Sum It Up Sunday - Birthdays, Bicycles & Barbies, Oh My!

Topping off the birthday list: My baby turned 8 on Friday! No bad luck here! We decided to make it a birthday weekend with just the family. Friday we went to Colin's favorite restaurant for dinner. We were going to go shopping afterwards but it was late and we went toy shopping on Saturday. The older two boys wanted to buy their brother a gift and have him help pick it out. As we were wandering the aisles, I stumbled upon the Barbie collection.
Both Barbie and I turn 50 this year; although that Biotch looks soooo much better. note to self: get name of her plastic surgeon!

I decided I want a Barbie for my birthday next month. Is that weird? Having all boys, I miss out on all the princess and Barbie stuff.

As I scanned the aisle, there were so many cool choices: Tatoo Barbie, Birthday Barbie with an extra pink tiara for a human friend, Barbie in her Pink Bedroom, Pool Party Barbie.......my head was swirling. Too many options.

And then I saw her. The one I must have. A vision of gold and sparkly lovlieness. I want her!!!! 50th Anniversary Barbie
And then I looked at the price tag. $50! Holy crap! How do I justify this????

What to do? Maybe I'll have a Barbie themed party with a Barbie Cake ( I saw the cutest one in Meijer!)...... hmmm... I have a month to mull this over.
Speaking of birthdays.... This month I celebrate my second year of blogging. I'll have to do a special post. Not one of those 100 things about me. Just a simple year in review /bloggy lessons I learned this past year.





Spring is Almost Here!
We had a brief Spring-like day on Tuesday and I went for a bike ride with Alex. It's been a while since I had any real exercise. I was a bit sore afterward; especially going up and down the stairs!
note to self: better start getting in shape, summer is just around the corner.



Another WTF ?- On Thursday we started getting a series of unanswered phone calls, 8 in all from a phone number we didn't recognize. We were also left two puzzling messages on the machine.
The 1st message was left Thursday afternoon from a man wondering why our number showed up on his wife's phone. The 2nd message came at 12:05 a.m. on Friday morning when we were
sleeping. This time from a woman who was curious who we were. She saw our number in her caller ID & didn't recognize it.
The only possible explanation I could think of was the number I misdialed a week ago. I only let it ring 2 times before hanging up. TWO RINGS. I didn't hang up on anyone when they answered. I just let it ring twice before realizing I may have dialed the wrong number! The owner of that phone called back & I already said "Sorry, I dialed the wrong number."

WTF??? I was going to call them back at 6:30 a.m. but my husband stopped me and warned me not to call them. Instead my hubby called our carrier(Time Warner) to check the numbers they called from to see if we had called them.

Time Warner only showed the 8 calls they made to us. None to them. WTF? If it is the lady I spoke to last week, it was a different number. WTH did I call? Why would someone be that obsessed with a single unrecognizable number?

I was ready on Saturday to answer our phone but the calls stopped. As much as I want to call them back, I agree with my husband this is not a good idea. Then there would be a record of us calling them AND I'm not sure what kind of whackos we are dealing with.

Fill'er Up!


Finally, gas prices on still fluctuating below $2! I took this photo on Thursday and yesterday the same station was a nickle cheaper at $1.79!

And that's the week in review..... and now time for a breakfast of birthday cake and coffee. Yum!

Friday Fragments

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard.

Death Camp for Cutie -
I waited until the very last day (today) to sign the permission slip ( along with a $104 check) for a 3 day "Nature Camp" for my 6th grader. This is a school sponsored trip and if my son doesn't go, he will most likely be one of the very lonely few left in school. He also could face becoming a social outcast and may resent us for the rest of his life. (probably will no matter what we do).

On the other hand, if he goes (or should I say when he goes as I signed off & wrote the check) I will be responsible if anything happens. I was fine with this until I got to the part of the "legalese" about

"some of the activities take place in a natural environment......conditions create risks of injury or death from falling, tripping, etc., insect or animal contact, and potentially harmful vegetation."

Several other places in the Acknowledgment also mentioned death, drowning, illness and risk of injury. We are also denied any communication with our child for these 3 days. No cell phones. No calls in, no calls out. My husband is convinced this is a camp run by a cult. (Good luck on the brain-washing part. This kid is strong-willed with a mind of his own)

What kind of camp is this? We've been told by the Vice-Principal that no one has died. Yet...

It's Not Just About The Economy (Stupid)
I have another blog, Color Me Bitter, for when I want to bitch about something. Haven't used it in a long time but today I did.


Help Spread Some Blog Love
I have a friend who just started up a new blog. She was recently "downsized" and is struggling with the idea of being a SAHM. If you have a chance, check her out & offer some words of wisdom (to help balance out my nonsensical comments!).
http://swamimami.wordpress.com/

Virtual Girls Night Out

It's Friday night & Ann has another great drink recipe, cool party music & a fun game.
I only have the Kahlua part of the Seattle Manhattan, so I guess I'll just have a Kahlua on the rocks.

On to the fun & games:

I licked a noodle in line at the bank because I need serious help.

O.K. My work is done here & I'm off to party!

Weekend Update - When you missed Friday Fragments and Ann's Virtual Girl's Night Out.

Friday Fragments ( on Saturday) - Pride and Joy

Pride:
For one day a week, my eldest son has been staying late after school to take part in "Math Counts" where students can practice solving math problems in preparation for a competition against other schools. He chose to do this entirely on his own and asked us for permission to participate. (as if we would say no).

On Thursday he found out he was one of 8 students (and one of 2 sixth graders) that made the team for his middle school. Today he got to ride a bus to a local college and take some tests. While their team didn't place in any of the competitions, I was proud that my son actually thought this was fun!

Let's hope he continues down this path......

Joy:

One of my long lost friends from Cre8Buzz tracked me down and added me to her new blog. I guess it's only been a few months but I was still over-joyed. Ironically I had just posted about missing the Cre8Buzz network which had met an un-timely demise.

If you have a chance, go visit my pal JoJo and leave her some comment love!


Virtual Girls Night Out

On Fridays, Ann, one of my friends from Mom Blogger's Club, has been sending out email blasts about Virtual Girls Night Out or GNO for short. She provides party music, a nifty drink recipe and an interesting party conversation topic. This week's topic is Oscar-related and we are to name 3 things we would like to give thanks for and the people we would thank ( our own personal "Academy" speeches) so here goes:

• I'd like to thanks my family for making my life "interesting" and giving me something to blog about.
• I'd like to thank You, the faithful few who come by to offer encouragement, friendship and most importantly COMMENTS! Without you, I'd just be another tree falling in the forest and not knowing if I made a sound. ( o.k. better cut off the Bourbon Slush, I am starting to sound like Mickey Rourke. Thank god we don't have any dogs!....)
• I'd like to thank Ann for being a great hostess and providing a great way to meet new bloggy pals!
  

This concludes my weekend update and I need to get back to the land of the living.
Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Friday Fragments - Buzz-Kill

Friday Fragments

What Happened to The Buzz?

A few weeks back, one of my favorite blogger network sites, www.cre8buzz.com went off-line, never to return. Anyone know what happened?

Some of my best blogger buddies came from there!

I've had to turn to FaceBook for my time-wasting, soul-sucking, social interaction!

No More "Perks"!

Mike recently posted about his company eliminating "free"coffee for employees but keeping it for the customers. I think this is a hostile move to get people to quit. I find that caffeinated workers are better workers. A cup or two of fresh hot "motivation" is worth every penny, especially in these tough economic times.

Wasn't it Ben Franklin who warned about being "Penny-wise but pound foolish"?

Kind of scares me that Mike works for a financial institution!

Family Fun Night

Wednesday night, my middle-schooler had a Book Fair / Family Fun Night at his school. For a $5 admission fee, there were samplings from 12 different restaurants. The theme was "Wizard of Oz". Members of the band took turns playing songs from the movie, the film was projected on a wall in the hallway and the decor also picked up the theme.

I was grateful my son was not embarrassed to be seen with me and actually asked me to take him. I also appreciated the one on one "quality" time. We went early and didn't stay long because of the pending storm.

Wasn't it cool how the school got the weather to fit the theme? Fortunately we didn't get an actual twister!


Buzz-sted

Thanks to all the media frenzy, my boys are aware of the Michael Phelps fiasco. While I understand Kellogg's move to end its sponsorship and Michael being banned from competitive swimming for three months, I am surprised that there may be criminal charges filed. (I'm not sure how this would work. The photo shows a pipe but I don't know how anyone can prove what was in it.)

I ending up having the discussion that I really wanted to avoid with my boys. I did my best to explain the situation.

Michael was a geeky, awkward kid who overnight became a Rock Star. He suddenly started dating strippers, because now he could, and at a party smoked some drugs to be cool. Someone took a picture and sold it to the tabloids for lots of money. Now Michael is in lots of trouble.
How cool is that?!!!!

This doesn't take away what Mr. Phelps has accomplished. However, it shows what happens when you use bad judgment; especially when in the public spotlight.

Friday Fragments - Out in the Cold

Friday Fragments

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard.

Minority Report

I remember my first open house at my boys' school. I have always felt a bit "out of the loop" and like an "outsider". I was sure that I was labeled "One of Those Parents" - the bad mom who is totally clueless as to her children's school-life. I was so relieved to find out I was not alone and found many parents to commiserate with. We pooled our collective knowledge and shared tips on surviving the school year.

Nothing like a PTO meeting to bring back that "special feeling"! Thought I'd attend a PTO meeting to get a better handle on school fund raisers and to make a few suggestions. Quite the opposite of Open House. I sat in a room full of "In-The Know", "Uber-Volunteers" who would make the Stepford Wives look inferior. If you ever want to ruffle some feathers, go to your next PTO meeting and suggest some changes to procedures that have not changed in years.

I am now officially: "One of Those Parents"!

I have a "Smart Phone", Now I need a "Smart" Answering Machine

I keep getting messages at work from a bill collection agency for someone who must have previously had my phone number. They are left at night on my answering machine, when no one is here and start out the same way:

"This message is for "___________". If you are not "__________", please hang up. By continuing to listen to this message, you acknowledge you are "____________".......*brief pause*.... (message for "__________" continues)

"____________" is a person I do not know. How the heck can I hang up when I did not answer the call in the first place. Perhaps my voice mail system has a secret life and in off-hours is "___________"!

The Weather Outside is Frightful (and My Electric Space Heater is Quite Delightful)

So much for a "White Christmas"! We had unseasonably warm, wet weather when the kids were home on Christmas break. This week we have been having a cold snap with 6 inches of snow and sub-0 temps! The boys had a 2 hour delay yesterday and no school today, due to the deep freeze. How's that for irony?

I've Got Mail!

A short while back I wrote about a temporary reprieve from spam due to the shutdown of a host for major spam servers. Well that Junk EMail Holiday is over. My spam levels are back up to the daily, triple-digit, pre-take-down levels.

Let me know if you are looking for great deals on Swiss Watches, ED Drugs, Hot Girls, Discount Drugs or Hot Investment Tips...

Friday Fragments - Tis the Season

Ever wonder what to do with all of those little tidbits you collect over the week that are too small to be stand-alone posts, but too good to discard? Welcome to...

The Week In ReviewSaturday we had our first real snow of the season. ( only lasted about a day) Although it was just over an inch, the meager snowfall made for some treacherous driving. It also provided an opportunity for the boys to make a little income by shoveling the walks and driveway. My youngest son decided to scrape the snow from the lawn as well!

The Gift of Giving

I also have been giving the boys jobs to do at my work to earn extra spending money. I had the two older boys fill out time cards. I required that they sign out for lunch and for breaks. The youngest boy takes so many breaks that I just paid him a token amount for his "efforts".

On Sunday, I held a meeting with the boys to discuss a new idea I had. I thought the boys might enjoy buying gifts for each other with their earnings. We set a budget of $10 - 15 per brother.

The boys are enthusiastic about stealthily buying gifts for each other. Even my oldest and usually stingiest child. He called me a few days ago from home to see if he could come in and work for me for a few hours. He needed a few more dollars for extra gifts and wanted to know if it was o.k. to go over the agreed upon budget.

I had a Miracle on 34th Street moment!


Collecting Backwards









Times are tough for almost everyone I know. I have one friend who has been cleaning up her apartment and getting rid of things to make room for a home office. She had just given away an extra microwave when the one she kept, broke down. Talk about bad timing!

A few days later I was talking with another friend who was cleaning out a storage area and taking a load to charity. I asked if he happened to have an extra microwave. Turns out he did and it is in almost mint condition. (see photo above). Funny how things work! (even when they don't!)


Pocket Change

I am not a fan of panhandlers, people who set up tables outside of busy stores for fund-raisers and I don't appreciate bucket-wielding volunteers that stand in the middle of the road looking for motorists with spare-change.

However, I feel like the bell-ringers of the Salvation Army are a worthy charity. I am trying to make an effort to carry pocket-change so I can donate often. Yesterday while shopping with my middle-child, I gave my son a handful of change to drop in the kettle. Afterwards he told me that it made him feel good to be able to help.

A little change, no matter how small, can help make a difference!

and speaking of change:

The New State Quarters are Out!

I stopped at my bank tonight to make a deposit. Our favorite teller waited on me and told me the new Hawaii state quarters are in. This is the last quarter in the state series.

She knows my boys collect them and asked me if I needed some. I bought $1 worth and can't wait till the boys come home from swimming. They are going to be excited to be able to complete their collections!

And that concludes this week's message about change!

Friday Fragments - School Daze

Friday FragmentsCan DO Attitude!

Last night I came home to this scene on the front porch. My oldest son carried these bags of cans home from school, in addition to his HUGE backpack! The pop cans were left over from a class project and he asked his teacher if he could have them. Told her that we recycle cans for money. (this pile might be worth $1). Dad made him leave them outside as the pile was leaking.

In an effort to get my boys excited about recycling, I started a "Can Collection Activity Fund". When I take my cardboard from work to the nearby recycling center, I have one of the boys bring our stash of cans to trade in for money. So far our biggest payout was $3.50!

It didn't occur to me that they would be dragging home cans from school. This is my 2nd boy to do this. I wonder what the teachers must think!

A- O.K.

This past week report cards came home and my husband attended Parent-Teacher Conferences. I am proud to report that all 3 boys are doing well and my middle-schooler made honor-roll for his 1st quarter out! The interesting tidbit that concerned my husband was that there is a possibility my 5th grader could end up in 7th grade math next year. My husband is worried that he could be in the same class as his older brother (who would not be very happy).
Some reason this made me chuckle. A little competition never hurts, right?
O.K. I guess I am a Bad Sadistic Momma!

Respect

A few nights ago, my husband reminded my youngest son that he had a math test the next day.
He thought he knew the material but we "suggested" that he study a bit after dinner. As I was getting Colin set up at his study table, my middle son cut in.

" I've got this Mom, I'm going to help Colin. I know what Mrs. N looks for on her tests."

I must say I was a bit relieved. Not sure I would have been much help. I dragged my oldest son upstairs as he was starting to mock his brother for sounding just like a teacher. As we were leaving the room, we heard Alex scolding his "student".

"Colin, you need to show me some respect! You wouldn't talk to Mrs. N like that, would you???"

Friday Fragments - The Power of People / Week in Review

Friday Fragments


On Monday we sent Flat Weaselmomma back home to regroup before her journey to visit

The Microblogologist.

She was a great guest, a lot of fun and we have been "introduced" to some of her blog friends. (Sill waiting to hear what happened at Busy Dad's. She wouldn't tell us!)

We miss her already! Good times.... *sigh*

Elections Are Finally Over!
Elections remind me a bit of Christmas. There's a lot of hype that builds to a crescendo on the "big night". I couldn't stay awake and went to bed not knowing what "gifts" I would find the next morning.

While we may not have gotten everything we asked for, there is a no-returns or exchanges policy. Just suck it up, be grateful for what you have and get over any disappointments. Time to reach across the aisle and make peace and spread goodwill. For those of you worried about a new president being "tested" early on, the real test was for the American people. The whole world was watching to see how we would handle ourselves during this election. I think we passed this round. I am proud to say I'm an American!

Friends of our Friends

In the blog world I have discovered that "Friends of our Friends are our Friends, too". Tara from If Mom Says OK first brought the matter of Sheila Kathleen McBroom aka Beany aka So Grateful to Be Mormon, who disappeared without a trace, to my attention both on her blog and at Cre8Buzz.

Several of Beany's other blog friends have also been actively involved in shining a light on her missing person investigation (or lack thereof). The outpouring of support for Kathleen and her family has been incredible. Not only from those who know her, but from those of us who are friends of her friends. This is what I love about the blog-world, it is full of caring, compassionate individuals.

I "borrowed" the info below from Tara's blog.

Have you seen this woman?

Missing since 10/27/08

Please call Det.Cynthia Bradley with any information regarding the disappearance of Shelia Kathleen McBroom phone (907) 786-8817 or e-mail

cbradley@ci.anchorage.ak.us

The Power of People

When I first started my blog, I had some fear of the unknown. There is so much talk of "stranger danger" and "predators" associated with the Internet, I had a healthy respect of the risks involved with posting online for all to see.

Instead, I have discovered the upside to the Blog World. I have "met" some very wonderful, caring people, with some very strange names. Most of us sound like gang members. Although we cloak ourselves in a layer of anonymity, our blog friends sometimes know things about us that our friends and family may not. A funny thing happens when we bare our souls to strangers; they become friends.

It is hard to explain my "Blog Friends" and the joys of blogging to "non-believers". I have seen the power of the Blog World and want to make sure you all know how much you mean to me.

Thank you for being a friend!