Contrary to the title, this is not about bowel movements and headlights.

I don't know how many of you have heard of Mad Libs but they are a popular item in my household. I probably have no less than four that are in the back of my car, along with a various assortment of pencils to fill them in. At any given time, the girls will pull one of them out of the pocket in the back seat and I will hear: "Give me a noun, give me an adjective; give me an adverb, etc." I'm not proud to admit that when we started in with these I actually had to look up what some of the definitions were (adverbs, adjectives). It had been so long since I have had to identify basic sentence parts that my mind was rusty. Go ahead and laugh while I just roll my eyes and put my lack of memory down to being old and having children. Or something.

We play this game almost every time we are in the car, rocking out to various artists that my kids love, and I, for the life of me, can never remember the names of. Yesterday it suddenly occurred to me that in almost every one of these that the kids fill out, the words "constipation and/or boobs(ies)" are used. Sure enough, when the girls looked through the book, we found that to be true 80% of the time. They then proceeded to read every one of them to me again.

I'm not sure if this is a reflection of my parenting or that my children are crazy. I'm voting for the latter and then calling my mom to apologize about the title. I'll also thank her for not killing me before I became an adult.

This has been an interesting week so far, and it's only Wednesday. I don't believe that I would classify it as bad, just interesting.

I've been sitting in for my boss this week. It's all good and I am amazed at the things that I learn while doing so. But good Lord people! How does that woman get ANYTHING done? I have been constantly barraged by phone calls and questions. That doesn't count the status requests from management. I have not been able to do much of my own job. Now this is not a complaint, despite the fact that it may sound like one. I value the experience but I think I just might wash her feet when she gets back.

On the way home from work tonight, we had a severe lightening/thunder/rain storm (cats and dogs!). It was one of those storms in which you could barely see three feet in front of you, much less the car you were about to rear end. It's a time when a large portion of the people unfortunate enough to be on the road visit their inner old lady self (including me) and pull to the right lane, immediately slowing down and putting their emergency flashers on. After about five minutes of driving, I heard a strange noise coming directly from my windshield wiper. I said to myself; "self, this is not good." The noise was the result of my wiper breaking, and the screeching (think nails on a chalkboard) was happening because the lower end of the wiper had come off and it was metal on glass. This, in case you didn’t know, renders your wiper useless. Oh, and did I mention it was on the drivers side? Luckily, as storms normally do, the sky cleared and the rain slowed to a trickle so I was only "blind" (ish) about 3 minutes or so, but if you based that on the rate of my heart beat and the constant muttering of "OH SHIT!" (Sorry Mom) you would have felt it lasted more like an hour.

A few miles later, I pulled off the freeway and on to the main rural road that takes me down to my house, only to spot a fire truck about 500 yards or so away in the opposite lane. That in itself is not a bad thing. What made things a bit awkward was that there was a student driver directly in front of me who must have been confused. I'm guessing that his instructor had been breaking out the bong because he just stopped. In the middle of the friggin lane. To make matters worse, right after the fire truck passed us; he started up again, and proceeded to go 30 miles an hour on a 45 mile an hour road. For six miles. By the time I turned off (AMEN!) I had approximately 18 cars behind me. Folks, in case you don't know this, 18 cars is considered a traffic jam in my part of the world.

So if you don't mind, I'm going to hit publish on this post and go make a carrot cake. Because I can. And I don't need windshield wipers to do it.

Some things are better left unsaid. Check out the full article HERE.

For those of you who have asked, no, I don't know the results of the blood test on Monday, but if I hear anything before my follow up appointment on July 7th, I'll let you know.

Hey! How are you? Good? Good! Me too! At least right now. I'm waffling between being excellent and having the world collapse directly underneath me. I really hate this in between feeling, because I can't get my feet planted on firm ground so I can walk a steady path. But that's neither here nor there. It will work out, whatever "it" is.

Tonight was "Mom doesn't have to cook night" and I am thrilled. Subway baby! It's been in the high 90's and I don't know about you, but it's really hard to cook when it's that hot. Nothing sounds good to anyone in my family, including me. I wonder if I can have more than one night a week of no kitchen duties.

My husband took Chickie to the Orthodontist today, and she was told that if she is diligent on wearing her rubber bands she will get her braces off on the next visit. Chickie has asked me to remind her about this and I must use this permission wisely. In other words, keep the bugging for the rubber band issue alone. Originally, I had grand plans for doing things like reminding her to clean her room, to pick up the clothes off the bathroom floor, to put the milk away, etc. She really, really, really (I mean REALLLLY MOM!) wants the braces to be off before high school so somehow, I don't think that getting her to wear them will be a problem.

My youngest got to go to the Aquatic Center today with her girlfriend and Mom. This is good because, quite frankly, I get tired of the calls to work, telling me just how bored she (and/or her sister) are. I would guess that approximately 75% of the time, I have activities for her and her sister to do. It's just that in the remaining 25% they are bored. And it's my fault. I have tried to gently explain to them that it is not my responsibility to entertain them at all times. They aren't buying it.

That's it for now. Until next time, remember this:

"Listen and silence are spelled with the same letters."

PS: Chickie wanted me to share the above quote with you and let it not ever be said that I don't do what my children want me to do.

"The motor, she is running. She is a hearse, in reverse. I must not put my foot on the gas pedal. I must NOT give in."

• I went in for some blood work on Friday. I got a call Monday morning from the doctor's office saying that my Calcium level was slightly elevated. People, I will tell you here and now, what I am sure you already know to be a fact. I am stupid. I googled it. I probably am going to die. No really! I am in control! It's probably human error! My kidneys are fine. I do NOT have a tumor! It is what it is, and I will meet it head on with strength and strong faith. It's just that sometimes, it's hard to make your heart believe what your head tells you is true. Am I the only one who does this?
• Speaking of blood tests? The one today was kind of unpleasant. Blood tests are fairly easy for me, even though I generally have a bruise to show for it after all is said and done. The first attempt failed as, apparently, my vein "rolled", and we had to start over. My hand (YES! The HAND!) is somewhat swollen, and sore. The second attempt went in like peanut butter on jelly. Ok, score ONE on a positive note.
• Today we got our stimulus check. I have already told my husband it's all mine, and good lord man! Why are you rolling on the floor laughing?
• My father-in-law is not doing so hot. If you pray, or light candles, or whatever you do, will you do it for him?
• We had a WONDERFUL weekend at my parent's house. My brother and his wife from California were there as well. My other brother, and his kids joined us and it was nothing but fun, and laughter, and memories. I already miss all of them. My Mom and Dad were, as always, the most gracious of hosts. Here is a picture of the most wonderful parents in the entire universe. I am not biased. Why do you ask?
• If my oldest daugher lives to be 14, it will be a miracle.
• If you are taking an anti depressant/anti anxiety drug and you are about to run out? Make sure you fill it right away. Do not wait for four days to do it because you keep forgetting to have it refilled. Not that I did that or anything. I'm just saying. People, it will mess with your mind.
• Embrace the fact that your 10 year old daughter knows how to run the ride-on mower better than you do. Embrace it I say! Offer allowance. Chocolate Chip cookies. Web-Kinz, whatever. Because that means that you or your husband don't have to do it! Can it get any better than that? I wonder if she'll clean the bathrooms?
• Hey, have you met Old Blue? This is a shot from my parent's back yard. He was rather shy, don't you know? Every time I would get closer, he would move. Right now, we don't have a zoom lens (we are working on it!). I could have used it then.

I'm going to be ok. Repeat after me. "I am going to be ok." Oh mah Hell. It's hard.

As anyone from the south knows, the summer (even spring/fall) can be brutal. We hit 96 degrees today, with humidity just as high. I'm one big puddle of sweat. Be that as it may, I still really love it here. You just learn to mow your lawn in the morning, or after the sun sets a bit. You tend to go from one air conditioned place to another. In other words, you learn to cope. No big deal.

One of the things I've learned about the south is the people are friendly. I know several of my neighbors by their [first} name and I can call on them for help when the need arises. It's been a little over four years since we moved into this house and I have not regretted packing up my house and family, and moving them across country.

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Even though our schedules here at Chez Moogie prevented us from visiting Mom on Mother's Day, I still had a marvellous chat with her, as well as my dad and brother. I'm sure it helps that we are planning to go down on Father's Day (if not sooner), and my older brother and his wife will be there (they live in California).

The past few weeks have been a whirl wind of comings and goings, and goings and comings. Don't get me wrong, it's all good, but we are looking forward to a slower pace of life, coming in the next few weeks (crossing fingers).

And now, an update:

1. I would appreciate any prayers, or lighting of candles directed towards my FIL. He is having surgery on Wednesday to fix (we hope) an aortic aneurysm. The medical complexities of this surgery still confound me even though my lovely SIL sent a detailed explanation of what was going to happen. There are so many things that can go wrong (he could end up on dialysis for the rest of his life) and so many that can go right (it worked!). I try to remain positive and focus on the good things. It's doubly hard being all the way across the country. I can't do the whole see, touch, feel. I can't physically BE there, but I can pray, and I can offer support, via telephone and email, such as it is.
2. Meelie's Cheer Leading team went to the National Championships a couple of weeks ago in Virginia Beach. They took six place, with an honorable mention. You can't beat that. I went with my girlfriend, and her daughter who is on Meelie's team. We had so much fun but I was really tired by the time we got home. This old bod can't do that kind of thing and recover as quickly as it once could. It took me about three days before my hearing came back and the ringing in my ears stopped.
3. Chickie has her big recital this Saturday, and has rehearsals almost every day this week. Tonight, she told me she finally feels comfortable with her solo. She had been worried because she was having trouble remembering it all. Tonight she had one-on-one time with her instructor and she feels fairly confident, albeit somewhat nervous, about the piece. Since I'm the sole taxi driver (see #1) this week, it's turning out to be an juggling act of schedules, making sure the kids have dinner as well as clean clothes to wear to school. It's all doable, but requires some heavy thinking on my part. I'm beginning to learn the value of the "LIST."
4. Speaking of Chickie, she has her 8th grade prom this Friday. My girlfriend's daughters saved all of their prom dresses and Chickie is wearing one of them. SCORE! We got her a really beautiful pendant to go with it as well as some shoes (both on sale - DOUBLE SCORE!). The only other thing I had to pay for was sending the dress to the cleaners. I'd say I made out like a bandit. We'll be taking pictures that night over at her friend's house. They have a beautiful backyard, complete with a swimming pool. My girlfriend is catering the event, so she'll be sure to give me all the details. I'm really excited for her.

That's about it for now. I'm hoping to update the blog a little more than I have been doing. I decided to take a bit of time for myself and family, and I must say I've enjoyed it.

I hope you all are doing well. Until next time.....

I'm sitting here in my garage, keeping my husband company while he is putting a new radiator in the truck. I wish I could say things were going smoothly, but that would probably be considered a bold face lie a slight untruth.

Him: We haven't had any certified disasters yet! I am reminded of Tim the Tool Man.

Pray with me people!

My husband? He is quite the mechanically inclined type. Me? Not so much. He is trying to remove the old radiator, which I gather is somewhat difficult if his language casts any light on the subject. Something about having to remove the doohickey from the watchamacallit before you can take it out.

Moving right along...

Since moving here, the girls have started to take the bus to school, which is almost a necessity because this is a small county and the schools are far apart. It's really not bad though because both of their buses stop right on the corner, two houses away. On my Fridays off, as well as those I work (I get off an hour earlier); I generally walk to the bus stop to meet Meelie. The only reason I don't do this for Chickie is because that would be categorized as "Most Embarrassing Moment" in her "Book of Mother's Faults." "Helloooo, Mom? I'm 13 now and NOT a baby any more!" I guess I can understand that, especially after she has finally forgiven me for shouting out "MAKE GOOD CHOICES!" as she was climbing on the school bus one morning. She didn't talk to me for over two weeks.

I'm bringing this up because I needed to go into work today (on my day off) and finish up some work as I'll be heading down with the girls to my parent's house for Easter and a few days during the week. I specifically stopped early enough so that I could be home in time to meet Meelie at the bus stop. And the bus is late. As in over 35 minutes late. Understanding that she attends a public school helps me realize that this should not surprise me one iota. These kinds of things tend to happen when a driver calls in sick or a bus breaks down, and they have to cram four routes into one vehicle.

I still can't help but worry because I remember at the beginning of the year, Meelie's bus was late. Or so I thought. I realized there might be a problem when I saw other kids playing out on our street who took the same bus as she did. I ran headlong into a wall of bricks when the reality of the situation hit me. My child did not get off the bus, or worse yet, was not on the bus.

My mouth felt like the armpit of a gorilla with a side of Tabasco sauce as I called the school and calmly (on the outside) inquired as to the whereabouts of my child. I could hear mild pandemonium in the background as two-way communicators were going off while they furtively tried to contact the driver. When the lady came back on the line (it happened to be the principal) she told me that apparently, Meelie had fallen asleep on the bus and they were well into the second route before it was discovered (when I called).

So you see, while it turned out this had a happy ending, I don't have a lot of faith in the school bus system. If you'll excuse me, I need to go call the school now.

Meelie stayed home sick today with the flu. All kids have different ways of communicating that what went down is about to come back up. It was tough when they were littler because they couldn't verbally express what was going on. I learned early on that Chickie would pace while holding her blanket. Back and forth across the carpeted floor. She would wander aimlessly, giving a bystander the impression that she was terribly worried about where her next meal would come from. After a few missed queues, I learned what to watch for and when she began her inevitable pacing back and forth, clutching her beloved blanket, I would run to get the "bucket."

Meelie really had no identifiable reaction when she was small. It became easier when she was older and had begun to talk. When she was ready to worship the almighty porcelain god, she would cry out "it's stuck!" It came out more like "it tuck!" I quickly realized that this was her signal that the volcano was about to erupt and if I didn't get the "bucket" soon, I would be cleaning up and unholy mess. To this day, she still uses that, albeit she can now speak in what we know as English. "Mama, it's stuck!" And that's what I heard at 1:18 am this morning.

And about every hour afterwards, poor thing. It was my husband's turn to take care of her (stay home from work). I'm fortunate enough to have a partner that will take turns being off of work when the kids are sick. It was still hard because, with all of my being, I wanted to be home taking care of her. Don't get me wrong, he is more than capable of taking care of her himself, but I wasn't there. What my presence would have done couldn't tell you, except perhaps make me feel better.

By evening time, she was doing much better, although she was terribly exhausted. Thankfully, she was able to get some food (popsicle, toast) down, which seemed to help her out a lot. We got her to bed fairly early and before I had even turned of the lights, I heard a faint snore coming from her parted lips. I'm hoping this means we are through the worst of it.

Upadate: Meelie made it through half the day at school today. I go a telephone call from the nurse stating that she was in her office crying because she felt so horrible. Currently, she is sleeping on the recliner with Fergie playing softly in the background.

1. I come back to my blog after a few days away and find that someone left the lights on, and there are dirty dishes in the sink. It never ceases to amaze me that no one does any work while I'm gone. I was hoping that the Posting Fairy would pay a visit but alas, it seems she had a root canal it was too painful for her to type.
2. It is raining like cats and dogs here today. A more appropriate terminology would be elephants, but that thought scares me because I don't think my roof could handle a barrage of elephants landing on top of it. I don't even want to contemplate the mess. I would delegate the job of Pooper Scooper to my husband, that's for sure.
3. Last week, Meelie performed in a Black History Month (in the Chorus at school) program that was very well done. My camcorder decided to decimate it's battery so I was stuck using my digital camera for short little clips. As a result, the picture quality is not the greatest (the lighting was difficult, to say the least), but when all is said and done, you don't need to SEE the Chorus to enjoy it. You just need ears to listen, and believe me, I have listened to them over and over again. I'm Mom. It's my job to be proud.
   
   
   "Chariot's Coming"
   
   

   "I Am a Small Part of the World"

4. Why is it raining on my day off? It seems that's the way it always goes. So much for spreading the Weed 'n Feed today. I sure am sad that I won't be able to do that. NOT!
   
5. Speaking of rain, there is a tornado warning a little up north of here, which, coincidentally, is where my girlfriend works. We had made plans to have lunch today. They had to evacuate the building so they all went somewhere to get breakfast. We have to reschedule.
   
6. Chickie's school competition was to be held today up in Valdosta. Because of severe weather conditions, that has been canceled as well. I felt really sorry for her, but mostly I am relieved. I'm just glad they are being cautious and not taking any risks.
   
7. I've been working on time management here at Chez Moogie. I'm trying to figure out how to juggle everything we have on our plates, without simultaneously pulling my hair out and poking myself in the eye with a sharp stick. Wish me luck. If I'm successful, I think I'll write a book. What do you think I should call it?
   

I have nothing of importance to say, or rather, I can't decide what I want to write about. Subjects keep flowing through my mind like a flooded river filled with debris (Hey! There goes a Big Wheel!) but every time they pop into my mind, I drop them like a hot potato. I cannot focus. I feel like a Mexican Jumping Bean. Boing! Boing! Boing! Oh look, is that a penny on the sidewalk? Yeah, it's been one of them people.

Right now, one of my dogs (Tiny) is sitting here staring at me as if to say "You are on the computer again? What about our one-on-one time? The other two four-legged rodents have been banned to the backyard. It's just you and me baby! What about my tummy rubs? Woman, you are so lacking." This, coming from a dog who is a professional escape artist, even though we have an electric (underground) fence. We have now had to break down and buy the "BIG DOG" collar because she blows through all of the frequencies on the smaller ones. And we actually have fenced in back yard. But heck, a fence is no big deal. You can just dig under it. After all, what's a little shock? So she is stuck inside, until the new collar arrives. Personally I think that was her plan all the time. She is evil, that one.

I need to close this out now and finish up dinner. The girls will be home soon from their activities. I'll be lucky if I can get dinner on the table tonight. I'm so easily distracted.

Tell me, do you ever have days like this?

I first saw this over at Mommy Needs Coffee, who credited Karen Sugarpants, who credited Avitable for the idea. All three of them wrote 10 things that they wish they could or should say to someone. Here mine are, in no particular order:

1. You really need to curb your pessimism. Try looking at a glass as half-full for once. I'm tired of your petty complaining and it's really getting hard to be around you.
2. Why is it that the color of my skin makes you dislike me so much? Tell me. What have I ever done to you to deserve your hatred?
3. I'm sure your children are wonderful and perfect in every way. I just get tired of hearing about it. Oh, and by the way, I hear your teenage daughter is pregnant. Is she having a boy or a girl?
4. The thought of either one of you dying, scares the crap out of me. I don't know if I will be able to pull through when it happens.
5. Can you stop with the gossip already? Why not try to be friendly and supportive of those who need it?
6. I really wish we would talk more. About the important stuff. The stuff that really matters. And that you would listen.
7. When are you going to realize that your child is a pathological liar who refuses to take responsibility for his actions? You need to realize if you consistently believe him, when all of the evidence is stacked against him, that he will end up with his prisoner number tattooed on the back of his neck.
8. Why is it that your job and family life make you too busy to call me? Why can't you respect the fact that I'm busy as well? What makes you so much more important than me?
9. If you have a problem with me, then you need to come and talk to me about it. The backstabbing is reminding me of high school years, only worse. Because you are an alleged adult.
10. I really admire you and your work. You have gone through so much and yet somehow managed to make it all work for you. I wish I had the guts to reach out more and try to become our friend.

What do you wish you could say to someone?

I was all ready to sit down and write a post about how hard the last few weeks have been, both physically and emotionally. But when I started to put it into words, my problems seem so minuscule in comparison to what other people are experiencing. It's just not that important.

So I'll stop here and change the subject! Subject changes, it's what awkward situations call for!

In other news, I took Meelie to the orthopedist for a re-evaluation of her toe. Much to her disappointment, the doctor told her that she had to wear the shoe for another two weeks. She had a complete meltdown right then and there. I understood why Meelie was so upset, and did my best to comfort her. After all, TWO WEEKS is forever and lord love a duck, she will have graduated high school before she no longer has to wear "the shoe." Stupid old shoe. The entire time I was trying to calm her down, her poor doctor looked as if she had just amputated the wrong limb. I'm just thankful she didn't cry as well. Ah, the mind of a 9 year old. It boggles the mind.

I need to cut this post short because I have to go empty the dishwasher, the dish drainer and then wash all of the dishes which will probably fill both of those up again! Oh, and then I need to prep the dough for the homemade pizza and go pick up Chickie and her friend from the soccer game they watched after school. Other than that, not much is going on.

But I'm not complaining! Honest! I mean, there are people there who have to wash everything by hand and they have 7 children, and have to eat stale bread and drink warm water every day because they can't afford to make pizza.

No complaints here.

Change of subject anyone?

That is totally a word, in case you were wondering.

I've just uploaded a bunch of photos from the weekend. They were mostly from Sunday, when we were cruising around the park. Seriously good times. If you'd like to see them, just click HERE. Comments are welcome (hint).

On Saturday, I took a rump load of photos of all of the teams. It seems that my memory card decided to have a fit (just like a woman) and get its panties in a wad. I was able to retrieve ONE photo from that card. I'm hoping that the other parents will have more to share.

Happy!

Things here are moving right along. The toe is healing and if you were to listen to Meelie, it's all better. "So can I go jump on the trampoline now?" This kid is testing my limits. She knows just what buttons to push and by the time she's through, the fuses are all blown. I'm having a hard time making her realize that the more careful she is with the foot, the quicker she will heal. Of course, this theory is blown right out of the water because she seems to be one of the lucky ones that heals really fast. Lord love a duck.

Besides the fracture of the big toe, and the fact that I'm NOT letting Meelie do anything (because I live to make my daughter's life miserable, doncha know?), Chickie got some awesome news last night. She found out she was picked for a solo for the big recital in spring. She's been dancing for five years. It's always been a goal for her to be in a solo, but the funny thing is, she's always been happy for the kids who have been picked in previous years. She just loves to dance that much. She came running in last night after dance practice and was screaming at the top of her lungs. I thought perhaps that Hillary Clinton was ahead in the polls, or her best friend died. I'm not sure which would be worse. She found out that she had been picked for a solo piece, BUT the teacher wouldn't tell her which dance it was for. They aren't going to announce the solos until February, so she should find out then. That, of course, didn't stop Meelie from giving her opinion. I'm thinking it doesn't really matter to Chickie. She's stoked.

We've got a busy weekend ahead of us. Saturday, Meelie has a Reading Bowl Competion, and the we have to head on out to her cheerleading competition on the island. At least this one is only an hour away. I'm interested to see how the coach is going to integrate a child with a designer shoe into the competition. I'm hoping to get some better pictures of this one.

That's about it for now. I'm just focusing on making it through the weekend. How about you?

This weekend, my husband traveled south to the Ft. Lauderdale area to attend a memorial service for his Aunt. His father is unable to travel great distances, and asked him to stand in for him. My husband was more than willing to do this, even though he hadn't seen her in at least 10 years. He left Friday, and returned Sunday which meant I was on my own for the weekend.

In all honesty, it's not a big deal for me. The girls are old enough that they do not require supervision (me keeping them in my site) during all waking hours and have many friends to play with. And play they do!

What I find most irritating is that I am someone who likes some type of structure. I'm very flexible, and able to change where required, but I like to at least start off with a plan. Herein lies the problem.

I am not fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home-mom. This is perfectly acceptable to me. I came to terms with it long ago. If I were to be quite honest, and this will probably irritate several of you, I don't think I would be happy staying at home. I enjoy the stimulation of a challenging work environment. I would need to do something, even if it was being an active participant of some charity, or at the very least, work part-time. I like working. I would even go so far as to say, I love working. Do I still have days where I would prefer to stay home? Absolutely. Do I look forward to retirement (waaaaay down the road)? Most definitely. I always enjoy the time I spend with my family on holidays, and various days off. They come in short bursts, and I'm always happy to go back to work, yet kind of sad at the same time. That last sentence didn't make a lot of sense, but it's how I feel.

Sorry, got side tracked. Where was I?

Oh yes. Structure. Schedules. I'm more than capable of flying by the seat of my pants, but I try to keep those situations to a minimum. Short bursts of single parenthood allow you no time to get into any kind of a "groove." I am so used to having a partner who helps me out it throws everything out of whack. It's not impossible to take care of everything by yourself, but if you're not used to it, it can be a little nerve wracking. Take this weekend for instance. Shuttling the kids around to their various activities was quite taxing on mad scheduling skillz. The bathroom toilet clogged up. Twice. Once, dumping water all over the floor. I don't even want to talk about the leak coming from somewhere in the refrigerator. Kudos to all of you single parents who handle all of this on a daily basis.

It takes a day or so to get my feet back underneath me, and then what happens? My husband comes home and promptly messes it all up by being there. Which just means I have to adjust all over again. The poor man can't win (Hi honey!).

So now he is back. We are are a whole family again. The kids happily played Wii with their friends, and I made homemade pizza.

Oh, and got to go to work today, which means has both the kids to himself (plus two other kids). He definitely will have his work cut out for him.

I went back to work today. Yawn. I had to forgo the usual nap, though truth be told, over the last week or so, I had been forcing myself to stay awake during the day, and not go to bed until at least 9:00 p.m. It is now just a little bit after 7:00 p.m. and I'm ready to sink my head into a pillow and drift off into never-never land.

When I came in this morning, I was really discombobulated and generally had no idea where to start. Then there was the influx of folks coming to welcome me back, ask how I was feeling, and poke their noses into exactly what my problem had been. After about the 4th person, I wanted to just say, "I was sick, I got better, the end." I must admit that the interest was flattering but, because I am infused with a lack of self confidence, I wondered if they weren't just trying to get the low down on what was going on. The communication in my department on things such as this is basically nada, so no one really knew if I had taken a page out of Miss Spears' book, and checked myself into a drug rehab facility. Who knows? After all, I am from California.

I had 1,293 emails waiting for me upon my return. Yes, you read that right. It took me a large part of the day to go through them all. My boss, bless her heart (I owe that woman ALOT for the way she covered for me - no joke) had forwarded my phone to hers during my absence so at least I didn't have to deal with the voice mails. She took care of all of the problems, and those that had to wait until my return were meticulously jotted down on paper so that I knew exactly what had to be done.

It feels so good to be back (though I miss spending time with the girls), and I'm much more grounded now that I have some type of schedule to adhere to. It also helps me figure out what day of the week it is. If I were lucky enough to be able to stay home, I could develop some sort of a schedule. I would have to sleep with my calendar (sorry honey, but there is the fold out couch in the sun room), but with the inevitable return to work, I found it impossible to adhere to anything.

All is well though. The kids are back to dance and cheer, my husband is again, working hard on the flooring and I am once again, taking up residence in the kitchen. I didn't realize how much I missed cooking, especially now that I'm not living on Jell-O and Popsicles.

Dear Grammy,

I just wanted you to know that I was informed that you had the best ever Ravioli in the entire world. It's even better than Chef Boyardee! I just had to share this information with you because I KNOW how happy that will make you. You beat out CB! High FIVE! You should be proud.

Love,
Tootsala
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Dear Interneters,

Curling really long hair with sponge curlers requires 3 things:

1. Drying hair until there is little or no moisture left.
   
2. 162 curlers.
   
3. Large bottle of wine.

Yours, in blogging,
Moogs
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Dear Children,

When I tell you that it is time to change your clothes for cheerleading/dancing, I expect to you get up and go change. I do not want to hear "just a minute" or come back into the room, only to see you sitting in the same place I left you, staring at the TV, drooling.

Secondly, I do not know where your uniforms are. It is not my responsibility to keep track of them. I wash them and I put them on your dresser. Don't blame me if you have to go naked to practice.

Love,
Mama
*****************************************************************
Dear New Doctor,

Let's not mince words, shall we? I do not like you. I gave you TWO chances. I didn't think it was possible but the second time made me despise you even more. If it weren't for the PA, I would not set foot in your clinic. Your bedside manner is deplorable. Once I get my current health issues under control (with the help and advice of the PA), I will be switching to a new doctor.

Sincerely,
Pissed off patient
*****************************************************************
Dear Philip Pullman,

You're kidding right?

They are hoping that unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the movie, that they will enjoy the movie and then the children will want the books for Christmas. That's the hook. Pullman says he wants the children to read the books and decide against God and the kingdom of heaven.

Love,
A devoted fan.
*****************************************************************
Dear Readers,

Thank you for sticking with me through bout of pneumonia and all that goes with it. You have been so patient and kind, and your emails make me feel warm all over. Ok, enough of the mush already. What I really need you to do is think of some good topics that I can write about during National Blog Posting Month. I've been mulling some ideas in my head, but don't really think I would have enough to write about if I chose a theme. Unless of course, it was my children, or cooking, but that might get boring after a while.

Do you have any ideas? Any questions you would like to ask and have answered next month? What are your topics of interest?

Love,
The Moogster

Nearly fat free, and less sodium too!

I'm nursing a rather nasty cold, which seems to have grabbed me by the ankles, shook me up and caused all of the loose change to fall out of my pockets. There goes the ice cream money. Sorry kids! It's still not done with me yet. If you don't mind, I'll keep this short and share some obligatory photos as well as a video I took of the kids and their friends yesterday evening. Hopefully, things will be back to normal soon. I would really like to be able to taste things, as well as not be stone cold deaf. At the rate I'm going through Kleenex, I'm going to have to get a second job. Wah, wah, wah.

Read More I'm not done talking yet... »

Here are some photos that my neighbor took when they went to the zoo. The girls had a blast I'm going to try to use a tool I came across for Flickr photos. Given my drug induced state, let's hope this works. It appeared simple enough when I first took a look at it.

If it's easier for you, just go here for the actual Flickr set.

Next up? Some more bouncey lurv. Come on now. Did you really think I could let too much time pass without the obligatory picture of kids on the trampoline? And for an added extra bonus (my aren't you lucky you visited today?) there is even a video. Look at this closely. They are getting along. In addition to that, they are making sure Bullet Boy does not get hurt. What I want to know is why we aren't allowed to do this? The simple answer, for me personally? I would end up in the hospital in traction.

Click to biggie size picture - at no extra cost!


Bounce, bounce, bounce from Moogie on Vimeo.
No children were harmed in the making of this video.

« I'm done now!

As we move forward with the great GHIP, I find myself reeling with all of the decisions I need to make. What color do I paint the rooms? What flooring do I use? As far as the flooring, I know that we'll be putting tile in the kitchen/breakfast nook area, and most likely, some type of laminate flooring throughout the rest of the house. I've gone so far as to explore area rugs and have pretty much decided (I think) that we'll probably utilize Flor for a good part of it. For the tile and laminate, I am leaning towards a very light color, to keep things bright. My husband has expressed very little preference in the paint area, only to state that he would like the kitchen to have a soft color, perhaps a yellow. I was thinking of making a blue accent wall to compliment it. The girls change their mind constantly, so I will probably wait to paint their rooms until last.

I really have no theme at this point. I do collect miniature elephants so I would imagine the living and dining room would be fashioned after that in some way. My girlfriend is good with colors and has promised to help me. I really have no decorations, so to speak, nor do I have much in the way of paintings to hang on the wall. There is a large part of me that is excited to actually be able to pick things out, a little at a time, to finally make this a place that I could call home. Something that paints a photograph of who I am.

So there you have it. You know just about as much as I do right now. I'll keep you posted on what I end up doing.

The photo in this post, which kind of explains the title (but not really) is the handle on our 19 year old Webber Grill. Yes, we still have it, and use if faithfully. The soldering finally gave out when my husband was lifting the lid. This grill has gone through so many things including a rather powerful storm that lifted the fence in the back yard up, and promptly dropped it on top of the grill. She's a little off kilter now (think Leaning Tower of Pisa), but works like a charm. My husband and I have talked of getting a gas grill, which we probably will eventually do, but we both agree that we won't be getting rid of "Old Blue" any time soon.

They just don't make things like they used to, do they?

Bless Pete Seeger. I don't think he would appreciate me changing the words, or the Kingston Trio for that matter.

If you peruse around the blogosphere you probably have noticed folks talking about how the comments seem to have dropped to an all time low. Why is this? I don't think anyone really has the definitive answer. I've noticed a decline in the number of comments here on Moogie's World as well. Until I started reading that other bloggers, even the popular ones with multiple hits per day, were experiencing the same thing I really thought it was just me. Let's face it. I don't have all that much to offer, and there is nothing really to bring back readers time after time. The strange thing is, when I take a look at my stats, the number of visitors hasn't dropped significantly.

Tomorrow is the day for all lurkers to come out of the closet. Come on peeps! It's time to show yourself. Tell me a little bit about you. Say hello! Leave your anonymous self at the door and come on in for a drink. Everyone is welcome. This wonderful idea was started by three fantabulistic ladies, Schmutzie, Sweetney and JenAndTonic.

Schmutzie wrote all about it here.

I will admit that comments make me feel really good. Granted, most of you (and me) don't have a lot of spare time to comment on all of the blogs that we read. I think that's why it feels so good to hear from you when you do.

To give you something to comment about, I thought I would let you know about a terrible tragedy that happened yesterday. I'm still trying to move past it. Perhaps you can help.

Read More I'm not done talking yet... »

RIP Peep

Sometime yesterday, Peep escaped from her cage. She resided on a dresser that was approximately 5' tall. Apparently, she went off the dresser and on to the floor. You can see where this is going, can't you? She somehow made it to the bathroom, and it was there she chose her final resting place.

My youngest daughter Meelie found her. I was on my way home when I got a hysterical call from her. It took me several minutes to calm her down enough to find out that everyone was ok, and then a couple of minutes to find out what really happened.

When I got home, Peep was huddled in a corner in the bathroom. I will spare you with the details, but it was obvious that she had gone to be with Gingi and Shoestrngs up in Heaven. We held a small burial for her. We found a shoe box, and wrapped Peep in an old, soft towel The girls and their friends wrote messages to her on the outside of the box. I just about lost it here, especially when Chickie asked me to write something (Peep was her hamster). We fashioned a cross out of some twigs, and Peep is now resting peacefully, under the oak trees in the middle of our backyard.

Meelie was devastated. Chickie has yet to cry, but that will come. I've learned with her that you need to give her the space and the time to grieve in her own way.

Bless you Peep. Thank you for giving my kids so much joy while you were alive. I will miss you rolling in your little ball all over the house and getting stuck behind the toilet.

« I'm done now!

I was filling in my parents on all of the happenings here at Chez Moogie. What with the GHIP (are you sick of hearing about that yet?) and South Cackalackee, my parents got an earful. I don't know if they really enjoy the conversations that we have (my dad just listens-he says it's because Mom and I do all the talking and he can't get a word in edgewise), or they just pretend they do to spare my feelings.

Towards the end of the conversation, my mom said "you sound a lot better." At first, because I am one nugget shy of a Happy Meal, I didn't understand what she was referring to. When I questioned her, she told me that I sounded more upbeat. That might not have been the exact terminology, but I was so taken aback by that statement, I don't remember her exact words.

Am I feeling better? I guess I really hadn't put so much thought into it. We've been pretty busy this last month with Fiscal Year End looming a week away, and all of the work we have been doing on the house that I really hadn't given it a lot of thought. I think I am doing better in many areas, but I know that it has to do with the progress we are making on the house. It's exciting. Case in point? We worked on the office this weekend and it looks fabulous. We threw away quite a few things, including old computer parts, and sorted through mounds of paperwork. We found a couple of boxes of old bills that dated back to 1989. Since Southerners do not believe in coat closets, I now not only have a closet that I can close, I have one that I can hang up all of our winter coats in.

I won't even mention the boxes of photos we found. I'll be lighting the fire under my trusty scanner to upload some fabulous pictures. I'm itching to get started on that but I know it's a HUGE undertaking so I've decided just to do a little at a time.

But I will leave you with this.

M and C (Step Kids) when they were about 8 and 9

Shave and a Haircut….Two Bits!

I was with the kids this weekend running some errands when we ran into one of Meelie's former teachers when we were at Arby’s..

Me: Hi there, how are you?

Her: Doing just fine! How about you?

Me: Great! I didn’t recognize you! I love your new hair style. I didn’t recognize you because you look so young and tall!

Would you please “biggie” size that order for me?

There have been many times in my life in which I have carried a "Chip" on my shoulder about the size of Hawaii's Mauna Loa Volcano. Today it nearly errupted. I don't, and won't, talk much about work on this blog, so let's just say that I was "this close" to verbally taking someone down. Luckily, I kept my mouth shut and walked away. I talked with my boss about it, and I must admit that she was supportive. Sometimes it doesn't matter how nice you are. There are some folks out there who are just unpleasant. It felt good to know that she understood exactly where I was coming from and told me that what I was doing was correct. It also felt good that I have grown up enough to realize that if I open my mouth in a situation like that, both feet go straight in. All the way to the hip baby.

Via email....

Him: Just saw an armadillo stroll across the parking lot - a couple of customers had to wait in their cars while he waddled down the drive-up lane.... Ò¿Ö

Me: Heeee…does he have an account?

Him: Nope - he no speaka de Eeenglis.....

Me: ILLEGAL ALLIEN!!!!!! HE MUST BE DEPORTED!!!!

Him: Yeah! He doesn't have a valid AI number! Call the Border Patrol! Notify the Media! Warn all the churches that they'll lose their tax-exempt status if they offer sanctuary!

Me: Where is the honorable Reverend Jackson? Why, he’s getting ready for a press conference!!! Save Juanita Dillo! The little Dillo’s are all American citizens and if you deport her, they will be left with no one.

Him: And then? Why, Brothers and Sisters, we will demand reparations to compensate the descendants of the victims of this evil.....

Me: This is Betty Battschittz reporting for the 6:00 news. The judge refused the reverse the deportation order for Mrs. Dillo. Neighbor’s are rallying around the rejected Dillo chanting “Save the Dillo, Punch a Pillow.” It is reported that there will be a candle light vigil later on this evening. The Rev. Jackson is expected to make an appearance.

Him: Thank you, Betty. CAAR, the Council on American-Armadillo Relations has called for the ACLU to represent the Dillos in a Federal Court action to ensure that the Dillos receive free housing and medical care for the forseeable future. In other news, Tour de France officials are blaming the positive doping test of the Norwegian national champion on the CIA....

This is Barry Blowdry signing off.

Really quick. A semi-busy, but fun evening. Homework, taxi service, baths, and playing each other in a massive tournament over on Webkinz. The girls beat me into the ground! But they caught me in a weak moment.

Meelie landed her ROBHS (round off back handspring) several times tonight with no assistance. Then there was that time that she kind of fell on her head, and I had to get up and leave the gym, trusting the coaches to handle it.

Godzilla Math Teacher has arrived for Chickie. She told them that for the first few weeks she was letting them off easy, but now all bets are off. The textbooks have been assigned, and homework (if tonight is any indication) will be flowing out the wazoo. I'm thankful this happened after the whole probabilities incident.

Birthday weekend was AWESOME (if you don't count the blood).

I'm trying to remain calm about my dentist appointment on Wednesday. So far so good, but then again it's only Monday.

Lots of thunder and lightening and RAIN! And power outages! When I walked out of the house, and through the garage this evening, I was reminded of a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds." About 25-30 birds were swarming in circles all around our front yard. In this particular instance they weren't attacking humans but were intent upon feasting upon all of the insects that showed up after a particularly nasty storm.

As for me? I'm coping. Schedules are falling into place and as we are getting into more of a routine (loose), I've come to realize that this year is much better than last. It's all good. I just need to keep plugging away. Your words of support and encouragement have done a lot for me. For that, I thank you.

On that note, I bid you adieu. I need to put my youngest's hair in a braid, and then we are off to read another chapter of Charlotte's Web.

As you can see, there really was nothing here but us chickens for this post. But, if you are still with me, I thank you for reading this far. As for tonight? I'm feeling like things are going to be ok. Tomorrow is another day. Life is good.

I've always hated probabilities and next to word problems, they are the bane of my existence in the subject of Math. Chickie is smack dab in the middle of said probabilities and needing some help. I did what any mature, sane mother would do. I handed that one over to Dad. I don't particularly care for probabilities in real life situations either, but at least they deal with subjects that are near and dear to me, instead of "spinning Spinner A and Spinner B a predetermined number of times, and what is the probability that the arrow will land on Spinner A?" That one was simple. It gets ugly after that.

I hate that question. Why? Because I never know the answer. I should probably point out that, for whatever reasons, it's not hard to come up with ideas for my parents. I generally ask for clothes or household items from them. Mom has awesome taste in clothes, and knows just what I like. She also knows that I love all things practical. It's easy to come up with stuff for her (and Dad).

But for my husband? Not so much so. I can't really tell him clothes, because unless I can point him to exactly what I want, and where to get it, it's not going to work. For the record, I am NOT bad mouthing him. He admits it, I agree, and I'm fine with it. He's gotten me some beautiful jewellery from time to time and it's been wonderful. Last Christmas, I asked for a deep fryer and a photo printer. What I got was a deep fryer and a printer that could do everything but cook your dinner and clean your bathroom. I LOVE it! I can even scan pictures!

But I digress. This shouldn’t be a big surprise to you.

Hi there! Remember me? Well, we are going to move away from the extreme and cleverly disguised Pitty Party I threw for myself in the last post, and talk about something really important!

Do you remember how I talked about not finding any cheer leading shoes (not the Cheer Leading again, anything but that!) that I hadn't been able to find for Meelie? Well, I didn't really cop out. Well it was a semi-cop out. We did go to the big city, and fought with traffic, and drivers that were maniacs and sitting at an inordinately long red light observing a grown man trying to find a bat in a cave. Would you care for a tissue? Three points and a shout-out to anyone who gets that reference.

Author's note: I'm about to to discuss breast feeding in public. Any questions? If you don't want to read about boobies used as feeding machines, you may want to skip this.

Breast feeding. Oh the controversy. Should it be allowed in public? You decide.

I normally love the warmer weather. In fact, I crave it. I hate everything about cold. This last week or so, I have discovered that there definitely can be too much of a good thing. It's been seriously hot. Like in the 100's hot, with a heat index anywhere from 110 to 115 hot. Not. Fun.

No one had any energy to do anything, and that includes my children and dogs. Not that I am putting them in the same category, but there are days that the similarities are there and the only way I can tell them apart is that the human terrorists use silverware. Sometimes.

I forgot where I was. Oh, I remember now!

It's hot.

Read More I'm not done talking yet... »

The kids were grumpy. And whiny. Nothing I suggested for them to do met their approval. And then I had an idea. Suddenly I was brilliant. No! Better than brilliant. I was the best! People, you have no idea how hard I work for that title.

Ingredients to a successful idea on a hot summer day:

1. 2 storage bins from Walmart (these had not yet been filled with "stuff')
2. Garden hose that can squirt out water (in other words, it works)
3. Naked Barbies (you do not want to ask)
4. Leggos (any size will do)
5. Old Rags (make sure they are clean)
6. Goggles (duh, how can you get wet without them?)

Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to lie on the floor with the dogs and pant under the fans. Suddenly, that scene from Stick It, where Haley lowers her bad self into a tub of ice cubes doesn't seem like a bad I idea.

Maybe being cold isn't so bad after all.

« I'm done now!

We are back.

We arrived home a little after midnight last night. The trip was wonderful and did us all a lot of good. I think we all needed it. The drive was long but we passed through South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and then reached our final destination in Ohio. The girls, true to form, are EXCELLENT travellers in the car.

Today was spent picking up the various school supplies, plus school shoes because there is nothing like coming off of a truly relaxing vacation than braving the crowds at Wal-Mart and other various shops. I have honestly come to HATE shoe shopping with my kids. Chickie wears a size 10 in women's shoes and has particular taste which lends itself to name brands and what's popular. This generally means I need to pick up a few shifts at Huddle House in order to pay off the debts incurred. Luckily, there was a back-to-school sale, which enabled me to skip my temporary stint as a waitress. I would also like to point out that it is extremely difficult to find shoes in that size at stores that offer discounts.

Meelie No wears a size SEVEN in women's shoes. Might I remind you that she is only 9? I wear an 8. I am doomed. She is difficult to shop for because she hates trying things on. Her tastes are easier to accommodate, but it's difficult to get her to sit still long enough to find a pair of shoes that actually fit. I was finally able to halt her in mid whine by telling her that I was NOT going to pay a lot of money for a pair of shoes that she wouldn't be able to wear.

I honestly am ok with spending money on the "name brand shoes" because they are made better and will last longer. The added bonus is that they are a lot better for the feet. The girls both need that now, and because they are not so rough on their shoes, it's a lot easier to justify adding a second mortgage to the house. Again, we lucked out with the sale, so I can't complain too loudly.

Right now I'm a bit tired. I've got some photos I'll be sharing over the next few days from the trip. We've got Open House for school tomorrow, so it's going to take me a while to get caught up on everything. I hope you all had a fantastic week. I look forward to getting back in the swing of things.

You fold one up,
You put it away,
And then you start another one!

I know, don't quit my day job.

I'm packing. And doing laundry. And packing, and doing more laundry so I can pack. To say that I am a bit behind the 8 ball on this is to be kind. I've had the last three days off with the girls, and we have just been bumming around, and playing games on the computer. And drenching ourselves in fruit smoothies, and munching on frozen grapes and strawberries. In other words? I have done NOTHING to prepare for the trip. And I am paying for it today.

You should see my living room floor right now. Piles of folded clothes, and other items we need for the trip. I am nothing if not methodical and I like to lay everything out, and make a story. Perhaps it's a little eccentric but it's the only way I can make sure that I don't forget things. I generally would put the piles on my bed but the bed? She is full of laundry that still needs to be done.

It doesn't help that it has been 102 degrees outside to day and humid as all get-out. Add the fact that our washer and dryer are in the garage and I have turned into something that you definitely want to stay down wind of. I think I have lost a few pounds by sweat alone.

All is good. I'm starting to get excited. The more I put things in order, the less overwhelmed I am and the panic is subsiding to a manageable level.

I plan on taking lots of pictures! We'll be out of pocket for most of the time so I won't be on the computer much, if at all.

Hope all of you are well and I'll see you next week!

Last weekend I took the girls and their friends to the pool. There were five of them. Five. Girls. Gabfest! Actually, it was pretty fun. I love to go there because I actually get to do things like read a book and relax. When I get too hot, I get in the pool to cool off. Every hour they have adult swim for 10 minutes. The kids come back and reapply sunscreen if needed, and imbibe in a little snack. Swimming is lots of work, don't you know?

What I am about to tell you will convince you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am a hopeless klutz. I was lying on my stomach in a lounge chair when adult swim was called. The girls came back and wanted a snack. As I went to get up, I leaned on my elbows. Just as I was almost turned completely around and nearly in a sitting position, the chair tipped over and and I went buttox over teakettle. It was not a pretty sight. To make matters worse, I was laughing so hard that it was difficult to extricate myself from that unlady like position. It didn't help that the lower part of the chair folded upwards, effectively blocking my legs from moving. It hurt a bit, but nothing really bad. At that point, I think my pride took the biggest blow.

I have a huge bruise, which covers a large part of the lower left hand portion of my back. By looking at it, you would have thought I should be in traction. I've been a bit sore, but nothing to write home about. I'm stiff in the morning and after I sit for too long. This is easily remedied when I move around a bit.

I think I overdid it a bit yesterday. I was on my feet a lot at work, then driving the kids here and there to activities, and then came home and cooked dinner. Normally, this wouldn't phase me in the slightest because I'm used to it. By the time I was done with dinner, my back hurt. Nothing excrutiating but more of an annoying, tired like ache. This is the point that convinced me that perhaps my husband is as hard of hearing as his children are.

Me: My back hurts.
Him: What?
Me: My back hurts.
Him: You have a bad what?
Me: My. Back. Hurts.
Him: Your bad turd?

And people wonder how we have made it 19 years. Now I know why.

Moogie's Note: The video above is of Meelie and her BFF! Princess M. The only part of my car that got washed last night was the top.

PS: Blog Fodder #24, be there.

When I got home from work, I told Meelie to go change into her shorts and such and get ready for cheerleading/gymnastics/look Ma no hands stunt class. I headed out to the garage and was getting some clothes out of the dryer for Chickie's dance camp and Meelie came out into the garage and opened up the refrigerator door and just stood there.

Me: What are you doing?
Meelie: Getting my shorts for tonight.
Me: *BLINK*
Meelie: Um, never mind.
Me: .......

Darn my husband anyway. Doesn't he know that the clothes are supposed to be put in the INSIDE refrigerator?

Speaking of Meelie, she wrote another story. She was really psyched at your comments about the last one she did, so she decided to tackle another one. Personally, I'm all for it. Sure she needs to work on the spelling and punctuation, but she is only 9 years old, so that part of it can be forgiven. Besides I am hoping she keeps doing this so that one day, she'll become a famous author, making ginormous amounts of money so that she can support her mother in her dwindling years. The way I see it, she'll be able to publish the work from her "early years." Meelie thinks it should be called "Why My Shorts are Cold, and Other I Have an Evil Sibling Stories." Works for me. As before, I have not touched a thing. What you see here is exactly as she has typed it.

Myself

I love myself I just don't know it. That is the thing. Sometimes I wish I could be myself. The rezen why I say that is because I am a superstar. I have to have gards so people wont trample me. And like that will ever happen. Well I am talking about me not being able to see my friends You are lucky that you are not a superstar. That is a story abut me what do you have to say abut that. Huh I cant here you that is right it is beter than your story that I don't know about.

This story was made by: Meelie

I will leave you all with the link to the latest Blog Fodder (#24!!!!).

Thanks to Becca, Melli, Gopher, MommyBa and My Queen for participating last week.