Rainy Saturday

Hello - we're soggy!! Its been raining for practically 3 whole days. Jack and Guinness are spending more time in their crates today than they have in their entire lives with us! The soccer games that were scheduled for today were cancelled because the fields are under water. Dino Boy's game is tentatively scheduled for next Saturday at 10 a.m. Maybe they'll just cancel Twinkletoes' game all together. She is already playing a make up game on Thursday night and her last game is scheduled for Saturday at 10:30.

I am not looking forward to Saturday. In addition to the soccer games, I'm scheduled to vend at a crop to support my friend's PTO. Its not far away, maybe 15 miles or so, but I'll be needing to go - set up, come home - get the kids ready and out the door, go to the fields - watch their last games, get them back home - hope that the Husband is home to watch them (or find a sitter at the last minute - not always the easiest thing to do because we aren't the only ones that are busier than we know how to deal with) and then get back to the crop for the next, oh, 9 hours. I am not complaining about going to a scrapbook event. I haven't been to one since the weekend away in March. I have a ton of projects to work on - and, truthfully, I'm hoping to pick up one or two new customers at the crop and reacquaint myself with other customers that I haven't heard from in while. So - I'm shutting the trap. It will all be fine. The kids will do well on Saturday. I will not lose my mind and I'll get 10 new customers! :-) Isn't that how the "secret" tells you to do it? Or was that Peter Pan - think happy thoughts? Whatever, it'll all be good.

The Husband, a few of his buddies and his partner at BLA are up in New Brunswick for the Rutgers/WV football game today. Yes, you heard it right, in the RAIN. Thankfully, I'm here and only ventured out to McDonald's for lunch and the video store. (Hello - why else would I be blogging in the middle of the afternoon?) I haven't heard from my husband but Chris heard from hers. They're WET. Very wet. He was afraid to use his phone for long because the water might ruin it. The game started at noon - still in the thick of the rain (the sun is starting to peek through here) and we were able to gain access to the alumni Hospitality Tent. They were supposedly serving food, beverages (including beer and wine) all at no cost to alumni and their guests. See this is why I'm still paying my student loans off. We pay them for long enough - and they give back to us! hee hee!!!! I wonder if any of them thought to take pictures with their phones? Did they brave it? Doubt the thought even crossed their minds. Would have been neat to see. I did take a picture or two with my phone when we went to the RU/Navy game a few weeks back. I did get a few weird looks from my Husband. Oh well. Can't have everything - a few pictures to scrapbook would have been fun though!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend! I'm thinking of sending the kids outside to stomp in the puddles. I think this baby is affecting my thoughts. I am surely losing my mind!! :-)

Wildfires 2007

I know you're all tuned in - as we all are - pretty much 24/7 to the Wildfires currently raging in California. Its a devastating prospect - losing all you own and escaping with only the clothes on your back and a few little things. I saw on the news this morning a man and his nephew sifting through the ashes of his MIL's home - she's 81 and had been in the house for over 20 years. They were able to find (literally, using a sifter) a few rare coins that were still hot from the fire and a few pieces of jewelry that she owned. I don't know what I would do -- what would I grab? Seems that even some of the fire proofed safes aren't able to withstand the intense heat these fires which are reportedly fueled by dry conditions and 90 mph "Santa Anna" winds.

I guess all of the "information" can be replaced - birth certificates, social security cards, financial information, etc. But what about the other stuff? What about the scrapbooks??? What about the videos of my wedding in Jamaica? Now, I know it is just stuff - and stuff isn't your family or your life but I would be devastated. I have pictures of my father beaming in Jamaica. Who'd have thunk he'd actually get on the plane and go to Jamaica for our wedding? Pictures of my BIL's supposed last trip in an airplane!!! I'm sure eventually my SIL will convince him to once again brave the skies - but - know what I mean? What about the first teeth that the kids lost? I don't know what will ever become of them anyhow but at least I have them and I know where they are. Pictures of my Poppop H. at my wedding reception and my college graduation...do I scan them all and upload to a secure picture server some place else? Pictures of my FIL and his family before all of the feuds and fights and if you know the family, you know what I mean. Pictures of my Uncle Ray and my Uncle Tony ... my Aunt Hon, Nan, Aunt Kay and Uncle Paul, Dana, Uncle Matt and Aunt Helen D....pictures from high and grade schools (before the digital age) ... ultrasound pictures ... okay ... you get my point. I'm still clueless as to what I would do if I were in this situation and I pray that I never am faced with something that I'm mentally and spiritually unprepared for.

On a side note, one of the student groups here at school, is collecting items to be sent out to CA to help those who are in need. Please let me know if you've got anything that you'd like to contribute - right now I think they're concentrating on toiletry items and the like that people may be in need of. I'm sure I can convince my kids to clean up their toy room and I'll send the toys (which have been barely played with) out to make some other little kid happy. Here is the link for donations to the Red Cross for the California Wildfires: https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=178830632&df_id=2653&2653.donation=form1

Thanks to Janine for providing me with the most up to date link to their local newstation http://www.nbcsandiego.com/firestorm/14414192/detail.html so that they can efficiently direct their efforts to helping where it is needed the most. You rock Janine! Give the kids a squeeze for me!

check it out

Did you see the new little icon that i have over here on the left? Pretty cool, isn't it? One click a day funds food and housing for animals in need. Thought that since we're all so busy every day and no one really wants to donate any more than they need to (I know, it doesn't sound like I mean it to, but hopefully you know what I mean.) At this site, you can also click to support Breast Cancer; Hunger; Child Health; Literacy; and the Rainforest. One stop shopping! If you purchase from one of these websites, even more monies are donated to the charities in question.

Also, I've added a blog to my "blogs I enjoy list" - it is a blog that promotes buying American Made Stuffs - in order to keep American jobs here instead of shipping them out overseas. Pretty neat. Its called Made in the USA - check it out if you have time. They're even doing raffles and giving stuff away. Not too bad!!

Not much else going on. The kids are doing a fund raiser so if you need cookie dough, pies or frozen soft pretzels, be sure to let Dino Boy know. Actually, I think he is the only one who brought the paper work home. He also came home with his school pictures yesterday too. Not Twinkletoes. Wonder where her stuff is?

This weekend is Dino Boy's last weekend of soccer. Thank goodness. Its been a long haul with him and soccer. He seems to enjoy it but he's lacking direction in how to actually play the sport. Maybe we should send him to a summer camp or something this coming summer. We'll see. Twinkletoes plays through next weekend and even has a night game on 11/1. She's pretty excited about that!!

Cousins...

Nothing much new going on.

Heard that one of my SIL's is expecting around the same time as me. Pretty exciting stuff!!!! But, she hasn't told us yet - so I bide my time wondering when it will be common knowledge. Its an exciting concept - having babies around the same time. They'll be able to grow up together - share fun stuff together - and be close in age, very close in age. That doesn't say much for anything in our family though - age. It seems that no matter what the age difference, all the cousins seem to care equally about one another. The older ones protect and look after the little ones. The little ones worship the ground the oldies walk on. Its quite a neat thing to sit back and watch.

I had cousins. They were all around the same age as us and it really didn't affect me on as astounding a basis as my kids and their cousins. Don't get me wrong. I love my cousins. I love spending time with them - then and now. They're interesting friends and bring a lot into my life. But to watch my little ones actually worship the older kids in the family - it is pretty cool. And to watch the older ones have as much patience and understanding and time to play with the little ones (as much of a PiTA as they may be at times) - it makes me proud. I hope that my kids can do that at one time or another. We'll see. They're on the low end of the totem pole, I think, agewise. Not quite sure how many will come after them. For all I know these two due in April may be the last. You never quite know until it hits you on the head. ;-)

Fogo de .... I'm full!

This weekend we had an adult's night out. We haven't done something of this nature in quite a while!!! We rented a limo - a big Excursion one - dropped the kids with the SIL and took a trip into Philly to the coolest restaurant we've been to in a while: http://www.fogodechao.com/ If you are not familiar with this restaurant, it is worthwhile to take a spin on the website to check it out, but I can tell you all you need to know. :)

When you arrive, your server greets you and makes you aware that the restaurant offers a "two-course meal" which is included in your cost of dinner (all dinners are the same price, there is no ordering here - except for drinks and dessert.) Your first course is this amazing salad bar. They have everything short of the kitchen sink (and cocktail shrimp as we were reminded by friends who have gone to another Brazilian Steakhouse in Myrtle Beach). I was so full by the time I only half finished the food that was on my salad plate, that I didn't know what to do with myself. As you finish your salad course, the server brings you a clean plate. You, when you sit down initially, also have this token at your seat, which kind of resembles a coaster. It is red on one side and green on the other. This comes into play when you've received your clean plate and you're ready to start eating your second course!

The second course is like nothing I have ever seen before. There are servers running all over the place with meats on huge swords (skewers) and if you have your token on the "green" or "go" side, they'll come to your side and offer you the meat that they currently have. You also get a cool pair of miniature tongs that you use to catch the meat as they server is carving it off of the "slab" in front of you - to transfer to your plate and enjoy. You can have as much or as little as you want and you can try nothing or everything - for TWO hours. I cannot eat that much these days but I'll tell you - our guys put a lot down. They just about every type of steak you can imagine, along with chicken wrapped in bacon, chicken legs, lamb chops, beef ribs, pork ribs, parmesan crusted pork, I cannot even remember half of what they brought out. I think I can remember what I tried though. I had filet, garlic sirloin, regular sirloin, parmesan crusted pork, chicken wrapped in bacon, filet wrapped in bacon and I think that is it. I know the husband had all of that plus a chicken leg, prime rib, pork ribs and lamb chops. I think the only meat we didn't see at our table was beef spare rib. But that is okay. I stopped eating while others were still going strong. I saved enough room to try a dessert (I could only eat 1/4 of it) and a cup of coffee!! I would love to go back. It was a lot of fun. I even saw someone that I knew from high school while we were there. Can you imagine?

On the way home, we were able to stop at a bar, have a few drinks (no, I only had Sprite - no need to get your knickers in a knot!) watch the Red Sox kick the daylights out of the Indians and then head home all before it was time for the limo rental to be finished. I was alseep probably before the limo even returned to where ever his home is - I even had my glasses on when I woke up a few hours later. I was full and exhausted. Guess that caffeine and sugar high didn't last as long as I expected it too. I should have had another cup of coffee when we got to the bar instead of drinking Sprite!!

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old)

Got this emailed to me. Thought it was worth sharing ...

...being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the Family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's Family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why.” Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently. Being always grateful for each new day and for the blessing of you. ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

May you have more DOG days in your life!!!

October

October is a hectic month. But, as I'm finding out with two kids in school and sports - all months are. I was hoping for a slow down in October, but I haven't found it yet.

Twinkletoes loves school. Too bad our kindergarten isn't full day!! She is only getting homework one or two nights a week and she's doing it in her kindergarten enrichment class before she comes home which is kind of crazy because she's still looking for something to do while the Dino Boy is doing his homework. Soccer is only on Saturday's for her and she will play at our local fields at 10:30 this weekend. Dino Boy, coincidentally, plays at 10 this Saturday and we have to be at Wrestling Registration between 10:30 and noon. Somehow I think we'll be walking in as the registrars are walking out.

Both Mommoms are sick. Not a good thing. Trying to figure out what is going on with my mom's mom. She's just passing out at inopportune moments - such as shopping in the Walmart and she's dizzy and feeling sick almost all the time. YUK. The docs are sending her for bloodwork and testing. Who the heck knows what's going on. I believe she's going back to the doctor tomorrow for another check up. We'll see. Dad's mom has cancer - back with a vengance from what I've been told. Not a good thing. She is weak and sick and it just plain sucks. Please keep them both in your prayers.

What else? Everything is good with the dogs (knock on wood). Jack is almost finished his medicine for Lyme's. Guinness and Sudz have been playing together a lot more than usual lately and Jack is watching jealously.

On Sunday, we tried to go to Conte's to get pumpkins. I wanted a no hassle - let's get the pumpkins and some ice cream and get out of here kind of trip. The place was MOBBED!!! People were coming out of the bakery building waiting in line for ice cream (which was sideways on some of the cones that I saw because they were serving so much of it - the machines couldn't keep up). People were waiting in lines for a ride to the pumpkin field to pick out their own pumpkins. Ok, its fun sometimes, but there are other times just getting a pumpkin is enough. Thank goodness the kids didn't give me a hard time about the ride. No way I was doing that and then getting stuck in a field for who knows how long. Forget it! See the spirit of Halloween lives on!! Maybe we'll head up one day after school for the ice cream that we missed out on. I hear they have an apple flavor. I would really like to pass on that one but later in the month they do a pumkin flavor ... it tastes just like pumpkin pie. It is awesome!!

Ok, I think that is everything in a nutshell. One of my friends is doing a Pampered Chef show on Friday. If you're in need of something, let me know. Then next week, another friend is doing a Tupperware/Tastefully Simple/Longaberger open house. Likewise, if you need something, please let me know. :-) Hope everything is GREAT with you!

BABY #3

Ok, here it is, the moment my sister has been waiting for ... it's a ....

BABY.

Further news to follow in DECEMBER when we find out what this little person's gender is! (Please ask Hayley if that was politically correct enough for her!)