How to kill your husband

I often joke with Rich that I'd kill him if I could figure out how to hide the body. It scares me a bit when friends offer suggestions like,"Just throw him in the dumpster," or "If you put him down the disposal no one will find him." Have these good people been thinking about how to kill their own husband? It makes you wonder,doesn't it?

The other day I read about a woman in Puerto Rico who killed her husband,chopped him up into little pieces,boiled him and hid him under the stairs. I printed the story out and left it by the computer for Rich to see for the radio show that he does.

On my way home from work on Saturday I asked if he had read it. He said that he had. Lillianna found it first and said,"I think this is for your show Daddy." I said,"Well,I guess if I kill you,I know how to get rid of the body now."

Rich laughed and said,"You'd never do it......" I got a warm feeling and thought that he knows I love him and would never hurt him in any way. Before I could say a word he continued and said ".....You don't like to cook that much!"

I had to laugh. He was right. I can barely chop up veggies for my soup,let alone chop up his huge body and then cook it! He's a big guy. I would have to use at least two pots! I love that my husband knows me so well. That's true love!

Too many tears to count

Today is our last day with "A" and I have already cried a million times today. Lillianna started crying last night and I'm sure it's going to be horrible when she gets home from school. This is harder than either of us imagined.

"A's" mom will fly in around 3pm and perhaps I'll get to meet her this time. She leaves with the kids on Saturday.

Saying goodbye is always tough but this little girl became a part of our family from the first moment that we met her. These past 3 1/2 months have been a joy and we will all miss her.

Still trying to cope

Thursday is my last day with "A" and then she goes back home. These past 3 1/2 months with her have been so much fun. I wish I had more time with her but that's just not going to happen. Saying goodbye is going to be painful.

Rich still hasn't received his unemployment check so I have a huge bag of bills that must remain unpaid. The stress of that is overwhelming. I get calls every day wanting to know where a payment is and I just have to say that my husband got laid off and when I have the money,I'll pay the bill.

I need to refill 3 of my prescriptions today but we don't have the money to do that until Rich's check comes in so I'll call my doctor and see if he has any samples in the office. I doubt that he does but it can't hurt to ask.

Rich hasn't found a new job yet but we both keep hoping something wonderful is coming our way. We're kind of due for some good luck. I hope it happens quickly.

(Note: I called my doctor's office for samples of my cholesterol med which without insurance is about $150 per month. They gave me a 6 month supply!!!!!! That's about a $900 savings!! I am so thrilled!!)

Hidden talent

Today there was a Brownie meeting for the moms to talk about our field trip to New York in June and to also talk about which girls were going to bridge to Girl Scouts.
One of the moms who is in charge of the bridging ceremony said,"I need to make a balloon arch. Does anyone know how to make one?"

Everyone shook their heads and looked perplexed. I raised my hand and said,"Uhm....I know how to make a balloon arch."

The mom looked at me and gasped,"You do?"

I said,"I used to make them every week for Sunday brunch at T.G.I.Friday's." I explained that I hadn't made one since 1986 but as long as I had balloons,string and a helium tank,I could do it.

Apparently,I'm now in charge of the balloon arch. I told Lillianna that it kind of makes me laugh because out of all the things I am known for,I don't believe anyone ever knew I could make a balloon arch. I mean,when does that come up in normal conversation?

So,my question is,what hidden talent do you have?

Marriage is hard work

This post is over at DotMoms today.

Acceptance sucks!

Knowing that I have no control over many of the things that are happening in my life,I decided to accept my life as it is right now. This revelation came after hours of crying last night and going through half a box of tissues.

When I was single,I approached things differently. My decisions only pertained to me. I didn't have a husband or child to factor in to the equation so if I changed jobs or moved out of the country,it was okay. Obviously marriage and motherhood changed that way of thinking.

Since I am unhappy with my work schedule and I actually despise one of my jobs,I will just sit and wait for Rich's next move. I can't change anything until he gets a new job with health and dental benefits. After that happens,I will have some serious decisions to make about what job I actually want to do.

I have worked with people in some capacity since I was 15 years old.(That's 29 years for the mathematically challenged.) I'm burnt out. I don't think I want to deal with people anymore. What job doesn't deal with people? I'm not really a pet person either although I do love my furry nephew Cody. He's family so he doesn't count. Actually,I'm not sure if he knows he's a dog.

So,after my crying fit and hysteria,I'm resigned to the fact that I can't make a move until Rich gets a new job. In a way,the pressure is off of me to fix everything because I just can't. Rich says I make him feel like he is never doing enough and I don't want to make him feel that way anymore so I will keep my mouth zipped and just be as supportive as I can be. Maybe that will set our life in a better direction. It's worth a try.

Why did I think things couldn't get worse?

I just found out today that "A" may be moving away next month and I won't be taking care of her anymore. She is a total joy and makes some of my bad days seem better. She brings happiness to all of us. Rich and Lillianna love her too. I thought we had her until August or September when she would go home to her parents but her grandmother told me today that they may be moving out of state and not renewing their apartment lease in March.

I was devastated. Things are sucking so badly for our family right now and the depression and stress is just about eating us alive. I honestly can't take one more loss or disappointment. I can't cope with all of this. I know it may seem petty but it's just one thing after another.

When I think we are at rock bottom,we get buried even deeper. I don't believe that
G-d only gives us what we can handle because I couldn't handle it when Rich lost working on Tuesdays. That pay cut was too much when we were already struggling financially. Then he got laid off. Tomorrow is our last day with health insurance.

Did I mention my right eye twitches and my right leg bounces on it's own now? I'm freaking out here!!! If I go insane I can't even see a doctor......no insurance!!!!

Possibly losing "A" in the next few weeks is the last straw. We are good people. We deserve good things. When are they going to start happening?

Just four words on a sign

There is a fairly new market type store on the main road which I pass every day. I've never been inside but it seems like it carries the same type of things that a Cumberland Farms would carry.
The thing that intrigues me is the sign outside. Every now and then it changes but it only has four words on it to tell what is has inside.
I believe the sign now reads:

Groceries
Liquor
Lottery
Meats

The meats always make me wonder if they mean like meats from a butcher or deli meats.
The parking is tricky due to it's location but I should stop in some day just to see it.

This got me thinking. If I had a store like that and I could only put four words on the sign,what would they be? I would want to make it funny and interesting to pique everyone's curiosity so that they would stop in. I've come up with my four words....they are....

Jellybeans
Tires
Bread
Puppets

Can't you just see the drivers doing a double-take? "Puppets? Why does that store carry puppets?" Jellybeans would make me stop the car,that's for sure. Of course I would carry regular and sugar-free.

So,if you had to use only four words to describe your interesting market type store,what would they be?

How was my day? Thanks for asking.

I woke up at 6am this morning and jumped in the shower remembering to shave my armpits. It was mammogram day. I made this appointment last month before knowing that in 5 days I will be uninsured. I was definitely not canceling this appointment for any reason.

By 6:30am I was starving and feeling light headed but since I was trying to sneak my blood work in at 8am before my 8:30am mammogram,I couldn't eat or drink. I have blood taken every 3 months to check my sugar and cholesterol. Who knows when I'll be able to have that done again?

I got to the office at 7:53am and there was already a line outside the office waiting for the lab door to open at 8am. At least I was 4th in line. I would definitely make it next door in time for the mammogram.

Around 8:15am,I was called in. The phlebotomist was one I have had before and she was nice. She asked which arm I prefered and I said the right one. I know this from years of experience that both arms have difficult veins but the right arm is the better one.

When I closed my eyes for the needle she asked if I was okay and I said,"Oh ya...I just don't like to look,plus,my veins are small so if you have to do it more than once I need to think of something else." She said,"You're veins aren't small. They're huge."

I was hungry,dizzy and tired and not in the mood for a debate on the size of my veins but I hate to be contradicted when a zillion medical professionals have all declared that I have small veins. In the hospital in Florida,each phlebotomist came in to draw blood saying,"I heard you are a tough stick." One of them prayed on my arm every morning before drawing blood because no one could find a vein.

Twelve years ago when I had foot surgery, five nurses tried and failed to start my I.V. They finally paged my surgeon and called him out of the O.R. to start my I.V. In the end,the head nurse was able to do it. My surgeon couldn't believe how much trouble my veins caused.

I have passed out in the doctor's office several times over the years because I have to be stuck in multiple locations before a vein is found. I HAVE SMALL VEINS!!!!!!
I'm not proud of it but it's just a fact.
I smiled politely,thanked the nurse and went next door for the mammogram.

This technician was nice and we chatted about our daughters as my breasts were manipulated,positioned and squished as flat as a pancake. Breasts are quite resilient and fascinating things. She asked if I was okay or if she was hurting me. I said,"These things are so huge I can't even feel a thing."

It's kind of sad to think back to my early 20's when I asked my mom to come with me to pick out a push-up bra because I really wanted cleavage. Damn! Now my cleavage is like the Bermuda Triangle without any help from a push-up bra. If a ship sailed in there it would be lost forever.

Well,now it's around 11am and I'm waiting for my manager to call me back. He called while I was out and told Lillianna to have me call him because it was urgent. Gosh,I hope it's not about the note I left him last week saying that if we didn't have enough help this weekend,I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't turn around and walk out the door. With all that's going on in my life,I feel like one more bad or irritating thing is going to push me over the edge.

So,that's my day so far.

What I learned from watching COPS

I find Cops to be amusing and informative.
I am sure many of you have seen this show a time or two but I wanted to share what I have learned over the years. These are very helpful tips and if I can help just one person out there,it will all have been worth it.

#1: If you are planning on stealing a car,put on some clothes before you leave the house just in case a cop pulls you over. Many people on COPS try to steal cars in the buff and then they are perplexed when the cop is suspicious. Generally speaking,a naked driver is an arrested driver. Just a little FYI for ya.

#2: Speaking of being naked....if a cop does pull you over and you are not wearing any clothes,don't stuff your drugs in any personal body openings. Cops love a good cavity search.

#3: It may have worked with your parents when you were in high school and had a pack of cigarettes but telling a police officer that you are holding that crack pipe "for a friend" is not going to fly when you're 35 and you're clearly high and can barely remember your own name.

#4: If a cop pulls you over and finds that you are with a young woman,don't try to play it off like she's a friend of yours. Tell the truth and admit she's some "ho" that you paid $10 for oral sex. Lies never work when two cops quiz you and the girl separately.

cop: How do you know that woman?
you: I've known her for years. She's friends with my sister.
cop: What's her name?
you: (extremely long pause).....Name?..... Her name?.... Uhm.....I dunno.

other cop: How do you know the driver?
hooker: Oh....the driver?....Uhm....He's my boyfriend.
other cop: Your boyfriend? What's his name?
hooker: His name?.........Well.....I just met him today.
other cop: You just met him today and he's your boyfriend?
hooker: (dead silence)
other cop: Did he pay you for your services?
hooker: Oh sh**.......I have 5 kids at home. I can't go to jail again!!

Just so ya know.....the truth always comes out one way or another.

#5: If you find yourself being chased by a cop and you are on foot..... STOP RUNNING!!!! What is the matter with you? Haven't you ever seen this show? Do you have the thought capacity of an acorn? They are going to catch you. They have cars and helicopters. You only have your own two feet and you are wearing flip flops. How far do you think you can get before you are thrown on the ground and cuffed? Save yourself the bruising and just stand as still as a statue and let them ask you their questions. They will respect you more if you don't act like you are guilty and running from them. If your brain isn't completely fried from drug use,you might have half a chance.

I hope these tips prove to be helpful. Please let me know if I've saved a life.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse

I've been trying to keep a positive outlook on things but it's been tough. Rich's employer decided that he would close on Tuesdays due to lack of business starting the last week of January. Rich lost one day's pay a week which really hurt us. Even though he has 2 weeks vacation time coming to him,they wouldn't let him take Tuesday as a vacation day. That's a pay loss of over $400 per month. We weren't even making ends meet before this. How were we supposed to make it work now?

Last Friday,Rich was laid off. As of the end of this month which is in EIGHT DAYS,we lose our health benefits. I am on 5 medications. I also need my lancets and test strips to check my blood every day. I need health insurance!

I called my work today to see if I could be covered through there. For family health insurance I would have to pay $809 per month. I don't even make that much money per month so I can't get it through there. I burst into tears and called Rich on his cell phone.

He said he knew I had been crying and told me not to worry. He would look into getting benefits through unemployment. COBRA would cost us $1,200 per month. That's impossible if my husband is unemployed! Where do they think the money is going to come from....the sky?

I'm trying to keep a positive attitude but it's really difficult to do. I haven't paid a bill in one month because I am saving the money to pay our rent. I'm sure I'll be getting a ton of calls from credit card companies and everyone else who is looking to get paid. On the bright side,if my phone is disconnected then they won't be able to reach me.

I just keep remembering,"This too shall pass." I hope it passes quickly.

Never underestimate the power of an ice cube

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of ice cubes. I have never been so grateful to have a bag of ice in my freezer as I was this morning.

"A" has been teething for two weeks now and it's been getting worse. On Tuesday,she was screaming when she was dropped off and I ended up calling her grandmother to see if I could give her some Tylenol. That seemed to calm her down for the rest of the day and I was glad. I hate to see anyone in pain but especially a baby because they can't say what's wrong.

This morning,"A" was in a screaming frenzy when she was dropped off and her grandfather said she had been ok earlier but then suddenly began to scream. She hadn't slept well or eaten that much.He handed me her bottle of Tylenol and I took my hysterical little pal upstairs and removed her coat. The tears were streaming down her red face.

I offered her a bottle because sometimes she eats when she comes to me but she simply pushed it away. I tried a cold wash cloth for her to suck on but she kept twisting and turning because she couldn't find a spot to be comfortable in. (Think: childbirth!!)

I carried her into the kitchen and grabbed an ice cube out of the freezer. I sat on the couch cuddling her while I rubbed the ice cube on her gums. She immediately relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. Her sleepy eyes began to close as she licked the ice and fell asleep. It was like magic!

Her grandmother was supposed to buy Orajel the other day but forgot it as she bought me diapers,baby food,cereal and snacks. Sometimes Lillianna choked on Orajel so I didn't mind that it had been forgotten.

Thank goodness for the almighty ice cube!

If it's not Frank Sinatra then Mom is clueless

When I was in high school,Mom and Dad went to Las Vegas on vacation. When they came home,Mom told me all the fun things they had done. "One night,we went into this free show but Daddy and I left because we had never heard of the band. Have you ever heard of Kool and The Gang?

I nearly fell off my chair. I looked at her in horror and gasped,"You walked out on Kool and The Gang? Are you kidding me? Why?....why?......How could you do that?"

She looked puzzled and asked,"You've heard of them?" I think I walked out of the room shaking my head in disbelief. She had free tickets to see them and she walked out.

Today when I spoke to her she and her friend Barbara were going to spend two nights in a nearby casino. The men were joining them tonight to see Frank Sinatra Jr. After the show the guys will return home and the girls will have one more night of gambling.

Mom said,"I got free tickets to a show tomorrow night so I gave them to Risa." Risa's my cousin who lives in Florida and she's only about 20 minutes away from my mother. I thought that was nice of her and I asked who she was going to see. Mom asked,"Huey Lewis and something."

"Do you mean Huey Lewis and The News,Mother?" I said in my sarcastic tone. She knew she was in trouble because I always call her Mommy. Mother is used when I jokingly scold her for something.

Mom answered,"Oh,you've heard of them?"

Ya gotta love Mom. I told her to enjoy Frankie Jr and to have a Happy Valentine's Day. That woman just cracks me up!

Now that's just disgusting!

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I don't follow the lives of celebrities. I don't know who they are dating,married to,having an affair with or who they had a child with. If I knew them I might care but they are strangers to me.

That being said,I just read the most disgusting thing about Anna Nicole Smith. There was a forum asking who fathered her baby and there were a lot of people who said they think her deceased son,Danny is the father of her baby.

I'll admit she was messed up but I doubt her son fathered her daughter. That is even far fetched for Anna Nicole Smith.

Don't you think so?

It's my birthday!!

Well,I don't know what 44 is supposed to look like so I guess I look okay for 44.
Wow.....44. It just seems like such an old number to me. My mother was 44 when I was a senior in high school. She seemed so young to me. Lillianna is only in 3rd grade. Does that make me old?

I know you're only as young as you feel so I am going to declare that 44 is still very young. Since it's my birthday,I can say anything I want and believe anything I want.
Right?

I'm going to clean the house for a bit this morning and then bake my cake: white cake,strawberries and Cool Whip. It's a bit of a stretch with the sugar and carbs in the cake but I'll have a small piece and hope everyone else eats the rest.

I hope everyone has a great day!

(update: So far this morning,Lillianna and Rich wished me a happy birthday. Lillianna declared that today her Sherbert Bunny Webkinz that I bought her yesterday belongs to me for 24 hours. I love that bunny.

Kristy and Jerry called from work at 7:30am. They are going to come by tonight for cake. That was a nice surprise.

At 8:30am Kara called. She sang happy birthday to me with Lena and Bella. That was so cute. Cody wouldn't sing. They all yelled,"Speak! Speak!" to try to get him to bark for me but he was silent. Lena said,"He's not in a talking mood."

My friend Mary emailed me to say happy birthday. Even though she lives 15 minutes away,we rarely see each other so we are trying to plan a time to get together.

Rich called on his way to work to tell me he heard the pajama gram commercial and it does not sound like vagina gram. He was listening to a different station when he heard it and my point was that the guy on WRKO who did it had a New York accent and it did too sound like vagina gram. He just laughed.

Mom called after 9am. She thought 44 sounded old. I said,"Hey,you're almost 70. 44 is not that bad." She had to agree.

My cousin Becky called a little before 10am from California. She sang to me too. I said she owes me 19 more happy birthday songs since we hadn't been in touch for 20 years. She said she'll just randomly call me to sing to me. I thought that sounded great!

Liane called from Virginia at 10am to wish me a happy day. We had a great talk as always. We've been best friends since junior high school.

Now it's 10:30am and I am going to hop in the shower before Liane's package arrives sometime before 3:00pm! I hope I don't miss it!)

Same sound,different word

Lillianna and I were on our way to dancing school today and I was trying to tell her something funny about my sister,Kara. Growing up,Kara was not the most emotional person on the planet. As a young child she was more snuggly than she was in her later years but I guess that's to be expected.

Lillianna only knows Kara as the loving and wonderful auntie she has always been so to explain my story I tried to give her a good description of what she was like in her teen years. I said,"She was kind of standoffish......aloof."
I thought for a second then I asked,"Do you know what aloof is?"

Lillianna replied,"I know what a loofah is."

I burst out laughing.

What kind of gift is that?

I was driving home from work at midnight last night and listening to Michael Savage on talk radio. Even though I know nothing about politics,I happen to love his show and find him funny and fascinating.

Anyway,somewhere around 12:20am,he did a commercial for a Valentine's gift. He has a bit of an accent. I believe he is originally from New York. So the ad sounded like this to me:

If you want to get the perfect Valentine's gift for the woman in your life,get her a vagina-gram.

I was stunned. My mouth dropped open. Did he say vagina-gram? What the hell could that possibly be and how could he say that on the radio? Sure,it's after midnight here but he broadcasts from California and it's early there.

I continued to listen to the ad.

She may not tell you that that is what she wants but no woman can resist it. Every woman loves pjs so get her that pajama-gram.

Ohhhhhh......PAJAMA-gram.That's very different. Never mind.

"Mom" is me!

I was on the phone this morning and I glanced over to the calendar Lillianna made in school a couple of months ago. January is hanging by one corner so I can see February underneath it. I noticed Lillianna had written "Mom's B-day" on February and my first reaction was confusion. Why would Lillianna write that my mom's birthday was in February? She knows it's in July!

Suddenly I realized that she meant my birthday. I'm Mom! You'd think I could figure that out after nine years but it still makes me stop and think when I see Lillianna write Mom on a calendar. I immediately think of my mother.

Has this ever happened to you?

The big four-OH!

Today is Rich's 40th birthday. To think,he was a young lad of 26 when we first met. My how time does fly.

Rich kept going back and forth about what he wanted to do on this special day. As of yesterday,we were planning to go out for breakfast this morning and then around 12:30pm,Kara,Peter and Cody(my favorite furry chocolate lab nephew)were coming over for cake.

Last night at 10pm,Gary called to ask what we were doing today. Rich told him we were having cake around 1pm so he came over with Kristy and Jerry. Sal and his 5 year old daughter,Samantha also joined the party. (Rich and Sal do an internet radio show on www.bunkradio.com ) I hadn't seen Samantha since her 1st birthday. She is just a precious and lovely little girl. She had so much fun with Lillianna.

So,Rich's un-birthday turned into a wonderful day for all of us.

Happy 40th birthday,honey!

"Exploitation" vs "just acting"

I'm not a big movie goer but this story intrigued me.

Should a 12 year old actress play the part of a rape victim in a movie or is she just too young? It seems people are in an uproar about Dakota Fanning's latest role.
Personally,knowing that a 12 year old girl is raped in this movie,I'd never ever go see it. I can't stand anything about rape or abuse.

Yes,I know it happens and not acknowledging these movies won't make it go away but I don't find watching it to be enjoyable at all. Not even if there is a wonderful message at the end of it.

The article said that as children, Jodi Foster and Brooke Shields both played roles considered inappropriate for a child their age.

Do you think a 12 year old should play a rape victim? Is this a movie you would go to see?

Killing your child is never honorable

This article made me want to cry. I know it's a cultural issue but no matter how you try to explain it to me,there is just no honor in killing your innocent child. It's called MURDER and the killer should be put to death!

It is a parent's job to protect and love their child no matter what. I know that isn't a priority in some cultures because girls are not valued as much as boys but a child is still a child and he/she didn't ask to be born. We must take care of each one of our precious children.

The point is,the 17 year old girl in the article was a virgin and her father killed her anyway. What is wrong with this world???????????

A question of passion

Everything I've been reading lately says that I need to find what I am passionate about and then pursue that dream. I'm less than 2 weeks away from turning 44 and I'm not sure I even know what my passion is. Do I still have dreams for myself? Have I resigned myself to the fact that all I can really do is work,pay the bills,take Lillianna to her activities,cook dinner and then go to sleep so that I can do it all over again the next day? That doesn't sound passionate at all.

I love being Lillianna's mother. There is so much daily joy in that alone that I don't really think about what would make me happy other than having a happy and well adjusted child. I'm doing well in that category so sometimes,that is enough. Or is it?

I love writing but I can't say I'm passionate about it. It's fun to be creative at times but is this really my passion? I absolutely know that I hate jobs that deal with people. I'm good at them but I don't enjoy them a good portion of the time.

I recently found out that the baby I take care of 3 days a week is going out of state to visit her parents in 2 weeks so I will lose that money. I could pick up 2 mornings at the ophthalmic practice that I work at on Saturdays but I almost got an anxiety attack when I thought of actually doing it. I passionately HATE that job so I begged Rich to work overtime at his job to make up for it during that week. The thought of picking up 2 mornings made me sick even for just one week.

So,I guess I can rule out the jobs that I hate but I can't figure out what I love. Why don't I have passion anymore? Did I ever have it?

How did you find your passion?

We're just kids at heart

Over the past few months I have occasionally caught Rich on a website that had me a bit concerned at first. Oh,it wasn't porn or a single's chat so I guess I should be relieved that I don't have that kind of husband. The sounds from the computer had me curious so I looked to see what he was playing. I laughed when I realized he was playing baseball on the Build-A-Bear website. That's where Lillianna likes to play.

How can you be mad at an innocent thing like that? I suppose I shouldn't have made fun of him because in the past week,I have been hooked on the games in the Webkinz website. Ya,they're kid games but they're really kind of fun.

I chalk this up to the inferior games that we had as kids. I grew up in the age when Etch-a-sketch was a miracle toy. Hey it was super if you only wanted to make straight lines in every direction. That got boring after a few minutes,though. That's when you had to turn to Spirograph. That provided hours of endless fun.

When I was in my late teens,Kara got Atari. Mom and Dad made her promise she'd play with it and not get sick of it. She swore if she got it she would play with it all the time. "All the time" equaled about one month. Dad liked the poker game. I liked the clown that bonked his head and died every time I made a wrong move. I know,that's kind of sick.

My point is,we missed out on cool computer games. So,if Rich and I occasionally play a kid game on one of Lillianna's favorite websites it's 'cuz we're just kids at heart.

Are you sitting in a tub of terriyaki sauce?

Anyone who has ever read this blog knows how I feel about words that are spelled or used incorrectly. This morning I was watching a talk show and some guy confessed to his girlfriend on the phone that he had been in prison for drugs before he met her.

When Greg,the host,asked her how she felt about this she said,"I don't know yet. I'll have to marinate on that."

I just picture her sitting in a tub of terriyaki sauce thinking about her lying,drug dealing boyfriend. Is that what she is planning to do?

Or did she mean to use the word ruminate?
If she didn't know this word she could've just said,"I'll have to think about it." We would've all understood that. What does she do when she's cooking meat? Does she ruminate on the steak by just looking at it and thinking she wishes it was covered in a sauce? I'm really confused.

I'll have to marinate on this one.


(Note: Hilly said marinate is Valley girl slang for thinking it over. I don't know....sounds odd to me. I don't think I'll be using it in that context.Will you?)

American Idol is the new Gong Show

Every one is making a big deal out of this season's American Idol. Yes,Simon is a bit nastier than in previous seasons but is he really that much different?

I look at it this way,you'd have to live in a cave,high on a mountain on another planet to not know what the AI auditions are like. Even if you're not a fan of this show,you must've seen it at least once. If you're planning on auditioning for AI,I would hope you researched the previous 5 seasons so that you know what you are in for. If you are completely clueless then you get what you deserve!

Even though some of these people say they are serious,I believe they are just looking for their 30 seconds of fame. Some are so horrendous,they should be ashamed to audition. If their friends and family are encouraging them,they need to get new friends and break away from their family. They know the truth but they won't spare you the public humiliation by telling you. These are not good people! Run away!!

I don't think that AI is any worse than the Gong Show was back in the 70s. Sometimes,an act would be performed and after one second they'd get the gong from one of the celebrity judges. Like the people who audition for AI,being rejected and humiliated is really part of the whole package. The Gong Show contestants knew that but for some reason,the AI contestants are shocked,angry and vindictive when they basically get the gong.

What is the difference? I just think there is more drama in 2007 than there was in 1976. People are more outrageous and the chance that a horrible audition may be shown over and over during the AI season or maybe even get a quick spot on the nightly news,is enough to get these untalented people in the spotlight. They crave attention.

Since AI is not a beauty contest,I believe that Simon should not criticize someone's outward appearance. These crazy people who sing horrific songs completely out of key or not even in any Earthly recognizable key, get what they deserve.

I can't sing. I know I can't. That's why you won't see me in any AI audition. Even if I wasn't 16 years over the age limit,I'd still never humiliate myself like that.

So,I will continue to watch AI because I find it funny and fascinating. Randy will always "Yo,yo,yo." Simon will always be an honest nasty bastard and Paula will appear high or intoxicated because she probably is. That's the show. That's why we watch it.

When growing up means growing apart

I totally forgot that this has been over at DotMoms since yesterday. Oooops. I've fallen a bit behind here.

You call this progress?

I was talking to Mom yesterday and I asked her how she dealt with handling all the bills when I was a kid. Dad never gave a thought to paying anything,he just worked really hard and handed Mom his check every week. She did the rest.
Sadly,this scene is all too familiar.

I said that I was completely overwhelmed with all the bills that come on a daily basis and I practically hyperventilate every time I get the mail. Mom said that there was no cable,computer,cell phones or extras on the phone bill. Everything was simple and straight forward.

Obviously,somewhere in my brain,I knew that fact but it didn't actually register until she said it. I miss the simpler times but I like the technology that we have now......I think.

I just wish everything was more affordable.

De-lurking Day

Kris reminded me that Sheryl created De-lurking Day a few years ago to find out who was reading her blog. I find it amusing that people tell me they read my blog but they've never left a single comment. I find that hard to do since I always have so much to say. How could I ever stay silent on someone else's blog?

Kris also said that some meme was floating around blog land about disclosing 5 things that no one knows about us. I'm kind of an open book so I can't believe that I have any secrets left but I'll give it a whirl.


1.)The reason I don't lie is because I was an only child until I was almost 12. If something happened,I did it! There was no one to blame,not even a pet,so I had no choice but to tell the truth.

2.)I still call my mother "Mommy" even though I am almost 44 years old. I've always called her that and it's too late to start calling her something else now. Kara calls her Ma and it always sounds like a sheep noise to me. I do occasionally call her Mom but that's only when I think about it. Mommy comes naturally to me.

3.)In my junior year of high school,I helped my friend Greg who was a senior,memorize a passage from The Merchant of Venice for his final exam. He learned it for the test and forgot it the next day. Twenty six years later,I can still recite it even though I've never read the book!

4.)I hate my feet. I think they are hideous. I am hoping in my next life that I have beautiful feet.

5.) I am currently hooked on C.S.I Miami. I don't know what it is about that show but I totally love it! I never liked David Caruso but as Horatio,I love that guy.

Ok,so that's it for me. All you lurkers out there,if there are any,de-lurk today!

Mom is home to visit!

Mom flew in from Florida yesterday and she stayed at Kara's last night. There's no point in opening her house for the 9 days she is here so she will bounce back and forth between me and Kara although,Kara gets the better deal since I work on the weekends but any time I can spend with Mom is fine with me. She's been gone since Halloween and it's hard for all of us when Mom flies south for the winter.

We've always been a very close family so it was tough when Mom and John bought a condo around 8 years ago and decided to spend the winters in Florida. Kara and I want Mom to be happy so we just deal with it but there are always tears when it's time for her to leave. Kara used to mock me when I cried but she gets teary now too so the mocking has stopped! Even Mom says,"Kara used to be my easy one. What happened?" I always tell Mom,"We can't help it if we love you!"

Mom is a wonderful cook so of course she asked me what I want her to make while she is here. I love her cabbage soup with meat so she has agreed to make that today. She stopped at her house for her pizzelle maker so that she and Lillianna can whip up some delicious cookies tonight. Lillianna and Rich love those cookies and for a Jewish woman,Mom makes a heck of an Italian cookie!

More than anything,I just enjoy being with Mom. In fact,everyone loves being with my mother. She is kind and loving and she is everything a mom and nana should be.

Hopefully she will be here in an hour. I can't wait to see her!

Do you have a close relationship with your mom?

Lunch time

Wednesdays are tough for Rich. He works from 9:30am-6:00pm then he drives 30 minutes to a meditation class. After that,he drives about 45 minutes to do his online radio show with his friend Sal on bunkradio from 9pm-11pm. He usually stays for the next show that ends at 1am and by the time all is said and done,he gets home around 1:45am. It's a long day and he has to take everything that he will need for the whole day and night with him when he leaves the house at 9am.

This morning,he took his back pack with a change of clothes and 2 bags of trash that I asked him to throw in the dumpster on his way out. As he turned to lock the door behind him,he put the hanger from his shirt in his mouth and said,"I feel like a fish!" I had to laugh. He did look like a fish with a hook in his mouth. Somehow he managed to lock the door and off he went.

Fifteen minutes later I noticed Lillianna's girl scout cookie order on the table. Rich wanted to take it to work today since his co-workers wanted to buy some cookies. I sighed that he had forgotten it two days in a row and then I noticed that the cookie order was sitting on top of his lunch box! All his food for the day was in there and there was no extra money to take out from the ATM. He had to have this lunch!

When I called him on his cell phone he yelled something unrepeatable but then he calmed down when he realized he had to make a delivery in our town this morning. He said he'd drop by to pick up his lunch. Problem solved.

At 12:30pm he popped in and decided to grab a snack. I have to go food shopping so there wasn't much to choose from but he managed to grab 2 mini brown sugar cinnamon bagels and 2 small bottles of water. With half a bagel in his mouth he kissed me good-bye and headed out the door. He was just about to leave when I noticed the lunch box was still on the table!

I rolled my eyes and asked,"Did you want your lunch?" He looked stunned and then we laughed. I shook my head and said,"Well,I had nothing to blog about until now."
As long as there are husbands there will always be posts to write.

The stray eyebrow

I don't understand the growth pattern of my eyebrows. I really don't. I check them every day to make sure nothing odd is growing out of there but then,when I least expect it,I see it....that one eyebrow that is 5 inches longer than all the rest!

I fluff my eyebrow with my fingers and this Ripley's Believe It Or Not eyebrow hair is staring me in the face. When fluffed,this hair practically reaches my chin. Where the heck has it been hiding all this time? It's not curly so it couldn't have doubled up and snuck behind a shorter hair to keep out of sight. I find this to be quite perplexing.

The reality is,after I pluck it,another long hair will appear a couple of days later.
I want to know why only one hair is so unbelievably long and where does it go when I am looking for it?

Do you have any long eyebrow hairs?

I just need a break

This past week has felt especially overwhelming to me. Sometimes,I think about what I have to do each day and I just sigh. Being a mom and a wife brings responsibilities that have begun to get me down. We all have too much to do in our lives but lately,too much has turned into way too much.

I am now working 48 hours a week since I added babysitting for "A" into my schedule at the beginning of December. She is wonderful and being with her sure beats listening to people complain during an eye exam so I was happy to give up that crappy job on Thursdays to be with her. That doesn't change the fact that I am mentally and physically exhausted.

I don't mean to say it is any more than most moms do,it's just that moms do a lot of things that go unacknowledged by the family. That's sad. It really is.
I know that I probably don't appreciate some of the things that Rich does although I do thank him when he cleans and does the laundry since I hate doing both of those things.

Today is another day of running around on my "day off." There are things that have to get done and I'm the one to do them. I'd really rather curl up in bed and take a 3 hour nap to prepare me for the working weekend ahead but there is no time for that.

What do you do when you just need a break? How can I make time for myself?

New kid on the blog

My friend,Lisa,just started her own blog today. I wish that Lisa was my sister-in-law but she's actually my sister Kara's sister-in-law. Our families blended so well in this marriage that we are one big happy family whether we are related or not. We're very lucky!

Lisa's husband,TC(Peter's brother) was the best man in Kara and Peter's wedding so we walked down the aisle together since I was the matron of honor.Lillianna is still quoting TC's wedding speech. He is an unbelievable story teller.We were all mesmerized. TC is very funny and interesting but Lisa rolls her eyes at him just like I roll my eyes at Rich. Hey,they're men. What else can ya do?

Their son,Trent,is the love of everyone's life. He is sweet and charming and Lillianna loves him. He is also a big fan of hers even though there is a 6 year age difference.He's only 3. Either way,we all adore him. I'll have to write about New Year's Eve and how funny he was the other night.

TC is going back to Iraq which I just found out Sunday night. I was devastated. I think Lisa is handling it better than I did. I had everyone praying for him when he was there a couple of years ago so the prayers will have to begin again soon.

Please pop over and welcome Lisa to the blog world. She is amazing and funny and an awesome photographer.

Happy New Year

May 2007 be a wonderful year for all of us!

What time is it?

This morning,I saw my first patient at 8:00am. When I looked at my watch to check the time, it said 8:30. I knew it wasn't 8:30 yet. That's when I realized my battery was dead.

You'd think I would've taken the watch off since it didn't help me at all. You'd be wrong. I left it on and looked at it all day. It never moved past 8:30. I knew it wasn't going to move but I still checked it.

Did you ever do anything weird like that or is it just me?

Lilly Day

I was going to write about Lilly Day but Lillianna wrote about it on her own blog.
You can read it here.

Today is Lilly Day!

Lillianna and I are going on a shopping trip today. She has gift cards to Limited Too and The Children's Place and I have to exchange her dance pants at Target and her leggings at Kohl's. Today it's all about her.

Of course,since she's an only child,isn't every day Lilly Day?

Coffee anyone?

Kara and Peter bought me this for Christmas! They have one at home and I use it whenever I'm there. For me,this is such an extravagant gift and I'd never buy it for myself.

A few weeks ago,Kara told me my gift was Peter's idea so I was thinking this might be the gift but I wasn't sure. I was so excited when I saw it. Peter hugged me and said it was a thank you for all the work I do for them in the office. I only worked in the office when they were on their honeymoon and I occasionally answer their calls on my cell phone if they have to do something during the day. I was stunned.

The beauty of this gift is that Lillianna loves making hot beverages for the family: coffee for me,tea for Rich and cocoa for Lil. She has so much fun making our drinks and I like feeling as if I am on vacation!

Come on over for coffee anytime! There's plenty to go around.

The last shopping day

These past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind. I have "A" 3 days a week which is a total joy for all our family. I have taken her to Target,CVS and one other store to do some holiday shopping. She sat patiently for 45 minutes on Wednesday waiting for our Christmas cards to be made at CVS. They said it would take 15 minutes so I figured I'd wait. There was only one woman working in that department so even though the cards were ready,she was too busy doing other things for other people to let me have them. "A" was wonderful as she laughed and smiled at me. Thank goodness she is a sweet baby.

Today is my first and only day off this week. I have to get EVERYTHING done because I work all weekend. I finally realized I had to ask Rich for help so he will be baking all the cookies on Sunday for 2 platters:one for Christmas Eve and one for Christmas Day. I can't do them today....no time. I also told him he will have to take Lillianna shoe shopping on Saturday because her black dress shoes don't fit anymore. There is just not enough time in my day today to do it all.

In one hour,I will head out to the bank and then to the mall that has just about everything for the last few gifts that I need. I also have to finish Kara's second scrapbook which is my gift to her and Peter. Their wedding/honeymoon book is done,now I am working on their "baby",Cody,my chocolate lab nephew! That reminds me,I have to go to the scrapbook store for more supplies.

I'll do the food shopping after I get Lillianna from school today then....oh crap!...I'd better call Rich and tell him not to eat pizza for lunch today...that's my plan for dinner. Who has time to cook? Not me.

Before Lillianna left for school I said I had to write a list of things to do since this is my one and only shot at getting it all done. She said,"Add breathe to your list,Mom!" She's such a smart child.

Everybody has a Gretchen

This morning,Lillianna was wondering whether she should wear ankle socks,peds or no socks with her furry clogs. I told her to wear whatever she felt more comfortable in. She thought someone might say something in school about her choice. I shrugged and said,"Well,everybody has a Gretchen." She said,"Ya....there's a Gretchen in Are you there God,it's me Margaret."

I laughed and said,"I didn't mean that everyone actually knows a Gretchen. I just meant there is always a Gretchen-like person in everyone's life."
Her next question was no surprise."Who is Gretchen,Mom?"

I explained that Gretchen was a girl who was friends with my best friend,Liane from 7th grade until we graduated. Liane was kind and sweet so she could tolerate Gretchen better than I could but she still got on her nerves.

If you got your hair cut,her usual comment was,"Ohhhhh.....you cut your hair.................Why did you do that? It looked better before." If you wore a new outfit to school,you might hear,"Wow! That's really interesting. I saw that in the store but there was no way I was going to buy it. You're really brave."

Lillianna just nodded her head. She knows. We all know. There's always one girl who tries to make others just feel bad. I didn't have the patience that Liane had so my response was usually snippy.

In 10th grade,I started dating a boy from another town. Gretchen's first question was,"What kind of car does he drive?" I told her I didn't know. I barely know what kind of car I drive now! She said,"Well,Mike drives a Trans-Am!" I went to school with Mike and yes,he had a nice car but he wasn't exactly boyfriend material. I said,"Well,I'd rather have a great boyfriend with an unknown car than have a mediocre boyfriend with a nice car!" She turned around in her chair and made a "Hmmmmph!" sound. I don't remember hearing any comments from her after that.

I don't think she was a bad person but she did like to put others down. I don't have much tolerance for that type of person. I like people to feel good about themselves and to be happy. Life is short. We should be kind to others just like we hope they'll be kind to us. Still,there is always that one girl...........

Who was your Gretchen?

Coffee filters....not just for coffee anymore!

For years,I had a box of coffee filters in the cabinet that I used whenever I brewed coffee.Since I am the only one in this house who drinks coffee,the filters lasted a long time. A few months ago,I finally used the last one so I bought new filters that just came wrapped in plastic. For some reason,I put them in the closet that has the dishes,Tupperware and snacks.

I don't know if Rich and Lillianna think that because the filters are in with the dishes that the filters actually are dishes but they keep using them as plates and bowls. It's not like we don't have clean dishes in the closet,because we do,but the filters are their first choice for snacks.

I first noticed this when my mom sent us a crate of oranges from Florida. Every time Rich peeled an orange,he put the peel in the coffee filter. Lillianna began to copy him. When I questioned Rich about this odd habit he thought for a minute and said,"I think I remember that my dad used to do this." I just shook my head and walked away.

Every now and then I'll notice a coffee filter on the table with remnants of some snack in it and it makes me laugh. Last night I made a cup of tea and took out 4 sugar free peanut butter cookies from the package. I opened the closet and grabbed a coffee filter. It was a handy flexible bowl for my cookies.

Do you use coffee filters for something other than coffee?

Lillianna's first and last day of basketball

When I signed Lillianna up for basketball in November,we were told her practices and games would be on Fridays. That suited us just fine since it was the only night other than Monday that she didn't have an activity and I didn't work.

Last week,her coach called to say her first practice would be on Thursday at 6pm. When I said it was supposed to be on Friday she said it was never offered on Friday. Rich and I heard them tell us it would be Friday but I didn't argue.

Basketball on Thursday would make it tough since Lillianna has Brownies from 3:45pm-5:00pm. That means a quick dash home with a fast dinner and then out the door in 30 minutes. We decided we would try to make a go of it since she has been waiting two years to play on a basketball team. She had to wait until 3rd grade to start.

She looked so good at her practice. I was really proud of her. I liked this so much better than when she tried soccer 4 years ago. I wouldn't mind being a basketball mom. After practice,as the girls were trying on their new t-shirt,the coach passed out the schedules. I was stunned!

She has games and practices at times that conflict with her other activities and we were assured that Friday would be her day for both. She can't make a practice at 5:00pm on Wednesday since she is in dance from 4:00pm-5:30pm. She can't go at 5:00pm on Thursday since that is when Brownies gets out and we'd be 10 minutes late and she wouldn't have dinner until 7:00pm or 8:00pm. That is completely unreasonable. The practices on Tuesday are out of the question since I am at work and Lillianna has a babysitter!

I was absolutely pissed! My child has waited two damn years to play this sport and now she can't even do it! I went and spoke to the director and he said the times were changed by the church where they practice and there is nothing he can do. I tried to tell him how upsetting this was but he didn't seem to care as he refunded my $40. Lillianna took off her team t-shirt and returned it to her coach. I waited until I was in the car to burst into tears. I cried all the way home.

I feel like I let Lillianna down and I know she is disappointed with this turn of events. There is nothing that can be done....nothing.

I still can't believe it

Tomorrow will be the first Thursday of my babysitting job. I won't have to get up at 5am,drive 30 minutes to a job I hate and then listen to people complain for 4 hours.

Instead,I will wake up at 6:30am,get Lillianna up at 7am,get her ready for school and wait patiently until "A" arrives at 8:00am. When "A" arrives she will smile at me because after 2 days she already loves me. We'll snuggle and play and spend a lovely day together. She is a total joy.

Wednesday nights are always tough for me because there is so much to do after we get home from Lillianna's dance lesson:dinner,homework,clean up and anything else that needs to be done. I also try to make myself go to sleep early since 5am sneaks up pretty quickly in the morning. I can never fall asleep before 9:30pm.

Usually I can't sleep through the night because I am so stressed about going to work. I wonder how I'll sleep tonight since I'll have "A" instead of cranky patients all day tomorrow.

Have I mentioned that I really love this new job??

My best decision

I am so happy that I decided to babysit for "A". It is the best decision I could've made. Today was the first day and it was amazing. She is a happy and amusing child. In other words,she is exactly like Lillianna was at that age.....and still is. Speaking of my wonderful child,she is so good with "A". She said she feels like the older sister and in a way,she is,if only temporarily.

I ended the day being peed on in the doctor's office during Lillianna's well visit. (I never liked Huggies diapers..... because they leak!! I think I proved that point.) When "A" stood on my lap,Lillianna pointed out the wet spot on "A's" pants and on my pants. Then after I fed her dinner,she turned to hug me and got chicken,broccoli and carrots on my shirt. It was wonderful.

After she used me as a napkin,she stood on my legs and bounced. I made a funny face at her and bounced her too. This produced a huge belly laugh from "A". Her laugh caused me and Lillianna to burst out laughing. We repeated this cycle many,many times. It was so good or us all to laugh like that.

I can't wait to see her again tomorrow.

Lillianna's dream

Last night,Lillianna slept with me which Rich often lets her do on the weekends since I work the whole time. Around 2am,she started to cry in her sleep. I rubbed her head until she quieted down.

This morning,when I called home on my break,I told her what had happened and wondered what she had been dreaming about.

"Oh....that was because there was an ant on my cantaloupe."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. Wouldn't you?

Of course I want a cookie!

I drove into Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru at 6am this morning. When I got up to the little speaker,the voice asked,"Would you like to try a cookie?"
I was stunned....A COOKIE????.....I LOVE cookies!!! Of course I want a cookie!!!!

Trying to speak as calmly as possible,I said,"Yes!Yes!!Yes!!! I will have one of every kind of cookie you have." I became so overjoyed at the thought of eating so many cookies,I forgot about my diabetes and continued with my order. "I would also like one of every kind of donut and munchkin and one of every kind of bagel with chive cheese on the side. Don't give me any of that low fat cheese either. I want all the fat possible!" Who cares about possibly getting pancreatitis again? Not me!

I just wanted to eat all the sweets and carbs that I had been missing in my life. I didn't care what happened to me.

"Would you like to try a cookie?" the voice asked me.
"No,thank you," I replied. "I'll have a medium iced coffee,black,no sugar,please."
I had packed my low fat cream and Splenda in my lunch box so that I could mix this myself when I got to work.

I really wanted the cookie,though.

In just a few days

Yesterday,I told my coordinator at work that it was my last Thursday until further notice,due to my new babysitting job. I'll still be there on Saturday but I'll be babysitting on Thursday so I can't work. He asked me to try to add in Friday instead.I told him I'd see how the first week went with babysitting and then I'd let him know. I could use the money but what price am I paying to be so stressed out?

I am really looking forward to meeting this sweet little girl. I found out today that at the very least,she will be living here with her grandmother until August so I will have her for 9 months. By the time her parents see her again,she and her 2 year old brother will be totally different children.

The 2 year old will be in my friend's home day care and the baby will be with me. We're going to take pictures of the children and I'll scrapbook them for the parents so that they won't miss out on everything. I could never leave my child for such a long time but I thank G-d every day that there are people in this country willing to fight for our rights and freedom. It takes a special kind of person to be in the military and sacrifice so much of their life for others. The least I can do is to take care of their baby while they are fighting for our country.

In just a few days,I will receive a little bundle of joy. I just can't wait.

I'm sick of child abuse!

I thought I would throw up when I read this.
I don't understand people and quite frankly,I hope I never do. There are some damn sick people in this world and the majority of them are abusing children in some way. STOP IT!!!!

I don't care if these kids had behavioral problems. Why were they all adopted then if 11 kids is too many? Stop at 1 or 2 and just help those kids.

I am sorry that people have difficult lives but don't pass it on to the next generation. Leave innocent children alone! They come into this world as a blank slate and we do the writing that nurtures their soul. The problem is that there are too many emotional illiterates out there and they are destroying the very essence of these children.

If I had an endless supply of money,I would try to adopt all the abused children in the world. My heart breaks when I hear about an abused child. I know adults who were abused children and their life has not been easy at all. It has been one hurdle after the next and it's not fair....not fair at all.

A dream job

It's no secret that I am not thrilled with being an ophthalmic technician anymore. After 16 years of doing eye exams,I'm tired and burned out. I have stayed at this job because the money is good and the hours are so flexible. I can add in days if I need to or let them know Lillianna is on vacation and I can't come in that week. It has worked for me all these years but I've wanted a change.

Yesterday,an opportunity came up that I couldn't pass up. A neighbor that I had met this summer at the pool,asked me if I could watch her 9 month old granddaughter 3 days a week. A baby!! Oooooooh......I love babies and especially girls.(Nothing against boys.)

Mom and Kara thought this was a horrible idea. "You'll be tired!" Mom said.(Uhmmm....ya...with all the hours I add in to my job, I already AM tired!)
"You'll get too attached," Kara said. (My neighbor's grandchildren are coming to our state to live with her because her son and daughter-in-law are both in the military and as I understand it,they are both being deployed.) Of course I'll get attached. But it's not like I'm the foster mom and think there's a chance of adopting the baby. I'm the babysitter. I know this child will go home to her parents along with her 2 year old brother when one of their parents returns. That's fine. I just want to love and teach this child while I have her.

Rich has been very supportive. I asked him last night if I could give up my one morning during the week at the ophthalmology office so that I wouldn't be run down. The money I'll make taking care of the baby will make up for that day and one more day if I had picked it up. The plus side is,I won't have to commute 30 minutes each way and I'll be doing something I love as opposed to something I hate but forced to do. I am so very excited.

No one knows how long this will be for but for the time that I can do it,I'll be very grateful. For the first time in a long time,I'm looking forward to working!

Are all holiday greetings created equal?

This post is over at DotMoms. I'd love to hear what you think about it.

A magic marker "high"

Lillianna was sick over the weekend with a stuffy nose. While I was at work yesterday Rich said she just wasn't right. That was confirmed when she took a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day. I decided to keep her home from school today.

On the way home from work,I stopped to get her some Sudafed,which I had to show my license in order to buy at CVS and I had to sign my name to the Sudafed sheet. Apparently kids are making drugs from this. Who knew?

I was going to buy Lillianna new magic markers when I saw the white board that she has been asking for. She is constantly writing or copying recipes and since her chalk board broke from over use,I decided to buy the white board and the new markers.

She jumped for joy and thanked me a billion times when she saw her present. Then she wrote for about 3 hours straight while babbling,"IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou!" every now and then. It's nice to have a grateful child.

I was just about to hop into the shower this morning when I went to hug her. She was writing on her board again curled up on the couch.I got a whiff of the markers and nearly became disoriented. I looked at Lillianna in horror and said,"Are they making you dizzy? The smell is overwhelming! I could get high off that stuff!"

My congested daughter looked at me in a curious way and said,"But Mom...I can't smell!" Then we both burst out laughing since that is the reason she is home sick today. The poor child can't breathe through her nose!

She can't get high off the markers if she can't breathe.....can she?

10 does not have to be the new 15

I was quite disturbed by this article. I'm well aware that kids of 2006 are more advanced than my generation in the 1970's were but I don't believe it has to be as bad as it is.

Modern technology has introduced many new things since I was a child:

Cable t.v.: I had channels 2,4,5,7,10,12,27,38 and 56...and that was it and that was more than enough. The only "kid shows" were on channel 2 which was PBS. I watched Zoom and occasionally, The Electric Company. Channel 27 had Willie Whistle which drove me insane. Nothing is worse than a squeaky voiced clown! Channel 56 showed re-runs of some 1960's classics like Bewitched and That Girl and they also had The Banana Splits on at 3:00pm when we got out of school. Hooray for cartoons!

With cable,Lillianna has so many channels I can't even count them all. I do check to see what she is watching and happily,her favorite shows are on Disney or Nick Jr. They are kid friendly shows.

What about the kids who are watching programs that are too adult for their child mentality? Are we so busy that we don't care what they are watching as long as they are quiet and not bothering mom and dad? Is that how 6 year olds get so grown up?

The internet: Our children have the entire world at their fingertips. They have access to kids and pedophiles everywhere. They can have MySpace accounts. They can IM each other and strangers. The list of horrors is endless. Is anyone monitoring what their kids are doing online?
Does anyone write letters or just call up a friend instead of IM-ing them? If not,why not?

Clothing: I think my mother bought my clothes until I was 14 or 15. She always chose what I liked so I never had a problem. As I got older,I went shopping on my own and surprisingly,picked out the same clothes my mom would've picked out for me. Even at 43,when my mom buys me clothes for a present,they're always just perfect.

I let Lillianna have some say in her clothing although I know what she likes: jeans with sparkles,anything that has Cheetah fur on it and anything that is snuggly feeling. She doesn't ask for short skirts,belly shirts or tight pants. She has told me,"Those are inappropriate for a girl my age,Mom." I completely agree but more important,at 9,she already knows that.

I get a pain in my chest when I hear young girls talk about being "sexy." What do they know about such things........and why???

When Lillianna came home and told me about a conversation some girls were having in school about a boy being sexy,I sat her down and had a long talk. I explained that at this age,the word sexy,was not a word I wanted her to use.It was not a "bad" word but it was something she could save until she was much older....like 21. At this age,kids are just kids and if you want to compliment them, they can be funny,smart,energetic,pretty,handsome or kind but sexy was not an appropriate word. She already sensed that and she was glad we talked about it.

Cell phones: Young kids are getting cell phones way before they are old enough to understand that this is a tool for an emergency and not a fun toy for their pleasure and their parents' check book.

I understand that if a child has an after school activity and needs to call home for a ride,then a cell phone can be a life saver but I know teens who have cell phones who are not using them for that reason. They call their friends all day long instead of using their home phone which isn't charged by the minute! Parents allow this to happen so kids will continue to take advantage.

The problem and solution lies with us,the parents. We have to set the rules and stick to them. Just because our child wants to wear Daisy Dukes and a belly shirt,doesn't mean they are going to be allowed to do it. The reason that our 10 year olds are becoming the new 15 is because we are not doing anything to prevent it.

Kids are only kids for a short time. They will have plenty of time to be an adult when the time is right. That time,is not now.

How do you handle this with your children? Do you let them do whatever they want or do you set age appropriate limits?

Celebrity liars!

First it was Mel Gibson with his anti-Semitic remarks who claimed he was not prejudice. Then it was Michael Richards with his "N" word who claimed he was not a racist. Now it's Kelly Ripa attacking Clay Aiken and claiming she is not a homophobe.

I listened to the exchange between Kelly and Clay and I don't care what she says,that was a gay attack. Rosie O'Donnell said it was clear to her that it was about Clay being gay but Kelly said that when he covered her mouth and she said something about not knowing where his hand had been, it was just a reference to him shaking hands with people and possibly contracting the flu and then giving her the germs. Oh please! If that were the case,she would've said that! I never liked Kelly Ripa to begin with and now she has just confirmed that she's a petty,shallow bitch.

I'm really tired of these celebrities lashing out in anger at a particular group and then backtracking when they get negative feedback. I'm not perfect,but even in a fit of rage,I wouldn't say the things these celebrities have said because I don't feel that way. A person doesn't say the "N" word unless it's already in his head and he looks upon African-Americans as the "N" word.

I'd have more respect for these people if they'd just stop lying.....wouldn't you?
Their pitiful explanations are just lies and we all see right through them. I don't think I can listen to one more outburst followed by a lame apology. I'm just sick of it!

A beautiful beginning

Most love stories have such a beautiful beginning,"I saw her across a crowded room and our eyes met," or "There was an electricity between us...." or something romantic like that. Today I heard the most interesting beginning to a love story and I wanted to share it.

Today's episode of Judge Hatchett was about a paternity test. What else could it be about? Every court show or talk show is about,"I ain't that baby's daddy!" Use a condom,people...ok?

Anyway,Judge Hatchett asked the daddy in question how he met his ex-girlfriend. I think this is the most magical and romantic thing I have ever heard. He said,"Well,Judge,I was fresh out of prison when I went to my cousin's house and that's where I met her."

Confess,you're all jealous that your own love story doesn't start that way,aren't you? Don't be sad....it's only normal to be jealous!

Run to your nearest grocery store!

Today I discovered the most delicious Jello-O snack. It's called vanilla caramel sundae. It's sugar free and it only has one gram of fat. I also bought mint chocolate sugar free pudding. I sampled that one in the store. Deeeeeeelicious!

Thank you,Jello-O! Now I don't have to feel sad at dessert time. I have a tasty and healthy alternative!

Gay penguins.....who cares?

I would love to go around the world and just smack stupid people on the head. It would be a time consuming job but I think it would be worth it.

I have made my stand on homosexuality pretty clear. I don't care if someone is gay.
I also don't care what religion someone is. It has nothing to do with me. Nothing at all. I don't listen to people who say that being gay is a sin and that every gay person will be on a one way voyage to hell. If G-d loves everyone and He created man in His image,then wouldn't He love homosexuals too?

I was outraged when SpongeBob SquarePants was "outed." He's a cartoon.....and a sponge! Get a life,people.

Today I read an article about a children's book that stirred me up. It's a book,based on a true story about 2 male penguins at the zoo who adopt a baby penguin and raise it as their own. Parents are outraged. What else is new? Apparently there are gay penguins in the world but I can't help but wonder why this is a crisis.

The thing is,it's about creating a family from love. It doesn't talk about the 2 male penguins having sex. What the hell is wrong with a loving family? In this day and age where kids are basically raising themselves,it's nice to know that there are families out there.

I loved the book Heather Has Two Mommies. Lillianna and I read it together when she was 6 or 7. It explains how families may look different but they are all made up of love. Love....isn't that the most important thing? Well,isn't it?

Would you let your child read And Tango Makes Three?

If OJ did it?...ya right!

Of course he did it! I don't know about you,but I wouldn't be able to "make up" a scenario to a brutal murder unless I actually did it or I was a brilliant writer. Apparently,OJ has such a creative imagination that he is going to enlighten the world with his "what if" version of his ex-wife's murder.

Isn't he clever? He can confess,basically,and never be tried for this murder again.
I'm hoping karma takes care of him one of these days.

Soup for breakfast

Well,I don't know how it happened,but I'm sick. I started to feel congested on Friday but I thought it would pass. I went to work Saturday and Sunday but I just felt worse. I probably drank 10 cups of tea on each shift because my throat was bothering me so much but the tea didn't help much.

The past two nights,I have slept sitting up. Last night I ended up going on the couch at 1:30am because my post nasal drip kept making me choke. At 2:00am I heated up a pot of homemade chicken soup that I made for dinner. At 5:00am,I finally fell asleep for an hour.

I checked my blood sugar at 7:00am which is supposed to be a fasting blood sugar but the best I could do was to not have eaten for 5 hours. I had another bowl of soup at 8:00am after Rich brought Lillianna to school.

Rich gave me a funny look as I sat curled up on the couch with my big bowl of soup. "Soup for breakfast?" he asked. I gave him a dirty look as I said in a raspy voice,"Ya...do you have a problem with that?....... It's the only thing that I can eat!"

I hate being sick and cranky.

R U kidding me?

I understand that there is a need for abbreviations in chat rooms and when text messaging but this ridiculous laziness is spilling into other aspects of life.
We are all stunned when we realize there are teenagers and adults who don't know how to read and spell but what should we expect? Children take writing and spelling short cuts every day. After a while,I wonder if these kids really know the correct spelling of anything.

As I drove to work this morning,I noticed the sign in front of a little antique store that read, WEBKINZ R IN.

Lillianna loves Webkinz but I wonder why the store had to use R instead of are. Were they missing the A and E? Was it too taxing to use 3 letters instead of the one?
Is it because they are trying to appeal to kids who only know the letter R and couldn't read the word ARE? Are we raising a generation of illiterates?

Does anyone know what is going on?? Is anyone surprised that kids can't read? Sadly,I'm not surprised at all.

The cousin connection

When I was 6 years old,my Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Barney came to visit us in Massachusetts from California. Uncle Barney was my Papa's brother. One day,he said to me,"My granddaughter Becky is your age. You should write to her." I thought that was a fun idea so I wrote the following informative note.

Dear Becky,
Hi.I am your cousin,Robin. Please write.
Love,
Robin

It must have been my great communication skills that won her over because we were pen-pals for 7 years.

When I turned 13 in 1976,my Nana and Papa took me out to California that summer.That was the first time that Becky and I met. We were instantly friends. My grandparents and I stayed with Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Barney for 11 days and then they went home. I bounced around from their house to Becky's house for the 10 days I was there without my grandparents. Becky and I had so much fun.

When I turned 15,Becky came east to stay with my family for 3 weeks in the summer. It was like we had never been separated. We fell into an easy relationship right away. I didn't want her to go home when her trip was over because being a pen-pal was very different from having her in my life every day.

We kept in touch over the years until we were in our early twenties. Then we just stopped writing and calling due to hectic schedules and life changes. Over the years,I have thought of her often and wondered what she was doing. Uncle Barney died in 1998 and he was my last connection to California. I didn't know how to even reach Becky and being lazy,I didn't try.

This past week,Becky emailed me. It was a total shock and a wonderful surprise. She found me on classmates.com but when she realized I wasn't a gold member and couldn't open her email unless one of us paid $30,she decided to Google me.

Lo and behold,her Google search led her to DotMoms and she found my email address on my blog. Thank you,Internet! After a few email exchanges,we decided to schedule a time to talk. This morning,at 5:30am,her time,I called her and we chatted for 2 1/2 hours. She had to go out but promised to call me later today to finish catching up.

When I told my mom how long Becky and I talked for,she laughed and said,"You always liked Becky." I sure did. My whole family did. I guess I didn't realize how much I missed her until I heard from her. Thank goodness she is resourceful enough to find me.

The funny thing is,even though we had 20 years of catching up to do,it wasn't awkward talking to her. It was like I had spoken to her last week instead of 20 years ago. I guess when cousins are friends,the connection is never really broken!

Where did Nana say she was??

Yesterday Lillianna wanted to call my mom so I told her to try the house first. No answer. I told her to try my mom's cell. Now that she's in Florida for 6 months,she is up and out pretty early on most days. Lillianna's end of the conversation sounded like this,"Hi Nana....uh huh...uh huh....okay...bye."

My mom is known for not being on the phone with us for any long period of time. She'd rather have 3 short talks with us per day as opposed to one long one. I don't know why. Even this was unrealistically short for my mother so I asked Lillianna what she said.

With a perplexed look on her face she said,"Uhm.....I think she's boating!" I thought about that for a moment but it didn't sound right. Mom and John live right on the water but I didn't remember Mom saying she was going boating or who might have had a boat. I kept saying it in my head,"Boating....boating...." Then it hit me.

I looked at Lillianna and tried not to laugh as I asked,"Did she say she was boating or voting?"
Lillianna looked even more confused when she asked,"Why would she be voting?" I said,"Because it's Election Day."

Lillianna thought for a moment before she said,"Oh.....maybe she was voting and not boating." Then she just walked away.

If you don't have a child somewhere in your life....get one. They are so darn funny. Lillianna makes me laugh every single day.

Twelve years?

November 5,1994........It was an Indian summer in Massachusetts on the day we got married. Everything was perfect. I look back on that day and think,"We had no clue!" We were so sure that life would be wonderful and carefree because we were in love.
Anyone who says that marriage is easy is either single or a big fat liar pants! Marriage is many things.....easy is not one of them.

Over the years, we have survived the death of family members,loss of jobs,moving 3 times,a six month separation,2 different marriage counselors,my pancreatitis attack in Disney and the every day stresses that life brings to unsuspecting couples who think that love conquers all.

After 12 years I have decided that a good marriage is a work in progress. I know that with all life's ups and downs,I wouldn't want to share them with anyone but Rich. Even the times when I threaten to kill him while he's sleeping,he knows I'm joking. He's darn lucky that I fight like a girl. Otherwise,I could be typing this from prison.

At this point,after all we've been through,I think it's safe to say we won't give up now. This marriage is forever......for better or for worse.

Happy anniversary,honey. I love you.

Last year at this time......

.....we had already arrived in Disney World and we were enjoying our first day in the Magic Kingdom. This was the start of our dream vacation.

I know I have to move past this event but today was really difficult for me. I have been on the edge of an anxiety attack all day. I've tried taking deep calming breaths or thinking pleasant thoughts but nothing has worked.

I'm sad for the trip that was ruined. I'm sad for the fact that my illness ruined the trip. I'm sad that Lillianna recently warned her friend who was heading south,"Well,I hope your mother doesn't have pancreatitis and almost die on your Disney trip!" Most people just say,"Have a nice vacation."

It's been one year since I got sick and believe me,I don't want to whine,but life sure has changed. I'm grateful to be alive and healthier than I was but I am still a long way from where I need to be in many ways.

I hope this year will be a better year for all of us.

Let's pretend Halloween doesn't exist?

On the drive home from school today,Lillianna said,"Mrs.W said we have to pretend that Halloween doesn't exist tomorrow." Doesn't exist? Are we going straight from October 30th to November 1st? Does that mean I have the night off from work tomorrow if October 31st doesn't exist?

I asked her why and she said the teacher said it would be too distracting. Let's flash back to my days in 3rd grade.......

When I was 9 years old back in 1972,we looked forward to this spooky holiday the minute school started in September. (We never started school in August before Labor Day. It was unheard of!!) By the end of September,kids were already thinking about their costume and asking their parents to buy their favorite candies to give out.

There were planned parties in school.Every mom sent in creative baked treats and candy. Yes,they actually encouraged us to bring in some candy to school. Can you imagine such a thing? (Lillianna's school has banned candy all year since it's not a healthy snack.)

Sometimes,in my elementary school,we got to go into different classrooms to show them our costumes and then they'd come into ours. It was exciting and fun. We all had butterflies in our stomach anticipating the thrill of going trick-or-treating at night.

Were we distracted because of Halloween when I was in 3rd grade? Probably. We were distracted with being kids who were filled with excitement and joy. I will never understand how that is a bad thing.

Will one day of distraction ruin my child's learning ability? I can't see how it possibly could. Am I going to ask her to pretend Halloween doesn't exist tomorrow?
Hell no! She can still wear her pumpkin shirt,black pants and pumpkin earrings to school. She has worn that at least once a week this month to celebrate Halloween.

I talked to my friend,Sheri, about this today since our daughters are in the same school. She said some parents believe Halloween is all about satan. I said,"If you think sugar is the devil then maybe you have a point!" We both laughed. We think Halloween is a fun holiday and it's a shame that kids can't go to school in costume or have parties anymore.

Is Halloween banned in your child's school?

Just say no to underpants!

When I read this article,I rolled my eyes. I am so sick and tired of stupid school rules. Isn't it bad enough they've banned tag in elementary schools because it's too violent?

The article states that the 3 teens were not at all naked. They were in tan body suits which revealed nothing! How is that different from all the years of wearing a black body suit and dressing up as a mouse or bat or any other character that requires a body suit? Was it the offensive underpants??

Raise your hand if you have never ever seen someone dress up as baby new year? I've seen it a million times and I can assure you that the guy in the costume was not wearing a body suit of any kind!!....just a hat and a big old diaper. No one was ever booted out of school because it's freakin' Halloween,people!!!
Lighten the hell up,already!

All the fun I had as a child and teen has been sucked out of the atmosphere. Someone is always "Johnny on the spot" and ready to point an accusing finger at something that is now deemed wrong!

Anyone old enough to remember streakers in the 70's? If anyone did that now they'd probably be put on death row! I'm not an advocate of streaking but come on! Almost every kid is reading Captain Underpants in Lillianna's school. I don't love the book and she is more interested in The Magic Tree House but still,for some kids,it's their motivation to read.

As Susan Powter always said,"STOP THE INSANITY!"

The typo police

Well,I guess you can't really call it a typo since it's just the incorrect usage of a word,but I found another sign that irritated me.

A huge sign in front of a hairdressing salon states:

(name of salon)welcomes Jane Doe formally of Joe's Barber Shop.

Formally? Is it a black tie affair or is it just a formal welcome?

Did they mean formerly as in she used to work at Joe's Barber Shop?

Is being a sign checker a job? I could totally do that!

I used to be so hot!

It's true. I guess you could call me a real hottie. It's not that I'm sexier than most women,it's just that I'm always so freakin' HOT!
It's not menopause because I have been this way for as long as I can remember. When everyone is freezing,I'm in short sleeves and wondering if I can turn the heat down before I pass out!

I usually wear short sleeves even in blizzard weather because once I go indoors, I'M HOT! I am cold when I'm outside, it's just being inside that makes me sweat.

In the past two days,I've been cold....cold to the bone.No matter what I do,I can't seem to get warm.This morning after my shower,I turned on the heat lamp and warmed up for 5 minutes so that I could stop shaking. Since it's so odd for me to ever be cold,I tend to worry when this happens.

Last year,right before I went into the hospital,Lillianna and I were swimming in a heated pool in Florida and I was shivering. I couldn't get warm no matter what I did. I swam and jumped and ran in place and my insides were like ice cubes. I would rather be hot than cold so that feeling is really horrible for me. I hate it.

I've been wearing my one and only pair of long sleeved jammies in the past few nights but I put them in the wash yesterday and tonight,I was freezing.FREEZING! I rarely wear warm jammies because in the middle of the night,I get so hot,I have to change into something with short sleeves. Tonight,I needed something warm.

I went through Rich's drawers and closet and found his Mr.Bubble cotton pants and a nice snuggly ribbed shirt. Ya,I could win Bag Lady of the year with this outfit but it's really warm and that's all I care about. So now I am heading into bed and I hope I keep warm. I really have to get myself a new pair of pajamas tomorrow!

Cutie-pie pet names

I'll be the first to admit that Rich and I have several dozen pet names that we call Lillianna. We go through phases of using one or two names for a while then we suddenly come up with a new one and the old ones are history. Every now and then we'll fall back on an old name and sigh when we remember when we used to use that name all the time.

Our first name for her was Moon Pie. Her face looked like a cute little round moon on my ultra sound and that name stuck for quite a while after she was born.
I won't bore you with the long list of names we have used over the past 9 years but they've all been loving and sweet:Pumpkin Wumpkin,Lilly-pop,Rosebud,Poozle,Boo-boo and many,many more. For the past year,I have taken to calling her Noodle. I'm not sure if that has a lot to do with my pasta addiction or not but one day,the name just popped out.

That being said,when I read this article,I wanted to puke.
I realize that Michael Jackson is a complete psychopath but who the hell calls his precious daughter "Blanket"??? How is blanket a nick name? It's a warm covering....something to snuggle in.

Yuck!! I didn't mean to but I just made myself sick!! Who knows why this pedophile calls his daughter Blanket? If anyone has the answer,please don't tell me!!!!

The reluctant entertainer

My post about Lillianna's birthday party is finally up at DotMoms. Go check it out!

What's so "new" about cheating?

I was watching a talk show last week and the topic was,"The new monogamy." If you go to that link and read some of the rules,you have to wonder,"How is this not cheating?"

The couples on the show tried to spin this many ways but no matter what they said,I still considered this to be cheating. Is consensual cheating better than sneaking around? Isn't cheating just cheating no matter what name you call it?

When I told Rich about this show,he asked,"Uhm,doesn't mono mean one?"

Here is the definition of monogamy:

mo nog a my (m-ng-m)
n.
The practice or condition of having a single sexual partner during a period of time.

The practice or condition of being married to only one person at a time.
The practice of marrying only once in a lifetime.
Zoology. The condition of having only one mate during a breeding season or during the breeding life of a pair.

I guess it doesn't matter what mono means if you feel like making it into something else.
I believe that if you don't believe in being faithful then you shouldn't be married.
It's pretty cut and dry for me. Even though there can be problems in a marriage,that isn't a reason to find another partner unless you are legally divorced.

The argument that having sex with other partners is not about love it's just about sex sounds stupid and shallow to me.

I think "the new monogamy" is just a clever way to give cheaters an excuse to cheat.
What do you think?

Sometimes.......

.......no matter how hard you wish,things just don't turn out the way you want them to.

Is this really romantic?

Yesterday,I was reading a magazine article about spicing up your love life. Rich and I agree that we have lost the romance over the years and we try to do little things to show how much we love and appreciate one another. These days,I fall in love with him time and time again when he cleans the kitchen for me. That is true romance to me.

I know we need to try to be "really" romantic so I read this article with interest.
It suggested that I write a list with items such as chocolate sauce,whipped cream,cherries and other delectable items and give it to my husband to go shopping. While he is in the supermarket,I am supposed to call him and tell him what sexy plan I have for these items.

I don't know where you people shop but the two supermarkets I shop in have about a 5% chance of getting cell phone reception in there. I laughed when I thought of what Rich's end of the conversation might sound like as he yelled into his cell phone.

"Hi,Honey........what?....What?....What about the chocolate sauce?.......You're planning on pouring it on some guy?......what guy?....... not a guy?..........whose thigh?......Chocolate sauce on someone's thigh?.....When did this happen?.....Was it an accident?.....What?.....Forget about the chocolate sauce?.....Ok,I'll cross it off the list.

.......What?......what about pickles?.....I don't have pickles on the list.......I don't understand why you're yelling "pickles"......I can hear you,Honey,"pickles,pickles,pickles,pickles,"....Fine I'll get you pickles.

.....pickles and whipped cream?.....Now that's just gross!....I have seen you eat some odd foods before but this takes the cake........You're not saying pickles?......You're saying nickels?......Do you need me to cash in some nickels at Coin Star?......I have enough money.....Now you're chanting "nickels,nickels,nickels"....why are you doing that?

.....Why are you yelling at me?.....Stop screaming!.....You're not saying nickels?

......nipples?....Why are you saying that?......Listen,Honey,clearly you are confused and hysterical. I'm going to grab a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.All this talk of food has made me hungry.
Can I pick you up anything?.....Hello?.....Honey?.....Where did ya go?

One more activity

Lillianna has been asking to play basketball for the past 2 years. In our town,they start basketball in 3rd grade unless you belong to the YMCA and play on their team. We don't belong to the Y so we had to wait.

When Lillianna got the newsletter about sign ups she was so excited. I was worried that it would conflict with my work on Tuesday nights, her dance class on Wednesdays or her Brownie troop meeting on Thursdays. We were kind of limited and we just hoped for the best.

Tonight,at sign ups they said she could do either Wednesday or Friday. It's only once a week. Hooray! We don't have plans on Fridays so we signed her up. Basketball begins in December and we are all thrilled. Lillianna loves basketball and she will finally learn the skills she needs to be on a team. She practically gets the ball in the basket every time she shoots. I hope she likes being a part of a team.

Soup can labels, anyone?

Lillianna's school collects BoxTops. My aunt collects them for her along with Campbell's soup can labels which Lillianna's school does not collect.
My aunt is very kind and loving and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year. I didn't want to tell her that we can't use the soup can labels because she might stop collecting the BoxTops. Sometimes she gets confused and she might stop saving everything.

So,if your child's school collects Campbell's soup can labels,please let me know and I will send you all of ours. There are quite a lot of them and I hate to see them go to waste.
Thanks.

Falling back on a bad habit

This post is over at The Lighter Side.

Coining a new phrase

Rich and I were watching the news this morning which is always a big mistake. Every time there is a story about child abuse or a parent doing something stupid with their child,Rich calls me into the living room,"Honey....honey....quick come here. This will make you crazy." He's right. These stories drive me insane.

I told him that I'm not overly paranoid but I do take precautions with Lillianna. I don't leave her alone in the car or at home.(I recently read a story in Reader's Digest where both parents had to run in the house "for a minute" and left their 2 small children alone in the suv parked in the driveway. Hmmmm....what could possibly happen? Oh...I know....the suv was CARJACKED!!The parents are lucky that the kids are alive and ok!)

I don't let Lillianna cook by herself. I still supervise her Easy Bake Oven just in case that light bulb gets out of hand. It is electricity afterall and I had a hair dryer catch on fire in college.I didn't heed the warning:"Don't leave it plugged in when not in use!" Thank goodness I was in the room at the time.

My point is,I try not to be a crazed, over protective mother but I am a mom with common sense and I don't believe in taking unnecessary chances with my daughter's life.

Rich made me laugh when he said,"You're not paranoid.
You're parent-noid!"
I like that phrase! I think I'll start using it.

Are you parent-noid?