Winner Winner Winner!

Hey y'all...somehow or another, I totally forgot to put this post up last night.  I picked the winners.  I even wrote the post.  I just forgot to actually publish it. Here are teh 3 winners from my ICLW giveaway.

1. Lynn won Mastermind - please email me your contact info, mailing address and phone number, and I will forward that to the game company.
2. April won The House On Teacher's Lane - please email me your contact info, mailing address and phone number, and I will forward that to Ms. Simon
3. Kakunaa won City Life - send me your contact info and I'll get the book in the mail

 I hope you guys enjoy what you won!

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Look for my upcoming post about pulling a The David Cook for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Writer's Block Backup

Once again, it's almost the end of ICLW and I seem to be brain dead.  In desperation, I went looking for questions/a meme and ended up at Sunday Stealing, of course.  This one isn't the usual fare you find at Sunday Stealing.  Instead, this meme is a list of original questions asked by the reader's over there.  If you decided to join in, you can post it in the comments or on your own blog...just let me know.  And, if this meme inspires you to ask me questions, ask and I shall answer.

1. Is the dog in the house? Absolutely, our pets are part of our family.

2. What is the best piece of advice you've ever received? Don't take yourself too seriously.

3. What's the worst experience you've ever had involving alcohol? Freshman year in college, I went to a keg party at the DKE house.  I  was truly a lightweight when it came to drinking beer and I stayed out until after 2 in the morning playing quarters and drinking.  I was on an Army ROTC scholarship and, the next day, we all had to be in full dress uniform (tight collars and all) at the Duke Chapel for some sort of service.  I was sooooo hungover and being in a tight collared, starched uniform was fucking misery defined.  I couldn't even claim to be sick and skip it because the guy that walked me home from the party was 2 years ahead of me in ROTC.

4. What's the worst thing you've ever done to another person? Stole their boyfriend...in my defense, I was young and clueless.  It was done once and never again.

5. Who do you think started the concept of memes? no fucking clue but they didn't do a very good job claiming responsibility because they aren't famous now

6. Give a song title or line that describes how you are feeling right now...
I get this writer's block, it comes as quite a shock, 
And now i'm stuck between a hard place and the biggest rock,

7. What's your favorite search engine? Yahoo!, Google, Ask, Bing? or something else? Google

8. If Paul is the Cute One and John is the Smart One and George is the Quiet One and Ringo is the Funny One, which Beatle are you? I'd say I'm John

9. The democratic government decides that, not only do we have to share our money with people who choose not to work, we also have to share our children with those who do not want to ruin their bodies with being pregnant. Which child do you give up? This is a fucking stupid question and I refuse to answer on the grounds that it will piss me off.

10. When should you procrastinate - now or later? Always!


11. What is your favorite fast food?  Do Krispy Kreme doughnuts count as fast food?


12. What was your favourite game as a child? Hmmmm, I use to love playing Backgammon and Clue.


13. Why terrible twos have to be terrible?  To prepare us for the 4s which are so much worse.  I think they should be called the Fearsome 4s.

14. Describe your favorite family member.  She is warm, kind, generous, and has the ability to pick out the perfect gift or surprise for some one.  The down side is her desire to make everything better can sometimes cause her to interfere where she shouldn't and other times it costs her dearly in terms of time commitments.

15. What does your favorite breakfast consist of? A western omelet and a LARGE cup of coffee.  Sadly, I rarely have time to fix omelets.

16. What food is better the day after it was made? Taco Soup

17. What was your last big purchase? a new computer

18. When was the last time you kissed someone and really enjoyed it?  hehehe, depends on what type of enjoyment we are talking about.  Everyday enjoyment = this morning, Hot and Steamy enjoyment = last week


19. Why are there memes? because we are nosy and because it helps when we have writer's block

20. Described yourself using two words that rhyme. (i.e. fuddy-duddy) artsy-craftsy


21. If you were given the option of a "do-over" in life .. would you take it?  I don't think so.  I like who I am.  I love my family and friends.  A do-over would risk all the things that came together to create my life as it is right now.

22. What movie makes (or has made) you cry? What touched you about it?  Oh man, there are so many movies that have made me cry.  I am such a sap when it comes to things like that.  The movie that immediately came to mind in reading this question is The Time Traveler's Wife.  The same thing made me cry when I read the book too...when Henry knows his death is imminent, he takes the time to make sure Clare is surrounded by people that care for her and love her so she will have support when it happens.


23. What is one big mistake that you did in your life? And what did you do to make it right? I lost my virginity too early.  Since I can't change what I did, I try to impress upon my oldest (and the other two when they are old enough) the importance of waiting for the right person and the myriad of consequences you could run into if you don't wait.

24. When Life Gives You Lemons, What Do You Do With Them? Squirt them in the eye of the bastard(s) that's making me miserable.

25. How different are you in real life as compared to the online identity you have created for yourself? I'm pretty much a case of what you see is what you get.  Although there are some details of my life I don't share, I am very open and honest about who I am and what I believe.


26. Do you know what your parents would have named you if you had been born the opposite sex? Yes,but my mom swore up and down that she would NOT have a boy if she had to name him Owen Joseph O'Donnell IV.

So, you guys, are you going to join in?  Do you have any questions?  What do you do if you want to write but can't come up with a decent topic?

Do The Right Thing

I found out today that an 18 yr. old girl I know is pregnant.  She has no biological family but she does have people that care for her and will be there for her.  The father of her baby is a loser and things have been getting tenser and more volatile since they found out she is pregnant.  This girl has a good head on her shoulders despite ending up in this situation.  Despite her history, she already cares enough to consider the idea of adoption.  Because of her history and her quite natural issues with abandonment, she is shying away from adoption.  Part of the reason she has shied away from it is that she had been holding out hope that the baby's father would man up and do the right thing.  I don't think he will and I think she is starting to feel that way as well.

When I was talking to the adults in her life, I felt the almost overwhelming urge to tell them "Tell her it will be ok.  We'll take the baby.  It would be a completely open adoption.  We would love the baby as our own and she would be welcome in our life."  Luckily, sanity prevailed and I kept my mouth shut.  It is neither the time nor the place to even say anything about that. It just wouldn't be appropriate.  But, I did tell them I was here for the girl to talk to if she needed an non-judgmental ear and I did tell them I know many people who have been involved in highly successful open adoptions.

It's funny.  I had been slowly convincing myself the need for another child wasn't as strong as it had been before.  Now, faced with this, I feel the need for a baby.  I honestly expect this girl to keep the baby.  With her personal/family history, any other decision would shock me.  However, I think I want to sound my hubby out about this.  If she should surprise everyone and decide on adoption, I want to know where my family stands on it. 


No matter what happens, I need to start making a blanket and maybe a hat.  Every baby deserves to be celebrated and every mother, even a very young mom, deserves the support of those who care about her.

My Craptastic Sunday

I really try not to bitch and moan too much but Sunday sucked.  I think know it was one of the worst days I've had in a long time.

The kids were total pains to get out of bed for church and Sunday school...argued, whines, just generally difficult.

Got into an argument with Vic before we left for church...he was an ass, I was an ass, it was both our faults but it left me in a foul mood.

Marty, who is usually the good one in church, spent all of church whining about how tired he was and couldn't we go home.  He wanted to know what he was suppose to do if he fell asleep in church and he thought I was joking when I said try not to snore.

Joey spent all of church whining about being hungry and cold (it was NOT cold in church).

Gabe of course picked up on his brothers' craptastic behavior and started showing his ass in church...purposely being randomly loud, sprawling across the floor.

Marty had a cataclysmic, near apocalyptic teenage meltdown when we were eating lunch...touched off by (of all things) me telling him hot dogs were only finger food when they were in buns or on bread.  It was ugly...and he is going to bed by 9 all week long.

After lunch and after Marty's meltdown, Joey had to clean his room and Marty was suppose to help me bathe the dogs.  He spent the whole time we were bathing the dogs complaining about getting wet (well DUH) and yelling at Gabe because Gabe thought the whole scenario was hysterical.  I think I told Marty to "let me handle Gabe because you are NOT the parent" about 20 times while we were bathing the dogs.

After we were done and Marty had gone inside, I asked Gabe (who was soaked) to open the sliding door a little and yell for his dad to get towels.  Marty decided to be a mini-parent again and yelled at Gabe to close the door and not let Jack in and slammed the door.  Of course, Gabe's fingers got closed in the sliding door.  Marty didn't seem to grasp that I wasn't pissed about Gabe getting hurt...that was an accident...but I was pissed that his inability to let me be the parent had caused Gabe to get hurt.

Then, the day was capped off by Gabe puking all over the rug and my purse because he would not go into the bathroom when he started gagging (he swallowed wrong and it triggered ye old gag reflex which led to dinner and strawberry milk decorating my floor).

Between Thursday and Sunday, last week sucked.  If this week shows any signs of repeating, I think I'm going to run away to outer Mongolia.

Round and round and round we go...

Yesterday was not my favorite kind of day. I ran, ran, ran all day long and feel like I didn't get a damned thing done.  This is what my day was like...

1. take Joey to school
2. drive (with Gabe) to Apex (about 6 miles) to pay the mechanic and pic up the proof of inspection so I can register the Married Man Van
3. Get to Apex and find out it hasn't been inspected because they have to drive it to inspect it and they can't drive it without being registered so I have to go to the DMV to get a temporary permit to drive it without inspection or registration.
4. Drive from Apex to the far side of Cary (12 miles) and get the temporary permit
5. Drive back to Apex (12 miles) to give the mechanics the temporary permit so they can inspect it.
6. Head home (6 miles) so we can clean out the rental car before we turn it in.
7. Clean out the rental car and call Enterprise Rent-a-Car
8. Find out the Enterprise branch we got the rental from can't drive me to pick up my van from Vic so my next best option is the Enterprise branch in (where else) APEX...well fuck me
9. drive BACK to Apex (6 miles) to drop off the rental car and that Enterprise gives me a ride across town to pick up my van (this leaves Vic free to drive the Married Man Van home)
10. drive home (6 miles) in my white van (Ms. Manatee)
11. pick up Joey from school
12. drive Joey to TKD at the studio on the border of Cary and Apex 
13. finally get to drive home.

I drove in circles all frakking day and don't have a hell of a lot to show for it.  Do you think I can get one of those flashy signs for the top of my van that say Mom's Taxi Service?

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PS...don't forget you get two entries every day my giveaways are running!

One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready...

let's go, go , go.  Yeah, I know that isn't quite how it works but that's my version today.  And, the reason that is my version for today is I have 3, yes 3, giveaways (one paired with a review) that start right now and run through 11:59 pm on the 27th...winners announced on the 28th.

#1...When I was at BlogHer10 , the lovely people from Pressman Games had a table in ye old swag hall.  They were asking people if they would be willing to try out and review one or more of their games.  When I realized one of the games up for review was Mastermind, well I jumped at the chance.  In interest of full disclosure (THIS IS FOR YOU FCC), I received a copy of the game and agreed to give it an honest review.  I have fond memories of playing Mastermind against my sisters, my parents, and my grandpa when I was growing up and was hoping my boys would enjoy it too.  I have to say that even I was pleasantly surprised at just how big a hit it was with my kids.  Marty, my 13 yr old, is a certified video game addict and he thoroughly enjoyed the game and has even requested to play it a number of times since.  Joey, 9 yrs old, also really enjoyed the game.  It seemed to really encourage critical thinking and helped them to learn to analyze patterns by comparing the consecutive guesses and results.  This is a huge bonus in my book...a game that not only is fun but encourages them to stretch a bit intellectually.  The fabulous folks at Pressman Games have agreed to provide one copy of this game to one of my readers.  Entry details at the end of this post.

The next two giveaways are available to y'all out of the goodness of my heart (hear that FCC...no one gave me anything for this).

#2...The lovely ladies over at Two Hot Mamas have written a cute little rhyming book called City Life.  Their site says "City Life is the first collaborative project between Jeannelle Ferreira and J. Cecelia Haytko, begun when Jeannelle and her wife searched for more inclusive literature for their children.

A simple rhyming picture book, appropriate for toddlers through young children, City Life chronicles a day’s adventures of a young child with two moms."

Gabe and I have read this book and he really seemed to like it.  It is a great beginning reader book.  The rhymes make it fun to read and the pictures are adorable.  I think Gabe is going to have it memorized in no time at all.  I have my own copy in my hot hands and I have a SIGNED copy for one lucky blog reader.   Entry details at the end of the post.

#3...Finally, not too long ago I got a chance to review a copy of The House on Teacher's Lane by Rachel Simon.  I was provided a copy of the book when I reviewed it and I absolutely fell in love with the book.  It is incredible (go read my review if you don't believe me).  In fact, I loved the book so much that I want to give a SIGNED copy to one of my readers.  I contacted Ms. Simon and she has agreed to sign a copy of the book I purchase and mail it out to the winner.  This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time and y'all need to read it.  So, ENTER.

HOW TO ENTER...you can enter twice daily between now and the 27th.  All you have to do for the first entry of the day is tell me which prize is your first choice (COMMENT #1) and, for the second entry, tell me if you have a second choice (COMMENT #2).  One comment = one entry.  You must comment twice to get two entries.  You can copy and paste your comments on subsequent days for subsequent entries.  Just remember 1 comment = 1 entry.

Now enter and win!

The party started without me...

I'm late, I'm late for
A very important date.
No time to say hello, good-bye,
I'm late, I'm late, I'm late
I'm late

Despite those wonderful emails Mel sends out, I missed the start of ICLW yesterday. I guess you actually have to read the emails in time for them to do any good...oops. My thoughts have been kind of scattered lately so I guess this is going to be a sort of scattered post.

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I am really, really disappointed by the fact that the GOP filibustered and halted the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. What the fuck is wrong with these people? I just don't understand why there needs to be any law preventing homosexual men and women from serving in the military. If someone meets the physical and intellectual requirements and they feel the need to serve their country, they damned well should be able to!

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On a related (sort of) topic, I was talking to Joey about one of his favorite bands and singers of all time, Freddie Mercury of Queen. For some relevant reason that I just don't remember right now, I mentioned the fact that Freddie Mercury was gay. This is the conversation that ensued...

Joey: What happened to his husband after her died? (can I say I LOVE the fact that he just assumes he was married to a man)
Me: Well, he wasn't married. Back then, gay people were not allowed to marry their partners.
Joey: That's just stupid.
Me: In fact buddy, most states still don't let them get legally married.
Joey: Well, why not? That isn't fair.
Me: I don't know why not. I guess some people figure it's against God or maybe they find it threatening.
Joey: That's just dumb. It's not like gay people getting married affects them.

Can I just say I love this kiddo and am so very proud that he is absorbing and understanding the message of tolerance and acceptance we are trying to teach him!

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I've been thinking a lot about differences between my kids and stories about when they are younger. Would those be things you are interested in hearing?

Also, somewhat related, when did you start talking and what is your earliest memory? Psychologists say the reason we don't have access to our early memories is because our memories files (for lack of a better word) are cataloged with language and, when we are teeny, there aren't words associated with memories so there is no way to find the memories in our brain. I'd be interested to see if early talkers have earlier memories.

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Tomorrow, I am posting not 1, not 2, but 3 giveaways...a game, a signed copy of Two Hot Mamas' book, and a signed copy of another favorite book of mine. They will start tomorrow and winners will be announced on the last day of ICLW, the 28th. Make sure you come back and enter. You will be able to enter daily so make sure you come back.

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I think the reason I missed the start of ICLW is that my mind refuses to believe September is almost over. How in the hell did that happen and what happened to the rest of the year? And, did you know that counting today there are only 94 shopping days until Christmas? HEEEELLLLLLPPPPP!

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Did you know that whatever propellant is used in the cans of compressed air that are used to clean electronics has an absolutely foul taste? Gabe got a hold of one of our cans of compressed air and ran through the living room spraying it. I walked through about a minute later and OMG did I get the worst taste in my mouth. It took brushing my teeth to get rid of that taste.

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I can restrain myself when it comes to buying many things but I have no restraint when it comes to books. Yesterday was Joey's book fair at school and I spent $87 on books for the children. Gabe and Joey picked their own books. Marty was thrilled that I bought him a cook book. I had to restrain myself and not tell him how happy his future partner would be that he cooked...didn't want to induce teenage histrionics...LOL.

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As of tomorrow, we will be a two minivan family. We finally got the insurance money for his totaled car and were able to have our mechanics start fixing the van we got from my parents. If anyone in this area ever needs work done on their vehicle, go to Lion Auto in Apex. The building doesn't look like much but the men there do awesome work and are scrupulously honest.

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So, what's going on with you guys?

Perfect Moment Monday: a little time together

Lori over at Weebles Wobblog says that "Perfect Moment Monday is more about noticing a perfect moment than about creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between."

It was simple. It was short. But, it was time together. My hubby and I got out to the store together and we had so much fun. When we get out together, we have a great tendency to be silly, ridiculous, and a wee bit non-pc. In other words, we would embarrass our teenager horribly. It's been so long since we've had a little bit of casual time together. It was good.

Go check out the other perfect moments at this week's Perfect Moment Monday on Weebles Wobblog.

Winner of the Die-Cut Business Cards

Congrats to Rys. You were the winner of the Die-Cut business cards from uPrinting.com. YOu should hear from them by the end of the month.

We are family...

What is a family? Who counts as family? You could ask a thousand people and you would probably get a thousand different answers. Many of us in the *ALI community have bee forced to examine our definition of family a lot closer than many people do and most of us have come to the conclusion that it is a lot more than blood ties that make a family. When you are faced with needing help to build your family, whether that help is just a doctor and the right meds, adoption, or donor sperm, eggs or even embryos, all of a sudden, family takes on different meaning entirely. I'm trying to teach my kids that family can be different for everyone and, that as long as there is a deep and abiding love, respect, and commitment between the individuals, it doesn't matter if there is even a biological tie.

In my case, I am blessed to have been born into a pretty wonderful family. Sure, we have our issues, but then, who doesn't? But, due to the generous nature of my parents and my mother's tendency to want to rescue the world, I learned early on that the definition of family is flexible. There were people who were brought into our family years ago because my mom or my sister saw a need that triggered their urge to protect and help. Many of those individuals still come to family events and a few of them have kids that call my parents Grandma and Grandpa. Heck, my mom's desire to help people has meant she has never had to truly go through empty nest syndrome. Despite the fact that we are all grown up with families of our own, my parents have an 18 yr old living with them. One of my mom's students last year was graduating and the presence of a few ass clowns in her life left her with no place to go. Rather than let this promising young woman flounder and possibly slip through the cracks, my mom and dad opened their home and their hearts to her. She is starting to see that there are people who follow through on promises and are able to love and care for her and, well, it looks like our family has grown by one more member.

My family doesn't just consist of my biological sisters either. I have two lovely sisters that share my biology and I have friends who are so near and dear to my heart that I consider them my sisters...my sisters by choice. These women are people my kids call Aunt. These women cross the entire spectrum of life styles and family compositions. One dear friend is not married and is considering growing her family through adoption or possibly embryo donation. Another of my sisters by choice is married to a man who was adopted and this same woman has no contact with her birth family due to behavior on their part that destroyed their right to claim family ties. Yet another of my sisters by choice is sharing her life and her children with a wonderful woman who makes her happier than I've ever seen her. Between the family members I was blessed with by biology and the family members I was blessed with through choice, I have loved ones of just about every race, creed, and life style choice. I didn't set out to accumulate a group like this but my parents open-minded approach to families allowed me to open my heart and life to this.

I hope by watching my parents and us and these friends who became sisters, my boys will be open to whatever method of family growth life brings them. I also hope that once they grow up and have wives or husbands of their own the realize we will accept and love their families no matter how they come about. As long as they love each other and treat each other with respect, we will recognize their family bonds. If you live together, love together, and make memories together, you are family.

A Yahoo news story about the modern definition of family indicates that people are becoming more and more accepting of families that don't fit the stereotypical norms and, it's about damned time. How do you define family and what does it mean to you?


*ALI = Adoption Loss & Infertility

Goodies Galore

Welcome to the new edition of Show&Tell blogger style. The wonderful and fabulous Suzy at not a fertile myrtle recently restarted Show&Tell for all of us who missed it. This week has been a week of goodies. I received three prizes I won in giveaways and bought one nifty little gadget. The first prize I had come in was from the Lawry's Marinade Review and Giveaway from Susan @ She's Becoming DoughMessTic. This giveaway included 2 marinades, a bunch of barbeque skewers, Lawry's Seasoning Salt, and a fab piece of pyrex with a top.
The next prize I got was a personal microderm kit I won from Mel @ Full Circle. I haven't got to use it yet. Maybe one day soon, the kids will let me try it out.I also won a Marcal Paper Goods giveaway from Colette @ Jamerican Spice. I got paper towels, napkins, tissues, and toilet paper. As thrilled as I am to get that stuff for free, I did not take a picture of it. I think we all know what it looks like.

My absolute favorite thing I got this week is my Targus 6" Grypton Tripod. It works for my Flip Video camera and for my digital camera. It can sit on any surface or even wrap around an arm or a light pole or even a tree branch. Why do I have visions of my boys using this tripod to attach a camera to a hat and taping kamikaze runs? There is a quick detach piece that allows you to take the camera on and off the tripod quickly. Isn't that the coolest thing you've ever seen?


Head on over to Suzy's to check out the other Show&Tell entries this week.

Today has sucked...

Marty woke up early (like oh dark thirty early) and, instead of staying in bed, he got up. Then, once the rest of us got up, he fell back asleep. We got absolutely NOTHING productive done school wise. Guess that means extra school tomorrow and some Saturday morning. And, since he was to tired to get his ass back out of bed when I tried to get him up, he will be going to bed early tonight and for the next couple of nights. I warned him about that when he wasn't getting up but I bet he thinks I'll give in on that.

Gabe is mostly better but is cranky as hell.

Because Marty was half asleep or cranky, he thought he needed to tell Gabe what he could or couldn't do which, of course, pissed Gabe off.

I had to clean the nasty assed fish bowls today because NO ONE except me evidently has the ability to clean or change their water despite it visibly needing to be done...and, in addition to cleaning the disgusting fishy smelling water, I had to dispose of two dead fish because they kicked the bucket from old age.

Joey is cranky and pissed that he has to go to the 6 o'clock Tae Kwon Do class because (cue the whiniest voice you can imagine) "I won't have any time to play after I do my homework and can't I go to the 8 o'clock class since tomorrow is an early release day." He was not at all happy when I reminded him that it was his choice to not go earlier in the week in favor of today's class and he had to go. He's whined, complained, copped an attitude, and then totally denied doing so. He's been near tears three times in the past half an hour. Can we say early bed time?

Marty had to be called home right after he went to his friend's house because he walked out without giving the dogs water (his weekly chore). I asked him what he thought the dogs were suppose to do and he replied "I don't know." I told him either he could come home and do it or, if I did it, there would be other consequences.

According to Joey and Marty, they never roll their eyes or raise their voices or do anything else wrong when they talk to me. I guess I may have to start recording our conversations.

Gabe also decided to be pissed off at me because I can't miraculously divine the last name and phone number of his friend from school that he wants to invite over. Somehow, promising him I will get a note to his friend's mom tomorrow isn't sufficient.

When we got home from picking up Joey from school, I was waiting to pull into our driveway as Gabe and Joey wheeled garbage and recycling cans up the driveway. An asshat who couldn't see or didn't care that I was waiting for the kids pulled up behind me and yelled rude shit out his window. ARRRRGH

And, to add to the annoyance factor, the stupid credit union's computer system is down and I can't access our account to see if the insurance money is in there yet.

Today has been a royal pain in my ass.

My love affair with John S. Barrowman

Once upon a time there was a lady named Aunt Becky and she encouraged her Merry Band of Pranksters to join her in pranking Google. All you have to do to join in the fun is hope on over to Aunt Becky's, read about how to do this, and pick a topic or a celebrity like John S. Barrowman to have fun with but you can't have John S. Barrowman because he's mine, mine all mine and I just might have to go medieval on your ass if you try to take John Scot Barrowman away from me.

I first discovered John S. Barrowman in his role of Captain Jack Harkness, a bisexual intergalactic con man, on Dr. Who and followed him as John S. Barrowman 's Captain Jack became the hero of Torchwood. Johnny boy made the screen sizzle as Captain Jack...oh man, did he make me melt with those gorgeous eyes. So, I had to check out John S. Barrowman's Wikipeida page and John S. Barrowman's official web site and especially John S. Barrowman's take on Beyonce's Single Ladies
It was after my first exposure to John S. Barrowman that our love affair began. I wrote about the eye candy appeal of John S. Barrowman and mentioned the feelings I had for John S. Barrowman not once but twice. Sadly, the burgeoning love affair had to be kept somewhat secret because John S. Barrowman married his partner Scott Gill in December 2006.

John S. Barrowman & Scott Gill

It wouldn't do for people to know about our love affair when John S. Barrowman became such a public spokesman for the gay community with John S. Barrowman video The Making of Me.

Not only is my honey, John S. Barrowman, incredibly yummy but he has a great sense of humor too. Check out John S. Barrowman and Simon Anstell in The Gay-Off...too funny!

What more could a woman want in a tv fantasy love like John S. Barrowman? He has it all...the body, the sizzle, the humor, and the loyalty to a cause.

I have to scream our love to the world... JOHN S. BARROWMAN IS MY ...oops, shhh, he's knocking at my door now. Pictures and details to come later.

Prank that google.

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My love affair with John S. Barrowman is no longer secret. I'm on the first page of google's John S. Barrowman search...#5 bitches, take that!

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#3 bitches, take that!

Random updates and requests...

There is some amazing news in the field of reproductive medicine. Researchers in Alberta, Canada are developing a test to predict which pregnant women will develop pre-eclampsia. Go visit Mrs. Spit and check out the links to the interview they did with her on this subject. Mrs. Spit...THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY!

My best friend and sister by choice might be buying a townhouse only a mile from my house. I am so excited. It was the first townhouse she looked at. I told her that she bought the first car she drove, why not buy the first house she looks at. Do you think that's a valid argument? ROFL

My sister's doggie has cancer. They found a big ole tumor right next to her dog's heart. Her doggie doesn't have long...sigh. Can you please keep her in your thoughts and prayers? Her dog, Asia, has been with her almost 10 years and has seen her through some very dark times in the past.

Gabe has been sick...fever and sniffly nose. Poor kiddo fell asleep in front of the tv last night while eating dinner. Luckily, he is much better today although his voice still sounds very husky.We are almost done dealing with the insurance claims from when the cell phone talking idjit totaled my hubby's car. I still can't believe it took 3 weeks to get a copy of the title for his car...ugh.

I found a giveaway that feeds a semi-secret passion of mine. I adore horses and am a somewhat avid follower of horse racing and the history of it. Over on the blog Cakeblast, there is a giveaway for apparel from the upcoming Disney movie Secretariat. I really want to go see the movie and I desperately want the shirts and hat.

I'm going to try and have the commercial site for Cuppa Joe Designs up by the end of October. Wish me luck.

Not your Daddy's Business Cards

The incredible, fantabulous folks at uPrinting.com, home of amazing online printing services, are sponsoring yet another giveaway for you my fabulous readers.This month, uPrinting is giving away 250 die-cut business cards. These are NOT your daddy's business cards. Think designer cards, blogger cards and so much more…from marketing materials to personal cards, have developed from the plain boring to a more modern and rounded corners, square cards and slim cards. You know you want some of these! Hell, I know I want some of these. Guess I'm lucky that I'm being compensated for hosting this giveaway with my own set of 250 die-cut business cards (this announcement is for you FCC).
Giveaway Prize: 250 Die Cut Business Cards for One (1) Winner

• Size Options: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card)
• Die cutting options available: Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded One-Corner, Half-Circle Side, Circle
  
• Paper Type: 14pt Cardstock Gloss, Matte, or High Gloss; 13pt Cardstock Uncoated
• Color: 4Color Front, Blank Back; 4Color Front, Black Back; 4Color Both Sides
  

Shipping: Free UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents,18 yrs old or older.

Entering this giveway is simple but remember that EACH CHANCE REQUIRES A SEPARATE RESPONSE. What do you have to do to enter...

1. REQUIRED: tell me what you want to use your business cards for (and, yeah, the old miniature paper airplane option is open)
   
2. Follow my blog via Google Friends Connect
3. Follow me on Twitter and tell me your twitter name
4. Follow uPrinting on Twitter and tell me your twitter name
5. Follow Giveaway Blogs on Twitter and tell me your twitter name
6. Tweet this giveaway and provide me the link to your tweet(can use this entry once a day) . Tweet example: Win 250 die-cut business cards from @dragondream , @uPrinting , & @Giveaway_blogs http://bit.ly/bAoC3B Entries close on 9/19 #giveaway

This giveaway is open from now, 9/13 through11pm on 9/19. The winner will be announced the on 9/20. Spread the word and enter.

Perfect Moment Monday Part II: the phone call

Lori over at Weebles Wobblog says that "Perfect Moment Monday is more about noticing a perfect moment than about creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between."

I was sitting here getting a few things done while Joey was doing his homework. The phone rang and I recognized the number as the school office line. Why are they calling? What could they need? I picked it up and this is what I heard...

Hi Mrs. Cruz. This is S. Gray, Joey's teacher. I was just calling because I wanted to brag on Joey. We were talking about rocks and minerals today and he had so much to contribute and so much outside knowledge. I was really impressed. I just wanted to share that with you. I hope Joey is having a great start to the school year. I really enjoy having him in my class.

What a wonderful surprise. It's always nice to have someone compliment you on your kiddo but it's even nicer that his teacher took a moment out of her very busy day to make sure we knew about it too. It really makes you feel good like you are doing something right with your kids.

Go check out the other perfect moments at this week's Perfect Moment Monday on Weebles Wobblog.

Perfect Moment Monday: my monkey boys

Lori over at Weebles Wobblog says that "Perfect Moment Monday is more about noticing a perfect moment than about creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between."

This weekend I got to watch my monkey boys develop physical skills that they hadn't mastered before and they had a hell of a good time doing it. Do you remember when I told you guys about Joey and spider walking? Well, Gabe still isn't tall enough to go up the sides of the hall like that but he is tall enough to scale a doorway.and Joey got to the point where he is able to complete so pretty fabulous jumps and tricks on the trampolineIt is so much fun seeing my boys have so much fun. Way to go Monkey Boys!

Go check out the other perfect moments at this week's Perfect Moment Monday on Weebles Wobblog.

Blessed are the atheists...

*Please don't think I discriminate against anyone because of their beliefs or lack of beliefs. This post was shared on facebook and I unintentionally offended a dear friend (and please do not criticize her for her reaction). One of my dearest friends from college is an atheist and he thought this was funny so I really didn't think it would bother anyone.

My hubby found this joke on the WRAL channel 5 GOLO (go local) blogs. I thought is was funny as hell and had to share it with y'all.

Blessed are the atheists...

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods. "What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.

As he continued walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes. Turning to look, he saw a 7 foot grizzly charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path.

Looking over his shoulder he saw that the bear was closing in on him. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground.

He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear raising his paw to take a swipe at him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out: "Oh my God!..." Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent.

It was then that a bright light shone upon the man and a voice came out of the sky saying, "You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others that I don't exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?"

The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps, could you make the BEAR a Christian?"

"Very well," said the voice. The light went out. And the sounds of the forest resumed.

The bear lowered his paw, bowed his head and spoke,"Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive and for which I am truly thankful."

9/11/10

It's been 9 years. 9 years ago today, the towers collapsed and we lost so many heroes. Today, we are still embroiled in the war against terrorism and we are still dealing with repercussions from the attacks that day.

I'm not going to sit here and argue about the war with you. I do believe the war against terror is a valid and needed war but I believe it has been grossly mismanaged and there have been many lives lost due to that mismanagement (think Vietnam). When decorated veterans like my FIL (before his death) and my father, sit around and shake their heads and comment on how the politicians never ever learn lessons when it comes to warfare, when they say that we've lost the fight because we aren't allowing our soldiers to truly fight, well, at that point, I think we can all agree that the train has left the tracks.

No, what I want to talk about today are a few incidents that are loosely tied to the 9/11 attacks...the threatened Quran (or whatever spelling you chose) burnings, the attack on the Mosque site in Tennessee, and the proposed Mosque/Community center across from Ground Zero. First of all, the right to build a Mosque/Community center directly across from Ground Zero is protected by law. If that group is granted a contract, lease, whatever that says they own the property or have leased it to use at their discretion, we MUST allow it to happen. However, there is nothing to prevent us from responding in a uniquely American form of protest. Since the Muslim group that is planning to build that Mosque/Community center says they are trying to foster understanding and a tolerance of diversity (strong American ideals) by building there, I say we should all support Greg Gutfield's idea of building a club that caters to young Muslim homosexuals next to the Mosque/Community center. After all, what better way to encourage the Muslim community to overcome their long held vilification of homosexuality than by exposing them continually to that very group in a club that accommodates the Islamic ban on alcohol. Furthermore, I think we should encourage this Muslim group to accept American ideals and diversity by building a Southern barbeque joint on the other side of their Mosque/Community center. After all, we aren't demanding that they eat there. We are simply bombarding them with the wafting smells of deliciousness and the ever present pictures of pigs in an effort to change their minds. See, when American's are faced with the thoughtlessness and total disrespect of a group wanting to build a Mosque/Community center across from Ground Zero, we have a tendency to want to respond in kind. And, yeah, I know answering one wrong with another isn't acceptable. However, since we've established that there was nothing but goodness and light in their hearts when they picked the location, I think we can trust them to understand we have the same good intentions present in us. While we are at it, I think we need a Catholic youth center, a Jewish community center, and maybe a Southern Baptist church right there too. Diversity and understanding for all!

As for the destruction of the mosque site in Tennessee and the proposed Quran burning in Florida, those are reprehensible acts committed/proposed by narrow minded, disrespectful bigots and I think those individuals are the antithesis of what we as Americans should stand for. Hell, the so-called pastor in Florida now claims "will 'not today, not ever' burn a Quran" and it was just his way of exposing a radical sect of Islam. That is the stoopidest damned excuse I've ever heard. Burning or threatening to burn the holy book of one of the largest religions in the world is a shitty thing to do. You are attacking and offending all groups in this religion, not only the so-called radical sects with threats like that. Terry Jones needs to grow up and lead his flock by example not through asinine behavior.

Today should be a day dedicated to remembering the heroes and victims of 9/11 not a day for dealing with assholes.

All the Small Things (baby pic included)

Welcome to the new edition of Show&Tell blogger style. The wonderful and fabulous Suzy at not a fertile myrtle recently restarted Show&Tell for all of us who missed it. The two pictures I've gonna show off this week are also my entries into the punk rock mom's latest photo challenge. As always, please click on the pics to see a bigger version of them. The theme of this photo challenge is all the small things. This first picture I took over labor day weekend. I have been trying for ages to get a good shot of a dragonfly and I finally did.and this second shot is actually an old one, taken almost 5 years ago. It is Gabe at 18 days old.Head on over to Suzy's to check out the other Show&Tell entries and head on over to tprm's to see the other photos.

Things Kids Don't Learn in School...

...but need to know to live. This fabulous list has been mistakenly attributed to Bill Gates but was really written by Charles J. Sykes as part of his book 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School: Real-World Antidotes to Feel-Good

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

What rules would you add to this? They can be rules aimed at adults or kids.

She needs our prayers...

Kristin over at Once A Mother needs us. Kristin is finally pregnant again...with twins. Kristin lost her daughter Peyton to infant leukemia when she was 28 days old. 5 days ago, on Peyton's 2nd birthday, Kristin started bleeding a lot. Currently, the twins are okay but Kristin has a large (3.5 inch (9cm) ) sub chorionic hemorrhage/blood clot in her uterus. Her doctors are hopeful things will work out but there is still a HUGE risk. Please go offer her your support.

Things that make you go hmmmmmm

Do you see that little tiny spot circled in black? I see it now but, despite the numerous trips up and down my hallway today and yesterday, I didn't see it before the kids' bedtime tonight. I can't figure out how in the hell it got there. It is way above the level you usually find these thing...all the way up at light switch level. I can't figure out how there isn't any other trace of it in the hallway, on the rugs, or in any of the bedrooms off the hall.

I know you have to be scratching your head and wondering what could possibly be so interesting about a little bitty spot that doesn't even seem that impressive in this picture. I'm sure you're thinking "Doesn't she know every house with kids has spots on the wall?" (Shhhhhh, if it's not true, don't tell me. Allow me to cling to my delusion) Well my friends, let me show you a little bit more of a close up. I know you won't be able to rest until I put your curiosity to rest.Can you tell what it is? Come on...gimme a guess! Surely you have an idea. Well, the mystery didn't end here. I came out to the kitchen and showed my hubby the pictures. We both were shaking our head at the improbability of this situation and I sat down to blog about it. Within moments, my hubby said "Honey, I found another one." This one is even higher on the wall. It is above the louvered doors that close the closet our washer and dryer are in. This one is barely a foot from the ceiling. I mean, at least it is in the kitchen. That makes things a bit more plausible...but, it is still very bizarre. This second object is almost a full 40 feet away from the first object. There is no trace of said material between the two objects. If the children had put them in place, I KNOW without a doubt they would have made more of a mess. They are boys. They just aren't that meticulous in pulling pranks. Honestly, I can't figure out how in the hell this happened. Please let me know if you figure it out.

Have you figured out what the object/spots/wall art are? Lemme give you a hint...cheesey goodness. They are a form of cheesey goodness that every child (except the pod children left here by aliens) loves. They are...

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two pieces of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. If the whole situation wasn't weird enough, my hubby was watching a show about UFOs and possible alien visitation (he likes weird geeky stuff like that) while we made these discoveries. I have officially dubbed this the Macaroni Mystery.

Thoughtful Tuesday: Rockin' My Babies

JJ from Reproductive Jeans has started Thoughtful Tuesday. Each Tuesday, She is going to share something she is either: a) thankful for, b) something she witnessed that was an act of kindness, or c) something she did to "pay it forward"

JJ would love it if we joined her. One day a week. One thing. It can take 15 seconds or 4 hours. Don't you feel better when you are able to notice the pretty things in life? Leave a comment on her blog, or share it in your own space, and enjoy being thoughtful...in more ways than one!

My boys are all definitely beyond the baby stage. They are 13, 9, and 4. Yet, like any parent knows, they will always be my babies. I watch them in amazement and just thrill in their independence. Yet, the sentimental part of me is so very glad they still need me. They need me when something upsets them. They need me when they are confused by life. The need that touches my heart the most is that they all still want and need me to hold and snuggle and cuddle them when they don't feel good. When my 13 yr old wasn't feeling good a few weeks ago, he sat in my lap, laid his head on my shoulder, and tuned out the world. My arm went numb and my knee started to hurt but that time reassured me that the little one who needed me so much is still buried under the grown up, independent kid I see every day. Someday, my boys will simply be too big to cuddle in my lap but, until then, I am very thankful for those moments.

Head on over to JJ's know and check out this week's Thoughtful Tuesday.

Perfect Moment Monday: Swim Time

Lori over at Weebles Wobblog says that "Perfect Moment Monday is more about noticing a perfect moment than about creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between."

For most of us, Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer even though the calendar claims fall doesn't start until September 23 this year. The weather was PERFECT...temps were only in the 80s...and we had a weekend filled with swim time and family. On Saturday, we decided to get in a pool trip (possibly the last of the summer). When we got there, we realized it was the end of summer pool party. There were burgers, hot dogs, icees, music, a bu=ounce house, and the pool. The kids had so much fun. It was awesome. On Sunday, the kids, Jennifer and I headed down to my parents' house. We took a picnic lunch to the Cliffs of the Neuse state park, swam in the lake, the older kids and my mom when paddle boating, and just had a wonderful day. The only thing that would have made the weekend even more perfect is if Vic hadn't had to work and if he was able to join us.

Go check out the other perfect moments at this week's Perfect Moment Monday on Weebles Wobblog.

It makes me cry

I was reading Kristin's most recent post on her blog, Once A Mother, when a certain song came on her playlist. It was "Somewhere Over The Rainbow/Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

I immediately felt tears starting to come. This got me started thinking about songs that really seem to touch an emotional cord in me. I think this is such a pure and beautiful version of this song but it will always make me cry because the very first time I heard it was back on the TV show ER when the character Dr. Mark Greene died. I sat and bawled (so sue me, tv shows can make me cry) during the entire scene.

The other song that always makes me cry does so for a much more personal reason. Hearing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes always, always makes me cry.

I think know the reason this triggers the waterworks is because it is so closely associated with funerals for firefighters. From the time I met my husband up until early Sept '01, he was a career firefighter and I always feared I would lose him in the line of duty. I can't hear Amazing Grace played on the bagpipes without reliving some of these fears.

What songs trigger strong responses from you and why? I'd love to hear about it.

PHOTO FRIDAY: Buttons

Welcome to Photo Friday sponsored by the brilliant and beautiful Calliope of Creating Motherhood..and, yeah I know I say this every week but she really is brilliant and she is absolutely beautiful. This weeks theme is buttons and I have two photos to share with you and they are each a completely different take on the theme.
I just wanted to add that the effects of the second picture were achieved on purpose and without and digital editing. The only thing done to it was resizing it for my blog

Now, head on over to Calli's y'all and check out everyone's photos this week...and, break out those cameras and participate next week.

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Please take a moment to go by and offer your support to Heather and Mike Spohr. As of today, their sweet Maddie has been gone for more days than she had with them. Just be warned, have tissues handy if you watch the video.

Randoms from my life

*In Cecily's words, "In related news, if you have any cash to spare, please visit In Due Time and contribute a dollar or two to her custody battle for her niece. As much as In Due Time loves her sister, her sister is not currently able to parent her daughter appropriately. Help if you can. I wish I could have helped more."

*I took my bestest friend to the hospital today because she needed to have a minor procedure done. We did the same thing about a year ago. Last year, the nurse mistook us for a lesbian couple. This year, a nurse claimed we must be sisters because we look a little alike (we don't). I'm not sure which amuses me more.*I was asked by one of the nurses at the hospital if it took a lot of courage to dye my hair purple. I thought about it for a split second and said "You know, not really. I've reached the point where I don't really care what people think about me. If I like it, it's all good. Besides that, it's only hair. If I don't like it, it will grow out." She seemed a bit surprised.

*Gabe already has a friend at pre-school. His name is Travis. I think Travis and Gabe are kindred spirits. They were calling each other bad boy and laughing hysterically.

*My friend Kristi is starting a blog titled Shit my Dad says has NOTHING on shit my Mom does(I'll let you know when she gets her first post up)(wink, wink, nudge, nudge Kristi). I've know Kristi forever. She introduced my husband and me. It dawned on me this evening that she would LOVE going to BlogHer next summer so I called her up. I had to call her right then because, if I don't do it when I think about it, it doesn't end up happening. Not only did she love the idea, she loved it enough that she hopped online and made our hotel reservations. So, I guess that means I'm going to BlogHer11...woohoooo.

*I just found out that one of my first bloggy friends in the ALI community has made a raging success of the business she and her husband started. It's called KangarooBoo and their slogan says they sell "unique, wooden, handmade baby toys and smart children's products."They've been mentioned in about 15 national magazines like Oprah, Parenting, and Newsweek!

*Can anyone explain to me why they do not offer these socks in adult sizes?*I need about another 24 hours in every single day to complete all the projects I want to do. Somehow, I will have to restrain myself.

*Migraines suck (Thanks Hurricane Earl) and UTIs suck. Both in the same week are karmic injustice.

*Why oh why do news stations send people out to stand in the middle of a hurricane when everyone else is being told to evacuate? Makes no frakking sense to me. Also, do those reporters get hazard pay?

*You know school is going to be interesting when, after the first day, part of the monologue about the activities includes "We also played with the trains. Travis took my trains so I hit him." Luckily, the teacher handled it well.

*I found out that (with the help of a family friend and with a little remodeling) I can move my washer and dryer out of the closet (off my kitchen) with the accordion doors and into the third bathroom off of the den. We don't use this bathroom because of problems with the toilet and this move will free up that big closet for kitchen storage. Our friend says the total cost shouldn't be more than $150.

What's going on in your life?

Is this my last first?

Mel's post about firsts got me thinking, especially when she talked about how having twins often means that things like your first first day of school is also your last first day of school. Now, I don't have twins (obviously) but I do have a little guy who had his first day of pre-school on Wednesday. I knew this day was coming. Hell, I have been looking forward to it. But, I thought I would have another one in the wings by now. And, I didn't think this would be my last first day of school. But, the more I think about it and the more time passes, the more I think that all the upcoming firsts for Gabe will be my last firsts.

It's been so long since we thought about trying for a final child...maybe not that long in the grand scheme of things but long in terms of reproductive life. I'm 40 (soon to be 41) and my hubby just turned 51. If we had another baby, I would be nearly 60 and Vic would be pushing 70 before that child would be almost on his own. I'm not sure I really want to go there. We are at the stage that life with the kids is starting to get easier in many ways. Hell, life with kids is never completely easy but, next year, all three would be in school full time. I might actually be able to reclaim my house (HAH, like that will ever happen). But, then I see a picture or meet a friend's child and I think "what if?"

Sigh, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for these firsts to also be lasts but it looks like it's moving that way.