Brandon's Puppy

I've got ticketmaster on speed-dial!

Because there just might be a concert tour announcement on Friday. According to People, all five members of New Kids on the Block will be on the Today show at the end of the week, and they are expected to announce their reunion plans.
I'm too excited for words, people. I just hope this is not some sort of April Fool's Joke...

Sweet!

Today is opening day for the Florida Marlins (soon-to-be Miami Marlins), and hubby is lucky enough to be going to the game, for FREE! Yup, you read right, free! His employer is taking him, and a few of the other top sales guys in the district, as a "Thank You" for their high numbers.
Meanwhile, I'll be at home with the boys, relaxing, not fighting hubby for the TV or the computer, and I might actually put the boys to bed early and scrap! Works out for everybody! =)

A successful shopping Saturday

Man, am I glad I didn't find a present for my mom yesterday...I found the perfect present for her this afternoon. I got this for her, in red to match her kitchen, for $29! We also purchased items for both a baby shower and birthday party we'll be attending next weekend, and all we spent out of pocket was $50. How's that, you ask? Well, remember how a little over a month ago I participated in a research study, earning $75? I coaxed hubby to do it too, and he came home this morning with the first part of the compensation, a $50 Amex gift card. We also went to Home Depot to return a couple of things, and that credited another $45 to our bank account. Hooray for smart spending! And I love that I'm actually prepared for next weekend's events.
What did you do today?

I.O.U.

I went to a popular home goods store today after work, searching for a birthday present for my mom. I was under pressure because I was headed to my grandparents' for a belated birthday dinner in the evening, and as it is I wasn't sure what to get her. I searched in every department and did not find a thing. I did see a couple of wine racks that I liked, but she's not big on drinking wine so I had to pass on that. I saw a very cute paper towel holder that matches her red kitchen, but it's the kind that takes up space on the countertop, so that was a no. (her countertop is pretty crowded as it is). I finally gave up after wandering around the store for what seemed like forever. Now I owe her a birthday persent, and it's got to be a good one to make up for the tardiness.
I very much dislike unsuccessful shopping excursions.

Convenient Contention

My cousin works for a cruise line, and we may possibly join her and the rest of the family on a cruise vacation early next year. It’s an awesome price, including travel insurance, just get in case any unforeseen events occur and we can’t go. Yes, our goal this year was to control our spending and stay on a strict budget, but this doesn’t count since the cruise is next year. Right?

It's a testosterone epidemic!!

Claudia is having a boy!! Somehow, I can't say I'm surprised. According to the CDC, more boys have been born than girls since 1940. But I don't need a scientific study to tell me that. My family (immediate): 5 boys, 1 girl on the way. Circle of friends: 8 boys and 1 on the way, 2 girls. Pregnant people I know: 4 boys on the way, 1 girl on the way, 1 not yet determined.
But boy or girl, the important thing is that he's healthy. Congratulations, my friend!

Busy

Leaving work at noon today. I have an appointment at 1:15, then I'm picking up the boys and we're going to the Fair with my sister and her boys. Blogging will be non-existent tonight. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves in the comments.

Thankful

I was having a conversation with WB earlier today about mortgage payments. We're both in a bit of a financial crunch, but we're getting out of it more and more each day. Some people aren't so lucky. I found out this morning that Brandon's teacher's son and daughter-in-law lost their home a few months ago. The real estate market is not getting any better any time soon, and it's terrible to think some people are doing so badly financially that they haven't afforded their mortgage payments for over six months. It also got me thinking, do futures brokers deal in real estate as well? I would think that they are losing money in this market too. No one expected real estate to take the tumble that it has, and from what I hear, it's going to get worse before it gets better. But I figure, I'd rather default on all my credit cards and pay my mortgage than lose my house.
I'm so thankful it hasn't gotten to that point yet. Hopefully the slump will end soon.

Mom

Today is my mother's birthday, and I can't think of just the right words to honor her. There are just so many things I want to say. I know it's been hard for her to accept that my father is such a big part of my life, but I can see that she's come to terms with that for the greater good (i.e. my kids). I want to point out that in spite of the many ups and downs, I'm glad she's in a good place right now (even if it doesn't seem like it at times). She's raised three children as best she knew how. There is no handbook, and now that I'm a mother, I have some insight into some of the decisions she had to make for our benefit. These things, and many more, make her one of the strongest, most caring people I know. Thank you mom. We hope you have a wonderful birthday. There's no one who deserves it more.

************************************************************************************************************

Thanks, Pam, for the birthday wishes! I'll pass them on. =)

Marketing Myself

I’ve got a few social events coming up soon, and I thought that it would be a good idea to create a business card with my blog information on it. Blogging is such a great marketing tool, and it’s so much easier to hand someone a card with my information than to scribble my name and web address on a scrap of paper. There were plenty of images to choose from. I chose a puppy to honor the blog’s name. There were also many template options, and I chose one that would bring maximum attention to the text. I had no idea creating a business card was so effortless. It took me less than ten minutes to create the logo design you see below. What do you think?

April 24

That's the day new episodes of Ugly Betty AND Grey's Anatomy air.

Now you know. Plan accordingly.

Do you think I fit in her carry-on bag?!

My friend K and her new hubby are going to Europe for their first anniversary! She just heard from her hubby, who just hung up with their financial advisor, informing them that the penny stocks he invested in about five years ago have been profitable enough to fund their trip! Isn’t that awesome?!
I wish I had a couple of bucks to invest. I know penny stocks are high risk, but the returns are quite profitable.

Where's my money???

We signed our return on February 29th, and mailed it on March 3rd. We've yet to receive our refund, and I can't even get a status online. What's up with that?! I know we filed during the S- and C-corp crunch time, but still. I usually get my refund within 3 weeks of mailing it out.

I'm filing online next year.

The bunny was here.

Oh my, I worked like an animal today! We woke up around 8:30, and I threw some of the baby’s laundry in the washer, cleaned up the kitchen (was lazy last night after staying up until 1am stuffing eggs and putting together baskets and goodie bags), put some random clutter-causing things in the attic, cleaned the guest/boys’ bathroom, swept the entire house, and mopped the entire house. All of that before 1:30pm! I should definitely be rewarded with a relaxing stay at a luxurious Vegas hotel for my efforts!
The skies and weather report threatened rain, but thankfully it did not come down on our side of town. Most everyone we invited came, including my mom and my dad. I thought it would be weird for them to be in close quarters (my little house) together, but it went fine (at least I think so). I’m glad there wasn’t any obvious awkwardness. I don’t want either of them to miss opportunities with their grandchildren. But I digress. The kids had a fabulous time egg-hunting, hubby got some great birthday gifts, and it’s now 9pm and there’s not much else to clean up but to throw out the garbage and put a few things in the dishwasher. All in all, a successful Easter/birthday celebration. Hope you all had a lovely day as well!
(p.s. Pictures are now loading onto flickr and will be available momentarily are now available. Enjoy!)

I'm a masochist

Why do I say that? Because it seems that I like to do things at the last minute, rushing and stressing to finish before company arrives. I didn't do a damn thing today related to getting this house ready for tomorrow's get-together. Actually, that's not true. I did fold and put away the pile of laundry on the couch, and we went to get beverages and snacks, but I have not cleaned this house or done groceries for other essentials.
On the bright side, we had a lovely time today. At IHOP I ordered The Mayor's breakfast. Brandon and Em split the Who-cakes and Matty and I ate the Green Eggs and Ham. Angie had a huge florentine omelet, and pancakes. She's definitely eating for two! LOL
We got to the movie theater just before the rain started. Matty slept through the entire thing, and the kids LOVE IT, so much so that Brandon already told me to add it to his Christmas wish list! Afterwards we headed to Barnes and Noble and bought the kids their very own copies of "Horton Hears a Who". It was definitely a Horton-themed day!
I'm going to go fill Easter eggs now, then call it a night. Good night!

Thinking Out Loud

One day, I will make enough money to not worry about overdraft fees. I won’t have to freak out if I forget to write something down in my checking register. I will also be able to purchase whatever I want, when I want to, rather than owing Peter to pay Paul. I will also not have any second thoughts about contributing to much-needed things like, the kids’ college funds, family life insurance policies, and vacation funds.
That is all. For now.

Lazy Week

I've had five loads of laundry on top of the couch, ready for folding, for the last three days. I haven't gone for a walk since Monday. I only cooked twice this week (fortunately, both were enough for lunch and next-day dinner leftovers). This means that I'll be up until who-knows-what hour tonight cleaning and tidying up as much as I can. As I mentioned a week or so ago, tomorrw is "Horton Hears a Who" day, and Sunday is our Easter/hubby's birthday party.
It would have been lovely for our boss to let us out early today. I would have had some time before picking up the boys to catch up on my ignored tasks!

Obee Kenoobi and The Shiny Guy

Oh my gosh, have you seen this? It's the cutest thing ever! Star Wars, as explained by a 3 year old!

Silly little boy!

The sitter told me the following story yesterday when I picked up Matty. It seems that he was eating cheerios, and he dropped one after missing his mouth (happens all the time. He's master the pincer grasp, but sometimes in the transition from hand to mouth he'll drop them). It got stuck to his sock, and when he got up to walk she could tell he was bothered by it, but wanted to see what he would do. He sat back down on the floor, look at his feet, and picked the cheerio off his sock and put it down on the floor. He stood back up and walked around. She says the the expression on his face was priceless, he realized he had fixed the problem. But that's not all: he went back to where he had left he cheerio, sat in front of it, picked it up and put it in his mouth!
This kid of mine...can't get one past him!

I need a vacation!

I figured out the error in my checkbook, and it was a simple, stupid mistake. That just proves that my mind is mush lately and I need a vacation. A Royal Caribbean cruise would be perfect right now. I love cruising because you don't have to do a thing if you don't want to, and I really wouldn't want to. I just want to a few days where I don't have to worry about bills, or cleaning, or picking up after three (!) kids...
Anybody know where I can get a free vacation???

Not a good way to start the day

I checked my banking online this morning, and I was greeted with a little red number. I don't know what I calculated wrong, but we seem to be overdrafted on two checks, even though my register reflected otherwise. And of course, the checkbook and register are at home, so I'll be stressing about it for the next 9 hours until I get home and review.
I hate it when that happens! Hopefully it will get fixed by the end of the day, when hubby deposits his paycheck. But that shorts me $64, thanks to the OD fees. But at least they pushed the checks through. Otherwise I'd owe the bank and the payees money!

Two hours of waiting

three residents, and four minutes later, I was given a prescription for a topical ointment to use for five days. They figure it's an allergic reaction to that lipstick, and of course stress can make it worse. Oh, and let's not forget the $30 copayment, plus whatever the script costs this evening when I fill it!

Itchy

I woke up this morning with a rash around my mouth. I'm having an allergic reaction to something, but I can't figure out what. The only thing I can think of is a new lipstick I started using since Saturday, but it's the same brand I always use (just a different color). It could be my progesterone levels are out of whack since it's that time of the month, combined with work stressors.
Whatever it is, it's slowly spreading from my upper and lower lip and chin to along my nose, towards my forehead. I managed to get an appointment with the dermatologist for 1pm. I wonder what I'll look like by then...

My Part

As most of you know, Brandon was born prematurely at 36 weeks. Matty came in right under the wire at 36 weeks, 5 days. Thankfully, neither one of the boys had major complications. The worst of it was Brandon staying an extra two days in the hospital to gain more weight. Some babies aren't so lucky, and are so much more fragile than my two little guys were.
Babies have always held a soft spot in my heart, even before I was a mother. Now that I've taken to walking, I decided to join my sister (the fundraiser extraordinaire!) and walk in the March for Babies (formerly known as March of Dimes WalkAmerica). The walk is on April 26, which gives me just over a month to train for it, and to raise funds for the cause. I've set up a donation page here, as well as added the badge you see over on the right. Since it's my first walk, I set my fundraising goal at a modest $250. I ask that you donate whatever you can, even if it's just a dollar or two. Every little bit helps, and with your assistance I can meet that goal, maybe even surpass it.

Thank you. I appreciate it, and the babies do too!

Bookworm in the making

Brandon is learning to read!!! We read this book last night before dinner, and he managed to read the smaller words by himself. He said some of the bigger words too, but I think he cheated a little because one of his Thomas and Friends DVDs has this story. Either way, he's trying, and that's what's important.

On their way to the American Dream

Last week, 9 players from the Cuban Soccer League defected while in Tampa for the Olympic qualifiers. This morning, 15 people, including a toddler, were found on Dinner Key in Biscayne Bay. As a Cuban-American, I feel for these people. They are risking their lives to flee from castro’s Cuba and seek a better life for themselves and their family. They may choose to stay in Miami with friends and family, cocooned by the familiar setting of salsa music and Cuban coffee. Or, they may want to assimilate completely into Americana and settle somewhere like Branson Missouri, living among the mountains and wildlife. Either one will be a struggle, and a big change from the life they knew, but they surpassed the first hurdle: they made it over the 90 miles.

The weekend's over already?!

Man, what a crazy weekend! Yesterday I went to a baby shower, came home and picked up hubby and the boys, ran some errands, and got home around 9pm. Today we had a playdate with Claudia and Chris and Tere and Max, had lunch, and got home to face a few tasks that needed attention. Hubby cleaned the fence with a pressure cleaner while I was inside organizing our files (I had piles and piles of stuff to put away, and we have a nice load of things to shred now). I also paid some bills, and kept an eye on the boys. After dinner I did a couple of loads of laundry, and I just now finished cleaning up older posts from that company that I no longer do paid posts for to see if I can get my PR back. I also updated my profile with LinkWorth, and am hoping more assignments wil come my way from them. I still have another tweak here and there to do to this site, but hopefully my paid posting income will increase in the very near future.
It's past my bedtime, so I'm headed to bed now. Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Hope Now, or no hope at all?

I recently heard about a government program that is providing assistance to homeowners who are facing foreclosure. Many mortgage lenders are part of this alliance, our lender included, but I don't think we qualify for help because we aren't delinquent with our payments. I’ve read here and there that the program is not doing as well as expected. Have you heard about it? What’s your take on it?

Fun Times

We headed over to the neighborhood park this afternoon. Hubby helped Brandon ride his scooter while I pushed Matty in the stroller, who was asleep during the walk there until we got in the way of a lawn sprinkler! Brandon asked me why we went to the "baby" park, but he didn't seem to mind it so much while we were there. This was the second or third time Matty rode a swing, and he loved it! He was smiling and giggling the entire time. He was not very happy when Eric took him out of the seat when it was time to go home. We're always rushing here and going there, and I'm glad we took some time today to spend much-needed quality time with our two babies.

Yoga

I mentioned earlier this week that I had received a yoga dvd to review. I’ve never done yoga before and always wanted to try it. I’m self-conscious when it comes to going to the gym, so trying it in the comfort of my own home was quite appealing. The DVD I received is called Yoga: Gentle Practice, by Real Bodywork, a company from Santa Barbara, California that has been making instructional DVD’s since 1998.
The day I tried it had been a very stressful day, both at work and at home, and I was in a terrible mood. My entire body felt stiff, and I noticed a few times that my jaw was clenched; I was completely on edge (poor hubby can attest to that). After putting the kids to bed, I locked myself in their playroom (plenty of floorspace), and put the DVD on. I liked that the DVD includes an introduction to yoga practice, including a few guidelines for pregnant users, information about eating and drinking prior to or during the practice and some of the benefits of yoga. The DVD is organized into two series, with three three routines each, and also includes a pose guide for all the poses used throughout all six routines.
I did the first routine in Series A, which lasted 33 minutes. The DVD is easy to follow and the poses are fairly simple. The instructor, Zyrka Landwijt, has a very soothing voice, and I found the background music very helpful in achieving optimum relaxation.
The last five minutes of the routine consist of the final relaxation, and it is truly relaxing! I was so calm that I was practically asleep! When I got up I could feel the tension I had built up throughout the day was completely gone, and my body felt radically different than it did just a half-hour prior.
I told hubby that I really enjoyed the experience and I want to practice yoga at least once a week. I think I’ll do it on Fridays so that I can release all the stress built up throughout the week. I’m very glad that I was chosen as a reviewer for this yoga dvd. It was very rewarding, both physically and mentally.

Party Time, and Belated Birthday Wishes

It was my older sister's birthday yesterday (I won't tell her age, but I can tell you that when I asked my nephew how old mommy was, he said "28". Smart kid!) and we surprised her with a party at my dad and stepmom's house. It was in the backyard, and the skies threatened rain, but fortunately for us it was a dry night.
My sister acted somewhat surprised, but she says she suspected something was up when I hadn't called her all day and couldn't make it to a restaurant when she called with dinner plans.
I wasn't able to publicly wish her a happy birthday yesterday because the entire network at work was down for most of the afternoon, and then I didn't get home till well past midnight after the party, so I want to say:

Happy birthday, Mary! I thank God every day for blessing me not only with a wonderful older sister, but a sister I can call a friend. I love you!

No pain, no gain

After all the walking I’ve done the last few days, I really feel the burn. Every time I bend my legs, I feel the soreness in my muscles. We had a fire drill at work yesterday, and I was wishing I had a stair lift of some sort to make the process less painful. Yes, I know, not very practical for a narrow stairwell, but I thought about it anyway.
I have a baby shower to go to in a little while, and after I get back home I'm talking a walk with the boys and hubby to that "hidden" playground we disovered a few weeks back. It doesn't seem like such a chore to exercise if it's disguised as something fun.

Poor Baby

Claudia just called me. She's at the hospital with C-Man, who had an abdominal ultrasound a few moments ago. His appendix looks enflamed and they are waiting for the surgeon to come look at it. Please send good vibes their way that it's nothing serious and doesn't require surgery.

DST and other thoughts

I'm still not used to the time change. It's only 9pm (8?) and I'm ready for bed. I've been wired the past few nights and went to sleep past 11, closer to midnight actually. I hope it doesn't take my body much longer to adjust.

Speaking of adjusting, just as I was getting into a groove about walking, I've hit an impass. I didn't walk yesterday after work, today during lunch or today after work. I'm about to go do some yoga before taking a shower, and then that's it for me for today. Hopefully I'll get back on track tomorrow.

I'm in a fowl mood. Partly to blame is my monthly visitor, but another part is frustration. I've got tons of stuff to do at work and not enough time to do it. I've got lots of cleaning and picking up to do before Easter next week. Gas is skyrocketing and pretty soon I won't be able to afford to drive to work. The list goes on. I wish I could just pack my luggage, hop on a plane and go destress somewhere for a week or so.

Let me go do that yoga and see if a mental trip helps.

Close Call

I hadn't heard from my BFF Angie all weekend long, and she finally got around to telling me why yesterday. Her dad, who is a Vietnam Vet suffering from the "nonexistent" Agent Orange which offset a bunch of other ailments and has turned him into half the man he once was (literally...he weighs less than 100 pounds!), collapsed on Saturday. He went out for a round of golf with a couple of buddies in the morning, and became fatigued and just dropped to the ground. One friend went back to the clubhouse for help while the other stayed with him. It seems he had a mini-stroke. He's fine now, and was released from the hospital earlier this week. He has one of those medical id bracelets in case he's alone somewhere, but she's so grateful there were people with him, and that he's okay now. I'm glad too. I can't imagine being in her position, worrying so much about my father. But I guess that's they way life goes: They take care of us, and then we take care of them.

Horton, The Whos, and Us

I made plans a little while ago with my BFF to take the kids to see Horton Hears a Who next Saturday. But that's not all: since IHOP is running a promotion for the movie, we're having brunch before we head to the theater. Can you imagine Brandon and Emilie's reactions when they see that Green Eggs and Ham are real?!

Oh, my aching legs

As I mentioned earlier, I walked to my friend's house to pick up Brandon yesterday. I'll be measuring the distance tonight when I get home, but I figure it was somewhere between a mile and a mile and a half. It took me 28 minutes to get there, and 24 minutes to get back. (I was speed walking some of the time because I wanted to get home before American Idol. I sort of made it, got home at 8:06).
My legs are achy today, but it's a good achy. I'll be walking again during lunch, and will be popping in that Yoga DVD I talked about yesterday tonight after the AI results show.

One step forward, two steps back

For the last few weeks, I've attempted to minimize our spending and pay off some of our smaller debts. We're eagerly awaiting our tax return to clear a few more things, then we'll only have our mortgage and two credit cards to worry about. Well, that was the plan until last night, when my car decided to give us a little scare.
I was at the grocery store, buying a few quick things before picking up Matty, when I started the car to get the A/C going. I had it running on idle while I loaded the bags, and it just stopped. I started it back up again and was able to get to the sitter's house, which is maybe half a mile away from where I was. I called hubby and he said to let it sit for a while (we've been having trouble on and off with the 0-2 sensor). I left the sitter's after about half an hour, and fortunately the trip home was uneventful. I had made arrangements with a friend to pick up Brandon, so I got home, changed clothes, and decided to walk to her house (in case the car gave me more trouble, but I figured I had the opportunity, so I went for it. More on that later).
Hubby and I switched cars today, and he already had it diagnosed at the shop next to his place of employment. It's not the 0-2 sensor; the fuel line is clogged (that explains it!), and the A/C filter is black and needs to be replaced. There goes another unexpected expense, messing up my catch-up year!
The good news? We're getting an oil change and rotation for free. And it could have been worse. I need Kirsten to hold out about another year.

A successful excursion

My coworker and I spent the last half-hour walking up and down the parking garage in our building. I didn't go around campus like I wanted to, but I'm glad I didn't: we saw a baby (maybe adolescent?) manatee in the canal next to our building, and a turtle poking in and out of the water too!
We're doing it again tomorrow, and I'm bringing my camera, just in case.

Motivated

I only walked for about 35 minutes, less time than I wanted to, but Matty was getting cranky so we had to head home. I think I'm going to take my sneakers to work tomorrow and take a walk around campus during my lunch break. I figure from my building (which is on the west end of the campus) to the parking garage on the east end, then along the emergency room, followed by the drug rehabilitation center and down the alleyway back to my building should be about half an hour's worth of walking. I'll see if I can find my pedometer and "clock it".

Good news!

This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the 17th Avenue bridge is finally open. You may recall that the bridge is the cause of much of my rush hour anguish (not to mention the crappy drivers, but that's a lost cause). It looks like I won't have to take that obnoxious detour to get to work in the mornings, and I might actually get in on time!

Take Two

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was starting a diet. I failed. I didn't really stick to the "eat less/healthier" part of it. I did walk that Monday for about an hour, and that Tuesday for 45 minutes, but couldn't the rest of the week because of either inclement weather or getting home after dark. Last week was awash with both boys sick. But this week I'll be getting back on track, thanks in part to Daylight Savings Time. I'm one of those that prefers longer days, and the extended daylight hours will help me stay motivated. I've also recently received a Yoga DVD to review for you all, and I'm going to test that out on Tuesday and Thursday.
I guess once I've got a routine going it will be a lot easier to stick to this exercise thing.

It must be old age.

It's only 2pm, and I'm exhausted! Brandon and I spent the morning cleaning and organizing the playroom (while Matty grabbed things from their place and messed them up again). There's a bunch of stuff we're getting rid of, and it's piled up in my dining room. I'll have to take it all to the Goodwill tomorrow, otherwise it will take me forever to get to it and all we accomplished was moving the clutter from one room to another.
Hubby's on his way home, and as soon as he gets here I'm hopping in the shower. He'll dress the boys while I finish getting ready and then we head out to see Thomas. Brandon still has no idea. I can't wait to see his reaction when we get there! And of course, I'm curious to see how Matty reacts to the big blue train too.
Hope you all have a lovely Saturday afternoon. =)

Chatterbox

Matty's vocabulary has been increasing dramatically as of late. In the last few days he's mastered "tete" (pacifier), "papa" (food), "eche" and "mil"(leche/milk), and "ba" (two different ba's, one for ball and one for bath). Today it was "pamper" (as in diaper) and "uh oh". Just a few minutes ago he started saying pamper over and over, and when I grabbed the camera to record him, he surprised me with yet another word:

Just when I thought I could relax.

I've got a bunch of things going on this weekend. My older sister and I are taking the boys to "Day Out with Thomas" tomorrow afternoon (Ssshhhh, it's a surprise!), and Sunday is my nephew Tyler's birthday party. I also have to plan my husband's birthday party. His birthday lands on Easter (or, Easter lands on his birthday, either one) and I'm not sure what kind of event we'll be hosting. One thing I know for sure is that I'm using an online service for the party invitations. It's not a big thing, so no need for extravagant snail mail invitations. We're definitely doing our annual Egg Hunt for the kiddies, but I still need to figure out what kind of food we're having, if I'm cooking or ordering out, and what time we're having this thing. I plan on taking that Monday off, but I know some people have to go to work the next day, so it can't run too late. Hubby and I will be brainstorming this weekend...we'll figure it out eventually.

Happy Birthday!!

WB turns 31 today, and CalTechGirl and I were teasing her a couple of days ago about her "old age". Yeah, it was funny, even though we are both 31 too.

She really is getting a package soon, but only time will tell what's inside. ;-)

Happy Birthday, my groovy friend. Have an absolutely awesome day! I love you!!

"No lapse of time or distance of place can lessen the friendship of those who are truly persuaded of each other's worth."
- Unknown

Argh, there go $55!

I filled the prescription Matty's doctor sent for the ointment for his bug bite.
She gave me three samples so that I would only need to fill the script if I had to.

Doh.

The Latest

Brandon is a lot better after Monday and Tuesday's flu-like symptoms, but Matthew has got something going on now. He was irritable all day yesterday at the sitter's, and by the time we got home he had a fever of 101. I gave him Tylenol around 7, bathed him, put him in comfy PJ's, and he fell asleep for a while. We woke him at about 11 because his fever was spiking back up and we wanted to give him some Motrin. It's a big stronger than Tylenol and last longer, so we figured he'd sleep soundly through the night. Not Quite. He cried to be picked up and we took him to our bed, where he alternated between cat-nap type sleep and whimpering. Poor baby did not feel well at all. He was extremely warm to the touch, even through his clothes. I told hubby I'd only go work half a day today, and make an appointment with his pediatrician for the afternoon. I gave him Motrin before we headed out of the house this morning, and I picked him up at 1pm. The sitter says he was okay temp-wise throughout the day, but he was very cranky and just wanted to be held. I took his temp at her house before leaving for the doctor's office, and it was back up to 101.9. By the time they took it at the doctor's office a little over an hour later, it was 103.3! I am so glad we already had an appointment or I would have headed to the ER right then and there!

Anyway, it looks like it's one of two things: he's either got some sort of variation of what Brandon had earlier this week (he doesn't have a cough, or stuffy nose, like B did), or his body is fighting off an infection from a bug bite we noticed on his left thigh yesterday afternoon. I guess he was scratching it either throughtout the night last night or at some point during the day today. It's pretty big right now, 2 cm x 4 cm, and scabby. And it's not too pleasant looking either. He was sent two prescriptions, antibiotics and a topical cream. Hopefully he'll be back to his wonderful, happy-baby self soon. He's in the playroom with Brandon right now, so I'm taking that as a good sign that this will be over quickly.

6 Little Numbers

For the second week in a row, I played the lotto last Saturday. I lost. I don’t know what’s worse: not playing but wishing and hoping that someday I win the lotto, or playing and losing that dollar, or three, or five. Maybe God thinks I’ll go crazy if I am near that much money. Not so, I have a plan: pay off my house, clear my debt, buy a new car, and invest in a property or two, maybe some Branson real estate or a beachside condo somewhere. We’ll do some traveling too, but we’ll definitely put a good amount away. See? I’ve got it all figured out. Now all I need is that winning ticket…

Brandonisms- Ben Stiller edition

Sunday afternoon. Hubby and I are on the couch watching "The Heartbreak Kid" and the boys are playing. Brandon walks to the living room and looks at the TV:

"Larry!!"

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Yesterday while I'm watching "Keeping the Faith". Again, he walks into the living room and looks at the TV:

"Larry!!"

How you doin'?

No, I'm not still hung over. In fact, I only had one drink during my little outing on Saturday. But that's not to say we didn't have a lovely time. Claudia has beat me to it and posted about our adventures. We really should do that more often.
My silence was triggered by a very busy Sunday, and staying home yesterday with the boys. Brandon woke up with a fever, stuffy nose and cough, and it didn't make any sense to take Matty to the sitter, so I was home all day soothing one and entertaining the other. On the plus side, I was quite productive around the house. I did all the laundry that had to be done, cleaned my bathroom and made dinner at a decent hour. I even managed to clean up the kitchen and do the dishes before 9pm, a true feat at our house.

I want to point out that while I'm late in mentioning it, Sunday would have been Dr. Seuss's 104th birthday, and Kate's tribute to him brought happy tears to my eyes. I've loved Dr. Seuss's books since I was a little girl, and Brandon can't help but love them too.

I've got to try to get some work done, at task made difficult by a moody computer (it seems to have a couple of worms, which I reported to our IT department last Friday...apparently me not being able to work is not a "priority") so I won't be posting much else until I get home. TTFN.

Headed Out

I should not be in front of the computer right now. I should be in the shower, getting ready for my Girls' Night Out. Yes, you read right, Claudia, Lilli, Cristi, a couple of other girls and I are headed out for the evening. We're going to dinner then hitting a club or three at the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe. The guys will be gathered at my house to watch a UFC match and babysit the kiddies. This has become a yearly tradition, and we've been looking forward to it for a few weeks.
What are you doing tonight?