Periodically, I check the blogs of note, just to see what is out there. This one Tumaini kids
really caught my eye. Typically I go around with my head in the sand with regards to the rest of the world... but as of late, I have felt compelled to try to understand what is going on in Africa. I don't really understand why, other than it totally puts into perspective how stupid I am when I complain about completely absurd things. The gals who helped put together Tumaini kids also have a blog about their experiences, Tripping on words its a wonderful blog, and very insightful.
You should give them both a lookie-lou... you will be better for it.

"There were moments of complete torture in that vocal to be honest with you." - Simon Cowell to Gina.
Its Random 10 Friday... AGAIN?? I can't believe that it is 4 days from being May. MAY!!?! What is happening here? Did I somehow hit the fast forward button on my life again? Please find that danged remote and press pause for me!
Whatcha jammin' to people?

1. Dancing When The Stars Go Blue - Tim McGraw
2. Not Ready To Make Nice - Dixie Chicks
3. Taylor - Jack Johnson
4. Babylon II - David Gray
5. Mr. Brightside - The Killers
6. Smoothie Song(Live from Austin) - Nickel Creek
7. Cold Roses - Ryan Adams
8. Landslide(Live in Boston) - Fleetwood Mac
9. If Everyone Cared - Nickelback
10. I Don't Wanna Die Anymore - New Radicals

Bonus: God Put A Smile Upon Your Face - Coldplay

Yesterday a local dairy farm was bringing around free samples of their milk, and trying to get you to sign-up with them to be your "milk man". I'm all for free samples, so I let them give me a gallon of milk. Whats the harm in trying, right?
Well, I was pouring the milk for the kids to drink with dinner last night and Thing 1 was asking all sorts of questions... "Why is the milk in these weird containers? Where did it come from? How fresh is it?"... yada, yada, yada... Thing 3 was shoveling her food in so fast, I didn't think she was even paying attention until she dropped her fork, looking all shocked and sort of yells "Are you kidding me? This milk is from a REAL cow? No way!" Yup! A real cow! She was stunned, and started mumbling "Wow. This milk is from a real a cow. A real LIVE cow! It tastes so good!" Then, she drank 2 adult size portions of that milk that is from a cow. She LOVED it.
Huh.
I guess I should have told her milk came from a cow a long time ago!

Oh. BTW, we signed up for the milk service. How could I not, with Thing 3's enthusiastic response??

Thing 3 came to me last night and asked me, while I was getting dinner ready, if I was going to go to work. I told her: "No baby. Mama is staying home tonight."
She said "oh" and looked sort of dejected. I asked her if she wanted me to go to work, and she perked up "Yes! Cause then I get to sleep in your bed and protect Dad from all his nightmares! Cause I have nightmares too, and I need a real live human to sleep with me!"
Oh.
I see.
I guess this Mom working thing is a good deal for you then?!

"Like eating a hamburger for breakfast, it doesn’t go together, I don’t think you and that song went well together." - Simon Cowell, American Idol

Uhhh. Is that not a good thing? Hamburgers for breakfast? I do that all time!
Ummm! Burgers! (said in my best Homer Simpson voice)
I love Hamburgers... Anonymous BabySis says that I will put anything on burgers, and it wouldn't suprise her if I came to her and said :"Ohh. Have you ever had waffles and syrup on your burgers? Its soo good."
I'm a burger nut, I admit it, but not that big of a nut!

Whats playing today folks?

1. More Than Words - Extreme
2. When The Stars Go Blue - Tim McGraw
3. Rock N Roll - Ryan Adams
4. I Don't Wanna Die Anymore - New Radicals
5. Silent House - Dixie Chicks
6. Jeremy - Pearl Jam
7. Pride (In The Name of Love) - U2
8. Home - Michael Buble
9. Loser - Beck
10. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face - Coldplay

Bonus: September (Alternate Version) - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

I changed the tunes on my little player...
Its spring--- despite the intense rain that is falling right now---
I thought some happy tunes would be appropriate. Most of these tunes have sunny, happy memories attached to them... Or they just plain make me want to bounce, and dance!
The Things reported to Jefe that when I hear music I can't hold still, that I am constantly moving. AND further, that during our little Elementary school choir practice I am always dancing, and that is sooooo embarrassing!!
Well. This is true. I admit to it. I've been caught dancing in the street...
I am sorry. I can't help myself. Sometimes. No all the time. I feel like dancing.
Is that so terrible? I guess it is when, according to Jefe, I dance like Elaine on Seinfield.

Click HERE Or HERE to see her dance...
I'm sorry Things. Your mom is a big geek and loves to dance when clearly she should'nt be dancing. I just can't help it, nor can I stop.
Anyway.
It may not be pretty, but I like it!
So, click on those tunes and jam people. Life is too short to just sit there!!

We had Thing 3's play group here today. I love the idea of her being in a play group. I hate the idea of having to host the playgroup. 7 little 3-4year olds running around, screaming, running around, screaming... not my idea of fun.
I had to come up with a craft, and I really had zero creative juices running... then I remembered the infamous Pet Rocks. Thing 3 and I went and gathered all sorts of rocks... various shapes and sizes, washed them & dried them (at her insistence). The we bought googly eyes, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and markers. We were set for the event!
How do you know that it was a success? 7 little girls covered in goo and a 12 year old girl happily creating for 3 hours. Thing 1 came home from school, saw the rocks, markers, and glue gun and went to town. I heard nothing from her for almost 3 hours. When I finally went to see what she was doing, she had created a rock zoo. A rock elephant, spider, snail, sheep, bunny, turtle, snowman, duck, mouse, and more.
That's how you know your craft for the 3-4 year olds was cool... 12 year olds want to do it too!
Rock on!

I came downstairs into the family room this morning and found quite the sight.
Thing 3 was watching a Care Bears Movie, laying in the bed that she made on the floor with probably every single blanket she could get her hands on. She was happily sipping her cup of OJ, laying there in her bed, watching some T.V. and typing on a keyboard... That wasn't connected to anything. I asked her what she was doing, and she looked at me as if I had grown 2 heads and said: "Uhhh. Checkin' my email. Duh."

"I presume there was no mirror in your dressing room tonight." Simon Cowell to Sanjaya

1. Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
2. Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play That Part - Ryan Adams
3. The Lighthouse's Tale - Nickel Creek
4. My Town - Montgomery Gentry
5. But You Know I Love You - Alison Krauss
6. Closing Time - Tom Waits
7. New Years Day - U2
8. Walk On The Ocean - Toad the Wet Sprocket
9. 83 - John Mayer (Serendipity Soundtrack)
10. Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson

Bonus: Something To Be Proud Of - Montgomery Gentry

I got off work last night around 10:30 and called Jefe to see if I should bring him home a treat. He said: "Yeah. And Thing 3 wants something too."
Ummm. Excuse me?!
Yes. It was true. My 4 year old was up at 10:30 at night... Yapping away at her Daddy. Jefe said that she had been talking his ear off non-stop. They talked about allergies, and how Mommy is allergic to cats, so that meant that Thing 3 wouldn't ever get to have a cat. (in her words) Then she proceeded to tell Jefe that she was allergic to Werewolves and that he was allergic to Seagulls and Roli-Polies.
Oh.
Ok.
Seagulls and Roli-Polies?
How does one find out that they are allergic to Seagulls and Roli-Polis... And Werewolves for that matter??
I really would like the answer to these nagging questions!

I had to work last night, and I didn't get off until 1130... I had to swing by Wal-Mart to get some milk and bread to make it through the whole Sunday ordeal.
Oh.
My.
Gosh.
You would've thought that it was Christmas what with the way people were acting... and how many people were there. The lines to check out were 10-15 people deep--- making the wait over an hour. It was disgusting. I had been getting increasingly more disgusted at work as the night progressed. People were coming through my line getting hundreds of dollars of clothes for, as they put it, "Easter presents".
I mean, lets get real people! When did we start treating Easter like Christmas?
Did I miss that memo?
Then, when I got to Wal-Mart and saw the madness that was unraveling...
Well.
My disgust was complete. When people would see "Easter" type stuff, you would hear screaming, and yelling and the pounding of running feet.
There were ZERO eggs... Real eggs to fry up... None. Anywhere in the store. The shelves looked like the locusts had descended. It was gross!
Easter isn't the Easter bunny people. Nor is it silly presents and hundreds of dollars of clothes.
Its Jesus and his resurrection.
There has been no memo changing the meaning of the holiday.
So. I boycotted the whole deal. The kids didn't get little plastic eggs. Nor did they get a plethora of "Easter presents".
They got a basket full of candy. That's it.
And know what? They couldn't have care less. They just wanted the candy. They sat around eating their candy, watching T.V. and everyone was happy. I could be wrong, but I don't think that anyone will need therapy over this little episode... and I think that I will repeat it for next year too. No more consumerism on Easter.
I have drawn the line.
Now, lets just hope I don't cross it!

Tonight my entire family-- Sisters, husbands, parents, kids everyone (except the dog, much to my horror!) got our family photos taken. The first time in 5 years that we were able to do that! I think that we will have some awesome photos. Islandmom arranged with one of her scrapbook buddies, who has a photography business to come and do our photos... I think that the photos are going to be AWESOME!! I am soo excited to get them back! We did an entire family shoot with all 20+ of us, then just my parents and my sisters, then individual families, then all the grandkiddies. I am excited, and once I get them, I will post them here! The Photographer did a fabulous job... she was even able to get our stubborn little Thing 3 to smile! Amazing!
Anyway. It was fun to get our photos taken and to see all the kids running around playing. Afterwards, we went out to dinner and got Pizza. We went to a place I haven't been to in about 20 years... seriously! Yummy yummy pizza! I had forgotten how awesome it is! It was fun to look around the room, and see all the cousins laughing, talking and stuffing their faces. All of us together, eating. I think that will be what its like in heaven! Sitting around, laughing, talking, and of course eating! What better way to spend eternity?
Anyway. What a great night! And a great way to end a great week! It was fun to have everyone here. I wish that we all lived by each other. So we could sit around and scrapbook all day, and eat and talk and laugh! And the cousins could run around screaming and yelling and playing all day long... together.
Oh well.
Thanks girls! I had a fab. time!
xoxo

"My family is big and loud but they're my family. We fight and we laugh and yes, we roast lamb on a spit in the front yard. And where ever I go, what ever I do they will always be there. "
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding

It's Random 10 Friday again... didn't I just post last weeks? Where has this week gone? Crazy!
My sisters have all been in town this week, and its been fun to just hang out with them. I forgot how much fun we can have together when we are all being nice and getting along! We haven't all been together at the same time in 5 years! FIVE years... That is just plain ridiculous, and sad. When I was younger, I thought that we would always see each other-- every day and hang out together, and eat together, and raise our kids together... and all that comes with that.
Reality has a way of changing those ideas... those dreams. It was nice to have everyone around all week. Thing 2 was in hog heaven with his Island cousin being here! They LOVE each other and LOVE to play together! It was soo fun to watch them playing and pretending! It really warmed my heart!
Anyway... Whats playing on your MP3 player?

1. Sleeping To Dream - Jason Mraz
2. The Sweet Escape(Edited) - Gwen Stefani
3. Walk On The Ocean - Toad the Wet Sprocket
4. Thinking About You (Radio Single) - Norah Jones
5. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams
6. Hysteria - Def Leppard
7. Look At Miss Ohio - Gillian Welch
8. Martha - Tom Waits
9. Easy Silence - Dixie Chicks
10. Mysterious Ways - U2

Bonus: Please Forgive Me - David Gray

Among those whom I like or admire I can find no common denominator. But among those whom I love I can. All of them make me laugh!