Xazmin! It's NEW!!!

I would explain my title to y'all, but as long as THIS GIRL is laughing hysterically right now at my stupidity, I have done my job. 

Now before any of you go all "Ricky Ricardo" on me, and tell me I have some 'splaining to do...
I just wanted to say thank you to all my friends out there in the blogosphere.  Y'all are the BEST!  I can't even count how many emails, texts, phone calls, snail mail lettters, etc. I have received since my abrupt hiatus began.  It's just nice to know that I was missed. 

I missed you guys too.

Typically, I am the "wait until Monday", or "Start fresh with a new month/year" girl, but after an urging text from THIS GIRL, and an encouraging phone call from THIS GIRL all in one day, I decided I'd just take the plunge and get back to it. 

After all, my most recent and most successful diet program to date started on a Thursday...why not?

Now for the explanation...

Quite simply, I burned myself out.  The perfectionist/devoted friend in me would not allow myself to write unless I had visited every blog I followed, and commented on at least one of their recent posts.  If I missed even 1 day of visiting, it would take me a week to get caught up. 

It just wasn't fun anymore.

Not to mention the fact that my house was spiraling out of control around me, and my weight reached a number I hadn't seen since I was 9 months pregnant with Bug. 

It was just not pretty. 

I took a step back, and realized I needed to concentrate on ME.  I needed to establish routines, make fitness goals, get our financial house in order, and concentrate on making my house feel like a HOME again. 

But, something had to give. 

That thing just happened to be blogging for me. 

No, blogging is NOT bad.  I love it.  I really do.  BUT with how intensly I was concentrating on it, it kind of took over my life.  With the summer coming, and going from having 2 kids at home to having 4 at home, I knew I had to make a change. 

So, I gave it up.  Plain and simple.

We had an awesome summer, and now that Sissy, Bubble, and BUG have started school, I finally feel like I have some ME time again. 

I am actually completely childless right now, because Boo is at her first day of preschool OUTSIDE of the house!  A GOOD FRIEND and I have started a co-op type preschool 2 days a week, just to clarify. 

My plan for now is to blog at least 1 day a week.  Most likely while Boo is at preschool. 

I am also going to come up with a game plan for when to do my tours of blogland. 

But I'm not going to apologize for putting myself first anymore.  I will always blog first, if I feel like I have something to say, and THEN I will be by to visit if I have time.  I will also no longer visit blogs because I feel like I HAVE to.  If you entertain me, or we connect, you can bet your behind I will be very hard to get rid of.  Isn't that the point of "blog LOVE"? 

If you want to guarantee regular interactions with me, let me know.  I'm sure we can work something out... (Did somebody say Facebook or Texting???)

Any bets on how many followers I lose? 

Until next time...

It's good to be back!

Symfully Sweet, Whatever Day it is...

My deepest apologies to all those who were actually on the ball and got their posts up on time.  I am in awe of all of you.

I seem to be fighting a losing battle with my schedule.  Moms with older kids, please tell me it gets easier to manage.  Lie to me if you have to...

Alright, so this month, as you may recall, the subject matter for Symfully Sweet was PEEPS.

I don't like Peeps, so my goal was to disguise them as much as humanly possible. 

I LOVE Rice Krispies treats, so I figured I would love them just as much if they were made with Peeps, as opposed to regular marshmallows.

I'll tell you a secret...

I was WRONG.

But here's how Sissy and I made them, anyway.

You must begin by dawning your best apron, and a smile that says "I could totally be on Food Network".

You know that saying "never trust a skinny chef"?  Well, at least you know you can trust me.  Creepy smile and all.

We melted the butter, and then helped a few Peeps commit "chef assisted suicide".

Okay, more than a few.

SAVE YOURSELVES!!!

Oh the humanity!

If it begins to look like a scene out of a horror movie, you know you're doing it right.

Eventually they'll melt together, your kids will begin to get excited that you're making cheese sauce.

Pour the sticky mess over the Rice Krispies (or "Crisp Rice", if you're too cheap to go name brand.)

Make sure to get every last bit out of the pan.

Enlist your husband's help to stir the mess together.  Steal a taste, and be disappointed that they taste very little like real Rice Krispies Treats.

Press mixture into greased pan with a greased spatula.  Make your kids wait "FOREVER!" for them to cool.

Cut into huge pieces (because they'll be gone sooner that way), and arrange them on an ugly plate someone gave you 5 years ago, because all your cute dishes are dirty.

Then, make sure to forget to take a picture of your child(ren) eating the delicious morsels.

How did you guys fare???  Are your projects cooler than mine???

I sure hope so!  Link up your projects, and I will have my Brain Trust select a winner by mid week.  I will announce May's mission when I announce the winner. 

P.S.  Don't forget that if you never had the chance to link up your December "candycane" project, you can do so now.  I will be announcing a winner for that as well...

GOOD LUCK!

Three For Thursday

Got this prompt from EVELYN, and I thought..."why not?".  Hey!  Maybe if you join in too, she will make it a weekly meme and have link ups...DO IT!

Three things I do after the kids are in bed:


1. Eat something I probably shouldn't.
2. Watch all my shows that aren't appropriate for children.
3.  If the mood strikes us me, some sort of team sport... *cue stripper music*

Three people I kind of want to be, but not really:

1.  Me...11 years and 70 pounds ago. 
2. Blanket Jackson.  I'd introduce myself, and say "My friends call me Blankie".
3. ANYBODY who can walk comfortably in high heels wihtout looking "special".

Three objects I would never buy used:

1.  Lingerie
2.  Breast Pump
3.  Makeup


Three things I didn't do today:

1.  Wake up refreshed.
2.  Eat breakfast.
3.  Feel guilty about going out to lunch.


Three books I would like to read...probably in ten years when all these dang kids are in school:

1.  The rest of the Hunger Games trilogy.
2.  The Mortal Instruments series.
3.  Some sort of vacation planning guide.  Preferably to Australia.


Three things that have been ruined for me thanks to stomach flu and/or morning sickness:

1.  Bananas
2. Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup.
3. Yogurt


Three things I appreciate about my marriage:

1.  Our personalities just "fit".  Like we were made for each other.
2.  The boy can cook!  Which means...I don't always have to.
3.   Even after almost 11 years of marriage, we still flirt.  It's nice that my hubby is still hot for me...


Three things within a two foot reach of me:

1. Butterfly habitat
2. My Turn on Earth CD
3. A happy baby that does not belong to me.


Three pictures:


My sister, Boogs, recently sent out announcements for her husband's graduation from Dental School.  I am in love with my nephews!  Especially the grumpy one in the front.  He's so much like his mother, I just can't stand it!!!

Speaking of "announcements"...my brother and Sister in Law recently announced they're EXPECTING!  *praying for a girl*.  As if that's not enough, the incubator up there is turning 25 TODAY.  Happy birthday, Didj!  I love you!

THIS is my newest niece!  Isn't she beautiful?!

Three plans for the near future:


1. Go out to lunch with BAUB.
2. Work for 4 hours at the Book Fair.
3. Publish this post.


Three final thoughts:

1. I think I have allergies
2. Symfully Sweet will post THIS COMING SATURDAY, because my computer was broken, and we just got it fixed.
3.  Something about shopping at midnight, made me feel slightly less appreciative of the teachers

A Post By Roon

In my post labled "Love Bug" I had several of you ask what Bug was eating in the picture that has also resided on my sidebar since day 1  I decided to take the easy way out, and rather than tell you, I thought I would let Roon do it by re-publishing a post he had written on our family blog about 3 years ago.  (Plus, since we FINALLY got our computer fixed, I'm feverishly working to ge my Symfully Sweet post up, and I don't have time for a real post right now.)

Enjoy!

We made a whole bunch of sugar cookies, and we let the kids put the icing on some of them. I told them to take it easy on the sprinkles this time because last year the super sprinkle covered cookie gave Santa some wicked heartburn.

Sissy did a pretty good job with her cookies.

Bubble didn't do too bad either.

Bug started off ok.

Then he decided to eat the icing.

And continued to do it on the floor.

Reminiscent of Mr Pooh Bear.

What Time Is It?!

Come on, really.  What time IS IT?!

THAT'S BETTER.

On the bright side, if I can't tell what time it is, I don't have to feel guilty about oversleeping, right???

This post brought to you by the recent outbreak in storms that caused the power surge that broke my iHome.  Thanks, Mother Nature!  You owe me $40.

It's Like Breaking Up with a Boyfriend, on the Day He Was Fired.

I have learned through my year of blogging, that I have an amazing resource right at my fingertips.

YOU GUYS!

Oftentimes, I have confided in you on an individual basis regarding some sticky situations, and have sought out your advice on how to handle them.

From family, to business, to friendships gone awry, you always know how to navigate me through those less than comfortable situations.  Instead of confiding in you all individually, I decided to lay it all out there for everyone, so I can receive a consensus on how to handle this bit of a pickle.

Let me tell you a little story*.

There are many things in life that Roon is better at than me.  Yardwork, is one of those things.  Even though Roon is completely capable of mowing, edging, and landscaping our yard, he doesn't always have the time or desire to do so. 

One day, when I realized that our yard looked particularly sad, I suggested that Roon do something about it once winter was officially over.  He thought about it for a day or so, and then came to me with a suggestion.  Why not hire a professional?  I had a little bit of money of my own, and I could use that to pay someone to make my yard look EXACTLY how I wanted it, and things wouldn't get ugly between the two of us.

I thought he was brilliant!

I soon found a small landscape company to do the work, and as luck would have it, he was running a bit of a special.  If I paid the full estimated amount in advance, (Before lawn mowing season began) I would be added to the mowing schedule from day one, and Roon wouldn't have to push the mower even once.  Not to mention the fact that I could "bundle" my landscape requests together for a discounted rate.

I was all over it!

I received an estimate, and paid it in full within 24 hours.  I could hardly wait for spring to come, so I could see some improvement in my yard!

Normally, the idea of paying in full for work yet to be performed makes me very uneasy, but he came VERY highly recommened by neighbors and friends, so I went with it.

At the first signs of spring, I would see him in my neighbor's yards, sprucing things up a bit.  Planting a tree, adding some flowers here and there.  The anticipation was killing me!

Along the way, Roon and I decided to add some things to our plan.  You know, a fruit tree in the backyard, a tulip border, and some rose bushes on the side of the house...that kind of thing.  Each time, he would bill us, we would pay, and then we would wait.

When the grass began to grow and look unruly, I called our landscaper to find out what was going on. 

He was very nice, and explained that some things had come up, but that he would be out very soon to take care of it.

A week later, with the threat of an HOA fine looming, Roon went out and cut the grass when our guy couldn't be reached in time.

Through the course of several months, our guy never came once.  We were handled with kid gloves, reassured that we were on his schedule, but no concrete dates were ever offered.

Towards the end of the summer, we heard rumblings that the landscaper was experiencing some personal hardships.  His wife was ill, money was tight, and he was doing his best to handle it all.  This was all speculation, though, as we hadn't actually heard the information from HIM.

We took pity on the guy, and made do the best we could.  Eventually, we contacted the guy, and asked for a refund.  Our contract was terminated, he apologized, and we were promised a full refund.

We found, and hired a replacement landscaper, who has done an amazing job!  We love him, and are so glad to have found him in our time of need.

So where's the problem?

Our original landscaper has yet to reimburse us.  I've contacted him a few times, offering to make arrangements with him to pay in installments, and the offers have been embraced and appreciated by him, but no arrangement is ever made.   At the close of every conversation, he offers the possibility of paying me back with his services, or gift certificates for friends. 

If I wasn't happy with the service I was given in the first place, why on EARTH would I want more service in lieu of money?

To add insult to injury, our landscaper has officially started publicly announcing his hardships to the community.  How am I supposed to request a refund when he's standing at a pulpit telling everyone his woes?!

Is it so unreasonable of me to want what I was promised? 
If you have any suggestions for me, I would greatly appreciate them.

*Certain details have been altered or deleted to protect the guilty.

Love Bug

Five years ago, Roon gave me this:

Exactly one week later, I gave him this...



Fair trade, right?

It was the BEST late birthday present EVER. 

In honor of our Bug turning 5 years old, here are 5 things I LOVE about that little boy.

1.  He is SO much like his dad, in every way.  Thank goodness that's not a bad thing.

2.  His love of animals.  Especially HIS animal.

3.  He's always been a good sleeper...

4.  He's AMAZING at sports.

5.  He's a bit mischievous, but his charm makes it impossible to stay mad.  (Did I mention he's like his dad?)

 

Happy birthday, BUGABOO!

        

 

My Forever Friend Turns 30!

About a year ago, I perfect stranger commented on my blog.

I did what I usually try to do, and I followed her back to her blog, to see what she was all about.

By the time Roon got home from work, I announced I had found a new friend. 

I had completely lost track of time, and had stalked her blog ALL AFTERNOON, commenting here and there.  (This was back in the day, when I was still going by "Symply Me")

Wouldn't it just figure that a matter of days after I found this little patch of sunshine, that she would announce she was going PRIVATE.  I was so bummed.

I didn't feel like I "knew" her well enough to ask for an invite to her private blog, and I wasn't smart enough to bookmark or start following her NEW blog before she went private. 

GAH!

What's an obsessive stalker wannabe friend to do?

Enter- FATE.

Not out of character for myself at all, I signed up for a SWAP.  When I received the info for my partner, I was ECSTATIC!  It was none other than my "missing" friend! 

It didn't take long at all for us to become great friends.  Texting, Facebooking, Emailing, Skyping, and so on. 

I can honestly say that she is like a sister to me.  She knows things about my life that I've only shared with 2 other people (aside from Roon, of course), and I know I can tell her anything without fear of judgement.

And to think I've never met her!

Well, we're fixin' to (I blame Texas) remedy that.  About 40 more sleeps until we can claim to be REAL LIFE friends!  I can hardly wait!!!

So, who could I be talking about???

Ugh.  After watching the video, I realize I looked REALLY gross, and you can hardly hear the dialogue from the kids.  Sorry.  I was in a hurry to get this done.  I wouldn't let myself do a second take. 

Head on over to HANGING BY A SILVER LINING, and wish Evelyn a very happy 30th birthday!

Happy birthday, Evelyn!  I've said it before, but I'll ay it again...you are the Wally Kessler to my Harold Green.

Vlog #2...The Mature Years

There are so many things I want to point out before y'all watch this video. 

First, the angles are really bad.  Sorry.  I did one take, stumbled all over my words, and did a second take, and couldn't keep in the frame.  Oh well, I'm not trying for a third take.  Just tilt your head, you may not even notice.

Second, The lighting was really bad.  There were moments that I looked at my complexion, and my face looked orange compared to my body.  I can assure you that I CAN match my makeup to my skin color better than it appears. 

Finally, please ignore any major messes you can see.  The maid took the day off...for her birthday.  Whatcha gonna do?

Here's the list of words and questions for your personal reference.  After all, I'm probably saying them all wrong...

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Antenna, Root beer, Ambulance, Museum, Milk, Orange, Apricot

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped

body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry

groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Where do you buy your groceries?




Thanks so much Mamarazzi and Shawn for hosting!  It's been fun!

Roon Has Spoken

All my life, I've never had any trouble making friends.  Don't get me wrong, I was a nerd, but I've always made friends easily. 

I've had all types of friends, as well.

My fliratious nature has awarded me many a male friend in my day, one of whom eventually became my husband.

My fierce loyalty, has provided me with many long term friends.  You know, friends whom I have known for 25+ years.

The friendly/outgoing side of me has acquainted me with lots of interesting people, and has occasionally thrust me into some uncomfortable situations.

While I adore my friends, the law of averages implies that in an ocean full of really terrific friends (y'all know who you are...), you will on occasion come across a stinker or two. 

When I was in middle school, I had a "friend" who hated me.  Well, more accurately, she hated me MOST of the time.  Round about October 8th, she would declare me her "best friend", and hold on tight, just long enough to get a  birthday present from me on October 10th.  Once she had what she wanted, the teasing and utter torture would resume.  She did this same thing for Christmas and Valentine's Day as well, for several years.

My mom pointed out how wrong this was on several occasions, but when you're in middle school...your mom doesn't know anything, so I ignored her. 

To this day, I am still a people pleaser, and it drives Roon CRAZY.

Probably because he can see something that I can't.

Usually, he gets quietly exasperated, just shaking his head or rolling his eyes when he doesn't agree with the way I'm allowing a friend to treat me. 

Until recently.

Over the past several months, I have had several interactions with a "friend" I refer to as "Toxic".  (If you're a real life friend of mine reading this...don't worry, I don't think it's you, or someone you know)

This person is a taker.  They take your time, they take your energy, they take your generosity, but they never leave anything behind. 

Have you ever had a friend like that? 

After every interaction I would have with them, I would walk away feeling defeated.  Feeling "less than". 

One evening, after our most recent encounter, I was talking to Roon, and as I started to cry, he put his foot down.

Now, if you know Roon, you know that he is just about the most easy going man in the entire world.  He would do anything for anybody, and RARELY gets upset.

But he was LIVID.

"I don't want you doing anything else for that person."  He said.  "In fact, if you volunteer to do one more thing for them, I am not going to be mad at them anymore, and I'll be mad at YOU!"

And I know he means it. 

So, I'm respecting his wishes.  The people pleaser in me is screaming to be heard, but I love my husband, and I basically only tolerate the other individual.

The whole experience has made me question myself, and how I treat others. 

On the bright side, every time I encounter a "stinker" in my vast ocean of friends, I learn from it, and it makes me a better friend. 

And that makes it all worth it.



Because De-Whiskering Kittens is Inhumane...

This, I tell ya, is the little blog post that could.
Let's just say that my laptop has been experiencing more than it's share of "user errors" lately, and no...it's not Roon who has suddenly become computer illiterate. 

At least I have a computer guru as a husband, who can fix all my technological faux pas.

ANYWHO!

I GOT MY FAVORITE THINGS SWAP PACKAGE!!!

About 4 days ago.  (hanging my head in SHAME!)

I was partnered with the completely hilarious Jessica from Duck Duck Cow.  Right off the bat, I knew she and I were destined to be friends, because, well...all awesome people tend to travel in the same herd, right?

Alright, onto the loot!  Please excuse the picture quality.  They were taken with my phone, by a complete photography dummy...me.

The first thing I saw when I opened my package was this:

In case you can't read that, is says:  "Quick!  Give this to your kids so that you can open your package in PEACE!"  This girl thought of EVERYTHING!

Under that, Were all my goodies, lovingly wrapped in wrapping paper and ribbon:

It doesn't happen very often, but I got to open my ENTIRE package MYSELF!  Which means, I also got a picture of EVERYTHING all laid out, but first I'll start with some highlights...

Yes, you read that fuzzy picture right.  That is a GLAZED DONUT scented candle.  Since it smelled so good that I almost licked it, I am keeping it up high, so that Boo doesn't get any ideas.

I think I may be the only person on the face of the planet that has NEVER tried these things.  I know they're "all the rage", but I've never been one to give into peer pressure.  UNTIL NOW!!!  YUM!

I laughed hysterically when I saw this!  I don't know if you can see from the picture, but that soap has GLITTER on it!  I haven't mentioned this to Jessica yet, but I think she was inspired to send this to get the werewolf stink off me.  That's right...I'm a Jacob girl.  BUT this soap smells SO good, I'm willing to make an exception.

Here's a rundown of everything I got, in no particular order.

1. FUNYUNS!  (These didn't stand a chance of survival in my house.)
2. Glazed donut candle.
3. Cadbury mini eggs
4. Halloween cupcake liners
5. CD of Jessica's favorite tunes.
6. Nail polish, with the CUTEST tiny little bunny toe separators EVER!
7. Gum.
8. Pens
9. Tide to Go (Sissy LOVES this stuff.  SHE insists we keep it on hand always)
10. Cow magnet (SUPER cute!)
11. Beetlejuice, the movie.  (WOW!  Blast from the past!)
12. Flower shaped ice cube trays.
13. Edward Soap and soapdish.
14. Makeup bag, complete with a full set of samples from CLINIQUE!  (I'd never tried Clinique before, but I've already tried some of it, and I LOVE it!)

This was an awesome swap!  Thanks so much, Jessica, for making it so!  Also, thanks to Mamarazzi for hosting, and for keeping everything running so smoothly!

Symfully Sweet RETURNS!

I know you won't believe this, but I really tried to get this posted on Friday. 

BUT, my internet wasn't working. 

Luckily, Roon was going to come home a little early, so I had him fiddle with the computer/router garbage. 

You know what was wrong with it?

The WiFi was turned off on the laptop.

That was ALL that was wrong with it!  All I would have had to do, is push a stupid button!

Have I mentioned I'm not very tech savvy?

Okay, so moving on...
Have y'all missed Symfully Sweet?
Did you even know it was missing?
Probably not.

Okay, well it WAS missing, and I apologize for those of you who were really looking forward to it. 

If you have absolutely no idea what the dickens I'm talking about, click on the "Symfully Sweet Saturday" tab, and read all about it. 

So, what candy did I think would be absolutely perfect for the April Mission???

PEEPS!

Now, just to be clear, I do NOT like Peeps.  I don't.  I think they're gross.  BUT, when I think about Easter, I think about Peeps. 

If you dislike Peeps as much as I do, remember you DON'T have to use the actual candy for your project.  Use them as inspiration for a project, instead. 

Answers to a few anticipated questions:

• YES you can use the Peep bunnies instead of the Peep chicks, if you feel so inclined.
• NO, I don't care what color Peeps you choose.  They all taste the same...
• YES, you can use the new Peeps that are partially or completely covered in chocolate.
• YES, you can use plain old marshmallows to replace peeps, if you also use the crystal sugar sprinkles, to complete the "essence" of the Peep.

If you have any more questions, just ask me.  I promise, I don't bite!

Linking will open on April 30th.  If you keep track, Xazmin's "Mod Podge Mania" will be linking that day too.  If you do a project containing BOTH Peeps AND Mod Podge, you can kill two chicks with one stone...

You may recall that I never posted my project for December's Symfully Sweet.  The mission was "Candy Canes".  If you did a project for December, you can link it up with April's projects, and will be judged separately from the April projects. 

Good luck on your projects!  I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Super Secret Swap Progress

You've all asked, and HERE IT IS!

For those of you who are not participating in the Super Secret Swap, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.  Sorry about that!

This swap has been a lot of fun for me to host.  Granted, at times it IS stressful, but I get REALLY excited every time a recipient emails me with the details of the package they just received.  I think it may even be better than receiving a package myself...

Now, before I show you the goods received thus far, I wanted to tell you about a little game.  Surprise, surprise, Sami wants to play a game...

You don't even have to be participating in the swap to play!

All you have to do is, FILL IN THE CHAIN.

As I told you before, all the participants are listed and linked on my left sidebar. 

Whoever can guess the most accurate chain, will win a prize from me at the end of the swap!  Fun, right?

Please keep in mind, that while I am not linked on the sidebar list, I am also a participant, so my name must be included in the chain also. 

I would encourage you to keep track as I post pictures, and send me an email once the chain is complete.  For example, I keep track of the chain on a "post it note" on my desktop.  You can do that, or use your own method. 

I'll come up with "official rules" for the game later, if I feel I need them.  Until then, I think it'll just be fun to have people try to guess who sent to whom...

Onto the pictures...

(I have included a short "reaction" from each recipient, that you will see in pink below their picture(s)).

PERSON "X" SENT TO

RECIPIENT 1:

"Well i loved everything! And the timing was really great because I had been seriously depressed about a lot of stuff and not only did the package in the mail make me smile but I literally laughed out loud while reading the comments, plus the chocolates, my sister and father kept trying to sneak off the table I was opening them on so it just made my day to get the swap package when I did!"

SHE THEN SENT TO

RECIPIENT 2:

(She had a few technical difficulties with pictures, so please excuse the limited selection.)

"Adorable tiny flower pots w/seeds. As you can see they are in my kitchen window & have started to sprout."

"Super cute mug. It came filled with Vanilla Coffee & Hot Cocoa. Mmmm YUM!"

"MAC Lip-gloss... yes you read that right MAC LIP-GLOSS I love makeup, especially MAC. How spoiled am I!!!

So not only did I get these awesome things, I also got an electronic Sudoku game... GREAT for people who love to have a reason to be doing anything other then what I "should" be doing. A cute picture frame with an inspirational saying in it, chocolates, lollipops, Hot Cocoa, Coffee, and a few other goodies that I can't seem to think of off the top of my head. "

"This swap was so much fun! The pure surprise of it all was the best part. The surprise of getting the package & the surprise of sending the package to the next person. I LOOOVED THAT PART! 

Thank you to my giver, I really enjoyed everything I received. It was fun knowing that someone reads my blog & takes notes on the things I really enjoy. The package came at a perfect time, needing a little pick me up, thank you so much! I can't wait to find out who you are & hopefully follow your blog if I don't already! : )"

SHE THEN SENT TO

RECIPIENT 3:

"I am elated.  I received my package today, it is like she knows me!  I am overwhelmed and thrilled, and want to make her my best friend."

WHO THEN SENT TO
RECIPIENT 4:

"I got the most wonderful package in the mail!  It totally MADE MY DAY!!!  I loved it!  It was so thoughtful and personalized.  Thank you so much to whoever it was."

Obviously, I shortened the reactions, but believe me EVERYONE was over the moon elated to receive their packages.  I should be hearing from recipient #5 today or tomorrow.  Could it be you???

Some of the recipients might be easier to guess based on the pictures.  If you read their blogs, you might know who they are, making the guessing that much easier.  Future recipients can decide whether they want to make the guessing easier or harder on people, accordingly.

Thanks to all my swappers thus far!  You've all done an excellent job!

Y'all might be able to tell that I'm a tad off the pace of where I wanted to be.  No worries, though!  If I'm not back on schedule by June, I have a trick or two up my sleeve, to make sure everyone gets covered. 

Thanks to everyone for playing, and for being patient while you wait your turn!  Ask anyone...the wait is totally worth it.

I Might Should Plead the Fifth...

 

It's FRIDAY!!!  I love Friday.  What better way to spend a lazy Friday than to link up with Mamarazzi and Glamazon for their Friday Confessional? 

I CONFESS...

- I didn't realize that this week was spring break, until my kids got home from school last Friday.  TOTALLY snuck up on me.

- As hard as I've tried to pull out "fun mom" this week, I feel that I have failed miserably.

- In my defense "Spring Break" activities of my childhood consisted of digging, hauling, and building things mostly against my will.  My kids should be grateful for their list of chores in comparison, right?


I CONFESS...

- I told Roon I was sorry for signing up for another swap without consulting him first.

- I'm not sorry though.

- Not even a little.

- Especially since I found out who my PARTNER is.

- I've been stalking her most of the day, but don't have a clue what my children are doing. 

- I might regret that later, but for right now, I'll go back to laughing at Jessica, thanks!


I CONFESS:

- Facebook entertains me.

- Not for reasons you might think...

- Roon is friends with his ex-girlfriend on there.

- Is it wierd that it doesn't bother me?

- Maybe 'cause I know I can take her...

- When she comments on one of his statuses, I'll sometimes comment (adding a little extra somethin' to it) after her, just to remind her that I exist.

- I also sometimes look up my ex boyfriends on Facebook.

- Just to see if their kids are cute.

- Or if their wife/significant other is skinnier than me.

- Then I feel ashamed of myself.  You know...'cause I'm a lurker.

- I'd feel a whole lot better about myself if I knew I wasn't the only one.


Okay, now I must go wash the dirty laundry I've just put out there.  Make sure that you go link up YOUR dirty little secrets too.  I won't judge---much.

Looks Can be Deceiving...

Originally, I wasn't going to link up this week with Glamazon and Mamarazzi for their Friday Confessional.  Not because I didn't want to, but I am SO far behind on emails and blogs that I had decided to take the day off and get caught up. 

BUT

While reading through a few of the emails/comments regarding my VLOG from yesterday, I realized there is a very big confession I must make.

Did you watch it?  If not, scroll down and watch it.  It'll take you just over 3 minutes. 

Did you notice anything?

More specifically, regarding MY FACE???

A "dimple", perhaps?

Well, I must confess that it is NOT a dimple.  It is a scar.

Wanna know how I got it?

Sit back, and I'll tell you a little story...

I was 12.  My chore in the household was laundry. 

I was down in the basement, in the laundry room, tending to my responsibilities, when I heard my older sister, Meg, and my little brother, Bawty, having a fight upstairs.  In our house, fighting was really more of an Olympic event. 
We were all well rehearsed in dramatic brawls, sometimes using only words, and other times wielding weapons of moderate destruction.

I exited the laundry room, and was standing at the foot of the stairs, when Bawty zoomed past me into the basement, jumping the last 4 steps, and maneuvering so as not to run into me and my giant laundry basket.

THEN I heard a scream. 

Not a second later, my face met the impact of the chair Meg had thrown down the stairs...intended for Bawty.

My face was bloodied, and my glasses broke.  The force of the blow was later realized when we found the right lense to my glasses 2 floors up from the location of the accident, in our attic loft.

But I didn't drop the laundry basket!

I missed a week of school because I couldn't open my jaw wide enough to eat food that wasn't mashed or extremely soft. 

As luck would have it, I ended up missing my entire frog dissection in science class!

A few years later, when my high school anatomy teacher complimented my dimple, and informed me that "they're genetic, ya know?", I just laughed, and said..."Sure are!  I got this one from my sister!"

I don't think he got the joke.

Now it's YOUR turn to link up!  Go do it!  NOW!

Because I'm a Follower...

For those of you who have been hounding me about this, I hope it doesn't disappoint.  You can finally get a sense of what I sound like!

Now, I didn't realize how southern I sound until I watched it (maybe the twang comes out with nerves?) AND I never realized just how expressive my face is when I talk.  Maybe that's why I'm a TERRIBLE liar...

At any rate, here I am, in all my "everyday" glory.  Enjoy!

By the way...
Sorry I joined in the party so late!  I will try to do better next month.