Damn Fitting Room Mirrors

You would think the stores would put in mirrors that make you look skinnier! I swear I don't look *that* fat in my bathroom mirror. However, I try on bathing suits at Mervyn's and I swear my thighs look like they should have their own zip code. Dang! All I want is one non "mommy"-like 2 piece suit that won't make people say, "wow she must have some self esteem to be seen in that", or "ouch, my eyes!". Yep, my new body goal is a bathing suit without a skirt! But those darn mirrors are stopping me from bringing one home. Really, it's the mirrors.....

Before Becoming a Homeowner

You should be required to take basic classes in plumbing, electrical, drywalling, painting and other basic maintenance. I am one of those unfortunate wives whose husband is so clueless in this area he has to remind himself "righty tighty, lefty loosey". My lovely shower in my bathroom would not turn off. Imagine my panic while I am spinning the handle like I'm on Wheel of Fortune and all I am getting is *hot* water. Thankfully, I was able to wish it shut. It's a good thing I have 3 showers in this house. My old house never had this problem, arrgghh!

Well, at least hubby can play poker well and pick amazing fantasy baseball and hockey teams.

Wife Swap

Have you every wonder what would happen if you were on this show? What type of family would you be placed with? Basically what would be the polar opposite of your personality type and parenting skills? Probably a neat home, with laundry done all the time. Bathrooms would sparkle, the floors vacuumed daily. The children would be angels, and you wouldn't have to every raise your voice. Definitely a supermom with a hot career and a perfect orderly life. But the joke would be on them, because how I live is the only "reality" I know and I wouldn't change a thing.

Welcome Baby Sara Elizabeth!

One of my closest friends since high school just had her fourth baby! She is a healthy 8 lbs. 12 oz. and I'm sure she is gorgeous! Many blessings for the new baby and for the proud parents Debe and John, and big sister and brothers Steven, Ashley and TJ.

Another milestone I missed. Another reason to be homesick. I didn't count on these types of feelings to come about when I moved away. I know I can't go back to New York, it's too expensive to live there anymore, and I would probably freeze at the first sight of below 65 degree high. Knowing these things in your mind doesn't make her heart ache any less.

No Hillary??

I don't usually post anything political, but I do have to admit this has me miffed. I admit it, I would have voted for Hillary for president. As a former constituent of Senator Clinton, I found she really listened to the people and acted in accordance. She has been passed over! So we get Obama and an old white guy (Biden)...whoopie. I guess for the first time *ever* I will vote for a Republican for president.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

What do you get when you mix eight seven year olds and toilet paper? A whole lot of fun!

What started out as a game of "Wrap the Mummy" quickly turned into a TP fight. I have to admit, I was in on it too! The girls had such a blast (and me too)! It was really fun to just laugh out loud so hard your sides hurt!

Terrible Fours

When Rachel was two she was terrible... you know the normal battle of the wills. When she was three she was worse.... fun tantrums. I didn't think it was possible but there are days that four has been even worse. She loves to annoy her big brother and sister, with her constant I love yous (to get her way) and following her big sister around. She has become willful about not going to school and what she wants to wear. She fights with Amanda constantly, I loathe the end of the school day. I'm just hoping five will be better. If not, it's just closer to her going to school full time!

To Be Young Again...Birthday Celebration!

Today is my daughter Amanda's 7th birthday. She begged me for a week to open up presents from her aunt and uncle in New York. She was not allowed until her birthday. Well, at 6:15 am I am awoken to the sound of paper ripping. I shoot up out of bed, and Amanda is opening her presents! (Well, it is technically her birthday). I convinced her to wait a few minutes for me to get the camera. She is just so pumped about her big day....remember those days? When we couldn't wait for the celebration and proudly announce to all how old we are now? Or when we start telling everyone we are this age "and a half"?

New York State of Mind

As you can see, I've changed the background for my blog. After receiving complaints that the pink flashing could cause seizures, I made the change. In truth, I had just watched a Long Island slide show with the Billy Joel song playing and became inspired. Homesickness has set in some. Our family hasn't been back in 3 years, and I miss it. Mind you not enough to move back there and deal with the high cost of living and congestion. John refuses to travel and I am becoming claustrophobic stuck in the never ending summer hell called Arizona. So until I am over this episode, my background remains.

iPod Song Selections

Now that I have been working out at the gym, my poor iPod Shuffle (1st generation- yikes!) is getting a real workout. The kids broke the cd drive on my computer and now I can't load from cds, I have become a slave to iTunes. Looking at my playlist, I wonder what a stranger who happened upon my iPod would think of me. I seem to have varying tastes, from old school Salt N Pepa (yep you know it, Whatta A Man...what else would I be listening to while checking out the hotties working out), to Kelly Clarkson, to Green Day. Wonder what other people are listening to, and what would people be surprized to know what song you have on? Mine? Probably- Loser by Beck.

Reflection

Eleven years ago tomorrow I married John. I thought I would reflect how different my life is now, than when I took my wedding vows. When we got married, we had just bought our first home together, in New York. I was working as a special education preschool teacher in Queens, he was a sales manager for a pool company. We worked a lot, went out all the time and focused on making our house a home.

Now, I haven't worked in seven years. Never would I have thought that would happen. We have three children, not the two we had always thought. Now, Arizona is my home, 2400 miles away from our first. I have lost my amazing father who never saw his youngest grandchild born. My wonderful grandmothers have passed on, and I missed their funerals. My very dear friend Rich Galletti also is gone now, and I miss him dearly. I didn't truly appreciate them while they were alive.

I have new friends I never would have dreamed of knowing, and many old ones from before 1997. I have the love of a man who truly understands me, even though I test the limit all the time. My blessings have been many, and I pray I can say the same eleven years from now.

Knickers for Sale on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.com/EMPTY-CONDOM-PACKET-A-PHOTO-OF-THE-TARTS-KNICKERS_W0QQitemZ250280309940QQihZ015QQcategoryZ1469QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

I found this link in an article off a news feed. Basic story goes, man cheats on wife, wife finds evidence, wife auctioning it off. I find this quite amusing. Bid quickly, sale ends in three days!

It's A Hormone Thing

This 30-something stage has been such a roller coaster emotionally. Lately, I've noticed a few of my friends and I have been discussing it. My hormones are raging worse than a teenager lately. I'm almost at "cougar" status (ok- fantasizing about it, not actually acting out upon it). I even find if I'm at the gym, if there isn't a hot young guy to look at, my workout just isn't as much fun. But then we get the the binge eating and overall bitchiness period of time. I'm just such a pleasure to be around then, and add more time at the weights for me! I'm terrified of the next stage, can anyone say "hot flashes"???

Why Do I Go to the Gym?

My mother asked me this question today. Of course I gave the standard reply, "it's for my health". I started to really think about what prompted me to start after never working out before in my life. It seems I have hit an age and time in my life that I don't look as good as I did when I got married 11 years ago. When I was young I was a hottie, now I'm just lukewarm. It's amazing what having children does to you body.

Vanity is getting the best of me. I really could lose 10 pounds, but dang it just doesn't want to come off! I'm terrified that I am on a slippery slope to being fat and ugly, not to mention old (and not just old to my kids). So I think I'll add 20 more minutes to the treadmill and age kicking and screaming.

But They're *All* My Friends

I never could imagine planning a "simple home party" for a soon to be 7 year old would be so difficult. She managed to choose Hannah Montana for her decoration theme, but that is it as far as definitive plans. Every day she is changing her mind about the "theme"....first a pool party, then a doggie party, and now a pajama one. Ok, it will be in less than 2 weeks and we *need* to write the invitations. Which brings me to the hardest part of the party. She just *can't* bring herself to eliminate some of the guests. She wants to invite 25...yes that is not a type....25 friends. I can not fathom that many 7 year olds in my home. I'm thinking 8 friends. But bless her soul, they are all her friends, and she just can't bear to have any of them not come. It must be nice to be so popular.

My Birthday Present

The debate is over, or at least for now. With much prodding, my husband did go out on his own and get me a birthday present. This little Roomba will clean up after my kids messes. I guess I should mention that vacuuming was another "lost" skill. But I suppose beggars can't be choosers. I've let him off the hook for our anniversary next week, but the try challenge will be Christmas.

The Great Gift Debate

I decided about a year ago to stop being an enabler for the people in my life. I figured it would allow my children to become more independent and confident. Also, it would relieve some of my stress of doing everything for my family. The most resistant to this change seems to be my husband. Now I realize he works hard all week, and I do the majority of the indoor chores. But since moving here, he has no desire to learn how the dishwasher, dryer, clothes washer, irrigation timer works. Ok, I can handle that. But in the last few years I have been solely responsible for acquiring presents, even Mother's Day for his mom (not to mention myself). In here lies my newest struggle. I am now refusing to purchase my own presents. I want sentimentality, damn it! I have free reign over money, so what good is it if I already know what I am getting? Gifts are suppose to be about the thought, so if he doesn't give me anything, he doesn't think much of me. I know, I know, I should be grateful he loves me, has supported me these past 7 years while I've been at home, blah, blah, blah. I want something to show he took a little bit of time to think about me. We'll see if I win this battle.

Pissing the Night Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm4iU0yx9GY

Ahh reminds me of my drinking days.....

Come everyone I can't hear you..... I get knocked down, but I get up again...

Gotta love those one hit wonders

Gamers Unite!

Club Penguin. My son loves this site. I guess I have no one to blame but myself. I have been playing on Club Pogo for years now (and whenever he gets a chance he plays too). So now my darling son wants his own Penguin membership. Ahhh, Generation Plugged In. I guess I will relent, only if he keeps his grades up. Stickers aren't good enough rewards anymore.

Email Rant

I know I should feel blessed by the amount of email I get from my friends, but there are times I think my inbox has exploded! I get those annoying forwarded "angels" and "good lucks" and "if you are a Christian you will forward", and the "Obama is a (fill in the blank) make certain all your friends know". I have the personality of a rose, Elmo, a cat, and probably will have bad luck for the next 50 years. I do enjoy a good joke and some funny YouTube clips, so keep those coming. But really people, there is a delete button, please feel free to use it. Because obviously I am your friend if you are emailing me, I don't need to send it back to prove it to you.

My Favorite Poem

I can't beleive I still remeber it. We had to memorize a poem for English Lit, so here it is:


When We Two Parted

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
Sunk chill on my brow-
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me-
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well:-
Long, long shall I rue thee,
too deeply to tell.

In secret we met-
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How shall I greet thee?
With silence and tears.

by Lord Byron