Tonight, I consider myself to be a survivor. What did I survive? I survived the drive to and from my step-son's home an hour's drive away without getting into a car accident.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't be much of a feat, but the drive tonight was not an easy one, to put it mildly. I will never understand why it is that when the wet stuff starts to fall from the sky, the people around here seem to lose all ability to operate a motor vehicle properly.
On the trip to Colin's home, we passed no less than a DOZEN car accidents. At one point there was accident upon accident upon accident, and as I drove past them, I watched another one occur in my rear-view mirror. Apparently, there was one accident, and when the rubber-necking started, people stopped paying attention to the road and started getting into accidents. This is exactly what I watched happen behind me.
On our drive back home, the traffic from those accidents was backed up as far as we could see before we eventually had to exit the interstate to make our way home. I guess I'm not only lucky that I wasn't in an accident, but also that I didn't get stuck in that traffic. We might have been there for quite a while.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
We decided to skip all of the Black Friday chaos this year, partly because we didn't want to spend any money, and partly because there usually isn't anything that we want to buy that is a great bargain.
Then I got an email from Home Depot on Thanksgiving morning with their Black Friday deals. Lo and behold, there it was. The one Black Friday deal I couldn't pass up. A 7.5' LED pre-lit faux Christmas tree, which is regularly $199, on sale for $49. I had to have it.
Phil and I had been discussing getting a fake tree for a few years, but we just couldn't find one that was nice enough for our tastes and also cheap enough for our budget. I knew that the tree in the ad would fit the bill for us. So, I told Phil that he would have to be at Home Depot at 6am on Friday morning to get it for me.
When he got there he saw the crowd swarming the pallet of trees in front of him, only to find it completely empty when he got to it. My cousin's husband was also there, and he and Phil decided to go look at the rest of the fake trees there. Amazingly, they found two more of the trees buried in a pile of boxes of other trees. Yep, Phil got the very last tree they had.
And here it is:
It's not finished being decorated, but it doesn't look half bad, does it? And because it has the LED lights on it, we won't have to use as much electricity to light it this year. Way to go green, huh?
Then I got an email from Home Depot on Thanksgiving morning with their Black Friday deals. Lo and behold, there it was. The one Black Friday deal I couldn't pass up. A 7.5' LED pre-lit faux Christmas tree, which is regularly $199, on sale for $49. I had to have it.
Phil and I had been discussing getting a fake tree for a few years, but we just couldn't find one that was nice enough for our tastes and also cheap enough for our budget. I knew that the tree in the ad would fit the bill for us. So, I told Phil that he would have to be at Home Depot at 6am on Friday morning to get it for me.
When he got there he saw the crowd swarming the pallet of trees in front of him, only to find it completely empty when he got to it. My cousin's husband was also there, and he and Phil decided to go look at the rest of the fake trees there. Amazingly, they found two more of the trees buried in a pile of boxes of other trees. Yep, Phil got the very last tree they had.
And here it is:
It's not finished being decorated, but it doesn't look half bad, does it? And because it has the LED lights on it, we won't have to use as much electricity to light it this year. Way to go green, huh?
For Emily
My good bloggy buddy, Queenie Jeannie, is having another cool give away, and the prize would make a great Christmas gift for Emily. They're really cute little coin pearl earrings, and Emily specifically asked for "dangly earrings" on her Christmas list. Let's all pray that I win these for her.
Friday, November 28, 2008
EDS Update
I talked to my cousin at Thanksgiving dinner yesterday about her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. While she didn't say exactly what type she has, from the list of the symptoms she told me she has, it seems that she has the Classical type of EDS. And though this is one of the types that includes the heart problems (mitral valve prolapse), my cousin said that she has not had any heart problems that are caused by the disorder (she did have a heart problem, but it was not related to her EDS).
Also, some of her symptoms that she showed me, I realized that I have, too, but never realized that they were symptoms of a disorder. Because of that, I am even more convinced that I have EDS, too. If Katie is diagnosed with it, I will be 100% sure about it. And I have also had my heart thoroughly checked out by a cardiologist (while I was in the hospital after delivering Katie), and have no problems at all with it.
So, the good news is that if Katie has EDS, it should be anything to worry about too much. We'll mostly just have to make sure she's extra careful if she participates in sports or gymnastics, since she'll be more at risk for joint injuries.
Also, some of her symptoms that she showed me, I realized that I have, too, but never realized that they were symptoms of a disorder. Because of that, I am even more convinced that I have EDS, too. If Katie is diagnosed with it, I will be 100% sure about it. And I have also had my heart thoroughly checked out by a cardiologist (while I was in the hospital after delivering Katie), and have no problems at all with it.
So, the good news is that if Katie has EDS, it should be anything to worry about too much. We'll mostly just have to make sure she's extra careful if she participates in sports or gymnastics, since she'll be more at risk for joint injuries.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Giving Thanks
On this Thanksgiving Day, I take time to reflect on the things in my life that I am thankful for.
For my husband, Phil, who has brought so much joy to my life;
For my beautiful daughters, Sarah, Emily, and Katie Grace, who give me such a great purpose in my life;
For my cat, Bella, who loves me and keeps my feet warm at night;
For the clothes on my back, the food in my belly, and the warm house I live in;
For my best friends, Ann and Michelle, who are the sisters my parents never gave me;
For my parents who are always there to help me out, and who believe in me;
For my church which gives me such a welcoming family to worship with;
For my good health, and the good health of my family;
For my friends, my family, and my good neighbors, who each enrich my life in their own special ways;
Thank you, Jesus, for all of these blessings, and for all of the wonderful blessings you still have in store for me. Amen.
For my husband, Phil, who has brought so much joy to my life;
For my beautiful daughters, Sarah, Emily, and Katie Grace, who give me such a great purpose in my life;
For my cat, Bella, who loves me and keeps my feet warm at night;
For the clothes on my back, the food in my belly, and the warm house I live in;
For my best friends, Ann and Michelle, who are the sisters my parents never gave me;
For my parents who are always there to help me out, and who believe in me;
For my church which gives me such a welcoming family to worship with;
For my good health, and the good health of my family;
For my friends, my family, and my good neighbors, who each enrich my life in their own special ways;
Thank you, Jesus, for all of these blessings, and for all of the wonderful blessings you still have in store for me. Amen.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
I learned a couple of things today. First, it is highly likely that Katie does indeed have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Why do I think this? Because I found out this morning that my cousin was diagnosed with it while she was in the military a few years ago. The fact that it is an inherited genetic disorder, and I have a close blood relative who has already been diagnosed with it, means I probably passed it on to her.
Second, the method used to test my cousin for the disorder is not something I am looking forward to having done to Katie. How did they test her for it? With a skin biopsy. They'll most likely cut a small piece of Katie's skin off to look at under a microscope. They may also do a blood test.
Not that I want to, but now I'm wondering if I should have myself and the other girls all tested, too.
Second, the method used to test my cousin for the disorder is not something I am looking forward to having done to Katie. How did they test her for it? With a skin biopsy. They'll most likely cut a small piece of Katie's skin off to look at under a microscope. They may also do a blood test.
Not that I want to, but now I'm wondering if I should have myself and the other girls all tested, too.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Katie
I mentioned yesterday that we took Katie to the neurologist. The reason we took her was because I have been worrying that her hand muscles were weak and that she might need occupational therapy to strengthen them. Our pediatrician said that we needed to start with an evaluation from a neurologist, so off we went.
After giving Katie a very thorough examination, the neurologist was very impressed with how advanced she is mentally, but said he was unimpressed with her lack of hand strength. He said that if I wasn't worried about it, he wouldn't send her for occupational therapy, but he was going to, just in case I'm right. He also said that because she is so advanced in every other way, having this little thing "wrong" with her might be the one thing that allows her to "be normal" and "blend into society." LOL!
The neurologist did find one thing that he was concerned about though. He noticed that Katie seems to have very elastic skin on her hands and arms, and that I do, too, though not as significant. He said that elastic skin, as well as weak muscles, are symptoms of a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. He wants us to take her to the the USF Genetics Department to have her tested for it.
So, once we get through the Thanksgiving festivities this week, I'll be calling to schedule Katie for more appointments to get this all figured out. Wish us luck!
After giving Katie a very thorough examination, the neurologist was very impressed with how advanced she is mentally, but said he was unimpressed with her lack of hand strength. He said that if I wasn't worried about it, he wouldn't send her for occupational therapy, but he was going to, just in case I'm right. He also said that because she is so advanced in every other way, having this little thing "wrong" with her might be the one thing that allows her to "be normal" and "blend into society." LOL!
The neurologist did find one thing that he was concerned about though. He noticed that Katie seems to have very elastic skin on her hands and arms, and that I do, too, though not as significant. He said that elastic skin, as well as weak muscles, are symptoms of a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. He wants us to take her to the the USF Genetics Department to have her tested for it.
So, once we get through the Thanksgiving festivities this week, I'll be calling to schedule Katie for more appointments to get this all figured out. Wish us luck!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Who Can I Sue?
This morning, Phil and I took Katie to see a neurologist about a developmental delay that she may have. I'll tell you more about that in another post, as I still have some research to do.
Anyhow, on our way to the neurologist's office, Phil spotted a billboard ad for a website that we found to be quite hilarious. The billboard pictured a man with a brief case in the middle of a fall (he was in the air and falling onto his back), with the name of the website scrawled across the bottom of the billboard. The name of this website? WhoCanISue.com. Seriously.
What is this world coming to when you have a website with a name like that and the billboard for it in a not-so-well-off neighborhood? It's like they're telling these people that there's no need to get a J-O-B; just find somebody to sue. That'll take care of all of your problems, won't it?
Anyhow, on our way to the neurologist's office, Phil spotted a billboard ad for a website that we found to be quite hilarious. The billboard pictured a man with a brief case in the middle of a fall (he was in the air and falling onto his back), with the name of the website scrawled across the bottom of the billboard. The name of this website? WhoCanISue.com. Seriously.
What is this world coming to when you have a website with a name like that and the billboard for it in a not-so-well-off neighborhood? It's like they're telling these people that there's no need to get a J-O-B; just find somebody to sue. That'll take care of all of your problems, won't it?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Power of Positive Thinking
Yesterday, I attended a Mary Kay "boot camp". It was basically an all day training seminar that covered several different subjects. While I found the entire day's lessons to be very inspiring, the first subject, "Attitude", was the most inspiring to me.
In this training session, we were not only told about the power of positive thinking, but the destructiveness of negative thinking. We were taught about how the word "No" is not really negative. "No" means that nothing changes. For example, if you ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar, and they tell you, "Yes," you now have more than what you did before. However, if they say, "No," you still have exactly what you had before. Your neighbor didn't take anything from you, so you haven't lost anything.
The point here, is that you shouldn't be afraid to ask someone for something for fear that they will say, "No." If they say, "No," that only means that nothing changes. But what if they say, "Yes?" You have then gained something, right?
After meeting with my sales director, I decided that to achieve what I want from my Mary Kay business, I really need to have some sort of inventory in stock so that I can deliver to my customers on the spot, instead of making them wait for their order to be shipped. The problem with this idea was that I have absolutely ZERO funds and ZERO available credit with which to purchase my start-up inventory.
So, I started going through my list of who I normally go to for help when I need it. Mom? No, she already helped as much as she could. Aunt? No, she's having her own financial troubles right now. Father-in-Law? He's already paying for my attorney fees to deal with my dead-beat ex-husband.
Then I thought about my Dad. I don't know why, but I've always been afraid to ask my Dad for anything. I've never asked him for anything, because I've always been afraid that he would say, "No." But then I thought about the lesson I had just learned in my training session. What if I asked him and he said, "No?" I wouldn't be any worse off than I already was, would I? So, what did I have to lose?
I decided to wait until today to ask my Dad for the help I needed. It wasn't because I was still afraid to ask him, but because I wanted to wait until after church. I wanted to have the chance to pray about it, not only at home, but also in the house of God.
The more I prayed about it, and the more I thought about it, the more positive I became about it. By the time I left church this afternoon, I was no longer thinking about "if" I got my inventory, but "when" I got my inventory. It was no longer a possibility for me; It was DEFINITELY going to happen.
When I called my Dad this afternoon, there was no fear left in me. I was just going to lay it all out there for him and ask for what I wanted. If he said, "No," then I was just going to find another way to make it happen. I had nothing to lose, and only good to gain.
My Dad said, "Yes." I will get my start-up inventory. I will have a successful Mary Kay business. I will pay my Dad back in no time. I will not let fear hold me back.
In this training session, we were not only told about the power of positive thinking, but the destructiveness of negative thinking. We were taught about how the word "No" is not really negative. "No" means that nothing changes. For example, if you ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar, and they tell you, "Yes," you now have more than what you did before. However, if they say, "No," you still have exactly what you had before. Your neighbor didn't take anything from you, so you haven't lost anything.
The point here, is that you shouldn't be afraid to ask someone for something for fear that they will say, "No." If they say, "No," that only means that nothing changes. But what if they say, "Yes?" You have then gained something, right?
After meeting with my sales director, I decided that to achieve what I want from my Mary Kay business, I really need to have some sort of inventory in stock so that I can deliver to my customers on the spot, instead of making them wait for their order to be shipped. The problem with this idea was that I have absolutely ZERO funds and ZERO available credit with which to purchase my start-up inventory.
So, I started going through my list of who I normally go to for help when I need it. Mom? No, she already helped as much as she could. Aunt? No, she's having her own financial troubles right now. Father-in-Law? He's already paying for my attorney fees to deal with my dead-beat ex-husband.
Then I thought about my Dad. I don't know why, but I've always been afraid to ask my Dad for anything. I've never asked him for anything, because I've always been afraid that he would say, "No." But then I thought about the lesson I had just learned in my training session. What if I asked him and he said, "No?" I wouldn't be any worse off than I already was, would I? So, what did I have to lose?
I decided to wait until today to ask my Dad for the help I needed. It wasn't because I was still afraid to ask him, but because I wanted to wait until after church. I wanted to have the chance to pray about it, not only at home, but also in the house of God.
The more I prayed about it, and the more I thought about it, the more positive I became about it. By the time I left church this afternoon, I was no longer thinking about "if" I got my inventory, but "when" I got my inventory. It was no longer a possibility for me; It was DEFINITELY going to happen.
When I called my Dad this afternoon, there was no fear left in me. I was just going to lay it all out there for him and ask for what I wanted. If he said, "No," then I was just going to find another way to make it happen. I had nothing to lose, and only good to gain.
My Dad said, "Yes." I will get my start-up inventory. I will have a successful Mary Kay business. I will pay my Dad back in no time. I will not let fear hold me back.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Twilight Movie Review
So, I was going to write a post about the Twilight movie. Of course, I decided to get caught up on reading some of the blogs I've been neglecting lately with my busy schedule first. That's when I came upon Queenie Jeannie's review of the movie. You can go here to read it. Go ahead, I'll wait for you to get back.
In case you didn't read the comments on her review, here's what I had to say:
So, yeah, that about sums it up. I didn't expect it to be exactly like the book. I'm not that stupid. However, the movie, on its own merits, was just plain BAD. Buy, hey, don't let that stop you from seeing it if you were planning on it. If they make enough money, they'll make a sequel which will hopefully be much better than this atrocity.
In case you didn't read the comments on her review, here's what I had to say:
"I totally agree with everything you said here! Jasper freaked me out! He reminded me of Edward Scissorhands. Robert Pattinson is NOT Edward at all! Period. And Rosalie is supposed to be incredibly beautiful and that girl who played her wasn't.even.close.
AND there were just some flat out CHEESY parts in the movie that made me want to vomit."
So, yeah, that about sums it up. I didn't expect it to be exactly like the book. I'm not that stupid. However, the movie, on its own merits, was just plain BAD. Buy, hey, don't let that stop you from seeing it if you were planning on it. If they make enough money, they'll make a sequel which will hopefully be much better than this atrocity.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Birthday Continued
We ended up going to The Spaghetti Warehouse for lunch with my dad this afternoon. It had been several years since Phil and I had been there, and I remembered having liked the chicken alfredo I had the last time we went. Unfortunately, it just wasn't up to par today. I don't know if they were just having an off-day or if they've changed their recipe and it's just not as good any more. It's probably better that it wasn't delicious, because I might have overeaten if it was.
After lunch, we headed home so that Katie could take her nap and I could get some papers together to take to my attorney. While Katie napped, I ran my errands. I got home just after the older girls got home from school.
I knew that Twilight was going to sell out fast tonight, I had already purchased our tickets a couple of days ago. And after experiencing a long waiting line when we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean III, I knew we needed to get to the theater well ahead of the show time to make sure we got good seats. So, I gathered up the girls, who were out in the neighborhood with their friends, so they could get ready to leave for the theater.
Do you remember that awful cake from my mother's wedding? Well, in addition to getting a full refund from the Publix store manager, my mother got him to give us a cake for my birthday, too. She brought it over before I ran my errands, but I didn't have time to eat any of it until after I got home. So, before we left for the theater, we had vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream icing for dessert. YUM!
We ended up bringing Sarah's friend Eryn with us since I was able to purchase another ticket for our showing online before we left. We picked up my friend, Michelle, who actually bought my ticket for my birthday, on our way to the theater, so it was a total girls' night for the five of us.
When we got to the theater, there was already a small line for our showing, but it wasn't bad because there was only about seven or eight people ahead of us. We took turns going to the concessions stand and ended up eating hot dogs and popcorn for dinner while we waited in line for the theater to open up. When it finally did, we got great seats, so it was totally worth it.
I'm very tired now after my long day, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear my thoughts on the movie.
BTW, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday today. Also, I'm sorry if it seems like I've been ignoring your blogs over the past few days. I've just been incredibly busy and I have barely had the time to keep up with my own blog. I promise I'll get caught back up with you very soon. Thanks for sticking with me!
After lunch, we headed home so that Katie could take her nap and I could get some papers together to take to my attorney. While Katie napped, I ran my errands. I got home just after the older girls got home from school.
I knew that Twilight was going to sell out fast tonight, I had already purchased our tickets a couple of days ago. And after experiencing a long waiting line when we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean III, I knew we needed to get to the theater well ahead of the show time to make sure we got good seats. So, I gathered up the girls, who were out in the neighborhood with their friends, so they could get ready to leave for the theater.
Do you remember that awful cake from my mother's wedding? Well, in addition to getting a full refund from the Publix store manager, my mother got him to give us a cake for my birthday, too. She brought it over before I ran my errands, but I didn't have time to eat any of it until after I got home. So, before we left for the theater, we had vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream icing for dessert. YUM!
We ended up bringing Sarah's friend Eryn with us since I was able to purchase another ticket for our showing online before we left. We picked up my friend, Michelle, who actually bought my ticket for my birthday, on our way to the theater, so it was a total girls' night for the five of us.
When we got to the theater, there was already a small line for our showing, but it wasn't bad because there was only about seven or eight people ahead of us. We took turns going to the concessions stand and ended up eating hot dogs and popcorn for dinner while we waited in line for the theater to open up. When it finally did, we got great seats, so it was totally worth it.
I'm very tired now after my long day, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear my thoughts on the movie.
BTW, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday today. Also, I'm sorry if it seems like I've been ignoring your blogs over the past few days. I've just been incredibly busy and I have barely had the time to keep up with my own blog. I promise I'll get caught back up with you very soon. Thanks for sticking with me!
Happy Birthday to Me
Well, I didn't wake up to an ice cold Coca-Cola like I had hoped, but that wasn't entirely Phil's fault. For some reason, I had trouble sleeping last night, and I was awake before he was. Maybe it was the thought of "35" looming over me that kept me from sleeping.
After Phil woke up, he promptly ran out and got my ice cold Coca-Cola and a box of Krispy Kreme donuts for me. Breakfast in bed was DELICIOUS!
After spending a little bit of time on the internet checking emails and blogs, I got to take a long, hot, bubble bath - a luxury that I rarely get since Katie is usually attached to me 24/7.
Now, I have to go get dressed for lunch with my dad. Hopefully, we won't be eating at McDonald's today. Of course, I really won't be too disappointed if we do since it's still McRib season.
After Phil woke up, he promptly ran out and got my ice cold Coca-Cola and a box of Krispy Kreme donuts for me. Breakfast in bed was DELICIOUS!
After spending a little bit of time on the internet checking emails and blogs, I got to take a long, hot, bubble bath - a luxury that I rarely get since Katie is usually attached to me 24/7.
Now, I have to go get dressed for lunch with my dad. Hopefully, we won't be eating at McDonald's today. Of course, I really won't be too disappointed if we do since it's still McRib season.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Long Day + No Caffeine = Headache
I had to get up early this morning so I could take my mother to her dermatologist appointment at 8:45.
Then she dragged me shopping all over the mall where I learned that it is impossible to keep track of both my mother and Katie at the same time.
Because we were at the mall, Katie missed her nap and was exceptionally whiny for the rest of the day.
I had to go to the girls' school this evening to have conferences with a couple of Emily's teachers.
I met Emily's geography teacher tonight, and I don't like her.
I'm going to sleep now to try to get rid of this headache before my birthday tomorrow.
If Phil really loves me, he'll have an ice cold Coca-Cola waiting for me when I wake up.
Then she dragged me shopping all over the mall where I learned that it is impossible to keep track of both my mother and Katie at the same time.
Because we were at the mall, Katie missed her nap and was exceptionally whiny for the rest of the day.
I had to go to the girls' school this evening to have conferences with a couple of Emily's teachers.
I met Emily's geography teacher tonight, and I don't like her.
I'm going to sleep now to try to get rid of this headache before my birthday tomorrow.
If Phil really loves me, he'll have an ice cold Coca-Cola waiting for me when I wake up.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
It's (Almost) Official
A few months ago, my friend, Julie, became a Mary Kay consultant and invited me to a party at her house. I was mildly interested in the products, but more interested in helping Julie start her business, so I scheduled at skin care class with her.
Julie told me that if I brought at least two guests with me to my skin care class, I would qualify for a great discount, and since I'm not one to pass up a great deal, I brought along my friend, Michelle, and my mother. At the skin care class, we all had a great time, and I was really impressed with the Mary Kay skin care products. I made a purchase that night and started using the products right away.
Michelle also bought some products that night and scheduled her own skin care class with Julie. I attended her skin care class about a week ago, and had a ton of fun again. At this point, I had been using the Mary Kay skin care products for about a month and a half, and I totally loved them. Every time I would talk up a product that I loved, Julie would point out to me that I could be doing that and earning money for myself.
That's when I decided to "bite the bullet" and join Mary Kay. I had been thinking about starting some sort of work-from-home-business in the future when Katie starts kindergarten, but I decided to stop waiting and just do it now. Besides, with the large commission percentage, even if I only buy stuff for myself and my girls, I'll be getting an amazing discount. And if people buy stuff from me? Even better.
My only obstacle was coming up with the money for the starter kit. Since we've been operating sans child support for the past several months, we've been struggling to just get by. And with Christmas on the horizon, there was just no possible way we could spare a dime to start my business venture, especially since I probably won't see any kind of profit for a couple of months at least.
Thankfully, my mother and step-father decided that they would give me the money I need for the starter kit for my birthday (and Christmas). Once I deposit it into the bank, I can officially sign on. By this time tomorrow, I will be an official Mary Kay Consultant. I'm so excited! I hope I do well. Please wish me luck!
Julie told me that if I brought at least two guests with me to my skin care class, I would qualify for a great discount, and since I'm not one to pass up a great deal, I brought along my friend, Michelle, and my mother. At the skin care class, we all had a great time, and I was really impressed with the Mary Kay skin care products. I made a purchase that night and started using the products right away.
Michelle also bought some products that night and scheduled her own skin care class with Julie. I attended her skin care class about a week ago, and had a ton of fun again. At this point, I had been using the Mary Kay skin care products for about a month and a half, and I totally loved them. Every time I would talk up a product that I loved, Julie would point out to me that I could be doing that and earning money for myself.
That's when I decided to "bite the bullet" and join Mary Kay. I had been thinking about starting some sort of work-from-home-business in the future when Katie starts kindergarten, but I decided to stop waiting and just do it now. Besides, with the large commission percentage, even if I only buy stuff for myself and my girls, I'll be getting an amazing discount. And if people buy stuff from me? Even better.
My only obstacle was coming up with the money for the starter kit. Since we've been operating sans child support for the past several months, we've been struggling to just get by. And with Christmas on the horizon, there was just no possible way we could spare a dime to start my business venture, especially since I probably won't see any kind of profit for a couple of months at least.
Thankfully, my mother and step-father decided that they would give me the money I need for the starter kit for my birthday (and Christmas). Once I deposit it into the bank, I can officially sign on. By this time tomorrow, I will be an official Mary Kay Consultant. I'm so excited! I hope I do well. Please wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Bright Spot in My Gray Day
As the coughing and gagging continued today, I received a little something that brings a little happy to my day. I have been bestowed with another blog award by What A Card.
The award is written in Portuguese.
The Snazzy Blog Award
This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.
I hereby pass this award along to:
1. Ashley.Unscripted
2. Jeanie's Happy World
3. K... Is Not Your Average Girl
4. Life as a Mom at 22
5. Lipstick at the Mailbox
6. The Scattered Mind of a Tattooed Minivan Mom
7. Tina Bug Time
8. Where Are My Angels?
Now go share the bloggy love!
The award is written in Portuguese.
The Snazzy Blog Award
This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.
I hereby pass this award along to:
1. Ashley.Unscripted
2. Jeanie's Happy World
3. K... Is Not Your Average Girl
4. Life as a Mom at 22
5. Lipstick at the Mailbox
6. The Scattered Mind of a Tattooed Minivan Mom
7. Tina Bug Time
8. Where Are My Angels?
Now go share the bloggy love!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sick, Sick, Sick, Sick
You may recall that I had to take Katie to the doctor on Thursday for her throat infection. Well, her cough kept getting worse over the weekend, and this morning she was so congested that she vomited up a bunch of phlegm that she had swallowed.
Then, Emily came to tell me that Sarah was sick and she didn't think she was going to school.
And did I mention that I haven't been feeling so hot myself?
So, I got on the phone and started making appointments for the three of us to see our doctors. My appointment was first.
I have an upper-respiratory infection. No surprise there - story of my life! I got some antibiotics and a decongestant.
After my appointment, I decided to call the girls' doctor back and see if they could get Emily in with Sarah and Katie. Emily has been complaining off and on about her throat hurting, so I figured that I might as well take her in, too, just in case.
After picking Emily up from school, we went to lunch at Chick-fil-A, and then headed to the pediatrician's office. Our regular doctor, Dr. Bob, is in Rome this week, so we saw one of the other doctors for the first time. We all really liked her a lot.
The verdict? They're all sick. (Duh!) Katie's throat infection has spread to her upper respiratory system, so she was given a different, stronger antibiotic. Emily has a nasty ear infection and a mild throat infection. Sarah was actually the least sick with nothing more than a mild throat infection.
The doctor left it up to me whether or not to give Sarah an antibiotic. Since the rest of us are taking them, I decided it would be best for Sarah to do so, as well. This way, we'll all be infection free at the same time and we won't keep passing this junk around to each other.
Hopefully, we'll all be feeling better by the weekend. Especially since my birthday is Friday AND Twilight comes to the theaters the same day.
Then, Emily came to tell me that Sarah was sick and she didn't think she was going to school.
And did I mention that I haven't been feeling so hot myself?
So, I got on the phone and started making appointments for the three of us to see our doctors. My appointment was first.
I have an upper-respiratory infection. No surprise there - story of my life! I got some antibiotics and a decongestant.
After my appointment, I decided to call the girls' doctor back and see if they could get Emily in with Sarah and Katie. Emily has been complaining off and on about her throat hurting, so I figured that I might as well take her in, too, just in case.
After picking Emily up from school, we went to lunch at Chick-fil-A, and then headed to the pediatrician's office. Our regular doctor, Dr. Bob, is in Rome this week, so we saw one of the other doctors for the first time. We all really liked her a lot.
The verdict? They're all sick. (Duh!) Katie's throat infection has spread to her upper respiratory system, so she was given a different, stronger antibiotic. Emily has a nasty ear infection and a mild throat infection. Sarah was actually the least sick with nothing more than a mild throat infection.
The doctor left it up to me whether or not to give Sarah an antibiotic. Since the rest of us are taking them, I decided it would be best for Sarah to do so, as well. This way, we'll all be infection free at the same time and we won't keep passing this junk around to each other.
Hopefully, we'll all be feeling better by the weekend. Especially since my birthday is Friday AND Twilight comes to the theaters the same day.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Woo-Hoo!
As I was driving home from church this morning, I scared the crap out of my daughters when I screamed, "Woo-hoo!" What could have possibly caused me to make such an exclamation? Only the one good thing to come out of this whole economic crisis.
That's right, people. Cheap gas has finally come to town!
That's right, people. Cheap gas has finally come to town!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Would You Rather
C, AKA Tattooed Minivan Mom, is hosting a little game of Would You Rather over on her blog. She asked her readers to submit some Would You Rather questions to her, and she has posted them, along with her answers, so that we can all play along.
So, here we go:
1. Would you rather eat a cockroach or a bull nut?
I'd rather not eat either one, but if I had to choose, I'd go with the cockroach, since with my life long love of hot dogs, I've probably already eaten a few of them already.
2. Would you rather not shower for a month or not brush your teeth for a month?
I'd definitely rather not brush my teeth. I think I'd get rather stinky and my hair would be all nasty and oily if I didn't shower for a month.
3. Would you rather have to have sex everyday for a year straight or go six months without it? Knowing you HAVE to do it everyday VS. the anticipation of what is to cum in 6 months.
Tough choice. I think going six months without sex would be the easier thing for both me and the old man.
4. Would you rather find true love or 1 million dollars?
I've already found true love, so all I need now is the million dollars.
5. Would you rather always have to say everything on your mind or never speak again?
It would probably keep me out of trouble if I could never speak again. Plus, I could still blog as much as I wanted.
6. Would you rather know it all or have it all?
If I choose "have it all," does that mean that I have to give up what I already know and become ignorant? I rather like being a genius (yes, it's official people), and I would hate to lose that.
7. Would you rather have extremely bad tourettes or uncontrollable orgasms?
If I had Tourette's, it would give me a really good excuse to go around yelling, "MOTHERFUCKER!!!" as much as I wanted to.
8. Would you rather skip Christmas for a year or skip your birthday for a year?
If I skip my birthday, do I still get older? I'll have to skip my birthday so as not to deprive my children of the joy of Christmas.
9. Would you rather be followed by a cloud of dust or a cloud of gnats?
A cloud of dust. Gnats are SO annoying and make way more noise than dust clouds.
10. Would you rather eat a toenail omelet or a hair sandwich?
Toenail omelet. I think I'd choke on the hair sandwich. Plus, if the toenail was ground up really finely, I'd probably not even notice it.
11. Would you rather lick the discharge from a cats eye or lick the dried spit from the corner of a teachers mouth?
Oh, that's just disgusting! I guess I'd have to choose the cat, since I really, really love my cat, and I can't think of a single teacher that I've ever wanted to put my tongue on.
12. Would you rather have dinner with the Obamas or go on a date with George Clooney?
George Clooney, for sure. I can't imagine that I would have anything in common with the Obamas. I certainly don't agree with their politics, and what else would we have to talk about?
13. Would you rather be paralyzed or blind?
Paralyzed. I want to be able to see my girls grow up, and see how beautiful they look on their wedding days. And I want to see my beautiful grandchildren one day.
14. Would you rather blog or sleep?
I'd like to choose both, but if I could only choose one, I'd have to choose sleep.
15. Would you rather take a cheese grater to your sunburned back, or pour alcohol in a new hole in your toe?
Alcohol on my toe. I could take the temporary pain of the alcohol, plus it would help keep my toe from getting infected.
16. Would you rather use the woods or a port-o-potty?
Considering that I've never been able to go in the woods, I'd have to choose the port-o-potty. Besides, that's what Purell was invented for.
Now, if you'd like to play along, too, just copy and paste these questions onto your blog, and replace my answers with your own answers. Then, go back to C's blog, and post a link to your post on her Mr. Linky.
So, here we go:
1. Would you rather eat a cockroach or a bull nut?
I'd rather not eat either one, but if I had to choose, I'd go with the cockroach, since with my life long love of hot dogs, I've probably already eaten a few of them already.
2. Would you rather not shower for a month or not brush your teeth for a month?
I'd definitely rather not brush my teeth. I think I'd get rather stinky and my hair would be all nasty and oily if I didn't shower for a month.
3. Would you rather have to have sex everyday for a year straight or go six months without it? Knowing you HAVE to do it everyday VS. the anticipation of what is to cum in 6 months.
Tough choice. I think going six months without sex would be the easier thing for both me and the old man.
4. Would you rather find true love or 1 million dollars?
I've already found true love, so all I need now is the million dollars.
5. Would you rather always have to say everything on your mind or never speak again?
It would probably keep me out of trouble if I could never speak again. Plus, I could still blog as much as I wanted.
6. Would you rather know it all or have it all?
If I choose "have it all," does that mean that I have to give up what I already know and become ignorant? I rather like being a genius (yes, it's official people), and I would hate to lose that.
7. Would you rather have extremely bad tourettes or uncontrollable orgasms?
If I had Tourette's, it would give me a really good excuse to go around yelling, "MOTHERFUCKER!!!" as much as I wanted to.
8. Would you rather skip Christmas for a year or skip your birthday for a year?
If I skip my birthday, do I still get older? I'll have to skip my birthday so as not to deprive my children of the joy of Christmas.
9. Would you rather be followed by a cloud of dust or a cloud of gnats?
A cloud of dust. Gnats are SO annoying and make way more noise than dust clouds.
10. Would you rather eat a toenail omelet or a hair sandwich?
Toenail omelet. I think I'd choke on the hair sandwich. Plus, if the toenail was ground up really finely, I'd probably not even notice it.
11. Would you rather lick the discharge from a cats eye or lick the dried spit from the corner of a teachers mouth?
Oh, that's just disgusting! I guess I'd have to choose the cat, since I really, really love my cat, and I can't think of a single teacher that I've ever wanted to put my tongue on.
12. Would you rather have dinner with the Obamas or go on a date with George Clooney?
George Clooney, for sure. I can't imagine that I would have anything in common with the Obamas. I certainly don't agree with their politics, and what else would we have to talk about?
13. Would you rather be paralyzed or blind?
Paralyzed. I want to be able to see my girls grow up, and see how beautiful they look on their wedding days. And I want to see my beautiful grandchildren one day.
14. Would you rather blog or sleep?
I'd like to choose both, but if I could only choose one, I'd have to choose sleep.
15. Would you rather take a cheese grater to your sunburned back, or pour alcohol in a new hole in your toe?
Alcohol on my toe. I could take the temporary pain of the alcohol, plus it would help keep my toe from getting infected.
16. Would you rather use the woods or a port-o-potty?
Considering that I've never been able to go in the woods, I'd have to choose the port-o-potty. Besides, that's what Purell was invented for.
Now, if you'd like to play along, too, just copy and paste these questions onto your blog, and replace my answers with your own answers. Then, go back to C's blog, and post a link to your post on her Mr. Linky.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
I WON! I WON! YAY, ME!
Some of you may recall my post from a week ago about a give away that Queenie Jeanie was having over at her blog for her very own cookbook. You know, that super convenient cookbook on CD?
Well, I just visited her blog, Jeannie's Happy World, to find out who the winners were (she picked three), and I won! She had her super-cute daughter, Bella, pull the three names from the bowl, and mine was the very first one she pulled out!
I'm NEVER this lucky. Maybe this means that my luck is finally changing. Maybe there will be a Christmas here after all. A girl can hope, can't she?
Some of you may recall my post from a week ago about a give away that Queenie Jeanie was having over at her blog for her very own cookbook. You know, that super convenient cookbook on CD?
Well, I just visited her blog, Jeannie's Happy World, to find out who the winners were (she picked three), and I won! She had her super-cute daughter, Bella, pull the three names from the bowl, and mine was the very first one she pulled out!
I'm NEVER this lucky. Maybe this means that my luck is finally changing. Maybe there will be a Christmas here after all. A girl can hope, can't she?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Katie Update
A little while after I gave Katie the cough medicine this morning, Emily said that Katie felt warm to her. So, I decided to take Katie's temperature. Everything was normal there, but I decided to give her the once-over to make sure she wasn't any sicker than she appeared to be.
When I lifted Katie's chin up so that I could feel her glands, I realized that there was no need to do so. Why? Because Katie's right gland was so swollen, it looked like she had gotten one of those rubber bouncy balls stuck in her throat!
As soon as her doctor's office opened, I called to get Katie an appointment. Sure enough, her throat was infected. Thankfully, it wasn't Strep (or not enough Strep to get a positive result with the rapid Strep test).
So, now Katie's got an antibiotic to take, and she should be feeling much better very soon. We're planning to take her Busch Gardens to see Jack Hanna on Saturday, so I hope she's feeling well by then.
When I lifted Katie's chin up so that I could feel her glands, I realized that there was no need to do so. Why? Because Katie's right gland was so swollen, it looked like she had gotten one of those rubber bouncy balls stuck in her throat!
As soon as her doctor's office opened, I called to get Katie an appointment. Sure enough, her throat was infected. Thankfully, it wasn't Strep (or not enough Strep to get a positive result with the rapid Strep test).
So, now Katie's got an antibiotic to take, and she should be feeling much better very soon. We're planning to take her Busch Gardens to see Jack Hanna on Saturday, so I hope she's feeling well by then.
Dear NBC,
YOU SUCK!!!
Just when I finally had Christian Slater back in my life on a regular basis, you go and rip him away from me. Why, oh, why must you torture me so?! Maybe if you didn't just cancel your shows all willy-nilly, they would have a chance to build a better following and your ratings would improve. Did you ever think of that, geniuses?!
I guess I'll be going to bed a little earlier on Monday nights now. I sure as hell am NOT going to be watching whatever craptacular show you put in that time slot.
Angrily Yours,
Melodie
Just when I finally had Christian Slater back in my life on a regular basis, you go and rip him away from me. Why, oh, why must you torture me so?! Maybe if you didn't just cancel your shows all willy-nilly, they would have a chance to build a better following and your ratings would improve. Did you ever think of that, geniuses?!
I guess I'll be going to bed a little earlier on Monday nights now. I sure as hell am NOT going to be watching whatever craptacular show you put in that time slot.
Angrily Yours,
Melodie
Early Morning Funny
It seems that Katie has a cold. She started coughing yesterday morning (so did I, for that matter), and it's only gotten worse. Her cough kept her up late and got her up early this morning, too.
So, when we got up this morning, I went to the medicine cabinet to see if we had anything for her cough. Luckily, we had some Pediasure cough medicine, and I gave her a dose of it. As I was putting the medicine away, Katie exclaimed, "I'm all better now!" LOL - If only it were truly that easy to make her feel better!
So, when we got up this morning, I went to the medicine cabinet to see if we had anything for her cough. Luckily, we had some Pediasure cough medicine, and I gave her a dose of it. As I was putting the medicine away, Katie exclaimed, "I'm all better now!" LOL - If only it were truly that easy to make her feel better!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Dear Daughters,
You are obviously unaware of how a garbage can works. Since you are so smart and sweet and completely obedient girls, I can only assume that you have no idea that this is NOT how a garbage can should be handled.
So, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. When the garbage reaches the top of the can, it is time to change the bag. It is NOT time to continue piling garbage up on top of the full can. Not only does this practice make it impossible to close the lid to the garbage can, but it makes it very difficult to change the bag in a neat and tidy manner.
Now that I have made you aware of how these things are supposed to work, please refrain from allowing the garbage to overflow like this ever again.
Sincerely,
Your Loving Mother
So, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. When the garbage reaches the top of the can, it is time to change the bag. It is NOT time to continue piling garbage up on top of the full can. Not only does this practice make it impossible to close the lid to the garbage can, but it makes it very difficult to change the bag in a neat and tidy manner.
Now that I have made you aware of how these things are supposed to work, please refrain from allowing the garbage to overflow like this ever again.
Sincerely,
Your Loving Mother
Absent-Minded
I'm making Katie her beloved Dinosaur Nuggets for lunch today. I was just sitting here at my computer reading emails when I suddenly panicked, thinking that I had forgotten to set the timer on my oven for the nuggets. So, I got up and went to the kitchen to check on it.
Well, I hadn't exactly forgotten to set the timer so much as I hadn't even put the nuggets into the oven in the first place! They definitely weren't going to overcook just sitting there on top of the stove, were they?
Well, I hadn't exactly forgotten to set the timer so much as I hadn't even put the nuggets into the oven in the first place! They definitely weren't going to overcook just sitting there on top of the stove, were they?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Busy, Busy, Busy
Sorry to post so late, but I have been a busy little bee today. In a very unhermitlike fashion (yes, I made that word up), I ventured out of the house today with Katie for a playdate at one of our local parks. It was nice to be out in the fresh air and to see some of our playgroup friends. Karen was there with her boys, and right after they left, we ran into Marta with her son and daughter.
Since there was no school today, the park was pretty crowded and we even ran into some of our non-playgroup friends.
Then, early this evening, Phil and I heard a crash come from Katie's room. There was no screaming or crying accompanying the crash, so I let Phil go investigate the noise on his own. Next thing I know, Phil is yelling for me to bring the camera. Katie had climbed up into her closet for the first time (can you believe it was only the first time?) to get some games down. The crash was Candyland and Perfection falling to the ground.
From the looks of Katie's closet, she's almost out of clean clothes to wear, so I guess I'll be doing her laundry tomorrow.
And finally, Katie was practicing cocking her eyebrow and making a face tonight. I couldn't get a very good shot of her doing it, so you'll just have to settle for this one.
Phil says that Katie's face reminds him of this face.
Since there was no school today, the park was pretty crowded and we even ran into some of our non-playgroup friends.
Then, early this evening, Phil and I heard a crash come from Katie's room. There was no screaming or crying accompanying the crash, so I let Phil go investigate the noise on his own. Next thing I know, Phil is yelling for me to bring the camera. Katie had climbed up into her closet for the first time (can you believe it was only the first time?) to get some games down. The crash was Candyland and Perfection falling to the ground.
From the looks of Katie's closet, she's almost out of clean clothes to wear, so I guess I'll be doing her laundry tomorrow.
And finally, Katie was practicing cocking her eyebrow and making a face tonight. I couldn't get a very good shot of her doing it, so you'll just have to settle for this one.
Phil says that Katie's face reminds him of this face.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Once Upon a Time
I just uploaded a bunch of photos from my wedding day seven years ago and thought I would share a few of them with you. You may recognize my wedding dress from my post about my mom's wedding.
And we're even more in love today than we were then!
And we're even more in love today than we were then!
Seven
Phil and I have been married for seven years today. We've had our ups and downs over the years, but we are still completely and totally in love with each other.
Phil is the love of my life, and I couldn't ask for a better husband for myself or father for our girls.
I love you, Baby! Happy Anniversary!
Phil is the love of my life, and I couldn't ask for a better husband for myself or father for our girls.
I love you, Baby! Happy Anniversary!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Third Time's the Charm
My mother and step-father got married for the third time Friday night at my house. No, it wasn't her third marriage or his third marriage; It was the third time they married each other.
It was a very small ceremony, but very sweet. My mother wasn't planning to dress up, but I told her that what she was planning to wear wasn't good enough. I wanted to shop with her for a new dress, but she said she didn't have time. So, I ended up letting her borrow my wedding gown.
Here are some photos from the wedding and dinner party following.
My step-dad and brother/Best Man waiting for the ladies.
Katie wore her Christmas dress and was the cutest flower girl ever.
My mom walking into the room.
My BFF Michelle performed the wedding ceremony. This was her first time doing so, and she did a great job.
The happy observers.
The obligatory wedding party photos.
Katie and Julianna were entertaining themselves during the seemingly neverending photo shoot.
All of the grandchildren photos.
Looks like we acquired a few extra children here. The "extra" children are my God-daughter, Julianna, and my neighbor-daughter, Eryn.
And here's the happy couple with the lady who married them, Michelle.
Their first dance as a thrice married couple.
And last, but not least, the wedding cake from Hell.
Why was it the wedding cake from Hell? Because it was completely and totally W-R-O-N-G, WRONG. Do you see that decorative edging around the top edge of the cake? That was supposed to also be around the bottom of the cake. And all of those brightly colored flowers on the top of the cake? Not supposed to be there at all. You probably can't even tell that the cake is supposed to be heart-shaped, can you?
Oh, well... At least it tasted good.
But that doesn't mean I'm going to let Publix get away with ruining my mother's wedding cake!
It was a very small ceremony, but very sweet. My mother wasn't planning to dress up, but I told her that what she was planning to wear wasn't good enough. I wanted to shop with her for a new dress, but she said she didn't have time. So, I ended up letting her borrow my wedding gown.
Here are some photos from the wedding and dinner party following.
My step-dad and brother/Best Man waiting for the ladies.
Katie wore her Christmas dress and was the cutest flower girl ever.
My mom walking into the room.
My BFF Michelle performed the wedding ceremony. This was her first time doing so, and she did a great job.
The happy observers.
The obligatory wedding party photos.
Katie and Julianna were entertaining themselves during the seemingly neverending photo shoot.
All of the grandchildren photos.
Looks like we acquired a few extra children here. The "extra" children are my God-daughter, Julianna, and my neighbor-daughter, Eryn.
And here's the happy couple with the lady who married them, Michelle.
Their first dance as a thrice married couple.
And last, but not least, the wedding cake from Hell.
Why was it the wedding cake from Hell? Because it was completely and totally W-R-O-N-G, WRONG. Do you see that decorative edging around the top edge of the cake? That was supposed to also be around the bottom of the cake. And all of those brightly colored flowers on the top of the cake? Not supposed to be there at all. You probably can't even tell that the cake is supposed to be heart-shaped, can you?
Oh, well... At least it tasted good.
But that doesn't mean I'm going to let Publix get away with ruining my mother's wedding cake!
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