Day 336

Oh what a crazy day! OK - I watch The Biggest Loser and I just love that show. It's just a reminder to keep myself in check. I have the worst eating habits but I'm not dwelling on it. To take care of my sweet tooth, I did pick up some Extra gum and it really worked. I've become a night snacker and I don't want to be! Chewing that gum really helped me not to snack. To take care of my salt issues I picked up some Sun Flower Seeds! Yummy. That keeps me from getting into those chips I want so badly. LOL - But today I baked a Lemon bundt cake! I know what you are thinking but don't worry I only had 2 slices. LOL - I made everyone else who was here eat it! There is only enough left for my dh when he gets home from his business trip. LOL - Hey at least we saved him some.

And there you have it! I'm thankful my little tricks are working. Now, if I could just get the baking under control. LOL

Day 337

Today is pretty tough to come up with something positive. So many things did not go as planned. Oh wait! I got it. Today I paid off my Sears account. We remodeled the kitchen a year ago with new counter top, sink, faucet and cabinets. It really does look much better. With me and my pregnant brain I miscalculated the math of how much we owed but I still managed to get that monster paid. I'm soooooooooo thankful for that!

Thursday Thirteen - Chocolate

In order to get ready for Valentine's Day I'm gearing up with a list of my favorite candy with chocolate!

1. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
2. Turtles
3. Toblerone
4. Hershey's Chocolate Bar
5. Milky Way
6. Butter Finger
7. Whitman's Sampler box
8. Chocolate covered strawberries
9. Whoppers
10. Twix
11. Chocolate covered cherries
12. 100 Grand Bar
13. Kit Kat

Wordless Wednesday - Markers

Day 338

Thank God it was a good morning because as the day wore on it truly began to stink. No need to go into the gory details. I'm trying to stay positive here.

Today was our little guys first real play date! Woo Hoo! He played with his friend Garrett. I have a lot of time on my hands between 8am and 11am. I have to come up with things for him to do that don't involve cleaning up bigger messes than ones I'm already working on. It's a constant battle. Here they are on the slide at McDonalds. They played for a good hour. I have to tell you that I put him in the bathtub as soon as we got home. LOL - Those playgrounds never seem that clean to me. It was a great morning and they got to wear each other out and I'm truly thankful for that!

A Review in Popsicles

Yes, I truly love Popsicles! I enjoy the bomb pops (red, white and blue), the fudge bombs (chocolate, banana and chocolate) and lots more. These aren't good for me at all so I try to find all natural fruit bars. Dreyers rocks for these! I buy them all the time!

They have come out with these smoothie bars that are banana and strawberry. My kids LOVE them!!!! These are suppose to be good for us as well. They are low calorie blah, blah, blah - they are so yummy who cares! LOL

While in the freezer isle I noticed these swirl bars by Weight Watchers. They look really yummy and they have 2 points printed on the box. I pass them up because I figured they most likely weren't very good. WRONG!!!! I did grab a box the next time I saw them, just to check it out. Oh they are soooooooo yummy! They taste just like Dreamsicles! I love Dreamsicles. You know, popsicle on the outside and icecream on the inside? Well, Weight Watchers out did themselves. I'm not on a diet or anything but I do have to watch what I eat! I don't know what 2 points means but I don't really care. LOL - These are great! My kids love these too. I'm trying to figure out the best way for me to snack while not gaining a great amount of weight with our latest little bun. I'm trying to stay positive but history has taught me that I tend to gain an enormous amount of weight while pregnant. I'm really gonna give it my best effort this time around! Wish me luck.

At The Movies

Over the weekend I found myself watching a lot of different movies.

Reign Over Me - Adam Sandler stars. Break out the kleenex before you watch this one. It was a really good movie.

Fantastic 4 Rise of The Silver Surfer - Jessica Alba stars. Break out the crackers and wine with this one. You are going to need it with all the cheesiness! It was so bad. If they wanted a blond haired blue eyed actress why not just hire one???? Jessica Alba looked so weird and I couldn't buy it that she was the sister of the human torch. Please!

1408 - John Cusak stars. Love John Cusak! This was a really freaky movie. I really liked it but it did make me have bad dreams so .... LOL

Graffiti Bridge - Prince stars. HORRIBLE!!!! I'm not sure why I stayed tuned for this one. It was so bad! I mean worse than Fantastic 4 Rise of The Silver Surfer! It was some sort of follow up to Purple Rain or something. The whole thing just stunk but I couldn't help but watch. What's wrong with me? LOL

Dane Cook: Vicious Circle - Dane Cook stars. LOVED IT!!!! laughed so hard. It was on Comedy Central so I recommend watching it without all the silly commercials. Get the DVD and have a good laugh. Oh and warning - there is lots of foul language but the stories are a riot!

Day 339

Today I am thankful to the little park at our local elementary school around the corner. My boys and I had a bit of cabin fever so we headed off to the park. They had a great time together. Our toddler was all over that park! He slides down the big slides on his belly, feet first. He went down the slide just like he goes down the stairs at home. I was so scared but after the first time I knew he had it down! He was hilarious. It was cold outside but we still had fun.

G - A little curiosity

I found the comments about her pretty funny on the Thursday 13 relationship list. I guess that might be a pretty odd relationship but for me that was only in the beginning. She has been around since 1993, I think. It took about 3-4 years after she married my ex-husband and my daughter moving in with them before I could really begin building a relationship with her. The last thing you do is have a poor relationship with the person who is caring for your child. We have been on good terms since and as you might imagine she and I have had a TON to talk about! Not only do we have my ex in common, but my daughter and his whole family! LOL - We have had to have an open line of communication going for thousands of reasons. None that I will really detail here but it was necessary for both of us. She's honestly been a good friend and a good mother figure to my daughter. She has also managed to hang in there with my ex and that has always been a blessing for him. Also, I had NO lingering relationship feelings toward my ex at all. I think that makes it simple too. At times I almost felt sorry for my daughter because she always had 4 adults to deal with when she got in trouble. It was never pleasant for her and because of that open line of communication she couldn't go back and forth between parents. She did it for a while when she was young but we nipped that in the bud. We always tried to stay on the same page. It wasn't easy but we tried. And there you have it the relationship with G.

Day 340

What a dinner! My Q was free for dinner so she met me and her brothers at the restaurant. Who knew they would have a blue grass band that would keep the boys entertained. The boys were pretty cute enjoying the music! She and I got to catch up a bit. She chopped her hair off but I think it looks great. She looks new and ready for change. I'm still trying to get use to the idea of what has happened and what is going to happen. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around her living with my Mom and Grandma but I know they will take very good care of her. She's just sacrificing freedom for more structure.

I've had to let go of her twice in my life time so far and neither time was easy. Both times were for her own good (I thought). This time was much harder. I don't care how it looks on the outside because until you let your own child fall flat you have no idea what that feels like. It is by far the top 5 painful experiences of my life. When I say painful I mean a heavy discomfort filled with panic that lasts until enough time passes! And guess what? You don't know how long that is going to be. Yes, I have other children who need me as well but to leave one child hanging off the building doesn't work. It's just not in my nature to allow that to happen. I have to have all my babies safe and sound. It's hard not rush in like Super Woman and save her from herself. To my discomfort she is one of those children that has to learn the hard way or she won't learn. Therefore, I suck it up and stew in my discomfort of letting go. However, I am hopeful that with time she will be able to reflect on what has happened and learn from it. I hope that in time she will understand the methods to my madness. Today I'm just thankful for a friendly dinner. :)

Day 341

This has been such a long day. I'm pretty excited because our order finally came in and we are putting out 2 new designs for Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. They both turned out so cute! We are actually ahead of schedule and I'm thankful for that! Woo Hoo!

Day 342

WOW! I was really worried that I wouldn't have anything to say today but then something happened this evening. Are you ready? My dh and I are in the bed just relaxing after dinner. Our toddler pushes the button on the radio/alarm clock and the radio comes on. He starts bobbing his head and spinning around in circles. Meanwhile the 7 year old breaks out with his air guitar solo, drums too and a special eyes closed lip sync! We lost our minds with laughter. It was so great! I haven't laughed like that in a while and I wished I had the video camera in hand. I'm so thankful for these little guys that keep me laughing.

Thursday Thirteen - Relationships

This has been a very difficult six months for me. I'm really trying to stay positive. This Thursday Thirteen I'm exploring the key people who have helped me through it all.

1. My DH (Darling Husband)
2. My Gram (She ROCKS!)
3. My BF (My best buddy for 30 years - we are 35.)
4. My College Buddy Allison
5. My College Buddy Sara
6. My Sister-In-Law
7. My ex-husbands wife (G) - Yep, you read that right. LOL
8. My Mom (I have a new understanding as of late.)
9. My dlk (He's only 7 but he's the best.)
10. My rjk (He's a toddler but he makes me smile every day.
11. The Twins (5M4M) They are really great ladies!
12. Sheila - She visits often and keeps me positive.
13. Our Manny - He helps lift the load.

Thanks!

Day 343

We finally got our retakes of our product photos well under way! I'm super thankful for that. Today that's all I have.

Wordless Wednesday - 1973

What? - Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger is really dead? I just saw this on my email news. I'm floored. Just goes to show that those who seem like they have a great life, might not. His poor little girl who he has left behind. They don't know if he overdosed or not but they found sleeping pills. WOW, rest in peace Heath.

Day 344

Barely positive, this has been one of the most stressful days in a long time. I feel really sick. I thought my stress would be relieved but it isn't. I feel like throwing up. I don't feel good at all. I think the day was so stressful and now that there has been some resolution my body has yet to catch up to the calm that I am supposed to feel. I don't feel calm. I feel more stressed than ever. On the one hand I'm glad she took the offer to get back in school and finish her 8 classes to get her Associates. On the other hand I'm so sorry to my Mother and Grandmother who have agreed to take her in. It's like they are finishing what we started. Grandparents should be grandparents not parents. I feel like we didn't do our job. I've got my adult child going to Grandma's house. They will be making sure she goes to school and that she goes to work and comes in at a decent hour. They will make sure she eats right and takes her vitamins and goes to sleep and wakes up! It just doesn't sound right to my ears.

I don't think my dh is very happy about paying for her semester since she already dropped all her courses when they were partially already paid for. Now we had to pay the late registration fee. I guess that is the silver lining in it all she is registered for school and she has a place to stay where she will be taken care of.

How I Roll

It's been a while since I've been able to go visiting! I have to share some really great posts with you.
1SmartMom
Quietly Shouting Inside
Because I'm Your Father

Day 345

My silver lining today came at the wee hours of the morning! Our Super Star was awake and he was being so silly. He gets up while it's still dark outside with his Dad and hangs out but then Dad leaves for work and he cries and searches the house for him. He finally gives up his search and put on his pants over the footy pajamas he's wearing. That cracked me up! Then he found his tooth brush and brought to bed. He got under the covers with me and started poking my eyes and teeth. It was so funny! He finally gave into the warmth of the covers and passed out. Mornings like this make the rest of the day all the better. :)

Paranormal Dreams

OK - I've been asked by several of you to share. I would say this shadow was a man but I couldn't make out a face. He had the figure of a large man but was mostly a black shadow. He was wearing one of those grim reaper gowns with the hood. I could see him as clearly as I'm looking at this monitor. He was standing at the foot of my bed just watching me. My husband was laying right next to me sleeping. Our little boys came running in the room (it was morning) and I quickly jumped out of bed and ran past this thing and shooed the boys out of our room. Then I woke up! Creeped me out!!!

He's A Hoot!

Him: "Mommy, do you know why I want you to have a girl?"
Me: "No, why?"
Him: "Because I want a sister who isn't so junkie!"
Me: "Junkie? What does that mean?"
Him: "You know like how (big sis) is always messy and eats fast food?"
Me: "Cracking up at this point!"
Him: "And you know what Mommy?"
Me: "What?"
Him: "Then you could have some girl talk!"

LOL - He's a riot.

Day 346

Today I took my son to see "Enchanted" and yesterday my dh took him to see "The Pirates That Don't Do Anything." It's been a long time since I have been to the movies. My dh and I did see "American Gangster" but that was months ago. He doesn't really like movies so it's hard to find something we both like. My daughter use to drag me to lots of movies before the boys came along. Then I was replaced. - LOL. Now my son likes to go! Hurray, a movie buddy. Although I wouldn't be opposed to going alone at this point.

Enchanted was so funny! It was great and had a neat twist but the end fizzled. It's still worth seeing. My son was annoyed with the kissing scenes. - LOL - He's so funny. He's well prepared for all the chic flicks since his big sister started him out that way. He's seen a lot of Barbie movies.

So there you have my silver lining for the day, a little one on one time with my boy at the movies. He really likes to rub my belly. He's been talking about the new baby all weekend. He's been so great about it. His excitement makes me excited. He really wants it to be a girl. -LOL

Day 347

Woo Hoo! I'm loving the mail today. Happy Panda (my little company) got a thank you note today from The James Family! OK - So what is so great about that? It's Kevin James! You know the star of the television show "The King of Queens" and he recently starred in "I Now Pronounce You, Chuck & Larry." So on my 347th day of blogging I'm thankful for today's mail. I'm thankful to know that his girls received their pandas! Awesome, I'm on top of the world.

Woo Hoo - Party!

Today my dh and I have decided that we are going to throw a "We Suck As Parents Party!" Do you too suck as a parent? I bet you don't suck as much as we do! We have the his, hers and ours combination sort of family. His hates him and mine hates me. The other two are too young to begin their hatred but give them time. His is holding strongly to her hatred while mine can just never be satisfied. We must have forgotten their manuals at the hospital or something. Either way we have ensured that their instability will surely be blamed on our sucking as parents. Instead of a college fund we need to create a therapy fund.

Fix You

Coldplay Lyrics

Day 348

Cat's out of the bag! I guess I'm thankful for that. I told my family but I wasn't exactly ready. Oh well, it's out there. My son is over the moon. He wants to have a girl. He's a positive little guy. Although, we were racing for the phone and I won so he slapped me on the back. After the sting subsided I had to take him down. It scared him pretty bad. I didn't hurt him I just took him down. I don't think he will be slapping me any more. - LOL

Day 349

My dh is coming home tomorrow from his out of town trip! Q was not chosen for the show. Today I made cupcakes and they were so yummy. We got so many things done today at work. It was a good day.

Blaster Salad Bowl

This was the second item I received from Dormbuys.com. It's a Blaster Salad Bowl. Yes, I actually bought some salad ingredients to try it out. My favorite part about this product is the lid. You can fill it up with your favorite dressing, snap it shut and when your ready to pour, open it and press on the lid! That is a really neat place to keep your dressing. I had prepared my salad yesterday and left it in the refrigerator over night. I'm a big fan of croûtons so I added it to the mix. This turned out to not be a good idea. I didn't get to my salad until lunch time today. After I pressed my dressing and was ready to take a bite I found my croûtons didn't make it. If you are a fan of these you might want to make your salad in the morning instead. Your croûtons won't get soggy if you do. I really enjoyed this product too and I might just have to make more salads on the go! Right now Dormbuys is offering the Blaster Salad Bowl for $5.74. If you are making healthier changes in your life this is a great product to help you stay on track.

Cereal On The Go!

Woo Hoo! Mr. Deryl Sweeney II contacted me about reviewing a couple of products available from DormBuys.com. Here is what he sent me. It's Cereal On The Go! How cool is that? They come in four different colors and I received the orange one. Through the power of marketing I actually purchased a box of Froot Loops to try out this product. The bottom portion has this gel inside the container that you freeze in order to keep your milk cold. My whole family was in on this review. We tried it out this morning. I had already put it in the fridge ready made last night. My 7 year-old opened up the fridge and took it out. Once he figured out how to untwist it he was happy as a clam. He really liked the bendable spoon. We all took a few bites and then gave it to our toddler to try. He loved it! He was actually able to use the little bowl as a cup and drank the rest of the milk. We all enjoyed using it and I can see how this would be great for traveling or being packed in one of those keep it cool lunch bags! My boys love milk and products that help keep the milk cold are a plus for our family. The Cereal Bowl To Go is available for $4.99 which is a great value for all that it offers.

Thursday Thirteen - Weird Things

Odd things that are occurring just because of my current condition.

1. I'm making full coarse meals in the middle of the afternoon.
2. Today I included dessert!
3. I'm having paranormal dreams.
4. I don't want beef jerky. (I normally love the stuff!)
5. My body temperature is out of whack.
6. My new best friend is Canada Dry.
7. I'm loving Cheetos!
8. On the weekends I take 3 naps in a day and still go to bed early.
9. I'm getting headaches very easily.
10. I'm not sure how to tell my family, so I haven't told them.
11. I can't remember anything!
12. I bought lots of different cereals???
13. I'm organizing around the house.

Day 350

Today I am thankful for tacos! Super easy to make and everyone likes them. Woo Hoo. I'm thankful my kids slept until 7am. Thanks guys for letting me get a little extra sleep. I will take what I can get at this point. Sleep for most Moms is a luxury.

Wordless Wednesday - 7 weeks

Day 351

Woo Hoo! My desk is clean and I am super thankful for that! Everything is paid and filed and has been dealt with and it is the best feeling. Tonight is cub scout night so it's just me and the tornado. It's time for me to go and play!

Day 352

What a day! I'm glad we got our international shipping straightened out. There's a baby in England who will be wearing my Happy Panda gear! I'm super excited.

We are still working out some kinks in the accounting system but it's ok. The Ultimate Blog Party prize post is hopping like mad! We got to go out to dinner tonight that was great. I have a super cool Wordless Wednesday in store for you guys! Stay tuned.

Day 353

Dinner is on the stove! Tonight we will have speghetti and garlic toast. Yum Yum! The dishes are done and the laundry is done and heck yes I am thankful for that. We had basket after basket ahhh the nightmares. I slept a lot today. I'm going to the Dr. in the morning. Maybe he can tell me how to get rid of this exhausted feeling I'm having all the time now.

Oh and I'm super honored that 5minutesformom.com asked my co. Happy Panda to host their prize page for their Ultimate Blog Party! Woo Hoo. Sounds like fun. They are the best and I'm very happy that they thought of me and my little crew to help them.

Day 354

This is an odd one to be thankful for but here it goes. First, if you read Budgy's Mom's journal about BK then you will get this part. I read her post just today and this evening we ended up at BK. We got home and my husband says "look honey!" And there was this heart glowing in the middle of Snoopy's chest. I nearly lost my dinner from cracking up so hard. I'm thankful for that giggle!

We went to the grocery store today and my hubby brought home one of those already cooked rotisserie chickens. The smell made me want to be sick. The smell was in the van and then it stunk up the house. Oh I'm so sensitive to smells right now. Lucky for me my dh left the chicken a little too close to the edge of the counter top. Our alpha female Tony ate the entire chicken and for that I'm thankful! LOL

Enchiladas

First, I have to tell you I cook by the seat of my pants so to speak. I don't write anything down so this "recipe" is really off the top of my head. The measurements are well season to taste mostly. I haven't shared this with anyone so here it goes.

Ingredients:
1 pound hamburger meat
1 large can of Wolf Brand chili with beans
Cumin, Salt, Garlic Salt
Vegetable Oil
Corn Tortillas (yellow or white)
Grated Cheese (Mexican Blend or Cheddar)
1 13" X 9" baking pan

Preheat your oven to 350.
Brown your meat, drain your grease, add the can of chili, fill the can half way with water and add to your meat mix. Stir and then season with Cumin, Salt and Garlic Salt to taste. Add what you like until it tastes good to you. I usually add lots of each one until it no longer tastes like chili. You want enough water in the mix so that you have a sort of sauce to it. Let the meat mix simmer.

Meanwhile you will need a much smaller pan and add vegetable oil till it fills half the pan. Tongs are recommended for cooking these tortillas! It keeps them from falling apart or tearing. Heat the oil, dip in one tortilla at a time. Make sure you have a plate with paper towels on it. When you remove each tortilla this method will soak up the oil. You only leave the tortilla in long enough for it to be heated and soaked. You can make about 12 tortillas to fit this size pan.

Here comes the fun part, the tortillas will be hot so if you want them to cool a bit that is fine but I usually risk it and roll them while they are hot. Be careful! Roll at your own risk!

Put tortilla in baking pan and fill with meat mix and cheese. You add as much of each as you like. Roll the tortilla and repeat lining them up next to each other. Usually you can fit 8 across and then you will have room for 4 more that will be laying horizontal rather than vertical. Hope that makes sense. OK - after you rolled them all you will then take the remaining meat mix and poor it over the top of your enchiladas. Then you will take the cheese and sprinkle over the top and put it in the oven. Let it heat for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and that's it!

If you make it you have to leave me a comment here and let me know how it worked out for you.

Yum, Yum

Day 355

Yes I will share that enchilada recipe over the weekend. Right now I'm pretty beat. I have super low energy but I've started taking those iron pills so hopefully I will get some pep back in my step soon. I'm still recovering from being sick and my body is trying to work itself out. Ewwwwwwwww - you don't wanna know the gory details. OK - today I am thankful not to be involved in any sort of family drama. I'm so happy not to hear or talk about any problems. It makes for a much nicer day! This evening I have to go watch pine car racing. Who knew Friday night would turn into this??? LOL

Here He Is!

Finally! Here he is modeling the shirt he won in the Fall Ya'll give away. I blogged about it before but I finally got the shirt out and snapped a few shots. It really is a nice shirt. It's a lap-t style and the fabric feels like jersey knit. He already slobbered all over it and I'm sure it won't be long before it's stained but right now the shirt is in good shape. Our prize came all the way from Canada. It took several weeks but it was well worth the wait. Pretty clever little saying on the shirt don't you think? As Seen On Ultrasound. That one cracked me up! He's wearing 18-24 months. Right now this is a good fit I'm sure it will shrink a bit after washing. Thanks again Apple n Oranges for our great little prize.

Day 356

Just when we had it all figured out we ran into more snags. Today I made enchiladas for lunch! That makes for a great day no matter what the snags are! I have issues I know but for some reason a little voice said, "Enchiladas!" They were so good! We were all so full and happy. The best part is that we can have them for dinner and that means no cooking for me this evening. Woo Hoo! Yes, it's that exciting. I'm really sleepy though. Now is a good time for a nap. Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Thursday Thirteen - Cookies

Favorite Cookies - no particular order

1. Chocolate Chip
2. Peanut Butter
3. Snicker Doodle
4. Sugar
5. Oatmeal Raisin
6. Butterscotch
7. Oreo
8. Ginger Bread
9. Peppermint
10. Fortune
11. Chocolate Covered Mint
12. Cinnamon
13. Lemon

Day 357

Today is tough! However I'm able to relax on my couch and watch an entire uninterrupted dvd of Desperate Housewives. I'm thankful for that! Come on writers let's get this strike settled.

Wordless Wednesday - 3 Pack

Day 358

Today is a great day! With the exception of all the upset stomachs in the house. I would say it has been very productive as far as getting things off my chest so to speak. I feel lighter.

I'm super excited that it's almost Wordless Wednesday. That's one of my favorite memes. I'm still reading my book. Yes, I'm making the time to read a book and vow to finish!

Day 359

OK - I'm not 100% but I'm at least 80%. We thought we were done with the accounting until the FUTA hit and then TWC and then there were W-2's & W-3's. No, I'm not an accountant I just do the paperwork and No, I don't enjoy it but I know how to do it and it pays the bills so there it is and No, this was not my field of study. Ah the universe does have a sense of humor!

So while I was on sick leave this weekend I learned something very interesting about my role in my household. I'm the "harmony", that's right I bring the harmony in my house. While I was out of pocket my darling little boys were fighting the whole time and the toddler was so fussy and crying a lot!

Once I was able to move about the cabin (so to speak) there was peace and harmony back in my home. Who knew? I certainly didn't. I thought my little angels behaved nicely even in my absence. - LOL- WRONG!

Ah it's a great day!

How Cool Is This?

I got an email from Mamanista today since I'm a subscriber and I found my way to this website and another to bring you the direct source of Rockabye Baby! This is one of the coolest new things I've seen in a long time. If you read my blog then you know I'm a huge music fan. I love all sorts but I can't wait to get some of these for my little guy! You can listen to samples of your favorite albums remixed for baby. Click over and take a listen. Let me know what you think!

Day 360

Fever is gone! I'm still recovering. The house is destroyed and the children are now trying to take over. They seem to think they are in charge. My dh can only take care of the children. I have to basically fend for myself when I'm ill. I was spoiled by my Mom on Friday evening and Saturday morning. She would bring me my medicine and make me soup and bring me water and it was wonderful. My Gram folded our laundry and one of them changed out the laundry and did dishes.

I have to give my dh credit because he did get me something to eat last night. He left me with the children in order to do it but I guess that is a small price to pay in order to eat. Geez.

This is the last day to recover before Monday kicks in! I'm not at top speed but I have to get there pretty quick because the world isn't going to stop and wait for me. :)
I'm just glad that I'm feeling better.

Day 361

Thanks Sheila for wish me well. Thank you to my Grandmother and Mother for coming over this morning at 6am to watch the children until my dh comes home. Thanks to soup, crackers, Canada Dry and Aleve.

Thanks to my older brother for coming by to pick up the eldest to take him to the Monster Truck Jam. He had a good time. Meanwhile I am still battling the fever.

Day 362

Today has been such a terrible day of illness. I feel like I'm on a boat with a hangover. I'm sick and that is the only way to describe it. No, I didn't drink or anything this just came on at 1am and it hasn't let me go. Advil isn't touching it. The Manny and I believe that maybe it is partly due to the lack of caffeine. I haven't had my usual 2 cups of coffee.

I am thankful for our Manny. I had to call it a short work day that is how sick I am. I can't properly function. I can't chase my little one around. Thank God our Manny was here to watch over the children because I'm not up to it. Unfortunately his day ended and my dh is still out of town. I tried to call reinforcements but they either have plans or won't pick up the phone. I'm praying to God that I can survive till bedtime. Wish me luck!

Day 363

Woo Hoo! I have been cleaning blog today. Good-bye Amazon store. It's ok, I don't think anyone paid attention to the store any way. Good-bye Widget Bucks - I'm afraid that was a dead end too. Good-bye Google Ad links - Nothing came from those links. Good-bye to all the contest banners because they are all over now. Good-bye labels because I don't think anyone pays attention to those but me. They are helpful when I need to find something though.

Hello my blog rolls because they are so much fun I put them back in the side column. Hello again my communities and forums. I missed all the avatars. It's fun to see who is dropping by so I brought those back too! I now feel I'm ready for a New Year at least on my blog any way. - LOL

And there you have it a day full of cleaning blog and because I finally made the time to get it done, I'm thankful!

Thursday Thirteen - Stop & Start

Things I've started to learn about but then stopped for one reason or another. I have several books dedicated to each of these subjects and will one day finish.

1. Photography
2. Graphic Design
3. Real Estate
4. Teaching Research and Statistics
5. Screen Printing
6. Counseling
7. Nutrition
8. Fitness
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Day 364

Ah super! We conquered end of year inventory. Trust me, it was very unpleasant but the fact that we counted it all and the numbers are squared away lets me breathe a sigh of relief. Also, we conquered the overhaul of the accounting system. That was much more painless than we thought! I have to tell you those two things alone are enough to be thankful for. - LOL - Accounting can be so ugly but today I'm thankful that we conquered all the numbers and we are ready to rock and roll this year.

Day 365

I've been invited to join the group and blog for 365 days. Although there isn't any requests for the days of thanks I think that is how I will conduct this section of my blog. I think the thirty days of thanks kept me focused on the positive. Honestly, after it was over and December came it was like this funnel cloud began to form and the storms began. This was a very unpleasant month this year when it was clearly suppose to be a time of joy and Christmas cheer. It was hard to muster the joy!

Here is the 1st day! Today I made breakfast and it was so yummy. Eggs and bacon, simple but good. I got to take two naps today and I took my vitamins. That doesn't sound like much but I'm always talking about taking care of my body rather than acting on it! -LOL - I made a brisket for dinner and we went for an evening drive and picked up some chocolate chip blizzards from DQ on the way home. I got a small as to stay in the take care of my body mode - LOL. I'd say that's a pretty positive evening. :)

Wordless Wednesday - Thing 1, Thing 2

Together Tunes

There will be lots of reviews coming your way since our home is now loaded with lots of new toys. Our Super Star received this interactive sing-along story time block. He loves it! We love it because it's soft and it's an all in one toy and we don't have lots of pieces all over the house (that's a plus!). Each of the sides have an interactive nursery rhyme or song. The Wheels On The Bus side plays the song and it has little wheels you can spin around. There is a pop goes the weasel and that cracked him up! He laughed so hard and that's a plus when a toy makes your little tyke giggle up a storm. There is a wiggly spider for the Weensy Spider, a bear with a mirror in his tummy that plays If You're Happy and You Know it and much more. The toy was available at Sam's Club for $40.00 but after Christmas it was $14.00. Either way this is a super thumbs up in our book.

Beware of These Goodies

Folks I have to tell you that these Creme Savers are super yummy! Each flavor is just fun for your taste buds. In this particular bag shown are strawberry cheesecake, apple pie a la mode and cinnamon bun flavored hard candy. The cinnamon bun flavor makes you want to stick the piece of candy in the microwave and heat it and then put it back in your mouth! That's how good it is. If you know a candy lover this would be a great gift and if the candy lover is you - BEWARE!

I Can't Keep Up!

Could we be reaching the terrible 2's early? I'm thinking that all signs point to yes. When did my baby become a toddler? It happened in the blink of an eye. He has speed now and it's hard to keep up. He listens to no one. He understands what you are saying but he doesn't care at all. Yes, we have actually started the baby time out for him. We put him in his playpen for a minute. Some days it works and others he couldn't care less. He makes a mess in one room and as soon as I go clean it up, he's in another room making another mess. It's just a matter of time until he figures out how to open the doors. - LOL - I've actually began to take naps when he does because I'm exhausted. I've decided to increase the vitamins and iron since my energy level is at an all time low. So please, wish me luck in keeping up with him! Lord knows I'm going to need it! Oh and from what I hear, our Manny is getting his tail kicked too! He's also going home and taking naps. - LOL - There you have it folks. We are getting our tails handed to us by a sixteen month old and he's not getting any younger.