Dude. It's November 3rd!

Another Rambling Post.
I have an excuse.
I should be doing something else. Important.
Like planning a Relief Society Lesson for tomorrow night's Enrichment Activity! LOL!

So we're going to have a new President in appx. 24 hours. That's cool.

So I just laid next to Rodney for a couple minutes before he drifted off, my hair still damp from the recent shower, and he says to me, "You're humid."

So I had a busy weekend. Photographed 3 families and a birthday/Halloween Par-tay! Fun times! Will hopefully have some new ones posted in my galleries in the next several days. Maybe two weeks. I'll do my best.

So the number in my Google Reader is as high as it's ever been before. This is not a good thing, to those of you not sure how to take that. My reader tells me what blogs have been updated since I last checked in. It is presently reading "53." That's a lot.

So I burned my finger today taking re-heated lima beans and corn out of the microwave for lunch. They were pretty hot, but the liquid surrounding them that I dipped my finger into was even hotter. It throbbed. I ran it under ice-cold water. Dressed it in "Neosporin with pain relief" and a couple of Lightning McQueen band-aids. Tonight it is *almost* all better. Musta been the band-aids.

So I'm stumped. I think I'll direct my last few minutes of lovely procrastination toward my three little buggers.

So Jackson's Pokemon addiction is getting pretty bad. The poor little guy carries his notebook around with him - all the time - everywhere - except the toilet. Well, I take that back. It goes with him there too. And to think it all began with a flippin Kid's Meal toy from Burger King. On another note, let me just add what a sweet/smart/precious/perfect/and still a little greedy my little Jackson has become. Course, he's always been such, but right now - I am really loving having my big 5 year old home for track-out from Kindergarten. When Brady's at preschool in the afternoons, and while Carter is napping, we have our special time, we do. Discussing Pokemon cards and their various powers and point value, of course. There's a fish in that little pink bed pan, by the way. :)


So Brady's hair growing out helps reveal his studly curls. He's going to be a heartbreaker, that Brady Boo. That is, of course, when he's not chasing butterflies. And crickets. And frogs. And praying mantises. And another 15 or so unnamed creatures. I don't mind saying no. Really I don't. But tonight - at about 8:00, when it was pitch black outside, he approaches me and asks if he can go outside and find a frog to show me. I just had to laugh. And he just had to cry. Life as a 3 1/2 year old is harder than you sometimes think, you know. (*Sorry about the curls not being so evident in this picture... But let me just tell you, right after a bath - Mercy.)



So Carter and his unwillingness to say much more than "dadda" and "dadda" is just fine. His smile makes up for it. Truly. Doesn't he just look so sweet and inquistive here? :) P.S. to the man upstairs. Just go ahead and let those teeth come in already. Please? :) (He literally has not had a single tooth break through in 8 months. And for the duration of those EIGHT months, he's been doing what? Yup. You guessed it. TEETHING!!!!)

One final picture from this evening. Me thinks me will keep 'em.



Coming up next post - a recap of our little mini vacay at Harkers Island last week and Halloween!!! Now I've said it - I will stick to it. But I can't promise there won't be procrastination involved.

Go Obama.

to my followers...

You know who you are.
I give you this. it's called the "Gratitude's Glow Fall Bouquet" from ftd.com. Love you. Mean it. (Seriously, like, why does it give me the "captain of the cheerleading squad" kinda butterflies to see my followers number grow? why!?!) on to more important things... Well, not much is more important than my followers, and their recognition for being sooooo cool. Rather, I should say, on to other things...


Speaking of flowers, I pass a certain florist in my wee-little town quite often. It's on Main Street. Can't miss it. Their little billboard outside says "Can't find the words? Flowers will take care of that!" Each time I pass it, I think to myself, "Hmmm. Rodney passes this sign 2 times each and every day" - at least during the business week... And come to think of it - he passes it on Sundays too, because it's on our way to church. Where am I going with this - I don't know. But I bet Rodney could tell you because he obviously has no problem finding words. (*Just fyi, my little schmoopsie-poo. I really could care less if you got me flowers. But if you ever thought about doing it, tell me. It might make me smile!) LOL!

Speaking of "its" (which I used in the last paragraph - I just HAVE to tell you how excited I was to learn something about grammar a couple weeks ago. I pride myself in having pretty mad skills in that department (not an English major or anything like that, I just "like" it, to be quite honest), YET have somehow found it completely and utterly impossible to remember when it is ok to use the apostrophe in its. Like, when to use "it's" and when to use "its." Weh-hea-Hell. I stumbled on a website the other day that somehow finally impressed it upon my brain enough to not forget it. Wait, let me go check and make sure I've not mixed it up in my head again. (pause...) Yep, I had it mixed up again. ANYWAY, let me tell you what it said... And I quote (in case the link for "it" didn't work ...

It's is a contraction for it is or it has.
It's been good to know you. Contraction: it has
It's a bird! It's a plane! Contraction: it is

Its is a possessive pronoun meaning, more or less, of it or belonging to it.
The dodo bird is known for its inability to fly. Possessive pronoun: its inability = the dodo bird's inability

And the tests:
If you can replace it[']s in your sentence with it is or it has, then your word is it's; otherwise, your word is its.
Its is the neuter version of his and her. Try plugging her into your sentence where you think its belongs. If the sentence still works grammatically (if not logically) then your word is indeed its.


To conclude, if you ever see me use "its" and "it's" incorrectly. Just know that it would kill me to know it. So just keep "it" to yourself. Especially you followers. You know who you are.

Ok. Now. I must answer my tags. Oh me. I... Uh... Don't remember who tagged me. Oh, yes! Emily did. I'll do her's first.

#1. I'm really in an oreo phase right now. I kid you not. At least 9 out of the last 10 nights (at least!) I've had a tall glass of milk accompanied by at least 10 oreos just before bed. I'm talking 11:30 before bed. What?! And don't even try to tell me there's any other way to eat an oreo than first dunking it for 5.25 seconds, then eating the first half, then dunking again for 3 seconds and eating the second half. Just don't.

#2. Soap. Betchoo guys didn't know that Rodney & I have only ever bought one specific brand and scent of soap our entire marriage.
Yep. Irish Spring with aloe! "Why" is probably the first question that enters your mind. Well, I will be GLAD to tell you why. It started in 1999, right before we got married. I lived with Joella and James for a semester, and it was the soap they had in their apartment. I really liked it. And decided to keep buying it. I never thought I'd be posting 9 years later that still, I'm using that darn soap. But here I am. Committed. I have no reason to change. There, I said it.

#3. Did you guys know I wear my watch on my right wrist? Cause I'm left handed like that, yo.

#4. Did you know that I am not a fan of people who choose to be down-right hateful. Like the lady I met yesterday. I extended my hand to greet her (as I should - I can't tell the rest of the story, as to "why" but I absolutely needed to introduce myself) and she didn't extend hers. And spoke to me like hired help. Speaking of hired help. Nobody has any right to speak to hired help rudely. Ugh!

#5. I am not a fan of silence. MUST keep my fan on in my bathroom at night to sleep. My mom will confirm that when I'm at her house, and I can hear the clock ticking on the wall, I've been known to rip the batteries right on out. And still place the clock under a pillow in another room. Just in case.

#6. Whew. I'm getting there. My Christmas wish list at this very moment is "a new front door."

#7. My new favorite series this season is My Own Worst Enemy on NBC. Only two episodes have aired so far. I've DVR'd them both, and about to go watch #2 for the firs time. But still, it can be my favorite, can't it?! Oh, here's a little scene. MMM. Very Alias. Good Times.

I did it!!! (Oh, if I didn't answer your tag - please forgive me.
It's not you. It's me.)

Welcome to Holland

I read this tonight. I had read it before, but tonight it meant more. Even though I don't have a special needs child, this little glimse into the thoughts of a parent who DOES makes me realize that we all have been on a similar plane ride...



"I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland."


p.s.
I have not forgotten about the tags. They will be my next post. Promise. :)

Announcing

(edited 10.13.08 - just removing the pics with all my contact info... ya know...)

...No... I'm not pregnant. LOL!
...No... I'm not all of a sudden, a walking encyclopedia.
...No... I'm not about to venture to the beautiful coast of Italy on a 6 days/7 nights cruise - although that MAY happen Springtime, 2010 - right daddy? :)

What I am announcing is...

I'm starting my own businesses. :) Yes, there's an "es" at the end. Plural, y'all. LOL!

The first has been in the making for years. I have always wanted to teach piano lessons out of my home, and for one reason or another, have neglected the calling - and put it on a back burner. Now I've gotten the ball rolling, and have got a whopping 3 students to keep me in check. :) It's going great, and I'm really and truly thrilled that it's finally gotten started - here's my little flyer I put up to start my advertising - and it got me one of the three! :) (The other two had inquired at one time or another at church, as there is rarely a meeting during which I'm not sitting at the piano, at some point. :) I wouldn't have it any other way, though! Truly.)

(picture of music flyer was here!) :)

Then, in addition, I've decided to follow in Aly's footsteps (while wearing her out with ooh-gobs of questions) and start a photography business. I am super excited about this - as I've grown to really love being behind the camera these last 5 years, forever snapping the three beautiful children I've been so bless to call my own. :) If you have a few minutes and would like to check out my website, it can be found here: www.shutterwhimsy.com. If you're wondering why I picked the name - I'll try to explain it... I knew I wanted to have a name that was a little... different. You can't be that surprised. LOL! So - along the way, as I've looked at many other photography websites, I came across one cool business name. Then, I knew I wanted to hopefully evoke a certain something in the name of my business similar to hers. So yeah, she was my inspiration. Rodney & I sat together one night at the computer typing out names in a photoshop creation, and he thought of "shutter" - and I thought of "whimsy" - at almost the same exact moment. And my most recent baby was born. I'll call it a "she." :)

So - as with the School of Music, I decided to print a little flyer to hang at Brady's preschool - just to get the word out. I am happy to report that quite a few pull tabs were torn off (that's a good thing!), and I have two sessions booked for late October and early November. You have no idea how exciting this is - not to mention very, very helpful to our less than overflowing bank account.

(picture of shutter whimsy flyer was here) :)

Also, my business card that should be delivered tomorrow. :)

(picture of shutter whimsy business card was here) :)

Thanks for looking - and do spread the words with your Triangle area friends, if applicable. :) Off to fold clothes. They've been a little neglected lately! LOL!

You have no idea what you are missing...

Five years today since Jackson rocked my world.
Here's the short and sweet of today...

Jackson woke up sad. Said he didn't like his present. What tha?! Didn't get pictures of that - had too much consoling to do to take pictures. Granny Carol is in town to be the dreamy extra set of hands and extra big heart to take care of little people and big people alike. The boys are really enjoying her chasing them around, and distributing a million tickles and kisses a day. :) Here's little man being a silly monkey this morning before school - notice the new fall shirt (Rock and Roll!) and cute jeans from Granny Carol!




And pointing to his favorite decorated letter on his birthday sign, courtesy of the mama and the daddy. :)



So, after school was let out early today (12:30), we waited for Rodney to get home (2:30), and off we went to return the terrible present and redeem a new one. See the newly acquired Jedi suit at the end of the post... It suits him well, you think? :) (*And how about Brady, the zoomin Bumblebee?! God bless his sweet heart.) Another sweet find at Target this evening was the FIRST pair of roller skates owned by a little Steelboy. I had been thinking (*strongly*) over the past few days how much I would love Jackson to have some, as I clearly remember being about his age, and spending hours each day on mine. Well, as luck would have it, Pa called this afternoon to say he was putting a little check in the mail to grant Jackson any birthday thing he would like, and Jackson agreed tonight that he just HAD to have a pair of skates. I can't wait to see these bad boys in action, accessorized with the best knee pads and elbow pads Target had to offer. Oh, did I mention there was only one pair in the entire store - and yes, they were his size! SCORE!

So we shopped at Target for a bit - And then were off for the dream birthday dinner of nearly every 5 year old in America - CHUCK-E-CHEESE BABY!!! We actually had the most decently behaved children possible. They were so entertained by the show of larger than life animal dudes on the stage, and the blaring tv with bright colors and songs that they hardly knew it took 10-15 minutes for our pizza to arrive after being seated. We chowed down, thoroughly enjoyed the food, then were bound for the promised land o' arcade games! Does it get any better?! As if the push pops weren't enough of a sugar treat in the car, on the way home, we decided to swing thru the trusty McDonald's drivethru a mile from home to get everyone caramel or hot fudge sundaes. I picked the hot fudge. With chopped peanuts. Jackson said to daddy in the back seat, as he was choosing the caramel flavor, "She has no idea what she is missing, does she?"

In case you guys don't get to spend much time with the eldest of my three cuties - I have one thing to say. You have no idea what you are missing. :)

Happy Birthday, my sweetie! Mommy loves you more than breath.




Brady transformed into the vehicle form of Bumblebee: For some reason, I can NOT get this picture to show up with the correct rotation. Dude!



And Carter just looking Cute!



And you wonder why I'm always smiling?!
G'night y'all!

72/100

Sorry about all the new posts tonight.
At least they're short and sweet. Or Tall, Dark and Handsome. Whatever.

I'm 72/100ths of my way to my 100th post now. Dude. I thought I was so much closer. Again. Whatever.

While I'm rambling - How ABOUT this WEATHER!?!?!?
Tomorrow = Yard Day = Happy Mommy = Happy Family!!!
Who knew?!