Jess pulled out her front tooth last night. Her right front came out a while back. Her left front had been dangling and wiggling for a while. She wanted it out, but wouldn't let me near it. We tried once with the Baby Orajel, but she still wouldn't let me touch it last week! So, last night, she went in the bathroom and comes out with a tissue and a big smile, "It's coming out!"
Me: Did you get it out? (Noticing blood in her mouth and on the tissue)
Jess: No, but I pulled on it!
Me: Well, go back in the bathroom and work on it, so you don't get blood on the carpet.
Five minutes later....
Jess: I did it! I pulled my tooth out. And I didn't even need to put that stuff on it!
Me: Good for you, Sweetie!
So I had her put it in a ziploc bag, then this inside the little box she puts under her pillow and placed it in its right spot. She told me she wanted to hold onto the box, so she would wake up when the tooth fairy got there and I told her she couldn't, because if the tooth fairy thinks he/she will wake you up, they won't leave the money. And they probably won't make a second trip, since they already came the first time.
She asked me if she would get a golden dollar again and I told her that if the tooth fairy had enough for the night, she probably would, but if there were a lot of kids that lost teeth last night, then TF would probably leave a paper dollar instead. She understood. And as it turns out, TF left a golden dollar. Her sister checked the little box this morning. Cool.
Now they have already lost the box.
Since I am talking about Jessica, this is pretty cute.
A few weeks back, when we were driving to Dad's house in his car because he had taken mine with the new recliner in the back, I had left my purse in my car, with my driver's license in it. I said, out loud, that I did not have my driver's license with me. Jessica panicked and asked, in a worried tone, "Oh no, Mommy, do you still remember how to drive?"
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Good excuse for a party!
So, I am going to have a virtual party! A brunch pot luck. I will be providing the coffee and some banana bread I made yesterday! It's really good! Stop by anytime! What are you going to bring? Homemade or store-bought, it's all good. Oh, the chocolate chip cookies are fresh out of the oven, too. Sandy, could you bring your blueberry buckle? It's been such a long time and it is SOOO good! Just grab a cup of coffee and hang out for a while!
And everyone please welcome Joy to the group! She is a Christian, stay at home mom and she is taking on all kinds of new adventures! Welcome to the neighborhood!
I made some changes to my blog. Again. I changed my name. To my real name. I thought that this would clear things up a bit, but instead it seems to have made it more complicated. So, if you see comments posted by me on YOUR blog, they will now show up as "Amy", instead of JessnBekahsmom. Which I still am and always will be, but I decided to put in my name. After what, two years on blogger. I know. Don't ask.
And everyone please welcome Joy to the group! She is a Christian, stay at home mom and she is taking on all kinds of new adventures! Welcome to the neighborhood!
I made some changes to my blog. Again. I changed my name. To my real name. I thought that this would clear things up a bit, but instead it seems to have made it more complicated. So, if you see comments posted by me on YOUR blog, they will now show up as "Amy", instead of JessnBekahsmom. Which I still am and always will be, but I decided to put in my name. After what, two years on blogger. I know. Don't ask.
Another Great Movie...
This one is a bit harder. I was too easy on y'all before!
Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love...true love never dies. You remember that boy, you remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see a person should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in.
Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love...true love never dies. You remember that boy, you remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see a person should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Movie Quote
Thank you so much for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?
Any guesses? C'mon, you should know this one!
Any guesses? C'mon, you should know this one!
Bedsheets and Vacations
Strange title, I know. But once you read the story, it will make sense.
When I was a teenager, we stayed at the beach at Oxnard for two weeks at the beach house that belonged to a friend of my Dad. It was a tiny little place, very old. The type that has a flat roof and a one-car garage. It was one block from the beach. Actually, only about 8 houses from the beach. Really close. It was June. June in Oxnard, CA is overcast and cool. Not summer weather. So it was too cool to spend much time sunbathing, which I don't do much of anyway. I burn, peel and fade. And I don't like sitting in the sand. So no sunbathing. My sister and my friend, Tamara, went sunbathing at the beach anyway. They like that sort of thing. My Dad was there only on the weekends and my mom and her friend, Sue, were there with us.
It was very windy. And damp. In the two weeks we were there, the salt air ate through the paint on the hood of our mint green Ford Station Wagon and there were a few small spots of rust showing through already!
We were standing out in front of the beach house one day, about to get in the car to go somewhere, when the wind blew this sheet down the street. It was bright red. Like an orange-red, with large white daisies with yellow centers all over the entire sheet. It was like a full-size bedsheet! So, someone, either my mom or Sue, grabbed it as it was blowing down the street. They decided they could use it for SOMETHING, so they put it in the beach house. Later on, they washed it and Sue proceeded to get the sewing machine out. She sewed. And sewed. And sewed some more. In the end, we all ended up with "dresses" and "tops". I use quotes, because these were basically just sacks. She cut a piece long enough and big enough around to make a dress, sewed up the side and then sewed elastic under the seam on top and made a seam on the bottom. Voila! A moo-moo. We had tops made the same way, but with elastic on top and bottom. We were all made to wear these red and white daisy sheet outfits! Oi! And the sheet seemed to have a never-ending supply of fabric! It was everywhere! I was like 12 or 13 at the time and totally mortified that they were going to make me where this stupid sheet. Nobody else knew where it came from, it was just the IDEA that it had been rolling down the street. I never thought of it before, but it probably blew off someone's clothesline. What if they had seen us running around in their sheet, all cut up!
What a trip. Did your parents ever make you do something that just embarrassed the heck out of you? Feel free to share!
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. This was the trip that my mom didn't want to take me back to my ice skating competition. Even though we were only an hour from home. Even though I had been practicing my routine for a long time with my coach. Even though it meant a LOT to me. Didn't matter. It was not important enough to go back for. But I'm not bitter. Okay, maybe I still am. So what.
When I was a teenager, we stayed at the beach at Oxnard for two weeks at the beach house that belonged to a friend of my Dad. It was a tiny little place, very old. The type that has a flat roof and a one-car garage. It was one block from the beach. Actually, only about 8 houses from the beach. Really close. It was June. June in Oxnard, CA is overcast and cool. Not summer weather. So it was too cool to spend much time sunbathing, which I don't do much of anyway. I burn, peel and fade. And I don't like sitting in the sand. So no sunbathing. My sister and my friend, Tamara, went sunbathing at the beach anyway. They like that sort of thing. My Dad was there only on the weekends and my mom and her friend, Sue, were there with us.
It was very windy. And damp. In the two weeks we were there, the salt air ate through the paint on the hood of our mint green Ford Station Wagon and there were a few small spots of rust showing through already!
We were standing out in front of the beach house one day, about to get in the car to go somewhere, when the wind blew this sheet down the street. It was bright red. Like an orange-red, with large white daisies with yellow centers all over the entire sheet. It was like a full-size bedsheet! So, someone, either my mom or Sue, grabbed it as it was blowing down the street. They decided they could use it for SOMETHING, so they put it in the beach house. Later on, they washed it and Sue proceeded to get the sewing machine out. She sewed. And sewed. And sewed some more. In the end, we all ended up with "dresses" and "tops". I use quotes, because these were basically just sacks. She cut a piece long enough and big enough around to make a dress, sewed up the side and then sewed elastic under the seam on top and made a seam on the bottom. Voila! A moo-moo. We had tops made the same way, but with elastic on top and bottom. We were all made to wear these red and white daisy sheet outfits! Oi! And the sheet seemed to have a never-ending supply of fabric! It was everywhere! I was like 12 or 13 at the time and totally mortified that they were going to make me where this stupid sheet. Nobody else knew where it came from, it was just the IDEA that it had been rolling down the street. I never thought of it before, but it probably blew off someone's clothesline. What if they had seen us running around in their sheet, all cut up!
What a trip. Did your parents ever make you do something that just embarrassed the heck out of you? Feel free to share!
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. This was the trip that my mom didn't want to take me back to my ice skating competition. Even though we were only an hour from home. Even though I had been practicing my routine for a long time with my coach. Even though it meant a LOT to me. Didn't matter. It was not important enough to go back for. But I'm not bitter. Okay, maybe I still am. So what.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Whose Line Is It Anyway - Party Quirks
One of the best Whose Line clips ever! This is my favorite show! I changed our channels on TV and don't get it anymore. I just spent four minutes laughing my head off! This is totally worth four minutes of your life. Play til the very end. Laugh out loud funny!!!
A Great Blog!
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at your local Starbucks? Well, Barista Brat has been writing about it for some time now and she has a super, fantastic blog! It is hilarious! I found her blog from Lorraine's blog and have been reading it for quite some time now. Apparently a lot of people have been! I know Lorraine is in Washington and I believe Brat is, too. Anyway, you've got to check this one out! Just for grins.
Kodachrome
I love this song! Always have! Since I first heard it about twelve years ago. I know, I know, but better late than never! Now you can all enjoy! You gotta love Paul Simon...and the guy who put these pics together did a good job. It even has Lorraine's green tomatoes! Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
My Nephew Could Have Been A Statistic
Jessica and I are going to do the Walk for Life, for the SCV Pregnancy Center. On Saturday. To help unborn babies and those whose mothers decide to bring them to term. To save babies. This is such a touchy subject. Personally, I believe the choice is made before you get pregnant. After that, the baby has a right to live. Whether you keep that baby or give it up, that is another choice, but the baby doesn't deserve to die. My belief. Others don't necessarily agree. I can still love them and understand their beliefs. God still loves them, although He may want what He knows to be better for them. Because there are so many potential mothers that live with the guilt for many years afterward. But I digress. We are going to walk. The Pregnancy Center does not have an "agenda", other than giving moms choices. Choices they may not realize they have or they may not know who to turn to.
The director of the Pregnancy Center met with The Hubby and me when he was doing his report last semester. On people in the church who may have a crisis. Like an unplanned pregnancy. Each student was to pick a different type of crisis, such as terminal cancer, a death in the family, marital issues, etc. The Hubby picked the Pregnancy Center and they were so gracious! We went together to meet with the director and at that time she told us about the Walk For Life in October. So we became the contacts for our church.
This is a subject that is very close to my heart. I am my nephew's godmother. He could have been one of those statistics. My sister tried for several years to have a second child, only to finally turn to adoption as the option they chose. They found a group that specializes in foster to adoption through the state or maybe it was the county. Anyway, they got on the list and waited. And waited. Eventually, they got a call. To come and pick up their baby. A baby boy had been dropped off at a fire station and they could come to the hospital and get him. How cool is that! He had apparently been born at home and he had a shoelace tied around the umbilical cord. The person who dropped him off gave no information. My sister and BIL got to name him and everything! He was, I believe, three days old when they got him!
If the mother of that child had opted for abortion, we would not have the amazing little boy that is my nephew and godson.
So we will walk. I am actively seeking donations for the walk. :-) If you would like to support me, please let me know and I will give you my email address at your blog, or if I know you, just email me! Thanks!
The director of the Pregnancy Center met with The Hubby and me when he was doing his report last semester. On people in the church who may have a crisis. Like an unplanned pregnancy. Each student was to pick a different type of crisis, such as terminal cancer, a death in the family, marital issues, etc. The Hubby picked the Pregnancy Center and they were so gracious! We went together to meet with the director and at that time she told us about the Walk For Life in October. So we became the contacts for our church.
This is a subject that is very close to my heart. I am my nephew's godmother. He could have been one of those statistics. My sister tried for several years to have a second child, only to finally turn to adoption as the option they chose. They found a group that specializes in foster to adoption through the state or maybe it was the county. Anyway, they got on the list and waited. And waited. Eventually, they got a call. To come and pick up their baby. A baby boy had been dropped off at a fire station and they could come to the hospital and get him. How cool is that! He had apparently been born at home and he had a shoelace tied around the umbilical cord. The person who dropped him off gave no information. My sister and BIL got to name him and everything! He was, I believe, three days old when they got him!
If the mother of that child had opted for abortion, we would not have the amazing little boy that is my nephew and godson.
So we will walk. I am actively seeking donations for the walk. :-) If you would like to support me, please let me know and I will give you my email address at your blog, or if I know you, just email me! Thanks!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Inspiration
I was inspired by a new friend, Steph, to write about this. Her writing brought me to tears. You have to go and read it for yourself. She has a great blog. Anyway, she was writing about how much she loves her youngest daughter. Not to exclude the others, but she was just writing about THIS one today. And how much more God loves us. And it reminded me of this song, by Keith Green and written by Melody Green. The chorus, "Thank you oh my father, for giving us your son, and leaving your spirit 'til the work on earth is done." It gets me every time. It never hit me until I was a parent. Just how difficult it must have been for Him to give us His Son, His perfect Son. That God knew men would reject, laugh at, turn away from. And He did it anyway. I couldn't. I am a parent. I love my children more than I ever thought possible. I can't imagine giving them up for ANY reason.
THERE IS A REDEEMER
Written by Melody Green
There is a redeemer,
Jesus, God's own son,
Precious lamb of God, messiah,
Holy one,
Jesus my redeemer,
Name above all names,
Precious lamb of God, messiah,
Oh, for sinners slain.
Thank you oh my father,
For giving us your son,
And leaving your spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
When I stand in glory,
I will see his face,
And there I'll serve my king forever,
In that holy place.
Thank you oh my father,
For giving us your son,
And leaving your spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
There is a redeemer,
Jesus, god's own son,
Precious lamb of god, messiah,
Holy one,
Thank you oh my father,
For giving us your son,
And leaving your spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
And leaving your spirit,
'till the work on earth is done.
When I was pregnant with Rebekah, I worried that I couldn't love another child as much as I loved Jessica. I worried about Jess while I was going to the hospital and I missed her exceedingly. For Jessica's birth, I was awake and as soon as I heard that little cry, I began to cry. The nurse brought her to me and showed her to me. I had a C-section, so I couldn't hold her yet. But The Hubby took the picture. My eyes are all red.
With Rebekah, it was different. A planned C-section. So this time they gave me a spinal, instead of the epidural I had with Jessica. Well, I vomited and passed out on the table. Don't remember her birth at all. It bothers me immensely. Still does. I wasn't there for her.
BUT! When I did meet her, oh, the joy! She was BEAUTIFUL! Now remember, I could not imagine loving another as much as Jess. But here was this little (!) ten pound beauty. The nurse told me she had never seen such a beautiful newborn. I beamed. She really was! Not red and blotchy. No pointed forehead or pinched face. She was perfect, round and pink. Completely amazing! And so beautiful. Forget the Baby Channel they have at the hospital for the moms to watch. My TV never went on. I had this little wonder to look at.
I loved her instantly as much as I loved Jessica. Isn't motherhood amazing?!? Who would think? Favorites? They are so completely different! They are both my favorite!
When I was pregnant with Jessica, I was working for an attorney. A cush job! If he was in the office, I would be typing, doing corrections to drafts, etc. If he was not there, which was quite a bit of the time, I would be doing research on the internet. Sometimes all day. Just sitting at my desk printing out page after page of research (this was when I researched the vaccines!). Anyway, I liked my job and liked my boss. Really nice! Then, I had Jess. My attorney boss even bought me the combo car seat stroller that was like $180 and never once complained about the maternity leave! He was great! After six months of working, I couldn't do it anymore! I missed my baby too much. The proverbial straw was when she turned over and my MIL didn't tell me, because she didn't want me to feel bad that I missed the milestone. But I DID miss it because she didn't even TELL me! That was it, I had to stay home. And home I have stayed since then. And aside from the very rare stressful day, there is no place like home! Dorothy was right!
WHEW! I have been all over the map here! Let's just wrap it up by saying that I cannot imagine my life without my little Bekah-Boo. She is a handful and difficult sometimes, but she is such a joy to me. She loves to cuddle and she loves to be the baby. She has a gentle heart and a loving spirit. I can't imagine our family without her! I know now that if God blesses us with any more children, that this mother will have enough love for all of them! Mind-boggling!
ALSO:
Rebekah is doing just fine after all her trauma with the head injury and staples. She didn't cry, or even flinch, when we went to the Dr. to have the three staples removed. She was fantastic and brave! After her Dr. appt., we went to the Valencia mall with Papa (my dad) and we walked past the ear piercing place. As I do every time, I said, "Rebekah, do you want to get your ears pierced?" And she always says, "No, it will hurt", and we keep on going. She said yes. She said YES! So we stopped. And she got her ears pierced. And she cried! And cried some more. And then she whimpered. There was only one girl there. So she couldn't do both ears at the same time! The lady was apologizing when we left. We all felt so bad! But now she is glad she did it. And she feels very grown up! She has little gold balls in her ears and in six weeks we can get something else to put there! My baby is growing up. And she is adorable and I love her so.
Okay, I am done. For now.
THERE IS A REDEEMER
Written by Melody Green
There is a redeemer,
Jesus, God's own son,
Precious lamb of God, messiah,
Holy one,
Jesus my redeemer,
Name above all names,
Precious lamb of God, messiah,
Oh, for sinners slain.
Thank you oh my father,
For giving us your son,
And leaving your spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
When I stand in glory,
I will see his face,
And there I'll serve my king forever,
In that holy place.
Thank you oh my father,
For giving us your son,
And leaving your spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
There is a redeemer,
Jesus, god's own son,
Precious lamb of god, messiah,
Holy one,
Thank you oh my father,
For giving us your son,
And leaving your spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
And leaving your spirit,
'till the work on earth is done.
When I was pregnant with Rebekah, I worried that I couldn't love another child as much as I loved Jessica. I worried about Jess while I was going to the hospital and I missed her exceedingly. For Jessica's birth, I was awake and as soon as I heard that little cry, I began to cry. The nurse brought her to me and showed her to me. I had a C-section, so I couldn't hold her yet. But The Hubby took the picture. My eyes are all red.
With Rebekah, it was different. A planned C-section. So this time they gave me a spinal, instead of the epidural I had with Jessica. Well, I vomited and passed out on the table. Don't remember her birth at all. It bothers me immensely. Still does. I wasn't there for her.
BUT! When I did meet her, oh, the joy! She was BEAUTIFUL! Now remember, I could not imagine loving another as much as Jess. But here was this little (!) ten pound beauty. The nurse told me she had never seen such a beautiful newborn. I beamed. She really was! Not red and blotchy. No pointed forehead or pinched face. She was perfect, round and pink. Completely amazing! And so beautiful. Forget the Baby Channel they have at the hospital for the moms to watch. My TV never went on. I had this little wonder to look at.
I loved her instantly as much as I loved Jessica. Isn't motherhood amazing?!? Who would think? Favorites? They are so completely different! They are both my favorite!
When I was pregnant with Jessica, I was working for an attorney. A cush job! If he was in the office, I would be typing, doing corrections to drafts, etc. If he was not there, which was quite a bit of the time, I would be doing research on the internet. Sometimes all day. Just sitting at my desk printing out page after page of research (this was when I researched the vaccines!). Anyway, I liked my job and liked my boss. Really nice! Then, I had Jess. My attorney boss even bought me the combo car seat stroller that was like $180 and never once complained about the maternity leave! He was great! After six months of working, I couldn't do it anymore! I missed my baby too much. The proverbial straw was when she turned over and my MIL didn't tell me, because she didn't want me to feel bad that I missed the milestone. But I DID miss it because she didn't even TELL me! That was it, I had to stay home. And home I have stayed since then. And aside from the very rare stressful day, there is no place like home! Dorothy was right!
WHEW! I have been all over the map here! Let's just wrap it up by saying that I cannot imagine my life without my little Bekah-Boo. She is a handful and difficult sometimes, but she is such a joy to me. She loves to cuddle and she loves to be the baby. She has a gentle heart and a loving spirit. I can't imagine our family without her! I know now that if God blesses us with any more children, that this mother will have enough love for all of them! Mind-boggling!
ALSO:
Rebekah is doing just fine after all her trauma with the head injury and staples. She didn't cry, or even flinch, when we went to the Dr. to have the three staples removed. She was fantastic and brave! After her Dr. appt., we went to the Valencia mall with Papa (my dad) and we walked past the ear piercing place. As I do every time, I said, "Rebekah, do you want to get your ears pierced?" And she always says, "No, it will hurt", and we keep on going. She said yes. She said YES! So we stopped. And she got her ears pierced. And she cried! And cried some more. And then she whimpered. There was only one girl there. So she couldn't do both ears at the same time! The lady was apologizing when we left. We all felt so bad! But now she is glad she did it. And she feels very grown up! She has little gold balls in her ears and in six weeks we can get something else to put there! My baby is growing up. And she is adorable and I love her so.
Okay, I am done. For now.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sleepy Time
Was just catching up on Lorraine's blog and she has had SO much going on, with birthday parties, house guests and such. Makes me tired just reading about it! And MY life hasn't been exactly quiet lately. So her most recent entry is about sleeping, which I can totally get on with. Right there with you. Never get enough of it. My sleep schedule lately is:
IN bed by 8:45pm, reading and rubbing Hubby's back
10:30pm lights out
3:45am up with Hubby to make lunch and say goodbye
4:30am check email, check blogs, etc.
5:30-6am either go back to sleep for two hours or kids wake up and we all stay up (more likely)
That's it. All broken up. I got more sleep when the kids were babies! Jess got up yesterday at 4:30am and was in bed by 8:30pm. That's a long day for a six year old! And she got up this morning at 5:30! Whew! The kid doesn't need much sleep. She's got more energy than three kids her age!
Then I was at the Cows website. This fantastic ice cream place in Canada. We were at the one near Vancouver when we were there several years ago and I have ordered things off their website a couple of times. They have the most hilarious t-shirts and things. All cow-related. Which I love. Love the cows. Stuffed animal cows. Cow t-shirts. Anything with cows on it. I have this shirt, not from there, but from a dairy in Arizona.
Front: Cow's Dairy
Back: See Udder Side
The Hubby refused to let me wear it when I was nursing. I love it.
Anyway, at www.cows.ca you can get anything with cows on it. Funny stuff. A couple of the images are at the top. Cute stuff. I love everything they have! Magnets, stuffed cows. It's all good. The one that made me think of sleepy time says, "Pasture Bedtime". On the pj's for kids. Too cute. And they don't get why that's funny.
Gotta go. Taking Bekah to the doctor this morning for her staple removal. So, if anybody has any warm wishes for her, I will pass them along. She might just need a cow to hold.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Buddy
Hi, this is Buddy the cat. I thought I would commandeer the computer and give you an update on me, since nobody else has! My people are doing well, no new news, so I figured they wouldn't notice if I popped up here.
They started letting me go outside a few months ago. I go play in the backyard and occasionally crawl under the fence to the neighbors' yard. Nice change of scenery. I go out at about 4:00am, but lately it has been pretty chilly outside, so I have skipped my morning adventure a few times. I appreciate them letting me outside. I am able to watch the birds and bugs and I also can relieve myself there instead of using the box inside all the time. They don't keep it as clean as I would like, so if I don't have to use it as often, all the better.
On Sunday mornings, my people don't get up at 4:00am. I get so lonely and I have to wake up Mom. She doesn't mind too much. I just don't like being alone! I really had to work at it a couple of weeks ago. I even had to bite her toes because she wouldn't get up! It was already 6:00am! Can you imagine? They were still asleep! Sometimes I will go in and wake up the small people first, then THEY wake up Mom. I don't think it would be a good idea to wake up Dad, though.
Mom started buying me Kitty Cookies recently. They are good. I have her trained. Several times a day I start thinking about the cookies and voila! they start shaking the bag! It is amazing! Sometimes they even shake the bag when I don't think of it first! I come running so that they will do it again the next time. Boy, have I got them trained! They are delicious!
I don't chase after paper balls anymore. That is so yesterday. I am practically an adult! I do sleep a lot more than I used to. I get tired during the middle of the day. What is a cat supposed to do? I hop up in my cat tree and the small people don't bother me. Mom doesn't let them climb up my tree. Only I am allowed. Thank goodness! I love my small people. They give me LOTS of attention. I even let them carry me around sometimes. It's okay. They are pretty nice to me and tell me they love me. They hug and kiss me a lot, especially the little one named Rebekah. She gets in trouble for picking me up as much as she does, so I try to be especially nice so they won't find out she picked me up. I don't want her to get in trouble so much. And they have told her if she isn't nice, I may have to go. I don't want to go, so I try to be as nice to her as possible, so I don't cause trouble. I actually do like it when she picks me up. At least I don't have to go bug Mom to hold me and kiss me.
I am glad that they took me away from that bad place where they found me. The Animal Shelter, I think they called it. It was not a very nice place. Before they rescued me, I was drugged and the people there did some bad things I don't EVEN want to describe to you! I'll just say, it is a good thing I am covered in fur!
Overall, I am very happy living with my people. They take good care of me. They do yell at me sometimes when I scratch on their furniture. What is a cat do? It is great stuff for sharpening your claws on! I do stay away from Dad's chair. I think they would probably leave me outside! So NO leather recliner for me!
Don't tell them I was here. We'll just keep it to ourselves, okay? Oh, and if I don't get back here, have a happy Halloween. They won't let me out that day, even though we are celebrating my birthday on Halloween, so I will wish you a safe and happy Halloween now.
Meow.
They started letting me go outside a few months ago. I go play in the backyard and occasionally crawl under the fence to the neighbors' yard. Nice change of scenery. I go out at about 4:00am, but lately it has been pretty chilly outside, so I have skipped my morning adventure a few times. I appreciate them letting me outside. I am able to watch the birds and bugs and I also can relieve myself there instead of using the box inside all the time. They don't keep it as clean as I would like, so if I don't have to use it as often, all the better.
On Sunday mornings, my people don't get up at 4:00am. I get so lonely and I have to wake up Mom. She doesn't mind too much. I just don't like being alone! I really had to work at it a couple of weeks ago. I even had to bite her toes because she wouldn't get up! It was already 6:00am! Can you imagine? They were still asleep! Sometimes I will go in and wake up the small people first, then THEY wake up Mom. I don't think it would be a good idea to wake up Dad, though.
Mom started buying me Kitty Cookies recently. They are good. I have her trained. Several times a day I start thinking about the cookies and voila! they start shaking the bag! It is amazing! Sometimes they even shake the bag when I don't think of it first! I come running so that they will do it again the next time. Boy, have I got them trained! They are delicious!
I don't chase after paper balls anymore. That is so yesterday. I am practically an adult! I do sleep a lot more than I used to. I get tired during the middle of the day. What is a cat supposed to do? I hop up in my cat tree and the small people don't bother me. Mom doesn't let them climb up my tree. Only I am allowed. Thank goodness! I love my small people. They give me LOTS of attention. I even let them carry me around sometimes. It's okay. They are pretty nice to me and tell me they love me. They hug and kiss me a lot, especially the little one named Rebekah. She gets in trouble for picking me up as much as she does, so I try to be especially nice so they won't find out she picked me up. I don't want her to get in trouble so much. And they have told her if she isn't nice, I may have to go. I don't want to go, so I try to be as nice to her as possible, so I don't cause trouble. I actually do like it when she picks me up. At least I don't have to go bug Mom to hold me and kiss me.
I am glad that they took me away from that bad place where they found me. The Animal Shelter, I think they called it. It was not a very nice place. Before they rescued me, I was drugged and the people there did some bad things I don't EVEN want to describe to you! I'll just say, it is a good thing I am covered in fur!
Overall, I am very happy living with my people. They take good care of me. They do yell at me sometimes when I scratch on their furniture. What is a cat do? It is great stuff for sharpening your claws on! I do stay away from Dad's chair. I think they would probably leave me outside! So NO leather recliner for me!
Don't tell them I was here. We'll just keep it to ourselves, okay? Oh, and if I don't get back here, have a happy Halloween. They won't let me out that day, even though we are celebrating my birthday on Halloween, so I will wish you a safe and happy Halloween now.
Meow.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
I need chocolate
I do. I need chocolate. I just thought I would share that with you all. Would you like to share some chocolate with me? What is your favorite?
The Birthday...and before and after
Thursday night we were out at the mall, eating dinner at Red Robin and getting See's Candies for me (Jessica's idea). The girls got me flowers at Costco earlier in the day. We got home, put the kids to bed at about 9:30pm and thought we were done for the night. But Bekah had different plans. Instead of lying in bed with her covers over her, drifting off to lala land, she was crawling across the bottom of her sister's bed. Well, she lost her balance and fell off. We heard the scream from their bedroom and came running. You never saw the Hubby and I move so fast. She met us at the door to their bedroom and was screaming. I couldn't tell what hurt, so she finally said it was her head and put her hand against the back of her head. That's when I saw the blood.
I checked the back of her head and there was a gash about three-quarters of an inch across on the back of her head. It was not bleeding that much, but any amount was too much for Bekah and she was a bit frightened. We grabbed some cloth diapers (yes, I still have them and yes, they work great for everything!) and some wipes and headed for the emergency room. We got there at about ten o'clock. They called her in to look at her after about a half hour and then we had to wait. The place was pretty full. There is only one hospital in the whole valley. Another is being built, however, it will be probably another year before it is completed. So we waited and they finally called her name at about 11:50pm. She was, of course, fast asleep.
I laid her down on the cot and the triage nurse cleaned up the wound a bit. The tech came over and said he wanted to put some staples in it, so it needed to be cleaned. Rebekah slept. The tech comes back with the staple gun about ten minutes later and asks us to wake her up. He said he felt really bad doing that while she was asleep. Rebekah is a VERY sound sleeper. I knew she wouldn't wake up, so I told him to go ahead. So he pulls her hair back and does the first staple. She moved around a bit and he waited. He does the second staple. She fusses a little more and grabs her head. He does the third staple. Now she is somewhat awake and starts to cry a little bit. But not much, considering what just happened. They are amazed. Said she was the best patient! Poor little thing. She just knows now her head hurts. She was awake enough to walk part of the way to the car. Good thing, too, since she is pretty heavy.
I was carrying her quite a lot that night and probably strained my back. I am sure I overdid it, but my baby was hurt. She is fifty-eight pounds and I just don't have the strength to carry her for long periods of time, but she was asleep for about an hour and I was holding her in the chair and then walking with her as well.
The next morning, she didn't remember much. So, aside from getting a late start, we were still going to go ahead with our plans. Last year on my birthday we went to Oxnard and had so much fun that I wanted to do that again. So we packed up the car and I decided to grab the folding chairs in case we needed them. I leaned over to pick one up and BAM! my back snapped. There is this one muscle in my lower left side that does this once in a while and when it goes, it goes BIG! This has not happened in a long time! Well, I could barely reach up to close the back of the van, so I knew I really did something. But we were still going to go!
I drove, which was easier for me than being a passenger. That was fine, but walking around was not easy. So when we got to the park at the beach, Hubby went with the girls down to the water and I stayed back and took pictures of them. It was gray and cloudy, windy and gorgeous! Weather that we love. The girls got to play in the sand and on the swings and then Hubby took them to the beach and the tide was coming in, so they had to scoot back a few times. They had a blast. There is also this "ship" on the beach that has a cable on it with a big rope attached to it. You climb up on the ship and ride the cable to the sand pile. Jess did it a few times and had a blast! Bekah wanted to, but Mommy said no, because of her head and once she got up high enough to grab it, she decided she didn't really want to do that anyway. Worked out fine.
We left the park at the beach and went over to Andria's Seafood and Market. It is the best. Clam chowder, fish and chips and fried shrimp and cole slaw. Yum. You walk up to the counter and order and then find a place to sit. It is so good! I really like the fish and chips at Red Robin. This is like, at least, ten times better. Fresh. The restaurant is within yards of the dock where the commercial fishing boats go out of. Really fresh fish!
We all ate the yummy food and were full and headed back toward home. It was about 4 o'clock. Then it started raining pretty hard. It was pouring by the time we got on the freeway and the windshield wipers couldn't keep up with it! So COOL! We stopped at a couple of vegetable stands on the way back home. There are many between the beach in Oxnard and Castaic. Orchards and fields everywhere. Beautiful area. So we got a box of grapefruit, some dried apricots, pumpkins, strawberries, zucchini, cashews, and some other stuff. Yum!
By the time we got to Castaic, the rain had dissipated. It was still beautiful, with puffy grey clouds with the sun coming through and everything looked fresh and crisp. We drove home and then we all had the cake that Hubby and Jess made for me that morning. The one time each year that I get to have white cake with white frosting and coconut on it. That is SOOOO good! Even Hubby had some, although he said it was only because it was my birthday cake. He only really likes chocolate!
I got lots of calls from people who love me on my birthday. Including one from "Jerry". Once, a long time ago, when I was young and not very bright, I responded to an ad in the Pennysaver classifieds. I met the guy at Coco's and we were supposed to have dinner. He had already eaten, so didn't order anything and I just had dessert. He was trying to be romantic and I was trying to hurry up and get out of there. He unscrewed the lightbulb above our table so as to create "ambience". At Coco's. I never saw the guy again, however, he had my cell phone number. That was more than ten years ago. I know, because I have been happily married for eight and a half years. Well, he calls me every year on my birthday. To wish me a happy birthday on my special day. And to say hello to my hubby. Whom he has never met. I don't answer the phone if I don't recognize the number and his came up "Unknown", so not a chance, but I can't believe he is still calling me! Weird! You would think after all this time he would have something better to do! Oh well, he doesn't know where I am, or what my last name is and he only calls on my birthday. But after the strange things that have happened to me in my life, it does creep me out a little.
All in all, I had a very nice birthday. I am still hobbling around because I can not stand up straight, but I am sure within a few days, I will be back to normal. I hope. Hubby is at church with the kids right now. I figured I had better stay home and take it easy. So I am. I don't get many opportunities to do so!
I checked the back of her head and there was a gash about three-quarters of an inch across on the back of her head. It was not bleeding that much, but any amount was too much for Bekah and she was a bit frightened. We grabbed some cloth diapers (yes, I still have them and yes, they work great for everything!) and some wipes and headed for the emergency room. We got there at about ten o'clock. They called her in to look at her after about a half hour and then we had to wait. The place was pretty full. There is only one hospital in the whole valley. Another is being built, however, it will be probably another year before it is completed. So we waited and they finally called her name at about 11:50pm. She was, of course, fast asleep.
I laid her down on the cot and the triage nurse cleaned up the wound a bit. The tech came over and said he wanted to put some staples in it, so it needed to be cleaned. Rebekah slept. The tech comes back with the staple gun about ten minutes later and asks us to wake her up. He said he felt really bad doing that while she was asleep. Rebekah is a VERY sound sleeper. I knew she wouldn't wake up, so I told him to go ahead. So he pulls her hair back and does the first staple. She moved around a bit and he waited. He does the second staple. She fusses a little more and grabs her head. He does the third staple. Now she is somewhat awake and starts to cry a little bit. But not much, considering what just happened. They are amazed. Said she was the best patient! Poor little thing. She just knows now her head hurts. She was awake enough to walk part of the way to the car. Good thing, too, since she is pretty heavy.
I was carrying her quite a lot that night and probably strained my back. I am sure I overdid it, but my baby was hurt. She is fifty-eight pounds and I just don't have the strength to carry her for long periods of time, but she was asleep for about an hour and I was holding her in the chair and then walking with her as well.
The next morning, she didn't remember much. So, aside from getting a late start, we were still going to go ahead with our plans. Last year on my birthday we went to Oxnard and had so much fun that I wanted to do that again. So we packed up the car and I decided to grab the folding chairs in case we needed them. I leaned over to pick one up and BAM! my back snapped. There is this one muscle in my lower left side that does this once in a while and when it goes, it goes BIG! This has not happened in a long time! Well, I could barely reach up to close the back of the van, so I knew I really did something. But we were still going to go!
I drove, which was easier for me than being a passenger. That was fine, but walking around was not easy. So when we got to the park at the beach, Hubby went with the girls down to the water and I stayed back and took pictures of them. It was gray and cloudy, windy and gorgeous! Weather that we love. The girls got to play in the sand and on the swings and then Hubby took them to the beach and the tide was coming in, so they had to scoot back a few times. They had a blast. There is also this "ship" on the beach that has a cable on it with a big rope attached to it. You climb up on the ship and ride the cable to the sand pile. Jess did it a few times and had a blast! Bekah wanted to, but Mommy said no, because of her head and once she got up high enough to grab it, she decided she didn't really want to do that anyway. Worked out fine.
We left the park at the beach and went over to Andria's Seafood and Market. It is the best. Clam chowder, fish and chips and fried shrimp and cole slaw. Yum. You walk up to the counter and order and then find a place to sit. It is so good! I really like the fish and chips at Red Robin. This is like, at least, ten times better. Fresh. The restaurant is within yards of the dock where the commercial fishing boats go out of. Really fresh fish!
We all ate the yummy food and were full and headed back toward home. It was about 4 o'clock. Then it started raining pretty hard. It was pouring by the time we got on the freeway and the windshield wipers couldn't keep up with it! So COOL! We stopped at a couple of vegetable stands on the way back home. There are many between the beach in Oxnard and Castaic. Orchards and fields everywhere. Beautiful area. So we got a box of grapefruit, some dried apricots, pumpkins, strawberries, zucchini, cashews, and some other stuff. Yum!
By the time we got to Castaic, the rain had dissipated. It was still beautiful, with puffy grey clouds with the sun coming through and everything looked fresh and crisp. We drove home and then we all had the cake that Hubby and Jess made for me that morning. The one time each year that I get to have white cake with white frosting and coconut on it. That is SOOOO good! Even Hubby had some, although he said it was only because it was my birthday cake. He only really likes chocolate!
I got lots of calls from people who love me on my birthday. Including one from "Jerry". Once, a long time ago, when I was young and not very bright, I responded to an ad in the Pennysaver classifieds. I met the guy at Coco's and we were supposed to have dinner. He had already eaten, so didn't order anything and I just had dessert. He was trying to be romantic and I was trying to hurry up and get out of there. He unscrewed the lightbulb above our table so as to create "ambience". At Coco's. I never saw the guy again, however, he had my cell phone number. That was more than ten years ago. I know, because I have been happily married for eight and a half years. Well, he calls me every year on my birthday. To wish me a happy birthday on my special day. And to say hello to my hubby. Whom he has never met. I don't answer the phone if I don't recognize the number and his came up "Unknown", so not a chance, but I can't believe he is still calling me! Weird! You would think after all this time he would have something better to do! Oh well, he doesn't know where I am, or what my last name is and he only calls on my birthday. But after the strange things that have happened to me in my life, it does creep me out a little.
All in all, I had a very nice birthday. I am still hobbling around because I can not stand up straight, but I am sure within a few days, I will be back to normal. I hope. Hubby is at church with the kids right now. I figured I had better stay home and take it easy. So I am. I don't get many opportunities to do so!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
74
74 Degrees. In my house. And I didn't even have to pay for it! It has not been that cool in my house since probably the end of May. It is so nice. Today's high should be 71 and the low...48! When Hubby leaves in the AM - very early AM - it is so nice and cool! Next week will warm up, however, I am enjoying the little bit of coolness. I may even bake! I can't wait! I won't even need to turn the air conditioner on! Mmm, just think. The smell of freshly baked carrot cake, chocolate chip cookies, banana bread and pumpkin pie wafting through the air. Yum! Oh, yeah and I forgot about dinner. How about salisbury steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans. Or maybe, umm, a homemade chicken pot pie? Lasagna, with italian sausage, ricotta cheese and smothered in mozzarella? I am going to try making rouladen this year. That is round steak layered with bacon, mustard, pickles and seasoning, rolled up and simmered and cooked in a sour cream gravy. I need to get the recipe from dad. Or what we had last night. Beef stir fry with chinese five-spice powder, soy sauce, etc. and sauteed with mushrooms, onions and bell peppers, served over steamed rice. Am I making you hungry? I gotta get cooking!
I didn't do too badly this summer with the air conditioning. Hottest summer on record, supposedly, and my electric bill for August was $227. Not too bad, considering a normal bill is between $80-100. Last year the high bill was about $300.
Next week I am going to buy peaches. I found this guy that has end-of-season peaches that are the size of grapefruits. Not small grapefruits, either! These things are huge! Last year they were the size of cantaloupe. Now, put your hands in the shape of a circle and picture this...a peach the size of a cantaloupe! He sells them for $10 a lug. And last year I got the last two bags of his crop. His place is off the beaten path and the guy I know on the main road sent me there because he was all sold out. Now I am going there intentionally. He has a kid who thins them out on the trees for him, but he said this year he didn't thin them out quite as much. They were fantastic! So, these are the ones I am going to use to can peaches. Less trouble, since they are huge and it will be much nicer in the house while I do it. Yeah! I can hardly wait. Peach ice cream, frozen peach smoothies, peach pie, canned peaches, peach jam, peach cobbler. And these are going to be the last ones of the season. I can't go there until the 1st of October. I have not been to the other peach place here in a while, so I can't wait for these! It is fun at the beginning of the season to pick them, however, by the end of the season I don't mind that they are already picked and in boxes. Plus, my two little helpers tend to bruise the peaches a bit. Okay, a lot. But how can I get upset? They love to help!
The area we live in is a great agricultural area. You wouldn't think to look at it, but within 1/2 hour of me in several directions, there are great orchards. Vineyards for wine production, cherry orchards in the spring, apricots and plums in the early summer and peaches all summer long. And when those are done, there is a variety called last chance peaches that are grown in the high desert at the base of the hills that ripen at the very end of the summer and into early fall. That is what these are.
I didn't do too badly this summer with the air conditioning. Hottest summer on record, supposedly, and my electric bill for August was $227. Not too bad, considering a normal bill is between $80-100. Last year the high bill was about $300.
Next week I am going to buy peaches. I found this guy that has end-of-season peaches that are the size of grapefruits. Not small grapefruits, either! These things are huge! Last year they were the size of cantaloupe. Now, put your hands in the shape of a circle and picture this...a peach the size of a cantaloupe! He sells them for $10 a lug. And last year I got the last two bags of his crop. His place is off the beaten path and the guy I know on the main road sent me there because he was all sold out. Now I am going there intentionally. He has a kid who thins them out on the trees for him, but he said this year he didn't thin them out quite as much. They were fantastic! So, these are the ones I am going to use to can peaches. Less trouble, since they are huge and it will be much nicer in the house while I do it. Yeah! I can hardly wait. Peach ice cream, frozen peach smoothies, peach pie, canned peaches, peach jam, peach cobbler. And these are going to be the last ones of the season. I can't go there until the 1st of October. I have not been to the other peach place here in a while, so I can't wait for these! It is fun at the beginning of the season to pick them, however, by the end of the season I don't mind that they are already picked and in boxes. Plus, my two little helpers tend to bruise the peaches a bit. Okay, a lot. But how can I get upset? They love to help!
The area we live in is a great agricultural area. You wouldn't think to look at it, but within 1/2 hour of me in several directions, there are great orchards. Vineyards for wine production, cherry orchards in the spring, apricots and plums in the early summer and peaches all summer long. And when those are done, there is a variety called last chance peaches that are grown in the high desert at the base of the hills that ripen at the very end of the summer and into early fall. That is what these are.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
AutoZone is So COOL!
I have gotten things from AutoZone because they are in my neighborhood. Little did I know how cool a store it is. This is a long story, but I will try to edit it. A couple years ago a friend of mine told me that she had heard that if your "Check Engine" light goes on, you should try to replace the gas cap. Sounds corny, I know, but we did it when the light came on and it worked! Cool. Then we dropped the gas cap and I don't think the codes were "cleared" anyway, so it came back on. It was a problem that actually, I think, had to do with the gas cap. The EVAC system, I think. Anyway, so I get my DMV renewal in the mail and I need to get it smogged. Well, the "Check Engine" light is on again, ever since then. The smog station I called said it is an automatic fail if your check engine light is on. So, how much to diagnose the problem? $89. Which you can put toward the cost of repair. Great. I don't have the money to put toward repair. Dad just did the service, so everything is good. Except for this !@?!#* light. I mean, the check engine light. So, since we had gone to AutoZone and they had a caliper set for the brake pad repair, Scott said to call them and see if they loan out the diagnostic meter. It turns out they DO! You give them a credit card and driver's license and you may use it in the parking lot. Which we did. This thing is so easy to use. Put the new gas cap on, checked the codes (they were all related to this), reset the codes and VOILA! The check engine light is off! THANK YOU GOD! So, the manual said that if the problem still exists, then the light will go back on after three engine cycles. I'm thinking this is three trips with the car on. So we went straight home last night after the AutoZone trip and I went straight to the Smog Check station this morning. No light. The tech moved it to the right spot for the test. No light. It passed! THANK YOU GOD, AGAIN!
So, to make a long story endless, AutoZone is way cool because they twice have saved me all kinds of money by having the tools I needed and it didn't cost me anything.
So, thank you, AutoZone and Thank you GOD! Because it would have cost me a fortune to have a service repair shop come up with the same conclusion. And it passed! :-)
So, to make a long story endless, AutoZone is way cool because they twice have saved me all kinds of money by having the tools I needed and it didn't cost me anything.
So, thank you, AutoZone and Thank you GOD! Because it would have cost me a fortune to have a service repair shop come up with the same conclusion. And it passed! :-)
Something Stupid
Okay, if you don't want to hear me rant, then go away. I'm giving you fair warning.
Okay, you are still here. Then I assume you want to hear this. So I will continue.
I am steamed. This is about the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time!
I am sure you have all heard of the new vaccine, Gardasil. For girls. So they won't get cervical cancer. This is even more ridiculous than the Hepatitis B vaccine that are given to babies at birth, because when they become "active", they will need a larger dose of the vaccine and probably won't come in to get it.
Consider the facts about the Gardasil vaccine:
Just 2 percent of the patients in the study were infected by the kinds of HPV that put them at high-risk for developing cervical cancer.
A little more than 3 percent were infected with the types of HPV that Gardasil was concocted to prevent.
About 90 percent of all HPV infections go away within two years.
So, here is a vaccine that is to be given to girls who may or may not become "active", but we must assume that they will. And it is only effective against four strains of HPV, so that the possibility exists that the other strains (there are MANY), may become stronger.
Okay, if you are still with me, here is the really amazing part. NOW THEY WANT TO GIVE IT TO BOYS, TOO!!!
So, try explaining this to your 11-year old son.
You have to get this shot in your arm.
Because IF you have oral ___ with a girl, and she has HPV, you could possibly get throat cancer.
11-year old son: What is oral ___? What is HPV?
You respond.
Silence.
THAT'S the basis for recommending it for every boy for a body part that they do not even have! Ridiculous!
One of the reactions to this vaccine is death. This is not a good reaction. According to JudicialWatch.org, more than 1600 adverse reactions were logged, including three deaths, shortly after receiving the vaccination. The list of possible reactions is extensive.
The same thing will happen to the boys.
This vaccine is manufactured by the same people who brought you Vioxx. Wonderful. They are currently lobbying state legislatures to make vaccination mandatory in the nine to sixteen year old girls. Ridiculous.
And if all this doesn't get you upset, according to the list of ingredients on the merck.com website, each 0.5-mL dose of the vaccine contains 225mcg of aluminum.
I just don't see how they can justify this one.
Background:
When I was pregnant with Jessica I read an article regarding the Hep B vaccine. I researched the heck out of it. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about vaccination. I have spent literally hundreds of hours researching this. I went into it thinking I would vaccinate. I realized after extensive research that I did not want to do this. The vaccine manufacturers and the government do not always have our best interests at heart. I do. When it comes to my children. People tell me you can't believe everything you read on the internet. Well, I pulled most of my research information from the vaccine manufacturer websites and vaccine information sheets and also from the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization. So, MOST of my information came from the people advocating vaccine. And I chose not to vaccinate.
References: mercola.com, merck.com, judicialwatch.org
Okay, you are still here. Then I assume you want to hear this. So I will continue.
I am steamed. This is about the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time!
I am sure you have all heard of the new vaccine, Gardasil. For girls. So they won't get cervical cancer. This is even more ridiculous than the Hepatitis B vaccine that are given to babies at birth, because when they become "active", they will need a larger dose of the vaccine and probably won't come in to get it.
Consider the facts about the Gardasil vaccine:
Just 2 percent of the patients in the study were infected by the kinds of HPV that put them at high-risk for developing cervical cancer.
A little more than 3 percent were infected with the types of HPV that Gardasil was concocted to prevent.
About 90 percent of all HPV infections go away within two years.
So, here is a vaccine that is to be given to girls who may or may not become "active", but we must assume that they will. And it is only effective against four strains of HPV, so that the possibility exists that the other strains (there are MANY), may become stronger.
Okay, if you are still with me, here is the really amazing part. NOW THEY WANT TO GIVE IT TO BOYS, TOO!!!
So, try explaining this to your 11-year old son.
You have to get this shot in your arm.
Because IF you have oral ___ with a girl, and she has HPV, you could possibly get throat cancer.
11-year old son: What is oral ___? What is HPV?
You respond.
Silence.
THAT'S the basis for recommending it for every boy for a body part that they do not even have! Ridiculous!
One of the reactions to this vaccine is death. This is not a good reaction. According to JudicialWatch.org, more than 1600 adverse reactions were logged, including three deaths, shortly after receiving the vaccination. The list of possible reactions is extensive.
The same thing will happen to the boys.
This vaccine is manufactured by the same people who brought you Vioxx. Wonderful. They are currently lobbying state legislatures to make vaccination mandatory in the nine to sixteen year old girls. Ridiculous.
And if all this doesn't get you upset, according to the list of ingredients on the merck.com website, each 0.5-mL dose of the vaccine contains 225mcg of aluminum.
I just don't see how they can justify this one.
Background:
When I was pregnant with Jessica I read an article regarding the Hep B vaccine. I researched the heck out of it. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about vaccination. I have spent literally hundreds of hours researching this. I went into it thinking I would vaccinate. I realized after extensive research that I did not want to do this. The vaccine manufacturers and the government do not always have our best interests at heart. I do. When it comes to my children. People tell me you can't believe everything you read on the internet. Well, I pulled most of my research information from the vaccine manufacturer websites and vaccine information sheets and also from the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization. So, MOST of my information came from the people advocating vaccine. And I chose not to vaccinate.
References: mercola.com, merck.com, judicialwatch.org
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Hamster Dance
It has been so long since I saw this and it is so cute that I thought you all would like something to smile at today as well. Enjoy!
Plus I am pretty proud of myself for figuring out how to post a youtube video!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Miscellany
I have these two friends. I introduced them to each other. They were having a play date and apparently the little boy came out and said the girl hit him. So the girl's mom said, "Well, what did you do?" The little boy's mom took offense to this and they began a heated email discussion that ended up with them not speaking to each other. Oh boy. I have only spoken to them each briefly about it, but I don't think it is mendable. And they have known each other now for about a year. Hmm. Apparently they both said things that were hurtful, but I don't know what. Should I try to help them with it and see if they can patch things up or just let it go? A neighbor of the girl's mom called me today to invite me to a bath and body works party she is having and she wanted to know if I had the phone number and could invite the little boy's mom. We all went to her daughter's 1st birthday party and also to the little girl's birthday party. Well, I had to tell her something, so I just said that they had a disagreement and weren't speaking to each other. She said she thought that kids did that, but not adults! Interesting observation. I am still friends with both of them. I like them both. I think maybe I should get involved because I introduced them to each other, but then again, maybe I should just let it go. They probably won't cross paths unless I am a part of it. Who knows?
My dad is doing well. He is adjusting to being able to work for shorter periods of time and resting his eyes. He is taking some natural stuff for his eyes, for his blood pressure and for his blood sugar, which is just a few points higher than it should be. I will be keeping in close contact with him to be sure he watches this, especially the HBP. He figured if he was healthy and watched what he ate that he wouldn't have any problems. Uh-huh.
Rebekah was sitting in front of the refrigerator arranging the Word Whammer letters on it. "My masterpiece would be even more marvelous if I had something to put there."
Oh. And she wants to be called Bekki. Not Bekah. She just decided. So, she's Bekki. It will take Mommy a while to switch to this, though.
The girls were both up at 4:30am on Monday morning to see Daddy off. Well, they decided against my better judgement to stay up. Jess told me to go lay down, everything would be okay. You know, when you do sleep and your babies are awake, it isn't like real sleep, more like twilight. I could wake up at the slightest sound. About an hour later Jess comes in and I was reading. "Oh, you are still up? You can go to sleep, it's okay." And she leans over and kisses me on the nose. "You can sleep as long as you want." Well, it sounded good, anyway. About 20 minutes later, "Rebekah!!!!! Stop it!!!!!!!!" Yeah, so much for Mommy's carefree morning.
I figured they'd be falling asleep on the couch at 7pm. No such luck. They were still awake, though in bed, at 9pm! No rest for the weary!
I started to clean out my cupboards. Now there is no room on my counters. They were bad. Now they are worse. I am cooking every night at home, though, in an attempt to save money. That means more dishes to wash. Such fun. However, since I now know what I have in the way of food products, I was able to find a can of jellied cranberry sauce, a can of creamed corn and a package of Stove Top Stuffing Mix to go with the turkey that came out of the freezer that we had for dinner. It was free, since all the stuff was bought and paid for months ago. Cool.
I have started reading a book by Lisa Whelchel, aka Blair Warner from the Facts of Life television show. She is a very good writer! I read another of her books on homeschooling before, but this was, I think, her first book. I got it for 99 cents from www.bookschristian.com. She has really gone through it and come out okay because she trusted in the Lord. And she stood up for her values all during her time on TV. Now she is the wife of a pastor and has three children. All homeschooled. Very neat. Cool story about how she and her husband got together. Light reading, highly recommended.
Hubby is nervous about this latest class he just started. It will be different than all his other classes to date. I asked him if he wants to quit and he said yes! But then, he has said that about every class! He will be fine. He's just entering new territory again!
A good friend of mine is dating. It is so cool! I get to relive the dating experience with her without actually having to go through it. How cool is that? The good parts only, please, because in real life, I hated dating! It really sucked! Anyway, the guy she is seeing seems just perfect for her and I am so happy! They are one date into it. Such fun!
Jess and I start school next week. We have already begun with the Phonics program. She is halfway through the first level of five levels. She is doing very well. I think, mainly, because we waited until she was ready. She is ready now. She can sit still and concentrate and although she still gets frustrated, she has much more patience than she had a year ago. And she is reading signs everywhere we go now! I hope she learns to love to read as much as I love to read. I got her math books and vocabulary books and spelling books and word puzzle books and we will go on field trips and we will have so much fun! There is so much time wasted in school for sitting still and lining up and breaks and roll call and we don't have to do any of those things. Our school day is all about learning! She is chomping at the bit and I am looking forward to it as well.
I can't wait for the heat to go. I hate the summer heat and I love the cool fall weather. I hope it isn't too far off.
My dad is doing well. He is adjusting to being able to work for shorter periods of time and resting his eyes. He is taking some natural stuff for his eyes, for his blood pressure and for his blood sugar, which is just a few points higher than it should be. I will be keeping in close contact with him to be sure he watches this, especially the HBP. He figured if he was healthy and watched what he ate that he wouldn't have any problems. Uh-huh.
Rebekah was sitting in front of the refrigerator arranging the Word Whammer letters on it. "My masterpiece would be even more marvelous if I had something to put there."
Oh. And she wants to be called Bekki. Not Bekah. She just decided. So, she's Bekki. It will take Mommy a while to switch to this, though.
The girls were both up at 4:30am on Monday morning to see Daddy off. Well, they decided against my better judgement to stay up. Jess told me to go lay down, everything would be okay. You know, when you do sleep and your babies are awake, it isn't like real sleep, more like twilight. I could wake up at the slightest sound. About an hour later Jess comes in and I was reading. "Oh, you are still up? You can go to sleep, it's okay." And she leans over and kisses me on the nose. "You can sleep as long as you want." Well, it sounded good, anyway. About 20 minutes later, "Rebekah!!!!! Stop it!!!!!!!!" Yeah, so much for Mommy's carefree morning.
I figured they'd be falling asleep on the couch at 7pm. No such luck. They were still awake, though in bed, at 9pm! No rest for the weary!
I started to clean out my cupboards. Now there is no room on my counters. They were bad. Now they are worse. I am cooking every night at home, though, in an attempt to save money. That means more dishes to wash. Such fun. However, since I now know what I have in the way of food products, I was able to find a can of jellied cranberry sauce, a can of creamed corn and a package of Stove Top Stuffing Mix to go with the turkey that came out of the freezer that we had for dinner. It was free, since all the stuff was bought and paid for months ago. Cool.
I have started reading a book by Lisa Whelchel, aka Blair Warner from the Facts of Life television show. She is a very good writer! I read another of her books on homeschooling before, but this was, I think, her first book. I got it for 99 cents from www.bookschristian.com. She has really gone through it and come out okay because she trusted in the Lord. And she stood up for her values all during her time on TV. Now she is the wife of a pastor and has three children. All homeschooled. Very neat. Cool story about how she and her husband got together. Light reading, highly recommended.
Hubby is nervous about this latest class he just started. It will be different than all his other classes to date. I asked him if he wants to quit and he said yes! But then, he has said that about every class! He will be fine. He's just entering new territory again!
A good friend of mine is dating. It is so cool! I get to relive the dating experience with her without actually having to go through it. How cool is that? The good parts only, please, because in real life, I hated dating! It really sucked! Anyway, the guy she is seeing seems just perfect for her and I am so happy! They are one date into it. Such fun!
Jess and I start school next week. We have already begun with the Phonics program. She is halfway through the first level of five levels. She is doing very well. I think, mainly, because we waited until she was ready. She is ready now. She can sit still and concentrate and although she still gets frustrated, she has much more patience than she had a year ago. And she is reading signs everywhere we go now! I hope she learns to love to read as much as I love to read. I got her math books and vocabulary books and spelling books and word puzzle books and we will go on field trips and we will have so much fun! There is so much time wasted in school for sitting still and lining up and breaks and roll call and we don't have to do any of those things. Our school day is all about learning! She is chomping at the bit and I am looking forward to it as well.
I can't wait for the heat to go. I hate the summer heat and I love the cool fall weather. I hope it isn't too far off.
The Middle Name Game
Here are the rules: You have to post these rules before you give the facts. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Thanks, Jennie, I hate these things. At least it isn't a chain letter email! Ha!
Well, here goes, but, I don't think I can find seven people to tag to do this, so we will see how it goes.
C - Caring. I care about other people. I have given up caring what other people think about ME, but I do care about other people's feelings.
A - Able to handle a crisis or two. I have had to, with the things that have happened to me in my life!
M - Mommy. To two of the most energetic girls around.
I - In Love. With my hubby. He's great.
L - Lively. I am generally pretty upbeat and it takes a lot to get me down.
L - Late. I am always like fifteen minutes late. Getting better, but it drives my hubby nuts!
E - Everywhere! Anyone who knows me, knows I spend a lot of time in the car. Not always by choice, either! We live an hour from church and doctors, etc. so we have to travelto go anywhere.
Umm, okay, Sandy and Joann. I think you will both do this. I am tagging you.
Thanks, Jennie, I hate these things. At least it isn't a chain letter email! Ha!
Well, here goes, but, I don't think I can find seven people to tag to do this, so we will see how it goes.
C - Caring. I care about other people. I have given up caring what other people think about ME, but I do care about other people's feelings.
A - Able to handle a crisis or two. I have had to, with the things that have happened to me in my life!
M - Mommy. To two of the most energetic girls around.
I - In Love. With my hubby. He's great.
L - Lively. I am generally pretty upbeat and it takes a lot to get me down.
L - Late. I am always like fifteen minutes late. Getting better, but it drives my hubby nuts!
E - Everywhere! Anyone who knows me, knows I spend a lot of time in the car. Not always by choice, either! We live an hour from church and doctors, etc. so we have to travelto go anywhere.
Umm, okay, Sandy and Joann. I think you will both do this. I am tagging you.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Meteors
Well, Sunday night/Monday morning we got up at 3:00am to watch the meteor shower. All four of us. There are two streetlights next to our yard, so it was too bright to watch it from home, but we all climbed in the car and took off for dark parts unknown. We found a spot and got out and the girls fidgeted and fussed and Hubby was upset and frustrated, so we went back home. We got chairs and snacks and blankets for the girls and headed back out. Hubby wasn't very impressed. He had never seen a meteor shower before. Jessica liked it okay. Hubby was getting frustrated because the girls wouldn't look up. They kept looking at all the lights, cars, etc. in the distance. It was pretty black where we were. I enjoyed it immensely. It was nice weather for 3am, probably about mid-60's and the meteors were visible. I watched a shower years ago from Mt. Pinos. People go up there with their telescopes and you can walk around and they will let you look through them. Lots of people. Anyway, I knew what to expect. Hubby was expecting it to be more like fireworks. Oh well. I enjoyed myself and then got to sleep in late, since the girls did, too.
Hangin' Out With Dear Ol' Dad aka The Golden Years
So, Monday night at about 6:30pm I get a call from Dad. He said he had left a message earlier, but I missed it. He said about a week ago he woke up and his vision was blurry in his left eye and the lower half of his vision was gray. He couldn't read small print. And he's getting frustrated. So on Tuesday morning I call my optometrist and try to schedule an appt. Booked up until Saturday. Can you refer me? Yes, to an ophthalmologist. Cool. Even better. They can get us in on Tuesday afternoon. Call Dad. Come on down! So he comes out to our house and we go to lunch and then to his appt. Apparently there is some type of blockage in the blood vessel behind the eye and the doc wants to run some tests. About six different blood tests. And he refers him to a specialist that can see him on Wednesday. Good. Let's get this figured out. So Dad spends the night with us on Tuesday night and on Wed. we go to see the specialist. Turns out it was possibly caused by something like a small stroke, possibly caused by his blood pressure being slightly elevated and this dr. wants to see him in a month. Time for Dad to get to the doctor and find out where his numbers are and run some more tests. He does not have a primary care doctor. Hasn't been to the doctor in several years. Now he needs to go. Another guy in the waiting room with the same problem, "Well, these are the golden years!" Dad got a kick out of that one. He is very healthy and just needs to know where he is at.
His vision is coming back. Yesterday morning he said it was already a little bit better than it had been. That's good, since they said it could take up to a few years for the vision to come back.
The girls had a great time with their Papa. They love having him over. The only trouble is that he has such a hard time hearing that when he watches tv at our house, it is painfully loud for the rest of us! But hey, if that's the worst thing, then we are doing okay.
I was glad I could help. Dad left on Wed. with a sense that at least he knew what it was and what to do about it. I wanted him to get in to see these doctors as soon as possible so that he wouldn't have to wait and wonder. So I was glad he was able to get it done in two days. I am sure he will be just fine. And I was glad he felt that he could come to me and ask for my help.
Next thing we need to work on is hearing aids.
What?!
His vision is coming back. Yesterday morning he said it was already a little bit better than it had been. That's good, since they said it could take up to a few years for the vision to come back.
The girls had a great time with their Papa. They love having him over. The only trouble is that he has such a hard time hearing that when he watches tv at our house, it is painfully loud for the rest of us! But hey, if that's the worst thing, then we are doing okay.
I was glad I could help. Dad left on Wed. with a sense that at least he knew what it was and what to do about it. I wanted him to get in to see these doctors as soon as possible so that he wouldn't have to wait and wonder. So I was glad he was able to get it done in two days. I am sure he will be just fine. And I was glad he felt that he could come to me and ask for my help.
Next thing we need to work on is hearing aids.
What?!
Friday, August 03, 2007
Bekah
Driving in the car a couple of days ago. Out of the blue, she says, "Okay, let me get this straight, your Daddy is OUR Papa?"
Let me get this straight? Who talks like that? At four? Sometimes, she just blows me away.
And please do scroll down. I posted three posts tonight. I am trying to catch up.
Let me get this straight? Who talks like that? At four? Sometimes, she just blows me away.
And please do scroll down. I posted three posts tonight. I am trying to catch up.
Bekah's First Big Boo-Boo
It was so sad. And she was having such a good day, too. We were swimming at my friend's house. The girls were in the pool. My friend and I were under the patio umbrella, nursing our sunburns from the last visit. (Don't ask. It was really ugly and I am still licking my wounds, so to speak.) So Rebekah is on the "sand beach" portion of the pool. It is built like a beach and the edge gradually gets deeper, like a beach. But it is made out of like concrete pebbles or something. Very cool. Anyway, so she is in like VERY shallow water. She is yelling at the dog, who is standing on the rock at the side of the pool right next to her. As we are watching, the dog jumps on her. Good sized dog, too. It is an australian sheepdog mix. Very smart. Very protective and watches the girls when they are in the pool. Well, he jumps on her back and she goes face down into the pool. About two inches of water. When she lifts her head up, her nose is bleeding and her forehead had hit the concrete beach. Hard. It immediately started swelling and turning red. Like you could see the veins showing through, red. With the addition of the water to the blood, it appears that she is bleeding like crazy, but it actually stopped after about five minutes. I took her to the doctor's office, since we were only ten minutes from there. I had to watch her closely last night, however, she was fine. No complaining, no headache, no nothing. She is a trooper. She was nervous and everybody who looked at her had this concerned and worried look and said, "ooooohh!" But she was fine. Is fine. She did very well. Not her fault and she wasn't really upset with the dog, either. She knows he didn't try to hurt her.
So last night her daddy took all of us to Coldstone Creamery. So she could get whatever she wanted. She ordered Sweet Cream...with chocolate chips. She said that was the best. She is so down to earth! Not much fazes this kid. She is such a joy in my life!
So last night her daddy took all of us to Coldstone Creamery. So she could get whatever she wanted. She ordered Sweet Cream...with chocolate chips. She said that was the best. She is so down to earth! Not much fazes this kid. She is such a joy in my life!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Special Bulletin From the Emergency Chocolate Network
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What is your favorite flavor? I just love the pecan buds and the walnut squares. Hubby loves the rum nougat. Hands down. Jess, the Scotchmallow. Rebekah, so far, whatever she can get her hands on.
Oh, and I just had an apple pie truffle the other day. OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!! Hubby's comment, "How DO they make a candy that tastes EXACTLY like apple pie???!" It tastes like more.
If you have never had See's Candies, you have no idea what you are missing. If you have, you KNOW what you are missing and if you are in the vicinity of one, you must go. They have the best candy, like, EVER! And if you don't like chocolate (and you know who you are), they have lemon truffles, key lime truffles and the aforementioned apple pie truffles that are, hands down, the best non-chocolate candies EVER! If nothing else, get some shipped to you when the weather cools down (though they CAN ship in the summer, it just costs more). That way, you can spend your money on more important things...like more candy.
Mmmmmmmmmmm. This concludes this post from the Emergency Chocolate Network. If this had been an actual chocolate emergency, there would be people running around in the streets trying to find a See's Candies. It is best to know where they are before an actual emergency occurs.
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