nice morning surprise

looky what I woke up to one morning...and I do not usually read the paper, was getting ready to throw it away after hubby read it (he did not notice) and I was shocked...btw Tim did not know it was going to be in either...
nice surprise...

Timothy

starting a new series on my blog about different members of my family and decided to start with Tim...my son...and he is a really good son, takes care of his mom and dad, forgoing some personal time to do this too...always there when we need him...
I am so proud of the person he's become, he makes this momma's heart feel wonderful...
when he was in 6th grade at the school my kids attended, the teachers would pick one boy and one girl that they thought epitomized "student of the year..."  one day while at work in ICU of the hospital I get a phone call from the principal of the kid's school and I got a little worried...she was calling to say that
Tim was going to receive this award and my best friend's daughter got it also...to this day Tim and I will reminisce about going back to the school to see the award hanging in the office (if it is still there...)
he was editor in chief of the high school newspaper...
cute story...we had bought our new house, and they just built the new high school for our subdivision, and Tim's class would be the first of the 4 year class to graduate from there and they got to chose the mascot and the school colors...he did so well for high school...then went onto RCC and when we moved to Riverside, became the editor in chief of their newpaper and then got hired as an assistant to the professor...PE needed a freelancer and called RCC to see if there was anyone interested and so Tim freelanced for awhile holding down both jobs and then one day got a call that the PE wanted to hire him full time (with benefits) and the rest is history...
he loves entertainment, especially movies & comics and so I think it is special that he gets to write about what he is passionate about...
I wanted to recognize him for all he does for us and to know how proud of him I am...the day he came home and handed me his business card that the PE had printed up for him, oh my...still have the same card...
funny story...when he and his friend were at the 24 hour Avenger thing at the movies, I saw someone post, "OMG I just saw Tim Guy from the PE here."  Zoe thought it was funny that she knows a celebrity...
he and Stephanie had a long running entertainment show on RCC tv that was pretty popular till it got cut due to budget cuts...
this is their blog address that they still keep up with:
http://www.inscaped.com/

I was kind of surprised when one of my friends said, "oh I saw Tim on tv the other day."  they are still searching for a market to pick them up again...

here is his PE blog:
http://blog.pe.com/tim-guy/

he and his coworker like to try weird things and report on them, here is a link to bacon soda:
http://video.pe.com/services/player/bcpid1065949016001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAGRdv_nE~,amdIb-PkeAp9wQ_Hcy0jxtca-pBE_yON&bclid=260803777001&bctid=1655307843001

trying to find the link of them trying Jack in the Box's bacon shake...that one was hilarious...

this is the link where you can go ask Tim any question:
http://sn133w.snt133.mail.live.com/default.aspx?rru=inbox#n=1374658711&rru=inbox&fid=1&fav=1&mid=b43e947f-a5aa-11e1-b711-00215ad965ac&fv=1

the I guide blog that Tim was instrumental in helping get up:
http://www.facebook.com/pe.iguide#!/photo.php?fbid=322653691132856&set=a.320352491362976.75663.228712220527004&type=1&theater...

my next blog about Tim will be about Japan and how it happened to come about that he has been there twice...

what she wore Friday...

every school night it takes me a little time to help Zoe get all of her stuff out for school for the next morning...she has to be there so early that it is so much better to get everything out the night before...
if I get her clothes out, I have (HAVE to?) get the right dress to match the right leggings, and shoes and hair band, etc...so, tonight she came to me and said, "can I wear jeans and a tee tomorrow?"  I jumped at the chance not to have to get everything out...

Thursday & Friday...

Thursday was my usual babysitting day...it came very early as I did not sleep well the night before...it is a big deal right now, that sleep just seems to evade me...I can fall asleep all right (with the assistance of a sleeping pill) but then I wake up sometimes as early as 11pm (cause when I babysit the next day, I try to go to bed by 8:30 or so...so 11, and then all night I sleep for maybe an hour or so and then I am awake again...
so, Cj came and in his usual darling little self, crawls right up onto the couch, burrows his little head into the pillow and he is off to dreamland...so, I decided to try going back to sleep also and I was successful to get an hour...thank goodness...
the day did not go well...Cj was pretty good but he is much better when noone else is here...a couple of temper tantrums and peeing his pants made the day not so good...
hubby did take Cj to the duck park for an hour or so, and then at 12 when Samantha got off work at the preschool, she took Zoe and Cj to her school to see baby ducks and then ride the jury trolley that parks behind her school...
made homemade mac & cheese for dinner and was very happy to go to bed fairly early...
later after dinner we skyped with the little kids...

woke up Friday with a raging migraine but had dreams of getting a lot done today...decided to go ahead and do what I wanted to just to get it done...so off we went to the commissary (I wanted to get a tri tip roast for Memorial Day) and the commissary has the best ones...also stopped at Sam's to get charcoal and of course get hot dogs for lunch...come home and take a nap and sort of get rid of my headache...
made a great new recipe for dinner that everyone seemed to love...chicken and wild rice casserole...

while at Sam's 2 things happened: (copied from my FB)

raining in Mo Val this morning at the commissary and at Sam's...needed my jacket...heartwarming observation at Sam's today...(Mona P you will appreciate) 15 challenged young people with 4 caretakers all eating the pizza or hot dog deal (how can you go wrong for 1.50)...what got to me that the caretakers were very caring and it tugged at my heart just a tad...as they went by each kid they would pat... them on the back, cut their pizza for them, talked and laughed with each one...I have seen other caretakers be mean to their charges and this was so refreshing to see these kids happy, laughing and smiling and having a good time...this one kids was in a "hi, how are you?" mood over and over to me but, I was game as long as he was happy...I do not have the patience for this type of work but lots of kudos for these people today...

and then:

the other thing that happened at Sam's...Ross went to get charcoal while I went to stand in line for hot dogs...as I was passing him in line to get a table, he had everyone in line wave to me and call out to me...nice way to embarrass me, honey...

new hair cut

so the little princess who keeps saying she wants to grow her hair out and have it be long, came home from school today and declared that she needed a hair cut and she knew exactly how much she wanted cut off...I did agree she did need her bangs cut so, I paid for her to go to Super Cuts and she came home and it does look cute...we have a problem with her hair anyway, it always looks frizzy, no matter what we put on it...I have paid for expensive conditioners and leave in-s and it always looks weird...I bought a leave in from Wal Mart and it is not really working like I want it to...the last leave in I got before was from Super Cuts and a little expensive, but I am learning that cheaper is not always better when it comes to Zoe's hair...
do you like her dress?  a Hanna Andersson...love their Swedish knits so much...I bought 6 matching pieces to this dress and I am loving the fit on her...so so comfortable...and the weather here has been so cooperative with sundresses, in the high 90's...was down to 80's today and by Friday supposed to be in the 60's for a few days...man will I love that...

we went out to dinner tonight, thought we needed a night out...
Chili's was so good tonight...you have got to try their new "Big Mouth Bites," they're little hamburger sliders with bacon and carmelized onions, served with onion straws and ranch...ohhhh so good...Ross and Tim did the 2 for $20 dinner and with that you get a free appetizer so we got the "Texas Cheese Fries," and then I had a free coupon for an appetizer, so we got the "Loaded Potato Skins..." we had a couple of to-go containers, and have had our fill of bacon, cheese and potatoes...dinner came out to be $6 after my gift card...such a good night...

tomorrow?  tis a babysitting day...and I have no problem at all with babysitting Cj except for the getting up part...I have to get up about 4:30 for him as the other grandma drops him off on her way to work...it sure is not a problem for him...
4:30 am comes awful early, but I go to bed at 8:30 the night before to prepare...
Cj knows the drill, cutie pie that he is, gives other grandma a kiss and comes into Gracie jumping on him and licking his face, goes right to the couch without a word, puts his head on the pillow, I give him a kiss, take off his shoes and he is asleep that quickly...
he will sleep till about 9:30 every single time...
so, see he is not the problem, it is that I hate to get up that early, even tho some mornings I am already up, just don't want to be...
I started watching him after the new baby was born and Cj was jealous and to get attention from the other grandpa (he watches the kids while grandma works) he would do some naughty things...one time Grampy was in the shower and Cj mixed dish soap and slushy syrup and put it all over his sister's bed...so yeah...not real good...his favorite thing to do it take off all of his clothes and run out the door and run around their cul-de-sac, so they put locks up high where he could not reach them, now he goes out the windows...and he does not listen to them at all...
so, I said I would start watching him 2 days a week, and then they put him into preschool 2 days a week also...
now, for me I do not have one bit of a problem with him at all unless he has a watchful audience like if Zoe comes home from school early and especially if she brings a friend, then he will tend to act up...but usually he and I get along very well and he listens to Grandpa and me...

this was my goal list for yesterday...

so far so good...getting my goals done and it is only 8 am
1. Ross & Cj still asleep...check
2. set sprinklers in front...check
3. set sprinkliers in back...check
4. get meat out for dinner...check
... 5. start a load of laundry...check
6. typed up dinner blog for tonight...check
7. read Tim's blog...check
8. a little morning time to myself...priceless

 

rounded out today by going to Home Depot to get some dirt for vegetables and was going to get some

pumpkin seeds but they had some plants already started...am still going to get seeds I want Cj and Zoe to plant some for themselves...I have always had a pretty good garden going and at least 10 pumpkins a year...just did not do them last year...

the last thing I did today was finish up listing my items on Ebay...have already sold 2 items, hopefully they will all sell and I can build up Zoe and Sian's art class at the museum monies...

 

see ya tomorrow...

antler crap

I am over this...I am done D.O.N.E. (is that clear enough?) the audacity of some people never ceases to amaze me. we gave all we had and more than that, we gave when there was no more to give...we went over and above what we were supposed (or expected of us) to do and the throwing under the bus continues (in my whole life I have never been thrown under the bus so many times...) this one person I... am addressing needs to leave us alone from now on...YOU are not the boss of us, never were (tho you sure liked to think you were) and most certainly never will ever be, you do not even rate to be our friend...and to think we pay our good hard earned money to be treated this way...we pay our dues like everyone else, including the person I am directing this to, you are not better than us, and you need to quit acting like you are and start treating people with a little more respect...

the above was what I posted on my FB today...even tho we are essentially out of there, we still get the crap and always from the same person...I am tired of it...

when an ER leaves office they have the right to have a copy of their jewels...Ross ahead of time, ordered himself a "good" set...he went in today and asked for his jewels, he was refused...he asked again and again refused...so he called the current ER and asked for them...the ER said he could have them but someone refused to give them to him...

he finally got them in a very rude manner and in essence escorted out of the office...when he got them home, we saw that he was given a very cheap set with no inscription or anything (not what he ordered) and then someone called me to say that this person gave away the jewels that Ross had ordered...

it is so maddening to me that we are treated like this and were for an entire year, and now plus...I refuse to let this person do this to us again...one year was enough...one year of constantly following us around like a little puppy dog, telling us what we could do and what we couldn't...closing a door if we opened it, etc...

we pay our monies like everyone else to belong to a "social" club so I feel like we are paying good money for people to treat us like crap and that in itself is a travesty...that place does a lot of good, but there are too many people that get a power trip and think they are better than everyone else and they are not...just pisses me off...

ok off my soapbox...thanks for letting me vent...

btw...he took the jewels back and put them on the desk with a note, that said, "these are not the jewels I ordered and I want mine."

we shall see...

Whidbey Island

what is wrong with this picture?
here today? 96 degrees, tomorrow? 93
Whidbey today? 55 degrees, tomorrow? 53
why am I here? OMGoodness and I could be there right now...we were supposed to be there at this time till someone (wink wink) got sick...

sometimes I get real homesick (if you can call it that since I have never lived there save for an RV or a hotel) for Whidbey Island...love it there so much...
and I actually found it by accident...was researching Dutch towns in the US and came upon Oak Harbor...when we first got our RV and hubby asked where I wanted to go and I said, "Oak Harbor," he had never heard of it and so we went and fell in love and have been back many more times...
we were supposed to have taken another trip up there this month but got cancelled once hubby was in the hospital...
don't think we will be able to make it this year at all and that makes me sad...Zoe also loved it when we took her on our last road trip...