25 Random Things

I have been tagged quite a few times now on Facebook and dont want to post anything of merit on there where the whole world can read it. So this seems safer...not that anyone can't read this if they so chose but they would have to look for it...ok so it made sense in my head. Anyway I saw Angelle's post and thought a blog would be a better location for that.

1. I am addicted to crossword puzzles - I do one online almost everyday.

2. I am also addicted to books. I read as much as possible, as often as possible, and always have a list of things I need to get a hold of so that I can read them.

3. I have a dream to write a book - not a nice self help or topical book - an actual novel with a heroine and a killer - my two favs.

4. I am fascinated by serial killers and have actually studied them. I dont want one near me, but the psychology and the sociology behind their thought processes and the stories they leave in their wake intrigue me.

5. I LOVE school, but I dont feel ready to make the sacrifices that returning to school now would include - time, money, etc.

6. I find blogging very cathartic.

7. I have now read the entire Twilight saga (including the unfinished Midnight Sun) three times. It is by far the best writing I have read in years.

8. I often fight my natural parenting instincts in order teach my kids how to not be like me. I feel it would be better for them to not have OCD personality traits or be overly competitive.

9. I think Todd and I got married too young, we learned alot of lessons the hard way. I would not change it...lets just say I think that sometimes when we make mistakes, screw up the details...God makes our big beautiful picture all the prettier. I wouldn't recommend marriage to a 19 year old but am thankful that it lead me here.

10. I often feel like I dont fit in with my own friends - got married in college, had babies while my friends got married, and now have self sufficient kids while everyone else has babies.

11. My favorite restaurant is Los Mexicanos and/or Cody's Roadhouse.

12. I hate cooking. I can cook but I hate it.

13. I hate hate hate how much I weigh right now. I know "eat less - exercise more." I feel like I have no time to prepare better meals and even less time to spend at the gym. Excuses, yes, but real ones nonetheless.

14. I have a love/hate relationship with shoes. If I have to wear them I love to have fun shoes and buy more shoes than clothes. But I would prefer to go barefoot if I could.

15. I would like to live in FL for the rest of my life.

16. I had a piece of skin from my stomach removed because of possible skin cancer but I absolutely adore the sun and being tan.

17. I love my children but I hated being pregnant more than I could possibly put into words.

18. My favorite movies are classics - Grease, Its A Wonderful Life, Mary Poppins - or movies with a purpose or social statement - Crash, Blood Diamond, Philadelphia.

19. My favorite band for the longest time was Collective Soul - saw them in concert multiple times, once as far away as Texas!

20. I am sometimes shocked that I have only one friend left from high school. Though I have no doubt that she will be my friend forever in the realest sense of the word.

21. I would never allow a maid to clean my house.

22. I refuse to eat any type of seafood at all.

23. I have a huge heart for the homeless, more so since starting this job.

24. My closest friend and I often have little in common. She is optimistic to my cynicism, trendy to my traditional, spontaneous to my control freakedness...but its a wonderful match. And yes some of those are not real words.

25. I watch tv to fall asleep because it shuts up my mind.

Augh

Closing costs - expensive.
Down payments - expensive.
Houses in nice neighborhoods - expensive.
Life - expensive.

Hey where is my priceless part? I need a master card moment and I did not get one!

Why?!?

Why can my daughter not remember to bring home her daily planner suddenly?
Why did my parents buy my kids a karaoke machine for Christmas?
Why does my dog whine at the door after he just went out?
Why does the laundry stack up faster than I can do it?
Why do kids in elementary school have cell phones?
Why do little boys have to add sounds effects to EVERYTHING?

House Hunting...

Its a great market, a buyers market, blah, blah, blah - from EVERYONE and I really want a garage and yard and no attached neighbor, etc from Todd fueled this weekends house hunt. We looked at 3, 1 of which was like the nightmare of all nightmares. Pretty sure the people prior had been forced out as the cupboard doors and drawers had all been taken off, holes clearly punched into walls, broken crap everywhere. It was not the agent's listing and it was a last minute decision to look and we were a little sorry we did. We did however look at another one that would have gone for cheap but needed some work but the layout was not really what we would choose. Kitchen in the middle kind of thing, so the square footage was large but the rooms seemed small. And we found one we liked, for a good price.

So we are talking with someone who can assist financially this week to see if its something we can afford.

I hate to be negative but as much as I think the whole house to have more friends over, pool parties, a yard for the kids, etc sounds fun I am having a hard time not thinking of the work and money involved. I mean its good to think of them but I am dwelling, moping, dreading...

From the beginning it would need vast amounts of cleaning (its been empty), a dead tree removed from the backyard, fencing fixed, huge amounts of paint (it currently looks like the Sherwin Williams exploded inside and not well either, no straight lines), and the plain old packing, moving and unpacking. Then the maintenance of a big yard, a fence, a pool, more square footage, etc. And of course the money. While its in good shape it would need little stuff and of course the actual mortage, taxes, and insurance itself.

So anyways...thats my weekend vent/story/excitement. I'll keep you updated. Who knows a move may be on the horizon or we may stay here for another year.

Shuffle

Saw this on another blog...thought it was a neat idea. I think music tells you a lot about a person so here's the deal...put your music player on shuffle, scramble, whatever its called...and tell us what the first 5 songs it plays are.

1. Bellas Lullaby from the Twilight soundtrack
2. Michael Jackson's Black or White
3. Oh Holy Night sung by Third Day (hmmmm...maybe its time to take the Christmas music off)
4. Maroon 5's My Love
5. Eagle Eye Cherry's Stay Tonight

Okay so spill it...whats on yours?

Augh!

There is the possibility of snow...because of the moisture in the air. Do you think hospitals can close for "THIS IS RIDICULOUS ITS SNOWING IN FLORIDA" Days? No, I dont think so either.

Cold!

Weather forecasts for our little town include temperatures as low as 35 degrees tomorrow morning at 6 am (when I have to leave for work). This is Florida people, what is going on?

Morning at the Movies

I took the kids to this movie this afternoon and just wanted to put a quick note in here saying if you are looking for a great family friend movie this is a great one. The language is good, the concept is about caring for others, and overall its just sweet and funny. I was thoroughly impressed. I would recommend it for kids that can sit through a full length movie in general though...maybe like 5 and up...there are some parts that are more human storyline - boy meets girl, trouble with parents, etc - that might be kind of dull for really little ones.

Weekend

I can't believe that another weekend, a LONG weekend at that, is almost over. How did we get to be half way through January already?

Friday the kids and I all had off and we did odds and end things - met Todd for lunch, ran some errands, did some cleaning, had dinner with my parents, took Max to the park, etc.

Saturday morning we nearly froze to death on the soccer fields but Tristan had a great game, too bad his teammates did not seem to play at all. It was terrible. But Tristan has learned alot despite that the rest of his team should be at gymboree not on a soccer field. (For the record I would offer to coach but I would literally have every parent hating me, I am way too competitive for U6 soccer.) Then we met some old friends for dinner Saturday night - Chad Davis, returned from Germany/Iraq, and recently discharged from the military; Bobby and Grace and two of their kids; and Dave, Rhiannon and Ty. They hung out at our house for awhile afterwards.

Sunday we did the church thing and then went shopping for jeans for Todd. He picked out a pair on his own and they were like old school blue blue jeans from the 80s. We had the nicest quietest lazy day to follow. Laid around reading, catching up on laundry, etc. Then we ordered pizza and all watched Kung Fu Panda together (surprisingly funny).

Todd had to return to work today but the kids and I are off again in honor of MLK. So we are off to the theater to see Hotel for Dogs. Hit the gym this morning and Tori has her usual swim practice this evening. Gotta love a dull weekend even if it does slide by too fast!

Today in the mail....

I received a tree.

Yes you read that correctly. For those of you that don't know, my friend Jenni McKay, is a marketing genius. She is creative, driven and excels at everything she has ever attempted, well maybe not organized sports but otherwise EVERYTHING. She is UF alumni and has a background working for some huge advertising companies including West Wayne (of Publix, Buffalo Wild Wings, Toyota Prius fame). She started on her own one year ago and has been generous enough to include me in her mailings.

All that leads back to my mail - Jenni and her architect husband Glenn - are two of the "greenest" people I know and she has been a motivation in my life to make some positive changes (changing light bulbs, recycling plastic bags, etc).

And now to plant a tree. As her latest marketing campaign celebrating her company's - Perceptivity Studio - first birthday, included a pine sapling in the mail.

So Happy Birthday Perceptivity Studio and thanks "Aunt" Jenni - the kids cannot wait to plant it!

Below: A full grown longleaf pine - ours is currently more like a bottle brush, but so cute!

Need a new bag?!?

That hurry to check out this great deal from a great friend who makes adorable but really quality bags!!!! You could get 50% of her adorable bags. I have one I use all the time and have given them as baby gifts and graduation gifts to much delight.

Keeta Collection Blog

An example of her work:

Good News

Some of you may know but due to budget cuts Pinellas county schools were trying to undo a grandfathering program they put into effect last year that was trying to undo the choice plan they started when Tori went to kindergarten. Under the new rules our kids would have had to change schools.

However after much letter writing, phone calls and meetings the parents of the 17000 students that were to be displaced prevailed and as long as we provide transportation our students will remain where they are.

While I have often complained about random things at the kids school we are very much an active part and have great relationships with the faculty there. The kids have excelled there and to move them now would have been sad.

Thanks to all those that got my email about writing a letter and did so, you helped make a difference!

Sarah Lajevardi Photos

I don't think she has an official name yet for her business, if so sorry, Sarah. But Sarah is a friend of a friend who agreed to take some pics for us. She is a up and coming pet photographer in the Tampa Bay area. Anyways these are a few of the great shots she got. If you are local and interested in having your pets photo taken let me know and I will give you her email address.

I am so excited about this photo because Todd and I together seem to be as UNphotogenic as they come. I was SO excited to get this picture.

Zing Zang Zoom

We were invited to attend the circus this weekend with some friends. We had a box suite so the seats were comfy and the show was really neat. We had never gone before and it was a lot fun. Not something we would pay to do again but one of those things I feel like everyone should do once and now we have. So if it come to an arena near you - go! The swing acrobats (they do flips from these sidewalk like swings to another sidewalk like swing) and the trained dogs were my favorites. And I would like to be the cannon girl in my next life. You know the one that gets shot clear across the arena into the giant crash mat! Anyways it was fun. There was no good photo ops though so I have no pictures.

Cute & Crazy

Exhausted

Going back to school apparently wore Tristan out. He told me he was going to sit and listen to some music on his new MP3 player while I switched laundry...when I came back out from our kitchen area this is what he looked like:

From Salon to Safari

I have been a terrible blogger so far in 2009 so here's my quick recap.

- We took all of our Christmas stuff down New Years Day! While its sad to see the season pass it was wonderful to have all that space back.

- Friday I took Tori and her friend Leah to "spend" a gift certificate I had won at a charity lunch before the holidays. The gift certificate was for "2 princesses for a day at the salon." They got their hair done and their nails!

- Friday night Todd and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary. My parents kept the kids overnight (and the dog until we got home) and we had a nice dinner at Carabbas followed by an evening at home together watching Hancock. I realize its a little lame to go home early and rent a video on your anniversary but it was so peaceful and cozy it really was nice! Next year we'll do something fabulous.

- Saturday we went to Busch Gardens and got fun passes so we can go back all year, it was really fun and it was really nice knowing we did not have to cram EVERYTHING in to one day. (P.S. Aunt Jenni - Tori loves her shirt, and it helped us be able to find her and Tristan in the crowd since the light bouncing off her of shot sparkles everywhere!)

Resolution

Is it just me or does it seem odd that you make resolutions at the beginning of year? I always think of them as more like ends...

Anyway I have a couple - I figure if I make a couple I will have hope of fulfilling one of them!

1 - to lose weight, duh, like you did not see that coming

2 - to set a small goal each week and meet it - for ex: this week - finish thank you notes

3 - make a "to do" list of daily routine activities for our kids and check them daily (cleaning room, putting laundry in baskets, homework, tec0 and give them allowances accordingly

4 - to be keep my pantry organized, I tend to be fairly organized but this is a problem area for me

Okay so even if I do one that would be good! But I am really going to make an attempt at all of them!

What are yours?