Didja Miss Me?

It has been a while since I've visited my own blog, let alone to add a new post. I just figured nobody was reading anyway, and I was uninspired as to what it should say. But, my thanks to Lisa M. for challenging me to write something new. So, here we go....

::tap tap tap:: is this thing on?

Ahem

Today is a monumentous day. Why, you may ask... because today is the day I created 3 monsters. Well, to tell you the truth, I created them 11, 9 and 7 years ago, but today just compounded the issue.... I taught them how to use the Internet and gave each of them, my offspring, an email address. So, now they have a tether to the World Wide Web. They are really loving the new and exciting world that stares back at them from the big white box on the computer desk.

This afternoon as I was catching up on some ironing, B, my 9 year old, comes up to me and says, "Mommy, now I know why you spend so much time on the computer... It's fun!!"

How am I supposed to take that? 1) My children acknowledge that I spend way too much time online; or 2) they finally get to use the computer because I'm not hogging it; or 3) they appreciate me for showing them something new.

I tend to lean towards #1.

I know I do.

Which Disney Princess Are You? Cinderella You poor girl, working your hands to the bone for your wicked stepmother and ugly stepsisters. Cinderella first scrubbed up for her role in Cinderella (1950)

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

This is a good thing... Ironic, since Cinderella is my favorite. Don't we all feel a little "Cinderella-ish" at times? I'm still waiting for the pumpkin carriage to take me to my palace, but at least I don't have to wait alone... I did find Prince Charming.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The South
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Inland North
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Oh my heck! No big surprise there... I've lived in the West my entire life. I don't think I have an accent at all, but others peg me as a "Westonian" almost instantly. Go figure.

Monday MeMe

I got this from Lammy, and figured it was good enough for a fairly quick Monday MeMe. The things I've done are blue:

Have you ever:

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink.
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain.
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive. [Not Ferrari, but Corvette.]
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid.
06. Held a tarantula.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone.
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it.
09. Hugged a tree.
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise.
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game.
16. Been to the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne.
24. Given more than you can afford to charity.
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment.
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can.
32. Held a lamb.
33. Seen a total eclipse.
34. Ridden a roller coaster.
35. Hit a home run.
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was watching.
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day.
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends [still do]
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party.
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days.
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Gone to a movie by yourself.
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children [still doing it]
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds.
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart.
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone.
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours.
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school and read (LOTS!)
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

Good News!

Thanks to all the parental displeasure and several calls to the principal, my daughter's first grade teacher officially resigned on Friday. She is no longer teaching in our school.

This morning Tiny was so excited to go to school that she was up and dressed without any prodding from me. She was sure to put on her new necklace and bracelet that Grandma and Grandpa brought her from Hawaii and wear them proudly (her teacher wouldn't allow the children to wear any jewelry to school). Tiny made the comment, "I can now, because [my teacher] is gone!" She was beaming.

So, it's true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The classroom should run much smoother and the children should enjoy learning again. I can't wait to hear all about her day when she gets home.

Woohoo!!

Frustrated... Grrrrrrr

I have three daughters in the public school system, all in elementary school. I've had gripes in the past, but none can compare to what I'm feeling this year.

Biggest problem at hand is with the first grade teacher. My youngest daughter has always been very happy-go-lucky and can make friends in even the worst circumstances. She thrived in Kindergarten and enjoyed going to school each and every day. She was even more excited to begin first grade because she'd get to spend more time with her friends and get to have lunch in the cafeteria. It was her dream!

Fast forward just a few weeks and suddenly she doesn't want to go to school anymore. She wakes up each day and tells me that she has a headache, or that she feels like she's going to throw up... It's a struggle every morning, tears shed (by both of us) and I feel horrible for sending her out the door sobbing. She hates her teacher. I'm not happy with the teacher either, and even less so now that I've networked with other parents with students in the class.

I put a call in to the principal, who is out of the office today, to voice my concerns. I discovered in talking with other parents that at least 8 children have been pulled out and placed in other classes. That alone speaks volumes about the state of the classroom, doesn't it?

I am unable to merely transfer my daughter to another class because we are on year-round school and it would require changing all of my children... but I haven't disregarded the thought of homeschooling through the end of the year for my youngest. First grade is too critical of a time to dislike school. If she can't enjoy school and have fun while learning now, I fear that it will snowball down through the remaining years of her learning career.

I'm so frustrated. I just want the best for my kids and I hate being at the mercy of beauracracy. I hope and pray the principal (or the superintendant if I have to go that far) will see it the same way I do....

You Never Know What You've Got...

My Internet connection has been down for a two days. Since yesterday morning, I'd boot up my computer, sit down to do my thang, only to be greeted with a little yellow exclamation point in my task bar telling me that a connection could not be established.

Oh what misery!!

After about 6 hours of this I started to panic a bit. No Email. No blogs. No Group. No IM. No NOTHING! I felt to shut off from the outside world and it was driving me nuts! Oh man, I might have to actually pick up the phone to call my neighbor and tell her that her kids were playing at my house instead of IM'ing her. Oh, the inhumanity!!

I used that phone contraption first thing today to call my provider and insist that they check the tower or something and fix my problem before I was carted off to the funny farm. It took some time, but here I am -- online and sufficiently cyber-medicated. Aaahhhhhhhh.

Carry on.

25 Years

It was in 1981 that Luke and Laura tied the knot on General Hospital. I wasn't an active watcher back then, but my mom was, and I can still remember the buzz surrounding the blessed nuptials.

And, here it is 2006 and the infamous couple are celebrating their 25th Anniversary. I have been an avid GH'er for more than 15 years... the type of viewer that taped the show when I wouldn't be able to be home, planning my schedule around the show, and talking about the characters with other GH'ers as though they were real people. I would never admit it in the open, but I actually talk to the screen now and then when I feel that the show isn't going my way... I'm hooked, what can I say?

So, with such an important event occuring on my show today, you can bet I'll be sitting on my favorite spot on the couch, with a cold coke in hand, as I sit transfixed watching the return of Laura and the celebration that is sure to follow. I can hardly wait!

If Only...

I just finished reading "The Wedding" by Nicholas Sparks, much to the dismay of my beloved husband. If you haven't read the book, and you don't want the plot spoiled, don't finish reading this entry...

You've been warned...

Okay, so you want to know why he was dismayed. Well, the book is about a middle-aged couple who have grown apart over the years. Kids and career came between them and they were practically strangers in their own home... so much so that the husband completely forgot their 29th wedding anniversary.

With renewed resolve, he vows to make it up to her and spends the months prior to their 30th wedding anniversary preparing a fabulous gift of the heart. Unfortunately, just one week before their anniversary their oldest daughter comes to them and says she is getting married and wants to do it on their anniversary to honor them. The wife jumps at the opportunity to give her daughter the wedding she wasn't able to have 30 years ago and immediately starts with preparations.

During that week, the husband and wife -- amidst all the chaos of planning a wedding for their daughter -- slowly reacquaint themselves with one another and begin to remember why the fell in love all those years ago. It all culminates when the husband presents his wife with the gift he made her to celebrate their anniversary.

This is where it gets good.

To present the gift, he sends her on a scavanger hunt, where each location holds a note and a gift. She is then whisked away in a limosine to where the husband is waiting, wearing a tuxedo and preparing a fabulous meal. He sends her upstairs to retrieve something for him, and instead finds a photo album that he assembled of their life together. He said it held all the things he "should have said" and each photo of the two of them together was accompanied by what he was thinking at the time. That alone would have melted me to a puddle... how romantic is that!!!

They renewed themselves and their love. It was beautiful.

The day of their daughter's wedding arrived and the mother and father of the bride were waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her to make her grand entrance... instead, she bounds down the stairs wearing the same bridesmaid dress as her sister. The mother asks incredulously why she isn't wearing the gown they had picked out... the daughter responds: "becuase I'm not getting married today, you are!"

The whole thing had been a rouse by the husband to set up the wedding they didn't have 30 years ago. They had been married on the courthouse steps and the wife had always regretted it a bit. I finished the last 10 pages of the book with tears streaming down my face, and then spent the next half hour relating the whole story to my husband. It was such a beautiful story!!

We celebrated our 14th anniversary last year. Our wedding was anything but glamorous or romantic -- I purchased a dress from Nordstrom's that I would be able to wear again and again at church, and he wore a suit he borrowed from a friend. We were married in the Relief Society room of our church house by a bishop who had never performed a wedding before. Our guests were invited by phone call the night before, and only a handful of them came. It was a short ceremony and there was no reception afterwards... instead we went to my new brother-in-law's home for cake. We had a small open house a few weeks later, but even then it was held in my FIL's back yard and it was a very casual affair.

I know that it's the marriage that counts, not the wedding, but every little girl dreams of the day she'll get to walk down the aisle and recite her vows before her friends and family while wearing a glamorous gown and feeling like a princess. A temple wedding is a bit different, but the desire for the fairy tale is still there.

I want the fairy tale. I would love it for my husband to take the initiative and do what Wilson did in the novel. It would be a dream come true...

Sigh. If only....

My Brain...

Your Brain's Pattern

You have a tempered, reasonable way of thinking. You tend to take every new idea in, and meld it with your world view. For you, everything is always changing. Each moment is different. Your thinking process tends to be very natural - with no beginnings or endings.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Stand as a Witness Part II

The weekend is over -- what an experience!!

It would take a month to write out everything I did and thought over the weekend, so I'll try to summarize it the best I can.

Beth Moore has a very large following and is popular around the Christian Born-Again scene. She travels all over the world giving seminars and conferences and "spreading the Word of God." It's not just her business, it's her life. She has a band that was with her at this seminar... Travis Cottrell and the Praise Team... they play typical Christian music with rock beats and phrases like: "You took the shackles off me so I can lift you up Lord..." and "Let's raise the roof off the sanctuary with our love, Lord" etc.

Each phase of the conference started with the band playing and everyone stood to dance and raise their hands in the air. I just stood and quietly bounced to the music, trying to not look as out of place as I felt. When Beth Moore came out, everyone cheered and clapped, and continued to cheer and clap and shout "Amen" or "Praise the Lord" to punctuate her message.

The main message of the seminar was God's immeasurable love for us. I agree wholeheartedly with that.. but the way she went about delivering that message left me often shaking my head and feeling very confused. She bounced all around the Bible, and I took notes to try to keep up. I'll say this much for Beth Moore -- she is a very dynamic speaker and she loves being on the stage. Unfortunately, she lacks emotion. She spoke of some very tough times in her life, yet she showed no real emotion. She spoke of her great love for Jesus, yes she showed no real emotion. Her voice went loud and soft for emphasis, but it lacked real emotion.

After 6 hours of her speaking and the band playing, I was ready to go home and leave the world of Beth Moore behind. I realized how grateful I was for the reverence of the Church and for the Priesthood that leads us and for personal revelation that guides me in the ways I should go. I just didn't realize how grateful I was until the next day (Sunday) back in my home ward, in my home chapel, with my husband and family by my side.

It was Fast and Testimony meeting and the testimonies borne by my ward family touched me deeper than they have in a long time. And, it just got better in Sunday School where the teacher was discussing the lesson on receiving His image in your countenance and then he showed excerpts from "Finding Faith in Christ" where I witnessed again, up close, the miracles Christ performed during his earthly ministry and the great love He has for all of us. I also watched as he was crucified and felt again the incredible sacrifice the Atonement really is. I was so deeply moved that I just sat in my seat and wept. It's so amazing to me!!

What did I gain from the seminar? I felt the stark contrast of what it is to be immersed in the Spirit and to be alienated from it. I realized how blessed I am to know there is a prophet on the earth today and that I have direct access to the Priesthood, the ability to act in the name of God on earth, through my husband any time I need it. I KNOW my Savior loves me. I KNOW he atoned for my sins. I KNOW He is there for me any day, any hour, any minute that I need Him.

Do the women at that seminar know who they pray to? Do they fully understand the Savior's love for them? Do they understand what it means to be a daughter of God? Do they understand? Do they?

I do.

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.