Do you hear an echo?

The kids discovered how to make echoes at the YMCA the other day. As you can see, they had a lot to say about it! Now every time we pass the room, they want to go in & play 'echoes'. Ah, to get the simple pleasure of being a kid...

Tis the season...

The other night we celebrated my MIL's (mother-in-law) birthday & had a nice dinner followed by presents & cake. Of course, that was after a second cake was picked up because they discovered that one of the family dogs had eaten an entire cake through the cardboard box. So after easily being on hold to talk to the local animal hospital & a quick celebration, off my in-laws went to make the dog throw up. We toured a few streets showing Son the Christmas lights while Hubby set up Grandma's new present.

Everyone loves singing happy birthday to Grandma!

On the way to Grandma's birthday dinner, Son talked to Santa on the phone & radio!He absolutely loved that & wouldn't stop talking. We thought he'd be on all night!

Aunt got a decent picture with the kids. Don't ask how many pictures it took to get this one!

Son & Daughter kept Grandma company which is their way

of plotting to take over unwrapping the gifts!

Grandpa enjoyed watching the grandkids.

Son had a ball rough-housing with his uncle as always.

The question is who is afraid of who here?

A few nights ago, we finally managed to decorate the tree & put some outdoor lights outside. After several attempts, we finally got the angel on the tree as a finishing touch! Now if only I could get to wrapping the gifts...

What every woman wants to hear!

Tonight Hubby & I were talking when this followed...

Son: Daddy, do you know where you going?
Hubby: Of course! Daddy always know where to go.
Son: Does Mommy know where to go?
Hubby: Mommy couldn't find her way out of a wet paper bag!

Isn't that what every woman wants to hear? Oh, I don't think so!!!

Do I have to???

There are always times in life when everyone has to do something that they have to do even if s/he doesn't want to. Hopefully this isn't one of those times! Now give it five years later & this image might be your spouse trying to get something off the honey-due list done. I know that's occasionally the case in our home!

It's truly inspiring!

It never ceases to amaze me how our children see the world through their young eyes, open hearts & imaginative minds. Today Son went downstairs for something & there he stayed. When I came downstairs after him, books were laid out individually all over the living room floor. "I wanted to make a path, Mommy. See?" Sure enough, he had! First of all, I didn't realize that he knew what a path was. Second, he was inventive to use anything to make something he saw in his mind. I firmly believe these qualities will get him anywhere he wants to be in life. It will be our joy guiding & watching him along the journey.


I'm sure Daughter will equally fun to watch as she is already becoming her own person. I couldn't imagine not having the wonderful family that I have been blessed with or the daily reminder to see life through my children's eyes!

Seseme does pregnancy!

Wouldn't it be funny if Seseme Street did an episode on pregnancy? I love how this mom describes her version of it!!!

Cherished memories

Growing up, especially during high school, if our family had trouble falling asleep they would inevitably end up sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal & talking about life. Those were some of the most memorable & important conversations with my parents & siblings.

This afternoon I was exhausted so while the kids napped at the same time (which happens VERY rare these days) I took a much needed rest myself & was asleep faster than I could say "Boo". I knew it meant that the kids & I were going to be up later but it was worth it. After Daughter went to bed (fairly easily surprisingly), Son & I had a nice time making a breakfast casserole for our typical 'Lazy Day Friday'. He was such a big help & I had a great time bonding with him during the process. Sometimes I'm amazed at how blessed we are having such great kids; we must be doing something right!

Daughter's 15 check-up

Daughter had her 15 month check-up today. Since her first flu shot, she's simply terrified of nurses & doctors so she was naturally very clingy. Once she got past it, she was much better.

Her weight is still in the 95% (26.5 lbs), height at 97% (32.5") and head circumference at 19". No worries since she's still proportionate. She got her second flu shot which was over quickly enough.

There were no development issues which a parent always worries about. She recognizes about 15 signs in sign language. Seven that she simply recognizes (Mama, Grandma, Daddy, Grandpa, no, wait, stop) & uses about 9 (Nathan, eat, drink, more, all done, fishy, splashy, beautiful, up). It's great to have a conversation with her. She says (at least that I can understand) up, all done, down & that. She loves to walk around a room simply for the sake of walking for an hour & half easily!

We also found out the reason that our baby girl (who normally sleeps like a rock) has been sleeping very lightly (like she wakes up if you cover her with a blanket) & crying in the middle of the night for the past week or so because her top left molar is trying to push through. So once again I'm right; Daughter is teething!

See you later!

Following the money trail

Remember the financial bailout that our country needs so desperately? Did you ever wonder where the money is going & when? What about the automakers who also need money so desperately that one CEO is willing to work for an annual salary of one dollar? I could probably afford that too if I made a living earning millions of dollars for years beforehand.

The problem is there definitely a domino happening here within our own country, and as a result, throughout the world. Where will it end? The taxpayers can't bail out every major industry to keep our entire country from falling completely apart as each family is already struggling to make ends meet. I'm have no clue how our country will get out of this spiral.

Crafty collage

Son gets such a kick out of making crafts this year. Yet another interest I love sharing with Son. Here are some of the projects he has made this fall. I love his imagination!

Better than I imagined!

Last year shortly before Christmas, we were standing in the check-out line at Sam's Club when I saw this empty white box. It was at that moment that this image popped in my head where Son could have a scene for his 'people' to play in, especially with his great imagination. So I picked it up & figured I'd give it a go. I penciled the scene in but couldn't decide whether to color or paint it. A few weeks ago, I finally outlined it with permanent marker & started to paint.

Now one of my various hobbies of the past are painting ceramics. I've never really painted a scene from scratch so I had no clue how this would turn out, even after it was outlined with marker. I have watched a television show or two on painting techniques (while I was bored doing laundry a few years back) & I guess some of it stuck with me. For two nights I painted & as it progressed I was in shock of how it was turning out. I never imagined it would look as realistic as it did!

Now I am so excited to give this to Son for Christmas (which will go along perfect with the Wizard of Oz characters I picked up from McDonald's). I absolutely love how well it turned out. So much so that I already picked up another plain white box to make another scene for him sometime in the future.

November begins

October & November were very busy so here are more pics from then! Enjoy!




Here are some special moments from October that we wanted to share with you...





Who doesn't love Halloween festivities? I think it's so much fun to dress up for many reasons. Mainly, when else can you look like... well anything really? By the way, we still have two and a half mixing bowls full of Halloween candy from various parties, parades & trick-or-treating just in our neighborhood. (Right before the holidays too!) Anybody interested in sharing this so our kids' heads aren't the only ones turning around in sugar shock??? (sigh) Okay... guess I'll have to bake something creative for the YMCA front desk. Now isn't that ironic, huh? Then again, how many of you will have something after you workout? Don't you feel like you've earned it sometimes?





This is what it looks like when someone is building a windmill. They've always looked impressive far away but man! Hubby said he was in awe.




Son's preschool field trip last month was to a local Mexican restaurant where they learned about more than where food was prepared. The weather was absolutely beautiful for the walk to & from.





Here are some murals we saw by a local artist. They really caught our eye, especially the car. Son was all about the turtle & transformer!





Son has been very helpful in cleaning up these days. He also has a 'thing' for lists because for some reason, he's more inclined to get it done & quicker when he can cross it off afterwards. That is definitely something he gets from me! Now I just have to make the time to make his 'job' chart so I don't have to keep making very bad drawings that he somehow can read. No clue there!





We really enjoyed seeing our old friends at their oldest son's birthday party. They had it a movie theater & afterwards adults & children alike enjoyed seeing the new movie Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa. What a great idea for a kids party! I'll have to remember that one.

Gobble gobble gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving all! Enjoy the holiday with your loved ones & be safe!

No resting today!

Wednesday before Thanksgiving & there is nothing planned. Seriously... we don't have a single place to be... absolutely amazing! One would think now we can just kick back, relax & unwind. But not me, no... since we are wanted to host Thanksgiving (by that I mean Hubby cooks, I clean before, during & after) that means we need to do light maintenance on the house to get it ready. By that I mean...

• Clean the bathrooms
• Vacuum
• Clear the dining room table (where everything on it will end up in the basement or the bottomless pit as we like to call it)
• Laundry (only a few loads though)
• Clean & prepare the guest room (which is also Hubby's office where the bed & floor act as another file cabinet of sorts)

Oh & did I mention that we have a handyman coming to do some work on the house tomorrow? Just a couple of wall patches, repairing & tiling part of our master bathroom wall & building the master bedroom headboard which we've had for probably about six months. It's not that Hubby can't do these things himself but the fact that this local handyman was reasonably priced for all these jobs combined & Hubby hasn't had the time available to do them. At this point, we just want them done & we both know the holidays are only get busier. I think it will be worth though.

How will shopping be this year? That is the question!

Each year there are one day that only truly motivated people (or utterly crazy as Hubby says) will shop on; that would be Black Friday. I know that's the day I typically get the bulk of our Christmas shopping done. Last year I discovered there is also Cyber Monday, for those who want to get the deals after the deals. Of course it's also known for 'Buy Nothing Day'. To each your flavor! Try saying that three times fast & tell me you don't sound like Elmer Fudd!

The question is with our country in a state of economic disaster, how will it compare this year & will the deals be cheaper than we've imagined? It will be interesting to see. Here are a few of the sites listing all of the deals. Hope it helps!

• Black Friday Info
• Black Friday.Com
• Black Friday.Net (appears to be the easiest to navigate at first glance)
• Deal Taker (combines Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals!)
• Cyber Monday.com

Learning patience

Patience has never been a virtue I've had an abundance of; that said I have been learning how to be the good 'bad guy'(which I didn't think was possible) using the incredible art of distraction. By the way, that works great with kids! I'm not quite sure how it took me this long to figure that out!

Anyhow for the past week or so, I have using some suggestions that Hubby gave me & now Son responds better to me overall (except on rare occasion). More amazingly, I have been restraining my temper more easily so now Son & I have more fun overall & I'm more relaxed. It's nice having things get done!

What's the stamp price now?

I don't know about other people, but the stamp costs have changed so much many times in the past five years that I sometimes forget what it is! Luckily, I found this informative site. Hope it helps you too.

Feeling like he won the lottery!

Everybody gets down on their luck sometimes & then sometimes you hear of someone with an amazing lucky streak like this guy! I'd imagine about now he's wondering why he didn't buy a lottery ticket too.

Cool October nights

“October is crisp days and cool nights, a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book.” By: Unknown





Hubby & I really enjoyed our last fire of the season. Hopefully old man winter will fly by & spring will be flourishing before our eyes. Hey, one can dream, right?

If only wishes came true...

Today Son & I were inside a store passing an ice cream cooler & this is what followed...

Son: What's in there?
Myself: Ice cream.
Son: I have an idea! If I'm a good boy then I can have ice cream.
Myself: I don't think so. We have to eat dinner first.
Son: But I really want ice cream, Mommy!
Myself: I know. I want to win the lottery but that's not going to happen!

Appreciating birthdays

When you are young, most people anticipate his or her birthday anxious to become another year older. As you age, it sometimes becomes just another day. We celebrated my grandmother's & great-aunt's birthdays. Son was an excellent helper cleaning up after dinner. Maybe because he was so anxious to have birthday cake! (LOL) After Son blew out ALL the candles out, my youngest sister & friend served cake while I added additional pictures to the new digital picture frames for my Grandma & Great-Aunt. It was a great day spending time with family & the kids had a great time (until exhaustion took over & they became very cranky). Another great memory to cherish!

69 years too late!

Did you know that there is a town named Batman in Turkey? Now imagine the mayor of this town suing suing Warner Bros. and The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan for using the name without the city's permission 69 years after the superhero was originally created. Well it's happened! If it takes you that long to sue something (only after something earns millions of dollars), then me thinks you're doing it for the money!!! Or perhaps they have their own secret wealthy playboy and superhero of their own!

Turkey crafts

I'm always trying to come up with new crafts to do with Son who absolutely loves them now. Since Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, I thought I would share everyone these simple crafts I found. I would love to know what you think of them.

Baby intelligence

There are always new tips & trip about how to raise a 'smart' baby. Here are another fifty tips just for that occasion by Parents Magazine (a good buy for parents). Some I was familiar with but others were new. Enjoy!

Soccer monster!

Son had his first & second soccer practice followed by a game where he experienced a real soccer game for the first time. He really enjoyed playing & even got a chance to play goalie where he blocked a few balls! For the most part though, it's fun to watch the kids chase after the ball as a mob most running for the sake of running.



Meanwhile Daughter loved walking everywhere we would let her & playing with a soccer ball herself. Perhaps we have a couple of soccer monsters on our hands!

It was a late night!

Most nights the kids go to bed pretty good. Last night though they both had a hard time. Daughter woke up a few times crying & then going back to sleep. Son had a difficult time 'getting comfy' when he finally fell asleep on a bed made on the floor, two to three hours after his bedtime. I seriously lost track how many times I had to go into his bedroom.

During that time, I managed to clear out many of the hampers of clean clothes, weeding out his too-small clothes. He's now into 5T shirts & pants. The challenge with the 5T pants is he needs the length but needs a belt for the waist. Now I need to weed out Daughter"s 18 month clothes as she needs a 2T/3T shirt & pants. This is a never-ending chore as the kids keep getting bigger! In with the old & out with the new!

Today we went to a fairy tale workshop where he learned all about being a prince & planted a bean. Amazingly he was very calm for being tired. We'll see how this afternoon goes.

Where did the time go?

We has some fun family outings in August & September that I've been wanting to share pictures with you. Enjoy!

August



Son & Daughter seem very well matched. When they play together, they each give what they get!



Our family enjoyed a fun weekend away...

September



Spending a wonderful day at an amusement park with Hubby, kids & in-laws.



Checking out the science museum with my Hubby, kids & parents.

Like a Gypsy in October

"There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir,

We must rise and follow her;

When from every hill of flame,

She calls and calls each vagabond by name."

By: William Bliss Carman




An afternoon at the park where we saw a 'Haunted Graveyard'

that a neighbor had set up which enthralled the kids.

Cool, huh?

Time for our annual visit to the pumpkin farm!

My mom, youngest sister & I then took a impromptu girls' weekend (which our husbands were completely cool with) for my Mom's birthday. Actually we were talking about visiting an area my grandmother's old place that we used to visit when we were kids. About that time, Hubby jokingly suggested we should get going quickly if we were to leave that evening. We all looked at each other startled, smiled & said "Are you serious?" I don't think he even realized how he unwittingly encouraged the idea. Within two hours, we had a plan & were on the road & had an absolute blast!

When Hubby was away on business, my mother-in-law & I took the kids bowling which Son really enjoyed. Believe it or not, he actually took the majority of these pictures! He's getting pretty good aim, if I do say so myself!

My youngest Brother & girlfriend came to visit. It's always nice to see them.

Shortly before Halloween, we went trick-or-treating at a local downtown area. Son & Daughter both enjoyed walking around & talking to people. We always enjoy seeing the creative things people make with the pumpkins. I think the 'Incredible Punk' was a general favorite though!

Time for change!

The projected winner is Obama with the polls currently 338 vs 155! Talk about a landslide! Not everyone may agree, but change is definitely coming for our country. His family must be so proud.


I respect John McCain for the respect he showed Obama during his concession speech. Everyone will remember Obama girl & Joe the Plumber who found fame during this campaign.


I look forward to seeing change happen! If only we could see four years into the future & see where the country will be then. Either way, history has been made!

Election Results

Faster than I know...

The other day I was checking on Son to make sure he was still covered before I went to bed. As I covered him back up, I was struck by how tall & grown up he has become. I remember when he was as little as Daughter (who's already a year old)! Then of course, she herself is so tall for her age that she's already as tall as our neighbor's 2.5 yr old daughter! No wonder they nearly wear the same size! My babies are growing up which makes me sad but happy as they enjoy the wonder & experiences life has to offer.

A week before a historical vote...

Here we are a week before a possible historical electorial vote & I found Senator Barack Obama's "closing argument" speech in Canton, Ohio very interesting. I wonder if this will be the landslide people are predicting...



Then there was this news about John McCain's proposed health plan & what affect it would have.

Not so well...

The past few days my toddler nephew has been in the hospital with pneumonia. My oldest brother said everything is okay & that my nephew should be able to go home in the next day or two. It's always worrysome when the patient is a toddler though so know our family can stop worrying!

UPDATE: My nephew is home & getting better now!

Where would you like to go?

If you like to travel but don't get the chance to often, check out Postcrossing to explore the world from home!

It's all about emotions!

What kid doesn't have temper tantrums? Maybe this craft will help teach them some control as they get older!

"Expressing emotions appropriately can be a challenge at any age. Young children especially can become overwhelmed by feelings they have not yet learned to control. Learning to express and control emotions can be especially important in new social settings like school or daycare. Connecting facial expressions to different emotions can help young children learn to cope with their feelings."

Here's an activity to try called 'Feelings and faces collage':


Materials:

• Pieces of construction paper cut into shapes of faces; use different shades of paper for different skin tones
• A variety of pictures of eyes, ears, mouths and noses cut out from magazines; choose pictures that reflect diversity in age and ethnicity
• Strands of yarn in different colours reflecting hair colours: Brown, yellow, black, white, grey, red
• Containers such as bowls or aluminum pie pans to sort the different facial features and yarn
• Glue
• Hand mirror (shatterproof)

How to do this activity:

1. Give your child some face shapes and the hand mirror. Ask, "Is your smile showing or hiding your teeth? Can you make a mad face? How does your face look when you are sad?" Explain that our faces can tell people a lot about what we are feeling.
2. Help your child create faces with different expressions by arranging and pasting each feature on a blank face.
3. Talk about the emotions on the faces your child creates. This helps him learn the words to describe his different feelings.
4. Encourage your child to talk about a time when he has felt these same emotions and what caused them. When you give your child the words to describe his feelings, similar situations can be dealt with differently, perhaps in a calmer and more constructive manner.

Haunting time...

Last week Son heard the song 'Physical' by Olivia Newton John on the radio & said 'Oh Mommy! This is from your rehearsal, right?" Can you believe that after only seeing my musical twice he remembered just three lines from it & connected them to the song (which wasn't even played during the musical)? The details he retains about everything just floors me!

Speaking of the musical, I am happy to be back to normal schedule & spending time family again. Although I do notice & miss my 'alone time' away more often now, especially since Hubby has been in crunch time for the past few weeks (days, nights & weekends) getting the family business travel site fully active. Everyone is working hard to get the site live soon!

In the meantime, things are crazy as always the last few weeks before any holiday. Believe it or not, we have five to six (yes you heard that right) children Halloween parties to go during the next week & a half! Crazy, huh? Now since I grew up where my parents dressed up for Halloween with us (in fact my Mom still does!), I love dressing up for Halloween so we get lots of use out of our costumes. This year Son is a transformer, Daughter is The Care bear Tenderheart & I am a dark angel. It's obviously been so crazy I haven't been able to post anything in, well... a while. Things will calm down during first few weeks of November... at least until Thanksgiving when holiday rush begins!

So prepare yourself & get into costume. Use that imagination & show yourself what fun Halloween can be, no matter how old you are!

All about staying home 'eating bon bons'!

With two kids & running everywhere, I finally got the first floor clean with the exception of my office. As your kids become toddlers & grade-school age, I'm starting to believe that organizing your home is a constant work in progress until they leave home!

Hope you enjoy these links for all you whose job description is... "the family CEO, the day care provider, accountant, chauffeur, counselor, chef, nurse, laundress, entertainer, personal stylist, and educator!" What would your salary be?

• Sexy Moms
• The Go-To Mom
• Saving money
• What every stay-at-home parent should know
• Funny 'mom' secrets
• Pros & cons of stay home
• Online parental resources
• Ddefinition of homemaker

What is your alias???

What are your 'other' aliases?

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (“The” plus 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy)
10. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names )
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your favorite hobby/craft, favorite weather element + “Tour")

You're going camping when???

Hubby & I had an interesting (& probably true) conversation a few years back about winter camping. Hope you get a good laugh like we did!


"I used to love winter camping in Boy Scouts."

"Yeah, but wasn't it cold?"

"Nah. I had one of those mummy sleeping bags. Keeps you real warm."

"Hmmm...but does your mummy bag sleep two?"

"Ha! Like I'd ever bring you winter camping. You need a quilt if the air conditioner is running."

"True. And remember this winter I might be pregnant and hormonal."

"Oh God. What a horrible way to die."

What cancellations???

Hubby & I have a history of finding great television shows only to have them cancelled shortly afterwards. Isn't that so frustrating when that happens? A few years back, it seemed that everytime we found a new favorite show they cancelled it soon after. Anyhow, it appears that some of our seasoned favorites are up for possible cancellation. What about your favorite shows? I've read that this site is pretty accurate for predicting cancelled tv shows.

That gave me chills!!!

The other night I went to check on Daughter to make sure she was covered up since she moves into an entirely different position at least three times a night. I think I discovered why! When I opened her bedroom door, she was sitting up in her crib completely silent without making a sound staring at the door. I immediately backed up & closed the door again. She didn't make a peep nor did I even hear her move even then! When I checked on her again an hour later, she was asleep again. It was so weird & very unnerving!

"She's callin' my name again..."

Last weekend we had people over (outside of immediate family) for the first time in... well, quite some time & frankly we had a blast! Daughter's birthday party went very smoothly. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, the weather was nice (although a tad chill in the shade) & we got a lot of compliments on our patio & the kids' behavior. It was absolutely wonderful to see family & friends again.

The Strawberry Shortcake themed Pinata proved she was MUCH tougher than she looked & yes... we used an actual pinata versus one of those 'pull-a-string types'! It took my 12 year nephew quite a few swings to break it open enough for the candy to fall out. Unfortunately I wasn't thinking & has cracker & cookie bags in it; some of which were completely crushed!

Daughter loved the birthday cake & being passed around from one person to another. Ironically she had no interest in opening gifts so all the kids helped instead which was crazy but fun! The evening ended with some quality time spent with our friends (J&K) while the kids stayed up late & then fell asleep watching a movie. My youngest sister stayed the evening & spent time with the kids in the morning. Then we went to one of Son's friend's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese when we had a great time & Daughter loved all the lights & action.

I have lots of pictures to post which I will try to do next week sometime. It's another beautiful weekend coming up so everyone have fun before the cold arrives!

"These boots were made for walking!"

Yesterday we had an exciting evening where Daughter started walking for the first time. We immediately started a 'game' of her walking back & forth to us which she found absolutely hilarious! Hubby was fantastic because he got some great video which he made into this wonderful video for us. Everybody enjoy! Hope you get as many laughs as we did.

Life realizations...

I was talking to Hubby last night about the musical. I had a blast doing it & realized that I would have regretted it if I hadn't. It also reminded me of who I was when I was doing something for myself, something that made a real difference in my life. I love being a stay-at-home mom which I do not want to change; but now I realize how important it is that I continue to do something for myself & pursue my 'life lists'. Most importantly, I am happy to have time with my family back again. Now I have to keep a promise to myself to start pursuing other interests while keeping my family & myself equally important. After all these years, I finally realize that to be happy for my family, I need to commit to making some time for myself to pursue my own interests as well (so I 'don't go crazy' as Hubby like to say). Thankfully I have been blessed with a wonderful Hubby, family & friends who support me no matter what. I couldn't have asked for a better life! Thank you everyone... especially Hubby & my kids!

We're on fire!

Our director said that the entire cast was 'on fire' this weekend at our Saturday show! The crowd was fantastic which always helps. I really enjoyed doing this musical & working with the cast members. It was fun hard work (yes it may seem like an oxymoron) that I look forward to doing sometime again in the future (although in the winter next time). This has definitely a dream come true!

PS - Thanks to Hubby who watched the kids so I could go to the rehearsals & supported me happily even though we were like ships passing in the night for most the summer. I have been blessed with the most wonderful family & friends. Thank you to everyone who made it to the show. It really meant a lot to me!

Am I a pack rat?

My husband knows that I most definately am. Every now & then I have a 'fling time' where I clean out closets & boxes & must purge the items immediately while I want to get rid of them or else I'll change my mind again & find a reason to keep them!

You're a Pack Rat in Training

You know those crazy old people with a ton of video tapes and cats? Well, you're training to be one. Time to do some spring cleaning. Even if it isn't spring!

Are You a Pack Rat?

What my soul looks like

Another result, right on the money!

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are very passionate and quite temperamental. While you can be moody, you always crave comfort. You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds. You see yourself with pretty objective eyes. How you view yourself is almost exactly how other people view you. Your near future is still unknown, and a little scary. You'll get through wild times - and you'll textually enjoy it. For you, love is all about caring and comfort. You couldn't fall in love with someone you didn't trust.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

What my bed says about me?

This was actually accurate for me as well.

What Your Bed Says About You

Outward appearances are very important to you. You do your best to look good and have an attractive home. You try to be an organized person, but you often fall behind. Certain parts of your life tend to fall into chaos. You are very high maintenance. You like everything a certain way, and you're grumpy if things aren't the way you like them. In relationships, you tend to kick back and let the other person be in charge. You tend to be a down to earth, practical person. You think in terms of what is actual. You are a total homebody. You are happiest when you're at home.

What Does Your Bed Say About You?

Sarah Palin is TOTALLY qualified!

It's Hubby talking politics here...

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm sorry...I just can't say that with a straight face. It scares me that a woman that thinks living next to a foreign country means she's got foreign policy experience. I've been to Cape Canaveral...does that mean I know how to be an astronaut?

Come on guys...give America a little credit. We're not all a bunch of idiots out here! Well, that guy that cut me off is, but I'm sure he's sorry. She's got no foreign policy experience. Say it with me...NO EXPERIENCE. She's never talked to a foreign leader (except for the little talks she had a few days ago, which was more of a photo op). She never even had a passport until last year! Don't lie to us and then tell us that she's qualified because she lived in Alaska!

This woman could be president of our country!!! Do you really want to replace a man that has made us the most hated country in the world with somebody that has no idea what she is doing?!?!

Happy they are...

It is so nice to see people I know & love celebrate their anniversary. I find my parents amazing. As a teenager, I amazingly never had a rebellious stage & was always the good girl. Now as an adult, I find sometimes I agree & disagree with them. Nevertheless, I will always admire them. They were the best parents to me, always encouraging me to pursue my dreams & being there no matter what. Now five children, seven (soon-to-be eight!) grandchildren & thirty seven years later, they are still as happy & loving life together as I've always known them. During high school I watched them weather some unbearable times hand-in-hand & it only made them stronger as a couple. I'm proud to see the love they share still today & call them Mom & Dad.

My oldest friend also is celebrating her fourth anniversary with her husband. She has raised two great kids & always has had unbelievable inner strength, even when we were kids. Great job, girl!

Your Favorite Movie Kiss!

This was right on as well! This is one of our top ten movies of all time!

Your Famous Movie Kiss is from The Princess Bride

"This is true love - you think this happens every day?"

What Famous Movie Kiss Are You?

Virus city has hit!

After somehow managing to avoid the nasty throat/cold virus which hit almost everyone I know (including 1/3 of the musical cast & my entire family), it hit me full-force this morning. Now I have to pull off incredible acting skills this weekend with freeze poses! Wish me luck!

What movie is you love life like?

After seeing these results, I think my life turned out like I thought it would & wanted to.

Your Love Life is Like Pretty Woman

"I want the fairy tale" You believe that love is truly blind, unpredictable, and surprising. Two very different people can easily find true love. At least, that is how it will happen when you marry a gorgeous billionaire someday ;-) Your love style: Sensual and flirty Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Surprisingly happy

What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

Morning or night person?

You Are a Night Person

For you, there's nothing worse than having to get up and moving early. In fact, you probably don't hit your peak until well after the sun has set. So if your struggling to make it on a normal schedule, realize it's not your fault. You just weren't meant to do anything during the day!

Are You a Morning Person or Night Person?

What your handbag says about you!

What Your Handbag Says About You

You tend to be relaxed throughout the day. You are naturally at peace. You are a high maintenance person. You feel lost outside of your normal environment. You are open and comfortable with who you are. You don't hide anything. Your motto is : "Be prepared." You don't like to be surprised by anything. You are a very creative person. Your life tends to be a whirlwind, but you always seem to pull it together. You are an outgoing and expressive person. You always speak your mind, and you're very approachable. You are a very unique and special person. There's no one else who is anything like you.

What Does Your Handbag Say About You?

How do you see marriage?

Everyone has a different perspective on marriage, whether they are single, engaged, married or divorced. After being married for almost a decade, I still love Hubby immensely & we are always aware to not take each other for granted. We both know life is incredibly busy & sometimes can get annoyed with each other; but I've always said that the good times should always outweigh the bad & in our case, there's no question. We are still just as happy together as the day we got married.

Not everyone takes marriage so seriously though. Now I do agree that sometimes you have to laugh at yourself & see the humor in life (which is something I don't do easily). Then again the girls in my family can get quite silly somtimes, especially when my Mom, youngest sister & I are hanging out! Marriage is simply one of those topics that is easy to understand & laugh at with almost any comic. So for all those other perspectives, this is for you!





Some say there are even different stages in a marriage!

The Five Stages of Marriage By Mark Goulston, M.D. who is the author of The 6 Secrets of a Lasting Relationship (Putnam, 2001).

There's a joke about marriage: "Where does sex take place in a marriage? Early on, anywhere and everywhere; later on, in the bedroom; and finally, in the hallway when you and your spouse walk by each other and say, 'Screw you!'"

Many married couples laugh at jokes about how marital bliss turns into blisters not just because they're funny, but because they ring true. Understanding these marital stages can help us tame our expectations and feel more satisfied in our relationships.

Stage One: "Why don't we do it in the road?" --The Beatles

Early on in a marriage, just like in the beginning stages of our relationship, we're swept away by being in love. We are euphorically transported from being psychologically distant from our parents and feeling intimately alone in the world to being attached at the hip and heart with our soul mate. The rush we feel in going from unconnected to viscerally attached is intoxicating and we just can't get enough of each other sexually. At this stage, we love the way our partner makes us feel as much as we love him or her. We love because of everything our partner does right by and for us.

Stage Two: "Sex in bed, missionary style -- and don't forget to turn out the lights when you're finished!"

Reality and a wide range of roles and responsibilities start to impose upon our lust and love. Whereas we used to squeeze in the rest of life to accommodate our loving, we now find ourselves squeezing in the loving between being parents, workers, homemakers and caretakers to our aging parents. Fun still finds a way to survive in spite of our becoming slaves to our many routines, but it takes work. This is marriage's vulnerable stage and it's the time when a woman can go from feeling cherished to being taken for granted and when a man can go from feeling admired to belittled.

Stage Three: "Screw me? Screw you!"

When inevitable disappointment and hurt are left undealt with, they deteriorate into bitterness, coldness and indifference. We've gone from lovers to unhappy roommates. This is what happens when people don't work at their relationships. Sadly, most people don't do the work, not because they don't want to, but because they don't know how. They don't realize that getting angry at their mate or feeling sorry for themselves are actual choices that they can make or not make. Or, they fail to notice that instead of jumping to conclusions and down their spouse's throat, they can try to listen to all the facts.

Stage Four: "Still in love"

This is what's possible when we continue to feed our relationships with tender loving care, counteract our tendency to blame problems on our mate, and choose to think of why we are grateful to our partner. People in this stage do indeed have disagreements that aren't easy to resolve. Yet, rather than holding on to their anger, they instead choose to forgive and trust. Armed with these tools to fight for love, we easily learn to live the lesson of mature and lasting love: loving someone in spite of what he or she does wrong.

Stage Five: "Till death do you do part."

If we make it through stage three or four, which usually occur when we are in our 50s, the final stage of marriage is ours to enjoy when we're in our 60s and beyond. This has a lot to do with giving up the unwinable fight in our 50s to be who we were in our 20s and 30s, or perhaps letting go of our need to make that final big killing in our careers. We realize we can continue to want what we don't have and be unhappy, or else want what we do have and be content. Instead of focusing on the love that's missing, we begin to see and appreciate the love that's present. We realize that we're not settling for less, we're waking up to the more that has always been there.

That's not to say that small or big wedding mishaps don't happen when you do get married. They definately do & all you can do is know the something will most likely not go as planned so you plan everything the best you can. Then if something does happen just remember to breathe, laugh & make the best of it if & when any mishaps occur... like these!




What about the worst 'what if' happens on your wedding day? Here's a video with advice for that worst case circumstance. This is a 'How to Call Off Your Wedding"!

Success with applause!

For the past three months, I have been rehearsing for a musical & I've hardly seen Hubby who watched the kids four night each week so I could have this chance. We have gotten great reviews from the audience & people have actually been talking about it around town! Everyone has said how it's so much fun to watch which means a lot to us (i.e. the cast) since we put our heart & soul into this!

It also feels great to do one something on my 'life list'. Son was so thrilled to be there opening night & absolutely loved going. At the cast party, he continued to follow me around everywhere. It's nice to be missed! Now that it's coming to a close, I may do this again in the future but I will always treasure the experience & memories.

Summer damage

I recently discovered that a relative's hometown was hit by a tornado this past summer. Luckily my family is okay. Anyhow, here are some photos of the damage. On top of that, then they got this flooding!

I truly wonder what Old Man Winter will bring this year...

Obama Is Da Man

Hey all...this is the hubby. I hate referring to myself as that but I'm not allowed to use my name. Take a look at this message from Obama. I really think he's the man to lead us to recovery.

Summer draws to a close...

Recently my favorite author (i.e. MFA) came to the area on her book signing tour. I arrived there two hours early & was number 124! The book store staff was very friendly & fun, trying to keep all (mostly us wild girls) entertained. When MFA arrived, she was so funny, friendly, down-to-earth & just downright grateful to all her fans. She answered question after question regarding her recent book & several series with such humor & wit. When I got to meet her face-to-face, she was so incredibly sincere! It was so incredible. When I left there about six hours later, about a dozen fans were still waiting in line to meet her. I'm sure she was there for another hour at least! It's wonderful to see someone so devoted to her fans. She deserves it too!





It's always fun to see Hubby's family at the summer reunion, especially as the kids are getting bigger now & this is the first time many relatives are meeting Daughter face-to-face. Pretty soon there will be another set of cousins running around on holidays!





Son enjoyed his friend's birthday party at a local gym where they jumped into a foam pit, bounced on the trampoline & swung from a rope into another foam pit! The cake & presents afterwards was of course a big hit.





The kids' enjoyed their first Renaissance Fair with my SIL & her hubby. The various costumes were amazing as always. The creativity is amazing!





Who doesn't love playtime with their siblings?





We had fun at one of many popular local summer festivals where I performed with the musical theater a few of our songs for the upcoming show.





Finally we truly enjoyed one of the last summer weekends together.

Missing the mark

It appears that summer has decided to depart early & now fall has descended upon us. Usually we have at least three months of summer. This year summer didn't even arrive until mid June! Here it is mid-September & the cold weather has already been here for over a week now. Long sleeves & pants are now taking over the closets which means I need to find time somehow to pack up the Son's & Daughter's summer clothes! That will be the trick.

My calf is much better. I do wrap it for support frequently (especially when dancing) but have been able to fully participate in rehearsals for over a week now. Show time is coming up & we're still tweaking it. I only hope it is as good as we know it can be.

Baby, you're off the charts!

Last week we had Daughter's 12 month check-up. Stay tune for more information...

Weight & height: Her weight (25 lbs) is still in the 95th percentile while her height (32.5") is off the charts! She's definitely going to be very tall but still proportionate. Guess we're going to be getting the 'Tall' jeans for her!

Likes & dislikes: We got some good recommendations about some additional foods to add to her diet, now that we're finally adding solid foods to her menu (yes I know we waited longer than normal). She loves bananas, chocolate, laughing, jumping, dancing to music & climbing anything possible. Somehow I don't think she'll be afraid of heights! She hates potatoes but is now okay eating green beans. She seems to like the colors red, pink & lavender best, although blue brings out her beautiful eye color.

Skills: She started to roll over in May & then crawling & using sign language (i.e. signs for more, bottle, all done & splashing) in July. Last month she started standing & walking along furniture, bending down & standing back up to pick something up, figured out that standing on anything & then taught herself how to turn a wall light switch on & off. This month she frequently tests herself to stand & takes a few steps without support; that is in addition to using more sign language (such as Grandma, Grandpa, cat). Over the past few months she became quite the talker too!

Personality: She has many endearing qualities & is so darn cute! She has a big beautiful smile, a bubbly laugh (especially when she laughs with you), the determination to figure things out & do them on her own (otherwise she won't do them at all), will observe & take in everything around her & then of course there's her quick fiery temper when she doesn't get she wants (she'll have to learn to control that one!). She'll play by herself but adores playing with her brother the most! A funny quirk she has is her 'Oh My Gosh' face (wide eyes & jaw dropped to the the floor).

Concerns:

The only concern with mentioning was that she may be a bit flat-footed (especially it's in her genes) but we don't know for sure yet.

Overall, we're very happy with how she's progressing & becoming another gem in our lives. Daughter & Son have & continue to bring joy & challenges every day to our lives!