11/6/2011 Daybook

Outside my window...

Although it was a bright, shiny day today, the weather has definitely turned wintry!  We did manage to avoid the rain that was scheduled, but boy-o!  I am loving the cold!!!

I am thankful...

For wonderful friends and family!

I am thinking about...
You know, I think I'm just trying to not think...  Keeping it plain and simple right now....

Learning all the time...
Yup, learning that it is hard to do "home" parties in today's economy!

From the kitchen...
That's the only thing about when I do a "home" party!  Today we had a veggie platter with homemade dill dip and double chocolate swirl bread!  Yummy, yummy in my tummy!!!  Then the hubby made burgers.  Oh what a day!

I am creating...
Oh how I wish I really was creating something!  At least the house is clean (well, mostly) so now the hubby is very encouraging for me to get in the sewing room to get things done!

I am working on...
Quiet...  Can a person work on that?  I'm not exactly known for being a "quiet" person, but honestly, when I'm at home, I like things to be on the softer side.  Loud is harsh, not very relaxing!

I am going...
To an unexpected doctors appointment tomorrow...  Yes, after they teased me with telling me I did not get gestational diabetes, the lab found sugar in my last urine sample, and my blood work came back a bit high, so now I get to go in for the one-hour sugar test and start all over again!  I am not going to be a big baby about this!  It is what it is...  I'm going to buck up and move on with my day.

I am hoping...
For good results for tomorrows test, and that work goes smoothly for me in the morning!  Everyone waited until the last minute to check their heaters, so over the weekend we have gotten a rush of emails from unhappy people that should have turned on their heaters at least a week ago!

I am reading...
Not much, blogs, recipes...  Might try to sneak in a bit of reading tonight if I can...  Bought the Oz series for my NOOK and the first two of the Wicked Series (even if I've already read the first books in each series) I want to try to get in a little time each day to get my read on!

I am praying...
For a friend having a hard time right now...  Sure, we all have a hard time now-and-then, but hopefully we are able to share our worries with close friends that will keep us in their prayers.

I am hearing...
Football...  Argh...  I dislike football!  It's the only sport my dad really watched when I was growing up and if they banned/retired/got rid of the whole sport I would not be upset in the least!  I just don't like football...

Around the house...
Bathrooms...  Cleaned.  Bedrooms...  Cleaned.  Laundry...  Done.  Floors...  Swept.  Sure, the kitchen needs a bit of TLC but for the most part we really pulled together this week and got things in order.  Our "new" goal?  To do a little each day to make sure the house stays this way!


One of my favorite things...
Hot chocolate on a frosty day!  And my cuddly kitties, even when they only cuddle with each other!

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Doctors appointment, work, some sewing, holiday home party for a friend in the Sacramento area, a baptism for a local friends baby girl!

Random thought...
Oh the randomness is escaping me at the moment...  It's that whole "Trying to keep my brain calm and quiet while hearing the husband watching sports" thing...  I should be able to come up with more than that, but that's what it is...

Here are picture thoughts I am sharing with you....
My goofball cats...  Then and now...  Don't let their cute faces fool you, they are trouble!

A few weeks old...

A few years old...

Wordless Wednesday 11/2/11 (Halloween recap)

What CAN'T that girl do?

Today's randomness?  I truly have a lot of time to think in my (short) car ride to work.  Maybe I think more than the "normal" person?  Maybe I think faster?  I'm not trying to get in a debate about it, I just have a fairly short drive to work, usually about twenty minutes, and I have a whole slew of thoughts rambling around in that crazy head of mine!
Anyway, back to the randomness...  Last night was Halloween.  We went to my brother's to trick-or-treat with the kids.  My nephew got a drum set last year for Christmas and although he has an amazing amount of toys, my Little decided the drums were the toy she wanted to play with.  Well, what kid wouldn't, right?  My mom had taken Little to a friends house once and they had drums.  Mom was pretty amazed that Little picked the sticks right up and went to town on those drums.  Needless to say, we were a little less surprised to see her go straight for the sticks and start tapping to her hearts content.  Not crazy pounding either!  I mean, she's one-and-a-half, she doesn't exactly have a rhythm down, but she tapped away at those drums like she knew what she was doing!  So that got me thinking...  I have a friend that plays the drums...  I wonder if he would give lessons when Little is just a bit older, and how much he would charge?  That's when the crazy thoughts started zooming in!  We want to get Little started in dance classes after she turns two.  I am not the crazy mom you see on Toddlers And Tiaras...  I just watch Little dance all around the house every time music is going and I want to encourage that.  I have a friend (not the drum player) that teaches locally.  I don't think he teaches the class we would have to put Little in at first, but I am definitely looking at the studio he teaches at above the others because she may have the opportunity to take a class with Instructor Chuck some day!
So there I am thinking about Little being a drumming dancer and thinking "She'll be able to do anything!"  Not because I want to get her in two types of lessons, but because I have no desire to push her towards any type of career.  I don't care if she's a doctor or a lawyer, a dancer or a drummer, she could be just like Barbie!  Yes, that is where my thought process really went...
I started thinking about Barbie...  And my mom...  Barbie has had over ninety careers in her "lifetime".  I would like to point this out to all the people that think Barbie is a "bad" influence.  Sure, the lady has an unattainable figure, SHE'S A DOLL!  But if you are more concerned about making it about her figure than the achievements Barbie has strived for, I think you are missing the point.  Barbie is a doll that can do it all!  She should still be looked at as the inspiration she started out as, the doll that can encourage girls to live out their highest potential!  And please don't leave me comments about Barbie, I have a rather large collection of the doll and it has nothing to do with careers.  I think they are pretty.
So what does that have to do with my mom?  Well, let's look at the role of a mom in general...  A mom may be unlicensed in many of the following areas but is a practicing:  nurse, chauffeur, chef, care-giver/baby sitter, counselor, law maker/enforcer, educator, body guard and in some cases punching bag.  I know I'm forgetting some things, so feel free to mentally elaborate!  Then there's my mom...  Although nontraditional in many ways my mom became an inspiration to me a bit later than she probably should have.  We all have issues with the way we were raised, with the way we feel we were treated.  All that aside, my mom was a teenager when she became a mom.  The second-from-the-youngest of six kids, she graduated High School and has taken some college courses, but she has had some careers!  From the basics like accounting and a waitress, she drove a school bus when I was in Elementary School, she drove a bus for fire fighters when I was in High School and was a flight attendant in the late 90's.  She has taken courses in Hotel Management, worked as an apartment manager and a massage therapist.  Again, I might be missing a few, but when you think about it, she could give Barbie a run for her money!  The fact is, if we want to do something and are willing to put in the training, any one of us can do anything we want to do!  Okay, so I don't know if any amount of training can make a person not tone-def but with a little hard work and persistence, we can be what we want to be.
That, my friends, is the kind of parent I want to be.  The kind that encourages my daughter to be whatever she wants to be.  All I can ask is that she be true to herself and do things that make her happy.

Halloween Daybook 2011

Outside my window...
A cool, crisp day!  Not good for business but just right for trick-or-treating...


I am thankful...
For unexpected "mystery" money that helped us take a quit trip down to So Cal to visit our favorite Mouse and the Happiest Place on Earth!


I am thinking about...
How swollen my feet are...  Silly me, I just haven't been doing enough walking up until the weekend and then (probably) did too much walking.  Well worth it though, trust me!

Learning all the time...
Learning that you just never know how your kid will do at an amusement park from one trip to the next!  How did our Little do?  SHE LOVED IT!!!  Sure, nap time was almost non-existent and we had a few melt-downs, but she just loved seeing the characters and had so much fun on the rides we were able to take her on.

From the kitchen...
Ha!  From the kitchen...  Don't make me laugh!!!  Tonight we will be having hamburgers before the trick-or-treating festivities...  Otherwise, no plans to go near the kitchen for a day or two...

I am creating...
Not much.  I did take apart a bit of my Disney diaper bag (that I made last year) to add a zipper and snap on the front, and a pocket to the back.  Much better than last year with no way to close the bag.  Got just as many compliments this year on the bag as last year and still forgot the business cards.  What a dork I am...

I am working on...
Keeping my feet up a bit to get the swelling down.  Tee-hee...  Then having a Holiday Boutique at my house this weekend.  Can't wait to see all the goodies my vendors will bring!

I am going...
To a doctors appointment this week.  Did I tell you that I did not end up with gestational diabetes?  So very happy about that.  We might even try to find out the sex of the baby this week...  We'll see!

I am hoping...
To be able to keep up with the trick-or-treating this evening...  Swollen feet don't make for a fast walker!

I am reading...
Blogs.  Lot's of blogs.  I just couldn't find the time to check my computer this last weekend, so now I am catching up!


I am praying...
Just for the "normal everyday".  Keeping it simple.


I am hearing...
The Nightmare Before Christmas!  This will be playing on our t.v. for the next two months!!!  Love our Halloween even as we gear up for Christmas.


Around the house...
Getting ready for my Holiday Boutique.  We already did a lot of cleaning before we went away so at least that's a happy treat for me!

One of my favorite things...
Disneyland and Halloween.  Enough said!


A few plans for the rest of the week...
Getting ready for my Holiday Boutique, that's about it...

Random thought...
Today someone cut me off as I was driving to work.  At first I was pissed!  How dare they cut me off!!!  Then I thought about it.  Normally I would just wish something bad would happen to said disrespectful driver, like they get pulled over...  Today I decided I was glad they cut me off...  Better they are ahead of me and getting further away than tailgating behind me!

Here are picture thoughts I am sharing with you....

Wordless Wednesday 10/26/2011 (thinking about last year)

Tuesday Horoscope Randomness...

So, I don't exactly have a "smart" phone, but I do have a few (let's call them) "aps".  On the main screen of my phone I can view the local weather (even if it's never right) and also my horoscope.  I am not a firm believer in horoscopes.  I do not live by them.  I used to write horoscopes for my High School newspaper (with the help of my trusty BFF, at the time) and would have a great time coming up with randomness!  I think horoscopes are fun and in some cases interesting, that's about it.  So, here is my horoscope for today:
"Your writing and speaking abilities are operating at a high level today.  If you've been thinking about pursuing either of these avenues, starting now gives you an advantage toward attaining success.  Make a start and get your ideas down on paper, however rough they may be.  The only downside is the stress that might result from the suddden stimulation."
So, basically what it's telling me is that I have an aptitude for BS and eventually it will give me a headache?  Ok Random Horoscope Writer...  You are not telling me anything special today...  I generally have a lot of crap to spew, eventually I always give myself a headache.  What makes today any more special than any other day?  Oh, and BTW Random Horoscope Writer, my brain is always running at this speed, it's not the sudden stimulation that gets my head in a dizzy, fuzzy mess, it's the too many ideas and not enough time to get them down before I move onto the next thought...

10/23/2011 Daybook

Outside my window...

I know it's dark, I think it's still pretty warm though...  Silly Mother Nature, she just doesn't know what to do with California this time of year.  If I had her number I would give her some advise, SEND US SOME COLD WEATHER!!!

I am thankful...

For having such a good little girl!  Sure, she gets into things she shouldn't and she is just starting that hitting and throwing stage, but she eats like a champ and she doesn't fuss too much about bed time.  I can be thankful for that.  She is a good girl though...

I am thinking about...
Disneyland...  I must admit I am a bit green with envy for all of my Facebook friends that have been posting the last few weeks with their happy adventures.  We have been going to Disneyland every October for somewhere near 15 years and it is looking like we will be missing out this year.  I know, I should be thankful for all the years we got to take two or three trips in a year but this year has been a bit rough for me and I was really looking forward to a vacation.  Sue me why don't cha!

Learning all the time...
Sure!  Why not!!!  Learning that if I just "DO" something instead of "thinking" of doing it, things actually get done!  You'd think I knew that one already!

From the kitchen...
Oh the kitchen again!  Well, it's clean now...  We have been avoiding the kitchen.  Sure, we do quick breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  We use the minimal amount of appliances and cookware to avoid heating up the place and making too much of a mess.  I am just not really all that into my kitchen right now...  

I am creating...
I bought zippers today!  Haven't really done much sewing lately.  I've picked up a few projects, looked at the things I need to get going, then I find something else to do.  I made myself a diaper bag last year but ran out of time and just threw it together to make it done. I finally took it apart and bought the zipper I need to finish.  Maybe I will throw a few stitches in and finally get it done right this year!

I am working on...
Walking.  I had to go in to the doctors to have my three-hour blood draw last week for gestational diabetes.  Apparently I am "borderline" so they have to do the extra testing.  Although I keep telling myself that I am "working on" walking, I really haven't made a real effort.  The last few days I have busted out the Wii balance board and done some significant damage!  I am incredibly sore so I did a bit less walking today but still got in about 20 minutes.  I know I should be getting off my duff and going outside to walk, I am just not that into walking!  At least with the Wii I can switch channels during my 30 minute walks and catch up on my shows!  It makes me feel less guilty about all my programs...

I am going...
To work.  That is what I do.  Normally I have other things to look forward to, like Disneyland, but we have no trips planned in our near future and that has me a bit down-in-the-dumps.  Not gonna lie or make up funny stories about it, I'm pretty pissed off...

I am hoping...
That I will magically find a winning lottery ticket so I can plan a vacation!  Tee-hee...  You see, I don't actually play the lottery that would take the little money I have away from my one-Starbucks-a-week fund!  And that is so not going to happen!

I am reading...
I finished Wuthering Heights.  Is it weird that I liked it?  Probably not.  The build-up reviews read like it was so dark and strange.  Maybe for the time that it was written, but currently, it fits right into everyday life!  I am going to try to set aside a bit of time every night before bed to read a little.  I know, Yoda says there "is not try, only do or do not" but Yoda was never seven months pregnant with a one-year-old and working full time.  The force may have been with him, but I seriously doubt there would never have been a "try" in there!

I am praying...
I read something the other day that went something like "God I only ask for the things I thanked you for yesterday."  So, that is what I will keep doing.  Being thankful for the things I do have, my house, good health, my family and friends, food on my table, clothes on my back, gas for my car and a car that runs!  For all the little things that fill up my day even when I am too busy to notice, air, clouds, trees and grass (even when my allergies bug me!).  I really am thankful, even if I whine about life every now and then!

I am hearing...
Hubby is watching the news in the other room.  Fan is going...  The house is usually pretty quite at this time of day.  Hence all the late-night blog entries!

Around the house...
Oh the house!  Little has done an amazing job with the living room!  It is officially destroyed!  We've gotten a few magazines for American Girl and My Twinn dolls, so I thought since Little is really into her baby dolls lately, and is always "reading" her books, I would let her look at the magazines!  Oh yeah, that was smart mommy!  At first she did fine, flipped through the pages just like a big girl!  But as soon as mommy and daddy were out of the room, the page-ripping commenced!  Maybe I will find the energy tomorrow to pick it all up...


One of my favorite things...
Favorite things...  That is a hard one today (or this weekend at all)...  Thinking...  Gonna resort to one I have used before!  Rocking Little at bedtime!  It really is one of my favorite parts of the day!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Work.  That's about it.  Oh, and trying to get the house put back together.  It really feels like we get one room done each week, and in a four bedroom house, that really isn't getting much done!

Random thought...
Okay, please forgive me, but I don't know what this 99% is...  Do you?  I keep seeing posts on Facebook about people being the 99%.  Well, I don't know what that is, but I am not part of it.  I suppose I could be and just not know.  But the fact is, I am not a protester.  I am a do-er.  I work for what I have.  I know there are people that want to, will try, and may take what I have worked for away from me.  I refuse to let that stop me from what I do.  I do not like protesters.  I think they are a waste of space and air.  I get very angry when I see people protesting the war, protesting soldiers.  My advise, "GET A JOB AND A LIFE!"  Yes, I understand, it is their right to do what they do.  So, as long as they stay out of my way, I will go on ignoring them, even when they stop me at the grocery store or farmer's market to sign their petition.  I will not sign their petition.  I don't give money to people standing out on the street either.  I know, I know, I'm just acting like a hard-ass.  Fact is, everyone has an agenda.  I'm not going to waste my time figuring out what another person's bottom line is.  I'm busy, I have a house to clean!

Here are picture thoughts I am sharing with you....

Because I am still in a mood about Disneyland, here are some from the past...

And a video of my favorite Alice!!!  Sorry about the screaming, I was very excited to see this particular Alice's first performance!  FYI, you may want to turn your speakers down a bit...