counter out of the way and tapping on the desk and asking loudly, "Hey! Is this where I needa come to get my kid registered?" (~~Um, no. You "needa" go down the street to the public school that really has no choice but to accept your rude ways and the children who will likely be as rude as you...~~ ) And most important of all--Number 5: Please, please, PLEASE if your child needs to have their diaper changed, by ALL MEANS, feel free to utilize the bathroom facilities BEFORE ~~squishing the ooze~~ sitting them down on the countertop. And also--feel free to say "excuse the mess" before you leave with your 3 yr old ~~Tasmanian Devil~~ child, too. Thank you for your time. *painted on grin* (I really do love my job--just sometimes the people are a bit over the top!) Ciao* PS: I've begun workin' on my 100th post...those "burning questions" will all be answered! If there are any late takers...get them to me! *wink*

I've been tagged!

2006-08-01T05:46:00.000-05:00

I've Been Tagged! I've been tagged by IrishChurchLady to: 1. Do the following WITHOUT complaint. 2. Choose five people to do this after you've completed yours. 3. Leave a tag on the person's tagboard to say he/she has been tagged. 4. Start your post with I have been tagged! Then do this. (copy and paste!) Favourites: Favourite Colour: blue--any shade I love 'em all. Favourite Food: crawfish etouffe *swoon* Favourite Movie: I waffle between "Gone With The Wind" and "My Fair Lady" and The Godfather1 & 2. Favourite Sport: to watch? college football to play? swimming Favourite Day of the Week: Wednesday Favourite Season: Spring Favourite Ice Cream: Chocolate Chip Mint Currents: Current Mood: fair Current Clothes: jammies Current Desktop: pic of my boys on Memorial Day Current Time: 5:51 am Current Surroundings: livingroom Current Annoyances: the fact I'm awake and have been for the last hour (way too early!) Current Thoughts: thinking of my friend whose mother just passed away; things to do at work; something I forgot to do yesterday; finding the tickets for the Wiggles before I leave for work, remembering to iron my shirt before I put it on and have to rush to do it before I head out the door, wondering if I'm going to have a dip n my hair from wearing it in a clip all night...Any wonders why I can't sleep?? First: First Best Friend: Janet. She moved in down the street from me when we were two. We were the only girls in our neighborhood and became friends through default, although we did enjoy each others company tremendously. Her parents divorced (quite the scandal, yet, in the early 70s), her mom got weird, we moved and I switched schools, and we grew apart. We saw each other occasionally in Jr. High, but completely lost touch when I went to 9th grade and she didn't. I haven't seen her since. Last: Last Drink: non-alcoholic? coffee; alcoholic? cosmopolitan Last Car Ride: yesterday on the way home from work Last Crush: I used to never, NEVER have celebrity crushes, but since I've hit my mid-30s, watch out! Matthew(just cuz he's so dang beautiful), Liam Neeson (only reason to watch Star Wars 1), Orlando Bloom (NOT as Legolas!!), Fabrizio Moretti (The Strokes' drummer). I don't indulge in real-time crushes. LOL Only ones that are so far out of the realm of possibility that they're "safe". ;) Last Phone Call: My sister-in-law (bday party for the FIL on Saturday) Last CD played: mix of tunes by The Floating Men Have you ever: Have you ever dated one of your best friends: yes Have you ever broken the law: yes Have you ever been arrested: nope! Have you ever been on TV: yes (the news) Have you ever kissed someone you dont know: yes--EW. (New Year's Eve 1986 at a bar--some drunk lunatic grabbed me and shoved his disgusting dragon-tongue into my mouth. I almost puked--right before I kneed him and shoved him into a wall.) *sweet smile* Things: 5 things you are good at: organizing, cooking, planning, worrying, navigating 4 things you have done today: sweated (hot flash, tyvm), gone potty, drank coffee, read blogs 3 things you can hear right now: cat crunching her food, clock ticking, hum of cpu tower Okay, since I'm really no good at tagging people (the only time I've ever done it, she'd already played!), I'm going to "recommend" that Beth do this since she's been needing things to write about and choppz...you need something to get your mind off the heat and how to entertain the kiddies! And that's the best I can do! LOL PS: Cheeky is such a sweetie! I tagged her yesterday, but she'd already done the meme. I wasn't going to tag her again today 'cause I didn't want her to feel like I was "hounding her"... Instead, she just volunteered to do this meme! What a sweetie! Thanks Cheeky!!

Oh my stars!

2006-07-31T18:51:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by the sweet Kimmy! For some reason, she thinks some of y'all might be interested in hearing more of my useless information! Imagine!?! When did you first start blogging and why? Initially, I started a blog because I wanted to chronicle some things going on in my life at the time. I no longer have that blog. I missed blogging though, so I created this one to give my thoughts a place which to escape. What don't you talk about? The things that I count too personal. Even here, I can't talk about everything. And politics and theology--I won't get into those either. Are you and your blogging persona the same person? I very much am the person in my blog. While I may not discuss everything, I very much am one and the same. How do you use blogging to build friendships? I think the internet is a powerful tool that, if used properly, can give you an avenue of discovery--for knowledge as well as friendships--which you wouldn't normally be able to attain. (Crap! I just scared myself with that last sentence. What I MEAN, is: I've been able to meet (online and IRL some people I'd never have connected with without the benefit of the internet/blogging, and I think that is pretty cool!) How would you describe your writing style? Um...I dunno! I just write what's in my head. I try to make it interesting, because I like telling stories. Sometimes, I know I'm boring as a dead tree, but oh well--that's just part of me! So...hmmm... *rubbing hands together gleefully* I'm gonna tag Miz Cheeky ('cause I can!) (Only 5 posts left...)

Slapdash

2006-07-31T16:08:00.000-05:00

I'm not real certain how this is going to come together, so just bear with me as I try to throw everything out that's been building up in my head. :) Friday we had our first "family night." We've never had one of those before. We've never needed one. We've always spent so much time together because of homeschooling, that we had to schedule times AWAY from each other instead. ;) Initially, I was a bit apprehensive, but it ended up being fun. I won, by the way. The Game of Life rocks! LOL Next up we're gonna try Cranium! I can't wait. :) Saturday I took my mom to an Olde Tyme Country Concert. While it may not sound exciting to YOU, let me just say it was AWESOME! Don Helms, the last surviving member of Hank Sr's back up band, was there playing steel guitar. There were several performers doing covers of songs from Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Eddie Arnold, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubbs, Dolly and Porter and of course, Hank! It was so incredible to listen to the stories and witness this man still performing at 79! He actually played on the original recordings of many of the songs performed that night. I was so pumped to see this show--and they didnt' let us down. Toe tappin'-hand clappin'-good! And to top it off, they closed the show with Johnny Cash's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and "I Saw the Light" by Hank. Just fahbulous dahling!! Work is kickin' my butt. Back to school time is always insanely busy, and I knew that. This year it's a little more difficult than most. M and her hubby haven't been in much at all this month. His dad passed away early in the month and this morning, her mom passed away. Complications got her down...she ended up developing pneumonia and a staph infection. Both which are typical complications from being on a vent and being in a hospital for any length of time. Her poor body just couldn't rally. For a few days it was looking much better. Last week, late, she started running a temp. And that was it. M is taking it very hard. It's now just her and her brother...and of course her children. But that's all the family she's got. Thank y'all for all in the past, but if y'all think about it, send another prayer up for her and her family. On a brighter note, although work is super busy, I'm loving it. I'm getting to know more of the kids and their parents as they come in and register for this school year, and thank goodness my typing skills are excellent (thank you internet!!). There are days when I don't sit down for the first 2 hours I'm there simply because I'm running around answering the phones, making copies, dealing with a parent or doing faxes. Even though there is a chair at my desk, I always feel weird talking with someone while they're standing and I'm sitting, so I inevitably stand up to talk with them...then remain standing. What's the point of sitting down if I'm just going to have to get right back up, right? LOL Oy vey! The boys just keep growing! Lil Guy has grown an entire INCH since the 7th of July!! I'm not even certain the uniform pants I purchased for him the middle of June will still fit. Ugh. I swear! If I have to return those pants I'm gonna scream! LOL Not really. It's all good. ;) It certainly explains why he's been eating sooooo much food! And #1 Son? he's taller than his dad now...and still has at least 5 years left to grow. Imagine? SweetSon is growing at a slower pace--much to his chagrin. I never have to worry about him outgrowing anything at a rapid rate. ;) Oh yes! Listen up! Only 6 more posts left til I reach my 100th. Get those burning questions in to me if you want them answered! I've got a list. I'm checking it twice. Some will be naughty and some will be nice! sthrngrace66@yahoo.com Ciao*

Time: Friend or Foe?

2006-07-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

My baby is... Growing up--FAST! He starts "real school" in less than 2 weeks. He looks SO FREAKIN' CUTE in his uniforms. OMG And so grown up! *sigh* This is it. He's the caboose. And as shocked and horrified as I was when I discovered I was pregnant with him (story for another day), I couldn't imagine my life without him. God gave him to me for a reason, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Don't get me wrong--all of my guys are special. Lil Guy's story is just different...and special in a special way. I'm slowly adjusting to the fact that I am going to be giving up control to someone else...to people whom I don't know very well; in fact, to people I've only recently met. That is terrifying to me, yet other people do it all the time. I, on the other hand, am a little freaked out. I will survive this...and so will he. He'll probably survive it better than I, but that's okay. He's more malleable! ;) Hi! Ho! Hi! Ho! It's off to work I go!...

Thursday Thirteen

2006-07-26T22:40:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things I REALLY DISLIKE 1. DUST (I do believe it is the bane of my existence.) 2. People who don't take personal responsibility-- whether it's cleaning up after themselves or for some issue that is unresolved. 3. Being frightened 4. Waking up when I'm not ready to wake up. 5. Bad coffee 6. Blue ink. 7. Being late (I don't mind if YOU are late, but I can't stand it if *I* am.) 8. Long nails on men 9. Being sweaty (other than for extracurricular reasons *wink*) 10. Clutter 11. Feeling like I need to sneeze but I can't 12. Rumpled sheets 13. Rudeness-- both in others and myself. I don't tolerate it at all. Wow. That went really fast. There are lots more things I could add, but guess I'll have to save them for another week!

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I Have No Title

2006-07-26T07:56:00.000-05:00

As of today's post, there are only 10 left til I hit my hundreth post. I've decided to do what I've seen others do, and post several things (I'll shoot for 100, but likely won't make it) about myself you don't know. And I'll even give you an opportunity to fine tune the post! So put your thinking caps on, and if the question isn't horribly crass, I'll answer it. *wink* You can email the questions to sthrngrace66@yahoo.com. I'll get back with you, in ten days or so, with the answers. *grin* This morning was just a glimpse of what is to come--it was still dark when I woke up at 7am. Ugh. There is nothing that stalls out my morning more than having to be "perky" while it's still freaking dark outside. Double Ugh. Thankfully, this darkness was due to the inclement weather, so I'll have a few more months to adjust to the ever darkening mornings...weeeeeeee! (NOT) I've really been having a tough time sleeping, too. I was so exhausted last night yet I couldn't go to sleep. The last thing I remember is listening to Nancy Grace's voice but I woke up 3 times to use the bathroom (for cryin out loud!) and then my eyes popped open at 5:30. I forced myself to stay in bed and managed to fall asleep about 20 min before my alarm went off. Great, huh? LOL Classic. I'm really busy at work. It's going well, though, so I have no real complaints. The owners (my friend, M) are still out of town. Hopefully they'll be returning today. An update on M's mom: Miraculously, she is stable. They are continuing to be hopeful that she will recover completely, but it's a LONG road. They are weaning her off the ventilator and BP meds and believe she won't need dialysis again. They're allowing her to remain concious for longer periods of time and beginning to do some mild PT with her. She will be a walking miracle if she recovers. The doctors had pretty much given up hope of her surviving. Proof that miracles DO still happen. :) Thank you for your prayers. Feel free to continue. ;) Time to scoot this boot(y) into gear. May you all have wonderful days!

Is it just me...?

2006-07-25T17:04:00.000-05:00

Or does anyone else thing the actress who plays Colleen Carlton (on the Young and the Restless) should really go back to acting school? Her storyline is getting more involved and she just isn't carrying it very well. For someone uncovering all this horrifying information about her dad, she just doesn't seem to be able to convey the emotions of "shock" and "betrayal" very well. (Okay, yes! I wrote myself a note so I wouldn't forget to watch it this afternoon! LOL Sue me!)

Awkward Picture Monday

2006-07-24T06:36:00.000-05:00

Jenny, over at Mommy Adventures has declared: It's time once again for us to share those photos that will never see the light of day in a frame. Nope, they won't be displayed on the mantel or hung on the wall. Why we keep them is a mystery at all. Masochists, blackmailers, whichever you are, pull them out now and give the world of the internet a peek at the poses "you'll never share with another living soul"--except, that is, US! So, here's my peek for this week: Mom popped in for a visit with the grandchildren. Whew. Good thing I made coffee, eh? ;) Didja play?

Perfect Prescription

2006-07-22T21:21:00.000-05:00

A night out with a good friend...
A few drinks (OMG) in great clubs...
A LOT of laughs...
A possibly scandalous picture that may end up in a local, independent paper (It's scandalous only IF they mention the name of the club in which it was taken.)
And a LOT of great memories.

Just what the doctor ordered. I was going to kind of go into detail about what went on last night, but I just can't. There're so many details I don't want to leave out, but if I were to give all of them enough detail, this post would be pages long. Just trust me when I say it was ideal. And I can't wait to do it again! I love music and I got a HUGE dose of it last night--several different genres, in fact. A little 80s, a little club house/dance, a little Cajun...Every place we went was so unique in its identity (as were the clientele), but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at each place. Stopped at a Greek place for food and had the most interesting conversation with the waitress. She's from somewhere else (sorry, don't remember where LOL) and she said she started waitressing because it seemed like something interesting to do and while waitressing won't be her chosen profession, it has been all she ever expected and more. And to top it all off, she's met some wonderful people and had wonderful experiences. How cool. Not some burnt out, down-on-her-luck chick thinking what she does is scraping the bottom of the barrel. We gave her a full 50% tip. You should've seen her face. I swear Christmas lights went off in her eyes. It was great. She was adorable and totally deserving. I miss Chloe. I do. I realize she's better off, but I still miss her. It'll be awhile til the ache goes away, but I can do this. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13 Don't worry. LOL Sometimes things just come to me. And because you're sitting there reading this, you get to see them, too. Ain't that just cool? (*insert chuckle*) I hope y'all had a nice day. Mine was fairly lazy and peaceful. I am glad. Enjoy your evenings.

No SPF Today

2006-07-21T06:52:00.000-05:00

Felt like I needed to warn ya cuz if you popped over here to check it out, I didn't want you to get caught up in the long-ass blog below. Y'all have a great day. :)

It's 5:26 a.m. And I can't sleep.

2006-07-21T05:29:00.000-05:00

And if you hang on for the ride, maybe you'll understand why. Here are the completely random thoughts running through my head: 1. I don't have to work today. I have a long day ahead of me. I should really sleep in. 2. I have so much work to do, I should really go in this morning. Back 2 School packets need to go out next week and my bosses have been away most of the month dealing with family crises (that's the plural form, folks, not a typo). They're out of town now, and I'm not certain when they'll be back. I have the rough draft (finally) and need to get it put together. I can do it at home but I concentrate better at work. Ugh. I'll see how things go this morning. 3. I also need to go shopping. I have plans tonight and would really like to get a new outfit, or at least a new piece of clothing. 4. I'm so disgusted with myself these days. Since my surgery, I've put on 20 pounds and I suck. I had an appt. with the doctor a few weeks back and cancelled it because my hubby didn't feel it a "necessary" appt. I just wanted to get my blood taken and see if there was something wrong with me. I am NOT eating more than I was (I know y'all are thinking--yeah, right), and I'm actually moving more (cuz I feel better). No, I'm not on any regular exercise routine, but I'm moving more. And that has to count for something. I am eating less and even attempting what some might call a diet. I have read that hypothyroiodism oftentimes sets in with menopause and since I was thrown into menopause after my surgery, and gained this weight with no change in my diet or routine, I just want a freaking blood test to prove I'm okay...or not. 5. Hey! TKW! Want some booty? I got your portion (and a few others) right here, hon! Why can't we share body fat? I mean, once our bodies have what they "need", why can't God had made it easier to share that stuff? I'll be sure and ask Him that, one day. Trust me. I won't forget. 6. It infuriates me that my husband says it "doesn't matter" to him that I've gained weight. I mean, it really pisses me off when he tells me I "look nice". It pisses me off even more when he says he "loves my body" (right before he wants to have sex). He's a flippin' liar. I see what's in the mirror every day, dude. I'm not blind. I look like a freakin' road map from all the surgeries--2 C-sections, hysterectomy(not done in the same place as the C-sections, tyvm), gall bladder. Just get a marker. Maybe the dot-to-dot that is my abdomen will make a pretty picture. And then you can take a picture. And then I'll be in the Guiness Book of Records. And then we'll be rich. Yeah. This might work. 7. I just realized while I was ranting that I have forgotten to take my hormone the last several days. I don't remember the last time I took it. Maybe Monday? So, um, maybe that accounts for some of my irrational attitude. Okay, okay, I got up and took it. It's pretty bad when even *I* don't want to live with me. Give me a day or two for levels to get back up and I'll be just peachy again. :) 8. I want to start walking in the mornings before I get out, but Lil Guy has some kind of crazy radar on him that alerts him when I'm awake. For instance, this morning, I was up 30 min earlier than I normally am, and who comes trodding out here 5 min after I sat down? Yup. He did. Now, explain to me, how I'm supposed to get up and go for a walk with the risk of him waking up and getting the other boys up. Once the school year starts, I'll need to be up at 5:30 am every day. That means that to get a walk in, I'd need to be up by 4:45 am. He's four. He can't be waking up that early, number one. And number two, the older boys need more sleep than that, too. Ugh. Whine. Gripe. Whine. Just. Stop. Talking. K. 9. I need someone to fix my life. I don't seem to be doing too well. 10. Chloe had a rockin' night last night. She got grilled hamburger (broken up into pieces), a hot dog, and she got to sleep in a BED. She got some serious play time and attention, too. She got so wound up at one point (while #1 Son was playing with her), she snapped at Lil Guy when he tried to get into the action. And. she. didn't. get. disciplined. (She only pinched the skin and he'll have a bruise.) We just separated the two of them and I told #1 he needed to calm her down. LOL Poor baby. Lil Guy was quite distraught. And Chloe was quite sorry. She couldn't quit trying to lick him, which led to another ruckus. LOL We did get them all calm, eventually. 11. I don't think I'll blog about what happens today. I'm tired of feeling sad and depressed and guilty. Y'all have been so awesome. You've put up with my self-pity and my sadness. You've been awfully sweet and kind, and compassionate. Compassion is such a lost art. "Be kind and compassionate, forgiving one another, just as in Christ, God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 Don't worry, I'm not gonna preach at you. That's just one of the memory verses I learned years ago. And this is my brain ramble, so that's what you get--whatever is in my head. :) 12. Forgiveness is something I don't do very well. Trust, once broken, is hard won. They seem separate, and I guess they're supposed to be, but they're connected, nonetheless. It's just so incredibly hard to get beyond the broken trust. True forgiveness is when you can say you've "wiped the slate clean"; you remember it no more; and most important, you don't bring it up in the future. Argh. Why is it I can forget to take my medication (which I need) but not forget that time when __________ did/said __________? How sucky is that? *sigh* What can I say? I'm a work in progress. 13. Finally, I think I'm out of thoughts. LOL Is that a paradox or what?? I guess, since I'm up soooo early, I'll go take a shower. Won't be any exercising going on this morning so no need to waste time pretending there will be. Lil Guy has made sure of that. :) Good thing he's so darn cute. ;) 14. Oh wait. I knew there was more. No SPF again this week. I just don't have the oompah-pah for it. Besides. I can't show you what's under my kitchen sink. Let's just say it's top secret. If I showed ya, I'd have to kill ya. And I'd hate to do that. You'll have to check Flickr for a pic of Chloe (blogger is being a butt). She doesn't photograph well. Just thought I'd share that with you now. Can't seem to ever get a decent picture of her, but you'll "get the picture". LOL May you all have really wonderful days :)

You know the saying...

2006-07-19T17:07:00.000-05:00

(Warning: If you're looking for uplifting and perky, keep moving. This post is damn depressing.) "There's always someone who has it worse off than you?" Well, I know that someone. Keep reading... I went to work today with a heavy heart. I had to make the call to the vet and schedule an appointment for Chloe. After talking with my mother (who has taken in stray animals for years and volunteered with vets and the Humane Society in her area), we decided it was in Chloe's best interest to "take care of matters" now--before she got really sick. The vet's blood tests won't be wrong. There's no mistake. She will definitely be getting sicker the longer we wait. So... You know we'll be spoiling Chloe rotten between now and then. Shoot. It started last night. We NEVER give her table scraps. Last night she got her own grilled hot dog! Tonight she's having hamburger. Don't know what she'll get tomorrow. Maybe steak. I don't normally allow her to sit on the furniture (she has a pallet on the floor). Fugitaboutit. She's queen of the sofa right now. Friday at 1:30 pm. Mom is coming with me. I need her to be there with me. We all have our support systems. I am the support system for my children. Mom is mine. :) Prayers, happy thoughts, peaceful vibes, whatever it is you'd like to send will be more than appreciated. It's gonna be a tough afternoon... And speaking of tough things to deal with... My friend, M, is going to see her mother in Memphis this weekend. Her mother was being treated for cancer and ended up being allergic to the chemo. She. may. not. make. it. The medicine is going to be the thing that kills her, not the cancer. Where is the justice in that? M and I have been friends for 10 years or so. Our kids were in kindergarten together. They moved here the 2nd week of school. She lost her father when she was in college. And now, at the age of 38, she may very well lose her mother. All I'm losing is a dog. My heart breaks for her. If y'all don't mind...send her some good thoughts and prayers too. I know she'll feel 'em. Thanks.

Forgive me if I ramble...

2006-07-18T19:10:00.000-05:00

What started as a frenzied search for our escaped rat terrier, Chloe, and mediated as a possible broken leg, has resulted in our discovery that she has stage 5 heartworm disease. When she came limping up to me after I saw her, I naturally assumed she'd injured the leg she was favoring. She growled and snapped at me when I tried to examine it, so I just bundled her up in a blanket and #1 Son and I took her to the vet. They were extremely busy, so they asked that we leave her there and told me how much it might possibly be if they had to do X-rays. I told them to just do whatever was necessary. I was told she should be ready around 4, but to call first. We returned home, slightly concerned for our Chloe, but knowing she was in good hands. At 4:20pm I phoned the vet. The receptionist told me I needed to come in and that Dr. Kevin would talk with me when I got there. I thought that a little strange, but really didn't get too concerned. When I got to the vet and all the ladies kept looking at me, I started to think something serious had either happened to Chloe or that something was seriously wrong. I was right. When we got back into the room where the Dr. was, I'll admit, I was a bit anxious and when he told me my dog had a heart murmur, I maybe got a little in his face. I assumed it was an undiagnosed condition. I was wrong. Unbeknownst to me, heart murmurs are caused by serious heartworm disease. Once I got calmed down, he proceeded to explain to me about the 6 stages of heart disease. The last time my dog was at the vet was a year and a half ago. (She's been an inside/outside dog in general good health. There just wasn't any reason to bring her.) They tested her then. She was negative. This means the mosquito bit her and she's developed stage 5 in a year and a half. Her problem this afternoon had nothing to do with her leg. When I found her she was in the throes of congestive heart failure. Rat terriers aren't hard wired to understand that when they dont' feel well they slow down, so her body did it for her. She was just short of actually passing out when I got to her. By the time we got to the vet, she was still in shock. They gave her fluids and a sedative. And now this Dr. is telling me we "could" treat her, but she's only got about a 30% chance of survival due to the intense congestion and her breed--a breed that doesn't know how to "stay quiet". He said even if we get through six weeks of treatment, if she somehow gets out of the house and runs into the yard, she could drop dead right there. We're talking 3 - 4 months of being in the house in a dog kennel and leash walking only; weekly vet visits to have blood tests done; hundreds of dollars for the treatment and follow-up visits, all with the possibility that it could all be for naught if she gets overly excited--if we choose to treat her. Hubby has already assumed we're putting her down. Honestly I can't rationalize the expense. We (I) love the dog, truly I do. She has been a part of Lil Guy's life since he was born. But we just don't have the funds available to put out...I just don't know. Let my neglect/naivete be a lesson to you all: Get your dog tested for heartworms and put on a preventive. It really could save their lives. And it could save your heart as well...

FINALLY!

2006-07-18T06:51:00.000-05:00

A man who understands my needs--for creature comforts! A/C Guy was on the way home when he remembered about my plight and turned around to come and check on my situation. Now HE is a man who truly understands (that no one should have to suffer in 90+ degree temperatures for any length of time)! When A/C Guy showed up last night before our pitiful supper of cold cuts n cold tea with ice cream for dessert (do ya see a theme??), I met him at his truck and said, "I'm not saying you look like Jesus or anything, but I do believe you're my savior!" He just grinned and gave me an "aw shucks" kind of look. LMAO Turns out it was "only" a disconnected connection (of some sort) that had evidently been working itself loose for some time (insert technical talk) and it took him all of FIVE minutes to fix it. He gave us a "deal" cuz he went to highschool with Hubby, but let me tell you, these guys are doing pretty darn good. Ugh. Thank goodness for "deals" in any form. That's all I gotta say. So the moral of this story? If your hubby is gonna screw up, make sure he calls on a good friend to fix it for ya when it really goes wrong so you have to suffer the least amount of time and be given a "deal" so it hurts less in the pocket. That ensures they both get hugs at the end of the day. :) And oh yeah--I'm making July 17th "Hug Your A/C Guy" day. They sooooooooooo deserve it!

Oh Me; Oh My! Awkward Picture Monday!

2006-07-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

I almost forgot today was Monday (except for the fact I had to get up and go to work n stuff...)!!! Brought to you courtesy of Jennifer over at Mommy Adventures. This is where you get the "opportunity" to post your freakiest, most embarrassing photos! They can be of you, your husband, your friends, your in laws, whoever happens to be in a "most awkward" moment. :) So have fun! And if ya play, let us know! Here's my loverly little post for APM this week-- Me and Sweet Son in Florida at an English fort. It was scorchingly hot that day too. Difference? We are outside. It's supposed to be hot outside. Big difference. Just sayin'. Can ya see the exhaustion and the sweat on my face? I certainly can. Ugh. Oh wait. That's what I see in the mirror today. Silly me. I get confused like that when my brain is frying. See the goofy expression on Sweet Son's face? Who knows what that's about. This is the only picture we took there cuz it was extremely HOT. LOL That's the only reason it got saved in the archives. Update? Hubby called A/C Guy and he "promises" to be here before dark. It's 5:28 pm. I'm watching the clock. Worry not. See ya.

89 Degrees

2006-07-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

That's the temperature inside my house right now. I'm from the school that says you're not supposed to bad-mouth your husband in public 'cus it's just bad manners, but I'm telling you right now that I'm fixin' to do some bad-mouthin'. Brace yourself, Grandma. THREE WEEKS AGO I noticed that our A/C wasn't cooling as well as it had been. (It's basically brand new--we got it March 2005--and we've been soooooooo thankful that we finally had one that wasn't a dinosaur who insisted on eating our money rather than the green leafy's provided by nature.) I was having to turn the thermostat a lil lower to get it in the same coolness range that I like. I mentioned it to ~~the slacker who lives here~~ my husband and he said he'd check to see if there were any blockages, blah blah blah (insert technical talk here). He came to me and said he couldn't find any and that HE would call the A/C guy we use. Days went by--nothing. I ask him if he's heard anything from A/C Guy. He says, "Oh Man! I forgot. I'll call him tomorrow (since it's now 10:30 pm and I'm turning the thermostat down because it's too warm). " Okay, so I wait a couple more days and think, "Well, it's summer and that's always a busy time for them...I'll be patient." Another week goes by and I ask AGAIN when A/C Guy is coming. He says, "Oh Man! I forgot." (Insert deadly glare here.) Ooooookay. "Do ya just want me to call him?" I ask. "Ohhhh No No No. I got it hon." Yeah. Right. See me holding my breath? Today I get this frantic call at work: "Dear! There's something wrong with the A/C! It's been running for hours and it's 84 degrees in here. I couldn't sleep at all! (He works nights and sleeps in the early morning/afternoon.) I think we need to call A/C Guy!" (Genius, ain't he?) At this point I almost threw the phone across the room...but didn't because I was at work and it wasn't my phone, and he wasn't standing in front of me. Instead I simply said, "Weren't you supposed to call him several weeks ago?" "Oh yeah. Wow. Well, I'll call him now, k?" *eye roll* So, I come home and IT IS FREAKIN' HOT IN THIS PLACE. I've got every fan blowing. I've borrowed fans. I have windows open. I have even stood in front of the freezer with the door open. I have one of those "cool neck wrap things" around my neck. I am typing this with my "cool" mask I use for headaches strapped to my head. The kids are outside in swim trunks playing with water balloons and in the sprinkler. Why can't I be allowed to run around in a pair of shorts, topless? That's what I want to know. A/C Guy is "supposed to make a pass" some time this afternoon. It's 4 pm now. If he doesn't "make a pass" this evening. You'll be hearing about me on CNN and FOX, I'm sure, cuz the destruction I'm going to wreak ain't gonna be pretty. And oh yeah, it looks like it might rain. Great. I'll have to close the windows. Shoot me. That is all. (And to top it all off? Blogger won't let me post the picture of my thermostat at 89 as proof that it's FREAKIN' HOT. GRRRRRRRRRR.)

You'd never know...

2006-07-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

by looking at this picture, but this cat takes her job very seriously. Last night everyone was already in bed and I was sitting up ~~piddling around~~ working on the computer when suddenly I heard something hit the wall in my living room with great force. I jumped and turned to where my sleeping cat (Frosty) had been in the center of the room and was shocked to see only her rump sticking out from under the telephone table--tail twitching madly. I shook my head, mumbled something about psychob*tch cats and went back to ~~goofing off~~ work. Not a minute later I am greeted with the most Godawful sound imaginable. I turned once again and saw my cat prancing, yes, prancing and meowring around the living room with something hanging out the side of her mouth--WIGGLING. I thought, "Dear God, please don't let her have caught a lizard. I will absolutely D I E if she drops a lizard on the floor." In the meanwhile, she was prancing in my direction. She stopped just short of my chair and dropped a HALF DEAD MOUSE beside me. I squealed, the mouse attempted to take off on its two little working front legs, and my cat pounced on top of it, then sat there continuing to meowr-- looking rather smugly up at me. I know she was only trying to get me to give her an "attagirl", and I am really happy she caught the rodent (shudder), but try as I might, I just couldn't give her a whole lot of praise until that critter was out of my house. So I went into the kitchen, dug through my oldest utensils and came up with a broken pair of tongs. I walked back over to Frosty and she started growling at me! Did you know cats growl? I've only ever heard her do it when her territory was being threatened by another cat, but here she was growling at ME! I'm her bread and butter, dammit!! Anyway, I had to get that mouse away from her. I tentatively reached towards her with the tongs and attempted to pinch the mouse's tail, but she was onto me. With the speed of light, she lifted one paw and with the other one, batted the mouse into the living room. She leaped, from a full sitting position, three feet onto that wiggling mouse and BEGAN BATTING IT AROUND MY LIVING ROOM--like a hackie sak. Good Grief! Bat. Dying mouse struggle to run. Leap./ Bat. Dying mouse struggle to run. Leap. You get the picture. She did this for a full 3 minutes, all the while I am just praying that she doesn't accidently gut it with her razor sharp claws. Ew. Thankfully, the mouse quit moving and then she was bored. I swear I saw her yawn as she walked away and curled up next to the couch. AT that point, I was able to finally retrieve the mouse and put it and the tongs in the garbage. Then I gave her a good scratching... and went and set traps.

Thursday Thirteen

2006-07-13T07:21:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things That Make Me Swoon 1. eyes that have a story 2. laugh lines 3. dimples/cleft chin 4. sense of humor (he has to appreciate mine, too) 5. loves his family/family values 6. polite to waiterstaff/servers/housekeeping 7. firm pecs (chest muscles) 8. well-defined legs 9. nicely tended nails--they don't have to be "manicured" but think about it...do you want some greasy, slimy, broken-down nail-handed guy touching you??? 10. closely trimmed hedge ;) 11. goatee 12. artistic tattoos 13. a sense of adventure and a willing spirit

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View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

2006-07-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

Overheard at my house today: SweetSon: "What's on your butt?" Lil Guy: "I dunno. (He reaches behind himself trying to move whatever is there) Get it off." SweetSon: "It's your sucker!!" All a mother can do is shake her head at things like this. I tell ya. Makes me think about how truly blessed my friend, TKW, is because her daughter's sucker did not end up anywhere on her flower girl dress (or anyone elses, for that matter). ****************************** Call I received at work today: Caller: "I just saw the ad in the paper for an English teacher for this school year..." Me: "Yes, that's right." Caller: "Um, I still have a job, right?" ****************************** Conversation I had: Hubby: "Man, I'm beat. Work is kickin' my butt, my back is still hurting from this weekend, my lats are aching, my elbow feels like it's stuck in park, my feet hurt..." (He opens door and begins to walk outside.) Me: "Where ya goin'? Why don't you just rest?" (Yeah, right. What? I must've been smoking crack!) Hubby: "I'm going to work out." Me: *eye roll* ****************************** This is an addendum to yesterday's Awkward Picture Monday. It's only for TKW! No one else is allowed to see it! LOL This is what happens when a "lil tiny bit" of champagne is chased by Bailey's. Heh.

Awkward Picture Monday

2006-07-09T22:54:00.000-05:00

Okay y'all, Jenny over at Mommy Adventures has created a new photo-posting op. It's called Awkward Picture Monday. What do you do for APM? Well, you know those pictures of you, your kids, your husband, your best friend, your mother, your mother-in-law, etc that you keep but you don't really want to show to anyone? This is the format for them! You now have a place to post those pictures you'd never show to anyone else in the entire world--except your dear blog friends. *grins* So let's see 'em. Show us what you've got! Let us know if you played. I mean, we wouldn't want to have your most embarrassing photos go unseen, now, would we??? *wicked laugh* This week's photo was a hard decision. There are just so many from which to choose! I figure that I'll start with my oldest child. He's been with me the longest and therefore, I have the most pictures of him. :) I have a couple of pictures that I know my #1 Son would pay good money to keep from ever being seen...This is just one. Heh. Here he is doing his Steve Erkel impression. (Notice the green boxers hanging out from the bottom of the shorts??) LMAO Didja play? Lemme see!

Gracie Was Tagged!

2006-07-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

Alrighty then...Ms. Cheeky tagged me and passed on this lil question and answer sesson to me. Wasn't that soooooooo sweet of her to think of me while on her vacation? *snicker* Yeah, I thought so too. ;) Heeeeeeerrreeee ya go! 1. The book nearest me - "Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons" (whispered mumbles) "Huh? But I thought she was sending all her kids to school next year. Why is she looking at a book like that??" Welp, folks...it's like this. I'm totally anal. I admit it. It's a disease. Yes, I know Lil Guy is going to school next year, but I can't help myself. I have to give him a headstart. I mean, I've been working with him (in a very relaxed fashion) all this time, and I think he's ready. Why on earth do I want to just quit? He loves learning. *sheepish look* 2. Stretch out left arm what do you touch? - bottle of water 3. Last thing watched on television? - I rented "The Family Stone" last night and just got around to watching it this afternoon. It was really quite better than I expected. It was a bit cliche'd but still good. 4. Without looking what time is it? - four-ish 5. What actual time is it? - 4:07 pm I'm good, huh? ;) 6. With the exception of the computer what can you hear? - Lil Guy is in the living room playing "Star Wars" and he's having a fight with someone. I hear the sounds of "struggle", "pain", and "last breaths"... He's a one-man play, lemme tell ya. 7. When did you last step outside? - A couple of hours ago. Came home from the grocery store with the ones ~~the-psycho-bi*ch-with-no-memory~~ I forgot to buy. 8. Before this survey what did you look at? - Um...MSN article about the best sunglasses for your face shape. LOL 9. What are you wearing? - Burgandy T-shirt and khaki capris 10. Did you dream last night? - Yep. I always do. Thankfully I haven't had another anxiety dream. I am pretty sure I got the issue worked out, so that is a relief. There'll be something else--there always is. LOL 11. When did you last laugh? - 20 min ago 12. What is on the walls in the room? - A Monet print--The Artist's Garden at Argenteuil, a print of Pirate's Alley in the French Qtr, a painting my aunt gave me as a wedding gift that her friend did, a mirror, a print of magnolias, bookcases. 13. Seen anything weird lately? - LOL yeah...my kid does this impression of Carlos Mencia (comedian) that is absolutely hilarious. It's like his whole body is possessed. He cracks me up. 14. What do you think of this quiz? - If I were a pair of underwear, I would be Matthew McConaughey's favorite. Oh wait. That wasn't the question. Heh. Silly me! 15. What is the last film you saw? - Well, as you already know, I just saw "The Family Stone" this afternoon in the comfort of my bed, but Friday evening I went to the show and saw "The Devil Wears Prada" which was a good one, too. 16. Tell me something we don't know - I think every woman needs three husbands. Now, before you all start freaking out, let me explain. ;) You need one for financial stability, one for hot, Hot, HOT sex, and one emotional support and understanding (and help with the chillens). 17. If you could change one thing about the world, what would you do? - "That would be... harsher punishment for parole violaters, Stan. And world peace!"--Gracie Lou Freebush ("Miss Congeniality") 18. Do you like to dance? - Yup. But I'm kinda stuck in the 80s. LOL 19. George Bush? - He is the president. 20. Imagine your first child is a girl - Oooohhhhhhhhh FUN! 21. Imagine your first child is a boy - No imagination necessary. (Pssssstttt...secret? My hubby's girl-makin'-thingie is broken.) 22. Would you consider living abroad? - Yes. Yes. Yes. When? Where? Do I have a temporary visa?? 23. What would God say to you when you reach the pearly gates? - My name is in the Book, right? (silence) Right?? *nervous laugh* 23. 6 people who will do this quiz - Oh for cryin' out loud! I have no idea! You people draw straws. LOL That works for me!

Weekend Words Challenge

2006-07-09T10:03:00.000-05:00

This is my first time playing the Weekend Words Challenge...

and it may be my last! LOL

It looked interesting and it's definitely challenging.

Because this was a last minute decision,

I've combed through my files and found some pictures

rather than going out and taking new ones.

Although they're not new,

I do think they fulfill the challenge nicely.

You be the judge.

********************************************

1. Entice

Domke Falls--Washington

2. Fulfill

First Steps--9 mos + 2 days old

SPF--Love, Honeymoons, & Something Blue

2006-07-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

This week closes out the wedding theme brought to us by the lovely Kristine who is getting married TOMORROW! Woot! Woot! Her requests this week are for: 1. Your Love (show us some love) 2. Take us on a Honeymoon! (bring us somewhere with your pictures) 3. Something Blue (No sad faces before my wedding!) So without further adieu, here ya go: My Love:

Mine is a story about how I thought love had died, and how it was ressurected. I could go into great detail about it, but it wouldn't serve any purpose if I did. Rather, I will just give you the "Cliff's Notes" version. :)

After having completed our family, a little blessing appeared in the form of a double pink line. Once the shock wore off, I was estatic. Unfortunately, this blessing was not to come to fulfillment in this life. With his death came the death of my own emotional life. Although I still had two beautiful, healthy children and a husband, I just couldn't deal with the loss of the one. In essence, I died. After many traumatic months and trials, my husband and I started slowly building our lives again and I started coming to life. In an amazing twist of fate, I discovered I was pregnant again--1 week later than I'd discovered I was pregnant the year before.

After the shock and the anger wore off, I started enjoying the pregnancy. This baby wasn't to blame for any of the things I'd experienced. I owed it to him/her to do everything in my power to ensure s/he had all the opportunities the others had. My Lil Guy was born 10 days before my due date the previous year. I cried a lot...for a lot of reasons. Birthing ain't no easy feat (c-sections aren't fun) but also I cried for the loss...and for life. When I first saw him, I couldn't believe it. I was still in denial of sorts. When I was finally able to hold him, I physically felt the dam break. My love was renewed. And while "my love" is about my whole family, my heart is most grateful to my Lil Guy for bringing it back to life.

This is the cemetary where my Jacob rests.

And here is a picture of the Lil Guy responsible

for bringing my love back to life.

Kristine & Shaun's Honeymoon:

The Venetian in Las Vegas, baby!

Something Blue: How bout a lil something blue (the sky)

and a second option for "the honeymoon?" The beach!

Didja play? I wanna see!

Anxiety Dreams

2006-07-06T07:03:00.000-05:00

You ever have them? You know, those dreams where your stomach is in knots and your heart is racing about some scenario your subconcious has woven. I hate 'em. This is the second time in a week I've had an anxiety dream. I think I need to sit back and analyze what's going on... I was jerked out of my sleep this morning before 5am due to a disturbing dream I had about someone I'm not really friends with anymore. Oh, we play the game, but the real friendship is gone. The dream really bothered me because for whatever reason, I was seeking her approval and I couldn't get it. And I panicked. Now I'm stuck with this hung-over feeling that I can't shake. And that sucks. On the bright side, I've been able to catch up on reading all the blogs I've been missing out on! Some of y'all have been busy! Others have been busy with other things (life) and I'm sure will have lots to blog about when you have a minute to catch your breath. :) Either way, it's been an enjoyable time. I still haven't shaken that "feeling" but now the LilGuy is up and my day will really begin...and I'll be distracted--a pleasant distraction, too! May you all have wonderful, stress-free days!

2006-07-04T21:36:00.000-05:00

Ohhh, how I would love to show you pictures of our family and friends sitting around a picnic table scarfing down grilled hotdogs and chips and cookies and watermelon and sipping soda all the while resembling DROWNED RATS, but alas, I can't, because SOMEONE forgot the camera. So instead, you'll get the writen word version. :) We knew going into this day that we would likely get wet. The weatherman predicted 70% scattered thunderstorms. But hey, we're optimistic, so we thought we might be in the 30% that wouldn't get rained on. Getting up this morning to a gloriously sun-shiney day helped keep our optimism high. We (I) finished packing up the picnic things while the Hubs and kids did the outside stuff. (Read: stayed out of my way.) Our friends showed up right on time and we proceeded to toodle along to Chicot State Park. Halfway there, it didn't start raining, it started POURING. I mean, pouring-so-hard-I-couldn't-see-the-car-in-front-of-me pouring. It was at this point I thought, "Ut oh." But we were half way there and I could see a break in the clouds ahead of me and after a quick call with our friends, we figured, "Oh well. Might as well see if it lets up." So we continued. And sure enough, the rain let up and the sun came out and we pulled into the park and from out of nowhere, black clouds appeared and burst open as we pulled into the parking pad. Again, I had another brilliant thought, "Ut oh." We sat and waited for about 10 min, tried to call our friends but lo and behold, there is NO CELL SERVICE 10 miles from Podunk, USA. Go figure. My hubby ran over to our friends' vehicle and J got out of his van and they stood in the rain discussing whether or not we should try and stick it out. J had the foresite to bring along a pop-up gazebo thingie and so Hubs and J set that up over a picnic table in the pouring rain . We cheered them on from the fair comfort of the dry, air conditioned vehicle. I secretly wondered which one of them was going to hold the umbrella over my head as I walked from the car to the picnic area. (Um...neither.) When Hubs came back to our car he told me that he and J had decided that the rain would "probably" be letting up and that we should go ahead and try. *insert pained sigh* So we did. And that is how we got to the point with which this story began. Thankfully for Hubs and J, the rain did stop. The sun did come out again. And we did have a wonderful time fishin' and swimmin'. And we did get the picnic area broke down before the heavens opened up again!

Bathroom Math and Other Stuff

2006-07-02T07:10:00.000-05:00

Overheard in my bathroom: Lil Guy: MOOOOMMMMM! I'M DOOOONNNNEEEE! Me: *mumbling* Great LG: Wow! Mom! Check that out! Me: *looks into toilet and exclaims with fake horror* EEEEK! There's a SNAKE in my toilet! LG: Noooooooooo Mom...*duh look* It's a SIX! Yep, my boy is brilliant. He knows his numbers, alrighty. *proud mom look* ******************************************************* Overheard in my car: Me: *driving* Oh, don't worry too much about it #1Son. Yanno, some girls are just fickle. Not much you can do except ~~buy a voodoo doll~~ just move on. *pats him* Me: *nervous laugh* That felt weird... #1Son: Um Mom? Me: *still driving* Yes Sweetheart? #1Son: Um, that was my ball. Me: AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH There was a hackie sac in his pocket. Argh. He's a piece o' work, lemme tell ya. ******************************************************** Me: *thinking* Gah. Smells like sauerkraut... *yells to random place in house* Hon, did you open the sauerkraut jar in the fridge? Hon: *hollers back* Nope. Me: *yells back to spot from which holler came* Damn. It stinks in here. Smells like something freakin' died. Maybe you should get under the house and check it out. Hon: *hollered again* Sure. Can it wait til I'm done in the bathroom? Ugh. ******************************************************** Thus far, we've had a great time this weekend. While some people wouldn't think being left at home alone and cleaning all day is a "good" experience, it is one of the best things you can do for me. I can't clean (properly) if people are home. There's always someone getting in my way or talking to me while I'm concentrating on something else. (Dirt and grime removal is intensive work, I tell ya.) So everyone else in my house was away doing something else yesterday and I cleaned like a mofo. When they all came trudging home yesterday afternoon, they thought I was joking when I told them they'd have to shack up at a motel til I managed to dirty it up a bit cuz I wasn't going to allow them to do it for me. Hmmph. MEN (and their predecessors: BOYS). They managed to sneak in the back way... We spent a very pleasant evening at some friend's home. Our children are kind of stairstepped in and they all get along really well. They have "late blessing" as well, so that really helps because then the little ones can keep each other occupied and the grown-ups can hang out pretty much unencumbered. :) We're looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and... I get to go school uniform shopping tomorrow! WEEEEE! Not. I'm just praying that every other mother and her bratty lil children won't be at the store taking advantage of the 30% off uniform sale. And we're off to Chicot State Park for the 4th! A day of hiking, and fishing, and picnicking, and dealing with 500 bajillion other people who thought it'd be a great idea to take their families to the park for the day! Woohoooo! Pray for me. I'll need it. Y'all have a happy and safe 4th of July!

SPF--Shaun Style

2006-06-29T21:26:00.000-05:00

Alrighty folks, this week, the lovely Kristine is away doing wedding stuff with her mom and sister, and she left her "baby" in the oh-so-competant hands of her betrothed, Shaun. So, this weeks SPF is Shaun's brainchild, and what follows is my attempt at putting my version together! First, we were to give ya a picture with a story behind it, and well, this one is the story of the "Rice Krispie Treat Bandit". This here picture is representing what happens when Mom makes Rice Krispie Treats (loved by all who call this place home) and then goes out to the prarie to battle the drought (water her plants) armed only with a green hose. While the said treats were cooling on the table, this here lil bandit snuck stealthily past my trusty security force (his father and brothers), managed to pull a chair away from the table, climb on TOP of the table, and yank practically the entire batch from its cooling chamber (baking dish)! This is what happens when Mom walks in, spies the goings on in the kitchen, grabs her camera, and screeches, "AHA!" He ducked. LOL (He was about 1.5 yrs old.) Now, for this one, I'm cheating a bit (okay, a LOT). We have been instructed to select a "random" shot and something "borrowed", well this one fits the bill in both instances. It's definitely random and I definitely borrowed (stole) it from someone else. *grin* So, okay, y'all write the caption on THIS! Hehehe Didja play? I wanna see! :)

Friendship

2006-06-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!'" C.S. Lewis

Huh???

2006-06-29T08:31:00.000-05:00

Can I just say WTF is up with this layout???? And can it be fixed????? Any ideas?? Crap.

Thoughts n Things

2006-06-28T22:22:00.000-05:00

First, let me just say how incredible you are. Thank you. Sometimes, we do just feel so alone, and it was refreshing to realize that I'm not. I may not be surrounded by people in my immediate world who understand, but there IS someone (lots of someones) who understands. Now, all we have to do is work on bridging the miles. :) Next, I'll leave you with these thoughts, as the things that are flitting 'round my head are so scattered, I'm not sure I could coherently put them into words. ************************************************************************** This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. You may not realize it's 100% true. 1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for. 2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way. 3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you. 4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you. 5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep. 6. You mean the world to someone. 7. You are special and unique. 8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you. 9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it. 10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look. 11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks. Last, but not least-- When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over ;-) *hugs*

I do it to myself...

2006-06-27T20:34:00.000-05:00

All I have to do is take one pill a day--one little white pill. That's it. And I am more uncrazy than I am without the pill. And do I do it? No. Why don't I just take the damn pill and be done with it? I don't like it when I feel like this. I can stop myself from feeling like this. And yet, I DO IT TO MYSELF! WTF It's because when I'm feeling good, I just don't remember. (Remember the whole "I forget stuff a lot; all the time" rant?) And when I start feeling badly, it's already too late and it will take at least 3 days to get the levels back up to where they need to be for sanity's sake. I hate having to take pills to make me feel "normal" for the rest of my life. I'm from the school where ya only took pills as recreation--not because ya HAD to or else. *eye roll* Okay, so here's the deal: I'm laying low for a day or two until I come up with something really cool to talk about. LOL Something other than the fact I am FINALLY getting the new fax/printer/scanner at work. How dull is my life when that's the highlight? Shoot me. Please. Ciao*

Insensitivity Training

2006-06-26T07:40:00.000-05:00

I need it. I need to quit being so dang sensitive. I hate the trait. I hate feeling snubbed or dissed or whatever by someone I know. (Not sure why, but it's much easier to "retaliate" to a stranger.) I think the reason it bothers me so much is because I know it's a weakness in my make up. I try blowing them off; ignoring them; making excuses in my head for their actions/words. In fact (laughing here) one of the things that "some people" say they love about me is the fact that I'm able to "analyze" others actions and "see them". Well that's just dandy. It still freakin' hurts, though, whether I know why they did it or not. I guess, truthfully, being able to understand it makes it easier to accept. Still. Doesn't make it right. *********************************** Have you ever realized that the root word of analyze is anal? LMAO Yup, that's me! Miss Anal! *eye roll* Type A; OCD; First-Class-Worrier. I try to fight my tendencies, I do. I've tried to "make over" myself. And oh, I'm pretty successful at times. It's because of those successes that some people have the wrong impression of me. It's because of those successes at overthrowing my natural tendencies that some people think I'm a little bipolar. It's because of those successes that I think I'm nuts (most days). I get so incredibly tired of picking up and straightening other people's messes that sometimes I just think I'm just being too picky and I need to relax--so I do. But then no one else picks up the slack and then I totally freak out because everything is mess, and the clothes hasn't been folded correctly, and the chair is not at the right angle, and the table needs to be wiped off, and the dishes aren't in the dishwasher properly, and the cushions on the couch need straightening, and the doors to the laundry area aren't closed and...and...and...I become Psycho Woman. And then I get overwhelmed and want to go to bed and pull the covers over my head. For. The. Rest. Of. My. Life. But I can't. I have kids, yanno? I try. Really. I do. ***************************************** I read an article this morning about a "new" realization: Blogging has become the new journaling! Wow. Really? No way. Why is it that by the time the experts get around to officializing something, everyone else already realizes it? Wait. That's not true. There are two ends of the spectrum here. The "experts" are either stating the obvious or making a mountain out of a molehill. And to think? They get paid BIG BUCKS for doing that! Man, I wish I was an "expert"! LOL Or at least recognized as one!! So, back to the beginning: When others are brusque, rude or just plain nasty to you, what do you do?

Ewwwwwwwwwww

2006-06-25T21:26:00.000-05:00

*begin rant* I really haven't been following the World Cup like I should, for as big of a soccer fan as I am, but I've been busy. I wanted to read the update on AOL a minute ago and clicked on the link for the article. Imagine my disgust when, while flipping thru the slide show, I saw this. Really. I could've lived a full and complete life without seeing it. I mean, sheesh. Doesn't the news have anything better to do? Have we gotten to a point in our society that we're not satisfied with simply READING about things like this? Ugh. *eye roll* *end rant*

Why I'm Broke

2006-06-24T13:06:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of just one of my pantrys. I have another one, too. It's also full. These two things and the overflowing freezer are why we are broke. Or maybe it's the fact we have three growing boys. Two teenagers and one high-metabolism 4 year old. *shakes my head* Y'all... I know there are lots of people out there with more children. I know there are lots of people out there who live in more expensive areas of the country. But y'all! I went to the grocery store this morning (with the MawMaws cuz I hate Hate HATE grocery shopping in a store full of people!) and spent $220! And that's a cheap week! What the hell? I used to spend $200 for a MONTH'S groceries when the big boys were little. Sheesh. I don't buy a bunch of junk food either (as you can see). Yes, there are some staple junk items in there, but c'mon--one can only get away with giving their kid so many carrots and grapes for snacks! Anyway... You can also see I cheap shop, ie: I don't always buy "brand name" products. Jeepers! Can you imagine how much I'd be spending if I did that?? Argh. Y'all please tell me I'm not nuts. Let me know that I'm not the only one who thinks food is outrageously priced, that my children eat entirely too much, and that the price of gas is affecting us all the way to the grocery store... Other than bitching about the price of food and people at the store, my day is going well. How's yours?

SPF

2006-06-23T07:09:00.000-05:00

Continuing with the theme of her wedding, the lovely Kristine has chosen the subjects our drinking glasses, our address book, and something new for this weeks Stuff Portrait Friday. So, here are my glasses. Nothing fancy, but they work! I'm a little embarrassed to show you my address book (but I will) because it is proof of my OCD. I couldn't find the "perfect" book, so I kinda created my own using a Monet calendar. I hated the boring dividers in the type of book I wanted, so I chopped up an old calendar and pasted the pictures I wanted onto the dividers so that it was esthetically pleasing! So now, I DO have the "perfect" addy book for me! :) How does one make a picture of a camera look interesting? LOL No clue! But here is my something new. :) I'm still getting used to it, so I'm not sure I like it any better than my old one, yet, though I'm told I'm supposed to be totally impressed with it. We'll see. lol Didja play? I wanna see! Y'all have a GREAT day!!!

Thursday Thirteen

2006-06-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

There's supposed to be a link here that will connect you with other "Thursday Thirteeners" but, I can't find it right now, so just pretend, k? Good.

This week's Thursday Thirteen is brought to you by the word "happy."

I am happy when I think about my babies smiling at me and meaning it (not a gas bubble smile).

I am happy when I receive flowers.

I am happy when I cook an entire meal from scratch and people love it.

I am happy when I can sit and read a good book--uninterrupted.

I am happy when my house is clean (to my standards).

I am happy when I come home and it is obvious someone TRIED to clean the house(to my standards).

I am happy when I'm wrapping presents.

I am happy when I wake up and the sun is shining and I feel rested.

I am happy when I'm doing my Christmas baking.

I am happy when I am on my "Mom's Day/Weekend Out."

I am happy when I come home from my "Mom's Day/Weekend Out."

I am happy when I get shiny, sparkly things in little boxes. *grin*

I am really happy when I'm getting hugs good night from my kids...(even the 16 yr old still hugs me good night).

And tha-tha-tha-that's all folks!

Waiter

2006-06-21T18:34:00.000-05:00

I don't know if or how many of you have ever heard of "Waiter", but he's over there on waiterrant.net and y'all need to read his latest post. I enjoy him cuz he's humorous and real, and he makes me think. He writes like he's "so old and wise" when in fact, he's younger than I (for the record, I'm not old either!). He's just an old soul. He's seen a lot in his business. Maybe he's just seen a lot in general. So, when and if you have time, go check him out. And if you really have some time, read through some of his archives. I guarantee you'll smile at some point. You might even guffaw. And you'll definitely think. :) Enjoy!

Way Back Wednesday!

2006-06-20T17:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Summer Solstice!! To celebrate the first official day of summer let's see some summery things... bathing suits, beaches, BBQs, water balloon fights, wet t-shirt contests... you name it! I always forget about this, but I'm on top of things this week! LOL ************************************** No future Hollywood star is completely dressed without her shades! Of course, I'm still waiting on the "Hollywood star" bit... (and that's a flaw in the picture, not a booger!) *************************************

One of my favorite pictures EVER!

He was watching the helicopters over the water--

not checkin out babes! LOL

*************************************

Can ya see my lil sand friend?

I sat there with my camera ready for like 20 min waiting to get a picture of this thing.

Everytime I'd lean forward to snap the picture, he'd scoot back into his hole.

Finally! I got him!

And no summer, in my book, was ever complete without the annual trip to Ohio to spend a month or so on my grandparent's farm. You can see a pic of us there if ya click this!

Hey!

2006-06-20T15:34:00.000-05:00

...so y'all like the new pad? It's a kinda groovy lay out and feels nice and summery. :) Soooo... Miss me? :) We had an absolutely wonderful time on our little trip to Mobile. I tooka crapload of pics. LOL The weather was perfect. I seriously couldn't have ordered better weather. Being near the shore just reminds me all over again why I love it so much. It doesn't matter how blisteringly hot and disgustingly humid it is--there is ALWAYS a breeze! And I LOVE IT! We did so much in such a short period of time, it feels like we were gone longer. The boys loved swimming at the pool. We all enjoyed being at the USS Alabama and the USS Drum (see Flickr for pics>>>). While being on a WW2 era ship and sub are awe inspiring, it was standing on the beach at Ocean Springs that truly blew me away. We drove down there on our way home because I hadn't been there since Katrina. The closer we got to the shore, the more you could tell how affected the area was. There is still trash in treetops. Huge trees uprooted. Blue tarps on roofs. FEMA campers in driveways or worse--on foundations. We got out of the car at the beach and just stood there...taking it all in. The erosion is unbelievable. A house that was built in the Southern Gothic style with pillars has only its foundation and the pillars standing. There is an empty lot with a great view...and a concrete slab and small child's bicycle in what used to be the driveway for sale. The creek that runs alongside a piece of property is littered with trash and broken limbs. And it all stinks. Still. We tried to follow Hwy 90 to Biloxi and Gulfport back to Louisiana, but the bridge is still out at Biloxi, so all traffic is rerouted to the interstate. We didn't try to get back down there. It was depressing enough just seeing what we did. I didn't need to gawk at anything else. As I was taking pictures, it occured to me how sick this all was--me out there with the kids "siteseeing" other people's destroyed lives. I quit taking pictures after that realization. It just felt too weird. But I did want them to see it. To experience it as much as possible. I wanted their hearts to break for what other people had lost and to realize that it could easily have happened to us. If Katrina would've come in few hundred miles to the west and that would've been our home, possibly, or our friends and family's homes... It was quite sobering. But let me end this on a happy note: We had a GREAT time! Y'all seriously need to get away for a few days. Just kick back, relax, order in, or eat out. Take a break from reality, if only for 24 hours. It is SO worth it!

Daddy

2006-06-18T07:47:00.000-05:00

This is my daddy. I could, and would love to wax poetic about him, but I can't. I can't get emotional right now, and that's what would happen if I tried to tell y'all much about him. I can say this...

It's been 5 years (on the 19th) since he's been gone, but I still miss him like it was yesterday.
He was a hard-ass as a father, and I was really afraid of him when I was young.
After he and my mom got divorced (I was 15), he got much softer.
He and I became very good friends after I was an adult.
He was an awesome grandfather.
He loved me.
He loved my children.
I miss him.

Now, I'm going to share a few pics...because I'm out of words.

As a young man, fresh out of the service. A more "mature" look (with mustache!) surveying in Africa.

Africa 1959 Fishing relaxed him. Everglades Florida 1971-72 *pretend you see a pic of Daddy and me--blogger won't let me upload any more pics!** As a grandfather, he ROCKED! The boys loved Pa-Paw Mitch! He passed away, due to complications of emphysema (a living lesson to my children)and Parkinson's Disease 4 mos before my Lil Guy was born. I'm thankful we have video and lots and lots of pictures. Happy Father's Day. (Sorry about the screwed up text and pictures. Blogger won't fix it, no matter how many times I correct, it, it just goes right back to the same funky alignment. Ugh.)

I Forget

2006-06-16T18:03:00.000-05:00

I forget stuff--A LOT. All the time. Everyday. It used to be that I'd forget things occasionally. After I had my first child, my older (wiser) friends told me to prepare myself for losing my mind. If only I'd have taken them serious, I'd have been more prepared, I think. It used to be that I'd forget the occasional thing. You know, I'd forget to write something on the grocery list, or forget to mail that package, or pay that bill *(eye roll)*. Then it started getting a little worse. I'd walk with purpose into a room and promptly forget what I'd gone to do/retrieve. I've heard and read things about forgetfulness getting worse with menopause, but lately it's just become ridiculous. I forget where I'm going while driving!! *forcryingoutloud* I'll be toodling down the road and look around and have no clue as to why I'm where I am or where I'm supposed to be going. OR I'll be driving and take a turn and then realize I just turned the wrong direction. ugh. Last week, I was driving #1Son to school and he was looking for something in his booksack, when he picked up his head and said, "Mom? Where we going?" I looked around and said, "I dunno. Where we supposed to be going?" Today, I went to the store and pulled into the parking space and couldn't remember why I'd gone. So I went shoe shopping instead. (Didn't find anything cute...and that's beside the point.) I still can't remember why I went to the store! I'm sure people at work think I'm totally efficient. I walk around with a little notepad and pen. If I don't write it down, it doesn't get done. (I crack myself up because I imagine me as one of those ubercool secretaries from the 50s! Now all I need to do is learn shorthand!) It's bad, y'all. LOL I think I'll call the doc next week and make an appt. I need to call him anyway and check with him about these headaches, too. I just hope I'm not getting Alzheimer's! That would bite. Bigtime. Because so many of y'all enjoyed the "old" pic from SPF, I'm including this pic of Daddy and the tennis team he was on at Clark AFB. I love my old pics...and am thankful I have them. Cheerio!

Stuff Portrait Friday!

2006-06-16T05:58:00.000-05:00

It's time for another round of Stuff Portrait Friday brought to us by the "lady of the house" over at Random and Odd. She wants to see "my puzzle, my best, and something old" (ahhh, a twist on the wedding!). So, without further ado, here are my offerings... (Keystone Cops Pose For A Picture) I'm cheating a little bit by using one picture for two... My puzzle: How in the world do I get more than one person into place at the same time? My best: My family. :) Something Old: A picture of Daddy and a friend posing at Clark AFB, Phillipines. This was taken during the Korean Conflict, 1951. Didja play? I wanna see!! :)

Humpday Happenings

2006-06-14T21:07:00.000-05:00

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week. It has been as long as I can remember--even before I heard it referred to as "humpday." It truly is the ha'f way point, well, except for now. LOL I only work 4 days during the summer, so in today's case, it means tomorrow is the last day of the week! Wow. Now that's a cool perspective! I am actually enjoying myself so far. Just acclimating myself to the placement of things and moving a few things around slowly, but surely. I mentioned that it "sure would be nice" if we got WindowsXP for my computer, and a scanner, and a new mouse and Norton and today I was told to do some price shopping for everything but Norton. (I'd already done my homework on that and put it in the right box!) Yay! I may get Christmas in June! Heh. I can definitely handle that!! Owait. I won't be there Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday. Okay, well, I might go back Wednesday. I just remembered we're leaving Sunday afternoon to go on our "little" vacation. Hmmph. Well, I guess IF they get anything cool, it'll still be there when I go back. :) So yes, we're going on our trip. It's nothing far or fancy, but the boys will love it. We're driving over to Mobile to tour the USS Alabama and USS Drum. I saw it years ago once when we stopped on our way to Florida. We're not gonna go to FL though. The place we loved is gone--Perdido. Well, I suppose it's still THERE, just not like we last saw it. We were there 3 years ago just before Ivan came through and flattened it. I spent lots of great summers in Perdido...It'll come back, I'm sure. Anyway, we're gonna tour the Alabama and the big mega complex they've built up now and then drive back along Hwy 90 (as much as possible) to get a real-life view of what Katrina did. I'm sure that will be depressing, but I think it's something the kids need to see. We had so many evacuees here and where we are was damaged so little, I want them to have a real understanding of what CAN happen. We're not going to do as much as I'd originally planned because we're leaving #1Son behind to continue with summer school. He knew missing vacation was going to be a consequence if he didn't pass Algebra...Now he gets to see what it's like to have real responsibilities and live up to them. I sure hope your week is going well and that you're not suffering too much from this incredible Southern heat. Ugh. TTFN* :)

Today...

2006-06-13T19:33:00.000-05:00

isn't one of those stellar days, but it was better than yesterday. At least everyone is still alive. It was questionable for a bit there last night. You ever hear of the defense, "He just needed killin'."? That would've been mine. I think I may have honed in on a possible cause of my headaches--high bloodpressure. I had HBP before my surgery last November and had to be on meds before they'd operate, but while in the hospital, it bottomed out and the doctor recommended I quit the meds. I was supposed to get it rechecked after I got home, but because of LIFE, I never did. Evidently, murderous headaches is a side effect of HBP...Go figure. So, I'll be making an appt to have that checked out again...soon. Work is fine. Uneventful. Except for the fact they're running Windows 2000 and have no firewall or antiviral protection. Argh. I ran updates on my computer and cleaned the disk and defragged and d/l Ad-aware anti-spy program today. Like I said, uneventful. Hope y'all have a GREAT night :)

2006-06-12T21:25:00.000-05:00

And that's all I have to say about that.

The TAGGED Results

2006-06-12T05:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, because it's Monday morning, I just woke up, and coffee hasn't kicked in yet, ie: brain's not functioning fully, I'm gonna fill in the blanks to the tag I got from Cheeky last week! ("Finally!" she says.) I am going to be on a deserted island and I have to pick my favorites to bring along with me. My 3 favorite:

**Disclaimer**

I am not planning on being trapped on a deserted island anytime soon, so I am not locked into these choices of "my favs". They are subject to change at any given moment!!

**End Disclaimer**

Books: Man, only three? Have you seen my personal library? Sheesh. Hubby has informed me that we have no more room for book cases. I tend to disagree. I can see a space or two left. LOL

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Bible
The Five Complete Novels of Agatha Christie's Murder and Mysteries book (Hah! I knew there was a way to get more books in!!)

Movies: Hmmm. Another hard one.

The Godfather (first installment)
Gone With The Wind (I can never watch the part where Scarlett is in her bedroom the morning after Rhett has "taken" her and she pulls out a picture of Ashley and he catches her mooning over him. TURNS MY STOMACH. I just wanna bitch slap her.)
My Fair Lady

Music: Good Grief! How's a girl who lives with a song in her head supposed to choose ONLY three???

LeRoux--I've compiled a CD of LeRoux songs and I am always hearing one of them in my head, so I think I'd need this, for sure.
Styx--The "Best of" CD will do.
I NEED one of my homemade CDs with favorite singles on it--The Mamas and the Papas, Journey, Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Nelly, Pussycat Dolls, Blackeyed Peas, Audioslave, DJ Trashy, etc. You get the picture. LOL

People: Like Ms. Cheeky assumed, I'm listing three people who I'm not related to.

I dunno why, but I used to assume I was the only woman in the world with a HUGE crush on this guy--Matthew McConaughey. Imagine my shock and dismay when I discovered otherwise! Sorry girls, he's gonna be busy for a bit. He's gonna be on my deserted island. Heh. Playing my bongos. Double heh.
Wendy--we've been friends since Jr. High and still love to spend time with one another. We've been through thick and thin and back again...Time, distance and families don't allow us to spend enough time together, so yeah, she's comin with me, for sure!
Angelina--we've had some great experiences together and she can always make me laugh. And I have a feeling if I were "trapped" on this island, I'd need to be laughing an awful lot!

Oy Vey! Now comes the part where I'm supposed to tag three people. LOL I have no idea!

How bout I leave this open? If ya feel like doing this, then go for it! LOL I'm so lazy, I know!!

I'll leave y'all with this "Thought For The Day."

Hope y'all have a GREAT one!!

Stupidity Rant

2006-06-11T13:02:00.000-05:00

"It's so amazing to me how blind some people can be; they close their eyes complaining they can't see..." Carrie's Gone by LeRoux What struck me this morning was the stupidity of some parents. I don't know if you've paid any attention to the story about the sixteen year old who conned her mother into getting her a passport so she could go "on a trip to Canada with friends" or not, but let me just say--O MY GOD! What kind of woman is this? I don't consider myself to be an over protective parent, but neither am I terribly lenient either. I think I do a pretty good job of loosening the apron strings at a progressive clip. But let me just say: IF my child, no matter if he was an honor student or had never given me a lick of trouble in his life or not, came to me and asked me to get him a passport so he could LEAVE THE COUNTRY with other KIDS, I would be in communication with the other parents to firm up plans on where they'd be staying, who all was going, etc. Also, I would KNOW these other kids--not just know their names, I would personally KNOW them. My child (juvenile/minor) will not be leaving the country with "some friends"; ever. And I dont' think that I'm overreacting or being overprotective, either. I just don't "get" where this mother is coming from. I am extremely thankful her daughter was found prior to meeting with the 24 yr old man she flew ha'f way around the world to meet. (Who knows if she'd have ever been seen or heard from again if she had.) I am extremely thankful she has returned safely. And yanno, I'm not sure, if it were my child, what I'd do now. That decision would come after I'd calmed down enough to be in the same room with her.

SPF

2006-06-08T21:19:00.000-05:00

Okay, so here's the deal. This week, the lovely Kristine has given us interesting guidelines (to say the least). But, because I'm SUCH a good girl (in the BEST definition of the word), I will use the purest sense of the meanings for this week's SPF (um, yeah.). Oh yeah, just cuz I'm nice n stuff, you get bonus pics. (again, yeah, right. I just couldn't make up my mind.) Without further ado: SPF ASSIGNMENT: 1. A wide open space. 2. Brightness 3. In the dark My wide open spaces consist of: The Seattle skyline (taken from the Bremerton ferry). And here's the view from one of those "on the side of the road" places in the Tennessee part of Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park. For something bright, I thought this pic of some friends' paintball field fit the bill. The boys had a BLAST! Hey! How'd this picture get in here? *snicker* He's got such a bright smile. Ya just gotta love it! *Ignore the not-yet-fully-decorated tree* Ahhhh, yes. In the dark. Well, this picture of the Vegas strip was definitely taken "in the dark." This is taken from the top of the "Eiffel Tower" at the Paris Hotel (which was directly across from our hotel). *sigh* Can I go back NOW? Pretty please? Okiedokie. Assignment complete! And it's still Thursday night! OMG How freakin' efficient am I? Um. Hah! I just know I'll be busy tomorrow, and I wanted to play, so I did my homework tonight! *wink* Y'all have great Fridays and let me know if ya played. I'll stop by. :)

Gah! FINALLY!

2006-06-08T20:20:00.000-05:00

Has blogger been down ALL afternoon? Forcryinoutloud! So, I came home from work, wrote out my post, and couldn't get connected. Came back an hour later--same story. Forgot about it, came back a minute ago, and STILL DOWN. Sheesh. So what you get below, is my post I wrote this afternoon at 3pm. And wtf? Today is Thursday? Owell. No Thursday Thirteen from me. Have to go work on SPF for tomorrow... PS: Have I mentioned that I'm allergic to work??? I sneeze like a fool while I'm there. LMAO Gotta love it!

Alrighty, then

2006-06-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

Well, with me doing something else besides being home with my chitlens er...children all day every day, I'm gonna have GREAT stories. :) For instance... There's the one about the irate mother who came in to "talk" to the headmaster about WHY NO ONE INFORMED HER that her daughter was failing four classes. Oops. Did you miss the PROGRESS REPORT that was sent home mid-quarter? Did you miss the tests that were sent home FOR YOU TO SIGN? And so yeah, maybe your daughter did what thousands of other children through the years have done and simply did not show you the progress report and had her friends sign the test papers, BUT...you're her parent; you have a school calendar that tells you when progress reports are sent home; you are supposed to notice when things THAT CONCERN YOUR CHILD happen, and IF you don't see a progress report, give us a call. We'd be happy to put one in the mail for ya or even fax it over to your office. Just thought I'd let you know. :) Oh yeah. There's gonna be lots of fodder. ***************************** Life on the homefront (all two days) since I've been working has been great. I come home and still have enough energy to feel like cooking, so that keeps the hubby happy. There'll be days, though, when he will do the cooking. Thank goodness he likes to cook. Albeit, his list of meals is limited, he CAN cook when necessary (or when I'm hungry for something he does particularly well). ***************************** #1Son "says" that summer school is going well. They took 2 tests yesterday. I'll get a progress report tomorrow. He "says" he's getting the hang of things. He "says" this teacher has explained things every time in a manner he is able to "get." Jury is still out on this one, yet. We'll see. Tha-tha-tha-that's all (for now) folks! O

Day One: check.

2006-06-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

Eh, it's over. A very uneventful day. I didn't expect it to be filled with angst or turmoil. There just isn't much going on during the summer at school. The next few weeks will be spent acclimating myself to the surroundings and reorganizing things to my style. The previous secretary was a lefty, so there are a lot of things that are backwards to me. I am ambidextrous, but still primarily a righty. Nothing major will get changed, just the placement of a few things and well, I probably will re-do the files. They're all backwards! LOL Just one of those things you don't think about much, but makes a world of difference when it comes to efficiency. ******************** I don't know why, but I've been spending a lot of time going through old photos. I have this desire to sort through all of my family photos, scan and burn CDs for myself, my brother, and my mom. In the process of finding and sorting, I've found the tapes from when the boys were babies. I really want to get the VCR tapes converted to DVD. Eventually I will sort, scan and burn the pics of this family too. The problem is we keep taking pictures! The best I can do is just keep a backup file of photos for now. At some point, I'll get the hard copy pics done... LOL More projects to put on my plate. It's amazing. I purposefully get busier (go to work) and for whatever reason, I'm making more work for myself at home. *shaking head* Clueless. I'm braindead. Kids are in bed. I'm outta here. Ciao*

First Day

2006-06-07T06:27:00.000-05:00

Her legs dangle from the chair. She eats each cornflake, taking her time. She pulls down her red dress As she reluctantly hops to the floor. Her golden curls bounce,though she's walking slow. Her mother's hand grasps her tiny one. As they walk, she notices her mother's feet. For the first time, the sun bounces off Her shiny black shoes. Her eyes widen as the big building stares down at her. She is being brave, but one tear cheats-- After all, it's only her first day. Hope y'all have an AWESOME day!

How CUTE is THIS?

2006-06-06T22:57:00.000-05:00

I came across this pic when I was looking for something else. He started walking when he was NINE MONTHS OLD. Argh. OMG He's so freakin' cute. I can't stand it. *random gush over*

Long story, short...

2006-06-06T16:53:00.000-05:00

Yeah right. Okay, I'll try. I was supposed to start work Monday, but didn't. I was supposed to start work today, but didn't. I am supposed to start work tomorrow. The End. Heh. Want some details, now? Okay, okay, but I will try to keep this condensed, cuz, well, supper is almost ready and I can't be keepin' the fam waiting (neglecting) supper just cuz I'm working online (blogging). So okay... After several conversations Sunday and Monday, it was determined that I would begin work today. But, after waiting for 6 weeks for an appt for my Lil Guy to be "screened" for speech therapy, I got the call yesterday afternoon telling me he had an appt THIS MORNING at 8:15 am. I was supposed to be at work for 9 am. Time conflict. Ugh. I called my friend and told her the situation and she was totally cool with it and told me to just come in tomorrow rather than stressing about having to be there today. Awesome! Speech assessment went well; and as expected. I swear, though, those people must be used to dealing with cretins. One of my biggest pet peeves is to be "talked down to" and while the ladies there (therapists and director) were kind and friendly, they acted like I had "IDIOT" tattooed on my forehead. They repeated things several different ways, even after I'd affirmed I understood what they were saying. And man, oh man, when the one gave me a sheet with websites on it and started with, "Now, all you need to do is type in these letters in the little bar at the top of the page..." I just let the glazed look wash over my face. It just didn't matter how many times I told her I understood what she was talking about, and if I'd have told her at that point that I knew how to get to a website and work the computer, it would've been a waste of my breath. She was nice, poor dear. I feel so incredibly sorry for her because she has to deal with people who need to be told, "Now, all you need to do is type in these letters in the little bar at the top of the page..." *clapping hands and jumping up and down excitedly* Now I get to wait some more and fill out more papers after they are sent to my home and then wait some more til his name comes up in the system again! WEEEEEEE! *wiping sarcastic drool from my chin*

And OH YES! I got the official letter from the insurance company today, putting all of the blame for the mixup with insurance coverage (for speech) onto the therapist. Isn't that just dandy?

Therapist says insurance misrepresented coverage, and darnit, that automated system has some kinks in it. (But we signed that nifty lil piece of paper that says we're responsible for all charges incurred regardless of insurance coverage, so pay up.)
Insurance says therapist should've known better and pushed to get through to a real person. (Too bad we signed that piece of paper agreeing to be responsible for charges incurred. We should've checked things out ourselves.)
We get stuck with $2100 bill. (I wonder how much I'd get for body parts.)

Yes, just dandy. Other than that, it was a great day! Hope yours was rockin'!

Relax

2006-06-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

I got this in my email the other day and came across it this morning when I was cleaning out my box. I just had to share it with y'all! Relax..... Just in case you've had a rough day, here's a stress management technique recommended in all the latest psychological texts. The funny thing is that it really works. 1. Picture yourself near a stream. 2. Birds are softly chirping in the cool mountain air. 3. No one but you knows your secret place. 4. You are in total seclusion from the hectic place called "the world," 5. The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity. 6. The water is crystal clear. 7. You can easily make out the face of the person you're holding underwater. 8. See! You're smiling already!

Y'all HAVE to read this!

2006-06-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

http://scarbiedoll.blogspot.com/2006/05/blogging-is-not-cool-anymore.html This gave me a chuckle!

Weekend Odds n Ends

2006-06-04T19:47:00.000-05:00

**sung to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me"**
Goodwill loves me; yes it's true They make loads on what I bring thru. I support them every year Need some boy clothes? Never fear!

Well, my charitable contribution for the next several months is done.
I really prefer just writing checks, but I also think that my expending my blood, sweat, and tears (okay, no blood or tears) for a charitable purpose is worthy too. :)
Honestly, I'm quite happy to give the clothes to a place that will be beneficial for more than just one person. When the boys were little, a couple of my friends and I used to do a clothes exchange. Lil Guy is still small enough (read: outgrows it before he outwears it) to do that with some things, but for the most part, the kids would really rather pick out their own clothes rather than have hand-me-downs.
I'm so tired--all the time. I think my hormones need to be tweaked, but I hate having to call the doctor again. I used to be tired all the time before my surgery and just chalked it up to bleeding so much (all.the.time). Since my surgery, though, I've had periods (no pun intended) where I have all this great energy and am "happy" and then I have other times where I'm just exhausted. Every time we've switched my hormones, I've always had an "up" period. I've been taking these now, for a couple of months and that's about the extent that I've been able to take a new one before it peters out.
(Oy. I just re-read what I wrote and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Ugh. Hopefully you'll get the jist of it.)
Heard from my "boss" today. Okay, she's not really my boss. She and her husband own the school where I'll be working, but they'll not be directly over me. She is just basically my friend. LOL Regardless, she called me today to tell me they'll have a formal meeting with administration tomorrow and tell them that I've been hired, and set up a time for me to come in and meet with my immediate "boss" (the principal) and the current secretary. At that time we'll arrange a date for me to start. It will be sometime later this week. That's all I know.
Summer school begins tomorrow for #1Son. He's not looking forward to it. The paperwork we received Friday said they cover the equivalent of one week + one day per day during summer school. OMG. He had issues keeping up with the class when they were doing one lesson per day. How in the world is he gonna do this??? I don't know. I DO know he needs to pass. Please, please God...jump in his brain and help him figure things out. I'll do what I can, but passing this class is totally up to him. (and Him.)
I realized over the weekend that I will need to get up at 5:30 am once school begins (in August). Ew. That translates to being asleep by 10 pm. In what parallell universe is that gonna happen??? I'm either gonna have to figure out a way to do some power napping when I get home from school or a way to crunch some serious restful sleep into those 7.5 (or less) hours. When LilGuy was a baby and I was working, I somehow survived on about 5 hours of sleep. Survive is maybe too loose a term. I existed. LOL Anyway...I'll figure it all out, eh?
Oh the drama! I just had to take a 10 min break in this blogging to deal with "neighborhood drama." After I became a grown-up, the thing that most disappointed me was that sooooo many adults still act exactly the same way as they did in junior high. *sigh* And unfortunately some of them live right on my street. My son came in blabbing about one of the neighbors down the street hollering at another neighbor down the street (who'd already gone inside their house) and something about the cops. Just as I went to the door to peep down the street, sure enough, here come the cops. I have no idea what happened, but these two neighbors are always having some fracas. I'm sure it's something uber important like their dog crapping on the other's yard or something similar. You know--something that will legitimize my tax dollars working efficiently. In the meantime, I overhear the neighbor on the other side of me bitching at her hubby about "always stickin' his nose in other people's business and how it doesn't concern him so why doesn't he just get back in the damn house..." They're funny, actually. They're both nosey, but she's the one who will peep out the curtains and glean what she can by simply watching and then make up the rest, and he is the type who will show up in the yard and ask ya point blank what's going on and get the straight dope. LOL
Welcome to my little world. Blah.

I'm done, I think. My head hurts now. LOL Too much drama, I'm sure.

I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy...

2006-06-03T08:46:00.000-05:00

Why do I have this "joy?" Because I'm home (almost) alone!!!! Yes!! Woot! Woot! The Lil Guy is here with me, but he doesn't really count cuz when he's by himself he is SOOOOO GOOOOOODDDDD! *big ole grin* How did I get to be in this state, you ask? Welp, let me tell ya... The requisite (because every good Southern family has one) "little old lady" called Hubby up during the week and said she had a couple-a trees down on her property (she's got like, her own forest n stuff) that were blown over last year (Thank you, Rita) and she's worried about them becoming projectiles should we get "big wind" this year, so could he come help her out by cutting them up and makin' a big ole bonfire pile outta them, and oh, by the way, once the bonfire pile is finished, we can all go over there and have an old-fashioned weenie/marshmallow roast. How fun is that? Soooo he went over there Thursday and scoped out the situation and her "couple-a" trees winds up being about 16 that need attention! Yikes! So he and SweetSon went out there this morning to S T A R T on them. He says there's no way he'll be done today...maybe in a couple of weekends of full days out there, but not today. Owell. Maybe we'll be able to have our weenie roast for 4th of July. LOL She's paying them, too, so it's not all chivalry n shit that is driving him to do this. ;) #1Son spent the night at a friend's house and conveniently didn't mention a time he wanted/needed to be picked up today. Hmmmm...*raises eye brows here* I'll give him til noonish to call me and if I don't hear from him by then, I'll have to give him a ringyding to see how things are going. LOL I know they didn't even bother to think about sleeping til 3am or so...so I'll be sorta nice. Heh. He starts summer school on Monday at 7:30 (wtf--that's cruel and unusual punishment for parents), so he's gotta have a lil bit of fun this weekend. (yeah, right, whatever) So, you wonder how I'll be enjoying all my peace and quiet? Wonder not! *drumroll* I will be cleaning out closets! Yes, that's right! Taking outgrown clothes and sorting and bagging and assessing what is good enough to donate and what will simply be trashed. Woohooo! Sounds like my kinda fun! NOT. Unfortunately, someone has to do it and since they're all gone, I may as well bite the bullet. I will, however, have MY music up to the level at which I like to hear it and not have anyone gripe or moan! So there. *sticks out tongue at closed door* Take that! Loses it's effect somehow when there's no one here to see it. LOL May you all have awesome Saturdays! *pretend I've inserted a really cool pic here* Unfortunately, I can't. Blogger is being a butthole. Ugh. Still...I want you to have a really great day!

First SPF in "not May"

2006-06-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

SPF is the brainchild of the lovely Kristine over at Random and Odd.

This week's assignment is:

1. Something ‘Sparkly’ 2. Something ‘Dull’ 3. Something ‘Colorful’

Sparkly: Marbles are kinda sparkly when the light hits 'em. ;)

Dull: I love the story of Les Mis, but Hugo's writing is incredibly dull, to me.

I've seen it twice and only gotten ha'f way through the book once! LOL

Colorful: The ceiling in the foyer at Bellagio has this incredible artwork

by Dale Chihuly.

Have an AWESOME day!

Photos: A Graphic Reminder

2006-05-31T17:14:00.000-05:00

Hurricane season begins tomorrow... (June 1st) My brother sent these pics he took (while working out of New Orleans) last week as a reminder of what hurricane season 2005 left us to remember it by. We all get so busy in our own lives, we forget about the devastation wrought by Katrina (and Rita) only 9 months ago. These people are still working on a daily basis to bring their lives back to some semblance of normal. At this time, normal is what you see. People fail to be horrified, when they pass these piles of trash and buildings on a daily basis, anymore. Sadly, normal will never be what it once was.

A ray of hope?

My Mood

2006-05-31T12:10:00.000-05:00

2006-05-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

Lots of things going on in my head. Trying to sort them all out. I was once told my head is a bad place to venture into alone...and here I am. Others have input, but decisions are ultimately mine. So much to think about and consider; options to weigh. I've been offered a job. Actually, I've known about the position for a couple of months but hadn't put a whole lot of thought into it until I got the phone call last Thursday telling me that "while I was overqualified for the position, it could 'grow into something more', and would I please consider it." I had my interview yesterday. It went well, I guess. It's not anything super glamorous nor does it pay very well. Secretaries aren't very well respected or paid. The job it "could develop into" is the Admissions Coordinator. I'll be assisting the current coordinator as part of my duties. I've done it before, so it's not a stretch. Hell, I've done most everything when it comes to schools. *chuckle* I'm more interested in the "could be" position than the front-desk secretarial position, so that is why I'm leaning towards accepting the job...in addition to the fact that it will pay for my children's tuition and leave me with some lagniappe at the end of the month. I've homeschooled for so long and before that had a foot on the ground floor of our school, that I'm not sure how I'll enjoy actually working for someone else who isn't exactly on "my" page. The older boys are at a point now where they need to be in a school enviroment. I know my limitations. #1Son attended this year as a Freshman and did very well. SweetSon is on his heels and needs more than I am capable of giving when it comes to maths and sciences. LilGuy is just starting and I actually wish I were able to stay home with him and teach him the way I did the other two...I just don't see how it can happen, though. Balancing finances SUCK! Hubby busts his booty to provide for us at this point. There're not enough hours in the day for him to do more and besides that, I'd never ask him to. He's supported my homeschooling and always told me working was my choice. The kids are excited about the possibility of going to school, so I guess that's a good thing. I worry though (as in making myself sick with it). I think part of it is that I have to relinquish control to people I don't necessarily know well or in some cases, at all. These other people will be putting things in my children's minds that I haven't preapproved, and while I know that I can't protect or monitor things forever, I just always wanted to maintain a level of control for longer than 4 years. It's just Lil Guy I really worry about. He's still such a sponge when it comes to character and behaviour and general make-up. Argh. I don't really have a problem with the 13 yr old going to school. He is extremely intelligent, intuitive, and discerning. The 16 yr old has been in the "big pond" now for a year and he's doing well. I just want to do my best at the primary job I've been given. I want to be a good mom. I'll figure it out, I'm sure. I can only hope I make the right/best decision. :) **Listening to "Wastelands" by The Floating Men**

2006-05-30T07:22:00.000-05:00

Dude! I, like, HIGHLY recommend weekend trips on great-weathered weekends! Now that I've got that out of the way... We have taken lots of trips, but I have to tell ya. That was probably one of the best ever.

The weather was perfect--hot, but a nice breeze made it comfortable in the shade.
The water wasn't too cool cuz the lake is fairly shallow.
They spray the park, so there were NO MOSQUITOS.
And they evidently poison the ants, too, cuz I tell ya, I went all through that park and only saw two little bitty ant piles. That's it. And that's amazing.
It rained at home while we were gone and my plants grew about 5 inches!
And I got to pick 7 (count them!) cherry tomatoes!! And there's LOTS more on the bush. Heh.

I got some amazing pictures and just have to share some! :)

Stuff Portrait Friday!

2006-05-25T22:34:00.000-05:00

This weeks SPF, as brought to you by the lovely Kristine, is sort of based on Auschwitz. 1. Your suitcase/s or travel bag. 2. Your ground. 3. Something you are powerless to. Okay, so this isn't my suitcase, but it's big enough to be considered a carryon. I could probably get an entire outfit, a bottle of water and a book in here. It's my purse for the summer, though. Summer purses must be big enough to carry the kitchen sink in. That's a rule in the South. I think. My ground. This was an accidental pic. I completely missed my subject (Lil Guy on the rope swing) and got this awesome abstract shot of the shadows of the tree branches on the ground. Not too bad in B&W, too. Something I'm powerless to. Age. I turned 40 this year. For the most part I don't have a problem with it. I love being the age I am. I love being able to look back and realize what an idiot I was, and wish I could've stopped myself from making some kickass mistakes along the way. On the other hand, I'm the person I am today because of the good and the bad. *shrug* Age? Bleck. It's just a number. Oy. Still have laundry to do and packing to do and my Mom is coming for lunch tomorrow and I need to run to the grocery store one last time (tomorrow) and I'm exhausted NOW. I just want to go to bed. LOL Instead, I just spent the last 30 minutes here fooling with this. *shaking my head* This is "my" time. We're leaving on Saturday to go up North (3 hours) for the long weekend. We'll spend some time with family and spend some time at a State Park up there. It's supposed to be a nice weekend. H O T, but nice. Sunscreen, hats, and swimtrunks are in order, I do believe. And oh yeah: side-of-the-road-watermelon! YUM. Hope y'all have great Memorial Day weekends! Happy Trails~

The rest of the pics that blogspot ate...

2006-05-25T20:56:00.000-05:00

Summers at my Grandparent's house was always a blast. We got to see our cousins (who were all mixed up in ages between, above and below us) and my Grandpa had a great pond--just perfect for the occasional canoe or joe-boat ride and lots of fishin' n froggin'. Can you tell which child doesn't belong to me?? What? Does the tow-head give it away? Here are my hubby, two boys, and a friend are hiking their little hearts out...Oh yeah. I was there too. I took the picture! LOL Of course I'm not going to post the hot, sweaty pic he took of me! Ew. With two (now three) boys, I like to spend a lot of time camping and hiking and doing "guy" stuff. Who knew my years as a Girl Scout would come in so handy! Of course we don't do much camping during the summer (too hot n humid), but spring and fall rock. And here are the older boys (when they were MUCH younger) goofing off on a summer afternoon. Monkey bars and swingsets ruled! Okay, so those are just a few of the reasons I love summers with the kids :)

"If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?"

2006-05-25T08:16:00.000-05:00

That line from "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down seemed appropriate since I would be talking about 13 things I like about Summer (with children). *grin*

Thirteen Things I like about SUMMER

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

1. I love not waking up to an alarm.

2. I still get up early, because I like to drink my first cup of coffee outside on my patio and listen to morning sounds (without the stress of having to go in before I'm ready).

3. I really like sitting outside watching my Lil Guy splash around in his pool.

4. I have great memories of summers at my Grandparent's farm

and get very misty thinking about them.

5. I still think the best vacations are taken during summer.

6. My family has taken some GREAT vacations during summer.

7. I think kids look healthiest (regardless of studies and skin cancer risks) with a tan.

8. I do enforce the "sunscreen rule" now (because of skin cancer risks),

but my guys still get nice tans.

9. I love the Summer Reading Program at the Public Library and

the incentives they give the children for reading.

10. I love the smell of chlorine and swimming lessons...

and the memories they evoke.

11. I love the sound of a ball and bat making the connect at

Little League games.

12. I love spearamint sno-cones.

13. I have a love/hate relationship with the big, fat raindrops

that only come with summer storms.

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Blogger is being a poo-poo head, so I can't upload the other pics at the moment.

I'll try again later....*eye roll*

Happy Trails~

Once upon a time...

2006-05-24T20:26:00.000-05:00

...my oldest son used to read (for practice) to his little brother...

circa 1996

A History Lesson (sorta) WBW style

2006-05-24T08:10:00.000-05:00

TKW has decided that "we" need to once again dig thru our old photos and come up with something embarrassing...something like "anyone in a red, white and blue one-piece terry sunsuit with a bowl cut..." Unfortunately (for her, because she can't point and get a good laugh) and fortunately for me, none of those particular photos are in my possession. Heh. Instead I'll bring to you the first part of our "assignment": It's history! Looking for shots of you at a historical site or monument... Yep. That, I can do. Sorta. So. Here are my brother and me at Magic Kingdom. Circa 1975 There are lots of historical vingettes at Magic Kingdom. In fact, I had the best bowl of clam chowder ever at a shoppe in Olde Towne there. So this counts. Trust me. :) Are you diggin' that floppy sun hat? How bout the way I'm trying to stick out my chest and it ends up looking like I'm throwing out my back? OR How bout my bro's Kook-aid T? Man, we saved Kool-aid packs forEVER to get those! Okay, real history comes into play here. Here we are at Thomas Edison's summer home in Fort Meyers. Dang, we were cute. No bowl cuts, but I've got that "Chinese girl" thing going on with my hair. Thought I'd throw this in to honor the "I love my Texas" bloggers. Heh. We were on our way to Houston, via Beaumont and my Aunt Janie's, to check out Astroworld and then on to Galveston. Dang. We did some traveling when I was younger. No wonder I get itchy when I'm home too long. And here we are at Cypremort Point (that's on Vermillion Bay in Louisiana, in case ya didn't know). This isn't a landmark or anything, but I just thought I'd throw in a pic that captures the true sass in me. LOL Who knows what I was thinking... You notice a theme? My parents made sure no favoritism was shown. We were in every picture together after he was born! Parents can be so weird. LOL Happy Trails~

A Rambling, Whiny Motha...

2006-05-23T08:39:00.000-05:00

I just don't understand why some people go into the teaching profession if they're not cut out to be a teacher. I mean for crying out loud, it's not like the paycheck is a bigass draw! My son's Algebra teacher is a nice person. She's got a bubbly, evervescent personality. It's not the type of person I'm drawn to, but hey, some people like it and think she's the next best thing since sliced, white bread. But what people DO NOT understand is that personality does NOT make a good teacher. Maybe I spent too many years homeschooling, but I know my kid. I know his learning style. I know how not to teach him and I know what works best for him. And I have had to sit here all year long and listen to him talk about this teacher and how she does things (wrong). I've spoken with her on several occasions. I've tried to help him by re-explaining the lesson when he comes home, but alas, somewhere around Christmas we surpassed my grasp of Algebra. I even purchased the Teacher's Editions hoping I would be able to "cheat" by using the same book his teacher had, but it might as well have been written in Russian. Latin,I can read. Algebra, I can't. WTF My son doesn't fit into the classical mold of learning disabled, so he isn't eligible for teaching "helps". He does really well in all other subjects. HE. JUST. DOESN'T. GET. ALGEBRA. After each conference I've had with the teacher, she's buckled down and given a fine example of someone who truly cares about my son and his ability to pass or fail, but after a week or so, she slips off...And #1Son isn't the type of person to want to draw a lot of attention to himself, so he just kinda lets things slip until he has to bring home a test to be signed(because he failed). Then I freak out and call the teacher (again) and then things are better for a couple of weeks...etc. I realize that #1Son has some personal responsibility when it comes to studying and asking for help, but for cryin' out loud! What does it take to make a point with the teacher? There are only 11 students in this class. It's not like she's trying to divide her time between 25+ students. Arrrrggghhhh. I had yet another conversation with The Teacher this morning. Yet again, I hung up feeling frustrated and impotent. It's too late for this year. If he passes, it will be by the skin of his teeth...and even then, does he deserve it? He'll just go into Algebra II with a shaky foundation and set himself up for more heartache and possible failure. I'm considering sending him to summer school even is he does squeak by...just for review, if nothing else. He'll hate me. I'm quite sure I'll "ruin his social life" and set him up to be "ragged" all summer, but somehow, I don't think his future patients/clients/voters will care that he had to take summer school after his Freshman year in highschool... Decisions, decisions, decisions...Where's that damn handbook on childrearing?

The War

2006-05-22T11:21:00.000-05:00

A pink glow illuminates the horizon. White tendrils trail across the amber glow, forming peaks and valleys; waves cresting and crashing over the treetops. The darkened room is shot with shards of the tinted light. A spark glimmers in the eye of the beholder--me. A new day has dawned and with it comes another foray into the eternal battle. I resolutely straighten my shoulders and turn to focus my attentions upon the members of the opposing army. Like rows of wheat blowing in the wind, the endless stream crosses my line of vision. Armed with my weapons, I begin my attack against my eternal foe--dust.

What is it with me and dust? Every home I've ever lived in has been inundated with the STUFF. I used to think the abnormal amounts were caused by the air conditioner intakes being so close to the washer/dryer area, but that isn't the case in this house. I swear, I can dust in the morning and by nightfall, you won't even be able to tell I dusted at all. Therefore, I dust (almost) every surface daily. It. is. making. me. nuts. I go to other people's homes, and check their dust collections. I look beyond the typical, obvious surfaces. I check baseboards and window sills. I am the common "white glove-er". Oh, I do explain my methods, so don't worry, should I ever arrive at your home. I am always curious, though, because most other people I know (and visit) do NOT have the same issues with dust that I do. It is really discouraging and disgusting--discouraging because I feel like it's an endless FRUITLESS battle; disgusting because, have you ever SEEN what lives inside a clump of dust?? Bleck. Oh well. Break-time is over. Back to my battle. Have a happy, dust-free day. :)

Inside the head of a 4.5 yr old...

2006-05-21T15:14:00.000-05:00

The answers to today's Sunday Six questions are brought to you by my Lil Guy--age 4.5 yrs. :)

1. When you see Mommy or Daddy on the computer, what are they doing? "Drawing." 2. How does a telephone work? "It do like this...(he makes beeping noises and acts like he's pressing buttons on a phone in his hand) and you talk to your friend." 3. When you play a game at an arcade (might need to expand and explain this one for them) what happens to the coin you use to start the game? "Um, it's for the car gas." 4. How does milk stay cold? "Because it lives at Walmart and then we bring it home." 5. What makes the car move? "I dunno, I'm a little kid." 6. How does a radio work? "You listen to it on your ears and you push the buttons."

Heaven's Gate

2006-05-19T16:01:00.000-05:00

I took this picture of the field right behind the cemetary this morning. It was so cool! The clouds parted and left an opening that the sun shone through and sent a beam of light to the ground. It was wicked cool but you couldn't SEE it in the original photo. So...I played around with it some and came up with this. It's not exactly what I saw, but it's a lot closer than what I got! I've titled it: Heaven's Gate. I thought that was appropriate since I was at the cemetary. :)

Stuff Portrait Friday

2006-05-19T08:56:00.000-05:00

For THIS week, May 19, 2006, the lovely Kristine has taken inspiration from Wave of Modulation. Our task was to post pictures of: 1. Something Discarded 2. Lay down on the ground and find something ugly and make it beautiful. 3. Take a picture in the style of the person that inspires you. I may not have adhered to the "rules" as well as I could have, but I took my inspiration for pictures this week during my visit with Jacob. So without further ado:

Something discarded

Laying on the ground to find something ugly and make it beautiful
this wasn't necessarily ugly...but is interesting

Something in the style of a person who inspires me.

The pastoral style of Monet.

LOL I know this is a photograph rather than a painting, but it's the "style" that counts!

Let me know if you played!

Happy Trails~

Thursday Thirteen

2006-05-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking I got it straight now.... Smoochies to Cheeky! Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants Since I've only recently started blogging, I thought I'd share thirteen things you don't know about me. :) 1. I love to travel. 2. I confused gratefulness and security with love once. 3. I never repaid my Daddy for a loan and I feel guilty about it now that he's gone. 4. I used to want a daughter really badly, but am glad I don't have one now. 5. I stole a pack of ButterRum Lifesavers when I was 7 and didn't even like them. 6. I took 2 Darvon out of my aunt's medicine cabinet once because one of my friends told me they were "good"...I never took them though, because I was afraid of what they'd do to me. 7. My fear of drugs ended when I got to high school. 8. I have a distinct memory of something that I remember happening when I was three years old, but every person involved swears it never happened. 9. I have information right now on someone that could put them away for several years. 10. I love my kids to bits, but am still not that excited about being a mom. 11. I miss my Daddy terribly and think about him at least once a day. He's been gone 5 years. 12. I am a vault when it comes to secrets. 13. My two favorite places to be are near water and in the mountains. I've managed to combine them with my love of waterfalls. :) Domke Falls at Lake Chelan, WA July 2003 Happy Trails~

Blatant Begging

2006-05-17T22:48:00.000-05:00

I need help figuring out this insane blogging thing. For the life of me, I can't figure out how I'm supposed to "add" people to a link list on the margin. I thought I followed the rules, but for whatever reason, I'm still not able to do it. Therefore, I'm asking for help. ...guess the blonde highlights are catching up with me...(No offense to the truly blondes who may be able to help me!) *cheesy grin* Heh. IF you're willing to work with me (I really am a quick learner), let me know. tyvm. ***listening to "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down...great bedtime music, eh? LOL***

Melancholia

2006-05-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

You know, none of us should be compartmentalized. I think we all have many facets that comprise the person we present to the world. Sometimes, there are parts of us that we don't share with the "average joe." (Of course there are exceptions to every rule, so I'm not going to make sweeping generalizations here.) Even in my real life, there are people who know nothing about what goes on in my head. It would just complicate relationships and, quite honestly, bore them. The beauty of the internet, though, allows me to be boring and allows you to "walk away" without offending me. :) Clicking the "x" works well. LOL Too bad in real life, there are no "x's". OMG I'm rambling again. Sometimes I need to smack myself! {Insert "blah, blah, blah"} Back on point: My writings are something that I don't generally share with "people". Even my hubby has only seen a very few of them. He wasn't interested. He didn't "get" them. And I suppose that's like a lot of things in life. If people don't "get" it, they don't choose to surround themselves with it. They are mostly just for me, but sometimes, I'll let a few in for a quick peek. Today, I'm taking a leap of faith and choosing to share a rare few. I'm including the link to one of my webpages. This is a compilation of some of mine and some of my favorites. Read if you choose. Click the "x" if you choose not to. My guard is up. :) May you all have wonderful days. Happy Trails~

TEENAGE BOYS! UGH!

2006-05-16T18:15:00.000-05:00

I was just going to rant about teenagers in general, but my feelings are specific to boys, so...I can only write (rant) about what I know. I have a sixteen-year-old-first-born-son. Do I hear any sympathetic groans? Argh. I'm a chick. I know about chick things. I was never a boy. I don't know about boy things. So why, oh why, did I get THREE boys? I have learned more about boys and their inner workings in the last sixteen years thanI really needed to know. No. Really. I could have lived a full and complete life without knowing some of the things I know. (Wait. That's a different rant. Back to the original one...) Why, did my BOYS have to have snippets of my personality? Why did my sixteen year old have to be brain dead in Math--just like his mother? Why did he have to struggle with his own sense of self--just like his mother? Why did he have to be so hard-headed and willful when it comes to authority, yet be so easily swayed by his peers? *mumbling*justlikehismotherusedtobe Why can't I, with all my 40 yr old wisdom, help him? It's probably because I have all that wisdom that I'm unable to help him, huh? Sigh. He is such an incredibly good kid. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't do drugs. He doesn't sneak out. He loves me. He is willing to help me on the drop of a dime. He is empathetic and tender-hearted. He loves his little brother (the youngest one (the middle one is target practice so far)). He is working on creating a fairly good work ethic (as long as there is money involved). But he is one of the MOST lazy, irresponsible people I know (when it comes to doing things he doesn't like) and that makes me INSANE. His room is a wreck. He can't remember to put the cap on the toothpaste. He can't remember to put the clothes that is HUNG AND FOLDED away. He can't remember to take the ice packs out of his lunch box. He can't remember to remove his glass off the table when he's done. He can't remember to throw the toilet paper core away when it's empty. He can't remember to hang the damp towel after his shower OR close the shower curtain. Sigh. And he can't remember to PAY ATTENTION in Algebra class or ask the teacher questions... He has struggled with Algebra all year long. We knew he would. It's in his genes. I have tried really hard not to curse him by sharing all my struggles, but when he is banging his head against the table, tears of frustration brimming from his eyes...it's hard not to tell him a story or two to make him feel not so alone. I have given him every idea I can come up with to help him study. I have sat with him until bedtime trying to re-explain things he didn't "get" in class. I have had conferences with his teacher, I have restricted his phone and computer use during the school week, he has been grounded on weekends because he "forgot" he had tests and failed to study...I feel like I have done everything I can to help him, yet HE JUST DOESN'T GET IT. He doesn't get the fact that it's NOT MY JOB to pass Algebra. It's HIS JOB. He thinks, somehow, if he fails, he is going to be able to talk his way out of it. He thinks he's going to be able to somehow skip summer school or do something for enough extra points to give him a passing grade. He just doesn't get it. It's not about scamming your way out of it, but somehow, he's gotten the mentality that that's a possibility. And I don't know where. We don't bargain. You play; you pay. I have taught him from the time he was a little boy that there are consequences in life--Sometimes they're pleasant; sometimes they're not. I keep telling him that I am not paying for summer school. I paid his tuition every month. I am not paying for him to re-take a class that he didn't try his hardest to pass. That's why I'm so frustrated with him. I know he didn't try his hardest. It's not just about him failing or struggling. I understand those concepts. Sometimes that just happens. But he didn't do absolutely everything possible to help himself, and because of that, I am disappointed and frustrated...and angry. He's got finals starting next Wednesday. I'm still trying to make sure he studies every night (although I think that should be his responsibility) and I can only pray he passes the final with at least a B. Otherwise, he will be taking summer school... He thinks he looks "cool" in this pic. *eye roll* Whatevah. LOL Kids. They'll break your heart a million times and no matter what they say or how sorry they are, they'll do it again a million more. And we let them. Happy Trails~

Do ya think...

2006-05-15T17:46:00.000-05:00

when I'm old (over 50) that I'll quit enjoying loud music? I know it doesn't have to be loud to enjoy it, but sometimes, I just LIKE listening to it REALLY LOUD. hmmph. I've enjoyed music my whole life, in fact, I've blogged about it early on, here. I just don't understand people who hear it and instantly think/say "turn it down". Why? It's okay to turn up the television to sound-barrier-breaking-decibels, but it's not okay to turn up music? There are so many different styles: classical, old school rock, rock 'n' roll, heavy metal, pop, country, classic country, rap, hiphop... There has to be ONE that you enjoy and appreciate. Even the music I choose not to listen to, I can appreciate because it was someone's idea/theme/work. Shoot, I even appreciate art that I don't "like" for the pure sense of style, freedom of expression, and thought that goes into it. I like discovering where one's perspective and inspiration are. *shrug* Oh well. Maybe I'll go deaf and then no one will have to worry about what I do and don't listen to. **************************************************** I tried a new recipe tonight. It was so easy and sounded yummy. It's called Chicken Casserole. Real inspired name, huh? LOL It's not the healthiest meal, but there are ways you could reduce some of the fat and calories. I didn't. LOL But you can. Ingredients: 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup 1 cup sour cream 2 racks Ritz crackers, crushed 1 stick butter, melted Directions: Boil 4 large chicken breasts about 40 minutes. Let chicken cool about 5 minutes. Shred the chicken and place in a large bowl. Stir in one can of Cream of Mushroom soup (can be reduced fat/sodium) and 1 cup sour cream (can be low fat). Add pepper, basil and garlic powder to taste. Mix thoroughly. Place in a greased 9"x13" glass casserole dish. Crush 2 racks of Ritz crackers in a Ziploc bag. Pour in melted butter and mix. Spread evenly over chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or til bubbly. Serve with green salad or broccoli or green beans. (I chose steamed broccoli flowerets tonight.) Serves a family 2 adults, 2 ha'f grown boys, and one 4 year old nicely. :) Happy Trails~

Just a lil giggle

2006-05-14T22:19:00.000-05:00

This is one of those "funny, but true" email forwards that you've probably all seen a million times...but it's so great, ya just can't help laughing each time you read it. THE BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN Your Clothes: 1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYNconfirms your pregnancy. 2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible. 3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes. _____________________________________________________ Preparing for the Birth: 1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously. 2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing. 3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month. ______________________________________________________ The Layette: 1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau. 2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discardonly the ones with the darkest stains. 3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?______________________________________________________ Worries: 1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby. 2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your first born. 3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing. ______________________________________________________ Pacifier: 1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until youcan go home and wash and boil it. 2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle. 3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in. ______________________________________________________ Diapering: 1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they needit or not. 2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed. 3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complainabout the smell or you see it sagging to their knees. ______________________________________________________ Activities: 1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour. 2nd baby: You exercise with the baby on the floor. 3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner. ______________________________________________________ Going Out: 1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times. 2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave anumber where you can be reached. 3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood. ______________________________________________________ At Home: 1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby. 2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby. 3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children. ______________________________________________________ Swallowing Coins (a favorite): 1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays. 2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass. 3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance! ______________________________________________________ Enjoy! My Three Sons...

Such a ham...

2006-05-13T21:01:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know I take waaayyy too many photos of him, but dangit, he's such a ham! He loves having his pic taken--the other boys practically need to be strapped down to get them in a picture anymore. hmmph Maybe it's cuz I shoved a camera in their faces so much when they were little too. Oh well. Today was a GORGEOUS day and my lil guy had a blast on the rope swing...and well...I got some really good shots of him. LOL And I just had to show 'em off. Even the out of focus ones were interesting; he has such a great smile. *proud mom look* There's a shot where his face is in focus, but the background is blurry. I thought that was pretty cool. Okay...Enjoy!

Honoring Mom

2006-05-13T12:28:00.000-05:00

We're "throwin a Q" tonight in honor of Mother's Day. FYI, that's Southern/Cajun slang for "we're gilling/barbqueing burgers n chicken". :) It's also Sweet Son #2's 13th birthday! :) My bro and SIL and daughter are gonna be here. My kids are totally pumped. They love it when Uncle Doug comes over. Not sure why. I mean...he's NOT all that. LOL I grew up with him, though, so that probably skews my impression some. He CAN BE fun, but that's all I'll admit to. heehee I've been busily doing my regular Saturday thing with an eye out for keeping things in order once I've finished with them so things aren't a total wreck before they come. I refuse to spic n span my house for family, dammit! I mean, it's not a pigsty to begin with, but some people (who shall remain nameless) freak themselves out when any company comes over, but especially family. What's the point? They're your family? Do you really NEED to try to impress them? Don't you think they're pretty aware of your housekeeping abilities? You DID grow up in the same house, right?? *shakes head* I guess it may be part of getting older. Some things just aren't that big a deal anymore. Don't get me wrong. I make things nice; cook good, esthetically pleasing meals/desserts; have my home decorated nicely; keep the house clean and attempt to keep the clutter down to below eye level (giggling). I just am not going to make myself nuts about the "impression" I make. Think what you will about me, my house, my children, my clothes, my decorating tastes. I am not here to please you (anymore). I think I may be finally growing up. :) Oy. That turned into quite the rant. Hmmm...Think I'm feeling a lil guilt? Hmmph. Dunno. Gonna have to analyze that when I have more time. But for now, I'm going to toss a couple of photos of my Mom up here cuz I want y'all to see the woman who is partly responsible for my being here. And she's largely responsible for helping me become the woman I am. Wow! All I can say. Here's Mom and Daddy on their wedding day. November 27, 1964 Aren't they awesome? Here is one of my favorite memories... At my grandparent's farm... Mom was always so relaxed when we "went home" for the summer.

And here is a rare pic of Mommy and Me :) Easter 2006

Enjoy your Mother's Day.

Happy Trails~

Imma Dork

2006-05-12T11:29:00.000-05:00

I am the warning label that belongs on scissors informing people of the hazards of irresponsible uses. **Warning: Use of this product while not looking can result in serious injuries** *eye roll* Yep, I was cutting open a package (One of those pre-pressed plastic packages that you need NASA to give instructions for opening.) and telling my hubby a story, and I only looked away for an instant, but it was at that moment the package chose to "give way" and the pressure I'd been exerting to open the package was immediately applied to the hand I was holding said package in. OMG FUCK.SHIT.DAMN. Say that with me. It feels so much better if said really loudly, too. My sweet son #2 compared the booboo (horrible, lacerative puncture wound) to something he saw on CSI, but I'm here to tell you it wasn't really THAT bad. It hurt that bad, though. SHIT. And of course, it didn't want to quit bleeding, so there's been a bit of overkill involved in the bandaging of it. Here is my lil guy showing concern for me: Here he is pointing out the injury (just in case you miss the bandage-job my hubby did on it): And HERE IS THE OFFENDING ITEM: No comments about the manicure-in-need hand, eh? I was planning on doing that this afternoon... Going rest up a bit...being injured and loss of blood and all...I think it calls for a lil rest. Heh. Over and out

SPF Virgin

2006-05-12T08:35:00.000-05:00

Well, here goes...I'm a virgin, you know, so please be gentle... Here's my first Stuff Portrait Friday offering. Something I have two of: I have two baby tomatoes hangin' on the vine! And I'm hopin' for a bunch more :) Something I wish I had two more of: Oboy! Hands down. I wish I had two more days (weeks) in Vegas. This is the view from our room at Bellagio *longing sigh* Just two: There's just two children in my family. Here we are at Marco Island, Florida. Summer 1970 Y'all have a GREAT day! Happy Trails~

Rude People

2006-05-11T08:04:00.000-05:00

I HATE CHAT PROGRAMS! Okay, wait. I don't hate chat programs; I hate the rudeness of people that use them. Wait. I just hate rude people. There, that's better. You know the drill: You're chatting along in conversation. There's a nice give and take to the chat when suddenly the other person doesn't respond in the time frame that you've become used to. During the lull, you presume they have started chatting with another person, are checking their mail, or have gotten distracted by a "real time" situation. It's no big deal. You occupy yourself with something else, wait a couple of minutes for them to get back to you and if they don't, you ask if they're still there (because even with cable connections, there are still lots of reasons a person gets booted with no warning). BUT, before your self-imposed-time-limit-for-waiting-for-their-reply has expired, they ask YOU what you're doing. When you tell them, they just slam off. Initially you're not that concerned. Like I said, people still get locked up/booted offline suddenly. Then, when they come back online shortly afterwards and you ask what happened and are BLASTED because they felt that YOU were IGNORING THEM...oh my God! That, my friends, is like someone just walking away from you during a face-to-face conversation because you observed a car driving down the street during a lull in the conversation. It's like hanging up the phone on someone. IT IS SO RUDE! And of course, it's made worse by the "slamming door" sound that accompanies the person signing offline. But still--even if there was no sound at all, it is extremely rude to simply end a conversation suddenly like that because you got your nose bent out of joint! WTF What happened to common courtesy? What happened to benefit of the doubt? What happened to being polite? Crap. The conveniences of modern technology were supposed to make life easier not add fuel to the fire of our insanity. I can be rude. I know this about myself. *cheesy grin* But I use my rudeness for people like the lady trying to check out in the express lane at Walmart for 10 items or less with 40 items in her basket. (I know this because I counted.)

"Excuse me Ma'am? Did you realize this line was for 10 items or less? You have at least 40 in your basket. Yes, I realize you're in a hurry and this is the shortest line, but there are other people who are obeying the rules set out by this establishment and if you clog this up, then the point of having these types of express lines is moot and no one will be able to get out of here any faster. *sweet smile*

That is known as saccharine rudeness...we're famous for it here in the South. *wink* {aside} BTW, did you know that 20 items can look like a lot more? I know this because I've checked out in that line with exactly 20 and it looked like a LOT of stuff. Even I, the line item Nazi, was concerned!{end aside} My rudeness is beside the point here, though. This is about OTHER people. (It's my blog and I'll rant if I want to, rant if I want to...) Speaking of other people's rudeness... What about the person in line who is on her cell phone and walks up to the counter and tells the register person to HOLD ON? I just want to smack them. I worked retail, but thank God there were no cell phones because I'm not sure if I could've restrained myself from walking away from the person who told ME to HOLD ON while they chatted on the phone at MY register! I have noticed, now, that in some places of business (post office and doctor's office) there are signs that tell you to either turn off the cell phone or hang up before approaching the window. Duh. I even witnessed the lady behind the counter at the post office ignore a young woman of non-European descent (not racial profiling here, nope, no way, not me) who walked up to her window on the phone. The postal lady just motioned for the next person in line (me..heh.)to come up to the counter right past the girl. The stunned look on the young girl's face was quite rewarding, albeit HER comment about rude people just about sent me over the edge. Argh. The situation was solved to my satisfaction when I refused to acknowledge her existence and she walked back into the rear of the line. :) Well, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling much better. LOL May you all have awesome days! Morning Mist Happy Trails~

A lil of this and a lil of that...

2006-05-10T05:28:00.000-05:00

GOOD GRIEF! I think I've been swallowed alive by my family! (I think they missed me *wink*) Lemme tell ya...I am so incredibly thankful that I was able to get away last weekend. Since I got home Sunday, I haven't had time to sit down. "And what have I been doing", you ask? "I have no idea", is my reply. LOL All I know is that since I got back to town, I haven't stopped doing one thing or another. *shrug* Such is the life of a mother, eh? lol The trip was awesome. Flawless weather; good company; Grey Goose and cranberry juice; shopping; blackout drapes and no alarms; jacuzzi tub; shopping; free breakfast bar; Cheesecake Factory; shopping...you get the picture. *big ole grin* Now that my little break from reality is over, though, I have some serious thinking to do. I've been offered a job. I am so torn about what to do. My husband is supportive of "whatever" I do. It doesn't matter to him one way or another if I stay home or go to work. On one hand, it would help us financially. On the other hand, I'd have to put my youngest (4 yr old) in school and I'm not certain he's ready for that. Developmentally, his speech just isn't where it should be. We had him tested last year and began speech therapy, but because of an initial "miscommunication" between the provider and my insurance company, we've had to discontinue his therapy (and we now owe the provider a LOT of money). I'm trying to work "within the system", but because we're not poor and have private insurance (that just doesn't pay for speech therapy), things aren't going very well. I'm anxious about throwing him into the deep end, ie: kids can be so cruel. I think it would be beneficial to him to be around other children his age (he's very social) because it would force him to speak more clearly without a family member there to always interpret for him, but I worry about that point when the teacher can't understand what he's saying and he gets frustrated and there's no one to help him who cares. Other than his speech, he's at or above developmental levels for his age, so I know he would do well in school. It's just this crazy speech problem. His therapist said like twins who create a language they speak only to one another, my lil guy has developed a language he alone understands and while he has a complete understanding of what we say, he simply chooses to use his own (sign of genius, I hear...LOL). Unfortunately, my lil guy has no twin to understand what he's saying when he chooses to go off yammering in his own personal language. LOL So us common folk are left to "figure out" what he is saying, and then try to train him to say and use the correct English words for what he means. Oy vey! I just don't know what to do...My decision isn't necessary til the end of June, but I don't know if I will be able to go through this whole decision-making process that long. lol I'm nuts now! On a different note: My gardens are rockin'!! It rained here every day I was gone, so my flowers and plants got the good water. When I drove up, it looked like they'd grown 3 inches. My cherry tomato plant is covered with babies! And I've got a Creole 'mater set now too! And my pepper plant is in full flower! And my sunflowers are now about 5" tall! (I know that probably doesn't sound that impressive, but I planted them from seeds and I'm just so tickled they're up. LOL) And my herbs all need to be cut! (Note to self: go back and read about drying herbs) And, and, and... Oh yeah! And I finished planting the front bed! I'll have to get some pictures in here. I'd do it now, but I'm thinking pre-dawn just isn't the best time for picture takin'. *wink* ...think I'll go plan my Home Ec class for Friday while the house is still quiet. May each of you have a beautiful day :) Sunset at Johnson's Beach Perdido Key, Florida August 2002 Happy Trails~

Leavin' On A Jet Plane...

2006-05-02T08:42:00.000-05:00

Yay! Whoopee! Woohoo! I'm leaving tomorrow for FOUR DAYS to go on an ALL GIRLS weekend!! YESSSSSSS! Now before any self-righteous people out there start hounding me about "deserting my family" to go "traipsing all over the country", let me just stop ya right there. *sweet smile* This trip has the full support of my hubby and children. While they will miss me (I think they'll be doing cartwheels, personally), they ALL understand this isn't a desire; it is a necessity for me. When I came home full-time and began homeschooling 8 years ago, I was full of romantic visions of my lil sugar plums sitting around the kitchen table smiling sweetly, raising their hands to ask questions or be excused from the table, quietly and orderly discussions, my cooking healthy, at-the-very-least three course meals, and all the chores being done in an orderly fashion according to the daily schedule. *blank, deluded stare* That lasted about 3 weeks. I discovered homeschooling 2 children simultaneously wasn't exactly EASY. (Son #1 is in highschool now and I pay other people to teach him now!) In fact, it was VERY HARD. Different texts, different levels of learning, different STYLES of learning caused me to constantly shift my "daily schedule" until I found one that was acceptable. (Acceptable being used loosely here.) After a year of doing that, I discovered I was in all liklihood going nuts. I love my kids dearly, don't get me wrong. I think that what I'm doing is worthwhile and don't feel like a second class citizen because I'm a stay-at-home mom, but staying home every day, all day, with only my children for real conversation, makes me a lil nuts (to say the least). So, my hubby and I agreed that for me to continue doing this (and doing it right) I needed bi-annual "sanity breaks". Twice a year I get to go away by myself. I can go completely alone, or like this time, go to meet friends and hang out for 3 or 4 days. It's awesome, wonderful, blissful, and soooooo invigorating. I don't have to wake up when I dont' feel like it. I can take a nap when I feel like it. I can take a shower/bath as long as I want to. I can dawdle over getting ready/putting on make-up/getting dressed as long as I want to. "NO schedules" is the only rule. With that said...I leave here in less than 24 hours! I have so much to do! My friend, Roxanne, and I have been looking so forward to this for so long...I can't quit grinning! Did I mention I have SO MUCH to do? And instead of doing it all, I'm sitting her blogging about it! LOL Typical me. Procrastinate. Oy! I have a hair appointment in an hour (cuz ya just can't "get away" with roots!), I need to pick up meds, pay bills, and oh yeah...PACK! LOL Enjoy your week/weekend! I'll be back Sunday. Heh. Giggle. Grin. Happy Trails~

Just rambling...

2006-05-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

I used to feel like I was a pretty compassionate person. These days, I don't know... I remember being a sensitive child. If an animal was hurt, or another child was upset, I was upset for them...I felt their pain. I had oodles and oodles of sympathy and compassion. That sensitive nature grew into trying to solve other people's problems as I got older. In fact, I wanted to be a psychologist "when I grew up" so I could help other people work out their problems. My friends used to come to me frequently for help sorting through things. I felt gifted. Even into adulthood, I was the one my friends came to when they had a problem or just needed to rant for a bit and needed a sympathetic ear. Then I changed. Six years ago May 19, my world at the time, fell apart. My baby died. I know now, it wasn't the end of the world, and that LOTS of other people had survived what I was experiencing and went on to lead healthy, normal, wonderful lives. At the time, I didn't think I ever would. And while I have overcome and am doing a good job at surviving, something inside me died too. And I think what died was my compassionate nature. I have a hard time getting close to or feeling emotional toward any one or thing. Almost a year to the date of my pregnancy with Jacob, I got pregnant again. (I laugh now about being pregnant for 2 years and only having one baby. My brother calls me an elephant for that reason--elephants are pregnant 22 months. LOL) I wasn't ready emotionally to open myself up to that, but...things happen. As a result of my emotional inability, I felt very strange during my pregnancy. In fact, it wasn't until my lil guy was almost a month old and we had a medical crisis with him that I finally felt REAL EMOTION for him. Almost losing him rocked my world. But it was a positive thing. It forced me to care about him...forced me to get off the fence about the whole thing. But that's his story. And this one is different. I now, since Jacob's death, have an incredibly hard time FEELING. I still have that initial sensation most times, but it's like there is something inside me; an emotional "check" system that stops me from crossing over to true caring before it happens. It's really weird. I feel the pull, the tug. I feel the urge to hug someone or tell them how much I care or can sympathize/ empathize, but I stop myself short almost every time. It's a pain in my butt, though, and I am tired of feeling th is internal tug all the time. There are some people I will open myself up to and show that side of me, but they are a very few number; and it's rare. I find myself at such a strange point. For the most part, I don't care. And that makes me sad. Then there are times when I wish so badly that I could just think of SOMETHING to say or do...instead I just stand there awkwardly and end up mumbling some platitude. Then I walk off kicking myself in the butt for my inability to help/comfort/speak. There aren't any real answers, and I know that. But sometimes it just helps to write things down.

Big? Small? Somewhere In between?

2006-04-28T22:37:00.000-05:00

A post I was reading this evening (Okay, so I have no life: shoot me) had a lil deal in it where she asked people to post pictures of something big, small, and ha'f of something. It sounded like fun, so I thought I'd do it. (Okay, so I have no life AND I'm bored!)

Here goes in no particular order:

Okay, so he isn't something "small" exactly...

But you have to admit: He is a cute lil shyt!

He just learned how to wink.

*proudMomlook*

Heh.

Half??

LMAO I'm not sure the elderly gentleman who arranged my friend's "ha'f link of boudin and boudin balls" like this knew what he was doing...then again, maybe he did! LMAO

Something big...? THIS is one big-ass punkin! The sign said it weighed over 700 pounds!

I'd say that counts. LOL

Now, like the pig from Merry Melodies cartoons used to say...

Tha-tha-tha-that's all folks!

Happy Trails~

A lovely day was enjoyed by all

2006-04-28T16:14:00.000-05:00

Son#2 has been asking me for some time to teach him how to cook. I've said many times, "Sure hon, but not now." If you're a parent, you know how that goes. It's just easier to whip something up than to have to stop in the middle and give directions or wait patiently while they figure out their own rhythm to stirring and whisking. Well, about 2 months ago, I got a BRILLIANT idea! Since I homeschool him, and know a several other homeschooling parents, and I know how hard it is to squeeze in those "elective" type courses, I thought I'd offer my services once a week to any who wanted to learn. Then I caught my head. I have ONE oven/stove. I am ONE cook in MY kitchen. I am in no way set up to be teaching a bunch of kids who don't know how to cook! So I revised my plan, called ONE friend and offered it to her oldest daughter. I can handle two cooking novices. I can divide recipes so they each do a smaller batch and I generally have 2 (or more) of the baking type dishes. I made a minimal investment in an additional set of measuring spoons and cups, whisk, cutting board, etc and we have been having "home ec" for a month and a ha'f now. It's great. They love it. And they're learning how to cook! How cool is that? It's been fun for me, too. I'm not an all star chef or anything, but through the years I've collected a good number of cookbooks and I have the power of the internet at my fingertips. I am invincible when it comes to ideas and menu planning. And I took 6 years of home ec coming up through Jr. High and Highschool...and I KEPT GREAT NOTE CARDS. I amazed myself at how everything just fell into place when it came to planning this thing. They're learning "how to" cook as well as all about "what to" cook. We have great discussions on nutrition and the science of cooking as well. It's just a bunch of fun! And the neat thing is the benefits. In my opinon, it's more than just being able to eat our great food...it's seeing their sense of accomplishment and pride when they've successfully completed a dish. My son is so proud of himself and loves to "lord it over" his older brother when it comes to doling out the goodies he's created. I even got a hug from "not-my-daughter" at the end of the day--and she's not a demonstrative child. All in all it was a great day! Now I'm pooped. LOL OBOY! I had all these plans to take great pictures of the pies we made (cuz they turned out so beautifully) but when I went into the kitchen to set up the picture, I discovered MY CHILDREN had been there before me! So you get pictures of GREAT pies...ha'f eaten. Well, I hear they tasted as good as they looked. *wink* The one on the left is a Chocolate IceBox Pie and the one on the right is Sour Cream Apple. (PS: the green in the apple pie dish is not part of the pie--it's the decoration on the bottom of the dish!)Not-my-daughter took her blueberry home before I got a pic, too. So much for "best laid plans..."

Happy Trails~

(I think i really need to do something about my lighting...everything looks dark except where the flash is...and it's definitely NOT dark in here!)\

(PSS: Did I mention they made their own pie crusts??)

(PSSS: No idea what happened to my font in the middle of this post. On my computer it gets huge...and I can't change it! Argh. Must've been that "I'm invincible" comment...The internet demons are attacking me!)

Blonde Moments

2006-04-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

I am soooooo notta blonde!! BUT...with that said, I am evidently having some serious blonde moments today. I spent over an hour this morning trying to figure out how to get rid of those "link thingies" that automatically come with this format. Well, I finally figured it out. Then I started making the rounds through the blogs I've been frequenting lately. At this site, there is a list of links a mile long! At another site, I saw a link for "blogrolling" so I clicked on the link, signed up for the service, followed ALL the directions and tried to get a page linked on my page--and I did succeed in getting a link put there, but does it DO anything???? nope. nada. nyet. nothing. AND I WAS SO INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATED BY THIS I COULDN'T THINK STRAIGHT. So I went out and played in my flowers. (Well, maybe calling them flowers is a bit of a stretch, but they will be one day!) These are daylilies and spider lilies that my sister-in-law gave me. They're finally starting to "green up" a bit...still haven't decided what to put in the front section of the bed. I'm taking my time choosing the annuals I want to plant...something with nice color and needs little attention. LOL Actually, I repotted several plants and hosed off the patio and scrubbed it with the broom, and rearranged the furniture... We had a HUGE (and when I say huge, I mean TREMENDOUS) rain storm night before last and it's created mud where there was nice, packed earth before. (Of course my lil guy has discovered every inch of the nice, new mud *eye roll*) We'd been in the midst of a drought, but I'm pretty sure after the rain we got and if we get what they're predicting, we'll be nearing the "all clear" for washing cars and watering grass. So, after finishing up outside and fixing lunch, I sat back down to try to figure out what I'm doing wrong; but I just can't. So I'm feeling pretty darn dumb at this point. I'm not stupid. I can usually figure things out on my own, but for whatever reason, I'm missing something here!! I'm not going to make myself nuts over it though. Anyone who peruses my page will simply have to make do with the "plain jane" look until I figure it out (sometime this century!!). LOL I'm teaching my home ec class tomorrow, so I really don't have time to mess with it today anyway. I need to go thumb through my books and decide what we're going to do... I'll add one more pic--of my lil herb garden. :) Sage Cilantro Dill Oregano Sweet Basil Thyme (chives and mint are in another spot) Happy Trails~