Happy New Year!

I'm a little early but that's ok. We'll be leaving shortly for a party and Erin is not going with us. Maggie (15) and Bernie (10) are spending the night watching Erin. A fun filled night of Anime. Yes. Anime. My 3 year old adores it so who am I to argue.

So they have thier munchies. They have beverage. They have movies. They have sleeping stuff. I get a few hours out.

Happy New Year all!

Mommy Tip # 2

In sticking with the Dishwasher tabs for the coffee pot - it's time to expand on that thought. Caked on grease or goo in a brand new pan and you don't want to subject yourself to yet another sacrifical pan? Hot water and liquid dishwasher soap. Let it sit for a few and VIOLA! Clean pan. No need to scrub.

Thanks to my Mom for that one.

3 year olds and mixers ... oh the fun

I had Erin help me this year with the baking. 4 batches of cookies and 21 coffee cakes. We tackled the cookies first.

You know that commerical where the kids are helping bake and the boys puts the flour in and turns on the mixer full speed? Flour everywhere? Its true. It happens.

Erin put the miser on HIGH and well, she and I were coated in flour. She was so upset but I assured her it was ok and we'll clean up.

The cookies turned out fine. As you can see, there is flour on the counter. A lot of flour. I am still sweeping up


This is my favorite picture of the day. She wanted to put the eggs in for me. Determined to crack them like me (one handed), she managed to get most of the egg in the bowl.


We had to dig some of them out but not much.

The look on her face is priceless.

"Eh - a little crunchy bit won't hurt"

Most Polite Kid

Erin is not afraid of Santa. In fact, she adores him. Here is Erin with Santa a few weeks back.

The AOH had a kid's party and low and behold, my kid knew exactly what to do. When her name was called, she marched right up to Santa and waited for HIM to pick her up. She smiled at the camera and thanked him for the gift. After, she even wanted to give him a candy.


For the family party on X-mas eve, "Santa" made an appearance. She sat and waited until he called her. She said thank you before unwrapping the gift and said it again AFTER she opened it.

Last night, she wanted to write Santa a thank you note because she loved her doll house so much. I love my daughter. She has manners when it really counts.

Christmas cold

Without fail, Tim and I have colds. The crappy kind where you feel like not moving and your head is going to fall off. Yesterday was our day off and well, being sick and having a legal day off blows. So today I'm going to whine a bit and then get over it.

The day after...

yet another Christmas done. Here's the results:

1) I ate way too much
2) I think I sprained my foot
3) Doll houses rock
4) No snow on Christmas is depressing
5) BRATZ suck
6) my foot still hurts

Over all it was ok - how could it not be with this kid:

It's only 2 more sleeps till Chirstmas...

And I feel like Scrooge today. I spent yesterday night making 22 Polish Coffee cakes. 15 small and 7 big ones. 3 1/2 hours with oven on and Erin making a mess on the floor. She had to help. I let her. And, I dropped one. But they are done and waiting to be wrapped for the family on Sunday.

I'm just in a Ba Humbug mood and don't really care at this point. I think I'm just done with everything. MOM QUITS!

Right now the only bright spot is that we ordered Pho (Vietnamese take out from Heaven). It's a treat for the office since the local joint closed and there is only 1 location 20 minutes away. So we plan this and someone hikes all the way out there. A plate of meat and 2 Vietnamese egg rolls should make me feel a bit better but I have to bake any more, I'm moving to Mars.

On a good note, the Coffee Cake went over well this morning and the guys liked it.

Concentration??

I feel like Bob Cratchit...
So its 3 days before Chirstmas.. I am at work for 2 of those days. Ummmmmmm..... I'm here physically but not mentally. Sure, I'm working but man, it is hard. Not to mention the office is freezing and I'm broke.

Erin had a party at school today - cookies, cupcakes, candy... THE WORKS! I wanted so bad to say "do you need help? Homeroom Mom? As long as I get the baked goods, no one gets hurt" but I didn't. I left sad and wanting a cookie.

I had to pull teeth in the office to get them to decorate this year. I brought the tree in and it became a joke for a while. Come on. We spend 9 hours in the office. That is more time than I spend at home. I want lights, I want a party. I want a break! Bunch of Scrooges

I'm going to wear the Santa hat tomorrow. Who cares - i need a little jolly in my life right now. Things keep getting worse and I need something to keep me afloat.

So back to the grind for 4 more hours, go home, bake till I'm done and do it all over again tomorrow. Now if Santa would only bring me what I'm wishing for.....

Lunch time sanity

I need to STOP every so often and eat lunch and not work. Go figure.

So today I caught up on Manic Mommies and found a new blog Behind Amy's Lens.

Nice work Amy!

Must be Winter

We just got back from doctor's office. Erin has another ear infection. She's in good mood but was complaining about her ear (not to mention a runny nose, sneeze, cough). To be safe, I took her to see McGravey. Yep. Ear infection. 30 minutes later we have the Bubblegum medicine and watching Hollie Hobbie.

Working from home is fine unless you forget to eat. Like me. I need to get some lunch. Cookies for breakfast just don't cut it. But they were damn good cookies.

Mommy tip #1: Cleaning the coffee pot

I hate cleaning the coffee pot. It's a metal thermos one from Starbucks. I can get my hand it to sort of clean it but face it, I don't have time.

Thanks to the wisdom of Carolyn (Coffee Goddess) -- use HOT WATER and and Electosol Tab (any dishwasher tab). Wait about an hour and WHAM! A clean coffee pot.

NOTE: We've only tried this on the metal ones..

Tornado hits London? Where's the Doctor?

I saw report on CNN that London had a tornado

I was looking for the Doctor in the air shots that CNN posted.. where is the Blue Police box.... mmmmmmmmmm

Bhhahhaha

This makes me laugh....




and this

blah blah blah

So yeah, I have a nothing to say.. well at least that I can remember. I always come up with the best things to comment about when I'm on the way to my car, on the drive in or home or when I don't have a computer.

Am I really all that boring?

Apparently so. In that case, I'm going to resort to a general boring update:

I learned how to crochet the Granny square. And, I even finished a small blanket for Erin. Christmas color scheme since its what I had. Not bad for a first try.

Thanksgiving was ok. No major issues and we did meet my brother's new girlfriend. I like her. She can stay.

And generally this is how I feel...

but the cats make me giggle...

Way too Early..

I was flipping though the radio stations this morning on the way in and radio has reached a new low. Star 102.5 FM is playing Christmas music already. Its a WEEK before Thanksgiving! Come on already... I can understand the day AFTER Thanksgiving I this is where I draw the line. We might as well go from the 4th of July to Christmas... skip Halloween and Thanksgiving or better yet... make it Christmas all year!

Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas especially now since I have a daughter. The wonder and awe are great the first 5 times and then it gets a little old. The stores are pushing the "holiday feeling" way too early and I want to gag everytime I hear "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"

Famous Statler Falcon Dies

http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=42464

totally local interest - I watch the Falcons from my office window and it is an amazing sight to see.

DiVinci Code...

not so good. Tom Hanks was good as always but.... I fell asleep.

PINK!

yes. it is pink. deal. i like pink. buhahahahhahahha

Traveling is strange

I've been gone from home twice this month and its only Nov 8. Nov 2 - 5 we spent in Kent, OH. Hotel sucked but Mike's Place rocked. Best food ever! 5 hours in the car with a 3 1/2 year old.. um.. I deserve a metal. Regardless. I was home for one whole day and then off again. Corp training was moved and its this week. I'm in Fairfax VA again (joy) and well, I feel like crap. I can't even enjoy eating on the company dime. Last night I made it into VA at 8 pm and finally ate dinner at 9 pm.. best sandwich ever! Pulled pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickle, mustard pressed on a seasoned roll.. mmmmmmmmm

I'm debating on eating tonite. I should eat something but i don't feel like it. Too bad I can't get chips or something. No snack vending machines and the Pop was $2! Yeah, that won't happen often. So I think tonight I will chill on the King size bed with my 6 pillows and watch Cable.

Best Costume

The best costume yet... A mom dressed as the orge Princess Fiona from Shrek.. ears and green face to boot!

Now thats what I call Halloween! You go mom!

Happy Halloween!

five houses.. five houses... yep. That's all thats giving out candy on my street. Sad. And we're getting little kids. This is not how I remember Halloween.

Anyways.. we've a dozen or so kids so far. No really good costumes but its chilly out.

I'm going to back to cathing up on work and handing out candy for the night. One more day till vacation!

It was a year without the Great Pumpkin?

With the aftermath of the October 12/13 storm, the latest news is that officals in the City and surrounding towns may cancel Halloween. Um. NO! Not in my book. My house will be lite and I'll be giving out Candy. Shame on you Officals. Shame on you. Do you think Parents are so stupid not use thier judgement on whether its safe to walk in thier neighborhoods? If parents says its OK, then 2 -1 they will be walking with the kids. Parents SHOULD be walking with the kids. Older kids should watch out for the younger ones and if the street is that bad, parents will probably take the kids to the Mall to go trick-or-treating.


For the kids who disobay or for the idiot parents who just don't care, those kids are out and about every night puting themselves in harms way. Halloween is just another night.

Halloween is going to happen - the majority of S. Buf is fine... I've got Resses, Hershery bars, Nerds and lots of the good stuff. I'll be outside waitning..

Its only Tuesday

Just got out of the dentist's office - 2 fillings and $39 later, I can't talk. Mouth is numb and I'm drooling. Joy. I hate the anxiety that surrounds dentists. Pain and money... ouch. But today, it was good. Dr. May was fantastic. I am actually not nervous about going next week. That must be a sign of the end.

Speaking of... I saw something today that made me laugh out loud. Near my office on Washington (i think), there is a club, Club Diablo. Yes. Its a goth like place. Now, the funny part is its 2 doors down from the Catholic Charities office. Need I say more?

The aftermath

Its now been 3 days -Friday we watched TV. Saturday, I made 3 gas runs to get Mom gas for the generator. Today, I'm going to loose it. Power isn't expected back on for NYSEG until Monday or Tuesday. National Grid until next weekend! Now, Mom and Dad don't have power - we suspect that NYSEG turned off the power to fix the rest of the grid they are on. I have a feeling they may do the same for us.

Amherst is still under a driving ban and has no power and most of Lancaster and Cheektowaga too. I have NO idea if DoodleBugs is going to be open tomorrow and I have no idea if the office is open. I hate not knowing.

images from the storm

These are some shots of the storm on my cell phone - not the best but ts what I have.

About 5 pm on 10/12 - it just started to stick

More of downtown -

Our street at 10:30 pm 10/12




The new tree in our back yard


The aftermath

Friday the 13th and State of Emergency

Good lord - its 6 am and got very little sleep. Let me tell you what has been going on for the last 12 hours:

I finally made it out of the office and to get Erin around 6 pm . It took me nearly 45 min to get to Daycare, normally a 20 min drive. Getting home was even more fun - slippery roads, changing weather conditions and crazy drivers.

Most of the evening was fine up until 9 pm. I heard some creaking out side and things falling. The tree in Roy's yard couldn't take the weight of the snow - it began to break and we have pieces in our yard. No damage. Just a lot of "oh my" comments.

I stood outside for 15 minutes or so listening to the erie silence of the snow, no traffic and trees creaking.

We woke this morning to find most of the area in a state of emergency and a travel ban. No power for some 300,000 homes and more than a foot of snow. Talk about a fun Friday the 13th! My hedges are FLAT!

First Snow of the season

Yes - it is October 12 and its snowing in down town Buffalo. Real snow... I like my mom's reasoning... 'NO - IT IS SOLID RAIN IN DIFERENT SHAPES'

i'm not ready for this...

Chicken a la Becker Farm

1 roaster chicken - about 3lbs
1 apple a la Becker Farms
some apple cider a la Becker Farms
salt
pepper
ginger
rosemary
all spice
carrots
potatoes

Gut and clean the chicken (and gross out the family). I use a little olive oil on the skin. Pour some Apple cider over the chicken. crush salt, pepper, rosemary and spread over chicken. Cut an apple and place pieces in the gut and on the legs (i only used about half the apple). Let sit in the fridge for a bit.

Cooking time - about 2 hrs at 350 (or so).
When ready to cook - get a roasting pan. put the chicken in and add a bit more cider to the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 1 hour
BASTE THE CHICKEN! thats the secret
After hour, get the fatty bits out of the juice and baste the bird one more time. Add in potatoes and carrots to the pot. Sprinkle with more salt, pepper, all spice and rosemary.
Cook for about another hour or until veggies are cooked and chicken is at least 165 degrees.

Remove veggies
Good luck taking the chicken out - mine fell apart
Eat and Enjoy!

Bedazzler is back!

Oh my god! The Bedazzler is back but it has a new name -- GeMagic. And wait... the Bedazzler is back too? NO!!! I'm so confused... why did the 80's have to come back??!!??? At least they are the same price...

New Look and a break

I know, I know.. I'm working on it. I'm not happy with it 100% yet either but its a start. I need to figure out the template that this is using (stylesheet based). I'm having an issue with the text right now so hang in there. Its a work in progress.. but its Halloween (Erin helped pick out the colors).


So yeah, I'm taking a break. 7 am today my daughter decides to throw up from coughing so hard (I get the same way). She wasn't right this morning so I kept her home just to be on the safe side - maybe catch up on some sleep. And she did - took a nap without me asking for an hour. Not bad. But, I've been working pretty much non-stop since 7:30 am. No lunch but I did take 10 minutes to prep dinner. Its amazing, I get more done when I work at home than I do when I'm in the office.

Lock your doors...

Lock your doors. Bolt your windows. There's something in THE FOG!
Downtown (ok - out my window near city hall and Niagara square and down near the arena) is covered in fog. just reminded me of THE FOG.......

Why not 1?

I think I have reached a new low in understanding the medical industry. Why can't there be an all inclusive woman's clinic where your doctor is not only your general Practitioner but your OB/GYN? Men get a single doctor - why can't women? Does it make any sense to have 2 sets of doctors? Many women experience issues during pregnancy that require their primary to intervene. More appointments, more waiting, more stress and aggravation. You have 2 (maybe more) doctors who don't see the big picture who don't really see what is wrong with you. Yeah, that makes me feel really comfortable.

And why do Medical office receptionists need to be so damned rude and mean? I called for a script so I can go to the dentist and I'm disgusted. Never have I been talked to in that manner. This is my fault? Please! Someone got up on the bitchy side today. There something called Customer Service. If you don't like you job lady, leave. Enough. You are the very reason why I don't go to doctors. Its hard enough to get an appointment but to get yelled at in the process.. no way.

On a side note - I talked to my Mom about the receptionist - its the Doctor's wife and she hates working there not to mention the fact the other girls in the office don't like her either. It still doesn't excuse her attitude.

Week in Review

Must be Saturday - I'm blogging. So, we have some important news from the world of Mel

1) My office will be moving - WE GET NEW DIGGS!: We're moving to the Larkin building - a historic building in Buffalo that used to be a soap factory and was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was renovated a few years ago for a total of $65 million and well, it shows. Its a great building

2) Heading of to Virginia yet again - just a day trip but I'm not looking forward to it. 6am flight out and home around midnight.

3) Like some of my girlfriends (sam and lil), my pants don't fit either. I'm down about a size which is great. Mine is not a result of stress or school but lack of money. I'd rather pay my bills and feed my kid than eat. Lunch is over-rated

4) Dental work - If I start talking funny in the next few weeks, I'm having some dental work done. Don't laugh at me..Remember, I cook dinner and dessert for some of you.

I have a few rants I'll post in a bit but I need more coffee. Its the only thing helping the sinus/cough thing that really hurts and I feel like crap.

Day 4

today i officially didn't care - TV, lunch, playground, nap (yeah!) and Disney. No outbursts, good kid, rash is better (but the butt). I even cut the lawn on my 'lunch'. I get an hour lunch so 30 min at the playground, 30 cutting the lawn. No food, but my lawn is cut.

Day 3

Better today (thank god!).

Managed to get work done and entertain a 3 year old. Ran 2 errands, skipped lunch and made dinner. Rash is better but her poor butt is still pretty bad.

Now if I can just get those SOWs out and review the support issues, I'd be better.

2 down .. 3 to go..

So Monday was a hellish day. Erin had been sick this weekend, little fever, crabby and complaining of Bubbles in her mouth.

Monday I take her to school (no fever since Saturday early morning) and as I'm about to leave, I spot them - little spots on her hand. Not bug bites, not boo-boos... but blisters. Damn...

Off to the doctors (and a paniced daycare - like illness hasn't happened). Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (again). Last bout as in June of 2004 (I remember because it was my birthday). So that means - home with Erin while she is contagious. All week. She should be ok by Friday to go camping but I don't know. We'll see. Once the spots appear, its usually safe but because its viral, Daycare centers want to play it safe. I totally understand but my sanity is short.

I'm gonna loose it.

So the end of day 2
No Nap
2 screaming matches
Reset the 'who makes the rules' boundry (yeah, I do make them)
and its 7:18 and she's out cold.

I hope she sleeps through the night. I need some me time. I love my daughter, I really do. But Its difficult to work 8 hours, watch her and make sure she's NOT gluded to the TV.

If I were a SAHM, it would be different. I could do activities with her, play games, do stuff. Not so much when I have clients screaming that they need custom work now and support issues in limbo. Good god, can the universe survive without me for a day so I don't loose my mind?

a note from Erin

ernhtiko896wtew555r6565rtr4yy677668867676766687574tyytyutt5u6t5tu6
y57tytyftyttytyfygtytgyutyyfytyryrtyfdtttfyfyzxct7yyr7er676erw747r ettee455eaaatu78r7ut11gftfdtt5rtfutifyu77uuugtutj re5frerttyr4545tt43t643et34r45353445653ewqi45765tr5rsxdsrdsrzda6 wgyddds
vbnmqwerrtyuiop1233
zxcvcvbnmasdfghjklqwertyyyyytyuioiop12312345567ye53ry46y45yt65r7r r4757r7h
gtdg

dyugger3fte4r34te353twyt5drgde64re533trre5e53yr3wyhert4tftry6tgdtffr5 rwduhffu7

44wtetrstctrddtdgfdhggdgdydyehdegdfdewetwhwyrfyufuft7rt6uttu55uztvgg fftffww

hfyhgjyhyuyhuyuittuutt7590khfkttrjyrjky tifyt66788990tfjrjggtkgwj3gfgyuhkjuvgjffcxnfcdhxzzjmcnccjvvlvlfogohhohhhh hhyhj ,nhnnmlmjjupbhhknhbjlnh.jjuinnjljhmjjym.kjlcc vl gfklfltlvlhkkhhkktrrtt5ghtu6t75c7r4r45te21uuxeuyr6r6tcxdsuaqw21quwwqqq
hrude8u5ir5i4r8948589rr5f5tyy6bhutgtyyryddufdeyfucduuixxjxnvbvjnurfiiw2fdg
yttyytyytyytyytyytytytytytyttrttryrterdur7e744y74545y7556ttgtrrrr47re34
rruuttrxtrdtetrst4e6r45re 5trdtxxeeeeeeeegfrnnnnfsggdfteeftegedtdtef4eyr
twqgtee5e5ewe55wtw6teee4qrfre3wtttfsfstwtswgeftgfrdr jiutiuyjyu5tu7yytttty hb egdftdfttr35etrereretetdtette5533232rats
4rtr4g44tfj8tyu887867y8u8887988677786f7i76y76879u88

yr4ryytgu6t5yt5t8rt57yt7reeyt6fy46r44y45yyy756uu6turtftrgredtr4t4645t5
That is from Erin - she wants to type like mommy. My kid86u58u rocks.

Saturday with the Clan

Saturday was a big day for the family - every late August/early September, South Buffalo holds a Feis. A feis is like, well.. a party. Here's what was there:
Bands
Irish Dancers
food
expo of local shops and services
lots of drinking

The point of the Feis is to rekindle the idea of "shop in your neighborhood". The shops and services all set up tables and give you free stuff (pens, balloons, chapstick, waterbottles,...).

For our family, its a time to all come together. My husband's family sees friends from the neighborhood they haven't seen a while so its kind of like a old homes day. If you gre up in South Buffalo, you go to this.

The only problem this year - it rained. alot. And my kid loved it. She didn't care. We danced in the rain my daughter and I and world watched and wondered at our insanity. I had my daughter and she had me, I didn't care.

So after 10 or so bands, 3 dance troops, 5 drinks, 4 trips to the playground, 3 rain stalls and one creepy guy who hit on Brigy's friend, we called it quits. Erin passed out at 9:30 on the ground next to her cousins. It was a pretty picture.

The New First Grade: Too Much Too Soon?

I was taking a break and saw this Newsweek article: The New First Grade: Too Much Too Soon?

This must stop!

"Sept. 11, 2006 issue - Brian And Tiffany Aske of Oakland, Calif., desperately want their daughter, Ashlyn, to succeed in first grade. That's why they're moving—to Washington State. When they started Ashlyn in kindergarten last year, they had no reason to worry. A bright child with twinkling eyes, Ashlyn was eager to learn, and the neighborhood school had a great reputation. But by November, Ashlyn, then 5, wasn't measuring up. No matter how many times she was tested, she couldn't read the 130-word list her teacher gave her: words like "our," "house" and "there." She became so exhausted and distraught over homework—including a weekly essay on "my favorite animal" or "my family vacation"—that she would put her head down on the dining-room table and sob. "She would tell me, 'I can't write a story, Mama. I just can't do it'," recalls Tiffany, a stay-at-home mom. "

Wait a minute! She is how old... lets review: "But by November, Ashlyn, then 5, wasn't measuring up. " FIVE YEARS OLD!!!


"In the last decade, the earliest years of schooling have become less like a trip to "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and more like SAT prep. Thirty years ago first grade was for learning how to read. Now, reading lessons start in kindergarten and kids who don't crack the code by the middle of the first grade get extra help. Instead of story time, finger painting, tracing letters and snack, first graders are spending hours doing math work sheets and sounding out words in reading groups. In some places, recess, music, art and even social studies are being replaced by writing exercises and spelling quizzes. Kids as young as 6 are tested, and tested again—some every 10 days or so—to ensure they're making sufficient progress. After school, there's homework, and for some, educational videos, more workbooks and tutoring, to help give them an edge. "

Now I'm all for learning how to read... the key word here is LEARNING. They are 4, 5, 6, 7 year old kids.... Give them a chance to learn. I love reading with my daughter and neices and nephews. Hearing them read aloud is great. Helping them read is even better. Sound out the word - and yeah, I will help.

"Parents are acutely aware of the pressure on their kids, but they're also creating it. Most kids learn to read sometime before the end of first grade. But many parents (and even some teachers and school administrators) believe—mistakenly—that the earlier the kids read independently, write legibly and do arithmetic, the more success they'll have all through school. Taking a cue from the success of the Baby Einstein line of videos and CDs, an entire industry has sprung up to help anxious parents give their kids a jump-start. Educate, Inc., the company that markets the learning-to-read workbooks and CDs called "Hooked on Phonics," just launched a new line of what it calls age-appropriate reading and writing workbooks aimed at 4-year-olds. In the last three years, centers that offer school-tutoring services such as Sylvan Learning Centers and Kumon have opened junior divisions. Gertie Tolentino of Darien, Ill., has been bringing her first grader, Kyle, for Kumon tutoring three times a week since he was 3 years old. "It's paying off," she says. "In kindergarten, he was the only one who could read a book at age 5." Two weeks ago Tiffani Chin, executive director of Edboost, a nonprofit tutoring center in Los Angeles, saw her first 3-year-old. His parents wanted to give him a head start, says Chin. "They had heard that kindergarten was brutal" and they wanted to give him a leg up. "

OK - Number 1 - BABY EINSTEIN SUCKS! They have proven that. Its not good for babies. No TV is good for kids. My mistake there but I'm a sucker for Seseme Street but I watch it with her and talk to her about whats going on.

Number 2 - "heard that kindergarten was brutal"... oh yeah - snack time, and nap time and story time... brutal. I want to go to school with daughter and have nap time.

I have about had it with the idea of giving the kid a leg up - a chacne to get ahead. Please! They are kids. They learn more by play and experience than by workbook. Erin is 3 1/2 years old - learning letters because she wants to write like mommy. She is counting and learning simple math (I have 3 cookies and I ate 1 - now have this many - holding up 2 fingers - I'll save the others for later). I didn't force that on her.. she wants COOKIES!! She wanted to keep a few for later.
"If you push kids too hard, they get frustrated," says Dominic Gullo, a professor of early education at Queens College in New York. "Those are the kids who are likely to act out, and who teachers can perceive as having attention-span or behavior problems." Why does this sound so familar? Do you think that so many kids are diagnoised with ADHD and the like is because of the educational system?

In this age, we should be letting Kids play - socialize, fall down, get back up, take naps, run around, learn about bugs, figure out right and wrong, learn how to cross a street. I will not let my daughter get school burn out by the time she is in the 3rd grade. NO! NO! NO!

Labor Day

We're all home today Labor Day. The plan? Laundry. Nothing fun, nothing exciting. On a free day off, we do house work.

Erin Tim and I all work up at about 6:30 am (normal time to get up) and Erin and I are chilling on the couch. Tim is trying to sleep. I already started laundry and well, suddenly became very depressed.

Labor day always meant starting school, new clothes, new paper and pens, new shoes, new bag and seeing old friends. A chance to start new and try to do it right this year. Now that I'm done with school for some 10 years now, I miss that. I have to go back to work tomorrow to same old office, same old desk, same old clothes. No chance of renewal. The slate is never wiped clean and doom is always lurking - bills, insurance, housework, clients, emails....

For adults, we are caught in this constant spiral of looking to start over and it just gets darker, like the weather. Labor day also signals the start of fall.. gloomy skies, earlier nights, last of the fall harvest. That crisp fall smell I remember is gone.

on a high note - Yankee candle is carring my favorite scent. They are calling it WICKED this year.... at least I have that to look forward too..

Dane Cook- The Catholic Religion

This is another one that got me laughing... and its so true.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Thanks to Michelle for passing this one along.

Master of Horror has returned

wow, talk about a flash back. I got found on My Space by my old boss and horror partner in crime.. Tommy K... master of Horror and Sloan Gangsta Rap (heheh)

Tom was my boss at Spencers - best boss ever!

Turns out, he has his own store finally - Rotten Jack's Creep Shack

For those that know me.. this is normal. For those that don't, I am a Halloween/Horror junkie. As soon as Oct 1 hits, the Halloween totes come out. I'd start earlier but hubby has his limits. Even Erin got into last year and she was only 2!

This year, I introduced her to the Lemax Halloween village "Mommy - we have to get that! Get that one... ohhh.. get that one... ". I love my kid.

I digress... Tom had the best Halloween Parties know on this side of the lake... even the bathroom and attic were decorated. The Bathroom for Christ's sake.

This was one year ... I don't remember which, they all tend to blend together. Tom is the Umpalumpa and I was Jack the Ripper's Victim.



Damn.. I wish I had a picture of Tom as PRINCE....(giggle)

Oh My

 

This just made me laugh..... 

Home in One Piece

We made it home from War in one piece. Just a few minor injuries but nothing big (blisters, sore muscles from walking and sunburn).

War was fantastic! we managed to see 1 battle - the heavy weapons Town battle. And to make it better, I got to see Sam on the field...

So - some things to note from Pennsic XXXV
1) Goat Milk Fudge
2) Hawk Muffins
3) Willam Shattner followed by Marilyn Manson
4) I can't drive 55 (or under 75 come to think of it)
5) Wine = making friends
6) a gallon of Rum.. need i say more
7) Zigging when I should have zagged twice
8) 'blood' water
9) middle eastern is HOT!
10) uphill sucks
11) I need new shoes
12) Yurt is a funny word to say
13) Henna should smell like fresh Hay....
14) MORWENNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
15) More Garb is good
16) need a carpet for the tent
17) More Garb.....

Off to War

I think I have everything... I think. I did some last minute food shopping yesterday and all I need to get is bottled water and ice. Oh.. and Woodchuck.

Clothes - I have enough and I just need to finish the Linen.
Shoes - got em
Food - Check (Sammy.. i have a surprise for you.....)
Dwelling - Yeppers
everything else - I hope so.
PreSchool is paid for
Tim and Erin have food
where the heck are my needles???

Trunk is empty and waiting and I'll be packing in the dark to leave by 7 AM. What in the world possessed me to do this??? All I hope is that my cold is bansihed by Spirits and the weather stays nice....

Cube

I gave in today. I made myself a cube for work. Yes, I want walls damn it. My desk is right near the color printer and its loud, not to mention that my desk is in a cubby open to the floor. Noise noise noise.

So - i moved the bookshelf and moved a freestanding cube wall that there and VOILA! A little space for me. I even have room for a chair. I hate not having my own space. Now, if I only had a door

Never in a million years

I took Erin to the park yesterday to get her 'wiggles' out. Caz park is a nice size and there is a lot to do. There was a party in the park and an argument erupted with some pretty foul language. The 4 sets of parents around looked over and laughed it off. The kids didn't care and the one party member was horrified. I ended up talking to one of the moms while Erin was playing. Not a big deal.

Erin wanted to go see the water so we walked by the creek. The one mom was also headed that way due to her kid. We talked a bit more (weather, the kids) and she asked if I was single. I said no. This peeked my interest. She went on to tell me that her brother wanted to know - he saw me and thought I was cute. I was cute.. I GOT HIT ON!!! A 31 year old overweight married mom!!

Never in a million years...

Feeling Old

Last weekend, we went to the Strong Museum in Rochester which got me remembering my childhood and toys and shows. One of the girls I work with (Michelle) is just about the same age as me and sent me a "you know you were a kid in the 80's" list. I almost peed myself.

So for your enjoyment, I found 2 to share

You know you're an 80's kid if
How to know if you're an 80s child
You might be a child of the 80's if...


Here is just a sample
You're an 80's child if...

- You wanted to be on StarSearch. (Come on, we all did)
- You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off. Or even when he had those freaky eyes in "Thriller" at the end of the video.
- You wore a banana clip or one of those slap on wrist bands at some point during your youth.
- You wore french rolls on the botom of your splatter painted jeans.
- You had slouch socks, and puff painted your own shirt at least once.
- You owned a doll with 'Xavier Roberts' signed on it's butt.
- You knew what Willis was "talkin' 'bout."
- You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, Wax off."
- You can name at least half of the members of the elite "Brat Pack."
- You can remeber watching full house and saved by the bell for endless hours.
- You have seen at least 10 episodes of Fraggle Rock.
(SIDE NOTE: They are out on DVD now, and yeah, I own them)
- You know that another name for a keyboard is a "Synthesizer."
- You hold a special place in your heart for "Back to the Future."
- You know where to go if you "wanna go where everybody knows your name."
- You thought Molly Ringwald was REALLY cool. (Was there an 80's movie she WASN'T in?)
- You know what "Sike" means.
- You fell victim to 80's fashion: big hair, crimped, combed over to the side, and you wore spandex pants
- You wanted to be a Goonie ("Goonies never say die.")
- You've heard of Garbage Pail Kids.
- You knew "The Artist" when he was humbly called "Prince."
- You actually saw Ted Danson as the MacDaddy he played "Sam" to be.
- You ever wore flourescent -neon if you will clothing...(or nailpolish)
- You could breakdance, or wished you could.
- You know who Max Headroom is.
- You remember when ATARI2 was a state of the art video game system. (Remember Pong)
- You know all the words to "ice ice baby".
- You remember M.C hammer.
- You can still sing the rap to "fresh Prince of BelAir".
- You own any cassettes.
- You were led to believe that in the year 2000 we'd all be living on the moon.
- You remember and/or own any of the CareBear Glass collection from Pizza Hut.
- Poltergeist freaked you out.
- You carried your lunch to school in a Gremlins or an ET lunchbox.
- You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the ONLY female smurf.
- You wanted to communicate with some being named Cinergy, or you wanted green hair like that lead singer of the Misfits.
- You know what a Doozer is.
- You wore biker shorts underneath a short skirt and felt stylish.
- You ever had a Swatch Watch.
- You had a crush on one of the Coreys (Haim or Feldman).
- You remember when Saturday Night Live was funny.
- You had WonderWoman or Superman underoos.
- You wanted to be The Hulk for Halloween.
- You Believed that "By the power of Greyskull, you HAD the power!"
- You thought that Transformers were more than meets the eye.
- You know what a "Whammee" is. ("No Whammy, no whammy, stop!!")
- Partying "like it's 1999" seemed SO far away.

Sunday Morning horror show

Erin woke me up at 7:30 am - that's sleeping in. She wanted to watch cartoons. Thank goodness for PBS and the Canadian channels for airing kid's programming that early.

So now its 9 am and we've moved on to My Little Pony videos. Man, they are bad but I just can stop watching them.

As long as she's quite for another hour and I have coffee, I just don't care.

One Brave Kid

For those that have been to the Sterling Ren Fair in Sterling, NY (near Oswego) you have seen the goose neck slide. Its pretty long. I'm not quite sure of the length its quite a distance. You actually have to go up 2 flights of stairs to get to the top of the slide. Then you plop you r butt down on a rug, wait till the person ahead of you is at the bottom and then you slide.

Now, Tim and I both did this. We gained a bit a speed going down (thanks to gravity). It was fun and refreshing..

Erin made us. She road this thing like 6 time ($2 a ride x 6 - you do the math).





I was able to get proof that Erin road this all by herself. She was a champ. Not once did she cry or get scared. The only problem was her asking for me to carry her back of the hill. Not in this life time.

Road Trip Signs

I made Tim stop on the way home from camping to get a picture of this street name. Its PREEMPTION ROAD for Christ's sake. What is is preempting?

home in one piece

We made it home. A little worn and tired, but rested. First, thanks to Saturn - I have an Ion. Its not a big car at all and we got in
tent, tarp, 3 chairs, cooler, 2 bags of clothes, box of food, cleaning supplies, 3 duffel bags, 3 pillows, camping stove, propane tanks (the little ones) and some random stuff for Erin. We got it all in (pictures to follow). And to top that, we got it all BACK in the car on Monday (minus some food and plus some extras). Kick ass mileage in this gas craze. Thank you Saturn.

Back to the trip. All went pretty well I think. We stayed at Fair Haven State park. Its one of the top parks in the nation and it shows. We picked a different section this year and it happened to be a predominant Camper/trailer section. There was our little tent in the midst of all the campers. Friday - Set up - no issues. Ground was a little hard but we made due. It was at this point, we needed a break. HEAD TO THE BEACH. Lake Ontario was great - not deep and warm and we got Erin in. Sand castles were put on hold and she didn't want to get out of the lake. Neither did I.

Tim ended up getting a ton of wood and most of it was still pretty green. Creating fire was a challenge but we did it. Hot dogs over real fire are so much better.

The rain came. Not metaphorically - literally. It started to rain Saturday morning. After Erin and I got up to make breakfast, it started to sprinkle. Not a big deal, we can walk the Ren fair in this. Yeah, so God laughed at me and it started to pour. CALL NOAH! I NEED AN ARK!

Water was just streaming past and under the tent, seeping in and pooling on the rain guard. On to Plan B - The Strong Museum in Rochester. This place is GREAT but not on the weekend. Way too many people and Erin could hardly get a turn on some of the play areas.

We ventured back to the camp site and found it wasn't too bad. Some water in the tent but thanks to a handy dandy mop I bought on the way home, I saved the day. But, I wasn't cooking. A trek to Oswego diner was a life saver.

Sunday proved much better. A great day at the fair - Pirate weekend and Erin had a blast. A few break downs but she's 3. I ended up carrying her a lot since there is a lot of walking and 'too may peoples' for her to deal with. The big draw for her was the 'slippery slide' - the goose neck slide. I think she did it some 5 or 6 times. Erin and I took a camel ride (way cool) and all 3 of us did the maze. She even made friends of one of the workers - Erin rode the CARROSOLL 2 times and it was way too muddy and she was the littlest one. The one worker picked her up and carried her. She 'loved' him and was taken with her.

The trip home we tried something different. We took 104 thru to Rochester and of course made a stop at Millennium. I am the best wife ever - i let Tim loose in the gaming store.

Now we are home - sore and a ton of laundry to do. Half was done yesterday and I need to finish putting everything away. The tent is gross and needs to be done soon. I'm camping again in like 2 weeks.

So to sum up the Vacation:
Need a bigger car
Remember to bring more pants for me and Erin
Put everything in Totes
Don't put juice boxes in the cooler by themselves.
make sure the tent is flat on the ground
A rug is not a bad idea for inside the tent
I am a walking Buffet for mosquitoes
Raccoons like fruit snacks
Bring anti-itch stuff along
More towels

V-A-C-A-T-A-T-I-O-N

As of 5:30 PM, I am on Vacation -- an honest to god Vacation. 5 days of no work. well, more like 7 days.

Wed - Oild change, Lunch with Hubby, Erin's Dr Appt
Thurs - Shopping with Hubby and prep for travel
Friday - Leave for Fair Haven and camp
Sat and Sun - REN FAIR!! and Camping
Monday -- Come home
Tuesday - Recoup....

No email for 3 days. YEAH!!!!
But - I am taking a 3 year old camping for the first time. First tent sleeping, first time more than one day without the TV... yeah, I'm insane.

Always room for one more?

So, I was giving Erin a tub. She's 3, she has an imaginary friend. Enyo. It started out as a boy the she corrects me and tells me its a girl.

Now, the name was starting to sound familiar. Where have I heard that name before??

Thank you Google:

ENYO: Goddess of War, Blood and Violence - not surprising as she's a close relative of War God ARES. It must run in the family. Although no-one is quite sure whether she's his wife, daughter or sister. (When the Romans adopted her under the name BELLONA things were just as confusing.)
Her best friend is ERIS and she's also one of the GRAEAE sisters (perhaps an honorary member?). In short, ENYO is horrid and horrible and best avoided unless you enjoy that kind of thing.

Um.. I'm in trouble. I always said she was either the anti-chirst or the savior. I think I know what side she's on.....

Farmers Market

A HUGE bag of apples for $2, a homemade loaf of sourdough bread for $2.50, a sweet onion for a dollar and a medium bag of KettleKorn for $3 - not sharing the KettleKorn with your office mates... Priceless.

Darwinism in Action

Life has reached a new low - have parents forgotten how to teach thier kids to CROSS THE STREET?!

I was coming up on Main st which has the Metro Rail - young couple with baby in tow decided to cross the street - daddy was having issues with the stroller and needed to backpedel a bit... mom, not paying attention is standing in the MIDDLE of the road... not looking at the lights... and it turns green. Now, to make like easy, we have done away with WALK and DON'T WALK. The signs are now the little man walking and a red Hand indicating Stop. Simple? I think not.

The Cross walk was already on the red hand when she started to cross the street -- dad was still on the side walk. Yeah yeah - pedestrians have the right away... but crossing against the light doesn't cut it. I honked at her to let her know the light had changed... and she proceeded to Stop and yell at me.

When I was a kid, I was taught to play it safe when crossing the street. Cars are bigger than you.. then can squish you. Now, I see kids not even looking when they cross the street. They just dart out. And parents get irate at drivers because they should have been more cautious. How the hell can we see through the SUV thats parked in front of your house to see a kid run out into the street? Apparently common sense is being bred out of the gene pool.

Case in point - there is a street that many kids walk on near my house. There are no sidewalks for part of it, but mostly, there are. They walk in the MIDDLE of the street, zig zag with thier bikes.. and flip me off when I'm trying to drive down the street on My Side of the road. Its not a busy street, cars are frequent but mostly just those who live in the area. Why the hell must these kids deem it necessary to stand in the middle of the road just past the stop sign and no nothing. I can a hocky game -- fine. Baseball, fine. But standing in the middle of the road for no reason? The teenagers are worth 25, bikes 10, and skateboards 15.

I'm not the grummy old lady on the street... just someone watching Darwinism in Action.

Cookie Monster!

I may be 31 now but I love Cookie Monster... so my daughter in her infiniate wisdom wanted to get me Cookie monster from Build a bear. Topped with party hat and sound, I love it. She event had to add shorts for it like Daddy... my kid rocks.

Ear-aches and a 3 year old cont,,,

Its a minor ear infection - our first. This means the crappy pink fix it medicine has become the fight of the moment. It tastes awful so I don't blame her for not wanting to take it. 10 days of this.... will a doctor please make this easier!?!

Ear-aches and a 3 year old

I have a moment of peace so I blog, i'm an idiot. Regardless, last night before bed, the dreaded Ear-ache monster made its way into my little house. It took him 3 years to make an appearance and kept us up till like 2 am (well more like 3 am for me).

Bear seems fine but I have never seen her cry in pain like that before. She's quiet for the moment, watching PBS. Still going to the doctors because this is not the norm for her. Colds, coughing, not a big deal. Ear ache - thats new.

And I'm taking a sick day to snuggle with her.. HA! yeah, I'll still be online since apparently, life can not go on without me.

Atleast I have coffee.

Mother Nature 2 - SCA event 0

Now I knew that we were chancing it in May for a camping trip. Northeast weather can vary in the spring time. For War practice, it rained and it was COLD.

I decided to give an event another chance. The Brass Ring thing is a fundraising event along with a Demo. There is a carousel Museum in North Tonawanda which holds a Ren fair every year (just 1 day) to help raise awareness for the history of the carousel. Its outside.

forecast for today ----- Rain and T-storms.

My 3 year old wants to dress up like a princess/pirate...

Mother Nature, all I ask is that when we go to the Ren fair in July.. PLEASE LET IT BE NICE!

Jimmy Hoffa is the 20th Century Holy Grail

I was driving home yesterday listening to NPR. A brief story about the search for Hoffa came on. They had yet anotehr tip from a dying inmate that led them to a Michagan barn. The Feds promptly tore up the barn.

Are we so desperate to find him? It feels like the search for Hoffa has become the new quest for the Holy grail. Will finding Hoffa make everything better? Will there world peace? No hunger? No Poverty? No - if they do find him, it will more tax payers money to rebuild/fill in whatever they destroyed and all they will have are some bones. He won't talk... let the man lay where ever he is.

Road Trip

This weekend, I took a long overdue road trip with my best girlfriend. No husbands, no kids. Just Thelma and Louise and a 3 hour trip to Slippery Rock, PA. for War Practice. Some things to ponder on the road...

• Do Fireworks and Karate really go together?
• Henry Rollins
• Road Kill Bingo
• Thank God for Easy Pass
• Dunkirk's Walmart is not too shabby
• When wearing wet shoes, socks will become wet really really fast. So buying new SOCKS and SHOES is a must
• Hot water is good
• Every girl needs a 'puppy'
• Bring a better cork screw
• Mirco-brewed wine is fab
• Doubletree Inn
• More blankets and a space heater
  
• Must learn how to start fire
• Mud and Cold do not mix
• I have a case of Hard Cider.. mine mine mine...
• Sneakers are a must for Pennsic
• Burning is possible on a rainy/cloudy day
• Stone Soup
• No more falling in the stream
• We hadn't blinked since New Castle.

Lesson Learned - Planning and preparation are ok (yeah!) and Pennsic will be oh so strange.

And Note: The castle did not look this good -- Rain rain rain.. bleh

Why?

ok , so I've been 'surfing' the bloggs for the last hour or so. Why? I don't want to think.

Here is what I've seen that I find odd....

people disable the Right Click function... i hate that
lots of non-english bloggs
hermaphrodites
pointless entries.. (i'm included)

thats it. i'm going to bed

It was a good day..

Today we celebrated... with chocolate Ice Cream cones. Erin is going through a rough patch of life as a 3 year old and well... we've had a lot of Bad days. A lot. I've been stressing about what I could be doing wrong..

Am i not a good mom? HECK NO! I just have a kid who wants to do something and can't tell us what it is. She's a 3 year old thinking like a 4 year old, with a vocabulary of a 3 year old. On top of it.. she's trying to get a grip on her emotions and how strong she is..

So we had a good day. Here's hoping a another good day tomorrow.

Taking a break

Am I bored? No - just aggrivated - so taking the advice of Sam.. I tired to relax. Ice Punch - highly recommended. Kekker Cat was not so good.... I'll keep looking. I need a break

The Book of Random Bunny : we all need a little random bunny

So the randomness of Friday struck again yesterday - I work with mostly guys so you can imagine the conversations that happen. That Video Site provided the guys a much needed diversion. My goodness.. I've been sucked in too!

Saturday Mornings

It is Saturday - why was I up at 6am? Oh yeah - my 3 year old wanted to watch cartoons. After convincing her stay in bed for a bit longer, we made our way to the TV.

What happened to Saturday morning cartoons? They are all terrible! The only ones I can stand are the Nick Jr ones on CBS (well, some of them - face it Backyardians totally rocks). Who ever agreed to revamping the loony tunes characters and creating yet another girl Magical show and more Power Rangers should seriously reconsider the state of our kid's mind set. At least on Diego and Dora, Erin learns something.

Now I'll hear the argument that there are cartoons on - yeah -- on Cable stations. We don't have cable and I don't want it. More dribble to pick from and sit like a zombie in from a glowy tube.

I'm watching the Backyadigans now -Erin is bopping around the room singing along. Today, the kids are at the Beach - its raining here so what a great idea to pretend to be at the beach.

What happen to kids pretending? Man - I'm starting to sound like the mean old lady on the street. That's my cue for another cup of coffee.