December 31, 2006

Welcome

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December 28, 2006

Baby Boy's 10th B-day


Here he is on his 1st Birthday. My little baby. I'm not going to write out a sappy letter... I'll spare you all the torment (plus I don't feel like crying). I just can't believe that 10 years ago at this very moment my baby boy was just an hour old. Where did the time go? I miss my babies!! I would do anything to go back - just for a few hours or days... or years! Happy Birthday T2, I love you! 10 - Double Digits - I can't believe it.

December 25, 2006

Merry Christmas To All

There is nothing better than a butter rum lifesaver. Yum!
Thanks for sharing Ty! ;o)
Hope you're all having a wonderful day!
~Happy Birthday Jesus!~

December 23, 2006

2 More Days

Well, technically less than that I guess. I can't believe it's almost here.

We just got back from Staples. I got some wrapping paper that they had on sale and some tissue paper. I finally found the dictionary my mom was looking for and also got myself some pens. Very exciting, I know.

The new Ford lot is right beside Staples and Taylor begged to go look around at trucks, so we drove through and let him look. After that we drove through Starbucks. I had to get another Carmel Apple Cider. YUM!! They are so good!

We're back home now. I still have quite a bit of wrapping to do. In the meantime our dogs are out and going crazy over the gifts under the tree. Andy our Yorkie knows exactly which one is his and is trying to get to it. It's really quite comical.
They're worse than the kids. Well, almost.

I guess tomorrow we'll be getting up bright and early to go to church with my parents and afterwards go to Texas Roadhouse for lunch, then come home. For our Christmas Eve dinner, we're just having little snacks. I got a huge box of 32 Hors'dourves (sp?) which include: artichoke crostini, prosciutto crosini and cheese and onion puffs. I also got little weenies to make. Not sure what else we'll have. Probably some different kinds of cheeses and crackers and fresh fruit. We just got a pineapple yesterday and some canteloupe. Nothing real big.

If I don't get back on here for a couple days, I wish all my readers (whoever you are) a very Merry Christmas. I hope you keep safe and have a wonderful time with friends and family during this very special time of celebrating our Savior's birth!

December 21, 2006

Early Christmas Gift And New Home

Yippee for me! I am officially on vacation. I was only suppose to have one daycare kiddo tomorrow and his dad came in at pick-up tonight and told me he'd just keep him home tomorrow. So... that's means I'm off work for the next 11 days. Yay! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself! All that time off to spend with just my own kids... wow, just think of the homeschooling we'll get done!

Not sure if I've mentioned it before, but there is a little village opening up in the next year or so right down the road from me. Now when I say village, I mean THIS. I heard of Simpler Times Village about 3 years ago in a county magazine. I read the article and thought "hmm, what a neat place". I didn't hear anything more for quite awhile until I saw something else about it in another magazine a few months ago. It was then that I strongly started thinking about actually living in such a place. I contacted the people starting the village and sent in my application and then found out just a couple weeks ago that they have in fact bought the land and are ready to get things started to begin their dream of creating the village. I am more than excited. Well, today I got an email from a reporter with our local paper and she wanted to interview me about the Simpler Times Village. So, I called her and we had our little phone interview. I'm not sure when the article will be coming out, but I can't wait to read it. I asked her how she got my name and she said Sarah (the wife of the couple starting this village) gave her my name as someone who was interested in moving there. I'm so happy she did! They did decide on some land a little further than I expected, but it's still pretty close to where I live now. Unfortunately it will be too far for my current daycare families I have now, but sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and jump! And we're looking at another year until things really start moving, so it's not like everything will be happening all at once. We've got plenty of time for planning and praying. I really feel like this is gonna be a great place to live. I'm trying to talk my parents into moving out there too. The good thing about that is that they were looking for a home in that area anyway, since it would be so much closer to my dad's work and our church. I'm really excited about this!! And the awesome thing is that this village will be zoned for home businesses. I've already talked to Sarah about having one of the village stores as my daycare/preschool and she seems to think it would work out ok. I would have the daycare on the bottom storefront floor and then the boys and I would have an apartment upstairs. I would actually be able to leave my job... even if it was just a few steps away, it would still be great to be able to leave the area! The kids and I are already busy thinking up floor plans. I'm sure I'll keep you all updated!

December 20, 2006

It's Getting Close

And I'm still not ready. It seems like Christmas has already happened. I was really in the spirit and all excited but it seems that in the last few days I've lost it. I'm still excited but not like I was. It seems like it's already happened and now it's over. It's so weird. Hopefully once Friday is over and my vacation has started I'll get back in the spirit again.

I had my interview tonight. It went ok. No yay or nay from the parents though. The only thing the mom said was that they'd call the week after New Years and let me know and bring the enrollment fee over then. So, we'll see. I'm not holding my breath cause I didn't get a very clear vibe on what they were thinking. I asked, like I always do, if they needed to give their provider notice and she said she didn't think she had to and there were no rules about it. I kind of got the hint from the phone conversation with mom last week that the current provider doesn't have many rules. I made sure to let them know at the interview that I have quite a few rules (I call them "policies" lol) and that I feel it's better for everyone and lets both parties know where they stand. But that's just me... I'm a "rules" kind of gal. When there are rules, things are much more cut and dry and easier to follow.

Other than that, not much is going on here. I may not have to work Friday. That would be nice. If I do, I'll only have one child so that won't be bad.

I'm going to go relax in my nice clean house... having interviews always make my house a little cleaner. Imagine that! lol

December 18, 2006

Ho Ho Ho Hum

Not much to say... just keeping up with my blog.

I had a pretty easy day. Only 3 kids. Tomorrow however we will have a full load. Only 4 more days and I'm on va ca tion! Yippee! I've made it very clear to my mom that we are not letting ANY sick kids in this week!! I will not spend my vacation sick! No way! I have too many fun things planned.

Last night I went to a Christmas party. They had a white elephant gift exchange. Of course, I went out and bought things instead of just finding old junk around my house. I figured if I didn't want it, why would I expect someone else to take it. Well, I should have just picked one of my own gifts since I bought something nice that I would like if I were to pick the gift... but no, I went and picked another one. Guess what it was... 2 pieces of charcoal... like from a grill. Ok, I'm sorry but that's going a little overboard on the "gag" gifts. The people who brought it said I got it because I was such a bad girl all year... okay? I was a tad irritated, but I laughed it off and just threw it away along with the wrapping paper right after I opened it. Other than that, the food was good and I had a real good time talking with a super cool lady!!

However, the 35 mile drive home in the pouring rain with only my passenger-side wiper working was not such a good time, but we made it. My dad has the day off tomorrow so he's gonna fix it for me.

Well, I don't have that much else to say. Life is busy and yet pretty boring right now. Just waiting for Christmas... waiting is the best part. The day after is such a let down. It just doesn't seem like it's almost Christmas... maybe it's all the warm weather. The season has just flown by! Make sure to enjoy it while it lasts!

December 16, 2006

Almost Done

I have almost all my shopping done. I still have a few more things to get, things I could have probably gotten today. It's not that I'm slow, it's that I always wait for last minute things until the last minute. It's fun that way! I like to prolong the Christmas experience ok. All the places I went looked busy on the outside but were fairly easy to get through and check out of, once you were on the inside. I took my mom and kids, but did my shopping by myself... it was nice for a change and I got ALOT done in very little time. I'm fast like that.

I got ANOTHER call for daycare yesterday. A 2 yr old little girl. The parents are suppose to come for an interview this Wednesday. I'm pretty sure we're going to have to get licensed again... calls are just pouring in. Thank you Lord for all the new kiddos! We sure need them! Now to just find room. Or another house/building and we'd be set! We're thinking of re-doing the garage into a preschool room and keeping the daycare room we have now as the infant room or my mom suggested that we build a seperate building around the back of our house. I'm not sure about that... I don't think we could get zoning for it, but it's a great thought. All I know is that after this dry spell, getting all these calls is so nice! I really thought this might be my last year for daycare. I guess God has other plans.

December 14, 2006

I'm Ready For One

December 12, 2006

2 Down 3 To Go

This is going to be a busy week. I have extra kids coming. PTL - more money for Christmas! Today we had 2 extra. It was busy!! Hard work, but fun! I love when I have older kids and we can actually read stories, do crafts and color. Today we cut, colored and glued a picture of a star and baby Jesus in the manger. I'll have to come up with more ideas for us for the rest of the week.

I got a lot of Christmas shopping done tonight. I'm so excited! Now for the part I really do not like... wrapping.

December 11, 2006

Is This Fair?

I have been trying very hard to keep up with my blog daily (and doing a good job if I may say so myself!). I have family members who shall remain nameless who visit here often. I may even have some friends who visit too... however, these people don't blog, therefore I don't get a chance to click my mouse and get into their lives. I don't get the pleasure of knowing what's going on each day in their neck of the woods. I ask you, is this fair? I think not. I think some people (and you know who you are) should get to bloggin! And step on it! Or I may do something drastic and move to a blog where you'll never ever find me. I'll change the names to protect the innocent (ha) and share all my exciting news with strangers. And that wouldn't be fun now, would it?!

Anyhoo... on with my day... Does anyone else have boys around the ages of 9-12? Can you tell me why they feel the need to knock on things. I am so sick of hearing knocking noise that I'm about ready to ask someone to knock me out! Everything they walk by has to be knocked on. Walls, counter tops, doors, desks, tables, etc. If it can be knocked on, it is knocked on. And it's driving me crazy. Mainly during the day when I'm working, cause I'm always thinking it's a parent at my front door. Then I go to the door and there's no one there. And it's just plain annoying!

So, to keep up with the knocking, here's a knock knock joke for ya:
Knock Knock.
Who's There?
Isaac.
Isaac Who?
Isaac of Knocking Noises!

December 10, 2006

We're Watching...

Santa Baby on ABC Family.

We didn't do much today... didn't go to church because they only had morning church and then their Christmas dinner afterwards. So we stayed home and had a family day. We watched a very good PBS special about Jesus, read some Christmas books and made lunch. Tonight we went out looking at Christmas lights and then had our promised McDonald's. We asked my parents if they wanted to go downtown Indy to the 'Circle of Lights' but they were going to their friends' church and out with them afterwards. Maybe another night. We may try to go to the Pacers game this Wednesday. They're playing Detroit... my old team. There are so many things to do around Indy right now it's hard to pick!

Well, I'm getting off here so I can enjoy my movie... Have a great new week!

December 9, 2006

Avoid These At The Grocery Store

Do not buy any foods or groceries containing the following ingredients:
* Sodium nitrite (meats)
* Monosodium glutamate (soups)
* Aspartame (diet soda)
* Yeast extract (snacks)
* Hydrogenated oils
* High-fructose corn syrup

(From Dr. Mercola's Website)

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So today we were up pretty early. Taylor had his basketball sign-up and evaluation thing at 10am. He did really well and everyone there was SO nice!! It sounds like such a good program. It's call 'Upward', you may have heard of it. Anyway, this year for the games, they are going to shut the lights off, get the spot light out and announce the players just like they do at real games. I think the kids are really gonna like that, I know Taylor will! I guess they also provide a dinner/snack for the kids on nights they have practice so the parents don't have to worry about feeding them before and they have a concession stand during games and everything they offer is free. It only cost $40, not bad at all! We also got our schedule today, so that was nice. They only have games on Saturdays and my dad works every Saturday so I was a little bummed about that because he won't be able to come to all his games. However, there is a "Grandparents Day" in February, so I'll see if he can take that day off and go. I'm sure he will. I was very impressed with the whole program and all the people were so nice. I think this will be a great experience for Taylor.

Today is Chloe's birthday. She is 3. We decided to take her to Petco because they had Santa there today and you could get your dog's picture taken with him. So when the boys and I got back from basketball sign-ups, we grabbed Chloe and my mom and went. Well, the picture was extremely expensive and Chloe was very scared so I decided not to have it done. We even took her little Santa hat for her to wear, but she was just too nervous. So, we walked around the store and picked a new collar out for her and then went to the bulk doggie treats and stocked up on a bunch of different goodies. They were only $3.99 a pound. What a good deal! We'll have to go there more often. While we were in line, we met "Trina", another little Shihtzu. She was only 6 months old. Her owner was so nice. She was older and you could tell she just treated her little puppy like a queen. She was asking me questions about Chloe and I was asking her questions about Trina and when I asked her what kind of brush she used, she grabbed her purse and took it out and showed me. Now that is a committed dog owner... one who carries her dog's brush around. LOL It was cute. We tried to get the dogs to interact with each other but neither were interested. Chloe was just not happy about being in the store so we left. A dog rescue group was there and had cages with adoptable dogs down the center isle. I knew better, but I had to look. I walked down that isle and was in tears by the time we got to the end. I'm sure people thought I was crazy, but I just felt so bad for those poor little guys. Here we were, taking our dog out shopping for her birthday and those poor little things were caged and looking for good homes. It was sad!! I just LOVE dogs and I'm a total animal lover so things like that just get to me more than normal people I guess. I would have brought them all home if I could have. Although I overheard one of the women who ran the rescue talking to someone about how so many of the dogs were actually getting adopted today, so that made me feel better. Plus, they were all medium to large sized dogs and we really have no room for a big dog. I'll tell ya what though, if they would have had some small dogs, we probably would have ended up with a new addition to our family today. Cause I'm a sucker like that!

After that we ran through Wendy's and headed home. We need to run up to the library in a little while and maybe to the video store. I want to rent Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth". Other than that, hopefully we can just stay in and relax. I may do some Christmas shopping online tonight. I've still got quite a bit to do. Only 16 more days!

December 8, 2006

Giving Providers A Bad Name

Day care provider charged in girl's death
By Anne Jungen - La Crosse Tribune

Authorities said the Onalaska, Wis. , home day care where a 15-month-old girl strangled in a playpen Friday evening was strewn with trash, liquor bottles and hazards for children, including a butcher knife within reach on a counter top and an open bleach container in the bathroom.The day care provider, 45-year-old Karen Peterson, was legally drunk that evening despite having seven children — one more than she was licensed for — still in her home."(Peterson) said she had a couple drinks, but it was Friday so she was trying to relax," according to the criminal complaint filed in La Crosse County Circuit Court.Peterson, of 718 Vilas St. in Onalaska, was charged Tuesday with felony child neglect causing death.Peterson told Onalaska police Sophia Mason was fussing, so she put her down for a nap between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. in a basement bedroom playpen, away from six other children in her care, according to the criminal complaint.When she checked between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m., Peterson said, she found the girl not breathing, with her head and arms outside the playpen and neck pressed against the side, according to the complaint.A plastic baby gate atop the pen was wedged against the child's upper shoulders and neck, according to the complaint. Peterson told police she did not know how the gate ended up on the playpen, and no adults or children had been downstairs since she took Mason there for her nap.Peterson said she carried the child upstairs, started CPR and called for help.Officers found a weeping Peterson and six other children, ages 2 to 7, standing around Mason's body. The girl had no pulse and was not breathing, according to the complaint.She was pronounced dead at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center .Cause of death was "positional asphyxiation due to crib entrapment," according to La Crosse County Medical Examiner John Steers.Peterson had a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content at 7:32 p.m. Friday and admitted she had been drinking, according to the complaint, though "she immediately said that had nothing to do with the incident with the child."The level was preliminary, Onalaska Police Chief Randy Williams said at a news conference Tuesday, and results of a legal blood draw are expected within 30 days.The lower level of Peterson's home was "very messy, with stacks and piles of clothes on most of the furniture," officers reported in the complaint. Small flies flew out of a half-empty beer can, they reported, and several empty bottles, a half-drained bottle of vodka and a moldy glass were elsewhere downstairs.The bedroom where the girl had been had empty vodka bottles and glasses as well, according to the complaint.Police found an open bleach container, four razors, household cleaner and a pill of some type in the bathroom. Counters in the kitchen were covered with dirty dishes, food and a bottle of cleaner, according to the complaint, and garbage littered the floor. A butcher knife had been left hanging over a counter's edge, easily within a child's reach, the complaint stated.Family Resources Executive Director Jodi Widuch confirmed Peterson was a certified child care provider. Widuch declined to release specifics about Peterson's file, but said it had no indications her certificate had ever been revoked or suspended.Public defender Katherine Schnell said in court Peterson has been a day care provider for 10 years.Peterson was certified to provide care in her home for up to six children — three younger than 7 and three older than 7 — so she had one more child than permitted Friday.Widuch said homes are inspected initially and for re-certification every two years. In addition, at least one unannounced visit is made between re-certifications. She declined to say when Peterson's home last was inspected."We rely on information from the community to know we need to stop and do a check," Widuch said. "There are regulations in place, but parents have a role in this."Williams also encouraged parents to extensively research child care providers, including inspecting the home.Circuit Judge Roger LeGrand converted Peterson's $100,000 cash bond to a $100,000 signature bond Tuesday and she was released from the La Crosse County Jail. A preliminary hearing was set for 11 a.m. Dec. 13.
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Here's the link to the complaint: click here

December 7, 2006

Thursday

Today was our last homeschooling co-op for the day. It was sad but nice at the same time. I am Indiana History-ed out! I know enough about our state now and I'm ready to move on. And moving on I am... in February we go back and I have taken the position of "Geography teacher". I'm actually more excited about that cause I know a little more about it. Plus, we're going over all that here at home right now and for my youngest, it will just be review and he can go to class with a sense of security that he knows exactly what we'll be talking about. It was always nice when I was in school to have studied ahead and actually know what the teacher was talking about the next day. It's called being prepared. OH, but do not let me fool you, those prepared days were very much few and far between. I would do things so much differently if I could go back to school. Of course I'd be considered a total nerd now, but nerds are great! I want to marry one!

Speaking of nerds... my dad is a dork. He went out and got my mom a new laptop for Christmas today. Just a few minutes ago my kids were all excited about something going on upstairs, so I went up to check things out and what do I find... My mom sitting on her bed with her new laptop. I looked at my dad and just shook my head. Then I said "18 MORE DAYS DAD!!! You only had to wait 18 MORE DAYS!!" We are horrible about waiting around here. I have already given my kids a couple of their gifts, and almost gave my mom one of hers yesterday when I got it in the mail. I bought her a bunch of stuff from the Paula Dean webstore (cause she really likes her). I got her a tee shirt, a pen and the special Christmas issue magazine. I almost gave her the magazine yesterday. Well, I thought she probably could use the recipes now, before Christmas. Oh well I guess I can wait. It's so hard though. I just want to start showing my kids what I got them NOW! I'm so excited!

Taylor (my youngest) is starting basketball practice this Saturday! I'm so excited! I really wanted him to play baseball this past summer (cause he's played for the last 4 years), but he didn't want to... so I was SO hoping that another sport would spark his interest and thanks to his little best friend Isaac, it did. I guess their games don't start until January, but they have to go to "try outs" this Saturday. It will be fun going to games again. I guess in this league they don't even keep score during games and it's all about the kids having fun. Sounds great to me!!

My best friend just gave her daycare provider her 2 week notice today. PTL!! I'm so happy she's getting her daugher out of this woman's care! It's not that she's abusing the kids (at least not by "legal" standards), but as a provider myself, I feel she has no business doing daycare! I may write more about her in another post but for now I'm just so angry that I don't want to get into it.

On a happier note... it's almost Friday!! Yippeeee! I'm ready for a break! Plus I really need to get crackin on getting the rest of my Christmas shopping done! It will be here before you know it! I can't believe this year is almost over!

December 6, 2006

So Sad!

Missing Man's Body Found

This just breaks my heart! Those poor people!
Can you just imagine what he was thinking towards
the end, knowing he'd never see his family again?
God Bless Mrs. Kim and her dear daughters.

December 5, 2006

yada yada yada

I'm only updating to be polite.
When I go through my usual daily reads, I feel this odd sense of excitment everytime a blogger has a new post. So, because I want all my readers to feel that same tingley way, here's my post for the day.

Where to start...

My dog is/was suppose to get groomed tomorrow, but I read on another blog, (the sister of the groomer's) that my groomer had an appendectomy early this morning. So, I guess Mr. Andy will stay hairy for another few days, or maybe weeks. I kind of was expecting a phone call though, telling me not to come. Maybe I'll get one later? I'm glad I was reading that blog. I would have hated to get all ready, get my dog ready and go out into the freezing cold for nothing. Geesh how dare her do this when my dog needs a haircut. JUST KIDDING!! Seriously, I hope she's ok and I hope she can make a speedy recovery so she'll be all better by Christmas!

I started a new daycare girl, YES, that's right... it's a GIRL... in this daycare of all boys, a girl has joined us. Though only temporarily. She'll probably only be here until the end of the year - which is just a couple more weeks. Oh well, it's extra money I wouldn't have had. She's really good. Her mom and aunt said she was a wild child.... naaaa, she's not! She's really cute and very well behaved actually. I looked at her today and thought maybe I could actually have a daughter someday.

I had 3 extra kids yesterday and then was very busy today with all my kids plus the new little girl and they all decided at 2:00 it was time to get up from nap. Let me tell you that made for a very long afternoon. Glad I got my Y&R watching in!! *wink* (that was just for my special friend... you know who you are!!) Anyway, tomorrow I'll only have 3 and that will be a nice break!

Ok, that's all I got for now... Plus I promised my youngest I would watch "Santa Clause Is Coming To Town" so I better go. Have a great night!

December 4, 2006

How One Tradition Got Started

I left my children's father in the summer of 1996. I had a 2.5 year old and I was 3 months pregnant. I moved to a state where I knew no one but my parents. Those first few months were hard. I felt pretty alone at times. I was also dirt poor. I had tons of bills to pay off while at the same time I was trying to make a new start for my son and I, and my unborn baby. We didn't have much to do back then. I was trying to find a job and didn't have any friends close by, so T1 and I would spend Friday nights walking around Walmart for hours on end, just to get out of the house. We never bought anything we didn't need, although I always made sure he got some little toy or new sippy cup. On Sunday nights after church T1 like to go to "Donald's" (Mc Donald's). He would ask almost weekly. We went a least once a month but often times it was just him who got to enjoy eating the fries we so dearly loved while I only got to enjoy the smell. Yes, we were that poor. Sure I could have asked my parents for a couple bucks so I could have had some fries too, but they were helping me so much I didn't feel like I could ask for another dime. Most of the time I was searching for change just to get T1 his fries. During the Christmas season T1 loved to look at Christmas lights. We would drive all around with our fries and look at lights. (Gas wasn't quite as expensive then.) We would drive all over our small town, just him and I. We also had an old Christmas tape of songs I had recorded off some of my parent's old Christmas albums. We would play that tape over and over. I remember a newer subdivision that we would drive through to see the lights. Everyone seemed to catch the Christmas spirit early in that subdivision and always had their houses so nicely decorated. I remember thinking to myself during one of our drives around this subdivision that I would love to live in this neighborhood but then in my next thought thinking that at that point I would have been happy just to be able to have enough money to buy McDonald's every once in awhile. Well, in 2000 I started my own business and was making pretty good money, not great but good enough to buy both my sons and myself fries anytime we wanted. In the summer of that same year we moved into the subdivision I had dreamed of living in all those lonely nights. We still drive around and look at lights and this year will be our 10th year of this tradition. Somehow in the last few years we've added hot chocolate to the mix. We have to have it while looking at the lights at least a couple times. And always on Christmas Eve! We usually go to the Christmas Eve service at church and then get our hot chocolate and hit the streets looking at lights and listening to our old tape of Christmas music. To me, it's better than any big fancy Christmas party. I hope that years from now we'll still be driving around with our hot cocoa looking at lights together. I think back to how lonely I was and how driving around was all we had to do, and I'm sure at the time I would have rather been doing anything but that, and probably felt a little sorry for myself at times. I think I even cried a few tears during those drives around town. Today however, I look back at my new little family and how even during those hard times we were still able to making something so wonderful out of something not so great, something money couldn't buy... we were making traditions. And those are priceless! I can't wait to rev up the old Christmas tape, grab some hot chocolate and drive around our subdivision. Maybe we'll even add some "Donald's" fries in this year.

December 3, 2006

Randomness

~ I did NOT want to get up to go to church today, but I did, and I even went twice.

~ I did not get breakfast this morning because when I went through the drive thru at McDonald's and asked if they had muffins, they told me they did, so I ordered one, but what I got was a PLAIN ENGLISH MUFFIN. And it cost 75 cents. I was referring to something more like a blueberry muffin, or apple cinnamon muffin... I did not say ENGLISH muffin! That's not a MUFFIN... it's bread! With little crevices in it for the butter to melt into. Oh, but I wouldn't know about that because mine came plain, without butter. Just a dry, hard, un-tasteful english muffin. Now you may scream "YUCK"! You may even puke a little in your mouth if you'd like.

~ I did not eat that nasty "muffin", so I had nothing to eat until 1:00 pm.

~ I had Applebees. The riblet basket. And I have been sick ever since.

~ My kids and I went to the mall this afternoon. Old Navy has some very good deals right now. Go there.

~After you're done at Old Navy, stop into Bath & Body Works and grab some 'Wickedly Hot Chocolate' body lotion. Go home and enjoy!!

~ I got my mom 2 more Christmas gifts today.

~The Colts lost, in a very close game. And there is nothing like watching a close game with strangers in the middle of the mall. Try it some time.


~ I have my own secret (well, not now) name for when I go into Starbucks and order (you know for when they make you give them your name and then call it out)... it's 'Cocoa' or 'Coco' (depending on how they spell it on my cup). Feel free to start calling me that if you'd like.

~ I did not have to use that name today because I went through the drive thru.

~ Can we say "YUM YUM YUMMY"!?! Have you tried the new Carmel Apple Cider? Holy Goodness! It's like biting into the bestest yummiest carmel apple you've ever had. Again, YUM! Go get one. Now!

~ We went to McDonald's on our way home. A different one. Miles away from the other one. I wanted to ask them if they knew what a muffin was but I think I should just drop it. Don't you? It was irritating at the time, but it's time to get over it. Wouldn't you agree?

December 1, 2006

Yippe Skippy

...It's Friday, YAY!

As I type, my little baby puppy Chloe is wrapped up in a fuzzy warm Elmo blanket laying on the couch asleep. She had a rough morning. Yep, the poor thing had to go to the groomers. Poor thing, HA! I am the poor thing who had to pay out 45 bucks! It's my fault though for letting her go so long. So, she's cold (cause she's bare) and tired (cause that's a lot of work for a little pup). I'm sure she'll be spending the next few night sleeping with me, so we can make sure she stays warm. I think tonight we're going to go get her a sweater and new collar anyway so hopefully she won't freeze too much when she goes outside. Next Wednesday is Andy's turn with the groomer. I hope he can keep a little more hair.

Speaking of freezing... yikes, we are having 40-50 mile an hour winds and our temps are in the 30's. BUT, we don't have snow so I'm not complaining. And we have electricity! I'm very thankful for that!! One of my daycare moms came in this morning and said they had been without theirs since 5 am. I sure hope it's back on by the time they get home.

OH! I was sitting here on the computer last night, just reading through my email, nothing big, and I got an idea for a business my mom and I could start. I don't want to really get into everything yet since it's still very much in the planning stages, but I'm real excited about it. We've agreed to continue doing daycare and try to get this off the ground too, then my mom may just continue the daycare and I may end up doing this other business alone. We'll see. The only think I can say is that I've done some research, looked through all our phone books in the area and there are not many of these businesses around. I think I have a name (or two): "PA Associates" or maybe "PA Management". If you can guess what kind of business it may be by that, let me know.