Ignorance is bliss.

 The other day I went over to my parent's house. My dad was out and I was just hanging out with my mom. After watching an hour of a show about strange diseases (at an abnormally loud volume), I had a headache and decided to use my laptop. While surfing the web, I used Skype to call my husband to make sure he threw dinner in the oven. Well, I guess my mic wasn't working right because my husband just kept saying, "Hello, are you there? I don't think your mic is working." Thanks babe! So, he started to tell me how to fix it... unsuccessfully. My mom looked over at me with a confused look on her face. Me: "What's wrong, Mom?" Mom: "How is that computer talking to you?"  Of course I have to laugh at her. Me: "It isn't talking to me. I am on a phone call with Jason over the internet." Mom: "Is it a video?" Again... laughing at her! "Nope, it isn't a video. It is just like a phone call but the laptop takes the place of the receiver." She was so confused. "How does the internet know that you needed to talk to Jason?" <sigh> I had to end the call. It was too much for her.

I got the golden ticket!!!!

  I feel very unlucky. It seems like every time something good happens, several bad things are always on the horizon. I try not to let it get me down... but sometimes my happiness it thwarted by unfortunate circumstances. When is my luck going to improve? Will it? Maybe I should start buying lottery tickets? Can you be unlucky and still win? I may have to try it once or twice. Even if I win a dollar, it will make me feel like my losing streak has come to an end.
 As I am typing this out, it has made me realize where I have gone wrong. My glass is half empty! I need to have a half full glass. I have a great husband. I have four healthy and happy (at least most of the time) kids. There are so many people in this world that could only dream of having a happy marriage..... or at the very least a legally recognized marriage! Many people cannot have kids and envy the fact that I could easily have 4.  Material wealth aside, I am rich. That lottery ticket is not sounding like such a bad idea right now. Maybe I am not so unlucky after all.....

I think we're alone now.... doesn't seem to be anyone around.

  Today, I had a really crappy day at work. So did most of my co-workers... and my husband..... and my daughter! What the hell is in the air today?! I didn't want to bring my bad mood home so I did what any self-respecting woman would do. I turned on my 80's channel on Pandora and listened to some awesome music. Miraculously, my bad mood has disappeared and I am now happily dancing and singing. Thank you Pandora!

My back is going to thank me.

  I am kind of excited. For the first time in a few years, I am going to have insurance. It is not the best insurance.... but it is better than nothing. That is the good part. The bad part is that half of my paycheck every week is going to the insurance! Hopefully we can afford it, haha!!!! My family will have chiropractic which is especially nice since my back went out a couple days ago. No prescription, vision or dental but I guess you gotta start small?

Hangin' Tough for 9 more days.....

   Jason and I are going to see the Backstreet Boys and the New Kids on the Block with Matthew Morrison (Mr. Shue on Glee) as the opener. I am actually getting a little excited... not only for the concert but to spend time with my husband. We don't get to spend a lot of time without the kids, so something like this is definitely going to be fun.
  Honestly, I want to see the New Kids dance. I wasn't a fan when I was younger but I still can't wait to see it in person. LOL! This is just a preview of what we are going to see...... I know you're jealous!!!

Everybody poops.

  My 15 year old daughter told me that she needed a T-Dap immunization before the end of the school year. The paperwork I got from the school said that you couldn't register for next year unless you had the immunization.... which means that I had a few months until I had to take her in. Regardless, three days before school got out, Alexis was FREAKING OUT and insisted on getting the shot NOW. I called Kaiser and they told me that they were only going to be giving the shot one day that week... the day before school got out. I was going to be working extra hours that day and then I had to be at work at 4am the next day (which means early bedtime for me!). I really didn't want to drag everyone down to the doctor's office because I was extremely exhausted but Alexis continued to freak out, so I took her.
 While sitting in the waiting room, the little kids are playing with the toys and having a blast. Maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all! WRONG! Dylan very loudly tells me he needs to poop. Another mom laughed.... I turned red. I leave Alexis in the waiting room and take the 2 little ones to the restroom. We occupy the handicapped stall and as I am helping Dylan sit on the toilet (he was a little too short to reach by himself), Gracie is laying on the floor trying to look under the other stall. OMG, how embarrassing! I pick her up and hold her in my arms. Then, another person came into the stall next to ours. Dylan starts grunting very loudly. Seriously kid?! The lady in the next stall starts pooping too, haha. As soon as Gracie hears the lady's plop and water splash, she starts yelling, "Ewww..... stinky poo-poo! That yucky. Wanna see yucky poo-poo." She starts squirming to get out of my arms so she can look under the stall! I was sooooooooo embarrassed. I couldn't get her to be quiet. Why are my kids so loud at the most inconvenient times?! Thankfully, the lady found some humor in the situation because she was laughing. After we were done in the restroom, we came back to the waiting room and I was getting ready to tell Alexis what had happened when Gracie decided to be loud again. "Ewww! That smelly poo-poo, Lexie! Lady went poo-poo!" Oh dear God!!!
  The nurse calls Alexis back to get her shot. We get in there and the nurse tells me that Alexis has already had the T-dap but she needed 3 other shots. WHAT?! She didn't need the freaking shot???? All of this embarrassment for no reason?! The nurse asked if we wanted to do the other shots that day. Alexis said no..... I said, HELL YES! Twenty minutes later, we were walking out and Alexis had 3 hot pink band-aids on her arms. Nice. Then, Gracie started screaming that she wasn't going home because she wants to stay and play. I had to take her out of Kaiser kicking and screaming. I was so exhausted that we picked up dinner on the way home and I was in bed an hour later. Next time, I am getting a babysitter for any dr's appointments.

60 hour work weeks suck!

   I have had a hard time blogging lately! I guess I just haven't had anything blog-worthy. I didn't want to just write something just because... I wanted it to be something that was important to me. Well, I am tired of waiting for something GREAT to happen. I am just going to write about nothing important.
  My job has changed. I am still working for the same company but I changed my position. My new job is not very hard or challenging. I am hoping it is just a stepping stone because after a month and a half, I am already bored. Plus, I have to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn and I am having a really hard time adjusting to the schedule! Once I get off work, I am extremely tired. Three o'clock is a really bad time for me, haha.
  We are getting Dylan ready for kindergarten. I am sad and excited. He can't wait to go to school and is asking every day when he gets to go. Telling a 5 year old that he has to wait for a few months is not easy. He doesn't understand why he can't go tomorrow! I think when he actually goes to school, it will be the hardest on Gracie. She is going to be losing her best friend. She will be lost for a little while but I'm sure once she gets used to it, she will be okay.
  Jason's new job is going.... and that is the nicest thing I can say about it. I really appreciate the hell that he is going through at this place so that he can support his family. It makes me feel bad knowing that he has to go through so much freaking stress. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a better option for him.
  My mom has been getting stronger every day. After she fell in November, I thought she would enver walk again. I am happy to say that not only is she walking, but she is gaining weight also. The MS is controlling so much of her, but I still get glimpses of the mom that I remember. Most of the time, she is not really there.... but when she is, it is awesome. One day she was so punchy. She was making jokes and laughing (mostly at me, haha). I haven't seen that side of her for almost 10 years. It was a nice reminder of the way she used to be. I really miss having a mom that I can talk to or hang out with. The good thing about her being sick is that I have gotten extremely close to my dad. I consider him one of my close friends. I love that I can call up my dad when I am having a problem and he just listens. He doesn't offer unsolicited advice. When I ask for his advice, he is always so wise. I am lucky to have him.
  I guess my life lately has been busy..... but not exciting busy. We have the life of a working family trying to have enough time for each other. Tiring work days and spending time with 4 kids does not help to cultivate a relationship. We just have to make the most of the little time we have together.

I Can't Get No Satisfaction.......

  The title sucked you in... didn't it?! Well, get your mind out of the gutter, haha!!! I was actually talking about my job. I love 95% of the people I work with. I like parts of my job (other parts are really annoying and brainless). It is close to my home and the hours don't bother me. The company is paying me, so that makes me happy. But.......... my job doesn't bring me any joy. I have no passion for what I am doing. I am just collecting a paycheck and it makes me sad. My job doesn't change lives or help people in any way. I really want to do something that is going to change the world or at least help one person. Working in retail is leaving me feeling empty. The biggest concern that most customers at my store have is how are they going to get the biggest discount and "Can I use my coupon?" It frustrates me. There is more severe problems than your useless coupon in this world! UGH!
  I would love to volunteer with at-risk LGBT teens, the HRC, an abused women's shelter, a surrogacy agency or pregnant teens. That would make me feel much more fulfilled. If I could get paid to work at one of those types of places, that would be my ideal job. Why can't I find a paying job doing something that helps people? Am I going to be stuck feeling unfulfilled at work until my kids are older and I have time to volunteer? I want to LOVE my job AND help make a difference. Is that too much to ask for? The once a year volunteering at the Food Bank is not enough for me. That just makes me realize that my job is not cutting it for me. Hence... I can't get noooo, sat-is-faction.

Skating on the edge of everyone's normalcy

 This has been a weird, crazy week! My husband started his new job this week. It is strange not having him home. I miss him already. He has been home for a few years (working at home and on unemployment) so the house has been totally turned around. His brother has been coming over and babysitting the little ones. He hasn't run out of the house screaming yet so that is a good sign! He got over here early this morning and he was asleep on the couch and I totally forgot that Jason was at work... Jonathan was snoring and he sounded exactly like Jason. Kinda creepy. I know that Jason and Jonathan kinda look alike but I never thought that their snores would sound alike! LOL.
 I really depended on Jason a lot when I was at work. He took such great care of the kids and did everything that needed to be done around the house.... grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry. Yep, great catch! I hope his work appreciates the sacrifices I am making by letting him come there 5 days a week. I just wish that one of us could get paid to stay at home and play with the kids. That would be ideal.
 ** I had to take a quick break because Gracie threw a temper-tantrum because I wouldn't let her wear my lipstick. When did she turn into a girl??**
 This morning, while listening to Jonathan snore, I realized that I was really bored. I needed someone to talk to. So, I logged back in my old twitter account. I didn't have anyone to talk to, but I felt like I was talking to someone so it satisfied me. For some reason, Facebook is not as much fun as it used to be.
 Oh, I almost forgot about my roller skates!!!! I found my old Skecher roller skates in the garage!!!! I am going to pack a pillow in my jeans and try to get out and skate tomorrow. Hopefully I don't kill myself or anyone else in the process. I'll update tomorrow and let everyone know what happened. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Sushi and Cupcakes!!!!!!

 As I sit here typing this out, I can barely move! We have had a day full of fun and food. Since it is Alexis and Gracie's birthday, we have had too much fun. We went to downtown HB and got cupcakes from Lil Red's. We have not eaten the cupcakes yet, but they look wonderful. We did buy a cake pop for each of us and those were really good!!!! Then, we went to Downtown Disney to visit Build-A-Bear. Gracie made a Hello Kitty (yep, that was my influence on the kid) and Dylan made a dinosaur. They had so much fun. I couldn't stop Jason from buying a HUGE bag of caramel kettle corn. I can't believe how much of it I ate. Good thing I wore my big jeans, haha!
 Alexis had her choice of dinner since it is her birthday and she chose sushi. Good choice, my dear! Since the little kids are not fans of sushi, they got chocolate chip pancakes. We tried a place that is right across the street from our place, Sushi Ya. It was so good. If you are in the area, try it! You will not be disappointed.
 This Saturday, I took a vacation day so I can take Alexis out shopping. Yeah, I am not really looking forward to that. I am not a fan of shopping but like most 15 year old girls, she is a huge shopping fan, haha. I may need some positive thoughts that day!

**** Edit!!!****  We just started eating the cupcakes and they are SOOOOOOOO good! I ate half of the Bananas Foster and the Salted Caramel. Two thumbs up for Lil Red's.

 I smushed the marble cupcake on the left. OOPS!

Being hungry is no joke.

 I have had an interesting week. Most of it is work drama and I am not going there! Every year, the stores in Orange County volunteer their time at the Second Harvest Food Bank. I really didn't want to go because, frankly, taking 3 hours out of my work day means that my paycheck is going to be smaller than normal and we need the cash! I picked up a few extra hours so that I could feel better about volunteering my time and went with my co-workers. I am so glad I did. Not only did I have a blast goofing around with my Macy's peeps but it was good to get out and do something that can really make a difference in someone else's life. Second Harvest feeds over 200,000 people every month! That number astounded me. That is a lot of people that need food. Sadly, in Orange County, over 600,000 people need food. I could have never guessed that there were that many people in Orange County that are going hungry. Seniors make up about 50% of those in need. So scary because most of those people are not able to just go out and get a job because of their age. They are on extremely fixed incomes and most of the income is probably spent on a place to live. I hope to never end up in a position like that... but with the economy the way it has been I don't think that it is too far from any one's reach. Second Harvest is tirelessly working to reach everyone that needs them. I am defintely going to volunteer again and donate food. I want them to reach their goal!!!!
  Visit the Second Harvest web site and see what you can do to help-  http://www.feedingoc.org/

Addicted to crack-cakes.

 March 29th is a big day in my house.... my daughters' birthdays! I think that I deserve a medal for giving birth to two girls (natural childbirth for both, go me!) on the same day twelve years apart. It was a really cool thing.... until Gracie's first birthday. I realized that 12 years apart is too big of a gap for them to have fun doing something together for their birthday. Whatever is going to be fun for Lexie (shopping!) is not fun for Gracie (shopping with a 2 year old, no thanks). So.... I decided that we will celebrate separately this year. I'm not sure what we are doing for either one of them, but as long as we do something with them, it will be good. Lexie has requested cupcakes for her birthday. She is a girl after my own heart! I am a ridiculous fan of Sprinkles. They make me so wondrously happy. I asked Lex if she would be willing to try a new cupcake place and she was cool with that. So, now the question remains....... what place should we try? What if we try it and it isn't as good as Sprinkles? A few people have said to try Crumbs... and that sounds like a great idea if I want to drive to Hollywood. I am definitely considering it. I have been looking at reviews of cupcakeries for the better part of the day and there are a ton of places to choose from.... but it seems like a lot of them are hit or miss. Since we still have some time to decide, if you have any suggestions, let me know! These cupcake connoisseurs need to branch out and try some new crack-cakes.

Long hair does not hide your baldness.

 The reality show "Sister Wives" is back for a second season. I watched the first season and loved to hate it. The husband, Cody, I really didn't care for. When he was on, I would catch myself rolling my eyes incessently. Simply, he annoyed me. His long hair (which was not covering the fact that he had thinning hair) had me shaking my head. His voice grated on my nerves. His goofiness left me wondering what any woman would see in him. How can this man lead his family through the trials and tribulations that reality stardom can bring? I don't think he can. "Behind every great man is a greater woman." This man has 4 great women behind him. His wives are articulate, smart and sensible women. In the Bible it says that the man should be the leader of his household, but we all know that most husbands would be lost without their wives, haha. I don't think that Cody could even function without a wife. Maybe it takes 4 wives to keep his goofy hair under control, lol. On the next show, they are going to talk about the repercussions from coming out as polygamists. I think that private lives should be just that... private. Do I care that they have a plural marriage? No. I really would only care if I had to personally take care of them financially. Then, I would have a problem with the amount of kids that this guy is fathering. If they are self-sufficient, let them do what they want. Even though I am annoyed by Cody, I don't think the law should interfere with his family. I wouldn't want to have a plural marriage (one husband is enough for me!) but consenting adults should be able to make decisions about their lives. Of course, I don't agree with anyone marrying children or animals or corpses, duh! Two consenting adults is the key. I don't care if they are a man and woman, two men, two women, many spouses. Seriously, what they want to do in the bedroom does not concern me! As long as they take care of any kids they have and are productive members of society... live how you want people!
  If any of Cody's wives ever happen to read this... please encourage him to cut his hair. It is really bugging me!!!!!!!!

My victory rolls are not very victorious.....

  I have been trying to get my hair up in victory rolls for a LONG time. My hair has other ideas. No matter how much product I use it does not want to look good! I have watched endless videos on it and still have not been successful. I have decided that fake rolls (ie, combs that poof out my hair and make it look like something is rolled in there, haha) is as close as I am going to get. So, I guess I will just continue to be a billy poser with fake rolls. Okay.... back to the bassy, zombie-loving rockabilly that I love!!!!!

Half of 70.

   I used to feel so young.... then I turned 35. I lost a very close friend and I wish I could get our friendship back. Gravity is always going to hold a special place in my life. Gravity used to be kind to me, but now he (it HAS to be a he!) has abandoned me. I found a white (not gray) hair. I tried to rationalize, "It looks kinda blonde," but I knew the truth. I am starting to look older.
The music IS loud now. I don't leave to go out after 10pm because it's TOO late. The clubs are FULL of hoochies. No amount of alcohol can make me dance (I am sure you ALL appreciate that, haha). When I go to a bar, I like to sit with my drink at the bar. Make friends with the bartender. You know, socialize! I like to go where everybody knows my name and they are always glad you came. {I have to take a little break to go listen to the Cheers theme song....... ok, I'm back and I feel a little happier now!} Does all of that make me old? Probably, but I don't care.
  No matter how many people think I am still in my 20's, it doesn't change the fact that I am getting older. I mean, seriously, what SHOULD a 35 year old woman look like? A co-worker told me the other day that she thought I looked about thirty. She said someone told her I was 25 and she told them I look older than that. LOL. I love her for that!!!!

TRH, the King and Queen of the Nerds

 My husband and I are total nerds. I think it embarrasses the kids but that makes it worth every second. Take tonight for example...... my husband is humming TV theme songs and I am trying to guess what series it is from. Definitely nerdy, but it makes us laugh. We like to chat on IM while sitting next to each other. The teens shake their heads and walk away while Jason and I continue our conversation. We watch movies and have to stop in the middle to find out who that one actor is. I know that one bugs the kids, haha. Even though we are nerdy, we are fun to be around. Jason and I don't get bored very easy. I think that is a great quality to have. Having fun no matter where you are is not something that everyone can do. Thankfully, we found each other and we can flourish in our nerdiness together. The little things are what makes a relationship solid- and we have a lot of little things!!!

BTW... my husband is making strange noises with a toothbrush in his mouth. LOL..... like I said, it's the little things.

Blame it on the alcohol....

 I really wanted to blog tonight... but I got nothing, man! My brain is fried.... and, sadly, it is just work and home stress that has killed it.

*BTW.... if you didn't watch tonight's episode of Glee you won't understand the title. If you don't watch Glee, I'm sorry that you haven't had the pleasure.

I just found this on Perez Hilton this morning and had to include it with my post. It was too awesome... great song, great singing.... loved it!

My motto for today? MONDAYS SUCK!

 I woke up this morning feeling really groggy and nauseous. When I left my house, I told my husband that I was going to come home early because I really was not feeling good. I walked into the office and saw my manager sitting there looking like death was at his doorstep. He has had the flu for a week and looks like he is nowhere near better. He told me that he was going home.... which means that I am by myself until 5. That means no lunch break until the bank deposit is picked up. Damn. They are always late on Mondays. Guess I have to work through my sick feeling because there is no way I can leave. Long story short- I never got to take lunch and I still feel nasty. Hopefully my delicious breakfast for dinner makes me feel much better.

Facebook makes me a horrible friend.

 Have you noticed that everyone is on Facebook? I was talking to a friend at work last night about a relative that she lost contact with. She was saying that she really wanted to reconnect but didn't have the money to hire a PI. My suggestion- look him up on Facebook. It is amazing to me that you can find almost everyone that you have ever met in you life on Facebook! Haven't seen someone in 20 years? Look them up on Facebook!!! You will find out too much info about them, haha. The other night, I found a Sunday school teacher that I had in elementary school! She had pics of her kids and grandkids. She is probably still teaching Sunday school.
 A lot of people seem to forget that real people are reading your updates. I have a guy that I knew in high school that I am FB friends with. One day at the mall, I saw him shopping with his family. Did I walk up and say hi or talk to him about that new restaurant that they went to the night before? Hell no! This guy is pretty much a stranger to me- except on FB. Then, there is the TMI friends. Why do I want to know about your perfect spouse, kids, job, life? Nobody has a perfect life.... get real. Or, the friend that is going through a divorce and looking for anybody to agree with the crazy ramblings about there stupid soon-to-be ex. On Facebook, you can talk to someone about their life..... but not have a personal relationship with them. That can be good and bad. It is good because you can still be at home with your family, yet talking to your friends at the same time. Doing that means that you don't have to take the time to let your friends know that they warrant your precious time. So, to all my friends that I never see..... I am sorry. I am going to give you my precious time because you are important to me. So, send me a message on FB and I will plan a date with you!

Emotional affairs are so emotional.

 On all of my days off from work, I go over to my parents' house. My mom is disabled and my dad needs a break once or twice a week. When I get there, he is normally only gone for a couple hours but my mom and I always do the same thing..... watch TV. She used to watch Discovery Health which would drive me insane. I would leave there thinking I was going to die from some rare disease that doctors wouldn't be able to diagnose. Not that I am a hypochondriac but after an hour or two of hearing all that stuff, it would get to me. Lately, my mom has found a new channel... OWN. If you have been living under a rock and don't know what OWN is.... it is the Oprah Winfrey Network.  When I went over there and saw the channel for the first time, I audibly groaned. After watching it a few times, I actually started to enjoy it. Actually, I really enjoy watching Dr. Phil.... except for today. His show was about emotional affairs. What the hell is an emotional affair? Well, after watching the show, I still don't have a clear answer. A woman (who was clearly dysfunctional, but whatever) was deemed an "emotional cheater" by the good Dr. Phil. She was not having sex with these men that she was cheating with... but she was having intimate meetings and conversations with men that are not her husband. Let me expand on these seedy liaisons that she was having. She takes her daughter to school everyday and sees a man there (no explanation, but I assume he was taking his kid to school also). They would lock eyes every day. After months of looking at each other, one day she walked up to him and said something that completely shocked me.... hi. Yeah, that little 2 letter word that is dripping with sexual connotations. Wow, she is clearly a cheater. Then, another affair happened. She hugged a man that was not her husband!!!! Seriously, in some countries she would be stoned for that. Now, I understand that cheating is not about the sex..... but that is a big part of what makes it cheating. Dr. Phil thinks that if you are having a "relationship" with someone other than your spouse it will lead to cheating. Not necessarily. If you are keeping parts of it secret then he thinks you are definitely an emotional cheater. Why does everything have to have a label attached to it? An emotional cheater? I think that you should just admit that you are in a lull in your marriage and either try to fix it or else go your separate ways. Don't go accusing someone of cheating! She hugged a man and looked at another one... well, I have done that MANY times. Does that make me a cheater? Not in my eyes, nor my husband's. I believe I am a cheater when I have an real relationship with another man. If my husband hugged another woman, I wouldn't think of it as an affair. Maybe I just haven't had an affair worthy hug? Is it different that other hugs? Anyway, I think that every relationship has its own boundaries. My husband knows where I draw the line... and vice versa. He knows that I am not going to go into a jealous rage if he talks to another woman. I have to trust that he will not disrespect me or our relationship. Without trust, you get emotional affairs and trips to see Dr. Phil. BTW, I am not bashing Dr. Phil.... I love him even though I think I can do as good a job as he does!