Kasi's Pick

Kasi's birthday is in two weeks. She will be twelve years old. I keep asking myself when she grew up, because I am pretty sure it was only yesterday that she was a newborn. Time flies, huh?

It will only be a few more years until she will be getting ready to go to her prom. I think our district had theirs last weekend, because we were driving to the store on Saturday, and saw a lot of dressed up kids having their pictures taken by smiling parents. I was curious as to what kind of taste Kasi had in clothes right now, so I decided to ask her to pick out what kind of dress she would wear if she was going to the prom this year. I was surprised that after going through all styles of formal dresses she picked the one in the picture. Why was I surprised? Because I would have picked this dress for myself twenty years ago. It is classy and feminine, but also a little flirty with the black lace. I love the bow at the waist, and the accompanying shawl. I love the length of the dress. It's not too long, but it's not too short either. I just hope that when the time comes for her prom in six years, she still has similar taste.

Garden Update

Check out my tomato plants! We had to cage them cause they were falling over.

These are my peppers....store bought, my seed plants didn't make it :(

Cucumbers...again, store bought. I don't know why most of the plants I started didn't make it.

I added some zuccini, which I have never grown before.

I am really proud of these little guys...my squash...from seeds! The only ones that lived.

Ollie

You may not remember, but this was Brandi's cat, Ollie. Last year we had to have him put to sleep, because he had serious problems with his bladder and crystals in his urine. My mom said male cats are known for this, and that it has a lot to do with what kind of food you feed them. I always bought whatever was on sale, never really paying attention to the ingredients. I wish I had.

Looking back, I should have been buying Organic Pet Food for him. Essential2Pets Life's Abundance Holistic Natural Pet Food is made from 100% fresh and natural ingredients, with no chemicals or fillers. It also contains no wheat, corn, or dairy. You can even try this food for 30 days, and if you don't notice a difference in your pet, you can get your money back.

I'm not saying that this food would have saved Ollie's life, I just wonder if he would have been healthier if I fed him healthier food. I do know that in the future, I will pay more attention to the things I feed my cats, if we ever get another one.

Look What Else i found At Michael's

Isn't he adorable?

I know it's not the best picture, but you get the idea.

I can't wait to paint it.

I actually got two...one for me to paint, and one for Ryan to paint.

I got the girls little sand castles, and didn't want Ryan to feel left out.

Bathroom Fixes

Do you remember a few weeks ago I wrote about how my bathtub was leaking? No matter how hard you turned the knobs, the water would not turn off. We put in a call to the management company, and they said they would be out the next day.

They never showed. In fact, we waited a week, and they never came. I wanted to call them again, but Junior insisted on fixing it himself. I wish he had just called a Riverside Plumber and then sent the management company the bill, but he wouldn't do that either. It cost us about ten dollars, but he got it fixed in about twenty minutes, and it's been fine since. Of course, once we fix one thing, another thing breaks. You know that little lever that stops the water from draining? Well, I kind of snapped ours off. This means that our tub no longer drains properly, because when I broke it, it stayed half shut. So when we take showers, we end up standing in the water. I want Junior to call and tell the management company, but he wants to fix it himself. Now tell me, what is the point of having a management company of we don't let them fix things?

Oval Frame

I made a trip to Michael's today and bought some more frames. This is one I finished tonight. It's a little blurry in the picture...not sure why...but it has purple and pink flowers. I got another oval and three rectangular frames, too, each for one dollar. Now jut to get them all painted.

Ride The Manta!

I love roller coasters. This hasn't always been the case. The first time I rode a coaster was on a dare. We were at the amusement park, and it was a brand new ride. This was my first time going to a big park, and seeing the big coasters, and I was terrified. Then the guy I liked at the time called me a chicken and dared me to ride it. That was all it took. The wait was like two hours, and I was so scared. But when the time came, I got right on with everyone else, closed my eyes, and held on for dear life.

Ninety seconds later, it was over, and I was hooked. It was awesome! We went up and down. We were thrown side to side. We did loops and twists. I couldn't wait to try every coaster in the park, and I did.

I am beyond excited to hear that Sea World is opening a new coaster called the Manta. It's one of those coasters where you are laying down, facing the ground. What's unique about this coaster is that you are strapped to a giant manta ray. Now, if you want to get a "front of the line" pass, check out the link above. It brings you to their site, and once there, you can participate. There are six different things to do, and if you do all six things, you can get the pass. Doing two of the six things will get you a free picture from the ride. These are simple things, like taking the manta quiz, or twittering about how excited you are about this new ride. You can simply get three friends to join you in filling up a row on the ride, or upload a picture to flicker saying you love manta. You can even simply download a manta mask, and take a picture of yourself wearing it. Are you a YouTube junkie? Just make a video of yourself saying how excited you are about the manta. Doing all six of those things will get you the "front of the line" pass. The ride opens on May 22, 2009, so make plans now to be there for it's first day.

My New Box

Junior came home without a new cable box. He went in to exchange it, and they told him because the account is in my name, and his name isn't on it, they couldn't help him. So we had to wait on Brandi to get off the bus, and head back over there. It took all of three minutes for them to change the box out, and I was out the door. It's all hooked up now, and the girls are happy to have all the channels back.

One For All

I saw an add in the classified section of our newspaper advertising the sale of Vending Machines. The person running the add stressed the money making potential of these machines, and said he just did not have the time anymore necessary to keep the machines fully stocked. I am guessing that if you have the machine in a good, high traffic place, you could make a nice amount of money.

So I went online and looked around to see what I could find about starting my own Vending Machine Business . I discovered that the best way to be profitable with a Vending Business is to use ones that can hold a variety of products. Businesses may be more likely to put a single machine in their break rooms, instead of one for drinks and one for food. I also found that if you offer a variety of drink, instead of just one brand, you may be more successful. Offering energy drinks along side sports drinks and sodas gives you more of a chance of making a sale. Add food to the mix, and what more does a person need? They can get everything they want out of one machine, and you keep all the profits. Doesn't sound like a bad deal, does it?

Now I just have to find the money to get the machine...

Enchanted

I love this movie! I watched it once with the girls, and can watch it over and over again. I am actually listening to it now. It does have my crush, James Marsden in it, but aside from that, it has a cute little storyline.

Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter find Giselle (Amy Adams) standing on a billboard, trying to enter the castle advertisement. Giselle has been recently tricked by her future MIL (Susan Sarandon) from her old world (cartoon world) and finds herself in a strange place with strange emotions. Robert wants to help Giselle find her way home, but Giselle is sure her Prince Charming, Edward (James Marsden) will come and rescue her, which he does, complete with a talking chipmunk. Along the way, Giselle learns to feel different emotions besides happiness, and Robert learns how to love with his whole heart.

This is one of those movies, like Hairspray (another Marsden movie) and HSM series that I love to watch, even when the kids are in school, that Junior makes fun of me for. Maybe I'm just still a kid at heart...

Punk Love

Are you wanting to do a little punk dating? If so, check out punkmatch.com. They offer free audio/video chat rooms, forums, instant messaging, and video profiles. It is also free to join, so if you are looking for someone interested in punk rock to share your life, or afternoon with, what have you got to lose by checking them out? Absolutely nothing, and you might just find the person who is meant for you.

Box Issues

My cable box died.

The girls were in my room watching Spongebob, and it just completely quit working. Normally, one phone call would fix the problem...they can zap it back to life through the cable wire.

Not this time.

It could not be revived.

So after work Junior is going to swing by the cable company and get me a new box. Then go pay ou rent, then go pay our power bill...all while I enjoy the day inside, away from the sun.

My shoulders and arms and chest are still on fire.....

Heaven

Is it wrong that I want this in my backyard? What do you think the odds are that I can talk our landlords into putting it in? Yeah, I know. I'm dreaming again. But it is so beautiful. Last weekend, my kids cooled off by running through the sprinkler. It would be much more fun to swim in a beautiful pool.

When we get our own place eventually, I am going to hire Pool contractors to come in and design a pool for me. I want waterfalls, a diving board, and maybe even a hot tub. I know they can do so many things to make pools unique to each individual. My sister looked at Walnut Creek pools last year when she had a pool installed. I haven't seen it yet, because she lives in New York, but I know she had a lot of brick work done, and the pool is not the normal rectangular shape that most in ground pools are. I think she looked at Modesto pools, too. I want to look at everything that is available when the time comes for me to get a pool, because I want to make an informed decision. I wonder if you can get a purple liner put in?

Jenn-ology

What is your salad dressing of choice?
Ranch

What is your favorite sit down restaurant?
Applebee's

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
chinese

What are your pizza toppings?
spinach and mushroom on a white pizza

TECHNOLOGY*

How many televisions are in your house?
3

What color cell phone do you have?
had a red one...

BIOLOGY*

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
right

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
three children and most of my boobs

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
um, I have no flippin' idea...what kind of question is that?

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
no...but I fainted at the zoo on my senior trip in HS

BULLCRAPOLOGY*

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
no way

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Hannah...I have always loved this name, but Junior refused to let me use it with our girls because it sounded too much like his mom's maiden name

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
I doubt it

DUMBOLOGY*

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
do I really have to count?

Last time you had a run-in with the cops
when Ryan got beat up at school a few months ago

Last person you talked to on the phone?
my mom

Last person you hugged?
Brandi

FAVORITOLOGY*

Season?
It changes like he seasons...funny, right? lol!

Holiday?
Christmas

Day of the week?
it used to be Thursday because of ER...now I don't know

Month?
December...everything is so festive and people are nicer

CURRENTOLOGY*

Missing someone?
who isn't?

Mood?
sad

What are you listening to?
Deadliest Catch

Watching?
same as above...Deadliest Catch

Worrying about?
paying all the bills this week

RANDOMOLOGY*

First place you went this morning?
the bus stop

What's the last movie you saw?
Hairspray...needed my James Marsden fix

Do you smile often?
all the time

Do you always answer your phone?
Yes

It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
family

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
blue

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
I don't go to sonic, and I hate having flavors added to my drinks anyway

Do you own a digital camera?
Of course, how else would I share all my beautiful photos?

Have you ever had a pet fish?
Yes

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
too far away to think about

Can you do pushups?
nope

Can you do a chin up?
ha! no

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
a mixture of both

Do you have any saved texts?
I don't text

Ever been in a car wreck?
when I was little

Do you have an accent?
yup.

What is the last song to make you cry?
it's been a while...I don't remember

When was the last time you cried?
um...I honestly don't remember...yeah, I'm in tears right now watching this show...man...the things these men went through...so sad

Plans tonight?
sleep...

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
absolutely

Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
milk, soda, and tomatoes

Have you ever been given roses?
sure

Current hate right now?
the sadness of this episode of Deadliest Catch

Met someone who changed your life?
I think everyone we meet changes us in some way

How did you bring in the new year?
with my kids

What song represents you?
Stand by Sugarland

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
no, the decisions I made helped make me who I am today...why mess with perfection? :D

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
yup

Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now?
I hope so...

Would you be a pirate?
no...pirates steal

What songs do you sing in the shower?
whatever pops into my head

Ever had someone sing to you?
yes

Do you like to cuddle?
sure

Have you held hands with anyone today?
yup...Boo in Ingles parking lot

Who was the last person you took a picture of?
probably one of my kids

What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school?
Billy Joel, pop music

Do you believe in staying close with your ex's?
I only have one ex, and we are now friends on facebook...so, yeah.

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
mostly new since I moved away from my old friends

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
yuck.

What is something your friends make fun of you for?
my tendency to roll my ankle while walking, which makes me fall a lot

Have you ever ridden on an elephant?
UM.....HELL YEAH!!!!!! Many times.

What are you saving your extra money up for right now?
what extra money???????

When is the last time you ate peanut butter and jelly?
never...I hate them together

What song(s) do you want played at your funeral?
happy ones

What were you doing 12 AM last night?
blogging...dropping ecards

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
ug...5:15 already????

Investing

Do you have $15,000 to invest? I wish I did, because I would love to try and make some extra money. I was reviewing this website called Wicked Profits and it sounds interesting. I will admit, I do not understand a lot of the mechanics of trading stocks. On this site, they offer their recommendations, and then you make the trades with your own brokerage firm. Wicked Profits never touches your money, so you always have complete control. They have had an 80% win ratio in the past, which is really good.

WickedProfits.com is an option advisory service. They have shown profits in both bear and bull markets, with an average monthly return of five percent. Now, as with anything related to the stock market, nothing is guaranteed. There is always the possibility that you will lose your investment, so don't ever use money that you can not afford to lose.

I know my sister has a lot of money in the stock market, and she tells me all the time that it can be scary. Luckily, in the past, they have done well. I really do wish we had enough money to make investments like this. We have no savings, and live paycheck to paycheck, which makes it hard to put money aside for the future. I know it's something we really need to start doing, and investing would be a great way to make our money work for us in the future. Now to just come up with the $15,000.

I Learned Something Scary Today

I don't even remember what we were talking about, but the kids were discussing being :goth" and "emo". Now, I know what "goth" is, but have never heard the term "emo" before. Turns out it is the word used to describe "cutters".

I have some knowledge of cutting, because my sister used to date a guy who started doing this. I never witnessed it myself, but the stories she told were scary. This is not something you can control...it is like an addiction.

Ryan said his friend has done it. A friend I know. I asked Ryan if his parents knew, and he said yes, and that he hadn't done it in a while. I was uncomfortable with this, because if it was Ryan, and one of his friends mom's knew about it, I would want them to make sure that I knew, too. So I talked with a friend of mine, who knows his mom, and she said she would mention it to her. I feel better knowing I did something. Hopefully this kid will be alright, and really did stop.

Antiques

This is the side of Kasi's dollhouse. My mom bought the kit to make it with my younger sisters, but never finished it. A couple of years after Kasi was born, she asked me if I wanted to finish it Kasi. I said sure, and began the painstakingly detailed job of putting together this beautiful dollhouse. The only problem was that during the time the dollhouse sat in the box, some pieces went missing. The only part my mom had assembled was the base, and that was broken. I was pleasantly surprised when one phone call to the dollhouse maker replaced all the missing parts, for free. It took me a couple of months to finish, but it was worth it.

The inside of the house has three stories, with two rooms on each. It's been about 10 years since I finished it, and it still isn't fully furnished. I want Kasi to decorate it, and maybe she will show more of an interest when she gets a little older. Right now it sits, abandoned, on the top of our freezer. It needs a little work, and I can't wait until Kasi asks for my help to fix it.


Now, this doesn't mean that I don't like to look at furniture for it. I have visions of what each room should look like. Zoolabees dollhouse miniatures has a beautiful selection of furniture. Now, I don't think any dollhouse is complete without a nursery. To me, nothing is cuter than baby furniture. The nursery would need a crib, rocking chair, dollhouse changing tables and dressers. I found the one pictureed here at Zoolabees, and absolutely love it. It looks like a true antique. They also carry a crib, high chair, and bassinet in the same style, and they are all just as beautiful.

I wonder if Junior would let me get a part time job just to pay for dollhouse furniture? I get the feeling, though, that if I did get a job, he would probably expect me to pay some bills. Man, sometimes it's no fun being responsible.

Book Meme

1. To mark your page you: use a bookmark, bend the page corner, leave the book open face down?

Use a bookmark! I am a little obsessive about this, and if you borrow a book from me (which doesn't happen often because I hate lending them out ever since my sister lost a few) and bend my pages, you will never borrow another one. Most times, I just use the book jacket to hold me place...it works wonderfully!

2. Do you lend your books?
I probably should have read all the questions before I started answering, but as I stated above, I am picky about who I lend my books to. My mom is one of the only people I let borrow any.

3. You find an interesting passage: you write in your book or NO WRITING IN BOOKS!

Um, no writing in books....

4. Dust jackets - leave it on or take it off?

As I stated above, I use them as bookmarks, so they stay.

5. Hard cover, paperback, skip it and get the audio book?

I prefer hardbacks, because they look better in my bookshelves, but it all depends on the price.

6. Do you shelve your books by subject, author, or size and color of the book spines?

I have mine arranged by author.

7. Buy it or borrow it from the library later?

I like to buy books, that way if I love it, I can read it over and over again. There are several Dean Koontz books I read often, as well as the Twilight Series.

8. Do you put your name on your books - scribble your name in the cover, fancy bookplate, or stamp?

Again, no writing in books!

9. Most of the books you own are rare and out of print books or recent publications?

I don't have any rare books...mine are mostly mystery/horror type stuff.

10. Page edges - deckled or straight?

since I don't know what deckled is, I'm going to say I don't really care.

11. How many books do you read at one time?
One at a time...I become totally engrossed in what I am reading, and live in that world, so one at a time works for me.

12. Be honest, ever tear a page from a book?

No. Wait, I think I did from an old textbook for a project in Junior High.

High School Memories

It's that time of year again. High school students all over are getting ready to go to their prom. Girls are buying dresses, and guys are renting tuxedos. I never did figure out how girls have to spend hundreds of dollars on dresses, when the guys spend about $75 on a tux. Doesn't really seem fair, does it?

I guess the guys do get stuck paying for things like Boston Limousines and corsages. I remember my senior prom. We rented a Boston Limousine and spend the night in New York City. It was me and my date, and two of my best friends and their dates. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe, and drove past all the sites of the city. That was the first time I had been in the city with just my friends, and it was an amazing night. Too bad my date turned out to be such an idiot.

I spent many more days in the City after that. We saw a lot of concerts at Madison Square Garden, and always took the train in from Long Island. We looked into using Boston Limousine Service or taking taxi's around the city, but it was more fun to walk around on our own. I remember one time we got so lost, and when we asked people for directions, they would lie to us. We ended up about an hour late for a show because of that. If I remember correctly, we were seeing the circus that day. It was a good thing we didn't miss the elephant rides.

Another Frame

Love and hearts....gotta love it.
I am really happy with the way this one ca,e out.
This was the last one I have here, so I need to go buy more.
Hopefully by the end of the year I will have them ready to go! lol!
No, hopefully in the next few weeks I will have them in the mail...

Don't Call Me

I hate my phone number.

We have had the same number for the last eight months or so, ever since we moved. The people who had this number before us apparently never paid a bill in their lives, because I get calls every day from collection agencies looking for them. Sometimes these companies don't tell me who they are, and get downright nasty when I say I am not who they are looking for. I have asked time and time again to be removed from there computers, but that never works. I have started checking their numbers in the National Phone Listing and calling them back, asking for their supervisors. This still doesn't work. I still get called.

My favorites are the ones who ask for "her", and when I say I am not her, and that this is my number now, they ask me if I know "her" new number. I try to explain to them that the phone company gave me this number, not "her", so how am I supposed to know who or where she is? This is when they infer that I am actually "her", pretending not to be. It is at this point that I tell them to call directory assistance, ask for my name, and see what number they get. This is usually where they hang up on me, only to call back again tomorrow. It is so frustrating!

Frames

New frame I've been working on...came out cute, right? I was actually making these as my generosity gifts...I haven't forgotten!...but only have this one done. I want to make each one different. I still have a bunch more to do, so we'll see what I come up with. I have a few more good ideas...or at least I think they're good....

Meeting People Online

How do single parents meet people? It's hard enough finding time to work and be a mom, where does a relationship fit in? If you are one of the many dating single mothers out there, tell me how you do it. I have a friend who wants to start dating again, and I told her about localsinglemoms.com where she can sign up for free and meet local single parents like herself who are also looking to date again. They offer chat rooms and an easy to use messaging system, so you can get to know a potential date before agreeing to a real date. While this is one way to go, i want to know what you do. Are you a supermarket stalker or a "bring your cute puppy to the park?" person? I really want to know what has worked for you in the past.

Ryan And My Mom

One morning last week, my kids were arguing. I was in the bathroom, so I couldn't hear exactly what was going on. When I came out, I asked what all the fighting was about, and Ryan replied:

"Kasi is being a bitch".

Yeah, I was floored. He got in trouble, and I gotta tell you, he's lucky we were ready for school, or he would have enjoyed a nice mouthful of soap.

So that night was Brandi's performance, and my mom came with us. I was telling her the story, and I had my back to her. She didn't say anything, so i turned to look at her, and she has this look on her face. I asked "what", and she said:

"Well, was she?".

Yup. floored again! My mom is Ryan defender...he never does anything wrong in her eyes. I tell her he said a not so nice word, and she just wants to know if he was right. But, man, that was too much!

And too funny!!!!

My Dream House

I woke up this morning wondering if I really want to live here for another year. A few weeks ago I was so sure about re-signing our lease, but now I am not so sure.

This apartment is so small, and we are always on top of each other. It is hard to find privacy sometimes, which is frustrating for the kids, especially Kasi. We have always been a close family, and living here has brought us even closer. However, the kids are getting older, and I know they want more privacy. I grew up sharing a room with my two younger sisters, so I totally understand her frustration.

I have been dreaming about having a house built just for us, exactly the way I want it. I could even hire Denver Home-Builders to build it. It would have four bedrooms, each with it's own bathroom and walk in closets. We'd have an office for my computer, complete with an awesome stereo system. It would have a playroom for the kids, with all their toys, and then a electronics room for all Ryan's video games and a huge television for movie night. The kitchen would be huge, and state of the art. And as long as we are dreaming, it would also have a personal chef and a maid.

My backyard would have a huge in ground pool, and a barbecue area complete with grill, outdoor fridge, and counters. It would look like a real kitchen. It would have a gazebo with party lights, and beautiful flower gardens.

I think I need to start saving my pennies if I want to make this dream a reality.

Deception

I have never watched a movie starring Hugh Jackman or Ewan McGregor before, so I was not sure what to expect. I did, however, love Hugh Jackman when he hosted the Oscars this year.

the movie is about Jonathan McQuarry (McGregor), an accountant who lives a lonely, boring life. He is befriended by Wyatt Bose (Jackman) after they smoke a joint together at the office. The two men spend time together, and accidentally (or was it?) end up with each other's phone. McQuarry is then thrust into a nightlife of casual sex and mystery. He meets a beautiful woman he calls S (Michelle Williams) through this sex club who he falls head over heels for.

That's about all I'm going to say, because I don't want to give away any of the good stuff. I really liked this movie, and would recommend it to a friend....or to any of you reading this. But, like most of the movies I watch, it was not for children.

I am curious to see Jackman in something else now. Any recommendations???

Back To School?

I have been thinking a lot lately about my future. I am extremely happy in my marriage, and love my family, but I have been a little frustrated lately that we are, financially, no better off than we were ten years ago. I know if I went back to work things would change, but not very much. I mean, I do not have the education to get a well paying job, and I am not going to give up time with my family for minimum wage.

I have been looking into maybe taking some classes online. I know there is no way I could physically go to school, not with Juniors schedule and the kids. But going online seems like the way to go. Now the only problem is deciding what kind of classes to take. Well, maybe it would make more sense to decide what I want to do when I'm done with school first, then find out which classes I need to take. There are so many options, I am having a hard time deciding. I could do real time court reporting, nursing, or even business management. I probably need to pick whatever pays the most money, and a career that can withstand this economy. I know my mom went back to school around my age and is now a nurse. I just can not stand needled, and I think that is a requirement in the nursing field. I guess I need to keep thinking.

My Autobiography

Rules: Once you've been tagged, Fill this out and repost as, "My Autobiography" ... And use your own answers, not anyone else's.

1. Where did you take your profile pic? on the bridge

2. What exactly are you wearing right now? blank pajama pants with red hearts, and matching shirt

3. What is your current problem? it's a girl thing...

4. What makes you happy most? being with my family

5. What's the name of the song that you're listening to? I'm actually listening to AFV on television

6. Any celeb you would marry? James Marsden...my latest crush

7. Name someone with the same birthday as you? don't know anyone who shares my birthday

8. Ever sang by yourself in front of a large audience? no....nobody wants to hear me sing...it's not pretty!

9. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? yes...I have been told I look like Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks

10. Do you still watch kiddy movies or kiddie TV shows? I have three kids...what do you think?

12. Has anyone you've been really close with passed away? yes

13. Do you ever watch MTV? nope

14. What's something that really annoys you? dishonest people

Chapter 1:
===============

1. Middle name: Lynn

2. Nickname(s): Jenn, Mommy, or bitch

3. Current location: Spartanburg SC

4. Eye color: green

Chapter 2:
===============

1. Do you get along with your parent(s): yup

2.Are your parents married/separated/divorced? divorced

3. Do you have any Siblings? yes

Chapter 3: Favorites
===============

1. Ice Cream: chocolate ice cream with peanut butter topping

2. Season: there are reasons why I love every season

3. Shampoo/conditioner: the fruity stuff in the green bottles

Chapter 4: Do You..
===============

1. Dance in the shower? um, no, I don't dance anywhere

2. Do you write on your hand? nope

3. Call people back? sure, but nobody ever calls me

4. Believe in love? absolutely

6. Any bad habits? I have a potty mouth...

7. Any mental health issues? nothing documented :)

Chapter 5: Have You..
===============

1. Broken a bone? yes, my pinky finger

2. Sprained anything? yup, my ankle, and the doctor said I would have been better off just breaking the thing...I still have trouble with it

3. Had physical therapy? nope

4. Gotten stitches? yes....the doctor said I had hundreds after my breast surgery

5.Taken painkillers? absolutely! I don't like pain.

6. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling? no

7. Been stung by a bee? plenty of times

8. Thrown up at the dentist? um, no

9. Sworn in front of your parents? Yes, and they still yell at me...

10. Had detention? never...I'm a good girl

Chapter 6: Who/What was the last
===============

1. Movie(s)? Made Of Honor

2. Three people to text you: I don't text anymore

3. Person you called? my mom

4. Person you hugged? brandi rose

5. Person you tackled? probably brandi

6. Person you talked to on IM? Anna...she rocks!!!

7. Thing you touched? the mouse

8. Thing you ate? chocolate ice cream with peanut butter topping...yeah, I know it was bad for me, but it was soooo good!

9. Thing you drank? diet sierra mist

10. Thing you said? told Kasi I loved her as she went to bed

Vegas Vacation

I used to have a friend who went to Las Vegas every few months. She wasn't a gambler, but loved the busyness and bright lights of the city that never sleeps. I have never been myself, but if I was to someday go, it would be for the shows. I hear they are extravagant and extremely entertaining. The top two shows in would love to see are the Cirque du Soleil show, and the Blue Man Group.

I remember these guys from the commercials they used to do. I will admit that their expressionless blue faces are a little freaky, but I hear their show is amazing. I was looking to see the price of Blue Man Group Tickets, and was surprised to find out that there is a "poncho section". This is where you can expect to get wet and dirty, and what is more fun than that? I even heard that they encourage audience participation, and that audience members can find themselves pulled onstage to join the fun. I would probably die of embarrassment, but you only live once, right?

The good thing is that if we went with the kids, this show is family friendly. I'm not sure how many shows in Vegas are suitable for kids, so it's nice to know there will be at least one thing they can enjoy. If only I could find the time, and money, to head to Las Vegas. I really do need a vacation.

ABC's Of Me

Kat tagged me for this on facebook...but for those who aren't my friend on there, here it is:

A - Age: 37

B - Bed size: Full

C - Chore you hate: mopping the floors

D - Dog's name: no doggies here

E - Essential start your day item: diet sierra mist

F - Favorite color: purple

G - Gold or Silver: silver

H - Height: 5'ish

I - Instruments you play(ed): used to play the viola...it's been a while...

J - Job title: mom

K - Kid(s): ryan, 13...kasi, almost 12...brandi rose, 7

L - Living arrangements: me, the kids, the hubs, and the cats outside

M - Mom's name: Pam

N - Nicknames: jenn, mommy, bitch

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: nope...should have after my boob job, but they sprung me early!

P - Pet Peeve: people who are fake

Q - Quote from a movie: "sometimes people leave no matter how much you love them...sometimes it's them, and not you"

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: Tami, TJ, Cheryl, and Colleen

T - Time you wake up: 5:20 am...yuck!

U- Underwear: yes, I wear them....

V - Vegetable you dislike: brussel sprouts

W - Ways you run late: I am usually early for everything

X - X-rays you've had: um....ultrasounds, mammograms, and ankle xrays

Y - Yummy food you make: everything I make is yummy!

Z - Zoo favorite: um...let me think...I'm not sure....lol! Do I really have to answer this one????

Singles

Being a single parent is not easy. I have a friend who is raising a daughter all by herself. Luckily she has the support of her mother and grandmother, and her child's father does what he can. But at the end of the day, it is just the two of them, and it can get lonely. Sometimes you just need to have adult conversation, and that is hard to do when the only person in the house is just learning to talk.

These days you can get online and find places where single parents chat. You can find the support you need, and the conversations you are craving. Signing up is free, and you can even use your web cams. You don't have to be looking for a relationship, either. You can just make friends, and talk to other single parents who are dealing with the same struggles you are.

Now, that's not saying that you can't find someone to have a meaningful relationship with. I know my friend isn't looking for that right now. She just wants to talk to someone who understands what she is going through. She knows she can talk to me, but having never been a single parent, I do not really understand how hard things can be on her. I do, however, always offer to do whatever i can to help her out. I mean, isn't that what friends are for?

30 Days Of Night

My sister recommended this movie, knowing I enjoy a good bloody gore fest every now and then. This movie did not disappoint in that area.

It stars Josh Hartnett as Eben Oleson, the sheriff of an Alaskan town. Every year the town is plunged into darkness for 30 days, because the sun is not visible for that amount of time. This makes it the perfect place for vampires to attack. Eben, along with his estranged wife Stella, (Melissa George), his brother Jake (Mark Rendall), and a bunch of other town folk try to hide from the vampires for the 30 days until the sun comes up. It was interesting reading the subtitles for the vampires...they had their own language. Who knew they couldn't speak English?

There is a lot of bloody killings, and the ending was a surprise. I won't give it away, but I will say that for once, my sister actually recommended a movie I enjoyed. Just, please, don't watch with the kids.

Cows

When I was little, I remember my Dad's Aunt and Uncle lived in Upstate New York. We would go visit, and our favorite thing to do was calling the cows. They had a huge pasture, and if you stood at the fence and yelled "comebus", they would come over. It was really neat.

Living in the south now, I see cows every day. In fact, there is a pasture right down the street. I don't think I could handle having to care for live animals like that, so Ranches for sale would not be for me, unless they came with ranch hands. I am not the kind of girl who would get up at the crack of dawn to roosters cock-a doodle-doing for me to milk the cows.

Junior has been looking at the Land for sale in our area, and so far hasn't been able to find exactly what we would want. Our ideal would be something that had a lake on it, or something big enough where we could make our own lake. Looking at fishing properties for sale is another option. The kids, especially Ryan, would love being able to drown a worm anytime they wanted. Heck, I would love it, too.

New URL

I am excited to say that my other blog is now a dot com! It is now www.mykidsaremyworld.com, so if you link to me, I would be forever grateful if you updated your links. I was thinking about doing this one too, but one step at a time. It was easier than I expected getting it all switched, and that was because of my amazing friend Anna, who walked me through every step.

Oh, and I missed Harper's Island, so I have no idea who died or what happened. Did anyone see it? Wanna tell me what happened????

My Kitchen Walls

I have talked about how bad my kitchen walls look. This is a picture of the ceiling and wall above my back door. It shows the worst of the water damage from where my roof leaks. You can kind of tell where the panels are bowing away from the wall a little. It looks like this all the way down to the floor.

I really want the management company to come out and fix it all, but I'm not sure if they will. I might have to look into Fort Lauderdale Painting
and see if they can recommend someone locally to come in and give me an estimate. Then I could take that to the management company and let them see how bad the wall really is. I would even be happy with them sending their own guy, or maybe supplying the paint and letting me do it myself. Junior will have to talk to them the next time we pay rent.

I hope they are open to our suggestions, or we may not resign our lease. The only thing that would make us stay is if we couldn't find another place close by so that the kids wouldn't have to change schools. I am really happy with the schools, and it's one of the best districts around here. I guess we still have a few months to figure things out.

Twilight ~ The Book

Do you have a favorite book that you can read over and over? That one book you go back to when you have nothing else to read?
For me, that book used to be this:

Then I read this:

and I can't stop reading it, or the others in the series! It's crazy! I can not wait for the New Moon movie to come out. I think Kasi and I will be at the first showing this year.
The only thing that is going to stink is that I love the Jacob character in the book, but don't really care for the actor they have playing him. He's just not "my" Jacob.

Hawaii

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I have thought about this, and if money were no object, I would want to live in Hawaii. I would love to be able to swim in the beautiful beaches, see all the gorgeous volcanoes, and maybe even learn to surf. I love the palm trees, and laid back lifestyle. I would have to lose this weight before I would wear a swimsuit, but hey, we're dreaming, right? So I could just dream up a personal trainer to help me with that. Or heck, I could just dream me up a perfect body!

I even went as far as looking into Honolulu Real Estate and was a little surprised at the price of living there. It's so expensive, but so worth it. Of course, this means that my dreams of living there will always be just a dream. That's okay, though, cause I like where I'm living now, too.

Tomatoes

Check out my tomato plants! Don't they look great!

If you look a little closer, you can see that my roma plant has a few flowers.

The rest of the garden, with the exception of my pepper plants, is doing great!
I'm not too sure why the peppers dies like the cucumbers did, but I will replace them this weekend. I was really excited about the peppers, because my kids love them, and I recently discovered I like them too.
The squash are the only "seed" plants that have flourished. The cantaloupe hasn't died, but it's not growing either, so I'm not sure what's up with them. Junior is going to be eating squash every meal, though, because all 15 plants I planted are doing great.

Apples And Bananas

I got the weirdest phone call a couple of weeks ago. I answered, said hello, and the person on the other end played a song for me. Was it a friend playing my favorite song? Heck no. It was someone who shall remain nameless, playing that children's song about apples and bananas. You know, the one that says:

"I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas"

Very annoying to say the least. I remember this song from the days when my kids watched Barney, the big purple dinosaur. Now, I think it is very immature for a grown person to stoop to prank calling people, and to be honest, I don't think he or she realized that his or her number came up. See, I don't want to say who it was, but those who know us well can figure it out.

I feel like adding the number to Caller Wiki. This is a site where you can add you two cents about any phone number in the United States. It's great for all those annoying telemarketers who call, and the number comes up but not the name. Just put the number into this website, and you may be able to find out who it was. Or, if you figured out who it was, you can enter that information into the site, so other people will be able to look it up. Sounds great, right? I sure would like to be able to block some calls from even coming in, but my phone provider doesn't offer that service yet. I can't even block private numbers like I could with my old phone provider. Hopefully they will have those features available soon. If not, I will be spending a lot of time on Caller Wiki.

I'm So Frustrated

The past couple of days, I have been using a program called paint.net. I am having the hardest time with it. I want to save a picture I made and upload it here, but it won't let me. I know there are tutorials I can watch, but I don't understand half of them. Have any of you ever used this program? Can you offer suggestions on how to change the saved picture into an upload able picture?

Deal Of The Day

I just found this site, Deal Of The Day, and I have to say, I am pretty excited about it. Simply put, they offer one item, everyday, at an unbelievable price.

See that Webcam over there? It's a Labtac By Logitech Webcam plus USB Web PC Video Camera, and for today it is free. Yes, that's right. I said free! Now, it's not brand new. It's been refurbished, but for free, you can't go wrong. I registered with the site, and it was so simple. I just made up a user name, password, and entered my email address. Yes, it's that simple.

I clicked the "get it free" button, and found that while the item is free, they do charge $5.99 for shipping. I still think it's an amazing deal. I can't wait to check back with Deal Of The Day tomorrow to see what they will have.

You see, it is their philosophy to offer one great deal a day, hence the name of the site. They believe that people would rather have one great deal than many okay deals. I have to agree with that, especially if all their deals are as good as this one. I am all about the free stuff. I went and looked at their past deals, and a lot of them were freebies. I saw one from last week that was for pearls. Man, I wish I knew about this site then. I would have me some pearls right now. The stuff that wasn't free was priced really cheap, and next to free, cheap is what I like best. I could start doing my Christmas shopping right now. You know, that might not be a bad idea!

Headache

I was blog hopping today, and ended up on the cutest blog on the block. I know they have popular templates that I see everywhere, so I wanted to check it out. While I was there, I found an article about designing your own background.

This can't be too hard, I thought.

Boy, was I wrong!

I am having the hardest time using the program they recommend. I am so computer stupid it's not even funny! I spent hours playing around, and am no closer to having a finished product than I was five minutes after I started. Maybe I need to take a graphic design class, or read a book about it, or something.

Another Year

Junior went yesterday and talked to our management company about renewing our lease for another year. They said it shouldn't be a problem, so we are excited about that. The only bad thing is that my list of Home Improvement Ideas is about ten pages long, and I know there is no way they will pay for all of them. I do think they should be held responsible for fixing the ceiling and walls in my kitchen that have water damage from the leaky roof. But I think they need to actually fix my roof first, because if they fix the inside first, it will just get ruined again with the next heavy rain.

I also want them to put in a new tub. The one that is in there now is so old, and it is rusted. Yes, I said rusted. At some point they painted the tub, but now the paint is chipping off, and underneath is rust. Needless to say, we only take showers now, because it is impossible to keep the tub clean. If we owned this place, I would put in a jacuzzi tub. A nice, deep jacuzzi tub that I can soak in for hours with a good book.

Ah, a girl can dream, right?

Fishing under Our Driveway

Ryan loves to go under the bridge that is our driveway and fish. He uses the smallest hooks he can find, and plays with all the little fish in the creek. As far as I know, he has never actually caught anything under there, but he says it's relaxing. And I guess when you're 13, there are worse things you can be doing to relax.

Here's a shot of Brandi...I don't allow her under, so she was on the bridge pouting.

Vacationing In Vermont

I have traveled up and down the East Coast more times than I like to talk about. I lived in New York for twenty two years, and always enjoyed taking the ferry to Connecticut.

When I was in my early twenties, my parents relocated to South Carolina. I remember, not so fondly, the car trips my sister and I took to visit them. It took about fourteen hours to drive, and I can tell you first hand that it is a very boring drive. We went through New Jersey, Maryland, Virgina, and North Carolina, finally making it to South Carolina. It was highway the whole way, with nothing to look at but the road.

After moving down south myself, my mother decided she wanted to drive to Florida, so we went through Georgia to get there. This means I have been through every state from Connecticut to Florida. I have never been to New England, though, and think that I really missed out. I have heard how beautiful Vermont weddings in Winter can be, with all the snow on the ground. I have never been to Vermont Meetings or taken advantage of any Vermont activities like skiing or going on the Ben & Jerry's Tour. And I have to tell you, touring an ice cream factory sounds like heaven. I think we might need to plan a vacation up north soon.

Great Deal

Look what I found at Wal-Mart today. You all know that all my Easter stuff got ruined by the move, and that included my kids Easter baskets. I bought cheap plastic ones this year for them, because I couldn't afford nicer ones. Well, I was walking in Wal-Mart before, and they had all their non-candy Easter stuff marked down 75%. These baskets were normally $7.00, but I got them for $1.75 each. They are huge, and I love the beaded strands that go around them. The pink one is for Brandi, and the purple for Kasi. I didn't see one for Ryan...he'll be 14 next Easter, and all the baskets looked too juvenile for him. He'll probably end up just getting a gift bag full of candy like i did this year. He didn't care...all he cared about was the chocolate inside.

Keeping It Cool

Growing up in New York, our house did not have central air conditioning. The only room in our house with air conditioning was my parents, and we were not allowed in there. We would have to suffer through the nights with open windows and fans. Luckily we had a two story house, and we could keep the bedroom windows open all night because they were on the second floor. Looking back, I have no idea how we lived like that. I remember spending a lot of time at my Aunts house in the summer, and it was great because she did have air conditioning. I wish my parents had looked into having a Cleveland hvac guy come and put air conditioning in the house. Either that, or they should have let us kids sleep on the floor in their bedroom where it was cool.

Living in South Carolina now, it is impossible to make it through the Summer without air conditioning. Truthfully, it's hard making it through the Spring without it. It's only April, and we have had ours running for a couple of weeks now. It is very uncommon to find a home that isn't air conditioned. We like keeping it cool down south.

Pretty Flowers

These are just some random shots from around my yard. I love that all the flowers are blooming, and smelling so beautiful. I don't know what any of them are, but I do know thay are beautiful.

There are many more flowering plants in my yard that still have buds on them. As soon as they bloom, I will take more pictures. Hopefully some of them will be purple. I don't know because we didn't live here last Spring. I need to plant some of my own. Maybe I can talk Ryan into making smaller versions of my garden boxes.

Tattoo Chat

I have talked about chat rooms in the past. I think they could be a great way for you to meet people who share the same interests as you do.

Well, I have a new fascination. It's tattoos. Junior has one on his arm. It's my name with two roses underneath. He was pretty sure of himself when we started dating, because he got it about two weeks after we met. I am too chicken to get my own, because I do not like pain, and I know it hurts really bad getting one. Yes, I am a baby, and I'm okay with that. But, that doesn't mean that I can't admire other people's tattoos.

Now, don't get me wrong, some people go way overboard. I think the people who tattoo their entire bodies look a little crazy, but to each his own. I love checking out the tattoos of people in the stores. Some are really beautiful.

There is a tattoo chat room where you can sign up for free, and talk to people who also love tattoos. The cool thing is that you can even get on your computer's video camera and see the people you are chatting with. So not only can you talk about your tattoos, you can show them off, too.

Driving Already?

Here's a shot of my little ham bone.

We were waiting in the van while Junior ran into the store, and she just had to drive. I thought this was only something the little kids do, wanting to "play" driving. I know Carson, my little nephew, loves doing this.

What is scary is that in a couple of years, Ryan will be driving for real. Yeah, I'd stay off the road if I were you! lol!

Mowing My Grass

For those of you who know me well, you will not be surprised by the following statement.

I love mowing my grass.

I love getting on the riding mower with my MP3 full blast. I am able to sing at the top of my lungs for an hour, and nobody complains. Mostly because they can't hear me, but whatever. I love the smell of freshly cut grass. Nothing says it's Spring to me more then the first time I smell the grass.

I was so happy when Junior said last weekend that it was time to mow. I had been looking forward to it for months. I got the mower out and Junior made sure the tires were good. I had gas and oil, so I was ready to go. I turned on some Lady Antebellum and was on my way!

I didn't get very far. For some reason, I had a lot of rocks in my grass, and they were shooting out towards the neighbors cars, so we decided to wait until the next day when they were at work to do it. I don't remember exactly what happened the next day, but Junior ended up mowing for me.

When I went outside today, I noticed that the grass needs to be mowed again, and this time I am doing it. Junior can weed eat. I hate doing that. Our garden needs some tending, too. I have been thinking about using natural lawn care products, you know, going organic. I think it would be good for my veggies. My plants, as well as my grass, need fertilizer, and organic fertilizers help improve the soil, allowing it to better retain more nutrients and moisture. I am sure those would pass on to my plants, making my veggies all yummy and healthier.

Another Fishing Trip

We went fishing again this afternoon. Junior wanted to try out a new lake, but when we got there they were closing for the day, even though it was 90 minutes earlier than what the sign said closing time was. Oh well, what can you do?

So we went back to lake Cherokee. Ryan and Kasi both caught a couple of fish, and me, Junior and Brandi left without catching anything. Brandi was mad, too.

We tried to explain to her how sometimes you just have bad fishing days, and you don't catch anything. She responded with:

"when you were a kid, how did you feel when your brother and sister caught fish and you didn't? HUH?"

Picture that with hands on her hips and tears in her eyes.

We promised to go again next week, and hopefully she will have better luck.

I Can't Wait For Halloween This Year

I just had the best idea ever! You all know how every year we have a huge Halloween party. It's also Ryan's birthday party, but that's another post. I found the cutest Costumes
online, and decided on a theme for my family.

Are you ready for it?

We are going to dress as the characters from the Wizard of Oz!

Too cute, right?

I can totally see Brandi all decked out as Dorothy. She actually went through a stage where all she watched was this movie. I think she would love this.

As I was looking through the other Kids Halloween Costumes I found these next two costumes. I think Kasi would look great as the Tin Man. She loves wearing the full face make up. The last two years she was a witch, so she needs something different.

Ryan would be perfect as the Scarecrow. He is goofy enough to pull it off!

Of course I had to hunt through the Adult Halloween Costumes to find the perfect costume for Junior, and this is what I came up with...the Cowardly Lion! I love it! Now I just have to convince him to play along with us.

I guess you are wondering who I will dress up as. Well, let me ask you this...who is missing?
Who do you think I should be?

Pizza Bites

You all know Junior works at The Home Depot. Since he quit smoking....it's been over a month...he likes to read magazines during his lunch break. He found this recipe in one of them, and it looked good, so we tried it tonight.

You need to take chilled pizza dough (I used a tube) and cut it into little squares.
Place the squares over the tops of mini muffin pans.
I learned the hard way that you should spray the pans with non-stick spray first.

Add mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.

Fold the corners into the center, pinching closed.

Bake at 425* for 10 minutes, and you get these:

They were so good! The recipe called for adding sauce into the cups, but Kasi doesn't like sauce, so we just served it on the side for dipping. It was very tedious filling every cup, but well worth it. I now have a new appetizer, or finger food, for the kids Halloween party!