mommy's take on things

i need a vacation!

2010-04-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

yes i know,
we just returned
but the saying could not be
more true!

i need a vacation
to recoop
from our vacation!

we had a blast,
and have soooo
many things to blog about!

from earthquakes
to a donny osmond collision,
to aggressive squirrel families!

never a dull moment!

until then...enjoy...

{keeping secrets}

2010-04-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

not usually a fan
i can keep them
but if it is a secret
of the surprise variety
it's hard to

but i have a secret
a big one
hubs and i know
the kids don't

and it is worth sharing
the daughter is no fan
of secrets and surprises
that she is not in on
this should be tons of fun!

i'll let ya in on it...
but don't tell...
we are taking the kids to disneyland!
their first time going!
{we will also hit legoland and the beach!}

i fully expect them to lose their minds!
that is, if i don't lose mine first
trying to pull this off!

have a great weekend
and
happy easter everyone!

setting the bar

2010-03-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

i know
i know
two blog posts in two days...

enjoy, cuz this might not happen again!

so i know i need to get back into the swing of
blogging

it used to come so easy to me...
things to blog about were always
swirling around in my mind

but not lately...

so here it goes...
an attempt
if i start
maybe the swirlies will come again!

book club
i started a book club almost a year ago
we average a book every two months
cuz we are all too busy to meet more often!

here's a rundown of the books we've read...

the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime
by mark haddon
...love this book
...easy read
...loved the point of view
...highly recommend!

the thirteenth tale
by diane setterfield
...not much to say on this one
...i struggled to get through it
...not my genre
...will leave it at that!

the help
by kathryn stockett
...buy this book
...run! don't walk!
...thank me later!

the 19th wife
by david ebershoff
...another great one
...insightful
...spurs many many questions
...great for discussion! (and discuss we did! whew!)

the weight of silence
by heather gudenkauf
...this whole book takes place in one day
...what a long day!
...good, not great

and currently reading...

the girl with the dragon tattoo
by stieg larsson
...i think it might get good
...that is what i am told
...at some point it will grab me
...still waiting
...better happen soon!

so what are you reading?
i have so many books in my to read pile!

{uncertainty}

2010-03-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

i know that a few months back
i said i'd return
i thought it would be sooner

but better late than never
i guess

where to begin???
remember this last year?
well, ditto for this year.
fully expected it, but sucks still
it was rescinded last year,
thankfully

and i hope it will be this year
but
there is still that uncertainty

so in the meantime
we wait
and wonder
and make changes
in case
i don't get called back

so many uncertain things right now

blog-pause

2009-10-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

2 months and 2 days
since my last post

i've been
sidetracked
hijacked
derailed

i promise i'm working my way back
wait for it
it won't be huge
but i'll be back
promise....

you know you're an old married couple when...

2009-08-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

...your dear husband tries to

pay you a compliment like

"you look hot"

and you reply by saying,

"no actually i feel just fine"

...your husband refills your

bottomless margarita glass

right after the last drink

without even being asked!

...he politely threatens to break

your arm if you bid at an auction

and it is considered being affectionate!

...shared desserts are a

highlight of your date!

...you attend a function that lasts until

midnight but you are home by 10:30!

1 down...179 to go!

2009-08-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

for teachers, it's all about the countdown!

give me another day and i will have worked

out how many days until winter break!

anyhoo...here are the cuties from this am...

according to mason,

K is awesome

the only flaw?

he took an apple for his snack

he "ate it all, but meanwhile,

i missed all of recess cuz it took

me that long to eat it!"

different snack packed for tomorrow!

and the second grader?

stoked about no homework all week!

as am i!

baby steps please!

pass the tissues please

2009-08-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

this handsome young lad
is officially a kindergartner

and this beautiful young lady
is a big shot second grader

and this is their mama
.

she is sad to be returning to work

but loves that the two cuties above

are with her at school!

lasting impressions

2009-08-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

twelve years of teaching
that's a lot of kids
and every year
i hope i make an impact
on them
but what i bet they don't know
is that they make as much
of an impact on me

i remember them
the funny stories
the laughs we all shared
their personalities
they leave an impression
on me
it doesn't go away

so when i hear from them
after they move on
or they come back to visit
it is beyond wonderful
to just listen to them
to see how they've grown
it always makes me smile

so when i hear news
like the tragic news i got today
it hurts
it's beyond sad

a young person's life
cut way, way too short
he sat in my classroom
2 short years ago
but it feels like yesterday
he made quite an impression on me
but i bet he never knew that

so as a new school year dawns
i made a note on the last day
in my plan book...
it reads
"tell them how much they mean to me"

{PS...last night, i recounted a funny story about him
to some friends. the same night he passed away.
gives me chills.}

{oh no he didn't!}

2009-07-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

if you know our
little big guy
in real life
you know he is a boy's boy
he is rough and tumble
he is hands on
he is passionate!

he loves nothing more
than wrestling with daddy on the floor

so about six months ago,
when he also wanted
to wrestle with his friends in preschool,
we decided to give him an outlet for his energy:
martial arts!
and a match made in heaven they are!
he loves every minute of it!
he is learning to defend himself,
when it is appropriate to do so,
and that discipline and hard work pay off!
he earned his yellow belt {with white stripe}
recently and is so proud of his accomplishment!
he has also filled us in on his plans...
to become an mma fighter when he grows up...oiy!

so last week, he went to
vacation bible school
on the first day he comes home with a shiner!
apparently he was intentionally
pushed by another
energetic young lad
{this according to the teacher}
and did a face plant on the play structure.
okay, those things happen, he shrugged it off,
and i was just thankful he didn't start it!
the next day i am buckling him in the car
and i see two red scratch marks on his neck
i ask about it and he says some boy did it
but he conveniently couldn't remember the rest!
alrighty then...maybe a lesson
on love thy neighbor
could be covered in vbs???
so a few days later, he asks me to feel
the back of his ear.
i do, and much to my surprise, it is all scratched up
and scabbed over!
i ask what happened and this is the conversation:

him: well remember the day i had the scratches on my neck?

me: yes...

him: well, i might get in trouble for telling you this...

me: just tell me, you will not be in trouble!

him: well, this boy, he scratched me on the neck
i don't know why, but i did what sifu said to do when
we get attacked...

me: {as the blood drains from my face} and that is?

him: i put him in a full mount

me: you what?!?!?!

him: i put him in a full mount

me: i heard you! why on earth did you do that? and at bible school?

him: cuz i was defending myself

me: ummm...okay...

him: it ended when he grabbed my ear

me: at bible school honey?!

him: yeah, and when i get older i am going to do it in one of those cages!

o heavens...a conversation followed
concerning the fact that he is going to K
in a few weeks
and he is NOT to touch another person
even if he thinks he is defending himself
i gently reminded him that mommy
works at the school and i will know
what goes on...
except i don't think he cares!
this might be a long school year!

he's ferocious, and he's five!

2009-07-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

our little big guy

is 5 today!

this boy is 100% full of:

action

unbridled energy

humor

animation

sweetness

cuddles

physicality

cutness...

the list goes on!

have a great day sweet kiddo!

we love you!

mommy, daddy, and big sis

{mason got to navigate yesterday when daddy took him fishing!}

P.S. for a special story about his day of birth click here!

friday faves

2009-07-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

{these are a few of my favorite things...}

i eat so many of these during the summer

and the only place to get really great ones

is the local farmers market

i eat them with everything...yum!

this little guy is a must!

especially with kids...

and speaking of kids,

they are well trained in its use!

especially the boy!

remember this post?

well i changed gears a little

and joined the women's class

OMG...addicted to kickboxing now!

i have lost several inches all over

in a matter of weeks,

have so much more energy

and just feel better!

i hate working out

but this class i love!

{and yes, hubs bought me the rockin' pink gloves!}

this salsa is to die for

it is fresh and yummy on

just about everything

i eat a lot of it...

and a neat fun fact...

the one i love was designed

esp for disney theme parks!

how do i love thee?

let me count the ways...

i cannot live without my cell

and look forward to upgrading soon...

i smell a blackberry curve in my future!

so what are some of your faves???

what the...?

2009-07-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

i have uttered this phrase a lot lately...

like when we went to the park last night
and within 10 sec of being there
the big girl had two bites on her legs!
seriously, this girl attracts all bugs
of the biting variety!
she is always the only one in the fam
to get bites
no matter where we are!
and she has a tendency to
have a reaction to them
so much so that in the beginning of the summer
it warranted a trip to the doctor!
it is nuts!
i mean, i know she is sweet,
but give the girl a break!

and today, i thought what the...?
when we went to the free movie
and the four young children next to us
were being dropped off
by a relative to watch the movie while
that person ran errands!?
seriously? the kids ranged in age from
6-9, {i asked!}
and as soon as said adult left
they were at each other's throats!
thankfully the movie started soon after,
but am i the only one who frowns on using
the local movie theater as a babysitter
for such young ones????

oh, and then there was my announcing
what the...? loud and clear
in the grocery store
when the son, who was carrying the
loaf of bread, hands me a half
loaf of bread at the register!
oops!
i asked what happened,
{after saying what the...? out loud}
and he says,
"mommy the thing came off
way back there"
clearly meaning the twist tie,
and well, half the loaf!
i turn to look and here is a bagger
following us picking up bread!
we left a good trail!

so what has made you say
what the...?

{and would you participate in a weekly
what the...?
post if i hosted?}

happens every year...

2009-07-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

but this year it is early.

i get this dream

before school starts back up

every year

it is a stressful dream

i wake up worried and anxious

every teacher has probably

had them...

the dreaded

back to school dream!

i remember my first one...

THE night before my first day

of my teaching career!

nice timing!

in the dream, i was a teacher

in the fifth grade classroom

in the elementary school

i attended as a child

and the kids were unruly,

outta control

and the easiest task of the day

was proving too much for this

novice teacher: attendance!

i just couldn't get it right!

every year since

i have had some sort of school

dream

but it is usually closer to the start of school

and they have become dreams about

bigger and bigger

issues...

like last night's...

i was teaching history to hs students {prob #1!}

and i had no clue what i was teaching

and the kids knew

and as you can imagine

hs kids love a weak spot

it was a feeding frenzy

and i was their lunch!

and no matter how many times

i woke up

and

went back to sleep

it was still there!

{why does that happen with bad dreams but not good ones?}

i am sort of hoping

that since this dream

arrived early, i might not have

another closer to school...

so what about you?

any dreams of the sort

that are recurrent???

i know i'm not the only one...

right???

its a swap thing!

2009-07-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

so mamarazzi's swaps are the best!

you must do her next one...

coming soon i hear!

all very practical things!

thanks vanessa!

{click on over to see what i sent her!}

{rolling out the welcome mat!}

2009-07-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

welcome

welcome!

loitering is allowed

shirts and shoes not required

no need to clean up after yourself

snoop in my medicine cabinet

root through my junk drawer!

and stay as long as you like!

thanks heather and tiffany

and the whole SITSAhood!

what an amazing bunch of wo{men}!

she's baaa-aack!

2009-06-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

okay, so i never really went anywhere,

except across the country and back!

7 days :: 7 states

2009-06-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

started last saturday
left california
swooned over how beautiful
arizona is
crawled through
new mexico
tumbled in to
texas
where everything is bigger
met the humidity in
oklahoma
which led us to our
destination of
arkansas!
where we have been
enjoying hanging out
swimming, eating, playing
and yesterday we ventured
into beautiful
missouri
for a stop at silver dollar city
which didn't stay beautiful
for long once the sky
opened up on us!
had us wondering if ark building skills
were necessary!

we have decided to leave a day early
{weds}
in order to catch sight of:
the memorial in downtown
oklahoma city
and the hole that is
the grand canyon
and several stops in between!

i promise many pics soon to come!
ta ta for now!

memories in the making!

2009-06-05T15:17:00.001-07:00

we are off on our road trip
first thing in the am
25 hours in the car
3 days of driving

we have not taken
a long road trip since we moved
so we are excited to hit
the open road

in all previous road trips
we have made some awesome
and some not so awesome
memories:

like the time we nearly lost
the load on the travel
rack on the top of the jeep
stressful, good times.

or the time when i was still nursing
and i forgot the most integral
part to the pump
and in the middle of the night,
while hubs was driving,
i thought i would drown in milk
or pass out from the pain!
where was a wal mart when we needed one???

or that same trip,
after we finally found a wal mart
for said pump part,
hubs came out to the car
with a donut and a candle in it
singing me happy birthday

or when we first realized
that when traveling with kids
they dictate the schedule

or when we counted the number
of billboards advertising
walnut bowls in missouri
and wondering how many
people stop and buy themselves
a famed walnut bowl

our kids are much older now
there are so many new memories
to be made on this road trip
i am excited that they will
remember this trip,
for better or worse!
and that we have many days ahead
of uninterrupted family time
for better or worse!

good times ahead!

i will occasionally
check in here
and if you follow me on
twitter or facebook
{click to follow...you kow you want a
blow by blow of the griswald's next adventure!}
i will be tweeting/facebooking
from the road,
which might be humorous
or maybe stressful,
who knows!

need to finish packing
and since we always forget something,
any guesses what we will forget this time???

swap time ladies

2009-06-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

i am so excited for this!
i have done a mamarazzi
swap before and it rocked!

click on over...you won't be sorry!

hurry...go...now!

lists and looking back

2009-06-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

i love to make lists

i don't always accomplish

everything on them

but just getting the

swirling thoughts out of

my head helps!

so in preparation

for our upcoming road trip

{25 hours cross country...another blog post}

i actually have a notebook

of to do lists!

and those to do lists were

broken down into days...

and so far so good!

in fact i am a little ahead

but somehow,

i know that the night before we leave

i'll still be jumping through my arse

to get it all together!

old habits die hard!

-------

in other news...our weekend...

well, back up to last thursday

the kids had kajukembo

and the big girl has been

working so hard

on her forms

and she decided she wanted to

show her instructor her kata

thinking he might give her a few

things to work on...

but instead, she earned

a stripe on her belt!

she was beside herself

and i was so proud

i nearly cried!

way to go girl!

saturday...

mason graduated from preschool!

is he handsome or what?

we let him pick a lunch spot

and we took them to see UP!

{awesome movie!}

at lunch, he wanted to show me

a trick with milk in his mouth...

ugh...

so he fills his mouth with milk,

and opens it to tell me to look...

and milk cascades down the front of him!

poor planning buddy, maybe next time!

sunday...

we took the kids to their

first MLBaseball game...

and due to persistent

camera battery problems,

we didn't get but one pic

on the camera!

i took some on my phone

i will try to upload later...

the kids had a good time

although they both let us

know that they didn't really watch

note to self...leave them at home

next time and we can make it a date!

so the rest of my week is

planning and packing!

yeehaw!

on second thought...

2009-05-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

life would be dull

if it weren't for

our ability to

'think twice'

about things...

in the past few days

i have thought twice

on many occasions!

1. calling 911

i have never had to call before

but one afternoon

this guy in the suv behind

me was driving like a mad man

swerving from one side

of the road to the next

i got over to turn and

almost got hit by

his erratic driving!

as he passes, i see he has

handicap plates

so i worry that

something is wrong

i'm nice like that!

i follow him and

dial 911

this is what i get:

9-1-1, what....is....your....emergency?

{the slooooooowest talker ever which i thought rather ironic!}

anyhoo, due to the small town we live in,

he needed to transfer my call,

which resulted in being disconnected!

{not so handy in a life threatening situation i presume!}

so by this time, said motorist

is pulling into a car dealer

it dawns on me...

this yahoo was a service guy

testing out his repairs!

i followed him and kindly told him

what i thought of his maneuvers

on a public street.

like he cared!

next time?

i'll let him hit someone!

2. mc donald's

i took the kids for lunch

at the wretched place,

play place and all,

which generally makes

my skin crawl,

thinking of all the germs!

but i'm a cool mom,

so i indulged them...

but tell me this:

is working at mc donald's

so damn stressful

that you forget to put the food

in the happy meal boxes?

really?

i cannot remember a time

that i have 'dined' at a golden arches

and they actually get the order correct!

what gives people???

next time?

packing lunch and hitting the park...

even if it is 100 degrees!

3. kickboxing

need i elaborate?

4. are we there yet?

the dreaded question came up

2 times yesterday

during a 20 min

car ride!

why is this making me

think twice you ask?

because in a week, we are hitting

the wide open highways and bi ways

of the US of A

for a 25 hour car ride!

what have we gotten ourselves into???

it is bad to have second thoughts

about something before it begins!

any guesses on how many times

we will hear that question on our trip?

so, what have you thought twice about lately???

note to self

2009-05-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

listen to my inner voice
more often!
like today
when i was gearing myself
up to go to kickboxing
there was this little voice
saying
what? for reals?
and she should have been
listened to!

because this was not
your modern day
kickboxing class
where you show up and
sweat it out to a
new dance mix tune
oh, hecks no!

let me set the scene:
martial arts training center
like where real kickboxing
dudes and their mma cohorts
sweat it out!
and all the tattooed gents sport
the shiny boxing shorts
and the only other girl in the class,
who i was paired up with,
was a pumped up, tattooed,
sinead o'connor look alike
that let me know she is used
to street fighting in east san jose!
off to a great start!
{in all fairness, she rocked and i think i made a new friend!}
it started out with a flurry of
blocks, punches, kicks, turns
and i was hanging in there
despite the 5 pounds of sweat
already rolling off me just halfway
through the class!

oh, wait, did i mention that
i am soooooo not in shape?

i think about halfway through
i even begged her to go ahead
and make contact,
knock me out already!

but she lassoed her street fighting ways
and i had to suffer on!
so five min left in class
i'm thinking,
great, time to cool down!
and then it happened!
we were sentenced to 5 cold hard min
of a circuit, most of which
i cannot recall
as i was trying not to hurl
or pass out in front of these tough
men and woman!

i hear 'last time'
and i am so overjoyed
i can barely stand up,
ok, so i was barely standing
because my lungs were trying
to collapse, details, details!

and then it happened!
again!
as it turns out, we had one min
of class time left!
and what else to do,
other than get a drink
and find the nearest O2 machine????

why, 50 sit ups of course!
by this time, hubs had arrived
to rescue me,
but only after i attempted the
50 sit ups!
he just beamed from ear to ear
with pride that i had hung in there,
all the while i had visions of hanging
him, who got me into this mess!

but you know what?
it wasn't all for not!
in addition to the major water weight
i must have shed,
hubs did the dishes when we got home,
{which he tends not to touch when i am not working in the summer!}
somehow, it just doesn't balance out!

note to self
join the women's class!

she crafts, she crafts

2009-05-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

i can be crafty

but due to lack of time,

i am only when i need to be

like tonight

i want to give the big girl's

teachers

something nice for the end of the year

so here is what i came up with:

in the morning, i will have her write...

'thanks for helping me blossom!'

on the thank you note card.

and this past weekend, while at

the bookstore,

she picked out a little cross stitch kit

so we worked on this cute little guy

and stuck him in a frame!

me hope she likes!

well, better get, hubs

is on the patio dragging furniture around

at 9:45 PM

while enjoying this:

in no particular order...

2009-05-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

this is going to be soooo random

i apologize!

first, remember this?

yeah, well, my

NNNNNNNNNNN's

are giving out on me.

do you know how

common the letter N is?

takes about three presses

of the N key to get just one!

annnnnnnnnoying!

1.5 days of school left

i am beyond excited!

tonight was a nice glimpse of

summer:

we were all outside until late

used the hose as a bath

and still went to bed dirty!

let the summer begin!

speaking of summer,

my to do list has started

and lord is it large!

what do people who work

12 months of the year do?

summer is when i get things done!

{or at least make good lists of things to accomplish!}

oh, and it is when i have time to read...

these all came today, good timing!

and did i mention i am forming a

book club?

yep...more reading!

{and hopefully some good wine and snacks?}

today was a fun day

the big girl had her

awards assembly

and

talent show

so proud of her!

to celebrate we took

the kids for ice cream...

before dinner!

rebels, i know!

the little big guy's last day

of preschool is friday

{sniff sniff}

but holy heck am i happy

to lose that monthly expense!

although, i am sure the savings

are spent already!

and lastly...some humor:

on the playground today

a boy comes over to tell me

some kids are saying the

v word!

i say, honey, i am not sure what that is.

he said, you know, the V word!!!

oh lordy...1.5 days...

irol and her ipod

2009-05-17T18:46:00.001-07:00

once upon a time

a most deserving

mom, irol,

got a shiny new

green ipod

she fell in love

she could do anything

with those little buds filling

her ears with harmonious tunes

then...

it happened:

she popped the buds in her ears,

scrolled to her fave artist,

but...wait...it was missing

as were ALL of her tunes!

she immediately went to her hubs

who had recently added new music

{read: HIS music}

to the tiny green wonder,

surely he had to know where

her tunes went!

after much debate over

whether it was intentional

or accidental

irol and hubs finally concluded

that synching it up on a diff

computer was the problem

irol immediately became way less

productive around the house

her ears were no longer filled

with the sounds she loved

to take her mind off of the fact

that chores suck!

finally, music restored,

irol and her jolly green friend

were reunited!

her kitchen has never been cleaner,

despite letting something boil over

whilst deep in her music,

and her hubs is back to complaining

about her singing out loud...

perhaps he should invest in some

earplugs!

especially since she has vowed

to don the buds for at least

30 min a day

in order to achieve the cleanest

palace in the kingdom...

and of course to drive the hubs crazy!

lordy what a year!

2009-05-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

as a teacher

i know the toll that a

school year can take on you!

it sucks the life out of you...

trust me!

if you listen closely,

you can probably hear it!

draining like leaky balloon!

so when the big girl

brought her writing portfolio home

i should not have been surprised

to see the toll first grade has had

on her

{self portraits from fall and spring}

not quite as perky or happy in the second pic!

please forgive me...

2009-05-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

i have a confession to make:

i have not seen

star wars

star trek

it's a woderful life

miracle on 34th street

now before you go all crazy

and pass seriously lame judgment

on me

i assure you

i am somewhat cultured:

i eat sushi

i read

and i like scrabble

so when hubs suggested we see

the new star trek

i was confused!

why?

what is there to see?

i have gotten this far in life

without seeing any!

but i obliged...

and don't tell him i said this:

i enjoyed it!

now to my cultured list

i can add star trek...

there...is that better?

{{{love}}}

2009-05-10T03:45:00.000-07:00

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

thanks for loving mom, dad

and i love you mom...

Happy Mother's Day!

when it rains, it pours...

2009-05-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

and that is a good thing!

i was in need of some

serious soul watering

and i got just that in two days time!

back up to weds...

a hard, stressful, sad day

thurs brought a feeling

of exhaustion...

emotionally and physically spent

and this was all before 7:30 am!

so i get to work

not mentally ready to take on the day

and then the bell rang...

and brought with it

watering number one:

my awesome students

surprised me with a gorgeous

flower bouquet,

a balloon,

a card

that would make a grown man cry

and a little black lab doggie statue!

i love them!

their pick me up

got me through the day!

thurs night brought

watering number two:

open house at school...

seeing the big girl's

pride in her accomplishments

was amazing

and she also made

this cute little number:

in my own classroom,

it was nothing but

smiles, thank yous, and nice thoughts

from parents and students alike!

my soul was a little less thirsty!

friday morning

brought relief that this week

is almost over

and around midday,

it brought

watering number three:

hubs emailed me at work

he wanted to bring me lunch

and eat outside!

we had such a nice quiet lunch,

just the two of us, and

much needed!

but wait, this watering had a bonus!

about an hour later,

another gorgeous bunch

of flowers graced my desk

thanking me for being

the greatest wife and mother

my soul soaked it up!

and the best part?

more waterings

in store this weekend...

i am cashing in

a facial and massage

gift cert

and hope to fit in a pedi

and hubs has plans on sunday

for a little road trip...

my soul should be sufficiently

wet by sunday!

{but i still miss you alex!}

{and i still hear you walking around the house!}

so...has your soul been fed lately?

and what are your plans for the weekend?

{background}

2009-05-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

in the background

is where our dog,

alex,

has been for a while now.

as he has aged to a ripe

15 years

he has slipped into

the background

he no longer runs and fetches

it hurts him

he is slow to react

but quick to love on

our legs as we pass him by

he is slow to meet us

at the door

but quick to move

to a bedside as we sleep

he is slow to eat

what is in his bowl

but still quick to beg for our food

the last year has brought

some health issues for him

but he kicked them like

the trooper he is

there was a time in the summer

when we took him to the vet

and did not think he would

return with us

but he did

thankfully

alex

has been with the hubs

for longer than

me and the kids

and while i do not

envy him the decision

i know it is his in the end:

he has decided

it is time for

alex

to be free from the pain he is in

the logical part of me

knows this makes sense

no pain medication

has brought him relief

and hubs said it best

when i suggested maybe trying more...

he said,

"to make us feel better or to make him feel better?"

and he is right.

alex

just isn't going to feel better.

so with a heavy heart

and a shaky voice

i called the vet

to make an appointment

for tomorrow (weds)

one which he will not accompany

us home from.

we told the kids tonight

which i dreaded

we read a book called

dog heaven

and the kiddos

have decided that might be

a cool place for him to be.

i keep telling myself the same.

so tonight

there have been lots of

hugs

petting

kissing

and loving

and tomorrow

i am sure there will be

lots of missing...

missing him

rub our legs

sleep by our beds

beg for our food.

the background in our life will be missing...

{q and a} part 1

2009-05-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

i am back
i am recovered
2 cat naps on sat helped!

while i was away,
a few of you had some questions.
it isn't too late
if inquiring minds
are still out there
you can still ask...

question one was from
my friend kim
over at i know, right?!
she asked me to tell
the story of how hubs
and i met...
read that cute story here...

good question kim!
thanks!

the time is now!

2009-04-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

i know, i know!
you have all been waiting
and patiently i might add!

here is your chance!
ask.me.anything!
well, you know,
just about anything!
i doubt you need
or want
to know
things like...
how often i shower...
what toothpaste i use,
or if i can parallel park.
{for the record...daily, crest, yes!}

fire away!
surprise me!
leave me some questions
so that upon my return
i can get back with ya'll!

go on now...ask already!

give a girl a break!

2009-04-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

REPOSTED: enjoy this past post
and think of me as i am cut off
from the world for a few days!

ORIGINAL POST:
{warning: my one male follower
might want to stop reading now
just sayin'!}

what is with spanx?
you know...the lovely modern day corset?
the only thing missing is the laces!
i have two pair
one original
one knock off
i hate them both
i generally do not wear them,
unless i am feeling more bloated
than my normal bloatedness!
so i slipped a pair on for our date night
what the hell was i thinking?!
the rage came rushing back
like seeing a bad picture from high school,
i was brought right back to why this was
such a bad decision.
first, there is no slipping into them
let's be honest,
they are best donned in the absence
of the person you love as
it might scare them off!
hell, it almost scares me off!
then you get them on, and you're like,
"okay, i dig these"
and that lasts for about 9 seconds.
when you go to put your fave pants on
you feel no less fat,you just cling to your clothes more!
okay, still thinking they might
be worth the pain and discomfort,
you go about getting ready
you look in the mirror and think,
damn, i look puffy in places i don't normally look puffy!
'cause let's face it, your fat is just being moved around!
then it happens...you start to sweat...
because who needs this extra layer!?
they are hotter than hades at high noon!
and now you're getting pissed...
as that bead of sweat rolls down you back, you are
wondering why in the hell you wasted the energy
at least you might have burned
a few calories shoving your bod into them!
and you finally make the decision...
these things are coming off!
and when you do this in front of the one you love,
they look at you like,
what the hell is that layer you are taking off?
'cause they didn't see you put it on!
and then you see the hole
you know the one i speak of
what the hell is that for???
are we supposed to be able to use that?
is it an evacuation exit?
'cause i could barely get in the entrance!
what skinny person invented these?
i have heard skinny people profess
their love for them!
lordy.
so they are back in the drawer
back where they belong
until the next time
when i forget about why they are such a bad decision.
so, guess i'll just suck it in!

more odds than ends...

2009-04-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

we had a great weekend

the only problem?

went by way too quickly!

friday night was our school's

family fun night

lots of families and lots of fun!

the kids were in heaven...

and once i got home

and put my feet up,

so was i!

long day!

saturday brought beautiful weather

and what a better way to spend it

than to clean out the garage and attic

in preparation for a garage sale???

this proved harder than i thought!

we pulled down 6 large rubbermaid tubs

3-4 of which were filled to the brim with

baby/toddler clothing.

what an attachment i had to them!

but i was also not happy that they

were not being used

so the decision to get rid of them

was easier!

oiy

i sorted through and chose some

keepers

the rest will find a good home

just not ours!

today, the big girl

had a tea party to attend

so we painted her toes and curled her hair

and she chose one of her fave dresses...

is it really possible that she is this big???

while she was having tea and, well, snacks,

i treated myself to a movie

the soloist

very good

but i think i am still processing it

staggering to me that there are over

90,000 homeless in la

and really, we could all be considered

only a few bad steps away from that reality,

scary.

this post is it for me for the week...

i leave on tuesday to attend

outdoor ed with my students

yes, you read that correctly

my class of 30 6th graders

overnight from tues through fri.

let's just say i have a gift cert

for a massage and facial

that may be promptly

cashed in on sat!

i thought of having some guest

bloggers fill in for me

but, um, too much thought and work...

in their stead,

you might be seeing some

repostings here...

let's just call it the best of mommy's take!

until the weekend...

{dot com!}

2009-04-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

{sing the above to the
annoying expedia tune}

so this should come as
no surprise to me,
as she is the daughter
of a computer lover,
but today, the big girl
said something so funny
and very telling of the
generation she is growing
up in!

not sure why, but we were
discussing the nutritional value,
or lack thereof,
of goldfish,
quite possibly her fave
crunchy snack.

when she asked what else
they were made of
besides cheese,
i told her i would have to look
on the box...
to which she said,
"just look on how goldfish are made dot com!"

she is in the first grade...
is this really how her mind
is thinking?
i think a trip to an
old school
library
is in order...
card catalog and encyclopedia style!

{a week in reverse!}

2009-04-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

yes, i said reverse...
we are going to review
our spring break in reverse!
for no other reason than
that is what is freshest in my mind
don't laugh,
you know you can't remember 7 days ago
just like i can't!

saturday, april 18:
happy birthday dad!
we were heading back
to cali on this day.
after visiting with
some more friends
we hit the skies for flight
one of two for the day,
and took what might have been
the worst flight ever!
you know, like
student-driver kind of bad!
i hope i never experience
40 minutes of that hell again!
the rest of the eve, uneventful...
except for the tailgate incident...
poor fella!

friday, april 17:
who doesn't like a good partay?!
in celebration of mom and dad's

60th birthdays,
we invited some friends and fam
and partied!
in the garage i might add
cuz that is how we do it in
the midwest!
but before any partying could happen
the grass needed cut

and the food needed prepped

oh, and the kids needed
reminding every 10 min
what time the party started
they are their mother's kids
they can't resist a good party!

once the festivities got under way
there was much cornhole to be played
{did i mention that earlier in the week
i actually suffered cornhole calf?
it is not yet a diagnosis on web md,
but wait for it, it'll get there!}

and what's a party without
a pinata???
no funniest home video
worthy clips, but funny
nonetheless!

and the guests of honor
had some fun party gear to sport!
and what good sports they were!

it was so good to see
friends and family
and everyone had
a great time!

instead of the traditional
nightcap
we topped the night off with:

which always prompts me to yell out
"saaaaaaw-rrrry!"

and i am not sure anyone
partied harder than this little guy:

he literally passed out on the couch!

it was such a fun ending to
a great week long visit back home!

happy birthday mom and dad!
love you!

updated: i forgot to mention:
i met a blogger friend too!
kim over at, i know, right?!
lives in my hometown
so we met up at my parents party...
she is also irl friends with my sister.
the best part was that
my brother was in disbelief
that i would meet up with a
blogger friend, and at the house no less,
and wondered if she was a murder!
so we played a joke on him and
had her walk out of the house wielding
a LARGE knife!
not sure he knew what to think!
so good to meet you kim, you sweet gal!

i'm here...barely

2009-04-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

i took a week off from
my beloved blog
whilst we traveled
east for our spring break.

i have so much to post and
good pics to share,
but, ummm,
not tonight!
we got home late last night,
or, well, early this morning,
and i am still in tired travel mode!
i got very little done today
in between laying down
and catnapping all day!

but i will share this:
the kiddos did a fantastic job
traveling yesterday!
it was a long flight
but they were excellent!
and then...we got home...
oh my...
it was 1 am
something spooked the little big guy
as he was heading to the front door
so he turns and runs back over to the driveway
not knowing daddy had dropped
the tailgate on the truck!
he smacked his face on it,
so hard that it SHOOK the truck
and of course knocked him down!
hubs and i both had visions
of heading to the ER at that late hour.
we were shocked to find
no broken skin
and wondered if his nose was broken,
but he quickly fell asleep with
an ice pack on his face!
this morning, thinking i would find
a black and blue little boy in bed,
i found that he has only a small bruise on
the bridge of his nose...thankfully!
our proof that he really is hard headed!

{packing}

2009-04-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

i used to love to pack
like when i would spend the night
at nana and baba's
i'd throw the essentials
{undies, jammies, toothbrush}
into this little diddy

and be ready to roll
i even packed it once
to run away!
i got to the corner.
but i had what i needed
in case my feet carried me farther!

as a mom
packing has taken on
a whole new meaning
and since the airlines
are imposing fees for
just about everything
but wiping your @$$,
it has become a strategic
game:
how much
stuff can i stuff
into one bag
without going over 50 lbs?
and how can i keep
the number of bags
to a minimum
and keep my hands free
for most of the trip?

so that is what i am doing tonight...
playing the packing game!

we are headed east for our
spring break
visiting family and friends
and look forward to every minute of it...
just not the packing!

{milestones}

2009-04-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

life with kids
presents so many milestones
you know how it starts...
first their weight,
then sleeping through the night,
rolling over,
eating some solids,
walking...
you get the idea...
all exciting
and all reminders
that our kids grow up!

then there are the milestones
that are not so much
documented in their baby books,
or even as celebrated,
but milestones nonetheless...

for example,
no longer being able to
spell out words you don't
want your kids to hear.
reaching that milestone s-u-c-k-s!

oh, and how about this one,
met today,
and equally as s-u-c-k-y!
no longer being able to snicker
behind the kids' back when they
put their middle finger up,
not knowing this could be offensive!
{you know, like look at this boo boo, which just happens to be on the middle finger}

the little big girl asks today if this meant a bad word,
while sporting it happily!
i.was.not.prepared!
i paused
like, for many seconds,
not because i didn't know what to say,
i just dreaded the question
that would follow
my confirmation
that yes,
it does mean a bad word...
and true to form,
she asks...
"what word does it mean?"

after much begging
she finally accepted my response
that it means a word we do not say...
and i got confirmation that the child
who introduced her to this
did not know the word either...
at least we still have that secret!
{for the time being}

{blow out}

2009-04-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

i can count on one hand
the number of times
the big girl's hair
has been allowed to
air dry...
{besides swimming}
she is seven.
that is a lot of
blow outs!
she has my hair:
straighter than straight
and thick
it is not a pretty sight
without a blow out.
so every night
after shower or bath
we make the trek to the bathroom
we assume our positions
and start the process...
we blow dry
we sing
we talk
we act silly
we make faces
we connect
and i love it!
i have never once thought
"ugh, i have to blow dry her hair"
it just never gets old!
{maybe i have missed my calling!}
{i guess if my pink slip is not rescinded i'll head to beauty school!}
so tonight...she sensed i was
in a funk
i told her it was a combo
of a bad mood
and being tired
i noticed her trying to lift my spirits
we go in to dry her hair
and immediately
i am lifted
we talk
we goofed off
and i asked her...
"do you like when mommy dries your hair?"
she lit up and nodded, saying,
"i like it because it is me and you!"

her blow out saved me from a blow out!

{winners + losers}

2009-03-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

i'm a winner!

and i didn't even know it!

i got a message today

from a local radio station

saying if i didn't claim

said prize, won in feb,

by this friday,

i would forfeit the loot!

clearly, they don't know me!

if i had known i won,

the prize would not still be there!

as it turns out, an entry i submitted

online was read over the air,

winning me this sweet necklace!

the contest asked listeners

to describe the perfect valentine's day

or something like that...cannot remember!

but here is my entry,

{which they made a copy of for me...i couldn't remember all that i wrote!}

my perfect valentine's story starts with an awful valentine's day! i left my emotionally abusive marriage on valentine's day. happy to be leaving, but not an ideal valentine's day! less than 5 months later, i accidentally met the man i would marry, the love of my life, when our phone lines were crossed! i consider that a redo of the crappy valentine's day earlier in the year! here we are, 7 years later, and valentine's day has a whole new meaning for me!

and onto the losers:
pistachios!

we have upwards of 5 pounds
of the damn nuts
on the counter
i have been eating
on one bag for a week now
until today...salmonella?
can the farm responsible
reimburse me for these
useless nuts now?
i hate to throw them away
but i think i'd hate
salmonella even more!
might be a good weight loss program though!

winners and losers...
got any to share?

"let's go to the movies"

2009-03-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

{title to be read to the tune of the song from annie}

today we celebrated

liv's birthday at the movies

with her friends

we saw

while noshing on popcorn,

we all agreed

it is a great movie!

very well done

as far as 3-D goes

and very much enjoyed

by adults and kids...

go see it!

while at the movies,

we got a tour of the

projection room,

i am not sure who

enjoyed it more...

the adults or kids!

after the movie we had

and

and opened a few gifts!

a great way to celebrate

a little movie lovers

birthday!

{and here is a pic of the invite and goody box we put together!}

opening day

2009-03-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

opening day

tee ball

2009

~~~~~

accessorize!

opening day

7 years old!

the picture says it all...

{birthday party pics coming tomorrow!}

to the big girl...

2009-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

today is a big day

you have counted

down the days

for over a month now

and here it is

you are 7 today!

but you are more

than your number

of years on earth:

you are me...

strong willed

a dreamer

a pretender

a reader

you are your dad...

smart

a perfectionist

an analyzer

a go-getter

but mostly, you are you!

you light up the room

with your toothy smile

and infectious laughter

you are a doting big sister

you are an aspiring artist

with a sharp eye for detail

you are an attentive student

greedily absorbing new ideas

you are an articulate orator

who loves her gift of gab

you are an amazing

daughter

granddaughter

cousin

friend

you are you...and we love you!

saturday::salvaged

2009-03-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

saturday

we slept in

well, not the kids,

just us

but boy when we rose

we made swift plans for the day!

with breakfast,

personal hygiene,

and dressing

accomplished in

near record time

we were on the road

starbucks in hand

a fun little plan

and then

"what the hell was that?"

for some reason,

a reason which neither

one of us can pinpoint,

we took the elder of our two

vehicles

maybe cause she just got

shiny new tires

and brakes

but this didn't seem to matter

when she completely died halfway

to our destination

which, did i mention,

is in the foothills,

and we were 30 miles

from everything

but a barn and a 1000 cows.

she started right back up

but the glaring engine light

told us to turn around

so home we went

we pottied

refilled our snacks

and took our numero uno

vehicle.

it was like the movie

groundhog day

except we did not stop

at starbucks again

i promise.

so off we go

same path

kids very confused at this point

we finally make it to our destination:

nothing like a good street festival!

and of course we ate our way through it!

i swear, there really was a potato under there!

we waited in line for the
obligatory face painting

more like camped out in line,

mercy what we do for these kids!

we even avoided car-tastrophe number 2

when the little big guy

popped the brake on this

little ditty

and sent it rolling backwards

down the incline it was parked on!

so after taking in all things irish

and not so irish...

we made our way to the

vineyard down the road

unbeknownst to us,

it was daffodil day there

the sight of spring flowers

made my heart swell with the promise

of new life that spring brings!

{all the while trying to figure a way

to wrestle a few barrels of spring flowers

into our truck...there were so many

just calling my name...but they were not for sale!}

we perused our first ever flower show

who knew so many people were vying

for the best daffodil?!

and who can stop at a vineyard

and not taste the wares?

and what do the kids do whilst

we sip some vino you ask?

why read books and play with toys of course!

a winery after the hearts of parents!

a great day...long, but fun!

and i leave you with a few funny quotes from the day:

the little big guy, as we zoom over tummy tickling hills:

"these hills make my privates tingle!" {tmi son!}

and i overheard this gem...

a woman behind me exclaims:

"are you biting your nipple?"

{speaking to a baby in a stroller}

but her tipsy friends respond with crass comments

not suited for my blog! hee hee!

this and that

2009-03-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

wednesday

i do love this day of the week

i get one whole hour

to myself every

wednesday

i know, big deal!

but it is.

it is just me

one hour

all mine.

i love it.

today i spent it

at the consignment shop

spring is almost here

and the kids are growing

so how is this for a bargain:

10 items

2 shorts

for the little big guy

1 dress and 2 tops

for the big girl

3 shirts

and

2 pants

for moi

all for spring

all for 50 bucks!

and i shopped alone!

perhaps the best part!

last night

the little big guy

helped daddy

in the yard

and the poor guy paid for it!

despite having his allergy med

before going out

we awoke this morning

to a snot machine!

and now he has a fever

and now hubs doesn't feel well

so the big girl

and i

saw this as an opening

we left the infirmary

and went out to dinner

her choice

just us

good times

she will be 7 next week

and even though

i hate how the time is flying,

i love the little girl

she is

growing up to be!

we sat and chatted

she is so articulate

and so funny

she's my big girl!

{birthday post coming soon}

{also a tee ball post...

nothing funnier than 4 year olds paying tee ball!}

annoying

2009-03-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

this weekend
we had date night
while at dinner
we had the misfortune
of being seated by this
woman.
i knew from the second
i sat down
she would annoy me
she.never.shut.up.
you know, the kind
of talking that every
table around her has
no choice but to listen to
b/c she is so loud
hubs and i are sitting
side by side
taking in the view
chatting here and there
trying to enjoy a quiet
dinner
but instead of having
chatterboxes at our table
the chatterbox was beside us!
then i hear it!
she says, to the guy she is with,
"i'd hate to be a married couple
like them with nothing to talk about!"
and since the woman sitting beside
them was alone, i assume she meant us!

so to the rude woman at dinner:
perhaps if you shut your trap
long enough
a man might stick around,
as i have heard from your convo
with the poor guy sitting next to you,
your relationships tend to be
dysfunctional!
and perhaps
one day you will know
that in any good relationship
comfortable silence is okay!
really, try it sometime!
you might like a break from
your own annoying voice!
i know the peeps around you would!

what a week!

2009-03-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

monday
my least fave
day of the week
daughter comes home with
an invitation...
to a sleep over.
did i mention she is only
in the
first grade???
i don't get this!
of course the answer is no
and i thought it would be harder
to make her understand why
but she got it.
does anyone else think this is a little young???

tuesday
well, we all know how tuesday went
just check out my previous post...
that is all i have to say about that

wednesday
the daughter got her glasses
she is elated
may the novelty of the specs
never wear off!
{will post pic soon}

thursday
kindergarten reg today
for the little big guy
cannot believe he is
going to k next year!
where has the time gone?
and let me just address something here:
why do people have such a hard time
following directions?
for a month or more
the community has been
informed of what is needed for
registration
yet when i get there,
the line is being held up
by the peeps who don't bother
to bring it all with them!
why should their unpreparedness
be my inconvenience?
does this annoy anyone else?
~~
in other news
the big girl lost her second tooth
at school
she got kicked
it fell out
lots of blood
did i mention that
this is the only way she loses teeth?
on accident?
they are loose as can be
she hangs on to them
until she gets popped in the mouth!
she refuses to try and work them out
annoying...she has more teeth than
any kid should have!
make that one less today!
crap...note to self...get a dollar for tonight!
~~
and, the icing on the cake for today
i copied a math worksheet for my class
the page had a post it on it
marking the page
i left it on while copying...
i pass the paper out...
the kids point out that there is something amiss...
the post it perfectly covered the c and the l
of the word class
on the top of the page
oops!
not classy!

friday
although not here yet,
it will look something like this
school
kajukembo
family out to dinner
home to watch a movie
and fall asleep midway through it!

what will your friday look like???

when life hands you pink lemons

2009-03-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

updated...see bottom of post

today is a day i have been
dreading
for a week now.
i knew it was coming,
i am glad i have had time
to digest it
before it really happens,
but there is no avoiding this reality
i am getting a
pink slip
it sucks.
i never thought that 11 years into
teaching
this is where i would be.
let me rewind a bit:
we moved our little family
3 years ago
from the midwest to california
it took me over a year
to get my ca credential
and then a job
and when i got this job,
it just all came together
the month i was hired was the
same month our
mortgage assistance ended
{provided for by hubs company for relocating}
the.same.exact.month.
talk about down to the wire
i have never been more thankful
to have a job
i realized that i had not given that
much thought before.
i always just had a job
i am sure i was thankful for that,
but not as thankful as i was
after not having a job
for a period of time.
so here i am
second year of teaching
in ca
and i am so aware
of how lucky i am
to have a job
and then
bam
the dreaded cut.
it does not feel good
i love my job
this is all i know
and over the last few days
i have also come to know this:
we will be okay
it is what it is.
nothing i can do about it.
no amount of stressing will
reverse this.
we have always managed to work things out
this time should be no different.

i just want to get through today
i just want to make pink lemonade!

updated...
today one of the teachers
at school
brought in an abundance
of lemons,
fresh picked...
he/she had no way of knowing
about this post!
how'd they know i posted about
lemons????
did i bring some home?
you betcha!
i just may have some
lemonade tonight!
a chaser for the margarita
i stopped to guzzle on the way home!

swappy goodness

2009-03-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

i participated in mamarazzi's
favorite things swap for the second time
and loved it once again!

i was partnered up with
janie
a gal that somehow knows just what i like!

her package came on a day
which needed some sunshine
and she delivered!

everything was wrapped
and so cute, i didn't want to open...
but that lasted only a minute!

i swear janie snuck in my house

and took stock of what i like!

a sweet animal print bracelet

lipstick and mascara

moonlight path bath and body lotion

a beautiful cross magnet

a pedi kit

a sleep mask

a menu planner and grocery list tablet

and an incredible vintage cookbook!

she could not have known

that i own many, many bracelets

and am always looking for cute ones to add to the mix

or that

i have been on a new makeup kick lately

or that

i love that particular scent of lotion

or that

all the magnets on my fridge have special meaning

or that

i love giving myself pedis to save money

or that

hubs brought home a sleep mask from a trip

and would not let me have it!

or that

the tablet on which i used to do menu planning/grocery list

just ran out!

or that

i collect cookbooks!

what an awesome swap!

thanks janie!

{now head on over to check out her goodies!}

that's what they said!

2009-03-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

time for a little game of he said/she said:

mason's take on all things mommy:

1. What is something mom always says to you? "you're my cuddle-bug"
2. What makes mom happy? "when i kiss you"
3. What makes mom sad? "when i fight"
4. How does your mom make you laugh? "when i do silly things"
5. What was your mom like as a child? "the same like me"
6. How old is your mom? "i don't know...10?"
7. How tall is your mom? "..." (he put his hand on my head and said this big!)
8. What is her favorite thing to do? "play at the park"
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? "sleep" (coached from daddy!)
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "jewelry" (???)
11. What is your mom really good at? "drawing"
12. What is your mom not very good at? "not doing stuff" (???)
13. What does your mom do for a job? "hammer stuff" (i feel like it!)
14.What is your mom's favorite food? "chicken nuggets"
15.What makes you proud of your mom? "cuddling"
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "jason" (???)
17. What do you and your mom do together? "play at the park"
18. How are you and your mom the same? "having the same color shirt and pants"
19. How are you and your mom different? "socks"
20. How do you know your mom loves you? "cause you eat my eyeball" (must be a term of endearment?)
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? "kissing and marrying him"
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? "to the park"

and liv's take on things...

1. What is something mom always says to you? "just a minute" (oiy!)
2. What makes mom happy? "being together"
3. What makes mom sad? "not being together"
4. How does your mom make you laugh? "by doing silly things"
5. What was your mom like as a child? "smart"
6. How old is your mom? "30?" (thanks sweetie!)
7. How tall is your mom? "this big"
8. What is her favorite thing to do? "be together"
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? "schoolwork"
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "singing"
11. What is your mom really good at? "singing funny songs"
12. What is your mom not very good at? "now that is hard...taking pictures while driving" (random!)
13. What does your mom do for a job? "a teacher"
14.What is your mom's favorite food? "burgers"
15.What makes you proud of your mom? "working hard at school"
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "sandy on spongebob"
17. What do you and your mom do together? "have fun"
18. How are you and your mom the same? "both girls"
19. How are you and your mom different? "wearing different clothes"
20. How do you know your mom loves you? "when i go to bed you say love you, have a good night"
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? "he loves you"
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? "beach"

i see some common themes going on here!
when i interviewed liv, mason was in the other room yelling,
"how 'bout break a leg" for every answer!

let me know if you do this so i can come see!

she's come undone

2009-03-03T17:26:00.000-08:00

{wally lamb had no idea he could have written about me!}
spiders
where do i begin?
i.do.not.like.them.
understatement
i hate them!
if they are outside
they are okay,
inside?
i lose my damn mind!
something comes over me
i become insane at the sight of one
my insides start to shudder
i cannot stand it
and if one happens to get on me?
fuggedaboutit!
i go into hysterics!
i liken it to convulsing...
not pretty.
i come undone!
i am a pretty rational person otherwise
i sooooo get that this is silly
i do
i see my kids act this way
when they see a spider
and i think,
'get a hold of your crazy self!'
in fact i am sure i have said that!
{yes, i have dutifully passed this on!}
i try very hard to keep my wits
about me when the kids are around
and i see an arachnid
i do
but last night:
kids are in bed
hubs in the bedroom
and i am alone
in the living room
i see it
something scurries across the floor
i freeze
{and simultaneously pause the drama i was wrapped up in on the tv!}
i yell for hubs
he does not come
i grab my cell phone
and yes, i called him!
i calmly say,
'come take care of the
tarantula in our living room!'
he takes his sweet old time
but my eyes never left the spider
and yes, it was so small
he had to LOOK for it when he came in!
i know, this is pitiful...
and i am sure i will suffer
with this affliction
forever
because i cannot stand to think
what an intervention
for being arachnophobic would be like!
no thanks!
i will take the momentary insanity!

what makes you come undone???
{i had a picture to post, but couldn't bring myself to do it! ick!}

all the right moves

2009-03-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

the little big guy
has his own way
of getting from
point A to point B
it is rarely walking
it is leaping
bounding
scooting
dancing
flipping
anything but walking
that would be boring!
so tonight
during a journey
from the kitchen
to the living room
i marveled at how
he gets around
and hubs said,
"it takes a lot of moves"
and the little big guy says,
"and i've got a lot of them!"

like a moth to a flame

2009-02-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

i like to write
but i have not done so
in a long time
i have a few ideas
but never seem to
get them onto paper
i struggle with where to start
how to develop ideas
and the funny thing is
i teach writing!
my students would love to hear this!
ugh!
so recently, i have been trying
to convince myself
to put pen to paper
may they join soon,
like a moth to a flame

fishy friday

2009-02-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

in honor of all things fish...
{clickity to biggify!}

these were taken on a recent trip
to the monterey aquarium

"swordfish"

the a-b-c's of my j-o-b

2009-02-25T22:46:00.000-08:00

Art corps
Breaks from school
Cloverland...like a family
Desks...can they get any messier?
Eating outside on nice days
Family fun night and family movie night
Grade book...amen for computerized ones!
Hot lunch anyone?
I have eyes in the back of my head...really.
Jr. high...that's where my kiddos are headed next!
Kickball...love me a fierce game!
Library...ahhh, quiet time!
Meetings, meetings, meetings
No child left behind...hee hee hee. {the only thing you can do is laugh!}
Outdoor education, aka, 6th grade camp
Pink slips handed out soon...ugh
Quit doing that...if i had a penny for every time that's uttered
Reading...love reading to my students
Smart board...how did i teach without one?
Textbooks...can they make them heavier please?
Unique...all of them are their own selves
Voices...i hear voices...31 voices...
Weekends...i live for them!
Xtra credit...don't give it
Yakitty yak yak...that's what 6th graders do!
Zero patience for whining!

wordless wednesday

2009-02-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

{dessert:past tense}

pay it forward

2009-02-24T20:06:00.000-08:00

this is how it works...

the first three bloggers

to leave a comment on this post

will recieve a handmade gift from me during this year!

those three bloggers must post this challenge

on their own blog

meaning that they will pay it forward

to the first three bloggers

that comment on their post...

you get the idea!

the gift can be any price range

and

needs to be made and sent within 365 days.

remember, it is the spirit and the thought that counts!

when you recieve your gift, be sure to blog about!

so here it goes...who will the first 3 bloggers be???

who will i pay it forward to?

...and madness it was!

2009-02-23T22:50:00.000-08:00

when a bloggers away
the blogees will play!
holy cow!
you ladies rocked it out
as i guest hosted
monday madness!

and ummm...it is late...
i counted
there will be no recount
and according to my math,
which may contain hanging chads...
Shari and Reeni
tied!
37 each!
followed VERY closely was Missy
with 32!

i will be in touch with all three of you
and to everyone who partook in the
goodness of monday madness
gracias!
and now i have some new bloggers to visit regularly!

i am sooooo off to bed right now!
tomorrow morning is going to kick my butt
i just feel it!

monday madness!

2009-02-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

same game
same day
different blog

{debbie over at finding normal
is the hostess with the mostess,
but she needed a monday off
so here it goes...}

here's how Monday Madness works:
I'll post an either/or question.
The first commenter answers it, then asks a new question.
The second person answers the first person's question,
then she asks a new question.
and so on...
easy, right?

You can come back all day long and play,
and whoever comments the most
will be proclaimed
THE WINNER of Monday Madness
for the week
and the winner will get a prize.
'cause i like good mail!

let's get things rolling!

orange juice or coffee?
{remember to ask your question in the same comment after you answer!}

what's a blogger to do with a monday off?

2009-02-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

mondays
normally don't like them,
but when we have a monday off
well, what's not to like?!

and in celebrations of having the day off
i am hosting MONDAY MADNESS
for debbie over at Finding Normal
so be sure to come by and join in the
this or that fun!
and you know what?
there will be a winner
who just might win a prize!
okay, so that person will win a prize!
don't miss it!

in other news...
we joined the flat screen tv world
costco had a screamin' deal
we bought
we likey

we also bought tickets,
airline tickets that is!
to head back to ohio
in april
we can't wait!

on a funny note,
hubs, who swears off
facebook
and
any other
social networking device
has spent the last 30 minutes tweaking
his avatar on xbox live
strange.

so will i see ya tomorrow?
hope so! don't miss the fun!

in case you care...

2009-02-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

I live: the Cowboy capitol of the world...not lying, and not sure who designated it that!
I work: as a 6th grade teacher
I smell: popcorn
I listen: to the boy in his bed playing with legos
I hide: toys that annoy me. come on, you know you do too!
I walk: on legos all the time...ouch!
I write: lists until the cows come home
I see: only with my glasses or contacts
I sing: the silliest, made up songs to my kids...i hope it never gets old for them!
I can: multitask...well
I watch: too much reality tv...i am a people watcher!
I daydream: not as often as i used to!
I want: to go on the honeymoon that hubs and i never had!
I cry: during sappy movies! all.the.time.
I read: a lot, but since having kids, fall asleep too soon while reading at night
I love: my kids more than they know!
I rode: a horse that had bad gas. (wow, random)
I sometimes: wonder what i would do if i did not teach...
I fear: losing family
I hope: to travel more this year
I eat: food...need i expand on that?
I'm addicted: to facebook and blogging and twittering...help me! offer me intervention and i will go! (somewhere beachy please!)
I drink: water, oj, decaf white mochas and the occasional caffeine free coke
I play: games with my kids in the evening
I miss: family
I forgive: myself
I drive: everyday
I lost: playing sequence tonight
I dream: about weird stuff
I kiss: hubs a lot
I hug: often
I remember: all my old addresses
I don't: like to clean
I believe: i need a cleaning lady
I owe: on my student loan
I know: my abc's
I hate: cleaning
I wish: i could keep the weight off
I wear: clothes
My ex: will never change. thankfully that is no longer my problem!
Maybe I should: go to bed
People would say that I'm: heck,not sure...what would y'all say?
I don't understand: why we all just can't get along!
Life is full of: laughter and love
My past is: part of me...wouldn't change it for the world
I get annoyed when: parents don't take responsibility
Parties are: fun!
Tomorrow: never comes...
Never in my life have I: been arrested.
When I was younger, I: was thinner!
When I'm nervous: my belly hurts!
When I was 5: i learned to tie my shoe by watching sesame street
My life is not complete without: my kids
If you visit my hometown: you will see the famous y bridge!
The world could do without: commercials
If I ever go back to school: i'd love every minute of it!
And, by the way: if you are lurking...please let me know you are here! let me hear you!

momma needs a new pair of shoes!

2009-02-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

alternately titled:
my shoes now have a heel strap
i am in mourning
my well worn,
well loved shoes
need to be retired!

let's back up, i love shoes
i mean sensible but stylish shoes
i am on my feet in my classroom
all day
no time for discomfort
in the feet dept!
enter, these beauties:

they did it all
they got along well with
jeans
khakis
all the pants i wear to work
and they were elevated
they made many of my pants
have that just perfect length
you know, those shoes!
that was more than a few years ago!
they have served me well.
little did i know that today
would be the last time they
would hug my feet all day long!
mid morning, i feel something strange on my heel...
my poor clogs have come undone!

lordy...these poor shoes are worn!

but the bright side is this:
while looking on the internet for a before pic
i found them on DEEP discount!
gotta run...
momma needs a new pair of shoes!
do you have a pair of shoes you cannot live without?

friday foto fiesta!

2009-02-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

my posts lately

have been severely

deficient

in the photo dept

for no other reason

than i just have not

taken many

until this week...

without further ado:

daddy returned this week

from a biz trip to his old

stomping grounds...

and of course brought back

some razorback lovin'!

fridays are all about kajukembo

they love it

and we love watching!

i got the most awesome surprise in the mail!

my bloggy friend tiff, who calls 4under3 home,

sent me these goodies!

the coffee cozy is a-dor-able and crafted by

her own two hands! gotta love a gift made with love!

and my local starbucks thanks her;

makes me want to drink their nectar more than i do now!

thanks tiff! you rock!

i knew she had something 'up her sleeve!'

and this...

our view from school today:

raising awareness

2009-02-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

aware
/əˈwɛər/ [uh-wair]
–adjective
1. having knowledge; conscious; cognizant
2. informed; alert; knowledgeable
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
being aware is important to me
i try to be aware of many things
my surroundings
like when i am driving
or pushing a shopping cart
or maneuvering a busy sidewalk
my words
like how they make people feel
or if my words are clear
or how something sounds
there are so many other things
to be aware of
but that is a different post

'cause i am here to talk about the
lack of awareness!
{before i spew my thoughts, let me start
by saying that i am not one to make
generalizations
don't like 'em
i am simply making an honest
evaluation of my observations}

am i the only one who notices
a severe lack of awareness in people
these days?
let's take the lady and her brood
who stepped off the curb without
paying any mind to the cars heading
in their direction
or the fact that there was a cross walk
40 yards away
and then proceeds to walk as slowly
as she possibly can while stopping said traffic
could she have been a little more unawares?
doubt it!

and then there is the
adolescent unawares syndrome
a.k.a. a.u.s.
now here is a troubling phenomenon!
and mind you, i will speak just to what i witness
in my own small town on certain days...
we have minimum days,
half days of school
today was such a day
and i was running an errand
at a shopping center situated just near
the schools
the teacher in me had to be restrained!
i thought of how embarrassed my kids would be
if i went all teacher on these kids!
here is the scene:
skateboards being ridden on sidewalk
of shopping center
kids rudely interrupting store employees,
running into, literally running into
people
businesses
cars!
walking out of restaurants with cups and plates,
and they weren't the paper kind
wth?
could these kids stop for one second and look
the hell around them?
when did it become okay to be this unaware?
i know, we were all their age once
but i guaran-damn-tee you we did not
act like this!
i was on the verge of an anxiety attack
sitting and watching all of this happen!
then, the opportunity came:
in the form of a school resource officer
he pulled up to the sandwich place
i approached him
he knows me as a teacher in the district
i express my level of anxiety over
the scene
he says something like...
kids these days...
WHAT????
i happen to think kids these days
act the way they do because of that attitude!
here is someone who could have said something
to the punks
trashing the parking lot with their lunch litter
or breaking the no skateboard rule
or heck, how about wrecking into the parked cars?
and all he says is
kids these days?
am i the only one bothered by this?
i am a busy parent like most others
but i find the time to teach my kids awareness
when did it become an option to skip this part of parenting????

{almost} wordless wednesday

2009-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

being sick wears a boy out!

attack of the toddler!

2009-02-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

let me take you for a walk
down memory lane...
rewind to 2006,
and the little big guy
is 2
he likes to explore
he's a hands on kind of kid
and the face of an angel
don't forget that tidbit!
i am in the living room
performing the mundane
task of folding clothes
he is in the next room
just out of my line of sight
he is quiet
very quiet
i assume he is playing
i finished my folding
and as i go to put the clothes away
i see it
i drop the basket
and my jaw follows
i am frozen
not sure whether to
laugh
or
cry
and he sits
with his angelic face
frozen on mine
in the middle of the mess.
that mess was my
keyboard
to my laptop
picked apart
in 2 million pieces
not one key left in tact!
no lie
have you seen what is under your keys?
well, don't look!
he was busy playing alright!
playing surgeon
to my oh so healthy computer!
i gently picked him up
his eyes did not leave me
i set him in his room
i came back out and fell to my knees
wondering how in the world
i would fix this mess!
i performed surgery on my
keyboard
for a good hour
there are so many tiny parts
i shudder to recall the memory.
why do i tell you this?
because every time i type
on my laptop
i am reminded of the handiwork
of my angelic 2 year old
my space bar has never been the same
my ess likes to get an attitude with me
do you know how often those two
buttons are pushed?
well they push my buttons every day!
and the little big guy...
still angelic
still hands on
and yes
pushes my buttons from time to time

not me monday

2009-02-08T23:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

i was certainly not full of mixed

emotions

about staying home with the

little big guy today!

of course i want to be home with him...i love that,

but ummm, today was a different day at school

one that is easy peasy to make sub plans for,

but one that i also was looking forward to!

we have been working at break neck speed in our classroom

and today was a slower day.

oh well...i get the best slowest day!

cuddling with my buddy at home!

i did not just scarf down a bag of popcorn

all by myself

i do not have a serious addiction to popcorn.

i also don't add that sprinkle cheese...

and i did not pass this addiction on to my daughter!

i was not just a tiny bit jealous

when we sent hubs off on his biz trip this week

i did not have visions of myself

crawling in his bag to go with!

just the thought of traveling somewhere

does not make me green with envy!

i have not secretly wished

that some knuckle head would 'accidentally'

hit the neighbors boat currently parked in front of the house

that would be mean

and i have not called the police on several

occasions to report said annoyance

i am not that neighbor!

what did you not do?

to a t

2009-02-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

today
a full day
we were heading
to the city
hubs has a biz trip
leaves early tomorrow
so staying overnight there
we decided to
treat
ourselves
to a feast of fondue
the kids loved the
bread
apples
chicken
and of course
the chocolate
what's not to love?
we moved on to
the place daddy
would lay his head
traveling
for business
happens a few times
a year
and the kids take
it in stride
but not tonight
tears
flowed from the big girl
she was so sad
the little big guy
was so sweet
he kept reminding her
of what daddy said
"he'll be back before we know it"
and once she fell asleep
on the ride home
he whispers
"i miss daddy"
but he is right
he'll be back before we know it
and then there was
this cloud
hanging over hubs and i all day
the one we hoped would not return
but it is here
the dreaded
temperature
we have gone over two
maybe even three
months
nothing
then today
it all unfolded
like a flashback
all the signs
all the symptoms
they are here
and so we start
the watch
and the wait
to see what this
round brings
this i do know...
we miss daddy
hurry home!

can i get a big bloggy welcome???

2009-02-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

one of my most
awesome friends
from the OH
is blogging!
can ya'll do me a favor?
pop on over to her little
slice of blogdom
and give her a little
bloggy love and welcome!

welcome blogmama!

pass the patience

2009-02-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

i somehow avoided
what i thought would
be a nasty flu
not sure how
i'll take a pass though

i'll also take some
patience
for the whole fam,
a healthy dose!

give me patience
for the daughter
who ignores me 100
times or more in the
am
i get that she is not
a morning person
nor am i
but give a mom a break
just once?

give the little big guy
patience
perhaps more than all of us
he needs it lately
he gets p.o.'ed at
legos
the door
the toothpaste cap
his coat
you name it
and since there
is no reasoning with
a 4 year old...
bring on the patience

give the big girl
a dose as well
she does not deal
well with mistakes
she is a perfectionist
she does not know
patience with herself
like water and oil
they are

give the hubs
patience
although, he might
win
the award for the
most patience of the
household
'cause it can't be
easy dealing with
a stressed mom in the am
a daughter who is 'perfect'
and a son who, well, has no patience!

patience, getcha some!

pass the bucket

2009-02-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

there is nothing
like the dreaded
sub plans
to pull a
sick person
out of bed
and into work
i hope my students
have strong
stomachs
this could be
ugly...

it's a swap

2009-02-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

she's at it again

the swap's about to begin!

check out her post

she's a fabulous host!

not me monday!

2009-02-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
~

i did not allow our son to stay in the same pajamas

for almost 48 hours

what mother would do that?and what mother would joke with hubsthat if said son stepped out of the jammies,the jammies would wander the house on their own?who does that?~i, make that we, did not keep putting the kids off for breakfastsat morning, just so we could sleep inand i did not encourage them to go watch the moviethey watched the night before to buy more snooze time.that would be neglectful!~i did not buy a chic red purse at the consignment shop sat'cause lord knows, or should i say hubs knows,i do not need another purse!buying a purse would have been impulsiveeven if i were to have gotten it on clearance for $4.50!nope, not this purse obsessed gal!~i did not wait until sunday nightto enter grades online into my gradebookonly to find that i could not connect to the blasted thing!that would be procrastinatingi know nothing of the sort!~i did not take a righteous nap saturdaywhich prevented me from making hubs dinnerbefore he left to watch the fight with the guys...that would be lazy and selfish...and that is soooo not me!well, maybe it was...~i did not get the laptop taken out of my lapwhile watching the super bowlas hubs thought i might give away the endingsince we were not caught up to live tv!'cause this laptop is not an extension of my lap!no way!~and lastly, i did not try to bribe the little big guyinto helping me pull the tooththat is dangling from his sister's bottom gum line.he was not promised ice cream if he successfullyhelped me extract said toothwe did not chase her around the houseand hold her downand dig into her mouthunsuccessfullyand i did not go on to have a gross dreamabout my own teeth falling outkarma?~what did you not do?

the week in review

2009-02-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

warning...lots of words...little content...

monday: a blur
tuesday: blurry still
wednesday: blurrier and busier
thursday: busy, but less blurry, family movie night at school
friday: the usual...kids had kajukembo, but with a twist:
instead of going to the usual friday dinner out
we splurged and went to out favorite japanese joint
the kids chowed and we savored the sushi and tempura
then, we did it, we walked across the parking lot
and we each ate a sinfully good donut from the best
little donut shop around.
saturday: errands on my own
...consignment...post office...starbucks...movie store...grocery...
chick flick movie night, and sadly i picked the two worst movies
sunday: cleaned, cleaned, and cleaned some more!
we planned on a small road trip today
cleaning got the best of us though

busy week ahead...hopefully not as blurry!

UPDATE: how could i forget?
the big girl was over the mooon friday...
she completed the first grade word list
halfway through the school year!
she got a certificate and applause from her class
i have never seen such a big smile,
she was so full of pride!
way to go liv!

there are no words

2009-01-30T20:19:00.001-08:00

hug your kids,

tell them you love them.

i have no doubt

tuesday

knew how much she was loved...

and always will be.

give a girl a break!

2009-01-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

{warning: my one male follower
might want to stop reading now
just sayin'!}

what is with spanx?
you know...the lovely modern day corset?
the only thing missing is the laces!

i have two pair
one original
one knock off
i hate them both
i generally do not wear them,
unless i am feeling more bloated
than my normal bloatedness!

so i slipped a pair on for our date night
what the hell was i thinking?!
the rage came rushing back
like seeing a bad picture from high school,
i was brought right back to why this was
such a bad decision.

first, there is no slipping into them
let's be honest,
they are best donned in the absence of the person you love
it might scare them off!
hell, it almost scares me off
then you get them on, and you're like,
"okay, i dig these"
and that lasts for about 9 seconds.
when you go to put your fave pants on
you feel no less fat,
you just cling to your clothes more!
okay, still thinking they might be worth the pain and discomfort,
you go about getting ready
you look in the mirror and think,
damn, i look puffy in places i don't normally look puffy!
'cause let's face it, your fat is just being moved around!
then it happens...you start to sweat...
because who needs this extra layer!?
they are hotter than hades at high noon!
and now you're getting pissed...
as that bead of sweat rolls down you back, you are
wondering why in the hell you wasted the energy
at least you might have burned a few calories shoving your bod into them!
and you finally make the decision...
these things are coming off!
and when you do this in front of the one you love,
they look at you like, what the hell is that layer you are taking off?
'cause they didn't see you put it on!
and then you see the hole
you know the one i speak of
what the hell is that for???
am we supposed to be able to use that?
is it an evacuation exit?
'cause i could barely get in the entrance!
what skinny person invented these?
i have heard skinny people profess their love for them!
lordy.

so they are back in the drawer
back where they belong
until the next time
when i forget about why they are such a bad decision.

so, guess i'll just suck it in!

and the winner is...

2009-01-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

well, maybe i should say

"the loser is..."

because hopefully

that's what will happen!

{i know for sure you will lose your breath,

and perhaps your patience...but hang in there!}

so without further ado...

the winner {loser} of the 30 day shred dvd is....

Kimber P from I know, right?!

congrats kimber! email me your address!

{loriguyll at gmail dot com}

and now that my butt is sufficiently kickedmy jillian this am, off to shower and school!

change, checkers, and what are the chances?

2009-01-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

{don't forget the giveaway...way...way...way...tomorrow, last day!}

change
it's what we all need
watched the inauguration
with my students
so hopeful
so powerful
i hope they always remember
where they were when...
it was just one of those days.

checkers
we came home
we got the checkers out
{and i use the term checkers loosely, as you can see in the pic}

and the littles mastered the rules
of jumping, capturing and winning
and
the little big guy asked if it was
the kind of game where you yell
"checkers"
when you win!
i told him he could do whatever
he wanted when he won...
and that he did!

what are the chances?
some faithful readers...
{all 3 of you}
may remember when i blogged
about the bees
today, same spot
same red light
i pulled into a swarm of about 100 bees!
no bee truck in sight this time,
but these buggers were swarming
our truck and the car in front
again we frantically rolled the windows up,
'cause you know, it was nearly 70 again today!
but i digress...
what gives with the bees people?
i might find a new way home...
afraid of what we will find next week!

we're still here...

2009-01-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

so i realize it has been a while
since i have posted any pics
good explanation for that
i just haven't taken any!
until today that is,
a day off
it got up to 72 degrees
and we enjoyed it!

we laced up our sneaks
and headed to the park

where the sunshine got to this guy!
gave him a little high!

where we confirmed
that her legs are really that long!

and, well, his are not!
{note the anger starting to fester!}

and where he became so mad
that his legs are not longer,
that he placed himself
face to face with this pole!
not sure if it helped
but he came away from it
with a new 'tude!

the only thing not enjoyable about today?
my thighs!
there are no words to describe the fire
that emanates from my quads.
thank you jillian!
you are doing your job!

speaking of jillian...you have until weds.
to enter to win my 30 day shred DVD
giveaway!
you won't be sorry, well,maybe you will,
but really you won't!

!!giveaway!!

2009-01-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

there are no words for this dvd

she will

kick.your.butt.

and she can be

all yours!

that's right, i am sharing the love!

the love/hate relationship that is!

'cause you will love to hate her!

(just ask my muscles!)

but in the end, i think you will love the results!

for reviews and a brief video clip

click here

here's the scoop:

leave a comment for an entry to win

for an additional entry:

blog about this giveaway, twitter about the giveaway, or mention it in your status on facebook, linking back to here.

then leave another comment with your link letting me know.

that simple...

giveaway will close at midnight, pacific time,

Wednesday, January 21

winner will be announced Thursday, January, 22

(winner will be chosen by random.org)

what i love about this video is that it is only 2o min long,

i can do it before work in the morning,

and when i'm done, i feel like i worked out way longer than 20 minutes!

and heck, that is only on level 1!

(3 levels in all)

good luck!

worry

2009-01-16T18:38:00.000-08:00

i try not to do much of it
because most of what
we all worry about is out of our control
except, now,
i am worried
but that is another post...

i don't think i have used the word
worry
around the big girl lately
maybe she just feels it
but very timely that today,
in the car,
on the way home,
she brings it up.
timely because news from work
has me worried

here was the conversation:

big girl: "mommy, what are some things you worry about?"

{pause on my part...do i lay the weight of our world
on her tiny shoulders, or do i gloss it over?
i went for middle of the road}

me: "i worry about being a good mommy"

big girl: "but mommy, you are a good mommy"

{needed that, thanks girl!}

me: "i also worry about you and your brother staying healthy"

big girl: "mom, we are healthy!"

{so i inquire...what do you worry about?}

big girl: "well, i am going to say this, but it does not mean i am worried about it"

{at which point i think she is going to lay something heavy out there
and i am driving, should i pullover for this?}

big girl: "i worry that when cows and horses are eating their grass, they might eat, well, you know, their poop!"

{and i wanted to say, yes, i too worry about eating a crap sandwich!}

wanton wednesday

2009-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

at the park today
the big girl makes friends
with a girl,
all of 9,
there by herself.
do parents still do that?
i digress...
the girl keeps checking her
cell phone for the time.
when she leaves
the big girl informs me
that she gave her our
phone number
WTH???
she gave out our digits
to someone she doesn't even know!?
i guess my thinking this was common sense
was way off the mark!
needless to say a safety convo ensued
lord, what else am i not thinking she will do!?
~~
would it be rude of me
or simply community service
to pull over and tell the over excited
sign holder on the corner
that there does not need to be an
apostrophe
on the word fees!
~~
is it possible for the hubs
to get one more blasted
work related
phone call or email to interrupt
whatever is going on
in our evening?
he ought to let me answer
they wouldn't call back.
~~
oh yeah...and the funniest
from the little big guy today...
while spinning out of control
on the tire swing at the park
he says,
"i wanna live!"
me too honey, me too!

secret life of bees...and biscuits

2009-01-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

i have been mia lately
no reason
just working
you know...

so today,
gorgeous day
sun shining
windows down
coats off
and then it happened!
we are at a red light
this flat bed truck
stops beside us
the kids and i are busy yakking.
at the same time, we all look to the right
and scream!

the truck beside us is hauling
BEE BOXES!

{this is where i would insert pic taken with cell phone,
but i cannot find the adapter to do so...use your imagination!}

a million bees were swarming over the boxes
more than likely trying to figure out
why their homes are moving!

we frantically got the windows up
but not before the kids about lost their minds!

and on a totally unrelated note...
i got a compliment today
{i take 'em anyway i can get 'em!}
on my biscuits
{get your mind out of the gutter you sick ones!}
breakfast biscuits...'cause breakfast was for dinner!
and the big girl says,
"mommy, you make the best biscuits!"

thanks pillsbury! you rock dough boy!

i love you because...

2009-01-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

today is my favorite day of the year
our anniversary
7 years,
7 of the happiest
most wonderful years

to my husband...
i love you because...

you kiss me every morning before you leave for work: no matter if i am still in bed, in the shower, or bent over a little one tying a shoe.
you make me laugh {and i love to see you laugh}
you have given me the two best gifts in my life
you love me no matter what
you make us breakfast during the week
you take such good care of us
you have amazing patience with our children
you teach the children so many things that they will forever cherish
you love whatever i cook you
you incite riotous reactions in our children when you walk in the door...like they haven't seen you in forever! it is the sweetest!
you show our children everyday what a good daddy and husband is
you put up with me...need i say more?
you get me
you are you

remember one day a few weeks ago,

we were laughing hard at something the kids were doing?

and i said something like,

what are we going to do when they are not around to entertain us?

and you said, oh, don't worry, we will find something to do!

here's to doing something together for the rest of our days!

love you honey!

fashion show friday!

2009-01-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

dinner, done

homework, done

bath, done

pj's, done

pudding, eaten (as evident on faces)

all early this evening

so we were treated to

a fashion show

complete with

catwalk, (aka living room floor)

flashing cameras,

and really hot looks

who wouldn't want one of these get-ups?

and apparently the thumbs go with the get-ups!

think thin thursday

2009-01-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

it's thursday
think thin people!

my goal last week was to eat for one
i think i did that,
for the most part

my goal for next week:
drink only water (and my oj of course!)
i enjoy soda, but don't normally buy it at home
i would drink it all!
we bought some around the holidays...
i am pouring it out tonight.
water it is
baby steps!
until next week...

they call me grace...

2009-01-06T15:06:00.001-08:00

...'cause i could use some!

so this morning, i fell
i fell hard
tripped over the dog
went flying
it was not pretty
and i hurt myself
i caught myself with my left arm
on impact i would have told you i broke something
but i collected myself and went on to work

i am going to the doctor in about an hour
as the pain has worsened
as the day has worn on
my elbow is busted
it hurts.

so, i am in the market for some grace...
help a girl out!

UPDATE...
doc thinks there is nothing broken
which is awesome news...
another year of my life with no broken bones!
he thinks it is a strained elbow
but the pain...
ahh, the pain!
it is wrapped in ice now...
offered pain meds, but um,
taking care of 30 6th graders at work
does not allow me the luxury!
here's to watching my step...

slack jawed

2009-01-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

the little big guy in our house
is funny
and he knows it
which is a bad combination
he is four
he cracks us up

the combination of being
a boy
and
4 years old
produces a lot of talk about
body parts and bodily functions

but that is not the funny i am talking about
because normally, that is just gross
not funny

but here is the funny i speak of...

{after rolling down car window for some air}
"the wind defeats the hotness!"

{while picking up meds for his bronchitis...}
"do you think this medicine will give me an ear confection?"

{after scarfing down a plate of french toast, he proclaimed minutes later that he was hungry and in fact did not like his french toast...when told he wasn't eating anything else, he shouts...}
"nobody wants to give me any food!"

{he speaks in run on sentences...and talks all the time}
"i talk a lot of words!"

{suffering from chapped lips lately, this is what he calls it}
"mom, my lips are rubber"

{after changing the sheets on his bed, from regular cotton ones to flannel}
"i like the cold sheets, not the hot sheets"

{after i told him to go put some things away}
"okay, if that's really how you want it"

so many more...i just can't remember!

P.S. sorry to all my faithful readers, but i have enabled comment moderation and word verification...seems some people are up to no good these days!

what have i done?

2009-01-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

ever since i started blogging
my mind has changed
i used to go about my days
enjoying the highs
and
living through the lows
and
i still do
the only difference now is
i
think
in
blog
posts
there is this constant inner dialogue
swirling about in my mind
in which i think more
about the going ons around me
i pause more
i pay attention
i commit things to memory
i write things down
i take more photos
sometimes of things i would never normally capture

and while sometimes i find this annoying
i am also thankful

i am taking note
and that is a good thing.

so, fellow bloggers,
what has blogging done for you lately?

new year...new look

2009-01-01T18:59:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: i joined think thin thursdays
goal for this week:
stop eating like i am eating for two
baby steps...not baby eating!
~
original post...
i am a believer that black is slimming
so why not on my blog too?

speaking of slimming...
that's what i plan on working on this year!
i lost 20 pounds last year right after the new year
it found it's way home
i plan to lose it and make sure it has no map
just in case it wants to visit again!

and since i have been
simplifying
things in our life this past year
i plan to do the same with goals this year
keep it simple
shed the poundage!

what are your plans for the new year?

last date of oh-eight...

2008-12-31T19:23:00.000-08:00

we headed for the hills today

for the promise of snow

and boy did it pay off!

since the kids were so young

when we moved from the midwest

3 years ago,

this was their first serious snow outing,

and they jumped in feet first!

they could not get enough!

this was reiterated 100 times

on the way home...

so we are going back tomorrow

okay, is this a cool photo?

a shadow of me and a small hill make my wavy arms.

what a fun way to spend the last day

2008

we are now nestled into our jammies,

feasting on goodies, sipping drinks,

and waiting for the new year to roll in!

here's wishing each one of you a

joyous and prosperous

new year!

p.s. nothing screams out of shape

like my lungs did when i donned

10 pounds of snow gear and hoofed

it through the snow...good times!

100th-post post!

2008-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

in honor of my 100 post

100 things about moi:

(in no particular order, except for #1)

1. i.love.sleep. need i say more? i am a head-hits-the-pillow-and-i-am-out type of girl. hubs very jealous of that. in fact, i still nap on the weekends with my big guy!

2. my favorite number is 8. if i ever ask you to pick a number between one and ten, do yourself a favor: pick 8.

3. i love to read. but in high school, i was a fan of cliffs notes. after all, what teen wants to read something they are told to read for pete's sake. and i remember wondering if they made cliffs notes of the cliffs notes.

4. ime a gould spellar. reely. it iss eaze four mee.

5. i enjoy baking a good cookie, but i have no self restraint! i will eat the dough. i will eat cookie after cookie. it is ugly, but oh so good!

6. i am one of 4: an older sister, a younger sister and a baby brother.

7. i went to the same school and grew up in the same house my whole childhood.

8. i didn't have my first job until i was 18. (not counting babysitting)

9. i played at least two sports a year in high school, and hated running, strange combo.

10. i injured my knee while getting dressed for my hs pe class. bum knee still haunts me to this day.

11. i popped my knee out of place while furniture shopping with hubs at 6 months pregnant. same knee as above.

12. i was given an office job on campus my first quarter at ou and i worked there everyday for 5 years until i graduated!

13. i remember making a face behind the priest's back while drinking the wine during my first communion.

14. i cannot drive a stick shift.

15. i so desire to be on the amazing race with my best friend kristy...hope she can drive a stick shift!

16. i have never seen the sound of music, miracle on 34th street, it's a wonderful life, star wars, or star trek. and i am okay with that. (hubs is not)

17. i could not pronounce my 'r' in early elementary. this is a problem when you have an 'r' sound in your name!

16. i enjoy driving. not sure why. just do.

17. my first date with my ex-husband was spent watching schindler's list. perhaps that should have been a red flag.

18. my first date with my hubs was at 10 at night at a tee jay's. a relationship built on food! how bad can that be?

19. hubs and i didn't play rummy for several years in order to avoid world war three. we are over that now. thank goodness!

20. i love brussel sprouts, spinach and lima beans.

21. when my mom and dad got dressed up to go out, the best part was getting to pick out the enchilada tv dinner in the foil tray and actually getting to eat on a tray table in the living room!

22. i love reality tv. sick, i know.

23. i love frank's red hot sauce. yumm.

24. i procrastinate. work better under pressure. and i get things done that way. except for this post, which i started in october.

25. i married a procrastinator.

26. i dream of having the honeymoon we never had!

27. the only pies i like are pecan and key lime. no fruit pies. yuck.

28. after leaving the classroom for 2 years, i returned way more organized and efficient. maybe i should leave my house for two years!

29. i love sushi. love it. there are no words...

30. i was part of a state championship winning basketball team. fun times.

31. i was the catalyst for a fight between two boys in high school, they had the same name, and i did not 'like' either of them.

32. my first car was a chevette. with a pink boom box in between the front seats to blare my cool mix tapes. i thought i was cool i'm sure.

33. i was afraid of the dark from as long as i can remember until around college.

34. i have what some, (hubs), would call an irrational fear of bugs. i have dutifully passed this on to my children. crap.

35. i love board games. life was a fave as a kid, and payday...is there a pattern there?

36. the first time i met my mother in law, i burped the word orange on accident. classy!

37. there were 42 people in my graduating class. i have lost contact with 41. i am okay with that.

38. i love turtles. not so much the animal, but the candy.

39. oj is my coffee. have to start the morning with it. day is not ready to start without it. and i like some pulp.

40. i love to fly.

41. i cannot resist buying books. something about the feel of a book in my hands. some ladies like diamonds, i like books. (well, okay, i like diamonds too)

42. i enjoy photography. i must take after my baba.

43. i enjoy a good wiener roast. but hold the toasted marshmallows.

44. i cook breakfast for dinner once a week. it is easy. what can i say.

45. i cannot resist movie theater popcorn. i don't care if i am not hungry. if i smell it, i have to have it. no willpower.

46. i can parallel park like a champ. wanna see?

47. i prefer my cookies soft and chewy. so in case you ever want to send a dozen my way, that's how i like 'em!

48. i teach 6th grade but make it a point to read a picture book to them at least few times a week. they love it.

49. i love making lists...can you tell? i don't always accomplish everything on the list, but it helps declutter my brain!

50. hi, my name is lori, and i am addicted to blogging. there, i said it.

51. when i was little and growing up in the catholic church, i thought they were singing "lori, lori, hallelujah" instead of "glory, glory..."

52. i love to wrap presents. the corners have to be just so...it is satisfying.

53. i love to eat out. we used to do it too much, but we have cut way back. i still love it when we get a chance to!

54. i like scarves.

55. my birthday is three days before my hubs. my mom's birthday is three days before my dad's.

56. i love a good mani/pedi but rarely spend the money on it.

57. i have not worn my wedding/engagement ring in three years. when unpacking boxes at this house, i bent my ring when my hand got stuck in a box handle and lost one of the diamonds. yes, it can be fixed, no i have not had it fixed. hate not wearing it.

58. i like kitchen utensils. but they must be able to multi-task!

59. i have re gifted, i admit it. but even worse, the one time i did it, i realized after the fact that i left the tag inside the box...from the person who gave it to me! oops!

60. i love socks...maybe it is because it is the only article of clothing that always fits! no matter how many cookies you eat!

61. when i was young, i loved me a good scary movie...now, not so much. in fact suspenseful movies create so much anxiety for me that i have been known to leap off the couch and scream.

62. buttered-cinnamon toast...i could eat it for every meal. yummo.

63. sad but true...there are two picture frames hanging in a hallway in our house...with no pictures in them...except the perfect model family that comes in them!

64. every time i went to confession as a child i am pretty sure i said the same thing each time.

65. i carry a blue, tall metal coffee travel mug around all day...most people think i am a coffee addict. it has never seen a drop of coffee...it holds ice water...icy, icy cold ice water!

66. i have a sewing machine sitting in my closet that i have used once.

67. i can name every teacher i ever had from K-12. weird.

68. i cannot get into the history channel. i think hubs watches for this reason.

69. i am worthless on a friday night. i crash for the evening very early.

70. i had my tonsils removed in 2nd grade. one grew back and i suffered from tonsillitis in college. imagine my surprise when the doctor told me i had tonsillitis!

71. i cannot roll my r...hubs and kids can, they try to teach me. i cannot.

72. i do not carry cash. it'd be a bummer for the robber if i was ever robbed.

73. i sliced the palm of my hand open as an adult and in my mom's kitchen. i let the big word fly. sorry mom!

74. good year...the year i was born!

75. i take zillions of photos and store them on my computer and cd's, but for some reason do not print as many as i should!

76. if i have a deck of cards in my hands i will shuffle the numbers off! i love to shuffle...thanks to my dear friend kristy who taught me!

77. i love me a good margarita...

78. except lately, i have found that i have an allergy to something commonly found in a many alcoholic bevs...and the skin on my face immediately looks sunburned and is painful and itchy! sort of a downer when trying to enjoy a drink!

79. i buy most of my kids clothing at consignment shops. love me a bargain!

80. i enjoy peanut butter in my ice cream.

81. i subscribe to three magazines, and the day they come in the mail i read them in their entirety! thank goodness they do not arrive on the same day!

82. if, and this is a big if, we ever had another child, we would have to name him/her a name beginning with the letter N...then our family initials would be KLMNO...weird, i know!

83. i have 2 full cabinets of games in our house. we like games.

84. i hated my first year of teaching. went home everyday wondering what i was thinking, being a teacher!? a change of venue and a lower grade and i was pleased as punch! i could never be anything but a teacher!

85. i love a hand written note...both sent and received.

86. i have used the same facial soap for over 15 years. if they ever stop making it my face will rebel!

87. i work more efficiently when there is background noise...that would explain why i could never study and stay awake at the library in college.

88. i love a road trip.

89. i.love.chipotle. when we moved from the midwest, i craved chipotle. it was not until this year that i found one near us...and by near i mean 30 minutes. :-(

90. the only 'musical instrument' i can play is the recorder, which i learned in 4th grade. i wish i could play something else.

91. i love to color. give me a nice sharp set of crayons or colored pencils and i am happy.

92. also a good year, the year i graduated from H.S.

93. i have a lot of black clothes. i branch out with color in a few ways, but black always seems to be involved.

94. i met my husband over the phone.

95. i could not live without my dvr. if there is something i want to watch on tv, i record it so i can skip the commercials. live tv=painful!

96. i have quite the collection of cookbooks, and don't delve into them near enough.

97. it does not bother my that our little big guy, (all of 4 years old), climbs into our bed...every night for the last 8 months. i know it won't last, so i enjoy his snuggliness. hubs, not so much a fan.

98. i love gift cards! i stew over spending them very seriously. i just used one a month ago that i received back in june of '07!

99. my favorite days are the days spent with hubs and kids. we have so much fun and make each other laugh...does it get any better?

100. i wish i had some mind blowing tidbit about me for number 100...but this is it folks, this is me!

automated mess

2008-12-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

i love imagery

for instance,

i love to imagine that some cheery person

is still sitting behind a switchboard

plugging me in to the person i just dialed

that some hard working people still

stand behind the scenes at the post office

and sort our mail by hand

carefully sorting mail into little cubbies...

so imagine my surprise

when i got to the mailbox the other day

and found this little gem...

not the holiday greeting from far away that i imagined

but one mangled mess right from our own nest!

surely not sorted lovingly by hand

but instead some cold, creaking machine's lunch!

what i love is the stamp

informing me of an incomplete address

that's the least of it!

and if i knew who the recipient was,

by all means i would send them another

but i do not

so here's hoping they got at least the other half of the card!

P.S. wait for it...i am one post away from 100!

what i know for sure...

2008-12-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

that breaks from school cause major rule breakage around our house: like really late bedtimes. but how can i tell them to get to sleep when the big girl is laying in bed reading to the little big guy? {even if it was 11 pm!}
that sitting for three hours in a chair getting my hair colored and cut is soooo worth it! and even more worth it when hubs saw it and immediately said...'i love it!' must be good if he commented on it right away, or i just really needed a haircut to begin with!
that the little big guy reallllllly likes routine! he has been home from preschool since we are on break. there is something to be said for routine. i will leave it at that! god love him!
that hubs and i have the fantastic ability to crack eachother up! we had eachother laughing so hard in the car today i thought we'd have to pull over! gosh i love him! and not just for his humor!
that watching the big girl mother the little big guy will always make me smile! he zonked out at the movies today and she was right there making sure he was comfy and well loved on. he is lucky to have such a big sis!

and that is what i know for sure!

a day in review...

2008-12-26T09:26:00.001-08:00

we had a great christmas here

and hope everyone else did as well!

here are a few highlights!

as mentioned earlier

the kiddos opened new jammies on the eve

here they are in their tired glory!

and here is a cute pic of daddy helping them

spread the reindeer food

onto the big morning

the kids anxiously awaiting to see what santa left!

as you can see, they got pretty lucky!

after playng for a good long time

we ventured out to the movies

to see bedtime stories

very cute and funny

and of course ate popcorn and candy,

too much of it

we headed home and feasted on dinner

and played games

then tucked the kids into their sleeping bags

for a good night's sleep

much needed!

not to be outdone by his sister's culinary creation of toast

earlier in the week

the little big guy asked if he could make toast

i operated the toaster

and then left him at the table

with the butter and cinnamon

what was i thinking?

i gave him no direction about the butter

so is it any wonder that half the stick

was on the bread when i came back in?

my arteries clogged and a hearty chuckle escaped

when i saw this...

and now...we are venturing into the world of

the easy bake oven.

wish us luck

it cannot come out worse than the moon sand i twittered about!

a beautiful eve

2008-12-24T21:18:00.001-08:00

it is never easy,
not being with family
at the holidays
but we make the best of it
and tonight, i think we succeeded!

we took the kids to church
for the children's nativity
there are no words
for how beautiful it was!
a narrator told the story
of mary and joseph
and between every few sentences
we sang a verse from some
christmas carols
while the child 'actors' moved around the church
just beautiful
the children's liturgy followed

once home, the kids got to tear into one present
{jammies, slippers and a new book}
okay, looks like three, but they were in one box!

we all gathered in the kitchen
to nosh on various food items,
which together do not constitute a real dinner
but it was our dinner,
and it was good!

then onto the lawn to sprinkle reindeer food
but not before setting out cookies and milk for the big man

the eve was topped off with my favorite,
which i have carried over from my parents:
we nestle into bed and daddy reads
twas the night before christmas

so the kiddos in bed
the baby gate,
yes baby gate,
is up in the hallway
{you see, the little big guy's love of santa only goes so far!}
he wants to make sure the big guy
doesn't come visit the bedrooms!

and we are relaxing,
waiting for the littles to sleep
so we can play santa!

merry christmas to all...
and to all a good night!

p.s. with my 100th post quickly approaching, look for a special post coming soon!

here's the line~up ladies

2008-12-22T22:31:00.000-08:00

baking my brains out tuesday
here is the menu:

crock pot peanut clusters
inspired by stephanie over at
a year of crockpotting
how could i not bake a holiday treat in the crock!?
wait, does that recipe say it makes
about 150?
good golly.

reindeer noses
inspired by kat over at
sunshine and lemonade
i usually make choc covered pretzels
but these look more fun
and the kids can be very involved
they will be busy!

ultimate m&m cookies
i have made these for a long time
they are yummy
how can they not be...they are chock full of m&m's
the only thing i change is that i use reg sized m&m's

sugar cookies
because what is the holiday
without frosted sugar cookies
always a favorite as a kid!

these two savory goodies
are favorites from my mom's kitchen
thanks mom!
i make them every christmas
and then we eat ourselves silly!
good stuff!

sausage balls
what is there not love?
these gems are addicting
you can't just pop one!

party pizza ryes
also known in some parts as
hanky pankies
i remember my grandma making these
she had an endless supply in her freezer
during the holidays.
you will not be sorry you made these!
give 'em a go!

so with that line~up ahead of me
i'd better get to bed!

monday's moments...

2008-12-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

so many things swirling in my head...
so little time to tend to them, let alone
blog about them!
so here are some random things
in no particular order!
~
7 am this morning, i feel a tap on my arm
i roll over and there is my sweet big girl
holding two plates
with two slices of bread on each
with a grin that spread from here to eternity!
breakfast in bed!
sweet girl!
she said she could not find the butter
after telling her where the butter was,
{and how to operate the toaster}
she went back to the kitchen
but not before giving me an order to stay in bed
and to act like i saw nothing
okay
she comes back about 10 minutes later
with buttered cinnamon toast
for her daddy and i
except, daddy was at work and she didn't realize it
so crying ensued
after some comforting and stroking of her ego,
it was decided that the toast would wait for him on the counter.
such a sweetie!
thanks for the toast honey!
~
preschool
love our preschool's teachers
but preschool is why i teach 6th grade
i can reason with 30 6th graders
better than i can with one preschooler
~
car pulls out in front of me
i hit the brakes and the horn
from the back seat
charming daughter asks
"did you almost crash?"
i say
"that guy almost hit us"
she says
"is that a yes?"
~
torture
that is what this week should be called
we made the mistake of placing gifts under the tree
the big guy now officially
'does not like the holidays'
as we will not let him open the gifts
this discussion is had many times a day
always ends in a tantrum
lovely.
note to self, next year place the gifts under tree
when they are in bed on the eve
it will help save my sanity!
~
am i one of the few people in the world
aware of their own surroundings?
because people i have encountered
in the stores
or on the road
don't seem to know that there are other people
on the planet
it is not just them!
this really peeves me!
get a clue people and look around you
before stopping in the middle of an aisle
or pulling out in front of other cars
like you are jockeying for first place
at the indy 500!
it's called consideration people!
and a little goes a long way!
try it sometime!
~
and lastly, you may have seen the twitter addition
to my sidebar.
don't ask me why i started this
i know you all don't want to read
every.one.of.my.thoughts.
but you might want to taste one here or there...
so there you have it...
twitter
from this twit!

happy tuesday!
oh...and i plan on posting my line up
of treats for my big baking day tomorrow...stay tuned!