Wii Are Ridiculous...

We had a great Christmas...and I hope that you did as well. Santa brought us Guitar Hero III with two wireless guitars. We played for about two hours before heading over to the neighbor's house for breakfast. They got a Wii...my family and I spent the next TWELVE hours at Nurse's house playing Wii, eating and having a good time. Seriously, TWELVE hours. We played tennis and bowling. And let me tell ya, we got serious...about setting up tournaments and teams. All the adults had a hard time beating out the little kids (ages 5, 7, 8 and 9). The fact that the kids could get in on the action was probably the best part of the day. None of them felt the need to fight or throw temper tantrums because the adults were hogging the game.

Needless to say, we adults paid the price yesterday. Sore muscles seemed to be the theme of the day. I'd like to say that I was lucky and didn't have anything to complain about...of course it didn't happen that way. My arm is still recovering, as is my shoulder...yeah, we're SO getting a Wii!

Common Sense

Dear Mr. Redneck in PetSmart,
We all know that pet supply stores welcome people to bring in their pets while shopping. But, why on Earth would you bring your absolutely vicious pit bull that weighs probably 95 pounds into a pet store if you can not control it even with the spiked choke collar you've put on it and then stand next to my children while we're looking for snacks for our dog? Why, with your insulated plaid flannel jacket and denim bib overalls, would you laugh when your monster on a chain attempts to use my 5 months old puppy for a chew toy? We get it, as a matter of fact, everyone in the store probably got it...your dog is bigger, badder and meaner than anything in a radius of 10 miles. So, Mr. Redneck, muster your strength and drag your monster, that is apparently too dumb to realize that it's choking on it's collar, back to your vehicle, which no doubt is a huge, rusted out muddin' truck with dual exhaust so everyone can hear you coming, and go home. Go home and relax Mr. Redneck. Take a shower, get cleaned up, maybe have a couple of your missing teeth replaced, tie your dog to the house (c'mon, if you tie it to the tree the beast will most likely uproot the damn thing), get back in your truck and come back to PetSmart. There is no need to terrorize small children and animals with your dog.

Thank you for your attention to this matter,

A concerned mother...

A WoW Widow Once Again

For those of you who are new to the planet and do not know what WoW is, it's an online RPG. No, I don't mean "RPG" as in a Rocket Propelled Grenade, although that is what I'd like to use to destroy the computer. RPG in this case mean Role Playing Game. And "WoW" for those of you who happen to not know, "WoW" is World of Warcraft". I have no idea what the game is about...but I know that Teenager spent the entire summer playing it, as did Husband. About three months ago Husband canceled his subscription to the game and unistalled it from the PC. YES! I had my family back! Much to my dismay, over the weekend Husband started up the subscription and re-installed the game.
So, I'm back to being a WoW Widow. Here is an example of what being a Wow Widow means...
Me, "Dinner's ready!"
Husband, "Okay, be there in a minute"
Twenty minutes later...
Me, "Husband, are you going to eat???"
Husband, "Yeah, sorry I was doing a mission with a group of people"
That's right folks, doing a "mission with a group of people"(all of whom he has never met in person) is more important than eating the meal which his over worked and exhausted wife cooked. Normally one of my favorites responses from him is "I couldn't just leave them!"...uh, yes you could! It's a GAME! These are people he has never met, and most likely never will...yet, they come before dinner. **Sigh** I hate computer/video games.

Blog candy!

As everyone knows I'm not really rockin' the blog lately. BUT! Who can resist a contest?? Jaci at Ravings of a Mad Housewife is giving away a fantastic set of dishes (thanks to MEF for posting on her blog...I hadn't gotten around to Jaci's yet this morning). All you have to do is post a comment on her blog letting her know which color you'd like if you won. And if you link up to her you'll get an extra 3 entries...

Meet Sam

Everybody, this is Sam. Sam, this is everybody. Yep, that's right! We have a new addition to the family. I'm no great lover of animals...for the most part I can do without them. My neighbor, Nurse, has a really awesome dog so whenever I thought about getting a pet, I'd just go over there and give the Rude Dog some love. Problem solved!
About two weeks ago Husband told me that he was thinking about getting our offspring a dog for Christmas. Part of me was excited and another part me of was saying "HELL TO THE NO!!". I thought about it for a week and became accustomed to the idea of having a dog. This past weekend Husband and I took the kids (Bear and Princess only because Teenager was at wrestling) to PetSmart. The local animal shelters bring their animals to PetSmart on the weekends to try and adopt them out. There were puppies everywhere! We decided to take "Sheba" out of her crate to play with her for a little while. I think we spent about an hour with her. When Husband made mention that it was time to go home (without a dog) my heart broke instantly. There was no way I could let that sweet puppy go back in that crate and go back to the shelter. So, we named her Samantha and brought her home. She is a 5 month old boxer/golden retriever. She's built like a golden, but has the face of a boxer. Sam is the sweetest puppy. She's almost potty trained and only barks when someone knocks at the door. I've been told by several people that Sam is the perfect mix of breeds for our family. I guess only time will tell.
We're going through the normal puppy drama...pooping in the house, peeing in the house, trying to establish who the pack leader is....but overall, she's great. I couldn't be happier that she's with us...

Rants

Just a some things that have annoyed me in the past 24 hours:
1. Bear's doctor appointment was scheduled for 4:15...we didn't see the doctor until 5:35
2. Angelina Jolie's decision to stop breast feeding is NOT newsworthy
3. CEOs of auto companies flying in their private jets (to the tune of $20K a flight EACH) to beg for bailout money
4. Smoke to your heart's content, but do not empty your nasty cigarette ash tray leaving a pile of butts on the ground in the parking lot at Wal-Mart so I can step in it as I get out of my car

That's it for now...

Happy Birthday Marines

Happy 233rd birthday Marines! November 10, 1991, I was exactly 5 days away from graduating from Marine Corps recruit training....looking back it seems like a lifetime ago. Tomorrow is Veteran's Day, take the time to shake the hand of a veteran.







Marine Wing Support Squadron Commanding Officer LtCol Nelson:
"Marines! What do we do?"
Marines: "SUPPORT!"
LtCol Nelson: "Marines! What do we stand for?"
Marines: "HONOR, COURAGE, COMMITMENT, SIR!"

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference.
The Marines don't have that problem."
- President Ronald Reagan, 1985

Bible in a Minute...

Bible In A Minute - barats and bereta

Perspective...

Stolen from MEF, who took it from Tom...

A New Day

Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you that I'm not into politics. There are so many other things in this world that I would rather talk about than politics...but damn. My father is probably turning over in his grave as I write this. I remember back in 1984 when Jesse Jackson ran for the the Democratic nomination my father told me that if there was ever a black man elected to be the President he'd pack us up and move to Mexico. Well daddy, a black man has been elected...and I'm not moving to Mexico. As a child and even as an adult the thought of a black man in the White House was something that in my wildest dreams I could not imagine. But here we are, 24 years after Jesse Jackson was in the race for the nomination...our first black President-elect. I couldn't be more excited about the road ahead. Today our country begins a new journey...

A Hot Mess

This is what happens when you ask the 5 year old to get ready for bed by herself...

I hate Halloween

I hate Halloween...and I have no reservations about saying that. But, as we do every year, we bought a costume for Bear (who was a Jedi). Princess she wanted to be well, a princess! She has 5 princess dresses in her closet to choose from so I really wasn't feeling the need to purchase another dress for her. When it was time to get ready, I told her "go find one your dresses to wear". To my surprise, she came out in the witch costume she wore 3 years ago. I'm pretty sure she hasn't gotten any wider in three years, just taller. The costume fit her really well...so why not let her wear it. Off we went...all of the usual suspects in tow. We had Indiana Jones, a Werewolf, a whoopee cushion, a Jedi, a pirate, a witch, 2 devils and an ninja. Good times ahead indeed. This year we only managed to lose one child, and as luck would have it, it was one of mine. Princess wandered off from the group...turns out she was two houses ahead of the rest of the children. Pedophiles are one reason I hate Halloween...children running amok is another.

New (To Us) Furniture

Okay, I know some of you are going to think I'm crazy...but I traded our kitchen table for a red chair and couch. It's in fabulous shape and I love it! I've been trying to get Neighbor to sell me the furniture for several months now. One weekend she came to me and said "Hey Sas, I'll trade you the red furniture for your table and chair." SCORE! The table served as a landing pad for all things brought into the house. We never actually ate at it...so why not? After cleaning the living room and rearranging the furniture it looks great! Please, no comments about the off center wall thingamajig over the couch...it's a work in progress. :D

The Orchard

I finally found the MIA sync cable...why it was hiding in the coat closet I'll never know. Anyway, On October 26th, I decided that it was a day for family fun. It's not easy to get everyone on the same page, Teenager would rather hand out with GirlFriend than his siblings, Husband is grumpy, I'm tired and the little ones are hell on wheels. Regardless, it was a family day and I didn't care if it got bloody...we were going to have fun. So, we went to the apple orchard. We were sort of disappointed that all the apples were either on the ground or in bins located at the front of the orchard where the store is. And when I say "all the apples", I mean ALL the apples. There was not a single apple to be found on the trees. Rather than head home, the offspring and I jumped in the bed of the truck and Husband drove us around the orchard for about 30 minutes. I know what you're thinking, driving around the orchard doesn't sound like fun. But it was, there are hills, winding roads and a beautiful lake. We had a blast. We took a little break at the lake to enjoy the scenery and stretch our (my) legs. I took advantage of everyone's good mood to snap a couple of pictures...
This first picture might actually make it in to the christmas cards, and for those of you who do not believe me...I have full intentions of actually sending out the cards this year. :D We'll see though. ;)

This is a picture by the lake. In hindsight, I wish I would have taken this picture from the top of one of the hills; you get the idea though.

After all the complaining and the "I don't wanna go" pleas for mercy...we had a wonderful time. It's not often...but it's quality versus quantity.

Where oh where...

Where oh where are you my precious sync cable? Don't you know I need to download pictures so that I may post them to my blog...

I just realized...

I was reading a post on one of my favorite blogs, I was giggling to myself because I also have purchases sent to me at work. I do this to keep nosy children (and the occasionally nosy Husband) from opening the box. Then I realized something...I'm the first one to leave in the morning (somewhere around 6am) and the last one to get home in the evening (Husband doesn't count on this one because he works nights and gets home whenever). When did that happen?? When did my life get so turned around that my children are not even up for school before I leave and they're home from school by the time I get home. What a crazy realization...I work an adjusted schedule so I can get to work early enough so I can get home early enough to take the boys to practices and games. Thanks life for smacking squarely between the eyes today.

Halloween

Can you believe that Halloween is already here? Okay, so it's not here yet...but it will be tomorrow. I'd have to say that this is my least favorite holiday of the year. I love fall, the changing colors of the leaves, trips to the apple orchard, football; the list goes on and on. But I really dislike Halloween. The process of finding costumes for Bear and Princess without breaking the bank is quite an ordeal. And of course there's trick-or-treating. Taking my children out so they can go door to door asking for candy is not my idea of fun. It's time consuming and boring. Then there's the issue of pedophiles and child predators. Yes, the bottom feeders of society. In Maryland, violent and child sex predators were going to be ordered to hand signs on their doors that said, "NO CANDY AT THIS RESIDENCE". I guess some of these people felt that they were singled out or were having their constitutional rights infringed upon. I could rant about this all day long. Would those who are offended rather have a sign that says "CHILD SEX PREDATOR LIVES HERE"? Get over it, you are a convicted sexual predator. Put the damn sign on your door and deal with it. I know as a parent it's my job to protect my children...any assistance with that is greatly appreciated, even it's just a sign on the door that says "NO CANDY AT THIS RESIDENCE". I hate Halloween, I'd rather sever my arm at the elbow with a rusty spoon than take my children trick-or-treating. But since I'm fresh out of rusty spoons I'll put on my happy face and my walking shoes tomorrow and take my children out. Christmas decorations are another reason I can't stand Halloween. This year at the local Wal-Mart the Christmas decorations were out before the Halloween stuff! The Christmas music was piping throughout the store...people please. One holiday at a time. Can I just please drop $50 for Halloween costumes without having to worry about getting that oh-so-cute blue and silver snowman for my Christmas tree? Is that too much to ask? I'm sure the Valentine's Day stuff will be out on Saturday morning...

Obama's Tax Calculator

The results...

Well, I'd have to say that the interview did not go as well as I would have hoped. That's not to say the interview went south as soon and I started speaking. I'm just saying that I wanted it to go better than it did. The person conducting the interview said that I have an impressive resume, which of course, is a good thing. I guess I'll find out soon if I get to come back for a second interview. I'll keep all of you updated.

Today is the day

Today is the big day, finally! I am interviewing for a new job this afternoon. I'm a bit anxious, this is only my second interview as an adult. Here's an interesting tidbit...when I have anxiety my skin itches (this is a fairly new development for me). Yep. And we're talking the scratch your skin off with a garden rake variety of itch. So, it's going to be a long day...

If you can get past the slime...

Okay, some nights I fix dinner for the kids and don't take the time to sit down and eat myself. On those nights I like to fix a small snack or just a side dish for myself. Tonight it was quiet possibly the easiest side dish I've made in a long time but it was so tasty I had to share.

Ingredients:

Frozen Okra

1 can of diced tomatoes (you could use fresh if you have that kind of time)

Salt

Cayenne

All you do is put the tomatoes and okra (I used half a bag) in a pan and heat through. Then I added a dash of salt and cayenne. It is oh, so good...if you can get past the slime. :) Enjoy with a Leinkugle Oktoberfest Lager and call it dinner!

Side note: I bet this would be good over chicken too!!!! YUM!

Quote of the weekend

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sleep deprived, always on the go mother of three. Husband works nights so for the most part it's just me and the offspring. Weekends are typically filled with whatever sport has a game scheduled and running the offspring to various places and activities. This weekend was a bit different in that Bear's football game was at noon rather than 8:00am. What's the big deal, you ask? Not only do I get to sleep in...HUSBAND finally gets to take Bear to a game! YESYESYES! It's the simple things we cherish. :D After sports, Husband wants to go grocery shopping with me, which leads me to believe that I must have wronged him in another life because it is no treat whatsoever to take Husband to the grocery. I'd rather take all three of my children shopping with me than take Husband. Since Teenager was out doing soccer activities, taking Husband would also mean taking Bear and Princess. In my mind I was thinking "Shoot me. Shoot me now, please for the love of God someone shoot me.", I cannot stand grocery shopping with the entire family. MUCH to my surprise, it went well. Husband and I had our own carts so I was able to scurry off leaving him with the offspring. Anyway, we get home and put the groceries away, then Husband decided to traumatize the children by requiring them to clean their room. Seriously? Do we have to do this now? Can't we just close their door? I guess not because soon after telling Bear and Princess to clean their room they started crying and fighting. Lovely. After about thirty minutes of crying and arguing I hear what has to be the funniest thing to ever come out of Princess' mouth. Above Bear's shouting I hear a sobbing shout, "Bear! I'm just a little girl! You should be nice to me! If you would just be nice to me I would stop crying!!!". There is it ladies and gentlemen! The quote of the weekend!! Bear didn't find it nearly as entertaining as I did because his response was a booming "SHUT UP!!". I peaked my head in to see what exactly was going on...they were both perched on Bear's bed (top bunk), feet dangling. Bear had his hands on his cheeks, elbows on his knees and he was seething...Princess was sitting next to Bear but she had one of her hands on her heaving chest (think Scarlet O'Hara) and the other was wiping away tears. It was such a scene, right out of a soap opera. Maybe I should put Princess in acting classes??

What a week, last week...

Okay, again, it's been a while since I've posted. I apologize for that. Hopefully I'll be back to posting on a regular basis. Anyway, last week was a really good week. Tuesday (September 24th) Princess had her first kindergarten field trip. We went to the apple orchard in the little town next to Plainfield. It was a lot of fun being at the orchard with Princess.We were given plastic bags to fill with apples, we actually managed to fit quite a few apples into our bags! On Wednesday, my girlfriend and I went to the local Dress Barn to try on clothes for the "fashion show" we were going to be part of on Friday night. We managed to find some really cute outfits. On Friday night, the property managers put on a "Girls Night Out" complete with wine, cheese, guest speaker and fashion show. Myself, Nurse and Crazy all volunteered to model for the fashion show. And what did we learn from this class??? Don't let me and my friends model clothes because we don't behave well. :D The fashion show was so much fun...we got to pick out jewelry, clothes and shoes...and boy did we look good! After "Girls Night Out" was over we decided to head back to the Boulevard and have some beverages...oh yes, what a great night. On Saturday Bear had a football game, they won 12-6!!!! After the game we went to the apple orchard. We picked just over half of a bushel. Princess, Bear and I made apple butter in the crock pot. When it was finished I canned it. YUMMY! There's nothing better than warm apple butter and drop biscuits. We still have a bunch of apples left...I'm thinking apple sauce is next on the list of things to be canned...
I'll post pictures as soon as I get them...I'm sure you're all looking forward to them! ;D

I wonder...

I was reading an article today on Yahoo about the particle collider being shut down due to a malfunctioning transformer. I don't know all that much about it, but I guess some scientists think this particle collider is a bad idea because they think it could cause black holes on the planet; which is pretty scary. I think the entire project is interesting in that it sounds like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie, but like I said...I don't know much about it. I do have one question though...let's say the scientists at CERN are successful in creating the environment that exsisted right after the "big bang" and it ended up creating black holes on the planet, would they tell us? Would they ("they" being "The Powers That Be") hold a press conference and say, "Mia culpa. We were wrong, you were right, black holes, planetary destruction imminent."??? And seriously, would it matter if they did come out and say they created black holes?? Yeah, I didn't think so either.

It's smelly in here!

I'm sitting at my desk trying to ignore the smell in our office. I couldn't really think of an example of how bad it smells so I'll use a co-worker's assessment. It smells like smoked sausage and sewage. Yep. That pretty much nails it. Yuck. It's going to be a long day if it continues to smell in here.

I really wasn't ready...

I used to look at my oldest sister like she was crazy when she and I would talk about her son's girlfriend. My sister has always been very accommodating to Nephew(1)'s girlfriend...like I said, I thought she was nuts. I never imagined that I would be the same way with Teenager's girlfriend. I thought I would be the mom who would not go out of my way for a 15 year old girl who has captured my son's affections. Turns out...I am. Last night after Teenager's soccer game he and Girlfriend walked up to me and asked if I could give Girlfriend and ride home. My brain must have temporarily shut off because the next thing I hear is "Mom?" After being snapped back to reality I agreed to give Girlfriend a ride...and then I agreed to transport her and Teenager to and from Friday night's high school football game. When did I become my sister? When did I become the accommodating mother? I'm not ready for this...

I love my MEF!

I have the best MEF in the world! Yesterday in the mail there was a yellow envelope addressed to me and Princess. Inside was a tiny bracelet for Princess and a bracelet (with matching earrings) for me. Princess danced around the living room with her bracelet on and I dug through the closet looking for something that would coordinate with mine. I didn't have much luck...thank goodness Wal-Mart is open 24 hours! I found a blue blouse that has purple in it. When I got to work I noticed that not only did the bracelet and earrings match nicely but my nails match the sequins sewn to my blouse! (Yes, I have very blue fingernails, I love the funky colored polish). Anyway, thank you MEF for the jewelry! I can't wait to visit so you can finally teach me how to make my own!

In the parking garage

Just a quick post...I work in downtown Indianapolis, and here's what I saw in the parking garage at 6:30 this morning...
A raccoon sitting by the window. I don't know how it got there but it was so cute, it looked like a baby. Sorry for the not so good cell phone picture but I didn't want to get too close...

It's been a week???

Seriously? It's been a week since my last post? It just goes to show how exciting my life is. :D Anyway, just a quick update on Bear...last week he had a pretty severe allergic reaction to something he ate. We were running on the assumption that he was exposed to nuts...after looking into it we found that he had no exposure to nuts. So, we're not sure what he ate that gave him the reaction...it could be that he's developed a new food allergy. Good times, indeed. At this point our only real option is to resume keeping a food journal of every thing that he eats. We haven't had to do that in a long time. Hopefully, it will give us some insight as to what caused the reaction. Last week I also met with his principal, teacher and school nurse. At first I was afraid that these people would think I was over-bearing, over-protective, gone off the deep end kind of mom. What I found was that this group of people are more than willing to do anything they possibly can to ensure Bear's safety. We spoke about emergency action plans, seating plans (a Bear friendly table in the cafeteria) and a plan to educate the entire third grade class on food allergies. I have a really good feeling about the situation and hopefully we won't have to test the emergency action plan.

When it rains it pours...

"When it rains it pours" is an understatement...it should read "When it rains it's going to rain enough that you should build an ark". Husband has been having blood pressure issues over the past several weeks. The doctor gave him some pretty powerful beta blockers (beta blockers reduce the power of the heart so it doesn't pump so hard and dilates veins and arteries to allow blood to flow easier). The meds have been working for the most part with the occasional rise in blood pressure. He's due to go back to the nephrologist in a couple of weeks. So, we've been dealing with that. For anyone reading this post that does not know, Bear has a pretty severe allergy to nuts...as in so severe that you can't touch him if you've been eating them. Last night was business as usual. Husband was at work, Teenager to soccer, Bear and Princess with me. I put Bear and Princess to bed around 9pm. At 11pm Husband burst through the bedroom door (he got home early from work) and says, "Syl, I need you; Bear's having an allergic reaction!". I immediately enter crisis management mode...Benedryl, check; Epinephrine pen, check; Nebulizer, check...into the oatmeal bath he goes. My son was covered in hives...by that I mean, he had a single hive that started two inches below his collar bone and covered his entire head and shoulders (If my sleep deprived, crisis management mode brain would have been capable of the coherent thought I would have taken a picture to post.). His face was swollen, his neck, ears...it was, by far, the most serious reaction that he's ever had. Hives covered his legs, arms, groin and back. When he was a baby and we first started dealing with this, I was told by the doctor that because his reaction was so severe from the initial episode, they would continue to get worse with each exposure. The doctor could not have been more accurate. So, I always tell people that anaphylactic shock is only one bite away for my son. He's never actually gone into anaphylactic shock but last night we got a pretty good glimpse at what it's going to look like when he does. While Husband changed his clothes and prepared for a possible trip to the ER, I gave Bear two teaspoons of Benedryl and stood watch over him. Husband asked "are we going?". I told him that I wanted to wait 30 minutes to give the Benedryl time to work, if it was going to work it would work in 30 minutes. So, Bear laid with his head on my lap, body covered with bright read hives, while I watched over him looking for signs of respiratory distress. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life. Thankfully the redness began to pass and things returned to "normal" (whatever that is...I've heard of it but have yet to experience it). I think it was somewhere around 2am when I turned things over to Husband. Some of my family and friends ask, "How do you do it?"...my response? "How do I not do it?". I hate to admit it, but I was scared. Possibly more scared for my son than I had ever been. Last night I really thought "This is it. Anaphylaxis." By the Grace of God, my child was spared a full blown episode of anaphylactic shock...but it's on the horizon...

It's going to be one of THOSE days

You know it's going to be a long day when you forget your work shoes and are stuck wearing tennis shoes all day.

Shot on goal...SCORE!!!!!

Teenager has been playing soccer for what seems like forever...I can't really remember what grade he was in the first time he played. I'm sure that I have the team picture buried in the abyss with all the other pictures we've had taken over the years. This year Teenager is a sophomore in high school. He is on the school's JV team and is the 3rd alternate for the varsity team. Not bad in my opinion. This past Tuesday was their first game of the season. They won 3-0! WooHoo! Teenager's jersey number is 3...that's him in the second picture taking a shot on goal. I was so excited when he called me (I was at football practice with Bear) to tell me that the keeper missed the shot and the ball went in. I couldn't be more proud of him! I will be honest with all of you...I have been utterly exhausted since the boys started this season of football and soccer...we cram 9 days worth of practices and games into 6 days and it's really beginning to take it's toll on me. But, when I see the pictures of the kids accomplishing the goals (no pun intended) they set it makes it all worth it. I'm a lucky mom, indeed.

Mobile Blogging

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Do you really have to leave that there?

While I wouldn't necessarily call myself a huge part of the "going green" movement, I do believe we should all do our part. I use reusable shopping bags for just about everything, I use environmentally friendly household cleaners, I've stopped buying bottled water and I don't litter. It's not much...but I'm getting there. Yesterday I saw something that totally irked me. I was walking to the parking garage after work when I saw this man walking toward me. In one hand he had a cigarette and in the other a fast food bag. As we both approached a garbage can that was on the sidewalk from opposite directions, he chucked both the cigarette and the bag in the direction of the can. Notice I didn't say, "in the garbage can". Both items landed on the sidewalk. The man continued to walk as if he'd made a basket...he didn't turn his head to look, he didn't slow down...nothing. He just kept on walking. His actions stopped me dead in my tracks. Seriously? You're going to throw your trash on the sidewalk next to the garbage can??? I picked up the fast food bag and dropped it in the trash, an action that probably took 2 seconds out of my life. (I left the cigarette butt on the ground though, there's just something about picking something up that has a stranger's spit on it that makes my skin crawl.) I'm not a do-gooder, or an environmental activist, but Mr. Litterbug, is it too much to ask that you pick up your trash?

Our first win!

Yes! Our first game = our first win! The boys won 14-0 on Saturday. Bear got a lot of field time (which surprised me) and seemed to really enjoy the game. We have another game this Saturday...I'll post the results then.

What a day!

I've been in my current position for about 18 months now and I love it. I have a really great job, the pay sucks but I have a lot of flexibility with my schedule so I can be available for my kids. Yesterday I was approached by not one but two people about job openings. These positions are both upward moving/good potential types of jobs...I guess I'll be working on the resume this weekend!

You wanna buy a what?

Husband and I have been house hunting for what seems like an eternity. We haven't found something we'd enjoy living in...the majority of homes on the market are cookie cutter and let's face it, why spend that kind of money on a house that looks just the neighbor's house? Last night Husband was looking online at listings...out of nowhere Husband says, "What about a fixer upper?". I said, "A fixer upper what?". He was talking about a house. A house that we'd have to fix up. While I'm sure I'd be up for the challenge (with the help of my best-est most wonderful-est friend Tysmommy)...I'm not sure Husband is. He's not exactly what I'd consider "handyman material". I can hang shelves in five minutes...Husband, not so much. But, he thinks this might be what we need to have the house of not so much our dreams, but the house of "doesn't look like every other house in the neighborhood". I'll make sure to keep the blog up to date on our journey to find the right fixer upper...

YES YES YES!!!

I'm not sure if you're able to tell but, I'm really excited! All three of the offspring are finally in school! Yesterday was their first day back and I'm happy to say it was a huge success. Princess started kindergarten this year (that's us at the bus stop!). She was so excited when she saw the bus that she started squealing and jumping up and down. It was really cute. I thought that with Princess being the youngest of the offspring that I would get emotional or teary sending her to kindergarten. To my surprise it didn't happen. She got on the bus and I threw my hands in the air and did the happy dance. I've finally gotten my last baby into school. Just one more school year and she'll be in an all day class. When she got home she told me and Husband all about her big day, I'm pretty sure that her favorite part of the day was finding out that she actually has a locker!

Bear had an unusual day, one would think that with Bear an unusual day is par for course...it started out just fine...then we realized (after he got on the bus) that we couldn't find his medicine bag. For anyone that doesn't know, Bear is asthmatic and has several medications that we keep in a cosmetic bag for easy access. He is always very responsible and knows where it is. Some how yesterday it managed to get lost. While Husband and I were at the school (yes, to take pictures of Princess getting off the bus and finding her way to her room) we asked Bear, who was eating lunch, where it was. He said that he left in the car. Why in the world would it be in the car??? Well, it wasn't. It was absolutely no where to be found. A slight panic set in because he needed the medication for his before bed doses. But, I figured we had time to work on getting replacements. Husband and I left the school only to be called by the nurse. Bear had a migraine. She gave him something that unfortunately didn't work. Before the bus could leave the school in the afternoon Bear threw up all over his seat, and his new school shoes. He was fine after that...maybe a little embarrassed, but fine nonetheless.

Teenager (not pictured in this post) managed to have a pretty good day. He's not very happy about having to be at the bus stop at 6:30 am...but I'm sure he'll get used to it just in time to start summer vacation. :) This year the new high school opened...I'm not sure how excited the students were about it, but I know as a parent I was really excited. Today is picture day for Teenager...I wish I would have been at home when he left for school today...I bet his shaggy hair is going to be in his face. Ugh. Oh well, if his long hair is all I have to worry about with him then it's okay.

All done...kind of.

Yesterday in my blog I said that I was going to post pictures of the goodies I found on clearance. Well, here they are. I have no taste for decorating, but I like the way this looks...the most expensive piece was the lampshade which I got for $9.99. The lamp was $3.00 at a garage sale, the accent pieces were $2.99 each at Michael's and the wall thingamajig was $3.99, also at Michael's. So, for roughly $25 I put together this little spot in my dining room.

An afternoon of good deals...

Last week I blogged about having my very first creative inspiration...this week, I'm thinking that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. On Saturday I took my bag to Michael's craft store looking for ideas to help me turn my bag into a work of art. What I wasn't expecting to find was very expensive options. I found beautiful frames and artist's canvases, all out of my budget. So, I thought I would take a look at Wal-Mart...maybe they'll have something I can use.
The trip to Michale's wasn't a total loss though. I scanned the clearance aisle (which I never have any luck at) and managed to find a couple of really nice pieces for my dinning room at 80% off. From there was off to Meijer for groceries. While I was there I remembered that I needed a lampshade for the lamp I bought at a garage sale this summer. Woohoo! All things lighting were 30% off! I found a very pretty lamp shade for $9.99. I took my goodies home and put them in their intended spots. Tonight I plan to hang the wall thingamjig I bought at Michael's. Tomorrow, I'll post pictures of my fun new dinning room things. And the bag art project? Well, for now it'll be on hold until I can find something in my budget to help me transform my $3.00 bag into art.

Eureka!

Everyone who knows me knows that I am so not a crafty cool person. I want to be crafty but lack creativity. My oldest and dearest friend (as seen commenting on my blog as Ty'sMommy) is the coolest crafter I know, and I'll admit...there is a bit of jealousy on my part. But! Lo and behold, last night I was struck with an idea...I have a canvas bag that was given to me by one of my sisters (who just happens to be the Queen of thrifty shopping) that I really couldn't use because of the size and shape. I love the bag and would hate to get rid of it so I hung it from the door knob on my closet door. And there it sat for 2 months. As I walked past it last night it struck me...I can make something out of that bag! I'm planning to make it into three wall hangings out of the bag. I have several ideas as to how I'd like to get this accomplished but I'm really not sure where to even begin. So, I'm going to be visiting the local craft stores looking for options this weekend. I'm so excited...my very own crafty idea. :) I'll take pictures and post them as the project progresses.

I'm gonna get fired

Okay, so maybe that's a bit dramatic...but I'm sure nothing good is going to come of me having the necessary credentials to edit my department's portion of the agency web site. I received my credentials today and went in and poked around on the site. It looks nothing like it did during the training. Did I mention the training was 3 months ago and it was only 4 hours long?? Yeah. Nice. The only comfort I have is that if I screw things up, my supervisor has to approve it. So, hopefully anything I edit on the site won't actually make it through the list of approvers it has to go through prior to being published.

Ready, Set, Hike!

Let me preface this post by saying that having to pay to play sports is something I anticipated before we moved here. The last thing I expected when we moved here was how much we were going to have to pay for our kids to be athletes. Since Teenager started playing soccer/t-ball when we lived in North Carolina sports have always been very inexpensive if not free. Then we moved to Indiana...the days of inexpensive sports are now a thing of the past. The athletic club that runs all the sports in this town is expensive...and they require parent participation. You can "volunteer" to work in the vending area, field maintenance, team mom or you can coach. (Can anyone out there really see me being a team mom? Me neither.) To which I replied, "You mean I have to pay a hefty registration fee...and then I'm not even going to be able to sit and watch him play?!" I guess Husband will be doing the participating while I'm doing the watching...
Last night was Bear's first football practice...good times indeed. Thirteen 8 year olds dressed in shoulder pads, helmets, mouth guards and cleats. Truly an amusing sight. The coaches are intense but good. Bear seemed to pick up on things quickly...but he's afraid to square up with someone. Seriously, I'm not crazy about the fact that we paid a hefty registration fee, bought pants, cleats and pads so that my precious baby will let players run right past him for fear of being knocked down. **Sigh** I tried to explain to him that he won't get hurt if he's trying to tackle or is being tackled (and that we'd fix it if he does get hurt) but it did not calm his nerves. Hopefully as the season progresses he'll be more inclined to square up.

It's the simple things...

Yes, the simple things in life are what we cherish most. This morning I was looking at the Plainfield Community School Corporation web site not expecting to find anything new. Much to my surprise there was a new tidbit on the portion of the site dedicated to the school clinic. The tidbit states that due to a recent change in legislation a child with a chronic medical condition can now carry and self administer medication. This is something that I've been struggling with for years. Bear is an asthmatic but was never allowed to carry his rescue inhaler on his person while at school. Really, what kind of sense does that make? Thankfully we don't need to worry about that now. He'll be able to have his inhaler with him at all times. Like I said...it's the simple things...

"Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken"

Tonight Husband and I got to see the S.E.L.L.O.U.T. comedy tour at Morty's Comedy Joint in Indianapolis. Had it not been for Optimist football I would not have known they were going to be here. Let me explain. Earlier this week I took Bear for his football evaluation, I met another mother whose son happens to be a friend of Bear's. We got to talking about things and she mentioned that she is a comedian. I was intrigued...it's not everyday that you meet someone who has been on television and travels the country doing stand up comedy. Anyway, I must have made an impression because she got me 2 tickets to the show tonight. I had looked forward to it all week. What started as going to a comedy show turned into a terrific date night with Husband. The night started with dinner at Woodfire Grill, it happens to be our new favorite place. Husband had the Fishy Fishy sandwich (which is Mahi Mahi that is grilled) and I had the pulled pork sandwich. My sandwich was so big that I couldn't finish even half of it (the barbecue sauce is wonderful). This place has the best pickles I have ever eaten, seriously. After dinner we drove 30 minutes to the north side to see the show. Much to my surprise, Morty's is a really nice club. There was only a couple of seats that could conceivably be called a 'bad' seat. The house was packed and the comedians were fantastic. "Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken" is the official moto of the tour. It's a hilarious show about removing stereotypes and being 'sellouts' to their race. Some of the jokes were so funny I was near tears. After all four comedians had performed they answered anonymous questions from the audience. The Q & A session quite possibly was the best part of the show as it is entirely improv'd. All in all, it was a fantastic night and I highly recommend that you see the show if you have the opportunity.

OSU Football

See the picture? That's the Bear's first OSU football uniform. Okay, so it's just an OSU t-shirt over his shoulder pads. Nonetheless...my boy is playing his first season of football and much to my disappointment it happens to be tackle. My sickly boy is going to play tackle football. I'm secretly hoping that he'll be the kicker because they don't get hit very much. I'm also hoping that Bear will go to OSU and play football...or maybe he'll just get in because of academics. Back to football. The husband has been walking around with his chest puffed out in the "my boy is playing football just like I did" manner. It's something to see. Luckily (for me) practices will be on the nights that Teenager is playing soccer, so it'll be a little less hectic for me to manage the transportation. Lord knows that it'll be much easier when Teenager gets his license next April..really, it can't happen fast enough for me.

The Teenager Is Away For The Weekend

So, Teenager came to me a couple of weeks ago asking if he could go to Cedar Point this weekend with his friend. I was apprehensive, afterall, it's 6 hours away now (versus the 45 minutes away it used to be) and I had never met the friend he was going with. BUT, I have all the faith and confidence in my son to do the right thing. Anyway, the other day he told me after I agreed to let him go, that his friend's parents were not going to go on the trip but his friend's sister was going to be driving them. I'm sure you can all imagine my immediate response. After a long discussion about it, I decided that I would let him go. The sister is 19 years old, and so were her 3 friends that are also on the trip. I was even more apprehensive about the trip after finding out that it was literally going to be a trip, 6 teenagers, 6 hours on the road, amusement park, two night stay and 6 hours back...and not one parent was going. At the same time I had a really difficult time saying no to Teenager. He is incredibly deserving of the trip...so I let him go. I know what you're thinking...but, I met the girls that are going on the trip as well as the friend...all made a very good impression and seem to have their heads screwed on correctly. I told Teenager to have a good time, act responsibly and not to make me regret letting him go on the trip. I resisted the overwhelming urge to text him all day long. I sent him a text just a little while ago because I knew the amusement park would be close to closing. Below is the conversation:

ME: Having fun???

Teenager: Ya. We're leaving Cedar Point right now for today. We had a lot of fun. And I got pooped on by a freaking bird. LOL

ME: LMAO!!! Karma son. Karma What were you doing wrong? LOL

Teenager: Walking under it I guess? LOL!

ME: Nice Grace, really nice. :D I'm so blogging this conversation tomorrow.

Teenager: Nice to know! LOL. We are gonna get up early 2morrow to ride the Maverick.

ME: Cool! Have fun!

Teenager: We'll try! LOL

Teenager is such a great kid. Seriously, he's awesome. I just think it is positively hilarious that he was pooped on by a bird. I'm sure when he gets home tomorrow he'll wake me up and talk my ear off about the weekend. I'm looking forward to it...I'll be tired as hell on monday morning, but I miss Teenager and can't wait to hear all about the weekend.

The Lines Are Out to Get Me!!!

Yes, the lines are out to get me. Let me explain...last Saturday morning it was storming but needed to run to the grocery for a couple of things. So, off to Kroger I went. I bought orange juice, eggs and biscuits. On my way out of the store I slipped on the painted crosswalk lines and fell, resulting in a skinned knee and broken eggs. Who knew that those darned painted lines get slick when they're wet? Anyway, the rest of the weekend was fall free. On Monday morning I had to get gas on my way to work. So, I stopped at the Speedway near the interstate on ramp. Whenever I stop for gas in the morning I always go across the street to McDonald's and grab an iced coffee. I love McDonald's iced coffee and was really looking forward to having it on the way to work. As I pulled into the parking lot at McD's I noticed that the drive thru lane was wrapped around the building. No biggie, I'll just go in and grab my coffee. Why didn't I just stay in the damn car??? Why didn't I wait in the line from hell?? Now keep in mind that on Monday the skies were clear and there was no sign of precipitation. I step out of the car, slip on yet another wet painted line (and why the heck was it wet??? It hadn't rained...) and land squarely on my rear end. And it wasn't the cute kind of slip either, we're talking arms flailing feet in the air sunglasses flying off the head kind of fall. I looked like a turtle on it's shell trying to get up without ruining my clothes, it was so not the way I wanted to start my morning/week. Needless to say, I'm not going to be walking on any more of those lines...wet or dry!

Memories of Washington

This morning while I was driving in I noticed the clouds in the distance. The sun hadn't peaked above them yet, but the rays of the sun managed to hint that sunrise was close. The cloud formation reminded me of living in Whidbey Island, Washington. The cloud resembled the mountains on the island near Deception Pass. I know that clouds and mountains are two very different things, it just triggered memories of a place that I left a lifetime ago. All morning I thought of Whidbey Island. I learned a lot there...I learned what it feels like to disappoint the people I love, I learned how it felt to be abandoned, and then I learned what the word friendship really means.

Don't make me pass you...

I understand that the speed limit is 55mph. I understand that not everyone drives as fast as I do. What I don't understand is how someone traveling 45mph on an interstate on ramp thinks they're going to merge safely into traffic that is going at least 65mph (normally the flow of traffic is closer to 70mph). That's how my morning commute started. I was in the turn lane leading to the two lane on ramp to I-70 E. In front of me was a minivan. I hate minivans. Anyway, this on ramp (because it's two lanes) does not immediately merge into traffic. You have about 1/4 of a mile before the right lane merges, then in another 1/4 mile the right lane merges again. So, in about half a mile you are in the flow of traffic. The light turns green and the minivan (did I already express my hatred of minivans???) begins the left turn onto the ramp. I, of course, do the same. The minivan is going between 40 and 45 mph...seriously. How are we going to merge into traffic moving at 65mph if we're going 45mph??? Luckily for me, I still had room to pass, on the right no less. After passing the minivan I look in the rear view mirror to see the minivan, clearly with no idea that there was a semi in the lane that he/she was attempting to merge into, merge with no regard for traffic. The semi swerved to avoid the minivan and cars swerved to avoid being hit by the semi. Seriously, does it make any sense? Accelerate when you're on the on ramp...get close to the speed of traffic. Don't cause near misses on the interstate because you'd like to take you're sweet time and merge without regard for fellow drivers. Better yet, car pool or take public transportation. You should not be allowed on the road Mr. Minivan Driver!

I'm 35!

Yay! I finally get to steal a few minutes on the computer! Okay, so yesterday was my 35th birthday. According to my husband, I am now In the 'mid-life' stage of my life and is expecting a mid-life crisis to happen any day now. Um...really, no I don't think so. I didn't wake up yesterday and say to myself "So, this is what 35 feels like, I think I'm going to have a mid-life crisis". I actually woke up and was excited to be 35. I've been looking forward to it for several years; please don't ask for an explanation as I do not have one. I just think it's cool to say "I'm 35". Now I get to look forward to being 40! How awesome is that?!?

My birthday was pretty uneventful (which is fine with me). The girls at work decorated my cubicle and took me out to lunch. When we got back to the office we endulged in chocolate cake. I also received birthday wishes from friends and family.Yesterday Eric and I went out to lunch, sans children. He said that my gift isn't ready yet but I should have it soon. I was just happy to have a day where the children were well behaved, and not trying to jump on eachothers heads. Overall, I'd say the birthday was success...

The Joys of Motherhood...

I'm sure everyone out thre who has children knows the joys of parenting. Children can bring such joy into your life...a smile from your little one can erase of the stress of the day. Of course they can also add to the stress of the day. I called off work today because I feel like death on a cracker. Of course being a mother doesn't mean you actually take a day off just because you called off work. The "little ones" wanted lunch and as their dutiful mother I obliged. I was in the kitchen when I saw something poking out from underneath the oven. I bent down to find an empty Gogurt tube...after further inspection I found no less than 15 (Yes, count them...15) empty yogurt tubes under the oven. I call the youngest of my two children into the kitchen for an explination. Osito as if on cue, began the endless "Mom, I swear I didn't do it" speach. Princess merely stood there with a stunned "I hope mom doesn't figure out it was me" look on her face. I looked at her and said "Princess, why did I find yogurt trash under the stove?" to which she responded by crying and running out of the room. Guilty as charged in my book. So, I cleaned up the mess and had a talk with my little angel about putting things under the stove. I'm just terrified to see what she's stuck under the fridge!