According to Amy

First Days of School

2008-09-12T08:42:00.006-04:00

I haven't blogged in awhile, so I thought I would share pictures of the kid's first days of school!

Carson is now in second grade!And here is my MIDDLE schooler! Can you believe he is that old already?!

And here is Alina getting ready for school. Look at how excited she is:
I could not stop taking pictures of her!

It was raining out, so we had to wear our rain jacket.
First time walking through the doors of her new school.I think she likes it!!!

Making new friends!
Ok, mom, let's go home!

What have you been doing ALL summer....

2008-07-24T21:04:00.008-04:00

Hamming it up with my baby girl at our neighbors house.
Taking pictures in the ~~flowers~~ weeds, in our backyard. Aren't they pretty?!
Graduating from elementary school.
School's out for summer...
Summer fun with friends.
Bathing suit model.
Derail came to town -

Screaming monkeys!

Fourth of July with the siblings.

and more family...

Concert in the park.

Lining up dollies???
Catching up with lifetime friends.
Birthday parties.
My soccer player in his special "All-Star Game". He is gooood!

Brian's boss & his wife took us on a wine tour for the day.

Our friends had their babies. Good thing we have fruit trees to feed them.

Alina Boo's New Do

2008-06-20T10:07:00.006-04:00

I did it! After almost 2 1/2 years of growing her hair, my ~~baby~~ toddler got her 1st haircut.

I was apprehensive at first because she really has such beautiful hair, but it started looking a little scraggly at times, so I knew that it had to be done. I decided to take her to a kid's place, so that she could enjoy the experience to it's fullest extent and what a great choice that ended up being!

We get there and the beautician says "You're not cutting her beautiful hair, are YOU?!" Geez - that is not what I wanted to hear after I wasn't sure about cutting it in the first place. She then retracts that first statement, and tells me that she meant that I should not cut it short, she should only get a trim. OK, that is what I wanted anyways. Please don't make me second guess myself!!Well, let me just say that Alina was such a big girl and very cooperative - thank goodness! You know it can go either way. Phew! She sat perfectly on the ~~squirrel~~, ~~chipmunk~~ chair (which was some strange unknown animal - take a look at the thing) and enjoyed the moment. She even calmed down a screaming little boy who was in the chair next to her. Poor kid was not having a good time, but Alina knew just how to cheer him up.
At the end of the cut, she got a sucker and a "My 1st Haircut" certificate. How cute is that?!

Now of course, she wants to get her hair cut like everyday!!

Oh, What a Night...

2008-06-17T09:15:00.006-04:00

Late December back in '63...hehe (sorry, had to do it)!

Let me start off by saying yesterday was such an eerie day. It started off beautiful, then these crazy dark storm clouds came rolling in. On the North side, it was black and on the South, it was sunny blue skies with white fluffy clouds. Then, out of nowhere, the entire sky darkened and these huge hunks of hail came storming down on us. It was CRAZY!!

This happened twice yesterday. Meaning after the first time, the weather totally cleared up (we even went for a long walk) and then moments after we returned from our walk, the sky became really dark again. Only this second time, the hail was bigger and hitting that much harder. It was really neat. We watched all the action from inside our garage. It was such a sight.

All day I kept telling Carson that there would be a rainbow. We kept going out periodically to search for it. Yet, I just couldn't find one. But do you just ever have that strong gut feeling that it is meant to happen, and you just won't let it rest? Well, after the second storm of the day, the skies opened up and right in front of my eyes, a rainbow appeared!!!!! I was jumping and yelling for joy. I just knew it would happen! Not only did one appear, but two. Yes, there was a double rainbow - wishes do come true.

You see, it wasn't a normal day, in more than one regard. It was also Madison's anniversary. It was exactly 8 years ago yesterday that I lost my beautiful baby girl. Never an easy feat, yet this time, I could not have asked for a more spectacular day. It was the first anniversary that I felt so content and at peace. I am not a religious person, but I felt as though the heavens opened up and she gave me such a beautiful ~~sign~~ gift, with the rainbow, I knew in my heart one would appear that day. And it DID!!! Miracles do happen, even if they are little ones.

Where'd She GO???

2008-06-16T15:39:00.003-04:00

No, not me. I know I have been MIA lately, but it's summertime and the end of the school year is drawing near, which means we are BUSY! I will try to post more often. Really.

Where in the world did Alina go? We are sitting outside watching the crazy storm come in and I decide to take a look on the monitor to see if Bina Boo has fallen asleep yet. Imagaine my surprise when she is not showing up on the monitor! Yes, this means I had to get off my butt and actually go into the house to see where she could have possibly gone.

Apparently, Alina still had sand on her body from playing in the sandbox just moments before she laid down to take her nap. Of course, the sand then made it's way into her sheets and she will have none of that! I can't blame her - I hate sand in the sheets!

So, the ever crafty baby girl decided to take matters into her own hands. Yep, she made a make-shift bed all by herself on the floor! What an ingenious little one we have here. I love that she was able to problem solve all on her own. It was priceless.
She is still sound asleep as I write this. Yay!

10 Years Today!!!!

2008-06-02T10:15:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can hardly believe it, but today marks 10 YEARS of marriage for US! It seems like just yesterday we were just starting out, and now here we are celebrating a decade of marriage together (15 years together total). Makes me feel kinda old. ;o)

We sure have come a long way - 3 kids, a dog, many apartments, 2 houses and rough financial beginnings (we were very young when we started out) later - we are at such a great place in our lives. It's amazing how fast it goes and how much we have grown in such a short time span. I couldn't imagine having life any other way.

We went out to an amazing dinner on Saturday night (I had scallops with black fettucini in a saffron sauce - YUMMY!) and Brian decided to give me my gift before we went out. He couldn't wait. Now to preface this, he isn't a good gift planner/giver. He is one to buy my present day of and it's usually a vacuum or something really romantic and exciting like that. He has NEVER bought me jewelry, with the one exception of my engagement ring 11 years ago!

Well, to my surprise he put TONS of thought into my gift (I honestly didn't think we were getting each other anything). This is what he got me:

Pretty nice, huh? I use to tell him all the time that I wanted a ring like that, but he always said "No way". Then I stopped asking years ago. I was convinced it was a lost cause. He doesn't believe in spending money on jewelry. Such a guy. Then he goes to a jeweler and has this made especially for me! It has 10 diamonds to signify our 10 year anniversary and the cut/quality is the same as my engagement ring (princess cut w/ a "f" vvs1 clarity). Definitely worth the wait!! I think the best part is that he put so much thought into it and I was truly surprised. That is the best!! OK, the diamonds are pretty cool too, hehe!

Hello Kitty

2008-05-31T00:26:00.004-04:00

Did you know that my daughter is a kitty cat?

Well, she is. Everyday she will talk to me and answer my questions with a "meow" and can speak in Meowese fluently. It is quite fascinating. If I am holding her, I get extra special kitty treats. Yep, she licks me. Thank goodness she still has that sweet little baby girl breath, or I may just get sick. For now, I can stand at least 1 lick here and there.
When she isn't being a kitty, she is having a baby. Not really sure how this one all started but it is quite hysterical. At home she actually puts a baby doll under her shirt to simulate a pregnant toddler. That just sounds wrong, but you know what I mean. If we are out she just points to her belly and tells everyone that there is a baby in there and she isn't ready to come out yet. I guess her maternal instincts are already kicking in. I guess I know who I am going to live with when I am old and feeble.

I tried to capture her pregnant, and the video kinda ran on. So, don't mind the extra footage. I don't know how to edit my camera video, so I just uploaded the whole thing.

Enjoy:

Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-28T18:12:00.002-04:00

ETA: I know this is supposed to be wordless, BUT I have to let you know that she slept all night in this get-up! No kidding. She is something else.

Ahhh...Sweet Justice

2008-05-22T12:02:00.003-04:00

I totally forgot to update my stolen wallet story until Kacey reminded me. Thank You Kacey!

So, where did I leave off? Oh yeah, I had to go to the DMV the next day to get a new license. No problem, until I get to the DMV and they moved due to budget cuts and I had no clue where the new satellite offices were located. It was fun times finding one, but I eventually did and got my new "paper" license right away. I never remember the DMV being so quick and efficient. It was really nice. The only bad part was that I wouldn't get my picture id in the mail for another 7-10 business days. Great, I needed it to board a plane.

Well, I wasn't the only one worried about needing a license to get on a plane, the trooper who took the report, was jammed up about it as well. You see, he had the next 3 days off and wasn't "supposed" to work on my case until Monday, but the fact that I needed my license, he decided to do a little work on the side for me. What a guy!

Remember the chic that stole my wallet used her food stamp card? Well in order to get an EBT card, you basically have to give all of your information to the department of social services when you apply for one. This means he knew where she lived and even had her cell phone number. He called her. She answered!!!!

Basically he busted her saying that he knew what she did and they have her on tape doing it. She of course denies it and stupidly confirms to the trooper it was her after he played a little bit of word games with her. She's not the smartest woman. Here is an example of their conversation:

Trooper - "Do you work for a nursing agency? It looks like you were wearing pink scrubs."

Thief - "Those weren't scrubs, it was a jogging suit!"

Trooper - "We even saw you get into your black SUV."

Thief - "It's not black, it's dark green!"

Here she is denying it and then incriminating herself by arguing with his facts. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. After a bit of this he gets her to admit that she did it. She claims she took nothing out of it and threw it in the garbage, in the Walmart parking lot. Wonderful. He told her too bad, because if she had the wallet, he would have given her a break with the judge.

Oh! All of the sudden she thinks it might be somewhere else. She will call him back in 20 minutes. I am guessing to figure out her game play. She calls him back and now her story changes. She claims she threw it out the window of the SUV while they were driving on Transit Rd, near some big grassy area. He calls me. Tells me he doesn't want to send me on a wild goose chase, but it may be worth a shot looking for it. Brian just happened to be on Transit at this very moment so he searched for it. For 2 HOURS! NOTHING! Sadness.

I call the trooper back and told him our efforts and he wasn't surprised that it wasn't there. i had such hope there for a little while. I really thought I would get it back. Oh well. I was starting to accept the fact that it wasn't going to happen.

Fast forward a couple of hours. The phone rings. I know it is a stranger calling because it says "Private" on the caller id and when I answer, the woman who asks for me cannot pronounce my last name. I knew what she was going to say. I was right:

Hi. Is this Amy _____? I found your wallet in the McDonald's parking lot on Genesee St., across from the airport."

I was so excited!! She claimed she found it right in the parking lot. Hmmm...funny how she was the 1st one to see it in a very busy McD's parking lot more than 24 hours after it was tossed. I didn't even care at this point. I just wanted my wallet. Unfortunately, she couldn't meet me because she didn't have a car (how the heck was she at McD's miles and miles away?), so I would have to pick up the wallet at her house. I was scared, but played along and got her address. She lived in a really rough area on the East side of the city. No way in hell I was going there!

I called the trooper and he thought it sounded fishy too. Well, there just happened to be an undercover sting operation going down, right there, and his sergeant went to the chic's house (who was in a neck brace when he showed up) and got it! She had no clue that I wasn't coming. Nice surprise for her, hehe!

Yay!!! My wallet was now in police custody. Everything was in it except for the cash. They even left the change. Wasn't that thoughtful of them?!

The rest of the weekend the trooper had his days off and surprised the thief on Monday when he showed up at her house and arrested her. She probably thought she was in the clear after nothing happened all weekend. Then Monday came and BAM! HAHA! He brought her in and had her write her confession. Now mind you, she doesn't know that I have my wallet and that someone "found it", they never told her anything that happened. Yet, her statement now changed. In it, she writes that she threw the wallet out of the window of the SUV right by McDonald's near the airport. Funny how she knew that. I thought she threw it out on Transit Rd. I told you, she's not the smartest thief.

Now for the icing on the cake. Her friend, the one behind her in line, was using a stolen EBT card and was arrested for that!!! HA - sweet justice!!!! I couldn't be happier with the outcome. I believe in karma and this was a true case of where it happened perfectly!

I think I will pay more attention to my wallet from now on. Lesson learned!

What to Eat?

2008-05-22T09:17:00.002-04:00

So, here it is day 3 and my mouth still hurts. What the hell? I really expected to feel perfectly fine today, but no. Instead I am sitting her waiting for my narcotics to kick in. I feel like a suburban pill popping momma! I don't want to take them around the clock, but they really do work and I am all about being pain-free.

When do you become addicted to these things? I woke up today feeling especially groggy, which makes me wonder if that is because I was coming off the Lortab while I was sleeping. Not a good feeling. I could see where it's just easier to take more than to feel like crap. Don't worry, I won't do that. I don't have enough pills!

Now onto the food issue. I am unable to chew and I am getting really sick of not eating much. I love food and eating is a passion of mine, so this is really killing me. So far, I have eaten yogurt, oatmeal (which kinda hurt), smoothies and cream soup. Let me tell you, those are just not cutting it. If you want to lose some weight, this is a great diet for that. Only drawback is that you are starving the whole time and every commercial on TV is for food!!!!

Oh, I can't wait to chomp on some good food soon. Until then, what can I eat? Do you have any puree type food suggestions for me? I do have some Jello setting up in the fridge as we speak and I am pretty excited about that. Too bad it doesn't fill you up!

Tag - I'm IT!

2008-05-21T23:17:00.000-04:00

Woohoo ~ I have been tagged by one of the coolest chics I know online! I can always relate to her blog and it reminds me that we are all living parallel lives as Mommas. Check her out!

Favorite person (outside family)? What kind of a question is this?
Favorite food? Thai & Sushi
Quirks about you? I attract strangers to the point that they must come up and talk to me. What is that all about?
How would the person who loves you most describe you in ten words or less? By saying something good I hope.

Any regrets in life? Sure, but what can you do.

Favorite Charity/ Cause? Anything helping children.
Favorite Blog recently? I have to pick just one?
Something you can’t get enough of? My children when they are being good!
Worst job you’ve ever had? Waitress at Pizza Hut.
What job would you pay NOT to have? Cleaning portable potties (Johnny on the Spots) - EWWWW!!!!!
If you could be a fly on the wall, where? In my kid's classrooms.
Favorite Bible verse right now? Not sure if it's one, but "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you."
Guilty Pleasure? Getting stuff done at the spa/salon - manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, etc.
Got any confessions? That I strategically place certain food items so that hubby and the kids can't "find" them.
If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it? On lots of clothes!
Favorite thing about your house? My big backyard.
Least favorite thing about your house? The lack of a good landscape design. UGH!
One thing you are bad at? Calling people.
One thing you’re good at? Being a mom.
If you could change something about your circumstances, what? That Alina would stop coming into our bed at night.
Who would you like to meet someday? Somebody really cool.
What makes you feel sexy? Working out and feeling good in my clothes.
Who is your real life hero? Not so sure I have one.

What is the hardest part of your job? Breaking up the fights!
When are you most relaxed? When the whole house is clean and all the laundry is done.
What stresses you out? When the kids have to be at two different places at the same time.

What can you not live without? My family.
Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists? I guess it all depends on who's blog you are talking about. Mine, no.

Why do you blog? To put my thoughts down "on paper" when the feeling strikes me. Also, to share with others what is going on in this life of mine.

Who are you tagging?
New(ish) bloggers - Johnna
Bloggy friends - Tracey and Sara
Bloggers you’d like to get to know better - The Mom @ Cheaper Than Therapy - I can totally relate to her!
A blogger who wouldn’t respond at all, but you’d hope will - Perez Hilton.

Okay - rules:
1. Answer the questions (Did I really have to include this as a rule? Duh!)
2. Link back to whoever tagged you
3. Tag eight bloggers to do the same, 2 from each category.
New/ newer bloggers (since we want to share the love and send them traffic)
Bloggy friends
Bloggers you’d like to get to know better
Bloggers you don’t think will respond, but you hope will.

OUCH!!!

2008-05-20T18:59:00.004-04:00

After a great trip to Chicago this past weekend, I had the pleasure of getting one of my wisdom teeth pulled today (one of the 2 that I have). It was one of those teeth that was impacted and didn't need to come out - until it decided to become un-impacted and broke through my gums. Nice, huh? So here I am at 33 years old getting it pulled. Lovely.

I guess when you get older they don't like to pull 'em because your jaw bone becomes more dense and there are more problems that arise because of it, such as difficulty coming out, fractured jaw, nerve damage, etc. So, I was a tad bit nervous for my appointment. Then I figured, I was a late bloomer with my teeth and that may be my saving grace.

The extraction went quite well. Except for the lidocaine. For some reason it wasn't working for me and I wasn't getting numb. The oral surgeon had to keep dosing me. Little did I know that I would pay for this dearly later. At least I was finally numb! It was so easy and it went perfect. I felt NO pain whatsoever. I am sick, so the only thing that was causing me difficulty was not being able to swallow. That pretty much sucked. I would have rescheduled the appt., but I had a sitter and everything was good to go. That isn't always easy to finagle!

I got a script for Lortab and was on my way, feeling good. I went to Wegman's, had the prescription filled while I did some shopping, picked up Alina and went home. Things were going well. UNTIL, the lidocaine started to wear off. O M G!!!!!!!! I was dying. I am talking some of the worst pain I have ever felt and I birthed children my friends! I seriously couldn't take it. I quick drank a smoothie to have a base in my stomach and took the Lortab & Advil cold & sinus for my cold, and waited...and waited...and waited.

An hour and a half go by and NOTHING! I am talking serious pain. I thought I was going to die. Alina refused to take a nap and decided to be extra whiny at this time and I didn't know what to do. So, I called the dentist and he said he wasn't surprised that I called. I guess it was really inflamed and there was a lot of trauma for being injected so many times, not to mention he removed bone. the tooth, etc. He told me to take another Lortab. So, I did.

Now another hour and a half go by and nothing. Still in horrible pain. At this point I decided to sit and relax no matter what the kids wanted or ~~had to have~~ needed and started with the ice pack on my puffy face. After an hour of this, I miraculously started to feel better. Thank goodness. I seriously couldn't take it any longer, and I don't consider myself a whimp when it comes to pain.

Right before it was time for my next pill, I felt the pain coming on again and took another one. Phew! That was close, but don't worry, I am all better again now. Lortab is now my friend! I am so glad it decided to work now.

I don't know why the 1st two pills took so long to work or why the lidocaine wasn't numbing me?! I wonder if there is something wrong with me? Don't answer that one! I am just hoping that tomorrow doesn't bring me any surprises. My sister and husband both felt worse on day 2, but they both went under. I am praying that their day 2 was my day one and I am done! Keep your fingers crossed for me PLEASE!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2008-05-11T20:57:00.005-04:00

I hope every mother out there had the very best day with her children! After all, that is what it is all about.

My Mother's Day started yesterday when I went to the spa and had a manicure, a massage and a facial. It was a heavenly 3 1/2 hours spent away from my lovely family. It kinda makes you appreciate them that much more. I was daydreaming while I was getting my facial thinking that I definitely need to do this for myself at least once a month. The only problem is finding the time. But I am going to work on it!

The best part about today was getting the homemade gifts that my kids made me. Alina "made" me a traced hand frame with a cute little poem (done at playgroup w. her teacher). I love how little her hand is and the fact that she kept telling me "Happy Mother's Day!!!" all day long today. My sweet little pumpkin!

Then Carson made me a flower box (painted by him), a packet of seeds attached to a card with a lovely poem inside and a hysterically beautiful letter. I was laughing and crying the whole time while reading it. It is precious. Check it out:

And the last gift I got from my kids was from Tyler. He wrote me a poem all on his own and not to be outdone by his little brother, it was just as touching. I feel like I won the lottery with these gifts. Here is his:

Brian got me a new gazebo for the yard (and put it all together already!), flowers, made me steak for dinner and did all the dishes all day without me even asking. The dishwasher is running now and it is music to my ears for once. I didn't put ANY of the dishes in there and it was full & clean when I woke up. Now that is a gift!

I also celebrated my day by organizing all of the kids toys and got rid of 3 garbage bags and "the biggest tote you can buy" full of junk! I love to purge, lol! It was liberating! A clean organize house makes me happy, too bad it is so hard to keep up. Oh well.

Stay tuned - I have an update to my Stolen Wallet story. It is good. I promise it will be worth the read once I get it all down.

Happy Day Mommies!

I was VIOLATED!!!!!!!

2008-05-08T22:04:00.002-04:00

Ever have one of those days? The ones where you shouldn't have ever left the house that day? Well, today was that day for me.

I went to Walmart to get some BIG shopping done. We were out of everything, so I needed to spend a lot of money and where better to shop & save mucho dough than at Walmart. I had Alina with me and the cart was packed to it's limit. It was also nap time for her so she started getting antsy to say the least. We were both ready to go.

Of course, the lines were long and the two ladies behind us made casual conversation with us, telling me how pretty Alina was, etc. Made the time pass. Good. Then I checkout and Alina starts melting down and it's time to go. I almost forgot a bag, so I grabbed it and went. I got out to the parking lot with my overly filled cart and realized my purse felt awfully light. So, I check in it and fear the worst - yep my wallet was missing!

I run (as fast as I can with the baby and the cart!!!) back into the store frantic looking for my wallet. The cashier can't find it. The nice lady behind me helps me look, no luck. The cashier then gets me another cart to go through each bag (FUN!) and transfer them to the new cart. IT WAS NOWHERE!!! I run back outside again and retrace my steps (with Alina and the cart - AGAIN!). No luck. I go back in, now the friend of the nice lady is there and she is helping me look. It's gone. So, I say thanks and go to the customer service desk.

Security is called and I talk to the lady. She has to go check the tapes. I wait....

She comes back to tell me that the "Nice" lady behind me stole it!!!!!!!! The one who talked to us, the one who helped me look for IT!!!!!

(Oh and not to mention, all this happened and I had to be home in 20 minutes to get my kids off the bus and I forgot my cell phone at home.)

I guess I paid my bill, and was just about to put my wallet in my purse when the cashier told me I forgot a bag. So, I grabbed the bag and left my wallet on the shelf and left. I walked out of the store and when no one was looking, the lady looked around, saw that no one was looking and grabbed my wallet. She then walked back to her friend and handed it to her!!! The other one that "helped" me!!!!

OMG!!! I am so mad, sad, angry, violated and just sick to my stomach. Who does that to a mom with a baby? To someone who was friendly with them and did nothing wrong to them??? They took everything - over 20 credit cards, my license, my kid's pictures... Which they will just toss. It makes me sad.

The good news is, we have her on tape doing it. A cop walked into the store 5 minutes after it happened, so we got a report right away. We have them getting into their car and they paid with separate EBT cards (food stamps), so hopefully that will help in finding who they are.

It took me 4 hours to cancel all my cards and I am just drained from the whole process of the day. Also, I am going to Chicago soon and now I don't have a license to get on the plane - isn't that just wonderful?! You know how fast the DMV is. Looks like that is what I will be doing tomorrow. Fun times.

I guess you just never know who you are talking to. Just makes me disgusted that I was so friendly to them. Yet, I still have hope that they will ditch my wallet and I will get my kid's pictures back. You never know...

Some Flowers for YOU!

2008-05-07T08:39:00.002-04:00

Oh, how I love SPRING!! This is my absolute favorite time of the year. The weather isn't too hot or humid yet and nature starts to come alive. The sight of a budding tree gives me goosebumps. There is just something about new life that makes me feel alive inside. I savor these days, especially the ones where my kids are romping around outside enjoying it as much as I do. That is the BEST!

While Ty and I were playing badminton, Carson & Alina were busy picking flowers. It was so cute, Carson put flowers in Alina's hair and they ran over to show us. I loved every minute of it. How fun is it when your boys embrace the beauty of a girl?! Before Alina, this would never have been a thought in his mind, but Alina being the "girly girl" that she is, she brings it out in all of us!

Happy Birthday!!!!

2008-05-02T19:01:00.003-04:00

Today we are celebrating 7 ~~hectic~~ wonderful years of having Carson in our family!!!

Wow, does time ever go by so quickly. I really wish it would slow down some, as it's getting harder and harder to keep up with these ever growing children of mine!

So, being the prankster that I am, I had to give Carson a hard time about his birthday present, and boy was it fun . First, I gave him a pair of wrestling pj bottoms that he already knew about as his one and only gift. He gave me a slight smile and was sorta appreciative. But, not really. He gave me that look of "this is REALLY my birthday present?!!!". Hehe. I am having fun here. Does that make me a bad momma???

Then I remembered I had one more that I forgot about. Hmmm...oh yeah, it was a WWE shirt to match the pants. Again, he liked it but still seemed a bit bummed about the clothing being his only birthday gifts. He really wanted a Webkinz. Aww, too bad buddy. Maybe next year.

Haha! I went to go do something else and came downstairs with a gift bag. His eyes lit up, now my birthday boy looked like the excited kid I hoped for and expected him to be on his birthday! I think he knew what was inside. He was sorta right. Not only did he get a Webkinz, but he got THREE!! He was beyond thrilled and he told me it was his best birthday EVER!!!

Until next year that is, right?!

Isn't this what you wear while eating birthday cake??

Finally Found a TV Stand

2008-05-01T21:40:00.002-04:00

Ok everyone, you can all stop the search. We FINALLY found a stand for our new plasma. It has been sitting on our coffee table for weeks and there were wires everywhere. Very classy, if you ask me! It wasn't an easy feat to find "the one". It had to be dark wood, tall(ish), solid doors with storage on the side, shelves in the middle for our components and a glass door (so I don't have to dust, lol!).

So, Brian was at the store and knowing all of my "must haves" for said console, he texted me a picture of the one we ended up getting. Sometimes I don't give him the credit he deserves, but let me tell you, for once he listened to me and delivered. He found exactly what I wanted! YAY!!!

Check it out -

Now we need to get a new coffee table, end tables, etc to match. Does the buying ever end????

My Husband ROCKS!

2008-04-22T09:33:00.002-04:00

Just a small brag here on my hubby. He won a new laptop from work the other day and gave it to ME! How awesome is that?! I really like it a lot! It has a 17" HD screen, built-in webcam/microphone, makes lightscribe direct disc labels and lots of other cool features. The one thing I was weary of was the Windows Vista Home Premium Edition it is installed with (change is hard), BUT I love it!

The Kolts DOMINATE....Again!

2008-04-22T08:51:00.005-04:00

So, we went to ~~The Kolt's Annual Dinner~~ The St. Joseph's Annual Credit Union Dinner on Friday. What a deal this thing is. I am shocked every year, but it's always the same kicking deal. You get all you can eat and drink (I am talking wine, beer, mixed drinks here), all for $12.50!!! I can't even eat at McDonald's for that much (not that I would anyways, but you know what I mean)! The best part is that our family takes up two tables at the banquet, and we are FUN!

Every year they do a Chinese auction, a 50/50 raffle and a huge Booze Basket giveaway. Our family has this complete luck thing going on with this whole deal. Every year my cousin wins so much, it's almost embarrassing (okay, maybe everyone's just jealous and that's the problem), but anyways he wins A LOT! Well, this year my sister and I decided to rub said cousin for luck. I am not superstitious, but...it worked!!!

I kid you not, Sherry won SIX (or was it seven?) baskets, I won THREE, my nana won TWO, my uncle won ONE, Aria won ONE, my other sister won ONE and Hoosky won the 50/50 - cold hard CASH!!! It was ridiculously AWESOME!!! It is so fun to win. Unfortunately, we made a name again for ourselves this year and didn't make a lot of friends. At least I was happy for the other people that won - Karma baby!!

A Convo with Alina...

2008-04-21T23:39:00.003-04:00

So, I had to run to the post office today and I asked Alina if she wanted to come with me. Of course, she did. So, we went. I stopped at Starbucks on the way home (which I believe, led her to believe that we were out for awhile, lol) and then pulled into my driveway. We came straight home. She was not amused. As I pulled into the driveway, she said:

Alina - "NO! I don't want to come home. I want to go shopping!!!"

Me - "Oh, really. Where did you want to go?"

Alina - "Ummm...I don't know. TARGET?!"

Me - "Ok, but maybe tomorrow. We're already home."

If I had make-up on, I would have turned the car around and gone to Target, but it wasn't happening tonight. I cannot tell you how in love I am. My boys HATE shopping and my little girly girl can't get enough. Life is GOOD! BTW, we are going to Target tomorrow!

My Sister got MARRIED!!!!!!!

2008-04-06T22:22:00.005-04:00

What an amazing day yesterday was! From beginning to end, the day was seriously flawless. My sister looked absolutely gorgeous, the day turned out beautiful (as the heavens opened up at the perfect moment and the sun shined through, lol - that is for you TOM!), and even little Miss Alina cooperated beyond belief. You never know what a 2 year old might do?!

Not only was the day perfect, but I gained a new brother-in-law that I definitely approve of and his family is just as great. It's always a bonus when you add people you genuinely like to the family. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

Now, I am ready for babies!!! No pressure....

If you want to see some REALLY good pictures, check them out here and see what the professionals pulled off.
A M A Z I N G !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You call this SPRING?!

2008-03-28T21:24:00.004-04:00

Brrrr....

The sun was shining and the kids were itching to get out, so we decided to walk to the park. I didn't realize how muddy and wet everything was. We had to go through a lot of sidewalk puddles to get there, but we made it!

The boys rode their bikes and I pushed Alina in her stroller for the mile walk there. Once we got there, Ty & Carson played tennis and we girls played on the playground and swings. I was so impressed with how well she could climb the stairs and go down the big slides with ease. What a difference already from last year. I can already tell this is going to be a really fun summer for her. She can do so much more now!

Notice the HUGE pools of water in front of the tennis courts. My boys decided to run through them and splash around in them when I wasn't looking. OMG! I was SOOO mad. I specifically told them not to get wet. So much for that. Then I was yelling for them to stop (as nicely as possible from far away and in front of other parents that were there), but they continued on knowing I wouldn't go through the water to physically stop them. I was fuming. The sweetest ~~revenge~~ lesson was that they had to freeze the whole walk home in their wet clingy clothes. I bet they won't do that again!

Funny how it seems warmer when the sun's out when you are in the house, than outside! Our walk back was quite chilly (and even colder for 2 boys!) as the sun was going away, but worth it. It felt so good to go for a walk. I can't wait for the warmer weather to begin!

Deal of the Week!

2008-03-21T09:34:00.002-04:00

I just went to ~~Tar-jay~~ Target last night and found the cutest little dresses. The best part? They were on sale for ONLY $5 each. How can they even make any money when they sell them so cheap? (I don't even want to know. I am sure someone is getting way underpaid to make them. Sadness.)

Anyways, they are adorable and perfect for summer ~ if it should ever get here. I am so ready for sundresses, sandals, and capris!

Here is Alina sporting one of the little numbers:

Y'all SUCK!

2008-03-20T22:23:00.002-04:00

Ok, if it wasn't for Tasha, no one would have guessed any of my movie quotes. Did they really stump you guys? Seriously, they are EASY and CLASSICS!!! I decided to end the game and tell everyone what movie the quotes belong to. So, here you go:

1. AMERICAN BEAUTY "It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself."

2. LIFE AS A HOUSE "You know the great thing, though, is that change can be so constant you don't even feel the difference until there is one. It can be so slow that you don't even notice that your life is better or worse, until it is. Or it can just blow you away, make you something different in an instant. It happened to me."

3. AMERICAN HISTORY X "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained we must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature."

4. PRETTY WOMAN - Yay Tasha for getting it!!!!"Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don't; but keep on dreamin' - this is Hollywood. Always time to dream, so keep on dreamin'."

5. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES "Six bucks and my right nut says we're not landing in Chicago."

6. STAND BY ME - YAY Tasha again!!!~~"What am I supposed to do, think of everything? I brought the comb!"~~

7. BETTER OFF DEAD " Buck up little camper, we'll beat that slope together."

8. THE NOTEBOOK"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."

9. THE SHINING "Wendy, let me explain something to you. Whenever you come in here and interrupt me, you're breaking my concentration. You're distracting me. And it will then take me time to get back to where I was. You understand?"

10. PULP FICTION "Three tomatoes are walking down the street- a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato. Baby tomato starts lagging behind. Poppa tomato gets angry, goes over to the baby tomato, and smooshes him... and says, Catch up."

THERE YOU GO! NOW, DON'T YOU FEEL SILLY FOR NOT KNOWING?!

Bachelorette PARTY!!

2008-03-18T23:23:00.005-04:00

My face was feeling good finally (except for this ginormous zit, of course!) and we girls all went out to celebrate my little sister's last days as a single woman! It was so sweet. We had a two floor suite with a spiral staircase connecting the floors, drinks, and appetizers galore. We all got our game on at the hotel, then headed to the limo bus for some bar hopping fun! It was a great time and I was able to hang with the young girls w/out falling asleep. YAY! My sister looked B E A U T I F U L and we couldn't have been happier to celebrate this special time with her. Now, I can't wait until the wedding....party on!

The bachelorette!

The silly gifts.

The girls.

Me and my sista.

Three sisters, me being goofy!

Am I ever serious?

Some random chic gave us wine in the hall.

SCORE!

Our party LIMO!

The young ones passed out...

and the old ones rocked it all night long!!!!

Guess the movie quote!

2008-03-18T01:01:00.003-04:00

OK, I stole this from ohamanda. It sounded fun and I can't wait to see if anyone can get these. I stink at this game, btw! Good luck.

Everyone loves movies and one thing we love from them are the great one liners! Let’s have some fun with them.

Here are the rules:

1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. No Googling or IMDb-ing. That’s cheating and that’s no fun.

Ready? In random order, my quotes:

1. "It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself."

2. "You know the great thing, though, is that change can be so constant you don't even feel the difference until there is one. It can be so slow that you don't even notice that your life is better or worse, until it is. Or it can just blow you away, make you something different in an instant. It happened to me."

3. "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained we must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature."

4. PRETTY WOMAN - Yay Tasha for getting it!!!!"Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don't; but keep on dreamin' - this is Hollywood. Always time to dream, so keep on dreamin'."

5. "Six bucks and my right nut says we're not landing in Chicago."

6. STAND BY ME - YAY Tasha again!!!~~"What am I supposed to do, think of everything? I brought the comb!"~~

7. " Buck up little camper, we'll beat that slope together."

8. "So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."

9. "Wendy, let me explain something to you. Whenever you come in here and interrupt me, you're breaking my concentration. You're distracting me. And it will then take me time to get back to where I was. You understand?"

10. "Three tomatoes are walking down the street- a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato. Baby tomato starts lagging behind. Poppa tomato gets angry, goes over to the baby tomato, and smooshes him... and says, Catch up."

Day 2 & 3 - When will it END?!

2008-03-13T23:21:00.003-04:00

Seriously, I have never EVER posted even a single picture of myself without make-up on, and here I am going ALL out! I need to be real though and give a true account of my experience, so I am taking one for the team and putting myself "out there".

Ok, so this picture is the next day after my "Lunch Time Peel". Not too bad right? Well, it's hard to tell, but it still doesn't feel normal and my skin is so tight that I can't make any facial expressions! It looks like someone poured glue over my face and it dried clear. It also felt like that. Then you see those two brown dots on my face? Well. those weren't there before I did this, so I am wondering what they are? Maybe the laser was in that spot too long? I sure hope it goes away!!!

Now on to day 3. Um, I knew he said I would peel, but I started questioning it because it wasn't happening. Well, then I looked into the mirror and forced some expressions on my face. It was so weird!

Then it started cracking. My whole face was peeling off. GROSS! It got really bad after these last pictures, so I decided not to take anymore pictures of it to spare you. It has been peeling now for 2 days and I am ready for it to be done already! My neck is super sore still, red and hasn't peeled yet. Not sure what that's all about, but I am sure it will start peeling when I am out or something. I had teacher conferences tonight and had to wear a turtleneck to hide it. So, just remember if you decide to do this too, just make sure you have nothing to do for at least a week. Unless, you don't mind peeling in public!

OUCH!!!!!

2008-03-12T10:31:00.003-04:00

It's called the "Lunch Time Laser Peel":

5 times better than a chemical or skin peel
Shining and tightening effects
No down time, pain or discomfort
Only 1 treatment every 4-6 months recommended

Um, who are you KIDDING???!!! No pain or discomfort? Let me put it this way...Have you ever had your face tattooed? That is about what it felt like. Well, I am not really sure since I have no tattoos, but I would guess it would feel like this. Actually it wasn't all horrible; I kinda got used to it after awhile, until he would stop and then go back at it. First, he lasered my whole face and neck, and then he took this ~~sandpaper~~ gauze pad and rubbed my face with it. Not very fun but it was over. Phew, I was done. I could actually manage this. Then he said, "Ok, we just need to do it once more." ONCE MORE?! Now this is where the pain started kicking in (and yes, he rubbed it AGAIN afterwards w/ the sandpaper). The skin was now raw and he started at it again. All I could smell was burnt skin. YUMMY ~ My burnt skin.

Can I just tell you how scared I was to look in the mirror after he was done? I really didn't know what to expect. I was thinking open wounds, lol! But, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Just REALLY red and sore. I was wondering if I could put anything on it to cool it down, so he gave me some aloe vera. OMG, I had no clue how much that stuff stings. It burned so bad. I stood up and started feeling sick. My face was on fire (like 10x worse than a sunburn) and my throat was feeling tight and it was hard to swallow. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it. He said it was normal and I was fine. I didn't agree! I even asked the nurses and they all said it was normal. What did I get myself into? Too late now.

I left the office with my big sunglasses on trying to hide my face, running for the cold. I needed to cool off my "burn". The outside felt great, but it just wasn't enough. So, I blasted the A/C for the entire 45 minute car ride home. Now mind you it was 30 degrees outside, that's how hot my face was.

Good thing I have nothing to do all week so I can hide inside until it gets better. It's suppose to be red for a couple of days and then peel completely off. Should be interesting. I will keep you updated. For now, this is what I looked like when I got home:

(please remember I have no make-up on, so I look gross - but I had to show pictures!)

We just got a lot of snow!!!

2008-03-09T21:38:00.004-04:00

Today was an awesome day. Lots of crisp white snow, not too cold and not a cloud in sight. This is my kind of winter day. So, I took Alina out to enjoy all that Buffalo has to offer in the winter. It was GREAT! She even insisted on going on the swing. Good idea (Alina's favorite phrase!). It was quite fun. Even Cayce (our 9 year old dog) had a blast!

This was in my backyard today!

2008-03-07T19:11:00.004-05:00

I came home today, looked out into my backyard and was taken aback when I saw this guy on the tree right outside my window. It's hard to tell, but he is BIG! I was so excited, as I have never seen any bird this big perched on a branch right in front of me. So, I called Brian to tell him all about the "owl" that was in our yard. He precedes to tell me that he saw the same said owl not too long ago in the way back (wooded area) of our yard.

Well, I decided I had to look up what kind of owl it was but I only had this picture to go by:

Not the best picture, since it was snowing and I was taking the picture from my kitchen, so that is when I cropped it and realized what it REALLY looked like. No wonder none of the owls online looked like this fellow. Um, he's not an owl! He is a hawk. Doh!

How silly did I feel? Well, it was hard to make out the picture and I am going with that. Plus, Brian thought it was an owl too. Then, Tyler comes home, looks at the picture and says, "Oh, dad and I saw that same owl in the woods not too long ago." Phew, it wasn't just me. Really, it was hard to tell! I guess (after some extensive research) he's a Rough-legged hawk.

Well, at least I know NOW! And so do you, if you should ever have one in your backyard. Hey, you never know!

Photo Shoot Update:

2008-03-06T23:30:00.003-05:00

Miss Alina Bina Boo did a wonderful job at her Fisher-Price photo shoot! She was in a great mood and super personable. Never the shy girl, she had all the ladies wanting to take her home by the end of the whole ordeal.

At the shoot, she had to sit in this cute cozy coupe type car and strike this very specific pose they were looking for. It was awkward because they needed her to lean out slightly (with her head) but still have her hands on the wheel. I had to hide behind a wall and play peek-a-boo to get her to look at me at a certain angle and smile. It was interesting!

There were a couple good shots, but after a bit she became very curious of her surroundings and kept looking around at everything that was going on and no longer playing our game. So, we knew she had enough. The photographer did, however, bring me around and showed me a bunch of shots and then stopped at one and said it was a really good one. So, you never know.

There were about 10 other 2 year olds getting their picture taken that day for the same thing, so it all depends on the look they were going for. In my book, she already beat them all - hands down!!

What is YOUR Motivation?

2008-03-06T19:39:00.002-05:00

Why is it so hard for me to get my butt in gear to go and run on the treadmill? I swear, I have never been so tired, for so long as I have been this winter. I am not sick, I am just really really beat for no good reason. I have no energy. Yet, I force myself to run in hopes of increasing my energy level and to get in shape. So far, neither has happened and it's been a solid month of actually being consistent. What gives? Maybe I have that SAD thing from living in Buffalo. Anyways, I hope a change is coming soon.

So, what actually motivates you to exercise? I'll tell you what my motivation is right now. The obvious answer is to look good and be healthy, etc. But the real reason is that I am addicted to Big Brother on CBS. Um yeah, seriously. I won't watch it on TV or even DVR it. I only allow myself to watch it online, on my laptop, while running on the treadmill. AND it's on 3 nights a week!!! So, that means I workout a minimum of 3 days a week. Pretty good stuff, right?! It makes my running go so much faster and once I get my tired butt on the treadmill, I forget how tired I was just 5 minutes before. Simply amazing. I just don't know what I am going to do once the season is over?!!!

ps...I wrote this while walking on the treadmill and feel better already! Now I need to watch my show and pick up the pace. Oh, and I am still behind 2 episodes, so shhh!!!

FISHER-PRICE Photo Shoot

2008-03-05T18:36:00.003-05:00

So, Alina was called (again) for another photo shoot. I am of course excited, but at the same time I am not holding my breath. So far, she has had 3 photo shoots and I don't believe they have used her picture thus far.

The 1st one was for a clothing line that never came about, and then there was the Little People Train (that finally came out). I saw the pictures online for that and she is not in any of the shots. I am still holding out hope that she could be in one of the pictures on the box. You never know, right? Maybe they use different pictures for the box. I will definitely be going to the toy store and checking it out. The last photo shoot she had was for this bowling game that still hasn't come out, so I have no clue what is going on with that one. She kinda broke the toy while doing the pictures, so maybe they never made it for sale after that or needed to make adjustments!

Tomorrow's pictures are for a Musical Coupe (I am thinking ride-on toy?), so it should be really cute. The only problem is, the time slot she has is at her nap time. So, she may fall asleep on the way there or be really crabby and uncooperative. I really hope not. It would be fun to finally get on something after all of our time spent going there (it's like 30 minutes away) all these times. At least we get a gift card to buy stuff. That is always good!

Oh, and notice Alina's picture (minus the mac n' cheese on her face). Don't you love her "red marks" on her face?! One is from falling like a month ago and the other is this tiny little rash that won't go away. Of course, the doc said it was nothing but yet it is THERE - UGH! Well, all I can say is "Thank goodness for Photoshop!"

Wish us luck!

What was he thinking?

2008-03-01T16:07:00.003-05:00

OK, so I told Brian to feed Alina, give her a bath, get her dressed and then put her down for a nap while I was on the treadmill (this is a rare moment for him to do all of this, lol). So, I come upstairs and ask him how everything went and he said he did it all. What a guy! It was so nice to ~~have a break~~ run on the treadmill and not have to worry about doing all of that.

As I hear Alina on the monitor, I am excited to go get her. While I go to take a peek at the monitor, I notice that she is wearing short sleeves. I ask Brian what's up. He's like "yeah, I put a onesie on her". Um, that is her outfit?! Jeans and a short sleeved undershirt. Really? Hasn't he even seen what she wears on a daily basis? Have I ever put an undershirt on her as an outfit? No, no. no!

So, I go upstairs to get her and she is pulling down her short sleeves saying to me "mom, it won't come down!". Ha, even she was wondering why she was wearing that! Poor girl, it's 25 degrees outside and her room is FREEZING! Sometimes I wonder about him. Not to mention she has a fever. Poor baby girl. I took pictures anyways to show you her lovely outfit and the way outside looks right now.

Now, I just hope she starts to feel better.

Sesame Street LIVE!

2008-02-27T21:59:00.004-05:00

After NO nap today, we made it to Sesame Street LIVE! Alina didn't even fall asleep on the way there - WooHoo!!! I think she knew we were going somewhere exciting, so she knew to stay awake!
Once we got to our seats, she sat in complete awe the entire time. She had no clue what was going on. It was quite funny. She would not smile at all. Then the guy next to us asked me if I wanted him to take our picture. Silly question! Of course (even though my hair is all weird and poofy - what is up w/ that?)! Then the lights went down and the stage came alive. The look on her face was priceless. She had the biggest smile on her face and just pure delight was emanating from her. I got teary eyed just watching her. Halfway through the show, she decided she wanted to dance in the aisle (we were 11 rows from the stage), and let me tell you she was rocking it! Everyone was telling me how cute she was (my baby has the rhythm!). It was quite the sight let me tell you!
Overall, it was a perfect night. I found the closest parking spot (like parking in your driveway and walking to your door) possible for $8, enjoyed the entire show, and then left with ease. We hit absolutely no traffic on our way out. It was perfect!!! The only flaw was my camera. It didn't take the best pictures in the lighting there. Oh well, it was still amazing!

He Shoots....He Scores!!!

2008-02-26T23:19:00.003-05:00

~~Small~~ BIG brag here on my little hockey player. Yep, Tyler scored his 1st goal ever in his game tonight!!! YAY! I am so excited for him because he just started ice hockey this year and he has really been trying hard, and it is really paying off for him. His coach told him today that he is by far the most improved player of the year. Wow, that makes me one proud mom. And let me just say, his goal was a beautiful sight to see. There is nothing like watching one of your children enjoy a ~~moment~~ accomplishment like that.

This picture isn't of the game, but it is of the boys playing hockey on the ice rink in our backyard. I figured it's better than no photo at all.

This is HYSTERICAL!

2008-02-25T10:32:00.005-05:00

If you have been living under a rock, and have not seen this, you have to! Ok, it might not be for everybody (WARNING - it's bit vulgar), but I think it is so FUNNY! I have a twisted sense of humor, obviously.

And the comeback:

Do you LOVE it or what?!

I need new JEANS!

2008-02-23T10:54:00.004-05:00

So ,what do you think I should get? I want to look stylish, but not like I am 15 years old with my butt hanging out, huge holes everywhere, and so faded that they are transparent.

Yet, I also do not want to look like this:

Is there a happy medium? What are your favorite jeans? What do you like about them? I need some direction, PLEASE!

This is why I do not get a good night's sleep!

2008-02-23T09:51:00.003-05:00

Alina insists on sleeping in my bed most nights and it's getting really tiring. Literally. She sleeps sideways. Why? Why do toddlers sleep this way and always manage to get their feet right in you face as you try to get a semi-decent night's rest? I should just put her in her bed, but I am too tired and lazy to get up, so I just maneuver her vertically again....and again....

I should know better at this point in the game!

"What is going on down there?!"

2008-02-22T13:04:00.003-05:00

This is a phase commonly heard coming from my mouth when I hear a ruckus (I think this is the 1st time I have ever used this word!) in the basement. Today was no exception. So, I had the boys come up and asked them what they were up to, of course they told me they were just playing around. Only this time I know they were taking pictures with their cameras. So, I grab Carson's camera and was quite impressed with what I saw.

Now mind you he is only 6 years old, and he already has awesome photography skills. This is the original photo, untouched and not altered in any way, shape or form. He centered it, took it in black & white, etc. I have to say I think he is a natural. Thanks Aunt Sherry for the camera. You knew he had this in him!

I also have to give props to Tyler and his skillz! How'd he do that?! Like the war paint look? I had nothing to do with any of this!

Making Music

2008-02-21T19:31:00.005-05:00

Have you ever been in a room with about 100 toddlers all playing very loud instruments? It is an experience let me tell you! Today we went to the library for music, books and crafts. When I planned this event, I totally forgot my older kids had off from school and so did all of the other toddler's siblings. Let me just say it was a full house!

The lady running the show was amazing! She wore a very colorful outfit, played guitar and sang silly songs with the kids while they played an instrument of their choice. Alina picked the big red (brand new, fresh out of the package) maraca. Nice choice, baby girl.

Even the big kids were having fun!

The kids then made a toilet paper roll kazoo and a sticker decorated tin can drum. How much fun is that?!

Total eclipse of the heart...

2008-02-21T13:53:00.003-05:00

Remember that song? Well, as I was watching the news last night around 11:15pm, that song came to mind as they were flashing pictures from views of the lunar eclipse. I was so mad that I didn't know about it (I do miss some pretty important stuff sometimes. It happens.), until they said it was still going on. Lucky me! So, of course I ran outside with my trusty camera and took about 50 pictures using every setting imaginable until I got a shot that you could actually make out. Pretty cool, huh?! It was tricky too because the clouds were rolling in fast and you had to snap quick when there was a break in the clouds. Phew, I am all set now. I didn't miss a thing after all.

Am I Vain?

2008-02-20T17:16:00.002-05:00

WAIT!!! Don't answer that. I don't want to know, because sometimes the truth hurts.

My husband has been calling me vain lately, and I don't think it's a compliment. It all started when I hit approximately the 32nd year of my life. My skin on my face decided to give me a whole new look without warning me. Yep, you have probably guessed it - I now have WRINKLES!!! A frown line to be exact. Come to find out, it is actually your muscles that create the wrinkle from excessive frowning or having that "serious face" look. I am hoping mine is from the latter. I hope I haven't been frowning for so long that I now have a permanent line from it!

Well, I decided to inquire about the options that are out there that can "help" the problem, and the magical cure is Botox. YIKES!!! I said I would never do anything like that - EVER! Now, here I am looking up everything I can about it. I even emailed a local doctor asking how much it costs to get the frown line "fixed". Um, it costs $280 and it lasts for 4-6 months. Hmmm...that doesn't sound too bad to me. So, I tell Brian. He was like, "Are you serious? Are you that vain?". I replied, "I guess so.". He is totally not on board and says I am crazy. He just doesn't get it. It is something that bothers ME. I don't care what other people think, I care what I think, and I hate it! Maybe I will ask for it for Christmas, lol. OR, maybe I will get over it. That would be the cheaper option. We'll see.

Oh, and it is actually quite humorous that my hubby calls me vain. Does he even know what the word actually means? According to the dictionary, it means " Excessively proud of one's appearance or accomplishments; conceited." Um, isn't that the opposite of what is going on here? I am embarrassed (not PROUD!!!) of my line and want to feel better about myself. Which I am sure there is a name for. Anyone know the right term to call me so I can correct him? I think I need him to look up the word vain before he calls me it again!!!

Life Water - What happened to you?

2008-02-19T23:17:00.000-05:00

So, I love me a great deal (what girl doesn't?!), especially when it's an indulgence that I really don't need and shouldn't buy. Yet, when it's a steal, I can somehow justify buying it. I am good like that. I don't want myself to feel bad afterall, you know?! Oh, and when I find a deal, I usually buy in large quantities. Yes, I am a bit obsessive.

Well, Target had this awesome deal a couple of weeks ago. Buy 10 bottles of Life Water for $1 each, get a $5 Target gift card. How cool is that?! Only 50 cents a bottle. Life is good.

Um, or maybe not. Have you tasted this stuff??? What the heck did they do to it? It is so disgusting I can't even stomach it. When did they change the formula? And why didn't they tell me before I bought 20 bottles of the stuff?!?! So not cool.

I decided to check out their website and come to find out, they are all proud and whatnot of their "new and improved" water. They have added herbs to enhance the flavor. Ah, that is what they did. I thought enhance was supposed to be a good thing? I could be wrong.

Well, I am stuck now with 20 bottles of the said herbed liquid, so I figured I would pawn one off on Brian. He was shocked that I was sharing my coveted water with him, hehe. Little did he know. I was so hoping that he liked it and would enjoy drinking the rest (I hate wasting money, even if it was a deal!). Ain't happening. He was just as disgusted by the stuff, which made me feel better that it wasn't just me.

So, now it's on to the kids! They said they like it. Oh yeah baby. It won't go to waste after all, and just think of all those great vitamins and herbs they are getting from it. Gosh, I am such a great mom!

Amy what???

2008-02-19T22:40:00.000-05:00

I thought this was an appropriate title for my blog, as Amy is in the beginning of the word and the meaning of the word is great.

Do any of you even know what it means???

Well, it is a part of the brain (part of the Limbic System) that is involved in generating emotions and creating memories. That is exactly what I think a blog should do. Hopefully, when we read or write a blog it evokes some emotion from us and others in one way or another. In turn, those emotions will hopefully create or bring memories of the past to surface. Isn't that what life is all about?

Hopefully, I will have some interesting things to write and make this a fun place to check out once in awhile. I feel like this is the year to start the blog again! (I tried it once and only made one entry.) Ok, maybe I have a fear of commitment or whatever, but I am trying to overcome it now with this one.

I wonder what happens to all the blogs that are started and never again added to... Do they go to internet heaven? I think that is where my original one went. I am sorry wherever you are!!