some snappy title

New Blog

2006-07-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Tried to get the new wordpress blog up and running last night, only to run into some issues. Here is the address:

http://winstongang.wordpress.com

Email me for the password :)

Gabriels First Fishing Trip!

2006-07-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Gabe got to go on his very first fishing trip with his Papa this weekend! He was sooo excited, and apparently had a blast :) Check out this video to see how fast the darn fish were jumping on his hook!
Video

This day in 1982....

2006-07-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

Happy freakin birthday to me....

Doctor, Doctor

2006-06-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Won't you please prescribe me something? A day in the life of someone else...

This has been the longest two weeks of my life. I'm not even entirely sure where to begin explaining recent events. Lets start with the most current. Kiddos and I are safely settled at my parents house (in Raleigh). Not to say that we weren't safe at home. I just needed to get out of there, and this was the soonest I could do it. We're hanging out here for a few days, finalizing some plans for the future. Which includes a move to Raleigh within about a month. With the baby due so soon, and minimal support in VA (love ya Mal, but you work too much!) I feel that I really need to be where I have help. I have been packing up the house, deciding which things come, what needs to be tossed, and what is going to be sold at our mega yard sale on the 15th of July. Even though it's "stuff" it's still hard..these are things we purchased with the intent (at least on my part) of lasting years. It just brings home again the fact that this event hit me out of no where. Certain parties may claim to have been thinking about this for about a year now, but I was totally left in the dark.

More in depth plans include going back to school. I have not been fortunate enough to continue my college education in the past few years, so it's nice to have that opportunity again, regardless of how it came about. We'll be living with my parents (me and the soon to be 3 kiddos all squished in one room) for a while, till I can get some money saved (we don't have a savings account to speak of, and it rather scares me not to have any money for rainy days) and get life somewhat settled again. Exactly how long this will take, I have no clue. My parents have graciously offered me at least a year though, so no worries about making decisions too soon. Ever have one of those dreams where you're falling, and you made desperate grabs for something to hold onto? I kinda feel like that now. I'm so grateful that my family (both my parents and his) have been so incredibly supportive. It really helps to know you have people on your "side" in a situation like this. Speaking of which, big thanks to all you kind ladies who left comments on my last post. It really meant a lot to me, so big cyber hugs to all :)

All in all, the kids and I are doing well. I've been trying to keep most of this away from them, since I don't want to upset them. Plus they're so young, they wouldn't understand most of it anyway. Or at least I think. They do know that Daddy doesn't live with us anymore, and that we're moving into Gma's house soon. I've stressed to them that Daddy still loves them, so they won't worry about that. I just hope it works, and they don't get too traumatized by this. While I know divorce happens, it's something I never wanted or expected for my children to have to go through. So I'm doing the best I can, and I hope it works. Baby Jack is well also, although due to the incredible amounts of stress I've been under lately, I have lost an additional 8 lbs. Add that to the roughly 7.5 I lost at my last months visit, and the 10 I lost initially. I've only ever gained 7lbs with this pregnancy, and that was lost right away. I'll be 30 weeks tomorrow, and I'm 18.5 lbs thinner then I was before preggo! Ironic. But as long as the baby is healthy (which I did a walk in appt yesterday to double check) then I'm happy. I'm looking for a place to get a 3D ultrasound done here, just for my amusement :) I'll post a picture of my lil sweetie, although it may be on a new password protected blog. Certain parties are known to read my blog, and I'm not entirely comfortable with them reading my private thoughts anymore. C'est la vie.

Last Weekend

2006-06-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

Was full of crap. Had to go to Labor and Delivery, I was having an anxiety attack and was severely dehydrated. Got pumped full of fluids and sent home. Only to have D tell me he's leaving me. 7 months pregnant and with two small kids.

I need a drink.

*edited to add*

No, not leaving on deployment. Leaving as in separating. I long to say more but don't want to put in in a public place. If you have my number...call me and I'll be more than happy to have a breakdown over the phone.

One Skein

2006-06-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Popping in real quick to say a big thank you to my One Skein Secret Pal- the yarn arrived today and it's fabulous! She sent me an absolutely yummy skein of Baby Alpaca Grande- I LOVE it!

So yeah, I'm still here...still pregnant...still without a functioning computer at home. I'll probably be checking in around once a week, or whenever I can pop over to Mallory's house to steal her computer.

If her and Te aren't watching movies that is.

Hehehe.

Offline

2006-05-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Will be offline for a few days. Gotta get the computer repaired. Miss me much :)

Guess what.

2006-05-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

Finger poking sucks.

Well..

2006-05-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox just whipped the Yankees. So there's something.

Today

2006-05-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today sucked major ass. You wouldn't believe the crap that happened to me. I got up early, made it to my 3 hour glucose appt at 7:40am. A little nauseous, but otherwise fine. They took my fasting blood sample, and then made me wait nearly 45 minutes before giving me the sugary crap to drink. Then my 3 hours started. First poke (fasting) took nearly 20 minutes because they couldn't find a decent vein. Second poke went off without a hitch. I was actually feeling quite proud of myself for not getting sick! Third poke..at this point I already have 5 holes in my arms..so the nurse decides to try it in my hand..which I tell her makes me ill. So she does it, I'm fine until she takes it out. Then the overwhelming urge to vomit appears. I scramble for the bathroom, my wrist bleeding all over me. Of course, out of the two bathrooms, one is in use and the other is being cleaned. I shout to the maintenance guy that I NEED this toilet. He scoots out of the way quick enough, but the damn lightbulb is out. So I vomit and vomit and vomit some more. My bladder looks up at my stomach, decides that expelling its contents looks like fun, and joins in. Yes ladies and gentlemen...I vomited so violently I freakin wet my pants. At the clinic. In the dark bathroom. It takes me at least a half hour to get my pants dried off..because you better believe I was not going to walk back to that crowded waiting room all wet! The nurse has to talk with my doc to make sure the test is still valid (since I vomited up the glucose drink) and thankfully it is..since I only had one stick to go. Last stick goes just fine, and I'm outta there. Then I go to my car.

Which doesn't start.

I want to cry at this point. I'm tired and I just want to go home. But no....I call USAA since I have roadside assistance..they send a dude to jump start my car, since it appears to be a dead battery. This takes an hour or so. He jumps it. It dies again. He leaves, and I call USAA again to get a tow truck. This takes more than an hour. By this time it's almost 3:30 in the afternoon..I haven't had a damn thing to eat all day and I'm tired and sore. Feeling rather whiny. Guy FINALLY shows up, and tows my car home. It's now 4pm. And they think its a major transmission problem.

Someone pass the tissues.

Oh, and this has further ramifications than today...now I probably will not be able to make it to DC this weekend, to meetup with the fabulous Lynlee. I want to punch something.

On a roll...

2006-05-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

My days have been getting better and better. How fabulous is that?!? Today I went shopping with Mal, we lunched at Applebees and had a fab waiter. Picked up a pool for the kids- now I just have to mow the jungle that is the backyard *lol* No nausea today *YAY*!! And I got to chat with an old friend online..we haven't spoken in a long time, and it was really good to hear from her, even for just a few minutes. Here's hoping we keep chatting, I rather miss her. Now I'm off to bed..gonna watch Day After Tomorrow until my eyeballs can't stay open anymore!

Happy Mothers Day!

2006-05-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hope all you moms have a good one :) I woke up to a sweet suprise that Mal helped the kids put together- The coolest coffee mug ever, with a pic of each kiddo inside! Plus three fabulous kinds of tea (sugar free! Go Mal!), a card from each kiddo, and a balloon on a stick! What more could a mom want :) Now I'm trying to convince the kiddos to get dressed, I think I'm gonna surprise them with a trip to Chuck E. Cheeses. Tootles!

Crappy Day.

2006-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's just been one of those days. Hormones on overload..crying over every little thing. Chores piled up. Headache. Vomited up a lung this morning. Irritating email from D. I'm done. I'm going to indulge in some of that retail therapy I heard about from Lynlee.

Shit.

2006-05-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Guess whose doctor just called to schedule the 3 hour glucose test?

Foodie Friday

2006-05-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Ah, crap. I forgot to grab a recipe for today. I'll try to come up with one when I get home, but for now, enjoy one of my favorite recipe sites:

www.meals.com

Baby and Baseball

2006-05-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Whipped the Yankees again last night. At least they played a good game this time- score was 5-3.

Had another doctors appointment this morning. Peanut is doing good, and tried to kick away the doppler when getting his hearbeat done :) They made me sit for my 1 hour glucose today- not really a problem except I wasn't expecting it. So I had nothing to read or crochet..had to sit in a hard ass chair for an hour. Oh well. At least I didn't vomit or pass out while having the blood drawn! This test was different for me- with my other two pregnancies, I had to fast the night before, then they took blood, had me drink the nasty crap, took blood again. This time was no fasting, one stick after drinking the crap. Things have changed! My doc doesn't have you pee in a cup on visits either..unless you feel like you have a UTI or something. It's blowing my mind!

Gonna head out in a wee bit and run some errands...have to pay some bills, and pick up a few things for our trip to DC! D is trying to get leave so we can visit his family in Philly after meeting up with Lynlee. But we'll see if the Navy feels like being generous or not. Daddy might end up staying home :)

Baseball Tonight

2006-05-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Red Sox smear Yankees, 14-3.

:)

Manny got two hits, including a home run. Could he be any sexier?!

Pretty Lace

2006-05-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm in search of this book- "Pretty Lace" by Yoko Suzuki. Someone please explain why it's on Amazon for $75, for a used copy? Geesh!!

Red Sox vs. Orioles today. We're kicking ass!

Update:

We WON!! 10-3 :)

Found this article, I wish we had a place like that around here!

Cheap Gas

Happy Cinco De Mayo & Belated Anniversary!

2006-05-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so yesterday was my 4th wedding anniversary. Who knew?! I always forget when D is out of town. 4 years..wow. We've been together for about 6.5. I love you baby!! I can't wait for you to get home...

Mal and I made a groovy Mexican themed dinner tonight...Chicken enchiladas, spanish rice, and the before mentioned virgin sangrias. YUM!! It's sooo good :) We're watching Total Recal (well, I'm blogging at the same time, because I've seen it before) and having an all around good evening. Rocky Road ice cream for dessert! The kiddos revolted at the idea of dinner, so I picked up some lunchables for them. Now they're fat and happy, running around upstairs. Peace!

Foodie Friday!

2006-05-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

This preggo lady is posting the alcohol free version, although you can certainly google several more "adult" recipes :)

Sangria

Ingredients:
2 cups cranberry juice, chilled
1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, (prepared according to package directions), or 1 quart store-bought orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 quart raspberry or strawberry soda, chilled
1 medium navel orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced

Instructions:
In a 2 1/2 to 3 quart pitcher, combine cranberry, orange and lemon juices. At serving time add chilled soda and orange, lemon and lime slices.

Serving Suggestion:
Garnish each glass with fruit kabobs (pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, lemon, lime or orange wedges), if desired.

Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

Red Sox take control late, defeat Yankees 7-3

2006-05-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Who's laughing now, Kat?!

*evil grin*

Can't believe I forgot to post this!

2006-05-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Here is my littlest peanut :)

The fabulous Lynlee strikes again!

2006-05-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

You. Totally. Rock. I was feeling ever so crappy and nauseated this morning- when to my suprise, the kindly mailman delivers unto me a package. The mah-velous Lynlee sent me some triple ginger snaps and apple sours to help with the nausea- girl, I ate two of the snaps right away, and I'll be damned if I didn't start to feel better! The monsters ran off with the new colorbooks clutched gleefully in their little fingers, and I can't wait to make a baby hat out of that fanatastic yarn. You totally made my day! I'm gonna have to squeeze the stuffing out of ya next month :)

Knitting

2006-04-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

The wrap is in time out. In the meantime, I've cast on for this dress. I'm using my Moda Dea TuTu, and size 6&8 needles..I hope it come out nice for Natalie! I'm making mine a top instead of a dress. If I had a freakin camera that works I could show you the first 13 rows that I'm so proud of :) But you'll have to wait. I know, I know. The suspense is killing you, right?!

Foodie Friday

2006-04-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

No Bake Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 cups white sugar
* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 pinch salt
* 3 cups quick cooking oats
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a saucepan bring sugar, cocoa, margarine, milk, and salt to a rapid boil for 1 minute.
2. Add quick cooking oats, peanut butter, and vanilla; mix well.
3. Working quickly, drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper, and let cool.

I think these have to be my favoritest cookies ever! I made some a few nights ago....we (Mal, kids & me) managed to eat all but 5 in one sitting :) MMM!

Life is good...

2006-04-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here, watching Friends, feeling the baby kick like crazy, and Natalie is stuffing socks in my bra and sniffing me.

I love it :)

That idiot Kanye West & My baby brother :)

2006-04-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Kanye in Wilmington

Scott works for and attends UNCW. His boss called (with Kanye) and asked him to drive Kanye around town today, show him some surf shops, and just hang out. My brother, who hates this man as much as I do, said "fuck no!". I'm so proud of him :o)

Cast On!

2006-04-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Lookie here, I just cast on and knit the first row for the Rainbow Boucle Wrap KAL. Go me!

Foodie Friday Again!

2006-04-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Peanut Blossoms
Ingredients:

* 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter or REESE'S Crunchy Peanut Butter
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

We have a penis!!

2006-04-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's a BOY!!! Baby Sam (his name for the moment!) was very proud of his boy parts, and displayed them for all to see :) The ultrasound went well, but they're having me come back in a few weeks for another one. Sam was too wiggly, and they weren't able to properly measure all of his organs and such. Also, (as I suspected) they changed my due date to Sept. 9th- which means that D will be home!! Previous due date was August 20th, and D is scheduled to be out for all of August.

WHOOOHOOOOO!!!!!

:)

It's Ultrasound Day!!

2006-04-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Whoohoo! I still have two more hours before I have to leave, and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself! I'm so excited! I really hope this kid cooperates, so we can learn the sex. It would make planning ahead so much easier! Fingers crossed for two of everything that needs two, and ten of everything that needs ten :)

It's twins!

2006-04-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

Our little outside birdy is now a momma! I was washing dishes and got to see momma feeding the tiny little things, and then poppa bird came for a sit while momma went off to eat. How stinking cute they are! As soon as I locate my camera, I'll see if I get another chance to snap a pic. They are very protective parents :)

Foodie Friday

2006-04-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

I love mediterranean food. Absolutely freakin love it! Here is one of my favorite recipes for chicken-instead of rice, I serve it with a big bowl of hummus and whole wheat pita wedges. YUM!!

Ingredients
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Nonstick cooking spray
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup thin red or green bell pepper strips
3 cups hot cooked rice

Blend soup, water, raisins, olives, garlic, basil and oregano in medium bowl; set aside. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook and stir over high heat until no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet.

Add zucchini and pepper to skillet; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in soup mixture. Return chicken to skillet and cook until heated through. Serve over rice.

Nutrients per Serving
Calories 441
Calories from Fat 21 %
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 69 mg
Carbohydrate 57 g
Fiber 2 g
Protein 31 g
Sodium 880 mg

Sisters are the bestest

2006-04-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

It's a quarter to 11pm, and Mal just jumped into her car to fulfill this pregnant womans craving for a bean burrito with no onions and a frosty :) Mal ROCKS!

A little bit of funk....

2006-04-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

The good kind, nothing stinky around here :) I'm nearly finished with the back of my pillow, and finally remembered to snap a shot of the front:

Just a simple granny square, but I like all the different textures and shades of brown. I've used mohair, chenille, cotton, and several acrylic blends. I like it! I also finished up two baby blankets recently, as ordered from a friend:

Nothing too complicated there either, but they're cute nonetheless. See the cone of brown chenille in the corner? Thats the back of my pillow!

Let me introduce you to our new pet:

She made herself a little nest in my seedling tomato planter a little over a week ago (thankfully I hadn't planted in it yet!) and I'm pretty certain she has an egg in there. She just chills all day, doesn't care that the kids are running and playing right next to her (she's in the window sill in my backyard). Maybe we'll have a baby bird soon!

On my way to take a picture of the bird, I was accosted by two half naked photo hogs. I'm not quite sure what those poses mean, but they got a kick out of it :)

Who knew...

2006-04-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

That you could bond so well with your kiddos over some instant pancake mix and a hot griddle!? We had a fabulous time making pancakes this morning, and a big old mess as well. Pancakes are like an addiction in this house, and so we only make them every so often, to savor the moment :) Does anyone else put peanut butter on their pancakes? D tells me this is weird, but my whole family does it. It's delicious!!

I finally remembered to call for my ultrasound appointment yesterday. Surprisingly, they were able to see me in 2 weeks, instead of a month! I'm pleased.

Made it over to DoD today. Let me just say...love it. I love the fact that it's going to be a much smaller group. It's much nicer when you are able to get to know everyone, instead of wading through a million posts by people you've never heard from before.

Thats all for now...I'm waiting for the manager of Subway to call me back about my complaint. Mal picked up two veggie delights for us for lunch, and when we unwrapped them- they were the saddest sandwiches I've ever seen. So I'm complaining. We better get new sandwiches out of this crap. Don't mess with the pregnant womans Veggie Delight! grrrrr...

Some random cuteness....

2006-04-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

Say Goodbye....

2006-04-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

To C'ville. Gone are all my sidebar links, and I'm leaving the ville as soon as my SP commitment is over. SP's have turned out to be such a disapointment, but I don't want to ruin it for my gal. I've turned in my request for DoD, and hope to be up and running there soon.

Edited to add:

I do know that there are plenty of fabulous people left at C'ville. Case in point, although I haven't been the most active poster of late, I received a RAOK in the mail today from a thoughtful member. It's just the few rotten people that are really spoiling it for me. I can't stand to see how Donna is rehashing the fact that certain people left, she brings it up in every freakin post she makes. It's making me more nauseated than usual. But big thanks to Carol, your postcard made me smile today :)

Yarny Goodness

2006-04-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

I finally found a Dollar Store in my area that had some Bernat Frenzy! I was in heaven. I picked up 20 balls total, 10 orange and 10 light purple. I plan on making a funky little throw, all for me :)

Add this to the Paton's Evita I got on Saturday, and I'm totally tickled :)

(I forgot to snap a pic of the 3 skeins of VooDoo I picked up as well)

Not only did this Dollar Store have the Frenzy, but they also had two colors of Velour (pink and purple)! Mal picked some up to make a baby blanket for our new cousin- Miah was born two days ago! I have some Simply Soft in light brown, baby pink and white, and I plan on whipping out a star shaped afghan to send her.

D and Mal's man Devonte (aka Te, he works with D) left this morning for their 2 month deployment. Sigh. I swear the next two months better fly by. I'm pissed because D is going to miss my ultrasound (which will be in roughly a month, if I remember to call tomorrow!!!) but Mal and the kids are coming. I'm just glad he got to see the baby on my first ultrasound, and I'll be sending him copies of the scan.

Didn't get a chance to spend my Pier1 card today, poor Mal isn't feeling top notch. So we'll leave that for another day, something else for me to look forward too :)

Sunday

2006-04-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Ah, Sunday. Day of sleeping in (at least for as long as the kiddos will let me!). It's been such a relaxing day. I'm still in my pj's, and I'm planning dinner. Finally got around to opening my mail (this sometimes takes days) and discovered my MyPoints reward arrived. Very quickly! I redeemed my 6000 points, earned painstakingly over the last year or two, and got a $50 Pier1 card. I can't wait to splurge it all on their mint scented candles.

I'm in the process of putting together another box to send my SP. I bought a box of Ferrero Rocher to send her, and now it's sitting next to me, open. Missing three pieces. It's a freakin mystery! :)This is my first round of SP, and probably my last. I've become less and less impressed with C'ville as the months go by, and I know many people out there who feel the same. It's pretty sad, because the community has such potential, and a few bad apples are spoiling the whole thing. Sucks.

I'll have to stick some batteries in my camera later and take some pics..I'm working on a pillow for my Mom's bday- granny square style, using chenilles, mohairs, cottons, etc. in varying shades of brown. I rather like it. We're celebrating bdays (Mom, Dad, Sis and Bro) at Easter, since we'll all be there. Well, all but D. He leaves tomorrow night for a 2 month deployment. Sucks again.

I'm thinking of chicken wraps for dinner. With whole wheat tortillas and hummus...LOVE me some hummus! Off to defrost....

Does anyone know...

2006-04-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

Where to find a "blank" moses basket? I know of several designers on ebay who make fabulous ones, but I'd rather like to create the linens myself. Let me know if you know where I can find just the basket! :)

Today is a good day

2006-04-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

Mal and I went in search of yard sales this morning- alas, it started raining and there were none to be found. We decided to go out to breakfast instead (I managed about two bites, but at least didn't throw it up!) then hit up Target. I grabbed King Kong and found some knitting kits on clearance for $2.50...bought them for the groovy yarn! Then we ran over to the Dollar Store, because I had heard a rumor that they were carrying Bernat's Frenzy. No Frenzy to be found, but believe it or not they did have yarn. Patons Evita in greens and brown/black blend, and Patons VooDoo in brown and black. I bought 4 of each, I think they'd make rather nice scarves for next fall. They also had some rather cute mini snowglobes for Easter. Don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, but I'm an avid snowglobe collector :) I don't have a crazy amount, but I'll take a pic someday to share.

Mal left for work a while later, and Natalie and I went out to get lunch for everyone. While waiting in crazy line at Hardee's, I was getting rather irritated (this happens more and more frequently as my pregnancy progresses!) When I noticed the most beautiful magnolia tree straight ahead..and took a moment to savor the beauty instead of fuming about slow ass fast food. It was nice :) Now we're waiting for D to get out of the shower, and we're headed to see Ice Age 2 with the monsters. It looks cute!

Normally, I'd be delighted......

2006-03-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

....to be told that I have lost 10 lbs. Who wouldn't?! Pregnant mammas, thats who. Sigh. This nausea had better go away soon, because if I don't start gaining weight before my next visit, my fabulous Dr. is gonna kick my butt :) She's given me strict orders to eat something every 2 hours, but thats rather difficult. Especially the rule about eating something for breakfast within two hours of waking...I'm at my most nauseated then. I had a single small glass of juice before my appt. today, and of course that came flying back up as we are trying to walk out the door. This sucks. On a better note, my Dr. is FAB FAB FAB! I totally love her. I actually requested to push the date of my next appt back a week so I could have her again! That being said, I'm still not going to be seen for 6 weeks. I swear, the Navy does things so retarded sometimes. But she did tell me if I had ANY problems at all, or continued to lose weight, to call her immediately and come right into the clinic. Fantastic. This is all I wanted all along, someone to listen to me and check me out! So besides throwing up several times as a result of trying to eat a little more (ugh) this has been one happy day! Lets think some calorie-rich thoughts folks...(never thought I'd say that!)

ER visit..

2006-03-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

Silly Gabe swallowed a metal ball from his Magnetix set last night! Which puzzled me at first, because he NEVER puts anything in his mouth! But we did just have unexpected house guests for a week (looooong story) and one boy was always putting stuff in his mouth..I think Gabe picked it up from him. So, this overprotective mama ran him to the ER to make sure it wasn't stuck anywhere. Thankfully it's in his stomach, and we have to have follow up xrays tomorrow to make sure it's passing properly. Gabe was understandably nervous about going to the ER, but he was SO good and grown up about it. And now he'll never put anything in his mouth again! :)

Celtic Woman

2006-03-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Was fabulous! Mal and I had an absolute BLAST! We had excellent seats- in the balcony, 6 rows up and dead center. We could see everything! The girls all sang beautifully, and the fiddle player was beyond words! That girl took off her shoes, and was leaping around the stage while playing, and got the whole crowd into her songs! I overheard an older woman in the bathroom call her a "little sprite" and I think that fits perfectly! She's a little tiny blonde thing :) And the drummers..Oh, the drummers! They were soooo good! I was totally blown away by the whole experience, and I would love to see them again. Mal and I tried to go to Applebees for dinner afterwards, but we got there 15 minutes before they closed :( So, not wanting to grab fast food and waste a perfectly good outfit and fab hairdo *lol* we ran to IHOP. Not the fanciest place to be sure, but their salads were pretty good. A most fabulous evening :)

D and I are getting ready to go get my new ID card made...I hadn't paid much attention to it, and apparently it expired last November! The nice guards at the hospital gate were kind enough to let me know that, as they confiscated it last week *lol* So now I get a new one. I hate taking pictures like this....Oh well, at least I'll be able to get on base and go to the commisary again! I'm sooo ready for my doctors appt next Weds. Let's hope I actually get seen by a doc this time! I'm hoping D's chief lets him off so he can come with me...fingers crossed!

I forgot to add..I've been having some crazy dreams lately (lots about pregnancy!) but had a rather nice one last night where I got to meet Lynlee in person! And girl, you were just as fabulous as I knew you would be :)

03/17/06

2006-03-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Great news!

2006-03-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

I hesitate to call it a 100% success since I've only tried it once, but...ginger ale totally got rid of my nausea today! HOW FREAKIN FANTASTIC IS THAT?!?!?!?! What a wonderful feeling! I could gush for hours! But D is coming home from his 3 week deployment today, so I have to go finish getting ready.

No calls :)

Happy Saturday!

2006-03-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

Having a pretty good weekend so far..only threw up twice today! Mom and Dad stopped by for about an hour, they came to drop off Mal's car on their way to DC. I've been crocheting up a storm getting ready to list a few things with my design group on Monday. I hope I get to finish in time! I made tater tot casserole for dinner...so simple it's ridiculous, but sometimes the simplest things taste the best! Mal and I are watching a show on the National Geographic channel called "In the Womb". Totally cool. Gotta go watch the rest now. Have a great weekend!

Doctors Appointment....

2006-03-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

Anyone wanna go for me? I have this TOTAL freakish aversion to needles, and I have to get buttloads of bloodwork done today. Seriously, if they don't let me lay down while they're doing it, I pass out. Every time. Since I was a kid! I usually barf too, but thats so common place for me now, I don't even think anything of it. On that topic, did you know that cocoa puffs taste exactly the same coming up as they did going down? I take some perverse pleasure in that fact. Updates when I get home...I'm off to cry like a baby and finish straightening my hair!

UPDATE:

That was a TOTAL FREAKIN WASTE OF TIME. Did I get seen by a doc? NO! Did I get to hear a heartbeat? NO! Did I get my blood pressure taken? NO! The only thing was WAS accomplished was my nasty 8 vials of bloodwork. I'm rather proud of myself for only puking before and after, not during! And no passing out :) So- the Portsmouth Naval Hospital sucks monkey balls. I got to sit in a nurses office- no exam room, just her office- and watch her type my information into the computer for a half hour. Thats it. Then she made me an appointment for the clinic thats closer to my house (for the 29th) and told me thats the earliest I can be seen. HELLO! I'm already 15 weeks along, and these freaks and geeks have been stringing me along for almost 2 months now. I JUST WANT TO SEE A FREAKIN DOCTOR!

I'm pissed. I need some lovin.

HEY!

2006-03-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

Have you had your Harry Potter today?!?!?! We're watching The Goblet of Fire right now :)

A little more info....

2006-03-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

On the Celtic Woman experience can be found here:

Celtic Woman

16 days and counting :o)

Sunday...

2006-03-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

Took a journey to Mt. Trashmore today (ex-landfill turned fabulous park and recreation area). We had a fabulous picnic lunch and the monsters played to their little hearts content. Only one incident- I was acosted by a 4 year old! Little shit was throwing sand onto one of the slides, and I asked him nicely to stop since Gabe and Natalie were waiting to slide down. He of course refused as most 4 year olds are wont to do..so I wiped it off myself and stood in front of him. That little brat threw sand at my ass and told me he hated me! What a snot. Anywhoo, we all just ignored him and went about our sliding business :) Since there was no audience for his antics, he gave up. It just angers me that there are kids that young with that much disrespect for adults. It's sad. Oh well, I know I'm raising mine right! I'll have pictures for ya tomorrow, my camera is too far away right now :)

Guess what...

2006-03-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

Celtic Woman is coming to Norfolk next month!

********HUGE GIRLY SCREAM*********

Mal and I are buying our tickets tomorrow :)

One more girly scream for effect!!!!

..........

2006-03-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

Ever vomit so violently that you lost bladder control?

Yeah.

What can brown do for you?

2006-03-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

Driving Mal to her training class today, I passed 72 UPS trucks. Kinda freaky. I totally love this: http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=23342

Baby is still making me ill every morning...afternoon...evening...and so on. This totally sucks. D left yesterday for another 3ish weeks of nonsense out at sea. So now I'm all by my lonesome *sniff* And thats about all I can think of for now.... pregnancy is robbing much brain function today :)

So. Vaginal Ultrasounds.....

2006-02-21T03:43:00.000-08:00

Are definetely an experience! D took me into the ER yesterday, I was having some pains in my side again, as well as a horrid headache, nausea, etc. And the darn clinic was closed. Just because it's a holiday, pregnant ladies aren't supposed to get sick? Whatever :) Anyhoo, because I a.) was having pain in my lower left abdomen and b.)I wasn't sure when I conceived (wonky periods and all) They decided to give me a pelvic exam and an ultrasound. Vaginal, as the title implies. Surely wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but wasn't as bad as I expected. I wasn't give any pictures (sniff) but got to see the wee one floating around. Only when you're the expectant parent can you see cuteness in a fuzzy black and white image :) I'm happy to report that we have one very healthy baby- fabulous heartbeat, two arms, two legs, a head, etc. It was too adorable- when the second dr. came in to help verify measurements of the baby, (s)he waved to him, and then later, kept rocking his/her head in a very rythmic pattern. Totally rocking out! :o) I got total warm fuzzies and so did D. So it was awesome to see the baby, but I got no official diagnosis on my pain- they think it "may have been" several things, including some growing pains. We'll see. I feel better today, but still not 100%. Oh, and they estimate me to be about 12/13 weeks along. Whoohoo! Gotta love that.

I guess it was based on the fact that I got to see the baby yesterday, but my sleep was filled with the weirdest dreams. The strangest one was when I had just given birth, but didn't have the car seat to take the baby home in. D and I left her (it was a girl :) ) at the hospital and went to go buy one, but all the stores had older kid boosters, no baby seats. This meant (in my dream) that I had to leave my baby there overnight, and try to find another seat tomorrow. They sent all the babies whose parents didn't have car seats over to this little asian ladies store (she sold plants!) to be cared for until we could cough up a car seat.

Weird.

Now I'm sitting here, typing out a blog, feasting on a hash brown and some OJ. I had to get up at the butt crack of dawn to take D into work, because Mal needs a ride to her interview today. Keep your fingers crossed for a positive outcome! She's applying at a new Starbucks opening up very close to the house. I think I'm gonna take a shower, and sleep again...this hash brown is making me feel fat and happy :)

Morning sickness sucks.

2006-02-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

When I called Tricare in early Feb. to get my appt- the "soonest available appointment" was March 9th. Bullshit. I don't get a "doctor" until I have this first appt, so I have no one to go see when I'm feeling really crappy. So I'm just gonna march myself into the OB clinic at the naval hospital and have at it. Wish me luck.

Homecoming

2006-02-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hooray! D comes home today! I can't wait :) 3 weeks seemed to last 3 years this time....No calls tonight *lol*

Hooray for Myspace!

2006-02-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

One of my closest friends ever (She was my witness at my wedding!) just found me on Myspace! Mitzy and I had lost contact after I moved to VA (she moved at the same time) and I've been searching for her ever since. What a fabulous day! :) We had a nice long chat, and it felt sooo good to talk to her again.

I'm singing the praises of the person who first came up with the chocolate/peanut butter combo...I had such a wild craving for peanut butter M&M's today, that I actually got out of my jammies to drive to Food Lion to get some. Where's D when I need him :)

Speak of the devil, he should be home next week. I can't wait, this 3 weeks has dragged by at an increasingly slow speed. No one to rub my poor feet while he's gone... although there is Mallory... :o)

Triple the triplets

2006-02-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not expecting multiples..that I know of! Still have to wait on my first appt to determine all that jazz :) Mallory and I are watching this show on Discovery Health channel, and one couples kids are named

Gabriel
Gracie
Mallory

How hilarious! (for those that don't know, Natalie's middle name is Grace, and we call her Gracie on a daily basis :o)

can't think of a title....

2006-02-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

Nothing really new and exciting happening in Megan-land...morning sickness is still present, but not nearly as bad as the past few weeks. D is gone for another 10 days or so (he's on a 3 week cruise) and will miss Valentines day...again. Sniff. Oh well. I forget if I mentioned that my sister was coming to live with us? She's going to attend school at ODU and is applying for a job at a local Starbucks. Mmm. She better bring me home a venti chai latte every once in a while :) We're taking the monsters out to the mall today, I want to have a look at the new Gymboree line. Not to buy (heavens no...what, am I made of money?!) but to steal color ideas for some new crocheted hats. I've been in such a creative slump lately, not in the mood for crocheting at all. Although, I've been considering joining the Knitting Olympics...seeing as though I've never made anything more challenging than a garter stitch scarf..it ought to be interesting. I have a desire to make this:

http://www.knitty.com/issuespring05/PATTbranchingout.html

And the KO might just be the nudge I need. Anywhoo...I need to go get dressed to we can leave...its a rather fancy mall, and I think they frown upon jammie pants... :o)

Court

2006-02-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

What a joke that was. First off, I left the house an hour before I had to be there- the courthouse was less than 10 miles away, so I was allowing plenty of time to find the damn place (and parking, since it's downtown, everything is in parking garages). Of course, it takes me forever to find it. I get turned around several times, finally pulling over to ask a pedestrian. Fabulous woman even gave me directions to the proper parking garage :) Anyhoo, after parking and huffing down 3 flights of stairs ( I was not wearing the best running shoes) I end up in the wrong freaking building. Lets try this again. Finally make it over to the correct building, to the clerks office, only to be told I'm not in the system. Huh? She tells me to have a seat in the courthouse anyway, while they straighten it out. I spent the entire 20 minutes trying my best not to vomit...and it was a very close thing, let me tell you. Offhand, it was better than watching Judge Judy..in person is so much more exciting! I finally hear my name being called, and the nice old secretary tells me to take my tickets to another person outside the courtroom and she'll explain everthing. Cool. So I get there, only to find out.....

The damn idiot who gave me the tickets was a freakin SECURITY GUARD who had NOOOOOO authority to give out tickets!! HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I had a good chuckle over that one. Apparently he does have limited power, but he can only give out tickets if he requests a warrant first (?). I'm not sure how that works. But unless I get something in the mail from them in the next 3 days, I'm completely off the hook. Of course, I marched right over to the housing office to lodge another formal complaint. They really love me over there :)

Home

2006-01-30T04:18:00.000-08:00

The weekend went pretty well. Got to see Mom and Dads new house, picked up Mallory, did some shopping, etc. The drive home took a little longer than usual, but all was well.

Wanna know a secret?

Yay! A new little monster is coming to play sometime in August, I believe. More precise dates to be confirmed later. :) Gabe and Natalie are really excited, and are quite convinced we are having a baby sister.

A belated birthday shoutout to Lynlee, sorry I missed it girlfriend! Hope your day was fabulous :)

So here I sit, not even 7:30am yet (this is quite early for me) battling a rather severe case of morning sickness, getting ready to go to traffic court. Hooray. Note the general lack of enthusiasm? I'm not even sure where the damn courthouse is. I googled the address and wrote directions, but I'm leaving an hour before I have to be there (8) to allow for getting lost time :) It's only about 7 miles away. Good vibes are appreciated, I've never been to court, even for something as benign as a expired registration ticket! Let's hope I don't throw up all over the judge....

We're off to see the wizard....

2006-01-26T06:37:00.000-08:00

Well, not really :) But we are off to see Grandmas new house! Check ya'll after the weekend....be good!

Tagged by Lynlee :o)

2006-01-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

Four Jobs You Have Had In Your Life
1. Babysitter
2. Online/Phone Customer service at E-commerce Support Centers, Inc.
3. McDonalds :)
4. Barista for General Javas Internet Cafe. This was the best job, ever!

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over
1. Evolution
2. The Harry Potter Flicks
3. The LOTR Trilogy
4. The Xmen

Four Places You Have Lived
1. Jacksvonville, NC
2. Garden Grove, CA
3. Charleston, SC
4. Norfolk, VA

Four TV Shows You Love(d) to Watch
1. Babies Special Delivery on Discovery Health channel
2. Extreme Makeover, Home Edition
3. Meet the Barkers (Travis is tooo cute :)
4. Law & Order SVU

Four Places You Have Been on Vacation
1. Georgia
2. Boston, MA
3. Washington, DC
4. Boise, Idaho

Four Places You Want to Visit
1. Ireland
2. Boston (been there, love it, wanna go again :)
3. France
4. Did I mention Ireland?

Four Websites You Visit Daily
1. Ebay
2. Blogland :)
3. MySpace
4. Yahoo

Four of Your Favorite Foods
1. Hummus
2. Potatoes
3. Black olives
4. Chicken from Chik Fil-A :o) MMMMMMMM

Four Things Currently on the Floor in Your Car
1. Random French fries from the monsters
2. Junk Mail
3. A toy waiting to be returned to Wally World (it will probably sit there for a good long while, as I can't stand WW!)
4. Carpet

Many things...

2006-01-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've been such a bad blogger lately...there is a lot going on, and I've been sick again (ugh) so- there are my excuses :) We went to Jackson Hewitt and filed our taxes last night. Boy do we love Uncle Sam- $4,400+ coming back to us. Sweet. D and I have plans to pay off a few bills, put some in savings, and then have some fun! Hmm, how much yarn shopping can I do... :) My mom just invited me to come visit a little early (we're going to Raleigh the first weekend in Feb to have a bbq with the folks) so if the taxes come in today like they are supposed to, then the kiddos and I may pop over there on Thursday. Poor D has to work. Bring home the bacon, sweetie! My younger sis Mallory is coming to live with us (we'll be picking her up when we visit). She'll be attending school at Old Dominion University- which conveniently enough, is located about 4 miles down the street from us. Whoohoo :) Thats about all the news I can share right now, but there is more in the works...really interesting stuff too, so stay tuned *lol*

KIRSTIE-RAIE WARD

2006-01-20T10:14:00.000-08:00

She's been found :)

I love this dress!!

2006-01-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4778169024

I want this for Natalie sooo bad :)

Celebrity Look Alike

2006-01-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

Apparently, there is a skinny Katie Holmes living inside me. Who knew?! I got a 60% match to Mrs. Crazy Cruise on www.myheritage.com

Look Mom, just like Yoda!

2006-01-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

How much do I hate Virginia?

2006-01-08T02:24:00.000-08:00

Let me count the ways....

Yesterday morning, we find a "parking violation" ticket on our van. Which is parked in OUR driveway. It says are tags are expired. Sure enough, I glance at my liscense plate and it expired 12/05. 7. Fucking. Days. Prior.

Whatever.

This morning, I wake up at the ungodly hour of 4:40am to take D and Josh into work in order to keep the car. I'm supposed to be taking the kiddos to the zoo, and they're so excited. We get to the first stop sign in our complex, noticing a car parked with his lights off at the opposite end of the intersection. I stop, signal, turn right. Said car flares to life, red lights a-flashin. Turns out its the same idiot who walked onto my property to ticket my parked vehicle. Long story short(and several nasty words later), I'm the proud new owner of 2 tickets, and have to appear in court at the end of the month. Oh, the guys had to call another friend to take them into work.

And it's not even 5:30am yet. Fuck this, I'm going back to bed.

Ugh...

2006-01-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

So, we're all sick here. The nasty, congested, snotty kind of sick. Gross. My parents and sisters just left after being here for a few days, they were house hunting in Raleigh, found a place, and finished the paperwork for Dads new job. So now they're on their way back to Boston to pack, and will FINALLY be closer to us starting next week :) I can't wait to go shopping with them in their new city. Raleigh is supposed to have several fabulous yarn shops and health food stores (Whole Foods!). I think we'll be making a trip at least once a month, if not more!

On a crochet note, I finished a poncho for Natalie, (using my Lynlee yarns!) I just have to weave in all the ends and add a flower. I started a

Snowboarder Skullie

for my little bro Daniel (age 11) who is staying with us while the parents pack up. It's my first time using a FPDC, and so far it's pretty easy. My sisters and I hit up a couple of thrift stores yesterday (even sick, I don't turn up a chance to thrift store shop!) and I managed to snag a bag of italian cotton yarn for $5- I suspect it's vintage, as you don't see yarn sold in 1 oz skeins all that often anymore :)

Thats all for now...I'm off to take more drugs and make some nice hot tea :)

Happy New Year Everyone!

2005-12-31T20:42:00.000-08:00

Here it is, my last post for 2005 :) Sitting around, eating organic chocolate chip cookies, watching good ole New Years Rockin Eve on ABC. Hot date, huh?!? D has duty tonight, so it's just me and the kiddos, who are playing upstairs. Here's to plenty of happiness and good health in 2006!

Yarn Sale! Yarn Sale!

2005-12-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

Pretty darn big yarn sale going on at Micheals right now! Several of the Moda Dea lines are 70% off. I scored this lot of TuTu for $2.09 per skein! Can't beat that!!

Lynlee

2005-12-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

Is such a sweetheart! Thanks so much for the goodies girl, I can't wait to make something funky, and the kids love their goodies :o)

Notice some missing chocolates? Those didn't last long *lol*

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

2005-12-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

Pictures of the big day :)

Christmas Eve

Decorating cupcakes for Santa!

Decorating the tree!

Mistletoe kisses!

Presents!

Princess Natalie!

2005-12-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS
By Michael Marks

I had no Christmas spirit
when I breathed a weary sigh,
and looked across the table
where the bills were piled too high.

The laundry wasn't finished
and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point,
the Chargers lost by six.

And so with only minutes
till my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery
and grabbed a wooden stool.

The burdens that I carried were
about all I could take,
and so I flipped the TV on
to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene
in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind,
just clouds of swirling dust.

And where the reindeer should have stood
before a laden sleigh,
eight Humvees ran a column
right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank,
not one was past his teens,
Their eyes were hard as polished flint,
their faces drawn and lean.

They walked the street in armor
with their rifles shouldered tight,
their dearest wish for Christmas,
just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered,
hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and dreams
of going home again.

There wasn't much at all to put
their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey,
just a pack of MREs.

They didn't have a garland
or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament--
they lacked a Christmas tree.

They didn't have a present
even though it was tradition,
the only boxes I could see
were labeled "ammunition."

I felt a little tug and found
my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared,
and why it was I cried.

I swept him up into my arms
and held him oh so near
and kissed him on the forehead
as I whispered in his ear.

There's nothing wrong my little son,
for safe we sleep tonight,
our heroes stand on foreign land
to give us all the right,

To worry on the things in life
that mean nothing at all,
instead of wondering if we
will be the next to fall.

He looked at me as children do
and said it's always right,
to thank the ones who help us
and perhaps that we should write.

And so we pushed aside the bills
and sat to draft a note,
to thank the many far from home,
and this is what we wrote:

God bless you all and keep you safe,
and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so,
and that you're not alone.

The gift you give you share with all,
a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty
and that we can't repay

No more grinch :)

2005-12-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning with all of the previous days stress gone. D and I had a great night, we finished up the wrapping together, found the phone & video chargers and got the house clean. Also, blueberry bread does wonders for the soul. To top it all off, I opened the door this morning to find a large package from my father in law and his wife. Just in the nick of time :) Life is good again, and we're looking forward to a fabulous day today and tomorrow. Now I'm off to call my Mom...(FYI, the damn phone charger has been missing for several weeks!)

This ought to cover it all :o)

2005-12-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non addictive gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of other, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only America in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement
of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher

7 Deadly Sins

2005-12-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Greed:	Very Low
Gluttony:	Low
Wrath:	High
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Medium
Pride:	Medium

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

Don't piss me off :)

Bah Humbug

2005-12-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

It's my blog, and I'll whine if I want to. But I'm done now :)

You know you're jealous...

2005-12-21T20:51:00.000-08:00

Of my mad knitting skills :) This pink yarn (Cottontots) is destined to become a pair of legwarmers for Natalie.

just stuff

2005-12-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

My Age of Empires CD won't play, and I'm pissed. I don't get into very many games, but this is one I like. Damn. D got home early this weekend- scared the *@%^#& crap out of me, cuz I was sleeping on the sofa when he came in and jumped me :) But it's nice to have him home again..someone else to take out the trash! *lol*

We went to the book exchange today- I love that place. I have a serious book fetish, and buy tons (gotta love the thrift stores- books are $0.45!) I have amassed quite a library of my own, and picked out some to trade in today. Got over $40 in credit! Seeing as though they pay me 25% of the books original value, I made out pretty damn good! I love it when I bring in my $0.45 books and I get a couple of bucks for them. Works out well for me! So, I picked out 3 books for myself (A VC Andrews, and the first 2 HP I was missing), D got a book and the kiddos each got 2, leaving a $20 credit. Nice.

Now it's off to finish baking cookies. Chocolate chunk, mmmmm! :)

Hehehe

2005-12-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

You taste like chicken. Your succulent thighs,
legs, wings, and breasts melt in the mouth.
Your crunchy outer coating barely hides the
juiciness within.

How do you taste?
brought to you by Quizilla

Wrapping, wrapping....

2005-12-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

Is so much fun :) It's one of my favorite parts of the season! I will freely admit that I'm not the worlds best wrapper, but I love it nonetheless! The kids have some funky shaped gifts this year. Very few easy squares- we've got tubs of K'nex, Magnetix, remote controlled dinos...but heck, they won't care if Mommies corners aren't perfect. After all, they're just gonna tear the damn paper off in about 2 seconds flat anyway :)

D is gone again- till Monday this time. He got to come home for a couple of hours last Monday, then I had to drive him in to work at 3am Tuesday. But he's on leave as soon as he gets off Monday, so thats nice. They are moving the ship back to NOB (which is 5 minutes down the road) which will be sooo much nicer than the commute into Newport News twice a day.

Off to wrap more presents...

Today....

2005-12-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

I cleaned my house, and re-arranged the craft/play room. I found several things I had thought were lost. The monsters are in great moods, and have been "big helpers" all day long. My husband is coming home tonight. Pumpkin bread is baking.

Life is good.

New Hats

2005-12-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

Here are my two latest hat designs:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

2005-12-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

So, I'm watching this on ABC Family channel- it's about 45 minutes into it, and already I have seen 3 scenes that are NOT on my DVD! I love it :)

2005-12-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

You are interchangeable.
Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every
eventuality covered and every opportunity just
has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and
every day is a new beginning. You are good at
so many things, it's amazing, but you can
easily lose your place and forget to show up.
They have row counters for people like you!

What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

We won!

2005-12-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

We signed up for Nana's Boutique mailing list, and we won a free jewelery set for Natalie! It came in the mail today, isn't it fabulous?!

Check out more Nana's Boutique items on ebay!

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZnanasQ5fboutique1

This is why I love ebay....

2005-12-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4715393187

I'm ALL for public television and education, but damn! $75 Is a little much! Now I have it on my Christmas wishlist :)

Ah, Ireland....

2005-12-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

My family is Irish, and my mother and I plan to take a trip within the next 2 years to visit. I was just flipping through the channels and found a program on, called "Celtic Woman".

Wow.

Wow.

It's just...wow. There are few words to describe it. They are interviewing a 15 year old who is part of the program, and her voice is simply amazing. I must have this cd. The show is raising money for public television, so the cd is a whopping $75. May take a while to get it. But rest assured, I WILL own this cd.

That's a promise.

I even understood several of the phrases in the songs, thanks to my self taught Gaelic! I'm steaming through the first 2 cd's, and it truly is a pleasure to listen to and learn. I am fluent enough in French, thanks to 5 years in school, but this language holds personal meaning to me. I can't wait to be totally fluent, it's one of my goals in life. I have a feeling that once I get to Ireland, I'll have to be dragged out :)

Swiped from Lynlee...

2005-12-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

You Are a Lace Bra!

Dreamy, romantic, and ultra-feminine
You're a womanly woman who makes guys feel like men
Your perfect guy is strong, determined, and handsome
With a softer side that only you can draw out

What Kind of Bra Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

You Are Girly Panties!

You're totally girly - it's who you are, not just part of your charm.
From your perfectly painted toenails to your soft lingerie, you're all girl.
Men find you intriguing and sexy - yet also comforting.
Just make sure your feminine ways are womanly... not little girlish!

What Kind of Panties Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

funny, funny stuff

2005-12-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

I'm in danger of wetting my panties after reading this one!

http://yarnpants.blogspot.com/2004/11/museum-of-kitschy-stitches-vol-iii.html

:D

Monday is FREE day at the ZOO!

2005-12-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

Gotta love free day :) Well, free hour really. Our zoo opens free of charge the last hour of the day, every Sunday and Monday. So of course, we try to take advantage of this as often as possible! Here are a million pics of the monsters having a blast last Sunday:

Making Ornaments!

2005-12-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Pay it Forward

2005-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

Today, I went to the post office to mail a suprise package to a friend of mine, and helped a young mother who was wrangling several large packages and a rather rambuncious toddler. After the post office, I took the kiddos to the book exchange, where a very nice (and cute!) guy bought them each a new book, because they were being their usual adorable selves, and reminded him of his daughter. See, there are still nice people in the world :) Now get out there and do something nice for another person. You never know when those good feelings will come back to you!

2005-12-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

The Noble Princess

You are just and fair, a perfectionist with a
strong sense of proper decorum. You are very
attracted to chivalry, ceremony and dignity.
For the most part you are rather sensible, but
you are also very idealistic.

Role Models: Guinevere, Princess Fiona (of Shrek)

You are most likely to: Get kidnapped by a stray
dragon.

What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
brought to you by Quizilla

AARRRGG!!

2005-11-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

Avast, matey! Pirate Gabriel is here!

Looking for the "X"!

Found it!

Digging!

SCORE!

Presents!

Demetryus'grandparents, mom, aunt, sister & her baby surprised us with a visit that afternoon! They drove all the way from Philly for Gabe's party :) Here are the monsters hanging out with cousin Izzy and (great) aunt Angie at the hotel:

Bad Blogger!

2005-11-30T16:59:00.000-08:00

Between family visiting and computer issues, I feel like I haven't been on in ages! I have oodles to write about, but only a 5 minute window here to type- gotta feed the heathens :) But I'll be back later to upload bday pics (I promise!!) and chat some more. Spent a huge chunk of money on some totally cool Xmas presents today. Including the totally expensive Magnetix *points accusing finger at Lynlee* :o)

*some snappy title*

New Blog

Gabriels First Fishing Trip!

This day in 1982....

Doctor, Doctor

Last Weekend

One Skein

Offline

Guess what.

Well..

Today

On a roll...

Happy Mothers Day!

Crappy Day.

Shit.

Foodie Friday

Baby and Baseball

Baseball Tonight

Pretty Lace

Happy Cinco De Mayo & Belated Anniversary!

Foodie Friday!

Red Sox take control late, defeat Yankees 7-3

Can't believe I forgot to post this!

The fabulous Lynlee strikes again!

Knitting

Foodie Friday

Life is good...

That idiot Kanye West & My baby brother :)

Cast On!

Foodie Friday Again!

We have a penis!!

It's Ultrasound Day!!

It's twins!

Foodie Friday

Sisters are the bestest

A little bit of funk....

Who knew...

Some random cuteness....

Say Goodbye....

Yarny Goodness

Sunday

Does anyone know...

Today is a good day

Normally, I'd be delighted......

ER visit..

Celtic Woman

03/17/06

Great news!

Happy Saturday!

Doctors Appointment....

HEY!

A little more info....

Sunday...

Guess what...

..........

What can brown do for you?

So. Vaginal Ultrasounds.....

Morning sickness sucks.

Homecoming

Hooray for Myspace!

Triple the triplets

can't think of a title....

Court

Home

We're off to see the wizard....

Tagged by Lynlee :o)

Many things...

KIRSTIE-RAIE WARD

I love this dress!!

Celebrity Look Alike

Look Mom, just like Yoda!

How much do I hate Virginia?

Ugh...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Yarn Sale! Yarn Sale!

Lynlee

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

No more grinch :)

This ought to cover it all :o)

7 Deadly Sins

some snappy title