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!

Ryan And His Buildings

Ryan loves to build things. When we lived at the old house, he built a garage type building for his bikes, a dog house for the cats to stay in, and he built ramps to jump with his bike. He loves when Junior lets him use the power tools, and he is actually pretty good with them. If you remember, a few weeks ago he built the boxes for my garden to be planted in.

The past few days he has been working on a special project. He's not building anything right now, but he is working on the plans. He keeps asking me questions like "how big of a craft area do I need?" and "do I need benches or just tables?". When I asked him why he wanted to know, he refused to tell me. I did, however, overhear him talking to Junior about building me a shed type craft room outside. Of course, half of it would be his to do his work in, and half would be mine. How sweet is that?

I just hope we don't end up needing to consult with any San Francisco general contractors. I have faith that Ryan can do whatever he sets his mind to, even if it takes him a couple of years.

I Forgot :(

How horrible am I? I did a generosity award a few weeks back, and totally forgot about it. I received my gifts from Kristin and Kat, and today I got this awesome key chain from Missy. And yes, even though I don't drive, I do still carry keys! lol! I was not surprised at all to see it was Clemson related...what else would Missy send??? LOL! Thanks, girlie, I love it!

I am also working on return gifts...I was inspired today, so hopefully I will be done sometime next week....

Meet Mr. Or Mrs. Right

Are you looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right?

Does your Mr. or Mrs. Right have to have lots of money?

If so, free millionaire dating is the place for you to be. You can flirt online with super rich singles, who are also looking for the perfect mate.

Man, I wish I was single...

Nah...I'll keep my husband. It would be too hard to train another.

Bye Bye Bob

This is Bob. We have had hims for years. I think someone poisoned him, because the past couple of weeks, he has lost so much weight, and all he does is drool. I am so sad to say that we had him put down today, because it got to the point where I knew he was suffering.

My family will miss him....our hearts are broken.

Glass

I love looking through all the craft shops that are on the internet these days. I love to look at the glass things that people make. Whether it be necklaces made with handmade glass beads or Glass Tile pendants, I am drawn to the beauty of the glass. I have even found a few handmade glass elephant beads I plan on buying when I get the money. You all know i can't pass up an elephant!

The New PayPerPost

Have you heard about the new payperpost? I just got my approval code, and signed up. I love the idea of advertisers contacting me, instead of me fighting for opps. I have done a little more reading since I wrote the post on my kids blog, and found out that instead of the 6 hours you get to post on the regular site, this new version gives you three days. You also have to have $50 to cash out, but I have never had a problem in the past making money with them. I am excited to see how this works!

Call Me

I remember years ago, I used to use Phone Cards to call long distance. I have family in different states, and it got expensive just calling them from my regular phone, because at that time, I didn't have a long distance plan. One year for Christmas, my dad and my sister both gave me calling cards and they saved me a lot of money. When we moved, I got a really good deal on my long distance calls with my home phone provider. In fact, I'm pretty sure I pay one low monthly fee, and all my long distance calls are included in that so I no longer have to purchase prepaid phone cards.

I do call my sister a lot, though. She lives in New York. She used to pay per call, too, until her husband found out how high her phone bills were. She switched to calling cards, too, and saved a bunch of money. We still talk several times a week, and will probably talk more often once her baby is born in September. I am still hoping for a girl. She finds out in about a month, and I can not wait. I just hope she isn't too disappointed if it is a boy. But to be honest, she probably wouldn't know what to do with a girl after three boys. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

My Garden

I went out to water my garden this afternoon, and some of my plants aren't doing so well. A few of my cucumber plants are laying over, and some of the squash plants look like they have just given up. All of the peppers and cantaloupe look good, and my tomatoes are doing great I even have flowers on my hanging tomato plant. I hope I don't lose too many.

Buying A House

My mom is looking to but a house. in the past few months, she has found two that she really liked. The first was an older home that was built in the early 1900's. It had two staircases, one in the front of the house, and one in the back by the kitchen. Brandi was afraid of the bad stairs because they turned twice before going all the way up. This house had fireplaces in all the rooms, and hardwood floors. Upstairs there were rooms you could only enter by going through the bathroom. The house was beautiful, and sold quickly. I don't think it was on the market for a month before it was sold. My mom never even got the opportunity to put a bid in.

The second house she found was beautiful, too. It was another older house, and it had the most beautiful staircase right inside the front door. It was the kind of staircase that I could picture it at Christmas time all decorated with hanging stockings and garland. My mom actually did put a bid in on this house, but when she had the home inspection done, there was too much wrong with it. Luckily she was able to get the money she put down on it back.

I was impressed with the thorough job the home inspector did. If you need an inspection, and live near San Diego, check out San Diego home inspection. You want to make sure that the person who inspects your house does a great job, because it is important to know what you are getting into. My mom was lucky that her inspector found all the problems before it was too late.

Baby Names

From a young age, I knew what I would name my kids. I guess I was around eleven or twelve the first time I heard the name Ryan. It wasn’t a popular name back then, and I fell in love with it. I knew from that moment, that if I ever had a son, his name would be Ryan. Luckily, when the time came, my husband also liked the name.

Kasandra’s name came from a soap opera. I believe it was One Life To Live. They had a character named Cassie. As is the usual on a soap, Cassie was on trial for something, and when she took the stand, they asked for her full name, and she said Cassandra, and then whatever the middle name was. I knew at that moment what my first daughters name would be, even though when the time came, I did change the spelling.

When it came time for my third child to be born, I let my husband pick her name. Not one to give up total control, I insisted her middle name be Rose. Not for any other reason than that I loved that name. I had no idea that my son’s name would become so popular. Not as popular as, say, Michael or Christopher, but popular enough that there are several Ryan’s in the seventh grade. My girls are a different story. Their names are uncommon, and I like it that way. It helps them to be unique, I think.

Did I think about how popular their names were when I named them? No.

Did I look at the top 100 names at the time? No.

Did I ever crack open a book of baby names? No.

However, this afternoon, I was randomly searching the internet, and I came across a list of the top 100 baby names of 2008. Just for fun, I looked up their names, just to see where they fell on the list. Ryan was number twelve, and I am kind of surprised by this. I thought he would be lower on the list. I was not surprised that both Kasandra and Brandi were not on the list. I wasn’t expecting to find them.

I used this list: 100 most popular baby names of 2008

Where do your kids names land on the list?

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana

Brandi came home today with a notice about her upcoming performance at next weeks PTA meeting. Every year, each grade in the elementary school gets to perform at a PTA meeting. I have always enjoyed these performances, and luckily they change every year. This is a good thing, because with three kids, I would get tired of seeing the same thing. Brandi isn't sharing what this performance is. All I know is that she needs to wear an orange t shirt and jeans. I hate that they don't give you very much notice about they should wear. Every year, I end up having to buy something for the kids to wear. This time it's the orange shirt. Not exactly a popular color for my girls, and Ryan's would be too big for her. My only hope is that her class will be orange for field day this year so she can wear it again.

Last year, the school ordered Promotional T Shirts for the kids on field day. Each class had a different color assigned to them, and the t shirts all had the same school design on the front. I ended up buying one for Brandi, and will probably do the same this year if they Make T Shirts again. Ryan and Kasi are both too old for field day now, so it's not like I would have to buy three shirts. I just hope the school gets a good deal on the Printed T Shirts so they don't cost the parents too much money.

Therapy

I have to go to therapy with Junior again today.

I am kinda looking forward to it.

He did so good last week, and I hope he does well this week, too.

The past week has been uneventful, which is a great thing.

Maybe certain people have finally taken the hint....

Painting

I have written many times about my leaky ceiling. What I may not have mentioned is that the rain has caused damage on my walls. I have streaks of water going down one wall, and one of the other walls actually buckles out now. Junior says he can tack it back into place, but I'm not too sure.

I also don't want to invest money hiring a Tucson painter to come in and paint the walls when they haven't even finished fixing the roof. That doesn't make sense to me, because the next time it rains, the walls and ceiling will get ruined again. It's a very frustrating cycle. I just wish the landlord would replace the roof, and then the problem would be solved for good.

I will admit that I have been looking at paint cards in the stores. I want to have the kitchen painted, mostly because that is where the damage is. I just can't decide on a color. I want something bright, and am considering a few different shades of yellow. I have only recently started liking yellow, and think it would brighten up that room, and make it more inviting. of course, the kitchen is open into the dining room, so I would need to paint that room a color that compliments yellow, or just bring the yellow into here too.

Decisions, decisions.

Jenn's Journey

For the past couple of weeks, I have been writing on my journey. I even opened it back up to the public. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I realized that google ranked it, and gave it a 1. Not a bad start. I just wish they would rank my kids blog.

Making Friends

I have a hard time making friends. I have been told more than once that I come off as snobbish. I can see that. Not that I agree that I am a snob, but that I might come off that way.

You see, I am very shy. Almost painfully shy. I have a hard time talking to new people, because I am afraid that I will say the wrong thing, or make myself look like an idiot. So I don't talk at all. I do not in any way think I am better than other people. In fact, I think the opposite might be true. In a way I probably think other people are better than me.

Wow. Did any of that make sense?

I always worry that people will think I am stupid, or that what I have to say isn't important. I may not be educated as well as some people, and I may not be up to date on everything political going on in this country, so I tend to keep to myself. Except online. Online I can be myself. I can ramble on about who I am and what I think, and most people are super supportive.

I have thought about going into a free local chat room to maybe find some people in my area who have the same interests as me. No, I am not looking for a boyfriend. I think Junior might have a problem with that. I'm just looking for a friend. Maybe another mother with kids my kids ages. Someone to hang out with while the kids play together. The main thing is that if we chat online first, I can think about what I want to say before typing it. I am much more comfortable with that.

Giving It A Try

I am going to attempt to write for an online magazine.

GULP. Big GULP!

I am going to start with a movie review, and go from there.

I am thinking about other topics, and have a few floating around in my head.

Maybe share some of my recipes...or my favorite television shows...not too sure yet.

I'll keep you posted!

Should We Move?

Our lease is up in a few months. I think we have to resign in August. I am not sure what we are going to do.

On one hand, I like where we live. It's off the road, so the kids can play in the yard without me worrying about them getting hit if a car veers off the road. It has the creek, and Ryan loves dropping his minnow basket to see what he can catch. We have seen a variety of fish, snakes, and craw fish over the last nine months, and I know he is looking forward to seeing what he can catch this summer. We also just planted our garden, and I would hate to move before we get every last vegetable off those plants.

But, and there is always a but, the roof still leaks. They do send someone out every time we call, and i guess they do try to fix the problem, but this is getting old. Poor Kasi has to sleep on the floor when it rains, because we have to put a bucket where her pillow is to catch the water leaking from the ceiling. The little piece that you push down to drain the tub broke, so the water stands in the tub for a long time before it finally drains, making it nice and slippery. The walls need to be painted because of the water stains, and I think they should have to pay for the paint. I'm not looking for them to buy a different color, I just want the water marks gone.

Junior is wanting to move further away from his family. He has been talking about leaving the state. I'm not too sure about that, because I have family here, but I agreed to at least look at other places. He wants to check out Austin Realtors and maybe move to Texas. I was born in Oklahoma, so it might be nice to be able to live close to where I was born, but I am not making any promises. I am just looking.

Who am I kidding. I would never move that far away from my mother.

New Cheese

I found this new flavored cheese when I was food shopping the other day. I love sun dried tomatoes, so I figured I would give it a try. For lunch today, I had a grilled cheese sandwich, made with this cheese and bakery fresh sourdough bread.

One word...YUM!

Junior got a bacon cheddar version, but I haven't tried that one. He liked it, though. Maybe tomorrow for lunch I will have a grilled cheese with that one...

How Cute!

How adorable is that bed right there? I can totally see one, or both, of my girls sleeping in that bed. It's The Queen's Wonderland Collection Twin Headboard from max furniture. You should go check out the nightstands and dressers that match this headboard. they are all topsy turvey and crooked, and totally adorable. They have pink and turquoise drawer fronts. I wish I had the money to buy the whole set!

Max Furniture Inc not only carries girls bedroom furniture, they also have a nice selection of outdoor furniture, as well as furniture for the entire house. You already know that I really want a fire pit for our yard. Junior and I were just talking the other day about how we could make a little patio area that wouldn't be permanent, and I think we figured out a solution. Of course, it will have to wait until we have more money, but at least we have a plan now.

If you are looking for new furniture for your house, check out the custom max furniture. You can chose from a variety of fabrics and textures, making your purchase exactly what you are looking for. I love this feature, because some places do not give you this option. I know because it happened to Junior and I. When we first got married, and had a little money, we were looking for a living room set. We found a design we liked, but it was green. I am not a big fan of green furniture, so I wanted to change that. They didn't allow that. At least with Max, if I find a design I like, I can make it my own.

That is a definite plus in my book.

Schmuckity Schmuck Schmuck Toilet

Like that title, do ya?

That is what Brandi called Junior today.

We were in the car, and he was aggravating her.

She called him that, so he threw his water on her.

Never a dull moment with those two around.

Success

When I was in high school, getting into college was not a priority of mine. I was already working at a pretty decent job, and making enough money to get by. I did, eventually, go to a local college for a while, but I never finished a degree. I realize now how important it is to have that continued education, and I wish I had finished what I started. I still think about going back to school sometimes, and maybe someday I will. For right now, though, it is important to me that my children go to college. Granted, it will be a few years until my oldest graduates high school, but I am making sure he knows now how important a degree will be for him. This world is changing so fast, and without a college education, he will never get a decent job, and I want him to be successful. I want all of my kids to be successful.

Maybe someday they can be like Theron Burraway, CEO of marcus evans and the corporate hospitality firm THG Wordwide. This man started his career with THG as a sales manager, and has worked his way up through hard work and dedication. His THG bio states that "through his leadership, marcus evans has become a $300 million worldwide leader in providing events, conferences and corporate hospitality programs around the globe". He also serves on the board of directors for Waterside School, which is a facility that provides education opportunities to low income children. This just shows that along with a great business sense, he also has a willingness to help those in need. Not a bad combination if you ask me, and both are traits I would love to see in my children as they get older.

Done!

We finally got the boxes filled, and the plants outside. I loaded them up with some miracle grow, so hopefully they will get big quick. We ended up buying two tomato plants, one cherry and one roma, and I have the grape tomato plant hanging on my porch.
This is my garden:

These are my cantaloupe.

These are my squash.

These are my cucumbers.

These are the peppers and tomatoes.

I can't wait until I see some veggies!

I Hate My Skin

Ever since I had kids, my skin has been crazy. Some days it's too oily, and other days it's too dry. To be honest, I would rather have oily skin, because at least with that I don't have flakes.

Yes, that's right. When my skin gets dry, it looks like I have dandruff all over my body. My face gets especially flaky, especially during the winter months. In the past I have blamed it on the dry heat in the house, which I am sure contributed some, and to the hot, steamy showers I like to take. During the nicer months of the year, I find my skin does better. Probably because there is no heat in the house, and I don't take hot showers. But, like I said, these are my reasons. I am going to do a little digging and see if maybe I can find the real reasons behind my dry skin. I am secretly hoping that I am right!

Well, I did find some interesting facts. Dry Skin can be caused by a hormone imbalance, eczema, and even improperly hydrated skin. Allergic reactions can also cause skin to dry out. I didn't see anything about hot showers or heat, but I am pretty sure that those two thing can lead to skin not being properly hydrated. Add to that the fact that I only like to drink water in the summer...weird, I know...and I'm pretty sure we are looking at a problem that can be easily treated. I think I need to use a moisturizer on my face, especially one that is formulated to help my skin stay hydrated. I am guilty of using soap on my face every day, which my sister says does not help my skin, and can actually make my problems worse. I should have followed my mother's example. She has used the same product on her face ever since I was a little girl, and she still has beautiful skin.

I am off to find a product that will help my dry/oily/combination horrible skin.

Must Get Dirty

This is what happened last week when I was busy with my sisters...my plants grew out of control!

I have got to get the boxes filled outside so I can get them planted out there. I love walking over to them, shaking their leaves, and smelling them. YUM!
We looked in Wal-Mart yesterday, and priced dirt. I think we may end up having to buy some. Hopefully the rain will stop by the morning so I can get it done.

Stand Out

How do you stand out from the crowd?

With so many people out of work and competing for the few jobs that are available, what can you do to get noticed? If you are Candice Crawford, you put your resume online, on a personal website. She is looking to become a journalist, so she put broadcast videos of herself, as well as her resume on a website where prospective employees can go to see her in action. I think this is a unique idea, and one that will work for a variety of people. You could post a video, explaining why you would be perfect for the position you are seeking . It will give employers the chance to see you talking about yourself, and also gives you the chance to show off your personality. I believe people will follow in Candice's footsteps, and make their resumes available online.

The Tudors

Season three of The Tudors has started on Showtime. My cable company allows me to see each episode a week in advance, so I have already watched the first two episodes. This season King Henry is married to Jane Seymour (sp?) and there is unrest in England. I don't know why they didn't have a show like this when I was supposed to be learning all of this in school. Jonathan Rhys Meyers has the most awesomely beautiful blue eyes. I am such a sucker for blue eyes.

Anyway, I can't wait to see what happens this season.

Time With Family

I can not believe how fast this year is going by. It's already Spring, and Easter is in two days. The kids still need to dye their eggs. I did get them boiled today, so that is a step in the right direction. I think we are going to wait until tomorrow night, and color them with my sisters kids. This should be an interesting experience, because it will be a one year old, a two year old, a three year old, a six year old, a seven year old, a nine year old, and three older kids doing it. I am so happy we will be at Colleen's house, and not mine. I am almost positive that something will be spilled. Oh, and the smell of the vinegar. Yuck.

Unfortunately, one of my sisters, Cheryl, is leaving tomorrow night, and won't be here for Easter. My sister Tami is staying, so that will be nice. It's great that we will be spending Easter with family, and not sitting home talking to strangers in Anime Chat City, which just happens to be a great place to meet people who share your interest in Anime.

My mom plans on doing all the cooking for Sunday, and she always makes the best macaroni and cheese. I am in charge of bringing an appetizer, but haven't decided exactly what kind I will bring. I think I am just going to go to the store with my sisters tomorrow, and we can get everything we need and just split the bill. Either way, I am sure we will have a wonderful time.

Easter Award

One of my most favorite people in the world has given me this award for Easter. Thanks Miss Donna! Love you!

Now it is my privilege to pass it along to all of you!

That's right. If you are reading this, or if you read any of my blogs, this award is for you. Cause let's face it...without you, what's the point of doing this?

Moving

When we moved last July, it was really hard on us. It was only a few weeks after my surgery, and I was not able to lift anything at all. Luckily, Ryan was a big help, and packed most of the house up himself. The only problem was that he had to use pretty small boxes, because he couldn't carry anything that heavy, either. When moving day came, all we had was Junior's little trailer, so we had to make numerous trips. If I remember correctly, we made about fifty trips back and forth. It took us a few days to get everything moved, and I wasn't able to unpack things right away. I was still healing. I would have given anything to have had someone come in and pack up everything for us, load it all into a huge truck, and move it themselves. This is exactly what you can get from Houston Mover. They are insured and bonded, and have all the equipment needed to move all of your belongings safely. They even offer packing and unpacking assistance for an additional charge, and I seriously would have paid anything for that when I moved. I just couldn't convince Junior. In the end, he ended up doing most of the work, because I couldn't. I got to supervise, which is the best job to have anyway.

Peppers!

My little pepper plants are doing great! All but one finally sprouted, and they are almost ready to be planted outside. The boxes Ryan built still need to be filled with dirt, and hopefully next week we can get that done. This weekend is shot...we have my dad's 60th birthday party at the skating rink/bounce house on Saturday, and then Sunday is Easter. Plus, with my sister's here, I want to spend time with them, not a shovel! lol!

Buying Into A Franchise

People are losing their jobs at an alarming rate these days. Because of this, more and more people are looking to start their own businesses. Junior was actually talking about checking out some franchise opportunities. We don't have the finances necessary right now, but it couldn't hurt to check things out. I have a lot of experience in fast food, so something along those lines would be perfect for us. I could even see us buying into a coffee shop franchise. How much difference could there be between fast food and coffee? I know how to deal with the public, and I have been present for quite a few inspections. I always tell people it takes a certain type of person to work in the food industry, especially fast food. You really have to have patience, and good people skills. I have a lot of practice with this.

If you are interested in buying into a franchise, look into getting a franchise consultant. They could help you find the right business for you. Do your research. Know where you want to have your business located. Be prepared, but have an open mind. These people know what they are talking about, and they can get you started on the path to financial independence.

Baby Blanket For My Sister

I am now convinced, more than ever, that my sister is having a girl. This is the first time I have seen her since she got pregnant, and she looks like she's carrying a girl. The baby's heartbeat was 162...girls are always higher than boys. She'll find out next month, for sure.

Anywho, this is the blanket I started, then pulled apart and restarted, for her, because I am so sure it's a girl. Doesn't it look Eastery? I love the randomness of the lines of color. I'm about a third done, and once I finish this one, I need to make a neutral colored one for my other sister, who isn't finding out what she's having. When she was pregnant, I was sure he was a boy, so I'm no good guessing with her.

Brandi Needs New Shoes

This morning was just like any morning. I got the kids up for school, and picked out Brandi's clothes. It is supposed to be kind of nice out today, so I had jeans and a short sleeved shirt for her to put on.

After getting fully dressed, she decided that she wanted to wear a dress. She is definitely my girlie girl. She loves to wear dresses and have her hair put up. But, this morning, I told her since she was already dressed, that she could wear a dress tomorrow. That statement brought on the tears. Finally, after five minutes of arguing, I gave in and picked her out a skort and a shirt to match. Once she was dressed, again, I asked her why it was so important that she wear a dress today?

I about fell over laughing when I heard her answer. On Thursdays, her class goes to the library. During this time, they have to sit and read quietly. If you wear a dress, you get to sit on the couch instead of the floor. So all the girls in her class wear dresses on Thursdays. I thin this is hysterical!

My biggest problem with her wearing dresses now is that she doesn't have any Spring shoes. She got quite a few Summery dresses for Christmas, but they just don't match her black sparkly flats. I was browsing the Stride Rite website and found these cute little sandals. They are Stride Rite Girls White Tulip Sandals. Aren't they cute! They would be perfect for her to wear with her Spring and Summer clothes. What's even better is that they are on sale right now, too. I just love saving money!

Easter

I can not believe that Easter is in three days. I am so unprepared! I don't even know how I will find the time to go shopping for stuff for their Easter baskets. Maybe tomorrow when they are at school...

It is going to be really nice to have my sister here for the Holiday. Cheryl is leaving Saturday night, because her husband has to work Monday, and it's a long drive. But Tami and the boys are staying until Sunday night.

The other night, we did the "hang the wedding ring" over the belly to see what my sisters are having, and they both came out girl. Cheryl even looked it up on the Chinese birth chart (or something like that!) and it came back girl for both. I hope they are right!

Babies

I can not believe how fast this year is going by. I mean, it's already April! Next month is Kasi's birthday. I remember the year she was born. I brought her home from the hospital a couple of days before Mother's Day. This year I will probably get flowers for Mothers day, and that's perfectly fine with me. After spending the last two days watching my sister Cheryl chase her 13 month old around, I have no desire to have another child. I don't miss those days when I couldn't sit and have a conversation without a kid constantly needing my attention. Does that make me selfish? Maybe. But I've done my time with three kids. I don't need anymore.

That said, I can not wait until I have grandbabies. Of course, this will be many, many years in the future, but I can not wait to play with and love on a child I get to send home with it's mother when I'm done! lol!

My Little Critter

This is the little critter I painted. You can't really tell, but the little bow tie, rose, and wings have glitter on them. I had so much fun sitting with the kids and letting them be creative. I know I loved doing crafty things with my mom.

What's your favorite craft to do with your kids?

Driving

I have decided to try and learn how to drive. I am tired of thinking about the next few years, and how difficult it is going to be for me not to drive. Ryan will be wanting to get a job, and it will be hard for Junior to get him back and forth, plus work himself. It's not like we can contract hire a car that comes with a driver. I just need to suck it up and get my license. I need to figure out a way to get over the fear. It may take me a little while, but I am serious about it this time.

My Kids Bugs

Saturday morning, the kids and I painted up some cute little bugs.
Here's Brandi hard at work...

...and Kasi...

...and Ryan

These are the finished products.

The first two are Brandi's, the middle one is Ryan's, and the last two are Kasi's.

Didn't they come out adorable?
I'll post a picture of mine later.

Cable Hook Up

When we had cable installed in the apartment, the guy who came out the first time had no clue what he was doing. It was a Friday, and he was more interested in getting his paycheck cashed than hooking up my cable. I know this because he told me. He ended up leaving, saying he would be back.

He never came back.

I called to have another guys come out, and he did a half way decent job. He got some of the wires into the house, but not into all of the rooms. Junior decided just to do it himself. Luckily, compression f connectors from ICM are easy to install, and he was able to get all the televisions hooked up. It's a good thing compression connector had all the things we needed to get the job done. If you have connector needs, check out their stock. They have a variety products, so you can find exactly what you are looking for.

Oatmeal Cookies

Over the weekend I felt like doing some baking, The kids have been so good this past week, I thought they deserved a treat.

I found an oatmeal cookie recipe here, and added little chocolate candies to it. They came out yummy!

Brandi wants to make her play dough recipe, so maybe I'll do that with her next weekend...we just never got around to it on her break.

My Broken Tub

I am having bathtub problems. A few weeks ago, the knob for the hot water in the tub broke. It would not completely turn off. Junior put in a call to the management company, and they promised to send a plumber out either that day or the next to fix it. It was a Thursday that Junior called, and they didn't come that day. Or the next.

I didn't want to wait to see if they'd show up on Monday, because it was the hot water that was running. I wouldn't have cared if it was the cold side, but by continuously running the hot, it was going to raise my power bill. We don't pay our water bill, the management company does, so I wasn't worried about that. Junior ended up getting the stuff to fix it himself. The problem was, the whole fixture is so old, they no longer sell the same one. We ended up having to get a different knob, so now the hot and cold do not match. I really don't care, as long as it's not running anymore.

I was surprised that the management company didn't send someone. We never called and told them that we fixed it ourselves, they just never sent anyone. Last week when I was cleaning the tub, the lever that clogs the drain so the water stays in the tub broke off, and there is no way for it to be fixed, It needs to be replaced. I'm about ready to call a plumber myself. It's too bad I didn't live close enough to use a Mercer Island plumber. Whenever we take a shower, the tub fills, because it drains so slow because of the broken lever. I'm guessing it's something we are just going to have to live with. Kind of like out leaky roof.

My Pepper Plants!

I was so happy to see more of my pepper seeds have sprouted. Now I have to get busy finishing up the boxes outside so I can plant the cucumber plants out there in the next couple of weeks. I want to get some type of string/lattice contraption made that they can climb up on. I also have to buy some tomato plants. I prefer the cherry/grape/roma ones. YUMMY! I am hoping we will see a lot of veggies this summer!

WoooHooooo!!!!!

My pepper seeds have sprouted! Can you see it? I am so happy this morning. I was convinced they weren't going to. Not all of them have. In fact, I think only three have, but that's better then none. Hopefully tomorrow there will be even more.

These are the others...aren't they doing great!

I Want A Pool!

I want a pool.

I want to be able to swim everyday.

I want to enjoy lounging in the sun, floating in the crystal clear water.

I know it won't happen anytime soon.

This is the first full summer we will be spending here at the apartment. I know for a fact we are not allowed to have a real, hard sided pool. I am hoping we can get away with one of those blue do it yourself pools, but who knows. We don't pay the water bill, it's included in our rent, so they might get upset if we fill a pool.

One day I hope to have a beautiful in-ground pool. I was looking at Napa pools and they have some gorgeous designs. I would want beautiful landscaping around it, with a diving board and a slide for the kids. I remember growing up, we had a four foot pool. Our house was pretty popular during the summer months. We weren't as popular as those kids who had in-ground pools, but I think having the four foot was perfect for us. You could play better games in our pool. Although, nothing beats diving to fetch those sticks that sink in the in-ground pools.

Listen to me. I am babbling. I am going to check out some Walnut Creek pools and San Jose pools so I can dream and drool a little. I am sure someday we will have our dream pool. I just wish someday was tomorrow.

Making Plans

I was talking to my sister this afternoon, and we were discussing my going to NY for a vacation. Junior would have to drive us, meaning me and the kids, halfway, which is to Richmond, Virginia. We would meet my sister, and go with her the rest of the way, spend a week or two, and then Junior would pick us up halfway again. I didn't think about this before, and maybe Tami didn't either, but driving that far while 6 or 7 months pregnant may not be a good idea. Maybe we need to discuss this a little more...

Is It Love?

I used to be a pretty good matchmaker. When I was in high school, I got a few couples together. It was always much easier for me to set other people up than it was for me to get myself a date. In fact, I never had a boyfriend in school. It wasn't until the Christmas after graduating that I started dating my first boyfriend. We were together for over three years, and I learned a lot from him.

The bad part was that I went right back to being unable to find a date. I know you might find that hard to believe, seeing as how I am so funny and beautiful. The thing was, right after the break up, I moved down south and didn't know anyone. I wasn't into the bar scene, and I didn't start working right away. I was going to look into things like Catholic Chat rooms, but I didn't know much about the computer back then. It was after I started working that I was set up with my husband. A girl I worked with knew him, and thought we would hit it off.

And we did. But, if you are a regular reader, you know this, because I have shared this story before. Some days I can't help but wonder about what my girls will be like when they start dating. Will they be confident and secure in their own skin, or will they have the same insecurities I had? I try very hard not to say things about Kasi's weight, because I know how it feels to constantly be told that I need to lose weight. I know how it made me feel, and I do not want my kids to feel that way. Besides, Kasi doesn't need to lose weight. I just hope she never ends up needing to. With Junior and I being overweight, I worry that the kids will be one day too. I guess I need to start now to make sure that never happens.

It's Over

Did you watch ER?

I did.

I am going to write about it later, on my other blog.

Right now I need to stop crying.

Ryan is laughing and making fun of me.

He's a sweet kid, huh?

What A Week!

I can't believe it's only Thursday. This week feels like it has been thirty days long. With the kids home, I have not been on my schedule. And you all know how important my schedule is to me. I think it has caught up with the kids, too, because it's almost 10am and the girls are still sleeping.

My phone has been ringing off the hook this past week, too. I usually don't mind the kids friends calling, but when they call and hang up, it gets a little frustrating. I used a reverse phone search
to find out about one number, and it turned out to be one of Brandi's little friends. She didn't know what to say when I answered the phone. She was expecting Brandi to answer. I can see how that could be confusing to a six year old.

I am really looking forward to them going back to school on Monday. Then the following Sunday is Easter. We are planning on going to my mom's house. It's going to be crowded, but fun. I love seeing my nephew, and he loves my kids. They always have a good time when we get together. In fact, last weekend, Colleen came and got the girls, and they spent the day playing with Carson while Colleen and her husband cleaned. They want to get their house on the market, and had a lot to do. I was shocked that Brandi went and spent the day without me. I'm hoping this is a step in the right direction for her.

Er ~ One Last Time

I am so sad today. After fifteen years, the end has come. Tonight they are showing a one hour retrospective at 8pm, and then a two hour series finale, starting at 9pm. I can guarantee you that I will be bawling. The girls are already mad at me that I won't be watching Survivor, but come on. I haven't missed an episode in fifteen years. I'm not about to start tonight.

My Sisters

I have two sisters who are pregnant. My older sister already has three kids, and her youngest will be almost seven when the new baby is born. It's been a while since she has had to deal with diapers and colic. My younger sister has a two year old, so she knows from recent experience what it's like to have a baby. They are due five weeks apart, so it will be nice that they can talk to each other about all the things a parent has to deal with. They could also check out parentsconnect.com, where parents get together and offer support to each other. It's hard some days to know that you are doing the right things, and it's nice to know that other parents have been through it, and have survived. They can find answers to questions about diapers or pre-school, and anything else in between.

Beware Of Paying Post

It's the first of another month.

I thought maybe, just maybe, I would be paid by paying post.

Yeah, not so much.

So I decided to google them, and apparently, they haven't paid anyone, EVER!

From what I read on others' blogs, because the company is based in England, they are not bound by our laws, so basically, I am never going to be paid, and there is nothing I can do about it.

Except complain here, and warn all my readers to stay away from them!!!

Make Money From Home

As a stay at home mom, I love finding new ways to make money. It is best for my family if I am home for the kids, so finding time to work a "real" job is impossible. I get really excited when I hear about new opportunities to make money from home, and this one I'm about to talk about sounds promising.

You can Go To This Opportunity and learn all about how to start making money in less than two weeks. Right now you can take advantage of their seven day free trial. During this time, you can make money. It's really quite simple. You become the boss, and get people to work under you. These people make you money. When they get people to work under them, they make money, and you make more money. To begin, just watch step by step video tutorials. You are guaranteed a position on the team. You can work as much, or as little, as you want, which means it is perfect for any schedule. The best part is, they offer a money back guarantee. That means you have nothing to lose by simply trying it out. All you have to do is take the first step, and let them take you to your new stay at home job!!!

Fishing At Lake Blalock

When I woke up this morning, it was raining. Luckily by the afternoon, it was sunny enough to get in a little fishing. Yes, Boo is fishing in a pink frilly dress. What can I say, she believes she's a princess. Wanna see more pictures? Click here.

Lap Band Surgery

Lap band surgery is a popular way for obese people to lose weight. I will admit to looking into it, because I have a large amount of weight to lose. I have tried all types of diets, but nothing seems to work for me. I think I need the type of jump start that lap band surgery can offer. I read through some lap band testimonials, and these people seem satisfied with their results. I know that this isn't something that should be considered lightly. Looking at the lap band before and after pictures, I can't help but want results like that for myself. I am aware that there is no guarantee that the weight you lose will not return. This is just the beginning jump start to a new lifestyle and way of eating. If you want more information, call 1-800-GET-SLIM.

Have You Been Fooled?

Early this morning, around 6, Brandi woke me up, kinda crying.

She said she cut her arm.

It was covered in ketchup!

Nice try, little one!

It takes more than that to fool me!

On a side note, eight years ago, on April first, I found out I was pregnant with the little trickster!

Trading

Want to make some money in the stock market? Read this guide to swing trading and you'll be on your way. I know I could use a little extra cash these days. How about you?