As 2008 comes to an end…
1) Where did you begin 2008?
Hospice with my dying mother.
2) What was your status by Valentine’s Day?
Married??????
3) Were you in school anytime this year?
All year.
4) How did you earn your money?
Tutoring
5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
Yes, but not as a patient
6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
Yes, my car was broken into recently.
7) Would you relive 2008 over again?
Yes, even though it was the worst year I have lived through thus far. I believe it is all about growth.
8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
Much needed car repairs and a laptop.
9) Did you know anybody who got married?
Yes, 3 couples. I tried to warn them.
10) Did you know anybody who passed away?
Yes, besides my dear sweet mother, I also lost my maternal grandmother and a paternal aunt.
11) Did you know anybody that had a baby?
Yes, my brother’s family and three friends all welcomed new additions to their growing families this year.
12) Did you move?
No.
13) What concerts/shows did you go to?
?????
14) Are you registered to vote?
Yes.
15) Do you still have the same job as you did in 2007?
No.
16) Did anyone betray you in 2008?
Yes.
17) Describe your birthday.
Bittersweet.
18) What’s one thing you thought you’d never do but did in 2008.
This is private.
19) What has been your favorite moment?
Spending the summer with my children.
20) What’s something you learned about yourself.
Despite the pain, I still haven’t broken. I guess I am strong.
21) Any new additions to your family?
Yes.
22) What was your best month?
November
23) Were you in a relationship this year?
For lack of a better term, yes.
24) What music will you remember 2008 by?
Jack Johnson.
25) Who has been your best drinking buddy?
Jack…he knows who he is.
26) New friends?
Yes, some very good ones.
27) Favorite night out?
That one night on the beach with my kids…
28) Would you say you’ve changed since the beginning of this year?
ABSOLUTELY.
29) Do you think 2009 will be better or worse?
Unfortunately, I believe it will be worse. But I hope for the best yet!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Alpaca
I went on a leisurely bike ride tonight and discovered my neighbors have alpacas. Interesting! Particularly when my in-laws recently returned from an extended vacation in Peru and purchased sweaters made from alpaca wool as Christmas gifts.
Friday, December 26, 2008
15 minutes
9 months saving my pennies
6 weeks of running home to hide the presents that came in the mail
3 weeks of sneaking off to the store without the children to buy their gifts
6 weeks of making sure the hiding spots stay hidden
2 hours in Target just to buy the little things
6 hours wrapping the presents on Christmas Eve...
and in less than the time it takes to bake yummy Cinnamon Rolls in the oven on Christmas morning...
it all comes to an end.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
I spent the day with my dad.
Not my dad that has cared for me the past 38 years. Or the dad that supported me, rescued me or even frustrated me over the past 38 years. No--today I spent the day with my birth father. The man I only met 2 years ago.
He drove to Florida to visit for a few days before heading out to spend Christmas with his daughter. My half-sister whom I have not yet met. I can’t even begin to explain how this feels. I am numb. Full of a flurry of questions and feelings and confusion. Excited to once again meet the man that is ½ of the reason I exist on this earth. Sad because I still miss my mom who was battling glialblastoma this very same time last year. She would have jumped 10 foot hurtles to spend Christmas with my birth father. Proud to watch my dad handle this very awkward situation on his own without Mom to support and guide him. My kids have enjoyed spending time with my birth father thus far. He is easy to talk to and listens to what you have to say. He is active and interested in getting to know them. It is awesome to hear their questions as they try to understand my situation.
I am glad that he decided to visit with us this Christmas. It is almost as though Mom brought him here to take my mind away from the misery that could have my first Christmas without her.
Some more pics from our adventures today...
Not my dad that has cared for me the past 38 years. Or the dad that supported me, rescued me or even frustrated me over the past 38 years. No--today I spent the day with my birth father. The man I only met 2 years ago.
He drove to Florida to visit for a few days before heading out to spend Christmas with his daughter. My half-sister whom I have not yet met. I can’t even begin to explain how this feels. I am numb. Full of a flurry of questions and feelings and confusion. Excited to once again meet the man that is ½ of the reason I exist on this earth. Sad because I still miss my mom who was battling glialblastoma this very same time last year. She would have jumped 10 foot hurtles to spend Christmas with my birth father. Proud to watch my dad handle this very awkward situation on his own without Mom to support and guide him. My kids have enjoyed spending time with my birth father thus far. He is easy to talk to and listens to what you have to say. He is active and interested in getting to know them. It is awesome to hear their questions as they try to understand my situation.
I am glad that he decided to visit with us this Christmas. It is almost as though Mom brought him here to take my mind away from the misery that could have my first Christmas without her.
Some more pics from our adventures today...
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Baseball with the Red Hot Bucket Monkeys
I am not the biggest sports fan. And some may call it luck but I am married to a man that is even less of a sports fan than I am. That is unless it involves horsepower...but that is another post...
Needless to say, my children are not exposed to much in the way of sports. It is impossible, however, not to feel the excitement for our hometown team, the Rays! What a success for them this year. This town fought so hard for this team. And they were in LAST place the previous season. And now we watch them on THE WORLD SERIES! A momentous event even for those of us that are not sports fans.
D.P. and D.A. were allowed to stay up past their usual bedtime to watch the first few innings of the World Series Game #1. The conversations were interesting to say the least...
D.P. surprised me with his knowledge about foul balls, outs and the term "on deck". This is the kid that wanted to quit T-ball half way into the season. He determines whether he will have a good day or bad day based on how much he will "have to sweat" at after care because it is his grade's day to be outside or in the gym. When I asked him how he knew so much about baseball, he confidently replied "from the Wii game". I should have known. We don't even own one!
And then D.A., observant as she is, noticed the helmet the batter wears is different because the ear is covered on one side. As any first grader may conclude, the purpose for the ear being covered is to "remind the batter which side to bat on-left or right".
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Shopping for Pumpkins
Yesterday, we went to the Pumpkin Patch in search of the perfect pumpkins. D.P. prefers to paint his pumpkin so he doesn't have to touch all the icky pumpkin guts. He chose the smaller size as he was very conscious of our limited budget.
Fall in Florida is not much different than summer. Except fall activities are abound. Born a Yankee, it always seems surreal walking through the pumpkin patch sweating and still wearing shorts.
The kids are so funny-they really do not enjoy getting their pictures takes. They usually end up making silly faces or looking away from the camera.
D.A. kept oohing and aahing over the tiny pumpkins. She wanted to take home many little ones to decorate. I convinced her two would be enough and then we could still buy a larger pumpkin to carve.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Is this lady for real??????
On the today show this morning, I watched Ann Curry trudge through an interview segment that focused on how in these desperate times women can remain fashionable by buying designer clothing at thrift stores. Also, it was suggested that women pull their clothes that are just sitting in their closet and take them to a consignment shop or the internet to earn extra money. Ann spoke about this like it was such a novel concept.
It was at this moment that I truly realized exactly how far removed our government, and the media, is from the “middle class”.
I am very familiar with this term “middle class” because that is where my family’s income level falls according to the government.
My family earns too much for my children to qualify for free and reduced lunch. Yet, I still only have $75-$100 a week for groceries to feed my family of four.
I find time to cut coupons. I only buy the goodies if there is a BOGO. I shop at bread outlets and fruit stands.
I am blessed to have friends with children older or taller than mine. It is because these friends hand down their clothes, that my children have plenty of clothes to wear throughout the school year. It is because of my friends, I am able to only spend $150 shopping for school clothes at the beginning of the year. At least I can afford to buy my children new shoes.
My family has health insurance. It is at a cost of $193 a week. I take my children to their well-child visits, and, when they are really REALLY sick, I will take them to the doctor at a cost of the $25 co-pay per visit, per child. The $50 co-pay for my son’s dermatologist is a stretch. Especially when the medications prescribed for his rampant eczema falls in the third prescription tier so it costs $68 for a .5 oz. bottle. I, on the other hand, still need to make my well-woman visit w/my OBGYN. I hesitate because, again, the $50 co-pay for a specialist is a stretch. I had a medical issue over the summer which required 4 visits ($50 each visit) plus a $93 balance for the biopsy that insurance did not cover 100%. I question why our legislature passed such laws to prohibit physicians from scheduling one appointment and running the various tests at that one appointment. Hmmm???
I’ll ride my bike to the library, to the grocery store for a gallon of milk, to the post office or around the corner to pay the electric bill. While I believe in conservation, the truth is I ride my bike because it helps save even a little bit of money on gas. It is difficult to budget for gas when $50 will not even fill my tank for the week. I am blessed that my husband has a job that reimburses him for his fuel expense. This is particularly true when some work days he will drive 100’s of miles.
We do not go to the movies or rent from Blockbuster. Instead, we check out videos from the library on “Movie Night”.
This is also where my voracious readers get their books. Unless Scholastic has a good book on their $1 or $2 special that month.
Eating out is a true luxury. Even McDonald’s is a $20 adventure. And we stopped taking the kids there when they stopped their summer special ($.59 cheeseburgers).
We do not have the newest video game systems in our home. My children only have the opportunity to play a Wii at the rec center.
They do not have cell phones or iPods.
I do not buy my children the latest CD’s. They listen to music on the radio or on the internet.
They do not own Heelies. Instead they share a pair of roller blades.
They only get gifts on their birthdays and holidays. My son earned a very special award at school this week. He received a shower-curtain from a demolition job his dad is working on (sounds gross, but the curtain was like new and it had dolphins on it. My son is obsessed with dolphins. He was ecstatic. I wanted to cry.)
Yes, I have been known to give blood to get the $10 gift card to Wal-Mart.
Yes, I have been known to surrender my body for medical research in exchange for money to pay for expensive yet necessary car repairs.
I only have a cell phone because my dad has me on his family plan.
And this is for you Ann Curry…I have not been able to afford to buy myself clothing from anywhere other than a thrift store or consignment shop for the last 2 years. Not such a novel idea after all is it!
This is the true “middle class” lifestyle.
It was at this moment that I truly realized exactly how far removed our government, and the media, is from the “middle class”.
I am very familiar with this term “middle class” because that is where my family’s income level falls according to the government.
My family earns too much for my children to qualify for free and reduced lunch. Yet, I still only have $75-$100 a week for groceries to feed my family of four.
I find time to cut coupons. I only buy the goodies if there is a BOGO. I shop at bread outlets and fruit stands.
I am blessed to have friends with children older or taller than mine. It is because these friends hand down their clothes, that my children have plenty of clothes to wear throughout the school year. It is because of my friends, I am able to only spend $150 shopping for school clothes at the beginning of the year. At least I can afford to buy my children new shoes.
My family has health insurance. It is at a cost of $193 a week. I take my children to their well-child visits, and, when they are really REALLY sick, I will take them to the doctor at a cost of the $25 co-pay per visit, per child. The $50 co-pay for my son’s dermatologist is a stretch. Especially when the medications prescribed for his rampant eczema falls in the third prescription tier so it costs $68 for a .5 oz. bottle. I, on the other hand, still need to make my well-woman visit w/my OBGYN. I hesitate because, again, the $50 co-pay for a specialist is a stretch. I had a medical issue over the summer which required 4 visits ($50 each visit) plus a $93 balance for the biopsy that insurance did not cover 100%. I question why our legislature passed such laws to prohibit physicians from scheduling one appointment and running the various tests at that one appointment. Hmmm???
I’ll ride my bike to the library, to the grocery store for a gallon of milk, to the post office or around the corner to pay the electric bill. While I believe in conservation, the truth is I ride my bike because it helps save even a little bit of money on gas. It is difficult to budget for gas when $50 will not even fill my tank for the week. I am blessed that my husband has a job that reimburses him for his fuel expense. This is particularly true when some work days he will drive 100’s of miles.
We do not go to the movies or rent from Blockbuster. Instead, we check out videos from the library on “Movie Night”.
This is also where my voracious readers get their books. Unless Scholastic has a good book on their $1 or $2 special that month.
Eating out is a true luxury. Even McDonald’s is a $20 adventure. And we stopped taking the kids there when they stopped their summer special ($.59 cheeseburgers).
We do not have the newest video game systems in our home. My children only have the opportunity to play a Wii at the rec center.
They do not have cell phones or iPods.
I do not buy my children the latest CD’s. They listen to music on the radio or on the internet.
They do not own Heelies. Instead they share a pair of roller blades.
They only get gifts on their birthdays and holidays. My son earned a very special award at school this week. He received a shower-curtain from a demolition job his dad is working on (sounds gross, but the curtain was like new and it had dolphins on it. My son is obsessed with dolphins. He was ecstatic. I wanted to cry.)
Yes, I have been known to give blood to get the $10 gift card to Wal-Mart.
Yes, I have been known to surrender my body for medical research in exchange for money to pay for expensive yet necessary car repairs.
I only have a cell phone because my dad has me on his family plan.
And this is for you Ann Curry…I have not been able to afford to buy myself clothing from anywhere other than a thrift store or consignment shop for the last 2 years. Not such a novel idea after all is it!
This is the true “middle class” lifestyle.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Exactly What Happens When you are not Home?
D.A. still adores her blankie, "One Bear".
Tonight after she got out of the bath, she insisted on sitting on my lap, wrapped up in a towel, and cuddling One Bear. (It is these rare sweet moments that I cherish with all my heart).
As the three of us sat snuggling, she noticed a dark reddish mark about two inches long on One Bear's corner. I asked her what happened. She replied in a sassy tone "I'm not with One Bear all day! How should I know what he is getting into?"
The Mysterious Adventures of One Bear....to be continued...
Tonight after she got out of the bath, she insisted on sitting on my lap, wrapped up in a towel, and cuddling One Bear. (It is these rare sweet moments that I cherish with all my heart).
As the three of us sat snuggling, she noticed a dark reddish mark about two inches long on One Bear's corner. I asked her what happened. She replied in a sassy tone "I'm not with One Bear all day! How should I know what he is getting into?"
The Mysterious Adventures of One Bear....to be continued...
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The first day of school ran so smooth!
Hurray for D.P.! He did not get sick this year! But look at the expression on his face in the photo—that is the best smile I could pry out of him. Clearly, he was anxious before leaving for school. He said he grew more comfortable as the day went on. He is happy that he already knows 2/3 of his class.
D.A. was so excited to start 1st grade. She jumped out of bed as soon as I went in to wake her. She was dressed, ate breakfast and was sitting on the couch backpack in place before D.P. was even out of bed.
The kids arrived at school 15 minutes early (a record for this family!).
We celebrated our momentous event at McDonald’s for dinner and ICE CREAM!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tropical Storm Cookies
Tropical Storm Fay bypassed us. The Tampa Bay area has been fortunate over the past five years as hurricanes have repeatedly blown past us.Winds did not exceed 20 m.p.h. today and it didn’t rain a drop. D.A., D.P. and I took full advantage of this “free day” and made chocolate cookies to celebrate the fact that we still had electricity.
D.P. was so proud of himself because he was able to crack an egg without getting the shell in it. This is usually D.A.’s specialty. She took advantage of the fact that she did not have this responsibility and snuck a few licks of cookie dough from the beater.
Both kids decided to wrap up some cookies for their new teachers tomorrow. They were disappointed they could not include some for all of their classmates.
They also cut heart shapes into two cookies for Dad and I.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Tropical Storm Fay and The First Day of School
School has been cancelled Tuesday due to the fact that Pinellas County is still in Tropical Storm Fay’s projected path.
D.P. is more anxious than ever now with the postponement of the first day of school. Last night he complained that he was going to throw up and insisted on sleeping with a bowl next to his bed. It amazes me that my son, who is so charismatic, easygoing and successful in school, gets physically ill on the first day of school. He has done this in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades.
The storm is not too intimidating. The projected path has Pinellas County on the west side which is always a good place to be during a tropical storm/hurricane. We are still making sure we have enough water and dry goods.
D.P. is more anxious than ever now with the postponement of the first day of school. Last night he complained that he was going to throw up and insisted on sleeping with a bowl next to his bed. It amazes me that my son, who is so charismatic, easygoing and successful in school, gets physically ill on the first day of school. He has done this in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades.
The storm is not too intimidating. The projected path has Pinellas County on the west side which is always a good place to be during a tropical storm/hurricane. We are still making sure we have enough water and dry goods.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Feeling sad...
D.A. and D.P. have completed swim lessons. The pool is closing.
There are no more summer programs at the library.
With the forecast crying rain each day before school starts, I’m avoiding the beach.
We’ve shopped for new school clothes and supplies.
Summer is almost over. :-)
I guess I feel sad about this because I had planned what I thought would be exciting activities for the last full week of summer. We met friends at Chuck E Cheese on Monday and yesterday the kids enjoyed the Ultimate Party Play Zone. We did not, however, get to go to the beach nor the pool due to weather. Also, we skipped the aquarium because I was asked by family/friends to watch their children on Tuesday and Friday. I do not have enough seats in my car to travel with more than one extra child.
I am also sad about summer ending because this is my last summer home with the kids before I return to work next year (praying I get a job in my new career field!)
The kids are eager to start school however. This is a good thing. D.P. just can’t wait to use his new backpack. It is actually a pack for a laptop computer which is why I think he is so in love with it. D.A. is already convinced she will not like her 1st grade teacher (I don’t know why when she is one of the nicest teachers in the school).
Tomorrow, my brother will be moving to California. I cannot say that I will miss him exactly. He was in the military for 15 years and moved around so much that it seems normal for our relationship to be distant. I will miss my niece age 2 and nephew age 3 months.
Today, he stopped by my house and I really didn’t want to visit with him because I feel so irritated. He planned my dad’s first to visit with him in California during Thanksgiving. This was done without one mention to me of the time frame for his visit. This upsets me so much because Thanksgiving has always been the biggest holiday in our home. And this year will be the first since Mom passed. Now, I am not upset that dad is going to CA—I am upset that this was done without even informing me.
Our family has spent Thanksgiving at my house every year for the past 12 Thanksgivings. The least they could have done was mention this to me before I paid for dad’s ticket with my credit card.
I’m just a little upset…
There are no more summer programs at the library.
With the forecast crying rain each day before school starts, I’m avoiding the beach.
We’ve shopped for new school clothes and supplies.
Summer is almost over. :-)
I guess I feel sad about this because I had planned what I thought would be exciting activities for the last full week of summer. We met friends at Chuck E Cheese on Monday and yesterday the kids enjoyed the Ultimate Party Play Zone. We did not, however, get to go to the beach nor the pool due to weather. Also, we skipped the aquarium because I was asked by family/friends to watch their children on Tuesday and Friday. I do not have enough seats in my car to travel with more than one extra child.
I am also sad about summer ending because this is my last summer home with the kids before I return to work next year (praying I get a job in my new career field!)
The kids are eager to start school however. This is a good thing. D.P. just can’t wait to use his new backpack. It is actually a pack for a laptop computer which is why I think he is so in love with it. D.A. is already convinced she will not like her 1st grade teacher (I don’t know why when she is one of the nicest teachers in the school).
Tomorrow, my brother will be moving to California. I cannot say that I will miss him exactly. He was in the military for 15 years and moved around so much that it seems normal for our relationship to be distant. I will miss my niece age 2 and nephew age 3 months.
Today, he stopped by my house and I really didn’t want to visit with him because I feel so irritated. He planned my dad’s first to visit with him in California during Thanksgiving. This was done without one mention to me of the time frame for his visit. This upsets me so much because Thanksgiving has always been the biggest holiday in our home. And this year will be the first since Mom passed. Now, I am not upset that dad is going to CA—I am upset that this was done without even informing me.
Our family has spent Thanksgiving at my house every year for the past 12 Thanksgivings. The least they could have done was mention this to me before I paid for dad’s ticket with my credit card.
I’m just a little upset…
Friday, August 8, 2008
A friend invited us to go out on their boat Tuesday. The kids were so excited as it was their first time on a small private boat on the intercoastal. (I know kind of silly when we live in Florida. I really don’t care for boats as I do not know how to swim and didn’t feel comfortable being responsible for the safety of my children. But now, many swim lessons later, both of my children swim better than I probably ever will. I trust they would save me if anything were to happen. ;-) )My friend had 2 young visitors from Chicago; ages 6 and 10. It was the 6 y.o.’s first time to Florida. There is nothing like the excitement in a child’s eye as they experience something new.
D.P. was able to captain the boat. Did I mention we also call him “Fire Marshall D.P.”? He was very concerned about where everyone was seated, the speed of the boat, and eye protection (as you can tell from the fact that he is wearing his goggles.)
D.A. even had a chance to steer. Her boating skills are no different from her biking skills—she is more interested in what she sees around her than where she is going. Then she kicked back in the chair proclaiming “this is the life!”
The boat was anchored so the kids could get out and swim. They enjoyed the water and tried to catch fish with a net. Unfortunately, the fish are much faster.
Our boating fun was cut short as thunderstorms rolled in.
I asked my kids what was the most exciting part about their day to which they both exclaimed “playing with your friend’s dog”. She has a very playful boxer with many favorite doggie toys. Maybe it’s time to consider adopting a family pet…
Monday, August 4, 2008
As I brush the knots out of my precious D.A.’s waist length blonde hair, we have the following conversation…
“Mom. What do you do if you have to go to the bathroom and someone is already on the toilet? “ (We only have one bathroom in our house.)
“Well, the best thing to do is knock on the door and tell the person to hurry up because you have to go too”.
“But what if you can’t wait? Can you go outside?”
“No. You can wait”
“But I’ve seen D.P. go pee outside before.” (Not sure if she is tattling or revealing facts at this point.)
“Really?!”
“Yes. He does it all the time when you are in the bathroom.”
“How do you know this?”
“I spy on him. Mom, do you want me to teach you how to be a spy?”
I find our conversation very curious.
First of all, is my son peeing outside? (He denied doing so when I brought it up even in a humorous kind of way.) And secondly, has my daughter ever “spied” on me when I wasn’t paying attention? Not that I have any reason to be concerned however there are certain conversations that should only be heard by adult ears.
I will certainly have to pay more attention now that I know.
“Mom. What do you do if you have to go to the bathroom and someone is already on the toilet? “ (We only have one bathroom in our house.)
“Well, the best thing to do is knock on the door and tell the person to hurry up because you have to go too”.
“But what if you can’t wait? Can you go outside?”
“No. You can wait”
“But I’ve seen D.P. go pee outside before.” (Not sure if she is tattling or revealing facts at this point.)
“Really?!”
“Yes. He does it all the time when you are in the bathroom.”
“How do you know this?”
“I spy on him. Mom, do you want me to teach you how to be a spy?”
I find our conversation very curious.
First of all, is my son peeing outside? (He denied doing so when I brought it up even in a humorous kind of way.) And secondly, has my daughter ever “spied” on me when I wasn’t paying attention? Not that I have any reason to be concerned however there are certain conversations that should only be heard by adult ears.
I will certainly have to pay more attention now that I know.
Adventure Island
Yesterday, the whole family went to Adventure Island. We had a fabulous time!
D.P. had not been there since he was a toddler and it was D.A.’s first time. Both of them wanted to swim in the lagoon, but I encouraged them to try other things (because we could stay home and enjoy the pool for much less).
So we moved on to Fabian’s Funport, Splash Attack and the Ramblin’ Bayou. The Ramblin’ Bayou was probably their favorite and we must have floated around the long path a dozen times. Their dad convince them to join us down the slides (o.k., he had to convince me too). D.P. did not like them so much but after much resistence the first time, D.A. could not wait to go on them again.
We got through almost the entire day before the summer storms rolled in about 6 p.m. We were rambling down the bayou when the lifeguards had everyone evacuate out of the water. The storms came up so fast, we barely made it under cover. Two hours later, we finally drove out of the park and straight to Krystal for a dinner of those tasty little burgers.
It is fun like this that reminds me how out of shape I am the next day. Ugh.
Sorry, no pictures. I didn’t bring the camera.
D.P. had not been there since he was a toddler and it was D.A.’s first time. Both of them wanted to swim in the lagoon, but I encouraged them to try other things (because we could stay home and enjoy the pool for much less).
So we moved on to Fabian’s Funport, Splash Attack and the Ramblin’ Bayou. The Ramblin’ Bayou was probably their favorite and we must have floated around the long path a dozen times. Their dad convince them to join us down the slides (o.k., he had to convince me too). D.P. did not like them so much but after much resistence the first time, D.A. could not wait to go on them again.
We got through almost the entire day before the summer storms rolled in about 6 p.m. We were rambling down the bayou when the lifeguards had everyone evacuate out of the water. The storms came up so fast, we barely made it under cover. Two hours later, we finally drove out of the park and straight to Krystal for a dinner of those tasty little burgers.
It is fun like this that reminds me how out of shape I am the next day. Ugh.
Sorry, no pictures. I didn’t bring the camera.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Sometimes my children scare me...
I walked into my bedroom this afternoon to find this tucked into my bed.
The stuffed animal is “Jessica” and belongs to my daughter. It is a Littlest Pet Shop stuffed bunny. D.A. put a knit skull cap from Jamaica on “Jessica” and tucked her into bed with a baby bottle and a binky. Also, she played a book and a ball next to “Jessica” in case “she woke up early and wanted to play”. Then she insisted that I leave MY bedroom and “be quiet” so I wouldn’t “wake up Jessica” because she needed her “beauty sleep”.
I am just glad I noticed “Jessica” sleeping in my bed while it was still light out otherwise I may have been quite shocked to fall into bed later tonight (especially too tired to take a picture!).
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The Rain Continues to Fall
It has been raining for 4 days straight. While this may not seem long for some areas, 4 WHOLE days of rain in this area is quite a stretch. I am just thankful that it is raining so the threat of brush fires remains low.
Just as I have free time to go to take the kids to the beach or relax by the pool, the rains come.
So, what do we do in Florida when it rains so much? Library. Bowling. Pottery. Shopping for school supplies. Oh, and I have been working on my list by cleaning the kids’ rooms.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Things to Do
I have 4 weeks until the fall semester begins.
I made a list of things I want to accomplish during this time:
o Clean D.A.’s room (bring in the roll-out!)
o Clean D.P.’s room
o Pack away previous semester’s work
o Organize pictures from digital camera
o Clean out car (this may require the rental of a pressure cleaner)
o Re-cover kitchen chairs
o Finish reading “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt
o Read e-mails from the past seven months
o Send pictures of Mom to Grandma and A.C. in Ohio
o Take the kids to the aquarium, pottery shop, and Adventure Island
All this in addition to the usual library programs, swim lessons, bowling, household chores, school shopping etc.
I made a list of things I want to accomplish during this time:
o Clean D.A.’s room (bring in the roll-out!)
o Clean D.P.’s room
o Pack away previous semester’s work
o Organize pictures from digital camera
o Clean out car (this may require the rental of a pressure cleaner)
o Re-cover kitchen chairs
o Finish reading “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt
o Read e-mails from the past seven months
o Send pictures of Mom to Grandma and A.C. in Ohio
o Take the kids to the aquarium, pottery shop, and Adventure Island
All this in addition to the usual library programs, swim lessons, bowling, household chores, school shopping etc.
Frog Watch.
Our family has been on a frog watch.
My son, D.P., and a couple of his friends have adopted tadpoles as an “experiment”. They found literally hundreds of the little swimmers in a neighbor’s flower pot which was apparently turned into a nesting ground for a frog after all of the rain we have been having.
D.P. carefully built a habitat of local soil, plants and a few sticks inside a yellow beach bucket. I objected his request to keep them in his bedroom “so they can be more comfortable” so he placed them on the porch where they could also benefit from the sun and rain.
We watched them carefully but after 3 weeks in the same bucket, the water became so murky that we could no longer observe them. D.P. decided to clean the water.
He carefully put them in a temporary habitat (a frisbee) while he scrubbed out the old one. Here are some of the little guys.
My son, D.P., and a couple of his friends have adopted tadpoles as an “experiment”. They found literally hundreds of the little swimmers in a neighbor’s flower pot which was apparently turned into a nesting ground for a frog after all of the rain we have been having.
D.P. carefully built a habitat of local soil, plants and a few sticks inside a yellow beach bucket. I objected his request to keep them in his bedroom “so they can be more comfortable” so he placed them on the porch where they could also benefit from the sun and rain.
We watched them carefully but after 3 weeks in the same bucket, the water became so murky that we could no longer observe them. D.P. decided to clean the water.
He carefully put them in a temporary habitat (a frisbee) while he scrubbed out the old one. Here are some of the little guys.
After rebuilding the old habitat, he filled it with cold water from the refrigerator.
Sadly, we learned that tadpoles can't thrive in fresh, cold water.
A few did survive. So far. I am surprised that it was the smaller ones.
Sadly, we learned that tadpoles can't thrive in fresh, cold water.
A few did survive. So far. I am surprised that it was the smaller ones.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Just posting this to help spread the word for this dear girl.
Ryleigh was diagnosed with Leukemia on May 27th of this year. Thanks to generous sponsors, a drawing has been organized for an incredible weekend package including concert tickets, golf, Rays "suite" deal, food and much more valued at over $3,500. The entry donation fee for the Ryleigh Russo Ultimate Weekend Package is $5. The goal is to raise $10,000 for the Ryleigh Russo Fund.
If you can help, please do. Thanks.
http://www.weekend4ryleigh.blogspot.com/
Ryleigh was diagnosed with Leukemia on May 27th of this year. Thanks to generous sponsors, a drawing has been organized for an incredible weekend package including concert tickets, golf, Rays "suite" deal, food and much more valued at over $3,500. The entry donation fee for the Ryleigh Russo Ultimate Weekend Package is $5. The goal is to raise $10,000 for the Ryleigh Russo Fund.
If you can help, please do. Thanks.
http://www.weekend4ryleigh.blogspot.com/
Momentous Day.
My 6 y.o. daughter, D.A., lost her first tooth yesterday.
The tooth has been loose for weeks now. She wiggled it everyday but it just never seemed to loosen enough to come out despite her diligence. She is a thumbsucker so everytime I saw her start to put her thumb in her mouth I would suggest she wiggle her tooth instead.
She woke up complaining, or I mean WHINING, that the loose tooth was bothering her. I gave her the casual, "keep wiggling it" but after an hour of listening to her complain/whine I finally gave in and said "JUST PULL IT OUT". Well, she turned around walked straight to the bathroom to do just that. She was so proud of her bravery.
The tooth is now with the Tooth Fairy who will keep all of her baby teeth until she turns 18. (How else would I explain how I get the teeth back for safe keeping. Which that brings up another topic...why do mothers save things they would otherwise not want anything to do with? Like teeth or hair from the first haircut.)
She celebrated by enjoying a breakfast of rainbow colored scrambled eggs.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
"Bitter is the New Black", by Jen Lancaster
Although highly recommended by a good friend and her book club, I was very hesitant to read this “chick-lit” book. Then I was hooked after the first page. The author, Jen Lancaster, writes in first person (very blog-like) inviting the reader into her life after she’s been fired from a lucrative career. I could not help but fall in love with Jen and her refreshing honesty, and often highly sarcastic, views about herself, relationships and life. While I found myself disagreeing with her self-indulgence and sometimes cringing at her narcissitic tendancies, I find that her self-confidence and eventual metamorphosis is encouraging. The memoir follows Jen in her desperate search for employment in a post-September 11th market. She emerges stronger and more self-aware as she discovers a new career as an author.
I simply loved this book and now can't wait to read Jen Lancaster's other books!
I simply loved this book and now can't wait to read Jen Lancaster's other books!
Here goes...
I have struggled long and hard to avoid making this leap. But I just finished reading “Bitter is the New Black” by Jen Lancaster and came to the realization that there are many benefits to the virtual world of the Internet. (This is a FABULOUS book to read by the way. I am her new biggest fan. Check out her website Jennsylvania.com).
I am ready to step online to reveal my life which often feels like a Greek Tragedy and share my thoughts out loud.
I am ready to step online to reveal my life which often feels like a Greek Tragedy and share my thoughts out loud.
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