Shadow Puppets

While waiting for our health screening event to begin the other day, Scott and I took advantage of a projector screen to make some shadow puppets. He had a pretty good swan going, but mine looks more like a dinosaur.

I guess we'll need to practice a bit more and maybe someday we'll be able to do something like this...

Why I Will Choose To Be a Stay at Home Mom

Yesterday morning, about 5 minutes before I was supposed to walk out the door to go to work, Teddy and I went for a little walk so he could do his morning business. After much parading but before he managed to pick out just the right spot to apply his special brand of fertilizer, he turned around and made a bee-line right back to our front door and asked to go inside.

I noticed he was making a little wheezing sound and looked down and saw that he had his eyes shut. As I picked him up he snuggled close and made a little whimper. I became seriously concerned as he continued to keep his eyes closed and squint at me.

Scott had needed to take the car to work early that morning, and Melinda, who had graciously agreed to give me a ride to work, arrived just as I was starting to go into panic mode. Teddy got really excited to see her and managed to open his eyes for just long enough to give her his usual "I am going to MAKE you love me. How can you resist? I'm the cutest dog in the world - LOVE ME!!!" look but then shut them again right away. (Melinda is a self-proclaimed not-a-dog-person, but I know that she really does love him!)

I was really concerned, but with her assurance that Teddy would be fine, I left for work.

And felt worse and worse with every mile that took me further away from my boy.

Soon after I got to my desk at the office, I was sobbing quietly. And googling (which was not a good thing because everything I read had me convinced that he was either going to go into anaphylactic shock and have his windpipe close up or that he had some rare, incurable disease...) and calling vets who of course all told me that they couldn't tell me anything on the phone and that I should bring him right it.

But I couldn't bring him right in! I was stuck at work without a car and I had left my little doggie at home ALL ALONE. Having some kind of health problem. What kind of mother was I?

Pretty soon, my boss was aware that I was upset and had the whole story from me. She gave me her car keys and told me to go home and take care of him. Yes, she is an AWESOME boss.

So, I rushed home, took him to the vet, they figured he had been stung or bitten by some sort of insect and was having an allergic reaction, they prescribed him some doggie antihistamines and by that evening the swelling was gone, his eyes were open and he seems to be just fine.

(Heaving sigh.)

This is one of the (many) reasons why I will choose to stay at home with any children we may be blessed with...

My mom was always home with us. She was always there, no matter what. She never had to drop us off at daycare and go to work. What a HUGE blessing. Whenever I was sick, she was the one there taking care of me. Even now, when I'm sick, I still want my mom. I call her on the phone to get her opinion of my symptoms and to get her home remedy prescriptions. And to just hear her voice. It always makes me feel better.

I want to be able to do that for my kids. I'm glad I was able to be there for Teddy yesterday.

'Cause when you're sick, you just want your mommy.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Last year I forgot Scott's birthday. Well, I didn't actually forget his birthday, I just forgot what day it was. We were out of town for my brother's wedding and on the day of his birth I woke up not realizing the date and neglected to wish him a happy birthday until that afternoon when said brother called him on my cell phone with birthday wishes.

Apologizing profusely and trying to make it up in numerous ways did not redeem me. He has not let me live it down and has brought it up repeatedly since. (Teasing, of course.)

I don't think I'll be hearing about it anymore.

I woke up this morning and my sweet husband gave me a kiss good morning...I waited to hear the words....He gave me a squeeze on the way to brush my teeth....I waited to hear the words...He held my hand as he drove me to work....I waited to hear the words....



He picked me up from work this afternoon with a sheepish look and admitted that he had forgotten my birthday this morning!

But when I got home, I found some goodies waiting for me! Awww, isn't my husband sweet! He knows the way to a girl's heart - flowers and chocolate cupcakes! And a balloon. I think he's forgiven.(Somebody teach me to photoshop that stray hair off my forehead quick, cause it's buggin'!)

Really, he's off the hook, though, because he celebrated with me on Saturday. He took me out for a yummy lunch and to do The Thing Which All Women Wish Their Husbands Would Do With Them - shopping!

We went to my favorite place to shop - Village Discount Thift Store. Scott joked that he takes me to all the classy places! But I LOVE thrifting. I'd usually rather do that than go to the mall.

And I totally scored. These are my birthday purses! All brand new, all from the thrift store. Grand total of $7 for all three. ( I know it's probably rude to say how much your gifts cost but I'm just so darn proud.)

This evening was bittersweet - we had a farewell party for our good friends. They are moving this week and will now be listed in my sidebar under Friends I Miss Who Live Far, Far Away (pout.) We are sad to see them go but had a fun evening gathering with all our comrades to send them off. We wish them a smooth transition and are jealous of all the fun their new friends will have with them!
I'm grateful for all my birthday blessings - a gorgeous, sweet, wonderful husband, amazing friends and family, and designer purses on sale.

One more reason NOT to vote for Obama

As if we needed another one. (Sorry to my liberal friends - I just can't like him or agree with him...)

Obama announced his pick for VP through a text message at 3 a.m. this morning. 3 A.M.

Luckily, I wasn't signed up for Spam You Can Believe In, but let me just say that if anyone other than a friend or family member with an emergency made my phone make any sound at all in the middle of the night, I would be TICKED.

How rude.

Doughnuts

As I enjoyed a delicious doughnut for breakfast this morning, I thought "When did doughnuts become breakfast food?" They really seem like they are more along the lines of dessert, like cake or cookies, being a pastry and all.

(Although, I have been known to eat a slice of cake or handfull(s) of cookies for breakfast as well. Always with a glass of milk, though - that makes it healthy, right?)

So I was feeling all guilty for eating a doughnut as my morning nutrition when there were perfectly good wholesome and healthy bagels sitting right next to them. Hard, spongy, tough bagels next to soft, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts.

But then I went a-Googling and found this quote from Doughnuts: A Definitive History, By Mr Breakfast:

"Pay no mind to the fact that a bagel with cream cheese has over 450 calories; the doughnut was called out time and time again for it's average 300 calories per cake."

Doughnuts. It's what's for breakfast.

Twilight vs. Harry Potter

And the winner is.......
TWILIGHT!

I was SO UPSET when I heard that the next Harry Potter film, which had been scheduled to release on November 21st, had been pushed back to next summer. Especially since the only reason the studio could seem to give is that they think they will make more money that way. Never mind letting all the fans down who have been anxiously waiting, and especially after the last H.P. movie was such a disappointment, both in length and content (or lack thereof.) You'd think they could try to make that up to us.

But I'm not upset anymore.

Read this, posted on Stephenie Meyer's website this morning:

Movie News Flash!

So, many of you have heard that the release of the sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has been moved from this Thanksgiving to next summer. First and foremost, please know that this schedule change has absolutely nothing to do with Twilight, me, or Summit Films (so enough with the imdb death wishes, okay?). This is Warner Bros. decision, and it was not motivated by anything Twilight-related.

Now for the good news! Though we're all sad to have to wait for Harry Potter, this open spot at the theater creates a cool opportunity. The good people at Summit were thrilled to let me know that now Twilight fans are going to get their movie three weeks earlier than scheduled. That's right—Twilight will be released in theaters November 21st! Let the merry-making commence!

--Stephenie

(Insert the sound of angels singing)

To quote Bella, "I. Am. Happy."

Ahhhh, Edward!

For all my fellow Twilight-obsessed friends, this is for you!
Aside from currently reading Breaking Dawn for the second time (slowly this time, savoring every word!) I obsessively check Stephenie Meyer's website and a couple of other fan sites every day to see if there is anything new. I found this spoof of the Twilight trailer and I thought it was hilarious!



I also found this spoof of Breaking Dawn that had me chuckling...

Breaking Dawn the Spoof - Part 1
Breaking Dawn the Spoof - Part 2
Breaking Dawn the Spoof - Part 3

Enjoy!

Lazy

I've had a few people ask to see pictures of our recent trip to Historic Kirtland, Amish country and Mansfield, OH. I'm too lazy to post them all and think of witty and entertaining descriptions to go along with them without saying "we had so much fun!" a million times, so I just uploaded them into an album on my Facebook page. Check it out if you want! We did have so much fun...

Food Challenge

What is it about boys and food challenges?
Scott and I ate at Ohio Deli Restaurant in Columbus today and he ordered the Dagwood sandwich - a 7 inch high monstrosity with turkey, ham, roast beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato and who knows what all else PLUS batter-dipped fries. The waitress asked him if he wanted to take the Dagwood Challenge which meant that if he could finish everything on his plate in under 30 minutes he would get a T-shirt and his picture taken and put up in the restaurant to document his supremacy.
His response? Of course! (This from the man who hates having his picture taken, soooooo... it must have been the draw of a free T-shirt. Or the chance to prove his manliness by consuming massive amounts of food.)
He is now the proud owner of this...
and a huge stomachache.
I told him that next time he should just enjoy his food and I will buy him a T-shirt and write "I ate a ginormous sandwich and a pile of fries" on it with a Sharpie!