Saturday, May 31, 2008

chillin'

After travelling half the day and then going to a party the kids are worn out and relaxing with popcorn and spongebob

Friday, May 30, 2008

In

We made it to the hotel tonight. We ran into some CRAZY bad rain in Bloomington. It was raining so hard that I couldn't see anything for a little bit. I finally had to pull over and wait for it to ligthen up a bit because it was just too dangerous. Then, on 39 just south of the WI line, we hit it again but it wasn't quite as bad. We were able to keep driving and drove out of it pretty quick. Radioactive Freak, my Dad and my brother all reported that the weather back home pretty much sucked so it sounds like we got lucky.

We stopped in Madison for dinner at Red Robin. That was sort of a pain. We got our table and because the kids had basically been sitting for 4 hours (we did stop at a rest area and let them play outside of Rockford but only for about 10 minutes), we took them up front to play games while we waited for our food. We left our drinks on the table and I left my sparkly head band that I got for Mother's day because it was pinching my head. Mom went to check and see if our food was there yet, only to find out that some idiot had cleared the table, complete with my headband. It took some wrangling around but they finally found it, in the dish bin, covered in ketchup from other people's tables! :( The manager washed it for me and I'm waiting for it to dry to see if it holds up ok. I would be very sad if it didn't :( In exchange for the hassle, they gave us 4 free bottles of REd Robin seasoning (if you have ever eaten at my house, you have eaten REd Robin seasoning because I put it on nearly everything) and $10 Robin Bucks.

We got into the hotel and the kids played in the pool for awhile. Lizzie asked to get out (she napped about 30 minutes in the car) and now she is laying in bed, watching her Arthur movie and trying not to fall asleep. I'm getting ready to watch my show and then go to bed myself. Tomorrow, it is on to Minnesota.

Vay-Kay Woo-Hoo

We are leaving soon on vacation! My mom will be home in about an hour and then we pick The Boy up at school at 1:30 (today was their "fun day" at school, which has just been a nightmare logistically) and then we are on the road. We are driving to Wisconsin tonight then tomorrow we are getting up and driving the rest of the way to Minnesota. We are staying there through the weekend and then driving back to Wisconsin to the Dells and staying there for 4 days. Then home late Thursday.

I doubt I will have any internet connection the whole weekend in MN. The last time I was there, they didn't even have any cell reception so I'm not holding my breath for Wi-Fi (and my aunt and uncle, who we are staying with are techno-phobes so no net there). I did figure out mobile blogging to some degree so as long as I have cell reception, I can post pictures for your viewing pleasure. When we get to the Dells, I'm sure we will have internet in the hotel room, although my computer time will be limited :)

See you all when we get back :)

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Breastfeeding

China’s Breastfeeding Hero

Chengdu, China - A Chinese policewoman is contributing to the country’s massive earthquake relief effort in a very personal way - by breastfeeding eight babies.

A newspaper in Chengdu, the capital of quake-hit Sichuan province, devoted a special page to the 29-year-old woman, calling her a “hero”.

The woman from the quake-ravaged town of Jiangyou has just had a child herself, the Western Urban Daily said.

She is nursing the children of three women who were left homeless by the quake and are too traumatised to give milk, as well as five orphans, the report said.

The babies who lost their parents have been put in an orphanage which does not have powdered milk, it said.


May I just say "Holy freaking cow!" Nursing 1 baby at a time wore me the hell out. I can not even imagine nursing 9 babies. How could she possibly have time to do anything else besides sit and nurse?

Monday, May 26, 2008

Memorial day

Pretty easy day. We tried to sleep in, although the kids were having none of that noise. Then we tried to make biscuits and gravy which was kind of a mess. The biscuits turned out ok, but we had the proportions wrong on the gravy so it never did thicken quite right. We ended up scrapping it and starting over and it came out much better the second time around. :)

By then it was nap time (we ate really late and nap pretty early). When Ms Thang got up, she layed around with my mom for awhile then it was time to get ready to leave. We went to Looseyfur's for a cookout with Libbygirl and her family. Quigs and her family was supposed to be there but Bubba was sick so they couldn't make it. We had a great time. MacTroll and Radioactive Freak spent some time being manly and grilling meat while Looseyfur and I played with the kids. Thanks to MacTroll for cooking the meat done for me, most people won't :) The food was fantastic and plentiful, the kids had a wonderful time playing, the adults had a grand time chatting and eating. We ended up staying way past bedtime but the kids were having a good time and actually behaving. It was the first time in a long time that I haven't left somewhere swearing that I would never be back because of my kids. I was highly impressed! :) Ms Thang was pretty upset when we left. She was crying (X-Man pulled her hair just as we were leaving) and RF said "I know you are tired and it hurt to have your hair pulled, but you need to settle down" She said "I'm not tired, I want Looseyfur" LOL

We brought them home, did the 10 second bath (I didn't even have them sit in the water I just poured water on them, soaped them up and rinsed LOL) then put them to bed. I'm there shortly, as soon as this last episode of One Tree Hill is over.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Row row row your boat

We took the boats out for the first time this year (and for the first time in a couple of years because things just haven't worked out to get them out in awhile). The Boy got to paddle his own boat which he thought was the COOLEST thing ever. Ms Thang rode in the tandem with me and my mom. She was pretty impressed with the tricks RF was doing in "the little boat" but not terribly impressed with actually being in the boat. In the past, Mom has sat in the front of the boat and held the kids. One trip, she felt she needed a paddle because she wanted to help paddle the boat. The problem is that you have to work a lot harder to control the boat from the front and the back person needs to be the one in charge. She is a control freak and wouldn't either stop paddling or listen when I told her to do something. That adventure ended with me telling her to "put the damn paddle away before I beat you with mine" Since then, we don't even take a paddle for her because life is better for everyone. Today, she got it in her head that she needed her own paddle. Apparently, she forgot the threatened beating. I argued and argued with her about it but she refused to give in. We got to the lake and unloaded and as we were getting the paddles out and together, we discovered that we had 3 female paddles and only 1 male paddle. Meaning, I was the only one who got a split paddle and she had to sit in the front and entertain her grandchild and not irritate me with the paddle. Apparently, the universe agreed with me that she needed to leave it alone!

RF was playing in his boat, doing a few tricks but decided that the water was really too cold to be under too often (although he says it wasn't "January 1st cold" so it is warmer than other water he has been in). MT was unimpressed with being in the boat in general. She really wanted to do it, in theory so maybe she'll grew into a little bit as summer goes on. We paddled around the lake, under the bridge and then back. The kids got out and had a snack, then dad took TB back out and pulled him around under the bridge. RF, MT and my mom took the tandem and I took pictures of everybody that will likely never see the light of day because I'm a big slacker like that. :)

Now, I'm watching the new American Gladiators and then I'm getting ready for bed.

Tomorrow, I need to clean up the house (especially the kitchen) then we have a cookout in the afternoon. Hopefully MT does ok with the dog that will be at the cookout because her drama queen freak outs irritate the snot out of me.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Best revenge ever!

I just finished reading "The Sweet Potato Queens Field Guide to Men" It is an overall very funny book and a great resourse to turn to should you ever find yourself with someone that just needs killing but you can't bring yourself to cross that line.

Seriously, this is something I could see Ms Thang doing at some point in her life. A young woman catches her long time boyfriend cheating on her. She doesn't mention to him that she knows, instead she goes home, finds a suitcase full of clothes that he left at her house for to wash and fold for him, post vacation. She grabs the suitcase and a pack of rubber gloves and proceeds to the backyard where the fence is simply THICK with poison ivy vines. She dons the gloves and commences rubbing every single article of cloths in the suitcase ALL OVER the poison ivy, concentrating specifically on the crotch area of the underwear. She then carefully smooths the clothes, refolds them and puts them in the suitcase to deliver to his house.

Sadly, at that point she also broke up with him. I would have stuck around to see him get poison ivy on his JUNK!!

Have you heard the good news?

We had our bus tour field trip this morning. It was pretty cold in the garage but it was fun. The kids LOVED the trip through the bus wash. Next time I schedule a meetup, I will be sure to stress how important it is to be on time. We had several people show up way late, missing seeing the buses completely and only getting to tour the parts storage and ride through the bus wash. The tour guide took them back through at the end, which is way nicer than I would have been. Non-Punctuality is my biggest pet peeve in the entire world. I'm so serious about it that Radioactive Freak nearly missed our first date because he was 5 MINUTES late. At the stroke of 6, I was walking out the door. It was only the other people that were riding with us that convinced me to give him just a couple of minutes in case he couldn't find parking around my apartment, or something.


We went to McD's tonight for dinner. Sadly, no one could join us but they all had legit excuses so I'm ok with it. :)

Also, Missy sent me a CD earlier this week with some workout music on it. I finally got a chance to listen to a lot of it and it is awesome. It has the Jimmy Neutron theme song on it and as soon as it came on, The Boy perked up from the back seat and said "you are such a nerd, mom!" LOL It also has "Super Rad" by the Aquabats, which is a good song. That song let me to find
Idiot Box which is quite possibly one of the most awesome songs EVAR!

Finally, I'm happy to report that although the listening hasn't improved, the hitting has gotten much better. We have input a policy of "you hit, you sit" (which even rhymes because I am that freakinig awesome). It doesn't matter who hits, for what reason, or who they hit, they serve a time out EVERY SINGLE TIME it happens. The first day, they spent quite a bit of time in time out. The second day, Ms. Thang got one and The Boy had two or three for hitting other people. Today (day 4), TB had none and MT only had one. I'm totally and completely thrilled with this turn of events. If it keeps working, I'm seriously thinking about using it for the listening issues we are having. That one doesn't rhyme so I'll have to come up with something snappy to use if I decide to do it :)

My class reunion is supposed to be tomorrow. I decided not to go because I can't justify spending that amoutn of gas money on something I didn't want to do in the first place. If it was something I desperately wanted to do, that would be a different story but it isn't. I told my friend April that if anyone is that she thinks I would give half a crap about talking to (the reason that I waffled about going was the very off chance that the one or two people I didn't keep in touch that I would like to talk to would be there) she should give them my email address and left it at that.

Talk to the hand

Talk to the hand

The rules

This one says to hold hands in the street

The rules 2

This one says no pogo sticks

I have a dream

and it is silly :)

I dreamed that Quigs and Looseyfur and I were on an outing somewhere (seems like it might have been a beach but that was unimportant so I don't remember for sure). The best part was that Looseyfur, spent the whole day wearing a big white fufu dress like Amy Adams wore in Enchanted.

Nothing important, just silly and I figured it make others laugh :)

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Kids not listening

So I told Quigs that I wasn't going to blog this but I decided that I had to put it out there. Any suggestions anyone has would be great!

Today, we were at our playgroup garden (which The Boy begged to be part of but actually wants nothing to do with) and some of the mom's invited us to join them for dinner afterward. We got to Sonic (which, despite haivng two in town, I've never been to) and the kids were running around. I told them twice to stay inside the tables (it was threatening rain so we were the only people there) so they wouldn't accidently get too close to the road. Two seconds later, The Boy darts outside the tables, Ms. Thang follows and he turns to "tag" her and shoves her to the ground, nearly in the drive-through. I made them both come and sit and while they sat there, TB tried to push the red button to order food (seriously, the dumbest idea ever because it seems to cause nothing but problems) and I told him to quit. He tried it again and I moved him away from it. He GOT UP and walked around the table to do it again. At that point, I was done and we left because I wasn't going to keep repeating myself.

This is 1 big example the other issue being at Looseyfur's house on Monday with the elliptical. There are a dozen other minor examples everyday of the same kind of thing.

So my questions are, first am I being too harsh in my expectations of his ability to listen? And second, how can I get him to listen better in any case? Seriously, MT who just turned 3 listens better and more consistantly (she mouths off about being told what to do, but at least she doesn't just ignore me or outright defy me) than he does.

Food

I was going to do a post about my kid's food and the issues around it but then Quigs did one and I felt like a big old copy cat so I didn't (that, and the thought was fleeting and I don't really remember what I was thinking of posting in the first place).

Instead I'm going to rant and rave about my food. First the Rave. A couple of weeks ago, I saw some sandwich things at the store. They were on sale so I picked up a few varieties. They are super tasty and I'm so glad that I found them. They are the Deli Creation microwave sandwiches. In some cases, I have to replace the cheese because I don't like the style that is included but over all, I'm very happy with them.

Next the rant. This week we were at the store and they had some different microwave sandwiches on sale, in different flavors so I thought I would try them. I tried the first one today and unless the others are majorly better, I'm glad I only spent just over a dollar a piece on them because they aren't good. They are the Bistro sandwiches and to describe them in a word is gross. They are supposed to "grill in the microwave" on the "revolutionary grill platter" What actually happens is that the bread, which is soaked in butter to help with grilling, stays soggy. The cheese, instead of melting, turns slimy. And the meat gets tough and just slides around on the slimy cheese. The only place it actually "grilled" the bread, it caused it to burn and stick to the platter, causing me to rip off a chunck of bread trying to get it loose.

I've got 2 others in the freezer and I'll try them, but they are currently getting 2 BIG thumbs down.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Roller Derby

Interested in skating and beating on people at the same time? Roller derby might just be for you.


I joined the community and I'm seriously thinking about joining the group. I've always said I would rock roller derby because I have mad skating skills and I'm mean.

Nothing new

So Tuesday started our bus riding adventure. We took it to school, then I took it to work out, then to school again in the afternoon, then to PTA last night. Not bad, except it takes me over an hour to get to Urbana and back. The upshot of that is that I get to spend over an hour reading. The additional downside is that I get motion sickness so I had to be careful while I was reading.

Today, we took the bus to school but we weren't able to take it to get get The Boy in the afternoon because Ms Thang slept too long. This morning, we went to Touch a Truck. As always it was crazy busy with every pre-school and daycare in town visiting. MT was freaked at all the honking horns and asked to leave pretty soon after we got there. We got there early and she really liked having the bounce house to herself. She also really liked being first in line for the ice cream. Other than that, she was wholly unimpressed.

This afternoon, we met up with Quigs and crew at the park. It was a beautiful day and the kids had lots of fun. Bubba followed Ms Thang around the park, swinging when she was, sliding when she did, even sitting while she served a time out. Pretty Girl loved her some wood chips, much to Quigs' disgust :)

Tonight, we had book club. Our book this month was Good in Bed Not exactly my style. It was chick lit, heavy on the chick. There wasn't a lot to discuss about it so the discussion turned to other topics. Which started out in the gutter and only went down hill from there! It was super fun (and educational on some fronts LOL) and I will definately go next time and I might even attempt the book after, which looks a smidge (or more) boring. But for that conversation, I will risk it. Now, if we can just talk Quigs in to thaving that party, we will be good to go ROFL

Ms Thang has her 3 year check up tomorrow. We are supposed to have a garden day but I don't think I'm going (maybe I'll go and leave RF and the kids at home). Garden days always end badly for us. The kids want nothing to do with gardening (which is hard boring work so I don't blame them) and end up wanting to play in the tree or the snake-y tall grass. I end up yelling and threatening and then The Boy cries the whole way home because we couldn't go to the park. No fun for anyone.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Wildest Radar picture ever

Photobucket

I'm sure it is probably some instrument malfunction but it looks cool none the less :)

Angry girl does blogging

We had a playgroup today and my kids were absolute animals. Because of their bad behavior, they didn't get to watch TV during dinner and had to go to bed right after. I don't even want to take them out in public they are so awful. I'm almost on the verge of changing all of my RSVPs to no so I don't have to subject anyone else to my kids for the rest of the summer.

Another thing I'm irked about is a new story I got emailed to me.
"A new way for drivers to get around in Champaign County could pose traffic risks for students at Barkstall Elementary. The $13.5 million Curtis Road interchange with Interstate 57 is now open and more cars are passing by the school. Coming up on Your News Now at five, find out what the school district is doing to make sure the risk doesn't turn into a problem."

Half the schools in this town are on MAJOR streets with tons of traffic. Barkstall is nothing special, except it is a "rich school" Not that that really means anything because of Schools of Choice, but the neighborhood around it is fancy pantsy so they obviously rank special treatment. Blah!

The price of gas is outrageous. I have decided to start riding the bus as often as I can. Not nearly as easy as taking my own car and more time consuming, but this is getting out of control. We used to budget $200 a month for gas for both cars and that was enough and then some. Now, even with Evan riding the bike, we are over budget every single month. I just can't afford to be spending that much all the time so driving has to go.

Finally, something for Quigs "Sure, it was a pretty web, but the Michelangelo of her species had woven her beautiful home especially so that she could lay about ten thousand eggs in it that would all hatch one day while we were at work, only to be discovered when my husband came home and walked into a solid wall of minute teeny-tiny crawling spiders eager to make his acquaintance. It was not exactly a scene out of Charlotte's Web. After he twirled, most likely seizurelike, in the giant wall web, gasping, battling at it and making monkey noises, he realized he was surrounded, and although the infant spiders were practically invisible, he could sense that they were in his hair, under his clothes, and that one crawled near his nostril. He grabbed the vacuum cleaner and in an act of sheer self-defense, massacred them all. He later recalled 'No Navy SEAL could function as well as I did. It was like a horror movie. That was Satan. What was in that web was Satan!'"

From "We Thought you be Prettier" by Laurie Notaro.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Family relations

I'm pretty freaking tired of Radioactive Freak's brother and SIL. The issues started before we were married. They lived in Virginia at the time and we sent them an invitation to our wedding (obviously, because it is his FREAKING brother) They RSVPed that they couldn't come because they didn't have any vacation time. For those of you that don't know, we got married the Friday after Thanksgiving so they would only have had to take one day off. They could have driven down on Thursday, come to the wedding on Friday, driven home on Saturday, no big deal. But they didn't. They didn't even bother send a gift (which is so NOT the point but seriously it is his FREAKING brother). Fast forward a couple of years, they have moved back home and we invite them to The Boy's birthday party. They had some reason that they couldn't come, I think it was a family trip somewhere. Come Feb, we were invited to the niece's b-day and we went. Then it was May and Ms Thang had her party. They couldn't come because niece had a TKD competition. Come October, The Boy had another party and they had another TKD tournament. Then for Ms. Thangs b-day, it was a trip to visit SIL's grandparents. The Boy's next birthday (last year for those keeping count) brought yet another excuse, although I don't remember what it is. Tomorrow is Ms Thang's party and we have yet another excuse from them. This one is by far the worst and the last straw. SIL called me and said they couldn't come because gas prices are too high to drive to down another time! I know that gas prices are high, but are you freaking kidding me?? Helping your niece celebrate her birthday isn't worth the 4 freaking dollars it would take to come down?? Give me a break!!

I'm completely done with them. I will never make an attempt to do anything with them again. I will never go to another event at their house, for any reason. Xmas at BIL and SIL's house? Forget it. Family cookout? Not happening. I told Radioactive Freak that his grandma better never die because I WILL NOT, under an circumstance, being going to their house for thanksgiving. RF is going to call me childish and petty and I am, but that isn't the point. The point is, I'm angry about yet another slight and I'm done with them. I'm done inviting them to things as well. No need to give them another chance to come up with a lame and stupid excuse. Screw them!

Friday, May 16, 2008

Birthday skates



Lizzie showing off her new birthday skates

Brotherly Love



The Boy trying to use his jacket to cover Miss Thang's head while dashing to the car in the rain at FCC yesterday.

3 years ago today

Ms. Thang was born. We planned a c-section for the next week but at the end of my pregnancy, I was suffering some severe swelling and a spike in BP. I tried to convince the doctor to let me have her on the 13th, which happened to be a Friday (because short of a halloween birthday, which I tried for with The Boy and missed, what could be better than Friday the 13th) but she said she only did scheduled c/s on Monday so I had to wait through the weekend.

I was supposed to have her at 8:15, meaning I had to be at the hospital by 6 to get prepped. While I was getting prepped, something bad things happened on the ward and my surgery, being not an emergency, got bumped back. Then, the doctors had to go and actually see patients in the office so I got bumped back even further. The major problem in all this was the fact that I couldn't eat for 12 hours before my surgery which was supposed to be at 8. By noon, I was ready to KILL for food. It wasn't until after 2 that I finally got taken back and doped up for the surgery. I had been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer every day on TV and it was the middle of the 7th and final season. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I was trying to watch an episode when they came to get me. I was irked because I had waited that long, I could stand to wait a few more minutes so I could see the end of the episode LOL

After I had her, they took her back to my room, where my brother was the first person to hold her. I had insisted that I be allowed to attempt nursing in recovery so they brought her down to me after a bit. I tried nursing and she wasn't interested (which was pretty much the story of our lives from then on out) so I held her for a few minutes until suddenly, I felt very sick. I yelled for the nurse who just managed to get me the puke pan before I lost it all over the baby. That was when the recovery nurses decided that she needed to go back to my room LOL

New Names

Since my kids have superhero names, I decided dh and I need them too. Thanks to the Superhero Name Generator, I came up with "The Fearless Freak" for me and "The Radioactive Freak" for dh. This should eliminate confusion when people refer to me in their blogs :)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Party time

Ms Thang had her 3rd b-day celebration with the playgroup today. We were supposed to have it at my house but at 10, when the wather was saying 50% chance of rain and only a high of 61, I moved it to FCC Boy am I glad I did since it was pouring rain when we got there. Looseyfur, X-man, MacTroll,Quigs, PG and Bubba among other members of our playgroup joined us. It was super fun. Quigs brought MT baby puffs which cracks me up and Looseyfur brought her some balloons (which being the bad mom I am, I totally forgot to order the theme balloons for her b-day) with Dora and Deigo on them. I'm chosing to ignore the fact that I said no one needed to bring her anything since they are just too sweet to chastise about it LOL

When FCC closed, MacTroll mentioned that they were going to Jupiter's II for dinner and we all decided to tag along. I have to say I wasn't impressed. We had a party of 10 which I know is huge but as we were leaving they pushed together like 10 tables for a crazy big party so we weren't the worst of the night. Anyway, my review of Jupiters is basically that the food is over priced ($13.99 for a medium pizza) and the wait is insanely bad. We waited an hour for 3 pizzas and an order of cheese bread. Seriously? There is no call for a wait that long at 5 when they really weren't all that busy. Obviously, the wait is a marketing ploy because they have a huge game complex downstairs. They figure if you have to wait an hour for a pizza, you will drop an additional 50 bucks on games to kill time.

After we sat there for awhile, MacTroll and I took the kids big enough to go (PG was obviously too little to tag along) to look at some of the games upstairs so they weren't completely freaking out. Finally the food came and we managed to stuff food in their faces before bolting because they had all had it by then.

Tomorrow is MT's actual b-day. We will do presents with Daddy after The Boy gets out of school (early dismissal) and then presents with Nonni and Paw-Paw at McDonald's for dinner. Yes, we eat fast food far too often but it is her favorite meal and the birthday person gets to pick where we eat on his or her birthday. Then she wants to go to the pool so that is how we are spending her birthday :)

Deal breaker?

On the radio this morning, they were asking people if the ring could be a deal breaker in a proposal. Apparently for Carmen Electra, her ring is a deal breaker. She is upset that her fiance bought it from a website and ONLY paid $2000 for it.

Most people said that it wasn't an issue for them and I have to agree. Dh and I had been dating for a couple of months and I told him I wanted something "round and shiny" for Valentine's day (I was mostly joking, but that's ok). We both worked for a local hobby company at the time and when I got to work that afternoon (he worked days and I worked nights), there was a ring box sitting on my keyboard. When I opened it, I found a bearing for an R/C car inside. It WAS round and shiny LOL Then he told me that he would buy me a ring but it had to cost under $100. We went to K's that weekend and picked one out. My whole wedding set cost less than $200! That sort of set the tone for our whole wedding which we pulled off (including the dress, rings, everything except my engagement ring for) for about $1100.

P.S. Quig's sister said that with all the nicknames floating around (Pretty Girl, Bubba, Looseyfur, X-Man and MacTroll) that she felt like she was reading some super hero blog. I want to be part of the super hero revolution so hence forth my kids will be known as Miss Thang (MT) and The Boy (TB) because those are awesome names! LOL

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

200

I stole this from Missy and decided that it was as good as anything else for the EPIC 200th post. Then I can get on with the business of blogging since I've had 100 things I've thought of posting over the last couple of days :)


My life would be simpler if...
I had a wife. Like a June cleaver kind of wife. Or unlimited amounts of money to hire people to do the distasteful jobs like cooking, cleaning, etc.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Just myself? Under 15 minutes. Myself and the kids? Closer to 30, if it includes feeding us all.


If you suddenly came into $1,000 in spare cash, what would you do with it?
Pay off my student loan. Then take the rest and do something fun with the kids.

What's the quality you least like about yourself?
I'm a perfectionist (in some things) and I expect other people to follow suit. I frustrated and angry when they don't.


What's the quality you least like in others?
Late-ness. It drives me bat-shit crazy. Evan nearly missed our first date because he was 5 minutes late picking me up!

What are you most proud of?

My kids


What was your mother right about?

Many things.

Current obsession?

One Tree Hill. I never watched it when it was on TV but I've been watching the DVDs and they are AWESOME!

What makes you laugh?
My kids. They say the funniest things. Lizzie stayed with my friend Quigs for a bit this morning and when she was talking about going over there she said "I like Quigs. She cracks me up, just like an egg" ROFL Also brainless comedies. Think Wayne's World, the first Austin Powers, etc

What did you want to be when you were little?
A chemist, until I figured out that I would need to know a whole lot of math. Then I decided on lawyer because I like to argue and why not get paid for it. Then I figured out how much school I would need and nixed that idea too. Eventually, I settled on teacher. I started out wanting to teach high school history but switched to preschool once I had my own kids.

Bath or shower?

Shower. I've never much liked baths because they seem like they take so much time and I get bored easily


When do you feel most beautiful?
Unknown. Beautiful isn't a word I would use to describe myself and it hasn't ever been.

What scares you?

My kids. So much can happen and it terrifies me.


Simplest pleasure?
A good book and trashy tv

Guiltiest pleasure?

I don't feel guilty about any of my pleasures. If I didn't they wouldn't be pleasant and would defeat the whole purpose.


What was your most embarrassing moment?

Only one, because seriously, there are so many? Probably 1993. No not the whole year, although close since I was 13 LOL My dad was in the National Guard and they were stationed in Kinderhook, IL during the Mississippi flood. We went down every weekend to visit him and one time while we were there, there was a bunch of young guys in the parking lot at the bottom of the hill. I thought I would be super cool and run down the hill and jump over the little rope barrier at the bottom and impress them. Sadly things didn't go as planned. As I jumped over the rope, my foot caught on a loop and I sprawled face first in the gravel. Not only was that bad enough, but I hit palms and knees too and ended up having to be taken to the medic to get the gravel that was embedded in my knees, palms, and cheek (fortunately, I had the good sense to turn my head before I hit the ground so I didn't break my nose in the process) removed.


What's the one thing about your younger self that you'd like to reclaim?
I think my figure. I'm pretty happy with me now.

What's your favorite item in your wardrobe and why?

No real faves. Some things I wear more than others but just because those are the things I grab first.


How often do you weigh yourself?
A few times a week. More often now that I'm working out.

Who was the naughtiest kid in your elementary school and what did he or she do?

Nobody was too bad in elementary school. We had some bad kids in jr high and high school and some real scum after the fact.


If I had a free hour, I would....
Read. I read every chance I get so this is a no brainer.

How do you get yourself out of a funk?
I rant and rave and then I move on.

What is your motto?
I don't have a motto. I should though. Any suggestions?

My first kiss was...

Like real kiss? 15 with Justin, my first ever boyfriend


What's your favorite feature?

A year ago it was my hair. Then I cut it off, colored it funny colors and generally messed it up. Once it grows out it will be fine again.


Before I die, I'd like to...
Visit all 50 states

What are you really good at?

Getting my way. This could be seen as a bad thing but I think it is a super trait.


Favorite junk food?
Ice cream!!

Most useless invention?

There are so many, I can't even begin to pick one :)


Would your rather be a little smarter or little sexier?

I think I'm fairly smart, but I wouldn't say no to being smarter still



Beauty product you couldn't live without?

Chapstick. Seriously, I don't wear make-up or fuss with anything much


Red or white wine?

I'm not a huge fan of wine. When I drink, I like fruit wines. The apple wine from Galena Cellars tastes like cold apple cider. It is super stuff and made only in limited quantities.


How many pairs of jeans are in your closet?

2 pairs. I have a couple of pairs of capris and some shorts but only 2 pairs of jeans


How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Several but most aren't worn very often. I have a bunch of old shoes that I don't ever wear but I haven't gotten rid of. Most of them don't even fit me anymore. The shoes I wear are my Birks, my slip on tennis shoes, my regular tennis shoes to work out in and my Airwalk, Croc knock off flip flops.


What's your favorite place in the world?

With my family. Not thrilled with the location (been here my entire life and haven't like it most of that time) but I'm happy with the people and that is what counts.


What's your favorite possession?

Maybe my laptop. That is kind of lame but I couldn't think of anything else.


If you had an "I'd rather be_______" bumper sticker on your car. What would it say?
Reading.


I wouldn't be caught dead...

I can't even answer this. I have done SO MANY stupid things that I can't say I "wouldn't be caught dead" doing something because it is likely that I either have done it or might still do it.


What was the first concert you ever went to, and what do you remember most about it?

I went to a couple of concerts with my parents when I was young but my first concert that I went to by myself was Boys II Men at the Assembly Hall. I got the tickets for my 15th birthday and then I had to beg my best guy pal to go with me since he was older and that made my parents feel better about letting me be alone in Champaign for the evening.


If you could change careers now without any consequences or financial loss, what would you switch to?

I wouldn't. I'm happy with my current job (mom) and my paid career choice (preschool teacher) makes a nice alternative.


Who was your favorite teacher and why?

I had 2. First was Mrs Sigler in 2nd grade. She was the first teacher that understood that I was bored and not a trouble maker. She let me read when I was finished and continued to loan me books for years after. The other was Mrs Krecji (I totally think I botched the spelling on that name. April, confirm?) my high school history teacher. She was the reason that decided to become a teacher because her class was actually fun and interesting


Biggest waste of time?

Sitting in traffic. You can't read or watch Tv or anything because you have to pay attention but you just have to sit there. How boring can it get?


High Road or Low Road?

Too often the low road although I try to do better for my kids


What's the best song ever?

Ever? Can't say, I'm too fickle about my music. The best song right now is Jump Around by House of Pain. Ask me again next month and the answer will have changed.


What's the item most likely to break your budget?

Items? Stuff for the kids. Also, anything in the dollar section because "Hey, it's only a dollar" It's when you buy 30 of those dollar items that it becomes an issue LOL The real deal breaker though is food out. We eat out ALL THE TIME and it needs to stop.


How often do you check your bank balance?
Every day. 2 days at most. I'm a little OCD about it since I don't balance or even keep a check book register


What is the superhuman power you'd most want to have?

Telekinesis or flight. Either would be cool and useful


Craziest fashion trend or hairstyle you've worn?

I was a youngin' in the 80s so I caught the tail end of that decade when I was too young to know any better


What celebrity crushes did you have as a teenager?

Johnny Depp, Jonathan Brandis, Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt (but only when he wasn't dirty and scruffy), there is seriously someone I'm forgetting and I can't for the life of me think of who it was.


What is something that no one knows about you?

I'm at 200 posts, there isn't much that people haven't read about me yet LOL


If you could change places with anyone, living or dead, for one day, who would it be?

I dig who I am. I wouldn't switch


What's the perfect age?

25? I don't know. I think it is so individual to each person that you can't say one age is better than another.


What's the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to you?

Not too me but about me "I have fun doing things with my Mommy"


What amount of money would make you feel you were set for life?

A few million. Although Evan and I were talking about what we would do if we won the outrageous Lotto jackpot that is currently up. Fun to dream, even if we don't actually play the Lotto :)


What's your idea of the perfect meal?

Something someone else cooked


What's the one thing you refuse to eat?

Any cooked veggie. Blah


Favorite movie moment?

More than I can count.


What's the one thing you'll never understand?

Again, there are just so many things.


How many books have you read in the last year?

This year, 37. Since this time last year, a bunch since I read 70 some last year


What's your favorite book?

Julie of the Wolves and Johnny Tremain


How many hours of television do you watch per week?

Too damn many. I usually watch during Lizzie's nap and then a couple of hours each night after the kids go to bed. That doesn't count the hours of kid's TV that I watch regularly


How many cups of coffee do you drink a day?

0-1. None in the summer. I prefer tea. Now, tea I drink a lot of. 3-4 glasses a day, especially during the summer since I drink it iced generally.


How often do you exercise?
2-3 times a week. Trying to do better and I'm actually liking going to the gym now but who has that kind of time.


How many phone calls do you make a day?
Make or take? I try to make as few as possible because I hate talking on the phone if I can avoid it. I usually take 2-3 a day because other people in my life don't hate talking on the phone like I do.


How much time do you spend on the Internet?
Again, too damn much. I'm usually on the net the same amount of time that I watch TV


Morning person or night owl?

Night owl. I HATE getting up early but could stay up half the night if needed (and my kids weren't going to drag my lazy ass out of bed at some unGodly hour the next day). I used to work nights when I was in high school and it was awesome. When I wasn't actually working overnights, I would get off at 10, spend some with my bf and then go home and stay up until 6ish, when I heard my mom get up for work. Then I would go to bed and pretend to be asleep so she wouldn't realize that I had stayed up all night.


How many hours of sleep do you get?
Between 6-8, generally. I can do with less for a few nights in a row but not permanently.


What's the messiest spot in your home?

My whole house. Actually the worst spots are the "blanket cabinet", the top of the entertainment center and the bar in the dining room.


What's your main source of news?

MSN or LBOTP


How often do you see a doctor for check-ups?

Every couple of years. Right now, I have no insurance so check ups aren't high on my priority list.


How many times a week do you cook?

As few as possible. I don't like cooking but I know I need to do more of it because eating out is too expensive.


How much candy do you eat in a week?

As much as I want. I don't eat a lot so it runs about 2-3 pieces a week


How often do you entertain?

As infrequently as possible. That would mean I would actually have to clean my house and maybe even cook something. Blah. When we do, it is at my parent's house and usually only for the kid's b-days


What surprises you most about your adult life?

That I would be married, have kids, be a preschool teacher and a stay at home mom

Monday, May 12, 2008

Lameness

I tried to get everybody to go eat at LJS with me tonight and I got dissed by one and all. Including Ms. Quigs and her brood, who eat a very late lunch and can't do dinner at 4:30 like us. My kids were the only ones that wanted to go with me and they were being animals. I decided to go to the bank and check my balance just in case and it turned out to be a good thing that everyone didn't want to go. Instead of the amount I thought I had, I actually only had 1/6th of that, which wasn't enough to go eat with. I came home and made tacos instead. They were good but not really what I wanted. Despite eating 7 tacos, I'm hungry. I don't think I'm really hungry, I think I'm bored but ice cream cures boredom as well finding something to do. :) I'm trying to decide if I can justify having ice cream twice in the same day since I had some for lunch too. I think I can probably talk myself into it, when I switch from teen soap opera on DVD (first season of One Tree Hill) to trashy reality TV (Ms. Rap Supreme on VH1).

Next post is 200. If I hold off posting for a few days, don't mind me. I want to post something decent for my 200th post insead of this update-y stuff I usually post:)

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Good times

Yesterday we went to McD's with Quigs and Looseyfur and let the kids run wild. Quigs has been in a funk and avoiding people and Looseyfur has been house bound with a sicky and the both needed some time out. Plus, when I suggested McD's for dinner Lizzie begged for Quigs to go. LOL

Today, C had his first 4-H meeting. It wasn't exactly how I remember 4-H being but we shall see once he really gets going in it. He picked Bicycles as his project so now he needs to do a poster about either bicycle maitenence or safety. We haven't talked about it specifically yet but we will see what he wants later.

Then, we had my grandma, great grandma, aunt, uncle and cousin over for a Mother's Day cookout. We had roast pork loin that was super tasty! My cousin (who is 15 or 16) spent most of the afternoon hanging out and playing with Lizzie. She thought that was the coolest thing ever and kept talking about how he was her best friend.

Then, we had the playgroup over for S'mores. I was FREAKED that it was going to rain because it was getting super dark and the radar showed rain all over the area. It held off though and everyone had a super time. The kids ran around and played in the yard and the drive. Thanks to the dads who hung out in the drive shooting hoops with the kids. Evan even made a friend tonight. He hung with Quigs' husband and talked video games and then invited him to his game night, which is seriously nerd central LOL

I put the kids in bed and they were asleep before I was out of the shower because they were super tired. Now, I'm planning to put the cloths in the dryer, finish watching One Tree Hill and go to bed myself.

Tomorrow, I get my awesome mother's day gifts, then we are going to breakfast with my cousin from MN. We are going to be up there in 3 weeks but she came down to visit some of her (she actualy isn't my cousin, she married my cousin but close enough) family that lives down here and called us to get together tomorrow.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Music requests

Now that Lizzie is in school, I've joined a gym and I intend to go workout while she is at school. The issue is, I need workout music. Something fast and upbeat that I can speed walk or lift weights to. My "walking" playlist is pretty lame and I end up skipping more songs than I play. The songs are all ok but just not "up" enough to workout to. So suggestions please!

Thanks K for meeting me for coffee tonight. Sadly, D couldn't join us (missed you) but we had a super good time. It certainly made me feel better after the iffy preschool day and the horrible haircut I gave my daughter. Now I'm home and can get back to my guilt :) Now that the kids are feeling better, maybe we can start doing stuff again. D's words could not be truer. It has been like 2 days since I've been to a meetup and I'm going stir crazy. K, are you coming to the "smarshmallow" roast on Saturday? Bubba would love him some S'more and you KNOW you want some!. I even bought icky sugar filled "juice" drinks for the kids and wine for the moms! How could you say no to that kind of fun :)

Issues issues everywhere

and every one stinks :(

I'm having some mis-givings about preschool. Not about the concept but about this particular program. Yesterday, when I dropped Lizzie off, she was crying and upset and finally I just had to leave her that way. One of the teachers picked her up and was trying to cuddle her and distract her and whatever (exactly what she should have been doing) when another one yelled at her "put her down, quit babying her. If you do that everytime she cries she'll never quit" Excuse me, pick the freaking crying kid up for Pete's sake. Then she came home yesterday afternoon with poop in her underwear where she didn't get wiped well. She is 3 (not even) and can't wipe herself. She tries but generally makes a bigger mess than anything else. She has pretty sensitive skin (she couldn't use disposable wipes when she was a baby because of it) and not getting wiped causes big problems. Today, she told me that one of the teachers told her to quit being a baby, which irks me beyond belief.

We got her hair cut today too. It was shaggy and not looking good. My mom asked her if she wanted it cut and she said yes and then changed her mind. I told her we would get it cleaned up but not really cut. The thing I wanted cut was the sides and the bangs more than anything else (although I wanted some of the tangly curls cut off in the back too). I kept telling the lady to cut the sides shorter shorter shorter and she was cutting it by tiny little fractions and Lizzie finally got tired of sitting there and I said it was fine, even though I wasn't happy with it. So I brought her home and tried to fix it myself. The left side it great. It is short, it tapers back, it is exactly like I want. The right side is a different story. I got a little crazy and cut it too short and too far back. Now it looks a little mullet-y on that side :( Evan wants me to make both sides look like that and I just can't do it because the left looks so cute. It will grow and it will be fine. Every kids needs to have a TERRIBLE hair cut at least once in their lives. Might as well do it to her while she is young instead of old enough to know that it looks bad. I'm just irritated that I spent $15 on a haircut that was cute, if not what I wanted and then botched it when I got home. I should have tried it first and then if it didn't work out, paid to have it fixed, instead of the other way around. :(

Finally, I need to get the heck out of this house. I posted a message to the playgroup (K, D? Wanna join me?) that I wanted to have some Mom time and I'm hoping a few people with join me. Other wise, I'll go and eat chocolate chip scones and drink coffee and read my book all alone.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

PS

Is 9pm way too early to go to bed on a Tuesday night? Is it more or less lame than laying on the couch and falling asleep at 6:30 on a Saturday night? Either way, I'm going to finish my show (started watching One Tree Hill on dvd from the library), read my book a little and then hit the hay.

Lame

Preschool and Mother's day

Lizzie started preschool today. It went well. She didn't cry when I left but she did cry when I picked her up and told me she had missed me. She is interested in going again tomorrow but whether will be another none event remains to be seen. I had 3 whole hours to myself this morning and didn't know how to fill the time. I ran all over town, running errands. I had to get new shorts (sadly, I couldn't find the ones I really wanted but I got something that will work), had to go to the meat store, had to get my fitness center pass, had to get my bus pass renewed (because I ride the bus so freaking much but I like to have it in case I want to ride the bus for whatever reason), had to do some mother's day shopping (my mom wanted plants for mother's day so I went and bought them). Tomorrow is an early out so I won't be doing much of anything. Just hanging around, killing time until the kids get out of school. Thursday will be getting pool passes and then going to work out.

My kids bought my Mother's day present over the weekend. I wanted some super wide headbands and couldn't find any. I finally found some at "Baubles" at the mall. C picked out a plain one that has some shiny fabric on it and Lizzie picked out one of the scarf headbands with black fabric with white skull and crossbones on it. I can't wait to wear them and they so reflect the personality of the child who picked them out. C's was $1, Lizzie was $2.75 :)

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Pick on Lizzie day

We went to FCC with Missy on Friday. C and Evan had a BLAST and C was pretty disappointed when we had to leave. Lizzie, on the other hand was about ready to go because she was sick of the rotten kids that were there. There was one girl who Lizzie was following around and the girl decided she didn't like it so on the stairs, she stopped and stiffened up, making Lizzie run into her and fall. I got Lizzie calmed down and sent her back on her way. A few minutes later, Lizzie came upon the girl and yelled at her for making her fall. The said "whatever" which caused Lizzie to pop off and hit her. I broke up the situation and convinced Lizzie to stay away from the girl. A little bit later, Lizzie was playing on the balance beam and the girl came over and started jumping on it, making it wobble. Lizzie started shrieking at her and I went and asked her to use her words and tell the girl "stop it, I don't like that" Well Lizzie did, but her way was more like "get in her face, ball my fists up and shake with suppressed rage, while snarling at her through gritted teeth and telling her to stop" The girl stopped, looked at me and then started jumping again. At that point, I told her to cut it out because she was just being annoying.

Later, Lizzie was looking through the "spotting scope" (which she thinks is a camera) on the pirate ship and some boy was trying to climb up the slide. Because of were the scope is, she was standing right at the top of the slide and he couldn't get past, so he tried to push her. She pushed back 2 or three times, until finally, she just stuck her foot out as he climbed and pushed him backward down the slide. He decided to yell at her and tell her "get outta my way, I'm bigger than you are and that makes me the boss of you" I promptly told him that simply wasn't the case. He is the boss of him and no one else and if he didn't like it, he should find something else to do.

When we did leave, we went to McDonald's to meet my friend K. M just loves Lizzie and he follows her around saying "Z, Z, Z" I don't think she was impressed and she yelled at him. Didn't phase him though, he just following her and smiling. Sounds like a perfect husband in the making LOL Poor baby S smacked her mouth and started bleeding, right before they left. Hopefully her teeth come in soon and she can be happy baby once again.

That is all. We are going to work in our playgroup's garden today but I have to get off of here and get some shorts on so we can leave

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Money

We got our stimulus check back. It wasn't as much as I thought it was going to be because we have no tax liability. I put almost all of it on my student loan, although I kept a $100 to buy a few things I wanted (mother's day presents and new shorts for me) and we should be getting the rest of our refund back in a few weeks and that can also go on the student loan. Sadly, it isn't enough to pay it completely off, which it would have been if we had gotten the full amount, but it will be close and I'll only have a couple of payments after that.

In other news, I was a complete slug today. We went to TKD this morning and that was good. We learned kicking this week, which was cool. We are going to miss next week because C has his first 4-H meeting so we will miss punches but I'm excited about 4-H too. After that, I came home and never ever bothered to change out of my sweatpants. I just sort of laid around and did as little as possible.

Now, I'm debating whether I want to finish watching the movie on TV (Because I Said So) or if I want to watch the rest of Weeds or if want to just turn off the TV and finish my book. In any event, I'm having some ice cream and some iced tea and going to be early, because my throat and ears hurt.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Doing the happy

In a change from the grumpy grumpies of the past week, I have a happy post.

First up, we figured out a work around for the scouting issue. There are 4-H groups in town and they have groups for kids starting at 5! We are going to our first meeting May 10th so YAY! Daddy is still taking C to the scout open house and he might end up doing both but being a former 4-Her myself, I'm way more inclined to lean in that direction. There are just so many options that have nothing to do with camping (I HATE camping) and when they do camp, it is in cabins, which still sucks but way less than being in a tent.

Next, I was griping about my "economic stimulus" rebate not being here yet because I seriously want to stimulate the economy in the worst way. I was also missing about $800 from my refund because a form didn't get sent in. I figure we won't get the rebate direct deposited because of the error on our return. We called and found out that they had processed the rest of our refund and are sending it and it should be here in 2-3 weeks, probably closer to 2. YAY!! That means I will have some money to take on vacation with us which is super! Then when I get the rebate, I can pay off my student loan and free up a little more money. Hooray!!

Next up, I toured the preschool that I think we are going to send Lizzie to. It was a little chaotic and kind of crowded, but she seemed to LOVE it. It is at the local high school and it has a head teacher and a bunch of high school students working with the kids. It ends up being 1 or 2 big kids to each little kid so there is a ton of supervision (although, while I observed, I could definately tell who was there for easy credits and who really wanted to work with kids). the first words out of the teacher's mouth were "I don't believe in paper and pencil preschool. Kids this age need to play" and I nearly hugged her! That is so nice to hear. She told me that they go through May 22nd and if Lizzie wants to join them for the next couple of weeks, she can. I'm seriously thinking about doing it. That way, I can see if she likes it and if she does, she will have something to look forward to in the fall. Plus having a few hours a week to do things would be SUPER!

If she does that, I'm having dh join the gym at work and I'm going to get serious about getting in shape since I would be able to run over there for an hour while she is in school and still have time to shower and pick her up before lunch. The only problem is going to be having such a late nap. I'll have to have food in the car for her when I pick her so she can eat on the way home and still get down at a reasonable time.

Finally, I had a dream the other night that K and Looseyfur and I were all in high school together. It was a pretty standard "teen comedy" scenerio where we got up to all kinds of hi-jinks before learning some valuable lesson in the end. Nevermind the fact that we are fairly different ages and wouldn't have been in school at the same time, even if we were from the same place :)