Yes, as a matter of fact

I am nuts.
That has been proven more than once!
This is the newest member of the Fishlock household.
Blaze.
Blaze Fred Fishlock as the kids have christened him.
He was already named as we adopted him. But of course my two had to add their own twist.

A friend on one of my scrapping boards had posted that she had adopted this little guy to keep her guinea pig company, but they did not get along. So keeping two seperate cages etc...she decided to look for a new home for him. C. saw the picture, has never really had a pet of his own. (K has been through hamster - and I believe it was her 12th birthday that she got the hamster, and fish, and really the dog is mostly *hers* except that I take care of her), and really really wanted him. So I caved.

I personally love guinea pigs, much more than squirmy hyper hamster and jumpy rabbits. Pigs are so social, and larger and easier for the kids to handle. You can hand feed them, and they *chirp* when they are happy. I also don't mind *helping* the kids take care of them.

We are presently in the honeymoon phase...so he is getting lots of attention. C. is over the moon for him...as you can see he customized his home with his name and hand drawn picture. He was up 45 min early today to come down and check on him, feed him - I came down there was a trail of lettuce pieces from his *house* to his food bowl, C says, in case he doesn't know where we put it. :)

So, it's all good. My heart just explodes when I see how happy C is, and how much he wants to take care of Blaze. Something he will always remember, and that makes me happy.

Mock-nachts

I do not deserve to claim my Pa. Dutch heritage.
Tuesday was Fastnacht Day.
A fastnacht is a type of donut made from potatoes. Fastnacht is a combination of two German words meaning "fast night.” Which is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Supposedly from what I could find on the web, an old German tradition said eating fastnachts on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday prevented boils in the coming year. *Interesting* I believe the jist of the tradition comes from purging the pantry of fats and sweets that would soon be forbidden for the period of Lent. And the only way to make a truly real fastnacht is to fry them in lard, yes, lard. Yum, honestly, yummy.
I can remember making donuts with my grandmother - I haven't done it in years. And - despite this rather convincing pictures, did not *really* do so this year.

See - these are what I will call - mock-nachts. :)
Thankfully Tuesday afternoon as I was sitting watching Food Network, Guy Ferri made this fried donuts for his breakfast show, and I said, aha! I can cheat! So off I went to the store to get biscuit dough....please don't tell my grandmother. Shhhh.....I cut the centers out, and friend them in the closest thing I had to lard, butter flavor Crisco sticks.
These were actually well received by the kids. Althnough explaining to them why we were making them wasn't as easy. "But why?"
Luckily, I have a wonderful job where I get to meet and spend time with some terrific older folks that still maintain their traditions. One of my patient's lives with her daughter who was making fastnachts when I was there on Tuesday. The smell outside their house when I got out of the car, took me back 25 years. Think of the smell of funnel cake cooking at a fair and miltiply it by yum x 4......she lovingly packed up a dozen for me to bring home. Not well received by the kids, the fastnachts are dense and not as sweet as a traditional donut. J. on the other hand, claimed they were the best he ever had. She was very pleased to hear that when I returned yesterday. And I asked to see the recipe. The scrapper in me flipped and wanted to get my hands on that recipe....she pulled out a small piece of notebook paper, marked and stained by years of use, folded, wrinkled, barely legible. This was a recipe she had gotten from an aunt who got it from her mother. This recipe is literally a 100 years old.
So next year - I may be making the *real* ones as well and honestly reclaim my heritage.

Obstacles

Souza : For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first,
some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.
At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
This persective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way.
So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one.


Grabbed this from another blog I haunt.
Interesting reminder not?
I've said before that as humans, and me inparticular, at times, spend way too much time emphasizing what is wrong in our lives and thinking we can't really be happy or enjoy life until this or that is gone/over/or fixed.
I've said it before, Happiness is relative.
Chose to be happy today, where ever you are in your life, what ever you are facing, or dealing with, FIND SOMETHING that makes you happy and focus on it.
(I am focusing on this picture today because it makes me happy)
Sometimes I think Satan tosses these obstacles in our way just to see what we do.
Will we blame God? (Satan's personal favorite) Our spouse, causing discord in our marriage? Will we resent a person in our life, and distance ourselves from them? Will we be angry with the world and make ourselves miserable for years?
The obstacles we face only have the power we give them.
Sure, we will be upset with certain things, but it is our ultimate reaction that will determine what we allow that obstacle to do in our lives.
I pray that we each take each obstacle as it comes, not allow it to become a road block in our lives but simply a detour, a new route and new outlook, and move forward.

Spring oh spring

If we do not seriously see some spring and get out of this house, I swear we may all kill each other.

add to that a 14 year old girl who has been cooped up since last weekend with a horrible cold, who is PMS'ing.....

and I pretty much want to run away from home.

Add to that a huge argument this morning, about doing the work she needs to make up for being out of school most of the week = grounded from using her cell phone.
Add to that - logging on to parent portal this morning to discover - the B/B- average she had at the end of last quarter ( Her best GPA ever in Jr Hi, and we praised and rewarded her well for it.....she only missed a B in one subject by few measly points) - this has now become D's in three of her subjects. Can you say = INFURIATED. No cell phone til the grades are up and I will start ticking off her other priviledges one by one, if I don't start seeing progress. If this it what it takes to get her to take it seriously, then so be it. This is one smart girl. But every time she starts to do well, she stops. Cold. We have done everything we can as parents to help her, guide her. The only thing I can not seem to tap into, and now I have drawn out the big guns, is her self motivation. I thought feeling good and feeling successful last quarter would help. But obviously instead of continuing the trend she chose to roll over and play dead.
I am ready to throw my hands up and give up. How can a child that gets A's and B's in math and science do SO poorly every where else?
MAn do I need to dig in some dirt. Instead I think I will go downstairs and sand the heck out of my new old buffet.

Quote of the day

From the wisdom of my weight loss counselor -

"If you always do,
what you have always done,
you are always going to get
what you have always gotten."

In other words, if you want things to change, YOU have to change something. You can not expect a different outcome when you continue to do the same things, make the same mistakes.
Yes, that means taking responsibility for yourself and your actions.

This weight loss class is totally different from any other weight loss I have attempted. And guess what? It's working! 9 3/4 lbs in 4 weeks. {3 lbs a week after the first week} I can't complain! AND I get more calories than on WW. 400 a day more! We haven't even introduced the exercise portion yet. It is all about, one on one , and CHANGING habits. She has no idea what I eat all week...none of her business, as long as I stuck to my calorie count. True behavior modification, homework assignments, which I already failed miserably at with my first meal this morning. That is how unconscious I have become with my eating. A real wake up call. At first I balked at the homework and journaling. ::::stomping my feet::: I don't wanna write it all down. Then I remembered her quote. If I am not willing to do something different to make the changes I want, how can I possibly expect to make anything change?
In the plan, we *set* a calorie count for our bodies. The key is hitting that count exactly every day. Not up, not down. Your body supposedly sets that point and as long as you keep it there, you will lose. It's working. :)
No none else in the room knows my weight just my lose or gain each week. I nearly balked at the small group atmosphere, but it makes me accountable. I can't just sneak in, weigh, get a "oh you didn't have such a great week" from the WW gal, and slip out again. This pushes me to evaluate myself much much more. Obviously what I needed.
We'll see, maybe soon I can post a pic of the "skinny me" -

This and that

First of all - Facebook is an evil evil place.
I am seriously going to have to try to limit my "lack of self control "self on that site. I get sucked in. And next thing I know, other things aren't done - like blogging.
I need to add that to my list of obsessions - right under mocha lattes and tequila.
Second - obviously my math skills are lacking cause in my "Putting myself out there" post i said I have been bloggin' 2 years - uh duh 2009 people, it is 3 years this March that I started blogging...duh.
And third, have had sick kids for a week now. K upped the ante with a fever yesterday. Coughing so much her ribs hurt. Out doing C's croup attack last week. I fear there may be a ped. appt. in our near future. We'll see....anyway....have to be grateful this is the most anyone has been sick since last year this time, so we are doing ok.

J came through on V Day big time! We don't exchange gifts, but this showed up in the garage while I was at work Saturday. I was tickled pink! A few weeks ago, I had seen it in the window of the second hand shop. We went in looked at it, I told J to come back later in the week and try to deal on it, and bring his truck. Well later came and went, the piece disappeared from the window and I figured I had lost out. Well I would love to say J got it and didn't tell me, which is what I first thought, but no, he happened to remember ( a feat for him alone!) and went to check on it Sat, and there it was in the back of the store! :) Lucky him and me! So now it is mine mine mine, in all my distressing painting glory! It shall be in the kitchen very very soon!
Gee and all I got him was a stinky little card.

And remember when I often say I would have four more boys before another girl, as my girl continues to prove my point by challenging my parenting skills at every turn....but then I see this and remember that boys come with dirt. So maybe I retract that statement and will just be happy with what I got!

and last but not least I will just label this -
"C was here"
The coveted center brownie.
:)
He is definitely mine.

Life with a 14 year old girl

K was staying over at my sister's last night because we were going to a friend's house to hang out, and there would have been no kids her age. Rather than listen to her complain all night, whine, and hover, she stayed with my niece. She was very happy about that. When we left her, she had a small sniffle, and complained that she was coughing but I hadn't heard one all afternoon. She had been in the bath tub for an hour and I didn't hear one cough.
she called about 10:00 I think to tell me her collar bone hurt from coughing (it still bothers her now and again since it was bruised in the accident) and she sounded stuffy. I told her to take some advil and put some heat on it. Not another word from her til....
4:30 AM -
Yes, you read that right
4:30 AM
We went to bed at 1 AM.
I pick up the phone....
K: (rasping stuffy voice) Mommy I'm sick and my head is killing me
Me: OK sweetie.....Um, I'm not there I can't help you.
K: I don't want to be sick because ::insert boy's name here:: wanted to come hang out today.
Me: You did not just call me at 4:30 in the morning to whine about this.
K: :::long pause:::::: {meaning that is exactly what she just did}
Me: ::trying to remain calm::: Do you want me to come home?
K: No!
Me: Well I can not help you from here, you need to wake Aunt Gigi up and tell her you need some medicine.
K: I don't want to wake anyone up {Obviously except me of course}
Me: Well, sweetie, if you want to feel better you are going to have to, and if I drive over to get you, you are going to have to wake someone up because the alarm will be on.
Kaite: Oh ok.
So I try to go back to sleep and can't. I call her cell in about 15 min. My sister had gotten her some sudafed and a cold towel for her head. I told her to rest, then lay and toss and turn for half an hour, wind up down here on the couch.
5:30 AM the phone rings again, JUST AS I AM GETTING BACK TO SLEEP...
K: Mommy my head hurts when I think :::tears::: Really it does....
Me: :::again trying not to implode::: Honey, same situation I can not help you from here.
K: I don't want to wake up Aunt Gigi again.
Me: well you need some advil. You know where it is in the kitchen. Go down and take some, you know what to take.
K: Oh ok.
Me: Sure you can do that?
K: Yes. Night.
So at 9 am this morning, I get a text.
"I am all better this morning. I just needed some sleep"
Yeah. Right. Aka ::::insert boys name here::: Can come over today::::
I text back - something along the lines of what a miracle etc.
I told her the sudafed at 4:30 am and advil at 5:30 am where most certainly still working.
"oh." comes back.
She has simply picked up the cold C and I have had all week.
After getting me out of bed that way in the middle of the night, no one will be visiting.......she needs to rest.
And that is just one glimpse at life with my 14 year old.

Here goes nothing

Only for Audrey,
and only for a $250 gift card,
I am "putting myself out there" -
Linking to the blog.
"Picking my favs"
Tough for me.
And it wasn't til I looked that I realize I have posted 434 blog posts! Woah!
But here goes....just a small sample of posts that speak to me or about me, which is what Audrey wanted,(see her link below I couldn't get it in the side bar) posts that would let new readers know more about me and "where I come from" - I have had to come to the realization that family are not the only ones that read the blog anymore. Too many friends have shared a post that touched them, with someone else, and that makes me smile. I don't feel some days like I do much to affect this big ol' world and those around me, most days I just struggle to love me and my life...so some days knowing something I said, made someone else smile, or nod in agreement , makes my day.
So in no particular order, but most likey recent to old since that is how I am going to go through the posts...
The sound you hear
Heavy Heart - have to include my posts about one of my favorite people in the world! It also links to another of my favorite posts about him.
Friendship
Life Lessons
Neena and Pappa
Young Love
My defender - my second post ever....3.14.06 Nearly two years ago..I read this now and realize really truly how far my daughter has come in the last two years. Brings me to tears.
Adoration - more proof that my patients affect me as much as I affect them.
Pretending - From the "keepin' it real" files
Would you Like - again Keepin' it real
Frustration
And to prove I don't let life get to me too much and have a sense of humor
Seriously
Unlikely Mentor because I had to include this
Normal - and last but not least this one probably exemplifies who I am and how I try to live my life more than any of them.



Well - that's more than ten and I never even thought I would find 5 !
Thanks Audrey for making me read back through these posts and smile, and realize how things have changed so much for us the last two years.

Pu-leeze

I am as "martha" as the next gal
I have been accused of trying to "out-do" more than once, and honest I don't, I just LIKE to cook and bake and make homemade things like that
- my neighbors think I go over board with a treat attached to a witty card at Christmas..
Kind of like Sandra Lee's "tables-scapes" she does on her show...Pu-leeze. I put out cloth napkins and my friends think I have lost my mind.
and keep in mind that I do love this gal and everything said, is in jest and really awe....she has taken the time to do this JUST FOR HER SON'S VALENTINE'S PARTY at school......she even had to go to school this week and take pics of all the kids in his class to do it! I love Melodee , {click the link to see her blog post} honest I do. She is talented and fun, and obviously loves her son a lot. That is evident. But then I have to ask myself, is this truly really necessary?? I think it is just as much fun and maybe even a better memory that my kids spend time either a) making their own valentines - which we have done, or b) taking the time to sign and address the store bought ones, taking the time to pick this one for so and so, and this one for her.....and then adding a small treat to each.
If I was less than as confident as I am in my parenting skills - cough cough - teehee....I could quickly feel very inferior, and not worthy.
But the really good thing? Parenting is not a competition.
I don't think her son is going to have any better memories of his elementary school valentine parties than my kids have.
And that, is a good thing.

'nuther fly by

Seems all I have time for this week is fly by posts.
Not feeling well.
Feel like someone has been sitting on my this week! Darn head cold. Sick kid. and Work.
Not seeing much of J this last few weeks, when he is home he is on the computer.
Starting to become annoying.
Miss him.
Just seem to be running in all directions lately, and our kids aren't even involved in all the things most kids do!
Lots of bloggy posts in my head swimming around. Anyone besides me think the mother of those octuplets had lip injections and looks way to similar to Angelina Jolee? Coincidence? I doubt. Thoughts about my "off the bell curve kids" but nothing is forming complete coherent thoughts lately.
A friend of mine is running a contest on her blog and wants me to participate. I am far beyond coming to accept that more than my mother-in-law and husband read my blog anymore...so I am going to ask my readers for help. I have to link to my "5 best posts" - in my true low self- esteem, I don't think any of them are particularly good...so I ask you, do you have a favorite post? A favorite style I use? Topic? Let me know, so I can pick this 5. I don't usually do contests on blogs, esp ones that make you link and increase blog traffic, but there is a $250 Target card on the line, and man, right now...that could go far!
Hopefully I will be back in all my whine-y bloggy wonder soon!

Sick humor

No, not *that* kind of sick humor -
humor from a sick kid.
C was up with croup all night, and I woke up with a frog in my throat. We have both been battling a head cold all week.
He just says, Mom what do you call a bee that can't make up it's mind?
A "maybe"!

So there is your sick humor for today.

This boy

He just cracks me up.
He is so much more chilled out that K. He is his father's son. Quiet. Doesn't say much.
Goes with the flow. There are times you can totally forget he is even in the house. K. you know she is here from the second she sets foot in the door. Amazing how the same DNA can produce such difference personalities. I wouldn't change either.
He still,even as he gets older - *almos*t 12 he will tell you - has the ability to just crack me up with some of the things he can come up with to say.
I will let you into our kitchen this morning. He was not too glad to wake up sporting the head cold I have had all weekend. He was lamenting and moaning.
Me:" It's just a head cold you can't do much about it, and not enough to stay home. Just have to deal with it buddy."
C: " Good thing it isn't a foot cold"
Me: "A foot cold? Why would that be worse than a head cold?"
C: "then I wouldn't be able to walk!"
Just keepin' it real. See it can always be worse!

Time on my hands

J is doing the Wii.

The kids are entertaining themselves.
I just finished altering a project for a treat for a friend.
I am stuffy and don't feel like doing anything else.
So what is a girl to do?
Surf the web for shoes of course.
This is what happens in the winter when we are trapped inside and I am a sloth.
There is a story here. I have a fab pair of the most comfy felt clogs. Got them in NC two years ago. Love love love them, but two years of winter wear has taken it's toll and they need to be replaced. They are Birkenstock knock offs, with a neat embroidered pattern on the top. Do you think I can find anything like them anywhere? Nope.
Then I was in the gyn. office yet again a few weeks ago and spotted a gal with a Fab-U-Lous pair of similar looking clogs but she had real three dimensional felt flowers sewn on! Oh. My. Lord. Cute but not gag-me cute, mature yet fun. I could barely contain myself. She was deep in conversation with the receptionist, and I got called back before I could ask her where she got them.
So I set out to try to find something online today.
Once again finding the abundance of excess of our society! Do we honestly need this kind of choice? *warning* "when I was a kid" rant ahead*
When I was a kid, even a teen. We went to Sears, had our choice of three or four pair of Roebucks and that was it for the season. We then also had the choice of only one or two styles of "sneaker" Even as a teen.....there was one shoe store in the Mall, PayLess came later, we wore what they offered...we did get more variety in the sneaker dept. but most of us spent the majority of our time in ked knock offs we called Bobo's......now a days...you can pretty much find anything you may be looking for to satisfy any mood you may be in!!
Well - let me tell you. This trip around the net was that an interesting little trip. I shall share with you a few of my finds, and will tell you NOT anything like I was searching for.


I would have clicked buy in a heart beat for these....only they only came in a size 5.5 Story of my life.These came in a close second until I read that they they had a 2 1/2 in platform heel. Pu-leeze. I will kill myself. *argh there is that darn hyperlink font again! I did not DO anything but type!* Oh well - read on....Now also keep in mind that the price tag on most of these shoes is at least near $100. And that is for 1/2 a shoe!I can tell you with absolute certainty I have never bought or worn a pair of $100 shoes. This pair is for when I am feeling a bit wild. Although on the right person with the right outfit I can see them working.I have no words for these, and am not even sure they are really shoes. Croc knock offs run rampant on the web I tell ya! Talk about fugly (which I just learned the origin of this word)I believe these may be 70's disco suit left overs. I may add them to my wardrobe soon.If you are interested there is a matching bag for this loverly pair. Once again...I am not sure what this is supposed to be? Casual? Dressy? Dressy croc knock off? Do I honestly need a pair of dressy rubber heels?I love red....but am not quite sure of the statement these are supposed to be making...."save me from myself" may be one....I have more money than I know what to do with may be another......These are kind of cool - maybe with a bit less contrast....I do have a similar cowboy boot look without being a real boot pair that I love.......so if I am "feeling a little bit country" - I love lime green but I really can also only see these being paired with a leisure suit, or some really sharp dressing hispanic woman who can pull this sort of thing off. I say that with the most love because some of those girls can wear the best colors and look good. I also see a characature of a 70's pimp in yet again a lime green suit when I look at these too...you know one of the characters from Barretta perhaps?I also love orange...but um, this.....I also love flowers, but would find these a bit tough to leave the house not feeling like someone should be putting me into a car seat - or be cute petite and way too perky and very annoying to all of the other PTA moms.
Interesting enough I believe I had a pair of these in the 80's when clogs were popular...I remember buying them after saving foreva and my mom never said a word about the height!Bought them at Merkel's stand in the sale. Damn I loved those shoes. I probably only teetered around in them maybe three times I bet though. Again if I am feeling a bit wild.As if crocs on the kids is not enough, let's embarass them even more...these came in a variety of garden creatures.....These are the "Betsy" something or other...when Betsy Ross dreamt up the red,white and blue combo of the flag, I am certain she did not have these beauties in mind....they also came in a variety of other rather eye opening shall we say color combos.These two pair are in the running. Keep in mind, I am looking to replace a pair of comfy slip on with your jeans and run errands clogs...I am NOT getting old and fuddy that I would not WANT a more exciting pair of shoes. Really. I had those silver ones in my shopping cart, but removed them.

Mmmmmm......

Courtesy of athousandsoups.blogspot.com
Perogi Chowder
On the menu for this weekend...wonder how it will be received around here....my fam is not well know for being culinarily courageous, but they LOVE perogies so think I can convince them to try it?

So if you love to eat go
Here
And here - (thanks Patti!)

Twitter

I don't get it.
Twitter.
It has taken me probably over a year or so since the invention of Facebook to join the masses, and still find that "status" a bit challenging. First of all, it seems to narcosistic to think that right now, and many people update many times throughout the day, all my friends really care about what I am doing. Then, there is that pressure - am I witty and funny this morning? Glib? Just out right honest and boring?
Then there is Twitter. This is a service that peo0ple literally post updates dozens of times a day! Now I am ..... and now I am sitting here doing.....
And anyone that wants to follow can even receive your "tweets" on their cell phone nd not even wait until they get home to read what you have been doing all day.
And a lot of times it is supposedly "busy moms" and yet they find time multiple times throughout the day to sit down and tell other people that there little darling just had a poopy diaper that nearly killed the dog. Many times, some of the blogs I follow, have folks reading their blogs that they never met and do not know, and are inviting these folks to "follow their tweets".
And I have to just ask Why? It is one thing if my family and distant folks want to know what is going on in our world on a daily basis - but do we have such a need to be popular and loved that we need to invite perfect strangers who once posted a nice comment on our blog to share our household moments? And I am busy enough, do I really need to be getting these "tweets" on my cell phone all day, just to know what you are doing? If you are truly my friend, and we need to talk, I will call you, and say "what are you up to?" - my problem even on Facebook is that I often am not calling anyone anymore because I aleady know what you were up to today because your satus and comments told me. I really do not think this is a healthy direction for our society to be taking, but who am I right? I am also the one wondering why we are bailin gout banks but no one steps up to bail out the farmer that just had to sell the farm because he just couldn't do it any longer? But hey, once again...who am I?
In other news....I cut my finger Friday.....with a serrated knife..not even my "good" knife...if it had been that one I would have been respecting it much more and would never have cut myself....honestly most certainly shoul dhave used a stitch or two...but I had a girl's weekend and I could not spare the time...so Sunday when I got home, and it was still oozing and coming apart ...I sent J out for some steristrips and I glued myself back together, and it actually feels so much better. I was trying to keep it immobile all weekend with bandaids and it wasn't working so well....
let me tell you how much having one fingertip out of commission is annoying! I have little mini condoms to keep it dry, but am padding it for work so it doesn't get bumped, because I am praying that it heals properly.
Stupidity at it's finest!