Sunday, November 24, 2013

I think I would feel like a complete failure as a parent if I raised my kid into adulthood, sent them off to college, and they graduated said college incapable of applying for a job without my help.

Your college graduate child should be able to apply for a job. Without you completing his/her application. Without you following up with the potential employer. Without you sitting in on any interviews.

Seriously, what is happening to our world, people?!

If I am an employer, or the hiring manager for any company, the first applicant to be sent to the round file is the one who shows up with their mommy (or daddy) in tow, or whose mommy (or daddy) calls to follow up, or whose mommy (or daddy) turns in the application for them.

It just screams "I don't have any clue how to operate on my own!"
What does this applicant have to offer as an employee if their parent, or parents, show up at the interview with them? Is mom going to come to work with you every day too, to make sure your task list is complete, and to keep you on track? And what does this say for your decision making skills, or ability to actually perform your job? You can't even interview for the job yourself - how am I going to be able to seriously consider any possibility that you will be able to handle the work I have for you?

And instead of maintaining the idea that this is ludicrous, our lovely "progressive" workforce is embracing this idea! WHAT???

There are companies now who actually set up separate "parent involvement" interviews, and the such.
It's basically like "open house/back to school/parents night" at school, except... Oh yeah, you are a grown ass individual who shouldn't need your mommy and daddy to check out your potential employer.
It is one thing to discuss your options with your parents and, as parents, for us to give pointers about what to ask, what to enroll in if you land said job, weighing options between different jobs.
That is our job, that is our function. But actually becoming a part of your adult child's hiring process?? Really??? That is taking it a little far.

Lay off of the crazy pills.

I can't even imagine what my kid's reaction would be if I told her I was going to come to a job interview with her. When she was interviewing for her first job at 15 she would have cut me if I even suggested the idea of coming in with her, much less the ones she's applied for recently, much, much less any job she will apply for in the future. Are you kidding? I am getting the giggles just thinking about her potential reaction to this idea, haha!

She recently decided to get a second job, and had applied for and landed a particular job that she couldn't start until she was 18. In the meantime she decided to apply for a third job, and when she landed that one as well, she had to make a choice.  She and I had many discussions about her options, and I gave her my opinions - that's my job, and let her talk it out with me, but ultimately, she's the one who has to work the jobs, not me. So what place would I have in the process anyway?

It is just a really bizarre concept to me, I guess.

Anyway... end rant, but I just saw yet another article about this bizarre practice, and I couldn't be quiet.

Opinions happen, yo!

Happy weekend!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Good morning blog-o-sphere!

I don't have much to say this morning so I will leave you with a few announcements:

1. I gave up on NaNoWriMo this year. FAIL! I know! I just have so much other crap going on right now that it was ridiculous to even pretend to continue. The word count that I actually had down probably shouldn't even have counted in any way. I will consider my financial donation to the cause my achievement this year. I got my lovely bookmark, and my sticker. Yay!

2. This does not mean that I have given up writing entirely. I am still working on another writing project, I'm just taking my time with it at the moment. 

You know what is awesome about writing? You get to use all of the names you would name your kids if you had 100 kids. Seriously, if I had a kid for every name I've ever loved. Holy shit, I would have a television show. It probably isn't even humanly possible to have as many kids as names I've loved. 
It also creates a place for all of those names you love, but would never really use because you actually like your kid.  

3. Do I have anything for number 3? Oh wait, I do! 
I have a huge project to start in my basement. I've been putting it off. 
I am considering opening an in-home daycare. People who know me in real life can go ahead and spit coffee out of their noses now.
I know, I know! It sounds ridiculous, but I think it makes sense for where I am at in my life right now, and affords me the ability to be home with my kids and still bring in an income.
Before I do, I need to finish the basement area downstairs. This involves a lot of painting, and other small projects (and not so small projects like moving the piano, gah!), that I was planning to do anyway, but that I need to get cracking on if that is my plan. The more I think about it, and write out my plan, the more excited I am about it. I know! Weird.
For those of you who don't know me in real life - I'm not generally really very fond of kids. Especially other people's kids. But I think having small children again has softened me, and one thing I love about kids is their wonder, and I love teaching them things, and showing them things, so I think I can do it.

I think that is really all I have for the time being.

I hope everyone is having a great week! 

Cheers!

Friday, November 8, 2013

I'd also like to share with you that I just ordered my oldest's senior photos. SENIOR PHOTOS!
How does this happen????
I failed. Did you notice?

That's okay, at least it got me writing again for the moment.
Maybe I'll do the whole November thankfulness theme. That will give me something to post every day, and I am in a place right now where I need to start reminding myself of the things that I should be thankful for.

Today I will start with the roof over my head. It isn't a perfect roof, but it is a roof, and there are plenty of people out there who can't say that for themselves.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Did I mention that I am in the middle of the worst attempt at NaNoWriMo that the world has ever experienced? Because I am.
It's really bad, you guys. I can't help but laugh. I knew that it would be, but holy crikey!

Second order of business...

Here is a list of things that I am over:

1. People

I think I might have originally had more to add to that, but it feels complete just the way it is.

And lastly, my Public Service Announcement of the day:

Get a sense of humor. Life is way to short to take yourself so seriously, and walk around all self-righteous-like.

Bonus topic:

The season finale of Face Off is on tonight. I am so excited! I want Roy to win so badly.
If you have never seen Face Off you have no idea what I am talking about, and that is okay. Just know that I want Roy to win very, very much.
I fear that he won't but, Dear Universe, Please let him. Thank You.

Happy (Season Finale of Face Off!) Tuesday

Monday, November 4, 2013

Monday. What to blog about on a Monday...

I feel like there was a time that I could sit down to this computer and have a pretty good idea of what I would write about on a given day. I've never had a "Blog Schedule", but I feel like I had some kind of an idea of what to say.

I hear a puppy chewing... hold on. (I'll get into that in one of these upcoming posts.)

At any rate, I am so out of practice with this thing, is my point.

Is it the first Monday of the month? It is (the rate at which I lost track of time is unbelievable). Here we go. First monday of the month calls for a monthly goals list. Considering that this is being done on the fly, please do not expect too much from me. I'll start with the two most obvious goals.

1. NaNoWriMo - This should be taking first priority, and it is for the most part. I think. Okay, not really at all, but I am getting there.

2. NaBloPoMo - While I am participating in NaBloPoMo unofficially this year (I never actually signed up) I decided to do it because, and I know I keep saying this and then disappearing again, but I really, really miss blogging! So, I hope that this will kick me in the ass and get me going again. We'll see. And I hate to even end with "we'll see" because it feels like I'm just leaving a door open for myself to continue ignoring it.

3. Plan Mikaila's birthday - Y'all... My kid is going to be 18 years old in 2 weeks. This goes out to anyone who is a parent, or even who isn't, but has a child, or children in their life who they love deeply.
IT GOES. SO. FAST.
Don't waste it. You only get each moment of time with them once. And each stage is amazing in its own way, and you will miss them. Even the difficult ones. Don't. Waste it. You don't get it back.

4. Work on the maps (I'll bring you up to speed on those soon - I have no idea what they are for, they are just coming out, so I am letting them), get at least two new drawings started.

Most of these goals are on the creative side (other than the birthday). I have a ton of other things I'm trying to get in the swing of here, but I don't want to overload this thing. I've got fitness and health goals, house goals, income goals... Lots of random goals. How about we don't over do it.
I just want to get something down. You're probably going to be hearing that last sentence a lot from me in the next few weeks, and even beyond.

Four days in a row, yo! I've even shocked myself.
Now I need to stop procrastinating and get to the noveling part of my day, while the kids are napping.

Happy Monday!


Sunday, November 3, 2013

I have a much deeper follow up to yesterday's post, but right now I am rushing and I don't want to attempt to articulate what I want to say in this short amount of time that I have left myself to write today.
I already have enough issues articulating the things that I want to say half the time, let's not add to that with haste. Haha!

Mostly I just needed to get something down so that I can say that I posted something today.

I know, LAME!

But it is 11:30 and this is the first time I've sat down to write all day, and I still need around 1600 words for NaNoWriMo today, if I am going to keep on track. :::gigglesnort:::

By the way, this is the worst attempt at NaNoWriMo in the history of man. I didn't go into this year with a great feeling, so I can laugh at myself, but I think - and I didn't even think it possible - that it is even worse than what I had anticipated. Better luck next year. Hey, you never know, it is only day 3, something could still spark, I suppose.

Okay, off to NaNo. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

The problem with the world today, at least with us privileged enough to be fickle in and about life, is that we can't wait to crucify each and every person we encounter - in real life, or through media - for simply being human.

The End.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Oh, hello November... You're here right on time. Aren't you punctual.

I've decided that November is like that obnoxiously punctual person in your life who shows up precisely on time for everything and then stands there tapping their foot at you while you take an extra 5 minutes to finish getting ready to go.

This year is going to be a true NaNoWriMo for me.
I have no outline (not that I have ever had one, but a lot of folks do), no storyline in mind, and not even a spark of a starting point.

I will truly be putting the "No Plot, No Problem" concept to the test this year. Wish me luck, people! I am going to need it!


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Oh, hi!

Good morning, blog-o-sphere!

I'm 99.9% sure that no one is reading this - tends to happen when you quit writing for long periods of time. I'm going to write anyway.

November is coming.

That means two things...

NaNoWriMo, and NaBloPoMo.

I'm going to join both. I'll tell you right now, I'm not confident that I will complete either.
I got the closest I've ever gotten to completing NaNo last year with a little over 30,000 words.
NaBloPoMo, I might have gotten half way through. Can't remember.

Regardless, they are still both going on the to do list.

What else has been going on that I can fill you in on?

I'm thinking about bangs. I want to do it so bad, but I'm so afraid I will regret it. Help!
I might just take the plunge today. I plan to do it myself... The other kicker. I'm not good at anything anymore, so I know I will probably screw it up. Haha! But I can't bring myself to go to a salon to simply have them cut bangs.
I cut my own bangs my entire teen-hood. In fact every time I've ever had bangs I did it myself. Don't know why I am chicken now.

I don't really have much else.
Just got finished with another awesome season of RenFaire, we go back to clean up this weekend, then the wait for next year begins.
I think I might start a handkerchief shirt business. I bought one to wear under my bodice this year, and it was $35 dollars. A triangle of fabric, with a little bit of stitching. I could charge less and still make a killing! Hahaha! I might look into this, for real.

That's about all I have for the time being!

I've missed you blog, I really have!

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013


So, I'm doing this thing where I am actually allowing myself time to work on creative pursuits. Not even allowing myself, making specific time for these creative pursuits - as if it were my job. I'm also doing this thing where I will happily let anyone who doesn't want to be supportive of this slip away from my existence. I simply don't have time for it anymore.

You know, you get into this conversation with people, and people all give that same reaction... Well, there are a couple of different reactions. The "nod and smile" along with, "yeah, I always thought I would be a writer/artist/musician, hahaha! Then I grew up!" Followed by an entire "hilarious" personal tale which is supposed to lead you to understand why creative pursuits are a complete waste of time for everyone, and completely unrealistic, and how hilarious it is that every 20-something thinks they are going to be a writer, and now that we are not 20-somethings it is something to just get over.
Or they start vaguely talking about "their friend" or "their friend's friend" who is in the middle of some kind of crisis and decided to become a poet at the age of 35, and how they will be destitute forever and should be shunned because that is no way to keep up with The Joneses.
It is a rare, rare thing to actually meet anyone who has anything positive, or encouraging to say about creative pursuits that aren't crafty things found on Pinterest. Which I have nothing against, that just seems like the only acceptable way to "waste time" being creative.

I have no expectations of becoming a famous writer, or artist, or anything of that nature, by the way. Not that I would turn it down, but Mo' Money, Mo' Problems anyway, right? There are so many relatives that I have no desire to have suddenly barging down my door looking for a handout. Holy god, the idea of it kinda terrifies me, to the point I would probably have to consider witness protection program style tactics to keep my sanity. :::shudder:::
I'm merely saying that I have a need to create, therefore, that is what I am going to do.

Quick side note: What is this thing about labeling anyone who is doing something different from what the rest of the herd is doing as being in some form of "crisis". This is really getting to me, FYI.

Trust me. I know this shit is all over the place. I'm sorry, haha! Anyway...

I don't have any crisis. In fact, I can't even tell you the calm that has started to come back over me now that I am actually putting work into creating things. It has taken me to the land of zero fucks, and it is beautiful. 

There are two different lands of zero fucks, by the way. Are we all familiar with this? There is a dark side of zero fucks (which I could agree might be crisis), and a light side of zero fucks (as in, "you can be any way that you want to be, how I'll be, that's up to me" - Thanks Marcy Playground for writing that best lyric ever).

For a creative spirit, when you cannot create, you might as well be dead. That sounds really dramatic, haha! But, it's true. Creating gives the creative spirit life, and without it, there is no balance. This probably sounds really hokey, but to people who have that need to create, it is an absolute truth.

For many years, I have allowed myself to fall in line with the thinking that creativity should be on a back burner somewhere. Something that I should have grown out of by now, and it has taken me to the dark side of zero fucks. As in, I want my kids to be eating, breathing and smiling. Outside of that, I give none. Not a single one. About anyone, or anything.
There are other things that have not helped the situation, but it has taken getting back into creating to realize how much my psyche has been affected by letting it go in the first place.

Now that I have decided that being happy - for the sake of myself, for the sake of my kids, for the sake of my sanity - is what matters, I've started working on things again, and I've landed back on the light side of zero fucks. To me, the positive side of zero fucks. 
Like, I could give zero fucks whether or not you think that my working on creative pursuits is a waste of time. I give zero fucks if you think that writing, or art, is like, so cliche. I give zero fucks that you gave up on your dreams. I won't give up on mine to make you feel better about that, even if it never leads to anything. I give zero fucks if you don't "get" it. I give zero fucks if you stop wanting to spend time with me because there are periods of time that I need to disappear to create things.

Most importantly, I give zero fucks whether or not what I am creating ever makes me a dime. And I think that is truly the root of why people look down on this. Because most people are looking for their dollar. Because, for some, the dollar is where they find validation. That paycheck that is sending them to Pottery Barn for their furniture rather than Ikea (or goodwill). The need to create the illusion that you've put the perfect life in place exactly as it "should" be. To be The Joneses.

Creative spirits don't care about this (Sorry other creative people, I'm going to go ahead and speak for everyone here). We care about creating, and we're doing it for ourselves; not to be patted on the back, not to make millions in a book deal, not to have our work be the next summer blockbuster, and not to have our art displayed at the Metropolitan. It is truly for personal fulfillment, first and foremost.
Not that anyone would turn down the million dollar book deal, or the chance for people to see their work on display in New York City, and if they say they would they are LYING, but you get my drift.

This is feeling a little more ranty than I wanted it to, I hope it isn't, because I'm actually coming into a very good place with things right now; but this stagnant existence has caught up with me, so I'm in purge mode. Purge mode sometimes insists on dragging rant mode along with it, and I don't know why because rant mode is like that annoying friend who never pays.

So anyway, the basic message here is, I've been getting back into my groove, and it feels pretty darn good. There will probably be more to come on this subject. Hopefully it won't take me another billion months to get to the point of posting about it, or anything else for that matter. I've missed you. If there are any of you left. Haha!

Hope everyone enjoys this fine Wednesday. Not sure what it is looking like wherever you are, but we're pretty much having a perfect day for weather here.

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

Monday, August 12, 2013

I'm writing a blog post. Not this one - well, I mean, obviously this one, but, like, an actual one (wow, that was a lot of commas).
It is currently marinating, but it is going to be posted this week. For real!

Happy Monday!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

I'm a little bit in awe of the people who are actually able to put their words out there for the rest of the world to see. It's a ballsy thing to be able to do.
I don't mean just blog posts - but even those, when they are deeply personal, or honest.
I mean people who package their words up between two covers and put them on a shelf for people to take home with them - or in this day and age, leave them out there to be downloaded into people's e-readers...

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

This is a pretty big month for me, this week especially.

Ten years ago today, this exact hour that I am writing this, I was getting ready to get into my packed car and take off for the other side of the country. I had said my goodbyes, and was ready to take the world by the horns, equipped with only some clothes, my computer and a check for $1200 that the company had advanced me to make the trip. The cell phone that my operations manager had given me, along with orders to check in frequently, was on the seat, and the little angel that one of the guys had given me with a little poem about safe travels hanging from my rearview mirror. 
At 7:45a.m. I would make my last Washington State coffee stop (at least as a resident of that State), and head toward the pass to start the four and a half day journey to Largo, Maryland where they had set me up to stay for my first 30 days.

I felt like I had the world in my hands at that moment. It might be the only time I ever truly felt that way.  

Happy Tuesday!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

I lied...

Remember when I said that thing about being back?  That was hilarious, right?

It is terribly sad how long it has been since I've even looked at this thing, much less, written here.
I have been writing elsewhere though, so all is not lost, at least personally, haha!

I'm not very good at social media lately. I'm not really very good at anything lately. And "lately" has been going on for a very, very long time. Too long. I need "lately" to be over with now. To make that happen requires a lot of big things.

There are at least three very good blog posts that I have drafted on my iPad right now. I can't wait to roll them out. They actually SAY SOMETHING! No, they really do! It's exciting. I just can't decide if they are for here, or for something else I've been working on. We shall see.

It's embarrassing how long it has been since I've even read another person's blog. God, I'm terrible, y'all!

At any rate - just thought I would rear up and poke my head in for the moment, even if it is just to say absolutely nothing!

Happy Hump Day!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Today's post was supposed to include a bunch of pictures from my excursion with Darby to the Maryland Faerie Festival yesterday. We had a great time, I took a ton of great photos.
Photos of Darby making her own set of faerie wings, photos of Darby sitting on mushroom stools wearing said wings (croak!), photos of Darby with the festival unicorn, photos of Darby picking out and riding the largest pony at the pony rides like a boss.

Except... I forgot to put the memory card back into the camera after removing the photos from grandpa's visit.

So a ton of great photos is actually more like ZERO photos.

On top of that, I left the camera sitting on the back bumper of the car when I left. Thank GOD that there was a family sitting in the grass in the parking area having a picnic who saw the camera fall and ran to the exit to make sure it got back to me. Yep.

So instead I leave you with this photo of an exhausted Darby running around in the common area outside of the house when we got home.



Happy Monday!


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Some Randoms

1. Sometimes I stop going to Trader Joe's. Not because I don't like it, but because there are other places that are more convenient, and frankly, I just forget. Then I'll randomly realize that I have been there in a while and I go, and I kick myself afterwards for letting it go so long between visits. I love Trader Joe's.

2. Scott Weiland actually showed up last night. I feel like that in and of itself was a success. He was a bit all over the place, but overall did a decent show. Was nice to hear some old STP favorites, and was kinda cool that it was in such a small atmosphere. There were probably only a few hundred people there.

3. I was going to post a hilarious video of Darby playing the Guitar Hero guitar, but I can't figure out how to upload a video without going through YouTube.

4. Clearly, I am still alive.

Happy Tuesday!
(except it isn't because I have to work. Coming soon: The post on why I need to just quit.)

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

A penny for... my bathroom floor.

"Set up a jar to collect pennies in for the penny tile floor" was supposed to be an item for my March goals list, but I couldn't stop thinking about it so I decided to just do it.

This has all been sitting in my closet for an age.
While surfing Pinterest one night I found a tile floor made with pennies. I have to have one. It will be perfect for the main floor powder room.

Here is how it looks when it is finished, if you didn't go to the link:

Love!
How awesome does that look with all the different shades of colors from the old and new pennies all mixed in together?!
I cannot wait to do this, so yesterday I decided to grab the change jar and spent a good half an hour (probably more...) separating the pennies out from the rest of the change. There is a lot of change in this house. Holy moly.

I realize that I could easily just go to the bank and buy pennies from them, but where is the fun in that?
Besides, it will be a little while before I am ready to turn that room back into a bathroom (it is currently a storage closet), so I have a little time and the collecting will be fun.

I did notice one commenter's concern over potentially valuable pennies being glued to the floor. We totally take pennies for granted, don't we? I seriously would never have considered it, but now that the thought is in my head I have to. Thankfully one of my favorite people in this world is a coin collector! Guess I'll have to get his opinion.

Anyway - Who knows when this will actually come to life. The powder room is going to be a "from the ground up" kind of project, but I will definitely be updating you with a blog when it happens. Particularly the floor!

Happy Tuesday everyone!
(and please send your positive thoughts that the plague will leave my house. Thanks!)

Monday, February 11, 2013

Is it Monday already? Holy moly.

Weekend Recap:

1. I did not make it through the weekend without buying Skylanders Giants. In fact, I went out and bought it on Friday night.

2. It was convenient timing because I also came down with the plague on Friday. I've logged in a fair amount of hours thanks to the fact that I haven't wanted to move for the last few days.

3. I feel as though I should clarify that not wanting to move and having to move are separate things entirely. I didn't want to move, but I did have to because I had to work, grocery shop, and, you know, take care of a household. But I did take full advantage of the times that I was able to lay around.

4. This brings me to the thing I've been cracking up about all weekend. People's reactions to a 35 year old mother of three who plays video games. Why is this weird? Do you watch television? What's the difference?

First of all, I don't spend that much time playing nintendo (though I did this weekend because I was laying around more than normal). Secondly... why is it that if you watch tv, movies or surf the internet it's okay, but saying that you play video games automatically makes you a sloth? Ha! It's comical!

I am the mother of a one year old, a two and a half year old and a seventeen year old. During the day I have an extra charge who is 9 months old. I rarely sit down during the day. At all. When the kids nap I may try to get a blog in, or at least read some blogs, but for the most part, there is no "sitting idly" during my day, or even my evenings, for that matter! - even on the weekends.
Contrary to what some believe, being a stay at home mom does not involve laying on the couch eating bon bons. Not if you are doing your job. Funny enough, there are people out there who get paid to take care of children, it's just not a valid job when you are taking care of your own, for free. I know, we got the memo (and for the record, I was a single working mother for a good 11 years, so I know what it is like to be a working mom, and I spent WAY more time playing video games then than I do now, just so you know).

I also work part time. I do laundry, cook, clean, work out, manage the finances, play taxi so that my older daughter can work... The list goes on. I'm not sitting around on my ass 24 hours a day. I have precious little down time just like everyone else.

So what is the difference if I choose to spend the same amount of time on a video game at the end of my day as someone else spends on television, movies and internet at the end of their day? I'm just curious!
Whatever makes you feel superior, I suppose. Hahaha!

I'm done. I just... It just cracks me up! "The ways that I waste my time are just, like, so much more valid than the ways that you waste yours."

People are funny creatures.

5. I feel like I should have something else to tell you about this weekend, but I can't think of it. It is all kind of a fog because I have been feeling so crappy.  Unfortunately, I think this is really all I have for you today. I'm going to spend the day sterilizing the house so that hopefully we can get rid of this crud (the kids all have it too, boo hiss).

Happy Monday!

Friday, February 8, 2013

Dirty secrets...

Here's a dirty little secret... I kinda like video games. A lot.
There are only a few games that I get hooked on, but when I do you can forget seeing or communicating with me until the game has been completed.

I was recently introduced to Skylanders Giants. 

image from wired.com

What took me so long to find this game?!

And yes, I recognize that this put me in league with a host of 10 year old boys. I'm okay with that.

Admittedly, this isn't one that I would have just picked up off of the shelf myself - the whole portal thing and having to have actual figurines to go along with the game... I would not have thought it to be my cup of tea. Well, I was wrong. I tried it recently at a friend's house and I have been obsessed ever since. 

I've been playing on their game, but I'm going to have to break down and just go get one of my own. I want to play it always (or at least while the kids are napping, and after they go to bed). Not only do I want to play it always, but I also want to get my own figures because I want to be able to level my characters up myself. Sharing them kind of takes the fun out of it, at least for a geek like me because part of the fun of playing a game is getting all of the upgrades, extras and hidden things. I need to be able to upgrade them on my own.

I haven't caved to getting it yet, but I don't know that I will last the weekend without picking it up.

In other news... when did it get to be Friday?!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Monday, February 4, 2013

I'd like to start this freezing cold Monday morning off by saying...

RAVENS NATION!


If you haven't heard... We won the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Sunday just needs to become a national holiday. It never matters whether or not your actual team is there. People still use the day to gather with friends and family, and enjoy a day of food and football. And while I understand that not everyone appreciates football, or the Super Bowl itself - not everyone appreciates Christmas or Thanksgiving either. They still get the day off.

In other news... The groundhog didn't see his shadow! Please let it be true! I'm so ready for winter to be over.

Happy Monday everyone!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

A few things...

1. I can't believe that I am already preparing for Tobin's first birthday. How did his first year go by so fast?

2. You would not believe how difficult it is to plan a train party that is not centered around Thomas and Friends. I have nothing against Thomas and Friends, I'm just not really into character themes. If I had realized that trains would be so hard to find I would have started planning a year ago. Thank God for Etsy and Pinterest.

3. Food is becoming a major source of irritation. Why do we have to eat? I'll have more on this at some point, I just have to have the time to sit and write for more than 5 seconds at a time. ha!

4. If you put more value on a piece of card stock with a couple of words on it than you do a human being, I don't want to know you. 

5. I saw this when I was blog surfing the other day, but I can't remember where.
This is my next project:

Love, love, love!
That is pretty much all I have for today. I really need to get my butt in gear and work on getting ready for this party! The next week and a half is going to fly by. Eep!

Happy Tuesday!

Friday, January 11, 2013

TGIF...

It's been a week, y'all.

There are a lot of things in parenting that you feel you will never be prepared for. They come and go, and you realize that it wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Most things in parenting are like that, actually.

This week I experienced something that is decidedly NOT like that. Walking my kid through the death of a friend, almost a brother really. I don't think there is anything that can prepare you for this. Even going through the loss of friends too soon, myself.

It is a helpless feeling because there's just nothing that you can do. Yes, you can be there for hugs, and words of encouragement, but it is truly a battle that is all their own.
All you can really do is sit back and watch it unfold as they go from an initial detached reaction to, "wait, this is really happening, hold on, I can't find the brake", to finally reaching the point where the permanence begins to set in.

In The Teenager's case, it was a coworker, but he was much more than a coworker. He was who had trained her, she worked pretty much every shift with him (he was her shift manager), but more than that, over the past year and a half he had become the big brother she never had, one of her closest confidantes, and one of her biggest supporters. She talked to him about everything, from major life decisions down to the littlest things like what color to dye her hair. He always pushed her to go red. An option that was never even on the table in her mind.

Ironically, last Saturday, she dyed her hair red - on a complete whim. It was the next day, when she was done with her shift at work that they took her aside and told her that he had died overnight in his sleep.

When he told her he had cancer in November is was sad, it was scary, but it never crossed her mind that she might never see him again. She found out from the others last night, after his wake, that he was scared to tell her he was sick. He didn't want to have to tell her. They all felt the same way when it came to telling her that he had passed. Of course, I don't think anyone expected it at all, much less this soon. (He was only 27. Twenty-seven... so young...)

She has never experienced death before. Not like this, not this close. There have been a couple of kids from her school who have died over the past couple of years, but she wasn't close friends with them, so it was sad, but easily brushed off.
This is the first time it has ever been this real.

I'm so glad that she went out with everyone last night and she got to hear from them how he always talked about her, how much he cared about her, how she was like his little sister... She really needed to hear that, because from her mouth, "he was truly one of the most amazing people I will ever have known".

From bed last night she tweeted, "all the things you taught me will never be forgotten."

I hate that she is going through this, but I am so glad that he was a part of her life, even for that brief time.

Phew! Sucky, sucky week, yo... Now on to helping her celebrate that she was able to know him in the first place, and to move forward.

Thank you, Brad, for being in the league of best friends and best teachers my kid will ever know in this life.

Rest in peace...

I hope everyone has a great weekend (now that I've posted such a downer, sorry! Had to get it out), and make sure you tell the people around you how much you love them. You just never know in this life... 

Friday, January 4, 2013

Last night I stumbled upon this...

"Do you want to make money and impress people with your corner office, $50,000 Mercedes, 4500 square foot house, tailored suits, swimming pool, Sun Valley-acquired tan...? If these are your goals, tuck your kids into daycare, drink your milk of magnesia, and stop simpering about 60 hour work weeks. You've made your choice."

And this...

"Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment, and especially on their children, than the un-lived life of the parents."

Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. That is just my humble opinion on the matter... 

I probably have more to come on this subject.

Happy Friday!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

So it begins...

Happy 2013, everyone! The start of the year always feels so good.

And guess what?! I made "a list"! No, I really did.

In keeping with the main theme that is (so wonderfully!) coming over my life at the current moment, the list is very simple:

1. Grow my hair out.

2. Finally learn to use this fancy camera that I had to have.

3. Do more second hand shopping. 

4. Donate instead of putting things out to trash (I've seriously gotten so bad about this).

5. Keep my Facebook account deactivated for at least six months. 

There are going to be additions to this list, but I figured this was a good start. 

Happy New Year to everyone, and I wish everyone with a goals/resolutions list luck on their journey!