Speaking Hadlish

Because I doubt I'll post tomorrow

2009-07-03T05:40:00.002-07:00

Happy 4th everyone.

Happy Anniversary Daddio.

I can't believe that the past 12 years have flown by so quickly. And like you say, while it doesn't seem that long ago, it also seems like forever because I just can't imagine what life would be like without you by my side. This is what life is suppose to be like, this is why we just clicked and have been comfortable with each other from day 1.

Love you babe.

Ok, so maybe I'm not still here

2009-06-26T18:59:00.003-07:00

Yeesh, has it been that long already?

Part of the issue is that my days are now quite long. I wake up at 4:30 to walk the pup (because anything late in the day would probably burn his paws), I then need to shower, eat breakfast and make lunch to leave by 6:15 in order to catch the 7:00 bus into work. Then after my 8 hours of indebted servitude I hop back on the bus and arrive home sometime between 5:15 and 5:30, eat dinner, speak kind words to my children (except when they need to be reminded that they're children, not savage, unruly brats) maybe watch some television and go to bed.

Oh yeah, I forgot the midnight visits from super-ninja-jungle-attack kitty.

Yeah.

But they're good for the kids.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

I'm still here!!

2009-02-18T08:39:00.002-07:00

Ack!

Well my computer at home has decided to lock up within 10 minutes of starting up, so needless to say I haven't been online much. Not sure what's going on with it, but I'm sure we'll figure it out eventually.

I can't say I've been missing it much, a little maybe, but not bunches and bunches. I think it's because the computers are now in a separate room from the television and I can't completely zone out on both at the same time. But I haven't been watching much tv anyway.

Well, maybe I can't say that. I do have a show on Mondays - Chuck- (that I watch on the computer at work on Tues. at lunch), a show on Tuesday -Scrubs- and a couple shows on Wednesday-Ghost Hunters and Top Chef. Then we have a few shows that we record off and on - Ninja Warrior & Unbeatable Banzuke.

Lemme tell ya, the Japanese have awesome game shows. Daddio & I want to visit Japan just go get on a game show. They seem to have so much fun, not to mention getting on the show to fail spectacularly :) If you're going to tank it, might as well do it with as much pizzaz as possible.

Buddy has determined that he's going to be a stay at home dad, writing stories on the even days and going to work as a police officer teacher on the odd days.

Kitty is Kitty and is doing awesome, still excelling in school and becoming more and more pre-teen every day. Not sure if Daddio is up for that yet, but there it is.

That's pretty much it from here. Just wanted to let ya'll know that we haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

A new subject to study in school

2009-01-06T07:56:00.002-07:00

Yesterday the kids went back to school after the holidays. While we were sitting down for dinner, I asked them how their first day back was. After the chatter about their days the topic changed to homework and how Kitty was "chit-chatting" with Buddy. We talked about how you can chit-chat while doing your homework as long as the homework was still the focus.

That led into me saying that I use to do my homework while listening to the television. Buddy asked what kind of homework I had. I started listing them off; "Math, biology, english, writing, history, chemistry..."

Without missing a beat, Kitty pipes in, "Pajamatry." Woo!!! I think I like that... the study of pajamas! Actually she had no clue what she thought it was, she had just made it up on the spot.

Kitty also made me a surprise which I will cover in the next post as soon as I get a photo.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T16:22:00.003-07:00

Our morning went like this:

Momma wakes up to the sounds of little ones talking quietly. She looks at the clock and sees that it's 5 am. Momma is happy that her kiddos didn't wake her up by being loud. Unfortunately the weather is cruddy here and Momma wasn't sleeping well anyway.

Momma walks down the hallway and says to her children,"Since you're up, why don't we check and see if Santa has come."

Kitty immediately says,"He did come."

"Oh, how do you know that?"

"I checked. At 4."

Sheesh. At least they didn't wake me up at 4.

Now if it would just stop raining.

Been awhile

2008-12-23T18:31:00.004-07:00

It's amazing how much time a commute will take up that you're not use to. Pretty much 2 hours a day is taken up driving to and fro. I can't wait until they create the car that will just automatically drive for me.

I pretty much just wanted everyone to know that we're still here and kicking.

Buddy mentioned today that he hoped one of his presents under the tree was a Guitar Hero guitar. Um, he's never mentioned that before. We don't have any of the GH games. This just proved to Daddio & I that Buddy wants EVERYTHING that he sees on TV.

Last week he asked for a Chia Pet. Erm, no.

He also says now that he's going to be a police officer teacher when he grows up.

Kitty is doing well. She's a cookie-making ace these days. Heck, she even took them out of the oven. Yes, Momma Huni supervised. I wasn't quite willing to have her do it by herself completely yet.

She got mostly A's on her report card this term with only 1 B. And she's very much 9 now. The next few years should prove to be interesting. Thankfully she's still wanting to be a little kid in some ways. I'm totally ok with that.

As for Daddio & I, we're working on a few story ideas. We're hoping that one of us will complete something this spring. I'm not holding out any hope that it'll be me as I can get approximately 15 words written a day on average. Haha.

I'm hoping to have Christmas pictures up by the end of the week. My camera decided to go all crappy on me and didn't save any of the pictures I've taken in the last month. I'm really bummed. Guess I'll just have to slowly take over Daddio's camera.

Here's to the holidays, which ever you may celebrate.

The best thing I heard today

2008-10-31T16:28:00.002-07:00

Buddy: Momma, I was going to bring you home a piece of candy, but I accidentally ate it.

Awwwwwwwww

I love my kiddos!!

So, it won't fall, eh?

2008-09-28T14:07:00.003-07:00

We had our first major accident here at home today. I'm eternally thankful that nobody was hurt, not even one bit.

Our family room ceiling fan fell off the ceiling this morning. The glass bowl thingy shattered and we're not sure we want to trust it again. I heard a thunk from it yesterday and today it just fell. I watched it in slow motion. We were all sitting up here and again I say that I'm so very glad that nobody was under it at the time.

I liked that ceiling fan. It matched the one in the living room (of course it matched, we bought them matching). Thankfully we're heading into winter instead of summer.

Rest in peace ceiling fan. We will miss you.

Back online

2008-09-13T17:45:00.004-07:00

Ok, so I've actually been back for a couple of days. I've just been too lazy to update. Still lots of work to do on the house, but we've gotten a lot done as well. Uncle Knuckle went home at the beginning of the week and Daddio is just BORED silly.

Buddy came up with a new word: ressert. You know, having dessert again, ressert (ree-ZURT).

We were up to our ears in empty boxes, but they're slowly leaving the residence. We've pretty much also decided to turn half the garage into a workout area. We have the heavy bag up and the mats down. And for the life of me I can't remember what we talked about doing with the other 1/4 this morning. Oh well.

Papers signed

2008-08-20T21:23:00.001-07:00

But of course it wouldn't be us if we didn't have *something* go wrong.

We aren't even recorded yet and we have to change the locks. While we were doing our final walk-through Kitty decided to play with the key. The key is attached to the thing that opens the lock box. Somehow the lock box got re-set with a different combo. Momma then unknowingly puts said key back into lock box without locking the door. Without any way to lock the door and GET BACK IN, Daddio & Uncle Knuckle (From Uncle Knuckle's Chuckle Bunker ya know?) went to get the stuff to change the locks. Yay us.

Hopefully we'll be recorded in the morning and all this will just be a funny joke from now on.

For now, I'm ready for bed.

Sunday morning procrastination ramblings

2008-08-17T07:41:00.002-07:00

Awhile back my brother said something about his coocoo-clock being the defining thing in his house that makes it their home. At the time I wasn't sure what it was and the kids said something weird about the ceiling fan.

Well, we have a home-defining item. It's not a coocoo-clock, not a plant, not a toy, not even a family heirloom from generations past. No, it's the rainbow fish. The stuffed paper art project that Kitty made in Preschool that's been hanging from our ceiling since the day she brought it home.

I realized this last night, this was going to be the item that makes our house our home. Little did I realize that the kids each on their own expressed concern to Daddio about making sure we were taking rainbow fish with us.

The other thing I wanted to mention was that Buddy sure does have an imagination. Last night he named the vacuums. The ShopVac is "Pig" and the Dyson is "Praying Mantis." For the life of me I couldn't understand what he meant all evening when he was saying he wanted to push Pig around. Gotta love this kid.

Step whatever-because-I've-lost-count: Packing

2008-08-09T05:50:00.002-07:00

Ugh.

Ugh. Ugh. UGH.

Not to mention Blech.

Less than 2 weeks away and it still looks like NOTHING has been done. Oh wait... in reality NEXT to NOTHING has been done.

Today is the day I start going gung-ho. I am NOT going to take a bijillion and three trips to move things. I want one trip, everything nicely boxed, no random bags or half empty boxes of crap. EVERYTHING is being evaluated on its own to determine if it makes the cut to move, even if we just bought it yesterday. I'm not taking junk into my new home.

Ok. Now ask me tonight how well I did.

car conversation

2008-08-05T13:40:00.002-07:00

Buddy: Mom, can I get a pet snail?

Me: No

Daddio: Be lucky you're getting a cat (yes... we are... another post entirely in the future)

Kitty: Do cats eat snails?

Me: No, but French people do.

Kitty: Thank goodness we're not French.

Dump Trucks rule!

2008-08-01T08:36:00.002-07:00

Buddy: "The dump truck is my favorite truck because it cleans up the town so Mother Earth can be clean and the rain can wash the road."

He sure is a wealth of knowledge these days.

More from Buddy

2008-07-29T18:17:00.001-07:00

cars use gas
pacanical stuff uses oil

hehe

The evil that is the "mall massage"

2008-07-25T17:00:00.002-07:00

Ok, first of all, it's in a mall. That should be the first clue.

Walking along, headed to look at pets we came upon the massage people at the mall. Daddio thinks to himself "hmmm, would be nice to have my hands massaged." He wanders over while I take the kiddos into one of the nearby stores so they could beg for stuff I wasn't going to buy anyway.

We leave said store to see Daddio sitting in the chair happily getting a massage. No big deal, we sit and wait. Daddio gets done and calls me over, "Hey, I paid for you too."

Down I sit. Little did I know what I was getting myself into, or better yet, what Daddio got me into.

Holy Carp (yes, I said carp)!!! I was expecting a nice relaxing massage, what I got was what felt near to a stoning.

I starting thinking to myself about what I could have possibly done to deserve such treatment. Did I say something to offend? Did my deodorant fail? Did I forget to wash Daddio's favorite socks? What dear Lord was my indescretion?

Finally it's done. And off we walk. Daddio asks how I thought it was. "Not too bad," I lied through my teeth.

"Not bad? I thought it hurt like he**. And I figured that if I had to go through that pain, so should my wife."

BOOGER!!

Turns out he actually paid for both BEFORE the massage and thought I would get a gentler treatment.

Let's just say we might just be calling the chiropracter tomorrow.

Home pics

2008-07-24T18:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a busy day

2008-07-24T06:33:00.003-07:00

Didn't switch the kid's schools yet. We called the new school and they suggested just waiting. So they have a few more weeks of summer before heading back to school. We'll find out who their first teachers will be on the 1st. Hoping that Buddy will have Kitty's first grade teacher. If not, I just might beg as we'll only be at that school for 2 weeks.

And speaking of Buddy, according to him I had to go to the "pyrocracter" yesterday. I was really surprised that he remember pretty much what the doctor was called, usually we just call him the "back cracker."

Dropped our earnest check off and got the escrow account opened.

Bought some paint and supplies and started testing some techniques to use on the kitchen and master bedroom.

This morning we're off to the inspection and to take a bajillion pictures and measurements so I can start obsessing about interior design and all. I'll figure out a place to put them online and send the link to those interested.

We're still contemplating artificial lawn for the back yard. Maybe for the patch of grass in the front as well. We'll probably go take a look at the setup we saw last week. It was funny, we saw this particular set up and both said that we found our backyard. Yay! Now if we can just make it happen.

We got the house!

2008-07-23T06:34:00.002-07:00

Yay!

Now all the fun stuff begins. The inspections, the appraisal, the signing away of my life.

We went and bought school supplies for the kids last night and we're going to see how they want to work the whole switching schools thing. Don't think we'd be so worried about it if they were on the same kind of schedule.

The inspection is scheduled for Thurs. morning.

I wish this part could be over in a snap and we could be moved out there tomorrow.

Step 3.5: calming down (kinda)

2008-07-21T19:42:00.002-07:00

We heard from the realtor this evening. Apparently the other offer never came through so tomorrow we should know for sure if we get the home. It sounds like a done deal, but until they say yes we're holding back. We're calming down a bit though.

We had previously called the realtor to start discussing contingency plans. Hmmm, maybe we should have done that last week say, on Wednesday.

If the answer is yes tomorrow the kiddos will most likely be starting school this week. Might as well get them into the school they'd be attending as close to the start date as possible (they started today).

At what age?

2008-07-19T20:05:00.002-07:00

seriously, at what age will the kiddos stop sitting on me when I'm sleeping on the couch?

Heck, I don't even have to be sleeping, just laying on the couch, laying on the floor or whatever.

Any ideas?

What the kiddos are doing today

2008-07-18T11:23:00.004-07:00

They're keeping me (and everyone else) entertained at work today. Kitty is watching a movie and Buddy was in the process of writing a "pome" (poem).

edited to add: that's a moose hat he's wearing... compliments of my new co-worker.

Step 3: FrEaKiNg OuT

2008-07-17T15:41:00.003-07:00

Nothing like the bank getting another offer on the house at the last minute.

We've had some freaking out the past 36 hours. This includes eating almost a whole bag of mini snickers as well as falling asleep at work. How is sleeping considered to be freaking out? It's not... it's a by-product of said freak out.

Hoping that we'll get some good news by tomorrow so we can finalize what we're doing for the trip to see the fam.

Not to mention getting all the inspections and stuff done.

The realtor said the final offers were due at 3:30 and the decision should be made soon after. Whether that "soon after" means today or tomorrow we're not sure.

Fingers crossed

Step 2: Making an offer

2008-07-14T20:19:00.004-07:00

Eep!

Lowdown: $135,000 - 2,200 SF, fairly large back yard, close to school for the kiddos (which starts next week!!) , 30ish mile commute, close to shopping and about half the stop lights to work than currently.

Kiddos were already fighting over which room would be theirs. Kitty wanted the big rooms which made Bud want the big rooms too. Daddio told them that the person who got the small room also got extra money for redecorating. Kitty immediately jumped and said BUD could have the big room. And it begins... hehe

Trying not to get excited as the deal could still fall through, but we're hoping that it'll go smoothly.

Pre Approval

2008-06-28T06:09:00.002-07:00

to be pre-approved.

To have approval before doing something.

To have the skys open up and the sun cast it's warm and loving beams down upon you.

Ok, so maybe if that happened down here you'd end up a walking piece of charred meat as you become the ant to someone's cosmic magnifying glass.

But all the same, isn't it a wonderful feeling to know that you can go out and do whatever it is you are pre-approved to do?

For us, this means no more yelling at the kiddos to quit stomping on the floor, laundry done at home instead of elsewhere, a dining area where dining actually might occur.

Anyway, I'll keep y'all updated.

Feasting again

2008-06-27T06:40:00.004-07:00

Appetizer
What is the weather like today where you live?
Hot, possibly a bit muggy if it tries to be monsoony again

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?
10, though it depends on what you call a career. Do I want to work in corporate America? Nope not at all. Do I want to be a stay at home mom? Yep, but I know I'd get bored and would need *some* type of work. So yeah, my "career" that I'm minded toward is a combination of staying home and working.

Salad
What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?
Blinds... blech. Not bad, but not my choice either.

Main Course
Name something that instantly cheers you up.
John Kanakanaka

Dessert
How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?
none... don't have an alarm clock... amazing isn't it?

2008-06-19T20:02:00.003-07:00

Appetizer
If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?
I think either Australia or Europe. Probably Australia because I've never been there and it would be interesting to visit I think.

Soup
Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?
IE or Firefox

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?
I'll say 6... I know the happenings... just can't give you dates.

Main Course
Finish this sentence: Love is…
when you can be completely and utterly irritated with your spouse and be OK with each other 20 minutes later (even though at the moment all you want to do is kick him in the head).

Dessert
Have you ever been in or near a tornado?
yeah, lived in the midwest for awhile. Not sure how close but I know there were some nearby

2008-06-12T21:20:00.002-07:00

Appetizer
Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?
usually an optimist, except when I *know* things are going to be bad.

Soup
What is your favorite color of ink to write with?
I think I prefer blue. Though for some reason I like doing crosswords in red.

Salad
How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?
Sometimes and never... went to the salon for my first manicure. Now I have a manicure set at home and sometimes remember that I have it. M likes to have us do our nails on Girl Days.

Main Course
Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?
Nope

Dessert
In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?
Well in *this* home... I think this area is suppose to be the "dining area" but in all reality it's the "computer geek fest" area. Yeah, we eat at the coffee table...

belt testing today

2008-05-31T08:11:00.002-07:00

Time for another test today. The kids are testing for their next belt and C and I are testing for the next two. And we're having a testing picture afterwards... hope my hair holds up (LOL like I really care).

In the past month I've dropped 5 pounds, lost 2 inches on my waist, 2 inches from my hips and 2 from my upper chest (measured right under the arm pits).

Hadlish Computer Building Tip

2008-05-16T00:07:00.002-07:00

Bamboo skewers.

Seriously. I think I would have gone bald with frustration had I not had bamboo skewers this evening. We kinda screwed up by not realizing that the frame for the heat sink should have been attached to the motherboard BEFORE mounting the motherboard in the computer. So, thanks to the bamboo skewers we were able to line up the holes and then RAISE the back piece of the frame in order to attach it properly.

Not only that, but the skewers came in handy to use for an extra little push when trying to remove the metal pieces from the slots in the back. Yeah, I don't know what those pieces are called, sue me.

But hey, I built my own computer tonight with just a little help and guidance from C. Now tomorrow we'll be testing the plug and pray part of the build!

dinner's ready!

2008-05-15T23:57:00.002-07:00

Appetizer
What is the nearest big city to your home?
I live in one...

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?
probably an 8... there are just some things that I just can't keep my mouth shut on... and C's usually the tellee

Salad
Describe your hair (color, texture, length).
shoulder length, brown with some copper highlights, not really sure on texture

Main Course
What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?
Can I be an a$$ and say "better than most"? I use my blinkers appropriately - you know, those little red things on the back of your car - I know what to do at a flashing red light and in the years that I've been driving I've never been in an accident and have only had one speeding ticket. I will also add that when I was last with my siblings I was voted the square because I drove responsibly.

Dessert
When was the last time you had a really bad week?
Ummm... that would be November/December of last year. And it was the last of the really bad weeks I'd been having since 2001... yeah that long, don't ask.

Happy Day

2008-05-11T19:53:00.003-07:00

Ya know, today was a great great day. Today I got to:

sleep in.
lather myself up with good smelling soap then the same good smelling body butter
grab a light breakfast with my family, go to the bookstore and buy 3 new books, then go to lunch. All while being chauffered around by my hubbster.
come home and fall asleep by reading in the loveseat recliner
wake up and play some wii and watch/listen to Celtic Woman with my daughter
make chocolate chip muffins
have a "roll you own" dinner
watch cartoons and Chicken Little with my son
read some more on the loveseat
love and hug on my kids and hubby
be loved and hugged on by my kids and hubby

Now, I think I might sit back and enjoy a glass of wine and enjoy the rest of the evening. Definately a nice day and one that will hopefully stay with me for awhile. Come to think of it, I didn't have to remind the kids to be nice to one another, to be quiet or even to clean up after themselves.... ahhhhhh this is nice.

2008-05-09T07:09:00.003-07:00

Appetizer
When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?
I believe so... though I think that I'm usually the first smiler... people don't smile much anymore it seems.

Soup
Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?
yukky rental carpet with yukky rental vinyl... It's not yukky in that it's dirty, but yukky in that it's not something I would choose for myself if I had the option.

Salad
Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.
Llamas like licking lollipops loudly.

Main Course
Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?
Yep, though I have to say that I'm not really super close to them.

Dessert
Name 2 blue things.
Cookie Monster & Grover

Home is where your heart is

2008-05-08T06:59:00.002-07:00

Ok, maybe not in this case, not really.

I believe that my "heart" will always be in the area I grew up in. I think back fondly of the rainy days, snowy winters, the lovely summer nights playing cards outside.

Reality is that my heart will be far far away. Ok, maybe not *that* far. We've decided that the best thing for our family at this point is to stay where we are and finally put down some roots. I really can't see giving up a good job with great benefits to go back home and find an uncertain job with even more uncertain benefits.

So here in a month or so we'll start looking for our home. It might not be where my heart is, but we'll certainly put some heart into it.

mmmmm bacon

2008-05-02T06:36:00.003-07:00

Appetizer
What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?
My first favorite cartoon that I can remember was Touche Turtle. Then I liked Hong Kong Phooey. I love cartoons, even now. Well, there are some I can live without but I still love the oldies.

Soup
Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?
I've been naming imaginary pets for awhile now. Our "plan" is to get 2 rotties and name them Ruff and Tumbull. The kiddos want cats.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?
Right now probably a 7. Will probably go higher as the weight drops and I can get clothes that fit nicer.

Main Course
What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?
Either the radio or celtic music. Nothing like going through traffic singing "Beer, beer, beer" to yourself.

Dessert
When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?
I think about 6 months ago. We put it where the kids can see it and told them not to wake us up before 7 am on the weekends.

Another one bites the dust!

2008-05-01T17:47:00.002-07:00

We're done! The semester (for me) is OVER!! Woo!!!

Now comes the tedious work of burning archives for the next three weeks until publishing starts again.

That's ok though... I'm done for now. I can relax. I can sit back and enjoy being done for awhile.

In other news...

Bud wanted me to take the seeds out of his apple so he can grow an apple tree. We don't have room for an apple tree. What a silly kid!

Well I did it...

2008-04-25T20:33:00.002-07:00

Waaaaaaaaaay back in 1996 or 97 I took one class of Tae Kwon Do. Yup, one. I felt like a stuffed sausage in the uniform I was given. So I quit.

Tonight, after 3 weeks of tough practice, I tested up 2 belts; white with black stripe and white with yellow stripe.

Yay me!

Unfortunately I didn't come through totally unscathed, I think I bruised up my pinky rather well from breaking boards. That's ok though... hubby pulled a hammy and Bud was super frustrated. Kitty did so well, earning a medal for stretching.

The race is now on. All four of us are the same belt now and we have a deal that the first person to earn his or her black belt gets $100. I'm thinking it might go to a technicality if we all test for black at the same time, but we'll see.

Good job all!!

feasting

2008-04-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Appetizer
Name something you would categorize as weird.

the platypus

Soup
What color was the last piece of food you ate?

taupe

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy being alone?

erm... 4. Only because the only times I've been alone it's been at work. To be alone at home or out by myself just enjoying the day... probably an 8.

Main Course
Fill in the blank: I will _________ vote for ___________ in _______.

I will vote for pudding in the evening.

Dessert
Describe your sleeping habits.

Late to bed, early to rise makes me a cranky girl. Early to bed, early to rise makes hubby a cranky boy!

words of wisdom

2008-04-24T17:31:00.001-07:00

Happy Face, not Ugly Face

Consistency Training, not Torture Olympic Training

Run! The Curry of Life (see, it works)

Feast

2008-04-18T17:33:00.003-07:00

Appetizer
Name a color you find soothing.
light blue

Soup
Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.
Hubby's is more interesting than mine (he was only 7 - with his dad in an old truck)... here goes:
Where are you going?
S***! We're all going to die!
Bail out! Bail out! Bail out!

Salad
What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?
Cotton... I don't have it any more, but it was a big blue plaid cotton button up.

Main Course
Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?
honestly, I wouldn't. Just not my thing. But I would like to see Celtic Woman and have seriously contemplated buying tickets.

Dessert
What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?
It's a tie between L and N

Run! The Curry of Life

2008-04-12T18:37:00.002-07:00

First off... in the wrong context this could be a very bad thing to shout.

Secondly, This WILL become a family saying. I mean, how could it not?

Third, I guess I should link to where this came from. It's the episode title of Naruto, an anime cartoon. And this is a link to the episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZPFFuRQrkg

Now, the beginning of this is just odd. I think you have to watch previous episodes to really understand what's going on.

Anyway, Run! The Curry of Life!!

short and sweet feast

2008-04-04T20:15:00.002-07:00

Appetizer
Invent a new flower; give it a name and describe it.
The Thunderblossom. Family members will not need a description. Anyone else really doesn't want one.

Soup
Name someone whom you think has a wonderful voice.
Louis Armstrong

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how clean do you keep your car?
10, at the moment mine is near on to perfection.

Main Course
How do you feel about poetry?
Love it

Dessert
What was the last person/place/thing you took a picture of?
My punkin-head daughter

Mmmmm carbs

2008-04-02T17:16:00.002-07:00

So tonight will be the first night I'll be using my new pasta insert. We're having grilled chicken and mozzarella ravioli. Sounds yummy. I just hope they taste yummy too.

Now before you get all impressed that I'm making said bites of yum, I'm not. I'm just boiling them.

Ok, I've sat down to write and the kids are wanting to play, so off I am. To make dinner. For the family. Bye.

2008-03-28T16:29:00.003-07:00

Appetizer
What does the color dark green make you think of?
this is harder than yellow. I can't remember what the first thing was, but the second was a forest, then brocolli.

Soup
How many cousins do you have?
Honestly I have no clue... Let's see there's 4 ... 2... 3?... well at least 7.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you?
I'd say I'm about an 8. Could be more honest I suppose, but then again, do you really want to tell people what you REALLY think of them? I thought not.

Main Course
Name something that is truly free.
breathing

Dessert
Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence.
Pigs sing in rings in spring.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-03-25T19:39:00.004-07:00

My entrance to the world was marked today by being sick. Blech.

I also got a birthday song from my family, an OOTS game (woo-hoo!) and a pizza dinner. I also got a couple of souveniers on our trip that I'll count as presents. From Build-a-Bear I got myself a moose who I named Mooselaki - don't ask, it just popped into my head. Ya know, I still like stuffed animals. I could do a lot of those from Build-a-Bear, some of them are just so cute. Also from the rock shop I got a little gem tree and a set of white marble polar bears.

Not too exciting, but it was nicely marked. Maybe next year I won't be sick.

Good to be home

2008-03-23T16:24:00.003-07:00

Traveling takes a lot out of you.

I'm beat...

Not only did we have a good trip, we had a bad trip too. With everything from burnt fingers to the screaming vapors and everything between (it seems), we did survive. But only barely.

Anyway, here's a bit of pictorial evidence that we left the immediate area...

Waaaaay up north: Kitty throwing snow at Aunt N.; Touching the sharks; Playing DS at the airport; Tikis at one of the restaurantsOnly slightly up north: Snow on our first morning; Wildlife; Dinosaur Resource Center

We also visited the Garden of the Gods. Absolutely beautiful place.

Of course this was only a smattering of the more than 100 photos I took over the course. Family will receive some others if they're interested.

But alas, it's time for bed.

Vacation Feast

2008-03-16T16:39:00.002-07:00

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting?
At the risk of sounding conceited, 10. I like my handwriting, it's neat, it's legible.

Soup
Do you prefer baths or showers?
tough question, because I prefer a shower after my baths.

Salad
What was the last bad movie you watched?
Don't know what the last one was, but there have been many, including Hell Comes to Frog Town and Hercules in New York just for the pure cheese and bad voice-over factors.

Main Course
Name something you are addicted to and describe how it affects your life.
Monster energy drinks. I don't believe it's for the energy, I just really enjoy the taste. But they're not good for me or my blood pressure.

Dessert
Which instrument is your favorite to listen to?
Good question! I think though I'd have to say cello/oboe/bassoon. Something deep and melodic.

Three syllables

2008-03-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

vay

cay

shun

!!!!!!!

Some things I think are totally awesome

2008-03-01T08:21:00.003-07:00

Microfiber
Yes, I've heard the glories of this for awhile now and have been cautiously skeptical. Do you remember the new furniture I bought? Remember that it's a cream/off-whiteish color? Remember that I don't allow anyone to eat or get stinky socks on my furniture? Well someone-who-will-remain-nameless-no-not-me accidentally (yep, well and truly an accident) got blood on my couch. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Thanks to a microfiber cloth that came with a steam cleaner and the microfiber of the couch... no stain. NOTHING! All I used to clean was water. And rinsing out the cloth was just amazing. I'm totally a believer.

Budisms
So our trip is looming the the very near future. Excitement is running high. Bud wants to try his trip toothpaste (a small tube with a certain square cartoon character on it) and I told him he'd have to wait until the trip. Then the following conversation occurred:
Me: Are you getting excited about the trip?
Bud: Yep
Me: Are you going to be a good boy and not whine in the car for daddy?
Bud: But there's monsters in the car.
Me: No there's not.
Bud: Yes there are, in the cooler.

Ok, he's talking about Monster energy drinks. We bought a couple yesterday and had them in the cooler for the car. Honestly I love the way this kid thinks.

Pudding
Why not?

Interestink.... very very in-ter-es-tink

2008-03-01T07:43:00.004-07:00

Out of curiosity, I browsed through the responses to the friday feast on their site. Apparently my thought of butter is quite out of the ordinary. Who woulda thunk? One person mentioned "buttery yellow" but that's not really the same as butter. Another person mentioned fat... which is much closer, but still not the same. A majority of people mentioned sun/sunshine/summer. As I told my friend, that never even occurred to me.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that I'm as weird as I try to say I'm not. Actually, I know I see things differently than others, visualize things differently, have a sense of humor that can be totally non-understandable by others. But ya know, that's ok. I've survived thus far, and hey, good for me for having those weird things that make me chuckle.

Ok, and while I'm at it... can y'all see the linky-dink buttons over there ----> Just curious as when I view my page they're playing like candy bars... sometimes you feel like a link, sometimes you don't

Since I'm up... it's time to Feast

2008-02-29T03:22:00.000-07:00

Appetizer
Who was the last person you hugged?
I think it was Bud... I don't think I hugged C before falling asleep on the couch earlier last night. I should do more hugging... kinda hard when you're sick though as you don't want to make others sick.

Soup
Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.
Hand sanitizer can be a scary thing when mistaken for a bottle of something else. 'Nuff said.

Salad
What does the color yellow make you think of?
Butter... how boring and normal is that... but then I think of kitchen walls... then dandylions... then back to butter and how nasty it is when it's been sitting out at room temperature. Don't get me wrong, I like butter, but the squidgy-ness of it is kinda gross.

Main Course
If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?
probably animals. For some reason I love taking pictures at the zoo. But I don't think I'd take pictures at the zoo. I'd travel the world taking pictures in natural habitats (and probably get eaten by large bugs or somewhat).

Dessert
What was the longest book you ever read?
Erm... Belgarath the Sorcerer was pretty long. So was The Deeds of Paksenarrion. I think I remember trying to start War and Peace, but I could be thinking of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.

Driving with Taxis

2008-02-29T03:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's 3 am. No, I'm not imagining it.

Have you ever noticed that there are a ton of taxis on the road in the 2 o'clock hour? Of course not, you're at home asleep where I should have been this morning. Instead I was on my way to work to solve a problem. Fun. Joy. Rapture! Yeah, uh-huh.

So, in honor of my early morning travels I thought I would regale you of the thoughts I was thinking while driving with taxis...

"This sucks"
"Ok, good... that's not where I thought the construction slow down would be starting today."
"Wow, I'm surrounded by taxis."
"I should blog about this/"
"Why are you slowing down? The cop is stationary in the middle of the street, he's not pulling you over."
"Wouldn't it suck if I forgot my keys?"
"That would be a cool name for a blog."
~at this point work ensues... I won't bore you with those thoughts~
"I am the great Skippito... I fear not a single bandito... My manners are mellow... I'm smooth like the Jell-o... I get the job done, yes indeed-o... thank you Skippyjon Jones."
"Don't hit the curb, don't hit the curb." (I feel the need to explain here... I was driving backwards to get out of a parking area.)
"Maybe I'll just do a post on cool blog names... naw."
"Ooh, I like this song..."
"Ahhh... Stegamonster... what a dream for a 12 year old." (Again the need to explain that the song brought about memories of a crush way way back in the 80's.)
"Crap, forgot to call to let C know I was on my way home. But I don't want to wake up the sickie on the couch."
"Wonder if the gate is open...Yay!"
"Ok, time for bed. But I'll blog this first."

black stripes and wicked tinkers

2008-02-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Uncle T is here this weekend. Yay for family. It's been a big weekend.

Playing Wii... don't mind the mess

First on Friday the kiddos tested for and received their first taekwondo belts, white with black stripe. Bud was so very happy to break his board. The video below captures his reaction. It's great.

Secondly, we went to the Scottish Highland Games today and a good time was had by all, well except for mom, who had fun but was a little grumpy by the end. The kids played games, we listened to a band named Wicked Tinkers, who in our opinion has a much better show live than on CD. A few times they went out into the audience.

On the shuttle to the games

Bouncing on the bungy tramp... was the "best fun I had today"

Tinkers in the audience... for some reason, this guy reminded me of Animal on the Muppet Show.

Feast #2

2008-02-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Appetizer
Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?
No, I don't think I really have... at least not beyond the April Fools type jokes... like telling my sister that she could wear my new jeans first kinda thing.

Soup
What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?
My salt "shaker" is a blue box that has the words "Morton Coarse Kosher Salt" printed on it and I don't think we have pepper... Though I did have a really cute set at one time of Pooh and Eeyore.

Salad
Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?
Well, I plan to visit my doctor's office today. Does that count? Seriously, we have a family vacation coming up that is in an internet-undisclosed place. Lots of shopping and cold climates will be on the agenda.

Main Course
What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?
I've never had an issue with dry hands. Though I do have a bottle of Curel Restore & Revive because I freaked out a year ago and thought I had "old" hands.

Dessert
Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name.
hmmmm... do I have to *make* it or can I just imagine it? Brain... must ... work...
Ok, now I feel lame... heck I can't even think of a good nonsense word to work off of...
Ok, that got me wandering to find this site, but it's coming up with words like yestigak, which in NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM should be associated with dessert!

Maybe I'll keep my mind working on this and post about it later

The phone books are here! The phone books are here!

2008-02-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well, ok, they're not exactly phone books, but just as exciting anyway. And they're actually not *HERE*. Not yet anyway. I need to pick them up tomorrow at the delivery place. Of course they deliver the one time of day that nobody is home. Couldn't they have come 20 minutes later? or heck, 20 minutes earlier would have been good too.

Well, tomorrow will be the day I can look upon my childhood and re-live many tearful moments. Ya know, like big sister hamming it up for the camera while she's gagging me with a spoon...

(insert heavenly AAAAAAAAAAAAA here)

So *that's* where they got that phrase!

Anyway, I may see if I can get a clip here... but I wouldn't hold your breath. My inner struggle will consist of an ever-constant need to block out the gagging with the ever-constant wanting to point out how big sister warped me. JUST KIDDING!!! Well maybe...

Love ya sis!

Feasting...

2008-02-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

So, my friend sweethomealagirl is doing this and I thought I might as well... enjoy! (Boy... this is harder than I thought... or maybe I'm just making it that way)

Appetizer
Name one thing that is unique about you.
I have a "weird" way of looking at the world. Everything is circular. When visualizing a standard week, it's in a circle, with the line between Saturday and Sunday at 12:00. The same with December and January in the year... the kicker is that the days/months proceed counter-clockwise. And as the week/year progresses, I see myself where I would be in the circle. I think this is why I have a horrible time with clocks... they're backwards. Seriously... I know of no other person who thinks like this... lemme know if you come across anyone who does.

Soup
Fill in the blank: My favorite _________ is __________ but I like _________ too.
My favorite color is green but I like blue too.

Salad
What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings?
We have some pressboard, oak and a bit of something-or-other in the kids' rooms.

Main Course
Who do you talk to most often on the phone?
C by far is the most talked to on the phone. We talk at least 3x/day on the phone during the week. Little things that one or the other of us thinks the other might like to know or might think is funny, walking to/from the car and work, or just because we're bored or miss one another.

Dessert
What level of responsibility do you have in your job?
Way more than I want. Hopefully that will level out this week as a new employee comes in and the division of labor will even out. It's not that I don't enjoy my work, it's more that there are things I REALLY don't enjoy and I know that I'm not good at them.

And the rain rain rain came down down down...

2008-02-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

yeah, it's been raining off and on the past day or two. I know that it's not really COLD but it feels that way. You know, when your toes are cold to the bone and all you want to do is snuggle under a blankie with either a good book or a good movie and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Add to this that we have no hot water until Monday or so. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Thought about finding a hotel with a jacuzzi suite, but decided against that. Does sound good though.

Hoping that the weather clears for next weekend... hmmm mixed results:
Fri Few Showers 69°/46°
Sat Mostly Sunny 69°/44°
Sun Sunny 73°/45°
Mon Mostly Cloudy 72°/44°

Maybe I should just go get some fuzzy slippers and call it good.

Mom, can I tell you a question?

2008-02-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Bud: Mom, can I be excused?
Me: No, finish your fish. I'm not wasting money on dinner you're not going to eat.
Bud: I don't want dessert. I'll give you all my money.

Yes, my son wanted to spend his allowance on a dinner so he wouldn't have to finish eating it. What a little goober.

Kitty hasn't said much lately that would be considered "Hadlish", but she has been very considerate, bringing home things for her brother or her parents. Such a giving child, though I think she's really working the "generosity" and "helpfulness" points needed for weekly allowance.

It's groundhogs day!

2008-02-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

And to celebrate this day of fine occassions, I thought I'd post some lyrics that make me giggle, or even just make me want to tap my foot and dance. (And I have to mention that people driving down the street must think I'm looney while I wait for the bus)

These are songs sung by Wylde Nept and so I'll put this little disclaimer from their website: The rights for all original lyrics and mistranslations are held by Wylde Nept.
©2006, Wylde Nept; All rights reserved

Maids When You're Young
He’s got no fa-lurum fa-liddle fa-lurum, he’s got no fa-lurum fa-liddle fa-ley
he’s got no fa-lurum, he’s lost his ding-durum,
so maids when you’re young never wed an old man.

Beer beer beer
HE! Must have been an admiral, a sultan, or a king!
And to praises we shall always sing!
Look what he has done for us, he’s filled us up with cheer!
Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented
Beer, beer, beer tiddley beer, beer, beer.
Tiddley Beer, beer, beer, tiddley beer, beer, beer,
Lord Bless Charlie Mops!

Big Strong Man
He’s got an arm like a leg (lady’s leg)
And a punch that would sink a battle-ship (big ship)
It takes all the navy in the west, to knock the wind from Sylvest (take the bra off Mae West)

and finally, Bewitching Brenda
I told me mother that I loved Brenda, and she fainted in her mulligan stew,
Papa sent for Father O’Kelly and the nuns at the convent too.
My brother said, “You’re goin’ ta hell, where you’ll burn and you’ll blister.”
Then he took me aside and he smiled wide and said, “Tell me, has she a sister?”

Ok, one more thing... leave it to the Irish to have happy-happy music to really depressing lyrics (none posted here). Gotta love 'em

Blechy Blechy day

2008-01-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Today is a blechy day. My jaw is still sore from the dental work I had done. I have a cold, runny nose and scratchy "phroat", and to top it all off, it's raining.

Blech blech blech

At least the kiddos are playing nicely. Though bud is sick too. And kitty seems to be a little snarky this morning too.

Think I might make some soup for lunch today. Chicken noodle, with big thick noodles. And maybe make some pbj sandwiches cut into little triangles.

Just a note...

2008-01-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

Bud: My brain holds my thinks and my thoughts...

"Here they come... walking down the street...

2008-01-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

getting the funniest looks from... everyone they meet..."

Oops, wrong song.

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts." Crap, wrong again.

I've got it.

"Everybody was Kung Fu fighting... dahdah dahdah dah dah dah dah dah"

Tae Kwan Do actually... but you get the drift.

2008-01-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

After a morning filled with working out and playing Wii, we decided that it was time to get out of the house. Off for an Adventure, off to look for the thing called "snow."

We packed up the car with kids, jackets, blankets, cameras and of course the anticipation of an afternoon of fun.

Just an average car trip until our first encounter. You know the kind... black and white, flat and *REALLY* stinky. I'd forgotten that particular perfume. *gag* Kitty decided that she wanted to just get as far away as possible as it was really stinky. On the other hand, Bud, wanted to stop and examine the road-pizza of stinkiness.

Thankfully we continued on.

We arrived at our destination, seeing patches of snow high on the hills, but without seeing any snow close-up. Kitty was devistated and broke down. I felt so bad. We did stop at a local eatery and grab a snack. Figured we were looking for snow, so might as well grab a blizzard or two and a couple sundaes. Would have been ironic had our Adventure been today instead of yesterday.

We headed home with promise of Adventure at some other time. Maybe in a couple of months when it's time for the Grand Adventure.

Happy New Year (a little late)

2008-01-05T21:14:00.001-07:00

So far this year is going well. Nobody's been sick, hospitalized or completely irritating (at least at home). Heck, I've even managed to correctly date things with '08.

A, who is now being called Bud, has developed a fondness for my cellphone and my "MP player". I believe he thinks he's ready to be grown up, even though he still complains that he's too little when carrying groceries from the car. Don't get me wrong though, he's still showing signs of being the overly-sensitive little guy he is.

M, who we will now call Kitty, is growing up in her own right. She passed her muffin test and passed her brownie test, now if we can just get her to pass the stirring test we can all sit back and feast on baked goods! Too bad her mom (and dad so I'm told) won't let her open or close the oven yet. Mmmmm cake batter...

As for hubbster and I, we are resolving to get back on track come Monday. Time to get back on schedule since I'll be back to work on Monday as well. Working out should entail my muscles getting bigger, not my rear. Heck, I'm even in the midst of reorganizing the kitchen to help encourage better eating and re-establish that thing called "cooking at home" that seems to have flown out the window.

Hadlish Holiday Happenings

2007-12-28T12:43:00.001-07:00

First let me start off with a quote...

M Singing: "Noel, noel, born is the king of E-eng-ga-land" There was one other version, but I was too slow in writing it down and have forgotten it. It had me busting up laughing though.

Ok, now for some photographic evidence.

First, my new furniture. Merry Christmas to me... Sorry for the blurryness - it's a photo from C's phone. Of course I have myself a conniption if anyone tries to bring food or drinks or even stinky socks anywhere near my new grown-up furniture.

Next up: The choir of angels in the Christmas play at church. M could be heard over all of the other kids.

Jump to Christmas morning: the kiddos and their U.B. Funkeys, C playing with A's RC helicopter, the carnage of Christmas morning and the kiddos playing with their gifts.

And finally, my little girl is growing up. We purposely put holes in my daughter's body...

Whee! Wee! Wii!

2007-12-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are now the proud family owners of a NoFriendo Whee!

Ok, that was mean, but it's a family thing... the better you are the less of a life you have... or so the theory went growing up. I'm actually surprised that I wasn't the first to get a Nofriendo though... go figure

But let me tell you... it's FUN...Phun...GHUN!! (ya know... "gh" as in "tough" - get it? oh well).

We had a great time tonight playing a 4-player Mario Party. A won even though C won most of the minigames.

So I'll beg your pardon if (ok when) my brain goes to mush over this vacation time. Just don't go and make any jokes about us sitting at home playing with our wee... erm... Wii

The season of giving

2007-12-16T06:47:00.001-07:00

I've come to the conclusion that I'm a giver. Yeah, I like to be on the receiving end, but in all reality it's the giving that makes me happy.

M and I had our second "girl day" yesterday. We were suppose to do some clothes shopping for the two of us. We ended up only shopping for her. Tried to shop for myself, but it really didn't work. I think I have a problem spending money on myself. Well, at least when I'm alone or with my girly-girl. I seem to be able to spend for myself just fine when C is with me. I think that's the only way I'm able to buy clothes for myself anymore.

I really enjoy giving to those who need a gift. It makes me feel good knowing that I can help someone out. Or give them a renewed faith in humanity. Or just make someone else feel good, appreciated, loved, etc.

Ok, so it's been awhile...

2007-12-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

I had the unfortunate happenstance of my computer dying. I woke up one morning, like I normally do, walked to the livingroom, pressed the power button on my computer, and stared. I pressed the button again and stared again. Wasn't something suppose to be happening? I pressed again, just to make sure. Still nothing.

AHA!! The power strip has been turned off or unplugged. Dagnabit, nope.

Hmmmm, maybe the power is off in the house? Nope, not that either.

Maybe I pressed the button wrong, I should try again.

*Sigh*

Everytime I sat in that chair for the next few days I would try to use my computer out of habit. Heck, I'm only here now because I have to get up early and use C's. Naw, that's not true, he offers. I'm just being silly.

Anyway, might be back soon, new power supply is suppose to be coming today. Yay!

Put the tree up today

2007-12-01T21:33:00.001-07:00

Sitting over in the corner and doesn't really look as pathetic as it has in years past. Granted it's just a skinny little fake-o tree, but the kids really enjoy it. We let them hang 3 ornaments a piece tonight and we'll do another 3 tomorrow and so on. Not sure why, but it's making it as something special to do each night to look forward to.

Tonight they were sitting under the tree with their little green Gideon bibles listening to Christmas music on the radio. I think we actually may have a couple of kids who really "get" what the season is all about this year.

Now all we need is some snow, a fireplace, some hot cocoa and a big warm blanket to snuggle under.

From bad to bizarre

2007-11-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

We've all had bad dreams. I'm pretty sure we've all had some weird ones as well. Lately mine have crossed the line to the truly bizarre.

Have you ever dreamed you were married to Michael Symon?

Ok, maybe that's not so weird. I mean he's an Iron Chef and has a great laugh. And I'm sure his family wouldn't think that concept is weird.

But what about dreaming of yourself as a superhero, fighting a 40-foot tall, water-breathing cyclops titan who apparently can only be defeated with a classic nintendo controller. Oh yeah, and you're wearing footie-jams where the feet are too big.

Where did that one come from? Seriously, anyone have a clue?

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

A day to be thankful for what we have. Today I am thankful for the following:

C: Yeah, sometimes we get on each other's nerves, stress each other out, annoy one another to the point of pure irritation. But 10-30 minutes later we're back to laughing, loving and enjoying one another. He gets me most of the time, understands where I'm coming from. He knows me better than anyone else and I don't think I'd have it any other way.

M: I can't believe that I was seen fit enough to have the miracle of this girl in my life, let alone the honor of being her mother. Yes, I freely admit that the first 4 years of her life were HARD, but to see how far she's come and to see the person she's grown into I can't help but feel blessed. I don't think I've met another child that cares for everyone the way she does. She's generous, compassionate, loving.

A: Now this guy is a kick in the pants. Boy howdy! I'm so thankful that he can see the funny side of things. He's light-hearted, relaxed, a great snuggler. He keeps my toes warm by sitting on my feet, he still gets scared of things but will put up his "brave boy" facade and charge through. He laughs from the bottom of his belly and brings smiles to my face daily.

My family: Through thick and thin they're still my family and I'm still thankful for each of them. This includes Dad, S, N, their families, C's family - T, S, L & S and their families. I'm thankful for each of these people in my life and the ways they have shaped me to be who I am today.

My job: Yes, I said my job. I am thankful for it. Without it I wouldn't be sitting here today. I love the work I do, just not always the people I have to do it with. I've learned a lot about "the real world" at this job more than any other. And for that I am thankful.

My friend K: My lunch buddy. She has given me a different perspective on life to contemplate. While we're a lot alike, we're also quite different. She's a sounding board when life gets frustrating and I hope that I don't gripe too often. We laugh about our families, our jobs, TV shows. She's so caring and supportive and I'm glad I can call her my friend.

My net friends: I've known some of these ladies longer than I've known my kids. They've been a great support in the tough times knowing I'm not alone in the struggles of day to day living. I hope I can have many more years of their friendship and wisdom. I'm thankful for their perspectives, their parenting wisdom, their world views and for hopefully learning from them to become a better person, parent and friend.

And lastly, my gamer friends: Q, Tae, Ank, Zuk, Gonz and the many others over the years... thanks for letting this girl take part in the fun and feel like one of the gang. Some of these guys are like family, some like family you can't tell anyone about (ahem tae). I'm glad I've gotten to know them and have them be part of our lives.

May this day bring good food, warm memories, and a chance to become a better person.

The joys of a clear liquid diet

2007-11-17T05:56:00.001-07:00

I won't go into the details of WHY I'm on a clear liquid diet, you really don't need to know that. But let me tell you, there is no joy in Hadville.

Made tacos last night, was contemplating whether or not I could make tacos (or mac and cheese) into a clear liquid. The real sucky thing is that I won't even get leftovers when the solid food ban is lifted.

Thank goodness this isn't happening next week because that would be absolute sacriledge. Can you imagine how absolutely, horribly dreadful a CLD would be on Thanksgiving???

"We're having turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, homemade rolls, 2 different veggies and 3 different pies. What are you having?"

"Water and broth."

Bad dreams

2007-11-11T01:38:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been having some pretty horrific bad dreams. The kind that just leave you screaming and emotionally drained and you wake up with a raw throat and a really awful feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Logically I know it's just my subconscious dealing with the happenings in the last few weeks, but really... every night is getting a bit rough. I'm tired of waking up and freaking out that someone is not ok. Especially when you can't reach that someone by means other than email.

I've just decided that I'll be getting an international plan by years end. Promise.

I'm still shaking and trying to rid myself of this horrible feeling. I hate this, I'm ready to sleep peacefully through the night again.

More family history

2007-11-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, what's gotten ahold on me? I have been simply obsessed with family history and trying to track down anything I can find. C has even laughed that I've gotten my claws into his family... and that's going to be a little tougher to search for.

I just find the stories so interesting and am so enthralled by how they lived and their accomplishments. One ancestor was a bookkeeper and it was said that he set the standards of bookkeeping with books that were correct but without a single eraser mark. Wow. It's just fascinating... too bad I wasn't this interested in history when I was in high school eh?

Remembering Margaret

2007-11-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've spent much of this past week delving into family history. Mostly due to the passing of grandma and having some time off work. I'm more and more convinced that grandma was an amazing woman (grandmother was too by the way).

She had a master's degree in French. She also had one in Social Work. She held many jobs in high office in the Social Work field in the area of Child Welfare. She and grandpa were part of the 1976 Episcopal General Convention that accepted the Revised Book of Common Prayer. Growing up she would have rather played with her pet hen than her dolls. And she loved the experience of freedom in the spring when she was released from long winter underwear.

I only really knew her from the time of her retirement on, so my picture of her was that of a stay at home wife who baked and sewed and did the housekeeping. I was shocked to see that she worked for many years and even helped her family during the depression when her wages went from $100/wk down to $80.

I believe that she left us in the same way she lived these past few years, not wanting to be a bother or burden on anyone. She was an amazing woman who I wish I could have known more about, talked to more, listened to more and just appreciated what she had to offer a bit more.

We'll miss you grandma

A pleasant afternoon

2007-10-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

we took the afternoon off and went to a local storytelling festival. Didn't hear many stories, as they were mostly during the morning, but we did have a few hours of some good music. Kids were well behaved for the most part. We'll have to do this again sometime.

Oh Joyous Day!

2007-10-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

jokefulous
immensefully silly
funful

Aren't these some great words? M is wonderful at adding to the hadlish dictionary. Maybe I should publish it someday.

Jump up! Get down! Stand up! Turn around!

2007-10-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a bit slow when it comes to our tv. I knew we had some music channels (they only play music, no video) but only last night did I realize we had a kids music channel. C and I listened to it a bit and liked it.

Anyway, this morning when the kiddos woke up I turned on the tube and we had a concert going on. The Imagination Movers gave us a great time this morning. Heck I think I had more fun dancing to the music than the kiddos did. Great stuff.

Hmmm... I wonder if I can work them into my weight loss program?!?

Ok, one more thing for today...

there's a card game afoot at the moment... Go Fish. The kiddos are playing with Squeaky the Hippo. Here's the conversation I just heard.

M: A, ask for a 3.
A: But Squeaky doesn't have a 3.
M: No, ask me.
A: M, do you have a 3?
M: No, go fish.

hahahahahahahahaha what a booger.

mmm mmm mmm...

2007-10-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

So I bought some of that new healthy harvest oatmeal. Ran out of milk for the kids' cereal this morning so I made them oatmeal instead. A's response:

"Tastes like candy on a spoon."

Glad to know he likes it.

No more babies

2007-10-05T15:39:00.001-07:00

The tooth fairy is going to visit A for the first time tonight. The loss of the first tooth signifies that the baby is now gone. And hopefully the whining will go with it... yeah I know... sigh... it'll be truly gone when he moves out... hehe.

Tomorrow we're celebrating with Hostess Ding Dongs.

Love that kid

2007-09-29T16:25:00.001-07:00

"Wish I had x-ray bision...

... and butterfly wings"

ear piercing

2007-09-28T05:22:00.000-07:00

holy moly... do you realize that as a young girl you dream of the day your parents let you get your ears pierced. As a parent though, there is no way on God's green earth you're going to let the shaky kid at the mall touch YOUR baby's ears.

Luckily I have a husband who researches EVERYTHING. And surprise, surprise we've found an acceptable solution. Our pediatrician group does ear piercing using needles instead of that big ol' clunky ear gun (that CAN'T be sterilized by the way).

So, M will be getting an early birthday present. Yeah, it costs more to go to the doctor, but really, which would you go to if you had your choice and cost wasn't a factor?

Paper

2007-09-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Did you know that tonight I'll be getting rid of a small tree from my house? Yes, that much paper crap that's come into the house is finally leaving the house. And that's not the whole house, just the rooms that the small ones inhabit.

Why do the teachers these days send kids home with this paper crap EVERY FRICKING DAY? Special art projects I can see keeping, but daily work? Ugh. I'm tired of the paper. Not to mention all the paper we get in the mail that makes its way into the house.

Maybe I'll open my own recycling plant... it would make me feel better that I'm not personally responsible for offing several unknown species of dairy frogs or whatnot.

Update on something I've mentioned in the past

2007-09-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

a few months ago I posted a little something about how I wanted to work on my spirituality and my relationship with God. This is an update to that. If you're not interested then now would be the time to leave and most likely the next time I post will be back to the same old same old.

So last week was the start of this year's Sunday school for the kiddos. I took them to church just for that last week because they were really excited about going. This week I braved going to the service as well. And I'm really glad I did.

Have you ever had the experience of sitting in church and suddenly, something that was said hits you and you start crying? Yeah, that was me today. Now I wasn't full out bawling, that happened later in the story.

The homily today was about how we should all make time to go find the one sheep of our 100-strong flock that has strayed. That we should turn the house upside down to find the one coin of 10 that we have lost. This is me. I'm the one that keeps straying, but I also keep finding myself returning. It just really hit close to home and it brought tears to my eyes.

Then, I learned that there was going to be an adult class while the kiddos were in their classes. I sucked it up and went when I would normally find a quiet spot and read a book. The class is on discovery, where you are on your journey, in your relationship with God. Not to mention it's also a series on the Episcopal church. We were asked at the end of class if we would like to share our journeys so far, where we've come from, where we are, and where we'd like to go. I clammed up at this point, my courage failing me, but at the same time this question really made me think of how I'd answer. (Listening to some other answers is where I started bawling)

This is what I've come up with for next week.

I am a cradle Episcopalian, grew up going to church, sunday school, even spending time as an acolyte. About a year after mom passed away my faith started slipping. I didn't feel like I had a connection anymore. To tie into this I've only recently (in the past 10 years) come to terms with my inner perfectionism. If I wasn't perfect, then I wasn't worthy. Missing church made me feel that I was wrong and wouldn't be acceptable anymore.

In high school and college I attempted to return to church and went to several different churches to find my place. For many years I went homeless in this respect, partly because I feared once again that I wouldn't be acceptable. It wasn't until I had children that I returned to the Episcopal church, even then still having my doubts of fitting in and being accepted.

It was "wrong" that my husband didn't come with me. It was "wrong" that I didn't have my children baptised when they were but weeks or months old. It was "wrong" that I couldn't come to church in my sunday best because I didn't have any nice clothes. There were times I felt looked down upon and once again I stopped going to church on Sunday. Though I did secretly hope that someone from the church would call and ask how things were going, how I was doing. That call never came. I must not have been acceptable.

Last fall I once again struck up the courage to return, this time for my kids. I wanted to give them a sense of what the holidays are about, who Jesus is, a foundation on which to build their own faith. We attended for a few weeks, then once again left, but this time it felt a little different. I felt like I hadn't been attending for the right reasons.

Now I'm here again, very thankful for this class and the opportunity to really sit and think about where I am and where I'm going. I've come to realize in the past few months that I can no longer be ruled by perfection. Persistence is the key. Perfection is self abuse (yes I've posted that in my blog before and probably will again), but persistence will help me along the way.

In my mind, God doesn't care that I haven't been to church on a regular basis, He's just happy when I can come and join in fellowship. He doesn't mind that C stays home, C doesn't worship, pray, etc. the same way I do. And God certainly doesn't care in the slightest what I'm wearing when I do attend church. If one gentleman from the congregation I grew up in came to church straight from the fields in his overalls and work boots, then by golly, I can certainly show up in a pair of jeans or shorts and a t-shirt.

I know that I'm not going to find God in the church building. Well, I can and do, but that's not the only place. I can worship Him in the forest, on a mountain top, in a church, in my home, in my car during traffic. Church is for the fellowship of others who will challenge your beliefs, make you question your faith so you learn more about yourself and your relationship with God, and to have a place where you're welcomed no matter what your skin color, age, marital status, or even orientation. It's a place to grow and learn.

So, that's where I've been, that's where I'm at and that's where I'm going. I hope I haven't bored y'all to tears.

When the time comes...

2007-09-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

When we get back up north we're going camping. From sometime in spring to right around Labor Day we're planning on camping most weekends. We"d like to find another family (erm, bro?) to go camping with and just kind of hang out on the weekends. Nothing fancy, just a tent or two, a campfire, smores, maybe some fishing. Getting back to nature. Hanging out sans technology. Enjoying family and friends.

Can you tell we're tired of big city life?

40 pounds

2007-08-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

1000 rds. of .223
a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier.
a 15-foot canoe
a 3-year old child
8 small bags of flour

I'm down 40 pounds. Wow!

Jaguar and the Beanstalk

2007-08-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

So, for Christmas last year the kids received some storybooks on cd. One of them was Jack and the Beanstalk. Today when I got home from work they asked me if I would come watch them play Jack and the Beanstalk. I figured they would do an ad-lib kind of thing.

Upon entering the room I am seated. A then informs me that he's not Jack, but jaguar. M is playing the part of the giant. The cd is started and the play begins. I hadn't realized they were going to do a play, I just thought that they were going to do some silly stuff and call it good.

So, jaguar goes off to sell the cow and gets the magic beans (which are portrayed by small pieces of paper). The beans are thrown out the window (onto the floor) and up (down) springs the beanstalk (a red construction paper curl with a green construction paper snowflake taped to the bottom - taped to the ceiling). A climbs up the ladder to the top bunk and hides in the stove (under the covers) when the giant enters the room.

Well, that's about as far as we got because dinner-time was signaled. Still, makes me proud that they can do something like this. Probably something most kids would do, but as we all know, my kids aren't exactly like most kids.

First day of school a couple days late

2007-08-15T19:07:00.001-07:00

(deleted photos on purpose... )

M's first day of 2nd grade, A's first day of Kindergarten

Just call him "Elasto-man"!

2007-08-11T11:19:00.001-07:00

So we all know that little girls can wrap their daddies around their little fingers only seconds after they're born.

Today M has reminded us how tightly C is wrapped. He must be wrapped tightly because we're throwing a birthday party for a baby doll today. Yes, we're having cake too.

Wrapped that tightly and still able to buy a cake... now that's flexibility! hehe

Gotta love both of them though... ahhhhhhh. Makes me smile.

Grandma's birthday

2007-08-07T08:30:00.001-07:00

Very briefly spoke with Grandma just now. Well, I spoke with the nurse as Grandma's phone wasn't dialing out and she couldn't hear me on the nurse's cell phone. Nurse says grandma is doing ok, not good but ok. Starting to have more bad days than good. I'll email out some more information when I have the time, but I'm at work at the moment and don't have email addresses here.

We've moved to Africa

2007-08-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

A as he's goofing off in the store:

"Look mom! I"m a gazelle!"

Seriously, where does he get this stuff?!?

2007-08-03T20:49:00.001-07:00

A: Can we play Duck-Duck-Hermit Crab?

Playing in the rain

2007-07-31T07:04:00.001-07:00

N said something about drowning over in Wales. Well we thought we were in for the same fate yesterday as we had a huge storm hit that gave us flash-flood conditions (probably, haven't heard what they officially called it) as well as a power-outage. M pretended to take a shower in the rain, A was just a goof, and we let them run back and forth on the front patio for a few runs. The worst part about the storm wasn't that we lost power (think over 100 degrees and humid with no a/c), but that we lost power when the pizza we were going to have for dinner was only 1/2 done. ACK!!! Luckily it was able to slow-cook a bit more and it wasn't too icky. Still a disappointment though.

sigh

2007-07-27T08:10:00.001-07:00

M: Wow! Grampa W. was right! You do have duck feet!

Where does he get this stuff?

2007-07-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

A: mom do I have brain water?

Me: no

A: does my brain float in water?

Me: no, it's in your head

A: so it just sits on the bottom of my head?

____________
A: mom, do I have a blood stream? A blood stream on my tummy?

Me: no, you do have a blood stream all through your body though.

A: All through my body?!?
____________

not to mention his vocabulary is incredible. What 5 year old uses words like improvise? I could be wrong, but wow. Maybe it's because M was non-verbal until almost 5.

Geez dad...

2007-07-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

M: Mom, can I have an apple?

Me: I don't mind

M: does that mean I can have an apple?

C: At least she's asking for clarification...

M: No, I'm asking for an apple.

hehehe.

Classroom assignments

2007-07-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

We got next year's classroom assignments this weekend. Really don't know either teacher. We were kind of expecting A to get M's K teacher, but he's in a different class. I'm actually not too worried, their classrooms are only a couple doors apart. It's looking like A will be in half-day as well. We really didn't have a preference when we filled out the form, but it's seeming like C really does and is wondering if we can get him into full day. I have no preference really either.

I also need to double check on bussing. I thought A didn't qualify for bussing this year and they both have bus routes on their forms. That's something to look into.

M is so excited and keeps asking to have the booklet that came. Unfortunately we need to tear out a couple of pages and send them back so she can't have it.

Happy Birthday America

2007-07-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

and happy anniversary to me & hubbster.

Can you believe that 10 years ago today I was getting ready to get married. Wow.

Nothing special planned for today, though we may do something. Who knows.

Cover your eyes if you don't want to go blind

2007-07-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

I love my parents, really I do. But why would they allow me to wear this lovely combination? Yeah, yeah, I know... pick your battles. I just wish there wasn't proof that I *MUST* have won this particular battle... I'm the one on the bottom with the blue tights... *sigh*

More from the junior punkinhead

2007-07-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

A: I'm wearing short pants for the morning season mommy!

No clue what this means except he was so very happy about it. Oh yeah, this was said at 7:00 p.m. tonight making it the much odder.

I'd love to get into his mind and just see the way he thinks sometimes.