Ey!

Well work is slower... life has been uneventful.. but I figured I had to post something.
Jeffrey tried out his underwear yesterday.  After trying every pair he settled on one.  He told us he had to go pee once and we made it... then he told us another time and he did dribble a little.. but overall.. not so bad.  Hopefully Grandma is working on that some more today.  And I decided to get Samantha some of her own, just in case she has any ideas.  Plus I bought her some PJs.  I realized that they don't make the two piece till they are in 2T.. and I would rather not get her footsie ones... so I settled on the 2T and we will have to see how they fit.

I miss Nick.  I hate it when he goes hunting.  *sigh*
That is it for now.
C-Ya!

Almost the work week

Well another weekend is almost over with... darn! At least I survived my weekend.
After going to bed way too late.. I got up early and got the kids ready and went to mass. Everyone said they did really good sitting with me in the choir loft - I sort of beg to differ... but hey what could I do?
Then I went home and made breakfast and then packed to go over to my parents house.
Got to my parents house and had two sleeping kids. We kept Samantha asleep but Jeffrey woke up when they came inside their house. Then my Grandma, Aunt and Cousin came over to see the kids. After we went to McDonalds.. the kids had their baths and then went to bed early (they were acting cranky, so....)
Now.... I am just playing around on my parents computer.
Tomorrow is my sleep follow up!
And about three more days till I see Nick!!
C-Ya!

Another late night post

Well... it is late.. I should go to bed. And I will in a couple minutes. I need to get up for church tomorrow... which shall be interesting because I am bringing the kids up to the choir loft. I have a lot of faith they will do well.
My cell phone is on the outs. I cannot see either screen anymore.. and it is so frustrating!! I really hope they can transfer numbers or somehow make it so I can see my phone numbers. And I also rely on it for the time and to use as an alarm. I really hope it has been a year and a half since Nick changed the contract because otherwise we cannot get the discount... which is BS because I have had the phone for over a year and a half.
Otherwise, today was beautiful. The kids and I went to the park again. They just love it!! And then they were so tired Jeff even took a nap.
Tomorrow it is off to my parent's house for a couple days.
C-Ya!

Mail

Now I had a problem with the mail service...here is my complaint:

On Saturday, October 15th I had gone to the park with my kids.  At that time someone was unloading some materials in front of my driveway and about 5 feet away from the mailbox.  While I was at the park, I noticed the mail truck go by and assumed my mail was delivered.  When I got home it was not there.  I called into the local office an hour later and found out that the mail lady was done for the day and asked about the policy.  I was told that if the mailperson feels the mailbox is blocked they don't have to deliver the mail, nor are they suppose to back up.  I am upset with this because the mail box was not blocked and I will be gone now for a couple days and was waiting for some mail.  Also, I don't understand why they can get out of the truck to deliver a package but cannot to deliver the mail.. and I do not think the response that they cannot do that for all 500 houses is a good enough argument because not all 500 houses have their boxes blocked.
If you care to call me, please call my cell at X.
Thanks.

I am slowly going crazy...

When I was taking my shower tonight I realized that for the third time in a row I have almost gotten done without washing my body with soap... I swear... my brain... it is not what it used to be. I don't know...maybe it is the pain pills or just the pain.
And the kids are in bed. Jeffrey got up to get another book and I let him sit with me for awhile. Partly because it is quite lonely and partly so he may sleep in longer tomorrow.
Hopefully tomorrow it will still be nice and we can go to the park! They enjoy that. Plus, I have to pack, do laundry and clean the kitchen up.
Well Nighty Night to all.
C-Ya!

Hunting Widow!

I decide to split todays post in to two.  I wanted to first recap Jeffrey's field trip.  I hope you have enjoyed the pictures.

I am officially a hunting widow till Wednesday.  Nick (and Gar) and Mollie took off this morning for South Dakota.  And I decided because I want to be able to sing in the choir on Sunday, to not go over to my parents till Sunday vs Saturday.  These means a whole day of it just being me taking care of the kids.  Though I often find it is easier to take care of them when I already know it is going to be just me.  And maybe I will take the time to spoil them!!

Still avoiding the root canal.  Now I wouldn't want one till Nick gets back anyways.  I have been taking less pain meds and waiting longer to take them.  I still have this dang cyst on my eye, though it is also getting better.

And I find out the results of my sleep study on Monday!
Word of the Day (provided by Petersons.com):  exacerbate
Definitions: (verb) to make worse or more severe.
Example: The roads in our town already have too much traffic; building a new shopping mall will exacerbate the problem.
Synonyms: aggravate, infuriate
I just stumbled upon this on yahoo.  Funny to think someone maybe would not know what exacerbate is.
Anyways.. I suppose I should get back to work.  Wish me a weekend filled with 2 perfect angel children... instead of the 2 devils they can be!!! (But I Love them anyway!)

C-Ya!

Jeff's first field trip

As I said in an earlier post.. Jeffrey went on his first field trip on Tuesday (Oct 11). Nick got to go with so he gave me a full recap, which I will try to paraphrase. This also was Jeffrey's first time on a school bus (though he has been on a city bus with me over a handful of times).

While he was there he had a chance to pet the animals. This was a big step, because the last time he could pet animals he was scared of them. I know he got to pet cows and chickens.

He also got a chance to milk a fake cow and color a farm coloring sheet.

The also read stories, got to play in a hay maze and climb on some hay

And he even learned "Old McDonald. So it sounds like Jeffrey and Daddy had a fun morning. And it makes me want to chaperone his next trip!
C-Ya!

Tickers

Hanging out in the online community - and especially on message boards - you notice the new trend towards tickers and blinkies in signature lines. Sometimes it is one or two tickers - and that is ok - other times it is a bazillion blinkies - and those drive almost everyone nuts. On the one site I hang out at, I have been shying away from tickers (they don't like blinkies - I understand) for my signature because I want to be unique. Now, that does not mean I cannot put them on here!! So here you go.. a multitude of tickers...







I hope you have enjoyed.
C-Ya!

Numb

For those of you out there who have never taken Tylenol 3 w/ Coedine... if it is working it makes you feel all numb inside!  Well the dentist Rx me some for the tooth and when I took it yesterday I really did not get that feeling... but the one I took today seems to be working well enough!  Hey.. maybe I will get to avoid a root canal right now after all.

Of course.. whether I am hurting or numb, I still am not getting much done.  I really should clean the house tonight because Nick's Uncle will be staying overnight before they (along with fil) go hunting.  And maybe I should figure out a nice dinner for tomorrow too... I guess we will see how I feel.  I do have a meeting with Jeffrey's speech teacher tonight, so I should get home early.

And Jeffrey had his first field trip yesterday to the Gale Woods Farm.  Nick went with and took pictures, so once I get them downloaded maybe I can get Nick to recount the time they had.  I guess it was a lot of fun and Jeffrey petted some of the animals (which is a big step because last year he was at a petting zoo and wouldn't).

And so Samantha can have equal time on here.. for those that know us In Real Life (IRL)... her birthday party will be Sunday, October 30 at 3pm at our house.  We will be having appetizers and cake.  Invites should be done this week (especially if I feel better).  I am also thinking of making it a combo party for her and Nick because he turns 30 the middle of November and should be celebrated.. though I know he hates to be the center of attention.

Hey, to all of you that have made comments recently, thanks for letting me know you are reading!! 
C-Ya!

Tooth!

Ok... my tooth hurts like an SOB!! (son of a b***h) Just from that PITA (pain in the a$$) filling! I finally gave in and called the Dentist and have a Rx for Tylenol 3 w/ Coedine at Target to pick up! So maybe I will post more later when I am under the influence of major drugs... I told Rox I would be loopy and she said I already am!!

C-Ya!

Mommy Blogs

There is a trend in blogging called "Mommy Blogs". Basically parents - though normally mothers - fill their blog with what little Timmy just learned to say or how many diapers little Susie went through today. I have to admit.. I am kind of guilty of doing this. Though because I am a Work Outside the Home (WOTH) mother vs a Stay at Home Mother (SAHM).. I have other adult things to draw from. Though it is kind of hard to talk about work related stuff since that self-imposed ban on talking about my work, so that if they ever found this they could not fire me for it!!! So, I guess I can pull from my commute experience...

And in the vein of that... here is one more picture of my babies (actually taken on Friday)!!!!

Anyways... the tooth still hurts... I have been living on advil. I should try to get back to the dentist or at least call but I am too busy this week to do so.

So, I did not think I would find this show entertaining, but I have been watching "My Name is Earl" on NBC.. and find it rather interesting. It is all about karma. Basically (as Earl says) "you do good things and good things happen to you; you do bad things and well.." Do you believe in karma? What happens when you try to always do good things and bad things still happen? I kind of feel that way about Nick. He has done ton of good things, but has the worst "luck"... so where is karma there? Though at least karma is a good excuse to get my fil to stop b****g when he watches NASCAR... I told Nick once that if you root for bad things to happen to a driver, bad things will happen to your driver (I guess a lot of Jeff Gordon fans are hoping the other guys crash - because his season has sucked!)

And one more question - especially for those that have surfed and found this blog... do you make money from you blog and how?

C-Ya!

BEAUTIFUL Fall Day!

Wow, second post on a weekend!! But I do have more pics, so it is a little easier to do it at home and I cannot email pics (as far as I know). So.. it is about my bedtime but I am still posting.
Like the title says.... if Fall was always like this, I would love it!! Today it got up close to 60!! No need for gloves or tons of layers.. so we took advantage of it.
After church we made our traditional big breakfast - today it was french toast. Then Nick got to go outside and clean out the ponds and re start them. Then Nick and I and the kids went to the park a couple blocks away with Mollie. Nick got to throw the dummy for Mollie so she could get ready to go hunting on Saturday

She did a good job bringing the dummy back to Nick

And the kids had a great time watching

Then we went over to the swings and slides and they got to play on both. Normally Nick doesn't get to go to the park, so he got to have fun swinging high like he used to.
Later, during Samantha's nap.. the NASCAR race was kind of boring and the Vikings had a Bye week (thank goodness - they need it) so Nick and Jeffrey went next door to learn how to make horseradish. I came over after I finished lunch. Then the neighbor and Nick decided to both dismantle their vegetable gardens, so we got more nice, outside time.
And the day was just gorgeous... the leaves are starting to turn, though you really cannot see it in this picture.

And then inside and back to the reality of making and cleaning up dinner (Nick made it, I cleaned it up).. and laundry.. and that it is back to work tomorrow!!
And a side note...my darn tooth still hurts!! I have had to take so many advils I feel like a druggy... but I can so tell when I need one because it just aches like I had my wisdom teeth removed.. in fact it hurt less when I had them removed!
Well... I suppose I better go to bed... busy week this week...
C-Ya!

A Saturday in the Fall

So, I feel bad.. I have not posted in a couple days. I guess I was busy at work trying to get out early.
On Thursday I had one of those dreaded trips to the dentist. I have some cavities that need to be filled. And like most people, I dislike going to the dentist. Well this trip, again, was no fun. I guess I had a big cavity and it was right near the nerve... so now the tooth is sensitive, blah! The dentist said, sometimes there is nothing you can do to prevent some cavities..great...
Otherwise not much happened Thursday and Friday.
So now it is Saturday, I love Saturdays... of course when you work a "traditional" M-F, 9-5 job, Saturday and Sunday are a day of rest. And with Sundays filled with church and sports (on TV), usually Saturdays are our only "clear" day. Though most Saturdays, especially in the outdoor months, involves Nick working. So that is what he is doing and I am here with the kids! This is how they started the day, eating their breakfast on the floor:

And it has just been a barrel of fun since. I took Jeffrey to the post office and library and we happened upon their used book sale so the kids got some new books!! Now I am in the craziness of home just waiting to put Samantha down for a nap and hoping Jeffrey will fall asleep too.
That is all for now!
C-Ya!

Blog Explosion

Hey.. anyone out there that is looking for a way to get more people to see their site.. they should check out Blog Explosion

Basically it is like those old website rings that you get on and people can surf blogs - this is how I do most of my surfing - and there are also other ways to get people to check it out.. then, you earn credits and they get used for you getting your blog to be seen by others.
Kind of a shameless self promotion, kind of me wanting to see more blogs!
Check it out anyways!
C-Ya!

So far..

So far today I have gone on my walk w/ Laura because we had to pick stuff up.
So far today I had Chipotle - yummy!
So far today I am not too tired.
So far today I have spent time w/ Samantha on the bus to work.
So far today I have joined a lottery pool for tonight's Powerball.
So far today I have not had any snacks (though we are getting treats at work in a little bit)
So far today I have already posted once on my blog.
So far today I made on call I need to make - which means, as of right now, I still have choir practice.
So far today I have blog surfed - still on my quest for the perfect blog entry.
So far today I got some tea at Caribou because part of the proceeds go to Hurricane disaster relief.
So, so far today, I have had a good day! :-)
C-Ya!

Storms

In a months time we have had about three big storms. Luckily, we have not had any damage to our house. Last night it was raining cats and dogs. I guess we got about 3 months worth of rain in one night. This, of course, caused flooding. Again, thankfully, we were spared (I think). There was really cool video on WCCO and WCCO.com of a manhole cover hoping around a block from my work. Here is a still I got from the website:

If you want to see more video head to http://www.wcco.com
And thankfully both kids slept through the storms. Nick said that we had some big "boomers" and "light light" (thunder and lightning according to Jeffrey) but no one else woke up. I used to hate storms. Thunder used to scare me. Now it is really cool to watch (from someplace safe). Though now my kids are getting scared, especially Jeffrey. It is our turn (Nick and mine) to be the adult and reassure them everything will be allright.
C-Ya!

Lately

Lately I have just been floating along.. trying to keep my head above water... or maybe I have just been doing that my whole adult life.  Being an adult is hard, but I would not change it for the world!  I love having choices and I love that I can be married with kids and I love that I have no legal restrictions (well, I cannot run for President yet...).

My horoscope from my yahoo page:
        Daily Virgo Forecast
        Quickie: Minor setbacks won't slow you down -- pick yourself up and dust yourself off.
        Overview: It's never easy to let the world know you're not happy with the way it's treating you, but when the representatives of that treatment are     people you don't care much for, it's easier. Take them apart, verb by verb.

I am kind of iffy on horoscopes... they are fun to read at times, but I definitely do not let them run my life.
So we almost thought we were going to need a new dryer (long story), but it turns out Nick may be able to run a gas line.

And did I tell you.. I think I figured out the kid's costumes... if I can find them I think Jeffrey should be a frog and Samantha should be a ladybug!!  I told Nick he will have to be an animal then.. or a plant!  No clue if I will dress up!  Does that not sound cute??

Less then a month to go till my baby girl is 2!!  Wow.. she is such a little peanut!
That would be that.  (Anyone else think this post is schizo?)
C-Ya!

The Great American Blog

I know I will never write the Great American Novel... nor anything else with Great American in the title... so here it is The Great American Blog (entry)... and with it comes words of wisdom and whit about my boring weekend! (THUNK!)

Quick recap...
Friday night I stayed up late to scrapbook and have conversations about nothing with Nick... I went to bed at 2:30am knowing I would regret it in the morning...

which I did when Jeffrey was up at 7:45 or 8am.  After trying to get him to lay in bed for a little while, I proceeded to get up because he also went in and out of his room a couple times and woke up Samantha.  Then they had breakfast and baths and playtime (which usually involves spreading all their toys over the floor and then not picking them up).  Eventually my parents came by and after more playtime (which at this point turned to me stressing because they were outside getting dirty less then an hour or so after their baths), Samantha went down for her nap and Jeffrey, Mom and I (and Nick at the first place) went to look at a couple houses on the Parade of Homes tour.  Of course the nicest ones were the ones we will never be able to afford...but they sure were nice.  It would be nice to check out a couple more houses though I don't know if we will have the time.

Friday night I went to a Pure Romance party.  If you don't know what PR is, well it is an adult (ladies-only) party.. that sells lotions, crèmes and other sexual enhancements.  That was a new experience, though surprisingly not as awkward.  The consultant could say the (c-word/female sexual anatomy) like I say my name.  And I saw things I have never seen anywhere - even online.  There is even something that substitutes for the inner workings of a female - though I just cannot see most men wanting that when their hand works just as good.  (Can you tell, I am trying to keep this PG so I don't get an adult rating, nor to embarrass my parents if they check this out)

Sunday was church and then NASCAR/football.  Which means I did not get much done around the house... oh well.  Oh, I did go through some hand me downs..

Now back to the work week.  And I don't have any time off till Samantha's birthday so...
Oh... and I am still a Creative Memories Consultant...though most of the order was for stuff for me... I am just so frustrated with that.  I love Creative Memories.. it is the reason I scrapbook.. I am pretty much a CM purist (though I just bought some non-CM tools) and I cannot imagine not being a CMC..but yet it is so hard.. I don't have the personality to just talk to anyone about CM, I don't have the energy to chase down customers, and I don't have a lot of time to do what I need to do.  Yet I just cannot give up.  I have so much CM I could not just break away.  Uggh!!

Well that is my boring world and the Great American Blog. 
C-Ya!

Friday - Yay!

Happy, happy Friday!!! This has been quite a long week. Glad it is over!!
Just stopped in for a second. We are very short staffed at work, so there is stuff for me to do!
I thought I would start out with some new pics of the kids.
Here they are wearing Daddy's (clean) socks on our bed:


Here they are watching one of Jeffrey's favorites, Baby Noah:


Otherwise, not much happening.. and not too much planned for the weekend. I cannot complain though, I like "lazy weekends". My parents do plan to come over Saturday so they and the kids will enjoy that.
And hey, what should my kids be for Halloween? Should they match? Should I let Jeffrey pick out his costume? This is Samantha's first year really trick or treating (yr 1 she was 3 days old, yr 2 she was just starting to walk so she only hit one or two houses) so it should be fun!! Anyways, feel free to leave your ideas in the comment section.
And don't forget to "pin" your location on the map at the bottom... hey Pamela!!!
C-Ya!

MAP

Ok... so I found this map program and you can pin where you are from... so I set one up. Unfortunately.. due to spacing issues and such.. I could not put it on the sidebar... so it is way at the bottom of my blog... feel free to add your special pin! I cannot wait to see where everyone is from!!

More later...

Observations

Some observations about me or just by me:
*I LOVE the internet.  I would not say I am addicted to it... because I wont get the shakes if I am away from it... though Nick would say I am addicted.

*I love it when Nick makes dinner.  Especially when it is ready when I get home from work.  Last night I had to make it (no big deal) and I just felt less relaxed at the end of the night.  Now it is crazy to think that Nick should make all the meals, so I am not saying I need that to happen.

*I kind of like some commercials.  Of course, this may be partly because the only reason I have a job is because of commercials.. but there are also some commercials I enjoy (the Weight Watchers Cher commercial gives me goose bumps)... and it also gives me time to get up and do something else.

*I HATE winter.  Yes I have lived in MN my whole life.  I still hate it.  The biggest thing is how cold it gets here.. and I hate to bundle up.  I would rather have as little clothes on as possible then look like a snowman!

*My kids already know how to fight.  Conversely... they also can enjoy each other and have fun together.  And I think, for them, it was good that I had them so close together.

*I do have great friends.
*My husband is sexy (sorry for those that did not want to hear that).  And we make a good looking couple. 
*I don't really know what I want to do with my life (surprise, surprise).  I mean my job is ok... it is really easy.. and I have great co-workers.  But I truly hope I don't grow old at the same desk I am at.  I also don't think I could make a good stay at home mom.  So something in between would be nice.

*I am very grateful for the Intro to Typing class I took as an independent study at college.  Though it actually did not count for credits at the real college I went to.. it has helped immensly in so many aspects of my work and other things computer related.  Also, I really appreciate my Journalism classes because I really think they made me a better writer - though not good enough to actually work in Journalism.

*I feel I write better posts when I can sit and write out all my thoughts at once.  I kind of get in a mode and words seem to flow.

*I would love to write something and get paid for it someday... novel.. article... whatever.
*I also hope that I can atleast be in one more play in my lifetime.  I did a bunch when I was a kid.. but with kids, a husband and a full time job, there is no time.  Maybe somewhere down the line there will be.

*My favorite color is purple.  I like it because, to me, it seems unique.  Later on I found out that it is the color associated with royalty... coincidence?

Well that is enough for now... remember, I can always post more later!! 
C-Ya!

Blog Surf

Do you blog surf?  Do you like to check out others blogs?  I have to admit, I do... lately I have been either surfing directly through this site for random blogs or through blog explosion.. and it is a lot of fun.  I also would love if more of my friend blogged so I could add them to that "blogroll" section on the left hand side... so if you know me and want to add your site let me know.

Remember my post called "perfect" how I would love to come home and eat dinner right away so the night does not feel so crazy?  Well a funny thing happened... lately when I come home from work Nick has already started (and sometimes even finished) making dinner!  It is so nice to just eat right away then clean it up.  We have been done w/ the whole dinner process by 7, 7:30 and have not known what to do with ourselves!  Last night Jeffrey fell asleep eating so it was just the three of us.. and of course Samantha was just being her cute self!  Though I was a little bummed I did not get to spend any time with Jeffrey because he had been watching TV when I got home.  (BTW... I think we are turning him into a couch potato... actually I blame "Bapa" because he introduced him to the Dukes of Hazzard and Tom & Jerry).

Well I started out strong on this entry but then got distracted.  A long story about Jeffrey getting picked up late from preschool that I wont go in to.... otherwise nothing real interesting to report!!!

C-Ya!

Last week of September

Can you believe this is the last week of September?  And for that the 4th quarter of the year is upon us?  Wow, time really does fly.

This weekend was more of a relaxing weekend.  I went w/ two of my online Scrapshare buddies to a scrapbooking store in Bloomington (Hey Jenny and Stacie!) Friday night, that was a lot of fun.. and kind of spontaneous because I did not even plan to go, but I was glad I did.  Saturday I cleaned up most of our bedroom and  my closet so it looks really nice in there - now Nick wants to keep our bedroom and dining room table always so clean, I do too... we will both have to work at it.  And Sunday I did not do much of anything because most of the house is clean.  I do need to take some times now and go through the kids toys and box some up, as well as sort through their clothes again and see how much warm clothes we have.  Hopefully Samantha can fit into some of Jeffrey's old pants, and hopefully in the piles of hand me downs we have there are some pants for Jeffrey (as well as shirts).  Thankfully people are very good about giving us their used clothes and for that we are grateful.

This week is more of the usual stuff.  Choir practice Wednesday and that is about it.  As well as a Creative Memories workshop at my house Friday (if anyone comes).  It will be a little stressful.  I have a week to place my Creative Memories order or be deactivated.. so I need to russell (sp?) up some orders (anyone, anyone?)  I do not want to deactivate, so...

Good news for Nick's biz.  He got a big landscaping job!!!  Guess it may take him all of October, but it is a nice chunk of change.  I just pray nothing happens to mess things up.  Because usually something happens that makes the job take longer or for him to lose money.  He deserves a "perfect project".

That is about it... nothing too interesting... but I would hate to make things up - just for my blog!
C-Ya!

Post Sleep Study

Ok...work has actually been busy for a Friday so I am just taking a second to post.
So I had that sleep study yesterday. This is my story:
Got to the clinic at 9pm. Checked into my room, it was about half the size of a normal hospital room. Tv, little closet, phone and a Select Comfort bed (which we have at our house). Oh.. and a video camera. Changed into my PJs and had all sorts of monitors attached to me. About 5 on my face and 5 on other parts of my head. Something attached to my legs and to straps on my chest. I was then told to hang out till 11pm. So I read and watched TV. Then the tech came in and hooked everything up and put something on my nose and mouth. I then went to bed for the night and was awoken at 9am (I can sleep forever if you let me) - though I had kind of been awake for a half an hour to an hour. I was then fed and had a series of 4 nap tests, 2 hours apart for 20 minutes at a time. I also was fed lunch between nap test 1 and 2. Well I got a headache pretty quickly and never napped, so I think the daytime stuff was a wash. I did bring some scrapbooking stuff, but I only did 4 pages. It just felt so confining in that little room. I got to go home about 5pm so I met up with my parents to get Samantha and we went home.

Anyways, I will keep you posted on the results.
Atleast TGIF!!!!!!
I will maybe have more over the weekend. Not much planned though.
C-Ya!

Sleep Study

Well today is the day for the big sleep study (I pray nothing messes this up).  Samantha is going to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's so that means it will just be the boys once I leave tonight.  I cropped some pictures to take along if I get bored and I can scrapbook.  I have to go home tonight and pack it all up as well as my other stuff I need.

Ok... I just realized the above post will probably put people to sleep... so new topic.
I like slice of life blogs.  When I blog surf the ones that I stop on are about day to day things.  And I have asked some people what they want to see in my blog and they too like to hear about my life and observations and such.  So what happens if you have no slice of life to share?  I guess this is what you call a slow news day.

Anyways, I will post now, I am sure some people are waiting for my intellectual mussings.  (Ha!)
C-Ya!

Pictures

Ok... so you may know.  I love to take pictures.  I am a scrapbooker (Creative Memories style) and therefore I need something to scrap.  It just so happens I have 2 beautiful kids to take a lot of pictures of (well and Nick is pretty hot though I don't see him as much as I see my kids).  For our 5 year anniversary I got a new Canon A95 digital camera, so this means I can take even more pictures because I can delete some!!!  (though you know, with a digital, you rarely delete pictures unless it is of the floor or something).  And now, since Nick and I both have our own camera, I carry mine around most places I go.  But, I feel akward just pulling it out all the time.  Like yesterday, taking the bus into work I looked at the downtown skyline and the clouds were low and the sun was shining, and I would have loved to take a picture of it, but with the window glass hindering a good picture and me not wanting looks from the other passengers, I did not get the picture.  So I wonder, besides the times when it is rude to take pics (like in church, or at confidential things) is it ever akward to take a pic? 

This does remind me, I really should play with my camera more.. and I need to send some pics in to be printed.
Otherwise today is like any normal day.  Still tired from my cold.  The season premiere of "Las Vegas" was on last night, so I watched that - it is a great show!  Today I have to muster up the energy to go to Target for diapers, an Anniversary Card for my Sister and to drop off my last roll of film from the film camera.

I do have one public service announcement... if you are going to get on a bus, make sure you stop smoking at least 5 minutes before you get on.  A lady sat behind me today on the bus that smelled of smoke and perfume and I about choked.  I had to cover my mouth with a jacket the rest of the trip.

C-Ya!

Perfect

Ok, I know the concept of being a perfect wife and a perfect mother is crazy.  It just does not work because you always have something pulling you away from perfection.  But, what happens when you feel you are so far from perfection that you border on failure?  Ok.. I guess I don't think I am a failure, just so far from perfect.  Hmm... I really wish I could expound on this, but because it is not just one big incident that makes me feel less then perfect I guess you can either understand or not understand.  I mean, I know I cannot be a Super Mom - take care of the kids, work full time, do everything around the house and be bright and cheery all the time.  At least Nick knows that neither one of us can do everything alone.

Case in point.  In a perfect world.  I would arrive home from work energized to see my kids.  After hellos I would proceed to the kitchen and take the steak out of the refridgerator because I thought ahead of time and place it there.  Then, as the theme song from "Entertainment Tonight" was heard from the kitchen TV I would be placing the above mentioned steaks on the grill and already getting the biscuits ready to cook.  We would start eating before 7.  Afterwards Nick and I (or in a even more dream world, my father in law) would clean up dinner and the kids.  I would then go throw a load of laundry in the washing machine and look through the mail, throwing the junk out while I pay the bills.  At 8 the laundry would go in the dryer and I would play with the kids (or give them a bath).  At about 8:30pm we would have the kids brush their teeth and then we would get them ready for bed so they would be in bed before 9.  Then off to a shower for me.  Last, I would be all ready for bed and watching the 10pm news from my bed.

In my real world.  I come home from work and say Hi to the kids and proceed to sit on the couch because I am so tired.  Sometimes I head into the kitchen at 6:30 only because my father-in-law has turned the TV station to the "Dukes of Hazzard" and I want to watch "ET".  Either way if I have to cook dinner I don't even think about it till around 7.  And usually it involves thawing something out, so that takes 15-20 min and means I don't even really start making dinner till 7:30.  Then we start eating about 8.  This means at around 8:30 we are pilling dishes (that can't go in the dishwasher) into the sink - and they may or may not be washed that night.  We are so tired we go hang out in the living room till about 9 and then proceed to get the kids ready for bed and into bed by 9:30.  Then sometimes I take my shower or I wait till after the news.. and I usually get to bet about 11:15 or 11:30.. no clothes washed and the mail just piling up on the dining room table.

Phew... no wonder I am not perfect, I just got exhausted thinking about it!  But really, I wish I could be closer to that perfect world *sigh*

C-Ya!

Weekends Over/Clean

Well, can you believe it, I did not write at all this weekend!  I guess this means I can give y'all a long recap right now (eta: ok, I guess it did not turn out to be as long as I thought it could be).

Friday night Nick and I actually sat down and watched a movie, "The Incredibles".  Pretty good movie, though I was bummed because I remember we had recorded "Friday Night Lights" and I forgot about it, though I really want to see it.

Saturday Nick worked, so the first half of the day was spent playing with the kids.  Then Saturday night I went to Andrea's house and scrapbooked.  I actually did 11 pages!  So I felt really good.  Especially since I have not scrapped in at least a couple months.  Though, that meant I was at her house till 1am - eek!

Sunday was the first day of choir.  I did ok - I hit the notes in the offeratory song all by myself.. but afterwards my voice was shot and I could hardly sing the rest of the songs (due to the cold I still have).  Nick and the kids sat close to the choir loft so they could see me and kept waving.  And I guess Jeffrey turned to a lady behind them and said, "my mommy's up there."  Also, some of the other members were saying how much they have grown - which is great to hear, because I hardly notice.

Afterwards we cleaned the house!!  We can actually see our dining room table, our bathroom is sparkling and even our refridgerator/freezer is sparkling and cleaned out!!  And to reward myself I watched the Emmys.

Now it is Monday morning and I am worn out.  My cold was doing ok.. but today I kind of don't think so.  Oh well, right?

Well, I got to do some work now... Maybe I will right more later, maybe not.
C-Ya!

Welcome...

Well, I just sent out an email to some of you that I have a blog... so to those just finding it, welcome to my blog.  I hope you enjoy it.  Feel free to leave a comment at the end of any post... or email me and let me know what you like or dislike and what you want to hear about.  Of course I talk a lot about my kids and some about Nick (well, he can already walk and talk in full sentences, so there is less to say)... but I also mention many other things about life in general.

So thanks for stopping... come back again real soon.  I try to post everyday, especially during the week.  Of course being able to email to it makes it so simple.  And hey, if you want your own blog you can get it for free at http://www.blogger.com.  I will even help you set it up!

C-Ya!

Metro Transit.

Where else can I air my complaints about anything but here?  I actually sent these two complaints to the bus company this week.

Sent: September 14
Complaint:
On both September 13 & 14 I was waiting for the 677 in Mound on Three Points Blvd & Heron.  I was at the stop at 7:24am... though I can see the stop as I walk to it.  And I never saw a bus.  I do not know if it was really early, got confused by the detour or even made it all the way down my street.  But I am very upset that I had this problem.  If it were not for a good samaritan on Tuesday that lives in my neighborhood and gave me a ride, I would have had to sit in a ton of traffic (after going back home for my car) and been late to work.  And this morning (Wednesday) I had my husband drive down to make sure I got on... we ended up having to chase the bus down and eventually I got on at County Road 15 and Interlachen. 

I know this is the first week of a new driver but if we had our old driver this never would have happened.  Jerry always made sure to look out for us and knew where I was coming from. 

I need someone to call or email me and let me know what the deal is.  I do not think I have to be at the stop 10 minutes early - especially since I do not know if it was ever there.

Sent: September 16
Complaint:
I already complained about this for September 13 & 14... but I have to add to my complaint. This is for September 15 & 16. I arrived at my bus stop early again (at about 7:22 or 7:23am) and I could hear the bus and noticed that it already passed my stop at Three Points Blvd & Heron and was laying over at Jennings Rd and Gull Lane. Now anytime I have seen a bus layover in my area it has been at Three Points Blvd and Gull Lane and it has been before it comes to pick me up. So Thursday my husband drove me to where the bus driver was laying over (which was in the middle of construction, so I am sure the bus was in the way) and when I got on I asked if he was early and he shruged it off. The next person to get on at Three Points Blvd & Eagle also asked if he was early and he mentioned he likes to layover in Mound. I was curious if I was right as to when the bus is suppose to be at my stop, so last nig ht I went on this website and found that it should be at Three Points Blvd and Heron at 7:28am. So today (September 16) I noticed again that the bus was down at Jennings Rd and Gull Lane. There also happened to be two others at my stop... so we all walked down to Three Points Blvd and Gull Lane and got on after he was done laying over. I proceeded to mention to the bus driver that he is suppose to layover at Three Points and Gull and is supposed to be at my stop at 7:28 and even tried to show him what I printed off of this site. He shrugged it off and said to talk to you. I really feel this was a blatant disregard of his customer (me) and will not tolerate this being messed up every day.

The two other riders this morning told me that do not even have a car, so they would have not been able to get downtown, if it weren't for my observations.

Again, I expect a response from this and the previous complaint.
Thank you.

Interjecting for the blog: Can you tell I am mad?  I probably will call today too.  I just wanted something in writing.  I am so mad at this right now... I really don't want this driver on my route.

I'll write more later
C-Ya!

Party?

Ok... so this is not a question about a party, as in, streamers and balloons or drinks and pizza.  I was wondering... are blogs inheritly one political party?  I mean, are most bloggers Democrats or Republicans?  I say this because I have been surfing through blogexplosion (found that through my advertisement on the left hand side there) and I find most political leaning blogs to have a pro-Democrat leaning.  Now me, being the proud, card-carrying member of the Democratic party, I am not complaining.  I loved reading the blog from someone who thinks we would be more better off if Gore had won the electoral vote.  And I also enjoyed the one that someone talked about impeaching Bush (though I agree, that would be a hard thing to do).  So what do you think?  And for the sake of those that do not like politics or just too much talking about them (Hey Rox!) I will leave it at that.

So, I still am sick.  And I need to get better.  I have something Saturday night.  I sing at mass on Sunday (and will be one of the only 2 sopranos) and I have that sleep study.  I ended up taking a (generic) NyQuil last night and slept hard.  And right now I am drinking tea and so hopefully I will get better ASAP.

Did you know that more then one person can post to a blog?  That many groups use them?  Hmmm...
C-Ya!

I am sick!

I have a cold!  Blah!  I have had a sore throat for a couple days, but today I am really feeling it.  Mostly in the eyes and some in the nose.  I am pretty sure Jeffrey gave it to me because he has been coughing.  I really don't want to be sick now.  I have my first choir practice tonight.  Then next week I have the sleep study and cannot be sick for that.  I guess I will be drinking a lot of fluids and soup and getting rest and taking my Vitamin C.

Just wanted to let you know Metro Transit Bus Company SUCKS!  We had to chase after the bus today in Nick's truck - thankfully he went to the bus stop with me.

Though I have an observation.  There are two places in life that I never thought I would form a relationship.  Online and On the Bus.  I have talked about ScrapShare here and I don't think I have said how many friends I have made on it.  I know details about people's lives that they may not even share IRL (in real life).. and they know details of mine.  And I feel I can go anyway in the US and find an SS buddy to see.  Because of this, I am trying to go to PA to scrapbook w/ 40+ of my closest online friends - though not everyone will be there - darn.  And now Nick has said it is ok, if I earn the money through selling CM stuff.

Also, I may not have a friendship, but you really get to know some people on the bus.  I am always one of the first people on, so I really get to talk with the ones that get on right after (or before) me.  One's daughter babysat the kids, another one I have shared recipes with, and I am sad to say, we will be loosing another one when she moves across the city next month.  They really like it when I bring Samantha on the bus (& the rare day Jeffrey is on) because she is so good.. and she really gets to know the people and say Hi and Bye to them.  Too bad they changed bus drivers the beginning of the week, we had a great one (and I would not have had to chase after the bus with him).

Well, not much more to say at the moment.  Maybe I will have more later.
C-Ya!

Kindness

First I have to say I am grateful for my neighbors who gave me a ride to work today.  I was at the bus stop early, so I have no clue where the bus was (I have to call about it) and they noticed I was there and asked me if I missed it and gave me a ride.  I was even more grateful when I saw the traffic on 394 today.

In my hustle and bustle of trying to leave the house today, I have a cute kid story.  When Nick went to get Samantha's shoes and I went to get my shoes out of the closet, Jeffrey was with and took his own shoes and backpack out and wanted to leave for preschool.  We had to tell him he had to wait about another hour.  But I am glad to see he was excited.  And I dropped Samantha off at day care and the dc lady said she has never seen a kid just meld right into the group of kids.  Already Jeffrey's "girlfriend" there is calling Samantha her friend.  I am glad.  Such a proud momma.

Back to the old diet today.  I ate so much crap yesterday I actually felt it - blah!  And hopefully Laura and I will have the time to walk.

Hey, so keeping with my kindness theme, my friend Roxanne told me about this.  There is an animal shelter here in MN, <http://www.animalarkshelter.org/>

 and they are going to go down to New Orleans and take in some of the animals that need adoption... well, they need room in their shelter, so they are trying to get people to adopt the animals they already have.  And I guess they are a no kill shelter, so if you are looking to adopt, there ya go. 

C-Ya!

Day after....

Well I find one thing that has changed since I have gotten older... I don't have the "day after my birthday blues" as much as I used to.  I guess it is because I expect nothing - except for people to wish me a Happy Birthday and for a card from dh and the kids.  Well I am still waiting on the card, but that is nothing new.  Also, I think they will do something at work today w/ treats, they usually do. 

Of course today is Monday and it is the slowest day of the week.  Usually I take the day to look back on the weekend and realize again that I did not do any or enough cleaning.  Well sure enough, I did not get done what I wanted to.  Though I did have some time on Sunday I just felt I should not work too hard on my birthday.

So I hope you have been enjoying my pictures!  I got myself an imageevent site and have been enjoying posting pics.  Though I did not plan to post so many because I do have to scrapbook them too.  I am just glad I am taking sometime to back up my photos, so I feel better about erasing them.  And I still am enjoying my camera.  Jeffrey is starting to know that you can see the picture after you take it, so he always wants to look.

And tomorrow is day 2 for Jeffrey at preschool and Samantha at day care.  I am excited to hear how their day goes.
So I have decided.  We have a 1 car attached garage and a 2 car detached garage.  And I really think we should take the attached garage and remodel and make it into an office/scrap room.  I mean, my car is never in it.  But, Gar (my father-in-law) has his car in it and gosh knows he would hate for something to happen to it.  So for now, I will not get my office... too bad.  Maybe we can move soon and I can have the perfect place!

Well that is it for now.
C-Ya!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy Birthday to Me!
Happy Birthday to Me!
Happy Birthday to Me!
Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, I am another year older. The backside of my twenties!! Ah well... If you have a birthday that means you are still alive!! No, I actually like birthdays and remind everyone - if they don't remember - that it is my special day. I mean you only have one day a year for a birthday.
Today was good. Got woken up twice overnight by Jeff.. so I was tired. After breakfast we went to the Our Lady of the Lake Incredible Festival. We all went on a ride or more... Jeffrey went on a bunch, he really is at the age where he enjoys rides. He even went on the Spider w/ Daddy.

Samantha still had a problem w/ the rides....

But she ended up warming up to them. And she went on another one.

And Mommy even went on a ride w/ Jeffrey

They had a great time

Later on this evening we went to Champps in Minnetonka for my birthday dinner.
My friends Roxanne and Tonya came with. I was glad they both could stop by.

And of course my parents were there - here is them with the kids:

Here is a pic of the 4 of us!!

I got a free ice cream sundae and was sang too. Though I did feel sick for just a minute in the middle of it. I love going out to eat with those that I love.
So that is my day in a nut shell. Of course Nick has not gotten me a card yet, so I am waiting for that. Also, I made an observation. It is kind of sad, actually. This is the first birthday I have had and have not gotten a card from my Grandpa B. This is because he died last year. Probably the last card he sent out was for Nick's birthday. He was always so great at sending out cards. So Grandpa, I am thinking about you today.
Also, this is the 4th Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I want to say I am sorry for anyone with a personal story of that day.
C-Ya!

My favorite time

Whenever I get those "getting to know you" emails from my friends, it inevitably asks what your favorite day is. Well I don't have a specific day.. though I do have a favorite 24 hour period. It is Friday evening to Saturday evening. And right now I happen to be in my favorite time. Almost anyone who works (FT M-F) can understand why I say this, it is the farthest time from when I have to work next. Of course Saturdays aren't as fun as they used to be. I used to be able to sleep in on Saturdays.. which meant I could stay up late on Fridays and/or take my time in the mornings. Two toddlers have changed that. Now I get maybe an extra hour of sleep compared to when I have to get up for work. And then I usually have to deal w/ both of the kids because Nick works many Saturdays. Oh well... someday I can sleep in.
I did have some fun today. Samantha was down for her nap and I knew I needed to get my exercise, so Jeffrey and I went for a walk. Well I walked, he rode... but that is good for me. And we stopped at the park. He had a lot of fun, and I did too.
I realized I never talk about our fur baby, Mollie... well I have, but her is a pic from a couple weeks ago:

Also, here is another pic of the kids:

Well tonight is THE night. This is the last race for the 10 drivers for the chase qualify. Jeff Gordon is currently 12th, he needs to be 10th or higher. Good Luck Jeff!
And tomorrow is THE BIG DAY. MY 26th!!!!!!
C-Ya!

Little men..

Ok... a friend just showed this to me... I am going to see if I can post it here. If so, it is so funny.





It is actually 4 images. Here is the image url: http://members.cox.net/plgehris/Jumping.gif

Not much to say

Sometimes, I really do not have a lot to say.  I updated y'all on Jeffrey's first day of preschool and Samantha's first day of day care.  Nothing exciting happening at work today.  And really, no deep thoughts in my head.  So we will say... maybe this will be a "Seinfeld" post (a post about nothing).

I suppose I could talk about the internet.  I LOVE THE INTERNET.  I want to thank the people that invented it, profusely.  I actually did a report on the internet a long time ago and found that the army develped it.  Of course it has only been in the past 8-10 years it has really became popular.  It just does not seem right to have a (newer) computer and not have internet access to it.  Now, I did not meet Nick online... but I have met some other people who I would call friends.  One place is www.scrapshare.com... I can go and talk about scrapbooking and Creative Memories or other various topics.  I only hope I can meet somemore people (I did meet some at Showcase in August) in November.  If I can turn to the internet to find out anything, I will.  No longer do I look at a phone book or map if I can help it.  And probably one of the best overall features is that you can get news and information that has just been updated 24/7.  I think one of the next things to impact the internet will be cheaper wireless connections... so you can take your laptop anywhere and get on.  (Though that may not be such a good thing for me because I would really take advantage of it.

And while I am talking about technology, I need to mention cell phones.  I have had a cell for 8 years or so.  I cannot imagine not having one.  And it has become more important since I became a parent.  I feel more comfortable not being with my kids, because I know I can call whoever is watching them, or they can call me.

So I took an unscientific poll and found most people like hearing about my daily stuff.  Ok.. I can do that.  Though I do have my limits... you will never hear how often I pee in one day - though lately it has been a lot more since I have been drinking more water.  And BTW.. that means today is weigh in day.  I will have to do that tonight.  I think w/ Sunday being my birthday - all diet plans are off!  I should be able to have some desert!!

Anyways... this is getting long enough.
C-Ya!

P & D Day Update

Well.... it is night and both of my kids had a great day.
Jeffrey did really well at speech and preschool. I guess his only "problem" was his lack of attention - but most kids were doing that. From what I could get from Jeffrey, he played on the sand table and had teddy grahams for a snack. And I guess he did use the potty.
Samantha also had a great day. Our day care person said she was just excellent. She played and when it was time to go take a nap, she went right to bed. And when Samantha was leaving, Jeffrey's "girlfriend" Emily came down and said that Samantha is her friend!
*sniff* my kids are growing up!!
C-Ya!

P & D Day!!!

Today is the day.... Jeffrey's first day of Preschool and Samantha's first day of Day care. We went to Jeffrey's classroom visit yesterday and he looked like he was having fun and when we came home he had to put his backpack back on and so did Samantha..so here they are...

Here is Jeff and I in front of where his preschool is

And here is Jeff with his snack bear he made


And check out the black eye.... he got it at day care yesterday when he fell into a magazine rack. I guess he did not cry!

So, so far, so good. Nick dropped Samantha off at daycare and she went in and played with the toys... and he dropped off Jeffrey at the preschool place early so he could go to speech and was all excited before they even left the house. He kept hoping it was time to put his shoes on. I will find out how he did in a little bit when Nick gives me a call!!
And I will keep you posted!

C-Ya!!

Ramblings of a crazy woman

Ok... I know I am not really crazy... but I figure today's post will cover a lot of things (ETA: ok maybe not a lot of things, I kind of ran out of steam).

First, clean up and recovery from Hurricane Katrina is still going on.  Many people have been evacuated from New Orleans but there is still 10,000 or so that they are going to force to leave.  Also, they are cleaning up in Mississippi and Alabama, many homes there are just piles of wood.  Yesterday I saw the most powerful Oprah.  She had a chance to look at things the way news organizations really don't.  I really hate to try to summarize, so I will just say I had a hard time not crying more then once.

It is interesting.  Because of this tragedy a lot of people say such-and-such happened... but it is not as bad as the people had it down there.  The other day some in the Twin Cities had their own flooding due to a storm, but said it is not a big deal, everyone is ok... not like what happened down there.  Things like this make you re-think your priorities.  Yes, there are some irreplacible items (with me and scrapbooking, pictures come to mind) but just the fact that I have a healthy and safe family, that is what matters.

And speaking of family, and to make this post a little lighter.  I am going to talk about my two precious "babies".  I took Jeffrey yesterday to get a haircut and he looks so cute.  She really cut a lot of hair off.  Jeff was so excited and Nick really liked it too.  Then, when we got home I gave him his backpack.  I think he would sleep with it if I let him!!  And good thing we had a second (smaller) backpack floating around because Samantha wanted to wear one too.  I will have to get a pic of the both of them later.  I think Samantha is really going to have a good time at daycare, too.

C-Ya!

After Labor Day

Well, Labor Day has come and gone.  And so goes Summer here in MN.  I mean, it is supposed to be around 80-something today, but otherwise... summer is over.  Today, most kids went back to school.  I saw the school bus go down my street and cannot forget when I was in high school.  Yesterday was the last day of the State Fair, and while I could take it or leave it when it comes to the fair, that also means the end of a carefree summer.  Of course now as a grown up, changes like these are not felt as hard... well kind of.. because as a mother, this is the first year I have a baby going to school.  Jeffrey starts preschool on Thursday.  I think he will have such a wonderful time and it will help him so much.  I have to buy his first backpack today, wow.

Of course with Labor Day over, that means I can look forward to my birthday!!  On Sunday I will be 26!  Wow!  I think my Mom was 26 when she married my Dad and 27 when she had me!

Well off for my daily walk.  Hey, I weighed myself on Friday and lost 2 pounds from Monday!!  Wohoo!!
C-Ya!

Mess

Ok.. I would not say I am a dirty person, nor would I say I am a neat freek.  But lately, our house has become quite a mess and I have hardly cared.  I know a lot of it is because I am just exhausted (even if Nick thinks it is all in my head, it isn't).  We have not seen our kitchen table in over a week.  Which I really want to blame Nick for.  I at least try to pile things up into my pile and his pile, but he likes to throw everything anywhere... plus, he so wanted an office in the garage but he never uses it... so we probably have about two bag fulls of stuff that is just his work stuff.  So really, why am I supposed to care if he doesn't.  He actually put laundry away last weekend, I was amazed because he had not hung up his clothes in like a month.  I am the only one that has cleaned the bathroom in quite some time.  And kid's toys... I usually leave them out till Gar gets annoyed enough by them to clean them up.

Why bother...
Maybe my house is a reflection of who I am inside?

On a happier note... we have parents night for Jeffrey's preschool tonight. 
And Monday is Labor Day, so I do not have work!
C-Ya!

Hurricane Katrina

Everyone knows about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. We have all heard that it is probably the worst natural disaster to hit the United States. So how does it affect me, a Minnesotan...

First off, it hits me emotionally. Seeing these places just torn apart, 90% of come cities are destroyed, is just heart wrenching. To hear about the conditions in the Superdome where originally 10,000 people were staying to 30,000+ people that have been rescued and brought there; and now they have to get them out. To know that (years ago we drove from Texas to Florida and) I may have driven on some of these roads and past some of these areas that are just wiped out.

Second, it hits people I know even harder. My friend Tonya used to live in New Orleans. Her mother, father, sister and brother-in-law still do. Thankfully her Mom and Sister went to Alabama with her sister's pets and her father went somewhere else. Only her brother-in-law stayed back to due his duty as a firefighter. But they don't know what they will be coming back to. And my friends on Scrapshare who live in the area or have close family/friends that do, that are just agonizing over what has become of their cities and towns.

Last, it is going to have effects we do not even know about. The first was gas prices going up. One-fourth of all of the US oil is "farmed" in the gulf regions. This has already caused gas prices to get close to $3.00. I went and got gas Monday night and a lot of people were trying to get ahead of the rise. Plus, I heard today that some crops, that are grown there, were of course wiped out. And economically, who knows what this will do. Will people lose their jobs because their businesses were wiped out or will their be more jobs for those in areas like construction to help rebuild? I heard that gambling is a big industry down there with their floating casinos, and most - if not all - were wiped out. Will people ever visit New Orleans like they used to.. will it still be the Big Easy? Or will people just not come.

I stayed up later then I planned to last night watching some of the coverage. It just tugs at me, more then any disaster ever has. I only hope and pray that people will get back to their version of normal more sooner then later.

Here is a pic from www.wcco.com showing the flooding in New Orleans:

I think I will go give blood to help.
For those of you dealing with this yourself, I am sorry.

C-Ya!

Cutie Pies!

Ok, I have got a ton of cute pics that I swear I am going to post online... either here or on a special picture site. They are, of course, of the kids!!

They were being so cute last night. Since Nick had an allergy attack I had to take care of everything and overall they were pretty good (though not as good as they maybe would be for Nick). I fed them pancakes - which they wanted to help make. Then they took a bath. They love their baths.. we have resorted to having them take them together, just because it is much easier and they have a lot of fun. Jeffrey likes to take the sponge and wash everything, while Samantha likes to drink the water and dump it out. After that I dried them off and got their diapers on and then took some random black and white pics (most did not turn out because I was having too much fun w/ the flash - absence of the flash). Then off to brush teeth, get dressed and go to bed. And all of it ended at 10:10pm! Ha! It was a long night too. One of the cutest things is when they are talking to each other. Usually Jeffrey asks the questions and Samantha answers yes or no, but sometimes she throws other things in.

Hopefully Nick does not have an allergy attack tonight. I really wanted to try to figure out a healthy meal and just could not do it last night. I did go to Target today and got myself some healthier snacks for work. I really just have to get into the smaller meals and water. Laura, friend/co-worker, said we can start walking at lunch because w/ (her) being pregnant she does not feel like going to the gym.. so hey, this weight loss challenge may work out.

Well... off to do more work!!
C-Ya!

MN State Fair

Well... I said I was not going to do it... but I did.  We went to the MN State Fair. 
Growing up this was never a tradition.  We went maybe a handful of times.  But ever since I have been w/ Nick we have gone almost every year. 

This was the first year for Samantha and Jeffrey's second year and I have to say... they probably had more fun then me.  Not to say it was not fun, but some of the excitement for me was watching them have fun.

We started out the day (at about noon)... let me back up... we started out the day at Target to get another lightweight stroller so each kid had one... then we got to the fair.  Our first stop was the corn booth... this is the place last year where Jeffrey had his first bite of fair food, so it was only fitting that Samantha have hers there (though Jeffrey did not want any really).  Next we headed towards the old machinery hill area.  This was where Jeffrey and Samantha got to be little farmers.  At the end of that they got to pick out a gift and got the little Serta counting sheep.  Next was over to the Kidway where they got to go on rides.  First off, they went on the race car ride and got to sit in a Jeff Gordon car.  Unfortunately, Samantha did not have as much fun.  Next Jeff went on some boat ride and then Jeff, Sam and I went on some plane ride.  Samantha was still scared but I held on to both of them to calm their fears.

After that we started to go in some buildings and eat some food.  I got to try the spaghetti and meatball on a stick.  Nick had the cheese curds.  We then went and got french fried and went over to the all you can drink milk booth.  There we filled up on chocolate milk.  Then over to the DNR building and we saw the fish.  Next we went back over to the buildings and machinery hill.  After that we started heading back to the car.

This meant we stopped back at the food building with a stop for Nick to get his cholestral checked.. and he got more cheese curds while I got to try the fudgepuppies.  Then we realized we had not been in the building with the butter heads of the Princess Kays... so over to there and some ice cream for Nick and the kids.  Then we headed back towards the car.  Jeffrey noticed the skyride and wanted to go so we all went on that.  Nick and I realized it is actually scarier when you are older because you worry more about the cables breaking.  Both the kids had fun with their birds eye view.  Off of that we stopped for a couple minutes at Heritage Square.. and then we headed home (at about 8:30pm).

Phew... both kids did not take a nap at all - so within 5 minutes of getting in the car they were both asleep.  Nick and I were worn out (especially me - I am still sore today).  And of course, I have tons of pics, but I need to download them still.

On another note... today is day 1 of the weight loss challenge.. and I probably did more walking then eating yesterday, so I think that helped.

C-Ya!

NASCAR

So, we are big NASCAR fans... especially Nick. We basically started watching the year we got married. This was the year before Earnhardt's crash & death and about the time the rules got more strict and the sport got more family friendly. I cannot say why I like NASCAR, though I am a sports fan in general (more football and basketball...). I mean, I do not have to catch every race... but with 36 (?) races, you are bound to miss one or two... but I do sure get into it when it gets closer to the end of the season. This is the second year of the "Chase for the Championship" - basically after 26 races, the top ten drivers compete to be the Champion. They also "erase" the points and give advantages in 5 point incriments.
Our favorite driver is Jeff Gordon.. though we also root for Jimmie Johnson.. and Chevy cars in general. Jeff is a 4 time champion. Last year in the chase he was 3rd (I think)... this year he is just trying to be in the chase.
Tonight's race was at Bristol, TN. Bristol is a very tough track because it is a half mile short track. Racing is tight, and most people leave Bristol with marks all over there car. Well, after some highs then lows Jeff finished 6th. This made him back in the chase in 10th place overall. Though the next two people are 11 and 12 points behind, respectively. Uggh!! It would be quite depressing if a 4 time champion would not be in the chase.
The good news is, everyone is predicting Jeff will be in the chase. The race tracks favor Jeff. So we will see.
And... if you cannot figure it out... my son's first and middle name is Jeffrey Gordon. Though, I thought of the name. Jeffrey because I liked the name and Gordon for my fil and his father. Though it does not hurt that he shares his name with our favorite driver!!

On another note... I got stuff done around the house today. Yippee!! I have more on my list for tomorrow... wish me luck!

C-Ya!

My Day

Well, in my quest to write really long entrys I have decided to start writing this now and just kind of fill things in as the day goes by.

So, first off. I got woken up last night by Jeffrey due to the "boomers" and "light, light".. so I am even more worn out because waking me up in the middle of the night makes me so off. And then I was warm the rest of the night because Jeff was in bed with us. Thankfully Nick shifted to the middle so I did not have to deal with squirmy kid. Samantha, on the other hand, sleeps the night away. Though I imagine there will come a day where they both want to be in bed with us.... then I will move to the couch!

I have done some "blog surfing" lately. And I am always amazed at what some people will write. Of course the ones that peek my interest are usually ones talking about what they have been doing. I do not care to read about batteries (yes I found that), nor your political musings. But if you talk about the crazy guy you saw in a bar... yea, I will stick around. There is some people I talk to online, and I need to put their sites on here, so hopefully I will get to that today. And do you know, if you click on the ads to your left (and down) or search the box underneath the ad, that I get paid!!! Not a lot, but still. Kind of funny how they are relivent to what I am talking about.

Today is Friday! Yippee!! (my new favorite word). Nothing planned for this weekend besides church of course. I do need to get some scrapbooking done and organize my pictures. Oh and there is the mound of clean laundry and the piles of papers on the table and the dirt in the bathroom and the pans in the sink that need to be taken care of, well yesterday. So... maybe... I will do that... I just have still been so exhausted. And my eye is still feeling "twitchy".

I have to say, I am not a hypocondriac... but sometimes, things make me wonder if I don't have some hidden disease. Like is the lump on my leg cancer, or the exhaustion a sign of something. I mean I am generally healthy, but I always just wonder. Of course if I was a hypocondraic I would have been in the dr 10 times by now, but that would just be too much work.

Hey, so "SHOUT OUT" to all my friends (notice I did not say peeps). I am starting to let people know I blog... so thanks for visiting. BTW, I have got some great friends. And trust me, I used to be a crappy friend, but I think I am getting better.

Isn't it funny how normal you really are. When you talk to people, you find that many of them go through the same highs and lows as you. And you take comfort in that. I know I do. I like generally being normal and average. Though there are times I want to be #1.

Three more days till the start of the weight loss challenge. Eek!! I need to figure out my "eating plan"... this is going to be hard. Because the family still will eat normally (and I have not said anything to Nick anyway). I guess just eat less of some stuff and get better versions of things (like low fat or whole wheat products). I mean, I really do not eat bad. And it should not be hard to cut out some snacking. So I think the big thing for me will be introducing exercise into my life. I think that will produce results.

I do not talk much about work here... but I have to say. They are remodeling a lot of it and we have to hear it. Right now it sounds like a dentists drill - ick!!

Ok... I think that is enough. If I have more later, I can always write more.
Have a good weekend!!

C-Ya!!

Long or short?

There is another title for ya. And I am not talking about my hair.
For some reason I feel (just slightly) bad when I just have a short post. I guess this goes back to my deep thoughts post. If it is really short it is probably not worth it. I mean, I guess I should not say that exactly. If I post every day, it should be ok if it is short, sometimes I just do not have a ton to say in one day.

So again, not much new. I just get up, go to work, come home, play with kids, go to bed. Though life is sure going to get busy again.

Maybe I will have more later.

C-Ya!

Up and Down

And no, I am not talking about a roller coaster nor am I talking about one of the kids' new favorite games. I am talking about how one day things can look kind of crappy and the next they can look quite sunny. I mean nothing is a sure bet... but I may have just seen some rays of sun.

Of course, I will go home tonight and something will burst my bubble.
Ah well, such is life.
At least we are halfway through the week. Even if time seems to fly by.

C-Ya!

Comment?

Hey, just a quick post to say... are you visiting? Comment and let me know what you think. I doubt this will get the publicity of dooce or boing boing but it would be nice to know you have stopped by.

And, I have to say. My kids are so precious. And I am grateful every day for their health.

Deep Thoughts

I have always wanted to use my blog to have a place to put all my deep thoughts rather then a play by play of my day/week/month.  But as you can see, I do not have many deep thoughts.  Yes, it is true... I am a superficial thinker.. It has always been hard for me to just sit and think about one thing or contemplate the mysteries of the universe.  How I wish I could think something bold.  Instead my mind is a jumble of many things!!  That is why I have always thought it was cool that I made up my own quote: "You can live in hope, but you cannot live on hope".  There ya go... my deep thought.

On another note.  I joined a weight loss challenge.  I really only have about 13-15 pounds that I could use - though I am still in the average part of the BMI scale.  So, I said my plan is to lose it by the end of the year.  I think I could maybe do it, I will be put on a team and would hate to bring them down.  I have never dieted before either.  Oh well, come Monday, I can do it!

Just a suggestion to anyone contemplating letting there parent/in-law move in... DON'T DO IT!  That is all I can say.
And there is nothing like having two kids in the "WHY" stage.  Well Jeffrey is leaving it (thankfully it was a short stage) but Samantha is going at it full bore.  Though at least they are both cute when they say it. 

So I ate lunch outside today.  I have to remember we have a month or less of nice weather.. I need to enjoy it.  I mean the State Fair starts Thursday and then it is Labor Day and then kids go back to school and then it is my birthday and then you might as well unpack your parkas because cold weather is a comin'.

And speaking of school, Jeffrey starts preschool on September 8!!!  Wow, my first baby will be going to school.  He is going to get so smart!!  He already kind of knows how to count to 12 (well he usually skips a number here and there).

And since I talked about Jeff, I need to talk about Samantha (some more).  She has 4 more teeth coming in so she will have at least 12 (kind of hard to see in her mouth).

And see... I told you I am a jumble of many things!

C-Ya!

Exhaustion

If you were to sum up my life lately I would say "exhaustion". And it is not like I have been busy every night and done tons of stuff, I just feel exhausted. We had the Parade of Ponds the end of July and that went really well. Nick got tons of compliments on how natural our ponds look and how they were the "best on the tour". And then after that weekend I just felt wore out. More wore out then normal. So then two weekend after that (about a week ago now) I had Creative Memories Showcase. I was so worried that it was going to suck because I was so tired. But I have to say it was the best Showcase (this was my third) so far!! So that was cool. And I scheduled 4 "get togethers" during that time! Wohoo!! Right before Showcase I had seen the doctor for my "tired problem" and he did not say I was crazy and that it was all in my head. He did say it could be one of many things and so I am scheduled for a sleep study in September and will find the results out in October...so at least that is going somewhere.

Otherwise, Nick has been crazy-busy... he has tons of work, just not a lot of employees. The kids are good. Jeffrey keeps impressing me with his speech. He talks so well. I can actually have conversations with him. And Samantha is becoming quite the talker too, which also impresses me because she is talking earlier then Jeffrey.
Oh and Nick let me get a digital camera for our anniversary... so maybe I will spend a couple minutes and post some pics of the kids... actually here is one...



I have been having a ton of fun taking more photos than I think I will know what to do with.

Well that is my summary.... I will have to try to post more again!!!

C-Ya!