Blogmama

Blogger of the Year!!

2010-12-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

In my book for sure!
Have you been to visit Mamarazzi at Dandelion Wishes??

She rocks! And she has such an awesome prize giveaway because of all the warm fuzziness she has been feeling from all the warm fuzzy comments she was getting when she was working her way to be Blogger of the Year. She didn't make the top five....boohoo!! But, in my book...and many others...she is our BLOGGER OF THE YEAR!!!

Head on over to see her at Dandelion Wishes. Leave her a comment and keep on stopping by! She loves those comments!
Don't forget to check out the websites where she is getting those awesome prizes....FUN FUN FUN stuff!!!

Thankfulness

2010-11-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I was reading an Oprah magazine and was reminded of the "Gratitude Journals" that she did a show on a while back. I asked Clarie if she would like to start a "Thankful Journal" to put down things that we are thankful for. She was all for it. We went to Target and each bought a new journal to keep our thankfuls in.

Since that night, she has been so excited to write in hers after her bath and before we read books. She never has to stop and think about what to write down...the thankfuls come so easily for her.
Even the other night, when she was pretty upset at bedtime, she was able to quickly come up with her thankfuls.

I love that we end our days with being thankful for the important...and not so important things in our life.

I was going to post just a few of her "thankfuls" but I couldn't decide what to leave out, so I put it all...I typed them just as she wrote then in her journal. I love her wording and her heart! Enjoy!!

Nov. 2
I am thankful for...
-a loving teacher
-a loving mama
-and a loving daddy

Nov. 3
I am thankful for...
1-the dogs
2-my cusins
3-good friends
4-Megan!!! (this is her play therapist)
5-a house
6-a big backyard
7-an aunt and uncle

Nov. 4
I am thankful for...
1-being able to have self control!!!
2-a patient mama
3-a patient daddy
4-tow good dogs
5-my room
6-my bed

Nov. 5
I am thankful for...
1-a nice mama
2-visiting my grandparints in Datine!
3-my grandma and grandpa
4-having good days in school
5-playing with my dogs
6-and having fun!!

Nov. 6
I am thankful for...
1-good books
2-school
3-riding a pony
4-God!!!!
5-subway
6-a patient teacher
-my music
-my PJ's!
I'm so lucky to have a mom

What are you thankful for?

A Story Written By Claire Petry...

2010-10-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

Franklin and the Rabbit

By: Claire Petry

I was in the backyard when I saw a rabbit hopping across the yard. Franklin chased it, but he stopped. He looked as if he were best friends. But I was not sure, so I went to get a closer look, and the rabbit let me pick it up. But then Franklin chased ME instead of the rabbit! It was really really weird because I had never seen one dog be friends with a rabbit. I could tell they were friends because they looked alike. And I had seen this rabbit before. It was the same one that Daddy had poked out from behind the fence. I knew it was the same one because it was the same size. Franklin did not know what to do, so he went and got Daddy. I showed him the rabbit, and Daddy said, "I know that rabbit." Then I got Mama and she said, "I know that rabbit, too!" It was so weird that both of my parents knew that rabbit.

The End

PS I wrote this story because part of it was really true.

LAZY...LAZY...LAZY

2010-10-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

WOW! Has it really been the beginning of August since I last blogged. Actually, that is not entirely true. My teaching partners and I have a team blog that I have contributed to, but even that in the last week or so has been neglected by me.
Sooooo...I often head over to Mamarazzi to see what is shaking. She has done a couple of Q and A's I figured stealing a bloggy idea might be better than neglecting for as long as I have :-).

So...here I go
1. Do you collect anything? What is it?
Not anymore...when I was younger I collected Mickey Mouse stuff. Now I just don't need the extra clutter.

2. What room in the house would you most like to remodel. Would your answer change if someone else was paying for it?
The kitchen...I would knock out the wall that separates the kitchen and living room. When I try to entertain, it is always so closed off and small! Second choice....knock down the wall downstairs so we have one big room instead of a family room and computer room.

3. What is your LEAST favorite chore? Do you hate it enough to get a maid to do it, or are you too anal for that?
I hate cleaning in general. We had to get rid of our cleaning guy that came once a month and I SOOOOOOOOO miss him! I HATE HATE HATE cleaning the bathrooms and doing yardwork!!!

4. Have you ever had a broken bone? What, and how?
I broke one of my finger/hand bones in a car accident. There is a calcification in the spot where I broke it that I can still feel.

5. Music. Do you have a go to album that you play to get you motivated, or do you just blare the radio, and pray that something peppy comes on?
I usually put the iPod in and pick and choose. If I put shuffle on I have to hear Black Sabbath and Iggy Pop...not what I am usually in the mood for, although they do have a time and place.

6. How do you keep track of your schedule? Old fashioned calendar? Set alerts on your phone? Fly by the seat of your pants, and pray you don't forget a parent/teacher conference?
I such at keeping a calendar or anything of the sort. I just hope someone reminds me to be where I need to be when I need to be there!

7. Cooking, baking or neither?
I like to bake, but nothing ever seems to turn out.I think my oven is possessed!

8. Are you brand name specific, or are generics just as good? What is one product you would NEVER replace with a generic brand?
Normally I am a brand name girl with food. Some things I don't mind generic...cereal is one of them. But my cheese and peanut butter (JIF ONLY PLEASE!) are usually the brand name.

Round Two will come later in the week!!!!
Have fun reading!
Comment your answers to the same questions for me!!!

Ohio Caverns

2010-08-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

Our summer get together group headed to West Liberty, Ohio last week to check out the Ohio Caverns.

Other than Claire getting car sick on the way...thank God for Wet Wipes and friends with extra clothes...the trip was fantastic!

We had a pretty good sized group.

The kids did great walking through the caverns. We took the shorter tour, but we saw some amazing formations. I could never remember if stalactites came down from the top or stalagmites did...someone helped me remember...tites are on top! Thanks Sarah!

The tour is not for the claustrophobic person (sorry Sinda!). There are some tight spots. So tight, that yes, my daughter said, "Mom, I don't think you are going to fit through there." Don't worry...I made it through...and no one had to butter up my sides to get me through!

One of the really neat things we saw was the crystal king. This stalactite is over 200,000 years old! That amazed me!

Here is a picture of what they call Old Time Pump. Claire liked it because it also looks like a horse doing a hand stand.

These helactite formations they call straws because they look just like straws...long and thin.

They kids also liked the mining area. Some of them bought a bag of mining "rough" that contained gems or fossils. It was really fun using the mining sluice to find their treasures.

We were 103 feet under ground. My morbid brain immediately went to "what if the ground collaspes on top of us mode, but once I started through and began to see how beautiful everything was, it went away. And, hey...we all made it out safely...despite the incredibly STEEP stairs on the way up...FEEL THE BURN!

Interested in reading more about the Ohio Caverns, check out this informative page!

While we had a blast, it is sad that this might be our last group outing for the summer. School starts in a couple of weeks and most of us are back in the school getting things ready.

It really has been a fun summer!!

Dogs

2010-08-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a friend told me about her poor loving pooch who was diagnosed with lymphoma. While they said goodbye to their beloved pet, her husband took her to the vet, but just couldn't bring himself to put her down yet. So he came home with medicine in the hopes of helping her and so he could be more ready to let go.

I SO understand this! All of my life I have loved dogs.

We had an amazing dog growing up. His name was Duffy, and he was a gorgeous Yorkie. He was not a puppy when we got him, but still pretty young. We had him for over ten years. Then he got pretty sick. I came home from college to see him when he was so bad off that we knew the end was very near. He wasn't the same boy. I went with my parents to see the vet that day. By this time he was blind, shaking...miserable. They gave him some valium to make him more comfortable for the night and sent him home to rest. The next day my parents brought him to the vet that had cared for him during his life with us. When it came time to put him to sleep, not only were my mom and dad crying, the vet was also in tears. It really gave me comfort to know that a vet who takes care of hundreds of other people's pets would feel that loss for my family. He is still missed.

When my husband and I were looking for a dog, I felt such a strong urge to have another Yorkie. We found our first boy, Fletcher.

He has been such a great dog for the past seven years! He is loving. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him. All he needs is someone to rub him behind the ears, and he is in heaven. He is so smart. We are really lucky to have him!

Then, three years ago, we stopped in a pet store to play with a puppy. We have done this a dozen or so times. There have never been any issues. But then Brian held this little guy. He could not put him back in that cage and walk away. So...we walked away with a five month old Yorkie that Claire named Franklin.

He is a SCAMP! Talk about two completely different dogs! Fletcher will snuggle up to anyone new. Franklin has ADHD. He is an escape artist. We still have him in a crate because his little four pound self scales the gate when we try to keep him in the kitchen. Left to his own devices, he will pull down trash cans that are 5 times his size, jump on the kitchen table and get into ANYTHING he can. But...we love him nonetheless.

Dogs become part of our families. When one goes missing or passes away, we feel it. Hug a pooch today!!!

This blog is in honor of all of the dogs who have brought love into your life!

Friends

2010-07-23T20:02:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, a friend on Facebook posted a comment about people. She said she pretty much had no faith in people today.

"I'm reminded yet again why we must always put our trust and hope in HIM and never people. People will let you down....every single time. Disappointing....but a good reminder."

When I read this, I assumed it was a friend who disappointed her. I could be wrong, but really, when someone is a friend and they disappoint you, it hurts much more than just some Joe Schmoe off the street wronging you.

It really made me sad to read that. While I agree that (for me and others) putting trust and hope in God is important, I could not ever discount the importance of putting the same trust and hope in people.

I have had my share of disappointments in people, and the ones that hurt the most are from friends. But, I would not trade the friends I have for anything. Life is life. Things can't be perfect. I am sure I have disappointed people in my life as well. But to decide to not put your hope and faith into others can leave quite a void.

Unfortunately, disappointments are a fact of life. How you handle disappointment can say a lot about your character. I try to teach my daughter that when you are confronted with disappointment, see how you can find the silver lining.

Don't lose faith in people. They may not always be there the way you want them to be, but if the friendship is worth it, then the disappointment can be worked through.

Blooms and Butterflies...and more

2010-06-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

This past Monday our group got together for another outing with the kiddos. We went to the Franklin Park Conservatory to catch the Blooms and Butterflies exhibit that is leaving at the beginning of July.

We started our day with a visit through some plants. The rooms were HOT HOT HOT but there were some interesting things to look at. I wish I had taken more pictures of the bonsai trees we saw. They were small, but over 50 years old. Pretty cool stuff.

Then we headed over to a Glass Blowing Demonstration. Now that was pretty cool...well, it was actually pretty hot, but really COOL to watch! It amazes me what they can do to make such beautiful objects. A bit of history copied from Wikipedia...judge the accuracy yourself, says that:

Glassblowing is a glass forming technique which was invented by the Phoenicians at approximately 50 BC somewhere along the Syro-Palestinian coast.

The kids were pretty engaged in the process for the most part, and I hope they did learn something.

Then we had some lunch inside the conservatory....too hot to eat outside...to wait for the Blooms and Butterflies exhibit to open.

Once we got to the exhibit, the kids LIT UP! They were so excited and SO determined to hold a butterfly. I was able to get a picture of each kid holding a butterfly. Precious!

And, we got a picture of two butterflies getting frisky (wink wink nudge nudge).

I wish I had taken more pictures. Here is one of the beautiful Chihuly glass displayed throughout the conservatory.

If you have a chance to head that way...get there!! Peaceful and Beautiful!!

FUN GAME GIVEAWAY AT DANDELION WISHES!

2010-06-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

I am not a HUGE blog follower, but there are a couple that I check religiously. One of those is Mamarazzi at Dandelion Wishes. Right now she is doing an AWESOME Game Giveaway for anyone. To enter just follow the directions on her blog!
You will soon find that you, too, are addicted!!!
Enjoy all!!!

Fantastic Fun Fabulous Friday!

2010-06-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

While it is easy to say, "Let's get together again soon," actually getting that to happen as often as you would like is not as easy. Add in jobs and kids, and you have an even more difficult task.
Last year a couple of college friends and I reconnected on Facebook. I would go into the joys of Facebook, but that is a whole other topic in and of itself. But I will say that what I have ~L*O*V*E*D~ about it is that I have gotten to talk with friends and family members that I had completely, or almost completely, lost touch with.
OK...back on track...
After reconnecting we decided to get together in the summer so we could chat and our kiddos could play. We got our cameras out at the end of the day and took a picture of the kids.

We had some lunch, where I was able to share my strawberry salsa, strawberry bread, and strawberry jam that I made earlier in the week. After lunch, the kids played and we talked.

What I love about these friends is that even though I don't talk with them often (occasionally on FB), a year can go by and we just pick up where we left off. It doesn't even seem like a year has gone by. Aren't friends like that just the best ever?

I made sure I got my camera out earlier so I could get some good pics for my blog. Enjoy a photo gallery of the kids' fun day!!

Thanks for coming girls and bringing your sweet kids! It was a complete blast! We CAN'T wait another year!! Next month sounds good to me!

Three Chicks in a Kitchen

2010-06-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sounds like the name of a new blog, huh?

Actually it was two friends and me for most of the day today!

We had a blast figuring out things we could do with the millions of strawberries that we got when we went strawberry picking yesterday!
A small group of us when to a strawberry farm in the muddy mess to pick some berries with the kids as one of our first group outings since school has been out. Even though things were a squishy gross mess, the strawberries looked great!

A friend's first time ever strawberry picking!

Today we met at my friend’s house. On the schedule (loosely used word here) was strawberry jam..a first for all of us

and...strawberry salsa....YUMMY!!!

and...strawberry bread~Which ended up including some teeny tiny bit sized muffins (so cute)!

There was a whole lotta chopping and measuring and stirring going on in there. Everything turned out AWESOME
*well...we still have to try the jam....it's still not ready, but it looks and smells great!!!!

Thanks to my girls, Tuttle and Ilenin, for the super fun day!

Recipes soon to follow!!!!

Summer Plans

2010-06-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Have I happened to mention how much I L*O*V*E summer?? Everyone should be able to experience three months off of work~it is the perfect time to spend with my girl!!! She loves it too, so I am going to soak up this her and me time for as long as she will have me!
We have lots planned for our summer so far.

First of all...

*~*We got a family membership to the YMCA! Woohooo!!! Even though I have major issues with wearing a bathing suit in front of others, especially people I know, I realized that I have to suck it up and deal with it! It isn't fair to my girl to not be able to experience true summer fun in the sun at the pool because her mama has body issues in a bathing suit. Claire Bear...this one is for you!!!

*~*We are heading to Florida in a couple of weeks to spend some LONG OVERDUE time with my cousin! We haven't seen each other in YEARS, but I am SO looking forward to reconnecting with family!!! Once again, I will have to brave it in front of others in a bathing suit...let's just call this my Summer To Let Go.

*~*I get to watch my niece and nephew this summer again, but unfortunately not as much as in the past...they just don't need their Auntie Jen as much since Syd is going into 7th (YES I SAID SEVENTH) grade in the fall and Ethan is into double digits now! Gotta soak up my time with them as well. Love you guys!

*~*I have oodles planned for some outings with friend and their kids this summer too. Here is a quick list of things we hope to be able to do this summer:

Strawberry Picking and Jam Making (that is coming up Tuesday)

Blooms and Butterflies at the Franklin Park Conservatory

Wyandot Popcorn Museum

American Whistle Corporation Tour

Olentangy Indian Caverns

Picnic at Inniswood Metro Gardens

Anthony Thomas Candy Factory Tour

Cincinnati and/or Columbus Zoo
Young's Jersey Dairy

EnterTRAINment Junction

Boonshoft Museum of Discovery

Olde Ye Mill (Velvet Ice Cream)

The Wilds

Columbus Museum of Art

Canoeing and Hiking in Hocking Hills

I hope to cross many things off our list this summer!!!!

Now it is your turn....what kind of summer plans do you have???

Who is that?

2010-03-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

So......over the years I have put on a little weight (insert hilarious laugh track here). But lately, when I look in the mirror, I really DO NOT recognize who is looking back at me.
When I got my hair cut the other day, I was sitting in the chair and touched my face. Is that really what I look like? You know that old game: Hi, I'm Chubby. My mama's name is Chubby. My daddy's name is Chubby, and even my dog's name is Chubby." I look like the chubby Mama.
I remember before I crept up to 200 pounds (Did I actually just put that?), I thought that I would NEVER get over 200 pounds. Well, I am there and then some...and then some more.
A change is more than overdue! I am not being fair to my family, especially my daughter, in more ways than I can count. So that means...
no Easter basket for me this year...

Is today the first day of the rest of my life...???
I pray to God that it is.

Where does it all go???

2009-07-30T11:35:00.001-07:00

Since school is out for the summer, and we have not been paying $185 a week for daycare, I have been wondering where in the heck our money has gone.

I figured we could be putting over $700 in savings each month this summer

...since we were not paying for day care.

There are many things I wanted to accomplish this summer,

...all of which cost money to take care of.

First, we have to worry about getting a roof fixed or replaced.

Also, we were trying to get pregnant

...for us that cost about $2,000 for medicine).

There were also numerous other household projects that needed to be done

...since I wanted to put the house up for sale.

But each time I would bring these topics up for conversation,
my dear husband would bring up the

...we don't have the money for it routine.

I would say we do, we just need to prioritize our spending

...he would insist again that we don't.

He and I would argue about whether or not to keep our once a month cleaning guy

...that cost us $125.

But, the straw that broke the camel's back
was when I told him we needed to purchase tickets for an outside concert
that we had given as a Christmas gift to friends.

The tickets did not go on sale until the summer,
but we told the friends at Christmas that we owe them a night out
for the concert of their choice.

Brian said we didn't have the money,

...we should just tell them that we can't do it.

I was fuming.
You don't just go and take a gift away from someone.
And, we have the money
...or at least we should!!

So, I got online into our banking account

...to see just where all of this money is going.

I added up all restaurant totals

...including if we just stopped at Wendy's for a Frosty.

I was shocked and disgusted at the total.

In just the month of July
...which is not even over I might add,
we spent
$709.13
on food!!!!!

Who does that?

I am so glad I looked. Now we can really take a look at where our money is going and we don't have to say that we don't have the money for something, unless we really don't.

A Letter To My Ovaries

2009-07-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Ovaries,
I usually do not write to my reproductive organs, but after this last appointment, the doctor said it couldn't hurt, so here goes.
You need to get off your butt (or butts) and start working. You have spent much too long just sitting around wasting time. Oh, sure, about five years ago you threw us a bone. Finally you grew some follicles, released an egg (after taking your own sweet time I might add) and you gave us our girl.

Don't get me wrong. She is our everything. We couldn't ask for a more special girl who makes us laugh, is so smart and has such an independent spirit. But, we want a sister or brother for her. Is that really too much to ask? I only need one. That is it...just ONE. I know what you are thinking. You are pissed off at me for all of those years of birth control pills that forced you to do your jobs. I can relate. I don't like being told what to do either. Well, you can only go so long being selfish. After this, you can retire. I don't care if you shrivel up into little raisins, head out to Florida or travel the world. Just give us this one more chance and you are free from our reins forever.
Take some cues from the organ about a foot away from you and have a heart. You could make some people very happy. You could be my hero!!!
With all my love and encouragement,
Me

What the...???

2009-07-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Lori over at
Mommy's Take On Things
is thinking of starting a weekly interactive blog entitled
"What The...???

I didn't know if I would be able to come across anything to do a weekly WT...???

but, Facebook did not let me down.

The most recent poll I have come across is

"SHOULD MICHAEL JACKSON HAVE HIS OWN NATIONAL HOLIDAY??

What the....????

In my opinion,

the guy was a great musician and entertainer,

but come on people

....really?
Is he truly the person we want
the kids of the world to reflect on his special day?
Hmmm....freaky behavior,
accusations of child molestation (more than once)?
That got me to thinking
about other people we have national holidays for...
Martin Luther King Jr., Presidents....is there anyone else???
I am all for supporting all of the arts,
but a national holiday?
What the...???

It's Just Like Riding a Bike

2009-07-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

As I am typing this, I have sweat dripping down my face and back...and I am sweating in places you may not be interested in knowing about.
After almost ten years, I have gone on a bike ride.
Last weekend my husband bought himself a bike. He wanted to find a way to exercise and thought that riding a bike to work would be a good idea. I have yet to get my bike, so I decided to use his to return some books to the library this evening.
Truly, I was PUMPED UP for this excursion. After dinner I gathered the books, donned the bike helmet, and set off with "be careful" warnings from my husband. Riding down the slight hill of my court was delightful. The breeze not rushing through my hair (darn helmet) but rushing into my face felt amazing. Once I rounded the curve however, reality set in...this is harder than I remember.
When I was living in Bowling Green, especially before I had a car, I rode my bike everywhere. I could even balance a HUGE duffel bag of laundry on the handle bars and pedal my way to the laundromat. It never seemed like exercise. This didn't really seem like exercise either...but it sure felt like it.
It took me only about fifteen minutes to reach my destination. I dropped off the books and hopped back on the bike for what I felt would be an excruciating ride back. I came to realize that it really wasn't too bad.
I am really excited to get my own bike so we can ride as a family. Luckily, Claire will be able to keep up with me.
It seems I may have finally found a way to get my big old butt off the couch and start moving.

Still A Novice...

2009-07-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have decided...
that I have not explored all that I can do with my blog.
So...
I want to see the simple things that might make my blog look a bit nicer.
Like...
COLOR
And...
Some Different Fonts To Try Out
As well as some...
different sized texts
My dear friend Lori
at Mommy's Take On Things
has impressed me quite a bit...what an inspiration!

Hopefully I will be able to really have some fun with my blog by learning more and more this summer...until then...

Happy Blogging Everyone!!!!

Swap Stuff

2009-07-03T12:20:00.001-07:00

Just got my package from by blog swap buddy. This is the second time I have done a Mamarazzi swap. They are SO MUCH FUN!

Here is my loot!

Tammy, from One Frustrated Momma, hooked me up with some Fourth of July Decorations including candle of the red, white and blue variety, wooden firecracker decorations, a red, white and blue bandana, festive star dishcloths, a flag clip, socks, and a red star candy bowl. There were a few vintage Fourth of July tags and a Women's Day magazine. She also sent a silver necklace with a flag, heart and peace sign...Claire has already got that one on!

Here are a couple of close up pics!
These are the wooden firecracker decorations:

These are the vintage looking Fourth of July tags:

This is the cute necklace that Claire has been wearing (I scammed it to wear on the 4th though :-)

Thank you for sending the package my way Tammy.

You can check out her blog here!

Thanks to Mammarazzi for hosting a fun swap. Looking forward to the next!!!

What's The Buzz????

2009-07-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Notice anything interesting in this picture?

Well, if you look a little closer....

If you look a little closer still...

Brian was working on trimming our tree when he suddenly had to stop. What do you do with something like this? While we were standing there, bees were just flying back and forth. I thought I would hear some buzzing, but I couldn't really hear anything. Brian thought he might get some wasp spray and attack! I told him he might just get swarmed and stung. Still not sure what to do.

Here is one last picture to give a size comparison...

If anyone has any suggestions for what we can do with this thing, it would be greatly appreciated.

To get up close and personal with the little buggers, double click on the pic!

Only One Cousin Over This Time

2009-07-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

And now a word from our sponsor...uhhh...I mean nephew...

Take it away Ethan!

I had a great night with the one and only cousin Clarie! I hope you had a great night Clarie. See ya!

Starting to feel anxious

2009-06-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

When Brian and I were trying to get pregnant with Claire, I was OBSESSED! We struggled for about a year and a half. We were SO lucky that all it took was clomid (five rounds) to get our girl, but considering what we are going through, that was a piece of cake. That being said, there was so much more pressure. I was constantly online reading information about infertility....so many books. I found a wonderfully supportive forum for women TTC. It became my lifeline. No one really understands infertility unless they have gone through it. These women's stories were my stories. When I finally saw the positive pregnancy test, I was not even sure I could believe it. For weeks I worried that it wouldn't last. But, of course, we got our girl. I have always known how lucky we were to even get pregnant. We figured we got our blessing. Another baby would be the bonus.
But, since Claire was one, we have been hoping for another. I always knew I wanted a sibling for Claire. At first it was important to me that the kids were not too far apart in age. I wanted them to be able to play together. Well, five years later, I see that is not going to be the case. Now I just know that I want Claire to have a sibling "for the future". I want her to have someone to talk to that will understand her and be there for her.
So we decided to go ahead with a stronger fertility medication. It does worry us that we might have more than one baby, but we are willing to do it. So that is a bit where mt anxiety lies. Another point is that...the likelihood of it working the first time is not in our favor. We did try one round of fertility meds a couple of years ago and it didn't work. We had to stop midcycle since my body was not responding. It really devastated me. It took us two years to make the decision to try again. So, I guess this isn't the first round :-) My luck just went up.
We should start with the medication sometime early next week. I am scared, but hopeful.
Our family deserves this and I am ready!!!

The Cousins Are Over

2009-06-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

My niece and nephew were over so I had them contribute to my blog about their sleepover. Ethan is 9, Sydney is 11 1/2. Claire, as you can see, was not interested.

From Ethan's Point of View:
It was a great night in the toddler bed that Claire has, but I couldn't fall asleep in it because it was too small! I mean, seriously small. The next day I had fun riding a pony named Sugarscoop. He pulled us in a cart and that is about it today. See you later folks.

From Sydney's Point of View:
Last night (June 24) I kept trying to pull the blankets back from Miss Claire who was trying to steal them from me!!! In the morning I got up and was petting Fletcher who was laying on the end the bed. Then we had pancakes and bacon in the morning. Then we rode a pony (Sugerscoop) and he pulled us in a cart. In the afternoon we played in Clarie's pool for awhile and kept jumping in. Later we were all in shock that Michael Jackson had died Thursday June 25 around noon. Then Ethan went to our grandma's house and I slept over at Auntie Jen's, Uncle Brian's, and Claire's house again. Clarie and I watched the first part of Over The Hedge. Today I am super super super excited for COMFEST!!!!!!!!!!!
Yea!!!

From Claire's Point of View:
I don't want to do a blog because it is no fun.

Eight Years Ago today...

2009-06-16T19:45:00.001-07:00

he went off the market...

For a long time I waited...
I was the eternal optimist. I knew there was someone out there for me. Occasionally I would get discouraged, maybe feel a bit lonely, but somewhere in my heart, I knew he was out there for me.
Brian and I met the fall of my sophomore year at a friend's apartment. My friends and I would go there many Fridays. Brian and John went to high school together and Brian came to Bowling Green to party. When I first met him, he was stair diving *he has smartened up quite a bit since then*. We were acquaintances first, then friends. We might see each other when "the group" got together but that was about it.
Then, one May ten years ago at a friend's wedding, he kissed me. He was not in his right mind and I was not pleased. He was a friend of mine...what was he thinking?? One month later, we were at a housewarming party sitting close on the couch. I started feeling it a bit, but nothing happened...just some flutters of hmmmmm????????? The following month *July* we saw each other again at a friend's house for a cookout. When I asked who was showing up, John said..your kissy boy (truly I had no idea that he was talking about Brian-I had put that kiss out of my head) but it put something back into my head. I began to wonder what if. I felt a bit awkward that night when I saw him (which was only for about a half hour), but he stopped by my apartment on his way back to Columbus. We went for pizza and played a trivia game. (I won:-), but he was great competition. That is when I really started thinking about him. I thought about him so much that when my friend and I returned from vacation a month later, I was trying to discreetly invite him to dinner the night we got back. I stopped at his place, but he was at a concert. I left him a note telling him to call me when he was up in Toledo the following week.
About a week later I was sweeping the floors at ChiChis at closing time when I heard a knock on the window. It was him! I felt so giddy inside. He stopped in and I had him head to my place to wait for me to finish so we could go get a beer. That was the first night of the rest of my life...my life with Brian.
Ups, downs...laughs, cries...he is my best friend. He loves me for who I am, faults and all. I am blessed that I have someone in my life that loves me so much and would do anything for me.
Thank you, God, for finally bringing him to me. I knew it would be worth the wait.

Strawberry Day

2009-06-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Today we went with some friends to go strawberry picking. I have never been (in my 37 years) and I can't believe what I was missing out on. It was a blast! I got such a jolt when I would find the perfect strawberry. The smell was amazing! Claire really enjoyed herself, which I am glad for since we WILL be heading back before the season is over!
Of course, our strawberry picking day would not be complete without some yummy strawberry shortcake. This is how I like it...pound cake or short cake, mashed strawberries (with a smidge of sugar), vanilla bean ice cream, and whipped cream on top!
Since I forgot my camera for the strawberry picking pictures, I made sure that I took a picture of the most important part after dinner.

Ten Things I Love About Summer

2009-06-08T23:06:00.001-07:00

Got this blog idea from Mamarazzi-Thought I could steal an idea from her. No pictures, like her post, but I would LOVE to hear what you love about summer!!!

1. Hanging my clothes on the line to dry.
2. Laying in the hammock.
3. Big Brother
4. Sleeping with the windows open
5. More time to read books (for pleasure, not for work)
6. Watching my sister's kids.
7. Sleeping in!
8. Not having to grade papers!!
9. Picnic with the Pops!
10. Spending the day with my girl!!!!

Party Segregation

2009-06-08T20:30:00.001-07:00

We had a double graduation party this weekend. My friend, Sarah, and I laughed, cried and stressed through our masters together and decided that we definitely deserved a party. She got her family and friends together, I got my family and friends together, and our work friends came too. To tell the truth, it was a great party. Good food (notice what I put first), great beverages (awesome sangria made my our dear Dianna), fun tunes (party mix cleverly compiled by Brian), and the best weather.
One thing to work on...party segregation. The first to arrive were the parents. The congregated together under the big canopy, started to have a couple drinks and eat some food. They seemed to be getting along fine.

Then friends and work buddies started showing up. Work buddies got together under the other tent to catch up (yeah, we hadn't seen each other since the day before)

and other Columbus friends got in their groups.

At one point, Brian said he was going to make everyone move three seats to the right. It was difficult spreading myself to all of the groups. I didn't want to spend too much time with one group, but I also wanted to make sure that I spent some time with friends that I don't see very often.
That being said, I believe everyone had a great time. If I didn't think I would go insane, I would consider going for my PhD (haha) just for the party.
I also came to another conclusion...I love to have parties! They are a lot of work, but really fun!
The kids also got into the fun (thanks for letting us borrow the water slide Tiffany and Ryan-it was a bit hit!)

This post is in honor of my dear friend, Terri, who I can't believe I forgot to send an invitation to! Please forgive me, my dear friend. I do love you!

New Swap

2009-06-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

It is time for another blog swap!

Mamarazzi has an awesome swap going on! I participated in a previous swap and it was oh so much fun! Check her out and see if you qualify to participate.

A Claire Funny

2009-05-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

I have been sooo negligent about blogging lately. Claire has said a couple funnies lately so I thought I would share...

*Today in the car I asked her what she would do if someone came up to her and asked her what her name was but she didn't know them and mama or daddy weren't around...I would say NO and run to the police. OK...good enough answer. Then I asked her what she would do if the person said they lost their dog and wanted her help finding it or had a horse she could see...what would she do then. No response. I asked here again what she thought. Her reply (in a teenagery annoyed exasperated whine)....Do I have to answer these questions? They are freaking me out?!
God love her!!

I need to blog more frequently because she is constantly saying these things that crack me up.

More to come...summer is almost here. That means, more time for blogging!

In due time

2009-04-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

We have been getting our house ready to sell over the past week or so. Because the bedrooms in our house are pretty small, one thing we decided to do was get some of the bigger beds out of the smaller rooms. Claire's room is the smallest and we had a full size bed in there. We moved that to the spare room and put the queen bed that was in there in storage. We put Claire's old toddler bed (that she probably slept in a total of 1 week) in her room. We figured she would sleep in her bed in the spare room for the time being.
Well, she was so excited about that toddler bed that she is sleeping in there now! Who would have thought. She is a little big, but she fits and is comfortable. I am glad we can get some use out of it. Here is a picture of her in her "new bed".

Now that we have moved some of the bigger furniture into storage, our rooms really do look bigger. We are not close, but we are getting there!!!

What's Been Going On

2009-03-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

I have been out of the writing thing for a bit now. I thought I would share a few things to update:
FISH...
We got some. Claire was trying really hard to have nice hands at school. We had planned on getting an aquarium for her, but she was having these bad days at school so we figured we would wait until she had a good hands day at school. The day arrived...about $80 later we had an aquarium, gravel, a Buddha statue, some fake greenery, a couple of bottles of beta water and two Mollies. About a week later, the Dalmatian Molly had passed and a few days after that the Black Molly sunk...definitely NOT the unsinkable Molly. Claire was devastated. She had a hard time sleeping that night and wanted a new fish right away.
We consulted the pet shop people who figured we needed some sacrificial fish...those who would help balance the water in the tank, but probably would not live. Claire took that all pretty well. I said these are not pets...they are workers. Their job is to clean the tank and they probably won't live for more than a week (Will PETA be on me for this?) Now watch, those Zebra Danios will live FOREVER!!!
Here is a picture of her tank and her first two fish...RIP.

PLAY THERAPY
As you read above, Claire was having trouble keeping her hands to herself and was really lashing out at home physically. We thought we would look into play therapy to see if that might help with some of the aggression. Claire met with Maura who showed Claire a tabletop sandbox with some red sand. Then she opened a cupboard with a million toys (Claire of course gravitated to the horse figures-there were at least 20). She played for an hour! Maura ocassionally would ask her questions, but for the most part, Claire led the playing and loved it! At times she showed a bit of being uncomfortable with the questions, but also that she was OK with it. She was excited to go back tonight (ummm, yeah....I wrote the wrong time down and was an hour late for the appt so we have to reschedule). But overall the experience was very positive for her. And...she has been doing SOOOOO well with her relationships with her classmates and with us. She has taken control of her behavior in such a wonderful way. We have three more sessions over the month, and I am sure we will see even more interesting improvements.

So cute...Claire and I were racing to the car after our appointment that didn't happen, and she got to the car first and said, "I won!" Then in the next breath, she said, "But good try Mama." I love that she is able to look at the other person and build them up. It is a big step for her.
Here is a pic of my cutie!!!

I saw her out of the bedroom window. She took her horse and book to her table and enjoyed reading in the beautiful weather. Made my heart smile.

Blog Swap

2009-03-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Better late than never!!!

I participated in an awesome swap at Mamarazzi Blog Swap.

I was partnered with craftymoosecrafts.Check her blog out here...she is so crafty!!!

http://craftymoosecrafts.blogspot.com

I had so much fun shopping for my swap buddy!
When I got my package on the same day I mailed mine, I was stoked! She sent such fun things. Each was numbered, and she also included a little note about everything.
If you haven't been over to check out her spot, click here to get there:-)
I believe mamarazzi is also going to be doing another swap soon, so make sure you check her out too!!!!
Here is a picture of my loot!!!

She, being the crafty lady that she is, made a fabric fortune cookie *to signify her love for Chinese take-out*, yummy dark chocoate, a puzzle of the New York Skyline, her favorite tea, a book by her favorite author (who I also love) and a DVD of Fiddler on the Roof (LOVE THAT MOVIE). She also made a suncatcher with a teacher theme. THANK YOU DEBBIE, MISS CRAFTYMOOSECRAFTS!!!!

Finding Friends

2009-02-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

I have joined the world of Facebook and one of the things I have loved more than anything about it is reconnecting with old friends. Imagine my surprise today when I was able to do this the old fashion way...I bumped into my first roomie from college at a conference! I guess this does still happen, but after not seeing someone for over five years and then seeing them sitting in the same room that you--well, it just seems a bit surreal.
So here is the scene...
I sit down and get ready to hear a lecture on struggling readers when I glance over and think...is that Fee? Not being so sure (which I am embarrassed that I had trouble being sure), I decided to play it cool. So I creepily kept looking at her. I figured that if I keep looking her way, she will eventually look my way and I can give her a smile. Well, that happened, but when I smiled, her smile back was one of those not of recognition, but more so of a pleasant, "Ok, I will smile back to this weird woman looking at me." I decided that it had to be a look alike person. Surely she would know me (What is the logic in that? I was not sure it was her!). I kept looking her way for the hour or so of the lecture. Then, I spy a ski tag on her coat. Hey, Fee skis! It HAS to be her! I tell the friend I am with that I am just going to yell her name at the end of the lecture and see if she turns around. If it isn't, oh well. I can deal with that. Turns out, when the lecture was over, I was talking with my friend and see her looking at me out of the corner of my eye. I decide it has to be her. I look and say, "Get over here! I knew that was you!"
After hugs and "how are things", we exchanged numbers and vowed to call. And I will.
When I got home I found a video of our last week at school together that we made with our other dorm friends. I laughed so hard that I decided I need to have a BG get together this summer. I am going to arrange it and am so excited at the possibility of seeing these friends of mine that, for the most part, I have lost touch with but were such an important part of my life for 2-4 years.
Here is to finding old friends (however you do so).

Even though...

2009-02-18T20:29:00.000-08:00

Even though I can complain a lot,
I really am happy most of the time.
Even though I procrastinate,
I feel so much better when things are done.
Even though it has been hard getting that second child,
I am so blessed to have such a fun, fantastic four year old.
Even though said four year old tries my patience daily,
she give the best run-hugs ever and makes my heart smile daily.
Even though I am getting my masters,
I feel like I have not given it my all.
Even though I really want to be healthy,
I still head to McDonalds for that darn Sausage McMuffin goodness.
Even though I am a teacher,
I am a human being who makes mistakes with the best of them.
Even though I usually forget to send my friends cards on their birthday,
I usually think about them at least once on their special day.
Even though I would love to write a children's book,
I still fear rejection too much to finish it.
Even though I don't tell my family enough how much they mean to me,
they are responsible for helping shape who I am and I am so grateful.
Even though TV rots my brain,
I can't turn it off.
Even though I tell my students to be organized,
I have to tell them NOT to look at my desk.
Even though I have lived thirty-seven years,
I still have not really lived.

The Terrible Fours??

2009-02-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

Oh my....what to do with a daughter who hits? We have been battling this for a short while and I am at my wits end with it. She is so quick to anger...when something does not go her way. We talk calmly with her, we do time outs. We do not spank. Looking into some behavioral therapy for her before she heads to kindergarten...is this necessary? I don't know. I do know that I do not want things to get worse. I was wondering if it was a situation that she was unable to control...too impulsive. But, she does not hit at school or in other situations...just us.
It does not help that she comes from two parents who like to have control. How much do we let up? Where does the line fall between giving in because it is not really a big deal and sticking to your guns so she does not have the sense that, "Hey, I "got away with it last time", let's try it again.

IT IS SO HARD BEING A PARENT!!!!

New Blog for me to follow....

2009-02-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

How did I remain out of the blogging world for so long when there is so much cool stuff out there. Check out this giveaway!
Have a great one everybody!

A recipe to share...

2009-02-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

While making dinner tonight, I realized that a lot of people might really like this dish. It is the dish I make when someone has a baby, someone in the family as been in the hospital, etc. It is based on a recipe I saw with the coupons for some sort of enchilada sauce. It was called something like Cheesy Enchilada Stack. I decided that it was easier to make it into a casserole. Here is the recipe:
You need:
1 lb ground beef 1 lg can of enchilada sauce
1 or 2 small cans of green chilis 2 cups of shredded cheddar
1 can of refried beans 8-10 tortillas

First cook the ground beef in a skillet. Drain grease. Stir in about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce. Let it simmer for a mere minute or so. I put a very small amount of ench sauce in the rectangular casserole dish. Then place two tortillas on the bottom of the dish. Place half of the beef mixture on top of the tortillas and sprinkle about 1/2 cup of cheese on top. On top of that place two more tortillas and spread the beans on top. Ladle about 1/2 cup of ench sauce on top and spread some of the green chilis on top of that. Sprinkle more cheese on top of that (the idea is to have some cheese left over for the top). Place 2 more tortillas on top of the bean mixture and repeat the steps. The top layer will be ench sauce and cheese. Try to keep the tops pretty wet so the edges of the tortillas don't crisp. Cover the casserole and put it in the oven (350) for about 3o minutes. The last five minutes you might want to take the foil off to get the cheese all bubbly. Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting like lasagna.

I serve it with sour cream and tortilla chips (and Tastefully Simple Fiesta Party Dip).

In attempts to make it a bit healthier, I have used low fat cheese, ground turkey and whole grain torts, and it still tastes pretty good. But lets face it...it is going to taste better with the good stuff.
Let me know if you try it out!

Please help me

2009-02-05T20:22:00.001-08:00

After this round of conferences, I have made some mental notes about what to make sure I do (and do not do) at a parent teacher conference.
1. I won't sit back during the conference and tell my daughter, "Go ahead, I said I was going to stay quiet tonight."
2. I won't reply passive-aggressively to try to make a point to the teachers in the room.
3. I will be supportive of the teacher. If I disagree with something, I will have a private conversation to better understand the situation and work toward an agreement. I will not discuss my anger, annoyance or disapproval of the teacher to my child.
4. If my child says to the teachers, "You guys just sometimes annoy me," I won't just sit there and let my child think it is ok to talk to someone that way.

There are so many more, but I am spent!

Please, God, while I know I can make mistakes as a parent, help me do my best to help my child be successful in school rather than allow her to make excuses for behavior that is less than what it should be.

It's Swappin' Time

2009-02-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

Anyone here interested in a swap??
Mamarazzi has got one going on and from what I hear it is a fun one!
All interested hit her blog and follow the directions. I am STOKED about it!
Just click on the link below and get to it!!!

when does it go away?

2009-02-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

My daughter has found a passion...horses! She loves them. I told someone who was trying to think of something to get Claire for Christmas that if she drew a picture of a horse and gave it to Claire, she would think it was the greatest thing. Today when we were driving home from school, we drove by the backyard that has two bouncy hobby horses. Excitedly Claire shouted, "Horses!" as she does each time we drive by.
When does it happen that those little things in life stop bringing us such excitement and joy? I can find joy in simple things pretty easily. Show me a sweet sleeping baby and I am a goner. But real excitement? Finding excitement in the simple things does not come as easily.
Except tonight....when I got home I saw a package on my porch. The jewelry I ordered when I "hosted" a Lia Sophia party had finally arrived! Claire and I were ecstatic! We were kids in a candy store looking through all of the jewelry. Claire was excited because she got her first real ring. But, the real excitement was there for this thirty-seven year old. Here is to finding excitement and pure joy in the little things.

Where have all the flowers gone?

2009-02-02T15:54:00.001-08:00

The flowers being a metaphor for sunshine, positivity and optimism.

I don't know what has happened, but something has changed. I used to be a pretty positive person. Not much really got me down. I could find the silver lining in most situations and even if something did get me down, it was short-lived. My husband thinks he knows the answer...I have spent too much time with him.

These days I feel like I am constantly complaining. If something could go wrong, I find it. Even if I wake up saying that today will be better, once I get to work I feel the heavy, overwhelming load of my job.

Now I don't feel this way during the weekend while I am at home. Perhaps it is job related. But, as a teacher, I can't be grumpy all the time. It is not good for me, or the students...who wants a grumpy teacher??

I am working on finding the joy in the little things. Perhaps I will jot something great (let's start with good) that happens at school each night (or reserving the end of the day at school for celebrating something positive with my students). In any event, something must change!

I will keep you updated on my positivity practice:-)

Snow Days

2009-01-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

It is not news to many people that snow days bring screams of joy to young (and older) kids. The reality is, teachers, truly, are the ones who are more excited. Looking at the TV or checking online is maddening. Each time a new district comes on the list, you hope and pray that yours will be too. You get irritated when it is not, and the "it's not fairs" come flying. Then, when you get the call or see it on TV, you are the one with screams of joy.
Before becoming a mom I loved snow days...for different reasons. I got to stay in my pjs all day, sleep in, watch junkie TV. Now, I love telling my girl that today is a stay home day. We love it. We might still stay in our pjs all day and sleep in. Junkie TV is replaced with doing puzzles, crafts (she is into cutting paper into bits right now) and watching her favorite movie (anything to do with horses). It is also such a night rejuvenator for coming back. An unexpected rest has occured and things are good again.
Enjoy the snow everyone. I will end with a haiku:

White Beauty

Snow is falling down.
The ground is a white blanket.
Flakes tickle my nose.

Weight Loss

2009-01-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

So I joined Weight Watchers for the....hmmmm...fifth time a couple of weeks ago. I was supposed to have my second weigh in last Wednesday, but the meeting was canceled due to crazy snow weather (darn). So, while I knew I could not stay for the meeting tonight, I knew I had to go. So, figuring I gained a couple of pounds, I went. Stood on the scale...lost 6.8 pounds (in two weeks). Now, before you go thinking that's wonderful and that WW must be the best plan in the world, here is the real story...
Less than an hour before I went to the first weigh in, I had a pretty hefty dinner at Tres Potrillos (local Mexican restaurant). Then, for the past couple of weeks, I have not kept track of my food intake, nor have I tried really hard to make good food choices. I didn't exercise either. So what gives?
Well, here's the thing. That 6.8 pounds was enough to motivate me to make sure I pay attention to what I eat this week. I want that 10 pound ribbon. That is my first goal. Goal number two: lose 5 % of my weight. Goal number three: lose 20 pounds. Goal number four: lose 10 % of my weight. I can't think beyond that, but I will remember something I have heard my sister say before: Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. I am going to modify that quote a bit: Nothing tastes as good as being healthy, being able to chase my daughter without a break, and being able to feel good about myself.

I will keep you posted!

A Day of Sledding

2009-01-18T21:30:00.001-08:00

Well, it was about thirty minutes of sledding. It was about all the girl could take. We had never taken her sledding before and since she was feeling better we decided that the weather was perfect. We found a decent hill by a church. Brian bought some flimsy (but workable) mats for sled. I had no desire to go really. Being cold and wet is not my idea of fun. But I figured that if I did not go, I would say I would grade papers, but whoever knows me would know the truth...on the couch watching cooking shows or on the computer for no good reason.
I was worried that she might be afraid to go down the hill by herself, but she was not at all. She showed no fear going down. She loved it.
I am so glad that I went. I would not want to have missed that experience with her. Thank you, Brian, for the great idea! It was a blast!

Facebook

2009-01-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

The cult that is Facebook has taken over our school, and I am not talking about the kids. In the past couple of weeks, so many teachers have joined this addictive forum, and I LOVE IT. It is not enough that we see each other every day, and on the occasional week night or weekend, we feel the need to update each other on what we are up to when we are together. It cracks me up. It makes me feel kind of like a narcissistic voyeur. I believe that people want to know that I am wasting my time on the computer when I should be grading papers (as they probably should be as well:-) or that I have nothing to wear to school tomorrow since I did not do the laundry. On the other side of the wall is the fact that I really am interested in knowing what my friends are doing.
What I have really loved about Facebook is that is has reconnected me with friends that I have, for whatever reason, lost touch with. Does this mean that we are instantly "friends" again? No, but it is great to catch up, see pictures of kids, and see how they are doing.
So, great Facebook creator, whoever you are...thank you!!! This is fun!

Claire funny

2009-01-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

This morning Claire and I were driving to school when she asked me where food goes after we eat it. The conversation follows:
Claire: Where does food go after we eat it?
Me: Well, why don't you tell me what you think, and then I will tell you what I think.
Claire: After you chew your food it goes to your stomach.
Me: Where does it go first?
Claire: It goes in your esophagus.
Me: Then where?
Claire: Then it goes in the stomach and then the small intestines and then the large intestines.
Me: So where does it go after that?
No response.
Me: Do you think it stays in your large intestines?
Claire: No.
Me: Well, what do you think?
Claire: Mama it happens to everyone.
Me: laughing....that is true.
Claire: It comes out the butt.
Me: Yes, it is called your anus.
Claire: Oh, yeah, the anus (as if she already knew this--who knows, maybe she did)

She makes me laugh daily.

These people are the same age I am

2009-01-11T19:50:00.001-08:00

We went out to celebrate a friend's thirtieth birthday last night. After a great dinner at Gordon Birsch (great food, by the way), we decided to head to a bar that was pretty close by to hang out. Well, we got there pretty early, so things started out fine. About twenty minutes after we got there, they turned the music up...and the music wasn't even that great. Now, if Come On Eileen were playing, things would have been fine, but that was not the case. A couple of hours into the night, I looked around and thought, you know, these people are my age. Ummmmm, no! They were in their twenties, and as my husband would say...I am pushing forty. Now I just turned 37, so I would have to disagree with him about that, but I am definitely closer to 40 than my twenties.
When will I feel as old as I really am?

Inspired

2008-02-16T21:26:00.000-08:00

I was inspired to start a blog when I saw a friend's this week. I have no idea what I am doing. Really, who is going to care what I write about on here. Someone might find it interesting. Perhaps it can be a place to share those kid stories that people love to tell, thinking that other people care that your child said something funny. This might be my only post. I hope friends and family find it interesting enough to look it up every now and again.
Enjoy!

Jen