Monday, March 30, 2009

Randomness

Aiden cut his hair. Yep, my 6 year old took scissors to his hair. I noticed it while visiting with my old co-workers. Of course I said "you know what, you are wearing it to school like that!" He came home that day and told me some guy was at school taking pictures. GREEAT! I'll be honest, I haven't fixed it yet. It's not THAT bad and he likes it (of course)...one of these days I'll even it out. Here are some before and after pics:
Okay...I lied b/c apparently my darling husband unplugged my USB cord to charge his pocket PC. It's a bitch to climb behind my desk and plug it back in...pics will have to wait.


It's Spring Break around here...I can tell by the SNOW that was on my effing car this morning. GRRR. I have a list of things to do while I don't have to play school bus to my 6 year old. Starting wtih Ian's naps...which don't exist. As of now he's been sleeping for almost 2 glorious hours! It's been fabulous.

Aiden's new word is Fancy. He wanted his hair to be fancy when he cut it. He calls pancakes, fancy breakfast. Yes, just add water pancakes are what my kid considers fancy.

We have these toys from McDonalds, they're from Madgascar 2 and they talk when you shake them. Well Aiden had them in the car last week and left them in there...every time I would go over a bump, they would talk to me from the backseat. "Hi, I'm Alex" and "I'm every hippo's dream". Got rather annoying during a 30 min car ride, but of course I forgot to take them out. So I'm telling Jared this one nigh and he says "That's what that was?!" He'd taken my car to run to the store and said all he could understand was that somthing was talking about dreams from the back seat. The problem now? One of them is buried under the seat b/c it's still talking, but I haven't been able to find it. Hopefully when I sweep my car tomorrow it'll reappear b/c I don't need anymore backseat drives. It's bad enough that Aiden now knows what the speed limit signs are for and likes to tell me when I'm going over.

Friday, March 27, 2009

100 Movies

Jamie over at Bumps in the Road posted this and I thought it was kind of fun....so here goes:


Movie's I've seen will be BLUE

Movie's I think I've seen but really don't remember or have only seen parts of...will be RED

The Yahoo! Movies editorial staff has created this handy checklist to track the 100 movies you must see before you die.
0-9
12 Angry Men (1957)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
400 Blows (1959)
8 1/2 (1963)
A
The African Queen (1952)
Alien (1979)
All About Eve (1950)
Annie Hall (1977)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
B
The Battle of Algiers (1967)
The Bicycle Thief (1948)
Blade Runner (1982)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Blow Up (1966)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Breathless (1960)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid (1969)
C
Casablanca (1942)
Chinatown (1974)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
D
Die Hard (1988)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Duck Soup (1933)
E
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The Exorcist (1973)
F
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
The French Connection (1971)
G
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Goldfinger (1964)
The Good, the Bad, and the
Ugly (1968)
Goodfellas (1990)
The Graduate (1967)
Grand Illusion (1938)
Groundhog Day (1993)
H
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
I
In the Mood For Love (2001)
It Happened One Night (1934)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
J
Jaws (1975)
K
King Kong (1933)
L
The Lady Eve (1941)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Lord of the Rings (2001)
M
M (1931)
M*A*S*H (1970)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Matrix (1999)
Modern Times (1936)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
N
National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
Network (1976)
Nosferatu (1922)
O
On the Waterfront (1954)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest (1975) sadly we own this and I have yet to watch P
Paths of Glory (1958)
Princess Mononoke (1999)
Psycho (1960)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
R
Raging Bull (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raise the Red Lantern (1992)
Rashomon (1951)
Rear Window (1954)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Rocky (1976)
Roman Holiday (1953)
S
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Schindler’s List (1993)
The Searchers (1956)
Seven Samurai (1954)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Star Wars (1977)
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
T
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Third Man (1949)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Titanic (1997)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Toy Story (1995)
U
The Usual Suspects (1995)
V
Vertigo (1958)
W
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Wings of Desire (1988)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Women On the Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1988)
The World of Apu (1959)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Swap

So Kati is doing this Favorite Things Swap. I've never done a swap, well not with complete strangers anyway so I'm excited! Check it out!





Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Very Cool Contest!

So Caiti posted about her sister-in-law's contest for a PaPeR BaG Scrapbook. Being that it's a scrapbook, it caught my attention.

And am I glad it did! These are some of the cutest books ever! Seriously.

Check them out HERE and enter the contest!! (or don't,really, that's fine too!)

BTW, this is my favorite. I want it for my little monkey!


Monday, March 23, 2009

What are you thinking about?

A: Mommy, are you thinking about something?
M: Yes I am
A: What are you thinking about?
M: I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get you and your brother inside and carry the computer in without making too much fuss and disrupting the kids and teachers.
A: Oh...
M: Are you thinking about something?
A: I dunno
M: You don't know?
A: Well, I'm thinking about chasing K around the playground.
M: Really?
A: Yea. Hey mommy, wouldn't it be fun if we could play a game where like, boys could marry boys and girls could marry girls. That would be cool.
M: Yes Aiden, that would be great.

--Conversation on the way to school to drop off the library computer that hubby worked on for us. This was after I managed to get both boys and the computer tower in to the car only to realize I left the keys in the house, which I had locked. Jared came and unlocked the house for me, but I was too late to drop Ian off with my mom and then go to the school. Instead, I had a 9 month old helper in the library today. Needless to say, we didn't stay long.

Oh and girls can marry boys is a popular game on the playground, so I've heard.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Another Aiden Moment

We had a bit of a melt down this morning. Let me start at the beginning.

Last week I was going through Aiden's back pack and found a birthday party invite. I looked at it and it was for a little boy in his class. I've talked to this boys mom a few times and I think we'd get a long great...so I ask Aiden if he wants to go. (Because let's be honest, if I didn't want to go...I wouldn't have even asked) He, of course, says yes. After all, birthday parties mean cake, friends and toys.

Fast forward to yesterday, the day before the party. Guess what? Mommy never RSVP'd for the party! Now, if it had been a close friend or family member, no biggie. I'd call and tell them I'm an ass but yes, we are coming. For someone we barely know? Nope, can't do that. I know what goes in to planning these parties...planning the food and the goodie bags and making sure everything is set to go. The last thing you want is some asshole calling the day before and saying "oh by the way, my rugrat and I will be there after all" and messing everything up.

I explained to Aiden that I didn't think we'd be able to go when he asked about it yesterday. He didn't make a huge deal out of it.

Until this morning. At 9am he starts asking about the party. Over and Over and Over again. I'm feeling about *this* big. I tried explaining why we can't just show up and that we don't have a gift...and that the party starts in an hour and there is no way we'll have time to get ready and get a gift, even if I would show up unexpected.

I'm sitting with Aiden on my lap, explaining that he's not in trouble and that we'll do something else...we have the Spring Festival at 2 today and we can call his mommy and plan a playdate sometime soon. It's going well. And then there is this:

M: Sweetie I will talk to his mommy tonight if they're at the festival
A: not paying attention, poking at my belly You have a squishy belly laughing in delight
M: Um, yes. Anyway, we'll set something up with his mommy...
A: His mommy has a squishy belly too more laughing
M: Aiden, that's not nice, you shouldn't comment on people squishy bellies.
A: But mommy, I've seen her...her belly is squishy too!
M: Really Aiden, it's not polite to say things like that. It's okay to have a squishy belly
A: Cracking up You have a squishy belly and daddy has stinky breath!

Yea, nothing like your 6 year old playing on your insecurities. Lovely

And...the birthday party has been forgotten in another fit of laughter!

Spammy Spam Spam

I've spent all morning spamming the crap out of my friends, family, FB friends and MySpace friends...so I figured why not here as well. I feel bad, I feel like I'm shoving this fundraiser down peoples throats and I don't want to do that. At the same time, I want it to be a success. I want people to show up, I want people to learn just a little bit more about the disease b/c it's scary stuff. I want to do something good and helpful and I want to, maybe, make it a little less scary for anyone who deals with this on a daily basis.

One of my best friends was diagnosed with Scleroderma 3 years ago. At the time her son was only 6 months old and she was told she had this life threatening disease with a very high mortality rate. She was 24 years old at the time. I can't even imagine hearing those words. I broke down when I heard, so for her and her family, I just can't imagine.

She's been lucky since then, it's only effected her on the outside. The thing with this disease is that it hardens your skin but it can also do the same to your organs. The caught hers early, so as with most of these diseases, she has a better chance. The first 5 years are supposed to be the worst...I hope that is true for her. I hope that in 2 years things will be looking up, maybe she'll regain use of her right hand, since in the past 6 months it has completely seized. Maybe in the next 2 years she'll be able to walk and play with her son without having to stop and rest every few minutes.

So, at any rate, here is my spam. I'm taking out the address and what not b/c well, there are still crazy people out there and I don't want them crashing my party :) If you know anyone in Northeast OH...please pass this on to them. Send me a message here and I'll get you and them all the information.

1st Scleroderma Photo Shoot Fundraiser!!
April 19th, 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

As most of you know I've participated in a walk to support the Scleroderma Foundation and my friend, Tara,for the past 3 years. This year, we're doing things a little different.

We've teamed up with the folks from 831 Photography and are doing a Photo Shoot to help raise funds for the 2009 Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma walk.

I realize that in these economic times everyone is watching their pennies, but this is a chance to support a great cause and to have an opportunity to sit down with a professional photographer. It's the perfect time to get those family pictures taken you keep putting off.

Don't forget Mother's Day is May 10th! These pictures will make the perfect gift!


Details:
The photo shoot will start at 10:40am. Time slots are every 20 minutes until 6:20pm. There is a $30 session fee to reserve your spot, at the shoot you will receive a code for $30 in free prints, making the actual session free. All money raised, from the session fees to any additional prints, will go to support the Scleroderma Foundation.

To reserve your time send me an email. Once your email is received you will get an invoice from paypal and a confirmation of the time slot you are assigned to. All time slots are first pay, first serve. I expect these to go fast, so please sign up quickly.

We want to make this a huge success for Tara and for the Scleroderma Foundation, feel free to forward this on to friends and family!

And as always, to learn more about Scleroderma please visit: www.scleroderma.org

Thanks so much!
Stacy


P.S. If you'd like to make a donation but can not make the photo shoot, let me know as our official walk fundraiser page will be up soon!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Can we say bitch?

Yep, that's me.

No, seriously, it is. And I know, as my friends, you'll jump in and say "no you're not!" but really, I am.

I am *this* close to saying and posting all kinds of snarky bitchy comments...but instead I will just blog in hopes that it'll get the bitchy-ness out and then I can go back to my regular scheduled happy posting.

I'm the nice girl...I'm the girl that blends in to the background that nobody really loves or hate. I'm that girl, I've always been that girl...and I'm okay with that. Really, I'm not an over achiever, I've always found myself in the middle and it's fine with me. So, I fear that if I don't get this serious attitude problem I have under control...I will become the girl that everyone hates...and not in the love to hate kind of way either. In the 'lets just ignore her and hope she disappears' way.

Here are a few of my most recent pet peeves:

Moms who think their way is the right way, all.the.time. News flash, just b/c I do something different doesn't mean I'm wrong. I don't give a shit what the books say I should be doing and what "they" say is right or wrong. "they" are not raising my kids, I am! My kid has made it 6 years without being completely traumatized...he's healthy and happy so I must be doing something right! Oh, and Ian seems to be coming along nicely as well.

People who don't have kids thinking they could raise mine better. Um, no, you can't. And you know what, when I want your advice I will ask for it, until then please STFU. I don't think childless people should even get to chime in on parenting b/c until you have listened to your own child throw yet another tantrum over what shoes he is going to wear to school, you don't know how you would handle it. I don't care how much contact you've had with kids, you don't know until you've been there...so please don't judge me when I give in b/c damnit I'm tired and we're late and just get your goddamn shoes on already!

Lack of common sense. I have a friend who is super super smart and insanely sweet but definitely lacking in the common sense department. I love her dearly...blonde moments and all. What annoys me are people who have no common sense but like to act like they do. If you are a ding bat, please just embrace it. Trust me, you make yourself look worse by pretending you actually know what you are talking about. Also, if you don't have something intelligent to add to the conversation, do us all a favor and STFU.

DVR's. This one is so insanely petty I am embarrassed to even be posting it. If I record something to watch later, I don't expect the rest of the world to keep quiet about it until I have watched. Last time I checked, the world doesn't revolve around lil' old me. So don't bitch and moan if you find out what happens on your favorite show, after it's aired, b/c you haven't watched yet. BTW, if it's a show like AI or DWTS, you probably shouldn't even get on the internet until you've watched b/c I promise SOMEONE will be talking about it.
Now...if it hasn't aired and someone is going to talk about what WILL happen without warning, that is reason to throw down.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Is it the hair?

I know redheads have a bit of a bad rep. We're known to have bad tempers...and to create drama and chaos...and generally, we're supposedly a giant pain in the ass. But are we whores too?

I'm beginning to wonder...

I've had not 1 but 2 instances where a woman hates me b/c she is convinced I am sleeping with her husband, both times I've never met the woman. So, is it the hair that makes them automatically assume I am out to jump their husband? (or that their husband is out to jump me...b/c I know a few with a fetish for redheads)

I'm happily married, I have no desire to go after another woman's husband...well except Jada's but there is always an exception to the rule.

In college my roommate used to tell me the guys at the bar had red-radar. They were usually sadly disappointed to find out that I'm not exactly a vixen and they weren't getting lucky, at least not with this redhead. I think that had more to do with the ridiculously skimpy outfits and the amount of alcohol consumed then the hair though.

BTW, I can just imagine the google searches that will bring up my blog after this post.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

My job kept me skinny

Okay, not really skinny...but on my way to skinny.

Now that I'm working from home, I'm also working on keeping my waist line growing. Don't believe me, I have empty boxes of girl scout cookies to prove it. Problem being that I have no willpower. If it's in the house, I will eat it...and how do you say no to those adorable girl scouts peddling their legal crack outside Walmart? I could do what the woman next to me did, while holding my 3 boxes...she handed over her $3.50, proudly saying she didn't want the cookies, they could keep them for themselves.
Really lady, you weigh almost nothing, you need those cookies...just like I do!!

Oh, I got off track. Anyway...when I was working and doing WW it was easy. I didn't have a kitchen full of food calling to me in the middle of the afternoon. I could pass on expensive lunches and fast food b/c I'm cheap and instead have my 4th subway salad of the week. I was kicking ass!!!

And now...yea...my ass is just growing. And growing.

I did make it to the gym today for the first time in 6 months. I figure I'd better start using it or I'm going to have to drop it like I did WW. I just can't afford to throw money in to something I'm not using.
So, here we go again...so my son will no longer comment on my squishy belly and I can maybe actually fit in to a swimsuit that doesn't look like a tent...I'm going to attempt this whole working out and eating better thing...again.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

OMG, I have KIDS!

Ever have that moment?

I was driving home today and Aiden was chatting away in the backseat, begging to play Mario Kart when we got home. Ian was babbling, probably telling his brother to STFU already...and it hit me. I have kids. Two of them. They are mine...how in the hell did that happen?

Now I realize that Aiden has been around for 6 years and I've had several moments where I wondered how on earth he could be mine...and days when I thought maybe he was switched at birth b/c surely my child would be calm...and normal...and couldn't possibly have a smart mouth. Right? No, you don't think so? Well who asked you anyway!

Seriously though, I have these little boys and it's up to me (and okay yes, their father, jeez) to raise them...to make sure they turn in to good men...to keep them out of trouble (I fear this will be an almost impossible feat)...and to try our best not to fuck them up. Too badly, anyway....b/c you know, we're going to fuck something up and they'll be scarred for life. It's inevitable. All parents do something to totally mess with their poor child, no matter how hard they try. That's why we have all these wonderful little quirks about us.

I'm sure I've already scarred Aiden on several occasions, like the time I put him in time out and he was crying hysterically and I told him to stop screaming. Turned out that when I went over, 4 minutes later, he had something stuck in his foot and it was bleeding. Or how about the time I locked him inside the car and had to have someone come out to get the door open. Yep, surly that did a number on him. I think I've done okay with Ian so far...only a few tumbles off the couch and one down 2 steps. Nothing major, but he's only been around 8 months, there's still time.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I don't get it

What you ask, because this could be any number of things. There is a lot I don't get.
**stepping up on soapbox**

Today, I don't get people who just spend spend spend. I get having to pay our bills and having to put food on the table and you know, clothes on your back. These are things you can't just say 'welp, guess we're having ice for dinner kids'. So yes, in those cases you may bust out the credit card or you might borrow money from your parents or maybe even go fill out the state forms and try to get a little government help. Times are tough, I get that...and it sucks. This blog is not about those people.
This blog is about the people who spend on crap...crap they don't need, fast food, gift to themselves b/c they want them. Well you know what? I want a lot of things but I have to be a big girl and SAVE MY MONEY...and even then, I may not get what I want. I may instead have to pay off an $800 gas bill...so they don't come shut it off. You know why? Because I can't expect anyone else to pay for it. Just like I can't expect anyone else to put gas in my car or to cover my bills so I can spend the money I do have on fun stuff.

I try really hard not to complain about money, I do. We're not rich and we're not poor. We're very content being in the middle. We've been broke, we've had our electric shut off, we've been unemployed, we're paying off credit card debt from when I was 18 and a stupid stupid college student. I get that shit happens. Now, I am not a stupid stupid 28 year old. I've learned. I may splurge on a $4 cup of coffee, I might treat myself to a movie and even buy the big drink...but I don't whip out the credit card with an "I want it, I'm going to buy it" attitude every time I see something I want but don't need. Sometimes? OF COURSE...would I if I had no job and had other people (or the government) paying my bills? HELL NO!!

People...here is a news flash, if you don't have money and it's not a matter of survival, DON'T SPEND MONEY! I'm so sick of people just expecting someone else to come to the rescue. Grow up, figure it out...don't rack up credit card bills on stupid crap you don't need...don't spend your last $20 when you don't know where your next $20 is coming from. It's common sense. You don't need Dave Ramsey or the Debt Diet to tell you this.

If you are over the age of...I'll give you 25...and still can't manage your own money. It's time to grow up, slap on the big kid undies and figure it out.

*stepping down off soapbox*

Feel free to throw Dave Ramsey books at me now.