Friday, December 21, 2007

DONE!!!

Well folks, I am truly done! I went to the grocery store and spent a stupid amount of money, but hey, I want to make sure my guests are well fed over the holidays. I was pleasantly surprised that the grocery store wasn't crazy, but I went around 1pm, so all the lunch folks were gone and it really wasn't too bad. I made my way through, met a nice woman in the line who has the same name as me (how odd, I've only met like 3 other Trina's in my life that were just Trina, not Katrina). So my grocery experience was fine. I hit Sonic and the mailbox on the way home, and then we had my hubby's work XMAS party last night. So as of today, my only obligation is to clean my house. I have no reason to leave the house until after the holidays! YEA!

Happy Holidays to all of you! Don't be surprised if I don't post for awhile, I'm going to be enjoying my family!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Solicitations ruin the fun

I recently took my family on it's annual excursion to the "Trail of Lights", a display of lights that the Austin Parks and Recreation Department puts up every year. You walk through with your kiddos, enjoy all the pretty lights, nosh on funnel cakes and drink cocoa or apple cider! It truly is a nice display and I look forward to going every year. However, the mood this year was dampened a bit.

In the midst of all the festive lights and Santa hats lurked a group of folks handing out "Christmas Cash". It was about the size of a dollar bill, had a nice little cartoon of Santa on the front and had the heading "The Republic of the North Pole". I pretty much ignored the ones I was handed but one of the people we were with had browsed through the fine print and brought it to my attention. It was several paragraphs of fire and brimstone, informing us that we were all, and I quote, "lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterers-at-heart"! We were also informed we'd be treated to an eternity in Hell for our punishment. NICE! Just the thing you want to read while you are out enjoying the beautiful lights, the sweet, little elementary school choirs, and dance troops, your innocent, wide-eyed children and your friends, family and community as a whole. While making our way through the park, I personally was given 2 of these little lovelies, and everyone else in my party also came away with one or two. They were being passed out at various locations throughout the display route.

Bottom line... this REALLY pissed me off. Not that I don't think people aren't allowed to speak their opinions, I'm a huge supporter of our First Amendment. HOWEVER, I really felt that this kind of solicitation, well really ANY kind of solicitation in this type of venue was terribly distasteful! In fact, I sent a letter to the Parks and Recreation Department in regards to this. I don't feel that ANY type of solicitation should be allowed at this event. This is a community event where people of all different cultures, races, creeds, religions, beliefs, etc... come to enjoy their families, to appreciate the displays and to enjoy the season. And I'd be willing to bet I was not the only person who felt uncomfortable after reading these little flyers. I am just so tired of everything on the planet that is fun and enjoyable is now falling prey to someone's agenda. Can we not just take in the pleasures of life without being harassed at every turn? I don't go to community events to be harped at about religion or politics! I just want to go and enjoy myself and go about my life! I don't feel the need to impart MY "wisdom" onto the other people who dwell in my city when I am at such events, so why do I have to put up with it from others? Sometimes I wish that people would remember that Golden Rule that we all learned in elementary school! Seriously, there are just times that "SILENCE IS GOLDEN!" That being said, I will shut up now and get along with my day. I wonder if I will get a response from Parks and Recs?

It's beginning to look alot like... eh whatever!

I am done. Done with driving around amidst all the psycho nonsense referred to as the "Holiday Season". Holiday my ass! What in the world does driving around in the epitome of consumerism looking for gifts, trying to mail packages, or standing in line for hours with two kids to try to buy a stinkin' book of stamps to mail letters have ANYTHING to do with a holiday? The actual word "holiday" is defined (as per good old Merriam-Webster) as a day of festivity when no work is done. Bwaaa-haaaaa-HAAAAA! When exactly is THAT day, cause I want one of those! This is the time of the year when we are supposed to have good cheer and good will for our fellow man, right? The only good cheer I've received as of yet is a blaring horn and the Bird when I pulled into a parking space that was rightfully mine! (I had my blinker on and everything!) Maybe I missed the memo, but it seems the new wave of Christmas cheer is more along the lines of, "Merry Christmas and Go Fuck Yourself in the New Year!" But like I said, I'm done. I have finished my shopping and my only obligation outside of my home is grocery shopping tomorrow. I will then begin my hermit phase and not set foot out of this house until the day after XMAS! Because we all know, the closer we get to actual XMAS day, the nastier people get. So I will haul-up in the house, drink tea and apple cider, sit by the fireplace with my beautiful children and thumb my nose at all the crazy assholes that are out being menaces to society in the name of Jesus and brotherly love!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Tagged into the paranormal

I have been tagged by Sean, this was an interesting topic to delve into. The paranormal and supernatural have always been something I enjoy! However, as I really don't know many bloggers, this portion of the tag will stop with me. I guess I should maybe work on networking a bit more in the New Year! Thanks for including me and letting me play!

The Rules

You should post these rules
Recall and relate a time when you experienced a "paranormal event"
Explain it rationally if you can
Inflict this meme on 5 other people

It is hard for me to pick a specific moment that I experienced a paranormal event. I have had many unexplained occurrences throughout my life, some of which occurred over long periods of time. When I was young, my great-aunt Ruth lived next door to my grandparents. She was never married and lived in the home that belonged to her parents. Since she was right next door to my grandparents I spent alot of time with her. I LOVED going to her house to visit, but for some reason, the upstairs bedroom was always a little scary to me. It was a gorgeous room, painted a lovely, light blue with lots of windows and light, it even had it's own fireplace, very much like a little studio apartment (minus the kitchen)! You would have thought it would be a wonderful place for a child to explore with all the old books and music boxes and closets full of my great-aunts racy, roach-killer heels, flowery hats, and boxes full of costume jewelry! But I very rarely ventured up there alone and when I did, I only lasted a few minutes before absolute panic would set in and I'd go flying back down the stairs to safety.

As it happens, my great-aunt became ill with Alzheimer's and she was moved to a nursing home around the time my parents divorced, so my mother and I moved into the house, I was about 10 or 11. I of course took one of the downstairs bedrooms because of my fear of the upstairs. At some point I began longing for more privacy and therefore decided I should conquer my fears and move upstairs to the cool bedroom (it was the coolest room a kid could ask for with that fireplace, sitting area and my own bathroom)! So I started to spend more time up there, trying to get a grip. It was strange, but I always just "felt" like I was not alone up there and I distinctly felt that their were two or three different entities (for lack of a better description) and I just felt that they were female. At this point I didn't necessarily feel threatened, in some instances I actually felt comfort, a strange familiarity. So I wasn't as fearful as I was when I was a small child, but it was still strange and somewhat unnerving. There was one occasion that I recall actually seeing something that spooked me. I was sitting on the bed and happened to look over by the fireplace and it seemed as though the chair was rocking, not hard, but slowly and somewhat deliberately. I didn't see an entity per se, but just remember having a clear picture in my mind an old woman rocking slowly in the chair, knitting or something. But I swear that I saw that chair rock and it freaked me out a bit. Needless to say my move upstairs was postponed awhile.

We eventually painted the room, hung new curtains and moved a new bedroom set upstairs. I also hung a few poster of my favorite band at the time Motley Crue (who I still love by the way)! Now I don't know if it was the paint, or the posters with pentagrams or the fact that I just finally conquered my fears, but AFTER that room was transformed from a proper lady's bedroom/dressing room into a teenagers dream room, I never "felt" the presences again.

Now as family history would have it, my great-grandmother occupied that house but she didn't die there (in fact if I remember correctly she passed away at a ENMU basketball game while sitting in the stands). And I'm not sure if she ever lived in that house, but my great-aunt Audean also passed away from tuberculosis when she was a young woman. Now whether the things I felt and saw had anything to do with them, I have no idea. As far as my great-grandmother, it wouldn't seem that far-fetched for her to return to the home she loved and as far as Aunt Audean, would it be such a stretch to think she and her mother might have been reunited in whatever sense that might happen?

Now, can any of this be proven? Of course not. Do I believe in ghosts? Maybe. There are things in the universe that I can't even begin to fathom. Are there ghosts, are there just changes in the energy around us, are there multiple dimensions in which we exist? Again, I cannot claim to know as only the dead can know what happens or does not happen. But what I do know is that from the time I was a very small child, until I was a teenager, that room seemed to possess something that I could not explain. When I eventually discussed this with my mother, she admitted that she had similar feelings about that room when she was young, but she wasn't afraid of ghosts, she was convinced there were gorillas in the closet! Yikes!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Watch out Griswald's, here we come!


OK, maybe the place isn't decked out quite as cool as the Griswald's but we've done a pretty nice job. The hubby promised my son last year that we would decorate the house this year, and my son, having a memory like an elephant when it suits him, has held my hubby to that promise! I did the tree out front and hubby climbed around on the roof. I was a little bummed that we weren't able to get the lights on the peak of our roof, but it was just too steep and slick and I decided I would rather have a husband that was in one piece than lights on the peak of the roof! I'm just kooky that way! I think before it is all said and done, the tree next to the house will also get some lights, but here is what we have now! It's kind of pretty, right?

Baby Snaa-haakes!



Everytime I hear the words "baby snakes" it makes me think of a Frank Zappa song! You may be wondering why in the hell I would have even been thinking of baby snakes at all. Well... as it turns out, I was in the front yard, putting lights on the tree when my son informed me that there was an earthworm on the sidewalk and he wanted to pick it up and put it in the dirt of our flower bed. I told him I'd help as those earthworms are wiggly little buggers and they kind of freak him out when they do that. I went over prepared to pick up a misplaced worm and realized that it was no worm, but a baby snake of some sort. I'm glad I told him not to pick it up. Granted, I'm sure it was nothing but a little garden snake, but when they're that small, it's kinda hard to tell, but it didn't have that typical v-shaped head, so that was a relief! I went to the garage and got a little tin (that did have popcorn in it) and I coaxed the little guy into the tin. We showed him to my neighbor's kids and then decided we would release the little guy at the farm just outside the neighborhood. I didn't want to leave him on the sidewalk to be picked off by a bird, and honestly, even though I'm pretty sure it wasn't poisonous, I really didn't feel the need to have it cruising around my house either, mostly since there are alot of cats that lurk around. The farm seemed a much safer spot for this little guy and I'm sure a place with a greater potential for food items. Then again, I don't know what a snake that small eats, bugs maybe? Anyway, here are a couple of photos, we enjoyed its company while we had it and hopefully it lives a long healthy life on the farm!

My first attempt at gingerbread!





I have never made a true gingerbread house or even cookies for that matter. It seems like a huge pain in the buttocks if you ask me. However, my hubby had to go out of town on business and my little boy wanted to make gingerbread cookies to take to Daddy and his co-workers on his first day back at work. I lugged out my big, beautiful holiday cookbook and found several nice looking gingerbread recipes and off we went. I prepared the dough and let it hang out in the fridge overnight, then the next morning I rolled them and baked them. That way they would be fresh and yummy for everyone. Now although my son was at times a big help, I had to keep an eye on him like a hawk! He kept wanting to run his nose or lick his fingers, which the licking of the fingers thing isn't so bad if you are making the cookies to eat at home, but I figure the hubby's co-workers really don't need kid spit in their cookies (call me crazy)! I even had to throw away one entire portion of dough as the kiddo decided that he needed to sneeze all over it, UGH! He was relieved of his cookie cutting duties at that point and had to wait until decorating time. I wasn't really able to find a nice selection of candies for decorating, and I certainly was not about to pay $5 for a little thing of non-pareils, so we had to be satisfied with mini M&M's, Hershey Kissables, and red and green gumdrops. I made decorator frosting as well as the icing to pipe onto the cookies. This was my first attempt at ANY of that stuff. I'm not a frosting or icing kind of girl. In fact, as far as cookies go, I only make them if I can spoon them on the pan and be done with them! I applied all the frosting and icing and my son was in charge of candy and sprinkle application. And much to my surprise, they turned out cute, but most of all, the were REALLY tasty! The gingerbread was slightly crunchy on the outside, but beautifully soft on the inside and as much as I hate icing and frosting, when it is made from scratch, it is really quite tasty! So I guess we're hooked! I'm sure another batch will be made right before Christmas to share with family! Here are some photos of our little gingerbread masterpieces!

OK, what is up with the weather?!?

Sorry for my extended absence, I have been dealing with sick kids and now I seem to have picked it up myself... lucky me! I have been downing Airborne like it's going out of style, so at least it isn't really nasty. I hope it stays that way. I guess I should be glad, better to be sick now than over the holidays.

Anyway, on to more important things like the weather. What the hell is up with this Texas weather?? Last week it was in the upper 80's, in DECEMBER!!!! Then on Sunday, I dressed the family accordingly for warm weather and while we were out running errands the temperatures tanked and I walked out of Hancock Fabrics in my capri pants and t-shirt and my baby in her shorts and t-shirt to be hit in the face with freezing wind and a little bit of sleet! Holy crap, talk about unprepared! I didn't even have a little blankie in the car for her. Definitely not winning "Mother of the Year" after that! So, it's been really cold for two days, I had to bring in all my cacti and such but lo and behold, I get up and watch the forecast only to hear that it is a freakish 72* and we'll probably end up in the 80's by late afternoon, to be followed by a cold front which will knock our temps back into the low 50's tomorrow. No wonder I'm sick! All these drastic changes in temperature and humidity, my poor little bod just can't keep up with it all. Do we turn the heater on or the air conditioning, do I put the baby in her polar fleece jammies or her light cotton jammies, do we pull out the down comforters or just leave the quilts on the bed? It's too much, my brain hurts as well as my throat! Just give me some damn winter weather so I can at least have some sort of consistency!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Not AGAIN!!!

As you probably read before, my little girly took a tumble and conked her head last week, which in turn caused her to barf all over my car! That took a good 3 hours to clean up and I had to tear her carseat apart and dig all around in the nooks and crannies to get it all off. It was AWFUL! But life returned to normal and we were all happy... UNTIL (dum, dum, DUM!) Sunday night when the boy went to bed and we heard a screech from his room. We rushed in to see what the problem was and he had puked all over himself and his bed! Not again!!! Hubby grabbed him up and took him into the bathroom to get him cleaned up, and I was left to get the bed changed out. Honestly, I don't know what is worse, carefully pulling off barfy sheets trying to make sure it doesn't hit the carpet or having to clean puke out of a kid's hair?!? Either way, we both had dirty jobs to contend with! I swear, if I have to clean up another round of kid barf this week, I'm gonna freak the hell out! Oh well, I suppose I should be thankful that it was puke and not diarrhea! Yuck!

So for those of you out there thinking of having children I would like to pass on some words of wisdom, if you have a weak stomach don't do it! Kids are not in control of their bodily functions for a VERY long time. YOU, my friend, will be forced to pick up and cuddle the crying child who has just heaved an entire bowl of vegetable soup all over his pajamas. It is you who will try desperately to get a diaper full of diarrhea off without getting it on the carpet or YOURSELF! It is you who will be cleaning toilet seats, mats and floors because your little man just doesn't have the aim you might hope for. And let's not forget trying to get the poop-covered onesie off the kicking, screaming infant in a mall bathroom and realizing you don't have another change of clothing for her or you! It is year after year of being way more familiar with another human's pee, poop and puke! I mean seriously, I worked at a children's hospital for 3 years and the stuff I cleaned up there PALES in comparison to the stuff I've had to deal with at home with my own kids!! At least hospitals are meant for that kind of mess. Linoleum floors, plastic paneling on the walls, plastic covering on all the beds, not to mention the fact that if you need to clean up a mess you are provided with all the high-tech stuff to do it with the highest level of efficiency and lowest level of exposure to yourself. If I had rubber gloves, masks, goggles, surgical gowns and shoe covers, all this puking may not bother me so bad! But as of yet, I don't have a Haz-Mat kit, so I am reduced to rags, paper towels and a washing machine that most likely hates me! I swear, the things you do for the little farts that you love!

Sunday, December 02, 2007

White Elephant #1... the day after!

Went to our first White Elephant party last night, it was great fun! Nice to see friends we hadn't seen in awhile. I made some lovely lemon butter cookies to share and was pleased to find that our friend Mitch, who we knew from NM brought a batch of fresh posole and handmade tamales. The posole was SO hot and SO awesome! All hail to Mitch!

It was a big party this year, over 50 people in an 800 sq. ft. house! But we jammed in there and enjoyed the festivities. It definitely seemed that this was "The Year of the Penis"! I apologize in advance to my in-law's who might be reading this entry! The party definitely took a huge step toward the XXX this year. In years past there were always a few little "surprises" that made us all go, WHOA! But this year the presence of porn and sex toys was off the charts! Some of the offerings included a drinking game that you had to take shots from penis-shaped glasses, the "Dirty Sex" game (don't know how that one was played, but I assume it was crude!), someone got a naughty and nice gift that included a sexy white teddy in the "nice" bag, and a pair of approximately size 52 granny panties in the "naughty" bag, not to mention the kit to make a mold of your own shall we say "member". One of the big hits of the night was this funny little book called "Penis Pokey", it was a little board book with pictures that I suppose someone of the male persuasion is supposed to insert a certain piece of anatomy and it makes a picture (I'm sure you remember the little books you would stick your fingers through to make an elephant's nose or a giraffe's legs?). One of the pictures had a hotdog bun with relish and mustard... SOOOO funny and a little gross at the same time! However, I think the funniest gift I saw was opened by our host Paul, who just happens to be Hispanic, it was a box full of Taco Bell soft tacos! That was the funniest shit ever! Who in the hell would have thought to box and WRAP a 12 pack of tacos!?! I ended up with a plain brown bag that had "HO, HO Bitch!" on the front and "Jesus Hates You!" on the back and inside was some sort of SpongeBob clock, a package of blank cassette tapes, a South Park Mr. Hanky VHS tape and a rubber shark. All in all, a much better gift than the box of half-eaten candy canes I got a couple of years ago!

Anyway, just sheer silliness and perversion and it was a good laugh and a good time! I always look forward to this party every year and I'm glad I was able to go! Now I have to get thinking for my "PG-13" party for next week!

Friday, November 30, 2007

On the matter of white elephants...

Hubby and I have a White Elephant party to attend tomorrow night, then I have another to attend the next week. The one on Saturday will most likely be more fun as it is with close friends and the gifts generally verge on the sick, twisted, bizarre and most definitley X-rated. The other one that I am attending is with my other homeschooler moms and that one tends to hang in the PG-13 to possible R rating. There are a few moms, myself included, that I think would enjoy a party that was a little more, shall we say, risque? But then there are those one or two uptight, pious girls that would definitely raise an eyebrow or two and possibly get offended, and being that this party is offered to our entire group, we have to make sure no one feels uncomfortable. BORING!

Either way, I seem to be at a loss for gift ideas. My first White Elephant party, I took one of those Billy the Bigmouth Bass things, you know... the seemingly taxidermied fish that would turn it's head and sing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" if someone walked by? That thing was a HUGE hit, people fought over that one! However, I seem to remember coming home with a box of half-eaten candy canes for my gift. :-( Then last year, I managed to find this book my aunt had sent me called, "Living With Irritable Bowel Syndrome" an odd choice of books since I personally don't suffer from IBS, but what the hell, pair that book up with Fleet Enema and you have a GREAT White Elephant gift! But this year my mind is blank! More so for the R-rated one, it is hard for me to think IN the box. I am much more creative in the area of crudeness and perversion! I know, sad, but true. So I will spend the day, searching my closet and the garage, looking for that perfect White Elephant gift. Maybe I should go reclaim that old toilet I have out for the bulk trash, I think I have a box big enough to fit it! Any suggestions?!?!

Ready for Santa!




Our family tradition is to trim the tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I don't really know why, other than it just seems like an opportune time to do it! My son ADORES trimming the tree! Each year I wrap the ornaments individually so he has almost "mini presents" to open. He gets all excited looking for the dinosaurs or the pickle (yes, we have very eclectic ornaments, an alligator with a feather boa and high-heeled shoes, the flying armadillo with ski poles, the infamous pickle, whales, dinos, hippos, a ceramic possum with a 2" tail, VERY FUN stuff!) After an evening of hard work and a little frustration (we were missing part of the tree, but we eventually found it, yea!), we have the tree decorated! We actually got new stockings this year as the baby didn't have a very good one from last year and two of our other three started falling apart. But the new stockings are now hung from the chimney with care! I love the holidays! Well, I should re-phrase that, I love the holidays in my home, I hate the holidays out in the real world. People are mean and irritable around the holidays! But here at home, the house is warm and cheery, the kiddos have that air of excitement, looking forward to Santa's visit, it's a wonderful thing! Now I just have to try to do all my shopping online so I can avoid the general public, haha! This year my husband promised my son that they would hang lights outside as well. I'll be sure to post a picture of that. It will be the first time we have EVER done outdoor lights, should be exciting!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Daredevil baby and a trip to the ER!

My little girl is a daredevil in the making. She is afraid of nothing! Her brother has always been a very cautious child, in fact he is just now getting to the point where you can really push him on the swing. But this little girl is into EVERYTHING, she wants to climb on the furniture, climb up the stairs, try all the playground equipment and she isn't even 18 months old yet! She's going to be the one to ride all the roller coasters with her Nana!

Anyway, Monday afternoon we were getting ready to go grocery shopping and all that fun stuff. I was in here checking our bank account when I heard the loudest thump followed by that breathless scream, when a baby can't seem to get the noise out because they are SO distressed. I raced in to see what had happened and from what I can gather (big brother witnessed a portion of it) she had decided to get on the couch, climb up on the armrest and was teetering around trying to climb up on the back of the couch! During this maneuver, I guess she slipped, lost her balance and fell face-first onto the hardwoods. I grabbed her up and hugged and kissed and did all those motherly comforting things, while trying to assess the damage. It really didn't look that bad and she calmed down after a few minutes. So we proceeded on our merry way. As I pulled into the parking lot, she let out a scream and in short order barfed ALL over herself and my car! Then she continued to cry and she kept leaning her head back and closing her eyes like she really wanted to sleep. Well, I've always heard that head trauma, followed by vomiting is NOT a good thing. So I booked it back home to get her some clean clothes and had the doctor on the phone preparing them for my imminent arrival. The hubby met me at the doctor's office and she was examined and then we were sent to the ER at the new children's hospital for a CT scan. Needless to say I am becoming more and more worried and the thought of having to wait in the ER with all the sick, snotty, little kids is NOT sounding like fun. We arrive and get checked in and sit in the waiting room forever, then we get beckoned by a nurse who shows us into our private little room for us to wait... FOREVER! Finally about 1 1/2 hours into it, the doctor comes in to examine her and says we need to have a CT scan done (I'm thinking I've already heard this and what is the damn hold-up!). So he leaves and get this, we wait. And wait. And still more waiting. At this point the hubby and our son have seen almost every inch of the hospital corridors, visited the gift shop and the snack bar.

Anyway, they FINALLY come in to get her for the scan. One parent was allowed to accompany her to the scan. So I opted to go, in hindsite, maybe not the best thing for me to do. We went into the room and the technician takes her lays her on this table thing and wraps her in a blanket SO tightly and then straps her down with these big straps. Then to add insult to injury, he shoves her little head into this headrest thing, shoves pads next to the sides of her head and cranks a strap down over her forehead (that's where she hit the floor and I'm sure this was painful). Now I know they have to keep her still for the procedure, my brain knows this, but my heart and soul are just breaking. She is terrified and crying and I'm trying to comfort her in any way I can, which was futile. She just kept yelling, "MOMMY, MOMMY, MOMMY!" I kept telling her she was OK, with tears streaming down my face and this is all before the stupid scan even starts! So next the little table starts to move and her head gets shoved through this giant donut-looking thing, all these weird noises start and then she really freaks! I wanted so badly to just rip all that shit off of her and grab her and run out the door, never to return! Seriously, I should have let my hubby deal with this! I am WAY too emotional and like I've stated before, my mother bear instinct is quite honed and I feel the need to harm people when they make my children scream like that (I guess it's a good thing the technician was a pretty big, burly guy that could probably have taken me out!).

We were then escorted back to the room for another hour of waiting to find out that the scan was clear and she was OK, well, by medical standards OK, she was pretty banged up and still throwing up and not a happy girl at all, regardless of how good her scan looked. He said that they would come in and give a dose of Tylenol and get us checked out. I was glad for that as the baby and I were both covered in barf and smelling really bad! So dinner and a bath sounded nice to me. I sent hubby and the boy out the the lobby and waited for our release. I sat there another HOUR and finally got pissed and went to the nurse's station to tell them never mind about the stinkin' Tylenol, I had some at home, just bring me our release papers so I could go home and get out of these puke-covered clothes! They looked shocked, I don't know if it was from them being surprised I was still there, or that I had the gall to come and bitch, either way, I had may papers 5 minutes later and was out the door to go pay.

We made it home, although she did barf in the car one last time, for good measure I suppose. I took her and bathed her, put her in some jammies and handed her off to her daddy. I then informed him that I was off to take a bath and decompress a bit. I was still recovering my adrenaline rush and was so tired from all the waiting and worrying that I needed to go soak, read a bit and try to get myself back to somewhat normal again. While soaking it occurred to me how frustrating life must be for people who have chronically ill children. If I had to deal with doctors and hospitals frequently I believe it would absolutely suck the life right out of me. You are at the mercy of the system when you are there. You will wait as long as they want you to wait, they will leave you to worry with a sick or hurt child, trying to comfort them in a cold and unfamiliar place. It's awful! I hope my children continue to be healthy and hopefully my little daredevil will take away a lesson from her incident, that maybe standing on the arm of the couch isn't such a cool thing after all! She is doing fine now, except for the bruising which is now creeping down her forehead and into her eyes. She's most likely going to end up with a shiner or two, UGH! But she is happy and doing all the things she normally does, so at least she seems no worse for the wear... wish I could say the same, I'm sure I have at least 20 more gray hairs!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

A moment of joy...

The hubby was out with old friends Saturday night, I was home with the Monkey Bunch. I put the Wiglet down in her room and then her big brother and I crawled into my bed as it was cold in the house and I didn't see the need to sleep in the cold alone, especially when there is a perfectly nice little boy to snuggle with. Around midnight I heard the girly wake up screaming. I gave it a minute as she usually comforts herself and goes back to sleep, but that didn't happen. So I jumped up and got her and brought her to bed. She immediately asked for her Daddy (which she usually does when she's distressed, Daddy rules!), I said Daddy was out and in her sleepy, little voice she said, "Mmmmm, Daddy... Hi Mommy." This continued for a bit, until she finally talked herself to sleep, nestled up next to me. And as much as I tried to go back to sleep I couldn't. I was just so happy to have her there, all snuggly and smelling like lavender shampoo, making little sighing, sleepy noises in her little pink footed jammies. It was just so sweet I could hardly bear it! This lasted for about an hour or so, then she stirred and realized her brother was in bed with us and she got up, all sleepy and wobbly and tried to go lay on him. So I had to return her to her own bed, where her blankie and her bear-bear were waiting for her. I could have laid there all night, just treasuring her and wishing for the times when she slept with us every night. But at least I got that little bit of snuggle-time, that moment of joy having her with me and feeling that everything else in the world matters not because two of the most important things in my life were right there in my bed, safe, sound and content. Actually I should say three things, because the dog was on the bed too!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Difficult decisions postponed.

So how's this for weird, I was pondering the euthanasia of my old kitty cat. She really has been in alot of pain the last few months and I just couldn't justify letting her suffer anymore. I had decided that I would probably take her to the vet, for one last review of the circumstances, let them know the pain meds they prescribed weren't at all working (and they were even morphine based!). Anyway, while hanging out with her, watching TV the other night I just was messing with her feet when I realized that two of her claws had grown very thick and had curled under and were starting to grow into the pads of her feet! In all my years I have NEVER seen a cat's claws do that. Needless to say I called the vet first thing the next morning (mostly since Miriam tried to disembowel me when I tried to cut them myself!) I decided to take advantage of this to really discuss her pain and what my options were and that I was debating euthanasia if I couldn't get her pain under control. I should also mention that the morphine based meds were $26 a week, which was a bit out of my budget. Not that I wouldn't put myself in the poorhouse for my pets, BUT, when you have 2 kids to feed and gas and milk both over $3 a gallon, that med was cutting into grocery money! ANYWAY, they took care of the claws, luckily they hadn't cut through the pads yet, but they were still uncomfortable, which is probably why she has been limping more lately. (This makes me feel like a shmuck by the way, that I didn't notice this sooner!) Afterwards I discussed the pain situation and the solution was for me to try two new meds, one is called Metacam which is more for joint and bone pain and then Gabapentin which is more for neurological pain. Luckily, because they both had to be diluted and dosages are small, both meds together are a quarter of the price of the morphine! I can afford $40 every 3 months! I am waiting for the gabapentin as it had to be special ordered through a pharmacy, but we started the Metacam and call me crazy, but I think the grumpy, little, tabby is feeling better! She has been more bright-eyed, she has actively sought me out for petting and I have heard her purr for the first time in MONTHS!!! She is still having twitches and weird neuro stuff, but I'm hoping the gabapentin will help with that. I am optimistic! Don't get me wrong, I know my kitty-girl still has cancer, I know that it will metastasize as I refuse to amputate her leg, hell for all I know it already has, and I also know that my time with her is limited. But at least I can say that for the time being, her time with me is no longer a miserable existence. I think the meds are helping dramatically and if I can keep her comfortable until her time comes, that is all I can ask for. At least now, she'll hopefully be comfortable enough to enjoy the love we have to give her! I'm happy today!

Friday, November 16, 2007

I'm kind of annoyed.

Several years ago I had photos done two weeks before I gave birth to my son, then I did another session two weeks after he was born. They are absolutely gorgeous photos, artistic and timeless and I love them! They would not sell us proofs and the portraits were EXTREMELY expensive. The only reason I was able to get the ones I did is because my very generous in-laws paid for them. I got as many as I could. But now, almost 6 years later, I have been thinking of all the ones I couldn't afford and I want them! I don't need 11 X 14's or even 8 X 10's, I just want small, proof size 4 X 6's or something. So I could at least have a scrapbook or something. I had these done while we still lived in Oregon, but I got onto their website and contacted them, wanting to know what my options were, or if they even had my photos any longer. They wrote back and said they will not do online viewing and my only option is to come in to view them and then pay $149 a piece for 5 X 7's. Well first of all, it's not like I can just drop into their studio next week, I live in Texas! And I don't need 5 X7's, mostly since I absolutely cannot afford $149 a pop! So I am just basically screwed! They have a little drawer with photos of me, my son and my husband, at a very special time in our lives, but can I get them? No, so sorry! And I realize that this is how most photographers work, but it still doesn't make it any better. My memories are sitting in a drawer doing no one any good. And although the photos are of ME and MY child, I still have absolutely no claim to them. But I can tell you something... I am considering doing some freelance photography and I have about decided that I will offer people 2 choices, they can either pay a lower sitting fee and buy prints from me, OR they can pay a higher fee and get a disk of their photos that they own. I think it's time for photographers to start allowing people to have ALL of their memories, not just the ones they could afford at the time. I think I would keep copies of the photos (or at least a CD) in case someone ever lost the disk or photos in a fire. It would be nice to be able to provide them with their memories again. Anyway, just thoughts, while I'm sitting here pissed off because MY photos are basically lost and I have no recourse save flying to Oregon and paying thousands of dollars to get them.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Seriously, can we just leave Santa alone????

OK, I read two reports today on Yahoo News and I all I could think of was... seriously?? The first report states that Santas in Sydney, Australia are being told not to say "Ho, Ho, Ho!" because it might be considered offensive to women! What?!? You've got to be freakin' kidding me! First of all, I thought it was the Americans that were so uptight they could suck bricks out of walls with their asses, not the Aussies. And secondly, since when is "Ho, Ho, Ho!" offensive to women? OK, I understand that "ho" is used in the US as a slang term for "whore" but what in the hell does that have ANYTHING to do with the greeting from Santa? I mean if you are someone that is going to be incensed by Santa's jolly greeting, then you are way too sensitive and should just stay home and cry in your wee, little pillow because you are pathetic! Besides, the greeting is meant for the children, and if you have done your job right as a parent your kid would never catch on that "ho" means anything but a merry laugh from a fat man in a red suit!

Which brings me to my second beef of the day... they are now saying that Santa needs to slim down because he isn't a good role model for healthy eating habits for children! We're talking about Santa Claus, for cryin' out loud, an imaginary man that lives in the North Pole and delivers toys to children all over the Earth in one night. Do you think the kids give one hairy rat's ass about the fact that Santa is fat? Do you think they look at him and say, "Wow, look at that fat bastard, I think I'll go tank down 3 Big Mac's, a super-size fry and a 44 oz coke!" I'm sorry, but I don't think Santa is the cause of our childhood obesity problem, I think it is fast-food, video games, processed junk food, sedentary lifestyle and restaurants over serving their patrons! And besides, you've got to give the jolly fat man a break, I mean think about it, he lives in the North Pole right? It's cold as a witch's titty up there, right? Well if I'm not mistaken, animals that have evolved in the cold Arctic regions have an extra layer of fat known as blubber. So it's alright if the seals and the whales are fat, but not Santa? I think this is a double standard! So what of the "Mall Santa"? I say keep him as plump and fluffy as possible. I figure the more padding the better, after all, if my kids are gonna sit in a strange man's lap, I want as much padding as possible between MY kids and HIS pokey parts! That's all I'm sayin'!

So everyone just needs to lay off of "Ol Santa Claus! Let him "Ho, Ho, Ho!" Let him have a belly like a bowlful of jelly! We don't want no stinkin' skinny, pipecleaner looking Santa! Let him be plump, rosy-cheeked and merry. He is an character or deity or icon (whatever you want to call him) that is around once a year for the joy and amusement of our children. So let's lighten up a bit and try for once just to enjoy something for what it is. No need to over-think this, in fact I'm personally quite surprised that anyone has the time to even give a shit! I mean really what is more important, making Santa skinny and PC or making sure that the children that love him have good, healthy food, clean water, an education and affordable, accessible health care?

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Difficult decisions.

It is happening again, I am being faced with one of the most difficult decisions of my life. My 16 y.o. cat, Miriam, is not doing well. She was diagnosed with cancer last year and underwent surgery to remove a large mass from her back foot. They ended up having to amputate one of her toes in order to get a good margin. I was told the cancer was aggressive and although they felt confident that they got a good margin, there was still possibility of re-growth. After the surgery, things just seemed to start going downhill quickly. Her temperament is not the same, it almost seems as though she is suffering from some form of dementia or senility. It didn't take long for the cancer to start re-growing, and this time it is obviously having neurological effects. Her back has strange spasms, her feet wig out for no apparent reason and it is obvious that when I touch her, it just causes all sorts of neurological distress. She can be sound asleep and start growling then wake up suddenly and start attacking her affected foot! It is scary to watch, and she attacks it with such vigor and tears it up and makes it bleed. It breaks my heart! She is still eating, drinking and using the litter box, so as far as I know, her internal functions are normal, but she just seems miserable and in pain constantly. She wants to be near, but you can't pet her as it causes pain and irritation, she yowls in the night. The vets gave me pain meds, but they don't seem to work. Surgery is not an option as amputation of the entire leg would be the next step and I just don't feel that kind of surgery is fair to a 16 y.o. cat. If this were happening when she was 4 it would be another story. But at this point, we have no idea how much the cancer has metastasized. It may be that it has metastasized into other areas and this is why she has the nervous ticks and strange neurological symptoms. Bottom line... she is in obvious pain every day. She limps through the house, she doesn't enjoy affection any longer and does what she can to stay hidden away. I occasionally get a moment with her, where she seems alright, but it is usually short-lived. The petting and purring quickly become hissing and growling.

Making the decision to euthanize an animal is the WORST thing I have ever had to do. I have had to do this twice already over the last 3 or so years and both times SUCKED. How do you look into the eyes of a beloved friend and allow someone to take their life? But on the other hand, how can you allow that beloved friend to suffer through a horrible existence? I have had pets all my life, so death is nothing new to me. I have had to euthanize various critters, rats, ferrets and recently my 21 y.o. cat and my 15 y.o. dog. Every incident was horrible and left me questioning if I did the right thing. Did I jump the gun? Did I wait too long? Would they have made the choice if they were in my shoes? Would I have wanted to be euthanized if I had been in their position? And I know as a humans, we have a tendency to project our emotions and feelings onto our animals. We have an innate fear of death, so therefore we assume that our animals do to. But is that the case? I highly doubt they fear death as we do because they don't have anxiety and fear over the unknown, they are most likely not as aware of death as they tend to live in the moment. Do they even realize that they could be dead next week? They don't have things to accomplish or get in order before they die. It happens when it happens. Does this make my decision any easier? I'm afraid not. I am so used to this furniture-scratching, hairball-hacking, grumpy, little tabby that it is hard for me to imagine my life without her. And not only that, my son adores her. He doesn't yet understand her pain, and all he wants to do is love on her, which she tolerates with as much grace as she can muster. He will miss her so badly. He tells me all the time how much he loves his kitty and how he wants her to be with him forever. I'm sure he can't imagine life without her as she has been around all his life!

So here I sit, weighing my options. Trying not to project my human emotions and anxiety onto her. Trying to judge whether this is a good day for her or a bad day. Is her struggle to endure the pain too much? Is she still happy to be with us, or is she just tired and wanting to rest for good. I look at that sweet little face, with those big-green eyes, her trademark "M" on her forehead (hence the name Miriam), her fat, saggy, belly that is exactly the color of caramel and it absolutely kills me to think of life without her. Once she is gone, it will be the end of an era for me. All of the pets that came to me in high school and college will be gone. She is the last of the old mainstays in my life, besides my hubby and my mother! I don't want her to suffer, but I don't want to let her go either! There is almost nothing more wonderful than the love of an animal, nothing quite so unconditional, they don't expect you to "be" anything in particular, just a warm, kind body to snuggle with. It really is unfair that they have such short lifespans. Good friendships like this should be able to last a lifetime!

Monday, November 12, 2007

The Addiction


I have never spoken publicly about this. I tried to keep it quiet as I didn't want our family to be looked upon unfavorably. It seems as though my husband has a horrible addiction. He just can't seem to shake it and because of this addiction we are out at least $400 a month! The addiction seems to get worse about once a year and he just can't contain himself. He has a ruthless dealer that is always willing to make him a deal and he always makes it so easy for my hubby to indulge! I can't hide it anymore, he is absolutely, positively addicted to Honda Elements!!!

He bought his first one 3 years ago, a little silver number with black trim and a moonroof. He was hot for this little car. He spent so much time with it, he washed it faithfully, made sure it had full-coverage insurance, he fell hard for this one and then he started in the evil downward spiral. A year later, we were in need of refinancing, to hopefully get a better rate as we had to take on a car payment for me after the Jeep pooped out. When he went in to re-fi, his dealer (the evil man) sought my husband out and tempted him with a little Tango red hottie. He said he could take her home with no down payment and no change in the monthly payments, so what could hubby do? How could he resist such a thing? So he came home, much to my surprise and horror with this little red car! He assured me that this was it, he was happy and it would never happen again. A few weeks ago, he began obsessing over the new 2008 Element SC, the new colors, the side airbags, the carpeted floor, the center console. It was sick to hear him talk, seeing the lust in his eyes and the drool coming from the corner of his mouth, but he assured me he only wanted to look at one. Then it happened, he came home one evening and asked me to come out and look at the amazing sunset and instead of seeing a beautiful sunset, I saw a 2008 Rootbeer Element SC sitting in the driveway!! Now he swears there was no money down and payments will be the same, but nonetheless, it is obvious to me that he is sick! I may have to send him to Element re-hab, where they force him to drive 1990 model Ford Tauruses, so he'll be thankful for the one he has and NEVER have the urge to get another. But alas, that damn Honda corporation is going to continue making those damn cars cooler and cooler and he will see next year's model and have to have it! At which point I will have to club him in order to knock some sense into him! He is banned from new cars until they make one that is hybrid or runs on bio-diesel. Until then, I am thinking of sending him to Elements Anonymous, where he can hopefully learn from others that have been down this path! Please think good thoughts for our family!

Just out of curiosity...

So my kids have been sneezing all weekend, the allergens are way up. Anyway, I usually say "Gesundheit!" when they sneeze, but since I have several friends in the athiest community at this point, I was wondering what does an athiest say when a person sneezes? I know this is trivial as shit, but it was one of those things that popped into my brain yesterday and has been nagging at me ever since! I'll be looking forward to hearing the answer!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

A Perfect Moment

It's not often that I find myself in one of those perfect moments, the kind you wish you could take a photo of so you could remember it forever. I had one of those today, so I guess writing about it is the next best thing to getting a picture! I don't really know what about this moment was more memorable than any other, but I was in my rocking chair, nursing the baby and getting her ready for her nap. We were in the house alone, Daddy and big brother were off on an errand, so everything was quiet and peaceful. While nursing she actually fell asleep. Normally this isn't the case, I usually put her down while she's still awake and she goes to sleep on her own, but she was extra tired after a couple of hours playing in the leaf pile I made! There was something wonderful about watching her sleep since I so rarely get to see it. She has been sleeping in her own room for the last 10 months. It gave me the opportunity to really look at her, the curve of her little ear, the tiny pink veins of her eyelids, the reddish blonde eyebrows and the black lashes that are the only remnant of the black hair she was born with, the soft roundness of her sweet little cheek, her beautiful, pouty lips, the way her little nostrils flare slightly when she breathes out. Did I mention the dimple of her knees, her soft, pudgy legs, her perfect little toes, her little fingers that knead on my chest when she nurses? She is just sheer perfection from the top of her strawberry blonde head to the tip of those sweet, little toenails! So I just sat there with her, leaving all the other things I had to do for another time. I feel that to ignore a time like that is to completely lose touch with what life is all about. It's about those little moments. And when I am 93 years-old, I want the memory of that peaceful, precious baby sleeping at my breast, not the memory of the dishes I should have done instead.

Friday, November 09, 2007

So what's my real problem?

OK, the fence thing has me pissed, but to be honest, I think it was just a gateway to other things that piss me off. Why does the fence piss me off so bad? It's because it's just another thing about that backyard that is worthless. It is a flat, desolate piece of land with some funky mish-mosh of grass and weeds, with one puny and probably dying maple tree, an overgrown, ugly ligustrum bush, a hacked-up, dead vine (looked like a grape, but never produced fruit) and a hackberry tree that is right in the fence line, not to mention the cracked concrete slab of a porch that tends to grow more grass than the yard! It is nothing but a gigantic, fire ant infested, dog shitter! How inviting! Makes you want to rush right out and enjoy it, right? OK, so it's ugly and useless, is that what pisses me off? A little. But what really pisses me off is that I cannot let my children go out and play. They will either step in dog shit, get stung by fire ants or get fried in the sun! This whole scenario wouldn't be as annoying to me if I felt I could let my kiddos run around outside in front of the house. But the only way that is even feasible is if I am with them. Even though my son is almost 6, I cannot justify leaving him alone in front of the house. I hear of incidents all the time, in fact one was posted to my mom's group today, about people trying to get little kids into their cars or to leave with them. Now I've gone over stranger danger with my son, but he is so friendly and knows so many of our neighbors, I think he would have a hard time distinguishing between someone he knows and someone who would want to take him. I spent the majority of my childhood running around outdoors like a fiend! I was able to run down the street to a neighbor's house or play out in my driveway. My mom didn't have to hang out with me every second, so long as I stayed where I told her I'd be. But the climate has changed, it isn't safe to leave your youngsters outside alone. Not only that, but in a year or so, he will be of an obvious school age and although most of my closer neighbors know we homeschool, if he was running around out front during school hours, I'd end up with a visit from the local truancy officer, which I seriously don't need. So I am desperate to get this yard functional. Children NEED to be outside. Someplace where they are safe, but can explore and play and run amok. I hate having them cooped up in the house, and sometimes I HATE having to drive someplace in order to have a safe environment for them to play! Mostly since pretty soon gas is going to get so damn expensive that we're going to have to start walking everywhere! I really need to win the lotto!

On the fence...

So after my annoying ordeal with the fence company, I called and really bitched them out. I was transferred to a manager and she apologized profusely and basically begged for me to give them a second chance. So she set me up with a new rep who stated he would come to my house at 10am on Thursday. So he actually arrived at 9:45am with all the equipment necessary to give me a good estimate. He was a nice guy and I was thinking, hey, this might actually work out. So I got the quote this morning and almost pooped myself! I have 175 ft. of fence, the estimate for them to do the entire job was $3912, to have them come out and just set the posts and deliver the materials was $3745. So why is my labor worth so little when theirs is worth so much. So putting up the slats is only worth $167?!? That's less than a dollar a slat! Oh well, it seems as though my dream of a new fence and a decent backyard will once again be put on hold. I didn't even spend $3500 on my floors, why the hell would I pay that much for a fence? I guess we'll be having some sort of crazy fence building party in the spring. Maybe by then I can at least afford the materials and maybe my neighbors will help with the expenses. Doubtful, but who knows? Home-ownership is a bitch sometimes!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

What's it gonna take!

My neighbor's dog went ballistic a couple of weekends ago and damn near knocked our fence down trying to get to our dog. So at this point, we have a slat in the neighbor's yard that is, for the most part, holding that portion of fence up. Now I'll be the first to admit, the fence was already on shaky ground. It obviously is the original fence from when the house was built 14 years ago. Anyway, I called a local company to come and give me an estimate on the fence. This was Monday (a week and a half ago). When I called the guy on Monday, he stated that he would probably be able to make it out sometime before Friday. Gee, don't kill yourself getting over here, it's not like I have a vicious dog trying to eat my dog on a daily basis or anything! Friday came and around 4pm I called the company and was like, "Hello?!? Is anyone actually planning to come and give me a quote?" I got the run around, "it was one of those weeks, out of town, blah, blah, blah... but we'll have someone out there first thing Monday morning!" Again, thanks for going out of your way to help me in this situation where dogs are trying to kill each other constantly. Monday morning comes and goes, no estimate. Finally late, and I mean late Monday afternoon the guy shows up WITHOUT HIS MEASURING WHEEL!!! So he tells me he will eyeball it, but it will be a really rough estimate. What's the damn point?? You have someone come out to give you an estimate so you can make an educated decision, right? Well if the estimate is iffy, how can I make that judgement call? So anyway, he said he'd email that info to me first thing Tues. morning. Well, it's Wednesday morning and I have yet to see a thing from him. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna call and tell them to piss off.

I'm just really bummed because this was the only company that was willing to set the posts and hang the gate, but allow us to hang the boards, you know, save a little green. Well it's pretty obvious that they are just SO bombarded with work that my piddly little job isn't worth their time. It would be nice if they would just say so instead of wasting my damn time! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I see it everyday. The lack of customer service and workmanship that USED to be present in our country. It's really a sad thing. I remember a time in my life when the majority of business owners, especially locally owned Mom and Pop shops took real pride in their work and truly wanted to give good service and product. But that really seems to be the exception and not the rule these days. So, I plan to call them this morning, tell them to just never mind. I'll find someone else to come out and hopefully I won't get screwed by the next place I call. I tell you, it's a crapshoot these days! Why do you think we did most of the remodeling ourselves!

Monday, November 05, 2007

From the mouths of babes... (cont.)




Here are some photos of art my son painted today. He is very much into the solar system and the planets lately. Well, for some reason he decided to merge his love of planets with his love of fruit. So here is his collection. Picture number one, Mars With A Red Bell Pepper. Picture number two, Earth With A Green Apple Falling Onto Mars. And picture number three, (you're gonna love this, and I shit you not, this is what he said) "This is a picture of a banana falling out of Uranus!" Yeah, try to keep a straight face with that one!

Bloody time change!

It is just after 7 am, I have been up for at least a half hour now thanks to the stinkin' time change! I mean it's lighter outside, so better for my hubby, he hates having to get up before daylight, but not so great for me. I'm an 8 o' clock kind of girl! If it's before 8am, it is just sick and wrong! (One of the reason's I love homeschooling, I can't imagine being up and dressed and having kids out the door by 7:30am!) Now it's bad enough that my baby girl has been waking me the past few weeks at 7:30, but now with the time change it's even worse. And how do you tell a baby to go back to sleep, that it's an hour earlier than what she thinks. I even tried to keep her dead on schedule yesterday in accordance to the time change, so I put my over-tired blinking baby down for a nap an hour later than she's used to and did everything in the time frame we usually do, just an hour later hoping it would prime her for a good night's sleep. But no, 6:30am... crying. I ignored her for a bit, hoping she would just get tired and snooze a little more, unfortunately my girl is not one to give up. Persistent little bugger! So here I sit, 7:15 in the morning, red-eyed and over-tired cursing the stupid time change. Who's idea was this anyway?!?! I want to write a letter of complaint!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

And yet another novel idea...

So I told my hubby last night that I was thinking of starting to write a novel today for that Nano Wrimo thing. He seemed deeply concerned, wanting to know where I would get the time, obviously seeing how spread thin I am already. I had a somewhat sleepless night debating, should I or shouldn't I do this. And although I'm tired as shit today, I did wake up with a clear idea about things. He is absolutely right, I am spread so thin right now it's ridiculous. I don't have enough time to be writing this blog, much less a freakin' novel, YET I still have that urge to prove to myself I can accomplish something important. So, in lieu of writing the next great American novel in the next month, I am going to shoot for a goal that would actually benefit me. I started a cute little children's book about 2 years ago, nothing fancy, just cute and fun. I had a good start, then life kicked in and I never got back to it and that's a shame, I think it has potential to be really good. So... instead of writing a novel about nothing, my goal is to finish that book and start looking for an illustrator. THAT would truly make a difference in my life, accomplishing something that has real meaning and significance to ME. I will hopefully have plenty of time to write that novel years from now when children have left for college. Right now, anything that takes me away from teaching, playing and spending time with my kids had better be something I have vested interest in! Because these days of Spiderman and dinosaurs and invisibility cloaks and giggles and kisses and peek-a-boo are days that I will cherish for the rest of my life and missing even a moment just so I can say I wrote a stinkin' novel in a month, well, that's just crazy. But that little children's book, that is worth a little of my time, especially since it is being written for them! I will let do an update on the book situation on Nov. 30th to see if I reached my goal!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

The Novel

So I came across this site: www.nanowrimo.com It is a site where they challenge you in the month of November to write a 50,000 word novel. Now, the novels are not actually judged on content, but by word count, no one actually ever reads them. But I guess the whole point is to prove that you can accomplish anything if you set a deadline for yourself. I really would like to do it, but I just can't imagine being able to put in the 2-3 hours a day that I would probably need, mostly since it is the month before XMAS and I have 50 things looming in the home remodeling department before XMAS arrives. It may be fun to try though, and if nothing else, whether I made the 50K words or not, I would have at least gotten a pretty good start on something! Who knows, I may buck up and do it, just to prove I can! As the site says, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Spooky jack-o-lanterns!


Here are our jack-o-lanterns for this year! I get the biggest kick out of pumpkin carving. The one with the phantom belongs to my son (he picked out the stencil and Daddy carved it), the little one is my daughter's (it has 4 teeth on top and 2 teeth on bottom just like her, I carved that one), the one winking is my hubby's (he always has interesting jack-o-lanterns) and the evil, cat-eyed, toothy one is mine! We LOVE Halloween!

Friday, October 26, 2007

Trina's date!

So I did NOT get a chance to stop and get anything cute to wear, hell I got back from Marble Falls at 4pm, we were supposed to leave for Driftwood by 4:30pm, yikes! I did manage to rummage through the closet and find a decent skirt and blouse that I accessorized with one of my custom turquiose pieces from my grandfather and managed to look presentable. Traffic was horrific, it took us an hour and a half to get down there, but that was OK, time for hubby and I to chat a bit. Luckily the first hour was for drinks and appetizers, so missing the first half hour wasn't too bad. By the time we got there I was STARVING! All I had for lunch was about half an egg salad sandwich and a couple of chips as I had to kick in to "field trip director" mode. Anyway, I felt a little pathetic, here I was at a fancy cocktail hour and all I could think of was stalking the waitstaff with the appetizers!! There were some awesome little tidbits, my favorites being the goat cheese and herb stuffed puff pastries (holy shit!!!), little bite-size ciabbata sandwiches with prosciutto, fresh mozzerella and pesto sauce (served with a twig of fresh rosemary instead of a toothpick, what a cute and flavorful idea!) and mushroom caps stuffed with spicy brisket (I'm not usually a mushroom girl, but WOW those were good!).

For the actual meal we had a selection of three different types of steak, the best being a beef tenderloin with a light creamy sauce over it, a corn pudding made with grits (very tasty), a lovely pork stew with mushrooms and carrots served over rice, green peas and nice bread. And did I mention all the great wine? Restauranteur Damian Mandola has "retired" in Driftwood, but started a vineyard and I drank his Sangiovese all evening, tasty! That was actually the theme of the whole dinner, EVERYTHING was local. The wines were local, the olive oil for the bread is made out in Driftwood, even the beef was local. It seems as though Northern Hays county is about to become the Napa Valley of Central Texas. Pretty crazy. I finished off this lovely meal with a serving of carrot cake and a Bailey's and coffee (oh yeah!).

Anyway, it was just nice to get out of the house, visit with other adults and eat some lovely food. It doesn't happen that often, so I really savor it when it does! And thanks to the Pumpkin Farm visit, my kids were out for the count by 8:30, so easy babysitting in my house last night!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Better now.

Was feeling slighty unworthy and dull yesterday, but feeling lots better today. I hate when I get into those funks. I woke up this morning, knowing that I was taking my children to visit the pumpkin farm for a field trip, not to mention picking out our carving pumpkins! That has to make anyone feel good, right? Getting a gargantuan squash to stab, gut and generally maim? It is a beautiful sunny morning, the weather should be mild and to top it off, I get to leave my kids with a good friend tonight while I accompany my husband on a vineyard dinner down in Driftwood. That's right, you're not seeing things, I actually have a date with my hubby tonight!! Except I don't have a damn thing to wear! My closet is filled with jeans and jogging pants, not cute dresses! Hopefully I can make it back from the farm in time to stop someplace and pick up something cute! Either way though, I get to go have a nice dinner, drink lovely wine and be generally merry tonight... HOORAY for ME!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Trina's rant of the day...

What the hell is up with all the damn toy recalls?? I feel like I get recall notices on a weekly basis, most of them dealing with lead paint. WHY??? I'll tell you why, it is like I have said time and time again on many subjects, it's the almighty dollar! Distributors buy product from other countries that don't have the same safety standards because they can get the toys cheaper and then jack the prices up the wazoo and make a huge profit. Greedy bastards! I would think the recalls would be more expensive than actually buying and selling quality products, but I guess that isn't the case. After all, most people I know have just chunked the toy instead of being out the time and expense to send it back. So the company still makes money even if it's sold an unsafe, piece of shit toy! I am seriously considering telling every person I know that will buy my kids XMAS gifts to not buy ANYTHING with paint on it! Only natural wood and fibers please. But hell, I even had a set of soft fabric blocks recalled due to lead paint in the fabric! Buying toys is absolutely a game of roulette lately, a total crapshoot. OK, this looks fun, but will my baby die of lead poisoning playing with it, you know she can't keep anything out of her mouth because she's 16 months old and in the "taste-testing" stage of life. Good thing I have a table saw and a sewing machine, I may have to resort to making toys for the kids! I swear, do I have to do everything?? I can't trust the government to school them, I can't trust them to hold corporations to a higher standard to avoid lead paint and other dangers, shit, I might as well start making their clothes too and growing my own garden so I don't get E. coli poisoning from tainted spinach! Holy shit, I'm turning into a Quaker! Does that mean I have to give up the computer?

I think I have the blahs.

I finally had a chance to sit down and cruise around some blogs and although I LOVE reading everyone's stuff, it always makes me feel pretty pathetic! So many of you are so well-versed, you discuss important issues, you tantalize my brain and I just ramble on about my boring little life in Texas! Kids, Halloween decorations, costumes, remodeling, an occasional rant or rave. I really need to get out more! Tedium is taking over.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Decoration Desolation



Here are two photos, one of a happy, little yard, freshly decorated for Halloween, the next a photo of the wind destruction of my nice little display. UGH!

What 's a mother to do?

As most of you know, I have a 5 1/2 y.o. son. He is without a doubt the light of my life and in all honesty a really good kid. I am always getting compliments about how polite he is, how sweet and caring he is and of course what beautiful curly locks he has (he gets that from me!). But as we near the tender age of 6, I can tell there are some serious changes on the horizon. It is obvious that he is really beginning to see himself as a separate and free-thinking entity. Which in the general sense of things is good. I mean this is our job right? To raise our children to be healthy, cognitive beings that can navigate through the vast sea of crap we refer to as life. We hope we arm them well with strong values, humanity and a consciousness about the world around them. However, in order to accomplish this task, we have to let go, give up some of the control and holy shit... that's hard!

As of late, I find myself nagging at him. Nagging about stupid shit! You know, flushing the toilet after he poops, not taking toys away from his sister, not making horrible gagging sounds in the back seat, not swinging on the stair bannisters, not constantly trying to get his baby sister to say words like poop, butt, booby and pee-pee (I mean seriously, how many other words are in the English language for him to teach her, but NOOOO, he wants her to say poo-poo in the restaurant!) So I call him on these behaviors, but I call him on these things DAILY! Seriously, I have told this child and yelled at this child to "FLUSH THE TOILET WHEN YOU POOP" everyday since he learned how to use the potty at age 3! He is 5 1/2 now that is over 2 years, so I have re-iterated this rule at least 912 times!!!! What is it in the 5 y.o. brain that makes it impossible to remember these simple things? I mean he can remember what he did 2 years ago at Balloon Fiesta in ABQ, or what he did at Nana's shop 4 visits ago, but he CANNOT for the life of him remember to flush the pot! So I am starting to feel like one of those nagging mothers you see at the grocery store constantly bitching at her kids. I desperately don't want to be THAT mother! But then again, what happens if I neglect to call him on these things? Will he lose his respect for me, will he feel that if he does something long enough, I'll just finally cave and he'll get his way regardless? I know I may sound like a Nazi, but I do not cut that kid slack. I'm not a terribly strict parent, but I do believe that there are certain rules that make co-habitating with your family easier and you must follow them, not to mention rules of conduct when engaging in life outside the home. And when he doesn't abide by these there are consequences. His sister will be held to the same standards. But I do hate being that naggy, bitchy mom. I want my kids to remember me as someone they had fun with, not someone that bitched at them all the time. So, I'm at a loss. Do I ease up and accept the fact that this is the beginning of him becoming an individual being with thoughts and feelings of his own, or do I stay diligent and work to make sure he follows through with direction and understands consequences? I'm just really not sure what the happy medium is here.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Bad Ass Boots



As you all probably know, I attended the Boot and Saddle Maker's Convention in Wichita Falls, TX with my mother. It was nice, not really what I was expecting. I guess I had high hopes of hearing tales about my grandfather. I had many people tell me what a good man he was and what an amazing bootmaker he was, but to be honest, I already knew all that. I was happy that my mother was able to take me and the kids around and introduce us to her colleagues. I know how important it is for a grandparent to get the chance to show off those grandbabies! My son and I both donned our awesome boots and he was more than happy to hike up his pant leg to give folks a better look at the craftsmanship! He was very proud to tell people that his Grammy made them for him! Lucky kid, I don't know alot of 5 year-olds with custom made boots! Anyway, when I got home, I was inspired to get my boot collection out and take a couple of photos. Some of the boots were made by my grandfather... The Master, and others were made by my mother whose artistic take on boots is second to none. The first photo is my collection of boots, the second photo is my son's collection. Pretty impressive, right? Over the years I have always loved my boots, but I have to admit, after being at the convention and seeing the work of other bootmakers, it makes me proud that my boots were handmade with love by my mom and granddad and they are truly the best!

Monday, October 15, 2007

Well, that's one off my list!


So all of my life I have wanted to go to Scotland, it is one of my top 5 things to do in life. My ancestors were Scots, so you know, one of those things that I want to see before I die. But who knew I would get to cross this off so soon?!? As it turns out, on my way to Wichita Falls, TX I was able to drive through Scotland and I've got a picture to prove it! So my life is that much closer to being complete! ;-) I have to admit, I think Scotland is a little over-rated! Hee-hee! I guess that is one of the great things about Texas, you can stay in the state, yet go all over the world. We have Scotland, Paris, and London just to name a couple. I'll have to make the effort to go see them as well!

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

On the road again...

Since I was unable to take the kids to Balloon Fiesta, I will be lugging the terrible two up to Wichita Falls, TX to visit my mother while she attends the 2007 Boot and Saddlemakers Convention. I have never attended, but my mother and my grandfather (when he was still alive) attended it every year. It should be interesting. If nothing else, I bet I get regaled with tales of my grandfather, and there is something special about that. I always find it interesting to hear about other people's experiences with him. He was a very well-loved man that was well respected for his craft. So I will be donning my hand-made, inlaid cowboy boots most of the weekend, my little man will be donning his as well, and the baby, well, she isn't really wearing shoes yet. Not really looking forward to the drive up there, it's 4-ish hours, but that is better than the 13 hours it would have taken to get to Albuquerque! Besides, I worked out a better route, it's the backroads, but I prefer to travel the mother roads anyway. Freeways are overrated, they cut through the landscape and you have to drive so fast and furious you are never able to pay attention to your surroundings. So I'll take the less traveled route and enjoy the countryside. Who knows, maybe I'll even snap a few shots. Who cares if my camera is missing some of it's pixels? I'm sure I'll have loads to blog about when I get back!

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Why is it always me?

While out in the driveway, unloading some stuff for an upcoming garage sale, I heard a faint and high-pitched mew from the other side of my car. I walked around and here is this adorable little cat. My friend and I say, "Well hello, what are you doing here?" At which time she comes slinking up, rubbing up against our ankles and being sweet as can be. I lean to pet her and notice that she has full teets, so obviously there are kittens somewhere. However, she is so skinny and I can't bear it. She may be another species, but she is a mother and I can't turn my back on a mother in need. I went inside and popped open a can of tuna and mixed it with some dry cat food. I took it outside and that little girl tore into that food like she hadn't eaten in days! She was SO ravenous that during her meal she spied a dragonfly buzzing by and stopped eating long enough to leap on and immediately eat the dragonfly and then returned to her tuna and cat food. I let her eat and went back inside, hoping that she would get a full belly and make her way back to her kittens. Yeah, no such luck, she has been sleeping like a log in our flowerbed all afternoon and she partook of some more dry food when I took it out for her. I am worried about the babies. Are they around here in bushes somewhere, are they in someone's house and she just got lost while hunting dragonflies, or did she and babies get booted and the babies didn't make it. So I am at a impasse. I can't fetch her up and take her to the humane society and risk the lives of the babies, but I worry about her roaming the streets, there are coyotes in our area and cars. So, I guess I just sit and wait. Maybe she will get a full tummy and some much needed rest and make her way back home tonight. I can only hope. Or if she needs help, I hope she feels fed and comfortable enough here to go get them this evening and bring them here, then I can take them all to the humane society. It just sucks, all stray animals within like a 5 mile radius seem to gravitate to where I am, they must know that I can't overlook them, I just don't have the heart. Some psychic or karmic vibe that I send out letting all little animals in dire straits know that I am a big, fat, sucker! I'll keep everyone posted this latest saga!

Monday, October 01, 2007

From the mouths of babes, 3.

In an effort to save time, I had my son in the shower with me this morning. Unfortunately, he had a slight case of flatulence, which is NOT something one would hope for when having to share a small cramped spot with him, UGH! Anyway, while trying to wash the shampoo out of his hair, as quickly as possible, I might add, he leaned back and said that he really didn't enjoy the "stinkness" that was in the shower. I highly agreed! And then he asked, "Why do pooters make such a stench?" Time to find and record that episode of Mythbusters! Maybe they can answer that question better than I can!?!

No more essay questions ALLOWED in school!

I received an email from my FIL over the weekend discussing a recent development in the small town that he lives in. Turns out that awhile back there was a history test, I think, or social studies test that several football players failed. This caused many of these football players to be ineligible to play ball. To be honest, I'm not sure if it was for that Friday's game or for the rest of the quarter. Regardless, since this small town is centered around it's high school sports, especially football (Friday Night Lights, baby!) this caused a HUGE uproar. As it turns out, the school decided to launch an investigation. Cause we all know that if some of the jocks aren't passing classes, it can't be from lack of motivation or knowledge on their part. When the investigation was complete it was found that essay questions were the culprits that caused these boys to fail. So it was determined that the TEACHERS were not qualified to write and/or rate such questions on a test. Therefore, at this time, essay questions are NOT allowed on tests!

I don't know what is more outrageous, banning essay questions or stating that your teachers are not qualified to grade them!?!? I mean really if your teachers are NOT qualified to write and grade an essay question, then you hired the wrong teachers! But we all know, it isn't the teachers that are the problem, it's the system. This school depends on money raised by the sports department. If these boys don't play, they don't win games, the attendance goes down, and the head honchos get antsy. It is a sad state of affairs. What is an action like this saying to these kids? I'll tell you, it's saying that we don't care if you learn anything, we don't care if you can organize your thoughts into a decent paragraph, we don't care if you are competent enough to get a job after you graduate, all we care about is you winning football games. Now do these boys see it like this, highly doubtful, what they see is that no matter how bad their test scores are, or how little effort they put into their academics, they will still get a free ride because they can pass a ball and make a touchdown. And yet again, that lovely thing called entitlement, these boys will believe they are "entitled" to a great life because no one ever held them responsible for anything. And does it just affect just these players? No, in fact I am sure these guys are heroes in the high school because they got essay questions banned! Now all of the students can thrive for the same mediocrity, if you can even call it that. So hooray for the school board! Way to keep our kids competitive in the global market!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Spiderman, spiderman, does whatever a spider can...

My son got a Spiderman suit from his grandparents while we were on vacation. Now he has agreed that he doesn't want to be Spiderman for Halloween, he wants to be a robot (we're excited about that!) Anyway, since he received this suit he has been in it non-stop! I don't know why I bother to buy clothes for him as all he wants to wear is that silly suit. Now I'm thrilled that he enjoys the suit, and he is definitely getting his money's worth out of it, but for the love of PETE!!! For some reason when he is suited up, he is a PUNK! He does all sorts of crazy crap that he knows he shouldn't do. Climbing on the stair bannisters, jumping out of the window seat onto the couch or our bed, trying to climb walls, putting his feet on the walls and generally bouncing around and all over and up and down and rolling on the ground with a constant barrage of "tsseew, tseeew" noises accompanied by web-slinging wrist action. It is truly enough to drive you out of your mind! And of course all he is interested in talking about is Spiderman, Tarantula, Venom, Sandman, The Green Goblin, etc... Oh well, I'm sure this is just a phase, and I probably did the same sort of thing when I was 5, but holy cow, if he doesn't quit firing webs at me when I tell him to do something, his new super hero name is gonna be "Time-Out Boy"!

Shots!

It was my baby's 15-month check-up today and you guessed it... SHOTS! I LOATHE shot days. She got three shots and they stuck her finger to get blood. I could hear her screaming all the way in the waiting room, where I was trying my best to comfort my son who also got two shots! Lucky for him, this is it. Other than possible flu vaccines, he is done with boosters and whatnot until he's 11 or so. Anyway, I got to leave the doctor's office with two crying kids and an extreme desire to punch someone! I know vaccines are necessary, but that still doesn't keep me from wanting to pommel anyone who causes pain to my babies! I am lucky that my hubby comes to the shot appointments and he deals with the actual deed. I just deal with the comfort and hugs afterward. But shots still suck ASS!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Only in a dream...

As I was sleeping, a familiar soft, but raspy voice roused me, "Wake up Sleepy-head!" As I rolled over rubbing my eyes I see my grandfather smiling his crooked smile. He tells me to get out of bed that he's treating me to pancakes at the Tastee Freez. At this point I realize that this is a dream, the Tastee Freez hasn't been in business for years. I look at him, he is still small, bent over and frail, wearing his little tan over-suit (you know, the type that old guys wear when beetling around in the garage) but he looks happy. I turned and hugged him and whispered in his ear that I missed him so much, he hugged me back and said he missed me too. Then it was gone, just like that, the first time I've dreamed of him since his death almost 2 years ago. He was the only father that I ever really had and I guess I forget sometimes how much I miss him!

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Job Description

Looking for a mature female to fill a high-stress position.
Applicant must be willing to be work and be on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Must have the desire to work closely with small children. Must be able to manage time, money and children effectively. Skills in the culinary arts highly recommended (must be a master in the fine art of nutritional disguising). An eye for interior design and landscaping preferred. Must be fluent in anger management and conflict resolution. Must also be multi-lingual (able to differentiate between different pitch and frequency in crying, GooGoo-ish, Whine-ese, text messaging, and teen attitude-ese). It helps if you have a high tolerance for crying, whining, and complaining. Medical and Veterinary skills a plus. Must we willing to go days without showering. An ability to troubleshoot major appliances and household gadgets is required. Must have own car and be willing to travel extensive distances at all times of the day or night with small children, strollers and diaper bags in tow. Must be willing to put every other being in the workplace ahead of yourself.

Duties include:
Maid services, meal preparation, laundry services, activity and social coordinating, finance management, daycare, teaching, chauffer service, nursing care, veterinary care, lawn maintenance, project coordination, counseling services, product testing, early childhood development, coaching, refereeing, music appreciation, proofreading, vehicle maintenance, sanitation services, solid waste removal, other duties may be added as deemed necessary.

This position offers no insurance or monetary compensation whatsoever. You will not receive an hour lunch or two 15-min breaks for every 8 hours worked. There is no chance of promotion, however it is highly likely that you will gain more and more responsibilities at any given time. And although you will work 24-7, only others that hold the same position will understand the true meaning of this.

However, your days will be filled with hugs, tiny kisses, hi-fives, "I love you's", the smell of freshly shampooed baby hair, bedtime stories, toothless grins, excited giggles, and best of all, you'll be called "Mommy"!