Balls, balls, and more balls!

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Ms. Tracey had her annual Ornament exchange party. This is the first year I was able to attend. Fun was had by all. The ornaments were pretty and lots of imaginative ideas. We all had fun with "taking" each others balls (glass ball ornaments).

Of course, when you get a bunch of women, who all know each other, together and add in libations, we were all laughing about lots of things. Mostly the balls that were given. Balls of all different sizes, large, small, dangly, and stinky sticks. Lots of fun men would not understand!!

Fiesta Anyone?

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

My second grader's class is studing Mexico. Instead of having a holiday party, the teachers decided to to have a Fiesta. The kids did the Mexican Hat Dance, ate an assortment of "Mexican" food and broke a pinata. The past couple weeks, they have also made woven placemats, masks, ponchos and a pinata. The kids loved being involved in the festivities. They had such fun.

The Night Before Christmas for Moms

The Night before Christmas for Moms

It was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode

Only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode.

The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,

While visions of Wii and Barbie, flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV,

With a half-constructed bicycle on his knee.

So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,

Which made her sigh, "Now what's the matter?"

With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,

She descended the stairs, and saw the old man.

He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug.

"Oh great," muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug."

"Ho-ho-ho!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake."

"Your gift was especially difficult to make."

"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone."

"Exactly!" he chuckled, "I've made you a clone."

"A clone?" she asked, "What good is that?

Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit-chat."

There stood the clone, the mother's twin.

Same hair, same eyes, same double chin.

"She'll cook, she'll dust, She'll mop every mess.

You'll relax, take it easy, Watch The Young & the Restless."

"Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "My dream come true!"

"I'll shop. I'll read. I'll sleep a whole night through! "

From the room above, the youngest began to fret.

"Mommy?! I scared... and I am wet."

"The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."

"Hey," the mom smiled, "She knows her part."

The clone changed the small one, and hummed a tune,

As she bundled the child, in a blanket cocoon.

"You the best mommy ever. I really love you."

The clone smiled and sighed, "I love you, too."

The mom frowned and said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal."

"That's my child's love, she's trying to steal."

Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear,"

"Only one loving mother, is needed here."

The mom kissed her child, and tucked her into bed.

"Thank you, Santa, for clearing my head.

I sometimes forget, it won't be very long,

When they'll be too old, for my cradle-song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.

Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time."

With the clone by his side Santa said, "Goodnight.

Merry Christmas, Mom, You'll be all right."

Donuts Anyone?

While driving home from taking DD to school, I was reminded of the song "Slip Sliding Away" by Simon and Garfunkel that goes:

Slip sliding away, slip sliding away
You know the nearer your destination,
the more you slip sliding away.

As the temperature raises to a heat wave of 36°F, the snow pack on the roads is melting and re-freezing. I turned the corner and almost did a donut in the middle of the street and it reminded me of a conversation the family had a couple days ago.

We had decided that the children needed to get out of the house, so we went out to Sam's Club to look for something, anything. On the drive a conversation started between my husband and myself as the children were finally quiet and not arguing.

Me: (Talking to my husband) "Is there a reason we are taking the Jeep and not your car?"

DH: "Well, no reason in particular, unless you wanted to do some donuts."

DD: (From somewhere in the back of the car, and in her Mickey Mouse voice) "I'll take one with chocolate and sprinkles."

DS: "I want sprinkles on mine too."

Me: (While snickering) "Not THOSE kinds of donuts. We are talking about doing donuts in the car."

DD: "Yeah, well, I want mine with sprinkles."

My husband had to finish the explanation as I was laughing too hard to talk. Which he did a wonderful job of, I might add.
Not

As I've said before, all the funny things are said in the car, when I don't have anything to write on.

Elf Name

Brought to you by Dodie..... My Elf Name Is...

Trixie Twinkle Wink

What's Your Elf Name?

Twas' the Night Before Christmas

While doing a little "surfing" I found some very cute renditions on one of my very favorite poems of the Christmas holiday. This first one is dedicated to my hubby and all those "geeks" out there. You know who you are. :) (Okay maybe it's the illness talking, but I didn't actually know what a sysop was and had to look it up. For those getting over the crud like I am, a sysop is a systems operator. Who knew?!?!)

The Sysop's Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a peripheral was stirring, not even a mouse.

The modem was plugged to the phone line with care

In hopes that a download soon would be there.

Our pirates were nestled all snug in their beds

While visions of unprotects danced in their heads.

And Mama in her kerchief, and I in my cap

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap.

When up on the hard drive there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the monitor I flew like a flash,

Sat down at the keyboard, gave the spacebar a mash.

The sight on the screen, all a'flicker with snow,

Gave the luster of power surge to the menu below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But an autoexec.bat that seemed rather queer.

With a little print driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment I had seen a new trick.

More rapid than eagles the cursors they came;

My MIDI whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Format, now Rename, now Copy, and Enter!

On Num Lock, on Caps Lock, on Scroll Lock, and Printer!

"To the top of the page, to the top of the doc,

Now tab it and bold it and merge it and block!"

As utilities that build up the CPU speed

Clash with just the programs I need,

So up to the screen top the cursors they flew,

With a RAM full of memory and an expansion board too.

And then, in a twinkling I heard on the speaker,

The grinding of the hard drive growing much weaker.

As I tried to reboot and turn it around,

The attributes changed from blue into brown.

I hit the control, the alt, and delete.

The screen message it gave me, I cannot repeat.

It asked me to Ignore, Retry, or Abort.

It told me the parallel had become the comm port.

Its lights how they twinkled; its pixels how merry,

Its prompts were all scrambled, like a bowl full of cherries.

It sounded just like it wanted to blow;

The screen was suddenly white as the snow.

It scrolled its directory before my eyes

With programs I didn't even recognize.

It wouldn't see D:, it wouldn't see E:;

I couldn't get out of B: into C:.

Norton's tried to read it, finally finding the FAT;

But alas! The disk was faulty, and couldn't reformat.

Away flew the DBase; away flew the DOS-es;

Away flew the WordStar; right out with the Windows.

The spreadsheets were spreading; the footers were headings;

What once had been memory was close to forgetting.

When the grinding was over and the smoke had all cleared,

I looked at the hard drive; it was just as I feared.

The 600 meg wonder had crashed in the night;

I'll never be able to block out that sight!

So tell everyone you know to avoid my plight;

Back up your files! Merry Christmas! Good Night!

Whistler, Canada

On this lovely evening in Colorado, being sick with two active children, I long to be in Whistler. It may seem strange since most people hope and pray that they can be in warmer climates during this time of year. It has been unseasonably warm here only to turn cold again. This has happened several times, that is why the entire state is sick.

Club for my husband's company is in Whistler, while I don't ski, there is supposedly an aw some spa. Four days in a spa is what I need right now!! I have several months to get ready for the trip (if my DH comes through for us) and figure out what to do with the kiddos.

Personal DNA

You are an Attentive Analyst.

About you -- You are an Analyst.

-Your attention to detail, confidence, sense of order, and focus on functionality combine to make you an ANALYST.

-You are very curious about how things work, delving into the mechanics behind things.

-Along those lines, how well something works is usually more important to you than what it looks like.

-You find beauty and wonder mainly in concrete, functional, earthly things.

-You are very aware of your own abilities, and you believe that you will find the best way of doing things.

-Accordingly, problems do not intimidate you, as you believe in yourself.

-You trust yourself to find solutions within the boundaries of your knowledge.

-You don't spend a lot of time imagining how things could be different—you're well-grounded in the here-and-now.

-It is important for you to follow a routine, and you prefer the familiar to the unknown.

-You're not one to force your positions on a group, and you tend to be fair in evaluating different options.

-You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.

-You tend to do things on the spur of the moment, not sticking to a set schedule.

-You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.

-Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you.


How you relate to others -- You are Attentive.

-Because you like spending time with others, understand their feelings, and often know what is best for them, you are ATTENTIVE.

-Some people are merely concerned about others, but you take action, helping people when you have the opportunity.

-Although you care about others, you are hesitant to trust them to act in the best way on their own.

-You don't let your concerns with people go unnoticed: if someone has hurt your feelings, that person will hear about it.

-People energize and excite you—you are able to have fun and be yourself when you're around others.

-You also learn a lot about yourself by talking things out with people, even if you don't always share things that are important to you.

-You have a strong sense of right and wrong, and you're not hesitant to express yourself.

-Understanding the dynamics of a situation is an important skill that you have, and you often intervene to clarify things for others.

Thank you Tracey, this was interesting!!!

Okay, okay!

Yes, I am still here and dealing with a sick child and a snarky child - you guess which is which. Oh, alright I'll tell.

Andrew started with a slight cough on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Being the diligent mother I am, I sporadically gave him his inhaler (for those of you not in the know, he has asthma and allergies) since we had not had an issue this bad in the last 1 1/2 - 2 years. By Friday he was running a low grade fever and was lethargic, so I took him to the pediatrician. They refilled all his scripts and I started him on all his meds. He attempted school on Monday only to be exhausted after only 1/2 a day.

On Tuesday we went back to the doctor only to discover that he had a sinus infection and possibly pneumonia deep in his lungs. They started him on antibiotics and I am continuing his nebulizer three times a day, plus all his other asthma meds. Today was his first day back to school in a week and a half. He is much better now, he's even fighting with and yelling at his sister.

Speaking of which, I have been trying to get her to clean her room since Friday. Not normally an issue, however, I couldn't find the floor. Now, being five, I only ask that I can actually see said floor and that I can open and close her closet door. Since I am not the epitome of a neat freak (come look at my house on a normal day), I only need to be able to walk in the room. 7 full days later it is clean, at least clean for a five year old. The whole problem with this entire scenario is that it only took her 15 minutes of actual cleaning so that I could see the floor. Hence my frustration

To top all of this off, my husband has been home for the last two weeks. That, in and of itself, is enough to drive me crazy. Now, I love my husband, but two adults should not have to co-habitate for 24/7, especially since one of them (namely me) is an only child and likes their space.

Sorry for all the craziness, but you all wanted to hear it!!!

Thought for the day!!! (and my favorite)
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup !

I now pronounce you....

Okay, since everyone is talking (blogging) about how their children are going to "marry" others, I feel compelled to share the following story. My DD is confused, hence the conversation below (keep in mind she is 5):

DD: Mom, what do you do when you want to marry two boys.
Me: Well, I think you have awhile before you have to worry about that.
DD: I'm confused and don't know what to do.
Me: Just give it time, it will all work itself out in time.

A couple days later.

DD: I have made a decision.
Me: Concerning what?
DD: I don't think I'm going to marry anyone, I'm just going to be friends with them for right now.
Me: I think that sounds great.

I can't believe we are having this conversation at 5 years old. I wasn't expecting these conversations until at least 10 or 11.

Lindsey's 15 minutes of fame - a little early

Finally our trip to Sea World with a slideshow of Lindsey as the star of the Dolphin Discovery Show. Well, Dolly is actually the star, but it's a step in the right direction.

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

Wax Anyone?

One of my really good friends sent this to me, and it is too good not to put on my blog.

Hair Removal....This is funny. (I don't have a clue as to who wrote this, but...WHAT A HOOT!)...................

"All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The Epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax. Read on.........

My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet."

So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom. It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg(or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!) So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ("Cold wax," yeah...right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works! OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.

With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the wax strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my hoo-ha and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (it was a long strip).

I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!!

I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!!

Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP! Another deep breath and RIPP!

Everything is spinning and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...must stay conscious. Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe... OK, back to normal. I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip!

There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???

Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip...it's not! I touch...

I am touching wax!!

I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake...remember my foot is still propped upon the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down. Sealed shut! My butt is sealed shut. Sealed shut! I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!" What can I do to melt the wax?

Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right???

*WRONG!!!!!!!*

I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit. Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.

So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cemented myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!! I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter "So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!"

There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or hole or hoo-ha?"

She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night. While we go through various solutions. I resort to trying to scrape the wax off with a razor . Nothing feels better than to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event. My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and... OH MY GAWD!!!!!!! The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. "IT WORKS!!

It works !!" I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair...THE HAIR IS STILL HERE.......ALL OF IT!

So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.

Next week I'm going to try hair color......"

The Night of Ghosts and Ghouls

Lots happened this week, with the obvious conclusion of Halloween. Yes, we waited until Saturday to get the pumpkin and carve it. Normally, Nana and I take the kids. This year we decided to include the men in the adventure. Needless to say, we were finished in record time, but a good time was had by all.

We also normally let the pumpkins sit around for a week or so, but since Halloween was on Wednesday, we needed to "carve" them right away. This too, included the men in the family and was once again completed in record time. The children had a lovely time (said tongue in cheek - notice their faces).

The completed result was worth the goo.

As they donned their costumes, I noticed we normally have a theme. My children are very good about this and it makes for cute pictures.

Even Belle was in on the festivities. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, SHE is Yoda. Didn't know Yoda was a girl did ya?!?!?!

So happy Halloween/All Hallow Even/Samhain/Harvest to you all!!!

ANOTHER trip?!?!?!

Okay, so I didn't WANT to go back to Ohio for the second time in two months, but there was a death in the family and we needed to go back. I, therefore, have had enough traveling to last awhile. The next trip better be to somewhere fun, with room service, free air conditioning and lots of food. I'm pushing for a Disney cruise, but we'll see.

The hubby's grandfather passed away on Tuesday last week, so the last week has been a whirlwind. Thankfully the children were off track. We had about a million things to do on Wednesday before we left on Thursday in order to be there for the "festivities" on Friday and Saturday. Husband came home from traveling on Wednesday night and we left on Thursday. Only about half a million things got completed. Oh what fun.

When we got there, the family was already in an uproar. Finally one time when I wasn't the reason. We got to see relatives, some I'd never met (and being around for 19 years, that's something), and the kids got to see lots of grown ups with no other children around. They braved it pretty well. I explained the whole "process" and what to expect. They did much better than I had anticipated. Lots of questions that kept me on my toes and entertained for the two days. Kids see things so differently than the rest of the world. They were interested and not freaked out at all (like their mother). I don't do well at viewings and funerals. Just never had a good experience at one. But I guess that is the deal with these things.

Anyway, we are home and have Belle back (she was a Camp Bow Wow while we were gone) and we are returning to our normal (ha) lives.

Tea for two, two for tea...

Well, Lindsey attended her first "tea". We went to the Brown Palace for afternoon tea today. It was beautiful and so was my daughter. She was polite and kind when spoken to. She sat quietly while waiting for tea and scones.

I wondered where my daughter had gone. I thought maybe she'd been replaced by a pod person. I was soon to discover that that wasn't so. Although she was the epitome of well behaved child and sophistication, we still had some fun.

I knew I was in trouble when we were seated and the hostess said

"You are such a lovely child." and without a moments hesitation, my daughter said, "Why, thank you." At least I have raised her correctly by teaching her some manners.

She tried tea alone, with sugar, and with sugar and cream and decided that she didn't like tea at all, so she had a "Shirley Temple". She was much happier with that to drink. We talked about girlie stuff and were having a great time. Then the scones and pastries came. Of course, she went straight for the chocolate (a girl after my own heart), that resulted in the picture below:

To say the very least, that was the end of the sophistication (for both of us), we giggled like, well, girls the rest of the time. She loved it and talked my ear off. The waitress was so impressed with her that she sent extra chocolate covered strawberries home with her. We had a great time on our "girls tea".

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

We went to the annual Kinder- garten pumpkin patch field trip on the Friday before our track off. As expected, being with a bunch of 5 and6 year olds, it was crazy, but a lot of fun. The children in our group were very interested in the corn, grass and leaves. Not sure what is so interesting about leaves and grass, but beggers can't be choosers, now can we.

Lindsey had a wonderful time. About half way through the day, the kids got worn out and tired of us asking pointed questions such as, "What signs of Fall do you see?", "What do you hear?", and "What do you think lives here?".

We saw the movie "Pumpkin Circle" and went to the pumpkin patch. The kids loved it.

Blog Rating

Ha, ha, I am G-Rated. See, all you nay sayers out there, I AM, acceptable. I only got one hit for "pain".

This is brought to you by the letter L ...

Lindsey was so excited to be the letter person for the letter L. Why? Because it is the first letter of her name, of course. While reading her book, practicing her letter formation and thinking of what to bring to represent the letter L, Lindsey ran into several challenges.

First, her book was more of a tongue twister for my child with the slight speech impediment. The sentence she had to read was: "Look, said the little lady." Although she did this with no problems, mom was a little tense.

Second, letter formation was better than expected since she has been doing this for a while now. She did, however, had issues with just a line for the lower case letter. Again, this was accomplished perfectly on her letter day.

What to bring was the catch.

Lindsey: Could we bring a lap?
Me: No, it's only there when you sit down. (She didn't find that funny.)
L: A lamp?
M: Nope, too big to hang on the letter wall.
L: A lion?
M: Well, how would you like to hang on a wall (note, no toy lion could be found, only stuffed animals that didn't fit in the baggie)?
L: How about a "little"?
M: A little what?
L: Just a little.
M: What is a "little"?
L: I'm little.
M: Again, would you like to hang on the wall?
L: Not really. How about a "lick"?
M: We can't put a lick on the wall either. How about a leaf?
L: Weeeelllllll, okay, if that's what I need to do.

So the leaves were put into the bag to hang on the wall. The first one was microscopic, so I told her we needed more. I got a harrumph and we went about looking for a snack for the day. We looked high and low and could not find any snack beginning with "L". I pulled out some lollipops and asked if she wanted to take them. I was told that suckers did NOT begin with the letter L. I convinced her that they would be fine as lollipops instead of suckers. I think she thought their feelings would be hurt.

On the big day, she was great, but when asked what she brought for a snack, she said at the top of her lungs, "SUCKERS". While I was laughing quietly to myself, Ms. Greer (bless her) said, "I think that they are lollipops." Lindsey agreed and all had a great time.

She was very proud of herself.

Do teachers live at school?

Okay, so I'm not employed full time at any one place. I do, however, dabble (legally) in several positions. One being a substitute TA at the school my children attend. All this means, is that I can be verbally abused by short people under the age of 11 and get paid for it. It is fun most of the time, and I learn the names and faces of the troublemakers. Lindsey will NEVER be remembered by any TA. (Yeah, right.)

Anyway, my children and I were at dinner tonight at a fairly local restaurant. I was actually brave enough to go it alone. Remember, I do not consider my children people. I really need to have them make it through a day without reminding them to wash their hands, keep their elbows off the table, or to put underwear on before I consider them people. Oops, one of my tangents. (See I always write in a stream of consciousness, therefore, that blog challenge was useless!)

Sooooooo, while dining, some of the teachers, from my children's school, came into the restaurant. I knew them by sight and one by name. My son on the other hand knew several of them by name. Oops, maybe that should have been his name up there. Well, they sat right behind us. Lindsey was amazed that they were away from school. She asked the same question for the second time this week.

L - "Do all teachers live at the school?"
Me - "No honey, they live in their own homes?"
L - "How come they are HERE?"
M - "Apparently they are hungry."
L- "Oh, well I guess that is okay."

Andrew was thrilled and kept watching them. Oh well, I guess that is what happens when you live in a relatively small community.

1 day till the pumpkin patch and 2 until track off...

Lindsey is making the annual Kindergarten field trip to the Pumpkin Patch on Friday. Yes, the same day as Andrew has Math Masters. How come everything has to happen on the last day of track on??? Thankfully I have good friends that will be there for my son while I'm wrangling 5 year olds. Oh, I forgot, that's actually what I signed up for when I decided to become a Daisy Troop leader, huh? Well, I kinda looking forward to it, if the weather holds up.

We are relatively prepared for the first Daisy meeting. Lindsey is really excited to wear her Daisy apron. She loved modeling it for the parents last week. I hardly got it off her so I could put it away for the actual meeting.

Stay tuned for the Pumpkin pictures.

Let the party begin

Okay, okay, since my last totally disgusting blog didn't get 17 comments, I will have to update. Darn it all.

I am officially a troop leader for Daises. I have a troop number and everything. The training went as planned. No major faux paus. I tried really hard to keep my opinions to myself. It mostly worked...

The trainer cut herself and I was the only one in the room with band-aids. Are you kidding, a room full of potential leaders (and moms) and I was the only one willing to admit that my kids are big klutzes and that is why I carry a mini first aid kit in my purse. What would they say to the two, yes two, full First Aid kits I have in the car. So, anyway, the trainer was so impressed that she showed the whole class. She said that she didn't have anything like that, and I of course said, "And you call yourself a Girl Scout." Luckily, SHE had a sense of humor. I got my Troop number after the training, so it couldn't have been that bad, right?!?!?

Wish me and Colleen luck!!

Saturday Night and I Ain't Got Nobody....

Not that that's a real problem but I'm at home alone with my children. They don't really count as people, do they? Anyway, I'm not counting them until I can have a conversation with them that doesn't include the words "clean your room", "don't bother your sister (or brother)" or "you need to keep your toe out of your ear". These days are filled with laughter and insanity. If it weren't for the insanity, we'd all be doomed.

Last week was back to pre-summer craziness. Both the kids were wanting to stay home and all I wanted to do was go to the orthodontist so I could have 20 minutes of silence. We've all got the sniffles but not enough to actually keep us home and in bed.

While reading others blogs, I found these definitions on the net.

Cabbage Patch definitions from the Urban Dictionary

1. Dance move that white guys tried to have catch on to confuse women into thinking that white guys have rhythm. Successfully performed when both your shoulders and fists (which are placed together in a manner that looks like you just connected both ends of an extension cord) move in time with each other in a fluid, circular motion. All the rage in the late 80's and early 90's.

2. A Magical place where babies come from.

3. This occurs when a female that has a regular shaven vagina, fails to shave the backside of her butt hole, thus creating a small tuft of hair.

Or a better interpretation by Wikipedia - The cabbage patch dance, which involves putting the hands together and moving them in a horizontal circular motion. Dr. Dre in 1987 with DJ Yella in world class wrecking cru invented what was supposed to be a short fad, they wrote a song called "The Cabbage Patch" just for a dance they made. It soon became very popular showing up everywhere in almost every dance club in America.

Okay that was way too much info, but made me laugh. Let's see if we can beat 17 with this one.

Blog Challenge

Yes, I'm about two weeks behind, didn't want to spoil all the fun of my last blog...

List 8 things about yourself, but make one of them untrue.
Let's see if you can guess which is untrue! I'm not a very good liar, so we'll see how this goes.

1. My grandmother is from Australia

2. I have not one sociopathic friend, but two.

3. I love London with all the history and would love to go back.

4. My High School Geometry teacher always thought I was high. It was after all the last period of the day.

5. I have a duel BA degree in Accounting and Finance.

6. My dream is to live in the mountains away from the city, not necessarily in a yurt.

7. I've known my bestest friend for 31 years.

8. When I was little I wanted to be a vet.

Daisy Daisy, Give me your answer do!

I have finally, officially, lost my mind. I have sent in my application to be a troop leader for a Daisy Troop. Of course when I first thought about it, I thought I couldn't possibly do this because I am too busy since I can't say no to anyone but the PTO (that is one thing I refuse to do). After several conversations with "She Who Must Not Be Named" (and you know who you are!!) I was assured that I would have help if I volunteered for this.

We went to the recruitment fair on Saturday and talked to the powers that be of the Colorado Girl Scouts. I've already made a wonderful impression on them. While joking, I stated that I couldn't have my alternate personalities fill out the reference sheets and they didn't find that funny. Since I am who I am, I tried to get myself out of the situation by trying to "explain", which didn't help my cause. All the while "She Who Must Not Be Named" is about cracking a rib and rolling on the ground. She didn't mention that they have no sense of humor. But to give credit where credit is do, she probably thought I had more sense than to try to joke with people I didn't actually know. Note to self - Don't joke with leaders about alternate personalities when children may be involved. So I have signed up for training classes and everything. It will be interesting to see how this goes. Oh, the things we do for our children. She probably won't even like it. Oh well, such is the life of a mom.

I couldn't resist....

The Zen of Sarcasm

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone .

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire.

It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is probably not for you.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably a wise investment.

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Home Again...

Hello my fellow bloggers. You all know how happy I am to be home!!! I have been hibernating and catching up on some of my recorded shows. TIVO (pardon me, my DVR) only holds so much. We are about at capacity. I know what I'll be doing next week while the kids are in school.

Our trip, I hesitate to call it a vacation, went better than expected, only because Andrew didn't end up in the hospital with an allergic reaction. The trip to Chicago was hot, humid and did I mention HOT?!?!?! The wedding was nice and it was nice to have a couple days with my husband alone. Sadly, we sat around and wondered what to do. Evidence that we have been married for 15 years. We eventually found something to do, but I won't submit you to all the gory details.

After Chicago, we stayed in Dayton and saw lots of family and friends.

Bob (with Rose Brown the Guinea Pig), Lindsey, my Grandpa Leary,
Karen (Step-grandmother), grumpy face, and Aunt Colleen

Lindsey, Aunt Julia, Baby Sarah, Andrew (aka grumpy face)

I don't actually get in the pictures, it's just evidence enough that there ARE pictures, hence, I am there. Other pictures are online at Snapfish.com. Those of you interested have already received an e-mail. Possibly some that aren't interested!

All in all we had a nice time. Lots of stories, but I've determined that if I don't want "stuff" to bite me in the a**, I need not put it in writing. (And we wonder where Lindsey gets her potty mouth, NOT.)

I'm so glad that everyone is back on track with school, in more ways than one, because I am NOT. This little trip of mine has put me three weeks behind (in more ways than one). Again, do we see a theme?

More to come later.

1... Blast off... Smooth Landing?

Okay, I know that you are all a flutter to hear about my trip to Ohio, but you will have to sit in anticipation a little longer. Forgot my camera connection, don't have High Speed Internet (it's taken me a half hour just to log on), it has been 96 degrees with 96% humidity and my hair is so frizzy, I can hardly get through the door. So in other words, we're having a GREAT time, not. Have gotten to see family and went to the wedding. Oh! Also got burnt in Chicago, we weren't even at a beach/pool. I will be happy when we get home on Thursday.

2...

Okay so I'm delaying the inevitable. I have so much to do, I decided to blog instead. At least it's only cleaning and packing not actually something I'll be tested on.

As I was reading my e-mail, where people were getting in trouble for saying bad things, a very funny story came to mind. I have lots of Lindsey stories, but this one takes the cake. About a year ago we were playing "Mario Party 7" on the Game Cube. Andrew, being a male of the species, was taking for ever to take his turn. For those of you who don't own or have never played the game, you can play up to 8 players and they all take turns then you all play a game together. Well anyway, Andrew was doing heaven knows what when I started telling him to hurry up. Then out of the mouth of my lovely, princess like 4 year old little girl comes "Make up your f*****g mind". Since Bob and I have different senses of humor, we reacted as differently. I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to throw up and Bob was ranting and raving. When he accused me, I stated in all innocence, "I have no idea where she got that, it must have been from school". When in doubt throw the school under the bus!!

I'm sure I have plenty of other stories for you all, and will blog them when everyone annoys me this week.

Pondering for the day:

"Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?"

The count down has commenced!! 3...

As Tuesday approaches, my trepidation increases. I'm really not looking forward to our trip. The heat, the in-laws, the running around, the in-laws, dealing with the kids, and oh, did I mention the in-laws? I am however an equal opportunity parent basher. My parents have decided that staying at my house to watch Belle is a good thing, I however, did NOT. So I am cleaning, cleaning, dealing with hyper children and did I mention cleaning???

On our flights out, yes I said flights plural, Bob will have Sir Andrew, the casted lad (thank you Miss Martha for the precisely accurate reference), and I will be with Miss Prissy. Lindsey realized last night that she is coming with me. Oh the joy of being loved. After 20 minutes of crying, yelling and screaming for daddy, I came down out of my room ready to talk to my daughter. (tee hee) Actually she was way bent out of shape about the flight arrangements. So this should be a gleeful 6 hour, three airport excursion.

Some more insight into last week's back to school adventures:

I have to wait out front for Lindsey and Andrew meets me there. I, along with others, are feeling cut off from the pack of community moms. I'm reduced to talking to CS and listening to how Andrew and her daughter are having a "love affair" (her words not mine!!). Somehow I think I got the bottom of the bucket this year. I'd much rather be talking to the coven and dissing those that bug us.

All in all, Andrew and Lindsey did well their first weeks. After all, they only have one more day of school before we leave for two weeks. I'd better not hear any complaining or there will be lots to do on vacation. I have an overabundance of flash cards, books, etc.

If I don't talk to any of you, I will try to blog my vaca, however miserable it may be!!

First Week of School

The first week of school went as well as can be expected.

Andrew was very nervous the night before. This confused me since I'm used to kids (namely us) being our for 2+ months. After two months, I was always a little nervous since we hadn't seen the teachers and there were always kids that moved into the area. Anyway, I tried to explain that it was the same as the winter break only with a new teacher. He wasn't worried about his new teachers , so I'm not sure what he was worried about. So by the time he went to school, I think he was fine. He was happy to be back at school, but annoyed that everyone kept asking about his cast. I think he got tired of telling the story.

Lindsey had a wonderful time. She's been waiting for this for over a year. She loves Mrs. Greer and the first two days of school went well. Her one-on-one went well too. When she and Mrs. Greer came our laughing, I knew it was going to be a long year.

I worked two days up at the school. It's nice to be so close to the kids and to be able to be there if they need me.

Well, this is all short-lived since we are leaving for Ohio on Tuesday. The kids are excited to already be getting time off school. That is just pitiful. At least they don't have homework yet. I was actually hoping they would have some homework to do while we are gone. Instead I'm sure I will he hearing "I'm bored", "I don't have anything to do", etc. We will of course take plenty of stuff to do, but it never seems like we take enough.

What happens in Vegas...

By popular demand I am going to tell about an experience I had a while ago.

Several years ago Bob and I visited Las Vegas, with some friends, Jenn and Jason. While looking for something to do, we had decided to do the normal Vegas touristy stuff. We brunched at Ceaser's, we shopped on the strip, we took pictures of all the really cool stuff in the hotels and casinos (at least what we could take pictures of) and we visited the local color. By local color I mean a strip club.

While the club was not as classy as we had first thought it would be, they had areas for both men and women. Our first stop was where the men were "dancing". All four of us had decided to stick together for a while considering the clientele.

One of the dancers offered to give me a lap dance. He was not at all my type. He wasn't hairy, but he shaved. He also had a VERY long braid that any woman would probably give their right arm for.

As I was being danced on, Jason paid. The "dancers" thought he was my husband and Bob was...? Bob, being the homophobic that he is, was flipping out (which is a major understatement). They kept coming over and asking him to buy Jenn a lap dance. Jenn and Jason were laughing so hard, they completely ignored me. All of this was happening without my knowledge. I thought they all, were watching me to keep me safe. But Bob was much more entertaining.

During my lap dance, I started to get worried when the "dancer" started barking at my crotch. Yes, barking. Did he think I was a dog, or he was a dog, or...? I was mortified but laughing because it was strange and funny all at the same time. Once he was finished and I realized I wasn't the cause of Jenn and Jason's hilarity, the guys went down to where the women were dancing. Jenn and I went to the bathroom so I could de-scent myself. The dancer had used some sort of really smelly lotion. I think it was communal lotion as all the men smelled the same way. We thought this was very strange.

We then decided to find the guys. We found them at a table and the stripper invited us to sit with them. The tables sat about 10 people and had stairs going to the "dance area". Jenn and I then stuck up a conversation with several of the strippers about how soft their skin is, how the men behave toward them, their workout routine, and the such. The men (other than our husbands) got rather annoyed with our conversations. There was one girl my husband was fascinated with. She was blond with braided pigtails(do we see a theme?). As she was coming off the table, I noticed her necklace was a pink dog collar with rhinestones. I was so obsessed with this, we made fun of Bob the rest of the trip.

Since the guys were all affronted, Jenn and I went back upstairs. As soon as we went into the room, "my dancer" ran over and hugged me. I had to de-sent myself once again. His friend was accosting Jenn and asking for a dance. He would not leave her alone. Eventually we extracted ourselves from them.

The room had become more crowded, but we found seats at the stage. We were watching in a sort of strange fascination. They were stomping around the stage. Jenn, being a real dancer, and I could not figure this out. We left after a while, collected our husbands and left for the hotel.

We left Vegas with great memories and new insight into several different things.

Summertime, Living Easy???

Do I even really want to do this challenge this week??? Sure what the heck I need a good laugh (or cry, whichever).

Tell us how you feel about summer. This summer, a childhood summer, summer traditions, random summer memories, summer sights and smells and sounds.

This summer has started out with a bang. First my braces. These have been complained about enough, so I'll just leave it with; wow, I didn't know what my friends were really going through when they would complain about them. So, sorry to all those I ever made fun of (which were considerable if you ask my mom, my memory is a little different) or tisked for making such a big deal of it. It really is coming back on me tenfold. (What else will I pay for...hmmmmm) Second, Andrew broke is foot. Need I say more. He now has a cast and is the envy of all his friends. I don't quite understand that logic, maybe it's a male thing.

Now for some summer memories:

With growing up in Ohio, the summers were hot and humid. One of the highlights of our evenings was playing hide and seek until all hours of the night. That was when our parents didn't worry because we were with other kids and there was not real threat. We also loved catching lightning bugs. Kids here in Colorado don't have the pleasure of catching and releasing beetles that light up. Well, most of them got away alive anyway.

We never had air conditioning when I was a kid, so summers were spent sitting in front of the fan while watching Guiding Light. Who knew that would start a 20+ year fascination with the show. The days I wasn't watching the soaps, my friends and I would spend the day at the pool. Again, the days when our parents didn't have to worry about us.

There are so many good memories that it's hard to pick just one or a couple. I just rember that there were no cares in the world, we were happy to be out of school for three months. No homework, no parents (of course they all worked) and no worries. Ahhhh, for the good ole' days. (Gee I sound like I'm 90.)

Thought for the day:

I have a theory about the human mind. A brain is a lot like a computer. It will only take so many facts, and then it will go into overload and blow up.

-Erma Bombeck

Favorite Quote

There are so many good quotes, it's hard to pick just one. Do I choose something deep and thoughtful or something lighthearted and funny. Or how about something just a little weird. Well, my favorite quote is kind of weird:

"Be careful of sleeping dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup."

I think this is my favorite because I often feel like a sleeping dragon, and often think what it would be like to .... (you fill in the rest).

My favorite saying normally changes every couple years or so. I guess it depends on what stage my life I'm in.

The end of baseball

Well, today was the last game of the season. The team did well and we are proud of them all. They had a great season. They will only be better next year.

Andrew has been doing much better in the last couple games. For some reason , he does much better when my parents are there. Showing off for the grandparents maybe????

Well, all good things must come to an end. After we got home, Andrew and his friends were in his room and then I hear a bloodcurdling scream. Andrew had fallen off the top bunk of his bunk beds. Much to his dismay, I put ice on it and after 30 minutes and he still wouldn't put any pressure on it, we made our way to the emergency room at Parker Adventist.

Not to try to out do the Zimmer family, but two hours and three x-rays later, the doctor determined that he had fractures in his 3rd, 4th, & 5th metatarsals in his left foot. He is now in a hard soled shoe and crutches for the next 4 - 6 weeks. Oh joy, since we are starting school in 3 weeks and going to Ohio in 4 weeks. WOW, how I'm going to love this summer break.

The thing he is most upset about missing is swimming. Oh to only have swimming to worry about. Now I have to figure out how to maneuver him around the house, up the stairs and get him to Intersession. I'll be glad when school starts again. Gee, did I say that????

Oh, the tangled webs we weave....

Well our coven got together last week to watch "Big Love" and had a great time. It's only taken me a week to blog about it. (Will get to our challenge later.) The "girls" are now all scared to have their husbands meet mine. Even Chet looks good in HD on a 55 inch TV. Yes, that is why we are still in a 1600 square foot house, but we do have LOTS of gadgets.

Speaking of gadgets, my husband bought me a hand sander. I'm being overly ambitious and think I am going to refinish all the wood in my house. You've seen my house right!?!?!? The finish on the wood is coming off, thanks to the crappy work of the builder, so something needs to be done about it. Since my husband is usually gone (not so, for the last four weeks) I have to figure it out myself. Oh well, I'll let him think the sander is his.

We tried the new "Movie Tavern" on Monday. Not sure how new it is, but I've had several people mention it to me. It was great. We saw "Ratatouille". It was very cute and we saw the Zimmer's bumming around there too. It's great to see people you know when you're out, it makes me feel like "I'm somebody".

Ooooo, I just figured out how to edit my posts, boy the more I do this thing, the more I learn. That's how my kids learn too. They just guess and hope for the best. Okay here's another picture of Belle. She really needs to grow into her legs. She has been at obedience class for three weeks and is doing fairly well. She's learning slowly, so I'll probably be putting her in more classes, but that's okay as it is helpful for me since I haven't had obedience training in 13 years. I wish they had obedience classes for children, I guess they do, it's called school (tee hee hee).

13 weeks old

23 weeks (My, look how we've grown!!!)

She really keeps us on our toes (and wears my children out). She needs to have friends over to play with and so she sleeps when she's with mom.

Ponderings:

Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

The first week of summer vacation

Well, we all survived the school year and the kids survived First Grade and Preschool. Now on to Second and Kindergarten. I actually feel a little sorry for Ms. Greer, Lindsey already knows her and thinks she has run of the classroom. Oh well, she'll soon learn that she doesn't. However, after two years, Ms. Kennemann is breathing a sigh of relief! Apparently she is really good at school, too bad she's not that good at home!!

So far we are surviving the first week of school. I am still waking up at 6:45am, what happened to sleeping in??? We have been trying to stave off the heat by staying in the house. I realize it's only Tuesday, but oh well. Only 4 1/2 weeks to go. Nothing exciting is going on here, at least not at exciting as exploding goo in the freezer!!

Here's more....

Andrew is once again playing little league. I think he likes it, but you can never tell.

Yesterday I was given some insight to the things my children say to other adults when I'm not around. First a little explaination, since there are more players than positions, the coach has decided that the outfielders will alternate playing innings. For example, if someone plays the outfield, he will either play the even or odd innings. Not too difficult to remember, afterall they are 7 & 8 (plus we have moms helping). I digress, so back to my story.

Yesterday, Kendra Carlson walked up to me almost in tears. Of course my first comment was "What had Andrew done now?!" She told me that she was asking the children if they knew which position they were playing. While other children said "pitcher", "first base", etc. when she asked Andrew he said "Odd." Those are the things a mother loves to hear. At least he admits it!!!

Okay some other pictures from baseball:

They are doing really well considering they are playing teams who have been in this division a year longer.

My thought for the day:

Procrastinate now, don't put it off.

OOPS!!!

I guess I haven't gotten the swing of things yet. See what happens when left to my own devices!!

Watch out, this is number two...

Okay, so I've been a little on the slow side with this blogging thing, but tonight I'm on a roll. Need to get my little ballerina on here. She looks cuter than she is. She did very well. At least she danced. Okay I already said that, but I am very proud of both of them.

Andrew didn't have the "costume" Lindsey did, but he still danced his heart out.

Thought for the day:

"When French people swear do they say pardon my English?"

Aimeeology

I know this is last weeks challenge, but it sounded fun.

Aimee-ology

ARCHAEOLOGY: the study of material remains

• What's the oldest article of clothing you still wear? Old Big Dog T-shirts (nothing exciting)
• What's the oldest article of clothing you won't get rid of? My Senior Prom dress - I love the color
• When was the house/building you live in built? 1996
• What in your fridge needs to be thrown out? Probably everything

BIBLIOLOGY: the study of publication

• What are you reading? "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (before the movie releases)
• Do you have a favorite quote? "Be careful of sleeping dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup"
• What's the most recent music you purchased? Irish Pub Favorites
• What book could you read again without being bored? Any Harry Potter Book, well any book

CARDIOLOGY: the study of the heart

• How old were you the first time you fell in love? 13
• What charities do you have a heart for? World Wildlife Fund
• What's the best way someone can show their love for you? Just by being there
• Name five things you "love": My husband, my children (does that count as two?), my family (lots more than two), the smell of nature after a spring rain, and a nice book (see a theme?)

PHYSIOLOGY: the study of physical function

• Are you right-handed or left-handed? right
• Do you like your smile? Well, I used to before braces, not sure now.
• What's your best feature? Do I have one?????
• Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Gall Bladder (do children count?)
• Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? Touch

OMNOLOGY: the study of everything

• What color do you think looks best on you? Blue
• Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake? Of course, insects aren't considered food are they?
• What's your favorite flavor of gum? Wintergreen
• Where's the first place you went today? Besides the bathroom, Timberline
• Do you stand or sit in the shower? stand

AXIOLOGY: the study of the nature of values and value judgments

• Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000? No, it wouldn't be public if I did
• Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? sure
• Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000? No, same answer as #1
• What value is of utmost importance to you in a friend? loyalty
• Would you accept an indecent proposal for $1,000,000? Depends on who is offering (hee, hee)

TECHNOLOGY: usage and knowledge of tools

• What's the last movie you saw? In a theater - "Happy Feet"; At home - "Over the Hedge" (again, see a theme?)
• What's the first website you visit when you log on? Depends on the day, normally Google, you can get anywhere from there
• What's your ring tone? "We like to pop" - Six Flags Theme - the kids like it too
• Would you quit blogging for $25,000? Possibly
• What piece of equipment do you wish you owned? I have to agree with Martha on this one - it's hard to believe that there is a gadget out there we don't own. -- Don't get the husbands together it could be disastrous!!

GENEALOGY: the study of relationships within families

• Is there a specific family member you're really missing right now? My Grandfather
• Who is your oldest living relative? My Grandfather
• Are you named after anyone? My Grandmother (her middle name was Ellen) and my mom's best friend (her last name was Lee) hence my middle name LeEllen.
• Is there anyone really famous in your family tree? Not really, just a guy named "No-nose McNutt" - I used to think he was named this because he was a horse thief who got his nose bitten off by a horse, however, he was just a man that got his nose bitten off by a horse. No illustrious ancestors in my family.

Okay, Okay...

Okay, so for my week. Where did the time go?!?!? I feel like we just got back from Ireland and it's already been 5 weeks.

Monday started out normal enough. Bob had strep throat and ended up staying home the entire week. That alone messes up my whole system, not to mention, keeps me from "my time", which I so value these days. Then, Lindsey had a viral infection that mimics strep throat. Oh what fun, and it was only Monday. Then I get a call from the teachers freaking out about the field trip that we are going on tomorrow. Yes, a whole week in advance. It really irks me, that when I say I'm going to do something, people don't think I can. My thought on this is, that if you don't want me to do it, don't ask and do it yourself. Anyway, that was just the start of my week.

Getting ready for recital for both my kids has been crazy but after nine months of lessons and a 4 hour rehearsal Friday, Saturday was a success. My kids actually danced, unlike some who just stood there and stared out into the audience. So thankfully I didn't have to hear my husband say "And we pay how much money for this?" a second year in a row. They may have been forced to preform for us, so Bob could see that they really do dance (well, sort of).

Lots of other things happened, but I'm not sure I remember everything. It is just a fuzzy haze at this point.

Thought for the day:

How can someone "draw a blank"?

Blogging challenge...

Well, Martha, thanks for the challenge, but I have yet to figure out how to upload my pictures. So we will have to do with some old pictures.

The mosaic website is really cool. Trying to figure out which pictures is the hard part. Now I can say that I have successfully uploaded pictures onto my blog.

My mosaic is a tribute to, our dog, Austin. He passed away about 4 weeks ago from heart failure. He is still in our hearts. We are reminded daily of him and miss him terribly. Bob and I got him in March 1995 and he instantly became part of our family. He has been through all of our ups and downs. We moved him to Colorado, with us, and then we had two children to add to his family and harass him. He accepted both children as soon as they entered the house, even before. following me around while I was pregnant. He was always patient, even when the kids were not. He never let the children out of his sight and always protected them. He had a great disposition and a gentle nature, which is more than I can say about his family. He was always there to lend comfort and to make us smile. He will never be forgotten.

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart." — Kahlil Gibran

Love/Hate with the 5 senses

I love the:

SIGHT of undisturbed nature
SMELL of a summer rain in the heat of the summer
TASTE of Cadbury chocolate (from Ireland) as it melts on you tongue
SOUND of my family laughing and my kids having a conversation

I hate the:

SIGHT of neglected children and animals
SMELL of newly laid asphalt and cigarettes
TASTE of cooked spinach
SOUND of criticism, whether it is of me or anyone else
FEEL of sand in places I ddin't know existed

Oh, the tales I could tell...

Since I have been receiving harassing e-mails and chats on my blog, I figured it was time to update. As I have yet to receive any challenges, I will have to just wing it.

I had really been looking forward to some "me time" and scrapbooking with my friends, when I lost my mind and invited not one, but two children to my house for a sleepover. Since I didn't want to win the worst mom/wife of the year, I decided to stick with the sleepover plan and missed the scrapbook night. My husband, man that he is, actually offered to stay with the four, count them four, children. I very graciously declined, not wanting to find the children bound and gagged with duct tape, the dog missing and my husband in the fetal position muttering indistinguishable words.

Chaos ensued. Never, I repeat never, get two big brothers together with two younger sisters, it is never a good combination. The boys harassed the girls and the girls harassed the boys. Actually, it was only MY children harassing each other and trying to show off for their guests. Then as things were starting to calm down, I get this very strange, however appropriate, phone call from the above mentioned friends (all of whom shall read this!!! :) ) having a grand ole time. To be fair, I am really glad they had fun, just really jealous that I wasn't there. That will teach me to not write things down in my calendar. "If it's not in my calendar, it doesn't exist." That's my motto. Sometimes, even when it is in the calendar, it doesn't exist, them I blame it on the kids. Somehow or other, it's always the kids faults. (That will certainly get me "Mother of the Year" - What "mother" I'm not quite sure.)

So as I sit here trying to do the program for church tomorrow (notice it's 11pm) I will leave you with this thought:

"Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm."

Now the pain begins...

Okay, now that I've started this blog it seems that I will now be obsessing about one thing or another. At this moment in time, my obsession are my braces. They were doing okay until last night and today. Apparently, the inside of my mouth is much more sensitive that I first thought. On Friday, the braces were not sharp at all and I wasn't sure of all the hullabaloo. Literally, they have sharpened themselves overnight and my mouth is beginning to resemble chopped liver. Thank heavens for wax. It has taken up residence on my brackets.

Now, I will be attempting to post some pictures. Of course, being the scrapbooker that I am, I took over 350, but will only highlight the trip. ... Well, that was a bust. The bad thing about having a camera that takes 10 megapixel pictures, is that they are too big to upload. I will have to consult my technical support (ie. my husband) to see what the problem is. Anyway, will still highlight.

Monaco was nice, but the people (being French) were a little stuffy. We had a blast and saw how "the other half" lives. We ate lots of "tiny" food and it was wonderful. We also did a tour of Eze. Eze is a medieval village perched like an eagles nest on a narrow rocky peak overlooking the Mediterranean sea. There were many steps and I got most of the way up.

Ireland was very nice and a lot more relaxed. We went to County Cork and saw the Blarney Stone. We did NOT kiss the Blarney Stone, because how many lips have actually been on the Blarney Stone?!?!?! It was a great time and glad we did it without the kids. But we were very happy to come home.