They were born with a silver spoon.

I took the boys out to dinner tonight. I swear they have expensive taste. First of all, they wanted fried calamari. Then Nathan ordered linguini with clams, and Forrest ordered lobster ravioli. The waitress was somewhat suprised about the mature pallet my 6 year olds have. They were very upset with me when I would not allow them to waste $1 each to get a giant bouncy ball out of the little machine at the door. They whinned the entire time I spent buckling their seat belts. I asked them, "What were you born with a silver spoon in your mouth?" They both answered in unison, "YES." Well if I hadn't been present at the time of their birth, then I would have believed it. Boy, what spoiled rotten kids. But, man I love 'em.

It's Raining Rocks!

Well, I am off work today, but not really. I had to get up and get my children dressed and off to school this morning. I had such wonderful plans of coming back home and going back to bed to sleep until noon. Unfortunately, we stepped outside to get into the car, and Forrest hollored at me, "MOM, IT'S RAINING ROCKS!" Yes, it was sleeting. And it was already starting to cover the sidewalk. I put the kids in the car and drive them to school. Deposit them with those fine well trained babysitters, and come back home. I set the alarm clock for 10 am (I know it's not noon, but....) I can't sleep. What if they call off school? I can't be asleep and not know if school is cancelled. The boys can't walk home in the cold wet wintery mix that we always tend to get here. It has been so long since I have seen just a nice wet snowfall. We always either get freezing rain or sleet and then a dusting of snow to top it off. I want to make a freakin snowman this year people. A big snowman. One like I used to make when I was a kid. The boys and I got to make a snowman once. It was about two years ago. But anyway, back to the situation at hand. I am unable to sleep and lounge due to fear of school closings. And if school closes, then I will have to reschedual the art craft I have planned for their classes today. But I suppose there is one bright spot amongst all of this drab... At least I'm not trapped in that 7th level of HELL, I call Work!!! At least that is what it has felt like this week. Every one have a safe and happy day, and watch out for the falling rocks, one might just get into your eye.

Dragon Wars

I just watched this movie, and even though it didn't get very good reviews, I thought it was quite entertaining. My boys were glued to the TV. If you're just looking for a neat movie with great special effects, I recommend this one! I thought it was pretty cool.

Shoe String Shenanigans

I know I have posted this story once already, but there are several of you that are new readers of mine since I originally posted this, so I am re posting. (Wow! what a long rambling sentence. OK, it can stay.) Plus, I have had a boring day, so I don't have much else to write about. I did take the boys shopping today, and you would have thought that this would have been plenty to write about, but surprisingly, they were wonderful, well behaved boys. Either that or it was the Prozac I took before we embarked on our journey. Either way, we shopped until I ran out of money. (Which didn't take that long.) We went and ate Italian( my favorite). They always order Calamari, and I usually get lasagna. And then we came home and all of us painted. They even cleaned up their own mess.
The following story is an original of mine. My son, Forrest, for the first time has a pair of shoes with shoestrings. I usually buy them with Velcro straps. I have been trying to teach him to tie his own shoes, unfortunately, I am not as patient as the mom in the story. His shoes are untied all of the time. ARRRGH! I hope you enjoy the story.

“Shoe String Shenanigans”

The following is a tale about Boy One and Boy Two,
Who never did learn how to tie their own shoes?
Boy One and Boy Two was a couple of brothers,
And the lack of their learning was the fault of their mother.
Their mother was busy with cleaning and chores,
like folding the laundry that reached from ceiling to floor.
So I’m not saying their mother was bad,
‘cause they could have been taught by their good ol’ dad.
But dad was always busy with work and the lawn,
and when he tried to teach them he’d begin to yawn.
So shoes with no shoe strings is what they got.
Yes, shoes with no shoe strings they helped out a lot.
But the problem began when they started to school,
And shoes required shoe strings, yes, that was the rule.
So off to the shoe store went father and mother
to buy shoes with shoe strings for the two brothers.
And they fumbled and bumbled with those nasty long strings.
Tying their shoes was a terrible thing.
For days and days they tried teaching each another.
Boy One helped Boy Two and Boy two helped his brother.
But since they had never officially been taught,
Well the laces they ended in one giant knot.
The knot was so big, it would not come untied.
Why, I believe that the knot may have reached the sky.
Finally the laces could be knotted no more.
Knots so big the shoes would not fit through the door.
And the brothers well, they both began to cry,
“Why Mother, why, why, why.”
“Please take the time to show us how,
to tie our own shoe strings, we must know now.
For we do not like them all tied up in knots.
No, we do not like it, we like it not.
You must teach us, please do not delay.
You must teach us, Mother, it must be today.”
So their mother put aside all of her chores,
She put off doing the laundry galore.
She sat down beside Boy One and Boy Two
and patiently she taught them to tie their own shoes.

Big Brother is Watching

I knew it was only a matter of time before they figured out how to track all of us. It is unbelievable how they can see your cell phone with their satellites.

Click on the link below and enter your cell phone number and it will immediately zero in on your location. Type in area code 1st then the phone # with no dash (-) http://www.satellite-gps-locator.com

Underwater Adventures.

Well, I am so close to being published that I can almost smell the glue. Yesterday I sent in my inside galley corrections, so it is just a matter of time before the product is finished. What am I talking about? Well my children's book, of course. No, this one does not rhyme, but I did draw all of the illustrations myself. The story is about twin brothers. One is an Octopus and the other is a Wolf dog. It is a wonderful heartfelt story filled with action, danger, and brotherly love. "Underwater Adventures of Wolf dog and Octopus" is my first venture into publishing. I am self publishing it through Author house. If any of you writers out there are interested in checking them out you can log on to their website at http://www.authorhouse.com/ They have really made the self publishing process easy. Most of it has been completed by either email or fax, and they are very quick to answer all of my questions. So far, I am only out about $800 for the process, so they are relatively affordable. I guesstimate that I will probably have about $1200-$1500 invested in the finishing product. I will be sure to keep all of you informed about the process of the book, and for sure once it hits the store shelves. It will be sold on Amazon and Barns and Noble and several other chain retailers. You will even be able to purchase it through Author house. So keep your eyes peeled for further details, and I will thank you all for you support. Oh yeah, Nathan and Forrest will thank you too. After all, It was there college fund I spent to get the book published.

Hell to Pay

A woman arrived at the Gates of Heaven. While she was waiting for Saint Peter to greet her, she peeked through the gates and saw a beautiful banquet table. Sitting all around were her parents and all the other people she had loved and who had died before her.They saw her and began calling greetings to her. "Hello - How are you? We've been waiting for you! Good to see you. " When Saint Peter came by, the woman said to him, "This is such a wonderful place! How do I get in?" "You have to spell a word," Saint Peter told her. "Which word?" the woman asked. "Love."The woman correctly spelled 'Love' and Saint Peter welcomed her into Heaven. About a year later, Saint Peter came to the woman and asked her to watch the Gates of Heaven for him that day.While the woman was guarding the Gates of Heaven, her husband arrived. "I'm surprised to see you," the woman said. "How have you been?" "Oh, I've been doing pretty well since you died," her husband told her. "I married the beautiful young nurse who took care of you while you were ill. And then I won the multi-state lottery. I sold the little house you and I lived in and bought a huge mansion. And my wife and I traveled all around the world."He continued, "We were on vacation in Cancun and I went water skiing today. I fell and hit my head, and here I am. What a bummer! How do I get in?"You have to spell a word," the woman told him. "Which word? " Her husband asked. "Chechoslovakia."Moral of the story: Never make a woman angry... There will be Hell to pay later!

What a Dilemma

Boy have I got a decision to make. I am in the process of applying for a government job through the VA medical system. I spent half of the day getting blood drawn, finger pronted, drug screen and a physical. I filled out two huge bundles of paper work and then they had me log online and fill out another huge bundle for a background check. It has been a serious hassle and ordeal to apply for this job. But now I have to make a decision. I have to decide if this is really the career move I want to make. The position is a supervisor position, so it would be an upward career move, and it would pay better. The problem is that I have been at my current job for awhile, I really like the people I work with, and they just offered me a promotion and a 6% raise to stay. I'm just having a hard time coming to a decision. Well, thank you all for listening to my venting. Sometimes it helps to get things off of your chest. Perhaps you can give me workds of encouragement and a fresh aspect to look at that I have missed. I am patiently awaiting and welcoming you input.

Sincerely,
Your friend,
Dazed and Confused.

Darn that Hurt!

I burned my finger today! And no not from the heat of my birthday candles, although, if I had had a birthday cake, then the fire department probably would have had to be on standby. I burned my finger on glue from a "low heat" hot glue gun. (I'd hate to feel how hot the glue was coming out of a "High Heat" glue gun.) I have a neat little blister right on the tip of my finger. OUCH! But I did make some interesting little boxes.



I was trying to come up with an art project to do with 50 1st graders for a Valentine's Day art project, but I have decided that this is not the one. Not only is it too time consuming to do in 30 minutes, but dangerous. So, if any of you crafty people out there have any cute, simple ideas for an art project for 6 and 7 year old that can be completed within 30 minutes without a lot of adult supervision, send me a comment. I could use all the help I can get.

For those days when they are driving me nuts.

Kicking and screaming,


Tearing and swearing.


If they keep this up much longer,


I won't be caring,


About who is the bad one and who is the good


I'd just run away if I thought that I could.


This fighting is not ceasing,


It never will stop,


It just keeps on going,


It's past twelve o clock.


They are biting and clawing and throwing their toys,


and making the most horrible kind of noise.


I've tried everything,

from spankings to bribes.


There is not a drug that the Doc can prescribe


to cure me of this evil that resides in my crib.


Yes, I am talking about my sweet little kids.


They're ornery and rotten, their nasty and mean.


They only like candy, but hate pinto beans.


They barrage me with questions, with demands galore,


They have so many toys, I can't see the floor.


They are just spoiled rotten from their head to their toes,


I hate when they won't let me blow their runny nose.


But some how I love them, though they are dastardly beasts.


They always look like angels, well at least when they sleep.

My Burger King Napkin Poem

Yes, I know this two blog posts in one day thing is becoming quite a habit for me. What can I say, I have an obsessive personality. But, I wanted to share with you a poem that I wrote while I was watching my boys play at Burger King tonight.

With confidence as fragile as porcelain glass, they walk through life with their heads held high.

I'm unable to remember my life gone past, those dark days before their beautiful smiles.

With their precious innocence, they tackle each day, eager to learn, to love, and to play.

Right now they are too young to realize the power they hold over my heart.

For without them, my life would fall apart.

They bring my life sunshine, they bring my life joy.

My life wouldn't be a life without the love of my boys.

The Cat Who Ate the Rat

The following was my first attemp at a Dr. Seuss version of a children's story. As you can see, it ended up a little PG13, but it's still pretty funny. Enjoy!

We all have read A Cat in a Hat,
But have you heard the one of how the Cat ate the Rat?

Yes, I know it sounds really gross,
But this is how the story goes.

The Cat was sleeping one day in bed,
when the Rat decided to poke out his head.
He poked his head out of his hole,
and on a journey he decided to go.

He crept his way throughout the house.
He walked as quietly as a mouse.
The mistress of the house spotted the Rat.
Can you imagine what happened after that?

With a broom in one hand, dustpan in the other,
She started screaming, "Oh, HOLY MOTHER!"
""Where on Earth is that useless house cat?
I need him now to come catch this rat!"

From out of his sleep, the cat was awaking.
His heart was pounding, and his body was quaking.
The Cat began to assume his role,
he chased the Rat right out the window.

They ran out the window, into the yard,
All the way to the crosswalk guard.
The crosswalk guard, she blew her whistle,
But the Cat and Rat were as slick as a thistle.

They made their way across the street.
Not a single car on their way did they meet.
They made their way to the neighbor's front yard.
The Rat, he was breathing tremendously hard.

The Cat, he was nimble, quick, and fast.
He pounced on the Rat there in the grass.
He caught the Rat between his two front paws,
And then he instinctively began to gnaw.
Sorry Suzanne
He quickly chewed off the poor Rat's head.
Now the nasty big Rat is dead.
This put an ending to all of the rouse.
Did this sound anything like Dr. Seuss?

A day in the life.

Yes, I cannot get enough of the wonderful world of blog. I wanted to share one of my stories with you. But before I start we need to loosen up our jaw muscles. I would not want you to injure yourself from too much laughter. Open you mouth very wide, hold it for a few seconds now close it again. There that should be good, now sit back and enjoy the story.

"A Day in The Life of a Guppy at My House"

Crystal blue water flows softly through Charcoal Filter Falls. We are swimming peacefully in our tranquil five gallon home. Light dances off of the lava rock, creating tiny rippled rainbows that float through the pristine water. All is quiet and still. We flurry through our daily routine: swim, eat, poop, swim, eat, swim, poop, mate, eat, poop, and swim. Live is good here in Tankville.
Oh, I see something on the fake log!
Drats it is only a piece of poo. Oh well, I guess I will just swim some more."

But suddenly two dark shadows hover over Tankville.
Oh no, it is the alien monster boys. They have come to scoop us up in the giant green fish net of terror!
I frantically swim away from this horrible green mesh casket of doom, but alas, Tankville is too small and soon I am trapped. My fate is sealed and soon I shall take a ride on the Porcelain Express.

As I lie there in the clasped hand of one of the alien monster boys, I gasp for air. I long to be placed back into my five gallon sanctuary.
I long for my meager existence of eating, swimming, and pooping.
Darkness is closing in around me, as the two evil alien monster boys fight over the right to extinguish my life.
I hear footsteps off in the distance. They fall heavily on the floor. My hopes rise, perhaps it is the big one the other fish call The Savior. I hear harsh words spoken by The Savior.
"Get out of the fish tank," yells The Savior.
"Give me that fish."
I find myself being pried away from the alien monster's tightly clasped fingers. The Savior is now scrutinizing me for any signs of life.
Must try to breath.
In a desperate attempt, I gasp for air, signaling to The Savior that I am still alive.
The Savior quickly places me back inside the protective confinements of Tankville. I inhale a large gulp of water and absorb as much oxygen from it as possible. This time I have survived and I am thankful. But tomorrow, I may not be so lucky.

All about Taters

The following is a link that I think all of you may get a laugh out of, and as you can tell, I'm all about getting a laugh. I hope you enjoy.


http://www.frontiernet.net/~jimdandy/specials/sweettators/

The hodgepodge of blogging

Perhaps I should re title this blog, the blog interrupted. I sat down here all ready to write and had to get up to microwave a piggies and pancake, make a peanut butter sandwich, let the dog out, and referee a fight. Now, finally, they are watching cartoons, and perhaps I can have some peace and quiet. I am going to cover several things in this blog today. First off, to your left is a lovely picture of our paper sack puppets we created at Boy Scouts on Monday night. I do believe all the boys had a wonderful time making their creations. The whole evening just seemed very calm, all of the boys were very well behaved. I was thrilled the boys enjoyed it so much.



Secondly, Nathan won an award from school today! He was so excited to get his award. And it really made my heart glad. He won the award for the most improved student during the second nine weeks. My Nathan works very hard in school, but he is handwriting challenged. (He comes by it honestly, there is a reason I type everything.) Forrest was upset that he didn't win an award this time, but we explained to him that he got one the last nine weeks when Nathan did not, therefore, they were now even. He seemed alright with that. They both got an honor roll certificate for a free hamburger at McDonald's. (They gave those out to all the kids. )



And Thirdly, CSI's post has prompted me to tell all of you fine folks a story from the past. It was Christmas 2003, and my wonderful family and I took a trip to visit one of my sisters. She lived in Indiana that year, and of course we lived in Arkansas. Well, I had to work Christmas eve, so I got up at 5am and went to work and got home at about 5pm that evening. My husband had the SUV packed and we promptly embarked on our trip. (Please keep in mind that my husband was not looking forward to this trip) Anyway, we left on our trip. Luckily, the boys soon fell asleep and slept almost the entire trip. (I do believe they were 2.5 years old then.) We made it to Indiana at 7am Christmas morning. Hubby and I were both exhausted because we took turns driving the whole night and then stayed awake to keep the other one awake.



My sister lived in a huge house. (She is married to a colon rectal surgeon (aka asshole Dr.) therefore, she could afford it. Hold on I have to go make another peanut butter sandwich....OK I'm back, so as I was saying, my sister has a huge house. It has a basement fully equipped with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. The toilet even had a Bede (I think that is the correct spelling, for those of you that do not speak French, I'm talking about a toilet that cleans your butt.) Well, we opened our Christmas gifts and then she showed us to the basement where we were suppose to spend the next 5 days. She was showing us around, and my husband noticed a potted banana tree in one corner of the room. He told her that she should move the banana tree plant some place else. She told him that she didn't think the boys would bother the plant, and left it there. BIG MISTAKE!!!!! I'll be right back, all three of my boys are wanting me to take them to McDonald's. ..TWO HOURS LATER>>>

ANYWAY, after breakfast, Hubby and I are tired, so we retreat downstairs with children in tow. We lock the basement door so that the children cannot escape, and promptly we fall asleep for approximately 30 minutes to an hour. I am shaken awake by my husband tapping my shoulder saying, "Hon, Hon, you need to wake up. You have to see what our children have done." Trust me I came awake quickly when I noticed the tone of panic in his voice. Our children had uprooted the banana plant out of it's pot. But they did not stop there. Not our two little Einsteins, no they proceeded to throw muddy dirt all over her white walls, up onto her white ceiling, ground it into her white carpet and smeared in all over her french doors that lead to the backyard from the basement. I'm sorry to say Suzanne, that the banana plant was almost unrecognizable. And no amount of Miracle Grow would save it.

Well, I peered around the room in both horror and amazement, unsure as to what I should do. I whispered to my husband that I though I remembered seeing a vacuum cleaner in a closet up stairs, I thought that we could discreetly clean up the mess and they would never know. But as I crept upstairs, I was spotted by my brother-in-law. He saw the bewildered look on my face and asked me what was the matter. I asked him for a vacuum cleaner, telling him that the boys made a little mess and that I wanted to get it cleaned up. He got the vacuum cleaner and said that he would help me clean it up. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted. So reluctantly, I said OK.

The look on his face when he saw my version of a little mess was priceless. His eyes became the size of half dollars, as he looked around the basement. His head slowly swiveled toward me and in a very hoarse whisper he said, "I thought this was a little mess." "Well, maybe it was a little worse than I thought." We attempted to clean up the mess with the vacuum, but it just smeared the dirt into mud. My sister had watered the plant just before we got there, so it wasn't dry dirt. Well, eventually, my sister was brought down stairs to see her lovely new home decor. She gasped loudly, placed her hand over her mouth and exclaimed, "OH MY GOD!" Then she ran up stairs and called Stanley Steamer. She asked them how much would they charge her to come out and clean up a "plant spot". They really wanted to know who she thought she was asking them to come clean a "plant spot" up on Christmas day. Needless to say, they came out the next day and they wanted to know how in the world we managed to get dirt on the ceiling. To our surprise, it only cost $85 to return her basement back to normal. She refused to let up pay for the damage, because she felt responsible, after all, Hubby did ask her to move the plant. We didn't stay our full 5 days as planned. Instead, we left on the third day. Believe me our reasons for leaving would be a whole other story. But at least we have a legendary tale to tell every year at Christmas time. One that invariably causes everyone to roll in the floor with laughter.

Pinewood Derby Massacre

Well, we survived the Boy Scouts Pinewood Derby on Saturday. Unfortunately, the boys' cars did not fare very well. I have found that the art of car making may be an art that I have not perfected yet, but give me time. I am sure that with a few more years of practice, I will. The car pictured to your left is Forrest's creation, with my help (Oh and my husband did put in an hour or so on it too! I can't take all of the credit, but I would like too.) The car came in dead last in all 5 heats.(At least we were consistent.) But it did win the award for The Best Accessorized. Sadly, they spelled his name incorrectly on his certificate. But Forrest is quite a resilient boy, he told me that he was a winner, and I told him, "Yes, you are."
And then there was Nathan. My sweet baby had his heart set on winning a trophy. He was so excited about the first race. He became absolutely crestfallen when his car came in last in the first heat. He picked up his car and cried all the way back to where I was sitting. Then he put his head in my lap and cried very hard. It broke my heart. I just didn't quite know what to say. I held him close and told him that it didn't matter if he wins or loses, that the whole point of the race was to have fun. But he was terribly upset when his car came in last almost time. We both hooted and hollered when he came in third in the last heat. But he did win an award. Although, I'm not sure it was one he was too proud of. I personally think that his car is cool. He was much happier when several of the boys in the neighborhood told him that his car was awesome.

We really had a busy day. The race started at 9am and did not end until 1:30pm. It was quite exhausting to keep an eye on both of them amidst the sea of people packed inside the small area we were in. There were a total of 85 racers, plus their family members, so you can imagine how packed the place was. They had two modified stock cars on display outside, so the boys really thought that was cool. Forrest had climbed inside one of them and managed to hit the start button. To my surprise the car started up and lurched forward, nearly pinning a kid between the two cars. It scared me so badly that I berated the owner of the car for allowing the kids inside when the battery was still hooked up. I told him that if he was going to allow the children to climb all over the car then it should be fixed to where they couldn't start it. He just apologized, and turned very red. I took the boys inside and they did not go near the cars after that.
After the race, we rode our bikes for two miles around the neighborhood, we went out to dinner and had fried calamari and Italian food and finally we were beat. Forrest was so tired that he fell asleep on a pile of covers beside his bed. I was washing his bed clothes and did not have a chance to get his bed made. He looks so sweet and innocent lying there asleep. I didn't have the heart to move him. He looked very comfortable and peaceful. You see, God makes them look like angels when they are sleeping so that we do not kill them while they are awake.(just kidding, I think.) Right now, they are behind me screaming and slamming doors and trying to kiss each other, and basically pestering the dickens out of each other. But no one had cried out in pain yet, so I know they are not hurting one another. I just hope the house can survive. We will be heading to our weekly Boy Scouts Den meeting soon. I had to plan our activity for the night, because our den leader forgot. (Sometimes I wonder who the real den leader is.) We are going to make puppets out of brown paper lunch sacks. Amazingly, I had all the stuff we need just lying around the house. (I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. It was a lot of stuff, I think I need to clean house.)

But as you can see, our lives are so busy and tiring that even our dog is worn out. But at least it is filled with love! And lots and lots of noise!

The Art of Frustration

Sometimes it is best to just let sleeping tigers lie.

Boy, what a day. It appears that I woke up in the middle of an obstacle course this morning. I endured hurdles and roadblocks all day long. First, I had to get up (that was a hurdle in itself, because I was still sleepy when my alarm went off.) But, on Friday's I have to get the kids up and dressed for school and walk them across the street to my neighbors house. Well, my kids are as grumpy and I am when you wake them up in the morning. Nathan had something in his eye this morning, so I spent an extra 10minutes wrestling with him to let me look at it. But finally we made it across the street.

Then my commute to work began. Over half of my drive to work is through construction. Not to mention, our parking gate to the parking lot where I work doesn't function properly half the time. Well, I arrive to work 8 minutes late.

Do you ever get the feeling that you work with a bunch of monkeys?

Yes, in this case they are gorrillas.

Then the fun stuff begins. I start working and two hours into the morning our computers go down. Two hours later and they are still not back up. Three hours into the morning and we have two computers that are functioning at about 75%. So 12 people take turns doing work on 2 partially functioning computers. The computers never ever came back up. How I managed to only work over 30 minutes is beyond me.

My commute back home went relatively well.

Then I started my second full time job. Parenthood. (I am rolling my eyes right now and sighing deeply.) My boys are in Boy Scouts. And tonight is the night that we weigh in our pinewood derby cars. We have basically been working for a month making a car out of a block of wood. I have put most of the work into them. Well, I was gluing a weight on them, and I managed to superglue the rear wheels to the axle so that they would not turn anymore. HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY. I consult with my superglue specialist, Jeanetta, and she suggests that I douse them with fingernail polish remover. Well, I don't have any(I don't have any fingernails either. I keep them trimmed because germs grow under your nails. YUCK!) But, I borrowed some from my neighbor. I pry off the wheels and soak those babies off and on for two hours. Between soakings, I am using a hammer, screwdriver and any other tool I can get my hands on to help pry the wheel off of the nail it is glued too. Finally, I am successful. I get the wheels functioning and off to the weigh in we go. We are 1oz over the limit. My weight was too heavy. ARRRRGH. Luckily, they have a tool box full of weights. So I tell the boys to fish through the box and pick out some things they like. Then I have to explain to them that they cannot completely cover the car with weights because it would be too heavy and it would be disqualified. After explaining this three or four times to each child we get the cars finished, and checked and decide to go eat Chinese. Word to the wise, don't ever volunteer to take two six year old boys out to eat Chinese when you are already frustrated and ready to kill someone. Especially by yourself. My husband calls us in the middle of dinner and doesn't like all of the noise he can hear and asks me if I could get away from the noise. I tell him no. I told him that I was in the middle of a restaurant with the boys and I could not very well just get up and walk out. He hangs up on me. (Don't worry, I called him back! And no, no one is dead and yes we are still married. ha ha). Anyway, I have bored all of you for way too long. I am now sitting here typing this long winded recollection of my day. I am happy to report that my headache is subsiding, and I think my blood pressure is slowly returning to normal. I commend all of you for reading this all the way through, and please forgive me for my ramblings. But telling you all of this has certainly made me feel better. But, I really do wish I was aboard a ship and sailing away to Paradise.

Autism

Wow! 2 posts in one day. Aren't you lucky? Or am I just full of it. No, seriously, I checked my email just a few moments ago and found this:

Hi,
This was forwarded to me & so I am passing it on.
The band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.40 to Autism Speaks for *each time* the video is viewed...funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal. Link to the site:http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214=20

It made my heart ache. I know that my boys are the soul reason for my continued existence. They are the reason I breath. I know that the world would just stop turning if something happened to them. I just wanted to share this link with everyone so that perhaps you could share it with your everyone and perhaps we would be able to make a small difference in just one child's life just by viewing the video on the link. Children bring us all so much joy, love and innocence.

I would like to end this post with a special recipe. This recipe was created by my son, Nathan. You see, his first grade teacher read him the story "Stone Soup" today, and he brought me 3 stones and told me that he wanted Stone Soup for supper. Here is his list of ingredients that should go into the soup:

How to Make Stone Soup

3 stones

milk

Colby Jack Cheese

Carrots

Fish

Beef

Ham

Turkey

Apples

Bananas

Oatmeal

He chose these ingredient because they are all foods that are good for you.

I'm not so sure how good they will taste all mixed together though.

But my Nathan is the sweetest boy you will ever meet and I love him so much that it makes me hurt. So give your kid a hug and watch the video linked above. God Bless all of you and your families.

It's all about me!

Well, I have been tagged. You see there is a blogger game going on and now I'm it!. Thanks to my wonderful friend Jeanetta, I have to tell you all 5-8 weird things about myself. My, I'm not sure that I'm that interesting, but I guess your about to find out.

1. Well, I am a Microbiologist. Which means that I work with bugs. Which in turn causes me to think about anything I touch. I am so obsessed with germs that during cold and flu season I carry Lysol wipes with me everywhere I go. If my family and I go out to eat, I will wipe down the table, salt and pepper shakers, the wall... anything that my family or I would possibly touch while we are there. I also wipe the handle of shopping carts before I touch them, and I carry the Lysol wipe with me to wipe my hands frequently. I'm not a complete germaphobe, but close.

2. I do not eat anything that is over 24hours old. Therefore, if we don't finish the leftovers by the next day, then our dog gets them. Which may explain why my dog is about 20lbs overweight. Oh, and I never leave food in a community refrigerator, ie at work. I don't trust what other people has done to it.

3. I like peanut butter by itself on a spoon, but I do not like it on bread, or with jelly, on in cookies, or candy bars, etc. Just plain peanut butter.

4. Crap! This is hard. I'm only on #4? I have a son at my elbow asking me to make stone soup. (I am guessing they read that story in school today) He has 3 rocks and he wants me to get him a pot. He is telling me that I need to buy carrots, but that we already have milk. He just carried the whole gallon and sat it on the desk. He told me that he is making a list of things to buy for the soup. He wants to know what else would be good in stone soup. Any suggestions?

5. I'm the only one out of all of my siblings to graduated high school with honors (The fact that I am the youngest of 10 children proves that this was not a simple task.)

6. I don't like to sit in a public place with my back to the door. I don't particularly like to have my back to the majority of the room either. I prefer to be seated with my back to a wall in the farthest corner of the room. HMMM, that almost sounds paranoid. But I promise, I'm not schizophrenic.

7. I get very offended when people call me anal retentive or obsessive compulsive. (LOL) JUST KIDDING.

8. And lastly, my husband and I have a nickname for our belt that we threaten the kids with. We call it Pumpkin Pie. It sounds so much better in public to shake you finger angrily at your child and tell them that if they do not behave that they are going to get a piece of pumpkin pie when they get home. The funny thing is that I rarely have to ever use pumpkin pie. Just the threat is sufficient enough.!

Whew! That was tough. Now then. I have to tag 4 more people and they are suppose to tell 5-8 things about themselves. Well, this should be easy, there are only 4 of you that read my page. So CSI, Bomber, Suzanne, and Bindhiya TAG YOUR IT!! Have fun with it. I know I did.

The one I missed.

OK, Jeanetta, at your request here is "The Silent Embrace".
Yeah, I can see why you requested this one. I had forgotten how pretty it was. I have to agree with you, this is the best one I have ever done. For everyone else, sorry for my little public conversation here with my friend. This particular painting was created as a wedding gift for a co-worker and friend. The rumor at work is that I always give the best gifts at Christmas time. Hey, they are entitled to their own opinions. But as you can tell, I never create art to keep it. I usually create it and then give it away. Good thing that I have a day job!

A showcase of my work.

Today I thought I would showcase some of my paintings. The one below is entitled, "The City by the River". It is the first painting I ever attempted.

"Serenity Now" is one of my favorite paintings. This is a self portrait (well, sort of) I do actually have eyes, a nose, and a mouth. I have ears too! But I love to sit in the woods beside a flowing stream. Mother Nature is a wonderful artist. Way better than me anyway.

"Pterodactyl " was done for my son, Nathan a couple of years ago. At that time, pink was his favorite color. He was, and still is, crazy about dinosaurs. I wanted to give him something special for his Birthday that year, and this is what he got.

Of course, I could not leave out Forrest. His favorite color at the time of this painting was yellow, and he called himself "The Yellow Lion", hence, the painting. Forrest was upset with this painting because the Lion did not have a nest, and he wanted eggs and a baby. Oh well, maybe he can appreciate it later in life.

"Hilltop View" is a special painting for me. It is suppose to symbolize one of my best friends and her dog. Sure, her dog looks like a cat, but you would have never know it was suppose to be a dog if I hadn't told you. (that was me trying to be funny. Yep, I suck at humor.)

And finally, the showcase of my living room. "By the Light of The Moon".

We moved into a new house a few years ago and I was searching for a nice big painting to go on the big wall behind the couch. I couldn't find anything I liked within budget, so I created my own. So this is the other side of my creativity. Stay tuned, Nature photography will be next.

Fireflies, Frogs, and Beavers

The weather was beautiful today! The type of weather I would love to have year round. Mostly sunny, about 70 degrees, with a nice warm breeze. It was perfect for bike riding, which the boys and I did. But it really gave me a severe case of spring fever, in early January! So, in honor of today's weather, my poems will be about fireflies, frogs, and beavers. My poem selections are sort of yin and yang, so let's start with the yang first.

A Fireflies Light

My life is like that of a firefly

stuck on a cold windshield.

I fly through the night touching the sky,

the trees, the wind and the fields.

When from out of nowhere a truck smacks into me,

and within an instant my life is ending.

But for a fleeting moment, my light lives on

with the waning taillights, though, soon it is gone.

Now I'm just a spot at which the driver stares.

He's not really seeing me 'cause he really doesn't care.

And now for the yin.

“Moon Beams and Froggy”

On a hot summer night, beside the water’s edge,

there stands a beaver, his name is Ed.

He stands near the water where the lily flower grows,

and watches the silver moon beams dance to and fro.

In the still of the night, drifting out of the fog

suddenly appears a giant green frog.

He hops along croaking an old Froggy tune of dragonflies,

and lady bugs, and bandit eyed raccoons.

He weaves a tall tale of magic and wonder.

He tells about a pixie parade that ends with a shower of thunder.

He sings through the night about sorrow and joy,

about frolicking in meadows and being chased by boys.

But in the wee morning hours, just before the rise of the sun,

the old frog grows silent, his Froggy tune is done.

And he swims through the dark water to his home hidden away,

leaving Ed, the beaver, to stare in his wake.

Ed gives a big yawn, and then says with a grin,

“I can’t wait till tonight when the old frog comes again.

He is a good storyteller, as you all can see,

so I’ll be sure to bring a friend or two back here with me.”

My thoughts on today.

OK. I have decided that after yesterday's post we needed something a little more upbeat. We must not slip into negativity this early into the new year. So, I am going to share with you two upbeat and positive poems.

The Last of A Dying Breed

I'm the last of a dying breed.

I was born to remain forever free.

I travel the world like a gust of wind;

Always searching in every man for a friend.

I live my life just for me;

Free of envy, hate, and greed.

I know that joy awaits me 'round every bend,

And I will remain true to myself until the end.

I tell you like it is, and I say it from the heart.

I live my life to the fullest, not just in parts.

So give me an inch, I won't take a mile.

I'm always quick to return your smile.

Just let me live; just let me be,

Because I'm the last of a dying breed.

My second poem is just a fun little ditty, where I tried to be witty, and possibly passed, but most likely failed. If it makes you smile, then it was worth the while. Oh rats, rhyming is hard can't you tell.

Poetry

A poem can be written about love or hate;

about where you go or what you just age.

It can be full of rhythm and rhyme.

It can be ranting and ravings in some body's mind.

It can be short and it can be long.

It can be the musical words of a song.

But no matter what your subject may be,

It will always come out as poetry.

I hope you enjoyed them. AND I wish each and every one of you a wonderful new Day.

Moods of Melancholy

I am in a melancholy mood today, with a bit of sadness thrown into the mix. I have been thinking about the passing of my mother-in-law today, and decided to call my own mother. It saddened me almost to the verge of tears. You see, my father is very ill. He is suffering from decreased renal function of only 15%, plus his hear only functions at 30%. He suffers from diabetes type II. He needs a pace maker and dialysis, but refused both. My mother is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's. And even though I have told her what I got for Christmas, she still asked me several time throughout the conversation. Each time I told her again and her reaction was the same. I was hoping this year would be easier than last year, but today, I was hit by the realization that I would soon lose both of my parents. This made me feel very sad and alone. But, I should be thankful, because I know that I have two wonderful sons that love me, I have a beautiful husband that supports and loves me, and I have the most amazing group of friends to lean on for support. So even though, I am sitting here and reflecting on my sadness and loss, I am rejoicing in the happiness of my life.
All of this reflection made me think of a poem that I wrote several years ago, it goes as follows:

The Aged and the Innocent

With blue-veined hands, she clutches a picture, tarnished yellow from age.
The child she once held so dear to her heart smiles sweetly from the frame.
She closed her eyes and lets her mind travel, back through a millennium of years.
As she slips farther away from reality, slowly her life line drains.
He sits there with her now. The night about them is heavy with death.
She opens her eyes and the light floods through the window.
The light lands upon his Angelical face.
She says,” Come closer dear, chase away the darkness with your smile.”
He says, “Come play with me, Mommy, in the golden fields above.”
Her clutched fingers suddenly relax, as the picture falls to the floor.
They race through the fields white unto harvest.
Mother and Son together, this time for eternity.

So to all of you, even though this world is filled with trials and hardships, please remember the remarkable gifts of life. And although none of us make it out of this life alive, let us hope and pray that there is certainly an afterlife waiting on the other side.

SOMEONE GET A MOP!

O.K. I win today's award for the biggest bone head.
I found out that we are running short on dishwasher liquid after I packed the dishwasher full of dirty dishes. No problem, so I think. I have enough to fill the pre-wash compartment, so I think I can use regular dish liquid to fill the other one. Boy did I find out the hard way that this was not a good idea.
Twenty minutes later my six year old walks into the kitchen and shouts, "Who made this mess?" I shout back, "What mess?" He come to the living room where I am watching T.V. takes me by the hand and says. "Come here, Mom." He gently walks me into the kitchen and shows me. Half of the kitchen floor is cover in water and soap suds. There are still suds coming from the dishwasher. Promptly, I grab the mop and proceed to create a skating rink of liquid dish soap suds smeared across ceramic tile floor. I get the mess cleaned up, and my dishwasher goes into it's second rinse. Guess what! It happens all over again. I open up the dishwasher and it is filled with suds. What do I do? Well, I need to get rid of the bubbles. So, I take the spray hose and stretch it as far as I can and I am spraying down the soap suds in the bottom of my dishwasher. I have now successfully manage to make the Mother of all messes, but at least there is one bright spot in all of this. I have a clean kitchen floor. Maybe even clean enough to eat off of. Tell me that isn't creative. HA!