Happy Halloween!

Daddy even threw together a last minute costume and dressed up with the kitty cats! He's out trick or treating with them as I type this. They've been gone for over an hour. Bliss! LOL! ;)

So grown up.....

So I sit on the computer tonight and login to Kyra's online payment system to see how much money is in the account for school lunches. It's not much. I decide to put more money in there. Just for kicks, I click on account history and see that there's one entry that says "breakfast meal". At first, I freaked out because I thought it might be a mistake or someone else hacked into our account. Then I asked her if she ate breakfast at school on Thursday. She said yes because she told the teacher she was STARVING when she got to school. WTF? Um yes, I feed my child breakfast in the mornings. It's usually her choice to not each that much though.

We do get to school very early, so for a buck o' five ($1.05), I'm all for her eating in the cafeteria in the mornings. Apparently her friends do it, so it's the "cool" thing to do. And thank God, that the peer pressure has gotten to her and she eats what they are eating too! :)

Speaking of songs.....

Since Jen's blog entry from yesterday, I've been thinking a lot about songs and the way they make me feel.

My all-time favorite "put me in a good mood" song is "My Sharona" by The Knack. I just want to turn up the radio and dance like crazy when I hear that song. Who doesn't? ;)

I'm totally ticked off because I love the song "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin, which is the Top Gun theme song. But two things happened to totally ruin that song for me.
1.) Tom Cruise is such an ass now and that makes that song unlikeable. How can you not think of him and that movie when you hear that song?
2.) Jessica Simpson covered it. 'Nuff said.

Then there are songs that I could go without ever hearing again. One that comes to mind is "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. We get it. The Titanic sank. I want to too when I hear that song over and over again. :(

And there are the songs that are timeless hits that people are trying to cover. They discussed this on the radio one day. There are songs that SHOULD NOT be covered because nobody else could sing them like the original artists. Nobody and I mean NOBODY should touch songs like John Lennon's "Imagine", The Eagles' "Hotel California", Michael Jackson's "Thriller", or Eric Clapton's "Layla". I just hate to hear wonderful songs get butchered by someone who thinks they can sing it better. Ugh.

I could talk songs all day and night. I adore music. I think it's because songs put feelings within me and every time I hear a certain song, I am taken back to that time in my life. I remember what was going on.....good or bad. Therefore that song is timeless. It will always have meaning.

Then there are newer songs that I've heard that I love because of the clever lyrics. That happens a lot with Texas music. The artists are some of the most talented out there. They don't "sugar coat" anything. The words to their songs are real. You can tell right away that their heart and soul go into those songs. I think it adds even more meaning to a song when you know that the artist really does believe in what they are singing about. I'm proud of the little "movement" that these artists have established.

Then there's the music that I heard nonstop growing up. I swore I would NEVER like it. But I do. And it's all thanks to the Dujka Brothers! :)

Weekend woes.....

Ugh. It's the weekend. That means only one thing. Kyra will be horrendous. Are your kids good all week and then over the weekend, they misbehave? It's like everything just goes out the window. She doesn't want to be quiet. She's showing her sister numerous things that I'm sure Maeve will try over the next week, thus resulting in some form of injury. She doesn't listen. I've repeated myself so many times today and have gotten minimal results.

I'm tired. Is it 7:00 yet? ;)

Soon.....

I'm aware that since November of 2004, my blog template has not changed. Frankly, I'm tired of it too. So I'll change it soon.

Also, there are a lot of links from my peeps that are different too, so I'll change them as well. I might even have a few NEW links to add! YAY!

Changes are a comin'. Just sit tight.

Mind your own da*n business.....

Maeve and I went to the grocery store this morning. When we finished checking out and the total amount came up on the screen, the lady waiting behind me says, "I just cringe when people don't use coupons." WTF? Geez, I'm so sorry that I'm not Miss Penny Pincher like you are and don't take the time to search through every newspaper or magazine on the planet to clip coupons. Sure it would save me money, but I'd like to think that I have better things to do with my time.....like raise a few kids. Of course, she showed me her HUGE pile of coupons. Lovely. I suppose that makes you oh so much better than me.

The fact that a person can be so blatant in public makes me ill. I should have said, "So I don't use coupons....want to give me some of yours?" LOL! That would have shut her up.

Because I copy everything Jen does! ;)

A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Hunting flies," he responded.

"Oh. Killing any?" she asked.

"Yep, 3 males, 2 Females," he replied.

Intrigued, she asked, "How can you tell them apart?"

He responded, "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone."

LOL!

I couldn't think of a more clever title for this post. Sorry. When Richard told me this I just about fell off of the chair laughing.

Richard went to eat alone this afternoon at a new Chinese restaurant that's adjacent to one of the gyms that I frequent. The parking lot is always packed, so I assumed that it was good. However, I WILL NOT be going to eat there because if you remember, way back in 2002, I got sicker than a dog or anything else for that matter. I still think it was Chinese food that made me so sick. I was treated as if I had a parasite. It was horrible. I was sick for a month. I swore that I would NEVER eat Chinese food again.

Richard told me that the prices are great. Here's the funny part. He said that they have a "growth sign" (you know like the ones that you see at an amusement park....."You must be ____inches tall to ride") and a bunch of prices by the lines on the growth sign! PIMP! He said that the prices are adjusted by how tall you are!

Now that I think about it, it's totally not far. How tall are Asian people? I know! TINY!

I'm still laughing.....I gotta go check out this sign. I'll at least peek through the window! ;)

Crazy Ass Exercise Video #2

Some things just can't wait! LOL!

Tomorrow's the day.....

I haven't been to the dentist in over a year. I was supposed to go in March, but with everything that happened to Richard, I just put it on the backburner. So I go in tomorrow. I'm dreading it. Every time I eat something harder on my left side, it hurts. I'm almost certain that I have a cavity. And guess what? I'm scared. I've NEVER had a cavity before. NEVER. My dentist says that I have "virgin teeth". LOL!

Richard keeps going on and on about how horrible it is to have a cavity filled. Ugh. He's the KING of cavities and they don't bother him at all, so I think he's just trying to frighten me even more.

Hold me.

So let's revisit high school biology.....

Today I was just staring at Maeve and couldn't believe how blue her eyes are. It got me thinking about biology and genetics and how she acquired those "baby blues" in the first place. Remember Punnett squares in biology? I drew one to see if I could remember. I did it correctly (I think). Richard and I must carry a recessive gene for blue eyes. Maeve had a 1 in 4 chance of getting blue eyes and she did! Here's an example of what I'm talking about.

Me: Bb (brown is dominant)
Richard: Bb (brown is dominant)

So, between us, the possible combinations are:
BB (dominant)
Bb (dominant, recessive)
Bb (dominant, recessive)
bb (recessive)

Maeve is bb, thus she has blue eyes. I think I read somewhere that now blue eyes will be dominant for Maeve, so in order for her to have a brown eyed kid, she'd have to marry someone with brown eyes. There's a really good chance that she'll pass on her blue eyes to her kiddos.

Anyone else want to talk genetics? LOL!

Crazy Ass Exercise Video #1

This is a new feature of my blog. I'll post them from time to time. ENJOY!

Thursday Thirteen.....

Thirteen of my fondest memories of my Granny......because I miss her so much right now.

1.) There were many Easters where we would be at her house and attend Mass on Holy Saturday. Granny didn't go to church till Sunday morning and because Easter mornings were so busy for us (we traveled to my aunt and uncles' house), Granny played the Easter Bunny for many years.....setting out candy and goodies in the baskets that we had left behind.

2.) Every single time that I set foot in Granny's house, there was an aroma of something either on the stove or in the oven. Yum!

3.) My Granny always answered the phone with a "Hello" in the same tone of voice. I can still here it today. Those of you who have talked to her on the phone know what I'm talking about.

4.) I will NEVER, EVER forget my Granny's explanation to me as to how my mom died. She was there. I wasn't. I can't even begin to fathom the pain that it must have caused her. You give birth to a child and never expect to witness their death as well. It's just not fair.

5.) My Granny faithfully read scripture from the Bible every night. When we would spend the night with her, she would whisper them so that she wouldn't disturb us. I always knew what she was doing though.

6.) My sister and I always took turns sleeping with Granny when we stayed with her. The Christmas before my Granny died, it was Kyra's turn to sleep with her. Granny was so excited. I'm glad that Kyra got to snuggle up next to her just like we used to.

7.) On the heels of #6, I stayed at my dad's house the night before my wedding. I slept in my own bed with Granny of course. She kept reassuring me that everything was going to be ok tomorrow for my big day. I felt comforted. I felt safe.

8.) In Feb. of '99, I had a miscarriage. My aunt brought my Granny up here to stay with us because she's the person that I wanted around. I had to have an emergency D&C, so Richard and Granny stayed with me overnight at the hospital. Richard slept on a cot. I woke up that morning and poor Granny's head was resting on the table. I don't think she got any sleep that night. :(

9.) I miss the cards and letters that Granny sent for every occasion. She never forgot a holiday, birthday, or anniversary.

10.) I miss the recipes that Granny would so readily write down for me. I still have all of them. I gaze at her handwriting and miss her even more.

11.) I miss hearing her sewing machine. It was my goal to have Granny teach me to sew. I never learned. Granny was always such a pro at the sewing machine and could fix or mend anything.

12.) Even up until her death, Granny was very faithful to her church and took part in singing for the nursing homes and participated in Meals On Wheels. She was such a wonderful example to me and those around her.

13.) I mostly miss her hard work and dedication to her family. She loved each and every one of us. She was the glue that held us all together. :)

Maeve's new trick......

Well it's not really a trick, but we think it's cute.

Richard has trained her to take her wet diapers to the trashcan after he's finishing changing her and putting on a new one (the poopy ones go outside, so we take care of those). When I change her, she takes the diaper from me and says, "trash" and runs and puts it in the trashcan. It's hilarious to watch. She knows exactly what she's doing.

She's talking up a storm and even says, "Uh oh" when she falls down! LOL!

They grow up so fast. *sigh*

To those who want big boobs.....

You may change you mind after reading this post. ;)

For ages now, I've heard about a bra called Enell. I heard about it from a lady at one of the gyms, but apparently Oprah raved about it on her show and she wears one, so now it's probably pretty popular.

So today I went to Betty Sport here in Austin to buy one. What this bra does is keep the "girls" from moving AT ALL during physical activity. They have really weird sizes, so that's why I wanted to try one on first. I tried on a size 3. It was too big. I tried on a size 2. That was also too big. I tried on a size 1 and jumped up and down and finally the "girls" didn't move. Bullseye! That's the one I went with.

The kind lady that helped me out rang me up. $64.95. WTF? For a bra? I expected it to be expensive, but I think at that moment, my face went white.

Even more than that, I dreaded coming home and telling Richard that I spent $65 on a sports bra. He didn't have a fit, but he does want to see it on me. ;)

It's sooooo unfair that the bigger the boobs, the higher the price tag. That's just not right.

If I could be rid of them, I would. Maybe I'll have them reduced one day. I'll see where dieting and exercise will take me first.

But it's mighty tempting though just to go through with it. Heck, maybe then I'd save more money! LOL!

Fishing results.....

Richard went fishing this week. He and a bunch of buddies from work went to Calaveras in San Antonio. They finally had a productive trip. I say this because I think a lot of BSing goes on most of the time! LOL! But this time, Richard hooked a 33 inch Redfish! He was very excited. Mr. Redfish has not been clean and filleted and is now in the freezer outside! He'll make for a good fish fry one day.

Richard didn't take our camera, so thanks to his friend Gerry for the pic!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today my mom would have been 60 years old. It's hard to believe. Her life was cut short when she was 44 years old. Sometimes it feels like ages ago and sometimes it feels like yesterday. I have some vivid memories of my mom and other times I don't remember much. I was barely 14 years old when she passed away. I like to think that my sister and I were raised half of our lives by our mom and half by our dad. And I like to think that we turned out ok. ;)

Thursday Thirteen.....

Thirteen Promises.....

1.) My dear friend Jen better promise me that she'll get Flow or Yoga certified one day. I swear that girl knows more than I do!

2.) My friend Cherie better promise me that she'll take my Flow class.....and SOON! I know she'll love it!

3.) My friend Lynette better promise me that she'll take me with her on one of her overseas trips. Consider my bags packed at any time!

4.) My friend Anna better promise me a "Girls' Night Out". We are sooooo leaving our kiddos with the guys and chowing down!

5.) My sister Lisa better promise me a sisterly vacation one day. Just us two. Nobody else.

6.) To EVERYONE who comes to Cabela's, you better promise to freakin call me! Cabela's is in my backyard! Come visit!

7.) My husband better promise me a vacation for our 10th anniversary in 2008! ;)

8.) My girls better promise me that I'll always be their best friend! Kyra tells me that I'm her best friend all the time. I just hope she never takes that back! Maybe I'll videotape them both saying that and show it to them when they are 15 or so! LOL!

9.) My friend Krishna better promise me a trip to Vegas with her. She'd be SO FUN to go with!

10.) My friend Susan better promise me that she'll email me soon so that we can plan another lunchdate! Even though we did this to "get away from the kiddos", they are all we talked about! LOL!

11.) My MIL better promise me that she will have Christmas at her house this year and every year after. ;)

12.) My friend Chelle better promise me that she'll ALWAYS hold her head up high and be proud of who she is. She deserves so much happiness and I hope that she'll continue to lean on her family and friends for the support that she needs. We're here for you girlie!

13.) I promise MYSELF that one day I will visit New Zealand and see where the magic happens with my own eyes. I can't wait!

It was as if she never left.....

I had told Kyra a few weeks ago that she had a big surprise coming. A while back, I got a phone from Becca's mom telling me that they were going to be in this area for a fall break around mid-October. If you'll remember, they moved to Fort Worth in mid-July. We kept in touch and she pinpointed a date. I continued to keep Kyra in the dark just in case everything fell through. Even last night, she was trying to guess in the bathtub and she was telling me that grandma was coming or "LaLa" was coming. Nope. I knew she'd never guess. Kyra had just gotten home from school today when they arrived. Kyra ran to the door and ran outside. She saw Becca's mom and I really don't think it sunk in at first. They came inside and Becca and Kyra played in her room and in the living room and it was as though she never left.

I have never seen Kyra play so nicely with anyone. They make-believe, they joke, they laugh....it amazes me how they are so much on the same page. Even with Maeve in the way, they didn't seem to care. They were just in their own little world. Becca's mom told me how important it is for Becca to stay in touch with Kyra. They just clung to each other last year at preschool. They hit it off immediately. I've never heard Kyra talk so much about a person.

So, it was a good day. Kyra was so excited. She wants to go and visit Becca soon. :) I guess we'll be making a trip up to Fort Worth in the near future.

If you're looking to get pregnant.....

Just email me and I'll give you the link to my mommy message board. All you have to do is let the website show up on your computer screen and BAM!, you should be pregnant in no time at all! LOL!

Um, Richard has had the big "V" and I'm still seriously worried that I'm next just because I know a bunch of fertile women over there. ;)

Toys are cool and all......

But this is a bit creepy. I saw a commercial for it the other day. I think that a doll with a MAN'S voice talking to kids is just a little scary to me. Maybe I'm paranoid or crazy. Having this doll is probably the most innocent thing in the world.

But it STILL bothers me.

Damn weather.....

So I'm checking the weather forecasts like 5 times a day now because we are going out of town this weekend to a wedding in Victoria. I want to know what to pack. It's not going to get cold (our "cold"....like 60 degrees) till Friday. But then by Sunday it's going to be back up in the 80's again.

Why does this always happen when we are leaving town? *sigh* Now I'll have to pack a little of everything and when that happens, it means I overpack.

I'm thanking God that we have a suburban. And the 3rd seat is even pulled out of there! LOL!

Could it be?

WTF?

This is the forecast for this Thursday:

Partly cloudy, with a high near 62.

Are they for real?

Recap of the week.....

Um, I didn't blog all week? WTH is wrong with me? LOL! To be honest, it's been a crazy week.

Monday- Dropped Kyra off and then I had to sub a Body Step class. I went to the gym and was all set to go when I popped in my CD and frowned. The speakers sounded horrendous. Turns out, they were blown the previous Thursday night when the Body Jam launch was taking place. *sigh* So I made the best of the situation and tried to teach a good class. After that, I went shopping for a bra (exciting huh?) and an outfit for my cousin's wedding next weekend. I bought a skirt and a shirt in a size MEDIUM! WTF? Seriously though, all of the other shirts made me look like I was pregnant and we all know that's not true! ;)

Tuesday- Dropped Kyra off at school and did my usual library book shopping at her school. I REALLY like that time just to sit there and pick out books to read every night for the next week. I even picked out ones that would be really easy for her to read to me. She's doing a wonderful job with her reading. I'm so proud. After that, I headed to the South gym to take a Body Step class. I was sitting in the parking lot waiting to go in when my phone rang and it was another instructor wanting me to sub her class at noon. So, I left that gym, came home, grabbed my bag, and headed downtown to sub yet another class. After that, I came home, showered, and greeted Kyra at the bus. I got her inside and fed her a snack and whisked her off to dance class for an hour. I went to pick her up and then left both kids here at home with daddy so that I could go get a much needed haircut. I come home and Richard tells me that his brother is coming to stay the night with us after being with my niece and nephew at their school in San Antonio all day. He didn't get here till late. We talked a bit and then I went to bed. I was exhausted.

Wednesday- Took Kyra to school and came home. I went to teach Flow downtown at noon. Other than that, it was a mellow day. Thank God. I did take the girls to the grocery store in the afternoon though and that's always an adventure. They were good though and got balloons from the cashier on the way out. :)

Thursday- Dropped Kyra off at school and then came home. I put Maeve in the stroller and we did our 4.2 miles. At 10:00, I got a call from the nurse at Kyra's school (Doesn't your stomach just knot up when that happens?). Kyra's got a cough and needs some medicine. I really think that Kyra was up to some old tricks again, because she wasn't interested in her cough until she heard Maeve's HORRENDOUS cough (damn allergies) the night before. So I went up there and gave her a small dose of Tylenol Cold/Allergy and the nurse gave her a cough drop. I walked her back to her room and she was fine the rest of the day. Her teacher wasn't there either and I really think that threw her off. Her teacher is like having a 2nd mom around. Know what I mean? I think she really missed her. She came home with a wrapped box. It's the surprise box. She has to pick an object and put it in there and then right three clues down for her class and they have to guess what it is. On index cards, we wrote, "black", "white", and "furry". She chose a stuffed Panda Bear that she receieved last year at preschool. Kids went to bed early last night....both before 7:00. So I caught up on some of my taped shows.

Friday- I took Kyra to school and helped her carry that big box into her classroom. Maeve and I made a quick trip to Walmart for diapers and then came home for breakfast. At 9:00, we headed back up to school for a meeting. I'm on the "No Tardy Party" committee. The party is at the end of this month. It's going to be so much fun. After that, we headed "uphill" for the Kindergarten Awards for the 1st 6 weeks. Kyra got Perfect Attendance. She got a coupon for a free ice cream at Diary Queen. YUM! Maeve and I came home and she ate and then I put her down for a nap. I went outside and did Body Flow. I came inside, showered, and ate. Now I'm right here typing. I can't wait till Kyra gets home. Report cards go out today! She just might get that ice cream this weekend!

I'll keep ya posted!