Reaching Beyond Myself

Today I'm feeling uninspired to blog, but I figure I better work my writer's muscle before it atrophies.

So I was looking into all these "work at home" companies to become a "WAHM" and why is it that 99.99999% are all SCAMS??

Seriously, you would think that with the numerous amounts of people unemployed or stay-at-home moms who would like extra income. SOMEONE would come up with a legitimate business from home opportunity that doesn't cost your firstborn to buy into AND isn't telling you that you'll make $40,000 in your FIRST week!!

That's my rant for today......

In other news, my kids are sick and I'm convinced it's because we no longer live in Florida. We were RARELY sick, if ever, when we lived there. The only times we would get a sniffy was when all the northerners would come down with their winter colds. Now we are those people who would love to escape the dreary winter weather, BUT, we would be the germ carriers for all the true Floridians........ahh c'est la vie........such is life......

Yesterday we hear a *rap* *rap* rap* on our front door.
Who should appear?
The Culligan man
I secretly thanked God because I was just praying for another solution to drink instead of the sludge that comes from our faucet......

Since we had been seriously considering having a home water service (it's all the rave in Florida AND it's a healthier option than pop!!)
We signed up for the two week FREE trial period......
Can I say that I don't think I have ever tasted something sooooooo heavenly??
no joke!!
Can I also say that our 10 gallon jug is 1/2 gone!!
Yep that's right folks.....
I don't think I've peed this much since I was preggers!!!!
So thank God for the Culligan man :)
I've made a deal with the hubs. IF I drink water instead of any form of soda (I'm a HUGE coke one fan) He will sign us up for the service.......

H2O here we come........ :)

Labels: family life

After I posted the story about my son calling his male parts, peanuts. I must post the video, in which he answers with said answer.



My friend, rainydayinmay, got a kick out of the story. So I figured, she and, you will get a bigger kick out of this video.



Easter photos are still being collected and will be posted soon.



Until then..........Enjoy! :)

Labels: the beauty of children

Today is good Friday for those of you Jesus Followers..........



This is the first year that we aren't really doing much for Easter and it kinda feels nice.



I'm hoping to actually focus on the reason I celebrate Easter.



New life, hope, eternal life, forgiveness.....ya know the basics......



So from my family to yours.............HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!

So it's Thursday evening and Grey's Anatomy isn't back from their hiatus, so I blog.......

Today we ran A TON of errands, of which included looking at cars for moi.

Can I just say......... I HATE HATE HATE car shopping........UGH....hate it....

I just think there should be an easier way to do it.....I'm still thinking about creating a way to make this happen, who know maybe I'll be the next greatest American inventor....although I'm NOT holding my breath :0)

So as I listen to my hubs drum away at his guitar, I decided to highlight all of the fun details of my day, even though I was surrounded by car buying craziness.

• Hubs in on spring break, so I got to spend the entire day with him and son.....even though it was to car shop.
• I'm becoming better friends with my neighbor whom I just love :)
• I might get to go to a movie tomorrow with above mentioned neighbor.
• My son has yet to understand that his male genital is not called a peanut. (oh did I mention he tells complete strangers whenever he gets the chance that he's a boy because he has a peanut and his mom has a ghi-na....I want to hide under a rock during these moments, but giggle to myself when I think about them later.
• Today my daughter went to the grocery store with me (we stopped at a specialty grocery store ) and she said the cutest thing about the shopping carts. "Mom, these are unusually shaped shopping carts" I almost lost it.....so mature for a kindergartner.
• I got an unexpected email from a childhood friend who now, after 16-17 years, admitted to having a crush on me in high school......what can I say, it's kinda flattering for this saggy-30 something-mother of two :)
• and Finally......hubby is home early from work, so I get to chat with him and watch a movie...Hurray!!

Have a great night~

Labels: family life

Today's post is a departure from the March "List" post.

I'm rather troubled over a friend's situation and I'm unsure how (if at all) I should handle it.

So this post is an effort to somewhat vent and get some feedback from fellow believers.

Most of you know that my husband attends a Christian Bible College. He's one of the oldest guys on campus :) It's not uncommon for the "old fogies" to befriend each other.

During the first semester he befriended another "old guy", let's call him "Bob". Now Bob is in his mid-thirties, on his second marriage and is heavily involved in his church. Bob and his wife "Sue" are nice people, we know them on an acquatiance level. I've started becoming friends with "Sue".........OK so there's the history.......

The other day, my hubs and I were driving back from his school and he mentions that he's concerned that Bob is putting himself in a compromising situation with a young girl on campus, "Tina". I asked him to explain what he meant.

He continues to tell me that Bob stays very late on campus to study with this girl and they are inseparable. They have a lot of classes together and they eat and study together. Basically, my hubs said, where there is Bob there is Tina. Hmmmm, not good, in my opinion.

Yesterday, I picked my hubs up again and he told me he had a brief conversation with Bob about a beloved professor on campus. Bob responded with, "he and I are on the outs at the moment" Hmmmmm.

OK, that's odd, since this professor is considered the "cool" prof. He's in his 30s and a big hit at the school. Bob also mentions to my hubs that Tina stays at his house one day of the week because she is homesick........ which means that Bob's wife knows that at least they are friends and she is friends with this girl as well.

Soooooooooo, here's my and hubs assumption.
(it's only an assumption, we don't really know for sure ANYTHING at this point-remember all this info. I've gotten from my hubs. I haven't actually witnessed any of this)

Hubs thinks that this prof. possibly confronted Bob and this is the reason why Bob is mad at the prof. He also thinks that this "friendship" is extremely inappropriate.

When I asked him if they seem to flirt. His answer (now keep in mind my husband is quite oblivious to female flirting but was a BIG flirt in his day) is that yes, she, Tina acts all pouty and enticed by Bob and Bob responds accordingly.

Soooooooo, here's the question I am stuck with:
What, if anything, do I do?

Keep in mind, I've only been over to Bob and Sue's house a couple of times and have talked to Sue on the phone about 3 times. Do I stay out of it? Do I call Sue and ask what's up?

I would like to just stay out of it. BUT,

I think if it were my husband acting in such a way, staying on campus late to "study" with another girl, I WOULD MOST DEFINITELY WANT TO KNOW!!!!!!!!!!

What would you do if you were me?

Labels: life and input

My last post was a bit heavy, so I've decided today's list will be all the amazing places I would love to vacation (affordably) with our kids in 2008.

Of course, this is just a "dream" list.......but it never hurts to dream, right?




















ahhhh vacations......

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

If you are an America citizen, then you MUST take the time to educate yourself on each presidential hopeful and whom they associate with....Personally, I think it's telling of Barrack Obama's integrity, character and true nature when he's been SATURATED by these teachings for 20 YEARS!!!

Please if you are a voter, educate yourself!!!!






Take the time to view these videos and draw your own conclusions.

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

1. I get the WHOLE weekend with my daughter
2. This Friday we are going to see "Horton Hears A Who"
3. We get much needed play date time with our new friends
4. The house (usually) is clean-as well as laundry done.
5. I get to rent movies and snuggle in my quilt waiting for my man to get home.
6. I get much needed "down time"
7. It's a great start to the "PJ" weekend mode.
8. This Friday, we are looking at more houses.
9. It's bath night, which means clean kiddos :)
10. When the weather is lovely, we head to the park.
11. I usually bake some form of a goodie for the weekend.
12. I get much needed blogging time.

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

So yesterday was an all inclusive day of running around the town we are hoping to move to. We were searching through places to live and potential places to work. Needless to say, I didn't get to my blog list for #10, so today's post will include my TWO lists :)

• Hospitality of the people
• The blue skies EVEN on cold days
• Affordability of living here.
• Milder temperatures than Michigan, but still have the seasons
• Family-friendly atmosphere of the state
• Low unemployment rate.
• Wonderful people....truly amazing the kindness that people have toward others here.
• Lots of activities to do for the family (cheaply) on the weekends.
• Our amazing friends.
• Our wonderful church.
• Free college tuition.

11

MUST HAVES in a "kid bag" while dining out or meeting with a real estate agent....

• Blank paper-several sheets
• Different color pens, pencils or crayons.
• Dice
• Snacks of all variety.
• Wipes (for those occasional spills or messes)
• Play cars/trucks.
• Gum/candy IE: lollipop.
• Books.
• Deck of cards to practice numbers/counting.

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

I am utterly and completely drained.......seriously........drained........

We were out ALL day, which on any other day of the week would have been fine,

BUT......

My son decided he didn't want to sleep last night. So I was up battling with him until around midnight.......drained......like I said.......

Anyway......

Then, completely RANDOM, a girl who is a few years older than me and used to babysit my sister and I when we were in grade school........


called and left a message for me.

I am dreading the return phone call............

hmmmmm......

maybe that's why I have ANOTHER stinking migraine!!!!

This girl was so incredibly mean to me when I was about 9-14 that I mentally just shut those years out of my mind.....seriously, NO JOKE.

So this babysitter, we'll call her, "the scary one" aka: tso.

She was a product of a LARGE catholic upbringing....14 children in all,

TSO being the second oldest in line,didn't really find her niche in the family. So instead she became the community-wide babysitter.

Lucky me.....not!!!!!

When we rented her family's dilapidated old farm house next door, (which should have been condemned, but when your single mom is working a swing shift barely making ends meat, you don't what you have to to survive.) TSO became a semi-permanent fixture in my life in those years.


In the meantime, to give you a small taste of her demonic humor toward me.....

Some background.......I had a huge school girl crush on her brother.

Nothing out-of-the-ordinary, just a school girl crush. The kind that fairy tales are made of.
Focus here and get some perspective....it's important for the rest of the story...

This crush, was just that, a crush, not an arranged marriage, but you would have thought so the way that she ran her mouth. Thanks to her mouth and absolute sarcasm and hatred toward me, my silly school girl crush caused me to start questioning life, love, boys, trust, all of it. My self-worth and esteem were killed routinely during my formative years.

Fast forward, SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS.....and...the last time I spoke to her was in 2002, right after I gave birth to my daughter, just before I had brain surgery.

Now at this point, I had been happily married for 2 years (newlyweds still, if you will, very much in love with MY HUSBAND) and within the first 15 minutes of our conversation she's bringing up her brother to me AGAIN, in a teasing fashion, as if I'm 10 years old again and somehow haven't managed to get over the redneck from the back woods of Harbor Beach.......ugh what??!?!?!

Keep in mind people I haven't spoken to her since 1993 at this point.

HELLO, demented can we say??

So today's list is an ode to all the reasons why I have suppressed memories of these years of my life and WHY I WILL NEVER allow just anyone to babysit our children.

• She would lock me out of the house on several occasions, just because she thought it was funny.
• She would punch me, for no apparent reason, just because she thought she was funny.
• She would tell anyone who would listen that I had a huge crush on her brother...embarrassing at the age of 10.
• She would drive me somewhere and just leave me. (Keep in mind she was being paid to watch us)
• She would just, in general, make fun of me for ANYTHING, to anyone who would listen.
• Oh and my favorite, my cherished dog, whom I adored was hit by a tractor and she told me her brother did it because he hated me so much.....lovely, eh?

Ahhh, the list continues, but due to my gigantic migraine that I'm fighting I will leave it here and dedicate List #9 to my old, spiteful, horrific childhood babysitter, that I have to call back at some point......eeeeeeek!!!!!!!

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

1. His (scary and horrendous) stance on an act called, "Baby Born Alive Protection Act"


2. Global Poverty Act


3. His ties to Lester Crown/Maytag and Galesburg shutdown.


4. Michelle Obama's comment on 2.27.06 lines up with Louis Farrakhan.


5. During his senate career he skipped 17% of votes and only sponsored ONE bill to promote "relief, security and democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo"


6. Rezko


7. LaJunta, Colorado


8. The media's glorification of Obama has led to (in my opinion) to a slanted coverage of who he really is and what he really stands for.

Link sources:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/08/20020805-6.html

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080228_The_Elephant_in_the_Room__Obama__A_harsh_ideologue_hidden_by_a_feel-good_image.html

http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_aliv.htm


http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18647

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18647

http://rotenochsen.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/who-is-the-real-obama/

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1978074/posts

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7JzBJICnZO3hRNWNoS11fNbHtEOb3fMSGbK5N8mCkA6K843RLupQDC9n49dIlCsiEn7BvN2YEyVmEmX9Ud3bWwmQgIHHBKgoh0uzGNuC2PxhRw9KM-DvDP2AeoA9ZT0-vWHGTvsxQcc/s1600-h/untitled-11.jpg

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/8912.html

http://www.trueobamafacts.com/

http://www.freerepublic.com/

http://www.drudgereport.com/

Labels: nablopomo

• It builds anticipation for the warmer days of summer.
• It helps me overcome my winter blues.
• I love the smell of all the cleaning products.
• I feel like I've rid my house of the flu bug (whether we had it or not, it makes me feel a little more invincible against it...crazy I know)
• It forces me to get rid of all the dust bunnies hiding behind beds.
• It forces me to actually scrub floors, toilets, carpets.
• It makes me feel productive, thus causing me to want to feel better.

So you see, my spring cleaning is a bit more self serving than probably most peoples. In essence, when my house is super clean, I feel on top of the world. I'm just a psycho like that. I feel more in control of my surroundings, which is always a bonus in this crazy world ;)

Here's to Spring Cleaning and hoping that summer is on its way!!!

~Ciao~

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

• Pride & Prejudice
• A Walk to Remember
• The King & I
• A Knight's Tale
• 10 Things I Hate about You
• My Best Friend's Wedding
• French Kiss
• Casablanca
• Grease
• Singing in the Rain
• Sound of Music
• Stomp the Yard
• Out of Africa

to name a few ;)

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

1. First question you must ask yourself, "where is the migraine located?" IE:for me if it's over my left eye, I'm in for a dosey of a trip.
2. IF, you are medicine taker (which I am, if needed) take the appropriate medication that your DOCTOR has prescribed and....
3. Proceed to nearest extremely DARK room.
4. Lay flat (preferably your bed) and get comfy. I put on my PJs and take off my bra, this just makes me more comfy.
5. Take about 5 deep, slow breathes in through your nose and SLOWLY out through your nose. This helps get much needed oxygen to your brain and helps to regulate your blood flow.
6. Continue deep breath exercises for approximately 10-15 minutes.
7. Place an (leak proof) ice bag on the back of your neck or directly on the pain center on the front of your head.
8. TRY to let your thoughts disappear as you TRY to relax.
9. Leave the ice pack on either location for approximately 15-20 mins. any longer could cause a relapse in headache.
10. TRY to shut your eyes and sleep. Between the breathing techniques, letting your mind go from any stress/worry/anxiety and your doctor prescribe meds. you should be able to fall asleep within 20-60 minutes.

Remember listen to your gut, if you feel you need to call 911 or seek medical assistance...YOU SHOULD!!!!! This list is only intended to be used as another step in the process to helping rid your head of this painful intruder. ALWAYS seek your doctor's advice and follow his/her instructions accordingly. I am NOT....I repeat NOT a doctor or a nurse.

I am only a migraine sufferer who has walked down some dark and depressingly painful migraine paths. I've been there....that's ALL.

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

Today's list is about Autism.

General information, accompanied by the lastest ruling about childhold vaccinations. All information gathered for this post was obtained through http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/
For further information please go to this link and/or the link at the bottom of this post.

Please take the time to carefully read through this information, especially if you are parent of a child who still needs vaccinations.

ABOUT autism.....

• Austims is a bio-neurological development disability that generally appears before the age of 3.
• Austim impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills and cognitive function. Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions and leisure or play activities.
• Individuals with autism often suffer from numerous physical ailments which may include: allergies, asthma, epilepsy, digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, and more.
• Austim is diagnosed four times more often in boys than girls. Its prevalence is not affected by race, region, or socio-economic status. Since autism was first diagnosed in the U.S., the occurrence has climbed to an alarming one in 150 people across the country.
• Autsim does not affect life expectancy. With early intervention and treatment, the diverse symptoms related to autism can be greatly improved.

HOW IS AUTISM DIAGNOSED?

Autism is diagnosed based on clinical observation and testing by a professional using one or more standardized tests. Professionals most likely to diagnose autism are psychologists, psychiatrists, developmental pediatricians, and school psychologists.

Article I received via email:

Government Concludes Vaccines Caused Autism

Nixa, MO – It was announced that the US Court of Federal Claims and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program ruled in favor of a child who regressed into autism as a result of vaccinations, several of which contained the mercury-based preservative thimerosal.Case documents state that the vaccines administered to the claimant significantlyaggravated an underlying condition that ultimately led to regressive encephalopathy and symptoms of autism.According to official court documents, the child was developing normally until given the vaccines, and shortly after the shots, regressed into full autism. The child was diagnosed by nationally recognized autism medical specialists.For more than a decade, thousands of parents have come forward with reports of sharp regression in their children following immunizations. The cases of autism have dramatically spiked in the past 15 years to as many as 1 in 150 children, making it the leading childhood developmental disorder today. The National Autism Association (NAA) sees the ruling as confirmation of what so many parents have been saying for years. “This case echoes the stories of thousands of children across the country. With almost 5,000 similar cases pending in vaccine court, we are confident that this is just the first of many that will confirm what we have believed for so long, vaccines can and do cause children to regress into autism,” says Wendy Fournier, parent and president of NAA. “We call on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to acknowledge that the current vaccine schedule is not safe for every child and as with the administration of any medicine, individual risks and susceptibilities must be considered for each patient.”While thimerosal has been phased out of many pediatric vaccines, it is still used in flu shots recommended for pregnant women and children. At a meeting of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices held yesterday at the CDC, the committee voted to recommend annual flu shots for all children up to the age of 18, and to date has refused to state a preference for mercury-free vaccines.

To learn more about autism, please visit http://www.nationalautism.org/.
http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/press022808.php

Labels: March 2008, nablopomo

Labels: March 2008

Thanks to my dear friend "rainydayinmay" (see link at sidebar) she introduced me to the wonderful world of blogging. Now I'm copying her and joining Na Blo Po MO to do the wonderful world of 'Lists" for the month of March. :)

Since I didn't start on March 1st. I will add TWO lists to play "catch up" teeheee

List #1

Places I've lived:

1. Fort Myers, Florida---which was one of my absolutely favorite places to live of all time!!
2. Colesavetti, Italy---which was also one of my absolutely favorite places to live of all time!!
3. Harbor Beach, Michigan
4. Sandusky, Michigan
5. Carsonville, Michigan
6. Brighton, Michigan
7. Pinckney, Michigan
8. Fowlervill, Michigan
9. Louisville, Kentucky---another favorite
10. Lexington, Kentucky
11. Fairfield, California
12. San Franscico, California
13. Bluffton, South Carolina--absolutely the WORST place on the universe that I've lived to date....ugh
14. Sarasota, Florida
15. Columbia, Missouri


List #2

Places I would like to visit before I die:

1. Anywhere in Ireland
2. Anywhere in Scotland
3. Hawaii
4. Africa
5. Peru
6. Wales
7. Austria
8. Maine
9. Vermont
10. Cuba
11. Haiti
12. Iceland
13. Spain
14. Oregon
15. Yellowstone National Park

Labels: March 2008