Girlie-Girl Rights of Passage
Oct 5th
Just two years ago I was starting my oldest daughter down the road of being a girlie-girl by getting her ears pierced. Since then she has grown to love anything prefaced with the word “pre-tty”. That includes allowing me to comb her curly (often matted) hair without much complaint, picking a wardrobe which is primarily pink, and making scented lotions available to her. She lets me change her earrings and seeks out lip gloss whenever mom’s purse isn’t put up high. Today was a new right of passage however as she got her first manicure, complete with butterfly and flower decals.
Yes, we are talking about a two year old here, but she sat through it like the potential princess that she works hard to mimic daily.
Today was also the littlest one’s initiation into the girlie world as she got her first pearls. Before you know it they will both be on their way to the shoe department and perfume counter.
Thursday Thirteen
Oct 3rd
(Shoot over to Boho Rhap for more AWESOME Thursday Thirteen Banners)
They say that life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans. This should actually be the theme of my existence since most of the big events in my life, including my husband and two of my children, have happened on a whim without much planning. It occurred to me when trying to think of a Thursday Thirteen that before Summer begins next year many exciting events are on their way. So as Summer is coming to an end I am dedicating this post to the most exciting events that I’m planning on. It remains to be seen which events didn’t make the list.
1. Halloween- I love dressing my kids in ridiculous outfits and walking blocks in the windy outdoors til’ our noses are red and runny and we come home to hand out candy to the miniature ghost’s and princesses.
2. Becoming the parent of only ONE child in diapers as the aging two year old is finally reaching a milestone.
3. Getting my tubes tied (no more birth control, condoms, or calender watching…yippeee)!
4. Going to Las Vegas to celebrate my 5 year anniversary (which is where we tied the knot).
5. Celebrating all of the major first holidays for our newest addition (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter).
6. Traveling through all of the above mentioned holidays not having to serve the miserable grumpy guests who seem offended by holiday cheer (as it would seem I am definitely through waiting tables 
)
7. Hubby has recently taught me 3 chords on the guitar, so with all hope in less than a year I will actually be able to play a recognizable tune.
8. Christmas- need I say more?
9. Finishing my BA (after taking 12 years, it is about time),
10. Trading in this:
for this:
(probably more like wishful thinking, but surely with in a year it should be possible)
11. Taking leaps and bounds toward fixing little man’s crooked teeth 
12. Starting my credential Program in June
13. Last but not least…if my schedule permits, I will be teaching in a class of my own by August 2008
Swap & Shop
Oct 3rd
A friend of mine came up with a great idea to have those of us in our mom’s group get together with clothes and toys our kids had outgrown and swap them. She had seen this on a show, and thought it would work well for our group. The idea was to have snacks, chit chat, and swap out our kids boring stuff for new stuff. Then anything that was left over would be donated to charity. Needless to say it was rather brilliant.
We had nine mom’s who gathered items their children were no longer interested in or could no longer fit, which left a large selection to pick through. It was ideal for the moms and kids as we were given an opportunity to get rid of the unused collections gathering dust, and the kids felt like they had all new toys to play with. The true beauty of it being a swap, is that you were not adding to an already crowded toy box or closet, simple trading it. I believe just about everyone walked away with some cute picks for there little one’s or family members, and the enormous bundle of left overs was taken to the local homeless shelter.
I wanted to blog about this because when I tried looking up ideas before hosting, I came up empty handed. Personally this event saved me a bundle since my daughter gathered a small wardrobe for the winter. Plus I was able to get some stuff out of the house and organize the toy box which was packed to the top. The entire event was a win win as about ten enormous bags of suitable children’s clothes and toys were taken to children in need. Hopefully this will be an idea which spreads.
Mediocre Housewife Checking In
Oct 1st
For any of you wondering why I have been MIA, I have just been completely overwhelmed with school, family, multiple state exams coming back to back, and house stuff. Oddly enough I don’t think I excel at any of the above, which has left me questioning the following…”if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear, does it still make a sound?”or likewise “if you clean your house but no one visits to witness it, was it ever really so?” Here is a photo of my kitchen & living room before and after cleaning this weekend:
Now here is a photo today:
It baffles me how quickly this happens, but even more puzzling is how I fail to notice the tornado until it has passed. I have stopped to blog once or twice amongst the storms, however it ceases to seem entertaining. Therefore if I continue to go MIA, it is truly an attempt on my part to spare you of the less-than-entertaining aspects of a mediocre housewives monotonous day.
Date Night
Sep 15th
The last couple of days have been very stressful and frustrating for both hubby and I. When pressure builds up at work it takes a toll on both of us, but it would seem the pressure has been stacking up on both of our jobs (though mine is at home and school currently). As a result, last night Damien thought we should go out. Now this isn’t something we do often, in fact it is our second date this year, so you can imagine my excitement when he suggested we leave the desert.
To begin, my mother came over and took the kids home with her so I didn’t even have to tote them all out, which left me plenty of time to get ready. Might I add that as much as I love my children, the second they were out the door I got all giddy like a teenager going on her first date. I rushed off bought a new outfit, came home and curled my hair, then put on perfume and make-up(none of the above were noticed by dh, but oh well, I felt good about it 
). Then my date came home from work and we were on our way. BTW, I have been challenged by my blogger husband to give the night it’s full justice, so let me set the scene for you.
The sun was going down,
and we had set our sights on spending the evening at Victoria Gardens, 
as it offered dining, shopping, and a movie theater to meet any of our needs. More specifically we were headed to the 
for drinks and dinner.
When we arrived there was a nearly two hour wait to be seated, so as we headed over to get drinks while we waited, we somehow ended up with two seats at the bar which offered full dining. We ordered extremely rich pasta dishes which broke all rules of the diets we have been following, and chased them with a margarita and Heineken. We were surrounded by dozens of rowdy guest’s watching sports on the wide screen’s behind the bar, and had a full view of more beer on tap than you have ever seen. You may have had to be there to get just how fun this was, but maybe you just have to have kids to know that being in a place you could never (realistically) bring them is somewhat thrilling.
We finished dinner and considered many options of relocation, but decided to go see a movie. I should mention that although we only had two drinks, we are pathetic light weights who rarely drink and needed to go snore it off, so it was of little consequence that the movie we chose was awful (not that I expected much from Balls of Fury anyways, lol). We then went and shared an Apple Pie Caramel Apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Co. (yummm)
We concluded the night by finding a bench and chit chatting, then we walked back to the car (holding hands no less). The night was romantic, spontaneous, and fun. Dh gets an A+
A blurb on Negativity
Sep 14th
I have never enjoyed hanging around negative people. Y’know the ones that complain about everything, and never see the light at the end of the tunnel. Luckily I married a man who is just the opposite. He sees something positive in just about everything. Though this has periodically bugged me, in the end it has always been the best approach. Lately however I feel as if I am turning into one of “those” people. I see injustice in everything, I complain constantly, and stories that have nothing to do with me in the slightest have started to invoke anger from me.
In fact, almost every word out of my mouth turns negative. If you could see my list of draft blogs that have been started as a rant and never posted you would see what I am talking about. Unfortunately for the people around me I can’t hit the delete button and take back the complaints pouring out of my mouth. I am not completely sure how to get back on a track where I can see how blessed I am in every scenario, but I hope it happens before I alienate everyone around me. I am even negative about my negativity, lol, the cycle is never ending.
The Nonblog Meme
Sep 13th
Hubby tagged me to participate in a meme where I list three items I enjoy more than blogging. I hope it goes without saying that I always enjoy spending time with my family, so this list will be comprised of the items I enjoy in sparse moments of “me time”.
- Paper Crafts: Including scrapbooking, card making, stamping, and making general paper gifts like calenders, mini albums etc. (mother’s day gift made by me)
- Going to the beach or the lake: I LOVE camping!
- Dates with Hubby: We average about two per year, so I definitely look forward to them.
Runner up’s since the top 3 are apparently supposed to be non-computer related
- Photoshop: The more I learn about this software the more addicting it gets. I just learned how to perform cosmetic surgery on a photo. It is amazing!
- Literati: Every once in awhile I can sneak in a round or two of this Scrabble-like yahoo game. I’m really good if anyone ever wants to challenge me to a round
Now here are the rules if you want to play along:
- After your intro, copy/paste this line and the rules below it: The originator wants to see how far it goes so please keep his link intact: http://rileycentral.net
- Encourage people to post with the incentive of a link by including those who have passed it along here:
(Your link here and so on . . .) - Visit at least 3 on the list who?ve written and passed this meme. Leave them a comment.
I have never tagged anyone so if you see your name on the list and would rather not participate, that is totally understandable. Otherwise I would love to hear what types of non-blogging events are catching your eye.
Fall Giveaway
Sep 13th
A new blogging friend of mine Carrie is also a talented sketcher. She does amazing pencil drawings and is currently hosting a Fall giveaway where she will pick one lucky blogger to do a drawing for. If you get a chance to stop by and see what I am talking about, here is a link, Organized Chaos. She will pick the winner September 22, so if you are interested in participating go take a look.
Thursday Thirteen: Fall Line Up
Sep 12th
With so many new shows beginning this Fall, as well as older ones returning, I thought I would dedicate my Thursday Thirteen to the shows I am most anxious to get on (or back on) my Tivo list.
1. Bionic Woman: I watched the original of this with Lindsey Wagner growing up and am dying to see the remake. The nearly 10 minute teaser that was released on yahoo a couple of months ago has left me more than eager to see more.
2. Heroes: This action packed show premiered last Fall and never stopped peaking my interest with attention grabbing twists & turns. I can’t wait to see what is in store for Season 2.
3. CSI: I only watch the Las Vegas version of this show, but last season we were left wondering what in the world is going to happen with Sarah who is left dying under a car (esp. now that everyone knows how Grissom feels about her). In case you don’t watch this one, it is not as soap opera-ish as I just made it sound, lol. It is actually precisely as titled, Crime Scene Investigation, giving you a look into the forensic science of solving crimes.
4. Journeyman: This is a new NBC mystery-drama about a guy who is somehow traveling through time, who may or may not be able to change people’s lives. I hope this one turns out as good as the ad’s are making it look.
5. Desperate Housewives: My only defense for this one is that I don’t watch day time soaps so I need some fictional scandal from somewhere right? 
6. Biggest Loser: I can use inspiration from any where it is available. I love how in the premiere they put small facts about bad & good foods on the bottom of the screen. It is amazing the clarity that comes with awareness about the impact of certain foods on your body.
7. Grey’s Anatomy: Though this used to be one of my favorite shows, it is falling quickly. I hope this season they can do something to get the chemistry back between Mc.Dreamy & Merideth, and dump the lame affair between two friends with NO chemistry.
8. Kid Nation: This is a new reality show about a bunch of kids who are rebuilding an old western town without adult interference. They have to make the city function with businesses as well as cook and work. It hasn’t even premiered and I want to get my 9 year old on it. He could desperately use a good lesson involving hard work and a true look at the reality that sometimes things are “not fair”. (This is a phrase I have hear uttered by him a couple of times recently).
9. House: If you haven’t seen this show, you have missed out on one rude doctor. Hugh Laurie plays a PHd who mistreats his staff, superiors and patients, but is the best at what he does so they keep him on. Each week he and his team are trying to find a cure to a mysterious ailment that one of his patients has been plagued by, adding mystery to the standard medical show genre. This is one of the only shows Riley and I enjoy together, so it’s place on the tivo is secure.
10. Lost: Yes, I am one of the millions of viewers hooked on this rediculous plot, and eagerly awaiting its end as I ponder what direction the writers are going to go this next season. Personally I think they all crashed and died and we are getting a glimpse of their personal hell’s. Guess we won’t really know what is going on for a few more years, as they signed on for a final four seasons.
11.Brothers & Sisters: Riley despises this show, but my side of the family is sometimes equally full of drama, if not more, so I try to watch it when he is not around. 
12. Private Practice: A spin off of Grey’s Anatomy which takes Addison to Los Angeles to work with a new staff in a private practice. I am slightly interested in this because the staff includes some of my former favorites like Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy), Tim Daly (Wings), and Taye Diggs. But I have never been a big fan of Kate Walsh as her acting skills are somewhat lacking. Last season we got a peak at this shows future, hopefully it will be worth watching.
13. Smallville: This is a show that I have resisted watching for 7 full seasons as it completely contradicts the original Superman movies (of which I am a fan). However my mother (thanks mom 
), got my 9 year old watching it, so now after a full Summer of watching multiple season reruns, I am anxious to see what is going to happen to Clark Kent as he is growing up and uncovering secrets of his heritage.
Manic Monday
Sep 10th
Well, I am going to outdo myself here and post twice in one day. Yep, that’s right, you heard me, TWO post’s in one day. I found this Manic Monday Meme and thought it would be fun, so here it goes.
If you could “un-invent” one thing in the world so that it would no longer exist, what would you choose?
Weapons of mass destruction.
Monday morning you usually waking up thinking:
Whew, two of the messiest members of the house are gone again for most of the day. Maybe I can catch up from the weekend slop.
Do you find it easy to ask for help? Why or why not?
This is a tough one because everyone around me is equally busy and I don’t want to add to their chaos. I do find myself offering to help others out when I can, mostly because whatever they may need help with sounds like more fun than cleaning.