And just like that

It seems like just yesterday I was writing my post about Abby's fifth birthday. But, it wasn't - it was exactly one year ago today! How the heck is that even possible? My baby is SIX! SIX years old! Where have the years gone? I remember snuggling that precious newborn baby in my arms six years ago. How is it that I now have this not-so-little 6-year-old girl? Oddly, this isn't as emotional as last year was. Perhaps it's because kindergarten has passed and now she's heading to first grade. There's something about that kindergarten milestone that just gets a mother really deep.

It is late and I am tired. So, I'm going to wrap this up so I can get some sleep. I just didn't want today to go by without me saying something.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my precious, sweet, wonderful Abigail! I love you!

An Amazing Letter

I saw this posted on Vox by Ashbylane, who said I could repost here. This is very well said, and so right on the money.

A 53-year-old woman by the name of Janet Contreras wrote this letter. It's long, but worth reading!

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AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR NATION'S LEADERSHIP:

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why ‑‑ what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band‑Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when hewill rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Friend Makin' Monday: I Love Summer

It's that time again! Time for FMM! :-) I missed last week, but I'm back today. And what a good time to get back into it. This week's task is to share 10 things you love about summer!

1. Warm weather.
2. Summer rain. I love the rain - especially in the summer. It's so refreshing and I love to get wet in it! LOL
3. Wearing tank tops.
4. Being able to go out of the house without a coat or jacket.
5. Going to the swimming pool.
6. Green - grass, leaves on trees, etc.
7. S'mores.
8. No snow.
9. Going for ice cream.
10. Wearing flip-flops.

So, how about you? What are your favorite things about summer? Please leave me a comment so I can check out your post, too! :-)

I'm Not Procrastinating - I Swear!

There are so many things I need to do - for myself - that just don't get done. It took me months to make a dentist appointment, and eye-doctor appointment, among other things. I'd been wanting to do it for months, but just didn't. And it wasn't for lack of wanting to. It's because sometimes I want to make an appointment and not have to bring the kids - especially for things like a lady's annual exam. The kids should not have to witness that! Yes, I could conceivably make an appointment for the eye doctor and most of my other appointments and take the kids. But, half the time, half of what I wanted to talk about gets forgotten because I have to keep the kids from destroying the room! There are a few appointments to which I refuse to take my children:

• The aforementioned pap. Need I say more?
• The chiropractor. It's kinda hard to keep them under control while someone's manipulating your spine!
• Hair appointments. There's no way to keep them occupied - especially not when I'm getting highlighting done. It's not fair to anyone.
• Massages and other spa-type things. How relaxing can it be with the kids around?

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that come to mind. I take my kids to see my PCP, because there's no pap-like stuff going on. I take them to the dentist, as they actually are able to help occupy them. I took them to my allergist appointment, where there (thankfully) were age-appropriate toys. There are very few things I do - or places I go - that don't occur without the children. Ask any stay-at-home mom, and you'll likely hear something similar.

So, where is this coming from? Well, the biggest problem I have is scheduling. My husband's schedule is one that is not friendly to me. Any appointments I have to make more than a couple of weeks in advance almost always need to be rescheduled because of some conflict with his work. It's because of this .. uncertainty ... that I take months to actually make most appointments. When things finally get to where I can't put it off anymore, I schedule. Prime examples:

• I finally saw the eye doctor when I ran out of contact lenses.
• Tooth pain has led to my scheduling a dentist appointment.
• Needing a prescription refill led to my scheduling my annual.

That last - the dreaded annual - has been problematic. Because I waited too long to schedule, I had to wait two extra months for an appointment - which meant it was scheduled for April. But, my husband was gone for the month of April - because of work - so I had to reschedule. That meant another two months to wait. My appointment is within the next week or so, and suddenly my husband has a problem. How dare I schedule it for a Monday, when he has work stuff. Firstly, I told him back in April when it was scheduled for. Why didn't he say something then? I mean, really? I would've been annoyed, but much less so than I am now. Heck, now, I'm pissed. I will not bring these kids to my pap. No way in hell. He suggested I ask the neighbor to look after our kids - um, no. I don't want to do that to her. Her kid is going to summer school, so it's not like they'd have her to play with. I don't have much of a support system here, so I really have no one I can ask for help. This means I likely will have to wait another TWO months for my annual. At this point, I just want to get it over and done with!

Book Review: Body of Knowledge

Body of Knowledge by Bryce Anderson

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I purchased it directly from the author after not winning a Firstreads copy. The description on the back of the book made me curious. So, I decided to give it a try. It held my interest and was very thought-provoking. Toward the end, I found myself wanting to read faster so I could find out how it all ends. I do wonder why the author wrote it in the first-person using his own name as the main character. Is he trying to say he had met someone like JP once? I have no way of knowing, of course, but I definitely think it adds some intrigue.

So, why not six stars? Well, for one, while I really enjoyed it, it didn't exactly knock my socks off either. Plus, there were a LOT of editing errors that I just can't get past. The main - and most frustrating to me (a former editor) - was confusion of its/its'/it's. There were also some spots where I felt some rearranging of a few paragraphs would've made it flow better.

Overall, it was an enjoyable book that I am glad to have read. Anyone who wishes to read it can sign up here to win a FREE copy on goodreads!

View all my reviews.

Book Review: Something Blue

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a good follow-up to Something Borrowed, but not quite as good. I would like to do 3.5 stars, but Goodreads still doesn't allow for it. So, I rounded down. Usually I round up, but I had given Something Borrowed 4 stars, and didn't feel it was right to give this book the same rating, as I felt it was not at the same level.

For one thing, it was way too predictable. For one, I knew with whom she was going to end up before even reading the book. I also knew she wasn't right in her "instinctive" feelings about her baby's gender. And there were other things I saw coming, too. I didn't get surprised by this book the way I'd gotten surprised by Something Borrowed.

Another thing is I wasn't a fan of Darcy. I hated her in Something Borrowed and wasn't too keen on "hearing" her side of the story. I knew it'd be skewed and totally infuriating. I found myself wanting to slap her. (I'm not fond of having main characters that are not likable.) Although, by the end of the story I was rooting for her.

I will say the birth scene was very touching. I was near tears as I read that part of the birth. Perhaps it reminded me of my own birth stories, or perhaps it's just a mother understanding what another mother feels/thinks. Whatever it is, I had happy tears welling up as I share that experience with Darcy.

Overall, I did like the book, but I'd actually have preferred a sequel that was about Rachel. I loved Rachel, and I'd love to see more from her.

View all my reviews.

Book Review: Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received this book through the firstreads program, and am so glad I did. It was an enjoyable read with a plot that kept me reading. After really getting into it, I found myself not wanting to stop because I wanted to see how it all turned out.

Emily Giffin's characters were people I found myself having great interest in - even minor characters, like Hillary. There were definitely individuals I preferred to others. I found myself siding with Rachel, despite my disgust at her behavior, and hating Darcy. Perhaps it's because I found myself identifying with Rachel.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It's a perfect light, summer read!

View all my reviews.

Book Review: Avempartha

Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan

rating: 5 of 5 stars
After reading The Crown Conspiracy, I was excitedly waiting for the release of Avempartha. I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. It was very good, and I found myself stealing away from a weekend visiting family to read more! I enjoyed the further development of some of the characters from the first book, as well as meeting many new characters.

I have to say, about Royce, I knew it! I suspected from about halfway through The Crown Conspiracy, and was glad to find out I was correct! If you wanna know what I'm talking about, read both books! ;-)

As for Hadrian, I have some theories about him after having read Avempartha. I am hoping I'll get confirmation one way or the other in the next book, which I believe is Nyphron Rising.

I am keeping this pretty vague to keep from spoiling this - or the previous book - for anyone who wants to read it. I HIGHLY recommend both books, and cannot wait until the next is released! I have to also say that Michael J. Sullivan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I cannot wait to see what else he has in store!

View all my reviews.

Friend Makin' Monday ~ Better Late than Never

I almost forgot this week! For those who aren't familiar, this is a fun thing created by Kasey over at All That Is Good. For the basic Friend Makin' Monday rules, read here.

This week's object: Copy and paste these questions to your blog and give them your own answers.

You wouldn't be caught dead where? In any reptile house anywhere. Ever.

Do you have any hidden talents? Not really.

What are two things you consider yourself to be very good at? I hate to admit this, but video games is the first thing that comes to mind. As for something else, I'm getting hung up on the word "very" here. There are plenty of things I'm just good at. But very good is another story.

What are two things you consider yourself to be very bad at? Cooking, lying.

Have you ever won a trophy? I don't think so, but I have MANY ribbons (with medals) from competitions with my violin and/or orchestra.

What is one thing not many people know about you? I played the violin from 4th through 9th grades. I quit because I developed tendinitis in my left wrist. I went from that to choir. Oh, and even lesser-known is that I played the clarinet for two years - 4th and 5th grades. I quit in the 6th grade because I wanted to be a crossing guard.

What is your earliest memory? I honestly don't remember a lot from my childhood. However, I do remember the layout of the apartment I lived in when I was 2 until I was 4.

What was your favorite musical group in jr. high? I'm thinking New Kids on the Block, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

What was something the worst roommate you ever had did? I was lucky - never really had a bad roommate.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A lawyer, like my great-grandfather.

What was your worst dating experience? Dating a pathological liar in high school.

If you were about to die what would your last meal be? Alaskan king crab legs. Not sure what else. And not entirely sure what dessert would be - too many choices! LOL

Who is the most important person in you life? My husband.

If your house was on fire, what 3 things would you grab on your way out? Assuming the people and pets were safe, I'd grab my laptop (assuming DH grabs his own), our wedding album, and our back-up external hard drive.

Now it's your turn! Don't forget to share your post! :-)

Book Review: The Einstein Syndrome

The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late by Thomas Sowell

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I recently read Late-Talking Children, also by Thomas Sowell, because of concerns I have regarding my own son. I could say much the same for this book as I had for that one. It's pretty much further discussion - with information from more study and more sources - of the same concept, except now it has a name: the Einstein Syndrome. I do not think it's necessary for someone to read both books as this one reiterates a lot of what is in Late-Talking Children. This is why I gave this book four stars, as it didn't offer much new information - just expanded on what was in the previous one. There's nothing wrong with that - I just wasn't blown away with this as I had been with the other. I suspect that if I'd read this one first, I would have given it five stars for the same reason I gave Late-Talking Children five stars. That said, this book did help strengthen my resolve to protect my son. I do NOT think anything is wrong with him. I think that he's just developing verbal skills on his own timetable - after honing many of his more advanced skills.

View all my reviews.

Book Review: Late-Talking Children

Late-Talking Children by Thomas Sowell

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a very good book. Very good. My 3.5-year-old son is currently undergoing tests and speech therapy for a perceived speech delay. He is most certainly an intelligent boy: can read short words, knows upper- and lowercase letters, recognizes numbers, has an amazing memory, etc. He also is social - plays with his sisters and cousins and familiar friends - while also reserved and shy. So, when the people at the school district mentioned a possible label of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), or PDD (Pervasive Development Disorder), I wasn't so sure. I had no peace - ZERO. But, I also saw why they would think that. Interestingly, our pediatrician has maintained that he believes NOTHING is wrong with my son - except perhaps a minor speech delay. He has encouraged us to get a second opinion, which we are in about 6 weeks. This book was discovered at a truly perfect time for me. I was in serious confusion and frustration and almost despair.

In reading this book, some of the children described sound almost exactly like my son. It's uncanny, and probably not just a mere coincidence. Especially when looking at the family trends. We have pilots, scientists, musicians, engineers, etc. in our family - as many of the children in this study. Again, I don't think it's just a coincidence. And, really, I've often wondered whether there's truly something wrong or if his being so smart also means he operates a bit differently. Not incorrectly - just not the same as most children. This book reminded me of my initial thoughts, and gave me some hope. In the absence of some serious confirmation, I will not allow anyone to put any autism-related labels on him. I don't think they fit. I am much, much more confident in my son and his abilities than I was before. I'm reminded of what he is, and not what he isn't. Although, ironically, I am shows what he is AND what he isn't at the same time.

We will go through with our planned evaluation, but keep an open mind. Up next for me to read is the follow-up book, The Einstein Syndrome, after which I am going to schedule a meeting with our pediatrician to discuss these with him. Anyway, I am grateful for this book and look forward to reading the next. It has been an invaluable resource!

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Book Review: Gold of Kings

Gold of Kings: A Novel by Davis Bunn

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I didn't expect to hate it, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it like I did.

I really liked the protagonists - Harry, Storm, and Emma. Although, Emma was my least favorite of the three. Something about her just wasn't quite right. And I found the relationship between Harry and Emma a bit hard to swallow. Something about it just didn't seem right to me. But, I'm able to overlook that. The story itself was well-written and very engaging. I especially liked that there were some occurrences I didn't see coming. It's great when a book surprises me and I can't necessarily see what's coming.

Gold of Kings was an engaging, fun, and suspenseful story. I had fun reading it, and will be looking for more books by Davis Bunn.

View all my reviews.

Friend Makin' Monday

It's that time again! While I've fallen behind on almost all other aspects of my goals with my blog, I have managed to remember Friend Makin' Monday! That's just how much I enjoy it, I guess! LOL Kasey over at All That Is Good made the theme for this the five senses. List five things for each of the five senses - for you love, and one you don't. So, here are mine:

Sight
Love:
1. My husband. He's a hottie, if I don't say so myself! ;-) (The fact that we haven't seen each other since April 2 probably has nothing to do with this being the first thing to come to mind! LOL)
2. Beautiful sunsets.
3. My kids' smiling faces.
4. Purple. In case you couldn't tell, it's my favorite color!
Don't:
1. Snakes. I'm pretty sure it's a bona fide phobia. I can't even handle things that resemble snakes or could (out of the corner of my eye, perhaps) be mistaken for one! Example: I wouldn't let my husband purchase a green or black garden hose!

Smell
Love:
1. Lilacs. They are by far my favorite flower, because of their beautiful scent.
2. My husband. I just love his scent.
3. Rain in the spring - especially right before the rain starts to fall.
4. Baking bread.
Don't:
1. Vomit. I'll take the nastiest stinky diapers any day. Just don't make me handle vomit - I'll just add to it!

Touch
Love:
1. Zeus, my gray cat. His fur is the softest fur I've ever felt on a REAL cat.
2. My husband's freshly shaved face.
3. Hugs from my kids.
4. Massage. LOVE it!
Don't:
1. Raw meat.

Taste
Like:
1. Chocolate and peanut butter. Especially Hershey's or Nestle Crunch dipped in Jif!
2. White cake batter.
3. Sharp cheddar cheese. I have no idea why, but I LOVE it. Can't get enough!
4. Alaskan king crab legs. I don't get them very often at all, but I SAVOR them when I do!
Don't:
1. There are so many, many things I don't like. I'm picky - and it sucks. Top of the list: tomatoes - they make me gag!

Sound
Like:
1. Thunder.
2. My children's laughter.
3. Music. I like a wide, wide range. From classical to Christian rock and everything in between. Current favorites include Skillet, Jars of Clay, Swan Lake, and Evanescence. I'm also a HUGE fan of movie soundtracks, such as Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, and other such theatrical scores!
4. Cats purring.
Don't:
1. My kids crying or whining.

This list was actually hard for me to come up with. It required me to actually THINK about this, rather than just noting it when I come across it! LOL But, it's fun! So, please, share yours! I can't wait to see what your list is! :-)

The End is Near

No, I'm not getting cryptic or preachy! LOL I'm just excited. We're in the home stretch - the last week of DH's time away! Saturday cannot come soon enough, let me tell you! I'm exhausted. Worn out to the bone - of course, Natalie not sleeping well last night doesn't help any. I am so ready for someone else to entertain the kids. So ready for some help around the house. And, most importantly, so ready to have HIM home again! Lord, make this week FLY by, PLEASE! Of course, I'd like to get the house cleaned up - a LOT before his return - and the kids are grumbling about that. Did I expect anything different? No, not really! LOL

I'm hoping that once he's back, I'll be able to get back into the blog-improvement challenge, of which I'd spoken before. I'm also hoping to get some much-needed rest. But, he'll be tired, too. So, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. C'mon Saturday! Get here FAST!

My Review of PREMIUM - PREMIX

SKECHERS

Remake your look with the sporty SKECHERS Premium-Premix sneaker. Smooth leather upper in a slip on casual sneaker style, with stitching and logo detail, stretch front panel. Cushioned insole, traction outsole, 1 1/2 inch heel.

PREMIUM - PREMIX

Comfy and durable

ham1299 Illinois 4/25/2009

 

4 5

Sizing: Feels true to size

Width: Feels true to width

Pros: Stylish, Attractive Design, Great Cushioning, Comfortable

Best Uses: Casual Wear

Describe Yourself: Comfort Driven

View On Shoes: Shoes are for Wearing

I love these shoes. they're comfortable and quick to put on. I wear these whenever I need something other than slip-ons or sandals.

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Friend Makin' Monday

Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites! is hosting FMM this week, and she chose a GOOD topic!

Who are your top 5 celebrity crushes? I am so glad I didn't miss this week! LMAO Here's my list, in no particular order.

1. Johnny Depp ~ Need I say more?


2. James Marsden ~ The role I discovered him in is Prince Edward in Enchanted. He is quite yummy!


3. Matt Damon ~ Especially in the Jason Bourne movies! YUMMY!


4. Sawyer ~ It's sad. I don't know the actor's name. Josh Holloway? Is that it? Or something like that? Poor guy'll probably never be known - at least not by the ladies - as anything other than Sawyer! LOL But, hey, is that really such a bad thing?


5. Aragorn ~ I know the dude who plays him is Viggo Mortensen. The role of Aragorn is the only one in which I find him HOT. But, I'll take it. Each of those movies in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is quite long - more time to enjoy some eye candy! ;-)

Those are mine - at least for now. Only the first three are pretty consistently on my list. The last two are interchangeable with other actors. But, this is my list this time! LOL

So, what about you? Who are your top 5 celebrity crushes? I showed you mine - now it's your turn to show me yours! ;-) (Don't forget to post a link so I know to come check it out!)

Book Review: Inkdeath

Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this final book in the Inkheart trilogy. I felt the conclusion was satisfactory. There were some twists and turns I hadn't expected, and I felt sufficient closure was given to each character of importance. I loved how Meggie's fate was hinted at. I also thought the further development of Mo, Resa, and even Fenoglio was a lot of fun to watch.

I am keeping this extremely general, as I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. I didn't find this as awesome as the other two, but perhaps that's in part because I wasn't able to read it without distraction. It's really difficult to get fully captivated by a book when you're not able to shut out the world around you.

View all my reviews.

It's Hump Day Again ...

Well, for me it is! As of now, DH has 15 days until his return. We're smack-dab in the middle of his deployment. Going away last week was the best thing I could've done. It really helped the time fly by. With appointments and soccer practices and school, this week flew by, too. Two weeks from tomorrow, he'll be home. I cannot wait!

I will admit it - this (so far, at least) - seems to be a bit easier than the past times were. Perhaps it's because the kids are older - or because I've had more practice. I dunno. But, it's not a matter of creating a new routine, only of falling into an established alternate routine. I used to be in awe of military wives, who do this regularly. I still am - but now I'm more grateful that I'm NOT a military wife. At least my husband never has to go if he doesn't choose to. As a civilian, he can turn down deployments at any point - heck, he could even leave mid-deployment if he ever needed to. And, at least I know he's safe. He's never going into harm's way. I am grateful for that, too. And, yes, that alone leaves me in awe of military wives, as does the fact that my husband's deployment is much shorter than a typical military deployment.

Anyway, I just wanted to celebrate - it's all downhill from here, right? ;-) These next two weeks cannot pass quickly enough. Although, I do think they will fly by. We have a soccer game - complete with team photos - tomorrow, plus her practices on Mondays and Wednesdays and more games for the next few Saturdays. We have Abby's carnival at school on Friday. Grant has another appointment with the speech therapist. And so on. We'll keep busy, and that's good. It's how I have found it's best to pass the time until DH's return. Once he is back, I wanna just slow down - for a long time!

Well, thanks for bearing with me as I mark what is an important day for me. Now I just pray my adrenaline rush lasts another 15 days - or so!

Scrollin' Scrollin' Scrollin'

Keep those badges scrollin'
Scroll on!

OK, enough silliness! LOL Thanks to Heidi from Sacred and Profane, I found a way to keep my badges from making my page longer than the Mississippi River. Over on the right, I have a new little widget that scrolls my badges in a smaller area than displaying them all statically. Heidi kindly pointed me to Dinkypops, where Brooke was kind enough to post the code for anyone who is interested in saving some space on their page. So, if you fit into that category, just check out the post on how to scroll your buttons!

Do you like lists?

Lists can be useful, for so many reasons. And I'm not just talking about the to-do lists. Or the honey-do lists, either! ;-) I know when I'm trying to decide on something, there are time when others' rankings of whatever it is - let's say what new TV show to watch - help me make my choice. Or, sometimes, it's just fun to see what others think of various things. Yes, I know, I'm writing somewhat vaguely. Sorry. I'm not trying to confuse, bore, or annoy anyone. I want to share The Mother of All Lists with you. There are more than 600 lists on just about any topic! (I am honored to say that my list of Top 10 Kids' Shows has made it onto this list.) Anyway, even if you don't need a list right now for anything, take a look. Bookmark this list, as there'll be a day when you do need it!