Support needed for a fellow Land of IF resident...

Hey y'all, Lynn over at Wistful Girl needs our support. Please head on over and let her know we're here for her. Lynn is such a dear, sweet woman and she deserves better than the hand she's been dealt.

Something to celebrate!

Wiseguy is finally pregnant! Go help her celebrate!

Why does it feel like a door slamming shut?

Gabe got a new bed yesterday. It's his first real big boy bed...a bunk bed. He is so thrilled and so excited and I'm trying to be just as excited for him. Mostly I am. See, having two beds in that room has raised the possibility of Joey moving in with Gabe and letting Marty have his own room. And, while I know Marty would love it, to me that idea seems like the death knell for any chance of having our fourth and final baby. When we moved into this house 4 years ago my plan hope dream was that the new baby would share the room with Gabe. Agewise it would have made the most sense. And, I figured that even if the baby was a girl (oh what a dream) that by the time she needed a separate room, Marty would be heading off to college. And, I've been clinging to that dream. But, the kids themselves raised the possibility of the room switch and I simply said it was up to them. I can't make that decision for them because that bitch hope is making me ride the crazy train.

What if you let them switch room...and then you get pregnant...and then what are you going to do?

I put too many things on hold for too long when we were battling infertility and trying for Gabe. I can't won't do that to my kids. I won't put their growing up on hold for a dream that may never arrive. If they decide to switch rooms, I'll suck it up and move on. Anything after that can be dealt with if it happens.

So why does a little part of me feel like crying and why does it feel like a light is about to go off and a door is about to slam shut on a dream?

Monday Miscellany

First of all, let me thank Mrs. Spit for the post title. Now, on to all the good nonsense.

• Last night was Gabe's final night in his toddler bed. He has really outgrown it (the mattress is only 8 inches longer than him) and we have been trying to make room in out budget for a twin bed/bunk bed. We lucked out and one of Joey's friends just got a new bed and we were given his old bunk bed (and the box springs). I scored an almost new mattress for only $20 and it will be set up this afternoon.
• My friend Jen is giving away a great pack of eco0friendly lunchboxes. Go check out her Get Lucky blog and enter the giveaway.
• Remember the *HaBO portion of this post...well, Anissa's husband posted a wonderful update on her today and let us know that he sent in the Extreme Makeover Home Edition application. He also posted an address for anyone who wants to add letters to the packet. PLEASE SUPPORT THEM and write a letter.
• Mayhem & Moxie is sponsoring a giveaway and the prize includes a 12″ x 12″ personalized piece from Modern Bird Studios and a Wi-Fi 16GB iPad. But, don't go enter because I want to win it.
• My veggies are growing, growing, growing.

So, what's going on in y'all 's life? Anything cool and new happening? What are you reading? Who have you met? Spill your secrets here.

*HaBo = Help A Bitch Out...an acronym coined by the brilliant women at Smart Women, Trashy Books

It's not just a word

Please, please go read The difference a word can make by Another Dreamer. It is truly a brilliant post.

And, if you haven't read it yet, why not? She NEEDS to be on your reader.

Ummmm, what does this say about me?

Look who started following me on Twitter...I'm not sure what this says about me (or my children). Who is your oddest follower and what do you think this says about us?

What Crocheting and Knitting mean to me...

Back in January, Lion Brand Yarn posted a question on their blog asking How Knitting and Crocheting Make Us Better. They complied some of the answers into a short video...

My crafting was one thing that help me keep my sanity when I was dealing with infertility. Crafting has also let me express my artistic nature in a way that can be shared with others. Now, slowly, I am teaching my sons to crochet and I'm passing that ability to create joy and beauty on to another generation.

Photo Friday: The Night

Welcome to Photo Friday sponsored by the brilliant and beautiful Calliope of Creating Motherhood. This week's theme is The Night which is wide open to interpretation. Once again, I couldn't limit myself to one picture. Both the pictures I chose to share were taken this year. So, without further ado, here are my submissions...

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.

Male Pattern Blindness

Not too long ago, I was getting frustrated. It seemed like there were certain things that only I did...moving the toilet paper from the floor next to the table to the bathroom; put the cups away in the cabinet, not on the counter; and, cleaning the kitchen counters. Surely, it wasn't rudeness that left the Charmin sitting by the table for almost 2 weeks or the empty soda can on the counter for almost a month when I conducted an experiment. Surely, my husband and my boys weren't just assuming I would pick that stuff up.

So, I decided there had to be a reason that there are certain that I am the only one to pick up or clean up...and, I thought and thought and thought. I've come to the conclusion that there are certain things the male eye is just not meant to see. That piece of paper in the middle of the floor...nope, not meant to see it. The huge ass thing of Charmin toilet paper that came in from the car after the trip to the store but never made it farther than the floor next to the table...nope, definitely not meant to see it. The cups that are taken from the dish rack and put on the counter but not in the cabinet...nope, not meant to see it. That empty soda can that sat on the counter for over a month...hell no, definitely not meant to see that. I mean, I see that shit EVERY SINGLE TIME and they don't.

It has to be Male Pattern Blindness.

For anyone interested in or going to BlogHer 2010

MomSpark has a great post on How to Prepare For & What to Expect at BlogHer.

I'm comfortable traveling on my own and I have no qualms about what to wear and where to wear it but MomSpark has some great check lists for even the most experienced traveler or conference attendee.

Here are a few other posts worth reading...
quick list of BlogHer parties
how to avoid the post conference blues
BlogHer '09 from MomSpark's perspective
great review of all the pluses and negatives of the whole experience

It's only 2 months away y'all...I'M SO EXCITED!

A Peaceful Ending

The house is quieting down, the younger two boys are asleep, and I'm hanging out with my sweetie.

A Better Middle

I went out to water my little container garden (right before it rained, of course) and noticed that the lettuce is ready to harvest again, I have my first tomato growing...and my broccoli is starting to grow...

Not A Good Start

Starting off the day by cleaning up a headless mouse and the puked up hairball next to it is NOT a good way to start the day.

Note to the kitty cats...I really, really appreciate that y'all don't let those nasty little creatures roam through my house but, please, please, either eat the WHOLE mouse or leave it intact. Headless is just not a good option...YUCK!

Tasty Tuesday Take 3: Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

There are times when nothing beats a good piece of pepperoni pizza...and, nothing beats it when it's homemade. Here's a recipe that's pretty easy and absolutely delicious.

Super Easy and Delicious Pizza Sauce

1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1 1/2 cups of water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp basil
1/2 Tbsp minced onions

No cooking necessary. Just put all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.



Easy Pizza Crust

2 1/2 cups of flour
1 pkg instant yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp yeast)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 Tbsp

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare pizza pan by lightly greasing and then sprinkle surface with either rolled oats or grits. This creates a small air space between crust and pan and enables you to get a nice crispy crust.
3. Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add all wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dough will become fairly hard to stir.
5. Cover bowl with a clean towel and set aside while making the sauce (see above for recipe).
6. Once sauce is made, knead dough on a floured surface about 10 times...add as much flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
7. Place dough on prepared pan and gently press the dough spreading it to cover the pan.

8. Spoon sauce over dough.

9. Add a generous amount of topping (I used pepperoni).

10. Top with thin layer of shredded sharp cheddar.

11. Add final layer of shredded mozzarella.

12. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese begins to bubble and brown.

BTW, the sauce can be made in bulk and frozen.

Some Gave All

In honor of my dad, Major Owen Joseph O'Donnell III; my FIL, Command Sergeant Major Sigifredo Cruz- Vega; my grandpa, Lt. Colonel Martin Iverson; and in remembrance of all the men and women who have given their lives to keep us free.

Please take a minute to click over to History.com and view this stunning video tribute to all our military heroes...
Without the bravery of these amazing men and women, our country wouldn't be what we are today. They protect our freedom, our lives, our everything. Remember them today and always.

For Emma: Today's Gonna Be A Great Day

Here's the theme song for Phineas and Ferb sung by Bowling For Soup

So, whatcha doing this summer?

Here we are facing the end of school and the beginning of summer. Are you doing anything special this weekend for Memorial day? Have you planned any vacations for this summer? What are y'all planning for this summer?

This weekend we are planning on going to the pool tomorrow and Monday and we're probably going to grill on Monday. I'm sure we're going to be spending a bunch of time at the pool this summer. We've already been once but OMG was the water cold.

I just got my kids signed up for all their summer camps. The Town of Cary has a most incredible recreation and parks department and they offer scholarship help if you need it. Joey is going to a week of BMX bike camp and a week of basketball camp. Marty is going to a history camp, the Civil War Experience, and (if it isn't full) a cooking camp.

Marty also has a week long confirmation camp through our church and both the older boys have been invited to my sister Keri's house this summer. Keri and her family live less than 4 miles from Carowinds so I'm sure they'll end up going once while they are visiting.

Most importantly, I'm going to BlogHer in August.

So, spill it. What are your plans this summer?

Photo Friday: Black and White

Welcome to Photo Friday sponsored by the brilliant and beautiful Calliope of Creating Motherhood. I was so excited when she announced the theme of Black and White. I have two very different but equally striking pics I have converted to black and white that I want to share with you. The first photo was taken during a trip to the local park...
on the jungle gym

and, the second shot was taken when my middle son Joey was about 11 months old (you can see the original in color here)...
my beautiful boy

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.

Bizarro World

We all know kids say and do strange things. You just don't realize how strange your conversations are destined to be or how weird the things you'll pretend are happening will be until you interact with a young child on a regular basis.

Today, I had to drive one county over to pick up a copy of Marty's birth certificate. It turns out I'm right and I'm stuck. I have to claim him because my name's on there. Well, Gabe decided he wanted to ride with me. I tried halfheartedly to talk him out of it because, well, a half an hour of silence sounded kind of blissful. Gabe stuck to his guns and rode with me. Let me tell you, man oh man can that kid talk. He talked non-stop from Cary to Hillsborough. When he wasn't talking to me, he was talking to his three imaginary friends Geo, Yoshi, and Sparta. We covered all kinds of topic from volcanos to explaining the girls have muhginas (his version of the word) not are muhginas. He wanted to know why Marty calls their cousins, Kayla and Bri, the girls and immediately launched from that to "Kayla doesn't have a penis. She has a muhgina because she is a girl." A couple of times he had to interrupt our conversation to yell at Yoshi because Yoshi wash poking him. When Yoshi didn't stop for him, he asked me to make Yoshi stop. I guess he did because we didn't have any more yelling. And, when we got to Hillsborough, he started laughing as we got out of the van. He said "Look mommy, Sparta's sitting on my head like a *gargoyle kitty." In the short trip from the van to the building, we discussed the parking deck, the rusty truck down there, the extra long grass, and some webs he happened to spy. He kept chattering with my on the way in and, luckily, he didn't seem at all upset that the woman who helped us didn't notice Sparta sitting there.

Everything was a bit quieter on the way home. A bribe of Mickey D's french fries and a small soda works wonders. I'm very grateful he didn't ask me to buy one for each of his friends that traveled with us.



*I have short posts on the footboard of my bed. When the kitties perch there, we say they are being gargoyle kitties.

More Random Shit from Me

Suzy over at not a fertile myrtle has this meme up and I really liked it because it had some different questions. Join in the fun and answer one or two questions in the comments or, if you are really enthused, post it on your blog.

Apple juice or orange juice? apple

Are you a morning or night person? Definitely a night person...but my 3 hellions force me to at least function in the morning.

Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods? If I could only pick one, it would be salty. However, I love the two together because they balance each other out and neither is overwhelming.

What was your favorite childhood television program? I loved Sesame Street and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood but the theme song that sticks in my head is from Pinwheel, a Nick show that my sister's watched...

Are you a collector of anything? Dragons (stuffed, figurines, books, even socks), books, yarn, fabric, and other craft stuff

If you could be any animal, what would you be? I'd love to be a dolphin...swimming through the oceans and jumping through the air sounds heavenly.

What do you usually think about right before falling asleep? It honestly depends...sometimes a project I'm working on, sometimes what is planned for the next day, etc

What’s your favorite color? Green and purple

Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets? Absolutely...I don't necessarily believe they've visited here but I personally think it would be awfully arrogant of us to believe we are the only planet with sentient life in this huge universe.

Do you believe in ghosts? Yup

Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? Oh yeah, I was thoroughly obsessed with Toontown

You’re given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on? Hmmmm, presuming it was 1 million post tax, I'd pay off our house, sink about 200 thousand into the house for improvements/expansion, pay off my parents' house, buy my hubby and I new cars, put about 400 thousand in IRAs and investments, and the little bit left would be mad money.

Have any bad habits? Picking my nails...sometimes I break the habit for months at a time but then one breaks or cracks or peels and it goes to hell.

List 3 of your worst personality traits: I procrastinate with certain things (like housework); as my friend describes herself, I'm a clutter queen; I can be impatient.

Have any celebrity crushes? Oh yeah...John Barrowman from TorchwoodList 1 thing you wish you could change about yourself: My weight

Any tattoos or piercings? Pierced ears...two holes in one ear, 3 in the other & 2 tattoos

What’s the first thing you notice in the opposite sex? Eyes

Are you mostly a clean or messy person? Messy

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Right here where I am but I'd love to be able to travel a lot.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? Ireland, Puerto Rico, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island...want to eat in the underwater restaurant, Paris...I need a few days just for the Louvre, DC...I need a week for the Smithsonian, Russia, Peru...I've always wanted to see Machu Pichu, Australia

List 5 goals on your life’s to-do list: 1) Make a real go of my design company 2) lose weight 3) paint the interior of our house and make Roman shades for all the rooms 4) Make a memory quilt for each of my kids and myself out of the outgrown baby/toddler clothes 5) Travel to Europe with my husband

Name 1 regret you have: Not working harder and getting better grades in college.

Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid: The absence of serious responsibility...no bills especially.

Name 1 thing you love about being an adult: Being married to my soulmate

What’s your favorite song of the moment? Soul Sister by Train

What’s your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? My favorite thing is to go out to eat with my hubby...just us. The second favorite (and most common) is hanging out with my family and sister by choice, Jennifer.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon? Read or stitch