Santa Letters

My kiddos each wrote a letter to Santa. Well, Thing 2 had a bit of help from me, but she did manage to write most of her name :) I mailed them to the North Pole Canada. I had to explain to my son that since the real North Pole is so far away their letters may take months to get there. So, I continued, Santa set up a North Pole in Canada run by Santa's most trusted elves, a Special Operations team of sort. That way, the letters would only take about a week to get there, and Santa would definitely get word of what you want for Christmas. Luckily, my son was satisfied with this answer.


When I went to mail their letters, the postal worker asked me why I just don't email Santa. Seriously? Email? Hell, why email, I'll just tweet the jolly dude. I guess I am just old fashioned because I think that the whole part of writing a letter to Santa is using actual paper and pen, sealing the envelope, and hoping it reaches the North Pole in time. I loved watching my kids carefully pen each word, especially my son, who made sure each letter was perfect, each word spelled correctly, and a polite thank you added to the bottom of the page. My daughter loved telling me what to add to her list and made sure I was writing it all down, with nod and smile of satisfaction on her face. I can't see how typing an email to Santa would be fun. It is so impersonal. I don't think seeing the glow of the computer screen reflecting off their faces, pecking at each letter, using spell check, and hitting send, has that Christmassy spirit to it.  So, no emailing Santa for this family.

By the way, anyone know where to get a 'real giraffe' and an elf?

I thought...

...that I would be better at this whole blogging business.  I'm not.  Matter of fact, I suck at blogging.  I guess I don't see my life being too exciting, so I feel there is nothing worth really blogging about.  Let's see, business is good, visitors were welcomed, and family is great.  Yep, my life in a nutshell.

Hi, my name is...

What a Facebook Addiction Meeting would be like:

me:  Hi, my name is Susan.
group:  Hi Susan.
me:  I used to be a myspace user.  I would change my background, update my music, leave comments, but I wanted more.  Then I heard about facebook. 
group:  ohhhh
me:  All my friends had an account, and I thought, why not give it a try.  At first, I wasn't impressed.  I didn't like not being able to personalize my page.  But then, I discovered games and the ability to 'poke' people.  I developed a feeling that I was interactioning with friends I haven't seen in years.  I was now joining their mafia, lending a hand on their farm, and pledging in their sorority. 
group:  Mmmhhmm...
me:  Now, I have to have my facebook. I have to update my status.  I have to let my friends know that I went to the gym, came home, ate dinner, and then went to sleep.  I have to help my mafia fight, fertilize my fellow farmers' crops, and organize an event to impress my sorority.
group:  We know, girl, we know. (all nodding their heads in agreement)
me:  So, that is why I am here tonight.  I have a facebook addiction.  I need help.
group:  (still nodding in agreement)

Run Run Run

As of today, I am officially running again.  I hope to run in (at least) a 5k race no later than December of this year.  It is so hard to get back into running!  The last time I did any major running was in May for the Mudrun.
So, I checked out Runners World online and printed out a training guide for my goal.  Today was an easy run.  I was supposed to run two miles at a 13:27 pace.  Well, I ran my easy run at a 12:00 pace.  Yes, I am saying it took me 12mins. to run a mile, but damnit I ran that mile non stop!  The second mile involved short sprints and walking.  I spent a total of 45 mins. on the treadmill today, and if you don't know, I HATE TREADMILLS!  So this is quite the accomplishment.  Tomorrow is my cross training day, so weight training here I come.  Anyway, I am sore, but I LOVE IT!  Exercise really does get me out of my dumpy moods.
Happy Running All!

*I want to say a big THANK YOU to my cousin Amy for inspiring to get off my fat ass and pick up running again*

Challenge continues...

I am attempting to take up running again--thank you Amy.  It is so difficult to start all over again.  I wasn't fast by any means, but damnit I could do an 8K no problem.  Now I can barely make it a quarter of a mile without feeling I am going to pass out.  Everyone has to start somewhere, so, a quick run to the corner of the street and back doesn't look so bad.

Flash!

Okay Mandy, this one's for you.
I purchased an external flash.  A 430EX II to be exact.  It was cheaper than the 580EX, and I think it is going to be a good fit for me to get started on using an external flash.  I am still struggling a bit in all the photography jargon, but I am getting it.  So, Mandy, I know this post is short, but I wanted to let you know that I am taking on your challenge and hope to blog more soon about it!

Challenge Me

My life has hit a bit of a snag.  I am living too much in my comfort zone, and I need to creep on out.  So, folks, here's what I need you to do for me.  Challenge me.  Challenge me to run a mile, commit a good deed, write a 100 page story, anything!  Well, almost anything--I'm not eating insects and where in the world am I going to get a hippo on such short notice.  Anyway, think about it, comment, and I will do my best to take on the challenge, and blog about the experience.  I am putting my life (well, some of it at least) in your hands.

Ants update

Cinammon and baby powder combined have led to the demise of the ants.  So far, that is.

Attack of the HellPaso Ants!

There has been an invasion of ants in our children's bathroom.  Why their bathroom?  Is it the crusted piss on the side of the toliet, the toothpaste that inhabits the sink, the puddle of water and soap that develops behind the faucet, or the dirty clothes piled in the laundry basket?  Oh what a life an ant must live if these things sound appealing!  Alas, my efforts of covering them in baby powder and scattering bay leaves has failed me.  I am now left with an eco-friendly bathroom cleaner in hand and my index finger to kill off these little nuisances.  Pest control has graced us with their present a number of times, and yet they too have failed.  I think I am going to have to bring in the big guns...real poison.  There I said it.  Those tiny incects, who think they are so high and mighty because they can lift ten to fifty times their own weight, well, their days are numbered.  It's the final countdown, baby!

sleepy time

wow, i suck at this blog thing.  i need to keep it fresh, keep it real *insert double time chest fist hit*  not tonight.  tonight i am sleeping.  and damnit, i better not have to get out of bed at 3:50am, follow my daughter who is leading me in the dark by the fluff of her hair, and then curl into a fetal position at the end of her bed, only to wake at 5:00am when my husband escorts me back to our bedroom.  then of course the the little beast comes to join me, and we wake up by 6:45am.  one really can't catch up on sleep, can they?


side note: the beast is what  i affectionately call my daughter because when she wakes up her hair is crazy messy and her attitude isn't all that grand either.

Do you smell bacon?

I'm driving down the street, stop briefly at a crosswalk to let a pedestrian go by, and notice the MP parked in the median. I look at my speedometer and think, "hey, I'm actually going speed limit (15mph)," and watch two cars in front of me speed away. I check out my rearview mirror noticing police lights. I am pulled over. Why? I had no idea at the time. The SPC approaches my car, asks for my license, military ID, and my insurance. Our conversation: Why am I being pulled over? I need your license and ID. Why did I get pulled over? Ma'am, I need your license and ID. I get it, but can you tell me why I was pulled over. Once you give me your license and ID, I'll tell you. (so I hand him over what he is asking for) You were speeding. Then he walks off.

What the fuck? I was speeding? Seriously? There was NO way I was speeding. I am completely in shock. First off, I just stopped at the crosswalk, and there is no way that my vehicle can reach a speed considered speeding in such a short amount of time. Second, my speedometer is three mph off, so that would mean I would have to have been going 26 in a 15! Third, there were two other cars speeding away in front of me.

So, he walks back to my car, starts explaining to me what I have to do while looking at the paper. So, I ask him why can't he look at me in the eyes when he talks to me--yep, I did. He says something along the line of I am reading the paper to you. Wow, does he really not know what that ticket says? By the way, the whole time he has his sunglasses on--mind you it is NOT sunny outside but in fact quite cloudy. Anyway, I mention the other cars in front of me and how I had just stopped and there was no way I could have accelerated to the speed he was accusing me of. He tells me I can contest it in court, and have a nice day. Then walks away.

I can truly tell you that I was not speeding. It is a school zone! I am a stickler for school zones. I know not to speed. I know MPs are parked throughout. I know that my speedometer read 15. I am not that stupid to speed up in front of a fucking MP. I am so pissed about the ticket. I will definitely be in court in December fighting this ticket.  Damn pigs.

Such is my life

What am I to do? School starts next Wednesday for the kids, and I will be alone. Silence in the house. No more cartoons. I am going to miss D and J being around. And then comes the really scary part. I have to start putting in job applications for at least some part-time work. I am really enjoying my photography business, but it can be a bit slow at times. If I was guaranteed at least one job a week, we'd be okay believe it or not. I wish business would pick up. I really REALLY enjoy being a photographer. But, I really need to spread my wings a bit, get out there in the working world. I refuse to be one of those wives the sit around while all their children are in school. What's the point? Maybe I will a bit of volunteer work. I hope to start writing again, especially some children's books or short stories. I am excited, too, that I get to go to the gym EVERY day! I miss being in shape. I was a much happier person when I was exercising.
Hopefully this week will be a pleasant week.

Behind

I guess I haven't been feeling bloggeriffic lately. Yes, I know bloggeriffic isn't a word, but it's my blog, so there! Our family has retreated to my parents' house for a week, slid down some white dunes, and hung around the house. This was our vacation. (side note: we define a vacation as any period of time lasting at least three consecutive days in which Gabriel is home) We had a great time! On Monday Gabriel heads back to work, and it is me and the kiddos again. School is around the corner (Aug.19), and Thing One and Thing Two will both be going. I will have the house to myself from 8:30am-3:00pm everyday! I am hoping to begin working out again, as well as job hunting. I don't want to just sit around the house all day. It gets old.
So, that's about it. I plan on blogging more, but who knows, right? Peace out for now.

Hope to blog more soon!

Storm is a Brewing

My husband took these amazing shots from our back porch on late Sunday evening. I can't believe he was able to catch the two lightning shots! As far as editing the images: lightning images added some shadow and made one B&W so you can see the lightning better. Cloud images: played with one cloud shot and the other just added shadow. Enjoy!

my week

June 21: Father's Day. first time my husband was home to spend with the kids. i had two photo sessions that day, so i wasn't home. kids and him had a blast playing cheesy video games on playstation. simple, but the best day ever. June 22: 7 year anniversary. first one we have ever spent together. our kids brought out the table cloth, and we all had a dinner by chem light (glo stick in civilian terms). perfect. June 23-June 26: kids' swimming lessons, photo session, tons of picture editing, neighbor visiting

June 27: family fun swimming!

Say CHEESE!

I had the opportunity this weekend to take some pictures for a wonderful family with two cute little girls. When I got home I came to realize that I really REALLY like taking pictures, and it truly sucks because I cannot make a profession out of doing so. I don't charge enough, I am not a professional to charge enough, I currently don't have (not even close) the funding to go to school (maybe I can get financial aid), and frankly, I am scared to take the next step to become a better photographer. What if I am not as good as I think I am and can be? What if I get my foot in the door and have it come swinging back at me in the face? I am so scared of failure, I don't even try sometimes. Good grief, I know. Maybe that is why I have settled for the life I have. Don't get me wrong, I really love being able to sit on my ass and enjoy the days with my kids and husband. But, there are days when I feel that I have just wasted so many days in my life, and will continue to do so because I lack motivation and expect failure. Pretty pathetic, huh? Anyway, I'm posting a few pictures from the awesome session with these wonderful little girls.

Anyone...Anyone?

I wonder if anyone truly reads my blog. Yes, I write this mainly for myself, a creative outlet if you will, but I can't help but wonder if anyone out there reads this. Well, today folks, this is going to be a cheat blog. I have a headache, crave sleep, and am near total exhaustion. So if you read this blog, I hope to write something tomorrow or Saturday. If you don't read this blog, well lucky you, you didn't miss out on anything.

Weekend

On Saturday I went to my cousin's wedding vow renewal ceremony. She and her husband originally got married in the courthouse, so now two years later, had a 'real' wedding ceremony. I not only was a guest, I was their photographer! I must say, those two truly looked in love. You can see it in their faces and little gestures they give one another. The looks that as a witness go, "Awe, look how happy and in love they are. So sweet." I am sure you all know what I am talking about.

I got to see family I haven't seen in years! I got to spend time with my sisters, who I miss daily! I am sometimes jealous that they only live about 30 minutes away from each other. Unlike me, I get to drive about 8 hours, probably closer to 9 hours due to numerous potty breaks and hunger attacks.

It was a long weekend, most hours driving, including (this is the ride back): one instance of driving in the wrong direction; driving over a rock resulting in some very minor damage on the bottom of my jeep; losing sunglasses, turning around to search for sunglasses, searching for sunglasses, then realizing sunglasses were under his butt; two failed attempts at two different restaurants to get an ice cream cone (machines busted); potty breaks, oh so many potty breaks.

When we finally arrived home, my husband had the most awesome meal ready for us. He even did the dishes! I must say, I have an incredible husband.

Anyway, I am leaving you with these two pictures of my cousin and her husband. Enjoy.

Feet

I never liked feet, not even my own. Yes, they serve a rather helpful purpose, and I do get to accessorize them with shoes, but most feet, well, are ugly, mine included. Very few people have cute or nice looking feet. Somehow though, after having my children, I have taken to staring at their little feet. And if my kids don't have the cutest feet, I don't know who does. Even when they are caked in dirt, their little feet look cute. Hell, maybe sometimes cuter. So now, my husband makes fun of me because I always seem to take at least one picture of the kids' feet when they're having a cute moment. I still think most feet are ugly. I just can't help but think my kids' feet aren't the cutest!

Slack-a-lackin

Yes, I am slacking on the whole blog thing. I have done many things in the past days. I've run a 5K, spent some time with my bestest* friend, caught up with old friends, received a speeding ticket, and had my son finish kindergarten. So, in actuality, I have many things to blog about, just haven't found the time. I'm hoping to get better at this blog thing and write something at least once a week. Though there are only a handful of people that read my blog, I must continue to write, for I can't let my peeps down. Oh, yeah, I called you my peeps. 'Til the next blog...keep cool my babies, keep cool.

*bestest is a word in my vocabulary

My first plane ride...alone

Tomorrow I am headed to Washington to run the Mudrun 5k with my very awesome friend. I will be flying by myself! I have never been on an airplane all alone. I have always had my sisters or friends. Usually I am lugging two kids, three carry-ons filled with crayons and baby wipes, and trying desperately to get first row of seats (they have more leg room and space) so my kids won't disrupt other passengers too bad. I am little nervous, excited, and relieved about this solo flight. I don't even have any baggage to check in or have to convince my 3-year-old that it is ok to walk through the metal detector without mommy. This will be quite the experience for me. So, wish me luck that I don't freak out!

Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I think the world of my mother. She is honest, strong, gracious, caring--I could go on and on and on. She is truly the best mom in the world by my standards. Thank you mom for being an incredible, well, mom!

Now I am a mother. On Friday my two kiddos each brought me a potted plant (that they planted of course) and other cute things . However, yesterday my son gave me the most thoughtful gift. An emerald ring because he knows my favorite color is green. Ok, maybe not a real emerald ring, but to me far more priceless than a real one. These little precious moments I live for. Who knew a six-year-old could win me over with a paper ring?

I am so thankful to be D and J's mother. I only hope that I can be as awesome as my mother was to me and my sisters.

Little Shits

I am so tired of the little shits that keep ringing our doorbell and running away. Really? How lame is that? Even when I was a kid, it was lame. Damn little shits.

Pajama Pants

Pajama pants. You all should know what I am talking about. The pants you sleep in, usually made of flannel or cotton material, that showcase a cartoon character dancing across one's ass with every step. So, why do people wear these sleep pants to the store or school,hell, in public?!? I understand if you are in the comfort of your home, even the comfort of your front porch, but please refrain from wearing them in public. We all know that they are pajama pants, we all know that they are comfortable, but we also question whether you showered that day or not because you are still in your sleep wear. I understand if you are making a run for your neighbor's house, by neighbor I mean no more than like five houses down, and you don't really plan on being spotted. That's ok, I've been there, done that. But really, how lazy are you that you can't even change your pants to go to the store? It's not a sexy look to wear your pajamas in public, hell it may not even be a sexy look to wear them at home either, but that's not the point. Point is pajamas pants are for sleeping in or lounging around the house in, not for the whole world to see. So please, please stop the madness.

False Sense of Security

April 24: " 'There was one soldier shooting his weapon, and he shot and wounded another individual, and then shot and killed another person. In the housing area,' said Fort Bliss Maj. Gen. Howard Bromberg.
The one person killed at the scene was a Chapin High School student [just walking to school]. The person injured was identified as a Fort Bliss soldier and was taken to William Beaumont Hospital for treatment."

This shooting occurred in an adjacent neighborhood to ours. Our family takes walks through that neighborhood. It's funny to think that many military families believe that they are immune to these type of incidents. Many feel, I included at times, that we are safe because we live on a military post or military off-post housing. We have developed a false sense of security, a mind frame that no bad can happen to us. But, bad things do happen. They happened about five blocks down when we were at Polk, and they happened down the street when we were at Lewis. They happened at the Bliss PX (post exchange) and now in the adjacent neighborhood. We are not immune. We never will be.
Another thing. In some ways we should put up our defenses, be on guard. Who is going to protect us from us? Who is going to prevent the soldiers coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan that suffer from PTSD from cracking, pushed to their limits? There is a desperate need for some type of help, something to get these soldiers as close as they can to who they once were, provide support for them every step of the way, let them know that it's okay to feel the they do.
I know that PTSD is not the cause for all the incidents that happen on military installations. I know that military housing is not too different from non military housing, that anyone can snap, go crazy. Sometimes, though, I can't help but live in my bubble.

oh so tired

i'm tired. maybe i will write more tomorrow. and ryan, i'm jealous.

Ahh, weddings...

So, yesterday I had my first real major job as far as photography goes-- a small, backyard wedding. The sun was not working with me, almost too bright, and unfortunately, I have some glare on some of my shots (I really need to work on that). I was able to take well over 300 shots, so I have a lot of weeding out to do. I thought I would post these two images. They are not great, one a bit blurry, but I wanted to show the chaos, almost a behind the scenes look, of the bride getting ready.

Haircut

"Want to hear a real freak tragedy. My cousin’s friend Barry…” he paused, “I think his name was Barry.”

He threw his arms up over his head, giving up in the detail of the name.
“Shit, I’ll just call him Barry.” Frank nodded.

“Well Barry’s wife went to go get her hair done at some high fashion salon. The stylist asked her to tilt her head down, and then BAM, Barry’s wife dies right there. Apparently her carotid artery just snapped. Hell, can you imagine? One minute you’re cutting some lady’s hair, maybe talking about the weather, and then the next minute she’s slumped over dead in your chair.”

“Do you think the stylist got paid?” Frank asked.

“Hell, I don’t know.”

“She sure as hell didn’t get a tip,” Frank said.

Twenty-eight

Twenty-eight. That's how old I am today. It is not that big of a deal. It's just a number. It's just a day. I am not celebrating the usual way. No cake, no special dinner. I did get a new camera lens (thanks mom and dad) and a tripod (thanks hubby and kids), and I can't wait to play around with both of them. Other than that, today really is like an ordinary day. I woke up at 0633, took the kids to school, and am now on the computer. Exciting, no?
That's my life. Right now it works, but damnit, I hope it changes up a bit soon.

Alas, no more dishes!

I hate washing dishes. I am sure some of you are aware of that. Perhaps my dislike goes as far back as when I was a child, just tall enough to reach the sink, that I was put on dishwasher duty by my parents. I always joke how my parents planned to have three children because they had already prepared our dish washing fate. Each night we would take turns. One would clear the dinner table, the other wash/rinse the dishes, and of course one puts the dishes in the dishwasher. Well, if you were stuck doing the washing and rinsing that included all pots and pans. Holiday events were always dreaded due to the large increase in dish use. So, now as an adult and parent, I am almost always stuck doing the dishes. Did I mention I hate doing dishes? I hate when I am scrubbing along on baked-on-grease infested dish, and somehow I manage to scrub too hard causing the nasty dish water to splash back into my face.
Well, my friends, I now have some good news. My son likes to do the dishes. He is almost too eager at times. So, the time has come where I get to pass the super scrubbing sponge to him, my oldest, my one and only son. And let me tell you, I couldn't be more happier to do this. Yes, there may be a bigger water puddle left on the counter, the sink may be lined with food, and the soap that is supposed to last six months only lasts a week, but all that is okay. Why? Because I hate doing the dishes.

crickets, ants, and roaches, oh my!

when we first arrived at our new house, it was infested with crickets. yes, those little boogers where everywhere. they clearly thought they owned the joint. since it is said to be bad luck to kill the little boogers (notice my politeness here, because what is a more appropriate name for the crickets was little *BLEEP,* and i feel like keeping this more PG rated), my husband and i would take turns catching them, and disposing of them outside. i called housing, and they sent out some people to take care of the issue at hand. so, in all technicality, i did not kill them. anyway, so, that problem was solved for a while. five months later, we catch one or two ever so often, in addition to ants in both bathrooms, and a roach that scattered its way across the kitchen counter. so tomorrow, i am calling in the pros. oh yea, those little boogers are all gonna die. yes, they do deserve to live, but not in my house. so PETA can, well they can FUCK IT! (so much for PG, i know).
it's not like i'm killing a dog. i really didn't. i just found the little dog running down our street, called the number on the collar, the previous owners were contacted because the current owners where not reachable, the previous owners agreed to give the dog back to the current owners, but instead, the previous owners gave the dog to the pound, and the little dog was killed off before the current owners could claim him. how do i know all this happened? well, when we got back from christmas break our house had been tagged (graffiti), and the neighbor called the MPs. that neighbor got to talking with my husband and come to find out that it was my neighbor's dog. so, i've decided not to help out little dogs, cats, alligators, hell any stray animal running about.
where was i? oh yes, crickets, ants, and roaches...you're days are numbered.

World Tour

At my son's school they have a World Tour event. This consists of each classroom choosing a country to represent, creating projects to represent that country, and a stage production. This school is small. Preschool (age 3) to Kindergarten in one classroom, 1st 2nd and 3rd graders in the next, and 4th and 5th are together. This is called the Lower School. I went a little off track I know. Anyway, the World Tour was wonderful. We were able to sample foods from Nigeria, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Germany, Ireland, and Mexico. The Upper School contributed as well as other faculty members of the Lower School, ie Spanish teacher. We were even given passports so we could enter each country and had them stamped.
Well tonight, we all gathered at the Upper School to enjoy a stage production. My son, whose class represented Germany, did the story of the three little pigs by the Brothers Grimm. I am so proud of my little guy. Though he did fumble his words a bit, he stayed on the stage the entire time, no tears, no hiding, no nothing! He did great! At his age (6), I remember crying on stage so bad that I had to join my parents in the audience. He has really come out of his shell. At the end of the show, everyone did the chicken dance, and I mean everyone. Old ladies in the audience shimming down and flapping their arms. It was funny, yet so cool to see.
So, that is how I spent my night. It's funny, I used think that going out and partying all night was the best way to spend a Friday night, but I was wrong. I had one of the best nights of my life tonight. I am so proud of my little guy!

Funk

Well, I didn't post a blog yesterday, so I guess I lost the challenge of posting every day. I have no good excuse, just pure laziness. That seems to be my excuse for everything lately. I have been a bit unmotivated, lazy, blah, if you will. Frankly, it sucks. I used to go to the gym EVERYDAY in Washington, even given the nickname AB Freak. Five months later, after our move to Texas, I have been in the gym maybe 5 times. I occasionally go for a run, only lasting about two miles, and that involves walking as well. I cannot seem to get out of my workout funk. Hell, my life funk. I have two hours to myself a day, the gym is less than 2minutes away, and yet, I can't get off my butt and workout. I don't even leave the computer for the 2 hours unless I have to. I have been in a writer's block too, and I haven't really used my camera for about two weeks (trust me that is quite unusual). I have noticed changes in my body and emotional status. I need to workout. It puts me in a better mood. Obviously, it makes me look better too. The year + that I trained developing a kick ass body has now felt like a big waste in some ways. I no longer have all the results I once had, which I should accept considering I haven't kept up my training regime.
My life is full excuses I tell myself. I have excuses coming out of my ears! I have become one of those people who bitch and complain, but do nothing to fix the problem. I'm not proud of that, but this funk that I am in has just done that to me. So, here's to hoping the funk will pass.

Windy Night

It is extremely windy right now, so I am keeping this short because if the the power goes out, the computer goes off, you get the idea. Tomorrow will be a better blog post. Much more entertaining. Good night.

blah

I'm tired. No real blog today. Finishing up on my son's project for school. See, I can blog everyday. No one said it had to be interesting :P

Pure Random Thought

This blog posting is whatever is going through my head right now...now....now. some words may come out misspelled, and i will not be doing a spell check. there may also be words not capitalized, which onece again, i will not go back and fix. THis is just my thoughts coming out of my head. wow, these guys on tv can really play the violin. i've always thought it would be cool to bplay the violin, but our school never offered a program like that. i think every child, every person should have music in their lives. i can't believe some schools are cutting back on their music and art departments. our children need to be creative, need to express their own indivduality, they need to have means of doing all that. my son wants to be an artist. we take him to museums, and he loves them. he looks at all the art work in awe, hell, he has to check out each and everyone. we ask him waht he is going to draw, and he says "i don't know yet." I can't wait until he comes up with something. all his little drawing I try to keep. he's realizing that being an artist can mean designing a building, carving a duck out of wood, using mixed media to create an work of art that he may only understand but still loved by the public. And both my kids LOVE music. the love singing along, dancing along, creating their own. I am so impressed how much rhythem they have. and some of their dancing moves surprise me. my son can move, well for a six year old. and my little girl, yep she's has some mad dancing skills too. it funny because both my kids want to playthe drums. my son, for a while, refused to wear anythign witha guitar on it. It HAD to be drums. His Nana just bought him a shirt with guitars on it. He likes it, but he also was a tad bit disappointed their wasn't a picture of a drum set. you konw, noggin--a kid's channel for those of you who aren't forced to watch mindless children shows for hours--is actually not so bad. speaking of noggin, when you say noggin to one of my kids, they are going to bump noggins with you. Yep, Finding Nemo is another favorite in this household. oh that's something else. it's fun to explain to my son he can draw and create cartoons too. i am so impressed sometimes on how much he really does love learning. okay, well enough randomness. seiorously this was written as I think it. And now I am thinking that it istime to sleep. Pershaps my blog posts will be more structured, more grammactically correct, etc. perhaps not. they are my words.

I've Never...

I've never...

visited Japan
had plastic surgery
eaten an insect
worn purple socks
stuck my finger in a light socket
broke a bone
jumped out of an airplane
jumped out of a boat
jumped out of moving vehicle
seen the movie Girl Interrupted
swam in a pool full of jello
learned to read music in bass clef
read a Harry Potter book
seen the pyramids in Egypt
ran a marathon
had a pet hamster
had my nose pierced
been to a frat party
eaten out of dog bowl
played rugby
eaten 100 marshmallows in one sitting
had a wart
used bleach in the wash
burped the alphabet
...

The Challenge

I have been challenged to write a blog every day. So, I say bring it! I accept the challenge. However, with that said, this will be a short blog. Our family has had an exciting day of art museums, drum playing, dinosaur watching, and trolley riding fun! We also enjoyed a storytelling of Rumpelstiltskin accompanied by the El Paso symphony. Tomorrow we are off to enjoy a lunch with my parents and a birthday party. No worries, I'll be back to write some more tomorrow. It's on!

My Editor

Two postings in one day! I'd better slow down a bit.
So, I have to give credit to my friend Ryan (Chasing Windmills) for giving me the idea to blog. He didn't actually tell me to blog, but he blogs, so I thought, hell, if he can, as well as the other million people on earth, why not me. Anyway, it's been 10 years since I graduated high school and 11 years since I sat in Home/Interior Design class with Ryan. All I remember about him was that he was funny, cute (sorry Ryan, had to embarrass you), and he had an awesome ride. It wasn't until about a year ago I found him on myspace that I realized we have a few things in common. Anyway, he's an awesome writer, so now I send him many of the things I write to critique--poor guy. I call him my editor. So, Editor, here's a big THANK YOU for everything.

The Beginning

So, I've started this blog. Why? Well, my friends, I can only keep so many thoughts in my head, play sorority life on myspace until my pointer finger hurts (sad, I know), and this really just gives me something to do. What I write may or not be interesting to you, it may be too honest, it may be extremely short, or it may change your life, which I strongly doubt. Nonetheless, I need to do something and right now this is my something. I need to vent, to create, to express, do something to help keep me a little more sane than usual each day. I am doing this for myself, but I won't lie, I want others to read this blog. So, this is my first blog, but not my last.