Sunny Daze

The Joke Is On You

2009-09-09T13:43:00.002-06:00

I know it probably hurt when your jaw hit the floor in seeing a post on this poor little neglected blog of mine.

I *do* want to start posting again. In fact, I want to start a new blog (I know, I can't believe I'm saying that either). But WHO KNOWS when that will happen. I certainly don't.

Because here's the thing... you know that post that magically showed up yesterday? Well, it really was magic. I wrote that post, oh, I don't know... a year ago? A little over a year ago? But I didn't want to post it yet (I don't remember why!), so I changed the date so that it wouldn't post anytime soon. Because I was going to get back to it in a couple of days. Or 365 days. Or 372... or however many days it was.

But I didn't.

But Blogger was on the ball and posted it for me anyway. Even though I never finished writing whatever it was I was going to say.

So um, yeah. Ha ha! The joke is on you... but... maybe it did work. Because it forced me to post today.

Never mind... apparently the joke was on me.

Dressing Up

2009-09-08T17:19:00.000-06:00

The Dragon just approached me and asked for help with putting on a pair of clip-on earrings. As she looked in the mirror and smiled, she asked,

"Oh Mommy. Aren't these just so dan-tee?"

Yes, Dragon. They are quite dainty.

I Am Grateful For Insurance (last updated 7/4/09)

2009-07-03T09:35:00.005-06:00

I am slowly making my way out from under the pile of medical bills. To make a long story short, I am very grateful for insurance.

But short stories are boring, so let's have some fun with this! How much did it cost to get Matthew here safe and sound? I'll be updating this post periodically as I slowly pay more bills, so be sure to check back!

Date	Service	Billed	I Owe
9-29-08	Blood Work (HCG)	$110.00	$5.13
10-09-08	Prenatal Survey (Blood Work)	$364.60	$55.82
10-15-08	Blood Work (GD Test)	$95.00	$14.08
10-22-08	Pathology (Chemical PAPP-A)	$102.00	$0.75
10-22-08	Radiology Service	$188.00	$11.34
10-22-08	Radiology Service	$187.00	$9.49
10-22-08	Ultrasound	$134.00	$43.38
10-22-08	Nuchal Measurement	$156.00	$9.24
11/28/08	EKG Monitoring	$2475.00	$116.05
12/10/08	EKG Monitoring	$675.00	$31.65
3-02-09	Pen Needles	$135.00	$13.50
3/20/09	Ultrasound	$90.00	$5.04
3-26-09	Biophysical Profile	$106.00	$6.01
3-26-09	Pharmacy	$34.75	$2.15
3-26-09	Ultrasound	$596.00	$18.81
3-26-09	Labor & Delivery	$243.43	$15.09
3-27-09	Ultrasound	$306.00	$9.91
3-27-09	Labor & Delivery	$317.77	$19.70
3-31-09	Ultrasound	$90.00	$5.04
3-31-09	Lab/Chemistry	$19.00	$0.44
3-31-09	Ultrasound	$341.00	$8.48
3-31-09	Labor & Delivery	$233.99	$14.50
4-02-09	Ultrasound	$214.00	$8.52
4-06-09	Biophysical Profile	$106.00	$6.01
4-07-09	ER Services & Pulse Oximetry	$549.00	$20.84
4-07-09	CT Angiography	$269.00	$15.13
4-07-09	Chest X-ray	$30.00	$1.70
4-07-09	Extremity Study	$96.00	$4.24
4-07-09	Anesthesia Services	$975.00	$64.20
4-08-09	Pain Management Services	$130.00	$4.53

Best Laid Plans

2009-06-03T00:23:00.002-06:00

I tackled my desk today. Long story short, "the papers" are taking over my life. Whatever is left of my life, since little Matthew Jayden takes over most of it.

But I digress...

In this pile of paper was one piece of paper that Michael and I had jotted down "our plans" for the basement. It was the end of March at the time, and we knew that time was running out before the arrival of our baby, so we thought a time line might help us stay on track.

The plan:
Finish Sheet Rock - April 4th
Taping / Mudding - April 11th
Painting - April 18th
Carpet Installed - Week of April 20th

What happened:
April 7th: Matthew's Birth

... and nothing has been accomplished since!

*** DISCLAIMER ***
In reality, many things have been accomplished. My Michael has been a very busy man! For one, he completed Matthew's nursery, and he has also planted our garden. In addition he has cooked many a meal, helped clean up around here, helped take care of Matthew, helped take care of the girls, and helped take care of me. This post IS NOT meant to be taken as nagging... Michael knows (or should know) that I am content with the progress of the basement. I just thought it was funny that we made this wonderful schedule just a few days before Matthew's birth... we had no idea what was in store for us!

One Little Update

2009-05-31T23:59:00.001-06:00

I'll keep it brief:

We are all alive and doing well (all things considered).

Matthew will be blessed next week.

7 more days of school.

The End.

Oh, HI!

2009-04-22T13:17:00.003-06:00

I am still here. Life with a newborn is busy and good. I have started to edit the random posts I have started and saved but not posted, so hopefully over the next few days, his blog will be more-or-less "up to date" - including some long-awaited pictures.

I know, I know... I suck. I haven't even gotten his birth announcements printed, even though I designed the darn thing well over 2-months ago. So um, yeah.

Just know that all is well... I may be sleep-deprived, but I am still alive. And happy.

Craziness!

2009-04-09T23:06:00.002-06:00

Things have been really crazy here... so here are a few quick updates:

Matthew and I are still in the hospital. We might be released tomorrow. We might not. Hopefully we will find out earlier rather than later.

Wednesday was a complete fiasco as far as pain management was concerned. Basically my nurse neglected to give me any pain medications (because I didn't ask for them), nor did she mention that they were available to me. I was under the impression that I had been receiving them all along with the many, many other medications I was required to take, and it made sense, because, well, the pain wasn't that bad. But all of a sudden, everything hit the fan, and well... let's just say that Wednesday night through Thursday morning was NOT a good experience.

Today was much, much, better for pain management. But Matthew is looking a bit jaundiced, so he is spending quite a bit of time "working on his tan" under the pretty blue lights.

He has also been struggling with feeding recently. Mostly because he won't wake up which is probably because of the jaundice. It's a vicious cycle: Jaundice makes him sleepy. Being sleepy makes it hard for him to nurse. Not nursing means he doesn't get enough to eat. No food, makes the kidneys job harder, plus there's nothing to help "clean out the system." Can't clean out the system, more jaundice. Jaundice makes him sleepy... and so it goes.

So I now have a breast pump. When I am attached to it, I feel like a cow. It is very similar (LOL) to one of those automatic milking machines that cows use. I've used a manual breast pump before, and I like it. But this one is pretty darn impressive. It's pretty quiet, pretty fast, can pump single breast or dual, doesn't really hurt... and I bet it's pretty darn expensive. They told me that I have good insurance... um, I hope so! But if it helps me get my milk supply up and working well, then I guess it's worth it!

I'm going to try to feed Matthew one more time, then get another round of IV antibiotics at midnight, and then I am going to bed!

Sweet dreams!

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

2009-04-07T23:53:00.001-06:00

Matthew has arrived!

Check out Matthew's Blog for a few small details. I will be adding more later.

What a surprise!

Clothes...

2009-03-23T19:53:00.002-06:00

I went shopping today in hopes of finding a new shirt that I would feel comfortable (and dare I say cute?) in. Not much luck.

I did, however, find Easter dresses for the girls. They coordinate, but they are not exactly the same. Which is a good thing for Rebecca as she seems to be stuck with the same dress for about 5 years (you know, because she gets one, wears it until she outgrows it, and then inherits the one her sister outgrew).

So now I wonder if I should give you a sneak preview, or make you wait a few more weeks. Hmmm...

I Really Don't Want To Be One Of Those People...

2009-03-17T10:15:00.003-06:00

... you know, one of those people that have to be on national television with people coming in to clean and declutter their house because they've been hoarding stuff for years and years and years.

Yeah, it's another post about how much stuff I have. I know, I'm obsessed.

But seriously, if you could see how much stuff we have thrown away or given away, you would be floored at how much stuff is still left.

It's frightening, I tell you! Frightening!

I am in the process of cleaning my house in honor of Dubby's visit. And let's face it, I'm doing a bit of crazy nesting too. There is NO WAY my house will be clean before she gets here, but she'll have a clean room to sleep in AND a clean bathroom. That certainly counts for something.

Oh! And she might even get a few home-cooked meals. It's the least I can do...

I'm Not Sure It's Getting Any Easier...

2009-03-08T20:49:00.002-06:00

I've mentioned this many times before, but we have too much stuff. I have slowly been continuing my purge of things we no longer need, but it is SO hard.

I decided to keep one plastic bin for baby clothes that I just can't part with yet. It's helping. I think I've managed to give away at least 10 boxes of clothes that my girls have outgrown so far. I'm almost done.

I filled a box with toys today. Many of them would be things that our new baby (Matthew) could use eventually, but I decided to get rid of some so that I could also have the fun of buying him a few new toys every once in a while. I kept the best of the best, and got rid of the rest (Ha ha! I rhymed!).

But it still hurts. It's making me realize how fast our kids have grown up, and well, it makes me feel sad. I guess that's a normal part of being a parent, particularly a Mom, but I think it sucks.

I still have boxes of stuff to go through. I hope I can continue on to the end. We really need the space.

... And You Don't Get Upset!

2009-03-04T09:19:00.008-07:00

I'm back...

I'm actually excited to make my To-Do List. And maybe even more excited to cross things off of it! We'll see how it goes...

~~Complete Baby Shower #1 invite list.~~
~~Deliver Baby Shower #1 list to Becky.~~
~~Complete Baby Shower #2 invite list.~~
~~Deliver Baby Shower #2 list to Cindi.~~
Create chart to track insulin and glucose levels.
Submit glucose levels to doctor on Friday, March 6.
Return blue t-shirt to elementary school.
~~Make bank deposit.~~
~~Pick up kids from school.~~
~~Take Rebecca to piano lessons.~~
Wash ballet leotards and tights.
Check status of dishwasher and empty it or fill it or run it depending on its status.
~~Find a baby sitter for Rebecca, or make sure she can attend hospital tour.~~
~~Call Dad and decline invitation to Bobby McFerrin concert.~~
Rotate laundry (this is never ending).
Brush and style the girls hair.
Find receipt and return play money to Toys R Us.
Return books to Barnes & Noble.
Return Lincoln Logs to Wal-Mart.
Buy wooden letters for Matthew's name - still need A T T E
Pick out canister lights for basement bathroom.
Pick out lights (canister or central fixture?) for basement bedroom.
Pick out carpet for basement and family room.
Pick out sink and/or vanity for basement bathroom.
Decide on "kit" or custom tile for shower in basement bathroom.
Decide on linoleum or custom tile or floor in basement bathroom.
Register for a few baby items, just in case someone wants to buy the baby something.
Decide on mirror / medicine cabinet for basement bathroom.
Follow-up with Dad about "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" tickets on/after March 27th.
Finish Rag Quilt.
~~Purchase stroller for baby.~~
Decide on car seat for baby.

You Get What You Get...

2009-03-04T06:37:00.004-07:00

Over the last several weeks I have visited my blog many times and started to write. And each time, something always happens so that I never finish my post. Usually something involving one of my kids, and by the time I'm done dealing with "the problem", I have no desire to finish my post. At all. So I don't even save it as a draft. I just delete it and leave... never to return. Until today.

So first of all, let's get a few things out of the way first:

Michael seems to be doing well. He keeps busy with work, of course, and somehow manages to take care of many of the things I can't seem to accomplish. He is doing a beautiful job on our basement project (we are finishing a bedroom and a bathroom), but manages to injure part of his hand or another almost every time he works on it. He has completed all of the framing (except for the entry way), the bulk of the plumbing, and a large portion of the electrical. Isn't he amazing?

Sara is counting down the days to her 9th birthday. This girl LOVES her birthday. I have no idea what to buy her this year. She does need some new clothes because she is growing like a weed, but I know that's not what she "wants" as a present. Overall, school has been going well - she competed in the school science fair, and completed a biography presentation about Pocahontas (which included Sara dressing up as Pocahontas as well!). Michael and I are a bit frustrated in that Sara seems to be struggling with math. She is really smart, but for whatever reason, it seems like she has forgotten everything she has learned. I know that seems extreme, but it took her over 2-hours to complete NINE subtraction problems. Granted, they were "large" numbers (3097658 - 1278563), but she has been doing these types of problems for over a year, not to mention she mastered her subtraction math facts in Kindergarten. I'm not sure what's going on...

Rebecca loves being in Kindergarten. She is making lots of friends and loves her teacher. She is flying through "math timings" (solve 30-problems in 2 minutes and 30-seconds), and loves to read. She is also very excited that she has recently lost her bottom 2-front teeth. Not only did she receive money from the tooth fairy (.72 and .53 cents, respectively), she also managed to get Daddy to give her .25 for each tooth that she let him pull out. Clever girl, that one. She is also very excited about having a new baby brother... which brings me to... well, ME.

As is par for the course, I am feeling rather overwhelmed. I think I have the worst kind of "nesting" because I have all the crazy, insane urges to clean every single inch of my house before the baby gets here, but I have absolutely no energy to attempt it. Currently I am obsessed with the grease spot located on the ceiling above our stove. I can't seem to just let it go. (The simplest solution would be to simply clean it and be done with it, but Michael says I'm not allowed on a ladder - which really IS good advice, not only because I am pregnant but because ladders really freak me out. Yeah, I'm scared of freakin' ladders. Now stop teasing me!) Anyway, the situation is annoying.

For the record, I am 31-weeks and 1-day today. By the looks of my belly, baby seems to be growing just fine. Part of the reason I am overwhelmed is because of this:

Only 62 days left! ACK!

So, there's only one thing left to do, IMO. Make a list. I know you don't like 'em, because they are probably the most boring blog posts ever, but they make me feel better.

Let's start with a glance at the calendar. I didn't bother to post my co-oping time at the girls school (3.5 hours each week), Piano Lessons (with travel time, 1.5 hours each week), or Ballet Lessons (roughly 3 hours each week, with travel time).

Here we go:
~~March 4: Find baby sitter for Rebecca so we can go on Hospital Tour~~
~~March 4: Go on Hospital Tour~~
March 7: Help with Ward Conference Dinner (Ugh...)
March 12: OB Appointment (Maybe my c-section will get scheduled!)
March 12: Disney on Ice
March 13: Diabetes Appointment
March 13: Take Sara to Emily's Birthday Party
March 16: Possible Visit from a favorite visitor from Virginia
March 20: Michael & Karen's 11th Wedding Anniversary
March 21: Baby Shower
March 26: Sonogram
March 28: Baby Shower
March 30: Sara's Birthday (which I haven't even begun shopping for)
April 3: Sara's Birthday Party (most likely a sleepover)
April 12: Easter
April 13-17: Spring Break
April 20: Dad's Birthday
April 28: Possible C-Section Date (If not today, sometime this week!)
May 4: Michael's Birthday
May 5: Baby's Due Date (should be delivered this day, if he's not here already!)
May 15-16: Sara and Rebecca's Dance Recitals

And now, because I need to drive the kids to school again (because Sara can't seem to finish her homework the day before... *sigh*), I will have to try and come back later, to start with my list of things to do. Joys.

Too Much To Ask

2009-02-12T07:59:00.003-07:00

I believe that when people go into business for themselves, or when a company begins to exist, the entity has the right to charge whatever prices they believe are fair and reasonable.

I believe that I have the right to decide what prices are fair and reasonable.

If I don't agree that the entities prices are fair and reasonable, I have the right to choose not to do business with that particular entity.

I do NOT have the right to dictate what prices a company may charge.

I only have the right to choose whether or not I will pay those prices BEFORE I go begin a contract, partnership, service agreement, etc, with them, and once I have agreed to the prices, I have the responsibility to pay for the services received.

Companies that do not fully disclose their prices during negotiations make me very, very angry. Particularly when my concerns over specific charges have been discussed, and supposedly answered honestly.

It is a waste of their time and my time to mislead me, and they know that.

But, they bank on the fact that I will be yet another "idiot customer" who will not read the contract and realize that they are taking me for a complete fool. And because they believe I will fall for their ploy, it is no longer a waste of time for them.

Mortgage lenders are beyond aggravating to me today. While I would love to be able to refinance our mortgage, ALL I REALLY WANT IS SOMEONE WHO IS HONEST. I will admit it, I am picky, and I may very well be searching for "too good of a deal." That is my problem. All I want from a potential lender is the truth about fees, closing costs, and anything else associated with my refinance. "I don't know" is an acceptable answer, as long as they are working on providing me with the actual answer. That's all I want. Just the plain and simple truth.

Is that really too much to ask?

Well, If You Can't Laugh At Yourself...

2009-02-03T16:29:00.002-07:00

Last night I wasn't feeling so hot.

I thought that perhaps I was maybe experiencing some contractions. I told Michael that "If I didn't know better, I'd say that my period was about to start." At the risk of TMI, I have very bad menstrual cramps and have been told by a doctor that the pain I feel during that time of the month is very similar to the pain a woman feels while in labor. I have had very little experience with labor (what with all those c-sections), but the experiences that I *do* have, convinces me that the doctor is right. So, it made sense that the pain I was feeling could possibly be contractions.

Well, it turns out that I was wrong.

The "contractions" were really just gas. :)

Just thought you'd want to know!

Decluttering

2009-01-30T08:28:00.002-07:00

I have been on a decluttering mission.

This is something that is very difficult for me, because I grew up with a Mom who was a strong believer in "it might be useful one day", and because of that, I guess I learned to hang on to things. I am also sentimental. That means that I keep everything that my daughters touched, even if it is rubbish. OK, I'm not *quite* that bad. But still, things have definitely been out of control here.

Later this morning, I will take several boxes of items to the D.I. I have also been busy sorting through clothes that my children have outgrown and have donated many of them to a friend in need, my SIL, and again, the D.I.

I have put together a small collection of new or gently used toys for another friend to shop from this afternoon. Her husband lost his job a couple of months ago, and their daughters birthday is on Monday. I know she is planning on buying a couple of gifts "no matter what", but I am hoping she might be willing to supplement from our overabundance of toys.

What is amazing to me, is how much is still left. I'm not sure that I see "clutter" as a blessing, but it must be, because we have so much of it!

I Clipped, I Shopped, I Saved!

2009-01-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

The other day I started to share one of my grocery shopping adventures with you. I promised I'd be back with pictures, and as usual, that never happened.

So, first... a picture. The picture that I am about to show you contains the items purchased during that ONE DAY of fantastic, glorious, and exhausting day of shopping.

Pretty amazing, huh?

Well, the story continues a little bit. As I mentioned before (or maybe not), one bonus of this sale was that for every $30 in participating products that you bought, you received $15 in coupons off of your next shopping order. These kind of deals result in an incredible amount of savings!

Basically, the list below contains everything that I have purchased from Albertson's (where this sale took place) from January 7th through January 17th. I am now out of coupons to cash in, so this is a pretty good example of what one good sale can do for your pantry. There are a few day-to-day groceries (food you have to replenish every week), but a large portion are items that we will use more slowly over the coming months. I would say that it's a safe bet that I have a "year's supply" for many of these items, and many more items are probably well-stocked for the next 6-months. Except diapers... I think I only have a 8-10 week supply of those! Scary!

Here we go (I tried to divide it into very loose categories to help you visualize it a little better):

12 packages of Lean Cuisine frozen dinners
12-ounce package of ham (lunch meat)
12-ounce package of turkey (lunch meat)
5 pounds of potatoes
4 pounds of cheddar cheese
4 cans of Betty Crocker frosting
3 packages of Hamburger Helper
3 packages of Tuna Helper
3 packages of Jolly Time microwave popcorn
3 pounds of bananas
2 packages of Bisquick
2 packages of Betty Crocker blueberry muffin mix
2 packages of Yoplait Kids yogurt (6 per package)
2 gallons of milk
2 dozen eggs
2 pounds of apples
2 grapefruits
1 pound of butter
1 loaf of Sara Lee Del-ite-ful bread
1 package of Dasani bottled water (24-pack)
1 bottle of Pace picante sauce
1 package of Mission tortillas (24-count)

24 boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal
6 packages of Cheerios
3 boxes of Kellogg's Rice Krispies
2 packages of Honey Nut Cheerios
2 packages of Multi-Grain Cheerios
2 bags of Malt-O-Meal Cereal
1 box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
1 package of Golden Grahams

6 bottles of Suave shampoo
4 packages of Crest toothpaste
4 Oral B toothbrushes
4 packages of Halls cough drops
3 boxes of Kleenex
2 packages of Degree deodorant

16 boxes of Quaker Granola Bars
10 packages of Fruit Snacks
3 packages of Twizzlers

13 packages of Pampers diapers (that's 662 diapers!)
1 package of Pampers Baby Wipes (180 count wipes)

3 packages of Charmin Bath Tissue (9 Mega Rolls per package, equal to 36-regular rolls per package)
5 packages of Dawn Dish Soap
2 package of Bounty Paper Towels (8 Giant rolls per package, equal to 12-regular rolls per package)
2 packages of Mr. Clean Erasers
1 container of Cascade Dishwasher Detergent

2 packages of LED Christmas Lights

TOTAL: $236.73
SAVINGS: $522.49 (without coupons or sales would've cost $832.37)
180 items for approximately $1.31 an item!
*** I define an item as "1 package" or 1 pound of fruit/veggies. So a package of 40 diapers counts as ONE item, as does a package of 6 containers of yogurt. But 3 pounds of bananas counts as THREE items.

If you're still not impressed, consider the fact that there is very little on this list where any one item could be purchased for $1.31, even at Wal-Mart.

Also, just for fun, this is my favorite receipt for the week! I included these purchases in the list above, but wanted to break it out for you here. Wouldn't you just die if you could walk out of the store with this many groceries AND know that the store had to PAY YOU for shopping there? I did. I totally did!

3 boxes of Kleenex
1 gallon of milk
12 boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal
12 boxes of Quaker Granola Bars
3 boxes of Kellogg's Rice Krispies
1 box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
2 dozen eggs
6 bottles of Suave shampoo
3 packages of Twizzlers
2 Degree deodorant
1 12-ounce package of ham (lunch meat)
1 12-ounce package of turkey (lunch meat)
3 pounds of bananas
2 pounds of apples
2 grapefruits

Total Cost: $1.61
BONUS: The store rang up my cereal wrong, so they said that according to policy, I get the cereal for free. So, they gave me $6.88 in cash. I made money on this receipt! Talk about dyin' and goin' to heaven!

SO... would you like to start couponing too? I wrote this guide a little over a year ago, but I think it's still pertinent. Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help to clarify anything! It's a little overwhelming at first, but YOU CAN DO IT!

Living In Chaos

2009-01-17T10:23:00.004-07:00

Sara and Rebecca asked if they could play with their doll house this morning. I am not sure why they felt like they needed to ask for permission (I am not that restrictive), but I played along and said "OK."

They have been busy setting it up for the past hour or so, and begged me to come and see it. They said, "It looks like our house sometimes!"

I go to look.

The house is in total chaos. Various household items are strewn across the floors, in the wrong rooms, or in the right rooms but in the wrong places. Furniture is arranged in the most awkward positions within each bedroom. Beds are either lopsided because they are standing partially on the floor and partially on top of something else, or the beds are completely upside down.

OK, I admit it. Our house is pretty bad. But for the record, not ONE of our beds is completely upside down.

My Mind Is Spinning

2009-01-07T22:40:00.005-07:00

I spent a large portion of my day shopping. I will post more details tomorrow. I realize that some of you probably don't care about my shopping trips AT ALL, but because this was a HUGE shopping trip, and because I love a good deal I have to put it on my blog. It's a part of me. Seriously.

I spent about $170 (including taxes).

We piled all of my "deals" on the kitchen table when we got home, and it was an incredible sight. We took pictures, and yes, I will post those too.

If I hadn't had coupons, my total would've been just shy of $500.

I still have another $35 in free money to spend (coupons that are valid on my next shopping order).

My big purchase? DIAPERS. Over 500 of them, in fact (10 smallish packages). (Yes, I am well aware that they won't last long.)

Again... more details tomorrow (after my next shopping trip...).

Blog Updates

2009-01-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know. I haven't been around much. I want to post more, but... something always gets in the way. Like maintaining my immaculate home, or cooking wonderful delicious dinners, or neatly folding all of our laundry... or Facebook.

(Um, if you know me AT ALL, you will know that FACEBOOK is the correct answer.)

But I *did* update all the kids blogs, so I thought you might appreciate the links... especially since Sara's blog now contains the long-awaited video for her brief appearance on the morning news.

Sara Mackenzie

Rebecca Nicole

Matthew Jayden

Not Checked Off... (EDITED)

2008-12-19T07:13:00.005-07:00

Much like Santa, I too am making a list and checking it twice. My list, unfortunately, is growing faster than I can check things off on it.

Please tell me you can relate.

The most critical items remaining on my list:

~~FINISH treat baskets for neighbors. (Ya'll like stale cookies, right?)~~
~~CREATE and MAIL a photo calendar to Nana Franklin, Nana Jackson & Grandma Joyce.~~
~~WRITE a Christmas newsletter. Or something.~~
~~TAKE a picture of the girls to include with the Christmas newsletter.~~
~~PRINT and MAIL the Christmas Newsletter.~~ (Lost a bunch of addresses due to a computer problem, but mailed as many as I had addresses for. Oh well.)
PAINT Grandpa Thompson's gift. (It's about 50% painted...)
~~For that matter, BUY PAINT for Grandpa Thompson's gift.~~
Assemble Grandpa Thompson's gift.
Assemble Mom's gift.
Wrap a lot of presents.
Go grocery shopping.

I think, however, that I just figured out why these things haven't been getting done. They aren't written down on my ACTUAL list. Not one of them! The ACTUAL list is full of other items - like clean out the refrigerator, vacuum the stairs, and clean the bathroom.

I think I need to update my list.

The 13 Days of Christmas

2008-12-16T20:48:00.002-07:00

I made the unfortunate mistake of attempting to teach my children The Twelve Days of Christmas.

They decided to create their own version.

Sorry that it's so dark and so grainy. It didn't look that way when I was attempting to record it!

A Few Last Minute Gift Ideas

2008-12-14T16:34:00.004-07:00

Are you still trying to find that perfect gift? Maybe something for the person that has everything? Or maybe you are the type of person that likes to give practical gifts.

I could use some new luggage tags (well, I could use new luggage too...) because I am tired of using the paper ones that the airlines give out. So many people use them, there's just no way to easily pick out your luggage from all the other bags! These heavy duty nylon tags will hold up, regardless of how much traveling you do, and will add a splash of color to your otherwise boring luggage.

These LED flashlights would make a fun (and useful) stocking stuffer for just about anyone. Each flashlight has 4 functions: High power, Low power, Strobe & Signal mode. The LED beam reaches 26-33 feet and can be seen for over a mile! This would be a great tool to add to any emergency kit.

Or maybe, somebody on your list has a need for new boots. There is a huge selection here, including several from Timberland (one of my favorite brands).

For a limited time, every order will also be sent with a FREE Schick Quattro Titanium Razor. What are you waiting for? Go get some Surefire Flashlights and finish your holiday shopping!

The Nutcracker

2008-12-13T00:02:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to see the opening night performance of The Nutcracker at Mountain West Ballet. We were dying to catch a glimpse of two young ballerinas who are very near and dear to our hearts: Sara & Rebecca.

The girls were AWESOME! So cute in their costumes, so LITTLE on that BIG, BIG stage, smiles that light up the room. (I'm not biased...)

It was a great performance and we are so proud of our talented ballerinas!

Good News, Bad News...

2008-12-12T12:43:00.002-07:00

The good news is that I don't have to wear my heart monitor anymore! YAY! Good riddance!

The bad news? They don't know exactly what's wrong with me. Yes, I had an episode of tachycardia, they definitely believe me. But it hasn't happened again. And it's not something that I frequently deal with. And while they could give me medication, "just in case", I'm pregnant, and the less medication the better. Particularly because this medication can make the baby's growth slow down. (Sometimes I wonder if this is a bad thing...) So, if it happens again, I can try to make it stop by either bearing down, or putting my face in ice water. (I'm voting for bearing down!) I could also try sticking my hands in ice water. (This would be my 2nd choice!) Basically, it's an attempt to shock my heart back into rhythm. In the event that it DOESN'T slow down, I can head for the ER. BUT, if it goes back to normal BEFORE I get to the ER, I shouldn't waste my time at the ER... because if they can't do an EKG (and there's nothing for the EKG to capture), well, me being there won't do anybody any good.

On the other hand, if I pass out or seem to be having other problems, I should probably call 911.

Joys.

So, I will be in touch with my cardiologist throughout my pregnancy (meaning, if I have another episode, I need to call him and let him know, regardless of the outcome), but ultimately, nothing further will be done until I have delivered this baby. Then I get to have a stress test. With an echocardiogram. FUN STUFF!

Updates

2008-12-11T15:42:00.002-07:00

Yeah, I know. I haven't updated in a long time. I want to write about HAPPY things, and frankly, the last month (and actually longer), has been exhausting and overwhelming, to say the least.

This pregnancy is the hardest yet. Is it because I am 35? Maybe. All I know is that in general, I am tired, cranky, and the morning sickness about killed me. Thank heavens *that* is over (for now).

I have been sick with bronchitis for at least 5-weeks now. I deal with this frequently, but being pregnant makes it that much worse. For example, I have peed my pants more times than I care to count during the last month. Every time I cough, I pee. I have actually taken to wearing the equivalent of "Depends" because it is the ONLY solution I have found to this stupid problem. I also feel like I'm not being treated very well by my doctors. My OB-GYN seems to think that I won't get over it until the baby gets here, or the weather changes (about the same time out here in Utah). Basically, he doesn't seem to think there's anything we can do about it - "It's asthma - tough luck!" My family doctor is trying to help, but I wonder if they are trying everything. If I WASN'T pregnant, I think they would be more concerned. And that's really bothering me because I AM pregnant, and to me, that's a reason to be REALLY concerned. I am taking Azmacort (a steroid inhaler), an albuterol inhaler, antibiotics, and a generic for Robitussin with Codeine. I <3 codeine.

Another problem that I have been having is with my gestational diabetes. It came back MUCH earlier this time, and I'm already on insulin. I am currently stabbing myself 8 times a day. 4 times to check my blood sugars, 4 times to give myself 2 different kinds of insulin. The good news is that I shouldn't ever have to stab myself more times than that. The bad news is that my insulin levels will likely continue to increase as the pregnancy progresses. Joys.

That should be enough, right? No... there's more. About 3-weeks ago, I experienced tachycardia. Tachycardia is basically when your heart beats abnormally. In my case, my heart decides to beat VERY, VERY fast. We were not able to measure the heart rate when it first started, but 8-minutes into my episode, my heart rate finally dropped to 160 beats per minute. I am fairly certain that it was around 200 beats per minute before that point. Anyway, my OB-GYN told me to go visit my cardiologist. I'm all, "I don't have a freakin' cardiologist!" (Why would I? Do YOU have a cardiologist? I mean, I have no history of NEEDING a cardiologist!) Anyway, I found myself a cardiologist and I've had to wear a heart monitor for the past two weeks. I hate it. Thankfully, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I will go and see my cardiologist tomorrow to find out if I have anything else to worry about.

During this time, we also chose to have the NT Scan with Integrated Screening done. We've never done any kind of genetic testing with any of our other kids, but now that I am 35, well... I was a little concerned. This series of tests tells us our risks of having a baby with Downs Syndrome, Spina Bifida (or other neural tube diseases), and Trisomy 18. I am happy to tell you that our risks for Spina Bifida and Trisomy 18 are something like 1 in 10,000. Our risk for a baby with Downs Syndrome is something like 1 in 3900. These numbers are excellent, and I am grateful that it appears we have very little to worry about. In addition, the ultrasound today didn't seem to indicate any other problems that would increase the chances of our baby having any of the previous conditions. A blessing to be sure.

So... the good news. We had an ultrasound today and we were able to find out what we are having. If you don't want to know, don't visit the above site. But after today, I'm not necessarily keeping it a secret from the readers on this blog, so you might find out unintentionally anyway. So yeah... click or don't... it's up to you.

Surprise!

2008-10-28T10:07:00.002-06:00

The above is a photograph of variou members of my family that was taken on my birthday. They all can't believe that I turned 29 again! They are in shock! Actually, I turned 35, and that's not why they are surprised.

They are surprised because I chose that very moment to show them a picture.

A very special picture.

A picture that I haven't scanned yet, so you can't see it. Neener, neener!

But I can tell you about it... would that work for you?

No? Well, tough! It's just going to have to be good enough.

See, here's the thing...

I'M HAVING A BABY!

I'm due May 5th, which means that I am 13-weeks today. The baby, however, will likely make its appearance in late April as I will be having a scheduled c-section.

And the coolest part is this:

A floating baby ticker! I've always wanted one of those!

Now tell me how shocked and surprised you are... I wish I could take a picture of you too!

Quiz Time

2008-10-18T23:20:00.002-06:00

I think it's been a while since I've done one of these quizzes, but since all my friends are doing it, I guess I'd better get on the ball. It's only 2 questions, so you should go and do it too!

BTW, the description of me below is eerily accurate.

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

* Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.

* Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.

* Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.

* Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.

* Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

* my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level

* my ability to establish warm connections with people

* admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life

* my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor

* being unique and being seen as unique by others

* having aesthetic sensibilities

* being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

* experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair

* feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved

* feeling guilty when I disappoint people

* feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me

* expecting too much from myself and life

* fearing being abandoned

* obsessing over resentments

* longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

* have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games

* are very sensitive

* feel that they don't fit in

* believe they are missing something that other people have

* attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.

* become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood

* feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

* help their children become who they really are

* support their children's creativity and originality

* are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings

* are sometimes overly critical or overly protective

* are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Exciting News!

2008-10-17T23:02:00.000-06:00

We own a new car! YAY!

Oh Well!

2008-10-10T10:07:00.003-06:00

Rebecca had a costume fitting for The Nutcracker last night, so we chatted on the drive home. Rebecca told me about a picture that she had drawn at school - it had a picture of a little girl with curly hair (but it wasn't Rebecca!), and the little girl was drawing a picture so she had a pencil in her hand, and there was a mommy cat who was sitting by her bowl of water, and there was a baby cat who was sitting by its bowl of water.

I asked her if the baby cat was a boy or a girl.

"A girl!" she answered. And then she continued talking about babies. She informed me that if you wanted a girl baby, and you got a girl baby, you can say "Yay!" She also informed me that if you wanted a boy baby, and you got a boy baby, you can say "Yay!"

So I had to ask...

"What do you say if you want a girl baby, but you get a boy baby?" (or vice versa).

Her answer?

"Oh well!"

So... if any of you are expecting and don't get quite what you want, you can thank Rebecca for giving you an appropriate response!

Poetry

2008-10-09T20:03:00.000-06:00

Sara wrote a poem today.

It's on her blog if you'd like to check it out.

Ummm...

2008-10-07T06:41:00.003-06:00

I am not even sure what to think or say about this product.

LINK

Peanut Butter Squares

2008-10-03T17:21:00.004-06:00

Ah, school lunch. Cold macaroni and cheese. Hot dogs that bounce. Jellified gravy. Makes you hungry, doesn't it?

As a child, I didn't take school lunch very often because I was a very picky eater. I recall a period of time where the only kind of sandwich that I would eat was a Butter Sandwich. Yep, it's exactly what you think. A piece of bread, slathered with butter, with another piece of bread on top. And my Mom actually let me eat it. Every day. What was she thinking?

Anyway, when I entered Junior High, I discovered something wonderful.

Peanut Butter Squares...
... awww, I get a warm fuzzy feeling just thinking about them.

Cool peanut butter mixed with crunchy pieces of rice cereal, topped with a thick layer of firm chocolate... mmmmm! They are so good.

Many years have passed. I have tried many different peanut butter square recipes in hopes of finding the peanut butter squares of my childhood. NO LUCK!

But then, a surprise e-mail from my friend Julie. She tells me that one of her favorite childhood treats was the peanut butter squares that were served at her elementary school. She further explains that because she loved them so much, she decided to contact the lunch lady at her old elementary school and see if she could get the recipe.

Julie then proceeds to rave about the recipe, and how it is exactly how she remembers these wonderful little treats, and by this time I am salivating because I realize that while we attended different schools, the schools were both in the same school district (Salt Lake City School District). Could this be the actual recipe for my beloved peanut butter squares?

So I made them today, and I am finally content. I have the recipe for my favorite peanut butter squares. And now... I'm going to share it with you.

Peanut Butter Squares

1/2 cube butter or margarine
3 cups peanut butter
3 cups powdered sugar
10 T rice cereal (like Rice Crispies)
Chocolate Icing (or chocolate chips)

Warm butter and peanut butter.
Stir in powdered sugar (with hands if mixer is not heavy duty).
Mix in cereal.
Spread mixture on cookie sheet. Top with wax paper and smooth with a rolling pin.
Top with chocolate icing. If you use chocolate chips, melt with a small amount of shortening or oil.
Place in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours or as long as you can stand waiting. (This is MY tip, and not a part of the actual recipe.)

[[This is embarrassing to admit, but I was so excited about making these things, I just realized that I completely left out the butter. I will probably try it again and actually FOLLOW the directions this time because I think the butter might help with the texture a little bit, but honestly, it's not that bad. And it's probably a little healthier with out the butter anyway!]]

A Princess Tale

2008-10-02T18:44:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess.

Her name was Princess Rebecca and she was turning 6 years old.

As was the custom in the Kingdom, Princess Rebecca issued a Royal Decree which invited all of the other Princesses in the land to a royal celebration.

The Princesses went on a Dragon Egg Hunt where they found many wonderful pieces of jewelry.

The Princesses attended a royal ball where they danced the afternoon away. Well, they danced as long as the music was playing, for an evil fairy had cast a spell on the Princesses, and they had to freeze whenever the music stopped.

Every Princess desires to find true love, so they all lined up for their chance...

... to kiss the frog and see if he would turn into their Prince Charming.

After such a busy day, the Princesses were tired. They requested some royal refreshments.

The Princess Rebecca was so grateful to all of her Princess friends for helping her celebrate her special day, that she presented each of them with a special wand for their very own.

And the Princesses all lived happily ever after.

OH NO!

2008-09-29T22:02:00.002-06:00

I gave in. I've avoided these types of things for so long, but I finally did it. I joined Facebook. Within minutes, I found myself chatting with people I haven't talked to in over 15 years. CRAZY!

It's actually really, really cool.

But I'm still avoiding MySpace.

Wishes

2008-09-22T15:25:00.003-06:00

As I type this, I am listening to my 8-year old daughter scream. She is in her room stomping her feet, hitting things, crying, screaming, and occasionally yelling "Wishes don't come true!"

Would you like to know the reason why she is throwing such a temper tantrum?

Part of it is because she got a role in Mountain West Ballet's version of The Nutcracker. Can you believe it? Most kids would be very, very excited. At least, I think they would be.

Not so, for The Princess.

She is upset because she has been cast as a "Bon Bon" and she wants to be a "Baby Mouse". Frankly, I think that she got the better role. But she doesn't see it that way.

I've told her that she can back out. She doesn't have to be in The Nutcracker if she doesn't want to be. She hasn't taken me up on the offer yet. I really think she will come around. Eventually.

The Dragon will be in The Nutcracker too. She will be a Sugar Plum Paige (I think it's supposed to be PAGE, but that's how they spelled it on the cast list). I can't tell you what her reaction is, because she's asleep. All-day Kindergarten is wearing her out!

Line Upon Line

2008-09-18T21:50:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to share a website with you that has brought a smile to my face recently:

Line upon Line: greeting cards for the fullness of times

If you are LDS, you should get a good laugh. If you're not, you might find some cards you like anyway.

Happy Birthday, Rebecca!

2008-09-12T11:21:00.005-06:00

When I was One,
I had just begun.

When I was Two,
I was nearly new.

When I was Three
I was hardly me.

When I was Four,
I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

IOU

2008-09-04T21:51:00.003-06:00

I owe you pictures. Lots of pictures. They should be coming this weekend.

Bottom line? I'm exhausted.

I am getting up every morning at 5:45 to get my kids ready for school, and then trying really hard to work all day so that The King doesn't get mad at me *grin*, and by the time the kids are in bed, I am ready for bed too.

But hey! Look at the time! It's almost 10 PM. That just might be a new record for me.

So... I'm still here. I'm just exhausted.

Not So Happy

2008-09-02T22:29:00.002-06:00

Today is my Mom and Dad's 38th wedding anniversary.

Except they aren't exactly together anymore.

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

Salt...

2008-08-29T20:44:00.002-06:00

I want salt.

Lots of salt.

Yummy salt.

Find me something to eat with salt on it. Stat!

Thanks.

On A Roll...

2008-08-27T23:31:00.002-06:00

I've been posting quite regularly lately (DAILY!), which I think is awesome. But tonight, I am tired. And I'm torn between writing an awesome post or not writing at all. Well, obviously, I chose to write, but I think I'm dropping the awesome part. Sorry!

Getting up at 6 AM is HARD. I think I might have to start getting up 5:45 AM though in order to get both girls ready for school next week. DREADING IT. Well, excited to have them both in school, but dreading waking up early. This is the main reason I should be in bed right now.

The Dragon had her kindergarten testing today. She loved it, loved her teacher, and finally tried to use the bathroom and flush the toilet all by herself. She IS potty trained (for the record), but strange bathrooms bother her, and she hates the noise that the toilet makes whenever she flushes it. But she did it, and now she says she can do it all by herself when she is at school. This is a huge relief to me, because I had my doubts that she would be able to "hold it" from 6:30 am until almost 4:00 pm.

The Princess still seems happy in school. She doesn't have much to say about it, but she's not complaining about it either. This is a good thing.

We, meaning The King and I, have a lot of decisions to make about our future. Nothing bad, I promise! We just have to sit down and decide what are priorities are and then make some financial decisions that will hopefully enable us to reach our goals. It's gonna be hard! We have so many things we want to do, but not nearly enough money to do them all or quickly.

Tomorrow is Back-To-School Night. I love meeting with the teachers in the classroom. I hate the all-school parent meetings that take place before that. BORING!

And now, I'm off to bed. G'night, everyone!

The First Day Of School (Part 1)

2008-08-26T14:15:00.004-06:00

Today was The Princess' first day of school (she's in THIRD grade)!

Despite all of the whining and complaining we have endured for the past 3-months, she appeared to be very happy and excited to go to school.

Waking up at 6 am was not a problem (despite not going to bed until 10 pm the night before - oops!). Getting dressed was a breeze. She ate breakfast quickly (even cooking it herself - instant oatmeal). She even let me do her hair WITHOUT complaining! (Who is this child???)

And... to top it all off, when she came home from school, she actually seemed HAPPY! (Seriously, what happened to grumpy?)

She seems to think that her teacher might be OK (she has been complaining and complaining about the teacher all summer long - and she doesn't have a choice because there is only one teacher who teaches her grade in this program), and she seems OK with who she sits by in class.

She took a math test today and thinks that she did OK.

I asked her about classroom rules (because she thinks this teacher is going to be super strict), and she said that they are not allowed to play with colored pencils at their desk and that they can get band-aids whenever they want, but that they CANNOT leave all the little band-aid wrapper pieces all over the classroom. They must go in the trash.

Yeah, tough rules. I have a feeling that there is more, but those are all that she would tell me.

She had homework, but she got it done during class, so all she has to do tonight is read. And she does that every night anyway. They don't even have to read a certain number of pages or for a certain length of time (yet), but they do have to record how many pages they read.

One day down. 179 to go?

Stay tuned next week for The First Day Of School (Part 2), starring The Dragon.

Sisters

2008-08-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

I only have brothers. I know I fought with them as a child, but it seemed to me that it was very short lived. We yelled at each other, and then it was over.

The Princess and The Dragon are fighting ALL. THE. TIME.

It is typically over little things, but it goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on... OH! Sorry.

It reminds me of the book Where The Wild Things Are...

... they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws ...

... except, when I tell them to "BE STILL!" they don't. (Oh, if I only had the power of Max! Then I could be queen of all wild things.)

I know that children will fight. I don't expect them to be perfectly well behaved all of the time. But does it have to be so darn explosive?

Worse, they are very rude to me. Talking back is becoming a huge issue around here.

I don't know how to deal with it anymore. It's getting embarrassing to go places with them, and school starts on Tuesday for The Princess, and about a week later for The Dragon. I don't think The Princess will act up in school, but The Dragon will. I am scared!

I send them to their room when they get out of control, but it doesn't seem to be working.

My Mom used to wash my mouth out with soap. I am not sure that worked with me.

If The King were around more, he would probably "whip them all soundly and send them to bed." And no, our children, FOR THE RECORD, have never been whipped. But that's how bad it's getting around here.

This is not a once or twice a day kind of thing. It starts within the first hour of them waking up, and I would say it happens at least once every 3-hours. Some days it happens almost every hour.

I want to have fun with my kids, but they are unbearable to be around. HELP!

The Birds and the Bees

2008-08-24T00:39:00.002-06:00

Arrivals of new babies are still very hard for me. They remind me of Nemo.

I try to be happy and gracious, and I usually pull it off well. But on the inside, it still hurts.

When we went to visit my sister-in-law in the hospital, The Dragon took one look at the baby, turned to SIL and said, "My Mommy had a baby in her tummy and it died."

I didn't really know whether to laugh or cry.

My SIL, thankfully only said something along the lines of "I know."

The topic of several discussions since then has revolved around babies, and if/when we might have another one, etc, etc, etc.

I honestly don't remember what I said that prompted this, but at some point during one of the conversations, The Princess turned and looked at me with a startled look on her face.

Her comment? "You don't get to pick when you have a baby!"

Apparently, they are just placed there when the time is right. I'm still waiting.

Karen Needs...

2008-08-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

Step 1: Go to Google
Step 2: Type in ((your name)) + needs
Step 3: Post the results on your blog

Karen Needs:

Karen needs help. [Why yes! Yes I do! Are you offering?]

Karen needs feedback. [If you don't leave comments, you are a loser. Just kidding!]

Karen needs more CS training. [That could be true.]

Karen needs some gin. [True, but I don't drink.]

Karen needs a new job. [One that makes money, preferably.]

Karen needs a website. Tomorrow. [Well, I already have one, but I DO want a new one.]

Karen needs a lobotomy. [Um, no. No, I don't.]

Karen needs to get her ass off the ground and actually do some work. [Oi. This one is painfully true.]

Karen needs to start carrying a flask. [Were you not listening to me? I don't drink!]

Karen needs to write something here in her own words. [Now wait a minute! I write in my own words all the time!]

Karen needs to stay. [I hope you really do feel that way!]

Karen needs support with her pregnancy and when her baby is born. [Ummm... do you know something I don't know?]

Karen needs Dr. Pelvic's knowledge. [Well, if he knows anything about this surprise pregnancy, um yeah, I might...]

Karen needs something to boost her self-esteem. [Yes I do! What do you suggest?]

Karen should get out there and bite some people! [Oh yeah! That's my kind of night out on the town!]

Karen needs to get her message out! [Buy scrapbooking supplies from me!]

Karen needs to crawl back in the cave she lives in and let the rest of the world progress towards the future. [Ouch!]

Karen needs more than her head examined. [Hmph! Fine, be that way! I'll be ending this post now!}

Karen needs to stop crying. [AGGGGGGGGGH!]

Welcome To The World...

2008-08-22T00:01:00.002-06:00

... and would you please stop terrifying my children?

Abigail Fay (our new niece and the girls new cousin) entered the world on August 20, 2008.

We visited her in the hospital yesterday, and the girls were able to hold her for a few minutes.

A few hours ago, The Princess reported a bad dream. In this dream, she was holding Abby and Abby turned into a monster that hurt The Princess and The Dragon.

Only a few hours old and already wrecking havoc on the world. I wish her parents plenty of good luck!

Heavy Weight

2008-08-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

The girls set up a zoo today. I, of course, attended the grand opening and was given a spectacular tour.

After visiting each animal, I was encouraged to ask questions.

The elephants prompted me to ask the girls exactly how much an elephant weighs.

The girls replied, "Oh, most of them weigh about 100 pounds, but some of them weigh as much as 200."

Lisa may be an apple, but I, apparently, am an elephant (plus some).

The Interview

2008-08-20T08:36:00.004-06:00

Lara interviewed her children the other day, and I thought it was a really cute idea mostly because I remember my Dad doing interviews with me when I was a kid. So here are the results. Some of the answers are dead-on, and some of the answers were simply amusing. I must clarify one thing, however: I have NEVER made zucchini bread. The King always makes it around here.

1. What is something mom always says to you?

The Princess: Clean your room.
The Dragon: Get your fingers out of your mouth!

2. What makes mom happy?

The Princess: When I clean my room.
The Dragon: When I am nice to people.

3. What makes mom sad?

The Princess: When I yell at her.
The Dragon: When I don't do what she wants.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

The Princess: By tickling me or singing a "pickle" or a "skunk" song.
The Dragon: By tickling me!

5. What was your mom like as a child?

The Princess: I don't know.
The Dragon: I don't know.

6. How old is your mom?

The Princess: Thirty.... uh, four!
The Dragon needed some prompting:
          Mom: Am I 5?
          The Dragon: No, you're older than 5.
          Mom: Am I 100?
          The Dragon: No, you're less than 100.
          Mom: Well, how old do you think I am then?
          The Dragon: Hmm. Maybe the number before 100?

7. How tall is your mom?

The Princess: I don't know.
The Dragon: Super tall! Well, to me she's super tall! [Stands up on chair] Well, now I'm taller than you!

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

The Princess: I don't know. Um... sniffing sunflowers? No! Typing on her computer.
The Dragon: Clean and play with me and The Princess.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

The Princess: Go to stores. I think.
The Dragon: Clean.

10. If your mom became famous, what would it be for?

The Princess: The fastest typing person on the computer.
The Dragon: Money. You would have a lot of money and gold and silver.

11. What is your mom really good at?

The Princess: Typing on the computer.
The Dragon: Cleaning.

12. What is your mom not so good at?

The Princess: Remembering not to write cursive when she is writing to me.
The Dragon: Sewing.

13. What does your mom do for her job?

The Princess: She takes care of me.
The Dragon: Take care of kids and even teach them what to do and what not to do.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?

The Princess: I don't know. I really don't know. Unless maybe it's chocolate?
The Dragon: Zucchini Bread?

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

The Princess: When she helps me with my homework.
The Dragon: When she makes me zucchini bread.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

The Princess: Daisy Duck because I don't know... it's just the only thing I could come up with.
The Dragon: I don't know.

17. What is something you and your mom do together?

The Princess: We don't do much, but right now we're doing some questions!
The Dragon: Play "clean up the house."

18. How are you and your mom the same?

The Princess: We both like chocolate and we both have long hair.
The Dragon: Sometimes we do the same things, like, we both eat zucchini bread at the same time.

19. How are you and your mom different?

The Princess: I don't have glasses or contacts.
The Dragon: Well, you make the zucchini bread and I don't.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

The Princess: She hugs me and gives me kisses and makes me laugh.
The Dragon: Because you tell me!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jog!

2008-08-19T22:38:00.002-06:00

We're home!

I am glad that we are home, though our vacation was nice.
I am sad that my house is a mess.

The Princess starts school in a week.
The Dragon starts school about a week later.

I have a million things to do and no desire to do them. One of those things is to post a few pictures of our vacation. But I am tired and don't want to do it tonight.

One last thought, however. Did you know that clouds look like cotton candy and planes can't fly over mountains? NO? Apparently you haven't talked to The Dragon recently. I had the opportunity to sit next to her on the airplane, and I don't think she was quiet for more than a minute during the entire 3.5 hour flight.

Oi!

What Actually Happened...

2008-08-18T08:34:00.003-06:00

On Saturday night, we gathered up the kids and headed in to downtown Chicago. We invited many people to go with us, but the only one who accepted the invitation was The King's grandma, "Nana".

I had found a ticket package that included tickets to the John Hancock Observatory and a 90-minute boat tour, but The King's mother said that she was afraid of boats and didn't want to go. I was under the impression that she wanted to go to the observatory with us, so I didn't push the boat issue anymore. It turned out, however, that she didn't want to go at all. So we didn't get the boat ride AND The King's mom stayed home. Oh well.

We took the "fastest elevator in North America" up 94 floors to the observatory. The view was absolutely incredible. One thing that was REALLY cool was that everyone got their own little Palm Pilot (it probably wasn't a Palm, but it looked and acted very similar) with headsets, and you got your own personal tour of the city. As you walked around the observatory, there were numbers posted along the walls. When you reached one of these numbers, you stopped, entered the code into your machine, and listened to a brief narrative about Chicago. There was an adult version and an edited down version for the kids. The kids really loved this! I thought it was a great idea, because it seems that the usual reaction of kids on a sight-seeing tour is, "I'm bored!" No one was bored here, and the only time I heard from any of them is when The Dragon would ask, "Which way is left?" or "Which way is right?" They were able to find several landmarks in Chicago, though I daresay that it is easier to spot them during the day than at night.

One of the fun facts we learned is that Twinkies, Sundaes and Cracker Jack were all created in Chicago. Well, that's according to The Princess. I don't remember hearing it on my recording - but I was listening to the adult version.

We got there in time to see the fireworks on Navy Pier. That was a strange experience. The fireworks seemed very far away and very tiny, and they were in slow motion. When you think about your firework experience from the ground, well, it's very different. We could still hear the loud booms during the finale, but they weren't that loud.

Thanks for the tip! The John Hancock building was great!

(I took pictures but they are not on my computer yet. I will try to post them when we get back to Utah.)

I Just Don't Know...

2008-08-16T13:44:00.002-06:00

...how to do vacations where you sit around and watch TV most of the time.

We "partied" at Uncle Stevie's house, and most of The King's family proceeded to get very drunk and make some great plans for today.

Two problems with that:

1) No one remembers the plans that they made.

2) Even if they do remember, they are too drunk to execute the plans that they made.

We are sitting around and watching TV. And I am bored.

I could pull out my computer and happily entertain myself, but then I am "not with the family." Frankly, I don't see the difference. (Why am I posting then? 'Cause The King pulled out HIS computer in an attempt to find something for us to do... and I hijacked it.)

So, um, today is kind-of boring. I really don't have a problem with boring days - but I think I got myself psyched up for a fun day, and now, well, it's just not.

Serves me right for listening to drunks.

I like the idea of Chicago at night. Thanks "Old Man" for the suggestion. I am going to go do some research on it now, and maybe we can bust this joint for a few hours this evening.

I think I am declaring Monday a sight-seeing day because we have really got to get out of here and do something. The girls are really bored.

What? No Comments?!?

2008-08-14T06:31:00.002-06:00

Wow. I thought I'd get at least ONE comment. Though if you e-mailed me your comment, I can't get it until I get home. Boohoo! Nah, it's OK. I don't post regularly when I'm HOME... why would you expect me to post regularly when I'm on VACATION?

Yesterday was rather uneventful. We drove around visiting people, and that's about it. I also learned that it's much easier to make 16 sandwiches than it is to make 2.

Today we are headed to Six Flags Great America! WOOHOO! I am looking forward to this! The Princess wants to ride all the roller coasters, The Dragon wants nothing to do with the Roller Coasters and both of them want to see Scooby Doo.

I hope we have a great day!

Chicago - We Are Here!

2008-08-13T08:05:00.002-06:00

We made it to Chicago!

Our plane ride was uneventful, but difficult because three of us got placed on one row (me and the girls), and The King sat behind us. It was a very full flight.

Flying with the girls was fun. I think the passengers immediately surrounding us were rather amused with the girls. I mean, how can you not giggle when two little girls are squealing "Wheeeeeeeeee!" during take-off?

Another priceless moment was when The Princess commented "I wish we could open a window so we could grab a cloud." Um, no. I'd prefer for the windows to remain shut. We had a brief (no, the plane will explode if you do that) science lesson, and so her comment got revised to something along the lines of wishing we had a magical plane where we could roll down the windows and catch clouds without exploding.

Our hotel seems decent. All of the hotels we looked at seemed to only have rooms with two double beds. I was hoping for two queen beds. Maybe this is standard and I am just clueless. At any rate, the room appears to be decently clean, and we enjoyed a free breakfast this morning. Good thing we got there when we did, because they really do stop serving breakfast at 9:30. Not that they really serve anything, but right at 9:30 they marched in and took everything away! That didn't stop me from grabbing 4 extra muffins for later though!

We don't know what our plans are for today, yet. We'll be deciding on something shortly.

Leavin' On A Jet Plane...

2008-08-12T00:49:00.002-06:00

Today we are flying to Chicago! The girls are so excited. I think they mostly just want to ride on an airplane again. The Dragon doesn't really remember it, she wasn't even 3 the last time we flew. I'd have to look through a bunch of photos, but it is quite possible that she wasn't even TWO!

It's going to be an interesting trip for me. It always is, for in a matter of minutes, I become the only white person in my family. I'm not complaining - this isn't a bad thing - but boy, do I get teased a lot. Ebonics is the 'norm, along with a lot of slang that gets tossed around, and I may as well be blond because I have no idea what they are talking about. And, well, that makes me a target. A well-loved target. *smirk*

Another interesting aspect is that we will be meeting The King's mother. I've never met her. Neither have the girls. Another interesting aspect is that we will be meeting one of The King's grandmothers - another woman whom I have never met. And again, neither have the girls. As I said, it will be interesting. You know that Michael and I have been married for 10-years, and have known each other (dated) for almost 16-years, right? Um... yeah.

And on Friday, the family is having a big BBQ. The one thing I know I can count on is LOTS of good food. Yum. The interesting part will be all of the "family" that is going to come to the party. Probably half of them will be no relation to anyone there. I think that's cool - but I'm always trying to figure out who is related to who, and when I don't know three-quarters of the people there, and then one-half of all of the people there aren't even blood relations - well, it's mighty tricky. LOL!

It should be a very interesting trip!

Overdue

2008-08-10T14:29:00.003-06:00

Saturday, April 12 was the day that The Princess was baptized. Unfortunately, that day I was also busy dealing with a miscarriage (we knew it was likely to happen over the weekend), and I was just grateful that I was home when it happened, rather than happening AT the baptism.

Anyway, this was a very big day for Sara, and a big day for me... you know, 'cause I'm her Mom and all that.

I took her to get her pictures taken, and ended up making this collage last week.

The Princess loves it. I love her.

Boopity Boo, I Scared You!

2008-08-06T01:19:00.000-06:00

This song is stuck in my head. Enjoy!

Hypocrite

2008-07-31T09:54:00.002-06:00

Last November, I shared my rage about Christmas Music being played on November 1st.

Apparently, I can be bought.

For a mere $50, I will spend 90 minutes listening to Christmas music and giving my opinion on the various songs, next Tuesday night.

But after that? No more Christmas music. Not until the day after Thanksgiving. I promise!

While The Mice Are Away...

2008-07-21T23:54:00.002-06:00

...The Cat Will Play!

Yeah, I know the saying works the other way, but George is home. By himself. And he's probably getting into the catnip and rolling all over the couches and clawing the carpet while we're gone.

So where are we? In Park City. My Mom and Dad have a timeshare, and my Mom cashed in a week up in Park City for the whole family to use as they wish during the week. We'll be doing a fair amount of coming and going, but it should be a lot of fun.

The girls are loving the swimming pool!

Another Day, Another Page

2008-07-20T21:32:00.002-06:00

Here's another page I completed recently - but it's not a Zoo page. This is a picture I had of my brother and my SIL on their wedding day.

Zoo-Crazy

2008-07-18T00:41:00.003-06:00

I'm in the process of getting ready for what will hopefully be a HUGE business boost for me. I am going to have a Creative Memories booth at Hogle Zoo on Saturday, August 9th. It should be a lot of fun, but I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

One of my projects is creating some new scrapbook pages, and what fun it is to scrapbook our trips to the zoo. No, seriously, it IS fun.

So here is one page that I think I am happy with. Comments? Suggestions? Do you think I'll get in trouble for showing a picture of one of their giraffe's attacking The King's finger with its crazy-long tongue?

War Wounds

2008-07-11T14:23:00.003-06:00

Photos of my right arm:

Photos of my left arm:

I'm Going To Escape!

2008-07-11T10:28:00.002-06:00

I met with my doctor this morning, and he's given me the all clear to go home. He still thinks that it was the omentum infarctum, and that it was probably caused by part of the omentum wrapping itself around some scar tissue from my previous c-sections, and then it likely got twisted (which caused me all that pain!), and then "died" and my body is recovering. My white blood cell count is back to normal, but they are giving me one more round of antibiotics mostly as a precaution.

I shouldn't expect to experience this ever again - it's just a random rare thing... and there's nothing that I can do to prevent it.

I should be heading out the door around noon! I'm excited to get out of here now. The hospital wasn't so bad, until I got a roommate! Private rooms are SO much better. :)

On A Scale of 1 to 10...

2008-07-10T19:24:00.004-06:00

I'd say it's about a 15.

That was my answer to the nurses question of how bad my pain was when I was in triage at the ER yesterday afternoon.

I woke up yesterday morning with some stomach pain, and I thought it was just gas. At about 10:45 am, my pain exploded, much like the fireworks we watched on the 4th of July.

After much debate, we ended up in the ER of Salt Lake Regional Hospital.

I spent 10.5 hours in the ER, at which point, I finally got moved to a room. A window! A bathroom! A TV! If I didn't know better, I could almost believe that I'm on vacation.

Anyway, long story short, I'm doing OK.

I've had an x-ray, an ultrasound, a CT Scan, large doses of antibiotics, and lots of bags of "Lactate Ringer's and 5% Dextrose Injection USP." They've checked my appendix and my gall bladder. They also know it's not kidney stones. They think, that perhaps I have an "omentum infarction" which they say is fairly uncommon, and also uncommon in someone my age.

My white blood cell count was high when I came in, and I started running a fever. They really had no clue as to what was was going on with me.

My white blood cell count has now dropped, but it still high. I am feeling fine, and I recently enjoyed food that requires chewing about two hours ago. If I don't have another episode, I should be going home tomorrow. Whether that is good or not, I don't know.

I mean, obviously, I don't want to be sick, but I'd rather have a definite answer for all my symptoms. Especially because my arms are black and blue due to the inept nurse that was asked to put in my IV. I currently have two IV's in, and they are refusing to take the extra one out for fear that if I need another one, they might not be able to get another one in.

Well, you pretty much know everything that I know. Wish me luck! I think I'd like to go home.

My Other Blog

2008-07-07T15:31:00.002-06:00

I have more than one blog. More than you even know about or could possibly find. But they are out there.

Well, I decided to dust one off today. It's my "joke" blog.

Please visit Cachinnates for your daily giggle. Well, a giggle for today anyway. :)

The Zoo

2008-07-06T16:48:00.003-06:00

My friend Deb mentioned that her family was planning on making a trip to Hogle Zoo in July or August, so I managed to convince her that she really wanted to come in June, before our membership expired.

June 30th was the big day! They planned on being at our house between 8:30 and 9:00 and arrived shortly before 9. And, as usual, I wasn't ready.

Deb and her kids very graciously gave me the time I needed and explored our backyard while they waited for me... but finally, we were off!

I think originally we only planned on staying for a few hours, but we spent closer to 6 hours there. It was hot!

Deb's kids (Kenton and McKayslin) cracked me up. Kenton would ask his mom if he could do something, and she would nicely tell him "no." No sooner had the word "no" escaped her lips, McKayslin would pipe up and ask her Mom the EXACT SAME QUESTION. So funny!

McKayslin also made me giggle when I told her to make a wish and throw a penny into the fountain. "Know what I wished for?" she asked. "I wished for a nice Mommy!" For the record, I think Deb is VERY nice.

The Zoo is so much more fun when you have friends to explore it with!

The bird show was awesome as usual. This hawk flex just inches over our heads!

The girls loved riding the new carousel. The Princess was a little disappointed that she couldn't ride on the lion, but ultimately, both girls enjoyed riding a pair of tigers.

We watched this giraffe struggle to reach the leaves on this tree. He finally managed to stretch his neck and tongue enough to reach this tasty snack!

You can't go to the zoo without riding on the train. You just can't!

All the kiddos!

For Sale

2008-07-06T14:01:00.004-06:00

Since I am "the one who cleans", I've been cleaning.

And now I have some treasures that require a new home.

Maybe you would like to purchase one or two of them? We can make arrangements for you to pick them up at my house, I might possibly be able to meet you somewhere, or I can ship them to you. As far as shipping goes, I expect the buyer to pay for the cost of shipping, but I will work with you so that it is shipped the way that you would like (cheap, fast, tracked, whatever), and I don't intend to make a profit off of shipping charges - what I pay, you pay. Sound fair?

ABC Stickers (2 packages available)
Price: $1.00 each

I have two sets of these cute ABC stickers and I am asking $1.00 for each (which is what I paid for them). You'll receive one sheet (shown front & back), which includes all the letters of the alphabet, plus additional shapes. These stickers are designed to be stuck on the wall, and they'd make a cute accent for a child's bedroom or perhaps you'd like to use them for an ABC Birthday Party!

ABC Bulletin Board Trim (2 packages available)
Price: $1.00 each

These cute ABC strips are designed to be a border for bulletin boards. Each package contains 14 strips. I'm not a teacher, but I know they would make a darling border for your classroom. Or, be creative like I was and turn them into ABC Birthday Party Invitations. They'll go perfect with your ABC wall decor (as shown above)!

Nemo Stickers
Price: $1.00

Fun Nemo stickers to help decorate a child's bedroom, a playroom, or even a bathroom. These stickers are designed to stick on the wall, and are removable.

Tinkerbell Stickers
Price: $1.00

Darling Tinkerbell stickers to help decorate a child's bedroom or playroom. These stickers are designed to stick on the wall, and are removable.

Cinderella Stickers
Price: $1.00

Make all your little girls dreams come true with these enchanting Cinderella stickers. These stickers are designed to stick on the wall and are removable. Turn your child's bedroom into a room fit for a princess in just a few minutes!

Otherwise Known As

2008-06-29T12:35:00.001-06:00

The kids have given us new names.

Apparently, I am now known as "the one who cleans."

The King, however, is now known as "the one who takes over the TV."

Can't Talk Now...

2008-06-17T00:45:00.001-06:00

... there's a Wii at my house.

My brother is going out of town, so he loaned it to us. He thinks he's getting it back. HA!

Just kidding, T!

I've Been Tagged!

2008-06-12T08:29:00.003-06:00

I have been Tagged!!

I have been tagged by Sherri AND Deb! Deb tagged me first but I knew that I had to wait, because surely someone else would tag me [enter Sherry] and then I would be able to kill two birds with one stone. Um, yeah, I really did plan it that way, uh-huh!

How to play this game of Tag:
Post these rules on your blog.
List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself.
Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

Joys -
1- My Family - especially when my kids aren't fighting.
2- Scrapbooking
3- Sunflowers

Fears -
1- Death - not really of "death itself" or even my own death. It's more complicated!
2- Creepy Crawlies - includes spiders, mice, rats, snakes, and bats.
3- That my children will never stop fighting. Ever.

Goals -
1- Get Organized.
2- Successfully run a Creative Memories at-home business.
3- Get my children to stop fighting.

Obsessions -
1- Photos and Scrapbooking.
2- Saving money at the grocery store.
3- Trying to get my children to (all together now) stop fighting.

Random things you may not know about me -
1- The King's payday brings me great joy because I get to budget! Love it!
2- I was adopted.
3- I am shy.

TAG! You're It!
King Isepik, Dubby, The Other Queen, Shutterbug Drama, and Bopnopper9

Argh! Cubed...

2008-06-10T13:23:00.003-06:00

So. It's been what? Two hours maybe since I started The Princess on her math assignment. I really don't know anymore, because I think it must've been at least a week ago by now.

She finished! There is much rejoicing! Until I actually look at it.

It's completely wrong. All of it. Not even close to correct. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I can see where she went wrong, but my gosh! How can she forget this since last Thursday? Seriously!

The problem: 35 x 4 = ?
Her answer: 35 x 4 = 27

We try again, and this time her answer is 32.

Don't worry, I know how to get the correct answer. I can also see where she is making her mistake. She's just too darn stubborn to listen to me.

Off I go, (again), to make her life completely miserable.

Argh! Continued...

2008-06-10T12:26:00.002-06:00

I am not kidding about the 8-hours comment.

It has been well over an hour since I gave her a math assignment, and she has completed 22 problems. Keep in mind that this is not anything new, it is simply multiplying a two-digit number by a one-digit number. Something that she has been doing for months in school without a problem, AND she has her multiplication tables memorized (for the most part, there may be a few rough patches). The assignment I gave her (two pages), would have taken her 15-20 minutes (tops!) to complete, if she were in school.

(And I think I use too many parentheses...)

My Brain Is Not Working

2008-06-10T10:27:00.003-06:00

I just can't seem to wrap my mind about anything these days, can't seem to get things done, and spend 99.9% of my time arguing with little girls.

I owe my blog (and you) pictures. And updates. And yet, I can't seem to even start with one measly picture. Which really stinks, because my last post? Well, NINE of you left comments! And what do I do to pay you back? Disappear for over a week? Two weeks? I don't know. I can't keep track.

BTW, I've read all of your blogs. But if you got a comment than you are VERY lucky indeed. As of this morning, however, I am current on ALL of your blogs. So I have been reading.

I am going out to dinner tonight with two of my friends from Virginia - though they both live here now (yay!). Maybe a girls night out will be just the thing I need.

Problem Solve: The Princess' handwriting looks like sh**. She has always had nice handwriting in the past. She claims she doesn't know that there is supposed to be a space after commas. She has to write in a journal 3-4 times a week over the summer. It is supposed to be her best work. Her teacher is only requiring 2-3 sentences for each entry. I haven't told her that part, and she typically writes 4-5 sentences. If she wrote a shorter one, I wouldn't have an issue with it. The problem? She isn't trying to do her best work. So I am making her re-do it. And re-do it. And re-do it again. She just wants to get it done. Someone tell me that she will eventually catch on and realize that if she did her BEST the first time, she would've been done in less than 10-minutes, instead of taking an hour or more?

She has maybe 30-minutes to an hours worth of homework each day (some of it is self-imposed due to a reading contest/challenge from her teacher). I can see her stretching it into a full 8-hours of hell each and every day. If she is so "gifted" why can't she grasp the concept of doing it right the first time, and getting it over with? Argh!

Strummin' On The Old Banjo...

2008-05-26T21:28:00.002-06:00

... I mean guitar.

We took a break from what will go down in history as the "Jello Fiasco" to go celebrate Memorial Day at my brother's house. He had told us that he had Guitar Hero for his Wii, and I was less than interested. But then I saw it... and I had to try it... and gosh darn it, I'm hooked.

Now I have to add it to the "Things I Want That Cost Several Hundred Dollars" list.

Seriously, it is so much fun! I waaaaaaaaant one!

J-E-L-L-O!

2008-05-25T22:26:00.002-06:00

We are currently experimenting with vasts amounts of Jello at our house. It's all in the name of science - well, sort-of. The truth is, we are in the process of making the Incredible Edible Jellyfish.

I've already mentioned that we need to make a jellyfish costume - but that is not all, no that is not all. We are also required to make an edible version of the sea creature. What would be a more perfect medium than Jello?

Pictures will hopefully be available on Friday morning (the big event is Thursday night), but if I don't post before then, it is because I am trapped in Jello. Send help!

I'm not kidding - have you ever in your life had to make a Jello mold that involves approximately 40 cups of the wiggly-jiggly colorful, sticky, gelatinous stuff?

Wish us luck.

Clothes, Clothes and MORE Clothes!

2008-05-20T20:48:00.002-06:00

I have been drowning in clothes. They are everywhere; piled throughout the house. Some are clean, some are not. Some fit, some don't. It's been overwhelming.

Last night I informed The King that we were having a "Clothes Party" tonight. I told him I needed his help to get the clothes under control.

So, after dinner, we started making the girls try on every article of clothing that they own. The girls decided that we weren't really having a party - we were actually having a fashion show! (Hey, whatever works!) 2 hours later (with about 30 minutes in breaks), we managed to get through about 80% of the clothes.

The good news is that The Princess doesn't require as many clothes as I thought she would. Probably two pairs of shorts for the summer, maybe one new shirt for occasions where she needs something nicer than play clothes. I can totally deal with that. She will need more when school starts, but I won't buy those until August because otherwise she will outgrow them before summer is over.

The Dragon has a lot of clothes too. But while she seems to have plenty of long-sleeved shirts, I think we are severely lacking in the t-shirt department. Thankfully, I can get several of those for a good price at Wal-Mart or Target. Of course, I still have more clothes to go through tomorrow, so this could change. We'll see...

As for The King and I - we didn't have to model our clothes for anyone. I could definitely use some new shirts. So many of mine have small holes in them, or are stained beyond belief. And I would REALLY love to find a great pair of sandals.

The King hasn't mentioned his requirements yet, but I imagine he could use one or two new articles of clothing.

Since The Dragon's last day of school was today, and The Princess only has a half-day of school on Thursday, followed by a long weekend, I think I will be spending most of the weekend shopping. Could be fun!

How About A Little More Of The Story?

2008-05-19T00:12:00.003-06:00

I think the hardest part about blogging is telling the whole story. It is so hard to tell the most painful parts of your life - I really don't know how other bloggers do it. I realize, of course, that this is not a requirement of blogging. But sometimes it seems to me that if I were to put it all out there to begin with, I'd avoid a lot of confusion in the first place.

Some people have picked up on the fact that I have been extremely on edge lately. I anger easily. I'm very tired, stressed, and overwhelmed. Some of these feelings are almost "normal" for me. But right now, you should probably take those "normal" feelings and multiply it by ten. That would probably be closer to how I really feel.

Sometime during the end of March, my Dad started talking about leaving my Mom. Again. The first time this happened was about 7 years ago. I was pregnant at the time, wasn't feeling well, and really couldn't handle this news very well. Everything was up in the air for a long time. And then, finally, he left.

It was the week before The Princess' baptism.

The day before The Princess' baptism was the day I started to lose Nemo.

And my Dad completely lost his mind.

As you know, I miscarried. I don't blame my Dad for this (even though it's tempting - I would love to be able to blame someone for this), nor do I blame anyone else. But man, the timing sure sucked.

Well, since then, I've been playing this stupid game where the object of the game is not to tell The Princess and The Dragon that Grandpa moved out of Grandma's house. It's been challenging, but we've managed it. For several weeks, I held out hope that maybe my Dad would change his mind and come home. It was possible. After all, he'd done this before. I figured that if everything went back to normal, the girls wouldn't need to know about it.

I also thought (and still strongly believe) that it was my Dad's responsibility to break the news to his family. He still hasn't. For that matter, he has offered everyone an explanation of his logic... everyone except me and my family. I'll admit it, there's a pretty big grudge being held here. But if you have the balls to leave your wife, then you should have the balls to tell people what you are doing and why.

Today we told the girls about Grandma and Grandpa. They seemed to handle it well, but I think their true reaction will show itself in the coming weeks. They do know that their Grandma and Grandpa still love them very much, and I suppose that is a good thing. We went to dinner tonight with everyone but Grandpa. Everything seemed fine until I overheard a little voice saying "I wish Grandpa were here."

I love The King and our two beautiful little girls. Sometimes I think they are all I need in life. As long as we are together, I have all that I could ever possibly need. I'm so sorry that they are getting the worst parts of me right now. But right now, I really don't have anything left to give.

Deep? Well, I Like It Anyway...

2008-05-17T21:56:00.003-06:00

What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.

From Intimations of Immortality
- William Wordsworth

Almost Over (... until NEXT year)

2008-05-16T07:07:00.002-06:00

The last two weeks have been rather nightmarish for a variety of reasons.

One of those reasons has been ballet. But it's almost over!

Tonight, The Princess will be dancing her recital piece, and tomorrow afternoon, The Dragon will be dancing her recital piece.

I am very excited to see them perform (I am one proud Queen!), but I will also be happy to not have to worry about ballet for a couple of weeks... until they start taking lessons again for the months of June and July.

There won't be any "big" performances until this time next year... what a relief!

If you live in the area, I tried to send you an e-mail invite. If you didn't get it, you are still invited. Admission is free, no tickets are required - just contact me to get the exact "when and where" info. Might be a fun family activity... if you enjoy ballet. :)

Clarification...

2008-05-12T07:21:00.002-06:00

[SPOILER ALERT! The last paragraph of my post reveals the winner of Survivor, so if you don't want to know who won, I recommend that you stop reading now. Don't even tempt fate! But if you do, don't say I didn't warn you!]

My Mother's Day wasn't ideal. Let's face it, it almost always looks better on TV than it is in real life. BUT, that being said, it wasn't necessarily The King's fault. I've been informed that it's my job to fill-him-in, give him clues, tell him what I want. I have done this in the past, particularly with Christmas, where I have gone as far as purchasing my own gifts (I refuse to wrap them however). He could've taken some more initiative, I suppose, but really, he was NOT the reason why my Mother's Day sucked.

What would've made a nice Mother's Day? Being able to sleep in, for one. Maybe having breakfast made for me. Unfortunately, those things aren't feasible when you have church at 9 AM. I was up at 7:00 to make sure that I and the girls were ready for church. The King works hard, and I was so exhausted from my long and tiring Friday and Saturday, he had to "take charge" all Saturday night, because I was basically unconscious by 7 pm. That's a pretty incredible Mother's Day gift in and of itself - especially since it involved making sure that both girls were bathed before they went to bed. With all the work he put in on Saturday (not to mention a day spent out in the garden - more on that later), I would've felt bad for him if he had been up at the crack of the dawn cooking an incredible breakfast and getting the girls all ready for me, so perhaps I could've slept an extra 45-minutes to an hour.

As far as flowers go... in a way, he DID get me flowers for Mother's Day. I mentioned that I went shopping for flowers on Friday. I don't think I told you how many I bought. All together I purchased 102 individual plants (and I only spent $23.13 including tax). I believe 21 of them went to my Mom for Mother's Day, and I planted 6 of them into a hanging basket on my front porch. That left SEVENTY-FIVE plants that needed to go into the garden. Guess what I don't enjoy doing? Planting, gardening, weeding, etc, etc, etc. Guess who planted all SEVENTY-FIVE plants for me? The King. Is that not an incredible gift? I think it is. It REALLY is.

The Dragon gave me a hug and a kiss. She CLEARLY thought that she had given me the best gift ever imaginable. It definitely WAS quite fantastic.

The Princess gave me a collection of items - the best of which is a coupon that says "I will clean the house. (Only One Time)" Do I kill her now and hand it to her after school, or do I hang onto it until she is 16? *ponders*

Even Nemo gave me a present for Mother's Day. The forget-me-nots were in full bloom, and the one lone tulip that is planted by him burst forth into a beautiful blossom.

But Nemo... there's where it hurts. I was doing OK, up until Mother's Day. And even then, in the morning, I was doing OK. But I went to church, and someone chose today to announce their pregnancy - and of course, she had a due date close to when our little Nemo should've arrived. It hurt. I know it wasn't intentional - she is not someone I ever talk to, she wouldn't even know about my miscarriage (or pregnancy) - but it still hurt. I would've left the room, but I play the piano in Relief Society, and since I was still stuck there, I couldn't exactly leave. I realize that some people would say that I can't begrudge someone else the happiness that they feel because of their pregnancy - and 'some people' would be right. But it doesn't change the fact that it still hurts. Church is REALLY hard for me right now anyway - everyone is pregnant. Starting in March, there is AT LEAST one baby being born every month. I was supposed to be November. I was taking comfort in the fact that there would be a gaping hole there - I never imagined being replaced. But I was. And on Mother's Day no less. And it hurt.

The other difficult part of Mother's Day was that my kids chose to fight all during Church. I know I am not alone on this one! My mood was shot by the time we finally made it out the parking lot, and since my kids were now fighting about how to climb into the car - many of my neighbors got to hear me yell "Get in the car RIGHT NOW before I decide to RUN YOU OVER." Yeah, good times!

The Church also gave all the Mother's a small box of chocolates. I was in such a foul mood, I inhaled them in a matter of seconds when I got home. I honestly couldn't even tell you what they tasted like at this point. So much for savoring and enjoying them. They were the good kind too.

So... there you have it. The story of why my Mother's Day sucked. It really wasn't THAT bad... but I really was struggling with the "what could've been" yesterday, and it kind-of made the day not-so-great. Sure, a card would've been nice... but would it have changed a sucky-day to a GREAT day? I'm not so sure. My husband loves me, and he does a lot of things for me on days that aren't ALL ABOUT ME. And I love him for that.

Besides, I got to order pizza for dinner... and I ordered the kind *I* wanted... ham & pineapple with breadsticks to boot. And I ordered hot wings for The King. Yum.

Maybe the REAL reason that Mother's Day sucked was that stupid Parvati had to win Survivor. BLAH!

Mother's Day...

2008-05-11T23:31:00.001-06:00

... it sucked.

The End.

My Day

2008-05-09T18:46:00.002-06:00

6:00 The alarm goes off
6:09 The alarm goes off again, and I get up.
6:12 I wake up The Princess, and go "boot" laundry.
6:20 Start brushing The Princess' hair to make it pretty for ballet this afternoon.
6:45 Finish The Princess' hair, help her get dressed, give her breakfast, some of which is portable so she can take it on the bus.
6:52 Head for the bus stop.
7:02 Back home, work on the preschool scrapbook project.
7:50 Feed The Dragon breakfast, get her dressed and ready for the day. Work on laundry, preschool scrapbook, and other tasks until...
8:45 Leave for preschool "photo session".
9:00 Sit and wait for kids to show up so I can take their picture.
10:00 No kids showed up. We leave the school.
10:20 Arrive home and attempt to reboot laundry, but can't find the girls dance leotards.
10:45 Dance leotards found and are placed in the wash.
11:00 Head to Sutherland's to buy flowers and tomatoes.
12:30 Head to McDonald's for a quick lunch.
1:00 Head home to get girls ready for dance class (and put leotards for dance class in the dryer!)
1:45 Leave for dance class.
2:00 Ooh and Ahh over really cute girls performing ballet.
3:00 Head to Wal-Mart in pursuit of "Wave Petunias" and a few other miscellaneous items.
3:45 Head home!
4:00 Plant newly acquired "Wave Petunias" into hanging baskets.
4:45 Water petunias and watch them prompty turn into drowned rats!
5:00 Look at petunias again and they are perky and smiley and overall, happy.
5:30 The King arrives home and I show him all the rest of the flowers he gets to plant.
5:45 Talk on the phone to multiple people in a very short amount of time.
6:15 Start people working on their dinner. I don't claim to have "cooked dinner" - we each had different things, all of which was completely microwaveable.
6:40 The King leaves to go gaming.
6:45 Told the girls we had 15-minutes to do whatever we want.

7:00... I will be directing the girls in a very quick and dirty clean up. The The Princess will be taking a shower. Then they might have a few more minutes to play. Then they will be gong to bed. At 9:00 my SIL is coming over to scrapbook. Between 9:30 and 10:00 I will be leaving to go to the airport to pick up my Mom. I will then return home and do more scrapbooking. I also have to write down "the plan" for tomorrow (yet another really crazy day), plus sew straps and wings on to one dance costume. JOY!

What did YOU do today?

Busy

2008-05-07T23:55:00.000-06:00

Really, the title says it all.

I keep taking on project after project, when really, I should just say NO! Except I can't say no. Wanna know why? It's because nobody asks me to do these projects - I create them all by myself. Ugh.

My latest project is a scrapbook for The Dragon's preschool teachers. The thing is, I wanted to make one for The Dragon (because I made one for her sister), and since I'm doing it digitally, it really isn't any more work to create four than it is to create one. The only difference is, instead of having years for me to simply dream about this wonderful scrapbook, I have less than a week to have it completed so that it can be printed in time. Yikes!

So, if you feel neglected, know that you are loved and thought of often. I am just BUSY!

Please Vote For Lara!

2008-05-06T22:58:00.003-06:00

My friend Lara of Overstuffed entered a photo contest and was selected as one of the finalists. She is now in the running for a $1000 prize!

The winner is determined by whose photo gets the highest number of votes (yep, it's a popularity contest). I'm begging you (and so is she) to please go vote for her if you have a minute. Obviously, if you like a different picture more, by all means, give them your vote - but at this point, it's looking like the competition is down to her and one other person, and Lara really needs your vote!

So... go VOTE for OVERSTUFFED WITH POLKADOTS! Her picture is the one with the little girl starting at herself in the mirror wearing her Mommy's shoes. When you scroll all the way to the bottom of the post (after all the pictures), there will be a list of who to vote for. I'm telling you to vote for OVERSTUFFED WITH POLKADOTS, but obviously, you should vote for who you want (but you know you want to vote for OVERSTUFFED WITH POLKADOTS).

In case you are still confused, I'll make it even easier for you:

CLICK HERE AND VOTE FOR OVERSTUFFED WITH POLKADOTS!

Remember, you can only vote once, so please choose carefully!

And... if your blog has been suffering from a lack of posts recently, how about you create a blog entry telling all of your friends to go and vote for OVERSTUFFED WITH POLKADOTS too! 'Cause I only have like 6 friends who read this blog, but if all six of you tell all six people that read your blog, well, that's like 36 more votes for OVERSTUFFED WITH POLKADOTS!

Um, those caps are getting really annoying aren't they? Um, yeah. So go vote. Please?

Bubble Umbrella, Anyone?

2008-05-05T23:57:00.001-06:00

The search is on for a "bubble umbrella" and I need one ASAP. OK, I don't need one, but it would be really, really, really awesome if I could get one. I need it for a jellyfish costume. (See, there's that nasty "need" word again!). FINE. I WANT one for a jellyfish costume. Actually, The Princess wants one for a jellyfish costume (she just doesn't know it yet).

Seriously, we DO need to make a jellyfish costume, and a bubble umbrella would really help us out.

Anyone know where I can get one for $10 or less? *sigh*

(Other requirements:
Child OR Adult size is fine.
I really am looking for clear - no color.
If it must have color, some trim in light colors (white, silver, gray, light blue, light pink) is OK.
Did I mention dirt cheap?)

The King Celebrates Another Birthday!

2008-05-04T02:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to The King!

You should all go and visit his blog and bombard him with happy birthday wishes! Really, you should!

Show him how much you love him. :)

As for me, tonight I'm missing my baby. 3-weeks today. End of story. Why else would I be up at 2:00 in the morning?

Iron Man

2008-05-03T23:48:00.000-06:00

The King and I went to see Iron Man today. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I'm not going to talk plot or anything. I will however, tell you this... the trailers for the movie SUCK! I had no desire to see this movie, and it was actually REALLY good. I liked it, OK? I really liked it. For those of you don't know, the idea for this movie came from a comic book. Yep, another Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Incredible Hulk, X-men type movie. So if you liked any of those types of movies, then you've got to go see this one! (With the exception of the Incredible Hulk - that one was no good...)

Before I leave you, here's one completely random thought for you: I really love it when I get to type "The King and I". It just makes me laugh, you know, because of the musical and everything.

Oh, the UPDATES!

2008-05-02T16:15:00.002-06:00

I get to go scrapbooking tonight. I am hoping to make a lot of progress on my digital album. It really should be done by now, but I am too much of a perfectionist. My goal is to finish it and have it printed by the end of May. There! I said it. Now you have to hold me to it. (Oh, the PRESSURE!)

My sinus-y headache-y thing is gone. It's now my lung thing. (Oh, the COUGHING!) I still have a runny nose and my head still hurts, but it's not sinus-related anymore.

I survived "hair day." I think I will able to do The Dragon's hair, though I did it today without gel. I'm dreading the gel. The Princess' hair is doable, I think. But her teacher did it for me because I was doing The Dragon's hair, so I really don't know if I can do it. (Oh, the STRESS!)

And, I have bad news folks. I'm addicted to the internet. I'm afraid The King is going to try to take my laptop away from me. I am going to have to put myself into a rehab program starting next week. (Oh, the WITHDRAWAL!)

On a positive (?) note, I am listening to Peter, Paul & Mary right now and it is making me happy. (Oh, the PEACE, LOVE & HAPPINESS!)

I Don't Know...

2008-05-01T23:50:00.002-06:00

First of all, have you checked out my cards yet? If not, I say you should totally do it.

Second of all, my parents suck. Yes, I realize that's not very respectful, but it's how I feel right now. I may talk about it more later.

We went to Chili's tonight for dinner. My Dad (who still sucks) paid for it. I had another Big Mouth Burger (because I got addicted when I got those free coupons), but it definitely tasted better the first time around. We went to a different Chili's than we went to the first time, so maybe that was the difference.

I am still headache-y and sinus-y or something like that. And miserable. YUCK!

I am dreading tomorrow because it is "hair day" at dance. And that means I have to learn how to do my children's hair for their upcoming recital. Me and hair don't exactly get along.

I remember the days when $100 used to be a lot of money. Today I spent $100 just putting gas in my car and getting the girls hair cut. Joys!

Have you purchased your Forever Stamps yet? Postage increases are happening on May 12th.

Payday is tomorrow. I am happy because that means that I get to pay the bills. Yes, I am certifiably insane.

But you already knew that, didn't you?

Card Ideas For You Talented Folks

2008-04-30T17:26:00.003-06:00

I know that some of my blog readers are super-creative people. More creative and clever than I could ever dream of being. So bear with me, OK?

As you are probably aware, I am a consultant for Creative Memories. Creative Memories is a Scrapbook Supply Company - but so much more - considering that your consultant is there for you for training, ideas, and whatever else you need. Anyway, I am frequently asked if we sell supplies to make cards.

Well, yes. And no. I mean, we sell paper which can be used for cards. And we sell stickers that can be used for cards. And we sell pens that can be used for cards. But ribbons? Stamps? Brads? Um, no. We don't sell those kind of things.

But I've been determined to find a way to use some of our products for card making. And I think I finally accomplished it.

These cards aren't complete - they need a cute stamp or two with a cute saying, a cute picture, a cute SOMETHING! That's YOUR job. But I found three tools that I think are useful for making cards. These four cards showcase that.

The first card is very simple in that the only Creative Memories tool I used is our new Tearing Tool! This item is so popular it basically sold out over night. I am hoping that I will be able to order some tomorrow... or at the very least by the end of May.

The second card is a little more complex as it uses the Tearing Tool and the Large Circle Punch. This is my favorite card by far. I will probably eventually add a torn-edge rectangle with some cute saying in the middle of the card.

The third card is similar to the second card as it uses the exact same tool. But it's far more colorful, a lot more crazy, and all in all, pretty fun. And maybe a little tacky. I like it though (it's definitely grown on me over the past few hours!)

And last but not least, card number four. It definitely needs an embellishment or two, but look at how the ribbon is woven in and out of the card! How cool is that? I did that with our Geometric Multi-Maker. I love the look of the woven ribbon... so pretty.

What do YOU think?

Owwwww!

2008-04-30T06:44:00.002-06:00

Could somebody please grab the nearest sledgehammer and start hitting me on the head with it? Directly between the eyes first, and then on either temple... OH WAIT. It feels like somebody has already done that!

My head hurts SO bad... I was practically in tears last night from the pain. My Tylenol Cold & Sinus SEVERE medication is helping a little bit... but OH. THE. PAIN.

I am not sure if it is allergies (I've never had spring/hay-fever type allergies before) or if it simply the change in pressure that we've been experiencing since yesterday afternoon. I don't really care which one it is... I just want it to stop!

I suppose this is one reason I should be happy I'm not pregnant. At least I can take all the meds I want.

The Secret To Getting Out Of Debt

2008-04-28T13:36:00.002-06:00

A friend shared this video with me today, and while it is old, I thought it was priceless. I want to share these great tips with you! (Unfortunately, the sound doesn't match up with the picture very well.)

Our debt reduction plan is going amazingly well. Our bills are paid, and we are making it to the end of the pay period while still having money in the bank. That is a very strange phenomenon for us. So try those debt avoiding secrets and see if they work for you!

Watch Out, Chicago!

2008-04-27T20:59:00.002-06:00

The King and I have decided to "stimulate" the economy and go visit his family in Chicago. By the time we finally get there (in August), it will have been over THREE years since we will have seen his family.

Crazy, huh?

The plane tickets have been purchased, so it's official... Chicago, here we come!

The Princess is excited about flying on a plane again, The Dragon is a little nervous. I think she'll be fine though.

So... if you are planning on coming to Utah to visit and you were hoping to see us, you might want to call or e-mail us to find out what dates we will be gone. We'd love to see you, but if you're here and we're not... well, it might be a little difficult!

What are your plans for summer vacation?

Get Your Tactical Pants Here!

2008-04-26T23:05:00.000-06:00

It must be The King's lucky week. I found another website that is right up his ally because they sell 5.11 Tactical Pants. I'll be honest, I don't know that much about them, but I really dig the zippers on each pant leg. One minute you've got pants, and then ZIIIIIIIP, now you've got shorts! Seriously, they ought to make them in kid sizes, because my girls would go nuts for a pair of these! The King would like the extra pockets. As a tech-guy he is always loaded down with miscellaneous gadgets, including TWO cell phones. I think he just needs all the pockets in order to keep his hands free!

LA Police Gear has lots of other products that might be of interest to you. My favorite section was the clearance section where I found this great emergency strobe light for only $9.99.

Shoot Me Now

2008-04-25T21:20:00.002-06:00

The Dragon has decided that she cannot go to bed because she is not tired.

I tried to tuck her in because I am the Mommy and I know that she is tired.

She refused, so I left her in her room. Can you guess what happened?

She screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

She is refusing to "use her words" so, despite my asking her multiple times if she is ready for me to tuck her into bed, she is still screaming.

I think I have the patience to make one more trip up to her room to see if maybe, just maybe she is ready to say "YES" I want you to tuck me in now.

The King is not home, so I am the one who has to deal with this crap. I am not happy.

One Good Thing

2008-04-24T15:55:00.003-06:00

YES!

I am so very happy and so very excited because The Dragon got into our school district's gifted and talented program -- just like her big sister did!

While I am thrilled about the placement because of the academic opportunities it will give her, honestly, I am more relieved that both of my kids will be at the same school next year!

*** HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF!!! ***
This year has about killed me with all of the driving I have been doing, trying to get kids to two different schools, plus a "computer" class, plus dance classes. It's exhausting. I am so happy I don't have to worry about that next year. I still might drive them to and from school more often than not, but I don't have to do that either - there's a bus they can take!

So, as a mommy to a future kindergartener and a future third grader, well, I feel old. And happy. Deliriously happy.

One Word

2008-04-24T00:01:00.001-06:00

Lara of Overstuffed did this meme, so of course I have to copy her.

This is the "One Word" meme and to complete it...

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

Get it? Got it? Good!

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your significant other? Standing
3. Your hair? Stringy
4. Your mother? Crying
5. Your father? Crazy
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Dream?
8. Your favorite drink? Lemonade
9. Your dream/goal? Organization
10. The room you're in? Living
11. Your ex? Forgotten
12. Your fear? Death
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. What you're not? Organized
16. Muffins? Apple
17. One of your wish list items? Money
18. Where you grew up? Utah
19. The last thing you did? Talked
20. What are you wearing? Clothes
21. Your TV? Off
22. Your pets? Stalking
23. Your computer? Dusty
24. Your life? Exhausting!
25. Your mood? OK
26. Missing someone? YES!
27. Your car? Dirty
28. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
29. Favorite Store? Wal-Mart
30. Your summer? Hot
31. Like someone? Usually
32. Your favorite color? Yellow
33. When is the last time you laughed? Today
34. Do you cry a lot? Depends

Boots, Boots, Boots!

2008-04-23T07:20:00.002-06:00

All of a sudden, I can hear the sound of cash-registers swallowing The King's hard-earned paycheck (KA-CHING!) because I discovered this website that sells work boots!

The King loves to have a good, sturdy pair of boots on his feet (I'm almost always barefoot around here!), and these work boots are definitely something that he would appreciate.

On orders over $50, you can get free ground shipping. And some pairs of boots even come with free socks! That's a big selling point for me, ya know... always the bargain shopper!

So folks, if you (or someone you love) need some new boots in your life, be sure to check out Workboots USA.

The Tutu Guru

2008-04-22T23:35:00.002-06:00

Oh my goodness. My friend Deana started her own business, and these tutus have got to be some of the cutest ones I have ever seen. She is super talented, and an awesome friend.

We don't talk very often, but we got caught up tonight, and now I am thinking that I need to buy me some tutus for my girls. Dang it people, these are ADORABLE!

So check out her e-bay shop - THE TUTU GURU - so you can fall in love too. (I think the polka dot tutu with personalized t-shirt is my favorite at the moment!)

Rest In Peace, Nemo

2008-04-21T19:59:00.004-06:00

I've been jotting down random thoughts about Losing Nemo, and it's rather interesting to go back and read them because they really do read like a roller coaster. My thoughts are ALL over the place - sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes disgusting, sometimes angry, and sometimes I think they are just completely insane. I will eventually be posting them, but not yet. If this posts bothers you, you'll have to forgive me, but you'll also have to acknowledge the fact that it bothers me too. I won't go into details right now, I can't, but I have to get this all out, and you'll just have to forgive me if it seems like maybe this is too much. I really feel the same way. Here we go...

The doctor told me to save "the tissue." I really had no clue what he was talking about but said "OK" anyway. Turns out that "the baby" is also known as "the tissue." Oh.

Well, we saved it ~~him~~ ~~"the tissue"~~ the baby. And then I forgot to take the baby to the doctor. So Nemo, unfortunately, has been in our fridge for the past week.

We buried Nemo today. I bought some forget-me-nots and we buried him near the gate to our backyard. No crazy ceremony, we just planted the flowers and buried our baby underneath them.

This is the first time that I have ever really understood the peace that some people get from attending funerals. There is a certain degree of comfort in saying good-bye.

Rest In Peace, Nemo. We miss you and love you.