CPA Mom

From the Mixed Up Files of a Busy Mom....

2007-01-11T08:42:00.000-05:00

This is a picture Karen sent me yesterday as a potential picture on my new header. I didn't end up choosing it but I thought it was an appropriate picture for my life...I am getting very excited about my new look. Karen ROCKS ya'll!

This is an example of the the "CEO calling cards" I'm ordering from Grace Announcements. She also does birth announcements, wedding announcements, etc. I had a lovely conversation with Lindsay there yesterday and she has been busy designing my card. She sent me a proof which I cannot post her (obviously) but she did give me permission to put up an example. Which brings me to my next question for the wise women who read this blog (which really, makes me question your wisdom if you are reading this, but I digress): HP doesn't like the card. He thinks it is unwise to have a card printed with our address and names and pictures of the kids on it. Now, I understand exactly what he is saying. I even respect it. But since I will only be giving the card to women who already know our kids names (potential play dates), I'm not sure there will be harm. If the purpose is to get our kids together, won't we have to know where each other lives at some point? Am I being to laissez faire about their safety? Is HP being too constricting of our freedom? Where is the middle ground?
Last night I went to the Y after working until 7 p.m. I did my 2 minute walk at 3.0 speed and spotted someone I used to work with across the room (he still works with HP). I didn't call out to him or try and get his attention since 1) I don't know him very well and 2) Ya'll know how much I hate to be interrupted while exercising. I started running at 3.5 speed and was doing well (watching HGTV and CNN simultaneously, and reading the closed captioning for both, while listening to my iPod) when he spotted me. Because it turns out, he was looking for me. HP had told him I would be there. To be polite, I had to stop running since he was right in front of me and all. I hit pause and then accidentally hit STOP and lost all my information. So I had no idea how far or how long I had been going at that point. Which pissed me off no end. He did not try and talk long luckily (maybe it was my clenched teeth that gave me away but I was very polite). So I'm not sure how long I actually ran but after he left, I ran for 25 minutes straight at 3.5. Then I did 5 minutes walking, gradually slowing to stop. It was 1.67 miles so I'm hoping I had done at least my 2. It was not as hard this time. Maybe I'm becoming a runner! Whoot! Tonight is the bike and FitLinxx circuit.
So I was behind a white GrandAm this morning. An older couple, mid-40's I'd say. The woman's head went down at one point and did not come back up, if you know what I mean. The driver, the husband? boyfriend? "John?" started swerving quite badly. My advice - wait for this type of behavior when.you.are.not.in.rush.hour.traffic! Ever heard of "getting a room?" Asshats.
A winter weather tip: If you go out to start your car ahead of time and turn on the defroster so the car will be toasty for your kids and you won't have any ice on the windows when you leave (so you can actually see out them), you might want to turn on the defroster instead of the air conditioner. I know the two buttons look similar B.C. (before coffee) but it's kind of important. Also, you might want to change the thermostat to hot instead of leaving it on the cool side from when you were coming home from the gym the night before and you were hot. Not that I'd be so dumb as to do these things, no, not at all. Ahem.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2007-01-10T08:35:00.000-05:00

(or "Starving yourself really works...")

My weight on:

12/31/06: 227.0
1/2/07: 224.8 (cumulative lost: 2.2)
1/3/07: 223.0 (cumulative lost: 4.0)
1/10/07: 219.4 (cumulative lost: 7.6)
GOAL: 167.0 (52.4 more lbs. to go)

HP's weight on:

1/2/07: 278.0
1/10/07: 272.8 (cumulative lost: 5.2)
GOAL: 220 (52.8 more lbs. to go)

I last went to the Y on Thursday. Saturday was our bike ride to the park. Not very strenuous so I don't count it as exercise. Nothing Sunday. Yesterday while HP was at the Y, I did another Mary Tyler Moore video (the aerobics one). Last night I was going to do one of my Richard Simmons videos while HP went to the Y but he didn't feel like going (physically unwell) so I did nothing either (I just didn't want to drive all the way to the Y in the rain - lame excuse but true - and I refuse to exercise in front of him. Which is weird. Yes, I will give birth in front of him but hell on the no to letting him see me sweat or letting him see just how uncoordinated I am). So I went to bed at 9:30 instead, early for me, after reading some more of the Oxygen Murder.

Tonight is my first "late night" at work: I work until 7 then I'm going directly to the Y. I've got my gym clothes and shoes and iPod. I remembered my water but not my towel. I'm clever like that. Since I will rinse, lather and repeat tomorrow (work late, go to the Y after) I think I'd better put a stack of towels in my car tonight.
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Sometime today or tomorrow I've got to do my next Soccer Mom post too. I've finally chosen a topic so be sure to drop by on Friday (my Jersey number is 12 so I post on the 12th).
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My new blog should be ready soon. Emily at Swank Web Hosting has been busy - she purchased my new domain for me and set up my wordpress account so now Karen will be taking over. I'll let you know when it is all done. And I cannot say enough how pleasant it has been working with these ladies. I highly recommend them both.

Your Comment Could be Worth $500 (Seriously. I'm being SERIOUS, y'all)

2007-01-09T08:18:00.000-05:00

I received this email from the wonderful and amazing Jes (What, you're not reading her obsessively every, single day? What's wrong with you? Get over there post-haste!)

I thought I'd just copy and paste her email (and post title!) since she tells the story best, and I'm lazy like that. Explanation of contest is also here.

Hi. Need money? I thought you might like some. ;)One of the sites for which I write, 451 Press, LLC (interested in getting paid to blog? email me!), is hosting a comment contest. And the grand prize? A cool $500 buck-a-roos. That's right, folks. Like underoos, only better.

FROM 451 PRESS:451 Press has launched several new sites recently and decided the best way to get people to check out the new writers is to host a comment contest. This will benefit all of the writers in our network, as well as the people who participate. We are calling out to anyone and everyone to stop by one of the sites on our network and leave a quality comment. Not a spam comment that simply gets you entered in the contest, but a comment that contributes to the conversation or adds commentary to the article. Every comment made on one of our sites between now and January 31st will be entered in a random drawing for prizes. Every comment you leave will be considered an entry, so there is no limit as long as you leave quality along with quantity.You can comment on any 451 Press site (except the main page) to be eligible.

Personally, I prefer that you visit and comment on the Britney Spears site. Then again, I'm partial. And slightly obsessed.

PRIZES451 Press will award six prizes to six randomly chosen comments from this month. There will be one (1) $500 cash prize and five (5) $100 cash prizes. 451 Press will contact the winning commenters using the email address they enter with the comment. Comments made through January 31st will be entered in the contest and the winners will be announced on February 1st. So, go forth and comment, comment, comment! (And if you win, let me know. I'd love to be able to claim that someone I know won, since I'm not eligible to enter the contest!)(And, if out of the goodness of your heart you want to advertise for me, (advertise! do it!) i can email you a jpg to put on your site that will link to the contest rules. Just let me know!PLEASE SEND THIS TO ANY FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER YOU BELIEVE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN MAKING MONEY. Also, feel free to tell them that if they win, they have to give you half. That way you win, too.

See? I'm all about sharing the love around here.

Love, Jes

Jes: Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.

National De-lurking Week

2007-01-08T13:35:00.000-05:00

So, according to Miss Zoot (whom I borrowed the picture from below), this in National De-lurking Week. And since my stat-counter tells me that between 40 (normal day) to 100 (best ever day) people visit this site each day, and my comments almost never even reach 10, I know there are a bunch of you lurking out there. This week, make a commitment to COME ON IN. The water's great. And, you can't let the terrorists win.

*Try to comment on every blog you visit, at least once this week. Think how good it makes you feel when you get a comment!

Thank Goodness I Can Still Have Starbucks

2007-01-08T08:39:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Hungry Girl! This is from her latest email update:

"Starbucks Stuff...Whoa! Our friends at Starbucks are busy these days. As you may or may not know, they've gone trans fat free in ten cities (Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. & Portland), with more on the way. They're also helping YOU make smarter food & drink choices in 2007 (THEIR smart choice was to join forces with HG on this initiative...click here for proof!). And let's not forget that the ROCKIN' Cinnamon Dolce Latte (or CDL as the cool kids call it) is available NOW. Order a Tall one with their new sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce syrup, nonfat milk and no whip and it'll have just 90 calories. (Pssst...for more good stuff at The 'Bucks, check out their 20 Delicious Choices Under 200 Calories.)"

Too bad I didn't know this earlier. It would have been just the thing as I sit here in my office with my soaking wet backside from this stupid rain. A downpour that persisted only while putting the kids in the car (which explains why only my back is wet), which ended by the time we actually got them to school. Of course. Karma, baby. I never should have complained about the warm weather.

Random Bits

2007-01-07T14:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, more random parts of my life. Too much going on for one coherent thought right now. And this is the diary of my life after all. I alphabetized my CD library today. Meaning, it was already in alphabetical order but I had to take them all down and insert the new ones I got over the last year or so. What? Anal? Doesn't everyone put their CDs in alphabetical order? And dust them? Just me?

A - O (note the bobblehead dolls on top of the TV where JoJo's Circus is playing again. The dolls are players from the NY Yankees, NY Devils and NY Jets. Of course.)

P - Z (actually "Y" since Trisha Yearwood is the last artist)

Speaking of organization, here are the toys now that the Sesame Street bin organizer came in:

That three drawer organizer next to it - I used to have bottles and bibs in it. Now it has a new life for toys. Speaking of bibs, here is the stack of bibs I still have. There are 49 bibs and 6 burp cloths. Some of them are stained of course, (what bibs aren't?) but all are clean and serviceable. About 1/3 boy, 1/3 girl and 1/3 neutral gender. Anyone who needs them, just let me know and I'll mail them to you. I hate to just throw things away just because of food stains. They'd probably be good for anyone who watches kids. Or has messy eaters like my two. Wish I could get them to wear bibs still. *sigh*

Today is Saturday, January 6, 2007

2007-01-06T20:25:00.000-05:00

All four of us wore t-shirts and shorts today. When the house temperature reached 77, I turned on the air conditioning. In the afternoon, HP and I loaded up the kids on their seats on our bikes and biked to the neighborhood park so they could play for a little while. The weather today:

High Temperature 72.8°F at 2:41p
Low Temperature 62.7°F at 8:07a

Am I the only one seeing something wrong with this picture?

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Both winners of the tag line contest, Nicole and Beth, have yet to contact me with addresses for their prizes. What should I do? Perhaps they think I'll come stalk them? I promise, I don't have the money to travel anywhere!

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Something weird came up through my stat meter. One of the path's that someone took to reach my blog, was a blog I had never heard of so I went to it, and found my blog listed on this girl's blog roll. Why on earth would she put me on a list called "Sweeties" when she has never commented here? And I've never heard of her? Am I the only person who thinks this is odd?

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Speaking of the stat meter, I notice from mine that not one of the people in my "real life" that I gave the address to has even been here to read it. Huh. After much angst and thought and worry, I gave the blog address to my little sister, my baby sister, my Mom, and two very good friends. And they aren't reading it. My SIL is though. Hope you aren't bored here L! I wonder why the others don't drop by?

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I took a bath tonight. I never take baths because our tub is very wide but short so you can't stretch out. It has jets, but they need to be cleaned out so I've never used them. Lazy, much? But my body has been aching from this (dirty word alert) exercise and from my 4 and 2 year old wearing on my very last nerve so I poured the cinnamon twist bubblebath, lit the Yankee candle Midsummer's Night, brought over my new Cinnamon Buns shampoo from the shower, and got in with my new book, The Oxygen Murder (I love me some murder mysteries). Let me tell you, whomever invents a bath pillow for my ASS would have my money in a heart beat. You'd think with all this padding, I'd be comfortable. But you'd be wrong. Boy that tub is hard on your butt after a while.

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I had a "Hungry Girl" "milkshake" today - 1/2 cup of Cool Whip Fat Free with a glass of diet Orange soda. Not great but better than nothing (what do you expect for a 1 point milkshake). This diet is killing me (but at least then, I'd finally be thin). We're making a "Hungry Girl" dessert for tomorrow - orange jello made with diet orange soda, blended with Cool Whip Fat Free, then sprinkled with a 100-calorie cookie pack (2 points). We tried the Revival soy chips and bars recommended by "Hungry Girl" and let me tell you, that was $30 NOT well spent. Oh well. Anyone out there like them? I'm thinking of trying the Vita Tops that she (and Weight Watchers) recommends. Can anyone tell me if they really taste normal? Are they worth the money? Amy recommended eating the individual serving bags of popcorn (not sure of the brand name) but Farm Fresh didn't have them. I'll need to look around for that. HP did pick up the ICBINB spray for me today. Thanks Amy for the suggestion! And thanks HP for that store run.

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The Sesame Street toy organizer finally came in so I put it together and emptied the large storage tub (tacky) we had the toys in before, and brought in another small bookcase for their books. HP took down our gate that we had in the living room (it stretched all the way across the front of the room, blocking all toddler access to the fireplace, DVD's, and TV/electronics) because hey, we don't have toddlers anymore. They grew into pre-schoolers. Who knew?

Then I re-organized the room, bagged up a BUNCH of toys for Iraq and for the consignment sale and vacuumed. All while HP took Tigger to the store and Eeyore napped. It looked nice for about 30 minutes. Then the kids hit it. Oh well, at least we have more room in there now and less toys so it's more like a Hurricane 3 than 5 when they are done. I guess with the gate down now though, we'll have to worry about sandwiches being shoved into the VCR and DVDs being taken down and destroyed. *sigh*

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I'll end with one of my favorite pictures. Ignore my double chin. Hopefully it will be gone soon.

The Actual Bumper Stickers On My Van

2007-01-05T08:34:00.000-05:00

If any CPA's out there want one of these, let me know.

This is for our Master Jet Base that we may lose thanks to some Asshats who moved into the flight zone and now complain about the jet noise. Wahh! Now, thanks to BRAC and those whiners, we stand to lose a big chunk of our economy.

Ok, these on on our garage frig. I ran out of room on the van:

And before I forget, Emma has baby girl clothes she is willing to give away if anyone having a girl baby wants them. Go here to read about it. Maybe offer to pay the shipping. Cool, free is good!

Various and Sundry Items...again

2007-01-05T07:50:00.000-05:00

1) Winter? Hello? Why have you forsaken Virginia? From our weather forecast:

Today: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers this morning...then a slight chance of showers this afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the morning... then partly sunny in the afternoon. Breezy with highs in the mid 70s. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

My kids are in t-shirts today. T-SHIRTS on January 5th.

2) Remember Tanner? Remember Her Bad Auction, in which I won the blog re-design from Troll-Baby Graphics and also the CD of Tanner's favorite music? Well, Karen is still on vacation so there is no progress on the first win but yesterday, I received the CD in the mail. And it is Oh So Good. My kids were even dancing to it in their seats on the way home last night, and didn't even ask for the DVD player. What song did they enjoy so much? Do-Re-Mi from Sound of Music. One of my all time favorites. One that sounds like nails on a chalkboard to HP. This CD is full of music from my childhood and new ones from today:

Between this CD and the Jim Gill one I won earlier this year from Cool Mom Picks, the kids are bogeying in the tub and on the way home. Lucky ducks, we are. And the cover on this handmade CD, well, you just have to see it. Gorgeous!

3) I'm keeping up with the exercise. You know I had my first night back at the Y on Tuesday. Wednesday night, while HP was at the Y, I did a 40 minute Mary Tyler Moore Toning VCR tape that I've had for years, at home. It's so old, I cannot even find it on Amazon. I have two of her exercise videos (and about 10 other people's videos) and I love hers the best. I wish I could find them on DVD. She kicks my butt. Last night I went to the Y and instead of the treadmill, I did the recumbent bike to mix things up. I did 30:02 minutes and went 6.0 miles. The levels on the bike go from 0 to 20 and I did mostly level 6 after 10 minutes at 5. I did about 5 minutes on 7. Then I hit the FitLinxx machines and did 10 stations for a total of 5,320 total pounds. I hope I can sneak in some exercise this weekend and not be a total slug.

4) All the "new" people at the Y irritate me. I know I've not been there in over a month but I did go regularly over the summer. Going back now is not a short term fix for me. This is long term. It irritates me to have to maneuver through all these people, and wait for machines, when I know from last January that a good 3/4 of these people won't even be here in a month. And it irritates me that I'm irritated. But the short guy, who did one of the FitLinxx machines, hopped up and just.stood.next.to.the.machine for 5 minutes, then got back on, he needs to be taken outside and shot. One set only numb nut, ONE SET. It says so RIGHT ON THE MACHINE. Ugh! There was also one very, very heavy woman (at least 300 lbs) running on the treadmill without a sports bra. Those babies were flying so high, I thought she was going to give herself a black eye. How do you approach someone like that? Should I even care? She's going to give up on exercise 'cause really, how comfortable can that be? O.k., I'll LET IT GO already.

A few of my favorite bumper stickers...Part II

2007-01-04T10:35:00.000-05:00

A Few More. All from a great website, Stamp and Shout. Can you tell what my party affiliation is yet? These are NOT the ones on my car (nor are the ones in part I below) - I just don't have enough room for every one I like!

A few of my favorite bumper stickers...

2007-01-04T10:27:00.000-05:00

These are not the ones on my car but a few I like....

I'm Back! (First Weight Loss Wednesday)

2007-01-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

Or, why I was at the car wash at 9:45 at night....

I finally made it back to the Y last night. The lady who checked me in said, "I've missed you" and I said, "I got sick, then I got lazy." Heh. Anyway, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It was harder not to bitch-slap the woman next to me while she stretched and fluffed her hair while on a leisurely walk while I sweated and worked hard next to her. Umm..go to a bar if you are looking for a man, not the Y. It didn't help my animosity that she got on the treadmill right.next.to.me when there were FIVE FREE ONES. Ugh. Oh, where was I? It took me 36 minutes to do my 2 miles, but what did I expect after so many months away? And I couldn't run the whole thing.

2 minutes walk
10.5 minutes run
6 minutes walk
5 minutes run
6 minutes walk
4.25 minutes run
2.25 minutes walk

All and all, not to bad. No pains in my knees or chest.

I know we just started this yesterday but today is Wednesday so here are the stats:

Weight on:

12/31/06: 227.0
1/2/07: 224.8 (cumulative lost: 2.2)
1/3/07: 223.0 (cumulative lost: 4.0)
GOAL: 167.0 (56 more lbs. to go)

Not sure how I lost 2.2 those first two days since I didn't do anything. Humm...

Oh, and why was I at the car wash at 9:45 pm.? Because the kids had Little Gym last night, so I didn't get to the Y until after 8:30 p.m. so I didn't get to the gas station until late. I needed gas but more importantly, I needed a car wash since some NUMB NUT threw a coke out his window yesterday all down the entire side of my van while it was parked on the street while I was at work. I'm not kidding, it was from the very front to the back. That had to be deliberate. Must have something to do with my new bumper stickers. I'll post them once I get them downloaded off my camera. Oh, and I totally scored on the gas. It was marked $2.11 on the marquee but the pump was still set at $2.01. Immediately after I finished pumping the gas, they realized it inside and reset the pump for the next customer to $2.11. Too late!

BY THE WAY: My post on Gerald Ford over at the Soccer Mom vote has generated a nice discussion (as everyone's posts should). Go take a look. Give a comment of your own. It's OK TO DISAGREE with me, just be nice. :-)

And the Guilt begins...

2007-01-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

Today when I left to go to Wal-Mart, Eeyore was sobbing for me. Reaching out and saying "Mommieeee, Mommieeee...." Tigger said, "No Eeyore, Mommy going to work." And turned back to the t.v. Umm...I guess he remembers tax season better than I thought. I said, "No Tigger, I'm going to the store." and he said back "GO TO CHURCH MOMMY!" Ah, the source of all guilt, the church. Wise child.

And the winner is...

2007-01-01T20:12:00.000-05:00

So most nights, I usually get out of the shower with conditioner still in my hair. So I have to get back in to rinse it off. Tonight, I even forgot to put the conditioner in to start with! I was telling HP and he said, "it's because you already had your mind on what you "need" to do next tonight." Damn, he's good. He knows me all too well. I have always got my mind racing on what I need to accomplish in any given day. And today, I did get a lot done. Wal-Mart did not have the organizer I mentioned earlier though so I had to order it on-line. Did I twiddle my thumbs instead? No, I completely reorganized the food pantry. It's a sickness really. Good thing it only hits the worst at New Year's and when I'm pregnant (nesting). Since I'm done with the latter for good (thank you Jesus), I should be good to go for a year.

AANNYYWAYYYY, now that you've had to sit through my drivel...I'm pleased to announce the winner of my Tag Line Contest. NICOLE of Sitting Still and The Soccer Mom Vote. HP and I agreed that "Where life (and the budget) are perfectly balanced" is a perfect reflection of me and includes the requisite sarcasm. Way to go Nicole! Email me your mailing address and I'll get your Starbucks card out to you (and a little goody for Miss Claire since you included the sarcasm).

Honorable mention must be given to new reader "wopalockapino" since her "Just the Tax Ma'am" made me spit coffee out my nose. Funny, and gave a nod to my (obsession) liking for cop shows. Beth, send me your address and I've got a little gift card for you too.

Thanks to everyone for playing! Now head on over to Amy's and get her an appropriate tag line too.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T09:38:00.000-05:00

So what fun things did you do last night? What do you have planned for today? We didn't go out last night but we did go out on Saturday night. We went to see Night at the Museum. It was very funny most of the time but kind of dragged too. At least we only paid $3.00 to go ($1.50 each) since we were given some "super saver" tickets from the travel agent that messed up our thanksgiving flights. We also had dinner at Gordon Biersch, a fairly new restaurant for us. The steak was very, very good and HP had pecan encrusted chicken. They brew their own beer too. We had time in between dinner and the movie so we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond next door to the theatre and found Yankee Candle gift sets at 50% off. There were exactly 12 of them which is how many teachers are at the kids' preschool so I snatched up all 12 at $5.00 each (5 votive candles in Christmas scents, with a votive candle holder). Score!! It's never to early to shop for next year!

Today, the kids are playing outside, in short sleeves. HP and I are in shorts. It is a ridiculous 70 degrees today. All our windows are open. It was like this yesterday too so I cleaned my van out - vacuumed the whole thing and cleaned the dash and the seats (thank goodness for leather!). I also took out all the junk. Should stay nice and clean until tomorrow! HP took down the outside Christmas decorations and I took down and put away the tree and indoor decorations and put the furniture back in place.

Today, HP is putting together four of the seven pieces for his new garage organizer set (3 are on back order). Something like this but not quite. It's actually pretty neat. And as anal as I am, I am also very excited at the thought of our garage being organized for once and being able to find things. Whoot! Really, I'm a nerd. In the past three days, I've put together a big bag of things for the homeless shelter as I vow to par down on our "stuff" in 2007. Almost my entire ceramic and glass dolphin collection is now waiting for pickup. And I reorganized the dining room so I can find my low fat/low calorie cookbooks easier and actually walk around the table. I put about 20 cookbooks I never use in the charity box too. Next up? I'm going to Wal-mart to look for these (here is a Spiderman one but really, any kind will do) for the kids' toys that have taken over our family room (and I'm going to put a bunch of those in the toys for Iraq box). We've also got to go to the supermarket to get clothes for our new diet that starts tomorrow - no, not a diet. Our new LIFESTYLE. And I'm going to pick up our last Taco Bell lunch for a while too. Priorities! Finally, this evening I'm going to par down the ridiculous amounts of clothing I have and never wear. As in I have things that actually fit but I've not worn in 3-5 years! It's crazy. I'm a pack rat. I vow to change!

Tomorrow, back to work. Tax Season is officially here. What are you'll doing to start out 2007 fresh?

December 31, 2006...New Year, New Me

2006-12-31T21:25:00.000-05:00

So many New Year's Resolutions posts out there. I prefer Brown-Eyed Girl's description though (go here, read her great post, I'll wait). Back so soon? So...what are my HOPES, GOALS, TARGETS, etc. for 2007? Since this is all about me. Well, the usual. To be a better mom, a better wife...the same goals I always have. And to some measure, I think I do improve (I hope!). But this year, it must be my year for weight loss as well.

I have spent my entire life overweight. I remember as a child, my older, thin sister making fun of my weight. I remember the constant teasing by my classmates throughout elementary school, junior high, even high school. I never had a boyfriend. I remember wanting to take my own life when I was still in elementary school, just so I didn't have to face the bullying one.more.day. I remember never losing that feeling. As an adult, I remember reading my admittance papers into the hospital when I had Tigger. The admitting doctor described me as an obese woman. I was 40 weeks, 2 days pregnant, and she called me obese. I was devastated.

But you know what? I am obese. According to all the medical charts, with my current weight of 227, height of 5" 10", and BMI* of 32.6, I am obese. According to the National Institute of Health, I should weigh between 132 and 167 lbs. That means I need to lose between 60 to 95 lbs.

*BMI Categories:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Right now, I have a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, premature death, stroke, and a myriad of other life-threatening illnesses. So I need to lose this weight, once and for all, for the sake of my children and my HP. I'd like to be able to go up the stairs without having to sit and catch my breath. I'd like to chase Tigger and Eeyore around the back yard for more than 30 seconds. I don't want them to be teased for how I look ("your mom is so ffaatt!") I want to participate fully in their lives and be here for their entire lives.

So what are my options? My late husband was morbidly obese. He died the day after having gastric bypass surgery. So you know, there is no way I will take the surgical route. We don't have the funds for Jenny Craig or other prepackaged meals (and I don't think they will just give it to me since I'm not Kirstie Alley!). I don't have the time for Weight Watchers meetings (tax season). So good old fashioned diet and exercise will be the way. Move more, eat less. It can be done, with accountability and with company. So, HP and I will do this together. And we invite you, anyone who wants to, to join in. I know Bethany is going to do it, and Frema and Liz are already doing it. So I'm going to join in with their Weight Loss Wednesdays. Look for my current weight every Wednesday. Hopefully by the time we go to Myrtle, I'll be able to wear a swimsuit. And be able to look my new friends in the eye and not be ashamed of how I look.

Food Allergy Awareness

2006-12-31T21:23:00.000-05:00

**note: I'm thinking of leaving the Soccer Mom Vote so I thought I'd put up my two posts here so I won't lose them.

Let me introduce myself. My number is 12 for the great Joe Namath (J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!). My name is Angela, better known as CPA Mom. This is the first place I've used my real first name. I have a sister who blogs and it is my fervent desire that she not find me. I don't care if she reads my blog, that is a non-issue as there is nothing there that she doesn't already know about me and how I feel about her. The issue would be to give her an another outlet to criticize me. But I'm tired of hiding out and I want to have a voice that matters. So even though she reads quite a few of my fabulous co-"soccer moms" and will probably find me here through them, I'm going to "feel the fear and DO IT ANYWAY." I can always delete her comments!

So let's talk about my biggest soapbox issue: food allergies. The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has a great summary of what allergies are, which I've excerpted here: Allergies are diseases of the immune system that cause an overreaction to substances called "allergens." Allergies are grouped by the kind of trigger, time of year or where symptoms appear on the body: indoor and outdoor allergies (also called "hay fever," "seasonal," "perennial" or "nasal" allergies), food and drug allergies, latex allergies, insect allergies, skin allergies and eye allergies. Allergies reflect an overreaction of the immune system to substances that usually cause no reaction in most individuals. These substances can trigger sneezing, wheezing, coughing and itching. Allergies are not only bothersome, but many have been linked to a variety of common and serious chronic respiratory illnesses (such as sinusitis and asthma). Additionally, allergic reactions can be severe and even fatal. However, with proper management and patient education, allergic diseases can be controlled, and people with allergies can lead normal and productive lives.

So why am I talking about this issue here, on Soccer Mom Votes? Because of important legislation making its way through Congress. And because my 4 year old son (and one of my nephews) suffers from life-threatening food allergies.

More than 11 million Americans – including 3 million children – suffer from food allergies. There is currently no cure for food allergies, so avoiding any and all products with allergy-causing ingredients is the only way to prevent potentially life-threatening reactions for children like my son. And I can tell you, this is extremely difficult to do because even tiny amounts of foods on a cooking utensil or as a minor ingredient in a product can cause a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction in a person with an allergy (source: The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network)

I never even thought about allergies before my son was diagnosed. I never thought about how easy it would be to lose this child if he so much as has a morsel of food exposed to peanuts, tree nuts or cinnamon. And as I researched and learned and stepped up my own vigilance, I became aware of how little the general public knows about allergies. And how little they care to know if their own family is not affected. While we have had great successes (my son's pre-school is a "peanut-free zone" and his gym put steps into place to keep out peanuts and peanut residue just for his benefit) we have also had failures (a church nursery that served peanut crackers as a snack and refused to stop even when advised they were in violation of the Virginians with Disabilities Act, and parents at soccer who brought snacks that clearly say "exposed to nuts" even when advised multiple times to bring safe snacks for all). So when I get an opportunity to educate the public and to take steps to help my child not only survive but thrive I take it.

The most important piece of legislation to pass on this issue was the new U.S. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) which took effect in 2006, mandating that foods containing milk, egg, fish, shellfish, peanut, tree nut, wheat, and soy must declare the allergen in simple language on the ingredient list. I cannot tell you how important this Act was in helping to protect our food-allergic citizens. But this was just the beginning. Still ahead:

1. FAAN (The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) has been successful in getting new laws passed in several more states this year on both epinephrine availability from Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and allowing children to carry their life-saving medications in school. Every state should have these laws! Go to those links to find out how you can help.

2. As far as I know, this bill is still stuck in Congress: the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2005 (H.R. 4063) (FAAMA) which seeks to provide schools across the country with uniform guidance on how to create appropriate management and emergency plans for children with food allergies. The bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a policy for schools to voluntarily implement measures to prevent exposure to food allergens and assure a prompt response when a child suffers a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction. Read more about it here. Go here to see how you can support the bill.

3. Ask Congress to Increase Federal Funding for Food Allergy Research (source: FAAN) :

Over the past decade, the budget of the NIH has more than doubled—reaching nearly $28.5 billion. Yet during that budget doubling period, the funding for food allergy research is still less than $10 million. Only $3 out of every $10,000 of NIH budget is devoted to food allergy research—while at the same time, the prevalence of food allergy has doubled among young children.

Over the next several months Congress will be considering the FY 2007 budget that will determine how much money is allocated to the NIH for diseases such as food allergy. You can help by contacting your U.S. Senators and Representative, and asking them to increase Federal funding for research on food allergy and anaphylaxis.

To find your U.S. Senators, visit http://www.senate.gov/ and utilize the “Find Your Senators” feature in the upper right-hand corner.

To find your U.S. Representative, visit http://www.house.gov/ and use the “Find Your Representative” feature at the top of the page or you can email your Representative directly by using the “Write Your Representative” feature on the left-hand side of the page.

Tell the legislators how food allergy affects your entire family, friends, and classmates. Ask them to make finding a cure for this public health issue a funding priority. Send FAAN a copy of your letter so we can follow up with legislators.

4. Other legislation regarding Restaurants can be found here. Please check it out to see if your state is on board.

I hope you are still with me after all those links! As you can see, this is a subject I am passionate about. I hope you will be too!

Gerald Ford (1913-2006)

2006-12-31T21:18:00.000-05:00

**note: I'm thinking of leaving the Soccer Mom Vote so I thought I'd put up my two posts here so I won't lose them.

Subtitle: Withdraw the Troops

Alright now, confess. How many of you knew anything about Gerald Ford before all the recent coverage of his life, following his death? I know that I knew very little about the man, other than he was Betty Ford's husband. Of course, the basics are taught in school: "Gerald Rudolph Ford, born July 14, 1913, was our 38th President from 1974 to 1977. He was also our 40th Vice-President. He was the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment, after Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace. Upon succession to the presidency, Ford became the only person to hold that office without having been elected either president or vice president. Prior to becoming vice president, he served for over eight years as the Republican Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Aged 93 at the time of his death, Ford was the longest-lived U.S. president. His administration oversaw the withdrawal of American forces from the Vietnam War and he came under immense criticism for granting a full pardon to his good friend Richard Nixon (all facts recited here drawn from Wikipedia)."

From all accounts, Gerald Ford was a rarity in the White House. A president who was honest, respectable and had the best interests of the country at heart. He put his duty to country first, before all else in his life. In assessing his time as president, The New York Times stated that Ford "judged, correctly, that his primary mission was to quiet national passions inflamed by war and Watergate—to end, as he put it, 'our long national nightmare'—and in so doing to restore a measure of respect to the presidency itself." I think he achieved those goals and then some. And now, our current president has managed to reverse all the good Gerald Ford endeavored to do.

By now, you've all heard that in an interview two years ago with Bob Woodward, former President Gerald Ford said President Bush and his chief advisers "made a big mistake" with their justifications for the Iraq war. He went on to say, "I don't think, if I had been president -- on the basis of the facts as I saw them publicly -- I don't think I would have ordered the Iraqi war. I would have maximized our efforts through sanctions, through restrictions, whatever, to find another answer. [Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld and [Vice President Dick] Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq." Cheney was Ford's chief of staff, and Rumsfeld also was defense secretary in the Ford administration - they were cronies from way back so this was a HUGE admission for Ford.

In an interview of his own, Woodward said, "He made it very clear that he did not agree with the reasons President Bush laid out for the war, namely the belief that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or that there was some obligation that the United States or the president had to expand democracy." Ford said: "They put the emphasis on weapons of mass destruction. And now, I've never publicly said I thought they made a mistake, but I felt very strongly it was an error in how they should justify what they were going to do."

Additionally, the current President Bush has long defended the Iraq war as part of a larger plan to spread democracy throughout the Middle East. Ford disapproved of that strategy too, according to the interview in the Post. "I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security," Ford told Woodward.

So what does this have to do with the subtitle of my post (withdraw the troops)? The point I'm trying to make, is that while I am just a simple working mom, there are other more educated, more sophisticated, more people "in the know" of the political machine, that agree with me. That this war, this act of revenge G.W. was taking on the man who tried to kill his father, is wrong and has been wrong from the beginning. It is an immoral and illegal war. And our men and women are dying for nothing.

And they are dying rapidly. Reference these numbers:

American deaths since the war began on 3/19/03: 2,998 (last casualty reported 12/30/06)
American deaths since our "mission accomplished" 5/1/03: 2,861
American deaths since capture of Saddam 12/13/03: 2,532
American deaths since "handover of power" 6/29/04: 2,130
American deaths since Iraq's first election 1/31/05: 1,561
Total wounded: 22,235. These include soldiers maimed and crippled for life. Many lost their limbs, their sight, their hearing. "Wounded" doesn't even begin to describe how their lives have changed and how much they have lost.

Bob Herbert of the New York Times said, 'There is something agonizingly tragic about soldiers dying in a war that has already been lost."

To those who would call me unpatriotic (or worse), I remind you. Blind faith in bad leadership is not patriotism. And I'm not alone in these beliefs.

Recently, in response to the Iraq Study Group report, Sen. George Smith (a Republican no less) said "I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day. That is absurd. It may even be criminal. I cannot support that anymore."

The report itself states "The level of violence is high and growing. There is great suffering, and the daily lives of many Iraqis show little or no improvement. Pessimism is pervasive."

Sen. John McCain once wrote about the Vietnam war "It was a shameful thing to ask men to suffer and die, to persevere through god-awful afflictions and heartache, to endure the dehumanizing experiences that are unavoidable in combat, for a cause that the country wouldn't support over time and that our leaders so wrongly believed could be achieved at a smaller cost than our enemy was prepared to make us pay. No other national endeavor requires as much unshakable resolves as war. If the nation and the government lack that resolve, it is criminal to expect men in the field to carry it alone."

So what now? Bob Herbert said "What is needed now are leaders with the courage to insist, perhaps a the risk of their reputations and careers, that it is wrong to continue sending fresh bodies after those already lost, to continue asking young, healthy American troops to head into the combat zone, perhaps for their third or fourth tour, to fight in a war the public no longer supports."

Men who put their country's interests first. Men like Gerald Ford.

Some Christmas Pictures

2006-12-30T15:01:00.000-05:00

You may recall that we went to the Aquarium a few days before Christmas.

Eeyore peering into the sting-ray tank. She's too little to reach but when held over, was too scared to touch anyway.

This is more in her comfort zone. Looking at the fish while safely behind the glass.

Nothing exciting here but I like this picture because it shows all three loves of my life

Tigger doesn't look very scared. More like "teeth, you call them teeth? I'll show you some teeth"

Just an exhibit that kind of grossed me out. Looks like she's pooping eggs. I mean, it cannot be a mommy blogger post without some poop, right?

The Soccer Mom Vote

2006-12-30T14:51:00.000-05:00

I have a new post up today. Go see!

Oh, the Irony

2006-12-29T15:50:00.000-05:00

In this morning's paper, an article that started on the front page was entitled "Easy drive, quiet office: Holiday work like a holiday." And I was among the people interviewed so my picture was in the paper (on page 17, not the front page). It was all about how working this week between Christmas and New Year's had it's advantages. Like fewer interruptions. And the irony is, today, when the article came out, I wasn't even at work. I'm home today with Eeyore, who woke up with pink eye. I took her to the pediatrician who said she has fluid in her right ear too and we will need to "watch it" in case it becomes infected. Great.

Tigger is home too. I didn't have the heart to send him in to school by himself. None of his friends are there this week and he would have been miserable without his sister. And HP is home too, to wait for the garage door opener repairman.

Yes, we needed a new garage door opener. Or, he thought we did. It stopped working before Christmas so the repairmen came here yesterday, took down the old one, and installed a brand new opener. To discover the old motor was fine. Just the spring on the door was broken. So we got a new $424 motor for nothing. Except, this one has a sensor on the door that will stop the door from closing if say, a child gets under it. Which makes it priceless. So even though we still have to put out another $140 for the new spring (the repair men didn't make it out today after all but will be here Sunday), it was worth it to ensure the safety of Tigger and Eeyore. Now if only the piece of CRAP of a car remote control for it would actually work....just sayin'...that's kind of important.

Sometimes the Blog Fodder Just Arrives On Your Doorstep

2006-12-28T13:37:00.000-05:00

We received this 1/2 piece of paper inside our daily paper one day last week. It's from our newspaper carrier/delivery "boy":

THANK YOU! To Everyone who has sent me holiday tips. As a carrier I look forward to this time of year. I do work hard all year and it's nice to see how well my hard work is appreciated. Just in case you did not know, I do work for tips so thanks again. Your carrier, xxx xxxxxxx

It includes his address. Again. Since he gave it to us once already on an unsigned generic Christmas card in the paper last month.

Let me ask you, would you give him a monetary tip? Or just a tip about manners?

Tag Me!

2006-12-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

(see below for the Christmas post. I just finished it but Blogger post-dated it to when I saved the draft. Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Blogger?)

It's a contest. Please do not actually Tag Me with a MeMe. Unless you've got a really neat one. Because I've STILL got to do my Christmas post. But I digress...

In honor of my new design to come...it occurred to me that I do not have a tag line. You know, like Mrs. CPA's "Where the IRS and Babies Collide." Genius, that one. Too bad I cannot steal it. Or how about That Chick Over There's "A Connecticut Yankee in a Southern Belle's Court." More clever tags:

SJ's "Welcome to my testosterone filled world"
Nicole's "Where the laundry fairy spends her evening"
Lindsay's "Save me from the plastic people"
Silly Hily's "If you don't laugh at me, at least laugh with me"

And so many others. Help me out. If I like your idea better than my own thoughts (not hard to do), I'll send you a $10 Starbucks card. Bonus points (another gift from my box) if you can work the idea of sarcasm in there. Since sarcasm is my way of life.

Note that when Karen completes my makeover and moves me to WordPress, I'll be dropping the "Life and Times of a Working Mom" and switching to just "CPA Mom" as a title.

Christmas in the Hundred Acre Wood

2006-12-27T20:37:00.000-05:00

We began Christmas weekend on Friday, December 22. I got off work at 12:30 so I went to have a pedicure and to Target to get batteries and try and find a JoJo figurine for one of Eeyore's gifts. It was a zoo and there were no JoJo's to be seen so I picked up more books because your kids can NEVER have too many books. Then I picked up the kids at 3 and HP came home at 4. We had pizza from a Italian cafe for dinner.

Saturday the 23rd of December, it was too rainy and wet to play outside so around 10, we took the kids to the local aquarium. The kids had a great time seeing the seals, sharks, and fish, and Tigger loved petting the stingrays. They even got to see Scuba Santa in the main aquarium for a few minutes. They had BK for lunch on the way home and we had Arby's. I did about 4 loads of laundry. When Eeyore went down for her nap, Tigger went shopping with HP to the grocery store and to pick up pepperoni bread another Italian deli. After dinner of Pork Milanese and spaghetti (HP's a great cook!), and trying (unsuccessfully) to pass along my love of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" to the kids), we put the kids to bed. We finally rolled into bed ourselves around 11 after watching four episodes of Lost Season 2 on DVD and drinking Hot Cherry Hot Chocolate (homemade).

On Christmas Eve day, Tigger got up at 6:45 (slept in!) and he watched the Disney channel in bed with me for a while (the Wiggle's Santa's Rockin' was on) then HP woke up Eeyore around 7:30. After breakfast ("jelly toast" for Tigger -that is all he will eat right now is my homemade strawberry jam on white bread, mini-pancakes for Eeyore, and pancakes made with crushed peppermint Andes mints for Mommy and Daddy), the kids played and watched some more Disney channel. All their favorite shows were airing Christmas specials. I did two more loads of laundry and read some more on my book (a new mystery series). When Eeyore took a nap, Tigger once again went to the store with HP to pick up some more last minute "essentials" like dinner rolls. I cleaned the kids' shoes (of dirt, play dough and blue gum! from school) and waterproofed them, a mere four months after buying them. I'm nothing if not prompt (not that it matters anyway - they both got new shoes from their aunt and uncle in California and they refuse to wear any other shoes now but the new ones). We spent the afternoon playing and reading and wrestling, as it was too cold to go to the park like we planned. We ended the evening with the annual reading of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, but the kids didn't really care for it-yet. Instead of visions of sugarplums, Eeyore was much more concerned that she would get her usual pancakes in the morning. I finished the evening baking a sugar-free peach pie with lattice top (we were having someone with diabetes over on Christmas) and pumpkin gooey butter cake while listening to "Santa" curse a blue streak as he put together the Step 2 kitchen for the kids.

On Christmas, Tigger slept in until 7 and we all got dressed and went downstairs to open stockings. Tigger, for the first time, really understood and set about ripping open the paper. He wasn't too concerned what was inside but did enjoy the unwrapping. Then HP made us sausage and egg biscuits for breakfast with orange Danish on the side. Eeyore had her pancakes and Tigger only wanted jelly bread. They didn't know what they were missing! After breakfast we opened the presents under the tree and then we played and HP cooked (turkey, and his famous home made stuffing). I made carrot souffle and called my little sister J and my friend in Georgia. HP called his mom, his dad called him and so did his older brother G. While Eeyore napped, HP and I watched two more episodes of Lost, Season 2 and Tigger played around us. At 3:30, my mom arrived with her corn casserole, cannolis and St. James red wine and armloads of presents. The kids showed off their new kitchen to Mom and then we opened the presents to and from Mom. Tigger was a "big help" with the unwrapping. We ate dinner around 5 (also had chilled cranberry sauce, yeast rolls and gravy). My baby "sister" and her mom and step-dad arrived at 6:30 for dessert and more presents! Everyone left around 7:30 and we put the kids to bed. Eeyore had a rare wheezing spell so she had to have albuterol by nebulizer first. We finished the evening by watching the J-E-T-S on t.v. It's not often their games are televised so this may have been the very best Christmas gift for HP. And they won!

One of the best presents we got the kids arrived the day after since I ordered it so late. Personalized books from Trendy Things for Tots (as detailed in this Cool Mom Picks archive). I cannot say enough about how cool these books are. For only $36.99 your child's picture is on every single page and their name is printed all throughout. We got the alphabet one for Tigger and the Sesame Street one for Eeyore. To a person, every one I've shown it to is going to buy one for their child or grandchild. And the owner, Elizabeth, is very kind and is personally involved in your purchase. She emailed me twice with updates. And we spend at least an hour each night with the kids "reading" the books. They can't get enough of them. Tigger actually cried when I told him it was time to turn out the light last night.

Well, blogger hates me AGAIN so I can't put up pictures. I'll try in a new post later.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Road Trip!

2006-12-27T14:07:00.000-05:00

O.K., ladies, we've got to decide actual dates for our "mini-blogher." You know, where we load up our husbands and kids, meet in Myrtle Beach and have a good time. Without the sponsors and cool gifts. But good times, did I mention Good Times? Ahem. As an incentive, Mrs. CPA said she'd make her cornbread. HP said he'd cook too, and ladies, that is one very good reason to travel many, many miles. That man can cook! Reference the size of my hips.

So anytime after April 16th would be good. I was thinking first or second week of May. HP and I were thinking of driving all of us (me, him and the kids) down to Savannah (8-10 hours) - (I have an overwhelming desire to eat dinner at Lady and Sons), stay the night in Savannah, drive the next day (2 hours) to see my good friend who lives in Kingsland GA, stay the night there, then drive back up to Myrtle Beach (5 hours?) for a few days. Where the guys will play golf while we watch the kids, then we switch off and they watch the kids while we girls go to the outlets. Or just drink copiously. Whatever. Depends on how all that driving goes!

So, we need to know seriously, 1) who is coming? So we can decide if we fit in Amy's house or if we need to scout hotels. And 2) what dates do you want to meet? Way before Memorial Day would be best because of prices, traffic, etc.

Let's get this party started!

Getting to Know You...Holiday Edition

2006-12-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist. I tag each and every one of you reading today. Merry Christmas to all! I'm off work at noon and won't be back until Tuesday. Late nights and Saturday work starts the first week of January. I hope I'll be able to keep up with all of you. I wish you and yours all the very best for 2007!

Welcome to the 2006 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends! Enjoy!!

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? homemade Cherry Hot Chocolate or Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Williams Sonoma.
Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Wrapped (I grew up with unwrapped but my husband wants wrapped so we wrap-it's not something I care one way or the other about)
Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored, blinking, lots of decorations
Do you hang mistletoe? No, but I'm not adverse to it if I could find any....
When do you put your decorations up? The weekend after Thanksgiving and it comes down sometime around New Year's. No hurry. Lots of stuff to put up and down.
What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? my carrot souffle, HP's creamed onions and pumpkin lasagna. Mom's rainbow sherbet punch, corn casserole and her standing rib roast. Really, I love it all (see my hips for proof).
Favorite Holiday memory as a child? The year we got bikes for Christmas. Sorry but I really don't remember much from childhood but I do remember those bikes. And I remember one year that I SWORE I saw the moving Star (3 wise men) in the sky.
When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? DonÂt remember.
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No way! But if I get gifts in the mail from friends, I do open them sometimes. I have so little self-control sometimes!
How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Put the tree in the stand, fluff out the branches, decorate with all our memories. Add angel to the top. I love that the lights are already attached!
Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it unless I have to drive in it. Not likely to see any around here.
Can you ice skate? No! I cannot lock my ankles so I can't stand up. Kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?
Do you remember your favorite gift? Not quite sureÂ I like everything I receive because I never feel I really deserve it! And it's really neat how much thought people put into their gifts. I always end up with something ESSENTIAL that I never knew I needed.
What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with HP and the kids, my baby sister and my Mom.
What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pecan Pie, magic cookie bars, pumpkin gooey butter cake
What is your favorite holiday tradition? stockings first, then "egg mcmuffins" (Homemade) and apple turnovers (homemade) for breakfast on Christmas morning. Then you open presents under the tree.
What tops your tree? Drunken Angel.
Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Giving (I have all I need, I really do) and I love to see people's expressions when I give them gifts, especially HP and the kids.
What is your favorite Christmas Song? Carol of the Bells. (Marshmallow World in the Winter is my LEAST favorite - it makes me cry since it was my late husband's favorite).
Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yummy (umm, it's sugar, so that is a no brainer).

Bring them home

2006-12-21T11:12:00.000-05:00

Bring tissues to this site.

Point A to Point B to Point C

2006-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night, Tigger went to bed around 8, as per usual. At 9:30, he was screaming like he had a nightmare. Both HP and I tried to comfort him but he would not be comforted. After a bit, I realized he did not have a nightmare, he was in pain. Upon questioning, he said his ears hurt. Well, he's had a cold for a week so I knew what that meant - ear infection! I gave him ibuprofen but he would only sleep on my chest while I lay down with him. So I took him to our bed and lay down with all 44 lbs of him. I woke up abruptly at 11:00 and saw he was sound asleep so I took him to his bed where he slept until I went to wake him at 6. I check his ears and his left ear had a lot of gunky fluid coming out of it. Ear infection for sure! Nothing from his right. Off went my work clothes and into jeans as I reached for the phone to call the pediatrician. HP took Eeyore to school and the nurse called me to set an appointment up for Tigger at 2:40. Plenty of time. So I puttered around, reading two days of the paper, doing laundry, dishes, finally sorting through bags of toys and clothes for the homeless shelter that was doing a pick up this morning and boxing more toys for Iraq. I also wrapped a couple of presents. Then after we had lunch, I loaded up Tigger at 12:30 - I wanted to take my mom her car keys and some cookies and I knew Tigger would like to see her.

We live in City A, which is "next door" to City B, which is "next door" to City C (in all, we have 7 cities in this region that are all "neighbors"). My mom works in City C and Tigger's doctor's appointment was in City B. It was about 1/2 hour from our house to Mom's job. Then another 1/2 hour back to his appointment. Plenty of time. Or not...

We were about 1/2 way to Mom's job when we were stopped short for an accident ahead on the interstate (an interstate that directly connects all three cities). The sign said two lanes closed ahead for an accident west bound. We finally made it up there (only one lane was open) to see that the accident was actually east bound. They had CLOSED DOWN THE INTERSTATE east bound and our side (west bound) was partially closed for all the rescue vehicles. I caught a glimpse of a draped, barely recognizable car. It looked bad. I continued on my way. We saw my mom and her colleague that we also gave cookies to (I wanted to give him something for some free hockey tickets he had gotten me a year ago - I'm nothing if not prompt!). We left her job at 1:45. Plenty of time to make the appointment at 2:40. I only left that "early" because I knew I could not take the interstate once I got through the tunnel back to city C, that I needed now to take the old road that connected City B to City A long before the interstate was built. It was long, full of stop lights, but do-able. Except...

Every person on the planet decided to leave work and had to be on this road with the interstate closed. I did not arrive at the pediatrician's until 3:15. 1.5 hours for a 1/2 hour trip. I was in tears. The staff was so gracious and said they would work us in anyway, that every single patient was late for the same reason. We had to wait until almost 4 to see the doctor. Diagnosis - Left ear infection (#15? 16?). Right ear had fluid (probably infected) but the tube had slipped out so it had no way to drain. Antibiotic ear drops wouldn't help. So more Omnicef (oral antibiotic) for us. And we still have to put in the drops in the left ear (and the right ear too since "drops won't hurt it so go ahead").

Now we had to get back home to City A. I chose yet another back route as the interstate, now at 4:15, almost 4 hours after the accident, was still shut down. This route was also crowded - it is normally bad and add the extra traffic...wowsa. Made it to the pharmacy at 5 - to find they didn't have any more Omnicef. The pharmacist was quite gracious and put the prescription in the system and proceeded to call 5 more locations until she found one who had exactly 2 bottles left. I took Tigger home to eat dinner (BK as a reward for his good behavior all day, even with all the waiting he was WONDERFUL) and HP went out to get the medicine. Bless him. I was not in the mood to sit in the car again. Of course, when he got back, he discovered our garage door opener had died. With my van stuck inside. Hero that he is, he manhandled the door open to get my van out. And now, 5 days before Christmas, he will have to find a repair person or with our (non-existent) money, we will have to replace the door opener. Joy, Joy, Joy.

Turns out the accident was caused by this: a small car, maybe the size of a civic, got a flat tire and instead of pulling off, came to a dead stop in THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE. Understandably, the white car behind her, could not stop in time and rear ended her. Then, an unlicensed young man, driving very fast and very recklessly, got impatient a few cars back, and came upon the accident too late to stop. He pancaked the white car into the first car and the innocent man in the middle died as his car burst into flames. Both the first car and last car were given tickets for reckless driving. I hope those charges are upgraded for the last car to negligent manslaughter. For the sake of this 34 year old man's family. For the sake of justice. And I hope people take this lesson away - just how important is your joy-riding? Your speeding? Your being first? Is it worth the loss of life you are causing? What if it was your wife, your children, your mother, who had to greet the officer at the door bringing news of your death 5 days before Christmas? I'm so tired of the way the people drive around here, just so darned tired. Slow down already.

HoliDAZE

2006-12-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

It's a miracle. Blogger let me post pictures. Without fussing!

Sunday, we went to church and when we got home, I baked Christmas goodies from 11 a.m. to about 5 p.m. Yes, we ordered out for dinner, why do you ask?

These are the M&M and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies I made Saturday night while watching Lord of the Rings for the millionth time. The bag on the right are the meltaway lemon cookies (I found the recipe on the cookie exchange that was going on somewhere in blog land. I can't give credit 'cause I can't remember where!) The ingredients are one box lemon cake mix, 1 egg and 8 oz. cool whip. Easy peasy. And safe for Tigger to eat.

These are the peppermint meringues and sugar cookies with Andes Peppermints crumbled on top. Tigger cut out 2 cookies and was then off to watch "Christmas Elmo Mommy" for the millionth time. Yes, we watch movies repetitively in this house.

These are the triple layer peanut butter bars, kept far, far away from Tigger. Too bad I can't seem to keep them far, far away from my mouth!

The only treat I make every single year: my mom's magic cookie bars. Yum-o!

Here is the rest of "Jesus' birthday cake," eaten early by Tigger and Eeyore, 2 ingredient PB fudge and chocolate covered cherry cookies (from Better Homes and Gardens).

Saturday (I'm doing this in reverse order since that is how the pictures loaded), we took the kids to the farm. The same farm where we get our pumpkins, now has a Winter Wonderland. It's a barn full of animated creatures (see below) set in Winter Scenes (take a look at the cotton, that is the closest we will see for snow this year as our "Snow Hope" index is in the negative numbers).

Then you go outside and they have this "live" nativity where the only thing live is the animals but that's o.k. The kids loved it. There were sheep, llamas, donkeys and a cow. The usual animals were all out too (chickens, pig, horses, etc.) (you can see them as you walk from the barn to the nativity). They also had a bonfire for making S'mores but I think the kids are a bit young. And you had to pay extra which I think is extortion. $2.00 for 6 marshmallows?

After we left the farm, we drove to a neighboring city that has a Botanical Gardens where every year, they take about a month setting up a Christmas light display that you drive through. The wait to get in was a long one and I was sure the kids would be cranky since I had planned on them watching a DVD during the wait but the frequency for the DVD player's soundtrack was the same frequency the Garden was using for Christmas music, so, no DVD. It went well though and it was amazing as usual. Well worth the $10.

Also this weekend I wrapped and boxed all the out of town presents and the teacher gifts (all 12 of them!). Now I've got all my in town gifts to wrap and only, what, 5 days to do it and here I am blogging instead. At least I've got my priorities straight.

Some Christmas Decorating

2006-12-18T07:57:00.000-05:00

Finally, Blogger let's me post some pictures.

Here is our staircase. The garland has lights in it so it is really pretty at night when lite up. The dog on the bottom is actually a puppet and when you move his mouth, he barks out Christmas songs. I know! You want to be my friend!Here is our drunken tree and drunken angel...

Perhaps she's gotten into my stash?
The living room windows...
the back door

And so concludes your fascinating journey...I'm thinking you've got more fun things to do now.

Various and Sundry Items

2006-12-15T08:55:00.000-05:00

Using bullets, the blogger's best friend:

A joke that I love:
PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY DESTROYED BY FLOOD

Crawford, Texas

A tragic flood this morning destroyed the personal library of President George W. Bush. The flood began in the presidential bathroom where the books were kept. Both books have been lost. A presidential spokesman said the president was devastated as he had almost finished coloring the second one. The White House tried to call FEMA, but no one answered. BWAHAHAHAHAHA
A bumper sticker I saw that I love: FRODO FAILED, BUSH HAS THE RING. Cracks me up! I've got to find one.
Someone found my blog with the google search: "dealing with the terrible threes." Umm, I'm actually dealing with the terrible fours right now. If you think the threes are bad, just you wait.
Another search: "running through the mall with my m16 cadence" from someone in the Republic of Korea. WTF? Anyone else find that incredibly frightening?
And the funniest one I've seen yet: "OH MOM, NOT THE SPANKING SPOON" - I wish I was as witty as Hollow Squirrel in discussing these searches, but really, there are no words. Just what kind of person actually types these words in Google? And what is a spanking spoon exactly? Because I may need to get one of those....just sayin'
It's hard to stay in the Christmas Spirit when every.single.idiot.driver on the planet lives in your city and is going to work and going home at the same time as you. Ass hats.
We took the kids to see Santa last weekend. Eeyore was amenable to seeing the big guy, all up until she actually had to be near him. On the bright side, it was the first time Tigger wasn't screaming just as loud.

I WAS going to show you some of the decorating going on around here but F#$%ING blogger will not post my pictures. Stop telling me you are DONE uploading photos when you are F&#$ING LYING! Ahem....how much does Typepad cost a month? How much would I have to pay someone to move me over?

Just Like A Man

2006-12-15T07:54:00.000-05:00

I know you've all heard about that big difference between men and women - no, not the cuddling vs. non-cuddling in the bedroom, but the conversation difference - how ostensibly a woman just wants someone to listen and a man just wants to fix things so he is offering advice when the woman just wants him to shut up and listen? Well, I find myself more like the man. I'm constantly trying to fix things.

Yesterday, I went to the annual luncheon for an accounting group I belong to, where we invite speakers from three charities we donate to. This group is very active in community service, which is a big part of why I belong to it. We have a group (including me) that does the March of Dimes walk each year, we collect pop-tops all year long for the Ronald McDonald house, we collect toiletries all year for the Samaritan House (homeless and abused women/children shelter) and we collect coats and food for the Union Mission (homeless). We also have a raffle each year benefiting either the March of Dimes or Make-a-Wish Foundation. Our speakers yesterday were from the Union Mission, Samaritan House and Make-a-Wish. So of course, as I'm leaving, trying not to cry my heart out (the Make-a-Wish presentation had all of us in tears), my mind is racing, what can I do? What can I do?

The night before, I had dinner with two dear friends (hi friends!) that I gave this blog address to. I admire them both deeply, and not just because they are reading this. Both are talented, funny, and beautiful and for the life of me, I can't figure out why they want to be my friend, but I'll take it! One of them is involved in the Susan G. Komen Foundation and they are putting on a "Pink Tie Gala" and immediately I started going through my mental rolodex to try and determine who I can hit up for raffle prizes. Because breast cancer has struck two of my girlfriends and though both have fought a successful battle, I wonder who is next. Is it me? My mother? My sister? It's a terrible disease I will do anything to wipe out.

Of course, there are the other issues near and dear to my heart: Food Allergy Awareness, Crohns and Colitis Awareness (along with fighting Colon Cancer!), Suicide Prevention, ... the list can go on forever. And I'm only one person with very little money. I feel pulled in every direction as I want to heal the world. And I can't. Which is why I always seem to have my hand out, asking my friends and business acquaintances to pony up and help fight the good fight (have you gone to Tanner's Auction yet?). So though I run the risk of exasperating some of them, maybe even pissing someone off, I will keep on doing it. Because one person at a time, we can help many!

The Jewish faith has a concept, that we would all do well to embrace, called tzedakah: "The word "tzedakah" is derived from the Hebrew root Tzade-Dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due. " (quote from here). Those of the Jewish faith believe they have a special mandate to Tikkun Olam (Heal the World). They believe that we are responsible for each other. I say they are right on target and that is how I try to live my life as well. Christian, Jew, Muslim, or Hindu, atheist or agnostic, we all have a responsibility to one another. So let's all be "just like a man" and figure out how to do it, starting now. Go forth now and help someone else!

**end of soapbox** back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Her Bad Auction

2006-12-14T10:17:00.000-05:00

Meet Tanner*

Excerpted from (Catherine) Her Bad Mother: "Tanner has Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. It's what is referred to as a 'degenerative muscular disorder.' What this means: Tanner's muscles are gradually wasting away. Soon he'll be in a wheelchair. Eventually, his muscles won't work at all. Lungs are muscle. So is the heart. One day, Tanner's heart and lungs will stop working. And then he'll die. DMD is a genetic disorder that only (with very rare exceptions) affects boys. And it's the littlest of boys - the diagnosis usually comes when a child is between 2 and 5 years of age. Boys with DMD are lucky to live into their teens; only in the rarest cases does such a boy reach adulthood. DMD always kills. There is no cure. "

Now I know this auction is ALL over the internet and doesn't really need my help, in my little corner of the blogosphere but just in case you hadn't heard yet...

The wonderful ladies at Cool Mom Picks have set up an auction that you simply must go check out. You may find some cool gifts for Christmas (or yourself!).:

from Her Bad Auction: "This is a series of raffles in order to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Research. You pick which item(s) you want to win and we'll draw one winner at random for each item. The more tickets you buy (by sending a secure payment via paypal) the more chances you have to win. Place as many tickets as you wish to purchase on as many items (or just one or a few for a better chance at winning) as you'd like to win.
All prices are in USD.

Here's how it works:

1) Find the #s of the items you wish to win.

2) Send a secure paypal payment to coolmompicks@gmail.com for a minimum of $1 or $5 USD(depending on the item you wish to win as well as how many tickets you'd like to purchase). Paypal registration is simple (requires a bank account and credit card) and free.

3) Once you have registered, click on "SEND MONEY" and use the email address listed above.

4) Make sure to include the following with your payment (in the comments section): a) Your name, b) Your shipping address, and c) The ITEM NUMBER(S) as well as HOW MANY TICKET(S) you wish to place on each item. You can place all your tickets on one item, or spread them out how you choose. Choices are FINAL.

For example: "Kristen Chase, Shipping Address, Tickets: Place 20 tickets on #45; Place 15 tickets on #50"

5) The raffle ends Sunday, December 17 at MIDNIGHT EST.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 18 and will be contacted by email.

You can win multiple times (depending on your luck of course) so buy lots of tickets! Make sure to paypal your TOTAL AMOUNT OF TICKETS PURCHASED.
We understand that this is not a typical raffle set up through ebay or another website, however, we can assure you (blogger's honor) that all proceeds will be donated to MD Canada. If you prefer to donate directly, then feel free, however, it's always kind of fun to donate with the chance at winning cool stuff. Unfortunately, these types of donations are not tax-deductible, however, if you donate directly to MD Canada, those are.
If you have specific questions, please email Kristen or Julie. Canadian folks, please email Sandra."

You can have your kids send letters of encouragement to Tanner as well (excerpted from Her Bad Auction):

"Get Your Children Involved: Write a Letter to Tanner
Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year, when family and friends come together in the spirit of fellowship, celebration and love. It’s a magical time like no other, a time when it truly does feel better to give than to receive.
And with the spirit of Christmas in mind, members of the blogging community have come together to support a fellow blogger and a cause that is near and dear to her heart. Catherine, a.k.a. Her Bad Mother, has brought love, laughter and a strong sense of community to the blogsphere and this is a chance for us to give our support, hope and love back to her and her family.
If you’re here, you probably know the story of Catherine’s nephew Tanner and his battle with Muscular Dystrophy. It is our hope that with this auction we can raise awareness about Muscular Dystrophy and funds for Muscular Dystrophy Research worldwide, but we also want reach out to Tanner directly, to let him know there are people out there who care.
How can we do that? How can you do that? Easy. Every kid loves getting mail, and Tanner’s no exception. This year, while your children are writing their letters to Santa, have them write a letter or draw a picture for Tanner, too. They can tell Tanner a little bit about themselves, like what grade they’re in or what their favourite subjects are in school. They can tell him about their favourite cartoons and movies or share with him a funny joke – they could even pick out a sheet or two of stickers to send along. This holiday season, let’s show our kids that while the best part of Christmas may be ripping open the carefully wrapped presents from under the tree, putting a smile on a little boy’s face is pretty special, too.
You can send letters to:
Letters for Tanner
1518 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON
M6R 1A4
Canada
…and when you do, know you are making one little boy’s world a little brighter.
Thank you. "

Me again: Do this for Tanner, do this in Thanksgiving for the health of your own children and for the health of all children. Do this and Thank GOD for your many blessings. I know I do.

* I cut and paste from a few sites for this post and indicated such above. Also, anything cut and paste is in italics so it can be very clear it was not my writing. The pictures are used courtesy of Her Bad Mother, and published here with her permission.

Food Allergy Awareness...yes, again!

2006-12-12T10:51:00.000-05:00

I put up my first post today at Soccer Mom Votes. So I guess I'm officially a soccer mom now. Go read all about the latest in the war on Food Allergies! Thanks Nicole for giving me another soapbox! And let me tell you, I think typepad is the way to go. If only I knew how to change over....

More Cookies

2006-12-11T08:20:00.000-05:00

Enjoy...

Coconut-Cranberry Macaroons

From Food Network Kitchens

Cranberry and orange add a yuletide note to these wheat-free classics.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: about 24 cookies

Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3 cups (about 8 ounces) finely shredded unsweetened coconut

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.Whisk the sugar, egg whites, cranberry, orange zest, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Toss the coconut with the egg mixture until completely coated.Moisten your fingertips with water. Form about 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter into pointed mounds or pyramids on the prepared pans, spacing them about 1-inch apart.Bake until the edges are golden brown and the entire macaroon is nicely toasted and dry, 16 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve.Store macaroons in a tightly sealed container for up to a week.

Super Gooey Chocolate Drops

From Food Network Kitchens

When you need an intense chocolate experience in cookie form, this is the recipe for you.

Recipe Summary

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: about 2 dozen large cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey's or Scharffen Berger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

11 ounces (1 bag) semisweet chocolate chunks

1 cup dried cherries (optional)

Instructions

Position racks in the lower and upper third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (If you don't have 3 pans, simply cool the pan between batches.)Put the butter and the unsweetened and semisweet chocolates in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 75 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir and heat again until melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolates and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)Stir the light brown and granulated sugars and vanilla into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until thick and glossy.In another bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, cinnamon and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks and dried cherries, if using.Drop the batter in heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets--a small ice cream scoop is ideal for this. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart. Bake until the cookies set but are soft and fudgy on the inside, 12 to 15 minutes.Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve.Store cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.

I cried a river for him

2006-12-07T20:15:00.000-05:00

I crossed on the river

There'll be no returning

I crossed all the bridges

I watched them all burning.

And now I'm a stranger

To a strange land I'm driven

Where all is forgotten

And nothing's forgiven.

But I cried a river, a river for him

That's deeper and wider than I'll ever swim

The heart it will harden, the sorrow will dim

But I cried a river, a river for him.

I think of him now on the road I am taking

And wonder how long his heart will be breaking

But he'll never hear when the teardrops are falling

Or the sound of my voice and the name I'm calling.

But I cried a river, a river for him

That's deeper and wider than I'll ever swim

The heart it will harden, the sorrow will dim

But I cried a river, a river for him.

--- Instrumental ---

So weep for the sons and the dear darling daughters

For the passing of time and the parting of waters

For all who have passed through this world long before me

To a far distant shore where no one waits for me.

But I cried a river, a river for him

That's deeper and wider than I'll ever swim

The heart it will harden, the sorrow will dim

But I cried a river, a river for him...

–Emmylou Harris

Rest in peace James. I have no words.

Hope Floats

2006-12-07T12:51:00.000-05:00

Angst filled days here in the hundred acre wood. Days with continuing, unrelenting, poor behavior from our four year old. And the seemingly complete lack of coping skills by his parents. So I've sought out professional help. I saw a LCSW for the first time yesterday. She recommended joint counseling for HP and I and we start next week. HP also received some bad health news today that leaves me scared out of my mind. In the interest of privacy and out of respect for HP and our marriage, I won't be talking about any of that here without his permission. I'm only mentioning it now to ask for your prayers. Thanks.

Other random thoughts in my mind today:

How sad is this? This poor man died while trying to find help for his family. How heart wrenching this is to me. His wife and babies, left alone now. Really, it's a little too much for me. I'm not sure if I'm so emotional because I was widowed myself or if it's that hormonal thing that you get after having kids and you start crying at Kleenex commercials or if I really do need to be back on Prozac and Wellbutrin (recommended to me yesterday).
If you are a writer, and some of you are, have you seen this? "Announced in September, the Sobol Award offers $100,000 for the best unreleased, agentless novel, with prizes of $25,000 and $10,000 for the runners-up and $1,000 each to seven others. " It's worth a shot.
I won again from Cool Mom Picks. Remember the CD I won? Now I won the boo-pad. Is this not the coolest website ever? It almost makes up for the fact that I can't enter Design Mom's daily give aways since my sister enters every day there and just won something too.
Boo Boo Kiddie
I've always thought there's just something slightly undignified about walking around with a sack of frozen peas on your postpartum boobs when they're engorged. And while your kids might not mind frozen foods on their owies, I happen to think everyone would feel a lot better using Baby Blue Cat Designs' absolutely gorgeous Boo Boo Bags instead.
They're filled with flax seed and soothing herbs like lavender (mmm...lavender), handmade by a mom who sews everything herself when she's not working as a nurse. Plus they do double-duty because they can be chilled in the freezer or warmed in the microwave, depending on your needs.
Boo Boo Bags are just $4 each and come in five patterns, including the beautiful China Doll (shown here) that I'm just crazy about. If you ask me, feeling better has never looked so good. -Izzy
Blogging Etiquette - someone new commented on my site so as etiquette demands I went to her site to check her out. Only to discover how much she LOVES my sister. So I cannot leave a comment - what is my sister reads her and finds me? She seems like a very nice person who obviously has no idea what kind of person my sister really is. I hope the "blogging police" don't hunt me down for not commenting on her site after she took the time to visit me!
My mom just told me she is going to Hawaii for 10 days, for work. I'm freaking jealous. Very jealous.
We got a new refrigerator. I considered posting a picture of me kissing it, just like Leslie, but chickened out. But I do love it as much or more than she loves her garbage can. I think this is the one but I cannot remember model numbers. We got it "scratch and dent" so it was a little cheaper. Who cares about dents on the bottom and side? I cannot tell you how much I love having crushed ice and water from the door. And room for a whole gallon of milk on the door! And not having to fill ice cube trays! Again with the exclamation points!
We took Eeyore to get her bangs cut for the first time. We had to do it with her standing up and me holding her and the stylist kneeling on the floor next to her. Took 1 minute and $5.00. So instead of me doing Tigger's hair cut this time (which normally involves him squirming and fussing and eventually crying his eyes out) I asked the stylist to do it. And sat down where he could not see me. And he sat perfectly still and got a great haircut for only $8. Screw in home cuts! I'll never do it again. That little stinker. He does the same thing at the dentist. Horrible if he can see me, perfect angel when I leave the room.
We put up our Christmas decorations. I put up the tree so it looks a little drunk (I'll try and post a picture tonight) and put up the window clings in all the windows. Tigger pointed to them and said "Look Mommy! Christmas!" HP put up all the outside decorations. He missed his JETS game to do it too which is a real sacrifice considering how very few JETS games are televised around here. It looks wonderful too!
How good does this recipe look? Use the link to get the recipe. I love the 12 days of Christmas Cookies. Now if I could just get the time to make them all....

This is a long one but I wanted to cut and paste the "confirmation email" I got after ordering calendars for me and HP from despair.com. Read it and you will see why I can't stop snickering.

Thank you for your recent order from Despair, Inc. I'd like to personally welcome you to our growing body of Dissatisfied Customers(tm), but to do so might evidence some actual concern for service and protocol. This might then lead to customer satisfaction, which would defeat the purpose altogether. That is why you have received this generic, form-generated email, written by some nameless lackey in our marketing department. Having established that any pretense of consideration for *your* needs would be counter-productive to our raison d'etre at Despair Inc, let us now ponder a subject of greater interest to those among us who are worthy of both of our collective attentions - that person being me.While you sit there wincing in disbelief at these bons mots of authentic insincerity and vexed by the intrinsic contradictions, I find I am beside myself with awe at the specimen of unparalleled angst that is our most recent Despair Catalog. Hardly a man given to superlatives, I must nevertheless assert with David-Lee-Rothian boldness that we are demonstrably without peer in the Art of DemotivationÂ.And speaking of "The Art of Demotivation", my management treatise of the same name is available for purchase, and in three unique editions (four if you count the... oops, I've said too much already). While I could praise the book and by extension myself without end, I will instead, in the interest of at least some pretense of humility, simply note that no less a journalist than Lucy Kellaway of the respected Financial Times of London wrote of the book, "The Art of Demotivation is the most daring, funny and subversive management book ever written." In short, I'm the best. For those eager to learn more about this landmark work, pay a visit to the delightful guided tour that is offered at our exclusive book website:http://www.demotivation.com Those ordering Chairman editions of the Art of Demotivation are reminded that each necessarily entails a slight shipping delay. Each one of these signed and numbered objets d'art is handbound upon the receipt of your order.At long last, after this lengthy exploitation of your attention for purely selfish marketing purposes, let us move on to yet another advertisement for our company.Despair is ever consumed in the product development process. In fact, as we speak, the small cabal of dispirited creators have thrown themselves back into the further development of our new Despair video series.Those interested in getting a glimpse at life insidethe very incorporation of Despair itself can view the videos online at:http://www.despair.com/spin.html In anticipation of your next question- yes, these videos and other videos are coming to a DVD Player near you in 2007. And, as always, the audience first to be informed of the release of future videos(and the DVD itself) remains the subscribers of our e-mail newsletter, "The Wailing List". So join the list now- don't make us come get you.http://www.despair.com/subscribe1.htmlIf any of the information shown below is inaccurate, please notify us immediately using our new Troubled Ticketingsystem. http://www.despair.com/trti.htmlWe will rectify your error immediately, and on some occasions, without snickering.It is the least we can do, which, as a matter of policy, is the most we can do.Sincerely not really writing you this email,E.L.E.L.Kersten, Ph.D.Founder & COO,Despair, Inc.

6 Weird Things About CPA Mom

2006-12-05T08:14:00.000-05:00

"According to the rules...Each player of this game starts with the "6 Weird Things about You." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog!"

So Hollow Squirrel tagged me. So did Bethany. Let me tell you, I had to think long and hard as to what qualified as "weird" about me. So here goes:

1. I curse a lot inside my head and here on my blog (and my blog is just an extension of my head so if you read it, you are taking a daily trip inside my head, so aren't you so lucky) but in real life? Not so much. Don't want to ruin my image of being the essence of southern gentility and charm. Heh.

2. I obsessively read license plates (and not just the personalized ones which I will read over and over until I figure them out). When I drive, I will read the plate in front of me over and over especially when stuck in traffic and that is all I can see anyway. I just repeat the numbers and letters (in my head - not out loud - can't have people thinking I'm crazy!) I started doing this to practice signing my letters and numbers.

3. I don't like to be touched at all. But I don't mind if I initiate the touching. I remember being a child in church and cringing if one of my family members touched me, even by accident, but then about 5 minutes later, wanting to hold their hand. I'm still this way. As long as I initiate the hug or hand holding, I'm fine. Try to touch me first and it creeps me out. HP is rolling his eyes and agreeing here. Somehow though, this doesn't apply to my kids. Maybe it's the whole "they grew inside me" thing. Weird.

4. I prefer to grocery shop over any other kind of shopping. Especially clothes shopping. Maybe if I was svelte and beautiful like say Hollow Squirrel or Hillary (late of Silly Hilly) or Amy, or so many of you out there too numerous to mention, I'd like to shop for clothes more. But for me, looking for clothes that fit is an exercise in torture. Grocery shopping on the other hand appeals to my meticulous nature. I enjoy matching sales to coupons and getting the best deals. I try to beat my own savings each time. Note that I do enjoy shopping for clothes for my kids though.

5. I hate to be in the position of hearing or seeing people's personal grooming habits. For instance, the sound of fingernails or toenails being cut makes me cringe (unless I'm the one doing it to me or the kids). Ditto on seeing someone use q-tips in their ears. And don't get me started on how creeped out I get watching women play with their hair. I think I threw up in my mouth a little just thinking about it. Moving on...

6. I pick up accents quite easily. Put me somewhere, and I'll pick up the accent in a week. I spent a week in Boston as a child and drove my dad crazy for a month after. I spent almost 2 weeks in Sydney Australia for the 2000 Olympics and when I got back and was talking to someone at the luggage carousel in L.A., they asked me how long I had been in their country. It's not deliberate and it is kind of annoying to me and those around me. Luckily it wears off rather quickly.

and a bonus, which HP doesn't think is weird...

7. My hearing loss is lopsided. My right ear is profoundly deaf and my left ear is only moderate to severe. Which means I have directional hearing loss too. If I hear a siren while in the car, I couldn't tell you if it was coming from behind me or in front of me or from either side. Fun times.

Well, who can I tag? Not many people read here and some have been tagged already. I'll tag the following (and if you've already done it, sorry about that). Leave me a comment here so I can go and read how weird you are too!

1. Jes

2. Karin

3. MSU Gal

4. Mrs. Ca

5. Nicole

6. That Chick Over There

The Irony Is Not Lost On Me

2006-12-04T22:41:00.000-05:00

December 4, 1999. Seven years ago today, the world stopped spinning on it's axis for me. Seven years ago, my second husband died, leaving me a widow at 28 years old.

Today, my boss gave me the paperwork for my group life insurance that he had forgotten to give me 6 months ago. He was unaware of the significance of this date for me. But I knew.

Did I go to sleep and wake up in Texas?

2006-12-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

Today is December 1, 2006. It is 80 degrees outside. Seriously. It will be 50 tomorrow though. No wonder I'm sick.

A little public service announcement for the people driving to work in the direction as me today, experiencing all those "Oh, Shit" moments as they passed the myriad police officers working the interstate today. If you are illegally driving in the HOV lane or you are illegally going about 15-20 miles over the speed limit, and you see a cop on the side of the road and say to yourself "OH, SHIT" and cut me off in your haste to get over or cause an entire line of cars behind you to slam on their brakes when you hit your own brakes, keep in mind that it is probably TOO LATE. If you can see the cop, he has already seen you! AND, if he has already pulled someone over, HE'S NOT GOING TO NOTICE YOU so get on with it already! And most importantly, if he has someone pulled over ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DIVIDED INTERSTATE, he is not going to pull you over. What's he going to do? Hop the divider and flag you down with his hands? Get a grip and some common sense people.

note: Is it wrong to feel so sad that Silly Hilly isn't around to read this? She always got a kick out of my driving posts. I miss her and Denise immensely. It's like having your good friends move out of the country and not being able to say good bye.

What a difference a day makes

2006-11-30T20:02:00.000-05:00

So this morning I was in a low place. Not the lowest I've ever been, but not good. Tonight, I feel a LOT better. As I reflect on what I wrote this morning, I feel the need to clarify something both to myself, to HP who will be reading these posts and to the few readers I seem to still have (judging by the ever dwindling comments). Let me make myself perfectly clear that I LOVE MY LIFE, I LOVE HP, and I LOVE MY KIDS. Sometimes it is just hard to see the forest for the trees, you know? And sometimes, medication may be the answer. Or a warm tropical vacation. Or even just reading some other mom blogs and finding out I am not alone with dealing with the terrible twos, threes, fours, etc.

What helped?

Today I called the counselor (LCSW). And I actually talked to her. How cool is that! No hiding behind secretary's. We have set up an appointment for next week. She took some time to make sure I was not in imminent danger of suicide (very thoughtful!) and just knowing I have this appointment to talk it all out with someone impartial and caring, does me a world of good. My friend loves her and I can see the change in her spirit whenever she has an appointment.
Perspective! That friend came by to talk today and she's getting a world of grief from her ex-husband just because he can. He is a true narcissist and wants to make her miserable. He cheated on her, he divorced her, he forced her to sell the house and now she has 15 days to move (in with her parents) and yet it is "all her fault" since she was such a "terrible wife." To say he belongs in a special level of hell just wouldn't cover what he deserves. In all my checkered past, I've never had to deal with someone like this so I feel quite blessed.
Perspective 2: another friend who is my mom's age, has a daughter my age involved in a nasty divorce. The soon to be ex-husband took their child and won't give him back. And they just found out that when he was a teenager, he molested his cousin. Imagine the nightmare that mom is living every moment of every day. I have my two, beautiful and healthy children here at home, safe and sound.
Tonight, when Tigger started to argue with me, instead of getting upset, I simply picked him up and set him in time out. No discussion, no spanking, no yelling. Just two words "Time Out." Amazingly, we had a much more peaceful evening. Granted, I put in a Wiggles DVD after dinner, do you think that had anything to do with it? BWAHAHAHA

Other random pieces of the day -

It was 76 degrees here today and the same tomorrow! WTF? I wore sandals instead of hose and shoes. I sent the kids to school with t-shirts on! It's November 30 for goodness sake. Did someone forget to let Mother Nature know?
I got 169 hits on my blog yesterday. Normally I get about 40. Why so many? All google searches for Greg Wiggle. Probably never see that kind of traffic again. Hope they weren't disappointed that I didn't have any real news on that.
I was talking to that same girlfriend today and found out she doesn't believe in spanking. I think she was a little taken aback that I do. I believe in a controlled spanking for punishment. Not a wailing on a kids' behind while you are angry. And I never, ever think it is acceptable to hit a child in the face for any reason. Or drag them by any body part. What do you think? What do you guys do for punishment? (Troll alert - if you comment on my BAD PARENTING or what an awful person I am for spanking, your comment will automatically disappear into the trash where it belongs).

Random Bits and Pieces

2006-11-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

So Greg Wiggle has orthostatic intolerance. I'm relieved they were able to produce a diagnosis though from the little I've read, there doesn't appear to be a cure and he will just get progressively worse. I'm sad for him, his family and his friends. He will be missed from The Wiggles.
There should be a limit on how many times a person can get sick in a certain time period. Back in late September, I caught a particularly bad cold virus strain making its rounds in our area. Anyone who got it was guaranteed to keep it for 4 weeks minimum. It took 6 weeks for me to feel better. So around Thanksgiving I was feeling better. Finally. Yesterday, I had to take my hearing aid in the right ear out when noises started sounding really, really loud. When I blew my nose, I could feel the air come out of my ear so the hole I have in there must have opened up a bit for the pressure. I spent all night last night completely stuffed up, breathing through my mouth so I have a nice sore throat today. I can hear what sounds like the ocean in my right ear. I feel shaky and foggy (though I have no fever) like I'm walking around through water. I had HP put ear drops in my ear (which made it a lot easier to get drops in Tigger's ear - after he saw me getting them, he willingly put his head down for his own drops) and when I was sitting at a stoplight this morning, a sharp pain like an ice pick through my ear drum hit me. Ear infection-check. Sore throat-check. Head full of snot-check. Chest feels full and hard to draw a breath-check. Sick and tired of being sick and tired-check.
My poor HP has had post-nasal drip for weeks. So he coughs constantly. Which drives.me.insane. for no reason. Maybe it's a little because whenever I try to talk to him, he is constantly interrupting me to cough. Maybe it's because I startle easily so many of his throat clearing coughs startle me. Regardless, it's not his fault and I wish I wasn't so irritated by it but I am. I'm trying to stay by myself more right now. Why can't I get a grip?! Maybe I need medication.
Speaking of which, I'm making an appointment with a LCSW today. I can't take it any more. I don't see the joy in my children or my husband. Last night was just a repeat of every night with the kids' behavior at their worst, punishments (going to room, time out, no books, no songs, taking away toys) with no end in sight. And HP and I disagree on some punishments in a fundamental way. I'm sure he thinks I'm too soft and I think he is too hard. I think we both need counseling to help us with all that is going on in our life, including learning how to be good parents and controlling tempers/rage, but I cannot ask him any more than I already have. At this point, either he will or he won't. I know that I will go myself. It's like the Ann Landers/Dear Abby advice you always see where she says, "if he won't go to counseling with you, you need to at least go yourself." So I will. Luckily, there is a practice here in the same building so it's not like I have to travel anywhere. And I have a recommendation already from a friend who goes there.
I got a GREAT and totally unexpected Christmas bonus (well, we get it Friday). It was 5 x what I got last year. I've got a ton of medical bills that just came in and was wondering how to pay for them. Also, we need a new refrigerator and we need to replenish our savings. I haven't thanked my boss yet - I feel I may cry with gratitude.
Eggnog latte's and cranberry bliss bars from Starbucks can really turn your day around. Just sayin'.
Whenever the Christmas song "Marshmallow World in the Winter" comes on, I want to cry. That was my late husband's favorite Christmas song. I remember being in DMV right after he died to re-title our car and that come over the intercom and I stood in line at DMV sobbing my eyes out (and interestingly enough, not one person asked me if I was o.k.). It'll be 7 years since he died the coming first week of December and some things still trigger the grief anew.
Do you ever wish you could run away? Every day as I drive to work, I see a plane overhead taking off from our airport and lately, I've wished I was on it. I've even wished I had never met HP and never had children. Now, don't take that the wrong way, I love HP with all my heart and knowing him and loving him has enriched my life in ways I would never want to give up. But sometimes, when we are disagreeing on how he is disciplining, or he refuses to talk to me about how mad he got, I want to just give up and run away. And sometimes, when the kids are out of control AGAIN, I want to drop it all and get on a plane. Or jump off a bridge. Not sure which. Good thing I'm going to ask (beg) for medication today, huh?

Say It Ain't So!

2006-11-29T13:32:00.000-05:00

So Greg is quitting the Wiggles. Remember when I was wondering what happened to him when he wasn't at the concert earlier this month? If he really is gone for good, and they replace him with his understudy Sam Moran, won't that be a bit like the Darrin Stephens Syndrome?* Will this mean the end of the Wiggles or will the under 5 set have the ability to accept a new yellow Wiggle? I know from the concert that they didn't try and call Sam "Greg" - they did give the kids credit for some sense and just called him "Sam Wiggle." Me, I'm not sure how I feel about that. It just wouldn't be the Wiggles for me. And I worry that at 35 years old, that this even matters to me. I've got to get an (adult) life! I guess all of our Wiggles DVD's just went up in value...

Seriously though, I hope they find out what is wrong with him and are able to help him get better. As Busy Mom said, he is young with a young family. I hate to think of him losing his battle with whatever this illness turns out to be. And I hope the doctors really DO know what is going on and they are just not releasing it to the public for his privacy. It scares me that in this day and age and with the monetary resources he has, that the doctors he has at his disposal would not be able to make a diagnosis.

*all credit for pointing this idea out goes here. I'm not that clever.

The Ninth and Final Level of Hell

2006-11-27T20:52:00.000-05:00

Part 3 of 3.

Tigger had a great time playing with J. on Thanksgiving. Here is a picture of them goofing off in the leaves (J. raked them up just so he and Tigger could play in them. He is really a sweet and thoughtful teenager!) To say Tigger worshiped the ground J. walked on would just about cover it.

So around 5ish on Thanksgiving, HP and my BIL, W, went to get BK chicken nuggets and fries for the kids and a plain burger for me. Tigger ate some fries and Eeyore ate the nuggets. They were so cute negotiating trades for each other's fries and nuggets. Each time they said please and thank you. Eventually we made it back to the hotel and everyone collapsed in bed early again.

Friday morning dawned after a mercifully peaceful night. No bodily fluids and no noise as the girls had left town. Tigger requested waffles and grits. I called my sister and met up with her, her husband W., her teenagers J. and C. and her 7 year old A. and my mom for breakfast at Shoney's. Which did not have waffles on the buffet or the ability to make waffles. Of course not. Tigger was rapidly going downhill. He was lethargic and didn't eat a bite of anything, not even his beloved grits. So when my mom took off with my aunt and various other relatives for a day trip, we took Tigger to my sister's doctor's walk-in clinic. We saw a doctor who after hearing of Tigger going pee-pee every 10 minutes, took a urine specimen (I was surprised how easy it was to get Tigger to pee in a cup) and pricked his finger for a CBC. He looked into Tigger's eyes, now crusty but not really pink. Final diagnosis:

1) Blepharitis (like conjunctivitis (pink eye) but instead of an infection of the eye, it is an infection of the eye lid)

2) Bladder infection (elevated levels of something in his urine and elevated WBC count) - no glucose in his urine though so definitely not diabetes, thank goodness.

3) Stomach virus going around the town (vomiting and diarrhea, no fever)

We went across the street for a 7 day antibiotic and a 5 day eye drop. Luckily they took our out of town insurance and the medicine was only $17 (including buying a syringe since they were out of the free ones). Hopefully there won't be a problem with the insurance paying the out of town doctor either.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out with my sister and her family. I didn't go visit with my grandfather as planned as I didn't think he needed to be around my contagious Tigger. I'm kicking myself that I didn't just go and visit him by myself. I blame fatigue that, it didn't even occur to me to visit by myself until I got home. Duh! We did stop there for about 10 minutes for me to go inside and say goodbye on our way back to Springfield around 4 pm. I tried not to cry as I felt this may be the last time I see him alive. Drama, anyone? I'm always thinking the worst.

So, because this has turned into the longest Thanksgiving story EVER, let me see if I can summarize the rest quickly. We checked into our Springfield hotel which was super nice (big improvement over the Super 8) and met my mom and the rest of the family on that day trip for dinner at Cracker Barrel (of course we stopped at BK for the requisite chicken nuggets for the kids). We went back to the hotel and had an uneventful and quiet night. Of course, HP awoke on Saturday morning with Tigger's diarrhea. So he was miserable the entire day too. I gave him some of Tigger's pediatric anti-diarrhea medicine and hoped for the best. And I woke myself with an ice pick in my forehead and I had no pain medication. Through sheer stubborness and cheapness, I did not stop for any aspirin and so spent the entire day until we finally got home late Saturday with this headache. Which really added to the experience, let me tell you.

The plane trip home was just as awful as the trip there, with the tantrums and crying and screaming. Total meltdown for almost the entire journey. When we finally landed at our home airport, Tigger threw himself in the isle and had to be dragged off the plane by one arm as all of our other arms were filled with luggage and Eeyore. It was a terrible, terrible scene. We were stared out and judged by all manner of people the entire day and I must say I've never felt like such a bad parent as I did on this trip. And I never felt so angry at all those people judging us.

You know, the entire trip was my idea to see my family and see my grandfather and I never took into account how utterly miserable a trip of this magnitude could be with a 4 and 2 year old. And I didn't even get to spend time with my grandfather when I was there (again, my fault for not thinking "outside the box.") It cost us much more than we could afford and we'll be paying for it for a long while. It was an utterly selfish idea and I guess I got my comeuppance in spades. But I did get to see my beloved younger sister and that may be worth it all. I guess you could say I learned my lesson on traveling though!

ADDENDUM: Today was Tigger's 4 year old check up. He is 43.5 lbs, and 43 inches tall, both 95 percentile. And he has another ear infection, as evidenced by the fluid draining out his ear. Luckily we still have the Ciprox ear drops from the last infection so we don't have to buy any more. But now I need to keep track of which of the 7 days we are on for the antibiotic for the bladder infection, which of the 5 days we are on for the eye infection and which of the 7 days we are on for the drops for the ear infection. And let's not forget the daily Zyrtec. Maybe I should have been a PharmD instead of a CPA.

Hell, Part Two

2006-11-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

So at this point we are on the road from Springfield. You know, it was sort of early really, about 6 pm local time, which meant 7 pm our time, but we were as zonked out as if it was midnight. I give all credit to HP for staying awake and keeping us on the road as Tigger fell into an exhausted and fitful doze and Eeyore zoned out to the Wiggles on the portable DVD player. She was beyond exhausted but kept her eyes open by sheer force so as not to miss a minute of her beloved Wiggles. I kept drifting off while sitting straight up. Great navigator, thy name is mine. I was still in my vomit/club soda clothing as I didn't have the energy to find new clothes and stop somewhere and change. The smell was beyond my energy to notice. Of course, HP said, "don't be offended, but you reek." Uh, yeah, I was offended. How would YOU like to be the one vomited on? Of course, that was just both of us being so tired. Tigger woke up intermittently, wailing, "I'm done Mommmiiieeee" or "Enough, Mommieeeee" whereby I would yell back "I've had enough too!" Yeah, mom of the year for sure.

We finally got to our destination and checked into the cheesy Motel 8. Which was full of tournament volleyball players (when our travel agent was booking our hotels back in March, all hotels in this small Missouri town were sold out due to a tournament in town the week of Thanksgiving. What are the odds? In such a small town. On thanksgiving.). I'm not a fan of Motel 8 and this one did not disappoint. The walls are paper thin and the volleyball girls spent the night running up and down the halls, slamming doors. We went to bed the minute we checked in and got the two baby air beds blown up (here is Eeyore's). Of course, we were delayed by Tigger throwing up on his so I had to clean him up, throw his bed in the corner (a blow up Spiderman sleeping bag/mattress combo that I cannot link to since the company has sold out apparently) and put him in one of the two double beds. HP and I got in the other, which was NOT comfortable for two large people who are used to a King size bed, let me tell you. It didn't matter. I was up in 15 minutes to take a puking Tigger to the bathroom. I got back in his bed with him in the interest of time (he was next to the bathroom). I was up and down for most of the night with "It's coming Mommy!" which was for vomit and then, diarrhea. Stinking, running down his legs, diarrhea. All accompanied by slamming doors in the hallway. For hours.

Not to mention my mom calling the room at 9:15 just as we had gotten to sleep, to see if we had made it there safely. Now, to give her credit, I should have called her. You see, as we left Springfield, I called her (she had been at my sister's house for a week now) to see if my sister's pediatrician had a night clinic to check on Tigger's eye and vomit. She said they did, it was open until 9 and we should get in by 8 so we were to call when we got to the hotel so my sister could meet us there and take us to the doctors. We agreed that if he was sleeping, we wouldn't bother. Well, we lost all cell phone service 10 minutes later and never got it back until we returned to Springfield. Apparently Alltel doesn't work in BFE. Who knew? Well, I was so tired and filthy that after I took a shower (and by the way, vomit, on your legs for three hours, leaves a nasty rash. Must be from the stomach acid) I just lay down without calling her on the hotel phone. My fault. Sorry HP. Sorry Mom. Sorry little sister. (though only HP reads this blog).

Thursday was Thanksgiving of course. We woke up exhausted but Tigger appeared on the mend, with no pink in his eye, and requested grits and eggs. I called my sister for directions to a restaurant that would be open. We drove up there (it was kind of like a Waffle House) and ate and visited with her and her husband who did not want breakfast. Of course, we ordered food for both kids and neither ate anything. My sister and her husband went to Wal-Mart to get stuff, including anti-diarrhea medicine for Tigger and we finished breakfast then we all went to her house. Here's where we did actually have a pretty good time. Tigger immediately took to her husband W, a real good old country boy, and he took Tigger out to feed the baby cows with these huge baby bottle contraptions. And Tigger really took to my nephew, J. He spent the whole weekend following J. around and asking for him when he couldn't find him. In fact, when we got back to Springfield and checked into the motel there, he picked up the phone to "call J." My poor 13 year old nephew was a good sport and played with his 4 year old cousin all day and the next. We spent some time at my sister's house until our laundry was done (she was gracious enough to wash two loads of vomit and diarrhea soaked clothing and the sleeping bag) and then we all went to my aunt's house for the family dinner.

There was a LOT of my maternal family there (40 or so I think was the final count), including a lot of people I did not know. Highlights including see my grandfather even though I didn't get to talk to him. It was just nice to see him there, you know? Also my drunk Uncle B. (mom's baby brother) was a hoot as he was toasted and kept on drinking the whole time he was there. He kept ribbing me about not getting along with my older sister. My little sister and I told him, "she is not our sister so let it go! She is a narcissist and sociopath." He threatened to come here where we live to "kick her butt." Also good was me putting Eeyore down on my aunt's bed and her falling asleep with no problem and sleeping for almost three hours.

Low points - my crystal meth addicted cousin was there on a day pass from his rehab. center. He stole everything that he could get his hands on when he was high and I worried about him not being rehabilitated yet. I worried more when several armed men and women showed up looking for him. Apparently he still owes some people some money. The sheriff was called but I'm not sure if he showed up. We left as soon as it was safe to leave the driveway. My aunt drove him over to his girlfriend's house (she and he were arrested together and spent some time in jail last month) and was gone for hours which sucked. I was looking forward to visiting with her. And having her give Eeyore her first hair cut (just bangs so she can see!).

Dinner itself was kind of a non-event you know? With so many people, we did a buffet line and it was all good and all traditional but with drinking ice tea and chasing down the kids, I didn't eat much. I eat more at a normal lunch! I did try a piece of my niece's black forest cake later that was excellent. There was no stuffing though, and none of my carrot souffle (I arrived to late to cook anything). No pecan pie. Like HP said, it just didn't feel like Thanksgiving. A combination of the "missing" food and not sitting around a big table as usual (though the usual, is just HP, Tigger, Eeyore and me). It was nice to see everyone and no one argued but still. It's hard to put my finger on.

Next post...the adventure continues.

It could have been called National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Vacation..

2006-11-26T21:11:00.000-05:00

Except not one bit of it was funny. To say HP and I transversed all nine levels of Dante's hell, would be an understatement. To say the travel portion of our trip was a nightmare of mythical proportions would not do it justice. Let me say this. We.will.not.do.it.again. Ever. I'm even re-thinking going to Myrtle Beach in May even though that is a car ride and not a plane. Because the very poor behavior exhibited by our monsters was in equal force on the plane and in the car. It was just that in the car, we were the only ones experiencing the (pain) pleasure of their company.

PART ONE: Wednesday, 22 NOV 06. The day started poorly. We were up late Tuesday night packing. I know, I know, I had all day off Tuesday but with the shopping for last minute items, the laundry and getting the dog off to the kennel, time melted away from me. So, in bed after 11. Up at 4:45 to prepare for a 7:47 flight time which meant being at the airport by 6:47 at the latest since we had to get all the medication through security. To get to the airport in time, we knew we'd have to leave our house by 6 at the latest. The weather was frightful to say the least as we were in the middle of a nor'easterner. HP checked the airport website to see for delays. Surprise! Our flight wasn't even listed? Huh? We bought the tickets in March with our tax refund and he had confirmed the flights and times with the travel agent two weeks ago. So HP called American Airlines directly to find that our flight had changed from 7:47 departure to a 6:00 departure. It was now 5:30. Even though Tigger was up (he woke up at the ass-crack of dawn, as per usual), he was not changed. Eeyore was still asleep. It would take at least 1/2 hour to get there with more time needed to unload and get the car into long term parking. We were screwed. The helpful agent at AA said the flight had changed back in JULY and they told all travel agents about it. The best she could do was get us on the flight leaving at 11:50. Which meant arriving in Missouri at 5:30 p.m. instead of 12:42 p.m. With a two hour car ride after that, that meant canceling all plans with my sister upon arrival in her town. Fuming, we waited at home until time to go to the airport. I'm still debating how to talk to the travel agent's boss tomorrow. Now, we were leaving and traveling during the PEAK WHINING HOURS and missing naps for our 4 and 2 year olds.

We made it through security without much fanfare. They searched one bag but never even matched up the names on all the medication to our identification. Getting all our carry-on stuff through (everything, even the strollers, had to go through the machine) and getting four pairs of shoes off and on, meant HP and I were already sweating. We got on the plane and found ourselves in the first row of coach which gave us a little extra room for the kids to stand and dance during the 3 1/2 hour flight. Tigger was next to the window, me in the middle and Eeyore on the isle. HP was across the isle. Five minutes after we took off, Tigger turned to me and said, "I done, Mommy. No plane." Ummm...sorry about that. 3 1/2 hours to go. I seem to remember that this flight was for the most part uneventful. There was no food for coach class though and we watched first class get served hot soup, cookies and wine. The kids happily munched on pretzels I had brought though. I gave in and paid $4 for a "snack box" of dried sausage and crackers. It also had raisins that Eeyore took and goldfish crackers that Tigger took. Landing was when the trouble started as Tigger did not want to sit down and put this seatbelt on so he screamed and yelled and threw a fit.

We hustled out into the busy (and LARGE) Dallas-Fort Worth airport to discover that our connecting flight was leaving from the C concourse, we were on the A concourse, and the tram between the two was broken. And we had to walk, across the state of Texas. With all our carry one luggage and two very unhappy toddlers. Tigger refused to sit in his stroller and wanted to push Eeyore. To say he was cranky, would not even begin to cover his mood. It was after 3 p.m. in our time zone and he had no nap and no regular meal. And no exercise. And he had been up since 5 a.m. We made it to our next flight area. The flight left at 4:30 p.m. Dallas time so we had time to kill. I got a Starbucks gingerbread latte and we set the kids loose in the "play area." It wasn't much but they did get to move a little. Since is was getting to be dinner time in our time zone (and our bodies were still on that zone!) HP looked around for dinner possibilities. Only McDonald's. He got chicken nuggets for the kids and only Eeyore ate them. I could have told him not to bother; I already knew Tigger would not eat them but I wasn't with him when he went looking. He didn't get me anything as he knew I didn't like McDonald's but I went ahead and ate Tigger's nuggets. Tigger's eye was looking pink in one area and crusty on the eye lid and I am paranoid about pink eye so I called our insurance to see if I could take him to a doctor once we got to our destination. The person on the 800 line said only if our pediatrician authorized "urgent care." So I called our pediatrician's office. All staff had left for the day (early!) so I left a voice mail with the on call doctor who called back and talked to HP and said (thankfully) that of course she would authorize a referral.

We got on the plane and it just went downhill from there. It was a small plane, only one seat on one side and two on the other side of the isle. Tigger sat with me and Eeyore with HP behind us. Tigger wanted to sit on the floor. He had the biggest tantrum I had ever seen when I had to put him in his seat and belt him in. He was hysterical, screaming he had to go to the potty though he had just been 15 minutes earlier. Once we took off, I didn't even wait for the light to go out, I took him to pee. We got back, he continued his tantrum then he finally stopped crying, looked at me, and vomited all over me. I got a bag to his lips and he continued to be sick. The bag did not hold and it just ran out the bottom onto my lap. HP got the steward to bring us more bags and club soda and I took Tigger to the bathroom. I drenched myself in club soda and changed Tigger's clothes. Back to the seat we went. And his tantrum continued for the entire 1 hour flight and ramped back up when he had to sit in his seat for landing. When Eeyore decided to join in as well. We finally landed in Springfield, picked up our rental car and got everyone in. Had we known we would be getting in so late (you know, had we had a COMPETENT travel agent), we would have reserved a hotel in Springfield and driven to my sister's city in the morning. But we had a hotel reservation, already paid for, in her city so we had to go. On the road we went.

Too be continued....

I found it!

2006-11-20T21:06:00.000-05:00

Now if only I could find my sanity....I found the mask tonight. Under the sink where I had already looked 3 times. After I had HP call for a new one today. Of course.

Sorry I've been AWOL from everyone's blogs lately. I've had all day CPE (continuing professional education) classes all day Thursday, all day Friday and all day today. Thursday and Friday - Accounting and Auditing updates. Snooze city. Today? Learning how to conduct fraud interviews. The speaker? One of my all time favorites, who looks and acts like Stephen Colbert. How fun is that? But, three days without internet access? No wonder I'm insane.

I'm off work tomorrow, to run errands and pack so we can leave at zero-dark-30 Wednesday morning for the airport and travel all day with a 4 and 2 year old. Fun times. I'm not bringing my laptop because of a real fear of theft (from relatives with drug habits, isn't that fun). I will still be bringing our portable DVD player so we have something to distract the kids with. I'm not THAT crazy. So I'll try to catch up with everyone on Sunday if the kids actually nap. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

I leave you with this picture of the kids in their new hats and these funnies from Tigger. This morning I was making the bed. He said, "What doing Mommy?" I said, "Making the bed." He said, "into what?" Bada boom...well, I thought it was funny. Into what, indeed. Also this morning, Eeyore did.not.want.me.to.put.her.down. I finally had to set her down to get my breakfast ready. She started sobbing. Tigger asked her "What wrong 'Eeyore?'" She could only sob, "mommmmiiieeee." Tigger turned to me and said "Mommy! Tell Eeyore Sorry, RIGHT NOW!" Sounded just like me.

Who do you think you are, putting me down. I must be held 24 hours a day. Don't make me sic' my brother on you! Just look how tough he looks. Besides, how can you resist the cuteness of my little curl coming out from my hat? Resistance is futile! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Finally Worthy of the Love

2006-11-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

There once was a young woman of 17, who thought she was in love with her very first boyfriend. The first boy who ever kissed her. The first boy she ever had sex with. The first boy to ever pay attention to her in that way. She was naive. She was young. She was reeling from her father's myriad infidelities and his alcoholism and all the fall-out from the consequences of his actions. She had lived in one place for 11 years and was uprooted just like that, with no input of her own, and taken to the middle of the country and told to just deal with it. This young woman finished her 1 1/2 years of high school there, and went on to the state college because she was now considered out of state for her home colleges back on the coast and so tuition was out of reach. Her boyfriend came with her. He was the middle of three boys. Three boys that made up the sole purpose and life of their mother. His parents were not the best role models for marriage. His father was an alcoholic. They had been married and divorced from each other three times because of his drinking and infidelity (sound familiar?) Against her better judgment, against her father's assvice that he threw at her (as he was walking out the door and throwing away his own 20 year marriage and his entire family so he could start a new one with his very young mistress), this young woman married her boyfriend. And ended up working four jobs and going to school full time for 4 years to get her two degrees (undergrad and grad). She worked her ass off while her now husband smoked and dranked and drugged and whored his way through school. And abused her verbally. And threw wine on her. And got her sick with alcohol poisoning deliberately one new year's eve so he could spend the evening with his mistress. Her husband's mom hated this young woman. She was mean and judgmental and rude. He did nothing to defend her. Not one thing. And the young woman knew she was not worthy of the love or he would have stood up for her. One day, this young woman wised up and threw his ass to the curb, one year after she married him (5 years after they started dating). And with no job prospects in sight, she made the humougous mistake of moving in with her dad and his young wife, who made no secret that she did not want the young woman around while she was trying to get pregnant.

This lasted one year before the young woman couldn't take it anymore. The snide remarks, the meals the step-monster made that were not for the young woman but only for her dad and his wife, etc. She moved out, with the help of her mother to a nearby apartment (still in a different state from her home). This woman had a huge financial burden, bills run up by her ex- that she was struggling to pay and make it on her own with a miniscule salary. She was desperate and unhappy and thinking the unthinkable. But each weekend, she drove home 7 hours to see her mom, who had moved back to their real home. She drove back to see her sister and beloved nephew. She drove back to hope. One day, her sister and her husband took this young woman on a blind double date. And this young woman fell in love again, this time with an older (14 years) man. No doubt, looking back, she was looking for a father figure. As had her sister (married to someone 15 years older). But she also saw a savior here, someone to rescue her. She married him, a mere few months after meeting him. He moved her home and she was devoted to him. But all was not bliss. He had a ex-wife and two children. The ex- wife decided to make it her mission in life to break up the man and this young woman. Just because she was a hateful, evil, spiteful bitch with nothing better to do. The man had divorced her years ago but she didn't want to let go (even though she had married the man she had left her husband for and had his baby). And this man never, ever stood up for this young woman. Once again, she was the victim of unspeakable vitriol, of hatred more blatant than she had ever seen, and no one stood up for her. The man just rolled over and took it. And once again, the young woman knew she was not worthy of the love. But this time, the young woman did nothing. She felt so beaten down, so unworthy of real love, she just took it. One sad, sad day, the man died unexpectedly and left the young woman alone. Truly alone. With no hope. No future.

Fortunately, one year later, an amazing thing happened to the young woman. A beautiful (inside and out) man walked into her life. A man who just happened to be only one day younger than her. A man who was in the Navy and had never married and was ready to settle down and have a family. A family this young woman had never even considered having. It took mere weeks for her to fall head over heels in love with the young man and he with her. It was fate. She never even considered that his parents might not be as happy as they were. She had been through so much, how could fate, how could God, send her any more unhappiness? It was her time now, her time to live, her time to be worthy of true love. They married, 4 months after meeting. His parents captured on film at the wedding did not smile once. When they renewed their vows in a church wedding, 5 months later, his mother had to get drunk to even tolerate the event. They made no secret how they felt about the young woman, not for anything she had done, but simply for existing and marrying their child. And the young man, he was torn in two between his love for his wife, and his love for his parents. And gradually, as he was pulled towards the loyalty he felt for his family, he left his wife's side again and again, and she knew that once more, she was not worthy of the love. For if she was worthy, he would have stood up for her. If she was worthy, he would remember his vows that a man leaves his parents and cleaves to his wife. She was supposed to be his family now.

The years went on, they went to counseling, they had a baby and then another baby. And the drama continued. The young man's mother did everything she could to drive a wedge in her son's marriage. When the young couple visited once, and the young man left the house with his dad, his mother stayed in her room and left the wife alone all day and did not offer her any food. When the young man returned, his mother said "I offered her lunch and she refused" and while the young woman stood there aghast, the young man merely said, "yes, she can be that way" back to his mom. The mother accused the young woman of trying to kill her. She told her whole family this ficticious story. She told the young woman, "I have never liked you, What is your problem, I hate you." When the young woman wrote her a letter, asking what could she do to make the relationship better, the mother shared the letter with her whole family and cut off contact with her son. And just when the young woman was ready to give up and live the rest of her life alone with her children, the young man started stepping up to the plate. He started choosing his wife over his mother and father. He started cleaving to his wife. He told his parents that until they apologized to his wife for their words and their behavior, they were not welcome in their home and he would not be coming to their home to visit. This took enormous amounts of courage and love and strength and the young woman knew that. And she was proud to finally be worthy of that kind of love.

**The young woman in this story, is of course, me. The young man is HP. This weekend, his mother and father came to town again, in their RV and parked at their usual camp ground. They called him and announced their intention to come over to our house. And my husband said, "No, you are not, I am not disrepecting my wife by allowing you to come here." He said to them "Don't try to pretend you don't know what you did! For one thing, you told everyone that "CPA Mom" tried to kill Mom!" I was so very proud of him. And my self-esteem skyrocketed! Later, I made the offer to go out to get a pedicure and go shopping so they could come over here while I was out (Eeyore had a 101.8 temperature and I didn't want her going out to the RV park). So they came over for about 30 minutes with a ton of gifts for the kids (trying to win their love with presents I guess) and were hateful and rude to my husband in front of the children. They tried to guilt him with "we didn't raise you this way." They stormed out saying they would never be back where they weren't welcome. Which is exactly what they did last time they were here so I'm not holding my breath.

My heart is breaking in two for my beloved HP who doesn't deserve this. The only crime he ever committed (if you want to call it that) was falling in love and staying here in Virginia instead of moving home to NJ with his parents when his enlistment was up. You might think this is all because he was the baby of the family but his mother has treated each of the four sister-in-laws (I'm #4) exactly the same way. Only one is really on speaking terms with her as she is a much more forgiving person than I am. I don't know the answer. I know that I want and deserve an apology, even an insincere one. I know that I won't ever get it. They said to him last time "we will never apologize to that woman." HP's oldest brother's wife has been waiting for 25 years for one. Oh, the stories I could tell you about what we've been through the last 5 years. I can't believe I'm living through hatefulness like this again. Makes me wonder what I did in a previous life. I wish I knew the answer. But there is one thing I do know. Now that I feel, now that I know I am worthy of HP's love and the love I feel for him, I am NOT going to let it go. I will NOT allow his family to drive a wedge in our marriage. We are one person, one family now and no one will tear us apart. And I finally believe that I DESERVE IT and so does HP.

I am very, very angry

2006-11-17T20:43:00.000-05:00

...with myself. Eeyore has asthma. Asthma that is under control with a twice daily inhaled medicine. For a while, we had to give her a nebulizer treatment each night but that was replaced with the inhaler medicine (takes a LOT less time). The nebulizer came with a fish mask, to make it look more friendly to kids I guess. I think it looks creepy and Eeyore could have cared less, but whatever. Since she's not had to use the nebulizer in a while, I put the mask away somewhere where the two kids couldn't mess with it. Now, I am renowned in my family for my lack of memory. Not only memories of my past but memories of my present. I cannot usually tell you what I did even a week ago. It's like I have zero short term memory. Usually, this is a great source of amusement for my family. But this time, this time I'm not fucking amused. I am extremely pissed at myself. I cannot find that mask and I have absolutely no memory of moving it. The only thing I remember is thinking to myself, I'd better move that mask before it gets played with and lost. Nothing else. Not the actual movement of the mask. And now, Eeyore has a 101.8 temperature and a bad cough. I can see her chest concave in when she coughs. She needs albuterol by nebulizer and I cannot find that damn mask. I feel like the worst mother in the universe.

So of course, I'm making cookies to help with the guilt. I'm clever that way.

Seriously though, I hope the medical equipment place is open tomorrow. Or I'm taking her into the Children's Hospital or her pediatrician for a mask.

I'm weeping

2006-11-16T19:59:00.000-05:00

Remember my post about the elderly driver almost running me over? Remember how I said he has no business driving? Why can't it be mandatory that you must have a new driver's test every few years when you age?

Go here, read this post about what happens when someone else with no business driving, was behind the wheel. Then go to this precious boy's memory page and read about 5-pt harness seats vs. booster seats. I had no idea.

*credit Mrs. CPA for alerting me to this. It's her fault I'm weeping. And wondering if I need to take out Tigger's booster and find that Britax Regent car seat which appears to be out of stock everywhere now. Anyone have one? Do you like it? Tigger outgrew his regular car seat. He simply did not fit in the straps. I wonder how long these straps are?

Month Long Give Away at Design Mom

2006-11-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Go here every day, November 15 through December 15, Monday through Friday, except for Thanksgiving. You could win just by leaving a comment. Be careful though who you associate with - I've already seen my sister in the comments.....BWAHAHAHAHAHA

What Happened To Greg Wiggle?

2006-11-15T08:26:00.000-05:00

I know you were all just as worried as I was about Greg after he was missing from the recent concert I took the kids to. So I emailed the Wiggles and got this response. While I'm sorry he is not feeling well, I was very impressed that they wrote me back very promptly and told me what was going on. I know it's not world peace we are talking about but I wish every company had such customer service! Here is the email I received:

Hi
Thank you for your email and concern for Greg. The following is an official statement from Greg himself (from a few weeks ago):

it is with regret that I must let you know that I have to leave the tour due to illness. In the past two days, I have experienced symptoms in my health which have caused me concern. I was hospitalised yesterday, and doctors could not find anything medically wrong with me, and again today I am still experiencing the same symptoms.

I have had numerous bouts of this over the past 8 months, but they are getting more frequent, and more concerning, so I have decided that I must go home, rest and seek further medical advice (if appropriate) to asure myself that I will be okay for future tours.

It would appear from some medical opinions that I did not give myself enough time to recover from my recent hernia surgeries before coming back to touring. Whilst I have been feeling fine on tour, when I get home, I usually fall flat, and suffer from severe exhaustion. Yesterday, it hit me very quckly, and very hard, and prevented me from performing, and that was the case today as well.

Please forgive me for my illness at the moment, and understand that I wish to take all steps possible to ensure that I am back on deck as soon as possible so that I can continue touring without frequent interruptions.

In the meantime, Sam Moran will be filling in for me. He does a fantastic job, and everyone that has seen Sam perform in my place has had nothing but commendation for him.

To everyone that has come to see the Wiggles in the past 12 months, I know that there have been many instances where I have not been there, but thank you for understanding and thank you for your suport and your attendance at our concerts.

I look forward to wiggling with you all again very soon,

Greg Wiggle

Wiggly WoofWoof!

Pasqua in Cyberspace

C y b e r p u p

The Wiggles Pty Ltd

webenq@thewiggles.com.au

Unwelcome Surprises

2006-11-14T20:43:00.000-05:00

It was no surprise to me that when the interstate was backed up this morning, and I was sitting in the outermost left lane, closest to the empty HOV lane, that people started moving over to the HOV to get out of traffic. Scores of them moved over and on while we law-abiding citizens waited and waited in line. It was a huge surprise to me to see the State Police were, for once, waiting for them. I see HOV violators every single day, and no police in sight. What was an unwelcome surprise, was that each time the violators saw someone pulled over, they decided they had better high tail it back into the legal lanes, even though the cop already had someone pulled over and was not paying attention to them. DUH! One minivan, who didn't care I was already there, made a direct bee-line for my side door in her haste to get out of the HOV lane. A blare of my horn and a twist of my finger got her straightened out. Check your blind spot you freakin' moron!

It was a surprise to me that when I nearly died (or could have suffered major injury) this morning, my life did not flash before my eyes. Nor was there any sound or any warning.

I am required to park on the street across from my office, with an empty parking lot in between. For the customers only. There are no visible speed limit signs so the average speed of the people on this street seems to be about 55. And the other side of the street is a high school no less. The street over, a neighborhood. I believe the actual limit is 25. Every day I look both ways about 10 times before crossing over, clutching my heart in my hands. This morning all was clear but as I stepped in the middle, an old man, driving a large car, pulled out of the aforementioned parking lot, headed right towards me at a very high rate of speed. Remember the old man who just go prison time for plowing through that farmer's market and killing people? Similar situation here. He has no business having a license. I didn't hear a thing. I saw a flash of light and looked to my left to see him barreling at me. I actually put my hand up, as if that could stop him, and touch his bumper as he screeched to a halt. Again, I heard nothing but the thump, thump, thump, thump of my heart. I jumped on the curb and he took off. If he had hit me, he would have still kept going.

Surprise #3: Last year, a local woman wrote a book about mermaids. I purchased one for each of my children, autographed. Apparently my mother did the same. As a surprise, she didn't tell me. So we ended up with four copies of the same book. I asked her to not surprise me but to tell me what she was getting the kids so we didn't get duplicates. Fast forward to Sunday night. While shopping at the big mall, the same author was there, with her new book. I got two, autographed to each child, by name. When I got home, I was excited to show my mom. You see what is coming. She already got the same books, also autographed, for my kids for Christmas this year. I was mad but tried not to show it; she was mad at me but tried not to show it. I asked her to find someone else to give her copies to.

Surprise #4: On the answering machine that night was a "urgent" message from my FIL saying that HP "urgently needed to call back that night." Apparently, they emailed his Friday morning asking for the kids' sizes. HP emailed them back and mentioned we would be going out of town for Thanksgiving. When HP called them, his mother said something along the lines of "why are you going there?" and alluded that he had not gotten her permission first. Then she put on HP's dad who was also upset. Seems they were going to "surprise" us with a visit at Thanksgiving. They are spending the actual Thanksgiving in S.C. (they travel in an RV everywhere these days) and were going to "stop by" on the way back to N.J. Umm...WTF? Since when does their GROWN SON need permission to travel from his parents? Since when would a visit from them even be welcome when they are not allowed in our home? I'm just stunned at their bad manners and their continual "it's all about them" attitude. I'm hurt that they hurt my HP so much (but not surprised).

So, what has been an unwelcome surprise for you lately?

Easy Peasy Thanksgiving

2006-11-13T20:54:00.000-05:00

*really, can you tell I've been watching a lot of Rachel Ray, with her expressions like "easy peasy" and "yum-o" coming out of the woodwork?*

Thanksgiving - it can strike fear in the heart of the most confident woman, especially if she is serving her in-laws. And/or if she doesn't normally cook and now has to come up with the ideal Thanksgiving feast or her life will be ruined (or so she thinks) and her reputation in shambles. Now, none of these apply to me as I won't be in charge of the feast this year and I love to cook, but I've seen a few others with some, shall we say, angst over the issue so I'm offering a few of my no-fail ideas that will guarantee you raves and permanent residence in your family's good graces.

1. Go to the Food Network website for Thanksgiving. Everything, and I mean everything, you need to know is here. From turkey to side dishes to desserts. That way you won't have to have the network on TV 24 hours a day like we do (but they are doing all Thanksgiving recipes right now). Paula and Rachel and Alton and Emeril and everyone else will get you off on the right foot.

2. Serve my carrot souffle. This is a top secret recipe from a certain restaurant chain that my late husband was a vice-president for. It tastes just like sweet potatoes and is always the first dish to disappear. My sister, (yes, the mean, self-centered, bitchy one) loves it and she abhors carrots. She stole my recipe and makes it and claims it as her own now. And my husband gave the recipe to his mom early in our marriage, against my instructions to NEVER RELEASE THE RECIPE TO HIS MOM because she farted on me and all and accused me of trying to murder her, not that I'm bitter or anything....ahem...here is the recipe:

Steam 2 lbs. of carrots until extra soft (chips or baby carrots, either will do). Drain well. Add 1 lb. (2 cups) of sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder and 1 Tbsp of vanilla. Whip in your mixer until smooth and creamy. Watch out! It splatters! Add 1/4 cup flour and blend well. Whip up 1/2 pint (about 1 cup) of eggs and add to mixture (or if you are lazy like me, just add them right out of the shell). Add 1/2 lb. (8 oz) melted unsalted butter and blend well. Pour into 13 x 9 baker and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until top is a light golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar over top before serving. Serves 10 (if you are lucky).

3. Great, I cannot find my pumpkin lasagna recipe. Man, it was good. I'll keep looking for it. Sorry to tease you like that.

It's late and I'm tired from being a SAHM for one entire day (yeah, I'm a wuss like that) so I'll finish this up. Look for more recipes later if I can get my act together (and we all know how likely that is...about as likely as me and my MIL and my dad and my sister getting together one day around a fire and singing Kum-ba-yah...)

And A Wiggly Good Time Was Had By All

2006-11-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

Warning - long post, weekend in review...don't say I didn't warn you!

Friday night, after work, my mom came over to baby-sit and HP and I went to dinner at the Grate Steak. My office was finally having our end-of-tax-season (2006) dinner. Also to celebrate our clean opinion from our peer review. It was the only night we all had free and one person ended up being too sick to come. Figures. I had a wonderful piece of prime rib (I had the kitchen cook it - I didn't feel like standing over a grill and doing it myself) and it was heaven to sit down and eat and talk to my husband without being interrupted by children. I managed to sit at a different table than the partner's wife that I'm still avoiding. You know, the one who stuck that knife in my back? Anyway....we left at 8:30 as my mom requested we not stay out late.

Saturday at 11:00 was Tigger's final soccer game. One week ago, at the last game, we were all shivering in 40 degree cold. This week, we were wilting in the nearly 80 degree heat. After the game we scooted home to pick up the cake I made on Friday night (at 10:30 p.m. I was finally finished with it) and meet the team at Ci-Ci's pizza for lunch and cake and trophy's. Here is the cake, what do you think? I froze all sections first as Stacey suggested. It was still crumbly so you could see crumbs mixed in the bottom layer. I need more practice I think.

Then we rushed home and put both kids down for a nap. Eeyore went right to sleep. Tigger, not so much. I think at 4 years old, he is ready to give up naps but I still try because they tell me he naps every day at school. At 3:30, we woke up Eeyore and dressed her in her Wiggles shirt (Tigger out grew his) and we rushed off for our hour commute to get to the Wiggles. I got Tigger a new t-shirt, (of course, they were out of his size so he is swimming in his new size 6 shirt, oh well). We ate popcorn as we waited and a Wiggly dancer came out to say that Greg was not going to appear, that he was home sick in Australia. Instead "Sam" would take his place. WTF? I paid $180 for GREG, JEFF, MURRAY and ANTHONY, not SAM, JEFF, MURRAY and ANTHONY. He actually wasn't too bad and the kids didn't seem to notice but I was kind of upset. I got over it since, hey, the Wiggles aren't exactly the most important part of my life, right?

Note the imposter Sam. Greg had better be in the ICU in some Australian hospital, let me tell you. But also note the deliciousness of Anthony (in blue). Yum-O, as Rachel Ray would say (but not as delicious as HP, of course! Hi Honey!)

Sam can tell I'm not happy about him being there

Throughout the show, the characters would walk through the audience. Captain Feathersword(Below) got quite close to us. Did you know he is a classically trained opera singer?

Here Murray came by collecting roses for Dorthy the Dinosaur. I ran down the isle, stepping on feet, with Tigger so he could see him (Murray is his favorite since he plays guitar; Tigger likes to play guitar with him). Tigger actually got to touch Murray on the arm.

Jeff also came by through the crowd and I video taped that so no picture to show you and I have no idea how to put videos on here. Interestingly enough, Anthony never left the stage. I think he was afraid of being mobbed by the mommy's. At one point, Murray "tried his guitar to see if it was working" and he played a few chords of "Stairway to Heaven" which all the parents loved. All in all, we had a great time, they played for two hours, and it was well worth the money. Of course, now I can't get their music out of my head...

Sunday, we fed the kids their usual pancakes. I let them eat in front of the T.V. as a special treat as they were watching Playhouse Disney. Tigger came running to me in the kitchen, with a trail of throw up behind him. I rushed him in the bathroom and after he finished, he was cheerful and happy. Never acted sick at all. HP and I cleaned up the carpet (after we argued when he tried to tell me how to do clean it up and I retorted back that I knew how to clean up throw up thank you very much - yeah, we're grown up like that). Tigger did good with some dry cereal at lunch time and he was extraordinarily cheerful so I let him have some milk. Big mistake. He resumed the vomiting, at the table, while we were eating. So we didn't finish our lunch, if you can imagine. Eeyore had some chips (we were trying a new mexican place Qdobo's) and she woke up from her nap with a bad rash. I gave her benedryl which took care of it but now we are wondering what she is allergic to. I've left a message for the kids' allergist to call me. I hope Eeyore is old enough for the rest of the testing now. The chips were fried in soybean oil and she's never had a problem with soy but I guess you never know.

My mom came over at 5 pm so HP and I could go shopping at the local mall for their annual Christmas shopping fundraiser for the children's hospital. You pay $5 each for admittance and all the stores have specials. We got most of our shopping done (I picked out a few things for me since I can guarantee I will forget all about them by Christmas. It's handy to have a wife with early Alzheimer's (just kidding, no disrespect intended for those with actual Alzheimer's)). And we had a nice dinner at Kincaid's - HP had prime rib and I had crab and Macadamia nut stuffed mahi-mai. And we had a nice hazelnut encrusted Brie for an appetizer and an apple tart and pear bread pudding for dessert. I also had a scratch margarita. Yummy! I think I gained 5 lbs. Across the street was a small theater where Fed-X was scheduled to appear. We watched the door to see how many people would actually show up for his "performance" but only a handful did. We actually saw some people exit quite early!

Tigger never again got sick but I'm home with the kids today just in case. And I didn't get out of my pjs until 12:30 when I put the kids down for a nap. Surprisingly I've not heard a sound from Tigger so he must be asleep. HP just came home from the doctor's - also not feeling well. I can't wait for spring. It's been a long winter with illnesses already. I've got a lot of stuff I could be doing but instead, I'm going to go grab the new book I bought last night (Jodi Picoult) and veg out for an hour. Of course, Eeyore still isn't asleep so this may cut short my grand selfish plans. Have a great day everyone!

Parenthood is Not for Wimps

2006-11-10T08:52:00.000-05:00

Also, Faith Destroyed and Restored...

So I got very little sleep last night. From the time we got home until the time Monster One and Two went to bed, all they did was fight and cry and whine. I wanted to take them back to school and leave them there. I took a shower, only to come out to find my dog had vomited all over the floor. At least he did it on the tile for easy clean up, right? HP came in and cleaned it up since I was wet and all.

HP and I finally got to bed at 10:00. Somewhere around 11:00 or so, Eeyore started crying. HP got up with her (I didn't hear her at all), soothed her and put her back down. At midnight she started again. This time I heard her, went in, held her, put her back down. 10 minutes later, she was wailing. HP got her, changed her diaper and put her back. Then from 12:30 to 2:00 a.m. I was back in there 6 times with no sleep in between (I would come back to bed just to turn around). She just did not want to sleep unless I was holding her, sitting up. It was severe congestion I think. At 2:00, HP came in to relieve me and I gave her night-time cold medicine. I collapsed in bed and he said he was only up with her 10 minutes-I don't know as I turned OFF the baby monitor. And I refuse to feel guilty about it. As I drifted off to sleep, I noted a particular bad smell. Turned out the dog vomited again, all over my comforter.

I woke up at 5:00 with a coughing spell and then Tigger came in with a diaper full of poo-poo again. What a way to start the day. Of course, he was as cheerful as he could be. As he was all morning, which was a good thing since Eeyore was cranky and tired and if I put her down for one second she started wailing again. I asked her, "do you want to stay home with Mama today" and she said "no." I asked her, "do you want to go to school?" and she said "yes!" so I went ahead and sent her in. She has no fever, just congested and tired.

As for my sub-title, I had to stop at the doctor's office for a walk-in flu shot. As I approached the building, an older gentleman, in his 60's, was coming in too. He picked up his pace so he'd be ahead of me, went in the door without holding it for me, then got on the elevator, then got off first instead of allowing me off first. I thought, well, he must be getting his flu shot too and he wants to make damn sure he is first, so he left his manners in his car. He went off to an actual appointment though and I went to the lab to wait for my shot. I was first in line. He showed up again before the technician got there, apparently to get his shot too. When the tech got there, she said "who's first" and he jumped right up and said "me!" I didn't protest, I wasn't in a hurry. I was astonished though at his rudeness, especially in his generation.

Next I went to the dry cleaners to drop off my comforter. Another older gentlemen was approaching at the same time. He held the door for me and then insisted I go first at the busy counter too. I made sure I held the door for him when we left and I told him, "thank you for restoring my faith in mankind today" and told him what had happened. He said he has always behaved in this manner and we agreed that more people need to learn to be kind. So I leave you today with today's Word of the Day, courtesy of Dictionary.com:

solicitous \suh-LIS-uh-tuhs\, adjective:
1. Manifesting or Expressing care or concern
2. Full of anxiety or concern; apprehensive
3. Extremely careful; meticulous
4. Full of desire; eager.

Let's all practice being solicitous today, shall we?

Tagged!

2006-11-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

Michele tagged me to tell 8 things about myself. Instead of just 8, because really, don't you all want to know more than that about me? Shut up, I'm telling you anyway. I got this in an email and thought it was a neat way to get to know someone.

Me from A to Z

A is for age:35
B is for beer of choice: I HATE BEER; I prefer wine
C is for career right now: CPA (auditor in public practice)
D is for your dog's name: Thumper
E is for essential item you use everyday:coffee; 2 hearing aids
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: Lost, Season 2 on DVD; Law & Order reruns on USA
G is for favorite game:watching my kids in gymnastics and soccer; I'm sue HP would like me to say J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets (football) and Go 'Canes (Miami Hurricanes college football) and Go Yankees! (baseball) and Yeah Devils (NJ Devils hockey) since he has taught each and every phrase to Tigger...
H is for Home town:born in Springfield, Missouri; raised here (Virginia)
I is for instruments you play:Organ; 5 years of lessons as a child
J is for favorite juice: grape; orange; cranberry
K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: just one? how about G.W.? All the way back to the village in Texas that is missing it's idiot.
L is for last place you ate out at: Chick fil A at work today - going to the Grate Steak tomorrow with my husband for office dinner.
M is for marriage:On my third, to the wonderful, delicious HP
N is for your full name: Not to be revealed here. Some of you know some of it.
O is for overnight hospital stays: 4 ear surgeries, 1 breast surgery, 2 babies.
P is for people you were with yesterday:HP, my kids, my co-workers/clients
Q is for quote: "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind" Dr. Seuss (kind of gives me free reign for my sarcasm, no?)
R is for Biggest Regret:marrying husband #1; believing my father would love me no matter what; believing my sister actually liked me
S is for status:Married, 2 (monsters) kids
T is for time you woke up today: 3:45 then dozed until 5:30 alarm
V is for vegetable that you love:squash, sweet potato, grilled corn on the cob
W is for worst habit:biting my nails; being judgmental
X is for x-rays you've had:small intestine (barium xray), wrist (bike accident as child), foot (stress fracture in my 20's); lungs (also several MRIs for that)
Y is for food you ate today:breakfast Raisin Nut Bran w/ slice of homemade pumpkin bread; Chick Fil A #1 for lunch, mini dark chocolate milky Way (only 1!) for snack; HP's homemade Chicken Saltimbocca (weight watchers version) for dinner. Going to have a scoop of ice cream now. Light Breyer's caramel.
Z is for Zodiac sign:Pisces

TAG, You're It: It's lame, but whoever feels up to it. Leave me a comment so I can go read it on your blog. I can't take the time to link to everyone - I've got a soccer cake to bake!

So What Do You Think?

2006-11-09T20:29:00.000-05:00

I asked a friend of mine who knows how to sew, to make me some curtains. We went fabric shopping and the material cost me $100. She asked for $100 for her labor. She brought them by today. What do you think? I think, it is about damn time I put something on these windows. We've only lived here 2 1/2 years!

Your Opinion Counts: Where is Blogging Headed?

2006-11-09T08:06:00.000-05:00

Now, how can I be expected to resist a request to give my opinion on something? Impossible! Here is your chance to voice your opinion on this whole blogging phenomenon. Mrs. CPA asked me to help out Mother Pie. I do not know Mother Pie (Hattie Page), I've never read her (but I will now, cause I'm on my way to 100 blogs a day on my "must read" list, and really I've got nothing but time on my hands you know) but this is a worthwhile way to spend a few minutes of your time.

As put by Mindy (much more eloquently than I can): "Motherpie wants to know! And with a name that includes both Mother and pie, we really ought to be paying attention. Go on over and help with the survey for Hattie Page's media studies graduate research project for digital media theory."

Go read about it (also here) at her website then go take the survey. You'll be glad you did.

Hmmm...I wonder if I can reward myself now with PIE? Too bad we just finished our sweet potato pie...

Pumpkin Comfort

2006-11-08T10:34:00.000-05:00

Well, one of my candidates won (maybe, it's going to be a close call with a recount) and one lost (it's official, he got 49% of the vote). And all amendments passed which sucks big time (I live in such a backwards, repressed state full of conservative numb-nut Republicans). This calls for a pumpkin recipe.

Gingered Pumpkin Crumble

Ingredients:

FILLING
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs TOPPING
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1 (18.25-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury® Moist Supreme® Butter Recipe Yellow Cake Mix
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup butter, melted

GARNISH
Whipped cream or topping

Preparation Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine all filling ingredients; beat until smooth. Pour into sprayed pan.

2. In medium bowl, combine all topping ingredients; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over filling.

3. Bake at 350°F. for 40 to 50 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

4. To serve, cut into squares; place on individual dessert plates. Top each serving with whipped cream. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped crystallized ginger. Store in refrigerator.

Yield:15 servings

Monster One and Monster Two

2006-11-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

Remember these two character from Cat in the Hat? Remember the trouble that Thing One and Thing Two caused? They've got NOTHING on my kids, now dubbed Monster One and Monster Two by me and HP this Saturday. Oh, we should have known how the day was going to go when Tigger was up at the ass crack of dawn again. Because everyone knows how cheerful and sunny pre-schoolers are after being awake over 12 hours, right?

Friday evening, my mom came over for dinner with her cousin who is visiting from out of town. HP picked up Olive Garden take-out. I had the new Chicken Roma but I was not impressed. But the pumpkin cheesecake was pretty good. And the salad and breadsticks, can't go wrong with those.

Saturday, we had Tigger's soccer game at 9 a.m. so when he got up early, it wasn't too big a deal. We had to get going anyway. The game itself was COLD! And with HP, me and Eeyore with a full-blown cold, we should have bought stock in Kleenex. Tigger seemed to have a great time running around though. We got his pre-paid picture package, which naturally, was missing pictures. So now I'm waiting for the picture company to call me back. It was so cold out, we stayed home all day. Which in retrospect, may have been a mistake. We should have taken them somewhere, anywhere, to get some energy out (any ideas anyone? Help!!). We put them down for a nap and watched several episodes of Lost Season 2 on DVD. The trouble started when we thought we could finish up the last episode we were watching after the kids were up. What were we thinking? Obviously we were not. And it just went downhill from there.

At one point, HP left to go pick up the truck for his EMT work for the night and I was alone with them. With Monster One and Monster Two. Let me tell you, it took all I had not to walk out the door and keep on walking. It's hard to put into words what was wrong. We all are sick, which makes us cranky. We all were cooped up with no exercise. We were all sick of looking at the same four walls. Tigger tried to put his doctor's tool (mirror) in my mouth and when I tried to take it out, he pulled back and cold-cocked me in the nose. I think it was an accident. I hope it was an accident. I tried putting him in time out in his room and this time, he wanted to go (I think it was because he could play with his airport in his room - next time I've got to remember to take it out). Every time I tried to discipline him, he thought it was freakin' hysterical. I know he was wound up from lack of sleep, and lack of activity, but still. And Eeyore just kept on whining and crying. And whining and crying some more. And the sibling rivalry is about to make me INSANE. The hitting, the crying...Oy vey!

I kept thinking, you know how when you were growing up and your parents told you, "just do your best" - well, what if your best isn't good enough? I felt like I was giving my best to my kids and it just wasn't good enough. Am I a bad mother? Do I let them get away with too much? I don't want them to be frightened of me the way I was scared of my dad but is it too damn much to ask for a little respect? Or am I off my rocker to expect that from a 2 and 4 year old? I've never been a parent before. I have no idea how to do this.

It did get better though. Sunday morning, HP had to get up at 6 am to bring the EMT truck back so he took Tigger to the bathroom and told him to go back to bed. As soon as he left the house though, Tigger came in and woke me up. I set him in bed next to me and went back to sleep for 15 minutes while he watched the Disney channel. 1/2 later, Eeyore woke up and I brought her in too. Amazingly, both were in good moods and that set the tone for the day. We did not go to church since we were all sick, even HP has the cold now, so HP went back out and got McDonald's for breakfast. I went to the grocery store for my bi-monthly trip and when I got back we all went and played in the back yard for a while. It was nice to get out. Then I went to the theatre for an extremely boring play, The Elephant Man. All I can say about that is: there went three hours of my life I will never get back. And that sucks. When I got back we all had dinner and played a while. I even asked HP to video tape me and the kids playing since they were in such good moods. Then I cut Tigger's hair - he got so upset (he always starts out good, but ends up crying - he just doesn't like the sensation of having his hair cut I think) so his sides are uneven (one side is higher than the other) and I didn' t have the heart (or patience) to make him sit any longer to fix it. He's four. I don't think he'll get teased about it. After we got them to bed, we watched more Lost (9 episodes in one weekend). Man, I love that show. Sawyer's glare is exactly like Eeyore's.

And now, back to work! Have a great week everyone! I'll be in class all day tomorrow so I'll have to catch up with everyone on Wednesday.

And the Winner is....

2006-11-06T08:17:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Karin of Chocolate Cars for her entry of Honey Pot. Which, I am naturally going to shorten to HP since I'm lazy like that. And, as a bonus, it's a lot like the moniker Mrs. CPA uses for her husband, TP. So we can be alike and all. Not that there's anything wrong with that or anything....So, Karin, prizes! I'm thinking you don't need the Desitin yet, despite our guessing that last week when you "lost" your bladder, but I will send you the $5 blockbuster card if you want, and/or the autographed picture of my husband, and/or something from the box of gifts. Hmmm, must come up with a clever name for that box... You choose and send me an email at cpamomva at hotmail dot com, along with your address for mailing. Thanks to everyone for playing. Makes me want to do another contest.

Call to Action: Food Allergies

2006-11-03T08:19:00.000-05:00

Legislation in Congress and how YOU can make a difference

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Sen. Christopher Dodd have just introduced legislation (S. 3980) directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to develop voluntary food allergy guidelines for preventing exposure to food allergens in schools and assuring a prompt response when a child suffers a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) worked diligently during the past year on the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2006 (S.3980) and hopes to see the bill passed into law in November. This bill, and a virtually identical companion bill introduced into the House shortly afterward by Rep. Lowey, effectively replace H.R. 4063 which had been introduced in 2005.

How You Can Support the Bill (and help children like my Tigger)

Now is the time to contact your senators and demand that they support this bill. The most effective form of support for S.3980 is a simple five minute phone call to your senator. Below you will find a suggested guideline for your phone conversation (or send an email and/or letter):

Ask to speak to the staff member who handles health issues in the office.
Briefly describe how food allergies affect you and your family. Also mention the importance of a safe school environment for children with food allergies.
Tell the staffer you want your senator to co-sponsor bill S. 3980. [The more co-sponsors the food allergy bill collects, the more likely the bill will come up for a vote during the short period the Senate is in session in November.]
Urge your senator to speak to Senate leadership and request the bill be voted on under “unanimous consent.” [This means the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2006 (S.3980) will be voted on by a simple “yes or no” vote, without debate. Many non-controversial bills are passed under this mechanism at the end of each year, and we feel S.3980 falls squarely into this category.]

Talking Points About the Bill

Feel free to use the information from this outline to make a case for the bill. In addition, you should briefly describe how food allergies have affected your child and your family. Read and Download an outline of S.3980.

Below you will find a link providing phone numbers and e-mail addresses for both of your senators:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Please let us know what kind of feedback you receive from the staff person. This information will provide a critical foundation to our efforts in Washington in November. Please send feedback to our Washington Representatives at Peter.Banks@whaonline.org.

Thank you for participating in this important effort!

Download this Page (.pdf ~44kb)

**All information above copied and pasted from here. Please consider taking the time to write a simple email to your senator, for Tigger's sake. He will be starting school in a year and this legislation will help to keep him safe. You KNOW how worried I am already, even though it's a year away.

Get Out The Vote

2006-11-03T08:03:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this campaign directed at women? In a provocative way, it is designed to get you thinking about the first time you voted. I'm a little conflicted on the manner they are using to promote this important message; after all, I think there is too much sexuality in advertising and media already that damages our collective self-esteem. But it does make you take a second look and I'm talking about it here because, Ladies, we need to vote!

Did you know that "according to Women's Voices. Women Vote. 20 million women did not vote in the last election. That's 20 million women. " (quote from here) Why should we vote?

Women don’t earn enough to stay afloat, let alone to get ahead.

Most minimum wage workers over age 16 are women, but the buying power of the minimum wage is at its lowest level in 51 years and Congress hasn’t raised it in over nine years.
Women face unequal pay for equal work, earning on average only 77¢ for every dollar earned by men— and African American women and Latinas fare even worse—but bills to strengthen the laws against discrimination have gone nowhere.

Congress is lavishing tax cuts on the wealthy and powerful few while slashing funds for women’s priorities.

The tax cut passed this year gives millionaires an average cut of $43,000 but gives the overwhelming majority of American households only $31 or less.
Funds have been cut for student loans, Medicaid and child support enforcement—and 250,000 children have lost federal child care assistance since 2000, a number that is climbing.

Social Security is threatened by tax cuts and efforts to "privatize" the system.

Women are especially dependent on Social Security’s guaranteed, lifetime benefits.
But diverting funds into private accounts could lead to deep benefit cuts, and the huge tax cuts given to the wealthy are draining away money needed for benefits over the long term.

Women lack health insurance that meets their needs

Women need and use more health care than men do, but have more problems paying for care; 17 million women in the U.S. have no health insurance at all, and one in every five women reports that she did not fill a prescription last year because of cost.
But some leaders in Washington have promoted insurance plans that shift costs onto the consumer, pushed to reduce benefits, and created a prescription drug program that makes the lowest income seniors and people with disabilities worse off than they were before the law passed.

Women struggle to manage family and work responsibilities.

Most women with young children work outside the home, and working parents are working increasingly long hours.
Paid family and medical leave and access to quality, affordable child care are often unavailable, but Congress has failed to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act or adequately fund child care.

Getting a good education is the key to getting ahead, but funds are being cut.

Congress passed a law that will cut federal student loan programs by $12.7 billion over 5 years, Pell Grants are paying for a smaller and smaller share of college costs, and the President’s budget proposes additional education cuts of 29% for next year.
A college education is important to help women move into higher-paying fields and close the wage gap, but the Bush Administration is trying to gut programs that help women succeed in math and science.

Women’s ability to control their reproductive lives and health is under attack.

Roe v. Wade is in danger of being overturned because of new judges on the Supreme Court, confirmed by a majority in the Senate.
Birth control is also under attack, with family planning programs under-funded, pharmacists refusing to fill birth control prescriptions, and the FDA delaying for over three years a decision to allow the morning-after pill to be sold without a prescription even though its own experts found that it’s safe.

If you think our leaders in Washington aren’t doing what they should to address the challenges you face in your life—REGISTER and VOTE! Remember, elections can be decided by just a handful of votes, so YOUR VOTE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

To register to vote, get information on voting (your polling place, how to vote absentee, etc.), or learn about the candidates in your area, go to http://capwiz.com/nwlc/e4/ and enter your state or zip code.

Download this Fact Sheet

The National Women’s Law Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has been working to advance and protect women’s legal rights since 1972. Women’s Voices. Women Vote is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to mobilize women to register to vote and to go to the polls on Election Day. Neither organization takes positions on candidates or elections, and nothing herein should be construed as an endorsement of any candidate or party.

Brilliant, Absolutely Brilliant

2006-11-03T07:46:00.000-05:00

Any of you read The Queen of Spain? No? You should. She is searingly honest, wickedly funny and just a hoot to read. In fact, she is the woman I would like to be. She also posts at The Huffington Post and she has something on there this week that is a must read. If you are as tired of being called at home by the political parties as I am, go read this. And don't say I didn't warn you. Just don't have anything in your mouth when you read it or milk/coffee/margarita may come out your nose as you howl hysterically.

Name That Husband

2006-11-02T20:17:00.000-05:00

Now I'm sure you are all familiar with Ree's weekly photo contests. Susan always seems to come up with the most clever captions. In the spirit of such contests, I'm going to have a little one here. 'Cause I need some help on something. Now, unlike Ree, I don't have any large gift cards just hanging around in my drawer. And unlike Jes, I don't have a Storage Closet O'Goodness either. I do have a $5 Blockbuster gift card that we won from the pre-school for filling out our paperwork on time. And my husband said he would throw in an autographed photo of himself since the contest is about him. And I guess I could throw in that Desitin too if anyone wants it. No? Not enough? O.K., I do have a large box of gifts that I can go through and find something fun. What? You don't all keep a box of gifts handy for unexpected gift giving and with your Christmas shopping that you do year round and keep an Excel spreadsheet on everything that is in the box? Only me? Huh. Who knew.

Here's what I need in return - a pseudonym for my husband so I can stop calling him "my husband" - cause I'm lazy like that. I mean really, 9 letters! He suggested EMT 'cause he is an EMT but I said, wait! Let's ask the internet to turn on their thinking caps. Cagey suggested Husband v.3 since he is my third husband, but again with the letters - that is 9 with a dot! I'm such a slug.

Seriously, that is definitely in the running. Let's see what else you guys (all three of you readers) can come up with.

A Traffic Blog?

2006-11-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

Just for grins and giggles, I thought I'd do a post on traffic. I've been remiss on sharing my tales of traffic woe as of late and I just know you are all in withdrawal (especially you Silly Hily).

Here is a letter to the editor I just sent in to the paper: When my late husband was alive, he worked for a large auto dealership. Every day he drove back and forth in a company vehicle. He told me once how important it was that he drive carefully as he was representing his company while in their car. I think this is a lesson many people need to learn today. Last week I was driving on the interstate and a tow truck from a local towing/garage approached me. He was tailgating, "pushing"people out of his way and driving aggressively all the way from (one city) to his exit in (another city). He was speeding, at least going 70 -75, in a large tow truck. When he got to the stop light by the garage, he didn't want to wait to get into the turn lane so he hopped the curb and hit his mirror on a tree, and tore up the grass on the median. In summary, he was a very rude, aggressive and dangerous driver. And there is no way I would ever use that business to tow my vehicle.
Just a tip to the fool who was on my ass tonight - if I'm going 70 in a 55 already, crawling up my tailpipe is not going to make me go faster or move out of the way. It's just going to make me want to go slower, to like maybe the speed limit or something. I'm crazy like that.
And, to the young woman going 30 in a 45, STOP TEXT MESSAGING WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING! You kind of need to PAY ATTENTION to the road. I know! You'd think they would teach that in driver's education or something!
Finally, if you are going slow in the left lane in your fancy sports car, and you are getting passed by my mini-van in the right lane, you have to ask yourself, are you a man or a eunuch? 'Cause if it is the latter, you wasted your money; you should have gotten a honda civic (and give the 'vette to me!)

Yeah! Halloween Pictures!

2006-11-02T07:54:00.000-05:00

Lion, Tiggers and Eeyores, Oh My!

2006-11-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

*2nd of two new posts* (maybe three, I need to try to download the pictures in a new post since fucking blogger won't download my photos. Stacey, I feel your pain)

So we got home around 5 p.m. last night and hurried to eat Pizza (Burger King for the kids, of course) and get them changed and out the door. We planned on going down the street and coming back in an hour to hand out candy ourselves. In our haste, we didn't remember a stroller for Eeyore, and I didn't remember to change my shoes from my heels or go to the bathroom. I'm clever like that. So we ended up passing Eeyore back and forth, all 30+ lbs of her. She was scared quite a few times and burst into tears (scary costumes, scary house). My Tigger, well, not so much. We went to this one house that really goes all out and Tigger just walks up the door and gets his candy, thank you very much. They even remembered him from last year since he is such a little guy and wasn't scared. The whole time, Tigger kept yelling "Halloween" spontaneously. He loves the whole concept even though he doesn't eat the candy (allergies). We got back home and both kids handed out candy which Tigger loves to do. Eeyore, she is a little unsure of the costumes. Then my husband took Tigger back out down the other side of the street. My husband tells me that at another scary house, two middle schoolers were scared out of their wits while Tigger just held out his bag for his treat. Didn't even flinch. Now, does he have nerves of steel or is his hearing that bad? Time will tell when he is old enough for a comprehensive hearing test. I let them stay outside with us passing out candy until an hour past normal bedtime, which led to unbelievable melt-downs but they had a good time and it's only once a year. My husband stayed outside until 8 pm (cut-off time per the city) and had me put the kids in their bath. So I could experience the melt-downs and he could stay outside in the quiet. Gee, honey, thanks so much. We are SO switching places next year.

I don't know about you guys but we always have van loads of kids outside the neighborhood come in. And something about these 12 year olds, who don't even bother to dress up, and show up at your door holding out a plastic grocery bag, barking TRICK OR TREAT, pisses me off. My husband, who has a kinder heart than me, thinks they may be too poor to buy a costume. Bullshit I say. Throw a sheet over your head, put on your parent's clothes and be a hobo. Use your imagination. Don't just go out for the free candy. I wanted to slap them. Too bad that would be illegal and all.

And speaking of the law, let me ask our opinion. We have a registered sex offender on our street. I'd say he lives about 2 blocks from our house. When we went out trick-or-treating, I had forgotten to check for his exact house number but I was pretty sure where it was. Now, according to the Virginia official registration site, he is a "sex offender" - that is all is says. So I checked family watch dog which breaks it down into "sexual battery", "rape," "offense against children" and "other." According to that site, this man was convicted of sexual battery, not offense against children so I'm not sure what he did exactly.

My first question: HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE OF WHAT HE DID?

My second question: Since the site says "unlawful use of the information for purposes of intimidation or harassing another is prohibited and willful violation shall be punishable as a Class I misdemeanors," does that mean I cannot tell my neighbors about this man? Does that mean I cannot plaster his picture on all the mail boxes (we have community mailboxes)?

My third question: We took the kids to his house for trick-or-treating. I didn't want to, my husband said it would be o.k. since we were with the kids, and I felt silly so I acquiesced. Now I'm mad at myself for not just running past. The man was waiting at the door, he had seen us, and I didn't want to appear rude by not going to his door. How dumb and stupid is that? And I trust my husband with my life, I know he wouldn't allow any harm to come to any of us, but why didn't I stand my ground on this? Why do I feel I did something very, very wrong by exposing my children to this man?

Happy (work) anniversary to me

2006-11-01T20:19:00.000-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of the day I started at this firm. My last day at where I used to work was Halloween 2005. My last day of H-E-L-L. There were various and sundry reasons I left there - the professional reasons I won't go into here as my husband still works there and I don't want him to be dooced by proxy. The personal reasons were mainly because the people I worked with, with a few exceptions, were all back-stabbing, "eat or be eaten", bitches and bastards. Now, the few exceptions are exceptional people that are still in my life. But I couldn't take the negativity, the pure evil-ness of most of the rest. Leaving there was the best decision of my professional life. Here in this firm where I am now, I am thriving. I am blossoming. I am growing and learning and loving my career again. I look forward to going to work, and not just to get away from the (screaming, fighting, whining kids) little angels. I will be forever grateful for this chance and try not to blow it. Which means less blogging at work dammit. Curse you, addiction!

But sometimes, I do wonder about our location. We are mere blocks from the worst part of the city. Mere blocks from where a police officer was killed one year ago. And this morning, I pulled up (we park on the side of the street in back of the building) and before I could turn the engine off, I saw a tall man walk by my van, dragging a heavy suitcase and carrying a large bag. So, I stayed in my car until he passed. Too many times, co-workers have been confronted by the homeless and I didn't want to take any chances. At that moment, two police cars zoomed by and screeched to a stop in front of my van, not even bothering to park but just stopped diagonally. All four officers jumped out and surrounded the man. I was all about leaving the scene quickly so I don't know what happened. I was the first at the office so I locked the door behind me and hoped for the best. Nothing like a little drama to start the day! But the sad part, I'd still take this over the old place any day. And that says a lot.

A Girl and Her Blog

2006-10-30T09:09:00.000-05:00

"Hey Tigger, I think Christopher Robin gave us up!"

"What are you saying Eeyore?"

"I'm saying Tigger, that we're not a secret blog anymore!"

"Oh, that's okay Eeyore, it's not nice to keep secrets anyway."

"Oh, then let me tell you that you have a frog on your head. I kept it a secret so I could laugh at you behind your back."

"Thanks Eeyore, I love you too."

And with that, I told my husband about my super secret blog. I started this blog when I was reading Denise's blog and it wouldn't let me comment without opening an account. And I couldn't just keep my assvice to myself so I signed up. My original intent was to keep a diary since no one was going to read it anyway. And what to my wondering eyes should appear but comments. And I've met some wonderful people out here in blog land, people I want to share with my best friend. This has become too big a part of my life to keep it from him. So I told him Friday night. And I feel very good about the decision. Hi there husband! Welcome to my blogging world.

And speaking of you wonderful people (really, I need a thesaurus. How many times can I say wonderful already?!?) - I have an idea to float past you. I was thinking of organizing a "mini-blogher" for us "mini-bloggers" (without the sponsors and free gifts - just good friends, their husbands and kids, and good wine and food) - because I have all kinds of free time you know. You know I cannot go to BlogHer since my sister goes every year. But I'm DYING to meet you people in person. Amy and I are planning a family trip to Myrtle Beach in May, before my surgery. One of her family members has a house there. Now, I'm NOT inviting you guys to that house. Even I am not so bold (and rude). But I was thinking we could all get hotel rooms, and the guys could play golf during the day, then they would watch the kids while we ladies went out on the town. What say you all? Possible? Regardless, Amy and I will be there with our families and we'd love to see you all!

**By the way, how cute are those figurines? They were in baskets of goodies for my kids that the super wonderful Mrs. CPA sent my kids this week. They got bubbles, play-doh, glow in the dark necklaces, and other neat stuff and she sent me super bath stuff. And I got it at work so she made me cry at work as a bonus. I feel so incredibly blessed to have a friend like her. Go give her some linky love!

Weekend Wrap-Up

2006-10-30T08:22:00.000-05:00

Word of the day: febrile \FEB-ruhl: FEE-bruhl; -bryl\, adjective: Of or pertaining to fever; indicating fever or derived from it; feverish.

Eeyore woke up on Saturday with a fever. 102.1. She doesn't normally get sick and this time, it was only her body feeling like a furnace that tipped us off - otherwise she was acting her normal self. We gave her some Tylenol and it came down. By the time my mother came over to baby-sit that night, she was fine. Due to rain, Tigger's soccer was cancelled so we just spent the day indoors. Which of course, meant we were all certifiably insane by 5 p.m.

On Saturday night, my husband and I went to a wedding about an hour away, which was held, along with the reception, in a nature museum. How cool is that? We got there early and were allowed to go all over the museum and take pictures of the animals. And during the reception, a volunteer brought out an owl and a rabbit. Unusual but fun! It was also the first wedding I have ever been to that had absolutely no alcohol due to their religion. The woman who was married was a co-worker of mine so all of my co-workers were there. We had a wonderful time but left at 9:30 due to the commute home.

One co-worker was there with her three kids and her babysitter (her husband is out to sea). At one point, I corrected her son's manners and my husband chastised me for taking the boy to task. He really hurt my feelings as he harshly spoke to me in front of the rest of the table. So I asked the child's mom, my friend, was I wrong? She said "NO! That is because you are a GOOD MOM" and she told my husband that too. So I ask you, is that a male/female difference or a northern/southern difference? Me, and my girlfriends, we all correct each other's children. I have no problem when someone corrects Tigger or Eeyore, indeed Pooh's mom told Tigger to "say Thank You" on Sunday and I was grateful she caught it. But my husband said there is no way he would correct someone else's child. My opinion? However cheesy it may seem, it DOES take a village to raise a child. Any thoughts?

Sunday was Tigger's party at the zoo. And Eeyore woke up with her fever again so instead of going to the party, she got to go to the pediatrician with her daddy. Luckily they have Sunday hours. Good news - despite her tugging on her ears, she has no ear infections but the drainage from her cold is running down her throat. Official diagnosis is an upper respiratory infection. Dimetapp is all she needs for now. Poor baby. I am so congested myself I feel her pain. So does my husband since my snoring is driving him into the guest room every night!

Tigger's party went really well. 9 kids has R.S.V.P.ed and only 6 showed up. One of the three who did not show, was a very good friend of mine that I had invited via email. Since she didn't have an invitation, she forgot it was at the zoo and came to my house (my empty house) instead. Oh well. She thought I would be mad but why? We missed her that is all. The other two kids are sisters. I have no idea why they didn't come. The kids who did come had a great time. Tigger's best friend Pooh was there and I asked his mom to stay and replace my husband and she was gracious enough to do so. The zoo staff member brought in a chicken (hen), a rabbit and a corn snake for the kids to touch. I was so proud of Tigger. He touched all three without a problem!

Then they went outside and feed the goats. Tigger wouldn't let them eat out of his hand so he threw the apples inside the pen instead. I don't blame him! They like to slobber! Then we had pizza and cake and opened presents. He got three Superman toys and 1 Spiderman. He's never been too particularly fond of either but he didn't complain. He actually loves the Wiggles and Dora but I guess the parents thought all boys like Superman and Spiderman? One child, who didn't speak a word the entire party (German is his first language and he is just learning English) gave Tigger a Mega Blocks dumpster (I had fun putting it together :-) Pooh gave him money so we're going to take him to buy some books with it. My mom is taking him to buy books for his annual birthday trip excursion.

When we got home, he refused to nap so that led to abysmal behavior all evening. For the first time, I had to take him up to his room for a time out by himself instead of in the chair downstairs. He cried the entire time but I think the message got through. He absolutely hates to be alone - thinks he will miss something. Add in Eeyore's feeling bad and it was not a fun night at the Hundred Acre Wood. We put them in the bath at 6:15 and in bed by 7:00. I think they were trying at adjust to the time change too.

As for me, I'm glad to be back at work (blogging) to get a break! Have a great day everyone!

p.s. It's back up to 71 degrees today so I'm going out to lunch today to enjoy it while it lasts. But tomorrow, it's going to be 75, and that is just wrong on so many levels to have a warm Halloween. Or is that just me?

Tigger's Big Day

2006-10-29T20:27:00.000-05:00

Here is the cake I made for Tigger's 4th Birthday Party. The candles are on the table next to it. You can't even tell that it split in half when I laid it on top of the bottom cake, can you? I used Pillsbury Moist Deluxe. Never again - crumbly!

This was the party room at the zoo. It's a rainforest theme. Very cool! They provided everything on the table.

Part of the party was going outside to feed the goats. The tall boy at top is not part of the party but he wouldn't leave our group even after our coordinator told him to leave the party! Ugh! His parents were with him and didn't say anything to him. This is the only picture I'll post of the group as you can't really see their faces and I don't want to put up pictures of kids that aren't mine without parental consent.

Here is the mask in the goody bag - Tigger is behind the mask. The zoo provided the goody bags too, full of great zoo stuff.

These sunglasses were in the bag too. This is Tigger playing his guitar. Our little Elvis. Happy fourth birthday (my baby) big boy!

Go Red For Women

2006-10-26T07:28:00.000-05:00

*cut and paste from an e-mail I got from the American Heart Association. I felt it was important enough to share. And there is a pumpkin recipe on the bottom!! Just for you Lawyerish.

Spooky Facts About Heart Disease

As we're approaching Halloween, we thought we'd share some truly scary statistics – the dreadful impact of heart disease on women. Here are some facts that should encourage you to take a serious look at your heart health:

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills nearly half a million women a year, about one per minute.
CVD claims more lives than the next five causes of death combined.
One in 2.6 women will die of heart disease or stroke, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer.

You don't have to be haunted by heart disease. Learn the facts, face your fears and find out how you can start reducing your risk today.

Join The Great American Smoke Out

Smoking significantly increases your risk for heart disease. But there's good news: When you stop smoking — no matter how long or how much you've smoked — your risk of heart disease and stroke starts to drop. So if you smoke, please join other smokers across the country in the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout by smoking less or quitting for the day on November 16.

The event challenges people to stop using tobacco and raises awareness of the many effective ways to quit for good. If you can't go "cold turkey," cut the number of cigarettes you smoke each day in half; then cut that number in half; cut it in half again; and finally, cut down to zero.
Do it for your personal heart health and for your loved ones who want to keep you around! Learn more about the effects of smoking on the heart.

Go Red Recipe Of The MonthVelvet Pumpkin Bread

Serves 16; 1 slice per serving
The name says it all — this bread has a wonderful texture. And just wait until you smell it baking!

Vegetable oil spray
1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup fat-free milk

Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs, or 2 large eggs, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons corn oil stick margarine

1 tablespoon canola or corn oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans, dry-roasted

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 ´ 5 ´ 3-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, milk, egg substitute, margarine, and oil.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Stir the remaining ingredients into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

Pour the pumpkin mixture all at once into the well. Stir until just moistened. Don't overmix. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack.

Nutrition Analysis (per serving)
Calories
158
Total Fat
4.5 g
Saturated
0.5 g
Polyunsaturated
1.5 g
Monounsaturated
2.0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
129 mg
Carbohydrates
27 g
Fiber
1 g
Sugar
14 g
Protein
3 g
Dietary Exchange 2 Starch 1/2 fat

This recipe is reprinted with permission from The New American Heart Association Cookbook, Seventh Edition, Copyright © 2005 by the American Heart Association. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. Available from booksellers everywhere

Pictures of Tigger's birthday cake

2006-10-26T06:55:00.000-05:00

Busy Times

2006-10-25T18:49:00.000-05:00

Miss me? Probably not. But I missed writing here. It brings home to me though, why I never successfully kept a diary long term - it takes actual time to write and I have precious little of that. I know, "whine, whine, we all have time issues," but hey, this is my blogworld and in my world it is all about me so I can whine all I want, right? RIGHT! So, what's been going on in the 100 acre wood, in random order using the almighty bullet (a blogger's best friend):

Saturday we had soccer and in a discussion with the team manager about our end of season party, I found myself offering to make the cake. So Tigger will be safe - store bought cakes are not usually safe for his allergies. So I'm going to make a soccer cake, because I've got loads of time for that. Here is the pan I bought. Stacy, help me out here - how do I get the two sides to stick together - my idea is to put the two sides together and set it on top of a sheet cake, then decorate the ball. I've got sugar soccer balls to do a border on the sheet cake. I figure, stars and lines, I can do that.
The soccer party will be immediately following our 11:00 final game at CiCi's pizza, from 12:00 to 1:00. Then we have to rush home to (force) put the kids in bed for a quick nap while they are still on a cake/sugar rush, then leave by 3:30 to get to the Wiggle's in time. Stop the Madness!
Saturday afternoon, we took the kids to the local farm for the festival that we've been going to ever since Tigger was a baby. They rode the little train with Daddy, bounced in the moon walk and picked out three pumpkins. We also went on their first hayride (just out into the fields and back, pulled by a blue tractor). They did remarkably well considering Tigger HAD.NO.NAP....AGAIN. What happened to my beautiful napping baby?

Look at me! Look at my pumpkin! You are still not getting a smile out of me!

Bro' she's doing it AGAIN! Make her stop with the camera already. There are just no perfect Kodak moments here!

This one, I want this one! I am strong! I will lift it for you Daddy!

After the festival, where we dropped forty dollars in 1 hour, including $12 for gigantic pumpkin and $3 for some yummy cotton candy, we elected to go home without braving dinner at our local favorite Italian place. We did pick up take out though, we're not crazy!
I met with the ear surgeon this week. Oh my, he was yummy. Model good looking. Smelled good too. Too bad he is married - I'm totally looking out for my unmarried baby sister! Get your mind out of the gutter. Anyway...he wants to do surgery to "take a look behind" my ear drum. It is totally elective so I'm on the fence. I had the same "elective surgery" about 10 years ago to rule out Otosclerosis with another doctor. Luckily, I don't have that. But something "is going on" in my middle ear to cause such dramatic hearing loss, something that started in the last five years. Now, if I have the surgery, he cannot guarantee any improvement and he cannot improve the nerve damage at all (and that the nerve damage was heredity - which made me laugh hard enough to choke - long story but my dad disowned me this year because he felt I was blaming him personally for my health problems caused by heredity - and we never even talked about my ears!) The doctor also said part of my ear drum is of a mucus consistency instead of dry like it should be and that is why I get so many ear infections and that I need to always keep my ear dry (ear plugs if I go under water and in the shower) - I've been keeping it dry that way since I was 5 but no one ever told me why (clinically) the water caused the ear infections. So I have until after tax season to decide. I'm going to ask for the CAT scan before surgery 'cause he said he can see some of the middle ear that way. Not his preferred way to go (he prefers surgery) but it's my ear he'd be cutting into, not his! If I have the 2 hour out-patient surgery, I cannot travel for three weeks or lift anything heavy so I'll have to wait anyway until after the holidays (we are traveling to Missouri for Thanksgiving). Then there's the small matter of tax season...no surgery or babies for me, right Kelly?
By the way, S.J. and Mrs. CPA, here is a great site you should check out. I get a lot of information there about pediatric ENT issues.
Tigger's birthday was Monday and my post about his birth, just like my post about Eeyore's birth from 2 months ago, is still in my head instead of on my blog (along with posts about breast cancer, and a call to action for the food allergy senate bill and I have GOT to tell you about the bitch of a speech teacher my Tigger has now). Because I'm a loser mom like that. And, to make his birthday special? I took him and Eeyore to their semi-annual dentist appointment. Because I'm a groovy mom like that. But he did get cake that night. And while he did scream and kick while we were in the room, he was a perfect angel when we waited in the lobby and was alone with the staff. They had us sneak back in and see him sitting perfectly still for the dentist as he cleaned and flossed. Little stinker. They both have all 20 teeth. I didn't even notice their molars coming in so what am I supposed to put in the baby book for when they came in? Bad mommy!
I cleaned out the kids bathroom and found an unopened, still in the box, 2 oz package of Desitin, expires August 2007. Whoever asks me for it first, I'll mail it to you. Because I'm a groovy, freaky friend like that (right Hollow Squirrel?)
My Tigger had to be talked to today for humping the girls in his class. Yes, you heard me right. It seems that the last two days, he's been hugging girls during circle time, and humping them during the hug. WTF? He's only four people. That is certainly not something he saw on the Wiggles or Dora. And that is the only TV he sees - DVDs, not even TV. And my husband and I are quite chaste around them. I have no idea where this is coming from. My husband said, a part of him was a bit proud of his son. NO NO NO. That is wrong on so many levels...and yet, I'm chuckling right along with him. Tigger really doesn't know what he is doing and his teachers and I were giggling while talking about it too. Still, WTF?
I just colored my hair with Garnier Nutrisse Champagne Fizz hair color. I normally use Loreal but this was on sale for $5.99 people! And how can you go wrong with a product that has fruit oil concentrate and nourishing avocado oil conditioner? As usual, the color I pick does not matter as it always pulls red. Which it did, I just showered it out. What, you didn't notice I was even gone?
I actually went back to the Y last night after like 3 weeks gone. I walked for 5, ran for 15, walked for 5, then ran for 5. I was exhausted. I really need to do this with more consistency! And, I was one of two people on 12 treadmills (10 were empty) and some ignorant man came in and got on the treadmill.right.next.to.me. Why do I need your sweat on me when you have 9 others to chose from? WTF? I ALMOST hit him. It was tough. Luckily, I only had 1 minute left. Too bad I didn't know his car to key it (which reminds me, have you heard Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats? My first husband cheated on me so this song cracks me up. Great song.
Today I had my bone density scan (since I'm at risk for Osteopenia) and also had blood drawn since I'm at risk for not being able to absorb B-12. [both side effects of the Crohn's] If they find I'm not absorbing B-12, I'll have to start getting shots. If I've got osteopenia, I'll have to take a prescription calcium supplement. As if I'm not paying out my entire salary on co-pays already. Tigger's Zyrtec alone is $100 for 3 months.
I tried to post pictures of Tigger's cake celebration but blogger hates me. I'll try again tomorrow.
Sunday is his birthday party at the zoo. With temps in the 60s. Me, my husband, my mom and my little sister with 11 kids. No other adults/parents allowed for the safety of the animals. I'm making his lion cake Saturday (looks a little like this but I have the old pan from 1992 they don't make anymore. I'll post pictures next week). Pray for us.
Ok, I'll stop now. Hopefully you are still with me. And hopefully I'll get those other posts out of my head and down "on paper" soon. I also want to post the actual things my sister said about me and my mom so you can judge if I was being too sensitive or if she really is a total bitch. Sounds like a tv show "You be the judge!"
Have a great evening! xoxoxo

School Daze

2006-10-19T07:13:00.000-05:00

I am 4 years old. I will NOT smile. You cannot make me smile. You may admire how handsome I am.

Just what do you think you are doing? I REFUSE to smile. I am 2 years old. I will freeze you with my glare.

Did you not hear me WOMAN? No smiling! Stop taking pictures already. I'm DONE!

Help me brother! That crazy lady won't stop taking pictures! No problem lil' sis. I'll blind her with my handsome good looks.

Act Your Age

2006-10-15T21:40:00.000-05:00

I'm tired. It's 11:30 on Sunday night and I've been a "single parent" for four days. And these two "angels," well, they've bettered me. To be sure, I astonished myself by not losing my temper more. Once or twice during the evening bed time ritual, I raised my voice, when I swore I would not, but all in all, not bad.

It occurred to me, one late evening, that they are just acting their age. After all, they are just 2 and 4 and they are testing, testing, and testing their limits some more. Throw a monkey wrench in their carefully choreographed days (like Daddy disappearing) and they feel the need to figure out just what is going on in their little world.

Stacy recently asked the question that I've had running through my mind, ever since, well, ever since my son was born: Am I doing it right? Another wonderful writer, Catherine (Her Bad Mother) just did a post on, well ironically enough, feeling like a bad mother. And in her most recent post, she used a term that really resonated with me: maternal inadequacy. For most of the time, I do feel inadequate. Two college degrees, one CPA, and I cannot get two children to bend to my will? Or at least listen once or twice? Four days alone with these two really hammered home all my short comings.

So, our weekend, in brief. Not for your interest but for the sake of my recollection. Thursday, I left work early to pick the kids up and get Tigger to soccer practice by 5 p.m. Since apparently, I am the only working mom on the team. As an aside, the other mom's were talking about day care prices and I came in on the conversation and was saying how cheap their prices sounded. Turns out it is because they are only going 2-3 days a week for a few hours. Mine are going 9 hours a day, 5 days a week. You should have seen the looks I got when I said that.

Annnyyywayyy...Eeyore decided she wanted to play on the playground next to the field. Meaning, a good distance away from the field. And Tigger wouldn't stay on the field unless I stayed right.next.to.it, not 1/2 way across the city on the playground. So I walked back and forth between the two until finally Tigger was comfortable enough to play on his own with the coach and his team mates (it didn't hurt that I finally told him, no BK chicken for dinner unless you practice. Ahem...)

Friday I picked up a few groceries while on lunch break so I wouldn't have to go to the store with my two angels (demons). I picked them up from day care and feed them frozen pizzas I had gotten on that little shopping trip. True to form, Tigger ate just the pepperoni (his and mine) and Eeyore ate just the crust.

Saturday, I arose to Tigger cheerfully bounding in saying he had pooped in his diaper. Yes, I got to start my day emptying a 4 year old's poop in the toilet. Before I had my contacts in or my teeth brushed. Better to save time by brushing after vomiting so I didn't have to brush twice. Good times. (no, I didn't really vomit but I WANTED TO). My baby sister, called and said she was going to meet us at the soccer game. Things were looking up. I don't see her much because she is finishing up her counseling degree (and leaving teaching). She told me she had to file assault charges against a student this week. More good times.

Soccer went better than I hoped. Tigger actually went out and played for his coach. He ran after the ball a lot but didn't seem to want to kick it. He was happy just to run so I was happy too. I hope you are sitting down because I 'm going to tell you that my sister offered to bring me a Starbucks and I turned her down. Ah! Stop the madness!! But I already had 4 cups of coffee in me already with EGGNOG creamer. Yes, I said EGGNOG. God bless the geniuses at Coffee Mate who are ahead of the executives at Starbucks. Gah! Where was I???

The game was a late one, 11 to 11:45 so I got them BK chicken (again! I know! the horror!) for lunch. Then off for nap, or so I thought...I guess they decided to give up naps for lent? for advent? for Halloween? I am heartless though, I left them in their room for an hour anyway and put up the rest of the outdoor decorations for Halloween so I could get the boxes out of my dining room and into the garage. I also did four loads of laundry. Fun times in the Hundred Acre Wood, fun times. I gave up trying to get them to nap and brought them downstairs. I then put together a new book shelf for Tigger and took his old one out and put it in Eeyore's room (his old one matches her furniture). I anchored them both to the walls and divided the books up. Still more books than bookshelves. Good problem to have, in my book (get it? in my book? I crack me up). I wrestled with some anger at my husband since I discovered that when he put up the anchors for Tigger's book shelf originally, he just put the screws in the drywall, without those plastic color pieces for the screws, that you use when you can't put the screw into the stud, first. So I was able to just pull the anchor piece out of the wall. Kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?!?!?

I had promised to take them to the park when I was done. It was after 5 though so I quickly grilled a cheese sandwich, and loaded them up in their umbrella strollers (connected with these neat connector do-dads I bought to make an instant double stroller). After knocking down one of our Halloween signs (Ugh!) with this double - wide contraption, we set off for the park, all bundled up (it was about 60 degrees). They ate their sandwich on the way, fritos while playing, and grapes on the way home. Who says you have to eat dinner at the table all the time? After I got them to bed, I cleaned up and was shampooing my carpet at 9:30 p.m. I wanted to get good and tired so I would sleep better. I was drawn into several L&O episodes (again!) and finally closed my eyes at midnight.

Today, I was again awakened by Tigger, again with poop in the pants. Lovely. I got us all ready and to church on time! I took them to the nursery, and then went to church. Man, I almost started to cry. To me, church is a time to reconnect with my husband and the love we have for each other. I absolutely hated going alone, without him. But I did it. The nuns, and my mom, would be proud.

Afterwards, we met my baby sister (two days in a row!! Woo hoo!!) for lunch at the Olive Garden, in my new quest to get the kids out in restaurants. I gave the chef card with Tigger's allergies to the waitress along with the order for spaghetti for the kids. She came back and said "the chef says there are no peanuts in the spaghetti." I almost came across the table and put a fork in her eyeball. Do I look like a moron? Don't answer that. Lunch went well though and then we went to the mall to get new Stride Rite shoes for fall. I think by the time we were done, my sister was re-thinking her desire for children. Ah, free birth control, yet another gift from my kids. But their shoes were on sale so we got out of there for under $100, a rarity! Woot! After another futile attempt to get them to nap (while I vacuumed the car, cleaned off the outdoor equipment and gave the dog a bath) I got them up for a few rounds of DVD (The Wiggles). At four, I took them in the back yard to play. We came back in at 5 to a answering machine message from my husband, saying, very irately, PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE. Uh, why on God's green earth would he think I would just sit there and not pick up the phone and talk to him??? Turned out his 2nd flight, his reservation had disappeared. Yahoo! sucks. So he was on standby to get a flight home. He called at 9:30 and said he got on. So he should be home in about an hour. I understand his frustration, but damn! Now I have forgotten why I wanted him to come home in the first place. And now my ear hurts and it hurts to swallow. Yet another infection. Can I say Good Times again? Oh hell, bad times!

The good news is we all survived the four days and even got out of the house some. It wasn't "all DVDs, all the time" like I thought. We did well but I'm glad he is coming home!

How Did She Do It?

2006-10-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

There's an interesting discussion going on at Dad Said, Mom Said about taking separate vacations from your spouse/significant other. About the pros and cons. Also running through my mind is the question "How did she do it?" meaning, my mom. My mom who had to basically raise three kids on her own for 18 years as my dad was deployed six months at a time, seemingly, all the time (while he was having a great time in every port, if you know what I mean, but I digress. Ahem...).

Bear with me, I'll tie these two topics together: I said good-bye to my husband last night. He left the house at 4:30 this morning to catch a flight to Wisconsin for a family wedding. Leaving me alone with two pre-schoolers for the next four days. He won't be back until midnight on Sunday [ugh! I just told the internet I'm alone! But I'm armed with my trusty .22 (with hollow point tips) and I'm a great shot so back off weirdos! And no trolling about having a gun in the house with kids. We've taken all the precautions. And my 9 mm is not even in the house. I'm trying to find someone to buy that one!]

My emotions about this are all over the place. Keep in mind that I was a widow for one year when I met this, my third husband (I really need to come up with a pseudonym for him) so I am used to living alone. But I was also changed profoundly by that loss in that I ALWAYS think the worst when I'm not with my loved ones. My mind thinks the worst can happen if I'm not with a loved one (which makes sense since that already did happen!). So I'm obsessively watching CNN, waiting to hear of airplane crashes and trying not to dial his cell phone over and over when he is in his rental car (for.two.hours.on.unfamilar.highways people!).

I also miss so much about him when he is gone. Not only the help he gives me with the kids - you really won't find a better co-parent out there. It takes twice as long to get ready in the morning without him getting up and dressing Eeyore while I take Tigger to the potty and dress him. It takes twice as long without him making the bacon, brewing my coffee and the various and sundry things it takes to get us all up, dressed, and fed. I know I will cop out and get Burger King for dinner since I have to be the parent picking up both kids and getting Tigger to soccer practice (he normally takes Tigger since he is the assistant coach and I usually pick up Eeyore and get home and make dinner) - and I'm anxious, knowing I have to figure out how to put those shin guards on since that is something my husband has always done. I know the kids will watch more DVDs with him not there to wrestle with them after dinner (or maybe I'll take them for a walk tonight before the temp changes from 75 today to 60 tomorrow. I do have an attachment to make two umbrella strollers into one). I know the soccer game on Saturday will be, lets say, interesting without him because how can I persuade (trick) Tigger into playing with Daddy if Daddy isn't there? How will I get all the gear and two kids from the parking lot into the fields? How in the world did my mom do it with three of us when I'm worrying about two?

I also miss his smile, the touch of his hand on my back, the good morning and good night kisses. I know the kids will ask about him tonight, especially during the bath time ritual. Normally, I take each one out of the bath, wrap him or her up in a towel, and then she or he calls for "DAAA-DEEE" to come and get them and dress them. That may be their favorite part of the day. And it may be mine as I watch their little bodies run down the hall toward their Daddy as fast as they can, screaming in delight. Now it will be just me after the bath.

I won't miss the typical male things - the belching at the dinner table, the farting at pretty much any time, the snoring, the constant sexual innuendos when all I want is simple affection. I will relish my alone time to blog as I please, to watch chick flicks when the kids are napping this weekend. But sweet Jesus, it is hard without my best friend and partner in crime.

So will we take separate vacations? Not if I can help it, at least not at this point in my life. Besides, you just know that if I went away, his parents would take that opportunity to swoop down and arrive on our doorstep demanding to see the kids, with me out of the way. And I'm not going to subject my kids to their toxic presence if I can help it. Bitter, much?

Edited to add: he just called - he landed safely. It is flurrying snow. Is flurrying a word? And his connection in Chicago was delayed as they de-iced the plane. WTF? Snow? Ice? It's only October!

Chocolate...Good for your mood...Good for your boobs

2006-10-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

I totally stole this from the Ab-fab ladies at Cool Mom Picks. I'm working on a post (in my head, shut up already) about this being National Breast Cancer Awareness month. I'll have a lot more links then. For now, you'll have to be happy with this chocolate link. I know, be strong.

Here is what (verbatim) is on CMP's site: With so many important causes that speak to me, I find it hard to keep track of them all. And while I do attempt to donate time or money to at least one charity a month, I'm fairly certain that I can singlehandedly fund breast cancer research with this one. I'm talking about Chick Chocolates Survivor Chick bars -- yummy white chocolate flavored with the sweet taste of fresh raspberries, all wrapped in a delicious coat of rich, dark chocolate. Do I have your attention now? Plus, 100% of the profits from the sale of this particular bar goes to Athena Partners, towards research of women's cancers. Sweet. The delightfully packaged chocolates make a great gift, or if you're a pregnant chocoholic like me -- the perfect meal. Either way, you're helping to continue the fight. One bite at a time. -Kristen

Family Portrait

2006-10-11T19:52:00.000-05:00

Woo hoo! Finally got a low enough resolution to post. This is our family photo for our Christmas cards this year. I always put in a letter about what we all did all year, and include photos.

In your comments, please, be kind. I already know what I really look like. Lie to me and tell me I look o.k. But my husband, and my kids, aren't they the cutest things on God's Green Earth? I am one lucky lady. (Both kids really do have lovely smiles, but this photographer seemed to have some trouble catching them. Hopefully their school pictures will be better).

By the way, which kid looks the most like which parent? We're having a "discussion" about that. I need objective opinions. Thanks.

What's Wrong?

2006-10-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

Around 2:30 a.m., when I came back to bed after having to get up to use the restroom, my husband asked, "what's wrong?" Have you ever had so many things "wrong" that it would be quicker to say "what's right" instead (meaning, there are fewer things "right" so it would take less time to say them). I thought to myself, "nothing, except for I had to pee, my mosquito bites are driving me crazy, my foot hurts, my nose is stuffed up and my throat hurts (thanks to Tigger for sharing his cold)." This morning, I thought, I need to turn this attitude around! So here goes.

What's Wrong? I have 21 mosquito bites on my left leg, 14 on my right, 4 on my arm and two on my fingers. And since I'm allergic to mosquito bites, I'm miserable.
What's Right? I got the bites while digging up 30-year-old iris and tiger lily bulbs from my mom's garden. Thanks to her generosity, I'm going to have a beautiful flower bed come spring. And they were free!

What's Wrong? My sister, who hates me, was just featured on a national news internet story. I'm conflicted about this. Since I really do like her, I'm glad she is getting some recognition. On the other hand, part of the reason she doesn't like me, is because of how superior she feels to me. This isn't going to help that superiority complex.
What's Right? I have two other sisters who love me just as much as I love them and none of us feels superior to the other. Their love and support mean more to me than they will ever know.

What's Wrong? I'm feeling sorry for myself since I got my hearing aid yesterday. Two ears now that need aids. I'm losing my hearing and I don't know why. And oh, the cost! $1,800. Wowsa.
What's Right? At least I have access to funds to get the aid. So many people, that I see with our work in the Lions Club, getting out hearing aids and glasses to the poor, don't have the money to get the items they need. I am very fortunate and I know it!

What's Wrong? I'm incredibly behind at work, due to our peer review and an audit that had a tight deadline. It's overwhelming.
What's Right? I'm blessed to have a job at all! I'm blessed to have a WONDERFUL boss and co-workers (now that we've got everything worked out!!) and that I enjoy what I do very, very much. After years of jobs and co-workers that made me miserable, I will cherish what I have, dammit.

What's Wrong? I haven't gone running in a week. I feel like a slug. I look like one too.
What's Right? I purchased new sports bras as a reward for sticking with running for almost 3 months now. I may not do it as consistently as I need to, to lose weight, but it's still a start.

What's Wrong? My husband is leaving for four days this week, to go to a family wedding and I'll be home alone with the kids, who are solidly in the sibling rivalry stage.
What's Right? I don't have to go too!! I don't have to go to a four day family event, when entire said family hates.my.guts. The family matriarch (my husband's mom) has spread some venom far and wide about me (and two other of us daughters-in-law) and being there would have been very, very hard for me. My husband supports me fully, and agreed to go alone.
What's Wrong? After four days with them, and their vitriol, who knows what kind of mood he is going to come home in.

What's Wrong? About 1/2 of the family portraits show all my 3 chins in all their glory.
What's Right? The rest turned out great! Which I cannot show you since Blogger hates my guts and won't upload my picture. I may need to scan it at a lower resolution and try again tonight.

What's Right? A NEW BLOG ALERT!!! My favorite radio personality is Jennifer Roberts. She is funny, friendly and just a hoot to listen to. And she is REAL. She responds to email from pesky fans like me. She is a mom too, with two little ones so she can relate to our problems and joys. So her new blog is WELL worth adding to your overloaded blog rolls. Go, check her out, give her some love and welcome to the blogging world.

Overcoming My Natural Tendency Towards Sloth

2006-10-05T19:29:00.000-05:00

I've not been to the Y in over a week, I believe. What, with my illnesses and general laziness, I haven't made it there in a while. But now, with a Nor'eastener headed our way, I thought I'd better get some exercise in while the getting was good. And since it is a beautiful 60ish degrees outside with a cool wind, I elected to run the neighborhood instead of the gym. Let me tell you, sidewalks are not level. I mean, intellectually, I knew this from our many walks around the neighborhood, when the unevenness of the sidewalk was very apparent while pushing 40 lbs in the stroller (not to mention those 60 lbs on my I waist...ahem). But in my denial, even though the incline on the treadmill at the Y is set at ZERO, I didn't think it would be a problem. It was a bit though. So I ended up walking more of the 2 miles than I normally do. And this pesky chest cold, which guaranteed I could not draw.a.single.full.breath did not help. But I did it. I feel like the ever perky Dora, singing in my head "I did, I did, HOORAY!" (then some Spanish word I do not know). Now if I could just catch my breath. Maybe I could use Tigger or Eeyore's inhaler? Just kidding. Guess I'll have to get mouth to mouth from my husband.

Oh, a funny to remember. Tigger's teacher is a young 20 years old and she has all the know-it-all cockiness of a 20 year old too. She's the one who said Tigger was "aggressive" and some other choice words and I had to have the director speak to her about word choice. Anyway, they are doing an animal "unit" and she told me, "Tigger made me laugh. When I told them fish do not make noise, he told me 'yes, fish make noise' and then he made kissing noises and I told him he was wrong." I looked right at her and said, "he was not wrong, that is sign language for fish, which Tigger learned when he was just a toddler. I've told you before he knows quite a bit of sign." She looked just like a fish with her mouth agape at that. Sometimes, its nice to bring someone like that down a peg or two. Don't get me wrong, I don't think she is ever mean or unkind but in her mind, she thinks she is better than some of us (didn't we all think that when we were 20?)

So we are in for 2-4 inches of rain in the next two days. Which, I learned from Ernesto, means things may get dicey around the office tomorrow. Bad enough we have no air conditioning (it broke a week ago and we have to wait until the contracted repair man comes back from vacation in another week [tell me about it]) and bad enough the refrigerator broke (but we got a new one today), and bad enough I've got a back log of work longer than my arm and bad enough I have to take off Monday for Columbus Day (Tigger and Eeyore's school is closed) but I had better not get flooded in at work. I have a Lions Club meeting from 1 to 3 so I may go home right after and just bring work home with me. Wish me luck! I leave you with my favorite picture:

The Cure For What Ails You

2006-10-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

Another recipe from the trifeca of southern baking perfection (sugar, butter, and chocolate). Who can stay upset with this in front of them (well, o.k. it doesn't help if you are upset with your weight but still, it's worth a try, right? RIGHT?)

Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes

(makes 4 servings)

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (I use "no-salt")
1 Tbsp Cabernet Sauvignon or other wine (I use Pyment - a Virginia honey-grape wine that tastes like mead)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use 1/2 tsp. of Pampered Chef Double-Strength bourbon vanilla)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk (save the white for the pumpkin pancakes)
6 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I use Pampered Chef cinnamon-plus)
1/4 tsp. ginger

Butter 4 (6-oz) custard cups or souffle dishes. Place them on a baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on HIGH 1 minute or until butter is melted. Whisk together until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in wine, vanilla and sugar until blended. Whisk in eggs and yolk. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon evenly into prepared dishes.

Bake in preheated 425 degree oven 15 minutes or until sides are firm but contents soft. Let stand 1 minute (Ha! a WHOLE minute? As if!). Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired AND DIG IN. If you are feeling generous, share with your husband. Especially if he worked hard outside on the yard and then helped with the kids.

EAT UNTIL YOUR TROUBLES GO AWAY. 4 servings? HA!

New Illness

2006-10-04T08:41:00.000-05:00

I think I'm suffering from Delusions of Adequacy. Has to do with some work snafu. Can't go into it in case I'm ever discovered. Suffice to say, I'm not feeling so hot about my skills right now.

Oh well, at least I got the Wiggles to look forward to. Lindsay puts it so well here. Wiggle room, ha ha.

Before I Was A Mom (author unknown)

2006-10-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

Before I was a Mom... I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom... I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom...I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Spit on. Chewed on. Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom... I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests. Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom... I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom... I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom... I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Woo Hoo, Wiggles, here we come!

2006-10-03T07:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Amy, who is the best girlfriend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD, I just bought Wiggles tickets. She gave me a presale code (presale code? I had never heard of such a thing and I am the coupon queen) which got me "in the door" at TicketMaster and I was able to get four tickets before they went on sale. Which is a lot like magic to me. I'm poorer by $171.10 but richer by how much joy my children will have, come November. Amy, you just made their Christmas! You just made my WHOLE DAY, hell, my WHOLE YEAR. The seats are on the floor, almost dead center, row 20.

Go, give Amy some love. She deserves it!

Now I've got to get to work. After I stop screaming. Man, I've got to get a grip. You'd think it was Garth Brooks in concert again.

Take The Pledge

2006-10-03T07:13:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you but the people in my neighborhood speed like bats out of hell, especially on the straight away in front of my house. Here are two minor things that we can do to help slow people down (since putting spikes in the road seems to be illegal or something. Who knew?)

Take the "Pledge to Slow Down" and get a free reflective trick or treat bag. You will be emailed for your mailing address. (US residents only)

This is also a great site. I got the yard sign and I put it up in my yard whenever I'm home (they tell you to bring it in at night, because of a high rate of theft). Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25.

Thank you and this concludes your public service announcement for today.

It's the Little Things

2006-10-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

updated for pumpkin recipe at bottom.

...that can make or break your day, your mood, your outlook. Here is my latest I hate, I love...an idea I totally stole from Janet (or was it Isabel?)

I hate...being woken up on a Sunday at 6 a.m. (an hour before we need to be up) by two fully awake children. Whatever happened to sleeping in? BWAHAHAHAHA, I crack myself up.

I love...rolling around in bed, playing with the aforementioned munchkins and their dad. Just playing and tickling and laughing and just BEING. What a way to start the day. That is how we start every single Saturday and Sunday and I love every minute. One day, they won't want to do it any more and so I cherish it all now.

I love...taking the extra time from waking up early to make homemade pumpkin pancakes (I'll post the recipe later for you Lawyerish). Ymmm....

I hate...taking so long on the pancakes we are late for church for the first time ever on the one Sunday we should have been on time. Gah! Best intentions.

I hate...idiots who don't know how to schedule properly (meaning our church nursery (co-op parents nursery)). Our church is about 25 minutes from our house. Once a month, instead of "church clothes," we throw on shorts and t-shirts and take the kids to the nursery and stay with them to "work" for an hour. Last week, we drove all the way up there to find the parent in charge of the nursery had overscheduled and she didn't need us. So we wasted time and gas to go out there for nothing as we could not go to church in what we were wearing. We had to turn around and leave. Boy, was Tigger pissed. He loves the nursery and couldn't understand why we left. Next time, I'll stay anyway and just play with my kids! This Sunday, she underscheduled and asked us if we could stay and I flat out told her no, we could not, we had missed church last week because of her and we weren't going to miss it again. I'm all about revenge so I guess I'm going to hell.

I love...getting a fabulous haircut, especially when I didn't expect it. I went to a local Great Clips since I had a coupon (which I forgot completely to use) and got assigned to a mousy looking girl with *gasp* bad hair. She didn't talk to me at all (which I actually love, there is nothing I hate more than small talk with hair dresser and pedicurists that I don't know. I like to read and be left alone. Ahem...where was I?) and she spent at least 1/2 hour on my short hair, combing and cutting, to get it just right. That alone, because it felt so much like a head massage, was worth every bit of her tip. Also, it looks really, really good and only cost $14. Now, don't get your panties in a wad, I'll post a picture later. We're getting family pictures done this Saturday so I'll scan one in then.

I love...having a clean car, polished wheel rims, vacuumed carpet (no chips, fritos, gold fish crackers) and dusted dashboard...and someone else did it! And having a $3 coupon so the whole thing only cost $14. I also got my new car organizer for between my seats so the mom-mobile is clean, organized and neat, and to someone as clearly anal retentive as I am, this is HUGE for my sense of well-being.

I love...having time alone, at home with my husband. Enough said.

I love...Eating lunch today outside, on the restaurant patio, basking in the sun at a perfect 75 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, with someone else paying the bill (someone in the payroll preparation industry who wants me to recommend him to my clients). Good conversation, good food, no bill. Perfect!

I love...iTunes. I am an iTunes/iPod whore. I love hearing a great song on the radio, getting it from iTunes and being able to listen whenever I want, either on the iPod or on my computer while I'm reading blogs without having to buy an entire CD of crap.

I hate...not winning The Wiggles tickets on the radio this morning. Fifth row tickets to the first caller who knew the dinosaurs name is Dorothy. What a lame question. Ask something like, who is the tallest (and what is his height)? Who is the one Wiggle who is not married? Which one just had a baby with his wife? Maybe then I'd have a chance to get through. I'm going to buy some tickets tomorrow (hopefully) when they go on sale at 10:00, I already told my boss I'd be on the website duking it out with the other local parents. My children are obsessed with the Wiggles (no, I'm not the obsessed one, what made you say that??)

I love...thinking about my kids' faces when (if) we go to see the Wiggles in November.

I hate...all these school shootings. It makes my heart break, thinking of the parents left behind. Thinking of how easily it could be my child.

I hate...that the shooters are killing themselves before capture, depriving us being able to execute (torture) them.

I love...that the child molester in prison was recently tattooed on his forehead by other prisoners with a tattoo that says "Katie's Revenge." I hope he is living a hell each and every day at least equal to what he put her through.

I hate...dour postal workers. I sent some toys to Edmay in Iraq today (see prior post about sending on toys) and found out you need to fill out a CP 72 Customs Declaration form to go with your packages to her. Fill them out while waiting in line, instead of getting to the counter worker without one and risking her/his wrath. If they hate their jobs so much, FIND ANOTHER ONE! Gah!

I love this website, Feel Your Boobies. Go, visit, discover all you can do to prevent the dreadful disease of breast cancer. More about this important topic later. Time to get me some rest.

update:
Pumpkin Pancakes
1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 and 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (there is about 1 and 3/4 cup of pumpkin in a regular can)
1 egg white (I used Just Whites egg powder with water)
2 tablespoons canola oil

Combine first 8 ingredients. Combine milk, pumpkin, egg white and oil; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. pour by 1/4 cupful onto hot griddle coated with nonstick cooking spray.

These are heavier than boxed pancakes so don't make them too big. Yummm...delicious with apple butter.

from Taste of Home's Light and Tasty Oct/Nov 2006

Can You Hear Me Now?

2006-09-29T09:51:00.000-05:00

For me, the answer would have to be a resounding NO! Yesterday, I had a appointment with my ENT (ear-nose-throat) doctor (which I was required to do in order to get the hearing test I wanted and have the insurance pay for it - they won't pay for just a hearing test by itself. He took a look in my ears and discovered I have an ear infection in my "bad ear" (I have one ear with only a mild loss and one "bad ear" with severe loss). So I have to put in antibiotic drops for the next seven days and keep my hearing aid out (I have an aid in one ear only). Weird. I'm not in any pain.

Then he sent me to the audiologist for my test. She did the test, then asked me why I wasn't wearing an aid in my "good ear." I said, because I was told I didn't need one. She said "you do now." Great (said sarcastically). Hearing aids are a minimum of $1,700. I only have the one in my "bad ear" because the Navy paid for it (it was $2,500) under their program for persons with disabilities. Just another reason I love-cubed the Navy medical system. But alas, my husband is no longer in the navy. And no insurance in the U.S. pays for hearing aids. And I make too much money to qualify for help from the Lions Club. So I had to call my broker to sell some of our stock (supposedly we are saving for retirement/college for kids, etc.) I do realize how lucky I am to have that though. What if I didn't? But Ugh! The idea is to save that money, not spend it!

But WAIT...The News Gets Even Better (meaning WORSE). When she pulled out my hearing test from 2001, her jaw quite literally dropped. My hearing in my "bad ear" was that much worse. In layman's terms, my "good ear" has dropped from a mild hearing loss to severe. My "bad ear" has dropped from severe to PROFOUND. As in, I am now profoundly deaf in one ear. Which would explain why even with my hearing aid in, I am having trouble hearing anyone talk to me. She then took a hearing test through the cochlear bone instead of through my ear canal. The results showed the loss is coming from something wrong in my middle ear. Back I went across the office to the doctor. Who is "quite concerned" and wants me to consult with his colleague on why my hearing is deteriorating so fast. With no known cause.

Now, I had exploratory ear surgery around 1997 when he (another doctor) discovered that the doctor who did my tympanoplasty surgery when I was 5 had left a piece of plastic in my ear. They removed it and ruled out some ear disorders/diseases and sent me on my way with no answers for my hearing loss beyond scar tissue {incidentally, that original doctor when I was 5? He disappeared after it was discovered he was an alcoholic who operated while intoxicated. Great!} I have no desire to have any more ear surgery. And the hearing loss? I just cried. I can now see that one day, I might be totally deaf. And there is nothing I can do about it. I know things could be worse but give me a few days to process this one!

And to make this week that much brighter? Anyone out there take barium before? It makes Metamucil taste quite delicious. It is that bad. And this morning, I had to check myself in, and drink about 16 oz. of it at one time, then take 4 x-rays, 15 minutes apart, then a stop-action film of my bowels was taken. Now, there is an Oscar winner for sure. Think I can get into the Sundance Film Festival with that one? No?

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

2006-09-27T19:09:00.000-05:00

Subtitle: Oh Shit!

Warning: graphic post: I think I've mentioned before that I have an inflammatory bowel disease called Crohn's. You can read all the ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING FACTS about it here (yes, I'm being sarcastic). As you can see, this disease can make your life a living hell, especially to people like me who HATE to do any bathroom business anywhere except in complete privacy. So when I am forced to the restroom several times a day, every.single.day, it really takes a toll on my sanity. You'd think someone who has had a lumpectomy, a breast reduction and two rather large babies would have no vanity, no self-consciousness left. You'd think someone who doesn't care at all about poopy diapers on her children wouldn't care about her own poo (ha, ha, take that anti-mommy bloggers - this post is all about poo!) Too bad I do care. I make light of the subject because the only alternative is to be really, really angry about it all the time and I don't want to live that way. Anyway, I'm rambling.

About a year ago, I had finally gotten fed up enough with living this way (for about 4 years prior) that I overcame my absolute shame at talking about the symptoms, and went to the doctor (a clinic doctor with the Navy as my husband was still in the Navy). They had me do fecal tests (oh, the shame and horror at having to submit samples of my own poo smeared on a card!) but didn't find anything and I didn't pursue it. Last year, I got fed up again. We're "civilians" now so I went to my PCP (a wonderful, young, caring doctor who really listens. I try not to hold it against her the fact that she looks just like Vanessa Williams). She took a sample right there in her office but it came back negative for anything so she sent me straight upstairs to a female GI doctor. This doctor has horrible bed side manner but is very well respected. She gave me a colonoscopy later that month. Let me tell you, the procedure is very well tolerated. She doped me up and I slept through the whole thing. But the preparation? Oh, the preparation SUCKED. You are on the toilet from the time you take the Fleet's until the time they put you under about 12 hours later. Two mistakes I made I am going to pass on to you so you don't make the same mistakes (because you WILL schedule regular colonoscopies, right? Right!):

1) If you think you are about to pass gas, YOU AREN'T! Go thee to a toilet PRONTO unless you want to ruin some lovely undergarments (all of our undergarments are lovely, are they not? In case we get into an accident?)
2) NEVER arrive at the office early, before the doors are unlocked, in a building with no public restrooms. Especially when you are dropped off by a friend (since you can't drive after), leaving you with no recourse but to cross your legs, so to speak, and almost horribly embarrass yourself. Do be advised that in this situation, it is perfectly acceptable to throw yourself on the mercy of the orthopedic doctor's office in the same building.

After the results came back, my GI doctor told me I "probably" had Crohn's. She put me on a strong medication, medium dose and sent me on my way. Well, the symptoms cleared up and I was a happy camper. I guess I forgot to knock on wood or say the right prayers because during tax season (did you know Crohn's is ascerbated by stress?) every symptom came back in full force. I was buying Immodium AD in bulk. So I went back in April (after the 17th) to the female GI who told me I needed to give the medication another shot. And she said, almost casually, "did I ever tell you, a side effect of your medication is a low white blood cell count so we need to get a blood work up on you." Uh, no, you didn't. Luckily, they took my blood and all was well.

But I couldn't live this way so I decided if she wasn't going to take me seriously, I was getting a second opinion. What good is a PPO anyway if you can't take yourself to any specialist you want? I got a recommendation from a coworker with a her GI doctor and took myself down there today. And found a WONDERFUL doctor. He is also young, mid-30's, with a great bedside manner. He showed me on a color picture (felt like I was in school) exactly what part of your intestines a colonoscopy looks at (your complete colon and the bottom part of your small intestine). He said my lesions were discovered in that bottom part and the medicine I was taking targeted that kind of Crohn's only (terminal ileum). So Friday, I'm going to the hospital to drink barium, and get an x-ray of the rest of my small intestine that the colonscope doesn't reach to see just how advanced my disease is. If it is outside of the terminal ileum, I need a different medication. I also had a complete blood work up today and had to do yet another stool sample at home tonight to rule out infection (no more details on that, I threw up a little in my mouth just thinking about it again). He also doubled my current medication for the next three weeks, to the maximum dose, to see if that helps. I showed him my colon cancer tattoo and I left. A very happy, if grossed out, customer. It is SO nice to know I may be getting some answers soon, instead of getting the brush off. I have SO switched over to him permanently.

Another OH SHIT topic though - I told Her Bad Mother 's "Changing the World One Blog at a Time" about my post on banned books week. She is graciously going to add it to her list. I was on my way home when I realized, this may lead to my discovery. You see, I have a sister who blogs who was absolutely hateful to me (and my mom and our other sister) in her own blog and I've tried my best to stay under her radar so she can't find me here. You know I've sweated over this in the past. I had a great post panning "Home Despot" for Izzy's Props and Pans that I was too scared to send her (she met my sister at BlogHer and LOVED her). There is absolutely nothing here I wouldn't care if she read it but I don't want her to have another forum to bad mouth me. But if I appear on Catherine's blog, I may be found out. I mean, Catherine has MILLIONS of dedicated fans (like me!) and my sister is probably one. But then I thought, FUCK IT (take THAT language, you troll from prior entries). I'm not going to be scared of my sister. I'm not going to let her stop me from spreading the word about some very important issues (I'm working on one about food allergies too) - these things are much bigger and more important than her pettiness. And with your help, I can stand strong against her.

Finally, somewhere to send all those stuffed animals

2006-09-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

I've read on SEVERAL blogs lately about a toy drive for the kids in Iraq. On Amy's Mom's Daily Dose, on Mir's WantNot and on Karen Rani's Troll-Baby and on Parent Hacks (excerpted below). Now, don't get me started on how ass-backwards I think it is for us to even be in IRAQ and the ASSHATS who run our country right now...ahem, where was I? All that does not matter to the children. And the children are suffering the most, in my humble opinion. So go read these entries and gather up those toys and send them on. 'Cause don't you need the room for the new TMX Elmo anyway?

from Parent Hacks:

SPREAD THE WORD: Send your used stuffed animals and toys to children in Iraq
I am speechless. I just got an email from Edmay Mayers, a member of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers who is currently stationed in Iraq. She read the post on where to donate stuffed animals, and offered her own suggestion:
Please, please, please – I know where you can give all the stuffed animals and toys away – I am presently stationed (deployed) in Iraq. The children here love the stuffed toys – I can hardly keep up with the cost of them – I am continuously ordering more and more from Oriental Trading Company and candy for the young ones too. If there is any way at all please have any and all sent to me at the address listed below and I will ensure that the children in Iraq receive all that is sent.
When I sent a followup note to be sure I had the proper address, here was her reply:

The mailing address is as follows:
Edmay Mayers USACE - GRS APO AE 09331

That is all there is --- it will reach me and I will give them to our PSD teams who will be more than happy to give them to the children. Please see attached photo of some of the children here that were given candy and stuffed animals on the road. These are the poorest of the poor here in Iraq - down the back roads. They are precious, innocent little ones who are just caught up in all the mess - they are beautiful.

I Googled Edmay to find out more, and came upon this amazing article about her passion for Iraqi children, posted just days ago on Operation Iraqi Freedom: Official Website of Multi-National Force - Iraq.
As soon as I'm done with this post, I'm going to box up a bunch of toys and send them in tomorrow's mail. Edmay, thank you so much for writing, and for everything you're doing. Your granddaughter will indeed be proud.

A Joke, a Word of the Day, and a Traffic Comment

2006-09-27T07:56:00.000-05:00

First the joke that was forwarded to me this morning by a jewish friend of mine:

THE FOUR RELIGIOUS TRUTHS
In the serious times, it is important for all of us of all faiths to recognize these Four Religious Truths.
1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen people.
2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian World.
4. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.

Next, relating to the last post about book banning, today's word of the day on my Italian calendar:

Si e' immerso nella lettura (He's immersed himself in reading): immergersi (eem-MEHR-jehr-see) to immerse onself.

Ho letto un giallo (I read a mystery story): i gialli (JAHL-lee) detective/mystery stories

And a traffic comment: The local radio station I was listening to just asked why we think there are so many accidents today when it is such a beautiful day, no rain, etc. This is what I wrote them (you knew I couldn't shut up on this topic, right?):

I'm no expert, but could it be the people like the girl in the little blue sports car who was READING while driving this morning and so cut me off because she could not be bothered to check her blind spot? Or the 10 dozen people ON THE PHONE who cannot drive while talking? Or maybe the man I saw using both hands to eat his breakfast? Or the young man in the souped up car driving a STICK SHIFT while smoking AND talking on the phone? Just a guess.

For the Love of Pete!*

2006-09-26T06:58:00.000-05:00

That's how I feel about book banning. I'm a day (or two) late and a dollar (or more) short but we are smack dab in the middle of Banned Books Week (September 23-30). Very little makes me hotter than someone trying to tell me what I can or cannot read. Now, this may come as a surprise to you, gentle readers, but if you try to tell me to do something, right after I bitch-slap you, I'm going to make sure I go and do it anyway! Reverse psychology anyone? Works great on me.

To get you started on this week, here are a few quotes from the website linked to above:

"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." Benjamin Franklin

"Without Freedom of Though, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as public Liberty, without Freedom of Speech." Benjamin Franklin

Judy Blume talks about censorship on her site. She said in part: "I believe that censorship grows out of fear, and because fear is contagious, some parents are easily swayed. Book banning satisfied their need to feel in control of their children's lives. This fear is often disguised as moral outrage. They want to believe that if their children don't read about it, their children won't know about it. And if they don't know about it, it won't happen." Read the rest here. I also like her op-ed piece in the New York Times, "Is Harry Potter Evil?" (I'd have to answer, oh, hell no!)

Look at the list of The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. How many of these were childhood staples of yours? How many do you plan on being a significant part of your own child's life? Without Judy Blume (#8 Forever, #32 Blubber, #46 Deenie, #62 Are you There God, It's Me, Margaret, #78 Tiger Eyes) I never would have been able to navigate the deep waters of adolescence. I would have never learned about sex. Where would we be without Mark Twain (#5 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), John Steinbeck (#6 Of Mice and Men) or Madeleine L'Engle (#22 A Wrinkle In Time)? Go read the list. You will be amazed at what books are on there. Then go to the library, your local or big box bookstore and get these books. Read them, read them to your kids, read them at their schools. Read and celebrate your freedom. And relish just how much that ticks off the self-righteous bastards who try to take away that freedom.

I leave you with pictures of my beautiful kids, celebrating their own right to read! Any book they want, any time they want. Even before they can actually read. Well, I would, but blogger is in a LYING mood today. It tells me my pictures are here but as you can see, THEY ARE NOT!! Liar, liar, Pants on Fire!

*Who is Pete anyway? Where did the expression come from? For the love of all things holy, where do these expressions/cliches come from?

Toddler Boot Camp

2006-09-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

Because I can not, NOT, post these precious pictures:

Exercise? You call that exercise? 3.5 is nothing!

Move on up to 3.6 speed Momma!

Much better! Keep at it and one day you'll be at 3.7.

My work here is done.

In Which My Baby Gets a Boo-Boo

2006-09-25T20:25:00.000-05:00

Do you see the massiveness of this bump???? It is now turning all kinds of colors. AND the light red mark on her cheek that seemed like nothing is now a BEAUTIFUL yellow. All these because her day care says she lost her balance and fell out of her chair Friday afternoon. Really? If I didn't love these people so very much I would doubt what happened. But I do love them, they are quite competent and they love my children. I know she fell out of her chair, but damn, that sure hurts just to look at it.

But apparently it doesn't bother her as long as she has the cheetos. Priorities people, priorities!

And yes, that is the recalled toy in the background with the evil nails and screws still in it. We removed them as soon as they little ones were asleep that night and could not protest ever so loudly. We are clever that way.

Blogger Sister in Need of Support

2006-09-25T10:26:00.000-05:00

Elleoz needs some support right now from us. She's having a tough time of it. Go, give her some love. Please. xoxo

Toy Recall - not a joke

2006-09-22T13:39:00.000-05:00

Hasbro’s Playskool recalls toy after deaths
255,000 Team Talkin’ Tool Bench toys recalled; children suffocated

Holy Shit! This is one of my kids' favorite toys. They fight over it every single day. Now it has been recalled. We are boxing it up tonight!

Edited to add: my husband called Hasbro. They said the nails are the only hazard and asked us to mail just the nails back and they will send us a $50 Habro gift certificate. This was a bday gift for Tigger last year from the girl who has a crush on him so that is like $50 free dollars for us. Pretty cool. I told my husband, what about the screws though, they look about the same size as the nails? He said, not to worry. Guess what? Eeyore promptly put a screw in her two year old mouth today and and walking around, giving me a heart attack when I saw her. We took those away too. Never underestimate the power of my two-year-old to make a hazard out of something deemed "safe" by the almighty toy companies.

Hodgepodge

2006-09-22T07:04:00.001-05:00

Hooray for bullet points - perfect for catching up on your journal without having to come up with a catchy title: At work, our internet was down on Tuesday, and our outlook email (internal and external) was sporadic. I was in class Wednesday but I heard both were down all day. Yesterday we managed to get the internet back but email was stone.cold.dead. Ugh! I've been in danger of full-blown blog withdrawal. I've still got a ton of your blogs to catch back up on. And since I finished the last book of the Outlander series on Monday, I seriously need some good reading. I am very, very sad I finished that series. I know she is going to write 2 more but what am I going to do until then? I need my Claire and Jamie fix dammit. Ahem...

Last night, "my" treadmill was open but the moron on the one next to it had his water sitting on it. I asked him nicely to move it (which he did so grudgingly) and proceeded to start my run. When he finished, he moved on to the bicycles and did not wipe off his rancid sweat. Ugh! Wish I knew his momma so I could tell on him.
I had downloaded some new running cadences on the iPod to mix things up a bit. I did 2 minutes walking, 15 minutes running at 3.6, 2 minutes walking, then 11 minutes running at 3.5 and 5 minutes walk. Total 2 miles, total 35 minutes. Then since it was only 8:30, I did the FitLinxx system and did 10 stations, 4,730 lbs. Not one other person was in the FitLinxx room the entire time I was there. Nice, but creepy too. Where was everyone?
WARNING! WARNING! Mommyblogging topic! This morning's bathroom capers: Every morning, Tigger goes by himself then calls for his sister to go. I went in with Eeyore only to step in a giant puddle of pee. Tigger missed the toilet (didn't get there fast enough). So I got to start my day cleaning up a gallon of pee, all over the floor, the toilet, the little seat on the toilet, the stool they step on and my FEET. Then after Eeyore finished, she didn't want to stop washing her hands. She wanted to stay there all day with her hands under the water. I lifted her up and set her in the hallway. She burst into tears. Tigger comes running - "Come here Eeyore, come see Tigger" and also asks her "what wrong Eeyore" and to me "mommy, what happen?" Eeyore makes the saddest face she can and looks at me accusingly and says one word - "Mommy" - in turn, Tigger turns to me and starts yelling "No mommy" then Eeyore reaches for him and he hugs her tight, murmuring "no mommy, not hit Eeyore." I didn't even touch her! *Sigh* It was so adorable though, watching my 4 year old comfort my 2 year old. United against the evil mommy. My DEAR, DEAR husband had to leave the room he was laughing so hard.
Let me just say, that on a four lane highway, if you don't want to go at least 65 mph, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE LEFT LANE! Just sayin'...
ANOTHER WARNING: RECIPE ALERT: I meant to post this last week - Pumpkin Cobbler. I may make this on Thanksgiving instead of pie so I had an obligation to make it and try it out right? Right??? *crickets* Mix together 3 eggs, beaten, 15 oz can pumpkin, 12 oz can evaporated milk, 1 c. sugar, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract. Pour into 13 x 9 baking pan (I greased it with Crisco first and used my Pampered Chef stoneware baker). Sprinkle 18 1/4 oz. pkg. yellow cake mix over the top and drizzle with 1 1/4 cup melted butter (I used unsalted). Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, then top with 1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans - pronounced PEE - KAHNs not CANs for goodness sake). Bake an additional 15 minutes. Makes 15-18 servings. DELICIOUS served warm with a scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt.
Tigger did GREAT on his soccer on Saturday. Not sure if I said that already. He went right out and played with his dad and didn't try to stay with me at all.
He did better, with his tap/ballet/gym class on Tuesday. He did participate some for once but spent most the class chasing a little girl around the class (and visa versa). Both of them were pulled from the class and talked to by the director about listening to the teacher instead of chasing each other. I was appalled at the behavior of one mom there – at one point her daughter decided to rest at the side of the room and she went in and pulled her out and in front of all of us, she said to her daughter in a very tight, extremely pissed off voice, “I spent TOO MUCH MONEY on this class for you to JUST SIT ON YOUR BUTT. You either get up and PARTICIPATE or we are leaving.” This poor little three year old burst into tears and went back to class. Now, come on lady! I’ve been thinking this very same thing for the past two weeks but I didn’t say it to my child!! I’m smart enough to realize that he needs some time to adjust and figure out if he likes the class. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t and no amount of yelling at him will change that. I wanted to bitch slap her.
This morning, I woke up Tigger and as he struggled to wake up, he said to me “play Jillian today?” which he asks me every.single.morning. Jillian is a girl in his school that he has a major crush on. Every morning he asks if he can play with her. Every day when I pick him up, he goes to her cubby before we leave and rests his head on the side of it and stares at her picture. When I told him this morning, yes, you are playing with Jillian today, he said “Mommy, Tigger, Jillian, NOW!” It’s crazy how much he likes her. I hope this isn’t a sign of a future stalker. LOL. There is another girl in his class, Jessica, who likes HIM the way he likes Jillian. A love triangle in pre-school. Talk about growing up fast!
The wine festival we went to on Sunday – lo, the Lord is good to us. We had a great time tasting wines at about 20 booths. I was staggering about to say the least (I’m a cheap date, so to speak). With a nice buzz on, we went next door for dinner (the wine festival was in a park right on the oceanfront and we went to the very fancy hotel Hilton next door to their Catch 21 restaurant). It was very expensive and not worth it for the food. $100 for two tiny pieces of steak and a lobster tail and two desserts and no alcohol at all since we had just had the equivalent of at least 2 cups each (we could have gotten more for the same price at Ruth Chris). But we were seating in a booth next to the open patio doors and the gorgeous ocean breeze was flowing over us and the J-E-T-S game was playing on a flat screen T.V. overhead. Heaven for us both. It was nice to be a wife for a while and not someone’s mom. Sucked to pay $6 for parking though. Our city cares not a wit for residents, charging us the same for parking as the tourists. That is a big reason we NEVER go down to the oceanfront when we go out. This is the first time in over a year we went.
Yeah for keeping up with friends!! I had lunch yesterday with a friend from childhood (at Baker's Crust!!) and I have lunch this Sunday with two ladies I meet once a month. That must be why I STILL haven’t lost any weight. Hum…
I had a CPE class all day Wednesday. It may have been the most entertaining class I have been to, well, ever. It was put on by a local law firm and hands down, three of them, may be the funniest men on the planet. STOP THE MADNESS! They belong on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Seriously. I laughed until I cried and the topic was Employment Law. One weird thing – I was one of the first people in the door and it was set up for 100 people. I set my book down on the table and another lady walked in and set down right.next.to.me. What the fuck? 100 chairs and you sit next to me? I turned to her and said “Do I know you?” and of course, she didn’t. I went to get coffee, then switched seats. That was too weird, especially when she went to the restroom with me too. I know people are just beating down the door to spend time with me and all, but that is just too creepy.
Starbucks is raising their prices 5 cents on their beverages? Huh? Making a billion dollars isn't enough for you? Talk about corporate greed. And they know I will still buy. I cannot.resist.the.pull.of.the.pumpkin.eggnog.peppermint.lattes ("Resistance is futile" and all that-I'm a starbucks whore and I know it.)
Better get back to work now. Have a great day and kudos to you if you are still with me after all this dribble. :)

Hope Springs Eternal

2006-09-19T21:30:00.000-05:00

We all know by now that I am html illiterate. I've had this blog since JUNE people and have no idea how to change those sidebars or add a blog roll or do anything even remotely related to "fixing up the place." Here, by way of Silly Hilly, I have HOPE for the future of this blog.

Bluebird Blogs is having a contest Fall Into a Free Blog Contest. Go, enter, gather your own hope. Entries being accepted through Friday.

see bluebird blogs for contest rules. void where prohibited by law. don't you hate these tiny legal disclaimers? can they really keep you from suing? and just how litigious is our society anyway? Just asking.

Addendum:
okay, I was going to add some cute pictures of Eeyore but Blogger hates me and I'm tired. Maybe tomorrow. I did 2 minutes walking, 18 minutes running, 2 minutes walking, 10 minutes running and 4 minutes walking (total 36 minutes, 2 miles). Not bad since I had not run in 12 days. Huh? How did it get to be that long? Now I've got to take it up a notch. I'm thinking, move from 3.5 speed to 3.6. What say you? Too much too soon? Time will tell.

I'll be in a CPE class all day tomorrow. We had NO INTERNET all day at work so I'm not caught up on everyone. Hopefully I can make the rounds tomorrow night.

Thank you and Good Night!