Samantha's Birthday

Friday was Samantha's 2nd birthday and life has been so crazy that I have not posted about that... Halloween will follow in a separate post.
Friday was good. I took the day off and spent time with her.. then in the afternoon I took her and Jeffrey to their well visits. Jeffrey at (about) 31/2 yrs is 34 lbs (50%) and 37+ inches (I think - 30%). Samantha at 2 yrs is 24 lbs (25%) and 34 inches (I think - 50%). Otherwise they checked out good. The doctor could not see any problems! They did have their iron levels tested just due to the age of our house. Oh.. and Jeffrey had his vision/hearing checked and they looked good. After, we stopped at Toys 'R Us for a couple more bday toys... which completly wore me out.
Here is Samantha in her "birthday shirt"...basically each kid has a shirt (Jeffrey's is Daddy's and Samantha's is mine) that is an adult shirt.. and every year we take a pic of them on their birthday to watch them grow into it.

And then Saturday I think I cleaned... kind of a blur.
Sunday was the party. I made tortilla roll ups, beer bread, simply salsa, little wieners (Nick did those) and a cake.
Here is a pic of the cake.. I did a pudding poke cake and "split it up" and also a pic of Jeffrey waiting to eat it.

Like I said in a previous post... there was not many guests...just my parents and Nick's 2nd cousin (and her family) showed.. oh well...more food for us...
Here is Samantha and Grandpa (my Dad).. and another pic of her when we were opening gifts.

And of course it was Nick's party too... so they got sang to together. Here is them and also a pic of Samantha and I (that actually turned out well

So... I think she enjoyed it!! She looked like she had a lot of fun. Jeffrey loved the gifts and we had to keep reminding him that they were her gifts to get first crack at. I just cannot believe my little girl is two! And Nick appreciated that I tried to have a party for him!
And I think today she has her day care party.. so more fun!!
C-Ya!

Bust.

Before I start my rant... I just noticed I have 100 posts and 2000 visits (since I started the counter).
Anyways.
It seems like Samantha's (and Nick's party) will be a bust. The only person that has said they will be there are my parents!!! And for those IRL (in real life) friends out there reading this, you have cared enough to read this and cared enough to let me know you wont be coming, so this does not pertain to you. Besides my actual friends and my parents, no one has responded (of their own accord).
I guess what ticks me off the most are those "friends" in my life that I did not bring into the relationship. We (Nick and I) have tried to invite them over for so many things, and either they don't respond or never want to come unless it is at their house. We have kids too, it is still as much of a production to get there.
*sigh* I was in a good mood... now I am just bummed.
Time to go to bed... I should have been there a heck of a long time ago!
C-Ya!

Roller Coaster

Well life has just been one roller coaster of emotions lately.  So far this fall the kids have been healthy (and so have Nick and I) so that is good.  Financially things are not going as good as they could, so that is bad.  Nick had one and will have another hunting trip, while I have my trip, so that is crazy.  I have been working on getting this sleep problem fixed but I still have a lack of energy so that is tiring.  My father in law lives with us, so that is annoying.  I am finally going to see a career counselor so that is motivating.

No wonder one day I am depressed and the other happy as a clam (actually that can change minute by minute).
One thing I love is being my kids' mom.  Almost since I went to work after having them, I have the privilege of coming home and seeing their excited faces.  Now, somedays they are more excited then others.  Last night was one of those excited times.  I was gone all evening and did not get home till almost 10pm (after leaving the house at 7:20am).. and the kids were, of course, still up (well not up, up... they were in their bedroom - just awake).  Well I went around the corner and saw them and got two of the biggest smiles and greatest hugs.  And I know that is something special that they reserve for the most special people in their lives (us and our parents).  Now they both can say they word "Love", I have been hearing it more and more - especially from Jeffrey.  The other day (after he got into our bed way too early in the morning), I asked Jeffrey why he was in bed with us.. and he said it was because he loves Daddy!!!  Aww... melt...

It is a shame that some people who so desperately want kids.. cannot have them.. and may miss out on this kind of Love... even though they have tons of love in their heart.

Well, on a happy note... two more days till Samantha's birthday and 5 more days till Halloween!!
C-ya!

Pumpkins!

The weekend is over, it is back to work... ah well.. that happens...
Not too much to say about the weekend. Like always, I did not get as much done as I wanted to..
We did get our pumpkins though, we went to a Pick Your Own Pumpkin place...
There were so many pumpkins to choose from, Nick probably would have bought 20 if I wouldn't have stopped him. The only downfall was the kids (especially Samantha) tripping over the roots. Oh, and we got a great deal - 5 for $12.00! And of course, I have pictures:
Here are Nick and the kids in the field...

The kids got to check out the corn... and here is later when we got home...

And here is a family pic the nice kid at the stand took of us

It was cold, so I was glad it did not take too long.
Who knows how many we will carve, probably at least two.. I did some nice carvings last year, so I will need to find something else to do!!

And now, back at work. At least I have a 4 day week with taking off Friday for Samantha's birthday!
C-Ya!

Well

Well..
It is Friday...
TGIF!!
Lots of stuff to do this weekend, next week and in the coming weeks.
Feeling like I don't know what to do first.
Ah welll..

Otherwise..
I got a new cell phone yesterday and have been playing with it.
And Samantha's invites have gone out (mostly)...

At least Nick is home...

C-Ya!

Quick add on..

Hey pass the potato...
http://www.passthepotato.com/potato-2.php?potatoid=051020105933-357505

And remember to add your location to my map at the bottom of the page.

C-Ya!

Speed!

I went and got my Rx for my pills the sleeping dr gave me... I have decided to call them Speed!  I take them in the morning to keep me awake and give me energy.  I took my first 1/2 a pill today... we will see how that goes!

I am back at home!!  It is so, so great to be there.  Like I said, I really miss Nick when he is gone (better then me liking that he is not around), I enjoyed laying in my Select Comfort bed last night, and got to take a shower in my own shower w/ soft water.. and this morning I did not have to dress out of a suitcase.  Of course the house is now a mess of food and such, Nick unpacked, but I didn't.. and we have a stack of mail (mostly junk) and newspaper (which our neighbor thankfully picked up for us).

And today is Thursday... and I have some busy days ahead.  Plus I NEED to mail out Samantha's party invites.  I need to make a To Do list!

C-Ya!

H Day

H DAY - as in Home Day!!  As in, we all go home!!!  Wohoo.  Not that being at my parent's house has not been fun.. and my kids have enjoyed it... and they have spoiled us, but we (or maybe just I) miss our beds and Nick (and Jeffrey says his misses "Bapa" too).  It is funny, whomever said you cannot go home again is right.  I mean, I did move out for 3 months in college while I went to a college out of town (then I decide to transfer back up to the cities), but walking in my parent's house, where I spent the first 20 years of my life, I know it would be hard to stay there for too long.  My room is now my Dad's office.. my brother has even moved out and there is hardly anything in his room that we shared for the first 8 years of my (well his) life.  I always said that house was a great starter home and retirement home, but not so good in between (especially when there was 3 kids and 1 bathroom).. well they have survived the in between (not that Mom is retireing - but it is an empty nest).

Anyways.  Like I said.. we miss Nick/Daddy.  Absence does make the heart grow fonder!!  I Love Him so much!
And I have booked my ticket for PA... so next time Nick goes hunting, he will come back and I fly out the next day!!!  Wow, the panic attacks are already starting.  I have never been away from my kids for that long, I have never flown completely alone, and there is a layover, so that is 4 take offs and touch downs!!!

C-Ya!

File this under: Great party idea.

Just an FYI.. I was blog surfing and found someone talking about a party they had for someone's birthday.  They staged an Iron Chefcompitition.  Basically had 2 teams of 4 and they had 4 hours to go out, buy the ingredients and create 3 dishes with it containing the mystery agreement..

Sounds like a lot of fun... especially if I had more friends!!  Though if the ones with boyfriends/husbands would also participate...hmmm... or if everyone brought a friend...

File that.
And if you were the blog I saw... you can take credit in the comment section - I totally surfed to the next one and forgot the name.

C-Ya!

Complain, complain, complain...

Ok... really I am not a complainer... but sometimes I feel it is my downfall... lately, though, I have felt there is certain things I should complain about.  I complained to the bus company and got two free passes, I complained to the post office and got a form letter (bull$hit), and now I am going to take my complaining skills to Northwest Airlines... basically I thought I had till today to book a flight at a certain price because they have a sale till today - well I went to book it last night and it went up $80!!  So, I am going to give them my 2 cents.. and if I get nothing from it, I will book with another airline.  I would just rather fly NWA because they are local and I would not have a layover.. but with the price difference (ATA is about $8 more then the fare I was going to book at on NWA) it is worth it.

Plus, I am all crabby because my mouth still hurts, though I am taking less pain pills.. and Nick is gone till tomorrow... and I just want to sleep in my own bed.

On another note.. I had my sleep follow up.  The Dr. said I have excessive sleepiness.. there is a name for it, but all I can remember is the initials EDS.  He said it was not good that when I took my sleep test I could sleep for over 9 hours.  So we are going to try me on some medication to see if I can get more energy.  One of the side effects are nervousness...hmmm..

I saw my bro's new place yesterday.  He is finally moving out of Mom & Dad's house!!  His friend bought a house (which he says he may buy into) and him and another friend and her are going to live there.  It is about 5 min from my parents.. so I am sure he will be back for food and laundry.  Nice house... may need some updating.. and they need to fix up the basement for his other friend.  The kids sure had fun checking it out and rearranging the books he was organizing!

C-Ya!

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!