It's What Time?

It's up and it's so PURTY

2009-09-13T00:25:00.001-07:00

Okay, my shop went live last week. And I've been spending this time trying to figure out how this all works. So I've added a few book marks, a few bracelets, and some cell phone charms. Just to see what gets the most attention.

Also, my dear dear friends over at GoddessFish Promotions did my banners for me. They are gorgeous. Judy the Banner Goddess rocks! This is going to go at the top of my blog here so everyone can see. :-D :

The rest of my life has been... interesting. But that is for another day.

HOLY COW!

2009-08-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

It's been... FIVE months since I've posted anything to this blog. OY, I'm sorry. It's been a rather insane few months. Between family emergencies and getting the kids back to school it's been hard to remember where I'm supposed to be and when.

On top of that I decided that I didn't have enough to do so I started a home jewelry/do-dad/what-nots business. Pixie's Pretties went live this last week. Basically it's a way to take my love of beads, jewelry making stuff and reading and make money off of it. Needless to say, my hubby is happy that all that craft "stuff" in the other room is being put to use (or put out to pasture).

I just sent almost all of my product off to my sister in Colorado (where she sells it in her booth each weekend) and left almost nothing for myself to post to my Etsy account. *sigh* I do have some stuff, but the big stuff I sent off to her. Guess that means I have to make more... LOL

So how has everyone been? Is anyone still stopping in occasionally? Hopefully, I'll finally get back into the swing of things and be a productive member of society again. LOL. Hope everyone is well. :-D

I'm Here...

2009-04-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have just been super busy lately. I apologize to anyone who is still following my blog. It has been insane around here lately, and now I have health issues that are making it hard to keep up with everything I've set myself up to do. LOL

I'm trying to get caught back up, so bear with me if you're still around.

Aside from my health stuff, everyone is doing well. The boys are getting bigger and life is still as interesting as ever. The baby is one year old now, and it's just so amazing how different each child can be one from the other. The older boys are all growing like weeds and I can hardly keep them clothed before they grow out of everything. They're eating me out of house and home... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Gah, I have no idea how to get caught up, but I'll try over the next few weeks to do just that. I know, I know, I stink at this... hopefully I'll get better. :-D

Thursday Thirteen ~ Interesting Things I've Learned...

2009-01-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

13 Interesting Things I've Learned as the Mother of BOYS!!!

They are in no particular order, only as they came to me. Enjoy!

1. I. Can't. Have. Nice. Things. ~ That's right, nice things can NOT survive in my house for more than several days at a time.

2. A 9-year-old pretending to surf can completely wreck a metal bunkbed. Yes, a METAL bunkbed. Destroyed... no fixing it.

3. It's okay for them to laugh and joke about farts, burps and other bodily functions... but I am not allowed to tell my dance students to smell their toes in order to show how they need to stretch. "Eww, Mommy! That's GROSS!" Go figure.

4. Sour milk or apple juice will not kill them. It does however upset MY stomach when I figure out that they drank it.

5. Even toy power tools can drill a hole in my wall. Apparently, all the child needs is determination... and a mother dealing with a younger sibling.

6. Even kiddie craft scissors can give a child a reverse mohawk.

7. A sugar spoon found in the sugar tub (for cooking) was NOT used to sprinkle sugar over the morning cereal... it was used to eat the sugar directly from the source.

8. Even FOAM pirate swords can break skin if swung hard enough.

9. Yo-yos work much better as a weapon than a toy (You ever seen someone swing one around their head until it clobbers another person? NO? Come to my house, just remember to duck).

10. A laptop is surprisingly resilient when faced with a curious 7-1/2 year-old holding a screwdriver. And in the same vein... I can literally blow steam from my ears.

11. A determined barefoot child can shimmy up a doorjamb with nothing but his fingers and toes to propel him... and THEN proceed to hang from the top of the doorjamb until someone else walks into the room.

12. A two year old can hogtie himself with nothing more than a necklace of beads.

13. A tiny little bouncy-ball can wreak an amazing amount of havoc if bounced hard enough.

So, that is my very first TT, hope y'all enjoyed it.

Yeah, yeah ... It's been a long time...

2008-12-15T00:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know it's been a really long time since I posted here, but life has been busy. I thought I'd show y'all something that I had great fun doing. Enjoy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I figure this is the only way I'm gonna get all my boys to dance. I may get one of them to do it, but this was so much fun. As least I'll have video of it.....

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

IT looks so real! It makes me laugh, tell me it doesn't make y'all laugh! Okay, last one... maybe! *snicker*

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season. Good will to all and to all a good night... that Santa sure knows what he's talking about. LOL

~Chris

Strangers... Stranger than fiction...

2008-08-29T00:00:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd start with a picture from the reunion. This was taken from the back porch of DH's uncle's home.

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Okay, Marianne requested the hitting on strangers story... so here goes.

While at the beach up in Idaho (while my DH rode around in his brother's boat) I had the task of keeping track of three children, participating in the family activities and making sure my children didn't wander or drown. I thought I was doing pretty good until the cousin I was talking to said, "Hey, where'd (3) go?"

PANIC... okay, I could handle this. I stood up, asked the cousin if she could continue to keep an eye on 0 and 6 and stood to look up and down the beach. I let everyone else in the group know he had wandered off and to BOLO then started walking up the beach. I saw a flash of his life jacket ahead of me and started to trot in that direction. As I got a bit closer and saw what he was doing, I broke into a full-out run. 3 had picked up some random water noodle and proceeded to beat some poor guy about the head and shoulders with it (No, I'm not kidding!). By the time I got there, the guy was confused but... amused. He was holding onto one end of the noodle while 3 dancing around on the other end of the noodle like it was a great game...

"(3), you put that down right now!" 3 turned around and just started babbling about how this guy was letting him do it and it was fun. I look at the guy and about swallow my tongue. HOTTIE!!

"I am SOO sorry," I gasp, grabbing 3s arm embarassed as all get out, and then the guy turns to face me fully... WHEW, I told you he was HAWT right? Well, he was built too.. he had that perfect triangle... yum. So, here I am embarassed, and the guy turns to me and grins. He's grinning at me!

He said, "S'alright, hon!" with this REALLY nice british accent... IN IDAHO. How in the hell did he find his way to BFE Idaho? "I just wasn't sure who he belonged to."

"Yes, he belongs to me, I'm sorry! He thinks because he has older brothers who beat on him that it's okay... no matter what I say." No, I'm really not sure how I was still able to talk... but I was.

"I can relate." And that was that...

I smiled, and dragged my 3 back off down the beach to where he was supposed to be and kept a much closer eye on him the rest of the day. So, now you know, my son is shameless when it comes to "hitting" on good-looking strangers on my behalf.

Which story should I tell next? LOL

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It's been a bit insane in our house lately, what with school starting back up, and dance classes and another family trip... *sigh* I guess I can rest when I'm dead.

Today, we had a big deal happen in our little household. 0 had his first tooth break through. YAY. After about a month of fussing and a not-so-happy baby, I'm hoping we'll get a bit of a break from the screaming. Doubt it, but hope springs eternal.

That's the best I can do right now. He wasn't cooperating with me taking pictures of his tooth today. You can sort of see it there on the bottom in the front. NO, I didn't hurt him, he was actually trying to grab the camera. LOL

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9 just learned a rough lesson today. He came home from school and instead of doing what I told him to do (his homework) he ran around in his room in his own world. Now, normally we'd just call him back to task and all would be well. BUT, today was Scouts. The rule is if he doesn't do his homework before Scouts, he doesn't get to go. We went through a really rough patch last year where he almost failed. Considering how smart the kid is it was difficult to get him back on task. We worked it out, and he decided along with us that if he didn't do his homework he lost privileges... starting with Scouts. I hate being the bad guy, but he has a hard enough time focusing without letting him excuse himself from homework.

*sigh* Isn't being a parent so much fun? YES,it is... even when they don't like me very much.

Yes, I'm back...

2008-08-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

And I have been for a bit now. I'm sorry... I SUCK at keeping up with my blogging. LOL

Our trip to Idaho went well, aside from disappearing children, hitting on good-looking strangers and 9 year old gastrointestinal showmanship... we had a pretty good time. Yes, there is a story behind each situation named above. I just really don't have time to tell them all right now, plus the post would be a mile long if I did. Let me know which one you want to know the most about and I'll tell that tale in the next posting.

Life has been rather crazy around here. We got back from our trip and the next week I started back teaching dance classes, DH started back taking his Masters courses, we had to prepare for a new school year and everything just went to fast forward. Before I knew it, it was three weeks (four?) later and I hadn't updated my blog. *sigh*

Well, now 9 and 6 are back in school, and I have a bit more time to get things done (I hope). So, here's hoping that I can actually get those things ... well... done!

Heading out the door

2008-07-20T17:21:00.001-07:00

Yep, that's right. I am insane, I admit it.

I am currently in the process of taking a family trip. We're DRIVING, with all the boys, to my DH's family reunion in Idaho. Why is it that the one person who doesn't really want to do it is the one who has to pack everything and get everyone ready to go? As Marianne told me earlier... vacation is NOT a vacation for MOM.

So, that's where I am, and why I haven't updated. Trying to get everything caught up and keep Marianne from panicking (she doesn't want me to go either... lol). I think I'll be able to check in while away, but you never know.

As for the whole Cops incident.. thank you everyone. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who thought it was blown all kinds of out of proportion. It took two days for my stomach to unknot. Hugs to y'all for your support.

Okay, I know this is a really short post, but I don't really have time for anything longer... I shouldn't even be here now... but don't tell anyone.

COPS!!! I'm SERIOUS!

2008-07-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

So, apparently, I am a terrible mother who doesn't deserve to have children.

That's right... the COPS were called on me!

No, really, I'm serious. The police were called to my house.

Here's the story: I stopped off at Wal-Mart after picking up my older two boys from the rec center. I had all three older boys with me, and I should have known better, but hope springs eternal. So, after going through the store and hearing, "Can we...?" and "Mommy, I want..." nonstop and having to chase down 3 and finally toss him in the cart because he REFUSED to listen... I lost it in the parking lot.

9 ignored me and proceeded to open up three very large bottles of Gatorade for him and his two brothers. 3 then proceeded to dump half of his bottle all over the back of the van, before I had even gotten around to the driver's seat. HOW DO THEY DO IT? Did I mention our van is relatively new... I get upset if stuff is spilled in it... because DH gets upset if stuff is spilled in it.

I lost it, I admit it, I was hollering in the parking lot. I stormed around the van, hollered at them to give me the stupid drinks, and proceeded to tell them very loudly that they were never coming to the grocery store with me again. Now, when I got into the driver seat, I noticed a woman staring at me. I gave her a "What are you looking at?" look and drove off... after gripping my head and screaming loudly, "AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" I then took a deep breath and drove home (which is right down the street).

When I got home I told the boys to get in the house and get towels to mop up the mess. I came in, lamented to DH that I didn't know why I kept doing this to myself and proceeded to cry while I put the groceries away. I noticed a car slowly driving around the school across the street and thought briefly that someone was lost.

20 MINUTES LATER THE COPS WERE RINGING MY DOORBELL!!!

"Could you come outside please?"

Holy crap... what is going on? "Um, okay, sure, let me put the dog in the back yard." (Harley was going nuts.)

"Were you guys just at Wal-Mart?"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? "Yes, sir, I was, and Yes, sir, I was screaming at my kids in the parking lot, but I did not beat them no matter how much they deserved it!"

"Honestly, I don't really think you did. But, we have to investigate these calls. You understand."

"Absolutely."

"Why were you so upset with them?"

"Because, they had just dumped half a gatorade in the backseat when I told them not to open them until we got home!"

"Well, hell, I would have had the same damned reaction!" I kid you not, the nice Officer McGinnis said this!

"Yup, I was not happy with them. When we got home they got to clean it up too."

"Good!"

"But, I did not beat them.."

"Well, frankly, I'd prefer it if you did." Color me stumped! "If more people made their children own up to their actions and spanked them I wouldn't have to deal with them later on in life!"

I swear I just stood there and blinked at him... as did his rookie he was training. The boys then proceeded to trot outside wanting to meet the police officers (we like police officers, firefighters, and soldiers in our house). When asked, 9 freely admitted he had opened the bottles, but that I hadn't been very clear on when they COULD in fact open the Gatorades. (9 is on a fast-track to law school if you ask me) This brought a laugh and then a lecture from Officer McGinnis on how 9 needed to listen to his mother. 3 at first thought they were there to take him away for spilling the Gatorade (wonder where he got THAT idea... 9?) and locked us out of the house. Good thing 9 was still inside and let us in.

Basically, the officers said they had to check it out, make sure that we weren't killing our kids and they were sorry to bother us. They walked away laughing. Meanwhile, our friends in the neighborhood were driving by staring wondering what in the world had happened that the police were on our front porch. *sigh* And I am southern enough to be bothered by what my neighbors might think of me... at least for ten minutes or so. LOL

Yanno, I never once slapped my kids in that parking lot, I never pulled them out and made them walk home, I never did anything beyond scream at them and warn them of the consequences of their actions. They would never get to go to the store with me unless it was an emergency (no milk and no DH to cover me), they would be cleaning up the mess they made and... The Gatorade was confiscated to be re-released at a later date. BUT, someone felt that I went over the line... I guess they either don't have children or their children are angels because they don't "need" to yell at them or hellions because they obviously never yell at their children about the consequences of their actions at the top of their lungs. Well.. bully for them. These are my children who are ALL BOY! And there are days where my children are darned lucky I think it would scar them if I spanked them in public.

So, basically, someone had nothing better to do than to follow me down the street from the Neighborhood Wal-Mart and then drive around while she made sure she got my address right when she was talking to the police. Pretty convinced it was that lady in the parking lot staring at me. When the cops showed up on my doorstep I had no idea why they were there. I thought another one of our cars had been broken into...

Nope, apparently a nosey woman's call that I was "possibly" harming my children causes them to make haste, where as when someone breaks into our van, or bashes out a window, and they can't be bothered to come out and take a report we had to go into the station and fill it out ourselves. Grr... if I see that lady again... I'll smile sweetly and ask her if SHE would like to spend a day in the grocery store with all three of them.

Okay, I'm done. I almost want to laugh now... at the time I was quite a bit furious that some nosey ass woman had no business sticking her nose in my business. But, oh well... she'll get hers someday. Good thing the boys are charming and just "so obviously abused and neglected. Some freaking people.

The officers were very sweet and understanding so it was more a conversation about friends.

Okay, I'm tired. It's been an emtional day. No kiddie quote today. I had to give a nother rant. I'll try to post some pictures of Harley tomorrow... he's so purty now that his winter coat has been combed out.

I'm losing my ability to make sense now, so that was the most exciting stuff to happen to me today... let's see how the rest of the week to see whatelse happens.

GRRRRRR..... Rant Ahead!

2008-07-09T00:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, rant ahead... you've been warned!

What ever happened to common courtesy? Since when is it okay to sit behind someone in a drive thru and honk your horn at them then wave your arms around like they're somehow inconveniencing you?

I took the boys to Mickey D's today... cuz I had just had enough and didn't feel like cooking anything. We've ALL been there, don't even try to deny it. Anyway, I usually make the boys tell me what they want BEFORE we get to the order box... thingy... and today was no different. Even so, they still sometimes hem and haw as they try to decide if they want fries or apple dippers, juice or milk, but asking them early usually cuts down on the drive thru time.

Anyway, today they were actually pretty good about telling me, but 3 has a hard time deciding... no matter how much time I give him. LOL We hadn't been there more than a minute and I was finishing up the order when the mean little gnome in the car behind us started honking his horn and waving his arms around like we were taking HOURS instead of minutes. I ignored him and finished our order and pulled forward the whole SINGLE CAR LENGTH to wait for the two cars in front of us to finish paying and move forward. See, we weren't holding anyone up, but you couldn't have told HIM that.

That little man rode my bumper all the way through the drive thru! Then as I am getting the food, I double-check to make sure that everything is correct... I have had more than one child pitch a temper tantrum because someone gave them fries instead of apple dippers, yanno! I was in NO mood to deal with that today, so I took the extra ten seconds to peek into each bag and make sure there would be no more drama. AND HE HONKED AGAIN! The lady in the window looked at ME like I did it!

I said, "NOT me... the nasty little man in the car behind me!"

Then, she and her manager both proceeded to hang out the window and stare at him! I about bust a gut laughing. In my rearview mirror I could see him slump down in his seat and try to avoid their glares. As I drove away, all I could think was, "What ever happened to common courtesy?" It's not like I was taking an inordinate amount of time ordering and getting my food. I see it more and more all around me... people hanging out their windows screaming at people in the crosswalk to move faster, then speeding around them when they're not even fully clear of the crosswalk... kids pushing each other down to get to the front of a line that isn't really going anywhere but into the next room... ADULTS pushing each other down to be first... Where did this whole ME ME ME mentality come from? Can I dare to hope that I can teach my children manners and common courtesy when there are so many people out there who don't even bother saying please and thank you?

Okay, I'm done for now... LOL

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I am just exhausted today. Not sure if some of y'all know, but I have sleep "issues" and some nights I'm lucky to get 3 or 4 hours of sleep.

Last night was one of those nights... I was still up when Marianne got up on the East Coast. I swear I can see her flinch all the way over there when she gets up and sees that I'm still up.

I have sleeping pills I'm supposed to take, but after a few days they aren't as effective, and I have to just deal. I can go without but that means NO sleep... *sigh* Needless to say, I wish I had an alternative. Believe me, I've tried just about everything... melatonin, bananas, cutting caffeine completely, no excercise after a certain time, all sorts of herbal supplements and accupressure (not accupuncture... yet), meditation... just about anything that has been suggested.

Now, honestly, I've sort of gotten used to going with little to no sleep, but it does affect my personality (just ask my kids) when I've gone several days with only minimal sleep. I don't really know what to do about it... but maybe someone out there has an idea that I haven't tried... and that doesn't involve needles. (Sorry, Marianne... it's a bit of a phobia)

Anyone?

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Okee dokee on a lighter note... I thought I'd do a quiz! :-)

You Are a Chick Rocker!

You're living proof that chicks can rock

You're inspired by Joan Jett and the Donnas

And when you rock, you rock hard

(Plus, you get all the cute guy groupies you want!)

What Kind of Rocker Are You?

That was fun! And... it's true! LOL

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Last time's Kiddie Quote was entirely MY FAULT! I know... having boys has corrupted me beyond measure.

It started when I told 9 to butt out of a conversation between me and DH... my exact words were... "Back off, Nosey-Butt!" Which then led me to ask, "Hmm... what would the world be like if our noses were on our butts instead of our faces?"

*SIGH* Yes, I know, bad mommy! But, the conversation was quite fun. 9, me and DH all had a few ideas on what the world would be like:

"I'll bet people would wipe their butts a lot better!" - 9

"There'd be a lot less nose-piercings!" - 9 again

"Deodorant wouldn't be as important... at least on your underarms." - DH

Sorry... I don't have a new Kiddie Quote right now... I'm tired.

How odd is ODD?

2008-07-02T02:24:00.000-07:00

YES! SEE, as far as the Accidental Porn... I'm not the only one with a gutter-brain! DH and I both thought it looked like a man groping a woman from behind. And, we're not the only ones. YAY. LOL.

Thank you, everyone for the Anniversary thoughts. We had a nice evening and I love getting dressed up... I'm such a girly girl.

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So, I have a question for the parents out there. Does your child just do things that are ODD and you're not sure where they got the quirk from?

Each of my children has a little quirk that can either make me smile or make me grit my teeth... just depends on the day.

9 makes a noise, completely subconsciously, when he's playing. It's sort of a cross between a war explosion and a sort of grunt. I don't know how else to describe it. I know this is part of his disorder, and it's one of the milder issues, but when the day is long and that's all I've heard all day it's all I can do not to scream when he runs through the living room making the noise.

6 has to wash his hands at least twice during a meal. He can't stand to have dirty, sticky hands. He usually goes through at least two napkins or paper towels when he eats. I love that I don't usually have to worry about HIS fingerprints all over the walls and furniture. I hate that he is popping up and down from the dinner table all through dinner.

0 doesn't have any quirks yet... but I'm sure there will be at least one in the future.

Now, 3... he has to line things up. His Hot Wheels... he lines them up by size, color and model. His animal figures... by size and breed. He gets very upset if one of his older brothers comes along and disrupts his pattern. The other morning I came into the kitchen to find this (ignore my messy table, the boys all got up long before I did that day and they aren't very good at cleaning up after themselves... I'm working on that):

Those are Frosted Mini-Wheats! You can see his concentration as he works... Then, the poor thing had a complete "come-apart" when 9 trotted into the kitchen and started to munch on the squares... er rectangles on the end.

Now, I know we all have our quirks. Don't even try to deny it! I don't like the food on my plate to touch. I can mix it up if I want, but if it comes to me already touching I have a very hard time eating it. DH eats his food in a circle... he starts on one food and eats it until it's gone, then he rotates his plate to the next food on the plate. What quirks do your children have that make you tilt your head and mutter, "HUH" ? What quirks do YOU have that you hope you didn't/don't pass on to future generations?

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The last Kiddie Quote was pretty self-explanatory.

This time, it's:

"If our noses were on our butts... there would be a lot less nose-piercings!"

Yup... I'll explain that next time. :-)

Birthdays, Baptisms, Anniversaries and Accidental Porn

2008-06-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

So, in response to Marianne, Bri and Amy:

M~ & Bri~ I only know about girls from growing up with mostly sisters (and my brother is a step so... he wasn't around much) so I can only say, "What do I know, I only have boys!" LOL I think that both sexes have their own unique issues and challenges, and there's always gonna be something to make you say, "Boys!" or "Girls!" with a huge sigh.

Amy~ YES! I know, right! And as you can see... he was laughing the ENTIRE time. He knew I was grossed out and he snickered the whole way. It doesn't help any that DH eggs him on just as badly as the other boys. :::rolling eyes:::

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So, this has been a super busy week for us. Well, a super busy month, but this weekend has been the busiest.

June and October are when we have the most birthdays and special occasions. Just this weekend we had oldest DSs birthday, my wedding anniversary, and my best friend's son was baptised. So, we were running around A LOT and I didn't get anything done.

So, we didn't really celebrate DSs birthday yet. He got the ice cream and a small present, but we didn't do the big To-Do yet. He wanted to have his party at Chuck E. Cheese. So, he'll get more stuff then... lol. That will be a busy weekend too.

For our anniversary my DH took me to a really nice restaurant with the most... *sigh*... delicious food! And I got to dress up (I'll post the picture of my purty dress and me and DH below) and DH dressed up, and we left the kids with my parents. As we were leaving the restaurant, and couple who had been sitting a few tables over from us was leaving as well. They gave us the nicest compliment.

"I'm sorry to be nosy," the man said. "But, did you two just get married?"

We had to laugh. "Um, no this is our anniversary."

The guy was confused, "So, um, you're newlyweds though? Like only one year?"

How sweet, right? "Nope, this is seven years."

"Wow, we could have sworn you were newlyweds!"

Now, while I thought that was sweet, I also kind of thought that it was sad. Why should only newlyweds hold hands and want to touch each other and talk to each other and share their meals? Am I the only one who feels this way? I personally LIKE spending time with my DH. Why marry someone who you don't want to be around? Why STAY married to someone you don't want to be around? Anyway, I learned it from my parents. The most common thing heard in my house growing up... "Ick, get a room you two!" My parents thought it was hilarious and informed us that one day we would appreciate it. *sigh* My parents were right again... dangit!

Just don't tell them I said so.

Okay, here's my dress:

Yes, I'm standing on a table... I HATE my carpet. But, that's another blog! LOL

And this is the two of us at the restaurant:

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So, I'm sure you're wondering about this "accidental porn" that I mentioned above. Um... hmm... have you ever seen a sign, or a food or a toy that just didn't look right? It looks like something sexual to you? Now, maybe my mind is in the gutter a lot... okay, no maybe there, but still I seem to notice these things in a lot more places than one would think. My DH is MUCH worse about it than me, which is why we get along so well! :-D

So, these signs are up all over town. And my parents didn't see it the way DH and I saw it. I guess I'll let you be the judge:

Does anyone else see it? It's not just me, right?

So, that's all for today. I just wanted to give everyone an update on my insanely crazy weekend. :-D

Blog? What Blog? I have a Blog?

2008-06-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

HOLY CANNOLI, Batman! Where did the time go? Yes, yes, I know...it has been quite some time since I've deigned to grace Blogger with my presence.

We have recently revamped The Long and Short of It review site. Well, Judy decreed it, Marianne revamped it, and I did a bunch of the grunt work. As you could probably guess... I have been uber busy over there. We've been building web pages and I've been helping with pages, writing reviews and other general AABH "stuff". So... so, sorry for being incommunicado these last few weeks.

Yes, it was on the 4th (Thanks! :*) Amy, and it was a BIG one birthday with a 0 at the end of it. Although I have been informed by The Goddess, The Fish and Mini-M that I am still a baby. :::rolling eyes::: As far as I am concerned, age is a number, and I'm as young as I feel. My Gramma Jan used to say that all the time, and I have always agreed with her. So, some days I feel 20 others I feel... 60 (those are the aches and pains days when I wonder why in the world I love dancing so much) when I snap, crackle and pop when I get up from bed in the morning.

As for raising boys: If. One. More. Person. Tells me that it's "easier" to raise boys than it is girls... I'm gonna scream and hand my boys over to them for the day and see how easy THEY think it is then. Boys just do things differently, they think differently. And I had to laugh at your comment on 13! We used to say that 8 (well now 9 as today was his b-day) so, 9 used to walk with his face! Now I have days where 3 runs screaming through the house with 6 in hot pursuit screaming, "Give it back, that's not yours!" and they stay just out of my reach while I'm feeding/snuggling/bonding with the baby. Is it mean that I trip them and then make them listen to what I have to say on this matter? Not to mention the times we have been sitting quietly watching a movie, and one will punch the other for no reason. Just POW, upside the head. When asked, "What in the world was that all about?" the usual response is something along the lines of... "Ummm... because?" Cheeky little monkeys. And, baby will be known as 0 until he turns one. There that's taken care of. OH, and 8 will be 9 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FIRSTBORN!)

Marianne... I am POSITIVE that you *snicker* you just don't do it where I can SEE it! Come on Judy... :::whiny foot stomp::: You KNOW she snickers... we just can't hear her over the internet. And she won't type it where we can see it. I know, KNOW she does it, and you will NEVAH convince me otherwise. (can y'all tell my meds are kicking in finally?)
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So, Today was 8's birthday so he's now 9. He is such a goober and he is so unique. For the boys' birthdays, if it falls in the middle of the week and we are throwing them a party on a later day, then we don't have a huge party for them. BUT we DO make sure that they know their day is very important to us as a family. So they usually get to pick lunch and dinner for that day. Today, my child did not pick hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, mac 'n' cheese or any other "kid" food. He wanted RIBS. YAY, I didn't have to choke down a birthday dinner because it was what my kids wanted. Also, he didn't want a cake, he only wanted ice cream... so that is what he blew out his candle on... in a very... boyishly, grossly, unique way:

Yep... that's right, he blew it out with his nose! How gross is that? I'm so glad that I didn't want any bubble gum ice cream! LOL Yup... boys will be boys will be boys.
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Last time's kiddie quote was from 3, he had laryngitis... so his voice was broken.

Kiddie Quote this time:

"I made ten poops!!" No, I'm not kidding.

That's all for now... I'm tired.

Because... They're BOYS!!!

2008-06-02T00:58:00.000-07:00

ACK... where did the time go? It just flew by! I feel all discombobulated... I hate when I tell myself that I have to do something, but it doesn't happen and then I feel all sorts of unorganized. GAH... it's been forever since I posted. *sigh*

Things have been absolutely insane around here. Between getting ready for the end of the school year, helping out on the websites, reviewing, reading (yeah I know not really a priority...but I DO review so there), baby stuff and now I have a cold, it's just utterly crazy around here.

Just got home from dinner at my parent's house, and decided that I was going to sit down while I was still coherent and actually get a blog post out. Dinner was nice, and Mom and Dad decided that they were giving me my birthday present tonight since they won't see me on Wednesday. I received a very lovely pair of amethyst earrings and a silver bracelet. I'm so spoiled... lol. Mom said cuz it's a "big" birthday and I needed something special. Okay, who am I to argue with jewelry?

June is a big month for us: My birthday, the boys get out of school, my oldest DSs birthday, and our anniversary. Needless to say, we keep busy.

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So, we had ourselves a bit of a to-do while I was not posting... lol. Our three year old (I think I'm gonna take a page from Amy's book and call them by their ages, although what would the baby be? 0? anyway...), had a bit of a mishap... with quite a bit of help from his older brother.

Yup, that's right... he got a black eye. Apparently, when they were supposed to be cleaning up the mess they made of their dirty laundry by dumping it all over the room, they decided to rough-house instead. Three got into the dirty clothes hamper and Six pushed it over... landing Three face first into the wall.

Now, when I lamented that I didn't understand WHY they did things like this, Marianne gently reminded me... with much snickering... that they were BOYS! Answer enough. *sigh* At least this shenanigan didn't require a trip to the emergency room.

Gladly the black eye faded rather quickly and no one looked at me like I beat my kids once they saw my gaggle of boys frolicking along behind me!

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You Are 32% Gross

You're a tad gross, but generally you're a clean, hygienic person.

No one can be perfectly clean all the time, and it's better to be human than a neat freak.

How Gross Are You?

I have to say, I think I'm grosser since I've had kids...

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Kiddie Quote

The last one came from my six-year old. I'm happy to say, HE will eat a salad and is more likely to ask for an apple or banana before he asks for candy or fruit snacks.

This time's Kiddie Quote is:

"Oh, no! My laugh is broken!"

Doin' a little happy dance!

2008-05-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

Dun.. dun.. dun... :::with a dramatic flourish::: I now have HIGH SPEED INTERNET... and digital cable and telephone (but those aren't as important!). Been rather giddy tonight, and I'm not one bit sorry for it either. I now have four email addresses too, but who's counting.

The best part of getting high speed... watching the cutie crawl under my computer desk. Oh, come on, you know you look too... no matter how happily you're married! He knew I was happily married and gave me a cute wink when he caught me looking... and that's ALL, thank you very much!

Yes, yes, yes... I'm rather hyper right now... deal with it! LOL
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Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Thanks for wishing me one on time.. if you know me you know I'm almost ALWAYS late... sorry.

And Amy, isn't it great that our guys want to better themselves? I'm so proud of him my buttons could just pop right off! And the 6 year old seemed to get over it pretty quick... the 3 year old too, although we had a harrowing experience when Daddy thought he was all better and gave him ice cream! BLECH! I'm feeling quite a bit better, thank you for asking! See below... :-)

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YAY... the creeping Ickies seem to have worked their way through our house and out the door! It seems to have been a rather quick "little-over-24-hour" type flu. I was still a bit weak after the fact, but only had about a day of the real icks... same for the rest of the family. It seems that me and DH felt the effects of it much longer than the boys did. They didn't seem to have any of the lingering weakness that DH and I both experienced... which was a bit frustrating on our parts when we were still so weak and the monkey boys were ready and raring to go!

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts! I'm just glad it's moving on so quickly... don't know what I'd have done if it hung on like some of the other bugs we've caught before.

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And now for a less than upbeat note... I don't understand the way some people's brains work. What makes it okay in their minds to stomp on someone else's dreams/ideas/wishes and make them to feel as though they have no real value?

I'm not speaking for myself (at least not it this case) but for a friend and fellow author. Let's just say that she brought up a less than supportive person who was supposed to be otherwise and leave it at that! Okay, not entirely leave it at that, but how can another woman tell someone that they shouldn't do something based entirely on their sex? Hello! :::taking a deep breath:::

Anyway, I just couldn't understand why someone would systematically break another down just so that they could feel better (? at least I think that may be why she did it?). GAH, okay I'm done with my little rant (and a much shorter rant than it was originally let me tell you!). On to nicer things... lol.

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Your Stripper Song Is

Dirrty by Christina Aguelera

"Too dirrty to clean my act up

If you ain't dirrty

You ain't here to party"

You're so dirty, you make Christina look clean.

What Song Should You Strip To?

*SIGH* Alright, FINE, be that way...

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Today's kiddie quote:

"But, Mommy, I want a banana... let HIM have the chocolate!"

WOW... knock me over with a feather! Who knows my kids? Wanna take a guess at which one gave me this gem?

When it rains... it pours!

2008-05-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Cliche... I know... but it suits. I was looking at Marianne's blog and realized... it's been WAY too long since I updated my own and I can't say as I really have the time now... but here I am. LOL

A few months before the baby was born, DH was given an opportunity to earn his Master's Degree in Public Administration. His work will pay for everything (even books!) so how in the world could we even consider passing up this opportunity? We couldn't, that's how! SO... shortly before that our desktop PC had crashed... we still have my laptop, but our internet connection is dial up. When he has assignments or discussion questions due he needs to use my laptop to get his schoolwork done. Now, maybe a part of me is selfish as I get very frustrated when he commandeers my laptop and I have to sit back and wait for him. I get behind (I HATE being behind!) in my AABH duties and in my reviewing and writing... uurrgghh! Our PC has been in repairs for what feels like forever but there does seem to be an end in sight. I think all we're waiting on is a hardrive with a compatible operating system. At least, I think that's what DH said.

Another HUGE plus... WE are getting High Speed Internet on TUESDAY!! WOO HOO! I bugged DH and told him it would SO help with my AABH stuff and his schoolwork (which was forcibly driven home today when he couldn't get his homework assignment to load before the session timed out) so it's a go for Tuesday! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ME!

So, today I'm running behind on reviews and other stuff but hope to get it at least partially caught up in the next day or so.

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Then again... things may not go the way I'd like!

DH was up all night the other night with ... um the ickies... let's just say he had a very intense conversation, several in fact, with Mr. Commode and leave it at that. The part that I worried about... he NEVER gets sick. So, something has to be super virulent for him to show any symptoms from it!

My fears were realized tonight as my 6 year old came trotting down the hall holding his stomach. At least he's old enough to recognize when he's going to hurl and we were able to get him to the bathroom before a mess was made all over the house. Now, he's my more fragile child, he usually gets ill the quickest and stays ill the longest, but not everyone always gets sick with him. So while it sucks that he's sick, it's not necessarily a given that everyone else will get it... just a probability right now.

SO... no church tomorrow with my angels singing "Mommy" songs to me... and probably no dinner at Mom's house. But, that's a part of being a mother along with the wonderful times. I just hope the poor thing doesn't stay sick for too long, as I hate seeing my children in pain.

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I don't have a kiddie quote today... I'm just too flutterbrained right now to remember any that don't involve the creeping ickies! Sorry, hopefully next time!

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Your Superpower Should Be Manipulating Fire

You are intense, internally driven, and passionate.

Your emotions are unpredictable - and they often get the better of you.

Both radiant and terrifying, people are drawn to you.

At your most powerful, you feel like the world belongs to you.

Why you would be a good superhero: You are obsessive enough to give it your all

Your biggest problem as a superhero: Your moodiness would make it difficult to control your powers

What Should Your Superpower Be?

*SNICKER* Evil-doers... BEWARE!!!

Just because... well it looked like fun!

2008-05-04T00:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, first - Marianne: You laughed again, though didn't you?; Amy: *sigh* I know, I have one older brother and a couple younger boy cousins... they continue to gross me out!; Brat.. er Briana - Well... like I said... I think it depends on who I've been hanging out with at the time of taking the test... or how many Hot Bod pics I've been looking at for the Fun Friday Captions! *snicker* I'll bet if I retook it again it would be NC-17! :-)

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Snagged this meme from Judy who snagged it from Groovy, and I just thought it looked like fun... so:

A meme about ME!

A meme from the Cozy Reader

1. Go to http://www.photobucket.com/
2. Type in your answer to the question in the “search” box
3. Use only the first page
4. Insert the picture into your Blog.

1. What is your current relationship stat?

2. What is your current mood?

3. What is your favorite band singer?
Yeah, that's right... Evanescence!

4. What is your favorite movie?

5. Where do you live?

6. Where do you work?

7. What do you look like?

8. What do you drive?
97 Dodge Avenger

9. What is your favorite TV show?

10. Describe yourself?

11. What are you doing today?

12. What did you do last night?

13. What is your name?
Chris

Ok, that's it... I had fun. Talk to y'all later.

Gimme a ReBeL Yell !!!!

2008-04-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

So, I know it's been a bit since I updated... it has just been SUPER crazy around here lately. Will get into all that in a minute.

First, thanks Marianne, Amy and Marty for your responses. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has feelings of envy even though we're happy for our friends' successes.

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Now, for the ReBeL Yell!!! Over the weekend several of my friends from the RBL Romantica Message Board and website came into Vegas for the yearly RBL sleepover. What a fun group of ladies who love books as much as I do. Here we are:

Front Row: (from left to right)Linda, Rosie, Sandra, Debbie & Ann - Back Row: (left to right) Briana, Me(Chris), Kandy, Bo & Barb

While they were here we went to dinner a couple times and hung out in their hospitality suite. We had a book exchange and I got a couple books from a new-to-me author that looks pretty good: Christine Warren. They've since been added to my almost out of control TBR pile and I'm looking forward to reading them ... whenever I have the time. LOL

Fun in the hospitality suite....

And we did a picture frame exchange where we each brought a frame and it was exchanged... you know the type of exchange where one person picks then the next person can "steal" any previous frames that were opened or pick one of the unopened packages. This is notoriously hilarious as some of us try to hide our frames if we loved em and don't want to give them up... and others steal just to "welcome" a newbie to the group!

Me and the Brat... a.k.a. my sister!

It was great to see the ladies and to spend time with my sister, who came into town to meet our new baby and meet the RBL ladies as well. It was a blast and fun was had by all! LOL

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In honor of my RBL sisters... I HAD to take this test:

Your Mind is PG-13 Rated

Your mind is definitely a little dirty. You're naughty, but not trashy.

You don't shy away from a dirty joke, and you're clearly not a prude.

Do You Have a Dirty Mind?

Hmmm.... I think this one is subjective... I have been accused on more than one occasion of hanging out way too much in the gutter. *snort* Maybe it depends on the company I'm keeping at the time! :-)
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Last time's Kiddie Quote was: "My head, we clocked 'em!" and no one even ventured a guess as to the question behind that one. Basically, I heard my 3 year old screaming and he came running out of the playroom saying his brother hit him. I promptly jumped all over big brother's case, "What did you hit him with?!" The above was his answer as to what he had hit his brother with. Kind of hard to be mad at them for getting out of hand when you're laughing!

Today's quote doesn't have a question that goes with it, but it's pretty darned funny.

Kiddie Quote: "Mommy, I had a HUGE fart in my butt!"

I'm not kidding I swear he said that!

So that's that... at least for today.

I am so jealous!!!!

2008-04-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been jealous? You know, not covetous but jealous, like you wish it were you but you're happy for the other person?

I have a few things I'm feeling a bit jealous about. Okay, the other day my friend Michele came back from vacation (the first thing I'm jealous of...) and promptly got signed up for high-speed Internet (the second thing I'm jealous of). *sigh* I haven't had a vacation, despite what my bosses think, in a long time because taking time off to have a baby is NOT a vacation! And, I would so love if my DH finally got on the danged ball and actually signed up for the high-speed Internet he's been "talking" about for the past four months. But, I love to see how Michele is so excited about her new capabilities, and she makes me giggle each time she figures something else out. I think I'm just as excited for her as she is for herself.

Then, my dear friend Marianne gets another contract for one of her books... and I'm jealous again, but in a great way. I'm incredibly happy for her and I can't wait to read this one. She says, "So when do I get to celebrate with you?" So, not so jealous as to begrudge someone their happiness, but wishful that it will happen to me soon. The good kind of jealous, the motivating kind where I can be happy and supportive of my friends while hoping the same will happen for me soon. Guess I need to keep on plugging away at my stories and get a move on so Marianne can celebrate with me one day!

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? It's not a bad thing, just a motivating thing... you know?

Dancing, Flowers and Pain Pills.... OH MY!

2008-04-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

Alright, I figured I needed to update this... as I know it's been a bit since I did so. But, I'm just drawing a blank right now. Probably has something to do with the pain pills and Benadryl that I took earlier. *sigh* Aha, inspirations strikes!

I started up my dance classes this past week, after being gone for four months to have a baby and recover. Part of me was so happy to be back in the studios, I really missed my girls and was gratified to see that they missed me too. Another part of me though, wasn't as excited and just wanted to be back at home writing or working on reviews or playing with my kids! Does anyone else ever feel like things that used to be our favorite things to do have suddenly become chores?

I'm hoping that I can maybe change up what I do in class and get the excitement back again. Dancing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I just hate it that it seems so trying now. Gah, enough whining, I'll figure it out. LOL.
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So, I was wondering about something:

Has anyone ever seen a rose like this before?

My poor mom had to have knee surgery to repair a pretty severe meniscus tear. When we went to make dinner for her and my dad tonight, she had this gorgeous bouquet of flowers on the table. They were given to her by a family friend to keep her spirits up while she is basically bed-ridden as her knee heals. Anyone who knows my mother knows she doesn't handle inactivity well (something we have in common... lol), so the flowers and the books I brought her to read were to keep her distracted a bit.

Isn't that bouquet gorgeous? I know that the flowers are Tiger Lilies and Roses, but I'd love to know how they got the rose to have that color striation. Was it grown that way? Or, is it like with Carnations how you can let them soak in colored water and the petals take on the color of the water? If it's the second... how in the world did they do that? Either way, I think it's utterly gorgeous!

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From Marianne's blog the other day:

Your Inner Child Is Surprised

You see many things through the eyes of a child.

Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded.

You cherish all of the details in life.

Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things.

How Is Your Inner Child?

This about says it all! Maybe because I love to see through my kids' eyes? Or... it could be that I'm sometimes a great big kid myself and am usually easily amused.
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Last time's Kiddie Quote was self-explanatory for my sister. The question that prompted that response ("Ummm... Mommy is!") came from my DH. He was ranting a bit at the boys about how they just don't listen... well, yeah, they're kids! LOL Anyway, in the middle of his rant he asked, "Who in the heck do YOU think is the boss around here?" It made me laugh when I saw that all the wind just slipped from his sails! Now, it's a standard answer when anyone asks who's the boss in our house. I swear, it's not true... :::batting lashes:::

Today's Kiddie Quote:

"My head... we clocked 'em."

Can you guess the question behind that gem?

MY signs of Spring...

2008-04-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

So, I've been visiting some of my friends' blogs and they're all talking about the signs of Spring all across the country. I know that I've already sort of addressed this, but it got me thinking... what do I consider the signs of Spring?

Now, I don't have a garden, I haven't ever really liked having my hands in the dirt... yeah yeah, I know... I am SUCH a girly girl, but at the same time I love flowers and have even gone so far as to get flower seeds and soil to plant in the little patch by my front door. *sigh* But something always comes up... usually my children.

We DO have sagebrush in our front yard, and they have some gorgeous purple flowers that bloom after it rains. I guess one sign of Spring is when the flowers on the sagebrush start to bloom, without rain.

This is one of the sagebrush in our yard just starting to bloom. See how pretty that color is.

And I was still thinking... What else do I consider a sign of spring? And it came to me... (now cover your eyes if feet make you squeamish):

Okay, you can uncover them again. It's warm enough that I get to pull my poor abused feet out of those stifling tennis shoes and put on my open toed sandals (these are wedges as I HAVE to add a few inches) and paint my toenails. Nevermind the fact that I have dancer's feet, besides... they don't look like they used to when I was dancing all the time, I just love changing my toenail colors to match my moods! A different color at least every week, sometimes every other day! Those things to me are signs of Spring.

Sorry if the foot picture freaked anyone out... :-)

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I'm heading to the dentist in the morning, and I am NOT a person who goes easily to the dentist. A couple of bad experiences when I was younger have basically given me a phobia. My wonderful DH went the extra mile and found a dentist for us that is actually a good friend of ours, so he's gentle and understanding and gives me Xanax before I have to come in for major work!

Well, the problem tonight? I don't get any premedication this time... I have to be able to drive myself to the dentist in the morning so that DH can get the kids off to school on time. *sigh* I guess I can take solace in the fact that it doesn't seem likely that what is wrong will be anyting major (sounds like a quick fix) so hopefully I won't have too much time to get myself worked up. We'll see how well I'm doing when I get home tomorrow!
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Last time's Kiddie Quote came from my three-year old. When I called him on the fact that he had ahold of his Easter basket full of candy, which he had been told was off-limits due to the sugar rush he had recently experienced! When I told him to put the basket back, he very innocently told me that he only wanted to carry his basket around the house. How ignorant do our kids think we are? It did however make me smile as I took the basket away from him and emptied all the candy from it and then handed it back to him. "Well, I don't want it now!" he huffed. *snort* Yeah, that's what I thought!

Today's Kiddie Quote:

"Umm... Mommy is!"

Yeah, I know, you have no idea what this means, but there is a story behind it... you'll just have to come back later and see!

Do We Have Spring In Vegas?

2008-04-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been accomplishing a few things lately. I've actually been getting some writing done, and we're starting to think about Spring cleaning... lol. Which brings to mind the fact that it's Springtime! At least in certain parts of the country. It has been so very warm here lately, and supposed to hit the 80s or 90s this weekend (yeah, yeah, rub it in why don't I?). I'd say it's about time to pack up the winter clothes, and my maternity clothes (YAY), and pull out the warmer weather clothing.

Since the signs of Spring that most people look for, don't really apply here in Vegas, I simply go by how warm it's getting. It has been brought to my attention (over and over again) that there are only two seasons in Las Vegas, Winter and Summer. Although, I guess our winters don't really qualify for some people... no snow, not as cold as other places... but it's cold enough for me. I've got very thin blood... I HATE the cold, and I don't handle it well at all. I am such a wuss when it comes to the cold. So sue me, I'm a Desert Rat!

Another sign of spring? My RBL sisters make their annual pilgrimage to the glittery lights of Las Vegas! YAY, we talk books, and hot bods, and life, and books and hot bods... and we have dinner and we gab and if the more adventurous ladies come... well we have adventures! LOL While they aren't set to come for another week and a half, we start plans and preparations weeks and months in advance! I cannot tell you how excited I am! Well, I'll be telling more about that on other days.

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This test made me laugh, it hit the nail on the head. Although, I should probably have my husband take the test to see how on the head it is! Cuz, I do so luuurve kissing him! I mean come on... I have FOUR BOYS! Obviously, he's doing something right! Yeah, yeah, I know... TMI. *snort* Ask me how much I care! :-p

Your Kiss is Pink

For you, kissing is pure happiness... simple as that.

You definitely get a little blissed out from kissing, even if you're a bit shy about it.

You won't kiss just anyone. Your kisses are special!

Young at heart, you still get very excited the first time you kiss someone.

Kissing Type: Generous

People See Your Kisses as: Sweet

You Kiss Best With: A Black Kisser

Stay away from: An Orange Kisser

What Color Is Your Kiss?

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So last time's Kiddie Quote was a picture, and self explanatory. DS also has a shirt that says "Charming and Lucky", and he would wear them all the time now if I let him!

Today's Kiddie Quote:

"But, Mommy, I just want to CARRY my Easter basket!"

Uh-huh...

Grieving Or Not

2008-04-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

This isn't going to be a light-hearted, silly post like most of my previous posts. I have something that is choking me, that I just have to get off my chest before I go crazy. Also, fair warning... it may be rather long. Some of you know, and some of you don't, but we lost a very dear friend of ours the same week that our baby was born. Bob, our neighbor, had been a member of our family and someone that was a major part of our lives. His death came so unexpectedly we were left reeling. As he didn't have a wife or children of his own, never mind family that lived nearby, it was left to us to notify his family that he was lingering on life support in the hospital. My DH and I sat at his bedside, crying and talking to him even though his brain injury was too severe to hear us. In our hearts we knew he wasn't there in that hospital bed, but we had to say goodbye. We never got the chance to say anything to him when he was conscious. The circumstances surrounding his brain injury and eventual death were tragic and our family was left to grieve his sudden loss.

When we had originally contacted his family members, we were given the runaround about who we needed to call, as it seemed that nobody wanted to take any responsibility for his personal affairs. Then we got ahold of a family member that seemed to be actually upset by the circumstances and promised that they were heading down here and could we please ask the doctors to hold off on removing life support. DH and I sat and held his hand some more and cried with each other, trying to decide how we were going to explain to our children that their beloved Bobba was no longer with us. When his family finally arrived, we were a bit mired in our own grief and didn't pay close attention to their demeanor.

Now, months later, I find myself upset, and shaking in my fury at the seemingly callous behavior of people that professed to love someone that WE truly did love. As I've seen them coming and going as they "cleaned out" his home in preparation to sell it, I've been struck by how sometimes we aren't so blessed to be confronted with some people's true nature. Having stopped by several times to ask if there was anything they needed (help moving anything, food, help cleaning, etc,) I have been personal witness to their callous disregard for things that Bob was very proud of and attached to. I got the distinct impression that if they didn't think something would bring them any money, or was of any value to them, then it didn't matter how they treated it. I know that for me, it was just hard walking back into his home and knowing Bob wouldn't be there with a smile and a hug for me. I rushed back home in tears just from that quick visit. Somehow, I think I expected his own family to be having similar difficulties and it hurt me somehow not to see any outward appearances of grief.

Now, I understand that different people grieve differently, but I have never seen someone profess to love someone and then shed no tears at their passing. I think back to when they did show up at his bedside and not a tear was shed, not to mention that they made comments along the lines that it was "just like Bob" to not take care of himself and cause them to come down here, and where were the keys to his house?, and were the car keys there as well...

Last week I came outside to find that they were having a garage sale, which I couldn't fault them for as who can take everything from someones life and integrate it into their own homes? I didn't think much else about it until the next day when my husband walked in the door and told me that I needed to come outside with him. In the driveway of Bob's house (it will probably always be Bob's house, no matter who lives there!) were boxes and boxes of things that were just left for the garbage men.

Stunned I saw that several of Bob's photographs were left out like so much trash. Bob was a photographer both in hobby and formerly in profession for the Air Force. He flew numerous missions with the Thunderbirds, the Air Force stunt flying team. He was an amazing man and an even better photographer. All I could do was snatch those pictures up and fight tears as I thought of how his love was just tossed aside when it didn't bring his "family" any money!

Needless to say, we called our children outside and had them look through the boxes for anything they would like to keep as mementos of their Bobba. They found several wood carvings from Korea and a couple of figurines that they liked, and DH and I took every photo of his we could find. DH asked me if I had seen any pictures of his family that were there "cleaning" on his wall. Thinking about it I couldn't, but I knew for a fact that OUR family picture had a place of prominence on his wall, and now I wonder what they did with THAT photograph.

Now, maybe I'm overreacting, but this was someone who meant a great deal to us, and I find that I can't wrap my mind around his family's behavior. Maybe because he was such a major part of our lives? He spent every Christmas morning with our family from the year we moved in, until this last one right before he passed away. We have his dog, Harley, and our memories of him... and now, we have a bit of his heart as well. I guess, that makes us more his family than those of his own blood.

Above and below here are a few of Bob's photos, as well as one of me and Harley, and you can see what I mean. Keep in mind, these aren't very good copies as I took these pictures with my own camera until I can get them scanned and saved, so they're a bit blurred. Even so, you can see his amazing eye for composition.

When did I grow up?

2008-03-31T23:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it's just no fun being the adult! I so love being able to play with my kids, but there are times when I have to buckle down and actually be an adult with them. How much does that suck? I could have sworn that Peter Pan was my favorite person. I know the song "I Won't Grow Up" by heart. Then I look at my mother who is so very responsible, and my father who just screams responsible and see them down on the floor rolling around and playing with my kids like the biggest goofballs in the world and I realize that it's okay to mature as long as you never lose your sense of fun and the ridiculous.

It may not always be fun being the grown up but, you know, when my children make the right decision, or do something simply for the joy of seeing someone else smile... WOW talk about feeling like the greatest Mom! Who said they could grow to be so much bigger, get so much smarter? Wasn't it just yesterday that my oldest one was the size of my youngest one? Didn't those pants fit last week? Since when is it embarassing for Mom to kiss her kids goodnight? When did I become Mom instead of Mommy?

Yeah, okay, so I'm feeling a bit like the old lady when it comes to my kids... don't shoot me... it's allowed.

**************************************************************************

I took this test and wasn't really surprised by the outcome:

You are a Romantic Realist

Okay, so you fall in the middle.

You know that love isn't like a greeting card...

Yet you can always find a greeting card to describe your feelings.

You are the best of both worlds

Girly yet independent, dreamy yet serious.

Almost any guy can find balance with you.

Are You a Romantic or Realistic Girl?

*************************************************************************

Alright, for last time's Kiddie Quote, that one was a case of "Bad Daddy!" That will teach my husband to curse when telling our eight-year old to get his butt over here! LOL

Today's Kiddie Quote is actually a picture:

Yes, that is my son wearing that t-shirt. He's very proud of that shirt. Can you blame the girls when his eyes look like this:

Now that I've rambled on about seemingly nothing at all! I'll head off to do adult stuff... blech! :0)

How crazy is my life?

2008-03-30T00:06:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this about my CRAZY flippin' day today. If I wasn't in so much pain I'd laugh my butt off! No, the pain didn't come from today, that actually came from yesterday when I somehow hurt my back (Lifting the baby and carseat from the van? Picking up the three-year old and putting him in the shopping cart? Helping load Scout stuff for DHs Scout campout? Who knows!) and now I'm dealing with muscle spasms and pain. *sigh*

Anyway... my crazy day/evening:

One of the things I was helping get ready for the campout yesterday was the food for the boys (shishkabobs... yum). Getting that food ready made me realize that it sounded very yummy for dinner, but decided to do it for tonight. Well... one major problem with that is that DH loaned our portable grill (it's really nice it kind of folds down into a portable cart and yet when it's upright it's a pretty good sized grill... anyway) to the Scouts and it went home with another one of the leaders instead of being brought right back to us. *sigh* But, all was not lost... at least I didn't think so. We have this nifty-neato little stovetop grilling thingy that I'd been dying to try out. So, I pulled that puppy out and got the kabobs ready for grilling. We were on our way to yummy food when... the smoke alarm goes off. Then... the next one... and the next one... we had at least three alarms going off at once. But, since we were already into the grilling, and they smelled good dangit, we decided to grin and bear it. So, the alarms were going for about 30 minutes or so... the older boys were hiding in their bedroom (the only place that was quiet)... the baby was fussing because those things are loud... the dog, oh our poor dog, was yipping until we finally sent our oldest boy to walk him so his sensitive ears would be away from the smoke alarms... I actually took the baby back into the older boys' room and we all had a grand old time hanging out on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed until the alarms finally went off when DH was done with the kabobs. Needless to say... we won't be using the stovetop grill again anytime soon!

So, that's just the ending of my day and I thought y'all could all use the laugh, because it actually made me laugh. DH on the other hand... he was a bit cranky, but he got over it. LOL

Go Look... Go Look!

2008-03-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

WOO HOO!! My first short story is up at The Long and Short of It! I'm all kinds of excited! Can you tell? So... go LOOK and READ!

See... I really think this blog is helping me... other than giving me yet another outlet to gab! LOL I've been getting some writing done! I actually get all the daily crud out of my mind and am better able to get the stories down on paper... er computer screen. Who knows, maybe someday I'll actually finish that book I've been working on for the last year or so. I think it's the squeezing it in between the family and wife stuff that's the harder part. Ah, well... I'm not giving up the family and wife stuff, so I guess I'll just have to deal.

Last time's kiddie quote was in a way self-explanatory. We are in the process of potty-training our three-year old. The comment came as he was balancing on a toilet without a toddler potty seat on it. He was terrified he would fall in! I kept telling him that I was there and he wouldn't fall in... to which he replied he would get flushed if he did in fact fall in.

You Are a Bit Prissy

From time to time you can be a princess, but these days, who isn't a little high maintenance?

You know what you want, and you're definitely not afraid to ask for it.

(Just refrain from having a temper tantrum if you don't get your way!)

There's nothing wrong with having high standards... as long as they're occasionally low enough to allow spontaneity and fun!

How Prissy Are You?

This ^ is kind of funny! If you ask my family... I'm REALLY prissy! In fact, that was one of my nicknames (and yes, it sometimes still is) growing up: Prissy Chrissy! I swear I've grown out of it! *snort* And if you believe that... I've got a bridge I can sell you! There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look pretty.

Okay, today's Kiddie Quote is:

"But, Dad, I don't have a donkey!"

This one came from my eight-year old. Can you guess what it's in reference to?

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, I'm a few hours late getting this up, but that's okay. Because, I can make up for it! *grin*

HAPPY EASTER!

Isn't he about the sweetest Easter bunny you've ever seen? I hope everyone had a lovely and safe Easter!

Wasn't this supposed to be "Spring Break"?

2008-03-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

So, I didn't get these posted with my last post, but I have some pictures from our trip. Just one question, wasn't this supposed to be "Spring Break"?

This was the view from our windshield on the way up to my in-laws' home.

And this one from my side, the passenger side, across to the driver's side.

It snowed more than half of the way up there and there was snow on the ground at the in-laws' house. Considering how warm it has been here in Vegas, I wasn't really expecting having to deal with snow. Did I mention that I HATE snow? This is the reason that I live in Vegas... it hardly ever snows here. Like once every ten years or something like that, and even then only it certain parts (like near the mountains) and it doesn't really stick for very long. Ah well, at least I got to stay in a nice warm home while my husband and the monkies played in the snow.

So, last time's kiddie quote...

Whenever we get a kid's meal from some fast food place, the kids aren't allowed to have their toy until they eat their food. If they don't eat their food, they don't get the toy. So, when my 3 year old asked if I got a toy with MY meal, it was natural for him to assume that I hadn't eaten all my food when I told him no.

Hmm... wouldn't it be great if we adults got a toy with OUR happy meal? I mean, we would probably be more inclined to take our kids to get theirs! Just think... what kind of "toy" would come in OUR meal? Would we be as quick as our children to say, "I'm done!" even though it was obvious we weren't? Just so we could quickly get to the prize? What exactly would make ours a Happy Meal? LOL I'm just asking!

Today's kiddie quote:

"I can't fall in... I'll get flushed!"

*snicker* I'm not making these up, I swear!

Oh, before I go... If you're reading this: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUDY!

Home At Last!!!

2008-03-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Oy!! Traveling with kids is hard enough... try doing it when two are sick! When we left for our trip, our five-year old had a bit of a cough and a stuffy nose... our first night at the in-laws his cough had worsened and he was running a low-grade fever. The second night our three-year old started with the coughing, though thankfully no fever. Add in a two-month old baby and you may start to understand how my nights have been! NO SLEEP! Not that I really sleep all that much, but what I do get is so very precious to me. What REALLY sucked? During the day the ickies weren't as prevalent. So, we had three boys running wild through the house and an infant doing... well infant stuff. This was supposed to be a "relaxing fun trip to visit the grandparents." *snort* Yeah... uh huh... who is DH kidding? He's not the one with a migraine, sleep deprivation (because he can sleep through an atomic blast most nights), frazzled nerves (he kept escaping to his grandparents' place directly behind his parents'), and a nail that tore down to the quick! :::deep breath::: But, at last we're home!

Whew... now that's off my chest I can do my little happy dance! Which includes but is not limited to: The Cabbage Patch, the booty shake and a lot of nonsense that would absolutely horrify all my previous dance teachers!

As I've been catching up on emails and doing what AABH work I can for LASR and WC I got some lovely news. Hmmm... that doesn't really portray my excitement. How about this: SQUEEEEE!!!! I did it, I finally got up the nerve and submitted two of my short stories to The Long and Short of It and I got news that they will be publishing one to their site next Thursday, March 27th. WOO HOO!!! Another step in the happy dance! My other story was well received, but was an Easter themed one and they already had a story slotted for Easter week. But, if I'd like to rewrite it for another holiday, they'll take another look at it! Well, at least I finally got up the nerve to put it out there, and it paid off.

Then, when I got home, I had a lovely present waiting in my mailbox! I bugged an author friend, Kimberly Dean, from a message board for her newest release... to review of course! And there it was, all nice and shiny in my mailbox when I got back from this super stressful trip! *grins* I have no problem whatsoever bugging my favorite authors (mostly of the Erotic Romance genre) for their newest releases! It helps a great deal that they are all so very sweet and send their stuff right along! I LOVE being a reviewer!

Alright, in regards to the last kiddie quote: I still have no idea what my five-year old meant when he said there was a museum called Monkey Brains. To this day he denies saying it, and has professed to have no idea what I'm talking about.

Today's kiddie quote, this one from my three-year old:

"Did you get a toy with yours?" (I shake my head) "Oh, you didn't eat all your food!"

Well, I've nattered on enough I think. OH! Marianne and Judy... I didn't tell anyone! Don't feel left out! But, I'm sorry you found out secondhand, lol.

Traveling... with kids!

2008-03-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Been trying to pack the last few days for a quick trip to introduce the new baby to DH's grandparents. I keep forgetting how much longer it takes me to pack with all the kids running around. They keep saying they want to help, but their idea of help, and my idea of help are SO different! *sigh* So here I sit, with a baby on my lap, and three boys "helping" (code for making a bigger mess). Can you say frustration? Ah well, here's hoping we get on the road in a decent amount of time.

Now, we'll have to see how well the littlest one travels. It's always SO MUCH FUN to travel with children (can you sense my sarcasm here?). My favorite is when I hear from the back, "Mommy, he's touching me!" or "He's breathing on me!" What can I possibly do about that one? "Son, hold your breath so you don't annoy your brother!" All I can say is thank goodness for portable DVD players and Gameboys. I know, I know... nowadays we're all spoiled. You know what I have to say to those naysayers? Ttthhhhppppppttt! (<<<----- that is me blowing raspberries) You try to travel anywhere from 5 to 11 hours with four boys in the backseat! Boys are not quiet children... they HAVE to move. They can't sit still for very long without bugging one another. Don't get me wrong... LOVE my kids, just adore them, but they DO try my patience.

I finally did it! I actually sat down and got some writing done. Granted it was a short story, but I actually did it. Still have four or five reviews to finish writing, and am plugging away at reading a Historical Romance from a publisher that failed to warn us that it was an EPIC Historical Romance! 700 pages! In small typeface... it's taking me FOREVER to read it! Great story, fantastic characters, just very involved.

~~ Okay, here's the story behind the last Kiddie Quote. My DH and I love to pick on our kids... that's a parent's job isn't it? Being boys, they of course have an abundance of GI Joe dolls. *snicker* Gets 'em every time...

"They're not DOLLS! They're ACTION FIGURES!!!!!"
"But they have accessories... dolls have accessories." (very reasonable right?)
"Aargh! Those are NOT accessories. Those are weapons!" (I so love my job as a mom)
"So, tell me... what is the difference between a doll and an action figure?"
After much consideration, for this is obviously a serious question, my five year old gave the answer. "Dolls have cooties... action figures have muscles!" Well, I guess that settles that! LOL

So, todays Kiddie Quote:

"There's a museum called 'monkey brains'!"

Huh? I guess I'll explain that one next time... as soon as I figure it out myself.

Well, I'll check back in when I get back. Hope everyone has a great Spring Break.

Kids are... funny!

2008-03-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

So, I've come to the realization over the past few years that kids are funny. I know, duh, right? But really, they're much smarter than we give them credit for with amazing insight into things that we don't always see. As the saying goes, "Out of the mouths of babes."

So, thus saying, I've decided that part of my blog is going to be quotes that my children or my dance students have said that are either funny (ha-ha), funny (weird), profound, or just make you go "hmmm...".

My kiddie quote for today:

"Dolls have cooties... action figures have muscles."

There really is a story behind this one... but I think I'll let y'all stew on this one for a bit before I give that story up.

I've been doing some writing but not as much as I would like. I finished two reviews today, which made me feel as if I'd actually accomplished something, but I have yet to sit down and get any of my book finished. *sigh* I have to get my butt back into the swing of things, but I think having a baby gives me a bit of an excuse, at least for a little while. LOL

Having several stories going at once in my head can be a bit disconcerting and every once in awhile one voice rises above the others and demands attention. That seems to be when everything flows and I get pages and pages done. Then, everything goes silent and it's a waiting game to see whose voice is going to jump up next. I once heard it said that all writers are a bit schitzophrenic (sp?), and I have to say that the voices in my head adamently deny that diagnosis! *grin*

Ah, well, that's all for now. Let me know, if anyone is even seeing this, what you think the story is behind the kiddie quote.

Ta for now,
Chris

It's way too late....

2008-03-08T00:58:00.000-08:00

Why am I doing this? Who really cares to hear about my boring, ordinary life? Honestly I don't know, and really don't care if anyone ever reads this. It's more for me than for anyone else.

I sit here sometimes at 1 or 2 am and think. The truth is that I have a VERY hard time shutting down my brain. Between the stories that dance around in my head, and the ongoing list of... well of crap, that goes throuh my mind, it's not wonder I'm a insomniac! Add in four BOYS, a dog named Harley, and a DH you have a recipe for sleepless nights.

I've been trying to write lately, and the words just won't come. I have such a hard time getting the words onto paper... well the computer screem. I think I've finally come to the decision that I have too much everyday nonsense rolling around keeping me distracted. Maybe this blog will help with that! Who knows... certainly not me!

Let's see... what about me would people like to know? I'm a mom (yeah,yeah, I said it above... deal), and a wife (again, you know that), a writer (NO, I'm not published, at least not yet (I have high hopes)... no I haven't finished my first story...), I read, I play with my kids, I write, I teach ballet, I read, I review books for The Long and Short of It (or LASR) and it's sister site Whipped Cream (or WC), I write... did I mention that I read and write? LOL All in all, I have a pretty busy life, which is just fine with me. I have no idea what to do with myself when it's quiet around here. Not to mention that usually means the boys are up to something!

Now, you're probably wondering what in the world the name of my blog references. Or maybe you're not... I don't care, I'm going to tell you anyway! Considering the fact that I have TWO sleep disorders it's rather difficult for me to go to sleep each night. I have been known to pull an all-nighter when I simply can't shut down. Half the time I find myself looking at the clock and wondering where in the world the time went and how come I don't have anything done. I will say one thing... it's never boring in this house!