Thinks I think

This week, I have seen three different people working out while using their cell phone.  Really?  You can't put it down for half an hour?  Two people were on the recumbent bikes.  So, OK... there's really nothing to do with your hands there, so I can kind of see that.  I was on the recumbent bike today and was wondering if it would be possible to knit or crochet (probably a sign of a slight problem there...), so I won't be too harsh on those people.  But the elliptical?  Girl, put it up.  You're going to hurt yourself.

The tooth fairy came today.  The girls woke me up at 3:30 this morning... I found Olivia and Izzy on the couch, each with a cereal box, watching Alladin (which is the only thing on the DVR they've figure out how to play... because it's the first on the list).  I tried to get them back to bed, but when Bill finally rolled in at 4:45, they were still awake.  So I went to take a shower and when I got out, there was some panic going on in the kitchen.  Olivia was freaking out because she was bleeding.  Bill was calm, so I knew it wasn't anything serious.  I made it to the kitchen and he showed me her tooth... freshly "plucked."  That makes me want to hurl.  Still.  I am proud of Bill for handling it, because he's as squeamish as I am when it comes to bloody mouths and teeth dangling from gums.  Olivia got $2.  She wanted a bracelet or a necklace.  Our tooth fairy isn't quite that generous, I'm afraid.  She might actually be disappointed, though.  She really doesn't care about money. I remembered today that she had received $5 in a card for her birthday last week and I hadn't seen it since.  She has no idea what she did with it and doesn't care.  So there's a $5 bill floating around here somewhere.

Tomorrow is our first visit to the dentist for fillings.  I'm desperately hoping this isn't traumatic.

I'm going to bed early tonight. 

My head hurts

I woke up with a pounding headache and I'm going to go to bed with one.  Blech.

I had to go to the doctor AGAIN today.  I had an infection on my arm with some cellulitis, which freaked me out and I was afraid my arm would fall off if I didn't go because that's just my luck lately.  So now that's all taken care of, or will be with the nifty ointment I have now.  =p

When I went a few weeks ago to be diagnosed with diabetes, I didn't see my PCP... I saw one of his partners.  So I had to go through all of it again today.  He put me on Metformin... he said he puts everyone on it.  Fine.  I start it tomorrow.  He also is sending me for labwork to check my cholesterol and warned me I'd probably end up on meds for that.  He said he only has 2 diabetic patients who aren't on it because he feels it's very important to keep that in check because diabetes and heart disease come hand in hand a lot of times.  So I'm looking at becoming a walking medicine cabinet.  Joy of joys.  But whatever I gotta do, right?  Oh, and I mentioned that lately my feet get cold easily, and I've never been one to wear socks or slippers much, but I break out thick wooly socks all the time now.  So I get to have my thyroid checked, too, because intolerance to cold is a symptom of thyroid problems.  Not that I'm generally cold most of the time, because I'm usually the one complaining that it's hot... it's just my feet... but whatever.  I swear, my body is just going to spontaneously combust on my 35th birthday in December.

I took the girls to the rec center for the first time tonight.  I've been so afraid they'd be terrors, because at home they have been.  But all went well.  I got to walk for about 45 minutes before my legs decided they were not going to keep up with my brain and I got lapped by an old guy.  The girls want me to take them every time, which would be fine if it didn't cost me $6 each time.  That adds up quickly.  I told them I'd bring them a couple times a week, but if Daddy could watch them, Daddy will watch them.  They didn't really like that answer... or me telling them that I wasn't stopping at McDonald's on the way home.  Because they had already had dinner.  And I spent all my money for child care.  And they don't need McD's even if I had money and they hadn't eaten dinner.  They think I'm just awful =)

My complete lack of desire to deal with reality lately has caused some major, and I do mean major, issues with the budget.  To the point that Bill is insisting on getting involved.  He's mentioned helping me out before, but he's pretty serious about it now.  At least he's being very understanding.  We haven't fought over money at all, and there has been plenty of opportunity for a good fight or two.  He offered to take total control of it, but I told him I can't let it go completely.  I'm too much of a control freak.  Which sounds pretty stupid since it's way out of control, but at least I know it.

Basically, the past month has been crap.  Kick in the teeth wake up calls all around.  But the good news is that I'm not in a ball in the corner sucking my thumb.  I'm trying to face everything head on and do what has to be done to fix everything I've screwed up.  I'm hoping by the end of the year I'll feel like I have regained control of life in all aspects.  This was supposed to be my "year of control" but it turned out to be just the opposite.  It'll be OK though.  Important lessons learned.  Let's move forward.

Thoughts before bedtime

Diabetic education this morning.  Ugh.  Got a free meter though, so that was good.  I don't think it's the kind with the cheap strips though, so you know, maybe not so good.  We'll just have to see.  The counselor was talking about Metformin, which is the oral meds I would go on if I can't control my diabetes with diet.  And to be honest, she didn't exactly make me think it was something I wanted to avoid.  It's cheap and has little side effects other than maybe lowering cholesterol and promoting weight loss.  Not that I'm going to aim for meds, or anything.  But since we checked my blood sugar 3 hours after eating a meal that was well within my limits... and it was too high... it may be something I will be looking at.  =p

I really dislike my landlady.  For real. 

My hubby has been really excellent lately.  Very supportive, even with as cranky as I've been.  He's offered to eat whatever I need to eat.  He's even offered to take over bill paying, because that is just something my brain isn't dealing with very well.  I told him we can do it together.

I like his new schedule.  To a point.  He's always awake when I get up in the morning and I'm not a morning person.  He likes to talk.  A lot.  Like the guy is afraid of silence.  He even mumbles to himself when he has no one to talk to.  I'm serious.  So I get up and he just starts rambling on about... well, I'm not even awake enough to comprehend what he's talking about.  He's just talking.  And I'm trying to seem like it's not as annoying as it really is.  I tried to explain it to him this afternoon, but I have a feeling that it won't change anything.  Other than maybe him talking even more now that he knows it bugs me.

I've just been coo-coo roller coaster emotional lately.  Pissed off at the world.  Stressed out.  That's why I'm just blah blah blah-ing right now. 

I have this friend.  And I was ugly to him a few days ago.  I've been really upset with him anyway over things that happened years ago that just seem to come back around and bug me from time to time.  He just sent me a little message to let me know he was thinking about me and I pretty much bit his head off.  He called me to the table on it and I just told him I couldn't help how I felt and that I needed to just not have him in my life right now.  I was pretty shocked I did it and even more shocked that I felt better after I did it.  But then I had this horrible nightmare and I woke up and looked at my phone to see what time it was and noticed I had a message from him that was sent literally three minutes before.  He said that he would still be around when I was ready and that if he had to deal with me lashing out at him 100 times he would.  He actually suggested that I start blogging more, just to let off steam.  So why not? 

Anyway.  I need the bed.  I'm spacing out. 

Frito Chili Pie

I sent Olivia to school with lunch money because I was out of bread today.  Plus, she prefers to buy her lunch.  She thinks it is the neatest thing.  If I send her lunch, most of it comes back uneaten.  But she'll eat everything on the tray (so she says) if she buys her lunch.  So I let her a few times a week.  The menu online said that they were having Frito Chili Pie for lunch, so when we got home I asked her how she liked lunch.  This was her description:

"Momma!  We had chips and sauce.  You took the chips and dipped them in the sauce, and some of the chips already had sauce on them so you just picked them up and ate them.  And some of them were all melty in the sauce and they were soooo good."

So Olivia loves chili-soggy Fritos.  And I have a craving for Frito Chili Pie now.

The Music Box

A few months ago, there was a knock at my door.  I opened the door and it was our next door neighbor.  I've only seen him in passing and have only talked to him once, apologizing for my kids throwing their ball into his yard when we first moved in.  He was holding this hideous music box.  It is HUGE and has an angel, a unicorn, and a crystal ball on the top of it.  I don't know how all of them tie together, but whatever.  He said his girlfriend had bought it for his niece and for some reason I don't remember she never gave it to her.  He said he had seen that we had little girls and thought we might like it.  I imagine he and his girlfriend has a conversation similar to this:

"What are we going to do with this ugly thing I won't let you give my precious niece?"
"Why don't you see if the crazy lady next door wants to give it to her hellions?"
"Good idea.  Be back in a minute..."

I didn't want the thing, and figured it would be broken in 10 minutes, but I took it anyway.  I didn't want to seem ungrateful or anything.

I put it on a shelf in Isabelle and Zoe's room where they couldn't reach it and it's been there collecting dust ever since. 

Fast forward to today....

Zoe was on the couch watching her beloved Little Bear, I was crocheting, Bill was on the computer and Olivia and Izzy were playing in Izzy's room.  All of a sudden, the door opens and Olivia pops her head out and says, "Everything is fine in Isabelle's room, Mom."

Which ANY mother knows translates to:  "We just did something really bad, Mom, and we think if we tell you nothing is wrong that you'll believe nothing is wrong and not come see what we did."

I said, "Olivia, you saying everything is fine makes me want to come see what's going on in there."  They like to rearrange furniture (they're little Hercules, I tell you) and I figured they had the bed in the middle of the room or something.

Olivia turned to Izzy and said, "We should tell her the truth."

And I was off the couch immediately.

Olivia said they knocked that "thing" off the shelf but it was OK, it didn't break.  She promised.  They put it in the closet.  I didn't believe for a minute that anything they would hide in the closet would be "OK" after falling off the shelf, so I went to investigate.

They opened the closet and there was the hideous music box.  Intact.  No chips.  No broken wings.  The unicorn horn was a little wiggly.  I realized that it was mostly plastic (I seriously didn't pay enough attention to it before and had assumed it was ceramic or something - I don't even know what song it plays or if it even works).  I moved it up to the shelf in the closet.  It's apparently as indestructible as it is ugly.  I guess one day I'll pawn it off on someone else.  Or leave it in the closet when we move.  A housewarming gift for the new tenants.  =)

Just thinking

Rambling here...

I just bought the most gorgeous fabric online.  I saw it about a month ago and resisted buying it and finally decided if I still liked it after this long I needed to get it.  I haven't been sewing as much as I was, because of the crocheting, but I seem to be hooked on hats and my kids can only wear so many hats this winter.  And we're in Arkansas - it's just not that cold here.  Right now I'm mixing the two - I've crocheted the top of what will become a dress.  I hope it doesn't look really cheesy.  I guess I'm a bit of a crafty snob.  There is a fine line between things looking handmade vs homemade, and crocheted stuff can easily fall into the homemade category.  Especially clothing. 

I had planned on getting a booth at the flea market and trying to sell some of my stuff, but I can't seem to get motivated to make enough of anything to make it worth my while.  I just don't like doing the same thing over and over.  I like to experiment and try new things.  I like doing things for friends, but to be honest, I don't care so much about strangers.  So I might just work it that way - if people want something, they can ask and I'll make.  Plus, if I'm busy making a bizillion bandana dresses, I have no time to make things for my kids.  I don't want to get burned out and hate sewing or crocheting, and I see how trying to sell my stuff will get me there really fast.

I'm trying to read a book about parenting strong-willed children (I don't do well reading non-fiction, hence the "trying").  I'm just not sure how well the hubby is going to participate and that's going to make or break anything I try to do.  I think I need to talk to him about maybe getting some help with his anger, too, because he's been blowing up a lot lately and I am totally not down with that.  I feel like I'm in a house of chaos lately and it's making me crazy.  I just keep telling myself that once school starts, things will get better - and I really hope that will be the case.

A friend of mine called me today to invite us to come visit her around Christmas.  I'm pretty stoked about it.  We've been friends since high school.  We were pretty close until we had a misunderstanding and then lost touch for several years, and now we've reconnected.  She has a little girl a few months younger than Isabelle, named Isabella.  Mine is Izzy and hers is Ella =)  I think going to see them is definitely something we should do.  She was telling me all the stuff her town has going on that time of year and it sounds like we will definitely have a blast.

I really need to work on getting my head back into the things I need to do, instead of burying myself in books and yarn - we need to save up for a new computer and I need to get a better grip on the housework again, and of course, get back into working out and eating better.  That's all I'm going to say about that one.  This summer just has not gone the way I had hoped.  We had such a blast last summer, but, man, this one has been just miserable.  I remember hating summers as a kid because it was so boring and we never did anything, so it's really bothering me that this summer has been such a bust.  It's not over yet, so hopefully I can salvage it

Odd train of thought

I was sitting in the living room, listening to the half-wits down the road shooting off fireworks as my children try to sleep and I remembered the time I was sitting in the living room with my roommate and his girlfriend's cousin and he thought it would be hilarious to scare me by throwing a popper at the wall beside my head.

Only he didn't have very good aim. He hit me in the face instead.

That led me to think about walking to the store with him in the snow one winter, doing "one-leggers" into holes covered up by snow. One in particular where I ended up face down in the street. Lucky for me there isn't a lot of traffic when it snows around here.

Seems I have a lot of embarrassing moments with the guy.

Which of course led me to one of our favorite "Jennifer is a clumsy mess" memories - the Uhaul.

When my husband and I got married, he was shipped off to South Korea after about a month. I tried to stick it out in our apartment, but I talked myself into moving back in with my parents to save money. My friend agreed to help me move my stuff and I rented a Uhaul. I picked a great day to move - it started drizzling while we toted my junk down the stairs and into the big truck. So after a while, there was a sloppy mess inside the truck from our shoes. My friend was coming down the stairs and I was going to jump out of the back of the truck to make my next trip. Only I didn't quite manage that. Instead, I slid on the water, skidded and shot out of the back of the truck, landing flat on my back. I was incredibly lucky not to hit my head on the bumper, but I had the breath knocked out of me and of course I knew my friend saw the whole thing and I was mortified. I had that split second to decide what to do and had two options: cry to up my sympathy points, or laugh. Because even then I knew it had to have been an excellent show watching me shoot out of the back of the truck. So I laughed. My friend came running, to make sure I wasn't hurt (because he's a good guy like that) and once that was established, laughed with me.

Now I need to go remind him of the popper incident. It's his favorite. He'll be chuckling all evening over it.

Easter baskets for the girls

I've been a sewing maniac lately. I made the girls' Easter dresses last year, so this year I had decided to do the same. They took me a while - I used the same pattern for each and was quite sick of it by the third dress. =) I don't have pictures yet, because I want to take the girls out for spring pictures in them. But, while I was researching what I was going to do for the dresses, I ran across a picture of a cute little fabric basket that linked back to the tutorial for it. I fell in love with it and promised myself if I finished the dresses early, I would make baskets for the girls. I'm pretty sure that is what got me through the third dress. This time I worked on all three at once so I wouldn't get to the third one and be tired of looking at them.

So without further ado...


It is a little bigger than I thought it would be. I'm a horrible judge of measurement. The original design started off with 2" squares, and I made 4" squares. 3" squares would have been perfect, but these will work. I'll just add some extra tissue paper (I hate Easter grass). I decided against pastel Easter-y fabric, wanting to make something they could use and keep forever. And I changed the handle from the original design. My favorite part is the lining:


I love this fabric. I had bought some to bind a quilt (that still is just a quilt top...) and when I ran across it again looking for basket fabrics, I had to use it again. It reminded me of grass. Of course, I meant for the stripes to go up and down, but when I cut the fabric, I was so giddy that I had all three girls down for a nap at once, I forgot to pay attention to that. I bought way too much of all my fabric (again, that whole bad judge of measurement thing), so I have about a yard and some decent sized scraps left over that will most likely make their way into being a dress or something for the girls.

Now that I have the basic technique down, I may in the future make like a tote bag or something. They were fun to make and I wasn't sick to death of them by the end of it. Of course, I was anxious to move on to some other projects because I am a bit obsessed right now. It's probably a good thing Easter is next weekend so I didn't get too distracted by the dresses and other goodies I am wanting to make. =)

Oh no, they didn't!

I just recently finished reading the entire Ramona Quimby series to the girls. And I just have to say that it was mostly for me. They slept through at least half of it. I adore Ramona. Heck, I have 2 Ramonas. Zoe is just a Roberta right now, but I'm sure she'll turn into a Ramona.

So when I heard that they were making a movie, my first reaction was "Woo hoo!!" I don't know why. I hate movies based on books I love. They always, ALWAYS suck. There's no possible way for them to capture the true essence of a good book on film. It might be really good to those who have never read the book, but die-hard fans of the book are never satisfied by the movie version. I usually don't even watch the movies any more. And when I do, like when my friends dragged me to see Twilight, I spend the whole movie making fun of it. I mean, come on... Jasper really did look like he had a serious case of gas throughout the entire film.

And Ramona and Beezus will be no exception. I could post a link to the trailer, but I don't even think it's worth the trouble. In just a 60 second glance of clips of the movie, I can tell you - without a doubt - that it will not hold a candle to the books. I'm going to go so far as to say that it's just plain WRONG for it to even say "based on the series by Beverly Cleary."

Both Ramona and Beezus are too cute. Selena Gomez? Beezus is girl next door, sensible... not Disney-cute. And Ramona... well, I could probably find a quote in each book where Ramona marvels at being called cute because no one ever calls her cute. She's not cute. She's a mess. She's awkward. Not Toddlers and Tiaras cute with uncombed hair.

I recognized a few scenes in the trailer, even spotted some ways it's going to deviate that will be very irksome, but most of the trailer looked like the screenplay was just someone writing a movie with characters kind of like Ramona and Beezus, all Hollywooded up, with Ramona-esque antics. Bah. And the casting director OBVIOUSLY never read the books. OBVIOUSLY.

Oh well. I don't need a movie anyway. I live it every day with my Ramonas. My toothpaste-in-the-sink, wearing-pjs-under-the-clothes-to-school awesome kiddos. Hollywood can't possibly recreate something that amazing. You have to live it to get it.

Bitten

I have to say I have some really awesome friends. And some of them are super crafty. I never considered myself very crafty, and still don't - I think some of it is crap. But since I'm having a love affair with my sewing machine, I do fall into the category somewhat.

I have two friends and a sister who quilt. Well, I think I have 3 friends who do, but 2 that are avid quilters. My sister made each of the girls a quilt when they were born and Olivia has a twin size quilt in addition to that. They're gorgeous. I have seen many pictures lately of my other friends' quilting adventures and I really think I'm going to have to try this.

When I made the girls some skirts for Christmas, I ended up having to piece them together in a quilt-like fashion. And it was kind of fun. So I know I can piece together a quilt top, no problem. It's the part that comes after that that I'm not so sure about. I understand everything up to the actual quilting and then I'm lost. Is it something I can do on my machine? I know my sister used to go use a machine her friend owned that was especially for quilting (and made awesome curly designs) instead of using her own machine. If I tried hand quilting, would I actually finish it?

I am in the middle of my sock monkey project right now, so I have a little while before I can really look into this. But it's worth a try...