Saturday, January 31, 2009

Obama Dances to 'Single Ladies'

Okay I saw these videos today, the first on ET and the second I ran across on YouTube. It's a SPOOF to of Barack Obama. One to Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' and the other to T.I.'s 'Whatever you like' Now I have to admit that I was pretty tickled by them and so were my boys.

Take a Look





Friday, January 30, 2009

Not on Blogger today.

I'm over here at Mom Bloggers Club today. Come and ready about my meeting in a room full of people NOT like me.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

A Diva's Birthday!

It was my birthday and I turned a WHOPPING 31! Wow! I really never thought I'd be admitting that any time soon. I mean, mom my is only 35 (that's her story and she's sticking to it!) Her birthday card to me said "You better slow down because you're catching up with me!" LOL! Yeah, she's a bit delusional sometimes. But either way, how could I possible be a day ever 25?


Now my birthday started pretty much like any other day. Me and Miss Missy hangin' out. Then I got an email from Hubs that said, "Dinner @ 6. Try to get a sitter."


Cool, I thought. A dinner without the kids? That's a rare treat! So I jumped on that!


My next thought was that I didn't have anything to wear. The jeans I'd bought last week were a bit snug. I was gonna keep em because I'm working out and I'M DRINKING MILK AND ONE DAY I'M GOING TO BE BIG AND STRONG! or at least I'm going to drop a pants size. But I had to take them back and quickly get something I could wear.


So I found another pair of jeans (a size bigger than what I THOUGHT I needed) and cute little not-so-mommy-looking top and I went home to get my hair straight enough to get rid of the bun I had it pulled back in.


Now, hubs and I don't usually do the whole surprise thing so I wasn't expecting anything because he hadn't asked me what I wanted for my birthday. But when he got home, to my surprise, he had a burgundy gift bag on the kitchen counter from Helzberg Diamonds waiting on me. WOW! I get a present and a dinner? And there was not one, but two boxes in side!



I want to take a moment to give him a major thank you because I've been a bit of a b***h and he's still here for me. WOW!


So he takes me out to this very nice restaurant, with table cloths and all! LOL. Table cloths that they changed after every customer, and not just when they looked dirty. The meals didn't come in paper bags either and you didn't have to order by numbers. And guess what! There was NO KID'S MENU! I could have feel on the floor and fainted!


No, but really, I was impressed. This was a place we'd usually choose to go on our anniversary, not just for my birthday. So I felt special.


Hubs had it going on yesterday. It was a day truly made for a DIVA!


Wednesday, January 28, 2009

It's My Birthday!

And that's all I'm blogging about today!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

We are fighting RINGWORM!

Gross, I know. Started back in December. And I just can't shake the darn things. Not on me. On my children. All three of them.

Okay, so the first child I noticed one on was Miss Missy. She got one on her face, right above her lip and I immediately took her to the doctor. He prescribed her Nystatin Cream, which didn't seem to be doing the trick. The rash would simply dry up in one area and keep moving across her lip to her jaw.

For those of you that are not familiar with what a ring worm actually is, it's not an actual worm. It was thought to be a worm when first discovered, but is actually a fungus that spreads.

About a week or so later, I noticed a LARGE round spot in Sir-Talks-A-Lot's head. I'd been looking at it but thought it may have been a cowlick of some sort or that he had some grease in that spot that made his hair lay funny. Finally I took him in to be seen too. At the doctor, I noticed another place on his forehead that looked suspect. The doctor assured me that the spot in his hair was NOT a ring worm but the spot on his forehead looked like the beginning of one. He gave his the exact medicine.

As the days went on, Miss Missy's spot wasn't clearing and Sir-Talks-A-Lot's dry cowlick-looking spot in his hair was surely a ringworm, contrary to what that friggin' doctors said! Hubs looked online and found that the best and quickest home remedy cure for the fungus was BLEACH, so I stood back and let him do his thing, applying Clorox to my babies' faces and hair, praying that Sir-Talks-A-Lot didn't end up with a bleached blond circle in the front of his head and Miss Missy didn't come out of this looking like she had Michael Jackson's skin disease!

And Guess what! Miss Missy's spot cleared right up, didn't even leave much of a scar as I'd expected.

Sir-Talks-A-Lot, on the other hand.............. My child is now infested with ringworm of the scalp, also known as Tenia Capitis. The best cure for this is an oral antibiotic and an antifungal shampoo. I have a feeling that we all are going to need this antibiotic, which is supposed to work farely quickly, because one website I read said that adults could be carriers once they come in contact with the fungus and not have any signs.

GREAT!

Oh, and this demon didn't leave out Runnin' Man. OH NO! The creature has taken all of my children captive! Noticed a spot on him yesterday that is undoubtfully a circular rash. This thing is like cupid's arrow on Valentine's Day! No one is safe!

So back to the doctor I go tomorrow ASAP to DEMAND this magic pill. Then comes the extreme sanitizing of everyithing I can think of that could have been touched by the culprit or one of my kids' infected, germy hands. I'm itching everywhere just typing about it my skin is crawling and I'm seriously grossed out!

OMG! What the heck is this spot in the middle of my forehead!!!!!!!!

Overcoming the Stay-At-Home-Mom Blues

Being a stay at home one is probably one of the most rewarding jobs that a mother can have. I mean, what better way to spend your time than being able to nurture, teach and take care of your children, rather than paying someone else to do it, right?

I do my best to take pride in the fact that I can stay home with my children, be here when they get home from school, help them with their homework and take care of their every need. And I KNOW that this is a privileged and rewarding experience. Yet, I still have trouble overcoming the blues from feeling like I should be doing more for my family. There is a feeling of being inferior to the women that seem to have it all. The ones that are successful at juggling a career and raising well-rounded children. The ones who seem to have all the answers, juggling conferences calls and ledgers as well as bottles and doctor's appointments.


I know this is a taboo thing to discuss, but I'm just going to throw it out there. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on my own life while I'm waiting on my children to grow up. I'm sometimes resentful to the fact that I've chosen this path. While I'm staying at home, being a mom, where is mom's fulfillment come in? I almost feel like I've taken women's lib 10 steps back by not taking on the responsibilities that we have fought for throughout the years. The right for women to work and be considered as equal. I feel like I am hindering my family financially, even though I know that we've agreed that my not working is better for us because of the cost of childcare and for our children's development. I want to look back in my old days and think that my life was a success somehow, that I have done the things that I was put here to do, and I don't want that to be JUST BEING A MOM!


Are my children are going to think less of me because I don't work? How can I explain to them the importance of going to college and being all that you can be in life if I am not a good example?

I mean, it seems that society somehow looks down on women that stay home. Am I the only onw that gets asked questions like

"You're STILL saying at home?"

"When are you planning on going to work?"

"You don't do anything during the day, so can you...?"

Please don't get it twisted. I'm not trying to bash women that stay home and enjoy being stay-at-home-moms. Not by any means. Nor am I saying that working moms lives have more meaning. I feel each kind of mom makes sacrifices necessary for them to make it work for their families. These are personal feelings of mine of how I sometimes get the blues living as stay at home mom.

Of course, I've come to the conclusion that as a stay at home mom, I am giving my children what is best by my standards. By being at home with them, I am able to spend more time with them and take care of things that need to be taken care of without hiring someone, which I surely can't afford right now. I can be here to see all their firsts and readily availble to praise them for their accomplishments. I take gratification in knowing that when they are older, which will be all too soon, I can take the opportunity to fulfill some of those selfish desires of obtaining a career. Right now, I'm needed here, to be the best mom I can be, by my own standards.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

A loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter..

My mind is way too bad for the average 30 year old. I have the worst trouble trying to remember even my simple everyday chores.

I've found that I have to write everything down or program it into my phone just so that I won't forget an appointment I made 3 hours prior or the reason I went into the grocery store.

I know they say that having kids make you lose brain cells but, really! I have three and I think their births took HALF my brain with them.

Do you remember watching Sesame Street YEARS ago (I'm about to show my age on this one)and there was a cartoon about a little girl whose mom sent her to the store to do some shopping. Yeah ,you know that was way back when! We can't send our kids next door anymore to ask the neighbors to borrow an egg for fear that they might get snatched before they get there.

But here's this girl, about 7 years old, skipping to the store trying to remember what her mother had told her to get. Do you remember?

A loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter.
A loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter.
A loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter.

She was ecstatic when she remember her grocery list!

Okay, so many times before leaving for the grocery store I make a list both mentally and physically about the things that I need at the store. 90% of the times I leave the list at home, so then it's up to my MENTAL CAPABILITIES to remember what I was planning to get.

So if you ever see me in the store, talking to myself, repeating the same thing over and over and over, don't call the people on me! I'm not in need of one of those white jackets with the pretty shiny buckles. I'm doing what I learned years and years ago from Sesame Street. Because that seems to be the only way I can remember anything these days!

A loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter.
I remembered! I remembered!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

What about that 40 Bucks??

It's TAX SEASON! And I am one of those that get theirs done as soon as the W-2 is printed! We went to have them done today. This year we aren't getting back as much as the previous years, but anything extra coming into this house is GOOOOOD!

Okay, I bet some of you are wondering (don't laugh. There night be one person who cares) what I did with that 40 bucks, and I've been meaning to update you.



So here were the options.

1. Blow it on a purse

2. Save it for that Barry's Bootcamp video I "need". ($60, I think)

3. Groceries



Well I took a shopping trip. I had a couple of Catos gift cards I wanted to get rid of before they added themselves to the "closing businesses list" and my cards became obsolete. Well,I was able to buy me a few things, a couple of tops and a pair of jeans that don't really fit, but I am aspiring to be able to wear in a few weeks.



Then came my hunt for a purse. Now, they didn't have anything that I thought was me at Catos so it was on to Marshall's, who usually has great purses at FABULOUS discounted prices. To my surprise, I didn't find anything. One in the $70 range, but nothing around $40. Okay, TJ Maxx gave me the same problem. So, I went to Kohl's and there was a sale on ALL the purses. And, after searing through the wide variety, this was the one I had in hand, in black.

As I waited in line, I just couldn't do it. Spend the money on me, I mean. Not without guilt. Not when I needed some things from the grocery store and there was no more money left to spend. So I quickly put the purse back and left the store WITHOUT. THE. PURSE!

Darn me and my guilt issues. Why do I have to be such a mom! When will I stop feeling guilty for shopping for myself and being HAPPY about it???

So ladies, don't be like me. If you can, splurge on yourself. Make yourself smile every now and then. Get your nails done. Buy yourself something cute. Be FABULOUS! If only for one day!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wordless Wednesday...... Almost

I usually don't do these but I had to share this picture of Miss Missy.






Her hero, like most little girls, is her daddy.
These are his Army boots. He is a hero for all of us!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Tell It Like It T-I-Z Tuesday: A New President

An amazing day has come. I'm still in disbelief as the time approaches for America's first African American to take her reigns. I, for one, didn't think I would see this day and although Obama had my full support during the campaigns, I still never thought he'd come out on top. I just didn't see America letting it happen. Thank God I was wrong.


But that day has come and I couldn't be more proud. I mean you should see me. I've got butterflies. I'm shaky. I'm anxious.


I'm proud today because someone that I believe in is taking over the White House. I haven't been proud of that fact since Clinton took office, as I knew Bush was ready for war and that scared the mess out of me. But Obama is someone that I trust to do what is right by us, someone who is focused on making the economy better and someone who wants to bring our troops home. And that is where is steals my heart.

Though I'm no idiot to think that CHANGE is going to come in one day, I do believe that this is the beginning of something better for all Americans. He has given me hope that there will be a better tomorrow for the American people if WE make it better, if WE make the changes, if we build ourselves back up.

Yesterday, Obama used Dr. King's birthday to let us know how important is it that we help those in need, that we support our communities. I pray that every American takes the time to listen and take heed. He cannot CHANGE America on his own. No man can. It is going to take the efforts of every individual to rebuild this country.

So as I watch the inauguration today, I'll be saying a prayer for Obama and his family. I'll pray that God gives him the wisdom and strength to lead our country to a better tomorrow. But I'll also be praying that each and every one of us becomes a better person and digs deep within ourselves to support our communities and offer help where it is needed. This, I believe is what Dr. King and Barack Obama have stood for!


Those are my feelings. What are yours?

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

What to do with 40 bucks?

It's always nice when you get a few dollars that aren't part of the budget. For me it's like a Christmas gift because I don't spend money on myself that often without feeling guilty.

So at the beginning of the school year, my neighbor asked me if I could watch her son get on the bus in the morning because she had to leave about an hour before the bus came. I was like sure! I mean I had to put Sir-Talks-A-Lot and Runnin' Man on the bus anyway. No big deal. Well two weeks later her son brings me two crisp 20 dollar bills! SWEET! And every 2 weeks since I have been receiving this little treat.

Well today it came, and the first thing I think of is PURSE! I've been wanting a new purse for a while and Marshall's had some super cute ones for SUPER cheap!

The only thing is, I can't spend guilt free. No such thing when you have children. I mean, we are real scarce on cash right now, trying to catch up after Christmas and all. Militayr gets paid on teh 1st and 15th, so I'm not going to die waiting.

So there are a few options for this 40 bucks:

1. Blow it on that purse

2. Save it for that Barry's Bootcamp video I "need". ($60, I think)

3. Grocery (not MUCH needed, but we could use a few things.


Help me decide. What do you guys think the best use for those few little bucks can be used for? Should I be practical or selfish? I'm curious to see your answers!

Monday, January 12, 2009

200 crunches!

Okay, so I know it's not a world of wonderfulness, but I did manage to do 15 (14.49 minutes) on the treadmill and 200 crunches today.

I think that the cruches were the easy part and I very well could have and should have kept going. I could have gone longer on the treadmill as well. My daily goal is 20 minutes. I seemed to have fallen away from that.

My goal use to be 30 minutes because I feel that you don't get the full benefit if you don't do at least 30 minutes, right?

But I seem to be tricking myself somehow that that is entirely too long for me to run and walk.
I do both. More running that walking. More panting than anything. I have been doing this for a few months now. I dusted this thing off and decided that it was beyond time for me to do something about all these bulges. I'm more motivated than ever. Get up in the morning with it on my mind that I AM going to work out. Then I go for it. And it just isn't what I wanted it to be. When I quit, I am disappointed with myself because I KNOW I could have done more.

If you guys could be in my head, you'd have a good laugh because that little devil side is constantly telling me, "Girl, we tired! Get your butt off this treadmill and go do laundry! You know you need some water. You know you need to stop trying to run on this thing before you break it!"

Then, that OTHER side is saying, "Girl if you stop, you aint NEVER gonna get that Beyonce' booty!"

Why is it that the devil side always eventually wins?

Weekend Sleepover



Well, Good Morning to all of my Fabulous Blog Friends. I'm in a pretty good mood today and I have decided that I'm not leaving the house. I've been planning to get my butt in my treadmill all morning, but you guys are a huge distraction! I love blogging more than I love working out! So, I figure as soon as I finish messing around and reading all the great post you guys have written, I simply HAVE TO get on the ball. I mean, there is no way I can say good-bye to these thighs if I don't get up and make it happen, right?


Okay, so this weekend has been really busy. Runnin' Man had a sleepover Saturday. It was the party I had promised him for his birthday. YES, his birthday was 2 weeks ago, but as you know, we were out of town last weekend when I would have normally celebrated his day.


I had 9 boys in my house including my own. I personally didn't get to sleep until about 4am and I have no idea when or if the boys went to sleep because when I woke up at 9:30, Runnin' Man and a another kids was up playing the Wii!


Needless to say I am extremely tired and it wouldn't surprise me if I get a call from the boys' teachers saying that they fell asleep in class.

I did learn something about sleepovers this weekend. My sons have friends that are a variety of ages. Some of their friends have brothers that a little older and they have played together for years. Well my boys are 6 and 9, I think, and because of this I ended up with 3 boys that are 11 and 12. I found that the two age groups do not mesh well when the older boys took over the Wii and considered the rest of the kids "the little kids". When you look at it, what was I thinking??? Middle schoolers and elementary kids don't even have the same interests. The older ones were talking about things that my younger ones were not ready to hear about, LIKE GIRLS! OMG! I'm not ready for that and I want to keep them from liking girls as longs as possible. Runnin' Man isn't even interested in the opposite sex yet unless they are holding a football!

So lesson learned. It is okay that the boys play with these kids when they are playing outside, but I won't do the whole sleepover thing with such a wide variety of ages. They just didn't get along well.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Tell It Like It TIZ Tuesday... On Friday!

Okay I know it's not Tuesday but I have to tell it like it T-I-Z today!

I simply have to voice my opinion TODAY on account of the horrible event that occurred on New Year's Day involving a young black man that lost his life due to another account of police brutality.

Apparently, 23 year old Oscar Grant and some friends were being arrested by police. What for? I don't know but that has little to do with the outcome of the situation at hand. During their arrest, 3 or 4 people on a transit train thankfully took out their camera phones to record the situation that happened next.

Grant was handcuffed, face down with another cop's knee in the back of his neck. He did NOT appear to be struggling when officer took out his gun, took a step back and delivered a fatal shot to this young father.

I mean, REALLY? Are you kidding me? Okay, I don't look at this as a racial issue. I try not to look at it as just another case of a police officer abusing his power. This was murder. Cold blooded. What else can you call it? Self defense? Uhh NO! This asshole blatantly killed a man for no real reason, leaving his family to mourn.

It is plain dreadful to hear of situations like this from the men and women that are put on the streets to protect people. They ones who are ALLOWED to carry guns. And some abuse that priveldge. I mean, what the HECK was going through this jerk's mind when he commited such a heinous crime? Was he thinking that he would rid the streets of another "criminal"? Or maybe another "black man"?

Now his family is seeking $25 Million for wrongful death and in my opinion they should get every penny. A small amount to pay for taking away so much from so many people. A small number when you look at it on what that life was really worth.

And as for Mr. Trigger Happy Sorry Excuse For A Police Officer, he needs to spend the rest of his life behind bars to think about what it really means to Serve and Protect!

I'm raising boys. Two of them. I'm raising them to be respectable, courteous, smart. I'm teaching them to know the difference between right wrong and to have the courage to stand up to what's right. I'm teaching them that it's okay to be black, yet that they shouldn't see color or base their abilities off of the color of their skin. And though I plan to instill all of this in them until they can walk on their own, I still dread that their may very well be a day that they have a bad experience with a police officer. I can only pray that if they do, that officer is a better man than the one that murdered Oscar Grant.

We are losing too many people at the hands of the law because of the abuse of power. At a time when we are in a war of the worlds, a time when soldiers are fighting to keep us free, it's terrible that we have to fight just to walk our own streets.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Merry New Year! Late as always!

Okay so YES this is absolutely and completely ever so late and so uncharacteristic of me (HEE HEE) but here are the pics I took on Christmas.


******YES I GOT A CAMERA! My very thoughtful and wonderful husband heard my cries. I couldn't have happily made it through Christmas morning without one and he made sure that I was the first to open my present! ********


Whoo Hoo! Kudos for HUBS!




Okay so here we go:




Can we open them NOW???
(while I get my NEW camera ready...)
Their Exact words? AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
Remote control planes that got stuck on the roof within 10 minutes.


What was number one on their list?
MP3 Players!!!!!



Littlest Petshop of course!



Me and the Princess


She LOVES pink!








Monday, January 5, 2009

A new year. A new ME! Right?

Well, Happy New Year, my blog family! Okay, I know it's like WAY late, but I have simply been busy these last few weeks. Hubs has been home more often so, of course I had to cut back on my computer time.

It was a busy New Year Holiday. This year on New Year's Eve was, I think, the first time that we were not at home bringing in the new year, and that's AMAZING in itself! Every year since we had our first child has gone the same way. Me staying up to see the ball drop, sometimes with the kids, and Hubs..... well, asleep. He's quite the party animal, you know.

This year was something new, which could very well be a good sign for the year.

This year we got together with some friends and friends of friends and brought in the New Year with a game of Charades and a toast. We had a good time, a safe time, a family night. It was wonderful. You know, when you have kids, priorities tend to change and all that going out and partying till it's 1999 doesn't appeal so much any more and it's great when you have a nice safe night inside with people you really enjoy to be around. Cuz I can tell ya from my partyin' days that walking around in a crowded club with every third brotha grabbin' your ass and sayin' "Hey Shawty (that's slang for "shorty" or "girl" for those that aren't familiar), let me holla at you for a minute." gets old real quick! Dodging fights, getting your new shoes stepped on and having some drunk clown spilling their drink on you sucks too, so it's better just to stay our butts in the HOUSE!

Sooooo Anywho... how many people have made their New Year's Resolutions? What are they... other then LOSE WEIGHT?

Yeah, that's one of mine this year and evry previous year since I can remember. Not really a resolution. Just a plan. I mean I have planned this SO many times, but I am at the point now where I am TIRED of people pointing out that I've gained weight! LIKE I DON'T ALREADY KNOW THAT! Thank you for pointing out my fat ass and ruining my day, better yet my LIFE, and sending me into a world of depression! Thank you for pointing out the obvious YET AGAIN and making me want to stuff a few more HO HO's down my throat, curl up in a corner and CRY!

Okay, sorry 'bout that, but for the weekend, we went to see Hub's family who live about 4 hours away. Well, AS USUAL, I had to hear "Kay, you done got FAT!" It's to be expected from older folks, I guess, because they think they can say anything, but I guess they really don't realize how it feels when you constantly point out what is already obvious to me.

So I woke up at 6am with the kids --who returned to school today "WHOO HOO!" -- and got on my treadmill. starting the year off GOOD! And I'm planning on buying this workout program I came across on an infomercial for Barry's Bootcamp. This has intrigued me so much that I have to have it for the new year! Have to get like those chicks on that video!

So, I'm looking to make a list of things "to do" this year. Not resolutions, things that I really have to do, like work on a degree.