Off to camp!

....and by "camp" I don't mean the kind where mom and dad send the kids off for 10-14 days of wilderness experience while we stay at home having romantic dinners and such. Oh no. We are going camping as a family adventure. (Because, and those of you who know me can vouch for me here, I am ALL ABOUT the outdoors! Not.) I'm talking about the kind of camping where we go without showers for 4 days, have a wee bit of suspicious "crunchy" in our food (which really bother me in the eggs, but not as much in the burgers. Go figure.), and instead of perfume we all smell like bug spray for the entire outing.

At least husband will be doing the cooking. He fancies himself as quite the camper / fisherman.

We will be in cabins, so this is a plus. However, the cabins have mice, which is a minus. But the mice are pretty cute, plus. They only come out at night, neutral. They are noisy at night, minus. The cabins are charming, plus. They have electricity and running water, plus. We are going with a family that I really really like, plus.

We haven't been camping in two years. The girls are two years older, and should be easier this time, right?

I'll let you know.

We'll be back next Thursday. (We're taking a little side trip to see friends in the mountains after the camping trip... which explains the extra days.)

Have a great weekend. I'll be thinking of you all taking showers and staying clean. (And, believe me, some of you come off better in this mental picture than others!)

Adventures await us! Let's fish!

I know it's a lot of picture posts... but stay with me

I took this picture on a bridge over the Brazos River during my first trip to TX this summer. It strikes me as a euphemism for being a parent.

"There they go!"

If Frank Lloyd Wright were a hornet he’d be living on my porch

Seriously, most hornets / wasps nests look like paper versions of beeswax. NOT this architectural wonder! THIS must be, like, the Taj Mahal of hornets nests. (And for the record, yes… I am aware that Frank did not design the Taj Mahal. I’m vociferous, not stupid.) You cannot help but appreciate the perfect symmetry of the overall shape, the rounded bulbous quality. It is truly a sight to behold. And, lucky me, I’m going to be beholding it for quite a while - because my husband isn’t about to whack that thing down with a broom any time soon! (And, frankly, neither am I!)

Showings will be on even numbered Tuesdays between 11:15 and 11:30.

Most likely for the rest of my life.

Sometimes I just browse

I admit, I fancy that in another life I might have been a photographer. (I also sometimes fancy that in another life I may have been royalty - and this is the reason I find my middle class existance barely tolerable... but that really would be another blog entirely.) Sometime I just go out and browse photo websites to see what is out there. I used to do this and then send my friend some of the photos that I had found with my own captions. Well, before I clean out the "my picture" file of my laptop (memory is crucial, you realize) I thought I'd share some old finds with you all. See if you agree with my opinions. If not, lets discuss.






I'm guessing that the church that sponsored these two might want to pay attention to the cafe in the background before printing in the "Merry Missionary Update" section of the newsletter.







Possibly that greatest "Yo Mama..." comeback in history.







REALLY wish I had been there the evening they found it was necessary to post this sign.






I so easily could have thought this one up. It hardly seems fair that someone got the idea first, right?







Ahhh, yes. I've been at that crossroads myself. (I have an Art Degree, so you could say I never ACTUALLY made a firm decision on this...)










Uhhhh, think those are real?
(Ewwwwwwwwwwww is just not strong enough!)



*************


Hey, sorry about that last one. Shock and Awe got the best of me.

Quotes?

My friend Mrs. Nielson (yes, of the Nielson Family who decides what we watch on TV - and thank God she has HBO) posted on her blog about quotes. An article she had read gave her the idea to issue her own challenge. Her favorite phrase is "Life, Love, Laugh".

I love quotes. I collect them, sort of, and have even centered a family Christmas letter around them once. Mostly quotes hit home with me when they have a bit of humor to them.

"The fashion sense of the very young, the very old, and the flu-stricken are uncannily similar." (Quinn Cummings, QC Report)

"There is no reciprocity. Men love women, women love children, children love hamsters." (Unknown)

But, I'd have to say if there is a quote to live my life by I'm a bit stumped. I guess one of the wisest quotes I've ever run across if from William Shakespeare:

"It is a wise father that knows his own child."

In this day and age I think truer words have never been spoken - and that they were spoken in the 16th century speaks volumes about parenting. It's always been obvious. Know your children. Know their interests, their passions, their strengths and weaknesses, their friends, their teachers... and if need be, know things they wouldn't voluntarily share with you. Do I think Columbine could have been avoided if the killers parents had known their children better? Maybe. Do I think parents can always save their children? No. But knowing them well can help you guide them to things and circumstances that will - hopefully - result in their being happier, more secure human beings. And isn't that key?

And, I'm interested in knowing about dragons and ketchup also. Will Doubting Thomas please share?

P.S. Obviously I am back from TX. Chaotic and stressful, need to clear my head. Need to just live my life for a while and get perspective on how to best help my dear friend. Hers is not a situation to be "solved" for her, and certainly cannot be "solved" overnight. Sadly, things were probably not any better when I left than when I got there - just different. She is important to me, and I hope that it all works out for the best. She deserves nothing less.

Are you sitting down?

...because he left her. HE LEFT HER. Three weeks in to their marriage and he left her.

Who does that? What kind of sick man is he?

I'll have the whole story when I get back. I'm off to TX tomorrow morning to see my friend and dry her tears the best that I can. My amazing husband is insisting that I go - what a wonderful man I am married to. Why sometimes does it take something so very shocking and sad to make me look at my life and completely appreciate how lucky I am? I have an amazing life. There is more love and goodness in my life than I would have ever thought possible... and starting today I'm going to be taking time out each day to thank the Lord that he has brought me to such a wonderful life.

HE LEFT HER. Who does that? I know, I'm repeating myself. But this is horrifying and shocking and wrong.

P.S. She said she's going to write a book called, "When the wedding pedicure lasts longer than the marriage." I think she's brilliant! Keep her in your thoughts. I'll be back Friday or Saturday. Love you all, appreciate you all, and be sure to thank God today for our blessed lives.

Get a cup of coffee, this is a long one...

Diary of a Bridesmaid: Day One (Thursday)

(Our adventure to the Great State of TX starts on Thursday, June 7th)
It’s 6:00am and we’re on the road! Right on time… Husband is deliriously happy. Took my shower last night, which helped with the timeline, but that mystic tan I did yesterday still making my skin smell funny. (Note to self; only natural tanning in the tanning salon for me in the future. Spray on stuff smells bad. Do you think Husband notices?)

Holy Cow, it’s 9:00am, and we’re already in Trinidad! Only one Starbucks in town, and it’s in a Safeway. Go figure… the town that pioneered gender correction surgery and the gays have no decent Starbucks to gather in.

10:30am. Starting to get a little tired of the car… but we’re through Colorado and almost through New Mexico. Landscape starting to get a little bleak. I hope Texas is more exciting than this.

11:00am. Hey, it’s my brother’s birthday today! Better text him so he doesn’t think I forgot.

Lunchtime. Rundown Subway restaurant in the middle of nowhere. While on a visit to the restroom – which we insisted the girls visited every single time we stopped – Annie looks up at me from her “perch” and states: “I’m going to have a safe and logical summer.” (Wha?)

1:30pm. Texas is, ummm, a whole lotta boring.

2:00pm. WHAT DO YOU MEAN AMARILLO IS STILL 234 MILES AWAY? Half an hour ago it was only 200 miles away. Is there some sort of mileage vortex in this god-forsaken state that makes you drive forward yet travel backwards?

4:00pm. STILL not in Amarillo. Oh My God. Starting to wonder if there aren’t evil forces at work.

5:00pm. Oh for the love of GOD, Texas is big. I’m not writing again until we’re almost there.

7:49pm. Just finished dinner in Wichita Falls. We finally managed to sling shot past Amarillo, and made excellent time getting here. (Seems like the time / mileage vortex only exists between the state line and Amarillo.) Here, to the only diner that we could find – which seems to do a great local business. (I’m guessing that you get to be the big business in town when you’re the ONLY business in town.) We were hoping for an Outback, or some sort of TX steakhouse. Instead we settled for BLT’s and chips.

9:30ish. (really, closer to 10pm) Waco Texas. GOOD LORD it’s humid here! Making my mystic tanned skin smell even worse. Husband must notice the smell by now that only appears when I am in view. God Bless Him, hasn’t even scrunched up his nose. I love that man. He has booked us in to the Hilton, which at least means comfy beds with good pillows. Yea!

I think I have never been this tired.

Ever.

Diary of a Bridesmaid: Day Two (Friday)

Ahhhh, the kids sort of slept in today – and husband took them swimming to give me some quiet time to wake up and unpack. Love that man! Not much to do during the day. Bride is off getting mani / pedi. She assures me there is nothing for us to do until that evening. I thought we’d be decorating the back yard with lights… hmmm. My chaotic sense is tingling! Not a good idea to leave everything to the last day on a do-it-yourself wedding, but maybe it’s just me.

Took the husband and the girls shopping in downtown Waco. Lunch. Then a trip to the Dr. Pepper Museum. (Didn’t even know there WAS a Dr. Pepper Museum did you?) Bought some original dr. pepper – the kind with cane sugar instead of nasty high fructose corn syrup. How soda used to be made. I want my empty calories to be natural, damn it.

This evening we attend the rehearsal dinner. M.S. (friend of the bride) is cooking several different meats in the smoker – and this means dinner will be DELISH. I love it when he cooks. Husband gets to meet the gays. (Susan’s gays. She is a bit of a fag hag – draws them like fruit flies to bananas. Love those boys!) Anyway, Main Gay adores my husband. Can’t believe I married someone so handsome. I’m loving this. Did he seriously think I would marry someone ordinary? Has he not met me? Also, Main Gay just bought the exact Jeep that husband has been wanting. Hmmmmm. A little psychic chemistry between my two favorite boys?
Rehearsal goes off well.

Have I mentioned how hot and humid it is here? Good lord, damp is one thing but full on spray mist wet with humidity should be outlawed.

Also, everyone in Texas smokes. ick.

Diary of a Bridesmaid: Day Three (Saturday)

She’s getting married today! And… today is the day I have to put on “the dress”. God help me.
Truth be told, the day is sort of a cluster f#ck. Too much not already done, too much still to do. Thank God she has a wedding organizer that is part angel, part General Patton.

Bridesmaid lunch (have you ever tried an orange/cranberry mimosa? Oh Good Lord – I’ll be havin me some more of that please!). 3 (or 4) mimosas later (with some appetizers of course) and we’re all in the mood to go back to bride’s house and work on our bouquets and the table centerpieces. What’s that? You want the drunkish girls to also make the corsages and boutonnieres? No Problemo! (Oh yes, they were kind of ugly. Wedding Coordinator fixed them up I noticed later that evening.)

Time to go back to the hotel and get ready for the big night.

*****
We arrive back at the house for pictures around 6:30. (Pictures were supposed to start at 6:00, but I happen to know that the other bridesmaids are just as punctually challenged as I am so I’m not worried.

Should have worried. Am last bridesmaid to arrive. However – bride is still getting dressed and hasn’t even gotten her deodorant on yet. Phew. It’s going to be OK.

Pictures taken. Bride had to have hair re-done after pictures because of excruciating humidity. I hate my dress, but my daughters look DARLING. My hair is tweaking out really badly. (…have I mentioned that TX is more than a little humid?)

Wedding goes off without a hitch. Well, at least no one fell. They wrote their own vows (which, actually, I’m never a big fan of), and bride managed to keep the forehead sweat to a minimum. I cried. And cried. And cried. But I did not sob, just sniffled a lot.

Got to hold on to groomsman’s arm on the way back up to the house from ceremony. Darn good thing too, because I’m not so sure I could have negotiated that backyard again solo on my 4 inch heels.

Reception was pretty common. The Gays? LOVE the way my husband looks in a suit. Remark again about how handsome he is. Tell him to treat me right. Then they invite us to come down for the commitment ceremony between Main Gay and his Partner. We’d love to! (Daughters are not invited. What do Gays have against the cutest flower girls in the universe anyway?) I? Think they just want another viewing of Husband in a suit.

By 11:30pm we’re home (Hello Hilton, who will also “leave the lights on for you” by the way). Husband goes down to the bar to buy us a nightcap, I tuck the girls in, and as Husband and I snuggle under the sheets we giggle about the “country club meets the trailer park” wedding that is now just a wonderfully sweaty memory.

Have I mentioned yet either the heat or the humidity?

Diary of a Bridesmaid: Day Four (Sunday)

Day after the wedding. I need more sleep!

We head over to bride and groom’s house to see end of present opening. Visit with everyone. Admit to people who ask yes I have, in fact, been tanning. I managed to get in 3 tanning sessions and one mystic tan before leaving town for the wedding. (In case you’ve never mystic tanned before, it’s a pain to get “right”, you smell “starchy” until your second shower – but it truly is a golden tan. Be sure to mystic 2 days before your event, if only for the smell alone.) Said goodbye to the bride, groom, family, friends. Promised to return to Waco soon. (Although, I can guarantee next time it will be on an airplane!)

Took daughters swimming after lunch. Lovely pool, very cold water which felt wonderful. (Because, did I mention yet that it’s hot and humid in Texas?) Find a charming restaurant downtown to have dinner, and it’s “home” to the hotel for an early bedtime. Movies in bed in a comfy hotel. Vacation rest!

Diary of a Bridesmaid: Day Five (Monday)

Breakfast at the hotel (since Husband stays at Hilton so often our family gets free breakfast in the restaurant every morning, so we take full advantage), and we’re on the road. (at a modest 9:30ish)

Drive to Amarillo. Pretty uneventful. Pool is filthy, won’t let daughters swim. They are BITTER about it.
Staying in the Fairfield Inn Amarillo. Word of advice: don’t. The rooms are TINY, and as I stated before, the pool is filthy.

Diary of a Bridesmaid: Day Six (Tuesday)

Did I mention that the girls have dress rehearsal for their dance recital on Wednesday? And that if they miss dress rehearsal they cannot, under any circumstances, be in the recital?

Cue the car breaking down this morning. In Amarillo.

Thank God for OnSTAR. Turns out only to be a completely dead battery, Meineke (I have no idea how that is spelled) gets us on the road about 3 hours later, thus keeping me from renting a car in order to get back to Denver on time and spending even more money. (I’m not kidding – the girls and I were GETTING HOME, and leaving Husband in God Forsaken Amarillo to deal with the mechanic issues.)

For the record, it takes just a long to get from Amarillo to the state line as the other way around. What is the DEAL with that?

We roll in to Denver the evening of Tuesday. Oh, it is good to be home.

In conclusion
It was an EXHAUSTING 6 days. But, my dear friend is married, and we were there for it. I love her! I hope she is eternally happy in her marriage to Steve!

And… here is something you’ve all been waiting for: A picture of me in the “the dress”.
We call this picture “Really classy bridesmaids at a hot Texas wedding.” Enjoy.

We Interrupt This Blog for an Emergency Message...

... I watched the final episode of the Sopranos two nights ago - and have been so angry I had to blog about it to get it out.

WHAT A RIPOFF! 7 seasons husband and I spent watching this show. Loving this show. Missing this show when they had no new episodes in 2003 and 2005. Counting down the days until new seasons would start.

And THIS was the ending we got?

I'm so mad that even if the did make a movie to continue the story I wouldn't spend the money to see it. (I'm not saying I wouldn't see it at all... but you can damn sure bet a pirated copy would be involved. Copyright my ass - these people don't deserve another dime!)

Thats all.

Pardon my procrastination...

I'm working on my "Diary of a Bridesmaid", but the progress is slow. My mind is still reeling from the amount of driving we did! Please to enjoy the following until I can post my TX adventures:



(Button courtesy of Martha. God Bless you for summing this up for me!)

Deep in the heart of Texas!

We leave tomorrow at 6am.

Texas in June, my dear friend's wedding.

I'll post when I'm back - but I promise no one that they will be able to see pictures!

Think Pink

I’m 42 years old. I went for my “annual” (checkup, that is), and Dr. starts asking me why I didn’t have my mammogram done last year. Ummm, I forgot? Ummm, I hate them? Ummm, we do “Buddy Check 9” and have never found anything to worry about? (FYI: Husband? He’s my “Buddy”!)

I go and have the mammogram done. Whew, glad that’s over for another year. (At least!) 4 days later I get a call. “Something showed up in your pictures, and we’ll need you to come in to have a possible lump inspected. Right side, diagnostic pictures and ultrasound. Would next Tuesday work for you?” Huh? OK, I have big boobs. They aren’t just big – they are HUGE. There could be a golf ball in there and I wouldn’t have felt it… so OK. I’ll be in on Tuesday. I’m annoyed because I know they are going to squish the right one even harder this time. Arrgh.

I go in for my Tuesday appointment (and by now worry has set in, but I’ll tell you at the end why I knew in my heart that this was going to be nothing) and they show me the picture of the spot they are concerned about. It is the size of a pencil eraser, give or take. I’m like, “That doesn’t look like anything.” (I am the mother that couldn’t figure out which blob was my daughter on the prenatal ultrasound… so I suppose I should defer to their greater knowledge here.) They take a diagnostic picture and the spot is still there so they do the ultrasound. They find nothing. They take yet another picture. “We aren’t seeing anything like a lump or a cyst. We’ll need to see you back in 6 months.”

Phew.

GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM! Think Pink – and Walk for the Cure this Autumn. Do your Buddy-Check-9, but know that you can’t feel most of what they are looking for, and if you do have any breast abnormalities get an appointment right away.

But, why did I know that it would be OK? Because there was no way karma was going to let me out of wearing that hideous bridesmaids dress 8 days from now! I am Karma’s bitch, darn it - - and sometimes that comes in handy!

Ahhh, the "good" life!

OK... This? This right here is why people should never even consider letting their children enter so much as a Beautiful Baby Contest! GOD FORBID that they EVER end up like this...

#3?

The shoe dropped.

Food poisoning.

Me.

Friday thru Saturday.

Ewwwwww.

You're kidding, right?

Please tell me that bad things don’t really happen in threes… or I’ve got another one left to drop.

Thursday, May 10. A good day leading up to “the incident”. My friend’s birthday, so we got to have a grown up lunch together while our other friend organized a surprise for her at the elementary school for when she picked up her daughters. Seriously, a very fun day. Husband picks up the kids from their schools for me, we find out that next week is DD2’s turn as star-student so we get to do a poster, that should be fun. Get DD1 ready for soccer practice, and what’s this? DD2 wants to wear her cleats so she can practice with the team. Husband is the coach and sees no problem with this as it’s our last practice of the season and it’s going to be just games. Looking good so far. It’s a beautiful day – the moms and I are having a great time, the kids are having fun – UNTIL. The big UNTIL, right? DD2 is moving her ball downfield (she’s just sort of walking with it, but doesn’t “moving it downfield” sound so much more impressive?), when she tumbles over the soccer ball and lands on the ground. She falls on to the grass, starts crying, so I go on over to her and pull her on to my lap. I’m not worried – telling her she’ll be fine, giving her kisses on her head – and then I really look at her arm. It is CLEARLY broken. Not that there are bones sticking out or anything, but the angle is not at all natural. Husband shouts “Practice is cancelled,” and we run her to the emergency room. Yes, it’s broken, both bones in her forearm, have to put her out to set it, mom and dad really quite sick about the whole thing. They’ll cast it in a week.

Saturday, May 12. Things starting to return to normal with DD2… pain seem to be easily controlled with Motrin, and it looks like a good day. Sunny and warm, DD1’s last soccer game is this day, and we have a party scheduled for end of season with the team afterwards. Trophies, shirts, good times. We get through the party fine. As we drive up to our house afterwards, literally we are crossing the threshold of the garage, DD1 pipes up, “Tell me the truth! Are you the ones that leave presents out from Santa and the Easter Bunny?” WHAT? The question I have dreaded more than any other since I gave birth to my first child – way more dreaded than the facts of life discussion… and it just pops out in casual conversation in front of her sister while we’re trapped in the car, and I have to stall until I can figure out what to do. I wasn’t ready for this question. At all. At ALL. She is seven years old… what is she doing asking that before she’s 9 or 10? I haven’t decided how I’m going to handle this – but I manage to get her to stop talking about it until I can get her alone. Then, should I deflect it? “Don’t be ridiculous, Christmas is months away.” Do I lie? “Santa is as real. As real as Christmas Magic itself.” Do I THROTTLE her for asking this question in front of her four-year-old sister? “How DARE you ruin the magic of Santa and the Easter Bunny for your sister! You can expect coal in your stocking for sure next year.” Or do I pony up, do the adult thing, and include her in the knowledge that yes, it’s us. “OK, you are very smart and figured it out… Santa hasn’t actually lived for hundreds of years, but it’s really fun to keep the magic of Christmas and Santa alive for the little ones we love so much – so don’t you dare tell your little sister or there’ll not be one thing for you under the tree next year.”

I went with the latter. And I feel very old somehow. I have a child that no longer believes in Santa – and who was totally OK with finding out the truth. Happy, in fact, that she had figured out the mystery.

So, to make a long entry short:

May 10th: Broken Arm
May 12th: Broken Dreams

Cross your fingers that nothing else gets broken. Or, if a third thing must break - - let it be that really ugly vase that I don't really like anyway!

Mrs. Nielson

So, just found out that one of my neighbors is a Nielson (Neilson? No, that isn't right) viewer. How great is that? I wish they'd call my household! I was something similar when I was in college - but there was no "log" to fill out. There was a box that they came and hooked up to my TV (which was a 13" b&w... because I was in COLLEGE) that reported back to the company what I was watching. Sadly, I was kicked out of the program. Not for anything good, like I was watching too much porn or anything - but because I hardly every turned the TV on. (Because I was in COLLEGE! Who had the time?) I blame myself that "My Two Dad's" didn't make it... but think the three times I watched MacGyver really helped them out. Perhaps they wouldn't be able to have the "All MacGyver Channel" on cable if not for that cute little co-ed in Greeley all those years ago?

One person CAN change the world.

SNL - TV Funhouse: Maraka

OK, this will be funny to anyone who - like myself - has had to watch about a million episodes of Dora.

This is satire that I can sink my teeth into!

THIS is SO funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ7CUYHWjn8&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edailymail%2Eco%2Euk%2Fpages%2Flive%2Farticles%2Fshowbiz%2Fshowbiznews%2Ehtml%3Fin%5Farticle%5Fid%3D451002%26in%5Fpage%5Fid%3D1773

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!

I was actually unaware that TODAY was earth day, I guess I thought it was last Friday or something... but had several reminders this morning.

First Reminder was my seven year old daughter wrote a letter to our Gov., Bill Ritter. (While I was sleeping in... her dad told me she worked really hard on it.) What a smart girl she is. Her topic: that Walgreens was building too many stores, and destroying the bunny and prairie dog homes that were in the open spaces. She only blames Walgreens, mind you... not the 25 acre shopping mall that was built about 5 miles from our house, or all the new housing developments springing up all around us. Just Walgreens. Apparently they are the bad guys in this scenario - and the bunnies and prairie dogs would be thriving but for the drug store chain that does seem to be building a lot of locations too near to each other lately. I will, like a good mother, mail her letter off to the Mr. Ritter - and hope that he takes a minute to familiarize himself with how a first grader would improve the earth. (My apologies to Walgreens - I patronize them for all of our prescriptions so I would miss them if they went away. But, please realize that I must encourage my seven year old to fight for things she believes in.) (Also, I wonder if she is mixing up "Walgreens" with "Walmart", which she has overheard her father and I discuss on more than one occasion. If they weren't the only ones still carrying Dove Nutrium liquid body wash, I'm not sure we'd even step foot in one again.)

Second Reminder was at Soccer. One of the moms, who is hilarious btw, mentioned to me that she would not be a concerned citizen on Earth Day if she didn't point out that I should have brought my OWN cup to Starbucks for my latte today before the game. She's right, but it was only AFTER the caffeine kicked in that I realized it really was Earth Day.

Oh, and then this afternoon my dog threw up all over the front step of our house. Ewwww. There I was, out in the open for all to see, HOSING OFF THE PORCH, wasting water on Earth Day.

I vow to do better next year. I will at least try to remember my own cup for the Starbucks run!

Funny she would say this today...

DD1: Mom, remember when I was (her sister’s) age and my life was all puppies and rainbows and horses and dolls? Well, it’s not like that anymore. I’m growing up, and things aren’t so simple now.





Sigh... she's so right.

A heavy heart...

My thought, prayers, and sorrows are with the families of those affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech yesterday.

There are probably going to be no answers to the question, "Why?" It's confusing and horrific. Please know that my heart is with each and every one of you.

My husband and I were in Mexico with friends 8 years ago when the eyes of the world turned towards Columbine with such saddness. It was strange to be in a different country when it happened - and to really realize that things like this do have an effect on so many others in this world. But, I assure you, the eyes of the world are on this, the prayers of the world are with you... and the knowledge - once again - that we cannot absolutely protect those we love no matter how much we love them.

love,
Dodi

Survey sent to me

45 random things you probably didn't need to know about me


whats your name spelt backwards? nosirrom

What did you do last night? slept

The last thing you downloaded onto your computer? probably spyware

Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? yes

Last time you swam in a pool? Sept 2006

What are you wearing? "mom" duds

How many cars have you owned? 3

Type of music you dislike most? opera

Are you registered to vote? most def

Do you have cable? yes

What kind of computer do you use? dell latitude

Ever made a prank phone call? does anyone every say "no" to this question?

You like anyone right now? I like everyone right now.

Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? sky diving

Furthest place you ever traveled? Mexico

What's your favorite comic strip? baby blues

Do u know all the words to the national anthem? absolutely!

Shower, morning or night? morning

Best movie you've seen in the past month? Strawberry Shortcake Play Day Surprise. (I don't get out alot.)

Favorite pizza toppings? green peppers

Chips or popcorn? popcorn. buttered.

What cell phone provider do you have? verizon

Have you ever smoked peanut shells? no... do people do that?

Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? have you actually seen me?

Orange Juice or apple? orange

Who were the last people you sat at lunch with? Julia, Bo, and Hannah

favorite chocolate bar? mr. goodbar

Who is your longest friend and how long? Susan. 21+ years

Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Sept 2006

Have you ever won a trophy? no. how pathetic is that?

Favorite arcade game? pinball

Ever ordered from an infomercial? yes, and I have the floam to prove it!

Sprite or 7-UP? 7up

Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work? yes, along with nametags. very pretty.

Last thing you bought at Walgreens? generic birth control pills.

Ever thrown up in public? do public restrooms count as "in public"?

Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love? true love, naturally

Do you believe in love at first sight? no

SPONGEBOB OR JIMMY NEUTRON? NERDTRON!!!!!

Did you have long hair as a young kid? yes

What message is on your voicemail machine? standard greetings

Where would you like to go right now? Scotland. Just as soon as I do laundry so I have clean underwear to take with me.

Whats the name of your pet? Hannah, Bo

What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it? Backpack? How retro!!

What do you think about most? probably my husband and kids

Freaking out just a little

I thought this was over. I thought that last year was the year that we “hemorrhaged” money. I see now that I was delusional. Hemorrhaging money is a multi-year process for us. It would be too simple to have one bad year.

Let’s backtrack. Last year was expensive. In the spring I got a letter that we owed $1800 in taxes that we had been overpaid to us in our 2004 refund. (Oops, my bad. I wondered why we got such a big refund!) Spring in to Summer our dogs both got sick. Hannah, the husky, cut her foot to the tune of a $600 ER visit, plus a couple hundred in “re-bandaging” fees every time she chewed through the bandages to the stitches. Bo, the boxer, developed two mast cell tumors. About $2900 later he was fine – and they did a really good job. (The dogs are not something I am sad about spending our money on – as they are such sweeties and such an important part of our family.) Between the dogs illnesses we had the AC recharged in the minivan ($400). We had to have our house painted ($3200) but before we had the house painted we needed to have the attached shed repaired because it was rotting and pulling away from the house ($1400). After tires for Jim’s car and a trip to Washington / Oregon for a wedding and vacation ($??? Didn’t keep track, but about $1500), it was time for dental surgery for Annie (roughly $3200 total). That takes us to roughly mid October. We’ll stop before the Christmas outpouring gets added in.

Oh, and our home’s AC went out in September. (We’ll discuss this a little further later.)

Shoot forward to 2007. I’m breathing a sigh of relief, because while we do have to replace our furnace and AC (furnace has to be replaced because it works sporadically at best – we live in Colorado so that’s not really acceptable, and because it’s not big enough to support an AC that is big enough to cool our house properly), we’ve known it was going to happen for a while now. Estimate: $5000+. DH has convinced me that we really do need to buy another car. ($10,000 - $15,000… but will probably have a three-year loan – so not totally scary) BFF in TX is getting married. (Driving to TX, hotel, meals, dress and alterations, gift… lets say $1000) Today we received the stunning news that the minivan needs massive repairs (because of the storm and “Lake Lisbon” I incurred a ton of damage to the front end of my car) - $1700 to make it “safe” to drive. We’ll need another $1100 to fix the AC, which has now been traced to the compressor. DH is not taking this laying down; he’s determined to find a cheaper way to get the AC fixed.

It’s only April.

Pray for us.

I’m thinking of buying “The Secret” to see if I can stick a finger in the proverbial dike.

I’m serious.

She's going to the chapel...

My dearest friend is getting married! (Yea!) I’m very happy for her, but really thought – at 42 years of age – that I had probably passed out of the “Taffeta Bridesmaid Danger Zone” in life.

Apparently not.

Apparently you’re never safe, because THIS is the outfit she wants us to wear: (See photo on left)

Not to sound ungrateful, because I am really honored that I will be standing up for her at their wedding. I really like him and she is such a dear friend. That said, can you picture how gargantuan my ample boobs will look in THIS top (DDD)… keeping in mind that not only is it a halter, but it’s shiny ivory taffeta to reflect the light and make them appear to be two moons orbiting the planet Dodi. Which is exactly what I will look like in a Espresso Taffeta Circle Skirt. The Planet Dodi. Do I even need to mention my ARMS?

Wow. The wedding is in beginning of June. (So, you know, PLENTY of time to prepare!)

If any of you have any exercise dvd’s or equipment you’re not using, I’ll be accepting donations. I’ve already stopped eating carbs. Guess who’s going to be a little cranky for the next 2+ months?? You can bet that my first weekend after this wedding I will be organizing / hosting a party at Starbucks for lattes and danish!

Much love to you all, and hope you all get a good giggle out of this!
Dodi, the Bridesmaid

Parent and child

DD1 and I were goofing around this afternoon before picking up DD2 from preschool. She is so much fun to hang out with. We were taking goofy pictures with my cell phone.

The funny thing is, when my daughters are together they bicker and I get so frustrated. But, apart, they are way fun and cute and a blast to be with. Why do they have to argue and annoy each other so much? When I try to spend time with them individually the other gets jealous - even though I go out of my way to keep things fair.

I hope this doesn't last forever - I'd love for them to be great friends when they grow up. Who else will they be able to call when I'm old, sort of senile, and rather unkind? ("Oh God, guess what Mom said to me the other day....") I have three sisters, and it's a good thing because my mom isn't really getting any "nicer" as she gets older, if you know what I mean! (We love her dearly, but she is such a cranky old woman lately! If I didn't have them and my two brothers to laugh with I don't know what I'd do.)

Parents. I love mine, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. They are both 80 years old, certainly showing their age, and we are truly lucky to have had them in our lives for this long. I really do count them in my blessings, and try to take their "remarks" lightheartedly. But, I'm not sure I could laugh so openly about them with others who weren't their children also. Because seriously, when we're laughing about the things they do or say, we aren't really being critical and mean - we're processing it so we don't need to pay for therapy our entire adult lives.

How does an only child cope?

Love Love Love my Husband!

(I actually wrote this post on Feb. 15... but haven't gotten around to publishing until today. Forgive... yes?)

I have never ever taken a shower in the master bathroom of our home. Not once. Because, you see, it was in ruin when we moved in, and after we had lived her about a year my husband and father in law redid the base and the tile. (DH was in charge of the tile, which still drives me nuts because it is crooked and doesn’t line up…. But this is history, I’ve mostly gotten past it.) There things stood until just recently. See, while I was in "the ATL" (so urban, right?) meeting family member #25, HE GLASSED IN THE SHOWER. Total surprise – I really had no idea that it was going to happen, figuring that it was rather low on the list of home improvements that needed done. Oh, it might not sound like a big deal to you, but please realize we have lived in our house for 7 ½ years… and today will be my first shower in our master bathroom.

It is a big deal.

Huge.

I'm off to buy new bath rugs now. Yea!

An update to Daughter's first crush...

OK, the big Valentine's Day party was yesterday at school. I went to help out, and hung out with DD1 while she opened her valentines. Guess whose valentine was missing? M. She noticed right away (as I supppose she had scoped out what his valentines looked like so she could read his FIRST). Oh My God, she was crushed. I told her that he probably got confused when putting them in to the bags, and probably someone else had two of his valentines by mistake. Her teacher noticed her tears, and I told her what was up. (Teacher knows the situation) She looked at me and smiled, "Of all the ones to be missing!" Then she went over to M to see if he had any extras. He brought one over to DD1, and she lit up like sunshine.

Oh, the drama.

Oh, how I do love her.

Her first crush, and the memory of mine

How cute is a first crush? How disturbing that my seven year old is having one! DD1 has a HUGE crush on “M”. He’s a nice enough little boy, but I was surprised that he is the one that has captured her heart.

We were driving to pick up DD2 from preschool one afternoon (after I had picked up DD1 from her school) and out of nowhere:
“Mom, I think I might love M.”
“Really, or do you think you might have a crush on him instead?”
“I think I love him, but I might have a crush. How do I know?”
“Sweetheart, your heart and your head don’t know the difference between a crush and real love yet. It takes a long time for them to figure out the difference. The feel a LOT alike, and it isn’t until you’ve had a few more crushes and maybe really fallen in love before you can tell the difference. I think you have a crush, but your body doesn’t know the difference yet.”
“I just can’t stop thinking about him!” (This was delivered in an almost squeal of a voice. Awwwwwww!)

Trust me, she has it bad. He speaks up in class and she turns and stares at him like all the wisdom of the universe might just spill out of his first grade mouth. She cannot tear her gaze from him when he’s done talking - - just looks at him with that wonderous look on her face. He walks by her, same reaction. She thinks about him a lot, even on the weekends. I can FEEL how much she “loves” him… because she is so much like me.

The first time I saw “S” I was in kindergarten. I was an afternoon kindergartener, he went in the morning. A few times during that year both classes met at the same time; Halloween being the first time. He walked by and I knew I loved him. I knew I would always love him, and that no boy would ever be that great. I was overwhelmed. I learned his name, and from then on I tried to find which art projects on the wall were his. I don’t remember exactly when our classes met again, but you can be sure I was all aflutter about seeing him again. Guess what? “S” was even cuter the second time I saw him. Sigh. We were in the same class in first grade, I think he also had a crush on me at that point (we flirted a ton and spent lots of playtime together), and then we went to school together until we graduated high school. We ended up in vastly different crowds, but said hello to each other in the halls if we saw each other. (He ended up with the popular crowd – I did not.) My crush on him was so great that even up until 6th grade I would get a little twinge of jealousy when I saw him with another girl, or heard that he kissed this one girls at a 6th grade “party” that I wasn’t cool enough to be invited to. (He gave her a hickey. Which I thought made her the 6th grade slut.) I didn’t even crush on him anymore, but the twinge was still there.

DD1 has this kind of a crush, and I fear he will break her heart. He didn’t come to her birthday party (although his home life, I suspect, is a little bit to blame for this), he is one of those boys that SO isn’t into girls at this point. His inattention to her makes her heart ache – and I know that feeling so well. Sigh. She is such a sweetie, I hope this doesn’t change her… but I already know better.

I will never tease her about having a crush on a boy.
Because I know how she feels.

I KNOW.

“S” is only one of two people in my life that I actually remember the first time I laid eyes on him. The other? My husband… although I didn’t exactly have a crush on him when I first met him! Or, did I?

Two posts in one day?

Trying to make up for lost blogging time? It's just that I can never decide what to blog about! Here are my possibilities:

I'm sick.... again.

All I see is snow. Still.

DD2 is SO stubborn and spoiled lately. (Nature or Nurture? Wait, do I really want that answer?)

DD2's physical state, or "My daughter is a little bit broken."

DD1's low self esteem.

DD1's first real crush, and the memory of mine.

I do love my husband very much, but could we have any less in common?

My husband is the most thoughtful man in the world.

How cute are my dogs? SO CUTE!

Texas. Or, "Oops, she did it again."

Do people write out their blogs in WORD before transferring it over here? Do they just pour out their thoughts on this little text box?
********

See? I have too many things running around my head to stop and think of any one thing for the length of time it would take to blog about it thoroughly. A.D.D. much? I could just ramble about one or two topics at a time, some of them seem like they could go together.

I'll have to get back to you.

And our family gets bigger....

I’m a great aunt again!

How cute are they? GNJ is four years old, GNC is about a week old now. I’m going out to meet her this weekend!

I lead a small life...

In the movie You've Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly starts one of her monologues with "I lead a small life..." I guess that phrase would hit the nail on the head in describing me. I lead a small life, but it's not an unimportant life. I suppose I'm a medium sized fish in a very small pond. I don't know a lot of people - certainly not nearly as many as my husband knows. But, I do feel like those that I do know I have an impact and importance in their lives.

I don't literally have a small life. I live in a large city, in the suburbs. I come from a large family, and know lots of people. (Though, not nearly as many as my husband!) I have several good friends, a handful of very good friends, and two or three very dear friends. My friends have been there for me, and I try to be there for them. I am very important to my husband and children. I know their lives would be so much darker without me. It isn't that I don't feel loved or that I don't have a lot of people that I care about. (My dogs also worship the ground I walk on, literally - they are my posse.)

I suppose I feel like I lead a small life because I haven't had a big effect on the world. I'm not famous, I haven't discovered or invented anything, I'm not politically active, I haven't changed the world. After I die only those I was close to will be affected. The world won't feel my loss, it will be like I was never here in many ways. But, I'm OK with that. I'd rather be who I am than a celebrity that the pap's never leave alone or someone who's personal life is very public. GIGANTIC HYPOCRITE!!! Yes. I'm a hypocrite. I am addicted to celebrity gossip (my favorites are laineygossip.com and gofugyourself.com), but would HATE to have that sort of interest generated about my own life. Maybe this is why I don't strive for success?

My friend, JoAnne, wants us to write a book. About housewives in situations, comedy. Kids, husbands, neighbors, all very intermingeld and funny.

Problem with this plan? I can't write. Not very well anyway. I guess one of the reasons I need to blog is (aside from hoping that someday I'll share this blog with my kids) that I need to write. Except for shopping lists, to do lists, and notes to the teacher there isn't a lot of writing going on in my life. Emails to people are about as involved as I get, other than the annual christmas letter. (Which, sometimes, is very well written. Sometimes not so much.)

Another problem with this plan? What if it's successful? Would I want my world to get even a little bit bigger?