Stand as a Witness

Tonight I am doing something out of my comfort zone, but I'm going into it with a positive attitude and a smiling face...

I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was 15 years old and I remain the only member of my family in the Church. My parents never felt God or religion were important in life and I grew up thinking Sunday was just another day. They generally have the same ideas except my mother has been searching a little more as she ages (though I feel she is searching in the wrong places).

To give some additional background, my mother has three younger sisters, all living in different states and two of which have strongly embraced the Pentacostal, Born-Again faith. While I love my aunts dearly, they make no bones about the fact they do not like the Mormon faith and actively speak out against LDS teachings. They know I am active in my church and I participate fully in all the LDS gospel has to offer (including the temple) and occasionally they enjoy debating the Bible with my husband and I (seemingly for sport). Again, I'll state that I love my aunts and as long as religion is kept out of the conversation, we have a great time. My mother, bless her heart, finds it easier to accept their teachings than mine and has semi-adopted their philosophies, though she isn't consistently active...

So, that brings us to tonight. I have been invited, and accepted, a girls night out with my mom and her sisters to attend a Bible seminar by Christian speaker, Beth Moore. As I looked at Beth Moore's website, I see that she is a Baptist minister who is "on fire" about the Word of God. The tickets to attend were $50 each, which my mom happily bought mine for me. I know I will be in the extreme minority in the crowd at this Conference tonight and I know I will be under the microscope of my family, watching to see how I will react to what is said.

I'm not well-versed with all aspects of the Gospel, but I know in my heart that it is all true. I cannot quote scripture verbatim, but I know they are real messages from God through His prophets. I know there is truth in all faiths, and I will seek out what I know to be true in the messages delivered tonight and I will receive it graciously. Hopefully, I am going to be an example of a good Latter-day Saint woman and represent the Church and our Savior well.

I keep thinking back to the YW Theme: I will stand as a witness of God at all times, and in all things and in all places... That certainly applies to now.

We're Back!

We are back and we had a FABULOUS time in Disneyland. The weather was perfect, the girls were all well-behaved, and everything went as planned. I couldn't have asked for a better vacation.

I will say that I am so glad that I wore good shoes because we did a LOT of walking. I would guess we walked close to 20 miles while in the parks and none of the kids complained once that they were tired. If you are planning a trip to Disneyland, let me suggest you go the last week of September... the first day we were there was a Tuesday and there were absolutely NO lines. We were waiting less than 5 minutes to ride and we were able to see the entire park in that day alone. The next day we focused on our favorite rides and were able to ride them multiple times becuase, again, no lines.

Unfortunately, Friday, our last day in Disney, the crowds showed up. Suddenly there were lines over a half-hour long (and I hear that's still pretty good compared to peak season) and there were people EVERYWHERE! It was the only day there were any complaints about the trip, and many of them came from me. We wanted to be sure to have the full effect of the fireworks show, which meant we had to claim our spot in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle 2 hours before the show... sitting on concrete for two hours is not good on the hynie. But, I will say that the fireworks presentation was worth the wait... breathtaking!

Disney is a magical place -- albeit incredibly expensive -- and we had a riot. It was hard to come home as I would have liked to stay another week... but life must go on, right? Now, I need a rest from all that walking!

Vacation, all I ever wanted...

So, tomorrow is the day. It's the first time that we are all going on an actual vacation together as a family. This is no weekend camping trip, or a quickie overnight stay somewhere, this is an honest-to-goodness, bonafide VACATION!

I think I am more excited than my children are to be going to Disneyland. I haven't been since I was 8 years old, and now I have my own little 8 year old that will be experiencing Disney for the first time. Seems odd to have the shoe on this foot... suddenly, I feel more "parental" to be traveling with my children; while at the same time I'm giddy as a schoolgirl thinking I"m going to see Cinderella close up! Go figure.

I don't feel at all prepared, though I've been preparing for over a week. I'm convinced I will forget to pack something essential. It's hard enough when I'm just packing for myself, but trying to predict what each of my three children (and husband) could possibly need in the next 5 days and making sure it gets into the luggage, is a bit much. Not to mention, trying to obey all of the TSA restrictions and guidelines...

It's enough to send any mom off to the looney bin.

Hey.... wait a minute. The looney bin?? Three square meals and total isolation? Now THAT sounds like the perfect vacation. Sign me up!

Love this Quote

‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?

You are a child of God, small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of God that lives in us. It is not in some of us, it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others.’

- Marianne Williamson in Return to Love: Reflections on a Course in Miracles

There is so much truth there. It literally gives me goosebumps.

Just one of those days...

Ever have one of those days when you feel like the world is moving along without you? Where everywhere you look people are succeeding and getting what they want out of life? Where you feel like you just aren't making the cut and that everything you touch turns to dust?

The kind of day where you just feel like crap?

Well, that's my day yesterday and today.... lookin' like tomorrow too.

I'd like to have a party and invite Jack, Jim, and good ole Bud, but since those guys aren't on my party invitation list, I'll settle for Ben and his pal Jerry. Drown my self in double fudge brownie.

Sigh. Just one of those days.

MeMe, All About Me!!

1. How often do you blog? Whenever I dang well feel like it, so there!!

2. Online Alias: No aliases here... I've had my online name so long that I answer to Heart in real life now. *sigh*

3. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew? Unfortunately, yes, and it came back to bite me in the butt. That'll learn me to be a better judge of character...

4. What do you do most often when you are bored? Usually play a riveting game of Spider Solitaire on my computer and stare at the bottom right corner of my screen for an IM announcement that someone... anyone... has come on IM so I can chat. It's akin to picking up the phone every three or four seconds to see if someone is trying to call.

5. When bathing, which do you wash first? Always my hair... probably because I love the smell of my shampoo so much that I can spend the rest of my showering pretending it's aromatherapy.

6. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight? No, and I don't think I'll risk trying it either.

7. What color looks best on you? I get the most compliments when I wear pinks and corals... but that's not to say *I* think they look the best on me... I'd have to go with a paper sack??

8. What’s your favorite drink? Vanilla Coke... but the big wigs at Coca Cola went and discontinued it... what the heck were they thinking???

9. Do you believe in heaven and hell as a real place that each of us will go to after death? Absolutely.

10. Do you find that you have more online friends than offline friends? Ummm, would you find me incredibly pathetic if I answer yes?

11. What was your favorite subject in school? I liked anything that had to do with numbers. I was always really good in math and accounting. There is just something so satisfying when you get to the end and find that you got the right answer.

12. Are you a perfectionist? I'd have to say definitely yes. To a fault.

13. Do you spend more than you can afford? Budget shmudget.

14. Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have love before? Nothing hurts quite like that of a broken heart... but it's impossible to know the good without the bad. When love is good, man, oh man is it GOOD!! But, when it's bad.... ick.

15. Do you consider yourself creative? I'm a good copycat. I don't come up with ideas on my own, but if I have a good pattern to imitate, then I can pull off some creative things. Does that count?

16. Do you give yourself the credit you deserve? Do you think I deserve any?

17. Do you donate time or money to charities? Yes, both time and money. I am a firm believer that when ye are in the service of your fellow men, you are in the service of your God.

18. Have you recently done something that you’ve criticized others for doing? Yep. My kids aren't allowed to have treats after dinner if they haven't finished all of their meal... yet I get to have what I want, when I want it. It's a Mommy Perk.

19. What’s on your mind? I'm blonde... you don't want to know.

20. Say one nice thing about the people you are going to tag!

I don't know many bloggers, and no bloggers that haven't already been tagged with this... but I will say that Lammy has to be my very best friend, online and in real life. She knows just what I need to hear and she finishes my sentences before I even realized that's what I was going to say. I love her more than words can say.


So.... anyway.... that's me.

Crikey! What a loss.....

The world lost a valuable asset today. Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter" was killed after getting stung by a stingray near Queensland, Australia.

Steve has given our family many laughs and his love and enthusiasm for animals and nature was contagious. We love to quote his many "Irwinisms" complete with the accent (albeit bad as we are at imitating). I will forever hear "Crikey, she's a bit grumpy today" as said to a crocodile mother whom I was nervous just watching from the comfort of my living room, and Steve was inching towards her to... what? Give her a hug??

My favorite Crocodile moment was when he first introduced the "most feared and dangerous animal known to man" at which point he came walking into view holding his newborn daughter. You could tell how much he loved her and I bet he was a fantastic father.

He handled even the creepiest creepy crawlies like they were his best friends, and I believe they probably were. It seems only fitting that he died doing what he loved most, though there is a void in the world now and he will be missed. Probably none so much as by his sweet family.

Bye Steve... you will be missed.

I only hope there is an incredible zoo in heaven that needs a keeper.

From "Everyday Mommy." Many retailers, marketing and PR firms review mommy blogs for trends and opinions. If we speak as one we may be able to effect change."

It's so difficult to find clothing for my daughters these days... either the pants are so low that their underwear shows over the top, or thier shirts are so high that their bellies show. And, why is it that I cannot find a decent Easter dress with sleeves????? If only one of my multiple personalities were a seamstress, I may not fret so much about it... but, as it is, I have to deal with the store-to-store search for decent, modest clothing.

I'm all for sending the message to retailers that we want to keep our children LOOKING like children for as long as we can. We all know what happened to JonBenet Ramsey, don't we.

Kids and Sports

After years of begging, I finally enrolled my middle daughter into soccer. All of her friends have been playing since they were in the first grade (now third) and I've just never had the desire or the time to want to participate. Neither of her sisters have ever expressed the desire for team sports, or doing anything like that, so I just kept brushing my middlest off, always saying "maybe next season..."

But, I finally relented and signed her up for this season. Yesterday was their first orientation meeting where they met the coach and the team, received their uniforms, and had a small practice afterwards. My sweet little Bee was so excited to be there and listened very intently to everything the coach was saying. I loved watching her enthusiasm as she had her small moments with the ball, and I can see in her personality that she will be a great team player. The look of sheer pleasure on her face as she ran around the field was priceless.

I wish I would have done it sooner.

It's SOOOO wrong!

What is this world coming to?? The issues that we are facing today are enough to make anyone shake their head in confusion.

The other day my husband and I were flipping channels on TV. Our three daughters came and went from the room while they went about their evening activities... It was a lazy night for all. My husband stopped on a channel that was doing a study on whether they could tell a homosexual merely by the way they sat and spoke. At that point, my middle daughter (age 8) came into the room and plopped onto the couch to watch with us. The study showed a set of twin men, where one was gay but the other was straight. They talked about how genetics could be the source of homosexuality, but in the case of the twins, there was also environment issues that were the cause... They then showed twin boys (around the age of my daughter) in the same situation -- one was questioning his sexuality, saying he felt he was a girl in a boys body. The study put a test to the viewers by showing home videos of children doing various activities and challenged the viewers to pick which grew up straight and which grew up gay.

We changed the channel at that point.

Last night, my eight year old daughter comes up to me and asks, "Mom, do you think I'm gay, or do I just mumble too much?" My heart sank to my shoes. I told her that she is a beautiful and sweet little girl who I loved very much and, "no, I don't think you are gay."

Apparently, she had picked up from the study that a person who is gay tends to have a different manner of speech than those who are straight. I've often told my 8-year-old that she mumbles and she needs to learn to speak more clearly so everyone can understand her. In her young mind, she took that to mean that since she has a different manner of speaking, then she must be like the children in the TV program.

How many of the world's children have the same thought processes and come to the conclusion that they must be homosexual, thus acting on those thoughts?? How many parents, afraid to ostracise their kids, agree with their assumptions in the vein of "accepting them how they are"?

Why is it that homosexuality is taught in schools as being an "alternate lifestyle" but teaching about God is not welcome?

What is wrong with this world??

Back to Regularly Scheduled Life

The Pageant is officially over. What an experience it was!

It began on Friday with the interview portion and I met with the 5 interviewers and got my 5 minutes in the hot seat. I left feeling a bit overwhelmed and unsure if I gave them what they wanted. It was harder than interviewing for a job... Bob Lonsberry was one of the judges, but I didn't shmooze up to him, though my husband is a big fan. He threw out the toughest questions to me and I felt that I answered him well...

Saturday was full of rehearsals and the culminating event: The Pageant. I was contestant #25 of 29, which put me near the end. I liked that I was towards the end so that I could watch the others that went before me and hopefully emulate their good points. We had the opening number (thankfully there were no complicated dance moves) and we introduced ourselves and our platforms to the judges and the audience. It was almost my turn and I was standing on my mark on stage waiting for the girl in front of me to finish her intros when her microphone went out. I was standing there wondering if I should walk up and hand her the microphone I was holding. But, when I tapped it, my mic wasn't working either, so I continued to stand there and watched her finish in her loudest voice. When I approached center stage and spoke into my mic, it worked and I did my thing. I feel bad that I didn't help her out in a moment that was undoubtedly tense for her. I wonder if I'd offered her help if the judges would have scored me more favorably.

The next portion was the swimsuit. Man, is that ever an intimidating thing to do!! I walked across the stage in my turquoise one-piece and felt every eye on me. Blech! I was so glad to get off stage after that.

Next came evening gown. I had my husband on stage with me as my escort and having him there made me feel less self-conscious. He looked so good in his tux!! Husband voice-overs were playing as each girl did her walk in front of the judges and my husband's tribute to me was well worth it all! I can't wait to get my DVD so I can listen to it again and again. I felt like a real princess.

The judges had a very difficult decision to make in narrowing it down from 29 to just 10. All of the ladies were gorgeous and polished and wonderful. There we were, all standing on stage, trying to keep smiling as the numbers were called off and the Top Ten emerged. Unfortunately, #25 was not called and I walked off the stage with the other 19 girls. At that point, I was ready to go home and put my feet up. It was all over for me, there was nothing left but awards. But, I came back on stage after the Top Ten answered their on-stage question, with a smile on my face and my aching feet throbbing in my shoes...

So, not only did I not win, I didn't even place. But you know what? While I'm disappointed in the outcome, I'm not disappointed in myself. I gave them my very best of me and I can't feel bad about that.

I've been asked if I'd consider competing again. My answer to that is "Maybe." If I do, I will choose a different pageant to be part of, Mrs. United States isn't for me.

So, now it's back to reality... sigh.

P.S. I'd post a picture or two, but unfortunately, we handed our camera off to a friend in the front row, and they apparently don't know how to use a digital camera. Not a single picture came out clear. Dangit.

Cycle of Life

My great grandmother died this morning. She lived to be 88 years old. We've been saying for the last several years that Grandma probably wouldn't hang on much longer, and each Christmas we said would probably be her last. She sure showed us!

We all knew that her time was very short -- especially after falling and breaking her hip last Wednesday. In her old age, she has suffered from congestive heart failure, several infections, and dimentia, not to mention the fact that she refused to give up smoking, but she decided that it was her time to go, so she went.

My mom told me she went and visited Grandma in the hospital on Saturday evening. During the visit, Grandma reached her hand up and held it in the air for a moment. My mom asked her what she was doing and Grandma responded, "I'm waiting for that man over there..." Grandma was lucid at the time, but perhaps not all on this plane.

I'm sure she's happy now, and a lot more comfortable than she's been for a long while. Unfortunately, she did not have the fullness of the Gospel in her life like she should have. I really don't know what sorts of choices she made as a young woman, but I know that the Gospel was a part of her life at one time. I regret that I never asked her more about her life, and that I wasn't as close to her as I could have been.

I'm grateful for the knowledge of the Gospel and for my membership in the Church. I have a relationship with my Father in Heaven and I rejoice in having Christ as my personal Savior. I hope that when it's my time to cross the veil that I have multitudes waiting to welcome me into Paradise. Perhaps one day I'll have the chance to talk to Grandma again, and maybe say the things I should have said here on earth. Who knows, maybe I'll even have a chance to help teach her there. I pray I will.

Love you, Grandma!

Get Back in the Saddle

Last night my husband and I were just settling down to watch Survivor together when our front door opened and our youngest daughter was screaming for Mommy. We jumped up and ran upstairs at break-neck speed to see what was wrong. There in the entry way stood our 5-year-old daughter, cyring hysterically, blood dripping down her face, clothes splotched with blood and her hands coated trying to hold it all in. Seeing her like that made my heart sank to the floor.

My husband scooped her up and we ran upstairs to our bathroom where we tried to assess the situation. We checked her mouth first to make sure she hadn't knocked her teeth out, and then we checked to make sure she hadn't broken anything. All the while, she's still sobbing uncontrollably. At one point she looks up and asks, "Am I going to die?" Another heart-dropping moment for this mom! What must have been going through her young mind to ask such a question!! Poor thing. She said she had fallen off her bike so, while I cleaned her up, her daddy went out to get it and put it away. By the time I had her hair washed and she was all clean, she had calmed down a bit. I gave her some aspirin and got her out of the tub.

Standing there in the bathroom as I toweled her off, we began to giggle at her appearance. She had a goose-egg on her forehead, scrapes on her nose and a fat lip. We giggled even more when she saw her lopsided smile in the mirror. She was going to be okay.

Today, she was going to go play at a friend's house. Normally, she would ride her bike over, but today she said she was just going to walk. I told her she should just ride her bike over, it was faster. But, she gave me several excuses why she didn't want to ride her bike today, but what it all boiled down to was this: She was afraid.

I saw some of myself in her in that moment. How many times have I let something that scared me keep me from doing things I loved? How often had something that made me uncomfortable or insecure kept me from experiencing something joyful? How many times had I deprived myself of joy because of fear??

I reminded her how excited she was when she first learned to ride her two-wheeler bike. I told her how good she was at it and how proud I was that she could ride like a big-girl. I walked outside with her and pulled out her bike and urged her to get on. She did, albeit a bit reluctantly, but she did. I watched her ride down the driveway and I couldn't help but smile. She was doing it! She wasn't going as fast as she normally does, and she slowed way down when she came to a curb, but she was riding her bike again! And, she was smiling.

I can learn so much from her.

6 Wierd Things About Myself

I have been tagged... Joy for me! Thanks to Lisa for making me think of all the truly wierd attributes I possess....

6 Wierd Things About Myself

1. I can't get to sleep at night unless (and until) I floss my teeth. It hasn't always been this way, but for the past 18 months or so, it is a nightly ritual. If I forget, or am away from home where I don't have my floss with me, I'll toss and turn and dream about flossing. Oh, and it has to be mint waxed floss...
2. I can read, watch TV and listen to the radio at the same time, and not miss anything. I can even sing along with the music as I read, and still not miss what I'm reading. My husband thinks I'm a freak because of it, but I tell him it's just because I'm a woman.
3. I'm a walking phone book. I have a knack for remembering phone numbers, even if I've never actually called that number. Tell me the number, and I'll be able to repeat it back a week later.
4. I have an "expiration date phobia," especially when it comes to dairy products. I CANNOT consume anything that is near its due date. Even if it still smells okay, or has been proven to last longer than the date that is printed on the package, I cannot bring myself to eat/drink it.
5. I won't use public restrooms (another phobia). It will take an absolute emergency to get me inside one, let alone actually use it. There's just something about using the bathroom a few feet away from someone else who is going. Besides, how many other tushies have been on this very toilet today? eeeeewwwwwww. I'll walk in with my kids when they have to go, but I'll wash my hands along with them, just from opening the door. The whole concept of public bathrooms totally grosses me out. I'll wait until I'm home, thankyouverymuch.
6. I put ketchup on practically everything. I used to use it a lot more as a child than I do now, but I still have to have ketchup on the table for almost every meal. Any beef, any egg, any potato, any pork -- all doused in ketchup (or, catsup, if you prefer). The only thing I never put ketchup on is chicken, but anything else is game. When I was a little girl, I would ask for ketchup on my tuna fish sandwiches. I have grown out of that stage, but I like to put ketchup on my Kraft Macaroni-N-Cheese. How wierd is that??

So, those are 6 of my weird idiosyncracies. Thanks for tagging me, Lisa. :o)

Overwhelmed!

This post is going to be whiney, so if you don't feel like hearing someone whine about everything, then just skip this blog altogether.

You've been warned.

I have way too much going on in my life right now and I'm really feeling it -- it's getting to the point where I want to jump in the car and just drive and drive and drive to run away from it all... but then I remember how sickening gas prices are, and I have to face my issues.

First of all, I have a part time job. I work mostly from home doing dictation, general typing, brochures, etc., but 2 or 3 times a month I actually go into the office and catch up on things there. I say part time because it was supposed to be a commitment of only about 10 hours a week... HOWEVER, lately I have been getting calls EVERY day from my employer asking me to do things. What takes him 15 seconds to explain will wind up taking me all day, and sitting here at the computer (while I'm home) does not allow for me to do much else. So, I work. And, my house stays a mess, the laundry piles up, nothing gets made for dinner (so we pick up fast food), the kids run amok, I lose ME time. I'd tell my boss to take this job and put it somewhere else, but the extra money really comes in handy around here.

Second of all, my husband just started his own business in January of this year. He works construction and has very limited computer skills. The administration part of the business is left up to me. He picked up a copy of Quick Books and I about died when I saw how thick the manual was for it! I installed the software and ran a few tutorials and realized that it's going to take some serious studying to get familiar with the program. It will require my butt to be sitting in this chair, in front of this computer, for longer hours, in addition to the hours I already put in for my other boss. At least with my other boss I get paid. I'm too tired at the end of the day to receive any fringe benefits from my husband/boss.

Next on my whine list is my calling at church. I'm the Enrichment Leader, and have been for over 3 years. I'm burned out. And, I'm confused as to how to run the program with the new guidelines that went into effect earlier this year. It's supposed to be easier on leaders with only having 4 activities a year -- but with those activities, the mini-classes, and "extra" mid-week activities, I'm busier than ever. The RS counselor over Enrichment has been out of town a lot this year, leaving me on my own to plan and coordinate these activities and I'm frustrated. I have a Board, but they wait for me to tell them what to do before doing anything. I don't like having the entire responsibility. It's taking it's toll on me. I'd ask to be released, but I fear they'll stick me back in Primary or in Young Women, which I think would be worse than the headache I have now.

(didn't I warn you this was going to be a whine fest?)

Next, the pageant is just over 3 weeks away. The butterflies I had in the beginning are now jitters and I'm very nervous. I still need to tie up loose ends, get a few last-minute things and focus on my health and fitness program (which isn't going so well since we eat out so much lately). I'm second-guessing myself at every turn and worry that I've gotten in over my head. I have these nightmares where I come in last place and my family and friends are disappointed in me and want their sponsor money back. Maybe I shouldn't have entered the competition after all.....

I'm a bit concerned for my health as well. I haven't been to a doctor since my 6-week check up after my last baby (who will be turning 6 this Summer). When you live without insurance, you live without proper healthcare. I have been spotting for 4 weeks now, which is probably not normal. I could make an appointment with my doctor, but with my luck, the bill would come to a couple hundred dollars and he would tell me there's nothing wrong, and I should just buy more panty liners. On the other hand, if there is something wrong, and I don't take care of myself, the consequences could be much worse.

Did I mention my house is a wreck?

I guess I've sat and whined here long enough... I need to go and work on my boss' website. I've never created a website from scratch before and the process is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be -- especially when I work for such a picky man.

If you've made it to the end of this whine-fest, then pat yourself on the back. You survived.

Will I?

Bakin'

I started tanning yesterday. It has been a long time since I have gone, and the first time was just under 3 years ago. I'd never seen the reason for it, since I tan so easily during the summer months playing in the backyard with my kids and gardening. However, I will say that I loved the results just a few short sessions in a tanning bed gave my skin (not to mention, no tan lines).

So, in preparation for the pageant, I decided a few sessions a week for a month should give me the nice golden color to accent the pale blue gown I will be wearing. Not to mention, tan skin hides cellulite better than white skin.

I forgot how relaxing tanning is. I loved laying in the warm bed and feeling the fake sun rays warm me all the way through. I just relaxed and listended to the radio for the 10 minutes I was there. I think I'll go back again today, before we get in the full swing of Easter preparations. I could use the few minutes of relaxation to regroup and re-energize.

Oh, and before you hit the "Comment" button... I know the cancer risks, so please don't stone me for my choices.

Happy Easter!!

Happy HNT

I don't know this guy, and quite frankly, I'm rather glad not to. What was he thinking??

Ultimatum

It is a gorgeous Spring day today, and where are my youngest two children? In their room, throwing fits.

Why would they be in their room on such a beautiful, warm day?

Because they were given an ultimatum, and that was their choice.

I am so tired of going into their room and stepping on toys, or doing their laundry and only having a single sock to give them because all the rest of their dirty clothes are piled in the closet or under the bed or (heaven forbid) back in their drawers. I've had enough. I told them their room has to be cleaned up before they would see the light of day again (and now that they are off for Spring Break, that's gonna be rough!).

And, then I gave them a choice:

"Go ahead and play outside, girls... and while you're out, I'll clean your room for you."

That may sound like a sweet deal, except for the fact that I clean with a Hefty bag.

They opted to do the room themselves. And, there they sit.

Lucky them.

Can't Please the Difficult

I am so incredibly frustrated! I'm jonesin' for a Coke and a day off, let me tell you!

I work from home -- technically as a freelance do-it-all. I type, I do dictation, I format data bases, prepare presentations and I dabble in graphic design. Just recently I've started getting into web design (necessity is the mother of invention, right?). The company I work for figures they can pay a novice a LOT less than a professional...

Well, I poured my heart into their website. I had to struggle through the program since I don't know it well, but I thought I was coming along just fine. I was actually rather proud of the work I had accomplished.

I emailed the link to the site to the Executive Director and awaited my well-deserved pat on the back.

What did I get?

"It's really not what I'm looking for. I don't care much for the layout."

Crush. Stomp. Ouch.

So, I tore it down and started over.

Why is it that you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time?? Grrrr.

Oh Joy

I have the distinct pleasure of going to the dentist this morning. Can you feel my enthusiasm?

Why is it that the mere mention of dentist makes most normal human blood run cold? Is it the fact that some stranger is sticking their fingers in your mouth? Is it the sound of the drills (wwwwwrrrrrrreeeeeeeeoooooooooooo)? Is it having someone right up close and personal with the bright florescent light enhancing every flaw you have in your skin? What about those shots? Gotta love those, right??

I can think of a billion things I'd rather be doing this morning than sitting in the dentist's chair. Blech.