Highlights of what we consider a boring weekend...

Sadly enough, this was one of the least hectic weekends we've had in a while but it was still a rockin good time. Here are a few things we did - Friday night, went to the Bees game. This was the first game we have been to without my family, while taking all three kids...too much work. Naia didn't want to sit still, the kids were loaded on sugar, some crazy old guy without teeth (who by the way made Naia cry and D kept trying to punch and collects those ice cream bowl hats, yep that's correct he told me he's got 4 of them!) sat in front of us for the fireworks. Kayla hid under a blanket during fireworks because we always end up with small bits of fire raining down on us. On the bright side, we were with some really great friends from work including Jen, Jeff's sister, who I didn't realize worked with me. Saturday morning we got up bright and early to finish off the crazy idea of having not only one, but two yardsales in one month. Misty, Lisa, Nikki and myself enjoyed watching people buy our 'junk'. Not sure why that is so satisfying. After wrapping up a long hot morning of junk-sale-ing, and while Nonda was laying sod for his brother, I thought I would quickly clean out the garage. It wasn't such a quick chore. I managed to find that we had all this storage space hiding under the huge shelves that were once filled with junk. I also found an entire box of un-opened landscaping lights (which I had gone to purchase numerous times and then decided I didn't want to waste the money), lots of tools, and lots of firewood. By evening I was beat, as was Nonda when he got home, so we watched National Treasure II. This morning Nonda had some work to do so we passed up our normal Sunday at the pool and I did laundry and helped the kids clean their rooms to earn some money (we are trying to teach them the value of work, and managing money thanks to Dave Ramsey) I then took the kids to this new store we just discovered, Wal Mart. What a nightmare. I told both kids they had to pay for their own things by themselves, which meant they couldn't just give me their money and I pay like we've done in the past. Because that meant they just ended up getting whatever and spending whatever they want. I wasn't too worried about D, he is very predictable. He wanted a car. He had $2.00, which would easily cover the cost of his hot wheels, I just had to point out that he couldn't have 10 hotwheels like he is used to. Kayla wasn't so simple, we went up and down every isle in that enormous building and she could not find anything that was cheaper then $15.00 (she only had $3.00). In the past I would just say fine and she would throw it in the cart. I was standing my ground I just kept telling her that she only had $3.00. Poor kid, she didn't understand. She kept saying, "You're so mean" "You won't let me get anything I want" "It's not fair". It took everything I had to not say, "Fine, lets just go". I kept trying to explain that she didn't have to buy anything today, we just started the commission earnings that day and she would have enough money by next weekend to come get something she really wanted. That wasn't working. I finally told her she could pick what ever it was she wanted but she had to go to the checkout by herself and pay with the money she had. All of the sudden she remember her math and found something within her spendable amount. Then pouted the entire way home. A little bit later we went to a cousin's birthday party at the park. Despite the fierce winds and off and on rain, the kids had a lot of fun. Naia refused to get out of the swing, even though she was getting a good soaking. D got to wrestle with older boys and Kayla was able to play with a good friend. On the way home we stopped at our favorite hot spot, Redbox, and picked up Drillbit Taylor. HILARIOUS!! Kudos to Nonda for a good movie pick. And a special thanks to my family for making my un-eventful weekend, enjoyable!

It's hard for a boy to be patient for an hour before the game.

It's even harder for a one year old.


This is how happy the swing made Naia.

Not sure what his problem was.

The wind was blowing very hard at the park on Sunday, everything on the tables including the food kept blowing away. Naia loved the wind blowing that hard on her face. She kept making this silly faces.

Dr. Jack Shepherd

I just finished watching the movie Vantage Point, and was so excited to see Mr. Fox, then so disappointed when he turned out the be a bad guy. (Sorry if you haven't seen the movie) But that is not the point here. I just miss my LOST friends. Hurry LOST, please come back! 2009 seems so far away.

Thank You!

I got the following email from my Aunt. I had to share it: (oh and for future reference here is a link to one of my favorite sites http://www.snopes.com/)

I just want to thank all of you for your educational emails over the past year.

Thanks to you, I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel.

I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.

I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one past time while driving alone is picking your nose.

Eating a Little Debbie sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans-fat I have consumed over the years.

I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom. Yuck!

I must send my special thanks to who ever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing. Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any money, but that will change once I receive the$15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.

I no longer use Saran wrap or Styrofoam in the microwave because it causes cancer.

And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face...disfiguring me for life.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

Thanks to you, I can't use any one's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

And thanks to your great advice, I can't ever pick up $5.00 bill dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician...

Have a wonderful day.... Oh, by the way..... A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse. Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

It's a wonder Nikki agrees to be my friend...

I don't' remember the exact date, but a few years ago we were meeting friends to celebrate some birthdays at Benihana. How was I to know that I would be dining with who used to be the future Mrs. James Nonda Diamant? Nikki should hate me for stealing her future husband or at least have tried to stab me in the heart with her chopsticks. But nothing was said, not for months, until one night during the holiday season and we were all together again exchanging very expensive and desirable Christmas gifts. That's when it happened, sitting on the couch at Mary and Alan's house, Nikki told me what a horrible thing I had done and asked me how could I ever live with myself for doing such an awful thing, stealing her man. Okay so it didn't go down exactly like that, well the gifts and the couch are accurate but I don't think those were the exact words that came out of her mouth. I don't remember the exact words she used. But I bet she regrets telling me because I won't let her live it down. And though they weren't exactly getting ready to walk down the isle, when you're in Jr. High is sure feels that way. And I bet she spent more time signing her name as Mrs. Nichole Diamant than I have signing my own married name, okay again not accurate seeing how many checks and credit card slips I sign, but still so fun to tease her about. She is married to her real love and is over her Jr. High crush. I am so happy that I have Nikki in my life and I am so grateful that she lets me tease her about this. Ironically, my 'was going to be my future husband' (Jr. High crush) is friends with my husband. Nikki and Jeff are both such great friends to us and will always be a part of our family, even if it's not through marriage. Now we just need to find a future Mrs. Jeff Worthington to add to strange Jr. High triangle of crushes.

Tribute to Gizmo

Naia makes very funny noises and it reminds us of Gremlins. When we talk about old movies we watched when growing up, the kids always want to see them. Watching a movie as an adult that you watched when you were a child is so great. Tonight I watched Gremlins with the kids. I remember it being a bit scary when I was younger (keep in mind the movie came out in 1984 making me 4 at the time, I don't remember watching it that young but I couldn't have been too much older) and I was nervous about how they would react. (Not too nervous because one of Kayla's first favorite movies was Jurassic Park III thanks to her Uncle Eric.) I laughed so much that I don't think the kids had the chance to be scared, plus they feel asleep and didn't see it all. In honor of this classic movie, I thought I must post, and suggest if you haven't seen it since the 80's you need to hit up blockbuster or add it to your netflix list.

Some of my favorite parts:
Anytime Gizmo talks, cooes, or sleeps
When the Gremlins are watching Snow White and one of them is wearing Mickey Mouse ears
When the Gremlins are getting drunk at the tavern and a couple of them are dancing around in leg warmers
When the Gremlins mess with Mrs. Deagle's chair elevator' and she is shot flying out the 2nd story window
When the Chinese store keepers picks up Gizmo at the end he says 'Baba'. This is Dad in Chinese and Greek. In Greek it is pronounced Bu-bah, not sure about Chinese
When Gizmo says to the dog- "Bye Bye, woof woof!
The Gremlin in a trench coat pretending to be a flasher
The Gremlins Christmas Caroling in earmuffs
I just realized that if I keep going there will be no point in telling you to watch the movie

Here are a few of the movies we have re-watched with the kids recently -

Gremlins

Goonies

Neverending Story

Herbie Rides Again

Parenthood

Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles (The original)

Jumanji

Original Annie

Rocky (I, II, III,....)

The Muppet Movie

I forget about all the good movies out there, that are no longer 'New Releases' so if you have any suggestions please send them my way. And yes Eric, I will be borrowing 'Drop Dead Fred', watching Gremlins reminded me of it and that the kids haven't seen it.

Mixed Emotions

Things I am currently having mixed emotions about about:

• Miss K quiting dance. I realize it has been a while and I have had plenty of time to be sad about it, however I just saw this picture and I remember how great of a dancer she is and how proud I felt watching her. Then I remember how nice it is to take one more thing off the calendar and keep more money in the bank. Besides, she chose to quit.

My baby not being such a baby anymore. I caught Naia rocking this same baby doll as the one in the picture with her. Not only does this mean that she has grown to be bigger than the doll, but she is old enough to understand how to love it. At the same time I don't miss the days when she woke up at night, couldn't hold her own bottle, only had one form of communication - crying and didn't cry when I left.

Summer ending and school starting. My kids need to go back to school, they miss it, they are bored and it's making me crazy. I want school to start, I just want it to start without having to buy clothes and supplies, having to drive and pick up 3 different times a day, having to remember to make and send lunch, having to keep track of the full uniform days and the library books, trying to remember who has show and tell when and what needs to be done for PTA.











Giving up Starbucks. It needs to be done in the form of 'cold turkey'. There is no cutting back for me. I am not sure, but what I am going through must be what it feels like for someone who is addicted to heroine and is suddenly locked up in rehab. I don't know what I am going to do without my daily veniti skinny 2 pump with whip mocha. I do know that if I had taken just my Starbucks spendings over the last few years along with the amount I would spend over upcoming years and invested in something with a good rate of return, I could have a lot of money. Or my own freakin' Starbucks franchise paid in cash!

This...Why do I encourage these things? He can't wait to play football. Everyone says to him "Wow, you're going to make a great football player." (referring to his size and demeanor) His Dad is already scouting out 'leagues'. It is his destiny. Should we really be molding him for this at such a young age? How can a child know by the time he is 2 that he wants to be a football player? How does any child have a passion this early in life? What if he really wants to be a tap dancer, but doesn't realize it because we didn't buy him tap shoes at a young age. Should we be buying him tap shoes instead?

Blogs

Okay the day has finally arrived, I started a blog page. Or what I like to refer to as - My Space for grown-ups. One day my friend (name withheld to protect the innocent) said, "When are you going to make a blog page so I can stalk you?" I replied, "Can't you just come over to my house?"

While this blogging thing is a bit exciting, I would still rather read other people's blogs and learn about other people's lives, then share boring bits of my own. I am fascinated with other people's lives, people I don't know. So I guess that would make me a 'blog stalker' too.

As some of you are aware, I am a big believer in the dictionary. If a word is not in the dictionary, then it is not a "real word". It has no context and cannot be taken seriously. I decided to look up the word blog. Sure enough here it is:

Main Entry:
blog
Pronunciation:
\ˈblȯg, ˈbläg\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
short for Weblog
Date:
1999
: a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer; also : the contents of such a site
— blog·ger noun
— blog·ging noun

Typically I like to go off of what is published in the most recent paper copy of the dictionary and not what is online. But, I think for this situation and in honor of trying to be 'paperless', I will accept the online definition. Blog has been a "real word" since 1999, where have I been? I could have been officially blogging the past 9 years of my life.