I Want Fabulous

Got this from ChriSpenceRachel's Blog! Try it, see what year you should be in!

You Belong in 1998

With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Buying a Car

It sucks! I thought it was going great until I was told there was no Jeep to be bought. I took it upon myself to look for another. Hilton Head (a dealer I was emailing awhile back about this) had a red one on their website that was a manual transmission.

I called them to find that out because it wasn't listed on their website. I mistakenly gave her my name and she wanted my contact information. I told her "No thanks, Ive already got a deal down here with Hoover." To which she replies they could have gotten me a better deal since it's their car I was looking at. I hang up with her to call my guy back and he says he has already found me a new vehicle, the same thing I was originally looking at. Great!

Not 5 minutes later the guy I had been emailing at Hilton Head called me. He was trying to get me to come to them. I'm sorry, but you were a jerk in your emails... never answered my questions and NOW you want my business. He tells me he could give me more for my trades and $1000 off. Ok... you haven't seen the trades, so how can you say what you would give me for them? You are out of my way, Id have to get two vehicles (which Ive already "sold" to Hoover) to you and my kids get out of school tomorrow... when would I do this?? And who would drive them there? Oh, lets not forget gas and mileage to get up there. Then he tells me that Hoover is giving me the run around, that they did NOT sell the Jeep, they were holding it for me. Ok, fine, maybe that is true... BUT why would they find me ANOTHER Jeep, exactly the same and give me the same price? What motivation is there to fuck with me? He proceeds to continue arguing with me. I told him that I had to go with the dealer that was right for me... Hoover was convenient, they answered my questions and they were very friendly. This guy would not answer my questions. Vague answers all the time or form emails. If they really wanted my business they would have answered my questions in the first place.

Anyways, so now I'm all flustered. Someone is playing mind games with me and now its bugging me to know who. I don't want Hoover travelling too far to get the Jeep because that puts more miles on it and if Hilton Head still has the Jeep they need to give it Hoover so I can have it. I only have until Saturday to finalize this deal or my loan expires.

Damn salesmen!

I'm Not

I'm not witty
I'm not clever
I'm not funny
I'm not elegant
I'm not calm
I'm not skinny
I'm not heroic
I'm not hardcore
I'm not sane
I'm not a supermodel
I'm not thick-skinned
I'm not a perfect parent
I'm not trustworthy
I'm not alone

Somewhere someone else is thinking the same thing
And somewhere someone is thinking about loving that person; nots and all

Bloggin'

Hello to my 4 readers out there! (Ok, I know Ive got more readers than that, but there were 4 regulars I could think of LoL)

I'm in the process of getting back into my blog. I added a whole long list of blogs from fellow mommies! These are great women, some very, very talented in their writing and photography. I can only dream of being as good as them.

I had previously started a Movie Review Monday, and I think I'm going to revive that. Id like to give my readers a little something extra to look forward to than just my random ramblings. I also want to start posting my photoshop creations, I may do that on Fun Photo Friday.

So, look for more fun posts... and with John coming home soon I may actually have half a mind to actually write something worthwhile. Sometimes I feel like I don't have anything to offer this blog... but I do it alot for myself and for John. He can actually see when I update and get on to read my ramblings that sometimes I forget to mention to him. He can also see pics of the kids without downloading them which takes FOREVER with his slow internet.

Anyways, keep your eyes peeled for some more from this blog... and thanks to my faithful readers for making me get my ass on here to post!

Potty Training

Grrr... I had a whole long post going, and then I lost it. Thought it would be saved since Blogger automatically saves but NOOOO there is NOTHING in my post. So grrr....

Anyway... back to your regularly scheduled program.

Adam is going on 2 1/2 and has yet to start potty training. He has NO interest. Well he does sit on the potty every once in awhile and he loves to flush for me. Other than that though, he is a rock when it comes to potty training.

I took Sara to the dr yesterday for her 18mth check up and she asked if Sara was going on the potty. When she first asked, I thought she said, "Is she going potty?" so I answered yes but then quickly realized she was implying that she was potty training already... ummmm no. My 2 1/2 yr old has no interest and I don't want to push my 1 1/2 yr old if she isn't ready.

This morning Adam woke up with a dry diaper so I took the opportunity to have him sit on the potty. He was resistant at first but I put him on anyways... despite the fact I don't want to push it, the drs question just pressed me. Damn doctors!!! He was sitting there just playing and wanting to get down when I farted... yes, I said it, I farted... I do that sometimes. I said excuse me and Adam laughed. I then asked him if he could fart. Not thinking he could actually do it... he concentrated and let one rip. We both laughed hysterically. I thought that would be a good way to get him to go on the potty so I kept encouraging him to fart. We both were laughing so hard after about the third time. THE KID CAN FART ON COMMAND!!! (typical guy for ya LoL)

He didn't end up going on the potty but I think it's a start. I will bring the potty chair in from the car and start both Adam and Sara at the same time. I'd always joked that I would potty train them at the same time and if I could, that would be awesome. Since Sara likes to sit on the potty chair I will let her sit there and put Adam on the big potty, maybe it will start some healthy competition between the two and I can have at least one out of diapers by the end of the year.

End of the Year

Another school year has come and (almost) gone.

Lexi has had an amazing year. She made it into the gifted program and the girl just sails right on through it. She is in the first grade and she knows how to make a PowerPoint presentation! John was very impressed (as was I). She had an honors assembly today and the girl made out like a bandit. I could not believe the things she got. It made me feel bad for Jacob... he didn't even get a pat on the back.

Anyways, she received about 5 awards. One of which was a trophy for being the highest scorer on the state tests for all of first grade. That's right! My little genius only missed TWO, count them, TWO questions on the CRCT. She must get her brains from her daddy... she got some of his looks too but most of them came from her gorgeous mama! She also received a certificate for making high honor roll in the 4th quarter, for being a good citizen and for winning her class's spelling bee today. The girl can spell better than some adults I know LoL Lexi also got a ribbon for having the highest accelerated reader points in the entire first grade. She loves to read too. She probably reads close to a 4th grade level.

I remember when she got mad at me for buying her a level 3 book at the bookstore one day because it was "too hard." She had that thing mastered within two days and now its one of her favorite books. Pretty soon she will be starting on the Harry Potter books John sent home from Iraq. Well, she might not quite be there yet... but it won't be long, I'm sure.

Jacob has come a long way this school year. He has learned how to tie his shoes and does very well in school. He does get fidgety every once in awhile but nothing that distracts him or others from getting their work done. I think I can be too hard on him at times... he has some big shoes to fill following in Lexi's footsteps. That will probably make it hard on him at school as well if he were to get a teacher that Lexi had. I hate for him to always be compared to her... she is in a class all her own when it comes to learning. Jacob knows the stuff, he just doesn't care to. I'm hoping he will start to settle down as he gets into a more structured working environment in school and his learning will soar to new heights.

The end of the year is also a time for giving thanks to those teachers that guided your child through the year. A teacher can have too many coffee mugs and popsicle stick framed pictures but they are still great ideas for gifts... unless you want to be more original and creative... which is what we do.

Last year we made homemade jam for the teachers. This year we made edible bouquets out of fruit. Not only are they great gifts that the teachers are almost guaranteed to love they are also good for the environment. Being consumable we don't have to worry about the teachers tossing the "junk" we gave them as a gift. I also feel like if I don't want people buying my kids stuff that will clutter the house why would I think that a teacher would want something that will do the same. You can only save so many items from past students before you need a storage unit to house all of it.

Our gifts have always been a hit and rather easy to throw together too. Here is a picture of two of the fruit bouquets we made.

Double Take

This morning as my screensaver was scrolling through pictures I had to do a double take... maybe even a triple take... then I had to look at the dress the little girl on the left was wearing.




No, no, that is NOT Sara in the white and green dress. That is in fact, Kadie.

OMG, the resemblance is uncanny. I had to think to myself whether Sara was walking at Christmas and remembered that was the dress Kadie wore in 2005. WOW! I always knew they looked alot alike, but never has it stumped me that much. Makes me wonder if they will continue to look alike or if Sara will look different as she gets older.

Here is Sara at about the same age as Kadie in the above picture... did I really have another baby? Or did I clone Kadie???

Ready to Run

Walls closing in
The room becomes smaller and smaller

Trapped
No where to go
I catch my breath, I have been holding it
My heart races
Escape

I'm ready to run
A wave of emotion rolls over me
My stomach aches and my head spins
I reach for the door, still too far

The voices are ringing in my ears
Weakness is overpowered by love

5 Minutes

That's all the time it took for all hell to break loose.

I was cleaning up the house while Lexi was still at her friend's house and Jacob and Kadie were playing across the street. I opened the door to take out the garbage when I saw Jacob and Kadie walking up the driveway. At that exact moment Buckeye saw an opportunity to escape. I told Kadie and Jacob to get in the house but they insisted on chasing after Buckeye. I took the garbage can to the curb and Lexi's chaffeur pulled into the driveway. Buckeye then comes sauntering up the driveway with a dead squirrel in his mouth. I finally get all the kids in the house and then starts the "I wants"

"I want something to drink"

"I want a snack"

"I dont want to go to bed"

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

Well too bad its now 8pm and the drinking cut off is 730 (but I allowed them to have a drink of water if they wanted) and its now too late to have a snack.

Jacob was told to clean the livingroom numerous times in a 30 second period and was still standing there looking like a bump on a log. He finally started cleaning when Lexi let out a blood curdling scream. The kind of scream that would mean either something has really scared her or she is getting hurt. NOPE! She was just pissed off at me for telling her she couldnt have anything but water to drink and because it was time for bed. Not my fault she took a two hour nap at 5pm. I yelled at her for screaming like that because when something was really wrong she wouldnt get any attention since I wouldnt know if she was really hurt. I put a screaming Kadie in bed with Lexi and shut the door. Not 2 seconds later Lexi is kicking the wall like a two year old. She was kicking it so hard half the house was shaking. I bust into her room only to knock Kadie down with the door. I was afraid I broke her nose, it started to bleed. Luckily I just put a scratch on it.

And to think that started just 5 minutes after my kids got home. Thankfully the babies slept right through it. And to give you an idea of how long this fit actually lasted... we walked in the house at 755 and here I am finishing up a novel at 819.

I can only hope my night gets better from here on out...

30 days and counting...

Can you believe it? That is about all we have left in this ridiculous deployment. Less than a month and my husband will be home. The kids will have their daddy back and I will have time to shower in peace and cook dinner without interruptions from the kids... Lord knows my husband will be interrupting me with his arms wrapped around my waist and his lips on my neck. It's inevitable. But atleast I wont have the hazard of tripping over children into a hot stove...

Time has flown by so fast since he left. At times it seemed to drag on but then there was that morning I woke up and realized OMG he will be home before I know it and I have SOOOO much to get done.

I know he isnt coming home to see a clean house, or his gym equipment set up, or a painted bathroom. Still those are things I NEED to get done before he comes home. I've got the motivation... now to find the time and energy.

I just cannot wait to be in his arms again! Love you baby!

The Ramblings of a 7 Year Old

Lexi's Declaration of Independence

I, Lexi, hereby declare...

*Freedom to stay up later than Jacob
*Freedom to have more allowance
*Freedom to have my own washcloth
*Freedom to get tons of WebKinz
*Freedom to help cook dinner
*Freedom from brushing my hair
*Freedom to have sleepovers every weekend
*Freedom to get more High School Musical stuff




The Big Bad Beast by Lexi W.

Once upon a time there was a magical castle. In the castle lived a big bad beast. He lived with his beautiful wife that he locked up in the dungeon. The castle had candy everywhere. There were lollipops, marshmallows, chocolate bars, cookies and bubblegum. One day a lonely princess was walking in the forest. The princess saw the magical candy castle. Then the princess went in the castle. The beast was in the room. The princess ran home and asked her Fairy Godmother what to do. She said, "Oh dear, go into the castle and talk to the beast." But Princess Madison said, "The Beast is too bad that he probably won't listen." "But that's the only way to do it." "I guess I can do it." said Princess Madison. "Here you go. I'll make you a beautiful dress." She said, "Alica, Alica, Zoo!" Then Princess Madison ran to the magical candy castle. There was an evil troll on the way but Princess Madison hopped over the evil troll. Then she went inside the castle and talked to the beast. Then they danced all night and lived happily ever after.

Update: The beast and his wife loved each other when they got married but after they got married the Beast kept leaving the toilet seat up and the wife refused to make dinner for him, just for herself. They began to hate each other and that is when the Beast threw her in the dungeon. One day while the beast and his princess were living happily every after without a care in the world... the wife made her escape. She found a young prince to marry and she too lived happily ever after. In that area there was no legal system so divorce did not exist (I realized this when I asked Lexi if they got divorced and her face scrunched up as she said, "Huh? What's that?" So the beast and his wife just went about their seperate ways and married their young lovers.

Messy Babies

Every month in our 2 Close for Comfort thread on BabyCenter, a wonderful woman takes her time to put together a themed photocontest every month. She is the same wonderful woman that started the 2 Under 2 thread which was later renamed 2 Close for Comfort as our January babies turned 2. She also also provided at least three gift cards as prizes (which sparked the idea to have a contest) and since others have donated their gift cards.

This month's theme is Messy babies... while I think my picture is always one of the better ones, I always solicit votes for others and NEVER vote for myself. This month I say vote for Chris! She totally deserves it and since Im providing the prize this month I will gladly ignore the fact that my picture is obviously the best {wink wink}. And Rachael with her yogurty kissy face is too darn cute!

Good luck Chris & Rachael!

http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=bcus1418516&tid=37946

My New 'Do

I went to get my hair done on Sunday. I made an appt with Brenda at the JCPenney Salon. I took a picture of a makeover I did with the cut and color I wanted thinking that would make it easier than trying to explain to her what I wanted.

I get there and I show her the picture on my phone... she says "I cant see that." So I try to explain it to her and she gets this horrified look on her face. She says, "You want it black? With highlights?" To which I replied... "Yes... black as the base color, with red and blonde highlights." She says she cant do that... she is not an expert. So Im thinking... well what CAN you do? I was about to just get the blonde and red highlights when she suggested we talk to Lina, a hair expert.

Lina suggested doing black and red lowlights and blonde highlights throughout. Going all black wouldnt be that difficult but once my blonde started growing out it would look bad. Good point! Brenda didnt sound like she could do all those highlights either and suggested doing a dark brown base color with the highlights. I looked over at Lina who was shaking her head no and said, "Let me see if I can get you in today."

She looked over her schedule and said she could get me in now, it wouldnt take that long. That, I could, pissed Brenda off. I didnt care though. She wasnt a very friendly person. My sister had her a day earlier and she didnt really get what my sister wanted.

Lina cut my hair before highlighting another girl's hair. Then she came back to do my color while the other girl "processed." The whole thing took over 3 hours... from the time I got there til the time I left. It was well worth it though. I was very impressed with the outcome and EVERYONE loves it. I have yet to come across someone that hasnt liked it. Ill definitely be going back to Lina.

Here are some pics for your enjoying pleasure...

Before:

During:


After:




Now if only I could get my hair to look that good again! I need a personal stylist LoL

Saving Gas is Hard Work

I recently bought a bike with the intention of actually riding it. I bought a bike trailer for it for the kids and got it all set to ride. I think my sister has ridden the bike more than I have but I HAVE ridden it. Today, as a matter of fact.

I decided this morning would be the perfect opportunity for a bike ride. It wasnt too hot, Sara and Adam were still sleeping and I needed just a couple things at the grocery store. The grocery store that is 2 miles away. I walked it before, never rode it though. Thought it couldnt be too hard...

Boy was I frickin' wrong. It was alright on the way there, pulling atleast 32lbs behind me. I parked in the parking lot right next to a cart corral. Locked my bike up and went about my shopping. Kadie and I bought milk, orange juice, fruit, yogurt and toilet paper. I knew I couldnt buy too much or else the trailer would be too heavy.

We bought got a yogurt drink as well and headed for home. Wow... that was a pain in the ass... no, it was a pain in my legs. My legs were killing me... my heart was racing... and I was sweating my butt off (which may or may not be a good thing, I dont really want to lose my butt). We stopped maybe 5 or 6 times because I needed a break. I made it about half way down my street when I got off the bike and walked a bit to rest my legs. I then got back on the bike and pushed it all the way home. Whew!

I can honestly say, I will not be saving very much gas this way... but I will be toning my legs.

Mini Heart Attack