Random Crap

So ... let's see ... what else is really new?

Bucket cut her hair the other day. A couple days after I got my hair cut. ... (Did I mention? I got my hair cut. It's shorter than I've ever had it before. I like it. I got the kids' approval before I went out and did it. I asked Michael if he cared. He doesn't. He likes me regardless of what my hair looks like. Bless the man. ^_^)
Here it is:

(Featuring my awesome Hello Kitty barrette ... which is, like, a DECADE OLD. Oy.)

So then Mom and I took her to get her hair fixed. All in all, her self-inflicted haircut could have been MUCH worse. She cut the hair on one side of her head. So she had ... chin-length bangs on ONE SIDE. I tried to even up the other side. ... I called Michael and talked it over with him. Let him get a look at her and all. Then we went to Precision Cuts and she got the "Young Dakota Fanning" bob. It's cute. It's different. She looks older and younger all at the same time.

Well, I've been all hormonal and having insomnia ... And having crazy dreams.

In the last one, one of my friends lost her (currently-in-utero) baby AND her mom died. On her mom's birthday.

Now, I've been a little worried for this friend. It isn't her first miscarriage. So I've been praying. And the kids are praying (though I haven't told them WHY. They just ask for a blessing for their Auntie [since I have a dearth of biological siblings, I just adopt my besties ^_^] in their nightly prayers.), too.

I knew that her mom couldn't have just died. Since her birthday already had passed. Phew. (Thank you, Facebook, for posting people's birthdays. Phew!)

And it looks like Michael will have to take that HUGE test again. Ugh.
I've cried about it already. And I think I can handle it.
(Though I am still praying and praying and praying and hoping and praying that some mistake was made and that these Standardized Test groups involved will find that some mistake was made [wrong answer key, perhaps?] and that he really DID pass and life will be good. He'll get a [MUCH DESERVED] raise and we can progress with our life. Instead of having to push his career plans back a year. *sigh* *looks up and fans eyes*)
It's just (more than) a little frustrating. 

I know it's stupid to whine about it ... but ... we pay our tithing. We work at following the commandments. Overall, we're decent people.

There must be something, SOMETHING BIG, that we're/I'm supposed to learn from this situation.
Hopefully, I figure out what the heck it is ... and LEARN IT. FAST.

She's still cute. And she's seeming to enjoy it ... Even though we CONSTANTLY remind her that if she wants a hair cut to TELL US and NOT DO IT HERSELF!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!one!

I would report on what BOTH of the kids did in their Sunday School class last Sunday ... but I've somehow lost Bucket's paper!! *GASP!!*

Crappit .... I've just looked EVERYWHERE and I can't find it!!! D:

Well ... (I hope it turns up) ... The kids' lesson was obviously on "I can do many things." And they each got a notecard that listed what they can do. Bucket's answers included (but there were MORE!) "I can lay on the floor and take a nap." and "I can feed Diana-cat." and things like that. ... I have to find that card. It's driving me crazy!!

Bruise's answers cracked me up:

• Play with robots.
• Play with Star Wars Legos.
• Play Star Wars game on the DPS.

(It's a Nintendo DS ... not a DPS. I think he got DVD, GPS, and Nintendo DS mixed up. Which makes sense going with how he refers to Star Wars characters: Dark Aver [Darth Vader], C330 [C-3PO], DR2 [R2-D2], and Bo Fett-Fett [Boba Fett].)

Of course, his sister calls the remote the "MA-rote," which is composed completely of pure adorablenessessence.

I managed to make it through this month without the return of the nasty allergies-turning-into-sinitus AGAIN. Yay for me, remembering to take allergy pills.

(I also managed to get, via a sweet Facebook link, a FREE Neti Pot. Which I am determined to try to use sometime this weekend. Wish me luck that I don't trigger my gag reflex or anything!)

We are taking a little break from the Oz books (Frank L. Baum. We've read though to "The Emerald City of Oz" ... which is where HE originally stopped the series. Then started up again.) and have been reading Roald Dahl to the kids. So far, we've done "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "Esio Trot." ... We'll read "The Twits" and "The Magic Finger" next. Then we'll figure out where to go from there. Maybe "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle." Or Grimm's Fairy Tales or something like that. ... So many options. So little time ...

Yeah ... what else is there?  Um ... not a whole lot that I can think of. Sorry. I'm kinda boring and/or forgetful.

Reasons I love my family ...

As Michael and I were heading to bed, our conversation turned to where he was singing a modified version of "You Are Sixteen, Going on Seventeen" from The Sound of Music.

(Also, it's a running joke between us that he has no heart. Seriously, he NEVER cries. Or gets insanely angry or throws tantrums [like yours truly]. ... Really. I've seen him cry ONCE. In a DECADE. I've seen him get very upset [as angry as he gets] MAYBE twice. In a DECADE.)

I remarked that he's really destroying his cred by singing from a Broadway musical.
He countered that he wasn't.

"What are you saying about Broadway musicals, then? They're totally full of heart and emotion!"
"But," he rebuffed, "The Sound of Music is not a musical. It has JULIE ANDREWS in it. Therefore, it is A WORK OF ART."

THAT, right there, people ... THAT is why I keep falling in love all over again with this man. ^_^

--------------

This morning, Bruise TOTALLY cracked me up.

He came to me, wearing his Jedi robe ... and I have to share the second one first. Just bear with me.

Bruise: (in Jedi robes, bearing a green light saber) Dis is wike YODA.
(And he's right! Yoda has a green light saber and wears a Jedi robe.)

The FIRST one --- are you prepared for this??

Bruise: (a minute earlier. In the Jedi robe and holding his red light saber)
             "Dis is wike Down Koo-koo."

I had to think about it for a sec ... "down koo-koo ... down koo-koo" ....

Then it hit me.

COUNT DOOKU.

(Who does bear a red light saber while wearing the Jedi robes. See??)



Oh. My. HECK ... I have the best family EVER.

"Down Koo-koo." *snickers*

My Own IMMD

I don't know if you read It Made My Day ... But I do and I enjoy it.

So there.

JOKING!!!! (But I do read and enjoy it.)

Here's mine. Had me laughing SO HARD.

Michael had left his laptop on the floor in the living room. He's been working on a proposal for work.
He called me over to look at his spreadsheet.

Typed out in one of the boxes was one of our kids' names.
In other boxes were various letters.

All of his work was fine, thank goodness.

But seriously, our daughter just totally narc-ed on herself! Ha ha ha ha ha!

...

...

...

Maybe you had to be there.

On being an aunt again ...

My niece was born this morning at 7:54 AM.
(Obviously the doctors were on schedule, since my SIL's C-section was scheduled to start at 7:30.)

She's 5 pounds, 9 ounces and 18-1/2 inches long.

Mom C sent me a picture on the cell phone.

This is a good thing.

-----------

I remember the first time I became an aunt. With this little baby's oldest sister.

As an only child, I was completely and totally resigned to the fact that I'd NEVER be an aunt. EVER.

(Obviously, I never considered the fact that I might marry someone with siblings. That's me. Completely egocentric.)

And, so, when my first niece was born, I really had NO. FRIGGIN'. CLUE as to HOW to be an aunt.

I really wanted to be the cool aunt. One that she could come to for advice as a teenager and all ...

But, seeing as how I was (again egocentric) and a little bitter about not being able to have the first grandbaby (Because, dammit, I'm older. Just saying. ... And, yeah, I'm still a little bitter that, on my dad's side, all [two] of my younger cousins are taller than I am. Didn't used to be that way. ... And, really, things aren't looking so good for me on my Mom's side, either.) ... Well, let's just say that it's hard to be a cool aunt when you're a bit resentful and trying to hide it.

Of course, it was really helpful that I had to opportunity to email with one of my aunts (who I do think of as my "cool aunt" ... even though she left our family (since she divorced my dad's brother) before I got to use her as a confidant, really.
But I asked her if she ever felt that way. Since my mom did have me before Aunt S had her two kids.
No, she never felt resentful in regards to my mom and me ... but she did feel that way in her family, since one of her siblings beat her to having kids.

And, knowing this, I felt better. I knew that I wasn't alone. And that I wasn't the only person to feel bad (and feel guilty about not feeling more positive).

So, when the second niece was born, I was pregnant with my duo ... and that did change things. (Of course, it did help that I had the first grandson on this side. On my side of the family, I was the first to pop out any kids. Not hard when you're an only child, I assure you. And my step-sisters had their kids a bit ago. I think the last was born when I was in high school or college.)
(And, oh, my Nana was so cute when I let her know we were expecting. "I never thought I'd live to be a great-grandmother!" *lol* And now she has three great-grandkids ... since my Cousin S has her son, too.)

Of course, this second niece and I have never really seen eye to eye ... We have very conflicting personalities. ... Of course, talking with family, it seems that I'm not the only one to feel that way. Ha ha ha. But, yeah. I'm SO NOT the cool aunt with her.

I'm still getting used to my nephew. He's so QUIET (and who could blame him since he has TWO very verbal older sisters?) ... so I never really know what he's thinking.
And, also, I'm distracted by my own kiddos.

So ... well, maybe this little miss will think I'm a cool aunt.

She certainly is unlike her siblings (I don't think that there have been HALF the scares during pregnancies with ALL the others put together. We were worried that she had a birth defect at one point. Then there's the fact she had to be delivered by C-section ... all the others were natural [mostly because my SIL has FAST deliveries]).

Hopefully I'll be cool enough that she won't just think of me as "[Bruise] and [Bucket]'s Mom, the chubby aunt."

(Argue as you will, but I am much more "zaftig" than Michael's sisters or sister-in-law. And, unless J marries an Amazon, I do outweigh them all. ... I try not to think about it all the time. I mean really, Michael married himself a pale, pale, educated blob. ... Yeah, that link takes you to a picture of what I FEEL I look like when compared to his sisters. If I really think about it.
It just captures the pale excesses of skin and the large nose. ... And THAT is why I do my darndest to NOT dwell on the fact that I am not cut from the same cloth as my dear, sweet, darling sisters-in-law.)
(Because, face it. It's downright depressing. ... And I don't like to be all sad.)

(Of course, if I really took up exercising, I could change that. Right? ... Although, I'd be tempted to FIRST tone up doing weight-lifting. This way, when I FINALLY start shedding fat, I'd have these nicely toned muscles to show for it. Instead of blobbly, skinnier appendages. I'm just saying.)

BUT, back to the topic at hand ... It'd be nice to be a cool aunt. Maybe this is my chance.

Though, honestly?
It's SO much easier when they start talking.
Just saying. ^_^

Another sorrily belated post

Let's see, what all has been going on?

• Bruise is doing better on his word box (sight words).
  
• Bucket is actually reading (Dick and Jane and theBob books. Pretty cool.
• We had a great weekend visiting family.
• Michael and I are both sporting (peeling) sunburns.
  His forehead totally peeled in the shower. And, during my shower yesterday, my chest totally peeled. My arms (TOTAL FARMER'S TAN) feel fine and look nicely tanned. My forehead and nose were peeling ... and made my makeup look so strange. But the burn there has faded. It's just my chest that still looks a bit lobster-y.
• My latest niece is probably born by now. (My SIL, A's C-section [placenta previa] was planned for 7:30 this morning.)
• I still haven't caught up in folding laundry.
• My mom and I are eagerly awaiting packages. Books and trains (for Bruise) from Amazon. Shoes from Crocs. I've never had real Crocs. And I'll have some that'll be great for EVERYTHING (like church and my volunteer stint at the library). Yeah, I didn't order the clog-gy type shoes. I got the Malindi in Silver and the Olivia in black. Mom got the Farrahin Espresso. Aren't they CUTE? ... I DID look long and hard at the Sately in Mushroom/Espresso and the McCall Coral in Oyster/Blue. Aren't they CUTE??) We had a coupon for free ground shipping ($4.99 elsewise) and then, by signing up for their newsletter, I got a coupon for 20% off the whole order. ^_^ Pretty awesome, huh?
• Bruise had a BLAST on the Jetboat ride. As you can see from the picture above. ^_^
  I think of all the kids on the boat (in our family group. There were seven kids total), Bruise had the best time. He did get a little wet, but he didn't mind it near as much as the other kids. Princess Bucket, included. (She, actually, FELL ASLEEP on the boat. Not all that surprising, since the kids were all staying up until around midnight and naps were just NOT. GONNA. HAPPEN. ... That's what goes on during these sleepovers with their cousins.) ... Now I really, really would like a boat. Sometime. Sooner.
• Using the Mary Kay microdermabrasion kit last night really DID help with the peeling on my face. I mean, my nose is still a little peel-y ... but it's SO much better.
• While down visiting family, some of us went to Target. And I smacked my J-head (the brother-in-law that I consistently get along with. And I do adore him. He always makes me laugh. And he gets to work on VIDEO GAMES! ... Not that I don't adore my other brothers-in-law. Because I do.) with pillows that Cousin K was buying.
  It's a good thing that J-head and I get along so well. Because most people would probably get annoyed with me. But J and I can just laugh about it. This is one reason why he's so awesome.
• Tomorrow, I get to see my Pie (her nickname) for the first time in YEARS! (Like, in over FIVE years!) ... She and I will get together for a playdate, since she and her daughter are in town (well, a nearby town) for her sister's graduation. ^_^ I'm looking forward to seeing her. Can you tell?
• I have a couple pregnant friends. Who have both miscarried before. One's pregnancy is official. The other is getting closer to announcing hers. But, when I checked with her yesterday, everything is going well. I'm SO, SO, SO glad for prayer. (I actually have quite a few friends who've miscarried in the past. So this is really sufficiently vague. Trust me. It's enough that I do feel rather guilty for not having experienced a miscarriage myself. Not that I want to. Nor do I wish that anyone would experience one. But I know that they're really common. And I feel sad that my friends have gone through this. Well, that ANYONE'S had to go through it.)
• Still, I'm SO GLAD for my friends.
• Another of my friends miscarried this last month. :(
• My Nana's brother (well, her surviving brother -- as opposed to the one who died in a car crash before she got married) passed away last week. He'd been sick, so it wasn't a huge surprise. Still, it feels like everyone around me is dying. ... Mom said, when I told her that, I must be hanging around with my stepdad too much. Since, being in his seventies, he feels that way a lot.
• I read Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games. Now I just have to wait for MockingJay to come out.
• At the library, I found the fifth book in a series that I like just sitting on the shelf. Brand new. And I didn't even know it was coming out. That was fun. So was finding a CD of Glee songs on the shelf.
• At Costco the other day, we were shopping. I mentioned to another shopper that her perfume smelled amazing. She gave me what was left of the perfume sample (since she had a full-size of it at home). A complete stranger! Wasn't that lovely of her? (For the record, it's Daisy by Estee Lauder Marc Jacobs ...
  I haven't tried it on me yet. But it does smell wonderous. ^_^)

Okay, if I'm going to get to story time, we have to get dressed and leave.