(Wild) Rice for All Seasons

Valentine's Day Wreath Tutorial

2012-01-28T08:14:00.001-05:00

Items needed:

Styrofoam wreath form
4-5 feather boas
floral wire
ribbon (or a premade bow)
wooden saying (prepainted or you can paint yourself)
glue gun and glue

Directions:

Wrap boas, one at a time, around wreath form, like you're wrapping it. Glue every inch. This will take 4-5 boas if you use the 14" wreath form like I did.

After wrapping boas, use a piece of floral wire to wrap around the wreath to make a hook to hang from. Attach wooden saying and bow, both with floral wire. Hang and enjoy! Easy!

Dear Fill-in-the-blank

2012-01-27T12:38:00.000-05:00

FYI, this post uses graphic language. Please skip it if swear words offend you.

My friend Andrea at My Chihuahua Bites has a (now regular) feature on her blog. She's entitled it Dear Douchebag. I think it's hysterical. She writes different people and vents about the way they act, etc. Great way to vent. So, I'm going to be participating myself.

Dear Clerk at the bodyshop,

I understand that I am a woman. However, I am perfectly capable of informing you of the specifics of our truck. -= I =- was the one who was in the accident in it, not my husband. Please quit deferring all your questions to my husband.

Sincerely,
The pissed off chick with the Dodge Ram 2500

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Dear Mother Nature,

I get it. PMS sucks, but please, please make your mind up. I'm sick of one day it being 14F with 5 inches of snow on the ground and two days later it being 53F. Make your damned mind up.

Sincerely,

The one who wants snow

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Husband,

My birthday is in a week. Don't ignore it like you did last year. Yes, even though our son's is the day after, I still deserve a birthday cake of my own.

Feeling slightly stabby,

Your wife

----------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Ex-husband,

You have no clue. You've ignored your daughters since you walked out in 2005. It's now 2012. 4 visits in 7 years is pathetic. Pay your child support like you're supposed to and the IRS would stop taking your refund. Yes, the IRS. Quit blaming me for it. There are tons of other things I'd love to say to you, but I'll refrain. The girls are figuring out on their own that you're a twat waffle, I don't have to say one word about you.

So glad you're gone,

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Dear blog readers,

Please, leave a comment. I know you're reading. I've had 500 hits in 2 months, and ZERO comments. It's why I've mostly stopped blogging.

Not feeling the love,

(Wild) Rice

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Dear Callie (our cat),

3 AM is not an appropriate time to launch yourself from the headboard onto my head and meow incessantly. You WILL be thrown, repeatedly.

Needs sleep,

Busy, busy, busy

2012-01-17T15:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I've already dropped the ball for 2012. Sorry that I haven't been updating. We've had a crazy hectic few weeks here. On January 5th, I was driving home from Wal-Mart. The guy behind me wasn't paying attention and when I stopped for traffic in front of me, he didn't. He plowed into the rearend of the truck at 40 mph. Luckily, neither Alvin nor I were hurt. Nor was the truck, amazingly. The only damages were Alvin's carseat had to be replaced and our hitch was obliterated.

January 8th was Eric's birthday AND the Broncos/Steelers playoff game. Eric got his birthday wish and the Broncos won. ( I got my revenge the next week when the Patriots wiped the floor with the Broncos)

Eric's blue and orange birthday cake.

Then, it was on to January 11th. The day Eric wrecked the Corolla. It was raining rather badly and he slid off the road and OVER a traffic sign. The Corolla was pretty beat up and is still in the bodyshop being repaired.

Our poor car :(

Since then, we've been a one car family. Because of that, nothing much is really going on here. Eric driving the truck 100+ miles a day has been really hard on our finances. So, we aren't doing much of anything. Now that I'm caught up, I hope to post more regularly. I have TONS of crafting projects planned for this year.

Welcome to 2012!

2012-01-01T00:53:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Even though 2012 has been labeled as the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar, I'm hopeful that this year will be better than the last few years. We've been through so much that it's time we had a good year! I'm sure this one will be it!

Thank you!

2011-12-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

Those two words do not begin to express how truly thankful Eric and I are. Due to overwhelming support and generosity, we were able to raise $1500 towards our fundraiser in a little over 24 hours. This is unbelievable. We never imagined that the response would be as swift or as generous as it was. You all truly let us know how much our sweet little man is loved. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Each and every one of you are special to us, even if we don't know who you are. Please, look for videos and pictures of him once we get the iPad and the first AAC app.

At the request of a few people, we've opened a second fundraiser to raise funds for more apps, or should the response be great, the Dynavox. This second fundraiser will go until June 1, 2012. All funds raised go directly towards Alvin's medical care. That fundraiser can be found in the right side of this blog, under Give Alvin A Voice.

Please help give Alvin a voice!

2011-12-16T23:42:00.001-05:00

Ok, I know that people hate e-begging. I do too. I've thought about this for the last week. So, trust me when I say, this is the hardest post I've ever had to write.

Long time followers of our blog (or Alvin's) know that Alvin has medical issues. However, you may be someone who's just happened to fall upon this blog. So, let me give you some backstory. (Those of you familiar can just skip down to the big red letters saying HERE if you want.)

Alvin was born on February 5, 2008 at 36 weeks gestation. He was an induced early birth due to my having pemphigoid gestationis. He was a healthy 7lb, 2 oz little boy aside from slight jaundice. At 9 days old, he moved with his family to Groton, CT where his Daddy was stationed in the US Navy. At 2 weeks old, it was mentioned to the pediatrician that Alvin had severe constipation. (Little did we know that -this- would be the first symptom that something was genetically wrong with him.)

Months passed. Gastric reflux, chronic constipation, poor growth all seemed to be the norm for our little man. Then, in May 2008, the pediatrician noticed that Alvin's head was unusally flat. So, that led to a craniofacial appointment in July 2008 at Yale Children's hospital in New Haven, CT. Unfortunately, TriCare denied the cranial band and offers of help through the health clinic fell through as well. It wasn't until Oct. 2008 that we finally had good news on that front. November 2008 is when he was officially banded.

December 2008 is when words like cystic fibrosis, hyperthyroidism, pyloric stenosis, and Hirshbrung's Disease started entering our vocabulary. You see, Alvin hadn't been growing properly and was severely developementally delayed. Dec. 4th was our first overnight trip for bowel prolapse. (It wouldn't be our last.) December 30, 2008, Alvin was provisionally diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. (This turned out to be incorrect, but we didn't know for a long time).

2009 started out rather normal. A flury of doctor's visits. A move to a new house. We had the formal sweat test for CF done. Those results came back negative. However, that meant we were back to square one. We had no clue what was causing all of Alvin's issues. February saw a second cranial band, as the first didn't do enough. March 2009.... Well, that's when Alvin had an endoscopy to figure out if he had Hirshbrung's Disease. (This was the new theory at the time). The results of the endoscopy showed that he has some localized irritation and that Prevacid would fix it. That was the GI's official opinion. It's because of this attitude that Alvin's Pediatrician agreed to set up a 'second opinion' visit to Hasbro Children's in Rhode Island. This visit took place in May 2009. The results from that visit were that he didn't have celiac disease or anything like that, so they weren't sure why he was having such extreme constipation and why he wasn't growing. The subsequent follow up at Yale is the first time Alvin's cafe-au-lait spots were brought into question. (We'd later find out the doctor was thinking NF) June was a blur, however Alvin did finally take his first steps then!

July 7, 2009: Our appointment with the Yale genetcist. (If I could, I'd throttle the man). We left with more questions than answers. Especially since he said that Alvin most likely had NF, but that NF didn't cause his issues. (What a moron.) The GI team said that day that they thought Alvin just needed a good cleaning out and to be fed. (This was the start of a long journey in the CPS system that ultimately turned out baseless.) However, the GI wanted to do a rectal biopsy to physically see if Alvin had Hirshbrung's Disease. This was done in late July. The results were negative. We were still waiting on genetic tests to come back. We didn't get the results for a few months. However, all the tests came back negative for whatever they were testing for. (Fragile X, as well as several metabolic disorders were tested for).

It wasn't 'til January 2010, that the geneticist called with the amino acid panels he ran to tell us that Alvin needed to see a nephrologist. He wouldn't tell us much other than he had an 'idea' of what was wrong with Alvin, but he wanted Alvin to see the nephrologist before he'd tell us what that idea was. (Again, another reason I'm so glad we moved from CT). March 2010 was when we transferred Alvin's care to Akron Children's. The neurologist there was the one who provisionally diagnosed Alvin with NF. She ordered an EEG for his staring spells, an MRI to check from gliomas, and an optometery appointment to look for lisch nodules. (I stopped posting blogs for a while due to a very rude person posting extremely rude things.) So, after the optometry appointment, we were happy to find that Alvin did not have lisch nodules. The nephrology appointment just confirmed something we already knew. Alvin has trouble digesting sugar, so excess sugar is secreted through his urine. It's a condition called renal glycosuria. (His father also has this condition.) In August 2010, we moved BACK to CT. So, nothing really happened medically until December 2010, when we went to the NF Clinic in Boston Children's. The geneticist there felt that Alvin met all the non-diagnostic criteria for NF, so she sent out for the DNA test to confirm.

Results for the NF test back in February 2011. Alvin DOES have neurofibromatosis type I. This explained the constipation, the absence seizures, the small stature, the failure to gain weight, etc. It also was a warning that Alvin could have learning disabilities and speech delays. Little did we know that Alvin would have severe speech delays. On November 28, 2011, Alvin was diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech(CAS). He has an expressive language age of a 16 month old child. He is 3 years, 10 months old.

So what is CAS? Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a motor speech disorder. For reasons not yet fully understood, children with apraxia of speech have great difficulty planning and producing the precise, highly refined and specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech. Apraxia of speech is sometimes called verbal apraxia, developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal dyspraxia. No matter what name is used, the most important concept is the root word "praxis." Praxis means planned movement. To some degree or another, a child with the diagnosis of apraxia of speech has difficulty programming and planning speech movements. Apraxia of speech is a specific speech disorder.

In Alvin's case, the apraxia is likely secondary to the NF, ie, the NF and the tumors is caused are the cause of the apraxia. However, this also means that Alvin has severe issues with communication. He cannot say his name. He cannot tell you how old he is. He has 'approximations' of words. Ie "Daddy" is said as 'ah-ee' by Alvin. Daddy also means about 30 different things. Everything from his actual Dad to his Dad's shirt. Alvin also gets very frustrated when he cannot communicate what he wants. Tantrums are a regular occurence.

HERE:

So, why did I post all of this? It's simple. Alvin's speech pathologist has recommended that Alvin get an augmentive and assistive communication device, also called an AAC. The medical device is called a Dynovox. This is a dedicated AAC device. However, it also costs $7k. Why am I listing the price? Well.... Eric's insurance won't cover it. Period. Apraxia is a non-covered condition. So anything relating to it is denied. So, when that was discovered, the SP mentioned an iPad with several AAC applications. This would cost roughly $1k total once you factor in the iPad, the case, and the apps. However, Eric and I are unable to afford this in a timely manner. (We are on the waitlist for a grant, however the waiting time is currently 16+ months). This is where hopefully you will come in.

Please, help Alvin find his voice. The AAC will allow him to communicate his thoughts through an electronic portal. With the AAC programs via the iPad, Alvin will be able to tell people his wants, his thoughts, etc. So, please, help us? Donations can be made via credit card, debit card and PayPal by following this link : Give Alvin a Voice! (There is also a permlink in the right hand of the blog.) We hate asking, but we don't know what else to do.

Em's Christmas Concert

2011-12-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

Last night, Emali had her first ever concert for band. She was so excited to get to finally play the flute for people. I'm so proud of her for picking the flute. (Some of you might not know, but I played the flute when I was in school.) So, here are some pics and a video! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

2OnTuesday: Christmas Songs and Movie

2011-12-13T14:45:00.000-05:00

Today, Andrea asked:

What are your two favorite Christmas songs? What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Well, we all know I'm odd, so my choices shouldn't surprise too many people. My two favorites Christmas songs are:

Penguin, James Penguin by Brad Paisley

And, Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey

Now, my favorite Christmas movie is:

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

O' Tannenbaum, o' tannenbaum ...

2011-12-12T17:34:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning, we took a trip out to our local tree farm to get our tree. We were only there about 20 mins before we found the perfect tree. The place provided saws and sleds. All we needed to do was cut it down!

Eric cutting down the tree.

Alvin wanted to help.

Ta-da! The tree's on the sled!

The journey back to the entrance. Look at all these trees!

Our tree getting bailed!

Alvin putting on his first ornament of the year.

Erin putting on hers.

Eric putting on his.

Emali putting on hers.

Even I got in on the action in my awesome Chilly Willy jammie pants. You know you're jealous.

Our finished tree! I think it looks great.

Joy of Christmas

2011-12-12T16:19:00.000-05:00

Friday night we went to the local festival of lights called "Joy of Christmas". It was the first year for it, so the light displays were a little lacking. They had tons of activities for the children though.

Eric's Cousin's Wedding

2011-12-12T10:04:00.000-05:00

Eric's cousin Justin got married on Saturday to a wonderful woman named Molly. Their ceremony was just beautiful and the reception was great. We all cleaned up well! I apologize in advance because this post, and several others to follow, will be extremely picture heavy.

Molly and her Dad

Molly and Justin

Blessing the rings

The beautiful stained glass in the cathedral

The kids at the reception. Don't they look great?

Alvin was so freaking adorable in his little suit.

He spent a good deal of his night chasing his cousin, Audra, around the dance floor.

The wedding 'cake'

Eric and Alvin on the dance floor.

Me and Eric. I look like crap, but it'd been a long day.

New Christmas Tree Skirt

2011-12-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

So, I've become addicted to this online pinboard called Pinterest. On there, there is a pin of a no-sew tree skirt. I just knew I had to do this, as our current tree skirt is obscenely cheap looking. (It was cheap, but still.) So, I grabbed my glue gun, some glue sticks and some fabric and got down to business. Here is the final product!

Alvin meets Santa!

2011-12-06T14:46:00.000-05:00

Contact

2011-12-05T20:37:00.001-05:00

My phone got dunked today. Unfortunately, it's now in a rice bath for the next few days. If you need to contact me, call Eric's phone.

Alvin goes to school!

2011-11-29T08:50:00.000-05:00

Alvin walking into the school

Alvin in his classroom

Alvin's ETR Results

2011-11-28T13:04:00.000-05:00

http://alvin-rice.blogspot.com/2011/11/alvins-etr-results.html

RIP Uncle Jay

2011-11-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

1916-2011

RIP Uncle Jay. Your family will miss you terribly.

Thanksgiving Number Two!

2011-11-24T18:54:00.000-05:00

Today we had Thanksgiving at my parents' house. My Dad had to work, so he missed out. The kids had a great time. We stuffed ourselves!

My parents' cat, Victor

Our cat, Callie

Thanksgiving Number One!

2011-11-20T16:20:00.000-05:00

That's right folks. In this family, we have more than 1! Today was Thanksgiving down at Eric's Dad's house. Granted, at 62 degrees, it didn't feel much like Thanksgiving, but it was a good day! We had to cut it short because Eric had worked a 3rd last night and have to work one again tonight. :(

Emali and Erin

Alvin and Audra

How you keep 3 kids quiet: iPhones and an iTouch

Alvin shmoosed himself into a giant ball.

Erin didn't fly so far.

Bounce! Riley really flew high into the air.

"Stop!" Alvin yelling at Grandpa Rich

Then rolling down the hill.

Firestation!

2011-11-19T22:11:00.000-05:00

So, the girls spent the night at my parents' last night. Then today, we took Alvin up there so the kids could all go to the firestation to see the firetrucks. Alvin had a GREAT day of it.

No, not trick photography. The tires on the firetruck are as tall as Alvin is.

Alvin wearing one of the masks.

I love this shot of all the turnout gear!

Alvin had such a great time that he passed out on my parents' kitchen floor.

Photo Challenge: Day Seven: Macro

2011-11-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know. I've skipped quite a few days inbetween these posts. Sorry. Sick children take precedence over this blog challenge. Both Alvin and Erin ended up sick.

Macro is a closeup of whatever our subject is. This is the tiny little flower of a blooming catcus I have.

2onTuesday: Pet Peeves

2011-11-15T08:50:00.000-05:00

So today, Andrea asked:

What are your pet peeves?

Wow.... Where do I begin?

People who check out with a buggy full of catfood cans and think that because it's all the same type, that it's ok to make the cashier scan their 120 cans of cat food in the 20 items or less lane. Seriously, you aren't a super special snowflake.

Dressing animals up in costumes. I hate, hate, hate it. Seriously, your Rotti doesn't need to be dressed up like a ballerina. A chihuahua wearing a sweater in the winter, ok fine. But most of the time, I just think it's unbelievably silly and it drives me nuts. Especially when I take Charley somewhere and people try to force me to put said silly outfit on him. Look, I'm not telling you to take the costume off your dog, quit telling me to put one on mine. But, hey, it's your money. You want to spend it on some biker jacket for your Daschaund, go for it.

The fact that the little girls clothing section mostly looks like a stripper store. Why on Earth do 5-10 year old girls need miniskirts, thigh-high boots, and fishnet stockings? No, I am not talking about during Halloween either. Do you know how hard it is to find age appropriate clothing for young girls???? Leave them alone. They are little girls who don't need screwed up body images at the age of 5.

When waiters lie to me: "Yes mam, that's the fat free dressing", only to find out a few bites in that it totally isn't. Yes, I can tell. After being on a limited fat diet for 8 months, I can tell when I'm being given the full fat version of things. It's not pretty either. Ruins my whole night and it's why I'm terrified of eating out.

The improper use of words like: their, there, and they're or to, too, and two. It's English people learn the difference. It's really not that hard. Oh, and while on this tangent, it's before. B-E-F-O-R-E, not B4. There is no reason to use 'textspeak' anywhere other than texts to people you know. Oh, and quit adding random z's to things. Grr. No wonder other countries think we're a bunch of morons.

My biggest pet peeve of all though has to be the slang usage of the word 'retard'. There is no appropriate time it should ever be used to describe a person, event, etc. I hate that it's been turned into what it has and it pisses me off when people use it the way modern society uses it.

I have many other pet peeves, but if I don't stop now, you'll be reading for the next 5 days.

Photo Challenge: Day Six: Shadow

2011-11-10T15:12:00.000-05:00

2onTuesday (on a Wednesday): Christmas Wish List

2011-11-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, Andrea asked us:

What’s your Christmas wish list? What do you hope to receive from Santa?

Well, I'm gonna be a bit sneaky and have 3. Yes, three! My dream list, my hope list, and my actuality list. So...

The Dream List:

Farmhouse with wrap-around porch

Josh Turner (Please?)

Candy apple red Mustang convertible 1950's model

The Hope List:

Dyson Animal DC25

Iphone 4s

The Acuality List:

Yes, I realize it's blank. Eric has only bought me a Christmas present once. That was our first year together. So, it's very likely I'll get nada. Love that man, but he just doesn't care about holidays or birthdays.

Photo Challenge: Day 5: Trees

2011-11-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

Sunrise on a line of trees near my house.

Sorry

2011-11-07T17:34:00.002-05:00

I know I was doing the photo challenge. Unfortunately, my youngest daughter got sick and I've been concentrating on her. She's got pnuemonia right now, so I'll pick up the challenge again once she's feeling better. THanks for understanding.

Photo Challenge: Day Four: Water

2011-11-04T22:26:00.000-04:00

A leaf falling on my parents' pond.

Photo Challenge: Day Three: Fire

2011-11-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

Once again, I'm using an older photo. We are not allowed to have open flame in the town I live in, unless it's a BBQ grill. So, I'm using a photo I took at the wonderful Jackie's house in 2010.

Photo Challenge: Day Two: Flying

2011-11-02T22:12:00.000-04:00

Ok. I admit freely that this picture wasn't taken today. However, it was taken by me back in 2009. It's a photo of some flowers with the US Flag flying in the background. I just love the way this photo turned out. I just couldn't find something flying today worthy of a photo.

Photo Challenge: Day One: Self Portrait

2011-11-01T13:33:00.000-04:00

Yep. That's me! This might be the hardest one out of the 30 for me. I -hate- my picture being taken. I love being beind the camera, but not in front of it. I could have taken time to style my hair, put on makeup, etc, but none of that is me. My hair is worn up in a ponytail or hanging around my shoulders. There are few days where I do more than brush it. Makeup? I've worn it 3 times in the last 4 years. So, there I am. How you're most likely to see me on a day-to-day basis.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T21:04:00.000-04:00

Well, tonight was a GREAT night. Cold and wet, but otherwise great! The kids got a LOT of candy. Now, without further ado:

Erin's outfit for school today. I just had to share it!

Erin as a leopard.

Alvin the firefighter.

Emali as Billy the Exterminator

We even got to see Grammy in the ambulance!

The kids trick-or-treating.

The kids with their pile of loot!

I even got in the spirit!

Coming to November: A New 30 Day Challenge

2011-10-30T13:53:00.000-04:00

Well, since I seem to be lacking severely in blog posts lately, I found another 30 Day Challenge that peaked my interest. It's a complete photography challenge. I'll be listing the days and the topic for that day. I hope others want to join in, but if not, I hope people at least enjoy mine.( Btw, if you do decide to play along, all photos must be taken by you. ) So, starting November 1, I will have one post a day for you!

30 Day Photography Challenge:

1.Self Portrait
2.Flight
3.Fire
4.Water
5.Trees
6.Shadows
7.Macro
8.Where I Live
9.Texture
10.Technology
11.Household Item
12.Motion
13.Food
14.Architecture
15.Vintage
16.Toys
17.Emotions
18.Reflections
19.Insects
20.Books
21.Church
22.Fashion
23.Color
24.Season
25.Rocks, Stones, Pebbles
26.Looking Up
27.Abandoned
28.Furry Friends
29.Accidental Letters
30.Free Choice

Pumpkin Carving Part Two

2011-10-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

So, tonight we carved our pumpkins. Yes, we're always late in doing this. Anyway, we had a good time. Alvin actually got involved with cleaning this time. Yay!

Erin's pumpkin

Emali's pumpkin

Alvin's pumpkin

Eric's pumpkin

My pumpkin

Alvin and his little bitty pumpkin he got from Grandpa Rich's

Pumpkin Carving Part One!

2011-10-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

Today Rich and Sammy had their 1st Annual Family Pumpkin Carve! They had TONS of homegrown pumpkins of all sizes. It was awesome. A few members of the family weren't present, but we sort of expected it. We were disappointed to not get to see our other nieces, but it is what it is. Regardless, we had a GREAT time with Matt, Ashley, Nicole, and the kids. Emali wasn't in attendance as she was at a Halloween party at a friend's.

Matt, Nicole, Erin, and Eric

Alvin and Ellie

Alvin and Ellie again

Soccer Weekend #6

2011-10-22T19:15:00.000-04:00

Well, today was Emali's final game. They lost 1-5. Had they won today, they'd be playing in the championship game next week, but sadly, they didn't. Emali was the lone score. She scored in the first 2 mins of the game. After that, nada. She's sad that her soccer season has come to an end. Truthfully, so am I.

Happy Anniversary...

2011-10-20T11:30:00.000-04:00

to me and Eric!

It's been 4 years since I married my best friend. 4 crazy, hectic, wonderful years. We've been through hell and back, but I wouldn't trade any of it. I love you Eric! Here's to 70 more years of adventure!

Happy Birthday Charley!

2011-10-18T20:49:00.000-04:00

3 years ago today Charley was born. While I don't have pics of him as a newborn, I do have pics I'd like to share. Happy Birthday Charley!

Charley is one of these guys. They are about 4 weeks old here.

Charley at 7.5 weeks old the day we picked him up!

Charley -- 7.5 weeks old

Charley -- 10 weeks old

And now, here's Charley today, at the ripe old age of 3. Happy birthday buddy! You've turned into a great dog. (Sorry for the crappy cell pic)

Soccer Weekend #5

2011-10-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

So, not only was Saturday horridly cold, Em's team suffered a devastating loss. 0-8 The kids just didn't want to be there. They didn't want to play. "It's too cold!" That's what every single one of them complained about. Ya'll it -was- cold. It was 47 degrees, but with howling winds, the windchill was 33! 33! Way too cold! I'm glad I checked the temp before I had Em get ready though. Brr.

Em taking a throw in.

Our Em and the 'other' Em. It's so funny to hear the Coach yell to them during a game.

Brr. Yes, it was THAT cold. Don't mind the ugliness of this pic. It was an early Saturday morning soccer game. I don't get gussied up for that. (Not that I do any other time. )

See! We're all bundled up!

Even Alvin was!

This is a pic I took earlier today of Eric tossing Alvin into the air. I know, some of you don't like it. Well, don't do it with your child then.

Soccer Weekend #4

2011-10-09T15:42:00.001-04:00

Woo hoo! The sun was shining. It was a gorgeous day. However it was marred by a presence, well two to be exact. We won't go into that on here though. My FB on the other hand... Anyway, Emali was in a pretty lousy mood because of the other events going on this weekend, but she still gave it her all in the game. She attempted at least 4 shots on the goal. She missed, but she's doing so much better on her attempts. But, her team still won! 5-1!!! She was sooo excited! What made it even better was her Grammy Sammy and Grandpa Rich were there to see her!

Em's cheering section this week!

I just thought this pic of Erin and Alvin was too cute!

I also want to share a really short video with you. Alvin's been pretending to be a zombie lately. This is his as a zombie 'eating' his sister's brains.

Have you ever...

2011-10-05T13:05:00.001-04:00

1.Taken a picture completely naked? No

2.Had a relationship with a friend on your MySpace/Facebook page? I'm in one currently. Actually, I'm with Eric because of MySpace. It was a message from him through MS that got us together. Life's interesting how it works.

3.Danced in front of your mirror naked? Can't say that I have. I try not to look at the mirror sans clothes.

4.Told a lie? Who hasn't? White lies are told for a reason. Bold faced lie though? Not in the recent past. I'm sure I did when I was younger.

5.Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back? Oh my, yes. The feeling sucks too.

6.Been arrested? No. We have enough of that with my brother. Don't need to add me to that list.

7.Stolen something from a store? When I was a kid, sure.

8.Seen someone/something die? I watched a kitten of mine die in my arms because we were too poor to afford the vet care.

9.Slept until after noon? I'm sure I have. Most recently, when I was in the hospital after surgery.

10.Had sex at work? Um, ewww.

11.Fallen asleep at work/school? Both actually. Slept a good portion of business management class away in college. Fell asleep one day while working as a hotel maid.

12.Held a snake? Yep. Several of them.

13.Ran a red light? Yep. Luckily I wasn't caught when I did.

14.Been suspended from school? No, I left that up to my brother, who was suspended religiously.

15.Totaled your car in an accident? My car? No. My Dad's car when I was 16, yes.

16.Danced in the rain? Danced, not that I can recall. I have marched in the rain though.

17.Smoked? Other than Cigarettes? Yes, I smoked cigarettes off and on from the time I was 18 until I was 27. And yes, I smoked the 'other' too when I was a teenager.

18.Been fired from a job? Only once. It was my first job when I was 16. I had just started working there when I had to take a week's vacation to go with the marching band to Florida. I was fired after returning.

19.Sang karaoke? No. I have sang in front of an audience though. I was in my high school's show choir.

20.Done something you told yourself you never would? Yes. After my first relationship with a Navy man, I swore I'd never do it again. Good thing I did though. I love Eric to death.

21.Laughed until a drink came out your nose? This actually happens a lot more than I ever thought it would. This is a regular occurence for me.

22.Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes! I've also ate snow directly from the ground and had snowcream too.

23.Kissed in the rain? I don't believe so. Not that I can remember anyway. So if I have, it wasn't very memorable.

24.Sang in the shower? No. For some reason I only seem to sing in the car.

25.Been given a nickname unrelated to your given name? Yep. Dink. It's my alter ego and was bestowed upon me many moons ago when I played softball. The girls all called me Dink which stood for "Doesn't Think". This was because I have a habit of saying things without thinking prior.

26.Ever gone out without underwear? Not willingly.

27.Sat on a roof top? Again, not willingly. Sometimes, life makes you do stupid things.

28.Played chicken? No. Cars aren't toys.

29.Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? No, but I have been thrown into a lake with all my clothes on.

30.Broken a bone? Several of them. Most memorable is both of the bones in my left forearm when I was a child.

31.Mooned/flashed someone? Sadly, yes. I was that person who rode shotgun and mooned people as the car drove by.

32.Shaved your head? No. I've thought about it time and time again though. My hair drives me insane sometimes.

33.Slept naked? I do occasionally. It's rare though.

34.Played a prank on someone? Like funny, ha-ha prank? Sure. A mean, malicious one? Never.

35.Had a gym membership? Nope. It'd just be wasted money.

36.Felt like killing someone? Oh yeah. I've thought about it when I get pissed off. But, I have to be REALLY angry.

37.Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? No idea. I'm sure I have.

38.Cried over someone you were in love with? Yep. Sometimes out of fear of loss, sometimes out of frustration, sometimes out of joy.

39.Told a lie about someone else just to hurt them? Oh, I'm sure I did back in high school. High school is hell people.

40.Had exotics for pets? Depends on what you mean as exotic. Other than cat/dog/fish? Then yes. I had a hamster.

41.Been in a band? Does Marching Band and Concert Band count?

42.Gotten away with a lie? Yep.

43.Taken more than 10 shots of alcohol? In one night? Never. Came close.

44.Shot a gun? Yes! M16-A2 in boot camp. Beretta 9mm at a friend's.

45.Kissed someone today? Only the kids. Eric gets up and heads to work long before I'm awake.

46.Played strip poker? Yes.

47.Visited a foreign country? Only Canada.

48.Donated blood? Only once and I've been put on the blacklist. Apparently, chronically anemic people are prohibited from donation.

49.Jumped out of an airplane? No, but dammit I want to! Sort of.

50.Eaten something exotic, ie frog legs? I've had ostrich when I was younger. Oh, and chocolate covered ants.

2 on Tuesday: Toys

2011-10-04T07:35:00.000-04:00

Yes, I fully admit I skipped last weeks 2 on Tuesday post. Sorry Andrea, we're just not big TV watchers. Well, unless you count Sprout, Nick Jr, and HLN. Yeah, we're more movie watchers.

So, moving on into this week, Andrea asked:

What were your two favorite childhood toys?

Now, let me warn you: I'm sharing three. Why? Because I can and Andrea doesn't mind if we bend the rules. That's why this girl is awesome. So, here we go!

My two favorite toys growing up were my:

Rainbow Brite doll WITH Twink. I went through a totally hardcore stage where I was obsessed with Rainbow Brite. I know I had these dolls, other Color Kids dolls, the bedding, a kite and who knows what else. I carried this doll everywhere with me.

The other favorite thing was:

Yes, Pound Puppies (and Kitties). I had all breeds, all kinds. The ones that had puppies. The ones that didn't. The kitties. The puppies. You name it. I had it. These things were AWESOME!

I mean, come on. What kid mid-1980s wouldn't have foamed at the mouth after that commercial?

Now, because I said I was doing three, I'm going to branch off from toys. Seriously, I actually spent more time with my nose buried in books than I did playing. I was obsessed with the Nancy Drew series. Hardy Boys had NOTHING on Miss Drew. I'd read the book, then reread it. See if I missed anything. Nancy Drew truly started my love for the mystery novel.

Soccer Weekend #3

2011-10-01T20:27:00.000-04:00

Ya'll it was a miserable day. Miserable. It was cold and it was raining. We really thought that the league was going to cancel, but no such luck. So, Emali got to have her soccer game today, in the pouring down rain. We sat in the back of the truck under the cap. Sooo glad we bought it! Emali was SOAKED when she was done playing. She had fun, even though they lost. BTW, I apologize in advance. Some of the following pictures appear blurry, but they arent. It was just raining that hard.

The kids before the game. Cold, wet and miserable already.

Emali going after the ball. She'll kill me for putting this one on here, but I like it.

Emali falling down in the mud.

Taking a throw in. Can you see the rain?!

Yeah, the rain only got worse. Em's dribbling the ball down the field here.

Soccer Weekend #2

2011-09-24T17:11:00.000-04:00

Well, it was the second game of the year. Today's game was half good, half bad. The bad half is that they lost. 5 goals to 1. However, the single goal was scored by EMALI! Yes! She got the goal. We were so proud of her. She was so excited after she scored that she started dancing around on the field. She didnt care that the team lost. She scored and that was all that mattered. So, as you see, that's part of the good. The rest of the good? The kids' Grammy, Grampa, and Grandma all came! (My Dad, S-Mom, and my Grandma). Emali was soooo excited to see them there!

Going after the ball

It wouldnt be a game without Emali getting hurt. Here she is after taking a kick to the knee.

Probably my new favorite picture of her playing.

Em throwing it in.

Em's cheering section: Eric, My Empty Chair, Alvin, Grandma, Erin, Grampa, Grammy

My Dad (Grampa), Alvin, and S-Mom(Grammy)

Halloween Wreaths

2011-09-22T21:30:00.000-04:00

Yep, I know I'm a tad bit early, but ya'll I am ready for the holiday season to get started. So, tonight while watching TV, I made TWO, yes 2! different wreaths for Halloween! Sorry, no how-tos as I got so into what I was doing I didnt take pics of the different steps. Sorry. :(

Black Feather Monogram Wreath

Close up of the ribbon and monogram

Black Glitter Garland Wreath w/ Pumpkin Confetti

Closeup of the Pumpkin Confetti

While I like both of these wreaths, I absolutely LOVE the feather wreath. I think it may be my favorite craft yet!

2 on Tuesday: Cleaning Products

2011-09-20T07:50:00.000-04:00

So, Andrea asked today:

What two cleaning products make your life easier?

Well, that's simple!

Emali and Erin!!! Oh wait...Maybe Andrea meant actual cleaning products. Hrm....Well, okay then. *think* *think*. Got it!

I used to scrub floors on my hands and knees with a bucket of soapy water and a washrag. Then I discovered Swiffer wetpads, but those leave a weird film that I cant stand. That's when I came across this beauty:

A Shark Steam Mop! Love this thing. All it uses is water! No chemicals, no films. I dont even have to wait for things to dry, because it's steam and it's pretty much already dry seconds after I mop. I really dont know what I'm going to do when this one dies. Cry, most likely.

The second product I couldnt see myself living without is:

My Bissell Little Green Machine Pet! Ya'll, I have 3 kids, a dog and 3 cats. My carpet gets messy, quickly. With this I dont have to lug out a full size machine everytime someone/something makes a mess on the carpet. Just whip this little baby out and BLAM! spot is taken care of easy peasy.

However, like Andrea, I despise cleaning. I do it, but I dont like it. In fact, most of the time, my house looks like a toy bomb exploded. Or, in the case of the girls' room, like a clothes bomb exploded. But, hey, who cares?

Soccer Weekend #1

2011-09-17T13:37:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's that time of the year again! Emali had her first soccer game this weekend. She was sooo excited to finally get to play. As usual, she spent more time on the ground, than she did running down the field. She also got a chest ball and was out of the game for a little while. But, she got back up after about 10 mins, and went right back into the game. She managed to get an assist on the goal that a teammate scored. So she was all excited about that. Plus, they won 2-1! Great way to start the year off.

Also, I've put Em's soccer schedule over in the right hand side of the blog here. Only dates and times. No location. So, if you want to know where she's playing, call either Eric or I. Eric's probably better as we're still having issues with our service at home.

Alvin wanted to get in on the action prior to game actually starting. He's so cute!

Catch Daddy!

2 On Tuesday: Island Essentials

2011-09-13T08:03:00.000-04:00

Today is another installment of "2 on Tuesday" hosted by Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites! Today's topic is:

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what two items would you wish to have with you? (I know you’ll have more than two. I would have one million. It’s ok if you share more than two.)

Well, I'm only going to share two. I'll start by saying, my family wasnt involved in the plane crash that led to being stranded. They stayed home. So, with that said, I'd bring:

A hammock with a canopy so I have a shaded place to sleep comfortably. I dont plan on being on this island all that long. As you'll see by my next item:

A satellite phone. Yep. I went uber geek and went for the satellite phone. Guaranteed signal on this bad boy! So, I'll make my phone call SOS and chill on my hammock while waiting for my rescue. :)

AT&T

2011-09-12T12:02:00.002-04:00

I apologize in advance for anyone who's tried to reach Eric or I via text message/phone. For some reason, ATT's coverage has dropped to non-existant where we live and we arent getting notification of incoming calls/texts.

Where Were You...

2011-09-11T19:05:00.000-04:00

Hi there. It's Eric this time. I know you readers rarely hear from me, but today, I'd like to post where I was on September 11, 2001.

I was on the USS Seawolf two-thirds of the way through a 6 month deployment. We were at a port call in Scotland. I was on duty, on watch, when one of the officers came in stating that the towers had been hit by a plane. He had found out through talking to his wife via phone. We all thought he was joking until we saw the front page news in the local Scotland newspaper. We were all pissed off and all wanted to go. Go do what we had been trained to do. We made preperations to leave port as soon as possible. Port call was being ended early.

Military day to day would forever change because of this. While I cannot tell you exactly what happened to my boat mission-wise, I can tell you that our missions changed. We went from a pleasant port call, to being back under the sea. All within a day.

So that's where I was when I found out. On a submarine, in a foreign country.

Never forget

A vent: Hate

2011-09-10T16:39:00.000-04:00

Ok, let me start first by saying this: I wasnt sure I was I was going to write this blog post. I've been stewing over it for the last 24 hours. However, I think it's better off posted than not. So, here's your warning. This post deals with hatred. It's a very controversial subject matter and you may not want to continue reading.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hate the word 'retard'. Hate it. Despise it. I hate it when it's used to define the dislike of something; "This car is so retarded looking." I hate it when people use it to describe others; "What? Are you a retard or something?" Mostly, I hate it when it's directed at those who have either mental or physical disabilities. Having a child who had to wear a DOC band, and now has been diagnosed with NF, I've gotten my share of having him called this word. Mostly because people figure out he cant talk, or that he's not potty trained. The worst was while he was in the DOC band though. (Applebee's story I'd rather not care to reiterate right now).

However, yesterday, some ignorant person used it on the FB page of a company I used to be a consumer of. Yes, used to be. This person used it to describe the stylists who picked out her showroom. (Little backstory, it's a shoe-of-the-month club. "Stylists" pick out a few different items, you pick from their selections.) Well, the backlash this lady received from other customers was greater than anything I could have imagined. However, the response from an employee of the company was horrid. Normally, if there is hatred being spewed, the employees inform the offending party/parties that their behavior wont be tolerated, and that the post will be deleted. This time? No such thing happened. The employee merely looked over the hatred being spewed and asked the customer to call them so they could help her. *blink* I was in shock. How could an employee condone the use of this word??

In an effort to give the employee the benefit of the doubt, I waited. For 30 mins. Then I called their customer service line and asked why the offensive post hadnt been removed. I was assured that it would be immediately, and the customer would be informed that her behavior would not be tolerated. This did not happen. The customer took it upon herself to send me a personal message (via FB) letting me know that" I was a 'retard', and "The Company" was in full agreement. Otherwise, why didnt they delete her post?" So, I called back and cancelled my account with all haste. I posted that I cancelled, and my reasons why, on their FB page. The offending employee called me and said that they 'merely forgot' about the post, and that they 'didnt realize it was going to be that offensive." *blink*

I dont not understand how a company that refuses to allow two women call eat other fat could have an employee so out of the loop that they dont know that the word 'retard' is offensive. Because of this, I refuse to do any more business with this company.

I am taking a stand. The word 'retard' should never be used in the manner in which people are using it. How can I make the world better for my son, if I were to keep on utilizing a company that condones the usage of this word? I cant. My son is not a retard. He's a wonderful, smiling, healthy little boy, who happens to have a disease that's robbed him of speech. I'd say he's a hero. My hero.

The Weekend, So Far

2011-09-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

Well, another weekend is upon us. Final one free until after Soccer season. Since Emali starts her soccer games next weekend. So, we went to the Columbiana Street Fair last night. No pics, since there's not really much to do there. However, it is a good time waste. We spent at least an hour simply people watching. Then, this morning, we went to Columbiana's Firestone Park to the playground. Glad we did, because it's now raining.

I think this might be my favorite pic of the kids ever. I love it! I'm going to get it put onto a canvas.

2 on Tuesday: Fall!

2011-09-06T12:18:00.000-04:00

Today I'm participating in "2 on Tuesday" on Andrea's blog over at My Chihuahua Bites! Today's topic is:

What are your two favorite things about fall?

Well, I love fall because it means cooler weather. Cooler weather means boots! I love boots! Tall boots, short boots, ankle boots, moto boots, etc. Just boots.

My newest pair of ankle boots!

The second thing I love about fall is the changing leaf colors. The true beauty of trees gets to be displayed in a gorgeous array of colors. How can you not love fall?

Canfield Fair 2011

2011-09-06T07:35:00.000-04:00

So, finally we got to go to the Canfield Fair yesterday! It was drizzling on and off throughout the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon. Was really cold though! Only a high of 62! But, we had a great time. We got to see a lot of the booths, eat good food (well, they did. I didnt), ride rides, etc. We even stopped to talk at a booth that had a man with NF. He was raising money to raise awareness for NF. We must have talked to him for 30+ mins. Kind of scary looking in to your son's (potential) future. But, we learned a lot from a firsthand experience with NF. Here's his website if you want to learn more: Ed Needs a Miracle

Also, we got to see our baby neicers while we were there! All three of them! (We have many more neicers, but I'm talking about the babies; Aleah, Zoey and Kasey.) This was our first time getting to see Aleah and Kasey so it was exciting! (Long story about why we live here and dont get to see our neices. Mostly, it's stupid family drama.)

Cleveland Air Show

2011-09-03T19:15:00.000-04:00

We had originally wanted to go to the Canfield Fair today. But with the temps being in the 90's with heat index near/at 100, we decided to go to the Cleveland Air Show instead. The theory being that we'd be sitting and it wouldnt be as bad as walking around a HUGE fair. I'm soooo glad we went. The kids had a great time. Alvin had the best. He LOVES airplanes.

So, I'll apologize now. This will be VERY picture intensive! Also, as a side note, I've started to add watermarks to my photos because I found one of my pictures on another blog. The owner of that blog did not give me credit for the photo, and claimed it as their own. So, watermarks here I come!

U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachuter

Viper

John Klatt with Dynamic Precision

Metro Life Flight

Top Gun "Super" Chipmunk

Jelly Belly "Comedy Plane"

Jet Powered Super Bus

US Navy F/A-18 Hornet

US Coast Guard Demonstration

An old Navy training plane

F-4 Phantom II

US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II

This is the part of the day where Alvin fell asleep and we called it a day. We missed out on the Heritage Flight. Well, pics of it anway. I got to at least see the P-51 Mustang in flight! And we did miss out on the Air Force Thunderbirds, but Eric wasnt too thrilled at the idea of seeing them anyway. Next year is the Blue Angels. So, as a former Navy man, he's insisting we see them next year!

Couldnt leave without showing you Little Man all passed out in the 90 degree weather.

Dating VS Marriage

2011-08-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

This is an older blog post of mine from a former blog I used to write on.

When you are dating..... Farting is never an issue.
When you are married ....You make sure there's nothing flammable near your husband at all times.

When you are dating..... He takes you out to have a good time.
When you are married ....He brings home a 6 pack, and says "What are you going to drink?"

When you are dating..... He holds your hand in public.
When you are married ....He flicks your ear in public.

When you are dating..... A Single bed for 2 isn't THAT bad.
When you are married ....A King size bed feels like an army cot.

When you are dating..... You are turned on at the sight of him naked.
When you are married ....You think to yourself "Was he ALWAYS this hairy????"

When you are dating..... You enjoyed foreplay.
When you are married ....You tell him "If we have sex, will you leave me alone???"

When you are dating..... He hugs you, when he walks by you for no reason.
When you are married ....He grabs your boob any chance he gets.

When you are dating..... You picture the two of you together, growing old together.
When you are married ....You wonder who will die first.

When you are dating..... Just looking at him makes you feel all "mushy."
When you are married ....When you look at him, you want to claw his eyes out.

When you are dating..... He knows what the "hamper" is.
When you are married ....The floor will suffice as a dirty clothes storage area.

When you are dating..... He understands if you "Aren't in the mood."
When you are married ....He says "It's your job."

When you are dating..... He understands that you have "male" friends.
When you are married ....He thinks they are all out to steal you away.

When you are dating..... He likes to "discuss" things.
When you are married ....He develops a "blank" stare.

When you are dating..... He calls you by name.
When you are married ....He calls you "Hey" and refers to you when speaking to others as "She" or "Woman"

Back to school!

2011-08-29T08:31:00.000-04:00

So, today is the first day of school for the girls. This morning went as smoothly as it could have. Both girls managed to have a few mins to spare before either having to leave or catch the bus. (Eric had to take Em to school, as she didnt yet have her schedule of classes.) Emali was NOT too thrilled at having to wake up at 6:30 in the morning. And was a little bit miffed that Erin got to sleep in til 7:30. That's what being a Middle Schooler is all about Emali! (Did I say Middle School? Ugh.)

Emali all ready for school. I love love love her glasses.

Walking into her first day as a Middle Schooler

Erin all ready for school.

Running down to wait for the bus

"Take a picture of my shoes Mommy. Everyone needs to see my shoes Mommy."

"What about your outfit Erin?"

"Ok, you can put that on the blog too Mommy."

Erin getting on the bus.

Charley sitting watching Erin get on the bus.

Final Back-to-School preparations

2011-08-28T16:53:00.000-04:00

So, at the beginning of the summer, Erin begged me to let her get her ears pierced. I told her then if she still wanted it done by then, we'd do it before school started. Well, today she called me on it. "Mommy, school starts tomorrow. I want I my ears pierced!" So, off to the mall we went to get it done. She chose tiny pink crystal butterflies.

Bracing for the first ear. It went through and she cried. She didnt want to do the second. But...

She eventually did. Poor girl. There's no warning enough to prepare you for a lady coming after you with a(n earring) gun.

But, this pic was taken not 1 min after the second ear was done. All smiles and loving her earrings now. She even picked out 2 more pairs to wear when she's finally allowed to change them.

Then, because Emali and Alvin were feeling left out, we got Emali some new earrings. We also went to Claire's and got both girls new nail polish and headbands. Then it was off to Build-A-Bear for Alvin. His favorite part of BAB is 'washing' the pet.

'Washing' his new puppy, Charley

Then, after BAB, we decided to let Alvin play a little bit in the mall's play area. Unfortunately, we couldnt stay very long because other parents decided to just drop their kids off while they went shopping. We're talking 7-8 year olds, that proceeded to raise hell and push around the little ones.

Final Summer Weekend, Part 2

2011-08-28T10:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a looooong day. We went to the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay Waterpark. The kids had an excellent time getting to look at animals they've never seen before. And an even greater time at the waterpark. Unfortunately, I dont have any pics from the waterpark because I left my camera in the car for it. Next time we decide to go, we're going to do two days. One day simply wasnt enough to do/see everything that is offered.

Emali and Erin on the train ride

Timber Wolf

Moose babies!

Grizzly Bear. Look at those claws!

Bald Eagle

The girls testing themselves against a tiger's reach

Alvin on the carousel

Final Summer Weekend, Part 1

2011-08-26T17:27:00.000-04:00

So, the original plan was to take the kids to the pool today. However, the pool decided it didnt want to be open because there were some clouds in the sky. So, instead, we went to the park! Tonight, it's the Drive In to see Smurfs and Spy Kids 4. Then tomorrow, we're heading down to the Columbus Zoo. Talk about ending summer with a bang!

Alvin going down the slide

Erin on the tire swing

Alvin and my Grandma

Erin on the monkey swings

Erin and Emali playing the bells.

Q&A - A MeMe

2011-08-26T10:07:00.000-04:00

Stolen from Andrea @My Chihuhua Bites!

MAKEUP
Blush or bronzer? Neither. I dont normally do the whole makeup thing. Plus, I have naturally rosy cheeks.

Lipgloss or lipstick? Both have their place in my life. Though I rarely wear either, I do own them both.

Eyeliner or mascara? Neither. My eyes are way too sensitive to use them. Plus again, I dont normally do the whole makeup thing.

Foundation or concealer? When I do wear makeup, foundation. Concealer doesnt cover me like I like.

Neutral or colored eye shadow? Neither. Again, dont wear makeup often so it's usually only foundation, some powder, and some lipstick when I do.

Pressed or loose eye shadow? There's a difference????

Brushes or sponges? Fingertips? Again, can we tell I'm not a makeup professional?

NAILS
OPI or China Glaze? Huh? No clue what this is. I'm guessing brands.

Long or short? Varies. Depends on when I find time to cut them. :) Most of the time they are long.

Acrylic or natural? Natural all the way. Up until 5 years ago, I was a horrid nail biter. So, now that I've gotten over that, I love to show off my natural nails.

Brights or darks? Neither? I dont paint my nails.

Flower or no flower? If I was going to paint my nails, flower all the way. I like to do odd things, so having a flower design would rock.

BODY
Perfume or body splash? Neither. Eric's allergic to fragrences. Though, I used to wear perfume religiously.

Lotion or body butter? Again, neither. Eric's allergies cover this too. On the rare chances I get to use it (like when he'd go out to sea), it was always some fruity scented lotion.

Body wash or soap? Body wash all the way. I use the Dial Yogurts ones. Love them!

LUSH or other bath company? Yeah, again, no freaking clue what this is.

FASHION
Jeans or sweat pants? Sweats at home. Jeans if I'm going out in 'public'. Dress pants if the occasion calls for it.

Flip flops or sandals? Both! I would wear them all year if I could.

Scarves or hats? When it's cold, both. As a fashion statement? Scarves cause I wear them on my head.

Studs or dangly earrings? Due to a metal allergy, I dont wear earrings often. Cause my ears get horridly inflamed when I do. But I love the dangly ones!

Necklaces or bracelets? Necklaces! The only bracelet I wear often is my "Cure NF" bracelet.

Heels or flats? Flats. Though I'd love to wear heels.

Cowboy boots or riding boots? Riding boots. Moto boots. Knee high boots. I LOVE BOOTS!

Jacket or hoodie? Hoodie. Up until a few years ago, I didnt even own a jacket. :)

Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe? Yeah, I'm 31 years old. I dont think Forever 21 is a good place for me to be. No clue what Charlotte Russe is.

abercrombie or Hollister? Um. Neither. Not my style.

Saks 5th Avenue or Nordstrom? *sigh* I love to browse Nordstorm, but it's not my style. Pretty to look at though. Wish I had the kind of life to wear it. Stay at home mom of 3 doesnt exactly flow with their stuff though.

HAIR
Curly or straight? Ugh. Some random inbetween mess. Though, when I wear it down, I straighten it most of the time.

Bun or ponytail? Ponytail, or tucked ponytail, pretty much all day every day.

Bobby pins or butterfly clips? Butterfly clips! I use them after I wash my hair to pull it up so I dont break my hair with the normal hair ties.

Hairspray or hair gel? Neither. Ever.

Long or short? Depends on my mood. I've been both. Though currently it's down past my bra stap in the back.

Light or dark? Dark, though I was born a natural blonde. Go figure.

Side sweep bangs or full bangs? Ha ha! I have full bangs! Yep. Full 5th grader bangs. Heart them!

Up or down? While I love the look of my hair down, I cant stand it that way for long. So up 98% of the time.

RANDOM
Rain or shine? Rain!!! Thunderstorms are the best!

Summer or winter? Winter. I love me some snow!

Fall or spring? Spring! Cause that means planting time is just around the corner. And I love to plant flowers.

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate. Duh.

East or west coast? MidWest! Ohio baby. O-H! I-O! Go Buckeyes!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T21:21:00.001-04:00

YouTube Video

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Soccer season begins

2011-08-17T18:40:00.001-04:00

Tonight was Em's first soccer practice. She'll practice every week til the games start in September. Then the season runs every Saturday until late October. She's so excited to be back in soccer.

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Happy Birthday Audra

2011-08-17T14:37:00.000-04:00

This is as close as we're going to get to physically telling you this, but Happy 2nd Birthday Audra. Uncle Eric and I hope you have the bestest birthday you can.

Sleepover

2011-08-14T18:57:00.001-04:00

The girls got to have their long awaited sleepover at Grammy and Grandpa's this weekend. They went to a festival, had beauty shows, went swimming, etc. They've done nothing but talk non-stop about what they want to do next time.

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Greenford Firemen's Festival

2011-08-07T19:59:00.000-04:00

So glad we were back in town to do go to this. Since my Dad and Step-Mom are on the Greenford Fire Department, we always try to go to the festival. It's the biggest thing to hit Greenford pretty much all year. This year was no exception. We did take a small break to head to Thunder Jam. When we first got there, we ate. And boy did we eat! I got a chicken sandwich, baked beans and a drink. Eric got a meatball sub, baked beans, pumpkin pie and a drink. Each of the kids got a sandwich, side, dessert and a drink. We only paid $22!!!! How freaking awesome. All that food for such a little cost. Shortly after that we headed to Thunder Jam. After Thunder Jam, we headed back to the festival. Once back, Eric took Alvin to jump in the Lightning McQueen bouncy house they had there. $1 for 5 mins of jumping. Alvin spent $10 jumping. But he had a BLAST! The girls and I played Bingo for a while. Then we got some homebaked goods, cotton candy and some fair fries! It was a really great night!

Alvin and Eric with a firetruck (or a whee-oo as Alvin calls them)

Alvin in the boucy house

Thunder Jam

2011-08-07T11:31:00.001-04:00

Alvin's favorite monster truck is Grave Digger. So when we heard about Thunder Jam coming to Quaker State in Salem, we KNEW we had to take Alvin. Luckily, Grave Digger was doing a pre-race pit party the night before. So we went up to Chili's in Boardman so Alvin could see Grave Digger up close. He was totally awed by it. We also got to meet the drive Randy Brown. Then Saturday, we went to the Greenford Fireman's Festival (It'll get it's own post) and headed from there onto Thunder Jam. We got to see street legal time trials, funny cars, jet cars, and Grave Digger all do the 1/8th-1/4th mile! So awesome!

Randy Brown, Alvin, and Eric

Alvin watching the funny cars

Flames behind the jet car

Grave Digger!!

Grave Digger going down the track (click on it to play)

The jets cars (click on it to play)

Whistle While You Work

2011-07-04T15:28:00.000-04:00

Oh yes. ERIC GOT THE JOB! Woo hoo! I know some of you are going, "What job?" Well, some backstory. Eric was involuntarily discharged from the Navy on June 15th. So, he was unemployed following that.

Well, the night before, he did a phone interview with AK Steel. The phone interview went VERY well, and the man asked Eric to come in for a face-to-face interview. This was done about a week after we got here to Ohio. Well, since then we've been waiting to hear back from them. Today was the day! They called with an offer and he accepted! We'll get hardcopy of their offer tomorrow in email, but it's a GOOD ONE! Yay!

It's going to suck for Eric since the job is an hour and half from here. But, due to other issues I'm not getting into right now, he's going to half to commute for a while. Anyway, he'll be the Shift Manager for Casting. It's rotating shift work, which sucks. But, they offer medical from DAY ONE! Dental/Vision after 30. We're so flipping excited. We had set a base line on what the lowest we were willing to accept was and they offered well above that. So we're good to go! Yay. He has a few medical appointments there to finalize the hiring process, but that should go well and he should start working soon.

I'm going to miss having him around all the time, but him having something to do is great!

Neutrality

2011-07-03T21:42:00.000-04:00

I know I havent been around much. I will have plenty of makeup posts. Trust me. Right now? I need to vent.

I'm sick of people claiming neutrality, and then taking a side. You cant say in one breath that you arent taking sides, then in another pick one by using a weak excuse to justify it. That's not neutrality. Neutrality is picking ALL sides or NONE.

Our DITY beast

2011-05-28T20:31:00.001-04:00

Well, we got the sides built for our trailer today. We'll be using it to move. Tomorrow we'll be painting it.

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Em's new glasses

2011-05-11T21:19:00.000-04:00

For a good cause....

2011-05-04T12:16:00.000-04:00

Wow. My 300th post. How insane! I cannot believe that I've had enough to say to fill 300 posts. I also cannot believe that 30 people care enough to follow this tiny little blog. Thanks you all. I know I dont personally know most of you, but it's nice to know that my life is interesting to people outside my real life.

So, the reason for this post. May is National Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month. As you know, Alvin was diagnosed with NF1 back in February. For those of you that might have stumbled into here and not know what NF is:

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disorder of the nervous system which causes tumors to form on the nerves anywhere in the body at any time. This progressive disorder affects all races, all ethnic groups and both sexes equally. NF is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States (one in every 2,500 to 3,000 births). The neurofibromatoses affects more than 100,000 Americans; this makes NF more prevalent than Cystic Fibrosis, hereditary Muscular Dystrophy, Huntington’s Disease and Tay Sachs combined.

NF has three genetically distinct forms: NF-1, NF-2 and Schwannomatosis. They are caused by different genes and chromosomes. The effects of NF are unpredictable and have varying manifestations and degrees of severity. There is no known cure for any form of NF, although the genes for both NF-1 and NF-2 have been identified.

NF is an autosomal dominant genetic condition; it is not contagious. Approximately 50% of those affected with Neurofibromatosis have a prior family history of NF. The other 50% of cases are the result of spontaneous genetic mutation. If an individual does not have NF, s/he can not pass it on to his/her children.

Alvin has NF1. Here is a link detailing his form of NF in greater detail. (About NF1) Because of his condition, he has developmental delay, speech delay, growth delay, etc. But his NF does NOT define him. He is a happy 3 year old boy who loves Thomas the Train, Bob the Builder and Disney's Cars.
How can you help? Get involved!

Storms a brewing.....

2011-05-03T09:52:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry you guys. I realize that I havent updated in several weeks. We went home for a week following the last post. Then, a few days after coming back home to CT, we received the devastating news that Eric's rerate for the Navy wouldnt be going through. We've been in a state of shock ever since. Where will we live? Where will Eric work? How will we cover both Eric and Alvin's medical issues? The thing that's making it worse is, we've been told to expect this to go through very quickly. As in, we may only have 30 days to make arrangement to transition to civilian life. Because of this, Eric is taking TAP (Transition Assisstance Program) classes this week. Ya'll, we're scared. This is NOT something we wanted, but there's nothing we can do to stop it from happening. Luckily, Eric attended a job fair a few weeks ago (just in case) and has 'some' job leads. Nothing concrete though.

I promise I'll get back to posting somewhat normally sometime soon, but for now. I just cant.

I went to the Animal Fair....

2011-04-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

So, over the last weekend the weather was wonderful up here. Eric and I wanted to take the kids to both the Zoo and the Aquarium. We originally didnt want to do both in a single day. However, I ended up being deathly ill Fri/Sat, so we ended up doing just that. We got up fairly early (for a weekend) on Sunday and headed up to Providence to the Rogers Williams Park Zoo.

Alvin's favorite part of the Zoo was looking at the construction trucks that work on the new Children's Zoo. He didnt want to leave. Since it was still early in the day at this point, we headed down to Mystic to the Mystic Aquarium. We watched the sea lion show. Watched them train the Beluga whales. Watched Alvin get to go into the submarine "Alvin". That part was the best!

Emali's Birthday

2011-04-12T13:57:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am an epic failure as a mother. Emali's birthday was on March 26. I am just NOW getting around to writing a blog post about it. Poor kid. Especially because this was the DOUBLE DIGIT birthday! Yes ya'll. I have a 10 year old. Cant read that? A 10 year old! Where did time go? My first stubbon little baby is now 10 years old. *cry* While I may be in slight disbelief, she will quickly show some of that damnable 'tween' attitude that quickly rights my disbelief.

Emali's "cake" with lit candles. Notice the blue, orange, and red flames. Awesome!

Root Beer Cupcakes! Soooo Easy to Make!

Emali's birthday gift. Nibbles the hamster!

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

2011-03-23T17:05:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the world Zoey Addison! She is the newest addition to the family. Congrats to Nicole and Wes. She was born this morning at 8:07am, weighed 7lbs, 11oz, and 19 inches long. I am one proud Auntie! I cant wait to get back home to get to meet her!

Look what I saw when I woke up...

2011-03-22T12:50:00.000-04:00

Alvin locked, loaded and ready to fire.

New Kids' Pics

2011-03-19T15:24:00.000-04:00

So, we finally took the kids for new pics. This will be a VERY picture intensive picture. Grandma, we pick up the prints on April 2 and I'll mail them off then.

Look Grandma!!

2011-03-15T23:16:00.000-04:00

He figured out how to peddle!

As sands through the hourglass...

2011-03-14T16:31:00.000-04:00

So are the days of my life. *giggle* So, those of you that know us (or paid attention to various posts) know. Eric was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia back in September 2009. (Wow has it really been THAT long?). Because of this, he has to take an anti seizure medication called Tegretol. He was subsquently removed from both submarine and nuclear duty. The process that was supposed to take 6-8 weeks has FINALLY come to a conclusion.

Last week, we recieved Eric's official disqualification papers for both submarine and nuclear duty. Effective Feb 18, 2011. This meant he needed to rerate or attempt to qualify for LimDu (limited duty) again to seek a new treatment we had found out about. Unfortunately, today he was denied a second LimDu period. So, as of 1pm this afternoon, Eric will be rerating. He will begin this process sometime this week. He's hoping for either CTN, GSM, or MM (non nuke). Once he gets his new rating, we will then be able to pick out orders. So, looks like we'll be moving away from Groton sometime in the foreseeable (soon) future. I know that he's upset with losing the nuclear part of his designation. It's something he truly loved. But he's picked out a few ratings he thinks he'd enjoy just as much. I am grateful that if the Navy just forces him to the non-nuke side of his previous rate, he'll be happy. We've still got many years til retirement.

So, I will keep you all updated as things progress. Hopefully, it wont be another 18 months before something happens.

Catching up

2011-03-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've been neglecting my blog. Sorry. I wasnt healing as well as I thought I was going to. I'm finally to wear I'm able to sit up with the laptop long enough to do anything. Before, I was using the browser on my iPhone. :)

So, I'm gonna play catch up. This is gonna be a rather long, pic heavy post.

Alvin's transition to his big boy bed went better than anyone would have EVER guessed. He went to bed with no fuss and slept all night. The second night, he fussed for 10 mins, and passed out. We've not had an issue since. I'm so blessed to have a 3 year old with the tempermant this boy of mine has.

Then, Erin's birthday was upon us. I feel sooooo bad for her. We had been talking up having her first ever sleepover with friends. Unfortunately, I wasnt feeling up to having a bunch of 6 and 7 year olds under my care overnight. So, Erin's party/sleepover has to be pushed back. Luckily, Jackie as always was completely wonderful. She made Erin strawberry with strawberry frosting (Erin's favorite) cupcakes and delivered them on Erin's Bday. It totally made Erin's day.

Then that Saturday, we took her to Build-A-Bear and let her pick out ANY animal and outfit she wanted. Unfortunately, I dont have pics of that. It was all I could do to even go to the mall to do this for her.

Then, the other day, Eric took Alvin for his 3 year checkup. He was 36 inches tall and was 30 pounds! He was 20 % for height and 15% for weight. Dude, he hit the charts! Woo hoo!. His head was still in the 75%. No big surprise there.

I cant promise that I'll keep this as update as I should, but now that I'm feeling better, it WILL be updated.

Alvin's Big Boy Bed

2011-02-27T14:15:00.000-05:00

So, due to my surgery and subsequent inability to lift more than 10 lbs for 4-6 weeks, we decided to go ahead and move Alvin into a toddler bed. I cant lift him out of the crib and I dont want him trying to climb out. Bad juju ya'll. So, Eric and I surfed on the web to see what all was out there. We fell in LOVE with the Little Tykes Thomas the Train toddler bed. Ya'll it's a $300 bed. Yes, you read that right. That's out of our budget range, sort of. We figured we'd just get him a regular wooden bed ($100) and another crib mattress ($80) because we knew he wasnt going to take well to the change. Then, since we were already nearing $200, we decided what the hell, let's go with the Thomas bed. So we called Toys R Us in Waterford to see if they had one in stock. Ya'll, not only did they have one in stock, but they needed to get rid of the display model. If we were willing to take the display, they'd let us have it for 50% off!!!! Yes, you read that right. 50% off!!! So we managed to score the DREAM bed for $139! Alvin just loves his new bed. No clue if he'll actually sleep in it yet, but we'll find out soon enough.

Sorry for the lapse...

2011-02-23T17:34:00.000-05:00

But on February 16th, Eric had to rush me to the ER, where I was admitted with acute cholecystitis. When they performed the abdominal ultrasound, they found that my gallbladder was completely impacted with gallstones. This necessitated an emergency cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder). So, I went into the OR around 8pm that night. Unfortunately, I had some complications which necessitated a SECOND emergency surgery the next morning at 7am. Because of this, my recovery time went from a few days to more realistically a few weeks. :( I wasnt released until mid afternoon on Sunday. Thankfully, the Navy is being wonderful and allowed Eric to take emergency leave to help me out at home, since I'm pretty much useless for a few weeks.

Also, a special shout out to two really awesome people for helping Eric and I with the kids while all this was going on. Jackie and Angie, LOVE you guys. Thanks so much! You can read all about Jackie's time with the kids in her own blog post: Emergenices and Extra Children. It has photos and a video.

The Anti Valentine

2011-02-14T05:55:00.005-05:00

Yep, it's that time of year again. Time for my annual "I hate Valentine's Day" rant. Only this year, it's short and simple. I. Hate. Valentine's. Day. Period. Hate it. Hate everything about it. Dont celebrate and never will. Actually. I'd like to clarify that. Eric and I dont celebrate it. We do decorate minorly for the kids. Cause I wont impart my hatred of the day on them. They're kids. They like the holiday.

Happy Birthday Grandma

2011-02-10T23:36:00.000-05:00

I hope it was a good one!

Alvin's 3rd Birthday

2011-02-05T18:01:00.001-05:00

I apologize in advance, for this will be a VERY picture intensive post.
I cant believe it's been THREE years since Alvin was born. The day he was born he weighed 7 pounds, 2 oz and was 20 inches long. Today he weighs 28 pounds and is 35 inchess tall. *sigh* He is growing up. He is officially fully in 18 month clothes and can wear SOME 24 months. He's starting to pick up more words too. His latest are 'bird', 'train', and 'drink'. He's up to about a vocabulary of 20-30 words. Which is GREAT!

The day he came home fromt the hospital

At 3 years old

So today we had a birthday party for him. Jackie, Ryan, and Than were supposed to come, but illness kept them away. We missed having them, but still had a good time. We decorated the living room with streamers and balloons. Alvin LOVED it! We also got him the HUGE Thomas balloon. It's bigger than he is. It sings to you if you tap it, so he spent most of the day making it make noise.

The living room

I attempted to make him a Thomas the Train birthday cake. It didnt turn out so well lookswise, but it tasted good. And really, isnt that all that matters?

Then it was time to open his present(s) from us. We got him 25 Hot Wheels cars and 2 Hot Wheels trains. Yes, that's an awful lot of them. However, we didnt spend more than a normal single toy would be. He loves Hot Wheels, so it worked out.

PS...Grandma, I made an appointment for the 19th. I'll mail you the new pics when they come in. :)

Emali's Desk Re-do

2011-01-29T21:01:00.001-05:00

So, Emali's been wanting a desk do to her homework on for a while. We finally found one we liked at Goodwill. We sanded it, primed it, and painted it. Emali picked out an eletric blue and plum purple. I made it have a chalkboard top. She LOVES her desk. And for < $40, I do too.

After sanding. Sorry I dont have pics before sanding.

The finished (sort of) desk. We still need to find drawer pulls she likes, but I like how it turned out. (Please forgive the crap on her floor. She refuses to vaccum and I'm sick of arguing about it.)

30 Day Challenge - Day Thirty

2011-01-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

A picture of someone you miss

My Grandpa. This is the only picture I have of him. This is me and him when I was just under a year old. He used to do this all the time with us grandkids. I may not have many pictures of him, but I have millions of memories. He died when I was right before I was a teenager, and I still miss him fiercely. I'm tearing up right now thinking about him. I think that's how you know how wonderful of man he was. That it's been this many years and I still miss him. I remember the walks and the stories. Listening to his records. Reading the dictionary. Watching Mr Rogers Neighborhood with him.

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty Nine

2011-01-16T18:28:00.000-05:00

A picture that can always make you smile

Alvin at a year old in his DOC band giving the stink-eye. I LOVE this picture. It makes me laugh every time I see it. No, not because of the DOC band. Because of the stink-eye he's giving.

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty Eight

2011-01-15T18:01:00.000-05:00

A picture of something you’re afraid of

Spiders! Omg....*shudder* I hate hate hate hate hate spiders. Big ones. Small ones. Doesnt matter. Terrified of them all.

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty Seven

2011-01-14T17:45:00.000-05:00

A picture of yourself and a family member

Me and my brother. We arent as close as some siblings I know. That makes me sad. One day I hope that we are close again.

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty Six

2011-01-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

A picture of something that means a lot to you

Our guest plate from our wedding. It has our friends and family on it. Including Eric's Grandma Rice. Eric's really grateful that she was able to see him get married and meet Alvin.

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty Five

2011-01-12T16:23:00.000-05:00

A picture of your day

Yep, that says 18 inches of snow. That's on top of the foot we got over the weekend. So my day was spent watching the snow fall. Whee!

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty Four

2011-01-11T16:09:00.000-05:00

A picture of something you wish you could change

The relationship with Eric's dad and step-mom that went all to hell. The details of what happened arent important. I just wish things could have been different.

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty Three

2011-01-10T15:46:00.000-05:00

A picture of your favorite book

Yep...I cant choose just one book as my favorite. I love to read. Love books. Love them! I

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty Two

2011-01-09T18:38:00.000-05:00

A picture of something you wish you were better at

Time management. I suck at managing my time. I'll sit down to read a book for 'only 20 mins' and end up reading for 2 hours. I'm a procrastinator too. Put off til tomorrow what you can do today. One day I hope I can manage my time better, however, I'm 30 now. So I doubt it's going to change.

Eric's Birthday

2011-01-09T18:06:00.000-05:00

So, Eric turned a whole whopping 31 yesterday. So, for the next few weeks, I get to torment him incessantly about being 31 and I'm not. Granted, my own 31st isnt that far off. Anyway, it was a good birthday for him. At least he says so anyway. We got about 8 inches of snow in the overnight before his birthday. So he got to play with the snowblower. Then everyone went sled riding, and built a snowman. Later on, the kids and I made him a chocolate fudge cake.

I covered it in carmel frosting and made fondant stars that I had the girls write message on with food markers. It was very very very sweet. Then the girls gave him their homemade birthday gifts. I had given him his Christmas/Birthday present on Christmas. Yes, cheap I know, except, it wasnt. I bought him an Invicta SubAqua watch. Yes, I bought him a watch. He's been wanting a good watch for a while though. So, I bought him one. But because of the amount I spent on it, I combined it into both Christmas/Birthday.

SNOW! Yay snow!

2011-01-08T14:53:00.000-05:00

So, Eric got a wonderful birthday gift: 6+ inches of snow! The weather people had said we'd be lucky to maybe 2 inches at the most. Well, surprise, surprise! This is going to be a picture heavy post, so consider yourself warned. Oh, look for the birthday post for Eric later on!

The hawk that lives near here.

Blue Jay

Red-headed woodpecker

The snow as it was falling. We got 6 inches in 2 1/2 hours. It was crazy.

Charley playing in the snow.

The woods behind our house.

A cardinal in the bushes. Isnt it gorgeous?

The kids and their snowman

Alvin and the snowman.

30 Day Challenge - Day Twenty One

2011-01-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

A picture of something you wish you could forget

The house in Ohio. Because to forget about it, would be to forget about all the horrid crap that happened in it and because of it. To forget about all the hurt, and pain and drama that 'she' put me through. To forget all about all the drama that was caused after 'her'. Unfortunately, the house was tainted by The Wench, and I'm glad to be away from it, though I miss the house itself.

30 Day Challenge -- Day Twenty

2011-01-07T07:19:00.002-05:00

A picture of somewhere you’d love to travel

Yep, Australia. It's one place I plan to visit shortly after Eric retires.

30 Day Challenge - Day Nineteen

2011-01-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

A picture and a letter

How about a picture of a letter? Or, more specifically, an email. The email that got it all started. Eric's email via MySpace to me. The email that started us talking after not speaking since high school.