Heads Up!

I'm looking at YOU, mid-west people.  And those on the East Coast too!  You guys have had one hell of a winter so far, more so then us here in Colorado but let me tell you something.

GET READY for more.

This is the predicted seven day forecast for Colorado Springs and holy wow - it's freezing outside.

Photo courtesy of KKTV

Especially since I was in a tank top on Saturday.

Yes, just two days ago.

Snow is fore-casted for us today and tomorrow so you know it's heading your way.  They are saying that this is the coldest temperatures we've seen in FOURTEEN YEARS.

Crazy, I know.
Since I live in Colorado, right?

Alright, time to bundle up, heck I might even get the fireplace going.

What did the mommy tomato say to the baby tomato?

Ketchup.

Learned that little joke from Pulp Fiction I believe.  It's funny.

This week has been jammed packed with a whole lot of nothing, but busy.  I'm working on a new account for work and my days are filled to the brim with emails that I can't keep up with and conference calls that overlap in most cases or start as soon as another finishes.  Seriously folks, I think I squeezed in a shower maybe 2 times during the week.

Keven said it was like I was re-living my college days all over again.
And he's sort of right.

I don't think I showered much while I was in college.  I was too busy sleeping.  And eating.  And you know, studying.

Or something like that.

Both Keven Jr. and Isaac lost a tooth this past week.  While at school no less!  And when the tooth fairy came for Isaac and gave him five dollars for his very first lost tooth, Keven Jr. was upset.  He was even more upset a few days later when he lost his sixth tooth, because he found only three dollars under his pillow.  It just wasn't fair you guys!

Parenting.

Both boys got significant hair cuts too last weekend.  I finally succumbed to Isaac's wishes and let him cut his curls off.  And that was only because he told me that 1.) he wasn't a baby anymore 2.) and that it was time to cut his hair.

Like seriously, who does he think he's talking to?  It's like he's five years old or something.

We got to the place and he boasted that he was going to shave his head.  I damn near had a heart attack at the thought of going that extreme and pulled out one of those hairstyle books and found something that was a little less drastic but still short.  We agreed and off came the hair.  He was so happy about it, that almost made it all worth it.

Although....

I think I might have cried a little.
Inside of course.

On the outside I kept my shit together because really.  "Really Mom?" he says to me, "I'm five years old."  Oh but son that doesn't help me at all because you look so much older now.  Too much older.

*sigh*

During school this past week the kids were studying about the Post Office and all the kids in the school learned how to properly write letters and how to mail them.  The school had mailboxes through out the school and each day the letters they had written got delivered.

Can I just say how adorable this whole thing was?  Keven Jr. sent Isaac letters.  Isaac sent Keven Jr. letters.  They came home with letters from their teachers and from their friends.  It was just really fun.

Oh!  And last Friday night the PTA put on a BINGO fund raiser so we went.  It's usually pretty fun and they give away good jackpots if you win and in between games they give away beanie babies to the kids in a raffle.    Anyways, it's always total chaos, loud and crowded, but totally not the typical BINGO at the local BINGO hall that's filled with smoke and a bunch of old ladies that sneer at you when you accidentally call BINGO or make too much noise while the game is underway.  This kind of BINGO is kid friendly and well, I won.  I was so nervous walking up to confirm my BINGO that I said to the lady 'Don't make me look like an idiot' but alas, I had a valid BINGO and walked away with $29 in my pocket.  I should have won $55 but I had to split it with a fourth grader.

Keven Jr. won a beanie baby.
Which made Isaac cry because it so wasn't fair.

I hiked the incline over the weekend, well half of it and I'm sore today.
Just in case you cared.
I'm tired too.



So with that said; it's time for bed yo.

The Mystery of the Missing Soap

I'll give you a clue.

The dog, yes Truman, about scared me to death last night.

The boys were winding down, our nightly routine of showers, brushing teeth, and getting tucked snuggly into bed was in full effect.  I paused for a minute in between the kids bedrooms to tidy up their bathroom.  I walked in, wiped up the counter (Isaac spilled mouthwash), put the toilet lid down (BOYS!) and started to straighten up the shower curtain when I heard a noise.

Without really being able to identify the weird noise, and exactly where it was coming from, I didn't hesitate at all in adjusting the shower curtain to my liking.  Then all of a sudden the curtain moved and Truman was jumping out, right at me, nearly leveling me to my knees.  Why on earth was the dog, in the bathtub?

He was thirsty you see.

Oh Truman.
My love for him runs deep.

Ever since I discovered William Wegman many, many years ago, I've loved the Weimaraner breed.  I always wanted one, and dreamed about being one's person.  I too always imagined that his name would be Truman.

And well, that obviously came true.

The breed is interesting to say the least.  They are strong.  And stubborn.  And smart.  Very athletic and quirky.  He reacts in silly ways to funny noises and barks at himself in response to his reflection - be it a mirror or the glass in the back door.  He'll bark his fool head off at something outside while he's inside but the slightest bark from a neighboring dog or an unfamiliar noise while he's out in the backyard?  Makes him retreat to the back porch in complete fear - as fast as a lightening strike.  It's quite hysterical.  He loves to run off leash and is in his element when we take him hiking.  We play hide and seek with him and without fail, every single time, he sniffs us out.  His nose is by far the coldest dog nose I've ever felt.  Oh and did I mention he snores and likes to perch himself in, odd places?

Without a doubt I'm smitten with this dog.  And as many times as I'm cursing him under my breath, I love it when he tries to prove to me that he's indeed going to be a lap dog whether I like it or not.

He's my companion and I am his.

Today while I was slogging away at work, in my home office, I noticed that Truman wasn't laying in the patch of sun on the living room floor like usual.  He wasn't at my feet either.

I called for him and he eventually came, but I really never gave it much thought as to where he could have been. Or what he was up to for that matter.  He's like a kid, that dog.

This evening shortly before dinner was ready, Isaac brought it to my attention that the dogs water dish in the laundry room had run dry.  I refilled it and they happily drank.

Later on when the kids went to shower, their soap was missing.  I told them where to find more soap so they could shower and then?

The light bulb went off:

Earlier today when Truman was MIA, he must have been in the bathtub again.  He must have been trying to find water because his water dish was empty.

SEE!  Smart dog.

And also?
He apparently indulged himself by eating a bar of soap.
Okay, maybe not so smart, but cute?  Yes?
Damn dog.

I sure hope he doesn't fart bubbles.

Oops. I did it again

I disappeared.

But hey, give me credit!  At least I wasn't gone for months this time.  Just a few short weeks.

I guess I've been watching too much iCarly.  Or spending too much time on Facebook.  Or you know, working or something.  Truth is?  Heck, I don't know what the truth is, bottom line?  I haven't posted.

There's laundry to be done and laundry that needs to be put away.
Carpets to be vacuumed.
Bathrooms to clean.
My kitchen counters need to be wiped down.
Floors need to be swept and mopped.

Even though I just did all of that stuff mid-way through the week.
It needs to be done.  Again.  My work is never done.

There's lots of organizing that needs to happen in my basement.  I've been slowly selling things that we don't need anymore.  Mostly baby stuff, but still.

That stuff sells like hotcakes.

My nephew from California was out to visit right after Christmas.  He stayed with us through the new year.  He and the kids had a really fun time together, considering the difference in age.  Keven Jr. and Isaac pleaded with me on a daily basis to let them wake him up, and on the days that the kids were at school, my nephew missed them.  Keven and I enjoyed his company too.

He's a good kid.
I hope he does magical things with his life.

I miss my family.

Earlier this week I received a phone call from on old co-worker about someone we used to work with.  He had been diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago and was given 3 months at the time of diagnosis to live.  The cancer started in his lungs but over time had spread to his kidneys and to his liver.  It was now invading his bone.

He was a fighter.

He passed away on Wednesday evening quietly in his hospital room.

With no family around.

His brother was on his way from the East Coast but didn't make it in time.  The rest of their family was in their native country of Senegal Africa.  He's going to missed by a lot of people because he touched their lives in some way or another.  Don't take time for granted.

The year 2011 didn't start off as I had envisioned it.

The other night two of my girlfriends came over.  It was a very impromptu visit, but it was nice.  We sat around the kitchen table and talked.  Keven even joined us.  We consumed adult beverages.  It was well into the night before I got to bed they stayed so late.

But I was perfectly happy with that.

I have good friends.
They take care of me.
And I take care of them.

We had lunch, all of us girls, on Friday.  And then after I picked up the kids from school I took them to get milkshakes and then to the bookstore to buy books with Christmas money.  We had fun.

I've been working on putting together a site for my photography.  It's something that I really want to do, but I'm afraid.  I haven't been eating well or exercising much since the new year.  So much for those resolutions.  Since the time change and since the cold weather settled in, if that's what you want to call it, I've been struggling.

I think I suffer from SADD.
But then again, maybe I'm just being hard on myself.
Why am I so hard on myself I'll never know.

Truman, the dog, has dug holes in our backyard.
I need to take care of those here soon before he digs a hole to China.
Damn dog.

Oh but I love him.

Speaking of that darn dog, he's at it again.

Time to go refill my cup of coffee and get the muffins out of the oven.  The timer's going off.
Oh and get the dog before he does anything else.

So tell me, what are you doing this weekend?

Settling in to 2011

I made the decision earlier today while emptying out my kitchen cabinets of unnecessary and unused items that I was going to start drinking my beverages, whether they be adult or not, out of my wine glasses.

I mean, why not?

Heck, maybe I'll start drinking wine more often. More seriously.

Hmm. That doesn't sound very good in theory, but didn't I say I was going to live life to the fullest, and enjoy the moment? I might as well start by using my 'special occasion' wares for every day.

Right?

It's amazing how fancier you feel when you are drinking - water - in a wine glass. And I like it.

:: :: :: ::

I decided to add some things to my sidebar, and no, they aren't ads. Or reviews. I'm done with all that jazz. I've actually added a bookshelf so to speak that displays the book that I'm reading at the moment, and a random 3-6-5 section in which I will post a random photo daily, that I've taken. Who knows, maybe at the end of the year I'll put them together in a slide show, or maybe a book, I haven't yet decided. I'm trying to keep myself accountable for the things I listed on my 'succeed list for 2011' in case you were wondering. You might have noticed too that I eliminated a lot of things that were cluttering up my sidebar when I did the redesign (you like?). Seems to be a theme recently as I've been de-cluttering my house as well over the last few weeks. Might as well de-clutter other things in my life too.

Anyways....

This blog is my blog, my personal blog, and that's all I'm worried about. I'm not here to make money or to create my brand. I just want a community of family and friends, ones that I may have met before in person, or not, to be able to come here and read what I have to say. Maybe relate even. Maybe even share some things themselves.

What a better way to stay connected with family and friends, right?

The Slate is Clean; Starting from Scratch

Well well well, look who's finally emerged from her silence!

It's been a while my friends. A very long while. And while I'd like to apologize for my absence, I can't because I have no reason to really. At some point several months ago I decided to take a break. I needed to take a break. Things just seemed to be getting out of control and I was crazy busy.

Or so it seemed. 2010 wasn't a very nice year.

But who knows, maybe it was all in my head.

BUT!

It's now 2011.

My slate has been wiped clean.

I'm starting from scratch.

Things that I want to succeed at in 2011?

Being on time.

Getting healthy.

Challenging myself more.

Not giving up, no quitting.

My photography.

Staying connected with family and friends.

Organization.

Being a better person.

Reading.

Enjoying the moments.

Finishing what I started.

Keeping things simple.

Living life to the fullest, one day at a time.

Here's to a wonderful 2011 my friends and family. I've missed you all, and am glad to be back.