Proven Wrong

9:05 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Okay my faith in the workerbees of America has been officially restored. The fencing people showed up first with our materials to build our much needed fence, the Heating and Air Conditioning guy showed up second to fix our heat pump that went out on Easter and Miss Utility showed up a day early to mark our yard to put in our much needed fence all before 8 a.m ( and my coffee but I'm not complaining...yet ;0) )!

We can now go to the Aquarium and have a fun day with the hubs off work and the gorgeous sun!

8:56 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
The Beauty of a Bubble

Stream of Conscientiousness....They're Only Here for a Little While

7:49 AM Edit This 0 Comments »

As I watched my kids play, blow bubbles, and run around like crazy people, I was reminded how much I love being a Mom and what that really means. I've come to realize over the past couple of years that January and February are not good months for me. I'm tired, scream a lot, and am just not a very nice person. I'm judgemental and angry a good bit of the time. Not the kind of person I want to be. When I look at my kids, my heart hurts. I love them so much!!! I can't get enough of smelling their heads, kissing their chubby cheeks and hugging them until they pop!

I've been blessed with very intelligent children. I can have a conversation with J-man #2 that most people can't have with a 5 year old. "Daddy, when are you going to build my computer?"

J-man #1 is reading like a fiend and is extremely observant. " Mom, you just ran a red light you're lucky their wasn't a policeman in sight!"

I went to school for 19 years just to quit teaching and be a SAHM. And now I'm contemplating going back to teach just so my 2 year old can get into a phenomenal preschool. All I've ever wanted is what's best for them. My wonderful hubby works a ton just so I can stay home and be here for my kids. I don't envy a single one of you that has to do the job of 2 parents. It's almost more than I can handle now and there are two of us! I don't know how you do it.

We spent the day yesterday, outside at a local park with a million other moms and kids and I found myself comparing mine to everyone elses. I guess I just realize how lucky I truly am to have two beautiful, enriched boys, with a caring family and tons of friends who love us as well. I was able to refocus and concentrate on what is really important in my life. I noticed colors again, smells of fresh grass and muddy water, and how beautiful a bubble is when the light hits it just right.

Weird how a little bit of sunshine can bring out a new outlook on life isn't it?

Remind me never to move to Seattle.

What does the sun bring into your life?




Incompetence Broke My Table

7:17 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Broken Table

This is the table I got for my Christmas present. The $500 table that my kids dented up in one day, but I didn't really care because they were superficial dents easily refinished when the were older and after all it's only a table right?

Wrong!!!

I'm trying really hard to look at it like this. BUT when the slightest bit of pressure was put on the bottom shelf, it split in two on both sides! Of course this happened Easter morning after we were late for church because I forgot to check the mass schedule and it was pouring rain and the kids were strung out on candy highs....and....and...and.... you get the picture. It was that kind of morning.

So we took the table out to the garage and noticed that the legs were really wobbly. We also noticed that the screws that were supposed to hold the legs to the bottom of the table WERE MISSING! They had completely forgotten to put them in! All that was holding the four posts to the bottom platform of the table were four 1/4" dowels. One in each post! This is supposed to be an activity table specifically designed for CHILDREN to play on.

I say they because we had to pay $30 extra to have PBK's people put the table together. I guess we aren't considered competent enough, whatever. And No, we weren't given the option to
either.

So, the Hubby calls them on Monday to see what we can do about this. Ready?

They will give us a $50 store credit or they can send a furniture Doctor out to look at it and try to fix it! $50!!! That's it! The table itself was $399 before baskets and S&H and the damn "put together" fee! Of course they don't sell the table anymore...hmmm...should of clued into that one. So I don't have a full picture of what it looked like before... I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Are people really that incompetent? Do we really not get what we pay for anymore? Have you ever had an experience like this?

I'll let you know what happens.

Some People Amaze Me...

4:08 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Well, Easter is over and once again my house looks as though a tornado hit it. Oh, well it was fun while it lasted and my niece is cute as a button. We had a great time regardless of the pouring rain, screaming-fighting-crying children and snarling dogs....really *snicker-snicker*

Prior to the craziness I call Easter...we went to a birthday party. It rained that day also and was really cold. There was supposed to be a moon-bounce, which is always a good time among 5-6 year olds, but of course, they didn't get it because it was a $225 dollar gamble they weren't willing to take. Understandable. So, the theme was A Luau. Great for a girls party but the 4 boys that were there weren't interested in the grass skirts and would much rather spend their time running around slinging mud at each other. Yay, fun. I ate my face off and had grand conversation with 2 or 3 other moms and one Dad. We stayed warm and toasty inside by the fire while the kids yucked it up outside. 25 children were invited and 2 responded saying they couldn't come. Approx 15 children were there. This included siblings. Where was everyone???

I asked the hostess what happened to all her guests and she rolled her eyes and said that there were a bunch of 'No shows'. How RUDE! Had enough food to feed an army, 3 different games with gifts for ALL the kids invited, goodie bags and kites for everyone and cake to feed 40 people!!! Thank God she didn't get the moon bounce too!

I was brought up to call before you visit, leave the place you're visiting cleaner than you found it and call to inform. This meaning yes/no to parties, I'm going to be late, I'm going to be early etc. etc. Common courtesy!!! Does is not exist anymore? Especially in this day and age with cell phones hanging out of everyone's ear, how hard is it to call? Am I crazy? The more places I go, the more I see this. I've started sending out invites with Regrets only just so I can make sure I have enough of everything and double checking with most guests to make sure of their answers.

My sister invited some friends for dinner the other night and they never showed up. The invited guests called the next day to say they all had coughs and just weren't up to it. What's that about?

So, my question to you is this. Do you think I'm crazy? and How do you feel about invitations and responses. No judgements made here. You know how I feel. I'm really interested in what you think and why.

Thankless Chores...Back by Popular Demand ;0)

8:34 AM Edit This 2 Comments »
I was doing my usual monthly chore of ironing and decided to re-post this today. It's from my very first week of blogging so I didn't have a lot of blog friends then. Thought I'd share to make your menial chores more efficient. Enjoy!

I hate ironing...as a matter of fact, I will do just about anything else to avoid it including watching paint dry! However, in my search for some witty commentary about ironing (to once again, you got it, avoid it), I found some interesting things to make it...ummmm.. a tad bit more interesting. Like, for example, the number of people who included the misspelling of the word iron in their websites. Or...I want one of these... the Dressman Robot. How's that for do-it-yourself? Then there's my favorite...just heat 'em up and his secrets are revealed Sexy Ironing Board covers! And then finally, some folks with really nothing better to do with their lives than...ready for this?...see who can stage the best UNDER WATER IRONING shot! I kid you not! Well peeps...I guess I'll get back to it. I feel better now. Thanks!

And last but certainly not least...Extreme Ironing.

Life of a Chocolate Bunny

7:20 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Hoppy Easter Everyone!

See you Monday!

My Love/Hate Relationship

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My world is full of contradictions. So, I've decided to give you my top 10 things that I love and hate all at the same time and why. Let's start with bad and end on a positive note shall we?

1. My children sleeping...because they are growing and dreaming of a life that's to come, a life that doesn't include me everyday. Good for all the same reasons.

2. Walks with my dog in the morning after it rains...it's morning, it's damp and everything smells that way, mud puddles, muddy feet/paws. Good for all the same reasons.

3. Large Dunkin' Donuts coffee with 3 creams and 3 sugars...molten hot, 7000 calories and tastes too good not to drink. Good for all the same reasons.

4. Hub's out of town... kids running, screaming, fighting, playing 24/7. No break until they go to bed and then I end up watching t.v. or reading blogs til one in the morning. Good for all the same reasons. Are you getting the idea here?

5. Thomas the Tank Engine, Caillou, Blues Clues, Dora etc...on t.v. every chance they get! It's all my kids want to watch! Good for the same reason.

6. My house consistently looks as if a tornado hit it....I can't clean it as often as I would like because I'm running kids here and there, cooking dinner, doing homework, they've drug out toys to play trucks together for the millionth time. Good for all the same reasons.

7. Getting my haircut and highlighted...I have to make the appt 3 months in advance, then drive 250 miles to stay with my friend and ask her to watch my boys while I spend 3 hours getting my hair done. Good for all the same reasons ;0)

8. Watching the news... I know what's going on in the world, I have to watch my children like a hawk and make sure they know what's going on too. They can't live in a bubble as much as I would like them too. There are people in this world who are just bad and there is no other explanation, all we can do is pray that justice prevails and what goes around comes around. Good for all the same reasons.

9. We own our own home... we're always fixing, adding or ripping out something. Always spending the extra money we have on something for the house; furniture, fencing, pool toys etc. Having to have get togethers here because we live so far from our friends, and having to defend my messy house because people have a tendancy to "drop by" out of the blue. Good for all the same reasons!

10. Sharing all these things with you so that I can wait with baited breath for you to share yours with me! Okay, just your top 2. So there's no bad to this one, and I probably won't hold my breath for obvious reasons, but I would be interested to know. Please share!

Da-da-dat-dat-da Wonder Woman!

9:28 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
It came!! My Dukes of Hazzard and Wonder Woman box sets! Well, the Dukes was disguised as the Hubby's birthday present from the boys...but who's to know? Anyhow, J-man #1 has been watching Tom and Jerry from the grand-rents oh, for forever now. So, it (the Dukes) is now his second favorite thing to watch and at an hour a day, we should get a lot of mileage out of 2 seasons worth! Plus it should save my TiVO from be crammed up with Sponge Bob and T&J episodes!

Well, Wonder Woman was for me. I love Linda Carter and secretly wanted to be her as a child. Still do in my bad mommy moments! So I sat down last evening to watch the Pilot. I vaguely remembered it from my youth, but OH what a different perspective I have now as an adult!

It starts off with FDR saiying "The hope for freedom an democracy is...POW da-da-dat-dat-da WONDER WOMAN! " Major Steve Trevor flyng in his WW II fighter jet trying to shoot down a Nazi pilot. Of course they are flying over the ominous Devil's Triangle which has many tropical but as of yet unchartered islands. So how exactly do they know they are tropical??? Ponder...ponder.

Then of course they shoot each other at the same time and both manage to parachute out at the last minute. BUT said Nazi pilot has a hand gun and shoots Major Steve in the heart! Oh no! But then, ahh, Nazi man falls into a shark infested ocean...well we know what happens then don't we?

Next scene, Princess 'Linda', and her red-head-wigged friend are flitting and giggling along the beach in what looks to be baby doll-gauzy-touiled-nighties and the happen upon the washed up parachute.

Giggle, giggle, run, flounce...

"Princess, I've never seen that before..."
"Neither have I. Let's find out what it is"
"What do you think it is?"
"I think it's called a...parachute"
"But what's it doing here on Paradise Island?
"It's a man"
"He's been hurt. He's almost dead Rena.
"A man here on our island?"
"Help me lift him..." "I've never seen a man in the flesh before?
"Who of us have? Poor deprived souls!

WW picks him up and starts to run down the beach. My hero!

Then a conversation between the Princess and her mother (Cloris Leachman) ensues .
Where did you find the man daughter?
On the beach near the cave, will he be alright?
Yes, in time, but will we?
"We, mother?"
"The instant he returns to civilization, the world will know about Paradise island then where will be?"
"But surely some men can be trusted?"
"You are too young to remember how we women were slaves in Rome and Greece and I promised myself that I would never let that happen again...I found this island where we could live in peace, harmony and sisterhood. "
"About this man?"

I named this island paradis e fro a reason there are no men on it...it is free of their wars, barbaric masculine behavior...hmmm...she has a point..nah!

But mother 1000's of years have past perhaps men are now...different.

BwaHHHHAAHAHAHA!
Then she wants to play nurse to him to "observe the male species for scientific purposes."

Anyway, we find out later that she an immortal Amazon woman, performs in a mask in a tournament to determine she is the strongest and that she will take him back to the U.S in her invisible jet. Then, she stays to protect their secret identity. Maybe this was the beginning of ongoing debate of the definition of Feminism. Today's post by aka_monty lends credence to this very well by the way ;0) And as for strong women...read Average Mom and her lastest post on delivery of her son. Oh my Gawd!...Talk about Wonder Women!

She gets back to the states and glides innocently through the streets of D.C. catching bank robbers, and parading around the streets in her red, white and blue costume.

I still love it as silly as it seems. I was also a big Little House, Three's Company, and Facts of Life Fan.

What were your favorite shows growing up? Do you look at them differently now that you are a grown-up? Do we ever really grow-up? ;)

Happy Spring!

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"Good day sunshine....good day sunshine....gooood daaaay suunnnshine!" Thank you John, Paul, Ringo, and George! Happy Spring everyone! Still not as warm as it should be this time of year, but the sun is out and I don't feel like hibernating anymore so that's a good thing!

There are birds living in the side of my house! As I sit here typing I hear the CRASH! FLUTTE-FLUTTER! The bad part is that they are in the vent to the only bathroom on this floor...remember I live with 3 boys ....

The hubby is home, which helps a great deal too. I slept sooooo much better last night. We get to put my new hutch in tonight and I can finally put all my PILES of stuff away!!!!! YAY! Then onto finishing all the projects I've started in my own house, instead of everyone else's. Did I mention one of my phenomenal skills is procrastination???

Why is it you always want to clean when it's bright and sunny out? Why not when it's dark and dreary and cloudy and you can't do anything outside anyway?

What are your projects for the warmer weather?

9/11 ?'s

8:00 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Anyone know anything about this? I live here and had no clue. Still turns my stomach though...take a look.

Congrats Son...

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Hey! J-man #1 is learning how to cook. This morning he's poured a bowl of Lucky Charms and milk for his brother, made his own french toast sticks (5 at 1 min in the microwave) and 2 cups of hot chocolate (2 cups 2 minutes in the microwave). Ding! "Mom, dinner's ready!"

Okay...this sent me over the edge

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Here's a fun one for you. See how long you will live. According to this Longevity test I am considered obese! My BMI at 163 lbs and 5'10 puts me at 31.47 !!!! I AM NOT FAT people! Overweight, maybe, more like I need to shift some stuff around, although now,I certainly feel fat! So, I went back and changed it....tee hee ....to 160 lbs and it decreased my BMI from 31.47 to 23 something??? 3lbs? Hmmmm.....so I'm thinkin' this part isn't so accurate. However, it didn't change my longevity score any and the rest of the questions seemed pretty reasonably true. I'm going to live to the ripe old age of 92! This is what I expected, actually. Mom's parents have recently passed. Nana was 91, I think, and Grandpa was around the same. Dad's mom is still alive at 89 and Grandpa on the paternal side passed from a heart attack at 54 ish. He was obese and had a bunch-o -health problems ta boot. None of which have afflicted myself or anyone else in my family...yet. So, I'm assuming I take after mom's side. Here's hoping!

So, how 'bout you?

Don't judge me or my dog!

8:02 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Is this the face of a killer?


I asked myself this question after my lovely Spring filled walk yesterday afternoon. Birds were singing, tons of them mind you, it was warm enough to wear just a t-shirt. Yay! Spring has finally sprung! My youngest and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. With our lovely more refined (now that she's been to 3 weeks of obedience classes) Tessie. She was lovin' it...we were lovin' it. So were a lot of others. Beautiful day. We met up with another mom, her daughter and their pooch. I did not recognize them as from around here so I'm not quite sure where they were headed, but anyway the little girl asked if she could pet our dog. The conversation went something like this:



Unsuspecting Child : "Can I pet your doggie?"

Me: "Sure you can sweetie. Just be careful, she might lick you to death!" LOL

Stupid Mom: "Oh, she's beautiful! What a friendly dog! Very well behaved. Look, honey, look how nicely she's sitting for you! How old is she?"

Me: "She's only 11 months. Her first birthday is coming up soon!"

Unsuspecting Child giggling now because Tessie has just given her a bath in dog slobber.

Stupid Mom: "Wow, she's really calm for a puppy and big too. What kind of dog is she?".

Okay, now I must go into modus interuptus here for a moment. Generally speaking, I do not tell people what kind of dog she is until they have met her. If they seem nervous around dogs, I tell them she's a Lab mix. If the conversation is going like it was here, I tell them the truth because OBVIOUSLY they can see that she is a very friendly dog and wouldn't hurt a flea. But, people who have dogs, and are smart enough to know that you should teach your children to ask a pet owner first before petting an animal you don't know, are generally a good judge of character when it comes to judging an animal. You would think this was the case here...nope.

Me: "Oh, she's part Lab and part Pit Bull."

Stupid Mom: "WHAT???!!!!"

Then, she literally grabs her daughter up off the ground backs away, freaking out shouting: "How can you put MY child in harm's way like that? Don't you know what that dog can do? You'd better watch out! She'll...she'll...EAT YOUR BABY!" and runs back down the road from whence she came.

She'll eat your baby???? What was that about? Now, I will admit. The Pit Bull part made me a little nervous at first, but come on! I am a mom and the first person to protect my kids from strange dogs. I have taught them to ask before they pet. Get inside as soon as you can if you see an dog or any other "wild" animal loose outside; and to be careful even when petting a dog that may seem friendly, simply because you do not know what they can or would do in reaction to a small child. It's all in how you raise them, and yes, I know there are extenuating circumstances with specific breeds, Pits being among them, but it depends on the dog! There is a beautiful male golden retriever down the road from me, and at 120 lbs, would literally take your head off! He does NOT like anyone other than his family.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. Be smart about animals, and remember the worst thing you can do is panic.

NO!

5:13 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
That's all I've been hearing for 3 freakin' days is "NO!".
J-man #1 was never a 2 yr old. He skipped from 18 months directly to 3 and then decided to be a demonstrative terror. We had food additive issues that sent him in to Hyperactive overload. Thank God he's grown out of that! However, I decided to have another one.

What a cutie pie he was...was being the operative word here. Cute until he's decided that he is going to be independent. Cute until he figured out that he can bat those baby blues and we bust a gut. Cute until he decided to cry and whine about EVERY FREAKIN' THING sixteen times a day at 20 decibels. Cute until he discovered that the word "No." is going to send me to an early grave.

This, was my day today.

"What would you like for breakfast sweetie? Cereal?"
"No."
"French Toast."
"No!"
"French Fried Frog Legs?"
"NO! I don't want bre-fast! I-WANT-CHOCOLATE-MILK!"
~~~~~~~~~~
"Alright, bud, let's go get your shoes on and take your brother to the bus stop."
"No. I want my lunch box."

"Okay, we'll get it as soon as we take your brother to the bus."
"No. I want to go to pre-school." Now, while I'm all excited about a 2 year old wanting to go to preschool, 2 minutes before the bus comes is not the time to discuss this!!!

"Shoes on."
"NOOOOO!!!! I want a snack in my lunch box." Alright, I'll play your game...

"Okay I'm leaving, be right back."
"NOOOOOOO....don't leave me!" Proceeds to fling himself out the door no coat, no shoes.

Bus drives by. We race down the sidewalk and make it just as it starts to pull away.

~~~~~~~~~

"Come on, kiddo, we gotta get movin'." Shoes on, coat on, we're on our way to the truck. Hey! we're doing great! Unlock the door, lay my keys on the dash, pop him the hubby's truck, buckle up, close the door. Lock the van, close the garage, get to driver's side of the truck, door's locked. No prob. Go around to J#2's side, pull on the handle....door's locked. Guess what folks? Doors lock automatically in the hub's '92 Dodge Dakota. Yup.

"Hey, kiddo, open the door. It's locked" Blank stare.

"Buddy, un-buckle and pull up the button. You're locked in the car. I can't get in." More blankness.

"J-man open the door!"

"No." I did eventually end up getting in through the back window. Thank goodness the
hubby takes his time fixing things. :0)

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Here honey let me help you with that remote."
"NO! I wanna do it!"

"But I can show you how to..." Oye, here we go...
"NOOO! WAHAHHA ! I want to do it myself!"

"But..." I feel a headache comin' on.
"NOOOO!!! MEEEE!!!!"

"Okay, okay, here, you do it yourself."...maintaining calm...sort of..
"Mommy will you help me?"

See what I mean????!!!! I'm going to be in a mental hospital before I'm 40!!!

For All You Comment Deprived People

7:47 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Everyone wants to be heard. I admit, I'm one of those narcissistic few who likes to blab anything and everything and hear what people have to say about it. Just like friendships, though, blogships for lack of a better word, taking some time to build too. Impatient as I might be, I've been doing this for what 6 weeks now? Sure! I would love 65 hits and comments a day. Ain't gonna happen. So to the few blogging friends I have made, and anyone else who bitched yesterday, legitimately I might add, this is for you. If I can't manage to leave it on your site...I will direct you to mine. And hopefully you'll be part of my self fulfilling prophecy and LEAVE A COMMENT HINT..HINT WITH A LEAD BALLOON!!!


Click here for your well wishes!

Hello again...

3:04 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Sorry for the boring day peeps...I've been playing as you can see. Took me all freakin' day too! J-man #2 is sick and sleeping and J-man #1 isn't home from school just yet. Laundry and other such menial tasks await...so, I decided to play instead!

I'm still trying to give credit where credit is due...Claypot Image Maker is where I made the doll...and 360 degrees of sky is where I stole the idea from. Thanks Zinnia! There are some very cool places if you have the chance to look around. I'm trying to figure out what I want this site to look like, personalize it I mean...then I'm going to pay someone to fix all my mistakes! But I'm certainly having fun until then! This is what I would look like in Japanese-cartoon-animation-kinda-sorta-way. I'm working on the rest of my family now ;0) Tomorrow I'll write something noteworthy..Hubby's out of town for 4 days! Til then...ciao!

Problem Solved!

7:35 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Okay...for those of you who have had trouble leaving comments on my site or anyone else's ...I've figured it out! Once you're done reading someone's completely hilarious, witty, sad or offensive commentary for the day and you would like to leave them a note, click on the "Comments" link. IF this doesn't work, which lately has been driving me crazy because of issues with whatever powers that be, refresh the page and try it again. Unless something is really screwed up...it should work.

Now...talk to me people! And everyone else for that matter!

Exercise...Do you?

10:24 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
I eat wrong, exercise well, and sleep less than I should. I've always claimed that I could live on chocolate and still lose weight. I'm not a small girl. I've probably waffled between a size 12-16 since I was in the seventh grade. Well, at my best, I was rowing crew every afternoon, running 3-5 miles a day and lifting weights 3 times a week. At my best, I was 147 lbs.

Now, 2 kids and 20 years later, I am about 163 ish lbs and a size 12 on a good day in Old Navy stretch jeans. I can't seem to go below that...the infamous "they" once said, "After 35, it will take twice as long to get back into shape". What shape might that be? Pear shape? Pumpkin shape? Bad shape? It's all relative, I suppose.

Anywho, I started to "get into shape" about a year ago, with this cool new class called Body Flow.

It's a combination of Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. Okay, I'll bite.

Yoga- relaxing, meditative contortions of your body named after what first seems to be strong, amazon women. Things like Sun Warrior, Mountain Pose, and my favorite Extended Warrior shooting arrows. Then when you're feeling all strong and invincible you start doing things with names like crocodile, tree pose, dancer, horse stance, seal pose, happy baby, and my absolute fav Down DOG!!

Pilates- the only pilates moves we do are abs...really HARD abs...picture this...get on the floor on your hands and knees. Now, push your body into a push-up, raise one leg, now lower your upper body to the floor and back up again... 10 times in a row!

Tai Chi--never stop moving...my favorite and most beautiful part of the whole routine. Long, languid moves that make anyone look like a ballet dancer.

At the end of the whole thing you get to lie on your back and relax for 10 minutes for cell regeneration. Put all these together and you have Body Flow.

From all of this, I have lost 12 pounds in the past year and realized that 20 year old body I used have is still there. Now all I have to do to keep it that way is stand on my tiptoes stretch my hands way above my head and look down...my boobs have gone back to their teenage positions and I have a flat stomach!

Now, if I could just figure out how to walk around.....

Conflicted... It's long, but there is a point to it all...I promise!

9:34 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
So, I grew up Catholic. Still am when I choose to be. Depends on the church, the priest, the day, the mood, do I feel like sitting in a room full of people paying total attention to someone's crying kids? Do I want to dress up? After all if you can't dress up for God who then?


Or, originally, listening to the Homily and getting pissed off and crying because my boyfriend said we were all sinners, and who were we to say divorce and abortion are a mortal sin? I'm in high school, why was I worrying about these things? Should've gotten a clue looking back. Angry because no one could tell me the differences in religions...why were we against Lutheranism? What made it okay for Women to be Pastors in the Episcopalian and Methodist churches but not my own? Why do I need to go to confession to tell a man I'm sorry for my sins and not God? Why can't anyone answer my questions? Why won't someone tell me why we interpret the Bible, because lets face it, people just don't stone each other to death anymore and the Baptist's follow it down to the last Thee, Thy and Though.? Who said I'm not "saved"? I believe Jesus died on the cross for me. I'm not saved because I don't have "the feeling". What feeling? Why is it all about being afraid? Wasn't Jesus about love and peace, and the conflictedness of Free Will?

Then there was the Priest who brought me back to the church. I was single, had just graduated from college and my safe space, church? Who needs it? I did. I needed a sense of community and purpose in my life because I was on my own now, and Father H. helped me realize this. He was thought provoking, accepting and real. Did missionary work in Haiti, which was his passion, brought EVERYONE into the church, race, creed, color, and sexual preference. Yes, this meant homosexuals as well. Amen! Finally, someone "of God" who really does forgive and love EVERYONE. Yes, the Bible says it's wrong, but... then there's the whole Bible thing. What about the Koran (don't jump on me people, they are just questions and valid ones at that) ?

Well in the midst of my conflictedness, things seemed to become a little clearer for me. This is where I belonged. I was happy..so much so, that my husband went through their RCIA program and converted to Catholicism because he believed too. We were married in this church, with Fr. H, our family and friends and all the love in the world.

Then we were hit with...Fr. H is taking a hiatus...he died six months later from AIDS. Hmmmm..... lessons to be learned here?

Then there was the priest who told my 4 year old at Christmas Eve mass that there was no Santa Claus. WHAT?????!!!! There isn't?

Then I found Eastern philosophy. To me, this is how we should all live our lives. In peace, and goodness. It's so easy to see the bad in people, why not try to find something positive in it all? Sure does make one a lot happier in life. I just want to make informed decisions! Why can't anyone give me a straight answer?????? Because, I now know, there isn't one. At least, I don't think there is. See my confusion?

I've since learned some truths about psychics and psychos, people who have talked and believe they still can talk to aliens; met my spirit guides; learned to heal the body through energetic channeling, learned that phobias and unknown illness, known illnesses and many other problems are manifestations of being stabbed with a sword or burned to death or tortured in some unknown manner in a past life, etc, etc. and still don't believe that I'm going to hell for it all!

Because I'm only 37 years old and I'm still learning and that's okay.

Because, I still go to church, and take what I can get from it, especially that sense of community and family.

Because I still believe in God and what He stands for. I believe Jesus took on human form to bring peace to a chaotic world and that though we're headed that way again, we will find a resolution to it all soon.

Because I still believe that there is something to be learned in everything that happens to you good and bad. At least this is where I am at right now.


So here's the challenge, do you agree? If so, read on and I challenge you to live life like I do!


You need community. Communities that share the same belief systems as you do. You need to try to live your life the way you want others to live...set an example. And then follow these four things....some I'm better at than others but here they are:

From The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

1. Be impeccable with your word.

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't take anything personally.

Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, thier own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering. (Obviously I need to work on this one!)

3. Don't make assumptions.

Find the courage go ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.

4. Always do your best.

This will change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy than when you are sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.


Good luck! You're gonna need it!

Stream of Consciousness....Michele's Game

9:43 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
When I first started reading all your wonderful sites, I would click to comment and see "Hello, Michele sent me." Well, being the smartass that I tend to be at times I would respond with my comment and "P.S. Michele didn't send me." I'm here to say...especially after my email fiasco with Shoehound...don't talk about things you know nothing about. I'm sorry Michele! Boy, my life seems to be full of apologies here lately..I have since discovered Michele's wonderful site and I now understand what she's all about! Most of you know her, but for those of you who don't, she does this cool comment game and many variations thereof... all to spread blogging cheer. I have visited many wonderful sites and some pretty depressing ones. All of which are an insight into personal feelings about public and sometimes not so public lives. I've learned so much about myself too and that I have a lot to be thankful for. Thanks to everyone, Momma K, Alessandra, Antipo, Mommy Matters, shoehound, Michele, Average Mom, aka_monty, light & dark, and everyone else who has come to me via this game or otherwise and left your kind words. And to you anonymous, I thank you too, because you thought you caused the supposed riff between myself and a fellow blogger, but instead you created a new blogging friendship. I am taking action, by the way, to find out who this person is. If I don't I will certainly make it known throughout the blogging community! This is not a threat, it is a promise. Don't mess with the bull, you'll get the horns. It has taught me to be myself, and give people the benefit of the doubt. I've actually spent so much time reading others blogs, that I haven't written anything myself! What I have to say now, seems pretty boring. But then again, it's me. So, this is the last time I will talk about this incident, unless of course I figure out who done it. NOW....I encourage you to visit Michele's sight and spread some blogging cheer!

A Thankful Mistake...I Hope

12:48 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Recently I wrote about some sobering moments where I received a nasty gram, or rather a link to such. I assumed that it was from the author herself since it came to me via email. I read a story that the shoehound wrote and shared a similar experience. Shortly afterward I received an email linking me to this sight and the following post about "know it alls". I was extremely hurt and confused that someone would not only say these things about me, but not directly to me. It turns out...someone thought I should read this as it pertained to my story. It was NOT the author. After a couple of days and a bit of calming down and some suggestions from friends, I realized I needed to give Bari the benefit of the doubt, though all signs pointed directly toward me. I got an immediate response from her and she DID NOT write it about me. First of all, thank God for that, second of all who the hell had the balls to send that to me and not tell me who you were? You are allowed to have your own opinion whoever you are, mine does not have to match yours. I will no longer partake in this senseless banter. I stand by what I said earlier...if you have something to say to me...say it but be kind. Lastly, I am sorry Shoehound, that you had to defend yourself out of my supposed issues. You should be able to say whatever it is that you want without worrying about this kind of crap. Thanks for your honesty (and remind me never to piss you off ;0) )

She sounds like a brilliant teacher and I look forward to reading more about her daily goings on.

Remember people your words have power and there are people behind those words.

2:38 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Before.....

2:30 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Here it is! I'm finally done! It's not perfect, but not bad for the first time huh? On to job #2! Fairy Princess Land!

The Tooth Fairy...

12:58 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Said hubby was putting J the 1st to bed last night and J#1 says, "Dad, I think I have a loose tooth!"
Dad replies, "Well, that's great buddy. You can put your tooth under your pillow and the Tooth Fairy will come and leave you some money!"

J#1 gets a monsterous grin on his face and says, "Yeah! Maybe she'll leave me $100 bill!"

Stream of Consciousness...Sobering Moments...

9:40 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Angry, hurt, sad, confused...these are all words that describe my feelings today. I, as my lovely friend Lydia once said, received a cosmic kick in the head last night and I can't believe almost 24 hours later I'm still feeling like this!!! I'm not one to hold onto emotions...especially bad ones. But words have a power you don't even realize, especially when there is no body behind them. By this I mean body language specifically. Email is impersonal and unless you truly have the gift of gab...things don't always come across the way you intend them to. My gifts are not in this area nor do I ever claim them to be, those of you who know me, know kids are my area of giftedness. Every aspect of them, all ages, how to teach them, how to reach them. When trying to share an experience briefly left in a comment section, I inadvertantly pissed someone off and got a serious nasty gram as a result. Wow! The vehemency behind it was amazing to me! I've decided not to put it here simply because this is my space and I don't want to lend credence to it. I am sorry if I offended anyone with my "know it allness" as you so kindly put it...but please remember as you ask not to be judged by what you write, do not judge in turn for what is written. Remember there are people behind those words and words have power. And that's all I have to say about that...

Thoughts to ponder....

8:29 AM Edit This 1 Comment »
How scary is it when the microwave bell dings and your two year old says:


"Mom, Dinner's ready!"

Stream of Consciousness....

7:32 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
I've figured out where my bug got the "inane repetitiveness" from....ME. I must've asked him six times what he wanted for breakfast this morning before I even got a "huh?". Then I had to, of course, explain to him that the proper answer is "Yes?" not "Huh?" and that "huh" is not technically a word...please realize peeps that I have not yet had my morning coffee and words just come out of my mouth in a stream of arduous dribble at this point.....which then makes me realize that reasoning with a two year old is like talking to a wall. So what's the monster's excuse? Being 5 of course! He knows everything...including how to ruin my $500 coffee table with his cars. "But Mom, I run into things all the time and never dent them! How was I supposed to know?" Hmmmmmm.....that would explain the dent IN HIS HEAD! I love my kids. I really do...good thing I'm feeling non-PMSy today....and yes I know that's not a word either ;0) It is now! Til tomorrow...

Kids....

10:55 AM Edit This 6 Comments »
2 year olds are inanely repetitive..."Mom...mom...mom...moomm...moommm... Mommmy!....MOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!"

5 year olds live in their own little world where their way is always the right way and they still expect you do everything.

Case in point.

"Hey buddy, let's go make some cookies."

"Yeah! Okay!"

"Mom, wait for me, I have to poop." Starts to dance around and heads for the toy room.
"What are you doing? I thought you had to use the bathroom?" More dancing, searching....
"I'm getting some cars to play with in the bathroom!" Racing down the hall..."Gotta go! Gotta go!". Cars falling out of his hands.

Pondering on my part on how exactly he's going to play with cars while sitting on the toilet. Hear a voice from behind closed doors..."Mom! I'm almost done! Wait for me!"
"Okay."
"Mom?"
"Yes, dear?"
"You're waiting for me right?"
"Yes, hon."
"Mom?"

I'm changing my name...

"What??!"
"I'm almost done!"
"Okay..I'll be in the kitchen waiting for you."

Time elapses...

"Mom...."
"WHAT????!!"
"I'm done!"
"Okay?! What do you want me to do about it?"



"I dropped my car in the toilet!"...

Stream of Consciousness....

8:08 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
I've decided I've got more than one thing to say most days...so...I'm now going to start the day with my stream of consciousness thought for the day: Today's being this damn blasted weather!!! Yes, I'm going to bitch about the weather...I love snow for the most part...in the winter. But, it hasn't ever been enough to DO anything with...no snowmen, angels, no hills to sled on. Growing up in New England...this is nothin' Yes, technically it is still winter, however, yesterday I was outside in a t-shirt and today it's a blizzard! No wonder my throat feels like a hot poker and all I want to do is hibernate! They've cancelled school for this crap before now and today my kids were going whether they had it or not! Not really, but that's just about how I feel. My 2 year old bug is sick again!!! This is going on 4 weeks now that he's had SOMETHING. Pink eye, sinus infection, general cold crap. Of course, then I have to sit in the Dr's office for and ungodly amount of time because EVERY-FREAKIN'-ONE is suffering with the same stuff! Just for them to send me to Rite Aid to wait for my prescription...oh...and here's the kicker...they send all their scripts electronically now because it's faster. "Great!" I'll go get coffee and it should be ready right? Wrong! I come back about 45 minutes later and they still haven't received the script! "Maam, I'm sorry it takes one to two hours for the request to even arrive." WHAT THE HELL?????!!!! My child is in pain, burning crazy eyes, raging sinus infection, whatever, he's 2 for Pete's sake! I had to wait all damn day for the appt to begin with, then wait almost an hour to see the Dr. and now they want me to wait another 1 -3 hours get meds!!!! Okay it's been snowing now for oh, a 1/2 hour or so, and the "No, discernable accumulation" has turned into almost an inch...can we believe anyone of respect and supposed stature anymore????? ARRRGHHHHH!!!..... I'm going back to bed! I wish....

10 Things About Me...

8:31 AM Edit This 1 Comment »
Okay...this may be difficult, but sounds like a challenge I'm up for. Thanks Momma K for zee ideer. My turn! 10 things I've done that I bet you haven't...

I...
1. Jumped head first off a bridge(into a river of course!)

2. Met and kissed every member of the Country group Alabama.

3. Owned a Tarantula as a pet.

4. Had my hair pulled by a ghost (yes, really).

5. Had a child via C-section born blue.

6. Have talked with an intuitive twice that was actually right.

7. Have a father who was holed up on a ship with Frank Sinatra when he was 3 and stole a bulb from his movie projector.

8. Had Jimmy Carter's motorcade stop for a group of my friends and I just to get out say "Hi".

9. Swam with dolphins in the ocean.

10. Have a brother who has owned more cars than he is old...that would be 33 years.

Wow! Didn't think I could do that...Peace!

Already today...

8:35 AM Edit This 1 Comment »
Note the time...note the day...thus far I have...changed one and dressed two children, taken a shower (rarity at this point in the day by the way), walked the dog, taken care of the neighbors dog, cleaned up pee in front of the back door (which must've happened sometime in the middle of the night and I was too dead tired to hear her), made an entire pot of hot water (because I forgot to put the coffee in), washed and dried a load of laundry and cleaned up a 2 liter bottle of Sprite off the kitchen floor because my 2 year old decided to pour himself a drink. Not bad for a day's work...think I'll quit now and take a nap!

Things I've Learned About Blogging....

7:48 AM Edit This 3 Comments »
Firstly, I would like to give credit to Turtle-Duck-Girl-Clare whom, it seems, has not been available on line for a couples years now, but regardless, the ironing picture below is to her credit. Which leads me to the things I've recently learned about blogging.

1. HTML is not a discernable language without years of mindless book learning.
2. It's easier to pay someone to develop a cool Template that will make you "stand out" in the world of blogging. Ciao My Bella! here I come!
3. Stealing pictures off the internet is okay, as long as you give the person
credit...I'm certain this makes sense to someone....
4. Blogging is an addiction I love having! Although it is creeping into my dreams...
5. Blogging before coffee and after late night rendevous' is a good thing!

and finally....

Eventhough it's Friday night and you stay up until 2 a.m. reading blogs, writing, thinking of witty commentary...your children still get up at 6 a.m... appropriate emoticon here.

5:42 PM Edit This 3 Comments »

Sorry.. the upload failed!!! Here's the final picture minus some ivy on the walls and possible tree detail. I'll send photos of everything when I'm done for real.... thanks to everyone for all your encouragement and support! Peace. Posted by Hello

8:15 PM Edit This 0 Comments »

On a transatlantic flight, a plane passes through a severe storm. The turbulence is awful, and things go from bad to worse when one wing is struck by lightning.

One woman in particular loses it. Screaming, she stands up in the front of the plane. "I'm too young to die," she wails.

Then she yells, "Well, if I'm going to die, I want my last minutes on earth to be memorable! Is there anyone on this plane who can make me feel like a WOMAN?"

For a moment there is silence. Everyone has forgotten their own peril.

They all stare. Eyes riveted, at the desperate woman in the front of the plane. Then a man from Texas stands up in the rear of the plane. He is handsome: tall, well built, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He starts to walk slowly up the aisle, unbuttoning his shirt. One button at a time. No one
moves. He removes his shirt. Muscles ripple across his chest.

She gasps...

He whispers "Iron this."

 Posted by Hello

Life's Too Short...Eat Chocolate... Confront Gently

1:16 PM Edit This 1 Comment »
Today at Toddlin' Time, my two year old smacked another little boy in the face. When imparting my words of wisdom upon him about the ramifications of not being nice to others, what might happen if you hit someone, how disappointed I was in his behavior etc. etc, he looked up at me with his big ole' baby blues, smiled and said...


"Mommy, you have green eyes!"

A Woman I Admire

9:55 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
My friend Lara sent this to me this morning...it's a quotish from Maya Angelou. It's about getting older and I suppose since it's been 19 years since I graduated highschool and 15 since college, it means I'm getting older too! What a beautiful way to look at life....hope you enjoy!

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Amen sister!