Splish-splash

Y'all, it's raining. In Arizona!

Yesterday morning, it was overcast. REALLY overcast but it didn't really rain too much. It was just cloudy and only a tiny bit drizzly. But today? It was a heavier drizzle in the morning and a steady downbeat as the day progressed. No lightening at all. Not a bolt in sight.

So, what did I do?

After I brought the kids home this afternoon, we went in and went right back out. They didn't change their clothes. They just put on their flip-flops and got their light jackets and ballcaps. And we headed back out into the cul-de-sac across the street.

And what did we do? We splashed. SPLASH! SPLASH! We splashed in puddles in the street. We splashed the puddles in the gutter.

We were only out there for about 15 minutes, but the kids were soaked from their feet to about their hips. And they were ALL SMILES. It was great!

Now? The Princess is finishing her homework. The Bear is watching a Veggie Tales Christmas tape (I don't remember the exact title). Since I let them play in the puddles in the street, I think they'll be nice and docile the rest of the night. I don't think there will be any fights or issues. Or am I just hoping?

Nonetheless, it was a good time. Short. But GOOD!

Making Mommy Laugh

This morning after the Bear finished eating breakfast, he went over to get into his "school" clothes. As I washed the dishes and wiped off the breakfast table, I overheard...

We will
We will
Rock you!
chu-chu-chu-chu

We will
We will
ROCK YOU!
chu-chu-chu-chu

He sang on and on. Over and over again. At one point I glanced over into the family room and he was naked as a jaybird. He was also stomping across the carpet with his hands pumping up into the air. Just like he was at a football game.

Crazy kid!

The BEST surprise to see

I happened to be switching through the tv stations this morning and stopped on the View. There were 2 young people on the show and that made me stop.

These two teenage siblings have been raising money and purchasing phone cards that are sent to the troops. This way the troops can call home without having to incur any personal charges.

For those of you who have had family deployed in any branch of our military, you KNOW how expensive phone calls can be. When the Hubs was in the Navy, we'd only talk every month or so for 5 minutes at a time. It was such a joy to HEAR his voice. I don't remember most of the things we talked about. But the fact that I knew that he and I were connected for those few minutes. That he was safe AT THAT MOMENT. That I knew exactly what he was doing right that second. It was priceless.

Anyway, these two kids have been raising money for years. They've raised about a million dollars to date! Isn't that amazing? Their parents are teachers. The entire family sounds solid. The good old-fashioned American family. And these kids? Because of their good hearts? I mean, they do this stuff for free. This junior and senior in high school? They were rewarded today. They were EACH given a $100,000 scholarship to any college they choose (thanks to AT&T). Can you believe it? They were speechless. It was a nice moment to witness. They were truly NOT expecting a gift for their gift to the troops. Now they can go to whatever school they want. I'm even more happy for their parents, because now they can put away the money they'd invest for their kids college education can go to THEIR retirement.

That was the BEST thing to see all day.

And I'm getting stronger...

Yes. I feel strong. I can't believe that I've stayed on schedule and am still on my new exercise program. I'm actually really enjoying it. I'm still trying to perfect some of the moves on each DVD but I'm gradually getting things straight. I do get a little bit frustrated when I miss a change in movement but that's to be expected. I catch up and continue.

What changes have I noticed now that I've completed 8 workouts in 11 days? My thighs and calves feel more solid. I can feel the muscles! My saddlebags are less pronounced. I can see my biceps, triceps and shoulders are more defined. AND....I'm getting my waist back! I measured this morning and my waist is smaller. Once I complete the month/4 week mark, I'll give you the actual results -- that's in another 2 weeks.

I listened to the instructors and have NOT been going gangbusters on the DVDs. I've been taking it easy while I learn the moves. And this has benefited me. My body has been achy, but I haven't been in pain where I can't work out. So I've kept on schedule, which is a big deal for me. But like I mentioned, I've been achy. I can tell that my body is tired from the effort. And the best thing? I've been sleeping like a LOG! Really deep sleep, which is something I've been having trouble with.

But I seriously am happy with my progress. That I'm continuing my goal to a more healthy body. So I can stay strong for the kids and the Hubs. Hopefully I'll continue to stay on track!

We're mostly done

So what have we got finished up today?

Tree up.

Lights, ribbons, and ornaments placed on tree. The Hubs put the hooks on the ornaments. The kids put the ornaments up on the tree. The tree has got a ton of low-lying fruit, so the Hubs and I will fix the placement of the ornaments later on tonight after the kids are asleep.

Formal dining room dressed up. Flower garland woven up on the dining room chandelier. Pointsettia cross-stitch runner on table. Tall glass vase filled with silk poinsettia flowers & gold and burgundy ball ornaments mixed in.

Our fireplace now has our four stockings hung on our pewter "hooks".

The 10 foot planter area above our family room tv area is all decked out. Birch woven Santa and reindeer up and on a timer, so we don't have to mess with it the rest of the season. I also put the small stuffed animals that are dressed in holiday garb up there sitting on the edge.

The staircase and loft banister has greenery and lights all the way up and over. This year, I did buy a timer specifically for these lights. The last couple of years I've been plugging those in daily. No more!

There's a Santa hologram up in the extra car garage window. I've got THAT on a timer too! The Hubs is thinking of getting another hologram figure for a couple of the other front-facing windows.

Here's what we've still got to complete?

Get the lights up on the backyard fence and plugged into a timer

Get the blow-up characters set up and plugged into a timer

Get the ornaments on the 2 trees in the front yard

Get the walkway tree lights staked and plugged into a timer

And that'll be all. I wanted the Hubs to get the lights up on the house but I'm not going to hold my breath for THAT to happen. I've got the things that I've got control over done -- or I'll get it done soon. The house lights are under his umbrella of responsibility. So it'll get done if he decides to get it done.

But our house is almost all dolled up for the season and I'm happy about that. Now we can concentrate on just spending quality time together the rest of the month.

Oh yeah! Yesterday, the kids visited Santa. The kids were the FIRST kids to sit on Santa's lap for the season! It was awesome. Both kids were all smiles. It was good because now the kids have given Santa their list of what they want. And those are the things we'll concentrate on getting them.

A couple bumpy moments

Overall it was a nice Thanksgiving. There were a couple bumpy moments. That's to be expected, right?

Issue#1

Yesterday morning, my MIL called the Hubs. The Hubs, my FIL, and the Bear were going to the college game that night. The Hubs wanted to leave his parents' house around 4:15pm because the Nationally televised game started at 6pm. After the call, the Hubs came over to me.

Hubs: After we eat, we'll drive to the hotel. My Dad will follow us there. Then I'm going to drive me, my Dad, and the Bear to the game.

What is my husband talking about? What? That would leave the Prin and I at the hotel with NO vehicle.

Me: No. That is NOT going to happen. The Prin and I are going to do something when you are at the game.

An hour or so later, the Hubs came up to me and said we were back to the original plan. Huh? I didn't think the plan ever changed. So this time, the Hubs actually backed me up. I think he realized (read that as remembered) that I told him that I was going to take the Prin to the movies.

So it went as such. After we finished our Thanksgiving meal, my FIL drove the 3 boys to the game. The Prin and I drove to the hotel and checked in. Then we headed out to the movies. Girls' night!

Issue #2

As we entered the freeway, I noticed one of those large flashing roadsigns.

ACCIDENT 14 miles ahead [flash-flash-flash]

So the Hubs diverted OFF to the last main East-West road after we'd only gone about 4 miles up the freeway. We took the scenic route. We took a 2 lane road all the way up. So it was one lane going North. So when we got stuck behind a slow vehicle, we had to bid our time for a "safe" moment to pass. We drove past two of our lovely state penitentiaries. I could tell that it was because of all the barbed wire at the top of the fences. That was CLOSEST I've ever been to a penitentiary. It was amazingly quiet when we drove by. Not a soul in sight. Anyway, did I say that we took the scenic route? Yeah. When we got into the city, the Hubs realized we were about 20 miles EAST of where we should be. It turned out to be a 2+ hour adventure versus the normal 1 1/4 hour drive. But thankfully the kids didn't complain. They were okay with their water bottles, their snacks, and their DVD (Narnia).

Issue #3

We got to my MIL's house around 1:30pm. The Hubs' cousin and his family got there around 1:45pm. My SIL? Didn't show up until 3pm. So we didn't eat until after that. We were supposed to eat at 2pm. That ticked me off because the kids hadn't eaten an actual lunch and they were starving. But we ate and that was that. Nothing fancy. Just a meal. And I'm grateful for that. At least there was enough food for us to each have more than one serving!

Issue #4

We found out that the Hubs' cousin QUIT his job on Tuesday. Yeah, just a few days ago. And when my MIL found out, she asked him question after question.

What are you going to do?
Have you got another job?
Have you signed up with an agency yet to help you find a job?

If he had quit with a job already set, then he would have mentioned it. He quit his job unexpectedly due to a situation that came to a head on Tuesday. So it's not like he had things planned out. My MIL kept on hammering him with questions. She just didn't get it. I mean, why wasn't she hammering her daughter with questions about her job search? My SIL has been looking for a new job (without her current employer finding out) for at least 6 months now and has only had about 3 interviews. I don't think she's SERIOUSLY looking. The way she's been explaining the situation to me, it's like she's relying on a head-hunter firm to FIND her a job. She's not doing anything on her own to seek out employers.

Issue #5

Around 9:30pm, the Hubs called me. I thought he was downstairs and needed our room number.

Me: We're in room 223.
Hubs: Hey. Come pick us up.
Me: What are you talking about?
Hubs: Come pick us up now.
Me: Uh. Why doesn't your Dad drive you to the hotel? Your daughter and I are showered and in our pajamas already. We're in bed watching a movie.
Hubs: What? You're in bed?
Me: Yes. We're already in bed.
[garble-garble-garble]
Hubs: Okay. My Dad is going to drive us to the hotel.
Me: Okay. Good.
Hubs: I'll call you in a bit when we get there.

I'm thinking that they were CRAZY to think that the Prin and I would drive UP to that mess of traffic after a football game. And the hotel is on the way back to my ILs house. It's not like it's taking my FIL out of his way. GEEZ!

But even with all of these moments, the day was (in the big picture) a good one. I kept an even keel and only really got angry with that first issue. I still can't believe I only "lost" it once. And I didn't vent at the Hubs. I just kept the simmer below the surface and he came back and backed me up. Whew!

So what kind of family DRAMA did you deal with yesterday?

Light it up

Yesterday, after dropping off the Princess at school (at our normal 7:30am), I decided to stop at one of our local home improvement stores.

Let me tell you folks, I kind of went crazy. For me, at least. I got some "twinkling" icicle lights for the backyard fence. I got a lighted hologram-like snowman for our 3rd garage window. I got 2 blow-up snowmen and 1 blow-up penguin for the backyard. I'm wanting to decorate our backyard because we've got "view" fencing. We've got no homes directly behind us. We've got a "natural" landscape section. I'd say it's about a 75 foot space. Then there's the street that runs up. Then there are homes on the other side of that street. So it's really open. All the cars that drive up that street can fully see our backyard. So...why not decorate it?

In the front, I'm planning on putting red and green ornaments up in our trees. Then there are the trio of lighted Christmas trees that I'll put next to our front door. Then the bulb wreath that I'll put on our security gate. I do want to string some lights up, but DANG it's a 2story house! It'll take a lot of time and effort to get clips/nails up there to secure the lights on. Our neighbors do it but the Hubs isn't that handy or keen at the prospect of getting on a ladder to do all that work. I'm like....that's what you get for wanting a 2-story house! Ay-yay-yay!

Now have you got your holiday decorations set to be put up? This weekend?

Anyway....I do hope each and every one of you have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What did you say?

The Bear goes to a daycare that has transitioned to more of a preschool methodology. The kids are in classes that development their fine & major motor skills, as well as their knowledge of colors, shapes, numbers, and the alphabet. It's been a GREAT change. The Bear LOVES the place. I love the people who work there.

The Bear has been attending the daycare/preschool for 2 years now. As time has gone on, the teachers have changed. Mainly due to the change to apreschool setting. The teachers have changed but the "love" for the kids has been consistent. The kids who attend the daycare/preschool have changed as well.

The Bear consistently talks about his friends. There are the "old-timers" who have been there as long as the Bear. But from time-to-time, he does bring up the names of the "new" kids in his class or kids in the younger classes.

Here's a discussion from last night:

Bear: ...And then Hair-ica came and slept in our class.
Hubs: Hair-ica?
Bear: Yes. Hair-ica."
Me: Dear-love, the little girl's name is actually ERICA. But she pronounces her name as HAIR-ica.
Bear: No Mommy. Her name is HAIR-ica!"
Me: Okay Bear. I know that's what she tells you her name is, but she pronounces it wrong. It's actually ERICA. If you ask her Mommy, that's what her Mommy would say.
Bear: Her name is HAIR-ica!

I let it go and walk away. The Hubs has to hide his face so the Bear wouldn't see him chuckling. The Bear mentioned this little girl to me about 2 weeks ago and I asked his teacher about the little girl. I guess this little girl is VERY talkative and introduced herself to everyone. And she INSISTS that they say her name the way SHE says it. So to all the kids at the preschool? She is HAIR-ICA.

I am disgusted!

I can't believe those people voted Kae off last night. CHICKEN-SHITS!

She is the BEST person on that show. She left with such class. That last statement she made was so eloquent and inspiring. Do those chicks on the black team know what they've lost? Even Ali was sad to have Kae be voted off!

I have to say that I don't like the way this season has developed. Not at all. I would love to still to watch Kae and Phil and Jim and Ryan. I seriously dislike the fact that people like Julie, Hollie, and Isabeau are still on the show. Thankfully, Bryan is still on the show. He and Nicole are the only ones who are left that still have some sense of self. To work on themselves and that's it. This is the only reason I'll still continue to watch. If those two get voted off? I will NOT continue to watch.

And the last portion of the show with Kae being weighed in? She looks HOT! She is totally so, so, so TINY! I loved it when Bob came running in and gave her the biggest hug ever. Did you see her arms? She doesn't have any extra skin flab at all. You'd never know that she was ever overweight. 39% of her original body weight? Amazing! And she's got 4 more weeks left to continue to work on herself. She is amazing. She's humble. She works out hard. I love her smile and her spirit. Those 3 gals on the black team don't have it.

We're going to miss you KAE!

Oh what a beautiful morning...oh what a busy day...

I can't believe all that I've done today. And it's only just approaching 2pm.

Got my car window fixed -- I got a star-shaped chip in my window last week. Yup. I was entering the freeway and was able to slip onto the freeway behind a cement truck. As I moved to the middle lane? The cement truck ran over a rock -- not a pebble -- which catapulted into the air and hit my windshield just right of my normal line-of-sight. Instead of having the entire thing replaced, I just had the guy "fix" the break. We are going to be driving throughout the holiday season and I fear we'll have a REAL windowbreak. Something that spreads all across the glass. So I don't want to waste a window replacement on something minor.

Had some In-n-Out Burger -- I got my vanilla shake and fresh french-fries!

Cancel OB appt -- Since I no longer work for that company, my medical insurance from there is no longer valid. Yes, we can sign up for COBA but I hate having to deal with insurance changes. It's such a hassle and COBRA costs an arm and a leg! So I'm going to wait until the coverage from the Hubs' job kicks in.

Changed phone coverage -- For some reason, when my husband set this up when we moved into this house two years ago he did not include any long distance coverage.

3 phone interviews -- I find it interesting that a lot of people do phone screening nowadays. This way only REAL candidates come in. The question is, am I a real candidate? I hate having to talk about myself! I know a bunch of folks who can't help but talk about themselves in high regard (they are mostly boneheads and jerks of course), but I can't do it. Is it because I'm female and we're not brought up to brag? Or is it because I'm Filipino and we're taught not to brag?

Exercised for an hour -- Fit that bit of sweat into my day. I even showered already!

Ordered Christmas cards -- I first edited photos of the kids that I took on Saturday. I uploaded the cutest ones and selected one of the "cards". This year Snapfish (www.snapfish.com) has multi-photo cards, so I selected a card that has 3 photos (the two kids together, the Bear alone, and the Prin alone). I like to get my cards out the Monday after Thanksgiving. Yes. I'm one of THOSE people. I like to send my cards out early. I also like to receive cards as early as possible. HINT-HINT! This way, I can really relish on the cards -- especially if they are photo cards! I always hang the cards in a prominent place so we can see all our loved ones throughout December.

I'm too tired to clean. I think I'll hold off on that until tomorrow. Now what have you done today?

Travel much?

This weekend started the beginning of holiday traveling.

I think it's a VERY economical way to get as many days as possible and only burning 3 days of vacation. But this is only for folks whose company specifies the after Thanksgiving as an official company holiday. But for some people they are able to get 9 full days away (if they left on Friday, Nov 16)! For those of you with VERY limited vacation days, that is a total SCORE!

My MIL always bellyaches that she only gets Thanksgiving off. She always has had to work the day after Thanksgiving. But she works for a newspaper and she's worked for them for 20 years? Maybe if she actually took the time and looked for another place that has a more extensive holiday schedule? Yeah, too logical. The Hubs' previous job gave him the day after Thanksgiving off. His new one doesn't. He actually has to burn a vacation day to have this coming Friday off. Why? Because we'll be out-of-town.

We're driving up to spend Thanksgiving with his family. We're actually driving up on Thanksgiving since it's only 1.5 hours away. Then the Hubs, the Bear, and my FIL will be going to a football game. So...we'll be spending the night up there. But NOT at my MILs. Good God people! You know how we feel about that! We've got reservations at a hotel. While the boys are at the football game, the Princess and I will do some shopping. Have some girl time. And no. My MIL is not invited in on girl time.

On Friday, we'll be stopping by the mall that's located near our old house and visit Santa. He's the BEST looking Santa that I've seen in Arizona. He's really sweet too. Soft voice and REAL beard. No creepiness about him. You know what I'm talking about? This guy does this gig every year -- since the mall opened 8 years ago. He's the first Santa that the Princess got to know when she was a baby.

Anyway, are YOU and your family traveling to meet up with family this Thanksgiving? OR just traveling to somewhere warm so you can get away before you're snowed in for the rest of winter?

Once we get through this week, we'll be ironing out what we're doing for Christmas. We're heading out to spend a couple days (or maybe a week?) at my folks house. If we do stay longer than 2 days then I need to figure out where we'll be taking the kids. When we only have 2 days there, we always focus on just hanging out with my family (and extended family/friends). But if we stay longer we've got time to see some sites. We've already done SeaWorld, LegoLand, and the Zoo. I'm thinking the Birch Aquarium and the Reuben Fleet Space Center for this visit.

Now have you got your Christmas all planned out?

Which fax would you recommend?

All, I need to buy a phone/fax. Anyone have a plain paper one that they would totally recommend I buy? Panasonic? Brother? HP? Sharp? I don't want to spend too much on it. Maybe less than $125?

Got a few minutes?

The guys over at Rice Daddies had a great link think morning. If you're an intellectual (or not) and have got some free time, why don't you visit www.freerice.com

Every correct answer results in a donation of 10 grains of rice. Doesn't sound like much? I spent only 10 minutes on the site challenging myself, but those grains quickly add up. If you go to the site, go to the "Totals" tab and you'll see how many grains were "earned" each day since the site started.

Two different things

Today, my neighborhood has a big Grand Opening.

On Monday, they put up those flashing road signs on the west and east-bound sides of the road this business is located.

GRAND OPENING 11/15/07 -- EXPECT DELAYS

When we started looking for a home to buy here about 3.5 years ago, we found out from the home sales person that this business would be built in the shopping area a mile from our new home. YEAH!

We moved into our home about 2.5 years ago. There were no indications of building the business. Like I said, this business is opening today. TODAY! After learning about it 3.5 years ago, this place is finally opening. Woohoo!

What is the business? IN-N-OUT BURGER!

Until September, the closest franchise was 1.5 hours away. They did finally open ONE franchise in our city in September, but it's about 20 miles away. It's right near the university...so I'm sure it's always busy. So there is NO WAY that we'd drive down there.

Now....for those of you who know the place, you know In-N-Out then you know what the draw it has. Simple menu. Everything cooked perfectly -- every single time. And those milk shakes? So thick and yummy. This place has the BEST fresh french fries. My kids love them. They cut the fries on-site -- not frozen at all.

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Yesterday, the tire shop called me and let me know that my "special" tires were in. The Princess and I had dropped by the place on Monday and found out that my tires were not in stock. The manager called around locally and found that the closest place to get my tires was in California. So....I had to wait to get the new tires installed. So thankfully, the tires were delivered quickly and I made an appointment to get them installed as there was an hour wait when the manager called.

So, I got to the place and saw a totally burned up Cadillac and a partially burned red Miata convertible in the parking lot. WTF! Apparently, the Cadillac did not belong to a customer. It belonged to someone who attended the community college a mile down the road. I guess the driver noticed that the car was smoking and drove it into the tire shop's parking lot. The driver was blasting music from these HUGE speakers that were in the trunk of the Cadillac. AND...due to the heat of the wires in the stereo system....the car caught on fire. The tire shop manager said the strangest thing was that the music continued to blast for a while even when the vehicle was fully engulfed. And sadly, the Miata caught on fire.

The red Miata was owned by the son of a guy whose car was getting new tires. The son had driven down with his father because they were going to go down the street to the YMCA and work-out while the father's car was getting a new set. But one of the technicians noticed that the one of the tires on the Miata looked really low. So the son decided to leave the Miata and get the tire taken care of. And the son and father walked the block and a half to the Y. After they worked out and were walking up the road, they noticed the smoke. Supposedly, the father joked with the son and said something like "That's probably your car on fire." Ha-ha-, right? Uh...no.

You should have seen the number of people who stopped and checked out the vehicles. Most took out their cell phones and took photos of the vehicles. It was weird. So many folks took photos!

Just a few items

The Princess and I put up our Halloween decorations today. Just a few items. An orange lighted pumpkin on the window next to our front door. A string of 5 pumpkins that are on stakes in the rock area leading to our front door. Pumpkins. Just orange lighted pumpkins. No ghosts. No bones. No skulls. No spiders.

Our neighbor across the street put his decorations up last week. Last year, he had no decorations. This year? Uh....he kind of went overboard. He's got a large orange lighted spiderweb on the archway leading to his front door. He's got 2 lighted pumpkins on the ledge at his front window. That front window also has an orange string of lights around it. There are 5 'grave-markers' in his front yard that have blue-spot lights on them at night. There are two large spiders flanking his garage door. All this compared to nothing last year.

But we've got some lighted woven branch veggies inside our house. I've got two lighted pumpkins on our family room ledge and a lighted pear above one of our kitchen cabinets. These suckers are on timers, so we don't need to touch them until we need to take them down. And since these things are "fruit" and not Halloween specific items, then we can keep them up ALL the way to Christmas! Woohoo!

Now do your neighbors have a bunch of Halloween decorations up? Do you?

Good riddance

I have to tell you that I am ever SO happy that Amy was voted off last night.

She complained about working out. Umm...she's on a weight-loss show. So doesn't she HAVE to work out?

She complained about wanting to go home. Umm...but she knew that she had to be away from her family when she signed up for the sho.

She switched "teams" and thought the black team would back her up. Umm...she wasn't loyal to her own team so why should the black team back her up? I was disgusted when Amy said she felt like she was being "back stabbed". Isn't that what she basically did to Kim and B by jumping ship and hanging out with the larger black team?

She hasn't represented herself very well on the show. She might be the nicest person. She might be the greatest Mom. But PLEASE! Stop moaning and groaning about how much you miss your family. EVERYONE was missing their loved ones. Suck it up! So thankfully she's GONE and I don't have to see her anymore.

One thing I did find interesting is Julie's reaction about Isabeau. Julie was very sassy about how she and Hollie would have to "save" Isabeau yet again. Interesting thing to say about one of your original team members. It doesn't sound like Julie respects Isabeau at all. That she feels that she and Hollie are just keeping her on so that their black team numbers can remain strong. Ugh....

I so adore Kae. She's the cutest little thing ever. And she's sticking to her guns and not participating in any temptations. That's something FABULOUS to see on that show. And B? He's working hard and keeping low. Working on himself and keeping focused. I adore that Bill was able to win that money. He got the car last week and the cash this week. He's really representing his family well (even though his brother got voted off). Can't wait to see the next show....

I'm sad this week

This is a hard week for me each year. This is the week that I lost my first baby. I had an OB that I liked. I had my first official OB appt that "verifies" the pregnancy.

I had a couple weeks of joy. But then I started to spot. And within 5 days time, I lost the baby.

The Hubs and I never told anyone when it happened. I just told 2 of my sisters about it last Christmas. No one else in my family knows about it. My sisters are sworn to secrecy. No one at all knows on the Hubs side of the family. I guess that's why when we were 3 months pregnant with the Princess and told his family that I still hold my MILs words against her. "Was it an accident?"

But yes...My heart is a little sad this week. 8 years ago, I lost my first little blessing.

Progress - 4 weeks in

It's been 4 weeks since the start of my new fitness program. I am enjoying it. I missed 4 out of 20 workouts, so I'm still finding it challenging to "fit" it all in. But I did MOST of the workouts, so I'm very proud of myself.

Changes I've noticed?

• I'm sleeping more solid
• My body feels more solid
• My clothes are fitting less snug
• I now can see my waist
• When I flex my arms, I can the definition of where my bicep muscles are compared to the rest of my arm. That "dent"? You know what I'm talking about?
• I can see definition in my body. I told you about my hamstrings a few entries ago. I just am starting to see that my mid-section is getting more defined. I can see the faint outline of my ribcage. I can see the inklings of a column in the center trunk area -- 6 pack here I come!

But here are the nitty-gritty results...the one month measurements.

	10/14/2007	11/11/2007	Loss/Gain
Breast	40 1/2	39 1/2	-1
Under breast	34	32 1/4	-1 3/4
Waist	34 1/2	31	-3 1/2
Hips	38 1/4	37	-1 1/4
Upper Left Thigh	23	22 1/8	- 7/8
Upper Right Thigh	23	22 1/8	- 7/8
Left Calf	13 1/4	13 3/4	1/2
Right Calf	13	13 3/8	3/8
Upper Left Arm	11 1/2	11	- 1/2
Upper Right Arm	11 3/4	11 1/4	- 1/2
Weight	138	132	-6

So I've lost some inches. I can totally tell that I'm smaller around, especially when I put on a bra. I don't have to hook it on the last hooks anymore! You can see the "=" signs for my calves. That gain is fine with me. My calves are more defined. When I flex that area, I can see the outline of my calf muscle. What's funny is that I never really noticed that my calves had a 1/2 inch difference between them! But, did you see the difference in my waist? Can I get a Woohoo? I actually have a waist now! I'm not just a huge rectangle!

I have also lost some weight. It's taken an entire month to get those 6 pounds off. I'm hoping the next 5 pounds will come off more quickly. I've got muscles now and if I keep working out....I'm hoping the pounds will drop. I think these next 5 pounds will make a pretty dramatic change in my overall body shape. I already can see changes in m body now, but I think those 5 pounds will definitely shave quite a bit from my "muffin top". Yes. I still have it but it's a lot less significant. I've just got to keep my metabolism up so I can burn off the excess fat from my mid-section. I think if I changed what I was eating that the pounds would come off more quickly. It's not like I eat a lot of food. I just think if I incorporated more vegetables and fruit throughout the day that it would be more of a dramatic loss. But at least I'm exercising. One step at a time, eh?

So that's where I'm at. One month into my program. I still haven't mastered a couple of the DVDs, but I'll eventually "get" them. It just takes time. I've been so out of the work-out mode that it's taking more time for me to get back into the rhythm of it all. But it feels good. This morning, instead of doing a DVD while everyone was up? I chose to take a quick 25 minute walk around the neighborhood. It was quiet. It was nice. I got a good workout in for my legs. So I'm on my way....on my way to a healthier me.

Congratulations on the birth

I wanted to publicly congratulate E&T Hasselbeck on the birth of their son yesterday.

I find that E's move to leave the View early for maternity leave to be a very mature decision. Her husband was given a new job in a state all the way across the country. She left her job, so that they could all be together after the baby was born. GREAT decision. A decision that some families wouldn't or couldn't chose. I think it's a great decision she made for HER family.

What's great is that she on the show she has certain opinions. And she sticks by them. She says that she puts a priority on her family and this latest decision backs up her stance. You can tell when she talks about her daughter that E is in awe of her.

I always enjoy hearing about the situations E has to deal with when it comes to her daughter. As a Mom, I enjoy how E is dealing with bringing her daughter up. We all listened to Kathie Lee when she was on her show. We all listen to Kelly about her 3 kids. What's the difference with enjoying E talk? I am SO glad that Sherry is now on the show because she's also a Mom to a young child, so E has someone to relate to.

I know a lot of folks don't like E. She is the only Republican on a 5 person panel. She has very conservative values (although there are some areas that she goes mid-line) for the most part and her beliefs are 180 degrees away from most of the other panelist. Did you notice how LOUD the other panelists talk? I don't care that E is younger, you shouldn't hold that against her. It's her "view" as a person of a younger generation and it should be respected. Her opinions should be respected just as much as she respects the opinions of others. She actually allows them to SPEAK and say their entire thought on something without being interrupted. Interrupting another person that's speaking is one of my pet PEEVES about that is a lesson that is hard enough to teach my kids. But shouldn't these adults know this social rule? Anyway...I digress...

From a Mom to two here in Arizona, I wanted to say congratulations on the birth of your little boy!

More time?

There are still the same number of hours in the day and yet I am finding that I'm spending more time with the kids. Nowadays, I've got a lot more time to actually do things for me, like exercise. I've also got time to spend with the kids. I now don't have to decide between the two activities. Time for me OR time with the kids.

The kids are a blessing. They keep my mind occupied. They keep me sane -- and also drive me insane. But I adore them.

Right now the kids are busy playing shadow. I've got one of those uplights pointed into the living room and all the other lights are off. So they are busy running around checking out their shadows. They do this at least once a week. I let them so that they can run off all their extra energy before bed.

Last night the Hubs came home bone tired. He'd had that work on his tooth in the morning and then went straight to work. His mouth was sore, so I knew he was barely able to stay awake. At dinner, I told him to take a shower and then go to bed. I then told the kids that I would be getting them ready for bed since Daddy was going to bed right after dinner. And the kids? They were ANGELS last night. They played nicely together the rest of the night and were totally cooperative when I got them ready for bed. I was able to be patient and gentle and didn't feel rushed like I normally would. I felt better. So I guess that translated down to them. And this morning, the kids and I spent a couple hours outside blowing bubbles and running around. Yup. Just blowing bubbles. It was nice.

So what did you do today?

The latest on our Local Outrage

Here's the latest on the local outrage situation:

Friday Morning 11/9 9am

A Rally to Support Enforcement of Illegal Immigration Laws

The people of Tucson who oppose the addition of a policy that states TPD (Tucson Police Dept) cannot call immigration authorities to schools or churches (TUSD Policy 2119) are getting together Friday morning to show support that they want this policy removed. They also want confirmation that TPD will call immigration authorities whenever an arrest is made of an illegal immigrant, regardless of location. During the rally they will march to TPD.

***

The policy? When police officers are called to a TUSD school to deal with a suspect (student) who has broken the law and find that suspect is an illegal alien, the police officers are NOT ALLOWED to call the immigration officials.

Can you believe this? The LEGAL and taxpaying citizens of our city are having to rally and sign a petition so that the police officers can work with the immigration officials to enforce our laws. We do have immigration laws, right? And those laws should be enforced?

This situation isn't where the police officers and immigration officials are RAIDING law-abiding people. This is a situation where someone has BROKEN a law. And has broken a second law because they are illegal. TWO laws broken!

The local talk radio station brought up something interesting. Here in Arizona we have "red light" cameras at specific intersections. When someone runs a red light, the cameras in the intersection will take a photo of the driver AND a photo of their license plate. Then a ticket along with the photos are mailed to that person. For a legal citizen, that ticket is routed to the right place. But an illegal alien? They oftentimes have a Mexican license plate, so the ticket isn't mailed out. So these folks don't even have to PAY the fine! ARGH!

It's amazing how outraged folks are about the situation. But what's interesting is that there is hasn't been much national coverage on this issue. Maybe after this rally there will be some interest about it. Maintaining our borders. Allowing the enforcement agencies to work together.

If you want to read more here are some links:

http://www.1041thetruth.com/TheTruthLineup/TheMorningTruth/tabid/2553/Default.aspx

http://www.kgun9.com/NewsArticle/tabid/1112/xmid/16164/Default.aspx

The tooth...the tooth!

Last night, my daughter lost her 3rd tooth. FINALLY! She has been so lazy about wiggling that tooth around. I thought she was old enough to be responsible to wiggle that tooth without any prodding. I was downright….WRONG! On Sunday night after my attempt to remove the tooth failed, I laid down the law.

Every afternoon after school, you are going to do your homework. THEN you are going to sit down in the office and wiggle that tooth for 15 minutes. THEN when it’s time to get ready for bed, I’m going to try to pull it out. If the tooth doesn’t come out? You’ll go through the same routine the next day and the next day until that tooth is GONE!

So now? The tooth has been removed and the Princess is much relieved. I mean, she would start doing that deep nervous breathing and have freaked out eyes as soon as I would start tying the string around the tooth. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Today? You should have seen her reaction. I actually wiggled the tooth before I tied the string around it and that thing was on its LAST leg. Just barely hanging on. I tied it and pulled. But the string didn’t stay on. The second time I tied it and pulled. The darn string didn’t stay on. So the third time, I doubled up the string and TA-DA!

It’s out Prinny!

All I saw was a blur bounce and run away from me. She ran over to the Hubs in the office and said something to him. I couldn’t understand her. I couldn’t tell if she was happy or sad or hurt or whatever. Then I saw her run over to the bathroom and I heard the water running. I walked over and asked her if she was okay.

Yes Mommy. I’m fine. I’m SO HAPPY THAT IS OVER!

She was so relieved. I could just see it on her tear-streaked face. Her eyes had softened. There was no strain in her neck muscles or her shoulders. She was physically relieved that the tooth was gone. She had some sort of mental fear about the tooth being removed. And now it was over.

And she does realize that she’s got two more teeth that are just starting to get wiggly that she has to get working on.


On a similar note, the Hubs is at the dentist right now. As he was flossing his teeth this morning, a piece of one of his molars broke off. BROKE OFF! It was just what would have happened to my molar if I hadn't gotten my crown. But what happened to him is reality. At 6:30am, he came over to me and asked me for our dentist's number and showed me the piece of the tooth.

I walked over to the office and found the paper that had the dentist's office hours. 7am! I had him call the dentist and he left a message. I ended up driving the kids to school this morning. Around 7:30am, the Hubs calls me and asks me for our old dentist's number. Apparently, no one was at our new dentist's office even though they said their office hours started at 7am.

Anyway....I get home around 7:50am and the Hubs was in the office looking around the internet for a dentist. I call our new dentist and the receptionist picks up. I tell her the situation and ask if the dentist would be in soon. She said that he'd be in at 8am since they didn't have any appointments scheduled at 7am this morning. I handed the phone over to the Hubs and he spoke with the receptionist. I guess she let him know that he could come in now. And off he went. So I guess the dentist is now busily cleaning up the molar. It's the same situation as mine. The molar has a large old metal filling. I'm sure the strength of the molar had been compromised and there were cracks that developed. But what's great? Is that this dentist doesn't dilly-dally. He gets in there and cleans things up and preps the teeth efficiently. I'm sure the Hubs will be in and out of there in about an hour. I'm sure that'll make the Hubs happy. But can you believe it? TWO crowns in less than a month! ARGHH!

Local outrage

Here's something that was written locally and I wanted to find out YOUR opinion on the situation...All the blurbs below are from local blogs/news sites:

****

Last Thursday, a 17-year old freshman student at a local high school was caught with marijuana in his backpack. The City Police Department was called in. The officers found out that the freshman and his parents were illegal aliens. The student, his younger brother and his parents have been deported. The father had been caught several times entering the U.S. illegally in the past.

****

On Tuesday of this week, about 150 students, mostly from Catalina High, took to the streets in protest of a fellow student that was deported along with his family after authorities found marijuana in his backpack. The teens were shouting, "We're students, not criminals," and carried signs that said "keep the migra out of our schools," and "we are students, not terrorists."

No one said they were criminals. The student who had the marijuana was the criminal, as were his parents.

This is a perfect example of your tax dollars being wasted. Students who should be in school were allowed to walk out with no repercussions. Meanwhile, you have illegal immigrants students high on pot in school getting a free education for breaking the laws that the rest of us uphold.

Border Patrol should have taught all these students on their parents a lesson and checked the background of the protestors, they left the school grounds. By their rules they are fair game.

****

Late Tuesday after the protest, officials from the City Police Department and the City School District met and enacted a policy change. The change? When police officers are called to a campus to enforce laws, they are NOT allowed to call the immigration department (INS) when they find that the person(s) they are dealing with are illegal aliens.

****

On Wednesday of this week, the City Police Dept responded to a call from another local high school over a student who was caught smoking marijuana on campus. The student was an illegal alien. In accordance with a new policy change, the Immigration authorities (INS) was NOT CALLED. The student was booked into the juvenile detention facility.

****
****

So basically, two agencies that are at their core supposed to protect the citizens of our city/state/country are now NOT ALLOWED to work together. My city's police officers are not allowed to call the federal officials to enforce our immigration laws. Does that make any sense to you? The new policy was decided upon from the "top" levels of our City's Police Dept and our City's School District. Remember the School District who only gave their teachers a 1% raise? Yes. THOSE people. And I hear that the police officers who are out in the town actually trying to enforce our laws are pretty disgusted by the new policy.

What do you think? Shouldn't our law enforcement agencies (city/state/federal) work together when a law is broken? Shouldn't they?

I just wonder what kind of a stand our Republican and Democratic hopefuls will take on a situation like this....it would be VERY interesting to hear what each would say about this.

And the whirring sound is heard once more

8am

Last week I went into the dentist's office to get a crown. When the dentist prep'd my tooth 2 weeks prior, he let me know that the amount of tooth that he had to remove was quite significant. He said there was a small percentage that I'd still need to get a root canal. The molar had a large silver filling in it. And that molar ended up with vertical cracks in it. And if those cracks developed more? That section of my tooth would fall off. ARGH! If you look at a clock? The portion of tooth that would fall off would be a quarter -- the area from 12 to 3 -- a pretty large amount. AND the amount of filling and tooth that he have to remove was really close to being a root canal situation.

We crossed our fingers and toes that during the time I had my temporary that I wouldn't become sensitive to heat or cold. And I didn't. I was just fine. Then I got my crown in last week, like I mentioned earlier. I didn't eat on that side of my mouth for a few days. I started tentatively eating on that side over on Sunday. And yesterday I KNEW I would have to get a root canal. When I drank my normal ice cold water? I got a shooting pain through my skull. YUP! That's one symptom you CANNOT ignore.

After I dropped the Princess off at 7:30am this morning, I called over to the dentist to leave a voicemail. To my surprise, the receptionist answered the phone! I let her know about my newest symptom and she scheduled me in. For 9am this morning! WOOHOO! So it's a good thing that I'm getting in to see the dentist. But it sucks that I'm even having to come back in to see the dentist. Right?

9:40am

I'm back! My dentist called me back and checked things out. He checked the gum area around the tooth. Then, he tapped on the crown from soft to more hard taps.

Dentist: Are you okay? How you doing?
Me: I'm okay. No pain.

He pushed on the crown.

Dentist: Are you okay?
Me: No pain.

Then he put the little silver paper into my mouth.

Dentist: Bite down. Okay. Tap, tap, tap. Now grind.

He removed the silver paper. Then he looked at the marks on my molar.

It turns out that my new crown has a "high" spot on it. The dentist's evaluation is that the "high" spot is putting uneven strain on the tooth, thus irritating the nerve. The pain I was feeling from the ice water? It's because the nerve has been irritated. Apparently, I don't need a root canal. The dentist said that if I had pain when he tapped on the crown OR when the pushed on the crown then I would definitely need a root canal. So, he refined the crown by polishing down that "high" spot. Now that the crown is more flush then that will cause more even pressure on the tooth/nerve. Thus, the nerve will no longer be irritated.

So now I'm supposed to only chew on the right for the next few days. This will allow the irritated nerve to have a break and heal up. Then after those few days, I should try to eat on the left. And hopefully no pain will result. No root canal....so far! YEAH!

A sense of patriotism

Yesterday I saw a disturbing photo. It was snapshot of the Democratic hopefuls. And one candidate didn't look anywhere near patriotic. It was supposedly a shot taken of the hopefuls during the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of the National Anthem. Do we want someone who isn't patriotic representing our nation?

I am attempting to bring my kids up to be patriotic. To be proud of the nation that they have the honor to live in. And what comforts me is that both their schools are teaching the kids aspects of being patriotic. My son, who is in preschool, knows the Pledge of Allegiance. He knows that when he says it that he should put his right hand over his heart. He also knows he 'should' be looking at the American Flag. His class has a flag up in their room. They say the Pledge every morning before they "start" class. My daughter learned the Pledge when SHE was in preschool (at a different preschool than where her brother is currently enrolled). Once she started kindergarten (at her current school), she also learned "My Country 'Til of Thee". The kindergarten class learns to sing this after the Pledge from the second day of class.

And it's not about the kids just SAYING the Pledge. The teachers reinforce that the kids should be respectful as they say the Pledge. No fidgeting. No looking all over the place. They TALK to the kids about why they're saying it. What it means. How it came to be.

What I find interesting is that not all preschools/elementary schools in our country say the Pledge every morning. Does your child's school? For those of you whose child's school does not say the Pledge every morning, can you tell the school's stand on why they don't have the kids say it? I haven't come across a school where I live that doesn't, so I am just curious about the reasons why schools choose not to say it.

They don't know I'm a b@&%^

I'm in a situation. A situation where I can't really tell you all the details. I would love to. But I can't. Confidential crap and all. But the thing is? These people that I'm up against? They only know the ONE side of me. I am a honest person. I am a fair person. I am an ethical person. I am totally driven, but I keep my cool. But that's how all people I think SHOULD be in a professional environment and I can't stand when people are NONE of these things.

What people oftentimes don't realize is that what they see in front of them isn't necessarily what they get. When people are on my good side? They get the positive side of me. But get on my badside? You get the BITCH, which is the me that lies just below the surface. It's a side of myself that I control....because you can't go through life being horrible to everyone. Only the folks who do me wrong, get the shitty side. And the situation that I'm in? These people don't know that I am a total bitch when I have to be. I can curse as harshly as any sailor. I can stand toe-to-toe yelling with people. You want to fight? I'm not afraid to. And even if a decision is made against me (which would be insane)? At least I've dealt with the situation with honor and stayed ethical. I can't say the same for the rest of you....

I'm actually feeling the pain

I worked out to a tape yesterday and today I'm in pain. REAL pain. The muscles in the middle of my back are on fire. I have to stand straight up for any relief.

It started hurting this afternoon. I was this morning. I did about 6 loads of laundry. I cleaned the bathrooms. I vacuumed downstairs. We even went to the park for about an hour with the kids. But after lunch I started to feel icky. I laid down for a nap, but when I woke up I felt stiff and in pain.

For the past few hours I've been a trooper and just handling it. But now that it's after dinner? I'm going to dig out the heating pad and lay out for 20 minutes. I have got to get these muscles to relax and get some additional circulation to them. Hopefully that'll get the "healing" kick-started.

But what's nice? It's been 3 weeks of working out and TODAY is the first day that I've felt anything above a comfortable ache. I guess doing the weights with the full DVD yesterday was too much. I'd been doing that particular DVD without any weights for the last 2 weeks, so those weights got me good.

And the thing is? Even though I'm in some pain now? I know that once those muscles feel better that those muscles are going to be stronger. This morning, I actually noticed today when I was putting lotion on my upper legs that my hamstrings were getting defined. I was standing in the bathroom and I put my foot on the sink counter and saw my hamstring in the mirror. There were those vertical long indentations on both sides of that ligament. I haven't seen that definition in AGES!

So, in conclusion, even though I'm pain....I know I'm getting stronger and more physically fit. YEAH!

***

It's Sunday morning and I feel loads better. It doesn't hurt to twist to the left or the right. I'm able to bend. Halleluia! I actually did two heating pad treatments last night. One after my post. Then an hour later after my shower I laid out again. Then a full night of sleep? I'm back to normal. Whew!

Halloween 2007

I purchased the kids' costumes a couple months ago. I've had them stashed away so that the kids wouldn't mess them up. I have to tell you though that I did also purchase a couple "extra" costumes for them. I wanted to get them new dress-up clothes for the rest of the year, you know?

The Princess and I started Halloween a little early this year. Last Saturday, the YMCA had a "Trunk or Treat" event. There were at least 30 cars that were located in the upper parking lot decorated and stocked with candy. The local fire department was also on sight. Letting the kids look in the ambulance and sit inside the the front section of the fire truck. They also had a rock climbing apparatus (it was at least 20 feet tall!). So the Princess was able to get an early stash of sweets.

For Halloween, the Princess had a "Cheerless Cheerleader" outfit that she selected out of a catalog. The Bear was the "Red Power Ranger". But like I mentioned, I purchased a couple extra outfits for both of them. The Bear got boy's "Black Ninja" and a "Red Spiderman" outfits. The Princess got a "Cinderella" and girl's "Black Ninja" outfit. Of course, we had use for these already. The Bear was allowed to dress up for preschool, so he chose the "Spiderman" outfit. Then the Princess wore the "Black Ninja" outfit to the zoo, which was a Reading Program reward outing that her school put together. So their Halloween night costumes were pristine when they put those on.

The Hubs (thankfully) brought home a gourmet pizza on Halloween. Nothing to cook or clean up! This made the evening a lot less stressful. The sun sets about 6pm around here, so that didn't give us much time to eat and then get the kids ready. Of course, I had the candy bags all emptied into big bowls. All we needed were the kids cleaned up and changed. The kids were getting changed when we got the first knock on our front door. That knock got the kids going 100 miles per second! They got ready in no time flat. They were headed out the door with the Hubs less than 5 minutes later.

Every year, one of us takes the kids out. The other stays home and hands out candy. It's only fair. We want the kids in the neighborhood to be able to "Trick or Treat" at as many homes as possible. And what's great is that most of the parents in the neighborhood do the same thing. One spouse walks the kids. One spouse stays home and hands out candy. I had a nice time handing out candy. No obnoxious kids. They said "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you".

Our city doesn't allow street lights in the neighborhoods. We only have low-tone lights along the main street. So the streets around our house are dark. DARK! To make sure that kids/parents knew that I was home and ready to hand out candy? I had our shutters slightly open in all the front rooms (living/dining/foyer) and had the lights all turned on. I had the light next to the front door turned on, along with the string of lighted pumpkins leading to our front door. It was CLEAR that we were "open for business".

The Hubs and the kids came home an hour later (7:15pm). The kids stayed in their costumes and helped hand out candy. The Princess had a blast. She was instructed to grab as much candy in one hand and put that handful into each person's bag. So everyone got at least 3-4 pieces of candy. Of course, when I handed out the candy it was about 6 pieces per child (as I have Mommy hands). We still ended up with 1/2 a HUGE bowl of candy. We're never going to be able to eat that! I'm not that much into candy since I've started exercising. I refuse to give up my coffee or guacamole. I can easily give up candy though.

We decided to end the night around 8:30pm. That's 45 minutes after the kids are normally in bed. Those two were tired. And thankfully the rest of the kids in the neighborhood were also safely stashed in their homes. So I closed the shutters, turned off all the lights in the front rooms, and also the lighted pumpkin lights in the front yard. A definite signal that we were "closed" for the night.

It was fun. It was nice. The kids had a good time. So did the Hubs and myself!

I'm in search of...

a job.

Yes. I'm looking for a new job.

Anyone got contacts to hook a girl up?