ahem

excuse me. had to take a break to COLOR tinkerbell in the color wonder coloring book.

LaLa wants ALL the pens open, all the time, so she can color when the whim strikes her with whichever color she likes, without having to go to the bother of uncapping/capping them.

i got tired of fighting the battle after weeks on end, and left the damn things open. today she tried to color with the dried-up one, and i said, "THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T PUT THE LIDS ON YOUR PENS!" so she hopped up and found the box and got out a new one.

does she get it? i don't know. but those things take a LONG time to dry up - as they should, given their high cost.

tinkerbell

somebody is wearing panties without any diapers for the first time today. they have tinkerbell on them, so that's a motive. also i was painting my nails saturday and when LaLa wanted some, i told her only big girls who don't wear diapers get their nails painted. she has been using the potty (except naps and at night) since then.

yes, i'm excited!

cake wrecks

ALWAYS a joy to read, highlighting stupid mistakes "wreck-erators" make (usually look like grocery store bakery level cakes). BUT - on Sundays, they show gorgeous cakes, like the food network level stuff.

today's spotlight: wedding cakes with string work. you will plotz.

the best story

how could i have forgotten this one?

i went in my room and locked the door 2 days ago, then headed to the bathroom to do my business. LaLa HATES when we go in another room without her, and started yelling. a minute later, a little red head peeked around the corner with the BIGGEST smile you ever saw! "i DID it!"

my 2-year-old has learned to UNLOCK doors. they're the kind of locks you can undo with a penny or a thumbnail. she used a craft popsicle stick/tongue depressor.

when i came out, she showed me how to _lock_ the door with the popsicle stick, too.

i'm doomed.

princess diaries

since i have THE CUTEST 2-year-old on earth, i've been saving up a list of LaLa-isms to share.

*******

can you guess what "teenabudr" is? (peanut butter) her loves herm teenabudr.

*******

Diego came on TV yesterday. she started shouting EGGO!

*******

woke up just in a great mood yesterday. changed the diaper and she hopped up, headed for the kitchen, saying "i get chippies!" i said WHAT? sure i hadn't heard her right. and she said, "i have some chippies PLEASE?" who could tell that child no? i usually only prompt her manners, but she's learning this from how i correct her brothers!

*******

she was taking a nap in the car not long ago, woke up, blinked, and said "i happy!"

*******

last road trip we took, she asked what are you doing mommy? and i said, I'm Driving, What Are YOU Doing? reply: "I Happy!"

*******

i took princess to the grocery store a couple of days ago. she always insists on pushing the bitty carts, and she always has to open the bread to get a snack. so she was pushing her cart and eating her bread - which wasn't easy for her - i'm training her to multi-task early!

*******

the stubborn thing has potty-trained herself twice since 16 months of age, looked around and decided this wasn't enough fun for the fuss, and quit. she's starting again to be interested in using the potty. hoping this time sticks! won't wear pull-ups, only wants diapers - she can get them off more easily. i'm going to invest in some sticker rewards, since she's mad for stickers lately.

*******

we went early to carpool line one day because we were already out and about. she did NOT like the wait and begged to get brother NOW and go swinging. for 15 minutes straight, she wanted to get OUT and go SWING. we will NOT be going to carpool early in future.

*******

and a newish thing she does ALL THE TIME - that's (brother), ALL RIGHT! that's my purse, all right! etc. only it comes out ah-wight.

*******

and a mom-ism: i've been using my spray gel again because my hair looks better, and i was thinking of this as a styling product exclusively. then i'd get up the next day and be astonished at how nice my hair looked in the morning.

that might be because it's GEL and it's meant to HOLD the style, not just create it. i don't want to tell you how long it took me to catch on. *blush*

on white shirts and orange juice

I no longer buy white shirts. I only seldom drink Orange Juice. But it seems, if I'm in the mood to wear a white shirt, I'm also in the mood to drink OJ. and the twain shall ALWAYS meet with me in the middle! OJ does NOT like to come out of white shirts; thus the reason I no longer buy them.

Being nearly 40, it's nice to know a few things about yourself. and you don't BUY the stupid white shirts anymore. (My wonderful mum gave me one a couple of years ago. which I promptly stained. I just stenciled over the stain so I could wear it again, and I'm enjoying wearing it. It doesn't provoke the OJ response like a clean white shirt would.)

So. Last month, I bought a WHITE CAR.

Yes, you can guess where this is going. I can hear the groans.

I parked at the curb at Trader Joe's, and returned my cart to the corral. Before I even got INTO the car, I heard a thud. The stupid RED cart had fallen off the curb and onto my bumper.

Good news: NO DAMAGE.
Bad news: BIG RED STRIPE down the bumper of my BRAND-NEW car (3 weeks old then).

I grumbled and cussed for a few minutes, and tried to decide if I needed to be distraught over this. Then I remembered the WHITE-SHIRT phenomenon. And I decided I'm GLAD the car is stained. Because NOW it won't ATTRACT ORANGE JUICE!

Band-Aids

My precious darling LaLa fell and got several large scrapes on Sunday. We didn't even see the one on her back (she was wearing a dress, which flipped up) until that evening.

So I went into my first-aid kit and got out my giant Band-Aids with Neosporin built in. I LOVE Neo Band-Aids because I don't have to find the stupid ointment. And I said, as I got them laid out to put on her poor swollen scrapes, "This is why I keep these on hand."

and the 2-year-old immediately told me "No, mom, on my back!"

It's only funny until someone gets hurt.

No, no, that's not what I meant to say. I meant it's funny the first time they say something like that; around about the 100th you want to go Homer on them. Fortunately it will take a while before I'm that frustrated with her know-it-all-ness. I know this because my 9-year-old is presently smarter than any living thing.

2-year-old know-it-all: CUTE.
9-year-old know-it-all: MADDENING!

anybody notice?

that i've posted more this week than just about the whole calendar year of 2009 combined? weird!

well, i was struggling with depression and colds for most of the spring up until this week. so i guess it makes sense. can we say i've done my time and refuse to be sick for the next 2 years? wouldn't it be nice?!

karma

a few months ago, my precious darling princess got hold of a dry-erase marker. and what did she ruin with it? none of her winter clothes, outgrown clothes, hand-me-downs, or even nice things someone else bought. no. nothing i bought ON SALE, even (which is the majority of my spending).

she drew on the front of her BEAUTIFUL pink shirt i bought at FULL PRICE. the second time she wore it.

i tried hair spray (takes out most inks), OxyClean (takes out most everything else), spray-n-wash, multiple washings with the above, combining every cleaning product in my arsenal. just about any other marker would have been gone or mostly gone by now.

but no. DRY-ERASE markers apparently are the most tenacious things around. we should all mark our personal property with them in case of burglary! black marks on this adorable blouse. every time i see it i kind of want to scream.

but all i can do is thank karma, because i did worse than that to my mother (and sister's hand-me-downs, for which she has yet to forgive me). and save the blouse for a quilt-to-be-named-later.

*sigh*

full-time feelings (day 2)

#1 son: i have to do too much helping
#2 son: what?
princess: WHERE IS MY MOMMY? I WANT MY MOMMY!!!!!
DH: why are you so tired?
me: i can do this. i just wish i could do it better.

healthcare

everybody go read this article:

Universal Health Care is neither Universal nor understood

seriously. i've heard so many people who don't know anything about it who TALK as if they DO. i didn't know much about it, but i figured why worry about something unless i'm willing to do the research and find out what it's about?

so somebody else did that and i read their information. and it's good.

comments encouraged!

zac efron

what GIVES? i don't see any appeal in him at ALL. he's not cute, he has bad hair, he dresses like a throwback (and NOT a good one like MY era was).

i have no trouble with sharkboy or harry potter being young enough to be my SONS and still thinking they're awful damn cute, but zaccy is just a flash in the pan that needs to be OVER already.

that is all.

and an update

we have a new car! it's a beautiful new mazda5, just what i wanted only MORE, b/c inventories are disappearing rapidly with the government money available. got great discounts b/c i took delivery from dealer stock.

we have a new (old) house, too! we'll be moving late september (must put in 60-day notice at apartment complex), and i'm super excited for it. i daydream about where i'll put what all the time.

one wonderful feature is that there is a daycare ACROSS THE STREET from the new/old house. i talked to them before we put down the deposit about the neighborhood and their rates, and they are much more affordable than anyone i've found previously, PLUS they will do part-time, PRO-rated, not some 75% for half-time deal. serendipity again!

and i'm sposta be werkin but had to take a break to update my internet buddies!

my little omnivore

DH made a "light supper" last night: pasta salad with olives and onions, and some grated cheese, and a green salad. (i mention this primarily because it's not a combination i would have come up with.)

LaLa ate my cucumber, which she has tried once before and didn't like. i removed the rind so she could get a good first bite, and that was the last i was allowed to touch the thing. then she wanted to try the olives. and that was the last anyone else saw of OLIVES. she ate all of mine, then DH's, then foraged through the boys' dinners and ate them all. meanwhile, she tried green onions (liked taste, and they were STRONG, but not the texture, gave back some slippery layers), and Pepperoncini off DH's plate. kept going back for more tastes until all the interesting food was gone.

she ate 2 noodles and one lettuce leaf, as well. i told her to eat more pasta intermittently during the olive expedition, but was told No, I eating OLIVES! last new food was a tomato (also in a salad), which she similarly loved.

i could have worse troubles than a kid who will only eat vegetables. she is SO 2!

we did have a similar experience with #2 son when he first encountered olives, but he didn't do the 2-year-old thing and accepted other foods. we just had to order a side dish of olives for him at restaurants if we wanted him to eat for a while...

some good luck

and now for NEW news, lol.

on the job front, my supervisor called me yesterday and asked if i was still interested in first shift. YES! i can move to first shift if i'll work full-time, she said. what a dilemma!

child care is the first hurdle. and my fervent desire to finally get a degree is another.

since traveling, and pondering life choices and goals, my Far Eastern brother had mentioned some of his dreams and goals (online). and that provoked some thought, and i had decided to go after a teaching degree. i'll never get rich, but i'll never be out of work - because my best skills are math and science, and there has been a shortage of such teachers since before I was a kid. so.

because of the way the community college teaches anatomy and physiology, i have to take both at the same school in order to transfer them. knew this going in. finished A but not P. so i need to take P, but chemistry would make it lots easier. so i had realized i wanted to take chemistry fall '09 and physiology spring '10, and do my damndest to find a way to get to school full-time in fall '10.

and on reflection, full-time employment shouldn't preclude those courses, b/c they're available online and i'll only have to travel for exams, if that (we moved 80 miles east of that comm. college last august).

the housing luck makes the employment full-time more possible. we have spent a year living on each others limbs in a nice apartment, but with 3 kids AND a work-at-home me, way too small. viewed a house for rent (SAME PRICE) this week with 4 bedrooms, only 1-1/2 baths, but an office, a dining room, an unfinished basement (storage), and a sunroom. DH will be viewing Mon. and i'll be transferring the deposit to my checkbook so we can apply. can't beat it, can live in it until we can buy (probably after degree obtained).

i am SO excited about the house! i can't really describe it here. but it would make our lives so much easier. especially the working!

and car news: who hasn't heard about the Cash for Clunkers program? i have wanted a Mazda5 since its introduction. now it's a possibility. especially with the increased work hours, we can afford it. so many things are coming together for us, it's just bound to work out. (we haven't quite qualified yet, and i probably can't get a manual transmission which i'd really rather have, but i'll take a new car over an old and about-to-break-down van any day!)

fabulous vaca

We had a wonderful trip, nearly 2 weeks away from home. It was GREAT to get out of our routine. LaLa shared her cold with all of us except #2 son, which WASN'T great, but i'll take a vacation + sick over no vacation and no sick any day!

visited the family, saw everyone except my Far Eastern brother, his wife, and their halflings (in Japan they call mixed-race kids "halfs" so this is my term for them). it's several months' salary to travel to the U.S. so it's a rare event. *sigh* our trip was less than 1 month for DH, and we spent his bonus to do it. woohoo!

not much exciting other than visits. #1 sister's dog had to make emergency trips to the vet twice for an allergic reaction and a chocolate disaster. LaLa fed the 8-pound dog a mini Dove bar, but 1 ounce of chocolate is toxic in a mini daschund, so off she went for purging. and not one, but TWO nephews broke their arms the first day we were together.

my craft project above (a reunion shirt) was very popular and consumed mass quantities of time, energy, and space. i'm so proud. but it provoked some neat creativity and originality, and was lots of fun. (the toes are just extra; it's a camera phone and not the best resolution, but gives you the concept.) the tree has one branch for each of my parents' children, and one leaf for each member of the respective families.

got to meet one of my e-BFFs, and sadly i was ill and couldn't love on her baby (super-preemie, age 8 months/5 months adjusted). but still awesome to meet up and be able to put a FACE to the person i know so well!

been home 5 days and life has upheaved and rearranged itself and put a new pudding in the middle - eclipsing some of the nonsense i would otherwise have posted about the trip. DH and I are doing lots better since having a break from routine and each other (he only stayed 7 days). we even had a DATE last night, the first in well over a year! woohoo!

RIP

what a week! first ed mcmahon (a relief he won't have to shill for "Cash for Gold" anymore), then farrah (not unexpected, but so sad she didn't get to marry Ryan when she had finally said yes), and finally the shocker of the day/week/month - MICHAEL JACKSON!

i miss him when he was a man, before he became a caricature and a punchline. he was a genius of an artist, and he was planning a comeback in London next month. who knows what could have been? but his kids might be a little less abby-normal without the strange-man he had become, and i hear his oldest is also talented... time will tell.

but i am sad for his loss.

first day of summer vaca

for the kids, at least; not me!

we got out to lunch to celebrate, and went to AC Moore to pick up the essential items for the family T-shirt. everyone got new drawing pads, and LaLa got a COLOR WONDER coloring book. she thinks it's pretty spiffy - and so do the rest of us. we're fighting over who gets to 'help' her color in her tinkerbells.

ordered a new phone so we'd have a "house" phone/text back and forth when i leave the kids alone for 30 minutes straight, and #1 son can take it with him when he's out.

and got ticked off at the rental agent who thinks he shouldn't have to WORK for his job.

i even got the kids to do some housework AND some educational exercises. now, if we can keep up our energy and manage to accomplish more than "maximum possible games of Farkle played with our summer," i'll be happy.

LMAO

so, we have a nighttime ritual; of course, we have a 2-year-old! no matter what else she gets at bedtime, she insists mama rock her and sing "lu-la" (Tu-Ra-Lu). every night. even if my voice is gone with bronchitis and whatnot, MAMA must sing.

only we're being contrary tonight. and i've dragged her into her jammies and tucked her in properly in "blank" so we can sing, and i'm singing. and daddy comes by and drops her "poppy" (formerly known as Pop) in her lap. and she pipes up:

Daddy, Help, Help, I stuck in rocking chair! Ow Ow Ow!

what a little twerp! then when her song is over and we're on our way to her bed she is trying to convince me to sing again.

it's a fun age. laughing and cussing, all day long.

sick stories

for those of you who are unaware, i have had BRONCHITIS and been ill for 3 weeks. it seems like 3 years. the baby gave me her cold, and i felt a little better 5 days in, then turned around and got bronchitis. have seen dr. 3 times as of yesterday, finished 10 days of antibiotics and 6 days of steroids, and started new steroids yesterday; FINALLY turned a corner and am on the mend.

everybody get up and do the happy dance! because being so sick is really a drag. you feel awful, and you are bored and restless but you know if you do the slightest thing you'll be back in bed anyway so you may as well stay there in the first place. the person who may be the MOST happy about this turn of events, so to speak, is DH, because he wasn't picking up slack, he was carrying the whole darn rope.

so i have hilarious stories to tell about how stupid you get while sick and how it affects you to have a 2-year-old around while trying to recupe (hint: not positively).

***********

the first time i went to the doctor for this illness was my first trip to the doctor since we moved last August, and i had to establish care with the new family physician everyone else had already seen. and i listed off my meds and allergies and thought i did a good job - until he started writing a prescription for antibiotics. and my brain FARKLED right out and said i was allergic to the drug we had cleared years ago and that we had cleared the one i had a reaction to years ago. and he wrote me up and sent me on my way.

i toddled off to the pharmacy to pick up the meds and the pharmacist met me, quite concerned, as their system had flagged the medication as an allergy (THIS IS WHY WE USE THE SAME PHARMACY ALL THE TIME, PEOPLE!). my reactions were all as an infant so i felt like i could take the medication anyway (the two in discussion are related), and i'd just wait for DH to come home before i took it. (i had no reaction in 14 days)

what makes this hilarious to me is my type-A personality has NEVER forgotten an allergy before. and i have a list of 6, which i list off in descending severity order. because i'm type A. i had to be seriously cement-headed to screw that one up!

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

i had another incredibly amusing story which i told DH and have promptly forgotten, most likely LaLa details which were going to bore most of my random readers anyway...

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

but yesterday, at my third (yes, THIRD) trip to the dr. for this stupid illness, we had FUN. the antibiotic had seemed to clear the infection but my stupid asthmatic lungs did NOT want to feel good or like i could oxygenate adequately or even take a deep breath. i was coughing constantly, sleeping poorly, and felt like i was going to die (a common feeling at this stage of bronchitis!).

so the doctor is befuddled why i'm not responding to medications and rest. and so he ordered some blood work to check things like Lyme disease, and a chest x-ray in case he was missing something with the stethoscope. and i toddled off to the resident vampire to do the blood draw.

where i tried my darndest to pass out (AKA vasovagal reaction). i sometimes get lightheaded and have to put my head down with blood draws, but i've probably had hundreds over the years (i also used to give blood) and less than a half-dozen reactions, so i recognize it when it happens but don't expect it.

and it was bad. i lost about 80% of my vision, and stuck my head between my knees and drank the juice they offered, but i wasn't coming back. had to step into a wheelchair and off that onto an exam table (staff did NOT know quite what to do with me!). ice to the neck and wrists and knees elevated and the whole shebang for 15 minutes while i waited for my arms to stop tingling and my vision to return to normal. which it does - a vasovagal reaction is NOT serious, just inconvenient.

the adventure was compounded by having my precious princess LaLa along. i had to throw her out of bed and into the car to get to the appointment, and she was actually very well-behaved waiting for the appointment. she got concerned when the nurse took my blood pressure, LOL! and she wanted to play with the computer but instead sat in the doctor's stool and stared at it. when he came in the room she looked as guilty as she ever had and slunk onto my lap. it was adorable.

then i went to the blood draw and the staff gave her a short stool and stickers to keep her busy instead of jumping on me while needles were about. and she did great - no worries with mom trying to fall out of the chair, no worries about the needle or blood, just did as she was told and followed the wheelchair to the other room.

when they came back to check my blood pressure again, THAT worried her. so as long as you don't wrap things around my arm and pump them up, you can do just about anything else to me and she won't mind. LMAO!

NB- my bp was only 90/60, which may have contributed to this reaction.

ew yuk

i can tell this story b/c it doesn't reflect badly on ME...

#1 son is currently emptying the clean dishwasher. the dirty dishes on the counter above the DW fell off, and he was picking dishes up off the floor.

he says to me, "there's a plate way under the dishwasher... i think i can get it."

as he pulls it out, he sees what appears to be grunge on it, and says "EW, it's OLD!" and backs away as though it had hairy legs and was bouncing around on the floor.

i go to look. yes, it IS old. it has what appears to be DRIED-UP CAT FOOD - we no longer have a cat - on a plate that never belonged to us (we moved in 9 months ago). i tell him this. he says "we don't have to KEEP it, do we?" i laugh. no, we can throw it away.

sometimes one's sensibilities are more important than the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle).

the farm tour! (PIOG)

we are whole-heartedly embracing local/organic food (back story posted below), doing our best not to re-bankrupt ourselves in the process. this weekend there was a local farm tour, sponsored by the local "local" market, among others. we had a BLAST touring farms within 30 miles or so of home. there were about 60 to pick from in the "triangle" area - all the way toward raleigh.

the first farm we went to was a cow farm. they did a neat tour on an open bus-type ride, pulled by a tractor, in amongst the calves and cows, and steers, and within sight of the bulls' paddock (but they were off in the shade so we couldn't see them). it was interesting, educational, and fun! LaLa said "COW! hi cow! hi cow!" a lot. tried to climb down whenever the farmer would stop the ride and talk. we distracted her with the camera and i'll try to upload later. picked up a couple of roasts at $5/pound (for grass-fed, organic beef). picnicked on leftover pasta salad we'd packed for the ride in the cooler they advised we bring for bringing home products of the farms. yes, i'm feeling virtuous.

then we went to the prawn farm. prawn are freshwater shrimp. they showed us how they farm them, told us what they feed them, but it was over 90 saturday and the kids were getting peaky. so DH did most of the tour while i distracted the overheated children with sodas and learned about prawns. brought home one pound of prawns ($10) for dinner. (could've used 2 pounds but we were trying not to blow the budget)

then we went to a farm that had a little of everything. we'll be going back out for strawberries to this one soon! they aren't very far from us, and they showed us the greenhouse for starting baby plants and the herb gardens. #2 son had really overheated and waited in the car for us to look around, and #1 son was sweet and stayed with him. LaLa loved the herb garden, plucked a nasturtium. the lady farmer said "now that you've picked it you have to eat it!" so she stuck it in her mouth. (she had previously mentioned they are edible, good on salads, a little like radishes.) LaLa spat the petal right back out, but i felt that if she tasted one, i should too. they have a nice clean crisp taste, with a sharper ending flavor. they would be nice sprinkled on a salad. we bought some hamburger for dinner sunday.

finally, we wanted to see a farm that was just a couple of miles from home. it was really neat. they have in the last two years totally reclaimed a worn-out farm, designed it, and are providing organic produce and meat to local restaurants. the map really didn't work for this one and despite its being very very close to home we had to go around it at least once to find the turn that was marked wrong. but the kids played with their australian collies until they were bright red and flushed. working dogs are FUN for littles and mediums! they kicked the soccer ball for the dog to retrieve and just had a blast. we didn't buy anything here.

then we came home and had a BIG nap (LaLa). DH cooked up the prawns in a garlic sauce with red pepper and they were fabulous. right up there with scallops. they are supposed to be protein-rich and very healthy, and easy to cook b/c they take on the flavor of most of what they're cooked with.

sunday we went to church, worked, played, and had hamburgers for dinner. we wanted to get an idea of what the meat tasted like on its own. it was slap-your-momma good! like burgers used to taste. we slurped them up.

the driving around was one of our favorite kind of things to do, so it was a great weekend. if we had had room in the apartment for our chest freezer (sold when we moved) we could really stock up on some local and organically-raised produce and protein. as it is, we'll have to drive around on a somewhat regular basis - darn!

GOING GREEN

i swore i'd never do this. i couldn't even think about it b/c of the expense. but...

the back story: DH borrowed The Omnivore's Dilemma from a guy at work who read it in a book club. he read it and passed it to me, has recommended it to my veggie aunt, and we both recommend it highly. (click the link for more deets than i can give)

it is a book about the industrialization of our food supply and how terrible it is ecologically. also presents alternative sources but doesn't preach. still, reading how our food is raised, and how the industrial and political controls it, rather than nutritional or ecological, we have changed our purchasing pattern already, and we plan more improvements.

the goal is to eat local foods whenever you can. organic local is best. but if your organic food has to travel far to reach you, it has wasted the ecological benefit in fuel consumption. you will never want to eat a chain hamburger again after reading this book - and that's a healthier change already!

we have changed our dairy and produce purchasing and are working on meat (baby steps). when we eat local and organic food several days in a row, i can tell the difference in how i feel. deleting hormones from your diet can make a huge difference! extra hormones just aren't good for us - especially those of us who battle depression!

broken

it's been quite a year, hasn't it? i just keep coping, keep on keeping on, and doing my best to cope.

well, i kinda feel broken inside. there are parts of me that really feel happy every day, enjoy the best of life. there are parts that are just getting by. and there are parts that want to cry all of the time and can't get over the hard things that i didn't have time to do more than just barely cope with.

it's so hard feeling all of these emotions all of the time. and i don't know what to do about it.

life is good right now. but i think things are catching up to me. and my hormones are trying to balance themselves. and i'm kind of lost.

any suggestions?

pout

who loves the dentist? don't everybody shout at once!

i've never minded going. i'm 39, i've had 3 fillings. i could've prevented only one if i flossed.

now, who flosses every day? again, don't deafen me?

this is between two back teeth, and it has given me problems since it was first filled. the filling broke (bad dentist), i had it fixed, and the tooth has remained somewhat sensitive. i felt plenty of guilt b/c if i would floss, it would never have happened. and i keep trying to resolve to floss more often (twice a year is a LOT!). but it doesn't happen.

well, i went in yesterday for a cleaning, no worries, figured no cavities.

the tooth NEXT TO the one with the old filling now has a cavity on the surface facing the filling.

damn it. i REALLY have to start flossing! it's just a little cavity, minor fix. but if you've ever had back teeth worked on, it's really uncomfortable. and i'm so dang MAD!

now, who's going to start flossing after hearing my experience? yeah, that's what i thought.

panic button

so, while i was typing my LAST entry, LaLa managed to get herself in a fix.

she had a pen i had found in an OLD box. it's probably 17 years old. roller ball, still works, no worries.

well, i looked at her 1 minute later and her lips are navy, her tongue is navy, and she doesn't have the pen anymore.

apparently the seal broke and her chewing the pen got ink all over her mouth.

YES, i called poison control. immediately. (scrubbed her with wipies as best i could first.) i was ON HOLD for 5 minutes. i wasn't worried about immediate effects, just whether i had to take action. imagine being on hold for 5 minutes if she'd ingested something scarier! just wow.

so, they said, yes, pens are toxic. no, there's not enough of the bad ingredients in a WHOLE PEN CARTRIDGE to worry about. even in a 25-pound toddler.

however, she will look like a maori for a week. pix to follow!

wicked

i'm a wicked, wicked mother; wicked Zoot!

my son will complain his joints hurt. "oh good, you're growing!"

lately, it's been extreme frustration with being clumsy. "oh good, you're growing!"

he's almost 12, and the frustration is just beyond his capacity to deal. he's always been very coordinated and athletic, and now he's walking into walls and stubbing toes. it really does mean he's growing (he's grown about 2 inches this year already!). could i be nicer about this? maybe.

but this is the mom he's got, the mom he knows, and how things work around here!

wicked, wicked zut!

just for mom

... who commented i haven't posted anything in a while. since i'm in a posting mood today (DH has the kids off at the park), this one is just for her.

no content. no pithy thoughts (*snort*). but it's just for her.

love ya, mom

Dirty Jobs

along the discover channel theme, we all love Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. recently, he made his 200th episode and delivered a special look back at all his dirtiest jobs. it was awesome. snakebit, up-chucking, dealing with poo - all the reasons we love to watch HIM do these things and talk about how we wouldn't do them for love or money. as Mike puts it, these are the jobs that make Civilized Life possible. and these are the people who do them.

he closed his show with a comment, What Was Left To Do to follow up 200 episodes???

and he answered: "I Quit." he cited the examples above as excellent reasons why he was DONE. No more. it made me sad. it made sense. it seemed an appropriate epitaph for the show. IT MADE SENSE. and he exited stage left.





and after we'd all had a few moments to wrap our minds around the concept of it all being over, and nobody could say he'd been less than fair, he returned. ARE YOU KIDDING? THIS IS THE BEST GIG I'VE EVER HAD!

now i'm just furious. i could handle him quitting much more easily than this TEASING! and the best gig he ever had? i hate to wonder what the rest of his life has been like!

will i still watch? yes. but will i trust him ever ever again? hell no.

orange chicken

we ALL love orange chicken. it's panda express' most popular dish. and it's no worse for you than most chinese/american cuisine. served over rice, it makes us feel virtuous! and it's so yummy!

well. thanks to my dear sister, i've learned how to MAKE the stuff, make it HEALTHIER, and far less expensive than ordering out. it isn't quick and easy, but it isn't hard, just a little labor intensive (but anything "breaded" is). everyone in my family inhales it and begs for more. it's all i can do to keep orange juice in the house and out of their glasses long enough to make it, but if i tell them i'm going to make this, they back right down and ask for water. hilarious.

of course, LaLa just loves the broccoli that i make with this, some days; others she eats all the chicken in sight and hoovers the rice as well. it makes a mother's heart happy when people eat what she serves with a smile and genuine gratitude. we don't ask much!

what's in a name?

1. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (mother and father's middle names) Duell Farr
2. NASCAR NAME (first name of you mother's dad; father's dad) Carlton George
3. STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two letters of your first name) Erdje
4. SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, town where you were born) Anne Graham
5. SUPERHERO NAME (second fav color, fav drink, add 'the' to the beginning) The Blue White Russian
6. FLY NAME (first two letters of your first name, last two letters of your last name) Jesy
7. ROCK STAR NAME (current pet's name, current street name) Sparky Pointe
8. PORN NAME (first pet, street you grew up on) Snuffalupagus North
9. GANGSTA NAME (first three letters of your real name, plus izzle) Jenizzle
10. STRIPPER NAME (favorite perfume, favorite candy) Sandalwood Whoppers

What Not to Wear

I am such a Discovery channel junkie. and of all their awesome shows, this is probably my favorite. better yet, DH enjoys it. and my kids will put up with one or two episodes if i pout.

here's the shocker: I'm LEARNING from it.

i'm 38 years old, headed fast for 39 (in 3 weeks). i'm probably old enough to do something with my hair, makeup, clothes, a little more labor-intensive than wash and wear, whatever T-shirt is on the top of the drawer, ponytails, and makeup if i need a mood lift.

so i styled my hair a little differently the last time i cut it. (yeah, i'm still nuts, and i still cut it myself. it's curly, it forgives me, and i usually do a pretty good job.) and i pull it back on one side instead of a ponytail, which makes me feel prettier. this was inspired by a fashion mag comment about Demi Moore looking younger and softer when she didn't part her hair in the middle but let it fall in waves - i don't look like her, but it held true for me, too. ponies make your hair look severe without bangs, and i can't wear bangs.

it's still wash and wear. and though i totally hate the idea, someday when i have a job OUT of the home again, i'll likely have to STYLE MY HAIR every morning - for the first time in my life. i'm somewhat comforted by the idea that i am paying my time into an account - all the time i'm saving now with wash-and-wear hair, i'll pay back later.

***********
and the big 4-0 looming on the horizon is much more palatable when i figured out i wouldn't be a larva anymore. if you haven't read The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love and its many sequels, what are you waiting for? i've been plugging them for years, i finally met the boss SPQ Jill at a book signing in January, and you will not regret it. Jill figures it's a wonder we have all our limbs under 40 - we feel grown up, we got cars and everything, but we're just larva. and that gives me something to look forward to!

innit fun psyching your-ownself out?

unbelievable

there is a family doctor in Las Vegas named - get this - PETER PHILANDER. like, his parents said, he's doomed with that last name anyway, let's give him the WORST first name we can think of, so he'll get exponentially MORE teasing!

i'm just in awe of their parenting skills. this is what we all want for our children.

google reader

yeah, call me lame and/or slow, but i just got this figured out and it's so awesome. i can keep up with everybody in one place and i don't miss out on special offers anymore.

now that i'm keeping up, i'm SHARING. just call me warm-hearted and generous, b/c i'm letting all of you mature audiences enjoy this from Eric Snider's blog. i know you'll want to bookmark it for your own.

not only that, but my darling unnamed relative shared THIS link, which will seriously drive you crazy. -ier.

so now that i'm more tech savvy, all my loyal readers (all 2 of you) will have just that much more entertainment in your lives.

you're welcome.

Discover Health

i'm so addicted. i love everything on it - my family begs me to turn the channel if the story appears sad, but i just can't. it's like trash TV - once i'm tuned in, i can't tune out!

they've been running teaser footage of the "pregnant man", and he/she has some really great musculature. i'm not thinking about that too hard. see me not thinking about it? (can't wait to see the feedback on that one!)

Pay It Forward

The RULES

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!

2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER...Pay it forward! (ps, I did NOT type this last paragraph! Can you really imagine me saying "Linky Love"? well, maybe.) ((and i stole that disclaimer from sister stewie))

p.s. i might ask the winners for some of their favorites in various areas, but yeah, i'm on board with this giveaway.

Chore Wars!

you would not BELIEVE how much i've gotten done since little sis started me on this site. i'm going nuts getting points so i can gloat - inwardly, yet - that i'm doing more than DH! hahahahahahaha!

50 Questions "You've Probably Never Been Asked Before"

First thing you wash in the shower?: Pits
What color is your favorite hoodie?: Pink
Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?: ASAP - my precious darling LaLa!
Do you plan outfits?: yes
How are you feeling RIGHT now?: waiting for the caffeine to kick in
What's the closest red thing to you?: a red hat with purple feathers my mom gave me that i keep on my little teddy bear on my desk
Tell me about the last dream you remember having?: something korean. i only speak korean in my dreams so i don't really know what it was about.
Did you meet anybody new today?: No. i'm in my nightie, at home. i know all the people here.
What are you craving right now?: Krispy Kreme doughnuts. ... mmm... doughnuts!
Do you floss?: i resolve to, but i do not do it.
What comes to mind when I say cabbage?: coronary artery bypass graft
When was the last time you talked on Aim?: what is aim besides toothpaste?
Are you emotional?(Not emo): i suppress.
Would you dance to the taco song?: probably, if i knew what that was.
Have you ever counted to 1,000?: sure
Do you bite your ice cream or just lick it?: yes
Do you like your hair?: kinda
Do you like yourself?: yup
Have you ever met a celebrity?: just met Jill Conner Browne!
Do you like cottage cheese?: no, but my mom does.
What are you listening to right now?: Oswald on Noggin
How many countries have you visited?: 2 (outside of US)
Are your parents strict?: very
Would you go skydiving?: i've always wanted to; it's on my bucket list
Would you go out to eat with George W?: i rarely turn down a free meal but i would NOT enjoy myself.
Would you throw potatoes at him?: only if he started it.
Is there anything sparkly in the room your in?: besides ME? LaLa just came in
Have you ever voted for an American Idol?: i've never watched it, but i did watch Dancing with the Stars one season and voted lots for Emmett... mmm, Emmett!
Have you ever been in a castle?: several - the louvre, buckingham palace, some others as a gauche tourist
Do you rent movies often?: more now that i have a redbox again
Who sits behind you in your math class?: i used to sit behind matt fugal...
Have you made a prank phone call?: oh yeah
Do you own a gun?: no. nerf guns and cookie and filling guns in the household, but no "gun."
Can you count backwards from 74?: i can also sing the alphabet backwards
Who are you going to be with tonight?: the same people i'm with right now!
Brown or white eggs?: i do like the brown ones best.
Do you own something from hot topic?: i would have to know what that was...
Ever been on a train?: used to commute on the El in Philly; been on underground, metro, and taken Amtrak; total of YES
Ever been in love?: too many times
Do you have a cell phone?: i was the first in my family!
Are you too forgiving?: probably.
Do you use Chop Sticks?: only in Chinatown but i'm very good with them. snow pea greens!
What is your best friend doing tomorrow? hosting me for the Super Bowl!
Do you use ChapStick?: mmhm
Ever have cream puffs?: i love the mini ones from Sam's Club
Have you seen the Butterfly Effect?: still haven't gotten a round tuit.
What was the last question you asked?: Rich, can you remember the name of that modern castle we toured in England? (him: Was it Castle Drogo? or was that in a book... me: never mind, i'll put something nonspecific)
What was the first CD you ever bought?: Wayne's World soundtrack! mainly for Bohemian Rhapsody
Boys or Girls?: both
What is your bus # for school? LFIno - the kids keep track of those things for themselves now

ouchies

it seems like everyone is too busy for their usual "fun" spots and all the sites where i get WAY too much of my social interaction are dead. myfamily.com, my friends at cafemom, everybody is so quiet and i'm feeling VERY lonely and left out.

yeah, i need a REAL life, but since this is the one i've got, i'm having a hard time dealing with the loss of my virtual support. where is everyone?

another "thought"

You can really learn a LOT about people by following the links they post and seeing who they like to keep up with.

what have you done?

What Have You Done? To participate, just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done. It's kind of fun!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - does a ferry count? didn't think so
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - long ago and before children
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - caricatured on the streets of Paris!
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London - can't remember if we watched the ceremony, but i WAS there - and I have in DC at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - do fish count?
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument

looks like i got 55!

2008 just won't end!

i woke up this morning to THIS news.

apparently 2008 can't end soon enough. "Timekeepers are adding an extra second to the clock today to account for the slight slowing of the Earth's rotation."

Bleagh! i say, BLEAGH!

Since starting middle school, #1 son has been assigned an inordinate amount of homework. Much of it is “projects,” which can be any definition the teacher chooses to give. Sometimes a “photo album” type report, sometimes more or less creative, but just any kind of project. Of course, the child can NOT keep track of the assignments OR their due dates. He’s making me crazy.

This week he had THREE projects due. I don’t know WHAT his teachers are thinking. I finally gave up nagging and helped him create a flow sheet that shows what projects have been assigned, their due dates, what he must do for each, what IS done, and what needs to be done, along with when he plans to do what. This helped a lot this weekend when he was trying to wrap up all three (and we’re going to make a new form for him to enter ALL projects on going forward).

My fabulous son stayed focused and worked hard for three whole days (one was due Monday, two Tuesday). He didn’t get to do a single fun thing, but he got his work done. I’m really proud of him.

So when he needed photo documentation of one of his projects, I didn’t hesitate to support that. It’s a Gang Resistance Education And Training (GREAT) course, and he had chosen to beautify the neighborhood by planting pansies. He took a picture before and after. Now, in order to turn that assignment in, we had to print the pictures.

And so the saga begins. First, I have refilled the color cartridge in my inkjet but it just does NOT want to function properly. We have reinstalled and rebooted and finally the black will print but the color doesn’t look right. So I had DH buy a new cartridge Saturday, in order to be prepared to print. Tested it and it’s working. One hurdle cleared.

Next we need to upload the photos. And I admit, I waited until late yesterday to look for the cable. Could not find it. Everybody started looking; no luck. Haven’t uploaded since we moved, so it’s sure to be somewhere, but WHEN it will turn up is anybody’s guess.

OK, Plan B. I need to pick up a couple of things at Stuff-Mart (also knows as the Evil Empire, or Wal-Mart). I’ll take the camera and print off the pictures at the kiosk. No biggie.

So I finish my shift and head out at about 8:45 p.m. Does anyone else see the problem here? The kiosks close at 8 p.m. and you cannot get one-hour photos this late. Getting a little bit nutso. I have promised the child I will do everything in my power to get this done tonight so his projects go in properly. Can’t give up this easily.

Regrouping, Plan C. The electronics department is swamped. Everyone is doing Christmas shopping (what’s the matter with them? There’s another 10 days until Christmas, and I need to print this project NOW!). I finally get someone’s attention and there is no help for the photo lab. I can’t get someone to turn on the kiosk just long enough to print my 4 pix.

Next plan - are we on D now? While I have the clerk’s attention, I ask if they sell the cables to upload pictures at home. There is ONE available. It is supposed to be a “universal jack.” I hold faint hope it will help. They point me over an aisle and I find it. It has multiple jacks that plug into the cable, and one of them is marked Kodak. It even looks like it will fit. It’s 15 dollars, but I have to have a jack, and I have to have it NOW. Fine.

Try getting it off the wall. The stupid thing is locked down! And the stupid department is swamped! There are 3 or 4 people ahead of me. So I make sure one knows ALL I NEED are KEYS, PLEASE! And commence waiting. People are waiting obscene lengths of time just to check out!

Finally my clerk is available. He liberates the keys from the manager and gets my peg unlocked, so I can pull down my purchase. Hallelujah! I ask him, somewhat desperate, if I have to pay for the item in Electronics. No! Woohoo! Next hurdle!

Off I go to make sure I have something to cook tomorrow for dinner, something to put the Christmas fudge that I give to my many family members in (gift tins), and Oreos. Try getting through this kind of ordeal without Oreos? I don’t think so.

You would think the hard part was over. No. Because I have not uploaded pictures in FOUR MONTHS, there are over 200 on the camera. That is not a type-o, it really is over TWO HUNDRED PICTURES.

Home after 10. Turn on the computer. While waiting for it to boot, turn on the camera and plug in the jack. It fits! Something is going right! Woohoo! One more hurdle cleared.

Then I plug the thing into the CPU and wait for it to upload. And wait. And wait.

You really have to be patient with Kodak software. Sometimes it takes its time, but it does the job. After half an hour, I get an error message and have to start over. When this happens you should always reboot the computer. So I did. I waited even longer to be sure that it had completely booted and I wasn’t interrupting its thoughts. Plugged everything BACK in (in the proper order), and wait.

This time it uploaded 60% of the pictures before I got an error message. None of the project pictures are in this group. But they’re in the computer successfully and we can try to get the rest on now. Reboot everything again. It seems Gabe had taken some videos at this point in the queue of pictures waiting to be uploaded and that likely caused the error.

Finally. Everything is uploaded. It’s 11:30. This is just ridiculous. But one more hurdle successfully cleared. Only I’m getting tired now.

So I start looking through the pictures, deleting duplicates and unfocused ones. It’s what you do when you upload. I didn’t get crazy, but I did need to look at them all. Find the four pictures he needs. Drag them to the task box, and get the print menu up. Choose to print them all on one page, 3-1/2 x 5 or so, and send.

Error message. Do you think I’m a little bit SICK of error messages?

Try again. I make sure to select the printer that’s actually present, not the “fax” or whatever it calls the nonexistent printer. Another error message.

Make sure I’ve turned off and disconnected the camera. Reboot the computer AGAIN. Wait for it to boot completely before I try to do anything. Open Kodak EasyShare (EASY my ASS!) and put the four pictures in the task box again. Send them to print.

Guess what? After midnight, I’ve got the damn things printed, and my son will be able to turn in his homework. HIS homework? Seems like I’ve done an awful lot of work to get HIS homework ready!

Can’t wait for the term papers to start. Can I just quit now? No wonder I have dreams about being in high school again - I’m sure doing the hard parts now!

vey-sur (oy)

It's a twist on the typical survey - IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!!! lol. But it's filled out by YOU.

If you want to play, leave a comment that answers these questions about me, copy the below to your blog and put in your comment that you want me to go there and fill in the answers about you. Be honest. If you don't want me to answer these questions about you, you can still answer them for me if you want.

1. How old am I?
2. Where did we meet?
3. Take a stab at my middle name.
4. Color of my eyes?
5. Do I have any siblings?
6. If so, how many? What are their names? Ages?
7. What's one of my favorite things to do?
8. What's my favorite type of music?
9. Am I shy or outgoing?
10. Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules?
11. Any special talents?
12. Do I have children?
13. If so, how many? What are their code names? Ages?
14. Do I have pets?
15. If you and I were stranded on a deserted island, what is one thing that I would bring?

I have three wishes for Christmas (birthday, Mother's Day, whenever we can afford them). If you know or can guess what they are, bonus points!

I'll post the answers next week.

i've had it

so my family has a "myfamily.com" webpage where we all meet and chat and keep in touch despite our geographic distance. it's mostly great. but my father has the alzheimers and thinks he needs to be a prophet and guide his family religiously before he meets his maker. it was bad enough when we were kids but now it's horrible.

so my first brother (#3 in the family, first son, just 2 years younger than me), who is the closest to religious nuthood to my father, posts a little humorous comment:

I called B------ W--- W---- to order takeout for lunch. During lunch, they have a special – ten wings, ten potato wedges, ten minutes, for a fixed price. I ordered two, boneless, with Parmesan sauce, and told them I didn’t care about the time limit, as I would arrive in thirty minutes to pick up my lunch.

I was put on hold. A different voice came on, and asked if I was D----, and did I really want two ten/ten orders. Yes. Put on hold again.

Different voice came on. “We can’t do that, the ten/ten is only for dine-in, not carry out.”

“Okay, but I don’t care about the time limit, I just want some wings and wedges.”

Put on hold again. Different voice came on. “Can I help you?”

I was just talking to someone, and they put me on hold.

“Oh, are you D----?”

Still was, last time I checked. I started laughing as she told me that they couldn’t do the ten/ten thingy, because that’s not available for takeout. “Do you still want to make an order?”

Do you really service takeout orders?

“Yes.”

Then yes, I really do want to make an order.

“We can do 6, 12, 18, 24, 50, or 100.”

But not ten, and not twenty?

“No.”

It's Tuesday, I thought that wings were .50/each today.

“They are.”

But I can’t have ten.

“No, 6, 12, 24, 50, or 100.”

Still laughing, I told her to please make me 24.

“Did you want anything else?”

Yes, I asked for wedges, too, please. Not really clear on what the options she rattled off to me at that point. I ended up with a basket of them, though.

I’m still laughing about it.

which he then followed with some other "too stupid to live" stories that have been circulating by internet. IT WAS A GOOD POST!

but my father - my father thought this an appropriate reply:

What a good bunch of laughs! Thanks for sharing.

What do they teach in school these days? Anyone? Do your kids know how many in a dozen, half dozen, gross, how many quarts in a bushel, peck, how many square feet in an acre, how many acres in a square mile?

I know. They teach the "new" math, computer logic, not people logic, political correctness, not courtesy, shun any mention of God, belittle anyone who believes that Adam and Eve and the world were created by God, that we should accept everyone, regardless of their beliefs, even if they are trying to kill us and destroy our Constitution, our nation, and our way of life.

What is this world coming to? Ruin, if we don't change our ways.We are part of the House of Israel, and have been given a mighty important charge to be the servants of Jesus Christ, and to show others how to follow Him.

May we be blessed in our efforts to do this, I humbly pray every day, in the Holy of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I SWEAR, that man will make me crazy! this is just an extreme example of how he reacts to EVERY post. doesn't matter the content, this is what he has to say. i seriously want to vomit when i read his posts.

i was choking back bile when i looked at this a little bit closer and had to respond (this is NOT done):

wow. first you laughed, then you made a cranky old man post. doom! doom! LMBO

>> Do your kids know how many in a dozen, half dozen, gross, how many quarts in a bushel, peck, how many square feet in an acre, how many acres in a square mile?

we had no need for the bushel, peck, or acre information WAAYYY back when _I_ was in school. they do not teach that now. DH knows the acreage stuff b/c it's part of his job.

and talking of belittling - just b/c you believe you're right doesn't mean that when you bust on others you're not doing the exact same thing. and that is truly what leads to DOOM, RUIN, and the need to change our ways.

mom taught us tolerance. it's much more useful. peaceful, too.

to which my OTHER brother (#2 brother, middle of the road conservative) replied:

I must say, Jennifer, that I don't believe your post has much tolerance in it, either.

and i blew a freaking gasket! i bite my tongue so much around there and it makes me nuts. everyone else feels free to express themselves regardless of anyone else's feelings, but i'm not b/c i don't agree with them. bleagh. so i replied:

the cranky old man part was meant to be teasing. that would be the lmbo part.

i really thought i phrased this in a somewhat tolerant way. but the fact that i have not made this post before now exhibits a LOT of tolerance every day. i'im tired of hearing doom prophesied. i'm tired of fearing to read certain posts b/c the content never varies regardless of to what they're responding.

and i'm tired of feeling like i can't say that b/c everyone will be angry with me. i know i'm not the only one who feels this way, at least part of the time. and (#3 bro)'s [least conservative of the brothers] political post with the comments made "we should feel safe to state our minds" made me brave enough to speak up.

i apologize if you did not think i did it gently enough. but enough is enough! and i'd love to hear others brave enough to admit they agree with me - at least part of the time!

can't wait for the fallout from this one!

update on jobs

i will be starting a new job monday, 12/1. a little nervous, a lot excited! i've been a LONG time with MedQuist, it would be 11 years in January. they've gotten too big and impersonal and stuck their heads up their butts. fired my supervisor, cut my pay. so it's time. and TransTech seems like a really good place. only time will tell!

mary janes

i bought my first pair of little black patent leather mary janes today for dress-up for my little girl. OMG, can i just say she is going to be so adorable for christmas! red velvet dress and black mary janes, little white tights and a bow in her hair: she's gonna be a little angel! and yes, someday i'll get her dressed up and post a newer picture.

on jobs

i'm a medical transcriptionist. i have worked in this career in one way or another for 17 years (yeah, go ahead and freak). i've been with my current company almost 11 years.

during that time, this has gone from being a GREAT JOB that i love and tell everybody about, to a job that pays the bills, to just a stinking job. economy hits everyone but since the big dogs bought my little company X years ago, it's really gotten worse.

every technological advance brings a cut in pay for me. every reorganization brings a cut in pay. every change (which has a cut in pay) is presented with "it's still the best job out there!" well, bull hockey.

the last straw was when they fired my supervisor last month. MY JOB IS SECURE, but i don't want to work for these folks anymore.

my sisters have both followed me into this profession b/c you can work from home. you need quick fingers, a sharp mind, and a talent for language; we all have that. younger sister recently (6 months ago?) left her company which showed a similar trend, and loves the new one.

so...

TODAY I APPLIED FOR A NEW JOB. scary? oh yeah! hopeful? that too. if this doesn't work out i'll probably need to change career paths, and that's even more scary!

i should hear from someone about interviewing within the week, so wish me luck! and thanks for reading my verbosity...

***

non sequitur: my dad just posted that he stopped working at the prison 10 years ago this week. i feel like _i'm_ getting out of prison with this application. fingers crossed! wait, that won't work...

wish list

a sweet e-friend asked me what i needed this morning. she meant on the scavenger hunt we were playing, but this was my reply:

what do i need? a shoulder to cry on, a free babysitter, and an extra 10 hours a day to get everything done. a new job, a winning lottery ticket, and my mommy moving next door (yeah right!). the invention of teleportation and cheap clean energy, world peace... babies for all the couples struggling with infertility, and plenty of food for the hungry.

can you get that to me by noon? LMAO!

i got perspective, humor, AND support, all in one! thanks friend!

baby joy moments - kinda

my toddler has kept me awfully busy lately and i've hardly posted anything ANYwhere. so here's a glimpse into my life:

LaLa got up too early and has been tired and snuggly (aka mommy is NOT allowed to work) all morning. she's trying to figure out how to go without naps. it's not working, but she's very stubborn that she SHOULD be able to do so.

so i'm snuggling her and jiggling her up and down, holding her over my head and tickling her ribs. she goes all limp and snuggly against me for a few minutes then makes me start over. again and again.

and here i am soaking in the goodness of these moments, and loving her snuggly self, and just being on mommy cloud 9, thinking these are the moments i'll cherish and remember forever. (and i will.)

then a certain odor starts to waft. while i thought she was going limp and boneless with joy and love, it was prompted by a certain other biological function. which can be equally pleasurable, sometimes, especially to those of us with limited experience. still.

mommy love, or getting a good stinky-poo out? the world may never know which it really was.

[i had drugged her with Tylenol after she refused to settle again at 7 a.m., and she's been perky and happy since, except tired and has to be still intermittently. she's climbing from one armchair to the next and to the sofa without touching down, and is so completely excited that she is the first person to ever think of this game. i'm dying laughing at her today!]

MIA

i know, i've totally dropped the entertain-the-world ball this month. life has gotten in the way. between the big ugly Bankruptcy, and moving, packing, unpacking, organizing, and baby learning to walk and keeping me running after her all day, and trying to work my minimum hours, plus running errands every day of my damn life, keeping up with back-to-school, and trying to take a LITTLE time for my kids, and maybe a minute for me ... i'm freaking exhausted.

maybe next month i'll be able to keep one more ball in the air. no promises.

the latest meme

Welcome to the 2008 edition of getting to know your family and friends. Here is what you are supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you. Some of you may get this several times; that means you have lots of friends. The easiest way to do it is to hit 'forward' so you can change the answers or copy and paste. Have fun and be truthful!

1. What is your occupation right now? medical transcriptionist forever
2. What color are your socks right now? no socks! you can't make me wear socks!! (i rarely wear shoes)
3. What are you listening to right now? the Magnificent Seven, boys are watching
4. What was the last thing that you ate? burritos for dinner, yum
5. Can you drive a stick shift? prefer to
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Carol
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? oh yeah!
8. How old are you today? 38.5
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? golf; i'm a retard, i know
10. What is your favorite drink? mojito
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? i've streaked it with blonde, but never the whole thing
12. Favorite food? um, italian i guess, manicotti best
13. What is the last movie you watched? LaLa and i watched Hairspray again today
14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
15. How do you vent anger? blogging, or w/ the girls in the baby bat cave/cafemom
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? fashion plates
17. What is your favorite season(s)? #1 spring, #2 fall, #3 summer, hahaha
18. Cherries or Blueberries? cherries, but only FRESH; blueberries are good but only cooked.
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? yup
20. Who is the most likely to respond? haven't decided to whom to send this yet...
21. Who is least likely to respond? see above
22. Living arrangements? just moved to an apartment we LOVE, DH, me, two sons, toddler daughter
23. When was the last time you cried? too long; i've saved up too many tears
24. What is on the floor of your closet? DH's shoes, laundry hamper
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? Hayda
26. What did you do last night? um, lazed around
27. What are you most afraid of? something happening to my babies
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? do they come without cheese? but keep the *bleagh* spice
29. Favorite dog breed(s)? don't care for dogs; dog-loving friend sez i'd love an italian greyhound, so maybe someday
30. Favorite day of the week? monday i think
31. How many states have you lived in? AZ, UT, VA, CA, PA, NC = 6
32. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds are worth more :D
33. What is your favorite flower? dandelions (and mini carns)