I Love Playing Tag! Don't You?

It was one of my most favorite games when I was little! Guess it still is 'cause I am pretty excited to be tagged again! This time, thanks to I Love Your While Face , I get to list six, count them 6, quirky things about myself. It's really going to be hard only listing six!

(1) I am naturally a very shy person...except no one believes me. I remember sitting in Science class in the 9th grade. It was right after Christmas Break, and I was sad because I was too shy to meet people. So, I made a vow to myself, right in the middle of mixing the assigned formula, I would hide my true, shy nature and force myself to becoming an outgoing person. I joined Student Government, Drama, Peer Counseling, and a bunch of other Service Clubs, as well as signed up to become an Student Athletic Trainer. It was the best thing I ever did. I became friends with just about everyone.



(2) I have no solid bone structure left in my right pinky toe. Have stubbed and busted that poor piggy so much it just flops to the side. My doctor wants to perform surgery to try and fix it. I just don't see the need. I am just going to bust it again!



(3) I love going to psychics! Went to my first one after a bad break-up. She predicted that I would marry the next guy I met. We will be happily married for 10 years in October. The last time I went to a psychic, she told me about the hard time that I had during delivery of my first child. She also said that I would have a second child and more trouble. It came true. Not sure if I can handle going to another one...



(4) I have Middle Child Syndrome. My parents do everything for my older sister and coddle my baby sister...she disagrees. I have to be the responsible one and take care of everyone. Just call me Julie The Cruise Director. Married another Middle Child! The two of us will be taking care of everyone for the rest of our lives! But my baby sister will disagree again.



(5) Before college, I wanted to be a Chef. Loved cooking. After a bad experience with an ex, I swore off cooking. Brad & I dated a year and were newly engaged before he learned the truth. He asked my parents why my mother was such a wonderful cook and that the best thing I made was reservations. My beloved parents "threw me under the bus" Now I cook and bake all the time!



(6) I am in deep denial about my nomophobia issues. My baby sister is trying to stage an intervention. She says that I cannot be in a car without a cell phone on my ear.



She also says that I cannot stay away from blogging...



Guess she is right. This is my second post for the day and two more that I want to work on...

Does the Betty have Wi-Fi?



OK...so now you have a little more insight into my quirky nature. Anyone else want to play?

That "Thing" That Went Thump In The Night...

I was fast asleep the other night, dreaming about the future when I will actually get 6 uninterrupted hours of sleep. A slight bumping, thumping type sound in the bedroom woke me up. Brad was out of town and I figured that Bry was restless in her pack n'play beside the bed...but she was still sound asleep.



The bedroom door was closed...so I went back to sleep...probably just one of the cats playing with a catnip toy.

This is what I woke up the next morning. What a sight!







I have long suspected that she is walking in her sleep. Guess this proves it.

So last night, I stayed up most of the night making sure that she stayed in her bed. What a sweet, sleeping angel...

More On Baby Mateo - He's Doing Great!

Just want to provide another update. Baby Mateo had his second surgery this week and all appears to be going well. He is suppose to have at least one more surgery in 6 months. It is my understanding that the surgeries are going to correct a problem with the heart so more oxygen will get to where it is needed in the body. Apparently, the surgeries will also help the problem valve increase to the appropriate size.

Please keep praying for Mateo and his parents.

God answers prayers but we have to ask for his help.

Another Preppy Swap - I am So doing it!

Here is a link to the Preppy Summer Swap Information that I Love Your Whole Face! is hosting. And in case you want to sign up, the deadline is this Friday, May 9th.

Similar to Connecticut Charm's Preppy Spring Swap, I have to find six items that are Preppy, summer-y, and fun. Each item has to start with the first letter of one of the letters in S.U.M.M.E.R. And the $20 budget is still the same.

This should keep me busy for a couple of days. Preschool Graduation is next week and regular schools will be taking summer break soon. I will have a houseful of kids to enjoy and keep me busy until late August!

Baby Mateo Update

Thanks to everyone for the prayers, warm thoughts, and inquiries about Baby Mateo and his parents. I just received this update...

~~~

Mateo Douglas was born last Tuesday evening. He had a slight defect in his
heart. Doctors performed one surgery Wednesday and plan to perform
another surgery this week. His weight is good and further testing indicates
everything else about the baby is just fine. His mother was released from
the hospital late last week and she can be with her baby.



On behalf of Mateo and his parents, I ask that you continue praying for
them. We know God answers prayers.

Urgent Prayer Request

In my "BB" (Before Blog) days, I would have sent out an e-mail to all of my e-mail friends. Now that I am firmly entrenched in the Blogging World, I am going to try sending a Prayer Request via post.

If you are able to say a prayer(s) for this family, it would be greatly appreciated. If you would prefer not to pray, then have some good thoughts and strong wishes for them.

~~~

I received this prayer request from my father. As a mom of a relatively "new" baby, my heart is going out to this mom. I cannot imagine being in one hospital while my newborn baby is in another one fighting for his life!

~~~


Please pray for the newborn son of a young couple from our church. His name
is Mateo (sp) and his parents' names are Mel and Tanya. Shortly
after his birth this morning, a heart problem was detected and he was rushed
to another hospital for surgery. He was born 8 lb 1 oz.

This is all the information I have at this time. Please pray for baby Mateo
and his parents. It must be very difficult for the child and his parents.
The mother is in one hospital her child in another. The father is torn
between two hospitals and two people he loves.

Again, please pray for them.

We know our God is all powerful and we need to ask for his healing hand on
this child.

Jan

~~~

This e-mail was sent out two days ago. The most recent update I have is that the mom is recovering in the delivery hospital and will hopefully be released soon to join her husband at their son's bedside. Her room has been filled with friends and church members who are helping with her comfort and recovery while her husband has been with their baby.

The heart problem with the baby involves one of the valves. It is apparently too small and deformed. Surgery was immediately preformed to repair / replace it. I am still waiting for an update on his status.

Sorry that it has been a couple days since my last post,

but there have been some new developments in regards to my precocious preschooler and her "fiance". Thought I might catch all of you up on the details.

1) The husband finally came to his senses and had a talk not only with our darling daughter, but also with our nephew. He told Mikey that as the only boy in a family full of girls, he had to take more responsibility in regards to his friends and what their intentions were towards his sisters and cousins. And because he was lucky enough to be blessed with some really cute female relatives, he would also learn that some boys will want to be his friend just so that they can have introductions.



They decided that Mikey needed to make sure that his friends knew that it was not "cool" for them to date his sisters or cousins. Plus, the two oldest girls would be heading off to elementary school with him in the fall, so he also needed to take care and watch over them at school.



During the whole conversation, Mikey just stared at him with wide eyes, shaking his head and saying "Yes, Sir."

2) The "talks" must have worked because the next day at the bus stop, Mikey pulled So&So aside and told him that he was not allowed to kiss Kyla any more. Later that afternoon, Kyla also told him that she was not allowed to kiss him. That her hugs and kisses were only for her daddy, mommy, sister, mom mom, papas, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was too young for a boyfriend and needed to enjoy life.

After that, all the kids played really well together...but there was still some unspoken "kiddie crush" tension in the air.

3) Sunday afternoon, we had another beautiful day in Sunny, FL. We loaded up the vehicles and headed to the beach for a couple hours of fun. Mike asked if he could bring his BFF and since all was understood, the approval was granted. Well, when Kyla heard that So&So was joining us, she was beside herself with excitement. She begged and pleaded with me to let her ride in the same car as the boys. She wanted to sit beside her boyfriend! Guess where she got to ride?!?! I'll give you one guess...in my car where I could keep a close eye on my little raggin' hormone girl! She cried and cried, telling me what an awful mommy I was. That because of me, she would never be able to marry him! Poor Baby Girl!

At the beach, all went well for the most part. The boys played with their action figurines...



while the girls built sand castles...



Every once in a while, the two star-crossed lovers would cast longing glances at each other, then look quickly away. The two of them just seemed so sad...





I was starting to feel pretty mean until a group of 4 or 5 high school boys walked by. My sweet precious Princess Pumpkin Pie dropped her sand bucket, straightened her flowery bikini, flashed her brightest smile, and said "Hi boys!"



Does anyone have the name of a good convent in the mountains?

What's A Mom To Do?

On the way to Yoga class, I dropped my girls off at the P's house. My oldest daughter asked to play outside with her cousins and a neighbor boy who is the same age as my nephew, which is around 7 year old. The young boy is really very nice and helpful. He plays with the younger children and makes sure that they are not getting into trouble...or so I thought.

As I walk out the front door after leaving my youngest inside with her grandfather, my niece and nephew come running up to me chanting...

"Kyla and So&So were making out!"

WHAT?!?!?!?

"Kyla and So&So were making out!"

As I pick myself off the ground and try to perform chest compressions on myself to restart my heart, I look over at my angelic little 4 1/2 year old. She is sitting beside So&So, holding his hand!

I calmly walk over to them, tell her to go inside with her younger sister and grandfather, and tell So&So that he should probably go home because I am sure that his mother is getting ready to serve dinner.

That is when my precious baby girl tries to kill me again by saying...

"I love So&So and he loves me. We are going together and plan on getting married!"

Needless to say, I was a little late to class...and I really needed the stress relief after this!

And do you want to know what my husband said to me when I called about the problem?

"At least she likes boys. Remember she told us a few months ago that she loved the new little girl in her preschool class."

I could have smacked him! This is all his fault! He is the walking, talking hormone! And my Pumpkin Ky is just like him!



Do you think it's too early to send her to an All-Girl Boarding School?

Tag...I'm It...

The thanks goes to Mad About Plaid Girl who tagged me. Now I am suppose to write five random things about myself...Only five? Too many random things to choose from! Not sure if I can take the pressure this late at night. Let me take another sip of my yummy Greek tea and collect my random thoughts...

(1) I hate tomatoes. Hate the taste and texture, but love the smell of fresh grown tomatoes on the vine. How weird is that?!?! But when I was pregnant with my daughters, I ate tomatoes like crazy. After the hormones settled down again, back to hating them.

(2) Have to glance in and around the toilet before I use it...even at home. I am afraid that a snake will be there, ready to strike me on my lily-white bottom...or a deadly spider under the seat that will kill me in days because of it deadly toxin! Those Urban Legends have really got me messed up!

(3) One of my favorite toys when I was a preschooler was a rubber alligator that squeaked. Because of that, I decided to become a Florida Gator! When I was in high school, I would have Florida Gator Week and wear nothing but Orange & Blue outfits. Loved the Gators so much that I told my high school boyfriend that I would break up with him if he didn't accept the football scholarship to UF. He went, played, and graduated...and I had a blast hanging out with the team. (And get your minds out of the gutter...I was and still am a "good" girl)

(4) Driving relaxes me. From the day I earned my license, I have taken drives to calm down and / or de-stress. I usually volunteer to drive whenever I go out with friends or family...and even make my husband ride shotgun. That drives him nuts! Cannot take random drives anymore because of the horrible cost of gas right now...so I have to think of another way to relax myself.

(5) I cannot take a shower without cleaning it. I am usually scrubbing down the walls while I shampoo and condition my hair. Then I spray down the glass enclosure before I step out. It just seems so much easier to clean it while I am cleaning myself.

O.K. Did I pick some good "random" things about me? Do you think I am a complete nut job?

OK...now it is my turn to tag some other bloggers that I "stalk" on a regular basis.

My Favorite Oppolds

My Favorite Gozdieskis

The Adventures of Maverick & The Mrs

The Preppy Lizard

And I am also going to tag my dear friend, Susan, who lives in Scotland. She doesn't blog (yet), but she reads my blog all the time. We have been friends for so many years that I've lost count. Love you! This should give you something fun to do at work! Hug Russ & Cara for me.

Have fun ladies!

Guess What I Got!

My surprises from my Preppy Spring Swap Partner. Yeah!

Here is my huge box of goodies...I could not wait to open it up.



She sent a note detailing what everything is and even used one of the note cards that I sent with her gift.



S - Spring Scents



They smell wonderful!

P - Preppy Printed Box



How in the world did my Swap Buddy know that Chocolate Brown and Pink are two of my favorite colors!

R - Refreshing Treats



A package of Greek Tea and it smells so delicious! As I am writing this post...guess what I am drinking?!?! It tastes yummy too! Thanks again! I am going to have to find out where I can order more of this stuff! I love tea and usually have a cup (or two or three) every day.



And then there is this luscious looking bar of hazelnut chocolate...also from Greece. Now I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of fine chocolate, but I do have to admit that this will be the first time that I have ever had the pleasure of trying Greek Chocolate. Will have to post later about my first taste.

I - Ice Pop Maker



The kids and I are going to have so much fun making Popsicles this summer. You know it's Spring Time in Sunny, Florida when the ice cream man starts trolling the neighborhood. And with this star-shaped Popsicle maker, we can avoid going anywhere near that scary-looking dude! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

N - Note Cards



How cute are these note cards! I love the Cherry Blossoms on them. Pink and pale spring green is also a favorite color combination of mine. Will have to write a thank you note to my thoughtful partner.

G - Garden Of Cherry Blossoms



Now this is something really thoughtful. It is a wonderful photo of some Cherry Blossoms. The photo was taken by my Swap Partner. She had this lovely view outside of her apartment in Greece. How breathtaking would that be to wake up to the luscious site of cherry blossoms.

And then I also got an added bonus



Not only is my sweet partner a gifted photographer, but she is also a talented knitter. She made these wonderful dish cloths. They are almost too pretty to use...

Thanks again for putting together this wonderful box for me! I love all of it...

Just A Quick Post...

because the day is gorgeous. So after church, we are headed to the beach. Aren't you jealous! I'll be sure to soak up lots of sun and fun for you.

Before I go, have to post this picture my father sent the other day. If you have a warped sense of humor like me and are sick and tired of all the dirty politics going around...then you just might giggle so much that you do a little "tinkle"!



Hope you enjoy it...and try not to curse my name today while you think of me lounging by the water, reading my book, watching the kids play in the sand, and just lovin' life in Sunny, Florida!

I just love living here!

Look What I Just Did...

What do you think? I have been seeing these on some of the other blogs that I read and decided to do one for myself.

If you want to try one for yourself, go to this place.

Have fun.

She Likes It! She Really Likes It!

Received an e-mail from my Preppy Swap Partner and it sounds like she enjoyed what surprises I put together to welcome Spring 2008.

~~~

Hey Scarlet O'Kara,

SQUEEE!!!!! I love my package, so adorable! Thank you so much...

Your Preppy Swap Partner

~~~

So, do you want to see what I sent her?

Well here it is...



A big box! Doesn't that make you think of Spring?

OK...here is what is inside of the big box...



A pretty spring liner basket with some pink and green tissue wrapped gifts!



Don't you just love that basket! Saw it at the store and had to buy it. Thought that it would be prefect to set on a hall table by the front door to hold keys, sun glasses, mail, etc.



Loved these pink and green Scrubbie Sponges. Not sure about that rest of you, but I go through alot of these little scrubbies.



And how cute are these little Pumice stone stars. Almost too cute to use...but they are a must have in order to make your feet ready to wear those spring sandals.



Had a bit of a hard time finding something for R. Then I found these Raffia Ribbons. My Swap Buddy is a really crafty and creative lady...unlike me...so I know that she will come up with a great use for the Ribbons.



Finding something for I was even harder. Then these really cute polka-dotted I-shaped sticky notes called my name!



And don't you just love these Note cards! You can never have enough Note cards.



And finally, how about some great tasting Gum...in a pink and green wrapper of course!

~~~

Now I just have to wait patiently for my goodies to arrive! I just know that I am going to love whatever it is!

Thanks again to Connecticut Charm for putting all of this together! What a great way to welcome in the Spring-Time.

Now, I am going to gather up my pretty little daisy girls and go out for a walk to soak up some spring time!

Happy Tax Day!

Hopefully yours has already been completed and mailed...cause if not, enjoy the long night ahead of you!



Ours was completed, submitted, refunded, and spent a few weeks ago. How quickly it was disappeared from our checking account and I didn't even get to go shopping. So sad...



Thought I would pass along a couple of "Tax Day Only" deals. If you go to this popular donut place today, you get a free donut with the purchase of any sized hot coffee. So that takes care of breakfast.



For lunch, you just swing into this kid's favorite and buy one of these huge burgers with that speci@l s@uce and get a second one for a penny. That takes care of lunch.



Not sure what you can do about dinner...maybe eat the other burger? Or you could just consume vast amounts of these...