June Top Droppers

These bloggers all dropped on this blog 31 times in the past month.
I find this odd because June only had 30 days, but whatever!
Thanks to all of you!

As far as I know, I have never made it onto anyone's top droppers list.
I need to work on that.

Where I Was Born

I have three sisters and one brother, and they were all born in New York, at the same hospital. I was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. My dad was in the Navy at the time, and stationed there. I don't think we lived there for very long after I was born, and I have no memory of it at all. I would love to one day go back and see what it's like. Junior is always talking about chasing tornadoes, so I don't think it would be too hard to convince him to go, as long as we stop off in Texas. I am sure while we are there he would want to meet with Dallas realtors, and then try to convince me to move there. He wants so badly to move away from South Carolina, but I don't want to move too far from my family. I agreed to think about moving to North Carolina, but I didn't make any promises. I like where we are now. I like the school district my kids are in. I love that my mom is only twenty minutes away, and I can see her whenever I want. Junior is going to have to but me a pretty amazing house to get me to consider moving.

Sun Kissed

Look at my poor little Boo.

Even with 30spf sunblock, she still burned.

As you can see, though, she is still all smiles, and begging to go back in the pool.

I told her to wait until tomorrow, or at least until after Deadliest Catch.

Maybe we can set up a spotlight out there so we can swim in the dark.

Dressing Professionally

I have a twenty four hour a day, seven day a week job. It's called being a mom. This job does not require a uniform or have a dress code. In fact, I have done some of my best mommying in the middle of the night, in my pajamas. If the day comes that I have to get a "real" job, I wouldn't know what to wear. These days, business casual has turned into women wearing things to work that are a little less than professional. In fact, there was a therapy session a couple of months ago where our therapist, who I love, wore a shirt that was so low cut, I think Junior spent the hour staring at her instead of listening to her. I couldn't do that. I would wear modest clothing for women, especially since I would want to present myself in a neat and professional manner. Trust me, ladies. You can still look stylish without showing the world everything you have.

Too Much Sun

The kids have been in the pool all day. I hopped in a couple of times to cool off, otherwise I was happy sitting in the sun with my book. I was able to finish The 8th Confession...review will come in a few days. My back is a little burned, but mostly I am just getting a darker tan. Brandi slathered herself in sunblock, but Kasi didn't want to. She is paying for it with the backs of her thighs bright red. Maybe tomorrow she will listen to me.

I love that we have the pool. It gives the kids something to do, and they take full advantage. I am hoping that all this swimming will tire them out and they will start going to be before 2 am. I know I am exhausted just from being in the sun.

I wonder if anyone would notice if I went and took a quick nap? Or maybe a nice long one....

Finding New Books

My seven year old daughter loves to read. During the school year, it is required that the students read for thirty minutes every night, and Brandi never gave me a problem with that. Most nights she read more that what she had to. She is like me. Once she starts reading a book, she can't put it down until she finishes it. On the last day of school, she brought home a paper where she can keep track of what she reads over the summer, and if she turns it in when school starts back in August, she will be invited to a special party. We have a lot of books here at home for her to read, but she has read most of them already, so we have been going to the library. The problem with that is that when Brandi finds a book she really likes, she doesn't want to return it. She wants to be able to read it over and over again, which is also just like me.

A solution to this problem is to just buy her books, which I have been doing. I heard about this book called Chin and the Magic Stones, and from what I have read about it, I think she would enjoy it. The story is about a boy who had a talking dog, and they have an amazing adventure together fighting the dark forces thriving underneath the town they live in. It teaches that believing in yourself, and having a positive outlook, can lead to a happy ending. You can read more about this book at www.chinmagic.com.

Award Time

I was lucky enough to have received these two awards from two different, yet equally awesome bloggers, motherhood unscripted and bargain central. Thanks again ladies!


The rules for these awards are:

1) To accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Wow, fifteen bloggers, huh? Let's see....I'm going to pass this to:

Jenn @ crazy magic, sometimes hectic, beautiful life

Missy @ herd it here first

Tammy @ mom knows everything

Tammy @ crazy mom with four boys

Kat @ candles, crafts, and whatnot

Carrie @ rantings of a woman

Kristin @ my art and the mom in me

Diana @ forgetfulone

John @ gay dads in munchkin land

Jenera @ just me

Brandi and Kasi @ mom's girls :)

Jennifer @ a sample of jennifer's thoughts

Anna @ beth and cory's mom

Donna @ Made In Heaven

Yummy! @ Yummy! down on this

It's There If You Need It

If you knew of a way to potentially save your child's life someday, would you do it?

If you had to invest money to do so, would you still do it?

If so, you should consider cryo-cell. They will bank your child's cord blood, and have it available in case you need it someday. Right now, cord blood is being used to treat over seventy five different diseases. Seventy five. Just think of all the advancements that could be made in the next twenty or forty years. Right now, you could save $725 by using the code HOT. Hopefully your child will never need to use the cord blood, but think of the peace of mind they, and you, will having knowing it's there if they do.

Are you already a mother like me, but didn't know about saving your child's cord blood? The good news is that if you have another child, you can bank that blood. There is also a one in four chance that that's child's cord blood will work for your other children. I have no intentions of having another child, but when the time comes for my kids to have babies, I will recommend they save their children's cord blood. Heck, maybe by then I will be able to afford to do it for them.

Going Dot Com Again

I think it's been about two months or so since I switched this blog to a dot com. I am finally starting to have the same numbers as before, and I'm happy about that. Before the switch, the Alexa ranking on this blog was about 85,000. I just checked this morning, and I am down to 97,795. It also has a PR2, which I never had before. This blog was always n/a.

Now that the PR on my craft blog went down the toilet, I am thinking of going dot com over there, too. The Aleza ranking over there is horrible right now, so this is a good time to make the switch. I just hope i remember everything Anna told me about switching it over.

Staying Cool In This Heat

It has been so hot here the past few days. My garden is protesting by developing yellow leaves, no matter how much I water it. I hope I don't lose my cucumbers, because they seem to be doing the worst. I feel bad for people who have to work outside in this heat. I bet Construction Trailers Nashville is doing awesome business right now, being able to provide air conditioning to construction workers. Okay, so maybe just the builders get to hang out in the trailers, but as hot and humid as it's been, I bet the nice ones have been offering some relief to their workers. I'm just glad I don't have to work out in the heat, and that Junior doesn't, either.

Harper's Island Finale...Can't Wait

If you haven't watched the latest episode, be warned...there are some spoilers here!

I have been watching this from the beginning, and am totally addicted. I can not wait for the two hour finale in two weeks. I am hoping, well, dreaming really, that they will re-air all the episodes in a huge eleven hours block so I can see them all again. Heck, they are all online, so I might just have my own little Harper's Island marathon.

I was shocked when they killed off Cal and Chloe. I was really hoping they would have made it to the end. When he rescued her, I was so relieved, and then I got to watch him die, and her commit suicide. I was a little ticked.

I wonder how Jimmy fits into all of this. I kind of had a feeling last week that there was something more to him, surviving the boat blast and all. Is he out for revenge because Abby left him years before? Is he Wakefield's kid, and therefor Abby's half brother? That would be kinda gross since they have a history together. I hope everything is explained, and that it's not a disappointment.

Burned

The pool is now up, and I am unhappy with where we put it. I hate that our neighbors are a foot away, and we have no privacy. This would have happened no matter where in the yard we put the pool, and at least where it is we can put something up between them and us. I was originally thinking about a wall or something, but that would block the sun completely. They I was thinking Junior could do something with perforated decorative metal sheets and at least the sun would be able to shine through. There is a point during the day when the pool will be in the shade, but it's during the hottest part of the day, so I'm okay with that. Yesterday, poor Kasi burned the backs of her legs and a section of her back. I thought she put sunscreen on. I know she put some on Boo, and I thought Boo put some on her in return. Apparently not. I need to make sure everyone has sunscreen on today, because I have a feeling we will spent a good part of it in the pool.

Leg Cramps

For the past couple of weeks, I have been waking up due to leg cramps, aka charlie horses. I remember this happening when I was pregnant, but I am 500% sure that is not the case right now. I looked online, and most sites say it is caused by dehydration. I find this weird because I drink all. the. time. Seriously, I always have a drink beside me. Maybe I should switch to water instead of the diet sierra mist I drink. Can you get dehydrated by drinking soda? I think I need to do some more googling.

Construction Vehicles For Sale

There is a house down the street from us that has decided to make money from their yard. They roped off sections of their yard, and they are selling construction equipment. They have dozers, dump trucks, and Champion Rodders. I guess they will take a percentage of every sale or something. Sounds like a good idea, but they have yet to sell any of the four vehicles that have been sitting there for the past month. If people are like me, they would rather buy from a reputable dealer. I would want to know that the vehicle I am buying is reliable.

Too Much Death

First Ed. Then Farrah and Michael. And now Billy.

What is going on? They say death comes in threes, but that makes four.

Does that mean we should be waiting for two more?

This is just scary.

Games My Girls Play

I have two daughters, and they love to play games on the computer. Brandi, who is seven, loves to play the games where you get to put makeup and clothes on dolls. We were just looking on Girl Games and found a game where you can dress up Zac Efron. We chose his hairstyle and color, his eye color, facial hair, and all of his clothes. Brandi made all the decisions, and look how he came out. She thinks he looks pretty hot.

I don't know how I feel about my seven year old thinking anyone is hot.

I know she is going to go back to this site, and I'm okay with that, although I am not too happy about all the kissing games. It's a good think she is not interested in that kind of thing. I tried out another one of other games, the pizza matchmaking game, and think it is geared more towards my older daughter, who is twelve. Now they both have something new to play.

All Set Up

The kids have already been swimming. The girls jumped in as soon as the hose was turned on, and didn't get out until about an hour ago. I was always a water bug when I was younger, and my girls are just like me. Ryan swam for a little while towards the end, but had fun, too.

To see all the pictures I took today, check out my picture blog.

Thanks again pool fairy!

Ready To Get Going

This is where the pool is going to go. It's in the side yard, because we really don't have any back yard space. The only thing I don't like is on the other side of that fence is someone's driveway, and then a main road. I want to look into putting up some kind of privacy wall or something, and hope I won't have to hire a San Francisco general contractor to do it.

I really want to get out there and get it started to filling so that by later this afternoon the kids can play in it. When we moved, we left behind so much stuff (not by choice) and my pool supplies were part of that. I had a ladder and a floaty thing for the chlorine, and a skimmer and vacuum. Luckily I know where I can get a skimmer/vacuum package for about $20. The last pool like this we had lasted for quite a few years, and I hope this one lasts just as long, if not longer. The only reason the other pool had to be thrown away was because the bubble part had too many holes, and it wouldn't inflate anymore.

I know we will all enjoy being able to cool off and be outside for the rest of the summer.

Putting The Pool Up

Yesterday we cleared out the spot where the pool is going to go. Well, it would be better to say we cleared out a few places for the pool. It's one of those blue bubble pools, and we have learned that they need to go one flat, level ground, or they don't fill properly. We can't really level off a spot, because it is a rental, so we had to find the levelest spot in the yard. By the time we finished last night, it was too late to fill the pool, so as soon as everyone is up, we are going to do that today. i am hoping the spot we picked works...keep your fingers crossed!

Dream Home

Writing about bathrooms got me really wanting to look at some houses that are for sale. I know it will be difficult to find the exact house of my dreams, so I was also looking at home builders Winston Salem NC. Salem is not too far away from where I am in South Carolina, so I want Junior to drive up there with me to look at some of their model homes. Who knows. We may find plans for the house of our dreams. I just hope they can recreate the bathroom I have fallen in love with, and the kitchen I can see in my head with the white cabinets and the black and gray marbled counter tops. The floor in the kitchen will have to be a black and white checkerboard.

I'm not going to be too picky. Or am I?

Red, White, And Boom

Last night, we went downtown to watch the big fireworks display. I tried so hard to take pictures, but it's impossible to get the timing right. I finally gave up. The picture above is the best one I took, and it's not very good.

The kids had fun, which was the most important thing. We got there about 90 minutes early so we would have a good spot, and ended up right in front of where they shot them off. It was so loud! While we were waiting, I finished Relentless, and I gotta tell you, this is the only book in a long time to creep me out. I plan on doing a review, so I won't say anything else about it right now, except that you should go read it.

Next weekend, we have another fireworks display to go watch. In fact, I think there are a couple of more displays we could go see. The kids are going to love us just a little more by the time the 4th is over! lol!

My Dream Bathroom

I think every couple, when they first get married, dream about their first home. They both work, they rake in cash from wedding guests, they save their pennies, and then one day, they buy a home. Then they fill that home with children.

My husband and I did things a little backwards, and fourteen years later, we're still renting, and have about three dollars in our checking account. We are still in the dreaming phase of owning a home, and hopefully in the next few years we will be able to buy a place of our own. The only good thing about dreaming so long is that I know exactly what I want.

I'm not sure how you would categorize my taste, but I think it's somewhere in the modern category, but not too modern. I prefer clean lines, and I love anything black. I was looking at Bathroom Vanities, and found this one. Isn't it cool? I love that it is a Single Vanity
, would probably put two of them in my dream master bath. It kind of has that old fashioned wash basin feel, but in a contemporary way. It's made of stone and marble, and it's black! In fact, I love the look of the floor and walls, too, and want all of these things in my home. Am I still dreaming? Probably. But man, how cool do you think the rest of this bathroom looks? I'll tell you how weird my taste is, because I would want to put an old fashioned claw foot tub in this bathroom, too. Do you think they make those in black?

I found this Bathroom Vanity at buyvanitiesonline.com. They have discounted prices, which is a must for me when I buy anything. They also offer free shipping, which saves you even more money. I can not wait until I have my own home, and can decorate the way I want to, instead of living with someone else's design choices.

Camera Critters ~ 38

We went fishing on Father's Day, and these guys were everywhere!
They had the coolest blue tint to their wings, but for some reason it didn't show in the picture.
At one point, I had like eight of them lined up on my fishing pole, but my camera battery died, so I missed that shot.
Hopefully they will still be there the next time we go.

To participate, go here.

Staying Or Moving?

We have been living in this apartment for almost a year now. When we moved in, we weren't sure how long we would stay because it is only a two bedroom. Originally, Ryan and Kasi shared the bigger room, and Brandi just slept in my bed with me, since Junior slept on the couch every night because of his back. A couple of months ago, I let Ryan have the smaller room to himself, and the girls now share a room. I still sleep with Brandi, but I no longer have a room of my own. It makes it a little difficult to find alone time with Junior, but we are surviving.

Next month we have to decide if we want to renew our lease. Junior really ants to, and I don't want to move, but there are so many little things wrong around here. Our roof is still leaking, the bathtub doesn't drain properly, the faucet in the tub constantly runs, and now out water heater is leaking. It is under the counter in my kitchen, and I can not tell where the water is coming from. The management company may need to hire an Atlanta Plumber to come take a look. Junior seems to think the bottom has rusted out and that is where the water is coming from. He is going to call the management company Monday to let them know. I hope they can fix it easily, because I really don't want to move.

Lazy Saturday?

It has been a crazy week. It seems like every day there was something to do, and I am beat. This morning, I slept until almost 11:15, so I know I will not be able to fall asleep for a few more hours. I will have to waste some time on Facebook, or something. Maybe see if there is a good movie on.

Hopefully we can spent tomorrow at home. We need to get the yard ready for the pool, and load up some metal that Junior needs to take to the scrap iron place. Then after that, we are all going to just chill and be lazy.

At least I hope that's the plan.

What Complaints?

I learned something new today. I knew that there was renters insurance out there, and that we desperately need to get some. I had no idea that there was landlord insurance, where the owners of a rental can insure the place from tenant damage. I guess it's just another form of homeowners insurance.

I was surprised when our landlords agreed to let us put up a pool without having to fence it in. I was almost positive we would have had to put some kind of enclosure around it. Their only concern was that it not be visible from the driveway coming in, so the people in the apartment next door couldn't complain about it. Apparently they have been trying to complain about us ever since they had to get rid of the demon dog, but the landlord knows we haven't done anything wrong. They just don't want to give the neighbors something else to try and complain about.

Hopefully by this time tomorrow night, the pool will be swim ready.

I hope.

So There...Whatever

I guess I'm supposed to be offended and hurt, but I'm not.

The same chick that left the other comment, responded to mine with this:

Nobody buys there way out of a conviction.. The charges were unfounded and the family was paid for whatever reason.. That does not make it nice to say that you wouldnt care about somebody dying. And if you felt attacked that is your own guilty conscience!

...and then de-friended me on Facebook...

...and I couldn't care less.

She just proved how mature she is.

Or not.

Baby Shower Gift

My sister in New York is having her baby shower in a couple of weeks. Last I heard, there were going to be a couple of hundred people. She's having a pool party, and invited women, men, and children. I wish I could be there, but it's just not possible right now.

I do need to send a gift, though, and had planned on making her a name sign. For those who have never seen my name signs, they are made of wood, and I use a router to carve the name in the wood. Then I paint them up all pretty, and give them away as gifts. Her three boys already have signs I made, so she asked me last night to make one for Jake, the new baby. I told her I had already planned to, so now I want to get her something that she is not expecting. I wish I had the money to pay for her to store the baby's cord blood. Cryo-Cell is having a special right now where you can save $725 on their U-Cord service by using the code HOT. These cells, in the future, can save the life of the child they are collected from. There is also a 1 in 4 chance that one of her other boys could benefit from them. These cells are being used to treat over 75 diseases, and hopefully in the future, they will treat even more.

I guess she'll have to settle for a crocheted blanket. I know she'll love it. I made one for her six year old son, but I didn't know how to crochet when her other two were born. I need to get started, though, if I want it to be finished in two weeks. I'm quick, but maybe not that quick.

Um....Wow

I was just totally attacked on Facebook.

I put this in my status today:

Am I the only person who doesn't care that a guy who molested kids has died?

Apparently I am not allowed to express my opinion, but everyone else on Facebook can.

This is what one person wrote:

Wow that is when sometimes you should keep your opinions to yourself. He was never charged with a crime and I do not believe any mother would except money if her child's purity was stolen from them. Hard to believe you come from such a religious family. If you don't like what people are posting on facebook then don't sign on and read it. I really feel bad for you that you could not care that a person was taken off this earth so soon!

This is what I replied:

I never said I didn't like what other people were posting, I just said i didn't care that he died. If you think that makes me a horrible person, so be it, but don't attack the way I was raised because you have a different opinion. I never said I was glad he died, I just said i didn't care. There is a big difference there. We are all entitled to our own opinions, and I had no idea that my one little comment would get so many people pissed off. If you have a problem with who i am and how i was raised by one little thing I wrote, then you are the one being judgmental.

Just so you all know...Michael Jackson contributed to the music industry. There is no question about that. I love his music, I just don't think the world should stop spinning because he died. I do believe he molested kids. I am allowed to believe that, just like the people who believe he was innocent are allowed to believe that. That's what makes this country so great. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I don't think it has anything to do with the way I was raised. I don't care what other's have written, and I didn't comment on their status and attack them. She should heed her own advice, and not read my facebook page. Just my opinion.

Working Customer Service

I have been told many times that I would make a good teacher, especially to young children. People say I have the patience necessary, and the ability to make other people understand my point of view. I agree that I might make a good teacher, for about a day or two. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, but I don't think I could handle all the politics of teaching. I was thinking that I could use my job skills to work in customer service.

The type of company wouldn't matter. I want to be able to help someone get the answers they need, and for them to be satisfied. I have worked in jobs where customer satisfaction is required, and you were to go out of your way to make people happy. I was always good at that. Being on the other side, though, has been tough sometimes. Some companies have people working customer service who are rude and unhelpful. I find that a smile goes a long way, and can ease the tension in a sticky situation sometimes.

I was curious as to what type of courses I could take to better my resume, and found that Learn.com Personal Edition offers a about thirty different courses on customer service. From "Understanding Customer Service" to "Managing Against The Odds", they have courses that cover so many different aspects of the job. I know that completing these courses would look great on my resume.

More Pictures From Alex's Birthday

The cake picture...Missy drew the face, and I wrote the "happy birthday alex".
Cute, right? The cake came with the tubes of icing so you could decorate it yourself.

The kids on the trampoline.
My kids thought they were hot stuff, because they normally are not allowed on the things.
They make me super nervous.

Alex, hamming it up over his cake.

The icing fight in progress...note how far away I was...out of the line of fire! lol!

Blowing out his Darth Vader candle...Missy made yummy brownies!

Fun times, I tell ya....fun times!

Title Loans

I am thinking again about getting a real job. I go through phases where I want to go back to work, and then I have days where I enjoy staying home. About a month ago, I filled out a bunch of applications online, but I didn't get any calls for interviews. I know it is hard to find jobs these days, so I am not too optimistic about finding something. My husband's friend's wife works at a place that does Auto Title Loans, and she was going to see about getting me a job there. The only problem would be the hours I would be available to work. Ryan is not quite old enough to be in charge of Brandi for eight hours, and if I had to hire a sitter or send them to day care, I would be handing over my entire paycheck to them, so what's the point?

I do know a little about Auto Title Loans Fresno, because Junior and I have gotten one in the past. For people with not so good credit, these loans can really come in handy. You basically put your car up as collateral for a loan, and when you pay off the loan, you get the title back. It's pretty simple, actually. Auto Title Loans Hayward can assist you in getting a title loan, and you can even apply online.

Brandi's Barbie Babies

I was going to my room the other day, and found this in front of my door.

Brandi had all the barbies laying on beds she made (the white paper strips). I asked what they were doing, and she said:

"having babies".

All the little people were the babies.

This kid has got some imagination.

My Surgery

July 7, 2008. This date is forever etched in my memory, for good reason. It's the day I had my breast reduction surgery, also know as the best decision I have ever made. I went back and read the posts from that week, and got pretty emotional. I can not believe it has been almost a year. The surgeon told me right after the surgery that I would see the final results after a year, once my breasts had time to heal and settle. I can honestly say that I am still extremely happy with the results. Looking back, I can't even remember what it was like before the surgery. Weird, right? I had humongous breasts for thirty six years, and I can't remember how life was then. I remember the back aches and shoulder pain, and always having to wear a bra. These days I only wear a bra when I have to, and that is such a great feeling.

One of the most important decisions you can make if you are considering this procedure is to chose a surgeon you trust, and who has a reputation of doing a good job. Look at before and after pictures of his former patients. I think that was the part I hated the most, having to pose topless for the before and after shots. I am a very modest person, and I was so embarrassed.

I don't regret my decision at all. Like I said, it was the best decision I have ever made for myself. The surgery gave me a renewed self confidence, and I am no longer embarrassed by the size of my breasts. Now if I could just lose some of this extra weight I carry around.

Food Fight!

I got to hang out with Sam, Missy, and Alex tonight, and we had such a great time. It was Alex's birthday, so we headed over there for a yummy supper of hot dogs with the fixin's, and then brownies, cake and ice cream. As you can see, the icing ended up on more than just the cake. Brandi got covered, too, but got a little upset that it got in her hair.

I have lots more pictures to share, and will do that tomorrow. I am going to bed now...work can wait until the morning.

Relaxing Outside

Remember me telling you about our new pool? It should be here in the next day or so, and hopefully it will be ready to swim in by the weekend. Filling it shouldn't take too long. I think the last one we had filled in about eight hours, and this one is smaller, so maybe four hours will do. It will be interesting to see how much money the management company says we owe them for the difference in the water bill.

The kids will be wanting to go in the pool every day, and I probably won't let them go in it if I am not out there watching. That means that Junior is going to have to get me something comfortable to sit in. I was looking online, and found this cute little group. I love the black metal, and the stripes on the cushions are definitely my style. I love the Chaise Lounge , and would probably be happy just getting that. Of course, the more outdoor furniture I looked at, the more I found that I liked.

These chaise loungers are really nice, too. I love the design on the back, and the orange red color is great. It's going to be hard to decide which one I like the best. Both of these pictured can be found at buyoutdoorfurniture.com. They always have discounted prices, and they offer free shipping. Now, that right there saves you a ton of money, and I love saving money. My biggest problem is going to be picking out which Patio Furniture I need to talk Junior into buying for me. His taste is very different from mine, and he will probably try to talk me into something a little more feminine. I know that sounds weird, but I think he would prefer something wicker, and I just don't think anything made of wicker is comfortable. I will stand my ground, and I can almost guarantee that I will get the set that I want. I am the one who will be using it, after all.

I Forgot Again

It's Thursday, and again I forgot about Thursday Thirteen. I don't know what my problem is lately, but I keep forgetting about it. Maybe I can find time later to do one, but for now I am ready for bed. I say I am ready for bed, but I'm not going there just yet. I still have some work to do. At least I can sleep in in the morning.

New Games To Play

I love Trivia. I have been told on more than one occasion that I have too much useless information in my head. I can play a Fun trivia game at Triviala.com. You can answer trivia questions for fun, or to collect crowns. There is more than one Trivia Game. You can play a Quickfire game where you answer thirty rapid fire questions. I just played and only got 16 out of 30 correct. You have to "spin" to see what category your questions come from. You get three spins, for ten questions per category. I did great on the movie questions, but the history and general questions were hard.

I also played Coin A Word, and I can tell this will be an addiction of mine. You get six letters, and you have to make as many words as you can using those six letters. I love games like this. Kasi stood over my shoulder and helped me get almost all of the words. She is going to be a puzzle solver like I am.

There are other games to play, and I could lose the next few hours of my life playing. I had to sign up to play, but it was quick and easy. It literally took me about thirty seconds. Playing is free, and you can use the crowns you collect to enter drawings, where you could win up to $5000 each month. I kind of like the sound of that.

If you like playing computer games that make you think, this is the site for you. Trust me when I say they are addicting and fun.

We're Getting A Pool!!!!!

The kids are so excited! A certain someone who loves my kids so much is buying them a pool. We just had to clear it with the landlord that we could put it up. They said yes, so we're gonna do it. We will just have to pay for the water to fill it, which is not a problem.

Do you see how happy that family is? That is going to be us.

Now the kids will have something to do during the day, and they won't drive me crazy all the time. Hopefully we'll have it up in the next week. It's going to take a little work to get the ground level, but we'll do it.

Oh, and I just want to say THANKS to our super duper fairy Nana who is getting the kids the pool! We love you!!!!!

My First Job

My first real job was working at McDonald's. I remember my first day, and having to watch a training video for the position I was going to be working. Other companies and non-profit organizations use video production Virginia for a similar purpose, which is to get people to understand what they are all about. Could I have done the job without watching the training video? Sure. But with the video, I had a better understanding of what to expect, and what was expected of me. I learned so much working there, and would recommend that every teenager work some type of fast food. At least for a while.

522 Productions can help you make a training video for your business. I know how intimidating it can be on that first day, when you walk into a job that you know very little about. At McDonald's, there are so many different positions to learn, and each position had it's own training video. These videos showed how different situations needed to be handled, and they weren't just for the crew members. Management had training videos as well, and those had tests that went with them. I remember how time consuming it was watching the videos and taking the tests, but it was worth it in the end. I learned the value of hard work, and how good it felt to always do your best. These are things I still carry with me today.

I Agree, TLC

I just heard that TLC is taking a break from filming Jon and Kate, since Jon and Kate are no more. I have to say I was happy to read that. That family is going through such a difficult time, My girls love that show, and Brandi has been asking a lot of questions about what's going on with them. When they revealed last night that Kate filed for divorce, Brandi looked at me and said that the kids no longer have a daddy. I asked why she thought that, and she said that when parents split up, the kids belong to the mommies, because they were the ones that had them. So I asked her what would happen if Junior and I broke up, and she said that he would no longer be her daddy. How sad is that? Junior and I explained to her that no matter what happens between parents, kids always have a mommy and a daddy. I used my parents as an example, and she finally understood.

That just about broke my heart.

My point here? I think TLC should have stepped back when the marital problems began, instead of letting it play out on TV. Life is hard enough sometimes, who needs it all on film? I also think Jon and Kate should have stopped the show themselves, but I guess money is more important to them than trying to save their marriage.

Just my opinion.

A/C Fixed

Junior fixed our air conditioner. He ended up taking it out of the window, and taking it apart in the front yard. The problem was caused by cat hair. When we had Ginger inside the house, the outside cats would jump onto the back of the unit to see inside. I believe I have posted pictures in the past of one cat inside and one cat outside, staring at each other. Anyway, Junior was able to clean the unit completely, and now it runs like a brand new air conditioner. He likes it to be really cool, so I walk around in pants with a blanket around my shoulders. I like to be cool, but it is freezing in here.

Junior got the unit back into the window pretty easily, because we kind of broke it trying to get the unit out. There was a lot of prying with a screwdriver to get the unit out, and it brought back flashbacks of when we moved in. I thought back then that we would have to go with Sears Window Replacement because Junior and his friend were rough with our window. They had to slam it up to break the little hook things on the sides that kept the window up when it was open. The unit barely fit, and it took a lot of wiggling to get it in back then. This time, because the pieces were already gone, it just slid right in. I am glad the management company didn't have to do window replacement because I don't think they would have been too happy about that. Even though Sears Replacement Windows are reasonably priced, we probably would have been evicted the first month if Junior had broken the window.

It's all good now, though. We have (mostly) unbroken windows, and a working air conditioner. It doesn't get any better than that.

Father's Day Swimming

I finally posted the rest of the pictures from the weekend over on my picture blog.. We spent most of the afternoon at my dad's house, and the girls got to swim for hours. They were in heaven. i really miss having our own pool, but I don't think we can put one up here. I might get Junior to ask the management company if we can put up one of those blue bubble pools like we used to have, but I'm not sure they will allow it.

Anyway, my dad lives on a lake, so Junior and Ryan spent the day on the dock fishing, and the girls were in the pool. I stayed by the pool, making sure the girls didn't drown. It was nice getting to see my brother and his family. I wish we saw them more often.

Still Deciding

Most of you know that a month or so ago, I decided to make this blog a dot com. At that time, I decided to stay with blogger because it is familiar and I fear change. It's true, I am a creature of habit, and disrupting my routine throws me off for days, or even weeks sometimes. I know I should seek professional help for this, and maybe one day I will bring it up during my bi-weekly therapy sessions with Junior.

I seem to have geared off subject. This is not about my craziness, but about my inability to decide on a blog host. There are so many choices out there, and trying to go through them all is overwhelming, to say the least. I finally decided to find out what other people thought, so I checked out the web hosting awards to find out who is the best. You can find out who has the best blog web hosting here. I love how they list all the features and services that are available, and the prices that go with them. My problem is that I am so computer illiterate, and I still don't understand what half of the listed things are. It's a good thing my brother is a computer guy. Maybe he can explain things to me in terms I can understand.

Pictures Are Up

I posted some new pictures on my picture blog. There are some from movie night, and some from our river trip. I still have to crop the ones from Father's Day, and I will do my best to get them done tomorrow. I have some great shots of the duck races....I bet you can't wait to hear about that, right? lol! Stay tuned...

Games

I love that my kids are getting older. When they were little, they had so many toys and games, some of which they needed my help to play. With Ryan, I didn't mind the endless hours of Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. By the time Brandi was born, I was over it. I would make Ryan and Kasi play with her. Now that they are old enough for adult games, I have been trying to teach them some of the classics that I grew up playing. We went through a phase where we only played Sorry, then it was Life, and most recently we have been playing Clue. I think Clue is my favorite game ever, and I love that the kids like playing it, too. I am teaching them my little tricks to figuring out the who, where, and with what. Brandi amazes me with how quickly she picks up the rules of these games, because she is only seven.

I have been looking for games that are a little different, and most recently looked on ShopWiki. I love this site because when I found a game I was interested in, they showed me exactly which stores sell it. That right there saves me the hassle of tracking it down myself. I was also looking at their video games while I was there, because there is a certain game that Ryan wants for his Playstation. I don't feel like driving all over trying to find it. I just don't have the patience for that. I did find it, though, and Ryan will find it under the tree Christmas morning. Yes, I am one of those early shoppers.

Madagascar 2

Saturday night, we went and watched a movie at a local park. A new church in the area set up a huge movie screen, and we brought our own chairs and blankets. We got there around 7:30, and the movie was scheduled to start when it got dark. I didn't know before hand, but there was free popcorn, peanuts, and drinks. The local movie theater provided bags of popcorn, Longhorn provided the peanuts, and coke provided the sodas and water. You could get as much as you wanted, until they ran out. The movie started about 9:15, and the girls loved it! Ryan was home with Junior...we went with my mom and sister. There were plenty of police officers in the park, so we never felt unsafe. They gave away tons of prizes, but we didn't win anything. That's okay, though, because we had fun, and that's all that matters.

They are showing Hotel For Dogs on the 18th of July, I think, and we are definitely going to be there. Missy, you guys should come, too. Alex and Ryan would have a ball!

Body Work

My husband's friend does body work on cars. He fills in the dents, sands them down, and then paints them. Last weekend, he had a truck that needed to be finished in four hours. He knew he wouldn't be able get it done himself, so Junior and Ryan went to help him. Junior's friend filled the dents with that stuff, I'm not sure of the name of it, and then let his son and Ryan do the sanding. I think Junior might have been sanding, too. Either way, they were all covered in dust by the time they were done, but they got it done on time, which made the owner of the truck happy.

Ryan has always been interested in anything related to cars, and is always helping Junior work on cars. Now he is also interested in doing body work. I told him if he goes to school for the technical stuff, and gets a degree in car repair, and then learns body work on the side, he could open his own garage, like Los Angeles Auto Body, and make tons of money. People are always needing their cars worked on, so there is money to be made being a mechanic. I just want him to dream big, and then accomplish those dreams. I know he has it in him.

What A Weekend!

I feel like I have been going non stop all weekend. It's been a while since I have had so much going on, and it felt good to be busy. The kids are all tired, trying to recover from the early mornings. Going to bed at 2am and getting up at 7am does not make for happy kids, I will tell you that.

We did the river on Friday, Saturday night we went and saw a movie in the park (I will post about that later...so much fun!) and then yesterday we were out all day doing daddy things. It was tiring, but fun, and we are spending today trying to recover...relaxing in the air conditioning.

Junior did surprise me by coming home from work early and taking us all out for Chinese food for our anniversary. So now we are all full, and being lazy. Oh, and my books came today, so I am itching to start Relentless.

Tami's Shower

The other day, I got an invitation in the mail for my sister Tami's baby shower. I wish I could go, but she's in New York and I am in South Carolina, and I just don't have the money to make the trip up there right now. She is doing a joint shower, where men, women, and children are invited. I know she is looking forward to it, because she feels so unprepared for this baby. It is her fourth child, but after her third child six years ago, she never thought she would have another, so she gave everything away, including her crib. I know she had a hard time picking out nursery furniture because she wanted something that could grow with the baby. I believe she ended up with a convertible crib, and a dresser with a pad on top instead of a traditional changing table. I can't wait to see pictures of the baby's room once all the furniture is delivered and the walls are finished being painted.

As far as a gift for her shower goes, I either have to mail something, or have my mom stick it in her suitcase, because she is flying up. I was thinking of getting some children's books, because they would be easy to mail, and I don't think anyone else will give her books. I can also have them shipped directly to her if I order them online. I like using ShopWiki.com, because it is there that you can find whatever you are looking for, and they will link you directly to the stores that sell it.

Tami will probably end up with a ton of baby clothes and diapers, which is a good thing, because if there is anything us parents know, it's how many diapers and clothes newborns go through everyday.

Camera Critters ~ 37

I don't remember if this is a crocodile or an alligator. I do know that it looked scary, and powerful. I sure don't want to happen upon him by the water anywhere. I might end up losing something.

To participate, go here.

eBooks

I know so many people who love listening to ebooks. One of my girlfriends claims it is the best way to "read" a book. I don't know that I agree with her, because I love reading the old fashioned way. However, if I can "read" while I'm in the car without getting nauseous, that would be great. I may have to steal my son's Mp3, though, because it has more storage than mine does. I could probably get one chapter downloaded, and then nothing. That would not be a good thing.

If you do ebooks, how do you find them? You can search pdf at Book Search Queen. The cool thing about this site is that you can search for a book by the text of it if you can't remember the title. You can preview each book before you download it, and they have a huge base of ebooks that they use.

I have never even attempted to listen to an ebook, so I don't know what to expect. Is it just one person reading in a flat tone, or do they put the emotion of the book in their voice? Do you have a favorite ebook that you have listened to? If so, recommend it to me. I don't want my first experience to turn me off to ebooks, because I love, love, love to read.

Cooling Off

My girls, sitting in the river. I was actually in the water with them, and Junior was taking the pictures. He did pretty good. It felt good to get wet...it's been so hot here. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 98 degrees. The kids are excited to swim in my dad's pool on Sunday. I told them we would stop by for a little while, because the kids have plans for Junior that day. I don't want to give anything away, but I do know fish will be involved.

Five Awesome Prizes

There is an awesome contest going on right now, and it's all about BluFrog. Blufrog is a different kind of energy drink, and they are giving away five awesome prize packages. Four of them are trips, and one is a gaming package.

The first is a Happy Blu Year trip, where they will sent you and a guest to New York City on New Years Eve. You get three nights in a luxurious hotel, and a helicopter ride for two over the city. I lived in New York for years, and have been top the top of The Empire State Building. The view from up there is breathtaking, and I imagine a helicopter ride would be beyond words.

The second trip is called Blullapalooza. This trip centers around Lollapalooza, which is being held in Chicago August 7-9. You will get two tickets to the event and a two night stay in a luxurious hotel. I would love to go see all the talented artists who perform at this event.

The third trip is one my husband would enjoy. It's called BluStreak. It's a trip to Florida, where you get to participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience. You will get two nights in a luxurious hotel, and two tickets for the driving experience. My husband would love to get behind the wheel of a real race car.

The fourth trip is to Aspen, titled ExtremeBlu. It's extreme because you will get two tickets to the Winter X Games. This trip gives you three nights in a luxurious hotel. My son would love this trip.

Now, the last prize is the one I really want to win. It's not a trip; it's a gaming package, BluGamer. You get an XBox360 Elite package, Rock Band 2 bundle, Call of Duty: World at War Complete Package, and a wireless adapter. I love video games, and my kids do, too. We would get a lot of enjoyment out of this package.

Now, you are probably wondering what you need to do to enter this contest. It's actually pretty simple. Go to their contest page and leave a comment, letting them know which prize you want to win, and why.

Or Tweet about the contest. Say which prize you want to win, being sure to use #bluword and http://bit.ly/UiiJy in your tweet.

Writing a blog post can also get you entered. Just make sure you leave a comment on the contest page, letting them know the URL to your post.

Those are the three easy ways to enter. I am going to try and win the gaming package. Which package are you going to try and win?

Fun Stuff

I was over at Miss Donna's blog, and she had the most beautiful pictures of Sam and Will (the grandkids). They were framed, and she was nice enough to direct us to the site she used. It's called loonapix, and it's awesome. I made these pictures of my kids.

Here's Brandi, under the sea.

And Kasi, as a work of art.

And Ryan, fishing.

Now go play with your pictures!

Broken?

I am sitting here sweating.

This is not a good thing.

It seems our air conditioner has decided it doesn't want to work right. It is cooling, a little, but nowhere near where it should be. Junior took the front off yesterday and said that something that shouldn't be clogged is clogged. He said he can fix the problem by taking the unit out and spraying it with the hose. He is going to try that tomorrow.

The management company does have a unit in the wall here, but it is ancient and doesn't work at all. They were supposed to replace it when we moved in, but because we had our own units, we told them it wasn't necessary. If Junior can't fix our unit, we can either call in an Orlando HVAC Air Conditioning specialist, or we can ask the management company to replace their unit. Either way, I refuse to go through the summer without air conditioning. We lived like that at the old house, and I don't want to do it again.

But until we can get something done, the kids and I get to sweat a little The good news is that I refuse to turn on the oven or the dryer, because both of those things heat up my house. This means no laundry, and no cooking. I had already planned on grilling my london broil today, which won't heat up the house. I have sliced cucumbers from my garden marinating, and that will be the siding for the steak.

I;m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Cute New Blog

I found the cutest blog today. It is written by two sisters, who are seven and twelve. They have been bugging their mom for a while now to make them their own blog, and last night she finally gave in. The girls picked the background they liked, and their mom made the header to match. They picked the name, which their mom absolutely loves, by the way.

Didn't it come out great? If you get a second, go drop them a hello comment.
You can visit them at Mom's Girls.