Whoops! A whole week!

Well, nearly. Sorry. I get all these things in my head that I need to blog about, then go blank with the screeen in front of me!

I was just about ok with goin to my friend's house warming, then I got the invitation. They registered for it! Seriously! I didn't know you could register for a house warming! Ok, here's why I feel like a crud for thinking anything bad about this- This is MAJOR TRIGS by the way- My friend (i've referred to her before as E) was married once before. They were going through some rough times & were seperated. During one of the w/e that he had their 3yr old daughter, he killed her, then committed suicide. It's actually amazing that E was able to pull herself together enough to be able to get remarried & have another child. She's a very sweet person & I know that there is not a day that this isn't all on her mind. So, I feel terrible for even thinking anything bad because she deserves any happiness that she can get. But still...

Anyway, I'm waiting for my mom to get here. We're going to Co.st.co for a few things. Fun, huh? Thanks for all the nice comments about the hair cut. It's a little more maintenance, but I'm still liking it.

E- yes, that was taken in my bathroom. We had our 2nd bath done in ducks in the house. This apt only has one bath, so I decided to keep them out & pack away the other stuff. I'll share more pics of it later, but here are 3-

The bathmat is friend to all, very dry & stable when stepping out of the shower. Also, great for those quick afternoon naps- (the first one is Buster, the second one is Skittles. T has taken to calling Skittles "boom-boom". She does NOT like that!)

Other ducks are slightly more threatening though, making Ping feel somewhat paranoid. (you can also see the nightlight in the top corner)

Keep in mind that this collection started a few years back, but it includes- a prince & princess duck, glow in the dark ducks, ducks with our names on them, a TY plush duck, a sign language "i love you" duck, a farmer duck, & others that I can't recall at the moment! It was supposed to be the "kids" bathroom.

On a totally different note

We cut off all my hair!!! :) I was tired of it, so mom offered to do a trim & at least shorten it up a bit. We were looking at it in the mirror & I was asking her to take out "this chunk here" & "that bit there". If I'd realized that I wanted that much off, I'd have ponytailed & donated it. I like the end result though--

Just kidding! Here's a real pic. Sorry, I should've done this AFTER makeup!

For the record, taking you own pic is not as easy as it sounds. I used to have a flip phone that had a "self pic" opt (the screen would turn so you could see). I kinda miss that.

Anyway, thank you all again for the support. I'm beginning to think that I should just be banned from posting on Mondays! Anyone ever feel like "Always an auntie, never a mom!" Sigh. I hope everyone is having a good Tuesday!

insert long line of cuss words here

TRIGS---

Do you ever get that feeling that someone is going to "announce" soon? Well, it came. The good thing is DH told me, I really couldn't have handled it from anyone else. His sister is pg, 8 wks. Of COURSE she is, why not? It's not like she's married or stable or anything. Well, now they're getting married. I'm so pissed. And she thinks that we're going to travel to St Louis to see it. That is so not going to happen. I'm literally teying my best to keep from crying right now seeing as I have to go to work. It is SO.NOT.FAIR!!!!!

I won't say I wasn't warned!

I finally ended up watching Marley & Me.

I didn't know it was actually possible to laugh & cry at the same time. I don't remember the last time my eyes were this swollen.

All in all though, I'd say watch it. Take out your contacts, expect your make up to run, have tissues on hand. And, if you deal with IF, you may cry at a few more places than others.

Did you see it? What did you think of it? Would you recommend it to others?

Remembering...

They only grew for a short time in my womb, but they've lived in my heart ever since.

(((((HUGS))))) to any of my other IF/blog sisters who know the pain of a child lost.

BTW- Did anyone else check out some of those pins or pendants? I rather like them & this one is my fav. I may get it.

Thank you & my apologies!

Thank you all for being so wonderful & understanding! I am so sorry for being that petty, AF hormones seem to kick me the hardest on the way out! I also talked to my mom this morning & she reminded me that their place may be cool & it's great that they've got a place of their own now (due to financial reasons, they'd been living with his mother for over a year). Which is true, I really don't begrudge them of that. She also pointed out that if they are living off of student loans, or beyond their means, it will catch up & not be good in the end. And (goodness, I love this woman!) she reminded me that she's proud of us for being reasonable & working so hard to pay off past debt & that when we do have our money saved up & are ready to get a house that it'll be even more worth it because it will be something we own.

I'm also feeling a little better about work. To be honest, I'd been freaking out because we've entered our "slow season" & my hours were trimmed back to 30-35/week. We had a team meeting today & our team leader assured us that it would only be a short time. Come Jan 2, we usually get slammed & may have opportunity for OT.

So, now that Christina's package arrived, I can finally share these cute pics!

Look, I'm crocheting with mommy! Yes, I can SEE the string! (he' s the one who's partially blind) Oh & the oat container is a trick I learned from gramma, it's not the most attractive, but it keeps the yarn from getting tangled!

We're safe from the yarn now! It won't be giving us any more problems!

I will test the blankie to make sure it's at the maximum softness for baby. Oh yes, it's good. Baby will snuggle well in this!

Ok, so now you know the secret on how I make them, Ping helps! LOL! I did wash it before I sent it. :)

"Apartment Envy"

Ok, this is poss trigs. I just thought I'd warn in advance. I should maybe also warn that it's late & I have not slept well for a couple nights due to DH snoring & early morning trash pick up. This post also shows, beyond any doubt, that I am a really lousy friend. I'm sorry, maybe someone could help explain why I feel this way & I could get over it?

So yesterday was my day off & I think I should've gotten some me time to do stuff that needed to be done. Well, not really. My parents are out of town & my older sis needed to run some errands. My problem was totally not with her though, because we actually had fun. An errand that got added to my list is what's pissing me off.

My friend E & her hubby moved into an apt a few weeks ago. It happened to be the same day as the race, which was my excuse for not helping. I was glad to have the excuse though. These were a few of the chumps who promised to help us move last Nov & never showed up! (actually, no one showed up to help us!) At least they moved into a bldg with an elevator. So, she bought this fabric & somehow my mom got the job of turning it into a curtain (knowing mom, she volunteered). Well, mom got it done before they left & E decided that I could drop it off at her place as long as I was out running errands. OK, this shouldn't really be a problem, right? She's my friend.

Except that they live ALLLL the way across town & I was getting lost trying to get to this place I'd never been to. Oh & have I mentioned yet that yesterday was cold & rainy? We finally get there & it turns out to be this totally awesome converted old factory. It reminded me of something straight off of Friends, really trendy with super high ceilings & exposed brick walls, only improved by the right lighting & a cat sitting in the windowsill. It's the kind of place that DH would love. The kind of place that I always dreamed of getting with a couple of girl friends if I'd stayed single. The kind of place that we've discussed getting whenever we've had the "what if we stay child free" discussion. The place that we've decided is just not well suited to children when we realized that having a family is more important.

And they have it. AND a 3yr old. (who, by the way, fell & smacked his lip on the concrete floor in the short time we were there.) And I. don't. get. it. He works part time & goes to school. She doesn't work, except for a couple house cleaning jobs. HOW, with a child, do they afford this place? It's at least 2x what DH & I are paying here! Ok, sure, we could get a more expensive place, but I'm trying to pay off a few things & get money saved up for a house. It just pisses me off that we work so hard for everything we have, when others (simply by reproducing) qualify for better things!

I guess it wouldn't even piss me off so badly except for her attitude about it. I brought over the curtain, but forgot the curtain rod (mom had it for the size or whatever). No "thanks", just "awww, i really wanted to get that hung today". She texted me TWICE about it today! Yeah, some of us work full time! If it's really that big of a deal, she could call my older sis & drive over to my parent's house to get the darn thing! (sis lives in a basement apt there). AND she had the nerve to COMPLAIN about the things that make that place truely cool, such as the painted concrete floor. ("i can't believe what a sloppy job they did on this!" it's supposed to look like that!) AAANND some other friends are throwing them a house warming party! Just further proving that I am NOT a "part of the group" because (omg, i am soo sorry for how petty this sounds) no one threw us one! I was told about it a couple days too late for me to request the time off work & I'm really not even sure if I care if I don't go.

Ok & in typing this all out, I feel like a totally shallow whiney crud, absolute heel of a friend. But, for crying out loud, when is it EVER going to be my turn for someone to celebrate something for me? Why do some people get every little thing in life & have it celebrated while I get stuck working FT to make ends meet & stuck in IF land??? If I can't have kids, shouldn't I at least have more money & cooler stuff??? Or, please, could I have better attitude so that it doesn't bother me so badly? What kind of horrible person am I?

AF induced crabbiness

Don't say I didn't warn you! So I'm actually on CD2 now & the cramps are manageable. I ended up calling in sick to work yesterday. I was dressed & on my way in. Every road bump I was going over hurt & I just started crying. That's not good for someone who has to deal with people all day! I always feel like such a crud for calling in. I'm not an irresponsible person who's blowing off a Friday to go get drunk & party! I took a Dar.vo.cet & slept on the couch all evening.

So here's my crabbiness- I know that several of us left the We.bM.D board because we felt like we didn't belong. But what the heck for? WE were there first! It ticks me off to think that some random, hyper-sensitive, over-bossy control freaks are being mean to other women in the same boat! So why don't we take it back over & give them what's what! Seriously? You want to get crabby because you've been trying 16 months & someone only trying for 13 used a phrase you don't like? Well, try 4 years sister! THEN we can discuss your right to be a b**ch! If I was still at my other job where I could surf during down time, I totally would do that too!

Ok, I'm going to go have some coffee & get out of here in enough time to stop for some Mi.do.l. I have a feeling I shouldn't be on Dar.vo.cet at work.

One word quiz!

I'm CD1 today & feeling rather crabby. Thank you Morgan for a blog topic to keep this from being a whiney gripe!

Here are the rules:

1. You can only use one word!

2. Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers!

3. Alert them that you have given them this award!

4. Have fun!

The Fun Part~

1. Where is your cell phone? Bed

2. Your hair? Messy

3. Your mother? Patient

4. Your father? Hero

5. Your favorite food? Thai

6. Your dream last night? Forgotten

7. Your favorite drink? Water

8. Your dream/goal? Baby

9. What room are you in? Bedroom

10. Your hobby? Crafts

11. Your fear? Coma

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Parenting

13. Where were you last night? Working

14. Something that you aren’t? Thin

15. Muffins? Oven...? No (i don't understand the question)

16. Wish list item? Health

17. Where did you grow up? Everywhere

18. Last thing you did? Type

19. What are you wearing? Cloaths

20. Your TV? Off

21. Your pets? Spoiled!

22. Friends? Loyal

23. Your life? Progressing

24. Your mood? Crabby (due to pain!)

25. Missing someone? Sister

26. Vehicle? Chevy

27. Something you’re not wearing? Socks

28. Your favorite store? Changes

29. Your favorite color? Blue

30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday

31. Last time you cried? Yesterday

32. Your best friend? Travis

33. One place that I go to over and over? Work

34. One person who emails me regularly? Yvonne (though it's mostly forwards)

35. Favorite place to eat? Parents'

I nominate-

Misty

Dot

Caitlin

Kitty

Christina

Sherry &

Robin

Meeting Misty IRL!

Sorry this took so long to post. I was going to do it this morning before work, but the maintenance guy showed up a day early! At least I have a new garbage disposal.

All righty, this w/e was awesome!!! I had a hard time focusing on my calls for those lousy 3hrs at work, but it went fast. Then I hit the road. It was a nice day out for driving. I borrowed mom's GPS & the thing kept trying to get me lost. I stayed on the interstates & it was literally trying to get me to do a u-turn until I was a couple blocks from Misty's house. Then I asked it for navigating & got this message - "You are near your destination". What?!?! No wonder they give them female voices, it's may as well have said "oh no, you didn't listen to me. if you're so smart find it yourself!" Thanks to Misty & the miracle of cell phones, I got there! I got a welcome, then a long awaited HUG! -

Her "furry welcoming comittee" was also there to meet, greet, & check out my shoes. Here's Tux, you would not believe how many tries it took to get him to look at me!

When Gizmo FINALLY decided that my shoes were ok, he spent the rest of the day trying to trick anyone into letting him ooouuuuttt!

She really didn't half starve me, I was fine. Besides, she makes a really good amaretto sour! Dinner was awesome. (Misty, please repost that recipe so i can make it for dad & Travis) Here's Chris, helping her peel potatoes (idk if he usually helps, or if it's because i was there) -

We decided a couple times over the w/e that our DHs may just be twins seperated at birth (except that Travis is older!) They really have a lot of odd things in common. As far as looks, Chris actually reminds me of DH's brother. So we all stayed up way late Saturday & had a blast!

On Sunday, we went out for my coffee. I'm not just a coffee drinker, it's more like "instant human, just add coffee". I feel bad that Chris didn't get his bagel, but this was so fun. The water actually feels "soft", I'm sure it's the salt. It was warm too. :) -

Misty looks really happy & natural in this pic. I love it! -

The dock was damp by the way & we were both still basically in pajamas! After we went back to her house & showered, we headed to the beach. I love the ocean, I would live on the ocean if I could. Here are some pics from the beach-

Fortunately, we can count on our feet not to make any weird faces! -
I saw some awesome wild life! I saw the fin of a dolphin, I wish I'd seen more of it. The cranes are also photo shy, I saw them, but not where I could pull over to take pics (there are no shoulders on the bridge!) Here are the ones I was quick enough to photograph-

A little turtle, who ducked right back under the water (thanks to the kids who also saw it & made a lot of noise!)-Seagulls at the beach- A seagull on the dock. There are a lot of them in this area!-
This one is hard to see, but it's a hummingbird moth. It was so cool! The one I saw was very blue & so pretty. I can zoom in on it with my phone, but I don't know how to save & share it. It's towards the bottom, in the middle.

This bird lives at the stores & didn't want to talk to us. Though I did hear that it terrorizes some people.-

Oh look! A dolphin! j/k, lol! -

They have odd building codes there. It's a good thing everything is labeled, or it would all look the same. Here's what I mean (the last one is the other place Misty works)-

Ok, this is long enough. So here are two more super awesome pics. Enjoy! -

Misty, Thank you so much again for letting me stay with you! It was great! :) (pass that on to Chris as well!) I'm excited about you coming back through this way!

"Imitation Cool Whip"

As I think you all know, my older sister is mentally handicapped. It has it's frustrating moments, but also some pretty funny ones. (please don't crucify me or lable me as 'evil', you have to laugh at some things to keep from going crazy over them!)

So this week, Mom had Sis' shopping list & noticed "heavy cream" on it. I think mom forgot it while she was at the store, so she asked sis what it was needed for (to see if she needed to run back out, or if something could be sub'd). Sis goes "oh, it's no big deal, I wanted it for a dessert. I learned how to make imitation cool whip. It's easy, you just whip the cream with some sugar." Mom explained that that's actually REAL whipped cream & Cool Whip is a lower fat/calorie version of it.

Ok, so I'll be leaving tomorrow after work. I'm so excited to meet Misty! Here's a question for everyone while I'm gone- What are the 'common words' found in your kitchen? I got to looking around & realized that mine include- All Natural, Gluten-Free, Organic, Soy, Whole Grain, High Fiber, Low Fat, No Trans-Fats, & No Sugar Added. Fun huh? You'd think I'd be way smaller than I am. I guess it's really that I need to get my butt moving!

I hope all y'all have a great w/e! I'll post pics! :)