52 weeks of my girls

So besides my emotional state putting a damper on my blogging, I also started having a hard time coming up with topics. 

I've been thinking a lot recently about some things I want to do this year on my blog. 

Last year I attempted a 52 week project on my photo blog.  I made it through 35 weeks.  Life got in the way and I also starting feeling pressure to get a photo.  The group I was with had a theme each week and although you were not required to follow the theme I chose to from the beginning and wanted to keep it that way.  Well, they started getting kind of difficult and I was stressing to come up with something each week.

So this year I want to make it a bit easier for myself and a bit more meaningful.  I was looking through pics from last year for a project I was considering for a Christmas gift and realized I had very few pics of my kids in 2011!!  That made me sad. 

My oldest will be off to college in about a year and a half.  I want to start making the most of that time until she leaves.  So I decided this year I will do a 52 week project of my girls. 

Even though it's a photo project I'm choosing to do it on this blog because it's my family, my life. 

The first week will be Jan 1-7.  So at some point during the week I will post a photo of my girls.  I haven't decided if it will be a specific day of the week.  Probably not because it will depend on the timing of the photo each week.

So feel free to join me and share a link if you do.  If you don't have kids, use your spouse, your pet, yourself....self portraits are always good!

Hello Blog....

I've missed you.  I know, it's been almost two months.

I'm sorry.

Please don't be mad.

It's not you, it's me.  Really.

Been going through some personal crap that really is all my own doing.  I tend to think way too much and make up scenarios in my head that upset me but are probably not really the case.  Something doesn't go the way I was expecting and I get angry or hurt because "everyone hates me" because it was all my fault it didn't go my way.

I expect perfection in everything and get frustrated when I don't get it.  I really need to learn to accept things and people for the way they are.  Learn to go with the flow.  Not take everything so damn seriously.  It's tough.  It's an ongoing process for me.

But it hasn't been until recently that I'm finally starting to see what I'm doing to myself and that I can control the way I see things and the way I feel about them. 

I'm not saying I'm miraculously "changed".  I'm saying I'm in the process of figuring it out.  Finally.  I think. 

So through all this I withdrew and ignored you dear blog.  Just like in real life trying to hide all the bad stuff.  Going out in public with a smile on your face even though you are crying inside.  Telling people who ask how you're doing "Great, how are you?"   

But I'm feeling better and I'm back.

And I'm gonna try my darnedest not the let my mind get in the way anymore!  We'll see!  LOL


  P.S.  I'd like to thank a couple bloggy friends for spurring this post and helping me put it all into words.  One for asking me how things were going which caused me to just let it all out and one for talking plans and goals with me for the new year (let's make it a great one!) 

We Want to Know Wednesday: Week 40

   This week is all about makeup and style.  My answers are a bit boring since I've never really been much of a girly girl.   

{1} What is your "can't go without it" beauty product/cosmetic?

Um.....shampoo?  LOL  seriously I don't use a whole lot of product for anything. 

{2} Do you apply make-up before or after doing your hair?

If  I even wear makeup I'll put it on after doing my hair.  My hairstyle now is pretty easy and I just blow it dry right after showering.  I usually don't wear makeup and if I do it's just some powder foundation and blush.  I don't do mascara anymore because it just doesn't agree with me because 1) My lashes suck, I barely have any bottom ones and it's a pain to apply it without it ended up all over my eye! and 2) My eyes tend to water a lot so it just ends up smearing anyway! 

3} How would you describe your personal style?

 

Very casual, kinda lazy!  I'm a t-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes girl.  If I'm at home I'm usually in sweats or pajama pants.

{4} How long does it take you to get ready each day?

I can usually shower and be ready in less than a half hour.

 {5} What is your one pamper, just for you, beauty splurge?

 I got nothin'! 

Well unless you count having my hair cut by a "professional".  I used to just go to Great Clips or whatever because it was cheap. I didn't get it cut often and  I kept my hair long and put it up a lot.   But I got sick of it being a different person every time, my haircut was different every time and if I didn't put it up it looked like crap.  So now I have someone that knows my hair and it actually looks decent without much work.  

    Be sure to visit the hosts:  Mamarazzi , Queso and  Crazymama

Happy Post

 The things I'm happy about this week....  I completed my goal of reading 12 books this year.  I know not much, but early in the year I decided I was not reading enough.  Sometimes it would take me months to finish a book so I started with a goal of one book per month.  I reached it and even beat it by one book so far!! Saturday movie nights with my family.  We try to do this as often as possible when the kids aren't off on a sleepover....or working now.  We watched "Limitless" with Bradley Cooper (Yum! Though he was kinda scrubbily gross in parts of the movie!)  Here's a pic just because....

You're welcome.....Hmm, random pics of hot celebs make me happy maybe I should do that on my blog more often!

  Lazy Sundays....no plans, no place to go, relaxing at home and everybody getting along!  It's that time of year where I start wishing I could just hibernate trough the cold and snowy months! A husband that loves me no matter what!        

We Want to Know Wednesday: Week 29

      Be sure to visit the hosts:  Mamarazzi , Queso and  Crazymama


{1} How did you celebrate Halloween? Trick or treating? Adult party? Trunk or treat?

We are pretty boring.  We stay home and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters.  This is the first year neither of my kids trick-or-treated.  One had to work, the other stayed home to hand out candy.  They're getting too old for it anyway if you ask me.

Never heard of Trunk or Treat....

They did each carve a pumpkin this year.

{2} What candy is your favorite/the first thing you steal from the kids?

Usually anything chocolate is good!  But I'll go for Mr. Goodbar or Reeses peanut butter cups or Baby Ruth first I guess.

{3} What kind of candy do you give out, is it your favorite? or something you know you won't be tempted to eat?

We do a little of both depending on what we find on sale.  We hand out the stuff we don't care for as much first so if we do end up with leftovers it's the stuff we LIKE to eat!

{4} How soon after Halloween do you take down decorations and put away costumes?

Well we didn't even bother decorating this year except for the pumpkins.  Just not into it I guess, probably because the kids are getting older.  I never was much of a decorator anyway. 

{5} When do you decorate for the next holiday?

Again, not being much of a decorator I really don't do anything for Thanksgiving.  We do hang up lights on the house for Christmas.  We do that whenever the weather cooperates in mid November but don't turn them on until AFTER Thanksgiving!

We do the inside of the house a week or two before Christmas depending on when we have time to get and put up the tree. 

We don't really have any set schedule or tradition. 

Happy Post

Again I had a hard time with this.  Why do I have to think so hard.  I wish it came naturally.


Anyway, this week...

I'm HAPPY because Psych is back with new episodes!  ThatsWhatImTalkingAbout!  James Roday and Dule Hill make a great team.  

I'm HAPPY because I bought my tickets for the Midnight showing of Breaking Dawn part 1!!  Going with a friend of mine without any kids this time.  Looking forward to it!

My awesome new PURPLE socks make me HAPPY!

And in the background you can see a portion of the screen on my new computer that makes me HAPPY! 
My laptop bit the dust which was the pits but we were able to get 18 months of interest free financing which really makes me HAPPY because we could not have come up with the entire amount right now and this gives us some breathing room.  I went with an all in one this time with a wireless keyboard and mouse and a nice big screen.  So far I love it! 

My daughter and I took a basic Zentangle class at the craft store last Wednesday.  It was a nice night with my girl and I also think I may have found myself another obsession.  It makes me HAPPY because even though I feel I can't draw I was able to do this!  Here are a few of the tangles we learned that night.

We learned them individually, but if you take a look at the site you are eventually meant to combine them in different ways to create some really cool stuff.  Take a look!
I may start sharing some more if I keep it up and create anything decent. 

What made you happy this week?

We Want to Know Wednesday: Week 26

Time for another round of We Want to Know Wednesday! 

Be sure to visit the hosts:  Mamarazzi , Queso and  Crazymama


{1} What is your feel better remedy when you are sick?

It's not really a remedy but that is about the only time that I really love me some chicken soup!  I just think it tastes better when you're sick.


{2} When illness strikes, what is your policy on staying home from work, school or church with yourself and the family?


For the most part in our family it's pretty much unless you are about to fall over we don't stay home!  LOL  School has a rule though that they have to be fever free and not throwing up for at least 24 hours before going back to school when sick.


It's a bit different with the kids sometimes now with them being diabetic because depending on what the problem is it could mess with their blood sugars and if that's the case it's best for them to be home.  

{3} What do you think is worse? Flu or cold?

Flu is definitely worse.  I can usually function with a cold.  A hot shower first thing in the morning, some dayquil, nyquil at night and I can survive.  But stomach issues, achy-ness and throwing up that goes with the flu is the pits!

{4} Flu shots? Do you get them? Have you yet?

Yes, we usually do.  Again with my kid's condition it's recommended that the whole family gets them.  We haven't this year yet but we have plans to.


{5} When you are feeling down, what is your usual, go-to therapy? (retail therapy, exercise, comfort food, etc).

Comfort food.......I'm an eater.  When I'm down, bored, happy, sad, mad.  I eat.

Happy

I'm joining in this week with Mamarazzi and the weekly HAPPY  list.  I've participated in the past, but I need to get to it more often.  I need to find more happy in my life!

I'm HAPPY because my daughter got her first job this past weekend! She applied at Schlotzsky's last week.  She got a call while at school on Friday with a message saying to stop in after school or at 11 am on Saturday to schedule an interview.  She went over after school Friday, came home and said she started the next day!  

I'm HAPPY because hubby and I had date night on Saturday.  It's been a while, he's been working lots of hours which I'm grateful for but we don't get to do much.We went to Outback Steakhouse (I'm HAPPY that I had a coupon for a FREE steak dinner!).  Then we went to see Abduction which gets a thumbs up from me.

I'm HAPPY because we had breakfast as a family on Sunday morning.  That doesn't happen too often anymore either with everyone's busy schedule. 

I'm HAPPY because I got a free scalp treatment yesterday.  A friend is in cosmetology school and she needed people to come in for different things they are learning so I agreed to do that.  Never had one done before.  

I'm HAPPY because I just got home from a nature walk/photo shoot and lunch with hubby.  I've been neglecting my camera the past few weeks so we went for a drive and walk through a state park and I brought my camera along.  We were able to see a hawk stalk his prey, swoop down and grab it and fly back up to another tree.  Hoping I got some decent shots of him.  Then we went to Five Guys for lunch.  Yum!

We Want to Know Wednesday: Week 25

See how inconsistent I am?  Nothing for a month, then 2 days in a row!  Anyway, on with it.....It's We Want to Know Wednesday time.








Be sure to visit the hosts for We Want to Know Wednesday:  Mamarazzi and Queso.  


{1} If you had an extra hour to do ANYTHING for yourself each day what would you do?


Sleep.  I can never get enough sleep!


But what I really should do is take a walk.  I do it randomly and I usually feel better and ready to start the day if I do it in the morning but I tend to get lazy and put it off.  


{2} Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I don't know.  I think I'm turning into an old person.  I used to be a night owl and stay up until all hours.  Now I'm lucky if I can make it until my hubby gets home just after 10pm.  On the mornings I can sleep in sometimes I'm lucky to make it past 7, I used to be able to easily sleep until 10 or 11 am.  


Maybe it's just that the kids are in school now and I have to get up at the freaking crack before dawn!  


{3} How much sleep do you get on an average night?


Not nearly as much as I'd like.  I'm usually in bed by 10:30 and up around 5:30  which is 7 hours.  But that doesn't mean I sleep the whole time.  I get up at least once to pee.  Then it's a guessing game to if I'll fall right back to sleep or if my mind will start it's usual wandering!


{4} When do you find the time to blog/surf the ol' interweb?




Lately I haven't.  I don't really have a specific time set aside for it which is kind of a bad thing.  I usually end up sitting here way too long.  My time management skills suck!


{5} What is the ONE thing you're never too busy for?


Facebook?


Twitter?


I don't update my status or tweet a whole lot myself but I'm always interested in what everyone else it up to.


Yeah, you know I already spend way too much time online.
Just wait until I get my new phone and I can check in on the go!


And of course my family!

Lazy Blogger

Sigh..........That would be me.


Again...


Seems the first thing I start ignoring when I have other stuff going on is my blog.  So I skip a few days, then a week or two.


Then before you know it a month has gone by and I feel completely out of the loop.  


I've let my photo blog suffer too.  I missed one week on my Project 52 and that set the ball rolling.  Now I've missed 4 weeks :(


Another project started and not completed.  Argh!


Anyway, wanna see a pic of my daughter all dressed up for homecoming?

She passed!!

She's so excited!  I'm a nervous wreck!!


I mentioned yesterday it was road test day.  The instructor said she did well.  The only things she had problems with was the parallel parking (who doesn't?  I still avoid it at all costs) and making sure she got up to speed a little quicker in the business district.  


She already took her maiden voyage alone last night.  She drove back and forth to jazz band practice at school.  It's a route she's driven with me many times.  But even so I was a basket case waiting for her to text me once she got there!  And then again when she told me she was coming home.  


I think I see few more grey hairs in the mirror today.

We Want to Know Wednesday: Week 22

Be sure to visit the hosts for We Want to Know Wednesday:  Mamarazzi and Queso.  


This week's questions are all about road trips.  I love a good road trip so here we go!


{1} What are 3 must haves for a long road trip?


Well, assuming good directions and a map or gps system are a given my top 3 are:

1. A cooler packed with drinks and lots of snacks:  Seems that even if you've just eaten before the trip starts once you get in that car everyone gets the munchies.  Snacking helps keep me alert when I'm driving too.  It's much cheaper to pack your own than do load up at a gas station.  Though it never fails that at at least one stop there is something I just can't live without!
2. A bag packed with books, magazines, word searches, notebook, pens etc. to keep me occupied on those long boring stretches with no scenery.  I usually take more than I ever need or use but nice to have it when I'm bored.
3. A pillow!  I usually don't actually sleep much but it's hard to get comfy in a car without one.  

{2} What was the destination of your most recent road trip?


Green Bay, WI....sorta.  Hubby and I stayed a couple nights there on our anniversary in June but from our hotel we road tripped around door county both days.  


{3} What do you miss most about home when on a trip?


It's a toss up between my own bed and my own shower.  No matter how nice the place is you stay and how clean the bathroom is it's just not the same as showering at home!!  I feel lost.  LOL


{4} What is the furthest you have traveled on a road trip?


Between here and Orlando, FL which is about 1270 miles!  Close second is between here and my home town in MA which is about 1050 miles!  


{5} Will you "stop for the largest ball of twine, etc" or are you a "hurry and get there" road tripper?


Deep down I'm the "stop for the largest ball of twine" kind of gal.  But most road trips we take we only have a limited amount of time to get where we are going, do our thing and get back home so we usually can't do that.  I really want to take a trip one time where that is all we do is sight see and stop at fun attractions and cool home town restaurants etc.  I'd have a route in mind but kind of just take it slow and do what we feel like from day to day.




Right now I'm heading out for a road trip to the DMV!  It's road test time for my teen.  Wish me luck!  I'll be back around to visit everyone later today.

Purple Package!!

Yay!  My package from my partner Mary for Mamarazzi's Favorite Color swap came today.  I love it!  

We both love PURPLE!!  So while it made it easy to shop because it was my favorite color also, it was hard to because everything I saw I wanted for myself too!  

Everything was wrapped in cool purple Tinkerbell (I think it's Tinkerbell!) tissue paper.  Each one was numbered and she had a list commenting on each present.  

Here's what I got (with my comments added):
1. HOME letter blocks:  I abso-freakin-lutley love these!  I alternated them in the pic so you could see both sides.  One side is purple and the other has a white crackled paint over it.  My kids have already decided where they should go.


Oh, and she painted them herself.  How cool is that!?


2. Grape Crystal Light: I need this because I drink way to much soda!


3. Dove Chocolates:  Seriously who doesn't love chocolate?!


4. Juicy Fruit Gum:  Sweet Berry flavor, I always need gum with me!


5. Nail Polish:  Pronto Purple, I sent her purple nail polish too!  Glad she sent me some because my kids stole mine.


6. Bath & Body Works Secret Wonderland:  Gotta have purple lotion and shower gel.  Love the smell!


7. Hand sanitizer: I use this all time when we eat out.  My kids just roll their eyes at me!  It's in a cute little purple holder that you can hang on your bag.  


8. Slippers:  Cute Halloween ones with a pumpkin and BOO on the bottom.  I will definitely wear these!  My feet are always cold in the fall and winter months.  I always need something on them.  These are much better than the hospital socks I was wearing last winter.  Ha!  Funny I sent her socks too!


9. Notebook and Postcard:  I've always been a sucker for a fun notebook.  And of course I love collecting postcards!


Thanks to Mary for an awesome package.  You can head on over to her blog to see what I sent her (hopefully she enjoyed it).  


Also a big thank you to Mamarazzi for organizing another fun swap! Check out her blog to see all the other favorite color packages arriving around the country. 


I'm so glad I decided to join.   

First Day Photos

It's time for the annual first day of school photos!


A junior this year.  Really?

Yeah, really.  But while getting her pics taken she said "Mom!  I feel like a kindergartner!"  Well to me it's seems like you just were!


She's part of what they call the "Link Crew" this year.  A bunch of Juniors and Seniors who get together and are trained to welcome and help the freshman.  She was at the freshman orientation the other day where they show them around and help them find classrooms.  They had to wear their shirts today so any freshman needing help during the day could find them.


And a 7th grader.  Doesn't seem possible!

Just a bit worried about her today.  It's her first full day away from us since her diagnosis.


"Mom, you're not putting these on Facebook are you?"


LOL, no just my blog.  OK, maybe one on FB!!


Their pics from last year's first day are in my header.  Check out the difference!  

We Want to Know Wednesday: Week 20

It's We Want to Know Wednesday this week, your hosts are Mamarazzi and Queso.  


All questions this week are relating to Mamarazzi's cell phone addiction.  My addiction is not with my current phone but with really, really, really wanting an iPhone!  I'm dying to start playing with some of the cool camera and photo apps out there.


I've been holding off because of other "more important" expenses.  I hope to have one by the end of the year.  Though I hear the iPhone 5 will be coming out around October which I'm sure will be way too expensive.  So if I hold out long enough then maybe the cost of the 4 will come down even more!!


Anyway on with the questions.....


{1}Do you prefer to text or call?


It really depends on the situation.  Most of the time it's just quicker to text.  Especially with my family.


"Mom, I'm done can you come get me now"
"Sure, on my way"


Yeah, really don't need to take the time to call me on that.


But if it's something that needs some explaining or could be misinterpreted I'd rather call.  


{2}What is the last text message in your phone and who is it from?

Do you really want to know?  It's pretty boring.  The last message is...


"Sure"


From my hubby when asking him if he wanted a drink when I brought him a sub for dinner at work last night.  


{3}What are your favorite phone apps?

I'll get back to you on that when I get my iPhone!


{4}At what age do you think kids are ready for a cell phone?

I think it depends on the kid but I really don't see a need for it much earlier than about 12.  That's when we got my oldest her first phone and that was mainly because of her health condition and wanting her to be able to contact us if she needed something.  Otherwise it might have been longer.


Out of fairness we got our other daughter one at 12 also, but I don't know if she was quite ready at that age.  We had some issues with her use of it in the beginning.  


{5}Share a current pic or video taken with your phone.

I really don't use my phone for pics much.  I'm waiting for my iPhone!  Here's the last one I took, back in June!
I just thought it was the cutest little ketchup :)

How could I forget!?!

So here I am yesterday saying how I didn't have much to blog about over the summer.  But on August 15th I completely missed blogging about my newly turned 16 year old!!


Yup, crazy right?  It's just not possible for me to be the mom of a 16 year old!!


I was just planning to share some tennis photos of her today when I realized I never mentioned her on her special day.  Bad mom!  Bad, bad mom!!


So here she is during her party with her friends the weekend of her bday....

She will be driving soon.  Well, she technically is.  She has her learner's permit and has finished her behind the wheel hours.  She is scheduled for her road test on September 14th.  I'm just not ready for her to be driving a car on her own!


She made the varsity tennis team this year.  I think.  Things change all the time with her coach.  But she was told to order the varsity dress and has been taken on most of the varsity matches so far.  She's at the bottom of the totem pole and hasn't won a match yet.  But I don't care.  I know she loves it and that's all that matters.  I do see improvement in her playing lately too.  I wish her dad would admit to that......he tends to get frustrated in all the things she messes up on when he sees her play.  I do too sometimes but am trying not to point them all out to her.  She gets enough of that from the coaches.

These are the best two I've gotten so far.  I've only taken photos at one match and we have the darn fence to contend with!!  So I figured I'd get a cool shot of the fence while I was at it!

Happy Birthday to my sweet 16!!

Love you! :)

Is summer over already?

I blinked and totally missed it!


My kids go back to school Thursday already.  What?


It's been a weird summer.  I feel like I've been super busy.  But I also feel like I haven't done a thing!


I obviously have nothing to show for it on my blog!  But we haven't done anything to blog about.  No fun family stuff or vacations or even just a weekend away besides our little anniversary trip.


Mostly I've been just driving the kids all over town and back.  They both had summer school classes for the first 6 weeks of summer.  My youngest started Poms in July already.  They had one week off of summer school and then marching band camp started up for my oldest and one week later she started tennis.  


My husband has been working lots of overtime (thank God), but then I barely see him some days.  


The days are already starting to get shorter and I'm not liking it!  Though I do prefer the milder weather.  But we all know what happens in Wisconsin after the milder weather.  


Oh, I am just not ready to think about that yet!

Swap Time

I'm excited to be participating in Mamarazzi's  Favorite Color Swap! I almost didn't sign up because things have been kinda busy and hectic around here and it's caused me some stress.  But then I decided sending someone a package full of items of their favorite color and receiving a package of my own would be super fun and a perfect way to relieve some of that stress!

Here we go again

You may or may not know that my oldest daughter has type 1 diabetes.  It's been just over 4 years since she was diagnosed on July 16, 2007.


It was quite the shock.  It took some time but we got used to the idea, learned a lot and now it's just a part of who she is.


We've been told from the very beginning that they aren't sure why it happens.  Our whole family has given blood samples and participated in a study they've been doing to try to determine the how and why behind it all.  


They do know that if one child in a family has it that the chances are high that the siblings will also be affected.  We've been told that since the beginning and have known it all along.  Even though we've hoped and prayed it would never happen to our other daughter I've always known it the back of my mind that some day we may get that same diagnosis for her.


Well, that day has come.


Exactly 4 years and 1 month later on August 16, 2011 she was diagnosed.  The same summer between 6th and 7th grade.  Kinda strange.  


This time we were more prepared.  We knew the signs and caught it before she got really sick.  Or ended up in the hospital like her sister.  


It's been much easier giving her medication since we know what we are doing now.  


She has her big sister to look up to for help and support. 


We knew all along it was a possibility so it wasn't quite the same shocker it was the first time around. 


But you know what?...............






IT STILL SUCKS!!!

We Want to Know Wednesday: Week 17

I'm taking part in We Want to Know Wednesday this week, your hosts are Mamarazzi and Queso.  



1} If you could be on any game show what would it be?

I totally want to take a ride in the Cash Cab!!  Do you hear me Ben Bailey??  I don't care how many people say it's set up.

You In?

2} If you could choose to stay any certain age forever, what age would it be?

Tough question but I probably say 41, the age I am now.  

3} What were you doing 30 minutes ago?

I don't remember.  lol  Maybe I should change my answer on number 2 to an age before I started losing my memory.

4} What would I find in your fridge right now?


Rather than bore you with a list, here's a few photos of the insides of my fridge.  Nothing too exciting......no science experiments going on right now!  I just realized I totally cut off the top shelf of the main part of the fridge.  All you're missing is some yogurt and butter.

5} If you were a piece of furniture what would you be? why?

A nice soft comfy couch.  Though I'm not so sure I'd want people sitting on me all day!