Alikat Corner

Scrooge offers Melton some tough love

2011-12-15T18:25:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Ceara! (the Katie edition)

2011-10-10T14:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know Jeff already posted pictures, but he forgot to include the ones I took and since people have already commented on it, I thought I'd make my own post! ;) His pictures were all taken with his Blackberry, and I didn't take my camera to the restaurant, so all of mine were taken when we arrived home.

She wore a tiara for her birthday, of course!

I love getting un-posed pictures - there was an app on Jon's iPad where a dinosaur would repeat anything you said in a strange, deep voice, and it cracked them up!

And I took a little video - I couldn't get it turned on quick enough to get the singing, but you can hear the part that the boys added to the end.

She said she had a great birthday weekend, and I'm glad we could give that to her.

Happy Birthday, Sweetie! We love you! :)

Happy Birthday Ceara

2011-10-09T20:44:00.004-04:00

Ceara's 17th Birthday Cookie

2011-10-08T05:53:00.000-04:00

Ceara doesn't care for cake... or chocolate. Maybe it's just a defense mechanism because her dad used to steal all of her chocolate, so she told herself she didn't like it. Who knows? So, in light of those two dislikes, I made Ceara a birthday cookie - 1/2 peanut butter cookie, 1/2 sugar cookie. Jeff is unaware of this at this time, but I'm sure he will object to the lack of chocolate anywhere in the party dessert!

Ceara's actual birthday is on October 7th, but because she had to work, we are celebrating it on October 8th. Today. Or tomorrow, depending on how you look at it. As I have not been to bed yet, I still feel it is Friday.

Jeff has always liked for parties to be themed, and since Ceara loves El Rancho Grande, we are taking her there for dinner to celebrate her birthday. So, he decided that her cookie should be a Mexican theme. I did my best to comply.

I could go take a picture of her as she sleeps, however I will wait until tomorrow and just make a new post. I just wanted to post the pictures now, because I kinda like how it turned out. Despite the fact that my cactus plants look like green warped ghosts. It's hard enough drawing with a pencil... icing is not as forgiving!

Sleep? Who needs that? Oh, wait... I think I might need a couple of hours! :)

Lily Rolling Over!

2011-10-04T19:57:00.000-04:00

Allie and Lily came to visit last night and I got to see Lily roll over! I know the video is dark, but it will just have to do for now. I will get a better one next time! :)

Mimi bought her this nice little hat and it looks so cute on her!

Time just flies, doesn't it? She's going to be 6 months old next month! It's hard for me to believe she's been with us for that long.

She was jabbering a LOT and chewing on her fingers.

All of the below pictures were taken with my iPod:

Up until last night, every time Jeff talked to her she would pucker up and cry. Last night, however, she was even laughing at him!

I made cookies last night, too, so I thought I'd share a picture of them as well! They were pretty good, new recipe. Someday Lily will be able to help me cook, and I look forward to that, but I'm not ready for her to be that old yet! I'm enjoying her as a baby! :)

Why yes, I do have other things I should be sharing, I just thought I'd share these new pictures of Lily for now.

Weekend Activities

2011-09-13T20:15:00.001-04:00

I guess I'm going to have to start with Sunday because blogger won't let me move the pictures and videos around. Or I am just a noob and can't figure it out. Sunday, I exchanged Conor for Lily - Allie and Jon took Conor to Kings Island and Lily spent the day with us. Time flew by while I had her, it didn't seem like they were gone very long.

That first video is actually from last weekend when they were here visiting on Labor Day. It's so fun to watch her laugh. And she can go from cracking up to somber in just one second. She absolutely adores her daddy - he was the one making her laugh and coo.

In the second video, she was watching the dogs wrestle around, and it absolutely cracked her up. It was such a nice day, we put her swing on the deck for a little while so she could spend some time outside.

Saturday was full of activities as well. First thing in the morning (9am) Conor had a soccer game, so we were up and at the park early to cheer him on. Ceara had spent the night with us and she went with us as well. She was supposed to be off work, but once we got home and made plans to make home made pizza, they called her in. She wanted more hours so we put the plans on hold until she came back after work.

Gage came over to play with Conor and I left the boys home and went to a Euchre party. When I got home, Ceara and Grant were already here and ready to make pizza. I had made the crust earlier in the day, and made the sauce last week, so they set out to make them. I should have taken step by step pictures, but I forgot.

Ceara took the pictures of the "works in progress" and we forgot to take a finished picture. Ceara made the one with the peperoni, while Grant made one with just cheese.

We'll try other toppings at another time, but for our first time making it all from scratch, it turned out pretty good.

I used this recipe for the pizza dough and this recipe for the sauce. Made with our own tomatoes we grew in our garden! :)

Friday night we just stayed home and relaxed - had to prepare for the weekend after all.

Gimme Kisses!

2011-09-08T08:55:00.001-04:00

Barb sent me this video of Conor today, and it brought back such memories! Oh, how little he used to be! How did he get to be so big? I miss when he was little!

Thanks for the stroll down memory lane, Barb!

Heatwave!!

2011-09-02T20:50:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it has been so hot!!

Anyone remember this song?

Sunflowers

2011-08-27T14:49:00.010-04:00

Mathematical model of floret arrangement

Illustration of Vogel's model for n=1 ... 500
A model for the pattern of florets in the head of a sunflower was proposed by H. Vogel in 1979. This is expressed in polar coordinates where θ is the angle, r is the radius or distance from the center, and n is the index number of the floret and c is a constant scaling factor. It is a form of Fermat's spiral. The angle 137.5° is related to the golden ratio (55/144 of a circular angle, where 55 and 144 are Fibonacci numbers) and gives a close packing of florets. This model has been used to produce computer graphics representations of sunflowers.

Lily Mae

2011-08-21T00:11:00.004-04:00

I know I should try to go in order, but since I have these pictures that I adore that I just took Saturday, I thought I'd share now. Allie and Lily came over for a cookout on Saturday and were here for an entire 10 hours. I took just 56 pictures... and thought I would share a few of those here. Along with a couple of videos. :)

She is giggleing and cooing and flailing her arms and legs a lot. She wants to get up and go!

She is also blowing spit bubbles, and slobbering, and it's just so cute! Generally speaking, I don't promote these activities in those people over 1 year old or so, but babies can get away with almost anything and look cute!

This picture is currently my desktop background:

She thinks it is hilarious when you put her blanket over her head and pull it off. Peek-a-boo! :) It also makes it look like all her hair is combed forward, so I make it a point to fix it after we're done.

And there's that adorable dimple! She can have the most serious look on her face, and then instantly she breaks into a grin and her whole face lights up.

She was making the funniest faces at me - I wish I would have taken video of it, but I had put my camera down and didn't want to leave her to go get it.

Here are a couple of videos for your viewing pleasure:

Family Sundays

2011-08-14T23:55:00.000-04:00

Today we went to my aunt and uncle's farm to celebrate my cousin's 16th birthday. It's amazing how peaceful it is there, how you can forget all about any problems or concerns you are having. They have a new ATV - I forget the name of it, starts with a K, but it's like a golf cart on steroids. I think it is this one. My aunt Maggie took me for a ride back in the fields, and we had so much fun. She is fearless! We made our own paths in some spots, going over bumps so fast we both were bounced off the seat. We also ran into a lot of tree branches that were smacking us in the face a bit. It was so much fun.

When we returned to the house, I took Jeff on a ride to show him the pumpkin field they had going. Jeff was having major garden envy over there since they have a HUGE garden in addition to their 250 acres of crops. Their tomato plants were about as tall as we are. Sadly, they didn't plant any corn this year. All soybeans. :(

It was a beautiful August day, a little cool for swimming in the lake, but when did that ever stop little boys? Conor, Shane, and Grant all got in. They didn't stay in too long and ended up playing in the sand because they got cold.

Sundays with my family are always great, and this one was no exception. :) Of course I didn't take my camera, but I will next time.

Catching Up: The Baby Shower

2011-08-10T09:49:00.001-04:00

Debbie (Jon's mom, my co-grandma) and I decided to throw one big baby shower for Allie and Jon. Cheryl (Jon's aunt) secured the location for us - her church party room. I made this punch but used strawberry drink mix to have pink for the whole "it's a girl" theme. :) It was really good!

It was a great way to meet each other's families. We had help from our family members as well: contributing food, drinks, help with set-up, help with clean-up.

We shopped together for all of the supplies and food.

We had a great turn out, too. It was co-ed, but only 3 adult males came. Jon's dad, Jon, and Jeff. Conor was there too, of course.

Everything went very smoothly - we had way too much food (after not thinking we'd have enough!), we played a few games, and Lily got a lot of cute stuff. The collective "awwww" after each gift was opened became a source of amusement for some. There are some very talented people in our families as well, she received several hand made items - which I absolutely love. Blankets, afghans... even some clothes! Which, of course, I don't have pictures of yet. Waiting months to do posts leaves you with the "where did I put those pictures?!" syndrome. Also, don't want to overload the posts with too many pictures. I'll have to upload them to my flickr account for your viewing pleasure at some point. I will surely let you know when I do!

Block Party

2011-08-07T16:28:00.003-04:00

Banana Tree

2011-08-07T16:05:00.010-04:00

Duke

2011-07-31T07:12:00.016-04:00

It has taken me a while to be able to write this post. I've added to it over the past month and I guess I'm ready to publish it.

Duke was a perfect addition to our house. His personality fit right in.

He forced Teddy to like him. He jumped on his head, bit his ears, tackled him at every opportunity.

He laid down next to him whenever he had the chance.

He followed him EVERYwhere, Teddy never had a moment's peace. He played soccer with us in the yard. No matter that the ball was bigger than his head, he still managed to control the ball.

On Wednesday, June 29th, Duke somehow got out of our gated back yard and got in the road.

He was hit by a car, and passed away.

It's still hard for me to write about it. I miss him. Badly.

Jeff was in Columbus, Conor was at Jon and Allie's house, so that left me to handle it.

Thank God for my mom. And my uncle Don. My mom helped me do things I don't want to talk about and would never have been able to do by myself. Well, maybe I would have, but I'm so thankful I didn't.

Our yard has a lot of clay in it - and cement since it used to be a huge hill and was filled in with dirt and cement pieces. So digging in it... almost impossible.

That's where my uncle comes in. I called him, crying, and asked him to dig a hole. It was around 8:30 PM and getting dark. He asked when, I said now, he came right over with his back hoe. Or whatever it is. It digs holes, that's about all I know.

It was dark by the time we finished, and I was in shock knowing I wouldn't see Duke anymore.

And I was the one who had to tell everyone.

He was the best dog and taken from us way too soon. I miss him so much. He did have a very happy life, even though it was short.

Duke 12/8/10 - 6/29/11

Rest in peace, sweet puppy

Round To It

2011-06-22T13:20:00.000-04:00

I remember when I was a kid and we went to Gatlinburg, TN for vacation, they sold a round wooden coin that said, "Round To It" - for things that you didn't quite get to, you would get around to them someday. I need several of those.

Someday I'll get "round to" posting more on my blog. It's not like I don't have material. I do. Lots of it. And I'm going to regret not doing it in a few years when I can't look back and see what we were doing at this time in our lives.

Nail polish - I like nail polish, but I paint my nails, they look good for about 2 days, then dishes and other activities start making the polish chip off. I keep meaning to get around to finding the remover and taking it off, but never quite have. I have, however, gotten all of it but my thumb nails off by scraping it off when I'm bored. That's one way to get rid of it I guess.

Eye brows... I wax them with the intention of keeping up with plucking, but when I see that it is needed I don't quite have time to find the tweezers (they disappear often) and work in them. Until they are bad enough to just wax them again. :)

So many other things... I should just get a new attitude to do it when I think of it! Anything you are putting off until you get a "round to it"?

Lily Mae

2011-06-07T21:48:00.000-04:00

OK, so all of the pictures are not perfect - some are blurry, some have strange angles, but I just put them all on there! :) I could have probably done a better job editing, but you try sitting at a computer forever with no air conditioning in what feels like a sauna room!

Anyway, there are 5 songs playing in the video:

Creed - With Arms Wide Open

Lee Ann Womack - I Hope You Dance

Taylor Swift - Never Grow Up

Pretenders - I'll Stand By You

Rascal Flatts - My Wish

Wow

2011-06-07T10:59:00.000-04:00

It is June already! Hard to believe, time is flying by so fast! Lily is almost a month old, and I have TONS of pictures, but who has time to sit at a computer and post anything?

Oh, yeah.. I do sometimes at work, but all the pictures are at home!

Also, our air conditioner quit working and it's a little stuffy in the house.

I have lots of things to post, it's just finding the time and energy! Sorry for the neglect, it is not actually intentional! I will try to get some posts up this week. And lots of pictures of Lily! She has changed so much already!

Tikis!!

2011-05-24T21:54:00.000-04:00

Jeff took the pictures, and I was going to add commentary, but pictures are worth a 1000 words, so you don't need any of mine, right? Cuz that would just be way too many words. ;) *Katie

King Purple Monkey

2011-05-22T10:36:00.000-04:00

3 days old

2011-05-16T18:26:00.002-04:00

This little girl has taken over our house.

She is quite alert for being 3 days old.

Her eyes try to focus on the person talking to her.

I could watch her for hours - I have, actually.

Her expressions are so cute.

And there are so many of them!

I managed to catch her dimple with this one:

I will definitely take a lot of pictures as she is sure to change daily!

Great, Great Grandma

2011-05-15T18:23:00.000-04:00

Not only does it describe my Grandma - she is the best - but it is also an "official" title now. Great, great Grandma. Ninety years and a couple of months age difference - Lily Mae is the first 5th generation alive in our family. Five females - my Grandma, my Mom, me, my daughter, and Lily. Yes, I know we need to do a 5 generation picture, but some people weren't ready today. And it wasn't me! :)

My grandma has always been an important part of my life - and I am so glad that she is able to meet my grand-daughter.

Lily slept peacefully in her arms for about an hour - until we left. Grandma enjoyed holding her so much, she wouldn't give her up to anyone else.

Lily Mae

2011-05-12T12:52:00.000-04:00

Lily Mae was born @ 1:08 PM May 11, 2011 weighing 8 lbs 8oz, 21 inches. mommy and baby are doing great!

Mother's Day Flowers

2011-05-11T03:58:00.000-04:00

Signs?

2011-05-10T00:43:00.001-04:00

First of all, I want to say that Alli is going into the hospital Tuesday night (guess that is today since it is after midnight), with the intent of being induced on Wednesday. She has to go Tuesday so they can give her something to dilate her cervix over night. Labor will be induced on Wednesday morning, so Lily will likely be born on May 11, 2011. I guess there is a small chance labor could last until Thursday, but I hope not!

Jeff is in Columbus finishing up a job, and Alli was at Jon's house, so it was just Conor and me tonight. We were in the living room - chatting and watching cartoons - and our electricity went out. It was 8:40PM. I called my mom to see if hers was out as well (she lives 4 houses away) - to make sure it wasn't just us. I couldn't find a flashlight to check the breaker, so I figured calling her would just be easier. Hers was out too, and my Grandma's - 3 houses away. So, it was the whole street.

Having not gotten much sleep over the weekend (cumulative 14 hours from Friday morning til Monday morning), I took it as a sign I should just go to bed and get a good nights sleep. In trying to get laundry done - all laundry, including sheets, comforters, all blankets, pillow cases, anything that is able to go in the washing machine! - and Mother's Day activities, I sacrificed a bit of sleep over the weekend.

So, tonight, I was exhausted. I didn't feel like doing much of anything. I wasn't doing much when the electric went out and since it was close to 9, Conor and I decided to go to bed after having a conversation about how we were not going to go to his friend Ethan's house just because we didn't have electricity. And about how his day wasn't "bad" because he fell and hurt his knee and the electric went out.

I managed to squeeze into my bed - it seems the dogs have claimed it as their own and they aren't much into giving away space - I got comfortable and was on the verge of sleep when I got a text message at 9:16PM. I know, I know, maybe I shouldn't take my phone to bed with me, right? Well, with no electric, I needed it for an alarm clock. Who knew when the electric would come back on? As long as I had water to brush my teeth and wash my face, we could still get ready for work and school without electricity. I think anyway.

Anyway, the message was from Alli, asking why the power went out. I had sent a post to facebook to say I was going to bed because the power was out, so my mistake. I responded and put the phone back and started to fall back asleep.

Then the phone rang (9:19PM) and it was my mom telling me the power company said the electric should be back on by midnight. I told her I didn't mind because Conor and I had just gone to bed. I didn't even ask why it had gone out - I realized that after I had hung up and I didn't want to call her back.

I fell asleep.

Then I was awoken by the dogs - they both stood up and began barking. It seems someone was at the door. I tripped and ran into things in the darkness trying to get to the door. It was about 9:40 at that point - I didn't look, but know due to other factors. It was my aunt, bringing me a cool little lantern so I could have light. :) She apologized over and over for waking me up, which of course was not her fault - I never go to bed that early, so there is no way she could have known and she was just bringing me a source of light. So, I was able to see my way back to bed and climbed in and turned the lantern off and put it beside my bed.

About 3 minutes later, the electric was back on and lights came back on along with the TV. I hadn't thought to turn the other lights out, and I really thought I had turned the one off in the bedroom, but apparently I turned it on.

I got up to turn everything off and set the clocks (stove and microwave) and when I went back to bed I couldn't sleep. So here I am, writing a post at midnight, not the least bit tired! So now - instead of a sign that I should get some sleep, I think there is a conspiracy to deprive me of it! ;) just kidding. I guess I just got a power 20 min nap accumulated there somewhere and it did the trick for a little bit.

I am starting to nod off writing this - goodness, I bore myself to sleep and I'm still going to post it? Yep. I am.

*disclaimer* I am not, nor was I at any point tonight, upset with anyone who disturbed my sleep. I did not have to respond to texts, or answer the phone, or go to the door. I have family who think and care about me, and I am thankful for all of them - sleep or no sleep. I just thought it was a funny story so I thought I would share. Now I'm going back to bed.

I tried...

2011-05-04T23:10:00.001-04:00

I wanted to try a new way to post tonight - a video of pictures with me vocally walking you through them. However - I kept trying and kept getting interrupted. Conor until he went to bed, then Allie decided to come out and lay on the couch for a while. Then I got engrossed in a show. So, maybe tomorrow! :)

A Quick Note

2011-05-03T20:31:00.000-04:00

I don't think I ever "announced" that Alli is pregnant on here - but most people who read my blog already know that. Yes, I'm gonna be a grandma. :) I'm trying to make it a point to post more, and I didn't want to promise anything on here but I've made myself a promise to do it.

Today was a little unexpected. Alli has been having some problems with her pregnancy - she has had to go to the dr every week for the last 2-3 months due to high blood pressure and other signs of preeclampsia. Today they sent her to the maternity ward from her weekly dr. appointment to monitor her for a few hours. She came home, but has been put on bed rest. We are not sure if it is until she delivers or if she will be able to return to school for a little while longer. Her official due date is May 18th. She has to go back to the doctor in 24-48 hours to see if the bed rest is helping and we will know more then. Lily Mae could be here a little sooner than we thought.

Going back in time... Easter 2011

2011-05-02T07:50:00.001-04:00

The Saturday before Easter, Ceara, Conor, and Gage colored eggs. Molly doesn't like to do them, so she sent Gage to our house to do it - she said it is our Easter tradition that I color eggs with the kids.

They each did 6 eggs - Ceara liked decorating hers as well as coloring them. The boys didn't care so much about the stickers and decorations.

The Easter Bunny left baskets for each of the kids - remembering that Ceara doesn't like milk chocolate (I think Jeff kept all of those genes), she got a white chocolate bunny. And yes, she did get a razor as well - she asked for it!

Conor got some toys along with his candy.

And Alli got a couple of books.

Then it was off to Grandma's for the once-a-year breakfast that I love and Easter egg hunting.

One of these years the adults are going to let the kids just hunt instead of helping them... OK, probably not, but it would be interesting.

It was rainy so the eggs were hidden near the driveway so as not to get so muddy.

We may well be there for hours if we relied on the kids to find them themselves.

They can't seem to see the colorful eggs even when they are right in front of them.

We could see the pink egg from where we were standing, yet Conor could not. He eventually found it though.

All of the eggs were found eventually.

Then it was time to go inside and count the money inside.

The eggs at Grandma's house always have money in them. It's a tradition. ;)

After the egg hunt at Grandma's, we go to Mimi's (my mom's) where they have a scavenger hunt.

They have to fine a certain amount of eggs of each color.

Once you have the designated colors and amounts, you were done and could help the others.

Then you got to check out the contents - candy and a couple of them have dollars.

That evening Jeff, Conor, and I went out to the mancave and listened to an iTunes story that Jeff had found to teach Conor what the real meaning of Easter is - the ressurection of Christ. It lasted about 25-30 minutes and Conor listened intently. When it was over, he asked many questions and we sat and talked for almost an hour.

I must say, he is a very intelligent boy. Yes, I know he is mine and I'm biased, but he surprised me. He does now know that the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus are both roles played by his parents, but he also knows why. Because he asked. Those aren't the only questions he asked - he asked about Jesus, religion, and a lot of other things that an 8 year old wouldn't normally ask about. We were honest with him, and I was very grateful for Jeff.

Despite my ability to take a test online and score a higher IQ number than Jeff, he knows a lot more than I do. He retains things better than I do - I don't remember movie lines, I don't remember plots half the time, and I certainly don't remember everything I read! I still get to say I'm smarter though - because I did get a higher IQ score than he did! Turns out all that knowlege he has isn't on the test. HA!

Weekend Work

2011-05-01T16:37:00.000-04:00

By Katie - yes I do still exist. ;)

Jeff, Conor, and Ceara went shopping this weekend while I stayed home and did the housework. They came home with a lot of flowers, soil, mulch, and a work wagon.

We dug out the circle in the front for the strawberries. By "we" I mean mostly Jeff, although we all took a turn with the shovel - even though it only lasted a dig or two.

Flowers were planted in the front flower bed because we do have some in the back, but Duke has taken to digging them up. So we figured we would play it safe and not plant them where he could get to them.

With one exception - the lava rock. Jeff had planted yellow flowers there last year, and this year he expanded on the colors by adding orange and red.

The Tiki torches are still there too - our own little Hawaiian area. He loved going there so much last year that he wanted a small reminder.

Look, here's the work wagon Ceara and I put together. Jeff started it, but we finished it while he dug out the circle:

There will be another picture on down of Ceara with some of the hardware - during the building of it - but Blogger "improved" the uploading of pictures and I have yet to be able to figure out how to move the darn things around once they are uploaded. Not much of an improvement if you ask me!

I took some closeups of the flowers before they were planted - I love the way they turned out.

The colors are so pretty!

These were all picked by Jeff, Conor, and Ceara and I think they did a wonderful job!

Conor especially likes the Violets - he saw them in the store and Jeff said he wanted them.

Ceara picked the Bleeding Hearts - I love them as well.

With the clay dirt around our house, the digging of the holes proved to be a little harder than usual, but we managed.

I hope they last a while and don't just bloom for a week or two!

It will look better once we have new mulch down, but it still looks pretty good.

I hope the strawberry patch produces a lot of strawberries, as everyone here loves them!

Everyone worked very hard getting it done.

The pictures below were all taken by Jeff on his Blackberry, and I would have incorporated them into my pictures at the appropriate place, but as I said before, Blogger isn't cooperating with me.

The Black Raspberry bush we planed on the side by itself - hopefully it will produce many berries, too!

Ceara on the porch with the hardware for the wagon - it wasn't easy to put together, either. The flat-head screws were hard to hold while tightening the nut.

Conor helped out with the mowing, so Jeff didn't have to do it all.

It helps to have a self propelled mower - so he doesn't have to push, just guide. The flower lineup before planting:

Jeff's favorite:

Conor picked this one out, I could go look up the name outside but... if I do, I might not finish the post!

Violets:

Fuzzy pink flowers:

A little friend showed up after we were done and cleaning up - Conor wanted to catch him and keep him as a pet. I told him if he picked it up, he could. Guess he didn't want it that badly. :) I did get him to touch it - only after I touched it first though.

Snakes don't bother me - but spiders freak me out! Yes, I am aware that is strange, but spiders have 8 legs and beady little eyes... *shudder*.

Rainbow

2011-04-28T23:06:00.000-04:00

I promised Dad I would come over to see him today.

Then I was reminded of another promise.

(don't worry - Conor took the picture and I was driving)

The Flying Ninja

2011-04-24T22:14:00.000-04:00

The Flying Ninja

by KLUTZ and Doug Stillinger

Get Your Reverse Mowhawk On!

2011-04-24T00:26:00.000-04:00

This is the coolest new haircut all the kids are getting at school!

Rainy Spring Morning

2011-04-23T23:49:00.001-04:00

Turnin' on the Smolder

2011-04-23T23:49:00.000-04:00

Cozy Pups

2011-04-18T02:22:00.002-04:00

Teddy vs. Duke

2011-04-13T21:54:00.001-04:00

Duke's First Night in the Mancave

2011-04-09T00:31:00.004-04:00

Red-bellied Woodpecker

2011-04-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

Conor’s class has been studying the flora and fauna of Ohio. His teacher assigned him the Red-bellied Woodpecker. A report and a shoebox diorama were to be done over Spring Break. Here are a few pictures of Conor working hard (with a little help) and the end result. We even went to Caesar's Creek to try and find some woodpeckers and maybe get a picture. We did find some trees with- what looked like to us - woodpecker holes!

New Puppy!!!

2011-03-27T23:00:00.001-04:00

We got a new puppy today. Meet Duke. Conor named him, he is Conor's dog.

He's 4 months old and we got him from a shelter in southern OH - Circle Tail. He's very fun to watch, very full of energy, and loves to play.

Teddy is tolerating him for the most part, but it will take a little time for him to be used to him.

Think he looks like someone else we know?

Music

2011-02-17T00:25:00.000-05:00

Isn't it funny how certain songs can bring back memories from long ago? It is also surprising how many lyrics you can remember even after not hearing a song for many, many years. Two nights now (not in a row!) I've spent hours looking through iTunes and downloading a bunch of old songs! Here is a small list of what I downloaded and now have on my iPod to listen to and torture my kids with in the car:

Seven Year Ache - Roseanne Cash
Swingin' - John Anderson
The Chair - George Strait
My Favorite Memory - Merle Haggard
The One - Elton John
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me - Billy Joel
The Boys of Summer - Don Henley
The Rose - Bette Midler
I'd Really Love to See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley
The Things We Do for Love - 10cc
Barely Breathing - Duncan Sheik

And that is a small list. Probably not even 1/4th of what I found. I have iTunes and their "suggestions" to thank for that! Some of those people I didn't even know I knew! Like England Dan & John Ford Coley... I don't recall ever knowing their names. But I love, love, love the song. And still knew it all by heart! "The song's not about linen." Does anyone know what movie that line is from? I don't expect anyone to know, but I loved that part of that movie and the song ALWAYS reminds me of it.

'Like walking in the rain and the snow, when there's nowhere to go and you feel like part of you is dying...' 10cc... I don't recall the name of that band either - but I certainly know the song!

A lot of the country songs I downloaded from the 70s and 80s were because of memories of Jack - and songs I know he loves. I got them to burn CDs for him for his birthday, but I have to get his sound system working so he can actually listen to them. He has been in the hospital for the last week and I took my iPod and iHome to the hospital and played the music for him while he was sedated - hoping he could hear it and it offered him some comfort.

I also came across some Rod Stewart that brought back many memories, but since I know my mom has the CDs, I didn't download them. I'll just borrow her CDs for a little bit!

I've loved my trips down memory lane via music. I like so many different varieties.

Dreams

2011-02-16T00:39:00.000-05:00

I walked into Alli's room to put a check for school on her dresser, trying to be super quiet so I didn't wake her up. She's such a light sleeper, it didn't work. She raised her head up, clicked her tongue and said, "Come here baby, come here."

I laughed and asked who she was talking to. She focused her eyes on me and said, "I don't know, dreaming I guess..."

I just wonder who she was dreaming about?

Slow Week!

2011-02-03T23:21:00.000-05:00

I haven't had much to tell you this week. OK, that's probably not true, but I haven't felt like it, OK? I could tell you all kinds of silly things like how I have wiped out twice on the ice now. The first time wasn't so bad, but the second time I landed on my elbow and it hurt like you wouldn't believe. Usually when I get in my car, I put my right elbow on the console to adjust my bottom in the seat. So now I do it and pain shoots up my arm. I'm learning not to do that!

I got the Tetris game on my iPod touch and I have been playing it quite a bit. It somehow makes me feel better putting those blocks together in lines and it helps me clear my mind. I hadn't played Tetris for about 10 years and I used to love it then too.

It's hard to believe that January is already over! Last Feb I did a post-a-day thing, but I guess I'm skipping that this year.

I've been trying to figure out how to do voice blogs - it would be easier to just rattle on rather than type I think. I've been told I have a fairly pleasant voice by some people, so maybe it would be easier to listen that to read my dribble.

Winter blahs. Cold. Snow. Ice. Just a few of the reasons I haven't been blogging much lately.

I got into a baking mood last night and made a coffee cake and some cookies. I took some to my mom and some to work today to share.

See? Kinda boring. Forced writing... and not much to say. Sorry! I'll try to come up with something soon!

Really Nick at Nite?

2011-01-26T23:43:00.000-05:00

I know they are reruns, but do you really have to show the exact same episodes two nights in a row??? Some people did't see them the first time around and even though you don't show them in order, we still like a little variety!

Is It Spring Yet?!

2011-01-24T20:16:00.000-05:00

I am so over the snow and wish it would go away! It has not been my friend lately, beginning a few weeks ago when I lost control of my car and almost ended up in a ditch. Thank God that didn't happen - I just ended up facing the other direction on the other side of the road.

Yesterday I was carrying some things into the house and fell walking up the slight hill in our yard - it happened so fast I didn't even get to put my hands out. Not that I could have since they were full.

This morning when I left for work, I slid and fell into the shed - spilling my drink in the process. Thankfully not on me - just on the ground.

I'm usually not this off balance!

It is only 8 o'clock and I am ready for bed. Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!

New Video

2011-01-19T13:00:00.002-05:00

Check out Conor's performance in North Pole Musical

Apple Pie Training

2011-01-17T20:50:00.000-05:00

Today is Poppy's birthday, so as per usual, I made him an apple pie. It's his favorite thing for me to make.

Alli pointed out that we should make 2 so that his doesn't get all eaten in one night by all of us.

So, I made the first one, and the second one was done by Alli and Jon - with my supervising and telling them what to do.

Alli did the bottom crust and the filling, and so she had Jon do the top.

It was at that point that I got my camera because I asked if he was going to go home and make a pie for his mom and he said something to the effect of, "this never happened."

So, I had to get pictures for proof! :)

Alli and Conor did the cinnamon rolls with the left over dough.

It may have taken a few hours, but we made 2 Apple pies! I hope they both turned out OK!

Mancave January 2011

2011-01-17T01:25:00.004-05:00

Conor's Birthday

2011-01-15T12:51:00.002-05:00

I posted about Conor's Birthday, but I back-dated it to post on his birthday so it would be easier for me to find if I look for it a few years from now...

So if you want to see it, go here:
http://alikatcorner.blogspot.com/2011/01/conors-8th-birthday.html

Lord Of The Rings Party

2011-01-12T22:19:00.005-05:00

The LOTR Marathon was awesome!
Test your skills at some Lord of the Rings trivia.

Geek Party

2011-01-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

We are gearing up to have a Geek Party this weekend, wherein we invite our kids and one of their friends to try to convert them into the geeks that we know we are... AKA a Lord of the Rings Party. :) Conor is already a geek, of course. We are still working on Alli and Ceara. They have both invited their boyfriends, as Jeff has made attendence mandatory (or guilt tripped them into it). Either they are sure their boyfriends are already geeks, or they may be using this as a way to scare them off. Who knows? It may backfire and they will both become geeks and the girls will have to suffer more LotR - not just as a yearly (or semi-yearly) event.

Jeff, the die-hard geek that he is, wanted us to have everyone dress as a character from the movie. As much as I do love the LotR movies, I nixed that quickly. I am certainly comfortable being known as a geek, but not a role-playing, theme party dressing geek. Not that there's anything wrong with that... it's just not for me. Or my wallet, as those costumes are expensive and having to pay for 5 people to get them is just not in the budget. Wait... no! It's because I am not that big of a geek. Not because it's expensive. I didn't mean that!

And yes, I am fully aware that I have not yet put Conor's birthday party on here... don't you guys know me well enough by now?

Merry Christmas!!! :)

2010-12-25T00:18:00.000-05:00

Yes, they are almost all the same... little differences, ya know? I mean, look at Conor's smile in that first one... what is that?

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Hope everyone has a joyous day filled with love, laughter, family, and friends!

Have you seen this elf?

2010-12-19T08:20:00.008-05:00

WANTED!!

Have you seen this elf?

Santa has been searching everywhere for this elf.

It has been rumoured that one of Santa's best workers has run away from

The North Pole to parts unknown (some say possibly Cincinnati).

It has been reported that toy production is falling behind. The elf in question was overheard by one of our sources, "We were loading sleighs one day and I heard him muttering something about being too cold at the North Pole and there wasn't any baseball."

If anyone sees this elf, please contact Santa or Elf Headquarters at The North Pole. This elf is considered to be polite and friendly and smiles often. He was last seen wearing red, with a red hat; he has red hair and he is over 6 feet tall.

*****News Bulletin*****

This just in! We have just received a report that he was last seen baking Christmas cookies!!!

Christmas Piano

2010-12-19T08:14:00.002-05:00

Christmas Cave

2010-12-19T06:44:00.008-05:00

Hawaiian Spicy Chicken

2010-12-18T09:59:00.001-05:00

Conor decided it would be a good night to make some Hawaiian Spicy Chicken on a cold winter’s night.

“Just add water” to the spices to make the batter.

The 3 steps

First flour

Then batter

Fry ‘em up

Mmmmm!! Smells good

Dinner is served!

My Beautiful Baby Girl

2010-12-16T22:28:00.000-05:00

I have pictures from Conor's Birthday party to post, but I couldn't wait to share these pictures of my beautiful daughter. I just got her senior pictures back and along with the pictures I got them on a CD so I could share them here and on Facebook. Here first, of course. :) The last 3 are of her and Jon - her boyfriend. There were over 70 to choose from, these are just my favorites... they are in no particular order, just the order they uploaded from the file names.

She has grown up so fast, I can hardly believe she is almost done with high school.

North Pole Musical 2010

2010-12-12T02:27:00.008-05:00

This year Conor had a speaking part in the school's production of North Pole Musical.
The Snow People, the Reindeer, the Elves, and the Toys, were all vying for a spot in the upcoming musical production. Santa had given the impossible task of finding a suitable act for the show in a short time to Mrs. Clause; and it was her job to listen to the auditions.
There was, of course, much drama in trying to get Mrs. Clause's attention and the Elves even went on strike! The kids did a great job and got a standing ovation at the end.

Conor's bit was to introduce the "Nutcracker Megamix" portion of the show. We thought it would be a good idea to dress him up in a Nutcracker soldier outfit. My mother is an excellent seamstress, so we enlisted her skills to help make the costume. She did a terrific job of transforming sweat pants and an oversized shirt into an officer's uniform. I had fun at the local Walmart at 2 o'clock in the morning trying to get fabric cut while the employees were busy stocking shelves. I wonder what they thought of me coming in at that hour wanting to buy a yard of faux fur, shiny medalion trim, and curtain tie back cords?

Conor's 8th Birthday

2010-12-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.funattheweb.com/

We took Conor and 5 of his friends to The Web for his birthday. The plan was for us to go there as soon as it opened (11am) and then come home for pizza, cake, and ice cream. For the most part, the plan worked out.

The Web has arcade games, bowling, golf, race cars, and of course laser tag. We did not have any clue what to expect, really. When we got there, we had to sign up for a time for the laser tag. Up to 40 people could go at once, so they would be in there with other groups.

They have credit card like cards for the arcade part - charge it up and slide it through a reader on the game you want to play. There wasn't a lot of time before the laser tag appointment - so the boys just ran around looking at all the things to do. Then it was time for laser tag - I was the only one who didn't go, I wanted to try to take pictures but the viewing window is so dark that you can not. Jeff, Ceara, Conor, Mason, Gage, Grant, Trey, and Shane all went into an instructional room to learn how to play it. They were all given vests and guns. There were two teams - Red and Blue and our group was all on the same team. There are obstacles in the room, and it's dark, and they have glow in the dark stuff. They say don't run, but I did see a few people running. The teams are released from different doors and you go around looking for them to shoot. There is a sheet at the end that has your tag name (everyone is assigned a name based on what vest/gun they got) and it has all the stats. How many people you shot, how many times you were shot...etc. Our team won over all.

After the laser tag, we went to play miniature golf - it was that or bowling and the boys all chose golf.

The theme was Jurassic Park and it was dark with glow in the dark painted / carpeted golf things (yeah, I don't know what they are called).

That part of the day was a little hectic and I wish they would have chosen bowling. They did not take turns, they ran around the room hitting the balls as hard as they could and no scores were kept.

It was a good thing no one else was there at the same time!

They finished quickly and moved onto the arcade games.

Mason got lucky right off the bat and hit a wheel of fortune game for a lot of tickets. All the other kids were jealous and tried to play the same game to get as many as he did.

They easily went through their arcade credits, and we even bought extra so they could continue the fun for a little bit.

Then it was time to cash in. I have a lot of respect for the patience of the employees who work in this area - they changed their minds so many times, wanting to see this or that, then wanting something else.

It got so bad that Grant had to be handcuffed and almost hauled away!

Mason was able to sneak some keys and set him free - thank God for big brothers! Oh, wait... those were Mason's cuffs and he was the one who put them on Grant. :)

That poor little girl in the picture had to wait her turn behind 6 boys who weren't about to give up their turn in line for a girl! Nothing stands between boys and their toys at that age.

We came back to our house, stopping to get pizza on the way. The boys ate pizza while we frantically searched for candles. I knew I had them, just not where they were... I eventually sent Alli to get some at the store.

Conor blew out his candles, with Gage standing by ready if he needed assistance!

He opened his gifts from the kids while we all had cake and ice cream.

He got a remote control car.

And the ever favorite money!

As well as a robe that he had been begging for since he saw it.

After we managed to get rid of all of the kids (it was harder than you might think!), we took Conor to his restaurant of choice (Golden Corral - yes, it is his favorite) and had his grand parents go there with us to celebrate his birthday.

He had a few more gifts to open there.

Barb made him a cute little box with a cutout of him in his Nutcracker uniform.

One of his favorite gifts inside - money!

And a bunch of little games that he was so interested in we had to remind him he had other gifts.

He got an electric snap kit so that he can learn how to make different things - sirens, radios, etc.

He was very interested in seeing all the things he could do.

There are a lot of projects in that book - different levels of difficulty.

And then he got what he has wanted for a very long time. See his face? He was so surprised.

Yes, we got him a cell phone.

Before you judge, let me explain! The idea of an 8 year old with a cell phone is not a great idea, I know, I didn't warm to the idea immediately. BUT! We do not have a home phone. And this phone is to act as a home phone - adding it to our plan for $10/ month is a lot cheaper than getting a land line. As I am writing this post on Jan 15th and back dating it - I can tell you it does act as a home phone. He is not allowed to leave the house with it, even if he is just going to Mimi's house to spend the night. Or if he is riding to the store with his dad. It does not leave this house. It enables him to have a way to call his friends, or text his dad when he's in the man cave, or text me while I'm at work to tell on his sister for doing something after he gets off the bus. He keeps all of his friends numbers in it and calls them from it. He is able to text and keep in touch with his aunt Naomi - whom he adores, but she lives in Indiana so he doesn't get to see her very often. It encourages him to spell and read when he texts. Quite honestly, he doesn't even use it that much, the novelty has worn off. And when I text him, I make sure to spell out all words so that he reads them and learns more words. So, it really is like a home phone, just has texting capabilities with it. :)

Got Milk?

2010-12-10T02:05:00.000-05:00

It would sure go good with all these cookies! :) Conor's birthday is Saturday so I made some cookies for him to take to school to share with his classmates on Friday. Chocolate Chip Cookies with icing, sugar sprinkles, and a sugar decoration. I'm sure the teacher will wait until the end of the day so that the kids go home to bounce off the walls.

I made two trays full so that there would be plenty to share with his classmates as well as other teachers.

This is a first for me - each item has to be individually wrapped, so I had to go out and get some Ziploc bags to put them in. That wasn't required last year, or if it was no one told me about it. It actually makes it a bit easier to transport because if they are not in the bags I'd have to put them in Tupperware and not stack them for fear of messing them up.

Tomorrow I will be working on the cake for his birthday party on Saturday. LASER TAG!!! Woot, should be fun. I'll try to get some good pictures and videos of it. I've never been so I'm not sure how it works. :)

HAPPY FRIDAY! Happy day-before-Conor-turns-8!

Public Service Test: Does chocolate milk aid in cleaning?

2010-12-04T11:57:00.001-05:00

I had a thought this morning - "Could chocolate milk be used as a cleaner?"

So even though I had just gotten Jeff to agree to go do some Christmas shopping (!), I decided to test the thought and poured some chocolate milk on my kitchen floor. A half a roll of paper towels later, I came to the conclusion that it does NOT. Although, if I had bought the "quicker picker upper" maybe it wouldn't have taken so many. Who needs to make things easier? Certainly not me.

Anyway, after getting the mop out and mopping the kitchen floor - including moving the stove because there was some under there, too - I decided that maybe it does aid in cleaning. It made me clean the entire kitchen floor, plus under the stove, when I really hadn't planned on doing that today.

So, in conclusion - if you really weren't planning on mopping your floor and moving appliances around to get under them as well, just pour an entire glass of chocolate milk on the floor. It helps motivate you, even if it doesn't aid in the actual cleaning.

Now I have to hurry and get ready to go shopping before Jeff changes his mind!

How do things get in my head?

2010-12-01T22:10:00.000-05:00

As I was getting ready to take a shower last night, I realized I had the Gilligan's Island theme song running in my head... and I had not looked at anything that reminded me of it, or heard anything about it. I have no clue how it got there, but I couldn't make it stop! So what could have possibly triggered it?

Ever have that happen? What goes on in YOUR head?

Breakfast

2010-11-24T11:14:00.000-05:00

Today, my guys made me breakfast... almost in bed, but not quite - their activities woke me up. Conor served it to me - with a towel hung over his left arm and the plate (or whatever he was bringing me) he carried with his right hand. First course was bacon, eggs, and toast. Then he brought me a glass of orange juice. Next, he brought me a bowl of homemade hash browns. Still with the towel over his arm. He went back to the kitchen saying, "Pancakes are coming, ma'am." He referred to me as "ma'am" the whole time, like he was my waiter.

"I can't eat pancakes too! It's too much!" I protested.

"Too bad!" was the reply from the kitchen. (Jeff)

So, Conor was back in just a couple of minutes with a pancake. I did my best, but couldn't finish it all. My usual breakfast is coffee... and that's it, so it was a bit of a shock to my system. It was all WONDERFUL, though.

Now, I have that "full" feeling and the sudden urge to go back to bed! Thanks, guys! What a great start to the day.

Audiocave

2010-11-06T16:19:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to help Ceara like books more. She is supposed to read a certain amount for school and she doesn't enjoy reading as much as she should for a teenager. In an effort to help her, I have both the book and the audio for Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes. She has been enjoying this book with me out in the mancave on weekend when we can hang out.

Recently, I just got a nice little space heater for the mancave for these chilly November days. It was hard to get Ceara to come out here because she hates to be cold. I thought with the extra incentive of heat - I could get her to come out to listen to more about Frankie. We couldn't just leave him in the middle of the Atlantic on his way to Ireland! Anyway, as it turns out, maybe the mancave is a little too cozy. Well have to learn more about the McCourt's adventures after a little nap.

Halloween Weekend

2010-11-06T08:54:00.002-04:00

The soccer tournament was last Saturday (Oct 30th), and Conor's team lost the first game so there were no more after that. The game itself was hardly a tournament by any standards. Not that I didn't enjoy cheering for my son, and watching his team try so hard - I did and they did. However, if they are going to have tournaments and go through the motion, they could at least supply referees who know a little bit more about the game than the 6 and 7 year olds playing. A little consistency would be nice. I won't go off on a rant, although I really could, but two things stick out for me. First - the opposing team got the kick off at the start of the game and also at the start of the second quarter. I specifically noticed this because when they kicked off at the start of the game I commented on how well they handled the ball. When they lined up for the second quarter and kicked off again, I questioned whether anyone was paying attention. Second - in soccer, you are supposed to switch sides for every quarter, which has irked me the entire season that our particular league does not enforce it. Anyway, at the tournaments, they initially started out switching sides. First and second quarter were played on the correct sides of the field, however the third and forth they did not switch and the refs did nothing. They barely watched the game from what I saw.

I did not make a scene, I didn't expect much from the tournament and I got what I expected. Anyway, soccer season is now over. Conor's team did an excellent job and did not lose any games all season. They did tie one, but the others they won.

Trick or treat was Saturday night in our parts, and since we moved to the middle of nowhere where no one trick or treats, I made arrangements to go to a friend's house. Conor was a Knight of sorts. He used the sword, shield, and helmet we bought him at the Renaissance Festival along with a Knight shirt from a costume in a bag we got him. I had originally thought I would make something, but time is passing so quickly and it all snuck up on me, so we went to the store THAT DAY and found one costume that would do the job. Unfortunately, it was not his size, but I was able to do a little creative ripping to make it look just fine.

What's that? You'd like to see a picture? Yeah, me too. I didn't take any, though. I think Jeff may have taken one on his phone, so we'll have to check on that later.

Amanda lives in a cul-de-sac and had set up a table with chairs in the road and had a fire pit set up behind it. The neighbors all came out as well and we had several candy giving people all right there for the kids go trick or treat. The men took the kids house to house, while the women stayed behind to pass out candy. Amanda had made White Chicken Chili (sooooo good!) to share with everyone, and various people brought sides and desserts. I made Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping and cut them into bite size servings. They were a huge hit.

After trick or treat was over, the kids went in the house and watched movies and played Rock Band on their game console, while the adults gathered around the fire to talk. As the fire died down, we move into the house where we found the kids with their candy dumped out on the couch and several empty wrappers. We left around 10 and Conor complained of a stomach ache on the way home. So of course I blamed the candy - "That's what happens when you eat too much candy..." - which, really, he hadn't. His empty wrappers equated to that of a regular sized candy bar, so I hadn't been too upset with him. However, I did think that maybe the sugar was to blame for his stomach problems.

He was on the couch and feeling queasy when we got home, so I put a trash can there - just in case. And boy was it ever needed - but the aim didn't work out and it wasn't used. So, after round 1 clean-up involving shampooing my carpet at midnight on a Saturday night, I put down towels around the trashcan. Those would have helped had he been able to even move for round 2 - he was asleep and woke up vomiting on the couch / blanket / pillow. Leather couch, so at least it was something I could wipe off rather than have to shampoo it out. Everything cleaned up, laundry started, exhausted, I went to bed around 2am. He is a little boy, his stomach had to be empty by now, right? Wishful thinking. I was woken at 3:30am by Conor who had climbed into my bed to tell me he had other problems - the other end kind of problem - and he ended his sentence with vomiting on my bed. I jumped up and said "GET TO THE BATHROOM!" and he was on his way... leaving a trail of vomit on the floor as well. So, I stripped the bed - it did not soak through to the mattress, thank goodness - and got the carpet shampooer back out. Jeff was in his Man Cave and I texted him and said something to the effect of "GET IN HERE NOW!"

Hey, if he's going to stay up all night, he can do it in the house to keep an eye on Conor. We cleaned everything up, started another load in the laundry, and I went back to bed and left Conor and Jeff watching a movie in the living room. I don't remember what time I got up, but I spent Sunday doing laundry and cleaning the majority of the day while Conor slept. Jeff and I both ended up catching the same bug later in the week - but he was in Atlanta when his hit. Not a pleasant experience!

So, that was our Halloween weekend. How was yours?

If Brad can I can!

2010-10-28T00:55:00.002-04:00

This is what Jeff looks like answering the door to get the pizza.

"Hey Buddy! Keep the change!"

Let's be frank and honest

2010-10-25T16:10:00.000-04:00

I'll be honest, you can be Frank, OK?

Jeff ordered pizza last week. It was around 1am and cold. He was in his man cave and came into the house to put on a fuzzy pink bathrobe to get warm. The pizza guy knocked on the door and he insisted on answering the door - with the pink robe on. Even though Ceara offered to get it. The pizza guy was like "Do you have the card you paid with?" Jeff didn't - he had left it in the man cave - and the pizza guy was like, "Oh, that's OK...here's your pizza, have a good night." All said while backing down the porch steps. I think he wanted to get far away from the strange man in the pink fuzzy bathrobe in the middle of the night...

Conor's soccer team won league champs, so they are going to the playoffs! He got a trophy today after his last game for the regular season. I was thinking that soccer was done for the season - not that I don't love it, but I will love it much more when he is a little older and they all know what they are doing on the field other than bunching up in a group and blocking each other from doing anything with the ball. Yes, I love that he plays, I enjoy watching them play, but really? Tournaments for 6-7 year olds who get confused by which end of the field they are supposed to be on so they don't switch sides like they are supposed to? I think they are a little young for tournaments, but... we'll do it anyway. So, next weekend we get to go to soccer games on both Saturday and Sunday, possibly 2 games on each day depending on how they do. Plus we will have Trick-or treat, and he was invited to a Halloween party at a friend's house. So, it will be a busy weekend!

There is a caterpillar taking up space above my eyes and I HAVE to find the time to wax. In addition to that, I have other hair removal problems going on with the fact that I haven't shaved my legs in I don't know how long. It's so bad that it doesn't even tickle anymore when I wear pants. I think I need to make it a point to stop on my way home and get some Nair so the hairs will stay gone for a few days... besides, one razor may not be enough to complete the job!

This month is just the beginning of the busy season, the holiday season I adore, so I will have to make sure to find more time to actually write posts here!

I'll be sure to update you when I get the unwanted hair growth under control. Be reassured that there is NOT a situation going on under my arms, though. I have kept up with that! ;)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2010-10-23T21:14:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was my mom's birthday and we celebrated by going out to dinner at Lonestar.

Since we have moved to a house just 4 doors away from Mom, I see her a lot more than I used to, and it has been wonderful. She rides up on the 4 wheeler through the woods to have dinner with us a couple of nights a week, or just to sit out on the deck and talk. I love it. Especially with Jeff in another state, Alli at work most week nights, and Conor playing with Tray, it's nice to have someone to sit back with and talk.

Thank you, Mom, for everything you are and everything I am. I love you! Hope you had a great birthday!! :)

Ohio Renaissance Festival 2010

2010-10-23T08:13:00.002-04:00

Dances from Terpsichore - Bransles de Villages New London Consort From the Album Sinners & Saints: The Ultimate Medieval & Renaissance Music Collection

Check her out...

2010-10-14T17:40:00.000-04:00

The Daily Rant is in Italy. I'm so jealous. She just got there, but I'm sure there will be a ton of awesome pictures up soon. Or maybe after her trip - I don't know that I would take the time to blog if I were in Italy!

It's Monday...

2010-10-11T20:10:00.002-04:00

I had a great start to the week because I went to bed at 9:30 last night and got up a lot earlier than usual this morning. I had EXTRA time before I had to wake Conor up, and before I had to leave for work. It was quite nice, I must say.

In the last year or so, I have been given extra work at a steadily increasing rate and it has not yet stopped. So I feel like I'm always forgetting about something and having the weekend to not even think about work doesn't help my Mondays. Because while I used to not stop thinking about work, I've learned to just leave it there now. Just when I think I'm feeling comfortable with the work I'm doing, they throw a wrench in it. I'd really like to find another job, not because I want to leave this one so badly, but so I could possibly negotiate a raise. I have so much work I do for so many different branches in our company - I don't know that anyone else would even know how to do my job if I left. With their current "be happy you have a job and don't even think you are going to get a raise" attitude, it doesn't make for happy employees when they lay people off and then just pile work on the employees left behind with no additional compensation. In addition to that, my boss - who used to appreciate me and tell me how much he appreciated me - was promoted to be over another branch and he's so caught up in that, he barely notices me anymore. He's only in the office one or two times a month, if that. Today was very busy... very, very busy. My early start helped, but I ended up working late, too.

Onto more cheery topics... errr more Monday stuff.

I wrote last week how I was reading The 39 Clues to Conor, and I wanted to get more of the books because I, uh, finished the two I have and I want to read more. I actually finished the second one the day after reading the first. Since they are kids books, they are fairly easy for me to read on my own.

I went to Amazon and also Barnes and Noble (because I have a gift certificate there) and then decided it would take too long to get them, so I didn't order any. I then proceeded to go to my local Walmart over the weekend and they had EVERY book except for #3 - the one I'm on. I then decided I really don't need to buy them (lack of space and all) and I went to our local library at lunch today. They don't have ANY of the books, but the neighboring town (which partners with our town's library) has 1 of each volume. I didn't have time to go there though. I also looked for some other books that I had listed on my phone's memo feature that I wanted to read. Not one single book was available that I wanted. Which made me sad. I don't know if they are having funding issues or not, but now I want to go buy the books and donate them after I'm done reading them. If I ever find them in stock anywhere that is.

So, if I would have just ordered them from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, they would probably already be here.

I then went to a local chocolate factory - because I had time, and because I was craving one of their specialties - and I was the only person in the shop. I had time to spare (I was on my lunch break) so I looked around a little bit before picking up my favorite. I went to check out and there was an issue with the receipt paper - it wasn't turned on, so she wasn't sure if my card went through or not. It took a good 25 minutes to figure it out and get the paper to reprint and that made me late back to work after lunch. Not too bad, just about 10 minutes.

So, that was my Monday. My work Monday anyway. Everything was surprisingly calm when I came home. The kids had already fed themselves - Alli ordered Chinese food - so I didn't have to cook. Conor had a friend over, so they were playing outside and I just vegged.

Now I'm going to go watch some TV with Conor and do some more relaxing... this post may be all over the place, but... I don't really want to correct it right now. It fits in with the rest of my day.

Hope everyone had a good Monday! Mine was hectic, but I'm oddly relaxed now. :)

The 39 Clues

2010-10-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, OK more than a few... March to be exact, I won some books from Jenn at Juggling Life that I thought Conor might be interested in. They were shipped to me in a very timely manner and I received them... then started the whole moving process so the books got packed away and it took us years, err I mean months to move.

The books I won are the first 2 books in a series called The 39 Clues:

Conor and I started reading the first one Monday night and boy am I hooked. They are aimed towards a bit older of an age group than Conor, but he is enjoying them too. They are definitely books that will appeal to boys, and also girls!

The first night I read it to Conor right before bed time and I didn't want to stop after he fell asleep. I read on a chapter or two telling myself that it would make reading it to him easier if I knew what was happening. I made myself put it down before I got too far ahead.

The second night I read it was last night. I kept reading LONG after Conor fell asleep. Until, ummm 2am actually, when I finished the book.

It has mystery, it has adventure, it has characters you love and characters you hate, and characters you are suspicious of... everything a book / story needs to keep a reader hooked. I had never heard of these books prior to Jenn posting about them, and when I finished the first book I immediately went to look to see how many were in the series and if they were all available yet. There are 10 on Amazon, and they have a nifty little box set of all 10 - which I would totally buy if I didn't already have 1 and 2.

The main characters are a brother and sister duo (Dan 11 and Amy 14) who lost their parents and although they come from a huge, rich family, they have only each other to count on.

So, if you have any kids and want to get them into reading - this is a good series to start them with! Conor is only 7, and I think he is a little on the young side for this book, but he is enjoying it.

And I'm uhhhh, well much older than Conor and I enjoyed the first book enough to sacrifice sleep to finish it. I must say that I am looking forward to the remaining books and finding out what the treasure is at the end of the clues!

Jenn does a book review / giveaway almost every Monday. You should check her out and see if there are any books you are interested in. Since I hadn't even started the books that I won from her, I didn't feel I should enter any more until I did so. I would feel so bad if I won another one and hadn't finished the ones I won before! There are quite a few she has reviewed that I have noted for future reference, though. You know, when I have more time to read. Like in the winter months coming up! :)

Fall

2010-10-02T23:27:00.002-04:00

Chock Full

2010-10-01T12:36:00.005-04:00

Back

2010-09-29T23:36:00.000-04:00

So much that I could have / should have / wanted to tell you over the past couple of months. Who knows how much I will remember now?

Like the time I went to get the check engine light on the truck checked out, and I had been listening to the BeeGees on some random station. I went in and the guy came out to hook up the device to read the error and he turned the car on and Celine Dion was blaring out of the speakers. HOW EMBARRASSING! The truck's radio has some issue with the volume knob - it has so low that you can't hear it, and really loud so that you can't hear anything else. It was on the really loud setting.

We are all moved now, except for 2 large items that I have yet to get from the garage of the old house. That's not to say we are unpacked because we have so many boxes - but no where to put the stuff we have yet. We will eventually. That's the breaks moving to a smaller house. However, I gladly give up the extra space for all the happiness of being here. We have trees, and a back yard. A deck with a grill and patio furniture to hang out on, eat, talk, enjoy the weather. A place for Teddy to run. Woods for Conor to play in and get dirty - like all little boys should. A fire pit to have bonfires.

Conor is doing well in soccer - they have won all but 1 game, and that one was a tie. He likes being a defender - was very proud of the fact that no goals were scored against them for the first 3 or 4 games.

Ceara is doing pretty well in school - she has started reading a bit more than she used to and that makes both Jeff and me happy. She hasn't enjoyed reading in the past and I'm hoping she starts to love it as much as I do.

Alli has begun her senior year in High School, she is still working, and she has a pretty steady boyfriend - Jon - who we all love (should that be whom? I never get who/whom right!). I am also trying to select a photographer to get her senior pictures taken. Nothing like last minute, right? Procrastinator who? Anyone have any suggestions / recommendations?

I'm not taking many pictures - mostly because I don't have my camera set up to charge at the new house yet. I do take some with my phone. Like this one:

I woke up one morning to find this on my refrigerator. Yes, that is the kind of humor that goes on here! Although it wasn't any of us, we tease Conor that he is the one who did it. So that causes him to insist that it wasn't him, and Jeff to try to reason that it was him. It's a funny conversation.

Mostly I have been taking pictures of stuff to sell on Craig's list. Most of it has sold, but I still had to put a little bit in storage. Not the storage you pay for, but a shed at my grandma's house until it does get sold. I had 2 garage sales, then gave everything that remained to charity. I needed it gone for my own peace of mind.

I got a "new to me" car, of course, after Alli totaled mine. It's a Kia Sedona. I like it, and I don't like it. I like how roomy it is. I don't like the gas mileage. I don't like how it has already broken down and had to be towed to the dealer for service - bumper to bumper warranty my arse. Wiring problems apparently aren't inbetween the bumpers. I got that covered because I had just bought it, but now I just don't like them. The first and last car I buy from Matt Castrucci Automall. I know "honest car sales people" is an oxymoron, but I really hate being lied to. "It will cover anything that isn't normal maintenance/wear and tear like break pads, batteries, etc" was a total lie. Wiring for the cooling system is not what I would consider normal wear and tear.

Jeff is working out of state again, so he's only here on the weekends - if then. Sometimes he is gone for 2 weeks at a time. He has been in Georgia for most of September, and he will be moving onto Tennessee and Alabama in October. He forwarded me an email today from his employer offering permanent jobs in a list of cities where they have brick and mortar. He asked which city I would be interested in moving to. The thought of going through another move - to another state - is not a happy one. Heck it took us 2-3 months to move 5 miles! Needless to say, we aren't interested, but I did daydream a little about giving my notice at work. :)

OK, I have to get to bed now. Hopefully I will be back to writing semi-regularly again now that things are calming down.

Hope all is well with you all!

Monday Spikes

2010-09-27T08:08:00.007-04:00

Don't you know it's Monday?!?

Soccer Season begins...

2010-09-27T02:33:00.001-04:00

Conor closing in

2010-09-27T02:30:00.000-04:00

Conor Kickoff

2010-09-27T02:26:00.001-04:00

You don't know what you have...

2010-08-25T20:32:00.001-04:00

Until you move. It's amazing what we have accumulated in the 6 years we have lived at our house. Still sorting and trying hard to let go of things that I don't absolutely need. It's hard. That is why I haven't been posting much. I've had one garage sale already, and will be having another one as soon as I get through the rest of the stuff.

I made a significant dent in it tonight.

Conor started 2nd grade last week, and Allie started her final high school year today. Both are doing well and enjoying school so far. Ceara started last week as well, but she hasn't returned any of my calls for me to see how she is doing. She's a sophomore this year. All of my kids are growing up! :(

Conor started soccer a few weeks ago - around the first of August - and his first game is this weekend.

I have a ton of books to get rid of... some of my favorites, too. We just don't have room to keep them all. And I can always go to the library to get my favorites when I want to read them again. I've gone through them 3 times, each time getting rid of a few more - even though my heart breaks to. I don't want to put things in storage.

I've listed and sold several things on Craig's List, and will be putting some smaller items on there and/or Ebay sometime soon.

Once things calm down a bit, I'll be able to post more. Until then, I hope everyone is doing well!

2010-08-16T00:11:00.000-04:00

Conor's new haircut...

And being goofy.

Sitting on my current bed - my bed is at the new place, so I sleep on this mattress until I get my other stuff moved. Yes, it does have a snowman sheet on it... that is all I could find!

Now he just has to get a tan on the sides of his head to match his face. :)

Being Funky, Funkifying, ect

2010-08-10T22:08:00.000-04:00

I won a one year BeFunky from Jenn over at Juggling Life!!! So funky pictures are incoming! As soon as I get done with all the moving and can sit down at the computer to play with some pictures!

I'm so excited to play with it! Thank you, Jenn!! :)

Speaking of moving... it is a PAIN! I was cleaning at the new house last night and got a splinter deeply embedded in my finger. Of course it is in my right index finger, and I'm right handed, so I was unable to remove it after several attempts with my left hand. My mom tried as well, but was also unsuccessful - so I'm trying to use some Ichthammol Ointment - aka drawing salve. It is like black tar and it stinks! But if it works, I"ll be happy! Mom had some at her house, then I went to CVS this morning and got myself a tube as well. According to the people on Amazon who reviewed it, it should work. I'll just have a stinky finger for a little bit.

Now I"m off to do some more packing / moving. I took a nap tonight and slept way too long. It was too hot to work in the garage, so I'm going to do it now - at night.

Have a good week! :)

Sometimes the words are needed

2010-08-06T18:58:00.000-04:00

I would just like to publicly state that I love my Mom. She retired in 2007 and even before that she was always there for me in any way she could help. Now that she's retired, she keeps Conor for us a lot more - saving us from having to send him to a sitter. She takes him swimming, or to Kings Island, or just plays with him. She also is keeping one of the bunnies that Alli brought home from school.

We are currently moving and she has helped so much in getting everything we have needed taken care of for us. We needed the shed moved, and she got me a number for a guy who turned out to be amazing at moving sheds through tight spots.

She keeps Conor when we need to get something done that is better done without him. She takes Alli to work, or picks her up when we are unable to get there. And those early morning shifts when Alli has to be at work at 5am or 6am - she makes sure she is there on time.

Whenever I'm feeling stressed, or down I know I can call her and she will make me feel better. She is an amazing person, and I feel so blessed to have her as my Mom. I truly appreciate everything she has done for me and I hope she knows that I love her more than words can possibly say.

Ahead of the storm

2010-08-05T00:19:00.000-04:00

Conor and I went to our new house tonight and watched UP with Jeff. When we went to leave, the wind was blowing very hard and lightning filled the sky. It had not begun to rain, though. We drove home and when we got to the end of one road, to the left it was raining hard, the road was wet; and to the right it was dry. Our path was to the right so we got home before the rain started. I grabbed my camera to take a little video of the lightning. It was very cool!

Happy Birthday, Barb! (belated post)

2010-08-02T22:51:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned before, we had Barb's birthday party at the house we are moving to. Jeff made one of his new concoctions - Chicken, peppers (red, yellow, orange and green), water chestnuts, pineapple and seasonings put into aluminum foil and cooked it over an open flame. It turned out pretty good. We also had a fruit tray, fruit dip, water melon, cantaloupe and ... was there something else? Is my memory THAT bad?

It was a little bit hot out, but not too awful. We were able to sit out on the deck and eat.

Ceara had gone to a wedding earlier in the day, and she looked beautiful in her dress.

I was taking pictures with my camera, Barb's camera, and Barb's cell phone so she could send pictures along to Naomi and Mindy (her daughters, for those who don't know) because they both live out of state and were not able to come to the party.

Jeff and Conor made her a humming bird out of wood - I do not do a lot of free-hand drawing, but I did draw the bird with the flower from a picture Jeff found on the internet.

It didn't turn out too bad, and I modeled the cake after the one they made. Of course we had to have chocolate, too. What's a birthday party without chocolate cake?

Not really a birthday party at all if you ask me. Or any of the other people there as well... pretty much all chocolate lovers. I'm not as big of a chocolate lover as the rest of them, but that chocolate cake is sooooo good, if I do say so myself. Hey, it's not like I'm taking credit for writing the recipe - I just follow it and the result is always amazing.

Barb's birthday is actually on the 22nd, but that was a Thursday, so we had the party on a Saturday. We declared it her birthday week, and she continued to celebrate after our party as well. Spending time with friends - going out to lunch and to the movies...

Happy Birthday!! We love you!!

July Re-cap

2010-07-31T10:22:00.000-04:00

The final day of July brings me getting ready for a party we are throwing for some friends. It will be good to finish this not-so-great-month with laughter. There are a lot of things that have happened this month that I did not blog about.

The first thing being my grandma. At the beginning of this month - July 2nd - she was in the woods clearing a fallen tree when she fell and broke her hip. My uncle was with her and took her to the hospital. I've written a few posts about my grandma, but no where near as many as I could. She is such an amazing person - I love and admire her so much! One day soon I will tell you more about her. She had to have hip replacement surgery on July 3rd - my birthday. She made it through the surgery, thank God, and is still in therapy. She is doing well, though.

Then I had my surgery - and a horribly painful recovery. I am so glad the worst of that is over. I went for my follow up yesterday and he said I"m 99% healed. And the mass they removed was benign - a result of chronic infections - so that is good news. :)

Then Allie wrecked my car on her way home from work. As a result of that there were frustrating dealings with my insurance company and searching for another vehicle. It all got settled in the last two days. I got another car on Thursday night and settled the insurance Friday.

One of the bunnies Allie brought home from school for the summer had babies - 6 of them! So we now have 2 adult bunnies, 6 babies, and one Chinchilla. Anyone want a baby bunny? They are really cute, I'll share pictures soon! They will all go back to the school soon - less than a month - and we will be back to just a one dog family. :)

In the mist of all of this we are trying to pack and move, sell a lot of our bigger items on Craig's list, and get ready for a garage sale too. We had to find someone to move our shed - that was a little stressful, but turned out great after it was done.

We also had several parties. One for my birthday, one for Allie's birthday, and one for Barb's birthday. Then the one today! Yes, I do have pictures to share, but haven't had the time to do it. Yes, I could be doing that now instead of this post, but it's so much easier to just write instead of editing pictures and posting them!

So, it has been quite the busy month here. I'm hoping for a much calmer, quieter August.

Now I have to get started on the desserts for the party! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Boys are so different!

2010-07-29T23:55:00.000-04:00

Having 2 teenage girls has not prepared me for a little boy. Tonight we went car shopping and he went with us. He had opinions about everything, of course. Pointing out all the cars he liked, and he has expensive taste! He's certainly not shy either, he talked up the sales guy a lot. Asking him his favorite drink, show, all kinds of stuff. Right before we left he told the sales guy, "If you were a kid, you would be a good friend."

I don't think he stopped talking all night.

What I didn't anticipate, and apparently it's a new thing he has picked up from somewhere... Jeff and I were standing outside talking and Conor said, "There's a fart coming... here it comes... (he farted) I didn't even hear it!" Then he proceeded to fan it towards us.

I don't remember either of the girls ever did anything similar to that.

The call you don't want to get

2010-07-23T01:59:00.002-04:00

A little after midnight I got a call from Alli - crying, telling me she was in an accident. On her way home from work, an animal ran in front of her and she swerved. She ran into a parked car. She was driving my car since I have been banned from driving for 2 weeks because of my surgery. Although I'm OK to drive, I haven't needed to.

Both air bags deployed, but she is OK. That is the most important thing, and I thank God for that. The car is replaceable, she is not. I also appreciate the two policemen who responded to the crash for their kindness and patience. They were very nice, explained everything, answered all of my questions and made sure Alli was OK and understood what to expect when she goes to court.

There were also two guys who stood outside their houses and as we left they called out, "Glad you're OK honey," to Alli. The car she hit was that of her friend's uncle - who is currently on vacation somewhere.

I haven't called my insurance company yet, I think I'll just wait until tomorrow to deal with that.

Update to add pictures:

My car:

The air bags:

The other car - the blue one in front of the Jeep:

I went to the tow yard to take the pictures of my car - one thing that bothers me is that the car is sitting there, unlocked, for anyone to take anything out of it. I took stuff from it and no one ever came out to see what I was doing. I realized that I need to go back because I forgot to empty the glove compartment and the console in the middle of the seats. I don't know what is in there, but I do know there is stuff in there. I won't get the word on whether it will be totaled until Monday or Tuesday.

About Mel Gibson

2010-07-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

I may be blasted for this opinion, but... I'm still going to post it! I will say I have NOT listened to any of the audio, nor have I read many articles about it. Why not? Because the people writing those articles have no idea what is going on in his personal life. They do not live with him, they do not know him personally, they are speculating. And that audio? I'm sure that whatever it is, it is only a portion of the conversation. Who knows what the person recording it was saying to him to get him to say what he was saying. People do make mistakes, and when you are emotional you can SAY a lot of things that you don't really mean - out of frustration and anger. From what little I have read - headlines, small blurbs - this is a girlfriend trying to keep him from seeing his child? Or use the child to get money from him? I don't know.

People may think that I'm naive, but I don't assume the worst in people based on people feeding stuff to the media. Who knows what was edited out? His ex-wife, who probably has more reason to resent him than anyone, is sticking up for him. Knee jerk reactions... people need to not jump to conclusions when they do not have all the facts. And unless you know these people personally, you do not have all the facts. Not only that, but it is not my place to judge him. He is an entertainer, I like his movies. That's the only opinion I have about Mel Gibson. The rest is not for me to determine.

Just my thoughts and opinion.

Another knee-jerk reaction? Forcing someone to resign based on an edited video from 24 years ago posted on the Internet! You would think that they would do a LITTLE more research into it before asking someone to leave their job.

A Few of My Favorite Books

2010-07-20T17:08:00.001-04:00

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is one book I have to list as a favorite. I like to actually read books, but Jeff likes to listen to books on CD or an iPod. I believe that comes from his many years of being an over the road truck driver. He would go to the library and get books on tape or CD and listen to them as he drove. He is the one who introduced me to this book, and he had me listen to it. Thus, I must recommend that you listen to it if you have the choice. The narrator does an amazing job of changing his voice for the different characters in the book. You will laugh at the characters and the entire story line.

Many of you know that I am a huge fan of John Grisham, and really - I love all of his books. Playing for Pizza is one of my favorites because the setting of the book is in Italy, and Italy is one place I would like to go before I die. Grisham took me to Italy in this book, but I still want to see the real thing! It is about football, but you don't have to love football to love the book.

Southern Fried Divorce is another book that I listened to rather than read. I must say, at first, the narrator's voice was a tad irritating but it grew on me and I grew to love it. The book will make you laugh out loud, and it also has a few good recipes in it, so have a paper and pen ready if you listen to it because some of them sound so good you may want to make them! I'm not sure what I was expecting when I read this - but it was nothing like what I expected. It was better.

This was also a way for me to test out the new and fancy linking from Amazon! Hmmmm, I may have to do some give aways of the books I have but need to find a new home for since I need the space! Stay tuned. :)

I thought I was through with these posts!

2010-07-18T03:46:00.000-04:00

Today was a pretty good day - after a pretty slow start this morning, I was lying in bed and decided to do a mind over matter thing and get up and DO stuff. So. We sold Conor's bed so we went out to the garage to get it all ready. After that we went to our other house, watered plants, cleaned a bit, then went home because I felt I needed to rest. I took a small nap - my sister came by and it woke me up, so we discussed dinner. Now, today is the first day I have eaten anything solid for a while. Over the week I did try to eat a few things with very unsuccessful results. I could eat a 1/4 of a sandwich if I tried - then my mouth and jaw would start hurting and my throat wouldn't be able to take anymore.

So, we got Cracker Barrel - I got mashed potatoes and dumplings. The mashed potatoes didn't taste right to me, but I'm expecting food not to taste right for a while. The dumplings were good, though, so I ate maybe 1/2 of those and a biscuit. It wasn't a horrible experience - getting better at swallowing.

I was so sure it was getting better! I went to bed and didn't take a pain killer. That was a mistake, I woke up about 1AM in pain so I took one and went back to sleep. Around 2:30 I woke up - sorry for the grossness - and threw up... a lot. It hurt. So. Bad. I made it to the trashcan for the first couple of times, and then ran into the bathroom for the rest. I was at the sink rinsing my mouth out, and I started getting dry heaves. Jeff came in the bathroom and wanted to help, but couldn't do anything to help. I was rinsing my mouth out, tears streaming down my face, I asked, "Why is this happening?!" and in my head I heard the response of a friend of mine "Because of your behavior yo" - and I also thought that Jeff would say it too, because it's just a thing we do... from this skit on Saturday Night Live. http://www.hulu.com/watch/143263/saturday-night-live-hip-hop-kids-bear-cave

Around the 4 minute mark - that is the part I am referring to right now, but there are a lot of times that different parts of this skit are brought up in conversations. It's funny, to us at least.

So, I managed to stop the heaves - I brushed my teeth twice trying to rid my mouth of the taste. Jeff got me some Sierra Mist to drink, at my request, thinking it would help settle my stomach. I took a drink and it burned the hell out of my throat. So now I'm relaxing with a glass of chocolate milk, making sure it's all over before I lay down again. I'm afraid to take another pain killer - I'm not sure if I threw the other one up or not, and I don't want to take another one so soon after that last one... I think I'll just take some Ibuprofen. So, I had a horrible ending to a pretty good day. The best day so far during the recovery was capped by the worst night so far during the recovery! I'm almost afraid to hope for better tomorrow! I don't know if I should report this to the doctor or not - my throat was bleeding, so I don't know if that's OK or not. I pray this does not cause a setback!

Sorry if I grossed you out - just documenting the recovery!

2010-07-16T10:41:00.000-04:00

I've only had one other surgery - long, long ago. I had my gallbladder removed because I had gallstones. I remember the day I came home from the hospital - I was alone at my house. My mom had Alli who was around 3 years old at the time. I was in bed all day, sleeping on and off, watching TV. I believe it's the only other time I've really been on pain killers for an extended amount of time.

The TV show I was watching? QVC. And they were doing specials on quilts that day. The "Today's Special Value" was a quilt, and then they had a few hours throughout the day that showcased quilts. I love quilts. I was on pain killers. Do you know where I'm going with this? Yeah, a few days later I received my NINE quilts via UPS delivery. Yes, I bought 9 quilts. At that point in my life I lived alone with Alli. I had no need for 9 quilts! I ended up sending 6 back and keeping 3. One of them was my favorite quilt of all time, I kept it for years until it fell apart so much that I finally had to let it go.

So tonight, I took a pain killer, and laid down to go to sleep. I turned the TV on to watch until sleep took over and what channel did I end up on? QVC. I have not ordered from QVC for years. I watched a presentation and suddenly I can't imagine NOT getting a really cool cup - spill proof. They come in a variety of colors, and they come in sets of 2. So I kept watching, trying to talk myself out of them. I don't need more cups! I'm getting rid of stuff, not buying stuff! But I really could use them. And since there are 5 of us, I would need to get 3 sets of 2. Should I get all the same color? OR different colors for each person?

I got up, came to the computer to place an order, and remembered the quilts. Instead of ordering the cups, I wrote this post. I will schedule it to post later since I already posted once today... but I need to get back to bed and TURN THE CHANNEL!

Hey, it's not a post at 3AM!

2010-07-15T15:47:00.003-04:00

I spared you my 3AM post last night, mostly because I didn't want to get out of bed. I took a pain killer, rolled over and did my best to go back to sleep.

I got brave last night and asked Jeff to get me a plain hamburger from Wendy's. I thought, "Hey, it's pretty soft, and it sounds good, and I can at least TRY." Wasn't a horrible idea - I did manage to eat a quarter of it - but it was too much work and it wore me out trying to chew and swallow, so I gave up and drank the milkshake he had gotten me as well.

I can't say the pain is better per se, but I believe I reached the peak of the pain and am on my way downhill to being healed. I hope so anyway. It seems a little tiny bit better today.

Something I've gotten to enjoy while being off is Ellen. I have always loved Ellen - I think she is a wonderful human being. Beautiful, kind, generous, funny - I really admire her. Her show is on from 4 to 5 here, so I won't be able to watch it once I go back to work. I think this video is hilarious - Ellen scaring Taylor Swift.

Another thing going on around me as I sleep is sorting / packing / moving. I can't participate much right now, but we are trying to get ready to move - as most of you already know anyway. We are selling a lot of stuff, possibly having a garage sale next weekend - if we can get it together by then. So, everything around here is in varying stages of mess. Some sorted and boxed, some sorted and stacked, some ready to be sorted, and lots left to go through.

Everyone is excited about the move - you've seen pictures of our new back yard in the post about my birthday and we are looking forward to having little parties back there. I love it that we will have trees and space for Teddy to really run.

We are already planning a small party there in just a couple of weeks - Jeff has invited his friend Giselle and her boyfriend David to come over to hang out. We are working on a menu for the party - which will be Hawaiian. We're gonna do chicken and grilled pineapple, and still looking for some recipes. In searching for something to make, I came across a new blog that I really like that I thought I'd share with you. A Cozy Kitchen not only has some great recipes, but the writing and stories that are included are fun to read as well. So go on over there and see what you think! I think you'll love it, I know I do.

I kinda think a Hawaiian theme is a little scary for us to really pull off because David currently lives in Hawaii and will be flying in just to come to our party!! Haha, just kidding - he is coming to visit Giselle, it just happens to be at the same time as our party. Trying to come close to the real thing may be a little lame, but we are going to try!

I could never be a vampire

2010-07-14T03:36:00.003-04:00

Have you read Twilight or seen the movie? No? I didn't think so. Most of the adults I know who read this blog haven't found the urge to read the vampire mega-hit miniseries. Or to run out to the movies to sit amongst thousands of teenage girls who squeal in delight every time Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner appears on screen.

Well, I did read it. Not just IT, but THEM. I read all 4 of the books and I enjoyed them. Yes I will admit it! I first went to see the movie Twilight with Alli - it had been out for a few weeks when we saw it, so we didn't have all the screaming girls in the theater while we were watching it. I hadn't even heard of it before seeing the movie and I had no idea it was based on a book. I love books, I love to read, and given the option I'd rather read a book than watch a movie. I also am aware that no movie will ever do a book justice. There is just so much more a book can tell you than a movie can - if movies were true to books, they would be at least 10 hours long and have a LOT more cost to them. So I do keep this in mind when I watch a movie. They have a time limit and a budget, so they have to cut some things and if the over all gist of the movie is the same, I'll forgive them.

Anyway! I saw Twilight, then bought the books and read them all, and then saw New Moon (2nd book/movie in the series). We made an evening of it - I bought tickets for opening night weeks in advance - Alli, Sara, and I went out to dinner and then to the movies to see it. It was a fun night with the girls, but I didn't like the movie.

All of this is SOOOO beside the point of this post. This is what happens when your sleep is wacky and you are awake and in pain in the middle of the night. You write these long, babbling posts to try to make ONE point. And here it is - THE POINT TO THE MADNESS: In the books, and in the movie, the main vampires are "good" vampires - they don't feed on humans. Thus they have an "ache" in their throats that they just learn to live with - animal blood dulls it, but does not erase it.

Maybe I'm just a big wimp, but having had this pain in my throat for 5 days now and I've come to the conclusion that I'm not cut out for being a vampire - at least not one of the good ones.*

*disclaimer: yes, I do know that vampires do not exist but I am in pain and cannot be held responsible for the thoughts running through my mind or the fact that I come to the Internet to share such thoughts with you. it is supposed to be funny, so just laugh at my pain and move on! even though I'm not laughing yet, I hope to eventually when the pain goes away!

Almost four days after having my tonsils removed

2010-07-13T03:08:00.005-04:00

As I sit here at 3am, waiting for the pain medicine to kick in, I feel like a chewin' tobacco user because I'm dragging around a spit cup. No, I haven't taken up putting tobacco in my mouth and spitting in a cup, but because it HURTS SO BAD TO SWALLOW that I would rather spit in a cup than swallow it. I have to hold my ears every time I do swallow because swallowing causes extreme pain in my ears as well. It is like this every time I wake up - I have to relearn to swallow - it does get a little less painful the more I do it.

Now I have to go back to sleep and start all over in approximately 4 more hours. That is my sleep schedule since the surgery - 4 hour increments. As I don't particularly like taking pain pills, I try not to take them every 4 hours and I substitute Ibuprofen some of the time.

I know I was warned, but I didn't think the pain would be this bad.

Cool Art

2010-07-07T03:30:00.017-04:00

So after all my travels recently, I have been exploring new art...well, new to me.
I have seen some Native art in Alaska and Hawai'i as well as Oaxacan art in the San Diego International Airport (a temporary display called "Hecho en México: Mexican Folk Art").
There are so many things I could describe but pictures are better sometimes.

http://priscillakibbee.blogspot.com/2010/01/trip-to-oaxaca-what-did-i-buy-alebrijes.html

http://www.vivaoaxacafolkart.com/woodcarvings/woodcarving_pages/040p-oaxacan-animals.html

Artist: Armando Jimenez

http://www.vivaoaxacafolkart.com/Gallery6_oaxacan-carvings-armandojimenez.html
Artist: Armando Jimenez

http://tundramedicinedreams.blogspot.com/2008/01/yupik-eskimo-crafts.html
Tundra Medicine Dreams

http://www.litsite.org/gallery/index.cfm?fa=post-photo&photo=1093&contentid=2656
University of Alaska

http://www.longagoandfaraway.com/denise_and_wally.htm
Artist:Denise Wallace

http://www.susanmdailey.com/penguin_pattern.htm
Artist: Susan M. Dailey
I found this awesome pattern and Conor and I made this penguin with all these influences in mind. We will be painting the wolves soon!

The Yup'ik/ Oaxacan Penguin by Jeff and Conor

Welcome to the Woodshop

Conor and Gage making Wolves

"It's going to be a mask...like this grrrr!"

A satisfied customer - Happy Birthday Allie

Katie's Birthday

2010-07-04T04:16:00.010-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE

Allie made a cake

Have a seat

The fire is ready

Friends and Family are here

This year Katie got an ice cream/ frozen yogurt maker for those hot summer days.
Conor and I will be trying our best to fix up some things around the new house and to plant some flowers.

What we saw at the OTMF at Pioneer Village

2010-06-29T04:04:00.011-04:00

Olde Tyme Music Festival

As we walked through the villiage, we met many people. Including this friendly lodge saleslady.

There was a medicine lady and a medicine man.

What!? ..another lodge saleslady!

Sorry! I don't need a lodge! (So pushy these salespeople)

Village Elder

Blacksmith

Snake Oil Salesman

An Outlaw!

An Hawaiian Blugrass Band

A Rapper yo!

Two Cloggers in a Dance Battle

Shawnee Princesses

Old Tyme Music Festival You Decide!!

2010-06-29T03:47:00.004-04:00

Which hat looks better?