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Somedays I write about all I give to life, other days I write about nothing in particular. |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I am still all the things I was before, in "Invalid Item"  , only now I'd like to think I'm better at this journaling thing. I guess we'll see.Here goes nothing.... If you want to read this journal/blog in its entirety, you'll have to be a member, as I have a lot of the meaty entries set to members and above. |
Lindsay moments after her ear piercing. I was trying to distract her from the pain by taking a picture of her cute ears.  After paying for her ears, I took her to Dairy Queen. That seemed to help tremendously...  |
Just got an email (two, actually) this morning from www.longstoryshort.com that two poems I submitted to them way back in January are going to be published in their August issue!  I am so excited!  |
Okay, so what have I been up to? Whew, what haven't I been up to? Shall I break it down into neat & tidy bullets for you?  Friday was Lindsay's poke day. I took her in for her checkup & kindergarden boosters and she did great . I firmly believe the reason she did so well was because I told her nothing of the shots until he actually brought the needles into the room. You know what they say about anticipation... After that, she went and got blood drawn despite her resistance to the idea, tried to do a urine sample and then we went to the mall. She's been asking for her ears to be pierced for her birthday gift, so we went and after a detour for lunch, she went through with it and now has two cute pink sparkly flowers adorning her perfect ears. She was a trooper. Friday night and most of Sat day was spent at a Marriage retreat . It was actually quite good and we learned a lot, so it was time well spent.  Sunday was another full day--after church we raced home for lunch and naptime before racing back off to Lindsay's birthday party. That's right, she turned the big FIVE years old yesterday, and she did it in style! Her and her newly pierced ears entertained her friends at the Carousel. The kids had fun , but I can't say the parents all loved the loud music, wild kids and crowded area.  Grandma & Papa came to town for hte party, so afterwards it was home to make dinner and hang out with them. OF course she had to take a bath with her new mermaid, which by teh way works much better WITH batteries, and then it was bedtime. So that's where I've been. Maybe later if I have energy I will post pics of my beautiful daugther and her beautiful ears. |
I just called my daycare to give notice and I totally started to cry. Kera's last day will be two weeks from today.  Why am I so emotional about the smallest things?! |
| Erik comes home tonight and I'm excited. This absence of his has been weird in that I've missed him more than usual. I've missed him in the "we just fell in love and can't bear to stand a minute apart" sense which is just plain abnormal for me. I'm sure it makes him feel loved though. So I'm hoping he makes all his connections--the ones right after customs can be a bit tricky--so that he gets in at 8:30 and not midnight, especially since LIndsay is coming with me to greet him at the airport! I'm enjoying today already--I got to sleep in, sorta; made L & I some eggs for breakfast; now I'm enjoying my coffee. Later I'll have to clean and finish laundry and finish my organizing--I would've done it yesterday but Lindsay and i played hooky and went to watch SPiderman 3 instead. It was a good movie, quite entertaining. I planted a small container garden on my back deck this year--well actually my friend Alicia planted it and thought of it for me because I'm not blessed with any shade of green on any of my fingers---and I was pleased yesterday to notice a little white bloom on one of my strawberrie plants! Woohoo! My carrots are doing great as are my beans & scallions. Now, if my tomatoes would just pull through...hopefully some tlc and more potting soil today will help. Alrighty, well, its a beautiful day here in Western Montana, I'm gonna go enjoy it. |
| So, I had a small realization the other day while driving home from the lake. I was blessed with a peaceful drive---(mostly because I actually drove up there on Tuesday and stayed the night with Erik's parents, then left Kera to spend the rest of the week with them--so it was just Lindsay and I on the drive home, which is peaceful compared to when its her & kera!) So anyway, I was enjoying the drive back down to Missoula when I noticed how absolutely gorgeous it was outside. Everything was green & looking alive, especially all the really cool looking draws coming off the Missions, the sun was shining and there were a few puffy white clouds in an otherwise blue sky. There wasn't too much traffic and so I was able to really enjoy the scenery as I drove. It reminded me of how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful spot. I am so extremely lucky to be able to call this place my home and to be able to enjoy such a beautiful spring. |
of this blog's 800th view...      Here's some gps...*throws a pile of gps at Problematic Content  * Thanks for being my 800th view, PC. |
Some pictures that I recently added to my photo album...Click on them to see bigger ones in the album.    |
| 1. Do you ever take off your shoes while your in a movie theater? I honestly don't think I ever have, nor do I see myself ever doing this. The floor is always sticky and full of popcorn crumbs, who's want to put their bare feet in that? Ew. I do run around my own house barefoot--taking off my shoes is the first thing I do once I get in the door. Right now my kitchen floor is in need of some vacumming (little kids eating=never ending crumbs), but its still way cleaner than a movie theater floor! 2. Should it be illegal for anyone to purchase an ultrasound machine unless they are a medical professional? No, thats kind of like people owning their tanning beds, isn't it? Besides, that is one of the most exciting parts of being pregnant is getting to "see" the baby grow & change inside you, at least I thought it was. 3. Do you think that when people drop words of another language into a conversation, that they are being pretentious? Not at all. I do this, once in a while, with the few words of other languages that I know. The other day we were eating something yummy and Lindsay said something about it being "deliciouso" which meant it was yummy. I asked her where she learned that and she said, "Dora". Erik is probably using what little Spanish he knows right now, as he's spending a week in Puerto Vallarta with a couple guy friends. He's having a good time--he keeps emailing me, which I find funny. Travel over land and sea to watch tv, eat and play on the internet. I'm not jealous of him, I'm okay with him being gone but my patience is already wearing thin and its only been 2 days, so we'll see...4. Is divine right still an active philosophy in today's governments? I wasn't the best student in any subjects related to government, politics or history. I just find them utterly boring, so it shouldn't surprise you to know I have no idea what this question is asking. I don't like to talk or think about government--its too depressing. 5. Which do you think does the most damage to society--alcohol or marijuana? I think there are worse things than both of these, but they both can screw people up pretty well--as learned from experienced and others' recollections. Personally, I see nothing wrong with alcohol in moderation (moderation being the key word)--but I dont see anything similar with pot--its not even legal, really. 6. Are vampires sexy? Not exactly. I'm usually more drawn to confidence, humor & a good solid build. Eating a "normal" diet and having night/day right side up are good things too. 7. Do you have to pay for your own back-to-school clothes? I don't go to school and I pay for all my own clothes. I think when I was in school my parents helped, but once I had a job I did my own clothes buying. They were good parents in that way, instilling responsibility and self-sufficiencey. But I can totally relate to the frustration my mom surely felt when I wouldn't wear something she bought for me, as Lindsay is starting to do that. Everything has to fit just perfectly (really tight around her waist, shoes tight on her feet and shirts not too big or sleeves too long) or she won't wear it. I dont remember this pickiness in clothing starting at age 5... 8. Do you call the postal service "snail mail"? Heh, yeah, I do. Because it really is slow compared to all the other ways to stay in touch these days, but I still love to get a real, hand written letter or card in the mail. There's nothing like holding that paper & ink in your hands and knowing that someone put a little extra effort into communicating with you. 9. Do you order familiar dishes such as hamburgers at foreign restaurants? No, I'm all about experiencing the food. Like when we go to Mexico, we don't eat at all the Amerian chains like Senor Frogs and Outback. (Although once we ate at a Chilis cuz it was easy and we were tired and they had a play area for Lindsay). I like to eat as authentic as I can when I'm there, otherwise how different is it from being home? 10. Are Muslim nations ethically immature? This sounds awfully political and current event-like. I don't think I'm going to answer it. 11. Do you believe that being human is a good enough reason to have greater moral rights than non-human animals? This seems awfully deep for first thing Monday morning, I didn't sleep that great last night, being alone and then Kera crying around midnight...ugh. 12. Generally speaking, have your favorite teachers been people who have children of their own, or people who had no children? Thinking back over my favorites, yes, I do believe they all had their own children, except one that I'm not sure about. 13. Do you like jellybeans? Oh yes. Lately I've been buying little bags of Jelly Bellys and putting them in a clear candy dish so that when Kera uses her big girl potty she is rewarded with a candy or two. Unfortunately, Erik and I have been eating them quicker than she's using the potty, so the dish keeps coming up empty... 14. Do you think you spend an unusual amount of time thinking unusual thoughts? Yes, I'm a very unusual person, especially lately. 15. Do you consider a psychologist to be more scientific than a psychiatrist? Actually, no, I usually think about it the other way, since a psychiatrist can prescribe meds, I think of them having had a bit more schooling. Not sure if its true, but thats how I see it. 16. Do you think Israel will wipe Iran off the map as soon as Iran announces they have nuclear weapons? Again, more real life stuff....anything involving one country wiping another off the map can't be good. 17. Is conversation a lost art? I don't think its an art, but more of a nonpracticed necessity. We need communication but a lot of the times it doesn't happen, or its not real. 18. Do you think there are way too many forensics shows on television? No, I love them--they are intriguing, interesting and somewhat predictable, but I love them anyways. 19. Should schizophrenics with visual hallucinations be allowed to drive? If it doesn't interfere with their driving, they should be treated like anyone else with medical conditions that could interfere. If they fail a driving test or whatever standard is set for them (like folks with epilepsy have to be seizure free for so long), then their driving priviledges would be suspended. 20. Do you have high self-esteem? I have self-esteem, but it ebbs and flows like the tide. 21. Would you rather be President or First Lady? First Lady, but you'd have to pay me an awful lot to do that even. 22. Do you think some people are uptight about using labels? Sure, some people can be kind of type a about it, but I dont really know anyone like that. Sometimes Erik laughs at me about cleaning Lindsay's toy closet. Once in a while I can't stand the disorganization anymore and I go through each bin and re-sort all the toys into the bins and drawers they belong in. Then for awhile I'm really picky when she picks up that she tries to put toys in the right spots to keep it all clean & orgainzed. But then I get tired and I let her put them anywhere as long as they are off the floor. That's what her closet looks like right now. 23. If you were a celebrity, would you be frightened to bring your new baby out in public? Sure, aren't all new moms at least a little tentative about their first "public outing"? Being famous and having all those cameras all over, waiting to capture everything would make it that much worse. I hate pictures of myself, thats why I like to be the camera operator. Most of the scrapbooks I do have lots of pictures of the girls and Erik, but very few of me. I have to make a conscious effort to scrapbook a picture of myself once in a while, just so when the girls look back at their childhood they'll see that they did indeed have a mom. 24. Do you think professional baseball, as we know it, will exist in twenty years? I can't say for sure, but I do know that in twenty years, I still won't care. 25. Have you ever been accused of being a lesbian just because you aren't slutty? I've never been accused of being a lesbian, but then I've never been accused of being slutty either, at least not to my face and I certianly hope I haven't been called that behind my back! 26. Do you like the smell of cigarettes? No. 27. Should children be allowed to swear during class? No. I think swearing is a huge waste of breath & type. There are so many more creative and imaginitve words to use if you have the energy to think about it before you speak/type. I've always viewed swearing as "uneducated" (even though everyone swears), so to allow it during class, which is for educating would be dumb. 28. Which type of music do you prefer, punk or classical? Having to choose between the two, I'd rather listen to classical. 29. Has a movie ever changed your life? Not really, but there have been a few that have made me actually think about things in life. 30. Do you prefer morning or night? I've always viewed myself as a morning person mainly because I get so tired late at night, but lately I've had such a hard time getting up in the morning and I've been so tired then, that I'm starting to rethink which one I really do prefer. 31. Do you think online relationships can really work? What qualifies as an online relationship? I have friends that I communicate mostly through online methods, but they all started in real life, and I know them in real life. Then there are the folks I know that I met online, like here, and although I enjoy knowing them, those relationships usually don't go past these "yellow walls". 32. Would you prefer to hang out with small children or elderly adults for a day? I hang out with small children every day, I think I'd pick elderly adults for a change of pace for a day, but long term, the children are much more encouraging to deal with. Old age depresses me. 33. Do people of different races hit on you more often than people of your own? Not that I've ever experienced. I was never hit on that much, but it seems like it was pretty even. 34. Will you watch a bad movie just because you like the actor? Yep. 35. What do you think was the last classic Disney movie? Classic? Well, in ten years the Ant Bully might be considered a classic. (that is a good one, we saw it last weekend). 36. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Somewhere without extreme temperature changes, but still with distinct seasons. Somewhere without a ton of people, but enough to not feel isolated. Somewhere with all the luxuries of city living, but space between neighbors. Somewhere with beautiful scenery and great recreational activities. 37. Do you think that if Russia did not stop Germany, that Germany would have succeeded? Sadly, yes. 38. Have you ever done a hallucinogenic drug? Nope. No drugs here. 39. Does sarcasm make you happy? It amuses me, but it doesn't make me happy. Sometimes I go overboard with it and then I feel guilty, like I'm being mean. But it still amuses me. 40. Would you like to put your ashes on Ebay after you die, so that you can be scattered in several different places around the world at no cost to your family? No. I can't imagine anyone bidding on my ashes. 41. Do you have a good yelling voice? I know that if I yell at the girls, it gets their attention. But I've never felt like I had a great loud voice, I'm pretty soft spoken. 42. Do you cherish and appreciate family heirlooms? I think they are pretty cool, yes. I have a ring that was my grandmother's first engagement ring on my dad's side, I think, or something like that. Its really pretty. 43. Would you be more likely to agree to go on a blind date if the potential date were described as "a great person," or "good looking"? I dont need to go on blind dates, I'm married. I went on one in my dating life, though and it was a double, and I think he was described as cute and nice. I wouldn't go out with someone just cuz of their looks, its gotta go deeper than that. 44. Do you believe that everyone is born with their mind as a blank slate, and their personality is shaped solely through experiences they go through throughout their lives? I believe its a combination of nature & nuture that molds us. 45. Hypothetically, if you were to see your father cheating with another woman, would you tell your mother? I'd confront him and he'd better be the one telling her. 46. Would you rather tour Willy Wonka's chocolate factory or Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Well, I love chocolate, but that might be too tempting, so I'd go with Hogwarts. 47. Do you sleep with the comforter on hotel beds? I leave them on the bed, but folded at the bottom since I sleep hot and don't really need them. But then they end up on the floor by morning, usually. 48. Are you extremely anti-drugs/anti-smoking? Not extremely, but I've seen first hand what drugs can do to a person and I won't hesitate to tell anyone. So, I'd say I'm definitely ANTI drugs/smoking. 49. Are you pop culturally illiterate? At my grocery store they have these aisles that are "family friendly" with no magazines and no candy displayed. I don't choose those aisles. If I have to buy a pack of gum for the girls while I read the headlines on People & Star, then so be it, thats a sacrifice I'm willing to make to stay current. 50. Do either of your parents work in a medical field? Sort of, yes. My mom is a nurse and she runs assisted living facilities. She's also going to school for something medical related. My dad helps her in the business with errands, maintenance and such, so he's sort of in the field, even though he'd rather be on the green. Phew. I finally reached the end of this thing, and I've only just now realized I really haven't used this like an "update of my life" like I had intended. Sorry, but I got lazy and I've got lots of other things I need to do. This will just have to be enough for now. I stole this survey from mood indigo . She's always got good ones if you're bored. |
| Ah! There's nothing like a fresh cup of coffee first thing in the morning, in a quiet house (Kera left with Erik to daycare and Lindz is watching Curious George on PBS) looking out the window at a gorgeous hinting day. I've got a million things to do today, but I'm trying to just enjoy this time first--its so rare, usually we're rushing out the door to get Lindz to school. (She doesn't have preschool on Fridays, though!) We went to her Preschool Program & Ice Cream Social last night. Her class shows off some of what they've learned--they did some songs, memory verses and the pledge of allegience--and then, we eat ice cream! She did so good, too! I was impressed. She stood up there and smiled and sang loudly the whole time, which is like night and day compared to when they did their Christmas program. I was proud. We got her teacher assignment for Kindergarten in the mail yesterday, too. Well, if it remains half day, we got it, but if the legislature goes back to session and passes full day kgarten, than it will change. When I told her her new teachers name, she was kind of sad, thinking that her preschool teacher would teach her again! I've told her she's changing schools, but she must not have "gotten" it. Oh well. The roundup day is next week and I'll get to take her to meet her teacher and hopefully some future classmates, so I'm sure that will help get her excited. Now, what will get me excited? I am thrilled for her to be going to school, but its also quite unreal to me that she is old enough to be starting school! Sometimes I feel like I just had her!Kera is growing up fast, too. She's about halfway potty trained--and I haven't had the energy to finish it up, but I think once summer is here and we've settled down a bit, I will. She can do it, we're just both being lazy about it. Its been kind of funny--I've been calling her "Bubba" and "Baby" for so long now, that they kind of slip out all the time. Kera has started to get mad and say "I'm not Bubba, I'm Kera!" or "I'm not a Baby, I'm a big girl!". Its kind of funny, I am trying to stop doing that but its hard!Erik leaves tomorrow to go to Puerto Vallarta with a couple of guy friends. I'm not jealous at all--its gonna be really warm there! I like going to Mexico when its cold here and warmer there, but that stage ended a month or so ago--now its just HOT there and warm here, so I wouldn't enjoy it much. I'm not worried about being home alone with the girls--I can usually handle it. I'm planning some fun things to break up the week to help make sure I get time with other adults--that will help tremondously. Like tomorrow night is Chick Flick night at my house and then next Friday I'm going to Bunco night! I've never played, but I hear its fun and that will be ladies only, so it should be a blast. I've also got my scrapbook stuff strewn out all over downstairs, ready for me; my running to keep up on and two new Patricia Cornwell books to read, as well as my 1/2 Marathon book, so I'm prepared there. Now all I need is an extra dose or two of patience and sanity--anyone know a place that sells bottles by the dozen? I think my brother comes home on Saturday, so it'll be good to see him again. Family stuff is really weird right now--quite stressful and discouraging in several different ways--so I'm hoping to get some good time in with my mom, too. That might help. Well, my day beckons. I've got a ton of cleaning to do before I go have lunch with Erik (& Lindz) at our favorite spot--Hong Kong Chef. Oh, and my coffee is gone, guess its time to move on! |
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Glad to know everything's good with you.
And just when I had my hopes up after seeing 