Uhh... Is This Safe To Eat Still?

Is that a question you often hear in your home?

I'm extremely cautious of not eating foods after they expire. I took a nutrition class about 5 years ago, maybe a little longer, and as a result have become aware of the dangers of food poisoning. I do NOT take chances.

My Mom, who is the same way, knows how much this concerns me and sent me this link:

http://www.stilltasty.com/

I highly suggest you all checking it out! I haven't looked at it into too much depth, but I certainly plan to!

Thanks, Mom! :)

Why Our UPS Man Hates Us...

Enough said...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Feel Like Laughing? Crying? Throwing Something? Cleaning Your Entire House Top To Bottom?

I hereby declare this pregnancy hormone awareness day!!! (Go through the videos in order for full effect...)

First, the song Bobby sang to me the night we got married. I know, awww... It just happened to be playing in the limo, and being nervous he sang along. This song always just makes me smile.




Now, to make you sad: You have to watch them in the exact order... Better yet, look them up for better quality versions...







Stop what you're doing! Put down the knife! Do NOT slit your wrists! "But why?!" You ask? "WHY did we have to go from happy to sad in 1.2 seconds flat?" I'll tell you why... Because that's what it's like! Not fun, is it?

Now, cheer up and watch this:



Fun! YAY! Happy! Weird, creepy, silly, but HAPPY!

Everyone getting on your nerves?





Angry and ticked, huh? But at least you feel vindicated... Don't be mad at me! I could have used a lot of worse songs just to make you feel anger! Trust me!

OK, Ignore the weird graphics...



Naturally, you worry just what that baby will look like...



Then you remember, everything will be fine...



Besides, if you're having one of Bobby's kids at least, it's inevitable...





That was just strange, and you can't explain it. You don't feel bad, but not quite like yourself either...

But who cares, you're STARVING!!!!



Now you're feeling sleepy...



What just happened? Why is it every time you fall asleep you wake up more confused? Stupid pregnancy dreams...




WAKE UP! You're nesting! Time to CLEAN!



Your husband thinks you are most certainly and definitely CRAZY!



Would not be complete without this...



Who doesn't feel happy and complete after hearing "Hysteria"? Oh yeah, that's just me... anyways...

And now, for at least a few moments...



But, here you are, and it is well...



And now, you have officially experienced a full mood swing. Congratulations! Were you truly pregnant, you would feel this way CONSTANTLY... never ending... it's such a beautiful process, isn't it? That's why to your husband you dedicate this:

I'm A Blubbering Idiot: At The Very Most, To Say The Very Least...

Adventures in incubating...

Yesterday Tommy & I ran to the store, and on the way home I decided to listen to the radio. Well, first song to make me cry, naturally, was Darius Rucker's "It Won't Be Like This For Long". I have 3 children, and often long for those days I just couldn't wait to pass... like the first night home with each of them. There I was, bawling on the freeway, while Tommy "sang" along in his car seat behind me.



Well, here's where it gets even stupider... more stupid... whatever! (You don't even know how to SPELL! (What I apparently yelled at my sweet husband in my sleep last night...))

When Bobby and I had been married about 6 months or so, his first father's day as Jeff & Becca's step dad, he made a list of songs he wanted me to hear that either he just liked in general or reminded him of me while I made him a father's day dinner. One was a Brad Paisley song. Since then when I have heard it, I kind of think "awww". Well, yesterday a DIFFERENT Brad Paisley song played on the radio... and there I was, deliriously confused and sobbing at how lucky I am to have him and how far we've come in the last 2 years and 4 months... It wasn't until HOURS later that I realized IT WASN'T EVEN THE RIGHT SONG! Boy, did I feel stupid. I cried for NOTHING! He laughed at this when I told him, I was mad. Gotta love hormones....

So, tell me, which Brad Paisley song do you think was the right one, and which one the wrong?

You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Blog Is About YOU!

Thank you to Kathy for the idea of the title of this blog some time ago...

So, I must admit in public now that I am slightly obsessed with make up, even though I don't wear it every day. Yes, I still keep it all in a caboodle (purple marble with a hot pink handle) and it contains mostly eye shadows & eye liners. I wouldn't say I'm vain though... If anything I have a low self esteem that I battle with every single day. I just wanted to use that blog title idea, lol.

Speaking of vanity, why is it such human nature to assume that when you read something that refers to the "general you", one must assume it is personally directed at them. Vice versa, why do some people say that something is not directed at anyone but the general public, but it is actually directed at one single group or person?

Why, as humans, and I do mean the general public here... I AM NOT TARGETING ANYONE! (Ahem, don't be vain...) do we feel the need to be so mean and/or cruel to others just because they hurt our feelings or we disagree? Everyone has been guilty of it at some point in time. Most know when to stop and not drag things on. Naturally, everyone has a right to vent or be upset... But, by golly, I've known some people who carry things on and out for so much longer than necessary. Why?! Do you not feel that you are valuable enough as a person to deserve being happy? Such bitterness only drags one down. You aren't hurting anyone but yourself as I'm sure the others don't think much of it, and you're certainly just depressing yourself.

Another vanity topic...

What is with the obsession with weight during pregnancy and postpartum? I swear it is so much more now than it was when I had Jeff and Becca. Then again, maybe it's because I was in another part of the country and not in Southern California. I've been blessed to only gain 4lbs so far with this pregnancy (I started out a little heavy as I was still working on losing weight from my pregnancy with Tommy... and it was the holidays... and Bobby and I had put on some "marital bliss" weight right before I got pregnant with Tommy...) but I've heard of women DIETING or obsessing over calories during pregnancy! Heaven forbid you not be skin and bones after you deliver! Surely, you MUST wear your jeans 3 months after delivery! What will you do if you don't ever fit into a size small again? What will everyone think if you have a slight pudge on your tummy or thighs 6 months after your baby is born? And to still have that weight 2 years later? WHAT A TRAGEDY?! Why don't people think of the tragedy that is a sick newborn? No one wants to think about the pain and suffering a premature infant goes through... What about brain or physical development being damaged due to your "ego"? Grrr... some people should never be allowed to be parents.

I could go on and on with this... but I think I've already let my hormones say enough. I'm going to shut up... NOW!

I Am Blessed...

A great many things have occurred not only in my life, but in the lives of those I know and love... and even some I've never met... to cause me to once again realize just how blessed I truly am lately. While I always "know" in my heart that I'm blessed, I don't take for granted the reminders that sometimes have to be put in front of me.

• God has given me a caring husband, who would never hurt me and (almost) always thinks of my feelings. (He is human, after all...)
• My children are healthy. While my oldest 2 may not live under my roof most of the year, they are most certainly healthy and safe.
• I am healthy. Sure, a little overweight with annoying acne and gallstones. But nothing life threatening.
• I have a family that loves me.
• I have friends that seem to be there when I need them.
• My church is amazing and a great place to attend worship. Always involved with reaching out not only to those who attend, but to the surrounding community also.
• I have a roof over my head. We may have a pincher bug invasion under way, but it's a cute old house that I still love and will continue to love until we maybe hopefully someday buy a cute new house, lol. We have heat when it's cold, air conditioning when it's hot, and electricity with running hot/cold water.
• I'm never hungry for any longer than necessary. There is food in my pantry.

I really could continue this list on and on and on and on... But I think I made the point that was needed. Never take anything for granted. Just because it is here today, it may not be tomorrow. Love your loved ones, appreciate the small things, and never forget that tomorrow everything can change.

Further on that note, I would like to send out my condolences to Linda Truesdale and family on the passing of her husband Larry yesterday. I have known them both most of my life. While we all know that Larry is in the presence of Jesus, he will be missed.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jared! Wow, you're like, 26... who knew you'd make it this far without severing a limb or something? Be thankful! LOL

Ironing Out The Irony ~ Part Deux

Yes, I did it. I said deux, not two. No, this blog will not be as exciting as a Charlie Sheen movie sequel, but I chose this phrasing none the less. Get over it, I've had a long day and didn't sleep much last night. I can be a geek if I want to.

So, ironic fact of my life that I'm going to point out today: Dental issues in our home.

Bobby (doesn't he look so handsome?! Gosh...) has been severely miserable over the last month or so, off and on, due to dental procedures. Scratch that, let's just say what it was. He had a WHOLE bunch of teeth removed. Not all at once either... Poor guy went through a lot. The last procedure they had to actually cut... I'm not going to go into detail, but I don't know how he survived. I wouldn't have. (Anesthesia didn't take... and it got pretty gruesome to unusual levels.) He's only just in the last day started to feel a little better. My poor sweet amazing husband has gone through so much with this and endured pain, agony, and strife all while continuing to work (even when he was home, he was working) and take care of our family. Some of the time without pain medications, and even when he was taking them they weren't working! It was AWFUL (emphasized just for him) watching the love of my life go through all this and knowing I couldn't do anything to help, but in the long run we both know he is going to feel so much better.

Enter in the irony:

About the same time as when Bobby started having these teeth removed, Tommy started teething again. The kid hadn't cut a tooth for about 6 months, was going about his business with only 6 teeth just fine and dandy. Showed very little signs of teething and didn't really seem like he was going to for at least a few more weeks when BAM! There he was. Up off and on most nights, not napping well during the day, drooling, pain, fussy, upset tummy, lack of appetite, (says A LOT for him!) fever, restless, hyper, etc etc etc... And it wasn't just one or two teeth either. He seems to be popping a tooth a day the last few days, all on the left side. (He chews more on this side) and is really gumming a lot on the other. If he continues, in a few days his entire left side will be filled in! (I'm not gonna lie, him having a mouth full on one side and not on the other is kind of weird/funny... but from experience I know in time his mouth will be full of teeth.) Poor baby, he's been almost as miserable as his Daddy. Both of my guys going through all of this at the same time was not only taxing for all of us, but very heart wrenching for me. Nothing I could do for either! Hopefully Tommy finds some relief soon. Whether it be that his teeth all just cut quickly with little pain or he gets a small break from teething for a bit.

I didn't dare complain about something being stuck in my tooth, the fact that my wisdom teeth are 10 years overdue to be removed, or need of whitening... or how much I would like to get invisalign. These boys would kill me! I can honestly say I have learned a new appreciation for my boys and my lack of serious dental issues.

Just goes to show the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away... (Har har har...)

Seriously though, it is a true point. Ironic the timing of this all in our home though. Hopefully all of this will be done for Bobby by the time Johnny starts teething in about a year or so. Yikes!

Ironing Out The Irony...

So, this is my younger brother Jared. (Yes, I stole this pic off myspace, get off my back. It's his most recent upload so I found it fitting...)

Jared and I grew up together, of course, being full blooded siblings and all. In other words: We lived in the same house and experienced the same things. Being different genders we both walked away with different takes on life from our upraising, even though we are only 19 months apart. This is noticeable in the most obvious ways, and not so obvious ways as I found out last week...

Jared has recently begun relocating to Northern California with his girlfriend Ashly. (I don't know her very well, but she seems like a nice girl and she makes Jared ridiculously happy. Maybe someday they will give me a dark haired niece or nephew that I can spoil insanely and send home at the end of the day... no pressure! ) Being that Jared is ridiculously happy, he wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a nice dinner though he had few items in the house and no time to run to the store. Who does he call for advice? Me. I received this as an extreme compliment, as he flat out told me he was calling me because I'm a good cook. (I know, I was surprised too...)

So, I asked what he had on hand. Frozen chicken. Then he asked if I ever used frozen chicken and had any ideas what to do with it. Really? Seriously?! I choked on laughter, and if you've been reading this blog for very long you know why. I tried not to get to excited and exclaim the magic and glory of all that is available to you at a low cost and convenience with frozen chicken on hand... I'm not going to say that was easy, but I did it.

Seriously, how is this not the most ironic thing of my week? My little brother, who grew up in the same home I did where Grandma baked frozen chicken AT LEAST once a week, if not twice has never heard of what to do with frozen chicken or even if it's any good? REALLY? And then calls ME, of all people, to ask what to do with it? Made my day... OK, yeah, my week. Love it. Had to share, whether you people care at all or not.

Just goes to show, you can come from the exact same place. Same upbringing. Same blood. Same parents. Etc, etc, etc... and have a completely different outlook than the person next to you. How many times in life do we need to remember that we are all different from one person to the next and that we may not all have the same take? Really makes you think... Or at least it made me think... obviously.... Be concious of other people!!!

My point: Don't you love how God will grab your attention with the most everyday thing like your little brother asking you for a recipe? Amazes me!

P.S. He told me later that the dinner came out excellent and his girlfriend loved it. The art of knowing how to handle frozen chicken must run in our blood...

Oops, it's been a month!

Wow, those last few weeks flew by! So fast, I forgot to blog!

Probably because I had a few weeks of really great bursts of energy. I accomplished so much that I was wanting to get done, and even some things that I didn't plan on. Now, though, I'm back to the pregnant with lack of energy state. So here I sit, just for today at least, with plans to do nothing whatsoever but nap and veg out.

What all has happened in the last month? OH SO MUCH! Let's see... (No specific order... and of course, the news involving my children is the most exciting...)

• Took another trip to Disneyland. (I had wanted to go more, but was unable to since I was finishing up all those above mentioned projects...)
• Had Tommy's first birthday party.
• Ikea had tax free days. (WOOHOO!)
• Bobby had serious dental work done, and will again tomorrow.
• Found out the gender of our new baby, which entailed discussing names, shopping, and setting up gift registries. (It's another boy, by the way. No, we're still not done. 2 more!)
• Jeff turned 8! YIKES!
• Discovered I have gallstones, and just how painful they can be.
• Much much more, but my tired brain just doesn't want to think...

Eventful this month has been. (Thank you, Yoda, for using me in such a way.) And even more eventful will this month and the month after... and after that... etc... will be! After this weekend I believe we have 2 "free" weekends before every weekend is booked until it is almost time for Jeff and Becca to get here for the summer! Yikes! And after they leave? It'll be my due date!

Just thinking about all this has made me so tired that I forgot what I was going to blog about before I started typing and got distracted... maybe I'll be back to blog more later...