Much Ado About Alex

Much Ado About MOPS

2009-03-10T18:42:00.003-04:00

Today I attended my very first MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting.

And I quite liked it.

Jackson got to go in a room with all the kids and play and I got to interact with other women who have young children. And who live in Norwalk. It was a two-for-one deal for me. I've lived here for 6 1/2 years and I still feel like I don't know anyone. This was just perfect.

They did some introductions and then there was a speaker on children's first aid. It was really interesting and we even got to make first aide kits for our cars. Mine is proudly located in my glove box. Then we broke into groups and answered health-related questions like how we baby-proofed our house and why kids seem to wear their boo-boos as badges of honor. All of the moms were super-nice and I felt at ease talking to them.

The group meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month but I secretly wish it was every week. :)

Baby, it's cold outside

2009-01-16T09:24:00.003-05:00

So I am lying in bed this morning with Jackson watching The Weather Channel's Local on the 8's and they say it is -13 with a windchill of -34. I don't remember it ever being that cold out before. Although, I did read somewhere this past Summer that the Farmer's Almanac said this winter was going to be bitterly cold.

Anyway, while watching tv, I started to think about how lucky we are to the greatness that is Local on the 8's. Every eight minutes it tells us what the weather is in my town. Every. Eight. Minutes. I guiltily admit that there have been times that I have kept The Weather Channel on for an hour and just watched all the Local on the 8's that play in that time frame...that's five times. I feel that perhaps I am borderline obsessed with Local on the 8's. I watch it first thing in the morning, I watch it as soon as I get home from work, I watch it again before I lay clothes out for the next day, I watch it right after dinner and I watch it right before bed. Then it starts all over again.

But then, there are the times where The Weather Channel decides they have to play an actual show and then Local on the 8's doesn't come on! Seriously, I need my Local on the 8's fix. Why must they torture me like that? And my poor mother. She lives in the country and has a satellite dish ... her Weather Channel doesn't do a Local on the 8's. It just does an overview of the major metro cities. It doesn't have the catchy guy saying "Currently, it is -13 degrees in your area with partly sunny skies". Or better yet "The Week Ahead!"...the computerized male voice says it with such vigor.

Sigh. I *heart* you, Local on the 8's.

Have you EVER?

2009-01-15T15:19:00.002-05:00

I saw this on Shaunda's blog and I thought it looked like fun!

The things I've done are in bold.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis - got bit by one, too!
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - only if graphic design counts!
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice --- this is my dream!!!!
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run -- on Wii baseball :)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - my toe
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible required to be an Honor Star
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club9
3. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. DONE any thing this silly before?

This is why I love JC Penney

2009-01-09T08:53:00.018-05:00

I was reading a current blog posting at one of my favorite blogs -- www.jenontheedge.com (you must follow this blog; it is sheer genius) -- and it reminded me of an email I received about JC Penney catalog ads from years ago. And since we could all use a good laugh on a Friday, I thought I would share. Too bad these styles aren't still available. :) The commentary added by whoever came up with this original email just adds to it. Enjoy!

Last weekend I put an exhaust fan in the ceiling for my wife's grandfather. While my wife's brother and I were fitting the fan in between the joists, we found something under the insulation. What we found was this:

A JC Penney catalog from 1977. It's not often blog fodder just falls in my lap, but holy hell this was two solid inches of it, right there for the taking. I thumbed through it quickly and found my next dining room set, which is apparently made by adding upholstery to old barrels:

Also, I am totally getting this for my bathroom:

There's plenty more home furnishings where those came from, however I'm not going to bore you with that. Instead, I'm going to bore you with something else. The clothes.

The clothes are fantastic .

Here's how to get your ass kicked in elementary school:

Just look at that belt. It's like a boob-job for your pants. He probably needed help just to lift it into place. The belt loops have to be three inches long. And way to pull them up to your armpits, grandpa.

Here's how to get your ass kicked in high school:

This kid looks like he's pretending to be David Soul, who is pretending to be a cop who is pretending to be a pimp that everyone knows is really an undercover cop. Who is pretending to be 15.

Here's how to get your ass kicked on the golf course:

This "all purpose jumpsuit" is, according to the description, equally appropriate for playing golf or simply relaxing around the house. Personally, I can't see wearing this unless you happen to be relaxing around your cell in D-block . Even then, the only reason you should put this thing on is because the warden made you, and as a one-piece, it's slightly more effective as a deterrent against ass-rapery.

Here's how to get your ass kicked pretty much anywhere:

If you look at that picture quickly, it looks like Mr. Bob "No-pants" Saget has his hand in the other guy's pocket. In this case, he doesn't, although you can tell just by looking at them that it's happened - or if it hasn't happened it will. Oh yes. It will. As soon as he puts down his matching coffee cup.

Here's how to get your ass kicked at the beach:

He looks like he's reaching for a gun, but you know it's probably just a bottle of suntan lotion in a holster.

How to get your ass kicked in a meeting:

If you wear this suit and don't sell used cars for a living, I believe you can be fined and face serious repercussions, up to and including termination. Or imprisonment, in which case you'd be forced to wear that orange jumpsuit.

How to get your ass kicked on every day up to and including St. Patrick's Day

Dear god in heaven, I don't believe that color exists in nature. There is NO excuse for wearing either of these ensembles unless you're working as a body guard for the Lucky Charms leprechaun.

In this next one, Your Search For VALUE Ends at Penneys.

As does your search for chest hair.

And this -- Seriously. No words.

Oh wait, it turns out that there are words after all. Those words are What. The. F***. I'm guessing the snap front gives you quick access to the chest hair. The little tie must be the pull tab.

Also, judging by the sheer amount of matching his/hers outfits, I'm guessing that in 1977 it was considered pretty stylish for couples to dress alike. These couples look happy, don't they?

I am especially fond of this one, which I have entitled "Cowboy Chachi Loves You Best."

And nothing showcases your everlasting love more than the commitment of matching bathing suits. That, and a blonde girl with a look on her face that says "I love the way your junk fights against that fabric."

Then, after the lovin', you can relax in your one-piece matching terry cloth jumpsuits:

I could go on, but I'm tired, and my eyes hurt from this trip back in time. I think it's the colors. That said, I will leave you with these tasteful little numbers:

Man, that's sexy.

It's been a while ...

2008-12-17T13:54:00.003-05:00

Well, I am a slacker. It's been almost two months since my last post. If my blog were alive, it would be dead by now. I tried to make it up to my blog by giving it a new look for the winter season.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season -- you know, the two or three of you who may happen to read this. haha!! :)

I will try my best to keep this updated, but damn Facebook seems to have taken over my life!

Happy Halloweiner!

2008-10-31T10:19:00.002-04:00

I should preface this by saying that I don't know who's dog this is, I found it on the Internet.

Hope you all have a great fright night!

What Halloween Costume Should I Bee? :)

2008-10-17T14:38:00.001-04:00

Your Halloween Costume Should Be

A Bumble Bee

What Should You Be For Halloween?

Swim Lessons & Camping at Mohican

2008-09-24T20:56:00.003-04:00

This past weekend Jackson had his very first swim lessons and we also went camping at Mohican! I had never been camping before and it was so much fun. It was really good, quality family time. We even went canoeing...and saw a drunk guy fall out of his canoe into the river. BJ and I couldn't even look at him as we paddled by because we were laughing so hard. We also ate hot dogs cooked in the fire and made s'mores. Mmmmm! I had to laugh at BJ though because he forgot to pack warm clothes and wrapped himself up in a big blue blanket he had in the back of his car. I can't wait to go back next year and hopefully stay more than just one night. I will put the pictures in two posts, since you can't upload too many at once. :)

Let's go fly a kite

2008-09-24T20:51:00.004-04:00

So in the midst of the big wind we had not too long ago, we decided to go to the reservoir to fly Jackson's kite. The three of us haven't laughed that hard in a long time. We had so much fun and we almost lost the kite -- the wind blew it right out of our hands!

Jackson's 4th Birthday

2008-09-24T20:28:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my little boy is 4 already! This year we had his birthday party at the bowling alley in town and everyone had a blast, especially Jackson! On his actual birthday, I took the day off of work and BJ and I spent the whole day with our little guy. We went to the game room at Kalahari, to the Exchange to get him a used X-box game, to Toys R Us to use a gift card Jackson had gotten and then finally to Applebee's, which is what he wanted for his birthday dinner. It was a busy, fun day. I should also mention that I bought a Wii that day, too. I told BJ to consider it his early Christmas present!

First Day of School

2008-09-08T20:26:00.002-04:00

Words to live by

2008-09-02T15:41:00.003-04:00

I subscribe to a newsletter at work that comes from a psychologist and it discusses effective ways to live a better life. I love the things that this newsletter conveys and wanted to share part of the one I received today:
_____________________________________________
1. Personal Effectiveness Tips

A. Keep in mind that, when holding grudges, the only person that really suffers is the person doing it. It’s also an unfair way to deal with people-nobody is perfect, and it is difficult if not impossible to deal with someone who is always bringing up imperfections, mistakes, or other things that happened previously. Deal with things as they happen, and move on.

B. Get fierce about your time management. This means:

i. Scheduling priorities at the beginning of the week. This entails actually
putting them down on your calendar.
ii. Eliminating as many time wasters (internet, TV, conversations with coworkers
that love being paid by the hour, etc) as possible
iii. Building flexibility into your week. Do things when you have the energy to
do them-even if it means working at midnight and napping at 11 am on a
Tuesday.
iv. Blocking out chunks of time to do things that have nothing to do with career
or your profession. This allows you to recharge your battery on a consistent
basis.

C. Practice being more responsive. Return emails and calls more quickly, listen better for longer periods of time, and start offering those around you more reasons to hang out with you. You’ll surprise most people, and stand out in the crowd.

Nobody controls your life but you. Some situations and events are outside our sphere of influence, certainly, but in the end, it is you that controls how you react to things around you. You are directly responsible for the quality of your daily life, and for the quality of your relationships. So, before you begin complaining about your lot in life, stop for a second and figure out what it is that you have done to bring about these consequences. You may not have had a choice in being fired, or divorced, or any other unfortunate event, but you certainly had a choice in how you responded to that event and portrayed it to others.

Work to eliminate excuses. You’ll find out that you actually have much more influence over your life than you previously thought. You’ll also be a much more productive and well-adjusted individual.
________________________________________________________
Everytime I read one of his newsletters I just have this feeling of wanting to make my life better. And I like how he gives it to you straight...I am not a beat-around-the-bush type of person. Be honest with me, don't sugar-coat things for my benefit. That only makes me feel patronized and that you don't think I can handle the truth.

Whoa. I just had "A Few Good Men" moment.

Randomness

2008-08-20T10:28:00.002-04:00

1. Do you put the toilet paper on coming over the top or underneath, or does it matter? If someone puts it on wrong do you have to fix it? Nope, I don't care as long as their is TP on the roll.

2. Do you wear shoes in the house? If I am cleaning I do. Otherwise I go barefoot. In the winter I wear socks or slippers to keep my tootsies warm.

3. If something falls out of the dryer when you’re folding clothes or putting it in the laundry basket, do you have to rewash it or do you just continue on like nothing happened? I just shake it out and keep on trucking. The 5 second rule also applies to clothing.

4. Which side of the bed do you sleep on? What about in a hotel? Considering that I usually sleep alone because BJ is at work, I sleep in the middle. But on the weekend when he is there, I sleep on the left. Same with hotels.

5. Do you do everything in the shower in the same order every time? Yup -- wash my face, put shampoo on my hair and rinse it, put conditioner on, wash my body, rinse conditioner. If I have to shave I insert do that after the face-washing.

6. How many times a day do you think you wash your hands? Never. Just kidding -- I don't know that I have ever counted.

7. What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning? Does it ever vary? I always go to the bathroom.

Alphabet Game

2008-07-21T08:53:00.002-04:00

This was too cool not to do!

A is for age: 31

B is for burger of choice: The ones my husband makes are pretty darned good!

C is for the car I drive: 1999 Honda Civic

D is for your dog's name: Maddie and Lucy

E is for essential item you use every day: toothbrush and toilet!

F is for favorite TV show at the moment: Design Star, Next Food Network Star, Greatest American Dog

G is for favorite game: Trivial Pursuit

H is for home state: Ohio

I is for instruments you play: used to play the flute and sort of piano and guitar

J is for favorite juice: Orange or CranApple

K is for whose bum you'd like to kick: our wonderful state legislators

L is for last restaurant at which you ate: Peking House

M is for your favorite Muppet: Kermit the Frog

N is for number of piercings: 6 (three in each ear)

O is for overnight hospital stays: 2004 -- childbirth; 1997 -- gallbladder

P is for people you were with today: Jackson and my co-workers

Q is for what you do with your quiet time: sleep -- that's the only time it's quiet in my house

R is for biggest regret: i try not to live with regrets, although i will say ever getting involved with my ex-boyfriend definitely classifies as a regret.

S is for status: Married since 2004

T is for time you woke up today: 6:18 a.m.

U is for what you consider unique about yourself: When I was in 4-H I was in Purple Cirlce magazine :) haha! I was also in an article in American Baby Magazine when Jackson was about 18 months old.

V is for vegetable you love: Green Beans

W is for worst habit: Leaving dishes in the sink

X is for x-rays you've had: teeth, head, knee, chest, wrist, hand, foot

Y is for yummy food you ate today: So far I have only had a whole wheat english muffin with dutch apple pie jam that i bought at a farmer's market

Z is for zodiac: Sagittarius

Photographic Update on Us!

2008-06-23T18:38:00.002-04:00

Whew! It's been almost a month since my last post. It seems like that month has just flown by. Below are just some of the things we've done from May 24 up until a couple weeks ago. There's us at Thomas the Train in Cleveland, Jackson riding his bike and playing in the sprinkler with Lucy, Jackson eating watermelon and Jackson pretending he is a cowboy.

We also went to Kalahari, had my sister's college graduation, went bowling and went to the zoo. Hopefully I'll put those pictures up soon, too. The next couple of weeks are going to be hectic. I am flying out next Monday to Minnesota for three days for a work-related training. I'm looking forward to that; hopefully I'll get to see the Mall of America!! :)

Hoppy Times

2008-05-29T21:36:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I've made a post! Where does the time go?! This video is of my silly boy having fun with the bag that my Mother's Day present came in :)

Meal Plan Monday

2008-04-27T19:32:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I've done this, so here's our menu for the week:

Monday -- frozen pizza, carrot sticks, salad

Tuesday -- crockpot lemon chicken, corn on the cob, salad

Wednesday -- breakfast (scrambled eggs w/veggies, potatoes, oatmeal)

Thursday -- Lasagna, green beans, garlic bread, salad

Friday -- Pot pie, warm applesauce, salad

Easter

2008-04-06T17:40:00.001-04:00

Yes, I'm a little late, but better late than never, right? :)

Feeling Funk-y

2008-03-26T10:26:00.002-04:00

I've been in a funk the last few days. Yesterday, I should have been in the hospital delivering a beautiful little baby, but instead, I was at work -- my uterus empty and my heart broken. Yes, Tuesday, March 25, 2008 should have been my due date.

I had been dealing with it semi-ok up until Saturday. My family was supposed to come up for Easter, but we ended up postponing it until this coming Saturday. I was hoping that having everyone at the house would prevent me from thinking about it so much, as that was all that was on my mind for the days leading up to Tuesday. I spent most of Saturday morning and afternoon in bed crying until my husband almost dragged me out of bed to get me out of the house. So the rest of Saturday was ok, then Sunday we dyed eggs and had our own little holiday celebration.

Today I'm doing a little better, not much, but a little. I felt bad last night; I was so impatient with Jackson and snapped at him often. He wanted me to play with him but all I wanted to do was sit in the recliner, watch Dr. Phil (coincidentally about women who were tired of being moms) and feel sorry for myself.

Everyone told me that with time I'd get over having a miscarriage or that it would get easier to deal with. I have yet to experience either of those. I think I just get better at hiding how I feel about the situation.

Then I think, 'is it fair of me to be so upset?'. I was only 6 weeks along and a baby never developed -- I was pregnant without a baby. So I didn't lose a baby. I just lost a "growth". Maybe that's what's hard to swallow. How can your body make you feel pregant -- your stomach swells, you have morning sickness and cravings, yet there's no baby? I constantly wonder: would it have been a girl or a boy? What would he/she looked like?

Luckily we start counseling next week so hopefully I can work through these issues. I feel like sometimes all I do is whine about it. So for those of you who read this and who I've whined to, I'm sorry.

Happy Easter

2008-03-20T14:52:00.004-04:00

I hope you all have a glorious Easter! My mom and grandparents are coming up on Saturday and we are all going to go to the egg hunt up town. This will be our first time going to the egg hunt as we are usually in my hometown for Easter and take Jackson to the one there.

Chocolate Ass

2008-03-18T12:41:00.003-04:00

I weighed myself on Sunday and had lost 4 pounds. I weighed myself this morning and had gained 2 pounds. Gained? Gained! My dear husband, God love him, reminded me it was water weight that I had initally lost.

I've also taken up drinking Slim Fast for breakfast and lunch. Yesterday I only did breakfast as I went out for lunch with friends. Fear not, I had a grilled chicken salad, but mostly just ate the chicken because the salad had raw onions in it. Gross.

So back to the Slim Fast. As I type this I am nourishing my body with the chocolate variety. I'm imagining it is a big glass of chocolate milk or better yet a Mudslide. But it's a difficult task because the consistency is thick and it tastes like ass. It tastes like an ass that is coated in chocolate. And the smell reminds me of a combination of body odor and nursing home. Nice.

Well, here's what I'm having to eat today:
Breakfast -- Slim Fast; 220 calories
Snack -- Organic yogurt; 110 calories
Lunch -- Slim Fast; half peanut butter (no jelly) sandwich; 400 calories
Snack -- Slim Fast Bar; 120 calories
Dinner -- Pasta (pasta buffet at work function -- I will limit myself!)

I'm not sure how this Slim Fast is going to work out for me. Granted, it's chock full o' nutrients. But it's also loaded with calories. My lunch today was 400 calories. 400 calories. Really? For a half pb sandwich and a glass of ass? I could have had a Pepsi and Lean Cuisine meal for that! I may cut out my afternoon snack.

I have noticed a little bit of a difference in the way my pants fit and when I sit down, I don't have quite the bulbous bulget that I once had.

Ok, back to the chocolate ass. Maybe if I added a little vodka to it, it would taste better. Good thing I have a flask in my desk drawer.

I don't want to be fat. I want to be PHAT.

2008-03-12T19:28:00.002-04:00

So, I'm on a diet. Yes, I said the "d" word. I have decided that I am finally going to do something about this extra weight I've been carrying around for years. And, if I ever have another child, I do not want that weight packed on top of this flubber I have now. It all started about a week ago when I had a doctor's appointment and they made me step on the #$%@!&* scale. I could not believe what I saw.

I've begun counting calories. And I'm borderline obsessed with it. I started Monday (all diets start on Monday, right?) and did pretty good until after dinner. It was BJ's birthday and there was cake. So scratch Monday. Then yesterday I was feeling down so I grabbed some chocolate. Scratch Tuesday. But today I have done well. I had 1,310 calories today.

I'm having a hard time finding nutritious, low-calorie foods that will keep me feeling full. Here's what I had today:
Breakfast - English muffin, 1 tbsn peanut butter, yogurt, coffee
Lunch - Lean Cuisine meal
Dinner - 2 cups of Homemade mac & cheese, small piece of French bread, 1/4 cup orange sherbert

I did some online searches for healthy breakfast ideas, but most of them consisted of flaxseed and tofu. I'm sorry but I'm not that desperate to be thinner.

I didn't have any pop today, which helped me cut out 200 extra calories. I didn't plan our meals this week to be inline with my diet, so it will be a little tricky to not overdo it. I'm trying to stick to 1,000 calories a day. I was pretty hungry from about 2 p.m. until dinnertime today. I'm still hungry now, but I'm guzzling water to help me not think about it.

Tomorrow I am meeting two friends for lunch at a local bar. Not sure how I am going to eat low cal, but I may have to skimp on breakast and dinner. I've already decided that for dinner tomorrow night (chicken patties and fries) that I'm not going to eat a bun or mayo.

My goal is to lose 30-40 pounds. Hopefully by the time summer hits (or better yet I get pregnant) I'll have lost some weight.

That's a lotta snow!

2008-03-09T19:21:00.002-04:00

**I wanted to post pictures, but it keeps saying there is a Google Server Error. I tried 3 times and am frustred. Hopefully I can post some soon.**

So, we got a sh*t-load of snow this weekend. And that's putting it mildly. I watched the Weather Channel this morning and they are saying we got anywhere from 15-20". I think it literally snowed for like 33 hours straight.

Saturday we went out in the midst of blizzard-like conditions to try and do some shoveling. Jackson had a blast playing in the snow. We'd run down our walkway, then flop in the big pile of snow at the end. We were supposed to go out to eat for BJ's birthday, which is Monday, but we were snowed in. Today I told BJ I would shovel the snow as a birthday present to him. I took about 3 swipes with the shovel and my neighbor came over with his snow blower and cleaned out my driveway. I think I heard angels singing and he may even been wearing a halo at the time. All I had to do was clean the cars off. We made a quick trip to Wal-mart today and the place was packed! I went there on Friday during my lunch break and the place was a madhouse. We went back after I got off work and it was even busier. In fact, the bread aisle had no bread! Today wasn't much better. They didn't have any meat and the shelves were a little sparse.

Now I am ready for Spring!

Mmmmm....Meal Plan Monday!

2008-03-02T17:23:00.003-05:00

I am actually excited about the menu this week. Unfortunately, my husband is not. If anyone wants any recipes, let me know!

Sunday -- Beef enchiladas, Spanish rice, refried beans
Monday -- Italian sausage sandwiches (smothered in cheese and spaghetti sauce), fries
Tuesday -- Fiesta Mac & cheese, garlic bread
Wednesday -- French dip sandwiches, augratin potatoes
Thursday -- Hot 5 Bean Casserole (which is actually like a soup)
Friday -- Homemade sweet & sour chicken and fried rice (so excited to try this!)

For more great menu ideas visit www.orgjunkie.blogspot.com.

Fun in the Snow!

2008-02-26T17:18:00.002-05:00

So, I decided to take Jackson out in the snow to play this afternoon -- even took some vacation time from work. It started out great, but then the Toddler Monster paid us a visit. Oh goodness, he screamed and didn't want to wear his gloves. But, we got to play for about a half hour.

Pictures:
Jackson with the snowman we built. Jackson named him Bill.
BJ getting ready to drop a huge snowball on Jackson's head.
The Toddler Monster
Our snowy street

Sesame Street Live

2008-02-24T16:30:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we had the pleasure of going to the Palace Theatre in Cleveland to see Sesame Street Live "Elmo Makes Music." My mom got Jackson the tickets for Valentine's Day. However, we ended up spending about the same amount on souveniers and food. haha! It was a blast and Jackson just loved it! I have to admit, I got a tad choked up seeing how happy he was and to see him singing along with the songs. We had great seats and all three of us had a good time.

There was one part where Bert came out in a white suit and danced ala John Travolta style in Saturday Night Fever. It even had the adults laughing. :)

Breakfast in Bed

2008-02-22T14:32:00.001-05:00

If you need a good laugh, watch this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vTEyvXMs44&e

Hope you enjoy it!

Meal Plan Monday!

2008-02-17T17:00:00.003-05:00

I'm actually ahead of the game this time!
For more great meal suggestions, visit www.orgjunkie.blogspot.com!

Sunday - Stromboli, garlic bread

Monday - Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon

Tuesday - Tacos, refried beans, Spanish rice

Wednesday - Grillers, baked beans, steamed broccoli

Thursday - Hot Hawaiin Chicken Salad, some kind of veggie

Friday - Hamburger Helper, some kind of veggie

Saturday - Eating out (going to see Elmo!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

The Anti-Valentine

2008-02-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

My crafty husband

2008-01-17T19:49:00.000-05:00

We wanted to get some pads for Lucy and Maddie's cages, but really didn't want to shell out $100, so BJ decided to make two of them. I have to admit, I didn't have high hopes for this. But, thee of little faith was wrong! He borrowed his mom's sewing machine, bought some padding and fleece and whipped out two of them. He even added zippers so we could take the pad out and wash the fleece part.

Who knew he had a little Martha Stewart in him?!

Meal Plan Monday

2008-01-14T17:02:00.001-05:00

Monday -- Foil Pack Taco Chicken, potatoes
Tuesday -- Lasagna, garlic bread
Wednesday -- Orange BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, corn, baked fries
Thursday -- Steak, baked potatoes, broccoli-cheese casserole
Friday -- Pizza (from the refrigerator section of the grocery store)

Find out more about Menu Plan Monday at www.orgjunkie.blogspot.com

Thursday Thanks

2008-01-10T09:28:00.000-05:00

I got both of these from Shaunda

I'm so Thankful for FRIENDS! Club Award

Please proudly display it on your blog.
Pass it on to as many people as you like.
I am passing this on to my friend DANI!

You Make Me SMILE: Bring Happiness to the world...

I am passing this one on to DANI as well!!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-01-09T12:46:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I can't be completely wordless, you all know that :) While I was off over the holidays, I whacked all my hair off. New Year. New hair. The cut really enhanced the curl I had, so instead of straightening it like my stylist did, I just wear it really curly now.

Ring that Dinner Bell

2008-01-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

So, I am going for fast this week. I can't say any of it is too healthy, but I thought Jackson might actually eat these things :)

Monday (GO BUCKS) -- Sausage Patties, French Fries, Broccoli and Cheese
Tuesday -- Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Wednesday -- Pot Pies, Apple Sauce, Rolls
Thursday -- Chicken Patties, Mac-n-Cheese
Friday -- Chinese Take Out

This is also what I call a "cheap" week :) haha!!

What's Your Karaoke Song?

2008-01-03T20:53:00.000-05:00

This is perfect for me because I often do karaoke and Bon Jovi is a favorite o' mine! :) But, I am not stuck in the past. In fact, I try to forget it.

Your Karaoke Theme Song is "Livin' On a Prayer"

You believe the best things in life are mostly forgotten, and you're definitely more than a little nostalgic .
You're likely to still like the same foods, fashions, and music as you did when you were a teenager.

You have a knack for knowing what elements of pop culture people have missed, without them even realizing it.
It's great to remember the past, but don't forget that not everyone is as stuck in it as you are.

You might also sing: "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Rapper's Delight," and "Cherry Pie"

Stay away from people who sing: "Toxic"

What's Your Karaoke Theme Song?

More Christmas Fun!

2007-12-27T19:01:00.000-05:00

Jackson at lights at the zoo
Jackson with "lipstick" on - he took his red crayon and colored his lips
My friend's little girl and Jackson at the preschool program
Jackson, my step-dad and a giant gorilla that one of his friends put in his truck
BJ and Lucy chilling out after Christmas with BJ's family

Christmas 2007 round-up

2007-12-27T18:40:00.000-05:00

Whew. This Christmas season has been busier than any I remember from the past. Earlier this month, we went to the Toledo Zoo to see the Christmas lights. It was gorgeous!! Jackson had a great time. Before we went to the zoo, we went to Abuelo's in Maumee where my sister is a waitress. She wasn't working that night but she met us there for dinner.

Jackson had his preschool Christmas program on the 20th. OMG, he was so cute I almost couldn't stand it. :) They did a Bible verse, a couple poems and a couple songs. I have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed watching him. I couldn't believe that was my tiny boy up there. He did such a great job.

Christmas was fun this year, too. We started out with Christmas on the 22nd at my step-dad's, followed by BJ's side at our house the next day, then at my mom's the day after that, and then we had our's on Christmas Day. I was almost Christmased out!

I'm on vacation until January 2, but have hardly had any R&R. Tomorrow I am getting my hair done and getting a massage. I'm so looking forward to that!

Jackson Looks More Like Me!

2007-12-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

What Crappy Christmas Gift are You?

2007-12-11T19:19:00.001-05:00

You Are Socks!

Cozy and warm... but easily lost.

You make a good puppet.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

Poopin' ain't easy

2007-12-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

Jackson did not want to go to bed tonight and said he had to go to the bathroom. I noticed it was awfully quiet and I go in the bathroom and find this. :) He was sound asleep. Thank goodness my toilet was clean. haha!

This is why I am thankful ...

2007-11-21T13:28:00.001-05:00

This is Jackson before his Thankgiving Feast at preschool. Lori was kind enough to lend us the vest AND take the picture :)

Jackson makes me so thankful every day. I can't imagine my life without him - he truly is a blessing. He's not just my son, he's my best friend.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! (ok, Lori and Stacey since you are the only ones who read my blog) :)

I've been neglectful ...

2007-11-13T19:13:00.001-05:00

... of my blog and I feel guilty. I haven't blogged in almost a month! I know that the two or three of you who read my blog must be dying to know what is happening in my life. haha!!

Actually, not much is going on. I went on a big shopping trip last weekend with my sister-in-law and got almost all my Christmas shopping done. I'll still go the day after Thanksgiving though, that's my favorite day to shop. :)

Other than that, I went to another Lifehouse concert on Oct. 29 and got to meet the band again. They totally remembered me (thanks to my friend, Jolene) and the lead singer even smiled and winked at us while he was on stage. Swoon. We had trick or treat -- Jackson was Scooby Doo. We had a great time and he got way too much candy!

And we recently took Jackson to see The Wiggles. He loved it and it was so sweet to see him dancing and singing the songs. I feel so fortunate that we were able to take him.

Well, that's a short wrap-up of what we've been up to!

I took the Blogging Quiz

2007-10-18T15:17:00.000-04:00

So, I saw the link off of Lori's blog and according to the quiz:

Congratulations! You have a life!You have a blog, too, but you'd never let that get in the way of your real life. Good for you. How I envy you.

Take the quiz!

http://quibblo.com/quiz/7icTjZ/The-Mom-Blogger-Quiz?view_quiz=1

Wordless Wednesday

2007-10-17T08:57:00.000-04:00

I have a hard time being "wordless" :)

This is me with the guy who plays Brad Carlton on Young and the Restless. He was at Giant Eagle's Grand Opening.

When I used to work at the farm, I always had hair nets in my pocket. I used to like to put them on Maddie.

We had this picture taken at The Picture People.

BJ almost got kissed by a buffalo at African Wildlife Safari this summer.

Jackson looking at fish when we went to the zoo this past Spring.

Lifehouse Concert

2007-10-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to go to the Lifehouse concert at the House of Blues in Cleveland with my friend, Jolene, and her mom. We had an amazing time. We were front row, center! At one point the lead singer, Jason, grabbed my hand!

After the concert we ran into some people from Q104 and they told us where the tour bus was. There was about 2o people hanging out back there. When we walked up, Bryce (picture #1) was like "Hi Jolene" and he remembered me from the Lunch with Lifehouse. Jolene is a big fan and has been to a ton of their concerts. They all autographed our ticket stubs, too. It was awesome!! I got my picture with Rick the drummer (last photo), Ben the touring guitarist (third picture) and Bryce and Jason. The last two are on my cell phone yet, but the one with Jason didn't turn out.

I'm really excited because Jolene wants to take me to the Toledo show on Oct. 29 as an early birthday present. That is, as long as Lori will watch Jackson again :)

I'll try to post some video soon, too. It was freakin' awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ologies

2007-10-04T15:19:00.001-04:00

MOUTHOLOGY
Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Ranch -- is there any other dressing? :)

Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A: Burger King

Q. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
A. BW-3's or Olive Garden

Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. usually 20% if it's good service (i agree)

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A. Hmmm...that's a tough one. I don't think there is anything. Except chocolate.

Q. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. either pepperoni-mushroom or hawaiian

Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A. butter or cinnamon/sugar or jelly

TECHNOLOGY
Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A. a picture of jackson with the cake i made him for his first day of preschool

Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A. two

BIOLOGY
Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. children and my gallbladder

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. a year or two ago

Q. What is the last heavy item you lifted?
A. oooh, boxes here the other day at work

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. yes -- a drunk guy picked me up, turned me upside down and started spinning, when he put me down i fell and smashed my head on a juke box. I was also in a skiing accident and got knocked out for a few minutes.

BULL[CRAP]OLOGY
Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. nope.

Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
A. Rita Phalange or Princess Consuela BananaHammock

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. blues

Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
A. I'm sure at some point I have

Q. Have you ever saved someone's life?
A. no

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. yes

DAREOLOGY
Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. I did that already. All it took was a whole lotta alcohol :)

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?
A. No wayQ. Would you never blog again for $50,000?A. No!! Duh, of course!

Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
A. Wow, that's a tough call. Depends on what my financial situation is.

Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
A. No

Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?
A. Absolutely Not.

DUMBOLOGY
Q: What is in your left pocket?
A: Lint

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A: Loved it!

Q: Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A: both

Q: Do you sit or stand in the shower?
A: Stand? Isn't a shower for standing and a bath for sitting? (yeah, i agree)

Q: Could you live with roommates?
A: I have before!

Q: How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
A: I did have 3 until our puppy chewed the one pair up!

Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A: i've never done anything to have a run-in, but i dealt with them about 4 years ago

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: Super Mom and Marketing Woman Extraordinaire

Q: Who is number 1 on your top 8?A: LifehouseLASTOLOGYQ: Friend you talked to?
A: Jolene

Q: Last person who called you?
A: A lady from work who is on vacation

Q: Person you hugged?
A: Jackson

FAVORITOLOGY
Q: Number?
A: 5

Q: Season?
A: fall

CURRENTOLOGY
Q: Missing someone?
A: For sure

Q: Mood?
A: Tired

Q: Listening to?
A: Everyone at work typing and working (like I should be doing)

Q: Watching?
A. Me type this

Q: Worrying about?
A. Where should I start?

RANDOMOLOGY
Q: First place you went this morning?
A: Babysitter's to drop off Jackson

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A. go to the pumpkin patch (oooh, good one, Mel). I also can't wait to go home.

Q: What's the last movie you saw?
A. we watched idiocracy (again!) this past weekend -- OMG, I want to see that! I DVR'd it. I can't remember the last thing I watched.

Q: Do you smile often?
A: i think i do

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: Sometimes too friendly!

What's my name meme?

2007-10-03T09:46:00.000-04:00

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)Twinkums Accord (don't ask about the cat's name -- haha!)
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)Acru
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Blue Turtle
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Leigh Lima
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)Crual
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Red Fountain Coke
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Mel Harry Marion (I have three)
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, & favorite candy)Sweet Pea Watchamacallit
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )Rae Michael
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Clevenger Chicago
12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Fall Tulip
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)Strawberry Shirtie
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Toast Cherry Blossom
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Internet Surfing Thunderstorm Tour

So what's Your Name..

Play along and let me know so I can come by and read it.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-01T15:02:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I've joined the masses and decided to upload my menu. We menu plan each Sunday before we get our groceries.

Monday -- Beefy Mac, green beans, rolls, left over apple crisp for dessert

Tuesday -- Grilled chicken, rice, blueberry muffins

Wednesday -- Salsbury Steak, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots

Thursday -- BBQ pork loin, au gratin potatoes, applesauce

Friday -- the boys will be having fish and I'm having a huge baked potato that I got at Quarry Hill (I mean, it is football size)

Ashland County Fair

2007-09-25T15:29:00.000-04:00

We went to the Ashland County fair last Thursday (Sept. 20) and had the best time. It's such a nice fair and the best part is that there was hardly anyone there! Jackson didn't have to wait to ride the rides and we were able to see the animals. At the end of the day, we got an elephant ear and some deep fried Oreos. Deeeelicious! Jackson and I rode the Scrambler and I almost threw up -- there is not a picture of that on here :) Do check out that picture of the rabbit -- it was freakin' HUGE!! They grow 'em big in Ashland! I almost forgot to mention that they had an elephant show, that was super cool!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!

2007-09-17T19:35:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, my little boy turned 3 -- where have the years gone? It seems like it was only a few short months ago that we were bringing him home from the hospital. He's such an amazing little boy, I just can't believe how much he's learning and changing every day.

Saturday was his party and Sunday we went to Chuck E. Cheese. Tomorrow he gets to take a treat to preschool for his b-day. I made Kiddie Trail Mix and am sending apple juice, too.

We got Jackson a train table (pictured above) and he got so many great gifts. And, he just had a blast with all the kids that were at his party.

The last picture is of him Saturday night -- he was so tired that I think he fell asleep before he hit the pillow. He did want covered up with all his blankets -- including the Spider Man bath towel my grandma got him for his birthday. haha!

Jackson's First Day of School!

2007-09-06T20:33:00.000-04:00

Ugh, today was the day I've been dreading for months: Jackson's first day of preschool. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7 a.m. this morning he said "I go to school today?" And then proceeded to tell me that he wanted to ride the bus, even after I told him mommy took the day off work so I could take him. "No," he said. "I will ride the bus!" Apparently, the school bus must be like the Ritz Carlton and my simple Honda Accord is a Motel 6.

I took some pictures this morning at home and then it was off to school. He's going to Maple City Christian Preschool at the Alliance Church. I think everyone I know up here has sent their kids to that preschool. We got there a little early, so he got to play in the gym with the other kids. So far, so good -- no tears, and I'm talking about me.

Then, as we walk down the hall towards his classroom, I feel myself getting choked up. With each step, the more tears that well up in my tired eyes. We hung his new book bag ("It's gotta big tractor on it, Mom!") on his hook and put his name tag around his neck.

We enter the classroom and he's off like a cannon. I just kind of stand there for a second, then tell him good-bye. He's too busy playing and just kinda waves and says "bye". No hug. No kiss. I walked out to my car, almost feeling like I had lost a body part. I felt like I was missing something. I felt lost.

I went to Wal-mart and blew $50 on scrapbooking stuff. I don't scrapbook, but feel like I should. Maybe this will give me motivation. Then, I bought a pair of shoes at Payless, then went to the Dollar Tree and bought more scrapbooking stuff.

When I picked Jackson up, he talked about how fun school was. I asked him where he wanted to go for his special lunch and he chose the "pizza house", which is actually Pizza Hut to him. He was so tired he couldn't even keep his eyes open and was being very loud and rude. Needless to say, i packed up our pizza and he came home and took a loooong nap.

I just can't get over how "big boy" Jackson is becoming. I can't believe that in a little over a week, he'll be 3! He's learning so much -- he knows his ABC's, can count to 20, knows his shapes and colors and is starting to recognize the formation of some words (like Fox when I have that station on TV). I'm so excited about the person he's becoming, but I still yearn for the days when he was tiny and relied on me more.

And as the Tinman said, "Now I know I have a heart because I can feel it breaking."

O-H! I-O!

2007-09-05T21:08:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, we had the opportunity to go to the Ohio State-Youngstown game. It was the first OSU football game I had been to -- I've been to Hineygate, but never a game. Our seats were right above where the players came out. it was freakin' awesome. The cheerleaders got half the stadium to say "O-H" and then the other half echoed "I-O". Amazing. The alumni band was there, so we got to see them perform, as well. They did the script Ohio along with the marching band.

Around the middle of the third quarter we went over to Hineygate -- for those who don't know what that is, it's a big ole party at the Holiday Inn. There's a big movie screen set up outside and there's drinking, drinking and more drinking while people watch the game on the screen. I felt old there. But, it didn't prevent me from getting a slight buzz :)

Then we had dinner at Quaker Steak and Lube -- deeeeelicious! We got to sit on the patio to eat and two Lambroughinis showed up, then a Farrari and a Miata. As we were leaving, we passed three more Lambroughinis!!! BJ was in heaven.

I'm on You Tube!

2007-09-05T20:36:00.000-04:00

Q104, who hosted the Lunch with Lifehouse put this video on You Tube -- watch for me :)

Video of Lunch with Lifehouse!

2007-08-29T18:06:00.000-04:00

I had lunch with LIFEHOUSE!

2007-08-28T18:16:00.000-04:00

Where do I begin? Today I had the most amazing opportunity to meet the band Lifehouse. I was able to bring my friend, Jolene and her mom, Darlene. To say that I was in awe of Lifehouse is an understatement.

When we got there, we had to go back into a recording studio -- the lunch was held at Ante Up Studio in Cleveland. Glenn from Q104 had us record "liners". I said "Hi, this is Alex from Norwalk. This is my music, my station -- Q104." Lifehouse got there and warmed up while we did this.

Then, we go out to the main room and we shook their hands and they played their latest hit "First Time". Then we got to ask them questions -- I asked the first one!! I asked them where they get their inspiration from. Then, they played "You and Me". Then we got autographs and pictures.

Here is the entry that made me a winner:

Hello! I would love to enter the “Win Lunch with Lifehouse” contest. I recently had a problem pregnancy and was going to the doctor’s office several times a week. A friend of mine is a huge Lifehouse fan and really helped me through the stressful situation. It never failed as I was on my way to the doctor’s each time– Lifehouse’s “First Time” was always on the radio. My pregnancy ended in a miscarriage and as my husband was speeding through town, trying to get me to the hospital, the song came on the radio. I’ve always liked Lifehouse’s music, but I felt like this song was almost a guardian angel to me. Hearing that song made me think of my friend and it was like she was there when I needed someone the most.
I would love to win this lunch and be able to take my friend along.

Thank you,

I actually told the guys about this. I don't know why, but I did. They actually looked sincere and said they were sorry. They were just soooo nice.

Today was definitely a fan-freaking-tastic day. I'm now a "super fan" :)

Q104's Rob Kruz: LUNCH WITH LIFEHOUSE!!!!

2007-08-28T17:19:00.000-04:00

Q104's Rob Kruz: LUNCH WITH LIFEHOUSE!!!!

Now I've been tagged by Lori!

2007-08-27T20:09:00.000-04:00

Here are the rules:
*You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
*Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
*When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
*At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Loves apending time with family
Eats chocolate every day
Intelligent
Good at baking
Has always wanted to go to Italy

I'm supposed to tag people now, but I don't know hardly anyone that blogs, other than friends of Lori and Stacey and I think they've already been tagged!

A meme? That's what Stacey called it.

2007-08-27T19:55:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged by Stacey!

Accent - I've been told at times I have a Southern accent.
I don’t drink - diet pop. bleck.
Chore I hate - cleaning. i like the final result, but I hate doing it.
Pets - Emma (cat); Maddie (dog); Tuck (turtle); Lucy (puppy)
Essential Electronics - computer, radio, digital camera, and is a cell phone considered electronics?
Perfume - Anything that's not too overpowering
Gold or silver - Both
Insomnia - Yes, when I am stressed out
Job Title - Marketing Coordinator
Most Admired Trait - good listener
Kids -Jackson
Phobia - The dark. I'm deathly afraid of the dark. Gives me panic attacks.
Religion - Not specific
Siblings - 1 Sister
Time I wake up - My alarm goes off at 6:03 a.m. and I get up around 6:45 a.m.
Unusual talent/skill - I'll say karaoke for right now. I don't think BJ would like me bragging about my other skills (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). hahahahahahah!!!
Vegetable I refuse to eat - anything from the mustard or cruciferous family. makes me gag just thinking about it.
Worst habit - being too hard on myself and trying to make everything perfect all the time
X-rays - Where do I start? Ribs, back, hands
My favorite meal - Anything Italian. Although I do enjoy a good steak with a big ole baked potato.

More weekend fun

2007-08-26T20:29:00.001-04:00

Not only did I wow people with my karaoke skills this weekend (haha, that's a joke), BJ, Jackson and I went to the drag races on Friday night. That was the first time I had ever been to a race. Amazing! I had so much fun, I could have stayed there all night. Jackson did so good for about the first hour, then he got squirmy, so we left. We were there for about 2 hours.

On Sunday, we got out the sprinkler for Jackson and Lucy. They had a blast together. Jackson kept sitting on the sprinkler and Lucy kept attacking the water. We made Maddie stay in the house because she was not behaving -- she was time a doggy time out :) Oh, we event let Emma (our cat) have fun in the sprinkler. I was surprised, she didn't get mad. In fact, she just stood there.

The Queen of Karaoke

2007-08-26T19:58:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, BJ and I went to the Office Bar here in Norwalk for their Island Party. I work with the lady who owns it and plus, I hadn't been there in ages. We had such a good time!! I discovered a new beer -- Michelob Ultra with Orange and Grapefruit. Deeeeelicious. It tasted more like a sparkeling wine than a beer.

But the highlight of the evening was probably me doing karaoke. The only time I do it is when I am really drunk, but this time I only had a nice buzz going on :) I sang with my co-worker four times!! The only songs to choose from were island-related. So, we sang "Summer of 69," "The Tide is High," "Escape (The Pina Colada Song" and "Fishin' in the Dark". Everyone said I sounded good, but regardless, I had sooooo much fun.

It was nice to get out and have a date night. I think we might do this more often.

My first trip to Put-in-Bay!

2007-08-23T20:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday a few of us from work left at 1 p.m. and headed over to Put-in-Bay. There were some milestone birthdays in our office (2 40's and a 30) and they wanted to go to PIB to commemorate their big days. I was stoked, I had never been to PIB before. And the best part was my boss said we could leave work early to go!

We took the 2 p.m. Miller Ferry out of Catawba or Marblehead or wherever that is. First we went to Frosty's, then to the Roundhouse, then the Boathouse, then somewhere where we sat outside, then to the Boardwalk and then back to the Roundhouse. The weather was great -- sunny, but a tad warm. The boat ride over was perfect. I only had a beer at Frosty's and then the last time we went to the Roundhouse, I did a Jager Bomb for good measure :) I drove those of us who live in the Norwalk area, so I couldn't drink too much, which was fine. Since it was my first time there, I wanted to take it all in. The last ferry left at 7 p.m. so we weren't over there too long. I'm thinking of when just BJ and I could go back. Although I think Jackson would enjoy it.

Here are some pictures I took! What a great way to spend a Wednesday afternoon!

My little daredevil

2007-08-19T15:47:00.000-04:00

So, I was eating a bowl of cereal this morning and Jackson was in the kitchen playing with his new trains that I had gotten him. He kept calling to me and I was thinking he wanted me to look at him with his trains.

Well, I go in the kitchen and the little squirt had pushed a chair over to the counter, crawled up there and peeled himself a banana. I walk in there and he says "look Mom - a banana!" and then proceeded to take a big bite.

I was so stunned/amused, I couldn't even discipline him. Ugh, what am I going to do with my little monkey? :)

A new 'do for yours truly

2007-08-19T15:32:00.000-04:00

I decided to pamper myself a bit on Saturday and I got my hair done. I thought that since Fall was almost upon us, that I would try a darker color. So, I went with a light brown with blonde highlights. You can't really tell in this picture because the lighting was bad -- the color is actually darker than it looks in the photo. I also got more layers put in and bigger bangs. My stylist curled it all up for me. It looked a lot better -- this picture was taken at the end of the night right before I went to bed.

I also did some shopping on Saturday. I went to the mall and the stores were having amazing sales! I ended up getting 3 skirts, 7 shirts, 2 outfits for Jackson and a wallet for only about $60. I love end of season sales!

It was nice to have a "me" day. BJ took Jackson to the demo derby at the fair, so I even had Chinese for dinner.

Therapy, thy name is Blog

2007-08-13T21:06:00.000-04:00

On Friday, August 10 at 6:10 p.m. I had a miscarriage. I was five weeks pregnant and was standing in the check out line at Target waiting to pay for my bath robe and rain boots for my son. The lady who was in front of me in line asked me if I was OK. I looked down only to see that I was standing in a pool of blood. I was at a loss for words, so I told the cashier, who had a horrified look on her face, that I thought I was having a miscarriage. The lady who so kindly asked me if I was OK, had taken off and was no where to be found. She must not like blood.

Luckily, my husband was out in the car, so I called him and he came in and helped me out as everyone in line stared at me in utter disbelief. We weren't far from the hospital, but was stopped by every red light. I was poked and prodded at the hospital only to be told what I already knew, I had miscarried.

I think I had an out-of-body experience. I knew there were some issues with my pregnancy, but had thought modern science was wrong. Clearly, I knew my body better than a blood test or an ultrasound did. Everytime the doctor told me my pregnancy was not looking good, I would hold on to the hope that he was wrong. Even after I had the ultrasound at the hospital and lost what seemed like gallons of blood, I was certain the ER doctor would tell me that lo and behold there was still hope.

I struggle with being relieved that a baby never developed (I just had a gestational sac), but also wondering what my child would have looked like. Would it have been the girl we wanted? Would she have had big blue eyes and curly blonde hair? That's the thing I can't seem to get past.

I feel like it's a cruel thing our body does to us. It makes us feel like we are pregnant -- I had cravings and nausea, all the classic pregnancy signs -- but then only to spit out our beloved child like a piece of bad meat. Where's the justice? Where's the humanity? Where's the compassion?

Today is Day 3 and I still have a hard time saying the "M" word outloud. I can type it, but I have a hard time saying it. Actually, I should correct myself -- I have a hard time saying "I had a miscarriage." I'm hoping with time I'll be able to say,

"My name is Alex and I had a miscarriage."

Today is ...

2007-07-31T20:40:00.000-04:00

... my very first post on my very first blog.

I've been a fan of blogs for years, posting to various ones as I peruse the Internet in search of a good read. I'm also a sucker for a good message board. Posting makes you feel like a child on Christmas morning, eagerly awaiting to see if someone will reply and what they will say. Perhaps they will stroke your ego with an "I agree with you," or maybe they'll get your blood pumping with a "Your an idot!".

I decided to finally create my own blog not because I have a lot to say or because all the cool kids are doing it, but as a way to let family and friends know what is going on in my and my family's lives. Creating my blog was not as easy nor as fun as I thought it would be. I do graphic design as part of my job responsibilities, but I don't have any Web experience. All I wanted to do was put a flowery header and have the fonts be different sizes. After about an hour I got the header to be the size I wanted it, but no such luck with the font. Apparently, I can't make my blog title large without all the text being similar in size to that of an easy reader book for children.

You may be wondering how I came up with the name for my blog - Much Ado About Alex. It's a play on words of my favorite Shakespeare book, Much Ado About Nothing. Incidentally, this book was made into a movie (directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh) around 1993 and starred actors such as Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington and Michael Keaton. If you've never seen it, you are truly missing out. It's got drama, comedy and of course what would a Shakespeare book be without love.

I look forward to becoming a little more familiar with being the proud owner of a blog. And contrary to what I said earlier, tonight I did have a lot to say. :)