tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49305541152105501002024-03-13T10:10:10.625-05:00mommy Miranda musingsThe cathartic environment for this mommy to rant, rave, create, share, vent frustrations or triumphantly illustrate daily victories.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-16194334925100573482012-03-17T02:14:00.005-05:002012-03-18T01:42:33.686-05:00St. Patrick's Day Art Session and SnackThe Kindergarten art session today was a big hit with the kids, but maybe not as much as the cupcakes! I don't think I saw one single treat in the trash, as we do so often during class parties. They were devoured! And fast, I <span style="font-style: italic;">barely</span> snapped a few photos before they disappeared. Mrs. Black offered Jack and GG to take the rest, 4 or 6 I think, down to the office so I didn't even get to try them myself or see how the insides turned out since I was so wrapped up in finishing the projects.<br /><br />Here's a couple pics. I'm putting the full post on Jack's blog since I never have a chance to write, and it really was for him. Click <a href="http://my-baby-jack.blogspot.com/2012/03/rainbow-cupcakes-and-art-session.html">here</a> to see how it turned out....<br /><br /><a href="http://my-baby-jack.blogspot.com/2012/03/rainbow-cupcakes-and-art-session.html"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUE3XO6TuFI1VHJSidR_ITX4-pjbA0c8_QuPENKR0QwA0YQ5j96StVtOLL4WJuHK_s4PSdsjxwARd7h1a26RaXR75m6rna7rNrBrcSowT88A-R5PVstQ_5KgZVP91kWnI5rgglveUdpDY/s400/IMG_4721.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720767184312159986" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHH-mEPaKuF1uBDpTh0kt8x4nue5w14K2pelMjuCZXd2mkICVaSr74nognKiYq4Gztz0KBRVrL3ZrL12JkUv9Lp4VxHV6v2xtbJX6FCtIJFzLM6BWrJ3l4XVabNWx1NOIUgmpVaeJxuI/s1600/IMG_4772+copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHH-mEPaKuF1uBDpTh0kt8x4nue5w14K2pelMjuCZXd2mkICVaSr74nognKiYq4Gztz0KBRVrL3ZrL12JkUv9Lp4VxHV6v2xtbJX6FCtIJFzLM6BWrJ3l4XVabNWx1NOIUgmpVaeJxuI/s400/IMG_4772+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720767181260898962" border="0" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-10979838852656683542011-01-18T13:11:00.002-06:002011-01-18T13:16:27.176-06:00Testing testing<br /><br />was testing out sending blog posts via text message. Looks like I can't really use a title and then the second post with image failed. : / just when I thought this would get easier....Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-14890715313398784432011-01-18T02:51:00.001-06:002011-01-18T09:23:55.295-06:00New ViewSecretly, I took a week of vacation last week so that I could.... clean. yep. Isn't that pathetic? And I even looked FORWARD to it. sheesh. I finally got my studio cleaned up. There was so much more I wanted to do over the week, but wouldn't you know it? Two snow days - TWO. Why is it whenever I take vacation time, either there's a snow day (or TWO!) or someone is deathly ill? Anyway, I'm sure hoping I can get the rest cleaned up over the next few months (!)<br /><br />Bonus: all the Christmas decorations are put up. I thought those might be around until at least Valentines Day.<br /><br />So here's the favorite part I love about my "new" studio makeover:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKOCHmX34wM2zzUzUAYDcG6l5EfjRR9jsLwmGP1eougXNQ6ufpPIcnP95HPG5GstWMMGmahSxMHjbIvVre6q0BQNeyarZ9DHN_jyfL2IJTvnHHo1ic01g20FcMGcatM-4zYBA0jGeJKg/s1600/rug.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKOCHmX34wM2zzUzUAYDcG6l5EfjRR9jsLwmGP1eougXNQ6ufpPIcnP95HPG5GstWMMGmahSxMHjbIvVre6q0BQNeyarZ9DHN_jyfL2IJTvnHHo1ic01g20FcMGcatM-4zYBA0jGeJKg/s400/rug.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563445495558298098" border="0" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-2855179831298597142011-01-17T01:04:00.002-06:002011-01-18T02:34:15.835-06:00We Survived!<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We didn't turn on the tv today!<span id="BB_SIGN_BEGIN"><img alt="BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop" src="http://theblogbooster.com/pixel.gif" style="border: medium none;" /></span></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-78844851955665797612011-01-17T00:58:00.001-06:002011-01-17T00:58:59.615-06:00Something New<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I just discovered a blogging app. Don't want to be overly hopeful, but maybe this will help my blogging... At least during those times when I'm stuck in line or whatever and can't be working. We'll see. Just testing this out...
<span id='BB_SIGN_BEGIN'>
<img alt='BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop' src='http://theblogbooster.com/pixel.gif' style='border:none;'/>
</span>
</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-89645492008388869672010-01-07T22:42:00.003-06:002010-01-08T00:47:01.420-06:00Happy Birthday, Daddy!<span style="font-size:130%;">We love you! (even if it's NOT your 35th birthday</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">I'm still using 2009 in my math</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">and it's not 70 degrees out - <span style="font-size:78%;">currently 0 with a -26 windchill!</span> and your tummy doesn't feel so great<span style="font-size:85%;"> after ALL those all-you-can-eat-wings</span>) Can't wait 'til we all can celebrate together tomorrow! The little ones are really looking forward to it!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> photos are from our Christmas tree hunt the day after Thanksgiving, the last nice day I can remember.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsteDC4fv85OFgzFDH-sQWSdCeCJNBwE5jHfeLJ3CmHM2XyFLb3VdfHxV94EGbK32Q55TDwXq9cl_0sypvDQD6KcF8B5lccO0_gd74AAwlIXwziKEVOfOK2ez3qHsd0QW3wcbHdsn139EG/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsteDC4fv85OFgzFDH-sQWSdCeCJNBwE5jHfeLJ3CmHM2XyFLb3VdfHxV94EGbK32Q55TDwXq9cl_0sypvDQD6KcF8B5lccO0_gd74AAwlIXwziKEVOfOK2ez3qHsd0QW3wcbHdsn139EG/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424250919659619266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZhRABsloB0yzTC3zAwO-N-Bjyj61w0A80OB9wvwtcuhSzrAyO9_XfJXMkfcduXDsFKkTbx_WVdmL3GfhZe6zMb8XkpsJctNKJmrJ0w6RgNPUJrvSpDH0gXF2j9gMrZlCPRU3Yc_7SB_D/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZhRABsloB0yzTC3zAwO-N-Bjyj61w0A80OB9wvwtcuhSzrAyO9_XfJXMkfcduXDsFKkTbx_WVdmL3GfhZe6zMb8XkpsJctNKJmrJ0w6RgNPUJrvSpDH0gXF2j9gMrZlCPRU3Yc_7SB_D/s400/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424250930366538466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH19ITk35Jv36gEsoJ1x9pp9ICNFlPInP8n3w_Zh7kS-2KgGPUQPoVWYzLfJ44bimXPbXcjnBPXb1Pqm8S61mCi3N6O89TJ8VQuRSe9CLiW1bWQIHNBNUaf05vZjbNBVftLkwJCucdWzO/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH19ITk35Jv36gEsoJ1x9pp9ICNFlPInP8n3w_Zh7kS-2KgGPUQPoVWYzLfJ44bimXPbXcjnBPXb1Pqm8S61mCi3N6O89TJ8VQuRSe9CLiW1bWQIHNBNUaf05vZjbNBVftLkwJCucdWzO/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424250924914569026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-47918444732521899452010-01-07T12:48:00.001-06:002010-01-08T01:04:10.472-06:00snow snow go away!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXo2oCU9YZ9WZT7KcPNgGXSlxmR0HXChz_aDKtz613d0xM9Merfy9w5CL3aq1kCQzre8nbx6dyzPe1kN6piJaNs2Pf8TWPvTmG0EdzfehmR5M9bMsGVcfuzH44arLL2BmqrhCB0fASF1Y/s1600-h/IMG_0761.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXo2oCU9YZ9WZT7KcPNgGXSlxmR0HXChz_aDKtz613d0xM9Merfy9w5CL3aq1kCQzre8nbx6dyzPe1kN6piJaNs2Pf8TWPvTmG0EdzfehmR5M9bMsGVcfuzH44arLL2BmqrhCB0fASF1Y/s400/IMG_0761.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424260118408814978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-FYVaOjHVAwbpTcgxfGyOFsfeuhPIv-86bbY9hjWsuipFxDdOxXB5ZLHxgSS_b-xz6N9KBp-_OrkA_agonix9aeaHEna3nmB2FHS2wN_UR-LGqJpRZ2DoMxU0mTwenCiolFax1u6F44/s1600-h/IMG_0759.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-FYVaOjHVAwbpTcgxfGyOFsfeuhPIv-86bbY9hjWsuipFxDdOxXB5ZLHxgSS_b-xz6N9KBp-_OrkA_agonix9aeaHEna3nmB2FHS2wN_UR-LGqJpRZ2DoMxU0mTwenCiolFax1u6F44/s400/IMG_0759.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424260112764099954" border="0" /></a><br />Alright, I admit, the whole "white Christmas" thing was kinda cool... even the story about how we couldn't get in the driveway on Christmas eve was cute and gave us a chuckle... but two weeks and 24+" later.... well, I'm about sick of it. And I could really do without the -14 degrees overnight... and don't even get me started on the windchill.<br /><br /><br />Do you know it will be 69 degrees in San Diego tomorrow? <span style="font-size:85%;"><br />*sigh*<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-88356253126194116292009-12-21T14:34:00.007-06:002009-12-21T16:05:10.814-06:00A GREEN Christmas Greeting 2009<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://s392.photobucket.com/albums/pp10/JackGGsMommy/?action=view&current=GREEN-greeting.gif" target="_blank"><img style="width: 435px; height: 561px;" src="http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/pp10/JackGGsMommy/GREEN-greeting.gif" alt="Christmas card 2009" border="0" /></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrzMTrcBFYUtLasB7pdTJvcEO0S7GWn6mo2z3t7xL6jOxSftVIOrG7Nh9xDB0r7SMLP6pGwgElSVeEg1hyphenhypheneoxRpvUNoOHzotQdTtYqf2531XKMJ6ySQ2tNrkesyJpVxe-Mt4avPpaTkg/s1600-h/2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrzMTrcBFYUtLasB7pdTJvcEO0S7GWn6mo2z3t7xL6jOxSftVIOrG7Nh9xDB0r7SMLP6pGwgElSVeEg1hyphenhypheneoxRpvUNoOHzotQdTtYqf2531XKMJ6ySQ2tNrkesyJpVxe-Mt4avPpaTkg/s400/2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417791229211315570" border="0" /> </a>(double-click to enlarge)Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-2252150335040492352009-05-14T03:09:00.003-05:002009-05-14T03:51:43.647-05:00The Aligator in the GarageSo it's after 3 am, I'm totally stressed out with about a million things I could rant about, but instead, I'm going to surrender to my blog craving because I've been so delinquent and it might make me feel just a little better to forget my rotten day and remember something fun that happened recently.<br /><br />We've been spending a lot of time out in the garage lately with having the garage sale and Jack was playing quietly when he came up to me and starting talking a mile a minute about the alligator in the garage. Things like "I'm going to keep him" and "I'm going to pick him up and hug him" and "he's soft, I'm going to touch it" (making the motions with his hands sliding together). I thought, he can't be making this up, it's way too specific to just be a thought. I said, "wait, Jack, whatever it is, don't touch it until mommy gets to see it" (this is the kid that picks up bees) He promptly took me to the corner to show me where it was. Honestly, I was just a little scared. I looked around this rolled up mat for our treadmill, but didn't see anything.... until I walked away and then he popped his head out. Of course, I had to scream a little, it was just a bit freaky, especially when you're thinking "is there really a little alligator in my garage?"<br /><br />So here he is....<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBlYs5N_IZr5cQkmF1XMyiaW2FTMUh3CVxxdamCT8c7A0NQG8qrlWhwS7Bj1kX5ugh0uO9-pT9vcKeLdJTid78vdF510HzqFmyUBegjUvylKUooRnRzBoDL3Y9DcoHgTXhktTE_Fx9Gg/s1600-h/101_8266.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBlYs5N_IZr5cQkmF1XMyiaW2FTMUh3CVxxdamCT8c7A0NQG8qrlWhwS7Bj1kX5ugh0uO9-pT9vcKeLdJTid78vdF510HzqFmyUBegjUvylKUooRnRzBoDL3Y9DcoHgTXhktTE_Fx9Gg/s400/101_8266.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335597438540037490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wBLkGUZ-QHZ0zmi6a6ckEgrIhB1L7vzR7_L9zvEs8MwNELfPJSWR0iz19aCDPGKO_P8br2WeOYpByNHNojZQJhCsWSF0YjeVQ4a6urHwIXOmVnQ2hgSJ2rzTPYU_eCJC41PA2S74OS4/s1600-h/101_8271.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wBLkGUZ-QHZ0zmi6a6ckEgrIhB1L7vzR7_L9zvEs8MwNELfPJSWR0iz19aCDPGKO_P8br2WeOYpByNHNojZQJhCsWSF0YjeVQ4a6urHwIXOmVnQ2hgSJ2rzTPYU_eCJC41PA2S74OS4/s400/101_8271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335597439395934946" border="0" /></a><br />mind you, these photos are from 2 years ago. He's just a scant bigger now, but I didn't have a chance to grab the camera this time. I wasn't about to leave Jack alone with him to come back only to find Jack hugging him or worse. No, I didn't clobber him... are you kidding? I won't show you my spider pics! But I'm certainly not going to be the one to mess with the food chain, that is for sure. He was a little brave getting close to Jack, but I'm pretty sure he's harmless. Anyone know what he is? (besides the alligator in the garage)Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-6853621469598097572009-03-16T22:50:00.003-05:002009-03-19T22:17:27.551-05:00Jack and GG's Ducky session at Harrington's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://harringtonphotog.blogspot.com/2009/03/jack-gigis-duck-session.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 337px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyf5_t6wMmMU7_Pw1NfU1a0cZMeqGdCR_eptwFabVnJkK7QiZN2hhHJXSzLig7FHqL-ye0MocXKTpup68vvfDhoLEdMlBKCszXcHJzc8J_HWiPLKpqo-hsy5H0wEvKroW48monTANMww/s400/Picture+26.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315103554000946738" border="0" /></a><br />See the video <a href="http://harringtonphotog.blogspot.com/2009/03/jack-gigis-duck-session.html">here</a> how our session went. I was freaking out because getting them to sit still for photos is like corralling two greased up pigs, then you throw in two adorable, super tiny little baby ducks, and my blood pressure was through the roof! I was so scared something was going to get killed because Jack wouldn't stay put on his bottom and of course, they were somewhat uncooperative with the camera. Even so, the Harrington's are really awesome at catching that split second where there's a great shot. Check it out.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-58108635870426607862009-02-25T21:58:00.002-06:002009-02-25T22:01:39.371-06:00Dear Tacoma....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s7xkkL9V8d5x_e4Eo-vLlGqFwqdvVRFnd0_LYetzz4dsGEGsSsTgTHRxJeTyeD1GvOlbVNoeruZeGE83C9cQBlrO0_fVLrBSlmY0ARaobGTUTDqJloD_IUlZTFlCcNKdgbme_UOQhi4/s1600-h/article.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 370px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s7xkkL9V8d5x_e4Eo-vLlGqFwqdvVRFnd0_LYetzz4dsGEGsSsTgTHRxJeTyeD1GvOlbVNoeruZeGE83C9cQBlrO0_fVLrBSlmY0ARaobGTUTDqJloD_IUlZTFlCcNKdgbme_UOQhi4/s400/article.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306950865519370818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The best piece of material I've seen in a long while. I love it!</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />(Double click the image if you're having a hard time reading.)</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-19986102321770662142009-02-16T00:35:00.007-06:002010-01-08T01:09:34.316-06:00bye bye babyI think I can officially say we no longer have any "babies" in the house anymore. I know, I know, she's still very little, but to see my husband taking apart the bassinette tonight after having it's home next to my side of the bed for the last 36 months, well, to his credit, he tried to get it done before I had finished nursing her and laying her down, but it was hard to see it go. If for nothing else, I'll have to find a new place to put my clean clothes that I'm too busy to hang up. Our room seems so vacant now. I imagine Jack coming in tomorrow morning (this morning) to wake me and asking, "what happened?" his new favorite question for everything.<br /><br />Things have suddenly seemed just a tad easier lately. It's very odd. I really started to take stock the other day as to what could be attributing to this. It finally hit me tonight just after I said goodbye to the little co-sleeper that was making it's new home in the cold attic. GG is now just a little older than Jack was when she was born. This is the first time I've had a toddler this age without an infant to care for. I had the experience of having a baby until he was 6 months old and then I became pregnant again, so the rest of the next several months had added challenges and by the time Jack was just starting to do things for himself, I had a newborn. This last week, I was finally able to push GG up to the table where she is happily feeding herself almost all of the time. She's also become very interested in potty training when she feels like it, she plays by herself more often now and I've seen some glimpes of her starting to wean from her last two feedings -in the early morning hour and at bedtime- so there's a lot going on right now in her journey to toddlerhood. But then you look at those cheeks and they just scream:<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"BABY girl"</span>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEYpr6mObmvIN64LLXyZrNLEf39BRFqpfEMWT0GzIO33kQAjpUBwJsJGOL9hVMbOifAkncfJtpdNh6ewUewZZjFMPpbM7XtiJrYbqprj-0GL2dF_NzqbE4FUTk7o5bhzW0iaDCE1TUAM/s1600-h/100_0362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEYpr6mObmvIN64LLXyZrNLEf39BRFqpfEMWT0GzIO33kQAjpUBwJsJGOL9hVMbOifAkncfJtpdNh6ewUewZZjFMPpbM7XtiJrYbqprj-0GL2dF_NzqbE4FUTk7o5bhzW0iaDCE1TUAM/s320/100_0362.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303285677392966178" border="0" /></a><br />Still, this newfound liberation is a bit unsettling. I'm not sure what to do with myself during the new and few minutes I've found. It's not much, but it's like catching my breath. I got to dust the living room the other day, and it wasn't even the weekend!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-18426822468317479962009-02-15T19:37:00.000-06:002009-02-16T00:16:27.168-06:00SUPER SAVER - draft guard for doorOkay, so I started thinking about lots of creative ways to save money lately. With the economy in a state of crisis and just about everyone I know cutting back on this or that, I thought that it couldn't hurt to post my latest find once in a while. Who knows? It could save you a little money, too!<br /><br />You'll need:<br />two strips of styrofoam insulation or thick foam (cut to the width of the door)<br />quilter's batting (the width of the door x about 18")<br />old pantyhose (just one leg per door)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPR3GEv61aWftGc-y2ExY5a4-6JlaycMBWWkuJtXDTINU3BfqghaR-vUj_TLNTjISUSigrAcGWqUwJYXBVdWYd1IxRhZz5z2T_rU7c9hwzznq2snTJOI_iVFS2ZKQ1CtPf3Vqf2s013ZU/s1600-h/Picture+34.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 92px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPR3GEv61aWftGc-y2ExY5a4-6JlaycMBWWkuJtXDTINU3BfqghaR-vUj_TLNTjISUSigrAcGWqUwJYXBVdWYd1IxRhZz5z2T_rU7c9hwzznq2snTJOI_iVFS2ZKQ1CtPf3Vqf2s013ZU/s400/Picture+34.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294717949662924482" border="0" /></a><br />This was inspired from a commercial for a <a href="http://www.asseenontvguys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=349">draft guard that fits under doors</a>. If you have a drafty door, it's very much like having a leaky faucet. You don't really see the money dripping away, but if you added up the gallons you're wasting over the course of a year, you would definitely do something about it! We have a doggy door from the mud room to the garage and then another from the garage to the back yard. So, there's a bit of a draft coming in : ) (see the titanic opening under the door?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1S3EMFbsuUFD5MvJlblD4NMeOsgsPGq7bhchEnVXT0Tt7SrkO06qnuyaihwsPNLwxRUCyjxljVfqzj9Qb4zelIqfg3AF7LJKvCy0GZQkjtE9-n-DA6FxgYh5RQiSJ8FjaTDj1egGkIG4/s1600-h/100_0069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1S3EMFbsuUFD5MvJlblD4NMeOsgsPGq7bhchEnVXT0Tt7SrkO06qnuyaihwsPNLwxRUCyjxljVfqzj9Qb4zelIqfg3AF7LJKvCy0GZQkjtE9-n-DA6FxgYh5RQiSJ8FjaTDj1egGkIG4/s400/100_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294702694954692002" border="0" /></a><br />I started with two pieces of scrap insulation styrofoam (from Lowe's or if you know someone who is building or a site where you could find enough discarded). We have an awful lot of construction in our area, so this type of thing is plentiful here, but you could buy a 1/8 of a yard of foam from JoAnn's or local fabric store. Measure your styrofoam to your door and trim excess.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95SI7mM5CpDd_ucsG0Uw3wFlRdkZLPUt_YmswgjDVRbxtv1rpvP7fA7dVd68pdUDXBz1EpoEoxGJXenJf8GEtWph7-iUyYUrD2MSSYiE7E1bwNdsnIQMoi8Z8mmIL4q-9hPfYnjPgiSM/s1600-h/100_0061.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95SI7mM5CpDd_ucsG0Uw3wFlRdkZLPUt_YmswgjDVRbxtv1rpvP7fA7dVd68pdUDXBz1EpoEoxGJXenJf8GEtWph7-iUyYUrD2MSSYiE7E1bwNdsnIQMoi8Z8mmIL4q-9hPfYnjPgiSM/s400/100_0061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294710325400330018" border="0" /></a><br />Cover each piece with batting by rolling it over the styrofoam like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_foFFNIvBNhiiWWqhZYo1HbhRwVWxKEiz84QHLOJSwVP_KBv6Y006s5DUCPT7Q5bREMLiT2qWunfK-F1oih0wA8e00D2RPXgh3NvkWaFNMzU9-vCGBP6THedb_UucBpd7p5924pogQQc/s1600-h/100_0065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_foFFNIvBNhiiWWqhZYo1HbhRwVWxKEiz84QHLOJSwVP_KBv6Y006s5DUCPT7Q5bREMLiT2qWunfK-F1oih0wA8e00D2RPXgh3NvkWaFNMzU9-vCGBP6THedb_UucBpd7p5924pogQQc/s400/100_0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294709098383229890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9nuz39A261pRBEZqEZhHDzj3lKUWk3Poh60_2NAswbS_qAiZtk4-yRjVt1BD-Ni-BeiL9bx9mPrycVv8Kvjh4_gzrnNA2X9B54UtvnvejFV2_e_e78gmtFvpx6kVmnkCAUuB_b1C3lY/s1600-h/100_0066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9nuz39A261pRBEZqEZhHDzj3lKUWk3Poh60_2NAswbS_qAiZtk4-yRjVt1BD-Ni-BeiL9bx9mPrycVv8Kvjh4_gzrnNA2X9B54UtvnvejFV2_e_e78gmtFvpx6kVmnkCAUuB_b1C3lY/s400/100_0066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294709110864262402" border="0" /></a><br />Then roll up your old pantyhose as if you were going to put your toes in and start at one end, working your way up. Cut excess and knot shut.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJPB4gvoSuMcEhJMclRiDbE44ZNoVKXdMlLL1E-ml3-SeZCztRTaxtoh-YRnvRGKyc6kPT1-u9gvwShPYyMYYYrJZrI9JvCXwWfaM2q5sKuoWYG8apG6eouU8eVb2b06Q1_eIayh-z8M/s1600-h/100_0067.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJPB4gvoSuMcEhJMclRiDbE44ZNoVKXdMlLL1E-ml3-SeZCztRTaxtoh-YRnvRGKyc6kPT1-u9gvwShPYyMYYYrJZrI9JvCXwWfaM2q5sKuoWYG8apG6eouU8eVb2b06Q1_eIayh-z8M/s400/100_0067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294713064302817586" border="0" /></a><br />Carefully ease the guard under the door through the "trough" between the pieces of styrofoam with the batting that goes between the pieces next to the floor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdiihrjcWgJy-5xGkkCBI9XRU6C0UYBPnCp6oLDufYsETXOlFsEUWZuI4EIUYCw5H6_RA9CWiMbwWV4bVwZRllIuI_FQ7FpTkl5H3cZ211CTKZAS09QB1vWstkvihoJ3cQm0JdyL0hJY/s1600-h/100_0070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdiihrjcWgJy-5xGkkCBI9XRU6C0UYBPnCp6oLDufYsETXOlFsEUWZuI4EIUYCw5H6_RA9CWiMbwWV4bVwZRllIuI_FQ7FpTkl5H3cZ211CTKZAS09QB1vWstkvihoJ3cQm0JdyL0hJY/s400/100_0070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294713067065481538" border="0" /></a><br />It's not the most beautiful thing I've ever created, but the kitchen is soooo much warmer now. I'm shocked how much air we didn't realize was coming in!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDvm_90MWcyKi2erRSmnl9_wzaZqyVyamtU63XCt4fl6DEK33rFibOT2UHozdX9uUqwVi3LAAutOG6G0XARrdkKJegtdf327vBin2DT8sz-8lAl_K_x9xLs8tG10doyfn8lalo7FWrD4/s1600-h/100_0071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDvm_90MWcyKi2erRSmnl9_wzaZqyVyamtU63XCt4fl6DEK33rFibOT2UHozdX9uUqwVi3LAAutOG6G0XARrdkKJegtdf327vBin2DT8sz-8lAl_K_x9xLs8tG10doyfn8lalo7FWrD4/s400/100_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294713066098792338" border="0" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-35162375258165720272009-02-06T13:16:00.002-06:002009-02-06T13:23:52.614-06:00Nearing :::500:::The blog is getting very close to 500 hits (thanks, <a href="http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/celebarting-50000-hits/">Cindy</a>!)<br />and I promise not to do this again until we reach 1000, but it's been fun watching every new century mark getting closer and closer together. If you are lucky #500 (see counter) leave a comment and say "hey! it was ME!" Thanks for stopping by : )Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-77263615532813130712009-01-27T22:34:00.006-06:002009-01-27T22:48:57.124-06:00Still Riding My Obama High<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAQ2_JCZtR9D9FYAiL_TitnNLQ09jl_IHsHcn9x_Oa_bSiWzQ-vdpXoFHUYhKn5yG9N57xlXI-hOQ-PQmnXc1AWjm7W_ScmEr3HBMhlBHWFpAPmB2kMoKXOIXfQD21qfo04mtv9BA08I/s1600-h/iso50-obama-final.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAQ2_JCZtR9D9FYAiL_TitnNLQ09jl_IHsHcn9x_Oa_bSiWzQ-vdpXoFHUYhKn5yG9N57xlXI-hOQ-PQmnXc1AWjm7W_ScmEr3HBMhlBHWFpAPmB2kMoKXOIXfQD21qfo04mtv9BA08I/s320/iso50-obama-final.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296198695042927474" border="0" /></a>President Obama has been awfully busy for one week....<br />(1. Scrub 2. Rinse 3. Repeat)<br />What an amazing start. I'm as excited today as I was a week ago. My favorite word of the week: "follow through". Okay, that's two words, but whatever. I don't see him going down in history as "the president with the most vacation days". His predecessor holds that at 34% of his days in office. Can you imagine taking off 3 1/2 months out of the year? What a farce.<br /><br />My second favorite word? "Diplomacy"<br />ooo, that even sounds just a little sexy ; )<br /><br /><div><iframe src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/28881516#28881516" frameborder="0" height="339" scrolling="no" width="425"></iframe><style type="text/css">.msnbcLinks {font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 425px;} .msnbcLinks a {text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px;} .msnbcLinks a:link, .msnbcLinks a:visited {color: #5799db !important;} .msnbcLinks a:hover, .msnbcLinks a:active {color:#CC0000 !important;} </style><p class="msnbcLinks">Visit msnbc.com for <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/">Breaking News</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507">World News</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072">News about the Economy</a></p></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-25193847619459665982009-01-26T15:30:00.011-06:002009-01-26T21:10:56.471-06:00Not Me Monday (3)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2Mq_SyM-dwjPdl4RHKYAev2U4ciujwtFvnvokYIJjbVWhHsOgJykb6dpqOAkuq586yjVBm9c7q-ZYupTtO3ErK0jsvf3A1UqCS9dHNXDnl0dYzwVb5y-NUu93Wx1Fr26YbDIEeUvGA4/s1600-h/nmm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2Mq_SyM-dwjPdl4RHKYAev2U4ciujwtFvnvokYIJjbVWhHsOgJykb6dpqOAkuq586yjVBm9c7q-ZYupTtO3ErK0jsvf3A1UqCS9dHNXDnl0dYzwVb5y-NUu93Wx1Fr26YbDIEeUvGA4/s320/nmm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295798167373068754" border="0" /></a><br />Welcome to <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Not Me!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Monday</span>, where we can be brutally honest with each other, and live to tell about it. We all take shortcuts in life and so many of us moms think that if we admit to it, then we will not be the supermoms everyone sees us to be or expects us to be. Well, here is the place where hundreds of us are <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">not exactly</span> admitting to our shortcuts as almost a form of therapy. <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/">MckMama</a> started it all here, on <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/">her blog</a>. Join in, learn how and to read what she and everyone else have <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">not been</span> doing this week.<br /><br />1. I was horsing around with Jack and while I had my back on the floor, I hoisted him up on my feet to do the "helicopter ride". He's finally big enough for me to do this kinda stuff with him, and of course it was "do it again, Mommy" over and over. Finally, I thought it would make a fun photo for my 365 blog. That was until I saw my legs in it... because of course I shave my legs EVERYDAY now that I work from home full time, hardly ever go anywhere in anything but pants because it's oh, about an arctic 11 degrees here! So, obviously, I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">did not</span> crop out most of my legs in the shot so people could not decipher just how long it's been, like rings of a tree.... <span style="font-style: italic;">not me!</span><br /><br />2. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">am not</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> listening to Christmas music because the CD's are still in the stereo and the kids always ask for it. Jeez, it's nearly February. <span style="font-style: italic;">Not me!</span><br /><br />3. My son <span style="font-style: italic;">did not</span> point out my dirty floor to my friend (with grown children) during lunch Saturday. Because of course, after having a crawler who wouldn't walk until she was 15 months old and even then, not 100% of the time, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I am</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">not</span> taking a break here and there from having to keep the floor food-friendly.<br /><br />4. My baby daughter let several rather unpleasant bouts of gas just rip during a quiet, intimate memorial service Wednesday. And I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">did not</span> wave my hand in front of my face <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">nor</span> shake my head at her just so everyone that heard (and smelled nearby) would know that it was not me (seriously, it wasn't me, it WAS her and it was pretty mortifying!)<br /><br />5. I don't think there is a rule that I have to list 5, but I usually do. I can't remember what 5 was supposed to be. I've been doing this all week.... I almost only had 3. But it's pretty funny that since I've been doing my NMM, I have been hearing the narrative of my blog posts in my head while I'm going through the actions thinking "yep, this is going to be one for NMM...ugh...."Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-19032909260377278362009-01-24T22:42:00.002-06:002009-01-24T22:48:01.055-06:00An Unusual Post<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01y1AlJiXBpcoOWGZqxMt0WwGmYUoNyUL7Y1t9gwnGQll7mRZEQOVSuBGXPPqN_LHbgyl35ZO77XqDBp9E1OgpNFjwF3_Fri5UxgXBWKbaUcXCCPi41CkToCLEl9H_k5CSX5fs0Iwke8/s1600-h/100_0115.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01y1AlJiXBpcoOWGZqxMt0WwGmYUoNyUL7Y1t9gwnGQll7mRZEQOVSuBGXPPqN_LHbgyl35ZO77XqDBp9E1OgpNFjwF3_Fri5UxgXBWKbaUcXCCPi41CkToCLEl9H_k5CSX5fs0Iwke8/s320/100_0115.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295088454738841922" border="0" /></a><br />If you have some time to burn, check out <a href="http://mommymirandamusings365.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-24-2009-day-24.html">this unusual post</a> over at my <a href="http://mommymirandamusings365.blogspot.com/">Project 365</a>. I think I was inspired by Tammie when she wrote about <a href="http://irregular-tammie.blogspot.com/2009/01/i-like-big-ones.html">her bag</a> and the story it tells about her. What does your fridge say about you?Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-27935548875302888602009-01-23T01:54:00.005-06:002009-01-23T02:06:37.887-06:00Pay It ForwardI really wanted to do this (from <a href="http://mirandafam.blogspot.com/">Lindsay's blog</a>) but she doesn't really know me, so I didn't sign up immediately... until she still needed a good Samaritan tonight. (I'd hate for her to think I was a stalker! But she has the cutest little family (so do I), she loves to cook (so do I), she loves to make super cool cakes (so do I), she's awfully crafty and resourceful (so am I), her oldest son's birthday is September 18 (so is mine) and her last name is Miranda (so is mine!). We have a few things in common. I accidentally found her (the very first blog I stumbled upon) when I was looking for a blog name to use. So now I follow her blog and smile when I can relate and chuckle at her little monkeys!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIM777YcI_AgLBIYDns505O1Tc_BfJKO7x_7ayqJReGChGQTh23sRq_sHNZCcWG8rVV6puwpqCtG75VHoLX-I2_B082m7CdY83zzng-_JsQV8S143QVzwEkKTzkLkC_2tYHXjo6nDXomc/s1600-h/pay-it-forward.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIM777YcI_AgLBIYDns505O1Tc_BfJKO7x_7ayqJReGChGQTh23sRq_sHNZCcWG8rVV6puwpqCtG75VHoLX-I2_B082m7CdY83zzng-_JsQV8S143QVzwEkKTzkLkC_2tYHXjo6nDXomc/s400/pay-it-forward.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294396399136729922" border="0" /></a>Read closely...this is how it works...<div> </div><div>{The Rules}<br /><br />1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!<br /><br />2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!<br /><br />3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Counts!<br /><br />4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!<br />If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Please take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!<br /><br />SO, REMEMBER... it is good... :) Pass it forward.</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-75090264822226557822009-01-23T01:47:00.005-06:002009-01-24T22:50:26.375-06:00GG's tantrum goes globalGG's story was featured on <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/01/warm-surprise.html">McMama's</a> site! (she's had about 3,395,882 visitors to her blog, roughly 30,000 a day?) GG's the "toddler girl" that's mentioned in the first paragraph.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-43454912944266616522009-01-21T01:08:00.006-06:002009-01-21T11:45:11.905-06:00"We Shall Overcome"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzwsIC9klZO3iZCS4MKwBKZg7NtBT7eCiKkAM_2rBb2mBUPKl-qkpOrsR643tn6IYb-Ia-g3odD0dpuXz4-wQS_xPOcYfvjYw6WlulcoD993iGc3hBXJ0QWuWA4F_Fl4moCUHA-m8lVo/s1600-h/100_0102.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzwsIC9klZO3iZCS4MKwBKZg7NtBT7eCiKkAM_2rBb2mBUPKl-qkpOrsR643tn6IYb-Ia-g3odD0dpuXz4-wQS_xPOcYfvjYw6WlulcoD993iGc3hBXJ0QWuWA4F_Fl4moCUHA-m8lVo/s320/100_0102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293644119033052914" border="0" /></a><br />It was just me and my girl today for the inauguration. I thought it was fitting. She and I alone went to the caucus, and then it was just us when we voted early and then today, just us girls for this historic event. I was moved and I am so excited for our future. It will be a long haul, but I have faith in giving him some time to get it going, even though he hit the ground running 2 months ago and I don't see him having a problem with that. I don't think he'll be the president with a record vacation days. I think he's more "like us" than any other president in modern times and I love that two Kansas women raised him. I love that my children will grow up in a changed world, especially given that their heritage is the same as Obama's, with an immigrant father. I think people will be inspired to move more than ever, but more importantly, I believe he will be sure to guide us and show us the ways that we can be a part of this change. Tell us what to do, Mr. President, we are sooo ready.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpSgPBoJSsFsbQKDM-jcZSr-ro5cTiJGpI9HrnRUYA5Dj_hyR3ag3uS-hBXrGq01Du4iZq1wB4qDFlBtatdmp4S_CPQmZMOTF-uPQbhKVX1QK2fCuYiFzZuEwlkWtUNyDnk4emQ-CgCw/s1600-h/ObamaLincoln_AP_Slide.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpSgPBoJSsFsbQKDM-jcZSr-ro5cTiJGpI9HrnRUYA5Dj_hyR3ag3uS-hBXrGq01Du4iZq1wB4qDFlBtatdmp4S_CPQmZMOTF-uPQbhKVX1QK2fCuYiFzZuEwlkWtUNyDnk4emQ-CgCw/s320/ObamaLincoln_AP_Slide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293641524591442338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaivxM7YKgTwVnUhhvC1pmwX3xoFhT-4s44XMHMTmT3mqPze1eqwVFuLk_kZVG3ZQgupxuyaOpok5X-AD81DgXoVx6MpjFjboV3KkFIsuRaZWl3u4ntK-gE8oDyKhVBgZ4SMhEoqPBoY/s1600-h/InaugurationCrowd_AP_slide.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaivxM7YKgTwVnUhhvC1pmwX3xoFhT-4s44XMHMTmT3mqPze1eqwVFuLk_kZVG3ZQgupxuyaOpok5X-AD81DgXoVx6MpjFjboV3KkFIsuRaZWl3u4ntK-gE8oDyKhVBgZ4SMhEoqPBoY/s320/InaugurationCrowd_AP_slide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293641526015451634" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxPAYnOxikRtvbF6GsUbIGuwz6FwI3zsomfpjVuNFfldExb2uK8aJQ4tcU0QvwY31nQBFHmu1EeIdW2iA8EG104JmkItwvfHfd8aT2pOGGHlpCWRFEA6LzgSoF-d5HQ7QVM0h9qm0BrQ/s1600-h/ObamaElected_rtr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxPAYnOxikRtvbF6GsUbIGuwz6FwI3zsomfpjVuNFfldExb2uK8aJQ4tcU0QvwY31nQBFHmu1EeIdW2iA8EG104JmkItwvfHfd8aT2pOGGHlpCWRFEA6LzgSoF-d5HQ7QVM0h9qm0BrQ/s320/ObamaElected_rtr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293641523350718050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCcjDxcynQQ9Clcc3U66jCzN8ChBhIVjXcdcwhJKFO0YMvqbUAhSFUmked8tNHYS1M7fimMLnSjri9kyHU7Wipt1rqG_KdMs0Ni24_FAOiBsXDreo3LqQ-YNT6hSBYmJUuJ8s2EznVAg/s1600-h/_45395657_bible_getty466.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCcjDxcynQQ9Clcc3U66jCzN8ChBhIVjXcdcwhJKFO0YMvqbUAhSFUmked8tNHYS1M7fimMLnSjri9kyHU7Wipt1rqG_KdMs0Ni24_FAOiBsXDreo3LqQ-YNT6hSBYmJUuJ8s2EznVAg/s320/_45395657_bible_getty466.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293641530016102162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkw7PxyW1l-XuyvOF4QAFMKrJ2spSDUYhFzDyHdIUgBJkho7JqNJZ2AN4wqc2x6vXQz7W9uh76Ov5aPlZc3i7BkteorQRnjLk-Mra4qQhbmb2EW5cU42AmLrbm52iYtk3phCQX8pqH3Ck/s1600-h/barack-obama-inaugural-speech-inauguration-sasha.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkw7PxyW1l-XuyvOF4QAFMKrJ2spSDUYhFzDyHdIUgBJkho7JqNJZ2AN4wqc2x6vXQz7W9uh76Ov5aPlZc3i7BkteorQRnjLk-Mra4qQhbmb2EW5cU42AmLrbm52iYtk3phCQX8pqH3Ck/s320/barack-obama-inaugural-speech-inauguration-sasha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293641530167333314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZnn5ynH13VrFyZV81xB7LhZEWQTN1BeaFTAR_x0GlnvBvhOKIVTGJHp3Gyjf8f1V9oT6tzo8oz4Ha0aw-xP5QjZIX1gMUzWpnxfg_YtnRgiIvCjKG7fm90Y_qSIcP6H6vB7C-uQwzFI/s1600-h/Obamas+dance.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZnn5ynH13VrFyZV81xB7LhZEWQTN1BeaFTAR_x0GlnvBvhOKIVTGJHp3Gyjf8f1V9oT6tzo8oz4Ha0aw-xP5QjZIX1gMUzWpnxfg_YtnRgiIvCjKG7fm90Y_qSIcP6H6vB7C-uQwzFI/s320/Obamas+dance.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293641917947568226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGLrycbOFASjb6xqBSO9xv68-mHpSq0xBCAiH5q_9969RaOTJ2wGdeEx0zSHC29pW9yWuF7Pgh7E-wN4uubosuj08GJAqIZUhotvVu8u6J_xgPX8f4LLkjh7MtoyCjqHItPO0PvCn5wk/s1600-h/3214147961_d391ae3471.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGLrycbOFASjb6xqBSO9xv68-mHpSq0xBCAiH5q_9969RaOTJ2wGdeEx0zSHC29pW9yWuF7Pgh7E-wN4uubosuj08GJAqIZUhotvVu8u6J_xgPX8f4LLkjh7MtoyCjqHItPO0PvCn5wk/s320/3214147961_d391ae3471.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293641918451403522" border="0" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-43369463887024769702009-01-19T00:00:00.002-06:002009-01-26T15:32:40.303-06:00Not Me Monday (2)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjag32JBC66qz7J2oL-rtCRlR0jihB_xLLDegpolWBkHVIp8uPX_yyuWLk5dWf2mqmNgSGANwbI4A6BOs6Qs1WxBW2ZHsiY4j-_rBzGxXWAriu39C6N2HlAwJmHh8XPMTb4q7yw27zy48/s1600-h/nmm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjag32JBC66qz7J2oL-rtCRlR0jihB_xLLDegpolWBkHVIp8uPX_yyuWLk5dWf2mqmNgSGANwbI4A6BOs6Qs1WxBW2ZHsiY4j-_rBzGxXWAriu39C6N2HlAwJmHh8XPMTb4q7yw27zy48/s200/nmm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292888240829664978" border="0" /></a><br />(If you don't know what Not Me Monday from <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/">MckMama</a> is, check <a href="http://mommymirandamusings.blogspot.com/2009/01/not-me-monday.html">this</a> post.)<br /><br /><br />1. I decided with this nasty cold weather we're having that it was high time to bust out the massive ham bone from Christmas out of the freezer and make a yummy soup. Mind you, this was from a 20 pound ham, a WHOLE ham. The bone was waaaay bigger than I remembered and not only did it not fit into my largest stockpot, but it wouldn't come close to fitting in the crock pot either. The bone was at least 1 1/2 inches thick. My wheels went to work. Of course, this <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">did not</span> lead me to the garage full of tools where I might find something to improvise with. And I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">did not</span> proceed to clean the blades of our tree trimmer and then with everything I had, snap that bone in half. <span style="font-style: italic;">Nope, not me.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">Man that soup was good</span>.<br /><br />2. My mother in law brought over a bag of pre-popped kettle corn from Sams on her weekly Wednesday visit. I was skeptical because I make sure the kids eat very healthy and I thought it was probably loaded with sugar and fat. Surprisingly, it wasn't all that bad and you could eat a hefty 2 cups for a serving. I should have known better than to ever have tried that stuff. It was the tastiest blend of crispy sweet and crunchy salty goodness. I have never been one to binge on anything (that is not a facetious statement, I really mean that). About 10 minutes into that bag I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">did not</span> look down at it and realize that about half that bag was missing. Because like I said, I'm not one to do that. Ever. <span style="font-style: italic;">Not me</span>.<br /><br />3. I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">did not</span> bribe my son to sit on the potty in exchange for playing games on my iPhone. Couldn't that really screw him up? Well, you wouldn't catch me doing that. hmm, mm. <span style="font-style: italic;">Not me</span>.<br /><br />4. My cable news addiction <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">has not</span> returned with a fever pitch leading to the big party Tuesday night. And I absolutely <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">have not</span> googled 24 hour coverage of the inauguration. I also <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">have not</span> thought of several dinner dishes for Tuesday that would include red white and blue. I'm not <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">THAT </span>excited. <span style="font-style: italic;">Not me.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">Besides, that would make all our republican friends and family just disgusted.</span><br /><br />5. I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">did not</span> begin this week putting plastic covered training pants over the kids' diapers at night so I don't have to change the sheets every morning (including ours) any more. That <span style="font-style: italic;">might</span> be considered lazy parenting and I would die if someone thought that. I'd bet (because I've <span style="font-style: italic;">NEVER </span>actually <span style="font-style: italic;">seen</span> this, but I'd bet that GG's little bubble butt would look pretty funny!) I have to admit, though, the damn diapers are just not holding up anymore to the 12+ hours of sleep. And it's not the greatest way to wake up when a little one crawls into your bed in the morning sopping wet.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-30315750188407974492009-01-18T00:21:00.006-06:002009-01-18T23:05:30.018-06:00Sad News<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="Large Heading TopPadSmall" valign="bottom" width="55%">Our dear friend, Kellee, lost her father this week. I did not know him long, but he was a kind and gentle soul and I am grateful for the time that Kellee had with him most recently. Our hearts go out to you and your family, we are thinking of you.<br /><br />In his honor, a small tribute to our friend's father....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5h0BVhv4Vsnrd3a9DnD-R5hWAKNo2gExqwVYIta_TDkxZ_uMqTQcKwTwq06qEjhseN46AcxFnDp1i3849jEphEZ828G0j0jWiGO1TSCuGJnd-C284tOxcyCFK59fATJ4UhcLRY9LPhs/s1600-h/wheeler.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5h0BVhv4Vsnrd3a9DnD-R5hWAKNo2gExqwVYIta_TDkxZ_uMqTQcKwTwq06qEjhseN46AcxFnDp1i3849jEphEZ828G0j0jWiGO1TSCuGJnd-C284tOxcyCFK59fATJ4UhcLRY9LPhs/s400/wheeler.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292522818767203714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGefm1RL8r5vOTE9xnxG9oVutK7IdoJIipM2J5z7OZ3OAYhygJZ9MtWrTwMBT_8iDtX7ZljDvzSsb2rwWQJoHc6GsghxxCRAdEifCSLo0zRQ3fCsJFemSJEs1pKoMGob6GtPxj6hPP78/s1600-h/Picture+15.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGefm1RL8r5vOTE9xnxG9oVutK7IdoJIipM2J5z7OZ3OAYhygJZ9MtWrTwMBT_8iDtX7ZljDvzSsb2rwWQJoHc6GsghxxCRAdEifCSLo0zRQ3fCsJFemSJEs1pKoMGob6GtPxj6hPP78/s400/Picture+15.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292522822941073954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with wiggly-monkey-girl, GG last spring)</span><br /><br />Wheeler W. Cornwell</td> <td width="1%"><br /></td> <td class="TopPadSmall" align="right" width="44%"> <br /><br /></td><td class="TopPadSmall" align="right" width="44%"><br /></td><td class="TopPadSmall" align="right" width="44%"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" class="Notice TopPadSmall"> <img src="http://mi-cache.legacy.com/legacy/images/Cobrands/CJOnline/Photos/5992244_1_01182009.gif" lgyorigname="5992244_1.gif" alt="Photo" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="4" /><!-- Name = Wheeler W. Cornwell --><br />ELLSWORTH- Wheeler W. Cornwell, 88, died Thursday, Jan. 15, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka. He was born July 28, 1920 in Crandall, SD to Carl and Mabel Burgess Cornwell. He was a resident of Ellsworth since 1939. He was a US NAVY veteran of WWII. On Jan. 15, 1946, he married Lena (Lee) Landry in New Orleans, LA. She preceded him in death Mar. 10, 1986. He was also preceded in death by a brother Ernest in 1996. Survivors include sons Larry and wife Cheryl, Henderson, NV, Carl and wife Nancy, Leawood, Bill and wife Tina, Singapore, Scott and wife Sally, Littleton, CO and Casey, Wichita; daughters Corliss Fulton, Oceanside, CA, Kellee Thiessen, Topeka and Holly Fries and husband Rodney, Ellsworth; sisters Theola Novak, Wichita and Dorothy Rehm, Rockland, CA; 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Visitation will be 1-8 p.m. Monday at Parsons Funeral Home, Ellsworth with family receiving friends 6-8 p.m. Service will be 10 a.m., Tuesday at the American Legion Hall, Ellsworth, with burial in the Ellsworth Memorial Cemetery. Military honors by US Navy Honorguard and American Legion Post 174. Memorials may be made to Alzheimers Assn., in c/o Parsons Funeral Home, Box 45, Ellsworth, KS 67439. Wheeler W. Cornwell<br /><br /><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <style> #LegacyContent a.keepOpenInfo { position: relative; } #LegacyContent a.keepOpenInfo:hover { z-index: 25; background-color:#fff } #LegacyContent a.keepOpenInfo span { display: none; } #LegacyContent a.keepOpenInfo:hover span { display: block; position: absolute; top: 2em; left: 2em; border: 1px solid black; width: 30em; background-color: lightyellow; color: #000; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; padding: 5px; font-weight: normal; } #LegacyContent .linkModuleTable TD { padding-top: 5px; } #LegacyContent .Bold { font-weight: bold; } </style> <script language="javascript"> function OpenPrint() { var url = 'Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStoryPrint&PersonID=122971443' window.open(url, "PrintLifeStory", "toolbar=1,menubar=1,width=800,height=600"); } </script> <table class="BottomPadSmall" id="linkModuleTable" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="3" class="TopPadLarge BottomPadMedium"> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-52090897009886085202009-01-17T10:11:00.002-06:002009-01-17T10:15:20.518-06:00((¯`*•.¸400¸.•*´¯))We had 100 more visitors in less than 1 month!<br />Check the counter on the lower left sidebar, does it say 400? If it does, leave a comment below, because you're lucky 400 : )<br />Thanks for stopping by!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-77248116761688454092009-01-12T01:51:00.005-06:002009-01-26T15:31:48.547-06:00Not Me Monday (1)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bh57IZhDZ4FFnRi83VxTU0xl2hyu1qGBOg3zwWfNI7HQE9gtSXk9kJivejslsmHPiUGYBUbaf4BeVlS4ENo3BYWGyiA0-Rf3mKMBbBKMiYvm-kyIEmW71Ca64ZuKFZOKABDyPKQiiRQ/s1600-h/nmm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bh57IZhDZ4FFnRi83VxTU0xl2hyu1qGBOg3zwWfNI7HQE9gtSXk9kJivejslsmHPiUGYBUbaf4BeVlS4ENo3BYWGyiA0-Rf3mKMBbBKMiYvm-kyIEmW71Ca64ZuKFZOKABDyPKQiiRQ/s400/nmm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291160326627338706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can see the complete rules for "Not Me Monday"s <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2008/09/not-me-mondaythe-complete-rules.html">here at MckMama's</a>, and about 400 other bloggers' NMM's, but I thought I'd give this a whirl since my friend <a href="http://copelandsonthecusp.blogspot.com/">Lara</a> was brave enough to try it, too!<br /><br />What is <span style="font-style: italic;">"Not Me!</span> Monday"??<br /><br />This is how MckMama put it:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Are you feeling ashamed for letting your child go to bed without brushing his teeth...</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">again</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">!? Did you eat a Snickers bar during a meeting without anyone knowing? Are you feeling embarrassed that you kicked the dog? We'll don't be.</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" > Not Me! </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Monday was born out of a desire to admit some of our imperfections and reveal a few moments we'd rather forget. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Why? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well, for one, because it's just plain fun to pretend that we really </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >did not</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> do the things that we actually </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >so</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> did do. And, two, because reading through great tales of other people's </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >Not Me!</span> Mondays each week is a great way to level the playing field. We're all human, we all take embarrassing shortcuts, and so we may as well show each other that we're all in good company!" </span><br /><br />However, with caring for two very little children for roughly 65-70 hours per week (yes, I adjusted for the hours that Pepe is here) and then <span style="font-style: italic;">another</span> 40 with my grown up job, I may not actually post this ON Monday, but I'll try my best to get it on here at some point in the week (I'll cheat and post date it for that Monday though). You must know, however, this is excruciating for me because of my "A-type" personality, and admitting my faults and embarrassing moments is like having my fingernails slowly removed. Hopefully, though, this will be therapeutic in helping me to relax a little about things and become more open and less perfectionistic. <span style="font-size:85%;">(yeah, right)</span><br /><br />and now.... for my FIRST <span style="font-style: italic;">Not Me</span> Monday <span style="font-size:85%;">(deep breath, swallow pride)</span>.....<br /><br />1. We moved our fridge from the garage over the weekend and put it in the basement to have a more convenient place for drinks and ice and such nearer to the bar. We discovered a big box of Russell Stover's chocolates in the drawer that we'd forgotten about. This was from my baby shower from GG when we did the "sugar and spice" theme. Everyone knows that she's 16 1/2 months old now, so you can do the math. Granted, they looked perfectly normal. But of course, I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">did not </span>dive right in, nor have I been rationing myself ever since. <span style="font-style: italic;">Not me!</span><br /><br />2. When I went to the dentist and they asked me how I was feeling after a few minutes of administering the gas, I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">was not</span> already thoroughly enjoying it and I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">did not</span> reply "this is SOOOO worth every penny, <span style="font-weight: bold;">hahahahaha</span>!". And then, when they asked me if I was feeling okay after I could tell they turned the oxygen back on, I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">did not</span> say "do we have to stop? Do I have to go home, is that all, are you sure?" <span style="font-style: italic;">I didn't say that, Not me!</span><br /><br />3. We had the most amazing ham ever for Christmas dinner. I cooked a 20 pound ham from my parents farm, pretty much organic, no antibiotics, no bad feed, humanely killed, etc, etc, and we used an Alton Brown recipe that was UNbelievable! Anyway, I'd frozen some leftover slices and was on the <span style="font-weight: bold;">very LAST</span> one when I decided to make a ham, egg, and cheese grilled sandwich using range free eggs and soy cheese. I go into all this to illustrate just how important this sandwich was to me. You must understand that on any typical day, I take 5 seconds to pour a couple of healthy brands of cereal into a bowl, douse it with soy milk and run to my computer to get some work done while the babies are napping. So this was an extremely rare occurance for me to actually COOK my lunch. The children were finally snoozing and the house was quiet, the kitchen smelled of warm Christmas ham all over again. It was shaping up perfectly, with the egg just the way I like, seasoned to my delight, bread toasted just enough, chees<span style="font-family:times new roman;">e beginning </span>to get soft and melty... mmmmm.... I moved all the elements to my plate with the spatula one by one, and then finally, the pièce de résistance... that scrumptious thick slice of warm ham..........<br />slips off the damn spatula and falls *SMACK* on the floor! You obviously know what I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">did not</span> do next. <span style="font-style: italic;">Not</span> <span style="font-size:78%;">(munch, munch, munch, mmm) </span><span style="font-style: italic;">me!</span><br /><br />4. I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">did not</span> put off taking down the decorations until the 10th of January. (That would be a total of 7 weeks exactly that the dried up prickly tree was up and I would <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">never</span> allow <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> to happen!) <span style="font-style: italic;">Not me!<br /><br /></span>5.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>I <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">did not</span> restart the Baby Einstein "First Signs" DVD a second time so that I could finish checking work emails. I would never allow my children to watch THAT much educational television! <span style="font-style: italic;">Not me!</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930554115210550100.post-15970543125879737902009-01-07T23:45:00.001-06:002009-01-21T11:40:30.117-06:00The Pie was on Fire!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PCTxw5zDJJy6nUpy0BHgb1SDDSw8OK5VpFZ9TbgZRkmOwLNPlFMz_tLDhMKwUdnD0q0WkpHL1oQ0u0WwwaxrQAdf3Ng2O0Iuh-sA2tw_iKp_aJkaGxf9egWrDjHkhE70OSQYl5rJXYQ/s1600-h/100_9894.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PCTxw5zDJJy6nUpy0BHgb1SDDSw8OK5VpFZ9TbgZRkmOwLNPlFMz_tLDhMKwUdnD0q0WkpHL1oQ0u0WwwaxrQAdf3Ng2O0Iuh-sA2tw_iKp_aJkaGxf9egWrDjHkhE70OSQYl5rJXYQ/s400/100_9894.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289580250146744706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I died when I saw this photo of Jack reacting to all the smoke after Daddy blew out his candles!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648464746042426227noreply@blogger.com1