Sprout Card Update!

The completed card:

<--- Outside

The card is all ready to go to sprout. the submission form is signed, now we just need to go to the post office to send it off!

just 6 more weeks until Indy turns 3!

<---Inside

Indy and the gang...

We love sprout...

i mentioned it before, but we really do. This will be the cover of the birthday card that we send in for Indy's birthday, hoping it get picked to be on the Birthday greeting bit of the "Sunny Side Up Show"! Sure, his birthday isn't for another 6 weeks but got to get it in Early!

Do i look 34?

Ok, so I am still having a little problem with the number thing. My friends are almost all older than I, and seem to think that I am being ridiculous since they are all passed this age and are not old.
But, when i think of my "twenty-something" husband- thirty four seems old. well, older.

i dont think you can see the streaks that well in this photograph, but sort of in the front. and besides, i kind of like the picture; as much as i can like a picture of me.

more pics of Indy when i can get him to sit still long enough... maybe i should figure out the "rapid motion" setting on the camera.

i feel, cough cough sniffle... much better!

Just needed a "bit of the pretty" to brighten my spirits. I am feeling a bit better, my head seems to be shrinking. And the bass drum throb is now less constant.

I took this picture a couple years ago at

Sahalie Falls with the old Kodak camera that Duck now enjoys. It was a nice trip, and i got this lovely picture to remind me that not always will i be sick and stuck inside my home with a cranky toddler who thinks we should be outside at the park because its 45 degrees and sunny.

Indy is now swimming. NO, i didnt throw him in the river. He goes to the gym.

sick

i have been so sick for the last week that i havent posted, photographed, or even thought about blogging... i am sort of feeling better, but not really. enough to be upright anyways. expect new stuff soon-ish, but not today.

headaches, cigarettes and streaks!

this post isnt about Indy, so if he is your only interest here... feel free to move along:

So, i started taking Chantix yesterday. Just took my second pill and printed out my form from the support web site to track where and when i smoke. I have quit before (both times i was pregnant in fact) and once stayed quit for 2 1/2 years, but it wasnt to be. So, i am trying again. This time with a little help. Good Luck to me.

My doc has been having me track my migraines for the last 6 weeks (two more to go on the tracking program before she gives me some kind of relief). The only thing i have learned since tracking them is that my head hurts more often than i thought, but not all of the little aches do i call migraines. A real killer migraine has to last for more than a day, knock my from my feet and require something more than a tylenol. but thats just me. i only call it a migraine when its a killer, otherwise its a headache. I suppose i also learned that the doctor is sadistic, she gives me NO RELIEF from the headaches for 2 whole months. When i go back in after tracking, THEN she will prescribe something. In the mean time i am sucking down every outdated prescription pain killer that i got from the dentist last year and never threw away! hmmmm.

on a lighter note... (pun intended... you'll see)
My husband isn't one of the light in the loafer type fellows. He COULD be one if he wanted to, though... He highlighted my hair a couple days ago, with some really nice red-gold streaks. We used a box from the local department store, and he pulled my hair through the little cap and everything. It isnt the first time he was involved in styling my hair. about 16 months ago i had him cut off about 3/4 of a foot of hair from my head. I never regretted it. So, if Lowe's ever treats him wrong, he has a great career as a "stylist" to fall back on. heheh.

Never miss a Photo Op:

Today was my birthday; another year older. We headed for the coast, making the circle (as i call it). There are some wonderful places to take photographs along our route. Indy and his dad smiled for me in this tree at the Devil's Punchbowl State Park at Otter Rock.

Birthdays are always a time for me to reflect upon my life:
This years reflection?
I do NOT look 34.
My friends agree with me.
They have to.
I get grouchy if they dont.

Ash Wednesday:

While getting dressed for Mass this evening, Indy took a moment to talk on the phone with his brother. He reminded Duck about the time Duck hung up on him.

When Indy got off of the phone, he told me:
"Duck is a bad boy, he pees in a diaper".

I admit it, I laughed.
I tried to tell Indy that Duck doesnt use diapers but Indy would have none of it. The laugh killed my denial.

brilliant.

I wanna be a rockstar!

Indana will get music lessons when he gets older....

maybe the Bass guitar!?!

don't touch me, I'm famous.

the set up:


Macy (my niece) left her over-sized sunglasses at our place, after visiting today. Indy found them right off and has been wearing them ever since. He was lounging on the davenport, watching the telly, clad in his new orange shirt that reads, "I still live with my parents".

priceless.

Counting my Blessings.

Sometimes, it's just good to be me:

I have two amazing sons.
I have a decent husband who works hard to care for his family.
I have a ration of family members who love me.
I have a fantastic set of ex-in laws who are supportive and caring.
I also have the best set of friends and honorary family members there could be.

To me, these helping loving supportive folks are yet one more proof of the real blessings i have been given.

It turns out the "Older Blessing" (err Duck) has a girlfriend. I have seen a picture and she looks pretty cute. (i debated posting that picture here, but i figured i will hold it in reserve for when he really irritates me) He has been squiring her to movies and basketball games. He also seems to have a smudge of dirt that cant be wiped from his upper lip without a razor. Where did the years go!?! So, yeah this picture is (as always) of just the youngest of our blessings:

So, back to blessings... thanks to the other Dad in my life, for going out of his way, driving clear to the next town and even being late to coffee to help me out. I truly am humbled by the good fortune that brought you all into my life. well except John, he'd get a swelled head over the thing you know.

the return of the king...

thank you for your patience during our week long technical difficulty. we have been restored to the internet and look forward to catching up with our family, friends and fellow bloggers!

i can admit i missed my daily peeks into the blogosphere. and i also missed sharing our families life with you all. as soon as i can get something together i will get an update up.

Decision '08

We aren't political here in the State of Indiana...

OK, we are, but we are pretty much center-ist folks who don't run our mouths about things, but i digress. Anyways, i enjoy checking out "goodies" that tell me which candidate spouts off the stuff i want to hear. If you wonder who gives lip service to your values (c'mon... you don't think the candidates BELIEVE the crap they say do you!?!), check out this gadget that good old Fox put online for free.





what pleased me in this little do-hickey was that the candidate whom i give the most support to was, indeed, the top pick for me when i answered the questions honestly. With Fox, one can never be too sure, you know.

Weekend of Wild Weather!

This Weekend has seen some WILD weather!

We have had 50-60 mile per hour winds here in the Valley, as well as enough rain to flood the park across the street! Our neighbor kids (Raven and CJ) even hauled out the raft and floated around the playground!

I think the water-logged park looked lovely with the lights and trees reflecting off the surface of the water.

We even got a light dusting of Snow! We bundled Indy all up in his boots and coat then let him go out to scrape snow off of the car. He and his dad even made a tiny snow-ball man on the roof of the car!

Yes, they did hit me with a snowball.

We are loving the windy-wet-snowy fun!

Enjoy your weather Wherever you may be!

in profile:

our growing toddler is enthralled with his Christmas gift. He received a much beloved Fisher Price Digital Art Studio. He doodles, he draws, he stamps, he jumps up and down screaming in delight. Grandpa and Tooti did good this year!

Duck and Koda got him a WWE wrestling ring and Santa, along with the aunts purchased him several wrestling action figures... when he isn't drawing he is wrestling!

happy new year.

ah-ha:

So i figured out why i couldn't load the other video... it was too big. on the positive side, Indy loves to dance to "Palabras" so much that i don't have to persuade him to get film, i just have to turn the song on. (i guess it isn't technically "film" anymore, hmmm)

For those who don't feel like reading on to other posts, the recap on this video is this: The trumpet player (Jake) in this band was the brother of my last long term relationship fellow... i spent 5 years living with Jake's brother. Anyhow, a few months back... maybe a year now, but i don't think so... Eric, which is another guy in the band, turned me on to the video that Greenhouse (that's the band) had made years ago. I have the CD, but had never seen the video. Once i played it, Indy was hooked. And of course i am raising a Beatle fan... so Indy's favorite part of the video is of the guys crossing the road... it's not Abbey road, but it IS a road.

He's a Ska Baby now!

If you have a free moment, Greenhouse's video can be found Here click on the little TV "watch" icon once you are on the page... and don't forget the sound.

Palabras

so i have been trying for two days to upload this cute video of Indy dancing to his current favorite dance tune... it wont upload for some odd reason, but you can see the actual music video to Palabras by clicking the link http://music.yahoo.com/ar-281583-videos--Greenhouse

it's Ska Baby!

deletion plus:

so i removed the last post because it seemed very whiny and almost self indulgently depressive. this is better:

We had SNOW falling on Christmas day! that was awesome!
I already have the house back in order... it looks better than before!
Chris liked his golf clubs.
Indiana was a good boy in mass... even his brother said so.

so, mostly positive last few days. it isn't always easy to keep a positive attitude this time of year, but i am trying!

Over Weight and Over Thirty:

for a few years now i have been "heavy". i don't mean the shut in my house, need to pull a wall down and use a crane to get me out, but "heavy". After having Indy i realized that my thin days were over. My teenage years were packed with size 6 jeans and a teenage girls insecurity about being fat. back then i never would have believed the pleasure i have today, as i fit comfortably into an 18 for the first time since before i had the baby (i bought two pairs of the new, smaller size yesterday). I tried on a pair of 16's, and although i could button them, i couldn't breathe afterwards. Last summer, at the height of my weight, i wore a size 24. So, i am still round, but not as round as i used to be and am committed to continuing to lose weight and be healthier for my sons.

The Spirit of Santa...

There is so much anger and debate over Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus, et al. i am sure i am missing someones holiday, leaving someone out, whatever...
Here's my bit.

Many of my readers may not know of our religious preference. We aren't hiding anything, but honestly, I never felt like it mattered enough to point out our basic Catholic-ness. We aren't particularly observant, and Indiana was never Christened. It bothers me a little that he wasn't, but it's not making me lose any sleep. We attend Mass on Christmas and again on Easter. God understands, at least mine does. I do not particularly care if my friends are Catholic, Jewish, Islam, Buddhist, Mormon, or Wicca (again, i left tons of religions, denominations, classifications etc out...not because i meant to hurt any ones feelers but because if i listed them all here i would need to buy a server of my own... i digress.) you can believe what you want... i do. The point? This post isn't about what religion, holiday, celebration or whatever is right and wrong.

This post is about Santa Claus. Not the person, the spirit.

To me: The spirit of Santa is donating a warm jacket to your local homeless shelter. The spirit of Santa is holding the door open at the mall for the young mother walking up behind you. The spirit of Santa is giving a new pair of comfortable shoes to the senior center. The spirit of Santa is letting someone out in traffic in front of you. The spirit of Santa is giving food or funding or your time to your local food bank. The spirit of Santa is sewing a quilt and giving it to your local children's agency. The spirit of Santa is purchasing the coffee of the man in the car behind you at the drive up coffee place. The spirit of Santa is smiling at the young fellow riding his bicycle past you as you walk down the sidewalk. Really. That's it.

Take the time to treat your fellow man, woman, and child kindly. Help them stay warm and fed over the winter, when times are hardest. If you cant bring your self to be charitable and helpful to another human being purely for the pleasure of being helpful, remember... One day it could be YOU standing in line at that food bank.