Global Warming Shmarming

It snowed for three days straight. Then we had sun with highs in the teens for two days. Now it is pouring rain and 42 degree's out. Weird.
Sorry I haven't been around visiting this week. I have been busy making cookies, candy, potato latkes(pancakes) and trying not to eat any, I mean many. I had the most trouble not eating too many latkes. They are just soo good with all their fried potatoey salty goodness. Yum.
I also worked the last two evenings, but have Xmas off tomorrow. We are celebrating Hanukka too so that has taken up a lot of my time. It takes 5 seconds for the kids to unwrap their gifts each day from grandma and another hour for me to get the damn toy out of the packaging.
So, Merry Christmas, please wish me luck not to want to poke my eye out with a pin while visiting the inlaws tomorrow. Oh, and Happy Hanukka too.

SNOW

MORE SNOW


Best Hus Ever, Cleaning Off Our Vehicles for the Millionth Time!

Little Birdy

All views from my porch.

Arthur

Here's a nice short post for you. This is Arthur Boy. He always looks like this. Scared.

Boston Fancier than NYC?

Aside from being stranded in the middle of nowhere for over two and a half hours, the trip to Boston was fun...

I'll start from the beginning. On Saturday, E and I went to Boston with E's drama club to see How the Grinch Stole Christmas the Musical. We arrived on time to the grade school, 8:30AM, for bus pick up. We were immediately informed that the bus was running late because the roads were slippery where he was coming from. Okay, no big deal, E and I got into a friends van to hang out and wait.We waited and waited and waited, finally after an hour the bus showed up.
We all gasped as the 200 year old bus driver stepped out of the bus and limped into the grade school to take a ten minute pee trip.
The ride to Boston was pretty uneventful, a little snow fell in through the roof vents, but it wasn't' over my seat, so whatever. There was boring scenery and stomach lurching winding roads,but I don't get carsick, so whatever. We arrived about 10 minutes before the show was to start. Before the bus stopped to let us out, Mr. Bossy,not his real name, one of the drama coaches took a hold of the microphone so he could start bossing, I mean telling us what to do. He told everyone that they had to leave all of their electronic devices including cell phones on the bus or shut them off. Fine, I shut mine off, but I would have a real problem leaving it in the bus, say if for some crazy reason, the bus took off without me and I ended up stuck without a phone. Next he told us to go to the bathroom on the bus because we weren't' going to have time to go in the theater before the show starts. Yeah, right. Last, he told everyone they had to leave their coats on the bus because we were just getting out and crossing the street to the theatre. I told E she could leave hers on if she wanted, I am just rebellious like that. However, E is not rebellious, and she left her coat on the bus. I didn't' care about my coat as I avoid wearing one as much as possible. It was only 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside. We piled out of the bus, half the people wearing coats, and made it into the theatre without anyone dying of hypothermia.
Of course when we got into the theatre, half of us snuck off to the restrooms! E pleaded with me not to go because we were "not supposed to!" Heh heh. When we got into the bathroom we met up with many other rebellious chaperone's including Mr. Bossy's companion. Poor guy, even she didn't listen to him.

While we were meandering about the theater, I noticed that there were small alcoves here and there with private parties going on. I also noticed that many people were dressed up. I thought of the matinee we went to last year with the drama club in NYC. Almost everyone there was wearing jeans. Not so much in Boston.There were also cash bars located at every level, E seriously begged me not to get a drink, so I didn't. A choice I regret.

Our seats were about a quarter of a mile away in the last rows of the Balcony and I forgot my binoculars. As for the show, it was great. I am a huge Dr. Seuss fan, and even painted a Dr. Seuss fence on my living room wall, and tell everyone I went to the same high school as him. Of course not at the same time. The costumes were fun and the songs fabulous.

After the show, several of us stood in line so we could purchase $35 T shirts. The T's in NYC were $20. Yes, I am insane, but felt pressure, I know, crazy, I really don't want to talk about it.

We got back on the bus and proceeded to go back to Vermont. Well, we made it over the border from NH to VT, through Woodstock VT, about an hour away from our destination, when the bus pull over at a gas station."Why are we stopping?" we all asked. After a while Mr. Bossy got on the horn and told us that the bus driver just noticed we were low on gas and he wasn't comfortable going further without getting more. Okay, we are at a gas station,no big, right? WRONG! There was no diesel fuel at this station. And to make things more scary, apparently this bus had no emergency road side assistant plan, huh? Being that I was toward the back of the bus, I couldn't hear exactly what was going on but I heard a rumor that the State police were called, the town police where we were headed were phoned and supposedly the town we were stuck in Bridgewater was not going to help us. Great. I don't know what finally happened but after about a half an hour we were told that gas was on the way. Yay! But the gas didn't arrive for another two hours!!! In the meantime people were getting ornery. At one point I was scared that I, I mean, WE were going to go all "Lord of the Flies" set the bus on fire and throw the driver into traffic. Thankfully, I had Xanax with me, which I took, and it helped me realize sending smoke signals would probably be fruitless out here with all the wood stoves around and all. Mr. Bossy did yell at some of the moms because they were really acting over the top angry. I was angry because they didn't give us frequent updates and also because I was just getting into the movie A Sharks Tale, when the bus stopped. The most I did to rebel, was stand up and volunteer to take some of the carsick kids off the bus for fresh air. Another bossy man tried to stop me and asked that we all go out in groups. I said no thank you, I was going out now, it was too hot in the bus, and I was not waiting for a turn to go outside. "You can't keep us from leaving the bus" I said loudly, well quietly anyways. I know the bosses just had every ones safety in mind, but I had to get the fuck out of there, if just for a minute. It was zero out.
Finally the gas arrived we headed out, and well, wouldn't you know, the toilet wouldn't flush. What a piece of crap this bus was. The driver couldn't even figure out how to turn the lights on and off properly. The aisle lights would go on for no reason then off then all the overhead lights would go on. What a dumbass.
Last I heard, from one of the over the top angry moms, was that we were getting a refund for the bus cost. That's good news at least.

$35 T-shirt, which I bought one for T also. I know, I don't want to talk about it.

Mama Made It!

Just wanted to let you know I made it home safely in the storm. The roads were a real mess with 6 inches of snow and not a plow in sight until the last 4 miles. Damn budget cuts. It is still coming down hard and is not supposed to stop until tomorrow at 1PM. I slid quite a bit, but my little Toyota Matrix pulled me through. I even shouted "Woo Hoo Mama Made It!" as I flew up my driveway as fast as I could. ( I would have gotten stuck if I went too slow)
Off to watch Fire Fly. Good night.

Miscellaneous Manure Pt. 5

Am I the only one receiving more than the usual number of spam emails lately? I am even getting them on the weekends. Leave me alone Spirit Halloween, I don't care if everything is 75% off, it is Christmas, not Halloween!

We are expecting our first significant snowfall TOMORROW so why is it freaken snowing and sleeting right NOW? I am just a little nervous being that I have a different car than last winter and I have not driven it in the snow yet. I had brand new snow tires put on it, so wish me luck.
(Add.)I wrote the above yesterday, and the snow did stop before I left work and the roads were clear. Now it is Thursday and there is a winter storm warning out calling for 5-10 inches of snow, sleet or freezing rain. It's supposed to be worst overnight which is when I will be driving home from work. UGH! I do have houses on the way I can stop at if I go off the road. They are spread out anywhere from 3-10 miles apart. The ride to and from work is 36 miles long. I won't go to any strangers home for fear they might be relatives of Ed Gein. But, I know me, lazy, so if I do go off the road I'll just hold up in my car and eat my emergency stash of candy bars and wait for help.

Speaking of candy bars, I joined Weight Watchers 4 weeks ago, actually going to the meetings joined, and as of today's meeting I have lost 8.8 pounds! Yay Me! So I should probably put some diet treats in my emergency stash.

I am going on a Drama Club field trip with E to Boston on Saturday. We are going to see
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I hope it's not snowing, those crazy bus drivers, drive fast. I'll bring my Xanax.

Ghost Tree

My bloggy Friend Alissa recently had a giveaway on her blog to celebrate her 1000TH post. And Guess what? I was one of the lucky winners! I have been admiring Alissa's photographs since I started reading her blog 2 years ago. I feel very fortunate to have won my very own print of her work.

The photo is entitled Ghost Tree and this photo of a photo doesn't do it justice.

Alissa sells her photos, so if you are looking for a unique gift for someone or for yourself, go visit her right now.

Thanks Alissa!!!

The New Extreme Sport

We have invented a new extreme sport called PNX Sliding (Pine Needle Extreme). Who says you need snow to slide?

T Solo

E Solo
Wipe Out

Seven Why's

I was tagged recently by Mercat to do the Seven Random Things Meme. I've changed it this time to Seven Why's. Why? Just because.

1) Why is my favorite flashback to the '80's radio station playing only Christmas music, and not '80's Christmas music, now until Christmas?

2) Why do I hate crumbs but tolerate dust?

3) Why do I love Edward Cullen, I mean in a non-pedophile-if I was 23 years younger-type of love?

4) Why do I all of the sudden like the Rolling Stones and find myself humming Ruby Tuesday sometimes?

5) Why did I have a dream that someone cut the top of my head off and I spent the remainder of the dream trying to keep my head together?

6) Why does dog breath make me gag but cat breath smells good to me?

7) Why no more Buffy?!!!

Generous, Not So Much

Every year before Xmas, I tell the kids that they have to sort through their toys and find some they want to donate in order to make room for new toys coming from Santa. I then sort through the ones they picked and decide whether to donate or trash them. I asked T to find some the other night and he was really excited about the prospect of donating toys to kids who don't have a lot of toys.

Here is what he came up with...



The movie is mine. The tea set is E's. The phone is leftover from his kitchen set we donated a while ago. He has two view finders, but it was good of him to donate a reel with it. The little tickets are "in case they want to play movie theater". The magnet picture holder in case "they want to put pictures on their fridge". T has 3 other mini books. The little black thing is his pet rock, home made of course.


The only really good thing he is willing to part with is his Game Boy game Zelda, and I like that game.


I guess I will be sorting through toys while they are at school.

Blog Love Part 3

The guilt really started to pile up when I received this award from three different lovers, I mean friends. First from Merecat, next from Suzy and most recently from Joanna.

I would like to give this award to the following blog friends.

Shelly from Scenic Overlook. She is another blogger I have been reading since the beginning of time. I love her writings about her little girl, her travels and her daily life stories. She is also a Buffy and Angel fan, so, well of course I love her.

Stephanie from Crafty Lolly. She is an awesome crafter who shares her crafty ideas and stories about her dog Lolly. She also has a website Crafty Lolly where you can buy her unique creations.

Thanks again for all of my awards, I am sooo happy that you all picked me.

Blog Love Part 2

The You Make Me Smile Award was given to me by Karen Meg from A Day in the Life. I wrote about her in my previous post. I would like to also add that she is a writer who is not afraid to share her personal history with her readers. She has told many heartwarming stories about her difficulties in conceiving, which I'm sure, people in the same situation find very inspiring.

I am giving this award to the following blog friends.

Joanna from j. lucy muses. She is fairly new to blogging and she started at least in part because of me. Sorry, did I mention it was addicting? Her writing always makes me smile.

Heather from General Blather. Heather is a fellow nurse who never fails to make me laugh out loud with her funny nursing stories.

Lainey-Paney from Life is Just so Daily. I have been reading her since the beginning of time. Her stories about her son are definitely smile invoking. She also manages to find the funniest cartoons to post.

Stay tuned, one more post of awards coming up!

Blog Love Part 1

My next three posts will be about blog love. LOVE, LOVE sappy LOVE...

Back in 1984 I was given this blog award. Just kidding, although it might as well been that far back, considering how long it has taken me to post about it. It was my very first ever blog award. I couldn't have been more excited and flattered. It was given to me by a long time blogger friend Melissa author of Hello, Melissa! and a fairly new blog Silk Hope Home School Adventure. I thanked her in comments and email but never got around to passing on the love. Better late than never. Of course this will also relieve some of guilt I have been carrying around with me for over a year.




Thank you Melissa for this Schmooze Award. The Schmooze award is for bloggers who...“effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship.”

I would like to pass this award on to the following blogger friends.

Suzy at Where Hot Comes to Die, a regular reader of mine since the beginning and someone I consider a real life friend too. Her sense of humor is unmatched and I enjoy reading about her fun life adventures. You can find the beginnings of her debut memoir over at Scrivel.

MerCat at More MereCatherine a wonderful mother of twins who has a very engaging way of writing and sense of humor. I don't know how she comes up with the time to write, but I admire her for it.

Karen Meg at A Day in the Life, also a wonderful mother of two, I have been reading since almost the beginning of my blog time. She has great taste in music and is also very fashionable.

Alissa at Life's Little Adventures, a fun mom and very talented photographer. I look forward to her stories about her boys and seeing her beautiful photos. She is having a giveaway right now to celebrate her 1000Th post, go now!

Evil

I have been sick with a foul cold so I am posting these Halloween photos a little later than I planned.

E dressed up as a dead nurse and called herself Nurse Scabs. She is wearing the actual dress and cap I wore for my nursing school graduation ceremony 11 years ago. I was a skinny bitch.

T was Darth Vader even though he has only seen one Star Wars movie and Darth Vader wasn't in it. There were five Darth Vaders in our Trick or Treat group!

E and one of her BFF's dressed as Death. Yes, that is her real hair.


I made these cupcakes for T's kindergarten class Halloween party. I stayed and helped out during the party. Guess where I got my cold? T has a boy in his class with severe peanut allergies so I was very careful to keep any nuts out of my ingredients. I felt bad that two of the three other moms who signed up to bring items, were less considerate. One sent store bought cookies clearly labeled with a peanut allergy warning. The other sent goody bags containing MM's which are made in a factory which also makes peanut products. The third mom sent fruit, which the kids loved, especially the watermelon.

I hate to speak bad of other mom's, well maybe not, but the teacher sent home several reminders about the child's allergies.

I made these cupcake toppings by taking store bought rice krispie treats and first cutting each one into fourths. Then I shaped some into ovals, some into rounds and left some square. For the ghosts I rolled out store bought white fondant frosting and cut them with a biscuit cutter. I then shaped that over the oval krispie treat and added eyes with black frosting. The witches hats were made with black fondant (wear gloves when mixing black food coloring to white fondant or your hands will be dark purple for a week like mine!) I rolled out the black fondant and cut with biscuit cutter also then just rolled a piece into a pointed hat top. I used regular colored frosting to cover the square krispies and round for the Frankenstein and Witches. I used orange colored frosting for the pumpkins. I colored some more fondant green for the witches noses and pumpkin stems and leaves. Lastly, I used the remainder of orange frosting for the witches hair and Franks eyes. I also used rolled black fondant to cut out the triangles for the pumpkins. This recipe was modified from a magazine recipe. If I still had the magazine, or remembered the name, I would give it credit.

Yes it was a pain in the ass but I do enjoy doing this, if only a couple times a year!

We Have a New Kitty

We call her Fluffy.

Lover Kitty

Trying out the litter box. Good kitty!

Nappy Time

Hungry Kitty

Playful Kitty
Happy Halloween!

Uproarious!

Hus and I don't have a lot of TV or even music in common these days. Of course most of our time is spent with the kids, leaving us not much free choice as to what we watch or listen to. One thing we have always shared is our love of stand-up comedy. After the kids go to bed and if Hus is still awake, we do search for stand-up on TV, usually not having much luck finding any. Then, I mostly get stuck watching the Farm channel until Hus falls asleep.

Lately, however, comedy and laughter have made a comeback in our home. One of my favorite bloggers Suzy Soro, a stand-up comedian herself, has been writing for a website called Uproarious!There, Suzy tells about many different comedians in her usual hilarious fashion. Being that I was one of the first visitors to this new site I was able to participate in one of their first give aways. Woo Hoo, I won! In this contest, I was lucky enough to win a CD of the hugely Funny, though sadly deceased, comedian Richard Jeni. I love this CD. He is soo funny! I laughed soo hard listening to him I nearly drove off the road. (I don't recommend eating a sandwich while listening either)

Suzy reminded me how much we love comedy here. Hus and I have listed to this CD several times. At Uproarious! you can also find out which comedians are appropriate for the entire family. I especially love Brian Regan and so do my kids who are 10 and 5. I recommend visiting Uproarious! to learn about some of the wonderful comedians out there that can bring laughter to you and your family. They might even have another giveaway!

Thanks Suzy and Uproarious! I will be laughing for a long time.

E's Dream

Each week E has to write a paragraph using some of her spelling words. I found the following one quite creative, so I decided to share. The underlined words are the spelling words and on the bottom of the page is E's grade and her teachers comment.

Early Fall Walk

Sunday the Hus, kids and I went for a family walk. I brought the camera so I could share some of the things we saw...

First, my very own Palm tree, made for me by my husband. He thinks if he makes it appear tropical, I will stop trying to convince him we need to move to a warmer climate.

Second, an outdoor sculpture. Once again made by my husband. He thinks that if he brings art and culture to me, we won't have to move to a place that has such things.

The kids got a kick out of these deer tracks. Hus got to thinking about hunting season.

These are a much bluer color in person. They are my favorite wild flower, but they do have pickers.

There's the fam waiting up for me at the end of our road. I was taking photos, not getting winded or anything!

Is that a spaceship or just the shiny new metal roof Hus put on our house? I really would have preferred a colored metal roof that would not have been so shiny. Hus told me not to worry because someday the roof would look like that of the old barn in the photo above! UGH!

I Invited Jose but Pepe Came Instead

It was a steaming hot day in August. The kids were away and I was sitting outside by the pool alone. The clear shimmering blue water was tempting, but my mind was restless; I needed something more, something different to calm me. I called my husband and asked him to bring Jose home after work.
Finally after waiting what seemed like hours, and was, Hus came home. He explained to me that Jose wasn’t available tonight so he brought Pepe. Being that I had never had Pepe before, I was a little nervous. Hus introduced me to Pepe. His smell was strong reminding me of the time Hus and I spent on a Mexican beach while inhaling the sultry fumes of local fishing boats. I couldn’t wait any longer; I opened my mouth and put Pepe inside. Wow, what a sensation, like having my eyelashes singed off, he didn’t disappoint. Pepe was hot; I was starting to feel on fire, so I got some ice. Hus joined me then, he wanted Pepe too. I stepped between Hus and Pepe and kissed my husband long and hard…
Then the kids came home and we had to make Pepe disappear. Damn.





I got the idea to write this from one of my favorite bloggers Merecat. She wrote about a long lost love which turned out to be cigarettes! She is a fun and creative blogger/writer and you should all pay her a visit.

Fun For All

The Vermont State Fair had fun for everyone...

Cute Animals

Family Entertainment

Informative Literature

Fun Rides

Blue Ribbons for...

Napping?!

Disappointment, Heartache and Foul Odors Pt 2

In my last post I wrote about some of the disappointments and foul odors I experienced in 5Th grade.A lot happens in fifth grade, for example, feelings change and our bodies change. This is probably why I remember so much from this time. Fortunately, my kids are not shy and seem to have more self confidence than I ever had. They have bus drivers and teachers they seem to really like and more importantly, seem to like them. There is also a video/audio recording device on the bus so there shouldn't be any problem catching bullies in the act.I did cringe a little when E came home from school on Thursday, and told me about the article she and her friends wrote together for the school newspaper. Of course I didn’t mention about my firing. I just expressed to her how proud I was and told her I couldn’t wait to read it.
And now for the heartache part of this post. In fifth grade I met a boy named Chris. Chris was the cutest boy in my grade. He had jet black hair down to his shoulders, big brown eyes and wore t-shirts with the names, of rock bands like Kiss and Queen emblazoned on the fronts. He might have even smoked cigarettes. All the girls liked him. I heard them talking about him in the girls room or on the bus. He was quiet and had an air of mystery about him ,as much as any 11 year old might have. I spent a lot of time staring at him. Then one day, something strange happened and he stared back. He started talking to me more than he talked to anyone; He asked for my phone number. Chris liked ME, he actually liked me. Pretty soon we were considered an item. This in fifth grade meant we talked on the phone a lot and hung out at recess. One thing I remember talking about with Chris was music. Oddly enough, whenever I hear the song ‘Cool Change’ by The Little River Band, I think of him. We both thought the song was good. I thought it was a sad song, he thought of it as a happy song.
Throughout our short relationship, the way my classmates treated me only got worse. I could hear them (loudly) whispering behind my back or right in front of me about it. “I can’t believe Chris actually likes HER!” “SHE is sooo weird!” “Why doesn’t he like Beth, she is sooo much prettier than her, and Beth really likes him.” I always thought I was at least a little pretty, even with bad Dorothy Hamill hair cut. But Beth, nobody was prettier or more popular than her. Back then it seemed any girl with the name Beth was popular. Probably because of the popularity of the Kiss song ‘ Beth’. Chris loved Kiss. This Beth, with her long blond hair and blue eyes, wasn’t ever mean to me but I hated her anyways. For a while all this negative energy didn’t touch me; Chris was my ray of sunshine, brightening my school days and warming my afternoons with our long talks. Then it happened. He broke up with me. I don’t even remember why he dumped me. I don’t think he started dating Beth, though, I am not sure I would have noticed. It was the end of my world. The bus rides, if I could get out of bed in the morning, were excruciatingly long, the days even darker and my evenings lonelier than they ever were. This was the first time I ever cried, missed school, and neglected to shower for a week, because of a boy. To me now, 10 or 11 years old seems way too young to cry over a boy. E and her friends do have crushes on boys but E insists they are “just friends” not boyfriends. At least there aren’t any boys calling on the phone yet. I hope that when she gets her heart broken, she will tell me.
Years later, at a time when I was feeling especially good about myself in the looks department, I ran into Chris. I knew I was hot, and I could tell he thought so too. As for Chris, he looked sort of the same.He still had long hair and was wearing a rock band T. HA! Caught in a time warp, I thought to myself. Loser! While he was still drooling, I said goodbye.

Disappointment, Heartache and Foul Odors Pt 1

First Day Of School 2008

I took this photo yesterday, right before the bus came to pick them up in the morning. E is in 5Th grade this year and T is starting Kindergarten. Do they look like they stepped out of a JC Kohl's Bean catalogue? How about those plaid shorts on T, and E's plaid shoes?

******

As a mother I try to remember what it was like to be a kid at whatever age my kids are. I think this helps me be more empathetic and patient with them.
I really don't remember much about Kindergarten. I do remember quite a bit about 5Th grade though...
Up until 5Th grade I was able to walk to school. This enabled me to avoid certain bully type people on the way to and from school. All I had to do was walk really slow. The middle school which included 5Th and 6Th grade, was located too far away; I had to take the bus. I hated the bus from day one. I was shy and being that my friends from my street all attended the Catholic school, I had no one to sit with. I don't have any specific bus memories from 5Th grade, just general bus memories. Sweaty, smelly kids, mean stares, mean whispers and uncaring bus drivers.Hot, heavy air leaving me feeling like I couldn't breath. Fear too, I remember fear of being bullied. This fear never left me even through high school bus rides.
My teacher in 5Th grade was Mrs. Smith. She was short, round and really old. Being I was in 5Th grade 1978-1979, I have no fear of her being alive now, catching me writing about her! Mrs Smith's breath was horrible. She smelled like stale cigarettes and un-bathed old person. I dreaded when she would call me up to her desk to talk to me. For the first half of the year I was her pet. I did really well academically, no one seemed to notice I didn't' have many friends.
One day she asked me if I wanted a job writing for the school newspaper. They needed a movie critic. Wow, what fun, of course I took the job. I went to the movies the very next weekend and saw whichever Star Trek movie was playing that year. Well, I didn't really like the movie and being naive about the extent of Star Trek fans and the influence they had on the world, I wrote honestly about the movie. I felt like I wrote about it fairly,but got across the point that I didn't' like it. I was fired! Turns out the stinky, wrinkly old woman was a Trekkie! I was so angry and disappointed because my writing was rejected. Not on the basis that it sucked, but because my teacher and perhaps all the members of the newspaper, were crazed Star Trek fans!
I'll be back to write about the heartache I experienced in 5Th grade next time. I don't want to keep you all too long.

Woo Hoo!

Yay, it's the first day of school and I have the next six hours to do as I please! The kids took the bus to school today and then I met them at school. T wanted me to meet him at his kindergarten classroom and I had to drop off some paperwork to the office. I am proud of him taking the bus on the first day, not that many kindergartners will do that. I am also proud of E sitting with him on the bus, without much protesting. Many of the moms were hanging around the room, hesitating to leave their little ones. I almost knocked a few over in my rush to get out! I had enough of this putting the kids first, I want to have my time back.
Also, I am writing now while sitting outside a Vermont Welcome Center, using their free WI FI. Yes, I finally got a laptop. It is "Christmas Gift" from hus. He told me 2 weeks ago, he would get me one for Xmas, so I said "You mean, Xmas in August, right?" Because I want to write now, not wait until December. Little does he know I will count this as a present from last Xmas! Hee hee.
Unfortunately, I still am unable to get high speed Internet service at home. I called Fair Point Communications, who bought out Verizon, to check if my town was on the list to update Internet service and the operator told me that not at least in 2008, and no guarantee for 2009. The company claims they will bring high speed Internet service to "almost" every Vermonter by 2010. I have no other option but to wait. At least with this laptop I can use Wireless at work and some libraries and this welcome center. Too bad I have to leave home though.
I am off to catch up on my blog readings. I can't wait to find out what all of you have been up to.

A Stolen Minute

Hi, I have been missing you all! I wanted to just write a short post to let you all know that. I have been busy entertaining the kids alll summer. It seems I can't get the kids on the same schedule. If one has a playdate or camp, the other is still with me. I think I let my guilt as a parent get the better of me and have been putting my writing second to the kids needs.
I will be back to post more than ever in three and a half days! Both kids will be in full time school and I will have lots of time to write. I can't wait.
I hope you all don't give up on me. I really do miss you. Can you tell I have been drinking? I would hug you all if I could.
I'm in trouble now, spell check doesn't seem to want to work. Oh, well, I will just have more wine now and worry later!

Mama's Hip(pie) Fashion

I saw recently on The Today Show fashion segment, that Tie Dye is back in style, probably for a while now, only with a modern twist. I was going on my annual beach vacation, so of course I needed a bathing suit cover-up(my chubby belly), or two. I already have 2 black ones so I wanted something a little different. I found this white one for $10 at JC Penney (the only department store within 46 miles of my house. Being that it would look filthy in minutes with my spilt coffee or wine and kids grubby finger prints all over it, I decided to Tie dye it. I figured if it came out horrible I could just wear it around the house. Well, I love it.

Before

After

I also found this sundress for $12 at a local clothing store. E says it makes my butt look big, but for me that is a good thing. I also received a compliment from "Surfer Dude" (not about my butt) who lived next door to our vacation rental, when I wore it. I am not sure if he liked me in it or just wanted to borrow it.

Big Butt Dress

The kids also Tie Dyed T's but with more traditional designs. It is relatively easy nowadays and the kit are inexpensive too.

Miscellaneous Manure 2

Cokee is doing great and her ass still smells sweet!

T was sick this weekend with a fever over 104. First he threw up at pre-school camp on Friday. I brought him home and he was 101. No big. We napped, after he stopped crying about missing his Pirate party and play date with BFF. He drank okay but wouldn't eat solids. That night he had night terrors which scared the crap out of me. He was screaming and picking at things in the air, eyes wide open but still he was asleep. Saturday he was okay,but that night he spiked to over 104, at first hus took it and it was 105.1 but the tympanic thermometer is usually a degree higher than it really is. Hus put him in the pool, no help, he put him in the shower, no help. I came home early from work, but T will not take medicine no matter how hard we try. We can't hide it, he knows.We can't force it because he will gag and spit it out. Finally I gave him a suppository of Tylenol. He made me feel horrible about it after. "You hurt me mama" "You're a bad mama" "You don't love me" "Go away". I put ice on his head and his fever broke an hour later and Sunday he was all better!

Hus, kids and I went on our annual vacation to Surf City, New Jersey. The weather was great and the beach was like an episode of Baywatch. Every day we got to watch at least 2 life guard rescues. I particularly enjoyed watching the sun bleached blond hottie doing his thing. Hus seemed to enjoy the brunette, however, he thought she was neglecting potential rescues. Luckily no one was hurt. I bought E and T body wave boards and E really liked hers. T fell off his once and that was enough. There was a cool sand bar we were all able to swim to with smaller waves for the kids to surf in.

I have been busy transporting the kids back and forth to camps. E is at Girl Scout Camp this week and will be sleeping over tonight. I wonder if I could find a sleepover play date for T tonight...

I have also been busy working. More than the usual number of annoying sick people this summer.

I have been spending my ME time at night reading and watching TV series on DVD. I have finished the first 3 books in the Stephenie Meyer Twilight series and I am on the waiting list for the fourth at the library. Any of you reading it? Loving it? I seem to meet more and more people who are addicted to this series. I am part of a group of nurses who plan on going together to see the movie when it comes out in December. You can find out more about the books from my Shelfari bookshelf on my side-bar.For TV I am watching season 2 of Charmed and still not quite sure if I really like it or not. I am waiting for the second season of Angel to be delivered when it becomes available. I am totally addicted to that series now. It did take a while ,but now I love it.

We are having a Bikini Bottom birthday party for T's 5Th birthday Sunday. I drew pictures of the main characters from SpongeBob on poster board and the kids painted them. (It keeps them occupied for a short time!!) E asked if I was going to "fix T's?" I don't think so. We are going to swim, play "Pin the shorts on Patrick" and bust open a pinata.

I can't wait until school starts. Some days I just don't handle being with the kids very well. I even resort to Xanax occasionally. I find it hard to say "no" when they ask me to do something. I feel pulled in a million different directions sometimes. For example, the other night I was making supper and E wanted me to help paint her Girl Scout project, T wanted help with his Game boy, and I wanted to set up my new MP3 player. I somehow managed to do it all but dinner was at 7. Yes, hus was here but was mowing the lawn and gardening. Most evenings I just kick them both out so they can play,but sometimes they spend all day outside, they just don't want to go. That is until I go outside!!!

Hey...Your Ass Smells Like an Island Paradise!

I can joke about it now because she is okay, but when it first happened I was terrified.

Two weeks ago we accidentally poisoned our cat and by we, I mean, my husband.

On that fateful night, my daughter mentioned to me that Cokee had a wet leg. I said "Well, she probably just got into some water somewhere" No big. The next day, Hus mentioned to me that Cokee wasn't acting like herself, spending the entire day in my rocking chair. I said "Well, she's old and always does that" No big.

I went to work, came home at the usual time 1AM, kissed everyone and fell asleep reading on the couch. The next morning I woke up and it occurred to me that I couldn't remember if I had seen Cokee in bed with Hus the night before. She always sleeps with, or on top of Hus. I called to her, because she also always sleeps under the covers with me in the morning after Hus leaves for work. She didn't come. I thought perhaps she spent the night outside? I called for her outside, but she didn't come. I still wasn't' worried because cats can vary in their routines occasionally. I went back to sleep.

It wasn't until I tried to find her later that I began to worry. I looked everywhere. No Cokee! Mind you, I have known Cokee for 15 years, longer than I have even known my husband! I love her almost like a first child.

After about an hour of searching, I found her hiding behind an old dresser up in the loft. I picked her up and noticed that her butt was wet. I also noticed that she wasn't talking. Cokee talks all the time. Something was wrong.

I called Hus and left a message. I dried Cokee's bottom and in the back of my mind also wondered where a sweet smell was coming from. I told Hus that I thought Cokee was dying, she was incontinent, hiding and not talking. I couldn't breath. I was having a panic attack.

I am a nurse, I should know what to do. I needed to sort things out in my head. I did a physical exam on Cokee, checking skin, eyes, teeth, breath sounds and belly. Everything seemed fine. I was worried she had an abscessed tooth which she had before, or Leukemia which is what her husband died from.

A few minutes later Hus called back. It had occurred to him that Cokee might have gotten into something that she shouldn't' have.

Let this be a warning to all those of you considered to have a "sensitive nose". If you buy a refill bottle of Airwick for $6.99, and it doesn't' fit the dispenser you have at home, RETURN IT! Don't decide to use it in a way that the label probably warns against. For example, don't pour a little into a tin meant for a votive candle. While your cat or dog may be smart enough not to drink it, they might not be smart enough to not SIT IN IT! Which is exactly what Cokee did. She apparently sat on the window sill where my Hus had put the tin, inadvertently getting it on her bum. Of course then she must have cleaned it off, ingesting some of the air freshener refill.

Once we figured out what happened, I smelled her butt then smelled the remaining Airwick. Sure enough, they both smelled like an Island Paradise. I immediately gave Cokee a bath, towel dried her off and put her back on my bed. She still wasn't talking. I got her a glass of water, Cokee loves water from human glasses, and she drank some.

I was still panicking. I knew I had to take her to the vet but I had to leave right then to pick up one of T's friends for a play date. I thought, well, he will just have to come to the vet with us. When we got home, Cokee was still on the bed, which I considered a good sign. Hiding would have meant she still felt like she was dying. I then realized that I had to pick up E from summer rec in an hour so I decided to wait to take Cokee until after that. When we got home with E, Cokee was out of bed walking around the kitchen, eating cat food, like nothing was wrong! I was so relieved I think I started crying. My baby was better! Of course I still worried about liver damage, kidney damage or brain damage. But now, 2 weeks later, she still seems to be perfectly fine. I guess the air freshener must have made her feel sick and probably burned her throat. Now she won't stop talking, and she is still the best smelling cat EVER!

Cokee

And the Winner of the Fabulous Book is...

Yay it's Friday, time to pick a winner! E nicely wrote all of the entries names and put them into a hat...

E choosing a name...

Congratulations to...

Michele is a new commenter here. She is the author of her blog Creative Writings 101. She commented that she is new to blogging, so I think everyone should go visit her. From what I have read, I know she will be a fun addition to many blogrolls and I plan on visiting again too.

Michele-Send me an email with your address and I will send you the book ASAP!

OOH! A Giveaway!

This could be your book!

Welcome to GM Country Mama's first ever giveaway!

I mentioned in a previous post that one of my favorite bloggers Jess Riley had her first novel Driving Sideways published. I ordered a copy from Target on-line as soon as I could. While I was waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail, to my utter disbelief and surprise, I won a copy! There were many blogs giving away copies of Jess's book when it first came out, and I won a copy from the author of another of my favorite blogs Juggling Life.

I had a dilemma. What to do, what to do? I obsessed, I mean I thought about it for a while...and decided, with the ever helpful and thoughtful advice from my friend Suzy, to give my copy, the one I bought from Target, away to one of you!!! And SURPRISE it will have Jess's signature in it!! All you have to do is leave a comment for me to this post and at the end of the week, I will have my kids pull a name out of a hat randomly. I will give you until Thursday July 10Th 11:59pm to leave a comment. On Friday I will announce the winner.

I hope everyone who visits here will leave me a comment.

Oh and about the book... It is wonderful! I laughed and cried and just really enjoyed the story and the characters. I know you will too.

Good Luck!

Me pretending to read the cover while relaxing at my pool drinking a bit of White Zinfandel. Please no comments regarding my ugly feet or the bump on my left ankle from an old sprain or my blue nail polish.

E posing for the giveaway.

T posing for the giveaway.

Me posing again. Let me inform you that because I am barely 5 feet 2 inches tall, my ass was resting on the door handle in order for my legs to reach that far out the window!