Bah Humbug

So I was really getting in the mood for Christmas this year, really getting excited, etc., and then WHAM! Hubby calls to tell me the reason our car is in the driveway and not at the office with him today is because the transmission went out this morning. :( Why, why, why do things like this keep happening to us? Why now, when we already have scraped together money for presents and started spending it does this have to occur? Why can we never have a month or two without something breaking down, wrecking or frying? What did we do? Who in the world did we tick off that is now controlling our destiny and our finances? Are we destined to never have a spare dime, never have anything nice because we can't afford it? Are we always going to have to rely on the generosity of friends and family to give us their slightly used stuff so we can fix it up and get as much life out of it as humanly possible?

Does everyone experience this, or are we just the lucky ones? There is always something; the car, the truck, the computer, the dishwasher, the toaster oven, the clock, the air conditioner, the lawn mower....we never catch a break it seems. I feel like if everything could just hold on without breaking for about 6 months, we just might be able to get on top of things. I hate this.

Sorry, I just need to vent.

Turkey Travels part 3

Ok, so I left off in Dallas...after pictures in the square we headed back to the apartment for lunch. Kiddo was none too happy when his Happy got in a different car for the ride back. That boy LOVES his Happy. (probably because he is a constant source of laughter and rough-housing!) Anyway, Thanksgiving lunch was a yummy brisket with green bean casserole and salad, all prepared by the lovely Miss A. She is the hostess with the mostess! Grammy prepared two wonderful desserts and once we were stuffed to the point of impending explosion we jumped in the car to head to lew-si-anna. The 3 hour drive to my parents house was pretty uneventful (just how I like it) and we managed to make it in time for dinner.

We stayed with my parents for a few days, enjoying a wonderful, traditional Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday (turkey, dressing, all the fixin's - YUM!), and a failed attempt at shopping in an outdoor "mall" with Kiddo on Friday (note to self - BRING A STROLLER next time!). Kiddo so enjoyed torturing my mom's geriatric cats (sorry Miss. Kitty) and feeding bones to the neighbor's dog, Thor. After passing around my mom's traditional Thanksgiving cold and a couple of sleepless nights with Kiddo kicking us and wailing all night,we decided to head home Saturday. This is where I have to interject; portable DVD players are the most wonderful invention in my life right now! 7 hours in the car with a Kiddo that hates riding in the car would surely kill us all had we not had the DVD player.

We made it home without much fuss and spent Sunday doing absolutely nothing - pure bliss!

Overall I think it was a great holiday!
Later,
D :)

Turkey Travels part 2

Ok, so as I was saying, we went outside to take some pics. The main goal was to get a good shot of Hubby's sister and her hubby, a good family pic, and for someone, anyone to take a good shot of Hubby, Kiddo and I for our holiday cards. I have been pestering my beautiful sister-in-law (it seems weird to say the in-law part - she's like a sister to me) for months now to let me take some pictures of her, and since it is near impossible to organize our family for anything in a short amount of time, I was able to do a mini session with her while Kiddo ran off some steam with Happy, Hubby and his sis' hubby took photos of the buildings and Grammy watched all of us do our thing.

So here is a shot of my super model sister, A...

See why I've been after her to do some pictures?

I also got a good one of Grammy with A. Grammy usually dodges my camera every time I come near her...

While I was shooting A, Hubby took a shot of me! No one ever takes pics of me!

Ha ha! I bet you were thinking you'd finally get to see my face! Oh well, at least you can see me; even though I am wearing my frumpy Carefree Conference Resort jacket (I worked there briefly when we lived in Phoenix). It was cold people!

Super Model Cover Shot - :D

We got some great family shots as well, but I need to work on them a bit before I post them. I just had to share my beautiful family first!

Until,

D :)

Turkey Travels part 1

We had a great week last week traveling too and fro visiting family on the holiday. Our first stop was the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. We went there to see Hubby's sister and her husband. The inlaws met us there and we all camped out in the apartment that night. The next morning we ventured into downtown Dallas. Hubby's sister, A, wanted to introduce us to Thanksgiving Square, a wonderful spot in the heart of downtown that is host to a lovely little park and a most unusual chapel. After taking a gander at the amazing stained glass in the tiny chapel, I headed outside to take some pictures of A and her hubby. Before we got ourselves organized, I was able to snap a few of my little Cutie playing around with his granddad whom he calls Happy.


They are like two peas in a pod, yes?

"No Happy, don't toss me in the water!"

.

.

.

.

There's Mommy, she'll save me!

.

.

.

.

.

Since Blogger doesn't like it when I upload more than 3 or 4 pics, I have to continue this later! Stay tuned for more from the park; super model A makes an appearance, and a never-before-seen photo of yours truly will be featured!

Until,

D ;)

Three Things Meme

I was tagged for this meme by Karrie
1. 3 Things that scare me: flying, some heights or unsafe drop-offs, success
2. 3 People who make me laugh: my Kiddo, my friend Kelley and very often Miss Karrie!
3. 3 Things I love: My family, coffee, the ocean (I couldn't change a thing there!).
4. 3 Things I hate: cooked carrots, cleaning toilets, exercise
5. 3 Things I don’t understand: coveting the latest PlayStation(or other soon-to-be-obsolete gadget), contestants on Fear factor (do you really fear eating intestines?), my Kiddo's latest favorite phrase (it sounds like he's saying "Mommy, don't die" and it freaks me out)
6. 3 Things on my desk: a box of tissues, a client print order and cookies.
7. 3 Things I’m doing right now: Blogging, drinking tea, eating leftover potato casserole
8. 3 Things I want to do before I die: Publish, own a brand new car, take a cruise
9. 3 Things I can do: sing opera, drive a motorcycle, play pool (billiards) well
10. 3 Things I can’t do: burp (no, really, I can't), touch my toes, eat watermelon
11. 3 Things I think you should listen to: a child's laugh, your instinct, God
12. 3 Things you should never listen to: Tom Cruise, total strangers, celebrity politics.
13. 3 Things I’d like to learn: to really play the guitar, to cook gourmet, how to write
14. 3 Favorite foods: crab legs, chocolate and mom's fried chicken
15. 3 Beverages I drink regularly: Coffee, water and Dr. Pepper
16. 3 Shows I watched as a kid: Looney Toons, The Cosby Show, The Beverly Hillbillies
17. 3 People I’m tagging (to do this meme): Genie (because she must need double tagging), Karen, and Lane.

Turkey for you and Turkey for me...

Happy Thanksgiving!
Perhaps I should take a moment and reflect on what I am thankful for today - hmm...well...I guess I am thankful for a lot of things, but I am too tired to think right now. We had the fam over for lunch and between the old family and the new family and the screaming 2 year old and the upset 80 something year old I am just drained. We are still cleaning up, still recuperating and it's not even dinner time yet. I suppose I will have more to say when we get home this weekend.

But I didn't want you all to think I dropped off the planet or something - so I am checking in. (ok, it took me 3 minutes to type that last sentence, so I am giving up!)

I hope everyone is well and has a wonderful weekend!
Until,
D :)

Holidays and Photoshoots and OpLove

Oh my. Today I should be cleaning and doing laundry and packing but as usual I am so unmotivated. I am really excited about this week; getting to see our family and especially visiting my parents. We only get out to their house once a year and it is just not enough. I am excited about all the pictures I hope to take and all the yummy food I get to eat!!

I am proofing the session I had on Saturday - such a cute couple! They won a free package from me for the opening of Round Rock Premium Outlets and decided to have me do some portraits of them for their holiday cards. I really enjoy shooting adults - especially men because they hate having their picture taken! ;) I try to make it as painless as possible, and this time, as we were leaving, my subject said he actually had fun! :) Such a great feeling. I am really liking how the pics turned out as well. Check out my photo blog - I should have some sneak peeks up soon!

I also have to direct you to an up-and-coming volunteer organization I am proud to be a member of, Operation Love Reunited. We just got a fabulous new website donated by BluDomain and it is up and running. OpLove is going to be incredible and I am so excited about it I want everyone to know. If any of you know someone in the military, please direct them to our site!

I hope to keep posting while we are on the road as I am taking my laptop with me. We'll see if I actually accomplish it! ;)

If I don't talk to you before then, have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for all of you! :) :)
Until,
D :)

Quiet and Stinky

Sitting here in the wee hours of the morning, by myself, just me and my coffee. I got up early because I have a photo shoot this morning and it is at a location about 30 minutes from my house. Kiddo and Hubby are still snoozing, though I have heard Hubby off and on now, so it seems as though he wants to sleep, but can't. I love these quiet mornings; no one to bother me, no demands to meet or hoops to jump through. They are so rare.

Got a chuckle this morning watching a video on Karrie's blog. Poor Momma - I certainly hope my Kiddo is not so enthusiastic about his poop! Right now I can't even get him to pay attention to it, much less get excited about it - though he has waved bye bye to it a couple of times. Ahh, the joys of pre-potty training. Awareness is such a blessed curse. Sure, you want them to be comfortable with their bodies and functions, but answering the "does Mommy tee tee in the potty?" question 400 times a day gets a bit agonizing. Also the "Kiddo, do you have a poopy diaper?" "NO!!!" routine gets old fast too. I am tired of chasing down a stinky toddler just so I can keep his bottom fresh. Occasionally he will come to me and tell me he needs a diaper, and then run to the changing table to be changed. It blows me away! But most of the time he tries to hide it and tells me he doesn't need a change when it is fragrantly obvious that he does.

Oh yes, I also wanted to say that I really enjoy everyone's comments. Please, if you stop by - say hi! I love knowing that people are reading. :) :)

Well, I didn't intend for this post to be about poop or diapers, but I guess that is what's on my mind this morning. Have a great weekend everyone!
Until,
D :)

Twilight Zone?

I guess writing every other day is going to be better for me. I just can't seem to make myself do it every day. But that's ok, cause then I don't feel so pressured to make every entry interesting. Odds are something worth talking about should happen every other day or so.... I guess... hmm... well?

I was cleaning up the house this afternoon and came across an envelope I had written something on (common practice in my house - we just never seem to have a decent paper supply). It was a reminder of something I had witnessed and wanted to blog. So here goes.

I was at the bank a while back and sitting in the teller line waiting my turn to make a deposit. There are about 6 lanes at this bank, usually only about 4 of them are open at peak hours and I had been waiting along with about 8 other cars. After going through the routine of examining odd things in the car, finding all the trash and gathering it up, inspecting my nails and making a mental note to find my clippers when I got home, confirming with Kiddo the proper color of every car sitting around us - you know, things we do when we wait - I had run out of repertoire and actually started observing my surroundings. Sitting in the next lane over was a white, extended cab Ford pickup. It had a Husky metal tool box in the back and had a business name (3 words)and phone number in blue letters on the tailgate. Nothing special. Until I look over into the lane next to that. Sitting there was the exact same model and year white, extended cab Ford pickup. It had the same Husky tool box in back, and it also had the owner's business name and phone number in the same blue lettering on the back. Same font, same # of words, same size, same arrangement; everything.

Except they weren't the same company; and the phone numbers weren't even close.

Now, I know you are asking, "So? What's so funny about that?".

The names of the businesses were...

The Roof Lady
and
The Pool Man

:D

I don't know, I just found it interesting. And a bit creepy. I wish I had my camera at the time.
Later,
Dawn

Through Wind, Rocks, Traffic and Idiots...

Well, the opening of IKEA was today....wow! Let me just say I will not be attending opening day of ANYTHING for quite a while. The place was a total madhouse! That many people should not be allowed in/on the store/parking lot/roads leading to the store at one time. On a normal day, the drive should take me about 15 minutes. Today, I drove 10 minutes then stopped still on the road for 30+ minutes sitting in traffic. Once I got to the freeway (IKEA is right next to it) it took another 20 minutes to get across the over pass and into the parking lot. Needless to say, Kiddo was NOT happy. :( We finally get on the grounds and are directed to a parking area (overflow) that seriously required a vehicle with off road capability to access. They dumped what looked like a couple of truck loads of rocks in the entry drive that were, at the smallest, 8 inches in diameter and everything else was crushed, gritty rock. (ok, everyone hold up your hands and make a circle that you think is 8 inches in diameter - yup. Wanna drive your Mercedes over that?) Thankfully I was in the Trooper so it was no big deal for us; but I saw plenty that should have been directed elsewhere. Anyway, turns out today we have a front coming in that is giving us wonderful 20-30 mph winds. Joy. Every walked through a gravel/dirt parking lot with winds kicking it at 30 mph?

We stagger our way in to a sea of shopping carts and kids and parents and stupid people and completely oblivious folk and I suddenly feel like I am at a Wal-Mart expo - but we shove our way through and start the twisted walk through the show rooms. Poor Kiddo is stuck at ground level in his umbrella stroller; the darn thing is giving my 6 foot frame a run for it's money as I have to bend over to reach the ridiculously low handles. People of course are shoving and "politely" bumping me in the back side; I guess thinking that if they bump me I'll go faster, and others are trying to cut in front of me and several practically step on poor Kiddo because he is so under the radar screen. Several times I had to thrust my hand out into some stranger's gut because they were about to step on my baby. Half way through we picked up a regular size shopping cart for Kiddo so he could stop fearing for his life!

An hour later we emerge from the circus that is the display area and I pick up an item in self serve and head for the check out. Holy Moly! It's yet another sea of bodies, all fighting for a "lane" and switching around thinking one is moving faster than the other; some got halfway through only to discover they had parked themselves in the self check out and had no way of scanning the four ton box that the sales associate has mistakenly placed upside down in their flatbed trolley. Kids are screaming, mine included; labeled the "true victims" by the nice lady in front of us. Lots of people were giving each other the "my God, could this take any longer" look and some people abandoned their carts all together and just left the store - it was chaos. We stood in line for about 45 minutes I guess. You know, you get to the point where you think, "I've come this far, sat in traffic for so long, stood in line for so long, fought the crowds, there's no way I'm leaving now" but man I wanted to leave. Kiddo was inconsolable. I tried everything; even pulled out my trusty M&M Minis and they only held him for about 5 minutes. Finally I picked him up out of the cart just in time for him to relieve himself and I guess I was mashing the diaper just right because it ran all down his leg. Ugh. This was NOT what he or I needed. So he goes back into the cart (standing up in the back so not to make a mess - the leak really wasn't that bad) which really ticked him off; and by that time I had made it to the cashier. We paid for our items and made haste out the door, weaving through all the poor souls trying to get their items loaded into SUVs backed up to the store. About halfway down the walkway it occurs to me that I have to figure out a way to carry my son, his stroller, my purse, a diaper bag, 2 shopping bags and a box that literally weighs 40 lbs back to the car in hurricane force winds over the 4 wheel drive parking lot. The shopping cart certainly wasn't leaving the pavement, especially because in order to get it to go forward I had to push it at a 45 degree angle (brand new and already jacked up! Go figure) and the wind and flying debris was only fueling the crying and sobbing of my so sad two year old. So I strapped him into the stroller, hung the bags on the handles (I know, bad, bad mommy), tucked the 40 lb monstrosity under my arm the best I could and abandoned the cart. Saying the prayer of "please God get us to the car in one piece", I ventured forth into the driving wind.

We made it. Barely. And now my fingers and hip are bruised, my back is killing me, I ended up yelling at poor Kiddo out of frustration when we finally got in the car and we almost got blown off the road a dozen times on the way home.

But - I got some cool stuff at IKEA! :) :) Maybe tomorrow I'll think it was worth it....

Until,
D

Jewel, Spice and Things Not So Nice

I forgot to post yesterday. oops! This writing every day thing is hard. And what's weird is I think of things to talk about several times a day but when I sit down at the computer to write; all those great ideas hide some where in the folds of my feeble brain. Ahh well, maybe I can just sit with you quietly for a while. You'll tell me about your life and I'll quietly sip my Dr. Pepper. What do you think?

I broke down and put in the xmas CD. I just love Jewel. I know she's not really up there on the "cool" list, but I sing (I think) almost exactly like her and she inspires me to sing the way I am supposed to - full voiced and wall shaking awesome! It is a rare thing to hear; not much out there can inspire me so.

I made my monthly PMS treat a bit early this month. I have been craving something with pumpkin and spice cake; and happened upon a recipe for such a creature in the last Kraft Food Mag. I couldn't put it off any longer and made the cake last night. It is so yummy and moist - I just polished off a piece! Yesterday was a horrible cooking day for me though. I never have claimed to be a chef or anything, but I think I know my way around a kitchen. Yesterday was just one of those days; the moon was full or some planet was in align with something it shouldn't have been - I don't know. I made the cake, put it in the oven and started dinner. We had chili and cornbread. I made the cornbread the same way I always do, put it in the same pan I always do, popped it in the oven the same way I always do and it promptly boiled over and spilled out all over the bottom of the oven. There was no way to effectively clean up the mess while the oven was on so I had to just put a pan in there to catch the rest of the drippings and enjoy the aroma of burnt cornbread as it infused itself into everything in the house (including my cake!). Then later on I went to frost/ice the cake with a cream cheese/sugar/coolwhip type frosting and I could not for the life of me get the dang cream cheese to blend. It was totally lumpy and I eventually gave up and just put it on the cake anyway (and before you ask, yes, it was room temperature; as was the cool whip). Oh well, it all tastes good so I guess it's ok. The poor cornbread came out flat and uncooked on the bottom though (I assume because of the drip catching pan).

I have been thinking a lot lately about friends and things that happened long ago - it is amazing how seemingly simple happenings can impact your life. People change you. You never know how an encounter with someone, be it 2 seconds or 20 years, will mold you; shape you into the person you see in the mirror.

I have about decided I am completely anti-social in person. I am great on line, email, IMing, whatever. I am relaxed and open in these "anonymous" venues; and I love them and hang out frequently. I am in person, however, very, painfully shy and practically mute - with the exception of when I am working; be it photographing people or event planning or whatnot. For some reason I don't have too much trouble talking with someone when I am working. It is a strange phenomenon. Today I took Kiddo to the park to meet up with one of the mom's groups I am in. We have a nice group of ladies. I am pretty sure I could be friends with just about any of them, but for some reason those meet ups are painfully awkward for me. I don't know what it is. Sometimes Kiddo is very embarrassing. If he is the least bit tired or hungry he will pitch the biggest fit when he doesn't get his way. He also is in love with anything with fur or feathers and today I was constantly turning him away from the little creek that ran through the park. He only wanted to jump in the water with the ducks and geese, so what was the big deal anyway? ;) Anyway, I spent the entire time pretty much miserable because I was chasing Kiddo everywhere and I really just wanted to sit and talk to someone. But, because I don't get to go to many functions no one really knows me and so no one wanted to approach me. I know in those situations I should make the first move, and sometimes I try, but it is difficult when I know full well I may have to run off after Kiddo at any moment. I am thinking I should just drop out of the group - but honestly, it is about the only way I can motivate myself to take poor little Kiddo out of the house once a week and do something other than run errands. He LOVES going to the park and pitches a holy fit every time I scoop him up to leave. Today was no exception. He started wailing as soon as I picked him up and grabbed his bag. He wailed all the way to the car, fought me when I tried to fasten his car seat, screamed all the way to the grocery store, was actually ok in the store but started wailing again as we were leaving because he saw a Mater truck toy he wanted, wailed all through the parking lot and into the car again, and screamed for 5 minutes in the car until he passed out cold, sound asleep. Poor guy. And a weird thing that happened - when I was loading the bags in the car and Kiddo was sitting in the cart screaming, this complete stranger walks up to me and says "I am just waiting here for my kid, but do you think your son would like a sucker?" >:-O Are you kidding me?!?! He was having a fit - he wasn't hurt or upset, and so what if he was; did she really think I would try to placate him by giving him candy?!? And better yet, take it from a total stranger leaning up against her crappy car in the "mother-with-child" parking of a grocery store while she is smoking a cigarette and blaring her stupid music out of the rolled down windows and popped trunk? Seriously!

Shew! It felt good to get that out. :) My goodness I have written a novel today. Maybe I should stop now.
Until,
D ;)

Joy to the World

I love the holidays; the sounds, the smells, the warm fuzzies people get, the cooking (especially desserts!), the shopping, and most importantly, The Reason. Every year starting with the first really cold day, I start to get in the mood. I attempt to stifle the urge to pull out all of my Christmas cds in October and try my best to not bake every cake, pie and cookie recipe I see in the magazines.

I made the mistake of going to Garden Ridge Pottery the day after Halloween. Big, BIG mistake! Garden Ridge cleaned out all of their regular stuff and basically Threw Up Christmas! I have never seen so much Holiday stuff in one place - I mean, they usually have a great variety, but this year really takes the cake. It was overwhelming to say the least. BUT - what it did do was totally get me in the mood for the holidays. It sucks because, even though I love the holidays, if I get in the mood too early, by the time Christmas rolls around I am sick of it. I am so ready for my Jewel cd (I have 2 copies!!) and my Neiman Marcus Cookies; I am ready for the cinnamon and apple candles and the twinkley lights; I am ready for the wrapping paper and the ribbon - aaaaahhhh! It's too early!!! :)

My goal tomorrow is to sit down and budget what we can spend on gifts this year. It is going to be so hard not spending everything on Kiddo. He is finally at that age where I think he will be excited about things this time around. We can talk to him about Santa Clause; leave out cookies and milk and introduce him to all the great holiday songs and carols. It is going to be hard to not go nuts doing things. Restraint, restraint my friends - pray for me!

Oh I have much more to say on this topic, but I am distracted by the TV at the moment. I just wanted to check in and start putting some thoughts down.

Have a lovely evening!
D :)

What's That Bug

Just an update for some of you. I did some searching on a fabulous site, What's That Bug, and found the identity of our little friend below. Turns out, he/she was a Tiger Swallowtail Catepillar, in the life stage just before it's time to pupate! When it comes out of the cocoon, it will look like this...

Mystery solved! I still don't get the whole rocking thing it was doing though...

Until,
D

Memory Loss

I forgot to blog yesterday. I guess I was busy. Spent most of the day editing photos for a client; had to completely remove a tree from the background and replace the other half of another tree, some water and grassy areas. Photoshop is so cool!

I felt bad for not having taken Kiddo anywhere this week so when we went to check the mail I decided to walk with him around the block. He absolutely loved it (it's a looong block) and when we turned the corner that leads back to our street he immediately began fussing and yelling "walk again!!?!". I practically had to drag him back to the house. We played out front for another hour or so before I coaxed him back in (and that only succeeded because I intrigued him with a Looney Toons DVD). He thankfully fell asleep shortly thereafter (on the floor in the walkway between the dining room and the kitchen!) and took a nice long nap.

We got our dying lap top back from the repair center yesterday. $275 and 3+ weeks of waiting and it worked for almost 2 hours before dying completely. Now what? There is a 90 day warranty on the work, but it is doing something totally different than before. I am pretty sure it's going to cost more money. I hate computers.

Well, maybe after my coffee kicks in I can come up with something more interesting to say. I just needed to get a little gripe out before I officially start my day.

Oh yes, only 5 more days till IKEA opens!!!!!! :D :D :D

Until,
D

Could it Be?

It may be possible that I take too many pictures. I try to take some of Kiddo every day - some times I go for a few days without doing it. It's not like it's an obsession or anything, he's just cute! Who wouldn't want to capture that?!? This morning I was working on some client photos and Kiddo was watching Winnie the Poo. He was laying on the floor like this...


and I thought it was cute, so I took out my camera. I snapped the pic and Kiddo arches his back and twisted his little head around and says "oh, Mommy!". It had that "geeze, you are always taking pictures" tone and it cracked me up!

Later on, we were out in the front yard when we spotted this guy/girl...

Anyone care to take a guess? He/she was rocking back and forth at us all menacingly, like he/she was ready to project his/her little inch long body at us and tear us up good! Then he/she crawled up the wall of the house and promptly fell off! oops! He/she was ok and took off again shortly thereafter at the speed of a turtle... ;)

Workin, workin, workin - more later, I promise!
Until,
D

Funny Memories

It amazes me what I remember sometimes. Just random thoughts from childhood; locked deep in the recesses of the mind only to be brought forth at odd moments. My Hubby has his alarm clock set to play music from a local radio station to wake him. In the early mornings the station plays a combo of classical and "elevator" type music, but by mid morning it transitions over to less classical and more cheesy, adult contemporary/borderline elevator music. Anyway, often when I am in the shower Kiddo will come into our room and turn on the radio on the clock. He enjoys turning it off and on, doing a little boogie if he is so inclined and playing in the drawers full of no-no's that is my Hubby's night stand. Today was no exception and when I emerged from the shower I heard the familiar hum of the radio in the next room. Kiddo was playing on the floor with his cars, and I guess the music was suitable enough for him to leave the radio on while he played.

While I was getting dressed an old Kenny Rogers song came on the radio..."Take my hand, let's walk through love's doors, and be free from the world once more..." (the song was featured in Urban Cowboy) Of course, I knew the song - after all I grew up listening to that genre of music, and so I began to sing along. Suddenly I was transported back to somewhere around 1980; and I was standing in the living room of my parents trailer. Often when singing to the radio, I would stand over the floor vents and let the breeze from the air conditioner blow my hair. I would imagine I was on stage, wearing some sort of sparkley get up, with the fan blowing my hair around very dramatically, singing my little heart out. One particular occasion I remember singing that very KR song, and at the end I was taking a big breath for the long note "we can looooove the world, A-WAAAAAAAAAAAY" and I managed to hit the note and hold it strong all the way to the end! I was truly impressed with what my little 6 year old lungs could do!

Well, it was interesting to me that a song could bring back such a vivid memory. Kiddo was, as usual, amused at my vocal skills and would turn off the radio for a moment and then turn it back on, I guess to see if I was still in time with the music.

I was.

Until,
D :)

The Power of the Toot

My son has discovered the power of the toot. Yes, my friends, I am sorry to tell you - he is ALL boy! The really sad part is, though my Hubby tried his best to do his fatherly duty, I think I was the one that actually taught him to use the force. Now, before you start thinking awful thoughts about me passing gas - let me explain. I was changing his diaper and he tooted. I jumped and laughed (because after all, it was directed at my face) which in turn made him laugh that amazing, special laugh he only does when he is truly tickled about something. That made me laugh harder, which made him try to do it again; he succeeded and well, you can just imagine how the next 10 minutes went!

I was hoping he had forgotten about our exchange when about an hour later Hubby starts laughing in the next room. Apparently Kiddo had walked in with a gigantic grin on his face, looked at Hubby, turned around, bent over, and promptly fumigated the room. Mr. Cutie Patootie ran off giggling hysterically and left my dear Hubby in the ...ah....clouds! :0

Ah the joys of boys!
Until,
D :)

Cookies and Candy

Well, because I committed to writing every day in November, I am trying to do just that. So, I apologize if some of my posts are not very interesting! ;)

Since I told you about last months PMS Cake, I will tell you what was the treat this month. Cookies!! I started out with your basic, time tested, oatmeal raisin. Oh, how yummy they were - until Kiddo discovered them - then it was all day long, "mommy, cookie? Mommy COOKIE?!?" and before I knew it, they were gone. :( A few days later, my wonderful, blogging, bbc Momma friend posted a recipe for Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. My friends, if you have a chance to try this recipe - please do! I love gingerbread cookies anyway, but adding chocolate?!?! Come on! I couldn't resist! Much to my advantage, Hubby was not too fond of them (too much ginger for his taste) and Kiddo could only eat about half of one before he got sweeted out. Woo Hoo! :)

Anyway, after the cookies came the Halloween candy and, well...I guess my diet is pretty much ruined till the holidays are over. I guess I should start praying for will power! :)

Have a good night!
D

Friends and Compassion

I have a friend (shocking, I know ;) ). Though we have never met in person, she seems to be a very sweet, loving, kind hearted and smart individual and I have grown to care a great deal about her over the past couple of years. We talk on line on a regular basis, and have shared a couple of phone conversations.

As of late I am very worried about her. I fear for her overall safety, her mental health and her children. I am afraid of what private hell she must be going through. It hurts to know she has no one to talk to and is monitored for everything she says and does and thinks. No one deserves to live like that, and for such a wonderful, sweet, giving person it must be just awful. Based on what she has said in the past, she really has little or no support from friends and no one she can really talk to.

I have always been a rescuer. That is, I hate to see anything or anyone injured or in bad situations. As a child I rescued animals; big or small, domestic or wild, bug or beast - and tried to "fix" them before sending them on their way. I actually felt physical pain when witnessing an injured animal, and for many years my parents thought for sure I would grow up to be a veterinarian. My mom used to have tomato plants and very often I would find broken or split branches. Physically feeling the pain the plant must have "felt", I would do my best to fix it. I had a system of taking a wet paper towel and wrapping the split up and tying it off in the hopes that it would grow back together and not die. Often times it worked, but when it didn't - I would be heart-broken. In high school we took on friends of mine that for whatever reason needed a place to stay. We must have housed 10 different kids over the course of four years for anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months. Our house during my senior year of high school was a revolving door for kicked out or runaway teenagers!

I think what troubles me the most about all of these situations though, is the knowledge that there is really nothing I can do. Especially in adult life; people have to recognize their own issues and decide whether or not to change their lives. I can only provide support, encouragement or a shoulder to cry on. I cannot make things better; I cannot fix them or their problems. If I were independently wealthy, maybe I could help someone get on their feet - help them with the monetary stuff and relieve that burden for them. I hope someday I will be able to do those kind of things; but right now I can only give what I have; which isn't much, and it often depresses me.

I am fighting every urge I have to hop a flight to the afore mentioned friend's house and swoop down and scoop her up and whisk her away. In my mind that would make everything better, but in reality I know the problems she faces would follow her. I know she cannot escape what she is in without a major life changing decision. I want to tell her that situations like that don't normally magically change for the better; but I do hope in her case she receives a miracle. I hope God answers her prayers before any permanent scaring occurs to her or her children. There are so many things I want to say; but it is not my place and I have to grit my teeth and vent to my husband about it behind closed doors (sorry dear). I hate that I care for someone and knowing full well their are many of us out there willing to help in any way we can, this friend keeps us all at arm's length and is trying to do it on her own.

But I know - we never really know someone. We know nothing of what actually goes on behind closed doors. Our personal realities are far, far more complex and intense than we let on to the outside world - even our closest friends and family haven't a clue. I often wonder how much better our lives could be if we could be more open and honest with each other. I know I've mentioned this in previous posts - but we are here to help each other, people! We are put here to support one another and fellowship and care - why else would we be given the gifts of compassion and kindness?

And I also am aware that if she reads this, she may never speak to me again. I really hope that is not the case, and that she sees this as my way of venting and trying to reach her in a way I haven't been able to before. I honestly don't know what good it will do though.

My train of thought keeps getting derailed by a whining toddler that can't figure out what he wants. I sit here typing my heart out about compassion and caring, all the while trying desperately to ignore the melt down happening right beside me. I want to give in to his cries and screams of "NO!" to every question I ask and just give him what he ultimately wants. But I know that doing that will only make things worse next time - so here I sit, holding back my own tears, trying to be strong and "teach" my child to say "yes, please" - or frankly, anything besides "no". He screams in that high pitched, whiney voice "watch the turtle show?" and I ask him if that is what he wants and his response is "NO!" (insert smiley of confused look here)

I guess I have written enough for now. I love you all!
Until,
D

NaBloPoMo '06 and Photo Confidence

Yesterday was day 2 of NaBloPoMo and I forgot to blog. Boy, I am off to a good start! ;) I guess I'll have to submit 2 entries today.

Yesterday I had a photo shoot in the early afternoon. I was a little nervous about it, but no more than usual. Since I got my new camera I have had some great shoots and some not so great. Learning the nuances of this camera have been frustrating and disheartening. I had such a good photography experience with Kiddo on Monday at the farm, I thought for sure I would be successful with this shoot and for the first time with a paying client I was going to shoot in full Manual Mode! Normally I shoot in Aperture Priority, as little kids are hard to chase while one is attempting to turn camera dials. But this family consisted of mom, dad and 3 month old baby, so I figured there wouldn't be much chasing to do! So I did the shoot, they were lovely, kind people, but I felt like I was adjusting my camera the whole time. I thought for sure nothing came out. I was in tears the whole way home; and after I got home was afraid to even upload the pics for fear of what I would see.

I know, I know. I hear you. "You should have more confidence in yourself!" You are right, I should. Because the pictures turned out GREAT! I am so excited! I will never, never, never fully trust what I see on the LCD screen again!

Ahhhhh, I feel better. I don't know why I get myself so worked up over these things.
Later,
D :)

Creatures and Kisses

Pantry Moths. Vial, vial little creatures. Once you have them you swear you will never do that again. It is a disgusting, time consuming, money wasting infestation that will infuriate one to the point of wanting to fling oneself off a bridge. You see, they are sneaky little devils; once you see them - it is already too late. And they have nothing to do with how clean your house is or how meticulously clean and organized you keep your pantry; they come in bags of dog or cat food or boxes and bags of grains. They crawl around under cover of night and lay their slimy young in every nook and cranny and small hole there is. Then, when you least expect it, you start to see these mysterious little moths in odd places.

I have been battling these vomit inducing creatures all week. I suspect they rode in on cat vittles and have since cost me mucho $$ in lost food, cleaning supplies and new, air tight containers. Stupidly, I thought they were isolated in the cat food (which, by the way, was in an air tight container) so I removed that bucket and moved on. A few days later, new moths appeared and I have discovered them in the dog food and various other places - like the corrugated box that contains our ice cream maker and a couple of cake boards. Everything has to go - all the crackers and grains and cereal, all the boxes and even stuff that is unopened. The pantry has to be soaked down with bleach and cleaned almost to the point of gutting and starting over. It makes me sooooo mad!!!

I should have known better. We were infested once before, years ago, and had to throw out basically everything in the kitchen and start over. I had to throw out all of my spices - hundreds of dollars worth, food, various kitchen things, and the free standing cabinet we were using as a pantry. It took forever to get rid of them completely.

That is one of the reasons I loved living in Arizona. No BUGS! It was amazing.

Thank goodness I have these to keep me sane.

Until,
D