R.I.P.

Charli Dog. born 17 March 1991. died 11 November 2007.
Protector, Companion, Caregiver, 1st child, Granddog, Friend.
Good bye sweet girl. We all loved you so much and you will be missed. We hope you enjoy your resting spot under the crepe myrtles...you spent many a day there basking in the sun and enjoying their shade. Love to you always!

Flicker Speller is fun!

Halloween!

Halloween ROCKS! We had such a great time with the kids! Fun costumes and good times!

wowee what a week...

Last week I learned that due to a mass in my thyroid I would be undergoing a battery of tests one including a radioactive iodine test that would measure how effective my thyroid is and get a better picture of the mass. At the same time i learned that I would be needing to abruptly wean my little girl, pay about 875 for my van's repairs, and somehow manage to get all the bills paid this month. Furthermore my old girl dog was having some problems and it became clear that our time with her will be more than limited. I was so ready for a big deep hole.
So I managed through the weekend. I let my mom and my husband see the real emotions--fear, sadness, disappointment--and dealt with the rest of the world by "not talking about it." I had a huge job ahead of me.
So how did it fair you ask?
Well...
Monday, Darling Daughter was weaned. My LLL coach recommended that I just spend the weekend nursing/pumping and loving her up and then just stop when I could not do it anymore. We've had moments...Monday night she decided rather than being snuggled she would just roll over and cry. I cried too. But for all practical purposes...she is weaned. No more nursing.
Tuesday, I had my dose of the isotope and went away. I returned to be scanned. My son and I finished his costume parts...Darling Husband had some finishing touches to go but it was looking GREAT.
Wednesday. I got my final scan. I went to my son's Halloween Treat Day--great fun--20 little 2nd graders told me they loved me and that I was beautiful. I love them all. I joined my family and friends on the square after work to hear that my son had won funniest costume in his group--4-7 year olds. He was a hotrod tractor! We had a blast going to houses of friends and trick-or-treating. We returned home and I convinced Fancy to try going to potty on the potty [her little trainer potty]--she did successfully and was amply impressed with herself! She's 19months! YEE HA! We'll be pleased to work on this more!
Thursday. We got Doodlebug to school, slept in with Fancy, ran a bunch of errands and I ended up at work. I got a heads up from Doodlebug's teacher that he was not feeling real well...when he got to me I looked at his throat [the complaint] and he looked lumpy. He went to the pediatrician that minute to be diagnosed with STREP. joy.
Friday. Doodlebug said he was better but not 100%. I stayed home with him until about 3...I then turned in his popcorn order of 1018! I found myself at work where they still haven't fixed my machine--We're getting close to a year now!
I look forward to this weekend...I'm hoping for peace and quiet...health and sleep...perhaps a little yardwork and a little housework.
Next week...I find out my diagnosis on Thursday.

For All Mom's Everywhere!

...and especially for Mommie! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!

Finished at last--the Tricky Trio

Finished the final touches on the sucker covers for my son's 2nd grade class!

I like how they turned out!

Treat day will have a bonus this year.

Mmm. Pumpkin Cream Frappuccino

Yesterday in an effort to lift Mommy's spirits, the gang headed to Starbucks to get Pumpkin Cream Frappuccinos. Husband and I each got a Venti, we got a Grande for my son [aka Doodlebug] and for my daughter [aka Miss Fancy] to share—it seems Starbucks doesn't make a "kiddy" size—imagine that, folks think it's bad to give coffee to kids? The very idea.

So, we get our magnificent coffee concoctions and take off down the road. Doodlebug offers his sister a sip of the drink that they are sharing. She takes the cup…takes a pondered sip. Hesitates. And decides, "this stuff is GOOD!" She then places the cup in the position indicating it's hers, in her lap.
Doodlebug decides he would like another sip. He inquires to his sister if she is going to share. She says...you want what??He asks again...she says "back off dude."

He inquires again. She replies with a hand in the face…"I said no!" [translation]
A final attempt results in the feet getting into the action of telling brother NO.

Mommy intervenes [between giggles] and says that Doodlebug has permission to take the drink that his sister will not let go of. He does.

When brother returns the drink to his sister, she takes a quick sip to make sure he didn't drink it all. Glares at the remaining laughing companions in the van.

She then proceeds to continue drinking the frappuccino with much joy.
Eventually she decides that it's okay to share with brother… as long as she gets to hold the cup… …and he agrees not to drink it all by himself… (she's checking the level in the cup!)
…and she gets to watch closely.
After this Mommy's spirits were much better! :D

Franky and Mummy

Sucker Covers for Will's class...making 7 of each...Pumpkin will be here tomorrow! :D

Halloween Projects for Will's Class

Will wanted sucker covers for his class...so this is model #1 of the covers we're making.

MUMMY

Layouts from Wild Wild West CS Kit

Just noticed when I took the picture that my "y" was missing! UGH--will have to diecut another. This is a pocket page. Inside is the "WANTED" poster that was hanging in the hall for Will for the event. Also some miscellaneous handouts that were sent home for the event.

Papersack has Texas song inside.

Fun Day! I used distressed inks on the stamping/distressing and the rest was all Club Scrap cardstock and images!

Pictures of layouts are kinda crappy as I didn't take the pages out of the protectors...

I'll retake soon and find my "y" for DAY!

10-4 good buddy!

It's October 4th...AKA 10-4.

This makes me smile today as I can remember riding in the jeep with my Dad on the way home from after school Day Care. He would be talking to people from all over the world on his side-band radio--fancy CB--and he'd answer "10-4 good buddy" when talking to his co-radioers.

So today is 10-4 good buddy day for me. :D

Love you Daddy!

40 things you’d like to say out loud at work

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of shit.
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learned to see it my way.
6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.
8. I don't work here, I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
10. Ahhh... I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again...
11. I like you. You remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision; I just don't give a damn.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
22. Yes, I am an agent of Eternal Punishment, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. And your crybaby whiny-assed opinion would be...?
24. Do I look like a people person?
25. This isn't an office, it's Hell with fluorescent lighting.
26. I started out with nothing and still have most of it left.
27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
33. Can I trade this job for what's behind door #1?
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
36. Chaos, panic, and disorder --- my work here is done.
37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?
38. I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted a salary.
39. Who lit the fuse on your tampon?
40. Oh I get it... like humor... but different.

Where have you been??

That is definitely the question. My this summer has gotten crazy!
I've been being very busy keeping up with the kids and the husband and the house!
Life is tolerable and much better than earlier.
I have window airconditioners! That makes it very nice in the house.
I have great friends who are looking out for me--finding opportunities for us to earn a few extra dollars, providing us with yummy tomatoes, finding appliances to make up for the missing the ones that are dying/dead.
Getting ready for the last month of summer vacation for my soon-to-be 2nd grader. Creating some fun paper crafty things--will take some pictures this weekend and post tuesday. Sorting and cleaning and moving things around in the house and outside. Enjoying my silly kids and my hard-working husband. Reading the new Harry Potter. Enjoying the unusually cool weather and thanking the goddess that it has been pleasant for us.
Hope all is well with all of you.

Lammas

Happy Harvest!

Some fun things to read on Lammas:
Two Witches Blog
School of the Seasons
The Magical Cat
The Cyber Witch
Mything Links
Web Holidays

It’s COMING!!

It's Wednesday. Three more days and it'll be in my hands!!

The NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK! The LAST Harry Potter book. I'm conflicted.

I just saw the movie this past weekend for Order of the Phoenix and there were details that I thought were important and apparently I'm the only one that did! They were not there! The movie in and of itself was great…if you had never read the book. The characters were dead on. The basics of the plot were there. I know…it's hard to put that many pages on the screen in under 3 hours. Still loved it…just wished there was more.

Now…the new book…I might take my husband to work on Friday night so that I can make it to the midnight unveiling!! Wouldn't that be fun?? My son would probably think I'm crazy! He already does! J Then I could stay up and read while my husband works and then take my copy to work and read some more! I know patrons will be storming the doors in the morning to get the book!

Here's a fun link to things Harry: KidsReads

 

"I'm an aerodynamenator swiming machine!"

After a fun afternoon of swimming at the university swimming pool--my son, so proud that he had jumped off the diving board and into the 12 foot diving pool--announced from the back seat :

I'm an aerodynamenator swimming machine!

Chickens Running at Large

previously posted on a message board as a happy for a friend. This still brings amusement to my life so I wanted to repost on my blog. Written in Spring of 2003 after learning of my 1st miscarriage.
We used to have chickens....in the city.
When I was working on my Master's Degree I would go do research on the weekend in Austin. One day while I was down there...my husband calls and says "I think we have this chicken living in our garage." Well when I came home that Sunday, we went to the garage to see. Sure enough, there was this bird that resembled a chicken that looked like it had been through the fan. We let her into the back yard and started calling her FRED.
Well Fred started laying eggs--Fredrika. We weren't aware of how long she'd been there or if she'd had a rooster near her. We learned that chickens will sit eggs until they hatch. If they don't hatch they keep sitting and get depressed and could die. So...not wanting a depressed chicken on our hands, we swapped out her eggs with some that we knew were fertile--had a friend who lived in the country and who had chickens and geese.
So two baby chicks hatched out and Fred was happy. One drowned in the dog water--did I mention we'd never had chickens before and had no idea that we needed chick feeders and waterers? So Fred and Baby Huey were happy and ran the backyard together.
Well then my Mom calls one day and my Dad had had a stroke. So I left the house and went to Arlington to help Mommie and be with my Dad. While I'm there, my husband calls and asks my Mom if she thinks I'll be too mad to learn that he's been to the flea market and bought some more hens and a rooster to keep Fred and Baby Huey company--they looked lonely he says. I just shook my head and rolled my eyes. My Dad made a full recovery by the way.
SO....as time passes we have baby chicks, sell baby chicks, buy baby chicks...blah blah blah. Occassionally the neighbors dogs might take off through the flock and kill one or two or they'd show up missing and you'd just know they went off and died.
Well...we were down to one lonely chicken. The city ordinances had changed and we were told that we could let our old chicken (her feathers were grey she was so old) live out the rest of her little life if we kept her from running amok and getting the animal control out there. So we made her stay near the house and she was good.
Then about 2½ months ago [originally written in April 2003]...6 more chickens show up! Now I know they're not her babies as there's no rooster and these chickens are distinctly not her breed! I found out yesterday that the neighbor on the corner who is an A$$ had them and didn't want them so he gave them to our neighbors little girl and she wasn't taking care of them so they started roosting in our tree and hanging around our old grey bird. Anyway, we're not feeding them or watering them and they are just hanging out at our house. We've tried catching them and can't. Animal control had been by once to talk with us about them and we encouraged him to try catching them and taking them away as they're not ours and we don't want them anymore as you're not supposed to have chickens IN THE CITY!! So...we've never caught them--they're too fast and they don't always roost in the same place.
So I come home yesterday after my appointment and find a CITATION on the door for "4 chickens RUNNING AT LARGE!" HA! I take a moment to talk to the Animal Control officer--Officer Whitely--and tell him about these chickens that aren't ours. Invite him to catch them. He says they're too fast. He tells us that it's suspicious because they run to our back yard for shelter--WE HAVE NO FENCE! So he says "we could shoot them." I remind him of the law about discharging firearms in the city limits. He says "HE" will shoot them...I say, "alright." Then he tells me that with dogs...if they're at your residence for 72 hours they're considered yours even though you're not feeding them, watering them, or giving them care! He's not sure what the deal is with chickens.
The complaintant --RP=Reporting Party--is upset as they get in her birdbath and eat her bird seeds and dig in her flowerbeds!!! HELLO!!! Sounds like she's the one feeding them!!! In the meantime ... our little grey hen has gone off and not come back. It's been 3 weeks or more so we suspect she's dead. As a result of our CITATION, my husband and I are spending my lunch at the judges office denying guilt for chickens RUNNING AT LARGE! HA! The funny part is this could go to court if they RPs make a sworn statement! Can you imagine the judge! I think he'd laugh us out of court! I'll kill'em before that happens--the chickens that is, not the neighbors!
post note: We went to the cattle call for citations that would later be tried. We were the LAST ones in a long list of cited. We talked with the city attorney who decided there would really be no way of trying the case. He couldn't prove the chickens belonged to us. The chickens had been removed--thanks to my husband and a long-handled landing net. So he dismissed the charges.

Playful

Define Your Life

Yeah, I'm in trouble. My first scan of the new stampin up catalog I pick the most expensive stamp set in the book as my favorite! ha! In case you can't tell...it's got a word for each of the letters of the alphabet with a phonetic spelling and the definition. It's only 47.95! Very cool stamp set!

Addictions & Needs

Addictions

I have several…

food being one

Office Supplies

Scramper* Supplies

Books—old, new, all

Tables

Kitchen gadgets

$ Tree finds

Coffee

Tea

Chocolate

 

Needs

I have few…

Food

Love

Shelter

Clothing

 

Wants

I have many…

Too many to list.

Must remember Needs are the most important.

Hard to do with 2 new stamping catalogs coming out this month!

 

*scramper: one who stamps and scrapbooks…and stamps in their scrapbooks