What a whirlwind this month has been so far! Bob and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on the 2nd, I celebrated my 39th birthday on the 9th, and I will add that this is the last birthday that I will be recording, or saying out loud! LOL! I’m not ready to be 40 yet! We had a birthday party to attend on the 11th, another birthday party on the 18th. We were supposed to go camping the weekend of the 17th, but it was too cold so we cancelled that. This weekend we were supposed to babysit for friends, but that got cancelled due to illness. On the 31st of course we will do Halloween! I’ll take Mya trick or treating while Bob hands out candy at home. After trick or treating we will go to the family Halloween party, which is so exciting! Needless to say, this month seems like it has just flown by me.
For our Anniversary we spent the weekend at Grand Rivers, which is one of my favorite places to go. I love Patti’s 1800 Settlement! We went to a variety show Saturday evening and both of us loved it! We were a little skeptical going in, but it was well worth the tickets! We will certainly go back to a show the next time we’re in Grand Rivers. Luckily, it’s only a 2 hour drive, so we could even make a one day date and not a weekend date. It was so nice to have some adult time just for us. I don’t think we’ve had that for 3 years.
I had some more tests ran on the 19th. This time they did a CT scan of my abdominal and pelvic area to check for any masses that might be putting pressure on my veins, spinal cord, etc. Everything checked out okay, which is wonderful news, but it still leaves me wondering why my left leg and foot stay so swelled all the time. I will talk to the doctor again in November. I think this time I will ask her about her concern, and if she’s not concerned, I don’t think I will pursue any further testing.
I was super busy, stressed and sick for most of September, and into October. I finally went to the doctor on the 9th, which was my birthday. I had bronchitis, sinusitis and a major ear infection in both ears. Not much of a birthday, but at least I tested negative for H1N1, so it wasn’t all bad.
I’m still super excited about Andrew’s book opportunity/journey. I can hardly wait until they get things rolling and I can see some early results, if he will show them to me. Andrew is very private and doesn’t like to reveal too much, so I’ll have to drag it out of him. That's okay, I'm good at bugging him for details!
Christmas is right around the corner, a favorite holiday of mine! Mya has already showed us $10,000.00 worth of toys that she thinks Santa will be bringing her! I guess if you’re going to dream, dream big! I wish I had that much money to spend for Christmas! I would buy everyone a little something! I’m all about giving when it comes to Christmas. I will have to get with the kids and see when we will be able to celebrate our Christmas together as a family. Having a big family has its draw backs since it’s hard to coordinate schedules, but it’s also the most wonderful thing to have so much love.
Speaking of love, we found out last week that my oldest brother is getting married! Tim and Tracy will marry on December 20th. I wish them both the best.
Mya continues to keep us busy, as well as entertained and on edge! A couple of weeks ago, she got mad at me because I had to get onto her about something she wasn’t supposed to be doing. Mya looked at me and said, “You’re stupid!” I about fell on the floor wondering, where did that come from??? Of course, after I picked my chin up off the floor, I scolded her and explained that we don’t call people stupid, etc., etc., and then told her that if I hear her doing it again, I would spank her (not that a spanking is a major threat in our house). Well, low and behold, it didn’t take but about 3 days, she got mad at me again, and out of her mouth came, “you’re just stupid!” I walked over to her, spanked her on the bottom, of course it didn’t hurt her, so she started laughing and was trying to make light of it, well, I looked at her and said, “no, I’m not playing, that’s not nice, blah, blah, blah”. Well, that did it! After I said that, you would have thought I cut the child’s leg off! She cried so hard because it just crushed her feelings that Momma was mad at her. Of course I couldn’t resist when we asked me to hold her. I held her, and in between cries, I talked to her again about calling people stupid. I about cracked up when she looked up at me and said, “Do you still love your baby girl?” I told her that I loved her and always would, but we don’t call people stupid. She cried on my shoulder a little more and looked up again and said, “Do you think you will still keep your girl?” It was funny at first, but then it became a concern, because I started thinking about where in the world would she have gotten the idea that I would get rid of her? After that, I felt bad for her to even think that.
Mya’s Halloween costume choices this year have been cat, dog, bunny rabbit, ghost, skeleton, Spider Man, Wolverine, Ariel, doctor, and now pumpkin. We bought the doctor costume so that’s what we’re planning for her to wear. We may end up having to put spider webs on it, or let her wear a tiara, who knows, she changes her mind daily. I should have just bought a cat costume in the beginning and let her know all along that she would be a cat.
The new thing around the house is Mya’s fascination with pregnant people! Mya seriously thinks I have a baby in my belly like her Aunt Laura did, and like the girl at Chinese. Talk about diet motivation! She will rub my belly and tell what a cute little baby I have in there! I don’t think much of it, she raises her shirt up too and tells me to look at the cute little baby in her belly. Kids and their imaginations! I wonder sometimes if my imagination was that big when I was 3?
TTFN!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
It's Been a While
Due to the hustle and bustle of the sales meeting, and being sick, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything. I haven’t had the time or the energy to sit and think, let alone try to write out my thoughts and happenings.
The sales meeting was a hectic time as always. Lists of things to get ready, reservations, cab service, etc. And through all the planning, daily changes coming in from the guys in Germany. Now that it’s over, I can relax and look forward to the next meeting! One thing good that came from the meeting, other than we’re profitable, is that I celebrated my 15 year work anniversary with the company. It’s really hard to imagine that I’ve been there 15 years.
For the past month I’ve been fighting a cold, or something. At first I put it off thinking it wasn’t getting better because I was stressing a lot over the sales meeting, but a week later, it was no better so I broke down and went to the doctor. Good thing I did, it was bronchitis, sinusitis and a major ear infection in both ears. I’m supposed to be taking breathing treatments every 4 hours for the bronchitis, but after the breathing treatment I did at home, I’m not real wild about doing another. It made me super jittery, and I felt like I was drunk! I think had I not been laying on the bed afterwards, I would have passed out. Needless to say, I haven’t had anymore breathing treatments at home. I’ve been on antibiotics for 2 days now and my ears still feel like they could pop off my head at any time. I’m hoping today’s round of antibiotics will help me feel better to go back to work tomorrow. To me, there’s nothing worse than being sick and being at work. Yuk!
On a positive note, we have been fortunate that Mya hasn’t been sick. We still thank the ear tubes for her health this past year and a half. I don’t think we’ve had her to the doctor since the tubes went in. That’s a far cry from having her at the doctor’s office every 2 to 3 weeks, for the first year and a half of her life. Well, it really wasn’t that long since she didn’t start having problems until she was about 6 months old. From there, though, she was sick from October until around May. We go for her ear tube follow up tomorrow and I’m curious to see if the tubes have fallen out yet. If they haven’t, I’m wondering if that’s okay, or will they have to remove them? The doctor said they were designed to fall out in 8 to 14 months. It’s been 18 months now. We’ll see.
I guess my biggest thing to write about is Andrew! I am so proud of him! His dream has always been to be a writer and illustrator, and now his dream is coming true! A professor/writer friend of his asked him to work with her on a new book. She wants to bounce ideas with him, and she wants him to do the art work for the book. Nikole, the professor/writer, already has several published books, she has connections with editors and publishers at the New York Times and Chicago Tribune, so advertising and publishing for the new book are in the bag. Their goal is to have the book published by December 2010. I told Andrew that I would be his PR person here! LOL! You know I’m going to push that book on everyone I know! I’ve already informed all my Face Book friends that I expect them all to buy one! All in jest, of course. So, in addition to Andrew walking around with a permanent smile, I’m also beaming with excitement! December 2010 can’t get here soon enough for me!
Looks like we’re going to have a chilly camping trip next weekend! I can’t believe the weather we’ve had this year, it’s almost like we skipped summer and went from spring to fall. The leaves are starting to change, the mornings are very brisk, and the days are in the 60’s or low 70’s. The biggest thing we’ve had this year is rain. Rain, rain and more rain. I guess I shouldn’t complain, winter is right around the corner, and they’re saying we’re going to have a nasty winter this year. I’m not looking forward to that!
TTFN!
The sales meeting was a hectic time as always. Lists of things to get ready, reservations, cab service, etc. And through all the planning, daily changes coming in from the guys in Germany. Now that it’s over, I can relax and look forward to the next meeting! One thing good that came from the meeting, other than we’re profitable, is that I celebrated my 15 year work anniversary with the company. It’s really hard to imagine that I’ve been there 15 years.
For the past month I’ve been fighting a cold, or something. At first I put it off thinking it wasn’t getting better because I was stressing a lot over the sales meeting, but a week later, it was no better so I broke down and went to the doctor. Good thing I did, it was bronchitis, sinusitis and a major ear infection in both ears. I’m supposed to be taking breathing treatments every 4 hours for the bronchitis, but after the breathing treatment I did at home, I’m not real wild about doing another. It made me super jittery, and I felt like I was drunk! I think had I not been laying on the bed afterwards, I would have passed out. Needless to say, I haven’t had anymore breathing treatments at home. I’ve been on antibiotics for 2 days now and my ears still feel like they could pop off my head at any time. I’m hoping today’s round of antibiotics will help me feel better to go back to work tomorrow. To me, there’s nothing worse than being sick and being at work. Yuk!
On a positive note, we have been fortunate that Mya hasn’t been sick. We still thank the ear tubes for her health this past year and a half. I don’t think we’ve had her to the doctor since the tubes went in. That’s a far cry from having her at the doctor’s office every 2 to 3 weeks, for the first year and a half of her life. Well, it really wasn’t that long since she didn’t start having problems until she was about 6 months old. From there, though, she was sick from October until around May. We go for her ear tube follow up tomorrow and I’m curious to see if the tubes have fallen out yet. If they haven’t, I’m wondering if that’s okay, or will they have to remove them? The doctor said they were designed to fall out in 8 to 14 months. It’s been 18 months now. We’ll see.
I guess my biggest thing to write about is Andrew! I am so proud of him! His dream has always been to be a writer and illustrator, and now his dream is coming true! A professor/writer friend of his asked him to work with her on a new book. She wants to bounce ideas with him, and she wants him to do the art work for the book. Nikole, the professor/writer, already has several published books, she has connections with editors and publishers at the New York Times and Chicago Tribune, so advertising and publishing for the new book are in the bag. Their goal is to have the book published by December 2010. I told Andrew that I would be his PR person here! LOL! You know I’m going to push that book on everyone I know! I’ve already informed all my Face Book friends that I expect them all to buy one! All in jest, of course. So, in addition to Andrew walking around with a permanent smile, I’m also beaming with excitement! December 2010 can’t get here soon enough for me!
Looks like we’re going to have a chilly camping trip next weekend! I can’t believe the weather we’ve had this year, it’s almost like we skipped summer and went from spring to fall. The leaves are starting to change, the mornings are very brisk, and the days are in the 60’s or low 70’s. The biggest thing we’ve had this year is rain. Rain, rain and more rain. I guess I shouldn’t complain, winter is right around the corner, and they’re saying we’re going to have a nasty winter this year. I’m not looking forward to that!
TTFN!
Monday, September 21, 2009
This Is Selious!
I almost forgot to mention Mya's new word, SELIOUS! For those of you that watch Wonder Pets, you know the little duck can't pronounce her R's, so everything comes out with a "W" sound. In each episode of the Wonder Pets, the little duck always says, "this is sewious!", meaning serious. Mya has no idea about the incorrect pronunciation, and she thinks the duck is saying selious. Now when she is playing, you will hear her talking to her babydolls or animals and tell them, "this is selious!" Cracks me up! I try to correct her, but it does no good, I don't know anything, it's what the Wonder Pets say, so it's got to be right! Right?
She said What!
On top of feeling horrible last week, we had a very unfortunate night at dance on Thursday. As I’ve been saying in previous posts, the whole dance thing hasn’t gone so well. Over the past few weeks, it did seem like things were improving, and even the week before last, I was so excited that Mya actually started participating. Well, this last Thursday it all went out the window. As usual, when it’s time to go to class, Mya starts clinging to my leg, and gearing up the tears, just in case she needs them later. The teacher told Mya that mommy could stay in the room, but only if she participated. We walked into the room, I took my usual spot in the corner and told Mya to go pick a star and sit down with the rest of the girls. That’s when it all went down hill. Mya wouldn’t join the group, I was getting frustrated, the teacher was getting frustrated, so I took Mya by the hand to lead her to join the rest of the group, well, she started crying. The teacher took Mya and told her she had to participate, the more the teacher tried to force Mya to join, the more resistant Mya became. At this point she’s in full blown tantrum and refuses to do anything but cling to my neck. For the first time since dace has started, this lady, whom I’ve never met, comes from the other room. I assume she’s an instructor assistant coming to the rescue of Mya’s teacher. Anyway, she took Mya from me, and told me that I could go in the other room and that this is something that Mya is just going to have to go through and get over. I understand that, I really do, no one wants this more for Mya than I do. I want her to feel at ease around her peers. This lady told me before I walked out the door, if Mya gets too bad, she’ll bring her to me, and as with the first class, it didn’t take 5 minutes before the door opened. I took Mya from the lady, comforted her, and then came to the conclusion that this is just not going to happen, not at this point in time. Maybe three is too young? I really don’t know, but I do know that I was tired of putting Mya through this week after week, only to end up with the same results each week. I told Mya this would be her last dance class, went into the classroom to get her bag, spoke briefly with the teacher, who agreed with my conclusion, and we left. Okay, all that was fine with me, Bob and I discussed this, we would give it a month and see how it went, now it’s over. The part that bothered me, and had me fuming all the way home, was when Mya asked, while we were driving home, “Momma, did I hurt your feelings?” I said, no, you didn’t hurt my feelings, and Mya says, “Yes, I did, that lady told me.” Again, I explained that she didn’t hurt my feelings, we won’t pursue dance, blah, blah, blah, and Mya again said, “I did hurt your feelings, that lady told me, if I cry it will hurt your feelings, and I cried.” I was furious! How dare this lady make her feel guilty! I fumed over this all the way home, I didn’t sleep that night, and of course, I was talking to Mya all night trying to make sure she knew that my feelings weren’t hurt, and if she didn’t want to dance, that’s okay with me. Argh!
After our dance ordeal, I asked Mya if she would like to stop by and see Mr. Bo! That was a huge YES! With her having such problems in dealing with her peers, I think it’s even more important that she stay involved in something, so we stopped by to see what gymnastics classes she might be able to join. Luckily, they have a new class starting up and we will start there in a couple of weeks! Yeah! Mya loves Mr. Bo and the people there. I just hope she doesn’t have the same issues when it comes time to participate in class. In the past she loved gymnastics, but it was the Mommy and Me class, this time she gets to go out there alone. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
New Mya Quip: Mya was playing in the bath tub yesterday and was asking for a cup to play with. I told her to wait a minute because I was busy doing something else at the moment. Out of her mouth came: “Can you say Snap, Snap!” I replied, “Excuse me!” and she said it again! “Can you say Snap, Snap!” Where do they come up with this stuff? At three! And you should hear the grief she gives Bob! She’s really got it in for him!
I’m still looking forward to Halloween! My Aunt and Uncle are having the annual Halloween party at their house again this year. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for the scavenger hunt! Last year was brilliant! People actually jumped in the pond to get their clues! There was a row boat sitting beside the pond! I couldn’t believe it! I wouldn’t jump in that pond in broad daylight, so I can’t even imagine jumping in at night! Knowing Tina, it will be a great party with some very clever games!
TTFN!
After our dance ordeal, I asked Mya if she would like to stop by and see Mr. Bo! That was a huge YES! With her having such problems in dealing with her peers, I think it’s even more important that she stay involved in something, so we stopped by to see what gymnastics classes she might be able to join. Luckily, they have a new class starting up and we will start there in a couple of weeks! Yeah! Mya loves Mr. Bo and the people there. I just hope she doesn’t have the same issues when it comes time to participate in class. In the past she loved gymnastics, but it was the Mommy and Me class, this time she gets to go out there alone. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
New Mya Quip: Mya was playing in the bath tub yesterday and was asking for a cup to play with. I told her to wait a minute because I was busy doing something else at the moment. Out of her mouth came: “Can you say Snap, Snap!” I replied, “Excuse me!” and she said it again! “Can you say Snap, Snap!” Where do they come up with this stuff? At three! And you should hear the grief she gives Bob! She’s really got it in for him!
I’m still looking forward to Halloween! My Aunt and Uncle are having the annual Halloween party at their house again this year. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for the scavenger hunt! Last year was brilliant! People actually jumped in the pond to get their clues! There was a row boat sitting beside the pond! I couldn’t believe it! I wouldn’t jump in that pond in broad daylight, so I can’t even imagine jumping in at night! Knowing Tina, it will be a great party with some very clever games!
TTFN!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hornets Nest
I’m not one to talk politics in mixed crowds, but I have to say I’m truly concerned with our current economic situation. I’m not going to write one here to bash Obama, or Bush, or any particular political party, I merely want to express my observations and concerns. I’m not Pro Democrat or Republican, I’m Pro USA.
I will admit that I’m a complete layman when it comes to politics, finances, etc., but the stimulus packages that have been handed out to create new jobs don’t seem to be having a positive return on investment. More and more I hear of additional companies laying people off, or worse, moving their operations to a low cost region. Why doesn’t the government give these companies incentives to keep their business, and our jobs, here in the US? It seems our government wants us to become a “service” country, but if so many people are losing their jobs, what/who are we going to service? No one can afford to buy anything, so there’s no need for services. If you’re laid off, you probably can’t afford to go out and get highlights in your hair, have your weekly mani and pedi, or any of the other nonessential spending, so how will this help us? Are we going to become the next “India” call center? We’ll handle all the customer service calls for other countries. I hope that’s not where we’re headed, but with all of our manufacturing moving to other countries, where is that going to leave the US? Why not make fair trade, uh fair? We can’t compete with low cost countries because we have rules and standards for the products we produce, and rightfully so. Do the other countries abide by OSHA standards? Are they properly disposing of their hazardous waste? Are their employees receiving fair wages, with health benefits? Are they paying the higher tariffs for their exports? I don’t think so. If we were on a level playing field, we could be more competitive. We need our jobs back in the USA.
The health care reform is a sore spot for many these days, and I will admit, I get fired up when I think about it as well. I’m not for total government control, but I can see where some government intervention might be of some use. Having insurance through my employer, I’m grateful, but I still complain each year when my premiums, deductibles and out of pocket expenses are raised. Sometimes, I tell Bob we should quit our jobs and live off the government because I think we would have a higher standard of living. Right now there are tests that I need to have done to see about some unusual swelling in one of my legs, but due to the high deductible, I will choose not to have the tests done. I’ve decided that I won’t go back to the doctor for the follow up because I know she will want to run more tests. It shouldn’t be this way in the US. I’m not one to want sympathy, or a hand out, but it seems like the working people get punished while those not willing to work get rewarded. I’m not talking about the people that have lost their jobs, I’m speaking of the many you see that choose not to work. There have been many times I’ve threatened to cancel my insurance because it would be more affordable without it than to have it. I’ve done the math, by the time I figure my monthly premiums and deductible, compared to the number of doctor visits per year, I would save over $4,000.00 a year by not having insurance. Now, of course, this doesn’t take into consideration a major medical expense such as heart attack, etc., which is really the only reason I’ve kept my insurance, just for those unexpected catastrophes. But when one has to choose between feeding the family and staying healthy, something isn’t right. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not starving at our house, but we sure don’t want or need additional expenses. I’m not sure how the government can fix the insurance thing, but I hope something can be done so people don’t have to choose between food for their families or health care.
Other things I ponder with our government, as you can see, I think a lot about these things, is the way we handle government programs. Here’s just a few examples of what I observe and how I think we should handle it:
Government benefits
I will admit that I’m a complete layman when it comes to politics, finances, etc., but the stimulus packages that have been handed out to create new jobs don’t seem to be having a positive return on investment. More and more I hear of additional companies laying people off, or worse, moving their operations to a low cost region. Why doesn’t the government give these companies incentives to keep their business, and our jobs, here in the US? It seems our government wants us to become a “service” country, but if so many people are losing their jobs, what/who are we going to service? No one can afford to buy anything, so there’s no need for services. If you’re laid off, you probably can’t afford to go out and get highlights in your hair, have your weekly mani and pedi, or any of the other nonessential spending, so how will this help us? Are we going to become the next “India” call center? We’ll handle all the customer service calls for other countries. I hope that’s not where we’re headed, but with all of our manufacturing moving to other countries, where is that going to leave the US? Why not make fair trade, uh fair? We can’t compete with low cost countries because we have rules and standards for the products we produce, and rightfully so. Do the other countries abide by OSHA standards? Are they properly disposing of their hazardous waste? Are their employees receiving fair wages, with health benefits? Are they paying the higher tariffs for their exports? I don’t think so. If we were on a level playing field, we could be more competitive. We need our jobs back in the USA.
The health care reform is a sore spot for many these days, and I will admit, I get fired up when I think about it as well. I’m not for total government control, but I can see where some government intervention might be of some use. Having insurance through my employer, I’m grateful, but I still complain each year when my premiums, deductibles and out of pocket expenses are raised. Sometimes, I tell Bob we should quit our jobs and live off the government because I think we would have a higher standard of living. Right now there are tests that I need to have done to see about some unusual swelling in one of my legs, but due to the high deductible, I will choose not to have the tests done. I’ve decided that I won’t go back to the doctor for the follow up because I know she will want to run more tests. It shouldn’t be this way in the US. I’m not one to want sympathy, or a hand out, but it seems like the working people get punished while those not willing to work get rewarded. I’m not talking about the people that have lost their jobs, I’m speaking of the many you see that choose not to work. There have been many times I’ve threatened to cancel my insurance because it would be more affordable without it than to have it. I’ve done the math, by the time I figure my monthly premiums and deductible, compared to the number of doctor visits per year, I would save over $4,000.00 a year by not having insurance. Now, of course, this doesn’t take into consideration a major medical expense such as heart attack, etc., which is really the only reason I’ve kept my insurance, just for those unexpected catastrophes. But when one has to choose between feeding the family and staying healthy, something isn’t right. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not starving at our house, but we sure don’t want or need additional expenses. I’m not sure how the government can fix the insurance thing, but I hope something can be done so people don’t have to choose between food for their families or health care.
Other things I ponder with our government, as you can see, I think a lot about these things, is the way we handle government programs. Here’s just a few examples of what I observe and how I think we should handle it:
Government benefits
Mandatory drug testing for anyone receiving government benefits of any type. Sure, the testing might have costs, but if you refuse benefits to those testing positive, the savings would add up. You get one chance to come clean, if you screw up, you lose your benefits.
Community Service should be a requirement for anyone receiving benefits. Why not make them work for what they’re earning. There are plenty of community action programs that would love to have the help. If I have to work and pay taxes to support those receiving government benefits, why shouldn’t they have to work to get them? Make it mandatory that they have to give 20 hours a week in volunteer time. If anything, let them help beautify their local communities. For those that aren’t able to do physical labor, let them read to kids at the library, or sit with the elderly in the nursing homes. There are all kinds of volunteer programs out there. Why not? Not only would they be giving back, they would also be developing skills to list on a resume so they can attempt to re-join the workforce.
Legal system
Do away with frivolous law suits. I can’t tell you how many times a night I see commercials saying “do you or someone you love suffer from…”. A person can sue for anything these days. It’s crazy! Put a stop to it. No where on my pack of Marlboro does it say that smoking can cause lung cancer. Does that mean if I get lung cancer I can sue the tobacco companies for millions because Philip Morris didn’t label their boxes properly? If you watch the right commercial, you can! That goes in line with the infamous lady that got burned from the coffee at McDonald’s. Hello, until recently, McDonald’s didn’t sell iced coffee, what do you think will happen if you put a cup of hot coffee between your legs? Make people take responsibility for their actions, don’t pass the blame off on someone else.-
Child predators are a very touchy subject with me. Any person that would harm a child should be immediately tortured and put to death. In my opinion, they have no place on this earth. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in reform in this case. It sickens me to no end when I read statistics about the number of children that are kidnapped to be sold into slavery of all kinds. Those statistics are here in the US! This goes in line with child pornography. Any person that gets a rise from watching innocent children, doing things in which they have no idea, should have their eyes plucked out of their heads. What is wrong with people when they can resort to something like this? -
Speaking of children, when someone is arrested for child abuse, the child should never be returned to that parent or household. I know that when a child is sent into foster care, the main goal is to reunite that child with his parents. Is that really the best thing? I think in most cases, it’s not. This is your child, you get one chance, you had better not screw it up! I hear a lot of people being excused for their abusive behavior due to being raised in an abusive home, well I say bull crap! If you were abused as a child, you must know how it feels, so don’t do it to your own! You’re an adult, it’s wrong, you know better. Again, make people responsible for their actions, let’s not sugar coat it or make excuses, wrong is wrong!
I think we should go back to the good ole days of hanging people on the court house steps. I know that sounds harsh, but right now a prisoner has a better life than most. Free room and board, 3 hot meals a day, what kind of punishment is that? Put them out there, in their communities, let them see the disappointment on their mother’s faces. Let the victims see that those who have done the crime will be punished. It might make people think long and hard before they commit their crime.
Immigration- I’m not against people wanting to come to the US and raise families, better themselves, etc., what I am against is the people doing it illegally. What baffles me even more is why our government even considers health care benefits for the illegal immigrants. And another thing, if the government can tell us we have X number of immigrants living in the US, then why can’t they load them up and deport them? Make them come into our country the right way.
- Why should we, as Americans, have to adopt the cultures of everyone else, all the while, our own culture is going out the window. Maybe this doesn’t fit into the immigrant conversation, but I will continue since I’ve already started. I think back to my childhood and going to school, every morning we said the Pledge of Allegiance, and we used the word God. At Christmas time, we had Christmas programs, and Christmas break, not Winter Holiday programs and Winter Holiday break. We learned how different cultures celebrate their various holidays, and how they compared to ours. Now we can’t celebrate Christmas in school because it might offend someone. Get over yourself! If you don’t believe in God, or Christmas, or anything else most Americans believe in, then don’t, it’s your choice, but don’t think the rest of the world should have to change their culture to suit your needs. If your situation calls for you to pray every so many hours, then by all means, go off and say your prayers, but don’t expect the world to stop revolving while you do so. I just can’t seem to find the right words to express my thoughts on this. I get so frustrated when I hear of the various things being taken from our schools. The same goes for the 10 Commandments having to be removed from every public place in the US. Leave them alone! If you don’t like seeing them, then don’t look.
Okay, I could go on and on about how I feel about our Country and what we’re becoming. I will stop here before I stroke out (LOL!). I take these things very seriously, and if people don’t wake up and start speaking up, we’re going to be in seriously bad shape in a few years. It worries me for my children, and even more for my future grandchildren. I would love for my daughter to be able to go outside and play all day and not have to worry about someone snatching her from the front yard. I want my children to feel safe walking down the street, not having to worry about getting robbed or shot. How can this be accomplished? Some government intervention would help, but I think the majority of the responsibility would fall on the people of the US by taking responsibility for your actions. Help those that need help, or as someone once said, “a hand up, not a hand out”.
TTFN!
Friday, September 11, 2009
In Memory Of Those Lost on September 11
What now? by Ray 2003
The ninth month brought the end to many,
The eleventh was a day of testing
Nine one one a call for help from any
It left no time of resting.
True warriors dressed in red suits
Navy blue or yellow
They called in all the recruits
to rescue ailing fellow.
What senselss acts of violence
Rain down on us today
what path will cross with terror
and cause us great dismay?
This is the world our children face.
Their lives are being molded.
The acts of hate, time won't erase,
Like a shroud it has enfolded.
What can we say? What can we do?
As time whirls swiftly by
Let love be instilled with a family view
So our values never die.
The ninth month brought the end to many,
The eleventh was a day of testing
Nine one one a call for help from any
It left no time of resting.
True warriors dressed in red suits
Navy blue or yellow
They called in all the recruits
to rescue ailing fellow.
What senselss acts of violence
Rain down on us today
what path will cross with terror
and cause us great dismay?
This is the world our children face.
Their lives are being molded.
The acts of hate, time won't erase,
Like a shroud it has enfolded.
What can we say? What can we do?
As time whirls swiftly by
Let love be instilled with a family view
So our values never die.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Busy, Busy, Busy
What a week it has been! I spent several days feeling like crap. I had some major sinus and chest congestion that just seemed to hang on. Feeling better now!
Saturday we made our drop off to the Home of The Innocents, and it went very well. We had a truck load of items, which was our goal! Yeah!
With several things planned on Saturday, I didn’t get to stay and help Andrew and James get their carpet cleaned. Sorry Andrew! Hope we can stay longer next time we’re up!
We bought an old Victrola from this guy off the internet. We ended up going through all kinds of chaos to pick this thing up on Saturday. What a nightmare! I hope Bob reports the guy to the organization he is representing. Very poor business dealings.
On Thursday I took Mya for her next dance class. I can say it did go better than the previous class, although she still cried. Toward the end of the class she was starting to warm up a little bit. I think after a few more classes she will be okay, but I can’t really be sure. I’m really getting more and more concerned about her “shyness”. I told Mya we would be meeting with Emily and Susanne after dance class, and after the class was over, and I was changing her clothes, she told me she was so excited to get to see Emily. Once we met up to have dinner, Mya wouldn’t play or talk to Emily. It took her a very long time to open up and start interacting. Same thing happened when we met with Susanne, Carsten and Emily at the Home of The Innocents on Saturday. I really hope this is something she is going to out grow soon, but it seems like it gets worse the older she gets. I’m really concerned about how she will do when it’s time to start school. I’m not sure what to do to help her come out of her shell. There are times, at home with Bob and me, that she gets embarrassed and doesn’t want us to watch her eat??? It’s really becoming worrisome to me. As I said before, I’m open to suggestions!
Out of curiosity, is anyone going to get signed up for the H1N1 vaccine? I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about this vaccine, and unless they make it mandatory, I don’t think I will be getting the vaccine for Mya, or myself, for that matter. I’ve seen too many “it’s very serious, people are going to die by the thousands” stories, contradicted with “it’s nothing worse than the seasonal flu”. So I have to ask, which is it? How worried should we be, really? Also, I think they’re rushing to get the vaccine stock piled, so I worry about the safety and long term effects. I’m not a conspiracy theorist type person, but something about this just doesn’t sit well with me.
Bob got the deck cleaned Saturday, in hopes that we could get it painted on Sunday. The rain prevented us from doing anything more than cleaning it. Hopefully we can get it painted this week, if the rain holds out. This summer has made it hard to plan anything that requires dry weather for longer than 2 days. I’m ready for a nice, somewhat dry, fall season. Some of the trees are already starting to change colors. Halloween will be just around the corner, which is great! We love Halloween and all the spooky decorations! The kids that come to the house for Trick or Treating are typically scared to death. We have the scary decorations and on Halloween night, we put the strobe light in the window, with the window clings, and turn on the spooky Halloween CD, and it looks and sounds like a haunted house. One year I dressed up and sat on the porch, looking as if I were one of the “stuffed dummy’s”, well, these 2 boys, I would say around 10 years old, started walking toward the house, saw my eyes move and screamed and yelled, “It’s Real! Run!” They took off running! Bob tried to stop them to get them to come back for their candy, but they wouldn’t stop! It was hilarious! Of course, I never scare the little ones, because that would just be cruel.
I hope everyone is doing well!
TTFN!
Saturday we made our drop off to the Home of The Innocents, and it went very well. We had a truck load of items, which was our goal! Yeah!
With several things planned on Saturday, I didn’t get to stay and help Andrew and James get their carpet cleaned. Sorry Andrew! Hope we can stay longer next time we’re up!
We bought an old Victrola from this guy off the internet. We ended up going through all kinds of chaos to pick this thing up on Saturday. What a nightmare! I hope Bob reports the guy to the organization he is representing. Very poor business dealings.
On Thursday I took Mya for her next dance class. I can say it did go better than the previous class, although she still cried. Toward the end of the class she was starting to warm up a little bit. I think after a few more classes she will be okay, but I can’t really be sure. I’m really getting more and more concerned about her “shyness”. I told Mya we would be meeting with Emily and Susanne after dance class, and after the class was over, and I was changing her clothes, she told me she was so excited to get to see Emily. Once we met up to have dinner, Mya wouldn’t play or talk to Emily. It took her a very long time to open up and start interacting. Same thing happened when we met with Susanne, Carsten and Emily at the Home of The Innocents on Saturday. I really hope this is something she is going to out grow soon, but it seems like it gets worse the older she gets. I’m really concerned about how she will do when it’s time to start school. I’m not sure what to do to help her come out of her shell. There are times, at home with Bob and me, that she gets embarrassed and doesn’t want us to watch her eat??? It’s really becoming worrisome to me. As I said before, I’m open to suggestions!
Out of curiosity, is anyone going to get signed up for the H1N1 vaccine? I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about this vaccine, and unless they make it mandatory, I don’t think I will be getting the vaccine for Mya, or myself, for that matter. I’ve seen too many “it’s very serious, people are going to die by the thousands” stories, contradicted with “it’s nothing worse than the seasonal flu”. So I have to ask, which is it? How worried should we be, really? Also, I think they’re rushing to get the vaccine stock piled, so I worry about the safety and long term effects. I’m not a conspiracy theorist type person, but something about this just doesn’t sit well with me.
Bob got the deck cleaned Saturday, in hopes that we could get it painted on Sunday. The rain prevented us from doing anything more than cleaning it. Hopefully we can get it painted this week, if the rain holds out. This summer has made it hard to plan anything that requires dry weather for longer than 2 days. I’m ready for a nice, somewhat dry, fall season. Some of the trees are already starting to change colors. Halloween will be just around the corner, which is great! We love Halloween and all the spooky decorations! The kids that come to the house for Trick or Treating are typically scared to death. We have the scary decorations and on Halloween night, we put the strobe light in the window, with the window clings, and turn on the spooky Halloween CD, and it looks and sounds like a haunted house. One year I dressed up and sat on the porch, looking as if I were one of the “stuffed dummy’s”, well, these 2 boys, I would say around 10 years old, started walking toward the house, saw my eyes move and screamed and yelled, “It’s Real! Run!” They took off running! Bob tried to stop them to get them to come back for their candy, but they wouldn’t stop! It was hilarious! Of course, I never scare the little ones, because that would just be cruel.
I hope everyone is doing well!
TTFN!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
A Day In The Life!
It hardly seems we’ve had a summer this year. The weather has been so mild it’s as if we’ve gone from Spring, right into Fall. Although Summer is my favorite season, I won’t complain about the 50 degree mornings we’ve been having, it could be worse, it could be Winter! I can’t help but get the Winter Time Blues after about a month of cold, dreary days. I guess it wouldn’t be so bad if the sun would stay out until 9 pm or so, but when you leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark, it’s almost like you’ve had no time to get anything done, and a body needs sunshine, or at least mine does. Oh well, with Winter comes Christmas! I love Christmas! I wish I could get everyone a hand picked Christmas gift! I love trying to think of, and get, that one perfect gift, you know, the one that really takes some thought. Those are my favorite to give! I do have a hard time buying gifts for the older kids. The boys and Crystal get harder each year. Mya will be easy for many more years, but the others just seem to get more difficult.
We’ll be making our delivery to the Home of the Innocents this weekend. I’m excited about that! We received so many great donations from so many people, which reminds me, I need to write Thank You notes on my grocery list! I better do that before I forget.
We visited Andrew and James at their new apartment last weekend. I can’t get over how much room they have there. I’m still so happy about the location and the apartment they found. We will also stop by there this weekend and help them get their carpets cleaned. There’s a few things I am going to stop and pick up for them, things like Clorox wipes, dish rags, you know the functional items that 22 year old men would never think of! LOL! But, while we were there, we got some great Christmas gift ideas! Nothing like what I described above, but at least it was something to get us started!
I learned last night that children are like adults, never take them to the grocery store while their hungry! Mya and I ran to the store to pick up a couple of items I needed for dinner last night. Well, when we walked past the refrigerated section, Mya announced that we need yogurt at home, because it’s all gone. After passing the cereal isle she announced that we needed Pop-Tarts, and donuts! Because Daddy eats Pop Tarts! Oh, and we need ice cream cookies for Daddy because those are his favorite and he eats those! Oh, and bananas, Mmm, those are her favorite! It seemed we needed an item or 2 from each isle, because it was someone’s favorite!
We will try dance class again this week, and I’m not really looking forward to it. Mya has already said she doesn’t like it because she’s too shy. I hope that isn’t something we’ve instilled in her at a young age. I know lately she is becoming more and more aware of people watching her, and she doesn’t like it. The other day we got her a Dora power wheels car and she was so excited about it, but she wouldn’t get in the car until Bob and I weren’t looking. She was too embarrassed to show her excitement and jump in the car while we were watching! Is that normal at 3 years old? I hope so, and I hope it’s something she will out grow in the next 2 months! Bob and I are not shy at all, and she’s exposed to various people, so I can’t really figure out where she’s getting this. Any suggestions???
TTFN!
We’ll be making our delivery to the Home of the Innocents this weekend. I’m excited about that! We received so many great donations from so many people, which reminds me, I need to write Thank You notes on my grocery list! I better do that before I forget.
We visited Andrew and James at their new apartment last weekend. I can’t get over how much room they have there. I’m still so happy about the location and the apartment they found. We will also stop by there this weekend and help them get their carpets cleaned. There’s a few things I am going to stop and pick up for them, things like Clorox wipes, dish rags, you know the functional items that 22 year old men would never think of! LOL! But, while we were there, we got some great Christmas gift ideas! Nothing like what I described above, but at least it was something to get us started!
I learned last night that children are like adults, never take them to the grocery store while their hungry! Mya and I ran to the store to pick up a couple of items I needed for dinner last night. Well, when we walked past the refrigerated section, Mya announced that we need yogurt at home, because it’s all gone. After passing the cereal isle she announced that we needed Pop-Tarts, and donuts! Because Daddy eats Pop Tarts! Oh, and we need ice cream cookies for Daddy because those are his favorite and he eats those! Oh, and bananas, Mmm, those are her favorite! It seemed we needed an item or 2 from each isle, because it was someone’s favorite!
We will try dance class again this week, and I’m not really looking forward to it. Mya has already said she doesn’t like it because she’s too shy. I hope that isn’t something we’ve instilled in her at a young age. I know lately she is becoming more and more aware of people watching her, and she doesn’t like it. The other day we got her a Dora power wheels car and she was so excited about it, but she wouldn’t get in the car until Bob and I weren’t looking. She was too embarrassed to show her excitement and jump in the car while we were watching! Is that normal at 3 years old? I hope so, and I hope it’s something she will out grow in the next 2 months! Bob and I are not shy at all, and she’s exposed to various people, so I can’t really figure out where she’s getting this. Any suggestions???
TTFN!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Dance and All
We took Mya to her first dance class last week. It didn’t go as well as I had planned. I was right, I had to leave her kicking and screaming! It got so bad that the teacher, Ms. Tiffany, had to come and get me. Ms. Tiffany told me I could sit with her this time. We’re going to see how she does this week. I really don’t think she will go by herself, and I’m not sure how long they will allow me to sit in the class with her. If after a few weeks, we’re still having the problem, we will more than likely wait until next year and try again. What bothers me more than anything is thinking about how she’s going to react when it comes time to start school. At least with dance class, she’s not required to go.
We had our corn hole tournament Saturday, and it was great! We raised $175 to purchase items from the Homes Wish List. I’m very pleased with how things went! The Home found my blog and replied, asking us to join them at the Backyard BBQ this Saturday. We haven’t decided yet if we’re going to attend.
Is it Fall already? It sure seems like it! This morning on our way to work, the temperature was 55 degrees. This past weekend was perfect! Nice temps with plenty of sunshine! I love my sunshine! I’m not looking forward to winter being just around the corner. I would prefer sunshine and 80 degrees year round! Is that asking too much? LOL! Looking forward to our camping trip this fall! With weather like this, it will make for a nice time. Not too hot, not too cold!
Andrew and James got moved into their new apartment so we will go visit them soon to check it all out! I’m excited for them and hope everything works out for the best. Of course I have my motherly worries, and always will for that matter, but you have to let them go at some point, I suppose.
Our family is expecting 2 new additions this spring! Sabrina and Brittany, my nieces, are due in March, one week apart, I think. This will be moms first Great Grand Children, which also means I will be a Great Aunt! Did you see the word Great! Uggh! There’s that age thing creeping up on me again! Oh well, at least I’m the Aunt and not the Grandparent! LOL! Joe and Lisa will get the privilege of being grandparents twice in one month! According to the heart rates, it looks like Sabrina will have the boy and Brittany will have the girl. Of course, I’m not sure how reliable the heart rate prediction is, but that’s where it stands now. I guess we’ll see when they have their 20 week ultrasounds. I hope everything works out for the best for the girls.
Speaking of getting old, the other day Bob and I were out shoe shopping for Mya, and as usual, Mya was grabbing everything that was “so cute”. The Marketing people really know how to lay out the displays at the stores, putting all the cute, fun stuff at the check out counter. Anyway, I was trying to get Mya to come and stand with us, and at some point, in speaking to Mya, I referred to myself as Momma. Well, the lady that was ringing up our purchases said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were her grandmother!” Apparently, earlier in our visit, the lady had mentioned something to Mya about her “mamaw”, referring to me, and I didn’t hear her when she said it, so I didn’t know. When I made the Mamma comment, she realized we were her parents and not her grandparents! I get this all the time! Of course, I tell Bob it’s his fault! I don’t look old enough to be a grandmother! LOL! I felt bad for the lady because she was really embarrassed, so I told her that we get that all the time, not to worry about it. Bob thinks it’s hilarious because it’s usually me they speak to when they make the grandparent comments. Oh well, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I refuse to get old!
Hope everyone has a wonderful day!
TTFN!
We had our corn hole tournament Saturday, and it was great! We raised $175 to purchase items from the Homes Wish List. I’m very pleased with how things went! The Home found my blog and replied, asking us to join them at the Backyard BBQ this Saturday. We haven’t decided yet if we’re going to attend.
Is it Fall already? It sure seems like it! This morning on our way to work, the temperature was 55 degrees. This past weekend was perfect! Nice temps with plenty of sunshine! I love my sunshine! I’m not looking forward to winter being just around the corner. I would prefer sunshine and 80 degrees year round! Is that asking too much? LOL! Looking forward to our camping trip this fall! With weather like this, it will make for a nice time. Not too hot, not too cold!
Andrew and James got moved into their new apartment so we will go visit them soon to check it all out! I’m excited for them and hope everything works out for the best. Of course I have my motherly worries, and always will for that matter, but you have to let them go at some point, I suppose.
Our family is expecting 2 new additions this spring! Sabrina and Brittany, my nieces, are due in March, one week apart, I think. This will be moms first Great Grand Children, which also means I will be a Great Aunt! Did you see the word Great! Uggh! There’s that age thing creeping up on me again! Oh well, at least I’m the Aunt and not the Grandparent! LOL! Joe and Lisa will get the privilege of being grandparents twice in one month! According to the heart rates, it looks like Sabrina will have the boy and Brittany will have the girl. Of course, I’m not sure how reliable the heart rate prediction is, but that’s where it stands now. I guess we’ll see when they have their 20 week ultrasounds. I hope everything works out for the best for the girls.
Speaking of getting old, the other day Bob and I were out shoe shopping for Mya, and as usual, Mya was grabbing everything that was “so cute”. The Marketing people really know how to lay out the displays at the stores, putting all the cute, fun stuff at the check out counter. Anyway, I was trying to get Mya to come and stand with us, and at some point, in speaking to Mya, I referred to myself as Momma. Well, the lady that was ringing up our purchases said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were her grandmother!” Apparently, earlier in our visit, the lady had mentioned something to Mya about her “mamaw”, referring to me, and I didn’t hear her when she said it, so I didn’t know. When I made the Mamma comment, she realized we were her parents and not her grandparents! I get this all the time! Of course, I tell Bob it’s his fault! I don’t look old enough to be a grandmother! LOL! I felt bad for the lady because she was really embarrassed, so I told her that we get that all the time, not to worry about it. Bob thinks it’s hilarious because it’s usually me they speak to when they make the grandparent comments. Oh well, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I refuse to get old!
Hope everyone has a wonderful day!
TTFN!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Hot and Sour Soup
The other night we had dinner at the local Chinese restaurant, Tray's Garden, which is one of Mya's favorite places to eat. As we pull in the parking lot, she always says, "are we eating at Chinese"? In addition to loving the hot and sour soup, she also likes the fact that the owners have a little girl her age that will sometimes come to the table and "play" with her. The owners also have toys there to keep their kids occupied when they keep them there, so that's always fun as well! Since the little girl doesn't speak English, and Mya gets terribly shy, they pretty much just stand there and look at each other. But anyway, here's a picture I took of Mya eating her hot and sour soup. Of course it's blurry since she won't sit still for 2 seconds to let you get a clear picture. It's funny to watch her eat the soup, she doesn't understand the difference between hot (as in right off the stove) and spicy. Since hot and sour soup is spicy, when she starts eating it, her face will get all flushed, and she starts saying, "whoo, it's hot, I need to blow it some more". She blows the next spoon full, eats it, and this goes on the entire time she's eating the soup. We can't help but laugh every time we watch her eat it.
Have a great day!
TTFN!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Kids and Happenings
As you can see below, I’ve been playing around with Picasa3 and editing some pictures. Pretty cool program! I like that I can post the pictures to my blog from the program.
Andrew and James started moving over the weekend! Both of them are pretty excited about living on their own. Now I have to keep my fingers crossed that their able to find jobs soon. I know they will be busy since classes start back up next week, but I hope their schedules allow them to get evening jobs.
I took Mya for her first dentist appointment today. That didn’t go so well! I think the mistake was letting her watch them clean my teeth before it was her turn. Of course, for her first visit, they don’t really do anything but look into her mouth, and he really didn’t do a lot of digging around in there. I had to threaten to hold her down if she didn’t open her mouth. Then she said, “I don’t want the lady (that would be the hygienist) to watch me”. Well, the “lady” stepped outside the door, but Mya still wouldn’t voluntarily open her mouth, I had to pry it open so he could get quick peeks. Anyway, since she isn’t having any problems, I didn’t worry a whole lot about him not being able to look around. He did say that she had great spacing between her teeth, which would allow plenty of room for her permanent teeth when they start growing in.
After the dentist appointment, I took Mya along to my hair appointment so I could get Steve to tell me what I could do about her hair. Basically, she’s going to be a ponytail girl I’m afraid. If he tries to cut her some bangs, he would have to cut them so far back on her head that it wouldn’t look real spiffy, so I said, okay, we’ll just let her have long hair all over. Or at least a cute little bob cut, with no bangs. I kind of like it that way anyway, so no biggie there.
The reason for the concern over her hair all of sudden is because she starts dance in a couple of days and the rules say that the hair should be pulled away from her face. Well, right now it’s not long enough to be pulled back into a ponytail or a bun in the back, so I considered the bang idea. We’ll just have to let her grow this time and not cut the back, this way she can wear a nice ponytail or bun in the back.
I’m anxious to get her started in dance. I’m curious as to how she’ll do since I can’t in with her as I did in gymnastics. I’m sure the first few visits I’ll have to leave her in the room kicking and screaming, but I think once she realizes I’ll be waiting for her when she’s finished, she’ll be fine. She loves to dance around the house, so I’m positive she’ll love dance classes. Especially the noisy tap shoes! LOL! I’ll be sure to post pictures of her in her dance attire!
We’re still working diligently on getting a truck load of stuff to take to the Home Of The Innocents. We’re having our corn hole tournament this weekend, I hope that goes well. I think we will have about 10 teams, so that’s pretty good considering we didn’t advertise publicly. Bob and I have several boxes and bags of stuff at the house that people have sent home with us. I’m anxiously awaiting delivery day!
TTFN!
Andrew and James started moving over the weekend! Both of them are pretty excited about living on their own. Now I have to keep my fingers crossed that their able to find jobs soon. I know they will be busy since classes start back up next week, but I hope their schedules allow them to get evening jobs.
I took Mya for her first dentist appointment today. That didn’t go so well! I think the mistake was letting her watch them clean my teeth before it was her turn. Of course, for her first visit, they don’t really do anything but look into her mouth, and he really didn’t do a lot of digging around in there. I had to threaten to hold her down if she didn’t open her mouth. Then she said, “I don’t want the lady (that would be the hygienist) to watch me”. Well, the “lady” stepped outside the door, but Mya still wouldn’t voluntarily open her mouth, I had to pry it open so he could get quick peeks. Anyway, since she isn’t having any problems, I didn’t worry a whole lot about him not being able to look around. He did say that she had great spacing between her teeth, which would allow plenty of room for her permanent teeth when they start growing in.
After the dentist appointment, I took Mya along to my hair appointment so I could get Steve to tell me what I could do about her hair. Basically, she’s going to be a ponytail girl I’m afraid. If he tries to cut her some bangs, he would have to cut them so far back on her head that it wouldn’t look real spiffy, so I said, okay, we’ll just let her have long hair all over. Or at least a cute little bob cut, with no bangs. I kind of like it that way anyway, so no biggie there.
The reason for the concern over her hair all of sudden is because she starts dance in a couple of days and the rules say that the hair should be pulled away from her face. Well, right now it’s not long enough to be pulled back into a ponytail or a bun in the back, so I considered the bang idea. We’ll just have to let her grow this time and not cut the back, this way she can wear a nice ponytail or bun in the back.
I’m anxious to get her started in dance. I’m curious as to how she’ll do since I can’t in with her as I did in gymnastics. I’m sure the first few visits I’ll have to leave her in the room kicking and screaming, but I think once she realizes I’ll be waiting for her when she’s finished, she’ll be fine. She loves to dance around the house, so I’m positive she’ll love dance classes. Especially the noisy tap shoes! LOL! I’ll be sure to post pictures of her in her dance attire!
We’re still working diligently on getting a truck load of stuff to take to the Home Of The Innocents. We’re having our corn hole tournament this weekend, I hope that goes well. I think we will have about 10 teams, so that’s pretty good considering we didn’t advertise publicly. Bob and I have several boxes and bags of stuff at the house that people have sent home with us. I’m anxiously awaiting delivery day!
TTFN!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
AC/DC
This morning on my way to work I heard on the radio that AC/DC was coming to town, and just in time for my Birthday! Woohoo! I love AC/DC! It took me all of 5 seconds to pick up the phone and drop that little birthday hint on Bob! LOL! Well, Bob informed me that the tickets were $100.00 each, and it wasn’t reserved seating. :-( Bob said he would have sprung the 200 bucks for the tickets, but was too afraid of us getting trampled with no reserve seating. I understand that, we’re not as young as we used to be. Had it been even 5 years ago, I would have said, let’s go! We can fight the crowd! I’m not like that now. I think since I’ve had Mya, I’ve become more aware of my surroundings, and let me tell you, there are some crazy people out there! As much as I would LOVE to see AC/DC in concert, I would be a little nervous about fighting the crowd to get within viewing distance. Does that mean I’m old? OMG! I think it does!
TTFN!
TTFN!
Monday, August 10, 2009
And all that!
Well, Andrew and James returned from Chicago yesterday. All in all, I think they had a nice trip. Andrew complained about the amenities at the hotel, no free Wi-fi, pay to park, in hotel restaurant too expensive, just to name a few. They visited the zoo, a couple of museums, and some local sight seeing. The convention was pretty good, according to Andrew. They didn’t take any pictures! Can’t be my child! LOL!
While the boys were in Chicago, the apartment management group called and left a message that their application had been approved on the apartment! Yeah! They go today to set up the move in date! I’m really excited for them! I might have them a “house warming” party. Or not, they seem to think they have everything they need, and they are pretty picky about their “house wares”. We’ll see!
Last week we welcomed Andi Mae to the family! 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 18 ½ inches long! Mya and I stopped to see her Friday afternoon, and after seeing Ki, who is almost 2, Andi looks so small. I think she looks a lot like Maddi, but has Graci’s complexion. Mya was funny, her and mom had been earlier that day to see Laura and the baby, so when I picked Mya up Friday, I was asking her about the baby. I asked her if she had hair, and she said no, well mom said, “Yes, she has hair”, so then Mya told me she has a little bit of hair, like Daddy! Also, I asked Mya what the baby’s name is, and she said, “Raggedy”. Mom and I looked a little puzzled, and asked her again, and again, she said Raggedy. Well, mom said again, “No, her name isn’t Raggedy, it’s Andi”. That’s when Mya said, “Yes, like Raggedy Andy!” How stupid of us to not know that! :-) While we were visiting, I had to take Andi’s feet out so I could look them over (I love baby feet!) and in doing so, I had to undress her to get to her feet. Mya spotted the umbilical cord and said, “Oh no! She has a splinter in her belly!” It’s funny and amazing how kids have their own ideas of what things are and how things work. I love it!
Mom has been planning a back yard camp out with the younger grandkids, but because of the all the rain we’ve been having, we just haven’t had a suitable weekend for it. Well, this past weekend mom decided the weather would be nice for camping. Mom set up two tents in the back yard, fixed a fire pit for cooking hot dogs and roasting marshmallows, and let everyone know the camping adventure would start just before dark. Since I wasn’t sure if Stacey was going to stay and help, I told mom that I would come and stay so she wouldn’t have all 6 little ones by herself. The girls played and ran around the yard and had a good time! We got the fire started, cooked the hot dogs and laid out our blanket for a picnic style dinner. After eating, at this point it was really dark, Mya decided she didn’t want to camp, she missed her Daddy. I asked her several times if she wanted to go home, and she insisted that she missed her Daddy and wanted to go home to be with him. Well, I loaded up our sleeping bags and pillows and we were headed for the house (at that point in time, it appeared Stacey would be staying, so I didn’t feel so bad about leaving). About the time I pulled out of the drive way, Mya said, “I’ll go camping now!” I told her that we were going to go on home and see Daddy. The next day I called mom to see how the rest of the night went, and she told me that Stacey ended up leaving and taking Alyssa home as well. So, Mom ended up with the 4 bigger girls by herself. I think everyone had a great time. I just hope Mya will stay for the next camping adventure. I think it’s great that Mamaw does these things with the kids. I want Mya to have the good memories of growing up with Mamaw like we did.
TTFN!
While the boys were in Chicago, the apartment management group called and left a message that their application had been approved on the apartment! Yeah! They go today to set up the move in date! I’m really excited for them! I might have them a “house warming” party. Or not, they seem to think they have everything they need, and they are pretty picky about their “house wares”. We’ll see!
Last week we welcomed Andi Mae to the family! 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 18 ½ inches long! Mya and I stopped to see her Friday afternoon, and after seeing Ki, who is almost 2, Andi looks so small. I think she looks a lot like Maddi, but has Graci’s complexion. Mya was funny, her and mom had been earlier that day to see Laura and the baby, so when I picked Mya up Friday, I was asking her about the baby. I asked her if she had hair, and she said no, well mom said, “Yes, she has hair”, so then Mya told me she has a little bit of hair, like Daddy! Also, I asked Mya what the baby’s name is, and she said, “Raggedy”. Mom and I looked a little puzzled, and asked her again, and again, she said Raggedy. Well, mom said again, “No, her name isn’t Raggedy, it’s Andi”. That’s when Mya said, “Yes, like Raggedy Andy!” How stupid of us to not know that! :-) While we were visiting, I had to take Andi’s feet out so I could look them over (I love baby feet!) and in doing so, I had to undress her to get to her feet. Mya spotted the umbilical cord and said, “Oh no! She has a splinter in her belly!” It’s funny and amazing how kids have their own ideas of what things are and how things work. I love it!
Mom has been planning a back yard camp out with the younger grandkids, but because of the all the rain we’ve been having, we just haven’t had a suitable weekend for it. Well, this past weekend mom decided the weather would be nice for camping. Mom set up two tents in the back yard, fixed a fire pit for cooking hot dogs and roasting marshmallows, and let everyone know the camping adventure would start just before dark. Since I wasn’t sure if Stacey was going to stay and help, I told mom that I would come and stay so she wouldn’t have all 6 little ones by herself. The girls played and ran around the yard and had a good time! We got the fire started, cooked the hot dogs and laid out our blanket for a picnic style dinner. After eating, at this point it was really dark, Mya decided she didn’t want to camp, she missed her Daddy. I asked her several times if she wanted to go home, and she insisted that she missed her Daddy and wanted to go home to be with him. Well, I loaded up our sleeping bags and pillows and we were headed for the house (at that point in time, it appeared Stacey would be staying, so I didn’t feel so bad about leaving). About the time I pulled out of the drive way, Mya said, “I’ll go camping now!” I told her that we were going to go on home and see Daddy. The next day I called mom to see how the rest of the night went, and she told me that Stacey ended up leaving and taking Alyssa home as well. So, Mom ended up with the 4 bigger girls by herself. I think everyone had a great time. I just hope Mya will stay for the next camping adventure. I think it’s great that Mamaw does these things with the kids. I want Mya to have the good memories of growing up with Mamaw like we did.
TTFN!
Andrew's Birthday
Blowing out the candles!
This is the cake Mya picked out for Andrew! She said Andrew would just love it!
Andrew on his birthday!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Loving Life!
As I’ve said in other posts, yesterday was Andrew’s birthday! To celebrate we had friends and family over and grilled out. It was a beautiful day for grilling, although our deck stays so blasted hot from the all day sun coverage. Anyway, Andrew wanted steaks and spicy potatoes for his Birthday meal, so that’s what we had, plus other delicious, grillable food! YUM! I cooked all the sides and Bob grilled the meat, which turned out very well! I did manage to burn the garlic bread :-(, which isn’t out of the ordinary if I move away from the stove while it’s set on broil. I know better, but I was busy with other food prep. All in all, it was a nice day and the boys spent the afternoon and evening playing Wii Olympics. I had to laugh at them, they were complaining about being sore from playing Wii the evening before. I guess that’s why the Wii Fit is so popular among the “older” crowd, it’s a workout at home, and you get to have fun while you’re playing. I will admit though, after watching them play, I think I would feel a bit silly doing some of the things they had to do in order to compete in the Olympics. It was quite funny! Everyone left around 9 last night. We really enjoy having the kids at the house, and wish they would come more often. Mya loves having her brothers and sister there, it gives her someone to play with, or torture, or what ever you want to call it that a 3 year old does to her older siblings. I guess it depends on which of them you ask! LOL! The boys wrestle with Mya and she just eats it up and goes back for more. I think they wear down before she does.
Saturday we went to Sam’s to stock up on some pantry items and while we were there, they had several people giving out samples of various foods. Well, that can be a good thing when you go hungry! We tried numerous samples and ended up buying a couple of things based on the taste test. One thing we tried, well, I tried it and had it in the cart before Bob even noticed the samples, was the roasted red pepper hummus on pita chips. Yum! After putting it in the cart and then finding Bob to tell him all about it, he went and got his sample and loved it as well. I was so excited about my hummus and pita chips, I served it as an appetizer at Andrew’s birthday dinner yesterday. It got mixed reviews, and I think some of the “yucks” came from the word hummus. Funny, it wasn’t bad until I told them what it was. Oh well, more for Bob and me!
I can’t wait until I figure out how to download video from the Blackberry’s! I got the cutest video of Mya showing her Miss Thang attitude, head twirl and all, and doing her one arm push ups! The video also shows how she won’t sit still and let you photograph or video her. As soon as I figure out how to download, I’ll post the video.
TTFN!
Saturday we went to Sam’s to stock up on some pantry items and while we were there, they had several people giving out samples of various foods. Well, that can be a good thing when you go hungry! We tried numerous samples and ended up buying a couple of things based on the taste test. One thing we tried, well, I tried it and had it in the cart before Bob even noticed the samples, was the roasted red pepper hummus on pita chips. Yum! After putting it in the cart and then finding Bob to tell him all about it, he went and got his sample and loved it as well. I was so excited about my hummus and pita chips, I served it as an appetizer at Andrew’s birthday dinner yesterday. It got mixed reviews, and I think some of the “yucks” came from the word hummus. Funny, it wasn’t bad until I told them what it was. Oh well, more for Bob and me!
I can’t wait until I figure out how to download video from the Blackberry’s! I got the cutest video of Mya showing her Miss Thang attitude, head twirl and all, and doing her one arm push ups! The video also shows how she won’t sit still and let you photograph or video her. As soon as I figure out how to download, I’ll post the video.
TTFN!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
News, News & More News...
We finally received our new Blackberry’s in the mail yesterday! Yahoo! I was so excited! As soon as we got settled in at home, I immediately opened the boxes to get the phones out. And to my surprise, I didn’t have to wait until today to take it for activation, I can do it online! Even better! I rushed to the computer to get the phones activated, the sooner I could play the better! Well, I entered all my info and then received a message telling me that since we’re upgrading our plan, I would need to call the 1-800 number, or do a live chat. I immediately picked up the phone to call. Here’s where my trouble starts… “If you are calling from the phone that you are upgrading from, or if you are calling from the phone you are upgrading to, please hang up and call back on a different phone.” Guess what? We don’t have a home phone, we only use our cell phones! Now what am I going to do? Oh wait, I can still do the live chat! Away I went! I get the chat person connected with me, give her all the same info I had already entered when I went online, and she says, “since you’re current plan doesn’t end until August 19th, you will have to wait until August 20th to upgrade your plan.” WHAT?!?! I can’t wait that long! Well, we could have picked the option where we are pro-rated for each plan and make the switch now, but we really didn’t want to do that. Now we have Blackberry’s, with the media plan, and I have to wait 3 more weeks to use it! I’m counting down the days!
Andrew called me last night to tell me he and James found an apartment! In a decent neighborhood! And at a reasonable rate! When I went with them a couple of weeks ago, we looked at an apartment in this same complex, and they are very nice, with lots of room. Although I didn’t see the exact one they will get, Andrew told me this one was even nicer than the one we looked at. I’m so excited for them since they’ve been looking for several months now. I hope everything goes through with the application. Also, Andrew goes for a job interview, tomorrow, in Indiana. It’s just across the river so it’s close to campus. Keep your fingers crossed for them!
Last night Mom called to tell us that Laura has lost her plug! Won’t be long now we will have a new addition to the family! And, wouldn’t you know it, it’s another girl! Right now we have 13 girls and 7 boys, as far as Mom and Dad’s grandkids. Andi Mae will be joining our family in the very near future! And, we have 2 more coming in the spring of 2010! These 2 will be mom’s first great grandchildren! That means I’ll be a great Aunt. :-( Which also means I’m getting old! Hmm, I never thought of it that way. Oh well, you’re only as old as you feel! I feel pretty young today!
TTFN!
Andrew called me last night to tell me he and James found an apartment! In a decent neighborhood! And at a reasonable rate! When I went with them a couple of weeks ago, we looked at an apartment in this same complex, and they are very nice, with lots of room. Although I didn’t see the exact one they will get, Andrew told me this one was even nicer than the one we looked at. I’m so excited for them since they’ve been looking for several months now. I hope everything goes through with the application. Also, Andrew goes for a job interview, tomorrow, in Indiana. It’s just across the river so it’s close to campus. Keep your fingers crossed for them!
Last night Mom called to tell us that Laura has lost her plug! Won’t be long now we will have a new addition to the family! And, wouldn’t you know it, it’s another girl! Right now we have 13 girls and 7 boys, as far as Mom and Dad’s grandkids. Andi Mae will be joining our family in the very near future! And, we have 2 more coming in the spring of 2010! These 2 will be mom’s first great grandchildren! That means I’ll be a great Aunt. :-( Which also means I’m getting old! Hmm, I never thought of it that way. Oh well, you’re only as old as you feel! I feel pretty young today!
TTFN!
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