and it was supposed to rain today!

What do you do when your wants take over your rational brains thoughts?

I am really struggling with letting go of things that I cannot control and I am not sure how to quit obsessing over things I cannot change. Today has really been a not so good day. I did get a few things accomplished like I am almost done with the primer part of the bed frame and should be done with it tomorrow. We went on our walk earlier which is a good thing and it made me feel better to get out in the fresh air. I think I have been staying inside way to much and I will be making a conscious effort to go outside for longer more often.

I had a meeting with Spunky's (my youngest) teacher and the Vice Principal today to discuss how to help her focus better at school and talk about why she has such a hard time concentrating. Concentrating has always been an issue for her, but it has gotten much worse in the past months. I let them know that since she was diagnosed with asthma in late January we have been giving her the Albuterol treatments in the morning before school and maybe that was part of why she was so bouncy since it is a steroid. So I will be giving her the treatment after school to see if that helps.

She reads wonderfully and on grade level after working with her everyday the past few months. She is having issues with her spelling, following along in class and she still uses no chair during the day because she will not sit down so we discussed holding her back this next year. Also they suggested placing her in the second grade the first six weeks next year to see how she does and then going from there. We also had the ADHD talk and I let them know that until she was a bit older I did not want to label her with that because it could just be her age at this point. She after all six years old she will not be seven until August!! So come the end of May we shall see how her testing goes, until then we are going to be crossing our fingers and working on spelling!

I don't know it's just been one of those days and I think it might be bedtime! If you have read this whole thing than I applaud you and thanks for listening!

Manic Monday #161

Do you enjoy brain teasers or do you find them frustrating?
I find them frustrating, but will usually give them a good try!

Do you have any unusual collections?
Nope I do not collect anything, well except pictures! lol

What do people notice about you within the first hour of meeting you (other than appearance)?
I have no freaking idea uhm.............that I talk to much! lol

If this meme sounds fun visit Manic Monday!

Monday Morning Meme

Hi all, another week is just beginning and it is time for yet another weekly installment of the Monday Morning MeMe!! Karen asks the questions(in blue) and my answers follow(in black)!

1. Who would you rather be seated next to on a daylong bus trip: an irritating talker or a quiet starer?
What a horrible choice!! I think I would pick the irritating talker.

What’s your rationale?
I could not deal with someone starring at me!!!

2. If time wasn’t a factor or your physical health weren’t an issue, would you rather be a member of a world championship sports’ team or be the champion of an individual sport? Why?
A member of a world championship sports’ team because I am so NOT into being the one who has all the attention.

Which sport would you choose? Why?
Nascar racing because I think it would be wicked fun!

3. Would you accept $1,000,000 to leave the country and never set foot in it again? Explain, please.
No I would not accept the money. No amount of money would be worth it to me to possibly never see my friends and family again. Plus I cannot think of anywhere else I would rather live and I do not think I could stay out of the US forever!

Is money or love more important to you?
Love is much more important to me without question!

How much money would it take for you to step away from your current life?
NO amount of money would be sufficient to walk away from my current life!!!

4. Which sex do you think has it easier in our culture?
I think men have it easier to be honest.

Have you ever wished you were of the opposite sex? If so, list your reasons.
When I was younger I wanted to be a boy. I am not really sure why, I think it was just the curiosity of the unknown.

If not, tell us why you like being the male/female you are now?
I like being a woman for so many reasons.

Here are just a few:
I love feeling protected by a man. I love the feeling of shaved legs and satin. I love the softness and gentleness of being a woman. I love being able to bear children, breastfeed and carry the title of mom. I love being a mother and experiencing the wonder of a child growing inside of me.

For more Monday Morning Meme participants click here!

Watch

"Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

Not my words, but they make you think.

Computers suck!

My computer crashed last night and I am completely freaked out about it and wondering if any of you have any advice!?!

Here is what happened and I am going to be as detailed as possible just in case for some reason it is important.

*HD = Hard drive
*OS = Operating System

Last night I started my computer up in safe mode by going to start> run> msconfig> start in safe mode.

(the reason I did it this way is because I have had no success booting into safe mode any other way)

Than I restarted the computer. It of course came up in safe mode, but with no menu like I was expecting so that I could check out a few things cause I have been getting pop ups etc. So I restarted it thinking maybe the menu would come up this time, but instead when I click on the admin profile it keeps looping back around. Tried F9 to get it out of safe mode no go, tried to repair using the cd no go.

So went and got a new HD and OS. Took out old HD, put in new HD, installed OS on new HD, put old HD back into case and set it up as SLAVE.

Ok so now I can read both HD's and I can see that the old one still has the 63GB of info on it. It appears that I have all my program files, but I get a "access denied" error message when I try to access them. Everything from my profile on the computer seems to be there, but I cannot see it, only shared info.

I am freaking out all my pics, recipes, so much stuff is like stuck in some kind of computer limbo hell. If you have any idea what has happened plz email me and if not thanks for listening to me vent!

Sunday Stealing

"Welcome back to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we also have our rules. We will be very honest about our theft: We always let the owner of the selected blog know that we have ripped their meme off. In turn, we will always provide a link to their site. Join in the fun and rip it off of us every Sunday. And stop by fellow thieves blogs and have some fun... Cheers to all us thieves!"

This week's Meme was originally posted by Sama over at Lazy Artist Child!

The Ginormous Meme

1. Are you single?
Nope

2. Are your parents still married?
Nope

3. Are you in love?
Yes, incredibly so! :)

4. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yes

5. Who ended your last relationship?
I did

6. Have you ever been hurt by a break up?
Yes

7. Have you ever broken someone’s heart?
Yes

8. Have you ever had a secret admirer?
Not sure or it would not have been a secret huh? lol

9. Prefer love or lust?
I like both actually, but if I had to choose it would be lust!

10. Prefer a few best friends or many regular friends?
A few bff's

11. Wild night out or romantic night in?
I am gonna go with Wild night out because they are so far and few between these days!

12. Back in the day: Been caught sneaking out?
LOL! Yes my daddy was not a happy man!

13. Ever wanted something/someone so badly it hurt?
Yes sadly......

14. Who are/is your best friend(s)?
Stacia and Debra :)

15. Ever wanted to disappear?
Yes

16. First attraction: Smile or eyes?
Eyes

17. Prefer intelligence or attraction?
Intelligence, but you have to have at least some attraction.

18. Last phone call you received?
Was from my Man :)

19. Last thing you drank?
Diet Dr Pepper

20. Before your current one, when was your last relationship?
About 6yrs ago

21. Do you and your family get along?
Yes very much!

22. Would you say you have a "screwed up life"?
No I would say I have an exciting never boring life! lol

23. Have you ever gotten kicked out somewhere? If yes, do tell.
Nope

24. Do you trust all your friends?
Nope

25. Who knows the most about you?
Jeremy

If you want to read more about the meme or join in the fun please visit Sunday Stealing

PhotoHunt: Hands

This week's theme for PhotoHunt is "Hands". As I was thinking about the theme I started to think about the fact that I really do not have many pics of hands even though they can be one of the best things to photograph. Not to mention it is really nice to look back on say pictures of the kids hands and see how much they have grown.

Here are a few pictures I took this evening of mine and the kids hands! :) For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: tnchick.com

Friday Fill-Ins #117

Hi all, another week is almost over and it is time for yet another weekly installment of Friday Fill-Ins! Janet asks the questions and my answers are underlined!

1. "In a hole in the ground there lived a giant earthworm!"

2. "I got some dents in my car from the hail, but that ain't no matter."

3. "After dark the rain began to fall again, all the while I enjoyed every moment of it's rhythmic beat against the side of the house."

4. "I heard screaming from the hold of the Spanish galleon."

5. "There was a hand in the darkness and it reached out to me as I passed."

6. "Accidents ambush the unsuspecting, another reason to pay attention! lol"

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a nice peaceful night with the family, tomorrow my plans include taking the kids to the Natural History Museum and Sunday, I want to clean up the yard!

For more Friday Fill-Ins participants click here

Golf ball size hail.....

Yesterday evening we were having some pretty good thunderstorms and then all of the sudden it sounded like the house was being bombed! We all looked outside only to find huge pieces of hail falling from the sky! The youngest two immediately started to freak out cause the cats were outside and they were worried about them. I also think it had something to do with the fact that it was so freaking LOUD!

Jeremy with a piece after it had melted a bit.

Thursday Thunks

A brief description of the meme:

"We pick a subject, and your job is to interpret it anyway you want. Write about it on your blog... simple as that. Maybe you can interpret it as a picture - we don't care!"

Now on to the questions and of course my answers!

1. What is your favorite type of soda (if you drink soda)?
Diet Dr Pepper

2. Do you believe in astrology?
I believe in astrology to a degree, I think a lot of it is coincidence.

If so, what does your sign say about you?
Scorpios are the most intense, profound, powerful characters in the zodiac. Even when they appear self-controlled and calm there is a seething intensity of emotional energy under the placid exterior. They are like the volcano not far under the surface of a calm sea, it may burst into eruption at any moment. But those of us who are particularly perceptive will be aware of the harnessed aggression, the immense forcefulness, magnetic intensity, and often strangely hypnotic personality under the tranquil, but watchful composure of Scorpio. In conventional social gatherings they are pleasant to be with, thoughtful in conversation, dignified, and reserved, yet affable and courteous; they sometimes possess penetrating eyes which make their shyer companions feel naked and defenseless before them.

3. Who is John Galt?
I have no idea, who is John Galt?

4. What is the last thing you do before you go to sleep at night?
I kiss Jeremy goodnight and tell him how much I love him! :)

5. Who's your Daddy?
Uhm my daddy.....

6. Jelly beans or Jelly Bellies?
Jelly Beans

7. What do you think about yellow car? What car manufacturer actually made yellow cars?
Uhm if you mean Taxi's I have no idea who makes them, never thought about it and I think they are a necessity.

8. Holding on or Letting go?
Letting go

9. What kind of underwear, if any, do you wear?
The regular kind lol

10. Who is your daddy and what does he do?
What is with the who's your daddy questions? lol

11. Spring - is it here yet??
It is here in Texas well at least I think so.

12. Does Google Street view scare you?
Yes

13. What is your favorite brand of ice cream?
Blue Bell of course!

14. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Coffee

15. Do you ever get tired of your everyday routine?
Yes I think everyone does at some point

16. What inspires you?
My children, Nature

17. It’s springtime-do you spend more time outdoors?
Yes definitely!

18. When do you think Bud will let us see the DVD of him and the french twins?
First off who is Bud and why would I want to see this dvd?

19. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you, and why?
I have no idea so how bout somewhere with modern conveniences, that stays around 70degrees basically no humidity and is near the mountains.

20. Why do you blog?
I blog for lots of reasons some of which are connecting with others, boredom, venting, ranting and finally I like to talk about my life and those in it.

21. What are electrolytes and why are they good for us?
"An electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that behaves as an electrically conductive medium."

"Electrolytes are important because they are what your cells (especially nerve, heart, muscle) use to maintain voltages across their cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses (nerve impulses, muscle contractions) across themselves and to other cells."

22. Do you twitter? Why or why not?
Nope not yet only because I have not gotten around to it and it just seems like more to do.

23. What did you dream last night?
Something having to do with the girls and a river, I think we were on vacation.

24. What is the strangest thing you've eaten?
I am not really much for strange so I think it would have to be Prickly Pear Cactus.

25. What was the last picture that you took?
Last picture was of the golf ball size hail we just got!

26. What is your favorite part of spring?
The flowers blooming and the smell!

27. What is one thing that you did this past week that no one knows about?
If I told you someone would know about it!

28. What kind of bandages do you typically have in your household?
The kind that are on sale! lol We have some of every shape, size, material and the water proof ones are the best.

For more Thursday Thunkers please visit here!

Update on the eyes.

We had the boy's eye doctor appoint this afternoon and he did really well with the eye patch even though he hated every minute of it. When we got to the doctor's office he asked me "Can I take this darn thing off now!?". I had to stop myself from laughing while I reminded him he needed to let the doctor take it off.

The doctor feels like his left eye is turning out quite a bit more than it should be. He wants to give it a bit more time so we made another appoint for the end of May to go back and he will decide then if he thinks surgery is what we need to do. This time he would only be shortening the muscle on the left eye since it is the one having issues.

I really hope he does not have to have the surgery again, but if he does this should be the last and I knew that there was a possibility that he would need a second surgery.

Wordless Wednesday

This is my favorite picture from our trip to the Capitol during spring break this last week. For more Wordless Wednesday participants check out these wonderful blogs:
Ma Vie Folle!
Write From Karen!
5 Minutes for Mom!
Three Peas in a Pod!

Eyes who needs them!

Tomorrow afternoon the boy has an eye doctor appointment. He has to do a patch test for this appointment, which means he has to patch his right eye for two hrs before we go. That way the doctor can see the difference between the way the eyes cross or do not cross. He has had Strabismus since he was born and back in 2002 he had surgery to have the muscles shortened on both eyes so that they would not cross so much. Things have been wonderful since, you cannot tell anymore that there was an issue.

We went in the last month just to get a new prescription since his glasses were broken and he needed a new pair. While we were there the doctor let us know that one of his eyes was beginning to cross again and we needed to do the patch test to see what was going on. I am nervous about tomorrow's appointment, I really hope that there is something we can do to avoid surgery again. I do not want him to have to go through that another time.

Tackle It Tuesday

Tackle It Tuesday is here again and good intentions aside we are still not done with the darn bed! Click here to see the beginning of the "bed project" and here to see last week's "bed project". It is supposed to rain again starting tomorrow until Sunday so I hope to be done by this next Tuesday, but who knows! lol

So here are a few more pictures, this time of the kids helping sand the old paint off the bed!

Check back with my Tackle next week to see the finished project!

Find out more about Tackle It Tuesday here.

My adventure in San Antonio this weekend!

Gosh, I think it was three years ago in April, that I found a website I thought was just awesome! It was a totally different type of website than I had ever seen before, so I was intrigued. I had honestly never been on a real forum of any type and so this was going to be a totally new experience for me.

At some point this particular forum became the ultimate evil and a bunch of us broke off and formed a new forum for moms that was much more accepting. After a period of time there was again a forum split and yet another site was born. Even with all the drama and board splits a few of us have managed to keep a pretty healthy relationship at Our Mom Spot with a few exceptions! lol :)

I am SO glad that I joined the original evil forum, I have gotten to know several awesome women online that I have had the pleasure of being able to meet in person. Most recently, "Uhura" who was in San Antonio on business. We have "known" each other online for almost three years now and I was NERVOUS! I am pretty anxious when it comes to new situations and meeting new people. So I made sure not to talk myself out of going because I knew I would regret it if I did and you only live once right? So why miss an opportunity to meet someone who may end up being a good friend!

On the way to meet "Uhura" I stopped at New Braunfels Smokehouse the home of the BEST Beef Jerky in the world! I have been going to this particular restaurant/smokehouse since I was around six years old so it is nicet to see it every time I am able to go. It has changed so much it now has a drive through and the sit in part of the restaurant is gone. They have made more space for the kitchen and to sell the product in front. It is not far out of town, but I am never in that direction so it has been four years since I have had their beef jerky. I was incredibly excited!!!

Once I arrived in SA I met "Uhura" in the lobby of her hotel. I have to admit that I was shaking from the moment I pulled into the parking lot. I We gave each other a hug and a once over, it was the craziest thing ever! We had been planning this meet up for months, but it just never seemed really real to me until that moment! We jumped in the car and off we went to the Matamoros for lunch.
Here is a picture of the two of us after we ate lunch. We had the waiter take our picture! lol
After lunch we went shopping for a few essentials at Wally World.
Then off to the La Cantera Mall to do some real shopping!
The awesome outfit "Uhura" was able to find at 70% off @ the La Cantera Mall!

The wonderful smelling perfume sample we both received!

"Uhura" and I @ the hotel right before I left to go home. :(
On my way home leaving San Antonio and heading back to Austin. :(I had an awesome time and I am so glad that I went and did not let my nerves get the best of me!!! :)

Manic Monday #160

Do you screen your phone calls?
Yes I do, all the time and I do not pick up unless I want to.

When was the last time you lost your temper?
Hummmm I would have to say for once I do not remember the last time I really lost my temper. I have been trying to get better about certain things and loosing my temper is one of them.

When you're lost, do you ask for directions?
Ok so I will drive around like an idiot for awhile, but soon enough I will stop to ask for directions. It does not take me to long to realize I am lost. I am one of those people who is seriously directionally challenged!

If this meme sounds fun to you visit Manic Monday!

Monday Morning Meme

Hi all, another week is just beginning and it is time for yet another weekly installment of the Monday Morning MeMe!! Karen asks the questions(in blue) and my answers follow(in black)!

1. If a new medicine were developed that would cure cancer but caused a fatal reaction in one percent of those who took it, would you want it to be released to the public?
Wow I am not sure which I would pick..........

Why or why not?
So many things go through my head and I want to say I would not want the drug to be released to the public, but I do not know. I would not want that 1% to die, but if that was the only chance they had at survival who am I to take that chance away from them. I would want to make sure that the patient has all the info possible to make an informed decision because it could mean their life.

Do you think we’re close to curing cancer?
I am not sure to be honest, but I do not think so.

Have you ever lost someone to cancer?
No I have not and I am sorry for anyone that has I cannot imagine.

2. You discover your wonderful one-year-old child is, because of a mix-up at the hospital, not yours. Would you want to exchange the child to try to correct the mistake?
No I do not think that I would want to exchange the child although one cannot really know until put in that situation.

Why or why not?
I do not feel that I would want to exchange the child despite the DNA because I have raised that child as my own. Even if the child did not have my DNA they would imo still be mine. You do not have to have the same DNA as someone to be their parent it is the time and love invested that is the most important thing. That being said I do not know if I was put in that situation if the curiosity would get the best of me or not.

3. Do you think that the world will be a better or a worse place 100 years from now?
I hope that it will be a better place, but I do not think it will be.

Explain your answer, please.
I feel like with issues like recycling, global warming etc we will have no major incentive to do much about these until the it is to late. We did not really do much about alternative fuels until the price of gas went through the roof and even still there is not enough being done IMO! I do not feel like we are doing enough to save the environment that we live in and it will not last forever the way we are abusing it.

4. How many pictures do you have on your living room walls? Twenty Two

And what are they? (paintings, photographs, sketches, abstract, family, etc).
They are mainly pictures of the kids and family, a few paintings and one puzzle!

For more Monday Morning Meme participants click here!

Sunday Stealing

"Welcome back to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we also have our rules. We will be very honest about our theft: We always let the owner of the selected blog know that we have ripped their meme off. In turn, we will always provide a link to their site. Join in the fun and rip it off of us every Sunday. And stop by fellow thieves blogs and have some fun... Cheers to all us thieves!"

This week's Meme was originally posted by Amber from His Girl's Blog.

The Family Meme

The players:
J = The boy(11)
S = Princess(8)
A = Spunky(6)
JB = My man

1. What is something your mom/wife always says to you?

J: "Be good and quit driving your sister's crazy"
S: "I have a surprise for you"
A: "You are so silly"
JB: "I love you"

2. What makes your mom/wife happy?

J: "Going on walks with us"
S: "When we listen to her"
A: "When we love on her"
JB: "American Idol and America's Next Top Model"

3. What makes your mom/wife sad?

J: "I don't know"
S: "When we do not listen"
A: "When someone in the family dies"
JB: "Sad medical stories about kids"

4. How does your mom/wife make you laugh?

J: "When she is being silly"
S: "When she tickles me"
A: "When she dances with me"
JB: "When she asks me silly questions she already knows the answers to." (He means I ask him the question and then he sees the lightbulb go off in my head!)

5. What was your mom/wife like as a child?

J: "Happy"
S: "She liked to crawl under the back porch and play with her sister Emily"
A: "I don't know"
JB: "Not sure normal?"

6. How old is your mom/wife?

J: "33"
S: "33"
A: "Uhm I know it is 20 something........"
JB: "31"

7. How tall is your mom?

J: "5'8"
S: "Pretty tall"
A: "Bigger than me"
JB: "5'6"

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

J: "Play on the computer"
S: "Sleep"
A: "Play on the computer"
JB: "Blog"

9. What does your mom/wife do when you're not around?

J: "Clean the house and watch tv"
S: "Watch tv and clean up"
A: "Talk with Jeremy and play on the computer"
JB: "The same stuff she always does"

10. If your mom/wife becomes famous, what will it be for?

J: "For being silly"
S: "Rock Star"
A: "Because she's nice"
JB: "Blogging"

11. What is your mom/wife really good at?

J: "Typing"
S: "Cooking"
A: "She is really good at writing"
JB: "She is good at being a mom"

12. What is your mom/wife not very good at?

J: "Jumping Jacks"
S: "Making me eat pig meat"
A: "She is not very good at doing push ups"
JB: "Admitting when she is wrong" (I am not wrong I am just misunderstood! LOL!)

13. What does your mom/wife do for a job?

J: "She is a mom"
S: "She takes care of us and cleans the house"
A: "She takes care of the children"
JB: "Mommy"

14. What is your mom/wife's favorite food?

J: "Pizza"
S: "Potato and Sausage Goulash
A: "Arby's"
JB: "Chuy's"

15. What makes you proud of your mom/wife?

J: "For being nice"
S: "The love"
A: "Cause she takes care of me"
JB: "I am proud of her for who she is and what she does"

16. If your mom/wife were a cartoon character, who would she be?

J: "Squidward"
S: "Sandy"
A: "Spongebob"
JB: "Lucille Krunklehorn from Meet the Robinsons" (ROFLMAO!)

17. What do you and your mom/wife do together?

J: "We work together to do homework and stuff"
S: "We go to special places"
A: "We have fun together"
JB: "Play WOW"

18. How are you and your mom/wife the same?

J: "We are both silly"
S: "Wt both have brown hair"
A: "We both have dimples"
JB: "We both think we are always right"

19. How are you and your mom/wife different?

J: "I am a boy and she's a girl"
S: "Mom has glasses and I don't"
A: "Mom has brown hair and I have blond"
JB: "I am right and she is wrong" (hahahahahaha)

20. How do you know your mom/wife loves you?

J: "Cause she hugs me a lot"
S: "Because she does special stuff for us"
A: "Cause she always kisses on me and loves me"
JB: "Cause I can feel it"

21. What does your mom/wife like most about Jeremy/yourself?

J: "Cause he is good at cooking"
S: "He's silly"
A: "That he is funny"
JB: "That I can be really sweet when I want to be"

22. Where is your mom/wife's favorite place to go?

J: "A Mexican food restaurant"
S: "Out to dinner"
A: "The Botanical Gardens"
JB: "Enchanted Rock"

If you want to read more about the meme or join in the fun please visit Sunday Stealing

PhotoHunt: Yellow

This week's theme for PhotoHunt is "Yellow". After much searching I have decided to use this photo of Princess on a big Yellow and Orange Butterfly @ the Botanical Gardens a few years ago!
For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: tnchick.com

Friday Fill-Ins #116

Hi all, another week is almost over and it is time for yet another weekly installment of Friday Fill-Ins! Janet asks the questions and my answers are underlined!

1. Why do we have to do chores!?! Yes I am having one of those days! lol

2. Helping with homework and clipping kids fingernails are now habits.

3. I have been doing really well exercising, not so much with the eating properly part.....

4. I had never heard the phrase "reading me the riot act' and it made me wonder what the hell they were talking about!

5. I clean the fish tank the way I always do. lol

6. How was I to know how hard and rewarding it would be to have four kids so close together!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the start of T-man's weekend, tomorrow my plans include going to San Antonio to have lunch with Julie and meet face to face for the first time, I am so excited!! and Sunday, I want to take all the kiddos to see Bolt @ the movies!

For more Friday Fill-Ins participants click here

Cleaning sucks!

Ok so I am just going to say it........

I am so tired of cleaning, doing laundry, dishes etc etc and all the crap that goes along with it!! Seriously it is a constant and never ending flow of crud! I know this what I signed up for, but I wanna maid!!! :(

St Paddy's day epic fail..........

On Tuesday while making lunch I decided that since it was St Patrick's day I would turn the Ramen noodles green! The kids were all cool with it and they thought it was a really funny idea. So I added a few drops of green food coloring to the water and when the noodles were done cooking we had sort of green noodles. lol

Everything was going well until I added the beef flavoring to the water. Instantly the color totally changed it was now more of a baby poop green color.............I think I should have made chicken flavor since it is a lighter color. lol

Well here is a picture of my epic St Paddy's day failure #1
Alright so now that we are past lunch I will move on to the fun dinnertime epic failure which consists of Green Eggs and Green Ham! LOL! All I can say is I am glad my kids are adventurous they ate every bit and loved it!

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesday participants check out these wonderful blogs:
Ma Vie Folle!
Write From Karen!
5 Minutes for Mom!
Three Peas in a Pod!

Good Morning all

my kitty Max has to go in today to be spayed. Now I do realize this is a necessary measure and something that should have been done a long time ago, but I am SO nervous! I feel kinda silly asking, but will you all please keep her and the doctors in your thoughts and prayers.

Well I am off to take her in and then off to the Dino Dig with the kids!


**Update**

The surgery went well and she is back at home with us! I am now going to play the role of paranoid mommy while she spends the next 7-10 days healing. This whole experience has really made me feel icky and I do realize I am being a big baby, but I love her bunches!

She HATES the e-collar thing they told me to put on her and it freaks me out the way she acts when she has it on, but I do realize there is a need for it. Wow I think I only need male cats from here on out or ones that have already been fixed cause man I am way too much of a softy!

If you have ANY advice on having a newly fixed female cat plz comment and let me know what to do!!! This is the very first time I have had a cat spayed.

Tackle It Tuesday

So last week I said this "bed project" was going to be a two part tackle, but due to the weather in these parts it has turned into a three part tackle! This last week it has been so cold and rainy that we were not able to do anymore with the bed until yesterday afternoon.

Here is my sexy man today sanding more paint off the frame!
We were able to finally get almost all of the frame sanded yesterday afternoon. Tomorrow we will wash the frame and start to paint it with the primer.
Check back with my Tackle next week to see the finished project!

Find out more about Tackle It Tuesday here.

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!!

Monday Morning Meme

Hi all, another week is just beginning and it is time for yet another weekly installment of the Monday Morning MeMe!! Karen asks the questions(in blue) and my answers follow(in black)!

1. For a person you loved deeply, would you be willing to move to a distant country knowing there would be little chance of seeing your friends and family again? Explain.
After thinking about this for awhile I am going to go with my first instinct and say no. I could not give up my extended family very easily and I can think of no reason why I would have to leave them. If my man and I found a great opportunity overseas we would have to make sure there would be time to visit family back in the US or it would be a no go!

2. Do you believe in ghosts or evil spirits? Explain, please.
Yes I believe in ghosts, evil spirits not sure exactly. I do feel that our loved ones are with us past our physical lives.

Would you be willing to spend a night alone in a remote house that is supposedly haunted?
No I am a chicken!

Have you ever seen, or thought you’ve seen, a ghost or evil spirit? If so, what did you do?
No, but I have loved ones who have had "experiences"!

If not, how do you think you’d react?
See above

3. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone?
I would most regret not thanking my granddad for how much he has done for me and my family!

Why haven’t you told them yet?
Mainly because I am just no good at expressing myself he makes me nervous and it never comes out right......

4. If you could spend one year in perfect happiness but afterward would remember nothing of the experience, would you do so?
Wow what a hard question to answer. I think I would go with yes, I would like to spend one year in perfect happiness even if I did not remember. I think it would do my heart and mind good even if I did not remember.

For more Monday Morning Meme participants click here!

Deaths of gamers leave their online lives in limbo

The article below really touched me as I have sometimes wondered what would happened if any of my gamer friends just disappeared. We do have at least one friend who has health issues that we hang out with on game, have talked with on the phone and in Ventrilo so we are all quite close and I would be so upset if something happened to him and I never knew why he just disappeared!! I really think these websites are a good idea honestly for anyone who has any type of online friends who might want to be notified in their absence.

"When Jerald Spangenberg collapsed and died in the middle of a quest in an online game, his daughter embarked on a quest of her own: to let her father's gaming friends know that he hadn't just decided to desert them.

It wasn't easy, because she didn't have her father's "World of Warcraft" password and the game's publisher couldn't help her. Eventually, Melissa Allen Spangenberg reached her father's friends by asking around online for the "guild" he belonged to.

One of them, Chuck Pagoria in Morgantown, Ky., heard about Spangenberg's death three weeks later. Pagoria had put his absence down to an argument among the gamers that night.

"I figured he probably just needed some time to cool off," Pagoria said. "I was kind of extremely shocked and blown away when I heard the reason that he hadn't been back. Nobody had any way of finding this out."

With online social networks becoming ever more important in our lives, they're also becoming an important element in our deaths. Spangenberg, who died suddenly from an abdominal aneurysm at 57, was unprepared, but others are leaving detailed instructions. There's even a tiny industry that has sprung up to help people wrap up their online contacts after their deaths.

When Robert Bryant's father died last year, he left his son a little black USB flash drive in a drawer in his home office in Lawton, Okla. It was underneath a cup his son had once given him for his birthday. The drive contained a list of contacts for his son to notify, including the administrator of an online group he had been in.

"It was kind of creepy because I was telling all these people that my dad was dead," Bryant said. "It did help me out quite a bit, though, because it allowed me to clear up a lot of that stuff and I had time to help my mom with whatever she needed."

David Eagleman, a neuroscientist at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, has had plenty of time to think about the issue.

"I work in the world's largest medical center, and what you see here every day is people showing up in ambulances who didn't expect that just five minutes earlier," he said. "If you suddenly die or go into a coma, there can be a lot of things that are only in your head in terms of where things are stored, where your passwords are."

He set up a site called Deathswitch, where people can set up e-mails that will be sent out automatically if they don't check in at intervals they specify, like once a week. For $20 per year, members can create up to 30 e-mails with attachments like video files.

It's not really a profit-making venture, and Eagleman isn't sure about how many members it has — "probably close to a thousand." Nor does he know what's in the e-mails that have been created. Until they're sent out, they're encrypted so that only their creators can read them.

If Deathswitch sounds morbid, there's an alternative site: Slightly Morbid. It also sends e-mail when a member dies, but doesn't rely on them logging in periodically while they're alive. Instead, members have to give trusted friends or family the information needed to log in to the site and start the notification process if something should happen.

The site was created by Mike and Pamela Potter in Colorado Springs, Colo. They also run a business that makes software for online games. Pamela said they realized the need for a service like this when one of their online friends, who had volunteered a lot of time helping their customers on a Web message board, suddenly disappeared.

He wasn't dead: Three months later, he came back from his summer vacation, which he'd spent without Internet access. By then, the Potters had already had Slightlymorbid.com up and running for two weeks.

A third site with a similar concept plans to launch in April. Legacy Locker will charge $30 per year. It will require a copy of a death certificate before releasing information.

Peter Vogel, in Tampa, Fla., was never able to reach all of his stepson Nathan's online friends after the boy died last year at age 13 during an epileptic seizure.

A few years earlier, someone had hacked into one of the boy's accounts, so Vogel, a computer administrator, taught Nathan to choose passwords that couldn't be easily guessed. He also taught the boy not to write passwords down, so Nathan left no trail to follow.

Vogel himself has a trusted friend who knows all his important login information. As he points out, having access to a person's e-mail account is the most important thing, because many Web site passwords can be retrieved through e-mail.

Vogel joked that he hoped the only reason his friend would be called on to use his access within "the next hundred years or so" would be if Vogel forgets his own passwords.

But, he said, "as Nathan has proven, anything can happen any time, even if you're only 13."

The article

Sunday Stealing

"Welcome back to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we also have our rules. We will be very honest about our theft: We always let the owner of the selected blog know that we have ripped their meme off. In turn, we will always provide a link to their site. Join in the fun and rip it off of us every Sunday. And stop by fellow thieves blogs and have some fun... Cheers to all us thieves!"

This week's Meme was originally posted by Diana Pharaoh Francis from her blog Mad Libs.

A High School Meme

1. Did you date someone from your school?
Yes

2. Did you marry someone from your high school?
Yes I married my high school sweetie! :)

3. Did you car pool to school?
Nope I rode the bus or drove my car when I finally got one.

4. What kind of car did you have?
75' Chevy Olds

5. What kind of car do you have now?
04' Mazda 3

6. Its Friday night...where are you now?
At home hanging out with the family and friends.

7. It is Friday night...where were you then?
Out partying with friends till the early morning!

8. What kind of job did you have in high school?
I worked at Chuck E Cheese lol

9. What kind of job do you do now?
I am a mom :)

10. Were you a party animal?
I would say yea....

11. Were you considered a flirt?
Yes

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Choir all the way!

13. Were you a nerd?
Nope

14. Did you get suspended from school?
Yes once

15. Can you sing the fight song?
No

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher?
Mr Raines

17. Where did you sit during lunch?
Depends on where we went to eat

18. What was your school's full name?
Lanier High School/Anderson High School

19. Where did you party the most?
Downtown at Ohm's or at friends

20. What was your school mascot?
Vikings/Trojans lol

21. Would you do it again?
If I had the knowledge I do now and could take it back with me I might......

22. Did you have fun at Prom?
I did not go to prom

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with?
See above

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion?
Nope

25. Do you still talk to people from school?
Some of them yes :)

26. What are/were your school's colors?
Black and Gold/Blue and Gold

If you want to read more about the meme or join in the fun please visit Sunday Stealing

PhotoHunt: Four

This week's theme for PhotoHunt is "Four" so I just had to use my four gorgeous kiddos! This picture was taken last weekend while waiting to be seated at our table at Chuy's!!For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: tnchick.com

Friday Fill-Ins #115

Hi all, another week is almost over and it is time for yet another weekly installment of Friday Fill-Ins! Janet asks the questions and my answers are underlined!

1. When I look to the left, I see my gorgeous fiance!

2. The kitchen is the room that has the best view in my home.

3. Let it work it's self out!

4. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap! lol

5. Community Service is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any gently used clothing or toys feel free to donate to your local woman's shelter.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a night free of kids......maybe.....cross your fingers for us, tomorrow my plans include finishing the rest of the paint removal on the girls bed and hopefully repainting, if the weather works with me and Sunday, I want to finish the new bed if it is not done already and start getting the girls room moved around!

For more Friday Fill-Ins participants click here

Serious boredom!

Today in my boredom I went searching through the internet for something to keep me occupied, that way I could put off my walk a bit longer cause damn it is freaking cold and wet outside! While trying to find something fascinating I came across these picture battle sites!

I will not admit how much time I just wasted on this mindless crud! LOL

Kitten Wars
Food Battles
Funniest Pictures Battle
Moms and Dads Battle to see who their child looks more like.

Wordless Wednesday

I know it's "Wordless" Wednesday, but I think this picture needs a bit of an explanation! Featured this week is grandma's dog Light'nin halfway through his shave today! LOL!! Please excuse the crazy "camera" eyes. For more Wordless Wednesday participants check out these wonderful blogs:
Ma Vie Folle!
Write From Karen!
5 Minutes for Mom!
Three Peas in a Pod!

Tackle It Tuesday

My tackle for this week is going to be a two part tackle. This weekend we bought a gently used bunk bed off of Craigslist to replace the girls huge and dated wooden bunk bed. The new bed is made out of some sort of metal and that way Spunky cannot break the slats that hold her mattress!! YAY!! Plus it is a smaller more modern type bed and that makes us all happy. Now we are going to have to repaint the new bed because the paint is peeling. It was originally red and the previous owners painted it silver so it's kinda tacky right now. lol

So for the beginning, I give you me sanding the old paint off the new bed last night.

The boy helping me with my mask, it kept falling off my ears!!

and finally the tiny part of the sanding I actually got done! lol I have decided that sandpaper is a PITA so I borrowed some sanding tools from a friend and I will have the paint off and the bed ready to primer by Thursday!!Check back with my Tackle next week to see the finished project!

Find out more about Tackle It Tuesday here.