Sparks and Butterflies Sparks and Butterflies Caffeine from above ~ Coffee from below.... I'd sure like some dull! Articles
Something Fun - Family Game Night
2009-02-25 18:05:00 You know… My family doesn’t play enough. It’s true. We just don’t play together. We’re busy, and by the end of the day exhausted, and there just seems to be so much we have to do that by the time it’s the kids’ bedtime - we haven’t done anything fun as a family. Switching gears - but not really - the topic just brought this to mind - I am not Mormon. However, I have always admired the religion’s commitment to family and the proactive steps they take. I don’t know a LOT about it, but they have a tradition that I believe is called family home evening. Once a week, they are committed to spending quality time with their family. I’m not sure if it is a game night, or a Scripture study, or heck - both? But they’re focused on spending time with their families uninterrupted. I think we’re going to have to start that here at my house. One night a week doing something together. Time to Play has a ... More About: Family , Night , Game
When Children Are Ill
2009-02-25 17:37:00 Perhaps you’ve noticed that I dropped out of site for like, a week. And if you didn’t - well that’s just a blow to the ego so keep it to yourself mmmkay? I was sick a couple weeks back. And just as I was coming out of my fog and getting caught up with stuff at home and stuff at work, Logan became ill. Very ill. Picture 104 degree fever spikes, two doctor’s visits (plus copays), two prescriptions (plus copays), and lots of cold medicine and ibuprofen. For a week. Out of school. The poor kid. He had the flu, plus an eye infection, plus an ear infection. The scary thing is - he showed NO symptoms until he spiked a fever. No red eyes. No stuffy nose. No cough. No tugging on the ear - or even any pain since he’s old enough to tell me. A 104 fever at midnight is a scary proposition for any parent. Couple that with a congenital heart defect. And then couple that with the ONLY admonition the doctors have ever given you regarding sa... More About: Children
Him and Me
2009-02-19 16:17:00 I wanted to write something light hearted after that last post. Luckilly Dooce has a meme. What are your middle names? Mine is Kee, a family name. His is Joseph. How long have you been together? Our 11th anniversary is coming up in April. And that’s just about how long we’ve been together considering he asked me to marry him in three days, and we were married three months later. How long did you know each other before you started dating? A month. We were in class together. Who asked whom out? Well - I guess me. I asked to sit next to him in Church. Three days later we were engaged. How old are each of you? I’ll be 34 next month. He’s 32 - 33 in September. Whose siblings do you see the most? Neither really. Enter long convoluted family history here. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Money is one. I’m a saver, he’s a spender. We don’t have a lot of it, now that I’m home, and I have some history things...
Heavy Hearts
2009-02-19 15:30:00 There are some changes happening in my family. Mainly due to some spiritual fighting my husband is doing. That’s not really my story to tell. But it is hard for me to watch him struggle. Although I believe the changes in store for him will make him a better man, husband, and father. Plus, we watched Fireproof, and he came to me and told me to get the books. He wants to do the Love Dare with me. I was shocked. It’s not normally his thing. But we are. And there are those changes. Plus, he’s struggling at work. Basically, they changed the structure, and he’s expected to do two full time jobs - without overtime. It’s not working. We’ve talked both about how he can present the problem to his management, and also how to manage the jobs in the meantime (I administer, it’s what I do - so I’m able to help him structure things.) But he was thisclose to quitting. Which, of course, sent me into panic mode, because the b... More About: Heavy , Hearts
Blissdom - Friday
2009-02-17 20:17:00 I cannot believe I didn’t finish my blissdom updates. I’ve been really sick, and I want to catch up. So now, we’ll just have to have Friday & Saturday smushed together and just mention the highlights. I finally met Deanna. We’ve been corresponding online for years. YEARS. But I didn’t know who she was. I just stared at her, ’cause she looks just like someone from my old work. The synapses in my brain were misfiring. Anyway - she introduced herself. She thinks I’m sweet. heh. And she MIGHT be helping me with the site a little bit. A little bit of refining, let’s say. I met and saw a whole bunch of people. People that I needed to meet, that I wanted to meet, and folks who were new to me, as I didn’t follow their blogs. All of it was wonderful. I even got to squish a baby girl, which was bliss. I’m not going to list everyone - ’cause it’s DAYS later and I’ll forget someone ...
brief nosh note
2009-02-12 20:24:00 I’m currently sick as a dog. I still have to finish updating on Blissdom - which I’ll get to when I can think. I just wanted to pop in and tell you that I’ve highlighted a post at Blog Nosh. Take a look! More About: Note
Blogging Identity Crises
2009-02-07 23:12:00 I’m skipping the last Blissdom session as I’m in thought. And when I’m in thought, I get distracted. I wouldn’t get anything from the session anyway. The good news… I found out that a famous-to-me blogger reads me. And that she might be willing to hire me. Perhaps. Maybe. If we work something out - AND she wants me to guest post. Because she likes my voice. I’m not linking her because it’s not a done deal, and I don’t want to put words in her mouth - or pressure on her. But this is HUGE for me. 1) Someone who in my opinion is a success reads me. Sorry, but that gives me validation. 2) Potential new client woot! So… networking works. But the bad news… I’m in a blogging identity crises. There was a branding session. After the session I asked a couple of gals who I trust and respect, and who know both my blog and other writing, what do THEY think when they go to my blog (in terms ... More About: Blogging , Identity , Crises
blissdom - thursday
2009-02-06 19:05:00 As I got ready to go to Blissdom on Thursday , I really didn’t want to go. All my quirks and hangups about in person talking and in person meeting were coming up. I wrote a BlogHer Disclaimer last year, and I think I should have reposted it. It’s like… I LOVE these things, and I HATE these things. I love seeing my friends. I love making new contacts and new friends. I need to network for my business. But I’m not the most secure person in the world and meeting new people brings all those insecurities out in force. I was rather organized in getting ready to go. Had a last minute hiccup in that Joseph had a field trip I forgot about. Wouldn’t have been a big deal, but it meant him getting out of school a full hour later than normal. Which meant no ride to the airport, so I just made a quick Super Shuttle call. I was apprehensive, as they’ve never really been really swell in my book. BUT! Dude was there 5 minutes early - AN...
Crazy Making
2009-02-04 17:44:00 So. I leave for Blissdom tomorrow. I don’t arrive until 11:30pm. I awoke with a headache today. I still need to write up itineraries for my father and husband so neither one of them loses a child along the way. I still need to get my haircut, nails done, and pack. I need to check out my laptop (it’s not my main computer) to make sure everything’s running fine. Not to mention make a costume for my son’s play, which I’m missing, on Friday. Oh - if you want to meet up or just want to be able to get a hold of me, dm me or email me for my cell number. BREATHE. Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. P.S. Joseph made the baseball team! More About: Crazy
Mrs. Pigglewiggle May Be No More
2009-01-30 20:07:00 There are a few books I remember from my childhood. Trixie Belden. Judy Blume. Encyclopedia Brown. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. The boxcar children. Little House on the Prairie. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Anne of Green Gables. All those memories. Leaving my life and enjoying theirs. All those memories came from the library. Hours and hours. Many of you have already heard about CPSCIA. You can read more about the act at the link, but the basic synopsis is - many if not most handmade children’s retailers, and thrift/secondhand retail shops will close. The act requires testing for lead. Of every.single.item used in a product, by each retailer, in every form of the item. Even if someone else, already has tested from the batch. Even if another retailer has already tested the item. So - these retailers and small homemade manufactures will have to close their doors because they simply can’t afford the testing. Think about it. If you sell a onesie...
Connections
2009-01-29 19:58:00 When I started writing online, it was 1995. The world wide web was still getting it’s feet wet in terms of making connections. There were some new people putting their Online Diaries up. I don’t even remember who the first one I stumbled upon was. Possibly Kymm in her Sweet as a Biscuit years. She’s the one I remember from those days anyway. I’ve always written a journal. From as young as I can remember with those little diaries with a tiny space per day. And a lock. And so, I started to write. I was KeeArgo on AOL. A frequenter on the chatrooms - on my 14.4 modem - the height of technology at the time. With your membership, you got some server space. So I learned basic html (the only code language at the time). I painstakingly coded every single page, and uploaded them one at a time. Don’t forget to update the archives, back, and next links too! It was a time consuming, tedious, detail oriented process. Blogs didn’... More About: Connections
Grace in Small Things - 1
2009-01-27 22:15:00 I don’t promise to do this every day, but with life as it is - I need to remind myself not to live in the negative as I so often can. 1. Mir interviewed me in regards to my business on Work it Mom! OK - that’s not so small a thing. But it’s on my mind today. 2. I’m dressed with hair done - make up - jewelry - and showered. 3. Dinner is in the crockpot. 4. No fights among the siblings this morning. 5. The cat got stuck on the top shelf only once this morning. More About: Grace , Small , Things
quick jot
2009-01-20 18:00:00 I suppose I should have something profound today. I do not. This is a historical day. That is not lost on me. Change is coming. That is not lost on me. I pray that my trepidation is unfounded. I pray that the changes, ultimately, end up being good. But for now, I just wish former President George W. Bush well in his future life with his wife. I wish President Barack Obama well in his term. I pray he has discernment and wisdom. ~ New post up at Blissfully Domestic - Speech Therapy - A Quick Look.
We have a Winner
2009-01-19 18:46:00 We have a winner for the Superbowl Party Pack! Congratulations, Maria P.! I’m sending you an email to get your address to pass on to Pepsi. Thank you to all who participated! More About: Winner
An Award!
2009-01-16 19:08:00 So. Headless Mom has passed to me an award. It’s my second in all the years I’ve been blogging, so I must say thank you. It’s always wonderful to be acknowledged. I had the pleasure of meeting Headless Mom at BlogHer last year - she was passing out headless dolls, as I recall. And she still reads me. So, I must not have made too terrible an impression! So - the award - Making Lemons out of Lemonade This award comes with a few rules: Put the logo on your blog or post. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE! Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award. Now the hard part - Passing it on. These blogs really don’t have anything in common. Some are popular, some aren’t. Some are Christian, some aren’t. Some curse, some don’t.... More About: Award
PMS Sucks
2009-01-14 17:24:00 I’m mad today. I want to smash things. I want to tell people, like my children and husband, what I really really think in my head. This is NOT a clean room! This goes HERE like every other 4 billionth time I told you! Can you NOT unscrunch the clothes when you take them off? What is so difficult about putting the game IN THE CASE!? What is that SMELL?! Hello? Who taught you how to drive, moron! I AM NOT THE MAID. But it’s all shrieked in my head like a freakin’ banshee on PMS… wait a minute… And I check my mon.thly (aside - love that thing) calendar, and huh. I’m not particularly regular but it notes that I’m probably 1 week and 3 days away. And then I realize I’m not actually insane. Just hormonal. Don’t cross me for the next three days. ** Contest for the Super Bowl Party Pack is still open! More About: Sucks
Giveaway Time!
2009-01-13 19:01:00 Ok so technically, we’re a football family. Really it’s just my husband and oldest son. But they’re part of the family, right? And quite frankly, my husband has decided until next year that football no longer exists since his team is out. But if YOUR team isn’t out - or you just plain don’t care, and love the Super Bowl… I have a giveaway for you! It’s The Ultimate Super Bowl Party Pack! It’s valued at $250 and comes complete with food and goodies! From Pepsi, Behold: • 1 football • 1 beverage pail • 1 snack helmet • 2 key chains • 2 hats • 2 t-shirts • 5 Pepsi 24 pack coupons • 5 Frito Lay coupons The Pepsi peeps will send the package directly to the winner when I give them the info before The Day (Feb. 1st).. So… What do you need to know? Comment on this post. I will pick a winner via random number generation. I’ll post the winner, and I... More About: Time
So now what do you think of me
2009-01-12 23:39:00 I thought I would share a fact about me that you may not know about. I have no sympathy. I should probably expound on that, huh? I think perhaps it has to do with my background. More about my life in greater detail can be found around the blog. It’s my journal after all. But the short part is… abandoned as a child, abuse, rape, homelessness, drug abuse, recovery, miscarriage… So. When various horrific things have happened to me in life, I’ve had to deal with it. Everyone does. In the case of pretty much all of the really bad stuff - other than my miscarriage - I had to deal with it by myself. Alone. No help and no support. Two examples for you: When my mom started taking care of me after Jeannette left, she requested I call her “mommy”. About two weeks after Jeannette left. Obviously there wasn’t a lot of understanding there about how I might be feeling about everything. I believe my response was, “but you...
Can I learn that trick?
2009-01-10 15:00:00 Me: “Joseph, you can’t just tell the cat that she can’t play with your Bakugan. She doesn’t understand human.” Joseph: “Yes she does. I taught her three days ago.” What does one say to that? More About: Trick , Learn
Bully
2009-01-09 15:27:00 We’re on the way home from school just like every day in existence. We’re talking about how there’s a school rally the next day, and that the kids have to dress a certain way. School spirit. rah.rah. All of a sudden this comes out of Joseph’s mouth, “My archnemesis has to be on stage! With a guitar! And he has a RASH!” Perhaps the “Bwahahaha” I heard was just in my head. First I found out who this Archnemesis was (totally his word by the way.) Jimmy Bartek*. Who pairs up with Michael* to call Joseph Stupid (which he attempted to spell out, because we don’t call each other stupid) and make fun of him. I then had the correct parental lecture that sometimes people feel really awful and the only way to make themselves feel better is by making others feel bad and BLAH BLAH BLAH. But then I said, “But he has to get on stage? With a rash?” “Uh Huh!” “That, my son, is called Karma… O... More About: Bully
My First Embarrassed Child
2009-01-08 23:21:00 Carline. Waiting. And waiting. Joseph has a tendency to be late. I don’t know if his teacher really let’s him out late or he’s a dawdler. But then again she let’s them out one by one and his last name begins with “W.” Now, he’s messing with some other kid. I holler out the window, “Come on JoJo!” And the earth stopped spinning on it’s axis there at Small Town Elementary. I could see the flush creep up Joseph’s neck, and over his face. “ooooOOOOooooo JOJO! What sweeeEEEeeeet nickname, JOJO!” Joseph yells at me, “Do.Not.Call.Me.JOJO?!” He should have had a WTF? cartoon balloon over his head as well. He got in the truck. He immediately started to roll up the window to block out the taunting. I made him put his seatbelt on first. On the way home I told him, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that JoJo was off limits in front of your friends. Totally my bad.&rdqu... More About: Child , Embarrassed
Shameful Plugging
2009-01-07 18:47:00 The Bloggies are currently in the nomination phase. I have nominated my own darn self in the Lifetime Achievement category. Why? Because I’ve been blogging since “online diaries” in 1995. And my archives here go back to 2000 - I’m a DINOSAUR in the blogging world and I want my cookie. Please also nominate Blog Nosh Magazine… Our editors, and our editor-in-chief, work very very hard. I nominated it in the Best Group Blog category. You have to pick three for your nomination to count, so pick someone else (you perhaps?) And another thing! The Weblog Awards are in their voting phase. Blog Nosh is nominated in the Best New Blog category; and Blissfully Domestic is Nominated in the Best Parenting Blog category. You can vote once per day… Please vote because you love me! And just a smidge more… I published a post on Blissfully Domestic on Occupational Therapy. And over on Blog Nosh I edited a post on living your life with pur...
To pass the time
2009-01-07 18:24:00 I haven’t done one of these in a long *long* time, so I stole this from Prairie Prologue. 1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland/world 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthpla... More About: Time , Pass , The Time
Thank God 2008 is Over
2009-01-06 18:56:00 So, my holiday hiatus is over, and I sit here wondering what to write. In terms of Christmas and New Years… It’s over. The trip to the inlaws was surprisingly void of any drama. For this I am very thankful. I don’t have any New Year’s resolutions. I don’t like to make them. But I have some goals. I plan on concentrating more on my gigs, and my business. I”ve been inspired to work on my house. My children are taking splendidly to my being home, and I plan on capitalizing on that. And that pretty much summarizes the New Year, Christmas, and my plans for the coming months. I would take the time to participate in the reflections I’m seeing… But quite frankly, 2008 was really really hard for me. I simply do not wish to rehash it in my mind. I’m in such a better place now. Mentally, physically. Perhaps not spiritually, but I’m working on that. I have more clarity. While money is a huge issue right no...
Resignation
2008-12-29 18:17:00 For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe. — Anonymous I need to remember this for this week. More About: Resignation
Gone fishing… I mean…
2008-12-22 17:41:00 By Enimal - http://www.dezignia.com I currently have a four page to-do list. I’m getting ready to take a family of four on a rare family road trip for the holidays. So, provided my head doesn’t pop off first, I’ll be gone until after Christmas. My sincere wish for you is to have a safe, warm, happy season. May your new year be marked by Joy. Merry Christmas! More About: Fishing
Encouraging
2008-12-18 15:51:00 I recently left a comment on someone’s post - about feminism no less - which I’m not linking as I’ll just get comments on that person’s post, which totally isn’t the point. The point is - All of a sudden I was leaving a ranty comment about how I’m a failure at this WAHM mom stuff, and nothing’s getting done, and I’m busy all day and totally exhausted, and yet you can’t see that I’ve done a thing. Not one of my most stellar moments. However, I noticed that most the comments after were partially towards the poster’s entry, and then they would turn to me. There they were encouraging me on someone else’s blog. And you know what? It helped. It really really helped. In other news, I may have just landed my first client for Vineyard Virtual Services. Contracts haven’t been signed yet - but WAHOO!
Pressure
2008-12-16 15:22:00 I could tell you about how my 6 year old called me fat, but I’d rather not delve into it, thanks. I could tell you what doing your Christmas shopping does to your living room, but I simply don’t want to think about it. I could tell you about how I’ve just realized that my business has to take off or we’re not going to make it, but my blood pressure just rose. I could tell you about how since I’ve not decorated since we won’t be here, my holiday spirit has been zapped to zero. Zilch. But that’s so depressing. Instead, I’ll tell you about colds. I have one just trying to pop up. My youngest is fighting one off - in fact I’m waiting to wake him up and see if he’s going to school today. This normally wouldn’t be a big deal. Everyone gets colds, and we’re not a terribly sicky family. However. I’ve mentioned that we’re going to the in-laws for Christmas. What I haven’t mentioned is ...
Amalgam
2008-12-12 22:06:00 A couple of things to say today… First and most urgent, a PSA to our illustrious fire department. While I truly do appreciate all that you, and I understand the needs of control burns, it would behoove you to warn the residents in the area. Let me say that differently: If you’re going to do a burn across the street from me tell me first. I was so panicked I thought I had to evacuate and called my husband home from work. Yes, it was that close. I don’t panick easilly - I live in earthquake country, and we have a fire season, I’m an old Pro at this. How hard is it to leave a flyer in a mailbox or something? *** I went to my former employer’s Christmas party last night. I had been invited before I left, and while I didn’t feel like it, I went. First, the host was the best host I’ve ever seen. Relaxed, great food, and he seemed really appreciative that we were having a good time. I’ll be sending him a thank you note to...
Channeling a Teenager
More articles from this author:2008-12-11 16:09:00 Yesterday morning, I was admonishing Logan to Hop To! Get those teeth brushed! Get that face washed! “Moooom. Sometimes I wait a little bit to stretch.” Which would have been cute. Except lately he’s channeling a 13 year old girl in everything he says. It’s not WHAT he says. What he says is all fine and appropriate to the conversation and not disrespectful. It’s the tone. Every thing he says is punctuated and you can see, “Like, Gah! mom. Eyeroll” in a cartoon bubble over his head. He’s six. More About: Teenager 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
 |
|
 |
