An Eviction Notice

Kids have such a short attention span. A few weeks ago, in the midst of a Barbie-love-a-thon in my house, I was persuaded to buy Shona a dollhouse. This wasn't just any house, it's a 4 1/2' tall, three story dream home for someone 11 1/2" high. The floors are reversible even. It took me two hours of sweat and cursing to assemble this beautiful structure and install it in the room. Sure, there isn't any practical way to get from the second floor to the third, but Ken and Barbie seem to be highly adaptable and fine with it. They have happily enjoyed their new digs without benefit of furniture, knowing it was on its way. They haven't even been nagging for a sportscar to tool around the bedroom floor in, such is the state of happiness in the new dream home. Until now.

I walked in to find the house stripped of all Barbie items, its floors gleaming, sad and empty. Had they failed to make rent? Was there a natural disaster that had prompted the doll family to pull up stakes and move on? I asked Shona why the dolls were gone and she informed me that she now wanted to use this gleaming home to showcase her new My Little Pony collection. She only has one pony that I am aware of, so of course I asked where she was going to get these ponies and she requested cleaning jobs around the house to earn the money for them. *sigh* The sad part of this is it took me over a week of searching on the internet to find furniture to fill this house for barbie and her friends. The furniture is still in transit and now these poor plastic people might never even get the chance to enjoy such amenities. It looks destined to become a very high end horse stable, the likes of which those My Little Ponies have never seen. It won't take long and I'm sure they'll be demanding horse trailers, pony brushes and special oat diets. As for Barbie, she's still smiling, but I can tell it's that fake, plastic factory made smile. Inside she's crying over her dream home, so cruelly ripped out from under her perfectly arched plastic feet. Such is the life in the toybox. One day you're in, the next day you're out.

A Girl and Her Phone

What is it with teenagers and telephones? I mean really, what is the fascination? I know they want to keep in contact with their friends, but when they've spent the entire day at school together, why oh why do they need to come right home and start yakking even more, rehashing every moment of the day they just spent together? Maybe I was just a strange child or maybe my parents were mighty strict with our phone, but I was allowed five minutes when I got on the phone and to be honest...that was too much. I just wasn't a chatter. I never have been. I can talk for a while on the phone if I have something to say, but I'm a get to the point kind of gal. Strange since one of my favorite things to do is stay up all night and talk, but I guess I prefer to do that face to face.
Sometimes I worry that Katy will have to have the phone surgically removed from her ear. I know it's just a phase, though. Once she leaves home and has to call to talk to me, she'll suddenly lose interest in the phone!

How to tell when your child is seriously ill

It has been one crazy 24 hours. Shona was up until after 3:00 with a severely congested head. She was so darn miserable and nothing helped, not medicine, not a breathing treatment, nothing. She finally fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion and we got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep. I woke her up figuring she'd miss her first day of school the first week of school, but she got up, was very chipper and happy and other than a slightly stuffy nose, was just fine. I sent her off to school. We had to run to the base to get new I.D. cards after school, and she was sort of a terror for most of it, but then at other times was a doll....like confiding to me as we were picking out a new outfit for her that she's in love with a boy in her class but he doesn't want a girlfriend. Ah, young love. Anyway, I digress. So she was on John's last little nerve the entire trip, hyped up, could not stop talking no matter what she tried and could not focus. I knew she was worn out, the poor thing. She fell asleep in the van on the way home, I brought her in and put her to bed. About an hour later, I got up to check on her, stepped into her room and she was sitting in the middle of the floor. I said "Shona! What are you doing up....(I look around the room).....cleaning??! Of all things! Cleaning her room! She looked awful. She had dark circles under her eyes, she was sniffling again, but there she was cleaning. The funny part was she looked guilty like I'd caught her sneaking into a hidden stash of Christmas presents or something, and she hopped back in bed. I cannot get that child to clean her room even under threats, so I knew she had to be delerious! Maybe I should sleep on the floor next to her bed. Or perhaps I should let her sleep in my room, so if she wakes up with a feverish need to clean, she can do my room next!

Help!

I'm locked out of ScrapAddict and I can't get in! I went in to change my email address and it knocked me offline and told me to sign back in. I tried but since then it tells me my user name doesn't exist. I guess I was voted off the island! Booo hoooo. On a good note, though, I've polished off one of my design team assigned kits for October and I'm working on the other one. I guess if I can't do anything online for a few days, I will at least catch up on my scrapping. *sniffle* I miss my chat board.

Look, ma, pictures!

EUREKA!!! I have the power...the power of photo posting!!! I was playing around in internet options again and I guess I finally hit on the right combination. It was nothing I hadn't tried before, but this time it worked. Same thing with cars...it makes all the weirdest "I'm going to break down ANY MINUTE" noises when I'm in there, then it acts like it has another 100,000 miles to go before any problems the minute John gets behind the wheels. Computers and cars, they must run on testosterone.

In any case, here's a Scrap Addict sneak peek for you. Now don't say I never gave you anything. I was a little fearful of this kit when I first saw it but it quickly became one of my favorites. I'm lovin' it. (Just saying that makes me want a cheeseburger).

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

I've come to the determination that I'm one of those people for whom the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. For the past five years, I've worked without a lot of time off, and every single morning my alarm would go off I would wish I could stay at home. Then one day my husband got a new job, and suddenly that alarm was silenced. Now I find myself at home, only two days into being a temporary stay at home mom again, and I find myself wondering if I'd be happier getting a part time job. I suddenly have empty days to fill without the company of the children who I was complaining about last week. Is there ever a perfect moment when I can just relax and enjoy my life? I had one day like that once. It was right after we bought our house. John was still stationed on the east coast, my girls were in school for the day, and I invited my grandmother up for the day. We sat on my porch, rocking in my rockers, drinking iced tea and watching hummingbirds fly by. We didn't do much talking, just enjoyed the sunshine and the beautiful day. I can remember thinking what a perfect day it was and I was able to stop and enjoy the moment. That is the only time I ever felt like that when I was actually in the moment. In retrospect, I had some wonderful days I wish I could go back and revisit indefinitely. Why wasn't I able to wring that type of enjoyment out of them while I was experiencing them? Or is that what life is? One long series of restrospective feelings that you missed out on enjoying the days you didn't know were perfect until after they are gone? I have a sneaking suspicion that sums up child rearing as well. It's one long string of days made up of the everyday mundane, a few flashes of intensity along the way and then one day they are grown. You think "that's it? Hold it, if I had know X day was going to be the best ever with my child, I wouldn't have been so short with them. I would have enjoyed it more!" If only, if only. The saddest statement in the English language.

And in other news...I still cannot post pictures. I've made sure I get cookies, my popups aren't blocked, and everything else this site suggests. I've also written to their help desk and no one answers.

Still not able to add pictures. GRRRRRRR!!

WTH??

I can't get my images to add to my posts anymore. I don't know if I'm being punished by the blogging gods or what, but it's making me crazy.

Questions, Questions

Thanks for tagging us all, Jess.


If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be?
Pensacola, Florida near the white, sandy beaches.

What's your favorite article of clothing?
Probably a good, comfy pair of jeans. Well worn ones. I don't have an actual favorite pair.

Favorite physical feature of the opposite sex?
It's got to be the eyes.

What's the last CD that you bought?
I don't know, but I doubt it was for me. I rarely buy albums, although I do want the new Michael Buble one.

Where's your favorite place to be?
Pensacola, FL. Other than that, my grandma's house.

Where's your least favorite place to be?
That would have to be work.

What's your favorite place to be massaged?
My feet.

Strong in mind or strong in body?
More mind at this point, but I'm working on it.

What time do you wake in the morning?
Right now whenever I wake up, but next week when school starts, about 6:00 a.m.

What's your favorite kitchen appliance?
My new upright deep freeze. It's wonderful, although it's more of a garage appliance right now.

What makes you really angry?
Losing my keys. LOL

If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
Piano

Favorite color?
Red

Which do you prefer, sports car or SUV?
SUV

Do you believe in afterlife?
Yes

Favorite children's book?
Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

What is your favorite season?
Spring

What's your least favorite household chore?
Floors!!

If you could have one super power, what would it be?
Invisibility

If you have a tattoo, what is it?
A rose wrapped around an anchor, on my left outer ankle.

Can you juggle?
Only my responsibilities.

The one person from your past you wish you could go back and talk to?
My Grandfather.

What's your favorite day?
Right now Wednesdays

What's in the trunk of your car?
A spare tire and jack.

Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger?
Hamburger. Sushi does not belong in my world.