My life, in words and pictures!!

2011-05-05T19:22:00.001-04:00

http://comunicadosporlafe.com.ar/page7.php

2011-04-19T23:43:00.001-04:00

http://erykworld.cba.pl/url11.php

2010-08-21T07:47:00.001-04:00

http://sc2.fast-man.com

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2009-07-03T15:03:00.000-04:00

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2009-07-01T16:54:00.000-04:00

VPK Graduation pictures (slideshow)

2009-05-15T00:37:00.001-04:00

This week I had the pleasure of taking some pictures of some gorgeous preschoolers! They are graduating from Pre-K and going to be in Kindergarten next year!! Here's a link to the pics! Let me know what you think!

http://angelsfort.fotki.com/a-tots-world-3/ms-cindy--ms-sandra/?cmd=fs_slideshow

I also included a cute little poem on my "intro" page of my website... I thought it was appropriate!

K is for Kindergarten---hip, hip, hooray.
I is for Imagination we use everyday.
N is for Numbers—we know one, two, three.
D is for Drawing, the best you can see!
E is for Exercise to keep our bodies strong.
R is for Reading books all day long.
G is for Good friends. We made more each day.
A is for the Alphabet we know how to say.
R is for Remembering everything we learned.
T is for the Treats and stamps we earned.
E is for Excitement. This year we’ve had some.
N is for No more pre-k. Kindergarten here we come!!!!

A story for you.

2009-05-07T20:58:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to tell you about something that happened over the weekend... I thought you might get a kick out of it... we went to Sea World and had breakfast with Jack Hanna. (you've heard of him, right?)

During the breakfast, Jack was in the back of the room signing autographs and taking pictures with people... and up on the stage in front of everyone they had his helpers bringing animals out and telling everyone all about them.

Before they'd bring out the next animal, they'd let the audience members ask questions about the animal they just spoke about... and most of the people asking questions were little kids. And their questions were things like "Ummm. Why doesn't that bird have the same kind of feathers as the other bird?" or "Can he jump?" or "Why does he like grapes so much?" LOL you know, kid questions!

Then they brought out a Wallaby and told us a bit about him (he was a baby... not very big, super cute!) and again the kid questions started "Can he eat grapes too?" or "Why are his bottom feet bigger than his top feet?"

UNTIL MY DAUGHTER ASKED HER QUESTION. LOL

"Um. Excuse me, but are Wallaby's Diurnal or Nocturnal?"

You should have seen the ladies jaw drop when she heard that question!! LOL

She repeated the question for the audience and explained what Diurnal and Nocturnal meant... everyone then had to turn and look at the little girl that would ask such a question...

Too funny. It was great!!!

working hard??

2009-04-23T19:59:00.002-04:00

Okay, I broke down and asked my boss at the daycare if she'd be willing to let me work "full time" so that I could earn the money that I'm in need of...

she was more than willing!! She's also a friend of mine, so I really didn't think that she'd tell me no. Since I don't have the state mandated 45 hour training classes done (that you need in order to work in a child-care facility) she has put me in the kitchen. I get to be the daycare cook... which is very good for the ego! Every day I am hearing "wow, this is the best hamburger I've ever eaten" or "I've never had spaghetti as good as this" and my favorite "I usually hate this stuff, but you make it taste really good". All I am doing is opening the box of hamburgers and baking them... (yum) or pouring ragu sauce over some spaghetti noodles... it's not rocket science, it's something that they could do themselves... but somehow, when I'm cooking it, it's the best, the greatest, the most wonderful tasting food they've ever had! LOL Kids are so funny!!!

Here's what I am doing: I go in at 9:30 am, 3 days of the week... and it's my job to cook lunch for the entire daycare. THEN after giving a couple of breaks to teachers in their classrooms, I head off to pick up my daughter from school. I get her home, get her homework finished and then she and I head back to the daycare to work the closing shift. She helps me do much of the end of the day cleaning and tidying up (she's a really big help! and because she does such a good job, I give her a "paycheck" also when I get mine... that's makes her super D duper happy!).

two days each week, I start at 8am (right after I drop my daughter off at school) so that I can still do the grocery shopping for both daycare centers... and after I pick my daughter up from school, we go to another grocery store (those same two days) to finish the shopping at the other grocery store we purchase from.... so on these two days we add about 3 hours onto my workday.

then after I get off of work, I get to go home and try to get dinner ready for my parents and the two of us... then it's bath, brush teeth and bedtime stories (for my daughter)... now that we are working until 6:30 (or later, occasionally) she's getting to bed later than usual. So she's been tired in the mornings... her bedtime is normally 7:30.

I'm also super tired in the mornings, even though I am actually getting more sleep now that I normally do... it's strange. I've been sleep deprived for about 5 years now and now that I'm actually getting more sleep (a bit more than usual... going to bed at 11pm rather than 2 or 3 am) I'm feeling worse than I did when I was barely getting any sleep. How is that possible? Is my body saying "ooohhh... I remember sleep, give me more of it!"

I'm hoping that eventually I will get caught up and this feeling will subside... but if it doesn't then maybe I need to try to get into bed when I put my daughter into bed... perhaps that will help.

Another added benefit to this job, is that I'm getting a pretty good workout in the afternoons when I'm there doing the cleaning. I've lost a bit of weight - this is going on 3 weeks now that I've been doing this and I'm down about 7 lbs. Sure, on it's own it doesn't seem like much - but I'm hoping that in another couple of months I can tell you it's 30 lbs or so... that WILL seem like much! :o)

Got sinus issues?? I did!

2009-03-03T20:39:00.003-05:00

For the past month or more, I've been suffering from sinus headaches. I've taken more than my share of sinus medications, all of which give a VERY minimal relief to me. (and I mean VERY VERY minimal!)

A friend of mine told me about something called a "Netty Pot" which is a little kettle that you fill with a saline solution - which you then stick up your nose and pour the solution UP into your nose. Yeah. I had the same reaction that you just had when you read this... ICK!! NO way was I going to pour water UP MY NOSE!

I always hated when I got water in my nose when I was swimming... why would I now do it on purpose?!

Okay... after several days of a particularly bad headache, I caved and purchased one of these horrible little things. I carefully read the instructions, mixed their little solution with warm water... stuck the nozzle right up my nose, tilted my head and began pouring.

OMG!

You know that feeling... when you jump into the pool and don't breathe out... or you accidentally breathe in... the water in your nose awful feeling... I suffered through it...

after just a moment, it didn't annoy me as much...

then it started just feeling weird (and weird I can handle!)...

then it was actually kinda cool... cuz when you pour the saline solution in one nostril, it runs through your sinuses and then comes OUT the other nostril.

By the time the little pot was empty - I was almost happy to start again with the other nostril...
of course, that's when the sneezing began.

okay, you've just poured over a cup of water into your nose... some of it is still running out... picture me, saline solution dripping out of my nose, sneezing like a crazy person, rushing around trying to find my tissues. Of course, they were nowhere to be found. I ended up just using toilet paper to blow my nose. WOW there was still a LOT of water still up there! ( Note to self: find tissues before using netty pot. )

Okay... after going through it the second time with the other nostril (all of it, even the running around looking for tissue part! Yeah, I'm a dope)... I can assure that it actually worked.

I've had a sinus headache for so long that I almost forgot what it felt like to NOT have one... right now, about an hour after using that silly little netty pot, my headache is completely gone.

I highly recommend this little horrifying thing to anyone who has troubles with their sinuses.
so... go buy one. If only for the experience of putting water up your nose ON PURPOSE.

Below is a recipe for the saline solution that you use in the netty pot. You can always buy the little packets that came with your netty pot, but they are quite expensive for what they really are... especially when it's very simple to make your own.

The Saline Solution Recipe:
**Carefully clean and rinse a 1-quart glass jar. Fill the clean jar with distilled water.
**Add 2 or 3 heaping teaspoons of "pickling/canning" salt. DO NOT use table salt, which has unwanted additives, nor sea salt. You can ask for pickling/canning salt at the grocery store.
**Add 1 rounded teaspoon of baking soda (pure bicarbonate).
**Stir or shake before each use. Store at roome temperature.
After a week, pour out any mixture that is left over, run the jar through the dishwasher and make a new recipe.
If the mixture seems too strong, use less salt - - try 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt. For children it is best to start with a weaker salt solution. Then gradually increase to using 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons of salt, or whatever the child will accept.
Warm in microwave to body temperature for nose wash - take a few seconds only. make sure it is not too hot!

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2009-03-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

Update on my mother

2009-02-10T19:45:00.002-05:00

As it turns out, they've decided that she had a stroke during the procedure... she has FEELING in her right leg, but she cannot move it... she's got no control over it.

Just last night they located a spot for her to do some rehab and physical therapy, so they moved her to a new (closer) location. My daughter and I went to visit her - but of course, my daughter only wanted to play with grampa. "Hi Gramma, Grampa can we go for a walk around the hospital?" (that's pretty much how it went)

AND my daughter wrote me this cute little love letter at school today, (it's posted in a separate post) and as she was pulling it out of her backpack she said "Momma, I made you a valentine letter but I'm gonna show it to gramma" then she handed it to my mother. My mother read it and started crying... even though it very obviously wasn't for her... and my daughter even SAID just before she handed it to her that it was for me... and my mother told my father to put it in her address book because she wanted to save it.

As we were leaving, I asked my mother if I could have the letter so that I could take it home and scan it... then I'd send it back to the hospital with my dad tomorrow... she opened it up and read it again, then she handed it to me. So, luckily I at least get to have a "copy" of the letter!!

We are still enjoying the nice quiet house, now my father will be able to come home in the evenings (instead of sleeping in a chair in the hospital room) which makes us all very happy (especially my daughter!). I'm actually starting to sleep a little bit better (a little) with the house so quiet in the evenings... and no stress of worrying what's going to set off my mother "this time"

I'm still jobless... but still looking...

2009-02-10T19:42:00.001-05:00

I recieved this note today from my daughter... it made me a little bit weepy! Read it and you'll understand completely!

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2009-01-31T17:18:00.001-05:00

Sorry this is sideways! It's a cell phone picture...

We took a walk around the block and she started picking up the wild "potato's" that we were seeing everywhere. She got so many that she had to use her sweater to carry them. She was so proud of how many she found!! (she would have gotten even more if I hadn't told her that she had enough and wasn't allowed to pick up any more)

2009-01-30T17:16:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I currently work for a local daycare doing their grocery shopping for them. (I get the milk and baby food and all of the breakfast and lunch ingredients, etc) This taks all of about 4 hours each week... paychecks are a miserable amount!!

SO! I've been looking for a job for months now... with no luck. (read previous posts for THAT story!)

Well... a month or so ago one of the managers (at one of the stores I shop at for the daycare) was complaining about one of his employees. She's unreliable, lazy... hates to work, etc. I jokingly said to him "You should hire me, I'm reliable and hard-working" then he said "you already have a job" I told him about how little hours I put in for the daycare... and after a little more chit chat, he finally said "I just hired a bunch of new people, but by February most of them will have quit - they are young and don't seem very reliable"

Well, last week when I came into the store for my weekly shopping visit - he approached me in the cereal isle and asked me "Can you work weekends?" This was the first thing he said to me... didn't give me a "Hi, how are you today" or any of the usual greetings.... so I was a bit taken aback by his "Can you work weekends" question. So I asked him why and he explained about one of the girls who always had some excuse as to why she couldn't work her full shift, or couldn't come in at all... he was going to be transferring her to another store. He said that once he did, he'd have an opening for a cashier. He gave me a website to visit to do an "online" interview - which was a series of questions you had to answer... apparently if you answer them correctly, you get a call from one of the managers to come in for a face-to-face interview.

I did the thing online and a few days later went back into the store... the manager went back and pulled up my info and said he needed about a week or so... he was still working through the employee transfer.

SO! If you are a praying person, I'd appreciate some prayers thrown up for me. This job would be perfect. It's during the day (when my daughter is in school) and even though I still have to put her into the 'after-care" at school, it would only be for just over an hour. And although the job would requre that I work weekends, it's not EVERY weekend. They rotate the weekends between the three daytime cashiers. I've got quite a few people who have already volunteered to help out with my daughter on those weekends. (plus I can ask both sets of grandparents - so I'm not real worried about the weekends)

I am concerned about how my little squirt is going to react to the need for her to go into after-care in the afternoons, she's never had to do that before... hopefully it will be a smooth transition.

I was mistaken

2009-01-30T10:51:00.004-05:00

My mothers gastric bypass surgery was on the 26th not on the 28th.

When she came out of the operating room, they told my father that everything went as planned, and that she'd be groggy for a couple of hours afterwards. It was then MY job to call all of the relatives that were waiting to hear how the surgery went... I spent more time on the phone that day than I have in the entire week prior. (and I don't like talking on the phone!!!)

Once the medication wore off, my mother discovered that she has no feeling whatsoever in her right leg or her left thumb... the doctors could not explain why it was happening. They've guessed that perhaps the straps they had on her during the surgery may have pinched a nerve and it's a bruised nerve that's causing it... then there is also the possibility that something has happened to one of the two anuerysms that she's got in her head (fairly large, right behind her eyes... one of which is on her optic nerve and affecting her vision). They've got a call in for a nuerologist to come and take a look.. but as of this moment (when I'm writin this) they still haven't made it in to see her.

They are also discussing the possibility of sending her to a rehab center for physical therapy... which she is STRONGLY opposed to because they would be sending her to the same rehab center that she went to a few months ago after another surgery she had... nobody can understand why she doesn't want to go to this place. I do. The nurses and staff at this location have already had experience with her... they know what she is like after the first few days (for the first few days, she's a lovely wonderful lady... then she gets tired of putting on a happy face...)

please visit: http://www.bpdcentral.com/resources/basics/indicators.shtml to get a peek at her "personality"

So Far So Good

2009-01-18T19:06:00.002-05:00

so... I've been able to resist the "late night snack" temptation... that's helping a bit. I think that it would be much easier if I was able to get to sleep earlier as well.

Right now I stay up for a few hours after I put my daughter to bed... not because I WANT to, but because I just can't sleep. It's not unusual for me to be finally getting to bed around 3 or 4 in the morning. It's been this way since my husband passed away...

With that schedule, it's around 9:30 or 10 pm when I get hungry and feel the desire to start snacking...

I have to say that I've got a "good" role model also. My mother is having gastric bypass surgery on the 28th and she's supposed to be on a mostly liquid diet for 2 full weeks prior to the surgery (2 liquid meals and one low carb / high protien meal each day). And for the two weeks before that (starting one month prior to the surgery) she was supposed to be eating low carb / high protien meals at EVERY meal. Well... if you listen to her talking to her family members on the phone, you'd think that she was being extremely strict with this... doing it completely by the book. But when you live in the same house with her and you can SEE what she's actually eating, you'll see that she's not following the diet at all. She doesn't seem to have any control over herself whatsoever. There are medical reasons for why they want her on this special diet prior to the surgery... to make the surgery safer and to ensure a success.

For the first two week period (where she was suppsed to eat low carb / high protien meals) she did manage to eat more protien, BUT she didn't lower her carbs at all. All she managed to do was eat more food than normal. She figured that the protien was the most important part (her translation of the doctors orders) and she'd make sure she was getting the proper amount... then for this last two weeks (where she's supposed to eat 2 liquid meals - high protien shakes mostly - and have one low carb / high protien meal) she's doing the same thing... she's drinking two liquid meals... but then she's "saving" the carbs at mealtime by only eating meat... so she can have a sugary snack. I also have a sneaky suspicion that she's got food hidden in her room somewhere... but I don't have any proof of that.

I said she was a "good" role model. She is. Just like she's been a "good" role model for me all of my life. I see what she is doing and I know that I don't want to do that, or be that way. I see how she's eating and how she's abused food and I know that I don't want to be following that same path.

I'm able to stick to my plan easier because I see that she's not able to... how's that make me look?? Honestly, I don't care. This is my life and I really don't give a hoot what other people think of me... my motto in life has ALWAYS been "if you don't like the way I look, then don't look at me". (and that goes for what's inside and out!) It's that simple.

I want to change my weight because I am not happy with myself. I miss being able to run and play and jump and climb trees... I really miss having energy (and I think that SLEEP has a lot to do with my problems!).

okay. I'm done for today. I'm not going to brag about the scales showing 2 lbs less than they had last week... because 2 lbs is NO BIG DEAL. When I get to 10 lbs... I'll start braggin'!!!

"Happy" New Year

2009-01-16T20:49:00.002-05:00

I've been inspired by several of my friends... they are on a mission to re-shape themselves this year. One of them is taking photos of herself each week to track her progress, and she's making herself accountable to an entire website of people! I don't know if I have the gumption to do that myself... but I'm going to put it on here anways.

Right now, I'm about 60 lbs overweight. 60 lbs doesn't SOUND like that much, it should be easy to get rid of... right?? Well, considering that I've been trying for years and years... I put that in italics because I'm not sure that "trying" is what I've actually been doing. I've been unhappy with my weight and I've had the intention of doing something about it... but I've never really taken any steps to actually change it.

I've said "I'll start eating better next week" or "after this weekend, I'll start biking again"... but guess what!? I NEVER DO! (surprised right?!)

I've been at this weight for about 3 1/2 years now... not gaining anymore and not losing either. I know that what I am eating NOW is not making me bigger... but it's also not helping me to get any smaller. When I lost my husband, I stopped caring about what I was eating or how I was eating... I didn't do any exercise (other than chasing my toddler around the house), I stopped caring how I looked or how I dressed and even my personal hygiene (I know it's a gross thought!) went south for a while. (an EXTREMELY short while, I assure you!) Personal Hygiene was the first to return... not showering for a couple of days makes my head itch!

It's been nearly 5 years now and I've finally come full circle. I think I'm ready to get myself back... I think I owe it to my daughter, to have a healthy and energetic mommy again... like I was when she was just a year old and we still had her daddy with us.

I'm commiting myself to making a change (or two or three) for the better.

WHO'S WITH ME?!

New Years Eve - my experience!

2009-01-02T00:13:00.003-05:00

So. For those of you that know me, you know that I am not a "party" type of person.. I'll go, if I know everyone or if for some reason I feel that I HAVE to be there...

well... I'm not sure why I agreed, but I told the ladies at my womens group that I would go to their New Years Eve party... it was going to be with our leaders husbands mens group as well. Almost as soon as I said I'd go, I started asking myself WHY I had agreed to go... there were going to be people there that I didn't know! I'm scared of new people! (okay, SCARED is a strong word... and doesn't really apply, but still...) Am I unsociable? Not really... but I am shy and uncomfortable (at first) around new people. And when I'm uncomfortable I tend to say things that are either inappropriate (foot in mouth!) or embarassing! LOL And knowing that I do this makes me even more nervous around new people!!

So anyways... the night of the party comes along and I leave early so that I can get some dinner before the party. (because I also have a very active imagination and I can envision myself dribbling food on myself, or ending up with food in my teeth and nobody telling me... or being nervous and talking with my mouth full of food LOL all things that don't happen normally, but I didn't want to take any chances!)

The party is at the home of a group member, which is about 30 minutes from my house... and during the entire drive I'm having a conversation with myself in my head. (yeah, I'm talking to myself! you got a problem with that?! *grin*) Mainly asking myself what was I thinking by agreeing to go to this party... and trying to convince myself that it was going to be fun... and also trying to find a reason why I suddenly couldn't attend... ah, inner conflict is so much fun! NOT!

I made it to Chipotle, and got my food and sat down and began eating... then my cell phone rang. It was one of my best friends calling to see if my offer to allow her to join me at this party was still out there... boy did I jump on that!! YES YES YES! Please join me!

She met me at the restaurant shortly after I finished eating and then followed me to the house... fortunately, the party was smaller than I was anticipating and I knew almost everyone! Apparently most of the group members had other places they wanted to be that night and didn't come... hooray for me!

While they waited for others to arrive (you know, the ones who DIDN'T arrive) somebody put in a DVD of the TV show "The Office" for us to watch. What a funny show! The men (3 of them) went outside to shoot darts, the women stayed inside and chatted and watched the DVD. It was nice and mellow... just the kind of party I like! We didn't stay until midnight because I promised my daughter that I'd be home to watch the ball drop with her.

When I got home my dad and my little silly head were waiting for me... they had some bottle rockets to shoot off and wanted me to be out there with them. My dad would set them off and my daughter and I would watch it go up and then listen for where it landed. Then we'd get out our flashlights and try to find the stick... sometimes we did, and sometimes we didn't. (usually we didn't though!)

My daughter was so excited that I was letting her stay up until midnight... she even agreed to take a nap earlier in the day, so that she'd be allowed to! Amazing.

At midnight we watched the ball drop, toasted New Years with some Applejuice and ginger ale mixed together... (ick) and then we started the "winding down" process!! She was in bed by around 1:15 or so (a.m.!!) And out before I made it out of her room!! (and then she was UP at her normal time... so we were both grouchy and tired today!)

So how was YOUR New Years Eve?

My generous daughter

2008-12-23T10:50:00.002-05:00

My little girl. I've said before that she's an amazing little thing. She's 6 years old and has the most generous heart. Anytime we go to visit someone (be it an adult or a child) she MUST find something to give to them. I can't tell you how many times I've had to stand at the front door waiting for her to emerge from her foraging in her room where she found the "perfect" item for whomever we were going to see.

Every month her school chooses a day for the parents to come in and have lunch with their children... I normally bring in some cookies or little candies (sugar free, usually!) for her to walk around and offer to her classmates, because I know how she loves to give things away. It makes her so happy to be able to share with her friends and their parents.

There have been quite a few times where I've had to step in and tell her that she couldn't give certain things away... if she thinks that someone else will enjoy it, and even though she will certainly miss the item, she will try to give it away.

Okay, having said all of that...

This past weekend my mother had her "family" christmas party... and all of the grandchildren recieved VISA gift cards from gramma. My daughter decided that instead of going to ToysR US or to Walmart to buy herself some toys - she wanted to go to the mall and get her momma some hand soaps from Bath and Body Works. (they were 3 for $10 so she picked out 3 for me... she walked all around the display smelling each one carefully and then picked out her 3 favorites. She told me that I'm not allowed to smell them until Christmas morning.)

Then she wanted to go to Walmart to pick out some items for her gramma and grampa. She got gramma some bedroom slippers and got grampa some new socks ("Momma, grampa's socks all have holes in them... and his feet might get cold")

She spent a good deal of her money on buying gifts for others. She would have gotten more things (for her cousins this time) but I stopped her. I told her that she really should save it and get herself something. So now she's got a little left on her gift card and she can combine that with any money that she might recieve from her Nana and Poppy... and after Christmas we'll go off somewhere so she can get herself something. (hopefully she'll get herself something! I might just put my foot down)

She had so much fun shopping for her family... and you could just see it in her little face that she was proud that she was able to buy gifts ALL BY HERSELF, with her own money, for the ones that she loves. She's truly going to enjoy Christmas morning when she can give the presents that she bought.

She makes me so proud.

Christmas Angels

2008-12-23T10:34:00.003-05:00

A couple months back (end of October) I was complaining that Social Security was going to hold back payments to me for a couple of months because they "claim" they overpaid me last year... nice timing on their part. The pretty much removed any hopes of us having a "normal" Christmas.

I've been stressing over this. I did sell some portraits and that helped me to get caught up on a few of my bills, but it didn't help with Christmas, like I had hoped that it would. The economy being what it is, the photo business is slim right about now. (and more than likely, it's going to be getting worse!)

I don't recall telling anyone (other than venting here in my blog!) about this... but just a couple of nights ago we got a visit from a couple of Christmas Angels. They were bearing gifts for a 6 year old girl! There were a couple of large items (including two of my daughters favorite things... A Littlest Pet Shop Club House and also a Hannah Montana barbie doll... she has recently discovered Hannah Montana, she sings, so it's right up her alley!) I had been able to get one item (by spending money that was meant to pay one of my bills) and I borrowed money from my parents to get another item (but I HATE HATE HATE doing that, something that I might get into in another post one of these days.... what it's like living with someone who has Borderline Personality Disorder... visit www.bpdcentral.com to learn a little about it...). Now I've got a few items to put into her Christmas stocking and more lovely things to wrap and put underneath the tree for her!

And there was a gift card to our local supermarket also! Which means that I will actually be able to pull my own weight with the Christmas dinner plans (woo hoo!). Relief!

When I asked these Angels how they knew that I was stressing about this, their reply was "We didn't know. But God did."

well. How's that for lovely??

Thank you LORD, for thinking of me and giving me just what I needed. A little bit of Christmas hope and joy. (and relief! I feel so much better now!) And thank you for sending your Christmas Angels my way. I know that there are so many out there who are in need and I feel a little bit guilty that we have been placed on the recieving end... there are many out there that have even less than we do. I'm praying that He takes care of them also.

2008-11-20T21:15:00.004-05:00

One of the mothers at my daughters school recently (and unexpectedly) lost her husband a couple of weeks ago... we didn't know each other, except in passing... last week I was told (via the "rumor weed") that she was now a widow. The rest of the week and all through the weekend, I felt a weight on my heart... and the strange feeling that I should talk to her. (since I'm also a widow and lost my husband unexpectedly as well... and I've got a young daughter the same age as hers) The feelings persisted the entire weekend. On Monday, I saw her at the 1st grade lunch (the parents are allowed to come in one day a month and have lunch with their children) and again, I got the feeling that I should talk to her. Okay, I am NOT the kind of person who can just walk up to someone and start a conversation. I'm shy and I tend to just stand back and watch things happen... this was WAY out of my comfort zone. I sat through the entire lunch trying to build up the nerve to approach her... well, it didn't happen.

After the lunch was over, I decided to wander around the Sanford mall until it was time to go back to the school to get my daughter. Well... lo and behold, who should I run into?? Yup. It was her. She was there with one of the other moms... this time I managed to get up the nerve to walk in her direction, but when they noticed me coming, all I could do was just pretend that it was a chance meeting and I just said "Hello" and then went on my way. I know, I'm such a chicken. I told myself that it was because I didn't want to discuss it in front of the other mom... yeah, right.

When it was about an hour before I had to pick up my daughter, I headed back to the school and sat in the car line area reading my book... and guess who showed up just as early? You guessed it! She was parked right in front of me. I could see that she was talking on the phone... so I told myself that I'd just wait until she got off the phone (secretly hoping that she talked until it was time for the kids to get out). Not 3 seconds after I had that thought, she hung up her phone.
It was at this point that it finally occurred to me that I WAS NOT in charge here... God was speaking to me... that voice that I kept hearing in my head telling me to go speak with her was not my own. So I started mumbling under my breath to God about how I heard him and I got the point... as I got out of my car and headed towards hers.

She saw me coming and I could see on her face (in her side mirror) that she wasn't happy to see me walking her way. I almost stopped and went back to my car, but I felt a push on my back at that moment. (okay okay... I'm going!! Geesh!) Well... she rolled down her window without even looking in my direction... then she turned her head slowly to face me. (poor woman! She was so tired of having all of the parents at the school telling her how "sorry" they were to hear about her husband... she really didn't to hear it again)

I handed her a business card and told her that my phone number and e-mail address were on there... she looked at me as if I was insane... then I explained why. "I'm a widow also. I lost my husband nearly 5 years ago in an unexpected way. I was devastated and I know exactly how you are feeling right now. If you EVER want to speak to someone who understands what you are feeling and understands what you are going through. Please call me." (I'm sure those weren't my exact words, because I was terrified and I don't really remember what I said) Well... we talked for about 45 minutes before we had to move up to get our girls...

I've spoken to her several times since then... she helped me one day to take pictures (she was a very good helper!) and we had lunch afterwards. I've been sharing my experience with her and hoping and praying that I'm saying the right things... I feel like the words I need are escaping me and I have no idea if I am really helping her. I really hope that I am...

One thing that I discovered when my husband passed away (and I've been telling her this often) is that I was much stronger than I thought I was. When my world came crashing down on me in April of 2004, I thought that I was going to die also. How could I possibly go on without him?? Then, months later, I looked at our beautiful daughter and I saw him in her... and it occured to me that as long as I had her, that I hadn't lost all of him... he wasn't completely gone.

dinner??

2008-11-13T20:13:00.003-05:00

my daughter had green beans and black olives for dinner tonight. Does that count as a "healthy" dinner??

(everyone else had rotisserie chicken and garlic potatoes also... but she didn't touch those, even though they were on her plate... she finished her green beans and then got the rest of them out of the kitchen and finished them off... )

The Concert

2008-11-07T10:08:00.000-05:00

I recieved this in an e-mail this morning and it touched on my soft spot... I just had to post it. (instead of forwarding it!)

*************************************************************

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the Mother returned to her seat and discovered that her child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.

To her horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit … keep playing."

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played.
Only the classic, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.

The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully... You may hear the voice of The Master, whispering in your ear, “Don't quit . . . Keep playing." May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

Remember, God doesn't seem to call the equipped, rather, He equips the "called".

Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire. May God bless you and be with You Always and remember....

"Don't quit . . . Keep playing."

Contemplations...

2008-10-28T18:40:00.002-04:00

This afternoon on our way home from school... I saw some little kids wandering on the sidewalk, backpacks still on... I figured they were on their way home from school. That got me wondering about another little boy that my daughter and I used to see on our way out in the mornings... he'd be sitting (or standing) all alone on the corner, jacket on (usually) and his backpack sitting on the ground next to him.

He was always lost in his own little world... you could just tell. Sometimes he'd be dancing, sometimes he'd be staring up at the sky... other times he'd be aiming his hands at us like they were guns and blowing our car up as we went past. (I'd glance in the rear view mirror and see his arms up over his head like he'd just witnessed a huge explosion)

After the first half of the year, we started shooting back.

He'd see us coming and the "guns" would come out... we'd have our windows down on that side of the car and aim our "guns" (just our hands!) at him as we drove by... and the war would begin... sure, it was a war that lasted less than 30 seconds... but it was OURs! And as always, I'd glance in the rear view mirror, he'd be smirking as he watched us explode. (I'm guessing that in his mind, he always won our little gun-fight)

We never stopped to speak to him - never learned anything about him, other than the fact that he was always at his bus stop by 7:45am each morning.

This year, we don't see him. I wonder if he's just moved into high school and his bus stop time is different now, or if maybe he moved away... and then another thought came to mind.. he will never know that he brought joy into our lives every school morning with our little "wars", that even when we were grumpy when we left the house, we'd always be in a much better mood by the time we got to the end of the street becuase we got to see him (and fight! LOL).

We miss him.

My Daughter

2008-10-24T19:03:00.002-04:00

my daughter is amazing. She's so very happy despite everything that has happened to us during her lifetime. She doesn't have the benefit of her daddy being around... and occasionally she asks about him (more and more lately, it seems)... but she's so well adjusted.

This year she didn't get to have a birthday party (this is the first time she's not been able to have one) and right now I can hear her in the other room with her grampa just LAUGHING away. she's got such a zest for life... she is so full of joy that you can't help but feel it with her. her smile is contagious.

And she's so gosh darned cute. (come on, you've seen her pictures on here!)

I'm depressed because I can't give her everything that I want to give her... (which would probably spoil her!) and she's back there laughing her head off.

this moment kinda causes me to put things in perspective.

by the way, thank you Lord for giving the cashiers at Publix this afternoon a soft heart for us when we came in and asked to exchange the birthday cake that we forgot to refridgerate last night. They allowed us to exchange it even though it was completely my fault that it got ruined. (we told the truth!) Of course, as we were walking away the manager said "Put this one in the fridge!" LOL

Happy Birthday my little Beauty!

2008-10-24T18:28:00.003-04:00

Today is my daughters birthday!

She got something that she's wanted for a very long time... but it was a trade off because it was either have a birthday party or get a present from mommy this year...

Money is SUPER tight this year... I primarily live off of the Social Security death benefit that I receive each month. Right now it's even tighter because SS decided they overpayed me last year and they aren't going to send me anything for the next couple of months... hooray for me. There goes birthday party plans and from the looks of it - Christmas as well. Unless I can find work...

so far nobody is hiring a person who cannot work nights and weekends. I'm sorry people, but I don't have anyone to watch my daughter while I work... so I either need to work while she's in school (and after-care) or I don't work. And there's no spot on an application for you to write "single mother - no child care options" or anything like that. Someone said to me that I could hire a sitter for the weekends...

okay... I live primarily on the money I recieve from SS. Per THEIR rules, I cannot earn more than a certain amount each year or I lose those benefits. In order to make ends meet, I need to get a job... in order to get a job I now have to pay for child care which means, now I have to make enough money for child care AND to make ends meet. Which means more hours, more money in a paycheck - more than likely going over the allowed amount and then losing my SS benefits... do you see where this is going?? Which leaves me with close to the same amount of money I had been recieving each month from SS but now I have to work even MORE hours, less time with my precious little girl... where's my life going??

THIS SUCKS.

I know that there are women out there who work full time (with no SS benefits or child support) and pay for child care for multiple children at the same time... but the children are more than likely losing out on special time with mommy because she's working so much... I WANT to be there for my daughter. She's so smart and such a joy - I don't want to risk losing that ability to drop everything and have lunch with her... or go on a field trip with her class at school... the freedom to be home with her when she's sick or there's a teachers workday...

I don't want to be one of those "career" women any longer. My career is my daughter... she isn't my LIFE, but I like that my life can include a lot of her in it.

Chapstick Air Freshener??

2008-10-17T10:30:00.003-04:00

Last night, as I walked past my daughters bedroom... I heard an unusual noise coming from inside. So I walked in to check it out (she was SUPPOSED to be sleeping!) and found my daughter sitting up in her bed, with her cherry chapstick in her hand.

I asked her what she was doing and I got the deer in the headlights look... it was then that I noticed that her face was awfully shiny. SO, I leaned against the bedrail and touched her face and discovered that it was SLIMY! (ick) And as I removed my arm from her bed I found that my arm was now slimy as well...

I went over and turned on the light in her room and saw that not only had she covered her face and her arms in this cherry chapstick... but she had also decided that because it smelled so darned good, she wanted her BED to smell nice also. She had covered her bed rails with it, too.

Okay, it was at this point (with her looking at me as if the world was about to come crashing down and cherry chapstick coating every surface of her bed that was within reach) that I suddenly got the giggles.

2008-10-05T19:31:00.002-04:00

One of my best friends is expecting... she's almost 20 weeks now. This is her first and she's so excited because she and her husband have been trying to concieve for over 4 years now. She found out a few weeks ago that it was a girl, but she didn't want to believe it until she was further along. (she was hoping they were mistaken) This afternoon she had another ultrasound and they confirmed it! She's having a girl!!

When they told her a few weeks ago that it was a girl, she cried. She wanted a boy in the worst way!! It took her a few days, but she got over the shock and now she's just happy to be pregnant!!

So far the name is Ashley, but that could change over the course of the next few weeks... who knows. I can't wait to meet this new little girl ! I'm gonna spoil her and make her as girlie as I possibly can! (with the help of MY little girl) Bring on the pink ruffly clothes!! LOL

A Song to my husband

2008-09-26T20:47:00.002-04:00

To Where You Are (by Josh Groban)
(click on it in my playlist to hear it!)

who can say certain
Maybe you’re still here
I feel you all around me
your memories so clear

deep in the stillness
I can hear you speak
You’re still an inspiration
can it be
that you are my.. forever love
and you are watching over me,
from up above

fly.. me up to where you are
beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight
to see you smile
if only for a while, to know you’re there
a breath away is not far to where you are

are you gently sleeping, here inside my dreams?
and isn’t faith believing, all power can’t be seen?

as my heart holds you, just one beat away
I cherish all you gave me.. everyday

cause you are my.. forever love
watching over me from up above
and I believe that angels breathe
and that love will live on and never leave

fly.. me up to where you are
beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight
to see you smile
if only for a while to know you’re there
a breath away is not far to where you are

I know you’re there
a breath away is not far to where you are

A new photography experience tonight!

2008-09-20T20:10:00.003-04:00

Wow. I had a friend ask me if I could come and take pictures of her daughter (and her sister, and her niece and her nephew) getting baptized. Not the dunk them in the water type, but the pour a little Holy water on your head type... the way I understood it was that I'd be taking pictures of the children in their cute little outfits and the actual baptism.

WELL. Once I got there and had my camera out... everyone and their brother wanted a "family" picture because they hadn't had one in YEARS. Okay, I'm not an "event" photographer. I do portraits. Usually with my backdrops set up, my lights going... shoot through umbrellas and the like... I was completely thrown out of my comfort zone tonight with this "event"!!! I didn't have my lights, I didn't have my backdrops, I didn't have my umbrellas to diffuse the flash... HOLY MOLY did I feel nervous!

I took it all in stride. When gramma came over and asked me to take a picture of her with her twin sister - I got them together and posed them how I wanted then snapped the picture... when Jeremy came and wanted a picture with his little cousin Anthony "no problem" I got the shot.

Okay, every shot I was taking was turning out underexposed - because I didn't have my lights!!! The only available light was coming from my speed light (my external flash) and the fluorescents on the ceiling... it wasn't enough!! They were coming at me too fast to be able to play with my camera settings too much... I tried!! I got a TON of pictures.

Now I am praying that the Good Lord see's it in his heart to make these pictures come out well. I sure could use the money that this would generate for me!

I'm off now to upload the pictures to my computer, so I can start looking over them and deciding which pictures are sell-able and which aren't! I'll keep ya' posted. (maybe!)

Meeting a friend of daddy's

2008-09-20T09:25:00.002-04:00

We are so excited!! Next weekend we are going to be driving out to St Cloud to meet up with one of my husbands managers from Disney. She knew him for many years before he and I got together... she's actually the one that said to him "She likes you, you should ask her out to dinner" (of course, it took him over a month to finally do it!)

She lives on a large piece of property and has many animals (which my daughter is thrilled about) but the best part is that she's got lots of stories to share with my little pumpkin about her daddy. When I called her, and heard her voice again after all these years (it's been a little over 4 years now) it brought memories of my husband flooding back to me.

My daughter has been asking more and more about her daddy, and I got the idea of trying to visit with one of his friends (if I could locate them!) and when I brought up the idea to my daughter she got very excited. Now that we are definitely going to visit with Caroline (the manager) we are both just bursting with energy and excitement. And my little "vet in training" was even MORE excited when I told her about all the animals they had at their house!! LOL

I'm debating bringing my little digital recorder along to maybe get the stories recorded?? What do you think of that idea?

Trying to find a job!

2008-09-11T21:32:00.004-04:00

For several weeks now I've been trying to find a part-time job... it's getting very discouraging! The problem I'm having is that I can only work while my daughter is in school... I have nobody to watch her after school (or on weekends) so my availability is rough!

I've applied at many MANY places and been told pretty much the exact same thing each time! "Sorry, but we aren't hiring for those hours at this time"

A friend of mine takes a belly-dance class every week and she put in a good word for me with one of her classmates, who happens to be the hiring manager at the Joanne's Etc near the Sanford Mall... SOOOO... this morning I put in my application with them, and sent off some silent prayers on my way out the door and out of the parking lot, that someone will finally give me a chance!!

So... if you are the praying sort, PLEASE keep me in yours! If you aren't then just send some positive thoughts my way, if you would!

She's back in school.

2008-09-03T22:27:00.004-04:00

So, I had the whole summer to be goofy and explore and be crazy with my daughter. She helped me with the grocery shopping (insisted, actually, that SHE do most of the work! LOL She's so great!) and now that she's started school again I have to relearn how to do it without her! (I'm kidding)

I miss her silly little songs and dances, and the crazy idea's she'd come up with - things that we could do that day... now I have to entertain myself during the day (even while working - cuz she was able to join me while I worked also)... it's not nearly as much fun!

When she missed those few days of school because of the Hurricane / Tropical Storm we explored our flooded neighborhood - collecting leaves and rocks - tossing pine cones and acorns into the rivers that used to be trickling streams the week before. We had a good time in the rain, splashing in puddles and chasing the cats around the yard (our cats don't mind the wet!).

Now I have to fight with my dad over who gets to play with her - during the summer there was plenty of time in the day to share - and most of the time he wins cuz she ADORES him. And she's got him wrapped around her little finger - very tight!!

Mommy keeps saying things like "be careful" and "don't run so fast, you'll fall and hurt yourself" or even "eww, don't touch that! It's gross!"

Grampa on the flip side says things like "isn't that neat?" or "catch that bug so we can watch it crawl on us" or "lets go dig a hole in the backyard" Who can compete with that sort of fun??? LOL

Multimedia message

2008-08-17T11:53:00.001-04:00

Meet Lacey... our big hermit crab. I tried to get a picture of Benjamin too (the small one) but he was too fast for my camera phone!

A message for Grampa

2008-08-12T23:12:00.003-04:00

This evening my daughter caught my dad reading a book on how to create an HTML web page... he's been working at it for about a week now... she asked him what he was reading and when he explained to her that he was trying to learn how to create a web page for the internet, she told him that he was old and out of school, so he didn't need to learn things anymore.

His response to her was that you should always keep learning new things, no matter what age you are... cuz if you stop learning things and stop keeping your mind active then it won't be long before you start forgetting things... and then you'll start getting stupider and stupider. (LOL, my dad has such a way with words!)

At this point I'm expecting my daughter to start complaining about how NOW she has to keep learning even after she gets out of school... (she's been complaining that summer wasn't long enough and she doesn't want to go back to school... her favorite phrase being "I can't wait til I'm a grown up and I don't have to go to school anymore") but she surprised me with her response.

She said "Well Grampa, then I better leave you alone so you can keep reading and learning from your book. You don't need to get any stupider"

LOL She's FIVE!!

Out of the mouths of babes

2008-08-10T23:09:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, while my daughter and I were out doing our personal errands - getting our last minute school supplies and picking up dance class stuff - my daughter was in the backseat singing along to her favorite Veggie Tales CD, when suddenly she said to me "Momma, did you know that my love for you is unstoppable?? Nothing is ever going to make me stop loving you"

talk about getting choked up! But I managed to hold it together and tell her that my love was exactly the same for her.

I'm so very blessed to have her!!

What are YOU honking at?!

2008-08-07T11:44:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you became one of the people that you are always making fun of?? The other day I became one of "those" people.

I'm sitting at a traffic light, my mind is going in a million places all at once. When suddenly the lady in the car behind me starts frantically honking her horn. I look in my rear view mirror and see her looking to her right and her left and acting as if she really needs to get somewhere fast. She looked very stressed about something! I watched her for a bit, heard her honking and wondered if I should get out of my car and go back there to see if she was okay... see if she needed to call someone (maybe she didn't have a cell phone). A good minute or more passes with her honkin' and me watching...

...then I hear this little voice in the back seat (it's my daughter, and not my conscience, as it turns out) say "Um, mommy, the light is green" and that's when it all becomes clear...

...that crazy woman behind me is acting the way she is because the light has turned green and I'm just sitting here like a dope. She's trying to figure out how she can get around me without getting into an accident. I'm sure that my face turned red, although for what purpose at this point I really don't know...

imagine how she would have reacted if I had actually gotten out of my car to see what was wrong with her!! I think she might have blown a gasket!!

Memories of my husband

2008-08-06T19:32:00.003-04:00

Last night I had a dream that my husband and I were on a cruise in the caribbean. We went to the shows on the ship, ate dinner at the midnight buffet, watched romantic movies and even sat up on the top deck making fun of the other passengers and goofing around. It was a blast!

I woke up with the feeling that I had just had the pleasure of spending some quality time with my husband. I spent the whole day with a lightness in my heart that I very rarely get to feel... but I also had a sadness because I have lost him again.

sleep? where are you?!

2008-08-04T21:26:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had one of those nights where your mind wouldn't shut down and you couldn't get to sleep?? Or you were so very OVERtired that you couldn't get to sleep? Well... take those nights of unrest and multiply it by about 4 years... THAT is my life. I haven't really had a good nights sleep since my husband passed away in 2004. For the first couple of years, I couldn't even FORCE myself to go crawl into my bed... just the thought of sleeping in there without him was too much for me. I slept many nights on the couch, or even in bed with my daughter (once she got into a twin sized bed) and there was always the temptation to let her start sleeping with me in my bed. At least then I wouldn't be in there by myself.

I think that my body wouldn't know how to react if it ever got more than 5 hours of sleep in a night. (and that 5 hours is the rarity, when I am actually able to get to sleep within reason...)

She was only a year old when we lost him... and many nights I would lie there worrying that something was going to happen to me also and she'd be an orphan. Who would take care of her if I was to suddenly disappear from her life too?? Who would love her and give her the direction that she needs to become the amazing person that I know she is destined to be??

And on the nights that I wasn't worried about something happening to me, I was worrying that something was going to happen to HER. I'd check on her every hour... watching her chest to make sure she's still breathing... touching her cheeks to make sure they were still soft and warm... I'd stand by her bed watching her until she did her ritual muttering in her sleep or she rolled over or something...

After 4 years, I still check on her a couple of times each night but I'm not obsessive about it... and I don't lie awake wondering when my demise will be (not every night, anyways!)... but what I HAVE done is gotten used to not sleeping at night... and I'm still hesitant about getting into my bed alone.

I'd like to get over this lack of sleep thing... I miss the days of waking up refreshed and renewed. (as much as I miss waking up to the handsome face of my husband)

If anyone out there reading this has any advice for me, I'm open to it!

Orlando Pampered Pet Expo!!

2008-08-04T16:48:00.005-04:00

Orlando Pampered Pet Expo
August 8-10 at the Orange County Convention Center
(Friday, 4 - 9 pm)

(Saturday, 10 am - 7 pm)......(Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm)

The Pampered Pet Expo is a family-oriented consumer event in the Central Florida area. The event focuses on an important member of the family —- your pet. Whether it's a dog, cat, fish, bird or small exotic, the Expo will provide an opportunity to shop for everything for your pet under one roof including pet retailers and boutiques, online pet websites, behavior specialists, veterinarians, pet food manufacturers, rescue and adoption organizations, shelters, training, boarding and day care, bakeries, service companies, safety equipment and more!

Guests will also have an opportunity to talk with professionals who can answer your questions or provide advice about your special friend. In addition, the Pampered Pet Expo will offer a variety of entertainment for everyone in the family, even if you’re not a pet guardian right now!

For all the details go to:
http://www.pamperedpetexpo.com/index.html

I'll be there on Saturday! Will you join me?!

Clean Up time!

2008-08-04T00:24:00.002-04:00

My daughter's room always looks exactly like mine did when I was growing up... messy messy messy. So today, while she was at her Nana's house, I decided I was going in there and cleaning it. Now, I don't know about YOU but when I clean my daughters room... things "disappear"... things like old kids meal toys... scraps of paper that she's drawn some sillyness on... stickers that have lost there sticky... anything that's broken...

most often if it's out of sight, it's out of mind, so she doesn't EVER notice the things that are no longer in there.

Well... before I could finish cleaning her room I got a phone call from Nana saying that my daughter was ready to come home. Once we got back home, I enlisted her help with the rest of the room... my thinking being that if she helps me decide where things should go, then maybe she'll remember where to put them when she finishes playing with them! (yeah, I know that it's wishfull thinking... you don't have to tell me!) So as we were sorting through things, we found one of the American Idol toy things from the McD's kids meals... you know those really dumb dolls that sang a snippet of some lame song? We found the cowboy one... it says "yeeeee haaaww" and then plays some funky music... I asked my daughter if she even played with it any longer and she told me no. SO, I told her to go ahead and put it in the garbage.

OMG you would have thought I just told her we were selling Basil (our cat) to the meat market! She told me "well, momma, I hate to see a good toy go to waste so I'll just put it in with the dolls" and I said that since she just told me that she doesn't play with it that she should go ahead and throw it out. LOL She argued a teeny bit more but then agreed to toss it.

We finished up the room and she went off to play with her grampa. At bedtime, after she brushed her teeth and said good night to everyone, I suddenly started hearing that idiotic cowboy doing it's thing right outside my bedroom. She would push the button, listen to it do it's thing and then laugh and laugh... then she'd do it again... and again... I finally said to her "Are you trying to show me that you still play with it so that you don't have to throw it out?" "Yes, momma" was the answer. LOL So I told her to go ahead and put it back in her room. She was happy with that.

SO, after she went to bed... I snuck back in there and grabbed that thing and hid it in my bedroom closet. If she doesn't mention it for the next couple of days... IT'S GONE!

Our day at the beach

2008-08-03T12:17:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my daughter and I took a trip to the beach. We were supposed to be meeting our good friend Erin out there, but her husband had other plans for her... they ended up at the golf course instead! (ewww!)

So, it was just she and I. We started off just playing at the very edge of the water... you know, the spot where the water just barely licks the sand. But slowly we made our way deeper. I couldn't go in too far, since I wasn't in a swim suit and I was holding my DSLR camera (that I'd prefer NOT to get salt water in!). I snapped over 150 pictures yesterday (a couple of which are posted on here).

It didn't take very long for my daughter to be completely immersed in the water... we don't get to the beach very often, but when we do she has the TIME of her life! She's just like her daddy was... she just LOVES the beach. I had the best time just watching her having so much fun. She dug holes and watched the little water bugs freaking out and digging themselves back into the sand... "Sea Monkey's" is what she was calling them. She buried her feet in the sand. She filled her mask with "beautiful sea shells" that she wanted to keep forever... but then decided she wanted the mask to fill water into a hole she dug... and she dumped all those shells back out onto the beach. (without a second thought, all of those "favorite" shells suddenly became property of the beach again).

We only stayed for a couple of hours - but that's all we really need of the beach. It was an overcast day, rainy, and the air wasn't hot and muggy like it normally is... it was PERFECT!

I really do need to make an effort to get out there more often. We live so close and yet we hardly ever go. And she had so very much fun playing in the sand and the waves.

Getting older??

2008-08-03T00:17:00.002-04:00

You know, this morning when I brought in the newspaper, I got to thinking... it wasn't so long ago that I really didn't give a hoot about the newspaper. (except to read the Sunday Comic section!!) I never watched the news... it just wasn't all that interesting to me. But somewhere between then and now, I've begun to do both. I watch the news in the evenings (not all day long like my father likes to do! But at night) and I read the daily paper.

What has happened to me?? Am I finally beginning to grow up? What can I do to STOP IT?!?!?

At Dixie Crossroads in Titusville

2008-08-02T15:06:00.003-04:00

Feeding the fish at Dixie Crossroads!

(another cell phone pic)

2008-08-02T11:10:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd share with you a photo that I took at my daughters dance recital rehearsal a month or so ago... this was a difficult one because there was no FLASH allowed during the show. So I had to bring my tripod (cuz camera shake is an issue when you are using a slow shutter speed!) and continuously adjust the camera settings to try to get them just right. Since my daughters performance wasn't until nearly the end of the recital, I had plenty of time to take shots and then adjust camera settings before her class came out and I could get the shot I was looking for. WELL... about halfway through the show (still at least 45 minutes before my daughters class) another parent sitting in the section to my left started taking FLASH pictures of her child up on the stage... and suddenly the place was swarming with staff members... they walked around telling anyone with a camera that they had to put them away.... cuz they didn't know who it was that was using the flash... so EVERYONE was punished because of this darned woman! Anyway... while the staff member was still watching me, I took my camera off the tripod and set it down next to me (in the seat) and then put my tripod away... but I kept the camera next to me. Every now and then I would calmly pick up the camera and take another shot (handheld! YIKES!) and then adjust the camera settings more... by the time my daughters class came out I think that I was ready. Here's the shot that I got... I think it would have been even better if I could have had my tripod still set up, but I'm SO VERY happy with this one! I sent it to several of the moms from her class and they said that this shot was even better than the one they purchased from the professional that was at the show! Hooray for me!!

Fireworks!

2008-08-01T14:10:00.003-04:00

This one is from the 4th of July... again, this was my first attempt at photographing fireworks. (as you can see, I'm still learning and experiencing new things with my photography... maybe one day you'll be able to call me a professional photographer! Hopefully sooner than later!)

I studied long and hard for this night... I wanted to have all the info I needed BEFORE I got there, so that I didn't have to fumble in the dark with my camera settings trying to get them "just right" for the fireworks. I really like what I was able to get... what do you think??

2008-08-01T14:08:00.002-04:00

I call this one, "Tea Party with Herself" because my daughter is the only one in the shot! I took three separate pictures (with costume changes in between... and hair style changes) and then in Photoshop I combined them all together.

My daughter had a GREAT time doing this... she loves to play dress-up and she loves being my model, so she got to do both at the same time! And it doesn't hurt that little miss vanity now has a picture of herself hanging in her room... a picture of 3 of herselves! LOL She loves this picture.

My next project idea is to take a picture of my daughter watching herself play a game on our DS.

This is actually an item that I am selling to some of the other parents at my daughters school... I've done several photoshoots with their daughters and made them into triplets! So far, everyone has been very happy with the results! (whew)

Speaking of MAD SKILLS!

2008-08-01T13:51:00.002-04:00

If you are in the area (near Winter Springs) and you want a neat picture taken of you or your children, I'm available! I'll post a couple of my favorite pictures (as soon as I find them on the computer!) and you can see what I'm talking about.

I had a photoshoot with my daughter in the front yard - there were 3 different costume changes, including hair and accessories! and created a lovely picture of her having a tea party with herself. At first glance, it appears that it's a shot of three little girls having a fun tea party, but upon closer inspection you can see that it's all the same little girl (just in different outfits!).

I've got another of one of my daughters school friends playing in her bedroom... magically, she's in three places all at once!!

I was hoping that this afternoon I'd have the chance to get another photo of this type, but this time just twins. (both my daughter, of course!) I've got an interesting idea that I'd like to work on, but as long as the weather isn't cooperating, I can't do a thing! Darned refreshing, rejuvinating and cooling rain! LOL Okay, I don't really hate the rain (love it actually) I'm just anxious to get to work on my newest idea!

It's a rainy Friday afternoon!

2008-08-01T13:46:00.002-04:00

Was hoping to get outside and take some new pictures of both myself and of my little peach of a daughter - but the Good Lord had other plans! It started raining earlier than usual today! (for the last few weeks it's started raining around 3 o'clock or so... today, it started before noon! grrrr...!)

SO... I had lunch with one of my best friends today at Chipotle (if you've never eaten there, you should definitely try it! It's yummy!) and then after she went back to work, my daughter and I stopped into Target (since it was raining, we figured we didn't have anything else to do!) and I bought a new car charger for my cell phone. Got in the car and opened it up to find that the darned thing didn't fit in my phone (even though it SAYS that it's for ALL Samsung phones!!) So... I'll be heading back to Target sometime in the next few days to return it. Again, grrrr!!!

Okay, so far this blog seems pretty darned boring! I need to find some of my pictures to include and hopefully impress you with my MAD SKILLS!

2008-08-01T02:06:00.002-04:00

4th of july sunset at the Sanford marina

Cute Little Kitty

2008-08-01T01:49:00.005-04:00

Brand new at Blogging... will learn as I go!

2008-08-01T01:08:00.000-04:00

Hello and welcome to my brand new BLOG! I've heard about them and even read some written by others... hopefully I create something that is awesome and that will be a joy for others to read! (and perhaps I'll even remember to write in it every now and then!)

Now... let me finish this entry and go on to do more setting it up! Wish me luck!