Tis The Season

The Christmas extravaganza has begun.

Is it just me, or does it seem that the holiday season gets pushed out earlier and earlier each year? I swear, this year I saw Christmas decorations when I went to get my daughter's Halloween costumes!! Does that not seem like a bit much to you all?

Around this time every year, I start making a list of items that look like they would make good gifts. After making the list, I start doing the research and checking out the customer reviews on the products that I have chosen. If you are at all like us, we spend way too much money on all of these Christmas gifts to be flushing it down the toilet on defective products.

After making the list and checking it twice, I then go out and shop for the items that made the cut. Usually, this list is rather long; but this year I’ve decided to change the way we do Christmas. I mean seriously, if baby Jesus only got three gifts – and He is the reason for the season – can someone explain why we lavish our children with so many gifts and toys that they couldn’t possibly appreciate them all?

Nine times out of ten, only three out of the tons of gifts that they receive will get played with on a regular basis. The remaining items get tossed to the back of a closet, bottom of a toy box, or stuffed under a bed until an unsuspecting parental figure comes along to clean the room. And I’m sure that we all know what happens next in this little scenario and so, I digress…

This years Christmas shopping was done with my newest philosophy in mind: New House…New Rules

There were scores of circumstances surrounding our recent move and there were many talks between myself and God as to whether or not this was the right thing for my family. I am completely at peace with the decision that we made because, for once, I feel like I listened to His voice and let Him guide me to where He wants us to be. As a show of gratitude, I resolved to make more of an effort to become a stronger Christian role model for my family. What better way to show the sincerity of my dedication than to bring the Christmas season back to what it is really all about?!?!

This year, instead of making Christmas all about the children – which is not a bad thing, mind you – I am determined to make it more about Him. My children will each receive three gifts – one representing each gift given by the three wise men – and one Santa Claus item.

In changing the way that we celebrate this joyous occasion, it is my hope that my children will grow up to understand the true meaning of Christmas as opposed to the commercialization of what it has become. And, if I’m being completely honest, that my pocketbook will not be stretched so thin each year, which is very stressful - and the older they get, the more stretching ‘said’ pocketbook must do. UGH! It’s a never ending, vicious, cycle.

So, now that I’ve shared my story with you, I’m curious….How do you and your loved ones choose to celebrate the Christmas Holiday’s? Do you lavish them with gifts, or do you limit the amount of gifts they receive?

I would love to hear your thoughts about this and please don’t be shy; I don’t think that there are any wrong answers here. However you and your family celebrate is the right way for you! :)

Grilling Goodness #8

Last weeks Grilling Goodness was in honor of Tina's wonderful husband, Donald. It was Donald's birthday (Happy Birthday, Donald!) so she chose some questions that her readers could answer about their spouse, significant other, or themselves - however they wanted to play. Since I too have a wonderful husband, I think I'll answer my questions about him as well. Let's commence...


1. Sitting in front of the TV, what’s on the screen?
It depends, he is pretty eclectic about things he watches. Sometimes it's the History Channel or the Animal Planet. It could be some of those informative shows like, "How Did They Make That" or it might be something that makes you appreciate what you do like, "Dirtiest Jobs." Sometimes it's a music channel like MTV, BET or VH1; but here lately, it's Howard Stern. What is it about him that all men love anyway?? I just don't get it.


2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
He won't be getting any kind of dressing because he doesn't eat "rabbit food." Usually, he will request a cup of soup instead of a salad; but if he must get a salad, he will order it with Ranch and give it to Sugar.

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?
Good thing I'm answering these questions about the hubby, because this list for me could get rather long.

One food he won't eat, besides salads, is Chitin's - BLECH!! and who could blame him?? Certainly not me!

However, I will tell you about a story that he did one Thanksgiving, when Sugar was about two years old and would eat anything you put on her plate. He thought it would be fun to see if she would eat chitin's so he put some on her plate, right beside her dressing. She quickly spit them out and hasn't touched dressing since that day.

4. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Any sandwich with a lot of meat on it.

5. What would this person eat everyday if he could?
Chicken wings. He loves chicken wings!!

6. What is his favorite cereal?
I guess you can add this to the list of things he won't eat. He's not much of a breakfast food eater, and doesn't eat cereal at all.

7. What would he never wear?
I'm going to go with a speedo. He would never wear one of those and if he ever did, I wouldn't claim him as mine...I'm just sayin' ;)

8. What is his favorite sports team?
Fortunately for me, he's not that into the whole sports thing but his favorite Pro-Football team is the Chicago Bears and he supports the U of M Tigers in college basketball.

Seeing the World Through Two New Eyes

Last weekend the girls and I went shopping with mom.

As we walked in to the store, I noticed they had a sign for "Free Eye Exams Today".

Going through the open enrollment process, for benefits, at work and trying to decide if I should get vision or not, I sat down in the chair for my Free Exam.

The nice lady sat across from me and asked that I look into a big gray machine. "Okay, this exam is for reading," she said. "Can you read line 6 for me?"

"Ummmm, no." I tell her

"How about line 5?"

"Nope, not really."

"Okay, what about line 4?"

Line 4 I can read and I spout off the letters, as if I should get a gold star or a cookie or something as a consolation prize for being able to see them.

"Well, that's 20/50. You should be wearing reading glasses," She says.

"Yes, I do" I reply, sheepishly.

"How old are you?" she asks.

Quickly doing the math in my head, "37" I mumble respond.

"Uh-hu!" she chides, "You know, the closer you get to forty..."

YES, YES, I KNOW!! My inner voice screams.

I wish everyone would stop reminding me that I'm creeping up on barreling down on 40. I'm trying to tiptoe into it so that maybe my body won't notice when I hit the big four-o. Sheesh!

Haven't they ever turned forty before? Don't they remember what it was like?

What is it about forty anyway? When people find out your close to forty, they look at you differently, with an understanding, pitying look in their eyes. It's like a magic number or something - like the amount of miles you hit in your car before things start breaking down and needing repair.

I've still got a few miles left on these tires, folks. Don't start trading me in for a new model just yet.

But my eyes....well, seems like they may need an upgrade.

She replaces the reading exam with the distance exam and asks if I can read line 7, to which I simply laugh.

"Okay, what about line 6?"

"I don't know; am I supposed to see two sixes?" I ask

"No" She says and asks, "how about line 5?"

"I see two fives too."

"Line 4?"

Yes! I can read line four and I read the letters off to her once more.

"Again, that's 20/50. You need to make an appointment for an eye doctor, quickly" she tells me in her motherly, I wouldn't ride in a car with you, voice.

Guess that decides it for the benefits, huh?

Today I got my glasses and now I'm seeing the world through two new eyes.

Wow! Things look crisper!

But how about me?? How do I look with these foreign objects on my face??

(Just ignore all of those chins, m'kay? Thanks!)

(Oh yeah, and we've only been here three weeks so please ignore the boxes too. Thanks alot! :)

Our Beautiful New Dishwasher

From the Mouths of Babes

They wake up in the mornings and get ready to start their day.

The twelve year old has a bus to catch early in the mornings. The four year old goes into the city with her mom each morning.

Their routine is to warm up the car, fix their drinks for the ride in and grab a breakfast food for the road.

Car warmed, seat belts buckled, they back out of the drive and head towards the city.

She notices that the car doesn't sound right, but it's cold so she dismisses the noise and continues towards the interstate.

On the interstate she notices that it's not steering right. Every slight movement in the steering wheel earns an exaggerated response. Suddenly, there's a bad noise. Something is definitely not right here.

She pulls over to the side of the interstate and gets out to see what the problem is....She walks around and discovers a flat tire. She gets back in the car and calls her husband for help.

While waiting for him to arrive, the four year old begins asking questions about what is going on.

4 y/o: "What was that noise?"
Mom: "We have a flat tire."
4 y/o: "Why is that red light blinking?"
Mom: "Because that makes the flashers work."
4 y/o: "Why?"
Mom: "The flashers blink to let other drivers know that we are having car trouble."

After her series of questions were answered, seemingly satisfied with all of the responses given, she ponderes over all of this new information for a few minutes.

Then, she looks at her mother and says, in all of her four year old wisdom, "Okay, so who's going to save us?"

LOL! I love my children!!

In my twelve years of being a mother, I can not begin to tell you how many times one of my girls has said something, in a moment like this - where no humor can be found, something so profound that it completely changes the entire tone of the situation.

Grilling Goodness #3 - #6 (The Cookout)

I just love playing along with my good friend, Tina's, Friday meme, Grilling Goodness, each week. Unfortunately, during our 'big move' I got a little behind and I kept telling her that I was going to have to have one big cookout to get caught up.

Well, it's Saturday night - what better night for a cookout?? So sit back, relax and enjoy some food for thought, as I get caught up on all of this Grilling Goodness. Some answers will be long, some short. Some will be funny, some notsomuch. But all will be mine. ;)

Grilling Goodness #3

1. What is your least favorite aspect of Election Year?
Everything! I hate election years. Both parties talk to much and make promises they won't keep - and they usually do all this talking during one of my all important television programs.

Not to mention, I am close to friends and family on both sides of the political parties so I get to hear it all.

ALL.THE.TIME.

It's enough to make a person wanna scream: SHUT UP! And put my programs back on.

I'm just sayin' ;)


2. What is something your spouse could do to make you feel special?
Ship the kids off for the night. Clean the house. Cook me a wonderful dinner. Run me a bubble bath and rub my feet.

Ahem, but Babe, if you're reading this... I have not given this any thought at all. ;)

3. Do you complain at restaurants or do you just tip less?
I don't usually complain. If the bad service was due to the waiter/waitress I will tip less. But most of the time I will put them on my do not return list and if it is highly likely that they will end up being blogged about.

4. If you had it to do over again, would you choose the same wedding date you had?
Sure, why not.

5. What kind of car do you drive?
Volkswagen Jetta (I heart my Jetta)

6. If you have siblings, are you close to them?
I have a brother. We are eight years apart. We were pretty close when we were younger (I felt like he was mine) but, as we have grown older, we have each gone on to live our lives and grown further apart in the process. This does not mean that the love is not still there; I love him very much and would do anything in my power for him but we just don't talk much.

7. Do you spend the same amount of money on each child at Christmas or just buy a certain number of gifts?
Usually, I try to get both girls at least one big ticket item and I make up the difference with the little fill ins. For the most, part the dollar amount is somewhere in the same ballpark. However, it is not always possible to spend the same amount for each child because of their age difference: Sugar is twelve and her gifts are more expensive than Spice, who is four. I could easily spend $300.00 on one item for Sugar and to spend that much on Spice it would appear that all the presents under the tree were for her.

8. What phrase do you find yourself saying all the time?
"Turn that TV down!"

I swear, sometimes I think the people in my house are all deaf.


Grilling Goodness #4

1. The World Series has begun...do you watch it? (and do you care who wins?)
Nope and Nope. I don't care one iota about baseball.

2. Is the inside of your car clean or 'garbage dump filthy'?
Depends on where you're looking. If you look in the front it will appear clean but if you should have to venture to the back you might find something scary.

3. Who is the next person in your family to have a birthday?
My babe. His birthday is exactly one week before Christmas; but I don't know why I'm telling you all this, because according to him it's a national holiday so this should be something you already know.

4. Do you wear glasses or contacts? (how old were you when it became necessary?)
Nope, neither (but it's possible that may change soon).

5. What is your major form of exercise?
Soon to be my Wii Fit. (Merry Christmas to me from me a little early - but you gotta get it whenever you can find it, because they don't stick around in the stores very long at all.)

6. What is something you could do to make your spouse's day easier today?
Finish unpacking and organizing things around our new home. I'm getting there, it's only been two weeks - don't rush me. Sheesh!

7. How much is gas where you are?
I saw a sign today that said $1.83 Wooo-hoo!!

8. What the furthest away from home that you've ever traveled?
Minnesota.

We went there with Ms. Jewal when Sugar was about two years old. Unfortunately, I didn't get to enjoy it very much because, on our second day there, I was in bed with a fever from a sever sinus infection. My sinuses don't do well in climate changes. :(

Grilling Goodness #5

1. Is there anything peculiar about the way you sleep?
Not unless you consider having a four year old lying on your back - as if you were a real live body pillow - peculiar.

2. Are you in with the fad...do you own something with giraffe print?
I have never been one to keep up with the fads...I like to be my own person.

3. What color do you have the most of hanging in your closet?
Black and Brown

4. In the spirit of all the candy that will fly around today...what is your favorite kind of candy?
Hmmm?? I wonder if this was the Halloween Grilling Goodness?!?! ;)
My favorite "Halloween" candy is tootsie rolls.

5. Is your thumb green or are you a plant killer?
Nope, no green thumb here. But I do have myself a lovely plastic plant in my turtle plant holder...

6. Do you have a crazy pet story?
How about the story of our pet turtle who ran away from home...that one usually gets lots of laughs.

Seriously, I had him outside in a container that he had outgrown so that I could clean his tank (there is a lot more work involved in having a pet turtle than one would think). Someone stopped by and we were all standing in the driveway talking to him. When I went back to get him and put him back in his now clean tank, he was gone - nowhere to be found and never to be seen again. :(

7. Did you ever tight-roll your jeans?
I'm just dying to know where this one came from..LOL! Yes, I believe I do recall tight rolling my jeans once or twice (but only when they were too long).

8. Does your family read your blog?
Yes, but they never leave a comment :(

Grilling Goodness #6

1. What is one of your 'must see' tv shows?
Medium. I LOVE that show. I MISS that show. When is it coming back on, anyway??

2. Do you have a facebook page?
Yep, but I almost never get on it (or on my myspace page). Guess I'm just to busy blogging. :)

3. How old were you when you got married?
25 the second time

4. What is one bad habit that you need to break?
Picking. I'm a picker (I shamefully admit).

I have always been a picker. If it's a picky, and it's on my body, it must be picked. But just so you know, I don't pick anyone else's pickies...only my own. 'Cuz that's just gross!

5. What is your favorite cold-weather activity?
Sleeping in the comfort of my big, cozy bed under the nice, warm heat of my electric blanket. Mmmm...snuggly

6. At church, do you always sit in the same area?
Mmm-hmmm.

7. What do you like best about blogging?
It used to be the telling of my stories and while that is still very therapeutic and I very much love it, I must admit that it has evolved into so much more than that.

Non-bloggers don't understand but blogville is like a tight little community. I can not tell you how many wonderful women I have met, and continue to meet on an almost daily basis, through my blog. It's wonderful!

8. What's the last funny thing you remember hearing from a child?
The other day, when I smelled something funky and I said, "Ewww Drake!", to which Sugar replied, "That wasn't Drake" and then walks her funky butt upstairs.

Grilling Goodness #7

Yay! It is about time that things got settled enough for me to get back around to some Grilling Goodness. I’ve got some catching up to... Soon to come, I’m going to have one big cookout. :) But until then, here are this weeks Q & A’s:

1. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever sent through the washing machine/dryer?
Oh my goodness! With Sugar and Spice as your children, all sorts of nasty/bad things have been washed around our house. Lot’s of money! We have the cleanest money of anyone I know. Lip stick, rocks, tootsie rolls, bubble gum, the list just goes on and on.

2. Do you do any of your Christmas shopping online?
Yes, I love the convenience of being able to shop online. No crowds. No one fighting over the last item. No standing in line. No driving from store to store looking for the years hottest item. AND during the holiday’s you can usually get free shipping. Online shopping rocks!

3. What are you looking forward to this Thanksgiving?
I love Thanksgiving. Any holiday that allows you to gorge yourself on good food without anyone looking at you like you’re the worlds biggest pig is a good one in my book. And to top it off, my husband is an excellent cook! He always cooks us a wonderful meal.

I know that many people go out and visit relatives on Thanksgiving; but I prefer to spend the day at home with my family. This year I am looking forward to the first of many Thanksgivings to come, in the comfort of our new house.

4. What did you do before you had children that you miss doing that you have children?
If my husband were answering this question, he would say that he misses sex.

Sorry, couldn’t resist. ;)

I, on the other hand, will say that I miss having a clean house. In fact, if I didn’t have to walk around and pick up behind the little tornado’s that wind their way all through my house – on a daily basis. Or nag someone to pick their things up 350 times before it finally got done, I would probably have more energy to grant my husbands wish for sex more often. I’m just sayin’ ;)

5. Do you have a fireplace? Do you use it?
For the first time in our togetherness, we do have a fireplace. It was not a must have but it sure is pretty. Like Tina, though, ours is gas and will probably never be used – except for by Santa.

6. Do medical shows showing surgeries and blood freak you out?
I LOVE ER. That is one of my favorite shows and I will be sad when it ends this season. :(

I can watch shows like that but I do not like watching the more ‘real’ versions of the ER - the ones that show all the gross stuff.

I don’t like to watch people being cut open or poked with a needle. In fact, I turn away whenever I get a shot too. *shudder*

7. How long have you lived where you live?
Two glorious weeks!


8. What is one of your favorite seasonal items?
Eggnog milk shakes at Mc Donald’s. Mm-mm Good! Yummy! (of course mine would center around some type of food, right? Ha!)

Thankful Thursday #16

I took a little mini vacation last Thursday and Friday to get some things done around our new home. We're getting there folks, but we still have a long way to go before we're completely settled. I'll say it again...ten years.

Do you realize how much stuff can be acquired in ten years?

Oh sure, you may think you know; but really, you have no idea!!

No idea whatsoever, until the day comes that you have to move.

When that day comes, you get a clue - in a BIG way!

For ten years of stuff, and only being in our new place for two weeks, we've come a long way.

So Thursday and Friday were used to get some things settled around here. One of those things was to get Sugar registered into her new school.

You may recall how well that went over...Remember? The horrible not so great day that I had on Monday, when I had to take another emergency vacation day. UGH!

Just thinking about how awful that day was makes my blood pressure go up...

Shelly pauses here for a moment to rub her ears **woosah**

Okay, sorry about that... Now, where was I?? Ah yes, the mini vacation. So I took Thursday, Friday and Monday off, to get my affairs in order. Then Tuesday was a holiday.

I was able to get Sugar registered for school Tuesday, but not before having to jump through one last hoop. I had to go to the health department and wait in that line, for almost an hour, to get her shot records transferred over from one state's form to the other.

I'm not sure what difference it makes, which state's form her immunization records are listed on, as long as she's had them all; but, whatever.

So, I got that done and now she's in her new school.

Wednesday morning was her first official 'full' day of school and my official first day back to work. And after all the drama of the last few days, I was happy to be going back.

Until we could get a sense of what time the bus arrives in the mornings, I made sure she was at her stop ten minutes early. She stood outside, on the same corner where the driver dropped her off yesterday afternoon. But, as time ticked on and she remained out there, standing in the cold, wet rain, with no sign of a bus - or even that any other children in the neighborhood rode the bus to school - I decided to drop her off.

After getting her to school, I jump on the interstate to take Spice to Ms. Jewal's house. Traffic is a little heavier than normal because of the weather - that, and the fact that I'm a few minutes behind schedule.

There is a sign letting drivers know two of the three lanes are shut down up ahead which, of course, means that traffic is at a complete stand still.

Thirty minutes later, we're still creeping along. I'm only a mile away from my exit and now I have to go potty - and I'm not just talking about little potty here folks. I'm talking about BIG POTTY.

Of course. Of course I would be the one who has to go BIG POTTY while stuck on the interstate with nowhere to go. Of course!

Have you ever been stuck on the interstate while you had to go BIG POTTY???

Well letmetellya, it's not a very good feeling. And not that I would ever - in a million years - use one; but, I think it would be a good idea if they put a "Johny on the Run" alongside the interstate, every couple of miles, whenever they shut down lanes.

I'm just sayin' is all. ;) BUT, I digress...

So now a few more minutes have passed by and we've crept along until I'm only a half mile away from my exit. Suddenly, everything clears up - wa-la, just like that. It was like the parting of the red sea or something.

God is smiling down on me - Thank you, God!!

I jump off on my exit. I'm almost to Ms. Jewal's house. I take out my phone to let her know that we are right around the corner. And right as I turn the corner I hear it....

The train. :(

You have GOT to be kidding me, God.

The train that is coming down the very tracks that I must cross in order to get to her house.

The train that there is no way around.

The train that is preventing me from arriving to my ultimate destination - the bathroom!

The train moves on and we finally arrive. Of course, the minute we get there the rain starts pouring down even harder; but, I don't let that stop me....I'm on a mission.

Clear out the restroom because here I come.

Whew! I made it. Thank you, God.

And just to show you how good His sense of humor is in situations such as these, when I left her house the rain had slowed to a drizzle. There were no more trains to delay my progress towards work and traffic had cleared.

I am telling you, I was so thankful to finally be back at work that I could have kissed my boss when I saw her.

I had the biggest smile on my face when I finally walked into that drab, old building. There is nothing like the chaos of real life to make you appreciate the simple chaos at work.

I am thankful for my job. Thankful that I have somewhere to go where I not only get paid - which is always a plus - but where I can escape.

I am thankful to work for a company that understands and practices the concept of family first.

I am thankful to have finally gotten Sugar's school registration taken care of.

I am thankful that I had vacation time available to take, so that I could get all of this settled.

And of course, I am also thankful that I made it to the bathroom in time. I'm just sayin' ;)

LOOK! It's Marge's Cousin.

I'm staying in my box.

Have you ever wondered what happens to a person when they step out of their box?

Is this a good thing for them?

Does it help them to broaden their horizon's, making it easier for them to step out the next time; or does it cause them to burrow further down into their comfort zone, digging in their heals when the next time rolls around??


I'm a Virgo.

Better yet, I'm a typical Virgo.

I fit the definition to perfection - so much so, that if you were to look it up, you might just see my picture beside it.



I am a creature of habit.

I like my routine and it's not often that I step outside of my shell box.

Today, I was forced to step WAY out of my shell box. And I can honestly tell you, if every time turned out like today, I would run - not walk - back inside, slam and bolt the door, never to come back out into the light of day...

It all started out innocently enough.

I was going to register Sugar for her new school today. I was going to go in, fill out the necessary paper work and then I was going in to work.

Sounds easy, right? Yeah...Wrong!!!

First you must have two accepted items to prove your address. With us only being here a week, that proved to be a bit of a problem. We haven't been here long enough to receive a utility bill and our lease agreement, although an accepted form, does not have our address listed anywhere in the documents. (Can we say, Oops?!?! Slight oversight.)

Another thing they would accept is where we registered our tags; but there again, we've only been here a week and haven't gotten around to doing this yet.

Already, my list of things to do today has grown. They won't register her until I can prove our residence and have all the necessary records, which include the following:

Last years report card - check.
Shot record - no problem, I can call the doctor and have her fax a copy.
Birth Certificate - Got it right here....no wait, that's the 'mother's copy' and is not accepted.
Social Security card - Missing. I have looked and looked and can't seem to find it anywhere.

Okay, now it looks like I need an entire day off to get all of this done.

I call the boss and make arrangements, then I drop the girls off so I can begin getting things in order and here is where my day takes a turn for the worse...

I go back home and search through all of our papers to find the birth certificate and social security card. Still, I can't find them anywhere. I have a place where I file them, when they aren't in use, but I have to take them out frequently and apparently the last time they didn't get replaced.

HATE THAT!!!

I must have these things by tomorrow so that I can get her in school. So, off to the records offices I go...

The first address I was given didn't exist.

I payed $1.00 to park then walked down the block only to discover there was no such address and, given my love for driving to unfamiliar places, this seemed to set the tone for the remainder of my day.

I called the hubby - poor guy, he got an ear full today - and he helped me find the place I needed to go.

Scrounging up my last two quarters for the parking meter, I parked and went in to get a copy of her birth certificate.

Everything went smoothly up until it came time for me to pay and my card had my middle name on it - because that's what I go by - and the birth certificate is an official document so it has my first name listed.

Man oh man, that really confused her- I don't think they hire them for their intelligence - it took me several minutes to convince her that we were one and the same.

We finally got that worked out and then I was off, birth certificate in hand, to the next stop - the social security department.

Finding this place wasn't a problem. My girlfriend, Lola, took me right there and parking was good; they had a lot behind the building and I didn't have to pay.

Unfortunately, that was the only good experience that I had on this little adventure.

I walk in to stand in a mile long line. Then the stand up comedian security guard walks in an tells us to take a number at the kiosk and turn our cell phones off (If he said this once, he said it a hundred times - getting on my very last nerve.)

Now I ask you... if we have to take a number, can someone please explain why we had to STAND in line instead of sitting in all of the nice comfortable chairs while waiting to be called?

What is the purpose of a number if you are standing in a single file line??

I couldn't figure it out either.

So I STOOD in this line for an hour and a half.

I STOOD there and read every.single.sign. posted on the walls.

I STOOD there and listened to Mr. Comedian cracking jokes on a room full of people who somehow failed to see the humor.

And after I STOOD in this line - for an hour and a half - it was my turn to go to the window and the guy closes his window and walks off.

Then I get called by little Ms. 'I hate my job so I'm going to treat you like you're an idiot' only to be told that I need to have her immunization records in order to get a copy of her social security card.

The certified copy of her birth certificate will not work.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?

What in the hell does their shot record have to do with getting their social security card??

"Okay, so I don't have a copy of her shot record. What else can I do? I need this record so I can enroll her in school."

"Well I'm sorry Ma'am" which, if you've ever worked in retail, you know is really code for I don't give a $hit Bit@#, "but that's the law." She tells me in her snottiest tone.

And they wonder why people go in with guns and shoot their A$$'...

After standing in line for an hour and a half, with nothing posted anywhere to let you know what you need, while listening to the sad attempts at comic relief by the guard, only to be told, "I'm sorry Ma'am but that's the law." does not tend to go over well.

In fact, cases like this have been known to cause turrets in otherwise respectable individuals.

Don't believe me?? Just ask my hubby - poor guy.

I have to give him his kudos for today's performance, though; because he somehow managed not to say the wrong thing and get me riled up even more than I already was.

Good for you, Babe!! ;)

At this point, I'm ready to call it a day. But I still don't have what I need and I am NOT taking another day off to go through this nightmare again.

In fact, will someone please just wake me up so I can go to work??? UGH!!!

So, instead of giving into the temptation to quit and go home, I call the doctors office and ask for a copy of her shot record.

I head over to pick it up and she finds me another location - because I would rather chew off my arm than go back to the one I just came from.

It's now 2:30 and I have yet to eat lunch - and that can be a dangerous thing for all parties involved - so I stop by Chick-fil-a for a quick bite.

Then I head over to the other Social Security office only to learn that it is no longer there - and hasn't been for three years, according to the guard. He gives me a print out showing me other locations and I head back out for my THIRD attempt at getting this girls social security card.

But first, let me stop and get my shot - since I'm in the neighborhood - because who knows what tomorrow may bring...

Well, you know what they say....third time's a charm! AND they even knew how to work the number system. You walked in, pulled your number and sat down until they called you. Imagine that...what a concept.

It is now 4:00 and I have literally been spinning my wheels all day long - since 7:30 am - only to accomplish two things.

I go to pick up the girls and we head home. We eat our dinner and I sit down to chill out after my most stressful day. But first, I need to clean up these papers that I scattered everywhere earlier this morning.

I don't know what made me do it, but I walked over to a satchel full of papers I had set aside to be destroyed. I looked inside and right there, on the top, was the envelope with both of the girls social security cards inside and their birth certificates.

Of course.

Checking In

Hello Blogville!

Oh how I've missed reading the goings ons in the lives of all my peeps...

I hope everyone has been doing well during my absence. I promise to come back around and get caught up as soon as the dust settles, here in our new home...

But, until then, I thought I would pop in and give you all an update of the goings ons in our little corner of the world:

It's official. We have moved into our new home and we absolutely LOVE it here!!

It is a completely different feel in this neck of the Crazyville woods. I don't know if words can adequately express it, but here are a few comparisons to help you visualize what I'm feeling:

New neighborhood:
The boys on the corner outside are playing soccer.

Old neighborhood:
The boys on the corner outside are smoking dope.


New neighborhood:
The pre-teen girls are running around with their neighborhood girlfriends, laughing, giggling, riding bikes and playing silly games.

Old neighborhood:
The pre-teen girls are running around in their hot pants, short-shorts and tank tops - two sizes too small - with their babies that they had at the ripe 'old' age of 14.

And if they haven't already had a baby, they're looking for someone to call their baby's daddy sometime in the near future - at least, that is what their clothing and attitude suggests.

New neighborhood:
Is no through outlet, meaning very little traffic. Cars that do drive by understand that this is a residential area with children outside playing and drive the respectable speed of 25 mph.

Old neighborhood:
Located between two very busy streets and no one driving by seems to understand that all the houses on either side of them is indicative of a residential neighborhood. They fly down the street - tires screeching, trunk bumping - turning corners on two of their four wheels.

These are just a few of the many differences that I have noticed in our one week of residency.





And if that isn't enough of a reason for me to be elated with this move....here are a couple more:

The girls made friends their very first day here.

The neighbors have all introduced themselves and welcomed us to the neighborhood.

Even the pets love it here.

And Sam.....Well, let's just say he's in Dachshund hog heaven.

This is his new girlfriend, 'Red'.

Isn't she pretty?

I'm not sure if that's really her name, but she came by on Thursday to welcome him to the neighborhood.





We aren't sure where she lives. She followed the utility guys over and stuck around for a little while after they left.

I think she got mad when the lady two doors down came out with her two Dachshund girls, 'cause she left shortly afterwards.

I hope she found her way home okay, as Sam is new to the whole 'dating' thing and didn't know to walk her to her door - he's such a dog!

As if all of this isn't enough...

We also live right around the corner from my favorite pizza place - Papa John's, the girls favorite fast food place - Mc Donald's, Kroger and - soon to be - my bank (they're almost finished building it).

AND I'm just a few red lights away from the local Wal-Mart. Where shoppers save so much money, they are able to purchase one of these...

Frankly Scarlet, I'm not really a big Vera Bradley fan...but apparently she's all the rage in handbags as my friends Tina and Amy both have one.

Amy, if you're reading this, I just want you to know that I thought of you when I saw this bag.

I thought it was the latest - Mediterranean Blue - that you mentioned you wanted and just HAD to snap a picture for you. However, after a little research, I quickly learned that it was not her latest greatest - good thing all I did was take a picture, huh?!? ;)

Nearest I can tell, I think it might be Peacock; however, being that I'm really no V.B. expert, it could be nothing more than a Wal-Mart knock off.

Oh well, it's the thought that counts....right?? ;)

Okay, well I still have plenty to do around here - ten years of stuff - so I had better get back to work.

I hope to be back to a regular schedule sometime soon; at which time I will be sure to check in on all my peeps.

Until then, take care.