I Can't Stand My New TiVo

First of all, I want to say that I really love TiVo. It has really become my way of life with regards to television watching. I don't know what I would do without it especially when it comes to the children's shows. My kids love to rewind and replay some of their favorite shows. I have shows on season pass that are really convenient such as Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Scott Baio at age 45, and Dr.90210. Hey, I never said I was a deep person when it comes to my TV. So a few months ago when my TiVo machine went **kaplut** I was really lost. NO! This couldn't be happening to me. What is a mom to do?

We called Directv and since our current machine was under warranty that they would be able to send us a brand new machine free of charge. The new machine was even better with more bells and whistles than I knew how to ring. Great. Or was it better?

We got the machine and hooked it up and were excited to see all the great new things with TiVo. The new blue lights on the machine, cool new buttons, and another new remote control that requiring another degree in "TiVo language." Needless to say we were really disappointed to find that performance-wise not only were there less bells and whistles than before but the old functions that were made newer performed WORSE.

For example, one of the main features of TiVo is the ability to fast forward or rewind through the current programming you are watching. The old machine allowed you to do this seamlessly without skipping or jumping. The new machine jumps back or forward at least five minutes and you can't see it on the screen until you press play and then find out you went too far forward or back. So you do the process again and again until you get to your intended spot in the program. It's terribly annoying.

Secondly, most functions on the new machine take at least 4 clicks more than the old. Good luck trying to figure out what season passes you have. You have to go through the menu, try to figure out which categories lead you to your season pass list and then go through that list.

One of my favorite features of TiVo was the ability to slow down the programming to half speed. So if you wanted to read something on screen such as credits or some wording or even if you wanted to see something in slow motion you could do that with the hit of a button. Not so on the new TiVo. There is no way to set your program in slow motion. It doesn't seem like that big of a deal but, believe it or not, it is once you get used to it being there. Men love this feature especially during ball games.

All in all, my HotHusband and I are constantly wishing that we could call Directv and get our old machine back working again. Sometimes newer is not always better.

Grandma's Potato Ricer

Isn't it funny how the simplest thing can conjure up a memory of long ago?

Today I was in Target browsing the aisles when I remembered that I needed one of those pizza cutter wheel gadgets. So I wandered over to the kitchen gadget wall and start looking it over. There were vegetable peelers, graters, apple coring thingamajig, and dozens of other items. I glanced over a potato ricer and had to chuckle. When you put a cooked potato into a ricer and push down on the potato it squishes and the potato comes out of the bottom in tiny little pieces of potato that look like worms. It mashes the boiled potato. When you add milk and butter to it you have yummy mashed potatoes.

But that is not what made me chuckle. You see when I was a little girl my grandma had this really old-fashioned potato ricer. She used it all the time to make mashed potatoes and her potatoes were THE BEST! They were creamy but with little tiny chunks in them because of that perfect ricer. Both me and my sibs loved those potatoes. I can taste them now...that's how good they were.

When my grandma died I remember my mom asking each of us if we wanted to take something from the things she left behind. We all took a few things but my brother wanted that ricer. I was crushed because I kind of wanted it too but it was the only thing he wanted so I didn't say anything. The funny thing was that potato ricers are sold at Target for something like $10 each. Today I realized that I think the ricer story had more to do with the memory that the ricer created rather than the gadget itself.

Those mashed potatoes tasted so good but the memories of my childhood and time spent with my family and grandparents tasted even better.

The Great Wine and Cheese Adventure

I have blogged in the past about my general feelings about wine and cheese. I don't hate wine. I just have not yet acquired a taste for it. Someone needs to tell my HotHusband that $5 bottles from CVS Pharmacy do not make for great tasting wine. On the other hand, I do hate cheese. My mom used to say "never say hate" but I can safely admit that I hate cheese.

Which leads me an invitation that I received in the mail last week for an event on August 21.

That's the day after my eldest offspring's first day of high school. This will be his first experience in private catholic school. He has to wear a white button down shirt, blue pants with a logo at 25 bucks a pop, penny loafers, a tie and a belt. No more shorts down to the ankle showing any kind of butt crack. That night there is going to be a social event for the parents of incoming freshman...a wine and cheese social! Great. I hate cheese and I don't care for wine. I should have a great time.

I want to go. I have to go. I need to go. This is my chance to kiss up, er...get to know, the teachers. It's my chance to meet the other children who are also pulling at their clothes wondering how in the world they went from oversized shorts that showed off the latest in underwear boxers to blue pleated "you may as well pin me with a sign that says big square is here" pants . It's my chance to gain invitation into the mom cliques.

Wait. I just thought of something. I am starting to feel the very same anxieties as when I, myself, started high school. Except this time I am 25 years older and a lot wiser!

Shout Out to Karen's Carnival

Karen has quickly become one of my favorite bloggers. Judging from her blog, she is a professional writer and while she writes way better than me I am hoping to learn a thing or two by frequenting her blog.

Karen hosted a carnival this weekend with 76 posts! Yikes! and she did an amazing job...it was my first carnival entry so I was really excited to see my post "Life Is Just a Bowl of....Earwax." It was such an amazing carnival that I decided to link to it in a few places on my blog like right here....

Carnival of Life

Karen has the best graphics on her site and I absolutely love them. Enough gushing about Karen. Just go there and tell her yourself.

The Doctor Says I Have What?

A hernia?!?! I wonder how I got that? I also never knew I had it. I found out about it in a really totally crazy way. You see, I was showing my belly button to my regular doctor after inquiring to him about getting it pierced. It's a whole over-40 and I-need-to-do-something-to-feel- younger thing. He inspected my navel area and said, matter of factly, "are you aware that you have an umbilical hernia?" Imagine my shock. First I said "a what?" and then I said "does this mean I can't get a belly piercing?"

He said I could get the piercing but I had to take care of the more important hernia first. So off I go to see a surgeon who specializes in hernias.

I get to my appointment and the surgeon consults with me and asks me lots of questions regarding my medical history. I mention to him that my brother had a similar hernia last year and had to have surgery to fix it. I wonder if there is some sort of correlation. I started thinking that we were all born by the same obstetrician so maybe he didn't know how to cut an umblicial cord. Perhaps I need to alert the other sibs! I also wondered how long I have had this and never known it. I just thought I had an outie belly button. And to think that my outie could have been fixed all these years pre-pregnancy when my stomach was flat and not stretched and actually looked sexy.

We review the procedure. Only 30 minutes of actual repair work. Easy peasy. But there will be 4 weeks of recovery time. What? I don't have time for that. I am a mom to 4 kids. I comply with the doctor and said "yes sir, I understand." What limitations do I have during recovery?

1. I can't lift or pick up my kids. Great. Tell that to my 2 year old who still clings to me at the hip every waking moment.
2. Can't exercise or run. Darn, do I REALLY have to put off my marathon training another 4 weeks. Rats.
3. No crazy, rough sex for 4 weeks. Woah Nellie. Did I really need to hear that?
4. No pushing or straining your bowel movements. Ok, I thought #3 was a bad comment. This was WAY too much information.

Any more information doctor?
See you in the hospital in a few weeks.

One more thing doctor..
Do you do belly button piercing?

Help Me With My Addiction

My name is Terry and I am an addict. Hi Terry


What is your addiction, you ask? Diet Coke

Seriously. It's my only vice. And I have to nix it and soon. I am trying to get my body prepared for marathon training. Yes I am a psycho-masochist if there is such a word. For some strange reason my psychiatrist, er..life coach, thinks I need to step out of my box so what could be more out of the box than pushing your body to do something that it was never intended to do. Running for almost 4 hours straight. Well, the brighter side is that it is going to held at Walt Disney World which is technically the happiest place on earth. I will let you now how happy I am on marathon day.

Back to the Diet Coke. You see I like Diet Coke. Correction, I love Diet Coke. Further correction, I cannot live without Diet Coke. I have heard it is not good for you. Something about heart disease and rats. But seriously, I think it will slow me down in my training. Never mind the fact that I run slower than a snail. I am certain the cause of the problem is the diet coke. So I have to quit but I am not sure how to do it.


Here is my daily diet coke ritual.

• Morning diet coke - when everyone else is drinking coffee I am grabbing for the silver can. But I need my caffeine.

• Lunch diet coke - I need something to get me through the humdrum salad sans dressing because a leafy greens with no dressing is good for my marathon running.

• Mid-afternoon diet coke - this is a must if I am going to get through the rush hour traffic in Miami, the city formerly known as the Land of Road Rage.
  

I will take any and all suggestions on what I can do to kick this habit. And while you are at it, any suggestions on how to pick up my running pace? It would be awfully embarrassing if Mickey and Friends were to pass me by at mile marker 20.

America's Got Talent

Do you know this show? I have to admit I have never watched it. I just don't have time in my busy schedule to watch much TV. Combine that and the fact that I just cannot take David Hasselhoff seriously makes another reason I don't watch.

But I have seen the commercials and I do know what the show is about. Basically a bunch of people try out to have the opportunity to show their talent.

Which got me thinking about my talents and am currently reviewing them to see if I have a shot at this. Here are a few that I have come up with...

1. Changing poopy diaper in left hand while putting kids socks and shoes on with other hand.
2. Paying bills online with tiny toddler under feet trying to unplug computer while 4 year old princess is whining about wanting to play on the "pom-puter".
3. Cooking dinner, helping with the latest Geometry problem, and fixing the playstation game all while trying to coax tiny toddler and ms. princess to stop jumping on the couch.
4. Trying to take a 1 minute shower without any interruptions pertaining to fighting, crying, or general calls of hunger or boredom.

Whichever I pick I am certain that I will be able to do it faster, better, and with more enthusiasm than anyone else could.

Breakfast of Champions

This morning as I was perfoming my morning ritual of running around the kitchen packing lunches while making sure that Mr.Toddler was not feeding his hair with milky Rice Krispies at the same time searching the TiVo machine for everyone's favorite episode of Caillou "the kid who gets away with everything", I notice Mr. Pre-Teen carving out his own breakfast. Let's see if I can describe it without going into a sugar-induced coma.

A 12-ounce glass of milk with 3 tablespoons of Nesquik

A handful of Nestles Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Bowl full of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers

Pretzel sticks for chocolate milk dipping

As my eye catches this breakfast of champions I wonder how much nutrition is in this meal. None.

But don't ask Mr. Pre-Teen about the nutrition level because he will give every effort to find that one gram of protein somewhere in the label between the 30 grams of sugar and 10 grams of fat.

At least he is trying.

The Early Bird

As I have posted before I have reached a crossroads in both my career and my life in general. I want to make some changes and if you have known me for more than 5 minutes you know that this is not unusual. I am continually looking to make adjustments, improvements, goal changing. I am going through yet another phase of this.

I think it all started with that one day a few years ago when I was turned onto real estate investing. It seemed like a natural fit. I have since done a few lurative deals but have recently reached a stumbling block...the equivalent to a writer's block to a writer. I don't know what it is but I am seeing a psychologist, I mean "life coach", because of it. It is helping because after seeing her for a few weeks I am back in the saddle. I wonder if that is good timing considering the last week on Wall Street but I have to give it a try.

More on the psychologist (life coach) later.

I am surfing a lot more on the internet trying to explore myself and the whole improvement thing with my life. I stumbled onto a blog that is full of helpful hints and read a few. One of them is the art of waking up early in order to maximize the tasks for the day. The idea is that you wake up earlier than the household and get much more done sans kids gripping onto your leg wanting you to sit down to watch the latest installment of "Barney goes on a trip to Pluto" circa 1993 that I have seen a few hundred times already.

For the past week I have done just that. I was waking up at 6 am. It was working. I was taking quick showers and retreating to my office to do work that I usually put off until 11 pm. I was enthusiastic about it. I forced myself to go to bed at 10 pm. This wasn't so bad. Until last night. I totally forgot about my "new habit". I guess it isn't a habit yet if I can forget so easily. I got all caught up with a CNBC show "The Millionaire Inside You" show that was on at 10 pm. It ended at midnight. When I shut off the TV I realized I missed my new goal and forgot the habit. I have much work to do.

I sure am glad that I have an appt with my "life coach" tomorrow.

Junk Mail

Last week my brother asked me to pick up his mail for him while he and his family went away for a few days vacation. He was going to be gone for 5 days so I figured if I picked it up on the third day he was gone that would be sufficient. When I got to his mailbox and opened it up I was overwhelmed with the amount of mail stuffed into that mailbox. Interestingly, that was not the only mail either. His front door was littered with door hangers advertising pizza, fast food restaurants, and a phone book. I had to scratch my head at where all of this mail has come from...after all, it was only two days worth of mail.

Of course I didn't sift through his mail but it did appear to me that much of it was junk. How did I know this? Because a lot of it looked very familiar to the junk mail I get! What a coincidence. I returned the mail to him and had to laugh because I now realize that he gets way more junk mail than I do.

Which led me to my post for the day and general question to ponder.

How do you sort your mail and keep it from running your household?

Here are a few suggestions on what has worked for me:

1. Sort and discard your mail as soon as you remove it from the mailbox. In fact, many people I know including yours truly sort their mail over their garbage cans. Throw away anything that is junk related that you will never be interested in.

2. While you are sorting maintain a few piles. The first pile should be for bills and things that need to get addressed and or paid. The second pile should be for magazines and/or catalogs that you would like to read. The third pile is the garbage can.

3. Bills should go straight to your office or computer room and paid or put in a proper inbox for review.

4. Magazines and/or catalogs should be put in a rack or on a table where you can easily access them. Remember that most catalogs can be viewed online so if that is the case you might want to throw the catalog out and do your shopping online.

5. If you follow these general tips you will be amazed at how easily you can keep yourself organized with your mail.

Living with neurofirbomatosis

Kelly's opthalmologist looked at her eyes for the first time since she was diagnosed with NF-1. We were there to listen to his diagnosis. Prior to his examination we discussed with him what we had found out since her last visit for ptosis. Back then ptosis was the least we should have been worried about but we didn't know any better. Her ptosis was minor...a 1 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being most severe). Back then Dr. Dorfman, who by chance happens to be one of the best opthalmologists in Florida, told us it was a cosmetic thing and did not affect her eyesight at all. Back then I remember thinking that perhaps we didn't need to continue seeing him if this was only a cosmetic issue.

But in June that all changed when we were told that Kelly tested positive for NF-1. This diagnosis changed a lot of how we look at her medical treatment especially when it comes to her eyes. Part of the effects of NF-1 is the potential for tumors to arise behind the optic nerve. The other effect of NF-1 is pigmented bumps on the eye's iris (Lisch nodules). Our genetist recommended we see Dr. Dorfman for a followup to check for these potential problems.

So there we sat and watched Dr. Dorfman shine all kinds of special lights into her eyes. All the time he was promising her a Barbie sticker. She couldn't wait to get the sticker. We were holding our breath hoping he would promise us something good. Kelly is oblivious to all of the medical terms and probes. But I am not. I get scared thinking that her optic nerve might have complications. I am not so sure about lisch nodules except to say that anything that is on her iris that is not supposed to be there can't be good. The doctors promise me that lisch nodules are completely harmless. That they are just like the freckles on her body. Lisch nodules are even less like the freckles because they can only be seen with a silt lamp.

Oh that's another thing. Before NF I didn't know what a silt lamp was. Now I know. Another life lesson!

The examination ended and the doctor said that while he could only view the tip of the optic nerve with his special lights it looked clear and saw no concern yet for us. However she does have lisch nodules. Yet another confirmation of NF. When she is 7-8 years old she will most likely have an MRI done to see clearly to the entire optic nerve which will help him to make a certain confirmation.

Kelly jumped out of the chair and thanked the doctor for his promised Barbie sticker and I thanked him for caring so much about my precious little one. He looked back at me and said that she will be just fine. I pray he is right.

"Do Everything" Thursday

Today is going to be another installment of Do Everything Thursday. As previously reported I have made it my personal habit of making Thursday my catch-all for everything I did not get done during the week. It makes my weekend so much more relaxing and pleasant with no more rushing here and there to do errands.

I have decided that I will post every Thursday on my progress and goals for Do Everything Thursday. I figure that this will help me stick to the goals and track my progress.

My goals for today are as follows:
Grocery Shopping for the week
All dishes from the dishwasher get washed and put away
All laundry is done including sheets and towels. This includes folding and putting away
Quick vacuum of the rugs and sweep and mop floors
Reconcile any banking for the week
Run 3 miles

Have a great weekend!

I love exercise...I love exercise...I love exercise

I figure that if I keep saying it enough times it will become true. Actually I don't necessarily HATE to exercise but it's not exactly on my top 10 list. So why do I do it? Because the thing that I really do love about exercise is the way I feel after and the way I look after and that "good" feeling is a lot better than the "bad" feeling I get while doing it.

As I have previously posted, I am signed up for the Disney half marathon next January. I have my training schedule all printed out. The full out training does not really start for another month or so but I have to get back in the saddle again and start racking up miles. That is the term that marathoners use. For some odd reason our weekly miles is important to the overall training program.

This past weekend, after reviewing my training goals and mistakenly watching the making of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar, I rededicated myself to my exercise program and mileage count.

My goal yesterday was 2 miles on the treadmill. The run started off good and I was flying to 1 mile until I hit the wall. Now, I won't go into too much detail on what the wall is but to quickly explain that this is the moment when all runners literally feel like they have hit a wall. Their bodies start talking to them and what they are saying is not pretty. The mind starts playing tricks. Your body starts to shut down. You feel like quitting. A good runner will have methods to get through the wall (ie, carb drink, self talk, inspiring note in pocket, friendly runner to help out). Marathoners hit the wall between mile 19 and 22. I hit the wall at mile 1.

I felt like crying. I did push through it and got to mile 2 but I realized that I have a long way to go in my training. I better start that program early if I want to make it by January. If you want to track my successes, I should have a link to my progress up shortly.

The Goldfish Cracker

I have never quite seen anything make my kids jump as high as Pavlov's dog quite like the goldfish cracker. I often wonder if the inventor and the distributor (Pepperidge Farm) realize how quiet and happy these crackers keep my kids.

All I have to do is mention the word goldfish and they come running like little ants. It's the funniest thing. Even Jack knows what they are. The sound that these little crackers make when they hit the little bowls is enough to make them yelp and dance around the kitchen. The crackers come in many flavors such as plain, cheese, and pretzel. They come in orange color or rainbow colors.

The goldfish are all named and have personalities. The yellow one is named Brooke. The others are named Finn, Gilbert, and Xtreme. They even have their own website. You can create your own goldfish character and customize your own homepage. You can play games and earn cheddar points. You can create your own goldfish ID card.

I never quite knew that there are so many things wrapped up in this one little cracker but it works and that's good enough for me.

The Irony of South Florida Living....

There is nothing quite like catching a double-header youth baseball game in the 92 degree heat (with heat index is more like 100 degrees) on a bright, sunny, not-a-cloud-in-the-sky day. The beauty of the double-header is when it starts at 9 am and goes through to 3 pm when the peak of the sun is at its hottest.

Moms like me are roasting under their array of umbrellas to shield the sun but can't do anything with the heat. I keep saying to myself that I am going to invent a portable chair that you can pack with ice packs like a cooler in the back and arms of the chair but haven't gotten around to that idea yet.

So as I sit in the sun I think of how wonderful it will be once I get home and literally run to the pool. I won't even care that I have my clothes on. They are already soaked so what would be the difference.

Both games end and I drive home foaming at the mouth thinking about that swimming pool. Just as I arrive in my garage I hear the first crack of thunder and before I can make my way to the other end of the house the sky turns black and a lighting storm is upon us.

So I stand in my living room staring out the clear door that leads me to my pool and think that this can only happen in Florida.

Shout Out to the Panama City Beach Kelly's....

We are totally in love with the new clothes.

Thursday - the "Do Everything" Day

Thursdays are my "do everything" before the weekend day.

On this day of the week dinner is usually light with no heavy cooking involved. Tonight it was a nice big salad with grilled chicken on top, grapes, walnuts, croutons and dressing. I did steam cauliflower and made some Texas toast.

The real reason behind "do everything" Thursday is because I don't do housecleaning and laundry on weekends unless there is an emergency. Weekends are my time off and my family time with my husband and children. It's sacred to me and I do not let "non family" things get in the way. So while Thursdays are a major rush for me I love to do it because it means that I have finished all of my household chores for the week and that means I can finally relax.

Top 5 Quick Organization Tips

Finding time to be organized can be a daunting task which can often become very discouraging. But it doesn't have to be that way if you just give it time and take baby steps. So here are my top 5 organization tips that have become my every day habit.

1. Take care of your mail immediately. If you don't do this it will definitely take over your life. When I go out to my mailbox I usually have sorted the mail in my hands by the time I have come back into the house. In my left hand is items that are going to be thrown away. In my right hand is the mail to keep. Once in the house I throw the junk in the garbage and then start opening the keeper mail. One pile is for bills and the other pile is for stuff that I am going to do something with later. (I will address that in another post).

2. Install a landing strip where you usually enter the house. For me that is in the laundry room from the garage. I bought a cheap 6-hook strip from Target and it works beautifully. Baby bag, backpacks, every day shoes, purse and car keys go on this rack. I never lose my keys and I always know where essentials are. I also don't waste time in the morning looking for this stuff on the way out to the car thus wasting critical time.

3. Lazy Susan. Good ole' lazy susan. What would I do without her? I love lazy susans. I have many of them in my kitchen cabinets. They are awesome for spice cabinets or medicine cabinets because stuff doesn't get pushed to the back of the cabinet never to be seen again. Instead I neatly place the items in the lazy susan pushed to the edge so everything is in full view. Some of my cabinets have more than one lazy susan.

4. Make your bed every day. Ok, this is not really an organization tip but I believe it does set the tone for neatness and organization throughout the rest of the day. I have never seen a neat house with messy beds.

5. Own a small portable notebook. I never am without my little notebook. Being a busy mom I have many ideas and to-dos floating around in my head. I would forget a lot if I didn't have a little book to write things down. If I think of something I need to do I write it down and when I get home or to a place where I can more organize my thoughts I do so on a more formal to-do list.

Do you have any ideas you would like to share with me? If so please feel free to comment.

Lessons of a Friend

It is true what they say about life always teaching you lessons. Sometimes when I think that life has taught me enough lessons or when I think it is time for me to stop learning and start teaching I learn something new. This happens to me daily and is probably good fodder for my blogs.

Here is a good example of this.

There is a girl that I know at work. Let's call her "Kim." I have known Kim for a few years now but have never really worked with her. She was always working for a different department than I did but I met her through various working relationships. A few months ago I was assigned to work with her on a project that was going to involve meeting with her a few hours a day, several days a week for several weeks. That was fine with me. She seemed a nice person. When I first met up with her on the project she asked me about my 4 kids. That blew me away. She actually knew and remembered that I have 4 kids. I was a bit embarrassed because I thought she had one child when in fact she had two.

Lesson number 1: Care about other people and be more observant.

Admittedly I really never worked with her so trying to remember everyone employed at the company and how many kids they have can be a challenge but heck she remembered how many I had. That says something to me. Maybe I was worth remembering to her or maybe she did her homework.

So working along side of her I started developing this friendship with her that sort of stood out. We seemed to have so much in common. We both have kids. We are both engineers. We love to be organized. We both like to cook. We love to help people. We love to tease each other. We are Catholic. I would have never thought that we would have that much in common but we do!

Lesson number 2: Never judge a book by it's cover.

Last week while going through the lunch line we started talking about friendships. I was complaining that I don't really have much free time to make friendships. She was telling me about her best friend. How they talk every day on the phone. How they are there for each other 24/7 no matter what. If one or the other is sick the other one will come over and bring soup or medicine, even at 2 am! I admitted that I didn't feel I had that type of friend and hadn't since college when my best friend and college roommate "dumped" me because I was Catholic. (She became a born again evangelist and I think that she didn't feel that my being Catholic was really a Christian. She kept trying to convert me and when she finally gave up, she left me. What a shame. That was a tough lesson. I hated that our friendship ended because of that...but that's another blog post. I digress.)

Anyway, as we were talking about friendships I kept wanting to ask her if I could be her friend. You know, outside of work type of friend. The type of friend that I can call on the weekend to say hi. The type of friend where I can invite over and have a play date with our kids. The kind of friend that I can laugh with and not feel like I am being judged. That would be so great. We meet tomorrow and I will ask her if we could get together sometime outside work.

Lesson number 3: In order to HAVE a friend you have to BE a friend.

In the early to middle stages of working with Kim on this project, I left work for a few weeks for my vacation. I found that in the middle of my vacation I actually missed her. I wanted to call her on the phone but I didn't want to bother her. (Also the cell phone signal where I was was very weak). I started realizing that maybe I was making a friend without trying or without realizing I was actually doing it. I didn't have to work at it. It just happened.

Lesson number 4: Good things can sometimes be staring you right in the face.

Such Exciting News

Last week I was invited to be a contributing blogger on workingmomsblog.com. I stumbled across the site while googling and trying to find some blogs where I can find people that I have much in common with. I started reading posts upon posts and found that the women on this site are living a similar life to me...that is, busy working mom just trying to do it all...or at least come somewhat close. I read a lot about "mommy wars" and to be honest, I don't really understand why there even is such a war. I mean war has such a negative connotation. I don't ever hear about "daddy wars." And then it dawned on me. Men live such basic lives. They eat, sleep, and "other stuff". Women seem to do so much more. We live for everything and for everyone. We love our families, our children, our husbands, our pets. We take such little time for ourselves and sacrifice so much. We sometimes forget that we are people with needs and wants just like the many people we care for.

Which is why I love the workingmoms blog. It's a place where I can go and unwind and laugh with the others. It's a place where I don't feel like I am in a war. It's a place where I can go and say "hey, my kids go to daycare and they are doing wonderfully." It's a place where I hope to contribute many posts in the future. I have so many ideas in my head of what I would like to say and hopefully people will want to read some of those things just as I enjoy reading them myself.

Pet Peeves

Here are a few of my pet peeves:

1. Someone who you set an appointment with and the next day they call to ask you to give them directions to your house. Hasn't everyone heard of mapquest?

2. When I go to a store and the clerk doesn't have any pennies in the change drawer. He or she will apologize for not having pennies and if you are in a rush, like I usually am, you tell them not to worry about it. So they short change you by a few pennies. Why can't they give you the nickel in your favor instead of short changing you the pennies in their favor?

3. Paris Hilton. I could go on and on forever about her. Honestly, I don't give a hoot about PH or any other Hollywood types. I don't really understand the obsession.

4. When you buy a product from the store or online and you pay your hard-earned money only to get it home, rip open the box, and find that the darn thing doesn't work. So you have to wrap it back up, take it back to the store or go to the post office to re-ship it. If you are shipping it back you have to be sure you follow up with a replacement or a credit on your credit card. What a pain! Why don't these things work in the first place.

Do you have any pet peeves that you want to mention?

Running Like the Wind

I have not officially started my marathon training regiment even though I probably should start working on that. But it has been a few months since I have hit the pavement. Summer is such a bad season for running because it is so humid outside and takes a special kind of endurance.

My goal today was 2 miles and I did it with few problems. In fact I am pleasantly surprised at how well I was doing with respect to my cardiovascular area. It's my knees that bother me and at 41 that's not a big surprise. The knees are getting old and creaky and I guess it didn't help that I didn't stretch. I despise stretching.

The iPod helps a lot and this is a very important part of the routine. In fact I am very selective in the order in which I hear very specific songs that I have ordered in my iPod so that I will hit them at specific points in my run. I have never divulged the contents of my iPod because there is such a wide range of music. I will say that the music is not necessarily my favorite songs or favorite groups. Rather it is a collection of songs that I think get me to run faster and harder and that's my main objective.

When I run, no matter how long, I envision my race. I put myself in the moment. I daydream of how it will be when I run the half-marathon...what the other runners will look like...will there be many there that will have never run a half before like me...will there be people clapping and cheering and will that even matter to me...will I laugh at the end of happiness or cry out of exhaustion...will they say my name as I cross the finish line...will I even remember the finish line? I don't really have those answers but I do know what I imagine in my head of what that day will be and it's what will keep me going as I start my training program.

Learning to Love Books

The other day on the long car ride home from our vacation I decided to read a 380 page book that I brought with me on the "off" chance that I might be so bored that reading would appeal to me.

Admittedly I have never been a reader. I am not sure why but it has been with me from childhood and it has always bothered me. It has always made me feel handicapped because I never did well on the reading portions of standardized tests that affected which college I went to. Not only that but I feel that I learned less about life by not exploring all the things that books have to offer. But this is all going to change and I am excited about the journey.

So on this car ride back from vacation, I read the book and found that once I started I could not put it down. It felt wierd. My kids looked at me wierd...mom was reading a book? What was the world coming to? My husband looked at me and wondered if he left his wife at the last rest stop and a new wife accidentally got into our car.

When I got home I was so excited to have finished this book and I immediately went through my drawers to dust off the other books that I had bought ages ago but never cracked open. I am now into my second book of the week! The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. It's a really fun book so far and it's another one that I am having a hard time putting down. Last night I started looking through my 14 year old's bookshelf...there is Summerland, Heat, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter

I started pulling the books from the bookshelf like a mad woman. The book covers are so pretty. I can't get started soon enough. This is so much fun. The best part is knowing that I might positively affect my kids and their outlook on reading. I might even start a book review section in my blog or join a book carnival. Why didn't I think of this sooner?

What book are you currently reading? If you have any books you have read and want me to share them on my blog, just shoot me an email or comment.

Where did my little boy go?

In just 6 weeks, Kevin will be starting his first day of high school. He will be going to Chaminade-Madonna College Prep. It's truly a bittersweet moment for me as I watch him grow into a man.

I remember every detail of the day he was born as if it was yesterday and yet it was almost 14 1/2 years ago. I remember my frantic voice calling my ob/gyn at 6 am to tell him my contractions were 5 minutes apart and REALLY painful. I remember speeding to the hospital because I was feeling the urge to push. I remember running through the emergency room door and the nurse examining me and saying "you are 8 cm dilated." I remember my breath being taken away at that second and realizing I am going to have a baby today. I remember pushing for only 10 minutes (thank goodness for miracles) and I remember the pain (don't let anyone tell you that we forget the pain because we don't). I also remember the elation, joy, happiness, anxiety, fear, and hope at that moment when he was born. I remember how my life changed forever when they swaddled him and placed him in my arms and the doctor said "great job, mom."

Mom was my new name. I have worn it proud all these years through the good times and bad. Through the smiles and the tears. Through the baptism, communion, and confirmation ceremonies. Through the preschool graduation, the elementary school graduation, and the induction ceremony into the National Junior Honor Society. Through his first little league home run and his many batting slumps where I would watch his shoulders hang as he would walk back to the dugout in total discouragement (on those days I would often feel worse than he did wanting to kiss his saddness away but knowing I could not). Through his many ear infections to his broken arm playing football. I have been there through it all.

And while my little boy is not perfect (what kid is?) he is still my little boy...the kid who still calls me "mommy"...the kid who waves to me when he comes up to bat and I am standing in the bleachers cheering him on...the kid who can take me from total frustration to total laughter in the blink of an eye. That's my boy.

August 20, 2007 will be another reminder that time flies and there is nothing I can do about it except to wear the mommy name with the same pride as I did on the day of his birth.

Hi-Ho Hi-Ho It's back to work I go.....

Tomorrow will be my first day back to work after a long two weeks off. Before I left for vacation I was holding down two jobs...my current job and a new job I have been promoted to. I often wonder why I am asked to perform both jobs...why can't I transition the new person at my old job? "They aren't ready to let him go yet?" But they are ready to let me go to my new job and stay behind at my old job. Doesn't seem quite fair. To that statement I hear my mother in my head saying "I never told you life was fair". Definitely life is not fair but can it just come somewhere close to the middle?

I will make a quick prediction on the amount of emails and phone messages I will have awaiting me when I return tomorrow. 500 is the magical number on emails and 20 is the number on phone messages. I will let you know how far from reality I am tomorrow.

A lot of people I work with don't enjoy their vacations because of the amount of work that has piled up for when they return but I am different. There is nothing like a vacation to help this working mom reconnect with her family and children. There is no price for the amount of hugs and kisses, snuggles and giggles, and joyous memories we have created on this vacation and from this day forward I pledge to do more of this.

I hope your vacations go well this summer.

LIfe is just a bowl of....earwax?

This morning Jack woke up crying his eyes out. Instinctively I thought something was wrong because this is not the easygoing "lay in my crib quietly until Mommy comes in to get me" kid that I know and love. Today was different. He was unhappy and irritated about something.

When I went into his room he put up his arms that only my 20 month old can do and said "Mommy!" As I picked him up I noticed him tugging at his ear. This is the right ear which is on the same side as his new black eye. As any mother will tell you, a tug on the ear equals ear infection. The irritability supports that.

So, there I was ....off to the pediatrician's weekend clinic. I can't think of anything more fun.

When we got there the doctor was great. He looked in his ear and proclaimed "I can't see a darn thing in there...too much earwax." Ugh. What does that mean? Surely he didn't mean that we were actually going to have to remove the pesky balls of unwanted wax? Didn't I have enough on my hands with a moody, black-eyed towhead with an earache? Now we have to compound that with the dreaded EAR WASH! (If you have never had an ear wash I certainly won't describe it to you but to tell you it is pretty gross). The ear wash was completed and the pebbles of wax fell out. Thank Goodness! And the doctor saw no sign of ear infection. He did say to watch it for the next 48 hours just in case he continues to do the ear tug.

And that was how I spent my Sunday morning. How did you spend your Sunday morning?

Summer Days and Summer Nights

I often hear Northerners describe the coming of Winter as very depressing...How Halloween usually marks the start of this depressing time where the air gets bitter cold, the leaves are done falling, and the grass starts turning brown. I could never relate to that having lived in Florida my whole life. Winter is the season we look forward to...a relief from those long, hot summer days.

For me, the approach of Summer is probably as depressing to me as Winter is to the Northerners in a very similar fashion. Days are longer which means that the heat lasts as long and the humidity does wonders to those natural curls that you work so hard on every day to straighten. The mark of the start of heat is usually Easter Sunday where we traditionally hunt for eggs in the yard on Sunday morning just as that hot sun is baking off in the distance and I turn to Greg and say "Winter is over!" and give him the high five because that means we now have to go back to mowing grass every week instead of every other week. Oh the joys of Summer.

Today was more of an exception to the rule. Greg had a grandious plan of taking the little ones to this really cute water park about 5 minutes from our house. I proclaimed how much fun that sounded and then retreated to my inner self that worries about skin cancer and the chlorine that harms my chemically treated highlights. Not to mention the fact that there would surely be long lines to get in and move around and I am finding that as I approach middle age, I am much less tolerant of long lines than I used to be.

Still we went and the little ones were excited. When I got to the water park I was surprisingly calm and easy going. I promised not to let the little stuff bother me. In all actuality I had a really good time and I didn't worry about the highlights or the over exposure to the sun. Too bad because within the hour the lightning showed up and the park closed. We got rainchecks so we can come back again! Yippee!

I am trying to change my views on the outdoors especially for this time of year. But it's hard to change after 41 years. ;)

7-7-07

So many people are ranting about getting married today on 7-7-07. This leads me to blog about my own wedding date which is 2-2-02. I got a lot of rolled eyes and "awes" from various friends and family when I told them that I was getting married on this date. It was purely accidental too.

We got engaged on August 19, 2001 and then started looking for a wedding date that would be suitable. We figured it would be on a Saturday. We started looking for places to have the ceremony and reception and found that we wanted an outdoor wedding.

This narrowed the window of good dates down considerably because of the awful heat that arrives in April and doesn't leave until November. It was also risky in March and April because of the potential for Spring showers. That left us with December, January and February. We didn't want to do December because of the Christmas holidays so close by so we decided on January or February. We found an old opera house that we fell in love with to have the ceremony and when we sat with the wedding coordinator for the house the only date open for us was February 2, 2002. We looked at that date and laughed. What a coincidence! Greg would surely never forget that one.

And that was how we chose the date or rather I feel like the date chose us without us realizing it. We never figured it would symbolize good luck because I don't really believe in those types of superstitions but it was something cute to talk about. I believe that the good luck happened on October 16, 1999 when I had my first conversation with Greg and realized that my life would be changed forever.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

My first ice cream cone.....

to go along with my first black eye.

In My Dreams....

I am president of my own company.
I work at home and stay at home with Jack and Kelly.
I bake lots of yummy treats.
I volunteer to help put a smile on the faces of those less fortunate.
I run a marathon and have my family cheering for me at the finish line.
I see Kevin and Ryan every day.
I play saxophone.
I see my house as a haven for my kids and their friends.
My scrapbooks are all up to date.
I get a pedicure once a week.
I get along with Kevin and Ryan's father.

Obnoxious Golfer

Greg used to play golf a lot growing up. Let's just say he is really really good at the game. But golf is one of those sports where no matter how good you are or how hard you practice you can play great one day and miserably the next.

Which takes me to the fact that he has not played in over two years. The last time he played a round was with his brother at the Reserve in S.C. His brother plays almost every weekend so I am pretty sure that Greg feels like the underdog going in.

This past vacation when all three brothers were together they decided to play a round on Sunday to which I asked them if they were sure they wanted to play with Greg. You see, Greg feels like the underdog but I know him very well and I know that even though he has not picked up a club in two years that somehow he will pull out some obnoxiously long, straight, perfect drives.

And that was what he did. He beat Mike by 8 shots and Dave barely beat him by a few. He also eagled hole 5.



His first drive was long and straight and almost 300 yards. I often wonder how good he would really be if he practiced every weekend....

Happy Belated Fourth....

Happy 4th to everyone.

I am here at home with my two babies for a rare few days post vacation. I decided to take a few more days off and spend some alone time with them. This should be interesting. (note: Kevin and Ryan are at their dad's house and I believe on their way to Cocoa Beach for some more R&R).

Welcome (back) to Florida

7 hours and 450 miles later......we are in Jacksonville, Fl.

When It Rains It Pours

Unfortunately today is our last day before we head back to Florida and it rained most of the day. Surprisingly it was pretty cold too...temps in the 60s. The boys managed to get in another day of "firsts".

Ryan skiied slalom. Kevin did a 360 degree turn on the knee board.

Tonight is family picture night and the last night for all of us to be together.

C is for Cookie

...and that's good enough for me!



Ryan's favorite cookie recipe:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: PREPARE dough as above. Spread into greased 15"x10" jelly-roll pan. Bake in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Dare to Dream Just a Little

Every year when we come up to Lake Keowee, Greg and I marvel at all of the beautiful homes being built on amazing lake lots with breathtaking views of the lake and the Appalachian Mountains. And it is every year that we dream just a little bit of how wonderful it would be if we owned one of these lots and how amazing it would be if we built a vacation home on it and was able to have it as a retirement home or a place where we could bring our children and our grandchildren one day.

Here is what I envision in my head.....



We usually go looking on the internet for lots nearby within a reasonable person's price range. (Lake Keowee lots are going for .5 million and up and that is only for the lot!). We look for homes that we would love to build and we talk about what they would look like. We imagine the amenities at such a place and the beauty that would surround it.

.....and then we come back to earth.

One Fish Two Fish......

for Ryan and I didn't get a picture of it. Unfortunately most of us were in the house at the time of his catch on the dock. He described it though and it appears to have been a 3 lb catfish. He currently holds the fish catching record at the Miller house in Lake Keowee. Picture shown is of a different fish later on in the day.

Every new mother must have a.....

rocking chair. It's an item that is as necessary as diapers...in my very humble opinion. You might ask me why I make such an emphatic statement....because I know from experience. It took me 3 kids to realize that none of them particularly liked to snuggle. It was a realization that made me sad a lot of the time. I often wondered why they didn't like to plant their faces in my neck or bury their heads against my chest at night while I sang to them or read a book to them.

By chance I bought a rocking chair the day after Jack was born and it was there that I sang to him, rocked him to sleep, fed him at night, and read books to him. It wasn't until he was over a year old that we graduated from the rocking chair and gave it away. It wasn't until recently that I realized that this might be the reason why Jack snuggles with me all of the time and not for any particular reason. It's as if he wants to snuggle just to smell my neck or to hear the vibrations of my voice.

I can tell you that I really missed that feeling with my three other children. I wished I had been smarter back then to have bought a rocking chair. But now you know the reason why I believe every mom should have one of these in their homes.

Relaxation is underrated

Today I felt really relaxed. It is nice every once in a while to be able to take a day or two and sit back and basically do nothing...follow no schedule...don't look at a clock and just go with the flow. I do that so infrequently that when I do it it is a strange feeling...almost uneasy as if I am doing something wrong or illegal or sinful. It's like being on a diet and stealing an ice cream bar from the freezer. It's like splurging on an expensive facial of ingredients made of mango, guava and sea salt. It's like buying a really nice pair of Manolo Blahnik stilletos right before the mortgage is due. Ok, maybe I am getting carried away but you get the point.

It isn't often that a mother of 4 can get a break from the organized routine of breakfast at 8, lunch at noon, naptime at 1, dinner and baths by 8:30, bed by 9. So on those few days in the year known as vacation the breaks from routine are nice.

Don't tell that to Jack because he is the king of routine! I can tell you how I managed to get him trained for his many routines but that's another blog. Let's just say that it took me 4 kids to finally figure it out.

Things I love....things I don't

I was thinking of some of the things I love and things I don't. I am referring to inanimate objects of course....I love my kids, I love my husband, I love my family, I love my job. Here is what I am referring to:

I don't love:

1. Cheese - most cheeses with the exception of mozzarella cheese
2. Lamb - tastes too gamey to me.
3. Cheese - Blue cheese, american cheese, gorgonzola cheese
4. Wine - unless it is a really great bottle of Red
5. Cheese - have I mentioned this one yet?

I love:
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies
2. Blueberry Muffins
3. Anything Italian except if it has cheese on it (see list of things I don't love).
4. Anything else without cheese on it.

Photos like this send chills down my spine.

Stumphouse Tunnel

Today we went to the old Stumphouse Tunnel in Walhalla, SC.

The tunnel was built by hand by Irish workers hired by the State of South Carolina to build a railroad to connect Charleston, SC to Knoxville, TN. Three tunnels were to be built, but none were completed. The workers used black powder for explosives. We visited the waterfalls there as well.








After our trip to the tunnel, we visited a McDonald's for lunch in the hoppin' town of Union County. It was especially nice to meet very friendly southern folk as most South Carolina residents are.

In the afternoon we went back on the lake to do more jet skiing and then back to the lake house for some relaxation. Kelly got to play with her Aunt Elizabeth who she completely adores (in fact she truly and honestly loves and talks about all of her aunts and uncles and her grandma and pop-pop). Aunt Elizabeth helped her play with her books and even let her make some jewelry with beads and other jewelry making knick knacks that she had left over from some of her nieces when they were here at the lake house. All of the kids are having a great time so far.

Water Fun

Today was a fun day on Lake Keowee and there are always a bunch of "firsts" each time we come here. Today was a first jet ski ride for Kelly and Jack's first tube ride. Jack got his first fishing pole and learned how to fish in the lake. It was Mommy's "first" day off this year! Kevin and Ryan will surf behind the boat but that won't be a first. It certainly is something they look forward to though.








We went to the pool at The Reserve and enjoyed the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The view and the temperature was perfect.

Meeting Dr. Korf

Today was the day that we drove an extra day and 500 extra miles ....to visit the University of Alabama at Birmingham to meet Dr. Bruce Korf. It was an honor to have an appt with him to introduce him to Kelly. We wanted to leave no stone unturned as we accept her diagnosis of neurofibromatosis. It's a difficult fact to have to accept so we wanted to learn as much as we could about it.

Dr. Korf gave us many of the answers to the questions that we had. Ironically he knew Dr. Mislen Bauer who is Kelly's genetist at Miami Children's Hospital. He had a high regard for her and that left us feeling very confident in entrusting her with our daughter's NF care. He also told us the same things that she did.

The trip was well worth it. Insurance probably will not cover the expenses since we went out of network to meet with Dr. Korf but he is one of the best in the country for NF research and knowledge. We didn't care because we needed the answers for our daughter's future. We can't put a price on that.

There are many facts about NF that we have learned in these past few weeks and I will probably start a blog specifically for NF and learning disabilities. I will add a link to it on this site. Perhaps this will take me on a journey that I never thought I would.

On another note, Birmingham is a really beautiful city. I loved it. There are hills and beautiful brick homes. There is slight traffic in the suburbs but nothing can be nearly as bad as Miami! In any case the town is really beautiful and the sites are adorable.

Auburn University

We spent most of today in Auburn looking at those interesting engineering buildings. It was really fun though and we ate at a local sandwich shop. Greg admitted that there were a few additions to the campus that made it a bit more interesting.

Birmingham is an awesome town. We are staying at a Courtyard right in the middle of downtown in between what looks like a city of medical buildings. Each turn around the corner is a different type of medical building...eyes, ears, throat, pediatrics, etc. There are many students walking around in white lab coats. It is really interesting knowing that these students will once become medical doctors.

Convalidation Final Episode

We just came back from the convalidation. It was really nice. Very basic ceremony. Fr OReilly read a really nice scripture and then we did our vows and he blessed our rings. He pronounced us man and wife. He let us share a kiss and he then congratulated us. Later on we were talking about it. The basics of the marriage ceremony and how different weddings can look on the outside while being so basic on the inside.

We stood at a kneeler and Jack and Kelly were kneeling on it. That felt a bit strange...saying your vows with your two youngest children at your feet. I felt a bit regretful that Kevin and Ryan could not be there. It's a long story but I only have one more Saturday this year with them and I gave them a choice to be at the convalidation or use it as a weekend where we could go somewhere as a family. They chose to be together on a family weekend vacation. We did explain to them what we were doing and they seemed to be happy for all of us.

Now that this chapter of my life is wrapped up it feels good to have completed the journey.

Convalidation part 3

The convalidation is today. I have no clue what to expect. I think it will be a short ceremony because that is how Fr. OReilly operates...short, sweet and to the point. I am hoping it will be short because it is at 1 pm which falls right in the middle of Jack's nap and that is sometimes a recipe for disaster. I doesn't really matter though because we will be the only ones there and I think Fr. OReilly has a pleasant tolerance for loud kids. That's a plus for us because that describes our children to a T ...LOUD!

After the convalidation we might stop for something to eat. Nothing fancy but something nonetheless. We might be a bit hungry. The plan then is to go back to the house and finish getting ready for our road trip tomorrow. That entails packing, laundry, house cleaning, grocery shopping and lawn mowing. I will try to squeeze a pedicure in there at some point.

These past few days I have reflected about this convalidation. I don't seem to be making a big deal of it...no fancy music, no bells and whistles, no fancy clothes. I guess I just prefer it to be something just between me and Greg and God. I don't need anything else really if you think about it. The other stuff is just superficial and with 4 kids to spent time and money on, the superficial stuff doesn't really matter to me.

48 hours till Summer Vacation

This year we are going to South Carolina for our Summer Vacation. This has been our tradition for the past 4 years. Our trip will take us to the University of Alabama in Birmingham where we will meet with one of the best genetic physicians in the country. He has agreed to take a look at Kelly's diagnosis of NF. Once we are done with that we will detour to take a look at Auburn, Alabama and Auburn University where Greg spent 4 1/2 years of his life. I am sure he will show us some really exciting engineering buildings. The heat index right now is about 110 degrees. OUCH!

After that we are heading up to Salem, SC. to enjoy this.....


LAKE KEOWEE where Greg's brother has a lake house and his mom has a condo. We will spend a few days with her and probably drive into Clemson. There is this cute little pizza restaurant that I love to visit every time we go there. It's called The Mellow Mushroom. Maybe Kevin will be inspired with all of the university touring we will be doing.

Anyway back to Lake Keowee. The lake is so beautiful and clean like bathwater. In fact most of the time when we go there we hardly take showers because the lake water really cleans you off. It might be too hot to play golf which is something we also do but that will just save room for more skiing, wake boarding, tubing and jet skiis. Over the weekend we will be joined by Greg's other brother and his family. They are going to drive down from Ohio so it will be like a family reunion. I think the last time we were all together was when Greg's Dad died and definitely before Kelly or Jack were born.

Well, I am off to getting things ready for the road trip which includes homemade banana chocolate chip bread for Kevin and chocolate chip cookies for Ryan. Road trips just wouldn't be the same without those particular favorites.

anysoldier.com

Today I heard about this website called anysoldier.com. I heard that it was a website where you can get paired up with a soldier and donate goods to him or her. Thinking that was a really neat gesture, I went to the site and started lurking around. There are hundreds of soldiers names on this site and many of them have posted messages on their board asking for the things that their units need the most. I decided that it was too much work to go looking through all the soldiers so I found a button where a soldier gets randomly selected for you. So that was what I did.

We got paired with a Marine stationed in Iraq. He says that his unit has a microwave so they would really appreciate canned foods such as soups and ravioli. They also could use toothpaste, mouthwash, and baby wipes. It doesn't seem like much to ask for considering they are fighting for our freedom. So I registered and sent away for his address and it was emailed to me shortly thereafter. The post office even gives you a flat rate for this project. How cool is that?

So off I go to the drug store to buy some canned goods, toothpaste, mouthwash and wipes. I think I might even pack up some fun stuff like crossword puzzles and Famous Amos Cookies.

So here is to Major Tom Birney in the US Marines and his unit of 21 other soldiers. Your package is on its way.

Bear B-ankie

My 14 year old son has a bear b-ankie (as opposed to blankie but when he first could say the word blankie he couldn't pronouce the L so it became a b-ankie). So when I asked my older boys to pack up their backpacks with clothes and DVDs for our car trip next week to South Carolina I found my 14 year old stuffing his b-ankie in with his other important stuff. Here is how it went.

Me: "Must you bring bear?"
Him: "Bear goes everywhere with me on all of our vacations. I don't want him to be lonely here all by himself".
Me: "But he will not be alone, he will be with the other bear b-ankies in the house".

Just then I had a revolt on my hands. "You mean the other bear b-ankies are staying home too?" I found all 4 kids running at me that we can't possibly leave all bear b-ankies home alone. They might start a bear b-ankie party or maybe they will all be scared if it rains or there is lightning.

Hmmmm...suddenly all the bear b-ankies are now being talked about as if they are real people. It hit me that in my kids eyes they ARE real people. They are THEIR friends and companions. The b-ankies help to comfort them during thunder storms or when they feel bad or are crying over something.

The worn and tattered b-ankies are important and have lives of their own and if they are a source of comfort to my little babies who are also growing up we can surely find room in the car not only for my 4 kids but for all 4 bear b-ankies.

NF-1

Today I found out that my little girl has NF-1, short for neurofibromatosis. It took me a long time to figure out how to spell that word and it's taking me awhile to really soak in the meaning behind this knowledge. Nothing has changed from yesterday in terms of my feelings toward her or my love for her except that maybe I love her more today than I did yesterday. But that's not unusual as I feel that on an every day basis. Thankfully my older guys show no signs of NF. Jack has not been tested yet but that will come in 6 months.

For two hours I listened to a really knowledgeable doctor explain this condition to me. She is one of the best. If you google her you will see how good she is. While she was talking to me and explaining I really felt at ease with what she was explaining to me...that is Kelly has a mild form of NF-1 and that she can live a very full healthy life with no major complications. I thought maybe my imagination was getting the best of me. Maybe it wasn't so bad like eczema or food allergies or asthma. Conditions that are a pain to have but definitely controllable. I listened more to her explanations of chromosomes gone wild and the cell chain that reversed it's links and all of those terms that are meant for people like me who have no knowledge of any word that starts with neuro- and ends with -tosis. There are complications to this condition but we won't know what they are yet because they don't usually show up in kids until the ages of 7-8. There could be tumors that need to be removed, her optic nerve could have trouble, or developmental problems such as speech impairments or hyperactivity. We won't know until later when she has a CT scan and other tests.

Then the realization hit me when she talked about passing this bad chromosome on to her children. Oh my gosh. What about children? The doctor explained that she would be able to have them but that if she were an adult today she would probably need medical intervention to deflect the bad chromosome that she carries. When she told me this I felt my eyes start to tear up. The gift to create life that was given to her at birth might just be altered and that made me sad. How would I eventually explain that to her and how would I handle it? There are no easy answers to the questions that I have right now.

But for now I read her a story before bed and played "Barbies" with her and we sang songs and she was back to being my little girl.

I Love My Dad

That may be an obvious statement but I love my dad a lot and since today is Father's Day I felt it was a good time to make this post. I remember a lot about my Dad growing up. I remember when he put up an above-ground pool in our backyard and I remember him repainting it when it "rusted out". I remember when he would pull out his 8 mm camera with the huge lights at Christmas time and when we came out of our rooms to "pretend" we were just waking up we would immediately be blinded by all the stage lights. I remember when my Dad grounded me for coming home past my curfew right when I was set to get my drivers license and he made me wait it out for 2 more weeks. I remember when I hit my head against the sharp corner of a chair and bled profusely on his shirt. I remember he helped to dry my tears while my mom compressed ice and a paper grocery bag against it (the grocery bag helped to ease the bleeding, I guess). I remember his corny jokes and when I would roll my eyes he would remind me that I will probably be the first to repeat the same joke the next day (which I usually did). I remember when he clapped loudly as I received my college diploma. I remember him being really strong on the day that my mom died. I remember so many things too numerous to mention here but I am glad that they are all in my head where they always manage to make me smile.

The Queen Meets The Church Lady

I am taping the movie "The Queen". I hear it is a really good movie. The Queen reminds me of the church lady who is "helping" us in our convalidation ceremony. Thinking twice the church lady really more reminds me of the church lady from Saturday Night Live. She is really condescending and sometimes rude. I hate to say that about a woman who works at the church I love so dearly but it's true. Today she left a message on my answering machine that was really snippy. She needs the paperwork to move forward with the convalidation on June 23. In all honesty I have just forgotten to pass by the church office to drop it off. I have been so busy with other things but I was planning on doing it at the end of this week. I was just really put off by her message. She told me that if I didn't have the paperwork to her that Fr OReilly would be very upset, blah blah blah.

I am going to run the paperwork by the office tomorrow and I am certain she will yell at me for some i that I didn't dot or some t that I didn't cross.

Meme

Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the Person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question. Once you're done, forward on to friends and back to the person who sent it to you. Now Go!

Your Name: Terry

1. Famous singer/band: (trip back to the 80s) Til Tuesday, Talking Heads, Tears for Fears

2. 4 letter word: Trip

3. Street name: I have no clue on this one

4. Color: Turquoise

5. Gifts/presents: Teddy Bear

6. Vehicle: Tractor

7. Items on a menu: Tuna Roll

8. Boy Name: Tom

9. Girl Name: Tina

10. Movie Title: Titanic and Toy Story

11. Drink: Tea

12. Occupation: Travel Agent

13. Flower: Tulip

15. Magazine: Time

16. US City: Trenton, NJ

17. Pro Sports Team: Titans

18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Traffic Jam

19. Something U Throw Away: Trash

20. Things you shout: Take me away from this insanity!

21. Cartoon Character: Tweety Bird