Smellyann Strikes Again

Saturday 9: Touch Me In The Morning

Saturday 9: Touch Me in the Morning

1. Who or what sleeps with you?

Hubs, often Sophia (our 7yo), and at least 2 cats...

2. Last time you saw your high school best friend?

It's been a few years, maybe three years this summer. I miss you, Weezie!

3. What do you do when you're sad?

You mean, besides cry? Well, I cry s'more. I don't know. It's hard for me to tell the difference between "depression sad" and "regular sad," anymore.

4. What do you wear when you are relaxing around the house?

Whatever's clean and comfy, depending on the season. Gotta admit, I love sweats.

5. What did you do immediately after high school?

a. Moved to South Carolina with my dad for the summer (literally the day after graduation). b. Hated that. c. Matriculated at the University of Miami for my B.S.

6. Is anyone on your bad side right now?

No, not really. Not anyone particularly on my radar, at least.

7. What's the first thing you do when you get online?

Time was, it would be to get on Facebook, but I'm really not on there much anymore (except through my iPhone), so now it's checking email. I get entirely too much.

8. What jewelry are you wearing?

My wedding ring and another ring my husband gave me for, I think, our sixth anniverary: a giant sapphire. It's beautiful. Sophia lost my engagement ring or I'd be wearing that, too. :( Oh, and my nosering du jour, a big pearly number.

9. Post a current song that you like. (Or name it and tell us why you like it.)

"Somebody That I Used to Know," by Gotye is pretty cool. I gotta agree with Ryan Seacrest on this one: it makes me want to tiptoe around. hee

See you here tomorrow night!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: The Not My Year Meme

Link up here if it's not your year, either!

Sunday Stealing: The Not My Year Meme

1. Are you in a job that you truly enjoy?

I'm a stay-home homeschooling mom of three. I damn well better be, huh?

2. If you could do any job in the world what would it be?

I'd be a family court judge. And I hope to be, one day...

3. If you could be a character in a novel who would you be?

I'd be Tom Sawyer. What an imp! I like mischief as much as the next kid, you know?

4. When it comes to spending time with those you love, do you think it should be about quality or quantity?

Both count, but definitely quality over quantity. If you're not really present with each other, what's the point?

5. Is there a job/career you wanted but realized you couldn’t possibly do for one reason or another?

Pre-marriage and babies, I was a marine biologist. I was working with the pre-eminent scientist in our field (elasmobranch feeding ecomorphology, or in layman's terms, shark/skate/ray feeding behavioral ecology). A year and a half into my Ph.D., I realized I didn't have the passion to pursue that and be at sea half the year and then, when I was home, spend all my time stressing over grants and funding for research, etc. I wanted to be a wife and mom, and I didn't want to give up those desires, no matter how much I loved being a Biologist. And I did. And I still do... but. I love this so much more.

6. If you could live anywhere in the world or out of this world where would you live?

Oh, I'm so glad you added that last part. I'd love to live on Jupiter, assuming it were hospitable to humans. It's my favorite of our planets. (What, doesn't everyone have a favorite planet?)

7. Where would you most like to visit and with whom?

Everywhere I've never been, with Hubs and the trio of offspring we're raising.

8. Which skill would you like to learn?

Oh, gosh. I want to learn to spin my own yarn. And dye it. I want to learn to relax and meditate. I want to learn to practice self-patience and -forgiveness. I'd like to be fluent in every language, but at least five. It would be fun to be able to juggle while riding a unicycle... okay, now I'm getting carried away.

9. What made you laugh today?

A high school friend's Facebook status update: "Miracle Whip is actually tweeting on Twitter. What has the world come to when condiments are reminding us to set our clocks ahead?"

10. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Cleaning, organizing, and doing.

11. What is your sign and do you believe in horoscopes etc?

I'm a Virgo, and to the extent that it's fun. I fit the typical Virgo profile to a "T," but I don't go all nutso about it.

12. If you could change one thing about your life thus far, what would it be?

Many things... like, if I had known then what I know now, I would have seriously reconsidered going to the University of Miami, where top students like me struggled financially and football players were treated like gods, and perhaps gone to one of the several schools offering me a full, free ride instead.

13. If there was one charity you could give a huge contribution to, which charity would it be and why?

Heifer International. I think it's an awesome program.

14. Should smoking be legal?

No fecking way. Ugh. Don't even get me started.

15. What are your views on the smoking ban in public places?

Fully supportive - what'd I just say?!

16. Why do you blog?

To answer questions for your total entertainment, edification, and... okay, for my own amusement, too. And other things, but I've already answered this question eleventeen times before now.

17. Do you have a favorite author?

I'm not sure, but Jodi Picoult would definitely be near the top of the list, along with Elizabeth Zimmermann.

18. Can you play any musical instruments?

After my mom died, I learnt to play the organ/piano, which she also played. And my vocal chords. But I've always had a terrible ability to sight read music, so I didn't go very far with the keyboard. I did sing all through high school, and I was going to sing in college, too, but I got mono right before my audition, and then I got stage fright. I hate auditioning. Just give me the part I want and we'll go from there. Hee. 

19. What would your ideal car be?

I would love to zip around in a cute little Mazda Miata convertible, or a Smart for Two convertible. Red, of course. Red cars go faster.

20. Describe yourself in one short sentence.

I am so weird.

21. What do you look for in a spouse/other half?

A penis, for starters. That's a must. He's gotta make me laugh and make me think, even better if he can do them both at once. Everything else ... let's just say I got so lucky with Rob. He definitely got the short end of the marital stick! ;)

22. Worst meal you’ve had?

Chicken a la king, when I was, like, five. I'd probably love it now, though I'm too scared to attempt another go.

23. What do you do to relax in the evening?

Rob.

24. Do you get along with your siblings?

I have one full sister 17 months older, and yes, we are very close. Always have been. I have a much-older half-sister whom I've never met, and two former step-sisters with whom I no longer have a relationship.

25. Do you have any regrets?

Everytime I start painting my nails, I instantly regret not going pee first.

Have a great week, y'all!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: The 99'er Meme, Part The Third

Link up here if you're playing along late this week(end), like I am.

Cheers to all of us thieves!

51) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?
 

Yeah. Unless they apologize. Then I'm easily forgiving.

  

52) What's your astrological sign? 

 

Virgo. Unless we're talking Chinese, and then I'm a Dragon.

  

53) Do you save money for anything? What?

 

Spending.

 

54) What's the last thing you purchased?

Cat litter. Whew, we were desperate. Four cats who all prefer ONE box? Yick.

 

55) Have you ever had a relationship that you realized was lust not love?

Of course. I'm a hot-blooded American female. ;)

 

56) In a relationship?

That is not a complete sentence. Are you asking if I'm in one now? If so, yes, I'm on my dozenth year of marriage. Is dozenth a word?

 

57) How many relationships have you had?

Too many to count. See my answer to #55.

 

58) What do you want to tell us about your day?

I took my nearly-9yo son out with me to run errands, including shipping a bunch of boxes at the post office (using the automated machine), 7-11 for Diet Coke and a reward snack for him (and to pick out something for his sisters, too), and the grocery store for the afore-mentioned cat litter. He was a perfect little gentleman: without asking, he held open the P.O. door for me when my arms were full of packages, and since had my keys and likes to lock and unlock the van doors, he did so and then opened my driver's door for me, just because. I was very touched and impressed. He's so sweet! ♥ (And he put a lot of thought into what his sisters would enjoy, too.)

 

59) Where were you yesterday?

I'm going to answer this as if "yesterday" was Saturday, so I'll tell you that. In the morning, my daughters and I went to a Girl Scout event wherein they learnt, on real sewing machines (something I've been wanting to do but haven't yet...) how to make drawstring bags. The bags will be given to Operation Smile and filled before being sent to cleft palate and other oral surgery patients overseas.

 

Then we dropped off a couple Valentine's Day cards I had made for some nearby friends (we were far-ish from home) before stopping at a few stores to play with the iPhone (and Droid?) apps CheckPoints and shopkick, where you get points and then rewards for checking into stores and scanning the designated products. It's fun and addicting. And me like prizey.

 

(If you're into TV and want rewards for checking into TV shows, check out Viggle as well. Even if you don't watch TV, like me, you can still rack up quite a lot of points in other ways, so it's worth having.)

 

60) Is there anything interesting within 10 feet of you?

A mirror. No, for serious, there's tons of interesting things, in my opinion. There's the Britto, Deep Night Romance, that we bought on our Mediterranean cruise 3½ years ago, which speaks volumes about my hubs' and my love for each other. Then there's Hubs himself, who is a wonder of wonders. I'd go on, but you're practically snoring and drooling over there, so never mind for now.

 

61) Are you wearing socks right now?

No, and 9 times out of 10, I won't be. I love bare feet.

62) What's your favorite animal?

Sharks, but my favorite land animal and a close second are elephants. I've always been fascinated by elephants.

 

 

63) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

I wish I knew. I mean, I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

64) Where is your best friend?

Sleeping on the couch 5' away.

65) How did you end your last relationship end?

We lived together. We got in a fight. He shoved me into a bookshelf, breaking my two front teeth. I kicked him out. The end. (Wow, I made a long story short, imagine that!)

66) What is your heritage?

I'm 2/3 German/Pennsylvania Dutch, with some English and Hungarian, and I'm sure a smidge of "mutt."

67) What were you doing last night at 12 AM?

I believe I was actually sound asleep for once. Rare for me, at that hour. I was tonight, too, but I woke up wide awake at 0200 (it's 0311 now) and that was it. Maybe I'll sleep more later, maybe not. I sure hope so.

68) What's new?

I can't really answer that. If this is your first time here, then everything is new. If not, you pretty much know everything. I got the Girl Scout cookies my girls have sold so far today, and so I'm like a mother bird sitting on her nest now, protecting them from the snack-thieving Sophia. I guess that's news? LOL

69) What is the key to seduction?

Leaving more to the imagination than is revealed, at least at first...

70) What was the weirdest thing that happened to you this week??

My usually-grumpy psychopharmacologist, who prescribes my bipolar and anxiety disorder meds, smiled genuinely at me after I complemented him on his nice sweater. I nearly fell over from the shock.

71) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

Get fired.

72) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

(a) I'd tell some people, but I wouldn't have it, like, emblazoned on a t-shirt.

(b) I'd try like hell to get to Australia and Japan, and finish up as much else on my bucket list as I could.

(c) No. I've never been afraid of death. Honestly, I'd be excited about seeing my mommy and my baby boy again.

73) You can only have one of these things: trust or love.

F**k you. Oh, are you asking me to pick? Wow. That's a tough one. Um, love, I guess. I'd rather be madly in love and always suspicious than completely trusting and have someone betray that. So, love.

74) What's a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

Lots of songs do, but the first one that comes to mind is "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega. Can't help but dance!

75) Who has your cell phone number (other than family)?

Half of North America, it seems like. Lots of people. LOOOOTS of people. (We don't have a home phone line, so it's all I have.)

Well, I'm off to 7-11 to get me another Diet Coke. Yes, I realize it's the midding hours, but I'm fairly well immune to the caffiene-keeping-me-awake properties of the stuff by now. If I'm meant to sleep, I will, worry not.

And with that -

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: The 99'er Meme, Part The First

Link up here if you're stealing this weekend!

Cheers to all of us thieves!

 

1) Put your iTunes on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up.

 

(a) "I'm Yours" by Brandy; (b) "Who Do U Love" by Deborah Cox; (c) "The War Is Over" by Kelly Clarkson; (d) "Four Leaf Clover" by Abra Moore; (e) "Bite Our Style - Interlude" by Missy Elliott; and (f) "A Thousand Years" by Sting.

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

 

President Obama

3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

"Some days must be dark and dreary." - Longfellow

 

4) What do you think about most?

Oh, gosh. My mind is on warp speed most of the time. I couldn't possibly pinpoint my number one thought. Travel, maybe?

5) What does your latest text message from someone else say?

"Leaving. Love you!" - Hubs

6) Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

Usually with, unless it's freakin' hot

7) What's your strangest talent?

Hm, I don't know. I can bend my fingers at the first knuckle only.

8) Women.... (finish the sentence); Men.... (finish the sentence)

Women think too much. Men should realize that.

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?

Not that I know of. Used to pretend that "Melanie" by Weird Al was for me; now Hubs and I pretend that he wrote "The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars for me. I'd love that, though!

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?

Pfft. Either never or last week. I can't remember these things.

11) Do you have any strange phobias?

Y'all know I'm scared to death of mustard touching me. And sandpaper touching me. And those people in haunted houses touching me. Just don't touch me!

12) Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

Oh, probably a straw or two...

13) What's your religion?

Non-denominational Protestant Christian

14) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Playing with or watching the kids play

15) Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

I'm the family photographer, but I no longer mind having my photo taken, so it's a draw.

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

You can't disappoint me with The Presidents of the United States of America!

17) What was the last lie you told?

Oh, probably something minor like "I don't know" to one of the kids, when I just didn't feel like the hassle of a long drawn-out explanation. Sometimes, it's just tiring!

18) Do you believe in karma?

I believe you eventually reap what you sow...

19) What does your URL mean?

Which one? http://smellyann.typepad.com, for this blahg? Smellyann's my nickname, no mystery there.

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

Weakness: I'm too self-indulgent. Strength: I'm incredibly passionate about the things about which I really care and will go to the ends of the earth for those things/people.

21) Who is your celebrity crush?

Eric Clapton! ♥

22) Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

Yep, sho'nuff.

23) How do you vent your anger?

Used to bottle it up and then explode. Now I bitch, bitch, bitch whenever the mood strikes me. Little leaks instead of one ginormous blow-up. Okay, truthfully, I yell and swear. I'm not proud.

24) Do you have a collection of anything?

I have a collection of collections.

25) Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

Neither. I prefer to text or IM online. I don't like video chatting, and I don't like talking on the phone most of the time. What the heck is wrong with me?

Have a great week!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: The Never-Ending Meme, Parte Uno

Link up here if you're meme-crazy like me, too!

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Song that always makes you sad?

"To Where You Are" by Josh Groban, and "Tears in Heaven" by E.C.

2. Last thing you bought?

Canned foods for our donation to the Food Bank, part of our entrance fee to last night's Girl Scout Cookie Rally  

3. Last person you argued with?

Rob and I had it OUT the other day about where we're going to live after he retires in 1½ years from the US Navy, but I'm going to keep mum this time, until we actually make things happen. Sorreh.

4. Do you put butter before putting the peanut butter on?

Huh? Butter with peanut butter? Huh? Is you crazy?

5. One of your stuffed animals’ names as a kid?

My Cabbage Patch Kids were Aubrey Lenora, Tiffany Jacqueline, and Andrea Jeanine.

6. Did you ever at one time own a Barenaked Ladies CD?

Well, of course. "If I had a million dollars" is one of "our" songs...

7. Favorite day of the week?

Any day that Rob is home with me, sap sap, mush mush, gag.

8. Favorite sundae topping?

I can't eat it anymore, but if it's going to be a sundae, it better have nuts, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry. Good stuff, there. Mmm.

9. Did you take piano lessons?

Yes. Well, my mom played the organ, so when she died, I took organ lessons to honor her. When the piano teacher came to my house, I played the organ. When I went to her house, I played her piano. So, kinda.

10. Most frequent song played?

Right now I'm overplaying "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5. There are boobs in the explicit version on YouTube, you know. I discovered this the other day. Who doesn't like boobs? I was told recently that even gay guys like 'em. Who knew?

11. TV show you secretly enjoy?

I enjoy Phineas and Ferb, which we stream on Netflix, since we don't have 'real' TV. Rob and I laugh more than the children do, I swear.

12. Would you rather play basketball or hockey?

Hockey. I can whack the shit out of some puck, dude.

13. Date someone older or younger?

I prefer them older. I don't want to teach you new tricks. I want you to know the tricks. Kwim?

14. One place you could travel right now?

Could, or would like to? I mean, I could travel to Williamsburg or the Outer Banks. I would like to travel to Japan or Australia. Say what you mean, and mean what you say, dammit.

15. Do you use umbrellas?

We have a Britto umbrella, which I bought for Rob as a gift during a trip to Charleston, that mostly sits unused. I prefer to just get wet, unless my hair and make-up are done, and then I'm using that mofo. I like getting rained on.

16. Do you know all the words to the Canadian national anthem?

Yeah, I know all the words to all the national anthems, dude. Duh. :\

17. Favorite cheese?

Velveeta. Sike! (Although I admit, I'll use it when it suits.) Hmm... I do like my Muenster.

18. The Smiths or The Cure?

Depends on the mood. Whatever, I like it all but country.

19. Do you prefer blondes or brunettes?

I really don't give a rat's ass. I like arm muscles, though. Not that you asked that.

20. Best job you ever had?

You should expect me to say the current one, mothering my three bebes. Which I do love, of course. But aside from that, I'd say it's a toss-up between my internship in Fisheries Biology at Mote Marine Lab and my stint working at the dive shop Diver's Paradise on Key Biscayne. Times of my life, both.

Well, that wasn't exactly never-ending. Twenty questions, really? I was prepared for fourscore. Ah well. More fun next week. Ciao, thieving peeps.

Fin.

Defiance

Sophia.

Let me tell you about that girl: Smart as all get out, maybe the smartest of the bunch (and they are a pretty smart bunch). Funny as hell. A good-time girl.

But today?

 

We went on a field trip to watch (and listen to) the Virginia Symphony Orchestra take us on a musical world tour. It was pretty awesome. I'm so glad we went. Totally worth the five bucks a pop that I paid at least two months ago.

Anyway, at almost-six, the thumb in the mouth is still a constant for Soap.

(If you look past her in the picture, you can see the same is true for Jack, and on occasion, I'll still catch Chloë with her thumb in, too. I know they say that it's indicative of emotional problems if they suck their thumbs past five years old, but as someone who sucked hers until she was nine - okay, I probably DID have my share of emotional problems, but still - I can say from experience that it's pretty much just a comforting habit by that point. Anyway.)

Since I was sitting right next to her on the balcony, I gave her a whack on the shoulder and a quick, "Thumb out." 

Her response? Shove the thumb in even harder and hold it in place with the other hand.

That kid. 

Gotta love her.

Fin.

Aloha Friday

 

Link up here if you're playing along this week!

My question for you this week is:

What's your favorite musician/song/album at the moment? You can answer for any or all of those.

 

Right now, I can't get enough of Cee Lo Green's The Lady Killer album. It is AWESOME, just one masterpiece after another. I've probably listened to it 60 times this week alone, if not more! So what about you? What's playing on your iTunes right now?

Fin.

 

TWIR: Thursday, Music & Art Night

Thursday, I wasn't able to sub, because I had to stay home with sick Jack.

Sick Jack was feeling much better, so we decided to run around a little bit, around late morning, after he'd watched a video or two on the couch.

The goal was to get both the Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs. And I had a VERY good deal to get them, too: Toys 'R Us had them on sale for $16.99 each when you bought both, plus I had a $10-off coupon for both from the Disney Movie Rewards website, plus each combo back was supposed to include a movie ticket for Toy Story 3, coming out later this year! An EXCELLENT deal.

Since I had been reading up on the Hip2Save website all morning while Jack rested, I knew that many of the TRU stores were out of these combos, unfortunately. However, I also knew who DID have them in stock and would price-match them to TRU.

So.

I called TRU, and the woman who answered said, "Oh, yeah, we have plenty of both, come on in."

So we came on in, only to find that they did not, in fact, have Toy Story 2. At all!

I was pissed! And I let the manager know it. He tried to tell me that the number I called wasn't his store, but I showed him my phone, pressed redial, and it rang right up to the front desk four feet away from us. So uh, yeah. Take that.

There was really nothing he could do, despite the fact that I had driven 15 minutes away ONLY because I'd called and been told they had them in stock, so he just said "I'm sorry" and sent me on my way. He could have done more than that, in my opinion, but it is what it is, so we left.

We stopped home to get the ad that I'd forgotten, and I called Best Buy to make sure they still had them in stock. They did. It was around the corner, so we rushed right over. Only, when I tried to use my coupons, for $10 off each, they balked. They called it "double-dipping" and said I couldn't use that AND the price-match. Really? That makes absolutely no damn sense. If I could go to TRU right now and get the same merchandise for that price AND use my coupons, then why should I go to Best Buy? Isn't the whole point to get me in the store with the best possible price? It makes NO sense! But they efused to let me use the coupons, so I took them and left.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take my ad with me. BUT, I get two newspapers, so I went home to get the second one. It was at this point that Jack's tummy troubles returned, and he barely had time to get to the bathroom before exploding. Poor kid! While he was in there, I called up Best Buy corporate to question them on their price matching and coupon policy, and they said it was up to store discretion to allow it. Stupid! But I already seriously hate Best Buy, for ten-hundred other reasons, so really it's not a shocker that they suck on this score, too.

I called Target to make sure THEY would allow both price-matching and coupons (they do), and to make sure they had both movies in stock (they did), so once Jack was squared away, we ran down there. I mean, I REALLY wanted this deal, y'all.  I also had 9 coupons for a free 20-oz Coke, from using My Coke Rewards points (if you drink Coke and don't use the points, why?? I mean, send me your points, please!), so I gathered up 9 bottles of soda, and the two movies.

We had to go to Customer Service (or Guest Services, whatev) to do the price-matching, which I'd never done before. I was kind of nervous. And the CSR was really quite grumpy, as they often seem to be at Target. Go figure??  But after they figured out how to ring it all up - which, apparently, they don't do very often either - I had my two movie combos and 9 Cokes for just $15 including tax - AND two free movie tickets to boot. Super sweet!!

Jack didn't know I had gotten the movies, since he wasn't really paying attention to the whole thing and was off in his own little world, so I kept that secret from him. Once home, we went upstairs so I could work on laundry and the kids' Easter baskets some more. I sent him to his room, since he was feeling better, to work on picking up all his books and laundry. He tried not to notice that I was working on Easter baskets right in front of him - after all, though I'd made it clear at Christmas time that there is not a Santa, I never spelled out the Easter Bunny for them - but eventually, he just stood there, grinning and asking questions about what I was doing. Hee. He didn't care! He just wants Easter to hury up and come so he can get his basket! 

I gave each of the girls a Toy Story DVD combo in their baskets, and I gave him a mini-monster truck Hot Wheels thing. They each received a Webkinz, a bunch of candy, a couple other small toys... and some more candy. I'm really going to have to monitor the candy intake this year. Sophia would eat all hers in one sitting if we let her, and with Jack's faceful of cavities,... oy, vey!

So.

After Jack fetched me the tape so I could get the cellophane wrapped around the baskets tightly, I was going to get started on folding some more laundry. Only... the boy came over to me and lay down on the bed next to me, and he was so irresistible, I had to lie down and snuggled up next to him... and we fell fast asleep. Sound, sound asleep. Good thing Daddy came home to get the girls from the bus, because neither of us really wanted to get p at that point!

Daddy let the two of us sleep - I think he took a picture, but it's on his phone - a while longer, while he took care of the girls. There was no immediate after-school activity, no Brownies, no dance class, nothing, but we did have Chloë's little show to go to at school at 1800. And Rob knew I wanted to get there a bit early, so he woke us up at 1715 to go.

I looked like I had just rolled out of bed - and, well, I did, but I didn't really care. At that point, I was starting not to feel too well myself. It was all I could do just to get there. So even though Chloë was supposed to dress up like a movie star, she pretty much just put on a dress, and we called it good. Most of the other kids weren't really dressed like movie stars either, so it didn't matter a bit.

The kids arrived one by one for their show, for which they'd been rehearsing for at least a couple months. I guess since they came back from Christmas break, maybe. It was called, oh, I'm forgetting now, but something to do with Hollywood. "Lights, Camera, Action" maybe?

They sang "Lights, Camera, Action" at the opening and close of the show, along with the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song, Beyond the Sea, and a couple others I'm not remembering. And I lost my program. :( Which, by the way, was most impressive in that they actually got the "ë" right in her name! That's a first, they NEVER do it at her school.

After the Third Grade music show, we walked down to the library to see the Art Show. There were maybe a dozen art works on display from each grade, and Chloë was selected to have one of her pieces on display! It was the same one as was shown at the Norfolk Airport, which, sadly, we never made it down to see. But here was our chance, and I was so glad. First thing into the library, and Sophia crawled up on the bench with the stuffies. I guess she was tired. 

But that was until she saw the elaborate spread that had been laid out, down the center of the library. Holy cow, they really went all out! There were cookies, and pretzels, and chocolate-covered strawberries, and cheesy poofs, and all manner of goodies, all over the place. SO. MUCH. JUNK. FOOD. Oh, my. And we hadn't eaten dinner yet! The kids' eyes were as round as saucers, though, as they loaded up their plates with goodies. I tried to be good and ate some cheese, crackers and hummus, but I did manage to sneak in a cookie, too. I should NOT have eaten that... but the hummus was good, at least!

 

Finally, we made it past all that food, and found the Third Grade art on display. And there was Chloë's artwork, right in the middle. And behold, it was good. Very, very good! I couldn't believe it, nor could Rob - we were both so impressed. She did such a great job. I didn't know she had it in her, really, I didn't! Awesome job, Chloë Raine!! Mom and Dad are so proud of you!

You know, she is forever telling me that Music and Art are her favorite subjects, but I haven't really paid much attention or encouraged that too much, since it seems like reading is really her thing. But now, I have to sit up and take notice! I mean, don't y'all think her "Matisse Me" is quite good??? I especially love the background colors, and the placement she used. The orange and yellows seem to be in exactly the right spot... it's really "resolved" for me. I love it. I truly do.

So after that, I went upstairs to work on the laundry, but I was utterly exhausted by that point, and starting not to feel well. I restarted the dryer, because the clothes were still wet, and then I sat down to wait for it to run its course. That was at 1930, and I didn't wake up until 12 hours later, at 0730 on Friday morning!

Next up: Friday!

Fin.

  
  

 

 

Moving To The Beat

That title doesn't mean anything. It's just the song that's on my iPod right now. Yes, it's the Black Eyed Peas. I'm still listening to their The E.N.D. album constantly. It's catchy, y'all!

I haven't been productive this week. I've been sleepy. Today was no different; I slept until 1300 after being up 'til 0500 or so. I can't do that tomorrow, because Rob is on days just for the day for a Safety Stand-down, so I think I'm going to be staying up all night. It's the only way. I haven't been hearing my alarm at ALL. The lunches are already packed and ready go, so I just have to get the chillens up, fed and dressed.

Anyway.

After I got up, I sat at the computer to try and work out the weekly deals for Target, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Farm Fresh and Kroger! Dude. It's like a full-time job keeping up with everything! I don't know how I'm going to be able to do it when I'm subbing every day, seeing as how it's already Wednesday (well, Thursday now) and I haven't even gone to get the stuff that started on Sunday.

I already decided that I'm going to take off every Wednesday, though, because there's no way I can finish a sub job, get home, pick up the kids from the after-school house where they'll be, and get Sophie to her dance class on time. We'd be lucky to get there by the time it ended! So I won't work Wednesdays, and that will allow me to shop the weekly deals, too.

I didn't get much done on the deals, just because it really is a time-consuming task, before 1500. I had barely just enough time to shower, get dressed and run a comb through my hair, grab a magazine and the dance bag, and drive down to the bus stop to pick up the kids. We flew to class and got Sophie there five minutes late. Now that school ends 20 minutes later every day, it's going to have to be like that.

The plan, as usual, was to have Jack and Chloë work on their homework while Sophia danced, but neither of them had a pencil or anything with them, and I forgot to bring the "homework box." So none of it was finished in the whole two hours we sat there, between both girls' classes. Suckage. Jack covered his head with his coat and fell asleep for most of it, and Chloë read her library book. I read my magazine and alternately played Scrabble on my iPhone. I think have 22 games going at once right now!

Oh, did I mention (I know I didn't, so why am I asking?) that Sophia cut her hair again last night? Yeah. A third time. I sent the kids to bed, waited about 3½ seconds, and then went to lie down myself. I wasn't really tired, but I was super cold, so the only thing I could do was get under some blankets. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep. I woke up a couple hours later and found that the kids (Jack and Sophia, I later determined) had come down and eaten up almost all of those Ghirardelli chocolate bars I'd saved in the freezer for Rob! Then I went to the bathroom and found locks of little blond girl hair all over the floor. ARGHHHHH. And Sophie drew all over our yellow sheets with purple marker, too. That's where Rob found her when he came home - asleep in our bed, on top of her "artwork."

This is what she looked like after her last haircut, when all three of the kids went to get their hair fixed just a week  and a half ago:

 And this is what she looked like after dance class, outside the hair salon where I brought her for a fix-up tonight:

 

Ohhh, Sophie, Sophie, Sophie! You really did a number on yourself. Here's after the newest fix:

I have to admit, except for the extra-short piece where her bangs are screwy, it's actually pretty cute on her. But don't tell her that, please!!

Our box from The Children's Place was waiting for us on the porch when we came home after the haircut. I'd gotten 18 shirts (sizes 4 & 5 for Jack and size 7/8 for Chloë, for the future if they ever grow that big...) on clearance for $2.54 each! If you know TCP, then you know that's an excellent price. People mock those of us who like to dress our children in TCP and Gymboree, and the like, but if you shop the deals and clearances, you can pay less than what you'd spend on less cute and, often, lower quality clothes at Target and Wal-mart! I showed the kids all their new clothes - none for Sophie, since she mostly gets Chlo's hand-me-downs - and they were very excited about everything. Coupla clothes horses I've got here!

Chloë had decided to cash in 105 of her 108 Dad Dollars to treat herself and her siblings to kids' meals at Wendy's, so we had hit the drive-thru on the way home. I'm glad she did that, because she's had so many in her envelope, she wouldn't do anything for me, saying, "I don't need any more Dad Dollars." Of course, I haven't been making them spend them as much lately, letting them just watch DVDs and play games on my iPhone without "paying" me for them, so it's my own fault. Time to crack the whip again!

After the kids ate dinner, I helped with homework while working on the Double-Dollar Wednesday Farm Fresh deals. There were a LOT of excellent deals this week! It was after 8 by the time we got in the car to go get 'em, but I really couldn't pass up the goods. I'll spare you all the details (just this time, 'kay?), but I'll say I spent a grand total of $37.59 on all of the above! I saved a veritable crapload of money! And let me just tell you, those ZonePerfect bars, which I got for 19¢ each, are NASTY. I took one bite of one and, after gagging a little (not really), left the rest for Rob. His opinion was the same, but he ate it anyway! If you want the breakdown on what I got, I'll tell you, but it won't do you any good since (a) you probably don't live where there's a Farm Fresh and (b) it's no longer Wednesday, anyway! 

{If you DO live here in Hampton Roads and want to get the Double-Dollar Wednesday deals each week, be sure and subscribe to The Coupon Consultant in your blog reader! That's pretty much all she's good for, but it's worth it not to have to work it all out myself.}

After Farm Fresh, we actually tried to go to two other FF stores, because although I managed to get the four packs of yogurt above for free (two Dan-o-nino and two Activia), I could have also gotten four more (two DanActive and two Danimals Crush Cups - Jack's FAVORITE) for free. Every store in the area was sold out! So 2100 is definitely not the time to go out and shop the deals. First thing is the best thing. Oh, well - win some, lose some.

{I'm finding it seriously hard to type this up and listen/sing to the Peas at the same time, so if it's all crazy, forgive me!}

We went back home, and the kids helped me carry in the food. They always get so excited to see what I bought, even when they were there with me! It's so funny. I kind of feel the same way, though. Before my surgery, I'd get so excited about all the fun new food, I'd eat way too much of it that first night. They were all hungry again, so I let them each have a yogurt before getting ready for bed.

I was cleaning up the kitchen when Rob came home not long after that. He got off early tonight; I think he was home before 10, whereas he normally strolls in sometime between 0100 and 0400. That was nice, even though I was sorta cranky with him! I don't care how mad I am at him, I still love it when he comes home and is near me. And he knows it, the punk.

Okay, back to my deals for tomorrow. And my tunes.

Fin.

PS I spoke to the person in charge of new leaders over at the Girl Scout council today. I'm getting the ball rolling already on being Sophie's Daisy leader. I'm so excited to begin my training!

PPS When Rob got home, I set him to work fixing the Hoover FloorMate I got from Freecycle, because the dog has pretty much painted the ENTIRE downstairs flooring with her muddy footprints, and I do not relish the idea of cleaning the entire thing on my hands and knees. Welp, it's beyond repair. Man, I was really excited about the idea of a simple clean every single night, too. Maybe I'll get one off Amazon, since I just cashed in my Swagbucks for my fourth $5 Amazon gift certificate! Between SB and Deal Seeking Mom's Coupon Database, I have $45 in free money already, since mid-January or so. Woot!

A Few Things I Neglected To Tell You This Week

... along with my usual rambling shit. No "deals" or coupons will be mentioned in this post. I promise! ;)

(All BEP pictures taken by yours truly)

If you're friends with me on Facebook, then you already know all about the fact that last Friday, I won tickets from our newspaper to go see the Black Eyed Peas!!!  The concert was on Monday, so I quickly posted on Facebook to find a "date," since Rob works nights and couldn't go. So sad, so sad. A friend, Linda (not the one who sometimes babysits the kids) whom we met through Chloë's acting & modeling stuff, jumped right up and asked to go, so I thought, why not? Steph surely wasn't going to leave the baby to go with me, anyone else who I would seriously want to go with either has a baby, couldn't have gone, or lives a jillion miles away. And so it was.

The funny thing was, on Saturday, Linda (pictured above at the concert with me, looking terrible in this pic) called to tell me her daughter had just won tickets to the same concert! So Linda, Laura, her guy friend, and I headed up to Hampton on Monday to watch LMFAO, Ludacris (what an awesome opening act!!) and the Peas. Tabitha's 14yo daughter, Gia, watched the kids. I kind of felt bad leaving them for so long (ended up being 7 hours!) on a school night, especially since Jack wasn't feeling well... but it was the BLACK EYED PEAS, for Pete's sake! I couldn't pass up the chance. I ♥ them!

LMFAO, the opener, was, um, interesting. I'd never heard of them before this concert, and that's just fine with me. I didn't hate them - they were pretty funny, actually - but I didn't love them, either. They entertained, but when their set was over, I was ready for it.

Between each act, Linda and I moved up closer and closer to the stage. Oh, did I mention our tickets were on the FLOOR, and we were maybe 5-8 people from the stage at any given time?! We were so close to them. It was awesome. Her daughter wasn't so lucky, but their seats weren't terrible, either. Ludacris (above, on the right) was pretty awesome. That was a good time. 

The crowd went crazy when the Peas finally came onstage. Taboo (left) and Apl.de.ap (right) were looking as hot as I've ever seen them. I was feelin' it!

When Will.i.am did his freestyle rap, oh, man... HOT.

Fergie... what's there to say? It was incredible being in the same room with this phenomenal (IMO) talent. Loved it, loved every minute of the whole concert!! I really had a ball and, a week later, am still way amped about going. What a great night!!

I didn't get home until nearly 0100, and poor Gia was exhausted. She'd slept, but not much. Just as we were pulling in, she texted me that Chloë woke up with an earache.

 

So, sick kid #2 for the week. On Tuesday, Jack stayed home, but Chloë felt better after a dose of meds. By Thursday, Sophia was sick, too! She came home early on Thursday and stayed home all day Friday. Poor kiddos had a rough week. I came down with Sophie's upset tummy on Friday, which wasn't too bad and hey, it probably helped me lose a little weight. I didn't really mind it...!

Friday, Sophia felt a lot better, but they wouldn't let her go back to school until she'd been 24 hours without the poopies. She went along and did all my running for the day. We went to the Navy base and got my TB test read (all clear), and then we went out and turned in all my sub documentation so that I could finally get fingerprinted. At last, I've only been waiting since September! Now I'm just waiting to get my official letter in the mail and then I can start. Can't wait!

Jack's very $$$ growth hormone meds had been delivered the week before, so we just started up giving him his nightly shots again. Unfortunately, I gave him one of the shots upstairs one night, and then I asked him to bring the box - which contained not only that night's meds but ALL seven vials of HGH - back down to the refrigerator. The meds MUST be refrigerated. I never went back downstairs that night, so imagine my dismay the following night when I found the box on an oft-neglected counter instead of in the refrigerator!!  Augh!! I called up the manufacturer and discussed the problem with them at length on Friday; we finally concluded that the medicine was not longer effective nor guaranteed safe, and it would have to be discarded. Holy cow.

So then I called up the military mail-order pharmacy that ships it to us, to see about getting a replacement. I explained what happened, and the guy on the phone told me, "Well, I can send an early refill, but you'll have to pay for it." With much trepidation and a lump in my throat, I asked, "How much will that be?" I expected the answer to be in the thousands of dollars, so I was overjoyed when he told me, "It wasn't our fault, so you'll have to pay the nine-dollar co-pay again." Hell yeah, I'll pay nine bucks!! Phew phew phew!!!

Guarantee you I won't be keeping all seven vials in one place like that ever again!

On Friday night after the kids were in bed, I had a little manic streak and found myself busy in the kitchen. I was looking for something under the kitchen sink, which was a scary scene with all the cheap cleaning products I've been stocking up on lately. I pulled everything out, clean the disgusting shelf, and reorganized everything by current usage requirements, type, size, shape, color and alphabet. Okay, maybe not those last few things, but it looks good! I give it maybe five days before Rob messes it all up again, though.

After that, I decided to give the Hoover FloorMate I'd picked up a few months ago from a fellow Freecycler a try. Our floor is nastay right now, so it really needed a good scrubbing.  Well, I took a "before" picture of the floor, but the damn thing didn't work. I had my water and baking soda solution all over the floor, but no suction. That sucked. I dried it up, but not before Lily (the dog) came in with her muddy footprints all over everything. That was fun.

Then, I spied the brown bananas on top of the fridge and finally decided to give my new mixer a spin! I know, I know, it's not the first thing I was supposed to make with it, which was the first thing Rob told me when he came home from work that night. Hmph. At least I finally used it! And believe-you-me, it was quite the thrill! That machine is a Godsend. I love it, love it, love it and will be using it much more frequently after this! So powerful and fast! My banana bread was mixed up in seconds. It even mashed the bananas for me, effortlessly!

And as good as that chocolate chip banana bread looked, it tasted even better. Yeah, I had some. More than a little. SO FREAKING GOOD! We have more bananas, so I may be making another loaf before I get to Rob's lemon poppy seed bread. I think this was the best banana bread I ever made. Seriously. And I thank the KitchenAid.

I stayed up all night that night, with the help of the caffeine-full Diet Coke I'd gotten earlier that day and the Black Eyed Peas on my iPod. Chloë and I had an 0800-1000 booth sale at one of the Food Lion stores in town, and I was in a really hyped mood, so there was no point in going to sleep for just a couple hours and possibly missing the booth. The time passed really quickly, although I can't say I got a lot accomplished after the kitchen stuff. I started packing up the van around 0630, but it was so extremely cold out (for here) that I was shivering uncontrollably and in tears when I finally woke Rob up to help me finish packing the cookies. Could. Not. Get. Warm.

That booth sale SUCKED. The girls were freezing and miserable, and we barely had any customers. No cookies were sold at all for the first 50 minutes, and in the end, we only sold 18 boxes. It was awful!

However, I had a good conversation with Nikki, our Leader who was there with her daughter, and we/I decided that I'm going to lead Sophia and her daughter next year - along with whomever else I take on - in their Daisy troop!! I'd been toying with the idea (I mentioned it here recently) for a while, but I finally decided to go for it. I don't know how to let them know, but I'll find out soon. I'm excited!! Technically, Nikki and I are both going to Co-Lead Chloë's Juniors troop (they'll bridge to Juniors at the end of this year) and Sophie's Daisy troop, but she'll mainly take over the duties for the older girls, and I'll have the younger ones. We'll help each other out as needed. She doesn't like to go to all the meetings, whereas I like that stuff. But I don't want to drag all the kids with me, so I'll go do that if she keeps my kids. She's got four of her own, so it'll be, uh, fun in her house during the meetings! It sounds like a really good plan to me. I can't wait to get started, now.

I napped (I think? I can't remember) after that, and then it was time to get ready to go to the evening booth sale at Farm Fresh. Rob and Jack were off to Hampton (the same place where the BEP concert was on Monday) to watch the car races with the Cub Scout pack. They couldn't get an extra ticket, and I couldn't find a babysitter, so Sophia had to come with me to the booth sale. I put her in Chloë's old Daisy uniform (which will be hers next year) and made her an honorary Daisy for the night. How cute does she look?! (The one pigtail was blowing in the wind; they really did match, I swear!)

Sophia was beyond excited to help sell cookies! She couldn't wait. I had to talk to her repeatedly about behaving like a big girl, but for the first hour, she really did great. She asked the customers if they would like to buy cookies and relished saying, "...to support our troop!" Her favorite part was leading them over to the cookie table, where I was, and helping them select their varieties. She would hold a box of cookies up that she wanted them to buy with one hand, with her other thumb in her mouth, and just look cute. It worked so well, we ran out of the three slow-selling kinds of cookies that I kept telling her to "push"!

After the next mom-Brownie pair arrived to relieve Nikki and her daughter, Sophie and I quickly ran home to grab the rest of our cookie stock. In the five minutes we were there, Sophie had time time go potty, grab a drink, and get a booboo. The booboo part deflated her, and she wanted no part of selling cookies when we got back. She sat by me or near/under a table behind me for a while, until her mood improved, and then she got back out on the floor again. It was by far our best booth sale this year, and we had a lot of fun!

The boys were still out at their races when we got home, and Rob texted me picture after picture of Jack having the time of his life. It was a thrill-a-minute for him, I heard. He loved the crashes! I'll have to get those pictures off my phone and share them another time.

 

The girls and I watched Little Women, and Chloë was sobbing big, happy tears during the whole thing. My little emotional baby girl. It would not surprise me at all if it turned out she's bipolar, too. She loved the movie, though, and watched it again on Sunday. Sophia and I fell asleep snuggled up on the couch together, and I didn't wake up until Chloë was kissing me good-night. And then again when Rob and Jack came home, and he lifted Sophie off me so I could be comfortable. She's getting so big and heavy!

I did not wake up until noon the next day, thanks to someone coming to buy some cookies from us after seeing the soap-writing I'd done on Vanna's windows about the sale. Thank goodness she did, because I was supposed to pick up more cookies at 1100 for the booth sale at 1300! I raced out, picked up the cookies, and then dropped them off at M's house for the booth. Chloë and I didn't have to do this one, thankfully.

While that was going on, Rob and the Littles were outside in the sunshine. He was painting the house trim, while the kids and Neighbor Kid were driving the Power Wheels all over the driveway. Chloë and I went out delivering and selling more cookies. We didn't sell a whole lot - less than 10 boxes - but every little bit counts. She was just starting to fuss about being cold and hungry when M. called to say she was on her way back from the booth sale with the cookies. Saved by the bell!

M. and I chatted in the driveway for an hour after taking inventory of the cookies and money. Her daughter got in the toy cars and drove around, having lots of fun. It was a good visit; we plan to do it again soon. After they left, Chloë and I delivered more cookies until dark. It was a full cookie weekend! Two more weeks, and then it's OVER. Yay.

And now that it's 0300, I should either go crash... or make some banana bread. I'll let you know tomorrow what I decided!

Fin.

 
 
  

R-O-C-K In The USA

First, a few odds and ends:

Did I ever show & tell Luke's baby hat? I finished it a few days ago and have cast on for the sweater. I was going to do the mitts next, but I needed to order the correct size DPNs from DROPS first. They've gotten here, but I'm already embroiled in sweater Fair Isle work, and I'm not really one to have several different projects going at once.  Anyway, here's the wee hat. It's so soft and cute. I hope it looks darling on him.

Remember this painting? You can look back from when it finally arrived to now that we - at last - have it up on the wall, and see that the yellow fish has moved. Rob seems to think that hanging it up knocked that heart in the bottom right out of place, too, but it looks to me like it had already fallen when it got here. So we're sending it back to be fixed. For Pete's sake. They are very apologetic over there in Britto-World and are going to pay for all shipping and repairs, at least. I just hope it doesn't take another eternity to get it back.



I am kind of in the doldrums lately for one reason or another, and I haven't been very productive at all. But I did manage to make up some yummy pizza dip. Tabitha and her daughter have brought it to Bunco a few times, and I love it. This is the third time I've made it - it's the Pampered Chef recipe and it's online if you want to look it up - and finally it turned out just right. Rob and I devoured the whole thing in two days with some whole-wheat crackers. Yumma!

*********



So, last night's concert.

Of course, you're not allowed to bring cameras into these things, so this is what I got with my celly. (And then we saw at least half a dozen people there with humongous cameras and lenses - how did they get in?!) So up there, one of those is the John Mellencamp set (with the lighter background), one is Willie Nelson, and one is Bob Dylan.

At least Rob brought binoculars so he could enjoy himself and see a little better:


And that he did.

First, The Wiyos opened for the three headliners. I loved their sound! Very cool harmonies and fun melodies. In fact, they turned out to be my favorite act of the night. I would have bought their CD, but it's not in the budget right now. So, I shall stalk them on Project Playlist and maybe add a few singles from iTunes. Check 'em out!

Willie Nelson played next. He's getting on in years, and it's showing, so he played a pretty short set. His pipes are still magnificent, though, projecting that clear signature sound. He talked to the crowd a lot and seemed really pleased with all the fans' adoration. Rob had seen him 2 or 3 times before, so I guess that's why he got up then to get drinks and the t-shirt I insisted he must get himself. (Never mind that he got himself an $8 beer instead of the $4 Coke I was expecting. Whatev.)  Anyway, Willie threw out a number of bandanas into the crowd below and kicked the occasional wayward beach ball back out to them, too. He was fun.

John Mellencamp came out next, and his was the longest and most energetic set by far. (What ever happened to the Cougar?) He played some songs we knew and some we didn't, but they were all good. He didn't play this post's title song or "Jack and Diane," though, so I was a little disappointed, but he was still great. He's a huge dork, though! We realized he's a bit stuck in the 80s when he kept pumping his fist to the music and jumping wildly in the air to get the band to stop. It was cool that he was so into the music, though, and the fans loved it.

Bob Dylan closed the show. Rob was peeing himself over getting to see him, so I was really excited to just sit back and watch him. He's a huge Dylan fan. (My man does not listen to young people's music, nosiree.) I really don't know Bob Dylan stuff, except for a few obvious hits like "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and "Lay Lady Lay," but really, he was absolutely unintelligible last night. I quipped on Facebook that I wouldn't want to be Robert Zimmermann's court stenographer at his trial, but apparently no one understood that was about Dylan. He's not known for his vocal clarity, but when we were driving home after the show, our local radio station (Bob FM) was playing a "concert rewind," and they played songs from all three acts' sets last night. Every time a Dylan song came on, I said to Rob, "He sang this one?" and Rob was like, "I guess, I didn't think so..." and wasn't sure! I thought it was absolutely hysterical. Not to crack on Dylan, but, well, I guess I am cracking on Dylan. It's just not my thing.

And throughout the show, I knitted. Until my yarn got tangled up in a huge ball from being dumping in my purse. I didn't get a whole lot done, but I got through all the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater, which I find tedious. Especially on circular needles. I'd zip through this thing much faster on my straights, but I don't have the right size and I've already bought 6 sets of needles for this project! So circs it is. Lots of people looked askance at my knitting during a concert, but hey. It's not exactly like I was jumping up and down on my feet the whole time, and I would have been stressed about the wasted time. I put my circs down to clap when appropriate, and I cheered and hollered a few times, too, so I was still "present."

Anyway.

When we got to Linda's at almost midnight (and we'd dropped the kids off at 1600!), Sophia was passed the eff out, Jack was fighting sleep in Tony's arms, and Chloë was quietly watching a movie. Tony likes to bed down early, so he was relieved when we finally got there. Linda doesn't have texting so I couldn't tell her we were still at the concert, but she didn't call so I wasn't too worried about it. Rob carried the sleeping babe into the car, and I hustled the others out while chatting with the ever-loquacious Linda.


The older kids managed to get upstairs into their bed, but Rob lay down with Sophie on the couch and fell asleep next to/ on top of her. It was pretty sweet. I absolutely love looking at my sleeping children. When I showed these pictures to Sophia today, she thought it was hilarious that she had her hand down her shorts! Hey, I sometimes sleep like that too to keep my arm from flopping around.

********
I stayed up all night last night, and I didn't fall asleep until 0900. I slept 'til about 1500 while Rob and the kids worked on his truck and played outside. And guess what? Hallelujah, his truck is running again!!!  He still needs to get in inspected, so I'm biting my  nails over that one. And he can't get a base sticker (or, well, drive it) until it passes inspection, so he still has Vanna. But that's a huge step in the right direction, and I'm ecstatic!

I don't have any other news from today, 'cause I fell asleep again around 1730 and slept for nearly four hours. Heh. Guess tomorrow will be catch-up-on-laundry-and-housework day, since the pool's closed on Mondays.

And with that, I bid you adieu.

Fin.

The Day The Music Died

That would be yesterday: Sonific.com, the site I used to put music on my blog, is no more. Y'all know I love to have the tunes playing (much to your annoyance?) on this site. Where else can I get some muzak, anyone know? Leave me a comment so I can check it out!

Gracias.