you know what sucks?

my email inbox. well, that and the fact that i can't seem to stay on top of emails {read: replying to comments}. it probably doesn't help that i have four email addresses going to one email inbox either. ugh.

yesterday afternoon, i chipped away at the 800+ messages in my inbox. i'm now down to 66. some of you may have received a comment reply from me. most of you did not. i decided not to reply to comments that were already nearly a month old because, quite frankly, it seemed pointless. i know the old adage is "better late, than never" but in the case of replying to comments, well...

i simply hit delete.

i feel bad because replying to comments is one way of building a good rapport with your readers. so, i promise to stay on top of things. really. besides, when you start ignoring emails, they start adding up...quickly. i'm sure most of you know what i mean.

you know what also sucks? being stranded on the toilet with no t.p. ... and you're the only one home. remember, sit before you sh.... that.

---

february is a great month to order scentsy - 10% off!

for details, please check out celia's scentsy page.

tomorrow on the blog, kimmie from full circle foodie is guest posting.
i can't wait for you to check out her recipe for mississippi mud cookies!

and that's what i think about that.

i'm glad that jennifer h u d s o n finally starting singing a new song in her weight watchers commercials. but, i still want to stab myself in the ear when they come on.

speaking of weight loss commercials, what the eff mariah c a r e y??

no, i don't want to open your email regarding pills i can take to enlarge my wang. i don't have a wang. i also don't care if i've won the uk lotto or if you're a prince from nigeria offering me money. and, crazy asians with business propositions...buzz off!

in addition, all of the eggheads, scantily clad girls & other twerks {that's what you get when you combine the twit with a jerk} have gots ta go. no, i don't want to "check this out" nor do i want to be your friend. get a life. 

coca cola, thank you for making the winter cans red again. the white cans caused me much anxiety because mama does not like the diet variety of your drinky drink.

baby boy clothes, stop being so damn cute. i'm on a budget. {and, no, i'm not pregnant.}

budget, stop being so damn limiting.

pain in my neck, i hope you go away sooner than the day both of my children move out of my house. wishful thinking, i know.

who in their right mind would wear a forever lazy?! did the commercial really suggest that you wear it while tailgating? and, are you so damn lazy that you need a back flap for easy access to use the bathroom? oh, lawdy.

football...why aren't you over yet?

crazy ass virginia weather...wind chills in the teens & sixty degree temperatures all in the same week? you suck.

people on house hunters. it's just paint and wallpaper. and, are you really complaining about the size of the kitchen?? um, my house could fit in that kitchen. seriously, hgtv, where do you find some of these people?

and, speaking of finding people, have you seen some of the moms on toddlers & tiaras? holy crap.

and that, folks, is what i think about that.

yep, still random.

first of all, i still have a few scarves looking for a good home. you can check them out here. but, don't forget about this beauty, too:

another infinity scarf!
{clearly, they're "my thing"}

this one is a rich, deep purple color.

knit using the knit or garter stitch on a really big needle so the stitches are more "open," if you will.

again, 100% acrylic yarn as used.

this is approximately 8" wide & 68" long {before sewing the ends together}.

remember, $20 includes first class shipping {priority is an extra $3.50}. if you buy more than one scarf, the first is $20 & each additional scarf is $17.

i'm sorry i keep pushing the scarves, but i'm curious to see if my knitting will take off as a nice, paying hobby. wishful thinking, i know.

so, i'm on month two of using homemade laundry detergent {recipe found here} and homemade dishwasher detergent {recipe found here}. i will never buy laundry detergent again. i'm hooked on the homemade stuff. it's cheaper and, quite frankly, i think it cleans better. i'm on the fence about the dishwasher detergent, however. didn't i read somewhere that i could run white vinegar in the dishwasher to help with the film? or, maybe i just made that up.

i hate that i'll still be working on completing my practicum next week. the semester ends friday. but, it's all good. and, i'm starting to think that first grade is the grade level for me. of course, i say this now when i still have a rotation in 2nd & 3rd grade as well as student teaching.

tomorrow is the day. i've never had to say goodbye to a pet before. flushing goldfish doesn't count. {well, about that whole "saying goodbye" thing...our family dog passed away back in 2003, but i didn't know right away since it happened the day after i gave birth to aidan. my parents didn't want the news to upset me...or my milk supply. ha!}

but, on a happy note, buxton will turn a year old on friday. yay!

june will be an exciting month.

i'm stressing over money...again. but, who doesn't this time of year?

i enjoy how quiet my home is before my children get home from school. once 2:45pm hits, the fighting, sass & headaches begin. 

i may or may not be ordering personalized stockings for my dogs. and, yes, i realize this does not help my financial-related stress.

i have quite a few product reviews in the works for this month as well as a really, really awesome giveaway. trust me.

one day i'll resume some sort of meaningful blog schedule and actually write about stuff that you're interested in...i promise. for now, just deal with me, please, and buy some scarves. pleaseandthankyou.

croutons & middle school.

it's monday.

it's the last week of the semester.

it's time for a healthy dose of random.

i've been on a crouton kick lately. i add them to everything. you know, because topping your beef stew or cream of mushroom soup with croutons is so damn good.

my husband is sick. he's never sick. this isn't good, y'all. why? because he turns into a big, ole baby when he's sick. homey don't play that.

i've sold seven scarves so far! there are four left. i plan on knitting more this week.

my throat hurts. good thing i'm sampling these lozenges.  a review & giveaway are in the works.

did i mention that this is the last week of the semester? one of my classes finished last friday. i'm trying to finish both of my practicums by the middle of next week. i also have a final exam to work on early next week {it's online} and an algebra final a week from thursday. think happy thoughts about that algebra exam, folks. "c" stands for credit!

i'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the holiday cards i ordered from erin condren. here's a peek:

i also ordered cards from tiny prints this year, too. they turned out amazing if i do say so myself...

if you're wondering about the pictures on our cards, we had lots of fun on the beach with leah from silly little sparrow photos.

adam & i are on the fence about leaving our current cell phone provider. we've been customers since the early 2000s and we're not a fan of all of the recent fee changes they've made. i mean, why do we need to pay you our cancellation fee for each line in order to change our calling plan?  that. is. whack.

our daughter came home with a big ole packet of information about middle school including her class registration form and information about applying for an international baccalaureate program. i did okay on her first day of kindergarten, but i'm not sure my heart can take middle school. i want my baby back.

{malia, on her first day of day care, 13 months old...yes, she had a big dome piece}

thursday will be a sad day. a very sad day. my parents are saying goodbye to their dog, noel {a.k.a. nono}. she's been in our care because my parents are out of town & it's been difficult taking care of her. she's old, is blind, and has a host of other issues...it's time. we told the kids on saturday. my parents will be back in order to say goodbye. if you follow me on the twit, you know how much of a mess i was last week. i can only imagine what i'll be like come thursday.

harry potter marathons on abc family always distract me. always. but, it's a welcome distraction.

i have a dinner date on friday night, but not with my husband. i cannot wait! {seriously, it's not like that y'all.}

yesterday, adam helped his mom's boyfriend install new kitchen countertops.  last month adam helped friends tile their entire home. the tile? it's beautiful. click here to see glimpses of it. i'm very thankful i have a husband who is so generous with his time.

psst...my new oreck magnesium vacuum will be here tomorrow. i cannot wait! keep your eyes peeled for my review & a giveaway. yes, an oreck giveaway!

whew. now that's a smattering of random!

bah humbug & all of that crap.

i thought about subbing shit for crap in the title, but figured i should keep things klassy. ha ha ha.

anyways.

thanksgiving is over. that's a good thing, too, considering i'm already over the leftover turkey & all of the other side dishes that are still sitting in my refrigerator.  by the end of the week, my refrigerator will be cleaned out & december will be in full effect. so, in honor of november's end {and the fact that it's a crummy monday}, how about a little brain dumpage?

• i still need three people to participate in a children's book swap. please leave me a comment with your email if you want to participate. 
• there will be no thanksgiving recap on my blog because a) i didn't take any pictures, b) it was uneventful, and c) i just don't want to recap it.
• our house has been "ho ho ho'd." we put up our tree on saturday. adam put up the outdoor lights yesterday. i need two green pillar candles {hello, walmart!} and some hooks for our stockings & i think our mantle will be complete. {we have stocking holders, but they are heavy & i don't want to use them this year.}

• i also finished a christmas rag wreath for our front door. i'm not sure if i should add a "merry christmas" bunting. i was thinking it would look great with a big, glittery "c" in the middle. or, it's kind of nice on it's own. what do you think?

• i'm making three more {i've already made one} rag wreaths for teacher gifts except they'll be smaller than the one pictured above and the colors will not be holiday related. i also made one the same size as the christmas rag wreath, but in purple, as a gift for a family member.
• speaking of making things, i have a few scarves for sale. i was able to knit over the weekend. i finished three scarves and started working on two more scarves. it seems that i can't just work on one thing at a time. i'm listing more scarves tomorrow, but here's a sneak peek {the color is not as dark as it seems}:

• the end of the semester is rapidly approaching. in fact, one of my classes ends this week. i'm looking forward to the break. next semester is going to be crazy. crazy, but worth it.
• family visits are weird. no, it's not weird when my mom & dad visit. we love them to bits & pieces. but, it's weird to visit with family that you haven't seen in a while. and, when i say a while i really mean YEARS. and, that is all i will say about that.
• i saw a commercial for ntelos wireless & it mentioned something about buying out your current mobile contract if you switch. i don't know if this is a gimmick, but i'm looking for any reason to leave t-mobile.
• as a result of entering ap's giveaway, i stalked the red envelope site for a little bit this morning. on my wish list? i'll need two of them, but i want need this:

{you can buy me this here}

• speaking of dogs, remember how i told you that our christmas tree is up? yeah, well, one of the dogs peed on it. now i have to wash our red tree skirt. fabulous.
• as much as i want to participate in cyber monday sales, i'm not. our budget said no. that's cool.
• oh, i went shopping on black friday. never again will i go to walmart on black friday. what an experience that was! who knew $2 towels would cause a fight that required a police escort?! and, never mind the comment made in the paper about how a car payment would be late because getting a $199 television was important.

how is your monday going? 

are you ready for hanukkah & christmas? 

thursday randoms.

it's been a week since i blogged about my not-so-pleasant encounter with a rude friend. thank you for your sweet comments. it's unfortunate that someone had to say something about my hair cut, but whatever. as ron white says, "you can't fix stupid."

now, on to more pressing issues...thursday randoms...

• i missed practicum this week. sad. but, considering part of my rotation is in a toddler room and i woke up with a sore throat & congestion on monday morning, well, i think i made the right decision by staying home. i suppose i should mention, too, that i was in bed by 8pm on sunday {midnight is usually my bedtime} and i had the chills, too. fast forward to wednesday morning when i nearly barfed all over myself. yeah, spending the day in a first grade classroom would not have been smart. i'm really hoping that i start feeling better by the weekend.
  
• and, just so we're straight, this {what seems like} week-long illness does not indicate in any way whatsoever that i could be pregnant. no way, jose.
  
• adam has been laying tile at a friend's house in the afternoon after work & on the weekend. her house flooded during hurricane irene and, unfortunately, she & her family are still trying to get the house back in order. i'm glad adam is so generous with his time and is able to help.
  
• it's hard to believe that i have a month left before final exams. the fall semester seems to be zipping by! i'll be receiving my masters degree in no time! {four more education classes, two general ed classes & 14 weeks of student teaching is all that i have left...}
  
• i replaced my daughter's TOMS {they fell apart after three weeks & nordstrom gladly exhanged them for me} and i also exchanged my pair {they were unworn, but the same style that fell apart}. now i'm thinking about taking mine back. i still have not worn them. they seemed like a good idea at the time...
  
• writing my 2 on tuesday post made me sad. and mad. i'm still pissed that some of my jewelry is missing. still no explanation. still haven't heard from the friend i accused. actions speak louder than words, huh?
  
• my erin condren order arrived on wednesday afternoon. that means i'm no longer stalking the fedex website for my package's whereabouts.
  
• our family photo shoot was postponed to this weekend. last weekend the weather was awful. well, it was partly cloudy, but it was windy as hell. i kind of wish we would have taken at least one photo on the beach. you know, getting sand blasted. it would have made for a very funny holiday card, don't ya think??
  
• i learned a new knitting stitch this week. it's pretty & a nice change from the seed stitch that i usually knit. and, because learning one new stitch isn't enough, i'm also trying to master a different, more complicated {to me} stitch as well. you know, while i'm juggling grad school, being sick, my own kids...no wonder i am sick.
  
• i plan on posting pictures {and prices} some of my scarves at some point over the weekend. to see one that i recently knitted, check out this post at life with the haas'.
  
• i went to the eye doctor last week. i'm getting reading glasses. they should help out with the headaches i've been having lately. 
  
• did you enter my tiny prints giveaway yet? if not, you better. i'm choosing a winner on saturday morning!

and, because i feel i should include a picture, i'll leave you with a {crappy cell phone picture} of a pretty magical spot in my city. whenever i meet this girl & that girl for coffee at one of our favorite local coffee shops, i take the back roads which allow me to drive past a marshy area. one morning on the way to coffee, i noticed the birds. on the way home, i stopped {yep, i put the quest in park in the middle of the road} and took this picture from the driver's seat...

seriously, it's magical. the amount of snow white egrets & herons & other feathered friends hidden in this swampy part of the woods is amazing.

happy thursday, y'all!

dear...

dear receptionist at the pediatrician's office,

i find it damn near impossible {and all kinds of annoying} that every time i bring my children in to see the doctor i have to fill out 34089436 forms. again. this morning, we came in for flu shots. my children saw the nurse, got their flu shots & were back in the waiting room where i was still filling out paperwork. i don't understand why you need yet another patient information form filled out for my daughter. she's been a patient there since she was an infant...she'll be eleven in march. clearly, you guys need to figure out a better way to keep your records updated. you're wasting trees & my time.

sincerely,
a pissed off mom with a hand cramp

---

dear michelle dugg@r,

most other women roll over at night and tell their husband to leave them the fuck alone. or, next time you feel "the poke" make up an excuse {seriously, the headache one works well}. try it sometime. i can't believe you're having your 20th baby. i wish you the best, of course, but after this child you should seriously consider giving your vagina a break.

sincerely,
a mother of two who loves her birth control

---

dear son,

you're eight. remember that the next time you whine & i tell you that you sound like a baby.

love,
your mother {who WILL snap the next time she hears you whine}

---

dear former algebra professor,

don't email the class offering your help or tutoring services. correct me if i'm wrong, but you didn't even show up for a study session that you set up when you were our professor. also, don't email the class letting them know you'll be hanging around the library in the same building we have class. it makes you look & sound creepier than you already are.

respectfully,
someone who still doesn't understand algebra but is doing better without you

---

dear time,

slow the fuck down. please and thank you.

sincerely,
a mother, wife & grad student who is on the verge of a breakdown

---

dear daughter,

you're ten. you're not grown. if you want to act grown, then you need to get a job and help out with the bills. speaking of bills, you don't pay the cable bill so stop bogarting the television remote & the dvr. it makes me {ahem, your mother} mad when my shows don't record because you just have to record the entire series of "toddlers & tiaras" or "dance moms."

i love you dearly,
your mom {who deletes all of that crap off the dvr while you're in school}

---

wow. that was fun. seriously. what an awesome form of therapy. and, just so you know, i was inspired by andrea from my chihuahua bites for these snarky snippets to whomever it may concern. got a lot on your chest? do this. you'll feel better. trust me.

oh, and if you made it this far, make sure you keep your eyes open because i {along with every other blogger in the blog-o-sphere} have a GREAT tiny prints giveaway coming. did someone say 50 free cards?! yep!

also, if you have kidlets {like i do} then you'll want to check out tiny prints' facebook page tomorrow {november 9th} to find out how you can send a card from santa to your child! further details will be on tomorrow's blog post as well.

what's better than a brain dump?

a photo dump!

why? because not only do i get to ramble, but i include pictures, too. you know, because sometimes the whole "words with no pictures" thing just isn't appealing...

let me preface the dump with this: the pictures are from my phone and, no, it's not an iphone. {yes, i have cell phone envy.}

{orly's nite owl}

speaking of orly, did you enter my giveaway yet? hurry. i choose a winner on friday!

{cake pops}

i made them for the cake walk at the fall festival at my kidlets' school.
when i dropped them off they were sized up by another mother.

"did you make them?" she asked.

you're damn right i did.

{for what it's worth, there was more than one tray/display of cake pops at the cake walk & mine were the first to go.}

{coconut macaroons}
hubby LOVES them.

malia may or may not have gotten in the cake walk line about ten times trying to win

MY macaroons back for her daddy.

she succeeded.

{pumpkin spice bagels} 

{pumpkin pie pop tarts}

i need another pumpkin obsession like i need another 

hole in my head.

but, seriously, both are delish. stupid delish.

{and i don't even like pop tarts!}

{oh, hello, nutella in a 'to go' pack!}

damn you, wal-mart, for having this ish in the check out line!

i had to have these.

{too bad the kids ate them.}

{frisco's new up country collar}

i bought frisco a new collar while i was visiting my sissy in boston.

this collar couldn't be more perfect for him.

he loves his mom!

 {two-stitch knit necklace}

i spend too much time & money at a.c. moore.
last time i was there i bought some of martha stewart's mambo yarn.

{me likey!}

{rag ribbon wreaths}

i'm late to the game, i know.

the little one is a teacher gift. the big one is a family gift.

i'm also making a holiday themed wreath for my door.

 {your eyes do not deceive you...}

yes, there are "swirls" in my mani.

how?

{this}

sixteen freakin' dollars at sephora, but so neat.
{and i'm pretty sure my mom took it with her...since she paid for it and all...}

psst...these pictures are mine. don't steal them. i'll cut you.

i confess...

...that i have no earthly clue who nicki minaj is. i don't even know if i spelled her name right.
...that i don't watch glee. nor do i watch dexter.* or modern family, parenthood, or any of the other sitcom shows on television.
...that i don't watch college football. acc, sec, um, they have no meaning to me.
...that i sometimes feel like more of a mother than a wife to my husband {despite the fact that, years ago, during a very heated argument he told me he wanted me to be more like a wife and less like a mother to him}.
...that i have control issues. i also have a tendency to micro-manage. just ask my husband.
...that i don't keep a spotlessly clean house. my shelves might not pass the white glove test, but my home is certainly far from filthy & uninhabitable.
...that there is a picture frame in my bedroom with no picture in it. i love the frame, but i hate the frame color. i need to repaint it.
...that i often have great blogging ideas in my head, but i usually fail to write them down or type them out. hence, this cheesy, list-style post.
...that i'm not very trendy when it comes to clothes & accessories. hell, i just recently became obsessed with scarves as an accessory!
...that i don't read as often as i probably should. i blame grad school.
...that i'm nervous as hell about finishing grad school {read: student teaching} & finding a job.
...that i would pack up & move out of this city {and maybe even out of this state} if we could.
...that i do sometimes think about what my life would be like if a) i were single or b) if adam & i didn't have children. i think it's healthy to wonder about these kinds of things.
...that i love, love, LOVE the allstate mayhem commercials. this one is currently my favorite:

{the look on mayhem's face as the car spins...i die!!}

...that blogs that play music drive me bonkers. they may or may not be the reason my computer's volume is always on mute.
...that i have a love-hate relationship with wal-mart. some days, i love going there {read: in the early morning}.  other days, i avoid it at all costs {read: sundays, before a holiday or any time during the summer}.
...that i will watch clueless, 50 first dates, steel magnolias or the notebook any time they are on television.
...that the reason my head hurts is probably because i need to get my eyes checked. i don't even remember the date of my last eye exam. terrible, i know.
...that i have spent entirely way too much time trying to come up with this list. seriously.


* my sister wants me to borrow her dexter dvd collection. why? because she knows that adam & i will like the show and apparently i laugh like one of the characters on the show. don't believe me? just ask rachel.

monday randoms.

first of all, i would just like to say that tomorrow is the most wonderful time of the year: it's the first day of school! this was my first summer at home with the kids {i quit working near the end of last summer}. i think we had a very full & very fun summer.

this is the only picture i have from the weekend that hurricane irene visited us:

{excuse the mess behind him...i was doing some household purging.}

that same sweet boy pictured above said to me last week, "mom, wouldn't it be cool if i could fart money?" yes, it would, son. oh, yes...it would.

oh, wait, i lied. i do have another photo from hurricane irene weekend. i'm sure you all have seen this yo-yo by now {be warned, i opted against to putting a star over his wee-wee}:

{picture is from a friend's facebook page}

adam & i have decided not to have a 10th wedding anniversary party this coming february. i think we're going to the daytona 500 instead. nothing says i love you like stock cars, a beer buzz & a gazillion race fans. {personally, i'm still hoping for a new diamond...he just doesn't know that...yet.}

i'm really hoping that the algebra class i'm taking this semester doesn't kick my booty. of course, since it's an undergrad level class, all i need is a passing grade of a c or better. c = credit! ha ha!

speaking of grad school, i had an unfortunate altercation, if you will, at my local campus bookstore. apparently, buying a book {to use for one homework assignment that's due today because the copy i purchased elsewhere has not arrived yet in the mail} & then returning the book is a violation of the university's honor code. she said it was like buying a dress, wearing the dress & then returning the dress. the cashier basically told me that i'm committing fraud against the school & that she was going to turn me in to the honor council. my friend, lis, was with me when this happened. she {as well as i} couldn't believe what she was hearing. she also got to witness - first-hand - michelle going apeshit {yes, i just referred to myself in the third person}.* 

speaking of going apeshit, here lately aidan keeps telling the dogs to stop going asap. i keep telling him that asap means something else & doesn't make any sense the way he's using it. and then, it hit me. going asap = going apeshit. i guess i need to stop saying apeshit around him.

about a month & a half ago, my mother-in-law gave us two moonflower sprouts. because it is a vine, we have it growing up & around two tomato cages that are tethered together. last friday evening, we noticed our first bloom:

is it just me or do you think the year is going by a little too quickly? i can't believe it's september already. that being said, my birthday is in less than two weeks. not that i'm counting down the days or anything. 

stay tuned for more random stuff...random seems to work well for me. i hope you all are enjoying your holiday weekend!!

*just so you know, i called the main bookstore at my university and spoke to the assistant director {a.k.a. that mean lady's boss} and he apologized profusely for her actions. i hope i don't have any more run-ins with that insensitive, no couth having meanie. 

ten on tuesday.

okay, so technically it's wednesday. once again, i'm a day late {and a dollar short!}.

i'm taking the lead from my favorite beach bum & my favorite queen bee wasp by linking up with roots & rings for ten on tuesday {next week i'll get the date straight...promise}.

1. What is your favorite brand of shoes?
i pretty much live in my flip flops. the majority of my flops are reefs. some are from j. crew. but, my favorite pair of all time are made by sanuk. you owe it to yourself to buy a pair of their yoga mat flops. i'm serious.

as for other kinds of shoes, um, during the winter months i pretty much live in my birkenstock boston clogs. my birkenstock collection is ridiculous. really, it is. but, i love my bostons. they keep my feet nice & warm.

if i'm dressing up, i'll reach for my gap city ballet flats. so comfy. i need more. 

2. How old were you when you learned to tie your shoes?
ummmm...ummmm...i'm going to say sometime in kindergarten? that was a long time ago. 

3. How do you feel about freckles?
they are cute. i have some. but, if you're starting to freckle up, you might want to up the application of anything spf related. just in case.

4. I can count to ten in ___ languages.
four & a half: english, french, spanish & chinese {technically cantonese}. i can count to five in japanese.

5. What is your favorite store-bought ice cream flavor?
edy's rocky road. don't give me some other brands knock off and definitely don't try to pass off heavenly hash as rocky road. i have other favorite flavors & brands, but if i'm craving rocky road, it is got to be by edy's.

6. Were you in ballet or gymnastics as a little girl?
neither. i swam. first i did lessons. then i swam competitively. it was the only sport i participated in. that's also how i met my husband.

i took hula lessons when we lived in honolulu, but that doesn't count.

7. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
oscar the grouch. need i say more?

8. What’s your bedtime?
whenever. sometimes it's late...really late. sometimes it's early. i need to get back onto some sort of a schedule. grad school starts tomorrow & my kids head back to school on tuesday.

9. Do you have any jewelry that you wear every single day?
just my engagement ring & my wedding band. sometimes, i'll put on earrings, but not often. my favorite pieces are gone & when they disappeared i kind of lost my zest for jewelry. one day, i'll replace them. maybe. {i still haven't found it in my heart to forgive, ain't that sad?}

10. Who is the bug killer in your household?
i am. no lie. my husband is scared of spiders. so are my kids. i'll use a shoe, book, toy...even my bare hands. don't mess with mama bear.

i'm a weather geek & more randomness.

if you haven't gathered by now {hello, are you not reading my crazy tweets on the twit??}, i am a weather geek.

for serious.

don't believe me? just ask rachel, this lis, that lis, j or angela. they'll vouch for my stalker like status when it comes to all things weather related. especially severe weather.

yes, i love me some jim cantore. yes, i wake up with al every weekday morning {y'all, it's cool to "wuwa"}. yes, i totally think stephanie abrams & i could be b.f.f.'s. should i have taken my geography degree a little further by going into meteorology? probably. but, for now, watching the weather channel the way my mother watches the fox news network qvc works for me.

and, while i should finish prepping for the arrival of irene, i wanted to share a lil' something with y'all. get excited...

{via}

i went through j to get eric fisher {he is the mcdreamy of weather, folks} to tweet me, but still! my first official tweet from someone from the weather channel. i know, i know...i need to get a grip {and get back to my hurricane irene preparations}.

anyways.

some more randomness...

• apparently there was another aftershock last night {well, early this morning}. 4.5. i didn't feel it {adam's snoring must have been that bad}.
• 90% of our backyard gear is in the garage. we have a bit more prepping to do today including a job that adam isn't looking forward to doing: cleaning out the gutters.
• i really am making my kids clean their rooms. it's part of their preparations for irene.
• i'm pretty sure we won't be evacuating.
• i have to run to the store {again} today. i'm not looking forward to it.
• sleeping on clean sheets is divine. it's my goal to have all of our laundry washed before irene & her hot mess arrives on saturday.
• i'm honestly not sure how i'll make it this weekend if our power goes out. and, considering we have directv, i'm sure our televisions will go out as soon as the first rain drop hits the dish. {funny, the house shook for 15 seconds during the quake & our cable was fine...go figure}.
• i'm also not sure how my kids will fare during the storm. they have been fighting like crazy lately. i've already threatened them with playing outside while irene passes by. my eight year old is actually intrigued by the possibility. clearly, i need to work on my mean mommy tactics.
• grad school starts next week. of course, the school's closure {due to irene} doesn't impact my first day of class.
• i need to sweep & mop the floors, but i'm actually thinking about leaving them the way they are. they're just gonna get jacked up this weekend.
• sitting here typing this post doesn't make the crazies at walmart go away any faster, so i may as well go mingle. we bought the critical supplies on tuesday. i just hope they haven't run out of beer.

it's 3 a.m. i must be lonely crazy.

there's nothing like being wide awake at some odd hour of the night. such was the case - for me - on sunday night, well, early monday morning. and, i'm talking earrrrrrrrrly.

3 a.m.

well, technically it was 3:14 a.m. but when you're laying in bed wide awake at that time of night morning does fourteen minutes really matter? i didn't think so. and, as i tried to force myself back to sleep, all i could do was pay attention to the random crap floating through my mind.

seriously, it was random.

• holy shit. adam snores loud.
• one of the dogs has some raunchy smelling gas {yes, our pups sleep with us}.
• i need to go to the bank.
• i really hope the kids stop fighting over the g.d. television.
• oh, i could blog about this.
• i wonder how long my nail polish will last? {i painted my fingernails on saturday for the first time in months.}
• oh. my. gah. now he's breathing through his mouth! i hate mouth noise.
• seriously, does frisco really need to sleep right. against. me?
• crap, i forgot to buy napkins when i went to target.
• if i don't get the laundry done, the pile of dirty clothes will be taller than me. {i'm only 5' tall, but i promise the pile isn't that bad.}
• shoot, there's a gazillion things i need to blog about.
• damn, we went through a lot of champagne today. {i went to a girls brunch...good times!}
• adam really needs to stop snoring. this shit is ridiculous.
• um, was the lightning?
• twitter sucks this early in the morning. {it was just me and the auto-tweets...and a few faithfuls.}
• i wonder if he'll stop snoring if i hold a pillow over his face?

random, right?

it's any wonder how i can sleep soundly at night with so much odd crap running through my head.

i hate to be random again, but...

random, it is!

i'm not really in the mood to blog. i know you can relate. some days, you're all gung-ho about scheduling posts and coming up with witty & meaningful things to write about. other days? yeah, not so much. seems as if - especially as of late - i've been doing a lot of random, brain dump-esque type blog posts. why stop a good thing, right?

so...here we go...

i know last week i promised not to post another bug picture, but i have to. no, i need to. why? because it's a picture of a swallowtail. a black swallowtail, to be exact. remember in july i found swallowtail larva on our dill plant? no? well, click here and here. could this be one of them? maybe!

i had a job interview on tuesday. i'm going back for a second interview on thursday. considering i'm still in graduate school, this job could potentially be a good fit for me, my family & my school schedule. of course, the idea of {possibly} working for a very well-known bookstore could be potentially dangerous. and, that is all i will say about work.

my first day back to school is in 27 days. my first class? algebra...at 8 o'clock in the morning. i know, i know...what in the eff was i thinking? clearly, i wasn't.

both kids are home. summer fun with the grandparents is over. aidan's been home for a week. malia just arrived yesterday. i have a feeling i'll be blogging about the kids soon. one idea in particular has been brewing in my mind for quite some time. i can't wait to share it. even those of you who don't have kids could probably relate to it...espesh if you have a sibling.

i'm certain i'll also be blogging about the hubs soon, too. you know, mostly about all of the annoying things that he does. i'm sure those of you who are married could relate to this. even if you're not married, but have a brother, you'll love it. at least i hope so.

there are many, many, many blog ideas brewing in my head. it's just a matter of getting them typed out. i should break out my {ancient as hell} laptop and work on them tonight. maybe. but, i need to get crack-a-lackin' because i'm taking place in a link-up sponsored by mrs. monologues & fabulous but evil. you should participate, too!

it looks like we may have a tropical storm sitting off of our coast by monday. maybe i should buy bottled water & charge our camping lanterns...just in case. nah. remember, we're complacent people around these parts.

{picture via}

my hair is currently past my shoulders. i tossed around the idea of getting feathers like my sweet beach bum friend & her sissy. but, i decided not to. instead, i'm chopping my hair off. mama's going pixie, y'all. when? probably not until september or so. i kind of want to enjoy having my hair in a pony tail for another month or so since i've never had hair long enough to do that. 

i'm also toying around with the idea of going meatless a few meals a week. it will certainly help cut down our grocery bill every week. i looked through what seems like a great vegan cookbook the other day. i'm planning on buy it when my nook arrives {yes, i finally bought a nook. the nook color, to be exact. and, yes, i bought it from qvc. ha ha!}.

{picture via}

are any of you vegetarians or vegans? got any great recipes, websites, cookbook titles, suggestions you would like to share? we are HUGE veggie fans. we love tofu. faking my family out with meat alternatives like tempeh & seitan might be a stretch, though {but, we love tofu so it should work, right??}. i've also made the decision to switch from cow's milk to almond milk. adam & i don't drink milk at all unless we have a bowl of cereal {and even that isn't often}. i do love my half & half, but i just want a different {perhaps healthier} alternative for my kids. i grew up on soy milk. i can't go there again & i won't make my kids go there either. 

and, i'll end on a semi-exciting note...

adam & i will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in february. we were thinking about going to playa del carmen, mexico {our happy place!}, but instead we've decided to throw a party. a big party. it's like getting married all over again...minus the vows, formal attire, gifts, etc. {well, if people want to give us gifts, then who am i to deny, right??} we are just in the planning stages right now, but it's kind of exciting to think about. and, since becky is sharing her love story, maybe i'll share the story of how adam & i came to be. maybe. 

psst...sorry if there are any grammar issues, misspelled words, missing words or if this is just plain confusing. i don't feel like proofreading this post. ha ha ha.

that's so random.

i'm going to walk away from my blog - and probably twitter & facebook, too - for the weekend. i need a break. i need to focus on me. i need to enjoy my family. ha! who am i kidding? it's just going to be a crazy, busy weekend. like i would have time to sit on the computer for hours on end {something i may or may not do on a regular basis}.

before i go, how about some randoms from my head, bullet style. yes? well, alrighty then.

• i feel like a jerk. i wrote a guest post for a friend & in that post i talked about how being in your thirties means you're a legit grown up...for real, for real. well, here i am at age thirty-three...and i still rely on my parents. a lot.  it's not a bad thing. i'm grateful for everything that they do. and, let's just put it out there right now, i'm not irresponsible or anything, but my parents do help me out in SO many ways. my goal is to do the same for my own children.
• i really want to share with you all my family's struggles from the last couple of years. but, part of me doesn't want to. once upon a time i had a private blog. a few of you read it. some of you know what we've been going through. and, of course, there are some people out there who are just too judgy-judgy which is why i am not certain i want to open that particular window to my soul {again}. but, i'll say this: a sperm donor and a father are two completely different things. oh, and i'll also say this: i'm very glad my husband doesn't have his father's last name. thankyoubabyjesusamen.
• the job i didn't get? i get it. pushing two kids out of your cooter doesn't make you an expert on children. i think we can all agree on that, right? it frustrates me, though. i find myself questioning my ability and my decision for working on a masters degree in education. but, of course, the whole reason i'm working on this degree is to make more {much more} than minimum wage...so i suppose being turned down for that job was really a blessing in disguise. at least i have substitute teaching to look forward to in the fall.

ugh, enough of that mopey shit. 

• the hubs & i went to see 311 last night. we also saw sublime...barely. had it not been for a groupon special {two reserved seat tickets for $30} we would not have gone to the show. sista girl can't afford paying more than a $5 cover charge for live music these days. 
• buxton lifts his leg to pee. such a shining dog mom moment, eh? my little pup is on his way to becoming a man-dog. well, until we get him neutered, that is. 
• remember how i said it is going to be a crazy, busy weekend? well, it is. i have a baby shower to attend tomorrow as well as a birthday dinner. we're also going to the beach & working on the yard. i'm tired just thinking about it all. 
• shoot, just about every weekend until the beginning of school will be busy. we've go so much going on.
• our garden {which is very much pesticide free} is strugglin' thanks to the mother effin' stink bugs. jerks. ah, well, there's always next year. or, maybe we'll plant a fall garden. i don't know.
• i'm beyond frustrated with trying to upload a video. i can get it onto you tube, but it's sideways. when i rotate it in windows movie maker, save it & upload it to you tube, there's no audio. i can't figure it out. i need to, though, because i really want to share it with y'all. it's of aidan dancing to big time rush. hilarious stuff...promise.
• oh, and get ready because on monday mrs. monologues will be in the hizzouse! 

be good. have fun. miss me {or not}. i'll be perky & upbeat next week...or not. yeah, probably not. i'm not one to overly dramatize or candy coat stuff. what you see read is what you get.

complicated order.

if you don't laugh while watching this, i'll call suh-curity on you.

random glee.

during my bout of wallow & self-pity, i neglected to focus on what's good & what's important. duh. so, here i am, doing just that...focusing on good, important things. things that matter...

those two kids pictured above. what a candid moment. on the beach in hatteras, nc circa 2005. they are my greatest joy.

speaking of those two kids:

• aidan passed the first round of screening for the gifted program. he will be tested again in march to see if he just might be able to enter our school system's gifted program next year as a second grader.
• malia turns n-i-n-e next month! she's heading into her 'tween years quickly. i think we are going to have a bowling party for her. she's also doing ridiculously well in school. she's busy with the s.c.a. and tech club. and, she totally rocked her ancient greece project and got a A+ on the comedy & tragedy masks she made.

{source}

happiness really IS a warm puppy -- and i've got the best lil' puppy by my side, frisco. he's currently snoozing in his teeny bed {his big bed is in his 'house'} while i get some blog posts scheduled.

the fact that it's snowing outside is pretty exciting. three times in three weeks! that never happens here in coastal virginia! it sure is pretty to look at...i feel like i'm living inside of a snow globe! on the flip side, i'm quite thankful that we're not getting walloped like my parents did {and are...again!}. they are digging out of over 2+ feet of snow and they only live 2.5 hours away from me in fredericksburg. my mom wished for snow...i guess you gotta be careful what you wish for!

{today's snow so far}

my new desk & craft area is pretty awesome if i do say so myself. it's still very messy & in need of some good organizing, but it's coming along nicely. it's opened up this room quite a bit and i can't wait to get the rest of the room cleaned up this weekend. what would make me happy is if we could find a nice, cozy chair & side table. hmm...

our good friends, matt & steve, helped adam with every aspect of constructing the new desk from making the executive decision on which laminate counter top pattern to pick {because, really, what guy would pass up a trip to lowe's?} to making saw cuts to spray painting the pvc pipe legs to installing the ginormous desk onto my muraled wall!

this weekend there is a lot to celebrate:

• v♥lentine's d♥y
• the daytona 500
• chinese new year {it's the year of the tiger!}

coincidentally, all of these things fall on the same day - february 14th. so, on sunday, i'll be wearing a red shirt, sporting my dale earnhardt, jr. cap & eating peking duck.

and, after this weekend's fun festivities, this guy & i will celebrate eight years of wedded bliss on the 23rd:

{our happy little family in bah-ston, september 2009}

i found out recently - as in yesterday - that i will be moving to an office closer to home {as in, my 45+ minute commute will become maybe 15 minutes} and that i will become a full-time employee. when that will all take place...i don't know. but, it's guaranteed to happen some time this year. woo hoo!

oh, and did i mention that i have an etsy shop now? it's up & running. it's still very much a work in progress, but at least i did it. i hope to add more items to the shop this weekend. i have a feeling that i will be leaning more towards the pet paintings & painted glassware. however, if you want a custom topiary piece, please let me know!

---

so, i guess that even with all of my complaints, life really IS good.

Clearing my head...

• Fall is quickly approaching - my fall wreath is hanging on the front door {spiked with the scent of cinnamon}, my pumpkin "WELCOME" sign is hanging on the porch & two beautiful mums are gracing my front stoop.
• I can actually see some bits of dark brown iris in Frisco's left eye {the one he had surgery on} - thank God!
• A pumpkin spice frappuccino from Starbucks really hit the spot over the weekend...yum!
• R.I.P. Patrick Swayze - we'll never put Baby in the corner.
• Finding ants in my pantry on a busy Monday evening? Oh, hells no.
• We've loaded up on the orange juice & vitamins - and we're praying for a friend whose husband & little girl are sick with that flu. So sad. Sending good thoughts & get well wishes their way!
• Ben & Jerry's Phish Food - need I say more?
• One week of school down...many more to go! The kids have transitioned well & we're on track for a wonderful year!
• Finding our rosemary plant underneath a crazy pile of weeds & wildflowers that invaded our flower bed by way of the neighbors behind us was ridiculous...finding out that the rosemary plant was still alive and doing well was exciting! Cannot wait to saute up some fingerlings in fresh rosemary...mmm!
• I didn't watch the VMAs but seriously, K*anye, you really ARE a d-bag, aren't you?
• Grey's Anatomy starts in just over a week...aaaahhh! Even more exciting than that is a new season of Survivor starts THURSDAY!
• I need new front brakes. Thank goodness the hubs can handle this himself!
• I'll be 32 on Friday. *sigh*
• Our pineapple sage plant has beautiful red blooms. So pretty & so striking against the green leaves.
• I can't believe my 10 year college reunion is next year. Wow.
• I have managed to avoid the mopping & vacuuming tonight...I guess it will get done tomorrow.
• Laundry is calling my name...no fun!
• Did I mention that I'll be 32 on Friday?! At least drinks with friends will take the 'sting' away. ;-)

MANIC MONDAY

I've been kind of "blah" lately with the blog...I don't know if it's writer's block or if it's just because my material has been a bit on the dull side. I mean, the cats haven't brought in anymore dead animals, the kids haven't clogged up another toilet and the hubs hasn't done anything stupid. So, in light of the fact that I just can't seem to muster up a poignant blog entry, I give you a bulleted list of some random things:

• Happy anniversary to my parents -- they celebrated 37 years of wedded bliss today, May 4th!
• My genetic counseling appointment is creeping up on me fast (it's this Friday) and I have YET to even look at the information packet my oncologist sent me.
• Is it time for some wine yet?? I'm attending a wine tasting in a week & a half and I cannot wait. I'm looking forward to an afternoon out with the hubs & the kids (selfish, I know).
• Mother's Day -- I'm not expecting any fancy, schmancy gifts...flowers would be fine, breakfast in bed would be great and no arguing from the kids would be fabulous. We'll see if I get my wish.
• Is it even possible to already be ready for the September RIR race?? I mean, we were just there this past weekend (don't worry, I'll post about our shenanigans at the racetrack...damn, I really DO have something meaningful to blog about!).
• The big day is coming...out goes the nearly 5 year old Mirena and in comes a new one (I mean, really, why couldn't my husband follow through with his urology appointment?!).
• Summer might not be here yet, but we'll definitely be beach bound by the end of the month. We may live 10 minutes from the Virginia Beach oceanfront, but our family does NOT hesitate to travel southbound on Route 12 into Hatteras Village, NC many times throughout the warmer months.
• Yikes, the kids have just about six weeks of school left and, yes, I'm doing the summer childcare scramble right now.
• This is a really s-l-o-w laptop that I'm using.
• I can't believe my baby will be six years old next month.

Maybe my lack of inspiration and ideas for blog posts is a sign of fatigue or something. I mean, I have been buring the midnight oil and that kinda, sorta catches up with you eventually...especially if you are a full-time working mother of two. *yawn*