To-Do List Report

Whew! I'm exhausted! I finished my entire list for today with a few exceptions.

The clogged drain in my bathroom is beyond my abilities to fix. I will have to call a plumber (aka the landlord) tomorrow. Grrr!

I was planning on mending the couch pillows, but by the time I got to them today, Ellie had discovered that there was this really great white fluffy stuff inside and proceeded to pull it out. I was too busy to worry about it, so I just threw away the pillows. I didn't like having so many on my couch anyway. So really, she did me a favor.

When I went to make banana bread, I found the bananas too ripe even for banana bread. Oh well, maybe another day.

I also added a few things to my list as the day progressed. Instead of 4 batches of laundry, I ended up doing 7. I took the covers off both car seats and washed them. Then wiped down and sanitized the bases. While I was cleaning my bedroom, I figured I might as well clean out my closet, too. So I did. I also sorted through some toys and made a bag for the Goodwill. I dejunked my apt as I went along and ended up throwing out 4 garbage bags full of crap! No wonder I was feeling cramped.

I did really well staying on task today until I got sucked into the Democratic Debate this evening. I still worked while I watched it, but it definitely slowed me down. Anyone else watch it? What did you think?

It took me just over 12 hours to get all this done. Like I said, I'm exhausted!

Tomorrow's to-do list: drive over to the new Coldstone Creamery. After today, I totally deserve it!

My To-Do List For Today

Holy Moly! I've got a to-do list the length of my arm.

1. Call power company
2. Call Heidi about cards
3. schedule oil change for Durango
4. laundry
-put away folded clothes
-wash, dry, fold, put away towels, bedding, lights, darks
5. Clean kitchen
-wash, dry, put away dishes (no dishwasher for this girl)
-clean off table
-file bills that I did last night
-clean out fridge
-sweep & mop
6. Clean Livingroom
-pick up toys & other clutter
-vacuum
-dust
-put away movies that Ellie pulled out of the cupboard
-mend tear in couch pillow
7. Clean bathroom
-unclog drain
-toilet
-vanity
-shower/tub
-vacuum (that's right! I have carpet in my bathroom!!)
8. My bedroom
-clean off computer desk
-dust
-wash sheets then make bed
-clear out boxes
-put away scrapbook stuff
-take girls' toys and put them in their room
9. Girls' bedroom
-pick up dirty clothes from this morning
-pick up books that Ellie pulled onto the floor
-vacuum
-refill humidifier
-put new sheets on both beds
-rotate Ellie's clothes
-attempt to find 18 month clothes for Ellie (yeah right!)
10. dinner: chicken alfredo with buttery thyme bread
11. Run to Post Office
12. Finish online banking stuff from last night
13. make banana bread before bananas make friends with mold
14. call to report my visiting teaching for January

Good Grief!! I've got a lot to do! I'd better stop blogging and get my butt in gear. Wish me luck on my incredibly insane to-do list for today. I'm going to need it!

Husband Tag

What's his name? Kasey

How long have you been together? 6 years, 3 months, 22 days

How long did you date? dated 5 months, engaged 3 months for a total of 8 months

How old is he? 30!!

Who eats more? He can eat more in one sitting, but I probably eat more in the course of the day. I'm such a big snacker.

Who said I love you first? Kasey said it just as I was opening my mouth to say it to him.

Who is taller? Kasey, by far.

Who is smarter? This doesn't really seem like a fair question. We both have college degrees and we both read and study still, just different things. We are smart in different things, which makes us so good for each other.

Who does laundry? I mostly do, but if Kasey's home and the laundry needs doing, he'll throw in a load.

Who does the dishes? I pretend to be the one to do the dishes. Kasey will help on weekends, and he always washes his dishes after he eats.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? From the foot of the bed, Kasey sleeps on the right. It's not always like that. I'm always the closest one to the door. So it depends on where in the room our bed is.

Who pays the bills? Kasey makes the money, and I spend it.

Who mows the lawn? We don't have a lawn. Plus, the only time I've ever tried to mow the lawn, I broke my dad's lawn mower. So I'm going to go ahead and say that mowing the lawn will fall under Kasey's responsibilities.

Who cooks dinner? I definitely do. Kasey's idea of cooking dinner is chili cheese dogs. Gross!

Who drives when you are together? We switch.

Who is more stubborn? Depends on the topic, but I'm probably more so.

Who kissed who first? He kissed me.

Who asked out who first? We hung out for a while as friends before we started dating. So, I'm not really sure.

Who proposed? Kasey did. It was nothing like Devin's proposal, but still romantic. He drove me out to our favorite spot: a field where he used to work, far away from the city lights, under the stars. He said some sweet things (that I always keep to myself) and then got down on his knee and asked me to marry him.

Who has more siblings? We have the same. I have 3 sisters and 1 brother. He has 3 brothers and 1 sister.

Who wears the pants in the family? I do until Kasey comes home. Then I pretend that he does.

Politics 4 Moms

I've been so overwhelmed in my quest to find out about the candidates and their issues. There is so much that I don't know about how our government works. And equally as many new vocabulary words that I'm trying to digest.

I was so excited when I read this comment today on one of my favorite blogs.

I feel like a lot of moms tune out politics and then just go into the
voting booth not informed and prepared. Heck, many just don't even vote.
...I'd love for you to check out my new site that just launched last week
called Politics for Moms. It's a non-partisan site that simply helps educate
moms on the candidates and the political process.

It's so nice having all that information on one site. I totally support what she's trying to do in educating moms about politics. I even added her button to my site so now all of you can take a look and be informed, too.

100th Post---Let's Have A Party!

I really wish I was having a party today. Instead, how about a funny story about Makayla?

Makayla's new fascination is irresistible apple body cream from Bath & Body Works.

She is always trying to sneak it into her room so she can slather it all over her body and run around naked. Her excuse? I can't wear clothes, mom. I have to let the lotion dry first.

Well, I finally got smart and put it up where she couldn't reach it so she has to ask for lotion. This morning she said to me, I have hands now, may I have lotion?

What?

I have hands, so I need lotion.

Not today, Makayla.

May I please put it on my butt? It's so dry!

No! We're not putting lotion on your bum.

No, not my bum. My butt!

They are the same thing.

No it's not!! These are my butt. (She pulled up her pant legs and pointed to her calves.)

Those are called "calves." Your butt and your bum are the same thing.

Oh. (long pause) May you please put some lotion on my cows?

Sure. Why not!?

Good Times At Church

I was sitting in church today listening to the teacher talk about the Creation. She went through days 1-6 of the Creation. When she got to the 7th day she said, "On the 7th day, God rested. And He looked at everything He had created, and what do you think He said?"

Some 10-year-old kid in the front pipes up and says, "I sure hope this works!"

All the adults sitting in the back row burst out laughing. It was hilarious!

I've Been Tagged...

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions for themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 Years Ago: I was young and naive. I was dreaming of the day I would go to Culinary school in Boston. (didn't happen, by the way) As the freshman class president, I was busy working on my first big project: the frosh/soph dance which was held at the end of January. (That's a really random memory)

5 Things On My To-Do List Today: 1. grocery shopping 2. Clean window sills 3. vacuum the living room 4. clean the bathroom 5. buy pictures frames ( I only got 2 of those things done. *sigh*)

Things I Would Do If I Were Suddenly Made A Billionaire: Buy a new vacuum and 900 thread count sheets. Probably pay off our student loans. Start a production company in LA so Kasey could make movies. Pay our friend Mark to build us a wicked-cool house in L-town. Hire a housekeeper.

3 Of My Bad Habits: 1. road rage 2. interrupting people when they talk 3. buying groceries and then telling Kasey I want to eat out.

5 Places I Have Lived: 1. 249 South 8th Street 2. 3513 13th Street 3. 2505 Clearwater Rd 4. 633 Main Street 5. 2250 Cumorah Way

5 Jobs I Have Had: 1. front desk clerk at Best Western 2. Circulation Assistant at college library 3. podiatric medical assistant 4. fast food: Taco Time & Arby's 5. mother

Things Most People Don't Know About Me: 1. I prefer fruity treats over chocolatey treats 2. When I don't want to talk on the phone, I turn the ringer off and let the answering machine pick up. 3. I am a horrible back seat driver. 4. I hate returning/exchanging things to stores

I Tag: 1. Ann 2. Jodi 3. Amanda 4. Michelle 5. Rachel

Personality Test

I saw this personality test on a couple of other blogs and did it just for curiosity's sake. Very interesting. I think it's fairly accurate. In fact, just yesterday my sister told me that I was an optimistic idealist. Hmmm.... I took this test in college. It's interesting to see how much I've changed in the past 4 years. Why not take it yourself? The link is at the bottom. You can't see it very well, but I am an ENFJ.

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

Quotes and Politics

I found a really great quote this morning while I was reading this blog.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
-Aristotle

How true that is. Think about it. People who achieve excellence, do so time and time again. So it stands to reason that excellence is a habit for them.

This quote made me think of something that my music teacher used to say.

Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Very wise. If you practice something incorrectly, it will never be perfect. It will always be incorrect.

-----------------------

Today is a day of deep thinking for me. I read a political post this morning that has me thinking about the '08 Presidential Race. The author of the blog wrote about the different candidates and their views on mom-centric issues. I was interested and surprised by her findings. The candidate that I was leaning toward doesn't view some issues the same as I, according to this lady's research. But rather than take her word for it (she wants her lefties a little lefty-er and I want my lefties a little righty-er), I'll be doing my own research on the candidates and then choosing the one that best suits me. I would encourage all of you to do the same so that you can make informed voting decisions come November.

Best Commercial Ever

This video is labeled Best Commercial Ever. And for good reason. I laughed and laughed!

Let's Finish This Thing Already: 97 - 100

97. I hate it when people read over my shoulder, especially when I'm typing something. It fills me with rage and makes me want to turn around and sock that person in the gut! That seems a bit dramatic (hmmm, I wonder where Makayla gets it), but that is how much I hate having someone read over my shoulder.

98. I used to wear toe socks all the time. My sister gave me some for Christmas last year, and they really hurt my toes.

99. I love my square laundry basket. I wish I had another one. I suppose I could just go buy another one, but something else always seems to get my money first. In a competition between a new laundry basket and diapers, diapers always win.

100. The best thing I've ever done was move to L-town. Everything good in my life has stemmed from that single decision, and I'll never be sorry that I did it.

Whew! 100 things about me. It was fun doing it, but I'm glad it's over!

Heat Wave

Oh my heck! We are having a heat wave here! It's 3 dgrees outside and the wind is NOT blowing, which means it actually feels like 3 degrees. It almost makes me want to break out my flip flops and capris. Almost.

The past 3 days have seen negative temperatures with it reaching near -30 degrees with the wind chill. Man! That is cold!

Hurray for above-zero temperatures! I know they won't last!

99 Balloons

I watched this video this morning and cried. It reminded me to be thankful for the things I have and not complain about my hardships. Thanks for the link, Tauna.

Really Yummy Dessert

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe about 4 years ago. It is oh so yummy! And quite easy to make for all you non-bakers out there. She got it off the Food Network and couldn't remember the real name of it. I call it Apple-Berry Cookie Cobbler.

Ingredients
1 can apple pie filling
1 16ish oz bag frozen berries (I've never used fresh, but I'm sure you could)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon (sometimes I use more, sometimes I don't bother measuring)
1 tube refrigerator sugar cookie dough

Directions
Mix first 4 ingredients. Pour into 8x8 ungreased pan. Put cookie dough on top. I've tried this a couple different ways. I've sliced the dough and then placed it on top. I've also just ripped of small blobs of dough and dropped them on top. It tastes the same either way, so just choose which ever method appeals to you most. Then bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. I'd recommend putting a cookie sheet under the 8x8 to catch any drips. It's easier than cleaning your oven the next morning.

Topped with whipped cream, this makes an excellent dessert. It also makes a really terrific breakfast. Now, go make some and tell me what you think!

**Oh, one more thing. Tonight when I was making this, I didn't have any store-bought sugar cookie dough, so I just made my own. It was really good, too.

New Haircut

I cut my hair again. What do you think?

My Daughter, the Drama Queen

I bought a box of mini vanilla wafers a few days ago. I thought they would make a good snack for the girls instead of giving them chocolate (which they would much rather have. They are so like their daddy that way.)

I gave each girl 3 crackers and set the box on the counter. After they finished their crackers, neither one asked for anymore. So I went in the kitchen to put the box in the cupboard.

Makayla totally freaked out! You can't put my crackers away.

You didn't ask for anymore so I'm putting them away.

Please don't shut the door on my crackers! I loooooove them! I neeeeeeed them!

You don't need them. We are having dinner as soon as daddy comes home. He'll be here in 15 minutes.

Nooooo he woooon't!

Yes he will. He just called me.

But I need some crackers. I love them! I love them!

I know you love them, but you don't need them.

YES I DO!! Pleeeeease give me my crackers back. I really, really love them!! Don't lock them in the cupboard.


This literally went on for 10 minutes. She went from yelling, to pleading, to crying, to giving up and locking herself in her room. Holy Cow! What a drama queen.

Three Videos To Entertain

Today I was bumming around on YouTube. These are 3 of the videos that I watched. You may have seen them before, but what the heck. Why not watch them again? (Make sure to turn off the music at the bottom first.)

92 - 96

92. I am the world's worst cookie baker. No, really. It's true. I somehow managed to ruin a tube of store-bought, refrigerator cookie dough. You know, the kind that all you have to do it cut off a hunk of dough and bake it. I tried it last night, thinking I'll be a good little wife and have a nice treat for my husband to take to work this morning.

The instructions are very simple: preheat the oven, slice dough, place on cookie sheet, bake for x number of minutes, remove from oven, let cool on rack. Easy! But I screwed it up. The cookies tasted horrible. Kasey thought they tasted fine, so I guess that's all that really matters.

93. I don't like ham on my pizza. Kasey does. We rarely order pizza.

94. My favorite family vacation growing up: Yellowstone National Park.

95. I have an empty baby book for each child. I write stuff on the calendar with the intention of going back and recording in the baby books their little milestones, but I haven't done it in 3-1/2 years. I kept the calendars, so I still could fill out the baby books. I'm such a slacker!

96. I hate cleaning the shower. Of everything in my house that has to be cleaned, that is the worst for me.

More Collages by Carrie

In addition to the family pictures from last month, I also purchased these collages of my girls.

A Blog Worth Reading

I ran across this blog a few weeks ago. It's about a mom who's child died unexpectedly. She was having a hard time dealing with everything, as I imagine we all would, and decided to use this blog as her outlet. It's a very sobering, but good read. Just make sure you have a box of tissues next to you while you read it.

Giving: It's Not Just for the Holidays

I did the coolest thing today. I helped out at the soup kitchen. I've never done anything like that before, but it was seriously so cool. I went over around 9:30 this morning with 2 other ladies. This little 80-year-old woman, Francis, runs the place, and she wasted no time in putting us to work.

We sorted through the food and threw out the stuff that was spoiled. We cut fruit to make a salad, mixed up some clam chowder, and got sandwiches ready. Then the local grocery stores dropped off boxes and boxes of food. We looked through the 8 fridges and 2 deep freezers to find places for all the new food and rotate out the older food.

Around noon people started coming in from the cold to enjoy a hot bowl of soup and a sandwich. They were all so grateful, and I felt so good being able to help them. I even chatted and joked with a few people. These are people that under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have ever stopped to talk to.

After people were done eating they stuffed their pockets with extra sandwiches or filled a bag with a cake or pastry and zipped up their coats to bear the cold. And if, by chance, they didn't have enough clothes to brave the blizzarding conditions outside, they walked to the other side of the room where there were tables and racks full of donated clothes and blankets. Everything was free.

As people were filing out, we wished them a nice day. Then we spent about 30 mintues cleaning up: washing dishes, wiping down tables and counters, putting away the remaining food.

I feel so good knowing that I did something good for someone else. Something that took so little on my part, meant so much to those people. I could see in their faces how grateful they were. It's easy to be in the Spirit of Giving around Christmas time, but I realized today that it's an attitude we should have all the time. I can't wait until I can help at the soup kitchen again!

New Couch

My aunt and uncle gave me this couch about a week ago. It's big and comfortable. I really like it.

82 - 91

82. I may have said this one before, but I really hate scary movies.

83. I talk to myself. Apparently a lot. Kasey has stopped paying attention to me when I talk unless I specifically address him. If I don't, he just thinks I'm talking to myself again.

84. I won a purple duffle bag at a drawing when I was in 6th grade. I still use it. It's the perfect bag for packing shoes when we are going on a trip.

85. My mom made my wedding dress for less than $100. She's an amazing seamstress!

86. I did not get the sewing gene. All of my sisters did.

87. I love going to the dentist. That ultra-clean feeling is the best!

88. I hate going to the OB/GYN. I'll just leave it at that.

89. I've never had sushi. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try it. Maybe.

90. I used to have cartoon frogs on my checks. Now I have plain blue with my bank's logo. Pretty boring, but very cheap.

91. When I was in college I survived on canned green beans, frozen burritos and tater tots with salsa, and an occasional potato. I lost 40 pounds. Then I met Kasey, and his mom invited me over for dinner every night. I gained back 25 pounds. Grrr!

Wedding Photos, As Requested

I have tons of wedding photos, of course. But instead of boring you with all of them, I chose 7 of my favorites. (That doesn't include the picture of me and my sisters from yesterday.)

2 different views of where I got married.

A candid shot on the front lawn.

Me with my Dad. This is from the reception held 2 weeks after the wedding.

Me and my Mom right after the wedding.

The 2nd photo of us after we were married.

My absolute favorite wedding photo. This is the 1st photo of us as a married couple.

Today Is Random Photo Day

So, how is this for completely random? I was looking for a baby picture of Makayla when I came across this photo from my wedding. It's one of my favorites.

(sister 2, sister 4, sister 1, sister 3)

Wahoo! I've been inducted into the 1000 Hits Club!

*It's not a real club, bytheway. I'm just excited that I've had 1000 visits to my website.

64 - 81

This is kind of a lot of information about me today. Oh well, if you get tired, you can always read it in 2 sittings.

64. I've never used an entire bottle of lotion before. I usually get tired of that scent and throw out the bottle.

65. I cut my hair really short my senior year of high school. The next day when I went to school, hardly anybody recognized me.

66. I'm a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl.

67. My favorite babysitter growing up was Kristen Rassmussen. She lived in the big house down the street.

68. I love going to church. I actually look forward to Sunday for that reason.

69. About piercing babies' ears: I don't mind when other people do it to their kids, but I'll never do it to mine. Just personal preference.

70. I hate abbreviations like: LOL, LMK, ROFL, LMAO, KWIM, and all the others. What are you all talking about??? If there is a book or website where I can educate myself, please tell me. I'm going crazy!!!!

71. I've been pregnant 5 times.

72. I'm not a great scrapbooker, but I really enjoy making cards.

73. I've been hit in the mouth with a baseball/softball 3 times. Ouch!

74. As a result of #73, I had to get braces.

75. I also wore a headgear for about a year to fix my bite.

76. I love saying words until they don't sound like words anymore. The word for this week: tax. I've said it so many times that now it just sounds like a caveman grunt to me. (I obviously have too much time on my hands.)

77. I made my first pie on Sunday. Apple. Kasey's favorite.

78. I burned it, but it still tasted pretty good.

79. My dad built a 3-tiered bunk bed when I was a kid. Now that all the kids have moved out, my mom uses it as a storage shelf.

80. I've always liked my name.

81. I get really annoyed when people pronounce it "Lora." Not that it matters in the great scheme of things, but I just don't care for it.

A First (And Hopefully Last) For Me

When I was in 7th grade, a girl wrote this in my yearbook, "Have a great summer! Don't hit any parked cars." At the time, I thought that was the dumbest thing to put in some one's yearbook. But as it turns out, that's actually some pretty sound advice.

Today, I had a little disagreement with a parked car. Apparently I won because all the damage was to the other car. I've never been in an accident before. I would not list it on my Top 10 Best Things To Do In Your Car.

Before you go thinking that I'm a completely incompetent driver, let me describe the circumstances around said disagreement. I was taking Makayla to preschool this morning. I knew the roads were slick so I even left a few minutes early to allow for safe and slow driving. I got to the school and to my utter astonishment, there was a parking space right next to the entrance.

You know, when it's -12 degrees outside, a close parking spot means a lot. So I slowly turned into the parking lot. Then I slowly started turning into that blessed parking spot that had Heavenly beams shining down upon it. And then Satan came out of nowhere and said, "Let there be ice!!" And there was ice.

Let me tell you, ice and completely bald tires are never, ever a good combination. So I watched, in slow motion, as my car rammed into this beautiful, black sports car. It was actually painful watching that happen.

Makayla, bless her little heart, said, Mom! What did you do?

I just bumped that car a little bit.

She scrunched up her nose and said, That's not real good.

I took Makayla to her class and just as I was getting into my car, the owner of that beautiful, now-damaged sports car was getting to hers. We exchanged information, and I then spent the remainder of my morning dealing with police reports and claims adjusters and all sorts of unpleasantness. (Unpleasantness: the events following a fender bender. It's a new word that I made up to describe my morning.)

The good news is that no one was hurt and I have freakin' awesome insurance. I don't have to pay a dime. (unless my premium goes up. Ouch!) I decided to take the money that I'd "saved" and purchase some new tires.

I went to the tire store and chose some all-season-something-or-other tires. When I got done paying for those, I had 3 pennies to my name. No really, I only had 3 pennies in my wallet. I figured since I couldn't buy anything with 3 pennies, I should just give them to Makayla. I don't remember the last time I saw that girl so happy. And that's saying a lot because she's usually pretty stinkin' happy.

So, that would be what I did today. Hopefully tomorrow proves to be a less expensive day!

One Sister Is Enough

Makayla came up to me with a doll in her arms and our conversation was as follows.

Mom, this is my baby. I wrapped her in a blanket because she was cold.

Oh, good job! (pause) Makayla, do you want mommy to have a baby?

(Pausing to think) Just a minute. I'll get you one. (runs out of the room and comes back with another doll.) Here, mom. Now you have a baby, too.

Thanks. But do you want me to have a baby in my tummy? Then you can have another little sister or maybe a brother.

No, Ellie is my sister.

Do you want a brother?

No, I just need a sister.

So you don't want mommy to have another baby?

Um. . . no, thanks. (turns and walks out of the room)

Well, I guess that settles that!

Sarcasm: She Doesn't Get It

We were all sitting in the living room watching a movie. I changed Ellie's poopy diaper and right after that Makayla came over and plopped herself down on my lap.

After a minute, I caught a whiff of the diaper that was laying next to me. I told Makayla, "You have to get up so I can throw away this stinky diaper, unless your daddy wants to do it. Who should throw it away? Mommy or Daddy?"

"Daddy!"

Kasey gave me a look and said to Makayla "Thanks for sticking up for your old man."

Makayla smiled, gave Kasey a hug, and said, "You're welcome."

This Is Getting a Little Ridiculous!

Disclaimer: This is going to be a post full of complaining. So, if you're not into that sort of thing, you'd better just keep on moving.

____________________________________

First off, I'm extremely grateful that Kasey is employed. Extremely Grateful! I'm glad that we are better off financially than we have ever been. But it has come at a high cost. By high cost I'm referring, specifically, to the number of hours he works and not being able to see his daughters for days on end. I get to see him, but that's only because I'm willing to stay up or wake up when he comes home.

This is the particular thing that I'm raging about this morning. Kasey went to work Wednesday morning at 3am, which is fairly normal. Then he worked a 19.5 hour shift--also, not completely unheard of. After a year of this job, I've come to accept the fact that he will work some really long days. But this is where I get angry. When he left work, he was told that he would only get off as much time as it took wire line to finish their job (which means nothing to most of you, so if you are really that interested you can ask and I'll go into more detail.) He got home, ate some food, went to bed. 3-1/2 hours later, he got a call saying that he had to come back to work. So very groggily, he went to work.

He walked in the door 22 hours later. He got 10 hours off which breaks down like this: 30 minutes to drive home; 90 minutes to get cleaned up, eat, say 10 words to me, and get ready for bed; 6-1/2 or so hours of sleep; 45 minutes to get ready; 15 minutes to spend with the girls and say hi to my parents who were visiting for the day; 30 minutes to drive back to work.

He left yesterday at 11am. It is now just after 10am, and I have yet to hear from him. Tomorrow will bring another 20-something hour shift. With any luck, he will get Monday and Tuesday off, but I'm really not holding my breath.

Why not find a new job you say? I'll tell you why. When he hired on, he signed a 1-year contract so that he would be eligible for the moving bonus money, which we desperately needed. His contract is up, so we tried looking and applying for jobs. So far, everything we've looked into has fallen through. He found out about a job. The day he was to turn in his application, he found out the last position had been filled the day before. Another job, we had all the details worked out with the guy, and then a few days later, he was no longer working for the company. And so on and so forth for the past 3 months.

Monday, after Kasey attempts to catch up on some much-needed sleep, we will put all our efforts into finding a job that doesn't require him to work 22-hour shifts. Wish us luck!

________________________________

This now concludes my complaining session. I'll try not to complain about anything else for a while. I really am very blessed in so many ways. This is just a big thing that really gets under my skin!

Ever Wonder Where Babies Come From?

Learn all about it from Thalia, a seriously adorable little 2-year old.

58 - 63

58. My favorite color is blue.

59. Autumn is my favorite season. I love the smell, the temperature, and the back to school sales.

60. I think I have pretty decent penmanship. I write in cursive, I don't know, maybe 98% of the time.

61. Temper tantrums are funny to me. My children look so ridiculous flailing around on the floor that I can't help but laugh at them. I don't find it funny when I'm in the store, though. The floor there is so GROSS, and I don't want them rolling around on it.

62. This one is totally random. In all the places I've lived since I got married, when I walked into my bedroom, the closet was always on the right. That's kind of weird. Probably more weird is the fact that I actually used brain cells thinking about that.

63. My computer desk is cluttered almost all of the time. Currently, there are 3 magazines, 2 notebooks, last year's calendar, a toy phone, a doll dress, glue, misc receipts that need to be recorded in my checkbook, a pair of tights (which don't fit either girl), birthday card for my sister (which reminds me I need to mail that tomorrow), unopened chapstick, and a Taco Bell cup with random odds and ends. Maybe I should stop blogging and take care of that mess.

Nah!

I Have No Words To Describe This Face

Ellie loves reading stories with her Daddy. This is the face she makes when he reads her favorite book. I just look at her and laugh.

My children seem to be my best comic relief. I feel like I am constantly laughing at them.

Oh, and don't mind the stain on her shirt. We had spaghetti for dinner that night. Yum-O! A little squirt of Shout! and that stain was a goner.

51 - 57

51. I think this article is very interesting. I think I may want to learn.

52. I can remember all the names of all the roommates I had before I got married: Amanda, Necia, Sara, Leslie, Jennifer, ReNae. Considering I only lived on my own for 9 months before I got married, this really isn't that big of an accomplishment.

53. My favorite question is "What if?" It drives Kasey crazy, but I can't help thinking "What if this happened?" or "What if I'd done this differently?"

54. I'm curious by nature.

55. I sleep on the side of the bed that is closest to the door. It makes getting up in the night with babies a whole lot easier.

56. The first thing I do when I come home is take off my shoes. I love to walk around in just my socks.

57. I really, really hate surprises. Mostly they just make me angry.

My Silly Little Girl

As I was looking at some photos today, I found this series of Makayla that made me laugh out loud. They are so telling of her personality. One moment she is calm and relaxed, and the next she is crazy, bouncing all over the place. She is such a silly little girl. I love her to pieces!

46 - 50

46. My new favorite past time is watching American Idol auditions on YouTube. I don't care what anyone says. I love Simon!

47. I love getting a new calendar every year. Best calendar: 2008 Grey's Anatomy. Worst calendar: 2004 Human Society with cats and dogs.

48. I used to be scared of the dark.

49. I hate scary movies.

50. My blood type: A+

New Year's Resolutions....Ah, Phooey!

It's 2008! So far, it feels exactly like 2007. I still had to get up early. There were still children to feed, diapers to change, dishes to wash, noses to wipe, bills to be paid, and beds to be made.

And because it feels the same, I think it's funny that people make New Year's Resolutions. It's not like there's some magical change that happens just because it's now the first day of a new year. I'm reminded of Y2K. Everyone thought the world would come to an end. And when they woke up the next day, the sun had risen, and computers had not taken over the Earth.

Really, it's just another day. So, I'm not making any resolutions. I'm not resolving to quit smoking or drinking (I don't do either of them anyway). I'm not planning on cutting down my time spent on the internet. I know I won't get out of debt this year. (Can you all say Student Loans? I'm stuck with those for a few more years.) I don't need to make a New Year's Resolution to be a better person or spend more quality time with my family. These are things that I'm constantly working on anyway.

Those are my thoughts on resolutions. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go sign up for Weight Watchers so I can lose 100 pounds by summer!