The cat...

Feeling Fall in the air today, I decide it's time to indulge my passion for purses and bring out a brand new purse from my storage bin. I realize that these wonderful bags are meant to be stored in their protective cotton bags lined up on shelves, but space is limited and this is the only way I can store them. Did I say that it's my passion? Could that possibly be the reason that I have so many (after weeding out all of the "unnecessary" ones over the summer) that my storage bin doesn't close anymore? Regardless, the lid does not snap shut, and it lives in the bottom of my closet (next to my 5 million totes of shoes).

So I get out this wonderful new Fall purse, and the protective bag is shredded. I mean complete Freddie Kruger style. I take a closer look, and I notice dozens of little puncture holes all over my new purse! I look over on the bed, and there all curled up and sleeping is my new nemesis... the cat! I wag the shredded bag over her head yelling at her, shake my finger at her, telling her how naughty she is. Of course she looks at me like I've gone insane, and I believe I may have for that brief moment.

There behind me, as usual, is my little shadow Melody. Lately, yelling at the cat is one of her favorite things to do, and since I don't usually yell at the cat, I can only assume she's figured out the ranking order of the family and has taken pleasure out of the fact that she's higher up than Slim Kitty. Melly runs out of the room. For a moment I feel really bad that I have (yet again) lost my cool a bit in front of the one person that looks to me for all guidance. Then, Melody runs back into the room with the squirt bottle we use to keep Slim from sneaking out of the front door, and she is ready for a battle. She runs up to the cat, squirts her right on the nose, the cat flies out of the room, with Melly chasing her telling her she was a "naughty kitty".

So now, my cool is back, as I am now laughing hysterically at my squirt bottle wielding daughter as she comes back with the proudest of looks on her face telling me, "Mommy, I squirted Slim for you!"

Hahaha!!

I got this email, and I had to share it. Thanks Brenda!!

All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy,painless removal - The Epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax. Read on......... My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: 'Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet.' So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom. It was one of those 'cold wax' kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!) So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ('Cold wax,'yeah...right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works! OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire. With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the wax strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my hoo-ha and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!! I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP! Another deep breath and RIPP! Everything is spinning and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...must stay conscious. Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal. I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX??? Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip...it's not! I touch. I am touching wax. I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body,which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG Mistake...remember my foot is still propped upon the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down. Sealed shut! My butt is sealed shut. Sealed shut! I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself 'Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!' What can I do to melt the wax? Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? *WRONG!!!!!!!*I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit. Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub....in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax. So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cemented myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!! I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter. 'So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!' There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, 'Are we talking cheeks or hole or hoo-ha?' She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night. While we go through various solutions. I resort to trying to scrape the wax off with a razor . Nothing feels better than to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event. My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!! The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. 'IT WORKS!!It works !!' I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair....THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT!So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.

Next week I'm going to try hair color......

Creative Day #2

I put rice in a roasting pan and hid little plastic dinosaurs inside. Then we were able to "dig" them out! A neater way to be a paleontologist, especially inside! Oh, and the matchbox diggers can help out too!

I want to be Mommy

I was on the computer and Melly yelled at me to come down the hall. "Mommy! Look at me!! I want to be Mommy!!" This is what I saw.

Yo Gabba Gabba gotta gotta be kidding!

There are many shows that I just pretend don't exist. Barney is one of them. That purple dinosaur drives me crazy. His voice alone sends the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. The Wiggles are also on the "prohibited" list. I'm not saying either one of these shows are bad, I just can't stomach them and there are so many other options that I can easily keep them away.

Melody asked for a show the other day, and I was making dinner, so on went the TV. She got all excited and said "Yo Gabba Gabba on!" (I swear I don't know how she knows the name of a show that we have never seen). So in between making dinner I keep peeking out at this show to see what it's about. If there ever was a show that seriously made me question if the entire cast and crew were on drugs... this would be it! I can't even describe how horrible this show was.

There is no other way to describe it but to see it. It's only about 1 minute and worth the laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggrOcBWqHiU

Creative Day #1

Saturday I was feeling both creative and ambitious. Lately, those two things rarely happen on the same day. I brought out the paints, glitter, glue and pasta for a fun evening while Daddy was out. Man did we have fun! My little toddler has shown me that not only is she creative, but she's starting to express it. Her art is taking a turn from just being colors, to her having something in her head and trying to get it on paper. Pretty cool to watch, I must say.

Here is my little Picasso painting it up. Yes, in my house we paint topless. (if you're under 4)

Still not too happy with getting hands dirty

This is the coolest painting she's ever done. She picked out her color (blue only), then specifically started making these stripes. So I asked Melly, "What are you painting?" She says, "I'm painting a zebra Mommy"

Then this one, a little harder to see, but she told me what she was doing while she was doing it. The figure on the right is a parrot. Not just a bird, but a parrot. Beak and all. Then on the left, Melody said they were penguins. I can't see that one, but that's what she said. Then, on the bottom she made eggs for the penguins (and gave some to the parrot). On the top she made them clouds. What a trip!

Pictures from Lake George

OK, so I realize I'm ridiculously late in posting these pictures, but I finally downloaded all of the them. This will be the flaw with digital pictures. I used to have rolls of film hanging around waiting to be developed, now they sit in my camera waiting for me to get them. All the same, just a different technique.

Anyway, here's the pictures from Lake George!

Melody eating (well, more like not eating, just holding) her dinner, and making a kissy face for some reason

The Jackson's and the Colombo's meeting up for dinner far away from home! Funny, we haven't met up for dinner in our home town. We'll have to change that because it was really fun!

The Daddy's and their girls!

No, get out!

Today we had group at my house, and Melody, being the way that she is, cried a few times because everyone was playing with her toys. Well, really because in her mind they were playing with them the wrong way. She's very particular about playing. The part that I really felt bad about, is when the girls were in her room playing, she kept screaming at Rylan, "No! Get out!". Which of course mad poor Rylan cry. I kept trying to get Melody to apologize and remind her that Rylan is her friend, etc. etc. etc. I really did feel bad! She didn't yell at him any other time, only when he went in her room.

Rob came home from work, and asked how group went. So I tell him all of the stories, then that one comes up and Rob starts smiling and says (in his very serious "Daddy voice") "Good job Melody! No boys in your room!"

Stand Up 2 Cancer

For those of you that read this blog to enjoy the small anecdotes of my life, this may be a little different, but important. This is a serious blog entry. Today all of the major networks aired Stand Up To Cancer, in hopes that all of the cancer awareness and treatment organizations that are out there, could come together, work together, and find a cure faster. I don't talk about it much, for many reasons that my sister lent an ear to hear this morning, but I am a cancer survivor. Geez, just typing that and my palms started to sweat. I struggle each day with what some people brush aside because I was very lucky and very early with a diagnosis, but it is a big part of my every day life.

Over 4 years ago I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the ripe old age of 29. I had just moved and found a new Dr that actually took the time to give me a full physical exam (God bless you Dr. Julia!). She found a tumor the size of a pea in my thyroid. So the steps began, and a few months later I got that dreaded phone call from my Thyroid Dr. saying that it was important for me to come in that day. Trust me, when a Dr. says that, it's never a good thing. I had my full thyroid removed along with 2 tumors and a bunch of lymph nodes. I went through radiation treatment, then isolation because I was radioactive (those of you from the 80's are totally singing that song in the robot voice, "I'm radioactive... I'm radioactive").

The end result was good. I have been cancer free for almost 5 years. But, if there is good that can come out of a bad situation, this is it. First, go and get a physical. Then tell everyone you know to get a physical. I am living proof that it can save your life. There is no other reason I would have needed a physical that year. I was young, in good health and felt fine. I could have easily not seen a Dr. for anything more than a cold for years to come. Then what would have happened? Would it have spread? Would I be here, have Melody, enjoy feeling the cool breeze come in the window to remind me that Fall is soon to be here? Who knows. Second, do what you can to help out a cause that needs you. There is so much to be done in so many ways. Give money if you can. Give time if you can. Give experience, knowledge, whatever you find that can help. It is just so important because I have learned that cancer can happen to anyone.

If you don't know where to go, here's a start:

https://www.standup2cancer.org/donate_splash.asp

This is why I have an excellent scarf collection!

A funny thing happened

Last week, Melody decided to eat. The kid that literally would eat 2 bites of each meal, with nothing in between, started eating full meals and asking for more. It threw me for a loop, because I wasn't used to making a meal for her, I'd just give her a small piece of mine (which she wouldn't eat) and that would be it. Now I actually have to bring food with me and remember to give it to her!

I can joke about it, but there's nothing that makes a Mom feel better than watching her child eat well. It's been a concern for us almost since she's started solid food, but the Dr. kept saying when she was hungry she would eat. Guess what? She's hungry!

A girl after my own heart

While I was cooking dinner tonight I put on a little Bon Jovi. This happens often when I'm home, and it lasts until Rob comes home. Today Rob came home and went to turn it off and Melody freaked out screaming, "No Daddy! Leave it on. I like it! I like Bon Jovi!" Ahhhh, that's my girl! (Before you think she's a crazy genius, don't get too excited. She thinks everything on the radio is Bon Jovi. The odds are if I put it on, she'll be right!)

I left my pants in Lake George

One of the nights we were wandering around the town Melody decided to get full of energy even though it was well after bedtime. The little skinny minny was running around in circles (as she often does) and she ran right out of her pants! Yup, they dropped down to her ankles as she stood there frozen looking at Rob for help. Apparently there were a few onlookers that were pointing and laughing at this 2 year old showing off her diaper. Clearly I did not see them doing that because I would have stopped them from mocking my little girl. Only I am allowed to do that!

Back at the car, we changed her diaper and decided to pull the loose pants off so she could ride back to the campsite without them falling off again. Once we got to the trailer, Papa asked her if she left her pants in Lake George. Of course she said she did with a smile, and that then became her running joke for the weekend. Even if you ask her today where her pants are she'll tell you there in Lake George!

Only in the sticks!

On our way home from Lake George, we took a very scenic route home. Going through all sorts of roads with nothing, towns with only one light in them. But the best was yet to come. A sign on a building that read this:

Butch & Son Deer Cutting

I can't even count the number of things wrong with that!

Lake George!

Last weekend we went to Lake George camping with my family. My parents have been very generous and have invited us to stay in their camper with them the whole summer on all of their adventures. It's got to be hard for them since we have all of our stuff, a crib for Melody, and their couch and table transformed into beds. Luckily we've also had good weather for the trips we've taken and haven't needed to spend days inside. So a big ole thanks to the Mema & Papa!

So this campground was great by the lake. Tons of bike trails (yes, I actually biked some even though it's not my most favorite activity to do). Melody of course had a blast with all the playgrounds, lakes, paddle boats, etc. I don't think I took any pictures while there, so this entry will just be wordy. The town seems to be exactly the same since the last time I went years ago. Actually, it's possible that the town has not changed ever. We didn't go on the Minnie-Ha-Ha around the lake this time, but that's always a nice thing to do. Pretty much we just spent some good quality time with the family and their whole camping gang.

An odd little twist to this tale is the surprise friends that made it up there the same time. Kerri had asked me to babysit for Ashley on Saturday, and I had to tell her that I couldn't because we were going away for the weekend. She asked where, I told her, then the shocked response of her telling me that her family was up there on Sunday! So we all met up Sunday night for dinner and to let the girls hang out some. We thought they would think it was funny to see each other there, but then we realized that they have no idea they were far away from home, so it was business as usual playing together. We also waited in a great spot to watch fireworks that didn't exist. The signs were up, but we never saw them. Such a shame!