Ramblings of a SAHM

Sunday, February 29, 2004

A few updates: The mailman was nice to me yesterday and finally brought my photos and Sizzix dies (the twins and I are going to make paper dolls this afternoon, woohoo!) The college hockey game last night was awesome, I'm hooked. Of course I've always been a good game fan, too many years of Indiana high school basketball games in my blood. After the game, Greg & I and the village manager & his wife went out for drinks. We were in a college town so at about 11pm, we were all yawning and trying to figure out what the heck the music was they were playing and generally feeling really old. Oh well...

Today I want to scrapbook the photos that arrived yesterday. I need to work on some custom paper piecings and do some eBay stuff as well. And the usual stuff, laundry, kids' baths, etc. Greg is going to a poker game with one of his old co-workers. So I have the Rounders movie playing in the back of my head. lol

Quote of the Day: "Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker." -Mike McDermott (Matt Damon's character) from Rounders

Katie at 12:03 PM

Saturday, February 28, 2004

Just for Ian, I created a guest book. Personally I like Comments better but since I cheat and use other people's free codes and crap (with proper credit, of course! lol), adding a guest book only took 5 minutes. Unlike some people who have to write all their code by hand... I guess there are purists to every subject. *winks*

Oh the link: Sign Guest Book I guess the purpose is that you sign once there and that's it. So Comments are cause you want to say something to a post and a Guest Book is to say you were here (with the cute smiley face, I'm sure). I hid the link under "Email Me" in the right column if you ever feel the need to sign or read it.

I'm hoping not to be back later with a rant about the postal service. We'll see what happens after the mail is delivered at noon. In other news, Greg and I are going to a local college hockey game this evening. It's a night out so I'm not complaining (and secretly I do like hockey, shhh). Although I'm not sure what to think about the fact that he was originally going to take Zach but then found out that the other guys are bringing their wives so now I'm going. Hmmm... But I'm not complaining. Really. hehe

Katie at 9:24 AM

Friday, February 27, 2004

No new Friday Five this week so I pulled up the list from last year:

1. What is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)? scrapbook magazines, local Sunday paper, novels: fantasy, sci-fi, romance, mystery, humor, non-fiction: crafts, history, children's poetry

2. What is your favorite novel? Tough one, there are very few books that I haven't liked. Anything Mark Twain, Where the Red Fern Grows, Beau Geste, The Left Hand of Darkness

3. Do you have a favorite poem? (Share it!) I only read children's poetry so anything Shel Silverstein or Dr. Seuss.

4. What is one thing you've always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read? I'd like to read more of the "Classics": Dickens, Shakespeare, Hemmingway, and the like

5. What are you currently reading? Uh... Nothing at the moment unless tons and tons of little kids' books count. I need to make a solo library trip, it's nearly impossible to browse the adult section with 5 kids in tow.

Katie at 10:01 AM

Thursday, February 26, 2004

I've seen this a million times but it still cracks me up when I need a good laugh: End of the World (flash) "WTF, Mate?"

Oh and just to make your life complete, from Melissa, download your very own Strong Bad Clock: Homestar Runner Downloads I like the "soothing" voice. hehe

Katie at 1:58 PM

There may be a price to pay for brain jitterbugging. I woke up this morning with a terrible migraine (although is there a such thing as a "good migraine?") For me the best cure is 2 or 3 hours of sleep in a dark, cold, quiet room. But since that's not usually possible, Advil Migraine kills the pain within half an hour. But I'm still sensitive to light and sound and it leaves me feeling spacey (more so than usual *sticks out tongue*). I still haven't figured out my migraine trigger or if I even have one. Luckily I only get them once every couple of months.

As promised the excerpt with the Gift Giving. I guess I should have set up the request better, I forgot to mention Kierana is a warrior and doesn't like girly girl stuff (I have some great scenes with her being fitted for *gasp* a dress!). LostInNY puts up with my story line a lot so he knew that already. So as much I as I personally would a pretty bauble or two, Kier wouldn't. As usual, ignore grammar errors, it still needs some tweaking and run on sentence chopping.

Kierana paced her room nervously, impatience was always one of her worst traits. She had given Caiden a pointed look earlier when she had left the great hall after dinner. He had winked at her but continued his conversation with Minolan. The pair laughed together at something and Kierana had tried not to stomp out of the room frustrated. She had forgotten to tell him not to sit next to the talkative bard.

As she walked around her small room for the hundredth time, she wondered what he would give her. And why, was there a meaning behind the gift? He had already said no long term commitments other than friendship. So what could it be?

With a sigh, she sat on her bed and tried to remember the last gift that she had received from anyone. She had never been fully aware of how lonely her life had been in Ter'fer before joining Lord Gitter's warriors. Most inhabitants of the castle had family and old friends. A history with this place and the people. Something she was beginning to have. And might be about to lose.

She stood up suddenly when she remembered her last gift. And it had even been from Caiden! She grinned widely, he had made her another bow, she was sure of it. It wouldn't have quite the same meaning as the one he had given her so many months ago at the tournament in Ganasburg but his craftsmanship was always superb. She began to pace the room again, happy at the thought of having her own bow again. Especially one made by Caiden's skilled hands.

The knock on the door almost made her jump out of her skin. "Come in," she said, her voice a bit shaky with excitement.

Caiden stepped in with a smile on his face. Kierana tried to look around him, where was her bow?

"What are you looking for?" he asked and glanced behind him at the closing door.

Kierana wrinkled her nose. "Nothing," she answered, trying not to sound disappointed. It wasn't possible to hide a bow and she didn't see it. Darn, she thought, she really wanted a new one.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. He moved forward and took her in his arms. She rested her chin on his shoulder and sighed softly, enjoying his warmth. She was being silly, just having him as a friend was more than she had a year ago.

"I'm fine," she answered, pulling away enough to show him her smile.

"Good. And here I thought you would be upset with me for making you wait."

She chuckled. "Maybe just a little," she admitted.

Caiden lightly kissed her forehead. "Silly girl," he said playfully. "Here, I'll put you out of your misery." His hand slipped into hers and he led her over to the bed to sit. She tucked her feet underneath her and bit her lip to keep from demanding her present this second.

"Megina sent me some things from home. I'd thought you like this." He pulled an object covered in a piece of leather from his pocket. Kierana leaned forward as he unwrapped it. "Ashmire made this, he's an elder in our village." He placed a small piece of carved wood in her hand.

Curious she examined it closer, the figure stirring vague memories in the back of her mind. The confusion showed on her face as she gently traced the minute details of a woman's face and flowing robes.

"It's the Goddess of the Forest," Caiden said softly. "It's good luck to carry Her image."

Tears sprung to her eyes as she turned the figure slightly to see the tiny pointed ears. She remembered where she had seen this before. "My mother had one," she sobbed, choking on the lump in her throat. "She kept it on a length of silver around her neck. I used to…" The memories overwhelmed her and she cried openly, the tears falling down her face. Caiden put his arms around her and held her tightly to his chest. She wept against his cotton shirt as she clutched the idol in her fist.

"I used to climb into her lap," she mumbled against his chest. She sniffed back more tears. Caiden lightly rubbed her back as she tried to regain her composure. "And look at Her while Momma told me stories." She closed her eyes tightly, a few more tears slid down her cheek. She hadn't thought of her mother in so long, the yearning ache was still there in her heart. With her eyes closed, she could see her mother's loving face and almost smell the lilac fragranced soap she had used on her soft light brown hair. It had been so long ago and yet the memories were as fresh as if it had been yesterday.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she felt oddly at peace in Caiden's arms. She opened her eyes and snuggled closer to him, resting her head under his chin. Opening her hand, she studied the Goddess's features again. The tiny details were so perfect, from the curved mouth to the long wisps of hair framing her face. The wood felt alive in her hand, the oak this piece had been carved from must have been very old. It was the best gift anyone had ever given her.

"Thank you, Caiden," she adjusted so that she could look up into his face, "you have no idea how much this means to me."

His warm nut brown eyes were so full of love, it made her heart skip a beat. "You're very welcome."

Katie at 9:05 AM

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Thinking and Priorities

My thoughts are jitterbugging today (thanks for the term, Snap-ah, hehe) and I'm afraid I'm going to give myself an aneurism. I've come to the realization that I could make a go of this writing thing (with a little advice and motivation from Holly Lisle and a pep talk from our resident Evil One.) I tried to call my sister to tell her about my epiphany (boy, I'm full of those lately) but unfortunately some people actually work outside the home so her dear husband answered instead. Ian is a perfectly lovely but quiet guy (unless talking about computers or stupid customers at Wal-Mart) and I figured he wouldn't fully appreciate my Zen moment. So in order to keep my brain from exploding, I'm here. Aren't you lucky?

Which brings me to my second topic: priorities. I like to think I have a good hold of my priorites. My super woman act? Nothing but strict priorities. Bedtime at 8pm, clean up immediately after every meal, in order to do B, I give up A. For example, I rarely watch TV (no soaps, no Oprah, no Friends), I don't belong to any clubs or socialize much (partially due to my hermit-like preference), and I don't like shopping. So while others are at the mall dishing with their bridge friends about the latest epidsode of The Young and The Restless while looking for the perfect handbag to go with their straight off the runway outfit, I'm at home scrapbooking or writing or sewing. See how that works?

Enter the conflict. My priorities are as tight as they can be. In order:

entertaining the kids (although I'm afraid I still may say "Go watch Dora" a little too often)
Greg (tied with first although he can take care of himself most of the time)
housework (thank you, Fly Lady)
internet stuff (blogs, forums, eBay)
scrapbooking
writing
sewing/quilting

I need to add a vegetable garden in that mix this summer. And the kids only have 3 months of school left (yeah, I plan that far ahead). So something has to go. I've always been a jack of all trades, a master of none but now I would really like to be a published writer. Which means buckling down and getting good. The thought of being published brings up another hobby: scrapbooking. I'd love to have a scrapbook layout published in a magazine or book. I may not be CK worthy but I bet with a little work and persistence, I could be published in a lesser magazine. But again, it would require more effort than I've been currently devoting to it.

Obviously the top 3 must stay as is. I'm guessing I could cut down on my internet time although for the most part, it is my only source of entertainment and adult conversation (what did hermits do before the internet?). It comes down to writing versus scrapbooking. The showdown between hobbies. See the fight for $39.95, pay per view!

Um, yeah. So here I am. Thinking. Trying to keep from bursting a blood vessel in my brain. It's pretty obvious when my writing muse is in town, these posts get longer and longer. haha I'll try to keep her contained in Word for awhile for your sakes. :)

Katie at 5:00 PM

Anyone want to play "Choose Your Own Adventure"? I've hit a minor plot block in my woodelf2 novel. Caiden (male wood elf) is going to give Kierana (main female character, also a wood elf) something. Their relationship is currently *friends with priviledges.* The gift needs to have some association with their race. Whatever this little something is, it will have a lot of meaning to Kierana since she was orphaned at a young age and grew up among humans and not wood elves. Also it's not a gift because Caiden wants a commitment with her, just a present between friends. By the way, the something isn't going to play a huge role in the future. I need them in her room together at this time and then in the next book, the item will be mentioned in passing as a treasured gift from a good friend. All you closet fantasy/LOTR/D&D fans, help please!

Katie at 10:34 AM

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

I'm tired. Whew, it was a long day. My pictures and stamps didn't come in the mail so no scrapbooking. I did cut 105 squares for Greg's jean quilt. Note to any one thinking about quilting: definitely buy a rotary cutter, mat, and ruler, the expense is so worth it. I made my first three quilts using scissors to cut all the squares and triangles. *feels really dumb* I need to consult with Greg before I go any further though. Since it's his quilt, I figure he deserves a little input. :)

I think I've been taking too many personality quizes lately. The goofy ones like "Which Care Bear am I?" or "Which Frank Llyod Wright House am I?" are pretty pointless but I ran across a bunch of Myers Briggs and Enneagram tests. Since these have weird names that I don't get, they must be a little more important than "What Drink an I?" My scores:

Myers Briggs: ISTJ
Introverted (I) 60.87% Extroverted (E) 39.13%
Sensing (S) 52.5% Intuitive (N) 47.5%
Thinking (T) 59.38% Feeling (F) 40.63%
Judging (J) 77.42% Perceiving (P) 22.58%

ISTJ - "Trustee". Decisiveness in practical affairs. Guardian of time- honored institutions. Dependable. 11.6% of total population.

Take Free Myers-Briggs Personality Test

Enneagram: 9w1

Conscious self	Overall self

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Funny how acurrate 102 questions can be... I'm definitely introverted, it's getting to the point that I'm worried I might turn into a hermit. I looked up their definition of "Judging" and it means prefers order, control, making decisions, organization, constants. Again, right on the money, I tend to be a neat freak, I hate disorder and I love being in control.

The Enneagram test is amusing, I'm a model citizen, huh? Imaginative and creative are givens. Serene and orderly, I'd like to think so. And I can see an ideal world ("it's all about love, baby") but they are right, I'm not pro-active enough to do anything about it. I'd like to but I think I'll take a nap first. *winks*

Trusting, check. Finish things I start, check. Physically affectionate, check. Very calm, check (to the point that the nurses always freak about my low blood pressure). Decisive... Hmm, my wishy washy Libra side sometimes takes over though. Strong feelings, I suppose if I have any, I'd show them. Conforming, check (No white after Labor Day? -Okay. Don't step on a crack? *hops over the cracks*). High Libido, *winks* hehehehehehehehe

Katie at 9:00 PM

I did my 30 minutes of "Cardio Mix" this morning, boy am I out of shape. Kelly was very confused by her mommy flinging arms and legs around in front of the TV so she kept trying to hug my legs. And then when I laid down on my back to do the mat work, she sat on my chest. Finally at the end when I was sitting in the butterfly leg stretch, she plopped down in my lap and sighed. Poor little thing, I'm sure it's hard work trying to keep her mommy under control.

I'm on the verge of few projects, it'll be interesting to see which one wins out. There are the 11 more scrapbook pages to complete for my monthly goal. But I'm waiting for both pictures and stamps to arrive in the mail. I'm within 30,000 words of completing my NaNoWriMo 2003 novel. I'm sort of in the writing mood but alas, no pizza rolls. *winks* There is Greg's jean quilt that I've been promising to make for a year. A friend posted this totally cute Jean Pocket Purse and I'd love to make one for each of the twins. If I cut into the salvaged jeans for the purses, I might as well cut the squares for the quilt. Easter is less than two months away and I need to make dresses for the girls. I've already found the fabric I want, it's a matter of picking a pattern and determining how many yards I need. Oh and a week of sewing. There are also those pesky eBay paper piecings I'm suppose to make to help cover the expenses of above hobbies.

I'm placing my money on the Novel with the 11 Page Scrapbooking Goal in second, moving to first if the pictures and stamps arrive today.

Quote of the Day: "We're not chicks, babes, girls, or even grrls--we're women, and we're okay with being women." -Dori Smith

Katie at 10:21 AM

Monday, February 23, 2004

There's a debate going on at Purple Pen: "Words- kitchen utensils or fancy paintbrushes?"

My opinion? Being a Libra, I see both sides. But I agree with them on one point: The love of words. I love dictionaries and thesauruses. I like finding the perfect synonym for "small." And with words, I love to write. It's like thinking aloud on paper. And writing the stories that I would want to read. My favorite quote concerning writing:

"I learned that you should feel when writing, not like Lord Byron on a mountain top, but like a child stringing beads in kindergarten --- happy, absorbed and quietly putting one bead on after another." -Brenda Ueland

So words are beads, I've solved the debate! haha But no, I really like the simpleness of the quote. It makes me happy to type out my thoughts and imaging's. Writing is like breathing, it just happens. It's not waiting for a burning bush or a strange combination of planet alignment. It's not so much about describing a tree with fifty long and fanciful words as it is about stating something ordinary in your own unique way. Words are to be enjoyed, relished like fine wine rolling over your tongue. But they can also be short and to the point like cursing the slow driver on a two lane road with no passing zones. Two sides to everything, many shades of gray, welcome to my somewhat confused but enjoyable world. And with that, another quote from one of my favorite authors (who definitely had a way with words):

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." -Mark Twain

Katie at 3:34 PM

Sunday, February 22, 2004

My morning project:

Next: clean up lunch, Kelly's nap, answer some emails, read the Sunday paper, and then go to the in-laws for dinner. :)

Katie at 12:24 PM

Quote of the Day: "Perhaps I'm old and tired, but I always think that the chances of finding out what really is going on are so absurdly remote that the only thing to do is to say hang the sense of it and just keep yourself occupied." -Douglas Adams

Katie at 9:41 AM

Saturday, February 21, 2004

I would like to request a day trade. I have no need for this Saturday. See the kids have been off school the last two days (because of the water main break) so we've had our fill of each other already. The water main break also means that we have to boil our water before drinking it, our mini version of being on Survivor. hehe Except I'm lazy and I bought a couple of gallons of drinking water from the store instead. I'll admit I'm really not Survivor material, I just like to watch. *winks*

In exchange for my Saturday, I want a Sunday. Because on Sunday I receive the Sunday paper and all the coupons and sale ads for the week. I'm a bit of a freak that way, I love sales and coupons. Even though I don't shop any of the sales (except the grocery store and the occasional craft store) I like to see how much money I could be saving if I went shopping. Don't worry, I already know how ridiculous my life is.

Sunday also means that the kids will go back to school tomorrow and Greg will be home that much sooner (he left for Orlando this morning and will be back Thursday). I rarely want to skip days because every moment is precious, *yadda, yadda, yadda* but all I see for today is us staring at each other being bored. I should have planned better for today but the previous two no school days threw off my routine. I don't want to go anywhere because I've already done the "take 5 kids to the store" hassle yesterday so I'd rather put off any little errands until Monday morning. Plus on Saturday everyone and their brothers are out running around trying to take care of their stuff. Maybe I am becoming hermit-like, I prefer to do my errands when it's just the other stay at home moms and old retired people out.

The return lines to exchange a day are probably too long anyways and I don't think I have a receipt. So I'm stuck with today as Saturday. *sigh*

Happy Saturday y'all!

Katie at 9:40 AM

Friday, February 20, 2004

WARNING: I'm not responsible for any new hobbies or expenditures this post may create.

I love scrapbooking. It's probably an addiction. It's my absolute favorite hobby, more so than sewing or sleeping. I sew for utilitarian purposes: it's cheaper than buying certain outfits (namely girls holiday/party dresses) and I can also guarantee that the kids will be dressed in decent clothes that are the right size and colors. It's not exactly easy to find 5 reasonably priced, coordinating holiday outfits (sorry, I'm anal like that) in 4 different sizes. And I sleep cause we have a comfy pillow top California king sized mattress and down comforter. hehe

But I digress. Scrapbooking is such an awesome hobby, bear with me as I highlight its qualities. First, it's all about preserving history and displaying photographs. So it does have a true purpose beyond the artistic value. It's annoying to find a really bizarre picture and no one knows who the people are or when it was taken or what they were doing. Or in my case, which identical twin that is. LOL Even worse, having pictures destroyed by improper storage (yeah, storing photographs in a plastic bag in the attic or boxes in the flood prone basement are not good ideas...) Scrapbooking solves all of the above.

Second, it's all the best parts of art class all over again. Cutting and pasting, playing with colorful paper, fancy pens, ribbons & buttons & more. This is also known as the expensive part of scrapbooking. hehe It used to be just pictures and journaling. Now it's accents and embellishments, patterned paper and matching pens. And fun!

Third, immediate crafty gratification. Well this works if you think in terms of finished pages, not completed albums. In my case, albums just become volumes of books. There's no real end to it. But a page only takes a few minutes to a few hours to complete. Much quicker than say quilting or knitting a sweater or most cross stitch projects.

There are other good reasons to scrapbook like the social aspect (scrapbooking with others) and of course, the shopping! As far as hobbies go, I think it's a very worthwhile one. It's both an artistic outlet and a purposeful one (saving pictures and memories).

I'm an odd scrapbooker or at least compared to those I know. Most people keep a family album with baby books for their children and the occasional travel album. In some insane moment of my life, I decided that I would make chronological albums for each of the kids. Yes 5 individual albums. As if I didn't have anything else to do. And amazingly enough, I'm only a year behind. It is actually easier than one would think to keep up 5 albums. For many events, I can use the same idea and just change the pictures and journaling to tailor the layout for each child. One of the main reasons I make individual albums is that I don't want the kids to ever feel short changed because there are 5 of them. With just a little extra effort on my part, they will all have their own memories and pictures. No one will be fighting over the family albums years from now. I hope they appreciate this. hehe

Anyway here's an example of my multiple "similar yet different" layouts. Club Scrap paper (love the stuff!), misc stamps, twine.

So in conclusion, it's a great hobby and I think anyone who has pictures and a history should give it a try. If you'd like more information, feel free to stop by my forum: Scrapbook Corner

Katie at 2:39 PM

The Friday 5

When was the last time you...

1. ...went to the doctor? my OB/GYN Feb 2003

2. ...went to the dentist? uh... June 2002, I think. I have a dentist phobia. Well, mostly I don't like them.

3. ...filled your gas tank? Monday (Feb 16th)

4. ...got enough sleep? Some night before Kyle was potty trained. Although it's still doubtful that I got enough sleep before then. Maybe 7 years ago.

5. ...backed up your computer? I backed up my files about a month ago. The entire computer (Greg, Zach, and I share) was June 2003.

Katie at 8:21 AM

Thursday, February 19, 2004

I would blow my entire grocery budget if they would sell Motivation in a Bottle. I guess we all deserve a lazy day occasionally (well as lazy as taking care of 5 kids, cooking and cleaning can get). We didn't make it to the Y or the office store or even out of our PJ's. But to make up for that, I'm going to do my Weekly House Blessing (aka Fly Lady style) and start the laundry today instead of tomorrow.

Quote of the Day: "There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it." -Mary Wilson Little

Katie at 4:06 PM

Currently

Weather: Sunny, 40 degrees F
Mood: Tired
Wearing: light gray long sleeve t-shirt under light blue short sleeve t-shirt, burgundy PJ pants, undies, contact lenses, red hair scrunchie
Location of Family Members: Greg in Springfield IL, the rest of us at home (Zach's school was canceled because of a water main break)
Plans for the Day: trip to the office store (printer ink cartridge, blank CDs), spend an hour at the Y's padded room, kids' baths, watch Survivor
Daydream: sleep and a scrapbook store's worth of supplies
Reading: nothing (unless online forums and blogs count)
Applications Running: Internet Explorer (2 windows), Norton Internet Security, Windows Media Player
TV: Dora the Explorer
Hours until the kids' bedtime: 9

Quote of the Day: "Sarcasm is the sour cream of wit." -Author Unknown

Katie at 10:57 AM

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Don't you just hate it when you wake up in the middle of the night and have odd epiphanies? Kyle woke me up to take him to the potty at about 3am and then I couldn't get back to sleep. My epiphany: I'm fat. Well not "fat" but there's definitely a little more padding around my middle and less muscle tone in my thighs. At least I think there is, it's so hard to remember exactly what my pre-pregnancies (four!) body looked like. My "eat whatever I want" diet has probably caught up with me. For 7 years, I've almost constantly been pregnant or nursing (or both, eek) so those extra calories didn't have a chance to collect in fat cells. And at 26 years old, this is also about as good as my metabolism is ever going to be. It's all downhill from here. *winks*

So my "middle of the freaking night when I'm suppose to be asleep but I'm awake" mind decided I need to go to the Y in the morning to see how bad the damage is. Why go to the Y? Because we don't have a scale and I couldn't think of any other way to determine my weight. (Remember it's the middle of the night so simply buying a scale didn't seem logical.) I've always liked numbers and knowing my exact weight before proceeding with any drastic measures seemed necessary. On my wedding day I weighed 120, my most fit "I can do 65 push ups in 2 minutes" weight was 128 (during Army ROTC in college), my heaviest was 155 a week before I delivered the twins. My drivers license lists me at 5'3", 125lbs. I needed to know by how much I was lying.

With my usual optimism (I'm not responsible for anything spit on your monitor or keyboard when you read that), I dressed in work out clothes, dropped the big 3 off at school, and took Kyle and Kelly to the Y with me. We have a fantastic membership at the local Y that we hardly ever use it except for the padded room. Our excuse? It's in another town, about a 15 mile drive. *shrugs* They have 2 hour free babysitting for members that I've used in the past. However every time I've started a work out regiment, I found out I was pregnant and had to stop. Seriously. Anyway Kelly has never been there so I was a bit nervous about how she would react. I signed them in, told them to page me immediately if there were any problems (they usually wait a few minutes to see if the child will calm down on his/her own), and left with my nifty numbered badge (needed to retrieve the kids later).

So I weighed myself in the ladies locker room and then walked down to the Cardio Strength Center (their name for the room full of work out equipment). Since I hate diets and don't really want to change the way I eat (I'm not sure I could make it through the day without Mountain Dew and chocolate), I decided that I should concentrate on working off the extra calories and toning my muscles. A walk on the treadmill would do fine for my first day into this. I set up the machine and off I went!

For 7 minutes... "Katie F... Please come to the Child Watch Room. Paging Katie F..." *rolls eyes* I hit stop on the machine, hopped off, and walked back to the babysitting room. Kyle was throwing a royal fit complete with hiccups and hyper ventilating. Kelly looked rather distraught as well but not in near as bad of shape as Kyle. Joy... So I signed them out and we headed home. Guess it's time to dust off the exercise tapes.

Oh and my weight? *whispers* 136 pounds :) Again, not responsible for any damage to your computer equipment. *winks*

Katie at 12:29 PM

Quote of the Day: "Life... is like a box of chocolates - a cheap, thoughtless, perfunctory gift that no one ever asks for, unreturnable because all you get back is another box of chocolates. So, you're stuck with mostly undefinable whipped mint crap, mindlessly wolfed down when there's nothing else to eat while you're watching the game. Sure, once is a while you get a peanut butter cup or an English toffee but it's gone too fast and the taste is fleeting. In the end, you are left with nothing but broken bits filled with hardened jelly and teeth-shattering nuts, which, if you are desperate enough to eat, leaves nothing but an empty box of useless brown paper." -The X-Files

Katie at 8:11 AM

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

I love free word association. As kids, my sister Erin and I used to amuse ourselves with this for hours. From Unconscious Mutterings:

Dragon:: Fire
Molecule:: Atom
Tire:: Rubber
Mighty:: Mouse
Octane:: Gas
Troll:: Annoying forum poster
Atmosphere:: Sky
Guide:: Trail
Leash:: Dog
Dustmite:: Steve Burns

And another list just for the hell of it:

Identity:: Self
Reveal:: Lingerie
Live:: Lightening Strikes
Attitude:: Annoying
Night:: Day
Nevada:: West
Weekend:: Busy
Write:: Love it
Friend:: *smiles*
Seventeen:: Magazine

Pulling out hundreds of staples from kitchen chairs has done nothing for my writing muse. Sorry...

Katie at 1:22 PM

Monday, February 16, 2004

Crap! Here I was having a nice bland day and at Melissa's blog, I read that they are canceling Angel! (link) I currently watch two TV shows since Buffy the Vampire Slayer was canceled: Angel and Survivor. I'm signature #26,582 on the petition. *crosses fingers*

Kelly has her 15 month check up today, I'm sure she's doing fine. Everytime we go in for a routine check up, the pediatrician starts his usual talk about how to take care of kids at < insert age of my child > and then stops, having realized that I'm a mom of 5 and have been there and done that. It's actually rather amusing. Kyle on the other hand is not so fine today, I'm not sure what exactly his problem is. No fever, no complaints of pain, just tired and whiney. He's currently asleep in the hallway (which is cute, I need to grab the camera). Zach, Em, and Ally had the day off from school, they've done a pretty good job of entertaining themselves. Greg's upstairs working. At least I assume he's working, the king sized bed in his "office" has a bad habit of calling his name. ;)

Katie at 1:53 PM

Sunday, February 15, 2004

Hmmm... I just realized my PJ pants are inside out. That's probably an omen of some sort.

On tap today: laundry, return some stuff to the mall, JoAnn's for more kitchen chair foam, recover 2 more kitchen chairs, read the Sunday paper.

For some odd reason, Kelly has a complete screaming fit when I sit at the computer (be glad there isn't sound attached to this post). But when I went upstairs to load the dishwasher (out of her sight), she was fine. Holding her doesn't help either, more screaming ensues. It's enough to give a person a complex. Anyway I can't take any more yelling so I'm going to go scrub the kitchen counters or something.

Quote of the Day: "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." -F. Scott Fitzgerald

Katie at 9:10 AM

Saturday, February 14, 2004

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'd like to say I have a nice ode written out to my valentine but it sounds cheesy in my head: he makes me laugh, I like his smile and eyes, he puts up with me when my brain shuts down after 11pm. *shrugs* I have come to realize that romantic words and flowers aren't as important as just being here. (Note: chocolate is still important.)

So to my valentine of 7 years, thanks for being here.
(and making me laugh. and the chocolate.)

Katie at 9:48 AM

Friday, February 13, 2004

I'm skipping this week's The Friday 5 again. Mostly because I'm not superstitious so it would be a pretty boring blog (not that I kid myself that this is exciting anyways). I totally forgot it was Friday the 13th. I've been concentrating more on the fact that's it's Friday (TGIF! lol) and that Greg comes home this evening. :)

Since The Friday 5 thing fell through, I don't have anything else planned for this space. I know I'm a dork because I prepare these things ahead of time. It gives my mind something to do while I wait in the school parking lot or zing down interstate at 75mph.

So some random thoughts:

Life is too short. It's too short not to appreciate just being alive. And Papermate pencils. It's also too short to put up with things that bug me. I don't like baking Christmas cookies so I'm not going to do it. It may be selfish but life is too short to be dealing with a bunch of unimportant stuff that I don't like anyways. It's too short to be miserable about things I can't change. So why not be happy? It's rather Pollyanne-ish of me but why not look for the silver lining? There's nothing to lose and a whole lot to be gained when I find it.

My kids are a bunch of comedians. They crack me up and I love the sound of their laughter mixing with mine. Zach's latest jokes: What do you call something that's half boy and half cow? --A cowboy! Why isn't your nose 12 inches long? --Cause then it would be a foot! *snort* I never said I had a normal sense of humor by the way. Another example: I crawled under the kitchen table to retrieve a cup and when I stood back up, Kelly was crawling under the table too and giggling. She's been walking for months so she thought I was playing a game. Laughing I got back down on the floor and we crawled in circles for awhile, laughing like lunatics. And that's how I wear holes in the knees of my jeans, Greg. hehehehe

Where there's a will there's a way. Live and let live. A eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a little chocolate. Limericks can be funny. Case in point:

There once was a young man from Lyme
Who couldn't get his limericks to rhyme
When asked "Why not?"
It was said that he thought
They were probably too long and badly structured and not at all very funny.
-Author Unknown

From a lot of nothing, you can usually get something. hehe Anyway have a safe and fun Friday the 13th! (and I wish I had a black cat to go spook some people *grins evilly*)

Katie at 12:09 PM

Thursday, February 12, 2004

2 chairs completed (even Scotch Guarded) and all the laundry is done! Do I get a cookie? :)

The before fabric was that yarny 1980's stuff and the dark spots are ground in I-don't-want-to-know-what-food. Fabric on kitchen chairs isn't that bright of an idea in the first place. But I did Scotch Guard the news ones plus I have tons more of that fabric in case I need to replace it again. I'm very happy with the results.

Katie at 10:43 PM

Happy Thursday y'all! (It's Survivor night! *does the Snoopy happy dance*)

I'm determined to have a productive day. I'm going to recover 2 kitchen chairs (finally!), 4 loads of laundry (wash, dry, fold, and put away) and the weekly house blessing (Fly Lady style). For the kids, I have Play-Doh lined up, Shrinky Dinks, Nintendo 64, and if all else fails, a brisk walk around the block and then a Disney movie. Actually the thought of a walk sounds very good anyways. The temp is suppose to hit 40 degrees F, positively balmy! The sun is out and most of the snow had melted. Dare I hope spring is coming soon? :)

Quote of the Day: The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" (I found it!) but "That's funny ..." -Isaac Asimov

Katie at 9:20 AM

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Domestic life cracks me up. This morning we went to Target to buy a new ironing board cover. Woohoo! hehehe

So I'm trying to plan a fun day for the kids. Zach's going to pick the entertainment or craft project to do during Kelly's nap and then Em and Ally decided we should go to the Y's padded room after Kelly's nap. We will probably swing by the library too if I can scrounge up some change for our late fees. It's also a bath night and although that's not exciting to most people, the kids really like it. I always end up soaking wet though.

Quote of the Day: "If you want to be happy, be." -Leo Tolstoy

Katie at 11:16 AM

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Ah... I survived the Valentine making project. It *only* took an hour and a half. I learned that Emily is very into the collage look while Ally is all about "get'em done quick!" Zach likes simple smiley faces with heart stickers as eyes. Anyway they are finished unlike those kitchen chairs that still need recovering.

I'm too frustrated with the general lack of common sense in some parents to write much more. I should probably avoid those forums for awhile. Or maybe I should write a book:

"No, it is not okay to lock your 3 year old in his room at night because you are too lazy to teach him not to leave the house."

"No, it's not a good thing that your 2 year old eats only jarred baby food because you were too lazy to introduce table foods at an earlier age."

"Yes, providing limits, teaching consequences for one's actions, and using discipline are expected of parents. Quit making excuses and do your job."

Who knows, maybe I could be the next Dr. Phil.

Katie at 5:12 PM

They should sell "Motivation" in a bottle. *sigh* Off to help the kids with their Valentines until I'm sick of hearts and glitter. lol

Katie at 1:43 PM

I just wanted to post at midnight. LOL Night all, see you in the morning!

Katie at 12:00 AM

Monday, February 09, 2004

A few updates: I feel 100% better today. It's scary how easily I can get knocked on my butt with a head cold. The party last night went extremely well, the Fates were being very nice. Nothing broken, no spills, and the kids were as polite as little kids are. Whew!!!

Greg's off to Oregon. It was nice having him home for the weekend, Friday cannot get here soon enough.

So today's motto has been: If it's not one thing, it's another. I didn't get much sleep last night (too many dreams, it was like a 6 screen cinema in my head) and the kids were all up shorty after Greg left at 7 this morning. I got the big 3 all off to school without much of a hitch and then Kelly, Kyle and I went grocery shopping. Kyle is becoming very difficult to shop with. That 2 year old kid throwing a royal fit in the grocery store? That's Kyle. He's definitely a big part of my "if it's not one thing, it's another" issue today. And he says "no" to things that he really does want. For example:

"Kyle, do you want apple juice?"
- "No!"
"Fine." I put the apple juice back.
- "No! Apple juice!"
"Okay." I take the apple juice back out of the fridge and begin pouring.
- "No!"
Repeat until Kyle's in tears and I'm frustrated beyond belief.

After picking up all the kids, putting the groceries away, and feeding the kids lunch, I went to turn on the computer. No internet. Hmm... Turn on the TV, no digital cable. Grrr... I called the cable company, dialing 4 or 5 times because of busy signals and finally I was put on hold for about 15 minutes. They did
receive our last payment, they were late crediting the account plus we owed them a trivia amount of money. Whatever... I paid it, they didn't charge any reconnect fees (I would still be on the phone bitching if they tried that), and we have cable again (obviously). I hate Time Warner cable and their stupid monopoly.

Some good news, my pea coat arrived today and it fits perfectly! :) I also received my April issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. *looks confused* Isn't it the second week of February? Anyway I'll wait to read it during a bubble bath after the kids are in bed. (8pm!) This afternoon I need to straighten the house and do 3 or 4 loads of laundry. I bought supplies for the kids to make Valentines for school, we'll probably do that project tomorrow or Wednesday. And I think that's about it. I need to catch up on my reading (blogs and forums) and take it easy so that I don't get sick again. We'll see how that goes...

Katie at 1:02 PM

Sunday, February 08, 2004

I hate being sick. I hate wasting hours in bed and being grumpy when I am awake. I hate the fog that clouds my head and makes me forget things. And most of all, I hate going out when I'm sick. So what am I doing? Getting all the kids ready for my father-in-law's surprise 50th birthday party at his boss's house. Of course I don't want to miss the party, I just hate that I'm sick and this is going to be a lot of work. Cause getting 5 kids ready to be show-off worthy plus watching them once we arrive at the million dollar house (she's the owner of an interior design company) is beyond what my feverish mind can handle at the moment. One step at a time...

Katie at 12:49 PM

Saturday, February 07, 2004

Back to the lighter side of life, Ally lost her first tooth last night. Well Greg pulled it out. It's been very loose for awhile but I was too squeamish to pull it. Em lost "lost" her first tooth about 2 weeks ago. I think she swallowed it at a friend's birthday party. The Tooth Fairy left her $1 anyways.

Greg's home for the weekend. Yippee! :)

That's it from me for now, Kelly wants to play Patty Cake and Kyle wants the Itsy Bitsy Spider again. Fun, fun. Have a good weekend!

Katie at 9:19 AM

Friday, February 06, 2004

Sometimes the vastness of the world's possibilities overwhelms me. Each new generation has more options, more choices, more to accomplish in their short time on Earth. You truly can be whatever you want to be. And once you've done that, you'll probably have years of your life still available to follow another dream. The possibilities seem endless. There are so many chances to learn, to grow, to make the world a better place.

It makes me feel like I'm not doing enough, that I'm not living up to my potential. With modern day conveniences and grocery stores, I can easily prepare a meal in thirty minutes, No longer do I have to slave in the kitchen for hours as women have done in the past. So what am I doing with those precious hours that my 18th century counterpart didn't have? Nothing significant it seems: recovering kitchen chairs, wasting time on the internet, playing PS2 video games with the kids. I feel like I should be out saving the world with my free time. Or at least doing something that will matter in history years from now.

They say that the AIDS epidemic in Africa will be looked upon as the greatest tragedy that our generation did nothing to prevent. Will my future grandchildren read about it in their history books and ask me why I didn't do anything? Like those who lived through the Holocaust and never thought about the people who were being sent to their deaths because they were Jewish? Or saw slavery as the way things were and there wasn't anything to be done to change it even if it was wrong?

I can't say "I didn't know" because I do know. I just don't know what I can do about. I'm not a doctor or a nurse nor do I have the funds or time to travel to Africa. I'm not a politician who could lobby for more foreign aid for these people. I'm not a biological chemist who could create a cure for AIDS or at least affordable medicines. I feel so insignificant, what can I possibly do? Send money? What about all the other worthy causes in the world? Breast cancer research, starving orphans due to war torn countries, it boggles the mind. Here I sit in my nice warm house with all the latest and greatest inventions of the 21st century and I feel guilty. Guilty I spent $25 on scrapbooking paper when a little child in India doesn't have enough food to fill his stomach. Guilty that when I tuck my kids into bed, I don't have to worry about a bomb landing on our house and killing us while we sleep.

I suppose this is why so many of history's great tragedies escape the thoughts of those living through them. They were too busy living their own hectic little lives to notice that the Jewish family down the street was missing. Or today it's easy to avoid the news and not know that hundreds are dying of AIDs in a foreign country while they drive their SUV's through safe neighborhoods to take their healthy children to soccer and ballet practice. The endless options open to us keep us so busy that we don't stop to think about the suffering of other human beings. It's like we've lost our basic connection to each other because we are jaded by the frivolous trappings of modern society. A new house, a new car, lessons to make our children the best, dinner from a drive-thru, a two week vacation at the beach. What will any of that really matter in a hundred years?

I want to be the person who fought for women's right to vote, who hid slaves along the Underground Railroad or helped Jewish people out of Europe. I want to make a difference. I feel like I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. So my goal is to find a way to make a difference. I don't want to do it for publicity or to go down in a history book. I want to do it because it's right. For the simple fact that there should not be people suffering in this world. We have an obligation to help those in need. I truly believe that every little bit of kindness and goodwill does make a difference. I will teach my children to love and not hate, to help and not hinder, to try to understand and not judge. It's a huge task and I hope I can do it.

Quote of the Day: "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." -Mother Theresa

Katie at 12:45 PM

Thursday, February 05, 2004

It just goes to show that most fortune telling is a bunch of bull. From MSN Astrology, my free tarot card reading gave me the following results for today:

Love: The Emperor
Touchstone: The Star
Career: The Chariot

You feel happy in yourself today, Katie, and things are going smoothly on the romantic front under the combined influence of the Star and the Emperor! Fortune smiles on your determination to win someone's love, and their feelings for you may be revealed. You radiate an air of sincerity and confidence that bodes well for mutual respect and calm in your emotional affairs. At work, you'll be happy to tackle anything that needs doing. The Star and the Chariot inspire you with a positive mood where nothing seems too much, and they open all the doors to success for you. You are full of sparkle and very cordial in your relations with your partners and colleagues, and people are really noticing you. This day is ideal for making your hopes and ambitions come true.

Uh huh... About the only thing that might be half way true is that the romantic front (i.e. Greg and me) is fine. But that's probably because he's in Arizona and I'm in Ohio and we can't easily drive each other nuts from that distance.

As for being happy to tackle anything that needs doing *snort* The oven isn't clean, there's a pile of laundry overflowing the basket, and the kitchen chairs haven't been recovered. I did however straighten up the girls' room and take away all their dolls because they haven't been cleaning their room themselves. Mean, mean mommy...

Radiates an air of sincerity and confidence... Full of sparkle and very cordial... Are they talking about me? I can't say I've ever "sparkled" unless it was a bad art accident with a bunch of glitter.

People are really noticing you. That's just because I'm still in my PJs and have 5 snotty, coughing kids.

This day is ideal for making your hopes and ambitions come true. Okay this one may work. But only because my hope and ambition is to make it to bedtime without any serious injuries or the house falling down.

Quote of the Day: "I have seen the future and it is very much like the present - only longer." -Kehlog Albran

Katie at 10:10 AM

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Um, my brain is a little foggy due to a head cold. So instead of a thought provoking essay (hey, Colin Farrell is thought provoking! haha), I found a MeMe Blog Idea to use instead. It's called The Friday Five and here's last Friday's list:

You have just won one million dollars:

1. Who do you call first? Greg

2. What is the first thing you buy for yourself? pratical: pay off all the debts, fun: a nanny and a 3 month tour of Europe

3. What is the first thing you buy for someone else? a BMW for Greg

4. Do you give any away? If yes, to whom? I'd probably give all my family members a thousand each (hey, there won't be much left from the above purchases, haha)

5. Do you invest any? If so, how? Anything leftover would go into a nice mutual fund.

Katie at 1:43 PM

Tuesday, February 03, 2004

LOL It's Hunk Signature Month at SAHP forum so here's mine:

Colin Farrell

My hunk last year was David Boreanaz and Orlando Bloom was already taken this year (no repeats for maximum viewing pleasure, haha). There's probably something to be said about the state of stay at home moms but hey, we're people too. Plus a little eye candy never hurt anyone. ;)

Katie at 7:49 PM

I can't decide what I want to write today.

How I'm an idiot and used the broiler without the drip pan underneath it? (on my to-do list: clean the oven)

Or rant about how I live in the great US of A and can't find the right freakin' alphabet beads after going to 4 stores. (Snapper, you'll be getting an email from me shortly)

Or another idiot moment when I walked out of the post office without any stamps. I went in for a money order for my speeding ticket and then loaded all the kids back into the van and realized I didn't buy stamps. Not wanting to unload everyone again (especially after doing it 4 times for the above mentioned alphabet bead search), I decided to go through the ATM and pay the $1 fee. And the machine was out of stamps. ARGH! I'll try again tomorrow.

The whole world isn't completely against me because a few things have gone in my favor. Namely the washing machine is still working. It didn't want to drain a load on Sunday, Greg fussed with it and it seems to be okay now. And after a scary day with my pea coat eBay purchase, I should be receiving it next week. The seller informed me that she didn't have a PayPal account after I had already paid her through PayPal. So for a while I was worried that my $43 was lost somewhere in cyber space. PayPal was in her auction as a payment option, duh, what was I thinking? I really should remember not to buy from anyone with less than a 10 positive feedback rating. The inexpensive prices aren't worth the extra hassle of dealing with eBay newbies.

Greg's off to Arizona, I think... It's so hard to keep track of where he's going. For example once I asked him how the weather was in Texas and he told me he didn't know, he was in California. Or last month when I was pouting that he was in sunny warm Las Vegas and he was really driving through blizzard-like conditions in Michigan. Right now his travel schedule has him home only 10 days in the whole month of February, 2 of which are over. It's not even that short of a month since it's a Leap Year. This should be an interesting month...

Quote of the Day: "Life is a tale told by an idiot -- full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." -William Shakespeare

Katie at 12:48 PM

Monday, February 02, 2004

Mondays are such fun days. And no, I'm not actually being sarcastic. I like having a fresh new week in my day planner. Plus the kids are at school this morning, a nice break from them driving me nuts at home all weekend (and most of last week due to snow). I like thinking about all the possibilities for my new week, the things I'll accomplish and activities the kids and I will do. None of which will change the world but it's the little things that you have to enjoy in life.

The Superbowl was very exciting once they got past the 1st quarter. Yep, I watched it and Greg didn't (he was still playing with that iPod). The Panthers almost squeaked out the win, I was disappointed when they lost (I tend to root for underdogs, hence I'm a Cub fan, lol). Delhomme is a fun quarterback to watch, very expressive. Too many other QBs just line up, throw the ball, repeat. No emotion, no pizazz. And boy, can that guy throw the ball, wow. I'm looking forward to next season, go Bengals!

Survivor's back! I'm a Survivor freak, it's scary how much I knew about all the characters when they were introduced in the opening credits. I'm thrilled to see them again, they are like long lost friends. I'm rooting for Lex and Rob C (not "Boston Rob", Rob C is Magic 8 ball guy from the Amazon). Rupert will be fun to watch because no one knows anything about him. I was a tad disappointed they voted off Tina, I don't like Jenna's whining and wish she would leave. Tina was the only woman I really liked in the All Stars. And Richard Hatch as the "King", whatever. He's fun to watch though (if he'd keep his dang clothes on) so I hope he sticks around for awhile.

The kids all have coughs, I swear when they all start hacking at the same time, I need earplugs. Kelly's running a bit of a fever this morning, poor baby. She's a snotty mess too. I guess this is what I get since the kids have been relatively germ free since flu season started.

Quote of the Day: "The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser. In case you thought optimism was dead." -Robert Brault

Katie at 10:24 AM

Sunday, February 01, 2004

Happy Birthday to my dear husband Greg!

Katie at 8:50 AM

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