Dine Out For America

Check out this site. Let me know if you plan to participate.




In my area, at least, Olive Garden and O'Charley's are both donating 100% of profits. And OG has their all you can eat pasta bowl for $7.95 special going on right now. At O'C's, kids eat free on Wednesdays. Those are my suggestions in case you care, but there are tons of other restaraunts participating, so check them out!



Ok, so I don't know if this qualifies for an actual post or not, but it's the best I can do. Sorry for being such a slacker lately!

Who's Rotten?

You take your eyes off 'em for one second....



At this point, he'd had all the blankets out of the basket and had put some back in. I just refolded all of those blankets a couple of days ago because he'd done the same thing! GRRRRRR! Have I ever mentioned how I hate doing the same things over and over again? Cause I do. I don't mean stuff everyone has to do every day like brush my teeth, take a shower, load the dishwasher. I mean clean up the same messes over and over cause your kids go behind you and undo what you just did. I hate that!!



But then they look at me like this and I can't stay mad!

Tag

I was tagged by Jemmers!!

THE RULES:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five people to do the same.

"Especially at my kids."

Ok, so I don't always blog in complete sentences, I see! I was talking about how I wanted to stop yelling so much. I'm a yeller. I don't like it, but my mom was a yeller, I'm a yeller, and my girls (especially the oldest) are yellers. I'm glad I did this, cause I had forgotten about that post and it was a nice little reminder that I need to keep working on this bad habbit!

5 people I tag:

1. If
2. you
3. wanna
4. go
5. forit!

Desperate For Desperate

Housewives that is! I can't wait! Season premiere is tonight! Yeah!! I have been SO looking forward to this! Here is what's going on in tonight's episode. Gonna be a great season!!



And we can't forget about the OTHER hot Jesse...


(Jesse Metcalfe)

The Big Reveal

1. I cannot drive the speed limit. Ever!-True. I must always go at least 5 mph over!
2. I can't carry a tune in a bucket.-False. I can carry a tune if the bucket's big enough.
3. I worked at a bank for 4 years.-True.
4. I used to sell Avon.-True. Not very successfully, I always spent any $ I earned on discounted products for myself.
5. I love to cook!-Big Fat False!

6. I was in 4 musicals in high school.-True. 2 Freshman year, 2 Sophmore year (and some plays too).
7. I once sent an email to my boss that was meant for a co-worker and it made me look bad.-True, unfortunately! That was at the bank.
8. I am extremely computer savvy.-False. If a button doesn't do what it's supposed to, I'm lost!
9. I have a child in 2nd grade.-False. I have a 3rd grader and a kindergartener (and a 1 year old).
10. I only have one piercing in each ear.-True.

11. I have 2 daughters and 1 son-True
12. I am 5'5" tall.-True.
13. I'm not a natural blonde.-Like False, duh!
14. I have a tattoo.-False, though I've considered getting an ichthus on my ankle (but I HATE needles!)
15. I like being a "minivan mom".-True, indeed.

16. I wear glasses/contacts.-True. Can't see without 'em!
17. I'm a great dancer.-False. I gots no rhythm.
18. I played varsity tennis in high school.-True. Ok, so we didn't have the best team if I played varsity, but I did get my letter.
19. I don't shave my legs in the winter.-False. (chica chica wah wah!)
20. I love staying up late and hate waking up early!-SoTrue!


(Ichthus)


(Pic of me from my 10th grade yearbook at tennis practice)

Latest Celeb Crush

Gotta be Jesse Spencer (Dr. Robert Chase) of House, M.D. I had not seen any of the movies he had been in. Well, actually, I think I started watching Uptown Girls, but it was kinda boring, so I didn't finish it.

What a cutie patootie bootie!



(HOT! HOT! HOT!)

And that accent...just yummy!

Interesting fact about him: He has 2 brothers and 1 sister, all of whom are medical doctors, as well as their father, and he....well....plays one on t.v.

Just for Fun!

Here's a little quiz for you (about me). I've done similar things before, I think, but it's fun anyway. Leave your answers in the comments and make your own True of False quiz on your own blog...if you wish to play along. To make it quicker, you can just leave the #'s of those you think are false. Have fun!

1. I cannot drive the speed limit. Ever!
2. I can't carry a tune in a bucket.
3. I worked at a bank for 4 years.
4. I used to sell Avon.
5. I love to cook!

6. I was in 4 musicals in high school.
7. I once sent an email to my boss that was meant for a co-worker and it made me look bad.
8. I am extremely computer savvy.
9. I have a child in 2nd grade.
10. I only have one piercing in each ear.

11. I have 2 daughters and 1 son
12. I am 5'5" tall.
13. I'm not a natural blonde.
14. I have a tattoo.
15. I like being a "minivan mom".

16. I wear glasses/contacts.
17. I'm a great dancer.
18. I played varsity tennis in high school.
19. I don't shave my legs in the winter.
20. I love staying up late and hate waking up early!

At The Convent

The nuns at the local convent had their daily announcement session. The mother superior walked out in front of the 100 nuns with a very serious frown on her face. She began to speak...

Mother Superior: There had been a sinful deed committed here yesterday.

99 nuns: Oh, no!
1 nun:Hee,hee,hee.

Mother Superior: Today I found a pair a men's underwear.

99 nuns: Oh, no!
1 nun: Hee, hee, hee.

Mother Superior: And I also found a condom.

99 nuns: Oh, no!
1 nun: Hee, hee, hee.

Mother Superior: And it has been used!

99 nuns: Oh, no!
1 nun: Hee, hee, hee.

Mother Superior: And there was a hole in it!

1 nun: Oh, No!
99 nuns: Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee!...

Bad Blogger Etiquette

Ok, so I am getting a little tired of blogging. Here's why. At first, I was blogging just to do it. Then a few weeks ago, I was like "why do I do this, no one really reads it". So I start commenting on more blogs. Lots of them, to see if I could get more people to come check out my site. I realize I am kinda boring, but so are a lot of other people's blogs!

You know how many people came back and commented on mine? Maybe 2! I mean, come on people, at least a return "Hi" comment or something!

Now, I know what you're thinking...lots of people don't return comments. But here's the thing. I've seen those bloggers that I have made several comments on their blogs return comments to other bloggers who visit their site, but not mine.

Am I really so uninteresting that I don't even deserve a "hello, thanks for visiting my blog"? I guess so!

Good Weekend!

I found a new diaper bag. I looked many places over the last few days desperately searching for just the right one. I looked at Babies R Us (where I found one and bought, but couldn't decide if I wanted to keep), Big Lots, WalMart, Target, JC Penney's Outlet, among several others. My final stop was at Marshalls. I figured if I couldn't find anything there, I would just keep the one I got from BRU and get on with my life. I looked around and found a couple diaper bags, but no backpack ones like everyone suggested to me. So I thought, there's no reason I couldn't just get an actual backpack to use. So I headed over to the backpack area. I found this one:




It was only slightly more that I paid for the one from BRU and lots bigger. So I bought it and took the other one back. I've only used it for 2 days now, but am already loving it! I am so not good at making decisions. For goodness sakes, I have to lug this bag everywhere I go, I need to like it!

Saturday, of course, was the OSU Buckeye game with the hubby. You can read all about that here. It was a BLAST!!!!! Now, I am not the biggest football fan in the land, but I do like the Bucks! I have no choice really living here in Columbus (unless I WANT to be declared a traitor and be hunted like a wild animal...a wolverine perhaps?!!!). But if ever a great team existed that you were forced to root for, it would indeed be, the Ohio State Buckeyes!! Go Bucks!!! We had an awesome time!!! It was exciting from start to finish!!! Definitely want to go again sometime!! Maybe when we're old and rich (ha) we will purchase season tickets!

Today went fairly well also. It started early with praise team practice at 7:30. That was, of course, sucky! The guys running sound have even less of a clue of what they're doing than the worship leader! For second service, my mic was not even turned on AT ALL!! I tapped my finger on it to try to give them a clue that it wasn't on to no avail. They were back there lifting their hands as if to tell the team to sing louder. Here's a clue, buddy, turn the mic's on and maybe we'll sound louder!!!! Sometimes I just want to quit (again), it's not worth it. But I do enjoy the adult time I get while at practice, and I enjoy singing, and the friendships I'm building. I suppose as long as God can hear us, it doesn't really matter if the congregation can! So I'll stick it out for a while longer at least.

After church, we ate lunch with my dad at BW's (B-dubs). Very yummy! Their wings were excellent today. We don't go there often but have been wanting to go for a while, so we did.

That's pretty much it. May watch a movie we borrowed from the library later after getting the kids all in bed. Overall, a good weekend!

Any Suggestions?

I need a new diaper bag. I have been using the one I got free from the hospital for about a year now. (before that I was using a bigger one I'd received as a gift).

The one from the hospital is still in good shape, however, this past week sometime, I left a sippy cup of chocolate milk in it and left the whole bag in my van as I usually do (because I would forget it if I didn't do that). Well, somehow, the sippy got turned upside down in the bag and leaked all over everything that was in there. So, of course, now the bag reeks of sour chocolate milk!!! I cleaned it out with lysol disinfectant wipes and even sprayed some lysol in it and let it dry out. Well, now, it just smells like mountain fresh soured chocolate milk. So, to the dumpster with that bag. At least it was free!

Anybody have any good suggestions on where I can find a small-medium sized diaper bag or backpack that's well made but inexpensive? I checked wal-mart and will be checking Target and possibly Babies R Us today. Anywhere else I should look?

Tech Support for Etch-A-Sketch

Q: My Etch-A-Sketch has a distorted display. What should I do?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: My Etch-A-Sketch has these funny little lines all over the screen.
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I turn my Etch-A-Sketch off?
A: Pick it up and shake it. Set it down.

Q: My Etch-A-Sketch has lines that prevent me from doing my art project.
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I delete a document from my Etch-A-Sketch?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I keep from losing my Etch-A-Sketch document?
A: Stop shaking it.

Sorry!

I gots nothin'!

Concerned

I just had an IM conversation with my dad. I am worried about him. It just doesn't seem like he knows some stuff that he needs to know and he doesn't want to take advise from a young whippersnapper! It is so frustrating!!

For example, he's been working apartment maintenance for 25 years. He is currently 49 years old, widowed, and at the top of his pay band. He just refinanced the house, that he and my mom bought over 8 years ago, not quite 2 years ago (just before my mom died). So now he is just over 1 and a half years into his 30 year mortgage.

He was talking about his day and the stresses of his job. I asked him why he doesn't just take a supervisor position and be able to get paid more. His excuse is that being a super is more stressful. From how he talks, I don't know how it could possibly be more stressful than his current postion. He makes it sound as though the boss has a cake job and he and the rest of the crew do all the dirty work.

Keep in mind that he is not in the best of health or physical condition. Read, he has diabetes and is at least 100 lbs overweight. I asked him if he thought he was still going to be able to do his job 10 years from now. I think he has a better chance now of getting another job than he will at 60 and most likely in worse condition than he is in now.

He said something about hoping to have his house paid off and working at McDonalds or something. Does he seriously think he's going to get his house paid off in 10 years?!! I reminded him that he still has over 28 years left on his mortgage. He was dumbfounded at where I came up with 28 years. He thinks that since he originally purchased the house 8 years ago, that he's already that far into his 30 years. He has no clue about any of this. My mom always took care of that kind of stuff.

Nevermind the fact that I worked in a bank for 4 years and learned a lot about mortgatges and that my hubby worked for banks for nearly 10 (some of that with an actual mortgage company!) But we're just kids! We couldn't possibly know more about something than he does.

So, be forewarned G, he'll probably say something to you about how I "attacked" him online or something. I want to make it perfectly clear, no matter how much he embelishes, that I was not attacking him, but was asking questions of him because I am truly concerned for him and his future. He has almost no retirement plan. He owes on his house til he's almost his own father's current age, asuming he doesn't refinance again at the end of his 7 year balloon, and we both know the kind of condition his father's in. And as far as I know, he still doesn't have his house insured to where it will be paid for if something happens to him (regardless of how it happens).

But, I can't bring it up with him anymore, because he is obviously not going to listen. But that will not keep me from being concerned about it.

First Day!

Ok, better late than never. I kept forgetting to bring my camera in to upload the pictures. So here you go...

My youngest daughter's first day of kindergarten was this past Monday. Here are a couple of pictures of her in front of her school:


[with big sister looking unamused in the background. She has done this a few times already, you know :)]





And her teacher:



She cried the first couple of days before getting on the bus to come home. The first day of school was her first time on a bus ever! So you can't blame her for being scared. Since she has a.m. Kindergarten, her sister doesn't ride the bus home with her. Fortunately, she has a friend from our neighborhood that she rides the bus home with. So she has been fine the last couple of days.

She does, however, get to ride to school in the mornings with her sister, so that makes it easier for her!

Kids Cones!

I love these kids cones from McDonalds. They're just the right size for little people!



And the best part about 'em is...they're free, free, free!

Kids' Stuff With Previous Experience....

That's right. I shop resale stores. I'm not ashamed. I just cannot justify spending that much money on clothes that my kids will wear for a few months and then grow out of! So, to be able to buy name brands at a price that's right, I hit Once upon a child!

I was able to pick up 6 pairs of pants (2 for each of my kids) and about 7 or 8 shirts for my girls! All of which were name brands...Levi's, Gap, Limited Too, Tommy Hilfiger, Old Navy, L.e.i., etc. And all for LESS than $60! All the clothes look new! That averages around $4 an item! Not too bad for name brands!

It's the little things that excite me!

7 Things...

To quote Kevin James: This is like homework, this is!

7 things I plan to do before I die
1. live a long, happy, healthy life
2. get a degree
3. be financially comfortable
4. enjoy retirement with my hubby
5. travel to everywhere I want to visit
6. enjoy and spoil my grandkids
7. be physically fit

7 things I can do
1. give birth
2. be angry with my kids and still love them with all my heart
3. hold a grudge
4. sing
5. put myself down
6. spend money
7. lose my temper

7 things I cannot do
1. read when there is noise in the background
2. sing with confidence in front of a crowd
3. be patient
4. afford private school
5. be a man
6. keep my house clean all the time
7. find my magic clip sunglasses

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex
1. nice smile/straight teeth
2. sense of humor/funny
3. clean smell
4. nice rear end
5. style/nice dresser
6. confident, but not conceited
7. talented

7 things that I say most often
1. be quiet
2. my kids' names
3. clean up this mess
4. you're so cute
5. I love you
6. NO
7. be careful, baby

7 celebrity crushes
1. Matthew McConauhey (aka: McConauhottie)

2. Matt Leblanc

3. Brad Pitt

4. Jimmy Fallon

5. Topher Grace

6. Ashton Kutcher

7. Freddie Prinze Jr.


7 people I want to do this
1. Lizzlee
2. AWFI
3. FIF
4. GFF
5. F of 3
6. fatdaddy
7. Oz

Frustrating day!

Yesterday morning I noticed that my daughter's glasses (that we just got late last week) were sitting crooked on her face. She said it was because my son hit her in the face with a light saber (he's only 1, mind you). While I was out and about I stopped in at Lenscrafters, where we got them, and had them adjusted. Great. They were back to normal and ready to go.

So then this morning, she comes crying to me that the baby grabbed her glasses off her face and she couldn't get them from him. (This is already a sore subject with me because he is really grabby and is always trying to get her glasses and pull his sisters' hair...he does this several times a day, and they always cry about it! Point being, they know he's grabby!) So, back to Lenscrafters it was for us today.

I felt slightly embarrassed going back in two days in a row for them to adjust her glasses. I figured they were going to begin to think I hit her in the face or something. But, it needed done before school starts. We walk out and I again remind her that she has to be careful around her baby brother cause she knows he's grabby and she should probably just take her glasses off when she's playing with him. This was one of many in depth lectures about it that she had today. I couldn't believe 2 trips in 2 days. Ridiculous!

So after a long day of running around getting the rest of the supplies on the school list, taking my younger daughter for her physical she needed to start kindergarten, stopping by Lenscrafters, visiting with my grandparents and driving them a couple of places, I finally made it home around 5. I did a few chores and sat down at the computer to shoot of an email and get ready to start making dinner when all of a sudden, my daughter starts crying in the next room. I look in at her and she says, "I'm sorry. He got 'em and I couldn't get them from him."

No friggin way! There sits my son with her glasses in his hands! "Are you kidding me?!!" I went over to him and check them out. Sure enough, they were bent again. The same ear piece sticking out to the side and this time a lens popped out, only I didn't even notice that lovely little nugget right away!

I was furious!! I was shaking I was so mad. She kept saying she was sorry, but I had to tell her to leave me alone and not even talk to me right then. LIVID!

What the heck would the Lenscrafters people think? Three trips in 2 days (2 in the same day)!! I called my hubby crying! He had a side job to do this evening and wouldn't be home in time to take them up this evening and she needs them for tomorrow morning! I had no choice but to go back. AGAIN!

I decided, however, that I couldn't go back in the same store, and looked online to find the next closest one to us. It was twice as far away as the other one. But, dang it, I refused to go to the same one again! So off we went at almost 7pm (thank goodness they are open til 8!).

Our round trip took us an hour. Which meant we didn't get home for me to make dinner til almost 8:00 this evening. The baby was fussy cause he goes to bed at 8:30 and he hadn't even eaten dinner yet. I was cranky, for obvious reasons. And I still had 3 loads of laundry to fold and put away and a backpack to pack up for tomorrow as well as a sack lunch to prepare. I was so looking forward to a relaxing evening when I got home...the first time.

O well, such is life, I guess. The baby still got to bed at 8:30 and the girls at 9:00. The backpack is packed, the lunch is made, the clothes are folded (still need to put them away). Now it's time for a nice hot shower and some reading before hitting dream land.

Last Day!

Today is the last day of summer break for my oldest daughter. She is going into 3rd grade tomorrow! Not only that, but she is starting a brand new school. If that wasn't enough of a change for her, the school she previously attended (from pre-k through last year) was a private, Christian school and the new one is a public school.

Now, there are pros and cons to the whole private vs. public school debate. Personally, I would have loved to keep them in private school. If money wasn't an issue, I would, at least for now. However, it is an issue and with sending both girls (and the baby in a few years) the expense is just too great!

I have mixed feelings about homeschooling. If I had no choice but to live in a bad school district and couldn't afford private school, I would definitely homeschool. I am just not a patient person at all. I get frustrated just helping her with her homework, let alone doing it all day every day with kids of different ages.

Fortunately we are in one of the best school districts in Central Ohio! So that makes me feel a bit better about it. I was also able to meet both of my daughters' teachers and they are both very young and seem very nice. I also plan to be involved as much as possible in their classrooms throughout the year.

My younger daughter will go in for Kindergarten evaluations for an hour on Friday and then start her normal schedule of 8:45-11:30, M-F next Monday. She is VERY excited that she is no longer in preschool and is in KINDERGARTEN! She is literally counting down the days. Each day she wakes me up with, "just 6 more days til kindergarten!" "Just 5 more days". She's so cute!

Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me with last minute preparations for school. Physicals to get, supplies that still need purchased, etc.

Wish us luck!

"The Advantages of Breast Milk"

A not necessarily well-prepared student sat in his life science classroom, staring at a question on the final exam paper. The question directed: "Give four advantages of breast milk."

What to write? He sighed, and began to scribble whatever came into his head, hoping for the best:

1. No need to boil.
2. Never goes sour.
3. Available whenever necessary.

So far so good - maybe. But the exam demanded a fourth answer. Again, what to write? Once more, he sighed. He frowned. He scowled, then sighed again. Suddenly, he brightened. He grabbed his pen, and triumphantly, he scribbled his definitive answer:

4. Available in attractive containers of varying sizes.

He received an A

My "Stolen" 25 Things Quiz

1. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what's the first thing you look at? My hair.
2. How much cash do you have on you right now? Don't know exactly, but less than a dollar in change.
3. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST"? Jest
4. Favorite plant? The one my daughter gave me for mother's day in a self-decorated Styrofoam cup.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? Gma B Cell (my grandma's cell phone)
6. What is your main ring tone on your phone? Treadmill (something I need to use more often!)
7. What shirt are you wearing? Pink tanktop
8. Do you "label" yourself? Yes
9. Name brand of your shoes currently wearing? None...my piggies are free!
10. Do you prefer a bright or dark room? Depends on my mood.
11. What did you have for breakfast? Didn't eat breakfast this morning.
12. What were you doing at midnight last night? Tossing and turning...trying to go to sleep...Still didn't get to sleep til after 2 a.m. though!!!! :(
13. Last thought you had before you had a wreck? So we'll go to the Discovery Center then...boom! (for an explanation of that, see here.)
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say? Ebay has them at $45, but at the wrong eye size 46, not 44. Found on another site for $106. Can keep checking Ebay in future. (From hubby in ref. to my magnetic clip on sun glasses that I lost!)
15. Do you ever click on "Pop Ups" or Banners? No
16. What's an expression that you say a lot? "No!" (I have 3 kids)
17. Who told you they loved you last? My hubby.
18. Last furry thing you touched? I can't remember, maybe Trin's cat?
19. How many hours a week do you work? Lots more than my hubby seems to think!
20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed? I don't know, maybe one from a few years ago before we got our digital camera.
21. Favorite age you have been so far? 18...I graduated high school, got married, and moved out of my parents' house.
22. Your worst enemy? My fat!
23. What is your current desk top picture? A picture of a signed Nolan Ryan baseball (guru's choice)
24. What was the last thing you said to someone? Get out of my purse!
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to go back in time and fix all your mistakes which would you choose? Show me the Money!!

How Do They Make Rubber Gloves?

A dentist was getting ready to clean an elderly lady's teeth. He noticed that she was a little nervous, so he began to tell her a story as he was putting on his surgical gloves...

"Do you know how they make these rubber gloves?"

She said, "No."

"Well", he spoofed, "down in Mexico they have this big building set up with a large tank of latex, and the workers are all picked according to hand size. Each individual walks around for a bit while the latex sets up and dries right onto their hands! Then they peel off the gloves and throw them into the big "Finished Good Crate" and start the process all over again."

His patient didn't laugh a bit.

Five minutes later, during the procedure, he had to stop cleaning her teeth because she burst out laughing. The old woman blushed and exclaimed, "I just suddenly thought about how they must make condoms!"

Sorry for all the jokes lately. I don't have much else to blog about and I just had to share!

Why Guys Have All The Luck

1. A guy's butt is never a factor
in a job interview.

2. A guy's orgasms are real. Always.

3. A guy's last name stays put.

4. The garage is all his.

5. Wedding plans take care of them-

6. He doesn't have to curl up next

7. Chocolate is just another snack.

8. He can wear a white shirt to a

9. Foreplay is optional.

10. He never feels compelled to stop

11. Car mechanics tell him the truth.

12. He doesn't give a rat's ass if

13. The world is his urinal.

14. Hot wax never comes near his pubic area.

15. He never has to drive to another gas station because "this one's just too icky."

16. Same work......more pay.

17. Wrinkles add character.

18. He doesn't have to leave the room to make emergency crotch adjustments.

19. Wedding Dress $2,000; Tux rental $100.

20. If he retains water, it's in a canteen.

21. People never glance at his chest when he is talking to them.

22. Princess Di's death was just another obituary.

23. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.

24. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle his feet.

25. Porn movies are designed with him in mind.

26. Not liking a person does not preclude having great sex with
them.

27. Your pals can be trusted never to trap you with: "So, notice
anything different?"

28. One mood.....all of the time.

A Poem For Moms And Dads

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind.

I pray I find a little quiet
Far from the daily family riot
May I lie back--not have to think
about what they're stuffing down the sink
or who they're with, or where they're at
and what they're doing to the cat.

I pray for time all to myself
(did something just fall off a shelf?)

To cuddle in my nice, soft bed
(Oh no, another goldfish--dead!)

Some silent moments for goodness sake
(Did I just hear a window break?)

And that I need not cook or clean--
(Well heck, I've got the right to dream)

Yes now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my wits about me keep,
But as I look around I know—
I must have lost them long ago!

Achin' 4 Claiken

Thaaaaat's right! I finally got to see Clay Aiken in concert! I called a friend of mine yesterday that I hadn't talked to in a few weeks and she said that her MIL had purchased tickets to see Clay at the Ohio State Fair. Then she mentioned that there was a ticket for her mom to go too, but her mom didn't really want to go. I said, "She doesn't want to see Clay? Shoot, I'll take her ticket!" Well to make a long story short, I got to go. And for free even! It was a good concert.

It was his Jukebox Tour. It was amazing that I knew practically all the songs he sang from the last 50 years. One thing I noticed is that he lets his backup singers sing a LOT. They have their own solos and everything where sometimes he isn't even on stage while they're singing their songs. My friend (who has been to 2 other Clay concerts already) said he does this at all his concerts. They must have something in their contracts with him saying they have to have so much solo time. Two of the 3 have their own albums out. They are all very good, I'm not complaining about that, but I went to see Clay, dawg!

Here is a pic of my friend, after the concert, in her "Clay Aiken will always be my American Idol" t-shirt that a friend of hers made for her:



I, as usual, forgot to take my camera, but fortunately had my handy dandy camera phone. I tried to get a pic of Clay on stage, but it didn't turn out well. No flash with my camera phone! :( Well, that's about all I gots for today.

I'm Back!

Well we're back from Niagara! Actually, we've been back for a couple of days, I just haven't really felt like blogging. We had a wonderful time as you can read about on my hubby's blog, and see some nice pics if you'd like.

On our way out of the hotel in Niagara, guru backed into a pole in the parking garage and busted out one of the back tail lights and scuffed up the bumper as well as put a dent in the bumper. (Fortunately, the dent seems to have popped out on it's own!) We got an estimate yesterday and it will only be about $100 to fix the tail light and remove the scuffs from the bumper. That's better than paying a $250 deductable and risking our insurance going up to have the whole bumper replaced. Here's a pic I took of the damage...it was dark outside, so not such a great pic...



On top of that, not 5 minutes later did we see that our middle daughter had gum all over her outfit. "How did that happen?" we asked. Apparently she was trying to blow a bubble and accidentally spit the gum out of her mouth and couldn't find where it went. We changed her outfit, as we were on our way into the Discovery Center at Niagara. When we finished there and got back in the car, she informs us that there is gum on her seatbelt. ARGH! Are you kidding me? I was not in the best of moods at this point. "What else can we do to mess up mommy's van, huh?" We're going to try goo gone and a toothbrush and see if that gets it off. Anyone have any other suggestions on how to get gum off of a seatbelt? (And don't say ice, I already tried it! It didn't help much, if any.)

Festival and Falls

Thursday evening, my girls and I joined 2 of my friends and their daughters to go to the Violet festival, a local annual event that has carnival rides, games, food and live music. Thursday was The River night (a local christian radio station) at the festival and they were featuring Mark Schults. Best of all, the concert was FREE!! I just love Mark Schults...and free stuff!

We got there around 7:00 and set up our lawn chairs to save our place for the concert then wondered around a while. We saw practically everyone from our church there. We bought some tickets and rode some rides. Here is a pic of the girls on the swings (mine are the one in the middle of the pic and the one 2 to the right of her):



Here is the big slide they went on:



And here is a not so great pic of Mark Schultz on the stage (keep in mind these were all taken with my camera phone, so you don't get the best quality!):



(And of course you all know to click the picture to see it bigger!)

While Mark was singing, my younger daughter said to me "he sounds just like the guy on the radio." To which of course I replied, "he is the guy on the radio." She then gave me a shocked expression, wide eyes, mouth open, the whole nine yards and said "Serious?" Too cute!!

As for tomorrow, my hubby and I decided to go ahead and take our trip to Niagara Falls since my granddad is doing so much better. We will be leaving tomorrow morning. We are all really excited. This is the first real family vacation we have taken since my now 5 year old was 7 months old. We are only staying 2 nights at the falls and heading back on Tuesday sometime. We will probably spend most of Tuesday touring and then spend the night somewhere on the way back and come the rest of the way home on Wednesday.

On A Lighter Note

Here's a joke for ya! (Rated PG-13)

The Wedding:

A lawyer married a woman who had previously divorced ten husbands. On their wedding night, she told her new husband, "Please be gentle; I'm still a virgin."

"What?" said the puzzled groom. "How can that be if you've been married ten times?"

"Well, husband #1 was a Sales Representative; he kept telling me how great it was going to be.

Husband #2 was in Software Services; he was never really sure how it was supposed to function, but he said he'd look into it and get back to me.

Husband #3 was from Field Services; he said everything checked out diagnostically but he just couldn't get the system up.

Husband #4 was in Telemarketing; even though he knew he had the order, he didn't know when he would be able to deliver.

Husband #5 was an Engineer; he understood the basic process but wanted three years to research, implement, and design a new state-of-the-art method.

Husband #6 was from Finance and Administration; he thought he knew how, but he wasn't sure whether it was his job or not.

Husband #7 was in Marketing; although he had a nice product, he was never sure how to position it.

Husband #8 was a psychiatrist; all he ever did was talk about it.

Husband #9 was a gynecologist; all he did was look at it.

Husband #10 was a stamp collector; all he ever did was...God, I miss him!

But now that I've married you, I'm really excited!"

"Good," said the lawyer, "but, why?"

"Duh; you're a lawyer. This time I know I'm gonna get screwed!"

An Update

As of this morning, my granddad was doing much better. He had the balloon pump removed yesterday and the ventilator and stomach tubes removed this morning. He was sitting up and saying he was hungry. That was a very good sign.

At 11:30, I picked my grandma up from the hospital and took her to lunch and home to get showered and changed and grab a few things. Then we were back to the hospital. When we got there we found out that while we were gone, he apparently felt the need to use the restroom and tried to get up out of his bed to go. Alone. Without calling for any help. He was cath'd. Not good. He fell.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! Where the heck were the nurses? It wasn't as though he was moving at lightning speed and got up and fell out of bed before anyone could get to him. He was obviously moving rather slowly yet no one seemed to notice him getting himself out of bed!! He was checked out and the last I heard, he was ok, but had blood in his urine (my guess is that maybe he pulled the cath out when he fell and damaged something. OUCH!) When I was there, I scolded him and begged him to please not attempt to get up by himself again. I also told him he needs to quit scaring us like this!

His voice was very shaky and I could tell he was in extreme pain. He said that he hurt so bad from the hips down that he couldn't stand it. I told him I would make sure gma checked with the nurse to see if it was time for more pain meds. (gma was in the waiting room with the kids while I went back to see him). Please continue to pray for his recovery!

They are also going to be giving him a defibrillator as soon as possible. So, it looks as though he will most likely be in the hospital for a few more days.

Ok, so here is a dilemma that is burdening me right now. My family and I (as in my hubby, me and our kids) are scheduled to take our vacation to Niagara Falls this Sunday. The trip has been planned for a while now and guru has been granted permission to take next week off even though he hasn't technically earned it yet, since he's only been with the company since March. Since he is a consultant, he had to clear it with the company he is employed by as well as with the company that he is contracting with. Unfortunately, both of those bosses are on vacation this week so he can't just tell them that he can't take next week after all and we just reschedule our trip for later.

I am so torn about this. Do we go on our trip as planned? Or do we just stay in town and waste a week of my hubby's vacation time? (We would not be gone the whole week, we'd be back Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest). If we go, I'll feel guilty and be worried the whole time, but if we stay, I don't know when we'll get the opportunity again. I don't want to be selfish. If we need to cancel our trip and stay, I will. But we have all been looking forward to this trip for a long time. What would you all do if in this situation? I don't want people to think I'm a prick for leaving while my gpa is in the hospital. What do I do? I will have to let the hotel know by Saturday afternoon if I need to cancel our reservations.

Man, I'm depressed!

Please Send Up Prayers!

My grandfather went in for a heart catheterization today. His doctors have been trying to figure out what caused his problems last month where we almost lost him. Trinity wrote about it here.

It was scheduled for 2:15 this afternoon and he had to be at the hospital at 12:15. I met them there so I could be there with my grandma while he had this procedure done. I had all 3 of my kiddos with me and we decided after they took him back for the cath. that we would go down to the cafeteria and get some lunch. As we are finishing lunch we hear over the loud speaker "Code blue, cath lab, Code blue cath lab, Code blue cath lab". My grandma and I just looked at each other. She said "that scares me" I said "yeah. pray pray pray". I didn't want to say anything to her, but my heart started racing and I felt as though I was going to lose the lunch I just ate. I was very scared, to say the least. I immediately started praying "God please don't let it be him."

We decided to go back up to the waiting room and my grandma tried to find out from the lady at the reception desk (who I will refer to as R from now on) if it was him. She said she didn't know. We didn't know if she was just saying that or not. But we sat anyway. The kids were wanting us to play their games with them, but we were not in the mood for games. I told them sternly "not right now" and things like that, but I didn't want to say anything to scare them. Gma went back up to R to try to get more info from her. She kept saying she had a really bad feeling that it was him. She told R "if you know it's him, please just tell me." R said she thought it might just be him. But they were sending a chaplain down to talk to the family.

We sat nervously waiting. After a while, R came over and said that he was still in procedure and that it didn't sound like bad news. We felt a bit of relief but still a little nervous. A few minutes later, R came back and said she wanted to take 2 adults back to talk to the Dr. in a conference room. Fortunately a couple of my grandparents' friends came to sit with us and were there to keep an eye on my kids. I had a bad feeling because usually the Dr. will come out to the waiting room to talk to the family. As we walk back with R toward the conf. room I saw a man in a suit that looked like a chaplain standing right outside the door. My heart sank. We went in the room and sat down and the man in the suit introduced himself as, none other than, the chaplain.

The head surgeon came in to talk to us. He told us that it was indeed my gpa who they called code blue on, however they were able to resuscitate him and he was doing better. They found quite a large blockage and put in 2 stints as well as some balloon thing that will make it so his heart doesn't have to work so hard. They said he would be in critical condition for at least 48 hours. Around 6:15, my hubby came straight from work and took the kids home and I stuck around with gma to make sure he was going to be alright (and her). Trinity and G and my dad and my other grandma and her sister also came to visit. When we all (except gma) left around 9:15, he was stable. His blood pressure and heart rate were much better.

What a long, stressful day! I'm sure there is more that I'm forgetting, but this is long enough already. Please just pray that he will make a full recovery and not have this problem anymore. Now that they know what caused it, pray they will be able to fix it.

Thanks Trin and G for the subs and diet Pepsi!

How well do you know me?

Take my quiz and find out. (I stole this from Trinity and Guru, BTW)

Take my Quiz! and then Check out the Scoreboard!

Help Me!

Ok, so who out there has a bed with a headboard and a footboard? (I know trinity and ghraper do, so please help me out here.) I cannot figure out how to get my bedskirt to look right. I've been getting by with it on there crooked but it really, REALLY annoys me! I had it on upside down so it wasn't quite as noticeable, but I bought a new bedskirt and tried putting it on correctly, but it looks like crap! Somebody help me! How do you get it to look right?

Here's a pic of how it looks at the foot of the bed right now:



On top of that, it doesn't come up all the way at the head of the bed:


So how do I fix this? Anyone have any ideas?

(BTW, I can't tuck it on the inside of the sideboards because of the support beams.)

Fun Day!

Well, my day at King's Island was, indeed, fun! We got a bit of a late start this morning because my friend's daughter woke up and cried at the sitter's last night where she was supposed to be staying the night, so she had to go and pick her up and then drop her off again this morning. Then, she couldn't find her sunglasses, so we had to stop at Target to get some new ones. Then we were off. We got on the road around 9 am (about an hour later that originally planned) and listened to Brian Regan's comedy CD on the way there.

We made really good time though, thanks to my friend's crazy driving. Seriously, she's a crackheaded driver! She changed lanes so many times zooming in and out of traffic. We got there, parked and were walking through the gate at 10:10 am, just 10 minutes after the park opened for the day!

There were really not that many people there! The longest we had to wait in line for any ride was about an hour. We rode, in no particular order, the Vortex, Face Off, the Racer (forward and backward), Drop Zone, Top Gun, Flight of Fear, Tomb Raider, and The Italian Job. Not to mention, the Zephyr, which is the big swings, Viking Fury, the big pirate ship looking thing that swings you back and forth, and the Scooby Doo Haunted Castle (I told you I was going to act like a kid). Oh, and of course, we went up on the Eiffel Tower to look around.

We even had time to eat a leisurely lunch and shop around at some of the shops. By 7 pm, we were both ready to head out. There were still a couple of rides we kind of wanted to ride, but one of them was not running and the other was at the opposite end of the park and we were both pretty beat, so we just decided to call it a day.

All in all I think it was a very successful day at the park. I've had times where I spent the entire day there, from open to close and only get to ride a few coasters. So this was good! And though it was extremely hot today, at least it didn't rain as the forecast had predicted for us!

Then I had to endure her crazy driving again on the way back home. Let me give you an example. There was this big 12 passenger van that was in front of us in the fast lane that kept slowing down next to all the semi's and doing the universal arm thing people do to try to get the truck drivers to pull on their horns. Well none of them wanted to play along and my friend is getting really ticked off because the guy is not going fast enough for her and she can't get around him. So she honks her own horn at them and a few miles later, they finally get over and let her pass. Then, inevitably, they got back over behind us and tailgated. So what does my friend do? She pulls up beside the next semi and slows down and does the arm thing and much to her satisfaction, the trucker plays along and pulls his horn. This makes her really happy and the Van then backed way off and we lost them in our dust. I must admit, it was pretty funny!

Well, I hope everyone else had a wonderful and hot day as I did! Tata for now.

Kid Free Tomorrow

Yea for me! Tomorrow, a friend and I are going to go to King's Island! I am really excited! I usually get to visit either K.I. or Cedar Point every summer (or both if it's a good summer!) I didn't go last year, though because of the baby. I just love roller coasters! The higher the better! I'm looking forward to some time without the kids where I get to go have fun and act like a kid myself! It's only about an hour and a half drive. Maybe less they way this particular friend drives. The best part is that we are getting the tickets at almost half off the regular price!

My friend has a 6 year old daughter that is tall for her age, just slightly shorter than my 8 year old daughter. We were momentarily considering taking her daughter and my oldest (who are both taller than 48 inches and could ride most of the rides there.) The problems I have with that are this: first, my daughter has never been to an amusement park and has obviously never ridden a roller coaster. Well, besides smaller carnival rides, but not nearly the same! So what if we get there, and she doesn't like them, or she's too scared to get on a ride, or goes on one and refuses to ride anymore? Then my whole day (and $) is shot! Second, she is a whiner! Really. I can't even walk around WalMart for 20 minutes without her complaining that she's tired and her feet hurt and blah blah blah! And third, after just coming off of VBS week at church and having my middle daughter practically refuse to let me out of her sight, and taking care of a clingy, and sick baby all weekend (he had a fever and was throwing up, no fun!) I just really REALLY need some time away from kids. I need some time for me! Is that so wrong?

I love my kids, don't get me wrong, but I've about had it this summer! With the girls out of school and having all 3 kids all day long all week long, my patience are wearing thin! The girls fight constantly, the younger one always cries...I mean about EVERYTHING! I've thought about tallying up every time she cries for one week or even one day, but I don't know if I have enough paper! On top of that, the baby needs constant supervision and attention!

So, all I'm saying is that it will be nice to get away from the chaos for a day. That's all. Then I will be ready to get back to my usual hectic life as normal. Well, as ready as one can be to do so.

BTW, thanks Trinity for keeping the girlies for me!

Chalk One Up For The Man

Husband and wife are getting all snugly in bed. The passion is heating up. But then the wife stops and says: "I don't feel like it, I just want you to hold me." The husband says, "WHAT??" The wife explains that he must not be in tune with her emotional needs as a Woman. The husband realizes that nothing is going to happen tonight and he might as well deal with it.

So the next day the husband takes her shopping at a big department store. He walks around and has her try on three very expensive outfits. She can't decide. He tells his wife to take all three of them. Then they go over and get matching shoes worth $200 each. And then they go to the Jewelry Department where she gets a set of diamond earrings. The wife is so excited. She thinks her husband has flipped out, but she does not care. She goes for the tennis bracelet. The husband says, "But you don't even play tennis, but OK if you like it then let's get it." The wife is jumping up and down so excited she cannot even believe what is going on. She says "I am ready to go, lets go to the cash register."

The husband says: "No - no - no, honey we're not going to buy all this stuff." The wife's face goes blank. "No honey - I just want you to HOLD this stuff for a while." Her face gets really mad and she is about to explode and the Husband says, "You must not be in tune with my financial needs as a Man."


I just thought this was too funny not to share. And it kind of goes hand in hand with what I added to my sidebar (which BTW, I stole from Melissa) .

Would you feel comfortable....

Using this bathroom?


Outside


Inside

Amusing Things Grade School Students Have Written In Papers:

~The parts of speech are lungs and air.

~A census taker is man who goes from house to house increasing the population.

~(Define H2O and CO2.) H2O is hot water and CO2 is water.

~A city purifies its water supply by filtering the water then forcing it through an aviator.

~Most of the houses in France are made of plaster of Paris.

~The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 opossums.

~We do not raise silk worms in the United States, because we get our silk from rayon. He is a larger worm and gives more silk.

~One of the main causes of dust is janitors.

~A scout obeys all to whom obedience is due and respects all duly constipated authorities.

~The four seasons are salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

~Oliver Cromwell had a large red nose, but under it were deeply religious feelings.

~Syntax is all the money collected at the church from sinners.

~In spring, the salmon swim upstream to spoon.

~Iron was discovered because someone smelt it.

~In the middle of the 18th century, all the morons moved to Utah.

Just a quick "hi"

I don't have a lot of time, but thought I should post something. I have been working with VBS this week at our church in the evenings and keeping busy during the days. I have housework to keep up on along with keeping the girls entertained and out from in front of the tv all day. We had some friends over this week for lunch and swimming.

Today, I had another doctor appointment (still have this horrific sore throat that just won't go away!) He's trying me on an anti-biotic to see if it helps.

Then I had to take my grandparents to their eye doctor appointments because they didn't want to drive after having their eyes dilated.

I dropped them off a little while ago and came home to do some laundry and dishes and feed the baby (and he's actually taking a nap! Of course he woke up when I tried to lay him down and wanted me to hold him, then went back to sleep, but he's asleep nontheless!).

Now I am waiting for them to call me and let me know they're done with their appointments and ready for me to come back and pick them up. Well, that's about all I have time to post for now, I'm going to go try to lay the baby back down and do another load of laundry and take a shower! Fun fun!

What a week this has been! And there are still 2 more weekdays to go!

Let me just say...YUM!

I mean, seriously! Have you tried any of these? WOW!! I have a new favorite blizzard! The banana cream pie blizzard is sooooo GOOD! I am addicted! If you haven't tried one, stop what you're doing right now and go out and get one! You shan't be disappointed! (yes, I said "shan't")

A Test For Memory Loss

The doctor was administering a test for memory loss to three old gentlemen. He asked, "What is 3 times 3?".

The first old man replied, "One Hundred and Fifty Six."

The doctor turned to the second old man. "What's three times three?"

The second old man said, "Tuesday."

The doctor then asked the same of the third man who answered, "Nine."

"And how did you arrive at that answer?", asked the doctor.

The third old man answered, "Easy...I just subtracted Tuesday from 156 and I got nine."


Is it bad that this joke kind of reminds me of my grandfather?

Still Sick!

This stinks! I hate it. When I woke up this morning my throat was still killing me. My eyes have been watery and itchy and my nose keeps running. Other than that, I had a pretty good day.

I got all caught up on the housework I missed doing yesterday...ok, so I didn't really miss it;). My hubby invited me and the kids up to eat lunch with him today, so we did that and then I went and visited my grandparents for a little while. My grandma called this morning to see how I was feeling and to ask us to stop by because it had been a few days since we've seen them (last Friday, I think). She said she needed her "fix" of the kiddos.

Then it was home to make dinner, do some laundry and dishes and other assorted chores. I actually got a lot more done today than I originally expected when I first got up. My sore throat eased up a bit throughout the day and I felt pretty decent. Of course it is starting to feel a bit more sore again tonight. Probaby from all the talking and, yes, some yelling at the kids today.

Sorry I don't have anything really interesting to blog about. I read all these really interesting and/or funny blogs and I just cannot compete! What can I say? I'm boring!

I hate being sick!!

I think it was Sunday evening that my throat started to hurt. By the time I woke up Monday, it was hurting pretty bad and I felt like crap. I am all congested and my whole body is sore.

So a good friend of mine calls me Monday morning and asks if I would watch her daughter for her at 10:30 am and then take her with us to the party that evening (at 7:30) where she will meet up with us. She decided at the last minute that she should go into work and make double time since she just got back from vacation and is now broke. I, of course being the good friend that I am, said yes.

It wasn't that bad, her daughter and my girls play well together (for the most part). I took the 3 girls down to the pool while my hubby stayed home with the baby. They had a blast swimming and didn't want to leave, but since they had no choice (I was ready to go!) they did anyway.

Then I had to go to the grocery store and pick up a side dish and a dessert to take to the party (and another side and dessert for my friend since she was coming to the party straight from work. <--see, I told you I'm a good friend!)

I was going to cheat and just buy some pasta salad from the deli, but I decided it looked really gross and I could buy some pasta, frozen veggies and dressing for about the same price and it would be better. So that's what I did. If you know me, you know that this isn't something I would usually do, since I HATE cooking and especially being sick and not feeling like doing anything. The pasta salad actually turned out really good I think. It tasted just like how my mom used to make it and I always loved her pasta salad!

Then after the fireworks party, my family and I headed home and went to bed. By this time, I was running a fever. I had chills and was shivering uncontrollably. I was under my heavy comforter and still could not get warm. I finally drifted off to sleep only to awake in the middle of the night covered in sweat! So I threw off the covers and felt instanly frozen again. I just could not find a happy medium!

So this morning, I wake up and my throat is absolutely killing me! It hurt to swallow, hurt to talk, and again with the body aches. I decided to call the doctor and see if he could check me for strep. (I have a tendency to get strep throat once or twice a year). I definately don't want to let that go since it can lead to scarlet fever if left untreated.

So off to the doctor's I went. Strep test done, strep test negative. That is great, but what about this horrific sore throat? He thinks it is viral and will have to "run it's course". ARGH!!! I hate it when they say that. It makes me feel like an idiot for even making a trip to the doctor's in the first place. I should have just saved my $20 copay and not gone! O well, at least I know it's not strep.

So, here I am, still sick. I didn't get any house work done today besides making dinner and cleaning up after that. Well at least now I'll have something to keep me busy when I'm feeling better. (Like I wouldn't already be busy even without extra housework with little mister clingy boy and 2 whiney little girls!)

Red, White And Boom!

Last night, the family and I ventured out to Columbus' annual Red White and Boom celebration. Usually we pass on this endeavor due to the popularity of it (read huge crowds, loads of traffic, etc.). However, I really wanted to go to it this year since I hadn't been since I was a kid.

It wasn't all that bad. Whether or not we go again next year is still up in the air, but overall, I'm glad we went. First we ate dinner at The Spaghetti Warehouse, then we headed out to find a place to watch the fireworks.

We ended up being a little bit farther away from them than we would have liked, we didn't see some of the lower ones, but not a terrible spot. And bonus: parking was free! There were plenty of other people there as well. Not so many that we were crowded, but enough that we figured it should be a decent spot to watch from. We unfolded our lawn chairs and spread out a blanket, then the girls and my hubby started playing catch with a baseball.

So as they start passing the ball back and forth, this weird long haired, drunk guy and his family show up and the guy just stands there, like 4 feet from my hubby watching them. Meanwhile, his own family is several feet away playing their own game of badmitten or something. So why is this guy just standing there, holding his beer "disguised" in a plastic Coke cup from the likes of Arby's, watching my family instead of playing with or watching his own family? Weird!

So then the guy sees the girls start getting disinterested in playing and asks to borrow one of their mitts to catch with my hubby. Of course, guru thought it would be rude to say no and let him borrow one of our (my) mitts. I was not really happy about that and the girls were kind of upset that they couldn't play catch anymore and that this guy was using one of the mitts that they use.

When they were done playing, we get the mitt back and of course it is all sweaty! I'm pretty p.o.'d that guru let Mr. W.T. McDrunkandirty use my mitt and get it all yucky! O well, that is terrible that I was thinking bad things about this guy judging him by the way he looked (and the fact that he was drunk!).

Well, I guess I now have a reason to use my Lysol (Disinfects!) Sanitizing Wipes, unlike Lizlee. Hehe!

My Personality

Stolen from Trinity....The world's shortest personality test. Here are my results:

You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Such A Boy!

"Oh, mom, I'm so sleepy!"


"Ooh, check out that chick in the bikini!"


He's start'n early!

There He Goes!

We just took these pics of our little guy this evening. What do ya think?






(Excuse my enormous rear here!)

Just About Got It

My little man has finally started taking some steps!! He has taken like 1 to 1 1/2 steps before, but today he has started taking about 5 steps in a row on his own! Yea! I am so excited! He will be 14 months old on the 26th, so I think it's about time he finally started gettin' his walk on!

Questionaire

1. What is the geekiest part of your music collection? I don't own anything geeky.
2. What do you eat when you raid the fridge late at night? Chocolate
3. What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie? Any one where someone is sick and then dies.
4. If you could have plastic surgery, what would you have done? laser stretch mark removal (3 kids'll do that to ya...is there such a thing anyway?)
5. Do you have a completely irrational fear? I don't believe any of my fears are irrational
6. What is the little physical habit that gives away your insecure moments? When I can't maintain eye contact.
7. Are you a pyromaniac? A little bit, yeah
8. Do you have too many interests? I don't think so
9. Do you know anyone famous? I recently got my picture taken with John Heffron :)
10. Describe your bed. "Love nest"...no really, king-sized and comfy!
11. Spontaneous or planned? I like to plan, but I am impatient, so I'll plan something and then want to do it immediately.
12. Who should play you in a movie about your life? Gwyneth in a fat suit similar to that in Shallow Hal.

13. Do you know how to play poker? Not really
14. What do you carry with you at all times? My 1 year old (seems like it anyway).
15. What do you miss most about being a kid? Not having responsibilities.
16. Are you happy with your given name? Yes, I used to hate it, but now I like it.
17. How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year? $10 million: I could spend all my time shopping instead of surfing the web.
18. What color is your bedroom? Beige, burgundy and tan.
19. What was the last song you were listening to? All I need is the air that I breath and to love you (in my head because I was just reading Oz's blog.)
20. Have you ever been in a play? Yes, several.
21. Have you ever been in love? Yes
22. Do you talk a lot? Sometimes
23. Do you like yourself and believe in yourself? It depends
24. Do transient, homeless, or starving people sometimes annoy you? Yes, the bums that stand at off ramps with a cardboard sign bug me. They probably make more in a day than a lot of the people that give them $.
25. Do you consider yourself to be a nice person? For the most part, I try to be, but I admit I can be a real witch sometimes.
26. Do you spend more time with your girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband or your friends? Hubby and kids.
27. What is your ideal marriage location? In the church that I belong to...and that happens to be where I got married.
28. Which musical instrument do you wish you could play? Piano
29. Favorite fabric? I don't know what it's called, but that soft, plush velvety stuff they make baby blankets out of.
30. Something you love and hate? My life
31. What kind of bedding do you use? soft, cool, cottony sheets and a comforter.
32. Do you tell your friends about your sex life? Occasionally if the topic comes up.
33. What's the one language you want to learn? Sign language
34. How do you eat an apple? Sliced and dipped in peanut butter caramel dip.
35. What do you order at a bar? Diet Pepsi/Coke or some sort of non-alcoholic frozen margarita.
36. Have you ever pierced your body parts? Just my ears
37. Do you have tattoos? No, but I've considered getting an ichthus (christian fish) on my ankle, but I hate needles and pain so, probably won't happen.
38. Do you drive stick? I know how and used to drive one.
39. What's one trait you hate in a person? know-it-allness
40. What kind of watch do you wear? A gold and silver timex indiglo
41. Most frivolous purchase? A mixer I saw on an infomercial and had to have, but never use.
42. Do you consider yourself materialistic? Yes, and I hate that about myself.
43. What do you cook the best? Does spaghetti count? No? Ok, how about baked garlic-pepper chicken on my baking stone. Yummy
44. Favorite writing tool? A keyboard
45. Do you prefer to stand out or blend in? Blend in. I don't like drawing attention to myself.
46. Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex? Sure, if it's Halloween, or someone pays me.
47. What's one car you will never buy? this one:

48. What kind of books do you like to read? Romance novels
49. If you won the lottery, what would you do? Wonder how I won without even buying a ticket!
50. Burial or cremation? Hopefully Jesus will return first.
51. How many online journals do you read regularly? 10-ish
52. What's one thing you're a sore loser at? Losing falsely
53. If you don't like a person, how do you show it? I try not to show it. I do my best to avoid confrontation.
54. Do you cry in front of your friends? I have, but I don't like to. Unfortunately, when I get angry or upset, I cry uncontrollably. I can be pretty emotional at times.
55. What kind of first impression do you think you give to people? I think people see me as a decent, nice person.
56. What's one thing you like to do alone? Read. I can't read when there are a lot of distractions around me.
57. Are you a giver or a taker? I do my fair share of both.
58. When's the last time you cried? I can't remember. It hasn't been too terribly long ago though.
59. Favorite communication method? Depends on what I am communicating about.
60. How many drinks before you're tipsy? No idea
61. Do you think you're cute? Sometimes (mostly regarding my personality, rarely my looks).
62. Do you have problems changing clothes in front of friends? Kind of, I am really self-conscious.

So Disappointed!

I am so disappointed in Luvs new diapers! They were my favorite brand of diapers of all time! After 3 kids, I have tried practically every diaper out there and Luvs were, in my opinion, the best.

With absolutely NO warning on their package, Luvs has changed their diapers from being outlined in light blue and smelling wonderfully of baby powder (LOVED that smell!) to being outlined in a girly purple color and smelling like some sort of lavender perfume or something!

On top of that, they are thinner and don't prevent leaks as well. I never had any problems with leaks using Luvs until now. My little man woke up this morning with his clothes soaked!

I am so mad. Luvs were the absolute best for the money! Better at preventing leaks than Huggies and much better than the generic brands and didn't cost that much more (and WAY less than other name brand diapers!)

I did email Luvs with my disappointment and according to the Luvs website, I'm not the only one who feels this way.

If anyone else uses Luvs and is disappointed with the new product, please contact them and let them know! Maybe if enough people voice their disappointment, they will change back to the original Luvs that we all knew and loved!

Snackwell's Yogurt

Did you know that Snackwell's used to make yogurt? Did you also know that it was my cashier at Walmart last night's favorite yogurt? And that they stopped making it? Her mom got hooked on it, who got her sister hooked on it, who got her hooked on it. And then they stopped making it and she was so upset, because it was her favorite yogurt. They had chocolate banana, and all kinds of other chocolate flavors that were very good. It looked like pudding, and tasted like pudding, but it was yogurt. Blah blah bliggity blah blah!!!!!!

Well I know it! Want to know how I know? Because she saw this Yoplait Whips chocolate cherry yogurt I was buying and asked me if it was good. I told her I didn't know because I hadn't tried it yet. Well, this brought on this entire 7 minute, one sided conversation that you see above! (if you notice, it probably took you about 10-15 seconds to read it. She kept repeating the same 3 or 4 things over and over and, oh yeah, over again!!!)

And oh yeah, her mom told her that Snackwell's has a website and that she should see if she can buy some online or at least send them a suggestion to bring it back.

WOW! Now you are enlightened just as I was!

8 Years!

My big girl turned 8 years old today!! I can't believe it. She is going into third grade this fall! What happened to my chubby cheeked little baby?!!!


hospital pic......................................................today

My hubby took the day off work today and finished his final paper for this semester of classes. While he was typing that up this morning, the kids and I spent a couple of hours at the pool. (Note to all: the coppertone continuous spray sunscreen is awesome, but doesn't last very long. I used almost the whole can just today on the 4 of us.)

Then, after swimming, we came home and all got showers and went to drop off hubby's paper then to lunch. We had to go to Burger King per the birthday girl's request because they have Star Wars toys! Yea.

Then we stopped at WalMart because the girls were begging for light sabers (and we needed more sunscreen) but they didn't have them! (light sabers, not sunscreen) Bummer!

One of the girls' friends is on her way over right now to go back to the pool with us this evening. This is good because I decided not to give Emmy a kid party this year. We will probably go to Libby Lu's on Saturday and let the girls get makeovers. That should be fun! Then on Sunday, we will have lunch with the whole family at The Olive Garden (also, EE's choice).

Time is FLYING!

I'm Back!

Well, this past weekend was my trip to Indianapolis to see Beth Moore. I had such a blast! The first night there, I was in a room with just one other lady and got my own bed!! That was nice. The second night there were 5 of us in that room so I had to share, but it wasn't so bad.

I rode with 3 other ladies from my small group and we headed out of town around 1 pm and arrived at our hotel, (The Indianapolis Hilton) which was very nice, around 4:30. <--we ran in to some traffic on the way there. We got checked into our rooms and got ready for the first part of the conference. After that we headed back to our rooms and ordered dinner (at about 11 pm) and had it delivered to our room.

Not too long after that, we were all asleep (well, the 4 of us that rode together at least. The other 2 were in the room next to us). We were so beat!

Saturday morning it was up and at it early. We had room service delivered to us at 6 am and were at the RCA Dome for the second part of the conference when the doors opened at 7:30. (oh, BTW, we were apparently the designated seat holders. That was nice, having to reserve 3-4 rows of seats while 17,000 other women strolled by wondering if "all those seats" were taken!) So we got our butts up early to get there when they opened they doors just so everyone else could lolligag (yes, I said lolligag) around and get there an hour and a half later when the conference started. O well!

After the conference was all over at noon, the entire group from our church (27, I believe) went and ate lunch at Champps.



After lunch, everyone but the 5 of us went home. The 5 of us that stayed hit the mall! Then the games began. We spent a couple of hours just browsing the stores and picking up a few things, mostly for our kids of course, and a few things for ourselves. Then we decided to catch a movie....Monster In Law. Cute movie, we all enjoyed it. (The best part was getting to leave the movie and not have to go directly to pick up children!!) Then, we hit one more store on the way back to the hotel, Old Navy, and then Buca di Beppo for dinner.

Then, finally back to the hotel. We all changed into our suits and headed down to the pool. We got in the hot tub first, then cooled off in the pool.

After About an hour or so of that, we headed back up to the room and chatted and started watching a DVD (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days...such a good movie!) but we were all too tired and ended up turning it off and going to bed. I have no idea what time it was at that point, but it was definitely Sunday.

Then we got up (later) Sunday morning and again had room service deliver our breakfast, only this time at 9:30, not 6:00! As we ate our breakfast, we watched the movie we had started before bed.

After the movie, 3 of us decided to go back down to the hot tub and pool and relax a bit more before heading home. A couple of people came and stayed a few minutes and left and we had the entire pool to ourselves. That was nice.

Then it was back to the room to get showered, packed, and back on the road home. The weekend totally flew by.

We stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at Cracker Barrel on the way home and were back in Columbus by 6:30 (and I was home by 8 after picking up my kids).

Wow! I SOOOO needed this weekend!!! It was so fun and relaxing, and nice to be able to get up and not have to worry about getting anyone besides myself ready. Now I am back to reality this week. And the family survived wonderfully while I was away, but I'm sure were all happy to see me back (especially the baby!)

Sorry I don't have any more pictures to post. I was too busy having fun to think of taking pictures!