the girl who is twisted

My mother sent me an email with this video today. This is the text that was included with the email, which was a forward of a forward of a forward...

University of Iowa Farm Machine Music

This incredible machine was built as a collaborative effort between the Robert M. Trammell Music Conservatory and the Sharon Wick School of Engineering at the University of Iowa. Amazingly, 97% of the machines components came from John Deere Industries and Irrigation Equipment of Bancroft, Iowa, yes farm equipment!

It took the team a combined 13,029 hours of set-up, alignment, calibration, and tuning before filming this video but as you can see it was WELL worth the effort.

It is now on display in the Matthew Gerhard Alumni Hall at the University and is already slated to be donated to the Smithsonian.

So, after watching it again and again and again, I was entranced, but skeptical. Is this thing for real? It looks CG to me. So off I went to Snopes to check it out. And I was right! Further investigation reveals that I was right, it is CG.

So I get to pat myself on the back for being shrewd and observant, but at the same time...still be amazed! I mean, all the detail that is in this piece is completely AMAZING! Just being able to sync everything up sound, music, shadows, light...this is a completely astounding piece of computer art! So, enjoy it...but know what it is.

And while we are on the subject, let me just say, this is a weird quirk of mine. When someone sends me a forwarded email, I usually check it out. Not to truly share in what the sender is trying to share with me...but to prove them wrong. Twisted, yes I know. Snopes is one of my best friends on the web. If it's incredible or unbelievable, it probably is and Snopes has checked it out. Ironically, my mom is usually the one forwarding this stuff to me, but my Dad is the one who introduced me to the Snopes site. I find that funny.

Anyway, to continue with my twisted personality...I usually email a link from Snopes to the person who originally sent me the email. I guess I like to be able to say "I told you so..." indirectly because it's something that I try very hard not to do in person. Now what does this say about me and my personality?

Yeah, that's right. I'm twisted.

For the record, this isn't a new quirk. In Jr. High during the infamous "note wars" that pre-teen girls are prone to have (You know, the ones that read "you think you are so smart and so pretty, but you're NOT and nobody really likes you!") I would correct the note sender's spelling and grammar and send it back to them.

So I guess twisted goes back a long way!

the girl who is exhausted

4:45 am alarm goes off, drag self to bathroom to get ready for work

5:15 am leave for work, pick up Larry and Judy so Mom can go to dialysis

6:00 am arrive for work, go make coffee, pick up pastries and fruit cups, get store ready for opening

6:30 am open store

6:30 am - 1:00 pm whole lotta nothing, slow day, not much to do, leave early...but with a purpose

1:00 pm Larry comes back to pick me up, kids stayed home from school today...they caught my bug...the one I've had for two weeks. The one I won't go to the Dr. for because I'm afraid of antibiotics getting me pregnant again (explanation for Matthew)

1:48 pm arrive home, check mail on the way in--new CK and MM. Sweet! Change into something that is not a uniform and shoes that are not non-skid, steel toed...but look great and feel terrible after an hour

1:55 pm go to school for IEP meeting with speech therapist and school counselor

2:00 pm meeting: Ian's language development refuses to be categorized. He has an extensive vocabulary that he uses when asked to identify pictures....he even can grasp abstract concepts on the high end of his age range. However, he can't seem to use these words to put together sentences and follows no "normal" pattern. Therapist is determined, but frustrated.

2:35 pm leave meeting feeling frustrated too. Have copies of IEP report to give to independent speech therapist I have appointment with tomorrow

2:40 pm arrive home, call pediatrician to see if she can possibly squeeze kids in before closing time. No dice.

2:50 pm load kids into car to take Larsons back to their place, decide to take kids to After hours pediatrics nearby. They don't open until 5 pm soooo...

3:00 pm take kids to Great Clips in Target shopping plaza before Coo Pa is inspired to give them haircuts too. While there, stylist convinces me that she can fix Ian. (Did I mention Ian got a third haircut after Coo Pa's and Daddy's? Yeah, he took scissors to the remains of his hair--or someone helped him--and gave himself little leopard spots in the back. No pictures of that one. I'm DONE on the subject of haircuts) Zachary gets his Ashton Kutcher do trimmed, Matthew gets his surfer cut cleared from his eyes, and Ian...Ian is now a jarhead. Perhaps I will get a picture of that one.

4:00 pm didn't waste enough time, so off to Target (we happen to be next door, why not?) Stop by $1 spot and resist. urge. to. clean. place. out.

4:05-4:45pm wander Target aimlessly and somehow walk out $45 poorer.

4:45 pm attempt to leave Target...the Starbucks by the door lures me in for a Gingerbread latte. How did I spend another $21.00? Oh yeah. Advent calendar.

5:06 pm arrive at After Hours Peds after breaking Target spell

5:10 pm fill out three separate forms for three boys with one set of symptoms, one insurance carrier and one address, phone number and guardian info.

6:00 pm get called into exam area, Zack 51 lbs, Ian 35 lbs, Matthew 32 lbs Why is there only a 3lb difference between my 4 yo and my 3 yo? Is one too heavy or is the other too skinny? Should I find something real to worry about?

6:20 pm Dr. comes in. He is not one we have seen before. He probably shouldn't be working with kids. Diagnosis? Upper respiratory infection and Reactive Airway something...whatever, it sounds scary for kids who just seemed to have colds. Nebulizer treatments all around. Luckily, I still have a nebulizer from Ian's previous asthma therapy.


6:35 pm Doc leaves and we wait for prescriptions, excuse notes, etc.

6:46 pm leave AHP office and drive to...Target. Hey! It's close and their pharmacy is open until 9pm. Plus, I like the color coding and the cool red upside down bottles.

7:00 pm drop off prescriptions and go in search of something quick to eat in the Aisles of Target. Get distracted by their AWESOME soda selection, but disappointed they don't have Grapefruit Izze, just Black Currant and Pomegranate.

7:25 pm go back for prescriptions...they aren't ready. Decide at that point it would be a good idea to refill migraine medication. It is ready before kids' stuff is. I am starting to lose it but trying to avoid yelling at the little monsters who were too sick for school but well enough to rampage the aisles of Target when Mommy is running on little sleep, no food, lots of coffee and tight (but sexy) high heeled boots.

7:45 pm finally receive kids' medication. IT IS IN PREPACKAGED, SEALED BOXES!!! Why did it take 45 f*^&ng minutes to put this stuff into a bag?

8:08 pm arrive home again to 15 messages from hubby wondering where the hell I am.

8:15 pm kids are eating Spaghettios. Yes. I know. But THEY WANTED IT and it only took 45 seconds a pop to make them (and Mommy) happy. I am loading the dishwasher with last night's dishes.

8:30 pm the kids are done eating. The two youngest go off to the bath, the eldest sits down for his nebulizer treatment. This cycle repeats until all kids have had their turn. Realize that they will need to repeat this before and after school as well as the evening. Also realize that I will be leaving this up to Daddy and Coo Pa.

8:45 pm call out to work

9:16 pm Pajamas, lovies and tuck ins

9:28 pm call Mommy to gripe about bad day. Realize I am still wearing tight (but sexy) high heeled boots. Decide to leave them on because I know I will just be going out for Micky Dee's when DH gets home.

9:31 pm tuck kids in again after the last-ditch-attempt-to-stall potty run.

10:00 pm Hubby comes home starving because 1.) he didn't eat before work and 2.) I forgot to give him lunch money so he didn't eat AT work either. I am unsympathetic as I have yet to eat anything other than a single glazed Krispy Kreme sometime around 6:15 am.

10:05 pm leave for Micky Dee's and to fill dh's gas tank

10:19 pm arrive home with food, eat and watch dvr'd Criminal Intent. Very Good episode!

11:15 pm finally crack open CK. I debated between which to open first. Do I go for what I know will make me happy, or do I go for what I want to make me happy since the last issue sucked so hard core? I go with the known. I'll leave the unkown for when I'm bored.

12:35 am Suffer a hyperventilating episode. could. not. catch. my. breath. It freaked me out! (and totally ruined the mood of what was making me breathe heavy in the first place)

1:30 am quieting guilty voice in my head, I take a nebulizer treatment myself. Just in case. After all, the kiddos have 180 doses A PIECE, they can spare one for Mom.

It is now 2:20 am and either the Albuterol has made me hyper, or I am running on some weird sleep deprived high. I have just realized I have been up for nearly 22 hours. I'm off to have a smoke, look through my CK some more and try to go to sleep!

the girl who is just wrong

is it really wrong to think he would make a beautiful little girl?

shh...don't tell hubby I said that!

the girl who is thinking

Perhaps it's the spirit of Thanksgiving, but as I was reading the paper today, I was struck by how good I have it. Civil war is about to break out in Iraq, a 63 year old GRANDMOTHER blows herself up in Pakistan and her family is "proud." A guy takes two women hostage in Chicago on Thanksgiving--it ended badly. The usual "human face on the problem" stories about hunger, loss, abuse.

I have it pretty darn good.

I have three beautiful, smart children.

I have a husband who loves me (even if he doesn't clean house without a cattle prod)

I have a hobby that I love that allows me a creative outlet as well as a little bit of recognition.

I have friends who support and encourage and yes, gossip (we all need that!) with me.

I have a family in Florida that isn't by blood, but treats me as if I am.

I have a family in Texas that I miss so much, but who loves and supports me as if I was still under the same roof.

I have a job--it may not be the best, I may not be happy, but I am employed. And, I'm pretty confident I can get something better when I really pit my mind to it.

I have a place to live that is pretty nice (regardless of what my kids have done with it) and a pretty good landlord besides.

I have toys. These aren't "necessities" but I have them and they make me happy. A nice stash of sb'ing supplies, a dvr to recors shows so dh and I can watch them together, and a puter to surf the net.

I am thankful for all of these things and more. When I think about what I DON'T have, I am thankful too.

I don't have a terminal disease. I don't have an abusive relationship. I don't have an addiction (unless you count sb supplies) I don't have frostbite from sleeping on the streets. I don't have war in my front yard. I don't have danger in my life.

I am truly thankful for what I don't have.

And I pass that little nugget of philosophy on to you.

the girl who is planning

So apparently I have just agreed to host Thanksgiving dinner. I was planning on a small dinner for just us, but my bro-in-law and his girlfriend have no plans, so they are coming over. It was going to be simple and small and now with just two guests I feel the need to be more elaborate. I just made my grocery list and it feels enormous! Plus I work that day! But I'm out at 2 (possibly I can get out earlier) and I have Mon and Tues off, so it should be doable.

I hope.

So between now and then I need to go shopping, prep as many dishes as possible in advance and clean the house enough I'm not embarassed to have people over.

I will concede to paper plates and plastic forks though.

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

hee hee! I totally stole this off of Elsie's blog when I was doing my daily stalking. I guess that would be better than, "Beloved wiper of snot noses" I'm tagging the Jens to post their obits too!

the girl who is being quiet

My voice is fading in and out. It goes from husky/sexy to adolescent voice-changing-squeaky from sentence to sentence. DH says it's like nails on a chalkboard to him, so please don't talk.

Hmph!

He doesn't know me that well, does he? Its so damn hard NOT to talk!

lol!

Breaking out the NyQuil and the vaporizor with Vapo Steam.

the girl who mourns the loss

of her baby's beautiful hair! Friday, one of the teachers--with the best of intentions--mentioned to Coo-Pa that Ian was rubbing his eyes alot, it might be time for a trim. This is Ian before that comment. A little long, but beautiful!


So Coo-Pa--also with the best of intentions--decides that trimming bangs should be no big deal and he'll do it as a favor to me. Uh, yeah. This is Ian after Coo-Pa.


Then Aramis comes home, sees the hack job on his boy's hair (and we both loved Ian's hair) and goes ballistic. Next thing I know, he's hauling Ian off into the bathroom and I hear the "bzzz bzzz" of the clippers. This is Ian after Daddy's haircut.


The moral of the story? DON'T TOUCH MY KID'S HAIR!!!! Good intentions or no, just don't do it!

the girl who has decided

I'm no longer happy.

I am quitting my job.

Do you know what it's like to go in to talk to the higher ups about an issue you feel isn't being resolved and then have the issue dismissed and the meeting turned around into "you're on thin ice"

I've never been on thin ice before.

And it isn't even my performance...it's tardies.

And being put on the spot and asked, "what are you going to do and fix this?"

and only being able to answer "try harder to be on time?'

and not wanting to tell them everything that goes on in your life that makes it so damn difficult to get to work early--which is the expectation. And not wanting to say "if you dealt with what I did, you'd just be happy I got here at all!"

because you know they don't want excuses. Because you know that they don't really care. Because you really don't want to tell them anyway. And because you know you have been trying your ass off to get to work early even and it never happens.

And because you know you're at fault anyway and wouldn't accept these excuses from anyone else.

And still..you're so damn angry at them that they dismissed your problem entirely to focus on your faults you feel like just storming out right then and there. In fact, when I presented my problem, not only was it dismissed, I was told "I really thought you were going to talk to me about your attendance, not this."

I have never stormed out of a job.

But I so wanted to say, "You've made your position clear. While you're sitting there and telling me all the ways I'm a good worker. Alll the things I've done to make this place better. All the recognition and acknowledgement I have been craving for the over two years I've worked here and never gotten..you're still telling me that I'm close to losing my position for a non-performance based issue. Therefore, I should leave before you let me go and save you the cost of fighting my unemployment claim."

If I'm such a good worker, if I am so valuable, if I have contributed so much...why have I been denied SIX transfer requests?

why was I nominated for Employee of the Month by default?

Why was I never paid or acknowledged for work I did for the company AT HOME?

Why was I taken advantage of when "doing favors" and "just this one time" deals were tossed aside and it became expected, not rewarded. to such a point that when I complained I was told "well, we need to think of the business first."

I am not a valued employee. I am a position that they don't have to train someone else to do.

and I am pissed and upset.

and I am leaving.


*******
edited: ten minutes later, the world is a happy place again.

I got another pub!

toot!

the girl who runs a looney bin

So the kids are running around wild in the house playing "zombies" and Aramis stops Zack and asks him:

"Do you love your brothers?"

Z: "Yeah, I love them. Even when they cause trouble, they're pretty cool"

A: "You know you've caused some trouble yourself!"

Z: " Yeah, I know. Sometimes I stumble."

the girl who scored some candy

Ok, so the BOYS scored some candy, but you know...a good parent should always supervise their kids' sugar intake. No gum, no really chewy stuff and definately NO CHOCOLATE. It's terrible for kids! lol! Anyway, here are the boys in all their Halloween glory!

Zachary was a zombie pirate. oooooh! Scary! Of course the eye patch only lasted for the picture session, but hey, it was cool. And this from the boy who originally balked at wearing "make-up" It was only after I started calling it "face paint" that he relented.

Here is Ian. He LOVES his batman costume, it suited his shy nature to be behind a cowl, lol! He was the most hesitant about going up to doors, but he got the idea pretty quickly. His picture taking session yielded the fewest photos because he was moving so much! Of course you can't explain to a nearly four year old that Batman doesn't fly...he has a cape, doesn't he? Why wouldn't he be able to fly?

Matthew got the most pictures. He's adorable as Superman. Of course, with his hat habit, it was hard to convince him Superman did not need a Miami Dolphins baseball hat. This is my fave pic of his. ADORABLE!

And here is me in all my witchiness. Yes, I am the booby witch apparently. Not the best pic, but the photographer (DH) was a bit unwilling. Oh well.

All in all, we had a good time. We did a complete loop of the complex and were home by 7. A quick dinner and the boys were put to bed by 8 after being allowed ONE piece of candy. Yes, I am a mean mommy. Of course, it's 9:30 and they are still awake. Time to go persudae them it is in their best interests to go to sleep. Because once they are asleep, I can go to sleep.

And then everyone will be happy!

the girl who butchered a vegetable

two, in fact. All to create my Halloween Masterpiece! Yes, I bring you the CANNIBAL PUMPKIN!!!! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!



I can't take all the credit. Well, none, actually. the idea came from Extreme Pumpkin! Really, if you haven't carved your pumpkin by now, check out this site! It's completely awesome!

the girl who went to the patch!

Went a pumpkin hunting with the little ones yesterday. Ok, let's be realistic, I went to a photo shoot and bought a pumpkin to pay for using their props! Celebration is beautiful, but it's growing closer and closerr together. What used to be quaint is fast looking overcrowded. Beautifully overcrowded, but overcroded just the same. The architecture is just gorgeous, but everything is RIGHT UP AGAINST everything else. A little overload.

We went around 5 after first picking up Coo-Pa. I called Miss Jen before we went because I thought she might like to go and I could help her wrangle her kids and she could help me with mine, but she wasn't home. So Coo-Pa got drafted instead. I could tell he didn't realize what he was getting himself into, poor guy.

There was a wedding that had just ended while we were there. The bride and groom (although it was probably the photographer's idea) were posing in the patch. Somewhere out there is a newly wed couple with pictures of a hyper 7 yo running around, behind, in front of their shot. After my fourteenth "ZACHARY EMERSON!!!" I heard a familar voice say, "Now that's a familiar voice!" lol! Yep, I couldn't get ahold of Jen because she was coming to the patch too! By that time I had my shots and Coo-Pa was reaching the end of his rope (or looking for some to tie the kiddos up with) so we only spent a few min together. But we took pictures of each other';s kiddos! lol! Only scrappers! I must say, Jen has a good scrubby. He held jackets, corralled kids, and made encouraging suggestions. She has him well trained.


I love the pp pics! They came out great, but they made me realize how much Ian needs a haircut! Poor boy! He's cute, but he's all hair! And just try taking a pic with three little boys and get them to all look at the camera at the same time. ONE semi-decent shot. Acceptable, but by no means phenomonal. Oh well, it DOES show their personalities.

Today I have some stuff to do around the house. Namely laundry. It NEVER ends! I also need to get to the store and pick up some stuff to recreate my layouts for Blue Media and get those articles finished. Hopefully I'll get my house clean enough to invite Miss Jen over to help! And now, off to watch all the episodes of Numb3ers that I have saved and get some laundry done!

the girl who hab a code

**sniff!**

**snif!**

AAAAA-CHOOO!

nubbin much gobing ob. mad ab work, but wonb go indo ib.

(nothing much going on. mad at work, but won't go into it.)

Cute Zack story to hold ya over 'till I stop sneezing on my key board:

Taken from his school journal. The assignment was to write a paragraph on how you would make the world a better place.

(grammar, spelling etc mistakes intact for the cute factor)

"The way I would change the world is I'll try to make it rain candy. An other way Is I will try to make it rain toys. An otter way is Ill try to make it rain chochlit. (chocolate)"

now THAT would be a worthwhile contribution!

the girl who is terrible at updating

Yes Jen, I got the hint...eventually.

Ok, so why the long time in between updates? No reason, really, except I realized that I pretty much talk to everyone who reads my blog on at least a weekly basis, so it seemed redundant. But, since this started really as ssort of an ongoing catalogue of events in my life so I'd have sort of a reference library when I started to scrap these events, I guess that really isn't an excuse.

First, the sad bit of rollercoaster I've gone through the past couple days. I've mentioned my Florida Mom's on-going dialysis and hopes for a kidney transplant before. Friday afternoon Mom and Dad got the call that a kidney was available. So I rushed home from work to give them the van. Mom was tested and it was a MATCH! Joy! I went to bed knowing that the next morning, Mom would be getting a new kidney around 8:30 am. Around 10:30, I couldn't stand it anymore and called Dad for an update. That's when I got the news: apparently the kidneys weren't viable and the surgery didn't happen. Mom is understandably upset. Depressed. B;ack hole depressed. Dad mentioned how she didn't want to go to diaylysis that day. Now I'M hrt and depressed and saddened by all of this and it wasn't even a kidney for me! I can only imagine how Mom is feeling--and yet, what do you say? I don't think Hallmark makes a card for this.

A bright spot in my past week has been the return of Jim & Holly to the Hard Rock Hotel. They are comic book artists, Tarot Witch of the Black Rose and School Bites, respectively. They vist HRH every year around Halloween Horror Nights and I love seeing them. I will be so bold as to put them in my "friends" category, even though atm we may be merely acquaintences, that's more my fault than anything else. I have been invited to email and call, and I just haven't pursued it. I have this weird feeling of not wanting to intrude on anyone who has a cadre of fanboys. Don't want to be accused of stalking ya know. I have to admit a girl crush on Miss Holly. I get these alot. There is an inner part of me who has always wanted a wardrobe from Hot Topic and hair courtesy of Manic Panic, and I've just never embraced it. In a sense, Holly lives my inner-goth-girl life for me, so I love her for that. The two of them are such supportive people too! Artists living their dream and they were so encouraging when I bragged about my little successes and showed them some of my work. It just seems so much more important when someone who is a success in a related field is complimentary of your work, ya know? Now some may find it hard to make a connection between Scrapping and Comic books, but it's all art in the end.

Speaking of encouraging my little successes. It's been a good couple weeks for me in that respect. Blue Media has requested two of my layouts for an upcoming idea book. Not only that, but they've asked me to write step-by-step articles for both projects! AND Cantana Books has a call out for AAM pages for their upcoming book, "hip chicks". I submitted some to that call (which isn't over, btw, so get on it!) and I got an email back from them that was very encouraging. Now they didn't request a page for publication, but I'm hoping I'm on their radar so when the calls go out, hopefully I'll be one of those lucky ones with an email in my box.


The boys area as cute and troublesome as ever. Matthew is totally without fear--check out that shiner! No, we have no idea where or how he got it. He just suddenly emerged from his room with it. Boys! That's all I can really say about that. We finally got the results from all of his cardiology appointements, and--well, I'll admit to being disappointed. I had thought that I'd be getting a clean bill of health from the cardiologist, She seemed so encouraging last time. But no, he still has the hole between his upper two chambers and she said there was some small leakage in two valves. Still not at a point where we **need** to worry, but how can I not worry? He's my baby! (For all that he is a little shit too!) And he knows how to work it too!

Ian, of course, is still my little loverboy. Sweet, relatively calm (well, compared to his brothers the Human Tornado and Spaz Boy) and terribly loving, Ian is doing great in school--except for his speech. We still can't understand him even a third of the time. His teacher recommended we get private speech therapy to supplement his speech therapy at school. I tend to think two half-hour GROUP sessions a week just aren't enough for what my little guy needs.


Zachary has recently discovered all things Pokemon, so he's convinced that Pokemon cards are now the end all be all of toys. At least they're smaller than action figures, but we still find them all over the house. He lost ANOTHER tooth and, after taking a good look at his gap-toothed smile, I figured it's time to divorce Aramis and find me a nice orthodontist to marry. There's no way I'm going to be able to afford the braces this kid will need unless I'm sleeping with the provider! lol! He's still reading like a fiend. I'm thinking it's time to get him the EB White collection. Stuart Little, Charlotte's Webb, the Trumpeter Swan. I'm reading Jouhn Irving's "The Fourth Hand" again and there's a bit about these books and the bond they create with children and parents. It reminded me how much I love these books.

Well, there ya go. About a month's worth of blogging condensed to one page or thereabouts. I'll try, but I can't guarantee that I'll be better at this!

the girl who is unsure

So Zachary and Ian have school pictures tomorrow and Zachary really needed a haircut. So I took him to the shop today after school and--for some crazy reason--found myself saying, "Two for haircuts."

And then, inexplicitly, I once again heard that same voice saying, "You know, just chop it all off." Granted, I think it's been a year or more since I had an actual haircut. Hmmm, longer, in fact. I think the last haircut I got was right before my brother's wedding in July of 2005. I tend to forget I need such things. My hair was DEAD, split ends, frizzy and the weight of it was dragging out the curl. So I told her to chop off all the dead stuff. And so I have this now. Not sure, getting used to it. At least I'm not so caught up in my hair that I forget that it will grow back. It WILL grow back, right? lol! It's certainly, uh, bouncier than it was before. I'm going to try blowing it out to see how it looks. I didn't buy the $28 bottle of shampoo that was reccommended to me, but I did spring seven bucks on some anti-frizz serum. So I'm going to test it out. What's the vote on this do?

the girl who is so proud!

Look at this little man on his first day of school...has it been six weeks already? He just brought me his first report card. Second grade is his first experience with letter grades and I was a little aphrehensive about the switch. I shouldn't have been. He's a smart boy, I've always known that, but he's had some self-control issues, so I wasn't too sure about how he's been performing. Well...he got STRAIGHT A's!! He's so proud! He called his GrandMary and Pa in Texas himself to tell them and has been waiting for the phone to ring so he can tell anyone who calls, lol. So if you call and he answers the phone...be prepared!

the girl who is just here

been sick. been disappointed. been angry. been confused. been hurt.

all different reactions to different things.

just letting y'all know I'm here, but not here.

everything will be fine, not wanting pity or anything like that, just lettin ya know.

the girl who is testing

what do you think?

the girl who is sharing her lessons

Lessons learned when making boob prints for a layout:

1. Lock your door. You cannot afford the therapist bill your children will run up.
2. If you do not tell your husband what you are doing, he will assume the worst.
3. Once you do tell your husband what you are doing, he will call you and all your scrapping friends "freaks."
4. Apply paint evenly--otherwise one boob will end up looking much bigger than the other.
5. Practice, it takes some time to achieve the perfect boob print.
6. Boob prints look most natural when you turn them upside down. I don't know why.
7. Do not cover the entire areola with paint, or you will end up with nipples on your creation the size of saucers.
8. The entire boob does not print--at some point compression makes it impossible to get the complete boobage on paper.
   
9. It is necessary to squeeze boobs together when stamping, otherwise you will end up with a 2 page layout.
10. No matter how many times you practice and how many combinations you try, you realize it isn't the paint--one boob really IS bigger than the other!
    

the girl who has a charmer

Just look at this face! Isn't he a cutie? and a charmer too! (yeah, I know the picture is blurry, but still...) And then he turns around and trashes something or tells me "No" and crosses his arms with a "humpf" (which is still cute, but unacceptable) and the only thing that saves him is...he's just so darn cute!

I bring this up because the past two days have been dr's visits. He had his cardiology check-up yesterday and his neurology checkup today. He is fine. He is better than fine. He is..gasp!...completely healthy! Yet, both dr's want to continue to evaluate him. will it ever end? Can I just have a normal baby? The cardiologist ordered another echocardiogram for his heart to see if the last hole has shrunk--she thinks it has since his murmur is much softer. It may even be completely closed (crossing fingers). After that, we'll evaluate, but it doesn't sound like there will be a need for surgery anytime soon. Possibly ever.

The neurologist loved him, saying he listened and followed directions better than most four year-olds who come to her office and that she was satisfied with him reaching his milestones and at how well his speech has come along. So, another checkup on him in six months and hopefully this farce will be over.

But back to the cute factor--why did I bring it up? Because he had every nurse and dr, and quite a few of the patients waiting to be seen, wrapped around his tiny, chubby finger. Smiles, "awwws", giggles, and "how cute!"s followed us wherever we went. I think I have an heir to the title!

the girl who made a card

for the poppy ink dt call...what do you think?

the girl who is submitting

Made through the first round of Last Scrapper Standing, along with my talented chicas, Island Jen and Cool Jen. Got the submitting bug now!

Just submitted this lo (left) for the Pub Calls manufacturer challenge for Arctic Frog.

And I'm submitting to the Poppy Ink design team. This is one of the three lo's I'm sending in (right).

The only problem...I have to make a card and I realized I'm card challenged! Working on it though. It's like a mini canvas for a page...it's allowing me to try out some combos.

We'll see how it goes.

Wish me luck!

the girl who is catching up

So...what does everyone think of my additions? lol, I'm learning still, be kind.

First item of importance is that Zachary lost is first front tooth. (Isn't he adorable with that gap tooth grin?) I just love the look of a little boy with a gap in front. It's sooooo adorable!


Then, of course, the next big topic would be going back to school. In preparation we took the boys to have their hair cut. Yes, we let it grow out during the summer and cut it the weekend before school started.

Bad idea.

Everyone else was doing the same thing, so things were crowded, to say the least. Yes, that's all three of my boys taking up booths at the Hair Cuttery. Bim, Bang, Boom! Matthew took the longest and came out the most uneven, but he's two, it will grow back...right?

Take a good look--this is what school supplies for two kids look like, and this isn't even the wide angle shot. I understand teachers have limited salaries, but why, oh why, are there things like Plug-Ins and saran wrap on these lists? Only the fact my mother is a retired teacher and I know what it was like keeps me from saying anything, but, still--plug ins kinda piss me off.

And last, but not least, here is Mr. Zack on the first day of school. He cooperated for first day pictures, Ian did not. I will probably fake it later just so I can have a page, lol!

That's it in a nutshell--I know, kind of boring, but I can't always be living la vida loca! Tomorrow starts 8 days straight of opening shifts, then I get a four-day vacation. Not that I can afford it, but I need it. Nothing planned except some Dr's appts, letting DH take an out-of-town excursion without the kiddos and getting my scrap on.

To quote miss Island Jen (who so deserves quoting) "Love, Peace, and Scrap!"

the girl who did it!

I finally got a half-way decent picture of all three boys together! All it took was being spontaneous! Of course, I would rather this was after Haircut Day (tomorrow) and not when their hair is all wet from the bath and in their faces, but hey, they are all looking in the camera and have nice smiles, why get picky?

the girl who is random

• So Mom didn't get the kidney. Shame. I'm very disappointed, but she seemed positive about it because now she has verification that she is next in line. So there's that. It's semi-comforting, but not the outcome we wanted.

• Random conversation with Zachary yesterday. I asked him if he wanted another brother or sister. After a moment's thought he replied, "No thank you, Mommy. No thanks. We already have Matthew and Ian and they get into so much TROUBLE!!" After another moment he added, "and me sometimes too. I get into trouble sometimes." I love the politeness of it all as well as the honesty. lol!

• I've taken more time than I should off of work this week, I'm going to end up only working three days this week. But it's been nice spending this time with the kiddos since they'll be starting school next week. Meet the Teacher is tomorrow and I'm hoping Zacky gets a teacher more understanding of his personality this time. Last year's teacher kept trying to get me to get him tested for ADHD because he was bored and class and figeted alot. Well...challenge him! I can only do so much at home, when he's at school it's YOUR responsibility to make sure he's reaching his potential. So WORK with him to make sure he's not bored with the material or has something else to do when he's done. Come on, the FCAT is not the end all be all--or it shouldn't be--stop teaching to the test and start TEACHING! (This is really more about the state of the school system than specifically his teacher. She was a lovely person and I understand she needed to spend more time teaching to the average level of the class than the upper and lower ends of the spectrum, but, damnit! if he's bored with the material SOMETHING should be done besides suggesting I drug him!)

• One of the great things about spending more time with the kiddos is observing them and discovering new behaviors or quirks. FOr instance, it is completely adorable how Matthew looks for objects. If you tell him to go get his shoes he'll look around exaggerately in the immediate vicinity and then yell out, "Shoes! Where are you?" It's cute. Lately he's taken to wearing a knit spiderman hat on his head. I swear he looks like that guy from Viva la Bam! I must take a picture.

• Speaking of pictures, here's one of those typical summer pictures. (ok, maybe not. blogger is not cooperating, so you will have to hold your horses for the pics) Loving the boys and the popsicles. They each have their own style: Ian licks, Matthew sucks, and Zacky bites. (I wish I had other adjectives 'cuz I know where your mind is going, but I don't)

• Thinking of trying out for the poppy ink design team. (and btw, did you notice I just linked for the first time? Thanks Michelle! Whoa! Thats two!) I have a couple cool lo's leftover from MMM, would just need to get good photos since my scanner took a poop. Damn things are practically disposable these days. Might as well buy a new one since the printer needed more ink and sometimes you can actually get a printer (with ink) for less or about the same cost as the ink itself. Insane!

• And, on a completely unrelated to anything else note, would you like to know why fire engines are red?

Glad you asked.

Fire engines are red because fire engines have four wheels and eight men. 4+8=12 There are 12 inches in a foot. A foot is a ruler. A famous ruler was Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Elizabeth was once the largest ship to sail the seven seas. Seas have fish. Fish have fins. The Fins fought the Russians. Russians are red. Fire engines are always rushing. And THAT is why fire engines are red!

Now ask me why the sky is blue!

the girl who is still waiting

So, Mom is in the hospital, all prepped and ready to go. It's almost cruel, you know? Still no word as to whether or not she is actually getting the kidney, but she is good to go when the light goes green. It's a waiting game now.

But to cheer myself up, I have to share something. You know cliche's and stereotypes? I hate them, I really do. Mainly because one is overused and one just seems like its easily avoidable. But when confronted with a cliched stereotype in person, I have no choice but to laugh (and sneak pictures). Meet my plumber, and a walking advertisment for Plumber's crack. Just say no, ladies. Just say no!

the girl who is crossing her fingers

Mom and Dad just got the call. There is a kidney coming in tomorrow morning from California and Mom is second in line for it!

It would only be too perfect, wouldn't it? I mean, I centered my whole CL lo on her treatment and the need to donate and the day I mail it off, we get the call!

Pray!

the girl who is finished!

Finally finished my MMM entry. To those who are wondering, the final entries are: Beautiful, Boy, in Hindsight, and Dirty Dishes. One girl 12x12, one boy 12x12, one me 81/2x11, and one multi-photo 2 pg 12x12. I feel badly though that the two boy ones both have my youngest. He was in the lo for Imperfect Lives too, so he's getting all of the face time! Plus the Celebrate Life one--that one turned out 100% differently than I envisioned. Now to do my supply lists and such, find a kinkos and mail it off. I swore I wouldn't be one of those postmarked on the 31st, but here I am. Damn it all!

the girl who is so excited!

I found one of my best friends from high school today! I am anxiously awaiting an email from her. I found her through her parents and I CAN'T WAIT until I hear from her! Yaaay!

the girl who is scrubbing the tub

Well, I solved the mystery of the missing Strawberry Quik. Of course, I'm not exactly sure HOW it managed to get past me, but this is where it went:

Yup, that is almost an entire box of Strawberry Quik, and there is a cup in there with the culprit(s) and yes, he was drinking his bathwater. After I took this picture I noticed how very very very dirty the tub was, so now I am scrubbing away. Well, I've sprayed stuff on the grime and I am quite legitimately allowing it to "soak in" I'll finish it soon.

Really, I will.

I have to, the plumber is coming tomorrow to repair our clogged toilets. I have an awful feeling maybe something got "flushed" that shouldn't have. Funny thing is, our landlord is not only telling us that we are responsible for the cost of the repair, but that we need to use her guy. I'm not exactly sure this is legal. Any advice?

the girl who is crying

My sister lost the baby.

Zachary does not like lasagna. Or, rather, he does not like my homemade lasagna because it contains spinach. After I told him he could pick out the spinach and eat the rest of my very special homemade lasgana, he replied, "Mommy, I wish there was some kind of magical magnet that would pull out the green stuff so I could eat the rest!"

lol!

the girl who needs a sitter

So I called the local day care to find out what their rates are. {And for the record, they aren't "rates" it's "tuition" because they have the word "Academy" in their name.} And apparently I will have to get a second job to send my kids to daycare because, after taxes and insurance deduction, I don't make enough money to have someone watch my children so I can work. I might as well NOT work, except for the little fact we NEED the second income. It's not fair. I can't keep inconveniencing my Fl Dad and my bro-in-law flaked out on us, so what can I do? I hate to advertise in the paper for a sitter because, to be honest, our wages are not likely to be high. So, I'm going to contact 4C's on Monday and see if I can get any help from there.

On the bright side, had a job interview yesterday. I honestly don't know how it went. I admit, I didn't do my research on this one, so I didn't know exactly what I was walking into. So I was surprised when the job title didn't really match up to the job description. I'll find out Monday after next. I'll admit, I don't want to be working, period. But since I have to, I really NEED to make a change in what I do, and soon. Preferably within the company I already work for. That way I carry over benefits, some seniority perks and keep my Universal passes too. I'll be looking in the jobs section of the classifieds tomorrow too.

And we have a klepto in the house. I reach for my tweezers, they're gone. Hubby goes to shave, his razor is missing. Apparently some little imp has been rummaging through our bathroom drawers and has taken off with our stuff. I suspect this one:
Don't let the innocent look fool you. This boy is nothing but trouble with a capital "T" and then some. Yesterday, he led the great Coo-Pa revolt. The youngest of the three and he is instigating them to all say "NO" to Coo-Pa. (My Fl Dad, Coo-Pa is our name for him) Now they are all on tv restriction and I'm the one being punished because without the tv as a distraction, they wreck the house playing. And, as usual, I have too much to do.

Tomorrow is my day off and I need to finish my MMM entry. But my printer/scanner has decided to take a dive, so I either have to alter my plans for the final lo, or go find someone else's printer/scanner to use. I just want one day without any responsibility where everything goes right. Is that too much to ask?

the girl who woke up to this...

I'm barely out of bed and really considering going back for a "nap" when I hear a commotion from the living room involving the boys. Shortly thereafter, Zack somes running up to me and says, "Mommy! Ian made me drink his pee!"

What a way to start the day.

Exactly how does a 3 yo "make" a 7 yo drink his pee? Well, apparently it involves wrestling and a pair of boxer shorts instead of tighty whities. I really don't want to imagine.

So the quote of the day is: "Mommy, the taste of pee isn't a taste that tastes good!"

the girl who is going to be an aunt...again!

My sis is pregnant! Woo hoo! I get to satisfy the baby lust I've been having lately by living vicariously through her. Which will probably be cheaper in the long run, lol! She's due in January, so I get to add ANOTHER b'day to that particular block. Seriously, from Nov 30 - Feb 4th it's just mad around here with b'days and such.

11-30: our anniversary
12-12: MIL b'day
12-16: G'parent's Anniversary
12-19: DH b'day
12-22: DS#2's b'day
12-25: Christmas
12-26: Florida Dad's b'day
12-31: BIL's b'day
01-11: newest arrival's EDD
01-18: DS#3's b'day
01-21: Dad's b'day
01-27: Mom & Dad's anniversary
02-04: Brother's b'day

Whew! That's alot of presents. No wonder we're always broke at Christmas!

the girl who is a cleaning machine!

lol, ok maybe not, but that is the hope. I woke up this morning to an entire box of Fruity Pebbles masquerading as carpet in my living room. It wasn't a large box, but, then again, I don't have a large living room. One box was sufficient to carpet the entire floor. And just to add some interest, my interior decorators (ie, my three boys) had switched to cocoa pebbles for the kitchen. Carpets are not supposed to crunch. They are not supposed to turn soggy in milk. Carpets are especially not supposed to bring to mind a Jackie Gleason cartoon knock-off yelling, "BARNEY!"

So for the past hour, my eldest has been vacuuming away. Strange, how a chore that would take me 15 minutes takes him an hour,but still, I wasn't the ringleader in this little scam. The eldest had to vacuum, the youngest got sent to his room indefinitely (because, even though we didn't witness the crime, past experience tells us he probably did most of the damage) and the middle guy pretty much gets off scott free except for the no tv restriction they are all on. Ah, parenting at its finest.

Since my landlord is coming by tomorrow to sign the new lease, I figure the public areas of the house need to be as spotless as I can make them. Although there is no way I can cover the crayon and marker on the walls, perhaps it will serve as an incentive to her to let me paint. I really don't know why she is so hesitant. But its her property, not mine, so its her right. Still, I hope to announce a painting party soon!

Ok, off to clean. Anyone who sees me online should kick me off!

the girl who is having a day

And not necessarily a good one, either.

Came home from work really early last night because, on top of the ongoing headaches that I have complained about previously, now I am feeling nauseous and dizzy. Great, so I get the usual "are you pregnant?"
lines, and I get to respond with my usual, "don't think so, we figured out how that happens" line. Tried to take off from work today and was told my services were ABSOLUTELY needed, so there ya go. I'm going in for a teeny tiny four hour shift, because, quite frankly, I think that's all other people can handle. By that I mean I am flying off the handle today and easily irritated. My poor kiddos haven't heard anything but a yell from me today. Then they stop and hug me to make me feel better and I just feel worse because now I have GUILT on top of whatever irritated me and made me yell in the first place!

So I finally did something about it and made a Dr's appt. I don't have a doctor. I should, but I don't. So I made an educated decision with tons of research and investigation and found a doctor for my health care needs. (Actually, I picked the woman doctor closest to me who took my insurance. Very scientific ya know.) AND they were able to work me in today. So I just got back and here is the verdict: migraines. The dreaded "M" word. I always figured they were just a catch-all excuse for a really big headache and kinda dismissed anyone who claimed to suffer from them. Yeah, well, no more. I believe, I believe! And I believe that I will take these pills that the doc said WILL knock me out, and I believe I will do that the second my shift is over, and I believe I will sleep for the next three days, since I don't have to be back to work until Tuesday, thanks to this handy Dr's note I have.

So there.

Two good things that happened today. 1.) I got a letter from DCF informing myself and my husband that we have been cleared of any abuse or neglect for Matthew's adventures back in May, and 2.) I got some Island Girl Scrapwear in my mailbox today and will definately take a pic and post it for my scrapping bud!

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

New scrappy love: my effer dare!

the girl who has been tagged!

Got this tag from my pea pal Michelle, and if someone could puh-leese teach me how to link, I'd introduce her.

Seven things I'd like to do before I die:

1. Return to Italy with my children and husband and see my Godparents again.
2. Reach a point of financial stability. And by that, I mean always having enough money for the things that I need and also enough money for the things I want. (within reason, of course)
3. Have another baby.
4. Own a pool table.
5. See my children grow up and have wonderful lives.
6. Find a way to pay back my parents for all they've done for me.
7. Win MMM or HOF.

Seven things I can't do:

1. Keep my house clean for more than an hour or so.
2. Make frosting or gravy with any reasonable amount of success.
3. Speak Spanish (and I should, considering who I'm married to!)
4. Turn down chocolate.
5. Walk by a place that could possibly have SB'ing supplies and NOT look.
6. Fit everything I need to do in the day.
7. Sleep through the telephone. Most everything else (including fire alarms) I CAN sleep through, but not the telephone, which is why I set the alarm on the cell phone. It's the only way to wake me up!

Seven things that attracted me to my hubby:

(disclaimer, the funny thing is, I wasn't initially attracted to him, but he won me over)

1. His romantic nature. Really, he does have one, it's just a soft side he doesn't show.
2. ***censored*** lol!
3. His cheesy flirting. I love cheese! Everything is better with cheddar!
4. The way he made me feel so special and sexy.
5. The way it just felt "right" (We were enagaged within three weeks of me granting him a date)
6. The way we could talk for hours.
7. The new interests he introduced me to.

Seven books (or series of books) that I love

1. Heralds of Valdemar
2. Dragonriders of Pern
3. Chronicals of Narnia
4. Chronicals of Prydain
5. Harry Potter
6. Children of the Earth series
7. Anything by Douglas Adams or Robert Heinlin

Seven movies I'd watch over and over:

1. Breakfast Club
2. Bring it on!
3. Princess Bride
4. Little Mermaid
5. Shawshank Redemption
6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
7. Charlie's Angels

(as you can tell, I'm a sucker for teen movies!)

Seven people I'd like to tag:

1. Cool Jen
2. and now I'm blank because I don't have a ton of blog buddies, lol

the girl who is having a conversation

So I asked Zachary to clear the lunch dishes off the table--including the stuff UNDER the table that his brothers dropped, or threw, and this is the conversation we had.

Z: "Sometimes I think my brothers just like to make me work. Work, work work!"

Me:"Welcome to my world, child." (I have this thing about calling all the kids "child"

Z: "Well, Mommy? (most sentences are started this way, with the well, mommy question) Some things are different in my world."

Me: "Really? Like what?"

Z: "I can't tell you, it's a secret."

Me: "Of course you can tell me! I'm your Mommy!"

Z: "I really can't. (then, with vehemence) "I don't even tell my imaginary friends!!"

Lol! Just my giggle for the day, resume your lives.

the girl who wonders at the stupidity of people wearing a badge

And not a policeman's badge...a Universal Security officer's badge. Could someone please tell these people that they aren't REAL police and until their threats to me contain the words, "and we will call OPD" I am not likely to respond nicely to threats made by such people? And when they do utter that phrase, I will be the first on the phone to 911 begging them to send someone with ACTUAL authority to diffuse the situation and explain to the woman who is mad that she wasn't born a man but will act like the biggest frat jerk anyway that if you confiscate my ID because the picture is faded, I cannot show it to you to gain access to the parking garage? And if you are going to report me to my manager (big laugh there since I know nothing will come of THAT) for going through an OPEN security gate with no VISIBLE guard posted, that I will protest on principle alone? And if you tell me I am "rude" for suggesting that the guard be stationed BY the gate rather than around the corner, out of my sight, sitting on his tookus in the shade, that I will have to bite my tongue to keep from showing you what "rude" is? And if you tell me that I cannot park there (my ASSIGNED parking, mind you) until I go and obtain a new ID to replace the one YOU confiscated, by which you mean NOW THIS VERY MINUTE when, because of you, I am already 15 min late to work, I will simply go park at my actual place of employ after calling OUR security on the phone and explaining the situation to them.

GRRRRRR...jerks. Go back to guarding SpongeBob and waving guests through the lanes of orange cones.

the girl who is POTD!

WoW! What an honor! I mean (totally gushing here) I never thought I was on anyone's radar, much less someone who "qualified" as a true Pubster. I really like the vibe over there, plus the work is generally on a different level than General (and this is a generalization and in no way meant to be condescending to General, I still hang there too) so I get more inspo. ImPearia had such nice things to say about my work and she picked one of my favorite (but little loved) lo's. I really loved Spidergirl's comment about me. I've been smiling all day when I think about it.

8 lo's last night (one of them a double page spread with 11 pictures--seriously!) and 3 the night before. I've run out of page protectors for my Matthew album. I decided it was just easier to focus on one kid at a time to get caught up. Tonight , the plan is to do another possible MMM layout that's been kicking in my head, and then do a little bit of sketching and product pulling. I need to be in bed earlier tonight than last night, lol. (4am two nights running!) Two o'clock is early enough, isn't it?

Sharing my Buddha love. I know my limited blog audience has already seen it, but, who knows, I'm the Pub Princess today, that means SOMEONE is going to check out my blog, right?

the girl who is yawning

At what point did my husband decide that I was his human alarm clock and if he had to be up, I had to be up? Seriously! It's my day off and I stayed up late scrapping and then (re)organizing my scrap space. I wanted to sleep in since I didn't have to be anywhere in the am. But no, 6 am and the alarm starts going off and the only way to get it to turn off is if I get out of bed to do it myself. (Alarm clock is in the bathroom). This goes on until 6:30--which is the routine. Whay not just set the alarm for 6:30 to begon with? Then he gets up and gets in the shower and asks me to pack his lunch for him and make coffee. Why don't I just tell him where to go? Because I know where I want to go--back to bed! Then, I must find his hairbrush, his wallet, a pair of socks. I swear, my 7 yo is easier to get off to school! But I love him. I must, because any sane woman would hqave killed him!

the girl who is all over the place

Please! Someone stop me before I bitch again!

I've been noticing lately I have a tendency to nit pick at little details and blow things out of proportion. Like the Universal employee who spoke to me like a child when I asked for help unlocking the automated lockers. Or the bagger who put kitty litter on top of my frozen pizzas and crushed them. And don't let a Subway's employee within ten feet of me! Am I just entirely too picky, or is everyone in the service industry a nitwit? And if the latter is true, than what about me? I work in the service industry! Maybe that's why I take it so seriously...I know the expectation from both a consumer and supervisor sides, so it bugs me when it isn't done correctly.

Change of subject...

I took Zachary and his friend to Universal recently. It was fun, except for the other idiots also at Universal. I'm starting to really dislike the general public. Pushing, shoving, jumping in line, swearing, insulting, etc, etc, etc.

Ok, maybe its the same subject.

Moving on, we managed to have a good time after all. Zacky got his face painted like Spiderman and it looked wonderful for about five minutes. His friend David was painted like a tiger and he was perfect for the rest of the day. Amazing! We rode Jurassic Park and I HAD to get the picture they take on the ride. It was hilarious! (ignore the fat lady who needs a tan and a root touchup sitting next to the boys--she's not important) I love the bugged-out eyes of Zack's friend, and the way Zacky is trying to duck. I'm a sadistic mom, aren't I?

changing subject again...

We had a death in the family. Yes, Sharkey the fish died. Zacky's first experience with the death of a pet. We had the requisite toilet funeral. Zack was solemn as he addressed the deceased:
"Sharkey, I'm sorry you're dead. I'll miss you!" Seat down, toilet flushed, and a sobbing hug. Then, off to cartoons. They heal so easily when Foster's Home for Imaginary friends is on.

Of course, we've been having problems with the toilets stopping up recently (I suspect the littlest one has been flushing prohibited items) so I had to double check after Zacky left the room. Sure enough, Sharkey was still belly up in the bowl. I had to take care of that, with two little ones in potty training, I didn't want to take any chances with scaring them into diapers for life. Seriously, how traumatic would THAT be? GO to use the potty and there's a dead fish in the loo. Unfortunately, Sharkey was too big (or too stiff, I think rigor mortis had set in) to flush, so I had to scoop him out and try to sneak him out to the garbage. Well, I was caught, so we had to have a SECOND fishy funeral, this time digging a grave with a kitchen spoon. Ah, the circle of life.

and now for something completely different...

Saw King Kong recently too. It was ok, kind of slow in some places. What I loved was this one scene where, after surviving a shipwreck, vicious natives, dinosaurs, King Kong himself, plus a fall into a chasm off of a thrown log, they are attacked by creepy crawlies of all sorts. Including tube worms, or as I like to call them, penii with teeth. Seriously, that is what they looked like. I was describing this scene to my friend "Cool" Jen and she asked (in total deadpan) "Were they circumcised or uncircumcised?" ROTFLMAO!!! That conversation was on pause for a good two minutes while I dissolved into laughter. Then, after consulting with hubby, we decided they were definitely uncircumcised penii with teeth.

again...

Had a b-day and was totally blown away with scrappy love on 2Peas. The Jens organized a tag celebration for me and I can't wait to get them! I'm already thinking of how to display them! B'day was low-key, actually no key. Didn't do anything special, BUT I did manage to find the super secret scrapbook store and buy myself a present. Now, I just need to use all the goodies!

again...But somewhat related

With hubby starting a new job, we decided the time had come for a new vehicle. And my Florida Dad very nicely offered to fund the venture. I'll post pics later, but I'm now the proud owner of a new (to me) mini-van. A '99 Plymouth Voyager SE. Loaded too. I am resolved to keep it pristine. (let's see how long that lasts) Seriously, it is NICE and I got a good deal. More that FL-Dad wanted to spend, so I was able to work out an affordable deal on payments. And I actually met an honest car salesman! That will be another post though.

'k, that's it for now. An abbreviated version of the past couple weeks. I will SERIOUSLY try to keep this updated, but we'll see how that goes.

the girl who has a headache

I've had a headache for the past three days that just won't go away. It's getting really annoying. I'll be doing fine and then BAM, out of nowhere it hits. I've been trying to get some naps in when I can, drink lots of water and take pain relievers, but it just isn't working. I'm getting really sick of it.

Yesterday was my eldest's 7th birthday! They grow up so fast! I can't believe that this little person came out of me! I mean he was soooo tiny (5lb, 8 oz) when he was born and now he's this little thinking being who amazes me with the things he does and says. Wow! Who would have thought that my greastest accomplishment would be being a Mom?

the girl who is urging you to donate

Today I type in green. Why? Because green is the color for organ donation, and I think everyone should be aware of what an important choice this is to make. I'm (almost) 32, and I have been a registered organ donor since high school. I know that one day I will leave this mortal coil, but I hope that my leaving can benefit others. I've felt this way for as long as I can remember--even before I fully understood the process. I remember being very young, and hearing a story on the news about a little boy my age that needed a new heart. I told my mother he could have mine. She had to explain why I couldn't just give my heart away.

If only it were as easy as simply wanting to help. All the good intentions mean nothing if you don't fill out an organ donor card. So I urge you...Take the time today to research this topic and make your choice. I hope that it is one that will give the gift of life, but I respect each person's individual right to their body.

Now, you may be wondering why I am on this particular soap box. To answer that question, I need to introduce you to Judy. Judy is my "Florida Mom" and is as close to me as flesh and blood. (although I know my actual mother is a bit jealous over the fact...She needn't worry, I have enough love for two moms!) I've known her for years, moved to Florida with her family, call her son my brother, her husband my dad, and my kids are her grandkids. She is a sweet lady, with a slightly salty personality, a great sense of humor and more courage and fortitude than I think I could ever have. Judy has a congenital kidney condition, and, in the past five years, has finally degenerated to the point of needing dialysis on a regular basis. I think it's been at least three years now that she has been going in three times weekly to have all her blood cycled through a machine to cleanse it. It's invasive, it isn't comfortable, and it's debilitating. And she has been doing it for years. I'm not going to say she hasn't complained. Only a saint or a sadist wouldn't complain, and she is neither. But she has borne it. For three years she has endured this process, for the sole purpose of prolonging her life.

For two of these three years she has been waiting to get on the Transplant List. Two very long years, made longer with heart surgeries, insurance snafus, strokes, and depression. To be honest, in the darkest times, I thought the fight was leaving her and lived for a brief period trying to picture my life without her to prepare myself for what I felt was the inevitable. Thank goodness my pessimism was not fulfilled. Thank goodness she never gave up entirely. Thank goodness for these horribly invasive procedures that prolong her life. Thank goodness for the US Mail.

Today our mail carrier delivered another letter from TransLife, her transplant coordinator. And this one felt different. It was thick--not the usual single page reminding of an appointment, or another test that needed to be scheduled, or another deadline to be met. Mom and Dad have their mail delivered to my address--a remnant of a more nomadic time in their life--and when I picked this up, I knew.

I ran the letter over to their house and delivered it right to Mom's hand. She felt the thickness of it and started to shake. She gave it to Dad to open, while I sat beside her, holding on, as much to support her as to support me. Dad could not help but fulfill his tendency for the dramatic, and spent a solid minute reading it silently to himself and flipping through the attachments. Finally, he announced that she was finally a full candidate for a kidney transplant and officially on the state's transplant waiting list.

What a relief! The first thing I thought was, "Finally!" (My husband put it better when he said, "It's about F&^%ing time!")

We have more hope today than we did yesterday. More hope that Mom will be around to be "Grammy" to my kids. More time for her to become a grandmother in her own right when my "brother" has his first child later this year. More hope for celebrations to come, and everyday moments to live.

And yet, this wonderful feeling is accompanied by a "...But"

But, even though she has waited two long years and jumped through every hoop imaginable, this is still just the first step. She's on the list, but it's going to take someone, somewhere, losing their life and 1.) being an organ donor or have next of kin willing to donate, 2.) have that person be a viable match for my Mom to accept their kidney, 3.) have her be in the right position on the list to receive it (a mixed blessing, because the sicker you are, the higher priority you are), and 4.) have her health be bad enough to be a high priority, but good enough to undergo the operation.

This is the first step for her. The first step for you is to make your choice regarding your personal convictions on organ donation, and let your friends and family know. If you choose organ donation, I--and my "Florida Family"--thank you.

the girl who is wishing you a happy mother's day!

Today has been just so nice! I was awakened this morning by a rather earnest nearly-seven-year-old bearing a tray for me. Breakfast in bed! He made me my very own bowl of fruity pebbles and a glass of oj. He apologized for not making me coffee too, but he "didn't know how." LOL! What a keeper! He also gave me this card. Each of the flowers comes out of the pot and has a different job he'll do for me. The inside has his picture, a Mother's Day poem and his message for me: Dear mom, you are the best mom I ever had! Thank you for taking care of me. Happy Mother's day. love zachary"

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

Everything else has been nice too. All the boys got a little backyard time today, Daddy has been taking care of things and I've just been doing whatever I feel like. Even went to the pool! (First time in public in this swimsuit...scary) Now a nice Italian dinner with my hubby after the boys are in bed and hopefully a little scrappy time while I watch the series end of Charmed. I just got the new bookshelf line from AC and they are so yummy! (Esp Seuss and Silverstein!) I can't wait!

Happy Mother's Day to my fellow mommy's! hope you were just as spoiled as me!

the girl who is sharing the weird stuff

Ok, I was reading an article today about the newest re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy, and it reminded me of a totally obscure fact from my childhood. So I decided that I would share ten things you probably don't know about me.

• When Return of the Jedi came out, I was in elementary school. For a choir performance, we sang the song that the Ewoks sing at the end of the movie. "Yub nub, echop, yub nub, atomie tu peechy keene, g'nup dop fling, ooh ahh!" Scary, huh?
• I have to sleep with my feet hanging off the bed. And no sheets, just a blanket.
• I still have my baby doll from when I was 4.
• I have an irrational phobia about revolving doors
• I can sleep anywhere through just about any noise given the chance.
• I once tried to be tough and--after reading about Harry Houdini--invited an older girl to punch me in the stomach. The theory is, if you tighten your abs at the moment you're punched, it won't hurt. I was about ten. It hurt. A lot. But I think I covered it well.
• When I was about four, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I answered, "A Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. Or a grasshopper." I am officially grown up and I am neither.
• I like to eat pickeled herring on Ritz crackers
• One of my legs is shorter than the other. In fact my whole symmetery is slightly skewed: one ear is higher than the other, one breast is bigger than the other. I am a freak.
• Speaking of freakish things about me, I also have a prominent knob on the back of my hands. It's on both sides and always causes some questions when a doctor notices them. They have never been fully explained to me, but they hurt like hell when I bump something.

So now don't you feel like you know me better? Tell me something weird about you.

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Today's pic is of the "Pearl of the Conchos" statue in my hometown. When she was first erected, there was quite the controversy about her bare breasts. Someone even managed to hook a bra onto her. In case you're wondering, she's a 34C.

the girl who is laughing

So, if you've been following my rantings, you know I have a love/hate relationship with Subway. Love the sandwiches (when I can get what I want), Hate the customer service. So I wrote a letter of complaint to the owner of the franchise. (I can be diplomatic when I need to) I pointed out several basic cutomer service issues, explained how the staff should be trained, and expressed frustration at not being able to correct the issues myself. (I'm a bit of a busybody and am convinced I would be happier if everyone worked like I do, lol!)

This morning I received a phone call from the owner. And here's the funny part--she offered me a job managing the store I have so many issues with! And what is even funnier is I am actually considering it! I'm trying to work out in my head the best way to schedule things so I could actually do it, lol! Then I realized I have too many questions about how her operation is run, and the fact she explicitly mentioned how difficult it was for her to get a good manager for that store...makes me a little wary. But I figure, what do I have to lose? It won't do me any harm to speak with her, so Monday I'm going to do precisely that. Perhaps I can offer my services as a freelance sutomer service trainer. That is something I could work around with my current job and definately something I know. Who knows what could happen?

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Today's picture is a some pretty pink flamingos striking a pose at Sea World. Hope it brightens your day!

the girl who is PISSED!

So why am I all torn up over a tv show? Chris Daughtery was kicked from American Idol tonight and it is ON MY BRAIN! I can't stop thinking about it. I'm convinced AI is rigged. Even though I've been a firm, "No, they play by the rules" kind of gal, this just proved the cynics right. Damn! And Ryan Seacrest was just plain cruel about delivering the news. Geez, could he have been more of a jerk? He did everything short of "Nyah, Nyah! YOu're going ho-me!"

Jackass.

the girl who is doing the happy dance!

Yaaaaaay! I am pleased to report that we are officially a TWO income family again! Whew! What a relief! And, it's a GOOD job for my DH, so that makes it even better. So {knock on wood} soon we can maintain and improve our lifestyle--such as it is. And, if all goes well, I can make a job change in the future myself. So I am crossing my fingers that all goes well and I am just ecstatic and optimistic right now! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Today, one of my latest pages. One documenting Mr. Trouble on Two Feet's first set of stitches. I say first because, knowing him, it won't be his last! Journaling is in the file folder along with ER mementos and most of the "stitching" is fake! Only the blanket stitch around the file folder is real!