No Way!!

Three in a row?? Wow something must be wrong with me. Hee hee just kidding. So we had a good day today. Went to church this morning and Michael sang in the choir. If the video loads up correctly he is the one on the end in the long sleeved white shirt. Too cute...

After church, we came home and went bike riding yet again. Nothing as memorable as yesterday considering I got a flat and had to walk home instead of ride. Took a little longer,but at least the weather was good. Anyways, basically had a good day. Back to work tommorow yuck...

See ya again in 2 months! (just kidding) (maybe).

A Natural High

I took the kids on a long bike ride today. It was perfect weather and a good chance to escape. I rode longer and harder than I ever have before and it felt good. I felt alive. Maybe it's been too long and I've been walking around like a zombie. I'm not sure. I just know it felt good. I've heard of how people push themselves to a point of pain but they love it. I always thought they were nuts. But I had that today and it was great. Euphoric. Ya.

Will I ever have it again? Maybe, maybe not. But it was the best natural high I've ever had.

Rock on...

Regrets...

Are a wasted emotion. I realize this now. But still, it's hard not to have them. My grandpa's funeral was today. I wish I had gone and seen him more often than I did, but there's nothing I can do to change it now. And that sucks. It truly does. I tell myself that he knew I loved him, and try to comfort myself with that fact. I did pretty good today with the emotions kept under control, but it seems that now I'm all alone with with my emotions going nuts. I don't know...

Anyways, I did get to see a lot of people that I haven't seen in a very long time. It had been WAY too long... It's sad how family only seems to come together when somebody passes away. I am going to make it a promise to start keeping in touch with more people. Even if by e-mail or phone, I will make it a point.

Life is too short to miss out on the most important things.

2009

Has started off on the wrong foot. My grandpa died a week or so ago and I will miss him so much. I didn't get to see him a whole lot, but our visits were always special. I will think of him always and remember him forever.

We had a good Christmas, kept it low-key and had a pretty awesome day. I tried to make it not so much about the gifts (because it's not really anyway) and kept it more about spending time together as a family. Of course there were gifts, just not as much as usual. But it turned out to be one of our best Christmases yet.

I was sick over New Years (not from partying =p) so the kids partied at my mom's house and I was in bed at 8:00 pm. Nice. Oh well, I woke up at 12:45 and wished everyone a Happy New Year before I threw up... Ha ha.

Other than that, any free time has been spent outside (since we recently got rid of any and all cable) riding our bikes and going on our little adventures. Every day we go a bit farther and it is so much fun. (We go a bit farther every day on account that I'm impossibly out of shape...) But hey, I'm getting there.

A LOT...

Of updating to do. Let's see... where oh where to start. Michael celebrated his 10th birthday on October 24th. We had a nice big party for him with lots of friends and family. It was awesome to say the least. Halloween went well... Kids costumes were cute. I made Amber's witch costume last year, and Michael's "Scream" costume was a last minute purchase on account of my exceptional slacker-like abilities. We went trick or treating at my mom's house, which was actually pretty slow. It's just not what it used to be when we were kids. Maybe we were the last generation and nobody ever moved. Oh well, they got way too much candy anyway. (We don't trick or treat in our neighborhood because we all live on acres and frankly, they're all slightly creepy. I heard one guy had a haunted house, but I can't be convinced it was actually decorated. He probably just wanted the kids to move boxes or clean or something. How's that for scary?)

Now I am not a political person in the least, just so you know. But I have to say I was elated when they announced the new prez. Maybe it's just a gut feeling, but I think it is a good choice. Let's hope all the haters out there get over the fact that he's black and take it for what it is. Just sayin...

Michael started basketball at school a few weeks ago. I'm glad he's doing some sports at school (he did volleyball already), and while basketball may not be his thing, he rolls with it. He is mainly excited for track in the spring. "Keeps me in shape for it" he told me the other day. That's my funny guy for ya.

Amber has been sick yet again and I'm really starting to get frustrated as to what causes it. She had her tonsils out about a month and a half ago. All had been well until a week or so ago. She went to her pediatrician Monday and I finally broke down and became that mom who goes off and demands things be done. I hope I'm wrong, but I just have a feeling it's something more than "a virus that's going around". I hate hearing that every time I call, I really do. There's always something going around and it just seems to be that Amber always has it. Well, some blood work has been done and we see an infectious disease doc in a few weeks. I hope we get some answers. I don't want a sick child by any means, but if she is we need to find some answers on what we can do to help her feel better.

Sorry, just had to rant. We had a good day today. No school so we went to breakfast, saw Madagascar 2 (awesome by the way!), and went to the park and played some ball. The weather was just beautiful so it made for a perfect day. Amber was feeling good today so that helped too. Anyway, well I think that's all to update on. Just a novel today.

This and That

We've just been doing a little of everything. I worked most of the weekend and got off early on Sunday to take an overnight with the fam in St. David. It was fun to see everyone but just wished it had lasted a little longer. I took the kids to Tombstone after everyone else had left to make our day a little longer. I was sad, however, to realize that I had forgotten my camera. Ah well...



Today is back to reality and I have been packing boxes and moving them to our storage space we rented until we sell our house. It is such a headache but will definitely be worth it to get out of this house.



On a better note, my friend Regina posted about her new awesome bikes she had gotten recently and so I thought I would share my new bike I got a few weeks ago. It is too cute and I love it! As a family,we are trying to do more things outdoors instead of sitting around doing nothing. Hopefully this heat lets up soon so we can start doing more!

Top Ten

Top Ten List of Bad Reasons I Have Been Slacking On My Blog

1. Had my 28th birthday at the end of June... Not a big deal, just afraid of 30, yikes.

2. Went full time about a month ago. Happy for the money, but it truly sucks...

3. Every time I went to log on the last few weeks, it wouldn't let me (cookie problems).

4. Broken memory chip for my camera. Finally got a new one. Yay!

5. Start of school and all of the shopping that goes with that fiasco. $$$

6. Trying to get our house uncluttered to hopefully put the house up for sale. Insane.

7. Dealing with our general day-to-day chaos.

8. I'm just a slacker in general. You knew that though.

9. Hubs has been teaching me how to pay bills and things of that nature. Ewww.

10. Amber is sick, yet again. STREP...imagine that. Went to ER with a temp of 105!! And we went to her regular doc today who recommended we go see the ENT doc to consider getting rid of her tonsils. Pieces of a puzzle were also put together and it was decided she has obstructive sleep apnea, yet another reason to say buh-bye to the tonsils. And it's no fun having to miss school when you just started.

Now I realize (minus #10 of course) that these are pretty crappy reasons not to update, but hey, I think we've all figured out by now that it's just how I am. Oh and I found a new blog that I enjoy reading about "going green". I try and tread a little lighter on the earth, but plan to fully make an attempt to go green when we move. =)

A Year Later

I can't believe it's been a year since Michael's dog bite. He had surgery yesterday to help remove some scar tissue and it went well. Hopefully this will be it so we can finally get on with our lives. Not that we've been dwelling or anything, just finally we can be done with lawyers and hospitals and doctor's appointments...

He's doing well, just an outpatient procedure so we spent the day in bed yesterday. And some of today... =)

Being home for the few days beforehand, I actually took out my sewing machine and made Amber 2 cute dresses. I'm happy with how they turned out and so is she. A little big, but at least she will be able to wear them next year too.

We're Baaaack.....

And I am ready to go back on vacation. The kids went to Disneyland with their uncle and had a blast so the hubs and I got a little alone time in Flagstaff. Nice and relaxing I must say... When I wasn't thinking and worrying about the kids of course. Which was all the time I guess. A week away is way too long for me. Waaaaay to long. But they had fun and that's what matters.

Michael will be having some reconstructive surgery for his bite on Monday. So keep us in your prayers and all that good stuff. =)

Long Day

Tired and beat after a long day of answering mostly stupid questions at work. I just love when people hang up and then call back two minutes later just to ask the same dumb question in hopes that someone else will be answering the phone. And some even come back for thirds... But what I am truly amazed at... is the nicer I am, the more pissed off people get. Love it!!

Kids are getting ready for the home stretch... few more days and we're outta there! I can't even express how nice it will feel to be able to sleep in once in a while. Ahhhhh....

Convo today with Amber:

Amber: Hey mom...

Me: Ya Amber?

Amber: Can you tell me how a baby gets in your tummy? I know where it comes out *insert groan of disgust here* but how does it get in there?

Me: Amber, can we talk about this another day? I'm tired... And it's a long talk to have.

Amber: Sure... It sounds like it'll be gross anyway.

Me: (To myself) Hope you remember that in 10 years...

Hmmmm

You know, I'm truly amazed at how many times a day I log on my computer, look at other people's blogs, read all about their life, sometimes get annoyed if they haven't updated in a while, and then log off without a thought. Because I have room to complain about that!!! I haven't blogged in over a month!!! I really need to get over myself...

We're doing ok. I use that "ok" pretty loosely. We still have no money and bills piling up all around us. And more bills.... And more bills.... Ok, you get it. I still haven't been crafting anything, not since putting pretty much everything away. Still haven't gotten over that one I guess. Only used the sewing machine once to turn some pants into some long shorts (you know, being broke and all). On the bright side, they turned out fairly well. One leg is a tad longer than the other, but it's not really noticeable unless I tell you about it. Which I do tell most everybody because I'm afraid you'll run home and tell everyone that I wear these stupid shorts around and have no clue that one leg is just a little longer than the other one. Again, need to get over myself...

Amber is doing well. Excited for school to be getting out next week. I can't believe this school year is gone already. We're pretty stoked for next year though, her 2nd grade teacher is pretty awesome (Michael had him). She is taking some time off from dance (more so for me, need a mental health break please), so all we will have is our busy Saturday with swim and gym. I'm good with that.

Michael has been getting teased at school about the dog bite on his face. I guess it's been going on for a while but he never told me because he was afraid I would be mad. Not at him of course, but just in general. And boy oh boy, was he ever right! Kids can be cruel, I know this first hand, having gone to school and all for 13 years. Duh... I am not tolerant whatsoever of this type of behavior. My kids do not laugh at others for anything (appearance, actions) and if they give the slightest hint that they might be considering it, I remind them of how this would make them feel. Not good. So I march into the classroom and talk it out with his teacher, and she calls him in and she wants names. Lo and behold, doesn't he give her the names of his two best friends and a few others?? WTF IS THAT??? I immediately burst into tears, and the rest is history. She talks to the kids, they in turn ask Michael why he told on them, so I give Michael all the permission in the world to throw me under the bus. "Sorry, it was my mom". I'm ok with that. Call me a bitch if you must children, but treating my son like crap is not ok. I tried to talk to him about his choice of friends, but he's 9. He's going to do what he wants to do as far as that goes, and I will have to learn that I cannot micro-manage every choice he makes. And that sucks...

My first thought on all of this is to pull him out of school and home-school him myself. And shortly after, realizing that this may be a tad drastic, I decided that I will let summer take its course and see what happens the next school year. But you better believe that if it gets worse and he wants me to do it, I'll do it. Because I love him something fierce, and it brings tears to my eyes even now thinking of somebody being mean to him. Being mean because he is a sweet, shy boy who doesn't like public speaking or giving his opinion because he is afraid of what people will think. And while that is all too familiar to me, it infuriates me to no end. I wish he would stand up for himself sometimes like he does at home. He won't take crap at home you know... Not from his sister or from us. He's like two different children wrapped up in one package. Both of which are wonderful, by the way.

He will be having his first plastic surgery at the beginning of June for his bite. We're hoping it helps with everything, but we can't put all of our eggs in that basket I know. Change comes from the inside, and it seems silly that I'm just now realizing the damage all of this has done to him. We denied help, thinking he would come out of it on his own. He truly seemed ok then, but not getting help is a decision that I will regret for a long time. But we will see how his surgery goes, and will have another summer of rest and healing. It's just not fair. Not fair at all.

But then again, life's just not fair is it?

I thank God every day that we have each other and we are healthy.

Oh, and also for the straight-jacket. =) Maybe I can get one in pink...

Garbage??

Somebody thought this cute little lady was trash and threw her in a dumpster. Discarded like yesterday's newspaper. I just don't get how someone can be so sick to throw away a living thing. It makes me so angry just thinking of it...

So this is Cloe... A shy timid girl (probably abused) but the sweetest thing you'll ever meet. And while I realize we probably don't need another dog (we have 2), it brings tears to my eyes just thinking of giving her away. So given she gets a clean bill of health, she will probably be the newest addition to our family. We love her already...

Grump...

That's been my mood this past week or so. Lots of reality checks this past month. I only work part time right now, and was supposed to go full time in January, but my position was given to somebody else who had some seniority over me. Which is good and fine and all except I just started getting my insurance though work (thinking I was going full time which is cheaper) and now I barely have a paycheck at all. And my little fantasy work where I only have to work two days a week has come tumbling down. And work is something I absolutely despise. Yeah, I know... Get over it, everybody hates their work. It's not that I don't like my job per se, just the fact that I have to get up and go there sucks.

I took out my frustration on my crafty things. I put them all away, sewing machine, everything. I don't know why, but I feel like I can't have both. I get my head wrapped up in all of these ideas, and then never entertain the thought of an extra shift at work that is badly needed. And not doing my crafts, I get depressed. Literally depressed. I sit and twiddle my thumbs and watch the stupid television that I want to throw in a river. And while I realize that I could be crafting or sewing when they don't need me at work, I just can't bear to drag it all back out. Boo for me...

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day! We're off to enjoy the sunshine!



Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics

I Am Obsessed

With skirt making... So simple and so stinkin' cute!!! I made two today, one with a pillowcase and the other with my old scrub top. You just cut and hem the top!! Love it!!

As you can tell, I took my sewing machine out of retirement a few days ago. Poor guy was so dusty and sad... It's been months since I touched it and I'm glad I had to take it out. Money's been VERY tight lately and when Amber's friend had a birthday, we decided to make her some gifts. It was that or bounce a check and who wants that to happen?? Not me... I think she was happier with the cool stuff we made her anyway... some bracelets, a cute pair of maroon gauchos, a princess pillow, handmade soap, and a few odds and ends leftover from Amber's birthday. Gauchos and pillow courtesy of Mr. Sewing Machine. Who probably wishes he had a better owner, but hey, I do what I can.

Here's a few pics of the skirts I made today. I ironed on a beaded patch to the plain white one to give it a little color.

I would have had her wear them, but that would have involved waking her up and making her smile. And those things never go hand in hand so we'll leave it at that... Pictures of her wearing them coming soon...

Holy Cow...

It's been a long time!! I get so wrapped up in other things sometimes that I forget where I am. I haven't been up to much lately. Well, not for myself anyway. I get the kids involved in so many things sometimes, and I know they enjoy it, but sometimes it gets to be a bit much. For everybody involved. I think sometimes that I'm just afraid to stop...

Kids have been sick lately, lots of that going around I hear. Amber was home from school all week last week, and Michael got sent home today from school. YUCK!!! Poor guys... lots of rest for them, and maybe a little for me in between. We all need it...

A Good Link

I was browsing around my friend's blog and followed a link that I just love. It is chock full of ideas that just have my head swarming. And it has the best tutorials that a beginner like me can easily follow. Sew, Mama, Sew is awesome and will definitely be added to my list of places to visit!

I even made a bath mat for the kiddos today using one of the tutorials. My squares are quite a bit bigger that it asked for, but cutting 80 some-odd squares was not my idea of fun. 12 is way more my style! Quick and easy.... gotta live by it or nothing will get done. I'm the kind of person that can't wait for something to get dry before touching it. Not something I love about myself, but I try and deal.

And while it is most definitely not perfect, I think the kids will love it anyway. It is made from scraps leftover from making them pillows, pajamas, etc. I think they have come to love and appreciate things that are handmade. Turning scraps into something cool is exciting for them. Which makes it exciting for me. And that's what it's all about right?

Snowflakes

Generally, my crafting ideas are not from my own imagination, but "borrowed" from friends. Well today, I must say, my imagination came to life. The kids and I were making paper snowflakes for some Christmas decorations (cash is a little short right now, so I thought some handmade decorations were in order), and while in the middle of one, *light bulb* these would make awesome freezer paper stencils!! OK, maybe I was being a bit dramatic about the idea being totally original, but hey, it was good for me. Here is some of our work:

Michael was a bit under the weather today, it explains the fake smile. =)

Busy Busy

Generally, I do my Christmas shopping around December 24th. OK, maybe not that late, but pretty late anyway. Well this year, I want to try and make as many of my gifts as possible. With all of the scary news reports about so many recalled toys and other items, I'm hesitant about what to get.
Today, I made my mom and mother-in-law some goodies that I hope they like. You know, the only drawback I see to making things on your own is you want to keep everything!! It will be difficult to let these things go, but maybe after the holidays, I will make some for myself. Boy am I ever glad I took those sewing lessons!
Now I just need to think of some things I can make for the kids. Adults are easy enough, but the kids will be harder I think. And I hope they don't think it will be strange opening things I made myself instead of a box from the store. (I am counting on the appreciating these things as they get older) I can't promise for everything to be hand made, but the things that are will definitely be full of love.
Oh, and not made in China.... ;)

Chillin Out

Just a nice relaxing Sunday eating waffles, playing games and chilling out. I vote every Sunday be this way... Amber was in her school play on Thursday for All Saints Day. She got to be Saint Theresa. Too cute!