tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31801482834787123442024-03-05T21:36:15.836-05:00Mutterings of a total headcaseJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-23374869560049523712011-06-06T17:42:00.000-04:002011-06-06T17:42:49.773-04:00Murphy's law?Perhaps bad karma. We are not even a full week into June and I hate this month. A lot.<br />
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I hurt my friends. I don't need to go into it anymore than that, but I hurt people I care deeply for over something ridiculous and although I have apologized, I am not sure things will ever go back to normal. That breaks my heart.<br />
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I think the universe is trying to get back at me.<br />
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There has just been little things adding up, over and over trying to make me insane. It's like a scab that never quite heals because someone keeps picking at it.<br />
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Then there are the bigger things. My truck needs a new differential. We manage to pick vehicles with weird, impossible to find parts, and things that never break for other people break for us. That just means there isn't an abundance of parts for it out there. So yeah. $2000 repair that I wasn't counting on. Sorry younger kid. Your braces just got pushed back a bit.<br />
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My uncle had knee surgery. Shouldn't be a huge deal right? Except apparently it was because he hasn't come out of it the way he should have. He is incoherent when he is awake which is only about 4 hours every 24. So I am worried about him. He is a good man and deserves to be healthy.<br />
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So my life kind of sucks. I am in a funk that I would love to get out of. I need a vacation. Or booze. Maybe both.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-70940594002057771512011-04-23T09:51:00.000-04:002011-04-23T09:51:25.946-04:00Girls night in, cards with friends, and maybe even a little bit of sunshineThis weekend is both busy and looking to be awesome.<br />
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I spent last night hanging out with friends of mine I used to work with, drinking wine, eating cucumber sandwiches and brownies, and catching up. We try to get together once a month, but we are way behind. I think the last time we all managed to get together was December when I hosted. Last night two were missing, having other plans, but I am still glad that the rest of us got together.<br />
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Tonight we are going to play cards with friends, which is always fun. You really can't beat cards and drinks with people who are funny ;)<br />
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Today is looking like it is going to be extremely pretty so I am thinking BBQ if nothing else. We need some solid time outside. I know April showers bring May flowers blah blah blah blah but I am so so so sick of rain. Bring out the sun!!<br />
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Next weekend is looking to be exciting for the husband. He is taking a motorcycle safety course so he can actually ride his new (to him) bike. After a lot of thought and working out the numbers we decided to sell my car. The insurance was killing us. It didn't occur to me that a Monte Carlo would be considered a sports car. Gas is already up to $4/gallon and only promising to go higher so we were looking for a solution there as well. We need the truck for various reasons, so we sold the car, and used the money to buy the bike and gear. Now my husband can drive the bike to work for the next 5 months, which at 50+ MPG is triple the gas mileage of the truck. I will have the truck for appointments if needed, but I live close enough to work to walk it, which is what I have been doing and will continue doing. Even with full coverage on the bike we are saving $50 a month on insurance, and in the winter we'll put storage coverage on it and probably be closer to $100 lower! What about winter? Well, The man and I can carpool until student teaching is done. After that, the need for a second car is going to depend on when/where I can find work. We need to cut expenses and this satisfies that and scratches the man's 10 year motorcycle itch so I am excited about the win/win.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And yes, I am ok with him having a donor-cycle. He managed thousands of miles in a truck safely, and has a healthy respect for the dangers involved, plus we didn't cheap out on gear ;) That is what I am going to believe anyway.</div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-54285718757267586382011-04-20T20:59:00.000-04:002011-04-20T20:59:48.675-04:00Destination: Upper PeninsulaThat is my hope anyway. Specifically the Hiawatha National Forest up near Sault Ste. Marie. $13 a night camping, right on Lake Superior and close enough to the Locks to take the girls. They have been to the little locks on the Erie Canal. I think the bigger Soo Locks will be cool to see. There is a really cool light house tour that goes through the locks and takes you to all the light houses but at $49/ticket I think we might skip that and maybe do the much cheaper two hour ride just through the locks. Then of course there is the hiking and fishing and swimming that I can't wait for. I am also hoping to get a peek at some Northern Lights. I haven't seen them since I was a little kid.<br />
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Of course we have to pay for a second set of braces, court fees and a settlement this summer so we will see where we stand. Sigh.<br />
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For now I am excited for a short work week. Tomorrow is my equivalent of Friday and since we have an Easter party planned for the kids I am really hoping that it passes quickly. After that it is getting some school work done, spending time with friends (GIRLS NIGHT IN FRIDAY!! WOOHOO) and more school. I have to put together the class portfolios while I am at it too. Preschool graduation is in June and most of my kids will be going to K next year so I really need to get it set up.<br />
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The good news is we might see the sun this weekend! I am so done with the April showers business. It is getting really old to be stuck inside all day. It is also supposed to be something like 60 degrees so I say bring on the BBQ :)Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-70473357836034511902011-04-18T20:09:00.000-04:002011-04-18T20:09:13.811-04:00Mondays suckLet's just start with what today's prize was<br />
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Can you believe that crap? Nothing like a mid-April snowfall to make you really feel like spring is around the corner!<br />
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Today we had a birthday in my preschool class, so mom brought in cupcakes. Now as yummy as they were and as easy as it made snack time, cupcakes for morning snack = sugar high. Mid-April snowfall - snowpants that have all been taken home for the year = no recess. Sugar high preschoolers - recess = OMFG ARE YOU KIDDING ME? (I am actually shocked I have any hair left after today)<br />
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But, I survived. Somehow.<br />
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After work, I walked home...in the snow....uphill ;) About 100 yards from my workplace I hit a puddle that resulted in a soaked sock and jeans. Awesome. It wasn't freezing or anything. Sigh.<br />
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Now I am trying to help my husband figure out his final paper for the term. If you have never dealt with WGU and Task Stream, I just want to point out that it is incredibly vague when it comes to the directions, and they expect you to write 5-7 pages based on this hugely broad scope that they have given you. However, if you don't read their minds regarding what they want, they will kick it back to you. I despise Task Stream and I am SOOOOO glad that I am nearly done with this bullshit. As my husband gets closer to his degree, I am hoping that will mean more tests, fewer papers. Ugh.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-43464914462363094662011-04-17T12:29:00.000-04:002011-04-17T12:29:06.714-04:00Weekends pass so quicklyEspecially when you spend a chunk of Saturday driving around trying to figure out where you are supposed to be.<br />
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I had to drive to Ypsilanti for my content exam. I was there once for the basic skills test but that was quite a while ago. I am fairly familiar with Ann Arbor but Yspi was not much fun. I am so glad that I left early because it took nearly 40 minutes to find where I needed to be. Google maps was useless. Thank goodness for the GPS on my phone.<br />
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I wish I could say I did well on the test, but I have no idea. It wasn't anything like my Bio II test which covered a lot of microbiology and cellular biology. This test had several questions which had more than one right answer, and I was supposed to pick the best one. We will see what happens. I won't know how I did until I get the results next month.<br />
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I should be putting together lesson plans for my class today. I was ahead for a while, but slacked off with the last two weeks being so busy. I have yet to work a full week. A day off per week for court, a day off this coming week for good Friday and my first week was only two full days. I don't know what I will do when I work a full five days. I think I will hope for good weather! I have learned quickly that outside recess is a sanity saver. We have 40 minutes outside before lunch and they need every little bit of it, or they start bouncing off the walls. I forgot how much movement 4 and 5 year olds require.<br />
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The flowers are starting to pop up and the trees are budding. I need to get my camera out. The girls keep taking off with my camera. They each have their own now, but since mine is "better", they have it more than I do anymore.<br />
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The down side to the warmer weather is kid A needs new pants. The jeans I bought her in the fall are all lined with fleece because it was the only way to get her into jeans. I was hoping it would desensitize her a bit so she could move on to real jeans but that isn't happening. Instead, now that the weather is warmer, she cycles through the three pair of yoga pants she has which means more laundry for me. She needs shorts too. At least kid B is set for shorts. Her legs got longer, but the rest of her remained steady so she can wear the shorts I got her last year. I don't even have to buy her shoes because big foot wears the same size I do now, so she has taken my flip flops like they were always hers. Little punk. Now I need new sandals. I can wait a while though. Kids are so damn expensive.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-30819099229483346892011-04-15T16:41:00.000-04:002011-04-15T16:41:19.991-04:00My apologiesI let my anger and frustration of the whole last year get the better of me in my last post. I am much more zen today. I won't delete it but I will admit the whole thing was unnecessary and a bit petty. I should be a bigger person than that.<br />
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I am looking forward to the upcoming months being much less stressful. I am back to work, with preschoolers this time which has been a blast. I won't even get into how much I do not miss changing diapers and wiping snotty noses. The kids are all super sweet - very energetic - but a lot of fun. It's nice to lead group and have them actually get into it with me, singing and checking the weather. We planted radish seeds last week and most of them have sprouted. The few that didn't I stuck another seed in because when they go home at the end of next week I want all the kids to have a sprout. Radishes are kind of a goofy thing to plant but I love them because they germinate really quickly and this age group needs as close to instant gratification as I can get.<br />
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The weather has been absolutely lovely. It is super windy today but it is still well above freezing which most definitely works for me. I am done with winter. It has been a long one.<br />
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I am trying to plan our vacation now. It always involves camping because it's cheap and it's a blast. We will definitely be doing some hiking again but I think this year we are going to stick a bit closer to home. Gas prices are ridiculous! Since I am only working until student teaching in the fall I am thinking it will be late August before we go. There is another big reason to stay in the land of more reasonable temperatures. Last year southern IL was 106 heat index. That does not make for awesome hiking and tenting weather. Thank goodness for the solar shower (if you tent camp, spend the $8. Worth every penny) and we planned every hike for early morning and evening to beat the heat, and that was in June before summer even officially started. This time the kids are coming with us. I know they had a blast with my dad and want to go back but I missed the little punks. The puppy dog needs to come this time too.<br />
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Content exam tomorrow. Wish me luck. I have to pass this (it's the equivalent of the PRAXIS II) in order to do my student teaching in the fall so I admit I am a bit nervous. Love the fact that once this is over I have nothing to really stress over for a while.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-16482492125158959652011-04-14T17:49:00.000-04:002011-04-14T17:49:20.114-04:00Things I buy while being suedBecause apparently, when faced with overblown lawsuits all life is supposed to stop. I did not know this so I wasted all kinds of money.<br />
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I paid for medical care. My younger kid had the bad manners to come down with a serious kidney infection that required three days of hospitalization. Anyone who has spent anytime in the American middle class knows that just because you have insurance doesn't mean the bills don't roll in. If only life were that simple. Of course, a kidney infection wasn't enough for her. This kid afterall spent 10 years of her life being extraordinarily healthy so she had a lot to make up for. A kidney infection led to complications that required her to undergo a procedure six months later. How dare she need to be put under when other people were waiting to get paid. The nerve! Then, mere weeks later there was the unidentified stomach pain the doctors could not find an answer for and were concerned was related. It ended up being an ovarian cyst. Completely unrelated but involved enough bloodwork to fill a mountain of mosquitos and an ultrasound to figure out.<br />
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This kid was completely determined to break the bank. Glasses and eye exams were chunked in there. She also failed a hearing test at school which led to follow ups with her doctor, a specialist and of course they want her in hearing aids. Despite what some might think, we are not made of money, so the $3000 hearing aid is on a back burner for the moment since the hearing loss is not bad enough to effect her schooling. We opted for preferential seating instead. At least we have a little common sense!<br />
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Then of course there is the other kid who refuses to grow like she should. I suppose we could have skipped the doctor, but I kind of like knowing that she is healthy.<br />
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I suppose her braces were just a cosmetic procedure and could have waited...you know...for her growth plates to close making braces later take 10 times longer and cause 50 times the amount of pain. Who really cares if she can't close her mouth properly because her facial structure is messed up. Oh wait. I DO! Damn mothers always wanting the best for her kids.<br />
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I also paid for stuff like my younger kid's viola. Ugh. Kids don't actually need music right? I also paid for her to swim for another year. Waste of time. She didn't need the ribbons she earned or the self confidence she gained.<br />
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Field trips? School expenses? Bah!<br />
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Speaking of school expenses, college is a total waste of money. I should settle for making $8.50 an hour like I do now and make the best of it. $1000 a month will pay for...groceries and gas at this point. What, that isn't enough? How dare I even think of spending money on text books and CPR classes and licensing expenses so that I can teach for real and triple my pay. Other people need that money more than I do!<br />
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And then I used this timing to pay for the inhaler I needed for years but couldn't afford since I was too busy slinging more money than I had into a house that couldn't be saved. Then there was the glasses I have needed for years but kept putting off.<br />
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Be sad for our money management skills. We don't have credit cards. We don't have cable or brand new cars (our fancy "new" truck is a 2003 we have had for years now and our MONTE CARLO is an 01 with 170,000 miles on it we bought cheap to replace the late nineties Malibu with a blown engine. Yeah. Ok then.) We just keep throwing good money after bad like kids and school and medical care. Irresponsible. Completely.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-70046158713805777922011-02-04T14:55:00.000-05:002011-02-04T14:55:58.489-05:00January overviewI can't keep up with blogs, so here is an overview.<br />
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We danced our way into the new year with some of the coolest people we know ;)<br />
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Kid two performs in her first ever choir concert<br />
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The kids enjoyed the Ice Sculpture Festival in town, despite the sub-zero wind chill that day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpcApX8AENVb4Zu0txEp_ROZKVDD5X4SPFawiTHfD6878rucThq6t2SR_sWYBESvC48sSTnPRXdQf9ngCn5fXWMcASD1oZG-W8947yXMaZYHv_GD8xszP_opaFD0Pynox-XMQN1-q8HE/s1600/1_23_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpcApX8AENVb4Zu0txEp_ROZKVDD5X4SPFawiTHfD6878rucThq6t2SR_sWYBESvC48sSTnPRXdQf9ngCn5fXWMcASD1oZG-W8947yXMaZYHv_GD8xszP_opaFD0Pynox-XMQN1-q8HE/s320/1_23_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Kid two swims in the only home meet of the season. She places 4th in the 100 IM, 4th in the 50 freestyle, and 3rd in the 50 Breast (and first for her team!) She has come a long way with her swimming!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-74861134393894376942011-01-10T17:36:00.000-05:002011-01-10T17:41:15.954-05:00Overview of 2010I am a few days late on this, but I wanted to recap the year!<br />
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<u><b>January:</b></u><br />
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I am contacted by the company I previously worked for and asked to return. I accept and plan to start work the first of Feb.<br />
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My grandma turns 90!!<br />
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<u><b>February:</b></u><br />
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I come home from my first full day of work to a message on my answering machine that touched off our decision to move.<br />
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We find a place, and manage to move, store or get rid of 5.5 years worth of stuff in 3 weeks!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMHqm8lnq19HoIj0CuzX6_SMHPjCBw_zb97kCjPJ0JjVf7IFuIMB5ja-f_RpeOAXpnwcI-rJMbu3ZS0eidkkRVFnV6ZCqsyW6eexlmwQD8g7flFNS7cWIerOqqccmfQ2IMzIgVQmuhrc/s1600/LR1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMHqm8lnq19HoIj0CuzX6_SMHPjCBw_zb97kCjPJ0JjVf7IFuIMB5ja-f_RpeOAXpnwcI-rJMbu3ZS0eidkkRVFnV6ZCqsyW6eexlmwQD8g7flFNS7cWIerOqqccmfQ2IMzIgVQmuhrc/s320/LR1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>March:</b></u><br />
<br />
My baby turns 10!<br />
<br />
Warning!! Shit storm commences!<br />
<br />
<br />
Kid two is hospitalized for 3 days, setting the new family record.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIQs9KBQDZIqISXXteXLjYVXPtV2757qhp7P494BbnbKLHSbxPPCwSEJLtiVT0KTAqc8vq4yceI7zqaWFhu47FPrRVAC18BKcqTfZJv7Z7dVMbIutIr36y_F8uuHuWdD4Jwg2GPI3wcM/s1600/hospital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIQs9KBQDZIqISXXteXLjYVXPtV2757qhp7P494BbnbKLHSbxPPCwSEJLtiVT0KTAqc8vq4yceI7zqaWFhu47FPrRVAC18BKcqTfZJv7Z7dVMbIutIr36y_F8uuHuWdD4Jwg2GPI3wcM/s320/hospital.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<u><b><br />
</b></u><br />
<u><b>April:</b></u><br />
<br />
Our 2nd year of college comes to a close and we scurry to get everything finished.<br />
<br />
<br />
Things quiet down on the extended family front.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>May:</b></u><br />
<br />
<br />
We spend our days exploring the new town and gearing up for summer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGz8mfbIYwnr5H4-pjwJSvza8ZQSIWpihdP2ht5nrSs8LH6mYyhq4dvmjZR0Hsv39Du0JuXtOpMGttWL8SjHKfV4ha1B8iXL4JTgqE6yz7x2A4Ys0zy-wVSnZ6fKOfP_93O9M_5oawmR0/s1600/explore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGz8mfbIYwnr5H4-pjwJSvza8ZQSIWpihdP2ht5nrSs8LH6mYyhq4dvmjZR0Hsv39Du0JuXtOpMGttWL8SjHKfV4ha1B8iXL4JTgqE6yz7x2A4Ys0zy-wVSnZ6fKOfP_93O9M_5oawmR0/s320/explore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
I give my notice for my job. Since we moved, I no longer have a backup plan for childcare, and daycare is expensive!<br />
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<u><b><br />
</b></u><br />
<u><b>June:</b></u><br />
<br />
<br />
Kids first vacation away! They ride down to Arkansas with their grandpa and spend two weeks having fun in the south.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-47mh5ZHtaxx0J33LoNhyCl7YccOfeTW3oqBm6JbmIj-8Mn8r8YhbCj37p3O1Un__NoJUVkpy5vf8XQVlANHAPYTGXaFTBti1WRSaZknfUJ-wwYcOAGURK3bnl53kqTMNKYMZhHq3h-0/s1600/fam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-47mh5ZHtaxx0J33LoNhyCl7YccOfeTW3oqBm6JbmIj-8Mn8r8YhbCj37p3O1Un__NoJUVkpy5vf8XQVlANHAPYTGXaFTBti1WRSaZknfUJ-wwYcOAGURK3bnl53kqTMNKYMZhHq3h-0/s320/fam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<br />
We are served with a lawsuit! Let the fun begin!<br />
<br />
<br />
We go on vacation and spend a week camping and hiking before grabbing the kids and heading back home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QtutricBrqnMeFOexWMuruRnY9VCJLM5G_DcTj1JsYba8ADfCsUg02kQ050WHWVsRx_5pPUpJarCZlmdmGe9TKq_TJNKhKL63qTsGK2WFJ5s9VZi-ro1vofdXGMMHw1WDOr-BG3i4EU/s1600/vacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QtutricBrqnMeFOexWMuruRnY9VCJLM5G_DcTj1JsYba8ADfCsUg02kQ050WHWVsRx_5pPUpJarCZlmdmGe9TKq_TJNKhKL63qTsGK2WFJ5s9VZi-ro1vofdXGMMHw1WDOr-BG3i4EU/s320/vacation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<u><b>July:</b></u><br />
<br />
<br />
We spend several weekends camping with friends.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdfTMWclEbNup_zUeDQD8Ih4FxUx1tej465m_85nvV2CAF8SbkOfgW41iEi1e16_uhl1f3-afz1ymey3AjXwMyM2BliQwE8wKYMIv6ZU_JNYIH6_TqIZnlqO0b6r2t06lCzWmj1fryUE/s1600/camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdfTMWclEbNup_zUeDQD8Ih4FxUx1tej465m_85nvV2CAF8SbkOfgW41iEi1e16_uhl1f3-afz1ymey3AjXwMyM2BliQwE8wKYMIv6ZU_JNYIH6_TqIZnlqO0b6r2t06lCzWmj1fryUE/s320/camp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
We find out kid two has mild/moderate hearing loss. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>August:</b></u><br />
<br />
<br />
Our lawyer gets us set up with future court dates. No chance of settlement.<br />
<br />
<br />
I have to buy whole new wardrobes for growing kids. They just keep growing!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ysM7Yq4nDYo4rHkEK4MxsPciTwqp652ptmU-aQErJeIoOsgf0b5z_rxr4XLf0CpmfJYdNOSKql-gUE5EaYhioGb3pUFRwy_kzrc0SGIrt5ToHGWj79JYoj4QDgHeZRXh7POq5cIqaXM/s1600/growingkids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ysM7Yq4nDYo4rHkEK4MxsPciTwqp652ptmU-aQErJeIoOsgf0b5z_rxr4XLf0CpmfJYdNOSKql-gUE5EaYhioGb3pUFRwy_kzrc0SGIrt5ToHGWj79JYoj4QDgHeZRXh7POq5cIqaXM/s320/growingkids.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJer2jidQJ1-AIeqt9TJQSTdnh0owT_uU3sUzYy0nVuN_rv_BZOCDoSSgoPGlxvhnqdcslP1KFjYVVDdPp_-vAzB4pSaR6dEmzWp4746Dj8Hpu6C7cHBLiS98SS0cQvEVjbloBorxGvE/s1600/ink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJer2jidQJ1-AIeqt9TJQSTdnh0owT_uU3sUzYy0nVuN_rv_BZOCDoSSgoPGlxvhnqdcslP1KFjYVVDdPp_-vAzB4pSaR6dEmzWp4746Dj8Hpu6C7cHBLiS98SS0cQvEVjbloBorxGvE/s320/ink.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NGaukXnjOtccMXjwHxplHCwglByFu-s3LPo-trFYpt7HN9SoPJqTgywl6CXS8pGbrkhlzOU7jtyOjxi0JJvNFAyIGBn4JLJY6D5_X9SHxyy7lmWvPZMZaoOjJiUSGmy72hBlrLo7o1g/s1600/lex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NGaukXnjOtccMXjwHxplHCwglByFu-s3LPo-trFYpt7HN9SoPJqTgywl6CXS8pGbrkhlzOU7jtyOjxi0JJvNFAyIGBn4JLJY6D5_X9SHxyy7lmWvPZMZaoOjJiUSGmy72hBlrLo7o1g/s320/lex.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<u><b>September:</b></u><br />
<br />
<br />
The kids start school, both in middle school this year. No more elementary :(<br />
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<br />
Kid one turns 12!<br />
<br />
<br />
I turn 30!<br />
<br />
Swim season starts. <br />
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<br />
<br />
<u><b>October:</b></u><br />
<br />
<br />
Deposition time. Hours of my life I will never get back :(<br />
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<br />
Kid one gets her braces. She looks so grown up!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij93cT_5OOYQ5grxtnihqd77bbNI2YO0cochbH-lWVS2-BnCXLGHQ_9HwDoDImOcuL1m3vKdtF9SJ3V3VhW31P7vFa4SAzDNqjLIrs6tnQK_PlVUn3hgLgZOP-LWhKbmAHv5xxsPgFlsQ/s1600/braces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij93cT_5OOYQ5grxtnihqd77bbNI2YO0cochbH-lWVS2-BnCXLGHQ_9HwDoDImOcuL1m3vKdtF9SJ3V3VhW31P7vFa4SAzDNqjLIrs6tnQK_PlVUn3hgLgZOP-LWhKbmAHv5xxsPgFlsQ/s320/braces.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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Junior year of college, semester one, complete. <br />
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<br />
<br />
<u><b>November:</b></u><br />
<br />
<br />
The year is almost over! Here we insert swim meets nearly every weekend, orchestra concerts, and other various busy school activities.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqa7bWNOCN-vhekc2nN2WGsv3wxKdg26cU7UnhC3X4_XmK6D4gbcOBzLcY-0vIzoQh_IRT9x1DCCI3E9g98g6fdmJA5iCjpOPpQBTs6oxJ4DWZQDj0oLGxKxP8Da6_4PU2TmdbKG9yoaQ/s1600/pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqa7bWNOCN-vhekc2nN2WGsv3wxKdg26cU7UnhC3X4_XmK6D4gbcOBzLcY-0vIzoQh_IRT9x1DCCI3E9g98g6fdmJA5iCjpOPpQBTs6oxJ4DWZQDj0oLGxKxP8Da6_4PU2TmdbKG9yoaQ/s320/pool.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>December:</b></u><br />
<br />
<br />
Happy holidays. First year that neither kid believes in Santa, but had a great time in spite of it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3zEjaUPxbar5dtlbePfNr021cCnbpKrw6il-zSEmVaaOB_w2GmB-ok_YZT3SgumSGRenNhL9bgAiA-4NF1mIBVEF_cIZsg8CbaYEoHY4osmITGIWzqDrg9VthYQVxTuQQMqQpBX2i80/s1600/sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3zEjaUPxbar5dtlbePfNr021cCnbpKrw6il-zSEmVaaOB_w2GmB-ok_YZT3SgumSGRenNhL9bgAiA-4NF1mIBVEF_cIZsg8CbaYEoHY4osmITGIWzqDrg9VthYQVxTuQQMqQpBX2i80/s320/sam.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Kid two goes through all the xrays and whatnot needed to start her orthodontia treatment. Yeah. Two in braces. This will only hurt a little...<br />
<br />
<br />
I know there is things that I am missing throughout the year, but it will be nice to come back to it later to be reminded of everything. I would like to start doing this every year.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-80523022888347948002010-11-24T11:19:00.000-05:002010-11-24T11:19:56.480-05:00Let's talk TSA: Trampling Societies AmendmentsI am not anywhere near the first person to talk about this, and I should hope that I will not be the last.<br />
<br />
For those who are woefully behind on the news, I am talking about the new procedures in place to "protect" us in the friendly skies. When I say friendly, I mean <i>friendly.</i><br />
<br />
Airports all over the United States have new scanners put into place to detect weapons that the metal detectors miss. We wouldn't want anyone on a plane with a non-metalic weapon. A good idea in theory. Maybe. There are two main problems with these scanners, dubbed by many as naked machines or porno-scanners. Yes, these scanners essentially strip search passengers as they make their way through. Remember when every boy's dream was to be able to see through clothing? We have made it a reality! These machines are capable of capturing every intimate detail of your anatomy. As if that were not enough to make the general public seriously uncomfortable, the way these scanners work is through ionizing radiation.<br />
<br />
Now, the TSA insists that the radiation levels are so low, that these scanners are completely safe. I don't know about you but when my cell phone comes with a warning about using a headset when possible to keep radiation away from my head, I have to wonder how a whole body scanner is different. Now, since I am not an expert, I have been doing some reading. My favorite source comes from the blog of a biophysicist who was awesome enough to post the details of how they worked <a href="http://myhelicaltryst.blogspot.com/2010/11/tsa-x-ray-backscatter-body-scanner.html">here</a>. It has been pointed out to me that some scientists can be perceived as "wackos" but the information both in the blog posting and the linked letter of concern to the TSA seems on track to me. I will be watching for more thorough studies. In the meantime, you could not pay me enough to get near one. Without even acknowledging the complete invasion of privacy, as a woman with a history of cancer on both sides of her family, I would much rather be safe than sorry. I apologize for the tired cliché but it sums it up beautifully.<br />
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The good news is, you can opt out of the scanners. Great! Problem solved! Well. No. Starting November 1 of this year, the TSA began doing what it calls "enhanced pat downs" Now if standard pat downs were not uncomfortable enough, they now reserve the "right" to touch your most private areas. That's right folks. We have given the TSA permission to molest us.<br />
<br />
Now in the name of fighting terrorism, a surprising number of people are willing to accept this treatment. Many people feel that if you have nothing to hide, you should not worry about it. Hmmm. Why does this bother me?<br />
<br />
<i>The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.</i><br />
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That, my friends, is the fourth amendment. I am kind of fond of our constitution and our bill of rights. The fourth means that we cannot just be randomly searched without probable cause, or a warrant. So why are we accepting such treatment? What probable cause does the TSA have for these unreasonable searches? Well, you bought the plane ticket didn't you? Apparently, that makes you guilty of terrorism until proven innocent. Not good, people. Not good.<br />
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So what happens if you are selected for a pat down and you refuse? Well, you can't. If you enter the screening, you are forced to complete it, or they can put you in jail and charge you $11,000. I don't know about you, but I don't have an extra few thousand to just throw around, I don't want to be exposed to radiation, and I certainly don't want a pat down, that to me, would be akin to molestation. Not happening. <br />
<i> </i><br />
I have written letters, and I have opted not to fly at all. I will let my voice be heard and my dollars will not support such actions. Fortunately, I have the option to do this. As a stay at home mom, with family on one side of the country, it is fairly easy for me to avoid flying. For people who fly for work, this could be problematic.<br />
<br />
My husband was supposed to fly to Florida in December for a work function/class/expo/training. It's a big deal and he was really looking forward to going. When the new procedures came through, my husband thought long and hard about how important this is to him. Personal liberties won out. He told the regional manager that he will not fly. Period. He is not afraid of flying. He doesn't so much care about having his danglies felt up. It all comes down to the principle, and one thing about my husband is that he sticks with what he believes is right 100%. I admire that in him. The regional manager? Not so much. He has repeatedly tried to pressure my husband into changing his mind. My husband is willing to take a train, take a bus, or even drive. He wants to attend this function. Just not by air travel so long as these procedures remain in place. It's still up in the air how this is going to go, as the RM has promised to talk about this again later. How sad is it that this should even be a fight?<br />
<br />
I urge everyone I can - if you have a choice, opt out. We need to take a stand on this. I didn't agree with the patriot act of the previous administration, and I don't agree with the disgusting trampling of the fourth amendment with this one either. Write your representatives, your congressmen, and the president. Let them know that this is unacceptable. We have to make sure that we are heard.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-1561798711188832922010-11-06T11:56:00.000-04:002010-11-06T11:57:48.070-04:00Will you need a blue sky holiday?I do. Sigh.<br />
<br />
Today was supposed to be the day of younger kid's first swim meet of the season. Supposed to be. We had her best friend over to spend the night so she could go with us. We woke up, grudgingly at 4:45 this morning so that we could be on the road by 5:45. We made it not quite halfway when the little transmission issue we were slightly worried about started turning into a much bigger issue. We discussed it and made the decision to turn around. The swim meet was in Royal Oak which means driving through Detroit. I am not dying to break down in Detroit, especially with three kids with us.<br />
<br />
We made it home. Obviously. Thing two was disappointed but has been spending time with her friend. I am disappointed too. Her coach said she has the potential to make it to state this year, and she has matured so much since last season that I really can't wait to see her.<br />
<br />
As for the car, I guess we picked wrong. Should have taken the truck. The car is quieter, gets better gas mileage and is more comfortable for longer trips which is why we went with it. Oh well. Back down to one vehicle until we can get it fixed. Joy. We have only had this car for a little over 4 months. It is the replacement for the Malibu I loved that I had the misfortune of blowing the engine of. Hydrolock or some other mechanic head vocabulary nonsense. I guess you take the risk when you buy used.<br />
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To make things more fun, mother nature was shaking her dandruff on us last night. I refuse to use the S word, even if it is November. Still too warm to stick but I guess it is time to get out the winter coats.<br />
<br />
This weekend had better be awesome from this point forward. We could use it.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-56665132722310130902010-11-05T09:26:00.000-04:002010-11-05T09:26:16.509-04:00You are beautiful, in every single wayWords can't bring you down....<br />
<br />
My thanks to Christina <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Aguilera for allowing me to keep up with my lyrics as titles ;)</span></em></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I was discussing body image with some very smart ladies and it got me thinking about my kids.</span></em></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My oldest daughter has been diagnosed with FTT as a 12 year old. This is an uncommon thing for children over 3 and I suspect it was the doctor being unsure why she is falling off her own growth chart. In reality, I have deep suspicions that she is borderline anorexic. It's not a body issue thing. It's an Asperger thing. She has cut her food choices down so much that she simply is not getting enough calories. I have come into the uncomfortable position of making her eat, even if she doesn't like it or claims she isn't hungry. That goes against everything I have ever learned about teaching self regulation. Our society's war against obesity has left me scrambling because when you are dealing with the exact opposite problem, you have to go against everything ever taught. </span></em></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To complicate matters even further, the same child is sensitive to dairy, which IS something she will eat but we have to limit it or cause a different set of problems. Furthermore, since she now has braces, that knocks out another chunk out of the things she prefers to munch on. Nuts, for example, are a favorite snack and a great source of non-saturated fat, but technically she isn't supposed to eat them as they could cause bracket breaking problems. It's immensely frustrating.</span></em></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then add in body image. I have heard the horror stories about women who spent their whole life hearing about how fat they were, even before weight was a problem. Can hearing "You're too skinny!!" over and over again cause the same kind of lingering issues?</span></em></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now add in the other kid. Kid 2 is perfectly healthy without an ounce of fat on her. She is also pure muscle and bone mass and outweighs her sister by a good 10 lbs. She is probably always going to be heavier, and by the looks of how things are developing, curvier than her older sister. I have heard her make the comparisons. Right now, it isn't a huge deal but her self esteem is so fragile. It doesn't help when her "friend" last year called her fat. That was actually really bizarre considering this so called friend is actually overweight. Kid 2 is not only nowhere near overweight, but is absolutely ideal. Assuming things continue on the same path, she is going to have the type of body that every woman envies. </span></em></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I try to keep my personal body image to myself. My husband and I try to make a big deal out of healthy diet and exercise (although admittedly, we could both up our exercise) and my last physical brought to light that I have to be extraordinarily careful because apparently, family cholesterol problems did not skip my generation. It isn't high yet but it's up there. I am fairly thin and my diet isn't horrible, but I get to start being a little more cautious either way.</span></em></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So the question is, how does one balance out the dietary needs of very different body types, and teach the kids involved to love those bodies, regardless of how different they are? It's an interesting conundrum. </span></em></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">P.S.</span></em></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To my secret readers, you can relax. As much as I hate the state of Michigan at the moment, my blog is merely an outlet. I plan on staying until all legal issues are settled. Quit getting your panties in a bunch over stupid blog postings. My blog is an outward expression and doesn't mean we are going to run off to Alaska next week. Good grief.</span></em></span>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-14392636838726882452010-09-01T21:38:00.000-04:002010-09-01T21:38:20.977-04:00Doctor, doctor. Give me the news...Assuming we can ever actually get in to be seen.<br />
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So my daughter is having a medical issue. Nothing to seriously worry about right now, but it does need to be addressed in the near future. It has been hell getting her in to be seen.<br />
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Last Friday she had an appointment at location B. Her ped. has two offices. Location A is where we used to go and is closer to where we used to live. Location B is closer to where we live now. I have been making her appointments at location B because 25 minutes is better than 40 minutes. So we get there, and the doors are locked. I call the number and apparently there was a mix-up in the location for the appointment. She was supposed to be at location A and nobody filled me in. So I reschedule for today.<br />
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This morning, I come home to a message. Apparently the scheduler did not realize I was trying to have her seen by the ped. and made the appt with the nurse practitioner. Now, I have no issues at all with the NP but it was her recommendation that we see the actual doctor this time. They want to reschedule for Friday. I call and ask if there is any way that she can be seen. I set up a 2:15 appt in location A.<br />
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At 1:30 we leave because I was pretty sure it would take us 40 minutes to get there. I have only made the drive once before and that was back in March. We get there at 2:20. Oops. No big deal. Surely they can give us a 5 minute leeway right? No. According to their clocks we are 15 minutes late, not 5 and that means too bad for us. Reschedule for Friday at location B. OMG you have got to be kidding me.<br />
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Now, I don't know about you but in 99% of medical offices they have no problems at all making you wait well past your scheduled time. I think there was at least one who was almost an hour behind. They can't see her because of 15 minutes? Really?<br />
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I realize being late was my fault. I should have left earlier but I still reserve the right to think it absolutely asinine.<br />
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So we will try again on Friday. We have been using this doctor for 6 years, and I adore him. If something else goes wrong though, maybe it's a sign I need to find someone a bit closer to home.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-26016951572682805762010-08-30T19:18:00.001-04:002010-08-30T19:18:29.297-04:00Life is an aimless drive that you take aloneMight as well enjoy the ride, take the long way home<br />
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Rather profound for a white boy rap group, wouldn't you say?<br />
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Where is home? Is it where you live? Where you grew up? I am having a hard time coming to terms where home should be.<br />
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I spent most of my life in Michigan. I loved growing up here. This is not where I was born, nor where I spent my early years but from 8-16, my formative years, this is where I lived. Since then I have lived in Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio but in the end, Michigan is where we ended up. Again.<br />
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I would like to say that my love of Michigan lasted throughout the years and I am so happy to be "home" but I am not. For the last 6 years we have lived here and made the best of things. Don't get me wrong. I have made some great friends in my adult life. I also really enjoyed going to college, even if that degree turned into nothing more than an overpriced hobby. The problem is that I don't feel like this is where we belong.<br />
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My husband works for a company that has branches all over the country and really, the world. A bunch of positions opened up and we have been mulling over the idea of getting the hell out of here. Michigan is a beautiful state, but frankly, we live in the butthole. My area is not pretty. The cost of living is fairly high and the wages have done nothing but plummet. It definitely does not have the same appeal to me that it did growing up.<br />
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Where does one go when one can go anywhere? I miss North Carolina like you wouldn't believe, but will it have the same appeal to me as a civilian? (Ok, I have always been a civilian but since my husband was in the Marine Corps, I count it) I miss the ocean and the mountains. Then there is Iowa which is where we considered before. Nothing but rolling cornfields and it completely appeals to that side of me. Then there is Colorado. Colorado is stunningly beautiful. There are even positions in Alaska which is yet another absolutely gorgeous place.<br />
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Would they feel like home? Is it worth uprooting my kids on an ideal? How do we handle the logistics? There are a bazillion questions and no answers. I just know that Michigan no longer does it for me. It's not right. I just don't know what is.<br />
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Ponderings for the day...Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-61449333699912731092010-08-24T20:39:00.000-04:002010-08-24T20:39:57.970-04:00School days, school daysOr at least it's time for the firestorm of paperwork days.<br />
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I have two middle schoolers this year. On one hand, this means I am pretty much done with crayons, markers, and all the stuff that goes with elementary. On the other hand, the bigger they get, the more they cost me.<br />
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School supplies - Approximately $40, but only because I spent $60 already on mostly stuff they can't use. I was loving the sales and the school of course waits until last minute. I guessed, and guessed wrong. I was spot on with last years backpacks (another year out of them! Awesome! Love buying quality) and only had to replace one lunchbox and 2 water bottles.<br />
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Then there is the fundraiser to end all fundraisers. That's right folks, write a check to the school and if they raise the money they should, no fundraisers! No cack to sell. No cookies, wrapping paper, popcorn, etc. If other people ruin this for me, I am going to buy a roll of wrapping paper strictly for beating people.<br />
So $50 there.<br />
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Then there is school spirit wear. Required? No. Desired? Yes. I hated not having anything like that when I was in school because as much as I would have liked to pretended not to care, I did. Now my kids are not getting $30 hoodies, but I think we can swing a tshirt a piece.<br />
$20<br />
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School sports - $100 participation fee. Not applicable for the younger one, but the older one plans on running track. The good news is I can put this off for a bit and let my wallet rest. The bad news is, it is still $100. Now, I am not going to get into full complaint mode for this, and here is why. The school my girls used to go to cut their elementary art and music programs due to budget cuts across the state. This school cut nothing like it. I don't mind paying for sports if it means they keep the money in the schools.<br />
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Then of course there was almost $200 worth of school clothes, which with my luck will be outgrown in a month.<br />
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You know, as much as I spent on homeschooling, I think it is way more expensive to send your kids to public school. They enjoy it. There are opportunities in the schools that I can't provide for them as they get older, but damn it makes my bank account sore.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-84518924696095638482010-08-22T09:49:00.000-04:002010-08-22T09:49:52.582-04:00I feel pretty! Oh so pretty!And if it isn't obvious yet, a very soft spot in my heart for music :)<br />
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Yesterday, my husband encouraged me to go out, have some me time and get my hair cut (I had been complaining about my hair all week). While I was out, I started thinking about the various ways women torment themselves to look good. I had plenty of time to think because my salon was closed, and so was my backup. However, I was not going back home until someone cut the quasi mullet thing that had established itself out of the cute layered cut it once was. A girl can only go with the ponytail for so long before it begins to look sloppy.<br />
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As I sat in the new salon, describing what I wanted, I told the woman I wanted low fuss. Now, years ago, low fuss to me meant brush it while wet and go. Now it means hair product to match my mood (Do I want curly or straight?) and hair accessories to go with it. If I am going all out I drag out the hair dryer or the straightener. Then if I add in hair color, hilights, lowlights, and malibus it starts to get a bit more complex. The salon lady asked me when the last time I had color was and was more than happy to point out my damaged hair. I know my hair has roots I have been growing all summer and my grays are popping back out all over the place. I simply can't keep up sometimes!<br />
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But hair is only a small portion of the rituals of women.<br />
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I have given up shaving. That sounds a lot more hippy than it actually is, since I replaced it with waxing. Eyebrows, legs, bikini line, pits. Have you ever waxed your armpits? The first time in indescribable. There really is nothing to compare it to except the feeling of skin and hair being ripped off one of the more sensitive parts of your body. The good news is that each successive time there is less hair and they come out a bit more easily. I haven't shaved in well over a month. No more shaving bumps and itchy regrowth. Just a little bit of masochism for the purpose of looking good.<br />
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On to skin care. I thought when I grew up, acne would be a thing of the past. It's a teenage problem right? I am nearly 30 years old, and I can't keep my face clear for more than a week for anything. It's the most fun around my time of the month...as if bleeding, cramping, bloating, and raging were not enough. Sure. Throw in a few big zits just for the hell of it!<br />
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So I have oil free face wash, oil free face scrub, toner, cold cream, moisturizer, eye cream and night cream. Then to cover up the acne that always shows up anyway (and probably contributing to more) I have concealer and foundation and pressed powder. Add in eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, and lipgloss and my favorite, the eye torture devise or eyelash curler just to add to the "pretty" factor.<br />
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I added in the eye cream and the night cream when the effects of aging began to take their toll. I woke up in the morning and about pissed myself when I saw this pale creature with black circles and dry wrinkled skin lumbering in my bathroom....wait a minute. Hey >:(<br />
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So I add the eye cream to get rid of the black circles. It's not like I can fix it through sleep (which is a whole other post). I start developing little white bumps under my eyes. Milia. Go ahead and look it up. I had to. Great. Black circles or tiny little cysts? Hmmmm.<br />
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Then there is the night cream. I bought the oil of old lady....errrr....Oil of Olay because the moisurizer works well for me. There was a dramatic difference in the morning. I didn't look quite so haggard. Of course, my acne count about tripled. I just can't win this skin care business. Hand over the paper bag ma.<br />
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I am not prepared to get into clothing (and the nightmare that is bra shopping) or shoes (how can something so cute be so painful?) in this post. I am not even going to get into manicures and pedicures and dry elbow skin oh my. And diets? That is a whole weeks worth of posts on their own. It amazes me what we women actually put up with in order to look good.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-37190359732710810162010-08-21T00:10:00.000-04:002010-08-21T00:16:42.333-04:00Take me out to the ballgame....Today I spent a rather lovely evening with my husband, two children and our very good friends and their two children watching a minor league baseball game. I haven't been to a ballgame in almost 20 years and it seemed like a good way to spend a Friday night.<br />
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Let me tell you, there is nothing more fascinating than people watching at a sporting event (except, perhaps, people watching at a fair). It is definitely a look into people as a whole. But let's start at the beginning.<br />
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First, who on earth picks the team names? Mudhens? Really? That sounds intimidating doesn't it? Of all the animals in the animal kingdom, they have a chicken as a mascot. Oooooh. I am shaking in my boots. Of course, I grew up in a school that has a leaf as a mascot so I guess it does get worse.<br />
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Secondly, I am totally convinced at this point that people go to sporting events to eat. They have to. I can honestly say that I missed at least half of the game with people walking by to stuff their faces with deep fried, overpriced crap and crappy, overpriced beer. Now I totally get that beer and ballgames is a total pastime, and who wouldn't mind a ballpark dog with the works? The problem is that it was a steady stream of people. When the beer is gone, they of course go for more beer. Chicken fingers shoved in? Lets go for popcorn. Then ice cream. How about some cotton candy? Seriously people, it is okay to go 2.5 hours without shoving every edible item you see into your gaping piehole. Here is another novel idea, get more than one item at a time! You could even send one designated food person to avoid an entire line of people. OR...OR...there are these nifty vendors that come by hocking the same shit you insist on shoving past me to get yourself that will bring it right to you! Amazing right?<br />
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With that said, as the game progressed, the obnoxiousness did begin to slow. At least on a mass scale. Individual annoyance was still in high demand.<br />
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Dear woman with the SLR camera you don't know how to use. Your pictures are going to suck. Trust me. Buying a big, fancy camera doesn't mean shit if you don't know how to use it. With that said, get your skinny, bedazzled ass out of the aisle, which happens to be right in my line of sight to the batter. If you can't take pictures from your seat, give it up. Oh, talking on your cell phone while standing in the way is also obnoxious. Take your yuppy, SUV driving tush back to your seat.<br />
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Whew. Held that one back the entire game ;)<br />
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Another thing I found absolutely fascinating is the volume. During the first three innings, the stands were fairly subdued. There was some clapping, maybe a little stomp stomp clap when the music called, but mostly pretty quiet. You could actually hear the intoxication level of the fans go up. People got louder, happier. There was more participation. My section attempted to start the wave probably about 30 times before it finally caught on enough to make it all the way around. The atmosphere became really fun (but I admit I don't even want to know how half of them got home this evening) <br />
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Overall, it was a good time and I can think of worse things to spend money on. Our team lost of course. That is pretty standard that whoever we root for ends up not doing so well, but it was a fairly close game and the fireworks after were some of the best I have seen in years. I could totally do it again.<br />
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Oh, and note, no pictures from me. SOMEBODY (me) grabbed the camera and failed to...oh I don't know...put a memory card in it. Strike one for me.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-13565538253137331552010-08-20T11:12:00.000-04:002010-08-20T11:12:47.817-04:00Mean Girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfpZzlJlU3VWY3885X6XbV-JFJ7kEKDWQDWkh5-jfUBgC7i0YhYRsRpAse_XwvnKbqMzCJaiKG7HVjv11XSAlfAvEWthz4GcrpR5CeOxH4wK9beUFrO_a6WEi8E1oV3cUmrjH6Z5ecLU/s1600/brats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfpZzlJlU3VWY3885X6XbV-JFJ7kEKDWQDWkh5-jfUBgC7i0YhYRsRpAse_XwvnKbqMzCJaiKG7HVjv11XSAlfAvEWthz4GcrpR5CeOxH4wK9beUFrO_a6WEi8E1oV3cUmrjH6Z5ecLU/s320/brats.JPG" /></a></div>Most parents want their children to grow up to be happy, polite, productive members of society. We agonize over every decision. Breast or bottle? Work or stay at home? Public school or private school? We scrutinize their friends and teachers. Give them rules to follow, and instill consequences for breaking those rules. We also don't want our children to be bullied.<br />
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So when your child and her so called friends are the bullies, the mean girls, then what? I was bullied most of my life. I had a whole plan of action in how to teach my child sarcastic comebacks and the art of the "don't give a shit, why are you still here?" look. I was not prepared to tackle the other side.<br />
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So when my child and two of her friends took it upon themselves to decorate the toys of my other child, something had to be done. You see, the bullied child has Asperger's syndrome, and the decorated toys are her current obsession. Twenty-five littlest pet shop pets done up in red and black sharpie. Some were colored completely. Some with artistic swirls, hearts and stripes. A few were not so much colored as fingerprinted permanently.<br />
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Toys, I know can be replaced, although some are no longer made or sold in stores, making things a bit more difficult. However, the sheer meanness of the act is astounding. <br />
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I have a younger sister and a younger brother. I know sometimes things get ruined but this was ridiculous. To add some sting, to it, the oldest girl involved was thought to be the victim's friend. Who needs enemies right? Knowing how important these little pieces of plastic are, and knowing who they belonged to, they proceeded to decorate every single one. Funny how not one animal from my other kid's collection was touched.<br />
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So my daughter will not be playing with these other children for the rest of the summer at least. We haven't dictated yet how the pets will be replaced but first and formost I will not have a mean girl in my house, which means that the friends are no longer. Do I think this will last long term? Well no. I can't dictate who she talks to at school and I can't control her friendships forever. What I can do is control them for now until I drive into her the way we treat people.<br />
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It's an interesting ride, this parenting thing. They like to put a spin on it.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180148283478712344.post-17998740803978731552010-08-18T11:21:00.000-04:002010-08-18T11:21:46.684-04:00Guess who's back, back againSo this is not my first (or second, or third) blog. I did have one before I posted on fairly regularly, however I am in the middle of a legal dispute and since the other party decided to verbally vomit all over my comments, and try to twist my words around, I took it down. Well I miss it. I was going to say screw it and put my old blog back up, but I have no idea how I took it down in the first place so here I go again.<br />
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In either case, my lifestyle has changed fairly dramatically in the 6 months I have been MIA. It works well to put up a new blog, as my old one just doesn't really fit me anymore.<br />
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I don't know where this blog is going to go. I am not going to bother giving it a theme because really, I just need a therapist, and since I don't really have time for that at the moment, the WWW can be my fill in.<br />
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Grab a cup of coffee and get cozy. You were just introduced to a woman who is a little bit coo-coo.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10640589644248894215noreply@blogger.com0