And I see for one fleeting moment, a paradise over the sun....CD
One the eve of January 1st, 2010 I can't help but look back on 2009 and say good riddance.
With the exception of my friends' babies being born, P2 being born,& all my family and friends still with us, this year pretty much sucked for a lot of people.
Personally, I endured two surgeries and M had one. One surgery yielded me a healthy and beautiful baby girl, the other left me with four horrible scars on my tummy. Damn, there goes my bikini modeling career.
It's been a tough year financially for us, but I can't complain too much. Having another daughter and the expense that comes along with another child was much anticipated (goodbye cable TV) & welcomed. Sure, it's been tight but it was expected. The economy has taken a dump in 2009, but it can only get better, right?!
2009 does end a good note for me though.
We have jobs, we have a home, we have reliable transportation,we are in relatively good health and we have two healthy and beautiful little girls who love us. We couldn't ask for much more.
To those reading this, I hope you find paradise in 2010.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Annual Christmas Photo
As I mentioned in the posting below this, every year I take a pic of P1 (and now P2) on the couch with their Xmas loot from Santa & Mom & Dad (wink wink). Sometimes it includes presents from her Nannie and her GG too. Anyway, here are P1's all together in chronological order with the exception of last year. I'm praying they are on the laptop because I can't find ANY of my Christmas day photos on the home PC. :( Anyway so here they are!
**Note** I found the missing 2008 pic! See below!
Merry Christmas
So about Christmas! It was a blast!! We were suprised on Christmas Eve with snow!!! In our neck of the woods, snow maybe comes once and year and usually it's just a dusting that doesn't last for more than a day. As I currently blog, there is still snow in my yard at home! Once again, as I blog now, it's raining and we're supposed to get more snow today into this evening. I wish my big girl was at home to enjoy it with me, but she's at the inlaws house. Anyway, so back to Xmas eve. M had to work so it was just me and the girls. I was a cleaning, wrapping, and baking fool that day. I managed to get done most of what I wanted to, but it took all day!
It was a winter wonderland outside, & P1 wanted to go play in it. I told her to get her new jacket and go outside. She couldn't find it. The New Jacket. The Brand New NICE WARM jacket that she had worn to school ONCE. She had left it at school. She Thinks. I was sooooo mad, I almost cancelled Christmas on her. I even called M at work and told him I was going to call "Santa" and have him bring P1 coal this year. M said that was a little harsh and didn't think ANY parent had ever taken away Christmas before. (I didn't mind being the first. She had been really bad the last couple of weeks and losing the jacket was the final straw). Well, since the school is out for break, no one is there to let us go look for it. M tried on Monday. The janitor let him look in the lost & found, but it wasn't there. So here we are, without a warm jacket. Oh, and I didn't cancel Christmas but she didn't get to go out in the snow either. I digress again (man, I'm bad about that)....
OK, so once M got home on Xmas Eve, we had our traditional meal! Tamales, refried beans, Spanish rice, and a homemade soup I like to call Hominy Stew. I made it the day before and let it sit overnight in the crockpot and it was soooo yummy. A nice touch when there is a near blizzard outside (no joke, that is what the news was calling that weather!).
After dinner M started a fire, we watched A Christmas Story, and the girls got to open their new Christmas PJs! I also took a ton of pictures!
After the girlies were in bed, the Santa gifts made their way out of hiding. Oops, something just occured to me. I think I have one more present of P1's hidden in the closet. Hmmm, now I'm thinking Easter Basket! Anyway, so we set out all the presents and I went into a coma. I was sooo tired from the day's work. Unfortunately I didn't get a full night's sleep since a baby, who shall remain nameless, decided she wanted to keep checking for Santa every few hours. Grrrrr.
By 8am P1 came bouncing into our room wanting to go check out the goodies. Little did I know, but M had set out the baby gates blocking the entrance to the living room so she couldn't get a peak before we were up. Smart man! I was going to wrap half of her door with Xmas paper, but I didn't have the energy. Did I mention how tired I was??
Santa brought P1 the following:
All Four Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters with two accessories (anyone need some, I have extras of those darn things!)
Liv Dolls & Accessories
Misc Movies
Twilight Board Game
Itunes & Justice Gift Cards, and some other stuff I can't remember.
For P2:
FP Rainforest Jumperoo (which she loved)
Leapfrog toys; Alphabet Ball, Piano, and My Pal Violet (her fave!)
Stacking toys and snap together block things!
I'm sure there are others I can't remember, but those were from Santa only!
After they were done opening the presents, I took my annual Xmas pic...it was P2's first! More on this later!
Then we got dressed and ready and went to spend all day with the family. Since there was still snow, the kids had so much fun playing in it!! So much fun that they didn't want to come in and open presents! Talk about unusual! I guess since snow is a novelty in these parts, they figured they better get while the gettin's good!!!
Great food and great company it was!!! I wish I could have seen my family, but maybe next year!!! I hope everyone had a great day with family & friends.
Follow up to the post below
So I finally got an email from the grandma of the two baby boys. She said it was tough right now, but other than that they are doing well. She didn't mention anything about her daughter and the stupid choices she's been making. I've written her another email back just to see how her Christmas was and we'll see how that goes.
I figure all I can do at this point is be a friend. If she needs my help, or if I witness the situation getting unbearable, than I will step in & do something. If it's meant to be, everything will fall into place like it's supposed to.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
I think I've finally cracked.
I haven't even mentioned this to DH, and it probably won't happen, but I'm considering asking to adopt two baby boys. Shocking, I know. I'm crazy for even thinking A) it could happen and B) this person would give up her two boys. I just feel compelled to at least try.
Back story, a former co-worker has a daughter, I'll call her Kay. She is 22, I think. Kay lives with her mother, and both don't have a job. Kay has a toddler boy. The toddler's dad is in prison. Kay is also pregnant with baby boy #2. Don't know where the baby's dad is. From what I understand, Kay takes off for three days at a time and leaves the toddler with Grandma. Yes, more than likely is into drugs. BTW, grandma is without heat right now, I don't know how she is paying the bills, and Christmas just isn't going to happen when there is food and diapers to buy. It's an awful situation, and my heart just breaks for the toddler and for this unborn baby.
So I don't know jack about adoption, and if it could be as simple as the parent(s) signing over their rights. I have a feeling it's not. I'm not dumb enough to think it would be as simple as that. It will probably cost thousands and like I said, it probably will never happen...but I feel I at least have to put it out there to the Grandma/Kay and see if she would even consider it. I highly doubt any mom would just say "Oh sure, you want my kids...you can totally have them, where do I sign?!?!"
I know I'm totally crazy nuts for thinking we could do this, but I know we could and I know God would provide.
It's a total long shot, like I said. I doubt it will even happen, but I at least need to ask. Convincing DH will be another issue. Financial logistics would be his biggest obstacle, not caring and loving two more children. That would be the easy part.
Or maybe if we couldn't adopt them, maybe one of my friends who desperately want children would be willing to. I don't know, there are so many options, but none could happen if Kay simply says no. I haven't even mentioned it to my coworker. How do you bring that up? "Hey, your daughter SUCKS as a mom. I think she should give me her kids. OK?!" Ya, that would go over real well. How do you ask that?? Do you even ask?? Or do you hint?? "So, since your daughter is a crack head, do you really think she's a fit parent? Hmmmm, I wonder where there is a fit parent willing to take on two more children? Hmmmm, I wonder where you could find such a person???" Who knows.
So ya, it's another hair-brained idea....but from the second I heard she was pregnant (right after I came back to work from maternity leave in Aug) the thought popped into my head. I should adopt them. We could provide a loving, safe, secure home for them, I would get the big family I want without risking my life in the process, and M would get two sons.
I don't know, it's a HUGE undertaking and certainly not one to take lightly, but I just feel the need to put that option out there to them and see what happens.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Single Mom
I don't envy them. It must suck to be a single mom. Never getting a break from the chores. Never getting a break from the kids. Having to do all the laundry, all the cleaning, all the cooking, etc etc..... Eeek, no thanks. I knew I loved and appreciated everything that my hubby does for us, but now I'm really thankful for him. Since he had the back surgery (which was a success!), all of the responsibilities we use to share are now mine and mine alone. I'm tired. Very tired. P2 still doesn't think sleeping through the night is a good thing, so trying to keep the house running smoothly on limited sleep is starting to ware me down. I could crash right now on my keyboard, but somehow I think my company would frown on that.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Surgery
Well my DH is having back surgery tomorrow. :( I'm scared for him, but I'm hopeful that it will bring him some relief. He has three herniated discs and they have been rubbing on his sciatic nerve and causing him a lot of pain in his hip and upper thigh. He's been in some degree of pain for over a year now and he's tired of it. He takes Ibuprofen like it's candy and we all know that's not good for the body. Plus, he's had two rounds of shots to numb that portion of the nerve and its only brought minimal relief. Since I had the c-section in May and my gallbladder removed a week later, we've met our out-of-pocket max for the year so he's making the best of it and getting it done now rather than later.
If you have any extra prayers to spare, please send some up for my hubby. I hope and pray the surgery goes smoothly and that he gets relief from the pain. I love you, honey.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
P1, P1, P1
Have I ever told you how much this kid cracks me up?? From the time she could talk, she was saying the funniest things. Not only is she hysterical, but her outlook and perception of the world around her is one of the many reasons why I love that little girl to the depths of my soul.
These are a few of my favorite Piper-isms through the years:
Age 2, she was singing christmas carols in the backseat and copying me. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, had a very shiny *shit* nose". I hit a pot hole and guess who didn't miss a beat while repeating after me! I had to silently crack up!!
Again at 3, while driving I took a wrong turn and got lost. She was chatting and I asked her to be quiet because I was lost. Her reply? "No mommy, you're not lost, you're right there".
Again at 2, we call boy & girl parts by their real names at our house, so when she walked in on M getting out of the shower she gasped "Daddy, what's that on your 'gina?!?!". OOPS.
Around 3, she saw M in his boxers and said "Daddy, I love your big girl panties!!".
At 4 she learned to tie her shoe. I said "I can't believe you know how to tie your shoe, you're not even four and a half!" She said "No, I'm four and a whole!".
At 6, "Mommy, I really like Batch & Mahzert". She means Bach & Mozart (yes, she loves classical music and dances around the house like she's a ballerina!)
At 7, at dinner the other night.
P1: What is for dinner cuz it looks like fish.
Me: It's muppet. (I couldn't resist! It was a porkchop!)
P1: It is? What's a muppet? (Do you feel old?! We did!!)
Dad: Like Big Bird & Elmo.
P1: Oh.
P1: Daddy, can I have more Muppet??
Last week at the grocery store while looking for cat litter, "Mommy, do you have a coupon for Tittie Cat". Horrified, I said "NO, it's TIDY CAT". Thank goodness we were alone!!
This week when she said she couldn't do something I had to remind her of her age.
Me: YES you can because you are 7.
P1: I'm 7 and a half
Me: No you're not.
P1: I'm 7 and three quarters.
Me: No you're not.
P1: Well, I'm 7 and three pennies.
Me: Fine. LOL
Monday, November 30, 2009
Close Encounter of the Santa-Kind
So the company that I work for hired a ton of Santa's to take free holiday pics with the kids in the stores. So not wanting to pass up a great deal when I see it, I dragged the kiddos out there, not once, but twice. The first time I got my wires crossed and I thought the man in the big red suit was going to be there on Friday. Nope. My bad, it was Saturday. It was still nice because while everyone was out shopping at the malls, we were able to frolick in the tree forest and pretend we were in the Oregon Christmas Tree farms as the first snowfall was accumulating around us. Cue the falling snow and holiday music! The second day we got to hang out with Santa and mom got to take as many pics as I wanted!! It was greatness! Multiple pictures and FREE. Who could ask for anything more?! P2 wasn't scared, in fact she was onto him....she kept tugging at his beard; his fake beard!! haha That's my girl!!
Introducing the BooBoo Lip
Oh, the many faces of my sweet P2. My fave is the BooBoo Lip. She does this when she wants sympathy and/or is feeling sorry for her little self.
Thanksgiving
It's been a few days since I posted anything, so I figured I better get on here and update. Not much is going on. Back to work today after 4 days off. Why does 4 days of vacation speed by, yet 4 work days drag on forever?! I thought I would get to relax and sleep in, but apparently P2 had other plans for me.
Since she's been teething and eating more solid foods now (YES, she is actually starting to like them!! She ate almost 4 cubes of carrots tonight!), she's been waking up several times a night. It's been like this for about a month now. Maybe longer. My baby who used to sleep from 8pm-6am is no longer. Now she's down at 8pm, up at Midnight, up at 2:30am, up at 5:30am...and that's on a good night. I haven't had a full nights sleep in such a long time that I really feel like the walking dead. Yet here I am on the PC when I should be sleeping! We're trying something different tonight, so I'm praying it works. It's 8:30 and she's still awake. Maybe keeping her up will encourage a full nights slumber. Ya, I'm not counting on it either. Normally when you try to outsmart a baby, you always end up being the one who was outsmarted. Am I right, fellow mamas?!
So anyway, Thanksgiving was awesome. Ate way too much! Everything was so good, especially my MIL's stuffing! It's actually Laura Bush's recipe for cornbread stuffing and it's SOOO yummy. I grew up with cornbread dressing (yes, I'm from CA, but the two generations before me are Texans!) but there is something wonderful about this recipe! I even had seconds, and I never have seconds of stuffing!
We took our annual family picture. It's neat to see how the kids have grown every year and to see what the weather was like that day! One year we had snow and it was awesome, but it made for a crazy picture since we take it outside!
Here are some pics of the day!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
UnThankful, is that a word?
Just got done reading (and writing) my last (few) posts and WOW, I must be in some kind of mood!! PMS maybe?! Skipped a dose of my happy pills? Maybe!! Holiday stress, perhaps?? IDK. Maybe a combination of all of the above. Well, since this is my blog, I'm allowed to whine and complain all I want. It's my blog and I will cry, bitch, and moan if I want to! So there!! :p Some things just continue to piss me off. Instead of continuing to dwell on them, it's nice to have an outlet for my gripes. I mean really, if your blog is all sunshines and roses, you're lying to yourself and everyone else. I have a good life, I have a great family, but sometimes things happen that you just need to bitch about and I think more people can relate to you when you do get your feelings out via the written (errrr typed) word.
So, in honor of Thanksgiving Eve, I'm going to start a new trend. Things I'm NOT thankful for this year!!! I urge you to make your own list! We can be nice and thankful tomorrow. Tonight I feel like being UnThankful.
1. My deadbeat father. Another holiday you've chosen to ignore your kids. Pathetic. When you divorce your wife, it doesn't mean you're supposed to divorce your kids as well. Man up and be a father.
2. Dumbass Drivers. (see blog post below)
3. Wells Fargo Bank (see blog post below below!).
4. Damn Flu, Swine and Ear infections. Leave my family alone.
5. Religious freaks who use books and movies as a platform to promote their religious agendas instead of enjoying them for the entertainment that they are. Especially when said freaks base their opinions on heresy.
6. To all the people who don't 'get' Twilight. Try reading it and forming your own opinion.
7. To the abusers (aka, her parents) who killed 5mo Briana. I hope you burn in hell and get exactly what you deserve when it's your time to answer for what you did. In fact, that goes out to all of the abusers of kids and women in the world.
8. To Twitter, ya, I'm on it, but I don't like it. It's a place for celebs to talk about how great they are and how they do nothing ALL day.
9. I'm totally unthankful that Alison's baby died and yet LQ's unwed daughter is knocked up for the second time by God only knows who. Makes me sick.
10. I'm also unthankful to all my friends who so desperately want children and can not have them for whatever reasons. It's sickening to see teenagers popping out kids like they were a Pez dispenser and yet good people, stable people who can provide a loving home can't even have one. That totally sucks.
11. I'm unthankful to the SAHMs who get foodstamps, CHIP, WIC or Medicaid or whatever form of public assistance. If there is nothing wrong with your ass, you should be working and supporting your children just as much as your husband OR baby-daddy. Why do I have to bust my ass at work and pay taxes so you can stay home and continue to have more kids you can't afford. Uuuggghhhhhhhhhhhhh.
*^*&%*&%&^% TEXAS DRIVERS
For those that don't know, I grew up driving in Southern California. Yes, LA. Yes, horrible traffic anywhere you go at anytime. From the age of 18 until I was 26, I never had anything resembling an accident. Nothing. Not even a fender bender.
Now, flash forward to 2007. I've had 4 accidents. Not to mention a ton of near-misses. NONE were my fault. One teenager pulled out in front of me trying to make a left hand turn and I t-boned her. I injured my shoulder pretty bad and messed up my car pretty good. Then a few days later, in the rental car, I was behind a guy in a truck who decided he would just throw it into reverse and before I could react, he nailed me. Totalled that car (cheapy car to begin with). Then one day I was heading to the office and I was stopped at a light. Suddenly someone ran right into the back of me, probably going 20mph. At that point I was beginning to think there was a freakin bullseye on my back. Then last year, wow, actually to the day, P1 and a pregnant me, were on the freeway coming back from seeing Twilight. There was traffic and of course we just came to a stop then suddenly BAM!! a crash to the back of my SUV. P1 and I were OK, but I was fit to be tied. I got out of the car and I let that kid (yes, another kid) have it!!! I was SOOO mad.
Well tonight, it almost happened again. I was on the freeway on my way home from work, with P2 in the car. I was merging onto one highway from another and there was a solid white line separating the two. As I'm going about 40mph, I see this little white car starting to cross the white line into my lane. I started laying on the horn and started bracing for impact. THANK GOD he slowed down and never crossed into my lane, but I just KNEW he was going to nail us, which would have had us slamming into a guardrail and possibly flipping over it down into the embankment. I shudder to think about what could have happened. I was shaking SO bad and for a fleeting second I thought about stopping the car, getting out and giving that driver (and his car) a piece of my mind. You know if you endanger my life, that's one thing, but when it comes to endangering my kids, all bets are off!!!
So, I'm giving thanks early. Thank you to my angels for keeping P2 and I safe, and that guy better thank his angels that this mama bear didn't get out of my car and whip his ass. THAT'S how mad I was.
For the record, Texas drivers- YOU SUCK!!!!!!!! Especially you 30yo boys in a truck who think you own the road and think that red lights and stop signs are negotionable!!! STOP RUNNING RED LIGHTS YOU IDIOTS!!!! Yes, traffic is LA is terrible but at least they know how to drive. When I went home for 2 weeks in July, I traveled from one end of CA to the other and not once did I see a single accident. When we flew back to TX, I saw an accident on the way home from the airport. I rest my case.
Letter to Wells Fargo
If swearing offends you, move on
Dear Wells Fargo,
You would think after 16 faithful years of my business you would cut me some slack when I overdraft my account three times, for a total of $4. YES, FOUR FUCKING DOLLARS!!!! WHY do you insist on charging me THREE seperate $35 FEES on the SAME FUCKING DAY?!?!? If you do the math, that is $105 dollar fee for spending $4 dollars. THANK GOD you are not my primary account/bank and I don't have 100% of my funds going to your institution, but as of today, I will not contribute a penny more into your deep pockets. If an account has ZERO in it, WHY THE FUCK DO YOU ALLOW TRANSACTIONS TO KEEP POSTING AGAINST IT ? Oh wait, I know. It's to BEND ME the FUCK OVER & charge me $35 EACH time for the priviledge. Well FUCK YOU, Wells Fargo. You can take your $-109 AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
November 24th, already?
Where has the year gone?? I can't believe this is the week of Thanksgiving. Normally I feel like I'm ahead of the holidays, but this year I'm WAY behind. I will say that I've started some of my Christmas shopping, but I'm nowhere near ready to decorate the house, have the girls Christmas pics taken, started my Christmas cards (OMG, I totally forgot that I'm making them by hand again this year!!), or have any idea what 'Santa' is bringing the girls this year. I think Santa is going to be VERY selective this year. P2 doesn't know the difference and somehow P1 has it in her head that Santa only brings 8 presents. Period. I think she reached that conclusion last year because on her note to Santa, on special paper that I found, there are only 8 blank spaces to write in her wishes. So 8 she will get. Works for me! P2 will probably get a ton of stuff from the relatives, but I think Santa is bringing her a FP Jumperoo. New or Used? I can't decide. I think since it's her very first Christmas, I will buy it new....although since she's so little, would she really know the difference? I would know, and for some reason buying my child a second-hand toy on her first Christmas just seems wrong. Am I crazy? Probably. Oh well, it's not about the gifts we receive or give. It's about our family being together, being safe, and being healthy. I'd say we have it pretty good right now....things could change in an instant.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
I heart Stephenie Meyer
If you don't know who Stephenie Meyer (SM) is, I ask if you've been living in a cave for the last couple of years?! Probably the same place I was a little over a year ago. SM is only the author of 4 amazing books. See that beautiful little poster over there with the girl and the two HOT guys?! SM wrote The Twilight Saga books. Two of them are now made into movies and the other two should be out next year and maybe 2011 if we're lucky! (if you really have never heard of them, go out and buy the books and get back to me in a week and let me know how obsessed you are!!)
Anyway, so why do I love SM? Well, last week http://www.thetwilightsaga.com/ was inviting all Twilight fans to ask SM some questions regarding New Moon. I think the window for emailing the questions was 12 hours and I squeaked mine in at the very last hour. Yesterday, the site was going to post those questions that SM so graciously answered! Much to my surprise one of the questions she answered was MINE!!!!!! WHOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Not only did she answer my question, but it's also currently posted on the front page of her website!!!!! http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/ Besides the birth of my second daughter, that has totally made my year!!!! THANK YOU STEPHENIE!!!!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Busy Busy Busy
It's getting to be that time of year. The Holidays. Thanksgiving is in less than two weeks and Christmas is fast on its heels. I'm SOO not ready this year. I think I say that every year, but this year is different, I'm trying to do everything I've always done, but this time I have a 7yo AND a baby!! I'm grateful, but I see myself busy every weekend from now until 1-2-10. This weekend was no exception.
It started Friday night with some cleaning I've been putting off all week. I don't know what it is, but I'm seeing a trend. I must get my second wind on Friday night even though I've had a serious case of dragonass by the time Wednesday rolls around at work! Yet, on Friday nights I get this burst of energy and want to get a lot of chores done before the weekend. So that's what we did. We cleaned.
Then on Saturday, P1 had a birthday party to attend and we were also invited to a picnic with M's family. Since they both overlapped, M took P2 to the picnic while I took P1 to the bday party. After the party was over, P1 and I met them all over there. It was fun, the cousins had a blast as usual, and the food was pretty yummy! It was another gorgeous Saturday so we were all thankful for that!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Cheetah Girls
