My new favorite t-shirt...

EVERY infertile and EVERY parent has thought this at one time or another but most of the tie we bite our tongue. I want one of *these shirts so I can just point to it when someone really annoys me.
This rockin' shirt and many other fabulous ones can be found at the CafePress store Evil Genius Tees. This particular shirt is found on the Infertility Sucks page.

Thanks to Baby Smiling In The Back Seat for posting about them.



*I wear a 2X...LOL.

This is just SAD...

Honestly, I've never had much respect for Kanye West. He seems to spout off about any number of topics he knows nothing about. Now I know why he knows so little. He is a professed non-reader. When I *found the link to this article, Proud non-reader Kanye West turns author, I moved past lack of respect and entered the field of full blown disgust. Kanye actually said...

"Sometimes people write novels and they just be so wordy and so self-absorbed," West said. "I am not a fan of books. I would never want a book's autograph."

How sad is that? Not only is he incapable of using proper English, but he says his favorite self quote is "Get use to being used." That's not an idea I ever want to pass through my childrens' heads.



*Thanks to Jen over at Cake Wrecks (one of my favorite fun sites) for posting the link.

SHOW AND TELL: something to SHARE

I know I've been teasing y'all about this but I am just so damned excited about it. I know most of y'all were around here when my friend Christa and I launched our cross stitch design company, Cuppa Joe Designs. Well, Christa and I were talking and we decided that in addition to marketing our designs, we wanted to use our company to promote causes and groups we believe in. And, that's when inspiration struck.

I have been amazed at the work Cara has done forming Share Southern Vermont and organizing it's First Annual Walk for Hope and Remembrance. I remember thinking how much I wished I had known about Share when I was going through all my losses. I decided the first group we would use our design company to promote would be Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc. Their stated mission is to serve those whose lives are touched by the tragic death of a baby through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or in the first few months of life. I think this is something all of us in the ALI community can get behind. So, without further ado and in honor of Adam Michael Seip, Bridgett Kelly, and Emma Grace Tyrell, I present Cuppa Joe Designs newest patterns...


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The national office for Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc is going to do Cuppa Joe Designs the honor of linking to our site from the national home page. Please take a moment to hop on over to our design site so its stat counter reflects the exposure and please, please pass the word on about this wonderful organization and pass on the link to Cuppa Joe Designs so this pattern will be available to a wide audience.

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To see what everyone else in class is bringing to SHOW AND TELL, take a trip to visit the Miss Mel, Goddess of the Infertility Blogosphere.

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And, don't forget to go by my Etsy shop and buy a hat to support the Liz Logelin Foundation. All the details can be found in this previous Show & Tell post.

The Evolution of Dance

OMG, I laughed my ass off (I wish) watching this. I think everyone will appreciate it but those of you who are 35+ will love it even more.

What the *#$%^*$* did I just spend 2 hours reading...

or How LFCA Caused Me To Lose 2 Hours

I was sitting around tonight trying to be a good little blogger. I went by LFCA (Lost and Found and Connections Abound) to check out all the goings on in the ALI community and I got sucked in. Of course, I had to check out the Kirtsy'd Pick O' the Day (it's brilliant and insightful, check it out). Once I did that I thought, "Ya know, I should go by the Kirtsy home page and see how high on the Top Stories list this ALI post got." And that is when I got hopelessly lost. I saw *all these nifty amusing links and one of them led to an article about Star Trek on Cracked.com...and that led to an article on Bad-ass Cartoon Villians Who Lost to Retarded Heroes...which led to famous characters you didn't know were rip-offs...and of course I had to read about CGI boobs...and somehow I found a link to a list of Star Treks most ridiculous alien races where I found a link to a really funny Star Trek article...and how about the 20 Worst Ideas for a Prequel...and 7 Completely Unrealistic Movie Plots (That Actually Came True)...but how could I read all that and not read about real foods that can get you high...

Oops, I just saw a link I missed. I'm off to take a quiz about "Are You A True Star Trek Fan?"

* I must confess that this is actually only a small fraction of the articles read. I didn't want to scare you off.

I'm so excited about this weeks Show and Tell...

It combines a few things that are near and dear to my heart and I think it might mean a lot to a bunch of you too!

Laws That Make Sense

Thank you Meari for originally posting this.

Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.

Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability -The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.

Law of the Alibi - If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of Close Encounters -The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Law of the Theater and Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last and they are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over while those in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies and who stay to the bitter end of the performance and beyond. The aisle people also are very surly folk.

The Starbucks Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Murphy's Law of Lockers - If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

Brown's Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they're ugly.

Oliver's Law of Public Speaking - A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

Doctors' Law - If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. Don't make an appointment and you'll stay sick.

Totally Useless Update for May

Like I said last month, I'm participating in the Totally Useless Stitchathon. The whole purpose of this is to collect all the orts (small pieces of floss, thread, yarn, or other fibers) that you trim off your stitching projects over the year. You can collect them in the see through container of your choice and, by the end of the year, you have a colorful and possibly artistic representation of your year's activity. I still think that when we get closer to the end of the year, I will buy some clear glass ornaments to put the orts in.

I filled up the first jar and started on a a second one...


And I also made this cute little love bird, It only took about 4 hours...

Barren Bitches Book Brigade: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Welcome to the eighteenth tour of the Barren Bitches Book Brigade--a book club from the comfort of your own living room. Today we are discussing The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Grab a cup of coffee and, when you are done reading my review, you can hop along to another stop on this blog tour by visiting the main list at Stirrup Queens. You can also sign up for the next book in this online book club: Navigating the Land of IF by our very own Melissa Ford, stirrup queen extraordinaire.

I have to be honest. When I initially picked up this book, I had to force myself to pick it up. It seemed like it was going to be an overly serious book and I just didn't think I was in the mood for something deep. But, once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It was a phenomenal book. It took a story anyone who has been exposed to religion knows, the story of Jacob and his wives, and tells it from a totally unexpected perspective. It is quite obvious that the author put a lot of time, effort, and love into this book.

Ms. Diamant does a brilliant job of drawing us into Dinah's life and world. She includes all kinds of little details that make this trip into the past seem so real. Even if you aren't religious, take some time to read this book. It isn't preachy. Equal time is given to mentioning and discussing the other religions and beliefs of the day. But, mostly, it is a fantastic story.

Now, on to the questions...

Which character did you relate to most in the story -- Rachel, Leah or Dinah? Why? I actually found myself relating to both Rachel and Leah. Despite my struggles with infertility, I have been blessed with many sons (3 of them) like Leah. My oldest son was downright easy to conceive and, despite some complications, was healthy at birth. My middle son was a little harder to conceive but again was born healthy and strong. And, my little one, my post IF baby, my miracle, is wonderful. However, like Rachel, I suffered loss after loss after loss while trying to conceive my youngest. The absolute heart wrenching pain she felt when she knew she was losing a baby was something I have felt. Both the blessings and the tragedy are who I am so I see myself in both of them.

"The sight of the baby in Bilpah's arms, day after day, shattered Rachel's confidence again. She was only the aunt, the bystander, the barren one." Did you find the author sympathetic or disparaging of Rachel's barren state? Did she convincingly relate the experience of being barren? I did feel Ms. Diamant was sympathetic of Rachel's barren state. The pain and anguish one feels when you desperately want a baby and see people around you reaching that goal while you continue to fall short is dark and ugly and those are the feelings Ms. Diamant conveys. I truly identified with Rachel's descent into depression because I remember hitting the bottom of a dark, black hole during our many losses. I think the feelings are accurately and truly portrayed and it makes me wonder if either MS. Diamant or someone close to her hasn't been through a similar struggle.

The family trees shown at the beginning of the book don't include miscarriages, stillbirths, or children who died before weaning. Given the rate of infant mortality at the time, this was a logical method for "counting" children. Now that it's much more rare (but still too common) to lose children both before and after birth, at what point do you think children should be added to the official family tree? At what point should they be added to the parents' personal tally of children? My answer to this question is purely subjective and there is no right answer. I feel a pregnancy that has reached the 20 week mark should be included on the family tree. If a child dies in utero but is delivered, this is classified as a still birth. And, if a child even lives a moment or two and then dies, of course they shoud be included. As for when a child is added to a parent's own personal tally, mine were all added the minute I got a positive pregnancy test. Most of my losses were quite early, some were even classified as chemical pregnancies. But, even though they were only little clumps of cells, I loved them for what they could become. My family tree will of course include my three wonderful boys and I intend there to be a note by my name saying 8 pregnancies lost.

Remember them today...

photographer unknown


THE YOUNG DEAD SOLDIERS DO NOT SPEAK
by Archibald MacLeish

Nevertheless they are heard in the still houses: who has not heard them?
They have a silence that speaks for them at night and when the clock counts.
They say, We were young. We have died. Remember us.
They say, We have done what we could but until it is finished it is not done.
They say, We have given our lives but until it is finished no one can know what our lives gave.
They say, Our deaths are not ours: they are yours: they will mean what you make them.
They say, Whether our lives and our deaths were for peace and a new hope or for nothing we cannot say: it is you who must say this.
They say, We leave you our deaths: give them their meaning: given them an end to the war and a true peace: give them a victory that ends the war and a peace afterwards: give them their meaning.
We were young, they say. We have died. Remember us.

Some gave all. Remember them today.

Crazy 8s or 8x8

Yesterday, Chicklet tagged me for this and, a little further back, while back, Geek By Marriage tagged me for this too. The rules say I must mention the person that tagged me...check. I have to complete the list of 8's...check. And, I have to tag 8 bloggers and tell them I tagged them...check.

8 Things I Am Looking Forward To:

1. fabulously good betas for Kym tomorrow
2. finishing a tote bag
   
3. starting on a very special quilt this week
4. swimming and going out on the pedal boats with my family tomorrow
5. HARRY POTTER in only 53 days!!!
6. finally getting all my veggie plants in the ground
   
7. being pregnant one last time
8. getting boob reduction surgery after I'm pregnant one last time

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. mowed the lawn
2. worried about my hubby...he's either got carpal tunnel syndrome or a pinched nerve - they don't know which one yet
   
3. Went swimming for the first time this season
4. said some prayers for Kym and Chance (head over and wish them luck)
5. made my boys clean up
   
6. finished one book (in the am) and started another (in the pm)
   
7. Stitched a little on a lovely little dragon pattern I am stitching
   
8. Actually went to bed before midnight
   

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. I wish I could sing well. I can hear whats wrong with my voice but can't fix it.
2. have a big bloggy get together
   
3. ride horses on the professional show circuit...I miss riding so much
4. add a second story and a basement to my house
5. spend a week with my friend Rys and her family this summer
6. go to BlogHer
7. go on a cross stitch and/or quilting retreat
8. wiggle my nose like Samantha from Bewitched to clean my house
   

8 Shows I Watch:

1. Dr. Who
2. Primeval
3. Torchwood
4. the CSIs
5. Fringe
6. Bones
7. How I Met Your Mother
8. Ugly Betty
   

8 Favorite Fruits:

1. Strawberries
2. Mangoes
3. Kiwi
4. Raspberries
5. Granny Smith Apples
6. Bing Cherries
7. Peaches
8. Grapes
   

8 Places I'd Like to Travel:

1. Ireland
2. Puerto Rico
3. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island...want to eat in the underwater restaurant
4. Paris...I need a few days just for the Louvre
5. DC...I need a week for the Smithsonian
6. Russia
7. Peru...I've always wanted to see Machu Pichu
   
8. Australia
   

8 Places I've Lived

1. Taiwan
2. New Jersey
3. Germany
4. Hawaii
5. Florida
6. Goldsboro, NC
7. Hillsborough, NC
8. Cary, NC
   

People I've tagged:

1. Kym
2. Rys
3. Fat Chick from Musings of a Fat Chick
4. Ali
5. Murgdan
6. BecomingWhole
7. Delenn
8. AnotherDreamer
   

SHOW AND TELL: he's back and a few other things...

I must confess that until I went over to Mel's blog, I forgot about the homework she gave us. So, I went back and my favorite Show & Tell post over the past year was the one about my parents. Go check it out if you have a moment. The current Show & Tell is below.

And oops again, I missed the part that we were suppose to pick somebody else's post. Sorry.

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Back on 5/7, I posted about how the only downside to an otherwise wonderful week was that Joey's cat was still missing. It that point, he had been gone for at least a week.
Last Saturday, approximately 2 1/2 weeks from when he first went missing, Max returned. Actually, I found him. I had just gotten home from dropping Joey off at a friend's house for a sleepover. As I pulled into the driveway, I saw Snoopy (our other kitty...the laid back non alpha-cat)off to the side of our driveway. So, when I got out, I called to him. As soon as I did that, a very loud meowing started across the street. It was Max. I'd recognize that meow anywhere. I looked over but didn't see him. Given where the meow was coming from, he was in one of two yards...the wide open one or the jungle. The jungle is behind a house owned by a horticulture professor and there are all sorts of gorgeous plants FILLING the yard. As I headed across the street, Snoopy, who had no interest in going inside, followed me. I started wondering if he hadn't been keeping Max away from the house as payback for Max being a total buttwipe towards him in the house. Of course, once I got across the street, I realized the meowing was coming from the middle of the jungle back yard.
So, despite the fact I was hot and sweaty and looking like crap from spending the evening moving one fridge out of our house and the new (to us) fridge in, I went and knocked on our neighbor's door and asked if I could go look for my cat in their backyard. It was pitch black in their backyard because the street lights didn't penetrate the jungle and I was afraid to go get a flashlight because Snoopy was still following me and I thought he would chase Max off if I Went inside. It took nearly 20 minutes of searching through a pitch black backyard for a black cat who didn't want to come out from the underbrush because Snoopy was there. I followed his meows until I got close enough to catch glimpses of him and I FOUND HIM. I was even hotter and grimier and just a bit out of breath (the humidity and something in that backyard were aggravating my asthma) but it was all worth it when I saw how glad everyone (even our dog Jack) was to see Max. It was pretty damned cool feeling like Joey's hero for finding his cat.

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To see what everyone else in class is bringing to SHOW AND TELL, take a trip to visit the Miss Mel, Goddess of the Infertility Blogosphere.

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And, don't forget to go by my Etsy shop and buy a hat to support the Liz Logelin Foundation. All the details can be found in this previous Show & Tell post.

Stitching Post Saturday 5/23 (OMG You Rock project included)

I finished the octagonal baby blanket and one other small project. I forgot to take a pic of the other small project so I'll have to wait until it reaches the recipient and hope she takes a picture. I haven't blocked the baby blanket so it doesn't lay flat right now but it will once I've blocked it.


I also can show you the wrap I made for my OMG You Rock partner....

We got our geek on last night...

my best friend and sister by choice, Jennifer, Vic and I ran away from the kids and went to see Star Trek. Hehehe, the running joke (started by me) is referring to Jennifer as *Vic's girlfriend. So, I told Vic he could tell the people at work he went to the movies with his wife and his girlfriend. A quick shout out and thank you to my dad for driving up and watching the kids so we could go out. My family ROCKS!

The movie was awesome and firmly turned on its head the odd vs. even truism of Star Trek movies. Even if you aren't a Trek fan, go see it! The story and action are great and the special effects are phenomenal. What is so great about this movie is that is takes all we love about Trek and gives it a twist. This is a "mirror universe reboot" of the Star Trek franchise which means we don't know whats coming next. Sadly, some Trek purists are too narrow minded to enjoy the film for the wonderful entertainment it is saying, **"Even though I haven't seen it," another writes, "I KNOW it is bad because it is not a replicate [sic] of the cheap sets of the 60s. I KNOW it is bad because it doesn't follow my strict understanding of canon." However, despite pissing off the purists, this movie breathes life into a cultural icon and has attracted legions of new fans.

The very best news is that there is already a sequel in the works...same cast, same producers, and Abrams might even direct again!

And, if this review doesn't fully convince you of my geekdom, here are some cool links for you.
TrekMovie.com review of Trek 2009
NY Times review of Trek 2009
Boston Globe review of Trek 2009
article in the Boston Globe about the movie
10 Steps to becoming a Trekkie
interview with JJ Abrams about Trek 2009


*please don't try to read anything into this. I trust them both implicitly.
**said by a poster to trekmovie.com

The ABCs of Me...

I saw this for the first time on my friend Kym's blog and thought it would be a fun ICLW intro. If you are here but have no clue what ICLW is, check out that little dark purple rectangular button with the cute dog on it. It will take you to all the explanation you need. Go on. I'll wait right here for you.

If you want an overview of my family building/IF history, check out my ICLW intro from back in January. And, if you want to win a prize, check out last weekend's Show and Tell.

A - Army ROTC scholarship - what paid for my first 2 years at school before my knee couldn't take it any more
B - blue - what color my face was painted when I met Mikhail Baryshnikov
C - crafts, crochet, and cross stitching - hobbies, passions, sanity savers
D - Duke University - my alma mater, GO BLUE DEVILS!
E - eleven - the number of times I've been pregnant
F - firefighter - my husband's career when I met him
G - green - one of my favorite colors
H - horse trainer - I spent the summer training horses at Hy-Mirage Arabian farms the summer after I graduated from college
I - Irish - almost 1/2 of my heritage
J - Japan - where my parents met
K - Kristin - my name - notice the in not en - that's the Scandinavian spelling
L - lovenox - if I get to use it again, I am forewarned that it makes me bruise badly so I think I will inject myself in a smiley face pattern
M - murderer - what the man my roommate had living with her turned out to be
N - nine - the number of bones I have broken - 6 out of my ten toes (thanks to horses), a metatarsal (foot bone, again thanks to horses), my right tibia, and my right femur
O - Orange County Rescue Squad - where Vic and I were both volunteering when we met almost 17 years ago
P - pneumonia - what hospitalized me when my second son was 8 days old
Q - quiet - something my house never is - 3 boys, 1 husband, 2 cats, and 2 dogs
R - reading - another passion...everyone in my family reads voraciously...see my 2009 book list
S - Sweden - 1/4 of my heritage
T - Taipei, Taiwan - my place of birth
U - unaffected, unpretentious - what you see is what you get with me
V - Victor - my husband, my soulmate, the love of my life
W - warped - my sense of humor - just ask anyone who knows me
X - xrays - something I've had a lot of
Y - yell - I won a Tae Kwon Do yelling contest for the parents of TKD students
Z - zoo - probably the most accurate description of my house

So, do you have any questions?

I have a very soul baring post I'm thinking about...

and I'm just not sure whether I'm ready to go there. I am honestly afraid of the reaction some of you might have and I'm not sure I could handle it. It deals with a controversial event in my past and I know its a topic that brings out strong feelings in everyone. So, I know I"m being very cryptic, but do you think I should throw caution into the wind and write the post or do you think I should continue to hold it close to me?

Dear Tivo...

Lately you've been taking advantage of out long term relationship and you've turned into a bitchy little tease. Yes, I frequently come to you expecting to utilize your resources but I also supply you with a wide variety of stimulation and content to amuse yourself with. How do you repay my long term faithfulness and love? You tease me and taunt me. Last night I came to you to watch the season finale of one of my guilty pleasures and was happy to see it up on the screen. But, when I clicked through, what to my disbelief did appear? The only thing present was the LAST FRAKKING MINUTE of American Idol...not even the phone numbers. You broke my heart. Please understand that this betrayal necessitates a brief fling with watch-American-Idol.com

Sincerely, Kristin

And they call him Cheesus...

From the CBS station in the Dallas/Fort Worth area...

"Dallas Couple Sees Jesus Inside Cheese Snack

Beth Wagner
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―Many people have seen and heard about the likeness of Jesus turning up in unlikely places. Now, one North Texas family says they found Jesus in a cheese snack.

Dan Bell found his vision of Jesus last week at the gas station. "We were leaving town. I stopped by to fill up with gas and bought some snacks."

Inside a 99-cent bag of Cheetos brand cheese snacks, Dan and his wife Sara found something unique.

Sara recalls the discovery. "I was putting them in my hand and I had eaten most of the ones in my hand, and one was left lying there. And I said, 'Oh my gosh, look at this. It really looks like a person in a robe praying.'"

Dan looked over. "I said, 'Wow, it does look like a praying Jesus.'"

The couple nicknamed it "Cheesus."

"Cheesus" is about two inches tall. Despite missing a right arm, the Bells see a body, hair, robe and even a tiny face.

They say it is a reminder of their blessings from God; but primarily they think it's a funny Cheeto.

Various incarnations of "Cheesus" have shown up before; in Houston, Missouri and on the internet site YouTube.

The Bells' Cheeto ended up on the front page of the Preston Hollow newspaper. The big question, what to do with it now?

Dan says his first reaction was, "Let's put this on eBay. How much do you think we should ask for it? It could be 25 cents, could be 25 dollars. If it's only 25 cents, we're just going to eat it."

For now, they are keeping "Cheesus" in a plastic box."

I thought the whole thing was hysterical. I mean its odd enough to see Jesus in your food but to call it "Cheesus"....Bwahahahahahahahahaha! And, when I read "How much do you think we should ask for it? It could be 25 cents, could be 25 dollars. If it's only 25 cents, we're just going to eat it." Yeah, first you see the Lord in it and then you eat it. You simply can NOT imagine comedy this bizarrely hysterical. Do you think its in the cheese? After all, its not that long ago that the Virgin Mary appeared to us in a grilled cheese sandwich. *See, we've had it wrong for years. When we take communion, its not the bread we should be eating (avoid the carbs). We should be eating cheese (yay fatty goodness).

*I know, I know, I'm probably riding the direct elevator to hell for this one but it was too funny not to say.
**Edited to add picture that Rys requested

My Streak of Good Luck...

I've turned into a contest whore lately. While there are plenty of contests I haven't won, I have also won some pretty awesome giveaways. I won some wonderful lotion in Tanyetta's virtual baby shower giveaway. I won a blogoversary giveaway over at Shebafudge. I won reusable shopping bags at Momfiles.com.

Now, I've found the contest I really want to win. Sadly, I have to tell you about it to get extra entries. There is a contest over at Musings of a Fat Chick and the prize is a $50 gift certificate to Perfume.com. Head on over and enter the contest.

SHOW AND TELL: The Great Animal Exodus

Until today, my oldest two children had a truly obscene amount of stuffed animals while Gabe only had a thoroughly ridiculous amount. Well, Marty truly must be growing up...*sniff*sniff*...because he announced that with a few exceptions, he wanted to get rid of his menagerie. His loss will be your gain because I'm holding the Great Stuffed Animal Giveaway as a way to complete the Great Stuffed Animal Exodus. The winners will receive their goodies over the next month or two as shipping funds are available.

All you have to do to enter is comment here (and make sure I have a way to get your email address). You can pick up another entry by following me on twitter and commenting here to tell me you did (this should be a different comment that your original entry). You can get a third entry by commenting a third time and telling me which group you want and why. BTW, if you win and want to, you can designate another recipient for the stuffed animals.

This is a stellar opportunity for parents and infertiles alike. Parents get goodies for their kids and Infertiles get baby shower gifts they NEVER have to shop for. All stuffed animals are clean but loved. Let the Giveaway Exodus begin.

Scrappy Doo and Garfield


The fishies...small ones are 8 inches long


For the dinosaur lover


Pooh, his heffalump, 2 Tiggers, & Eeyore


Lots o' little ones


The Care Bear and the Night Time Sounds bear are electronic and they do work.


Halloween plus a few


Sesame Street plus Blues Clues...Ernie sings Rubber Duckie, the right
hand Elmo says "Elmo Loves You, and Grover Rocks and Rolls.


The Random Remainder


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To see what everyone else in class is bringing to SHOW AND TELL, take a trip to visit the Miss Mel, Goddess of the Infertility Blogosphere.

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And, don't forget to go by my Etsy shop and buy a hat to support the Liz Logelin Foundation. All the details can be found in this previous Show & Tell post.

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Finally, to help Kym and all future Sock-It-To-Me participants, I am going to set up a sock site database. It will probably just be in a post here but the info will be available to all. Please EMAIL ME (yes, use that link...not any other email address you have for me...using this link will keep all the emails together) and give me a link to the site you bought the socks from and any review of the site you might have.

Gabe Funnies...

Gabe has a toy truck that comes with all sorts of tools you can use to "fix" it. Some of the pieces are even removable to he can attach and then detach them. He was fixing it and and announced, "Look mommy. It screwed off. Now it has to screw on." Hehehe

The other day, Gabe and I were discussing when we get up and when we go to bed. He announced, "When the sun comes up, it is sunny and we can get out of bed. And, when the moon comes up and its moony, we go to bed." I love it. At night, it is moony.

Has anyone in your life said something particularly funny recently? What was it?

Can anyone explain this to me?...

or The Designer Should Be Shot

I went to get Gabe his second set of clothes for the day after he covered the first set in mud when he turned on our outdoor faucet to create a river (thanks for teaching him that Marty). I pulled out what I thought was a cute pair of longer shorts that my mom had picked up at a garage sale for Gabe. This is what they looked like when I put them on...
If you look carefully, this stylish pair of shorts comes with 2 waistbands. The second waist band (the gray one) is cleverly attached so it extends above the dark blue waistband giving it the look of the hanging off the ass ghetto style of pants that teens seem to think are so cool these days. Please, please explain to me why anyone thought a preschooler needed to look ghetto (not so) fabulous.

But, then I decided, maybe with the right accessories, he could pull off the look.

The ghetto fab ass hanging shorts paired with a b-ass-ackwards hat creates a stylish yet easily *recreatable look any youngster would be proud to sport on the first day of preschool.

* yes, I know its not a real word

Beauty Tip from Sam Levensen

My friend Tanyetta posted this over at her blog Days like These! Its beautiful and I wanted to share it here.

Although the following poem has been attributed to being authored by Audrey Hepburn, its origin is from Sam Levensen.

Beauty Tips

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

If you share this with another woman, something good will happen. You will boost another woman's self esteem, and she will know that you care about her.

Question: Have you ever heard of this poem before? How many women do you think you'll forward this poem to?

Have you ever been completely fooled by someone?

I'm not talking about Munchausen by Internet or emotional fraud on the internet. I'm talking about being fooled about what a person is really like in your daily life. I'm sure each one of us has been fooled by people we know casually. I'm also equally sure most of us like to think we are a pretty good judge of people we consider our friends. I know I like to think that. But, I just found out yesterday, for the second time in 2 1/2 years, that I was completely wrong about someone.

About 2 1/2 years ago, I found out that a man both Vic and I knew and considered a friend, got hauled in on spousal abuse charges. It would have been a big enough shock to hear that about anyone I was friends with but hearing it about this individual was a huge shock because I had seen him help someone escape from an abusive relationship by providing the financial resources she needed to do so. I had also seen the disdain this individual had for abusers whenever we encountered an abuse situation while running calls for the rescue squad. It totally blew my mind that he would ever lay a hand on his wife let alone that he did it regualarly.

Then, yesterday I found out someone both Vic and I were extremely close to, someone we broke bread with and considered a family member, had not only resorted to cheating on and then leaving his wife and kids but he also had spent their last few years together emotionally abusing her. And, after he left them, he didn't pay and support payments until the courts threatened to have him thrown into jail. I am simply stunned that I was so very wrong about him.

I guess if I've only been that wrong about 2 people in my life over the almost 40 years I've been around, those aren't bad odds. But, I am still very shaken by this latest revelation. I am so glad I am happily married and have been for almsot 15 years or my faith in marriage might be rocked too.

Have you ever been completely wrong about someone? And, if you were, how did you handle it?

Kym is eeevil...

Kym, how could you? I thought you were my friend. But, because of you this eeeeevil game has come into my life.

Go on...check it out...you know you want to see what Kym is in trouble for!
I think it will take at least a dozen of Frank's cookies to get me over this trauma and the chaos it has wrought.

Perfect Moment Monday: the rainbow

Two Fridays ago, on May 1st, Joey's school had their Spring Fling. They had all kinds of silly games, a dunking booth, bounce castles, and food. Of course, Joey extracted a promise from me that we would go. The announcement was made that the Spring Fling was to go on no matter what the weather. And, the weather cooperated and provided a little bit of all weather...downpours, sprinkles, and even sunshine. We got soaking wet, played a few games, and generally had a wonderful time. And, then I turned around and saw this...
I have seen so many beautiful rainbows in my life but this one capped a wonderful afternoon with two out of my three boys. And, this one occurred when I actually had my camera with me. A perfect moment indeed.

My Mom part 2

Happy Mother's Day mom. I meant to have this post up earlier in the day but you know how it is with kids around. Time just gets away from you.

I don't even know how to begin to tell y'all how amazing my mom is. I am one of those lucky women who can truly say my mom is also my friend. If someone came up to me and told me I reminded them of my mom, I would consider that a compliment of the highest order.

My mom has always been a leader. She's also creative, brilliant, and funny. My mom marched in the civil rights marches, taught English to diplomats, and wasn't afraid to dress down an Air Force general when she thought he was in the wrong.

For many, many years, my mom was a stay at home mom. She was my girl scout leader when I was little and she has spent years as a Red Cross volunteer and swimming instructor. My mom took on a group of girls who wanted to play soccer and coached the first all girls soccer team in a mixed league when my sister was littler and her team held their own.

Now, my mom is a high school teacher and the school's swim coach. She is on her church council and involved in the teacher's association. And, despite all that, she still finds the time to come to special events for all her grandkids. Sometimes I think my mom has more energy at 65 than I do at 39.

My mom has always been my biggest champion and even when we disagree I never doubt her love for me. And, there have been times we have disagreed rather heatedly over things. There have even been a time or two when I was so pissed off I wasn't speaking to her. I'm not going to tell those stories because that's not whats important. I just wanted to point out that even when our relationship got rocky, I always, always knew she would be there if I needed her.

My mom is an incredible woman and I hope I measure up to the standards she set as a wife, as a woman, and as a mother. I love you mom. Happy Mother's Day

SHOW AND TELL: my mom

My mom was such a cool mom while I was growing up and she is an equally cool grandma to my kids. She was the mom who didn't freak out when a gingerbread house building turned into a frosting fight at a birthday party of mine. And, she was the mom who let me invite all 12 girls in my 2nd grade class to a sleepover (and, yes, they all came). You seen her playing with "volcanoes" with Gabe and this week you get another treat. You get to her an original Karin O'Donnell song. Many years ago, my niece went through a stage where she wanted you to sing with her whenever you took her on a long car trip. However, it couldn't be any random song. Bri would want you to sing the same song over and over and over again for the whole car trip. One day, my mom and dad were making the then 2 hour drive to our house and Bri had her singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Well, about halfway there, my mom snapped and started singing this version of it...

Twinkle twinkle little bat
How I wonder where you're at?
Did you pee pee in my eye?
Did you poot in the sky?
Twinkle twinkle little bat
Give me back my furry hat!

I was able to get it on video for you because I told her that was the only way I would let her teach it to Gabe.

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I also wanted to share the gorgeous present my friend Henny brought me when she came for her surprise visit. Click on the picture so you can see a close up. It is amazing.


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To see what everyone else in class is bringing to SHOW AND TELL, take a trip to visit the Miss Mel, Goddess of the Infertility Blogosphere.

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And, don't forget to go by my Etsy shop and buy a hat to support the Liz Logelin Foundation. All the details can be found in this previous Show & Tell post.

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Finally, to help Kym and all future Sock-It-To-Me participants, I am going to set up a sock site database. It will probably just be in a post here but the info will be available to all. Please EMAIL ME (yes, use that link...not any other email address you have for me...using this link will keep all the emails together) and give me a link to the site you bought the socks from and any review of the site you might have.

Stitching Post Saturday 5/9

I have one finished piece that I completed a while ago but haven't shown off and 2 WIPs (works in progress).

soccer ball for Tanya's piece for her son

octagonal baby blanket for my cousin's new son

the beginning of Dee's All About Me RR

Check out what everyone else has been up to... Stitching Post Saturday on MiPa's blog.

I think the Hulu aliens got me...

If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, check this out...

I feel completely brain dead and can't grab an original thought to save my life. My brain has turned to mush. So, ask me a question. Suggest a topic. Climb on the soapbox and tell me about your favorite cause.

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Chris asked: Was it (the Hulu alien who got me) Alec or the guy from Rescue Me?
Any recent volcanos?

Me: Mmmm...I'll take Denis Leary over Alec Baldwin any day. Denis Leary has that sexy bad boy thing going on and Baldwin is just smarmy.
And, Gabe built a mud volcano on my lawn mower...yuck.

Tanyetta had a baby girl!!!

Darrin, Tanyetta, Danyelle, and DJ welcome little Gracen Ahlia to their family! Drop by Tanyetta's blog and welcome her little girl!

I can't wait to see pictures. I know she is going to be just as beautiful as the rest of her family!

Great book giveaways

The incredible Jamie from Sticky Feet Part Deux has a new review blog, Sticky Feet Reviews. She is currently reviewing and hosting a giveaway of Shelter Me! by Juliette Fay.

Jamie is also hosting a review and giveaway of the amazing Good Home Cookbook.

Head on over there and enter her giveaway for Shelter Me! and the giveaway for the Good Home Cookbook. If you avail yourself of all the options, you can have up to 8 entries.

What a week!

It has been an amazing and mostly wonderful week. On Sunday, I finished my gift for my OMG You Rock Day partner. Isn't it lovely...

Bwahahaha...you didn't really think I would post a good picture of it before she even opens it, did you?

Then, I decided to briefly check my email before bed and I found out that a friend from high school I had been looking for found me through Facebook!!! Yay!!! She got married shortly after high school and I couldn't remember her married name so I had no way to track her. Facebook ROCKS!

On Monday, I had plans to have my friend Susan from the Cross Stitch Crazy board. She is also good friends with Henny, my friend who lost her husband suddenly last year. Last year, Henny told us her friend Dickey would be visiting the states and wanted to know if we could meet up with her. Of course Susan and I both said yes. Well, it turned out that Dickey stayed with Susan for a few days. I was so excited to get to meet them both (Susan and I hadn't met before despite talking on the phone many times). Well, about 5 minutes after Susan and Dickey got here, Dickey announced that she had to get something out of the car for me. I was clueless. I thought maybe Henny had sent me something. But, Dickey walked back in with HENNY. OMG was I floored. Henny is the sweetest, kindest , most wonderful person and I actually got to meet her!!! And, Dickey got it all on video. I wonder what my face looked like at that moment. I don't have video but I did get some good pictures (each one is clickable to see larger image)...

Dickey and Henny & Gabe (in back) reading to them


Me and Susan & Me, Henny, and Susan


Gabe playing with Henny & Was the camera attached?

On Tuesday, I started an afghan for my cousin's first baby who was due any day and I found out that she gave birth to a healthy baby boy that same day. I'm so glad she avoided all the complications both my aunt and I have been through.

On Wednesday, I scored that gorgeous yarn but I also got my boys registered for some summer programs sponsored by the Town of Cary. The town offers scholarships to families that need them and we qualified. Marty is registered for the Cary Space Academy (pg15 of link) and Civil War Experience:A Soldier's Life (pg 10 of link). And, Joey is registered for a BMX Skateboard camp (pg19) and the RailHawk's Beginner Soccer Camp (pg23...the RailHawk's are the local pro team). Marty's camps are both full day events and Joey's are both half day. For all this wonderful fun, our out of pocket expense is going to be less than $100.
We also scored free dinner at KFC on Wednesday due to the Unthink KFC promotion. Oprah promoted this on her show the day before and OMG were the lines unbelievable. Luckily, despite running out of grilled chicken and having to put more on, our KFC honored the coupon with whatever chicken they had available. With the exception of one rude ass clown, everyone was surprisingly even tempered given the almost hour wait.

And, today, Thursday, my wonderful friend Tanyetta is having her baby!

The only down side to everything is that Joey's kitty Max is missing...sort of. Max has recently been neutered and had started to go outside some. He had even stayed outside once or twice without issue. However, he went out about 5 days ago and hasn't come back in. During that time, I have seen him (last time was 2 days ago) but, by the time I got to the door to let him in, he was gone again. Poor Joey is really upset and I keep blaming myself for not trying harder to get him back in that first or second night. We are going to make signs to put up around the neighborhood. Please keep Joey and little Maxie in your thoughts.

Hi...my name is Kristin...

and I'm an addict...addicted to yarn and good deals that is. Remember this...


Well, evidently it isn't enough. I walked into Big Lots today and found this gorgeous burnt orange chenille for only $1.50 a skein. Somehow, 7 skeins jumped into my cart and came home with me...

Its gray and dreary...

and this always makes me smile...

So Close - the book shower version...

Anyone whose been around the online ALI community for more than, ooooh, 2 seconds has either read Tertia's blog or at least heard of Tertia. Well, now you have the opportunity to own a little of Tertia's fabulousness. Tertia's book, So Close, is now available on this side of the Atlantic. Tertia's book is raw and touching and brutally honest and heartbreaking and oh so beautiful. Most of all, Tertia's book is absolutely DIVINE...just like her. Just about anyone who has experienced infertility can identify with some part of her story. And, even if you haven't been through infertility, her story will touch you. My friend Jennifer finished it in less than 2 days and it only took that long because she had to go to work.

One of the parts of her book that I really identified with was when she talked about receiving support from people all over the world (page 35). I truly never would have made it though my IF journey without the support of my friends. Some of them I've met and some I haven't met. The wonderful women of my cross stitch board made me a memorial quilt after I lost my daughter Eva (pregnancy#9) and turned around and welcomed Gabe with a quilt also. People from all over the blogosphere and all over the world as well as friends and family right around the corner from me made the whole IF journey with me and held me up when I couldn't hold myself up.

Take this chance to support a wonderful woman and go buy Tertia's book. Not only will you find it illuminating but it will help you explain what you've been going through to your friends and family.

Check out the rest of the book shower participants and learn a little more about So Close.

SHOW AND TELL: Wings Over Wayne

Last weekend, we went down to my parents' house. On Saturday, the boys, my dad, and I went out to Seymour Johnson AFB for their annual air show, Wings Over Wayne. We all had a fabulous time and I got some awesome pictures (most of the pics are clickable to larger views).

Grandpa Mick and the boys; my dad



eating lunch in the shade under the C-5

the Sea Knight helicopter

B2 Stealth Bomber

Seymour Johnson Strike Eagle Demo Team









Poor little boy was exhausted by the heat and his late night

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To see what everyone else in class is bringing to SHOW AND TELL, take a trip to visit the Miss Mel, Goddess of the Infertility Blogosphere.

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And, don't forget to go by my Etsy shop and buy a hat to support the Liz Logelin Foundation. All the details can be found in Show & Tell post from 3 weeks ago.

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Finally, to help Kym and all future Sock-It-To-Me participants, I am going to set up a sock site database. It will probably just be in a post here but the info will be available to all. Please EMAIL ME (yes, use that link...not any other email address you have for me...using this link will keep all the emails together) and give me a link to the site you bought the socks from and any review of the site you might have.