Hello, Monday {of turkeys and pups and hobbits}

Hello, Monday.  You know it's definitely a Monday when you get to work and realize that your shirt is on inside-out.  Luckily, I was wearing a cardigan over it.  But....

Goodbye this morning to Little #1 on Thanksgiving break.  He's spending a couple of nights with his grandparents.

Hello, indoor soccer.  Hello, popcorn.  Two soccer games back-to-back and sleepover Friday night.  When you have three boys, a fourth one is easy.  Especially when you can send him home.  :)

Hello, strep for Little #2.  He has a terrible rash on his torso; luckily, it's going away.  Goodbye, strep.  Please leave.  Thank you.

Hello, Thanksgiving.  How did that happen?  Hello, family coming to visit.  Hello, cooking the turkey.  What?!  I can handle the sides with ease, but cooking the turkey freaks me out!!  Hello, dressing and green bean casserole and pumpkin pies.

Hello, quieter week at work and lunches with friends, old and new :)

Hello, thinking of Christmas gifts for the boys.  I'm also trying to come up with ideas for the girls at daycare who take care of my kids while I work.  I appreciate them so much, but I definitely have to work within a budget.  I love Metalsgirl jewlery by Laura Gibson.  It unique and personal and artsy.  But it's tough to spend a lot of moula for 8 girls. 

I saw on her Metalsgirl blog how her pup is sick and needs chemo treatments.  Laura offered grab bags on her etsy site ($25 for $50 of Metalsgirl goodness), so I grabbed two.  I figure I am killing two birds here; one to help Clarence the pup, and two for cool giftiness for maybe 4 girlies.  I am a sucker for that sweet little face :)

Hello, excited husband -- the Hobbit movie is coming out in December!!!  Yes, we are geeks.


(linking up with Lisa Leonard and her Hello, Monday series.)

Hello, Monday. On a Tuesday. {Cardmaking Edition}

Yesterday was a day off from school and government jobs to celebrate Veteran's Day. 

Hello, Monday Tuesday.

Goodbye, Friday night indoor soccer.  (Little boys in pj's, watching their bro.)

Goodbye, Cub Scout popcorn everywhere.  Sorting popcorn.  Distributing popcorn.  Eating popcorn.  (We just need to get the Ferrell boys' popcorn out of my car!)

Goodbye, Scouting for Food.  590 Cans, I believe.  Lower number than last year, but still inspiring to see people helping others in our community.  I took Ethan shopping with a $25 budget.  He did pretty well, stocking up on veggies, mac and cheese, rice, and tuna.  The older gentleman shopping alone was impressed with him, I think (proud mom moment!).

Goodbye, social studies project -- building a Chinook Indian tribe plank house.  Ethan and Dad conquered this one.  (I really, really, really tried not to be critical.  But that crooked roof was driving my CRAZY!  Jason said it leant to authenticity.  Okayyyyy.)

Goodbye, Christmas photo shoot at the mall.  I know, I am a crazy woman.  My first choice of photographer/studio didn't pan out.  The pictures turned out okay.  Cliche, yes.  But cute, also yes.  But the best part is that I may a pretty kicka$$ Christmas card!  Ordered :))  Hello, leaving the mall with a new book for Zane and a doll (Calliou) for Nash.

Goodbye, uploading 1200 wedding photos to Shutterfly.  I believe it took an entire day to do this.  But, hello cute wedding announcement for Heather & Shannon:

Goodbye (almost) to the Happy Day Project.  I didn't bake any treats.  I didn't do anything great for the Veterans I know.  I lost steam.  But, I chalk it up to being a thought-provoking experience.  A good thing.   

Hello, no extracurricular activities this week (until Friday).  (Quietly saying, YAY!)

Hello, Thanksgiving in a week.  (Yikes!)

Hello, Baby Jane's baptism in two weeks in Baltimore.  (Need a gift idea, STAT.)

Hello, thinking about Christmas gift ideas for the boys.  Zane told me Santa should bring him a big dragon and a cage for it.  Hmmm.  I am scratching my head on that one...


{Linking up on Lisa Leonard's blog for her Hello, Monday series.}

Happy Day Project - Treat Someone



courtesy of www.liferearranged.com

 What is the Happy Day project?  Look here and more importantly here.

Day Three is to treat someone.  Something small, kind, unexpected.

I left at the crack of dawn and got home late for work yesterday.  So, I did not bake.  I think I would still like to do that this week (or weekend) for our neighbors Carl and Joanne.

So I took the easy way out - again.

Jeannett linked us to Charity Water where $10 can help provide clean water for ten years for folks.  Can you imagine not having clean water?  Can you imagine worrying about your children drinking water and potentially getting very sick or dying from it?  Can you imagine having to carry water for miles and then deciding if it should be used for drinking, watering crops, or washing?  Clean water.

So I donated $10.  It was too easy.

There will still be time for baking chocolate chip cookies.  But I just helped provide people with clean water.

Happy Day Project - Gift Card



courtesy of www.liferearranged.com


What is the Happy Day project?  Look here and more importantly here.

Day Two is stepping out of the ol' comfort zone.  Giving a gift card to the homeless.  There are homeless in Huntington.  I even see the homeless occasionally by the road on my way to Target.  Not all the time, but they are there.

But I am not comfortable or brave enough yet to walk up to somebody out of the blue.  That's terrible to say, I know.

So I took a different approach on this one.  I drive by the City Mission every day on my way to work.  I see people outside, waiting to go in.  Or maybe just waiting on a warm meal or a warm coat or a warm smile.

I donated money (directly from my paycheck in 2013) to the Huntington Area Food Bank.  It's not much, but I think it will help someone.  I hope it will help someone.

Happy Day Project 2012 - Handwritten Note



courtesy of www.liferearranged.com


What is the Happy Day project?  Look here and more importantly here.

So Day One was to send a handwritten note to someone.  Someone who instantly comes to mind.  Someone who you think might really need it.  Someone who is under-appreciated or under-loved.

I downloaded the insanely cute printable on the site and printed two sheets, so there are six cards here.  My goal for this week is to send out all six.

1.  First, I sent one to Aunt Shirley.  Of course.  But I also know she's lonely.  It's been a little over a year since Uncle Donnie passed away; no one lives close by; and I need to MAKE MORE TIME to visit her and call her.  So, this one was a no-brainer.

2.  I want to sent one to Zane's daycare teacher, Miss Robin.  There's turnover in daycares, and we've really experienced it the last 3 years.  He (and we) get so attached to the daycare providers; maybe we shouldn't.  But how can you not?  These ladies are integral parts of our kids' lives!  Miss Robin is his 3-year-old class teacher, and he really really likes her.  Loves her :)  She should know that.  And that I truly and deeply appreciate it.

3.  Today, a girl I work with was clearly having a tough day.  She had a medical exam/test that was making her anxious.  Then she was traveling for the long (Veteran's Day) weekend.  She just needed it.  Obviously, she appreciated it.  I got a big hug from her when she left the office.

4.  The others?  I'm not sure yet.  But I have them in my purse.  Ready when I am to write.

Hello, Monday {the red shoes edition}

Goodbye, Hurricane Sandy snow (6 inches).  Hello, electricity and cable/internet (finally!).

Hello, Monday after Heather and Shannon's wedding.  "A good day" is how I can sum it up.  Everyone looked great.  Everyone was happy.  There were tears (of joy) and laughter.  But I'm glad it's over.  Now I am in the letdown phase.  Hello, now what?  Hello, Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Hello, uh-oh.  There's always one misstep.  Our was losing my son's tennis shoes.  The bright red Nike ones that he loves.  The ones that I paid way too much for because he loved them so.  I ask, how can you lose bright red tennis shoes?!  Somewhere between dressing at the church, going back to my parents' house, going to the hotel, going back to my parent's house, and then going home, they are gone.  G.O.N.E.  Goodbye, red shoes.

{UPDATE:  Three days later (on Wednesday), my mom called.  The red shoes have been located!  They were hiding under a pile of tablecloths from the reception my mom had washed but not returned to the church yet.  Yay!!!}

Hello, seeing family again.  Cousins laughing and running and playing.

Hello, a suitcase-full of dirty laundry.

Goodbye, Virginia.  Hello, back home in West Virginia.


Hello, school Spelling Bee today. 

Hello, busy work week and Cub Scouts and indoor soccer. 

Hello, our version of Normal.


Hello, Happy Day project 2012.  I am REALLY going to try to do this.  I always end up losing steam on a project like this, but I think this is a GOOD thing.  Gonna try!


(Linking up with Lisa Leonard and her Hello, Monday series.)

The Happy Day Project 2012

I read about the Happy Day project last year when a couple of the bloggers I follow (Life.Rearranged and Joy's Hope) led it. 

Something like this makes you step out of your comfort zone to help others.  Even in the littlest way like a kind word or a bottle of water, for goodness sake.  It's so easy to focus on yourself.  Your little crazy busy world.  Right after helping throw your sister's wedding.  Especially as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are approaching.

So, I think I may give this Happy Day project a shot this year....

It's something a couple of boys I know might be interested in as well.

Hello, Monday {Hurricane Sandy, last-minute wedding prep edition}

I have been so busy the past few days/weeks, I haven't uploaded pictures.  But I do want to say goodbye and hello to some things this week.

Hello, last soccer game for Ethan.  Even though it's not important, the Rowdies won!  It was a cool fall day, the last one before the franken-storm Sandy has started moving in.  The game was at Little Creek Park in South Charleston.  Jason took the littles on an exploration; they saw a turtle.  Zane was scared; Nash wanted to pound on it.

Hello, new mattress!  Delivery on Thursday!!!  I am entering the world of memory foam and couldn't be more excited.  Yay, interest-free financing.

Hello, lists and lists and more lists as I get ready for Halloween parties times four, trick or treating, and my sister's wedding on Saturday.

Hello, Halloween party stuff -- Jack o' Mandarin oranges, Glo Stick printables, Kleenex ghost suckers.

Hello, my dear etsy.  I do love you.  Hello, activity books for the kiddos.  Hello, Paper Mama sketch.  Hello, lavendar sachets.  Hello, wedding programs.  Hello, knit bolero for me.

Hello, dry cleaners.  {Note to self not to forget to pickup suits at the dry cleaner Thursday!}

Hello, Hurricane Sandy.  How ironic you are my mom's name as she is freaking out about my sister's wedding on Saturday.  We are really just getting the cold, rain, and wind here.  In Virginia, they've already started getting snow.  But it looks like sunshine and around 50 degrees in the forecast!  So, if rain is lucky on a wedding day, what is snow? 

Linking up with Lisa Leonard's Hello, Monday series!

The Glue

I'd like to be cute and clever and say the title of this post refers to something funny my kids did with crafts and glue this weekend. But, no, it's not.

One of the saddest things I could have ever imagined came out of my 3 year old's mouth this morning. I took him to the potty, and he asked me to stay in the bathroom with him. I told him I'd be right back, but I had to check in Nash in the living room. Ethan was watching him, but I still had to be sure he was ok.

He looked at me so openly and so frankly and said that Ethan likes Nash, but Ethan doesn't like him. "Isn't that right, Mommy?"

My heart sank, and my eyes filled immediately. I tried to assure him that Ethan loves him. He just teases him sometimes. But he just said again, "Ethan doesn't like me, Mommy."  "He calls me a baby."

I feel like this is my greatest failure as a mother. Without question. You want your kids to love each other, be friends and confidants, someone to lean on when you're not around - temporarily or permanently.


Nash is very clingy right now, especially tonight at bedtime. I feel so impatient. So horrible for just not enjoying that extra time with him.

So as I sat on the couch with him in the dark, finally at peace and asleep on my chest, I realized he is a gift from God. This boy will be the glue for my kids after I'm gone. Ethan is head over heels for Nash, and he's very lovey with him. Playing with him, holding him, helping him. (He prettying ignores Zane.)

Zane and Nash are like my twins. They fuss and fight. But they look for each other first thing every morning. Zane wants to be a big boy like Ethan SO badly. I think that's when he thinks Ethan will finally like him.

I know you can't force feelings on somebody. This just makes me so sad.

Hello, Monday Monday

So Monday is here!  We had another busy weekend that didn't exactly go according to plan, but that's just the way it goes.

Jason and I have officially been married 12 years.  (I almost typed 14; it seems longer than that some days!  Not that that's a bad thing!)  Our gift to each other was to go mattress shopping.  Yes, so romantic :(  But we NEED a new mattress.

After Saturday and the idea of taking three bouncing boys to a mattress store, we decided to wait.  I could see trouble written all over that scenario.  Monkeys.   Boys.  Trampolines.  Beds.  Concussions.  Emergency rooms.  No. And no.

It was a beautiful Sunday, just like the weather on the day we got married.  Perfect fall color but perfect temperatures.  *joy*


Hello little family of ours.

Hello soccer.  Only three more games to go in the fall season.

Hello windy Sunday and flying kites.  And getting upset and throwing the kite to the ground.

Hello 80 degrees and wearing shorts in October.

Hello Daddy trying to hide at the top of the hill in our backyard.  He found you, Da-Da!

Hello pumpkins!  We always go overboard with pumpkins.  We have 5 big ones, 2 medium ones, and 3 little ones this year.  Plus, a pretty mum for Mommy.

Hello riding around the yard on the little John Deere and playing in the clubhouse.

And hello to the Volunteer Fire Dept visiting daycare today.  Kids love shiny firetrucks.  (Especially if they have a robotic fire hydrant named Pluggy with them!)



Hello to another week of Cub Scouts, soccer, school and work.  Hello to trying to slow down and take it in.  Hello to getting over colds and getting a good night's sleep. 

Hello Monday.  Hello October.  Hello to 12 Years plus 1 Week of being The Boyd's.

{linking up with Lisa Leonard and her Hello Monday series}

Wishes

So I didn't quite finish my list of 39 things before my birthday since TODAY is my birthday.

I've struggled with this list as of late.  Maybe I just don't think I am very interesting?  But I'm going to wrap it up here:

35.  I love wispy, soft, fluffy dandelions.  Granted I really don't like the look of the poor little yellow sprouts in the grass, but I love the wispy ones.

36.  I have perfectionist tendencies.  Myabe that's why I have become a procrastinator over the past few years; if I don't have the time and focus to do something right/well, I just put off doing it.  It's a snowball effect, of course.  The longer you put something off, the chances of doing something well/right have diminished almost completely.  Talking to Ethan's teacher, I believe some of this has rubbed off on my oldest of offspring.  Is that a bad thing?

37.  My skin is becoming my mom's.  I remember as a kid being able to tan so easily.  As I have aged, though, I burn and/or freckle almost every time I'm in the sun for any period of time without sunscreen.  Just like my mom.

38.  I'm not a religious person, but I do believe in a higher power.  God.  Jesus.  I need to work harder to present this to my boys.  Jason grew up in a very religious household, so he very much doesn't want to be a hypocrite.  I think if I were Catholic (like him), he would have continued going to church regularly.  I'm an evil influence, I guess.  (Especially in his mom's and grandma's eyes.)  It's tough.  But I pray every night before I go to sleep, thanking Him for the things I have and asking for His protection for my family.  My boys.

and

39.  I have an almost insatiable sweet tooth.  Just like my dad.  Jason said he picked up cupcakes for us to have a little mini party tonight for my birthday.  I can't wait!  YUM :)

Two of My Favorite Things

Oh, crap.  I'm in my last week of my 38th year.  Wowser.

34.  If a song comes on the radio by Rob Thomas, I have to stop and listen.  I don't even know all the words usually.  I just really like the sound of his voice.  My guilty pleasure :)

35.  I am a detail person.  Not control freakish about it (I know some who are!).  I just really pay attention to details.  Just today when I was leaving the Christie building after visiting the nurse's station, I noticed a detail on the little roof/overhang of one of the doors.  There is a black iron (?) detail there with clear glass around the perimeter of the roof/overhang.  Not frou-frou pretty.  Just simply pretty.  My style of pretty.

Tiptoe

32.  I think my favorite flower has to be a tulip.  I love the beautiful parrot tulips that have more than one tone for sure.  But I think my classic favorite is the white tulip.  So clean and simple.  And lovely.  I have a pretty green Fenton glass vase Jason's sister gave to me as a birthday gift many moons ago.  It is perfect for a bouquet of white tulips.

33.  I don't drink coffee.  I can drink hot tea or hot cocoa, but generally I don't go for hot drinks at all.  I love the smell, but my tastebuds and nose don't tend to agree with one another.  I like cold drinks.  Not room temperature.  Cold should be cold.  Right now, Coke Zero is my weakness to maintain my caffeine intake.  (Jason's too.)  I completely nixed caffeine when I was pregnant, so I know I can do it.  I choose not to.  One day I will get healthy!!!

Simply Stated

29.  I like to wear one piece of jewelry every day.  Oftentimes, my fall back piece is this bracelet.  Simply stated.  Not glitzy.  Perfect for me!


30.  I love coconut.  I love the taste of it (especially toasted or with chocolate).  I love the smell of it.  Yum-o.

31.  I like color but not flashy.  I have pulled myself out of the rut of carrying black or brown purses.  I absolutely don't do it.  I love a colored purse.  I'm easing into colored shoes (especially flats) now, too.  Little unexpected punches of color. 

Head to Toe

I've taken way too many head shots of myself for this little series du moi.  So now, toe shots.  My back flats with white icing still on the toes from Nashie's first birthday cake smash photo session.


(These comfy little numbers are from Target.  Black in spring?  Yes.  When I'm wearing a bright teal sweater!) 

But, I digress.

27.  I have become quite the procrastinator it seems over the past few years.  Lazy?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  I think I've been a product of my environment.  I resolved on my last birthday to stop procrastinating so much, especially at work and when traveling.  (I HATE packing!)  I did really well for a while, and I can say I have improved over the last almost-a-year.  But I still have work to do.

28.  I hate the telephone.  I have always hated chatting on the phone.  I wasn't a typical teenage girl who spent hours on end on the tele.  Needless to say, I am a fan of the evolution of letters to email to facebook to texting.  But I must stay aware and conscious of the fact that these are conveniences of modern technology and not replacements for face-to-face communication.  (I come from a lineage of hermits; I could easily fall in to that habit.)

And is it weird that as I inch closer and closer to number 39 on this list, I am starting to get a little claustrophobic?  It's hitting me.  I'm this close to being 40.  The number doesn't bother me.  What bothers me is that time is moving so freakin' quickly the older I grow.  (Part of this has to be because I am an older parent of young kids.  An older parent who works full time.  An older parent who works full time and gets way too little sleep.  This list could go on and on.) 

Now that I have been given so many gifts (family, friends, not to mention husband and beautiful sons), it makes me sad to know that I don't have control over time.  And I already miss the things I will certainly miss one day because I'm old or, you know, dead. :)  I've been having flash-forwards lately of my boys' lives.  Of school and careers and families.  Where will I fit in?  And I've been remembering things from when I was younger.  When I was little.  Or remembering my loved ones who have already passed, whom my boys will never get to know. 

But I don't want to be sad.  I want to enjoy every.  single.  day.   I want to collect every single simple defining moment in my memory banks, never to be forgotten.   I want to teach my boys and leave a positive impression on their hearts, minds, and souls.  I want them to know they are my joy.  I want to love my husband and let him know I am thankful for his love, support, and HIM plain and simple.  Our family is so lucky he is ours.

Why do I suddenly feel like my life is a countdown where the numbers are descending so quickly I just can't keep up?  I feel like I am sprawled out, flat on my belly, arms flailing, screaming, "No!  Stop!" 

I hope my final countdown from 10 to 1 is a long, long, LONG ways off.  {great grammar, huh?}  I hope I am really old.  (But I hope I don't smell like a really old person.)  Still of good mental capacity.  Reasonably healthy so I am not a burden to anyone.  In a quiet warm (but not too warm) sunny place with their faces smiling at me, holding their hands. 

I hope I can make them as happy as they have made me.

The Mommy In Me...seeing a star

What to see numbers 1 thru 24?  Click here.



This has truly been a learning experience for me.  Learning about myself.  Are these 39 things static or dynamic?  Have they always been true, or are they constantly changing?  Were they true when I was 19 or 29?  Will they be true when I'm 49?  Maybe there's a core list that we add to each year as life changes and evolves.  I think these next two items would have to be on my core list:


25.  Losing someone who you love is devastating.  Even if it's someone you've never met face-to-face.  May 2008, specifically the weekend of Memorial Day 2008, was the beginning of one of the worst periods of my life.  Unlike some of my friends, I only had to endure this once in my lifetime.  Thanks to God.  A little piece of my heart is with that baby who's waiting on me :). What a great day that will be! {lcb}

I just learned that today is Wear A Star Day in remembrance of those babies lost to miscarriage (among other things) and in support for those who loved them. I didn't wear a star today, but I feel like I've seen one. (It's kind of funny that I've been thinking about this little one so much today.) I love you and your brothers so very much!

26.  I love swings.  Especially porch swings.  Maybe it's the southern girl in me.  Or maybe it's the mommy in me.  Either way, I love the feel of swinging.

Digging Deep

So here we are again!



I'm finding it difficult to list 39 things about me.  I've made it up to 18, and I feel like I've been diggin' deep already to come up with little tidbits if info about the one and only me.

19.  I love the smell of vanilla anything. 

20.  I don't wear perfume or scented anything (deoderant, lotion, etc).  I think I started this habit after I had kids and didn't want to compromise their sensitivities to scents, chemicals, etc.  (My mom and sister think that's insane!)  (Plus, I don't think my mother-in-law walks out the door without strongly scented Bath and Body Works something.) 
21.  I don't wear very much makeup at all, especially lipstick or lip gloss.  My skin is sensitive and I have a mild case of rosacea, so I do have to wear moisturizer and foundation with SPF every day for my own peace of mind.  I usually like mascara, too, because I have lighter puny lashes.  On normal days that's it.  On special days, I add a little eye shadow and blush.

22.  Some favorite phrases of mine:  "Lucky like a four-leaf clover."  "Be glad in this moment."  "Grow roots; sprout wings."  "Every blade of grass has its angel bending over it and whispering, "Grow.""

23.  My new favorite jewelry is from Lisa Leonard Designs.  I can't afford the sterling silver pieces, but she has a pewter line of many pieces that I love!  I love the organic feel and easy care.  And her family's story is pretty special, too.

24.  Being able to sleep all night is just a dream nowadays.  But I can't imagine many things better than sleeping in a bed freshly made with crisp clean sheets!  I don't use it all the time, but I love the smell of Downy (April Fresh scent) fabric softener on my sheets and towels.  Ahhhhhh.  Or a nap on an afternoon with the window open, a breeze floating in.  Oooohhh.  And waking up feeling refreshed, not groggy.  Hmmmm.  {One day, girl.  One day.}

And So On, And So Forth.

Where, oh where, did this begin?




15.  I always paint my toenails.  But I never paint my fingernails.  My toenails are a minty shade of green right now :)  On purpose.

16.  My favorite colors are green and blue.  But I really like some shades of orange and yellow.  I dress my boys in those colors a lot of the time.  Curiously enough, I don't think I own any orange or yellow clothing personally.  I really like them, but I would feel so daring wearing them.

17.  I can't settle on artwork for my house.  We have lived on Lower Coach Rd for 4 years now.  I still have many a blank wall.  I can't get a happy design straight in my head, and I hate putting holes in my walls. Luckily, nowadays they make the 3M Command Strips.  Maybe I'll try them out one day, hopefully before we hit the 5 year mark!

18.  In our family, my husband cooks most meals and does most of the grocery shopping.  {Pretty cool, huh ladies?}

Birthdays and Every Days

What's this about?  Click here.



After Easter, it really hits me that my birthday is right around the corner.  *eek*  Should I be excited?  Anxious?  Depressed?  Sad?  A little of all the above?  I like to say birthdays don't matter when you're an adult, but inside I believe they do.  I believe they matter a whole lot.  I hope I have lots and lots of birthdays and everydays with the people I love :)

11.  My grandmother was born in 1913.  My dad was born in 1943.  I was born in 1973.  My oldest son was born in 2003.  30-30-30.  I wonder what's going to happen in 21 more years from now?  My dad will be 90.  I will be 60.  Ethan will be 30.  ?????

12.  I love sleeping in the early morning.  I think the prime sleep time for me is 5 am - 7 am.  Of course, this is when I should be getting up and getting ready.  I hate alarm clocks.

13.  I really do not like cherry-flavored anything.  I have learned to like fresh cherries recently.  But artifical cherry flavoring or baking/cooking with them or anything of the sort makes me want to gag.  Maybe it reminds me of cough syrup?

14.  I have a whack-a-doodle family.  Lots of aunts and uncles and cousins, but I'm really only close with a handful of them.  And I hate that.  It's just the way it is with our family.  My dad is a little bit of a recluse, so I think that's why we lived (and my parents still do live) in the Boonies at least a county away from the nearest relative.  My uncles just "pop in" on a weekend morning as easily as most people would pick up a phone - even though it's at least an hour's drive to get there.  This baffles and amazes my husband.  Mainly because his family are so freakin' close to each other, and they always have been.  See your uncle once every 5 years or so, or at a wedding or funeral?  Yeah.  So?  I love my mixed up crazy family.  Hopefully, they can say the same thing about me.  Or they can just ask if I'm still fat.  (That's how my aunts think of/remember me.)

10!

What's this all about?  Look here.  Or here.




7.  I love milkshakes.  I love chocolate.  I love strawberry.  But a plain old vanilla milkshake is my favorite.  And is it any coincidence that a Dairy Queen is literally less than 5 minutes from my house?

8.  I hate wearing glasses.  I've needed a prescription for glasses since I was four years old.  (I wonder how in the world you know a four-year-old even NEEDS glasses.)  Keep in mind, I was four during the late seventies.  And I was four-year-old kid who played a lot, so I broke my glasses a lot.  So, my glasses started as brown plastic, evolved into shiny silver metal (which was NOT cool at all back then).  Then the eighties came.  Glasses were bigger and rounder and more glam for even the common folk.  I even had a pair with my initials/monogram in little gold stickers on the bottom corner of one pair.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  I remember how excited I was each year to get new glasses.  (I led a very boring life.)  I didn't get my first contacts until I was in high school.  But I couldn't live without them now.

9.  Some of my "signature" dishes are lemon chicken rice soup, marinated cheese, mushroom-pepper-provolone sandwiches, and brownies.  With little ones, the brownies are the only thing I make with any regularity.  Wow.  Now I'm hungry!

10.  I love to wear jeans.  I wear them nearly every day.  They're part of my "uniform."  As are flats.  But I'm proportioned kind of funny.  I'm 5'7", so I'm not a shorty.  But by pants are.  Most jeans in "regular" fit are just too long in the inseam, especially if I'm wearing flats.  "Petite" is cut differently altogether, not just the inseam.  So, I have to find "short" jeans.  Old Navy online has hooked me up recently.  If I work on learning the sewing thing, maybe I could hem "regular" jeans myself one day.


Happy Good Friday!

A Few More Things To Add To The List...Six of Thirty-Nine

What's this all about you ask?  Look here.

4.  My hair changed after having babies.  Not crazy changed, but changed.  I've always had dark hair, like my grandmother and dad.  A few hairs have changed forever from dark to gray.  Like my grandmother's was and my dad's is.  But unbelievably, my hair has gotten darker since I was pregnant.  And it has achieved a natural curl it never had before.  On many days with little boys, I don't get to blow dry or style my hair with a flat iron.  Au naturel on purpose.  Just a quirk I've noticed over the past few years.

5.  I love taking pictures.  I've had so many cameras in my day, but they're all basically just of the point-and-click variety.  I really want to learn to use manual settings on a real DSLR camera.  And then OWN a DSLR camera.  *sigh*   One day.

6.  I have a honest-to-God fear of large open bodies of water.  Or getting sucked down into rapids.  Pools in general.  I hate them.  Water baby I am not.  Plus, I'm really not looking too hot in a swimsuit nowadays.  And I sunburn really easily.  Not a good combo!

"The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes."-Frank Lloyd Wright

So, here's where I got this idea.  I will be turning 39 in a few short weeks.  I'm not that worried about that; maybe I will be next year?  Maybe not.


I googled "39" and stumbled upon these interesting facts about this very important number on Wikipedia...

The F26A graph is a symmetric graph with 39 edges.

Thirty-nine is the sum of five consecutive primes (3 + 5 + 7 + 11 + 13) and the sum of the first three powers of 3 ().
Given 39, the Mertens function returns 0.
39 is the smallest natural number which has three partitions into three parts which all give the same product when multiplied: {25, 8, 6}, {24, 10, 5}, {20, 15, 4}.
39 is the 12th distinct semiprime and the 4th in the {3.q} family. It is the last member of the third distinct biprime pair (38,39).
39 has an aliquot sum of 17 which is itself a prime. 39 is the 4th member of the 17-aliquot tree
The thirteenth Perrin number is 39, which comes after 17, 22, 29 (it is the sum of the first two mentioned).
Since the greatest prime factor of 39² + 1 = 1522 is 761, which is obviously more than 39 twice, 39 is a Størmer number.
The F26A graph is a symmetric graph with 39 edges.

Cool things for a girl who loves math.


I've decided that I would like to share 39 things about myself in celebration of my upcoming birthday.  I will start with one or two here.  Granted, they are small in the big scheme of things, but they're ME. 


1.   I've stated I love math.  And, really, I do!  I think math is it's own special language.  A language of love for engineers, mathematicians, scientists.  Math is the primary reason I decided to become an engineer.  Not an accountant.  Even though I love math, I don't love accounting.  So, here's a fact about me:  I never ever balance my checkbook.  I write down my checks (which are generally the same amount at the same frequency), and I keep a running balance in my head.  But I don't balance my checkbook.  I've gotten bitten a time or two because of that, but it's a conscious decision I make.  Math.  Love.  Checkbook.  Hate.

2.  I love cereal.  There is always at least one box in our house.  Today, I think there are 4 varieties.  Corn flakes.  Rice Krispies.  Multigrain Cheerios.  Special K Red Berries.  I always have at least one bowl a day.  At bedtime.  Rarely ever at breakfast time.

3.  I want to learn to sew.  I learned the basics in middle school in our quarterly Arts rotation in Home Ec.  Basics only.  Many, many moons ago.  I would really like to re-learn to do this.

More later!

Photo A Day Challenge - Week Three (January 14-20, 2011)

Here we go again!  Week Three already!  I am really bad at abandoning challenges like this, but I really am getting joy from this one. :)




Day Fourteen: Something I Am Reading.  This is from my Real Simple magazine.  I really liked the quote about love.



Day Fifteen: Happiness.  Happiness is shoes in my book.  Even if they are your older brothers' and they are on the wrong feet!




Day Sixteen: Morning.  OK, this was really from Day Seventeen, but that doesn't bother me.  I had to share this!  Look at what I saw on my drive into Huntington this morning.  Ride the rainbow!!!




Day Seventeen: Water.  Bath time with cute little whale toy that shoots water through its spout.  The kiddos love it!






I Really LIKE Him

I love all my children. More than anything. Today I realized how much I really like my oldest son Ethan.

I think he went through a little thing after each of his brothers was born. It's completely understandable though; he was IT for six and a half years. All of a sudden, he was thrust into the role of big brother. He was good with it, I think, until the little things about having younger siblings surfaced. They get your parents attention, you have to become more independent, you have to share your bedroom, they get into your personal stuff. (We've all been there.)

But something has happened over the past few months. He has seemed to take an interest in his brothers. He will play with them and watch out for them if I have to go to the bathroom. He is truly becoming a Big Brother. I watch him with the little guys and see how much they are going to live and admire him as they grow older. Maybe even as adults, because he's that great. That. Would. Be. Awesome.

That aside, I've begun to really pay attention to him and see how special he is. He's smart; always has been. But I love his inquisitive brain and how it works. I love how he comes into Nash's room when I'm rocking him, getting him to sleep, and just talks. Spills out whatever thought or question is on his mind. Lately, it's computer stuff. Cool.

What I am loving so much today is his heart. He's always been kind and sweet, when he wants to be. It touches my heart how much he loves Aunt Shirley. How it breaks his heart and he quietly cries a little when we leave her house (just like I still do). How he tells me he misses her and wants to call her. (This is a big deal; he's not a phonophile. Again, like his mama.)

I am realizing how many little things we have in common. Unspoken things. Things I've seen in myself but never talk about. Even some of his facial features. Funny.

Ethan's always been a good boy whom I love unconditionally. I really LIKE him, too. I hope I never forget this feeling, and I hope he feels the same way.

I Was Present Today

We were able to drive to Ohio to spend the day with Aunt Shirley. This was our belated holiday visit with her. And it was great to see her, talk with her, watch her enjoy being with my boys. She is loving and nurturing with children, especially family. I love her so much.

January 14, 2012 - The boys and Great Aunt Shirley

It's been five months or so since Uncle Donnie passed away. Because of cancer. Horrible disease cancer. I have been really busy at work and overextended at home lately, especially the last week. This visit with Aunt Shirley made me slow down and be present in the time we were with her. I loved it, but I also hated it. It made me realize how much I miss having my uncle there. How dinner just wasn't the same without him. How much it stinks for Aunt Shirley to have to deal with everything alone. How much it sucks that I don't live closer, so Aunt Shirley spends ninety percent of her time alone. How much it stinks that family who live nearby don't do more. How much more I realize I need to do for someone who has done so much for me.

So I was totally present today. It left quite an impression on me. I hope I don't let this feeling sink to the wayside of my daily life. I need my aunt. My boys need their great aunt. Because she is truly one of the great ones.