A bee, a binky and a boy...

I was really sure that Evan didn't have school yesterday, so we slept in and he stayed home and played video games and fought over the tv with Abby. A little after 3:00, Evan went out to get the mail. He came and told me, "Mom there's kids getting off the bus with backpacks." Sure enough, there WAS school yesterday. I felt like such a bad mommy--having my son ditch school. Geez. At least when I called the school today, the secretary laughed with me and not at me.

We also had a bee adventure yesterday. Abby and I had gone in my bedroom and as I was rolling up the shade, I noticed a really big bee. I shoved Abby out of the room, ran to get some Windex, and sprayed him until he fell off the shade. Then I had Evan bring me a shoe to finish off the bee. So, my question is...what is a bee doing in my house at the end of November?

Today Abby was rooting around in her dresser and found her binky (pacifier) in a drawer. She came out to the living room and proudly showed it to her baby doll (Babby). She said to Babby, "Look Babby, found new binky." Abby gave up the binky about 4 or 5 months ago and sometimes even still asks for it. She was delighted to have it back and equally as crushed when Mommy took it away. Ah, it was a rough day after that.

And it begins...

Friday officially kicked off the holiday shopping season and hopefully you were able to get a lot of shopping done and avoid the crowds. Personally I love shopping for gifts but hate dealing with the crowds. I think that shopping online is the best thing that ever happened to me. I get shop, compare prices and have a wide selection...all from the comfort of my living room.

No matter where you shop, you might still find yourself stressed. After all there is there baking, wrapping, cleaning, decorating, etc. There is the stressing over whether you will make your budget and whether or not you got the "perfect" gift.

I find myself stressing about getting everything done for the end of my semester in 3 weeks. Ahh...three weeks. Sorry needed to freak out for a second there. Although I'm looking forward to my winter break from school, I know that month off will be a busy one. Evan will be home from school for 2 weeks and I'll need to keep him busy and entertained so that he doesn't feel he needs to mess with Abby for fun.

I recently signed up on www.flylady.net for useful tips on being organized. I wanted to share the tips that I received today in hopes that they might help you feel calm and organized over the next month too.

A few things to remember:
1.During the Holidays, everyone's expectations are higher. Blame iton Santa Claus. Where once, "because it's Christmas" was a nice way to explain good behavior, these days it's more often used to justify the necessity of bigger, better, and more. Making the best of the holidayspirit is fine, but you can and should say no to some requests. Most Scrooges are nothing more than disillusioned elves.

2. You are allowed back-up. Your own little elves, toy soldiers, andsugar plum fairies can be drawn into the process of Christmas-wrapping presents, helping to organize family events, gluing feathers on angelwings-whatever. There is no reason why you should go it alone. And let the abominable snowman dozing in the evening chair, fingers clenched around the remote, know that his role extends past hanging the electric icicles from the roof of the garage.

3. Start Now. The earlier you can accomplish the busy work, the better you'll feel as you approach the Christmas weekend. We all have busy lives and schedules crammed with all measure of commitments, but try taking the business of Christmas one day at a time. Save yourself the anxiety by avoiding procrastination whenever you can.

4. Find the magic in the details. Christmas is a magical holiday. Lookfor the twinkle in your child's eye. Give a present to a friend when they least expect it. Weather permitting, run around outside in the snow. Take a few moments to enjoy the way your house looks decorated-with all the lights and bows and bells-because it really is quite pretty. The holiday season has just begun. Keep yourself in the spirit by cutting yourself a little slack. Even Santa takes time out for cookies

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope it was a good one for you and your family.

We went over to my Mom and Dad's house yesterday. We had planned on going to see my Grandma in her nursing home beforehand but instead spent nearly an hour digging through the snow. Evan decided to throw the car keys to Daddy but he didn't wait until Daddy was looking. So they keys landed in the snow and we couldn't see it. It must have been quite a site to see three of us digging in the snow with an ice scraper and an umbrella. Grr!

We finally made it out to Roselle and cooked quite a feast up for the family. It was nice to give my Mom a break. Everything turned out good and we had a nice time. We got to go see Grandma afterwards. I don't think she really knew who we were but I'm sure she was glad that we were there.

I found out yesterday that I'm going to be an aunt again! My brother-in-law Joe and his wife are expecting a little bundle of joy in May. I'm very excited for them!

I thought the day after Thanksgiving sales were seriously dissappointing this year. Josh went to Walmart for one thing. I took a drive out to Geneva to shop the 30% off sale at Gymboree. I got Abby's Christmas dress and shoes. I also enjoyed walking around and looking in the other stores but I didn't find anything to buy. I was impressed how courteous people were today. I usually hate Christmas shopping because people are so pushy and mean. But today everybody was really nice and that made for a pleasant time.

Now, back to reality and back to homework. This semester is coming to a close and the pressure is on.

My Paint Brush

Thank you to my friend Mamasheila for sharing this poem with me. It really struck a chord.

My Paint Brush

I keep my paint brush with me

Wherever I may go,

In case I need to cover up

so the real me doesn't show.

I'm so afraid to show you me,

Afraid of what you'll do- that

You might laugh or say mean things.

I'm afraid I might lose you

.

I'd like to remove all my paints coats

To show you the real, true me,

But I want you to try and understand,

I need you to accept what you see.

So if you'll be patient and close your eyes,

I'll strip off all my coats real slow.

Please understand how much it hurts

To let the real me show.

Now my coats are all stripped off.

I feel naked, bare and cold,

And if you still love me with all that you see,

You are my friend, pure as gold.

I need to save my paint brush, though,

And hold it in my hand,

I want to keep it handy

In case someone doesn't understand.

So please protect me, my dear friend

And thanks for loving me true,But please let me keep my paint brush with

Me until I love me, too

by Dave Griffith~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Headaches and our new place

We drove by our new place today. Well our exact place is still pretty much a pile of dirt, but the townhouses being built first are moving along great. They have the first floor/garage built and the second story and deck framed out. It looks really really nice so far. It will be interesing to see how it looks with the third story and the roof on.

I had the absolute worst migraine today. It is really Evan's fault because I had laid down with a little headache when he decided to make a major problem. I wouldn't let him go to the park down the street and he totally freaked out. I had to chase him around outside to get him to come in. Somehow with all his yelling and slamming around, Abby managed to stay asleep. Meanwhile, my little headache grew into a full migraine. I felt like AC/DC was playing in my head. Ah! So I spent the next 4-5 hours fighting it. What a waste of an afternoon.

Now I'm off to catch up on some History homework. Hopefully that won't bring back my headache. I am very luck though because right now my sweetie is out getting me some brownies to make. Somehow homework is easier to face when there are brownies involved.

Sold our condo!

We sold our condo yesterday and I should be thrilled. It's a "friendly transaction" with the buyer being a lady from my hubby's office. She offered our asking price and is being ultra flexible. We are very lucky. It just shouldn't be this easy.

So while I'm thrilled that our place is sold for a good price, I'm also sad about leaving it behind. There are so many happy memories here for us. We had our first date here. This is our first place together. This is the home we came back to for the first time as husband and wife. This is the only place that our son remembers living at. Our daughter has had all her first experiences here and it's the only home she's ever had. It will be really hard to pack everything up and turn over my key.

Goodbye Pinchy

My Pinchy died today. I'm very sad. I don't know if I will get any new crabs. It's too sad when they die.

So that's what happened!

So today I split my pants. My favorite pair of pajama pants. It was my ever-growing tummy that did it this time. Let me tell you....Santa and his belly ain't got nothin' on mine. I have my own bowl full of jelly.

How did this happen to me anyway? I used to be so cute. Well I finally figured it out after reading this....

WARNING - BODY PARTS MISSING! My thighs were stolen from me during the night of August 3rd a few years ago. It was just that quick. I went to sleep in my body and woke up withsomeone else's thighs. The new ones had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Who would have done such a cruel thing to legs that had been wholly, if imperfectly, mine for years. Whose thighs were these? What happened to mine? I spent the entire summer looking for them. I searched in vain, at pools and beaches, anywhere I might find female limbs exposed. I became obsessed. I had nightmares filled with cellulite and flesh that turns to bumps in the night. Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans and Sheer Energy pantyhose. Then, just when my guard was down, the thieves struck again !! My butt was next. I knew it was the same gang because they took pains to match my new rear end (although badly attached at least three incheslower than the original) to the thighs they had stuck me with earlier. Now my rear complimented my legs, lump for lump. Frantic, I prayed that long skirts would stay in fashion. It was 2 years ago when I realized my arms had been switched. One morning while fixing my hair, I watched, horrified but fascinated, asthe flesh of my upper arms swung to and fro with the motion of thehairbrush. In the end, in deepening despair, I gave up my T-shirts.This was really getting scary. My body was being replaced, cleverly and fiendishly, one section at a time.Age? Age had nothing to do with it. Age was supposed to creep up, unnoticed and intangible, something like maturity. NO, I was being attacked, repeatedly and without warning. That's why I've decided to tell my story. I can't take on the medicalprofession by myself. Women of America, wake up and smell the coffee!That isn't really "plastic" those surgeons are using. You know where they'regetting those replacement parts, don't you? The next time you suspect someone has had a face "lifted," look again! Was it lifted from you? Check out those tummy tucks and buttocksraisings. Look familiar? Are those your eyelids on that movie star? I think I finally may have found my thighs...and I hope that CindyCrawford paid a really good price for them! This is NOT a hoax! This is happening to women in every town every night. WARN ALL YOUR FRIENDS.

P.S. - I feel much better knowing this is happening to other women. I thought I was just getting old! I must say that last year I thought someone had stolen my breasts. I was lying in bed and they were gone. As I sprang from my bed I was relieved to see that they were just hiding in my pajama bottoms. From now on I plan to keep them hidden in my waistband.


Thanks to H*S*H for this one!

So dear, what did YOU do today?

I love this little story. So many husbands don't appreciate what their wives go through every day taking care of their home and children. I am lucky and have a wonderful hubby who not only understands me but understands the days when I'm not Supermom. Enjoy!:

A man came home from work and found his three children outside,still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. H! e quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?" She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world did I do today?" "Yes," was his incredulous reply. She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

Thanks to my fellow boardie Fourfarrells for this gem.

Walmart strikes again!

Grr at Walmart!

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest/forbes/P100080.asp?GT1=5809

Kudos To Supermodel Gisele!

I loved the Oprah show today. See the highlights here (http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200411/tows_past_20041115.jhtml) Julia Roberts and supermodel Gisele made over their best friends. Here is a shocker...Gisele has a fat best friend. I know a model and a big girl, can you imagine? Oprah's makeover team transformed this girl from dumpy frumpy into a sexy plus size goddess. I thought she looked terrific. But Gisele's comment was what shocked me. She said she didn't want to stand next her to friend because the friend looked more beautiful now. And I think she meant it. I really think she had true admiration for her plus sized friend. Good for her! I thought Gisele was gorgeous from her photos, but when she opened her mouth she became 10 times more beautiful in my eyes.

No Growling!

Somehow my sweet little girl has turned into a monster. A regular fire breathing dragon! Every time she doesn't get what she wants or we scold her, she "grrrrr"'s at us. It's awful.

Life with a 2 year old diva...

Today Josh and I made the mistake of thinking that our 2 year old daughter could behave with some social grace at a memorial service. I mean, who were we kidding. This is the same girl who just yesterday colored on the walls. We started off in the cry room. Well that was inappropriately named for us...for us it was the screaming room for Princess Abigail. She refused to take her coat off (I think it may have been a fashion statement because it matched her outfit so nicely, but that's just me) or sit nicely on Mommy's nap. She just screamed at the top of her lungs "C'mon, c'mon yet's go!". So she finally got her wish and Daddy took her back to Grandma's house. Poor Daddy :-(

Later in the day we took her shopping to pick up some Christmas gifts. While I was ooing and aahing over things, Abby tried to escape from her buggy Houdini style. Naturally she was still wearing her little leopard furry coat. Ugh. Imagine how horrible it would have been to have her running round screaming "C'mon c'mon yet's go!" in the middle of Bath and Body Works.

When we got home, Mommy and Daddy were in dire need of a nap. But Princess Abby had fallen asleep in the car and no longer felt sleepy. She sure needed a nap though because she was SO crabby and screamed and whined all day. Oh the joys of being 2....

Thoughts about today

Today Abby treated me to a beautiful crayon mural in the hallway. I thought she was playing with Milo our cat, but instead she was creating a masterpiece in under 10 minutes. Thank goodness for Mr. Clean eraser or I would've been in some serious trouble.

Scott Peterson was found guilty today! I have to say that I was honestly surprised. Since most of the evidence against him is circumstantial I expected that the jury would either be a hung jury or come back with a not guilty verdict. I am glad that justice prevailed. I hope that this verdict brings a sense of closure for Laci's family. What a terrible thing it must be to know that your son-in-law is responsible for taking your daughter and grandson's lives in such a brutal manner.

"There is no wisdom without love."
— N. Sri Ram

I finally escaped and went shopping!

I have been feeling SO cooped up. It's mostly my own fault. It's been a tough time for me adjusting to my new medicine. I can never be sure if I will get through the day without feeling sick to my stomach. But I couldn't stand being stuck at home anymore, so I got Josh to take us out shopping.

We had a lot of fun looking at stuff in Pier 1 for our new house. I touched all the cashmere sweaters in TJ Maxx and wished I could bring one home with me.

We went to Bath and Body works and they have the yummiest new flavors. I love the Creme Brulee' scent the most. They all smell like something to eat. I am hoping to find one of those in my stocking. Check it out: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/browse.do?nav_keyword=our_collections.tutti_dolci&product_detail_keyword=tutti.moisturizing_souffle

Talk about recycling....

As a "boardie" on Ebay's discussion boards, I have read many a horror story about what buyer's receive. I have heard of people receive their goodies in a kitty litter bag or a tampon box. But this bidder's story takes the cake. They received their purchase wrapped in a soiled Depends.
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jsp?forum=107&thread=410353374&start=0&msRange=81

It's been rough...

Darling Abby hasn't been sleeping through the night for the past week or so. Unfortunately she caught the bad cold/flu that I had. So I have been super tired.

4 More Years of Bush :-(

I just read on CNN.com that Senator John Kerry conceded the election to Pres. Bush. Until I read that, I was holding out a small bit of hope that Kerry might win. But instead we face another four years of Bush.

I'm so dissappointed in the voters. Bush is running this country into the ground. We had a chance to get him out of office but instead 1/2 of the voters wanted to keep him. Why? It makes me ill.

Why do doctors have to be so cryptic?

Why is it that you can't ever get a straight answer out of a doctor's office?!? I swear it's the most frustrating thing. I could probably get a password to the Pentagon easier than I could find out what's written in my medical chart.

Yesterday they called and left me a message to call them. So today I did. The nurse says "You have to come back in. Some of the levels in your blood test were high." So naturally this concerns me and I ask "Which levels?". She responds with, "Well it looks like your CBC". So, I hang up with her and rush off to Google "CBC" thinking that I will find an explanation. Turns out that CBC is just the test and doesn't tell me anything.

Why do they have to do things like that!?!