Random Tuesday

I'm doing the random, but may not get it linked up.  I am headed to a retreat for work.  We get to go to a lake and do some boating and on Wednesday I am going on a field trip to look at  a rock formation that is very prevalent.  Yes I am a rock geek.

• Small boys boys come with two volumes--full on and the occasional whisper.
• They also come with to speeds--full tilt and dead stop.
• These things combined will cause mom to lose it when applied correctly.
• I avoided vacuuming.  I'm not ready to make up with the vacuum.  But I think I'm going to have to.  I saw a dust rhino thinking about getting Bruiser last night.
• I'm really not looking forward to any movies coming out this fall.
• I am looking forward to what should be coming on DVD or pay per view.
• Nick and I are not movie going people.  It costs way to much and with the small people in our house it's way easier to watch a DVD or pay per view.  We can pause it or stop it all together if needed.  Sure we miss out on the big screen experience, but I don't really miss it too much.  I always freeze in movie theaters anyway.
• I'm ready to get back in to a routine.  After Labor Day things should settle down for us.  I'm really looking forward to the normalcy of a routine.

Well that covers my random for this week.  Go see Stacy for more random thoughts for Tuesday.

What a Weekend!

We had quite the weekend.  Little boys played, we danced, we got to see family, we got out of town and had a glorious time.
Nick's brother and his partner had their wedding out here for all the family that was not able to be present at the first ceremony.  They had a fairly simple outdoor location at a local guest ranch.  The weather was wonderful and the whole thing went off really well.  There was even another little boy about Turbo's age for him to pal around with.  And with a river running through the property, the boys were in heaven.
There was dancing.  Lots of dancing.  Turbo cut quite the rug.  I think the kid even learned a few new moves and he has a pretty good air guitar.  Nick and I even got to dance together.  We have not danced together for more years than I can remember.  We didn't even dance at our wedding.  Nick is not much of a dancer.  I like it, but don't do much more than Just Dance any more.
I don't have any pictures--those are on Nick's camera.  But I can show you some shots from our weekend at the lake a week ago.

Splashing and floating in the water.

We all love the water.

The small dot against the cliff is Nick jumping in.

I'm not sure if I said much about our weekend other than it was wonderfully relaxing.  Nick did do some cliff jumping, the boys got to play in the water, and I got to read and over all we just had a great time recharging before school starts.

Swapping Colors

Mamarazzi is doing it again!  She's hosting a Favorite Colors Swap!
I get to participate again.  The last one was sooooo much fun.  I looking forward to making a new friend and of course sending goodies and getting goodies.



So a swapping I will go.
Now to find out who my partner will be...

Friday Confession

Time to confess:

• I love going to yard sales.
• Getting a bargain just makes me all happy inside.
• Hunting for that bargain is fun.
• But only with a friend that gets yard saling.
• I don't really like to go with my mom.
• She's way to thorough and takes way to long looking.
• I can't believe that this boy went to Third grade yesterday.(oday too!)

• I am most definitely not old enough to have a boy that age.
• OK, I'll admit I am but I don't feel like it.
• So who's ready for fall?
• Me, Me, Me!
• I am sad to see summer go--it seems to have gone by so quickly.
• I don't feel like I really did anything.
• I can tell my news next week.
• It's good news and we are so happy about it.
• It's been mostly unbloggable for the last year.
• It's all better next week.
• I think we may start potty training next month.
• God help me.
• I am having a hot threesome with the laundry this weekend--Nick's helping out.
• Sounds like fun, right?
• The vacuum has cheated on me with Nick too.
• I'm not at all heartbroken about it.
• It's been trying to make up and showing me the dust rhinos in the living room as proof I need to forgive and forget, I don't really wanna.
• I think I gonna have to though, before one of those things eats one of the boys.

And that covers my confessions for this week.  Hop on over and see Mamarazzi and see what everyone else is confessing this week.

Winner of the giveaway!

So I had that giveaway last week for my 500th post.  I had a few entries and went off to Random.org and the resulting winner is Jill from Jill's World.
She gets a free download of the My Memories software and I hope she has fun with it.
Go visit her and congratulate her on her win.

Use Your Words--Spin Cycle

Jen has assigned us language for this weeks Spin Cycle.  I did a word picture for a post over a year ago and thought it might work as a different take on words.
I went to Wordle and pasted in a bit of text that I wrote about me.  It takes those words and makes a picture of them, making the words used the most larger.
Here's what I got:

Here is the link to the the Wordle.  They hold it and you have to make a screen shot to get the image, but still, it's fun.

I like how it turned out and it's a fun way to use language.  Go check it out.
And that is my language spin for this week.

WWTK-Advice and Accomplishments

Time to get a bit nosy and check out what everyone's saying.  Go see Mamarazzi and Queso, they have the We Want to Know thing all wrapped up.
This week the questions are from Queso:

1. What is the best advice someone has ever given you?  Just to try.  You'll never know if you can until you try.  Failing isn't the worst thing, failing to even try is the worst thing.
2. What is your greatest accomplishment?  I could say my boys, but they are still a work in progress.  I'm going to go with going back to school for my geology degree.  I was scared of the math I would have to take and not sure if I could juggle a toddler, school, running a house and a part time job and keep all the balls in the air, but I did it with the help of my husband and my mom and Nick's parents.  And now I have a job that uses my degree, which is an even better accomplishment.
3. Who do you admire?  My husband, Nick.  He has accomplished some awesome stuff and he is so encouraging to me and our boys.  He's a wonderful person and truly my best friend.  And, bonus, I love him too.
4. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?  I wish I was a bit more outgoing and comfortable with strangers when I meet them in person.  I don't like social situations where I don't know anyone, I don't mingle well until I get to know people.  Once I'm comfortable, I do OK.
5. How do you want to be remembered?  As a wonderful wife and a good mother.  At least that's how I would want to be remembered at this stage of my life.

So there you have it.  Head on over and see the other lovely ladies who have thrown their answers out there for all to see.

PS--this is the last day to enter my giveaway!

Random Tuesday Stuff

Hi everyone!  It's time to random it up because it's Tuesday and Stacy is still hosting the rebellion.  So random it up!

• A long weekend at a lake will do wonders for your motivation.  We had sun, water, a bit of cliff jumping, lots of splashing, good food and good company.  I feel refreshed and relaxed.  It was an awesome way to turn 38 19 again.
• Yes, I started counting backwards at 29, just like my mom did.
• Nick did coordinate with his family to have three roses waiting at home for my birthday.  Only three because I'm not 40 yet.  It totally surprised me and I thought it was so thoughtful.  Love you honey!
• Turbo starts school on Thursday.  How did the summer speed buy so fast?
• Oh I know, we were busy.  If we had done nothing it might have seemed longer.  Maybe it would have been longer.  The whining about being bored would have extended it , I'm sure.
• I haven't looked at my e-mail since Friday morning.  I'm scared to check it.  I now there will be lots and lots of emails to wade through.
• It was kind of nice to sit back, unplug (mostly) and unwind this weekend.
• Fall is coming.  We have a decided chill in the air in the morning.  It's still hitting the 80s during the day, but at night we are hitting the upper 40s.  Gotta love those temperature swings.

Well that's about it for my random this week.  It really wasn't that random, but hey, I'm still getting back into the regular schedule--relaxing will do that to you.

Remember to rebel it up with Stacy.

Friday Confession

Time for confessions, cause it's FRIDAY everyone!  Oh yeah, oh yeah, it's FRIDAY!
I confess:

• I may be a wee bit excited for Friday.
• OK a lot excited.
• We are going camping.
• At a lake.
• With a sandy beach.
• You have no idea how excited I am about this.
• Finding a sandy beach in this state is tough.
• Rocky lake shores we have tones of but not that many sandy beaches.
• Monday is my birthday.
• I don't think I'm posting Monday as we are coming home and with getting everything put away, wrangling little boys and having something resembling a birthday dinner, there just won't be time.
• I will be back to random it up on Tuesday.
• I'm sad.
• I'm having a giveaway to celebrate 500 posts on this here blog.
• I have one entry.  
• How lame is that?
• You can go here to enter.
• Please?
• OK, enough begging.
• I have great news.
• But can't share it quite yet.
• No, I'm not pregnant (with a huge sigh of relief).

There you have it,  My confessions for this week.

Go see Mamarazzi for more confessions and to link up your own confessions.

Spin Cycle--Nature/Nurture, Which Is It?

Last week I mentioned that Bruiser twists his hair, kind of like I do and that he has done it since he could reliably put hand to hair.  This got Jen to thinking and this week's Spin Cycle topic is Nature vs. Nurture.
Just looking at my boys I know there is a lot to be said for nature.  It is easy to see the physical traits that each boy has gotten and from whom they got them.  The less tangible traits are a bit harder to see, but they are there.
Turbo has Nick's out going personality, has since he could talk.  He's the kid who would say Hi to any kid he saw in the grocery store, can make friends with anyone and will with everyone.  The confidence and friendliness Turbo has comes directly from Nick.  A love of visual things--having to see something, then being able to create something else from it, is a trait from me.  I need a guide of some sort, then I can be creative.
Bruiser, well his personality is more like mine--a bit cautious initially, but once we are comfortable we are just as friendly as Nick and Turbo.  However, Bruiser has a drive to create and this comes directly from Nick.  They both love to draw on anything, with anything.  This is a good thing, but less good for my walls (however, Nick does know not to draw on the walls, we're still working on Bruiser).  Bruiser is also fascinated with books.  This, I think, comes from me.  While Trubo loves to hear a story, Bruiser has been interested in looking at, carrying around, and most recently sleeping with books.  He has been "reading" them to himself and his stuffed animals for a while now.
We see the differences in the attitude toward bikes.  Turbo has not really been all that interested in his bike.  He likes it now that he has learned how to ride, but it is not a passion.  Bruiser on the other hand, loves his bike.  He likes nothing better than to zoom up and down the side walk.  He will be riding a two wheeler far sooner than Turbo did.  The love of biking--that is a Nick trait.  I learned to ride my bike at about the same age as Turbo.  It was never more that a means to get around.
I see a lot of nature in the interests and traits that my kids have.  I'm sure as they grow nurture will come to play a bigger part in who they become.  And that right there is what the whole nature vs. nurture thing comes down to.  When they are little nature wins out.  As they grow nurture becomes more important.  My boys are still small, so I see more nature in them, it has not been covered up by nurture (peer pressure, incidents that leave their mark in one way or another, influence of other authority figures, etc.).
So what do you think--nature or nurture?

WWTK-Being a Kid

It Wednesday!  The week is half over and to make it go just a bit quicker let's answer questions with Mamarazzi and Queso.
This week's questions are from Mamarazzi:

1. Did you live in the same town or move around a lot as a kid?  I was born in Florida (Hollywood), lived in Missouri (Sweet Springs) and then California (Yucipa).  When I was seven, mom moved us to Wyoming (Buffalo).  After that we stayed put.  There were lots of reasons for those early moves.  mostly bad choices on the part of my parents.
2. What were your parents like?  My mom is wonderful, kind of crazy, but she means well.  She is fabulous with the boys and really good to me.  I never knew my father.  he committed suicide when I was three month old.  From what my mom has told me I would have liked him.  My mom had two other husbands but I didn't like either on them really.
3. Do you have any siblings?  What were they like growing up?  I have one younger brother.  He loves the out doors and fishing.  He was your typical annoying younger brother until he figured out that he wanted to be able to hang out with me once I could drive.  That's when he stopped telling one me.
4. Share a short story from your childhood.  Which one to choose.  Oh I know I'll tell the one that embarrassed me to no end when I was a teenager.  It starts with a favorite uncle.  He was italian and from New York.  his name was Joe.  I was about four.  For some reason I forgot his name and called him uncle George.  He sputtered and popped and made a big deal about my remembering his name.  After that, I would get a gleam in my eye and purposely call him Uncle George just to make him sputter and pop again.  Since we were in California and they were from New York, they got up way earlier than we did.  It was summer and most often during the night I would end up sleeping on my stomach with my legs tucked under me.  My tush would be sticking up in the air.  One morning he came in and kissed my tush.  The next time I called him Uncle George he came back with "But I kissed your butt!"  We went round and round with this until he had to go back to New York for work.  A short time later, we got a new pastor at church.  His name was Joe.  Mom had him and his wife over for dinner and introduced me to him.  I said hello, climbed up in his lap, looked him square in the eye and said "Kiss my butt!"  Mom had some fast explaining to do then.
5. What did you look like?

My brother and I, He was 2, I was 6.

And that is all for this week.  Go see Mamarazzi and Queso and see what everyone else brave enough to post a picture looked like.

PS:  Go visit my Giveaway.  It really cool and hey, who doesn't like a giveaway?

My Memories giveaway

So yesterday I hit 500 posts.  This is quite the milestone.  At least I'm going to treat it as one.  I got the opportunity to use My Memories digital software this last week.

I have always paper scrap booked.  I like the feel of the paper and it is my one creative talent.  I can't sew worth a darn, I know the basics of knitting and crochet, and really can't craft my way out of a bucket.  But I can make a fun and interesting scrapbook.  But now with all pictures being digital (you try finding film in a store--and if you can, have fun getting it developed) I was at a bit of a loss.  Nick did get me a picture printer and I love it, but my scrapping mojo had flown the coop.  School and kids will do that to you.
Enter the chance to try digital scrapbooking software for free.  My Memories suite is a fun and easy way to scrap book those digital memories.  I spent about half an hour putting together something simple last night using pictures of Bruiser and it looks pretty good.

It was fun and very easy to do.  Scrapbook software just might get me back into scrapbooking.  I've got to do something.  I'm falling way behind.
So now the fun part.  The give away!  I am giving away a free copy of the MyMemories software to one lucky person.  I'm keeping it simple.  Just go visit My Memories and them come back and tell me which is your favorite layout.  See it's that simple.
You can also find My Memories on Facebook, Twitter, and their blog.
What's even better is that I have a coupon code that will give you $10 off if you order MyMemories Suite.
Coupon code: STMMMS5702
So head on over and check out this easy and fun digital scrapbooking software.  then came back, comment and check back next week to see if you are the winner.
All the legal stuff:  I will be compensated if you use the coupon code, I was given a free copy of the software, all opinions are mine and mine alone.  I think that covers it.

Randomizing Tuesday

Tuesday is here again.  Funny how it always pops up.  I wonder if Monday ever feels nervous--it's always being followed.  Anyponder, It's time to get all random and call it a post.  I was a bit random yesterday but it had a theme.  Today is going to be...well more random.  Yeah, that thought got a bit lost in there somewhere, didn't it?

• Sand + boys = endless hours of fun.
• Sand + mom = endless hours of sweeping and vacuuming.  That stuff sticks to everything and ends up everywhere.  This is one reason I like to visit a beach, but would be driven nuts trying to live near one.
• We actually had a storm last night.  Got lots of wind and dust, then it rained.  things smell so good outside right now, all clean and fresh.  Why can't they bottle the smell after a rain?  
• How come I can clean and straighten up a living room and twenty minutes later it will look as if I have done nothing--less that nothing?  I blame the gremlins because it can't be the angles I live with, right?
• This post right here?  It's my 500th post.  I know, right!?  I'm going to have to do something special.  Something I've never done before.  Like have a give away.  Gulp.  New territory for me.  Oh, I've entered, but never had a give away.  I think I have something pretty cool, it just needs a little more checking.  More news later this week.

I'm a bit short on the random this week, but go see Stacy, she of the random rebellion, and check out her news--it's awesome!

One Mighty Random Weekend

This last weekend was productive, but really very random.  In the spirit of random I think I will just bullet out our activities.

• I took my mom and Turbo down to Colorado to go school shopping.  The second hand options are much better there than here in good old Wyoming.  The new store shopping is also better.
• We got everything he needed and didn't have to spend all that much.  It was awesome.  50% off sales at both of my favorite second hand stores, a gift card for Old Navy and then minor stuff at JC Penney.  Then off to Target for the actual school supplies.  He truly is growing up--he had to get his first spiral bound notebooks for Third grade this year.
• All in all it was a good day, hot and very muggy, but a good day.
• We then headed home and Turbo spent the night with Grandma.
• Nick and I took Bruiser out to a friend's house for a barbecue.
• Sunday I went grocery shopping, picked up Turbo and got the laundry done.
• Got Turbo's clothes rearranged in his drawers and everything ready for school to start (in about a week and a half--eep)
• The boys spent the day playing in the left over sand from the pathway project.

Turbo's sand fortress creation.

• We then had Nick's folks over for a barbecue and Nick spent the afternoon smoking fish on the grill.  Everything turned out tasting fabulous.
• And finally here are pictures of the walkway Nick put in our back yard.  He still needs to finish the steps onto the deck but otherwise things look great in the back yard.

Looking east

Looking west.

So that was our weekend.  It rushed by and while we accomplished a lot, it seems like we did nothing.  And I don't feel all that relaxed and refreshed.  Maybe next weekend.

Hope your weekend was relaxing and productive, one way or another.

Confession Time Friday

Time to confess all your "sins" and feel all better for the weekend.  Oh, man the weekend.
I confess:

• I giggled like a 12 year old when, after getting a Papa Smurf toy, Bruiser said "His winkie is showing, mommy!"  "No dear, that's his tail."  "His tail?  His winkie under his pants?"  "Yep, under his pants."
• Commence giggling as quietly as I can.
• I was reading the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to Nick and Turbo and got to an emotional part and started to cry a bit and Turbo came over and hugged me and snuggled down next to me.
• It made me feel so proud that he has that compassionate side--we are doing something right, even if I'm not sure what.
• I have stood up the Vacuum for so long now that it going to feel like a first date all over again.
• Only no first date jitters.
• The dust rhinos are going to go for the boys if I don't.
• Time to dance with the laundry too.
• Don't be jealous of my fun weekend with household chores--it's going to be smokin' hawt!
• I looked at the stats--the search things that bring people to my blog.
• Kind of confused how someone searching for Testosterone of Sharks landed on my page, but hey, hi and look around a bit.
• I'm ridiculously happy that today is Friday.

That's go my confessions for the week.  Go see Mamarazzi and check out the other confessions.

A Bad Habit to Break--Spin Cycle

Jen has given us bad habits for this weeks Spin Cycle.
Habit:

1. An acquired behavior or pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary:  the habit of looking both ways before crossing the street.
2. Customary practice or use:  Daily bathing is an American habit.
3. A particular practice, custom, or usage: the habit of shaking hands.
4. A dominant or regular disposition or tendency; prevailing character or quality: She has a habit of looking at the bright side of things.
5. Addiction, especially to narcotics (often preceded by the).

Habits in and of themselves are usually either good or bad, some better than others..  A bad habit is usually only self destructive to varying degrees.  Drugs, tobacco(in any form) and alcohol are obviously very bad, but there are those that are less detrimental to a person--nail biting, scab picking, hair twirling...

Yeah, hair twirling. Hair twisting, tying knots in my hair.  That's one of my most identifiable bad habits.  It's something I have done since I had hair to twist around my fingers.  Something about the feel of the hair--smooth or sharp, depending on the knot I am twisting--satisfies something in me.  I do it when I'm bored, tired, nervous (especially nervous), reading, really whenever I am doing something that does not require both hands to do.  Hair twisting is one of the reasons I nibble on sunflower seeds when I read (then I could go into my whole salt habit and how that's not good for me either.)  I can occupy both hands by nibbling and not twist my hair off.   I can tie knots so bad that I end up just breaking off the knot.
Yes, my hair dresser notices.  It was so bad in high school that there was an obvious spot that was shorter than the rest of my hair.  I have since tried to spread out the places I tie knots/twist my hair, but it is still a bit shorter on the left than the right.  It's hard to find ways to occupy my hands all the time.

Bruiser has the habit of playing with his hair.  When he is tired he will twist a strand around his finger and feel the hair that is pulled tight.  He has done this since he could reliably reach his hair.  Strange the things you see reflected in your kids.  They get good habits, but also the bad ones.  Just goes to show that sometimes the bad habit is not really learned, but is just there from day one.
Go see Jen for more spins on bad habits.  It's a good habit to have.

Monthly Vlog--Annoying Moments and a Drink

So time to vlog it up again.  Mamarazzi and Shawn want us to do a vlog and they are kind enough to give us topics too.  Shawn wants to know what's one thing that annoys you.  One thing?  Only one?  OK, I'll think of one thing.
The Show and Tell portion is to share your favorite drink.  Jolene @ With a Little Help From My Friends wants to know what your favorite drink is.  She wanted to see it too, but I don't happen to have the ingredients so you just have to use your imagination.

There you have it, my attempt at a vlog.  Not probably the best, but there it is.
Vlog up your own version and link up with Mamarazzi and Shawn.

WWTK--Furniture and Fridges

Time to get nosy again.  Answer up the questions and link up with Mamarazzi and Queso.
This week the questions are from Queso:
{1}  If you could be on any game show what would it be?  I'm pretty good at random trivia so I think I'd do OK on Who Want to be a Millionaire? or any other trivia based game.
{2}  If you could choose to stay any certain age forever, what would it be?  I think I'd go with 25 or 35.  Both years were pretty good to me.  I got married just before I turned 25 and I had Bruiser when I was 35 so I had my family complete.  Either age would be good.
{3}  What were you doing 30 Minutes ago?  Getting little boys up and dressed--in the case of Bruiser, Turbo dresses himself--and getting breakfast ready for them.
{4}  What would I find in your fridge right now?  The usual stuff--condiments in the door, milk, eggs, breakfast meat, leftovers, lunchmeat, cheese, beer, the odd jar of pickles.  Normal stuff.
{5}  If you were a piece of furniture what would you be?  Why?  I'd like to be the cool couch or chair every loves to sit in, but I'd probably be the table in the corner that seldom gets used and everyone misses, but can't say why, when it's gone.

So go link up and play along.

Tuesday's Random Thoughts

Tuesday, it just keeps following Monday.  It really shows no originality at all.  BUt you know what is original--the thoughts I'm going to throw together and call a post.  Random right?  Oh, not so original?  OK, OK, I know Keely came up with it and Stacy is keeping the dream alive and all.  Just check out my thoughts and then go see Stacy, she of the Random Rebelling.

• Throwing a wrench in Bruisers routine makes for a cranky boy.  Cranky mom too, truth be told.
• It's been a very successful summer so far.  Both boys are absolutely filthy by the end of the day.  Means they are being boys right?  Enjoying summer for all it's worth.
• School starts in just a little over two weeks for Turbo.  This summer has been of the blink you miss it type.  We have some great memories of it though.
• I still could use a week's vacation, all at once.  Next summer maybe.  I'll have accrued the vacation days by then.  Now to figure out where we are going.  (Nick be thinking about where you might like to run away too.) 
• Nick built a new walkway in our back yard, moved a planter and still needs to build new steps onto our back deck.  It looks awesome.  We can get past the tree in our back yard and onto the deck without ducking and dodging branches.  And we can walk to the deck on a very nice paver walkway.  Pictures when he finishes the steps.  Amazing what a week off can result in.

So that's about it for my original random thoughts.  Like I said go see Stacy.  A little random is good for you.

Of Weekend Getaways and the Number 13

We ran away this weekend.  We packed the kids in the car and headed out Saturday morning.  We took the back way down to Rocky Mountain National Park.  We live only about 2.5 hours from this national wonder and we have never been there.  So we remedied that this weekend.  The views were spectacular.

What a view!

Looking north to Wyoming, 35 miles away.

We also stayed over night in Estes Park, Colorado.  The boys had a blast swimming in the motel pool.  And sitting in the hot tub to warm up as the pool and hot tub were outside.  We then had a wonderful dinner at a barbecue place and relaxed back at the motel.
The next morning we went back up to Rocky Mountain National park and drove up a fun one lane dirt road to see lots of water falls and then headed home.
All in all, we found a wonderful place that we are definitely going back to visit.  We might even camp in the park.  Or maybe we will do the hotel thing again for the swimming pool.  Who knows.  We sure had fun though.
Now the number thirteen.  Some people are superstitious about it.  And for sure, the thirteenth year we spent in our house was not the luckiest for us, but the thirteenth year of marriage has been wonderful.  Today Nick and I can count 13 years officially married.  I talked about our less than extravagant wedding last year.
Did you know that the traditional gift for the 13th anniversary is lace.  The more modern gift is textiles.  The modern travel recommendation is going to France.  None of these "traditional" ideas really works for Nick.  He let me get new shoes and I am making him get new running shoes.  Wildly romantic the two of us.
Here's to many more, I love you Nick!

Confession for Friday

Time to confess.  What do we have to get out there this week?
Let's see:

• I am scared of potty training.
• Bruiser does not really have a handle on the whole pooping all at once thing.
• I think that is all I really need to say about that.
• I like mojitos.
• I'm thinking that I will like having fall come this year.
• I see it as an end to allergy season.
• And that can't come soon enough.
• I will need a reminder that I was happy to see summer go when it is 30 below. (Hey a rhyme)
• Nick and I have our anniversary on Monday.
• Thirteen years. Officially.
• 18 and half unofficially.
• We are spending the weekend with the boys.
• Going to a national park.
• It'll be fun.
• I am standing up the vacuum, hoping to encourage it to cheat on me with Nick.
• He's been home this week.
• Doing outside home improvement stuff.
• I don't think the vacuum is trying very hard.
• It needs to play easy to get for Nick.
• Sadly, I think it's not really the cheating type.

That about covers my confessions for this week.  Go see Mamarazzi, she's got the goods on lots of people, confess and link up.

Spinning Free

Jen has set us loose and decreed a free spin.  Anything we want to spin.  that leaves lot of open territory to choose from.  I'm not sure where this is going to take me.

• How can little boys find the one thing that will make me want to climb the walls?  Every time?
• Why is mother nature being such a witch?  Take the medication already.
• Why do the weathermen have no windows in the office where they make the predictions?
• Why does pregnancy brain turn into mommy brain?

I think that last one is the one I will run with.
I used to pride myself on remembering everything.  I had wonderful recall and could remember events, the time they happened, and what had happened at them.  I could remember faces and the names to go with them (most of the time).  I had no problem remember appointments, the time and date and where I was supposed to go, all in my head.  Who needed a date book (yes, I'm dating myself a bit with that one, moving on)?  I could remember birthdays for friends and family--I often reminded Nick of important ones, like his parents'--and most often in time to send at least a card.
I was good that way!
Now, after two kids, yeah not so much.  I forget everything.  It started when I was pregnant with Turbo.   I worked at a chiropractor's office as his assistant.  I took notes about the appointments, did therapy for patients, and made appointments with other doctors for said patients when it was required.  I did the ordering of supplies, made the occasional appointment for a patient to come back(we did have a front desk girl, but I got to do just about everything in that office except the billing).  I had good recall for the first three years I worked there, but once I got pregnant, I found if I didn't write everything down, I'd forget, before I left the room, what exactly I was supposed to do.
The same thing with remembering birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, you name it.  I really thought that my recall would come back after I had the baby.  Yeah, not really.  I went from pregnancy brain to mommy brain.  I have a really bad case of CRS(Can't Remember S#!t).  If it doesn't get written down it just flutters right out of my head.  Heck even if it gets written down it can flutter right out of my head.
Tuesday, I made an appointment to go get Turbo's eyes checked.  They called and reminded us the day before and I thought about it during the day at least twice.  But when I got home I didn't remember the appointment until 6:30pm.  The appointment was for 4:30.  Major fail there.
So I'm not sure why Pregnancy brain turns into mommy brain, but it most definitely does.  I tease Nick about his horrible recall for names.  Unfortunately, I'm getting almost as bad.  THe calendar that hangs in our front room is not only so everyone knows about various appointments and such, but also to aid in my remembering at least something.
So there you have it my spin.  At least I remembered to do the spin this week. Go see Jen for more free spins and see what else is talked about during this free pass week at the spin cycle.

WWTK -Silly Faces and Stress Relief

Time to satisfy the nosy Nellies out there and answer the questions for We Want to Know Wednesday.  Mamarazzi and Queso are hosting this party!
This week's questions are from Mamarazzi:

1. If you could spend a day with a blogger, who you haven't met in real life, who would you choose?  Since I haven't met any bloggers in real life, there are really too many to count.  Here are just a few:  Jen from Sprite's Keeper, Mamarazzi, Mimi from Living in France, JennyKate, Shawn, and so many more.  I've met some really great ladies doing this blogging thing.
2. What website do you check first when you go online?  I go see the comic at For Better or Worse.
3. What is something you are saving money for right now?  We need a new computer, I want a Kindle, we want to take a trip to the beach, we need to finish redoing the other half of the kitchen, and oh so many more projects, so I guess we are saving in general, not for any specific thing.
4. What is your go to silly face when a silly face is needed?  I will cross my eyes and sometimes curl my tongue when I need to make the boys laugh.  See:

      5.  How do you relieve stress?  I used to play Doom on the computer after a stressful day at work.  It's amazing how great you feel after blowing up a bunch of monsters.  These days I like to take random road trips to do a major stress release.  I also get a girl's night out once a week and that really helps with the mom stress that builds up.

So go see the other silly faces out there and Join in with your own (really I can't be the only goofy one out there).

A Little Bit Random

Or maybe a lot random.  It's Tuesday and the best thing about Tuesday is that you can be all random and still call it a post.  Stacy at Stacy Uncorked has kept the random party going in the face of a continuing haitus by Keely.  So random it up people!

• Last night I was wearing a tanktop with a large smiley face on it.  It's name is apparently Frank.  Bruiser informed me of that fact shortly after I put it on.
• I have about hit rock bottom on the motivation scale.  Maybe it's the summer blahs, maybe it's the heat, but I really just don't feel like doing anything.  It all seems to take so much effort.
• In other news, August is totally booked solid.  We have friends in town this week, Nick and my anniversary is next Monday, Nick has a guy trip--Man Camp--there is school shopping to do, we are going camping for my birthday, school starts and then Nick's brother is in town.  See, booked solid until Labor Day, then hunting season starts.  
• I think I want to get off the merry-go-round now, please stop the ride.  What do you mean the ride doesn't stop?!
• I found this site--Dear Blank, Please Blank--go see, it's sort of addicting.
• Bruiser will imitate just about anything we say--especially Turbo.  Bruiser has picked up saying "Oh my God!"  when he is excited or surprised.  We think he got it from Turbo, Papa, possibly Grandma, maybe has heard it a time or two from us, really we don't know where or why he clued in on that phrase.  We are only hoping that he moves on to another one soon.
• Turbo has started saying "Oh snap" to just about everything.  We wish it would stop, I'm raising a boy, not a teen aged girl from five years ago.  He will find something else to say soon(please, please, please).  These things come and go, but this one just grates.
• I think next summer we need to take like a weeks vacation.  Get the heck out of Dodge and just go someplace else for rest and recharge.  This summer has been the summer of the long weekend and it's just not the same.

Well that covers my random for this week.  Go see Stacy and random it up K?

Popsicle Kids

So this last weekend we all just sort of did nothing.  I had my fling with the laundry--lasted all weekend--and stood up the vacuum.  It's all good because Nick just might have an affair with the vacuum this week.  He's taking some time to be home for unbloggable reasons.  I took an unscheduled trip to go shopping--I did not really shop for much, just went along as company for a friend.
We had dinner Saturday evening with friends and let the kids wear themselves out on the trampoline.  Bruiser loves the trampoline, but we watch him very closely on it.  Turbo played lots of video games but also played outside, had a birthday party, and got to see his friends lots this weekend.
It really sounds as if the weekend was jumbled and truly, I feel all jumbled after this weekend.  Last night, Nick's folks provided all the fixings for a steak dinner and we had them over for a wonderful relaxing end to the weekend.  They even brought Popsicles for the boys.

He only eats them if they are still attached to each other.

Popsicle good!

Really good!

And that covers our weekend.  August promises to be busy, but fun, even if school is starting before it's done.