America's Most Wanted

I think the Herndon honeymoon period might be over.

Friday night C wen to the community center for "kids night out". It is a prepaid event once a month where the kids go and play games, do crafts, and watch a movie. He was looking forward to it. Two month ago he cried and we were called to pick him up early, last month he made it almost to end and then just hung out with one of the kid councilors until we arrived, then this month he was hooting and hollering about how awesome it was going to be all week. So he goes, we get no phone calls and are loving life after a nice night out to Bennihanna go to pick up C. He seemingly was in a good mood and I helped him put on his sneakers. But when I was tying his shoes I noticed he had a black eye. I asked him if he got "bonked in the head" with a ball or something and he just sort of said he didn't know. It wasn't a major black eye, just red on the cheekbone and darkish gray forming under his eye. So on the way we talked with one of the head volunteers and she told me that C was so great and he is so sweet, and I was like "great, thanks, bye-bye" and she was all, "Well, we had an incident."

The incident: Six other boys were taking the hula hoops and trapping other children in them from behind and then pushing them around. At first it looked like they were just playing but as it turns out kids were getting hurt. On kid pulled C's shirt and spun him in a circle and then pushed him to the ground. C yelled for them to stop and then went to get a person in charge who yelled at the kids to stop, but they just continued to be rough and hurt other kids. Eventually there was an incident report and the police came! Now the police have been stationed outside the community center for weeks - so they are just a few steps away, other wise they probably would be called. Anyway the kids were sent home.

Can you imagine having this girls job? I don't even think she was 18 and she had to tell all the parents these things. How terrible for her. I was thinking this trying not to be upset, but I did manage to ask her if this was how he got the black eye. She frowned and said she hadn't seen that develop but "my instincts would say yes". I thanked her for letting us know and we left. C said he had a lot of fun except when those older boys were there, so at least that is good. But I am a little miffed that the problem wasn't nipped in the bud a little sooner. Also the police issue has me a little concerned.

I have noticed when I go to Zumba that the police are always right up front in the parking lot of the community center. It doesn't actually make me feel safe, it makes me feel like they're there for a reason. They have also been in the parking lot of our grocery stores and other area places. Last night when S went to the store he said the cops were in the store sorting something out. I am just getting a little creeped out, especially at the library.

You can tell the weather is finally turning here. At night, almost for a week now we have had the heat on and quite a few days as well. Anyway, you can also tell because there is a small homeless population hanging out at the library. This week there was the usual suspect, the young guy who always parks his luggage by the computers. One wouldn't even know he is homeless unless they say the trash bag covered boxes on the pull cart. The usual suspect wasn't alone this week. There was a lady sleeping in a back corner with her "luggage" all around her. There was a guy sleeping on a chair who smelled so bad I left the section. It seemed like at the end of every row was a pull cart of belongings. Normally I feel sorry for these people. I always want to help but don't know how. I always give them money if they are outside. Damn Doctoro Phil.

One time on a Dr. Phil show he said that he always gives because he just thinks to himself "what if he doesn't buy cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol, what if he buys a meal and it saves his life tonight?" So I give. When we lived in DC both S and I would keep McDonald's gift cards in our glove boxes to hand out on one highway exit ramp where there was always pan handlers and golden arch just steps away. But I digress, back to the library,

There were no cops at the library, but I was beginning to get creeped out anyway, thinking maybe there should be. So I check out my new series (I have a sick obsession with VC Andrews lately) and head to my car. When I get home I settle in to watch TV and catch up on my DVR shows, one of which is America's Most Wanted.

On the show they show case this guy from DC who is young and looks just like my usual suspect at the library. I was totally scared and double checked all my door locks. I don't think I am going to go to the library at night anymore!

Kind of Funny

Whenever I don't know what to do with myself I go to Kohl's. It is close to the house, quiet, and large enough to get lost in for an hour. About two weeks ago I ventured over there after dinner one night. I didn't have anything, other than my insane quest for the perfect boots, that I really needed or wanted I just browsed the sale racks and the ladies clothes. On my final lap of the store I saw a sweat shirt that I knew S would like. He wears these old man half zip sweatshirts around the house at night. When they are new they look pretty nice, but they get old and either stretched out or shrinked up really fast. Anyway, they were on sale, so I pick one out for S to give to him on his birthday.

Fast Forward to Last Night:

It was the first cold night and really it wasn't that cold, it isn't like we had the heat on, we just cannot wait to use the fireplace more! Anyway, we opted to have a fire. S tells me he just wanted to change up first. So he comes downstairs and he is wearing an old man sweatshirt - half zip in the same color I had bought him last week. So I start to laugh and before I knew it I was telling him the story. So tonight, before dinner, I went back to Khol's. They still don't have boots by the way. I came close with a Vera Wang black pointy toe number but alas they didn't have size 10, no one does. I return the old man sweatshirt and exchange it for a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company logo tee. Somehow I think S will like that better in the long run. Now, only if I could find the perfect boot!

PS: They were playing Christmas music.

It is Offical

Well actually many things are official; beginning with:

1. My job is so lame, G didn't even show up today and I spent an hour or so here and there on facebook, email, lunch, and talking to my mom. My scanner is really slow and I was just filling the time. Except when my mom called, then I just took ten.
2. My husband raked the front yard. I am still in shock.
3. Cooper has 4 cavities. I am still in shock.
4. Cooper is only at level one reading when he should be at a six according to the parent teacher conference we had today. I am not shocked or even a little surprised.
5. I am all candied out.
6. Dinner cannot come fast enough tonight, it is already cooking. I forgot about the time change, so we are eating SO early!
7. The time change is killing me. I was wide awake at six this morning and God knows I am going to pay for that on Wednesday when C goes back to school and I go back to work.
8. Fairfax County Public Schools are weird. C has off today and tomorrow for teacher conference days. It is bad enough he has a half day every Monday.
9. According to #4 he needs more time in school. His teacher agrees and now he will have a reading program twice a week for an hour before school. Good thing I have a car these days.
10. My son is so funny. He made up his first joke ever that made sense. Normally he says things like why do the curtains have stripes and he would say because they blue and laugh his head off. Funny, maybe, but it gets a little old sometimes. Well, this morning he says "hey mom, what do you call chicken in a box?" and I say "I don't know" and he says "Fried chicken!" I thought that was cute. He must have had KFC on the brain.

Candy! Candy!

So, I ended up taking C to the base last night for trick-or-treat time. We didn't have a plan or anything we just sort of showed up. First we went to our old neighbors house and it was just 6:00, start time. T was so happy to see us and so were the kids. We haven't seen them since September. The kids were all so thrilled to see each other they were hugging and laughing and saying "we miss you, are you moving back in here?" and C said "No, we're just visiting, but we wanted to see you first because your my best friends." It was so sweet and cute. C and triplets were all just too cute. J was even wearing one of C's old costumes! The kids asked if we could go trick-or-treating with them and of course I said yes. So their dad, D, and I took the four kids door to door in the old neighborhood. After the first 20 or so house D said "okay kids, we're rounding the block so Miss Jamie and go back and hang out with Mommy and I am taking you to 100 HOUSES YEAHHHHHHHHHH!" The kids were just tickled pink and so was I. D was so nice to offer to take C out trick-or-treating while I crashed at his house unannounced and hung out with T. In the end I had so much fun I didn't want to leave.

Eventually we met up with A and her family. Again the kid were happy to see each other, but it wasn't the excitement we had with T & D's kids. We went to a few house and then all the kids wanted to stop, they were getting tired. A invited us to hang out at her house for awhile, but when I asked C he said "I just really want to go home and get into my nice comfy bed". I ended up declining the offer and telling her that we could not get together on Saturday. I explained that it was just too much for us and we were getting spread too thin. She was perfectly happy with that explanation and happy to agree we'd get together soon. I was relieved. I wanted to go, but I just couldn't do another trip out there so soon. It is too much.

Oh Crap

Apparently Bolling Air Force Base is full of moronic self indulgent ass holes. I knew I didn't like that place when I lived there. I am so annoyed. They scheduled trick-or-treating for today, FRIDAY, instead of Halloween, which is tomorrow. I am upset because I didn't know and because we had so many plans for that day which will now be impossible. I am so flustered. Friday traffic is sooooo bad and I have to be near DC anyway for a dentist appointment today, so I am considering visiting with friends and just staying there until candy time. That would mean we miss out on Costume Bingo at C's school which is tonight. It also means we will be home tomorrow and have to buy candy, if we choose too. Either that or C could trick-or-treat twice, I am sure to him that is the best plan. I am just so disappointed. If we stay here and go to the school that means we cannot eat dinner and hang out with our dear friends back in DC tomorrow because C will be trick-or-treating in a NORMAL city. I was so looking forward to it.

Also - in other news: Scott is on my list. He can be so darn self righteous sometimes. I don't get it. Even after I slept on it I am still thinking about our exchange of words last night. Basically it comes down to what a few of my friends have told me, sometimes, most of the time, your husband doesn't want you to have anything but happy thoughts and butterflies flying around in your head.

I don't have butterflies, currently I have a calender and all I can see is that it is filling up everyday. I am too busy and the house seems to be falling apart. I had to rearrange my schedule this week because C needs to go to the Dentist. Even though G said I could now make my own hours, as soon as I try to do that he fussed. I feel terrible about it. Now the whole trick-or-treat deal is in the way and things just aren't what I've planned.

How silly is it? I mean Tuesday I was fine. Monday I was great. Well, better go, I have to get C ready for school, which means I need to pry him away from Sponge Bob.

And one more thing - MY MICROWAVE BROKE! And it is only like three or four months old! I think it shorted out - faulty wiring in the kitchen. How annoying.

One good note, my friend, K, is due soon with their little boy. This weekend I am going to go shopping for a gift for them. It might end up being a gift card to where ever they are registered - it they are but either way I am going to have fun picking it out. I am so excited for them.

I Want My Stapler

Today I arrived at the office a few minutes early; which is good because it gave me time to unpack a small bag of supplies I brought in from my old job. I had a box of paperclips, a stapler, a trashcan, rubber bands, and highlighters; all of which were void in my new office. By five past ten I was typing away and scanning a new bill when G walks through the door. We exchange hellos give updates on the kids and then he proceeds to set up his laptops.

G and I share a desk. I use the good side and he uses the side guests would normally sit at in an office. There are a few network cables set up because he broke our router a few weeks ago. When he begins to plug these cables into his laptop he notices my pink stapler and asks if it is mine. I tell him that I had a few left over supplies from my old job and thought I would donate them. He seems pleased but then as he finished hooking up the first of two laptops he bumps the stapler and says

"See I don't think we can have a lot of extras in here, they take up so much room and it is a small office." He was serious. I ignored the comment and instead answered with "you know the phone still isn't working?" G nicely ignore my question and said "We should make sure to work on the insurance today" I nodded and said "We should really get a shredder." At this he sort of cocked his head to one side, not unlike my Golden Retriever does when she wants a snack, and says "what are we talking about?" I just laugh and say, "my pink stapler, I want my stapler" His head bobbed from one side to the next and then he just smiled and went to get coffee.

Really G, my stapler is taking up too much room?

And Down She Goes

Yesterday I had two choices: 1. Go to church and get my nails done or 2. Go to work. I chose number 1. Sadly it was because I so badly wanted my nails done and had little to do with checking out the daily mass offered at our church. But without getting into to much detail - the mass was nice and I think I will try to go a few days a week once Advent starts.

The story is the nails:

So I go to Star Nails, which is a chain and which I like. The ladies running it normally make fun of you in an Asian language and start laughing. Once M (My sister) and I went and the ladies kept asking if we wanted to get waxed too, when we said no they started laughing. We were border line humiliated - but at the same time just started cracking up. Anyway, the last time M and I went we made sure we both tweezed our eye brows before going. So yesterday, I go myself. I tweeze, I shave, give myself the once over and I go.

The message was fantastic - probably the best I have had. During which the lady said "you have soft legs. Except this line here - do you want me to wax?" Yea - apparently I missed a spot shaving! I declined the wax. Next she does the mani pedi and after an hour of pampering it is time for me to go. But I forgot my flip flops so the lady lets me keep these little foam ones they put on you for the pedicure. Well, as discussed I have flippers. So my toes sort of hang off the front and a sliver of my heal off the back. But whatever - I was only parked a few spaces from the door.

Upon exiting the salon I cringe because it is still raining. I gingerly walk out across the parking lot and oh so gracefully slide about ten feet with my arms flailing about, one leg up in the air, one hand trying to stop me and my keys flying across and hitting a car. As I am sliding these darn fake flip flops are coming apart and I am just praying no one really notices me. It seemed like an eternity until my knee finally broke my fall and I was able to stand up get me keys and rush into my car. Nails - so wrecked. (But not all that bad, I was able to fix the few that were wrecked at home) Once I get to the car I look back where I fell and notice one of the flip flops - I just left it there. I slid on those white and yellow lines painted on the ground. They are so slick when they are wet!

Only me.

The Big Flood

TOP OF FENCE GOING TO COURSE / TOP OF FENCE GOING TO OUR YARD

On Saturday it rained so hard and so fast here that we thought our house was going to go under. The golf course behind the house had waves of water gushing over it. In between our house and the course is a small gully with a run off drain from a local creek, it completely flooded and was spilling over. The water raised to about six feet above what it normally is. Luckily the water receded rather quickly in the end but The whole while this was happening I was on the phone with my sister M, who must have gotten a little annoyed that I kept interrupting her good news about chapter requests and moving just to give her the water update. Poor girl, if it isn't C distracting me every two minutes it is me with silly updates. Anyway the flood had me thinking:

I know it is an older joke - but it makes me laugh and think; how may life lines do we need? Maybe more than three.

It had been raining for days and days, and a terrible flood had come over the land. The waters rose so high that one man was forced to climb onto the roof of his house.As the waters rose higher and higher, a man in a rowboat appeared, and told him to get in. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the man in the rowboat went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.The waters rose higher and higher, and suddenly a speedboat appeared. "Climb in!" shouted a man in the boat. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the man in the speedboat went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.The waters continued to rise. A helicopter appeared and over the loudspeaker, the pilot announced he would lower a rope to the man on the roof. "No," replied the man on the roof. "I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me." So the helicopter went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.The waters rose higher and higher, and eventually they rose so high that the man on the roof was washed away, and alas, the poor man drowned.Upon arriving in heaven, the man marched straight over to God. "Heavenly Father," he said, "I had faith in you, I prayed to you to save me, and yet you did nothing. Why?" God gave him a puzzled look, and replied "I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"

Oh So Important

Kohl's, Macy's, Sears, Lord N Taylor, and a variety of other stores sadly disappointed me today. I need boots. I don't need "holy snow batman" boots. I need good looking ones with mild traction in ice type of boots. After all, we only had two days of snow last year. But alas, I have flippers for feet and no one has any type of stock in a size 10. Sears came the closest, but the ones I liked were made for fat legs. I don't have fat legs - I've got skinny ones and boots just seemed to droop down them, even the spandex / microfiber ones. Rest assured I don't have the skinny issue with the rest of my body - so I happily bought three tops that fit great and were on clearance. Maybe I'll have to shop online for the boots.

The Birthday Present

My mother-in-law sent me a list of things my father-in-law wants for his birthday / Christmas. Aren't we a little old for these type of lists? Apparently not so much. On the list was an assortment of pure crap. Sweat pants? Mouse pad? For crying out loud does he live in a retirement home? These gifts sound like something you get off a gift tree at the back of church during Advent. But hey - ask and ye shall receive.

Mouse Pad = 2.99
Sweat Pants = 8.99
Transfer Paper = 9.99

Cheap presents. I used my computer to make this collage of family pictures, printed it out and ironed onto the mouse pad, it is super cute. Then I made a USAF name tag for the sweat pants and ironed that on. My father-in-law now officially has birthday presents and I have transfer paper left over to use for Xmas gifts.

Just in case you were wondering - I am pretty proud of myself.

In other news: Today at the library I farted. Yes it is true, I tooted. This was a surprise squeaker that made me turn around to see who it was only to find out it was me! I don't think anyone really heard but I did hear someone laughing in the distance. Needless to say I exited the row and went back to the kiddie section with C and read the newest Cosmo. Did you know that Kim Kardashian wants people to stop asking her if her ass is real? Yes, I was at the library filling the aisles with a funky smell and my brain with an ass load of knowledge - pun intended.

And speaking of ass loads, I had ass loads of laughs when I watched the move Proposal with Sandra Bullock and regrettably Land of the Lost with Will Ferrel. The proposals was predictable but surprisingly made me laugh and it was pretty clean. In one part Sandra Bullock says to her costar, "why didn't you tell me you were the Kennedy's of Alaska?" HA! Land of the Lost was vulgar and hysterical in parts - C LOVED it. Although when we started watching it I thought it was PG but within two minutes realized it must have been PG-13 because they say ass, bitch, and a whole slew of other swears before they even get into the plot. Still both movies made me laugh and had some pretty funny parts.

Just Call Me Kathy

This morning I logged into the computer with hot coffee in hand. I pecked at the keys so I wouldn't have to put the cup down. I swear I really could have used a straight IV, but that is besides the point, as it is just my regular routine and routine complaint. I check email, eBay, half.com, FB, and sometimes my bank account. This morning I was surprised that my bank account had seven-hundred dollars more than it did yesterday. We received a reimbursement from the Air Force for one of S's trips. But the payment, which normally is around five to seven days after his travel, was really delayed. So delayed that I forgot about it and paid his government CC when the bill came in full. So, now we get to keep the money. Granted we have bills to pay, but it sure was nice to see money in there so far after payday.

In other news I told a whopper today. I sold this brand new Columbia purple, pink and blue snow suit on Craig's List and the lady came to pick it up today. I bought the item at a thrift store for five bucks. It was new but didn't have tags. Although when I brought it home I found remnants of a tag. So anyway I list the snowsuit of CL because I couldn't get a really good picture of it for eBay. Blah, Blah, it sells. So the lady comes to the house today, and says "wow this really is new, why didn't you use it." and I say "I have a boy, apparently his grandparents are colorblind". Then we both laugh, I take her twenty bucks and smile all the way to my wallet. What the heck?!?! I might be losing what sanity I have left and completely turning into my mother.

The Backpack

I am really trying to enjoy my new job, to be grateful that there is a job that is classified as "Mother's Hours", to be thankful that my boss is really a nice guy, and to be joyful in all things concerning work - even if it is a complaint, I want it to be in jest. My last job was so toxic and just plain hard that sometimes I think the only skill I took away from it was "what not to do".



Did I already blog about the backpack? I am not sure how I missed that. Last week G Money brought in a load of about 1500 pages of paper that were turned all directions and ways, some folded some not, some next to their mate some not, some in envelopes that had been open and some not, and all shoved into a backpack. A large backpack spilling over with paperwork, tax forms, passports (his families - he didn't even know then were in there), bank receipts, junk mail, just tons of stuff, some important some not.

So, that day at work I sorted the papers and got them all in the same direction, and in piles of taxes, bank, payroll, personal (there was a lot of G Money's stuff in there - like his colonoscopy report??) and other assorted piles of importance. Then I began to set up a filing system. By the end of the day everything was nice and neat and pretty. Then G asked me for a Federal Tax form. So I open the new file and it isn't there. It takes me about three minutes and I find it. The majority of the Federal forms he gave me were mailed from Utah, and on that particular form I looked at the return address and assumed it was the State of Utah form. I handed him the right form and double checked the Utah file to make sure I didn't mix anymore. Then G says:

G "You have to be very careful with this stuff, we cannot haphazardly move them into any file"

Me "As opposed to being in a backpack?"

Crickets.

So today I have to work, and already I am not really looking forward to it. Joyful Joyful Joyful, Darn it , I will be!!!

The Sickness

C is sick. Yesterday I kept him home and for half the day he was FINE, the other half he ran a fever and had an upset tummy. The problem was that the halves were mixed, an hour here, two hours there. Anyway - this morning he woke me up at 2:00, and me in all my great mommy wisdom assumed it was between six and seven, so I plodded into the kitchen and started the coffee. Before I got too much into the routine I did notice the correct time, shut off the coffee pot and grabbed the kids Motrin before I went back up to bed. C was up and down almost every hour and finally around 6:00 his 102 fever broke. By 7:00 he was watching Sponge Bob had eaten a decent breakfast and was jumping from the couch to the coffee table while pretending the dog was Squidward ... so, I sent him to school.

I know the rule is 24 hours after a fever - but please he was fine. I pumped him full of 12 hour cough syrup and a fever reducer just to be safe and sent him to school with note telling his teacher he "presented with no symptoms other than a slight cough and has taken an OTC syrup." So far - no phone calls from the school.

In other sickness news: it is so early to talk about Christmas - but after the whole W deal and my planning Christmas events back in August - I have it on the brain and am secretly excited, for the good parts anyway. I found a dress at SteinMart over the weekend that would be perfect for the show... Jesus would be so proud of my addiction to material possessions in honor of his special day! I know, as always, I am so going to hell - sending my kid to school sick, longing for a new dress, keeping those LUCKY jeans, the list goes on and on - I wouldn't want to corrupt you with "the sickness".

W Family VK Planner

Last night we planned our vacations for 2010. I feel good. I feel great - I cannot wait.

January = Vegas
April = Massachusetts (if the relatives all behave!)
June = Camping
July = Camping
August = South Carolina / Camping
Then sometime in the fall a trip to Colorado for white water rafting and hiking

In January my mom said she'd come here to watch C for us while we were away. So awesome.

Oh Christmas

I might be the dumbest dumbass on the freaking dumb planet. Go ahead, say it - Jamie you are are dumbass. Although I said it and I don't really think it is funny. I am a dumbass. Is dumbass one word? Is it even a real word? Regardless, if it is a word, my name defines it.

S and I had this plan for the holidays this year. We would stay home. I planned an awesome gift / family day at Ford's Theater the week of Christmas to see our favorite play a Christmas Carol. We are so looking forward to it. I was also thinking maybe after Christmas we would go away for a few days, maybe to North Carolina or even Florida. But I didn't make those plans yet. To my utter dismay, I made alternative plans:

We all know my relationship with my in-laws is strained. That really might be an understatement. And no matter how much prayer goes into it I feel no peace over the issues - but I can't leave it alone. There has to be some sort of amicable medium. Did I blog about this already? Anyway I talked to L. Twice now since they left in AUGUST! We use to talk once a week. She called me a month ago. I was completely stunned and at the end a little miffed because she acted as though there were no problems or apologies needed. In order to keep a fake front of peace I just went along with it. Two weeks passed and I figured it was my turn to call. So I did. And somehow; only God knows how; I uttered these oh so magical words "Well why don't you guys come down here for Christmas, you're always welcome."

Go on - start screaming my chant "DUMBASS! DUMBASS!"

They are coming on the 22nd of December. So I take a deep breath and tell myself - good, no problem, we'll make it work. So today I have S call his parents and ask them if they'd like to join us for A Christmas Carol on the 23rd. I thought we'd buy the tickets and maybe see about renting a limo and make a big deal out of it - that would be a great gift right? Well, NO, they are not interested. They are concerned about the weather and how L will be feeling. And now it is apparent that they are worried about being alone with our dog. What ever - I'll send her to Pet Smart for the night. Already - I cannot make them happy.

DUMBASS, DUMBASS!

Bikini Bottom Oh How I Love Thee

This afternoon I ventured into the kitchen and grabbed a Diet Coke and a snack. With items in hand I planted myself on the couch and searched through the cable listings to see what was on. I, mother of the year, without even the slightest hesitation put on Sponge Bob. I was the only one home. I looked at the episode and my first thought was "oh, we've seen this one a few times" and then I realized, wait - I am the only one home, I DON'T HAVE TO WATCH THIS!

False Witness'

You know I just typed this big long explanation and story and then just deleted it. I don't need explanations - it is my blog right?!?!?

Basically I am getting a little tired of false witness and at time good old fashioned witnessing. I have a FB friend who is posting all these new posts about the Godly life. Two months ago she posted things like "BEER... YUM" and "TGIF wheres the alcohol." So maybe shes changed, great hope she has, but it is so phony - new Christians praising all it erks me. Today she posted a really cool saying, but I wonder how true from her end. It is annoying.

Then there is issue I am having with another parent at C's school. Really it is no issue - I am just dwelling on it. Here is what happened, the conversation between my Friend A, myself, and another parent

A "my daughter saw Jesus in the jewelery store yesterday"

Me "What?"

A laughs and explains that "I was picking up my ring and A was looking in a case and saw a cross and started to get really excited and say "Mommy I see Jesus" "

Me laughing says "good times, C use to think homeless people in San Fransisco were Jesus because of their beards and crazy hair."

We both laugh and the other parent says "my daughter wouldn't make those associations, we don't do church"

Then I tell the parent how I was raised with out going to church but decided as a teen that I wanted to be Catholic. It was a quick story about me loving to go to bible camp and how I made my mother sign me up for a Mormon camp. (- In real life that is a funny story only because my poor sister had to go with me and hated every waking minute of it.) So after A and I giggled a little over that I got up and tended to the children.

A tells me later that she felt awkward talking to this parent and wanted to get to know her better so tried to start up a conversation when I left room. She asked her "so, can you just not find and church to go to?" Apparently the other parent didn't really answer and the silence stayed there until I returned. But I didn't know this until the other parent went home.

So now, I send this parent an email thanking her for the Bday gift she brought C and asking her if she'd like to get the kids together to play. She ignores my email. I do not have a telephone number for her or I would leave a message. Maybe she just isn't an email type of person. But it has been awhile.

A is so sweet and loving, and she sometimes just can't fathom why someone wouldn't want to go to church. I wonder if her pressing the issue made this parent not want to talk to me anymore. I don't know; but regardless can we just put the witnessing on hold? I know - I am going straight to hell.

Fun ... It's Contagious

What an afternoon. C was in a foul mood, S came home with a headache , I was getting annoyed because the chicken I took out for dinner was spoiled (darn commissary), and the left overs we ate instead weren't much better. So pretty much we had a house full of grumps. S went upstairs to lay down, he wasn't sure if it was a migraine, but he was not feeling well at all. C retreated to the TV room and I was tempted just to tool around online, but then I asked C if he wanted to ride bikes.

So, we go outside and C gets in his mustang instead of a bike and I drag out my bike. First we were just riding up and down the street but then we just started racing around in the circle. After about 30 minutes S comes out and takes a random picture of us - who knows why. Then C decides he wants to use his scooter. He stinks at the scooter. Well, I should say he use to stink at it. Tonight he zipped around it for over half an hour and was even inventing tricks. He was telling me all these stories about made up wars and Christopher Columbus. It was so sweet. Eventually he called S back out to watch his new tricks and we were all laughing and goofing around as a family.

S went back in and C and I rode around for a little while longer. Then when we went inside S surprised us by saying he felt worlds better after a short rest and a shower and he wanted to go search for golf balls with C. So the boys went out behind the fence and searched for lost balls. The found 14.

Maggie was all in a tiff because she couldn't go on that side of the fence, so I got out her tennis balls and a volleyball and started playing around. It was a blast. The dog is riot, she chases the balls and basically flips over them because she doesn't slow down when she tries to pick one up. The volleyball is even funnier, because she can't always get it in her mouth so she starts kicking it around like a soccer ball. It really felt good to be playing and hanging out with my family. I could see the boys in the gully having fun, Maggie and me were having fun running around and life was good.

Once it got dark we all came in and to my surprise the boys had plans to play a game. So here I am with time to blog, and check out my eBay sales. I did great, making over 200.00 minus costs is about $145.00 just in the last five days. I know it won't always be like this. I hit the Halloween costume deal at the right time and people way over paid for used costumes. (suckers :P)) I work for G Money tomorrow - blahhh real work.... I like my shopping job better.

I have Zumba in an hour. I am looking forward to it. Nothing like bouncing around singing Latin dance songs and making a complete fool of yourself. Good times - it really is contagious.

Quite the History

What a weekend. Good, bad, and great all rolled into one. I could make the story the so long and full of details but we'd be here until next weekend, so here are the memorable highlights:

1. I RSVP'd to a party in NJ a long time ago, I wasn't really looking forward to it. C and I in the car for four hours just to go to a BBQ and then turn around and go home, all while I was still sick


2. At the last minute S decided to go with us, he had other reasons; he made a deal with this guy in Red Bank, NJ to buy roughly 5000 baseball cards. The cards needed to be sorted, so S stayed up all night organizing. He never came to bed.


3. We left really early for NJ so we could meet the guy - only to have him cancel three hours into our trip. So S was really disappointed and we were in the area way earlier than we needed to be.


4. My parents were in the area so we called them and met up at Sandy Hook, Fort Hancock. An old base where my dad lived for a few years as a kid. It was awesome. He lived in a darn mansion and the place was so cool. Definitely made the trip worth it. We toured a mortar compound, went in to a museum house that looked like the one my dad lived in and took a little driving tour of all the places my parents use to go and where they got married. It was really a great experience. My father was asked by one of the tour guides to interview for their website and he was really excited about it. I can't wait to see it. For now you can check out the website at: http://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/thingstodosandyhook.htm it is so cool.


5. The BBQ was short and sweet. We were an hour and a half late but that was a good thing. We ate we visited and then we claimed a big ride back and left. Perfection.

So that was the trip. In other news I set up an Ebay store. Which is doing great. Anyone interest can check it out at http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Dicounted-Sole-Searching__W0QQ_armrsZ1 I am still working on the graphics. But hey - I got nothing but time :P)

Confessions of a Shopoholic

I love to shop.

I love to shop.

I love to shop.

I love to shop by MYSELF!

As you may have guessed I went shopping. I bought the largest amount ever for resale. It was fantastic. Lucky, Gap, LL Bean, and more for less than 150.00. Lucky jeans, NEW, the kicker - they are in my size and now I don't want to sell them. The closest I come to a name brand clothing is Walmart Levi's. LOL, well that and shoes - but it isn't like I get those at full price.

Call Janet, Ms Jackson if You're Nasty

Yes, I had a wardrobe malfunction. I didn't expose the girls to anyone... today, anyway. I did however spend the greater part of the morning with my fly down. Also, I took C to the bus stop this morning and slipped on a pair of socks and sneaks. When I got ready for work I kicked off the sneakers and put on a pair of heels (really cute Jessica Simpson's) but, I left my black socks on. I noticed during lunch as I was balancing my shoe on the end of my toe while waiting for my boss to actually swallow his food. Note to self, don't go to Moby Dick with G Money. (On the way in he told me he took his mother in law there and she vomited soon after eating, Great APPETIZER there!)

Seriously, Shut the F UP

Are you F'ing kidding me?!?!? Apparently my pathetic luck with the CW and OTH is continuing to send me on a downward spiral. Actually I was already on the spiral just unaware of it. I am so ticked and not just at companies I have no real attachment or loyalty to. Oh where to begin...

1. I need my own cell phone.
2. I need my own GPS & the Indians to move out!
3. I need my own camera
4. I want my own money
5. I want my own DVR
6. I want a new elbow
7. I want this darn cold to go away!

#1, my cell: Scott brings it on all his trips. He travels a lot. Last week he was suppose to go to New York. I drove him back and forth to the airport five different times while he tried to catch a flight that kept getting delayed and eventually canceled. The last trip turned out to be VERY expensive and scary.

S called around 6:40 to say his flight and his trip were canceled and to come get him. So I get C and Maggie rounded up. C was in Jammies already and Maggie just looked so sad that we were leaving the house, again. So I load in the troops and off we go. We got to the airport at 6:48 and drove around the pick up location six or seven times. By this time it is past seven, it was dark and I was thinking, well maybe at the last minute the flight took off. But I have no phone to call S and find out the scoop.

I decide to park in hourly parking and go inside the airport. Parking is four dollars and I knew that USAF would pay us back for that. As I am parking I see a sign that says NO PETS. Then it says that violators will be ticketed and could face possible jail time if pets are left in the cars. But by this time is is almost 7:30 and I am frantic trying to find S. So I tell C we just have to hurry up. I park in between to HUGE SUV's and hope no one can really see my smaller station wagon. Then I realize the kid has no shoes and is wearing only boxers and a thin T shirt. Luckily I he had left his ugly crocks in the back and I had a sweat shirt for him, but still it was cold and he was way under dressed. I felt like a terrible mother.

We run into the airport and search for a working pay phone. It took a few minutes. Finally we find one and of course I have no change. But you can use your debit card. But the phone doesn't really work. I tried a few times and then finally got a operator to help me. But I get voicemail. By this time I am convinced that the plane took off. So C and I run to the car and see a flashing light on top of a work truck stopped one vehicle away from ours. It is airport security. The guy was waiting for us! He sort of waved his hand to me while I was getting C in the car. Then another airport goer started asking this guy where the exit was, so I just took the opportunity and zipped out of there. I know the guy was going to say something to me, or worse give me the ticket.

Next we go around the airport a few more times and finally at almost eight we see S. He was P.O.ed to say the least. He was so exasperated by the airport and the workers there that he looked like a deflated balloon. I really felt so bad for him that I just did even complain about running around like a crazy women for the last hour and twenty minutes. He explained that right after he called me he realized he might need some sort of travel form from the airline to explain the mess because otherwise he might have an issue trying to get work to cover all the charges for the hotel, and his personal costs for the day. When he attempted this someone was helping him, said they'd be back and never returned. He had to ask two or three more people and it just took forever.

So we get home and I check the computer to see the payphone charge. I print out the charge or 5.00 and the parking fee of 4.00 and ask him to please try to put that money on his travel voucher. He did this the next day and was surprised they said yes so easily. Someone in the finance office even did all the paperwork for him just to be sure. It was great.

Fast forward to today. I check our bank account. The five dollar payphone charge dropped off and was replace by this:

Oct 5, 2009 IOS TEL TO 5083402595 800-2262606 TX DEBIT CARD PURCHASE ($35.95)

I called that 800 number to complain, thinking that was accidental charged for the seven or so times I tried the call before talking to the operator. I was so wrong and was told I had the opportunity to ask the operator the rate. The call was three minutes in duration. I argued as politely as I could and just said I had no idea I'd be billed over $10.00 PER MINUTE! I was told that wasn't the case it is just that the calls are expensive and the rate is only a dollar a minute but with CC fees and tax the charge is high. The man, Todd who was on the other end was actually nice, but obviously he works for a rapist. Eventually he offered me a partial credit of $17 and change. So minus the five the Air Force offered to pay, it still cost us $12.00 and a splitting head ache. I need my own phone.

#2, my GPS & neighbors. If I had my own and we didn't have Indian neighbors I wouldn't have gotten yelled at by the cop and cried.

The Indians, they have ten cars. To be fair, one is a twenty passenger bus and nine are other assorted cars, SUVs, and work trucks. Their driveway holds the bus, a blue tarp covering an entire house worth of furniture and two cars. The rest of the cars get parked in the street. Two of them in front of our house, two at our neighbors and a few sort of jammed in at the end of their driveway sort of in the middle of the street.

On Saturday we had a party for C. So Friday night S scoped out one of the street spaces directly in front of our house so that our guest could use our driveway. I parked in the grass.

Saturday morning we needed to take Maggie over to Doggie day camp. I asked S to bring her. We ended up having this huge fight over it. Here are the highlights:

• He didn't want to take his car because the neighbors would seize his parking spot
• He holds the GPS, it wasn't charged
• He didn't remember where Pet Smart was
• I yelled directions to him at least three times, I yell, he just stops listening (don't blame him)
• He takes my car, but my car doesn't have a lighter / charger so he cannot use the GPS
• If I had my own GPS it would be charged
• I finally say and not in a nice way, that I could have been to Pet Smart and back by now and get in the car and leave
• We say we are sorry when I get home

But the story doesn't end there. Oh no. Herndon was having a parade that day and the side street we live off of was blocked to through traffic. It wasn't a problem leaving but coming home was a whole other ball game. I circled our block but there were barriers everywhere.

I went back to the one barrier that had a guard / volunteer and turned left onto the street and stopped to chat with him and see what to do. But instead this Cop gets off his motorcycle and starts yelling at me. Asking me if I can read, saying "can't you read the sign it says no left turn!?" "can't you tell this street is blocked off?" "Can you read, what to do need to say so bad that you can disobey traffic signs?" and the tirade continued for at least a minute which felt like an eternity. I just started to cry and cry hard. Through my sobs I just look at the volunteer and say "I live here, the signs says no through traffic, but I live here." Then the cop gets back on his motorcycle and peels off back towards where I need to go. The volunteer looks at me and asks what street I live on. I tell him and ask if there is a different way to go that I do not know, and he says, "no this is fine. If he gives you any trouble just tell him I said it was okay." then he lets me through.

I go one block up the street and the cop won't let me pass. He is yelling something to me and gets off his bike. Then he moves the barrier and gets back on. We go one more block and he does the same thing. This time I just go around him, still crying and sobbing and by this time I really need a box of Kleenex.

So if the Indians didn't have twenty people living in one house and own ten cars (I don't really know how many people live there, but the ten cars is no exaggeration) and I had my own GPS that was charged S would have taken Maggie and I would have been happily cleaning up the house while he was away. However it didn't work out that way instead I came home all upset and S thankfully was cleaning. Which was really nice. Hug, hug, kiss, kiss we make up and try to forget about the asshole cop. Who by the way, was wrong, the sign didn't say no left turn it said No through traffic, but I wasn't through traffic. Asshole.

#3, a camera. S travels a lot. He takes the camera with him. I cannot sell anything on Ebay or CL without a picture! It drives me crazy. This man is in school full time. He uses the computer day and night and I have free time when he is AWAY! Hello, McFLY!!!! you've been to Denver a billion times I think you captured the beauty a while back.

#4, my own money: I just want my own. I am so tired of scraping and saving just to transfer money from one account to another just to pay bills and cover stupid things like pay phone calls. I need my own money. I feel lost and drowning in a sea of debt and cannot really focus on the big picture of it all. IVF killed our savings and maxed our CC. I don't really know what to do, but I don't want to explain why I chose to go buy a two dollar cup of coffee. Not that S cares or even pays attention. I just feel like I have to have an answer because it is my responsibility to take care of the money.

#5, my own DVR: Everything works great in the off season. However come premiere season life sucks. The DVR can only do two non permanent things at once. We can record one show and watch another or we can record two shows and watch one that is already on the DVR. If you have a recording for more than two shows at the same time the DVR chooses the one last two you put in or the ones you set a priority for. S and I have shows at the same time and my show didn't get recorded this week. I want my own.

#6. my elbow: Yeah it sucks.

#7, my cold: So does my cold.

It is 9:02 PM

Do you know where Peyton and Lucas are?

I keep waiting for the series to say they went to visit Lucas' mom or something with the new baby. How on earth can you have a BABY or allude to it anyway in the finale of season 6 and then pretend like they don't exist in season 7? Did I miss something. OTH is a show about the Peyton Lucas love story is it not? And who are all these new lame characters? Put my favorites back.

I didn't get a memo on this change, nor do I approve.

CW, go F yourself.

The Best Laid Plans

Trying to plan a 6 year old Birthday Party? Don't. Make a cake, hang up dollar store balloons and buy ear plugs. Everyone will have a great time, and you will be able to save some sort of sanity for next years shin dig. LOL. My plans didn't happen. S was able to get the boys all in a line at one point to play T Ball but even that was a stretch. They were happiest running all over the backyard yelling about transforming into that or morphing into that.

I have a great letter to write to certain parents, but I shall hold my tongue for today. For One Tree Hill starts in two minutes. :P)

Saturday Morning

It is party day. At this point I am looking forward to it. In the end we had 12 RSVPs, so 13 kids including C. They'll be here between One and One-thirty and then we are partying hard until three. Why between one and one-thirty?? Hmm, well that is a strange one. I got this email from a parent I don't know saying she'll drop her kids early. She didn't really ask or say why. And apparently she isn't staying? I suppose Herndon is a whole new ball game. People actually let their kids out of their sight for a few minutes? Oh well, really I don't mind. The boys coming early are some of C's best friends.

Another parent called and said her daughter has health problems but she "isn't one of those parents who keeps their kids locked up at home because they are allergic to everything under the sun." The girl is allergic to peanuts, pets, milk, eggs, and a whole list of other things. Then the mom says, "so I'll drop her off and pick her up at 3:30ish". I thinking "whoa, wait a sec 3:30ish? what does that mean?" What if this girl has an allergic reaction to something? It was strange. Are these parents just walking all over me, or is this just the way it is here?

ANYWAY,
The party plan.

1:30 - 1:45 kids arrive and color pirate pictures
1:45-2:05 Walk the plank game
2:05-2:20 Pirate toss game
2:20-2:40 pirate, pirate, captain aka - duck duck goose
2:40-3:00 CAKE
3:00-3:15 play with pirate toys
3:15-3:30 Reading the book Pirate Pete

So, well see how the actual schedule goes. I am hoping to play a few games outside, but the weather doesn't look too promising. Sadly I have to mow the back yard. But other than that I just need to pick up our mess from yesterday and bring in the extra chairs from the shed. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

An Open Letter to Bryer's Ice Cream

I went to bed last night at 7. I was just exhausted. I woke up around 9 and vaguely remember downing some Tylenol and having a half of a Diet Coke. I must have woken up ten times again after that. I was actually relieved when C came in a 6:30. All night I just had wicked nightmares. Can't say I really remember any of them I just know they all had to do with death.

This "illness" I assume was completely brought on by emotional stress. Sob, sob. Yesterday I had a really bad headache. It was massive and I knew I needed more then Tylenol to even take an edge off. Then I realized I couldn't take anything harder because it had been more than 30 days since my last period. Of course I know I am not pregnant. It isn't possible. Still, I have strict instructions from the doctor to not take the medicine unless I know I am not. So I pee on a stick and even though I know there won't be two lines, I am still heartbroken when there isn't. Part of me wishes I just suffered through the headache. Pity, pity, blah, blah, I took two Vicodin and ate ice cream.

And now my open letter to Bryer's:

Dear Bryer's Ice Cream,

You do wonders with chocolate. As an emotional crutch you are top notch.

I'll take ten pounds over crying any day,

I thank you, and my ass thanks you.

Sincerely,

I love Ice Cream.

Pirates Ahoy!

God only knows what I was thinking. S and I promised C a real birthday party this year. So, when the invite came months ago for my uncle's 50th on the same weekend we knew we'd either have to celebrate C's early or late. In the end we chose late - i.e. this weekend. So on Monday before school I filled out 21 pirate themed invites and stuck them in his back pack. We've gotten a few RSVP's (all girls) so far and it looks like we will probably have about ten kids there. So that is all well and good ... but then last night C gets a phone call from little Johnny (I forget the boy's real name already) and little Johnny says he can't go to the party because he is going to a baseball game. I had the phone on speaker for him, but then he rounded the corner and I couldn't hear the rest. When C gets off the phone I asked him the details and he says:

Well, Johnny called to say sorry he missed my party last weekend because he had a ball game to go to. I told him that was alright because my cousins were there and we did a lot of dancing.

J stinking C, I could have gotten away with no party! But instead I create Pirate Games, go to the store and buy Pirate themed crap and invite 21 kids and their siblings to our house. I ask you dear readers: What the hell is wrong with me?

Don't answer that.

Puttin' on the Ritz

I just choked on a Ritz cracker. It got lodged at the top of my abnormally large pallet and prevented my tongue from moving. I couldn't even cough. I started to panic and then saw a pen on the table. I used it to dislodged the cracker. My lips are no longer blue. I am an idiot.

Also - S just called he passed his test. Obviously my worry was misplaced, I should have been concerned on how I was going to attempt suicide by Ritz at two in the afternoon.

Hey No Fair!

Life isn't all that fair. I know - great words of wisdom there.

S is taking a PT test today and he was a wreck last night worrying that he wouldn't pass. In 10 years he has never failed, yet this year ... well it is a different story. He added a few pounds going to school and not running around chasing C after work. Still he'd be fine but then about two months ago (I think) his high tech knee brace broke. He has been working with Tricare to get a replacement but the process is SLOW. Without the brace he isn't suppose to run. S is a very good runner. He is can go months without eating right and not working out and still run a 5K with a good time. But without the brace he just can't give it his all and hasn't been to the gym as much as normal. Last week he got out of the test but then this week he was told he had to take it. And since he still doesn't know when the new brace will be in he couldn't argue. So he took it this morning at 6:00. And I have no idea how he did. I have called his desk three times and left one message. Worrying for nothing I hope.

In other not fair news. G money, aka the putts, emailed me last week and said there would be a delay in my employment start date. I replied saying that was fine, but now I haven't heard from him. I am going to call him this afternoon and see what is going on. This is weird...

Some Things Never Change

Which isn't a bad thing. For example: Family vacations. Dad is so darn stubborn - everyone gripes and complians and yet we all manage to have a blast.

• The family visit went off without any major incidents. But… a quick rundown of the visits faults before moving on to the cheerier side:
• My father broke an outdoor folding chair. I warned him multiple times that the chair was going to break. (we’d already broken three in the last two months) He insisted on sitting in it anyway. One day he reached back and distributed his weight across the chair differently and it cracked. When he tried to get up, he cracked the other side and sort of got mashed into the folding of the different arms and legs.
• My parents and grandparent made plans for me. I missed a birthday party because of it. I was slightly annoyed, but at the same time glad to be out of another kid party. Such a double edge there. Still I feel bad for A and her little 4 year old. When you say you’ll be there – it is nice to actually show up. Sorry guys!
• My mother had the worst gray and dyed orange fro I’d ever seen her sport. In fact it was so bad that my aunt S actually offered to dye it for her
• This happened towards the end of the vacation.
• I got stung by a bee. It hurt – a LOT.
• I barely got to use my computer, I had to beat off my parents with a stick, they are both so addicted to Mafia Wars of F/B. It is crazy.
• I gained an extra chin while they were here.
  
  The Cheerier side:
• My sister made the trip after debating to nix it due to financial and emotional type stresses. (we basically guilt tripped her into it and offered to pay)
• My aunt from Oregon got to come up and see us for a few days too.
• My parents were not as cheap as they normally are. In fact my mother for the first time ever didn’t get up to “use” the ladies room, even once, when the check came.
• We had a lot of fun touring Georgetown, Harpers Ferry, and the casino (multiple times.)
• We ate like kings and queens. (hence the new chin)
• On the 26th we went to my uncle’s 50th Birthday Party. It was a blast.My sis and I made complete asses of ourselves singing “Day Dream Believer” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” during a rousing edition of family Karaoke. We scored in the 30ies I believe. My uncle sung some old country love song and got a 92. But we weren’t the worst. I believe the group that sang “Super Freak” took that crown.
• We got to see tons of family there. So cousins I haven’t seen in 10 years were there, one with a boy the same age as C so the kids were happy.
• I saw another cousin who I hadn’t seen since I was a child and it turns out him and his newer wife live only 25 minutes from here. They even offered to take C for a weekend while we go on VK sometime. Heck I might just take them up on that one. His wife NL only works minutes from our house. We might get together for lunch one day. She was wicked nice.
• We danced a ton at the party. My sister took a really funny picture of me doing the YMCA, mid A. It is hysterical and just might have to be my new profile picture. Although my mother kindly reminded me that the Internet remembers forever. Thanks MOM!
• The hot tub at the hotel was awesome.
• All in all it was a great week.

Sooooo Sleepy

The 'rents are visiting. We're having a great time. Life is generally good and there are no major complaints ... yet. (ha, ha)

Although I am so tired. I cannot figure out what is going on. On Saturday we went to the best ball game ever. I was really into the game and yelling the whole time. I sort of feel bad for the couple trying to make out in front of me ... I was really LOUD. Needless to say my throat is wicked sore and my voice has been cracking for a few days. But that is no complaint, the ball game was awesome and I loved every second of it.

So other than a sore throat I shouldn't have anything else going on; so the tired issue is bugging me. I am getting plenty of sleep.

Oh well - back to entertaining.

TTFN

What???

I decided that I would go to work tonight, which meant C and I just had to go shopping :O) So we went to one of my favorite junk stores. As we were walking around I found a few things I could resell but really traffic was so horrid that we only had like 45 minutes until the place closed. So anyway, we were power shopping. In the furniture section we saw C's old toy box. We donated a ton of crap when we moved. This one had a crack in it and to prove it was our old one still had a blue moving sticker on it and an USAF sticker still on it. We bought the toy box in California, and moved it a few times. We paid less the five bucks and for it and the last three years it has been in a shed collecting vermin. Literally. This place had it marked for 20.00. No wonder I only found a few things. Highway robbery. That thing is only like 35.00 new at Toy's R Us.

Anyway, as mentioned before my Internet sales are going well and I am now wondering why I ever stopped this business in the first place. It is fun. But I suppose you cannot make any substantial or consistent money at it. Oh well, as some readers may or may not know I was offered the job with the putts and accepted. It is only ten hours a week and after the first month or so I can work from home. So I am pretty happy about that. I start in two weeks. Which, is one reason S wants me to get a car. Funny - but we have the money all squared away from the bank, yet neither of us actually want to spend it. LOL - maybe I need to sell a few more odds and ends first.

Ambition

One of my friends recently told me that when she was younger she had no ambition and now the problem is that she has too much. I started thinking about ambition. Maybe it is time to decide what I want to be when I grow up. Here is a list of occupations and ideas I had growing up

1. I once told a teacher in grade three that I wanted to be a gypsy.


2. I seriously wanted to be an astronaut and a rock star on the weekends.


3. In grade five I announced that I wanted to be a pilot.


4. In grade six I pondered being a rock star again. Until I was told I could join the library group during chorus hour. Apparently my vocal talent was missed during my rendition of Mama Paquita.


5. In high school I thought about working with kids then I realized the pay sucks and really I didn't always like other people's children.


6. Now I am thinking that rock star weekends and gypsy weren't bad ideas after all :O)

My ambition now, well - I still don't have much. I am happy with the way things are. Although I was thinking that I am really having fun selling stuff lately. I would love to own a thrift store one day. That would be a really neat job. Plus, I'd get the best deals :O)

Sell Baby Sell

Just a quick note. I am making a killing today! I sold all my 3T jeans to one lady and now just got a call from another who is picking up a costume and an email from a guy picking up stuff tonight. I am enfuego my friends.

Just My Day

Yesterday we went to a picnic at C's school. It was set up really cute with back yard style games for the kids and a pizza fund raiser for the PTA. It was pretty fun. To our surprise C brought over all his new friends and introduced them to us. Seems like he has a nice little group of "best buds", as he calls them.

After the picnic we went back to the house to hang out. It was sort of nice, we all ended up in our room piled on the bed watching Sponge Bob. Even the pup was behaving, for a while anyway. It seemed like we could all fall asleep at 7:30. C didn't last much longer and I had to get up and get ready for my aerobics class.

I went to the gym around 8:05 and walked into a room of about twenty women. For a while everyone was just standing there. So I began to talk. Two ladies I talked to were really nice and we talked about vacations and our pets. If anyone ever sees me "work" a party of people I don't know, they'd know that when I want to start a conversation with someone I don't know, I always ask "how do you know the host?" or "have you been here before?" and then move on to "Do you have any pets?" and "What vacations have you or are you taking this year?". They are sure fire convo starters. Although I asked one lady if she'd done Zumba before and she just answered "Yes" and then zipped her lips. And another one seemed sort of shy, just nodding her head no and sort of listening in on my conversation with the two women I was talking about Vegas with. I will have to try to stand near here next week to see if she will open up a little. If you have someone to talk to the class has the potential to be a lot of fun. However it wasn't as much fun as it could of been last night. As much talking as I did ... well that was all I did. The instructor didn't show up and at 8:30 the class was canceled. So I came home and ran a few miles, not something I really wanted to do, but I figured I as strapped into an uncomfortable sports bra so I might as well put it to use. Hopefully next week the class is actually a go.

No More Monkeys

Something Funny:

Over the weekend S and I were in our room, at night, in the dark ... and C was sleeping. We weren't. :O)

Well, C sort of woke up and was standing in our doorway, so S just told him quietly to potty and go back to bed. Then we picked up where we left off. The child was so sleepy and out of it neither of us thought he'd carry that scar.

So the next morning C tells me he is upset. I ask why and he says "the other night when I got out of bed you were eating ice cream" and I say "yeah, I didn't have a snack that day and you and daddy had had ice cream earlier" then C says "well, then last night when I got up you guys were jumping on the bed without me."

I tried to hold back my laughter and started tearing up. He then said something about me feeling bad because I didn't wait for him to jump on the bed and he forgives me.

Monday, Monday

I could go for a nap. Unfortunately for me, I'm not much of a nap person. I would need to be seriously deprived of sleep in order to have any slumber. When I worked full time and C was going through his 5 AM Pop Tart phase - I could nap. But alas, today I shall suffer. LOL.

We did a lot this weekend, a ball game, apple / blackberry picking, impromptu car shopping, eating out with friends, my Zumba experience, and just having a generally good time. It was nice.

When we were out with friends S told them he had to buy me a car soon. I was really surprised at that. Then on the way home we stopped at a dealership and looked around. We found a pretty good deal on a used Volvo and a used Subaru. We checked out the prices on the Internet when we got home and found that they were priced low. We might go back later this week. S is checking out his works version of craigslist first, to see if we could get something cheaper. I don't need anything great, just something I can drive and goes from A to B a few days a week. I actually cannot drive our SUV, it is too big for me. I cannot park it at all. I even hit a car in a parking lot a few weeks ago. No damage, just a bruised ego.

The parking issue might be due to my eyes. I noticed when we were at the ball game that I couldn't read the score board all that well. It didn't prohibit me from having a good time though. The weather was absolutely perfect. C played in the kid area the entire time and didn't even want to come home. It was really fun.

On Sunday we went out to Purciville (the sticks) to go apple picking. We met up with some friends there and just picked and picked. I got a quart of blackberries, but I swear I ate three quarts before I ever got to the check out farm stand. They were so huge and so good, especially the ones in the sun - they were warm, juicy, and bursting with yumminess.

In other news to complain about: I am reading this new book, a James Patterson murder deal. I only seem to read Patterson when I have nothing else. I like him, but a lot of times after I finish the book I just think about all the crap I could cut out and shave off 200 pages or so. This one, Double Cross is better than usual although the scenic descriptions are driving me crazy. They don't flow easily with the story. The setting is in DC and Patterson makes a point of describing each detail of the killers movements marked by exact DC metro area locals. I think if I didn't know the area well it wouldn't phase me, but really I know FedEx Field is in Landover, I know there is a score board, I know 16th Street in SE isn't a good neighborhood, and I know that SW is the projects - I use to live there. I get it. (granted I got to live inside an armed gate community, but I still got my ghetto on - on occasion :P) - yeah I'm a bad ass) Oh well, I'm about 1/3 of the way into it - I am sure there is room for improvement.

Last week I read a VC Andrews book. Don't ask me why I always go back to that trash. Maybe because it is an easy read, maybe because I really liked that crap when I was a teen? Who knows? Anyway a few weeks ago C and I were at the library and I came across this book, Melody by VC Andrews (well, the writers that represent the Andrews name anyway) So I choose the book because it looks interesting and ... and this is a big and ... it isn't part of a series. Almost all VC Andrews books are, actually I don't know any that aren't. I personally don't love series. I can't put them down once I start. I want to read all of them. I was roped into the whole Twilight deal earlier this year - I met my series quota. But I digress, so I read Melody. It was pretty good. Although as in nearly all Andrew's books there is this weird vibe of incest or sexual abuse. So last week I go over to the library and get a new workout video and happen see on the shelf a book with the picture of Melody on the cover, but it isn't Melody. And in my head start yelling "Darn it - the book is in a series!" Needless to say I check out book number two. So now I am waiting for the library to have book three on hold for me and am stuck filling my time with an inelegant novel.

I know you care.

I'm Challanged

Dear Readers,

It may not surprise you that I am at times a flake. Signing up for Zumba was proof of such character. I wish I had pictures of myself. When people turned left I went right, when everyone screamed I clapped, and when they clapped I just clapped off the best. When the instructor said turn, I forgot and then had a hundred people jutting out their bodies in my direction. Twice my shorts fell below my waist to my thighs. I lost four pounds in two hours and was so thankful that I wore these spandex-ie sort of shorts under my regular ones. (I was a little worried about chaffing and I know, so classy) By the end of it, my hair was soaked, my limbs were almost number, and my perma grin was plastered so far back I was showing my molars. But the saving grace was once again, the doubled up shorts! I was one of the only ones with out a butt crack sweat line down the back side of their apparel. So yeah I rocked it.

In case anyone was wondering, here is what the community center had to say about this class:

Zumba Master Class
A two hour Zumba dance class
full of hot salsa, meringue,
cumbia and much more. sWear comfortable
clothing and be prepared
to dance till you drop. Water and
light refreshments provided.
Pre-register by Sept 10 for a
discount.
1, 2 hour session Pre-reg $10/At door $15
September 12
2245.999 Sa 12:30-2:30pm

Notice the word MASTER in the description. Yeah, I totally missed that part! So while waiting for the class to begin I noticed a girl who had awesome shoes. So I had to tell her and we got to talking. Then she started doing all this warm up stuff and I was just sort of standing there thinking, what is she doing? Oh man do I wish I had joined her because now I keep thinking: yikes, I also signed up for regular Zumba classes, hopefully my legs will have healed from all the jumping around by then.... they are soooooooo sore. :O)

Sincerely,

I can't wait to do this again on Tuesday, because as you all know, I enjoy making an ass of myself.

It's a Dance Party

I signed up for Zumba and it stats today. I have my reservations, what was I thinking? I am not this out going, I don't know anyone there?

For the last three weeks I have been renting dance/ workout videos at the library in an attempt to obtain some sort of rhythm and preparedness for this class. You should have seen me doing the salsa one, it was a riot. I actually fell twice. C was hysterical at that one. This week I borrowed a belly dancing one, that one was actually boring. The guru, who crept me out with her REALLY dirty feet, broke down all these steps to do these really slow movement. When they we slow, I swear a snail could do them. When she sped them up, I couldn't keep up. During the harder moves I just ended up doing some aerobics steps to pass the time. My plan didn't work, I am no more athletically inclined than I was three weeks ago.

An Open Letter to The 3rd Grader

Dear Punk,

It was great to see you at the bus stop this morning. You seem like a very sweet and conniving little girl. I do not appreciate you telling me what to do and when to do it. You are 8, I am obviously not 8. So please go back under the rock you crawled out of.

It is true as you said, I have a dog. However you are in no way allowed to tell me I cannot bring my dog to the bus stop. My son, C, is the only child who crosses to our side of the street in the afternoon. You, your brother, and other assorted deviants stay on the side the bus drops you off on. Thus I can bring our family pet with us and stay across the street from the stop. If you don't like it, stay on your side of the street, where you belong. After all I wouldn't want you to get hit by a car while crossing to tell me you don't think it is "appropriate to have a dog because it scare people."

If you aren't nice you will grow into a bitter and ugly girl no one will like.

Have a great day at school.

Sincerely,
You are a pain in the ass, no wonder your mother doesn't come to the bus stop with you.

Dummy

My dog is a dummy. I just got done cleaning up the kitchen. Last night I made spicy, really spicy Sloppy Joe's. (they were amazing) Anyway, I made them in the crock pot and forgot to clean that up. It still had the spoon in it. So today I put the pot to soak and open the dishwasher to shove the spoon in. Maggie runs into the kitchen anytime she hears the dishwasher door. She loves to lick the dirty dishes. I see her coming and tell her, "no, no Maggie, HOT" She licks the spoon anyway. I rinsed it but it was wooden so I knew it would hold onto some to the heat. Well she yelps, backs away and then starts barking at the dishwasher. My dog, the dummy.

But she also is pretty smart sometimes. Yesterday I walked her to the bus stop to wait for C to get home. The bus pulled up and I said "there's C" and she just started getting so excited. Then this morning when it was time to bring C to the bus stop she went and sat right next to the cabinet her leash was in. She wanted to go too. - So cute. But to her dismay I didn't take her, one of the parents complained yesterday that it really isn't allowed because someone might be allergic to dogs. I didn't see that in the rules anywhere. So, maybe I won't bring her in the morning because everyone just stands around waiting but in the afternoon there are no kids running around just a few grown-ups, and I am sure by the end of the week I'll be the only on there.

Speaking of the bus stop. There are a bunch of boys there wearing turban like things. Not like the big white ones I've seen before, these are black and really tight against their skin and there is this big knot on the top where there hair is twisted into it. On kids sister has Henna all over her hands. I don't know what religion or anything that is, but I sure am curious, I have never seen it before. The kids mother was at the bus stop yesterday morning, but not today. I should have asked, but I didn't want to sound like a rube. I tried to look it up on the Internet but got no where fast, turban head, and Indian religions didn't bring up what I thought it would. Dummy - right? LOL

Tuesday, Tuesday

S got home yesterday. I don't think I ever missed him so much. Boy, did he have stories for me. Some really funny and some centered around his parents which weren't funny at all. Over all he had a great time and that is really good, I am happy for him. Not to worry my dear fans, we got a chance to talk a lot about what is going on with me and in our lives right now. So, things are good.

He is kind of funny though, he doesn't read this blog. Isn't that strange? It is saved to the favorites, my friends and family read it. I don't hide my feelings (obviously) and just type what I feel in the moment, so it is all right there. I would be so darn nosey with that. LOL. But he just said, it's my business. For a guy, my husband is actually pretty complex. But I digress, the point is, I missed him, he had a great time, and we had a good night reconnecting and having fun with our son.

Something Funny, we had Pizza Hut for lunch yesterday. Then S said, at dinner, that C could pick out what we were going to eat because today would be his first day of school. So I said I would cook anything he wanted. C thought about it for a minute and said "well, all I really want is pizza." LOL - so S went out and got us a pizza. Twice in one day.

That would be why I am getting off this computer and going for a LONG run. Ahhhh the first day of school. I am almost giddy. Who am I kidding ... almost - HA.

When You Have to Choose

About six weeks ago I had a conversation with a friend that is haunting me. It has been since the day she said it. She said she "chose God." She gave birth to a beautiful little girl, M, who died at 38 weeks before ever taking a breath. Doctors called it a structural defect, but basically M did a few somersaults that resulted in a very tight knot of her umbilical cord. My friend chose God. She chose to grieve, love, learn, share, and grown in Christ. She chose to take the hard road and not blame anyone.

I am not her. I didn't choose, I just sort of said, well Jesus, thanks but no thanks. And until last night hadn't prayed a prayer in his name other than recited words in church and ones people have requested for get wells, and the likes. So last night, It was nearing midnight and I wanted to go to sleep, but I was really thirsty and the dog had to go outside. So I grabbed a diet coke and went out on the deck. Maggie disappeared into the night chewing sticks and chasing her own tail. I was left with a starry night and my own thoughts. So I prayed my first real prayer since the miscarriage. I was really crying and sobbing and hardly getting the thoughts out when I just blurted out loud that I was broken and I didn't know what to do. I remember thinking "obviously I cannot challenge you, asking you for some sign I am going to misinterpret anyway, I just need some guidance, I'm so broken." Then I finished my Diet Coke called the dog over and went to bed. As I fell asleep I was still just thinking how broken I was and how I didn't choose I just let go.

Today, at church, our new church, the priest gave a half hour homily on people being broken and having to choose the holy spirit. I didn't hear anything else, not C making noises, no pages rustling, no A/C vents, no noises of any kind. I didn't see anything else, no movements, no people, no nothing. All I saw and heard for thirty minutes was this priest talking directly to me. In a church full of at least a thousand I was the only parishioner. It was all for me.

When we left I shook the priests hand and thank you. It was really all I could do. He used so many phrases and examples that I had prayed upon the night before. I have never had a such a direct experience. I'm choosing him. I am still not okay, but I choose him.

2 Things

Two things have made me feel better in the last ten minutes. One was an email from a friend about a mutual friend of our husbands, and I totally agreed with the subject matter, although not my point. My point: in my response I mentioned playing Rock Band naked. The images I have running through my head are hysterical. Don't ask - just go with it.

The second is my sisters new blog / writing website on Wordpress. She posted a new story, well new to us anyway. She is so talented, this she knows of course. But if you like to read you should check it out, and then of course tell everyone you know about her, especially super important editor and publisher friends. http://melissaconstantine.wordpress.com/ I just noticed that a copy of Smashing is posted. That is the one, the one to make it, I just know it.

What the Hell is Wrong NOW?

I watched the Sex in the City movie tonight. I curled up with a Diet Coke, a blanket and the pup.

Charlotte got pregnant after she adopted and "stopped trying".

I wish I drank.

Sunday it's Church & That's IT

I swear, I make life so complicated sometimes. Neither S nor I have any concept of how long things actually take. I tend to be a little better sometimes, but certainly not when it comes to events like, games, flying, or parties. Anyway, today My plan was:

9:00 go to three yard sales in my neighborhood
10:00 look at car for sale in Woodbridge
10:45 go to yard sales ending up back in DC for 12:30
12:35 get pizza
1:00 meet friends at their hotel w/ pizza - they leave for their new assignment in Nebraska tomorrow.
3:00 head home, maybe stop at the store for some marshmallows (there is more to that story later)

Around nine I am rounding up C and getting my pocketbook in order when the phone rings. It is the guy in Woodbridge (40 ish miles away), he sold his car last night. I was a little annoyed, since in a way he had sold it to me - but honestly, it doesn't matter. If I got there and really couldn't stand the car, I wouldn't have bought it and the guy would be out a sale. So, anyway C and I head out anyway and go to the yard sales and then head out towards Bolling AFB and Andrews AFB (they are only about ten miles apart). Man did I get good sales! I finally got a nice dining room table and chairs and only paid 50.00. The family who I bought it from were so nice. The guy helped me take it apart and fit it in my car, which was no easy task considering at the last yard sale I bought a bike! Eventually we fit it in and I headed to Bolling to get pizza. I swear things just take so long, we did make it to my friends at 1:00 but imagine if I had actually gone to look at that car, I would have been so late.

We are always so busy. LOL - even when we are suppose to be just relaxing and visiting with friends. Anyway, on my travels I also got a fire pit and surprised C with marshmallows - we are going to roast them tonight. Should be really fun.

Tomorrow we are just going to rest. Although I might make C ride bikes to church with me. Got to get the bike rides in while S is away. Whose parents don't teach their children to ride bikes? Yeah, that would be my in laws.

TTFN -

The First Grade

I remember my first day of first grade. I was really excited and planned what to wear for a week before hand. I practiced all sorts of things to prepare and was sure I was going to be the teacher's favorite. One of the reasons I was so excited is because a week before school started my mother took me to meet the teacher. Her name was Mrs. Julius, you know like the orange Julius drinks that use to be in all the malls. Anyway, her husband was a dentist and she said that he would be visiting the class. This thought really pleased me because I knew I didn't have any cavities. Mrs Julius also told me she loved my romper.

For those two young to remember or to old to care, a romper was a one piece jump suit sort of outfit that was popular in the late seventies and early eighties. My "romper" was made of terry cloth and was a soft turquoise color and I had red jelly sandals, which have oddly made a come back in recent years in the preteen/ tween group. I was sure I needed to wear another thing the same color so the teacher would remember me. For the occasion my mother bought be a long sleeve dress shirt with a scalloped edged color that was a lighter version of my romper color, on one of its sides it said Cabbage Patch Kids. I wore this shirt for two years straight until it fell off in protest.

So, back to the first day of class, I wore the new shirt. It was only like 100 degrees that day, but I didn't care. Mrs Julius noticed and said "Jamie, I am glad to see you again, I like your shirt." I was in heaven. From there on I don't remember too much about grade one, other than the dentist day, mixing up Lion and Liar during reading groups, winning the super bowl challenge of guessing the score - I won pudding - everyone else got fruit, getting in trouble for talking too much and then lying to get out of it (now that is a good story), and playing endlessly on the playground. I loved the big old trees. Under them there were hollowed out nooks where the roots were and you could curl up in them, endless hours of house, Fraggles, Wuzzles, Little People, and Carebears were played there. I am not sure this was the year we saw Haley's comet or not, that may have been second grade. Either way I had Mrs. J for both grades.

The big lie went something like this:

"Jamie and So and So, it is time to quiet down and concentrate."

one minute passes

"Jamie stop talking."

one minute passes

"Jamie STOP TALKING"

one minute passes ... Mrs J comes to my desk and asks what is so important. I just casually smile and say "I'm sorry, I can't see the board."

The next thing I know Mrs. J is sending a note home telling my parents it is time to get an eye exam. Like two days later I had glasses, and I didn't even think I needed them! LOL, certainly I did - but that isn't' even close to what I was talking about. I was talking about, get this, Michael Jackson.

It was book day. That one day a month when the book orders come in and everyone gets a book from scholastic or where ever the school gets them from. Anyway, I had talked my mom into getting me the biography of Michael, pre Pepsi Injury. And I was telling my friend all about the book as I read it instead of doing what ever work I was suppose to be doing. Ahhh nostalgia.

So today I took C to his first teacher meeting in his new school. The teacher Mrs. T seems very nice, although there wasn't much meeting time - It was more of an open house set up. But C and I plodded around the classroom doing a make shift scavenger hunt and checking out where his seat was. From memory it was a lot different that when I was in school. The kids sit at tables, not desks. C is almost too big to sit at the table, good thing he is skinny but for height I know he is in the 95th percentile this year (he had his physical on Tuesday), but still he most likely won't be the tallest kid in there. His knees sort of hit the table when he tried to sit down. But he said he fit fine once he scooted the chair in. My son looked like a giant. LOL. But he is really excited and for a while I shared his excitement.

On the way home he asked for a haircut, ice cream, and how many days until he gets to go back. I am a pretty proud parent at the moment. Good Luck C.

Busy, Busy

I got an email from G money, also known as the putts. His initials are GM so it's either G Money or Speed Racer as a nickname, Putts just seems wrong if I accept his job offer. What to do, what to do? There is this whole pro / con list forming in my head. Just my luck it is even. I'll have to chew on this idea for a while.

In other news, Ebay is making a killing lately. Last month I only shopped three times and listed accordingly and made 162.00 profit, and that is after all the Ebay, paypal, and other seller fees. Plus some items I saved to list later, so the cost for them has already been subtracted. I have spread sheets all mapped out to calculate it all. Then there is craigslist, which I am no longer a fan of. My appreciation for it was certainly short lived, but still I did good. A friend gave me a bunch of ideas on how to list to avoid schemers and the likes, so I might try a few items that are too big to mail. Speaking of which - mail is expensive! I sold one pair of jeans for eight bucks, paid three and lost like seventeen cents on the deal after mailing and fees. Oh well, now I have the spreadsheet and know a much better price point for this month. I really do love shopping :P)

Well, better go, I actually have one left over item on Craigslist - listed before crazy guy, that is selling today - the lady should be here soon. Good bye old dog crate that we only used for three weeks! Hello 25.00 in cash :P)

I'm Okay

I took two Tylenol PM's around nine and two more around eleven. At midnight I went to bed and slept like the dead until 7:30. The pain is gone, but I am worried it is going to come back. I put a call into the doctor and will have to leave it at that for now.

Also, my jeans smell and I need to change them. I wore them two days in a row, so I suppose that is the problem. I only have one pair that really fit, the others are too loose, and one is too small. The fall is hitting earlier than expected here. Sigh. Blah, blah, blah.

Either Way, It Will Be A Long Night

Alright, it is official: I cannot be around certain pregnant people or babies. Tonight we went to a 1st birthday party for A, a real cutie. There was a pregnant lady there, she was actually at the Melting Pot two weeks ago too, and I wasn't too fond of her then either, and she was complaining that she hopes "this one is a boy, they are so much easier, and I really want new baby stuff." She has two girls. Normal conversation for some, but not for me. I can't take it. S didn't pick up on it and I didn't tell him. He thought she was nice in her defense she probably is.

Also, I may need to go to the ER. I am not sure. I am trying to keep myself busy and just not think about it. But I am having really bad pains in my upper abdomen and upper back. Horrible pain. I am not really that big of a menstrual cramp type of person, if I have cramps it is just my lower sides and I can pop some Tylenol or Midol and forget about any real issues if need be. But this is killer, I am getting twinges and sever sharp pains. Because of the whole IVF/ Miscarriage deal I am at risk for a whole bunch of extra fun issues including twisted ovaries and Fallopian tube blockages among other things. Plus I never went in and had a sonogram after the miscarriage. So now I am paranoid, and since this is my first real period after the ordeal I am a mess. Its not fair. Other people can endure this crap knowing it is how their body works so they can have children. So what, I just get to pretend?