My Girls

My eldest is going to get the "big head" (if she hasn't already). We were eating out Sunday and several people came up to tell her how beautiful she was. I've mentioned on here before that she is a striking child and people have done this her entire life. In fact, now she just sort of expects it. We get it where ever we go, no matter where we go.

If they're not telling her how beautiful she is, they're complimenting both my girls on their manners and how well they behave. Not complaining and I know lots of kids were hooligans, but have things really gotten that out of hand with child discipline? Some times I'm pleasantly surprised at how well some children act, while others need to have their parents taken out and beaten (Yes...I totally blame the parents). Still, I think most kids are pretty good. I guess I'm just always so shocked at how people react to my girls, in particular.

Back to my eldest. She was going on and on about how people are always talking about her hair (currently past her waist, but that'll change this weekend), her smile or her skin. She loves the attention, but when people actually come up to her, she's pretty humble and sweet about it all. I suppose that's good. Don't want her tooting her own horn, I guess;

"Yes! I know I'm fabulous. Love me! Adore me! Worship me!"

I think I'd melt away into nothing if she ever did that. My biggest concern for her is that she recognize her inner beauty. Her strength, her sensitivity and curiosity are what make up so much of who she is and I don't want her to lose sight of those attributes. We discuss it often and I remind her that her looks may some day fade, but her mind will be hers for the rest of her life. She should nurture it as much as possible.

Her sister seems to be more of the intellectual, if you can call a three year-old an intellectual. She'll be a big reader like her big sister I think, but I also feel like she'll be more focused on school and more concerned about it at a much earlier age. The Babe is just coming into this now, and she's almost been around a decade.

Two-Day Work Week

Life's sweet treats! Even better when you go an entire week without working. Oh, good times await (I hope).

This year, I've been asked to bake the Costco Caramel Cake for Thanksgiving. There are lots of reviews online from various people who've tried it. I hope it's as good as everyone says. It was my mother's idea for me to try it. Normally, I bake my rum cake or my apple crumble. This may turn out to be a staple for future pot-lucks, if it's as tasty as I think it will be.

We got snow yesterday! After leaving the theater (New Moon, for my oldest), the car was covered in the white stuff. The streets were a bit slushy, but I just took my time and drove the three minutes home. Little danger, thankfully. I did hear there were many accidents on the highway.

"Just keep the white stuff away until we don't have to drive in it, please."

Hubby was off today, so we had lunch together. Nothing special. Just lounging on the couch with our respective choices from the fridge. We giggled at "Living Sing.le" episodes on the tele and talked about the errands he has to run. This got me thinking about the other items I need to pick up for my girls and hubby for Christmas. It gets tricky when you always have a kid with you (and Santa is still a strong presence in our family). Dad may have to put in some babysitting time.

I found out recently that a divorce has occurred with the family down the street. We noticed we hadn't seen the dad's truck in a while. Then, hubby and I had our cable installed. Hubby asked the contractor if he knew our neighbor. "Oh, yeah. He moved to Wyoming." Wyoming? Turns out he got a job there and has pulled up stakes. The contractor said that he and his wife separated, but after hubby talked with the neighbor and the subject came up, the marriage is officially done. It's sad to hear, but I'm hoping that everything is for the best. They have two, very active boys and I really hope mom is able to take care of everything they have going on. They participate in every known sport. I hope she can carpool with the taxi duties.

Life Goes On

I received such an outpouring of love and understanding during my bereavement. I guess it's certainly one way to know who really cares about you. Even my new manager gave me a hug. How sweet! We haven't even known each other a month, yet. I was touched.

I took the youngest (Indy) to see the princesses and wouldn't you know? Front seats, baby. She was so overwhelmed by everything, she didn't say much at first. Soon, princesses and all matter of characters were gliding past and waving to her. I'll have to remember the seat and row for the next time we go to this venue for a show. It was pricey, but certainly worth it. I didn't bring the camera because I had no idea where the seats were, but I brought the binoculars. Didn't need those at all!

My mother calls every few days with a count down to Thanksgiving. It's really cute. She's asked me to try a new recipe (an Apple cake) if I don't destroy it, I'll post the recipe here. She's just happy to have anything in an apple form. The Babe told me her cousin said that my sister-in-law is bringing a pecan pie. I can feel the pounds on my hips already.

Speaking of hips, I think the exercise is what truly brought me out of my funk. It's amazing what a few endorphins can do for your sense of well-being. I'm not pushing boulders up a hill or weight training until I pass out, but the time I spend on the elliptical has done worlds of good.

Hubby and I got into a little tift about time. I'm just glad we didn't get to arguing during our time away. We had a lovely weekend up in the mountains with no kids. Ended up at a club where the Deadliest Ca.tch Tour was taking place. Underground hip-hop at it's best. The music was pretty good, but we had more fun people watching. Hubby commented on all the cougars and how one was scoping him out. An Asian gentleman was looking at me like gravy on a plate and he was standing right next to my hubby! Nice. People just don't care anymore. It was still fun, regardless.

We talked about going back up, maybe with the kids, at a later time (when it's warmer). Twenty-nine degrees and snow was a bit much. Yikes! The weather around here turned sharply cold, but now is warming up again. Wonder if the almanac was right? Are we in for a rough winter?

Another Passing in 2009

My grandmother passed away Monday morning. I'm still mourning and missing her, but the ache isn't nearly as painful as it was earlier this week. I just keep reminding myself how long a life she had (she was 90) and how much she accomplished.

She took care of me and my sister for a while, when my dad moved us from California to Tennessee. We stayed with her for 7 months. I will forever be grateful to her for that. When my mother worked those crazy long hours at a job she hated, my grandmother was there. Chasing after me about keeping my grades up (I was out of school for a while) and giving me advice about this or that. I'd follow her around in her hair shop when she'd have the occasional client. I'd watch her bake and help her see about my great-grandmother. I'd sit up and watch t.v. movies with her or relax on her front porch on the swing. So many memories.

I suppose my favorite is when my girlfriends and I went to Daytona for spring break. We stayed with her to help with expenses. While we were there, she shared an article about herself from the paper. Because of her enormous and beautiful garden, she got a headline in the lifestyles section. It was amazing. All those beautiful flowers! I'll never forget them or her.

Yesterday, as I was watching Sanf.ord and Son, I saw this segment and it tickled me so much, I had to add it here. For a week that hasn't be so great, this brought quite a bit of sunshine:





This evening, I'm taking Indy to see the Princesses on Ice. It will be the first public arena I've been too in several days. I think I'm okay and I know it will make her oh, so happy. Going on with life and creating new memories, I'm sure that's what my grandmother would have wanted.

Our Weather is Confused - But No Complaints

We hit 75 degrees, yesterday. Remember my "first day of snow" post on the last day of September? Amazing what can happen in one month. Our weather lady said, "You can wear your shorts today." We've had this unseasonable weather for the past few days, but I'm certainly not complaining. Hubby has used the opportunity to go ahead and put the Christmas lights on the roof (um, didn't he say he wasn't going to do a lot of lights this year? Yeah, he says it every year. I just don't even pay him any attention anymore when he says it) and get them ready for the day after Thanksgiving. That's when Christmas festivities start at our house, anyway. I do know of one person who has been listening to Christmas music since August. Sigh. What's nutty is that two of our "easy listening" stations, about two years ago, decided November 1 would be the day they'd start their "All Christmas music, all the time," campagins. I refuse to listen to those stations until after Thanksgiving as well.

We also spent part of the afternoon, yesterday, putting chicken wire around the bottom of our fence where, El Stupido (Hercules, my Chihuahua) has escaped a couple of times. "Why are you running away from free room and board, you dumb dog? Don't you know that's how you ended up at the animal shelter in the first place.?" (He was two pounds lighter than he is now, making him only two pounds when we adopted him). Right now, he's looking at me with that, "Play with me, please," expression he often has. Wow. What a little con-artist.

Hubby also purchased flower bulbs (Narcissus) to plant for next year, he'll be pulling up the rest of the solar lights from spring and filling in some areas in the back yard. So ambitious! I reminded him that these are his days off and he is allowed to enjoy them and relax a little bit. He never stops, that one.

My daughter has to read the scripture for our devotional on Sunday at the "special " afternoon service. That means, no 8:00 am service this week but we'll head down at 2:30 instead. I'm such an early bird that this will seem downright unnatural to me; however, I don't want to do multiple services and I don't want my kids missing out on their naps (Ugh! They are completely unbearable when they do). The multiple service issue is my own. Growing up with a father who pastored a church, I spent many a Sunday in services all day long. I don't have a problem with service, but two, three sometimes four in one day is too much for anyone.

My niece and nephew are coming over today. They are sleeping over and watching scary movies with the babe. It's great that they get to spend time together, but I am selfish. It seems we end up with them more then ours end up at their house. I know that their mother is basically a single-mom working all the time, just to keep a roof over their heads but it would be so nice if we had the luxury of a trusting care-giver for our kids, whenever we needed one. Yes. I am very selfish. I still can't help feeling like, "When do we get that opportunity?" I wish the babe's friends' parents weren't so flaky.

Speaking of the babe, she is getting so excited about New Mo.on. Hubby and I are trying to figure out how to find a babysitter for Indy, so that we can take the Babe (yeah...all of a sudden he wants to go, too. It went from, "Oh, I'll be fine watching it on video," to "How do you think we can take the Babe to see the movie?" He cracks me up).

Hello, November

Did you know that it's Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month? I was unaware until a few moments ago. I don't think I've ever posted about how much that disease scares me; more than cancer, heart disease and even a stroke. My memories are who I am. The people I know and love, the places I've been, the ideas I've dreamed about. I can't imagine having all of that slowly siphoned away. To wake up some days and know who my children are, and others not remembering their names. My feeling is, I can be doped on morphine or whatever for pain as long as I know who I am. I support research and donate whenever I can and I truly hope that no one in my family experiences this (or any other) wretched disease.

It will be a good day today, despite the sour note I sort of started on. I believe this to be true. It's been oh, so busy. October was nuts, but lots of fun. The girls participated in so many wonderful activities and I was happy to play taxi. It's truly about broadening their childhoods and building their memories. Indy will be going to see the princesses next week. She has no idea, but the babe is having a hard time holding her tongue. She's not jealous, thankfully. I did have to remind her, though, that I did all of these sorts of things with her when she was little. Now, it's Indy's turn. The babe got to see a Chor.us Line in September, after all and will hopefully get to see the stage version of A Christmas Sto.ry in December.

Hubby and I are getting away next week, too. He keeps talking about the "plans" he's made without talking about them. I have no idea what we're doing, but I hope it involves a hot tub. Woohoo! I think the last time we went away together overnight, just the two of us, was a few years ago. So sad that it only comes in spurts but it's hard finding care for our kids and they're at such different ages.

We went to Vegas and stayed at the Orleans. I believe Indy was just a toddler. The pictures show a lot of baby weight on me, so I don't believe she could have been that old. We were lucky my mother even agreed to care for both of them. I had no idea we were going. Hubby just told me what days to take off and that he was making arrangements for the kids. Early one morning, we dropped them off and headed out. I love car trips with him. We have the best time. You really don't know someone until you've spent hours and hours with him/her in a car.

We could have lived at the Orleans! Everything was there; food, entertainment and therapy (spas). We rode all the coasters at the top of the Stratosphere (Lord, never again!), walked the strip, visited In 'N Ou.t Burger as often as we could, and drank the sweet nectar of life (Mai Tai's are usually my choice, but I think I had more strawberry daiquiris than anything on this trip).

Since we only have one day, I won't get my hopes up for a repeat of our Vegas excursion, but I'll always have those memories (and those dreadful pictures of me screaming my head off on the Big Shot).

I'm looking forward to the holidays and all that comes with them. The girls have already mentioned baking and other mother-daughter bonding activities. I save all that for this time of year, since it's the time I usually use those vacation days I've saved up. I just hope I'll be able to again this year. With a new manager, you just never know.

Well, it's that time to dig in and work, work, work.

(Oh, and my nostalgia moment below. I loved Troop. When Hubby and I married years after they were popular, he told me he and his friends would choreograph dances, using their moves, for parties. Remember when people danced rather than just moved around aimlessly? I listened to the song below, along with My Heart, That's My Attitude, All I Do and I'm Not Souped over and over again.)

Back and Missing My Friends

My trip home was too much fun! I basically lived the single life with my best friend for four, fun-filled days. Now, when I say single, I'm not talking about bar-hopping and running around like some crazed woman. I'm talking about going where I want to go, when I want to go whenever I want to go. I'm saying that I didn't have to put anyone into a booster or car seat, buckle them up and make sure the strap wasn't too tight. I didn't have to wait for kiddlings to finally get out of the car, only to realize they left some scrap of clothing or (heaven forbid) their shoes.

I could also go into places and not worry about hands touching and picking up everything. I could spend time browsing and not worry about brattiness ("Don't touch me!" "She's not listening, mom!" "Why can't we go there?" "I'm hungry!") I missed my girls, but I didn't miss all of this.

I arrived in Nashville, the Friday before last, at around 10:30pm. I picked up my car (a Hyundai Elantra in grey) and drove over to the hotel. Once I checked in, I discovered that I had two, double beds instead of the single King I thought I was going to get. Sweet! I called my friend and told her to bring a bag. Slumber party! When she arrived, we went to pick up a late dinner, came back to the room and talked, talked, talked. The next day, she had to get her hair done. I worked out while she was gone, talked to my dad, and arranged a lunch with my sorority sister. At lunch, my soror, my best friend and I talked, and talked and talked for nearly three hours. I'm sure the wait-staff was ready for us to go.

We hit nearly every hair shop where I spent way too much money. For that Saturday evening? Bowling and Captain D's for dinner. Sunday, it was off to her church for morning service. We left and went to IHOP, where we connected with my dad. He was nearly 45 minutes late (CP time for real!) and then he wouldn't let us leave. Two hours later and lots of rain, we headed back to the room to recuperate. Later, we went back out for dinner and watched "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" on my computer. We were planning on going to a haunted house, but we didn't want to stand in the rain.

Monday, we went to my high school friend's, daughter's junior high to speak for their college week. It was a lot of fun and they asked a lot of very intelligent questions (for the most part). It's junior high, after all. Afterwards, we kidnapped my friend and had lunch at Long John Silvers. Then, it was time to see Zombieland. Awesome! I haven't had that much fun at a movie in a long time. We were the only ones in the theater, talking loud and cracking jokes. It was the best! (I went to see it again with hubby two days later). There are so many great one-liners. We're still quoting them, ever chance we get.

We went to the mall for slurpees and strolled through our childhood hang out, now nearly deserted (due to our lovely economic climate). Her hubby was eager to have her back, so we took her home around five. For Monday night? BB King's House of Blues. Oh, yeah. It was the perfect end to a fantastic trip. We saw the Stacy Mitchhart band and turned into groupies for the evening, grabbing autographs and buying CDs. I love live music and I really hate that I don't get enough of it at home. That's gotta change.

Tuesday was a bit depressing. We picked up breakfast and turned in my car. After which, we hung out at Opry Mills and then had lunch. Then, off to the airport to come home. It's always so hard to leave. My best friend said it best when she described our friendship; "The longer we remain friends, the more we appreciate each other...the harder it is to separate." Ugh! If only I could beam them here when I need them.

So, I don't go again until 2011. She wants to try the skiing thing the next time she's here (2010). I'll be pricing that out, along with hospital stays for when limbs are broken. I told her, "Only the bunny slopes for me!" I just don't want to meet my end tumbling down a mountain, you know?

The Pig Flu Tangos Around the Office

So, one of my new co-workers is home fighting the hog ailment. She has the same symptoms I did and informed us that her parents are recovering from the same. They were actually tested for pig's disease and so...there you have it! Truly, the media does a number on us. We've been hearing about this thing for months. They'd have us believe it's a revisit of the bubonic plague, but it's just a nasty, pain-in-the-ass flu. Do what you're supposed to do when you get sick and you're golden! Be an idiot and run around in a T-shirt in 39 degree temps (our temperature yesterday, if you can believe that) and risk the inevitable.

My new spot in the office totally sucks. I'm right by the door which leads to the restrooms. Major "in and out" action all freakin' day. It's only four months, I keep telling myself, but it's little comfort. Only ten feet away is the blasted break room door. We're also now located on the floor with marketing and our enrollment counselors, many of whom are college age (or very close to it). They chatter incessantly and talk about the most inane things. Was I ever like that? Ugh! We try and keep the door closed but, inevitably, some wise ass opens it up and then we have to hear about the gay-love that isn't happening frequently enough in the bedroom or the too-high gas or how black men are the best lovers (which is true, but why do I have to hear it at work?).

The weather was crazy, yesterday. Wednesday, we ended with a high of 86 degrees. It seemed like we were going into an Indian summer, then an Arctic blast hit us from the northwest, sending our temps into the 30s. The thirties! By yesterday afternoon, the mountains were covered in a blanket of snow. I could no longer see the beautiful reds, oranges and golds of fall. I hope this early freeze doesn't kill them all. Those colors are the best part of fall.

(The picture was taken in my yard, yesterday. It's of the mountains directly east of my house).

The Flu

That's what the doc said I had. The flu. My flu came with a cough (still coughing a bit). No flu I've ever had came with a cough. The guy at the emergency room, who examined my daughter earlier this year, said that the cough was the "different"symptom with H1N1. So, did I have it? Pig flu? Could it be? I'm being a good girl, laying off the strenuous exercise, drinking my juice, resting. I've sucked on about a thousand cough drops, but things are improving. In fact, I've felt better today than I've felt in a bit, aside from the sore throat.

It all began Thursday, September 24th. I went home with my throat feeling like it was going to close up. I initially thought it was something I ate and I was having some sort of reaction. I took some benadryl and called it good. The next day, aside from the lingering benadryl effects, I felt okay. I worked without trouble but by 2:30pm, things started to go south. I felt like stir-fried crap and it only got worse. I took some meds then went to see A Chorus Line with my mom, sister and daughter. It was great, but I sneezed through a big portion of it.

Saturday, I stayed around the house. I left only to pick up juice and lunch for my hubby and his friend (who, thankfully, installed our new water heater and dish washer). I rested and played The Price is Right (I'm really loving that game).

Sunday, was a bit better. I was on Sudafed and cough drops. Same with Monday, but the afternoon was hard (probably because the air conditioning went out and it was hot as hell in our offices). That never helps with the healing process.

I went to the doctor, thinking I may have strep when the sore throat came on with a vengeance this morning. The good news was that I was feeling more like myself. He checked me out; no swollen glands, chest sounded good, no fever, lungs clear and a negative on the strep test. I'll just keep being a good girl and get better. Wonder if one of my snotty-nosed kids or their friends gave this to me? Well, maybe now I'm immune.

Shuffling the Kid

We have major construction happening on the main street in our city. They've closed down an overpass/bridge that has been a major artery for decades. A new highway will replace it, which will mean demolishing several buildings. One of these buildings includes a Mom & Pop restaurant, which catered to the military folks...large portions for great prices. Next door to this cafe is my youngest daughter's daycare (and oldest daughter's back-up care on days I work in Salt Lake during the school year and summer). Destruction for the sake of progress.

The department of transportation, lovely government entity that they are, informed the daycare director that they would be able to "work around" the daycare. This care center goes from 1 year to 12 years old and also buses students to school. The director was pleased that they were so willing to work with her. Yesterday, I arrived to drop off my youngest, only to find that the director had been given her marching orders. She's got 30 days to haul her cookies out of there so they can knock down her building. She was not even given enough to relocate the center. This is a nightmare!

We were so happy to have found a place that, not only had first rate care-givers, but only charged a minimal fee when my kids were there. Most places charge regardless and the fees are usually exorbitant. I was crushed to hear such awful news. I then became depressed because I knew all those great teachers would be out job-hunting in this god-awful economy. I talked to the assistant director for about twenty minutes, who had spent the last twenty years of her life being the "grandma" to the kids. She is single and will now have a house note with no way to pay it. Ugh!

I went care hunting, yesterday and, due to the current daycare's reputation, other care facilities in the neighborhood (who wouldn't normally take newbies) have been good about accepting new/overflow students to compensate. They are also interviewing the teachers who would otherwise be out on the street. I felt better, but still ended up crying about it to hubby.

We found a new place that I found pleasant and supportive, is in a great location and just received a massive grant for building and playground improvements. The cons? They charge nearly double and charge even when Indy isn't going to be there. Oh, well. The other option was an in-home daycare scenario. Indy would have been the oldest and the owner has her own family and two roommates living in the house. Red flag! My mother was also leery, due to all the scary stories you here about other family members coming over and doing horrible things to the children. That put me on edge, even before I toured her home.

The new place for the youngest only takes up to age 5 years. The babe was not happy and I'll still have to figure out what we're going to do with her during the summer and on "school out" days. Ugh! This is the downside of not having our friends here in Utah. I know these things wouldn't even be an issue or if they were, not nearly as stressful as it's been. From Sorority sisters hooking me up to high school friends playing "catch all" when hubby and I need to get away. It would be so sweet! There's no way in hell I'm moving back though so, I'm stuck with shuffling the kids. I'm sure this won't be the last time. I just hope we always find safe and affordable environments.

When Good Weekends Disappear

It was just wonderful! We didn't do anything spectacular, but we spent a lot of time together. I think, for the first time in a long time, hubby dear saw the benefits of having that precious time we've been missing. I've been trying to tell him for months that it's the most important thing to me, in regards to our relationship. The weekend flew by and, this time, I wasn't depressed about a bad weekend turning into just another week at work. This time, I was elated at having such a great weekend but sad at seeing it disappear. I believe hubby felt the same way.

My trip home is in a couple of weeks and he's already getting mopey about it. He's anticipating missing me, which I think is sweet and a bit sad. I don't feel it yet because, as is always the case with me, I don't feel the effects until I'm right at the cliff. It will be the day I leave getting onto the airplane that I'll fee the twangs of sadness. He's already talking about, "When you're gone..." and the things he'll try to do to keep himself occupied. I keep reminding him that the kids will be with him and, when they're at school, he'll have all that time to himself. I don't think he's seeing the benefits right now but I'm hoping he will in the next few days.

The first day of fall is just about here! I'm so excited and I keep looking for all the wonderful colors. Some trees have started to change, but not many. We did wake up to 49 degrees this morning (a sure sign that fall is on the way). Hubby keeps asking me when it is so he can turn on the Halloween lights. Halloween lights? For real?! He cracks me up. Again, he's said, "I'm not going to put up a lot of stuff this Christmas." Okay, he says this every year. No kidding! Track back to old posts around this time? Sure as I'm breathing, I've typed this before. He just can't help himself. He's got a 10 year-old kid living inside him that just loves holidays.

The babe is getting challenged in dance, now. The group is nearly double at 13 as opposed to the 6 strong they were last year. The routine is harder, but oh so cute. They had a 3.5 hour choreography session on Saturday. They were dead, when I picked her up, but happy. I'm glad she's still enjoying all this. Some of them looked like they weren't there for good times. I wonder how long they will remain 13, with all of what I saw Saturday?

I got my hair done on Saturday as well and it's longer than I normally keep it. This was due to the general consensus of the shop, that day. My beautician asked if I wanted to trim it and I asked the ladies currently there what they thought. All agreed that I should keep it long, so I did. As soon as I stepped inside the house, my hubby was in awe. He was happy she finished early, but also happy it was so long (about the middle of my back)...claiming it would be great to pull um, later on. Nice. It's still a bit tender and it's starting to itch. The first week is always uncomfortable.

Friday, the babe and I will see A Chorus Line. Of course, she has no idea but I think she'll enjoy it immensely. I just hope my sister maintains herself. She can be oh, so irritating.

EbonyEnchantress Gets a Workout

I've been putting that site into over-drive, while neglecting this one. I really should take the first day of September (the month of change) to make a change and post here. Tah-dah! Here I am...posting!

Life has been busy, busy, busy. With my new weight-loss/workout regime, I've been burning off the fat and trying to look more like a woman and less like a walrus. There's been a lot of stress and the cankers are back with a vengeance. I also have to wonder if, through the course of eating a more cleanly diet, the virus is just shedding. I suppose that's possible, too. I just hate them with a passion, though. Ugh!

So, my department has grown by two people in a little over two weeks (the other person starts next Tuesday). That's insane to me, but completely necessary. We have the largest group of students starting today than we've ever had in the history of the University. That's exciting and intimidating. I hope we don't crack from the strain.

My girls will start dance next week. Both are so excited! My youngest will tell anybody who will listen (perfect strangers!) that she's "going to dance jazz" when she's a big girl (which just happens to be next week). Boy, we become a big girl quickly, don't we? The eldest started gymnastics last week and also has a class today. It's funny. Over the summer, she put on a bit of weight and height. Initially, I thought she was putting on puberty weight then I thought about it. She's been pretty sedentary and the activities are about to kick up in a big way again. I have a sneaking suspicion that my once petite chocolate-chip will be petite once again. How could she not with two hours of gymnastics and an hour of dance per week, not to mention all the running around at school.

Married life...is, well...strange right now. I've confessed my feelings of loneliness to my dear hubby and it has him all in a quandary. I don't want him to give up the things he loves for me, or he will be miserable but I also don't want to lose the time I have with him or I'm miserable. It's been very difficult these last few days. Trying to talk and feeling the strain of our thought processes behind the talking. I'm not sure what will happen, but we've both said we still love each other very deeply. That has never changed.

I stopped writing again. Surprise, surprise; however, I did churn out a children's story that I actually completed (based on recent events with our missing Chihuahua). It's actually pretty good and encourages children to adopt animals from the shelter. I have a friend whose hubby is an artist. I may work with him to bring the story to life. Wouldn't it be awesome if it were ever published? A girl can dream...

Henna, Birthdays and Balloons

The weekend was filled with party, party, party. My eldest had her very first slumber party and she was too thrilled. We spent Thursday after work cleaning the house from top to bottom. Friday afternoon was filled with the same. Hubby went to buy the junk food for the kids to feast on all night, along with the next morning's breakfast items. I went out and picked up the pizzas and movies. Here is what I rented (in case you're wondering what to use for a little girl's sleepover):

1. Mama Mia
2. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
3. The Cheetah Girls
4. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

For goody bags home, I put in lots of dollar store items: Girlie stickers (the stickers were of high-heels, make-up, tiaras, clothes, etc...), lip gloss, bubble gum, a notepad with a girlie slogan (Drama Queen, Rock Star, Chicks Rule, etc...), a matching magnetic pen with the same slogan, and Lee press-on nails. I think they were happy.

The girls arrived fairly close to start time, with only our relative only able to stay for the party, only. They ate pizza, listened to scary stories while they ate, and drank strawberry lemonade from plastic wine goblets. Afterward, we sang happy birthday, blew out the candles and opened presents. From mom and dad, she got the first season of the Brady Bunch, crystal earrings, a karaoke disc and a new mp3 player to replace her broken one. From the guests, a host of make-up and girlie items.

After opening presents, they went downstairs and did the karaoke thing for a bit, even getting my sister in the mix. Once that was done, they popped in a movie, ate more junk and played twister. By 11:00pm, we told them that winding down time had to start, since we wanted to sleep. They obliged and we didn't hear much from them...until the eldest came to the door telling us one of the parents was on the way.

Well, one of the children happened to be allergic to animals. Why the parent didn't say anything when he dropped her off (and, very clearly saw our dogs) or why the child didn't say anything, I'll never know. We also had plenty of antihistamines that I could have given her, had someone let me talk to the child's mother. In any case, the child went home at 12:30pm. I was so tired.

The departing child left us with only one guest, which made dealing with clean up and everything else that much easier. The child was happy and so was the Babe. After everyone left, I took care of me by coloring my hair...with Henna.

I purchased all natural Henna (we're talking the pulverized plant) and mixed it with lemon juice. Added this to my hair then let it "cook" for about 2.5 hours. My hair was a flame. I'm supposed to see darkening and changes over the next three days and have seen a bit already. Hubby loves it. I think it will look great with my braids, come September.

Sunday was the last day of the balloon festival. It was amazing! We got there in time for the launch (7ish) and ate the buffet breakfast. We were high up in the mountains, so we dressed for the occasion. I would never have thought 39 would be the temp on an August day. Woo wee, it was cold! The air was crisp and smelled of fall. It made me so happy to smell fall, but no where near thrilled to lose feeling in my fingers.

A fun-filled weekend and a happy 9th birthday to my eldest child.

Finding Happiness

I'm having a hard time with this, again. There's so much going on at work and home. Life has become very uneventful and boring. I need something to look forward to. My trip to Nashville isn't or a couple of months and the weekends just don't last long enough. Can't take vacation time (gotta save it for Christmas). What to do? How do you take a vacation from yourself without actually going anywhere?

Do I Have to?

School is starting up soon and I'm actually very happy about it. It gets one raggedy child out of my house, which is a God-send, and gives the younger one her power-over-the-house back. It's the homework that I'm not looking forward to. Her homework becomes my homework (overseeing, instructing and assisting). They don't tell you that when you become a parent, you become a back-up to the teacher, too. I guess, with my own mother, I just figured she was doing her job (my mother, for a time, was a school-teacher). I am not looking forward to more multiplication drills, basic geometry, projects, and book reports. Okay, maybe book reports. Those are kind of fun.

Dance and gymnastics will also begin at the end of the month. They'll be busy and I'll be broke. There's no happy medium, yet. One day, the eldest will have a job and will be able to fund some of her own activities. I keep telling myself that the day will come but, truth be told, I'll probably continue to help sponsor this kid till her teen years. I'd rather she fret about her studies and homework than money. She'll have her whole life to fret over money.

Hubby and I are feeling a little restless. I feel it from both of us, but I'm not sure how we're going to get past it. There's so much to do and never enough time. Sometimes, it's our finances that hold us back and sometimes, it's life and all that it throws at us. I need my plumbing fixed, my kitchen redone, tile in the bathrooms, a new dining room table, my carpet extracted, paint down the stairwell, all of our photos hung up. The list just goes on and on. We try to set-up projects yearly and we do okay, but not as well as we could.

Summer Activities

We haven't done the family swim thing, yet, but we're planning to. We also want to participate in this year's fair and the ever popular balloon festival. I'm also trying to plan the Babe's birthday party (which will come in the form of a "slumber" theme this year). Oy! I must be out of my mind. A bunch of pre-adolescents running around my house, eating everything in site. I did, however, decide that she'd only have two or three girls over (not a whole posse).

Dance camp starts next week and the Babe has been bugging me mercilessly about it. Today, the director sent the schedule and I had her read it on my computer. Now, at least, she knows when it is and what to expect. There is a "celebrity" teacher being brought in and the parents sure felt it with the cost of the camp ($130 for two days). Yeah, we must love this kid.

I've been subjecting(?) my kids to movies and shows from my childhood. Right now, they are watching The Wonderful World of Strawberry Shortcake. Not that tart that's out now, but the cute, floppy-hat Strawberry from the 80's. My youngest is completely enchanted...my oldest loves the music more so than the stories (I think Strawberry is 6 or 7 years old, so it's understandable). Last night, we watched Steve Martin's, All of Me. (The babe is a huge fan of The Jerk; "You mean, I'm going to stay this color?!).

I'd forgotten how funny it is! We just laughed and laughed. It's been a lot of fun, cashing in on mom's Net.flix account and being nostalgic with my eldest.

Work is pretty much the usual. I'm getting anxious about hiring folks. It just seems to sit, sit, and sit. Why is it so hard? We have applications and interviews, then nothing. It's gotta happen before the fall rush. It's the same every year; September= a flood of students. All the time anytime still means people believe school starts in September.

Stirred by Dreams

They've been heavy and weird, as of late. Hubby always says I dream heavy, but often I don't remember what they're about. Last night, I woke up with a "face in the place" and really didn't know where I was or what was going on. Turns out, hubby was dreaming to. Damn, what the hell is going on with us? Dreaming of sexy times, with sexy times happening...along with the whole euphoria thing? Is that what it feels like to be high? If so, I can understand how people become addicts.

I've Been Writing

Not a lot, but more than I used to. I've been feeling motivated to write again. My problem is that, in the past, I've begun lots of stories and drafts, but have left them unfinished. I'm trying to keep up the momentum. I started a children's story (a reader, actually) based on the recent events of our dog getting lost and then re-found. Part of it is my encouragement to children to adopt animals from shelters.

I haven't worked on it since last week, but my plan is to do a bit of writing (creatively) every day. It would be nice to be published again...a sort of contribution to my immortality. We'll see where it leads me.

We Found Our Dog!

It's so wonderful! Shortly after I picked up the babe from summer camp, we came home to try and make a flyer for our door-knocking agenda (our next plan of action in the search). Just as we were leaving, the phone rang and a lady said she had our dog. She said that she called the number on the tag, which led her to our vet. Turns out, we share the same vet and they felt comfortable sharing our information with her. I'm so glad they did. We hurried over and ended up making a new friend.

That little stinker traveled about a mile to get to her house. Not only that, he crawled under her fence and made friends with her husky. Well, all's well that ends well. He's safe and the whole family is so happy. It was such a load off our minds, knowing he was safe. I just kept envisioning a big, mean dog using him as a chew-toy. Yikes!

Oh Where Oh Where has my Little Dog Gone?

It's a sad day in my household. One week ago today, we adopted a dog from the shelter. One week prior to that, my hubby and girls made a visit to the shelter, where they fell in love with this little dog. Normally, we aren't fans of the rat-dogs, but this one was a charmer. He didn't bark at us and was so gentle. Not your average Chihuahua in any sense, my hubby had me visit the shelter after work to see him. I was convinced that he needed to be in our family.

We had to wait a few days before we could adopt him, but adopt him we did. He was so cute and followed the girls and me around everywhere. Hubby took him to the vet last Tuesday for a checkup and to see why his cough was so bad (I suspected kennel cough, considering where he'd been). My suspicions were confirmed and the vet put him on antibiotics. I worked for a vet office for two and one half years of my life, so I have experience with animals in the medical sense. I taught hubby and the babe how to hold our new little dog, while I gave him his meds. I'm sure that's why he stopped following me around and decided everyone else in the family was safe.

Each morning and evening, I would shoot yucky meds into his mouth via syringe. Yeah, we weren't really bonding anymore (but he was still cute, sweet and (although timidly) trying to get to know me. This morning, I let both dogs out to potty. They both came in together, shortly thereafter and ran around my feet for a bit. My older dog is a mite jealous but very big, so his running was more of a circling. After a little while, my older dog indicated he wanted to go out again, so out they both went. When I went to call them in, only my older dog appeared.

I searched the backyard frantically for our new, little Chihuahua. Nothing. I had my daughter check up front. Nothing. Then, we started combing the neighborhood. Still, nothing. She was becoming distressed. I called the animal shelter and alerted them that he was missing. They assured me that if anyone called, they would call me. Cynic that I am, I had visions of some horrid person removing his tags and claiming him for their own. It could happen, you know.

Work neglected, I emailed my boss and coworkers, letting them know what was happening. I went back out in my car with the kids, calling his name and searching the neighborhood for him. It was drawing near to the babe's summer camp time, so we called it quits and headed home.

After I dropped her off, I checked the neighborhood again, came back online and told my coworkers that I hadn't found him. My one colleague, wonderful lady that she is, insisted that I keep looking and not to worry about work (since I'd covered for her last week when her daughter got sick). I felt guilty, but also felt better to have more time to search for him. I piled Indy into her stroller and set off. My next-door neighbor drove by and said he'd search too (what a good guy!) and so I headed toward the local park, hoping some kids had found him and were playing with him. No luck.

We kept walking, the sun beating down on me making me drip sweat all over the pavement. No one can say I didn't put forth a good effort. Dehydrated, I alerted another neighbor, who sent her kids out on their bikes. They searched a bit, then headed back to their skate boards. I couldn't blame them for that. My driving-neighbor came home and suggested I post a lost ad online, which I did. I will also create a flyer.

Oh, I can't believe how awful I feel! Even though we hadn't quite bonded yet, I still feel completely mom-responsible for him. I'm so concerned that he'll get hurt or attacked (he's only four pounds and we were steadily working to put a little weight on him.). We were going to schedule his neutering this week, but I guess we were a few days to late. Those man parts make a dog wander like no other! I'm hopeful, but very depressed. My oldest has had a really hard time this year and she was really starting to perk up with this new dog. He loved her best, I think. Hubby keeps calling and I wonder if he'll rearrange his trainings this afternoon, in order to help look. I've had to take care of Indy, so the search has been off for a while. Gosh, I hope he's okay and I hope someone does the kind/right thing and gets him back to us quickly and safely. He didn't have his meds this morning, or his breakfast...poor little guy. Honestly, my daughter doesn't need anymore heart-break this year.

Have you ever lost a pet? What did you do? Did you find him? Is there something else I should try?