Growing up by faith....

Approach with Caution

2009-02-02T14:05:00.001-08:00

Gawd I'm fat.... ever looked in the mirror & said that to yourself? I did recently & after badgering my husband he finally agreed that I was too. Ok so he didn't say "Hun you're fat" but he did his quirk smile. Not that he's any slimmer however I weigh only 10 lbs under him. Depressing!!

This month starts my 3rd (?) year at Curves. First year was good; I saw a noticeable difference in how things fitted by just working out. This past year I just had the odds stacked against me. First part of Summer saw me step wrong & twist my foot that took months to heal. Then the holidays & sadly whatever strides I had made last year, I took about 20 lbs step backwards. UGH!

Last week my Curves buddy & I sat through their weight loss & workout class. That night I crawled in bed with my book and started reading. The book itself got me motivated however when I logged onto their website to be horribly complicated & am glad I had a 30 day trial coupon to snoop it out. Not that $45.99 every 3 months is a horrible deal; I really can't afford doing that if I find myself frustrated in planning my daily meals. Then their whole "Phase" platform makes sense but I think I'd be setting myself up for failure if I even attempted it. So what did I do? I went back to Slimfast.com where it's free, it's a website I'm comfortable with as I've used it before & I do like their uncomplicated meal ideas. So I wiped out my previous attempt and started a new. I got my husband & oldest son to commit to working with me to eat healthier dinners instead of running through bueno/mcdonalds & little ceasers. We all 3 weighed in yesterday & I'm anxious to see how eating at home will benefit us all. (I did my oldest's weight just as a curiousity factor and not an attempt to force a diet on him! He is NOT an overweight 12 yr old but could definately benefit from eating better meals. I do NOT believe in stressing you children out and making them insecure about their bodies regardless of size/shape.) That being said; I'm going to post my weigh ins so that perhaps this will keep me on track.

Weigh in: 2/1/09: Me: 215 Husband: 225

So today is day 1 2/2/09:

Exercise:

30 mins @ Curves
25 min walk with the dog
Housework

Meals:

Breakfast: Slimfast Shake

AM Snack: 14 Fresh Strawberries

Lunch: Open faced turkey sandwich with 1tsp of fat free mayo, 2 slices of 98% fat free turkey, 1 lettuce leaf & 2 slices of tomato. 1/2 of a medium banana with a Slimfast Shake

Afternoon Snack: 2 celery stalks with 2 TBS of fat free cream cheese

Dinner: Baked Italian Chicken w/garlic mashed potatos, 2 cups of salad with 2 TBS of fat free italian dressing. (if you want recipe let me know & I'll post it) I'm hoping this meal is tasty, we'll see as I won't be cooking it for another hour.

PM Snack: 1/2 medium banana

I've also had more than 8 - 8 glasses of water today.

Mood: I feel like I'm pregnant again; but that's only because I have to go to the bathroom like every 20 minutes. I know that's from all the water I've been drinking today & I'm ok with that. I've had nothing with caffeine in it for more than 2 weeks now. I'm very proud of that. Yes I have had a carbonated beverage in that time frame but it's been diet and totally caffeine free! I'm also cold, which I'm almost never anything but too hot. I think that's because of all the water I'm drinking as well. Still feeling motivated & confident!

Side Seat Drivers BEWARE!!!!

2008-11-30T04:38:00.000-08:00

My dear fellow side seat drivers, our titles are in jeopardy! My MIL got her son a cute little "GPS for Dummies" as part of his christmas and gave it to him Thursday. Oh how cute, I thought, just what he needs. Little did I know that this GPS "thing" was also another side seat driver.

We leave his parents house Thursday afternoon to head to my Mom's and he is so excited about his new "toy" that he just about drives us off the road several times trying to install it & turn it on. Finally he gets it all set up & we're driving along when out of nowhere we hear "You're exceeding the speed limit". Hmm, well that reminder is a good thing for him. Then as we got into town it starts going off, annoying I might add; in 3 tenths of a mile turn left. I turned to him & said "That's MY job!"

"I have ONE LOUSY JOB ON THIS SHIP. It's stupid but I'm going to do it!" I started saying while he's laughing so hard he can't drive straight. Wait, he can't drive straight not laughing either! So anyway, IMHO a GPS system is just another side seat driver who I guess according to Men is allowed to tell them how to drive while we get to sit there annoyed that we no longer have anything to do in the car anymore! I'm seriously thinking about throwing it out the window the next time we're on a trip or banning it from being on.

Never Forgetting

2008-09-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

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Several years ago I partcipated in blogging event that remembered those lost on 9/11. As I do every year since, I pull that passage forward as I will never forget Allan Shwartzstein. He's the gentleman I blogged about. Not a day goes by that I still don't think about Allan, his family & all the others we lost on that horrible day 7 years ago today. Obviously others have forgotten because several ppl were asking why the flags were flying low today. I know life goes on, I know you can't & shouldn't hang onto the past but somethings shouldn't be forgotten. All those innocent people that lost their lives on that day shouldn't be forgotten. We've moved past mourning them, but we shouldn't move past remembering them or celebrating the lives they had. At the same time, we should never forget our troops who are still over there fighting. Even if we don't agree with them being there; they are still there needing our support & prayers. This Texas Mom will NEVER forget the people lost on 9/11 or the Troops fighting to ensure our freedom & our rights. God Bless the fallen, our troops & America!
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We will honor them by remembering their lives,
and not by remembering their murderers.
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I Remember Allan Shwartzstein
World Trade Center ~ Tower 1

There's not much on the internet about Allan Abraham Shwartzstein, 37. He wasn't famous, just a face in the crowd of thousands ~ an unknown to you & I. But to his family & friends he was a bright start that faded out too soon & now a hero to us all.

Allan was best known as a husband to Amy, father to Matthew & Jessica, a brother, a son & a friend. He was named after an uncle who died in Israel in 1948. He was a simple man who preferred ratty t-shirts & worn out shorts to the suits & ties he wore to work. After 15 years on Wall Street, he still wore the watch he had received for his bar mitzvah. According to those that knew him, he was genuine, what you see is what you got. He didn't worry about his appearance or what came out of his mouth. When I look at his photo I can imagine that he told it like it was.

In March of 2001, Allan had joined Cantor Fitzgerald as a managing director and partner & his office was located in Tower 1 on the 104 floor. His wife Amy said that Allan was just the kind of guy that would put others in front of his own needs and he was probably busy helping others when the towers were hit instead of thinking of his own safety. He was an avid tennis player and skier and an amateur guitar player. According to his younger brother, Michael, he was a humble & down to earth guy. He had a quality about him that made others feel really good.

Every day we encounter countless people, people we never smile at or greet. We are too absorbed in our own lives. One thing I have learned in researching Allan is that life is too short. We never know what could happen next in our lives. I imagine on the morning of September 11, 2001 started out like any day for the people in New York. Their commute to work was like the day before. The ride up the elevator filled with conversations while people on the street pushed past one another in silence. I can only imagine how the rest of the morning went as I sat safely in my home thousands of miles away. Since September 11, 2001 I've become aware that a simple smile from a passerbyer can change my day. Whose life can we touch by suddenly becoming more aware of those around us & taking a few seconds to call out a greeting? I wish I had known Allan. I'm sure those in his life were blessed beyond blessed to have counted him as family or friend. I will never forget you Allan Schwartzstein and I will continue to pray for you, your family and to all those we lost.

We're 6!!

2008-08-13T09:58:00.001-07:00

So our little man turned 6 last week. We went to his favorite resturant "The Rain Forest Cafe". We surprised him a volcano dessert complete with sparkler & waiters singing happy birthday. Needless to say he was thrilled with the attention. We also did an evening trip to Six Flags, riding all the rides he wanted to ride. Saturday we had some friends over & had the whole cake/ice cream & finally his gifts. By Saturday night we were all partied out!

We're now counting down to our first day of school. 12 days to go!! Col-Cr & Neo-Pa are both excited. Pac-Cr isn't sure what to think really. We've been reading his favorite book "How does a dinosaur go to school" hoping it will help him. Wee-School was a nightmare but I kinda look to his teacher for that, she was older & didn't really have a high level of patience. There is one K teacher I'm really hoping we get, she's been there since Col-Cr was in K & he really needs a firm, keeps to her own rules teacher. Please cross your fingers for us. I've been told the older two were very much like he was at this age but memory has dulled alot & I don't recall them being like this. I'm majorly stressed out!

Home Projects

2008-07-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

This is what our patio looked like last summer before this spring/summer's high winds ripped it apart. :-(
This is our new gazebo we got from the Academy & Xachr beginning work on the patio expansion.

Here is the patio expansion.....

Here is the finished project.

Side view from walkway.....
Evening view with our solar tiki torches & rope light. :-)

This is about the only thing I love about summer, the BBQ'ing on the weekends, the evenings stretched out on the lounge chairs watching the kids play in the pool. *HEAVEN*

1 more year to go & he'll be a teenager!!!!!

2008-07-11T13:57:00.001-07:00

Goodness gracious how time flies! Hard to believe just 12 years ago this shaggy headed boy was born!

I had big plans on making him an ice cream cake for his birthday; nothing as fancy as Neo-Pa's ladybug cake but still something special. Needless to say it's been YEARS since I used the Betty Crocker Bake n Fill cake pans & I know I put the instructions somewhere but I couldn't find them. Silly me, I put the cake still in the pan in the freezer while I waited for Xachr to bring home Col-Cr's fav ice cream without popping it out of the pan first. Next morning I couldn't get it out & while soaking it in hot water in the sink I tipped it & of course it got soggy. So Albertson's Bakery to the rescue!! Xachr picked this out all by himself. (He was so proud too) Of course Col-Cr thought it was a HOOT as he just loves hamburgers; meat, cheese & ketchup only please!

Here he is blowing out 12 pink candles (I could have sworn I had a #2 somewhere but nope just pink candles good thing he's such a good sport). As always I offer him $200 or a bday party & he took the cash. With football & band on his agenda for the school year he wanted a cell phone so that's what he got with his $. To help pay his monthly fee of $30 he is mowing our yard & doing his chores without complaint. (yeah I'm still waiting on that last one) But the house phone has sure been quieter, Erin drove me nuts during the school year!

He took the rest of his $ and got his ear pierced. Yep hard to imagine me letting any son of mine do that & grow his hair out too. (Go Me!) I just itch to get the clippers after him but I'm doing my best to allow him some freedom to express himself. However I draw the line at hair any longer than this. Thankfully the new student dress code will help me in that area. (Yeah don't get me going on that topic!!)

Going Out The In

2008-05-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday morning Xchar & I do our grocery shopping. Col-Cr babysits so our trip to Wally-World is less tramatic. Each time we go, during any time of the day, we have to stand & wait to go IN through the ENTERANCE. Why you ask? Because people are too wrapped up, lazy or just don't know how to read & they stream OUT of the ENTERANCE like little ants taking their finds back to their queen.

I'm not a bold female. I typically hold my tongue & opinion to 97% of the peopleI know. Just easier for me to bite it than tell them what I really think. However I've been spending too much time with Xchar & his rubbing off on me. Now when we go to ENTER ANY STORE & people are going OUT the IN I polietly point out that there is an ENTERANCE & AN EXIT & would the please learn to read which door they should be going out of! Yeah I get a few remarks back but I hold my head high & savor my victory. ONLY to see Xchar trying to go out the in every darn time. Now him; I don't have to be so polite too & he dutifully swerves & uses the right door.

I guess my vent today is to just point out to my few readers that the next time you go to a store PLEASE use the right door!

How Cliche!

2008-05-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

So Xachr & I have been doing ALOT of yard work this spring. We extended the front flowerbed a good few feet as you see here in the picture. This past weekend I planted fiber optic grass. Those are the 3 green lumps you see around the rock. Now what you don't see clearly is the pink flamingo. Xachr had left me alone in my flowerbed to run an errand & when he returned I planted "Pinkie". Needless to say he was NOT impressed with me putting it in the front yard. I told him there was no reason to hide it in the backyard since it wasn't a cheesy plastic flamingo but a artsy wire one with a pretty pink & green gazing ball HE had picked out as the belly.

"How cliche" he said. I really started to get upset cause it's not like it's a garden gnome. You can barely see "Pinkie" from the street much less even in this up close picture. Xachr just thinks it should be hidden in the backyard & not the front. What do you think? Are flamingos over done in landscapes around the world? And what decor do you have out for your neighbors to see?
I have seen a few neighbors WAY over do it but I think I've done a good job to keep it light & clutter free.

Also this year I decided to plant a tree in our front yard. Xachr has been fighting about this since we moved. However we get the evening sun smack in the kitchen windows there & it gets mighty hot in the summer. I picked a lovely Cleveland Select Pear but the wild spring weather we've been having has me worried. Most of the little limbs have been blown off. We had to stake it into the ground as the high winds had it tilting. I really hope it's going to make it.

So what spring clean up have you been doing around your home? Over the next few weeks we hope to get the patio in the backyard redone & ready. When we aren't having all those windy wild weather, it's been down right GORGEOUS & we're all beyond ready to sit under the awning with our supper & relax.

We're 8 & it's just GREAT!!

2008-05-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

April 26th found Neo-Pa turing the big 8! I look back at the years past & feel blessed to have this beautiful girl in my life. Despite her diva-ness, she really is one in a million! This girl never ceases to amaze us. She's clever, charming, funny & oh I could go on. Here she is almost 2 yrs old & I will easily admit to this being one of my favorite pictures of her. Not to mention my favorite outfits she had as a baby.

She wanted to go to Six Flags for her birthday & so of course that's what we did. Here she is on the carousel in her batgirl cape. We got her a pink iPod nano, engraved with name & phone number just in case. She adores Littlest Pet Shop and spent most of her bday $ on that.

I made her a special Ladybug cake with lil ladybug cupcakes. She was thrilled that I took the time to do this for her. And it was really yummy! However I've decided baking my own cakes is NOT for me so we'll do bakery from here on out. (Homemade icing; need I say more???)

Anyway, it was a great bday & weekend. At least I have a few months til Col-Cr's hits & thankfully all he wants is a cell phone. :-)

False advertisement

2008-03-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Nyquil; the night time sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head medicine so that you're up all night sniffling, sneezing, aching, stuffy headed & COUGHING YOUR HEAD OFF!

*screams* I swear I'm not normal. Everyone else swears by this stuff & yet it does nothing for me. I'm so tired & cranky right now.

A quick up-to-date

2008-03-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry everyone; it's just been rather "blah" here since Christmas. No nothing's been wrong we've just been sharing the cold/flu bug with one another. We've had an unseasonably warm & yet weird winter. Just when you think we've shed our winter coats it snows..... I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to Spring. The trees are budding around here; the stores have put out their Easter stuff; of course they did that back in February but for some reason Easter screams SPRING'S HERE! Only in Texas, Easter means IT'S SNOWING!!! Ugh such an odd state we are. Oh well at least white's a color that goes with everything. LOL!

I can't really believe we are almost halfway through with March. I don't know why it amazes me so at how quickly time flies by but it always does. Before I know it everyone will have grown another year older & several inches taller. I'll try to bring everyone up to speed with all of our comings & goings as quickly as I can to keep from boring you. Do be aware that this might still be a long one. :-)

Col-Cr is rapidly approaching 12 yrs old & with it has sprouted forward underarm hair & to his excitement; peach fuzz on his upper lip. He spends every morning "inspecting" his new hair growth. Thankfully the bo phase hasn't hit us yet but he discovered Axe body wash & deoderant last year & is good to use it daily. Now if I could just get him to understand how important it is to shower we'd be in good shape. Despite my protest he is trying to grow out his hair & I try like crazy not to chase after him with the clippers to cut it. For a good number of weeks he had him a little girl who called CONSTANTLY but right before we were to take them to the movies they broke up. With his last 6 week grades not looking so hot, not failing just not good; I've asked him to avoid girls for awhile. This August he starts Middle School & has signed up for athletics & band. Would you believe he is already doing his own count down to the first day of school? Shocking I know.

What can one say about Miss Neo-Pa? She is enjoying 2nd grade & just loves her teacher. She's blossoming into a lovely young girl with more attitude & wildness than either of her two brothers. There is nothing this gal can & won't do. We recently helped escort her class to the zoo. It was a rare treat Xchar & I got to enjoy. She's recently received her orange belt in karate. It's something she & Col-Cr enjoy together. (He is also an orange belt) Xachr looks to take them to a tournament next month so we can see what that's all about. They are not required to participate in one yet for raking purposes but they will have to eventually. Look out people this karate princess has an awfully high kick! Neo-Pa has discovered the world of Littlest Pets & her collection grows with every good report card & holiday. Each day her cleverness amazes me & really she's more boy than the other two are. Hard to imagine that in a few short weeks she'll be turning 8 years old.

Pac-Cr is as fiesty as ever. The things that come out of his mouth typically has us rolling on the floor with laughter. Sadly not everyone finds him funny & he spends a great deal of time in the office at preschool. However I think it was more his other teacher's problem & I was able to get him moved into another class. I'm hoping in doing this; it will encourage him to explore who he is vs always being in the corner cause his teacher couldn't & didn't want to really get to know him. We've had a not so pleasant experience with preschool & I worry this will affect how he looks at Kindergarten this fall. I guess all we can do is see if this new class suits him better. I'm seriously thinking about pulling him despite the fact that there is only 11 weeks left. Pac-Cr is such a delight & I have no idea what I'm going to do when he goes off to full time school in August. His main love these days are these little toddler sized star wars people. He can spend hours playing with them & his dinos. I've walked into one too many battles in the living room; much to his dismay. LOL!

With the weight of the world on his shoulders; LOL; Xachr is still a work-aholic. He's celebrated 1 yr at this new company & I have to say it's made him a new man. Oh he still stresses like you wouldn't believe BUT it's different. Tim, his current boss; appreciates him not just by giving him bonuses & a raise this last month but genuine words of praise & appreciation. It's amazing what a boss can get out of their employees but just simply thanking them for a job well done. It definately pushes Xachr harder to get to hear them again. And for the first time in forever we're able to just breath easier in the financial aspect. However if working 60+ a week there wasn't enough he's currently teaching 4 nights a week at the jr college. As it's something he loves I try my best to encourage it. Each semester we never know if they will need him or not so we ride the train as long as we can. Xachr has some spring projects around the house he's waiting to tackle. The weather a few weekends ago was awesome & we actually planted our first tree in the front yard. We're all anxious to see if we can keep it alive. LOL!

And last but not least; me! I'm down to working one night a week at the boutique. However that 's suppose to come to an end soon. With summer approaching & after school activities getting busier; it's just not possible to work right now. Plus I haven't enjoyed it like I had before. I had forgotten how things were I guess & things never change I guess. When I do stop working Xachr is going to take karate too. Not sure what's come over him but the class is right after theirs. I haven't been doing well with my flylady routines but I got a weekend to myself recently & spent it cleaning from top to bottom. Now that it's not so overwhelming perhaps it will be easier to get back on track. I have to say a messy home doesn't help with depression. In 30 days we will celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. I'm hoping I can talk a friend into babysitting over night for us so we can have a "us" evening. Just looking for a quick trip to Waco to eat out our fav resturant & spend the night. Cross your fingers for me please. I'm still checkin my curves three times a week; or trying to. My workout buddy & I are doing our best. :-)

I think that should bring you all up to speed on the 5 C's. I'll try not to make it 3 months before I post again. Til then know you are loved & thought of often. God Bless.

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

My attitude has drastically been changed; funny what a bonus check will do to help pull one out of their depression. I don't feel as angry as I had been feeling, which is a good thing. I didn't like being angry all the time over the loss of our van. No I still don't care for the one I'm in now but the light at the end of the bankruptcy tunnel is shining brighter today. :-)

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. We went all out this year & the kids got everything they could ever want. Pac-Cr kept saying after every gift he opened "This is the best Christmas of my entire life!" And it brought so much joy to us to hear that. Of course Christmas pasts weren't shabby but it was nice to not worry so much about how to pay bills & give the kids gifts. Xachr was surprised with an Ipod Classic, I think that's what they are called & in return I was given one of the new Nano's & an alarm clock to go with it. I've enjoyed waking up to Micheal Buble. (Man that guy has quickly become a favorite of mine. His voice just makes me melt!)

We had wanted so badly to go home for Christmas but with this van we're in, we just didn't feel comfortable driving it. At 10am yesterday someone rang our doorbell, thinking it was one of the neighborhood kids wanting Col-Cr to play, Xachr goes to the door with attitude & do you know who was standing on our front porch????? My Mom!! That alone was the best gift anyone could have given me. We had no idea she was even thinking about driving the 2½ hrs to see us. Even now I tear up thinking about the awesome surprise she gave me. I have not seen my Mom since Pac-Cr's birthday in August. She stayed for a few hours, her dog is really old & can't be home alone for too long; but it was the best few hours of this holiday I could have ever wished for.

So much more to blog about & I will but the after holiday sales are calling my name. Thankfully we only have 2 things to return so we won't be doing that all day. With all the stuff Col-Cr got I need some storage solutions so off into the cold rainy morning I go. After I hit Starbucks that is........

Time sure flies

2007-12-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

Can't hardly believe we sit here in the middle of December & the end of the year is staring us in the face. Wow! Where did this year go?

I find little to no time to post much I apologize for not having anything to say since October. Well I've had plenty to say but nothing I'd want said outside my home. We've both been really frustrated with the car situation. My Dad helped us get a used minivan; the gesture was certainly greatly appreciated but it's been a money pit. Since October we've spent over $700 in car repair. Seems like when one vehicle gets fixed the other one goes into the shop. It's made my job a nightmare & I took a month off. Jane doesn't make it easy when there is a crisis at home & I just couldn't handle the extra stress. I started back last Friday & told her all we can do is see how it goes. I definately don't like posting too much negative here as some passing by readers seem to like to be hateful in their response. One of my friends on blogger knows this all too well. People are just get a high off being rude.

Both Col-Cr & Neo-Pa got their yellow belts in Karate a few weeks ago. They are enjoying the class very much & we've kicked around the idea of having Pac-Cr try come January. Beats trying to get him to sit quietly & watch the other two. Figured a month trial to see how he'll do. We still have issues with going to preschool, some days are better than others. The Christmas break probably won't help much. But he at least he's stopped fighting me on going & this morning asked if he went to school today. That's a good sign.

Xachr is loving the company he's with. Hard to believe he jumped ship a year ago this month. His boss, Tim, has been so good to him & of course he's a company man so IMHO Tim's damn lucky to have him on board. Xachr did some teaching this semester & he's on for 2 classes come January. Just have to wait to see if they make. If they do it will be impossible for me to work as they are Mon-Thursday & we'd like to be a family sometime during the week. I'm not getting ahead of myself as we also want very much to get out of bankruptcy so we can get a more reliable vehicle. 17 more months to go......YIPPEE!!

In case I don't get back on; which I do try to more than not; I hope each of you have a very Merry CHRIST-mas!!

& a very Happy New Year!

Much love to all!!

Might be a possibility

2007-10-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Dad called Thursday & said he found a mini van he thought we might be interested in so we went to Graham on Saturday. It's a 2000 Pontiac Montana (or something like that) wasn't in too bad of shape, high miles & the breaks seem "iffy" but the guy's only wanting $2600 for it & Dad said he'd take care of it if we wanted it. We said yes if the breaks could be looked at; so tomorrow he's suppose to go talk to the guy about it & possibly by Wednesday we'll have a 2nd car. We will have to wait & see if it is reliable enough to get me to work 2 nights a week. I think I will go ahead & take off this Friday so I can watch the kids at karate at least once.

I'm still highly stressed out & the small % of compassion I had for the guy that hit me has been replaced with anger. I know I shouldn't feel the way I feel but I do. The guy is only out $400 for a no insurance/no drivers license & our families are having to help us out. Sad & frustrating; ya know? At least we only have 22 more months in our bankruptcy & I can't begin to tell you how ready I am to be out of this. If you ever think of filing; please rethink it. Mom always talkes of Dave Ramsey, I'm not a fan of the guy since he wants you to pay to learn how to save, but maybe he can help you. Anything other than filing bankruptcy!! Do all you can to avoid it!

Pac-Cr finally decided on being a pirate for halloween. Not sure how it's all going to come out but hopefully it will. Col-Cr is going as death & we are hoping Neo-Pa's witch costume will fit from last year. No word on if Izzy will go dressed as anything. The holidays are banging at the door & I really want to scream at them to go away.

And so it goes......

2007-10-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

whew what a September! I was in my 1st auto accident on the 27th of last month. Thank the good Lord no one was hurt. I had just picked Pac-Cr up from preschool so he was the only one with me. An uninsured (of course); no driver's license, 26 yr old ran a stop sign & tagged the front driver's side of the mini van.

The thing that irritates me; other than yet AGAIN another uninsured motorist has hit us; the van was put in our bankruptcy & that causes so many frustrating issues. The main one is our attorney doesn't seem to want to call us back. She has to be the one to file a motion to incur debt so we can shop for another car. The bank back home said they'd be willing to work with us once we know what's going to happen.... but waiting for the insurance company to give us a figure, waiting for the attorney........ I'm tired of waiting, ya know.

I had to kinda quit my job last week. We do have a rental but not for too much longer. Once the insurance company makes an offer we only have 7 days before we have to turn it back in. Jane doesn't want to ask Jan if she would be willing to try to work weekends with me so she's one employee less. I'm not too upset about it since when I called to tell her I had been in an accident she didn't seem to concerned about me, only what it meant about my work schedule. *sigh*

Xachr's parents have located a minivan they'd like for us to look into but until we know about financing, just seems like a mute point. Thing I keep trying to tell myself is, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We may not be able to see it at this point; but it IS there.

Did you notice......

2007-09-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

The ticker at the top.....97 days until Christ-mas???? Ugh! Although I'm always ready to celebrate Jesus' birth, I'm never ready for all the chaos it tends to cause. I'm already dreading it....

Things are going pretty well. Kids have finished the 1st 3 weeks of school; Neo-Pa's grades are ok but there is room for improvement. I'll wait until the end of this 6 weeks before I talk to her teacher. Col-Cr should be bringing home his 3 week report today & I'm curious to see how he's been doing.

Pac-Cr is doing well at Weeschool. So far my biggest challenge is getting him to want to go. Seems he'd rather stay home instead. Thankfully it's not too big of a fight but it would be nice if he'd be excited about going. I'm really iffy on the main teacher in that room, she may be good with kids but she stinks with adults. She hardly ever greets me or tells Cooper goodbye at the end of the day. Kind of a wet fish personality IYKWIM..... Thankfully there are only 5 kids in his class which is nice. :-)

Work is going well. I wish people would stop talking about Jan & I though. It only seems to keep things going & it needs to just stop. Found out on Monday Elaine asked her if she could work with me & she answered she isn't sure & did I ask Elaine to ask her. Of course she said no because I didn't honestly care but now it looks like I'm talking when I'm not. I'm tempted to call or email her but Xachr says I shouldn't. I don't know yet what I'm going to do but I don't really have issues with her & I think she needs to know that before things really get out of hand.

Xachr has been working late the last few nights so now that everyone has headed off to school I think I'm going to try to get some more sleep. Love to all!

I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ~ HAVE YOU?

2007-09-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Another year has come & gone. 6 years ago today all of our lives changed. I doubt anyone of age will ever forget this date. It will forever be burned in our hearts & minds. Col-Cr woke up this morning asking if the evil behind what happened had ever been found & I had to tell him no, he's still out there. I can't say I even have a false sense of security, I don't feel we as a country are any safer. The war is also heavy on people's hearts & minds; I won't forget what our troops sacrifice for me & my family. Doesn't matter if I support the war or not; I support our troops, I pray for them & their families constantly. I hope you do the same. This family will NEVER forget!!

Last year I joined in with hundreds of other bloggers from around the country; maybe even the world, to remember those lost. We kept the evil out of it & tried to focus on the individual person instead. I didn't participate this year, not even sure they did it again, although I hope they did as it was a beautiful way to remember & honor; but I'm pulling forward my blog on Allan Shwartzstein because not a day goes by that I don't remember his name or his face and I hope you haven't/won't either........

I Remember Allan Shwartzstein
World Trade Center ~ Tower 1

There's not much on the internet about Allan Abraham Shwartzstein, 37. He wasn't famous, just a face in the crowd of thousands ~ an unknown to you & I. But to his family & friends he was a bright start that faded out too soon & now a hero to us all.

Allan was best known as a husband to Amy, father to Matthew & Jessica, a brother, a son & a friend. He was named after an uncle who died in Israel in 1948. He was a simple man who preferred ratty t-shirts & worn out shorts to the suits & ties he wore to work. After 15 years on Wall Street, he still wore the watch he had received for his bar mitzvah. According to those that knew him, he was genuine, what you see is what you got. He didn't worry about his appearance or what came out of his mouth. When I look at his photo I can imagine that he told it like it was.

In March of 2001, Allan had joined Cantor Fitzgerald as a managing director and partner & his office was located in Tower 1 on the 104 floor. His wife Amy said that Allan was just the kind of guy that would put others in front of his own needs and he was probably busy helping others when the towers were hit instead of thinking of his own safety. He was an avid tennis player and skier and an amateur guitar player. According to his younger brother, Michael, he was a humble & down to earth guy. He had a quality about him that made others feel really good.

Every day we encounter countless people, people we never smile at or greet. We are too absorbed in our own lives. One thing I have learned in researching Allan is that life is too short. We never know what could happen next in our lives. I imagine on the morning of September 11, 2001 started out like any day for the people in New York. Their commute to work was like the day before. The ride up the elevator filled with conversations while people on the street pushed past one another in silence. I can only imagine how the rest of the morning went as I sat safely in my home thousands of miles away. Since September 11, 2001 I've become aware that a simple smile from a passerbyer can change my day. Whose life can we touch by suddenly becoming more aware of those around us & taking a few seconds to call out a greeting? I wish I had known Allan. I'm sure those in his life were blessed beyond blessed to have counted him as family or friend. I will never forget you Allan Schwartzstein and I will continue to pray for you, your family and to all those we lost.

Don't be so sensitive!

2007-09-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was opening day for the majority of the NFL teams. You know I can't live without MY BOYS so as usual we have the Sunday Ticket from Direct Tv. Oh my it was a stressful day in our household! For awhile there I really thought we weren't going to pull it off; especially with Elam missing 2 field goals; which for him is like not typical. But somehow MY BOYS must have felt my vibes & they marched down the field in the last few minutes/seconds of the game. Elam rushing out & as the last second ticked off the clock; he kicks the game winning field goal. *WOOHOO* I screamed. *WOOHOO* I kept screaming before collapsing onto the couch.

I guess poor Izzy hasn't ever heard me get that excited since she came to us 3 years ago that she totally shut down. George started hollering cause she was gagging, I let her outside where she collapsed on the grass by the fence & wouldn't move. Storm clouds are moving in; we're trying to figure out if she ate something or what was going on. I somehow manage to coax her into the house & on very shaky legs she manages to get inside before she collapses again. Huh? Finally we decided it was from all the screaming. And today she's still not acting right. Not that she wasn't odd to begin with....but dang do we need to be that sensitive?

I still think perhaps she was abused before we got her, her every day behavior is weird. But hopefully she'll bounce back soon. I can't even get her to get out of bed this morning. Guess I'll have to take my screaming outside next Sunday???

Hi Ye-ha

2007-09-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

Or however you spell it. Col-Cr & Neo-Pa had their first karate lesson last night. Below are some pictures, place your pointer & the picture enlarges. Xachr said they both did very well & each have a page of instructions they can NOT lose or they will have to do 100 pushups. So far Neo-Pa has been too divaish to show me what she learned. We have to have their names "professionally" screen printed on their uniforms by lesson #3 which I may have some issues about because IMHO this page should have been given to me when I signed them up & not the night of. There is also a list of additional equipment we will have to purchase but hopefully not right away. Col-Cr is really exited & will probably go further than Neo-Pa. Both are committed to this 1st month at least so I will know more in 3 lessons than what I know now. With me working I wont be able to judge how she is taking to the classes so I will definately wait to purchase anything for her.

Work is going ok. A former employee is being a twit so I'm working 2 week nights instead of Friday & Saturday. It's nice to be back until I miss getting to see my kids at karate class. If they want to proceed to the yellow belt they will have to sign up for a tournament which I will not miss. But working does create problems, more so with the holidays approaching. At least Christmas Eve & New Years Eve falling on a Monday my excuse for not being able to work is Xachr having to work & the mall closes at 6 those nights. Not sure about the day after Thanksgiving though as we promised Xachr's Mom we would be there this year. As much as I don't want to, I will have to talk to Jane about it ASAP & tell her she's welcome to tell MIL we can't go. ROFL!

Have a great weekend, off to mow the backyard & start dinner.

Gotta LOVE August!

2007-09-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

August 27th saw Col-Cr & Neo-Pa head off to school. What a relief it was that we got the teacher we wanted for Neo-Pa. I feel like I can rest easy this year & know her teacher will get her back in line. Col-Cr wasn't too excited when he met his teacher prior to the 1st day of school. But his feelings changed by the end of school on the 27th; me thinks there's a cute girl in his class??? Both have had fairly easy weeks, I'm sure that will change soon.

Pac-Cr had his 1st day of WeeSchool yesterday. My stomach ate itself all day long, I was so worried he'd be the "problem" student. Much to my delight he had a wonderful day & I'm so proud of him. Fingers crossed & prayers please that this continues. :-)

Nothing else too "major" going on. Xachr got a fall class to teach but he's home by 8:30 so he's able to spend time with the kids before they head to bed. I've gone back to work at the boutique. There's been some issues with Jan telling someone she'd quit if she had to work with me so instead of working Friday & Saturday night, I'm having to work a school night which makes it a little stressful. Xachr can't seem to follow the routine I laid out for him but it's only week 2 of school so hopefully things will improve. Col-Cr & Neo-Pa will start Karate this Friday. The YMCA is having it for only $40 a month per kid so we thought that might be fun. I will miss most of it but plan to take off on belt test nights. Not sure Pac-Cr is old enough right now to join in but maybe in a few months of WeeSchool he'll be able to endure mroe structure?? Who knows.

I'm posting a quick slideshow of the kids on their 1st day of school. I hope you enjoy. Surely with things claming down I'll have more time to post?!?!? Until then know I love & miss all my blogging buddies!

Potter Book

2007-07-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

At 12:01 am today the final book in the Harry Potter series went on sale. Xachar & Col-Cr were at the bookstore waiting to get our copy. Because we had thought ahead, we had a book on reserve & collected our pick up # early in the day, Friday, so the book was in our possession by 12:30am & the boys were home by 12:45am. Even as eager as I was to crack it open & begin reading, I waited until 8am & did not look up until a horrible headache struck at 2pm. By that time I was 3/4 done. A friend came over for dinner & we relaxed a bit. My headache was finally gone & I resumed reading around 9pm finishing the last typed word at 11:20pm.

As Col-Cr currently has his nose stuck in the book; Xachar is buggin me for details. He won't read the books but will watch the movies. I was shocked, a bit sad & pleased with the ending. I pray when they do shoot the final movie, they won't leave anything out.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, do not miss this book. I had purchased the paperback but refused to wait one single day to read the final installment in this special series. I've really enjoyed the special bond J.K. Rowling has helped to form between Col-Cr & myself. It's been a wonderful journey that we will both treasure & miss.

I'm Pooped

2007-07-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Oh my how exhausting this summer has been!

Last week saw Col-Cr turning 11. Wow hard to believe he's lived this long without serious injury. He got his gift weeks prior but was ok with just cake on his big day. The wait for the Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix movie was ended at 11:59pm on Col-Cr's bday. Yep I actually took him to a super late night movie & I managed to stay awake for the entire movie. (GO MOM) We certainly enjoy having this in common. This Friday the last book in the series becomes available at midnight. The local bookstore is having a Potter Party which we will be attending. Should be fun. Then I plan on doing nothing all weekend but reading that book. I don't want to hear what happens before hand. KWIM?

Scold me but I caved & got Col-Cr & Neo-Pa heely's. Neither have worn them w/the wheels but I might take them out to see how they do. Right now they are just school shoes. Yes in some ways I am the Mom that will do what she can to help her kids "fit in". Mind you that doesn't mean they get everything, but these shoes weren't as expensive as I thought.

Xchar & I went to get school supplies last night. Yep it's that time folks, time to get ready to send them back!! Found out the Wee School Neo-Pa attended has done away with a "learning" program so we are wondering if we should bite it & send Pac_Cr to K this year. Maybe it's me that's not ready to send him?? We have to go in the week of August 6th to register the kids so I have 2 weeks to decide.

The last few weeks saw me working on our bedroom. I got it painted & the new bedding up this weekend while the crew was visiting Xachr's parents. I've also included pics of my new hairdo & the new patio awning we recently put together.

Stuff

2007-06-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well I don't know about you but the days are just flying by. Here we are at the end of June with July knocking at the door.

Today I think I'm gonna share some pics of the bathroom project. As you may recall last year I painted it red & gold. Well after finding this GORGEOUS aqua/chocolate bedding set ON SALE at Macy's earlier this year the bathroom obviously needed redone. Yep only a year after painting it, I totally redid it. Hey, I'm a woman..... deal with it.

So the before pictures are kinda yucky cause it was most difficult to photograph the red/gold & make it look good. I'm also super excited because the candles you see I found at Garden Ridge yesterday ON CLEARANCE! Even the big round one on the counter, got it for $5. So enjoy the slide show my friends.

Labled the worst toy for 2007

2007-06-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

This morning while watching the news, they briefly stated that Heelys are being called the worst toy ever! I did a search on their website & here is the medical report that was posted. We are now thinking Col-Cr will *not* be getting these for his birthday. I also know these are not allowed at school or rather the wheel has to be removed while on school grounds. Still; me thinks it would not be wise to invest in these.

What Nots & Such

2007-06-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

Here are my terrific threesome taken on Memorial Day. Not sure how I was able to get them to cooperate for this pic but I did. (The code names have gotten so annoying but Mom is STILL dealing with that lunatic & as much as it annoys me; I still have to use them. ) PacCr & ColCr both need haircuts BADLY. NeoPa is trying to grow her bangs out & they are too long to do anything with & yet still too short, constantly they are in her face which annoys me.

School let out Friday before last... it's rained every day since & the kids are going stir crazy. We did get the pool up & most afternoons they're able to swim for a bit before it rains again. My backyard is so saturated that it's not mud it's more like ooze. And the smell!!!! *blech* I seriously can't wait for it to be able to dry out a bit.

Xachr was able to get a class to teach for the 1st Summer Semester & that started last Tuesday. With his new job & class; we rarely get to see him. Although the new company is doing well, they are short handed & he's unable to use any of his vacation time right now. He is hoping they will be able to hire someone soon.

As for Me; I'm not up to much other than my Flylady stuff & Curves. I've been paying Col-Cr $3 a trip to Curves & he was able to save up the extra money to get an Video Ipod that he wanted for his birthday. Unbeknowest to him, I've already received it & am loading it with music, movies & pictures so it will be ready for him next month. (Tip: If you want any of the Apple Ipod's purchase them from the Ipod store online; shipping is free for orders over $75 & free engraving! I thought it very important to get Col-Cr's name & our phone # engraved on this as it was just under $270) I know he's going to be so excited. He will have plenty of money left over from babysitting to get these Heely (sp) shoes that everyone seems to have. Annoying things they appear to be shoes with a wheel in the heel. Why anyone would want to skate on their heel is beyond me but he seems to want them.

Pac-Cr still seems to be a bit delayed IMHO & I worry if I've done right by him. He won't be starting K this fall unless I see a drastic progress in certain areas. We still seem to be having bathroom issues. Although he IS fully potty trained, we seem to want to get undressed in whatever room we are in & run to the bathroom naked. Then it's a fight to get him to put his clothing back on. His speech still isn't all that clear & my Mom assures me that neither was Col-Cr or Neo-Pa's at this age. Still I worry.....

It's getting on to be bedtime; oh how I look forward to that time of the night when the kids go off to bed. I hope everyone is well & I hope to be stopping by more often than I have been.

Love & hugs!