Santa Meets The Tooth Fairy

Well, it's Christmas here! Merry Christmas to you all!!

I am still up. We are anxiously awaiting TWO magical icons tonight! Santa, of course, will be here---just as soon as Sara gives up and falls asleep!!!!! She has been having bedtime troubles for sometime now. I thought the fear of being skipped by Santa for still being awake would help tonight, but alas, the excitement is too great and she is STILL up requesting curtain calls--what was that noise? I'm too hot. My tummy hurts. I thought I heard prancing and pawing!! Ah.....perhaps she eventually will fall asleep so St. Nick can stop in!

But the REAL excitement is for Scott. You see, he lost his very first tooth today! Yes, he IS almost 7 and we were beginning to think he'd keep his baby teeth until college! He is so excited!!! He put the tooth at the edge of the bed so the Tooth Fairy can find it! I can't wait to see what is more exciting to him in the morning: Tooth Money or Santa Gifts!!

Oh and it's Piper, The Hyperdog's Birthday today! She's 2!! Lot's going on at our house today!!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and ask that we all remember the reason for the season. Happy Birthday, Jesus!!!

Aloha Friday

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. Kailani at An Island Life thought that on Fridays she would take it easy on posting, too so she started Aloha Friday posts on her blog where she asks a simple question to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don't forget to visit the other participants!

Today’s question is:

What is your favorite Holiday movie?

I have several. I still love It's a Wonderful Life. It's just so uplifting. I also love A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas and The Santa Clause. I can't wait until Christmas Eve when I can start watching A Christmas Story over and over again!!!

What's Your Christmas Spirit Level?

Your Christmas Sprit Level: 65%

You have a lot of Christmas spirit, and it's evident to most people who know you. You love most things Christmas, and you do your best to make sure everyone has a great holiday. While you like the more commercial aspects of Christmas, you truly know what the spirit of Christmas is about. You're all about giving, being kind, and sharing the spirit of Christmas with everyone you know.

Do You Have the Christmas Spirit?

Hey, better than I thought!!

I am Checkers

You Are Checkers

You are very logical and rational. You are able to understand what is and isn't a factor. You're able to compartmentalize and focus on the essentials. You appreciate simplicity. You can see the layers of complexity and beauty in anything. You are also playful and good natured. You don't take life too seriously!

What Board Game Are You?

Christmas Carol Fill In

Fill in the lyrics...with the correct ones or ones of your own :-) Have fun with this, don't worry if you don't know 'em...just make up something silly or do a silly one and a serious one! The most important part is to have fun with it.Here we go!

1. Said the night wind to the little lamb, _Do you hear what I hear__?

2. The first Noel, the angel did say, __Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay__.

3. __Go, tell it on the mountain__, Over the hills and everywhere.

4. It came upon the midnight clear, _That glorious song of old_.

5. _Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas_, Let your heart be light.

6. And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing _right within your heart_.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _just chillin' with my family_, tomorrow my plans include _hockey practice and a holiday party with our best friends_ and Sunday, I want to _watch Scott play hockey and make cookies with the children_!

Get LOST

We have gotten LOST! Hubby found it surfing one night on the SciFi Channel. I asked him, "why is that on the SciFi Channel?" Well, it's actually SciFi and we are total SciFi buffs! I watched one episode and I was hooked! It comes on for 4 hrs each Monday night. We TiVo it of course and stay up late to watch it after the children go to bed. Once we start, we just cannot stop until all the episodes recorded are watched. Yes, we are totally addicted!!!! The new season starts January 21st so we expect SciFi will go through all the old episodes by then so we'll be caught up. Check out this cool widget but don't look ahead, it will ruin all the fun!! Come get LOST with me!!!

Need A Little Christmas...

I’m so not into the spirit this year. The tree is STILL not decorated. Hubby put it up a week ago and I JUST finished fluffing it last night. The kids have been begging to hang the ornaments but I just could not get my butt in gear. I didn’t sing in the Christmas concert this year…..didn’t even go to hear it. Hubby was supposed to take Friday off with me to do the shopping but now he can’t. The shopping is mostly NOT done!! And Christmas is just a mere 10 days away!!! I think…………..

We need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.
It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry;
So climb down the chimney;
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.
Slice up the fruitcake;
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter,
And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after,"
Need a little Christmas now!!!

Coming around?

So…..this morning, I laid out Scott’s jeans for him to wear. He whined asking, “why do I have to wear those?”. I replied, “because it’s cold and I said so.” And he put them on without another word.

He's just not ready...

Nope, he doesn’t care that it is 20 degrees outside. So what if it’s only going to be 40 degrees today. We’ve been struggling to get Scott into long pants for over a month now. The teachers in carpool line are always exclaiming, Oh, my gosh, he’s in shorts!!

We compromised with jacket and shorts but the time has come. I even bribed him with an extra marble for his incentive rewards jar. That excited him but when the time came to put those long pants on………………..

BOOM!!!!

It was like World War 3 in my living room!!!! A tantrum ensued reminiscent of the terrible twos. Stomping, screaming, falling on the floor and flailing around. And it did not end well. Oh, he DID wear his jeans. But in the process he lost his video games for a week and TV for tonight.
Hubby said he whined all the way to school. When he got out at carpool, the teacher said, Son, where’s your coat? Scott’s reply? A scowling "HHHUMMPHHHHH!!!!"

Friday Fill-In

1. Please feel free to leave a comment. I love comments!!
2. When I do laundry I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is chicken enchiladas.
4. Hugs from my family is something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about autumn.
6. Reality TV always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spagetti dinner at home and Stargate Atlantis on TV, tomorrow my plans include hockey practice with William and fundraiser at school and Sunday, I want to REST but I'll be going to more hockey with William and cleaning house.

In No Particular Order

Okay, so I tagged myself for the 7 random things from Kim at And She Lived. Since it’s November and Thanksgiving is around the corner, I’m going to do 7 random things I’m thankful for. So here they are in no particular order:

1. Intermittent wipers. I hate when it’s raining just enough to need a quick swipe but not enough to keep the wipers going. Before intermittent wipers, it was either turn them on and off every 30 seconds or leave them on and listen to them squeak across the windshield. SHUDDER!!!

2. Automatic door locks and windows. We had an unfortunate run in recently when a deer “run in” to the side of my van. Said van is now all healthy now (the deer? Not so much) but while it was getting nipped/tucked, my insurance company was gracious enough to let me use a rental car. Of course the only thing they would cover was a tiny little sardine can which is very nerve wracking when you are used to a Honda mini van. I got in the car and could not for the life of me figure out how to lock the doors or roll down the windows. Scott got in and was checking it all out when I heard him say, “oh, weird, what’s this?”, then “hey, cool, this handle thingy rolls the window down!”. Oh yeah, THAT’s how we use to do it!!

3. Fast food places that take plastic. Need I say more?

4. DVR. Seriously folks, how did we ever watch TV without one? No more missed shows, no more flashing 12:00, no more mad fast rewinding of VHS tapes trying to find an empty one to record on. How else could I watch 4 seasons of LOST on SciFi Mondays without missing a single episode. Me love my TiVo!!

5. Febreze laundry additive. Hey, Scott and Hubby both play hockey and the clothing and gear live in those dark, damp equipment bags so teeming with bacteria you need a gas mask to open them!! EEWWW!!!

6. Invisible dog fences. Our darling Piper, the Hyper Dog (aka—The Mud Pup) would have a much different life if it weren’t for invisible fences. She loves trying to herd every car that goes down the street, digging her way to China under the back porch and running a trench along the property line trying to get the neighbor’s dog to play with her. Our other neighbor says, “I look at her and say that’s a happy dog. She’s so filthy, she must be happy!”

7. Drive-thru Pharmacies. Have I ever told you guys about the time I schlepped Sara (2yrs) and Scott (infant in carrier) into an Eckerds to get a prescription filled only to have Sara lay down on the nasty floor and then proceed to barf up stuff MY grandmother ate and then have the little blond chippy cashier walk by and tell me, “I don’t do throwup”, and THEN after cleaning up floor myself have to stand in line behind 10 people at the counter with infant in carrier in tow and little 2yo covered in stinky vomit and wailing because of being covered in stinky vomit because no one would let me in front of them???? Yes, thank God for drive in pharmacies!!!!

I’m not sure anyone reads this anymore so if you happen by and want to play along, jump in!!!!

Angels

I have experienced the guardianship of angels before. There were the Angels who guided my brother and husband back to shore when they were caught in a rip tide at the beach.

There was the Angel who held my 16mo old daughter when she fell down the stairs so that she only had a carpet burn on her little nose.

There was the Angel who moved the truck my husband and son were riding in off the road keeping them from being hit head on and the Angel in the car with that driver who protected him as his car flipped end over end.

There was the Angel that slowed the deer that ran into our van a couple of months ago so that it hit the front fender instead of us hitting it head on.

And there was the Angel that grabbed my steering wheel last night as I swerved to avoid some trash in the road who maintained control of my van back to protect my children and me.

Yes, I believe there are Angels among us—each and every day.

40

40……..That’s me……….today……….I’m 40 years old today. What does that mean? I’m no different than was I yesterday………when I was 39. But today………..I’m 40.

What does 40 look like in the mirror? Lots of lines on my face. Dark circles under my eyes. Wiry white hairs on my head—there’d be a lot more to see except for the highlighting. About 30 extra pounds on my body. Sensible shoes on my feet.

I remember growing up and thinking 25 was old. But now………I’m 40. But 40 year olds are supposed to have teenagers. I have grade schoolers. 40 year olds are supposed to be at high levels in their jobs. I’m in a good position but have chosen lower responsibility than I’ve had in the past. 40 year olds are supposed to be wise sages and know everything. Well……that DEFINITELY ain’t me!!!!!!!

So I’m not anything that in my mind’s eye is 40. But, here I am………..40. No different than I was yesterday……….but somehow………..different. 40.

Kid Fears

It began earlier this summer. Our neighborhood had a rash of break-ins. It was a hot topic with the neighbors. Little ears are very perceptive. We began to arm the security system during the day while we worked and at night. Our family changed.

The children who used to play easily in the living room while I did housework in the bedroom now scream and come running when I walk more than 3 feet away from them. Thankfully, Scott has not become afraid at bedtime. He is so active that he pretty much goes to sleep once his head hits the pillow. Sara, however, is a different story.

She's terrified to be in her room alone. She will start telling us she is scared before she even gets to her room. All our attempts to help fail. She can't seem to verbalize her fears. Sometimes it noises she can't describe. Sometimes it's her closet. Sometimes it's just "stuff". It's maddening. We want to help her and understand she is truly afraid but it ultimately culminates in frustration on both sides.

She begs me to lay with her which we will not do. We try to monitor her TV as she is at the age now where the fears are not "monsters under the bed" but REAL fears like fire, tornados......someone breaking in. And it is worse when Hubby isn't here at bedtime. She's always been less secure when he isn't here. We try not to make a big deal of it.....acknowledge her fears and reassure her she is safe but then change the subject and try to get her to think happy thoughts. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Many nights she finally gives it up based on shear exhaustion.

The really heartbreaking parts are like the night she told me she wished she could just go to sleep like Scott does and that she wished it was the way it was a few months ago when she just called me back a couple of times and then went right to sleep. That makes THREE of us!!

And then she was 8!!

My little red-headed one is growing like a weed. She’s almost as tall as I am. Of course, I’m only 5’1” so it’s not going to be hard to pass me up! She’s a big 3rd grader now. She’s gotten her ears pierced. She loves to wear leggings and babydoll tops. She loves Hannah Montana/Mylie Cyrus, the Cheetah Girls, Hillary Duff and the Jonas Brothers.

She’s not my baby anymore. She’s 8!! Happy Birthday, Sara!!!!!

School Days.......

School days, school days
Dear old golden rule days
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hickory stick
You were my bashful barefoot beau
I was your queen in calico
Those were the days I loved you
When we were a couple of kids

Yes, it's that time of year. Yellow buses on the roads in the mornings. Car Pool lines. Book bags and lunch money. Another school year has begun.

Sara is in the 3rd grade this year. She has a first year teacher again this year but so far so good. Sara likes her so that's half the battle. The homework is definitely a step up this year but she's doing very well with it.

Scott is in 1st grade and has a really good teacher. She's been teaching for 15 years and relates well with Scott. His goal this year is to earn the conduct medal at the year-end awards ceremony. He was so disappointed that he didn't get one last year. It has proven to be a great motivator for his conduct this year. He is excited to do his homework each night and is doing great with reading and spelling. Hopefully we won't have the conduct concerns we had last year!!

Here's to a great year!!

Gee, has it been THAT long???

I was just looking at my list of posts and realized I went OVER a MONTH without posting!!! My apologies to anyone who happens along. Will have to post an update. So much going on. But now, to sleep, alas to dream. ZzZzZzZzZzZzZz

The Last Lecture

If you haven't heard "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, please take some time and watch this. Below is Randy's appearance on Oprah where he gave a condensed version. You can see his full lecture here. Randy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2006. He defied the odds and survived much longer than expected. Randy passed away on July 25, 2008. He was 47. He is survived by a wife and three small children. His "last lecture" is really to his children......to teach them all the things he has learned about life and how to live it to it's fullest. I am sure they will know how great a man their father was.

One of my favorite of Randy's quotes is this:

"Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something."

My thoughts and prayers go to Randy's family. Rest in Peace, Randy.

50 Questions

Ages ago, Kim at The Bitter Ball tagged me for this meme. Honestly, Kim. I had it finished but never got it posted and then lost it in cyberspace somewhere. So I’ve completed it…..for the 2nd time!!! So my 2 readers had better read it!!! ((smootches))

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes
2. Have you ever smoked? nope
3. Do you own a gun ? yes, well hubby does.
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Never been to Sonic.
5. Do you get nervous before dr. appts ? yes
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Gotta be in the mood for them but good with chili, onions and mustard
7. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee or a Vitamin Water
9. Can you do push ups? I suppose but why would I?
10. What do you order at Starbucks? Caramel machiata
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Braided sterling silver ring…. from Silpada of course.
12. Favorite hobby? Photography but I rarely have time for it.
13. How do you eat your eggs? If I make them, scrambled with cheese or in an omelete. If Mom makes them, over easy so I can dip my toast in the yoke.
14. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? I’m a procrastinator.
15. Middle name ? Jen J
16. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. I don’t want to work. I’m tired. I don’t want to work. 17. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? Lunch, 2 little plastic dogs and a bouncy ball from the “kiddie slots” at the ice rink. Well, the kids played the slots. I just supplied the quarters.
18. Three drinks you regularly drink? Sweet iced tea (it’s a southern thang), water, coffee
19. Current worry right now ? kids
20. Current hate right now? work
21. Favorite place to be? The mountains
22. How did you bring in the New Years? No clue, probably snoring.
23. Where would you like to go? Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Maine, Australia
24. Name three people who will complete this. I’m not even sure 3 people read this blog!!
25. Do you own slippers? Somewhere.
26. What shirt are you wearing? A frilly little peasant blousey looking thing.
27. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Never have, prefer flannel even in the summer
28. Can you whistle? nope
29. Favorite color? Burgundy
30. Would you be a pirate? Nope, can’t swim and get seasick.
31. What songs do you sing in the shower? Anything and everything
32. Favorite girl's name? Of course my little girl’s name but if Scott had been a girl, he would have been Alyssa Nicole
33. Favorite boy's name? Of course my little boy’s name. I don’t know. Boy names were Hubby’s responsibility so I’m not sure.
34. What's in your pocket right now? nothing
35. Last thing that made you laugh? Scott jumping into the pool on top of his swim teacher.
36. Best bed sheets as a child? We always had plain white cotton sheets.
37. Worst injury you've ever had? I’m with Kim on this one. A 3rd degree tear you know where definitely tops my list.
38. Do you love where you live? It’s good. It’s rural but close to stuff. But I miss the mountains.
39. How many TV's do you have?
40. Who is your loudest friend? John
41. How many dogs do you have? One wild and crazy border collie
42. What are you thrilled about right now? How well Sara is doing in swim lessons and Scott’s efforts in swim lessons. They have both come a long way.
43. Do you have a crush on someone? There is a guy at work……. Also I’m in love with George Clooney, Johnny Depp and John Cusak
44. What is your favorite book? no favorite, i have too many interests
45. What is your favorite candy? Milky Way Dark or 3 Musketeers
46. Favorite Sports Team? NHL Carolina Hurricanes
47. What song do you want played at your funeral? I know it is cliché but I like The Dance. There was another but I can’t remember it now.
48. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Trying to help Sara stop coughing so we could all get some sleep.
49. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning? Holy Cow!! I’m gonna be late for work!

Get Ready for Blog Nosh Magazine!!

Hey, check it out!!! It's a brand new emag with a twist! It's hook it that it showcases those excellent blog posts that have fallen off the "front page" of your blogs. There are lots of topics called "Channels" to chose from. The posts will be chosen by Channel Editors, or nominated by the readers or even submitted by us! It is the reincarnation of TopBlogMag (which I wrote for in the past) and I think it's brilliant!!!

Blog Nosh Magazine launches tomorrow so check it out! Also, you can follow it on Twitter to get updates on happenings and find out when they need posts for specific topics. You are gonna love it!!!

I won!! I won!!!

Sheila at Designs by Shelia was giving away a free blog design. I've been wanting a new design but I know nothing about that kind of stuff so I entered not expected anything to come of it because I NEVER win!! But I DID WIN!!!

Go on over to her site and check out her work. It's AWESOME!!! Thanks so much, Sheila! I can't wait to work with you!!

Marriage Monday--Our Wedding Day

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Today I am participating in Marriage Mondays at Chrysalis. This month's topic is Our Wedding Day. Enjoy!!


It was January 15, 1994, in the foothills of the Tennessee Appalachians…..the coldest day on record, with temps not expected to make it into the teens. It had snowed the day before and half of our guests were coming from an hour away. Thankfully, all of the wedding party made it in.

The service was beautiful. The music included “Cross My Heart”, “Longer” and “The Wedding Song (There is Love)”. Hubby looked so nervous standing there but I was very calm. I repeated my vows with ease, but Hubby stumbled…..well, actually FELL through his! He was so nervous that in the end the Pastor had to feed him the vows…..word……by……word! LOL!!!

We lit the unity candle and knelt on the prayer bench for the wedding prayer. I noticed a strong smell of baby powder as did Hubby who thought I’d just over did the powder thing. But when he stood up!!!!!!! Oh my gosh!!!!! His BLACK pants were COVERED in WHITE baby powder!!! The Pastor said, “it’s ok, no one will notice”. Yeah right!! The church rippled in giggles. Then the Pastor presented us and told Hubby to kiss his bride. Well, he was in such nervous shock that he just stood there!! The Pastor then said, “He’s not going to kiss her” but my reply was “Oh yes he IS!!!” as I grabbed him and planted one right on the lips and the church erupted in laughter!

Hubby said he was never so glad to have anything over with! So we get to the reception in the church fellowship hall and see everyone huddled together in their coats. They had forgotten to turn the heat on!!! Did I tell you it was the coldest day on record? Single digits, even?? But everyone had a good time anyway. The bouquet was caught by my 18 month old niece and the garter was caught, well, actually, none of the men would catch it so it was given to my 10 year old cousin.

Ah yes, a day to remember! Oh, by the way, Brother In Law was caught in the act of “powdering” by the videographer so I made him sweat it out for a while thinking I was upset…..like a couple of years! LOL!! Actually, I had a blast and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!!!

Check back for pics on Wordless Wednesday!!

Wordless Wednesday

Star Wars, which?

Scott is TOTALLY into Star Wars! He loves it. He incessantly asks to watch the movies.......much to Sara's dismay. Now here is the conundrum. Sara asks, Mommy is this the second movie? No, honey it's the 5th. Huh? I thought it was Episode II. It is. But you just said it was the 5th. That's right. ARRGGHHH!!!!

I feel like I'm stuck in a Laurel and Hardy routine!! Darn that George Lucas for creating the "prequel"!!!

That Can't Be My Child!!

My kids tried swim lessons last year. We’d only been to the pool once or twice before that so they didn’t have much experience with the water. Scott started out gung-ho but stopped dead in his tracks when he realized the water was over his head (bad experience getting in over his head at a pool party). Sara didn’t want anything to do with it but she grudgingly submitted, frowning and scowling the entire time. She’s a really strong swimmer but she refused to put her head in the water so they wouldn’t pass her. Of course the very next week, she put her head in!!

Now it’s almost a year later. With hockey all winter, we didn’t have time to get to the pool so we are basically starting all over. I took them to the indoor pool last weekend to try to re-acclimate them. Sara got in but really didn’t want to put her face in the water. Scott wouldn’t get off of the steps. Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us again this year.

This holiday weekend, of course the pools all opened so we braved the crowds and went to the outdoor pool on Sunday. It turned out to be not so crowded but the daytime temps haven’t been that high so the pool was very…….VERY COLD!!! Scott again would get off the steps but Sara was amazing!!

We had gotten some diving sticks to help them get their heads in the water. Sara brought them all into the pool and Hubby worked with her. At first she just kept saying she couldn’t do it, but a friend from school came over who could swim and that seemed to help. She started putting her face in and coming right back up. Then she worked up to really going under and trying to reach the sticks. She just couldn’t seem to get to the bottom of the pool. She really wanted to do this and was frustrated that she couldn’t, so Hubby held her hand and pulled her down low enough to reach and she got one!!!!!! She was so proud of herself!!! She kept working on it and soon she was just holding onto him so she could pull herself down and she was picking up 2 or 3 sticks. By the time we left (and we were only there 2 hrs), she was going under and STAYING under long enough to pick up all EIGHT diving sticks!!!!!!

We were so amazed!! Hubby said when she started staying under for so long, he wasn’t even sure it was her!! She’s come soooo far from last year! We may be looking at the swim team soon!

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who have died in our nation's service. It was first called Decoration Day. After the Civil war in May 1866, many people in the North and South decorated graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. Decoration Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan and was first observed officially on May 30, 1868. In 1882, the name was changed to Memorial Day, and soldiers who had died in other wars were also honored.
In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday in May.

America remains The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave because of the ultimate sacrifices our men and women in the armed forces make every single day. So while enjoying our long weekend, having BBQs with friends and hanging out at the pool, let's take the time to remember and honor those who gave their lives to keep us free.

What? or better yet....... WHO?

I am in a state of confusion. My brain is muddled. What do I want to be when I grow up? Maybe the better question is WHO do I want to be? When I was young, that question seemed simple—a singer or a lady truck driver (thank you ”BJ and the Bear”). Where did those dreams go? Well, I sang in church all through high school then I slowly faded out of it. I recently have sung Christmas concerts with the local Chorale but twenty years of neglect has really done a number on my voice. Where I once was a top 1st soprano, I now struggle to sing second and secretly consider converting to alto. As for the lady truck driver, I can’t even back up my minivan so I think an eighteen wheeler is totally out of the question.

Once out of college, I poured myself into the corporate world. My goal then was to be the VP of quality for a medical device or pharmaceutical company. I was young…..ambitious……stupid. A few years later, I got married and the long hours and travel I was doing wasn’t much fun anymore.

Then I had children and my whole world changed. At first, I just wanted to keep working to have that “grownup” contact and I still enjoyed what I did. Now, I just want to be home. I can’t keep up with the house and the Hubby and the children and the Piper dog. I sit at work thinking of all the things I could be doing if I was anywhere but there. Don’t get me wrong. I have a good job. I make a difference for people with what I do. I have a great boss…..which is VERY difficult to come by. I make good money. But still……..I’m not happy.

I’m working on a home business that could really explode for me and eventually be my own boss…..but even with the prospect of leaving my daily 9-5 behind and working for, well, ME, I still lack motivation to achieve this.

Maybe it’s a midlife crisis hitting just a tad early. Maybe it’s a dash of depression sneaking in here. Maybe I’ve just not found my sweet spot in life.

So WHO do I want to be?

--a really good Mama who has the time and energy to spend with her children, and has the patience to help them work through their developmental phases which are wreaking havoc in our home.

--a really good Wife who has the time to keep the house kept up, who doesn’t harbor bitter resentment against her Hubby for what he does………or doesn’t do, who can forgive and forget.

--a really good Woman who takes the time to indulge in the things she enjoys like writing and photography and growing her business.

Now, how do I do this?

Wordless Wednesday

Marriage Monday--The Crazy Way We Met

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Today I am participating in Marriage Mondays at Chrysalis. Thanks to Kim at The Bitter Ball for cluing me into this one.

The topic for this month is The Crazy Way We Met. To tell the story, I have to go back in time to even before Hubby and I met. I grew up in the mountains of Tennessee and then moved to the northern suburbs of Chicago with I got out of college. My brother knew Hubby from church. They were both interested in the same woman (another church member) and were at that time mortal enemies. It turned out, she wasn’t interested in either of them but that’s another story. So then they became friends. He started hanging out at my parents’ house and I think they “adopted” him.

The summer of 1992, I went home to visit for July 4th. Mom said that Hubby might come over because she had been talking about me and he wanted to meet me. MOM!!!!!! Ok, whatever. On Saturday, he came and helped my Dad mow the lawn and Mom invited him to have dinner with us. No biggie.

On Sunday, we sat together at church and then went hiking with a friend of mine. We had a lot of fun together. My friend said, “I think he likes you”. On the way home, he asked me to go to see a movie with him, Patriot Games. “Sure” I said. I think he almost fainted. So it went through out the week. I think we saw each other at least every other day.

Saturday came and was July 4th. Mom was having a cookout for the youth group so we all helped with that and then we went to see the fireworks. Something about those fireworks. I think they were magical. After the fireworks, we sat and talked for a long time. He leaned over and gently kissed me. I said, “you know, long distance relationships don’t work out”. And I kissed him back.

Spring 1993 came and we were engaged. Winter of 1994 came and we were married. So 16 years later, I must admit I was wrong. J

Jose is no longer my friend

I didn’t tell you about my weekend, did I? It was something else! We had Scott’s b-day party Sat at The Little Gym. Awesome place! They are so good with the children and they get to run around like crazy!!! He had a Transformer cake and got tons of Transformer toys, surprisingly, none of which he already had. He was in Transformer Heaven!!

Then some of our close friends came back to our house for the “afterparty”. We had pizza and beer. THEN we ladies asked “Jim” to mix us some margaritas. Now, we knew better but no one else would do it so it was up to him. And apparently, we told him they weren’t very strong so he apparently bumped it up a notch………..or ten!!!!!!!!!!!! I was very happy and really silly. It was fun. Until………………

About 10:30 everyone left except for one of the girls who was sleeping over with Sara. About 10:35, I sat in the recliner to watch the girls play checkers. About 10:40, I felt the need……….urgent, desperate need……….to run to the bathroom. That pretty much ends the night. I got soooo sick!! Then I collapsed on the bed and didn’t get up until morning. Oh and my friend barely made it home before worshiping the porcelain god!

Don’t worry, hubby was taking care of the children. I think I remember him coming in about midnight and laughing at me. Then I woke several times with a jack hammer working in my head but the room was spinning so fast I couldn’t find the floor to get some Excedrin. And when do you think the kids got up? 6:45am!! Uggghhh!! I’ll save you the rest of the gory details but let’s just say I didn’t fully recover until late Sunday night. Yes, I learned my lesson…………….never let “Jim” mix the drinks!!!! LOL!!! So I think it will be quite some time before I dance with Jose again!

Interview with a 6 year old

April 24, 2008. 7:30am

Mom: So how old are you now?
Scott: {{holds up five fingers on one hand and a thumb on the other}}
Mom: So how old is that?
Scott: {{draws a “6” in the air}}
Mom: So how old is THAT???
Scott: Six!!!!
Mom: Wow!! Six years old? How does that feel?
Scott: BBWWAHHHHH!!!!! {{does a crazy dance}}
Mom: So what does THAT mean?
Scott: Good!!!
Mom: Tell me what you can do now at 6 that you couldn’t do at 5.
Scott: Go to the Sunshines. (that’s the next afterschool class up at our daycare)
Mom: Well, tell me how you are going to celebrate being 6.
Scott: TRANSFORMERS PARTY!!!!!!!!
Mom: You know what?
Scott: What?
Mom: I love you!!
Scott: I knew that!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Scott!! We love you lots!!

Friday Fill In!!

1. The last time I lost my temper I beat my bed with my pillow!
2. Criticism is what I'm fed up with!
3. The next book I'd like to read is something from the Mitford Series. I need some uplifting.
4. Scott's b-day party is what I'm looking forward to.
5. If you can't get rid of the skeleton[s] in your closet, use them as hangers!
6. The best thing I got in the mail recently was JEWELRY.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to folding clothes, tomorrow my plans include hockey and cleaning and Sunday, I want to clean but will do more hockey and Scott's friend's b-day party!

Here's my sign.....

I'm going to get a T-shirt that says this!!! I have had not one but TWO people assume I was pregnant in the last month!!!! So not funny!!! Yes, I have gained weight......yes, a lot of weight. Yes, now that I am older, I carry it in my midsection and yes, I do can look pregnant depending on how I stand. But, NO!!! I am NOT pregnant!! So don't assume I am!!!!!

Nor do I want to be. I'm crashing headfirst into 40 this year. My last "baby" just started school. I have the patience of a ..................... well, I don't have any patience!!! I am done having babies so I can enjoy the next stages in my children's lives.

I should also add that both people (who were people I work with--not strangers) were mortally embarrassed. And to that I say..........GOOD!!! Next time, wait until I'm carrying around a 3yo on my hip to congratulate me!!!

But, honestly folks, I really need to get off my big fat pregnant looking butt and take care of myself. I guess I wasn't listening the first time some one assumed I was pregnant. This time I get the message! GEEZ!!! I'm working on a plan that I'll share later so ya'll can help me along.

But here's the kicker. Have you seen the new fashions for this summer????? They ALL look like maternity shirts!!!!! I'm doomed!!!!!

Calapitters 2008

Yes, we have "calapitters" again! I’m still amazed that Sara will pick them up and play with them and Scott won’t touch ‘em!! They each have two that they have collected. Every day they ask to keep more but I think four caterpillars is a gracious plenty to keep on my kitchen counter top!

Let me tell ya, those little things are eating and pooping machines!!! They are eating a heavy diet of maple leaves and making complete pigs of themselves. One of Scott’s has already make a webby cocoon. One of Sara’s made what looked more like a chrysalis. I wanted to keep it but she said it was gross and threw it away. LOL!!! I will try to get some pictures of the little guys before they all get to the cocoon stage. Hopefully, they will emerge this year. The one we had last year didn’t do anything. Look for pics!!!

Friday Fill In #67

1. I love springtime in _____!
2. _____ are foods I love to eat for breakfast.
3. It seems I'm always searching for _____
4. _____ is a great way to end the day.
5. I think I _____!
6. _____ is what I've been craving lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!



1. I love springtime in the arctic. They don't have pollen!!!!
2. Grits, scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon are foods I love to eat for breakfast.
3. It seems I'm always searching for my mind!!!
4. A hug from my children is a great way to end the day.
5. I think I can!
6. Townhouse Flips is what I've been craving lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a movie with my family, tomorrow my plans include hockey practice for Scott, therapy session for Scott and an evening with friends and Sunday, I want to REST!!!

A good night

Sara has definitely been a challenge in recent months. Her attitude leaves much to be desired. She is defiant, impatient, whiney and most times downright ugly. I was dreading dealing with this when she hit 10 or 11 yrs. I didn’t expect to have to address it at 7 ½. She didn’t used to be like this but this school year has really brought about some changes in her. I don’t know if it is her friends that are influencing her or even sadly, us being poor role models, but I really hope we can turn her around.

Last night started out poorly with lots of attitude and picking on Scott. I tried to prepare for the worst. But after homework and dinner and showers, she came to me while Scott and Hubby played video games. “I want to read a book”. Unfortunately it was very late. “As much as I hate to say it, honey, it’s just too late.” She then climbed into my lap and snuggled. Now, Scott is the world champion snuggler, but Sara has never been much a snuggler. So I relished in the rare opportunity to be close to her and love on her. “Can we go to my room and talk?” Wow!!! What an opportunity! Again, a rare occasion to spend wanted one-on-one time with my daughter. “Yes! Yes, we can”.

In her room, I brushed her hair and we talked. We talked about school and how she thinks it’s boring. We talked about her favorite subjects and those that were hard for her. We talked about her friends—who she likes, who she doesn’t like and why, how some of her friends don’t play with her any more and how that makes her feel. It was a perfect opportunity to discuss her attitude and how she relates to others. She was very open to my advice and shared honestly with me—something that hasn’t happened in a long while.

But all good things must come to an end. It was, after all, a school night and we all needed our rest. I hugged her tight, gave her a huge kiss, told her how much I loved her and said “Good Night”. Yes, it was definitely a “good night”.

That's my boy!

Overheard in a bathroom while traveling to TN for Easter:

Me: SHOOT!!
Scott: What, Mommy?
Me: I forgot my makeup.
Scott: Why do you need it, Mommy?
Me: To make me look pretty.
Scott: That's ok, Mommy, you're pretty anyway.

:)

Friday Fill In!!

1. Some relationships are meant to _____.

2. _____ is the last concert I saw; it was _____.

3. Spring should be _____.

4. Oh no! I forgot _____!

5. I've recently started _____.

6. _____ never fails to make me smile.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

1. Some relationships are meant to saved.

2. James Taylor is the last concert I saw; it was AWESOME!!!.

3. Spring should be BANNED!!! I have horrible seasonal allergies and I HATE SPRING!!

4. Oh no! I forgot to send my Pampered Chef party invitations!!!!

5. I've recently started selling the most awesome sterling silver jewelry!!!!

6. My son's hug never fails to make me smile.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Atlanta Thrashers, tomorrow my plans include 2 counseling sessions for Scott and a ton of cleaning and Sunday, I want to sleep in and watch movies all day BUT I'll be doing MORE house cleaning and getting the kiddos ready to go back to school on Monday!

In like a Lion!!

WOW! What a night!!! We experienced the lovely (NOT!) storm front that moved over the southeast yesterday. We really need the rain but I could have definitely done without the high winds and lightning!!

I went to bed about 10:45 and left Hubby on the couch knowing full well he would be asleep in 5 minutes. I flipped on the TV and parked it on the local news station so I could monitor the weather. Didn’t look too bad and I was soooo tired so I drifted off to sleep.

I woke with a start. I’m not sure what woke me--maybe the weather alert signal on the TV or the wind hitting the house (although it was eerily silent when I awoke). I glanced at the clock--11:20pm--the storm front was supposed to have passed through by midnight. I looked at the TV and saw the biggest, reddest, most horrific-looking Doppler image I have ever seen. And then I noted it was right on top of us. About that time, the wind hit the house like a Mack truck and I headed toward the living room to get Hubby. Two steps from the bedroom door, the power went out. No flicker, no stutter—just OUT!

Hubby came to bed and we lay and listened to the wind beat the side of the house. There was an odd consistent whining sound making me nervous. You know, train sounds and tornados. We thought it was just the wind but weren’t sure so Hubby got up to look around. He even went outside. I tagged along and stuck my head out the door. The whole area was dark because of the power outage so it was kind of weird. We couldn’t see any funnels during the lightning flashes and the sound started to get softer so we went back to bed to listen to the wind slam the rain against the house and strain our ears for any hint of tornados.

Finally the storm passed and we fell asleep. Until 5:30am that is, when the power came back on with all the lights on and the TVs blaring static. I saw several downed trees on my way to work this morning and the power guys were out in force righting utility poles and repairing lines. Our manufacturing facility lost power too so we have lots of stuff to do to get all the systems back up and evaluate the products. It’s gonna be a long day. But we thank God that everyone is ok.

And how did the children fair through the whole ordeal, you ask? Sleep through the whole thing!! God love ‘em!!!

Ok, Ok, I get the message!!!!

I was starving. Don’t ask me why. I had eaten a ton of chips and salsa and a lunch special #6 at the local Mexican restaurant. But the afternoon munchies settled in anyway. I checked my wallet—a $20 bill and a handful of pennies. So I checked my desk—65 cents. Well THAT won’t get anything out of the machine. So I rifled through the pennies and ………. Eureka!! A dime!!!! Woohoo!!

Now armed with 75 cents, I headed to the breakroom. HHhhmmm……. A bag of Doritos is all I could get. Well, that would work. I was craving salt, anyway. In went one quarter, then a second, followed by 2 dimes then the nickel. But wait, what was the odd metallic sound? It had spat out my nickel! So I put it back in….. and again it spat it out. Over and over and over, I fed the machine my nickel and it promptly spat it out. What was I to do? Maybe it was the sequence, yeah, that was it. So I pushed the coin return button and collected my money. THIS time, I started with the nickel. Perhaps it wants that first. But again, the machine spat it out. Maybe it was the sensor…….so I dropped it in slow. Nope. Then I shot it in fast. Still no go. I rubbed it on my pants. Nope. Scraped the edge with my fingernail. Uhn uh.

At this point I realize how silly and desperate I must look and I admit defeat, retreating to my desk with a glass of water. Kudos to my Diet Angel!! But next time, she may just have to knock me up side the head!!!!

Thought for Today

If you want to remain in touch with the spiritual side of life, you have to be flexible enough to follow the direction of the journey as the journey itself changes direction.

~~Phil Catalfo
author of Raising Spiritual Children in a Material World

Name Update

Well, the two people who read my blog have spoken and I'm gonna leave it as is. But I'm leaving the Wag More pic at the top. :) Thanks!!!!

Thought for Today

In the present moment, there is no stress. Stress is the resistance to what's happening right now. As we allow ourselves to open to this moment fully, there is absolutely no stress.

~~Stephan Rechtschaffen, M.D.
author of Timeshifting: Creating More Time to Enjoy Your Life

Should I or shouldn't I??

I've been toying with renaming my blog. I know, it's not something you typically do, especially with a large readership. But I think the one or two people who currently visit would be able to keep up. :)

So, why am I thinking about renaming it? I dunno. I really like the sentiment of "Sunny With a Chance of Clouds". But really, it's a bit long, don'tcha think? I could just never come up with a better way to say it.

So, you ask, to what would you change it? Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I really really like "Wag More, Bark Less". Or maybe just "Wag More". I mean, it's simple, slips easier off the tongue, kinda makes you go "HHHhhhmmmmm", kinda catchy so you might remember it. It's meaning goes right along with tagline I currently have.

So what do you think? Should I go for it?
(I also have a poll on the top of the sidebar if you'd like to vote.)

Fear

Scott has a consult tomorrow. It is needed to get a diagnosis to even get his ped to talk to us. It's an observational appointment since he is too young for a standardized test. Then that counselor will talk to the other counselor and then hopefully, we'll get a diagnosis so we can fax it to the ped and THEN........FINALLY get on a waiting list for a consult with him!! It is so darned frustrating!!!

And then there's the fears. The observation is one-on-one which is typically not a real problem for Scott. What if they don't think he has a problem? What if they do agree but it takes forever to get to the Ped to get meds started? How long will it take to find a med that works for him? What are the meds going to do to him? Will I lose my little boy to a med-altered state? Or will the "real" Scott finally be allowed to emerge and flourish? What will happen.........

Happy Valentine's Day

Ahhh….Valentine’s Day. A day of hearts, flowers and cards. Chocolates and candies. I remember my first Valentine’s Day with Hubby. We had been dating for about 8 months. But we lived 750 miles away from each other so we only saw each other about once every 6 wks. This time, that worked out to be at Valentine’s Day.

He sent me the most beautiful red roses at my Mom’s house where I was staying and we went to Olive Garden for lunch. He held my hand lovingly taking my opal ring from my finger to play with and wearing it on his pinky. We had a very nice meal then he took me to the high school parking lot to teach me to drive his Mustang which was a manual transmission. (15 yrs later, I STILL can’t drive one!) Later that afternoon, we took a long drive through the mountains. There was snow and it was beautiful!! It was so wonderful spending that time with the one I love!!

Six weeks later, he visited me in Chicago and that’s when he proposed. He had used the way my opal ring fit on his pinky that Valentine’s Day to size my engagement ring so it fit perfectly!!! We were married the first of that next year.

Now, I have to say, we do not really celebrate Valentine’s Day. We try to get something small for the children but we don’t do anything for each other. I used to get cards for him but he never did for me saying it was silly and a waste of money so over time I stopped all together. I got extra hugs and kisses from my kids this morning and a Love stamp from Scott. We’ll have a nice dinner together at home as a family. And a little later tonite, I’ll toss Hubby a box of peanut butter Girl Scout cookies. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Hun!!!!”

Dream a Little Dream

I had a dream last night. We were out and about in the car, the whole family. We were getting ready to pull out into the street from a shopping center when I woman dressed as a Flight Attendant motioned for us to wait and to back up. We did and then looked up the road to see a passenger jet sliding (not landing) down the street and past us. It was scraping almost sideways on the pavement, sending sparks into the air. Then there was another, then a commuter jet, then a jumbo jet. All in all, we watched about 6 airplanes skid down the street. We commented to each other that they must have been trying to make it to the new airport a couple of miles away. And then I woke up. WEIRD!!!!!!!

Time

The wait is killing us. We wanted to try all the avenues before making that last ultimate step. Now, we are totally aware that the last step must be taken but time still drags on. More sessions…… more discussions…….. more evaluations…….. more appointments. In the meantime, it’s one step forward, two steps back. Little successes dashed by a bad day with no apparent underlying causes. He tries so hard but can he really control himself? It’s difficult for him….difficult for his classmates…. difficult for his teachers…... heartbreaking for us. When life is good, time flies by in the blink of an eye. When life is hard, time stands still. Remember, we are doing the right things. Remember, we are getting him the help he needs. Remember, these things take time. But remembering doesn't make the wait any easier.

Two New States!

Sara and I were working on her homework tonight. She was reading in her social studies book about the "new" state quarters. (Apparently, this book is just a few years old!) Anywho, as she was reading through the names of the states, I noticed a couple of new ones

Deltaware
New Hamster

Anyone been there?

Wag More Bark Less

Pretty much says it all, doesn't it? The perfect philosophy of life. Short. Sweet. Simple. I saw this on a car at work today. It immediately spoke to me. I've been "barking" a lot recently--at work, at home, everywhere--and I don't like it. Gracious, I bark more than Piper, the Hyperdog does! This is going to be my motto, my mantra, whatever you want to call it. It's perfect! See me wagging???