Birthday

Today I turn 41.

Yikes.

I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around that number.

41. It feels foreign to even say write it.

It wasn't long ago when I thought that 40 was ancient, and now somehow, I've found myself one year past that.

I don't feel 41...but then again, what is 41 supposed to feel like? It's a little bit surreal, I think.

I do know that I have a lot for which to be thankful. I know I've learned so much.

I also know I have a lot of living left to do.

To celebrate my 41 years on the Earth, here is a little meme--41 questions for this 41 year old. :)

~~~

1. Were you named after anyone?

No, I wasn't named after anyone. My dad insisted I be named Tina Marie, after a former girlfriend. (He swore he didn't like her, he just liked the name. Ahem.) My mom said hell no and named me St.acie. If you knew my mom, you'd know that her standing up about something like that was a pretty big deal. She must have really hated the thought of calling me Tina. Either that, or she really hated the idea of naming me after my dad's old girlfriend. :)

2. When was the last time you cried?

This afternoon while reading this blog post from the blog Chasing Rainbows. They just lost their precious son on Monday. My heart aches for them.

3. Do you like your handwriting?

Not particularly. I print better than I write in cursive.

4. What is your favorite lunch meat?

I don't care for lunch meat! lol. If I have to eat something, I do peanut butter. I know. I'm odd.

5. What is the best thing that happened today?

Having Jack run to me to give me kisses when I went to my mom's to pick the boys up after work.

6. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?

I think so. I'm a pretty nice person, I think. :)

7. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Define "a lot." lol. Probably.

8. Do you still have your tonsils?

Yes. They have never been an issue, and I rarely have sore throats.

9. Would you bungee jump?

No. I would sky dive, though.

10. Favorite cereal?

Captain Crunch! I am a twelve year old in a grown woman's body.

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

No. My work shoes are slip on clogs, so that's a no brainer. I don't untie my tennis shoes, either.

12. Do you think you are strong?

Physically? Not really. I do have muscles, though! Mentally? I wish I was stronger.

13. What is your favorite ice cream?

Chocolate, but I don't really like ice cream.

14. What is the first thing you notice about people?

Their eyes. Then their hair. Crazy hair freaks me out.

15. Red or pink?

I guess red.

16. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

My feet. I have crooked toes. I never wear open toed shoes. It took Is.aac years before he could see my feet! lol

17. Who do you miss the most?

My dad.

18. What is the one thing you need to work on the most?

Saying no.

19. What color shoes are you wearing?

Gray slippers. I wore black shoes to work.

20. What is the last thing you ate?

Steak burritos. Yum.

21. What are you listening to right now?

The news is on television.

22. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Green. It's calming!

23. Favorite smells?

Freshly bathed baby heads. :)

24. How important are your political views to you?

I have certain topics I feel passionate about, but I do not go out of my way to talk about politics with people as a general rule.

25. Mountain hideaway or beach house?

Mountain hideaway!

25. Favorite sports to watch?

On television, I like to watch football. In person, I like watching basketball.

26. Hair color?

Dark brown now. Speaking of, it's time to decide if I want to stay brown or go back to blond. Hm...

27. Eye color?

Hazel

28. Do you wear contacts?

No, but I'd guess that I am getting close to needing glasses. I think my eyes changed some after having Jack.

29. Favorite food?

Mexican. I do like burritos a lot.

30. Scary movies or happy ending?

Happy endings. I do not like scary movies. Life has been scary enough without adding to it.

31. Last movie you watched?

Um...I have no idea. It has been years since we've been to the theater. At home, I'd rather just watch sitcoms.

32. What color shirt are you wearing?

Gray.

33. Summer or winter?

Summer. I love the longer days and the warmth.

34. Favorite dessert?

Anything chocolate!

35. Strength training or cardio?

Strength training.

36. Computer or television?

Depends on my mood. Right now, computer.

37. What book are you reading now?

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

38/ What is on your mouse pad?

I do not own a mouse pad!

39. Favorite sound?

Laughter.

40. Favorite genre of music?

I'm pretty eclectic in the music category. I listen to it all. Right now, my radio is tuned to this channel.

41. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?

I was cleaning up cake puke. It's a glamorous life I lead.

~~~

Thank you for sharing this journey with me!

Twenty Questions

This is a Pail questions post. See other responses here. :)

~~~

What was the last thing you threw in the garbage/recycling?

A Pepsi can. Oh I do love me some Pepsi. Before that, it was a cat food can. lol

What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?

I've been listening to I Heart Radio on my iPhone. Favorite bands at the moment are Fun and Maroon 5. I like "Girl On Fire" by Alicia Keys, too.

What is your favorite quote?

"Things turn out the best for those who make the best out of the way things turn out." -- Art Linkletter

That pretty much says it all.

What chore do you absolutely hate doing?

While I am never one to be excited about chores, most don't bother me all that much. But cleaning the bathroom toilets is the worst. Gag me.

What is your favorite form of exercise?

I am not an exercise person exactly. I stay active and do lots of walking/child chasing. I don't have any type of favorite thing I would do to get exercise, though.

What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?

Time of day- night. I am a night owl by nature. That, of course, makes getting up in the morning not very much fun.
Day of the week- Thursday (work) and Saturday (family). We go out to eat lunch every Thursday at work. I love getting the chance to unwind away from campus during the day. Saturday is a fav because we try to do something fun with the boys.
Month of the year- July. It is my one full month of being a stay at home mom. :)

What is on your bedside table?

A bottle of Advil, lotion creme, a box of kleenex, a matchbox car, a phone, my iPad, and a lamp.

What is your favorite body part?

On me? Um...I like the color of my eyes. I appreciate straight teeth and nice smiles on others.

Would you use the power of invisibility for good or evil? Elaborate.

Hm. As much as I would love to honestly say I'd use the power for good, the possibilities for evil are a bit exciting, so I can't know for sure that I'd be able to behave myself all the time. Let's face it, there are plenty of conversations to listen in on, practical jokes to play, and even frustrations to act out. Ahem. There are also quite a few nice things I'd like to do without the receiver knowing who was doing them. :)

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

I think 30 was a pretty good age for me. I was no longer so young looking that I got carded everywhere I went, but I wasn't old enough to have to worry about my health. I was fairly established in my career at that point, just got married, and had just bought our house.

What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?

I think I'd love to take a nice family trip somewhere first. Then I'd make sure all of our bills were paid. I'd set up some sort of fund for the boys and both of our mothers. Then I'd invest.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

I get so annoyed at people who complain about how horrible things are fail to do anything to change their situation. If you don't want to do the work to try to make things better, then I don't want to waste my energy hearing you talk about it.

If you could know the answer to any question, what would it be?

What does life have in store for the boys? It's a double edged sword to get the answer, but I think I would like to know.

At what age did you become an adult?

Thirty-five. The big boys were born. Prematurity. NICU. Death of my dad. It was the year I truly felt all encompassing fear for the first time. It was also at that point that I really understood what it meant to love something more than you love yourself.

Recommend a book, movie, or television show in three sentences or less.

My new guilty pleasure is Double Divas. Oh, man that show makes me laugh!

What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

I stayed out all night with Is.aac when we were 17. We were parked at the bowling alley talking (just talking even!) and we fell asleep. My mom was frantic by the time I came home at 5 am.

What was the first album you bought with your own money?

a-ha - Hunting High and Low. I bought it when I was 12 with some money I got for my birthday that year.

If someone wrote a book about you, what would be the title?

"Too Little, Too Much, Not Enough"

What story do you wish your family would stop telling about you?

There aren't really any stories they tell about me. There is the one that Is.aac likes to tell about putting a grape up my nose. (The man is obsessed with my "tiny" nose. When he found a small grape, he hypothesized that even that small grape was larger than my nostril. It wasn't.)

True or false: The unicorn is the greatest mythical creature. State your case.

False. Unicorns are beautiful and magical for sure, but the greatest mythical creature is most certainly a Phoenix. A Phoenix rises from the ashes to be reborn. How can you go wrong with that?

2012 Revisited

The 2012 Creme de la Creme has been posted. If you haven't yet experienced this list, please set aside some time to go read the posts submitted. You will be blown away. I promise.

And now a bit more reflection before I put last year behind me. I did this meme last year, too, so I guess might as well make it a tradition. The rules are to post the first sentence or two of the first blog post for every month of 2012. I've added my comments after that. Here we go...

January - Wait a Minute! (1/2/12) "I think someone stole my winter break." (Cross post with the boys' blog.) Wow, this seems to be a common theme for me. Today, one year later, I am still scratching my head wondering where my break went. This year, however, I still have another week to enjoy playing with my boys.

This year we did much of the same things we did last year, which is fun. One thing I loved about this post is the line "We played outside and ran in fear from the ferocious squirrels in the backyard." While we haven't yet played outside this week as it's too cold, we wouldn't run from the squirrels anymore.

These breaks remind me that I really would like to be a SAHM. I really, really would. Sigh.

February - Ja.son's Day, 2012 (2/3/12) "Today was another special day for our family. ‎4 years ago, after 100 long days in the NICU, our Ja.son finally came home from the hospital." Those NICU days seem so far away yet just yesterday, all at the same time. I do know that I can now celebrate these homecoming days as they're intended...with the focus on how amazing each of these boys are instead of the sadness or guilt.

March - Friday Night Leftovers (3/2/12) "Been another one of those tough weeks at work. The kind of week in which this thought, "Why am I teaching?" was frequent. The kind of week that reminds me that I work in the freaking 'hood." Hm. Not really sure what had happened that got me so upset, but it must have been stressful. I do have to say that my job has some stressful moments doozies.

April - Each Day Has a New Starting Point (4/2/12) "A girlfriend of mine is trying to lose weight. She is doing an incredible job with her self control. (She's a foodie, so this has been quite hard for her.) Yesterday we went out to lunch, where I ate approximately 10,000 calories--complete with a free Oreo cookie ice creme sandwich--yet she ate a sensible meal and seemed just as satisfied as I was. I told her she looked fabulous. What was her secret?" In this post I reflected on my friend's use of the idea to treat each day as a new starting point and how I might apply it to my own life. I really tried to keep this idea in mind this last year. If I didn't like how my day went, I evaluated what I wasn't happy with and tried to do better the next day. Doing this really seemed ot help me stop beating myself up over every little thing. I'll call it a win for me. :)

May - I Swear It's a Conspiracy (5/2/12) "Be warned. This is another curse filled vent. Today I got a notice in the mail saying that C..C..S has now denied the boys services (read therapy!) because "I" failed to complete their requested documents." Oh the therapy woes we had last year. Getting sucked into the system is frustrating on many levels, but it is especially so when it seems like you are hitting block walls at every turn. The good news is that I "think" the therapy issues are working themselves out. We now have therapists I think are really working the boys. Sh.awn has stopped his screaming and crying the second we walk into the door (praise Jesus). Plus, it looks like we'll be adding some aquatic therapy into the mix. All in all, things are looking good on this front now!

June - Friday Night Leftovers (6/1/12) "At work, things have officially moved to a ten on the crazy scale. We have ten days of school left." I remember that week as being emotional. So much was happening at the same time. (I had to laugh because the next day I had another therapy vent post. lol. Told you it was a rough year with therapy stuff.)

July - Mostly Wordless Wednesday (7/4/12) "One of my favorite pictures so far..." My little Jack is such a silly boy. Oh how I love him.

August - Mostly Wordless Wednesday (8/1/12) "We had a fabulous time at Disney!" We really did have a good time. The big boys loved, loved, LOVED Disneyland. Seriously. They talked about going back every day for months. Now the talk has quieted to saying, "We've been to Cinderella's castle!" when they see it on the Disney channel. We can't wait to go back again and take Jack!

September - My Children Are Out to Get Me. Again. Still? (9/5/12) "We are an accident prone bunch. With all of these boys around here, it almost can't be helped. Someone is ALWAYS getting hurt, tripping over something/someone, walking into a wall, getting a bruise...you name it, someone is doing it." Accidents are still the norm around this place. This time was when Sh.awn hit me in the eye with his chin and gave me a black eye. Fun times. lol

October - A Quick This and That (10/1/12) "So, as of yesterday, I was a week late. Today, I am not." It still stings, this not being able to add to my family without a room full of doctors. If only wishes could come true. Sigh.

November - Happy Halloween: A Day Late (11/1/12) "A day late, but the wish is still sincere. I hope you all had a fun filled Halloween." We had so much fun that Halloween! Plus, the boys looked super cute. :)
December - Senseless (12/15/12) "Like so many around the world, I'm sick over the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. There is simply no reason on Earth for someone to do what that young man chose to do to that school." Yeah. There isn't much more to say than that.

Core Beliefs

(a similar post is on the boys' blog, but I do have different beliefs listed here)

Rebecca @ Unexplained X2 had a great post this week about her core beliefs. I thought I'd join in and post some of my own core beliefs. (in no particular order)

•I believe that a good game of chase is sometimes all it takes to brighten your day.
•I believe in snuggles and lots of hugs and kisses.
•I believe that "helpful hints" are only helpful when you've asked for them. At any other time, it's just meddling and annoying.
•I believe that the person who discovered chocolate has a special place in heaven.
•I believe that kisses can make things all better.
•I believe in advocating for yourself and your loved ones even when it makes you feel uncomfortable. If you don't do it for yourself, no one else will.
•I believe that we are shaped by our experiences, not defined by them.
•I believe that doctors are only human and do not have all the answers.
•I believe in intuition and going with my gut.
•I believe that statistics are worthless. Someone has to be on the wrong side of the odds...I've been on that side far too often.
•I believe in the strength of the human spirit.
•I believe that determination and a strong will are good things (although they can frustrate the heck out of me).
•I believe in the importance of "quiet time" even if your children do not nap.
•I believe that my children's laughter is one of the best sounds in the entire world.
•I believe in the healing powers of summer and spring break. :-)
•I believe in doing your best when you've made a commitment to someone.
•I believe little boys in glasses is the cutest thing ever!
•I believe unwinding in front of the television after a long, hard day is okay. So is reading a great book. So is a nice nap.
•I believe that teething is a major baby design flaw.
•I believe in the power of caffeine to turn the day around.
•I believe in little splurges when you find something you like.
•I believe in organization. I just wish I was better at it.
•I believe that a hot shower is one of the best things I can do for myself.
•I believe that "dressy" means wearing my good pair of jeans.
•I believe in giving back where I can. (Like the March of Dimes! Help me reach my goal!)
•I believe in imagination and pretending.
•I believe in taking lots and lots of pictures.
•I also believe in never deleting the outtakes.
•I believe that time speeds by way too fast.
•I believe I am very lucky to have such an amazing husband and boys.

What are your core beliefs? I'd love for you to share them in the comments.

2011 Revisited

The 2011 Creme de la Creme has been posted! I am number 186. You can read my post here. If you haven't yet experienced this list, please set aside some time to go read the posts submitted. You will be blown away. I promise.

The Best of the Adoption/Loss/Infertility Blogs of 2011

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A bit more reflection before I put last year behind me. I thought I'd try this meme I saw on another blog. The rules are to post the first sentence of the first blog post for every month of 2011. Here we go...

January - Part 2 - Un-Setting My Heart (I Didn't Forget!) (1/10/11) - "I have been thinking about transforming my mind a lot lately. My kids deserve it. My husband deserves it. And most importantly, I deserve a break from all of the ugliness I placed on myself." Technically, the first post of this month was my 2010 in review, so this is the second post of the month. This has been the year of trying to change my perspective, that is for sure. I have to admit that it is still a work in progress, and I did get back to some very low moments this year. Now, I think the clouds are lifting...my outlook is changing...and now, a year later (I am slow sometimes) I may finally be reaching the point I set out to achieve!

February - Ja.son's Day (2/3/11) "On this day, three years ago, my little Ja.son came home from the hospital after 99 days in the NICU." In this post, the only one for February it seems, I focus on Ja.son's Homecoming Day. I love celebrating the days we got to bring the big boys home from the hospital. I especially love the fact that the each get to have their own special day to celebrate, as they are sort of forced to do everything else together.

March - I Swear That Man Is Going to Make Me Crazy! (Updated with Picture Link) (3/1/11) "Sigh. I was feeling, dare I say, confident? not as worried? at least okay about today's appointment." Ah yes, a recap of last year wouldn't be complete without something about Dr. Doom. In this post, I was updating about my 34 week appointment with my high risk doctor, aka Doom, and discussing the good, bad, and ugly on the appointment. If only I had a crystal ball to show the Stacie of that time what today would be like!
April - Cruising Along (4/1/11) "Discharge will likely happen tomorrow." In this post, I get to share the one of the newborn pictures the photographer took at the hospital. We were getting close to being discharged (and were the next day). Go figure. They let me take him home with me!

May - What Have We Been Up To? (5/2/11) "I could tell you about the sweet little Coach bag I picked up at the mall on Sunday." There were so many great things happening in our lives on that day, but the focus of this post was Ja.son rocking his therapy evaluation. Oh, I am such a proud mommy! Sh.awn's eval was a few days later. So what that it took us until SEPTEMBER to finally get into a therapy session, right? Sigh.

June - Mostly Wordless Wednesday (6/1/11) "Doesn't this make it look like he has way too much on his mind?" A picture of my adorable Jack. I could just nibble on his cheeks all day long. :-)

July - Friday Night Leftovers & Blog Summer Camp Day 1 (7/1/11) "My SILs came over with their kids today and spent the day. Fortunately, my older neice, M, was decently behaved some of the time. She still doesn't know my name (wtf? she's 5!), and she did do some things that were over the line, but Ja.son stood up to her and held his own." Not the most exciting update. I guess they can't all be winners.

August - Still A Go (8/1/11) "Still on for tomorrow. We have to be there at 8:30, and I'm up first. Please let me be articulate and calm..." The trial. The event that I dreaded the entire summer. This was the night before I was to go in to testify. I thought I'd be first, but ended up being third--a small bonus as my testimony was done in time for the mid afternoon newsreport, and I was much less interesting than the witness who went after me.

September - Not Over (9/1/11) "Mist.rial." The trial was finally over and the verdict was in. All of that stress and heartache for a mistrial in the end anyway. Still makes me so sad to think about.

October - 6 Months Old (10/1/11) "My baby isn't such a baby anymore." An update of Jack's typically normal infancy. It still boggles my mind that I am so lucky to get the chance to be his mom!


November - No Fun (11/3/11) "You know what is absolutely no fun at all? Talking to an 8th grader about how to get her 8 month old baby girl to sleep through the night." It wasn't any fun then, and it still isn't any fun. The poor girl misses twice as many days as she attends. I worry about her future and the future of her little one. And frankly, I still just want to bitch slap my student's mother.

December - Is He More Girl Than I Am? (12/4/11) "Let me just start by saying that I really do try to not stereotype based on gender." This post is just a petty vent by a frustrated wife who is tired of always having to do the dirty work!

Scattergories – New Year’s Edition

Tonight's game is from Creating Motherhood. :-)

SCATTERGORIES – it’s harder than it looks! Play here or let me know if you play on your blog. (note to those new to the game: these don’t have to be actual truths. If it helps- replace the word “you” in the questions & substitute it with “someone”.) Play on & use your imagination!

Use the first letter of the answer to the first question to come up with answers for the rest.
(and have fun – this is silliness!)

1 )What is was your theme song for 2011? The song that has played most often through my mind this year is "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp (although the Goo Goo Dolls version will work). There is something about that song that makes me smile and lifts my mood. It makes me remember to give just a "little bit" more to the people around me--whether that is my kids, my husband, or other people in my life. It helped me take my thoughts away from myself and turn it toward the people around me.

2) Something you achieved in 2011 - Giving birth to a full term baby. This was a big one for me.

3) Something you failed in 2011 - Getting back my mojo (I'm getting there, though)

4) Something you tried for the first time in 2011 - Going zip lining!

5) Something you plan on doing in 2012 - Going to Disneyland! The boys have never been.

6) Something you plan on adding to your home in 2012 - Good times and lots of fun

7) Something you plan on letting go of in 2012 - Guilt (letting go of guilt is ALWAYS the plan)

8 ) Something you wish would happen in 2012 - Get pregnant with #4 (I have lost my mind and it likely won't happen because I can't bring myself to spend more money on IVF, but a girl can dream, right?)

9) Some place you wish you could travel to in 2012 - Galapagos Islands (It has to start with G and this would be a cool place to visit, although it is probably not at the top of the vacation list.)

10) Something you will say on New Years Day - "Get up! It's midnight!" We are notorious for missing it. Ahem.

Christmas Meme - 20(ish) Questions Style

I am stealing this from Danifred, who in turn stole it from Rebecca. Really, I'd like to think of this as sharing instead of stealing... :-)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? For the ease of things, I like gift bags, especially if I am taking gifts to friends. I use wrapping paper for gifts to my mom, though. I try very hard to get the fancy ribbon and make her gifts as pretty as possible. She always goes above and beyond for everyone else, so I take this chance to do something extra special for her.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. Guess who sneezes at the real thing. Go me.

3. When do you put up the tree? I am always late on the tree, not putting it up often until the weekend before Christmas. This year I decided to do it early (or why bother?) so it went up the weekend after Thanksgiving. I have yet to finish putting the ornaments on, though. I think it has about 11 balls on it. Ja.son thinks it is beautiful, lol. I may just leave it this way for him. :-)

4. When do you take the tree down? After New Years--the day before I go back to work after winter break.

5. Do you like eggnog? I don't think so. I haven't tried it. I did make an eggnog pie (the family raves about it) but didn't care for that at all. I didn't eat more than a bite.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Barbie Dream Motor Home. I loved that stupid thing. Oh, I also got an Easy Bake Oven from Santa that I LOVED.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? I do not. Is that horrible?

8. Hardest person to buy for? Is.aac. He never likes what I give him, even when I think I am getting him the exact thing that he said he wanted. Sigh.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I mail Christmas cards, but not until right before Christmas.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I've told you all about it before. I got a pager. From my boyfriend (Is.aac) in a box that was the same size as a ring box. I'm sure you can figure out why it wasn't my favorite gift.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story, hands down. Elf is the definite runner up. (this is the same as Danifred!) I love having A Christmas Story on all day on Christmas day. :-) I also like Love Actually.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Late. I am a procrastinator. Not my best quality.

14. Ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, mostly gift cards.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas cookies...mmmmmm.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? White lights outside. Colored lights on the tree.

17. Favorite Christmas song? All I Want for Christmas Is You

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We stay home. It helps that my mom lives 5 minutes away.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I think. Maybe. I don't know.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither. No room. Tall tree + low ceiling = no topper

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One present on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? I will admit to getting sick of Christmas music. Ugh.

23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? I like it all! If it means something, it's on the tree.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Um...I want my boys to have a great holiday. This is really the first Christmas that they really get what is going on. It is so much fun to watch them enjoy everything so far. I hope the actual day is even better!

Currently

Thanks to Two Adults, One Brown Baby for this idea!

Reading: Half Baked by the amazing Alexa Stevenson

Looking forward to: the weekend and sleeping in some

Stressing about: finishing up my grading and planning at work

Craving: chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate

Wanting: to go see a movie and eat dinner alone with my husband. We've been trying to get a chance to do this since December. Sigh.

Proud of myself for: not freaking out about a cousin's pregnancy issues (more on that on a later post)

Wearing: a tank top and sweats

Avoiding: doing the dishes and other general housework. blah.

Sick of: seeing so many of my students so sad. Had to call the child crisis team in for two of my students this week. Makes me want to bring them all home with me...

Learning: all about my new IPhone!

Suffering from: a raging headache from all of this horrible wind. I hate Santa Anas.

Struggling with: the news of the loss of Baby Lola

Overcoming: my fears little by little

Hoping to: make it to full term, baby!

Excited for: an Internet friend who has just learned she is pregnant :-)

Relieved by: the fact that I have made it to nearly 30 weeks. (knock, knock, knock, patooey, patooey)

Splurging on: a few too many apps for my phone. Oops!

20 + 8 Questions

I found this fun little meme at Melis.sa's.

1. Apple juice or orange juice? orange juice sans the pulp
2. Are you a morning or night person? NIGHT all the way
3. Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods? sweet, preferably chocolate
4. What was your favorite childhood television program? Scooby Doo
5. Are you a collector of anything? Yes, sun catchers
6. If you could be any animal, what would you be? my house cat - they get taken care of pretty darn good around here...
7. What do you usually think about right before falling asleep? all the things I have planned for the following day
8. What’s your favorite color? black, but black isn't really a color, so I say green
9. Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets? I think so.
10. Do you believe in ghosts? yes
11. Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? bejewelled blitz on FB
12. You’re given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on? Have a baby, buy a new car for my mom, take a long vacation
13. Have any bad habits? biting my nails, and (I am embarrassed to admit this but I will anyway) I pick my scabs. It's gross, I know.
14. List 3 of your worst personality traits: Procrastination, desire to control everything, I can hold grudges for-ev-er
15. Have any celebrity crushes? not really
16. List 1 thing you wish you could change about yourself: the ability to get pregnant the old fashioned way instead of through lots of shots and surgical procedures
17. Any tattoos or piercings? I have pierced ears - two holes in one ear, and one hole in the other
18. What’s the first thing you notice in the opposite sex? their laugh. I love it when people have a good laugh.
19. Are you mostly a clean or messy person? probably messy
20. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? right where I am
21. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? I answered this here.
22. List 5 goals on your life’s to-do list: a) add to my family, b) ensure my boys are happy and productive men, c) learn to fly a plane, d) go to Europe, and e) buy and move into a home that I passionately love
23. Name 1 regret you have: not starting my family at a younger age
24. Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid: I had no worries about anything
25. Name 1 thing you love about being an adult: being able to have my children
26. What’s your favorite song of the moment? Train's "Hey Soul Sister"
27. What’s your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? snuggle under my blankets in bed and watch movies on TV
28. What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon? sleep in!

The ABCs of Me

Still hanging in there. Seems like the daily grind of living has stifled my ability to write anything coherent. So here is a meme to help ease me back into the grove of things...

Thanks to Jem for this idea.

A - Age: 37 years (or 38 years minus 36 days, 2 hours, and 8 minutes)

B - Bed size: California King

C - Chore you hate: Cleaning my husband's bathroom (gag)

D - Dog/Pet's name: No dogs, but I do have two cats--Gracie and Annie

E - Essential start to your day item(s): Instant breakfast, the seat warmer in my car to warm my buns on the way to work, and good morning kisses from the males in my life)

F - Favorite color: green

G - Gold or Silver: silver

H - Height: 5' 9"

I - Instruments you play(ed): violin (hated it--wanted to play the flute instead)

J - Job title: junior high teacher

K - Kisses or hugs: Hugs

L - Living arrangements: own a home in So Cal

M - Mood: satisfied--I just ate a yummy dinner

N - Nicknames: Stac, Mo

O - Overnight hospital stays other than birth: None

P - Pet Peeves: whiners (ha and that seems to be all I am doing lately)

Q - Quote from a movie: "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" from the Princess Bride. We watched it today and we've been quoting it all night.

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: two older brothers

T - Time you wake up: as.late.as.possible. I have it timed. I can get my butt out of bed at 7:08 am and still get to work by 7:45. I am a finely tuned machine in the morning, man.

U- Underwear: bikini briefs--the half breed between briefs and bikinis

V - Vegetable you dislike: brussel sprouts

W - Ways you run late: my husband makes me late all the time.

X - X-rays you've had: mouth, upper GI area

Y - Yummy food you make: um...not a whole lot. I make a mean cinnamon roll.

Z - Zoo favorite: I am a sucker for the giraffes

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If you play along, please let me know. I'd love to see your answers, too.

Stacie-ology

Thanks to Kristin for this idea. I am a sucker for a fun meme. :-)

Hey you! Yes, you and you and you and, especially you! Any of you reading this. You're tagged. After you've gotten to learn more about me than you ever wanted to know, take a turn and play the game. It's fun! Let others know a little more about yourself, repost this as your name followed by "ology."

FOODOLOGY:

What is your salad dressing of choice? Thousand Islands if they have it (and for some reason they don't always) or Italian
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Right now it is Olive Garden so I can eat the salad and bread sticks
What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Carl's Junior
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? Chocolate
What are your pizza toppings of choice? sausage and/or peperoni
How many televisions are in your house? two at the moment
What color cell phone do you have? black - it's an LG VU

BIOLOGY:

Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right.
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? well, I've had stuff lifted out and then put back in for the c-section! Does that count? Oh, and I am most likely soon to be tubeless as they approved my laparoscopy! (more on that later)
What is the last heavy item you lifted? two 30+ toddlers at the same time
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? Only with drugs...
Have you ever fainted? yes

BULLCRAPOLOGY:

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? no, that would wig me out
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Oh...hard question. I don't necessarily love my name, but I haven't really found another one that seems to fit me. I am open for suggestions, though. :-)
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? Not a single pair. I would have to be barefoot for that and that isn't going to happen
Last person you talked to? Is.aac

FAVORITOLOGY:

Season? Summer - I love being warm and toasty
Holiday? Christmas.
Day of the week? Thursdays and Saturdays
Month? December
Color? green
Drink? Pepsi
Alcoholic? nope - I rarely drink alcohol

CURRENTOLOGY:

Missing someone? Yes ;(
What are you listening to? The television and the boys' white noise machine
What are you watching? Scrubs is on the television
Worrying about? my boys, grading papers
What's the last movie you saw? Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (on television last night)
Do you smile often? I try to.
If you could change your eye color what would it be? Blue
What's on your wish list for your birthday? new sunglasses
Can you do a chin-up? Heck, I rock on chin-ups! It has been a while though. I may not be able to do more than 5 or 6 now. Used to be able to do 20+. I have freakishly strong arms.
Does the future make you more nervous or excited? I think it's both.
Have you been in a car wreck? Yes.
Have you caused a car wreck? Yes. In my defense the chick I hit was an accident magnet. She got in another accident the very next week!
Do you have an accent? Just a Californian accent
Last time you cried? yesterday - I had sort of a mini-meltdown
Plans tonight? going to Target hopefully
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? more times than I'd like to admit to
Name three things you bought yesterday? I bought the boys some jeans from Target's clearance
Have you met someone who has changed your life? Yes, quite a few, actually.
For the better or worse? Mostly better. :-)
How did you bring in the New Year? At home with my family.
Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? I think so. I have some stuff I'd like to do differently with hopefully better results.
What songs do you sing in the shower? none. I don't sing in the shower.
Have you held hands with someone today? yes, I held Sh.awn's hand
Who was the last person you took a picture of? Myself in my new socks! (posting later tonight)
Are most of the friends in your life new or old? Both.
Do you like pulpy orange juice? Nope.
Last time you ate peanut butter and jelly? it has been a long while
What were you doing at 12 a.m. last night? watching television
What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? "Good grief. Is it morning already?"

I Got An Award! (Part 1)

Thanks to Jennifer at A Look Into My Life for this thoughtful award! It was such a pleasant surprise. :-) If you haven't had the chance to get to know Jennifer, stop by her blog and say, "Hi!" She's super nice and upbeat. Plus, she is wildly talented and makes beautiful jewelry!

The rules for this award are simple - just give 7 fun facts about you and then nominate 7 people for the beautiful blogger award.

Hm. Finding seven new facts to tell you about myself is getting hard. I am sort of an open book here. I'll give it my best shot, though:

1. I was an extra in a movie of the week starring Rick Schroder and Michael Easton while I was in college. Actually, Is.aac was the extra, but they needed more people so they had the extras call their significant others for a party scene. When I got there, they separated the two of us and paired us up with other people. The casting person said we didn't look right as a couple. What-ev-er. I got paired with this big football player type. Is.aac got paired with some tiny bimbo (if I remember correctly).
2. When I was in junior high school, I really wanted to be an astronaut when I got older. That all changed when I was in 7th grade and the Challenger exploded. I switched my career goal from astronaut to airplane pilot--you know, because that is a lot safer. Ahem. Anyway, I still remember the classroom and where I was sitting when we heard the news of the explosion over the school's loud speaker. The crazy thing is that I teach in that room today. Thankfully, the room has been remodeled since then so it doesn't look the same anymore.
3. I am entertaining the idea of changing careers and becoming a nurse. I don't know when that seed was planted, but it has done nothing but grow since I realized it was there. Is it any surprise that I'd want to work in the NICU?
4. I break out in hives when I sweat. It is awful. I also break out in hives if I get Is.aac's sweat on me, too. Ahem.
5. If I could be in the Winter Olympics for any sport, I'd choose skiing. I just think it seems so...free. The problem with this is that I 1) don't like cold, 2) don't know how to ski, and 3) I get hives when I sweat.
6. I love to start and try new things, but I often lose interest and won't finish them. To combat this problem, I try to keep working on something for as long as I can before I stop. I know that if I stop, I just might not get back into it. One look at my kitchen would drive this point home. All I have left is the finishing details and it would be done. Those details are all I've had left for two years...does that tell you anything?
7. I collect sun catchers and crystal prisms. I have them hanging in just about every window. I love the way they look when the sun shines through them. (One of the boys' first words was rainbow...and not because it rains a lot here!)

Okay, it is getting late. I'll be back tomorrow and post the names of those I nominate for this award.

Getting to Know You Meme - Christmas Edition

It's that ICLW time again. Welcome everyone! Letting the commenting commence.

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Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire post. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then post this on your blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper with pretty bows

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real, although they make me sneeze

3. When do you put up the tree? whenever I can get to it. This year we got it the first week of December. It took me 7 days before I got around to decorating it.

4. When do you take the tree down? two or three days after Christmas, or whenever the mood strikes

5. Do you like eggnog? yuck

6. Favorite gift received as a child? easy bake oven. I totally loved that thing.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Is.aac

8. Easiest person to buy for? my boys were easy. I think I over did it. Oops! :-)

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? well, I will mail Christmas cards...someday...

11. Worst Christmas ever? Christmas 2007 was not my favorite (boys were in the hospital). Nor was 2006 (had a miscarriage over the Christmas weekend. :-( )

12. Favorite Christmas Movie(s)? I like Elf and Love Actually

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? doesn't matter, because it is never soon enough!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? YES... of course, but not very often

15 .Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate kiss cookies...mmmm....

16. Lights on the tree? yep. multi-colored

17. Favorite Christmas song? teaching the boys "Jingle Bells" so that is a sweet one this year

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home and go to my mom's

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? yep. :-)

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Continuous Christmas music everywhere

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? silver

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I am open to pretty much anything. Mostly.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? a new year full of good health for my fam (and maybe a little girl.....)

Now it's your turn. If you play, please leave me the link so I can read your answers.

Oooh, An Award!

Thanks to the lovely Bree, for giving me an award! If you haven't stopped by her blog, Project Kjetil, now is the perfect time--she's newly pregnant after 10 iuis! I am so happy for her and her partner! :-)

For the Kreativ Blogger award the rules of acceptance are simple: list seven things you love and then pass the award to seven blogs you love.

Now for the 7 things I love:

1. My little family.
2. Hearing my boys' belly laughs.
3. Taking pictures of the beautiful things around me.
4. My job and its perk of a nice, long summer break.
5. Eating smores on a summer's night.
6. Getting a great deal on something.
7. Being surrounded by wonderful people. (that includes you)

7 blogs I love:

1. edenland - Eden is amazing in so many ways! Her writing is raw and honest, and no matter what, you'll think about what she says long after you've read a post.
2. Role Playing with Kids - K is hilarious and always makes me laugh--even on my darkest days. She's my idol right now because she's managed to stay sane (mostly) while being a SAHM to 2 sets of twins and 5 kids under the age of 5 1/2! K, I'm not worthy!
3. Dragondreamer's Lair - Kristin is the epitome of a Kreativ Blogger. She is the Jane of all trades crafty for sure!
4. Life Induces Thoughts, Mostly Random - Beautiful Mess has a heart of gold and is always supportive of everyone. I love her for that!
5. Kerry Lynn - Kerry Lynn's blog chronicles her life with her twins through the most beautiful pictures. I so wish she lived closer to me...I would love to have her photograph the boys.
6. Mission: Impossible (or adventures in infertility, pregnancy….parenting?) - Geohde is yet another twin mom. (wonder why I ready so many of those?) She is hilarious and another must read. Um, I should probably be a better commenter, but I always read!
7. Mommy Wants Vodka - Becky chronicles her life daily on her blog, which in itself is a feat that is awe inspiring. Couple that with a wicked sense of humor and a talent for telling a damn good story and you've got yourself a blog at the top of my must read list!
8. I wish I could give this to all you you and list you all--forget that, just look at the blog roll. You all deserve this! :-)

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Transfer is tomorrow at 10:15. Wish us luck! I'll update when I break free of the Valium induced haze I'll be under (got to love Valium) and let you all know what the final report is on the embies. Oh, and I'll tell you about that little matter of how many we transferred, too.

Thank you for all of the kind words on my last post. You are all wonderful! -K, you made me tear up. :-)

Meme-orial Day!

Hope you all had a great day. We did a little shopping and continued with the lazy weekend theme. It was so nice. Of course it would have been even nicer had Is.aac got up this morning like he was supposed to--I ignored the boys as long as I could and made every attempt to get my husband up to no avail. Oh, well. I get next week then. (and then I'm putting in ear plugs at around 7 am)

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Courtesy of/swiped from Twinfatuation, here are some easy tips to determine your name for future ventures:

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Bear Pilot

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Chocolate Oreo

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)S-Lop

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Green Cat

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Lea Winslow

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)Lopst

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) Blue Pepsi

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Elmer Joe

9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Cinnamon Peanut Butter Cups

10. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names) Jean Martin

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Stewart Seattle

12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Spring Rose

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)Strawberry jeansie

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Cocoa Pebbles Oak

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) Reading Rain Tour

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From the wonderful Kristin (originally sent to me on Face.book, but I thought I'd put it here, too)

IT'S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! HIT FORWARD, ERASE MY ANSWERS, ENTER YOURS, USE THE 1ST LETTER OF YOUR LAST NAME TO ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THEY HAVE TO BE REAL PLACES, NAMES, THINGS. NOTHING MADE UP! TRY TO USE DIFFERENT ANSWERS IF THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU HAD THE SAME 1ST INITIAL. YOU CAN'T USE YOUR NAME FOR THE BOY/GIRL NAME QUESTION.

Have Fun

1. Your last name: Lo.pez
2. A four letter word: Lust
3. A Boys Name: Larry
4. A Girls name: Louise
5. An Occupation: Lieutenant
6. A Color: Lime
7. Something you wear: Leash (um, I don't wear one, but I hear people do)
8. A Beverage: Lemonade
9. Food: Lasagna
10. Something found in the bathroom: Lysol
11. A place: Louisiana
12. Reason for being late: Loven it up
13. Something you shout: Look!

Three Things

To take my mind off things...

(My Sock It To Me post is Coming soon, too)

Copy and paste these questions, replacing my answers with yours, then tag 5 people to do the same thing.

THREE NAMES I GO BY
1. Stacie
2. Stac
3. StayLo (a new one from Eden!)

THREE JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE
1. I was the Easter Bunny in the local mall. It was...an experience. I did it one year when I was 19 and have since retired my ears. I can't seem to find the picture proof, but I haven't given up yet.
2. I worked at Hall.mark for 2 years right out of high school. I still can't walk into a card shop without straightening all the cards. FYI-my section was the Shoe.box section.
3. I worked at Se.ars in the photography department. I still can make all kinds of crazy noises to get kids' attention. What can I say? It is a gift.
4. I worked at Ken.tucky Fr.ied Chicken for a year while I was in high school. I smelled chicken 24 hours a day for the ENTIRE year. Bleh. Still don't eat much chicken because of it.
5. I was a substitute teacher for two years while I earned my credential.
6. I teach in a junior high school.

PLACES I HAVE LIVED
1. My parent's house (California)
2. A neighboring city that is 5 minutes away from my parent's house
3. I spent several weeks a year at my grandparent's house in Arizona. Some place that has a corner in it that everyone wants to stand on...

THREE TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH
1. Amazing Race - I so want to be on this show with my mom. I couldn't do it with Is.aac. I'd kill him before we were even half way through. :-)
2. The Office
3. Lost

THREE PLACES I HAVE BEEN
1. Cancun, Mexico
2. New Jersey/New York area
3. San Diego, California

THREE PLACES I WANT TO GO
1. Hawaii
2. Ireland
3. Paris

THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS
1. artichokes
2. bread
3. avocados

THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
1. Taking my boys to Disneyland
2. Relaxing over the next two weeks
3. Possibly getting pregnant again :-)

THREE PETS THAT YOU HAVE OWNED

1. Bear - the Samoyed (dog) that I had while I grew up. She was amazing, and I was her favorite. She used to try to attack my brothers when they picked on me!
2. Gracie & Annie - the fur babies I have right now. They are quite the pair. Right now, they are cuddled up together in their cat bed. I love seeing them like that.
3. I have had all kinds of pets, so this last one is hard to limit to one. I've had: a pigeon, a duck, mice, frogs, a guinea pig, rabbits, several birds, dogs, cats, and a partridge in a pear tree.

THREE FAVORITE BANDS/ARTISTS
1. Georgie Poo Michael. What? I can't help it.
2. I tend to like harder/heavier music, too, which include three of my favorite songs from Offspring, Sublime, and Jane's Addition.
3. Otherwise, I listen to channel 20 on XM radio.

THREE FAVORITE TEAMS TO WATCH
1. Not a big fan of sports...

THREE FAVORITE DRINKS
1. Pepsi
2. Pepsi
3. Pepsi

I tag who ever is up for a meme.

The Name Game

I've seen this Meme on a few blogs lately, so I thought I might give it a try. Plus, I think it is time for something a little on the lighter side. So, here it goes...

The Name Game

1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car): Bear Pilot

2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Chocolate Malted Crunch Sneaker

3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal): Green Cat

4.Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born): Lea Oxnard

5.Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name): Tomst

6.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Blue Pepsi

7.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers): Elmer Joseph

8.Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Cinnamon Chocolate

9.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Stewart Seattle

10.Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Summer Rose

11.Cartoon name:(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Banana Sweats

12.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Carnation (Instant Breakfast) Elm

13.Movie star name (first pet, first street where you lived): Bear Fifth

Now it's your turn.

60 Things About Me

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now? Two car seat bases, a water bottle, and a box of Kleenex.



2. When was the last time you threw up? I threw up in October and early November.



3. What's your favorite curse word? I am a big fan of Shit. Well, the f bomb works, too. And ass. But, I don't curse very often. My dad used to say everyone was an asshole. I use that one now, too.



4. Name 3 people who made you smile today? Jason, Shawn, and Isaac



5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? I think I was cat napping.



6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? laundry



7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now? dishes and hopefully going to bed (wink, wink)



8. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nope. I did take a picture with the Chippendale dancers in Vegas, though. Does that count?



9. What is the last thing you said aloud? Get me some batteries! (for the bouncy seats people. Get your minds out of the gutter)



10. What is the best ice cream flavor? chocolate



11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Pepsi. Totally addicted.



12. What are you wearing right now? Sweat pants, Isaac's shirt, formula, and cat hair (it is everywhere. I can't seem to find the time to clean it all up).



13. What was the last thing you ate? homemade pizza



14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? two black t-shirts. I am trying to add color to my wardrobe and I end up with black. matches my mood.)



15. When was the last time you ran? Umm...I don't run. I might walk fast, but that is as far as I go with that.



16. What's the last sporting event you watched? I think it was tennis. When was that on? Maybe it was the Olympic Trials. I am not sure.



18. Who is the last person you emailed? A friend who I will be meeting for lunch tomorrow (hallelujah...I get to get out!)



19. Ever go camping? when I was a kid. I don't do nature now. It is the bugs' fault.



20. Do you have a tan? I wish. Moontan count? I tend to reflect the sun, you know, like a mirror. I'll blind you if you're anywhere around.



24. Do you drink your soda from a straw? only at a restaurant



25. What did your last IM say? It said file complete. My dad sent me a song he pirated for me. That is how long it has been.



26. Are you some one's best friend? yep



27. What are you doing tomorrow? hoping to sleep in, but know that is only a dream. then I am going out for lunch with some girls from work.



28. Where is your mom right now? at home, in bed. she's has the poxes, too.



29. Look to your left, what do you see? the remote, a phone, and a pillow



30. What color is your watch? silver and black



31. What do you think of when you think of Australia? $40 dollars and TC



32. Would you consider plastic surgery? Hmm...maybe



33. What is your birthstone? diamonds, baby!



34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? drive thru when I go, which isn't often any more



35.How many kids do you want? as many as I can get. at least one more, and hopefully a girl.



36. Do you have a dog? allergic to them, so no



37. Last person you talked to on the phone? my mom



38. Have you met anyone famous? Yes. Selma Hayak. I was in Cub Scouts (as the mascot with my brothers) with the lead singer from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. His parents and my parents are friends



39. Any plans today? Just to finish the laundry and hit the sack



40. How many states have you lived in? only one--total Californian here



41. Ever go to college? two junior colleges, and two universities



42. Where are you right now? in the living room



43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? the clock in the nursery. it ticks so loud that it is literally driving me up the wall. it doesn't help that the baby monitor magnifies the sound in every room. I have no idea why I don't just get rid of it.



44. Last song listened to? Baby Einstein Mozart



46. Are you allergic to anything? I get hives for unknown reasons--lucky me. plus I am allergic to perfumes, dogs, and even my own sweat when I was younger! Oh, and something in Mincemeat pie (made my lips swell)



47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? my slippers at home and my tennis shoes when I go out



48. Are you jealous of anyone? sometimes.



50. Is anyone jealous of you? probably not.



51. What time is it? 11:15 PM



52. Do any of your friends have children? a few, but not all



53. Do you eat healthy? is chocolate healthy? it is dark chocolate. overall, probably not as healthy as I should. I like crap, that is all there is to it.



54. What do you usually do during the day? tend to babies. teach seventh graders.



55. Do you hate anyone right now? angelina jolie. maybe hate is too strong a word



56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? yep. also say howdy and hey



58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 37



59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? I live 45 minutes away from one, and have all of my life. what do you think? yes, is an understatement!



60. How did you get one of your scars? I got one from working at a chicken fast food place. slipped on the greasy floors while holding a crock of tea. went to the local medical clinic (just as they were closing) to get stitches, but they wouldn't let me in, so I went home and hoped my arm wouldn't fall off from some infection. thankfully, my arm is still intact, although I do have a pretty nasty scar.

My Word Bubble

I found this at luna's site and decided to try it out. It is pretty telling. I need to change my way of thinking.

I am having trouble making it bigger, so click on it to see all the words.

10 Things You'd Never Hear Me Say...

Here is a meme I have seen on quite a few blogs over the last several weeks.

Ten Things You'd Never Hear Me Say...

1. Please take this chocolate away.


2. Ooh, chicken! Yum!


3. Reading is for nerds.


4. Who needs a laptop? I sure don't!


5. Coke is better than Pepsi.


6. See my pretty toes?


7. I am hot. Turn the heater down.


8. I hate cats.


9. These pants make me look fat.


10. Look at my cleavage. (couldn't even say that while pregnant)