cheerios and chickens

Go Forth and Eat, Pray, Love-- NOW!!

2008-02-21T08:01:00.002-05:00

Eat.Pray.Love., originally uploaded by .Delight.

So..in the literary department, I have succombed to the pressure of a certain daytime talk show host that rules the globe. I have come to a point in my life where I just don't have time to test drive bad books. I have to hear from other people that books are good and then I will MAYBE pick it up.

I first saw Liz Gilbert on a certain talk show, and she just seems so worldly and real. She could seriously sit down at my monthly Ladies' Night and she would fit right in. (Maybe a little bit of awkwardness because she doesn't have any stories about kid poop.. but I am sure she would make it work).

I also was told to read this book by my old lady book club that I TRY to attend once a month.
( I don't believe I have been since September...sorry ladies... gulp.... I have a few things going on right now...)

You HAVE to go get this book. Liz Gilbert is an amazing writer with so much honesty and openness and hilarity about living your living with YOUR expectations, not someone elses.

This is a memoir. She opens the book sobbing, laying on the bathroom floor realizing that she doesn't like how her life is going. She is married, trying to concieve a child, but secretly wishing she wasn't married and doesn't really want to be a mother. AT ALL.

Yes-- being married and being a mommy are 2 of my favorite things in the world... but her point is that you shouldn't do things just because you think other people want you to. I know I have fallen victim to that one once or twice in my 31 years...okay fine, 3 times. But that is ALL I am sure!

So anyway... my point and I do have one. Scrape up a few dollars or go to the library and go get it.

It will make you laugh, cry, blush, eat LOTS of noodles, want a hot Brazilian lover, and maybe even feel a little better about your life.

The Gods have spoken

2008-02-12T14:31:00.001-05:00

Solar System, originally uploaded by turbojoe.

I have forgotten to post about my new life.

It is very simple and glorious.

If I have seen you in person, you know.

If you have talked to me on the phone... you know.

I have seemingly forgotten to tell the WHOLE WORLD via internet.

Let me explain this amazing wondermont...

.

.

.

.

I. don't. have. to. change. diapers. anymore.

The week of Christmas... the duo finally...finally... finally potty trained for good.

I am a new woman.

I have a new life.

I am no longer chasing around 2 small argumentitive people begging them to go sit on the potty and "just try for Mommy".

I am no longer feeding them m&m's because they have "produced"!

I am no longer crying on a bathroom stool because 2 other shorter people are screaming their heads off because they don't want to sit on the throne.

I am no longer packing 10-15 size 5 diapers in a huge mother loving diaper bag and dragging it all over Central Ohio.

I just feel so damn cocky throwing a pair of Tinkerbell panties and a pair of Spiderman briefs in my purse and blowing out the door....

Cross your fingers that this holds.

Thank you planets... you have aligned. I will not forget you.

31... the cheese year

2008-02-11T12:23:00.001-05:00

Well, it is official.. my blog bio is a lie. I am not 30 years old anymore. I am 30 plus one.

I officially turned 31 yesterday at 11:11 a.m.

What was I doing at exactly 11:11 a.m. you ask?

No, not that...

No, ahem... not that either.

I was driving around Amish country with my Joe trying to find new and different kinds of amazing cheese.

Boy.. was it work!!

If that is any pronouncement about my 31st year... I think I will be very happy and contented for the next 364 days.

Cheese is good.

Candy or Iron....

2008-02-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

Okay... so next week, Valentine's Day to be exact, Joe and I will celebrate 6 years of marriage filled with unending passion, love, and desire... ( or something).

( Or to those of you that know us even a little bit, you know that they have really been chock full of cheap wine, fertility drugs, and baby barf. )

My problem is ... I am racking my brain to figure out what I should get for his gift this year. I know that I could just tie a bow around my waist and sit on the back door step, but it might get cold, and the kids might start to wonder where the heck their mother is...but they wouldn't wonder that until they need more milk or goldfish crackers. ... so maybe if the weather is warm...

ANYWAY. Let me recap the gifts I remember....

1st year, I think we went to a fun hotel as our gift to each other.
2nd year, no idea...
3rd year.. the babies had just been born, so I got him a really neat framed picture of the wee babes.
4th year... weekend trip...but maybe that was my birthday gift.... the two do kind of blend together some years.
5th year , I bought him a parmesan cheese grinder (just like the fancy ones @ Olive Garden) and a sink stretching strainer. ..probably his favorite and most used gifts thus far.

6th year... I have no ideas at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

I looked on some website and I saw that 6 years is Candy and Iron. Okay.... huh?

Help!!!! Any ideas? What did you get your signifcant other for your last anniversary??

Career Goals.

2008-02-01T10:49:00.003-05:00

Grant was reviewing a tractor magazine today* and announced to me that when he grows up he is going to build combines.

Superb!! Great I thought! A Mechanical Engineering degree or Agricultural Engineering degree should do the trick. He should have enough money to put me in a nice retirement home or send me on lots of trips to keep me out of his hair.

I then asked Stella what she was going to build when she grows up. Stella thought for a minute.

"I'm gonna build Mermaids!!".

sigh...

damn...

It is now that I remember that I have a girly girl.

Just what the heck kind of school do you attend for Mermaid Construction Science?

AND how well does it pay?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** I am home because there was little tiny ice storm that sent all of central Ohio into a tizzy.
I think everything is already melted!!

All time best excuse...

2008-01-29T10:28:00.000-05:00

Today @ 8:35 a.m. I heard my all time favorite no homework excuse...

....clearing my throat...... ahem..... (whiny voice inflection....)

Anthony: "Mrs. Yungggg... I couldn't do my homework, I can't take paper home. "

Mrs. Yungggg: "What are you talking about? Where is it?"

Anthony: "Well, I just can't take paper home anymore."

Mrs. Yungggg: "Why can't you take paper home?"

Anthony: "Well, you see, my dog is allergic to paper."

Drops in my bucket

2008-01-27T20:50:00.001-05:00

Mist : Captured, originally uploaded by photogeography.

So with the recent movie release, Bucket List, (referring to everything you need to do before you kick the proverbial bucket), I have been putting one together in my head. (I have also been reading Eat, Pray Love, by Liz Gilbert which makes you think about why do the things you do, and what makes you happy)

It is time I sat down and wrote some of it down. A lot of them are travel related.. some are just random.

1. Take Joe to Prague. I studied there in the summer of 1998. Prague is an amazingly beautiful city with almost all of its historical buildings still intact. Supposedly, Hitler wouldn't let anyone bomb Prague because when he gained control of the world... he was going to live in Prague. I think that plan fell through. (Chris... that was t-e-n years ago this summer!!)

2. Drink a bottle of Champagne for no reason. On a Tuesday. In my pajamas.

3. Go out west with the kids for a month. Get a mobile home, throw my lap top out the window, pack like crazy, fill the gas tank and just go be a family. Joe is really dying to do this when the kids are in middle school-ish.

4. Go to Disney World for the Duo's 10th birthday and Christmas. I don't want to take them there until they can really appreciate the cash we will be plunking down.

5. Work at a Hallmark. Don't know exactly why.. I think I would just really like organizing the cards, ringing people up, and having a job that really isn't that vital to the world.

6. See Blueman Group perform in Vegas.

7. Jump in the car and just drive anywhere for no reason and just be there.

8. See Bruce Springsteen live in concert singing Red Head Woman.

9. See James Taylor again and again and again and again in concert. I love him.

10. Own an electric car. I really hope this happens in my lifetime.

11. Make my own cheese. (stop laughing). I really want to buy a cheese making kit and learn how to do this. The Grocery Strike made me want to do this.

12. Go to Australia and New Zealand. All through my animal science and zoo experiences I have seen some wonderful footage and scenery .. (and I think the Wiggles have helped,) I really want to spend tons of time there.

13. Go on a cruise. Don't care where. I just want to do this. Be on the water, eat lobster at noon, six, and midnight all in the same day.

14. Go to Alaska and watch the start and finish of the Iditarod Dog Sled race. The Last Great Race.

15. Run a marathon... anyone want to start training with me?

16. Take a weekly Yoga class.... again... anyone??

17. Get Vanity Plates for my Volkswagen that I also don't have yet.

18. Drink a margarita in Mexico. I am sure they have to be better. And I am willing to be the guinea pig.

19. Hawaii. What more can I say?

20. Go with a whole herd of women to the Vera Bradley outlet sale.. can't wait.

21. Have a slumber party with people my age. Boy will that be a late night...sigh....

That is just what popped into my head on a Sunday night.
I am sure there is lots more...anyone else??
Want to share some of your drops from your bucket?

ahh...t-shirts. I miss them.

2008-01-24T15:42:00.001-05:00

summer 07 053, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Love this picture from a summer 2007 zoo trip. Stella looks absolutely angelic, and the hat*** suits her so well in the picture.

We are both wearing t-shirts and the leaves are green. I think it might have been July-ish. We all walked around in shorts and Joe and I pulled ye olde red wagon around all afternoon.

What I wouldn't give to JUST wear a t-shirt and shorts to leave the house this week. But-- in Central Ohio this week... let me tell you. I might end up in the Emergency Room with frostbitten knees. and ankles. and arms.

***Does anyone recoginize that hat??? That was my old college drinking hat. I wore it many times.. most notable... the crawl of 99. She found in a drawer and fell in love with this past summer. Hopefully its " karma" won't rub off on her too soon.

My house was a clown car.

2008-01-22T11:48:00.000-05:00

Want to see my little house crammed full of 8 children and 7 parents on a cold Saturday morning? I can't believe we all made it out alive. Lots of fun times.

Go to Kristi's blog and check out the madness. She took some awesome pictures.

http://lifewithaveline.blogspot.com/2008/01/playdate.html

Dear Amanda,

2008-01-18T07:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I think your name is Amanda. You won't stop talking long enough for me to ask you your name. I sit right in front of you in our Children's Lit. class on Thursday nights.

Last night you were wearing your Prom 2006 - Wonderful Tonight long sleeved T, hot pink sweat pants, your brown Ugh (or is it Ugg) boots, and the biggest engagement ring I have ever seen in my entire life. You have beautiful long brown hair, and I am sure you are the envy of all the other girls living in your quad in the dorms.

Remember me?? I was wearing teacher clothes. You know me, the old be-draggled red head with the Mommy hair do.. black dress pants with chalk rubbed all over my right leg, and sweater with tear stains from my 3 year olds tantrum this morning. We really look nothing alike.
Oh-- yes... I was also the one shooting daggers at you to tell you to shut your mouth.

I know you think that noone else gives a hoot about what kind of paper Eric Carle used when he wrote and illustrated the Hungry Caterpillar, (and neither do I for that matter), however you need to stop talking and take a breath.... and notice that your friend Scott is not talking back to you!!

Scott is politely nodding and trying to act respectful towards our very challenged English as a Second Language Professor who is trying her absolute hardest to teach a classful of judgemental college students who don't want to be there either.

You aren't the only one who feels as if she is wasting her time. Please, SHUT UP so we can all participate and understand this little game we are all playing to earn some college credit that you apparently aren't paying for.

Much Love,
Laura

2007-was a good year..

2008-01-02T09:11:00.000-05:00

2007- not a bad year for the Young family. We developed into happy, healthy, challenging 2 year olds, and ended the year as verbacious, opinionated 3 year olds. Wow. So much change in 3 short short years. This time in 2005 we were sleep deprived zombies wondering what in the world were we thinking?!?

Now, we are still wondering if we are up to the challenge of parenting the duo, but they are letting us sleep. Praise God.

2007 had it's ups and its for sure downs, but more than anything, I learned what an amazing, pull together, and hunker -the -storm -together family I am part of.
My uncles affairs are slowly coming together, due in large part to my awesome mother, and we managed to get through the holidays without 2 family members that were with us just a short time ago. Such is the circle of life I suppose. On the flip side of that, our families are reproducing at warp speed and we have tons of new cousins far and wide.

My husband and family have made it very possible for me to continue my journey back to school for special education, and visual impairments education. I am still running top speed with both of those. I am a wee pissed though, for my special education licensure, I am being required to take an intro children's literature course this quarter. Why you ask?? Aren't you certified in all subjects 1-8 until 2010??? Yes, yes I am, however, my coursework is older than 5 years, so I must retake it.

2007 asked me to transfer to the elementary in my district. Rather than working with horny, moody, awkward middle schoolers, I work with squirrelly, funny, goofy 2nd and 3rd graders. I really enjoy my days with them. It just took some getting used to.

So, please bear with me as I sit with college freshmen girls named Megan and Ashley on Thursday nights from 4:30-6:48 and do book talks for the next 10 weeks. I am sure that I will have many stories from this.

I am also learning Braille this quarter. lots of dots. online. I am scared. Please pray for me.

Tinker-boy

2007-10-27T08:29:00.001-04:00

IMG_1766.jpg, originally uploaded by tech-geek.

Yes-- that is my manly little boy... wearing a tinkerbell hat... giving the gusto.... trying to blow out someone else's candles.

And that is my very Mommy- like arm... trying to let the birthday girl have her moment in the sun.

He is a helper I tell you.

A helper that thinks a bunch of pink tinkerbell candles are his job.

My poor December baby

2007-10-27T08:24:00.001-04:00

IMG_1758.jpg, originally uploaded by tech-geek.

My kids were born in December....right before Christmas. So, unfortunately, their birthday blends in with all the other chaos.

We have had a gauntlet of birthday parties lately for family and friends. Here is my poor baby...sitting in front of her little friend's birthday cake...thinking the party was for her.

When told it wasn't her birthday party and she needed to get out of the princess seat.... she held up her hands in exasperation and asked

"Well...Where's my birthday!!!??"

Go clean your house.

2007-10-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

Note: I totally know that I have been absent more than usual. I am just throwing pictures up in the hopes that people won't totally forget me.

Okay. This is my charge to all of you. Go CLEAN YOUR HOUSE and MAKE SURE YOUR WILL IS UPDATED!!!

Phew... I feel better.
I have been a little out of the loop because of the following things.

1. I am teaching 2nd grade this year. Love it... so much better than arguing with horny teenagers all day. Still lots of work. I have really behaviorally challenged kids mixed in with some English as a 2nd language kids. Makes communication oh so easy.

2. I am working towards my licensure to teach Visually Impaired kids. OSU is paying for all of my tuition for this. All the classes and such are online, sounds easy right?? But, I am not so good at this. I am having a h#ll of a time finding time for all of it. I would much rather be in the classroom being spoon fed and looking at the professors that are talking to me through constant e-mails. I know it will all be worth it... but it is going to be oh so fun for awhile. Thank goodness I have Joe. He is taking the kids 2 nights a week while I sneak away and work on my coursework. I feel like a bad mommy right now, but I know that we will all be better off in the future.

3. According to his death certificate...my 65 year old uncle passed away on September 13th. When did he really die? We don't know. The last time anyone heard from him was September 2nd. We think the poor guy was there for close to 10 days. I just went through his cell phone this week and found an outgoing call on September 2nd or 3rd. I have learned so much about the underworkings of medical clean up crews, coroners, and the like. Wow. I am so glad that there are people out there willing to do this kind of work. I made sure and shook all of their hands and thanked them for doing their jobs.

4. My uncle was a book hoarder. Loved books to pieces, bought books literally EVERY day of his life. Never got rid of a single one. Seriously folks. We have a house, and 3 storage lockers FILLED with freaking books. My mother, my brother, my sister and I are up to our @ss in old military and fire history books. Yay us. Actually @ss is an understatement. These storage lockers are sky high with books. I have NEVER seen anything like it. I literally was rubbing my head on the roof of the storage facility roof as I was crawling around on top of all the books in one of the storage facilities. We haven't even been in one of the storage facilities yet. We are scared to DEATH of what is in there. So scared. Mom is executor of his will, and I have realized that she is one tough Mama.

5. We are also up to our @ss in old family momentos and historical things. My mom and Lou (the uncle), were only 1/2 siblings. They had the same mother. His dad died when he was 2 in WWII. He never met his father. Such a sad story. They never laid eyes on one another. While his dad was overseas, he wrote him journal after journal about how much he loved him and what they were going to do together when he got home from the war. So damn sad. What do you do with 50 notebooks that are so sentimental? I cry everytime I open one. Lou was the last survivor from that whole family, so over the years, he inherited everything worth anything. Now we are piecing our way through every fraternity pin, postcard, and graduation tassel. So fascinating and weird to uncover every little thing in a person's life.(!)

6. I helped make all of his funeral arrangements and such without really knowing what he wanted at all. He had a will, but no real mention of anything else. He was cremated and we will bury the ashes at his funeral, on Sunday the 14th. Lou, I hope you like the cherry box I picked out. It just looked like you.

7. My aunt Carrie (Lou's sister) passed away this summer too, so we are having a memorial service for her tomorrow the 13th. She died of really intense Multiple Sclerosis. Her partner Lea Ann is flying out, and we are going to have all sorts of fmaily and friends together to celebrate her life. Carrie never met my kids. I am going to be such a mess this weekend when Lea Ann meets them for the first time. In fact I am sobbing as I type this. One of the hardest things is that Stella completely has my aunt's personality and laugh, and Grant is named after Carrie's dad. I don't know how Lea Ann is going to do either. Sob. choke. Sob. The last time I saw Lea Ann and Carrie was on my wedding day in 2002. Carrie just couldn't travel after that. She was only 54 years old.

Well folks, that is all I can do for now. Things are just a bit surreal right now. My family is going to say goodbye to 2 people this weekend. 2 siblings to boot.

Sigh... I took the day off to pack and clean the house before the long weekend of crying and hugging, and all I can do is sit here in huge pile of laundry and cry.

I can't wait to be boring again. :)

P.S.. want some books?

How do you want you burger?

2007-10-07T20:32:00.001-04:00

, originally uploaded by tech-geek.

Grant and Stella attended their friend Zia's birthday party recently.
Grant was the only boy in attendance... so he of course manned the grill. Really scary that he just assumed the throne.

Too cute for a title.

2007-09-26T20:44:00.001-04:00

summer 07 047, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Let me set the scene.

Stella: "Daddy I wanna watch TV wif you. "

Daddy: "Okay"

Enter Sandman.

Slight panic.....

2007-09-12T05:51:00.000-04:00

Grocery Strike is getting dicey.

Here are some recent interesting adventures.

Adventure#1--- I was PMS-ing HARD on Sunday.. needed chocolate.

We aren't just talking "Boy, could I use a bit of chocolate!!"

We are talking " I WILL EAT A WHOLE BRICK OF BAKERS CHOCOLATE WITHOUT TAKING A BREATH!!"

What does a girl do?

The girl went to her cabinet and dug like the dickens. We are talking a cat digging for a mouse digging. Bare feet standing on the kitchen counter.. teeth barred.
Found an old stale container of slimfast that might be 4 years old. Also found cappucino mix that could have come with the house 6 years ago.

Voila!!
The girl followed a brownie mix recipe out of a cookbook, but put in slimfast and cappucino mix in instead.. and had some of the best damn brownies she has ever had.

Adventure #2--- needed noodles... only have 7 lasagna noodles and some assorted shaped noodles.
None were enough to stand on their own for a complete meal.

So, I decided to make Hamburger Parmesan (or something). I took a hamburger... wrapped it in the lasagna noodle, covered it in cheese, poured tomato sauce on it, then covered it in the other noodles. I thought it was a pretty, fun little thing. Noone else in the family thought it was as cute as I did.

Grant's burger immediately gravitated off his plate somehow, plopped on his shirt, and then was horrifically mangled, which then landed in his booster seat.

Stella just dug through hers for cheese.

Joe just silently ate, wondering when this damn little grocery game would be over.

Me... what did I do??

I pleasantly chewed and thought... you know what.. mama made brownies!!

Theriously. This Thucks.

2007-09-03T21:30:00.000-04:00

The priceth of beauty.

.....thigh.........

Tho. I am thitting here with Crest White Stripsth in my mouth for the firsth time.
Went to Wal-marth and used my $5.00 off couponsth.

Supposed to do this 30 minutesth, twice a day for 14 dayth.

Don't know about thith. At leasth they could make them cherry flavored or thomthing.

I was reading the how to manual... and gueth what they recommend? They suggest using a 2nd box of stripsth if you aren't happy with the job that the first box did.

Really? I would never have thought of that.

My last 3 weeks

2007-08-26T20:49:00.000-04:00

Hello, hello!
Lots of stories to tell.
Yes, we are still successfully grocery striking..(going on vacation for a whole week really helps!!)

1. Finished my summer coursework on August 6th!! Yay!! 14 hours of all Reading Methods.
Ask me anything about phonics, or helping to teach reading to students with disabilities.. I DARE you. I am quite relieved for this summer to be over. I worked my ass off.

2. Took a 3 day vacation...just the 2 of us.
Complete bliss. Went shopping at some outlet malls, gambled a little bit, ate magnificent food, went swimming, and remembered what it is like to finish a sentence without some little short person cutting me off in mid-syllable. Also remembered that I really love my husband, and have a great time when we are alone for a little bit. Sigh... that was a really nice little trip.
But ALAS!! --all trips cannot happen without a little bit of drama. We had to help the vet put my in-law's dog Thor to sleep, and then bury him before we could leave that morning. If you know Thor, you know just how much we all miss him. (not really).He was the meanest, moodiest dog in the world. The world is a much safer place without him.

3. Took a 4 day family vacation... just the 5 of us. Mommy, Daddy, Grant, Stella, and the 3rd spouse, Uncle Jason.
We trekked to Pittsburgh where we stayed with Aunt Cindy and Uncle Brian. We had an amazing time with the kids.
We went to the Pittsburgh Aviary (Bird Zoo) and since my brother has Zoo friends everywhere, we were able to get in free, get a private behind the scenes tour, and even got to play with a flock of penguins. Seriously. We played with 5 penguins like you play with a litter of puppies. They were running around us, sitting on our laps, and just being goofy little penguins. At one point, I turned to my sister and said.. "Holy cow, we are literally sitting here petting penguins...this just doesn't happen everyday." We also saw almost extinct birds, rare birds, and the like. But of course, my son kept asking where the elephants were. You just can't please some kids.

We of course went to Ikea and stocked up on fun kitchen gadgets, and toys for the kids.

Also hit Pittsburgh's infamous "Strip" of ethnic markets. If you have never been.. it is fabulous. I could spend 2 days there. You can buy everything from a whole side of beef to gallons of olives.

Hit the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. Very fun! Saw the Clifford the Big Red Dog Exhibit.. (slightly a let down), and loved the Mr. Roger's neighborhood exhibit. Even got to sit on his swing and watch the trolley go by. I almost got emotional while in the exhibit.. didn't think I would cry over Mr. Rogers.. but I came da#n close.
Celebrated Aunt Cindy's 25th birthday ( I can't believe the baby is 25. I remember Mom telling us we were going to have a new sibling in August of 1982.)

We are getting better at long car rides. Not perfect.. but not so many meltdowns. Only 2 major ones that I can remember... and one of those was me.

4. Took my father in law to see the Ohio Roller Girls for his 63rd birthday. He LOVED it. Even wants season tickets! I am not kidding. He got all worked up and wanted to know all the rules and was yelling and screaming at the the race track. Joe and I just sat back and watched him.

5. Back to work at school for about 10 days now helping to open up a new school! My middle school has decided to open up an elementary school, and since I have elementary experience, guess who got moved down without her consent!! My position has changed. I am now teaching 2nd and 3rd grade math and science. I am excited to do something different, but I was hoping to not have to start over from scratch all over again this year. I will not miss the raging mood swings that middle school students have, and the lack of parental involvement was just downright scary. So instead.. .I will have very lovey, needy kids whose parents are in my face every day. You win some, you lose some.

6. Grocery Strike!
Really doing well. We are really getting creative with meals, and are finding out how much we really like cooking. We are running out of a lot of prepared boxed foods and are venturing into meals that take a while to prepare.We are also drinking a crapload of iced tea. We had 1 1/2 boxes of tea bags lurking in the back of the cupboard. Some recent favorites include pizza from absolute scratch with tomatoes and basil from our garden, and of course crab leg night. Yes, my adventurous husband purchased 2 lbs of crab legs months ago and forgot about them. I have even baked a cake for my father in law's 63rd birthday. Even more surprising, I iced it, let the kids decorate it, and wrote ~Papa~ in icing on top. I outdid myself to the hilt. Martha Stewart had better watch out.

Our latest guess is that we can make it to October 1st without going to the store. When we get down to just condiments in the fridge, we will consider this little project a success. We are having fun. My mother even lent me her bread machine so we can make bread. I have to admit I feel slightly Amish!!

We have hit a week!

2007-08-06T20:14:00.000-04:00

Grocery strike in full swing!

Saturday- went to a baby shower for my cousin. Made brownies to take, slathered them in the cream cheese icing I used on the pound cake the night before. Ate dinner at the Varsity Club with some college pals. Their hot subs can never get old. So yummy.

Sunday- had to go to church to watch my father in law sing. Eventful to say the least. Let's just say my unbaptized children cried a lot, and one even got a bloody nose. What does THAT mean? We are going to H$ll for sure. But.. we did put a fiver in the collection plate.

Went to lunch with the in laws @ Frisches. My children believe Frisches to be their own Cameron Mitchell's.
Joe made Tacos for dinner with the meat left over from the sketti. It is really hard to teach the scientific approach to eating tacos. Stella keeps trying to take a bite out of the middle, but then it squirts out the edges and she gets mad. I didn't realize this was a learned skill. Grant of course just didn't eat. Why bother!

Monday- Dinner- Spaghetti again!! Nuke it and throw it on the table! I don't think Joe realizes that we are almost out of noodles. I envision him hiding a secret stash of noodles in his dirty work truck.

In other news... we are going to be taking a little kid-less vacation to our little Casino to the South. Might as well just shove my quarters in a hole in the wall.
Then when we get back we will be picking up the kids and visiting my sister in Pittsburgh for 3-4 days. I am sure there will be excellent blog fodder from that.

baby steps.

2007-08-04T08:26:00.000-04:00

Okay. Grocery strike is going well so far.
I have successfully gone to the grocery store and ONLY purchased milk. I am so proud of myself.

Tuesday night-- Benny's pizza. Well, Joe's movie 300 came out and we HAD to go to Best Buy and Benny's is just next door! Okay, well it isn't next door, but we did have to drive past it. Besides... Benny's is just da#n tasty.

Wednesday night-- Bogey Inn. My brother finished his master's degree coursework, so we went to a friend and family gathering and got to enjoy not cooking again!

Thursday night-- Ate at home!! I fixed spaghetti (used ALL of the long spaghetti noodles), 2 jars of Paul Newman's sockarooni sauce, 2 lbs of hamburger, and freezer burned garlic bread that could be older than the children. Result--- We have a lot of spaghetti to eat this week.

Friday night-- Took food to a party! My fun grad school friends try to meet up once a year to swap stories about bad principals and weird kids. The fun part to this is that none of us were parents in grad school, but now almost all of us are! Boy did we multiply! We had 2 sets of twins to boot! Sorry.. back to the food.

I am so proud of this concoction. Sara Lee poundcake, then I also had cream cheese icing which I spread on top, THEN for the piece de'resistance...I put blueberries on top. No big deal to some of you.. but if you really know me.. this is the equivalent of me making a 10 foot tall wedding cake.

So, yes, we haven't eaten at home much, but we also haven't packed more into our cupboards. Baby steps..

Grocery Strike Day 2.

2007-07-31T19:36:00.000-04:00

So, Joe and I have been joking about our grocery buying habits lately.

We are really good about going to the store and making sure that we are proficiently stocked for a good hard blizzard any time of the year. I seriously think we have enough noodles to last us until the 2008 election.

We also have SO many condiments that it is hard to squeeze the milk into the fridge. I know we have enough microwave popcorn to get us to Christmas EASY. Therefore, in an attempt to trim the budget a little and clean out the cupboards, we have established the Great Grocery Strike of 2007.

Rule 1. No NON perishable foods may be purchased until the cupboards are bare.

Rule 2. We can buy the following foods without guilt.
milk, juice, cheese, (one cannot live without a consistent cheese supply!!) and fresh fruit for the kids. The kids can't just eat empty taco shells and french cut green beans.

Rule 3. Free food is perfectly allowed at any time.
We are often blessed with free food from all sorts of gardens and grandmas on a pretty regular basis. You can't kick a gift horse in the mouth. Besides... we are probably going to get really sick of mustard and kidney beans REAL QUICK!

Rule 4. (Joe's rule). We can eat out as much as we would like to.

****Editor's note. Rule 4 really scares me.. this might be our downfall.

I will attempt to post a weirdo-combo meal of the week and let you know of our progress. I am also looking forward to bringing an unmarked weirdo dish to our family reunion in September. You just don't know what you will get! You could have chick peas and tuna. You could have fudge brownies with relish. You just never know!!

So tell me, if a blizzard hit, how long could you survive without going to the store? Anybody else want to try this with us?? Maybe we could meet up in the dark of night and trade some canned beets for some hamburger helper!

WWYD??? What would you have done?

2007-07-26T09:27:00.000-04:00

*** Warning. VERY judgemental tones.

As part of my barrage of college coursework this summer, I am tutoring a child everyday for 6 weeks. Well, I am supposed to see him everyday, but his family has issues getting him there at all... so we are thrilled that he comes on M-W-F these days. Tomorrow is my last day with him.

Kenny (not his real name) is a very nice 12 year old kid. He comes from a rough neighborhood, rough family, (dad has done time, brother is in right now, mom is working 3 jobs to keep her 5 other kids taken care of). Very hard family. He told me that he has seen shootings, knifings, etc. )

Let me get to the story that won't let me sleep.

After our tutoring session, I took Kenny out to his (VERY late) mother and aunt in the parking lot. I leaned into the car to talk to them about Kenny's progress. I then saw an ADORABLE chubby baby in the back seat. My little neurons were working overtime as I studied this kid repeatedly. SO CUTE!! 10 months old.. but something was very wrong. Yes, he was only wearing a diaper. But it was also 87 degrees, and I wished I was only wearing a diaper, so that couldn't be it. Hmmmm... what is wrong?? I kept thinking... while trying to make side conversations with his family.

Then it hit me like a truck. THE BABY WASN'T WEARING A SEAT BELT!! He wasn't buckled into his car seat!! So, my passive aggressive teacher nature kicked in and I said "You are so silly! You are just like my kids! You wiggled out of your straps!!" I reached in and tried to find the straps that he was sitting on.

The mother and aunt then turned around and said "They don't work. They don't fit him."

Now... let me pause to also add... this was no Volvo that he was riding in. This was your VERY beat up, VERY crashed and not fixed blue 1989 station wagon. So, basically, this little cute baby was sitting atop a launching pad in the middle of the backseat just WAITING to be shot through the front window.

I backed away from the car and couldn't catch my breath.

As the mother of twins, I admit that ONCE I started out the driveway without Stella being buckled. Fortunately, I have an extremely verbal child, and she screamed "Maw-mee!! I not buckled in!!" I freaked out, put the car back in Drive, almost ran into the garage, jumped out of the car, buckled her in, and quietly had a moment there where I questioned whether or not I was cut out to be a mother.

My professor was standing nearby and I grabbed her by the arm. I said through my very gritted teeth.. "That baby isn't buckled in!!!" I proceeded to tell her the whole story. She shook her head and sighed. Mind you, she had to take Kenny home one day because no one came to get him. So, she is well aware of the whole situation. I tried to calmly listen to her as she went on...

"Laura, we could call children's services, and we would feel righteous and like we did the right thing.. but, we will NEVER see Kenny again. His mother will make sure of that." She manages the reading disabilities clinic and sees lots of Kennys everyday all day. She said if she acted upon all the situations she was faced with, she would do nothing but that everyday.

I almost cried as I watched the rickety station wagon careen out of the parking lot. I felt so helpless.

I am still battling with this... but as a teacher of this culture, I understand that some things are priorities, and sadly, some things just aren't.

But, riddle me this, how long do you let parental ignorance and lack of knowledge get in the way of basic child safety???

My yellow choppers. Help me.

2007-07-15T16:40:00.000-04:00

Okay.. so I am 30 years old.. and I am noticing that there are certain parts of my body that will never again be the same.

Boobs--I wake up everyday realizing that this is going to be the perkiest my boobs will EVER be for the rest of my life. Gestating and breastfeeding twins really did a number on old Lefty and Righty. They inflated beyond belief and then when breastfeeding stopped... they deflated and are currently attempting to peer inside my belly button. But-- like I said. That is okay with me. I have seen my female relatives and I know that I can't fight genetics. I just buy really fantastic bras and I get on with my day.

Kangaroo Pouch- While pregnant with the duo, I gained around 65 lbs. Fortunately I was able to lose all of it, mostly through sheer exhaustion of chasing the little monsters. However, the obligatory c-section flap is very much there. I don't mind it at all. I know that I made 2 humans and I will proudly wear the battle scars for the rest of my life. In fact... I think my husband finds me even more attractive because he knows all the hard work this short, stocky little body has endured to make his children.

Wrinkles--I have these new fine wrinkles around my mouth. They kind of look like crinkled up notebook paper that you tried to smooth out..but just didn't make it.

My biggest battle... please help me on this one if you can.

Teeth-- This is really the one I am REALLY worried about. My teeth have started to yellow at a really fast rate. I feel like they are as yellow as corn on the cob some days. I know that pregnancy can really do a number on the old teeth. Sucking away lots of nutrients for the babies and all. But-- that was almost 3 years ago.
Maybe it is my crap-#ss diet these days. But-- I eat a ton of dairy products, and go to the dentist religiously.

So.. my 5 loyal readers, I need your help. I am thinking about trying some teeth whitening products to see if that helps any. I know they are horrendously expensive. Please let me know if you or your friends have any positive/negative experiences with any current products. I am getting seriously self conscious about it.

Maybe I will just get a red bandana and wear that over my mouth all the time. Noone would think that was weird at all.

the 4th. I still love it.

2007-07-04T07:52:00.000-04:00

Here is what I will be doing today... and hopefully every 4th of July until I die.
I love our cute little town's festivities SO much.

http://cheeriosandchickens.blogspot.com/2006_06_25_archive.html

True False answers...from 1,000 years ago.

2007-07-04T07:38:00.000-04:00

To answer my remaining long ago questions...
TRUE!!!
I do have a new tattoo.(will post pics later!)

TRUE!!!
I am going to school for special ed and to be a vision specialist. (teacher for the blind)

FALSE!!
I do NOT have a new car. (note.. I am taking 3 reading classes which cost a buttload of mo-nay. )

Kind of FALSE!! I didn't trip and make an ass out of myself over Troy Smith.. I tripped because I saw Anthony Gonzalez... who turns out,, ,is REALLY short.... with a HUGE neck..but still really hot in a Boondock Saints bald guy kind of way.

TRUE!! My sick new TV passion is Engaged and Underage on MTV. TRainwreck City!

Future Mommy's night out???

2007-05-15T21:54:00.000-04:00

Some mothers get flowers, some mothers get cards, some get perfume.

You want to know what I did for Mother's Day?
You probably would never guess in a hundred years.

I had the time of my life!!

My husband took me to a Roller Derby race on Saturday night. Mmmy and Daddy dropped the kids off with their Papa Tweety and Mama Sue and went to go get crazy with the Ohio Roller Girls.

Joe really wanted to go because he really thought it would be a T and A show. He bought his $4.00 Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and settled down. He thought these girls were going to just flit around in circles and show off their butts. But- let me tell you something. ANY of these girls could TOTALLY kick his #ss. ANY day of the week. Joe is also the first one to tell you this.

One of my co-workers (Ms. Park during the day) is on the team where she races under the alias Greta Gore-Bone. She is one tough mama. These girls are in full padded gear, mouth pieces, and helmets. There are paramedics on call at every race, and I can vouch for the fact that they were needed several times. I think one girl even broke her elbow!

One fun part of this event was the extremely diverse crowd that attended. You needn't worry that you will fit in. There is a group for everyone. In one set of bleachers, you can see 4 sets of grandparents, next to a group of very dread-locked folks, next to a very female oriented group, who are next to a VERY male oriented group if you catch my drift. Part of the fun was just watching all the people.

Mixed in with all of this are the children of the Roller Girls. Most of them wearing a shirt proclaiming their mama as the meanest, baddest mother of them all. For instance , Greta's son carried a sign that read " My Mom can kick your Mom's butt any day of the week". And after watching my friend race in circles while screaming through her mouth piece and knocking down women twice her size, I don't doubt him one bit. I am just glad I never got in her way when it was her turn for the copier.

If you are in my monthly Mommy's group, just wait for when it is my turn to plan next. It is going to be a good time. We'll make posters.

2 trues....

2007-05-06T21:59:00.000-04:00

Thank you fearless participants.
I have time to explain 2 of the 5 trues.

#1 is true. Yes. Daycare has wasted A LOT of cute little notes and hi-liter ink trying to tell us to bring SMALLER blankets for the duo.

Unfortunately, they were raised by a very blanket prone mother who feels that the larger and more comfy the blanket, the better the sleeping experience for all.

WHY you ask? Well, in the land of daycare, it seems that EVERYTHING must be shared. Simply because they shared a uterus for 36 weeks, they have to share a storage cubby. This storage cubby must contain their coats, their extra clothes, and their blankets that they use at nap time. Yes-- we do pay for 2 children to attend this center. As a teacher, who has taught my share of twins over the years, I am a little indignant about this one. I guess I should just prepare for stuff like this to happen all the time with them. So, my poor children went from using normal healthy sized blankets... to blankets the size of a dish towel.

But-- heh heh... I am not the one who has to suffer through their sleepless afternoon napping period. I just get to pick them up and put them to bed earlier!!

2 is true as well....wahhh.....The very low self esteem lady who was my partner last quarter, found me my the first day of class, planted herself next to me, and hasn't quit whining since. I am trying to be nice... but when she whines about how little free time she has.. (she is single with no kids), how expensive the $45.00 text book is, (she is getting a fee waiver from her very well- paying school district), and how she doesn't think she will ever use this course work (!!!!), I have to grit my teeth a little bit.

So, watchout... all my 5 faithful readers.......
There are more sensational true answers coming your way.

You tell me.

2007-04-30T21:46:00.000-04:00

Hello world!
Still alive... just trying to keep my head above water with all the fun chaos that is my life.

I am stealing this from Des (because my mommy, wife, teacher, student thinking mechanism is FRIED)... I will list some odd ball things... you tell me which things are false. I will then expound on the true things in a future action packed fascinating post.

By the way...just calm down already. There are no prizes. Well, if you'd like, I can find something weird and broken (and possibly sticky) at the bottom of the toybox. Hmmmm....maybe I should save that for the loser.

1. Our daycare is mad because we don't bring small enough blankets.

2. I have the SAME pathetic project partner that I had last quarter.

3. I got a new car!

4. I got a new tattoo!

5. I am going to become a teacher for the blind.

6. On my way to class at OSU, I almost tripped and fell and made an ass of myself because I spotted Troy Smith.

7. I broke my big toe while reaching for light switch after kissing the kids good night.

8. My new sick TV passion is "Engaged and Underage" on MTV.

HINT... 5 are true. 3 are false.
Some of you may know SOME of the true... but who is the master of all??

what chu doin?

2007-04-12T08:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, unbelievable. I have the time to sit and blog twice in 2 days. Who knew?

This week has been my spring break from my job. It has been nice to say the least. I haven't yelled at anyone that I haven't given birth to.

It has been a little stressful too. Stella has learned the phrase..

"Maw-mee? What-chu-doin?"

Which was really cute the first 46 times on Monday. However... three days later... I am a little on edge. After telling her every stinking thing I was doing for 72 hours straight.... "Stella honey, I am cleaning the toilet, Stella dear, I am cleaning out the litter box, Stella, I am unloading the dishwasher ... "

I was about to stick my head in the oven. However, Stella would have been right there asking me about the state of my affairs.

However, I learned that she is slightly more observant than I am giving her credit for. I finally snapped at one point... "What does it look like I am doing??????!!!" I angrily blurted out as I was manhandling 26 pounds of wet laundry into the dryer.

She took a dramatic swig from her cup in a very blunt and Stella-like manner... and said... "Yer doin laundry mom," and turned on one foot and walked away.

Why must I learn everything the hard way?

blah blah blah

2007-04-11T14:32:00.000-04:00

Dear Mother Nature,

Well, it is my Spring Break in Central Ohio...so you know what that means! Yes! Below freezing temperatures and SNOW!! Thank you. Thank you very much.

All of my once budding, gorgeous, yellow, sunshiney daffodils are now laying lifeless, hunched over and fried to a crisp.

My lilac tree (my favorite tree in the whole world) is brown and crispy where there should be gorgeous purple bursting buds.

I am REALLY tired of this winter, and doubting the whole global warming concept more and more each day. It is April 11th, and my poor kids can't go out and play outside.They are standing at the window just staring at the cold pelting rain that thankfully isn't snow today.

My capri pants are laying over a chair yearning for me. They got drug out, used and abused for about a week, and then abandoned for the longer more sensible pants.

However, I haven't been able to give up the sandals. I am that crazy lady baring my toes in the blowing snow.

So... my rambling point, and I do have one...

Please mother nature, please quit being stingy.
Crank up your damn thermostat. My daffodils, lilac tree, capris and my very cold, very stubborn toes will thank you for it.

I am a big girl!

2007-03-21T21:43:00.000-04:00

Well, I have three things to now add to my list of life experiences. All of them happened this week.

#1- I served on a federal jury trial. I went through jury selections, opening statements, witnesses, evidence, listening to ATF wire taps, and then deliberations and the whole reading the verdict bit. Wow. NOT like TV at all... but then again.. kind of like TV. You just have to experience it to understand. An amazingly humbling and powerful thing to go through if you have never done it.

#2 - WAY not as important as serving on a federal jury trial. I went to lunch and a movie ALL myself. I got let out of jury duty early, and we were told to NOT go to work, due to the fact that if we do, then our bosses will expect it to happen every day. GOOD point! So, I went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch, sat all by myself, then walked over to the movie theater nearby. I picked out the movie all by myself. (Dreamgirls) and then sat where I wanted to sit all by myself.
Don't laugh.. I have always been envious of people that I saw going to movies alone. I just could never imagine having the guts to be ALONE at a movie. Don't ask why... it is just one of those goals in life that I set for myself. I liked doing it so much... I am damn sure I will be doing it again. Just don't know when I will have a free afternoon ever again in my life.

#3- Got my grade for my class! A- Yes, I have taken college classes before... yes I have gotten grades before. But-- never have I tried to juggle mommyhood--wifehood-- and teacherhood all at the same time WHILE taking a big official college class. Phew.. it is over.. and guess how stupid I am?? I am going to TRY to take 2 classes next quarter. Both on the same night. Thursdays 5:00-7:18 and 7:30- 9:48. What the hell am I thinking? I just hope I can leave the first class, go to the bathroom, and run like hell to the second class in time. I hate being "that late girl".

The boots

2007-03-10T22:07:00.001-05:00

feb 07 077, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

So, here are the infamous boots.

Grant likes to put them on and try to walk around in them. (And, apparently he likes to also carry his sister's purse....but that is a whole different post ).

I should have taken a side view picture of the spiky heels that make the hooker boots what they are... but just use your imagination.. and note that Joe is having to hold him up.

Finally... it is finals week

2007-03-06T13:17:00.000-05:00

So, going back to school can bring good memories.. but then again.. it can totally bring back some pretty ugly ones. ENTER... finals week!! dumt..dumt...dumm....

My class that I was totally dreading has gone relatively okay. Tomorrow I take a final worth 120 points of 500 for the quarter. I haven't taken a final in possibly 6-8 years. At this point in the class, I have 288 out of 300 points. The only points I have lost came from the first test we took...with tons of ambiguous questions. (well, that is my excuse anyway...)

Tomorrow, I also turn in a group project worth 80 points. I HATE group projects. Both partners are SO nice that it is painful. One is a student advisor and the other one teaches 2nd grade. ALL of us have terribly jam packed lives with no time to meet. So, we have been doing everything over the internet and e-mails have been whizzing past each other like ships in the night.

A slight rant on my group... by Laura
Ahem... I am clearing my throat. Ahem...
Okay.
Why did I have to pick the group with one girl working on her doctoral dissertation? She kept not showing up to class and then when she did come to class.. she kept forgetting the book..(which the project was based on..and she told us not to buy....)

The other girl is very nice... but she is that one clinger on that doesn't do anything until last minute after you spell everything out for her.
"Put flap A into slot B please..."
"Umm... okay... are you sure?? How did you put flap A into slot B? Can you show me again?"

I am sure that they could say fun things about me too.
"God... that woman with twins.. you know that short annoying redhead who always compares everything to something that her funny little girl did last night with her Wiggles accordion??"
God she is a pain!! and she always has snot or applesauce stuck to her shoulder.. and could she possibly have anymore cat hair stuck to her black coat??? If she makes me look at "cute" pictures of her kids one more time... I swear I will..... "

Yes... sigh.. I suppose I should not throw stones. I am sure that I am just as much as a prize to have as a partner. However... let the record show, Stella is priceless when playing with her Wiggles accordion. I am not exaggerating on that one.

Chok-lit

2007-03-04T22:12:00.001-05:00

feb 07 045, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Just a fun Valentine's Day picture.
I was truly concerned that she wouldn't know what was inside the box and was just going to play with it.

Wrong-O. Silly Mommy...

Within about 4.5 seconds, she had ripped the plastic off the box and was repeating "Chok-lit, chok-lit" over and over again. If you enlarge the picture, you can see the chok-lit smeared all over her face.

What the he$$ was I thinking?? This is MY kid afterall. She has literally known chok-lit from the womb.

Grant's world- Joe's feet

2007-03-04T22:02:00.001-05:00

feb 07 038, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

The more I look through the pictures on the camera, the more I realize that Grant really picks very honest , every day moments to capture.
This picture could have come from ANY day of late.

If you are a parent of a toddler, you know exactly who is on the television. If you know my husband, you know exactly who is on my husband's flannel pajama pants.

Just another little Grant's eye- view of our little lives.

Mom's Break.

2007-02-25T20:27:00.001-05:00

feb 07 062, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

I will admit.. . I do get some free time from the kids from time to time.
Usually, it is triggered by the latest U.S Farmer showing up in our mailbox. One new issue can usually last me about 45 minutes or so. In that time, I can pee alone, drink something all by myself, and maybe clean the litterbox without needing a peanut gallery.

The best part is.... the subscription is FREE!!

It IS Fashion Week afterall!!

2007-02-17T13:55:00.001-05:00

feb 07 026, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

When you MUST read a book, and MUST look stylish... please review Grant's fashion sense.

Which is your favorite accessory?
a. The straw hat
b. The price tag on the straw hat
c. The orange beads
d. The red socks
e. Lack of pants
f. All of the above.

Viva Las Indiana!

2007-02-11T20:32:00.000-05:00

Well, we are back. We are broke, and I am officially 30.
What a fun weekend!!!

We got there on Friday night, met up with some great college friends, drank too much, put too much money in slot machines, and stayed up way later than I have without a screaming baby being the reason for it.

Saturday was the day of food. We ate breakfast AND lunch at the glorious buffet, and ate my birthday dinner at a fancy restaurant in the casino. We even ordered a bottle of champagne for the table.. how swanky were we? Then I took some tums and stumbled back to the room.

Sunday morning at 6:10 a.m. brought the casino alarm system screaming to life. "ATTENTION casino guests, Attention casino guests, there is an emergency situation in the building, please wait for further instructions" which repeated itself and blared constantly for the next 20 minutes. I almost wish it was a normal whoop- whoop siren. I stuck my head out in the hall and lots of women dressed just like me, frumpy sweatpants, bad hair, runny makeup, and their husband's t-shirt on, were all peeking out as well. None of us, the illustrious bunch that we were!!, could come up with a game plan, so we all just went back to bed. Finally after 20 minutes, another voice came on, "Attention Casino guests... The situation is now cleared."

Thank GOD!
I had a slight champagne hangover to tend to!

Also.. my absolute favorite part of the weekend.... I got carded TWICE going in to the casino to make sure that I was 18. I hugged the security guard and told her it was my 30th birthday. I was so tickled, I almost handed her my slot machine money.. but I didn't... but now knowing what became of it... I should have!!

29 plus 1

2007-02-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

I will be 30 years old on Saturday. 20+10... 15 +15 ....6*5.....90/3.

Everyone keeps asking me if I am sad or upset about it. To be honest, I am a bit relieved. I really don't mind getting older. I am really proud of all my years and everything that I have weathered in these 30 years of life.

In those 30 years I have held several titles. some of which include baby, child, sister, granddaughter, friend, wife, mommy, teacher, and the list goes on. I cannot wait to see what the next 30 years holds for me. I hope it is as much fun as the first 30.

Had you told me at 20 that at 30 I would have a husband that I am ga-ga over, children that are the cutest (and orneriest) on the planet, healthy parents and siblings, amazing friends that I know I will have for a lifetime, and a career that I am very passionate about.. I would not have believed you. I would have probably guessed that I would have really missed the boat or screwed up at least one or more of those things.

I have to say I am VERY VERY content. Sure there have been some moments in the last 10 years that have rocked me down to my core of being... but I have learned that I am a very strong woman... with one hell of a support system.

So... to celebrate this occasion (and our 5 year anniversary), we are headed to a casino this weekend to celebrate. We have grandparents babysitting for the whole weekend. Some of our old college pals will be there as well.I am going to get to have the time of my life, maybe win my retirement on the nickle slots, and then stumble back to my hotel room with the buttless man of my dreams.

The kicker is I won't have to change anyone's pants but my own.
I can't think of a better way to celebrate.

P.S... the hooker boots are already packed....and so is the tylenol for the massive old -lady hangover that I am sure to have for the trip home.

Grant's world - Issue 3

2007-01-31T22:23:00.001-05:00

DSC00654, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

What is even more interesting than the dirty kitchen floor and mom's butt??

The kitchen ceiling!!!!

4 MORE things...

2007-01-22T20:07:00.000-05:00

I actually REALLY got tagged by SueBob at Red Stapler!! I did !! I did!!! I didn't have to steal this from another blog... I got tagged! (I need to get a life!)

4 Jobs
Teacher- 7th and 8th grade math and science
Teacher- 4th Grade
Cashier- book store
Office help- university office

4 movies I could watch over and over
Office Space
Shawshank Redemption
Calendar Girls
Ferris Buehler's Day Off

4 places I've vacationed
Prague, Czech Republic (study abroad)
Florida
Oregon
New Orleans

4 websites I visit daily
I SO try every day,,, but it just doesn't happen.
See my daily blog fixes to the left

4 of my favorite dishes
With 2 year old twins... we have gotten quite simple here @ Serenity Acres.
Tater Tots and Chicken Nuggets
Fish Sticks and Tater Tots.
Macaroni and Cheese and Fish Sticks
Hot Dogs and Tater Tots.

Yep-- if you can't pick it up to eat it... we don't buy it.

4 places I've lived
Central Ohio
Southern Ohio
Prague (for a summer)
sigh... no #4.

4 places I would rather be
I would rather be... no place else... I love my house, my life, my family. I really like it here!!

4 favorite drinks
Diet Coke
Jack and Coke
Gin and Tonic
A Good Margarita with tons of salt.

4 wishes
Love - Joe and I live happily ever after and keep making each other laugh uncontrollably.
Travel - GO EVERYWHERE!! and I get to go on cruise someday.
Job - Teach special ed in a school where it is taken seriously.
Food - Stop making tater tots for every damn meal.

4 regrets
worrying too much about dumb things. (but... who doesn't!)
not taking more pictures of the duo.
watching too much damn TiVo.. thereby not sleeping enough.
Not sleeping enough.. thereby watching too much damn TiVo. (vicious cycle I tell you!! )

My own 4 (create your own)

4 favorite Kids shows.
Mickey Mouse Club House (it's that hot dog song at the end I tell you!!)
Wiggles (watching my kids.,.. I now know what heroin addiction looks like!)
Johnny and the Sprites (new!! and really good)
Handy Manny ...(Grant loves all the tools...)
***Is anyone else's husband in love with Genevieve on Choo Choo Soul?? Joe stops EVERYTHING for her.

Thoughts please!

2007-01-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

Huge discussion topic in my class. Brought out more talking than any others so far.

Should parents be able to call teachers at home?

Please leave your comments. I will tell you my opinion in the comments.
Yes?
No?
Are you on the fence??

100% so far!

2007-01-15T16:59:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering...

I still have a 100% in my class I am taking on Wednesday nights. I have been to 2 classes (5 hours worth of time).

You do the math. I have been to 2 classes... worth 2 #$$ points each.

Only 496 points left to earn!!

One huge bright spot has been that one of my co-workers gave me the book for the course, so I didn't have to spend the $56.00 for it. I will put that money towards the parking garage.

The reading is pretty good for this class. It discusses relationships between parents and teachers. Why do parents trust us so much sometimes?? Why do parents not trust us at all sometimes??

I am thinking of posting some discussion topics here for people to comment on.
Come back soon!!

2 lousy points a week.

2007-01-07T15:06:00.000-05:00

Finished my first class last Wednesday night after almost walking out.

Yes folks... this is going to be a lot harder than I thought.

#1 I am leaving my kids for one whole week night every week.

#2 I am surrounded by a group of people that all know each other. (Anxiety issues ACTIVATE!!) Most of the people in the class are budding school psychs who are in a cohort together.

#3 There are 500 points available for the quarter. 300 of them will be from tests. 80 of them are from a group project.. where I will try to find a group to work with.

#4 We get 2 points each week for showing up. You might as well give me a used Q-tip. I know that is better than nothing.. but seriously. 2 points a week??? If I wasn't a teacher myself... I might not be this pissed.

Most of the teacher education classes that I have taken in the past are.....shall I say.... hmm... how can I not sound too whiny.... pretty easy. Mostly fluffy...very doable for the working teacher married mommy. You show up, you share things you have done, you watch a documentary or 2, you write some reflection papers, you maybe do a group project or 2, you design some lesson plans that you never use. You know... stuff that working mommy teachers have time for.

Let me have a totally whiny soapbox moment. This is my blog after all...

If I am leaving my house at 6:30 a.m.... trying to teach moody inner city children all day, yet getting into pointless arguments about who is chewing gum, who doesn't remember their locker combination yet (IN JANUARY!!), who tripped who, who was groping who in the hallway... teaching until 4:00.... finding something to eat.. then driving to campus, paying $5.00 for a parking spot, then going to class until 7:30, walking to my car and getting home at 8:30 p.m. (my kids are in bed mind you!!) Please give me more than 2 points. For the most part I knew what I was getting into... I just want more participation points. And yes, I am fully aware that the professor doesn't have to give participation points.

You had best believe I won't be going to class on my 5th wedding anniversary, if I am only going to be rewarded with 2 freaking points.

But.... yeesh. The nerve of those professionals who are trying to make the world a better place. The jerks actually are going to make me work for this.

Grant's world-- Take 2

2007-01-03T21:53:00.001-05:00

DSC00655, originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

And then you wondered....

"What does her kitchen floor look like? And... does she ever mop it? ."

Grant... the world thanks you for documenting your mother's housekeeping and taste in tile.

Grant's world--- Take 1

2007-01-02T21:10:00.001-05:00

DSC00517
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Please DO NOT click to enlarge this picture.

Okay fine ....do it anyway.. it's only my saggy mom butt.

When you are 2... and very short... your view of the world is a bit different from the rest of us.

Grant (Mr. Techie.. or Button Boy) likes to steal the camera and take pictures. Most of the time, I am so thrilled that he is occupied, that I just ignore it. Much to my surprise, I found this in the camera.

This is only the first in a LONG series. I DO promise it will be my only butt shot.

Back to School

2006-12-31T09:46:00.000-05:00

I am so excited I could pop!

On Wednesday January 3rd, I will be starting back to school. I will be starting my Special Ed Licensure. I am doing this for several reasons.

1. I really like working with at risk students.
2. I would really like to work more one on one with students.. or at least in smaller groups. 24 can be quite a chore.
3. I need to make myself more marketable in the Central Ohio teachers' market. There are NO job openings anywhere and there are schools closing everywhere.
4. Go ahead.. find something hard to throw at me... something sharp to stick me with ......I really miss being a college student.
I really love the walking to class, the carrying of the backpack, the sitting in class, being taught, the being a fish in a big sea of people. I even sometimes like the homework.

But... this time it will be a little different. I really haven't experienced school like I will be doing this time around.

1. I am married. (yay!)
2. I am. a. Mommy. (double yay!)
3. I am working full time. (yay!)
4. I am GULP, not college aged this time around. I will be labeled as a "non-traditional student" ( ummm yay??.. don't know how to feel about this one.)
5. I don't live on campus this time around. So.... I won't be able to drink on the way to or from class without having to operate a motor vehicle. (damn.....those were some fun times).

So, stay tuned for some good stories, I am sure there are bound to be some ones to be told. I am fairly sure I can handle this. My god... did you hear the certainty in that?? ...sigh......

Me...2006. A meme

2006-12-28T16:41:00.000-05:00

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before? taught middle school.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? No and No... I never remember them.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes. Lots of friends, family, and co-workers.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Thankfully No.
5. What countries did you visit? Ummm. Just this one. A lot.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? More self confidence.
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? All the mommy nights out that my group of friends started.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting a new job, and teaching hormonal, mouthy middle schoolers everyday.
9. What was your biggest failure? Not getting up early enough in the morning.. and sleeping with the TV on.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? LOTS of colds and nasty flus. Having 2- 2 year old petrie dishes doesn't help things. I have never thrown up this much since I was pregnant.
11. What was the best thing you bought? New hooker boots. They were my Christmas present to me.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My husband. He is the best daddy ever.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? President Bush. Middle school students. Middle school students parents.
14. Where did most of your money go?Hooker boots, Daycare, mortgage, insurance,
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My new job, and my new hooker boots.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006? The Wiggles theme song, and the Hot Dog song from the Mickey Mouse club.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter?Â¨c) richer or poorer? Happier, thinner , poorer....
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? blogging
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? yelling @ the duo, and yelling at my students.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Too late! But it was fun
21. Did you fall in love in 2006? Yes... more in love with my babes, and my husband. They are all pretty damn spectacular.
22. How many one-night stands? Now that is funny. I had 365 of them with my husband. All of them jam packed with insatiable lust and passion... and a blaring TV.
23. What was your favorite TV program? Dog the Bounty Hunter, and Grey's Anatomy
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Hate is a yucky word.
25. What was the best book you read? Million Little Pieces... even if it wasn't a memoir.. it was a fantastic piece of literature.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? I rediscovered Johnny Cash. I LOVE him.
27. What did you want and get? Lots of great time with family and friends (yep.. way sappy) oh yes... and hooker boots.
28. What did you want and not get? A lottery windfall and a maid.
29. What was your favorite film of this year? I really like Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? We went to Amish Country (Honey Run) for a night to celebrate my b-day and our anniversary. I was 29.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A maid.. and a lottery windfall.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? As little snot and drool on my shoulders as possible. Clean clothes are also good.
33. What kept you sane? Wine,liquor, and Lunesta
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Jon Stewart.... he is dreamy.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? George Bush... anyday, any topic. Mostly his stem cell research debate.
36. Who did you miss? My co-workers that I left behind.
37. Who was the best new person you met? All the cool bloggers I have met online and in person.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. Above all... trust your instincts. They are rarely wrong.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Hot Dog.Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog.

Silent Morning

2006-12-25T07:32:00.000-05:00

Shhhh... don't tell anyone... it is Christmas morning.... I am sitting in bed, drinking egg nog, watching my TiVo... (Intervention on A and E). Joe is off doing chores for the morning, and the kids are still in bed. I hear them breathing on the monitor, don't worry.

The gauntlet of in-laws and Christmas will start soon. (in an hour).

I am so PROUD of myself. I stayed up late and set the Christmas breakfast table last night... so that I wasn't scrambling and panicked this morning.

I haven't had a peaceful, carefree moment like this in a long time.

And... next year on Christmas, Grant and Stella will be 3.... moments like this will never EVER happen again.

At the carwash... whoop ..whoop.

2006-12-06T20:56:00.000-05:00

DSC00347
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Click to enlarge this.

I turned around the other day while working in the kitchen, and saw this picture. I guess when you Stella and Grant's height... the dishwasher door does make a nice parking lot.

Should I put in some meters and charge by the hour? I am also a bit concerned about the possibility of drinking and driving.

Warmest Wishes!

2006-12-02T14:19:00.000-05:00

image 2
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

This is the picture on our Christmas Cards this year. Click on it to see it in a bigger window. We tried to cut and paste a toothier smile on Grant... but decided to let him be his goofy little Grant-self. Why lie?

Stella... Stella has never looked more angelic her whole life...

Damn, I have cute kids... and a devilishly cute husband....

November Who??

2006-12-02T12:26:00.000-05:00

Yep- just received a good natured "kick in the pants" blog style.

Not real sure where the entire month of November went either!! My school had blocked groups for awhile, then let them through... then slammed the door shut yet again. So, I am back to only blogging when I am in bed at night. And...I have been just butt wasted tired lately.

Here are some highlights from the Cheerios and Chickens household.

*Stella uttered her first sentence the Monday before Thanksgiving. By sentence I mean SUBJECT VERB NOUN. Wow. Mommy was impressed. With her sentence, I realized that she IS my little girl. What was the sentence you ask....

"I like the butter."
Now you have to realize that this was said in a moment of pure and utter (or butter) joy. She had combed butter through her hair and had it spackled all over her face. "Mommy... Mommmy... I like the butter." Shrieks of laughter followed.

*Grandma Linda fell and broke her foor on Election Day. Who is Linda? Why is she important??? Grandma Linda (Joe's Mom) does 4 days of FREE daycare for us every week. You may as well have just shot me in the forehead. She is slowly but surely recovering.. after reconstructive surgery... !!! So, we have been really stressed and strapped for daycare. If the kids were any younger, I would have probably just taken them in the their carseats to work with me some days. We have 2 other amazing Grandmas (Joe's step-mom, and my mom) that have done MORE than their share. Joe also stayed home one day.

Let this be a lesson to everyone... she broke her foot while standing on a chair dusting. Don't take the risk!

I took a group of students to Cincinnati for the day on November 11th. I went with 12 middle school kids to the Newport Aquarium and Mall for a day. Simply an amazing place to visit. It was a great place to have a group of kids. All the exhibits lead straight into the next one. You really can't get lost. You just go backwards and forwards. Fabulous aquariums and displays everywhere. Slightly expensive to get in, but very worth the trip.

*I have lost my mind... and will be most likely starting my special ed licensure in January. I meet with a counselor this week and see how much of the requirements I have already have completed. I am hoping to take a night class or 2 winter, spring, and then 2-3 classes this summer when the kids have daycare one or two days a week. This is something that I have been thinking about for quite awhile. Not to mention, the Central Ohio Teacher's job market is TIGHT. Not a seller's market at all. The only real openings are in Special Ed. I like my job now.... but I need to keep myself marketable. I am really excited to be a student again. But... I am not excited to be paying tuition though. Oh well!!

*We had the nasty, nasty, ugly, squirty, barfy flu. All of us, except for Joe, managed to have the nastiest flu ever. I got retchedly sick at a teachers' all day training and managed to drive home to my cozy bed. That same day... Grant and Stella got kicked out of daycare for diarrhea. So my mother took them for the rest of the day. How did we thank my mom and dad for their extra babysitting efforts?? We gave them the damn flu too!! My poor mother missed a day of work and my dad claims he will never take a healthy day for granted again.
How Joe missed this bullet, I will NEVER know.

*We attended 4... count them 4... family Thanksgivings.
The beauty of it was.. we didn't have to travel for any of them.
1.Joe's step family was down the road at Grandma Sue's.
2.Joe's mom's family was at Aunt Nikki's down the road.
3.My immediate family was at my parents' house.
4.My Dad's family was then again at my parents' house.
There was no car ride longer than 10 minutes for any of them.
We will NEVER ever be this lucky again for a holiday.

Can't believe November 2006 is already over and done with! December will be even quicker. My duo will be 2 years old on the 21st(so unbelievable!!), then crazy Christmas-palooza week will be right on its heels! Wow.
They were right... it just gets quicker and quicker all the time.

What rough lives they lead ....

2006-10-17T09:52:00.000-04:00

Found this great site. It really brings home what cushy lives we give to our singers, dancers, preformers. You can click on different performers and see their list of requests when they perform live somewhere. (like what kind of flowers, pop, etc that they want backstage) .

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/index.html

For example:

Willie Nelson-- demands that there are NO SMOKING signs posted EVERYWHERE (except on his bus apparently)

Ozzy Osbourne- demands that there is an Ear Nose and Throat specialist on site.

Billy Joel- likes EASY chairs--- BUT heaven forbid NO recliners.

Robin Williams- does not like styrofoam or plastic cups.

Check out your favorite performers. Tell me if you found even more interesting demands than I did. OR tell me what demands you would have for your own performances.

INTENSE!!

2006-10-03T21:24:00.000-04:00

Talk about burning a candle at both ends, the middle, and the sides.

I love the working mom thing... but holy sh$t is it hard.

I have been doing it for over a year now... but I still can't get over the constant tug of war that I feel in my life.I am not good at the stay-at-home all the time gig. I get bored... I get frustrated... I get lazy... I wear the same clothes for 3 days without realizing it. I love spending time with the Duo.. but they are EXHAUSTING. If someone isn't trying to stick a spoon in the dog's ear, then someone else is trying to float their sippy cup in the commode. I could give many other examples, but no one would believe me.

I sneak off to work in the morning, and have about an hour of alone time before the students show up and start yelling at each other. They don't just yell at each other ... they also punch each other... trip each other.... and just overall mess with each other. I spend so much of my time sorting out fights between who hit who.. who punched who... who said what about who's mother... and the list goes on.

I then get in my car and race home to pick up my babies... who the minute I get them home they too..... start tripping each other, punching each other... and maybe even talking some smack about their shared mother. (who knows what they are REALLY saying at this point?).Hmmmm..... I guess 2 year olds and teenagers aren't all that different after all.

Then we try to have a nutritious dinner that didn't (or maybe did) get shoved out a window by someone wearing a headset. We try to take a bath without someone slipping and falling in the tub and then crying themselves into a snotty dither.Then we try to put pajamas on, diapers on, maybe try to act literate and read a book, sometimes right side up... sometimes not....We then go upstairs (usually willingly, thank GOD ) and go to bed.

Then Mommy and Daddy crash.

Sometimes we don't eat in bed... but usually we do. We bring dinner to bed and watch our beloved TiVo. I am usually hugging the laptop, trying to not dump my drink into it while I read blogs... all the while feeling guilty that I don't have the brain power to write my own blog entry.

I am not complaining, I am just sort of releasing stressful points of my life. Maybe it is complaining. Call it whatever you want I guess.I am truly REALLY loving my life right now.. fun babies... wonderful husband... great new job.... but man oh man.... is this intense.

As an example of why my school life is intense... read the entry below.. dooby dooby dooo...

dooby dooby doo....

2006-10-03T20:52:00.000-04:00

Nope.. not the fun little hummy tune from Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night.
Nope not my little Grant trying to say
"Scooby Dooby Doo." (which is VERY cute by the way).

You'll be surprised. VERY surprised.

I busted a 13 year old GIRL (yes I am a sexist teacher) for SMOKING pot at school. Not just AT school. But in the BATHROOM right next to 4 classrooms. HOW stupid can you be??

I can fathom being flipped off by a student... but I CAN'T fathom a 13 year old girl having the guts to toke it up in the bathroom right next to a classroom.

Tell me.
Be honest.
Be anonymous if you wish..... Tell me the WORST thing you did in middle school (while you were in the actual school building.)

Hello Sportsfans!!

2006-09-16T21:07:00.000-04:00

I can't remember the last time I got to poop by myself at home. With almost 2 year old twins...it is becoming increasingly similar to that of an announced sport. I have started to call my children Foghorn Leghorn and Howard Cossell. If I had triplets, I would name that one Paul Revere.

Let me set the scene...
Mommy sneaks off with a magazine... and slightly shuts the door. She thinks she is finally going to get away for a couple of minutes with her 3-week old PEOPLE magazine that just hasn't gotten the respect and gawking it deserves.

Grant and Stella suddenly realize that they are not being watched like a hawk. You would think they would go do something REALLY bad.. but no... Mommy must NOT, I repeat NOT have ANY privacy.

Howard Cossell - starts bellering "Mamee? Mameeeeeee????"

Mommy-- desperately trying to NOT say anything.. but then the mother guilt soaks in --"I'm in the bathroom."

Foghorn Leghorn - throws open the door, slamming it into the wall.

Howard Cossell- following right along behind.

Foghorn Leghorn -Mamee poop?? Poop Mamee??

Howard Cossell - Poop? Mamee?? Mammeeee?? Pooooooop???

Mommy- ... sighing heavily...almost on verge of tears with head in hands... "Yes, Mommy is pooping. I am going to the bathroom."

Howard and Foghorn ..now standing at the commode with poor pooping Mommy. Both trying to peer in and see if Mommy has done her job. Usually one of them has stolen Mommy's magazine and has started to rip all the pages out. Usually they only go for the articles that Mommy hasn't read yet.

Foghorn - Starts ripping toilet paper off the roll for Mommy to use. (Note... no piece is bigger than a quarter... if per chance that is larger than a quarter.. it must be ripped again!!)

Foghorn and Howard - upon seeing that Mommy has completed the task at hand, both begin screaming, jumping up and down, and saying "YAY Mameee!! Mamee poop!!! Yook!!(Look) Mameee poop!

(sometimes they are SO excited for me... that they are jumping around so much that I can barely yank my pants back up.)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
So, let this be my Public Service Annoucement, if you are ever feeling a little down, and need some encouragement, I know just the two little people that have VERY low standards. They would love to make you feel like you have just accomplished something quite spectacular.

They haven't high fived each other yet... but I think that isn't far off.

No you din't!!

2006-09-12T19:36:00.000-04:00

Yes he did.

I started my 6th year of teaching a couple of weeks ago. A lot has happened in those 6 years. I have been cried on, yelled at, hugged, kissed, barfed on, and received every weird and wonderful teacher gift in the world.

TODAY.. after all those years of teaching... something new happened. I guess I have been a virgin of sorts.

Today.. for the first time in my life (as a teacher mind you) ... I got flipped off by a student. He flew me the bird. He sent me middle finger mail. He told me I was number one. Does anyone else have any better euphamisms for this???

(By the way... Mama wasn't thrilled to get a phone call at work. Even funnier.. Mama is the financial manager for a troubled youth home.)

Longtime no blog...

2006-09-10T21:32:00.000-04:00

It has been awhile since I had the time and or the gumption to blog. I have been very busy the last couple of weeks.

The biggest reason I haven't had the time to blog... and or read and comment on other blogs is.. they blocked blogs at my school. ...sigh..... I can't read or comment on anything remotely related to a blog. It wasn't until I couldn't look at them... that I realized how often I look at them. Maybe this is a good thing when it comes to my job performance. :)

Anyway, I have officially started teaching at my new school. Which also means that I am learning A LOT of things myself. Wow. Talk about a different world. Becuase of this job, I have never felt more stress, and more fulfillment from teaching. I teach 7th grade science and 8th grade math. I absolutely love my new job. Every day is a new challenge, and really nothing ever goes as planned. (Being the mother of almost 2 year old twins helps in this area.)

In summary...

*I teach kids who brought no school supplies to school.
*I teach kids who have parents in jail.
*I teach kids who don't know what the term "agriculture" means.
*I teach kids who don't have a yard. They come to school to have recess and gym class in our parking lot.
*I teach kids who haven't seen or heard from both their mother or father in years.
*I teach kids who have failed 2-3 times.
*I teach kids who are the mouthiest people I have EVER known. (believe me.... there is some very stiff competition in this category.)
*I teach kids who (after I make them answer a written question on paper with a pencil) make me feel like I have gone 6 rounds with Mike Tyson.
*I teach kids who keep asking me why I care so much.

I seriously love this job. I have never felt so necessary in all my life. The scary part is.. this is not a public school. This is a charter school. This means that the families/ guardians of the students had to go above and beyond to get their children out of their neighborhood school. It makes me wonder what other inner city schools are like.

Just call me the new girl.

2006-08-29T05:01:00.000-04:00

Yes- I am the "new girl" at my new teaching job. Things are going very well, and I am very excited for students to arrive tomorrow, August 30th. However.... being the aforementtioned new girl means that I am asking silly questions and commiting faux paus left and right.

Stumbling points for me.. the new girl.

1.There is no teacher's lounge. (there is a tiny tiny closet with a microwave and 3 mini(yes 3!!) fridges stacked on each other... but no lounge). I am also finding out that my classroom will be in use by another teacher during my planning period and maybe my lunch period. If you see me grading papers in my car... don't be surprised.

2. The teacher in the room next to me.... sings at the top of her lungs to her Ipod...alll day long. Simon Cowell would not be pleased. I haven't had another classroom within 40 yards of me in 5 years..this is going to be an excercise in patience.

3. I am not in the "in crowd" with my new teachers, because..... I am not a HUGE fan of Turkish soccer. No kidding... the default password for all e-mail and computer access is a turkish soccer team name. I work with around 10-12 Turkish men.

The following conversation actually happened:

Computer man.
"Okay, Laura , log into your e-mail account for me."

Me
"Umm... I can't."

Computer man
"What do you mean? Why not?"

Me
"I can't remember the name of your favorite Turkish soccer team."

Computer man
pause....pause..... pause... NOT joking... "Sigh...fine .. it's Fenerbahce."

me
"Ummm right...yes..ummm.... so can you type that in for me?"

Computer man (more than slightly irritated.. types it in.)

Me
"Umm... do you think it be okay if I reset my password to something else?"

Computer man
Again.. not joking....and slightly accusatory.. "Why would you want to? Are you sure you'll remember it??"

me
"Um. Actually yes. Somehow, I think I'll manage."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am remembering back to all other moments of humbling social insecurity I have suffered through in the past. Not once did I ever think no knowledge of Turkish soccer would be in that list.

I am guessing this is just a slight TASTE what it feels like to be Turkish...... and live in Central Ohio in the fall. Humbling I am sure.

Goodbye Dr. W..........

2006-08-21T15:15:00.000-04:00

Just found out through the small town grapevine... that our wonderful pediatrician (Dr. W) is leaving town!!

Dr. W is about 30 years old, yet looks like he is 12. (no kidding). I am a little taller than he is. (By the way, I am 5'2 on a very good day.)

It took me about a year to like him... and now he is moving away. He is VERY VERY good, but in the beginning, he was a VERY VERY big hard#ss when he dealt with my children. It took us 4 wellchecks before we didn't end up in some specialist's office after our well check appointment. He could ALWAYS find something wrong with one of the kids.

Once it was Grant's mishapen head, another time Stella was breathing too raspy... then Grant's iron was low... yadda yadda.

It got to the point where Joe and I would place bets on which kid... and which body part would be the issue.

But-- we do have to give him credit for his anal-ness. He caught Grant's big tummy issue when he was only 8 weeks old. Grant's tummy valve was growing shut, and he kept throwing everything up. Dr. W caught it WAY early. When we made it to Children's Hospital with our sick little boy, everyone was very impressed that he wasn't in much worse shape due to dehydration. Grant's surgery went very well because he wasn't more shriveled up and scrawny. (he was a measly 8 lbs!! There wasn't much to lose!)

So...apparently...sigh.... as usual, I don't have a choice in this matter.

Maybe I should just be glad that one of the few people who has seen me stark- buck naked AND pregnant with twins, is leaving town. (!)

Wow. They were right!

2006-08-21T15:10:00.000-04:00

If you have a minute... go take this quiz. I was surprised it was correct!!

You Are Likely a Second Born

At your darkest moments, you feel inadequate.
At work and school. you do best when you're evaluating.
When you love someone, you offer them constructive criticism.

In friendship, you tend to give a lot of feedback - positive and negative.
Your ideal careers are: accounting, banking, art, carpentry, decorating, teaching, and writing novels.
You will leave your mark on the world with art and creative projects.

The Birth Order Predictor

Buckeye Rules...

2006-08-17T23:25:00.000-04:00

It is getting to be that time of year again..... my mother sent this to me...

Buckeye Rules. (AKA... things that are just a given if you live in Central Ohio)

1.It is OK to wear an OSU football jersey even when old....and fat....and bald. Extra points if you've got an OSU baseball cap on backwards.

2. Always, and I mean ALWAYS, return any "O...H" with a hearty "I...O." This is true even during funerals, sex, in foreign countries or when witnessing the birth of your child.

3.When Notre Dame plays Michigan, it is mandatory to despise both teams. There are no winners.

4.You despise the following teams, in order: Michigan, ND, USC, Miami (that's Florida), and Bama

5. It is OK to be emotional (and even "tear up") during the following:
-Script Ohio
-Your child's first Buckeye game
-Carmen Ohio
-During a Tressel speech
-Listening to "What I Want"
-Remembering Woody
-After beating Michigan
-Winning the National Championship
-When NFL Buckeyes state on Monday Night Football that they are from "THE" Ohio State University.
-Hearing the phrase, "Rest easy Woody, the new man has arrived."
-Ramp entrance

6.Never listen to Brett Musberger or Keith Jackson on TV.It's okay to watch the game
while listening to 1460 on the radio.

7.It is not cool to make fun of the Neutron Man. Especially now that he is watching games with Woody.

8. Buckeye necklaces must be worn at all times on game day from the time you leave your place of abode until you return.

9.Always take off your hat during Carmen Ohio and physically remove the hats of anyone in your vicinity who fails to do so.

10. Everyone should rush the field after an OSU home victory over Michigan at least once in their lifetime. (Extra kudos for those of you who rushed the field at IU and tore down THEIR goalposts a few years ago...c'mon you know who you are!).

11. Attending Skull Session is mandatory at least once each season.

12. ESPN employees must be verbally taunted at every opportunity, especially Kirk Herbstreit.

13.We must all pray that the next president of OSU has more of a clue than the present one.

14. When you die, you must have at least one item of Buckeye memorabilia with you. (Specify which one in your will, that way your spouse won't pick something stupid).

15.You must be willing to die to defend your right to drink beer during tailgates.

16.Recruiting must be followed as intensely as any game. This is true even if it puts your job/career at risk.

17. Attend the Spring Game. It makes it easier to survive the summer.

18. When in church, it is not sacrilegious to count being a Buckeye as one of your blessings.

19.Try to never boo a former or current Buckeye football player.

20.When making fun of guys in marching bands always caveat your comments with a statement that, regardless of what you just said, anyone in TBDBITL is very cool.

21. Admit that secretly, you wished you played tuba and could dot the "i." You'd even be willing to put on a few dozen pounds to look the part.

22.You would not trade the opportunity to swill beer while listening to The Danger Brothers after an OSU victory over Michigan for tickets to any rock band that has ever existed.

23.It is important to consider the "good old days" ARE NOW. Enjoy them even when OSU doesn't win the National Championship.

24. Scarlet and Gray always works. Maize and Blue is always gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

25.Drinking alcohol before 9:00 A.M. is, at best, immature, and likely, a sign of a serious problem. Except on game day!!!!!

26. It is never ok to talk to a stranger at the urinal next to you unless he is dressed in OSU garb. That said, the topic should be limited to Buckeye football.

27. There are no bad seats in Ohio Stadium.

28.If you attend a game at Wisconsin, you must never engage in "Jump Around" at the end of the third quarter no matter how tempting. Also, never, and I mean never,
take your kids to a Wisconsin game unless you want to explain why everyone there are drunken jerks.

29. If your wife/husband asks you what was the greatest night of your life, admit the truth that it was January 3, 2003.

30. Plant a Buckeye tree in your yard.

31. Hang a Buckeye flag on game day. If any of your neighbors counter with a Michigan flag, it is your solemn duty to tear it down and deface it anyway you see fit.

32.It is "ok" to not get the drum major thing; it is "not ok" to fail to cheer when the plume touches the field.

33. In honor of Woody, the principle of "paying forward" should be practiced at all times by all Buckeyes.

and the MOST IMPORTANT RULE:

Never agree to get married on a Saturday Ohio State is scheduled to play football.
There are typically 40 other freakin' weekends to choose from...sack up and make her/him choose one of those!
and ... Never attend a wedding during an Ohio State football game unless you
carry a TV......and watch it even during the ceremony.

4 Things..

2006-08-15T20:48:00.000-04:00

In case anyone wondered....

A) Four Jobs I've had in my life:
1. Teacher
2. Ice Cream Slinger
3. Office slave
4. Cashier

B) Four Movies I could watch over and over:
1. Office Space
2. Chocolat
3. Big Chill
4. Shawshank Redemption

C) Four places I have lived:
1. Central Ohio
2. Columbus Ohio
3. Prague (for a summer)
4. Chillicothe Ohio

4 Shows I love to watch:
1. Dog the Bounty Hunter (hopelessly hooked right now!!)
2. MASH-- hopelessly hooked for life
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

E) Four places I've been on vacation:
1. Oregon
2. Florida
3. Tennessee
4. New Orleans

F) Four Web sites I visit:
1. Blogs, blogs, blogs, blogs
2. Fark.com
3. Cnn.com
4. my yahoo middle school science teacher group

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Peanut Butter cookies
2. Peanut Butter and chocolate
3. Peanut Butter and jelly
4. Peanut Butter on a spoon

H) Four Places I'd rather be right now:
1. Taking a nap
2. I should be folding laundry
3. I should be cleaning the kitchen
4. I should be cleaning up 2 days of twin clutter in the living room.

I know Victoria's Secret!

2006-08-11T09:41:00.000-04:00

You want to know what Victoria's Secret is???

Her d#mn bra fits right.

It has been 5 years since I bought myself a nice new bra. 5 years. In 5 years, I have gotten married, had 2 babies, tried to breast feed those babies, lost and gained almost 75-ish pounds. The whole time, I was wearing the same assortment of bras. Yikes. They are a sad stretched out pile of elastic, safety pins, and broken hooks. Some have been sewn back together on a sewing machine, others just knotted and put back into rotation.

When I was attempting to breastfeed the duo, I did buy myself 3 nursing bras. The cheapskate that I am.. I bought the least expensive ones, and proceeded to fall madly in love with them. They have been my NICE bras for the last 20 months. So sad.

I have been claiming to be a 38C for the last 10 years or so. However, things just never felt right. I was too busy to worry about it. When I was pregnant the 38C was too tight, and I busted many a wire and strap. After pregnancy, I didn't really worry about the size, I just slapped on a bra, changed the hooks and straps accordingly, and went on with things.
Sometimes it felt too tight, other times too saggy.

This last Wednesday was Daycare Day. The day that Mommy lives for all week. I get to order a $3.00 coffee and drink it all myself. I get to read a book without getting a page ripped out. I get to go to the potty with the door closed. I get to unroll my own toilet paper. I get to shop without pushing a stroller the length of a limo. And the list goes on. Anyway... I finally sucked up my pride, my courage, and my credit card. I went to Victoria's Secret and got professionally fitted for the first time in my whole life.

At first I felt a twinge of "Oh dear God, someone is going to see my boobs!!". But, then I remembered that I went through 2 years of infertility, and then had twins via c-section. Even my kids' pediatritian has seen me naked. He was on call that night and was in the delivery room. I have no secrets anywhere I go.

Somehow, I had a huge wind of braveness with me on Wednesday afternoon. A sales lady (complete with headset) walked up to me and asked me if she could help me. Most times I say "No, I am fine. Just looking around" and then I immediately duck and cover and scurry off to the 2.99 underwear bin in the corner to look for a bargain.

I actually worked up the nerve and said "Yes, I need to be fitted. I breastfed twins, and haven't had a new bra in 5 years." (Apparently this approach worked very well). The woman looked at me bug eyed and said "Wow, 5 years?? Twins?? Honey, you are in the right place." Within 30 seconds, I found myself 1/2 naked in a dressing room with a 20 year old clerk named Amanda. She started taping and measuring and taping and measuring. I was then left alone with an ocean of C and D cups. I started trying things on, and I about collapsed from amazement. I had NO idea that bras could actually... feel ...not so bad!! I started trying things on and realizing that my bra strap shouldn't be 4 inches from my neck line. My back fat doesn't HAVE to hang out on every side, and the girls don't have to be slammed together creating a river of sweat. They can each hang out on "their side" of the world and be content.

According to Amanda, I am actually a 36D. If you watch Oprah, I was in the 80% of all women who are walking around in the wrong size bra. Tisk...tisk..

I also learned some pointers on bras that I really haven't ever followed
1. Don't immediately wear your new bra on the first hook. If you stretch it out... you don't have anywhere to go.
2. Don't wash your bras in the washing machine. It wears them out so much faster. (this will be hard for me)
3. You don't have to have underwires to support your big boobs. If you pay enough... Victoria and company will engineer something that does an even better and more comfortable job.

I ended up buying 3 new bras. 3 new very expensive bras. 3 bras that each cost more than I usually pay for nice shoes. But d*mmit, they fit. They actually fit.

P.S. I thought about keeping a couple of my comfy nursing bras around... but I was on such a kick that my new bras felt so very good.. that I donated them ALL to Goodwill that afternoon.
Who am I fooling?? They were SO crappy that I am sure they have already been thrown in the trash.

Packing the Terrible Towels.

2006-08-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

Friday morning, we are leaving for another road trip with the children to Pittsburgh. We are crazy. Super nuts. Certifiably insane after the heinous-ness that was Chicago. Yet again, Uncle Jason is going along as damage control. How on EARTH he didn't move and change his phone numbers after our last trip to Chicago... I will never know.

Why are we going you may ask? Well, we are visiting our Auntie Cindy and her husband, Uncle Brian. They have a house in Pittsburgh and we haven't been there yet.

Fun things we are going to do in Pittsburgh.
1. As little as possible.
2. Go to the strip. (a big stretch of little ethnic markets)
3. Shop at IKEA and dream of a time when children don't throw up down the couch.
4. Leave IKEA with shattered dreams.... remembering that it will be YEARS (after college maybe) when our children stop throwing up down the couch.

Reasons why Pittsburgh will be easier.. I hope.
1. Only a 3 hour drive. Not 6-7.
2. We won't be in a tiny cramped hotel room. We will all have our own room. The babies will get their own floor.
3. We don't have to get dressed up and look nice for a wedding.

Reasons why Pittsburgh might not be easier..
1. Brian and Cindy don't have a/c.
2. Brian and Cindy don't have a TV. (???)

Joe has already announced that without a/c and TV... he might as well be sleeping in the woods.

Thank God. What a relief!!

2006-07-29T16:22:00.000-04:00

Found this fun little bloggy thing.... but have to say I was a bit nervous taking the 8 question quiz. After all... I am going to teaching Middle School Science for the first time this fall.
By the way... had I failed it.. I wouldn't have shared my results.

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

Devil Mom

2006-07-26T16:12:00.000-04:00

may-june 087
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Sorry about the red eye.. I don't know how to fix that yet.

Just a quick picture of me and my monkeys. They are so much fun and trouble right now.

Yep-- that is indeed old blue. (Grant's now infamous security fly swatter).

My eggs. My choice.

2006-07-21T13:32:00.000-04:00

Usually I post about silly little mommy and baby things that happen in my everyday life. However, this whole stem cell research veto has me VERY worked up this week. I am upset. VERY upset. I truly in my bones feel like my sense of privacy and choice will be taken.

This week, George W. Bush, vetoed a very controversial bill. While he did that, he also used a room full of IVF children as propaganda against research. My husband and I became very ill at the thought that Mr. Bush was using a room full of very wanted and very loved children against the use of non- wanted, stored embryos in research.

Here is MY story of why I deserve an opinion. Hopefully I can help other people form their own educated opinions.

-Background-
I have PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome). PCOS is a disorder where you don't ovulate and eggs don't drop off like they should. Instead your eggs just hang on and become cysts. Cysts that then prevent the other eggs from falling off too. So, when your eggs don't fall off, they can't meet sperm. Very nice when you don't want to get pregnant. Slightly a pain in the ass when you DO want to get pregnant.

We were married in 2002.After much discussion, we decided that our house wasn't sticky enough, and that there weren't enough mystery items stuffed in the couch. We also secretly wanted to shower while tripping on slippery bath toys. We, Joe and Laura, privately made the choice that we wanted to be parents.

It was a rough road to hoe. We. went. through. a lot.

IVF requires a lot of tough choices to be made. Just for instance, we already know who gets custody of the embryos if we divorce (!). And, not once did we call the president and ask him what he thought we should do. And you know.. he has never called me to discuss his body parts EITHER. How rude... considering that he is right now telling me what to do with mine.

I was on several cheaper meds (cheap being $100 a cycle) and then we moved onto expensive meds. (expensive being $2,000 a cycle). I took medications that made me throw up and wish I were dead. My husband had to inject me up to 4 times a day in the stomach. Once, because my husband's absence, my father even had to inject me. We didn't take vacations or buy new clothes because of the cost. Month after month ticked by. I cried thinking I wasn't supposed to me a mommy. I refused to go to baby showers. I cried thinking that my parents wouldn't get to be grandparents. I was mad at every baby or pregnant lady I saw. I had 2 miscarriages. After those miscarriages, I had to take "things" in ziplock bags to the lab to be tested. I cried wondering what those children would have looked like. What we would have named them.. when their birthdays would be. Anyone who has miscarried knows all these things that you wrack your brain with in the days and weeks afterwards. People tell you that there is a plan.. that things weren't perfect... blah blah....it's God's way... yak yak...

After 12-14 cycles (2 years) of different meds, different herbs, accupuncture (!), and standing on my head, we moved onto IVF. Our doctor told us IVF was looking like our only choice. We had also looked into adoption... and adoption was almost twice as expensive. So, we had decided to try IVF a few times, and then move on to adoption if necessary. (We were in the paperwork phase of adoption when I got pregnant.)

IVF is rough. It is rough on your body, your marriage, your wallet, and your mind. You wonder if you should be doing this. You wonder if you should just take a cruise with the money instead. You wonder if you should adopt kids you see on TV instead of making a baby that has your eyes and your husband's smile. You don't want to tell people. You don't want people to know that your body doesn't work right. You don't want people to know that you spend 6 hours in the stirrups every week with 4 different doctors. You don't want people asking you if you are pregnant yet. You don't want advice. You don't want people telling you to "just relax" and it will happen.

Amazingly for us, IVF worked very well on the first try. We managed to retrieve 24 eggs on my only retrieval on April 29th, 2004. 14 of those fertilized into embryos. We implanted 2 embryos on May 4th, 2004. I was very sick and very pregnant for 36 weeks. December 21, 2004, I gave birth to those bouncing baby embryos. One is Stella Kate. One is Grant Roy. They were children that we very much chose to have.

We have 12 embryos left in storage. We choose to pay $300 a year for their storage.Joe and I are also 99.5% sure that we are done having children. We aren't ready to sign off all rights yet..and when we do, I know I will be sad, but I can't pay for 12 more children. (Yipes... I can barely afford diapers for 2.)

With George Bush... Here are the 2 possible things that can happen to our 12 embryos.

1. Donate to other infertile couples. We will choose to do this eventually. Joe and I will undergo lots of bloodtests, physicals etc. The eligible couples then screen 30 year medical histories on each of us , and then decide. However, there is a HUGE waiting list of desperate couples and not very many embryos. So, embryos are never turned down. We will never know who gets the embryos, or if they get pregnant and give birth. Part of me wants to know.. another part of me thinks that would just be plain weird and disturbing.
We know what it is like to want babies and not have them. I would love to let another woman know what it is like to feel the first kick, the first hiccups, and wear cutesy maternity clothes.
(By the way.. I really feel that George is really manipulating the public using the word ADOPT. In my IVF experiences, NO professional has ever used that term with us.)

2. Let the embryos divide out until they die. Seriously, This is the ONLY other choice!! George Bush would rather discard them and waste their potential than use them in research.

Here is the other option that people should have...

3. Donate the embryos to research. I wish I could expound even farther with this, but it isn't even known what medical miracles could happen with this. I have several friends and family members with conditions that could greatly gain from stem cell research. (why is letting embryos die better than possibly helping my 56 year old aunt with Multiple Sclerosis??!!).

My point.. and I hope I do have one...

All in all, ultimately this issue is about choice and privacy. This should not be twisted into something that involves politics OR religion. This should be something that after a lot of late night talks and careful consideration, that the couple (WHO made the embryos) privately chooses to do.

Please, George W. Bush, you have no idea what I went through to make those eggs. You don't have the right to tell me what I can and can't do with them.

New j-o-b!!

2006-07-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

I am excited. I am VERY excited. About 3 weeks ago, I accepted a job from a Charter School in Columbus. I will most likely be teaching 6-7 grade science and tutoring in math.

Things that will make my next job VERY cool.

1. As a teacher, I am REQUIRED to set up 2 field trips a year. In my last job.. we were barely allowed to take ANY field trips. The ONE we did take had to be after the proficiencies were over.

2. 60% tuition reimbursement. WOW. Simply unheard of in education. In my old job, there was a pot of money 2-3 times a year... you took the number of people and divided the pot that many ways. Sometimes you walked away with a couple hundred bucks. Other times... you just laughed and took yourself to Wendy's with the windfall you received.

3. There will be students and teachers of MANY races and backgrounds. In my old job.. HAH!!! Diversity was not even thought about. We were all mostly different shades of pasty white. (except for you Betsy..you are so gloriously tan!!)

4. My new classroom will not be in a basement that floods. In my old job, yesiree I was in a basement that flooded...not to mention SMELLED bad.

5. The students are REQUIRED to wear uniforms. Old school...no uniforms.. just a poorly enforced dresscode.

6. At the end of the school year... if I do my job and such... I will get a 10% bonus of my ENTIRE salary. I am taking a bit of a pay cut.. but wow. 10% bonus of any salary isn't too shabby.

7. My school is RIGHT behind an oil and lube express. In my old job... I had to actually... take my car there on my own time. Can you imagine the trauma that I have endured??? I actually have a horrid history of abusing my cars with infrequent oil changes. Once, my dad checked my oil level... and I had the balls to ask him how the level looked. He looked me square in the eye and said... "it's an inch below dumb#ss." Another time, I thought I was being a REAL overacheiver... so I filled my oil up as far as it would go. I told Joe (then my boyfriend) how blazing proud I was of myself. Thank GOD I told him... or I might have exploded my engine. Whoops. Apparently... you can have too much of a good thing.

8. New school is located near several restaurants and shopping places. This may be good for the belly... but BAD for the old pocketbook. In my old job.... I could drive 1/8th of a mile and buy stamps at a post office... or go to the Marathon gas station for a sandwich. There was a selection... if you like sandwiches.

9. I will be moving from elementary to middle school. Yes-- there will be MANY downsides to this.. like hormones and sexually active students... but there won't be class parties that I have to run. I won't have to walk them to go potty. ( I hate leading a line of 20 or so little duckies down the side walk while walking backwards saying "Jacob STOP that! Lindsay I SAID stop TALKING!!") I won't have to make cute little first day of school door decorations with everyone's first name on them. I hate that too. Yes-- cute for elementary... but NOT necessary in the middle school. I really did love 4th grade... but having to baby the kids was wearing on me.

10. Joe and I are going to SHARE the picking up and dropping off of the duo for daycare. In his defense.... daycare was on the way to my old school.. but day in and day out... it got a little old.. and not so fun sometimes, dealing with my in-laws twice a day every day. I love them dearly... and I am sure that they are sick of me sometimes as well. So, this will be nice. Our plan is that one of us will pick up and one of us will drop off. Yes.. with farming and teaching, there has to be some exceptions... but this will be nice.

Well.. I am sure that there are more reasons to be excited... but 10 seems to be a nice number to stop at for now.

I was at my old job for 5 years. It was a very predictable, comfortable job. But- I always wanted a little bit more. So, I sucked it up, pulled up my big girl panties, adjusted my nursing bra (that I am still wearing) ... and made a change. Yay me! I have to admit that I am very proud of myself. I could have easily stomped around and b$tched about it for 5 more years...but I didn't. I got myself a new job instead!

Hallelujah! We're home!

2006-07-17T15:18:00.000-04:00

LONG POST!!

Our little 36 hour vacation was anything but a vacation. We have been home since Saturday at 5:00. I just didn't have the urge to blog yet. H$ll, I haven't had the urge to do laundry yet.

Chicago low points..and high points in order.

-low point- Stella had a horrendous melt down in a 2 hour traffic jam on the way into Chicago. The only thing that would calm her down was ripping up an US magazine. (I have to agree with Stella... it was a pretty trashy issue.) This was ripped into confetti sized pieces. (After this... I will always travel with a magazine to shred.)

+high point+ The bride and groom left us a big fun snacky-goody bag that we got when we checked in. VERY nice!!

-low point- Grant wouldn't calm down enough to go to sleep the first night. We heard this very suspicious hiccup and URP come from his side of the room. He had barfed all over his bed. Washing out french fries and orange juice puree in the hotel tub was a blast.

+high point+ We all got to swim in the hotel pool. Very nice pool! We learned that Stella is a natural swimmer. She is a fish I tell you!! Grant on the other hand would much rather run the length of the wet slippery poolside trying to give mommy a heart attack.

-low point- They woke up from their pre-wedding nap in horrible moods. They
cried and cried and didn't want to get dressed.... it was a special time. They only wanted Mommy to hold them... but Mommy wanted to get dressed and look pretty. Imagine holding 55 lbs of child while trying to put on mascara. Wheee!!

+high point+ The directions to the wedding were pretty easy to follow. (Yes-- I am really trying to reach for a good point.)

-low point- At the wedding... Grant and Stella couldn't even make it through the processional music. We ended up spending the whole wedding ceremony in the church play room. I do have to admit.. it was a nice play room. We also got to play with our 3 year old cousin Ava from Milwaukee. She couldn't sit through it either. Which made me slightly feel better.

+high point+ The bride and groom and the whole wedding party drove away from the church in a..... TROLLEY car. Very cool. Had never seen one of those before.

-low point- Grant looked fantastic in his little shirt, tie, and little seersucker pants...until there was no changing table..... and Joe was changing him out in the lobby (reception) and Grant started peeing on the floor. Apparently... Grant's pants were the only item that could catch pee. Soooo.. my son wore a shirt and tie with striped gym shorts for the rest of the reception.

+high point+ OPEN BAR!!!! OPEN BAR!!!!

+high point+ There were high chairs WAITING for my children. We didn't have to beg for them!! They were actually waiting to be sat in!!

+high point+ There were gifts for my children at the table! There were children's books with gift tags waiting on us.

=medium point= All Stella wanted to do was dance by herself on the monstrous dance floor!! It was very cute... but Mommy wanted to eat and get a buzz on from the Open Bar.

+high point+ Stella and Grant got to meet their twin cousins. Patrick and Peter are 28 year old twins. (whom live in Wisconsin.) They are the aforementioned Ava's uncles. I told Patrick and Peter that their mother is a SAINT. I also told them that they need to be nice to their mother for eternity.

+high point+ Grant and Stella fell asleep immediately when we left the parking lot.

-low point- We were lost for an hour when tried to find the hotel.

+high point+ we all fell asleep pretty quick at the hotel at 11:30. We put them in bed wearing their wedding clothes. ( If it ain't broke, don't fix it. )

-LOWEST POINT- Grant woke up @ 4:45 a.m. SCREAMING and wouldn't go back to sleep. Ergo, Stella woke up confused and screaming. Why? Because apparently there was something to scream about. Then, they only wanted Mommy to hold them. So, I tried to fall asleep while standing in the corner.

+high point (for me) + My saint of a husband put the children in the car and tried to get them to fall asleep again. They wouldn't go back to sleep... so he brought them into the lobby of the Hotel at 6:00 and they all ate breakfast from the breakfast bar. *NOTE* Joe was wearing his naked lady pajama pants with his penny loafers. Grant was still wearing his shirt, tie, and gym shorts. Stella was in her little dress. According to Joe, the single college guy working the night desk kept looking at them and laughing.

++HIGH POINT+++ We decide to pack up and leave the fine town of Chicago @ 7:00 a.m.

FINAL POINTS...... we got home safely... but I developed a urinary tract infection on the drive back. What is even BETTER than a UTI??? Jury Duty. I had a letter for Jury Duty lurking in my mailbox when we got home. Not just normal local county jury duty. No, I have been drawn for United States Circuit District Court. Something tells me I won't get out of this too easily.

In Conclusion, between the vomit,the screaming, the pee, the UTI, and the jury duty, I don't think we will be visiting Chicago anytime soon. In fact, we might not leave the house until THEIR weddings.

A nap in the life....

2006-07-11T14:33:00.000-04:00

DSC00171
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

This is a very frequent scene with the duo.

All I can say is "ouch".

Funny Forward

2006-07-11T13:27:00.000-04:00

I have gotten this forward 3 times this week.

-- I laugh EVERY time.

The father of one of my kids

A guy goes to the supermarket and notices a beautiful blond woman wave at him and she says hello.

He's rather taken aback, because he can't place where he knows her from.
So he says, "Do you Know me?"

To which she replies, "I think you are the father of one of my kids."

Now his mind travels back to the only time he as ever been unfaithful to his wife and says, "My God, are you the stripper from my Bachelor Party that I laid on the pool table with all my buddies watching, while your partner whipped me with wet celery ???"

She looks into his eyes and calmly says, "No, I'm your son's math teacher."

Are we there yet?

2006-07-10T13:46:00.000-04:00

This Thursday afternoon, things are going to get interesting. REALLY interesting if you are following a big brown Dodge Durango across the state of Indiana. Brace Yourselves.

Yes, folks. Our fabulous little family is going to travel to Chicago for my cousin Brian's wedding. We live near Columbus, Ohio, so it will be about a 6-7 hour drive.

Joe and I have traveled this far together, but we have never been parents to twins on a voyage this far. This also means that there will be a first time hotel stay with twins. (Pray for the Hampton Inn on Crestwood Avenue.) I am really excited that there is a swimming pool there too! Probably not a swim up bar though. Bummer. The hotel at Put-In-Bay has a swim up bar. We also haven't done a swimming pool with twins. After traveling to Chicago with twins... I could really go for a swim up bar. I need a drink already.. and we haven't even left.

Huh...seems that there is quite a lot we haven't done with twins.

We are lucky enough to have an extra adult along for the excursion. We have enlisted the 3rd Spouse for the trip. Uncle Jason will be joining us. He is a brave, brave man. He will also be sharing a hotel room with us. Seeing as how there will only be one room to live in for 2 days, I am guessing that the bathroom will be the luxurious sanctuary that we will all have to wait our turn for.

I have a packing list already going. I have a to-do list already in motion. But-- I am scared that there is something REALLY big and important that I am forgetting to do. So, please, if you have traveled long distances with children, and think that you have the BEST idea ever on how to keep them occupied and not making their mother break Open Alcohol Container laws in 3 states..... please let me know!!!

I am sure that there will be Blog Fodder (Thank you Mommy Story) from this trip. Lots and lots of blog fodder. Let's all just hope I pack the diaper bag. I don't think there are enough binder clips in all of Chicago to take care of us for 2 1/2 days.

Macgyver Mom

2006-07-07T22:14:00.000-04:00

Went to my friend Michelle's house today for a fun little lunch in my honor. My other friend Katy was also there.

I packed gifts.
I packed wine.
I packed fresh strawberries.
I packed lots of outdoor toys.

I even packed the children.

What did Mommy FORGET to pack??

Yes-- silly Mommy forgot to pack the !@#!@ diaper bag. And... Auntie Michelle and Auntie Katy aren't mommies yet.. so we had no fallbacks!!

What happens when Mommy doesn't pack the @#$@ diaper bag??
Would love to show you a picture!!!! ... but the camera was in the @#$@@ diaper bag.

Picture this... 3 grown women... 5 college degrees between us all. ALL of us chasing my buttless son around the living room with various household products.

We thought about duct tape... didn't have any. ACTUALLY tried staples.. but they weren't thick enough and were too pokey and sharp. Couldn't find any rubber bands...

So you will have to use your imagination...my precious son ended up wearing 1/2 of a cut up blue bath towel that was fastened shut with big binder clips.

TRULY one of the funniest damn things I have ever been a part of. I was laughing SO hard I had to keep catching my breath. EVEN Grant was laughing. The damn thing kept falling off.. and he was holding it to keep it up.

In spite of ourselves, we got home safely. He had a plastic bag lining his car seat for protection.

AND then for the grand finale.... what was in the mailbox today??? Can't make this one up. You guessed it. A sample diaper from Luvs. Size 3 in fact!!

AHHHH yes,... the sweet wonderful truth is so much more interesting than fiction.

What did YOU eat on the 4th??

2006-07-04T14:18:00.000-04:00

Just in case you think YOU overate on the 4th of July... check this out.

http://sports.aol.com/news/articles/_a/kobayashi-sets-new-record-at-nathans/20060704134309990001?cid=2365

http://www.nathansfamous.com/nathans/contest/new_US_record.php

Don't worry. There's at least ONE person who ate more than you did.

Ugh... I sure do like me a good hotdog. But... wow.

A Prarie Muffin I am not...

2006-07-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e88/Roxas2/?action=view¤t=muffin.jpgI was reading the Queen of Spain (she has an excellent blog) and found this link.

http://buriedtreasurebooks.com/PrairieMuffinManifesto.php

Talk about yikes! It is a group of women whom call themselves The Prarie Muffin Manifesto.The Manifesto part sounds a little gangster-mafioso-military ish. But-- then look at the other words... Prarie Muffin. Hmmmm... sounds like another term for door mat... wall flower..... no spine...etc.

This is a group of women who PROUDLY bow down to their husbands and sacrifice all for the good of God and their family. Sounds very nice and martyr-ish... to each their own I suppose.

Which lends me to ask... AREN'T they part of their family?? Therefore, doesn't their happiness and talent matter to the other members of their family?

In my own experience, and watching lots of my friends' experiences, the happiest most fulfilled ones of us, are the ones that spend time pursuing interests of our own and still somehow have the time to take care of our young little families.

If you still need reason to read this... check THIS out.

"Single women aspiring to be Prairie Muffins will be known as "Muffin Mixes" and young children of Prairie Muffins are "Mini Muffins."
My Stella Kate is NOT muffin mix..nor will she be able to be cooked into a mini muffin. If you have met her, you know it is already a moot point. I think I missed my "muffin window" with her.

"Prairie Muffins try to maintain a peaceful environment for their families by keeping their voices quiet and their tones gentle as much as possible."
Ummm... whoops. Moot point yet again. Have you HEARD my house???? There is nothing quiet about it. If the kids aren't loud and screaming.... I am very scared... which means that someone is probably in big trouble which in turn makes ME yell. (Ahem.. Grant Roy!! Like putting Daddy's new flashlight in the dog dish).

Another point to ponder:
What about all those signs that hang in every one of my redneck family's kitchens... "if Mama ain't happy... ain't no body happy". I am guessing that the Prarie Muffins just don't have those.

4th of July... Ostrander style

2006-06-30T16:43:00.000-04:00

I love the 4th of July. It is truly my favorite holiday. Christmas is too expensive... Halloween is too scary.... Thanksgiving is fattening . Easter is okay... Arbor Day... ZZZZZZZZZ.

But the 4th!!! I LOVE THE 4th!!

I think I like it so much because there really aren't that many expectations that go with it. You don't have a gift list that you want fulfilled. You don't have to hide anything for your children to find. There aren't that many decorations to pull out of the attic... no costumes etc. If you have a flag... put it up.. if you don't no big deal. The flag doesn't shed pine needles, or smell if you have left it under the couch until Father's Day. All you do is relax and celebrate.

I have to admit that on the 4th, there aren't many expectations of US... WE expect things from our communities. e.g. parades, festivals, fireworks. We get to leave the house for the fun and frivolity to occur.

Ever since I was just plain old friends with my husband, I have been going to the same little town to celebrate our nation's independence. Ostrander, Ohio. (which means... almost 8 years. Yikes... almost 1/4 of my life.) I now live about 2 miles away from Ostrander.. so it is totally a no brainer. That is where you go. No if's and or buts about it. In Joe's family, I think it would be easier to explain why you missed Christmas rather than why you couldn't clear your calendar for the 4th of July.

Anyway... 364 days a year the population is ... maybe 500-600. MAYBE that many. But on the 4th of July... the population surges upwards to a few thousand. I love the parade. It is such a small town, wonderful, heart clenching thing. Every kid shoves crepe paper in their bike spokes and rides in the parade with a flag painted on their face. Every dad washes their lawn mower and hooks up the wagon for the parade. If you own a squirt gun, you are in. If you have a collector car, you are there. If you have an old antique tractor, you are there. (In fact... there are SO many tractors, that Joe's grandpa.. AKA Grandpa Joe... has to sign them all in the morning of the 4th.)

This year, Joe's Grandparents are putting together the senior citizens' float. Their theme is " Fun on the 4th." I happened to be at their house for a planning meeting, and learned that there will be 8 senior citizens on their float playing board games for the whole length of the parade. How stinking CUTE is that??? I really can't wait to get old and live in Ostrander.....

Hmmm.. most of you are thinking... SO if there are so many people IN the parade... who is there to watch it?? Yep-- not too many of us!! That is what makes it SO precious to me.
Oh- almost forgot about the freebies. Every float throws tons of candy. Some people also pass out BIG bottles of water. Churches pass out their invitations to Summer Bible School.
After the parade is over... (it seriously lasts an hour and a half most years), we head to Ostrander Elementary for the chicken dinner. Sounds very swanky doesn't it? Chicken dinner. Conjures up images of checkered tablecloths and pigtails. Nope not here. Best chicken in the WORLD... but we stand in a LONG blazing HOT line of people in a non-ventilated cafeteria only to sit on little cafeteria circles. (not the chairs.. but the circle seats that stick out and trip you if you aren't watching).

Here is the usual routine-- I hunt and hunt for a seat. Once found, I wedge myself onto my circle, put my head down and EAT as fast as I can. (Afterall... all the people in line want to sit on my little circle). The menu is the same every year. Luscious chicken, applesauce, baked beans, and one roll. If you are lucky, your butter packet hasn't totally melted in all the heat. The cute little mayor of Ostrander walks around and pours glasses of ice tea or water. Those are your choices. He also takes your trash when you are done. That is his subtle way of saying... "Ahem... there are lots of other people who want your sweaty little circle!!"

We clean ourselves up with the one itty bitty wet nap we are allotted, and it is over until the next year. Yep- I love it. Love it love it love it. I love it enough to write a huge blog post about it.

The funny part is...I haven't even written about the post-chicken dinner nap at home, followed by the tractor rodeo, and THEN the hands down best fireworks in Ohio. (Red, white and boom are sad compared to these wonderments.)

Alas, I simply have NO time to write about those. I am terribly busy. I have a lot on my schedule.

I need to go shove red-white and blue crepe paper in the spokes of the twins' stroller.

Let us eat cake

2006-06-29T17:06:00.000-04:00

DSC00039
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Stella and her mommy... really like to eat cake.... a lot.

We were both giving a fun SNERT face before the picture was taken... but Stella got hungry.

Oh well. Such is life.

(She is such a big girl-- eating with a big girl fork!!)

The Painted Posse

2006-06-29T16:58:00.000-04:00

DSC00148
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Yep- pretty self explanatory...

Joe painted the children when we were making his World's Best Dad shirt. I think he had a better time than the kids did.

I think in all reality... I really have triplets. One is just a lot bigger than the other two.

Grant Roy-- Mama's Boy (and d%mn proud of it!!)

2006-06-28T16:24:00.000-04:00

DSC00023
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Now it is Grant's turn.

Grant was born first. Grant's first cry will always be the most amazing and sensational noise I have ever heard in my life. Until I heard his voice... I wasn't TRULY convinced that these guys were babies.. well even humans.

Sounds like I am TOTALLY nuts... but I was SURE that they were going to say "excuse me ma'm??? Ma'm? You have just given birth to two 8 lb bowling balls."

I also thought puppies. Puppies could be in there. Maybe big cabbages. Something.. anything but real live humans that were go forth and cry, smile, talk, and poop like normal babies. Afterall.. Joe and I were their parents. There had to be some way to screw this up!!!

Grant Roy was born screaming like a loon. In my opinion.. he was screaming because he was just thrilled that he wasn't getting a massive head rush anymore. He was head down READY to FALL OUT at about 25 weeks gestation. Yes... they checked me into the "OH SH%T ... PLEASE DON"T HAVE YOUR BABIES THIS EARLY" floor (also called the Antepartum Floor) and upon further inspection from the OB resident... she could feel his head. **GULP** Yes- that was a really stressful day.

So-- somehow we made it 11 more weeks-- to 36 weeks... and things were just fine. YAY!!

Back to Grant. Grant is my precious little bowl cut boy. Grant loves red grapes (chopped in half of course), hot dogs (chopped into a bazillion pieces of course),ritz crackers, and his fly swatter. Yes-- folks... Grant's favorite toy in the world... is a fly swatter. Please don't ask why. We don't know either.

Grant also LOVES music. Anytime he hears music, he starts dancing. And... let me tell you, this kid has rhythm! He especially loves a CD at my dad's house. "Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass." He loves it to the point that he will stand up on a stool and scream at the CD player until his wish is granted. He loves to play the piano. Any house that we visit that has a piano has sticky keys. He hasn't figured out that you shouldn't eat grapes WHILE playing the piano.

Grant LOVES to be outside. He will point outside... saying "OOOOOUT".. and if that doesn't work, he proceeds to THROW himself up against the door, window, or just whatever the barrier may be. When he was only a few months old.. every night @ 6:30 p.m., he would WAIL excessively for hours for seemingly no reason. We changed his diapers, we fed him, we rocked him, we passed him around, we read to him, we wailed along with him..... finally One of those chilly-but okay--warmish- nights in mid-- March.. I decided we had had enough and that Joe and Stella needed a break.

So, Grant took his Mommy for a walk in the yard. I had had ENOUGH! There were no more things to try. I was all "tried" out. The VERY minute that the air hit his face, he stopped crying. Praise God. It was like a switch. His face totally changed shape and he was smiling. Who knew??

Grant also loves his sandbox and his swing. He has lately started giving hugs that could very well squeeze you into unconsciousness. He really doesn't know when enough is enough. He also loves to say the word "nose"...however he tends to point to his cheek. Oh well. Hopefully he doesn't need a roadside sobriety test anytime soon.

I always thought that Mama's boys were such a pathetic little existence on the planet. If you'll recall.. the term "Mama's boy" is not exactly used in the nicest tone.It somewhat denotes having to call your mother on your wedding night. It denotes that your PBJ sandwich still gets its crust cut off when you are 25.

Yep- I really, really thought that. Until, *sigh*, I started to unknowingly craft and mold my own little Mama's boy. I kiss his boo boos... I let him eat grapes when his sister is scarfing down the bananas. I open the sweet potatoes when he doesn't like the peas. I am simply a door mat when it comes to this kid.

Let me tell you, there is just a amazing kind of love between a mother and a son. When he looks at me and I look back at him... I melt. Especially when he laughs. I can't even put it into words what his laugh can do. Especially that first laugh after a good crying stint. You other mommies know that "my fingers just got smashed in a door, but hey LOOK!!! mom has my flyswatter!! YAY flyswatter!!" laugh. What is that you say.. your children don't need a flyswatter like a pacifier??? Anyway..

So, in conclusion, I think we all know where I will be sitting on Grant's wedding night. Yesiree.... I will be sitting in my mother- of -the groom dress, waiting for the phone to ring, with a pile of cut up grapes, and a crustless PBJ sandwich.

No matter how old he gets, and how long he clutches that d#$% flyswatter, he will always be my little boy

My Stella Kate

2006-06-27T21:30:00.000-04:00

DSC00173
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Stella Stella Bo Bella Fi Fo Fella. Me Mi Mo Mella------ Stella.
Meet Stella.
Tinkerbell.
StellaBella.
Puddin.
Stella Kate Roller Skate.
Stella the Hun.
Stellasaurus Rex.
Stella-gator.

Stella is my beautiful baby girl. Stella loves playing in her sandbox, eating bananas at any hour of the day, putting on and taking off shoes on EVERYONE she meets. (Yes- to the very nice lady at the doctor's office... sorry that my daughter stole your sandal and ran away with it. You were VERY gracious about the whole affair.) Stella loves beating up her brother Grant, stealing his joy, and hugging her Daddy. Stella loves giving her infamous scrunched up nose SNERT face when she is in trouble. Stella loves sleeping flat on her back with her feet propped up on her brother's chest or back. (Yes- fellow judgemental bloggers.. they still sleep together... Joe's grandma thinks that we are all going to H!@# because 18 month old boy-girl twins sleep together. NO we are not thinking this is going to last until they go to college.
Stella loves to sit in her red swing just swinging and laughing and kicking her feet for hours. Stella jumps up and down and tap dances when I pick her up from daycare because she is so glad to see me. She gets SO torked up and flails so much that it really makes me feel like a world famous rock star. (You know.. that Beatles film clip where the girl is SO freaking excited that she is chewing on her purse??)

While pregnant and on mass quantity bedrest... I REALLY wanted 2 boys. I didn't think I could do this whole pink froofy girl thing. I was convinced that if God (or whoever pulls the switches and sexes our children) liked me, I would be granted 2 boys. How on Earth could I be trusted with the bringing up of another female to this world?? I am still raising myself for heaven's sake. We didn't want to know the sexes of the babies.. .and didn't until their birth. (It is really good that we didn't want to know... because in some of our medical records... it said I was supposed to have 2 boys.) Stella would have been Garrett Richard. And to be very honest... she really doesn't look like a Garrett... she looks like... well... Stella!!

People were bringing us cute clothes and toys and books and blankets and whatnots while I was hanging upside down trying to not have the little buggers fall out. Some things were pink. I hate pink for girls. It is just SO stereotypical that girls wear pink. I hate pink. I hate froofy. I really own NOTHING that is the combination of pink and froofy. I didn't even wear a real wedding dress for Pete's sake. I wouldn't allow pink flowers at my wedding.

But-- since Stella's birth... I have some confessions. Confessions that even my husband will be shocked about.
#1. There are some pink clothes that aren't SO horribly bad. I do swear that I have NEVER purchased pink clothing for her though. ALL gifts or hand-me-downs.
#2. I really like it when daycare does her hair and puts cute little barrettes in.
(Personally... I think that daycare knows that Stella totally has a TomBoy mommy... and they have pity on her.)
#3. I would feel bad if Joe had to take 2 little boys into the bathroom.
#4. Therefore, I can use her as an excuse to have to use the restroom. :)
#5. I can't imagine living my life without seeing Joe with his little girl. Wow. Talk about powerful. A Daddy and his little girl. I am just about ready to WAHHHH into the keyboard just thinking about it.
#6. My heart gets twisted into 3,000 directions when she comes at me with puckered up lips wanting to kiss me with aforementioned banana ALL over her face. (nothing better than your kid wanting to kiss you!!)
#7 So therefore... ergo... I am truly thrilled that I have a little girl. She lights up my little world like no other. I can't wait for all the mother daughter moments that we will share. All the shopping, gardening,late night talks, door slamming, and hanging up on each other.

... SIGH....could it be true.... I think maybe.. just maybe.... we deserve each other.

Father's Day --

2006-06-27T16:45:00.000-04:00

DSC00160
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

Here is our Father's Day photo from our annual Zoo trip. (We've done it twice... so we can call it annual)
Joe is pulling his new Radio Flyer (which he put together....) and wearing his Father's Day shirt... (which he helped to make..)

Yep-- mom needed some serious help this year.

Post fodder for the future... pictures of the Dad shirt making.

Yes folks -- Joe PAINTED the CHILDREN.

Window seat, please?

2006-06-27T09:16:00.000-04:00

Window seat, please?
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

I love love love love this picture. Yes-- Grant is on the right with his little "2 eggs in a hankie" butt. Stella is on the left.

Joe loves to let them run around "nekked" before and after their bath. They have learned how to scale the couch and stand in the bay window.

This picture doesn't make my life seem so very complicated. There is really nothing cuter than my babies little white pasty butts running amuck.

Everyone needs an Uncle Jason

2006-06-26T14:13:00.000-04:00

DSC00014
Originally uploaded by laurayoung77.

We have a pretty wonderful Uncle Jason. He comes over quite a bit. We get to see him so much... that we call him the 3rd spouse. He changes diapers, fixes sippy cups, wipes foreign crusties off our little faces. There is really nothing that Uncle Jason won't do for us.

He comes over at least EVERY Sunday for a few hours of mindless baby fun. This is one of my favorite shots of Grant and Jason together. Grant is SO proud of himself that he can sit on the steps now.
In case you are still unsure... Uncle Jason is the one wearing pants.

issues

2006-06-20T11:15:00.000-04:00

Okay... having issues with the blog. I was adding some fun stuff to my front page... and I know NOTHING about HTML and all that stuff... and some things got deleted.. changed... etc.

So.. if you see lots of weird stuff.. or no stuff at all.. it is all operator error.

It is just that kind of day I guess. I showed up to a dr's appt today at 10:00. that apparently was YESTERDAY. I had to pay a $40.00 no show fee and reschedule again.
GREAT!!! Put that in your anxiety pipe and smoke it!!

102.5-- No- not a radio station!!

2006-06-16T14:42:00.000-04:00

So, on Wednesdays, I get some time off from my babies while they are in daycare. (Can I still call them babies?? They are really small humans now. Nothing baby like at all anymore!) I was having some lovely ME time shopping at Once Upon a Child, when my cell phone rang. I looked down and saw that it was Daycare calling. I immediately answered and the following conversation ensued:

Note.. I LOVE OUR DAYCARE!! The duo is exceptionally cared for there. I never worry about the safety of my children. I know that this is one of the best daycares in Central Ohio. .I am NOt being sarcastic with Very Nice Day Lady's name. She is TRULY a Very Nice Daycare Lady. I am glad that there are people out there that don't like to bend the rules... BUT seriously...
Anyway.. back to the story.

Me- "Hello"
Very nice daycare lady "Hi, Laura?"
Me "Yes, this is Laura (or some other lady I pay to answer my cell phone).
VEry nice daycare lady "How are you doing?"
Me " Good", (but suddenly NOT so good because daycare is calling me 4 hours before I am supposed to pick up my child, pictures of horrible daycare accidents fill my brain.
VNDL "Ummmm... Grant is spiking a really high temperature, and we think he was having mini-seizures in his sleep. What would you like us to do?"
Me. "OH MY GOD.!! I will be right there!! Can you give him some Tylenol while I am on my way. I won't be there for about 1/2 an hour." (Grant had one other BIG seizure last fall that resulted in a ambulance ride and about 4 hours at Children's Hospital. I really didn't want to do that again.)
VNDL "Did you fill out paperwork this morning saying we could give him medicine?"
Me "Uh... No. I didn't know that he would need it." ( I didn't know he would need it... who plans a 102.5 temp and mini seizures??)
VNDL " Well, we took his clothes off, gave him something cold to drink, and are wiping him down with cool, wet, cloths. What more would you like us to do?"
Me.. What I want to say-- (Ummmmm duh... give my poor almost convulsing child some Tylenol so that he doesn't seize) What I actually say.. "Can you give him some Tylenol now, (so that he doesn't have a seizure!!!!) and then I can sign the paperwork when I get there??
VNDL-- Ummmm... No.. it is state law that you can't ask us to medicate your child over the phone.
Me ( screaming in my head!! ARGGHHHHHHHH)
VNDL- -What more would you like us to do??
Me (SCREAMING IN MY HEAD still!! What else can you do.. besides telling the poor kid to please NOT have a seizure while his mommy races like a bat out of hell to get there) I will be there as soon as I can!!!!!
VNDL-- See you in a little while.

Fortunately, the story ended okay. There was no full blown seizure. When I got there, (with no speeding ticket.. THANK GOD!!) Grant was practically naked with sweat soaked hair. Stella was running around the room playing with all the little babies. She had to play with other kids, because frankly, a sweaty, puffy eyed, almost convulsing, naked brother isn't so much fun.

When I got there and was clutching my sweaty, naked, puffy eyed child, I asked them if there was something I could do so that this didn't happen again. I also told them that I couldn't live with myself if he had a seizure while I was racing to get there... simply because I hadn't filled out paperwork that I hadn't expected to need.
Before now... I had assumed that if there was medicine in our diaper bag, and there was a problem... Joe or I could just ask that it be given to them.

Well, they have now figured out an answer to this problem. We have to have a signed prescription sheet from OUR DOCTOR so that our children can have over the counter medicine, when we, their parents request it. BUT I AM THEIR MOMMY!!! IT IS OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINE!!! I DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE A SEIZURE!!!

Ahhh... parenthood. And I thought infertility was fun. Little did I know!!

Joe's big date

2006-06-12T23:55:00.000-04:00

Tonight, we were Daddy-less. Due to Joe's farming, we sometimes find ourselves with no "Daaaaaahdeeeee". (Yes... that is the exact pronunciation of the duo when they are addressing their father figure. Sometimes, you have to listen carefully and consider the situation. When they look at Homer, (our tiny little 13o pound dog), they say "Daaaaaaahgeee". It can be really hard to hear the D or the G in the middle.)

Yes folks, tonight, Joe got to put on his "good" jeans and go out on the town!! Joe and my brother Jason sometimes set up a date together and go see a movie.

They are so hilarious together. Yes.. my husband is the love of my life... yadda yadda...blah blah blah.... but I also think that Jason and Joe were also meant to be as well. They talk about many crucial to civilization topics such as "Why does only Taco Bell have Baha Blast?" and "What is the best Simpsons episode Ever??" etc. MOST importantly, they save me from having to see atrocious movies that would bore me to tears. Jason and Joe always go to the same restaurant on their dates... and of course they always leave the "Yes, we are heterosexual males" seat between the 2 of them.
I am thrilled to say that they successfully watched X-men 3 and then happily finished off the evening with watching some Ultimate Fighting. I don't think I could be any happier that these two star crossed souls have found one another.

Home again home again jiggity jig.....

2006-06-11T16:26:00.000-04:00

Well... Here I am again!! Back from hiatus. Nothing too exciting to report. School is out... The dangerous duo and I are home together every blissful day. Okay... I will fess up. They are in daycare one full day each week. I used that day to go grocery shopping, clean the house, excavate the garden... etc. You know, things that are IMPOSSIBLE to do with two 18 month old monkeys running circles around you. They are crazy. I mean really CRAZY right now. They can do anything they want to do... They can get anywhere they want. We laugh all the time about what life was like before we were parents. I seriously wonder what we did with all of our free time. Did I just sit around and stare aimlessly at the wall? Why wasn't my house spotless then? Why weren't all my books read? Why were the bills stacking up on the table? What the @#$# did I do with all my freetime? I think I get more done now in one free day than I did in a whole lazy week pre -motherhood. We had a great family day today. We went to K-Mart (yes... Somehow Marysville's K- Mart stays afloat with the 4 patrons that it gets every so often...... seriously I think I saw 5 people the whole time I was there today). Anyway.. we went to K-mart and bought Joe's Father's Day gift. We are now the proud owners of a fabulous red Radio Flyer double wagon. Ever since we knew we were going to be parents, we have been eyeballing them.We even spent one entire trip to the Zoo just looking at other people's wagons. What brand... what size... what color... Joe wanted one of the more old fashioned wooden models... but it just wasn't practical with the new options out there. Cupholders.... seat belts...really it is a no brainer. (Wow.. I just read my last few paragraphs. It sounds like we were shopping for a car . I even used the word options.) When we got home, we put the wagon together as a family. Boy, the duo just aren't all that helpful yet. They were really good at hiding the tools and climbing in and out of the wheel-free wagon... but that was about it.

New Soup Flavor

2006-04-20T12:43:00.000-04:00

What are your thoughts on our Commander in Chief? You don't have to write anything that means that you are politically intelligent . Maybe you are like me... and he just make you feel icky inside. Especially when he is standing at a podium and laughs while leaning forward.... it just weirds me out.

french fries and sun roofs

2006-04-19T21:22:00.000-04:00

I never would have thought that french fries and sun roofs had anything common whatsoever. One of them is a tasty food... the other is an option on a car.

However, today I learned a HUGE lesson.

Thing 1, Thing 2, and I swung through the McDondald's drive through on the way home. We ordered some sandwiches and fries. I say WE because I didn't get out of the drive through before I was getting commentary from the peanut gallery in the backseat. It USED to be that when I went through a drive through... it wasn't any kind of deal at all. They barely noticed. Stella would flash a cute grin at the drive through person and we would be on our way. Grant.. might wake up long enough to notice that we weren't moving. Mommy could wolf down her dinner with one hand and defensively drive with the other.

Little did I know.... it is quite apparent... my babes are quick learners... Daddy has begun FEEDING them in the car while he is driving away from take out windows.

Yes folks... you would have thought I was a lioness that drug a gazelle back to the pack. They were yelping and grunting as if they were cubs. I looked in the rear view mirror to see what fire I needed to put out between the 2 of them. All I saw was 4 arms reaching forward like little cavemen. After putting up with 63 children on a field trip bus all morning... I did not have any strength to deal with this for 10 more miles.

So... I gave in. I reached into the fry bag to give them one.. but they were WAY too hot. So here I am... driving down the road... madly blowing on BLAZING french fries.... then tossing it back to my little wildebeasts. (YES I KNOW... you SO AREN"T supposed to feed children in a moving car... so if you are a working mother of 16 month old twins... you can have an opinion about this... if you aren't.. you can't.) It took me about 4 miles and 10 french fries to realize the obvious. ... stick the damn things out the sunroof... and they cool down SO much quicker!! Like 1/10th the time! SO much less screaming!

So.. the next time you are driving down the road and you see an arm sticking out the sun roof with a single french fry poking out..please don't judge..... you can bet your bippy that there are screaming twins in the back seat.

My little leper

2006-04-18T05:43:00.000-04:00

I didn't work Monday, so I made plans to visit a friend that also has 2 kids. We woke up to go @ about 8:00 yesterday morning... and (Thing 2) Stella had a hideous red puffy rash ALL over her face. At first I thought it could be one of those roseolla or rosacia thingies. But now I remember she was practically ROLLING in her grandmother's garden on EAster, so I am led to believe that she has an allergy to something. I also think it is a rash because (Thing 1) Grant isn't affected at all. That is one of the benefits of having twins. Usually when a variable pops up.. you have the other one for a control. Great... just what we need. More allergies. We already know she is most likely allergic to penicillin. What is one more thing? Does this mean she is going to have to be an outcast at the peanut free table at school too? :) So, assuming we were non-contagious (and yearning for adult conversation) , we still went to my friend's house and played like crazy and thoroughly trashed her lovely house. Boy, are we good at that. Yes, while Thing 1 was tormenting the dog and playing with a slinky, ( constantly pointing and screaming DAHG! DAHG!) Thing 2, our demolition expert, was quietly, yet forcefully removing all the contents underneath the entertainment center. Hopefully nothing was trashed too badly. We also got to play on their fabulous swingset!! YAY! We are growing up!! I am so excited about this summer. I had some helluva cute babies last summer... but this summer... we can finally DO stuff!

post shower update

2006-04-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

Well.. to be very honest, the wedding shower wasn't that painful.

There were only 10 people there.... and I knew all of them pretty well. Most were relatives in fact. I didn't get to hang out in the kitchen as much as I had hoped... but conversation flowed pretty well . The only real fire I had to put out was that the outside cat somehow got into the house and I had to locate, pluck, and remove the cat from the house. Thank goodness it was a very nice outside cat..... or I would have had my first wedding shower cat mauling.

I did hear all the phrases I thought I would hear... "ooh Cindy that's nice... you'll use that a lot" etc. I forgot to mention the other thing that I HATE about wedding showers. The passing around of the gifts after the bride-to-be opens them. Yes.. we passed around bowls, candles, pillow cases, pillows, can openers, picture frames.. etc. I don't know why this practice bugs me so much. Maybe I am afraid I am going to drop something, break something, smudge something or heaven knows what else.

Another thing going on yesterday that stressed me a little bit.. Joe's Grandpa.. also named Joe... was put in the hospital with gastric issues. The poor guy has some problem called divroticulitus. That is where you have holes in your bowels... then you get little pieces of food stuck in the bowels... then you get an infection in your bowels... then your tummy hurts ALOT. You have a huge risk of peritonitis. (infection of your gut sanctum.. yep not real comfortable apparently.)

I really really like Grandpa Joe. Maybe I like him so much because I am all out of Grandpas. MAybe I like him because he laughs at some of my jokes. Maybe I like him because he loves my kids like there is NO tomorrow. We have some sort of weird connection. We just get each other most of the time. He is one of the few people that I can sit in a room with.... and not have to say a word. I don't think that this medical issue is terribly serious.. but I have been really mopey-sad about it. We have visited him both yesterday and today.. and both times I could have just bawled while I was there. I kept myself busy by trying to get my babes to not flail and yell so much. We took rides in a rolling office chair, we tried on a blue latex glove, we blew up the blue latex glove... (which tastes very much like baby powder by the way), we ate orange popsicles(given to us by the nurses in the hopes that we would SHUT UP), we played peekabo with a pillow case, we ate cheerios out of a tupperware bowl, we looked for runaway cheerios under Grandpa's bed, we looked for runaway cheerios IN Grandpa's bed..

Well, yes, you get the picture. We acted like we were 16 month old twins locked up in our Great Grandpa's hospital room.

Ugh... wedding showers

2006-04-15T08:58:00.000-04:00

Okay.. so today is my sister's first wedding shower. She is getting married at the end of May. Which also means that there is much pain and awkwardness left to be had in the form of MORE showers.

Today's painful shower is being held at the home of Cindy's old piano teacher. Quite honestly,,, the nicest lady that ever lived. As my mother puts it... wouldn't say poop, even if her mouth were full of it. I have been asked (AND TOLD) that I will be mostly kitchen help. Which... now that I think about it... will be a nice position to have. I won't have to sit there and ogle the lovely Target registry items with the expected female fanfare of "ooohhh that's nice... I need that too." Oh Cindy,,, you'll use that a lot." I am cracking up just thinking about how many times I am going to hear that today. To put it quite simply... I hate wedding showers. They are one of the most awkard settings you can be put it. Especially when you are me... and have fun anxiety issues and ADHD. I would SO rather be drywalling or having dental work done.

Most all of us women have been through this ordeal on numerous occasions.

1. Not knowing the crowd I am about to be immersed in, I have already chosen a nice simple outfit that is not too casual but not too dressy. Usually in the form of a nice button down top and khaki pants that don't make me look too ginormous.
2. I try to bring a gift that is not too cheap, but not bank breaking. (and/ or not to obviiously regifted)
3. I try to dig out an old gift bag that isn't too beat up, full of cat hair and/or cheerios, or obviously from your own baby shower. Personally, the gift bag selection is the hardest part for me. Once you find one suitable for presentation,,, I then realize that my gift is one inch too wide for the item that I have intended. ( I have actually given subsitute gifts in the perfect bag rather than the actual intended gift due to this issue).
4. I lose and refind the invitation with directions 3-4 times before the event.
5. I call all my friends/relatives I think might be invited to see if they can show up with me.
6. I stick my foot in my mouth because 2 of the 7 friends I called aren't invited to the shower or even the wedding for that matter.
7. I consider not going and saying I am sick. (having twins has been a great excuse provider!!)
8. I actually start to feel sick.
9. I suck it up, and go alone... taking a few extra anti-anxiety meds for the trip.
10. I get to the shower.. usually late because I actually did lose the directions and had to use Map Quest... which was WAY off.
11. I get myself a plate of vegetables, dip, and red punch (which is certainly going to stain the khaki pants I am wearing. )
12. I awkwardly introduce myself in the circle setting .. saying I was "fill in the blank's" sorority sister/roommate/cousin/sister-in-law. Meanwhile.. all the others are smiling and nodding in an affirming yet quielty judgemental way.
13. Weird uncomfortbale games are played.
14. Gifts are opened,,, while I quielty have a panic attack wondering if I
a. took the price tag off
b. got all the cat hair/cheerios out of the gift bag
c. put the gift receipt in
d. got a really cheap looking gift.
15. The gifts are done... someone in the kitchen is putting desserts on plates and pouring more drinks.
16. I sit there not knowing if I am supposed to just sit there and wait for someone to pass me cake.. or go up and get my cake...or not even eat cake so people think I have self control.
17. I finish my 3 pieces of cake, then excuse myself saying that I have to:
a. meet a friend
b. pick up the kids
c. get a root canal
d. go have a relaxing cry in the car

So.. yes.. can't WAIT to be in the kitchen all day by myself... getting to be that lady that puts cake on plates.... having already eaten more than my own share. Guess what.. I get to do this all over again for her in 2 weeks. .

okay..now what?

2006-04-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

So.. I am taking the plunge and starting this blog. Why the name cheerios and chickens?? Well.. cheerios because I am the mother of 15-16 month old twins.

I find cheerios literally EVERYWHERE in my new mommy life. My coat pockets, purse, couch, laundry, car floor, etc. You never really know where one is going to pop up next. The other scary part is that once I find one... if one of the babes is standing there.. they steal it from me and eat it immediately. No matter the age, state, color. They simply don't have standards right now in their lives.

Chickens-- because we live out in the middle of nowhere... and happen to have 11 happy little chickens out in the backyard. I have to admit.. that since the birth of the dangerous duo.. they have been a wee neglected from time to time. They were my therapy before. I could sit in a lawn chair and watch them cluck around in circles for hours. Now... they are lucky if I bother to count them and make sure they are all still alive after I feed them.

So.. here is a nice outlet for me to write a little,,, vent a little... and have a little time for myself... we will see. I don't promise that I will post a lot of pictures.. or make sense all the time.
But when you have 16 month old twins... you just smile, wipe the tears off, and dance a little bit and all is well with the world again. :) if only the rest of the world was like this.